gdb/
[binutils-gdb.git] / gdb / doc / gdb.texinfo
1 \input texinfo @c -*-texinfo-*-
2 @c Copyright (C) 1988-1996, 1998-2012 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
3 @c
4 @c %**start of header
5 @c makeinfo ignores cmds prev to setfilename, so its arg cannot make use
6 @c of @set vars. However, you can override filename with makeinfo -o.
7 @setfilename gdb.info
8 @c
9 @include gdb-cfg.texi
10 @c
11 @settitle Debugging with @value{GDBN}
12 @setchapternewpage odd
13 @c %**end of header
14
15 @iftex
16 @c @smallbook
17 @c @cropmarks
18 @end iftex
19
20 @finalout
21 @syncodeindex ky cp
22 @syncodeindex tp cp
23
24 @c readline appendices use @vindex, @findex and @ftable,
25 @c annotate.texi and gdbmi use @findex.
26 @syncodeindex vr cp
27 @syncodeindex fn cp
28
29 @c !!set GDB manual's edition---not the same as GDB version!
30 @c This is updated by GNU Press.
31 @set EDITION Tenth
32
33 @c !!set GDB edit command default editor
34 @set EDITOR /bin/ex
35
36 @c THIS MANUAL REQUIRES TEXINFO 4.0 OR LATER.
37
38 @c This is a dir.info fragment to support semi-automated addition of
39 @c manuals to an info tree.
40 @dircategory Software development
41 @direntry
42 * Gdb: (gdb). The GNU debugger.
43 @end direntry
44
45 @copying
46 Copyright @copyright{} 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996,
47 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010
48 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
49
50 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
51 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.3 or
52 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with the
53 Invariant Sections being ``Free Software'' and ``Free Software Needs
54 Free Documentation'', with the Front-Cover Texts being ``A GNU Manual,''
55 and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below.
56
57 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You are free to copy and modify
58 this GNU Manual. Buying copies from GNU Press supports the FSF in
59 developing GNU and promoting software freedom.''
60 @end copying
61
62 @ifnottex
63 This file documents the @sc{gnu} debugger @value{GDBN}.
64
65 This is the @value{EDITION} Edition, of @cite{Debugging with
66 @value{GDBN}: the @sc{gnu} Source-Level Debugger} for @value{GDBN}
67 @ifset VERSION_PACKAGE
68 @value{VERSION_PACKAGE}
69 @end ifset
70 Version @value{GDBVN}.
71
72 @insertcopying
73 @end ifnottex
74
75 @titlepage
76 @title Debugging with @value{GDBN}
77 @subtitle The @sc{gnu} Source-Level Debugger
78 @sp 1
79 @subtitle @value{EDITION} Edition, for @value{GDBN} version @value{GDBVN}
80 @ifset VERSION_PACKAGE
81 @sp 1
82 @subtitle @value{VERSION_PACKAGE}
83 @end ifset
84 @author Richard Stallman, Roland Pesch, Stan Shebs, et al.
85 @page
86 @tex
87 {\parskip=0pt
88 \hfill (Send bugs and comments on @value{GDBN} to @value{BUGURL}.)\par
89 \hfill {\it Debugging with @value{GDBN}}\par
90 \hfill \TeX{}info \texinfoversion\par
91 }
92 @end tex
93
94 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
95 Published by the Free Software Foundation @*
96 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor,
97 Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA@*
98 ISBN 978-0-9831592-3-0 @*
99
100 @insertcopying
101 @end titlepage
102 @page
103
104 @ifnottex
105 @node Top, Summary, (dir), (dir)
106
107 @top Debugging with @value{GDBN}
108
109 This file describes @value{GDBN}, the @sc{gnu} symbolic debugger.
110
111 This is the @value{EDITION} Edition, for @value{GDBN}
112 @ifset VERSION_PACKAGE
113 @value{VERSION_PACKAGE}
114 @end ifset
115 Version @value{GDBVN}.
116
117 Copyright (C) 1988-2010 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
118
119 This edition of the GDB manual is dedicated to the memory of Fred
120 Fish. Fred was a long-standing contributor to GDB and to Free
121 software in general. We will miss him.
122
123 @menu
124 * Summary:: Summary of @value{GDBN}
125 * Sample Session:: A sample @value{GDBN} session
126
127 * Invocation:: Getting in and out of @value{GDBN}
128 * Commands:: @value{GDBN} commands
129 * Running:: Running programs under @value{GDBN}
130 * Stopping:: Stopping and continuing
131 * Reverse Execution:: Running programs backward
132 * Process Record and Replay:: Recording inferior's execution and replaying it
133 * Stack:: Examining the stack
134 * Source:: Examining source files
135 * Data:: Examining data
136 * Optimized Code:: Debugging optimized code
137 * Macros:: Preprocessor Macros
138 * Tracepoints:: Debugging remote targets non-intrusively
139 * Overlays:: Debugging programs that use overlays
140
141 * Languages:: Using @value{GDBN} with different languages
142
143 * Symbols:: Examining the symbol table
144 * Altering:: Altering execution
145 * GDB Files:: @value{GDBN} files
146 * Targets:: Specifying a debugging target
147 * Remote Debugging:: Debugging remote programs
148 * Configurations:: Configuration-specific information
149 * Controlling GDB:: Controlling @value{GDBN}
150 * Extending GDB:: Extending @value{GDBN}
151 * Interpreters:: Command Interpreters
152 * TUI:: @value{GDBN} Text User Interface
153 * Emacs:: Using @value{GDBN} under @sc{gnu} Emacs
154 * GDB/MI:: @value{GDBN}'s Machine Interface.
155 * Annotations:: @value{GDBN}'s annotation interface.
156 * JIT Interface:: Using the JIT debugging interface.
157
158 * GDB Bugs:: Reporting bugs in @value{GDBN}
159
160 @ifset SYSTEM_READLINE
161 * Command Line Editing: (rluserman). Command Line Editing
162 * Using History Interactively: (history). Using History Interactively
163 @end ifset
164 @ifclear SYSTEM_READLINE
165 * Command Line Editing:: Command Line Editing
166 * Using History Interactively:: Using History Interactively
167 @end ifclear
168 * In Memoriam:: In Memoriam
169 * Formatting Documentation:: How to format and print @value{GDBN} documentation
170 * Installing GDB:: Installing GDB
171 * Maintenance Commands:: Maintenance Commands
172 * Remote Protocol:: GDB Remote Serial Protocol
173 * Agent Expressions:: The GDB Agent Expression Mechanism
174 * Target Descriptions:: How targets can describe themselves to
175 @value{GDBN}
176 * Operating System Information:: Getting additional information from
177 the operating system
178 * Trace File Format:: GDB trace file format
179 * Index Section Format:: .gdb_index section format
180 * Copying:: GNU General Public License says
181 how you can copy and share GDB
182 * GNU Free Documentation License:: The license for this documentation
183 * Index:: Index
184 @end menu
185
186 @end ifnottex
187
188 @contents
189
190 @node Summary
191 @unnumbered Summary of @value{GDBN}
192
193 The purpose of a debugger such as @value{GDBN} is to allow you to see what is
194 going on ``inside'' another program while it executes---or what another
195 program was doing at the moment it crashed.
196
197 @value{GDBN} can do four main kinds of things (plus other things in support of
198 these) to help you catch bugs in the act:
199
200 @itemize @bullet
201 @item
202 Start your program, specifying anything that might affect its behavior.
203
204 @item
205 Make your program stop on specified conditions.
206
207 @item
208 Examine what has happened, when your program has stopped.
209
210 @item
211 Change things in your program, so you can experiment with correcting the
212 effects of one bug and go on to learn about another.
213 @end itemize
214
215 You can use @value{GDBN} to debug programs written in C and C@t{++}.
216 For more information, see @ref{Supported Languages,,Supported Languages}.
217 For more information, see @ref{C,,C and C++}.
218
219 Support for D is partial. For information on D, see
220 @ref{D,,D}.
221
222 @cindex Modula-2
223 Support for Modula-2 is partial. For information on Modula-2, see
224 @ref{Modula-2,,Modula-2}.
225
226 Support for OpenCL C is partial. For information on OpenCL C, see
227 @ref{OpenCL C,,OpenCL C}.
228
229 @cindex Pascal
230 Debugging Pascal programs which use sets, subranges, file variables, or
231 nested functions does not currently work. @value{GDBN} does not support
232 entering expressions, printing values, or similar features using Pascal
233 syntax.
234
235 @cindex Fortran
236 @value{GDBN} can be used to debug programs written in Fortran, although
237 it may be necessary to refer to some variables with a trailing
238 underscore.
239
240 @value{GDBN} can be used to debug programs written in Objective-C,
241 using either the Apple/NeXT or the GNU Objective-C runtime.
242
243 @menu
244 * Free Software:: Freely redistributable software
245 * Contributors:: Contributors to GDB
246 @end menu
247
248 @node Free Software
249 @unnumberedsec Free Software
250
251 @value{GDBN} is @dfn{free software}, protected by the @sc{gnu}
252 General Public License
253 (GPL). The GPL gives you the freedom to copy or adapt a licensed
254 program---but every person getting a copy also gets with it the
255 freedom to modify that copy (which means that they must get access to
256 the source code), and the freedom to distribute further copies.
257 Typical software companies use copyrights to limit your freedoms; the
258 Free Software Foundation uses the GPL to preserve these freedoms.
259
260 Fundamentally, the General Public License is a license which says that
261 you have these freedoms and that you cannot take these freedoms away
262 from anyone else.
263
264 @unnumberedsec Free Software Needs Free Documentation
265
266 The biggest deficiency in the free software community today is not in
267 the software---it is the lack of good free documentation that we can
268 include with the free software. Many of our most important
269 programs do not come with free reference manuals and free introductory
270 texts. Documentation is an essential part of any software package;
271 when an important free software package does not come with a free
272 manual and a free tutorial, that is a major gap. We have many such
273 gaps today.
274
275 Consider Perl, for instance. The tutorial manuals that people
276 normally use are non-free. How did this come about? Because the
277 authors of those manuals published them with restrictive terms---no
278 copying, no modification, source files not available---which exclude
279 them from the free software world.
280
281 That wasn't the first time this sort of thing happened, and it was far
282 from the last. Many times we have heard a GNU user eagerly describe a
283 manual that he is writing, his intended contribution to the community,
284 only to learn that he had ruined everything by signing a publication
285 contract to make it non-free.
286
287 Free documentation, like free software, is a matter of freedom, not
288 price. The problem with the non-free manual is not that publishers
289 charge a price for printed copies---that in itself is fine. (The Free
290 Software Foundation sells printed copies of manuals, too.) The
291 problem is the restrictions on the use of the manual. Free manuals
292 are available in source code form, and give you permission to copy and
293 modify. Non-free manuals do not allow this.
294
295 The criteria of freedom for a free manual are roughly the same as for
296 free software. Redistribution (including the normal kinds of
297 commercial redistribution) must be permitted, so that the manual can
298 accompany every copy of the program, both on-line and on paper.
299
300 Permission for modification of the technical content is crucial too.
301 When people modify the software, adding or changing features, if they
302 are conscientious they will change the manual too---so they can
303 provide accurate and clear documentation for the modified program. A
304 manual that leaves you no choice but to write a new manual to document
305 a changed version of the program is not really available to our
306 community.
307
308 Some kinds of limits on the way modification is handled are
309 acceptable. For example, requirements to preserve the original
310 author's copyright notice, the distribution terms, or the list of
311 authors, are ok. It is also no problem to require modified versions
312 to include notice that they were modified. Even entire sections that
313 may not be deleted or changed are acceptable, as long as they deal
314 with nontechnical topics (like this one). These kinds of restrictions
315 are acceptable because they don't obstruct the community's normal use
316 of the manual.
317
318 However, it must be possible to modify all the @emph{technical}
319 content of the manual, and then distribute the result in all the usual
320 media, through all the usual channels. Otherwise, the restrictions
321 obstruct the use of the manual, it is not free, and we need another
322 manual to replace it.
323
324 Please spread the word about this issue. Our community continues to
325 lose manuals to proprietary publishing. If we spread the word that
326 free software needs free reference manuals and free tutorials, perhaps
327 the next person who wants to contribute by writing documentation will
328 realize, before it is too late, that only free manuals contribute to
329 the free software community.
330
331 If you are writing documentation, please insist on publishing it under
332 the GNU Free Documentation License or another free documentation
333 license. Remember that this decision requires your approval---you
334 don't have to let the publisher decide. Some commercial publishers
335 will use a free license if you insist, but they will not propose the
336 option; it is up to you to raise the issue and say firmly that this is
337 what you want. If the publisher you are dealing with refuses, please
338 try other publishers. If you're not sure whether a proposed license
339 is free, write to @email{licensing@@gnu.org}.
340
341 You can encourage commercial publishers to sell more free, copylefted
342 manuals and tutorials by buying them, and particularly by buying
343 copies from the publishers that paid for their writing or for major
344 improvements. Meanwhile, try to avoid buying non-free documentation
345 at all. Check the distribution terms of a manual before you buy it,
346 and insist that whoever seeks your business must respect your freedom.
347 Check the history of the book, and try to reward the publishers that
348 have paid or pay the authors to work on it.
349
350 The Free Software Foundation maintains a list of free documentation
351 published by other publishers, at
352 @url{http://www.fsf.org/doc/other-free-books.html}.
353
354 @node Contributors
355 @unnumberedsec Contributors to @value{GDBN}
356
357 Richard Stallman was the original author of @value{GDBN}, and of many
358 other @sc{gnu} programs. Many others have contributed to its
359 development. This section attempts to credit major contributors. One
360 of the virtues of free software is that everyone is free to contribute
361 to it; with regret, we cannot actually acknowledge everyone here. The
362 file @file{ChangeLog} in the @value{GDBN} distribution approximates a
363 blow-by-blow account.
364
365 Changes much prior to version 2.0 are lost in the mists of time.
366
367 @quotation
368 @emph{Plea:} Additions to this section are particularly welcome. If you
369 or your friends (or enemies, to be evenhanded) have been unfairly
370 omitted from this list, we would like to add your names!
371 @end quotation
372
373 So that they may not regard their many labors as thankless, we
374 particularly thank those who shepherded @value{GDBN} through major
375 releases:
376 Andrew Cagney (releases 6.3, 6.2, 6.1, 6.0, 5.3, 5.2, 5.1 and 5.0);
377 Jim Blandy (release 4.18);
378 Jason Molenda (release 4.17);
379 Stan Shebs (release 4.14);
380 Fred Fish (releases 4.16, 4.15, 4.13, 4.12, 4.11, 4.10, and 4.9);
381 Stu Grossman and John Gilmore (releases 4.8, 4.7, 4.6, 4.5, and 4.4);
382 John Gilmore (releases 4.3, 4.2, 4.1, 4.0, and 3.9);
383 Jim Kingdon (releases 3.5, 3.4, and 3.3);
384 and Randy Smith (releases 3.2, 3.1, and 3.0).
385
386 Richard Stallman, assisted at various times by Peter TerMaat, Chris
387 Hanson, and Richard Mlynarik, handled releases through 2.8.
388
389 Michael Tiemann is the author of most of the @sc{gnu} C@t{++} support
390 in @value{GDBN}, with significant additional contributions from Per
391 Bothner and Daniel Berlin. James Clark wrote the @sc{gnu} C@t{++}
392 demangler. Early work on C@t{++} was by Peter TerMaat (who also did
393 much general update work leading to release 3.0).
394
395 @value{GDBN} uses the BFD subroutine library to examine multiple
396 object-file formats; BFD was a joint project of David V.
397 Henkel-Wallace, Rich Pixley, Steve Chamberlain, and John Gilmore.
398
399 David Johnson wrote the original COFF support; Pace Willison did
400 the original support for encapsulated COFF.
401
402 Brent Benson of Harris Computer Systems contributed DWARF 2 support.
403
404 Adam de Boor and Bradley Davis contributed the ISI Optimum V support.
405 Per Bothner, Noboyuki Hikichi, and Alessandro Forin contributed MIPS
406 support.
407 Jean-Daniel Fekete contributed Sun 386i support.
408 Chris Hanson improved the HP9000 support.
409 Noboyuki Hikichi and Tomoyuki Hasei contributed Sony/News OS 3 support.
410 David Johnson contributed Encore Umax support.
411 Jyrki Kuoppala contributed Altos 3068 support.
412 Jeff Law contributed HP PA and SOM support.
413 Keith Packard contributed NS32K support.
414 Doug Rabson contributed Acorn Risc Machine support.
415 Bob Rusk contributed Harris Nighthawk CX-UX support.
416 Chris Smith contributed Convex support (and Fortran debugging).
417 Jonathan Stone contributed Pyramid support.
418 Michael Tiemann contributed SPARC support.
419 Tim Tucker contributed support for the Gould NP1 and Gould Powernode.
420 Pace Willison contributed Intel 386 support.
421 Jay Vosburgh contributed Symmetry support.
422 Marko Mlinar contributed OpenRISC 1000 support.
423
424 Andreas Schwab contributed M68K @sc{gnu}/Linux support.
425
426 Rich Schaefer and Peter Schauer helped with support of SunOS shared
427 libraries.
428
429 Jay Fenlason and Roland McGrath ensured that @value{GDBN} and GAS agree
430 about several machine instruction sets.
431
432 Patrick Duval, Ted Goldstein, Vikram Koka and Glenn Engel helped develop
433 remote debugging. Intel Corporation, Wind River Systems, AMD, and ARM
434 contributed remote debugging modules for the i960, VxWorks, A29K UDI,
435 and RDI targets, respectively.
436
437 Brian Fox is the author of the readline libraries providing
438 command-line editing and command history.
439
440 Andrew Beers of SUNY Buffalo wrote the language-switching code, the
441 Modula-2 support, and contributed the Languages chapter of this manual.
442
443 Fred Fish wrote most of the support for Unix System Vr4.
444 He also enhanced the command-completion support to cover C@t{++} overloaded
445 symbols.
446
447 Hitachi America (now Renesas America), Ltd. sponsored the support for
448 H8/300, H8/500, and Super-H processors.
449
450 NEC sponsored the support for the v850, Vr4xxx, and Vr5xxx processors.
451
452 Mitsubishi (now Renesas) sponsored the support for D10V, D30V, and M32R/D
453 processors.
454
455 Toshiba sponsored the support for the TX39 Mips processor.
456
457 Matsushita sponsored the support for the MN10200 and MN10300 processors.
458
459 Fujitsu sponsored the support for SPARClite and FR30 processors.
460
461 Kung Hsu, Jeff Law, and Rick Sladkey added support for hardware
462 watchpoints.
463
464 Michael Snyder added support for tracepoints.
465
466 Stu Grossman wrote gdbserver.
467
468 Jim Kingdon, Peter Schauer, Ian Taylor, and Stu Grossman made
469 nearly innumerable bug fixes and cleanups throughout @value{GDBN}.
470
471 The following people at the Hewlett-Packard Company contributed
472 support for the PA-RISC 2.0 architecture, HP-UX 10.20, 10.30, and 11.0
473 (narrow mode), HP's implementation of kernel threads, HP's aC@t{++}
474 compiler, and the Text User Interface (nee Terminal User Interface):
475 Ben Krepp, Richard Title, John Bishop, Susan Macchia, Kathy Mann,
476 Satish Pai, India Paul, Steve Rehrauer, and Elena Zannoni. Kim Haase
477 provided HP-specific information in this manual.
478
479 DJ Delorie ported @value{GDBN} to MS-DOS, for the DJGPP project.
480 Robert Hoehne made significant contributions to the DJGPP port.
481
482 Cygnus Solutions has sponsored @value{GDBN} maintenance and much of its
483 development since 1991. Cygnus engineers who have worked on @value{GDBN}
484 fulltime include Mark Alexander, Jim Blandy, Per Bothner, Kevin
485 Buettner, Edith Epstein, Chris Faylor, Fred Fish, Martin Hunt, Jim
486 Ingham, John Gilmore, Stu Grossman, Kung Hsu, Jim Kingdon, John Metzler,
487 Fernando Nasser, Geoffrey Noer, Dawn Perchik, Rich Pixley, Zdenek
488 Radouch, Keith Seitz, Stan Shebs, David Taylor, and Elena Zannoni. In
489 addition, Dave Brolley, Ian Carmichael, Steve Chamberlain, Nick Clifton,
490 JT Conklin, Stan Cox, DJ Delorie, Ulrich Drepper, Frank Eigler, Doug
491 Evans, Sean Fagan, David Henkel-Wallace, Richard Henderson, Jeff
492 Holcomb, Jeff Law, Jim Lemke, Tom Lord, Bob Manson, Michael Meissner,
493 Jason Merrill, Catherine Moore, Drew Moseley, Ken Raeburn, Gavin
494 Romig-Koch, Rob Savoye, Jamie Smith, Mike Stump, Ian Taylor, Angela
495 Thomas, Michael Tiemann, Tom Tromey, Ron Unrau, Jim Wilson, and David
496 Zuhn have made contributions both large and small.
497
498 Andrew Cagney, Fernando Nasser, and Elena Zannoni, while working for
499 Cygnus Solutions, implemented the original @sc{gdb/mi} interface.
500
501 Jim Blandy added support for preprocessor macros, while working for Red
502 Hat.
503
504 Andrew Cagney designed @value{GDBN}'s architecture vector. Many
505 people including Andrew Cagney, Stephane Carrez, Randolph Chung, Nick
506 Duffek, Richard Henderson, Mark Kettenis, Grace Sainsbury, Kei
507 Sakamoto, Yoshinori Sato, Michael Snyder, Andreas Schwab, Jason
508 Thorpe, Corinna Vinschen, Ulrich Weigand, and Elena Zannoni, helped
509 with the migration of old architectures to this new framework.
510
511 Andrew Cagney completely re-designed and re-implemented @value{GDBN}'s
512 unwinder framework, this consisting of a fresh new design featuring
513 frame IDs, independent frame sniffers, and the sentinel frame. Mark
514 Kettenis implemented the @sc{dwarf 2} unwinder, Jeff Johnston the
515 libunwind unwinder, and Andrew Cagney the dummy, sentinel, tramp, and
516 trad unwinders. The architecture-specific changes, each involving a
517 complete rewrite of the architecture's frame code, were carried out by
518 Jim Blandy, Joel Brobecker, Kevin Buettner, Andrew Cagney, Stephane
519 Carrez, Randolph Chung, Orjan Friberg, Richard Henderson, Daniel
520 Jacobowitz, Jeff Johnston, Mark Kettenis, Theodore A. Roth, Kei
521 Sakamoto, Yoshinori Sato, Michael Snyder, Corinna Vinschen, and Ulrich
522 Weigand.
523
524 Christian Zankel, Ross Morley, Bob Wilson, and Maxim Grigoriev from
525 Tensilica, Inc.@: contributed support for Xtensa processors. Others
526 who have worked on the Xtensa port of @value{GDBN} in the past include
527 Steve Tjiang, John Newlin, and Scott Foehner.
528
529 Michael Eager and staff of Xilinx, Inc., contributed support for the
530 Xilinx MicroBlaze architecture.
531
532 @node Sample Session
533 @chapter A Sample @value{GDBN} Session
534
535 You can use this manual at your leisure to read all about @value{GDBN}.
536 However, a handful of commands are enough to get started using the
537 debugger. This chapter illustrates those commands.
538
539 @iftex
540 In this sample session, we emphasize user input like this: @b{input},
541 to make it easier to pick out from the surrounding output.
542 @end iftex
543
544 @c FIXME: this example may not be appropriate for some configs, where
545 @c FIXME...primary interest is in remote use.
546
547 One of the preliminary versions of @sc{gnu} @code{m4} (a generic macro
548 processor) exhibits the following bug: sometimes, when we change its
549 quote strings from the default, the commands used to capture one macro
550 definition within another stop working. In the following short @code{m4}
551 session, we define a macro @code{foo} which expands to @code{0000}; we
552 then use the @code{m4} built-in @code{defn} to define @code{bar} as the
553 same thing. However, when we change the open quote string to
554 @code{<QUOTE>} and the close quote string to @code{<UNQUOTE>}, the same
555 procedure fails to define a new synonym @code{baz}:
556
557 @smallexample
558 $ @b{cd gnu/m4}
559 $ @b{./m4}
560 @b{define(foo,0000)}
561
562 @b{foo}
563 0000
564 @b{define(bar,defn(`foo'))}
565
566 @b{bar}
567 0000
568 @b{changequote(<QUOTE>,<UNQUOTE>)}
569
570 @b{define(baz,defn(<QUOTE>foo<UNQUOTE>))}
571 @b{baz}
572 @b{Ctrl-d}
573 m4: End of input: 0: fatal error: EOF in string
574 @end smallexample
575
576 @noindent
577 Let us use @value{GDBN} to try to see what is going on.
578
579 @smallexample
580 $ @b{@value{GDBP} m4}
581 @c FIXME: this falsifies the exact text played out, to permit smallbook
582 @c FIXME... format to come out better.
583 @value{GDBN} is free software and you are welcome to distribute copies
584 of it under certain conditions; type "show copying" to see
585 the conditions.
586 There is absolutely no warranty for @value{GDBN}; type "show warranty"
587 for details.
588
589 @value{GDBN} @value{GDBVN}, Copyright 1999 Free Software Foundation, Inc...
590 (@value{GDBP})
591 @end smallexample
592
593 @noindent
594 @value{GDBN} reads only enough symbol data to know where to find the
595 rest when needed; as a result, the first prompt comes up very quickly.
596 We now tell @value{GDBN} to use a narrower display width than usual, so
597 that examples fit in this manual.
598
599 @smallexample
600 (@value{GDBP}) @b{set width 70}
601 @end smallexample
602
603 @noindent
604 We need to see how the @code{m4} built-in @code{changequote} works.
605 Having looked at the source, we know the relevant subroutine is
606 @code{m4_changequote}, so we set a breakpoint there with the @value{GDBN}
607 @code{break} command.
608
609 @smallexample
610 (@value{GDBP}) @b{break m4_changequote}
611 Breakpoint 1 at 0x62f4: file builtin.c, line 879.
612 @end smallexample
613
614 @noindent
615 Using the @code{run} command, we start @code{m4} running under @value{GDBN}
616 control; as long as control does not reach the @code{m4_changequote}
617 subroutine, the program runs as usual:
618
619 @smallexample
620 (@value{GDBP}) @b{run}
621 Starting program: /work/Editorial/gdb/gnu/m4/m4
622 @b{define(foo,0000)}
623
624 @b{foo}
625 0000
626 @end smallexample
627
628 @noindent
629 To trigger the breakpoint, we call @code{changequote}. @value{GDBN}
630 suspends execution of @code{m4}, displaying information about the
631 context where it stops.
632
633 @smallexample
634 @b{changequote(<QUOTE>,<UNQUOTE>)}
635
636 Breakpoint 1, m4_changequote (argc=3, argv=0x33c70)
637 at builtin.c:879
638 879 if (bad_argc(TOKEN_DATA_TEXT(argv[0]),argc,1,3))
639 @end smallexample
640
641 @noindent
642 Now we use the command @code{n} (@code{next}) to advance execution to
643 the next line of the current function.
644
645 @smallexample
646 (@value{GDBP}) @b{n}
647 882 set_quotes((argc >= 2) ? TOKEN_DATA_TEXT(argv[1])\
648 : nil,
649 @end smallexample
650
651 @noindent
652 @code{set_quotes} looks like a promising subroutine. We can go into it
653 by using the command @code{s} (@code{step}) instead of @code{next}.
654 @code{step} goes to the next line to be executed in @emph{any}
655 subroutine, so it steps into @code{set_quotes}.
656
657 @smallexample
658 (@value{GDBP}) @b{s}
659 set_quotes (lq=0x34c78 "<QUOTE>", rq=0x34c88 "<UNQUOTE>")
660 at input.c:530
661 530 if (lquote != def_lquote)
662 @end smallexample
663
664 @noindent
665 The display that shows the subroutine where @code{m4} is now
666 suspended (and its arguments) is called a stack frame display. It
667 shows a summary of the stack. We can use the @code{backtrace}
668 command (which can also be spelled @code{bt}), to see where we are
669 in the stack as a whole: the @code{backtrace} command displays a
670 stack frame for each active subroutine.
671
672 @smallexample
673 (@value{GDBP}) @b{bt}
674 #0 set_quotes (lq=0x34c78 "<QUOTE>", rq=0x34c88 "<UNQUOTE>")
675 at input.c:530
676 #1 0x6344 in m4_changequote (argc=3, argv=0x33c70)
677 at builtin.c:882
678 #2 0x8174 in expand_macro (sym=0x33320) at macro.c:242
679 #3 0x7a88 in expand_token (obs=0x0, t=209696, td=0xf7fffa30)
680 at macro.c:71
681 #4 0x79dc in expand_input () at macro.c:40
682 #5 0x2930 in main (argc=0, argv=0xf7fffb20) at m4.c:195
683 @end smallexample
684
685 @noindent
686 We step through a few more lines to see what happens. The first two
687 times, we can use @samp{s}; the next two times we use @code{n} to avoid
688 falling into the @code{xstrdup} subroutine.
689
690 @smallexample
691 (@value{GDBP}) @b{s}
692 0x3b5c 532 if (rquote != def_rquote)
693 (@value{GDBP}) @b{s}
694 0x3b80 535 lquote = (lq == nil || *lq == '\0') ? \
695 def_lquote : xstrdup(lq);
696 (@value{GDBP}) @b{n}
697 536 rquote = (rq == nil || *rq == '\0') ? def_rquote\
698 : xstrdup(rq);
699 (@value{GDBP}) @b{n}
700 538 len_lquote = strlen(rquote);
701 @end smallexample
702
703 @noindent
704 The last line displayed looks a little odd; we can examine the variables
705 @code{lquote} and @code{rquote} to see if they are in fact the new left
706 and right quotes we specified. We use the command @code{p}
707 (@code{print}) to see their values.
708
709 @smallexample
710 (@value{GDBP}) @b{p lquote}
711 $1 = 0x35d40 "<QUOTE>"
712 (@value{GDBP}) @b{p rquote}
713 $2 = 0x35d50 "<UNQUOTE>"
714 @end smallexample
715
716 @noindent
717 @code{lquote} and @code{rquote} are indeed the new left and right quotes.
718 To look at some context, we can display ten lines of source
719 surrounding the current line with the @code{l} (@code{list}) command.
720
721 @smallexample
722 (@value{GDBP}) @b{l}
723 533 xfree(rquote);
724 534
725 535 lquote = (lq == nil || *lq == '\0') ? def_lquote\
726 : xstrdup (lq);
727 536 rquote = (rq == nil || *rq == '\0') ? def_rquote\
728 : xstrdup (rq);
729 537
730 538 len_lquote = strlen(rquote);
731 539 len_rquote = strlen(lquote);
732 540 @}
733 541
734 542 void
735 @end smallexample
736
737 @noindent
738 Let us step past the two lines that set @code{len_lquote} and
739 @code{len_rquote}, and then examine the values of those variables.
740
741 @smallexample
742 (@value{GDBP}) @b{n}
743 539 len_rquote = strlen(lquote);
744 (@value{GDBP}) @b{n}
745 540 @}
746 (@value{GDBP}) @b{p len_lquote}
747 $3 = 9
748 (@value{GDBP}) @b{p len_rquote}
749 $4 = 7
750 @end smallexample
751
752 @noindent
753 That certainly looks wrong, assuming @code{len_lquote} and
754 @code{len_rquote} are meant to be the lengths of @code{lquote} and
755 @code{rquote} respectively. We can set them to better values using
756 the @code{p} command, since it can print the value of
757 any expression---and that expression can include subroutine calls and
758 assignments.
759
760 @smallexample
761 (@value{GDBP}) @b{p len_lquote=strlen(lquote)}
762 $5 = 7
763 (@value{GDBP}) @b{p len_rquote=strlen(rquote)}
764 $6 = 9
765 @end smallexample
766
767 @noindent
768 Is that enough to fix the problem of using the new quotes with the
769 @code{m4} built-in @code{defn}? We can allow @code{m4} to continue
770 executing with the @code{c} (@code{continue}) command, and then try the
771 example that caused trouble initially:
772
773 @smallexample
774 (@value{GDBP}) @b{c}
775 Continuing.
776
777 @b{define(baz,defn(<QUOTE>foo<UNQUOTE>))}
778
779 baz
780 0000
781 @end smallexample
782
783 @noindent
784 Success! The new quotes now work just as well as the default ones. The
785 problem seems to have been just the two typos defining the wrong
786 lengths. We allow @code{m4} exit by giving it an EOF as input:
787
788 @smallexample
789 @b{Ctrl-d}
790 Program exited normally.
791 @end smallexample
792
793 @noindent
794 The message @samp{Program exited normally.} is from @value{GDBN}; it
795 indicates @code{m4} has finished executing. We can end our @value{GDBN}
796 session with the @value{GDBN} @code{quit} command.
797
798 @smallexample
799 (@value{GDBP}) @b{quit}
800 @end smallexample
801
802 @node Invocation
803 @chapter Getting In and Out of @value{GDBN}
804
805 This chapter discusses how to start @value{GDBN}, and how to get out of it.
806 The essentials are:
807 @itemize @bullet
808 @item
809 type @samp{@value{GDBP}} to start @value{GDBN}.
810 @item
811 type @kbd{quit} or @kbd{Ctrl-d} to exit.
812 @end itemize
813
814 @menu
815 * Invoking GDB:: How to start @value{GDBN}
816 * Quitting GDB:: How to quit @value{GDBN}
817 * Shell Commands:: How to use shell commands inside @value{GDBN}
818 * Logging Output:: How to log @value{GDBN}'s output to a file
819 @end menu
820
821 @node Invoking GDB
822 @section Invoking @value{GDBN}
823
824 Invoke @value{GDBN} by running the program @code{@value{GDBP}}. Once started,
825 @value{GDBN} reads commands from the terminal until you tell it to exit.
826
827 You can also run @code{@value{GDBP}} with a variety of arguments and options,
828 to specify more of your debugging environment at the outset.
829
830 The command-line options described here are designed
831 to cover a variety of situations; in some environments, some of these
832 options may effectively be unavailable.
833
834 The most usual way to start @value{GDBN} is with one argument,
835 specifying an executable program:
836
837 @smallexample
838 @value{GDBP} @var{program}
839 @end smallexample
840
841 @noindent
842 You can also start with both an executable program and a core file
843 specified:
844
845 @smallexample
846 @value{GDBP} @var{program} @var{core}
847 @end smallexample
848
849 You can, instead, specify a process ID as a second argument, if you want
850 to debug a running process:
851
852 @smallexample
853 @value{GDBP} @var{program} 1234
854 @end smallexample
855
856 @noindent
857 would attach @value{GDBN} to process @code{1234} (unless you also have a file
858 named @file{1234}; @value{GDBN} does check for a core file first).
859
860 Taking advantage of the second command-line argument requires a fairly
861 complete operating system; when you use @value{GDBN} as a remote
862 debugger attached to a bare board, there may not be any notion of
863 ``process'', and there is often no way to get a core dump. @value{GDBN}
864 will warn you if it is unable to attach or to read core dumps.
865
866 You can optionally have @code{@value{GDBP}} pass any arguments after the
867 executable file to the inferior using @code{--args}. This option stops
868 option processing.
869 @smallexample
870 @value{GDBP} --args gcc -O2 -c foo.c
871 @end smallexample
872 This will cause @code{@value{GDBP}} to debug @code{gcc}, and to set
873 @code{gcc}'s command-line arguments (@pxref{Arguments}) to @samp{-O2 -c foo.c}.
874
875 You can run @code{@value{GDBP}} without printing the front material, which describes
876 @value{GDBN}'s non-warranty, by specifying @code{-silent}:
877
878 @smallexample
879 @value{GDBP} -silent
880 @end smallexample
881
882 @noindent
883 You can further control how @value{GDBN} starts up by using command-line
884 options. @value{GDBN} itself can remind you of the options available.
885
886 @noindent
887 Type
888
889 @smallexample
890 @value{GDBP} -help
891 @end smallexample
892
893 @noindent
894 to display all available options and briefly describe their use
895 (@samp{@value{GDBP} -h} is a shorter equivalent).
896
897 All options and command line arguments you give are processed
898 in sequential order. The order makes a difference when the
899 @samp{-x} option is used.
900
901
902 @menu
903 * File Options:: Choosing files
904 * Mode Options:: Choosing modes
905 * Startup:: What @value{GDBN} does during startup
906 @end menu
907
908 @node File Options
909 @subsection Choosing Files
910
911 When @value{GDBN} starts, it reads any arguments other than options as
912 specifying an executable file and core file (or process ID). This is
913 the same as if the arguments were specified by the @samp{-se} and
914 @samp{-c} (or @samp{-p}) options respectively. (@value{GDBN} reads the
915 first argument that does not have an associated option flag as
916 equivalent to the @samp{-se} option followed by that argument; and the
917 second argument that does not have an associated option flag, if any, as
918 equivalent to the @samp{-c}/@samp{-p} option followed by that argument.)
919 If the second argument begins with a decimal digit, @value{GDBN} will
920 first attempt to attach to it as a process, and if that fails, attempt
921 to open it as a corefile. If you have a corefile whose name begins with
922 a digit, you can prevent @value{GDBN} from treating it as a pid by
923 prefixing it with @file{./}, e.g.@: @file{./12345}.
924
925 If @value{GDBN} has not been configured to included core file support,
926 such as for most embedded targets, then it will complain about a second
927 argument and ignore it.
928
929 Many options have both long and short forms; both are shown in the
930 following list. @value{GDBN} also recognizes the long forms if you truncate
931 them, so long as enough of the option is present to be unambiguous.
932 (If you prefer, you can flag option arguments with @samp{--} rather
933 than @samp{-}, though we illustrate the more usual convention.)
934
935 @c NOTE: the @cindex entries here use double dashes ON PURPOSE. This
936 @c way, both those who look for -foo and --foo in the index, will find
937 @c it.
938
939 @table @code
940 @item -symbols @var{file}
941 @itemx -s @var{file}
942 @cindex @code{--symbols}
943 @cindex @code{-s}
944 Read symbol table from file @var{file}.
945
946 @item -exec @var{file}
947 @itemx -e @var{file}
948 @cindex @code{--exec}
949 @cindex @code{-e}
950 Use file @var{file} as the executable file to execute when appropriate,
951 and for examining pure data in conjunction with a core dump.
952
953 @item -se @var{file}
954 @cindex @code{--se}
955 Read symbol table from file @var{file} and use it as the executable
956 file.
957
958 @item -core @var{file}
959 @itemx -c @var{file}
960 @cindex @code{--core}
961 @cindex @code{-c}
962 Use file @var{file} as a core dump to examine.
963
964 @item -pid @var{number}
965 @itemx -p @var{number}
966 @cindex @code{--pid}
967 @cindex @code{-p}
968 Connect to process ID @var{number}, as with the @code{attach} command.
969
970 @item -command @var{file}
971 @itemx -x @var{file}
972 @cindex @code{--command}
973 @cindex @code{-x}
974 Execute commands from file @var{file}. The contents of this file is
975 evaluated exactly as the @code{source} command would.
976 @xref{Command Files,, Command files}.
977
978 @item -eval-command @var{command}
979 @itemx -ex @var{command}
980 @cindex @code{--eval-command}
981 @cindex @code{-ex}
982 Execute a single @value{GDBN} command.
983
984 This option may be used multiple times to call multiple commands. It may
985 also be interleaved with @samp{-command} as required.
986
987 @smallexample
988 @value{GDBP} -ex 'target sim' -ex 'load' \
989 -x setbreakpoints -ex 'run' a.out
990 @end smallexample
991
992 @item -directory @var{directory}
993 @itemx -d @var{directory}
994 @cindex @code{--directory}
995 @cindex @code{-d}
996 Add @var{directory} to the path to search for source and script files.
997
998 @item -r
999 @itemx -readnow
1000 @cindex @code{--readnow}
1001 @cindex @code{-r}
1002 Read each symbol file's entire symbol table immediately, rather than
1003 the default, which is to read it incrementally as it is needed.
1004 This makes startup slower, but makes future operations faster.
1005
1006 @end table
1007
1008 @node Mode Options
1009 @subsection Choosing Modes
1010
1011 You can run @value{GDBN} in various alternative modes---for example, in
1012 batch mode or quiet mode.
1013
1014 @table @code
1015 @item -nx
1016 @itemx -n
1017 @cindex @code{--nx}
1018 @cindex @code{-n}
1019 Do not execute commands found in any initialization files. Normally,
1020 @value{GDBN} executes the commands in these files after all the command
1021 options and arguments have been processed. @xref{Command Files,,Command
1022 Files}.
1023
1024 @item -quiet
1025 @itemx -silent
1026 @itemx -q
1027 @cindex @code{--quiet}
1028 @cindex @code{--silent}
1029 @cindex @code{-q}
1030 ``Quiet''. Do not print the introductory and copyright messages. These
1031 messages are also suppressed in batch mode.
1032
1033 @item -batch
1034 @cindex @code{--batch}
1035 Run in batch mode. Exit with status @code{0} after processing all the
1036 command files specified with @samp{-x} (and all commands from
1037 initialization files, if not inhibited with @samp{-n}). Exit with
1038 nonzero status if an error occurs in executing the @value{GDBN} commands
1039 in the command files. Batch mode also disables pagination, sets unlimited
1040 terminal width and height @pxref{Screen Size}, and acts as if @kbd{set confirm
1041 off} were in effect (@pxref{Messages/Warnings}).
1042
1043 Batch mode may be useful for running @value{GDBN} as a filter, for
1044 example to download and run a program on another computer; in order to
1045 make this more useful, the message
1046
1047 @smallexample
1048 Program exited normally.
1049 @end smallexample
1050
1051 @noindent
1052 (which is ordinarily issued whenever a program running under
1053 @value{GDBN} control terminates) is not issued when running in batch
1054 mode.
1055
1056 @item -batch-silent
1057 @cindex @code{--batch-silent}
1058 Run in batch mode exactly like @samp{-batch}, but totally silently. All
1059 @value{GDBN} output to @code{stdout} is prevented (@code{stderr} is
1060 unaffected). This is much quieter than @samp{-silent} and would be useless
1061 for an interactive session.
1062
1063 This is particularly useful when using targets that give @samp{Loading section}
1064 messages, for example.
1065
1066 Note that targets that give their output via @value{GDBN}, as opposed to
1067 writing directly to @code{stdout}, will also be made silent.
1068
1069 @item -return-child-result
1070 @cindex @code{--return-child-result}
1071 The return code from @value{GDBN} will be the return code from the child
1072 process (the process being debugged), with the following exceptions:
1073
1074 @itemize @bullet
1075 @item
1076 @value{GDBN} exits abnormally. E.g., due to an incorrect argument or an
1077 internal error. In this case the exit code is the same as it would have been
1078 without @samp{-return-child-result}.
1079 @item
1080 The user quits with an explicit value. E.g., @samp{quit 1}.
1081 @item
1082 The child process never runs, or is not allowed to terminate, in which case
1083 the exit code will be -1.
1084 @end itemize
1085
1086 This option is useful in conjunction with @samp{-batch} or @samp{-batch-silent},
1087 when @value{GDBN} is being used as a remote program loader or simulator
1088 interface.
1089
1090 @item -nowindows
1091 @itemx -nw
1092 @cindex @code{--nowindows}
1093 @cindex @code{-nw}
1094 ``No windows''. If @value{GDBN} comes with a graphical user interface
1095 (GUI) built in, then this option tells @value{GDBN} to only use the command-line
1096 interface. If no GUI is available, this option has no effect.
1097
1098 @item -windows
1099 @itemx -w
1100 @cindex @code{--windows}
1101 @cindex @code{-w}
1102 If @value{GDBN} includes a GUI, then this option requires it to be
1103 used if possible.
1104
1105 @item -cd @var{directory}
1106 @cindex @code{--cd}
1107 Run @value{GDBN} using @var{directory} as its working directory,
1108 instead of the current directory.
1109
1110 @item -data-directory @var{directory}
1111 @cindex @code{--data-directory}
1112 Run @value{GDBN} using @var{directory} as its data directory.
1113 The data directory is where @value{GDBN} searches for its
1114 auxiliary files. @xref{Data Files}.
1115
1116 @item -fullname
1117 @itemx -f
1118 @cindex @code{--fullname}
1119 @cindex @code{-f}
1120 @sc{gnu} Emacs sets this option when it runs @value{GDBN} as a
1121 subprocess. It tells @value{GDBN} to output the full file name and line
1122 number in a standard, recognizable fashion each time a stack frame is
1123 displayed (which includes each time your program stops). This
1124 recognizable format looks like two @samp{\032} characters, followed by
1125 the file name, line number and character position separated by colons,
1126 and a newline. The Emacs-to-@value{GDBN} interface program uses the two
1127 @samp{\032} characters as a signal to display the source code for the
1128 frame.
1129
1130 @item -epoch
1131 @cindex @code{--epoch}
1132 The Epoch Emacs-@value{GDBN} interface sets this option when it runs
1133 @value{GDBN} as a subprocess. It tells @value{GDBN} to modify its print
1134 routines so as to allow Epoch to display values of expressions in a
1135 separate window.
1136
1137 @item -annotate @var{level}
1138 @cindex @code{--annotate}
1139 This option sets the @dfn{annotation level} inside @value{GDBN}. Its
1140 effect is identical to using @samp{set annotate @var{level}}
1141 (@pxref{Annotations}). The annotation @var{level} controls how much
1142 information @value{GDBN} prints together with its prompt, values of
1143 expressions, source lines, and other types of output. Level 0 is the
1144 normal, level 1 is for use when @value{GDBN} is run as a subprocess of
1145 @sc{gnu} Emacs, level 3 is the maximum annotation suitable for programs
1146 that control @value{GDBN}, and level 2 has been deprecated.
1147
1148 The annotation mechanism has largely been superseded by @sc{gdb/mi}
1149 (@pxref{GDB/MI}).
1150
1151 @item --args
1152 @cindex @code{--args}
1153 Change interpretation of command line so that arguments following the
1154 executable file are passed as command line arguments to the inferior.
1155 This option stops option processing.
1156
1157 @item -baud @var{bps}
1158 @itemx -b @var{bps}
1159 @cindex @code{--baud}
1160 @cindex @code{-b}
1161 Set the line speed (baud rate or bits per second) of any serial
1162 interface used by @value{GDBN} for remote debugging.
1163
1164 @item -l @var{timeout}
1165 @cindex @code{-l}
1166 Set the timeout (in seconds) of any communication used by @value{GDBN}
1167 for remote debugging.
1168
1169 @item -tty @var{device}
1170 @itemx -t @var{device}
1171 @cindex @code{--tty}
1172 @cindex @code{-t}
1173 Run using @var{device} for your program's standard input and output.
1174 @c FIXME: kingdon thinks there is more to -tty. Investigate.
1175
1176 @c resolve the situation of these eventually
1177 @item -tui
1178 @cindex @code{--tui}
1179 Activate the @dfn{Text User Interface} when starting. The Text User
1180 Interface manages several text windows on the terminal, showing
1181 source, assembly, registers and @value{GDBN} command outputs
1182 (@pxref{TUI, ,@value{GDBN} Text User Interface}). Do not use this
1183 option if you run @value{GDBN} from Emacs (@pxref{Emacs, ,
1184 Using @value{GDBN} under @sc{gnu} Emacs}).
1185
1186 @c @item -xdb
1187 @c @cindex @code{--xdb}
1188 @c Run in XDB compatibility mode, allowing the use of certain XDB commands.
1189 @c For information, see the file @file{xdb_trans.html}, which is usually
1190 @c installed in the directory @code{/opt/langtools/wdb/doc} on HP-UX
1191 @c systems.
1192
1193 @item -interpreter @var{interp}
1194 @cindex @code{--interpreter}
1195 Use the interpreter @var{interp} for interface with the controlling
1196 program or device. This option is meant to be set by programs which
1197 communicate with @value{GDBN} using it as a back end.
1198 @xref{Interpreters, , Command Interpreters}.
1199
1200 @samp{--interpreter=mi} (or @samp{--interpreter=mi2}) causes
1201 @value{GDBN} to use the @dfn{@sc{gdb/mi} interface} (@pxref{GDB/MI, ,
1202 The @sc{gdb/mi} Interface}) included since @value{GDBN} version 6.0. The
1203 previous @sc{gdb/mi} interface, included in @value{GDBN} version 5.3 and
1204 selected with @samp{--interpreter=mi1}, is deprecated. Earlier
1205 @sc{gdb/mi} interfaces are no longer supported.
1206
1207 @item -write
1208 @cindex @code{--write}
1209 Open the executable and core files for both reading and writing. This
1210 is equivalent to the @samp{set write on} command inside @value{GDBN}
1211 (@pxref{Patching}).
1212
1213 @item -statistics
1214 @cindex @code{--statistics}
1215 This option causes @value{GDBN} to print statistics about time and
1216 memory usage after it completes each command and returns to the prompt.
1217
1218 @item -version
1219 @cindex @code{--version}
1220 This option causes @value{GDBN} to print its version number and
1221 no-warranty blurb, and exit.
1222
1223 @end table
1224
1225 @node Startup
1226 @subsection What @value{GDBN} Does During Startup
1227 @cindex @value{GDBN} startup
1228
1229 Here's the description of what @value{GDBN} does during session startup:
1230
1231 @enumerate
1232 @item
1233 Sets up the command interpreter as specified by the command line
1234 (@pxref{Mode Options, interpreter}).
1235
1236 @item
1237 @cindex init file
1238 Reads the system-wide @dfn{init file} (if @option{--with-system-gdbinit} was
1239 used when building @value{GDBN}; @pxref{System-wide configuration,
1240 ,System-wide configuration and settings}) and executes all the commands in
1241 that file.
1242
1243 @item
1244 Reads the init file (if any) in your home directory@footnote{On
1245 DOS/Windows systems, the home directory is the one pointed to by the
1246 @code{HOME} environment variable.} and executes all the commands in
1247 that file.
1248
1249 @item
1250 Processes command line options and operands.
1251
1252 @item
1253 Reads and executes the commands from init file (if any) in the current
1254 working directory. This is only done if the current directory is
1255 different from your home directory. Thus, you can have more than one
1256 init file, one generic in your home directory, and another, specific
1257 to the program you are debugging, in the directory where you invoke
1258 @value{GDBN}.
1259
1260 @item
1261 If the command line specified a program to debug, or a process to
1262 attach to, or a core file, @value{GDBN} loads any auto-loaded
1263 scripts provided for the program or for its loaded shared libraries.
1264 @xref{Auto-loading}.
1265
1266 If you wish to disable the auto-loading during startup,
1267 you must do something like the following:
1268
1269 @smallexample
1270 $ gdb -ex "set auto-load-scripts off" -ex "file myprogram"
1271 @end smallexample
1272
1273 The following does not work because the auto-loading is turned off too late:
1274
1275 @smallexample
1276 $ gdb -ex "set auto-load-scripts off" myprogram
1277 @end smallexample
1278
1279 @item
1280 Executes commands and command files specified by the @samp{-ex} and
1281 @samp{-x} options in their specified order. @xref{Command Files}, for
1282 more details about @value{GDBN} command files.
1283
1284 @item
1285 Reads the command history recorded in the @dfn{history file}.
1286 @xref{Command History}, for more details about the command history and the
1287 files where @value{GDBN} records it.
1288 @end enumerate
1289
1290 Init files use the same syntax as @dfn{command files} (@pxref{Command
1291 Files}) and are processed by @value{GDBN} in the same way. The init
1292 file in your home directory can set options (such as @samp{set
1293 complaints}) that affect subsequent processing of command line options
1294 and operands. Init files are not executed if you use the @samp{-nx}
1295 option (@pxref{Mode Options, ,Choosing Modes}).
1296
1297 To display the list of init files loaded by gdb at startup, you
1298 can use @kbd{gdb --help}.
1299
1300 @cindex init file name
1301 @cindex @file{.gdbinit}
1302 @cindex @file{gdb.ini}
1303 The @value{GDBN} init files are normally called @file{.gdbinit}.
1304 The DJGPP port of @value{GDBN} uses the name @file{gdb.ini}, due to
1305 the limitations of file names imposed by DOS filesystems. The Windows
1306 ports of @value{GDBN} use the standard name, but if they find a
1307 @file{gdb.ini} file, they warn you about that and suggest to rename
1308 the file to the standard name.
1309
1310
1311 @node Quitting GDB
1312 @section Quitting @value{GDBN}
1313 @cindex exiting @value{GDBN}
1314 @cindex leaving @value{GDBN}
1315
1316 @table @code
1317 @kindex quit @r{[}@var{expression}@r{]}
1318 @kindex q @r{(@code{quit})}
1319 @item quit @r{[}@var{expression}@r{]}
1320 @itemx q
1321 To exit @value{GDBN}, use the @code{quit} command (abbreviated
1322 @code{q}), or type an end-of-file character (usually @kbd{Ctrl-d}). If you
1323 do not supply @var{expression}, @value{GDBN} will terminate normally;
1324 otherwise it will terminate using the result of @var{expression} as the
1325 error code.
1326 @end table
1327
1328 @cindex interrupt
1329 An interrupt (often @kbd{Ctrl-c}) does not exit from @value{GDBN}, but rather
1330 terminates the action of any @value{GDBN} command that is in progress and
1331 returns to @value{GDBN} command level. It is safe to type the interrupt
1332 character at any time because @value{GDBN} does not allow it to take effect
1333 until a time when it is safe.
1334
1335 If you have been using @value{GDBN} to control an attached process or
1336 device, you can release it with the @code{detach} command
1337 (@pxref{Attach, ,Debugging an Already-running Process}).
1338
1339 @node Shell Commands
1340 @section Shell Commands
1341
1342 If you need to execute occasional shell commands during your
1343 debugging session, there is no need to leave or suspend @value{GDBN}; you can
1344 just use the @code{shell} command.
1345
1346 @table @code
1347 @kindex shell
1348 @kindex !
1349 @cindex shell escape
1350 @item shell @var{command-string}
1351 @itemx !@var{command-string}
1352 Invoke a standard shell to execute @var{command-string}.
1353 Note that no space is needed between @code{!} and @var{command-string}.
1354 If it exists, the environment variable @code{SHELL} determines which
1355 shell to run. Otherwise @value{GDBN} uses the default shell
1356 (@file{/bin/sh} on Unix systems, @file{COMMAND.COM} on MS-DOS, etc.).
1357 @end table
1358
1359 The utility @code{make} is often needed in development environments.
1360 You do not have to use the @code{shell} command for this purpose in
1361 @value{GDBN}:
1362
1363 @table @code
1364 @kindex make
1365 @cindex calling make
1366 @item make @var{make-args}
1367 Execute the @code{make} program with the specified
1368 arguments. This is equivalent to @samp{shell make @var{make-args}}.
1369 @end table
1370
1371 @node Logging Output
1372 @section Logging Output
1373 @cindex logging @value{GDBN} output
1374 @cindex save @value{GDBN} output to a file
1375
1376 You may want to save the output of @value{GDBN} commands to a file.
1377 There are several commands to control @value{GDBN}'s logging.
1378
1379 @table @code
1380 @kindex set logging
1381 @item set logging on
1382 Enable logging.
1383 @item set logging off
1384 Disable logging.
1385 @cindex logging file name
1386 @item set logging file @var{file}
1387 Change the name of the current logfile. The default logfile is @file{gdb.txt}.
1388 @item set logging overwrite [on|off]
1389 By default, @value{GDBN} will append to the logfile. Set @code{overwrite} if
1390 you want @code{set logging on} to overwrite the logfile instead.
1391 @item set logging redirect [on|off]
1392 By default, @value{GDBN} output will go to both the terminal and the logfile.
1393 Set @code{redirect} if you want output to go only to the log file.
1394 @kindex show logging
1395 @item show logging
1396 Show the current values of the logging settings.
1397 @end table
1398
1399 @node Commands
1400 @chapter @value{GDBN} Commands
1401
1402 You can abbreviate a @value{GDBN} command to the first few letters of the command
1403 name, if that abbreviation is unambiguous; and you can repeat certain
1404 @value{GDBN} commands by typing just @key{RET}. You can also use the @key{TAB}
1405 key to get @value{GDBN} to fill out the rest of a word in a command (or to
1406 show you the alternatives available, if there is more than one possibility).
1407
1408 @menu
1409 * Command Syntax:: How to give commands to @value{GDBN}
1410 * Completion:: Command completion
1411 * Help:: How to ask @value{GDBN} for help
1412 @end menu
1413
1414 @node Command Syntax
1415 @section Command Syntax
1416
1417 A @value{GDBN} command is a single line of input. There is no limit on
1418 how long it can be. It starts with a command name, which is followed by
1419 arguments whose meaning depends on the command name. For example, the
1420 command @code{step} accepts an argument which is the number of times to
1421 step, as in @samp{step 5}. You can also use the @code{step} command
1422 with no arguments. Some commands do not allow any arguments.
1423
1424 @cindex abbreviation
1425 @value{GDBN} command names may always be truncated if that abbreviation is
1426 unambiguous. Other possible command abbreviations are listed in the
1427 documentation for individual commands. In some cases, even ambiguous
1428 abbreviations are allowed; for example, @code{s} is specially defined as
1429 equivalent to @code{step} even though there are other commands whose
1430 names start with @code{s}. You can test abbreviations by using them as
1431 arguments to the @code{help} command.
1432
1433 @cindex repeating commands
1434 @kindex RET @r{(repeat last command)}
1435 A blank line as input to @value{GDBN} (typing just @key{RET}) means to
1436 repeat the previous command. Certain commands (for example, @code{run})
1437 will not repeat this way; these are commands whose unintentional
1438 repetition might cause trouble and which you are unlikely to want to
1439 repeat. User-defined commands can disable this feature; see
1440 @ref{Define, dont-repeat}.
1441
1442 The @code{list} and @code{x} commands, when you repeat them with
1443 @key{RET}, construct new arguments rather than repeating
1444 exactly as typed. This permits easy scanning of source or memory.
1445
1446 @value{GDBN} can also use @key{RET} in another way: to partition lengthy
1447 output, in a way similar to the common utility @code{more}
1448 (@pxref{Screen Size,,Screen Size}). Since it is easy to press one
1449 @key{RET} too many in this situation, @value{GDBN} disables command
1450 repetition after any command that generates this sort of display.
1451
1452 @kindex # @r{(a comment)}
1453 @cindex comment
1454 Any text from a @kbd{#} to the end of the line is a comment; it does
1455 nothing. This is useful mainly in command files (@pxref{Command
1456 Files,,Command Files}).
1457
1458 @cindex repeating command sequences
1459 @kindex Ctrl-o @r{(operate-and-get-next)}
1460 The @kbd{Ctrl-o} binding is useful for repeating a complex sequence of
1461 commands. This command accepts the current line, like @key{RET}, and
1462 then fetches the next line relative to the current line from the history
1463 for editing.
1464
1465 @node Completion
1466 @section Command Completion
1467
1468 @cindex completion
1469 @cindex word completion
1470 @value{GDBN} can fill in the rest of a word in a command for you, if there is
1471 only one possibility; it can also show you what the valid possibilities
1472 are for the next word in a command, at any time. This works for @value{GDBN}
1473 commands, @value{GDBN} subcommands, and the names of symbols in your program.
1474
1475 Press the @key{TAB} key whenever you want @value{GDBN} to fill out the rest
1476 of a word. If there is only one possibility, @value{GDBN} fills in the
1477 word, and waits for you to finish the command (or press @key{RET} to
1478 enter it). For example, if you type
1479
1480 @c FIXME "@key" does not distinguish its argument sufficiently to permit
1481 @c complete accuracy in these examples; space introduced for clarity.
1482 @c If texinfo enhancements make it unnecessary, it would be nice to
1483 @c replace " @key" by "@key" in the following...
1484 @smallexample
1485 (@value{GDBP}) info bre @key{TAB}
1486 @end smallexample
1487
1488 @noindent
1489 @value{GDBN} fills in the rest of the word @samp{breakpoints}, since that is
1490 the only @code{info} subcommand beginning with @samp{bre}:
1491
1492 @smallexample
1493 (@value{GDBP}) info breakpoints
1494 @end smallexample
1495
1496 @noindent
1497 You can either press @key{RET} at this point, to run the @code{info
1498 breakpoints} command, or backspace and enter something else, if
1499 @samp{breakpoints} does not look like the command you expected. (If you
1500 were sure you wanted @code{info breakpoints} in the first place, you
1501 might as well just type @key{RET} immediately after @samp{info bre},
1502 to exploit command abbreviations rather than command completion).
1503
1504 If there is more than one possibility for the next word when you press
1505 @key{TAB}, @value{GDBN} sounds a bell. You can either supply more
1506 characters and try again, or just press @key{TAB} a second time;
1507 @value{GDBN} displays all the possible completions for that word. For
1508 example, you might want to set a breakpoint on a subroutine whose name
1509 begins with @samp{make_}, but when you type @kbd{b make_@key{TAB}} @value{GDBN}
1510 just sounds the bell. Typing @key{TAB} again displays all the
1511 function names in your program that begin with those characters, for
1512 example:
1513
1514 @smallexample
1515 (@value{GDBP}) b make_ @key{TAB}
1516 @exdent @value{GDBN} sounds bell; press @key{TAB} again, to see:
1517 make_a_section_from_file make_environ
1518 make_abs_section make_function_type
1519 make_blockvector make_pointer_type
1520 make_cleanup make_reference_type
1521 make_command make_symbol_completion_list
1522 (@value{GDBP}) b make_
1523 @end smallexample
1524
1525 @noindent
1526 After displaying the available possibilities, @value{GDBN} copies your
1527 partial input (@samp{b make_} in the example) so you can finish the
1528 command.
1529
1530 If you just want to see the list of alternatives in the first place, you
1531 can press @kbd{M-?} rather than pressing @key{TAB} twice. @kbd{M-?}
1532 means @kbd{@key{META} ?}. You can type this either by holding down a
1533 key designated as the @key{META} shift on your keyboard (if there is
1534 one) while typing @kbd{?}, or as @key{ESC} followed by @kbd{?}.
1535
1536 @cindex quotes in commands
1537 @cindex completion of quoted strings
1538 Sometimes the string you need, while logically a ``word'', may contain
1539 parentheses or other characters that @value{GDBN} normally excludes from
1540 its notion of a word. To permit word completion to work in this
1541 situation, you may enclose words in @code{'} (single quote marks) in
1542 @value{GDBN} commands.
1543
1544 The most likely situation where you might need this is in typing the
1545 name of a C@t{++} function. This is because C@t{++} allows function
1546 overloading (multiple definitions of the same function, distinguished
1547 by argument type). For example, when you want to set a breakpoint you
1548 may need to distinguish whether you mean the version of @code{name}
1549 that takes an @code{int} parameter, @code{name(int)}, or the version
1550 that takes a @code{float} parameter, @code{name(float)}. To use the
1551 word-completion facilities in this situation, type a single quote
1552 @code{'} at the beginning of the function name. This alerts
1553 @value{GDBN} that it may need to consider more information than usual
1554 when you press @key{TAB} or @kbd{M-?} to request word completion:
1555
1556 @smallexample
1557 (@value{GDBP}) b 'bubble( @kbd{M-?}
1558 bubble(double,double) bubble(int,int)
1559 (@value{GDBP}) b 'bubble(
1560 @end smallexample
1561
1562 In some cases, @value{GDBN} can tell that completing a name requires using
1563 quotes. When this happens, @value{GDBN} inserts the quote for you (while
1564 completing as much as it can) if you do not type the quote in the first
1565 place:
1566
1567 @smallexample
1568 (@value{GDBP}) b bub @key{TAB}
1569 @exdent @value{GDBN} alters your input line to the following, and rings a bell:
1570 (@value{GDBP}) b 'bubble(
1571 @end smallexample
1572
1573 @noindent
1574 In general, @value{GDBN} can tell that a quote is needed (and inserts it) if
1575 you have not yet started typing the argument list when you ask for
1576 completion on an overloaded symbol.
1577
1578 For more information about overloaded functions, see @ref{C Plus Plus
1579 Expressions, ,C@t{++} Expressions}. You can use the command @code{set
1580 overload-resolution off} to disable overload resolution;
1581 see @ref{Debugging C Plus Plus, ,@value{GDBN} Features for C@t{++}}.
1582
1583 @cindex completion of structure field names
1584 @cindex structure field name completion
1585 @cindex completion of union field names
1586 @cindex union field name completion
1587 When completing in an expression which looks up a field in a
1588 structure, @value{GDBN} also tries@footnote{The completer can be
1589 confused by certain kinds of invalid expressions. Also, it only
1590 examines the static type of the expression, not the dynamic type.} to
1591 limit completions to the field names available in the type of the
1592 left-hand-side:
1593
1594 @smallexample
1595 (@value{GDBP}) p gdb_stdout.@kbd{M-?}
1596 magic to_fputs to_rewind
1597 to_data to_isatty to_write
1598 to_delete to_put to_write_async_safe
1599 to_flush to_read
1600 @end smallexample
1601
1602 @noindent
1603 This is because the @code{gdb_stdout} is a variable of the type
1604 @code{struct ui_file} that is defined in @value{GDBN} sources as
1605 follows:
1606
1607 @smallexample
1608 struct ui_file
1609 @{
1610 int *magic;
1611 ui_file_flush_ftype *to_flush;
1612 ui_file_write_ftype *to_write;
1613 ui_file_write_async_safe_ftype *to_write_async_safe;
1614 ui_file_fputs_ftype *to_fputs;
1615 ui_file_read_ftype *to_read;
1616 ui_file_delete_ftype *to_delete;
1617 ui_file_isatty_ftype *to_isatty;
1618 ui_file_rewind_ftype *to_rewind;
1619 ui_file_put_ftype *to_put;
1620 void *to_data;
1621 @}
1622 @end smallexample
1623
1624
1625 @node Help
1626 @section Getting Help
1627 @cindex online documentation
1628 @kindex help
1629
1630 You can always ask @value{GDBN} itself for information on its commands,
1631 using the command @code{help}.
1632
1633 @table @code
1634 @kindex h @r{(@code{help})}
1635 @item help
1636 @itemx h
1637 You can use @code{help} (abbreviated @code{h}) with no arguments to
1638 display a short list of named classes of commands:
1639
1640 @smallexample
1641 (@value{GDBP}) help
1642 List of classes of commands:
1643
1644 aliases -- Aliases of other commands
1645 breakpoints -- Making program stop at certain points
1646 data -- Examining data
1647 files -- Specifying and examining files
1648 internals -- Maintenance commands
1649 obscure -- Obscure features
1650 running -- Running the program
1651 stack -- Examining the stack
1652 status -- Status inquiries
1653 support -- Support facilities
1654 tracepoints -- Tracing of program execution without
1655 stopping the program
1656 user-defined -- User-defined commands
1657
1658 Type "help" followed by a class name for a list of
1659 commands in that class.
1660 Type "help" followed by command name for full
1661 documentation.
1662 Command name abbreviations are allowed if unambiguous.
1663 (@value{GDBP})
1664 @end smallexample
1665 @c the above line break eliminates huge line overfull...
1666
1667 @item help @var{class}
1668 Using one of the general help classes as an argument, you can get a
1669 list of the individual commands in that class. For example, here is the
1670 help display for the class @code{status}:
1671
1672 @smallexample
1673 (@value{GDBP}) help status
1674 Status inquiries.
1675
1676 List of commands:
1677
1678 @c Line break in "show" line falsifies real output, but needed
1679 @c to fit in smallbook page size.
1680 info -- Generic command for showing things
1681 about the program being debugged
1682 show -- Generic command for showing things
1683 about the debugger
1684
1685 Type "help" followed by command name for full
1686 documentation.
1687 Command name abbreviations are allowed if unambiguous.
1688 (@value{GDBP})
1689 @end smallexample
1690
1691 @item help @var{command}
1692 With a command name as @code{help} argument, @value{GDBN} displays a
1693 short paragraph on how to use that command.
1694
1695 @kindex apropos
1696 @item apropos @var{args}
1697 The @code{apropos} command searches through all of the @value{GDBN}
1698 commands, and their documentation, for the regular expression specified in
1699 @var{args}. It prints out all matches found. For example:
1700
1701 @smallexample
1702 apropos reload
1703 @end smallexample
1704
1705 @noindent
1706 results in:
1707
1708 @smallexample
1709 @c @group
1710 set symbol-reloading -- Set dynamic symbol table reloading
1711 multiple times in one run
1712 show symbol-reloading -- Show dynamic symbol table reloading
1713 multiple times in one run
1714 @c @end group
1715 @end smallexample
1716
1717 @kindex complete
1718 @item complete @var{args}
1719 The @code{complete @var{args}} command lists all the possible completions
1720 for the beginning of a command. Use @var{args} to specify the beginning of the
1721 command you want completed. For example:
1722
1723 @smallexample
1724 complete i
1725 @end smallexample
1726
1727 @noindent results in:
1728
1729 @smallexample
1730 @group
1731 if
1732 ignore
1733 info
1734 inspect
1735 @end group
1736 @end smallexample
1737
1738 @noindent This is intended for use by @sc{gnu} Emacs.
1739 @end table
1740
1741 In addition to @code{help}, you can use the @value{GDBN} commands @code{info}
1742 and @code{show} to inquire about the state of your program, or the state
1743 of @value{GDBN} itself. Each command supports many topics of inquiry; this
1744 manual introduces each of them in the appropriate context. The listings
1745 under @code{info} and under @code{show} in the Index point to
1746 all the sub-commands. @xref{Index}.
1747
1748 @c @group
1749 @table @code
1750 @kindex info
1751 @kindex i @r{(@code{info})}
1752 @item info
1753 This command (abbreviated @code{i}) is for describing the state of your
1754 program. For example, you can show the arguments passed to a function
1755 with @code{info args}, list the registers currently in use with @code{info
1756 registers}, or list the breakpoints you have set with @code{info breakpoints}.
1757 You can get a complete list of the @code{info} sub-commands with
1758 @w{@code{help info}}.
1759
1760 @kindex set
1761 @item set
1762 You can assign the result of an expression to an environment variable with
1763 @code{set}. For example, you can set the @value{GDBN} prompt to a $-sign with
1764 @code{set prompt $}.
1765
1766 @kindex show
1767 @item show
1768 In contrast to @code{info}, @code{show} is for describing the state of
1769 @value{GDBN} itself.
1770 You can change most of the things you can @code{show}, by using the
1771 related command @code{set}; for example, you can control what number
1772 system is used for displays with @code{set radix}, or simply inquire
1773 which is currently in use with @code{show radix}.
1774
1775 @kindex info set
1776 To display all the settable parameters and their current
1777 values, you can use @code{show} with no arguments; you may also use
1778 @code{info set}. Both commands produce the same display.
1779 @c FIXME: "info set" violates the rule that "info" is for state of
1780 @c FIXME...program. Ck w/ GNU: "info set" to be called something else,
1781 @c FIXME...or change desc of rule---eg "state of prog and debugging session"?
1782 @end table
1783 @c @end group
1784
1785 Here are three miscellaneous @code{show} subcommands, all of which are
1786 exceptional in lacking corresponding @code{set} commands:
1787
1788 @table @code
1789 @kindex show version
1790 @cindex @value{GDBN} version number
1791 @item show version
1792 Show what version of @value{GDBN} is running. You should include this
1793 information in @value{GDBN} bug-reports. If multiple versions of
1794 @value{GDBN} are in use at your site, you may need to determine which
1795 version of @value{GDBN} you are running; as @value{GDBN} evolves, new
1796 commands are introduced, and old ones may wither away. Also, many
1797 system vendors ship variant versions of @value{GDBN}, and there are
1798 variant versions of @value{GDBN} in @sc{gnu}/Linux distributions as well.
1799 The version number is the same as the one announced when you start
1800 @value{GDBN}.
1801
1802 @kindex show copying
1803 @kindex info copying
1804 @cindex display @value{GDBN} copyright
1805 @item show copying
1806 @itemx info copying
1807 Display information about permission for copying @value{GDBN}.
1808
1809 @kindex show warranty
1810 @kindex info warranty
1811 @item show warranty
1812 @itemx info warranty
1813 Display the @sc{gnu} ``NO WARRANTY'' statement, or a warranty,
1814 if your version of @value{GDBN} comes with one.
1815
1816 @end table
1817
1818 @node Running
1819 @chapter Running Programs Under @value{GDBN}
1820
1821 When you run a program under @value{GDBN}, you must first generate
1822 debugging information when you compile it.
1823
1824 You may start @value{GDBN} with its arguments, if any, in an environment
1825 of your choice. If you are doing native debugging, you may redirect
1826 your program's input and output, debug an already running process, or
1827 kill a child process.
1828
1829 @menu
1830 * Compilation:: Compiling for debugging
1831 * Starting:: Starting your program
1832 * Arguments:: Your program's arguments
1833 * Environment:: Your program's environment
1834
1835 * Working Directory:: Your program's working directory
1836 * Input/Output:: Your program's input and output
1837 * Attach:: Debugging an already-running process
1838 * Kill Process:: Killing the child process
1839
1840 * Inferiors and Programs:: Debugging multiple inferiors and programs
1841 * Threads:: Debugging programs with multiple threads
1842 * Forks:: Debugging forks
1843 * Checkpoint/Restart:: Setting a @emph{bookmark} to return to later
1844 @end menu
1845
1846 @node Compilation
1847 @section Compiling for Debugging
1848
1849 In order to debug a program effectively, you need to generate
1850 debugging information when you compile it. This debugging information
1851 is stored in the object file; it describes the data type of each
1852 variable or function and the correspondence between source line numbers
1853 and addresses in the executable code.
1854
1855 To request debugging information, specify the @samp{-g} option when you run
1856 the compiler.
1857
1858 Programs that are to be shipped to your customers are compiled with
1859 optimizations, using the @samp{-O} compiler option. However, some
1860 compilers are unable to handle the @samp{-g} and @samp{-O} options
1861 together. Using those compilers, you cannot generate optimized
1862 executables containing debugging information.
1863
1864 @value{NGCC}, the @sc{gnu} C/C@t{++} compiler, supports @samp{-g} with or
1865 without @samp{-O}, making it possible to debug optimized code. We
1866 recommend that you @emph{always} use @samp{-g} whenever you compile a
1867 program. You may think your program is correct, but there is no sense
1868 in pushing your luck. For more information, see @ref{Optimized Code}.
1869
1870 Older versions of the @sc{gnu} C compiler permitted a variant option
1871 @w{@samp{-gg}} for debugging information. @value{GDBN} no longer supports this
1872 format; if your @sc{gnu} C compiler has this option, do not use it.
1873
1874 @value{GDBN} knows about preprocessor macros and can show you their
1875 expansion (@pxref{Macros}). Most compilers do not include information
1876 about preprocessor macros in the debugging information if you specify
1877 the @option{-g} flag alone. Version 3.1 and later of @value{NGCC},
1878 the @sc{gnu} C compiler, provides macro information if you are using
1879 the DWARF debugging format, and specify the option @option{-g3}.
1880
1881 @xref{Debugging Options,,Options for Debugging Your Program or GCC,
1882 gcc.info, Using the @sc{gnu} Compiler Collection (GCC)}, for more
1883 information on @value{NGCC} options affecting debug information.
1884
1885 You will have the best debugging experience if you use the latest
1886 version of the DWARF debugging format that your compiler supports.
1887 DWARF is currently the most expressive and best supported debugging
1888 format in @value{GDBN}.
1889
1890 @need 2000
1891 @node Starting
1892 @section Starting your Program
1893 @cindex starting
1894 @cindex running
1895
1896 @table @code
1897 @kindex run
1898 @kindex r @r{(@code{run})}
1899 @item run
1900 @itemx r
1901 Use the @code{run} command to start your program under @value{GDBN}.
1902 You must first specify the program name (except on VxWorks) with an
1903 argument to @value{GDBN} (@pxref{Invocation, ,Getting In and Out of
1904 @value{GDBN}}), or by using the @code{file} or @code{exec-file} command
1905 (@pxref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}).
1906
1907 @end table
1908
1909 If you are running your program in an execution environment that
1910 supports processes, @code{run} creates an inferior process and makes
1911 that process run your program. In some environments without processes,
1912 @code{run} jumps to the start of your program. Other targets,
1913 like @samp{remote}, are always running. If you get an error
1914 message like this one:
1915
1916 @smallexample
1917 The "remote" target does not support "run".
1918 Try "help target" or "continue".
1919 @end smallexample
1920
1921 @noindent
1922 then use @code{continue} to run your program. You may need @code{load}
1923 first (@pxref{load}).
1924
1925 The execution of a program is affected by certain information it
1926 receives from its superior. @value{GDBN} provides ways to specify this
1927 information, which you must do @emph{before} starting your program. (You
1928 can change it after starting your program, but such changes only affect
1929 your program the next time you start it.) This information may be
1930 divided into four categories:
1931
1932 @table @asis
1933 @item The @emph{arguments.}
1934 Specify the arguments to give your program as the arguments of the
1935 @code{run} command. If a shell is available on your target, the shell
1936 is used to pass the arguments, so that you may use normal conventions
1937 (such as wildcard expansion or variable substitution) in describing
1938 the arguments.
1939 In Unix systems, you can control which shell is used with the
1940 @code{SHELL} environment variable.
1941 @xref{Arguments, ,Your Program's Arguments}.
1942
1943 @item The @emph{environment.}
1944 Your program normally inherits its environment from @value{GDBN}, but you can
1945 use the @value{GDBN} commands @code{set environment} and @code{unset
1946 environment} to change parts of the environment that affect
1947 your program. @xref{Environment, ,Your Program's Environment}.
1948
1949 @item The @emph{working directory.}
1950 Your program inherits its working directory from @value{GDBN}. You can set
1951 the @value{GDBN} working directory with the @code{cd} command in @value{GDBN}.
1952 @xref{Working Directory, ,Your Program's Working Directory}.
1953
1954 @item The @emph{standard input and output.}
1955 Your program normally uses the same device for standard input and
1956 standard output as @value{GDBN} is using. You can redirect input and output
1957 in the @code{run} command line, or you can use the @code{tty} command to
1958 set a different device for your program.
1959 @xref{Input/Output, ,Your Program's Input and Output}.
1960
1961 @cindex pipes
1962 @emph{Warning:} While input and output redirection work, you cannot use
1963 pipes to pass the output of the program you are debugging to another
1964 program; if you attempt this, @value{GDBN} is likely to wind up debugging the
1965 wrong program.
1966 @end table
1967
1968 When you issue the @code{run} command, your program begins to execute
1969 immediately. @xref{Stopping, ,Stopping and Continuing}, for discussion
1970 of how to arrange for your program to stop. Once your program has
1971 stopped, you may call functions in your program, using the @code{print}
1972 or @code{call} commands. @xref{Data, ,Examining Data}.
1973
1974 If the modification time of your symbol file has changed since the last
1975 time @value{GDBN} read its symbols, @value{GDBN} discards its symbol
1976 table, and reads it again. When it does this, @value{GDBN} tries to retain
1977 your current breakpoints.
1978
1979 @table @code
1980 @kindex start
1981 @item start
1982 @cindex run to main procedure
1983 The name of the main procedure can vary from language to language.
1984 With C or C@t{++}, the main procedure name is always @code{main}, but
1985 other languages such as Ada do not require a specific name for their
1986 main procedure. The debugger provides a convenient way to start the
1987 execution of the program and to stop at the beginning of the main
1988 procedure, depending on the language used.
1989
1990 The @samp{start} command does the equivalent of setting a temporary
1991 breakpoint at the beginning of the main procedure and then invoking
1992 the @samp{run} command.
1993
1994 @cindex elaboration phase
1995 Some programs contain an @dfn{elaboration} phase where some startup code is
1996 executed before the main procedure is called. This depends on the
1997 languages used to write your program. In C@t{++}, for instance,
1998 constructors for static and global objects are executed before
1999 @code{main} is called. It is therefore possible that the debugger stops
2000 before reaching the main procedure. However, the temporary breakpoint
2001 will remain to halt execution.
2002
2003 Specify the arguments to give to your program as arguments to the
2004 @samp{start} command. These arguments will be given verbatim to the
2005 underlying @samp{run} command. Note that the same arguments will be
2006 reused if no argument is provided during subsequent calls to
2007 @samp{start} or @samp{run}.
2008
2009 It is sometimes necessary to debug the program during elaboration. In
2010 these cases, using the @code{start} command would stop the execution of
2011 your program too late, as the program would have already completed the
2012 elaboration phase. Under these circumstances, insert breakpoints in your
2013 elaboration code before running your program.
2014
2015 @kindex set exec-wrapper
2016 @item set exec-wrapper @var{wrapper}
2017 @itemx show exec-wrapper
2018 @itemx unset exec-wrapper
2019 When @samp{exec-wrapper} is set, the specified wrapper is used to
2020 launch programs for debugging. @value{GDBN} starts your program
2021 with a shell command of the form @kbd{exec @var{wrapper}
2022 @var{program}}. Quoting is added to @var{program} and its
2023 arguments, but not to @var{wrapper}, so you should add quotes if
2024 appropriate for your shell. The wrapper runs until it executes
2025 your program, and then @value{GDBN} takes control.
2026
2027 You can use any program that eventually calls @code{execve} with
2028 its arguments as a wrapper. Several standard Unix utilities do
2029 this, e.g.@: @code{env} and @code{nohup}. Any Unix shell script ending
2030 with @code{exec "$@@"} will also work.
2031
2032 For example, you can use @code{env} to pass an environment variable to
2033 the debugged program, without setting the variable in your shell's
2034 environment:
2035
2036 @smallexample
2037 (@value{GDBP}) set exec-wrapper env 'LD_PRELOAD=libtest.so'
2038 (@value{GDBP}) run
2039 @end smallexample
2040
2041 This command is available when debugging locally on most targets, excluding
2042 @sc{djgpp}, Cygwin, MS Windows, and QNX Neutrino.
2043
2044 @kindex set disable-randomization
2045 @item set disable-randomization
2046 @itemx set disable-randomization on
2047 This option (enabled by default in @value{GDBN}) will turn off the native
2048 randomization of the virtual address space of the started program. This option
2049 is useful for multiple debugging sessions to make the execution better
2050 reproducible and memory addresses reusable across debugging sessions.
2051
2052 This feature is implemented only on certain targets, including @sc{gnu}/Linux.
2053 On @sc{gnu}/Linux you can get the same behavior using
2054
2055 @smallexample
2056 (@value{GDBP}) set exec-wrapper setarch `uname -m` -R
2057 @end smallexample
2058
2059 @item set disable-randomization off
2060 Leave the behavior of the started executable unchanged. Some bugs rear their
2061 ugly heads only when the program is loaded at certain addresses. If your bug
2062 disappears when you run the program under @value{GDBN}, that might be because
2063 @value{GDBN} by default disables the address randomization on platforms, such
2064 as @sc{gnu}/Linux, which do that for stand-alone programs. Use @kbd{set
2065 disable-randomization off} to try to reproduce such elusive bugs.
2066
2067 On targets where it is available, virtual address space randomization
2068 protects the programs against certain kinds of security attacks. In these
2069 cases the attacker needs to know the exact location of a concrete executable
2070 code. Randomizing its location makes it impossible to inject jumps misusing
2071 a code at its expected addresses.
2072
2073 Prelinking shared libraries provides a startup performance advantage but it
2074 makes addresses in these libraries predictable for privileged processes by
2075 having just unprivileged access at the target system. Reading the shared
2076 library binary gives enough information for assembling the malicious code
2077 misusing it. Still even a prelinked shared library can get loaded at a new
2078 random address just requiring the regular relocation process during the
2079 startup. Shared libraries not already prelinked are always loaded at
2080 a randomly chosen address.
2081
2082 Position independent executables (PIE) contain position independent code
2083 similar to the shared libraries and therefore such executables get loaded at
2084 a randomly chosen address upon startup. PIE executables always load even
2085 already prelinked shared libraries at a random address. You can build such
2086 executable using @command{gcc -fPIE -pie}.
2087
2088 Heap (malloc storage), stack and custom mmap areas are always placed randomly
2089 (as long as the randomization is enabled).
2090
2091 @item show disable-randomization
2092 Show the current setting of the explicit disable of the native randomization of
2093 the virtual address space of the started program.
2094
2095 @end table
2096
2097 @node Arguments
2098 @section Your Program's Arguments
2099
2100 @cindex arguments (to your program)
2101 The arguments to your program can be specified by the arguments of the
2102 @code{run} command.
2103 They are passed to a shell, which expands wildcard characters and
2104 performs redirection of I/O, and thence to your program. Your
2105 @code{SHELL} environment variable (if it exists) specifies what shell
2106 @value{GDBN} uses. If you do not define @code{SHELL}, @value{GDBN} uses
2107 the default shell (@file{/bin/sh} on Unix).
2108
2109 On non-Unix systems, the program is usually invoked directly by
2110 @value{GDBN}, which emulates I/O redirection via the appropriate system
2111 calls, and the wildcard characters are expanded by the startup code of
2112 the program, not by the shell.
2113
2114 @code{run} with no arguments uses the same arguments used by the previous
2115 @code{run}, or those set by the @code{set args} command.
2116
2117 @table @code
2118 @kindex set args
2119 @item set args
2120 Specify the arguments to be used the next time your program is run. If
2121 @code{set args} has no arguments, @code{run} executes your program
2122 with no arguments. Once you have run your program with arguments,
2123 using @code{set args} before the next @code{run} is the only way to run
2124 it again without arguments.
2125
2126 @kindex show args
2127 @item show args
2128 Show the arguments to give your program when it is started.
2129 @end table
2130
2131 @node Environment
2132 @section Your Program's Environment
2133
2134 @cindex environment (of your program)
2135 The @dfn{environment} consists of a set of environment variables and
2136 their values. Environment variables conventionally record such things as
2137 your user name, your home directory, your terminal type, and your search
2138 path for programs to run. Usually you set up environment variables with
2139 the shell and they are inherited by all the other programs you run. When
2140 debugging, it can be useful to try running your program with a modified
2141 environment without having to start @value{GDBN} over again.
2142
2143 @table @code
2144 @kindex path
2145 @item path @var{directory}
2146 Add @var{directory} to the front of the @code{PATH} environment variable
2147 (the search path for executables) that will be passed to your program.
2148 The value of @code{PATH} used by @value{GDBN} does not change.
2149 You may specify several directory names, separated by whitespace or by a
2150 system-dependent separator character (@samp{:} on Unix, @samp{;} on
2151 MS-DOS and MS-Windows). If @var{directory} is already in the path, it
2152 is moved to the front, so it is searched sooner.
2153
2154 You can use the string @samp{$cwd} to refer to whatever is the current
2155 working directory at the time @value{GDBN} searches the path. If you
2156 use @samp{.} instead, it refers to the directory where you executed the
2157 @code{path} command. @value{GDBN} replaces @samp{.} in the
2158 @var{directory} argument (with the current path) before adding
2159 @var{directory} to the search path.
2160 @c 'path' is explicitly nonrepeatable, but RMS points out it is silly to
2161 @c document that, since repeating it would be a no-op.
2162
2163 @kindex show paths
2164 @item show paths
2165 Display the list of search paths for executables (the @code{PATH}
2166 environment variable).
2167
2168 @kindex show environment
2169 @item show environment @r{[}@var{varname}@r{]}
2170 Print the value of environment variable @var{varname} to be given to
2171 your program when it starts. If you do not supply @var{varname},
2172 print the names and values of all environment variables to be given to
2173 your program. You can abbreviate @code{environment} as @code{env}.
2174
2175 @kindex set environment
2176 @item set environment @var{varname} @r{[}=@var{value}@r{]}
2177 Set environment variable @var{varname} to @var{value}. The value
2178 changes for your program only, not for @value{GDBN} itself. @var{value} may
2179 be any string; the values of environment variables are just strings, and
2180 any interpretation is supplied by your program itself. The @var{value}
2181 parameter is optional; if it is eliminated, the variable is set to a
2182 null value.
2183 @c "any string" here does not include leading, trailing
2184 @c blanks. Gnu asks: does anyone care?
2185
2186 For example, this command:
2187
2188 @smallexample
2189 set env USER = foo
2190 @end smallexample
2191
2192 @noindent
2193 tells the debugged program, when subsequently run, that its user is named
2194 @samp{foo}. (The spaces around @samp{=} are used for clarity here; they
2195 are not actually required.)
2196
2197 @kindex unset environment
2198 @item unset environment @var{varname}
2199 Remove variable @var{varname} from the environment to be passed to your
2200 program. This is different from @samp{set env @var{varname} =};
2201 @code{unset environment} removes the variable from the environment,
2202 rather than assigning it an empty value.
2203 @end table
2204
2205 @emph{Warning:} On Unix systems, @value{GDBN} runs your program using
2206 the shell indicated
2207 by your @code{SHELL} environment variable if it exists (or
2208 @code{/bin/sh} if not). If your @code{SHELL} variable names a shell
2209 that runs an initialization file---such as @file{.cshrc} for C-shell, or
2210 @file{.bashrc} for BASH---any variables you set in that file affect
2211 your program. You may wish to move setting of environment variables to
2212 files that are only run when you sign on, such as @file{.login} or
2213 @file{.profile}.
2214
2215 @node Working Directory
2216 @section Your Program's Working Directory
2217
2218 @cindex working directory (of your program)
2219 Each time you start your program with @code{run}, it inherits its
2220 working directory from the current working directory of @value{GDBN}.
2221 The @value{GDBN} working directory is initially whatever it inherited
2222 from its parent process (typically the shell), but you can specify a new
2223 working directory in @value{GDBN} with the @code{cd} command.
2224
2225 The @value{GDBN} working directory also serves as a default for the commands
2226 that specify files for @value{GDBN} to operate on. @xref{Files, ,Commands to
2227 Specify Files}.
2228
2229 @table @code
2230 @kindex cd
2231 @cindex change working directory
2232 @item cd @var{directory}
2233 Set the @value{GDBN} working directory to @var{directory}.
2234
2235 @kindex pwd
2236 @item pwd
2237 Print the @value{GDBN} working directory.
2238 @end table
2239
2240 It is generally impossible to find the current working directory of
2241 the process being debugged (since a program can change its directory
2242 during its run). If you work on a system where @value{GDBN} is
2243 configured with the @file{/proc} support, you can use the @code{info
2244 proc} command (@pxref{SVR4 Process Information}) to find out the
2245 current working directory of the debuggee.
2246
2247 @node Input/Output
2248 @section Your Program's Input and Output
2249
2250 @cindex redirection
2251 @cindex i/o
2252 @cindex terminal
2253 By default, the program you run under @value{GDBN} does input and output to
2254 the same terminal that @value{GDBN} uses. @value{GDBN} switches the terminal
2255 to its own terminal modes to interact with you, but it records the terminal
2256 modes your program was using and switches back to them when you continue
2257 running your program.
2258
2259 @table @code
2260 @kindex info terminal
2261 @item info terminal
2262 Displays information recorded by @value{GDBN} about the terminal modes your
2263 program is using.
2264 @end table
2265
2266 You can redirect your program's input and/or output using shell
2267 redirection with the @code{run} command. For example,
2268
2269 @smallexample
2270 run > outfile
2271 @end smallexample
2272
2273 @noindent
2274 starts your program, diverting its output to the file @file{outfile}.
2275
2276 @kindex tty
2277 @cindex controlling terminal
2278 Another way to specify where your program should do input and output is
2279 with the @code{tty} command. This command accepts a file name as
2280 argument, and causes this file to be the default for future @code{run}
2281 commands. It also resets the controlling terminal for the child
2282 process, for future @code{run} commands. For example,
2283
2284 @smallexample
2285 tty /dev/ttyb
2286 @end smallexample
2287
2288 @noindent
2289 directs that processes started with subsequent @code{run} commands
2290 default to do input and output on the terminal @file{/dev/ttyb} and have
2291 that as their controlling terminal.
2292
2293 An explicit redirection in @code{run} overrides the @code{tty} command's
2294 effect on the input/output device, but not its effect on the controlling
2295 terminal.
2296
2297 When you use the @code{tty} command or redirect input in the @code{run}
2298 command, only the input @emph{for your program} is affected. The input
2299 for @value{GDBN} still comes from your terminal. @code{tty} is an alias
2300 for @code{set inferior-tty}.
2301
2302 @cindex inferior tty
2303 @cindex set inferior controlling terminal
2304 You can use the @code{show inferior-tty} command to tell @value{GDBN} to
2305 display the name of the terminal that will be used for future runs of your
2306 program.
2307
2308 @table @code
2309 @item set inferior-tty /dev/ttyb
2310 @kindex set inferior-tty
2311 Set the tty for the program being debugged to /dev/ttyb.
2312
2313 @item show inferior-tty
2314 @kindex show inferior-tty
2315 Show the current tty for the program being debugged.
2316 @end table
2317
2318 @node Attach
2319 @section Debugging an Already-running Process
2320 @kindex attach
2321 @cindex attach
2322
2323 @table @code
2324 @item attach @var{process-id}
2325 This command attaches to a running process---one that was started
2326 outside @value{GDBN}. (@code{info files} shows your active
2327 targets.) The command takes as argument a process ID. The usual way to
2328 find out the @var{process-id} of a Unix process is with the @code{ps} utility,
2329 or with the @samp{jobs -l} shell command.
2330
2331 @code{attach} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} a second time after
2332 executing the command.
2333 @end table
2334
2335 To use @code{attach}, your program must be running in an environment
2336 which supports processes; for example, @code{attach} does not work for
2337 programs on bare-board targets that lack an operating system. You must
2338 also have permission to send the process a signal.
2339
2340 When you use @code{attach}, the debugger finds the program running in
2341 the process first by looking in the current working directory, then (if
2342 the program is not found) by using the source file search path
2343 (@pxref{Source Path, ,Specifying Source Directories}). You can also use
2344 the @code{file} command to load the program. @xref{Files, ,Commands to
2345 Specify Files}.
2346
2347 The first thing @value{GDBN} does after arranging to debug the specified
2348 process is to stop it. You can examine and modify an attached process
2349 with all the @value{GDBN} commands that are ordinarily available when
2350 you start processes with @code{run}. You can insert breakpoints; you
2351 can step and continue; you can modify storage. If you would rather the
2352 process continue running, you may use the @code{continue} command after
2353 attaching @value{GDBN} to the process.
2354
2355 @table @code
2356 @kindex detach
2357 @item detach
2358 When you have finished debugging the attached process, you can use the
2359 @code{detach} command to release it from @value{GDBN} control. Detaching
2360 the process continues its execution. After the @code{detach} command,
2361 that process and @value{GDBN} become completely independent once more, and you
2362 are ready to @code{attach} another process or start one with @code{run}.
2363 @code{detach} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} again after
2364 executing the command.
2365 @end table
2366
2367 If you exit @value{GDBN} while you have an attached process, you detach
2368 that process. If you use the @code{run} command, you kill that process.
2369 By default, @value{GDBN} asks for confirmation if you try to do either of these
2370 things; you can control whether or not you need to confirm by using the
2371 @code{set confirm} command (@pxref{Messages/Warnings, ,Optional Warnings and
2372 Messages}).
2373
2374 @node Kill Process
2375 @section Killing the Child Process
2376
2377 @table @code
2378 @kindex kill
2379 @item kill
2380 Kill the child process in which your program is running under @value{GDBN}.
2381 @end table
2382
2383 This command is useful if you wish to debug a core dump instead of a
2384 running process. @value{GDBN} ignores any core dump file while your program
2385 is running.
2386
2387 On some operating systems, a program cannot be executed outside @value{GDBN}
2388 while you have breakpoints set on it inside @value{GDBN}. You can use the
2389 @code{kill} command in this situation to permit running your program
2390 outside the debugger.
2391
2392 The @code{kill} command is also useful if you wish to recompile and
2393 relink your program, since on many systems it is impossible to modify an
2394 executable file while it is running in a process. In this case, when you
2395 next type @code{run}, @value{GDBN} notices that the file has changed, and
2396 reads the symbol table again (while trying to preserve your current
2397 breakpoint settings).
2398
2399 @node Inferiors and Programs
2400 @section Debugging Multiple Inferiors and Programs
2401
2402 @value{GDBN} lets you run and debug multiple programs in a single
2403 session. In addition, @value{GDBN} on some systems may let you run
2404 several programs simultaneously (otherwise you have to exit from one
2405 before starting another). In the most general case, you can have
2406 multiple threads of execution in each of multiple processes, launched
2407 from multiple executables.
2408
2409 @cindex inferior
2410 @value{GDBN} represents the state of each program execution with an
2411 object called an @dfn{inferior}. An inferior typically corresponds to
2412 a process, but is more general and applies also to targets that do not
2413 have processes. Inferiors may be created before a process runs, and
2414 may be retained after a process exits. Inferiors have unique
2415 identifiers that are different from process ids. Usually each
2416 inferior will also have its own distinct address space, although some
2417 embedded targets may have several inferiors running in different parts
2418 of a single address space. Each inferior may in turn have multiple
2419 threads running in it.
2420
2421 To find out what inferiors exist at any moment, use @w{@code{info
2422 inferiors}}:
2423
2424 @table @code
2425 @kindex info inferiors
2426 @item info inferiors
2427 Print a list of all inferiors currently being managed by @value{GDBN}.
2428
2429 @value{GDBN} displays for each inferior (in this order):
2430
2431 @enumerate
2432 @item
2433 the inferior number assigned by @value{GDBN}
2434
2435 @item
2436 the target system's inferior identifier
2437
2438 @item
2439 the name of the executable the inferior is running.
2440
2441 @end enumerate
2442
2443 @noindent
2444 An asterisk @samp{*} preceding the @value{GDBN} inferior number
2445 indicates the current inferior.
2446
2447 For example,
2448 @end table
2449 @c end table here to get a little more width for example
2450
2451 @smallexample
2452 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
2453 Num Description Executable
2454 2 process 2307 hello
2455 * 1 process 3401 goodbye
2456 @end smallexample
2457
2458 To switch focus between inferiors, use the @code{inferior} command:
2459
2460 @table @code
2461 @kindex inferior @var{infno}
2462 @item inferior @var{infno}
2463 Make inferior number @var{infno} the current inferior. The argument
2464 @var{infno} is the inferior number assigned by @value{GDBN}, as shown
2465 in the first field of the @samp{info inferiors} display.
2466 @end table
2467
2468
2469 You can get multiple executables into a debugging session via the
2470 @code{add-inferior} and @w{@code{clone-inferior}} commands. On some
2471 systems @value{GDBN} can add inferiors to the debug session
2472 automatically by following calls to @code{fork} and @code{exec}. To
2473 remove inferiors from the debugging session use the
2474 @w{@code{remove-inferiors}} command.
2475
2476 @table @code
2477 @kindex add-inferior
2478 @item add-inferior [ -copies @var{n} ] [ -exec @var{executable} ]
2479 Adds @var{n} inferiors to be run using @var{executable} as the
2480 executable. @var{n} defaults to 1. If no executable is specified,
2481 the inferiors begins empty, with no program. You can still assign or
2482 change the program assigned to the inferior at any time by using the
2483 @code{file} command with the executable name as its argument.
2484
2485 @kindex clone-inferior
2486 @item clone-inferior [ -copies @var{n} ] [ @var{infno} ]
2487 Adds @var{n} inferiors ready to execute the same program as inferior
2488 @var{infno}. @var{n} defaults to 1. @var{infno} defaults to the
2489 number of the current inferior. This is a convenient command when you
2490 want to run another instance of the inferior you are debugging.
2491
2492 @smallexample
2493 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
2494 Num Description Executable
2495 * 1 process 29964 helloworld
2496 (@value{GDBP}) clone-inferior
2497 Added inferior 2.
2498 1 inferiors added.
2499 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
2500 Num Description Executable
2501 2 <null> helloworld
2502 * 1 process 29964 helloworld
2503 @end smallexample
2504
2505 You can now simply switch focus to inferior 2 and run it.
2506
2507 @kindex remove-inferiors
2508 @item remove-inferiors @var{infno}@dots{}
2509 Removes the inferior or inferiors @var{infno}@dots{}. It is not
2510 possible to remove an inferior that is running with this command. For
2511 those, use the @code{kill} or @code{detach} command first.
2512
2513 @end table
2514
2515 To quit debugging one of the running inferiors that is not the current
2516 inferior, you can either detach from it by using the @w{@code{detach
2517 inferior}} command (allowing it to run independently), or kill it
2518 using the @w{@code{kill inferiors}} command:
2519
2520 @table @code
2521 @kindex detach inferiors @var{infno}@dots{}
2522 @item detach inferior @var{infno}@dots{}
2523 Detach from the inferior or inferiors identified by @value{GDBN}
2524 inferior number(s) @var{infno}@dots{}. Note that the inferior's entry
2525 still stays on the list of inferiors shown by @code{info inferiors},
2526 but its Description will show @samp{<null>}.
2527
2528 @kindex kill inferiors @var{infno}@dots{}
2529 @item kill inferiors @var{infno}@dots{}
2530 Kill the inferior or inferiors identified by @value{GDBN} inferior
2531 number(s) @var{infno}@dots{}. Note that the inferior's entry still
2532 stays on the list of inferiors shown by @code{info inferiors}, but its
2533 Description will show @samp{<null>}.
2534 @end table
2535
2536 After the successful completion of a command such as @code{detach},
2537 @code{detach inferiors}, @code{kill} or @code{kill inferiors}, or after
2538 a normal process exit, the inferior is still valid and listed with
2539 @code{info inferiors}, ready to be restarted.
2540
2541
2542 To be notified when inferiors are started or exit under @value{GDBN}'s
2543 control use @w{@code{set print inferior-events}}:
2544
2545 @table @code
2546 @kindex set print inferior-events
2547 @cindex print messages on inferior start and exit
2548 @item set print inferior-events
2549 @itemx set print inferior-events on
2550 @itemx set print inferior-events off
2551 The @code{set print inferior-events} command allows you to enable or
2552 disable printing of messages when @value{GDBN} notices that new
2553 inferiors have started or that inferiors have exited or have been
2554 detached. By default, these messages will not be printed.
2555
2556 @kindex show print inferior-events
2557 @item show print inferior-events
2558 Show whether messages will be printed when @value{GDBN} detects that
2559 inferiors have started, exited or have been detached.
2560 @end table
2561
2562 Many commands will work the same with multiple programs as with a
2563 single program: e.g., @code{print myglobal} will simply display the
2564 value of @code{myglobal} in the current inferior.
2565
2566
2567 Occasionaly, when debugging @value{GDBN} itself, it may be useful to
2568 get more info about the relationship of inferiors, programs, address
2569 spaces in a debug session. You can do that with the @w{@code{maint
2570 info program-spaces}} command.
2571
2572 @table @code
2573 @kindex maint info program-spaces
2574 @item maint info program-spaces
2575 Print a list of all program spaces currently being managed by
2576 @value{GDBN}.
2577
2578 @value{GDBN} displays for each program space (in this order):
2579
2580 @enumerate
2581 @item
2582 the program space number assigned by @value{GDBN}
2583
2584 @item
2585 the name of the executable loaded into the program space, with e.g.,
2586 the @code{file} command.
2587
2588 @end enumerate
2589
2590 @noindent
2591 An asterisk @samp{*} preceding the @value{GDBN} program space number
2592 indicates the current program space.
2593
2594 In addition, below each program space line, @value{GDBN} prints extra
2595 information that isn't suitable to display in tabular form. For
2596 example, the list of inferiors bound to the program space.
2597
2598 @smallexample
2599 (@value{GDBP}) maint info program-spaces
2600 Id Executable
2601 2 goodbye
2602 Bound inferiors: ID 1 (process 21561)
2603 * 1 hello
2604 @end smallexample
2605
2606 Here we can see that no inferior is running the program @code{hello},
2607 while @code{process 21561} is running the program @code{goodbye}. On
2608 some targets, it is possible that multiple inferiors are bound to the
2609 same program space. The most common example is that of debugging both
2610 the parent and child processes of a @code{vfork} call. For example,
2611
2612 @smallexample
2613 (@value{GDBP}) maint info program-spaces
2614 Id Executable
2615 * 1 vfork-test
2616 Bound inferiors: ID 2 (process 18050), ID 1 (process 18045)
2617 @end smallexample
2618
2619 Here, both inferior 2 and inferior 1 are running in the same program
2620 space as a result of inferior 1 having executed a @code{vfork} call.
2621 @end table
2622
2623 @node Threads
2624 @section Debugging Programs with Multiple Threads
2625
2626 @cindex threads of execution
2627 @cindex multiple threads
2628 @cindex switching threads
2629 In some operating systems, such as HP-UX and Solaris, a single program
2630 may have more than one @dfn{thread} of execution. The precise semantics
2631 of threads differ from one operating system to another, but in general
2632 the threads of a single program are akin to multiple processes---except
2633 that they share one address space (that is, they can all examine and
2634 modify the same variables). On the other hand, each thread has its own
2635 registers and execution stack, and perhaps private memory.
2636
2637 @value{GDBN} provides these facilities for debugging multi-thread
2638 programs:
2639
2640 @itemize @bullet
2641 @item automatic notification of new threads
2642 @item @samp{thread @var{threadno}}, a command to switch among threads
2643 @item @samp{info threads}, a command to inquire about existing threads
2644 @item @samp{thread apply [@var{threadno}] [@var{all}] @var{args}},
2645 a command to apply a command to a list of threads
2646 @item thread-specific breakpoints
2647 @item @samp{set print thread-events}, which controls printing of
2648 messages on thread start and exit.
2649 @item @samp{set libthread-db-search-path @var{path}}, which lets
2650 the user specify which @code{libthread_db} to use if the default choice
2651 isn't compatible with the program.
2652 @end itemize
2653
2654 @quotation
2655 @emph{Warning:} These facilities are not yet available on every
2656 @value{GDBN} configuration where the operating system supports threads.
2657 If your @value{GDBN} does not support threads, these commands have no
2658 effect. For example, a system without thread support shows no output
2659 from @samp{info threads}, and always rejects the @code{thread} command,
2660 like this:
2661
2662 @smallexample
2663 (@value{GDBP}) info threads
2664 (@value{GDBP}) thread 1
2665 Thread ID 1 not known. Use the "info threads" command to
2666 see the IDs of currently known threads.
2667 @end smallexample
2668 @c FIXME to implementors: how hard would it be to say "sorry, this GDB
2669 @c doesn't support threads"?
2670 @end quotation
2671
2672 @cindex focus of debugging
2673 @cindex current thread
2674 The @value{GDBN} thread debugging facility allows you to observe all
2675 threads while your program runs---but whenever @value{GDBN} takes
2676 control, one thread in particular is always the focus of debugging.
2677 This thread is called the @dfn{current thread}. Debugging commands show
2678 program information from the perspective of the current thread.
2679
2680 @cindex @code{New} @var{systag} message
2681 @cindex thread identifier (system)
2682 @c FIXME-implementors!! It would be more helpful if the [New...] message
2683 @c included GDB's numeric thread handle, so you could just go to that
2684 @c thread without first checking `info threads'.
2685 Whenever @value{GDBN} detects a new thread in your program, it displays
2686 the target system's identification for the thread with a message in the
2687 form @samp{[New @var{systag}]}. @var{systag} is a thread identifier
2688 whose form varies depending on the particular system. For example, on
2689 @sc{gnu}/Linux, you might see
2690
2691 @smallexample
2692 [New Thread 0x41e02940 (LWP 25582)]
2693 @end smallexample
2694
2695 @noindent
2696 when @value{GDBN} notices a new thread. In contrast, on an SGI system,
2697 the @var{systag} is simply something like @samp{process 368}, with no
2698 further qualifier.
2699
2700 @c FIXME!! (1) Does the [New...] message appear even for the very first
2701 @c thread of a program, or does it only appear for the
2702 @c second---i.e.@: when it becomes obvious we have a multithread
2703 @c program?
2704 @c (2) *Is* there necessarily a first thread always? Or do some
2705 @c multithread systems permit starting a program with multiple
2706 @c threads ab initio?
2707
2708 @cindex thread number
2709 @cindex thread identifier (GDB)
2710 For debugging purposes, @value{GDBN} associates its own thread
2711 number---always a single integer---with each thread in your program.
2712
2713 @table @code
2714 @kindex info threads
2715 @item info threads @r{[}@var{id}@dots{}@r{]}
2716 Display a summary of all threads currently in your program. Optional
2717 argument @var{id}@dots{} is one or more thread ids separated by spaces, and
2718 means to print information only about the specified thread or threads.
2719 @value{GDBN} displays for each thread (in this order):
2720
2721 @enumerate
2722 @item
2723 the thread number assigned by @value{GDBN}
2724
2725 @item
2726 the target system's thread identifier (@var{systag})
2727
2728 @item
2729 the thread's name, if one is known. A thread can either be named by
2730 the user (see @code{thread name}, below), or, in some cases, by the
2731 program itself.
2732
2733 @item
2734 the current stack frame summary for that thread
2735 @end enumerate
2736
2737 @noindent
2738 An asterisk @samp{*} to the left of the @value{GDBN} thread number
2739 indicates the current thread.
2740
2741 For example,
2742 @end table
2743 @c end table here to get a little more width for example
2744
2745 @smallexample
2746 (@value{GDBP}) info threads
2747 Id Target Id Frame
2748 3 process 35 thread 27 0x34e5 in sigpause ()
2749 2 process 35 thread 23 0x34e5 in sigpause ()
2750 * 1 process 35 thread 13 main (argc=1, argv=0x7ffffff8)
2751 at threadtest.c:68
2752 @end smallexample
2753
2754 On Solaris, you can display more information about user threads with a
2755 Solaris-specific command:
2756
2757 @table @code
2758 @item maint info sol-threads
2759 @kindex maint info sol-threads
2760 @cindex thread info (Solaris)
2761 Display info on Solaris user threads.
2762 @end table
2763
2764 @table @code
2765 @kindex thread @var{threadno}
2766 @item thread @var{threadno}
2767 Make thread number @var{threadno} the current thread. The command
2768 argument @var{threadno} is the internal @value{GDBN} thread number, as
2769 shown in the first field of the @samp{info threads} display.
2770 @value{GDBN} responds by displaying the system identifier of the thread
2771 you selected, and its current stack frame summary:
2772
2773 @smallexample
2774 (@value{GDBP}) thread 2
2775 [Switching to thread 2 (Thread 0xb7fdab70 (LWP 12747))]
2776 #0 some_function (ignore=0x0) at example.c:8
2777 8 printf ("hello\n");
2778 @end smallexample
2779
2780 @noindent
2781 As with the @samp{[New @dots{}]} message, the form of the text after
2782 @samp{Switching to} depends on your system's conventions for identifying
2783 threads.
2784
2785 @vindex $_thread@r{, convenience variable}
2786 The debugger convenience variable @samp{$_thread} contains the number
2787 of the current thread. You may find this useful in writing breakpoint
2788 conditional expressions, command scripts, and so forth. See
2789 @xref{Convenience Vars,, Convenience Variables}, for general
2790 information on convenience variables.
2791
2792 @kindex thread apply
2793 @cindex apply command to several threads
2794 @item thread apply [@var{threadno} | all] @var{command}
2795 The @code{thread apply} command allows you to apply the named
2796 @var{command} to one or more threads. Specify the numbers of the
2797 threads that you want affected with the command argument
2798 @var{threadno}. It can be a single thread number, one of the numbers
2799 shown in the first field of the @samp{info threads} display; or it
2800 could be a range of thread numbers, as in @code{2-4}. To apply a
2801 command to all threads, type @kbd{thread apply all @var{command}}.
2802
2803 @kindex thread name
2804 @cindex name a thread
2805 @item thread name [@var{name}]
2806 This command assigns a name to the current thread. If no argument is
2807 given, any existing user-specified name is removed. The thread name
2808 appears in the @samp{info threads} display.
2809
2810 On some systems, such as @sc{gnu}/Linux, @value{GDBN} is able to
2811 determine the name of the thread as given by the OS. On these
2812 systems, a name specified with @samp{thread name} will override the
2813 system-give name, and removing the user-specified name will cause
2814 @value{GDBN} to once again display the system-specified name.
2815
2816 @kindex thread find
2817 @cindex search for a thread
2818 @item thread find [@var{regexp}]
2819 Search for and display thread ids whose name or @var{systag}
2820 matches the supplied regular expression.
2821
2822 As well as being the complement to the @samp{thread name} command,
2823 this command also allows you to identify a thread by its target
2824 @var{systag}. For instance, on @sc{gnu}/Linux, the target @var{systag}
2825 is the LWP id.
2826
2827 @smallexample
2828 (@value{GDBN}) thread find 26688
2829 Thread 4 has target id 'Thread 0x41e02940 (LWP 26688)'
2830 (@value{GDBN}) info thread 4
2831 Id Target Id Frame
2832 4 Thread 0x41e02940 (LWP 26688) 0x00000031ca6cd372 in select ()
2833 @end smallexample
2834
2835 @kindex set print thread-events
2836 @cindex print messages on thread start and exit
2837 @item set print thread-events
2838 @itemx set print thread-events on
2839 @itemx set print thread-events off
2840 The @code{set print thread-events} command allows you to enable or
2841 disable printing of messages when @value{GDBN} notices that new threads have
2842 started or that threads have exited. By default, these messages will
2843 be printed if detection of these events is supported by the target.
2844 Note that these messages cannot be disabled on all targets.
2845
2846 @kindex show print thread-events
2847 @item show print thread-events
2848 Show whether messages will be printed when @value{GDBN} detects that threads
2849 have started and exited.
2850 @end table
2851
2852 @xref{Thread Stops,,Stopping and Starting Multi-thread Programs}, for
2853 more information about how @value{GDBN} behaves when you stop and start
2854 programs with multiple threads.
2855
2856 @xref{Set Watchpoints,,Setting Watchpoints}, for information about
2857 watchpoints in programs with multiple threads.
2858
2859 @table @code
2860 @kindex set libthread-db-search-path
2861 @cindex search path for @code{libthread_db}
2862 @item set libthread-db-search-path @r{[}@var{path}@r{]}
2863 If this variable is set, @var{path} is a colon-separated list of
2864 directories @value{GDBN} will use to search for @code{libthread_db}.
2865 If you omit @var{path}, @samp{libthread-db-search-path} will be reset to
2866 its default value (@code{$sdir:$pdir} on @sc{gnu}/Linux and Solaris systems).
2867 Internally, the default value comes from the @code{LIBTHREAD_DB_SEARCH_PATH}
2868 macro.
2869
2870 On @sc{gnu}/Linux and Solaris systems, @value{GDBN} uses a ``helper''
2871 @code{libthread_db} library to obtain information about threads in the
2872 inferior process. @value{GDBN} will use @samp{libthread-db-search-path}
2873 to find @code{libthread_db}.
2874
2875 A special entry @samp{$sdir} for @samp{libthread-db-search-path}
2876 refers to the default system directories that are
2877 normally searched for loading shared libraries.
2878
2879 A special entry @samp{$pdir} for @samp{libthread-db-search-path}
2880 refers to the directory from which @code{libpthread}
2881 was loaded in the inferior process.
2882
2883 For any @code{libthread_db} library @value{GDBN} finds in above directories,
2884 @value{GDBN} attempts to initialize it with the current inferior process.
2885 If this initialization fails (which could happen because of a version
2886 mismatch between @code{libthread_db} and @code{libpthread}), @value{GDBN}
2887 will unload @code{libthread_db}, and continue with the next directory.
2888 If none of @code{libthread_db} libraries initialize successfully,
2889 @value{GDBN} will issue a warning and thread debugging will be disabled.
2890
2891 Setting @code{libthread-db-search-path} is currently implemented
2892 only on some platforms.
2893
2894 @kindex show libthread-db-search-path
2895 @item show libthread-db-search-path
2896 Display current libthread_db search path.
2897
2898 @kindex set debug libthread-db
2899 @kindex show debug libthread-db
2900 @cindex debugging @code{libthread_db}
2901 @item set debug libthread-db
2902 @itemx show debug libthread-db
2903 Turns on or off display of @code{libthread_db}-related events.
2904 Use @code{1} to enable, @code{0} to disable.
2905 @end table
2906
2907 @node Forks
2908 @section Debugging Forks
2909
2910 @cindex fork, debugging programs which call
2911 @cindex multiple processes
2912 @cindex processes, multiple
2913 On most systems, @value{GDBN} has no special support for debugging
2914 programs which create additional processes using the @code{fork}
2915 function. When a program forks, @value{GDBN} will continue to debug the
2916 parent process and the child process will run unimpeded. If you have
2917 set a breakpoint in any code which the child then executes, the child
2918 will get a @code{SIGTRAP} signal which (unless it catches the signal)
2919 will cause it to terminate.
2920
2921 However, if you want to debug the child process there is a workaround
2922 which isn't too painful. Put a call to @code{sleep} in the code which
2923 the child process executes after the fork. It may be useful to sleep
2924 only if a certain environment variable is set, or a certain file exists,
2925 so that the delay need not occur when you don't want to run @value{GDBN}
2926 on the child. While the child is sleeping, use the @code{ps} program to
2927 get its process ID. Then tell @value{GDBN} (a new invocation of
2928 @value{GDBN} if you are also debugging the parent process) to attach to
2929 the child process (@pxref{Attach}). From that point on you can debug
2930 the child process just like any other process which you attached to.
2931
2932 On some systems, @value{GDBN} provides support for debugging programs that
2933 create additional processes using the @code{fork} or @code{vfork} functions.
2934 Currently, the only platforms with this feature are HP-UX (11.x and later
2935 only?) and @sc{gnu}/Linux (kernel version 2.5.60 and later).
2936
2937 By default, when a program forks, @value{GDBN} will continue to debug
2938 the parent process and the child process will run unimpeded.
2939
2940 If you want to follow the child process instead of the parent process,
2941 use the command @w{@code{set follow-fork-mode}}.
2942
2943 @table @code
2944 @kindex set follow-fork-mode
2945 @item set follow-fork-mode @var{mode}
2946 Set the debugger response to a program call of @code{fork} or
2947 @code{vfork}. A call to @code{fork} or @code{vfork} creates a new
2948 process. The @var{mode} argument can be:
2949
2950 @table @code
2951 @item parent
2952 The original process is debugged after a fork. The child process runs
2953 unimpeded. This is the default.
2954
2955 @item child
2956 The new process is debugged after a fork. The parent process runs
2957 unimpeded.
2958
2959 @end table
2960
2961 @kindex show follow-fork-mode
2962 @item show follow-fork-mode
2963 Display the current debugger response to a @code{fork} or @code{vfork} call.
2964 @end table
2965
2966 @cindex debugging multiple processes
2967 On Linux, if you want to debug both the parent and child processes, use the
2968 command @w{@code{set detach-on-fork}}.
2969
2970 @table @code
2971 @kindex set detach-on-fork
2972 @item set detach-on-fork @var{mode}
2973 Tells gdb whether to detach one of the processes after a fork, or
2974 retain debugger control over them both.
2975
2976 @table @code
2977 @item on
2978 The child process (or parent process, depending on the value of
2979 @code{follow-fork-mode}) will be detached and allowed to run
2980 independently. This is the default.
2981
2982 @item off
2983 Both processes will be held under the control of @value{GDBN}.
2984 One process (child or parent, depending on the value of
2985 @code{follow-fork-mode}) is debugged as usual, while the other
2986 is held suspended.
2987
2988 @end table
2989
2990 @kindex show detach-on-fork
2991 @item show detach-on-fork
2992 Show whether detach-on-fork mode is on/off.
2993 @end table
2994
2995 If you choose to set @samp{detach-on-fork} mode off, then @value{GDBN}
2996 will retain control of all forked processes (including nested forks).
2997 You can list the forked processes under the control of @value{GDBN} by
2998 using the @w{@code{info inferiors}} command, and switch from one fork
2999 to another by using the @code{inferior} command (@pxref{Inferiors and
3000 Programs, ,Debugging Multiple Inferiors and Programs}).
3001
3002 To quit debugging one of the forked processes, you can either detach
3003 from it by using the @w{@code{detach inferiors}} command (allowing it
3004 to run independently), or kill it using the @w{@code{kill inferiors}}
3005 command. @xref{Inferiors and Programs, ,Debugging Multiple Inferiors
3006 and Programs}.
3007
3008 If you ask to debug a child process and a @code{vfork} is followed by an
3009 @code{exec}, @value{GDBN} executes the new target up to the first
3010 breakpoint in the new target. If you have a breakpoint set on
3011 @code{main} in your original program, the breakpoint will also be set on
3012 the child process's @code{main}.
3013
3014 On some systems, when a child process is spawned by @code{vfork}, you
3015 cannot debug the child or parent until an @code{exec} call completes.
3016
3017 If you issue a @code{run} command to @value{GDBN} after an @code{exec}
3018 call executes, the new target restarts. To restart the parent
3019 process, use the @code{file} command with the parent executable name
3020 as its argument. By default, after an @code{exec} call executes,
3021 @value{GDBN} discards the symbols of the previous executable image.
3022 You can change this behaviour with the @w{@code{set follow-exec-mode}}
3023 command.
3024
3025 @table @code
3026 @kindex set follow-exec-mode
3027 @item set follow-exec-mode @var{mode}
3028
3029 Set debugger response to a program call of @code{exec}. An
3030 @code{exec} call replaces the program image of a process.
3031
3032 @code{follow-exec-mode} can be:
3033
3034 @table @code
3035 @item new
3036 @value{GDBN} creates a new inferior and rebinds the process to this
3037 new inferior. The program the process was running before the
3038 @code{exec} call can be restarted afterwards by restarting the
3039 original inferior.
3040
3041 For example:
3042
3043 @smallexample
3044 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
3045 (gdb) info inferior
3046 Id Description Executable
3047 * 1 <null> prog1
3048 (@value{GDBP}) run
3049 process 12020 is executing new program: prog2
3050 Program exited normally.
3051 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
3052 Id Description Executable
3053 * 2 <null> prog2
3054 1 <null> prog1
3055 @end smallexample
3056
3057 @item same
3058 @value{GDBN} keeps the process bound to the same inferior. The new
3059 executable image replaces the previous executable loaded in the
3060 inferior. Restarting the inferior after the @code{exec} call, with
3061 e.g., the @code{run} command, restarts the executable the process was
3062 running after the @code{exec} call. This is the default mode.
3063
3064 For example:
3065
3066 @smallexample
3067 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
3068 Id Description Executable
3069 * 1 <null> prog1
3070 (@value{GDBP}) run
3071 process 12020 is executing new program: prog2
3072 Program exited normally.
3073 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
3074 Id Description Executable
3075 * 1 <null> prog2
3076 @end smallexample
3077
3078 @end table
3079 @end table
3080
3081 You can use the @code{catch} command to make @value{GDBN} stop whenever
3082 a @code{fork}, @code{vfork}, or @code{exec} call is made. @xref{Set
3083 Catchpoints, ,Setting Catchpoints}.
3084
3085 @node Checkpoint/Restart
3086 @section Setting a @emph{Bookmark} to Return to Later
3087
3088 @cindex checkpoint
3089 @cindex restart
3090 @cindex bookmark
3091 @cindex snapshot of a process
3092 @cindex rewind program state
3093
3094 On certain operating systems@footnote{Currently, only
3095 @sc{gnu}/Linux.}, @value{GDBN} is able to save a @dfn{snapshot} of a
3096 program's state, called a @dfn{checkpoint}, and come back to it
3097 later.
3098
3099 Returning to a checkpoint effectively undoes everything that has
3100 happened in the program since the @code{checkpoint} was saved. This
3101 includes changes in memory, registers, and even (within some limits)
3102 system state. Effectively, it is like going back in time to the
3103 moment when the checkpoint was saved.
3104
3105 Thus, if you're stepping thru a program and you think you're
3106 getting close to the point where things go wrong, you can save
3107 a checkpoint. Then, if you accidentally go too far and miss
3108 the critical statement, instead of having to restart your program
3109 from the beginning, you can just go back to the checkpoint and
3110 start again from there.
3111
3112 This can be especially useful if it takes a lot of time or
3113 steps to reach the point where you think the bug occurs.
3114
3115 To use the @code{checkpoint}/@code{restart} method of debugging:
3116
3117 @table @code
3118 @kindex checkpoint
3119 @item checkpoint
3120 Save a snapshot of the debugged program's current execution state.
3121 The @code{checkpoint} command takes no arguments, but each checkpoint
3122 is assigned a small integer id, similar to a breakpoint id.
3123
3124 @kindex info checkpoints
3125 @item info checkpoints
3126 List the checkpoints that have been saved in the current debugging
3127 session. For each checkpoint, the following information will be
3128 listed:
3129
3130 @table @code
3131 @item Checkpoint ID
3132 @item Process ID
3133 @item Code Address
3134 @item Source line, or label
3135 @end table
3136
3137 @kindex restart @var{checkpoint-id}
3138 @item restart @var{checkpoint-id}
3139 Restore the program state that was saved as checkpoint number
3140 @var{checkpoint-id}. All program variables, registers, stack frames
3141 etc.@: will be returned to the values that they had when the checkpoint
3142 was saved. In essence, gdb will ``wind back the clock'' to the point
3143 in time when the checkpoint was saved.
3144
3145 Note that breakpoints, @value{GDBN} variables, command history etc.
3146 are not affected by restoring a checkpoint. In general, a checkpoint
3147 only restores things that reside in the program being debugged, not in
3148 the debugger.
3149
3150 @kindex delete checkpoint @var{checkpoint-id}
3151 @item delete checkpoint @var{checkpoint-id}
3152 Delete the previously-saved checkpoint identified by @var{checkpoint-id}.
3153
3154 @end table
3155
3156 Returning to a previously saved checkpoint will restore the user state
3157 of the program being debugged, plus a significant subset of the system
3158 (OS) state, including file pointers. It won't ``un-write'' data from
3159 a file, but it will rewind the file pointer to the previous location,
3160 so that the previously written data can be overwritten. For files
3161 opened in read mode, the pointer will also be restored so that the
3162 previously read data can be read again.
3163
3164 Of course, characters that have been sent to a printer (or other
3165 external device) cannot be ``snatched back'', and characters received
3166 from eg.@: a serial device can be removed from internal program buffers,
3167 but they cannot be ``pushed back'' into the serial pipeline, ready to
3168 be received again. Similarly, the actual contents of files that have
3169 been changed cannot be restored (at this time).
3170
3171 However, within those constraints, you actually can ``rewind'' your
3172 program to a previously saved point in time, and begin debugging it
3173 again --- and you can change the course of events so as to debug a
3174 different execution path this time.
3175
3176 @cindex checkpoints and process id
3177 Finally, there is one bit of internal program state that will be
3178 different when you return to a checkpoint --- the program's process
3179 id. Each checkpoint will have a unique process id (or @var{pid}),
3180 and each will be different from the program's original @var{pid}.
3181 If your program has saved a local copy of its process id, this could
3182 potentially pose a problem.
3183
3184 @subsection A Non-obvious Benefit of Using Checkpoints
3185
3186 On some systems such as @sc{gnu}/Linux, address space randomization
3187 is performed on new processes for security reasons. This makes it
3188 difficult or impossible to set a breakpoint, or watchpoint, on an
3189 absolute address if you have to restart the program, since the
3190 absolute location of a symbol will change from one execution to the
3191 next.
3192
3193 A checkpoint, however, is an @emph{identical} copy of a process.
3194 Therefore if you create a checkpoint at (eg.@:) the start of main,
3195 and simply return to that checkpoint instead of restarting the
3196 process, you can avoid the effects of address randomization and
3197 your symbols will all stay in the same place.
3198
3199 @node Stopping
3200 @chapter Stopping and Continuing
3201
3202 The principal purposes of using a debugger are so that you can stop your
3203 program before it terminates; or so that, if your program runs into
3204 trouble, you can investigate and find out why.
3205
3206 Inside @value{GDBN}, your program may stop for any of several reasons,
3207 such as a signal, a breakpoint, or reaching a new line after a
3208 @value{GDBN} command such as @code{step}. You may then examine and
3209 change variables, set new breakpoints or remove old ones, and then
3210 continue execution. Usually, the messages shown by @value{GDBN} provide
3211 ample explanation of the status of your program---but you can also
3212 explicitly request this information at any time.
3213
3214 @table @code
3215 @kindex info program
3216 @item info program
3217 Display information about the status of your program: whether it is
3218 running or not, what process it is, and why it stopped.
3219 @end table
3220
3221 @menu
3222 * Breakpoints:: Breakpoints, watchpoints, and catchpoints
3223 * Continuing and Stepping:: Resuming execution
3224 * Skipping Over Functions and Files::
3225 Skipping over functions and files
3226 * Signals:: Signals
3227 * Thread Stops:: Stopping and starting multi-thread programs
3228 @end menu
3229
3230 @node Breakpoints
3231 @section Breakpoints, Watchpoints, and Catchpoints
3232
3233 @cindex breakpoints
3234 A @dfn{breakpoint} makes your program stop whenever a certain point in
3235 the program is reached. For each breakpoint, you can add conditions to
3236 control in finer detail whether your program stops. You can set
3237 breakpoints with the @code{break} command and its variants (@pxref{Set
3238 Breaks, ,Setting Breakpoints}), to specify the place where your program
3239 should stop by line number, function name or exact address in the
3240 program.
3241
3242 On some systems, you can set breakpoints in shared libraries before
3243 the executable is run. There is a minor limitation on HP-UX systems:
3244 you must wait until the executable is run in order to set breakpoints
3245 in shared library routines that are not called directly by the program
3246 (for example, routines that are arguments in a @code{pthread_create}
3247 call).
3248
3249 @cindex watchpoints
3250 @cindex data breakpoints
3251 @cindex memory tracing
3252 @cindex breakpoint on memory address
3253 @cindex breakpoint on variable modification
3254 A @dfn{watchpoint} is a special breakpoint that stops your program
3255 when the value of an expression changes. The expression may be a value
3256 of a variable, or it could involve values of one or more variables
3257 combined by operators, such as @samp{a + b}. This is sometimes called
3258 @dfn{data breakpoints}. You must use a different command to set
3259 watchpoints (@pxref{Set Watchpoints, ,Setting Watchpoints}), but aside
3260 from that, you can manage a watchpoint like any other breakpoint: you
3261 enable, disable, and delete both breakpoints and watchpoints using the
3262 same commands.
3263
3264 You can arrange to have values from your program displayed automatically
3265 whenever @value{GDBN} stops at a breakpoint. @xref{Auto Display,,
3266 Automatic Display}.
3267
3268 @cindex catchpoints
3269 @cindex breakpoint on events
3270 A @dfn{catchpoint} is another special breakpoint that stops your program
3271 when a certain kind of event occurs, such as the throwing of a C@t{++}
3272 exception or the loading of a library. As with watchpoints, you use a
3273 different command to set a catchpoint (@pxref{Set Catchpoints, ,Setting
3274 Catchpoints}), but aside from that, you can manage a catchpoint like any
3275 other breakpoint. (To stop when your program receives a signal, use the
3276 @code{handle} command; see @ref{Signals, ,Signals}.)
3277
3278 @cindex breakpoint numbers
3279 @cindex numbers for breakpoints
3280 @value{GDBN} assigns a number to each breakpoint, watchpoint, or
3281 catchpoint when you create it; these numbers are successive integers
3282 starting with one. In many of the commands for controlling various
3283 features of breakpoints you use the breakpoint number to say which
3284 breakpoint you want to change. Each breakpoint may be @dfn{enabled} or
3285 @dfn{disabled}; if disabled, it has no effect on your program until you
3286 enable it again.
3287
3288 @cindex breakpoint ranges
3289 @cindex ranges of breakpoints
3290 Some @value{GDBN} commands accept a range of breakpoints on which to
3291 operate. A breakpoint range is either a single breakpoint number, like
3292 @samp{5}, or two such numbers, in increasing order, separated by a
3293 hyphen, like @samp{5-7}. When a breakpoint range is given to a command,
3294 all breakpoints in that range are operated on.
3295
3296 @menu
3297 * Set Breaks:: Setting breakpoints
3298 * Set Watchpoints:: Setting watchpoints
3299 * Set Catchpoints:: Setting catchpoints
3300 * Delete Breaks:: Deleting breakpoints
3301 * Disabling:: Disabling breakpoints
3302 * Conditions:: Break conditions
3303 * Break Commands:: Breakpoint command lists
3304 * Save Breakpoints:: How to save breakpoints in a file
3305 * Error in Breakpoints:: ``Cannot insert breakpoints''
3306 * Breakpoint-related Warnings:: ``Breakpoint address adjusted...''
3307 @end menu
3308
3309 @node Set Breaks
3310 @subsection Setting Breakpoints
3311
3312 @c FIXME LMB what does GDB do if no code on line of breakpt?
3313 @c consider in particular declaration with/without initialization.
3314 @c
3315 @c FIXME 2 is there stuff on this already? break at fun start, already init?
3316
3317 @kindex break
3318 @kindex b @r{(@code{break})}
3319 @vindex $bpnum@r{, convenience variable}
3320 @cindex latest breakpoint
3321 Breakpoints are set with the @code{break} command (abbreviated
3322 @code{b}). The debugger convenience variable @samp{$bpnum} records the
3323 number of the breakpoint you've set most recently; see @ref{Convenience
3324 Vars,, Convenience Variables}, for a discussion of what you can do with
3325 convenience variables.
3326
3327 @table @code
3328 @item break @var{location}
3329 Set a breakpoint at the given @var{location}, which can specify a
3330 function name, a line number, or an address of an instruction.
3331 (@xref{Specify Location}, for a list of all the possible ways to
3332 specify a @var{location}.) The breakpoint will stop your program just
3333 before it executes any of the code in the specified @var{location}.
3334
3335 When using source languages that permit overloading of symbols, such as
3336 C@t{++}, a function name may refer to more than one possible place to break.
3337 @xref{Ambiguous Expressions,,Ambiguous Expressions}, for a discussion of
3338 that situation.
3339
3340 It is also possible to insert a breakpoint that will stop the program
3341 only if a specific thread (@pxref{Thread-Specific Breakpoints})
3342 or a specific task (@pxref{Ada Tasks}) hits that breakpoint.
3343
3344 @item break
3345 When called without any arguments, @code{break} sets a breakpoint at
3346 the next instruction to be executed in the selected stack frame
3347 (@pxref{Stack, ,Examining the Stack}). In any selected frame but the
3348 innermost, this makes your program stop as soon as control
3349 returns to that frame. This is similar to the effect of a
3350 @code{finish} command in the frame inside the selected frame---except
3351 that @code{finish} does not leave an active breakpoint. If you use
3352 @code{break} without an argument in the innermost frame, @value{GDBN} stops
3353 the next time it reaches the current location; this may be useful
3354 inside loops.
3355
3356 @value{GDBN} normally ignores breakpoints when it resumes execution, until at
3357 least one instruction has been executed. If it did not do this, you
3358 would be unable to proceed past a breakpoint without first disabling the
3359 breakpoint. This rule applies whether or not the breakpoint already
3360 existed when your program stopped.
3361
3362 @item break @dots{} if @var{cond}
3363 Set a breakpoint with condition @var{cond}; evaluate the expression
3364 @var{cond} each time the breakpoint is reached, and stop only if the
3365 value is nonzero---that is, if @var{cond} evaluates as true.
3366 @samp{@dots{}} stands for one of the possible arguments described
3367 above (or no argument) specifying where to break. @xref{Conditions,
3368 ,Break Conditions}, for more information on breakpoint conditions.
3369
3370 @kindex tbreak
3371 @item tbreak @var{args}
3372 Set a breakpoint enabled only for one stop. @var{args} are the
3373 same as for the @code{break} command, and the breakpoint is set in the same
3374 way, but the breakpoint is automatically deleted after the first time your
3375 program stops there. @xref{Disabling, ,Disabling Breakpoints}.
3376
3377 @kindex hbreak
3378 @cindex hardware breakpoints
3379 @item hbreak @var{args}
3380 Set a hardware-assisted breakpoint. @var{args} are the same as for the
3381 @code{break} command and the breakpoint is set in the same way, but the
3382 breakpoint requires hardware support and some target hardware may not
3383 have this support. The main purpose of this is EPROM/ROM code
3384 debugging, so you can set a breakpoint at an instruction without
3385 changing the instruction. This can be used with the new trap-generation
3386 provided by SPARClite DSU and most x86-based targets. These targets
3387 will generate traps when a program accesses some data or instruction
3388 address that is assigned to the debug registers. However the hardware
3389 breakpoint registers can take a limited number of breakpoints. For
3390 example, on the DSU, only two data breakpoints can be set at a time, and
3391 @value{GDBN} will reject this command if more than two are used. Delete
3392 or disable unused hardware breakpoints before setting new ones
3393 (@pxref{Disabling, ,Disabling Breakpoints}).
3394 @xref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions}.
3395 For remote targets, you can restrict the number of hardware
3396 breakpoints @value{GDBN} will use, see @ref{set remote
3397 hardware-breakpoint-limit}.
3398
3399 @kindex thbreak
3400 @item thbreak @var{args}
3401 Set a hardware-assisted breakpoint enabled only for one stop. @var{args}
3402 are the same as for the @code{hbreak} command and the breakpoint is set in
3403 the same way. However, like the @code{tbreak} command,
3404 the breakpoint is automatically deleted after the
3405 first time your program stops there. Also, like the @code{hbreak}
3406 command, the breakpoint requires hardware support and some target hardware
3407 may not have this support. @xref{Disabling, ,Disabling Breakpoints}.
3408 See also @ref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions}.
3409
3410 @kindex rbreak
3411 @cindex regular expression
3412 @cindex breakpoints at functions matching a regexp
3413 @cindex set breakpoints in many functions
3414 @item rbreak @var{regex}
3415 Set breakpoints on all functions matching the regular expression
3416 @var{regex}. This command sets an unconditional breakpoint on all
3417 matches, printing a list of all breakpoints it set. Once these
3418 breakpoints are set, they are treated just like the breakpoints set with
3419 the @code{break} command. You can delete them, disable them, or make
3420 them conditional the same way as any other breakpoint.
3421
3422 The syntax of the regular expression is the standard one used with tools
3423 like @file{grep}. Note that this is different from the syntax used by
3424 shells, so for instance @code{foo*} matches all functions that include
3425 an @code{fo} followed by zero or more @code{o}s. There is an implicit
3426 @code{.*} leading and trailing the regular expression you supply, so to
3427 match only functions that begin with @code{foo}, use @code{^foo}.
3428
3429 @cindex non-member C@t{++} functions, set breakpoint in
3430 When debugging C@t{++} programs, @code{rbreak} is useful for setting
3431 breakpoints on overloaded functions that are not members of any special
3432 classes.
3433
3434 @cindex set breakpoints on all functions
3435 The @code{rbreak} command can be used to set breakpoints in
3436 @strong{all} the functions in a program, like this:
3437
3438 @smallexample
3439 (@value{GDBP}) rbreak .
3440 @end smallexample
3441
3442 @item rbreak @var{file}:@var{regex}
3443 If @code{rbreak} is called with a filename qualification, it limits
3444 the search for functions matching the given regular expression to the
3445 specified @var{file}. This can be used, for example, to set breakpoints on
3446 every function in a given file:
3447
3448 @smallexample
3449 (@value{GDBP}) rbreak file.c:.
3450 @end smallexample
3451
3452 The colon separating the filename qualifier from the regex may
3453 optionally be surrounded by spaces.
3454
3455 @kindex info breakpoints
3456 @cindex @code{$_} and @code{info breakpoints}
3457 @item info breakpoints @r{[}@var{n}@dots{}@r{]}
3458 @itemx info break @r{[}@var{n}@dots{}@r{]}
3459 Print a table of all breakpoints, watchpoints, and catchpoints set and
3460 not deleted. Optional argument @var{n} means print information only
3461 about the specified breakpoint(s) (or watchpoint(s) or catchpoint(s)).
3462 For each breakpoint, following columns are printed:
3463
3464 @table @emph
3465 @item Breakpoint Numbers
3466 @item Type
3467 Breakpoint, watchpoint, or catchpoint.
3468 @item Disposition
3469 Whether the breakpoint is marked to be disabled or deleted when hit.
3470 @item Enabled or Disabled
3471 Enabled breakpoints are marked with @samp{y}. @samp{n} marks breakpoints
3472 that are not enabled.
3473 @item Address
3474 Where the breakpoint is in your program, as a memory address. For a
3475 pending breakpoint whose address is not yet known, this field will
3476 contain @samp{<PENDING>}. Such breakpoint won't fire until a shared
3477 library that has the symbol or line referred by breakpoint is loaded.
3478 See below for details. A breakpoint with several locations will
3479 have @samp{<MULTIPLE>} in this field---see below for details.
3480 @item What
3481 Where the breakpoint is in the source for your program, as a file and
3482 line number. For a pending breakpoint, the original string passed to
3483 the breakpoint command will be listed as it cannot be resolved until
3484 the appropriate shared library is loaded in the future.
3485 @end table
3486
3487 @noindent
3488 If a breakpoint is conditional, there are two evaluation modes: ``host'' and
3489 ``target''. If mode is ``host'', breakpoint condition evaluation is done by
3490 @value{GDBN} on the host's side. If it is ``target'', then the condition
3491 is evaluated by the target. The @code{info break} command shows
3492 the condition on the line following the affected breakpoint, together with
3493 its condition evaluation mode in between parentheses.
3494
3495 Breakpoint commands, if any, are listed after that. A pending breakpoint is
3496 allowed to have a condition specified for it. The condition is not parsed for
3497 validity until a shared library is loaded that allows the pending
3498 breakpoint to resolve to a valid location.
3499
3500 @noindent
3501 @code{info break} with a breakpoint
3502 number @var{n} as argument lists only that breakpoint. The
3503 convenience variable @code{$_} and the default examining-address for
3504 the @code{x} command are set to the address of the last breakpoint
3505 listed (@pxref{Memory, ,Examining Memory}).
3506
3507 @noindent
3508 @code{info break} displays a count of the number of times the breakpoint
3509 has been hit. This is especially useful in conjunction with the
3510 @code{ignore} command. You can ignore a large number of breakpoint
3511 hits, look at the breakpoint info to see how many times the breakpoint
3512 was hit, and then run again, ignoring one less than that number. This
3513 will get you quickly to the last hit of that breakpoint.
3514
3515 @noindent
3516 For a breakpoints with an enable count (xref) greater than 1,
3517 @code{info break} also displays that count.
3518
3519 @end table
3520
3521 @value{GDBN} allows you to set any number of breakpoints at the same place in
3522 your program. There is nothing silly or meaningless about this. When
3523 the breakpoints are conditional, this is even useful
3524 (@pxref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions}).
3525
3526 @cindex multiple locations, breakpoints
3527 @cindex breakpoints, multiple locations
3528 It is possible that a breakpoint corresponds to several locations
3529 in your program. Examples of this situation are:
3530
3531 @itemize @bullet
3532 @item
3533 Multiple functions in the program may have the same name.
3534
3535 @item
3536 For a C@t{++} constructor, the @value{NGCC} compiler generates several
3537 instances of the function body, used in different cases.
3538
3539 @item
3540 For a C@t{++} template function, a given line in the function can
3541 correspond to any number of instantiations.
3542
3543 @item
3544 For an inlined function, a given source line can correspond to
3545 several places where that function is inlined.
3546 @end itemize
3547
3548 In all those cases, @value{GDBN} will insert a breakpoint at all
3549 the relevant locations.
3550
3551 A breakpoint with multiple locations is displayed in the breakpoint
3552 table using several rows---one header row, followed by one row for
3553 each breakpoint location. The header row has @samp{<MULTIPLE>} in the
3554 address column. The rows for individual locations contain the actual
3555 addresses for locations, and show the functions to which those
3556 locations belong. The number column for a location is of the form
3557 @var{breakpoint-number}.@var{location-number}.
3558
3559 For example:
3560
3561 @smallexample
3562 Num Type Disp Enb Address What
3563 1 breakpoint keep y <MULTIPLE>
3564 stop only if i==1
3565 breakpoint already hit 1 time
3566 1.1 y 0x080486a2 in void foo<int>() at t.cc:8
3567 1.2 y 0x080486ca in void foo<double>() at t.cc:8
3568 @end smallexample
3569
3570 Each location can be individually enabled or disabled by passing
3571 @var{breakpoint-number}.@var{location-number} as argument to the
3572 @code{enable} and @code{disable} commands. Note that you cannot
3573 delete the individual locations from the list, you can only delete the
3574 entire list of locations that belong to their parent breakpoint (with
3575 the @kbd{delete @var{num}} command, where @var{num} is the number of
3576 the parent breakpoint, 1 in the above example). Disabling or enabling
3577 the parent breakpoint (@pxref{Disabling}) affects all of the locations
3578 that belong to that breakpoint.
3579
3580 @cindex pending breakpoints
3581 It's quite common to have a breakpoint inside a shared library.
3582 Shared libraries can be loaded and unloaded explicitly,
3583 and possibly repeatedly, as the program is executed. To support
3584 this use case, @value{GDBN} updates breakpoint locations whenever
3585 any shared library is loaded or unloaded. Typically, you would
3586 set a breakpoint in a shared library at the beginning of your
3587 debugging session, when the library is not loaded, and when the
3588 symbols from the library are not available. When you try to set
3589 breakpoint, @value{GDBN} will ask you if you want to set
3590 a so called @dfn{pending breakpoint}---breakpoint whose address
3591 is not yet resolved.
3592
3593 After the program is run, whenever a new shared library is loaded,
3594 @value{GDBN} reevaluates all the breakpoints. When a newly loaded
3595 shared library contains the symbol or line referred to by some
3596 pending breakpoint, that breakpoint is resolved and becomes an
3597 ordinary breakpoint. When a library is unloaded, all breakpoints
3598 that refer to its symbols or source lines become pending again.
3599
3600 This logic works for breakpoints with multiple locations, too. For
3601 example, if you have a breakpoint in a C@t{++} template function, and
3602 a newly loaded shared library has an instantiation of that template,
3603 a new location is added to the list of locations for the breakpoint.
3604
3605 Except for having unresolved address, pending breakpoints do not
3606 differ from regular breakpoints. You can set conditions or commands,
3607 enable and disable them and perform other breakpoint operations.
3608
3609 @value{GDBN} provides some additional commands for controlling what
3610 happens when the @samp{break} command cannot resolve breakpoint
3611 address specification to an address:
3612
3613 @kindex set breakpoint pending
3614 @kindex show breakpoint pending
3615 @table @code
3616 @item set breakpoint pending auto
3617 This is the default behavior. When @value{GDBN} cannot find the breakpoint
3618 location, it queries you whether a pending breakpoint should be created.
3619
3620 @item set breakpoint pending on
3621 This indicates that an unrecognized breakpoint location should automatically
3622 result in a pending breakpoint being created.
3623
3624 @item set breakpoint pending off
3625 This indicates that pending breakpoints are not to be created. Any
3626 unrecognized breakpoint location results in an error. This setting does
3627 not affect any pending breakpoints previously created.
3628
3629 @item show breakpoint pending
3630 Show the current behavior setting for creating pending breakpoints.
3631 @end table
3632
3633 The settings above only affect the @code{break} command and its
3634 variants. Once breakpoint is set, it will be automatically updated
3635 as shared libraries are loaded and unloaded.
3636
3637 @cindex automatic hardware breakpoints
3638 For some targets, @value{GDBN} can automatically decide if hardware or
3639 software breakpoints should be used, depending on whether the
3640 breakpoint address is read-only or read-write. This applies to
3641 breakpoints set with the @code{break} command as well as to internal
3642 breakpoints set by commands like @code{next} and @code{finish}. For
3643 breakpoints set with @code{hbreak}, @value{GDBN} will always use hardware
3644 breakpoints.
3645
3646 You can control this automatic behaviour with the following commands::
3647
3648 @kindex set breakpoint auto-hw
3649 @kindex show breakpoint auto-hw
3650 @table @code
3651 @item set breakpoint auto-hw on
3652 This is the default behavior. When @value{GDBN} sets a breakpoint, it
3653 will try to use the target memory map to decide if software or hardware
3654 breakpoint must be used.
3655
3656 @item set breakpoint auto-hw off
3657 This indicates @value{GDBN} should not automatically select breakpoint
3658 type. If the target provides a memory map, @value{GDBN} will warn when
3659 trying to set software breakpoint at a read-only address.
3660 @end table
3661
3662 @value{GDBN} normally implements breakpoints by replacing the program code
3663 at the breakpoint address with a special instruction, which, when
3664 executed, given control to the debugger. By default, the program
3665 code is so modified only when the program is resumed. As soon as
3666 the program stops, @value{GDBN} restores the original instructions. This
3667 behaviour guards against leaving breakpoints inserted in the
3668 target should gdb abrubptly disconnect. However, with slow remote
3669 targets, inserting and removing breakpoint can reduce the performance.
3670 This behavior can be controlled with the following commands::
3671
3672 @kindex set breakpoint always-inserted
3673 @kindex show breakpoint always-inserted
3674 @table @code
3675 @item set breakpoint always-inserted off
3676 All breakpoints, including newly added by the user, are inserted in
3677 the target only when the target is resumed. All breakpoints are
3678 removed from the target when it stops.
3679
3680 @item set breakpoint always-inserted on
3681 Causes all breakpoints to be inserted in the target at all times. If
3682 the user adds a new breakpoint, or changes an existing breakpoint, the
3683 breakpoints in the target are updated immediately. A breakpoint is
3684 removed from the target only when breakpoint itself is removed.
3685
3686 @cindex non-stop mode, and @code{breakpoint always-inserted}
3687 @item set breakpoint always-inserted auto
3688 This is the default mode. If @value{GDBN} is controlling the inferior
3689 in non-stop mode (@pxref{Non-Stop Mode}), gdb behaves as if
3690 @code{breakpoint always-inserted} mode is on. If @value{GDBN} is
3691 controlling the inferior in all-stop mode, @value{GDBN} behaves as if
3692 @code{breakpoint always-inserted} mode is off.
3693 @end table
3694
3695 @value{GDBN} handles conditional breakpoints by evaluating these conditions
3696 when a breakpoint breaks. If the condition is true, then the process being
3697 debugged stops, otherwise the process is resumed.
3698
3699 If the target supports evaluating conditions on its end, @value{GDBN} may
3700 download the breakpoint, together with its conditions, to it.
3701
3702 This feature can be controlled via the following commands:
3703
3704 @kindex set breakpoint condition-evaluation
3705 @kindex show breakpoint condition-evaluation
3706 @table @code
3707 @item set breakpoint condition-evaluation host
3708 This option commands @value{GDBN} to evaluate the breakpoint
3709 conditions on the host's side. Unconditional breakpoints are sent to
3710 the target which in turn receives the triggers and reports them back to GDB
3711 for condition evaluation. This is the standard evaluation mode.
3712
3713 @item set breakpoint condition-evaluation target
3714 This option commands @value{GDBN} to download breakpoint conditions
3715 to the target at the moment of their insertion. The target
3716 is responsible for evaluating the conditional expression and reporting
3717 breakpoint stop events back to @value{GDBN} whenever the condition
3718 is true. Due to limitations of target-side evaluation, some conditions
3719 cannot be evaluated there, e.g., conditions that depend on local data
3720 that is only known to the host. Examples include
3721 conditional expressions involving convenience variables, complex types
3722 that cannot be handled by the agent expression parser and expressions
3723 that are too long to be sent over to the target, specially when the
3724 target is a remote system. In these cases, the conditions will be
3725 evaluated by @value{GDBN}.
3726
3727 @item set breakpoint condition-evaluation auto
3728 This is the default mode. If the target supports evaluating breakpoint
3729 conditions on its end, @value{GDBN} will download breakpoint conditions to
3730 the target (limitations mentioned previously apply). If the target does
3731 not support breakpoint condition evaluation, then @value{GDBN} will fallback
3732 to evaluating all these conditions on the host's side.
3733 @end table
3734
3735
3736 @cindex negative breakpoint numbers
3737 @cindex internal @value{GDBN} breakpoints
3738 @value{GDBN} itself sometimes sets breakpoints in your program for
3739 special purposes, such as proper handling of @code{longjmp} (in C
3740 programs). These internal breakpoints are assigned negative numbers,
3741 starting with @code{-1}; @samp{info breakpoints} does not display them.
3742 You can see these breakpoints with the @value{GDBN} maintenance command
3743 @samp{maint info breakpoints} (@pxref{maint info breakpoints}).
3744
3745
3746 @node Set Watchpoints
3747 @subsection Setting Watchpoints
3748
3749 @cindex setting watchpoints
3750 You can use a watchpoint to stop execution whenever the value of an
3751 expression changes, without having to predict a particular place where
3752 this may happen. (This is sometimes called a @dfn{data breakpoint}.)
3753 The expression may be as simple as the value of a single variable, or
3754 as complex as many variables combined by operators. Examples include:
3755
3756 @itemize @bullet
3757 @item
3758 A reference to the value of a single variable.
3759
3760 @item
3761 An address cast to an appropriate data type. For example,
3762 @samp{*(int *)0x12345678} will watch a 4-byte region at the specified
3763 address (assuming an @code{int} occupies 4 bytes).
3764
3765 @item
3766 An arbitrarily complex expression, such as @samp{a*b + c/d}. The
3767 expression can use any operators valid in the program's native
3768 language (@pxref{Languages}).
3769 @end itemize
3770
3771 You can set a watchpoint on an expression even if the expression can
3772 not be evaluated yet. For instance, you can set a watchpoint on
3773 @samp{*global_ptr} before @samp{global_ptr} is initialized.
3774 @value{GDBN} will stop when your program sets @samp{global_ptr} and
3775 the expression produces a valid value. If the expression becomes
3776 valid in some other way than changing a variable (e.g.@: if the memory
3777 pointed to by @samp{*global_ptr} becomes readable as the result of a
3778 @code{malloc} call), @value{GDBN} may not stop until the next time
3779 the expression changes.
3780
3781 @cindex software watchpoints
3782 @cindex hardware watchpoints
3783 Depending on your system, watchpoints may be implemented in software or
3784 hardware. @value{GDBN} does software watchpointing by single-stepping your
3785 program and testing the variable's value each time, which is hundreds of
3786 times slower than normal execution. (But this may still be worth it, to
3787 catch errors where you have no clue what part of your program is the
3788 culprit.)
3789
3790 On some systems, such as HP-UX, PowerPC, @sc{gnu}/Linux and most other
3791 x86-based targets, @value{GDBN} includes support for hardware
3792 watchpoints, which do not slow down the running of your program.
3793
3794 @table @code
3795 @kindex watch
3796 @item watch @r{[}-l@r{|}-location@r{]} @var{expr} @r{[}thread @var{threadnum}@r{]} @r{[}mask @var{maskvalue}@r{]}
3797 Set a watchpoint for an expression. @value{GDBN} will break when the
3798 expression @var{expr} is written into by the program and its value
3799 changes. The simplest (and the most popular) use of this command is
3800 to watch the value of a single variable:
3801
3802 @smallexample
3803 (@value{GDBP}) watch foo
3804 @end smallexample
3805
3806 If the command includes a @code{@r{[}thread @var{threadnum}@r{]}}
3807 argument, @value{GDBN} breaks only when the thread identified by
3808 @var{threadnum} changes the value of @var{expr}. If any other threads
3809 change the value of @var{expr}, @value{GDBN} will not break. Note
3810 that watchpoints restricted to a single thread in this way only work
3811 with Hardware Watchpoints.
3812
3813 Ordinarily a watchpoint respects the scope of variables in @var{expr}
3814 (see below). The @code{-location} argument tells @value{GDBN} to
3815 instead watch the memory referred to by @var{expr}. In this case,
3816 @value{GDBN} will evaluate @var{expr}, take the address of the result,
3817 and watch the memory at that address. The type of the result is used
3818 to determine the size of the watched memory. If the expression's
3819 result does not have an address, then @value{GDBN} will print an
3820 error.
3821
3822 The @code{@r{[}mask @var{maskvalue}@r{]}} argument allows creation
3823 of masked watchpoints, if the current architecture supports this
3824 feature (e.g., PowerPC Embedded architecture, see @ref{PowerPC
3825 Embedded}.) A @dfn{masked watchpoint} specifies a mask in addition
3826 to an address to watch. The mask specifies that some bits of an address
3827 (the bits which are reset in the mask) should be ignored when matching
3828 the address accessed by the inferior against the watchpoint address.
3829 Thus, a masked watchpoint watches many addresses simultaneously---those
3830 addresses whose unmasked bits are identical to the unmasked bits in the
3831 watchpoint address. The @code{mask} argument implies @code{-location}.
3832 Examples:
3833
3834 @smallexample
3835 (@value{GDBP}) watch foo mask 0xffff00ff
3836 (@value{GDBP}) watch *0xdeadbeef mask 0xffffff00
3837 @end smallexample
3838
3839 @kindex rwatch
3840 @item rwatch @r{[}-l@r{|}-location@r{]} @var{expr} @r{[}thread @var{threadnum}@r{]} @r{[}mask @var{maskvalue}@r{]}
3841 Set a watchpoint that will break when the value of @var{expr} is read
3842 by the program.
3843
3844 @kindex awatch
3845 @item awatch @r{[}-l@r{|}-location@r{]} @var{expr} @r{[}thread @var{threadnum}@r{]} @r{[}mask @var{maskvalue}@r{]}
3846 Set a watchpoint that will break when @var{expr} is either read from
3847 or written into by the program.
3848
3849 @kindex info watchpoints @r{[}@var{n}@dots{}@r{]}
3850 @item info watchpoints @r{[}@var{n}@dots{}@r{]}
3851 This command prints a list of watchpoints, using the same format as
3852 @code{info break} (@pxref{Set Breaks}).
3853 @end table
3854
3855 If you watch for a change in a numerically entered address you need to
3856 dereference it, as the address itself is just a constant number which will
3857 never change. @value{GDBN} refuses to create a watchpoint that watches
3858 a never-changing value:
3859
3860 @smallexample
3861 (@value{GDBP}) watch 0x600850
3862 Cannot watch constant value 0x600850.
3863 (@value{GDBP}) watch *(int *) 0x600850
3864 Watchpoint 1: *(int *) 6293584
3865 @end smallexample
3866
3867 @value{GDBN} sets a @dfn{hardware watchpoint} if possible. Hardware
3868 watchpoints execute very quickly, and the debugger reports a change in
3869 value at the exact instruction where the change occurs. If @value{GDBN}
3870 cannot set a hardware watchpoint, it sets a software watchpoint, which
3871 executes more slowly and reports the change in value at the next
3872 @emph{statement}, not the instruction, after the change occurs.
3873
3874 @cindex use only software watchpoints
3875 You can force @value{GDBN} to use only software watchpoints with the
3876 @kbd{set can-use-hw-watchpoints 0} command. With this variable set to
3877 zero, @value{GDBN} will never try to use hardware watchpoints, even if
3878 the underlying system supports them. (Note that hardware-assisted
3879 watchpoints that were set @emph{before} setting
3880 @code{can-use-hw-watchpoints} to zero will still use the hardware
3881 mechanism of watching expression values.)
3882
3883 @table @code
3884 @item set can-use-hw-watchpoints
3885 @kindex set can-use-hw-watchpoints
3886 Set whether or not to use hardware watchpoints.
3887
3888 @item show can-use-hw-watchpoints
3889 @kindex show can-use-hw-watchpoints
3890 Show the current mode of using hardware watchpoints.
3891 @end table
3892
3893 For remote targets, you can restrict the number of hardware
3894 watchpoints @value{GDBN} will use, see @ref{set remote
3895 hardware-breakpoint-limit}.
3896
3897 When you issue the @code{watch} command, @value{GDBN} reports
3898
3899 @smallexample
3900 Hardware watchpoint @var{num}: @var{expr}
3901 @end smallexample
3902
3903 @noindent
3904 if it was able to set a hardware watchpoint.
3905
3906 Currently, the @code{awatch} and @code{rwatch} commands can only set
3907 hardware watchpoints, because accesses to data that don't change the
3908 value of the watched expression cannot be detected without examining
3909 every instruction as it is being executed, and @value{GDBN} does not do
3910 that currently. If @value{GDBN} finds that it is unable to set a
3911 hardware breakpoint with the @code{awatch} or @code{rwatch} command, it
3912 will print a message like this:
3913
3914 @smallexample
3915 Expression cannot be implemented with read/access watchpoint.
3916 @end smallexample
3917
3918 Sometimes, @value{GDBN} cannot set a hardware watchpoint because the
3919 data type of the watched expression is wider than what a hardware
3920 watchpoint on the target machine can handle. For example, some systems
3921 can only watch regions that are up to 4 bytes wide; on such systems you
3922 cannot set hardware watchpoints for an expression that yields a
3923 double-precision floating-point number (which is typically 8 bytes
3924 wide). As a work-around, it might be possible to break the large region
3925 into a series of smaller ones and watch them with separate watchpoints.
3926
3927 If you set too many hardware watchpoints, @value{GDBN} might be unable
3928 to insert all of them when you resume the execution of your program.
3929 Since the precise number of active watchpoints is unknown until such
3930 time as the program is about to be resumed, @value{GDBN} might not be
3931 able to warn you about this when you set the watchpoints, and the
3932 warning will be printed only when the program is resumed:
3933
3934 @smallexample
3935 Hardware watchpoint @var{num}: Could not insert watchpoint
3936 @end smallexample
3937
3938 @noindent
3939 If this happens, delete or disable some of the watchpoints.
3940
3941 Watching complex expressions that reference many variables can also
3942 exhaust the resources available for hardware-assisted watchpoints.
3943 That's because @value{GDBN} needs to watch every variable in the
3944 expression with separately allocated resources.
3945
3946 If you call a function interactively using @code{print} or @code{call},
3947 any watchpoints you have set will be inactive until @value{GDBN} reaches another
3948 kind of breakpoint or the call completes.
3949
3950 @value{GDBN} automatically deletes watchpoints that watch local
3951 (automatic) variables, or expressions that involve such variables, when
3952 they go out of scope, that is, when the execution leaves the block in
3953 which these variables were defined. In particular, when the program
3954 being debugged terminates, @emph{all} local variables go out of scope,
3955 and so only watchpoints that watch global variables remain set. If you
3956 rerun the program, you will need to set all such watchpoints again. One
3957 way of doing that would be to set a code breakpoint at the entry to the
3958 @code{main} function and when it breaks, set all the watchpoints.
3959
3960 @cindex watchpoints and threads
3961 @cindex threads and watchpoints
3962 In multi-threaded programs, watchpoints will detect changes to the
3963 watched expression from every thread.
3964
3965 @quotation
3966 @emph{Warning:} In multi-threaded programs, software watchpoints
3967 have only limited usefulness. If @value{GDBN} creates a software
3968 watchpoint, it can only watch the value of an expression @emph{in a
3969 single thread}. If you are confident that the expression can only
3970 change due to the current thread's activity (and if you are also
3971 confident that no other thread can become current), then you can use
3972 software watchpoints as usual. However, @value{GDBN} may not notice
3973 when a non-current thread's activity changes the expression. (Hardware
3974 watchpoints, in contrast, watch an expression in all threads.)
3975 @end quotation
3976
3977 @xref{set remote hardware-watchpoint-limit}.
3978
3979 @node Set Catchpoints
3980 @subsection Setting Catchpoints
3981 @cindex catchpoints, setting
3982 @cindex exception handlers
3983 @cindex event handling
3984
3985 You can use @dfn{catchpoints} to cause the debugger to stop for certain
3986 kinds of program events, such as C@t{++} exceptions or the loading of a
3987 shared library. Use the @code{catch} command to set a catchpoint.
3988
3989 @table @code
3990 @kindex catch
3991 @item catch @var{event}
3992 Stop when @var{event} occurs. @var{event} can be any of the following:
3993 @table @code
3994 @item throw
3995 @cindex stop on C@t{++} exceptions
3996 The throwing of a C@t{++} exception.
3997
3998 @item catch
3999 The catching of a C@t{++} exception.
4000
4001 @item exception
4002 @cindex Ada exception catching
4003 @cindex catch Ada exceptions
4004 An Ada exception being raised. If an exception name is specified
4005 at the end of the command (eg @code{catch exception Program_Error}),
4006 the debugger will stop only when this specific exception is raised.
4007 Otherwise, the debugger stops execution when any Ada exception is raised.
4008
4009 When inserting an exception catchpoint on a user-defined exception whose
4010 name is identical to one of the exceptions defined by the language, the
4011 fully qualified name must be used as the exception name. Otherwise,
4012 @value{GDBN} will assume that it should stop on the pre-defined exception
4013 rather than the user-defined one. For instance, assuming an exception
4014 called @code{Constraint_Error} is defined in package @code{Pck}, then
4015 the command to use to catch such exceptions is @kbd{catch exception
4016 Pck.Constraint_Error}.
4017
4018 @item exception unhandled
4019 An exception that was raised but is not handled by the program.
4020
4021 @item assert
4022 A failed Ada assertion.
4023
4024 @item exec
4025 @cindex break on fork/exec
4026 A call to @code{exec}. This is currently only available for HP-UX
4027 and @sc{gnu}/Linux.
4028
4029 @item syscall
4030 @itemx syscall @r{[}@var{name} @r{|} @var{number}@r{]} @dots{}
4031 @cindex break on a system call.
4032 A call to or return from a system call, a.k.a.@: @dfn{syscall}. A
4033 syscall is a mechanism for application programs to request a service
4034 from the operating system (OS) or one of the OS system services.
4035 @value{GDBN} can catch some or all of the syscalls issued by the
4036 debuggee, and show the related information for each syscall. If no
4037 argument is specified, calls to and returns from all system calls
4038 will be caught.
4039
4040 @var{name} can be any system call name that is valid for the
4041 underlying OS. Just what syscalls are valid depends on the OS. On
4042 GNU and Unix systems, you can find the full list of valid syscall
4043 names on @file{/usr/include/asm/unistd.h}.
4044
4045 @c For MS-Windows, the syscall names and the corresponding numbers
4046 @c can be found, e.g., on this URL:
4047 @c http://www.metasploit.com/users/opcode/syscalls.html
4048 @c but we don't support Windows syscalls yet.
4049
4050 Normally, @value{GDBN} knows in advance which syscalls are valid for
4051 each OS, so you can use the @value{GDBN} command-line completion
4052 facilities (@pxref{Completion,, command completion}) to list the
4053 available choices.
4054
4055 You may also specify the system call numerically. A syscall's
4056 number is the value passed to the OS's syscall dispatcher to
4057 identify the requested service. When you specify the syscall by its
4058 name, @value{GDBN} uses its database of syscalls to convert the name
4059 into the corresponding numeric code, but using the number directly
4060 may be useful if @value{GDBN}'s database does not have the complete
4061 list of syscalls on your system (e.g., because @value{GDBN} lags
4062 behind the OS upgrades).
4063
4064 The example below illustrates how this command works if you don't provide
4065 arguments to it:
4066
4067 @smallexample
4068 (@value{GDBP}) catch syscall
4069 Catchpoint 1 (syscall)
4070 (@value{GDBP}) r
4071 Starting program: /tmp/catch-syscall
4072
4073 Catchpoint 1 (call to syscall 'close'), \
4074 0xffffe424 in __kernel_vsyscall ()
4075 (@value{GDBP}) c
4076 Continuing.
4077
4078 Catchpoint 1 (returned from syscall 'close'), \
4079 0xffffe424 in __kernel_vsyscall ()
4080 (@value{GDBP})
4081 @end smallexample
4082
4083 Here is an example of catching a system call by name:
4084
4085 @smallexample
4086 (@value{GDBP}) catch syscall chroot
4087 Catchpoint 1 (syscall 'chroot' [61])
4088 (@value{GDBP}) r
4089 Starting program: /tmp/catch-syscall
4090
4091 Catchpoint 1 (call to syscall 'chroot'), \
4092 0xffffe424 in __kernel_vsyscall ()
4093 (@value{GDBP}) c
4094 Continuing.
4095
4096 Catchpoint 1 (returned from syscall 'chroot'), \
4097 0xffffe424 in __kernel_vsyscall ()
4098 (@value{GDBP})
4099 @end smallexample
4100
4101 An example of specifying a system call numerically. In the case
4102 below, the syscall number has a corresponding entry in the XML
4103 file, so @value{GDBN} finds its name and prints it:
4104
4105 @smallexample
4106 (@value{GDBP}) catch syscall 252
4107 Catchpoint 1 (syscall(s) 'exit_group')
4108 (@value{GDBP}) r
4109 Starting program: /tmp/catch-syscall
4110
4111 Catchpoint 1 (call to syscall 'exit_group'), \
4112 0xffffe424 in __kernel_vsyscall ()
4113 (@value{GDBP}) c
4114 Continuing.
4115
4116 Program exited normally.
4117 (@value{GDBP})
4118 @end smallexample
4119
4120 However, there can be situations when there is no corresponding name
4121 in XML file for that syscall number. In this case, @value{GDBN} prints
4122 a warning message saying that it was not able to find the syscall name,
4123 but the catchpoint will be set anyway. See the example below:
4124
4125 @smallexample
4126 (@value{GDBP}) catch syscall 764
4127 warning: The number '764' does not represent a known syscall.
4128 Catchpoint 2 (syscall 764)
4129 (@value{GDBP})
4130 @end smallexample
4131
4132 If you configure @value{GDBN} using the @samp{--without-expat} option,
4133 it will not be able to display syscall names. Also, if your
4134 architecture does not have an XML file describing its system calls,
4135 you will not be able to see the syscall names. It is important to
4136 notice that these two features are used for accessing the syscall
4137 name database. In either case, you will see a warning like this:
4138
4139 @smallexample
4140 (@value{GDBP}) catch syscall
4141 warning: Could not open "syscalls/i386-linux.xml"
4142 warning: Could not load the syscall XML file 'syscalls/i386-linux.xml'.
4143 GDB will not be able to display syscall names.
4144 Catchpoint 1 (syscall)
4145 (@value{GDBP})
4146 @end smallexample
4147
4148 Of course, the file name will change depending on your architecture and system.
4149
4150 Still using the example above, you can also try to catch a syscall by its
4151 number. In this case, you would see something like:
4152
4153 @smallexample
4154 (@value{GDBP}) catch syscall 252
4155 Catchpoint 1 (syscall(s) 252)
4156 @end smallexample
4157
4158 Again, in this case @value{GDBN} would not be able to display syscall's names.
4159
4160 @item fork
4161 A call to @code{fork}. This is currently only available for HP-UX
4162 and @sc{gnu}/Linux.
4163
4164 @item vfork
4165 A call to @code{vfork}. This is currently only available for HP-UX
4166 and @sc{gnu}/Linux.
4167
4168 @item load @r{[}regexp@r{]}
4169 @itemx unload @r{[}regexp@r{]}
4170 The loading or unloading of a shared library. If @var{regexp} is
4171 given, then the catchpoint will stop only if the regular expression
4172 matches one of the affected libraries.
4173
4174 @end table
4175
4176 @item tcatch @var{event}
4177 Set a catchpoint that is enabled only for one stop. The catchpoint is
4178 automatically deleted after the first time the event is caught.
4179
4180 @end table
4181
4182 Use the @code{info break} command to list the current catchpoints.
4183
4184 There are currently some limitations to C@t{++} exception handling
4185 (@code{catch throw} and @code{catch catch}) in @value{GDBN}:
4186
4187 @itemize @bullet
4188 @item
4189 If you call a function interactively, @value{GDBN} normally returns
4190 control to you when the function has finished executing. If the call
4191 raises an exception, however, the call may bypass the mechanism that
4192 returns control to you and cause your program either to abort or to
4193 simply continue running until it hits a breakpoint, catches a signal
4194 that @value{GDBN} is listening for, or exits. This is the case even if
4195 you set a catchpoint for the exception; catchpoints on exceptions are
4196 disabled within interactive calls.
4197
4198 @item
4199 You cannot raise an exception interactively.
4200
4201 @item
4202 You cannot install an exception handler interactively.
4203 @end itemize
4204
4205 @cindex raise exceptions
4206 Sometimes @code{catch} is not the best way to debug exception handling:
4207 if you need to know exactly where an exception is raised, it is better to
4208 stop @emph{before} the exception handler is called, since that way you
4209 can see the stack before any unwinding takes place. If you set a
4210 breakpoint in an exception handler instead, it may not be easy to find
4211 out where the exception was raised.
4212
4213 To stop just before an exception handler is called, you need some
4214 knowledge of the implementation. In the case of @sc{gnu} C@t{++}, exceptions are
4215 raised by calling a library function named @code{__raise_exception}
4216 which has the following ANSI C interface:
4217
4218 @smallexample
4219 /* @var{addr} is where the exception identifier is stored.
4220 @var{id} is the exception identifier. */
4221 void __raise_exception (void **addr, void *id);
4222 @end smallexample
4223
4224 @noindent
4225 To make the debugger catch all exceptions before any stack
4226 unwinding takes place, set a breakpoint on @code{__raise_exception}
4227 (@pxref{Breakpoints, ,Breakpoints; Watchpoints; and Exceptions}).
4228
4229 With a conditional breakpoint (@pxref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions})
4230 that depends on the value of @var{id}, you can stop your program when
4231 a specific exception is raised. You can use multiple conditional
4232 breakpoints to stop your program when any of a number of exceptions are
4233 raised.
4234
4235
4236 @node Delete Breaks
4237 @subsection Deleting Breakpoints
4238
4239 @cindex clearing breakpoints, watchpoints, catchpoints
4240 @cindex deleting breakpoints, watchpoints, catchpoints
4241 It is often necessary to eliminate a breakpoint, watchpoint, or
4242 catchpoint once it has done its job and you no longer want your program
4243 to stop there. This is called @dfn{deleting} the breakpoint. A
4244 breakpoint that has been deleted no longer exists; it is forgotten.
4245
4246 With the @code{clear} command you can delete breakpoints according to
4247 where they are in your program. With the @code{delete} command you can
4248 delete individual breakpoints, watchpoints, or catchpoints by specifying
4249 their breakpoint numbers.
4250
4251 It is not necessary to delete a breakpoint to proceed past it. @value{GDBN}
4252 automatically ignores breakpoints on the first instruction to be executed
4253 when you continue execution without changing the execution address.
4254
4255 @table @code
4256 @kindex clear
4257 @item clear
4258 Delete any breakpoints at the next instruction to be executed in the
4259 selected stack frame (@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}). When
4260 the innermost frame is selected, this is a good way to delete a
4261 breakpoint where your program just stopped.
4262
4263 @item clear @var{location}
4264 Delete any breakpoints set at the specified @var{location}.
4265 @xref{Specify Location}, for the various forms of @var{location}; the
4266 most useful ones are listed below:
4267
4268 @table @code
4269 @item clear @var{function}
4270 @itemx clear @var{filename}:@var{function}
4271 Delete any breakpoints set at entry to the named @var{function}.
4272
4273 @item clear @var{linenum}
4274 @itemx clear @var{filename}:@var{linenum}
4275 Delete any breakpoints set at or within the code of the specified
4276 @var{linenum} of the specified @var{filename}.
4277 @end table
4278
4279 @cindex delete breakpoints
4280 @kindex delete
4281 @kindex d @r{(@code{delete})}
4282 @item delete @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} @r{[}@var{range}@dots{}@r{]}
4283 Delete the breakpoints, watchpoints, or catchpoints of the breakpoint
4284 ranges specified as arguments. If no argument is specified, delete all
4285 breakpoints (@value{GDBN} asks confirmation, unless you have @code{set
4286 confirm off}). You can abbreviate this command as @code{d}.
4287 @end table
4288
4289 @node Disabling
4290 @subsection Disabling Breakpoints
4291
4292 @cindex enable/disable a breakpoint
4293 Rather than deleting a breakpoint, watchpoint, or catchpoint, you might
4294 prefer to @dfn{disable} it. This makes the breakpoint inoperative as if
4295 it had been deleted, but remembers the information on the breakpoint so
4296 that you can @dfn{enable} it again later.
4297
4298 You disable and enable breakpoints, watchpoints, and catchpoints with
4299 the @code{enable} and @code{disable} commands, optionally specifying
4300 one or more breakpoint numbers as arguments. Use @code{info break} to
4301 print a list of all breakpoints, watchpoints, and catchpoints if you
4302 do not know which numbers to use.
4303
4304 Disabling and enabling a breakpoint that has multiple locations
4305 affects all of its locations.
4306
4307 A breakpoint, watchpoint, or catchpoint can have any of several
4308 different states of enablement:
4309
4310 @itemize @bullet
4311 @item
4312 Enabled. The breakpoint stops your program. A breakpoint set
4313 with the @code{break} command starts out in this state.
4314 @item
4315 Disabled. The breakpoint has no effect on your program.
4316 @item
4317 Enabled once. The breakpoint stops your program, but then becomes
4318 disabled.
4319 @item
4320 Enabled for a count. The breakpoint stops your program for the next
4321 N times, then becomes disabled.
4322 @item
4323 Enabled for deletion. The breakpoint stops your program, but
4324 immediately after it does so it is deleted permanently. A breakpoint
4325 set with the @code{tbreak} command starts out in this state.
4326 @end itemize
4327
4328 You can use the following commands to enable or disable breakpoints,
4329 watchpoints, and catchpoints:
4330
4331 @table @code
4332 @kindex disable
4333 @kindex dis @r{(@code{disable})}
4334 @item disable @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} @r{[}@var{range}@dots{}@r{]}
4335 Disable the specified breakpoints---or all breakpoints, if none are
4336 listed. A disabled breakpoint has no effect but is not forgotten. All
4337 options such as ignore-counts, conditions and commands are remembered in
4338 case the breakpoint is enabled again later. You may abbreviate
4339 @code{disable} as @code{dis}.
4340
4341 @kindex enable
4342 @item enable @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} @r{[}@var{range}@dots{}@r{]}
4343 Enable the specified breakpoints (or all defined breakpoints). They
4344 become effective once again in stopping your program.
4345
4346 @item enable @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} once @var{range}@dots{}
4347 Enable the specified breakpoints temporarily. @value{GDBN} disables any
4348 of these breakpoints immediately after stopping your program.
4349
4350 @item enable @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} count @var{count} @var{range}@dots{}
4351 Enable the specified breakpoints temporarily. @value{GDBN} records
4352 @var{count} with each of the specified breakpoints, and decrements a
4353 breakpoint's count when it is hit. When any count reaches 0,
4354 @value{GDBN} disables that breakpoint. If a breakpoint has an ignore
4355 count (@pxref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions}), that will be
4356 decremented to 0 before @var{count} is affected.
4357
4358 @item enable @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} delete @var{range}@dots{}
4359 Enable the specified breakpoints to work once, then die. @value{GDBN}
4360 deletes any of these breakpoints as soon as your program stops there.
4361 Breakpoints set by the @code{tbreak} command start out in this state.
4362 @end table
4363
4364 @c FIXME: I think the following ``Except for [...] @code{tbreak}'' is
4365 @c confusing: tbreak is also initially enabled.
4366 Except for a breakpoint set with @code{tbreak} (@pxref{Set Breaks,
4367 ,Setting Breakpoints}), breakpoints that you set are initially enabled;
4368 subsequently, they become disabled or enabled only when you use one of
4369 the commands above. (The command @code{until} can set and delete a
4370 breakpoint of its own, but it does not change the state of your other
4371 breakpoints; see @ref{Continuing and Stepping, ,Continuing and
4372 Stepping}.)
4373
4374 @node Conditions
4375 @subsection Break Conditions
4376 @cindex conditional breakpoints
4377 @cindex breakpoint conditions
4378
4379 @c FIXME what is scope of break condition expr? Context where wanted?
4380 @c in particular for a watchpoint?
4381 The simplest sort of breakpoint breaks every time your program reaches a
4382 specified place. You can also specify a @dfn{condition} for a
4383 breakpoint. A condition is just a Boolean expression in your
4384 programming language (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}). A breakpoint with
4385 a condition evaluates the expression each time your program reaches it,
4386 and your program stops only if the condition is @emph{true}.
4387
4388 This is the converse of using assertions for program validation; in that
4389 situation, you want to stop when the assertion is violated---that is,
4390 when the condition is false. In C, if you want to test an assertion expressed
4391 by the condition @var{assert}, you should set the condition
4392 @samp{! @var{assert}} on the appropriate breakpoint.
4393
4394 Conditions are also accepted for watchpoints; you may not need them,
4395 since a watchpoint is inspecting the value of an expression anyhow---but
4396 it might be simpler, say, to just set a watchpoint on a variable name,
4397 and specify a condition that tests whether the new value is an interesting
4398 one.
4399
4400 Break conditions can have side effects, and may even call functions in
4401 your program. This can be useful, for example, to activate functions
4402 that log program progress, or to use your own print functions to
4403 format special data structures. The effects are completely predictable
4404 unless there is another enabled breakpoint at the same address. (In
4405 that case, @value{GDBN} might see the other breakpoint first and stop your
4406 program without checking the condition of this one.) Note that
4407 breakpoint commands are usually more convenient and flexible than break
4408 conditions for the
4409 purpose of performing side effects when a breakpoint is reached
4410 (@pxref{Break Commands, ,Breakpoint Command Lists}).
4411
4412 Breakpoint conditions can also be evaluated on the target's side if
4413 the target supports it. Instead of evaluating the conditions locally,
4414 @value{GDBN} encodes the expression into an agent expression
4415 (@pxref{Agent Expressions}) suitable for execution on the target,
4416 independently of @value{GDBN}. Global variables become raw memory
4417 locations, locals become stack accesses, and so forth.
4418
4419 In this case, @value{GDBN} will only be notified of a breakpoint trigger
4420 when its condition evaluates to true. This mechanism may provide faster
4421 response times depending on the performance characteristics of the target
4422 since it does not need to keep @value{GDBN} informed about
4423 every breakpoint trigger, even those with false conditions.
4424
4425 Break conditions can be specified when a breakpoint is set, by using
4426 @samp{if} in the arguments to the @code{break} command. @xref{Set
4427 Breaks, ,Setting Breakpoints}. They can also be changed at any time
4428 with the @code{condition} command.
4429
4430 You can also use the @code{if} keyword with the @code{watch} command.
4431 The @code{catch} command does not recognize the @code{if} keyword;
4432 @code{condition} is the only way to impose a further condition on a
4433 catchpoint.
4434
4435 @table @code
4436 @kindex condition
4437 @item condition @var{bnum} @var{expression}
4438 Specify @var{expression} as the break condition for breakpoint,
4439 watchpoint, or catchpoint number @var{bnum}. After you set a condition,
4440 breakpoint @var{bnum} stops your program only if the value of
4441 @var{expression} is true (nonzero, in C). When you use
4442 @code{condition}, @value{GDBN} checks @var{expression} immediately for
4443 syntactic correctness, and to determine whether symbols in it have
4444 referents in the context of your breakpoint. If @var{expression} uses
4445 symbols not referenced in the context of the breakpoint, @value{GDBN}
4446 prints an error message:
4447
4448 @smallexample
4449 No symbol "foo" in current context.
4450 @end smallexample
4451
4452 @noindent
4453 @value{GDBN} does
4454 not actually evaluate @var{expression} at the time the @code{condition}
4455 command (or a command that sets a breakpoint with a condition, like
4456 @code{break if @dots{}}) is given, however. @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}.
4457
4458 @item condition @var{bnum}
4459 Remove the condition from breakpoint number @var{bnum}. It becomes
4460 an ordinary unconditional breakpoint.
4461 @end table
4462
4463 @cindex ignore count (of breakpoint)
4464 A special case of a breakpoint condition is to stop only when the
4465 breakpoint has been reached a certain number of times. This is so
4466 useful that there is a special way to do it, using the @dfn{ignore
4467 count} of the breakpoint. Every breakpoint has an ignore count, which
4468 is an integer. Most of the time, the ignore count is zero, and
4469 therefore has no effect. But if your program reaches a breakpoint whose
4470 ignore count is positive, then instead of stopping, it just decrements
4471 the ignore count by one and continues. As a result, if the ignore count
4472 value is @var{n}, the breakpoint does not stop the next @var{n} times
4473 your program reaches it.
4474
4475 @table @code
4476 @kindex ignore
4477 @item ignore @var{bnum} @var{count}
4478 Set the ignore count of breakpoint number @var{bnum} to @var{count}.
4479 The next @var{count} times the breakpoint is reached, your program's
4480 execution does not stop; other than to decrement the ignore count, @value{GDBN}
4481 takes no action.
4482
4483 To make the breakpoint stop the next time it is reached, specify
4484 a count of zero.
4485
4486 When you use @code{continue} to resume execution of your program from a
4487 breakpoint, you can specify an ignore count directly as an argument to
4488 @code{continue}, rather than using @code{ignore}. @xref{Continuing and
4489 Stepping,,Continuing and Stepping}.
4490
4491 If a breakpoint has a positive ignore count and a condition, the
4492 condition is not checked. Once the ignore count reaches zero,
4493 @value{GDBN} resumes checking the condition.
4494
4495 You could achieve the effect of the ignore count with a condition such
4496 as @w{@samp{$foo-- <= 0}} using a debugger convenience variable that
4497 is decremented each time. @xref{Convenience Vars, ,Convenience
4498 Variables}.
4499 @end table
4500
4501 Ignore counts apply to breakpoints, watchpoints, and catchpoints.
4502
4503
4504 @node Break Commands
4505 @subsection Breakpoint Command Lists
4506
4507 @cindex breakpoint commands
4508 You can give any breakpoint (or watchpoint or catchpoint) a series of
4509 commands to execute when your program stops due to that breakpoint. For
4510 example, you might want to print the values of certain expressions, or
4511 enable other breakpoints.
4512
4513 @table @code
4514 @kindex commands
4515 @kindex end@r{ (breakpoint commands)}
4516 @item commands @r{[}@var{range}@dots{}@r{]}
4517 @itemx @dots{} @var{command-list} @dots{}
4518 @itemx end
4519 Specify a list of commands for the given breakpoints. The commands
4520 themselves appear on the following lines. Type a line containing just
4521 @code{end} to terminate the commands.
4522
4523 To remove all commands from a breakpoint, type @code{commands} and
4524 follow it immediately with @code{end}; that is, give no commands.
4525
4526 With no argument, @code{commands} refers to the last breakpoint,
4527 watchpoint, or catchpoint set (not to the breakpoint most recently
4528 encountered). If the most recent breakpoints were set with a single
4529 command, then the @code{commands} will apply to all the breakpoints
4530 set by that command. This applies to breakpoints set by
4531 @code{rbreak}, and also applies when a single @code{break} command
4532 creates multiple breakpoints (@pxref{Ambiguous Expressions,,Ambiguous
4533 Expressions}).
4534 @end table
4535
4536 Pressing @key{RET} as a means of repeating the last @value{GDBN} command is
4537 disabled within a @var{command-list}.
4538
4539 You can use breakpoint commands to start your program up again. Simply
4540 use the @code{continue} command, or @code{step}, or any other command
4541 that resumes execution.
4542
4543 Any other commands in the command list, after a command that resumes
4544 execution, are ignored. This is because any time you resume execution
4545 (even with a simple @code{next} or @code{step}), you may encounter
4546 another breakpoint---which could have its own command list, leading to
4547 ambiguities about which list to execute.
4548
4549 @kindex silent
4550 If the first command you specify in a command list is @code{silent}, the
4551 usual message about stopping at a breakpoint is not printed. This may
4552 be desirable for breakpoints that are to print a specific message and
4553 then continue. If none of the remaining commands print anything, you
4554 see no sign that the breakpoint was reached. @code{silent} is
4555 meaningful only at the beginning of a breakpoint command list.
4556
4557 The commands @code{echo}, @code{output}, and @code{printf} allow you to
4558 print precisely controlled output, and are often useful in silent
4559 breakpoints. @xref{Output, ,Commands for Controlled Output}.
4560
4561 For example, here is how you could use breakpoint commands to print the
4562 value of @code{x} at entry to @code{foo} whenever @code{x} is positive.
4563
4564 @smallexample
4565 break foo if x>0
4566 commands
4567 silent
4568 printf "x is %d\n",x
4569 cont
4570 end
4571 @end smallexample
4572
4573 One application for breakpoint commands is to compensate for one bug so
4574 you can test for another. Put a breakpoint just after the erroneous line
4575 of code, give it a condition to detect the case in which something
4576 erroneous has been done, and give it commands to assign correct values
4577 to any variables that need them. End with the @code{continue} command
4578 so that your program does not stop, and start with the @code{silent}
4579 command so that no output is produced. Here is an example:
4580
4581 @smallexample
4582 break 403
4583 commands
4584 silent
4585 set x = y + 4
4586 cont
4587 end
4588 @end smallexample
4589
4590 @node Save Breakpoints
4591 @subsection How to save breakpoints to a file
4592
4593 To save breakpoint definitions to a file use the @w{@code{save
4594 breakpoints}} command.
4595
4596 @table @code
4597 @kindex save breakpoints
4598 @cindex save breakpoints to a file for future sessions
4599 @item save breakpoints [@var{filename}]
4600 This command saves all current breakpoint definitions together with
4601 their commands and ignore counts, into a file @file{@var{filename}}
4602 suitable for use in a later debugging session. This includes all
4603 types of breakpoints (breakpoints, watchpoints, catchpoints,
4604 tracepoints). To read the saved breakpoint definitions, use the
4605 @code{source} command (@pxref{Command Files}). Note that watchpoints
4606 with expressions involving local variables may fail to be recreated
4607 because it may not be possible to access the context where the
4608 watchpoint is valid anymore. Because the saved breakpoint definitions
4609 are simply a sequence of @value{GDBN} commands that recreate the
4610 breakpoints, you can edit the file in your favorite editing program,
4611 and remove the breakpoint definitions you're not interested in, or
4612 that can no longer be recreated.
4613 @end table
4614
4615 @c @ifclear BARETARGET
4616 @node Error in Breakpoints
4617 @subsection ``Cannot insert breakpoints''
4618
4619 If you request too many active hardware-assisted breakpoints and
4620 watchpoints, you will see this error message:
4621
4622 @c FIXME: the precise wording of this message may change; the relevant
4623 @c source change is not committed yet (Sep 3, 1999).
4624 @smallexample
4625 Stopped; cannot insert breakpoints.
4626 You may have requested too many hardware breakpoints and watchpoints.
4627 @end smallexample
4628
4629 @noindent
4630 This message is printed when you attempt to resume the program, since
4631 only then @value{GDBN} knows exactly how many hardware breakpoints and
4632 watchpoints it needs to insert.
4633
4634 When this message is printed, you need to disable or remove some of the
4635 hardware-assisted breakpoints and watchpoints, and then continue.
4636
4637 @node Breakpoint-related Warnings
4638 @subsection ``Breakpoint address adjusted...''
4639 @cindex breakpoint address adjusted
4640
4641 Some processor architectures place constraints on the addresses at
4642 which breakpoints may be placed. For architectures thus constrained,
4643 @value{GDBN} will attempt to adjust the breakpoint's address to comply
4644 with the constraints dictated by the architecture.
4645
4646 One example of such an architecture is the Fujitsu FR-V. The FR-V is
4647 a VLIW architecture in which a number of RISC-like instructions may be
4648 bundled together for parallel execution. The FR-V architecture
4649 constrains the location of a breakpoint instruction within such a
4650 bundle to the instruction with the lowest address. @value{GDBN}
4651 honors this constraint by adjusting a breakpoint's address to the
4652 first in the bundle.
4653
4654 It is not uncommon for optimized code to have bundles which contain
4655 instructions from different source statements, thus it may happen that
4656 a breakpoint's address will be adjusted from one source statement to
4657 another. Since this adjustment may significantly alter @value{GDBN}'s
4658 breakpoint related behavior from what the user expects, a warning is
4659 printed when the breakpoint is first set and also when the breakpoint
4660 is hit.
4661
4662 A warning like the one below is printed when setting a breakpoint
4663 that's been subject to address adjustment:
4664
4665 @smallexample
4666 warning: Breakpoint address adjusted from 0x00010414 to 0x00010410.
4667 @end smallexample
4668
4669 Such warnings are printed both for user settable and @value{GDBN}'s
4670 internal breakpoints. If you see one of these warnings, you should
4671 verify that a breakpoint set at the adjusted address will have the
4672 desired affect. If not, the breakpoint in question may be removed and
4673 other breakpoints may be set which will have the desired behavior.
4674 E.g., it may be sufficient to place the breakpoint at a later
4675 instruction. A conditional breakpoint may also be useful in some
4676 cases to prevent the breakpoint from triggering too often.
4677
4678 @value{GDBN} will also issue a warning when stopping at one of these
4679 adjusted breakpoints:
4680
4681 @smallexample
4682 warning: Breakpoint 1 address previously adjusted from 0x00010414
4683 to 0x00010410.
4684 @end smallexample
4685
4686 When this warning is encountered, it may be too late to take remedial
4687 action except in cases where the breakpoint is hit earlier or more
4688 frequently than expected.
4689
4690 @node Continuing and Stepping
4691 @section Continuing and Stepping
4692
4693 @cindex stepping
4694 @cindex continuing
4695 @cindex resuming execution
4696 @dfn{Continuing} means resuming program execution until your program
4697 completes normally. In contrast, @dfn{stepping} means executing just
4698 one more ``step'' of your program, where ``step'' may mean either one
4699 line of source code, or one machine instruction (depending on what
4700 particular command you use). Either when continuing or when stepping,
4701 your program may stop even sooner, due to a breakpoint or a signal. (If
4702 it stops due to a signal, you may want to use @code{handle}, or use
4703 @samp{signal 0} to resume execution. @xref{Signals, ,Signals}.)
4704
4705 @table @code
4706 @kindex continue
4707 @kindex c @r{(@code{continue})}
4708 @kindex fg @r{(resume foreground execution)}
4709 @item continue @r{[}@var{ignore-count}@r{]}
4710 @itemx c @r{[}@var{ignore-count}@r{]}
4711 @itemx fg @r{[}@var{ignore-count}@r{]}
4712 Resume program execution, at the address where your program last stopped;
4713 any breakpoints set at that address are bypassed. The optional argument
4714 @var{ignore-count} allows you to specify a further number of times to
4715 ignore a breakpoint at this location; its effect is like that of
4716 @code{ignore} (@pxref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions}).
4717
4718 The argument @var{ignore-count} is meaningful only when your program
4719 stopped due to a breakpoint. At other times, the argument to
4720 @code{continue} is ignored.
4721
4722 The synonyms @code{c} and @code{fg} (for @dfn{foreground}, as the
4723 debugged program is deemed to be the foreground program) are provided
4724 purely for convenience, and have exactly the same behavior as
4725 @code{continue}.
4726 @end table
4727
4728 To resume execution at a different place, you can use @code{return}
4729 (@pxref{Returning, ,Returning from a Function}) to go back to the
4730 calling function; or @code{jump} (@pxref{Jumping, ,Continuing at a
4731 Different Address}) to go to an arbitrary location in your program.
4732
4733 A typical technique for using stepping is to set a breakpoint
4734 (@pxref{Breakpoints, ,Breakpoints; Watchpoints; and Catchpoints}) at the
4735 beginning of the function or the section of your program where a problem
4736 is believed to lie, run your program until it stops at that breakpoint,
4737 and then step through the suspect area, examining the variables that are
4738 interesting, until you see the problem happen.
4739
4740 @table @code
4741 @kindex step
4742 @kindex s @r{(@code{step})}
4743 @item step
4744 Continue running your program until control reaches a different source
4745 line, then stop it and return control to @value{GDBN}. This command is
4746 abbreviated @code{s}.
4747
4748 @quotation
4749 @c "without debugging information" is imprecise; actually "without line
4750 @c numbers in the debugging information". (gcc -g1 has debugging info but
4751 @c not line numbers). But it seems complex to try to make that
4752 @c distinction here.
4753 @emph{Warning:} If you use the @code{step} command while control is
4754 within a function that was compiled without debugging information,
4755 execution proceeds until control reaches a function that does have
4756 debugging information. Likewise, it will not step into a function which
4757 is compiled without debugging information. To step through functions
4758 without debugging information, use the @code{stepi} command, described
4759 below.
4760 @end quotation
4761
4762 The @code{step} command only stops at the first instruction of a source
4763 line. This prevents the multiple stops that could otherwise occur in
4764 @code{switch} statements, @code{for} loops, etc. @code{step} continues
4765 to stop if a function that has debugging information is called within
4766 the line. In other words, @code{step} @emph{steps inside} any functions
4767 called within the line.
4768
4769 Also, the @code{step} command only enters a function if there is line
4770 number information for the function. Otherwise it acts like the
4771 @code{next} command. This avoids problems when using @code{cc -gl}
4772 on MIPS machines. Previously, @code{step} entered subroutines if there
4773 was any debugging information about the routine.
4774
4775 @item step @var{count}
4776 Continue running as in @code{step}, but do so @var{count} times. If a
4777 breakpoint is reached, or a signal not related to stepping occurs before
4778 @var{count} steps, stepping stops right away.
4779
4780 @kindex next
4781 @kindex n @r{(@code{next})}
4782 @item next @r{[}@var{count}@r{]}
4783 Continue to the next source line in the current (innermost) stack frame.
4784 This is similar to @code{step}, but function calls that appear within
4785 the line of code are executed without stopping. Execution stops when
4786 control reaches a different line of code at the original stack level
4787 that was executing when you gave the @code{next} command. This command
4788 is abbreviated @code{n}.
4789
4790 An argument @var{count} is a repeat count, as for @code{step}.
4791
4792
4793 @c FIX ME!! Do we delete this, or is there a way it fits in with
4794 @c the following paragraph? --- Vctoria
4795 @c
4796 @c @code{next} within a function that lacks debugging information acts like
4797 @c @code{step}, but any function calls appearing within the code of the
4798 @c function are executed without stopping.
4799
4800 The @code{next} command only stops at the first instruction of a
4801 source line. This prevents multiple stops that could otherwise occur in
4802 @code{switch} statements, @code{for} loops, etc.
4803
4804 @kindex set step-mode
4805 @item set step-mode
4806 @cindex functions without line info, and stepping
4807 @cindex stepping into functions with no line info
4808 @itemx set step-mode on
4809 The @code{set step-mode on} command causes the @code{step} command to
4810 stop at the first instruction of a function which contains no debug line
4811 information rather than stepping over it.
4812
4813 This is useful in cases where you may be interested in inspecting the
4814 machine instructions of a function which has no symbolic info and do not
4815 want @value{GDBN} to automatically skip over this function.
4816
4817 @item set step-mode off
4818 Causes the @code{step} command to step over any functions which contains no
4819 debug information. This is the default.
4820
4821 @item show step-mode
4822 Show whether @value{GDBN} will stop in or step over functions without
4823 source line debug information.
4824
4825 @kindex finish
4826 @kindex fin @r{(@code{finish})}
4827 @item finish
4828 Continue running until just after function in the selected stack frame
4829 returns. Print the returned value (if any). This command can be
4830 abbreviated as @code{fin}.
4831
4832 Contrast this with the @code{return} command (@pxref{Returning,
4833 ,Returning from a Function}).
4834
4835 @kindex until
4836 @kindex u @r{(@code{until})}
4837 @cindex run until specified location
4838 @item until
4839 @itemx u
4840 Continue running until a source line past the current line, in the
4841 current stack frame, is reached. This command is used to avoid single
4842 stepping through a loop more than once. It is like the @code{next}
4843 command, except that when @code{until} encounters a jump, it
4844 automatically continues execution until the program counter is greater
4845 than the address of the jump.
4846
4847 This means that when you reach the end of a loop after single stepping
4848 though it, @code{until} makes your program continue execution until it
4849 exits the loop. In contrast, a @code{next} command at the end of a loop
4850 simply steps back to the beginning of the loop, which forces you to step
4851 through the next iteration.
4852
4853 @code{until} always stops your program if it attempts to exit the current
4854 stack frame.
4855
4856 @code{until} may produce somewhat counterintuitive results if the order
4857 of machine code does not match the order of the source lines. For
4858 example, in the following excerpt from a debugging session, the @code{f}
4859 (@code{frame}) command shows that execution is stopped at line
4860 @code{206}; yet when we use @code{until}, we get to line @code{195}:
4861
4862 @smallexample
4863 (@value{GDBP}) f
4864 #0 main (argc=4, argv=0xf7fffae8) at m4.c:206
4865 206 expand_input();
4866 (@value{GDBP}) until
4867 195 for ( ; argc > 0; NEXTARG) @{
4868 @end smallexample
4869
4870 This happened because, for execution efficiency, the compiler had
4871 generated code for the loop closure test at the end, rather than the
4872 start, of the loop---even though the test in a C @code{for}-loop is
4873 written before the body of the loop. The @code{until} command appeared
4874 to step back to the beginning of the loop when it advanced to this
4875 expression; however, it has not really gone to an earlier
4876 statement---not in terms of the actual machine code.
4877
4878 @code{until} with no argument works by means of single
4879 instruction stepping, and hence is slower than @code{until} with an
4880 argument.
4881
4882 @item until @var{location}
4883 @itemx u @var{location}
4884 Continue running your program until either the specified location is
4885 reached, or the current stack frame returns. @var{location} is any of
4886 the forms described in @ref{Specify Location}.
4887 This form of the command uses temporary breakpoints, and
4888 hence is quicker than @code{until} without an argument. The specified
4889 location is actually reached only if it is in the current frame. This
4890 implies that @code{until} can be used to skip over recursive function
4891 invocations. For instance in the code below, if the current location is
4892 line @code{96}, issuing @code{until 99} will execute the program up to
4893 line @code{99} in the same invocation of factorial, i.e., after the inner
4894 invocations have returned.
4895
4896 @smallexample
4897 94 int factorial (int value)
4898 95 @{
4899 96 if (value > 1) @{
4900 97 value *= factorial (value - 1);
4901 98 @}
4902 99 return (value);
4903 100 @}
4904 @end smallexample
4905
4906
4907 @kindex advance @var{location}
4908 @itemx advance @var{location}
4909 Continue running the program up to the given @var{location}. An argument is
4910 required, which should be of one of the forms described in
4911 @ref{Specify Location}.
4912 Execution will also stop upon exit from the current stack
4913 frame. This command is similar to @code{until}, but @code{advance} will
4914 not skip over recursive function calls, and the target location doesn't
4915 have to be in the same frame as the current one.
4916
4917
4918 @kindex stepi
4919 @kindex si @r{(@code{stepi})}
4920 @item stepi
4921 @itemx stepi @var{arg}
4922 @itemx si
4923 Execute one machine instruction, then stop and return to the debugger.
4924
4925 It is often useful to do @samp{display/i $pc} when stepping by machine
4926 instructions. This makes @value{GDBN} automatically display the next
4927 instruction to be executed, each time your program stops. @xref{Auto
4928 Display,, Automatic Display}.
4929
4930 An argument is a repeat count, as in @code{step}.
4931
4932 @need 750
4933 @kindex nexti
4934 @kindex ni @r{(@code{nexti})}
4935 @item nexti
4936 @itemx nexti @var{arg}
4937 @itemx ni
4938 Execute one machine instruction, but if it is a function call,
4939 proceed until the function returns.
4940
4941 An argument is a repeat count, as in @code{next}.
4942 @end table
4943
4944 @node Skipping Over Functions and Files
4945 @section Skipping Over Functions and Files
4946 @cindex skipping over functions and files
4947
4948 The program you are debugging may contain some functions which are
4949 uninteresting to debug. The @code{skip} comand lets you tell @value{GDBN} to
4950 skip a function or all functions in a file when stepping.
4951
4952 For example, consider the following C function:
4953
4954 @smallexample
4955 101 int func()
4956 102 @{
4957 103 foo(boring());
4958 104 bar(boring());
4959 105 @}
4960 @end smallexample
4961
4962 @noindent
4963 Suppose you wish to step into the functions @code{foo} and @code{bar}, but you
4964 are not interested in stepping through @code{boring}. If you run @code{step}
4965 at line 103, you'll enter @code{boring()}, but if you run @code{next}, you'll
4966 step over both @code{foo} and @code{boring}!
4967
4968 One solution is to @code{step} into @code{boring} and use the @code{finish}
4969 command to immediately exit it. But this can become tedious if @code{boring}
4970 is called from many places.
4971
4972 A more flexible solution is to execute @kbd{skip boring}. This instructs
4973 @value{GDBN} never to step into @code{boring}. Now when you execute
4974 @code{step} at line 103, you'll step over @code{boring} and directly into
4975 @code{foo}.
4976
4977 You can also instruct @value{GDBN} to skip all functions in a file, with, for
4978 example, @code{skip file boring.c}.
4979
4980 @table @code
4981 @kindex skip function
4982 @item skip @r{[}@var{linespec}@r{]}
4983 @itemx skip function @r{[}@var{linespec}@r{]}
4984 After running this command, the function named by @var{linespec} or the
4985 function containing the line named by @var{linespec} will be skipped over when
4986 stepping. @xref{Specify Location}.
4987
4988 If you do not specify @var{linespec}, the function you're currently debugging
4989 will be skipped.
4990
4991 (If you have a function called @code{file} that you want to skip, use
4992 @kbd{skip function file}.)
4993
4994 @kindex skip file
4995 @item skip file @r{[}@var{filename}@r{]}
4996 After running this command, any function whose source lives in @var{filename}
4997 will be skipped over when stepping.
4998
4999 If you do not specify @var{filename}, functions whose source lives in the file
5000 you're currently debugging will be skipped.
5001 @end table
5002
5003 Skips can be listed, deleted, disabled, and enabled, much like breakpoints.
5004 These are the commands for managing your list of skips:
5005
5006 @table @code
5007 @kindex info skip
5008 @item info skip @r{[}@var{range}@r{]}
5009 Print details about the specified skip(s). If @var{range} is not specified,
5010 print a table with details about all functions and files marked for skipping.
5011 @code{info skip} prints the following information about each skip:
5012
5013 @table @emph
5014 @item Identifier
5015 A number identifying this skip.
5016 @item Type
5017 The type of this skip, either @samp{function} or @samp{file}.
5018 @item Enabled or Disabled
5019 Enabled skips are marked with @samp{y}. Disabled skips are marked with @samp{n}.
5020 @item Address
5021 For function skips, this column indicates the address in memory of the function
5022 being skipped. If you've set a function skip on a function which has not yet
5023 been loaded, this field will contain @samp{<PENDING>}. Once a shared library
5024 which has the function is loaded, @code{info skip} will show the function's
5025 address here.
5026 @item What
5027 For file skips, this field contains the filename being skipped. For functions
5028 skips, this field contains the function name and its line number in the file
5029 where it is defined.
5030 @end table
5031
5032 @kindex skip delete
5033 @item skip delete @r{[}@var{range}@r{]}
5034 Delete the specified skip(s). If @var{range} is not specified, delete all
5035 skips.
5036
5037 @kindex skip enable
5038 @item skip enable @r{[}@var{range}@r{]}
5039 Enable the specified skip(s). If @var{range} is not specified, enable all
5040 skips.
5041
5042 @kindex skip disable
5043 @item skip disable @r{[}@var{range}@r{]}
5044 Disable the specified skip(s). If @var{range} is not specified, disable all
5045 skips.
5046
5047 @end table
5048
5049 @node Signals
5050 @section Signals
5051 @cindex signals
5052
5053 A signal is an asynchronous event that can happen in a program. The
5054 operating system defines the possible kinds of signals, and gives each
5055 kind a name and a number. For example, in Unix @code{SIGINT} is the
5056 signal a program gets when you type an interrupt character (often @kbd{Ctrl-c});
5057 @code{SIGSEGV} is the signal a program gets from referencing a place in
5058 memory far away from all the areas in use; @code{SIGALRM} occurs when
5059 the alarm clock timer goes off (which happens only if your program has
5060 requested an alarm).
5061
5062 @cindex fatal signals
5063 Some signals, including @code{SIGALRM}, are a normal part of the
5064 functioning of your program. Others, such as @code{SIGSEGV}, indicate
5065 errors; these signals are @dfn{fatal} (they kill your program immediately) if the
5066 program has not specified in advance some other way to handle the signal.
5067 @code{SIGINT} does not indicate an error in your program, but it is normally
5068 fatal so it can carry out the purpose of the interrupt: to kill the program.
5069
5070 @value{GDBN} has the ability to detect any occurrence of a signal in your
5071 program. You can tell @value{GDBN} in advance what to do for each kind of
5072 signal.
5073
5074 @cindex handling signals
5075 Normally, @value{GDBN} is set up to let the non-erroneous signals like
5076 @code{SIGALRM} be silently passed to your program
5077 (so as not to interfere with their role in the program's functioning)
5078 but to stop your program immediately whenever an error signal happens.
5079 You can change these settings with the @code{handle} command.
5080
5081 @table @code
5082 @kindex info signals
5083 @kindex info handle
5084 @item info signals
5085 @itemx info handle
5086 Print a table of all the kinds of signals and how @value{GDBN} has been told to
5087 handle each one. You can use this to see the signal numbers of all
5088 the defined types of signals.
5089
5090 @item info signals @var{sig}
5091 Similar, but print information only about the specified signal number.
5092
5093 @code{info handle} is an alias for @code{info signals}.
5094
5095 @kindex handle
5096 @item handle @var{signal} @r{[}@var{keywords}@dots{}@r{]}
5097 Change the way @value{GDBN} handles signal @var{signal}. @var{signal}
5098 can be the number of a signal or its name (with or without the
5099 @samp{SIG} at the beginning); a list of signal numbers of the form
5100 @samp{@var{low}-@var{high}}; or the word @samp{all}, meaning all the
5101 known signals. Optional arguments @var{keywords}, described below,
5102 say what change to make.
5103 @end table
5104
5105 @c @group
5106 The keywords allowed by the @code{handle} command can be abbreviated.
5107 Their full names are:
5108
5109 @table @code
5110 @item nostop
5111 @value{GDBN} should not stop your program when this signal happens. It may
5112 still print a message telling you that the signal has come in.
5113
5114 @item stop
5115 @value{GDBN} should stop your program when this signal happens. This implies
5116 the @code{print} keyword as well.
5117
5118 @item print
5119 @value{GDBN} should print a message when this signal happens.
5120
5121 @item noprint
5122 @value{GDBN} should not mention the occurrence of the signal at all. This
5123 implies the @code{nostop} keyword as well.
5124
5125 @item pass
5126 @itemx noignore
5127 @value{GDBN} should allow your program to see this signal; your program
5128 can handle the signal, or else it may terminate if the signal is fatal
5129 and not handled. @code{pass} and @code{noignore} are synonyms.
5130
5131 @item nopass
5132 @itemx ignore
5133 @value{GDBN} should not allow your program to see this signal.
5134 @code{nopass} and @code{ignore} are synonyms.
5135 @end table
5136 @c @end group
5137
5138 When a signal stops your program, the signal is not visible to the
5139 program until you
5140 continue. Your program sees the signal then, if @code{pass} is in
5141 effect for the signal in question @emph{at that time}. In other words,
5142 after @value{GDBN} reports a signal, you can use the @code{handle}
5143 command with @code{pass} or @code{nopass} to control whether your
5144 program sees that signal when you continue.
5145
5146 The default is set to @code{nostop}, @code{noprint}, @code{pass} for
5147 non-erroneous signals such as @code{SIGALRM}, @code{SIGWINCH} and
5148 @code{SIGCHLD}, and to @code{stop}, @code{print}, @code{pass} for the
5149 erroneous signals.
5150
5151 You can also use the @code{signal} command to prevent your program from
5152 seeing a signal, or cause it to see a signal it normally would not see,
5153 or to give it any signal at any time. For example, if your program stopped
5154 due to some sort of memory reference error, you might store correct
5155 values into the erroneous variables and continue, hoping to see more
5156 execution; but your program would probably terminate immediately as
5157 a result of the fatal signal once it saw the signal. To prevent this,
5158 you can continue with @samp{signal 0}. @xref{Signaling, ,Giving your
5159 Program a Signal}.
5160
5161 @cindex extra signal information
5162 @anchor{extra signal information}
5163
5164 On some targets, @value{GDBN} can inspect extra signal information
5165 associated with the intercepted signal, before it is actually
5166 delivered to the program being debugged. This information is exported
5167 by the convenience variable @code{$_siginfo}, and consists of data
5168 that is passed by the kernel to the signal handler at the time of the
5169 receipt of a signal. The data type of the information itself is
5170 target dependent. You can see the data type using the @code{ptype
5171 $_siginfo} command. On Unix systems, it typically corresponds to the
5172 standard @code{siginfo_t} type, as defined in the @file{signal.h}
5173 system header.
5174
5175 Here's an example, on a @sc{gnu}/Linux system, printing the stray
5176 referenced address that raised a segmentation fault.
5177
5178 @smallexample
5179 @group
5180 (@value{GDBP}) continue
5181 Program received signal SIGSEGV, Segmentation fault.
5182 0x0000000000400766 in main ()
5183 69 *(int *)p = 0;
5184 (@value{GDBP}) ptype $_siginfo
5185 type = struct @{
5186 int si_signo;
5187 int si_errno;
5188 int si_code;
5189 union @{
5190 int _pad[28];
5191 struct @{...@} _kill;
5192 struct @{...@} _timer;
5193 struct @{...@} _rt;
5194 struct @{...@} _sigchld;
5195 struct @{...@} _sigfault;
5196 struct @{...@} _sigpoll;
5197 @} _sifields;
5198 @}
5199 (@value{GDBP}) ptype $_siginfo._sifields._sigfault
5200 type = struct @{
5201 void *si_addr;
5202 @}
5203 (@value{GDBP}) p $_siginfo._sifields._sigfault.si_addr
5204 $1 = (void *) 0x7ffff7ff7000
5205 @end group
5206 @end smallexample
5207
5208 Depending on target support, @code{$_siginfo} may also be writable.
5209
5210 @node Thread Stops
5211 @section Stopping and Starting Multi-thread Programs
5212
5213 @cindex stopped threads
5214 @cindex threads, stopped
5215
5216 @cindex continuing threads
5217 @cindex threads, continuing
5218
5219 @value{GDBN} supports debugging programs with multiple threads
5220 (@pxref{Threads,, Debugging Programs with Multiple Threads}). There
5221 are two modes of controlling execution of your program within the
5222 debugger. In the default mode, referred to as @dfn{all-stop mode},
5223 when any thread in your program stops (for example, at a breakpoint
5224 or while being stepped), all other threads in the program are also stopped by
5225 @value{GDBN}. On some targets, @value{GDBN} also supports
5226 @dfn{non-stop mode}, in which other threads can continue to run freely while
5227 you examine the stopped thread in the debugger.
5228
5229 @menu
5230 * All-Stop Mode:: All threads stop when GDB takes control
5231 * Non-Stop Mode:: Other threads continue to execute
5232 * Background Execution:: Running your program asynchronously
5233 * Thread-Specific Breakpoints:: Controlling breakpoints
5234 * Interrupted System Calls:: GDB may interfere with system calls
5235 * Observer Mode:: GDB does not alter program behavior
5236 @end menu
5237
5238 @node All-Stop Mode
5239 @subsection All-Stop Mode
5240
5241 @cindex all-stop mode
5242
5243 In all-stop mode, whenever your program stops under @value{GDBN} for any reason,
5244 @emph{all} threads of execution stop, not just the current thread. This
5245 allows you to examine the overall state of the program, including
5246 switching between threads, without worrying that things may change
5247 underfoot.
5248
5249 Conversely, whenever you restart the program, @emph{all} threads start
5250 executing. @emph{This is true even when single-stepping} with commands
5251 like @code{step} or @code{next}.
5252
5253 In particular, @value{GDBN} cannot single-step all threads in lockstep.
5254 Since thread scheduling is up to your debugging target's operating
5255 system (not controlled by @value{GDBN}), other threads may
5256 execute more than one statement while the current thread completes a
5257 single step. Moreover, in general other threads stop in the middle of a
5258 statement, rather than at a clean statement boundary, when the program
5259 stops.
5260
5261 You might even find your program stopped in another thread after
5262 continuing or even single-stepping. This happens whenever some other
5263 thread runs into a breakpoint, a signal, or an exception before the
5264 first thread completes whatever you requested.
5265
5266 @cindex automatic thread selection
5267 @cindex switching threads automatically
5268 @cindex threads, automatic switching
5269 Whenever @value{GDBN} stops your program, due to a breakpoint or a
5270 signal, it automatically selects the thread where that breakpoint or
5271 signal happened. @value{GDBN} alerts you to the context switch with a
5272 message such as @samp{[Switching to Thread @var{n}]} to identify the
5273 thread.
5274
5275 On some OSes, you can modify @value{GDBN}'s default behavior by
5276 locking the OS scheduler to allow only a single thread to run.
5277
5278 @table @code
5279 @item set scheduler-locking @var{mode}
5280 @cindex scheduler locking mode
5281 @cindex lock scheduler
5282 Set the scheduler locking mode. If it is @code{off}, then there is no
5283 locking and any thread may run at any time. If @code{on}, then only the
5284 current thread may run when the inferior is resumed. The @code{step}
5285 mode optimizes for single-stepping; it prevents other threads
5286 from preempting the current thread while you are stepping, so that
5287 the focus of debugging does not change unexpectedly.
5288 Other threads only rarely (or never) get a chance to run
5289 when you step. They are more likely to run when you @samp{next} over a
5290 function call, and they are completely free to run when you use commands
5291 like @samp{continue}, @samp{until}, or @samp{finish}. However, unless another
5292 thread hits a breakpoint during its timeslice, @value{GDBN} does not change
5293 the current thread away from the thread that you are debugging.
5294
5295 @item show scheduler-locking
5296 Display the current scheduler locking mode.
5297 @end table
5298
5299 @cindex resume threads of multiple processes simultaneously
5300 By default, when you issue one of the execution commands such as
5301 @code{continue}, @code{next} or @code{step}, @value{GDBN} allows only
5302 threads of the current inferior to run. For example, if @value{GDBN}
5303 is attached to two inferiors, each with two threads, the
5304 @code{continue} command resumes only the two threads of the current
5305 inferior. This is useful, for example, when you debug a program that
5306 forks and you want to hold the parent stopped (so that, for instance,
5307 it doesn't run to exit), while you debug the child. In other
5308 situations, you may not be interested in inspecting the current state
5309 of any of the processes @value{GDBN} is attached to, and you may want
5310 to resume them all until some breakpoint is hit. In the latter case,
5311 you can instruct @value{GDBN} to allow all threads of all the
5312 inferiors to run with the @w{@code{set schedule-multiple}} command.
5313
5314 @table @code
5315 @kindex set schedule-multiple
5316 @item set schedule-multiple
5317 Set the mode for allowing threads of multiple processes to be resumed
5318 when an execution command is issued. When @code{on}, all threads of
5319 all processes are allowed to run. When @code{off}, only the threads
5320 of the current process are resumed. The default is @code{off}. The
5321 @code{scheduler-locking} mode takes precedence when set to @code{on},
5322 or while you are stepping and set to @code{step}.
5323
5324 @item show schedule-multiple
5325 Display the current mode for resuming the execution of threads of
5326 multiple processes.
5327 @end table
5328
5329 @node Non-Stop Mode
5330 @subsection Non-Stop Mode
5331
5332 @cindex non-stop mode
5333
5334 @c This section is really only a place-holder, and needs to be expanded
5335 @c with more details.
5336
5337 For some multi-threaded targets, @value{GDBN} supports an optional
5338 mode of operation in which you can examine stopped program threads in
5339 the debugger while other threads continue to execute freely. This
5340 minimizes intrusion when debugging live systems, such as programs
5341 where some threads have real-time constraints or must continue to
5342 respond to external events. This is referred to as @dfn{non-stop} mode.
5343
5344 In non-stop mode, when a thread stops to report a debugging event,
5345 @emph{only} that thread is stopped; @value{GDBN} does not stop other
5346 threads as well, in contrast to the all-stop mode behavior. Additionally,
5347 execution commands such as @code{continue} and @code{step} apply by default
5348 only to the current thread in non-stop mode, rather than all threads as
5349 in all-stop mode. This allows you to control threads explicitly in
5350 ways that are not possible in all-stop mode --- for example, stepping
5351 one thread while allowing others to run freely, stepping
5352 one thread while holding all others stopped, or stepping several threads
5353 independently and simultaneously.
5354
5355 To enter non-stop mode, use this sequence of commands before you run
5356 or attach to your program:
5357
5358 @smallexample
5359 # Enable the async interface.
5360 set target-async 1
5361
5362 # If using the CLI, pagination breaks non-stop.
5363 set pagination off
5364
5365 # Finally, turn it on!
5366 set non-stop on
5367 @end smallexample
5368
5369 You can use these commands to manipulate the non-stop mode setting:
5370
5371 @table @code
5372 @kindex set non-stop
5373 @item set non-stop on
5374 Enable selection of non-stop mode.
5375 @item set non-stop off
5376 Disable selection of non-stop mode.
5377 @kindex show non-stop
5378 @item show non-stop
5379 Show the current non-stop enablement setting.
5380 @end table
5381
5382 Note these commands only reflect whether non-stop mode is enabled,
5383 not whether the currently-executing program is being run in non-stop mode.
5384 In particular, the @code{set non-stop} preference is only consulted when
5385 @value{GDBN} starts or connects to the target program, and it is generally
5386 not possible to switch modes once debugging has started. Furthermore,
5387 since not all targets support non-stop mode, even when you have enabled
5388 non-stop mode, @value{GDBN} may still fall back to all-stop operation by
5389 default.
5390
5391 In non-stop mode, all execution commands apply only to the current thread
5392 by default. That is, @code{continue} only continues one thread.
5393 To continue all threads, issue @code{continue -a} or @code{c -a}.
5394
5395 You can use @value{GDBN}'s background execution commands
5396 (@pxref{Background Execution}) to run some threads in the background
5397 while you continue to examine or step others from @value{GDBN}.
5398 The MI execution commands (@pxref{GDB/MI Program Execution}) are
5399 always executed asynchronously in non-stop mode.
5400
5401 Suspending execution is done with the @code{interrupt} command when
5402 running in the background, or @kbd{Ctrl-c} during foreground execution.
5403 In all-stop mode, this stops the whole process;
5404 but in non-stop mode the interrupt applies only to the current thread.
5405 To stop the whole program, use @code{interrupt -a}.
5406
5407 Other execution commands do not currently support the @code{-a} option.
5408
5409 In non-stop mode, when a thread stops, @value{GDBN} doesn't automatically make
5410 that thread current, as it does in all-stop mode. This is because the
5411 thread stop notifications are asynchronous with respect to @value{GDBN}'s
5412 command interpreter, and it would be confusing if @value{GDBN} unexpectedly
5413 changed to a different thread just as you entered a command to operate on the
5414 previously current thread.
5415
5416 @node Background Execution
5417 @subsection Background Execution
5418
5419 @cindex foreground execution
5420 @cindex background execution
5421 @cindex asynchronous execution
5422 @cindex execution, foreground, background and asynchronous
5423
5424 @value{GDBN}'s execution commands have two variants: the normal
5425 foreground (synchronous) behavior, and a background
5426 (asynchronous) behavior. In foreground execution, @value{GDBN} waits for
5427 the program to report that some thread has stopped before prompting for
5428 another command. In background execution, @value{GDBN} immediately gives
5429 a command prompt so that you can issue other commands while your program runs.
5430
5431 You need to explicitly enable asynchronous mode before you can use
5432 background execution commands. You can use these commands to
5433 manipulate the asynchronous mode setting:
5434
5435 @table @code
5436 @kindex set target-async
5437 @item set target-async on
5438 Enable asynchronous mode.
5439 @item set target-async off
5440 Disable asynchronous mode.
5441 @kindex show target-async
5442 @item show target-async
5443 Show the current target-async setting.
5444 @end table
5445
5446 If the target doesn't support async mode, @value{GDBN} issues an error
5447 message if you attempt to use the background execution commands.
5448
5449 To specify background execution, add a @code{&} to the command. For example,
5450 the background form of the @code{continue} command is @code{continue&}, or
5451 just @code{c&}. The execution commands that accept background execution
5452 are:
5453
5454 @table @code
5455 @kindex run&
5456 @item run
5457 @xref{Starting, , Starting your Program}.
5458
5459 @item attach
5460 @kindex attach&
5461 @xref{Attach, , Debugging an Already-running Process}.
5462
5463 @item step
5464 @kindex step&
5465 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, step}.
5466
5467 @item stepi
5468 @kindex stepi&
5469 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, stepi}.
5470
5471 @item next
5472 @kindex next&
5473 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, next}.
5474
5475 @item nexti
5476 @kindex nexti&
5477 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, nexti}.
5478
5479 @item continue
5480 @kindex continue&
5481 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, continue}.
5482
5483 @item finish
5484 @kindex finish&
5485 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, finish}.
5486
5487 @item until
5488 @kindex until&
5489 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, until}.
5490
5491 @end table
5492
5493 Background execution is especially useful in conjunction with non-stop
5494 mode for debugging programs with multiple threads; see @ref{Non-Stop Mode}.
5495 However, you can also use these commands in the normal all-stop mode with
5496 the restriction that you cannot issue another execution command until the
5497 previous one finishes. Examples of commands that are valid in all-stop
5498 mode while the program is running include @code{help} and @code{info break}.
5499
5500 You can interrupt your program while it is running in the background by
5501 using the @code{interrupt} command.
5502
5503 @table @code
5504 @kindex interrupt
5505 @item interrupt
5506 @itemx interrupt -a
5507
5508 Suspend execution of the running program. In all-stop mode,
5509 @code{interrupt} stops the whole process, but in non-stop mode, it stops
5510 only the current thread. To stop the whole program in non-stop mode,
5511 use @code{interrupt -a}.
5512 @end table
5513
5514 @node Thread-Specific Breakpoints
5515 @subsection Thread-Specific Breakpoints
5516
5517 When your program has multiple threads (@pxref{Threads,, Debugging
5518 Programs with Multiple Threads}), you can choose whether to set
5519 breakpoints on all threads, or on a particular thread.
5520
5521 @table @code
5522 @cindex breakpoints and threads
5523 @cindex thread breakpoints
5524 @kindex break @dots{} thread @var{threadno}
5525 @item break @var{linespec} thread @var{threadno}
5526 @itemx break @var{linespec} thread @var{threadno} if @dots{}
5527 @var{linespec} specifies source lines; there are several ways of
5528 writing them (@pxref{Specify Location}), but the effect is always to
5529 specify some source line.
5530
5531 Use the qualifier @samp{thread @var{threadno}} with a breakpoint command
5532 to specify that you only want @value{GDBN} to stop the program when a
5533 particular thread reaches this breakpoint. @var{threadno} is one of the
5534 numeric thread identifiers assigned by @value{GDBN}, shown in the first
5535 column of the @samp{info threads} display.
5536
5537 If you do not specify @samp{thread @var{threadno}} when you set a
5538 breakpoint, the breakpoint applies to @emph{all} threads of your
5539 program.
5540
5541 You can use the @code{thread} qualifier on conditional breakpoints as
5542 well; in this case, place @samp{thread @var{threadno}} before or
5543 after the breakpoint condition, like this:
5544
5545 @smallexample
5546 (@value{GDBP}) break frik.c:13 thread 28 if bartab > lim
5547 @end smallexample
5548
5549 @end table
5550
5551 @node Interrupted System Calls
5552 @subsection Interrupted System Calls
5553
5554 @cindex thread breakpoints and system calls
5555 @cindex system calls and thread breakpoints
5556 @cindex premature return from system calls
5557 There is an unfortunate side effect when using @value{GDBN} to debug
5558 multi-threaded programs. If one thread stops for a
5559 breakpoint, or for some other reason, and another thread is blocked in a
5560 system call, then the system call may return prematurely. This is a
5561 consequence of the interaction between multiple threads and the signals
5562 that @value{GDBN} uses to implement breakpoints and other events that
5563 stop execution.
5564
5565 To handle this problem, your program should check the return value of
5566 each system call and react appropriately. This is good programming
5567 style anyways.
5568
5569 For example, do not write code like this:
5570
5571 @smallexample
5572 sleep (10);
5573 @end smallexample
5574
5575 The call to @code{sleep} will return early if a different thread stops
5576 at a breakpoint or for some other reason.
5577
5578 Instead, write this:
5579
5580 @smallexample
5581 int unslept = 10;
5582 while (unslept > 0)
5583 unslept = sleep (unslept);
5584 @end smallexample
5585
5586 A system call is allowed to return early, so the system is still
5587 conforming to its specification. But @value{GDBN} does cause your
5588 multi-threaded program to behave differently than it would without
5589 @value{GDBN}.
5590
5591 Also, @value{GDBN} uses internal breakpoints in the thread library to
5592 monitor certain events such as thread creation and thread destruction.
5593 When such an event happens, a system call in another thread may return
5594 prematurely, even though your program does not appear to stop.
5595
5596 @node Observer Mode
5597 @subsection Observer Mode
5598
5599 If you want to build on non-stop mode and observe program behavior
5600 without any chance of disruption by @value{GDBN}, you can set
5601 variables to disable all of the debugger's attempts to modify state,
5602 whether by writing memory, inserting breakpoints, etc. These operate
5603 at a low level, intercepting operations from all commands.
5604
5605 When all of these are set to @code{off}, then @value{GDBN} is said to
5606 be @dfn{observer mode}. As a convenience, the variable
5607 @code{observer} can be set to disable these, plus enable non-stop
5608 mode.
5609
5610 Note that @value{GDBN} will not prevent you from making nonsensical
5611 combinations of these settings. For instance, if you have enabled
5612 @code{may-insert-breakpoints} but disabled @code{may-write-memory},
5613 then breakpoints that work by writing trap instructions into the code
5614 stream will still not be able to be placed.
5615
5616 @table @code
5617
5618 @kindex observer
5619 @item set observer on
5620 @itemx set observer off
5621 When set to @code{on}, this disables all the permission variables
5622 below (except for @code{insert-fast-tracepoints}), plus enables
5623 non-stop debugging. Setting this to @code{off} switches back to
5624 normal debugging, though remaining in non-stop mode.
5625
5626 @item show observer
5627 Show whether observer mode is on or off.
5628
5629 @kindex may-write-registers
5630 @item set may-write-registers on
5631 @itemx set may-write-registers off
5632 This controls whether @value{GDBN} will attempt to alter the values of
5633 registers, such as with assignment expressions in @code{print}, or the
5634 @code{jump} command. It defaults to @code{on}.
5635
5636 @item show may-write-registers
5637 Show the current permission to write registers.
5638
5639 @kindex may-write-memory
5640 @item set may-write-memory on
5641 @itemx set may-write-memory off
5642 This controls whether @value{GDBN} will attempt to alter the contents
5643 of memory, such as with assignment expressions in @code{print}. It
5644 defaults to @code{on}.
5645
5646 @item show may-write-memory
5647 Show the current permission to write memory.
5648
5649 @kindex may-insert-breakpoints
5650 @item set may-insert-breakpoints on
5651 @itemx set may-insert-breakpoints off
5652 This controls whether @value{GDBN} will attempt to insert breakpoints.
5653 This affects all breakpoints, including internal breakpoints defined
5654 by @value{GDBN}. It defaults to @code{on}.
5655
5656 @item show may-insert-breakpoints
5657 Show the current permission to insert breakpoints.
5658
5659 @kindex may-insert-tracepoints
5660 @item set may-insert-tracepoints on
5661 @itemx set may-insert-tracepoints off
5662 This controls whether @value{GDBN} will attempt to insert (regular)
5663 tracepoints at the beginning of a tracing experiment. It affects only
5664 non-fast tracepoints, fast tracepoints being under the control of
5665 @code{may-insert-fast-tracepoints}. It defaults to @code{on}.
5666
5667 @item show may-insert-tracepoints
5668 Show the current permission to insert tracepoints.
5669
5670 @kindex may-insert-fast-tracepoints
5671 @item set may-insert-fast-tracepoints on
5672 @itemx set may-insert-fast-tracepoints off
5673 This controls whether @value{GDBN} will attempt to insert fast
5674 tracepoints at the beginning of a tracing experiment. It affects only
5675 fast tracepoints, regular (non-fast) tracepoints being under the
5676 control of @code{may-insert-tracepoints}. It defaults to @code{on}.
5677
5678 @item show may-insert-fast-tracepoints
5679 Show the current permission to insert fast tracepoints.
5680
5681 @kindex may-interrupt
5682 @item set may-interrupt on
5683 @itemx set may-interrupt off
5684 This controls whether @value{GDBN} will attempt to interrupt or stop
5685 program execution. When this variable is @code{off}, the
5686 @code{interrupt} command will have no effect, nor will
5687 @kbd{Ctrl-c}. It defaults to @code{on}.
5688
5689 @item show may-interrupt
5690 Show the current permission to interrupt or stop the program.
5691
5692 @end table
5693
5694 @node Reverse Execution
5695 @chapter Running programs backward
5696 @cindex reverse execution
5697 @cindex running programs backward
5698
5699 When you are debugging a program, it is not unusual to realize that
5700 you have gone too far, and some event of interest has already happened.
5701 If the target environment supports it, @value{GDBN} can allow you to
5702 ``rewind'' the program by running it backward.
5703
5704 A target environment that supports reverse execution should be able
5705 to ``undo'' the changes in machine state that have taken place as the
5706 program was executing normally. Variables, registers etc.@: should
5707 revert to their previous values. Obviously this requires a great
5708 deal of sophistication on the part of the target environment; not
5709 all target environments can support reverse execution.
5710
5711 When a program is executed in reverse, the instructions that
5712 have most recently been executed are ``un-executed'', in reverse
5713 order. The program counter runs backward, following the previous
5714 thread of execution in reverse. As each instruction is ``un-executed'',
5715 the values of memory and/or registers that were changed by that
5716 instruction are reverted to their previous states. After executing
5717 a piece of source code in reverse, all side effects of that code
5718 should be ``undone'', and all variables should be returned to their
5719 prior values@footnote{
5720 Note that some side effects are easier to undo than others. For instance,
5721 memory and registers are relatively easy, but device I/O is hard. Some
5722 targets may be able undo things like device I/O, and some may not.
5723
5724 The contract between @value{GDBN} and the reverse executing target
5725 requires only that the target do something reasonable when
5726 @value{GDBN} tells it to execute backwards, and then report the
5727 results back to @value{GDBN}. Whatever the target reports back to
5728 @value{GDBN}, @value{GDBN} will report back to the user. @value{GDBN}
5729 assumes that the memory and registers that the target reports are in a
5730 consistant state, but @value{GDBN} accepts whatever it is given.
5731 }.
5732
5733 If you are debugging in a target environment that supports
5734 reverse execution, @value{GDBN} provides the following commands.
5735
5736 @table @code
5737 @kindex reverse-continue
5738 @kindex rc @r{(@code{reverse-continue})}
5739 @item reverse-continue @r{[}@var{ignore-count}@r{]}
5740 @itemx rc @r{[}@var{ignore-count}@r{]}
5741 Beginning at the point where your program last stopped, start executing
5742 in reverse. Reverse execution will stop for breakpoints and synchronous
5743 exceptions (signals), just like normal execution. Behavior of
5744 asynchronous signals depends on the target environment.
5745
5746 @kindex reverse-step
5747 @kindex rs @r{(@code{step})}
5748 @item reverse-step @r{[}@var{count}@r{]}
5749 Run the program backward until control reaches the start of a
5750 different source line; then stop it, and return control to @value{GDBN}.
5751
5752 Like the @code{step} command, @code{reverse-step} will only stop
5753 at the beginning of a source line. It ``un-executes'' the previously
5754 executed source line. If the previous source line included calls to
5755 debuggable functions, @code{reverse-step} will step (backward) into
5756 the called function, stopping at the beginning of the @emph{last}
5757 statement in the called function (typically a return statement).
5758
5759 Also, as with the @code{step} command, if non-debuggable functions are
5760 called, @code{reverse-step} will run thru them backward without stopping.
5761
5762 @kindex reverse-stepi
5763 @kindex rsi @r{(@code{reverse-stepi})}
5764 @item reverse-stepi @r{[}@var{count}@r{]}
5765 Reverse-execute one machine instruction. Note that the instruction
5766 to be reverse-executed is @emph{not} the one pointed to by the program
5767 counter, but the instruction executed prior to that one. For instance,
5768 if the last instruction was a jump, @code{reverse-stepi} will take you
5769 back from the destination of the jump to the jump instruction itself.
5770
5771 @kindex reverse-next
5772 @kindex rn @r{(@code{reverse-next})}
5773 @item reverse-next @r{[}@var{count}@r{]}
5774 Run backward to the beginning of the previous line executed in
5775 the current (innermost) stack frame. If the line contains function
5776 calls, they will be ``un-executed'' without stopping. Starting from
5777 the first line of a function, @code{reverse-next} will take you back
5778 to the caller of that function, @emph{before} the function was called,
5779 just as the normal @code{next} command would take you from the last
5780 line of a function back to its return to its caller
5781 @footnote{Unless the code is too heavily optimized.}.
5782
5783 @kindex reverse-nexti
5784 @kindex rni @r{(@code{reverse-nexti})}
5785 @item reverse-nexti @r{[}@var{count}@r{]}
5786 Like @code{nexti}, @code{reverse-nexti} executes a single instruction
5787 in reverse, except that called functions are ``un-executed'' atomically.
5788 That is, if the previously executed instruction was a return from
5789 another function, @code{reverse-nexti} will continue to execute
5790 in reverse until the call to that function (from the current stack
5791 frame) is reached.
5792
5793 @kindex reverse-finish
5794 @item reverse-finish
5795 Just as the @code{finish} command takes you to the point where the
5796 current function returns, @code{reverse-finish} takes you to the point
5797 where it was called. Instead of ending up at the end of the current
5798 function invocation, you end up at the beginning.
5799
5800 @kindex set exec-direction
5801 @item set exec-direction
5802 Set the direction of target execution.
5803 @itemx set exec-direction reverse
5804 @cindex execute forward or backward in time
5805 @value{GDBN} will perform all execution commands in reverse, until the
5806 exec-direction mode is changed to ``forward''. Affected commands include
5807 @code{step, stepi, next, nexti, continue, and finish}. The @code{return}
5808 command cannot be used in reverse mode.
5809 @item set exec-direction forward
5810 @value{GDBN} will perform all execution commands in the normal fashion.
5811 This is the default.
5812 @end table
5813
5814
5815 @node Process Record and Replay
5816 @chapter Recording Inferior's Execution and Replaying It
5817 @cindex process record and replay
5818 @cindex recording inferior's execution and replaying it
5819
5820 On some platforms, @value{GDBN} provides a special @dfn{process record
5821 and replay} target that can record a log of the process execution, and
5822 replay it later with both forward and reverse execution commands.
5823
5824 @cindex replay mode
5825 When this target is in use, if the execution log includes the record
5826 for the next instruction, @value{GDBN} will debug in @dfn{replay
5827 mode}. In the replay mode, the inferior does not really execute code
5828 instructions. Instead, all the events that normally happen during
5829 code execution are taken from the execution log. While code is not
5830 really executed in replay mode, the values of registers (including the
5831 program counter register) and the memory of the inferior are still
5832 changed as they normally would. Their contents are taken from the
5833 execution log.
5834
5835 @cindex record mode
5836 If the record for the next instruction is not in the execution log,
5837 @value{GDBN} will debug in @dfn{record mode}. In this mode, the
5838 inferior executes normally, and @value{GDBN} records the execution log
5839 for future replay.
5840
5841 The process record and replay target supports reverse execution
5842 (@pxref{Reverse Execution}), even if the platform on which the
5843 inferior runs does not. However, the reverse execution is limited in
5844 this case by the range of the instructions recorded in the execution
5845 log. In other words, reverse execution on platforms that don't
5846 support it directly can only be done in the replay mode.
5847
5848 When debugging in the reverse direction, @value{GDBN} will work in
5849 replay mode as long as the execution log includes the record for the
5850 previous instruction; otherwise, it will work in record mode, if the
5851 platform supports reverse execution, or stop if not.
5852
5853 For architecture environments that support process record and replay,
5854 @value{GDBN} provides the following commands:
5855
5856 @table @code
5857 @kindex target record
5858 @kindex record
5859 @kindex rec
5860 @item target record
5861 This command starts the process record and replay target. The process
5862 record and replay target can only debug a process that is already
5863 running. Therefore, you need first to start the process with the
5864 @kbd{run} or @kbd{start} commands, and then start the recording with
5865 the @kbd{target record} command.
5866
5867 Both @code{record} and @code{rec} are aliases of @code{target record}.
5868
5869 @cindex displaced stepping, and process record and replay
5870 Displaced stepping (@pxref{Maintenance Commands,, displaced stepping})
5871 will be automatically disabled when process record and replay target
5872 is started. That's because the process record and replay target
5873 doesn't support displaced stepping.
5874
5875 @cindex non-stop mode, and process record and replay
5876 @cindex asynchronous execution, and process record and replay
5877 If the inferior is in the non-stop mode (@pxref{Non-Stop Mode}) or in
5878 the asynchronous execution mode (@pxref{Background Execution}), the
5879 process record and replay target cannot be started because it doesn't
5880 support these two modes.
5881
5882 @kindex record stop
5883 @kindex rec s
5884 @item record stop
5885 Stop the process record and replay target. When process record and
5886 replay target stops, the entire execution log will be deleted and the
5887 inferior will either be terminated, or will remain in its final state.
5888
5889 When you stop the process record and replay target in record mode (at
5890 the end of the execution log), the inferior will be stopped at the
5891 next instruction that would have been recorded. In other words, if
5892 you record for a while and then stop recording, the inferior process
5893 will be left in the same state as if the recording never happened.
5894
5895 On the other hand, if the process record and replay target is stopped
5896 while in replay mode (that is, not at the end of the execution log,
5897 but at some earlier point), the inferior process will become ``live''
5898 at that earlier state, and it will then be possible to continue the
5899 usual ``live'' debugging of the process from that state.
5900
5901 When the inferior process exits, or @value{GDBN} detaches from it,
5902 process record and replay target will automatically stop itself.
5903
5904 @kindex record save
5905 @item record save @var{filename}
5906 Save the execution log to a file @file{@var{filename}}.
5907 Default filename is @file{gdb_record.@var{process_id}}, where
5908 @var{process_id} is the process ID of the inferior.
5909
5910 @kindex record restore
5911 @item record restore @var{filename}
5912 Restore the execution log from a file @file{@var{filename}}.
5913 File must have been created with @code{record save}.
5914
5915 @kindex set record insn-number-max
5916 @item set record insn-number-max @var{limit}
5917 Set the limit of instructions to be recorded. Default value is 200000.
5918
5919 If @var{limit} is a positive number, then @value{GDBN} will start
5920 deleting instructions from the log once the number of the record
5921 instructions becomes greater than @var{limit}. For every new recorded
5922 instruction, @value{GDBN} will delete the earliest recorded
5923 instruction to keep the number of recorded instructions at the limit.
5924 (Since deleting recorded instructions loses information, @value{GDBN}
5925 lets you control what happens when the limit is reached, by means of
5926 the @code{stop-at-limit} option, described below.)
5927
5928 If @var{limit} is zero, @value{GDBN} will never delete recorded
5929 instructions from the execution log. The number of recorded
5930 instructions is unlimited in this case.
5931
5932 @kindex show record insn-number-max
5933 @item show record insn-number-max
5934 Show the limit of instructions to be recorded.
5935
5936 @kindex set record stop-at-limit
5937 @item set record stop-at-limit
5938 Control the behavior when the number of recorded instructions reaches
5939 the limit. If ON (the default), @value{GDBN} will stop when the limit
5940 is reached for the first time and ask you whether you want to stop the
5941 inferior or continue running it and recording the execution log. If
5942 you decide to continue recording, each new recorded instruction will
5943 cause the oldest one to be deleted.
5944
5945 If this option is OFF, @value{GDBN} will automatically delete the
5946 oldest record to make room for each new one, without asking.
5947
5948 @kindex show record stop-at-limit
5949 @item show record stop-at-limit
5950 Show the current setting of @code{stop-at-limit}.
5951
5952 @kindex set record memory-query
5953 @item set record memory-query
5954 Control the behavior when @value{GDBN} is unable to record memory
5955 changes caused by an instruction. If ON, @value{GDBN} will query
5956 whether to stop the inferior in that case.
5957
5958 If this option is OFF (the default), @value{GDBN} will automatically
5959 ignore the effect of such instructions on memory. Later, when
5960 @value{GDBN} replays this execution log, it will mark the log of this
5961 instruction as not accessible, and it will not affect the replay
5962 results.
5963
5964 @kindex show record memory-query
5965 @item show record memory-query
5966 Show the current setting of @code{memory-query}.
5967
5968 @kindex info record
5969 @item info record
5970 Show various statistics about the state of process record and its
5971 in-memory execution log buffer, including:
5972
5973 @itemize @bullet
5974 @item
5975 Whether in record mode or replay mode.
5976 @item
5977 Lowest recorded instruction number (counting from when the current execution log started recording instructions).
5978 @item
5979 Highest recorded instruction number.
5980 @item
5981 Current instruction about to be replayed (if in replay mode).
5982 @item
5983 Number of instructions contained in the execution log.
5984 @item
5985 Maximum number of instructions that may be contained in the execution log.
5986 @end itemize
5987
5988 @kindex record delete
5989 @kindex rec del
5990 @item record delete
5991 When record target runs in replay mode (``in the past''), delete the
5992 subsequent execution log and begin to record a new execution log starting
5993 from the current address. This means you will abandon the previously
5994 recorded ``future'' and begin recording a new ``future''.
5995 @end table
5996
5997
5998 @node Stack
5999 @chapter Examining the Stack
6000
6001 When your program has stopped, the first thing you need to know is where it
6002 stopped and how it got there.
6003
6004 @cindex call stack
6005 Each time your program performs a function call, information about the call
6006 is generated.
6007 That information includes the location of the call in your program,
6008 the arguments of the call,
6009 and the local variables of the function being called.
6010 The information is saved in a block of data called a @dfn{stack frame}.
6011 The stack frames are allocated in a region of memory called the @dfn{call
6012 stack}.
6013
6014 When your program stops, the @value{GDBN} commands for examining the
6015 stack allow you to see all of this information.
6016
6017 @cindex selected frame
6018 One of the stack frames is @dfn{selected} by @value{GDBN} and many
6019 @value{GDBN} commands refer implicitly to the selected frame. In
6020 particular, whenever you ask @value{GDBN} for the value of a variable in
6021 your program, the value is found in the selected frame. There are
6022 special @value{GDBN} commands to select whichever frame you are
6023 interested in. @xref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}.
6024
6025 When your program stops, @value{GDBN} automatically selects the
6026 currently executing frame and describes it briefly, similar to the
6027 @code{frame} command (@pxref{Frame Info, ,Information about a Frame}).
6028
6029 @menu
6030 * Frames:: Stack frames
6031 * Backtrace:: Backtraces
6032 * Selection:: Selecting a frame
6033 * Frame Info:: Information on a frame
6034
6035 @end menu
6036
6037 @node Frames
6038 @section Stack Frames
6039
6040 @cindex frame, definition
6041 @cindex stack frame
6042 The call stack is divided up into contiguous pieces called @dfn{stack
6043 frames}, or @dfn{frames} for short; each frame is the data associated
6044 with one call to one function. The frame contains the arguments given
6045 to the function, the function's local variables, and the address at
6046 which the function is executing.
6047
6048 @cindex initial frame
6049 @cindex outermost frame
6050 @cindex innermost frame
6051 When your program is started, the stack has only one frame, that of the
6052 function @code{main}. This is called the @dfn{initial} frame or the
6053 @dfn{outermost} frame. Each time a function is called, a new frame is
6054 made. Each time a function returns, the frame for that function invocation
6055 is eliminated. If a function is recursive, there can be many frames for
6056 the same function. The frame for the function in which execution is
6057 actually occurring is called the @dfn{innermost} frame. This is the most
6058 recently created of all the stack frames that still exist.
6059
6060 @cindex frame pointer
6061 Inside your program, stack frames are identified by their addresses. A
6062 stack frame consists of many bytes, each of which has its own address; each
6063 kind of computer has a convention for choosing one byte whose
6064 address serves as the address of the frame. Usually this address is kept
6065 in a register called the @dfn{frame pointer register}
6066 (@pxref{Registers, $fp}) while execution is going on in that frame.
6067
6068 @cindex frame number
6069 @value{GDBN} assigns numbers to all existing stack frames, starting with
6070 zero for the innermost frame, one for the frame that called it,
6071 and so on upward. These numbers do not really exist in your program;
6072 they are assigned by @value{GDBN} to give you a way of designating stack
6073 frames in @value{GDBN} commands.
6074
6075 @c The -fomit-frame-pointer below perennially causes hbox overflow
6076 @c underflow problems.
6077 @cindex frameless execution
6078 Some compilers provide a way to compile functions so that they operate
6079 without stack frames. (For example, the @value{NGCC} option
6080 @smallexample
6081 @samp{-fomit-frame-pointer}
6082 @end smallexample
6083 generates functions without a frame.)
6084 This is occasionally done with heavily used library functions to save
6085 the frame setup time. @value{GDBN} has limited facilities for dealing
6086 with these function invocations. If the innermost function invocation
6087 has no stack frame, @value{GDBN} nevertheless regards it as though
6088 it had a separate frame, which is numbered zero as usual, allowing
6089 correct tracing of the function call chain. However, @value{GDBN} has
6090 no provision for frameless functions elsewhere in the stack.
6091
6092 @table @code
6093 @kindex frame@r{, command}
6094 @cindex current stack frame
6095 @item frame @var{args}
6096 The @code{frame} command allows you to move from one stack frame to another,
6097 and to print the stack frame you select. @var{args} may be either the
6098 address of the frame or the stack frame number. Without an argument,
6099 @code{frame} prints the current stack frame.
6100
6101 @kindex select-frame
6102 @cindex selecting frame silently
6103 @item select-frame
6104 The @code{select-frame} command allows you to move from one stack frame
6105 to another without printing the frame. This is the silent version of
6106 @code{frame}.
6107 @end table
6108
6109 @node Backtrace
6110 @section Backtraces
6111
6112 @cindex traceback
6113 @cindex call stack traces
6114 A backtrace is a summary of how your program got where it is. It shows one
6115 line per frame, for many frames, starting with the currently executing
6116 frame (frame zero), followed by its caller (frame one), and on up the
6117 stack.
6118
6119 @table @code
6120 @kindex backtrace
6121 @kindex bt @r{(@code{backtrace})}
6122 @item backtrace
6123 @itemx bt
6124 Print a backtrace of the entire stack: one line per frame for all
6125 frames in the stack.
6126
6127 You can stop the backtrace at any time by typing the system interrupt
6128 character, normally @kbd{Ctrl-c}.
6129
6130 @item backtrace @var{n}
6131 @itemx bt @var{n}
6132 Similar, but print only the innermost @var{n} frames.
6133
6134 @item backtrace -@var{n}
6135 @itemx bt -@var{n}
6136 Similar, but print only the outermost @var{n} frames.
6137
6138 @item backtrace full
6139 @itemx bt full
6140 @itemx bt full @var{n}
6141 @itemx bt full -@var{n}
6142 Print the values of the local variables also. @var{n} specifies the
6143 number of frames to print, as described above.
6144 @end table
6145
6146 @kindex where
6147 @kindex info stack
6148 The names @code{where} and @code{info stack} (abbreviated @code{info s})
6149 are additional aliases for @code{backtrace}.
6150
6151 @cindex multiple threads, backtrace
6152 In a multi-threaded program, @value{GDBN} by default shows the
6153 backtrace only for the current thread. To display the backtrace for
6154 several or all of the threads, use the command @code{thread apply}
6155 (@pxref{Threads, thread apply}). For example, if you type @kbd{thread
6156 apply all backtrace}, @value{GDBN} will display the backtrace for all
6157 the threads; this is handy when you debug a core dump of a
6158 multi-threaded program.
6159
6160 Each line in the backtrace shows the frame number and the function name.
6161 The program counter value is also shown---unless you use @code{set
6162 print address off}. The backtrace also shows the source file name and
6163 line number, as well as the arguments to the function. The program
6164 counter value is omitted if it is at the beginning of the code for that
6165 line number.
6166
6167 Here is an example of a backtrace. It was made with the command
6168 @samp{bt 3}, so it shows the innermost three frames.
6169
6170 @smallexample
6171 @group
6172 #0 m4_traceon (obs=0x24eb0, argc=1, argv=0x2b8c8)
6173 at builtin.c:993
6174 #1 0x6e38 in expand_macro (sym=0x2b600, data=...) at macro.c:242
6175 #2 0x6840 in expand_token (obs=0x0, t=177664, td=0xf7fffb08)
6176 at macro.c:71
6177 (More stack frames follow...)
6178 @end group
6179 @end smallexample
6180
6181 @noindent
6182 The display for frame zero does not begin with a program counter
6183 value, indicating that your program has stopped at the beginning of the
6184 code for line @code{993} of @code{builtin.c}.
6185
6186 @noindent
6187 The value of parameter @code{data} in frame 1 has been replaced by
6188 @code{@dots{}}. By default, @value{GDBN} prints the value of a parameter
6189 only if it is a scalar (integer, pointer, enumeration, etc). See command
6190 @kbd{set print frame-arguments} in @ref{Print Settings} for more details
6191 on how to configure the way function parameter values are printed.
6192
6193 @cindex optimized out, in backtrace
6194 @cindex function call arguments, optimized out
6195 If your program was compiled with optimizations, some compilers will
6196 optimize away arguments passed to functions if those arguments are
6197 never used after the call. Such optimizations generate code that
6198 passes arguments through registers, but doesn't store those arguments
6199 in the stack frame. @value{GDBN} has no way of displaying such
6200 arguments in stack frames other than the innermost one. Here's what
6201 such a backtrace might look like:
6202
6203 @smallexample
6204 @group
6205 #0 m4_traceon (obs=0x24eb0, argc=1, argv=0x2b8c8)
6206 at builtin.c:993
6207 #1 0x6e38 in expand_macro (sym=<optimized out>) at macro.c:242
6208 #2 0x6840 in expand_token (obs=0x0, t=<optimized out>, td=0xf7fffb08)
6209 at macro.c:71
6210 (More stack frames follow...)
6211 @end group
6212 @end smallexample
6213
6214 @noindent
6215 The values of arguments that were not saved in their stack frames are
6216 shown as @samp{<optimized out>}.
6217
6218 If you need to display the values of such optimized-out arguments,
6219 either deduce that from other variables whose values depend on the one
6220 you are interested in, or recompile without optimizations.
6221
6222 @cindex backtrace beyond @code{main} function
6223 @cindex program entry point
6224 @cindex startup code, and backtrace
6225 Most programs have a standard user entry point---a place where system
6226 libraries and startup code transition into user code. For C this is
6227 @code{main}@footnote{
6228 Note that embedded programs (the so-called ``free-standing''
6229 environment) are not required to have a @code{main} function as the
6230 entry point. They could even have multiple entry points.}.
6231 When @value{GDBN} finds the entry function in a backtrace
6232 it will terminate the backtrace, to avoid tracing into highly
6233 system-specific (and generally uninteresting) code.
6234
6235 If you need to examine the startup code, or limit the number of levels
6236 in a backtrace, you can change this behavior:
6237
6238 @table @code
6239 @item set backtrace past-main
6240 @itemx set backtrace past-main on
6241 @kindex set backtrace
6242 Backtraces will continue past the user entry point.
6243
6244 @item set backtrace past-main off
6245 Backtraces will stop when they encounter the user entry point. This is the
6246 default.
6247
6248 @item show backtrace past-main
6249 @kindex show backtrace
6250 Display the current user entry point backtrace policy.
6251
6252 @item set backtrace past-entry
6253 @itemx set backtrace past-entry on
6254 Backtraces will continue past the internal entry point of an application.
6255 This entry point is encoded by the linker when the application is built,
6256 and is likely before the user entry point @code{main} (or equivalent) is called.
6257
6258 @item set backtrace past-entry off
6259 Backtraces will stop when they encounter the internal entry point of an
6260 application. This is the default.
6261
6262 @item show backtrace past-entry
6263 Display the current internal entry point backtrace policy.
6264
6265 @item set backtrace limit @var{n}
6266 @itemx set backtrace limit 0
6267 @cindex backtrace limit
6268 Limit the backtrace to @var{n} levels. A value of zero means
6269 unlimited.
6270
6271 @item show backtrace limit
6272 Display the current limit on backtrace levels.
6273 @end table
6274
6275 @node Selection
6276 @section Selecting a Frame
6277
6278 Most commands for examining the stack and other data in your program work on
6279 whichever stack frame is selected at the moment. Here are the commands for
6280 selecting a stack frame; all of them finish by printing a brief description
6281 of the stack frame just selected.
6282
6283 @table @code
6284 @kindex frame@r{, selecting}
6285 @kindex f @r{(@code{frame})}
6286 @item frame @var{n}
6287 @itemx f @var{n}
6288 Select frame number @var{n}. Recall that frame zero is the innermost
6289 (currently executing) frame, frame one is the frame that called the
6290 innermost one, and so on. The highest-numbered frame is the one for
6291 @code{main}.
6292
6293 @item frame @var{addr}
6294 @itemx f @var{addr}
6295 Select the frame at address @var{addr}. This is useful mainly if the
6296 chaining of stack frames has been damaged by a bug, making it
6297 impossible for @value{GDBN} to assign numbers properly to all frames. In
6298 addition, this can be useful when your program has multiple stacks and
6299 switches between them.
6300
6301 On the SPARC architecture, @code{frame} needs two addresses to
6302 select an arbitrary frame: a frame pointer and a stack pointer.
6303
6304 On the MIPS and Alpha architecture, it needs two addresses: a stack
6305 pointer and a program counter.
6306
6307 On the 29k architecture, it needs three addresses: a register stack
6308 pointer, a program counter, and a memory stack pointer.
6309
6310 @kindex up
6311 @item up @var{n}
6312 Move @var{n} frames up the stack. For positive numbers @var{n}, this
6313 advances toward the outermost frame, to higher frame numbers, to frames
6314 that have existed longer. @var{n} defaults to one.
6315
6316 @kindex down
6317 @kindex do @r{(@code{down})}
6318 @item down @var{n}
6319 Move @var{n} frames down the stack. For positive numbers @var{n}, this
6320 advances toward the innermost frame, to lower frame numbers, to frames
6321 that were created more recently. @var{n} defaults to one. You may
6322 abbreviate @code{down} as @code{do}.
6323 @end table
6324
6325 All of these commands end by printing two lines of output describing the
6326 frame. The first line shows the frame number, the function name, the
6327 arguments, and the source file and line number of execution in that
6328 frame. The second line shows the text of that source line.
6329
6330 @need 1000
6331 For example:
6332
6333 @smallexample
6334 @group
6335 (@value{GDBP}) up
6336 #1 0x22f0 in main (argc=1, argv=0xf7fffbf4, env=0xf7fffbfc)
6337 at env.c:10
6338 10 read_input_file (argv[i]);
6339 @end group
6340 @end smallexample
6341
6342 After such a printout, the @code{list} command with no arguments
6343 prints ten lines centered on the point of execution in the frame.
6344 You can also edit the program at the point of execution with your favorite
6345 editing program by typing @code{edit}.
6346 @xref{List, ,Printing Source Lines},
6347 for details.
6348
6349 @table @code
6350 @kindex down-silently
6351 @kindex up-silently
6352 @item up-silently @var{n}
6353 @itemx down-silently @var{n}
6354 These two commands are variants of @code{up} and @code{down},
6355 respectively; they differ in that they do their work silently, without
6356 causing display of the new frame. They are intended primarily for use
6357 in @value{GDBN} command scripts, where the output might be unnecessary and
6358 distracting.
6359 @end table
6360
6361 @node Frame Info
6362 @section Information About a Frame
6363
6364 There are several other commands to print information about the selected
6365 stack frame.
6366
6367 @table @code
6368 @item frame
6369 @itemx f
6370 When used without any argument, this command does not change which
6371 frame is selected, but prints a brief description of the currently
6372 selected stack frame. It can be abbreviated @code{f}. With an
6373 argument, this command is used to select a stack frame.
6374 @xref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}.
6375
6376 @kindex info frame
6377 @kindex info f @r{(@code{info frame})}
6378 @item info frame
6379 @itemx info f
6380 This command prints a verbose description of the selected stack frame,
6381 including:
6382
6383 @itemize @bullet
6384 @item
6385 the address of the frame
6386 @item
6387 the address of the next frame down (called by this frame)
6388 @item
6389 the address of the next frame up (caller of this frame)
6390 @item
6391 the language in which the source code corresponding to this frame is written
6392 @item
6393 the address of the frame's arguments
6394 @item
6395 the address of the frame's local variables
6396 @item
6397 the program counter saved in it (the address of execution in the caller frame)
6398 @item
6399 which registers were saved in the frame
6400 @end itemize
6401
6402 @noindent The verbose description is useful when
6403 something has gone wrong that has made the stack format fail to fit
6404 the usual conventions.
6405
6406 @item info frame @var{addr}
6407 @itemx info f @var{addr}
6408 Print a verbose description of the frame at address @var{addr}, without
6409 selecting that frame. The selected frame remains unchanged by this
6410 command. This requires the same kind of address (more than one for some
6411 architectures) that you specify in the @code{frame} command.
6412 @xref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}.
6413
6414 @kindex info args
6415 @item info args
6416 Print the arguments of the selected frame, each on a separate line.
6417
6418 @item info locals
6419 @kindex info locals
6420 Print the local variables of the selected frame, each on a separate
6421 line. These are all variables (declared either static or automatic)
6422 accessible at the point of execution of the selected frame.
6423
6424 @end table
6425
6426
6427 @node Source
6428 @chapter Examining Source Files
6429
6430 @value{GDBN} can print parts of your program's source, since the debugging
6431 information recorded in the program tells @value{GDBN} what source files were
6432 used to build it. When your program stops, @value{GDBN} spontaneously prints
6433 the line where it stopped. Likewise, when you select a stack frame
6434 (@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}), @value{GDBN} prints the line where
6435 execution in that frame has stopped. You can print other portions of
6436 source files by explicit command.
6437
6438 If you use @value{GDBN} through its @sc{gnu} Emacs interface, you may
6439 prefer to use Emacs facilities to view source; see @ref{Emacs, ,Using
6440 @value{GDBN} under @sc{gnu} Emacs}.
6441
6442 @menu
6443 * List:: Printing source lines
6444 * Specify Location:: How to specify code locations
6445 * Edit:: Editing source files
6446 * Search:: Searching source files
6447 * Source Path:: Specifying source directories
6448 * Machine Code:: Source and machine code
6449 @end menu
6450
6451 @node List
6452 @section Printing Source Lines
6453
6454 @kindex list
6455 @kindex l @r{(@code{list})}
6456 To print lines from a source file, use the @code{list} command
6457 (abbreviated @code{l}). By default, ten lines are printed.
6458 There are several ways to specify what part of the file you want to
6459 print; see @ref{Specify Location}, for the full list.
6460
6461 Here are the forms of the @code{list} command most commonly used:
6462
6463 @table @code
6464 @item list @var{linenum}
6465 Print lines centered around line number @var{linenum} in the
6466 current source file.
6467
6468 @item list @var{function}
6469 Print lines centered around the beginning of function
6470 @var{function}.
6471
6472 @item list
6473 Print more lines. If the last lines printed were printed with a
6474 @code{list} command, this prints lines following the last lines
6475 printed; however, if the last line printed was a solitary line printed
6476 as part of displaying a stack frame (@pxref{Stack, ,Examining the
6477 Stack}), this prints lines centered around that line.
6478
6479 @item list -
6480 Print lines just before the lines last printed.
6481 @end table
6482
6483 @cindex @code{list}, how many lines to display
6484 By default, @value{GDBN} prints ten source lines with any of these forms of
6485 the @code{list} command. You can change this using @code{set listsize}:
6486
6487 @table @code
6488 @kindex set listsize
6489 @item set listsize @var{count}
6490 Make the @code{list} command display @var{count} source lines (unless
6491 the @code{list} argument explicitly specifies some other number).
6492
6493 @kindex show listsize
6494 @item show listsize
6495 Display the number of lines that @code{list} prints.
6496 @end table
6497
6498 Repeating a @code{list} command with @key{RET} discards the argument,
6499 so it is equivalent to typing just @code{list}. This is more useful
6500 than listing the same lines again. An exception is made for an
6501 argument of @samp{-}; that argument is preserved in repetition so that
6502 each repetition moves up in the source file.
6503
6504 In general, the @code{list} command expects you to supply zero, one or two
6505 @dfn{linespecs}. Linespecs specify source lines; there are several ways
6506 of writing them (@pxref{Specify Location}), but the effect is always
6507 to specify some source line.
6508
6509 Here is a complete description of the possible arguments for @code{list}:
6510
6511 @table @code
6512 @item list @var{linespec}
6513 Print lines centered around the line specified by @var{linespec}.
6514
6515 @item list @var{first},@var{last}
6516 Print lines from @var{first} to @var{last}. Both arguments are
6517 linespecs. When a @code{list} command has two linespecs, and the
6518 source file of the second linespec is omitted, this refers to
6519 the same source file as the first linespec.
6520
6521 @item list ,@var{last}
6522 Print lines ending with @var{last}.
6523
6524 @item list @var{first},
6525 Print lines starting with @var{first}.
6526
6527 @item list +
6528 Print lines just after the lines last printed.
6529
6530 @item list -
6531 Print lines just before the lines last printed.
6532
6533 @item list
6534 As described in the preceding table.
6535 @end table
6536
6537 @node Specify Location
6538 @section Specifying a Location
6539 @cindex specifying location
6540 @cindex linespec
6541
6542 Several @value{GDBN} commands accept arguments that specify a location
6543 of your program's code. Since @value{GDBN} is a source-level
6544 debugger, a location usually specifies some line in the source code;
6545 for that reason, locations are also known as @dfn{linespecs}.
6546
6547 Here are all the different ways of specifying a code location that
6548 @value{GDBN} understands:
6549
6550 @table @code
6551 @item @var{linenum}
6552 Specifies the line number @var{linenum} of the current source file.
6553
6554 @item -@var{offset}
6555 @itemx +@var{offset}
6556 Specifies the line @var{offset} lines before or after the @dfn{current
6557 line}. For the @code{list} command, the current line is the last one
6558 printed; for the breakpoint commands, this is the line at which
6559 execution stopped in the currently selected @dfn{stack frame}
6560 (@pxref{Frames, ,Frames}, for a description of stack frames.) When
6561 used as the second of the two linespecs in a @code{list} command,
6562 this specifies the line @var{offset} lines up or down from the first
6563 linespec.
6564
6565 @item @var{filename}:@var{linenum}
6566 Specifies the line @var{linenum} in the source file @var{filename}.
6567 If @var{filename} is a relative file name, then it will match any
6568 source file name with the same trailing components. For example, if
6569 @var{filename} is @samp{gcc/expr.c}, then it will match source file
6570 name of @file{/build/trunk/gcc/expr.c}, but not
6571 @file{/build/trunk/libcpp/expr.c} or @file{/build/trunk/gcc/x-expr.c}.
6572
6573 @item @var{function}
6574 Specifies the line that begins the body of the function @var{function}.
6575 For example, in C, this is the line with the open brace.
6576
6577 @item @var{function}:@var{label}
6578 Specifies the line where @var{label} appears in @var{function}.
6579
6580 @item @var{filename}:@var{function}
6581 Specifies the line that begins the body of the function @var{function}
6582 in the file @var{filename}. You only need the file name with a
6583 function name to avoid ambiguity when there are identically named
6584 functions in different source files.
6585
6586 @item @var{label}
6587 Specifies the line at which the label named @var{label} appears.
6588 @value{GDBN} searches for the label in the function corresponding to
6589 the currently selected stack frame. If there is no current selected
6590 stack frame (for instance, if the inferior is not running), then
6591 @value{GDBN} will not search for a label.
6592
6593 @item *@var{address}
6594 Specifies the program address @var{address}. For line-oriented
6595 commands, such as @code{list} and @code{edit}, this specifies a source
6596 line that contains @var{address}. For @code{break} and other
6597 breakpoint oriented commands, this can be used to set breakpoints in
6598 parts of your program which do not have debugging information or
6599 source files.
6600
6601 Here @var{address} may be any expression valid in the current working
6602 language (@pxref{Languages, working language}) that specifies a code
6603 address. In addition, as a convenience, @value{GDBN} extends the
6604 semantics of expressions used in locations to cover the situations
6605 that frequently happen during debugging. Here are the various forms
6606 of @var{address}:
6607
6608 @table @code
6609 @item @var{expression}
6610 Any expression valid in the current working language.
6611
6612 @item @var{funcaddr}
6613 An address of a function or procedure derived from its name. In C,
6614 C@t{++}, Java, Objective-C, Fortran, minimal, and assembly, this is
6615 simply the function's name @var{function} (and actually a special case
6616 of a valid expression). In Pascal and Modula-2, this is
6617 @code{&@var{function}}. In Ada, this is @code{@var{function}'Address}
6618 (although the Pascal form also works).
6619
6620 This form specifies the address of the function's first instruction,
6621 before the stack frame and arguments have been set up.
6622
6623 @item '@var{filename}'::@var{funcaddr}
6624 Like @var{funcaddr} above, but also specifies the name of the source
6625 file explicitly. This is useful if the name of the function does not
6626 specify the function unambiguously, e.g., if there are several
6627 functions with identical names in different source files.
6628 @end table
6629
6630 @end table
6631
6632
6633 @node Edit
6634 @section Editing Source Files
6635 @cindex editing source files
6636
6637 @kindex edit
6638 @kindex e @r{(@code{edit})}
6639 To edit the lines in a source file, use the @code{edit} command.
6640 The editing program of your choice
6641 is invoked with the current line set to
6642 the active line in the program.
6643 Alternatively, there are several ways to specify what part of the file you
6644 want to print if you want to see other parts of the program:
6645
6646 @table @code
6647 @item edit @var{location}
6648 Edit the source file specified by @code{location}. Editing starts at
6649 that @var{location}, e.g., at the specified source line of the
6650 specified file. @xref{Specify Location}, for all the possible forms
6651 of the @var{location} argument; here are the forms of the @code{edit}
6652 command most commonly used:
6653
6654 @table @code
6655 @item edit @var{number}
6656 Edit the current source file with @var{number} as the active line number.
6657
6658 @item edit @var{function}
6659 Edit the file containing @var{function} at the beginning of its definition.
6660 @end table
6661
6662 @end table
6663
6664 @subsection Choosing your Editor
6665 You can customize @value{GDBN} to use any editor you want
6666 @footnote{
6667 The only restriction is that your editor (say @code{ex}), recognizes the
6668 following command-line syntax:
6669 @smallexample
6670 ex +@var{number} file
6671 @end smallexample
6672 The optional numeric value +@var{number} specifies the number of the line in
6673 the file where to start editing.}.
6674 By default, it is @file{@value{EDITOR}}, but you can change this
6675 by setting the environment variable @code{EDITOR} before using
6676 @value{GDBN}. For example, to configure @value{GDBN} to use the
6677 @code{vi} editor, you could use these commands with the @code{sh} shell:
6678 @smallexample
6679 EDITOR=/usr/bin/vi
6680 export EDITOR
6681 gdb @dots{}
6682 @end smallexample
6683 or in the @code{csh} shell,
6684 @smallexample
6685 setenv EDITOR /usr/bin/vi
6686 gdb @dots{}
6687 @end smallexample
6688
6689 @node Search
6690 @section Searching Source Files
6691 @cindex searching source files
6692
6693 There are two commands for searching through the current source file for a
6694 regular expression.
6695
6696 @table @code
6697 @kindex search
6698 @kindex forward-search
6699 @item forward-search @var{regexp}
6700 @itemx search @var{regexp}
6701 The command @samp{forward-search @var{regexp}} checks each line,
6702 starting with the one following the last line listed, for a match for
6703 @var{regexp}. It lists the line that is found. You can use the
6704 synonym @samp{search @var{regexp}} or abbreviate the command name as
6705 @code{fo}.
6706
6707 @kindex reverse-search
6708 @item reverse-search @var{regexp}
6709 The command @samp{reverse-search @var{regexp}} checks each line, starting
6710 with the one before the last line listed and going backward, for a match
6711 for @var{regexp}. It lists the line that is found. You can abbreviate
6712 this command as @code{rev}.
6713 @end table
6714
6715 @node Source Path
6716 @section Specifying Source Directories
6717
6718 @cindex source path
6719 @cindex directories for source files
6720 Executable programs sometimes do not record the directories of the source
6721 files from which they were compiled, just the names. Even when they do,
6722 the directories could be moved between the compilation and your debugging
6723 session. @value{GDBN} has a list of directories to search for source files;
6724 this is called the @dfn{source path}. Each time @value{GDBN} wants a source file,
6725 it tries all the directories in the list, in the order they are present
6726 in the list, until it finds a file with the desired name.
6727
6728 For example, suppose an executable references the file
6729 @file{/usr/src/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c}, and our source path is
6730 @file{/mnt/cross}. The file is first looked up literally; if this
6731 fails, @file{/mnt/cross/usr/src/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c} is tried; if this
6732 fails, @file{/mnt/cross/foo.c} is opened; if this fails, an error
6733 message is printed. @value{GDBN} does not look up the parts of the
6734 source file name, such as @file{/mnt/cross/src/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c}.
6735 Likewise, the subdirectories of the source path are not searched: if
6736 the source path is @file{/mnt/cross}, and the binary refers to
6737 @file{foo.c}, @value{GDBN} would not find it under
6738 @file{/mnt/cross/usr/src/foo-1.0/lib}.
6739
6740 Plain file names, relative file names with leading directories, file
6741 names containing dots, etc.@: are all treated as described above; for
6742 instance, if the source path is @file{/mnt/cross}, and the source file
6743 is recorded as @file{../lib/foo.c}, @value{GDBN} would first try
6744 @file{../lib/foo.c}, then @file{/mnt/cross/../lib/foo.c}, and after
6745 that---@file{/mnt/cross/foo.c}.
6746
6747 Note that the executable search path is @emph{not} used to locate the
6748 source files.
6749
6750 Whenever you reset or rearrange the source path, @value{GDBN} clears out
6751 any information it has cached about where source files are found and where
6752 each line is in the file.
6753
6754 @kindex directory
6755 @kindex dir
6756 When you start @value{GDBN}, its source path includes only @samp{cdir}
6757 and @samp{cwd}, in that order.
6758 To add other directories, use the @code{directory} command.
6759
6760 The search path is used to find both program source files and @value{GDBN}
6761 script files (read using the @samp{-command} option and @samp{source} command).
6762
6763 In addition to the source path, @value{GDBN} provides a set of commands
6764 that manage a list of source path substitution rules. A @dfn{substitution
6765 rule} specifies how to rewrite source directories stored in the program's
6766 debug information in case the sources were moved to a different
6767 directory between compilation and debugging. A rule is made of
6768 two strings, the first specifying what needs to be rewritten in
6769 the path, and the second specifying how it should be rewritten.
6770 In @ref{set substitute-path}, we name these two parts @var{from} and
6771 @var{to} respectively. @value{GDBN} does a simple string replacement
6772 of @var{from} with @var{to} at the start of the directory part of the
6773 source file name, and uses that result instead of the original file
6774 name to look up the sources.
6775
6776 Using the previous example, suppose the @file{foo-1.0} tree has been
6777 moved from @file{/usr/src} to @file{/mnt/cross}, then you can tell
6778 @value{GDBN} to replace @file{/usr/src} in all source path names with
6779 @file{/mnt/cross}. The first lookup will then be
6780 @file{/mnt/cross/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c} in place of the original location
6781 of @file{/usr/src/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c}. To define a source path
6782 substitution rule, use the @code{set substitute-path} command
6783 (@pxref{set substitute-path}).
6784
6785 To avoid unexpected substitution results, a rule is applied only if the
6786 @var{from} part of the directory name ends at a directory separator.
6787 For instance, a rule substituting @file{/usr/source} into
6788 @file{/mnt/cross} will be applied to @file{/usr/source/foo-1.0} but
6789 not to @file{/usr/sourceware/foo-2.0}. And because the substitution
6790 is applied only at the beginning of the directory name, this rule will
6791 not be applied to @file{/root/usr/source/baz.c} either.
6792
6793 In many cases, you can achieve the same result using the @code{directory}
6794 command. However, @code{set substitute-path} can be more efficient in
6795 the case where the sources are organized in a complex tree with multiple
6796 subdirectories. With the @code{directory} command, you need to add each
6797 subdirectory of your project. If you moved the entire tree while
6798 preserving its internal organization, then @code{set substitute-path}
6799 allows you to direct the debugger to all the sources with one single
6800 command.
6801
6802 @code{set substitute-path} is also more than just a shortcut command.
6803 The source path is only used if the file at the original location no
6804 longer exists. On the other hand, @code{set substitute-path} modifies
6805 the debugger behavior to look at the rewritten location instead. So, if
6806 for any reason a source file that is not relevant to your executable is
6807 located at the original location, a substitution rule is the only
6808 method available to point @value{GDBN} at the new location.
6809
6810 @cindex @samp{--with-relocated-sources}
6811 @cindex default source path substitution
6812 You can configure a default source path substitution rule by
6813 configuring @value{GDBN} with the
6814 @samp{--with-relocated-sources=@var{dir}} option. The @var{dir}
6815 should be the name of a directory under @value{GDBN}'s configured
6816 prefix (set with @samp{--prefix} or @samp{--exec-prefix}), and
6817 directory names in debug information under @var{dir} will be adjusted
6818 automatically if the installed @value{GDBN} is moved to a new
6819 location. This is useful if @value{GDBN}, libraries or executables
6820 with debug information and corresponding source code are being moved
6821 together.
6822
6823 @table @code
6824 @item directory @var{dirname} @dots{}
6825 @item dir @var{dirname} @dots{}
6826 Add directory @var{dirname} to the front of the source path. Several
6827 directory names may be given to this command, separated by @samp{:}
6828 (@samp{;} on MS-DOS and MS-Windows, where @samp{:} usually appears as
6829 part of absolute file names) or
6830 whitespace. You may specify a directory that is already in the source
6831 path; this moves it forward, so @value{GDBN} searches it sooner.
6832
6833 @kindex cdir
6834 @kindex cwd
6835 @vindex $cdir@r{, convenience variable}
6836 @vindex $cwd@r{, convenience variable}
6837 @cindex compilation directory
6838 @cindex current directory
6839 @cindex working directory
6840 @cindex directory, current
6841 @cindex directory, compilation
6842 You can use the string @samp{$cdir} to refer to the compilation
6843 directory (if one is recorded), and @samp{$cwd} to refer to the current
6844 working directory. @samp{$cwd} is not the same as @samp{.}---the former
6845 tracks the current working directory as it changes during your @value{GDBN}
6846 session, while the latter is immediately expanded to the current
6847 directory at the time you add an entry to the source path.
6848
6849 @item directory
6850 Reset the source path to its default value (@samp{$cdir:$cwd} on Unix systems). This requires confirmation.
6851
6852 @c RET-repeat for @code{directory} is explicitly disabled, but since
6853 @c repeating it would be a no-op we do not say that. (thanks to RMS)
6854
6855 @item set directories @var{path-list}
6856 @kindex set directories
6857 Set the source path to @var{path-list}.
6858 @samp{$cdir:$cwd} are added if missing.
6859
6860 @item show directories
6861 @kindex show directories
6862 Print the source path: show which directories it contains.
6863
6864 @anchor{set substitute-path}
6865 @item set substitute-path @var{from} @var{to}
6866 @kindex set substitute-path
6867 Define a source path substitution rule, and add it at the end of the
6868 current list of existing substitution rules. If a rule with the same
6869 @var{from} was already defined, then the old rule is also deleted.
6870
6871 For example, if the file @file{/foo/bar/baz.c} was moved to
6872 @file{/mnt/cross/baz.c}, then the command
6873
6874 @smallexample
6875 (@value{GDBP}) set substitute-path /usr/src /mnt/cross
6876 @end smallexample
6877
6878 @noindent
6879 will tell @value{GDBN} to replace @samp{/usr/src} with
6880 @samp{/mnt/cross}, which will allow @value{GDBN} to find the file
6881 @file{baz.c} even though it was moved.
6882
6883 In the case when more than one substitution rule have been defined,
6884 the rules are evaluated one by one in the order where they have been
6885 defined. The first one matching, if any, is selected to perform
6886 the substitution.
6887
6888 For instance, if we had entered the following commands:
6889
6890 @smallexample
6891 (@value{GDBP}) set substitute-path /usr/src/include /mnt/include
6892 (@value{GDBP}) set substitute-path /usr/src /mnt/src
6893 @end smallexample
6894
6895 @noindent
6896 @value{GDBN} would then rewrite @file{/usr/src/include/defs.h} into
6897 @file{/mnt/include/defs.h} by using the first rule. However, it would
6898 use the second rule to rewrite @file{/usr/src/lib/foo.c} into
6899 @file{/mnt/src/lib/foo.c}.
6900
6901
6902 @item unset substitute-path [path]
6903 @kindex unset substitute-path
6904 If a path is specified, search the current list of substitution rules
6905 for a rule that would rewrite that path. Delete that rule if found.
6906 A warning is emitted by the debugger if no rule could be found.
6907
6908 If no path is specified, then all substitution rules are deleted.
6909
6910 @item show substitute-path [path]
6911 @kindex show substitute-path
6912 If a path is specified, then print the source path substitution rule
6913 which would rewrite that path, if any.
6914
6915 If no path is specified, then print all existing source path substitution
6916 rules.
6917
6918 @end table
6919
6920 If your source path is cluttered with directories that are no longer of
6921 interest, @value{GDBN} may sometimes cause confusion by finding the wrong
6922 versions of source. You can correct the situation as follows:
6923
6924 @enumerate
6925 @item
6926 Use @code{directory} with no argument to reset the source path to its default value.
6927
6928 @item
6929 Use @code{directory} with suitable arguments to reinstall the
6930 directories you want in the source path. You can add all the
6931 directories in one command.
6932 @end enumerate
6933
6934 @node Machine Code
6935 @section Source and Machine Code
6936 @cindex source line and its code address
6937
6938 You can use the command @code{info line} to map source lines to program
6939 addresses (and vice versa), and the command @code{disassemble} to display
6940 a range of addresses as machine instructions. You can use the command
6941 @code{set disassemble-next-line} to set whether to disassemble next
6942 source line when execution stops. When run under @sc{gnu} Emacs
6943 mode, the @code{info line} command causes the arrow to point to the
6944 line specified. Also, @code{info line} prints addresses in symbolic form as
6945 well as hex.
6946
6947 @table @code
6948 @kindex info line
6949 @item info line @var{linespec}
6950 Print the starting and ending addresses of the compiled code for
6951 source line @var{linespec}. You can specify source lines in any of
6952 the ways documented in @ref{Specify Location}.
6953 @end table
6954
6955 For example, we can use @code{info line} to discover the location of
6956 the object code for the first line of function
6957 @code{m4_changequote}:
6958
6959 @c FIXME: I think this example should also show the addresses in
6960 @c symbolic form, as they usually would be displayed.
6961 @smallexample
6962 (@value{GDBP}) info line m4_changequote
6963 Line 895 of "builtin.c" starts at pc 0x634c and ends at 0x6350.
6964 @end smallexample
6965
6966 @noindent
6967 @cindex code address and its source line
6968 We can also inquire (using @code{*@var{addr}} as the form for
6969 @var{linespec}) what source line covers a particular address:
6970 @smallexample
6971 (@value{GDBP}) info line *0x63ff
6972 Line 926 of "builtin.c" starts at pc 0x63e4 and ends at 0x6404.
6973 @end smallexample
6974
6975 @cindex @code{$_} and @code{info line}
6976 @cindex @code{x} command, default address
6977 @kindex x@r{(examine), and} info line
6978 After @code{info line}, the default address for the @code{x} command
6979 is changed to the starting address of the line, so that @samp{x/i} is
6980 sufficient to begin examining the machine code (@pxref{Memory,
6981 ,Examining Memory}). Also, this address is saved as the value of the
6982 convenience variable @code{$_} (@pxref{Convenience Vars, ,Convenience
6983 Variables}).
6984
6985 @table @code
6986 @kindex disassemble
6987 @cindex assembly instructions
6988 @cindex instructions, assembly
6989 @cindex machine instructions
6990 @cindex listing machine instructions
6991 @item disassemble
6992 @itemx disassemble /m
6993 @itemx disassemble /r
6994 This specialized command dumps a range of memory as machine
6995 instructions. It can also print mixed source+disassembly by specifying
6996 the @code{/m} modifier and print the raw instructions in hex as well as
6997 in symbolic form by specifying the @code{/r}.
6998 The default memory range is the function surrounding the
6999 program counter of the selected frame. A single argument to this
7000 command is a program counter value; @value{GDBN} dumps the function
7001 surrounding this value. When two arguments are given, they should
7002 be separated by a comma, possibly surrounded by whitespace. The
7003 arguments specify a range of addresses to dump, in one of two forms:
7004
7005 @table @code
7006 @item @var{start},@var{end}
7007 the addresses from @var{start} (inclusive) to @var{end} (exclusive)
7008 @item @var{start},+@var{length}
7009 the addresses from @var{start} (inclusive) to
7010 @code{@var{start}+@var{length}} (exclusive).
7011 @end table
7012
7013 @noindent
7014 When 2 arguments are specified, the name of the function is also
7015 printed (since there could be several functions in the given range).
7016
7017 The argument(s) can be any expression yielding a numeric value, such as
7018 @samp{0x32c4}, @samp{&main+10} or @samp{$pc - 8}.
7019
7020 If the range of memory being disassembled contains current program counter,
7021 the instruction at that location is shown with a @code{=>} marker.
7022 @end table
7023
7024 The following example shows the disassembly of a range of addresses of
7025 HP PA-RISC 2.0 code:
7026
7027 @smallexample
7028 (@value{GDBP}) disas 0x32c4, 0x32e4
7029 Dump of assembler code from 0x32c4 to 0x32e4:
7030 0x32c4 <main+204>: addil 0,dp
7031 0x32c8 <main+208>: ldw 0x22c(sr0,r1),r26
7032 0x32cc <main+212>: ldil 0x3000,r31
7033 0x32d0 <main+216>: ble 0x3f8(sr4,r31)
7034 0x32d4 <main+220>: ldo 0(r31),rp
7035 0x32d8 <main+224>: addil -0x800,dp
7036 0x32dc <main+228>: ldo 0x588(r1),r26
7037 0x32e0 <main+232>: ldil 0x3000,r31
7038 End of assembler dump.
7039 @end smallexample
7040
7041 Here is an example showing mixed source+assembly for Intel x86, when the
7042 program is stopped just after function prologue:
7043
7044 @smallexample
7045 (@value{GDBP}) disas /m main
7046 Dump of assembler code for function main:
7047 5 @{
7048 0x08048330 <+0>: push %ebp
7049 0x08048331 <+1>: mov %esp,%ebp
7050 0x08048333 <+3>: sub $0x8,%esp
7051 0x08048336 <+6>: and $0xfffffff0,%esp
7052 0x08048339 <+9>: sub $0x10,%esp
7053
7054 6 printf ("Hello.\n");
7055 => 0x0804833c <+12>: movl $0x8048440,(%esp)
7056 0x08048343 <+19>: call 0x8048284 <puts@@plt>
7057
7058 7 return 0;
7059 8 @}
7060 0x08048348 <+24>: mov $0x0,%eax
7061 0x0804834d <+29>: leave
7062 0x0804834e <+30>: ret
7063
7064 End of assembler dump.
7065 @end smallexample
7066
7067 Here is another example showing raw instructions in hex for AMD x86-64,
7068
7069 @smallexample
7070 (gdb) disas /r 0x400281,+10
7071 Dump of assembler code from 0x400281 to 0x40028b:
7072 0x0000000000400281: 38 36 cmp %dh,(%rsi)
7073 0x0000000000400283: 2d 36 34 2e 73 sub $0x732e3436,%eax
7074 0x0000000000400288: 6f outsl %ds:(%rsi),(%dx)
7075 0x0000000000400289: 2e 32 00 xor %cs:(%rax),%al
7076 End of assembler dump.
7077 @end smallexample
7078
7079 Some architectures have more than one commonly-used set of instruction
7080 mnemonics or other syntax.
7081
7082 For programs that were dynamically linked and use shared libraries,
7083 instructions that call functions or branch to locations in the shared
7084 libraries might show a seemingly bogus location---it's actually a
7085 location of the relocation table. On some architectures, @value{GDBN}
7086 might be able to resolve these to actual function names.
7087
7088 @table @code
7089 @kindex set disassembly-flavor
7090 @cindex Intel disassembly flavor
7091 @cindex AT&T disassembly flavor
7092 @item set disassembly-flavor @var{instruction-set}
7093 Select the instruction set to use when disassembling the
7094 program via the @code{disassemble} or @code{x/i} commands.
7095
7096 Currently this command is only defined for the Intel x86 family. You
7097 can set @var{instruction-set} to either @code{intel} or @code{att}.
7098 The default is @code{att}, the AT&T flavor used by default by Unix
7099 assemblers for x86-based targets.
7100
7101 @kindex show disassembly-flavor
7102 @item show disassembly-flavor
7103 Show the current setting of the disassembly flavor.
7104 @end table
7105
7106 @table @code
7107 @kindex set disassemble-next-line
7108 @kindex show disassemble-next-line
7109 @item set disassemble-next-line
7110 @itemx show disassemble-next-line
7111 Control whether or not @value{GDBN} will disassemble the next source
7112 line or instruction when execution stops. If ON, @value{GDBN} will
7113 display disassembly of the next source line when execution of the
7114 program being debugged stops. This is @emph{in addition} to
7115 displaying the source line itself, which @value{GDBN} always does if
7116 possible. If the next source line cannot be displayed for some reason
7117 (e.g., if @value{GDBN} cannot find the source file, or there's no line
7118 info in the debug info), @value{GDBN} will display disassembly of the
7119 next @emph{instruction} instead of showing the next source line. If
7120 AUTO, @value{GDBN} will display disassembly of next instruction only
7121 if the source line cannot be displayed. This setting causes
7122 @value{GDBN} to display some feedback when you step through a function
7123 with no line info or whose source file is unavailable. The default is
7124 OFF, which means never display the disassembly of the next line or
7125 instruction.
7126 @end table
7127
7128
7129 @node Data
7130 @chapter Examining Data
7131
7132 @cindex printing data
7133 @cindex examining data
7134 @kindex print
7135 @kindex inspect
7136 @c "inspect" is not quite a synonym if you are using Epoch, which we do not
7137 @c document because it is nonstandard... Under Epoch it displays in a
7138 @c different window or something like that.
7139 The usual way to examine data in your program is with the @code{print}
7140 command (abbreviated @code{p}), or its synonym @code{inspect}. It
7141 evaluates and prints the value of an expression of the language your
7142 program is written in (@pxref{Languages, ,Using @value{GDBN} with
7143 Different Languages}). It may also print the expression using a
7144 Python-based pretty-printer (@pxref{Pretty Printing}).
7145
7146 @table @code
7147 @item print @var{expr}
7148 @itemx print /@var{f} @var{expr}
7149 @var{expr} is an expression (in the source language). By default the
7150 value of @var{expr} is printed in a format appropriate to its data type;
7151 you can choose a different format by specifying @samp{/@var{f}}, where
7152 @var{f} is a letter specifying the format; see @ref{Output Formats,,Output
7153 Formats}.
7154
7155 @item print
7156 @itemx print /@var{f}
7157 @cindex reprint the last value
7158 If you omit @var{expr}, @value{GDBN} displays the last value again (from the
7159 @dfn{value history}; @pxref{Value History, ,Value History}). This allows you to
7160 conveniently inspect the same value in an alternative format.
7161 @end table
7162
7163 A more low-level way of examining data is with the @code{x} command.
7164 It examines data in memory at a specified address and prints it in a
7165 specified format. @xref{Memory, ,Examining Memory}.
7166
7167 If you are interested in information about types, or about how the
7168 fields of a struct or a class are declared, use the @code{ptype @var{exp}}
7169 command rather than @code{print}. @xref{Symbols, ,Examining the Symbol
7170 Table}.
7171
7172 @menu
7173 * Expressions:: Expressions
7174 * Ambiguous Expressions:: Ambiguous Expressions
7175 * Variables:: Program variables
7176 * Arrays:: Artificial arrays
7177 * Output Formats:: Output formats
7178 * Memory:: Examining memory
7179 * Auto Display:: Automatic display
7180 * Print Settings:: Print settings
7181 * Pretty Printing:: Python pretty printing
7182 * Value History:: Value history
7183 * Convenience Vars:: Convenience variables
7184 * Registers:: Registers
7185 * Floating Point Hardware:: Floating point hardware
7186 * Vector Unit:: Vector Unit
7187 * OS Information:: Auxiliary data provided by operating system
7188 * Memory Region Attributes:: Memory region attributes
7189 * Dump/Restore Files:: Copy between memory and a file
7190 * Core File Generation:: Cause a program dump its core
7191 * Character Sets:: Debugging programs that use a different
7192 character set than GDB does
7193 * Caching Remote Data:: Data caching for remote targets
7194 * Searching Memory:: Searching memory for a sequence of bytes
7195 @end menu
7196
7197 @node Expressions
7198 @section Expressions
7199
7200 @cindex expressions
7201 @code{print} and many other @value{GDBN} commands accept an expression and
7202 compute its value. Any kind of constant, variable or operator defined
7203 by the programming language you are using is valid in an expression in
7204 @value{GDBN}. This includes conditional expressions, function calls,
7205 casts, and string constants. It also includes preprocessor macros, if
7206 you compiled your program to include this information; see
7207 @ref{Compilation}.
7208
7209 @cindex arrays in expressions
7210 @value{GDBN} supports array constants in expressions input by
7211 the user. The syntax is @{@var{element}, @var{element}@dots{}@}. For example,
7212 you can use the command @code{print @{1, 2, 3@}} to create an array
7213 of three integers. If you pass an array to a function or assign it
7214 to a program variable, @value{GDBN} copies the array to memory that
7215 is @code{malloc}ed in the target program.
7216
7217 Because C is so widespread, most of the expressions shown in examples in
7218 this manual are in C. @xref{Languages, , Using @value{GDBN} with Different
7219 Languages}, for information on how to use expressions in other
7220 languages.
7221
7222 In this section, we discuss operators that you can use in @value{GDBN}
7223 expressions regardless of your programming language.
7224
7225 @cindex casts, in expressions
7226 Casts are supported in all languages, not just in C, because it is so
7227 useful to cast a number into a pointer in order to examine a structure
7228 at that address in memory.
7229 @c FIXME: casts supported---Mod2 true?
7230
7231 @value{GDBN} supports these operators, in addition to those common
7232 to programming languages:
7233
7234 @table @code
7235 @item @@
7236 @samp{@@} is a binary operator for treating parts of memory as arrays.
7237 @xref{Arrays, ,Artificial Arrays}, for more information.
7238
7239 @item ::
7240 @samp{::} allows you to specify a variable in terms of the file or
7241 function where it is defined. @xref{Variables, ,Program Variables}.
7242
7243 @cindex @{@var{type}@}
7244 @cindex type casting memory
7245 @cindex memory, viewing as typed object
7246 @cindex casts, to view memory
7247 @item @{@var{type}@} @var{addr}
7248 Refers to an object of type @var{type} stored at address @var{addr} in
7249 memory. @var{addr} may be any expression whose value is an integer or
7250 pointer (but parentheses are required around binary operators, just as in
7251 a cast). This construct is allowed regardless of what kind of data is
7252 normally supposed to reside at @var{addr}.
7253 @end table
7254
7255 @node Ambiguous Expressions
7256 @section Ambiguous Expressions
7257 @cindex ambiguous expressions
7258
7259 Expressions can sometimes contain some ambiguous elements. For instance,
7260 some programming languages (notably Ada, C@t{++} and Objective-C) permit
7261 a single function name to be defined several times, for application in
7262 different contexts. This is called @dfn{overloading}. Another example
7263 involving Ada is generics. A @dfn{generic package} is similar to C@t{++}
7264 templates and is typically instantiated several times, resulting in
7265 the same function name being defined in different contexts.
7266
7267 In some cases and depending on the language, it is possible to adjust
7268 the expression to remove the ambiguity. For instance in C@t{++}, you
7269 can specify the signature of the function you want to break on, as in
7270 @kbd{break @var{function}(@var{types})}. In Ada, using the fully
7271 qualified name of your function often makes the expression unambiguous
7272 as well.
7273
7274 When an ambiguity that needs to be resolved is detected, the debugger
7275 has the capability to display a menu of numbered choices for each
7276 possibility, and then waits for the selection with the prompt @samp{>}.
7277 The first option is always @samp{[0] cancel}, and typing @kbd{0 @key{RET}}
7278 aborts the current command. If the command in which the expression was
7279 used allows more than one choice to be selected, the next option in the
7280 menu is @samp{[1] all}, and typing @kbd{1 @key{RET}} selects all possible
7281 choices.
7282
7283 For example, the following session excerpt shows an attempt to set a
7284 breakpoint at the overloaded symbol @code{String::after}.
7285 We choose three particular definitions of that function name:
7286
7287 @c FIXME! This is likely to change to show arg type lists, at least
7288 @smallexample
7289 @group
7290 (@value{GDBP}) b String::after
7291 [0] cancel
7292 [1] all
7293 [2] file:String.cc; line number:867
7294 [3] file:String.cc; line number:860
7295 [4] file:String.cc; line number:875
7296 [5] file:String.cc; line number:853
7297 [6] file:String.cc; line number:846
7298 [7] file:String.cc; line number:735
7299 > 2 4 6
7300 Breakpoint 1 at 0xb26c: file String.cc, line 867.
7301 Breakpoint 2 at 0xb344: file String.cc, line 875.
7302 Breakpoint 3 at 0xafcc: file String.cc, line 846.
7303 Multiple breakpoints were set.
7304 Use the "delete" command to delete unwanted
7305 breakpoints.
7306 (@value{GDBP})
7307 @end group
7308 @end smallexample
7309
7310 @table @code
7311 @kindex set multiple-symbols
7312 @item set multiple-symbols @var{mode}
7313 @cindex multiple-symbols menu
7314
7315 This option allows you to adjust the debugger behavior when an expression
7316 is ambiguous.
7317
7318 By default, @var{mode} is set to @code{all}. If the command with which
7319 the expression is used allows more than one choice, then @value{GDBN}
7320 automatically selects all possible choices. For instance, inserting
7321 a breakpoint on a function using an ambiguous name results in a breakpoint
7322 inserted on each possible match. However, if a unique choice must be made,
7323 then @value{GDBN} uses the menu to help you disambiguate the expression.
7324 For instance, printing the address of an overloaded function will result
7325 in the use of the menu.
7326
7327 When @var{mode} is set to @code{ask}, the debugger always uses the menu
7328 when an ambiguity is detected.
7329
7330 Finally, when @var{mode} is set to @code{cancel}, the debugger reports
7331 an error due to the ambiguity and the command is aborted.
7332
7333 @kindex show multiple-symbols
7334 @item show multiple-symbols
7335 Show the current value of the @code{multiple-symbols} setting.
7336 @end table
7337
7338 @node Variables
7339 @section Program Variables
7340
7341 The most common kind of expression to use is the name of a variable
7342 in your program.
7343
7344 Variables in expressions are understood in the selected stack frame
7345 (@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}); they must be either:
7346
7347 @itemize @bullet
7348 @item
7349 global (or file-static)
7350 @end itemize
7351
7352 @noindent or
7353
7354 @itemize @bullet
7355 @item
7356 visible according to the scope rules of the
7357 programming language from the point of execution in that frame
7358 @end itemize
7359
7360 @noindent This means that in the function
7361
7362 @smallexample
7363 foo (a)
7364 int a;
7365 @{
7366 bar (a);
7367 @{
7368 int b = test ();
7369 bar (b);
7370 @}
7371 @}
7372 @end smallexample
7373
7374 @noindent
7375 you can examine and use the variable @code{a} whenever your program is
7376 executing within the function @code{foo}, but you can only use or
7377 examine the variable @code{b} while your program is executing inside
7378 the block where @code{b} is declared.
7379
7380 @cindex variable name conflict
7381 There is an exception: you can refer to a variable or function whose
7382 scope is a single source file even if the current execution point is not
7383 in this file. But it is possible to have more than one such variable or
7384 function with the same name (in different source files). If that
7385 happens, referring to that name has unpredictable effects. If you wish,
7386 you can specify a static variable in a particular function or file by
7387 using the colon-colon (@code{::}) notation:
7388
7389 @cindex colon-colon, context for variables/functions
7390 @ifnotinfo
7391 @c info cannot cope with a :: index entry, but why deprive hard copy readers?
7392 @cindex @code{::}, context for variables/functions
7393 @end ifnotinfo
7394 @smallexample
7395 @var{file}::@var{variable}
7396 @var{function}::@var{variable}
7397 @end smallexample
7398
7399 @noindent
7400 Here @var{file} or @var{function} is the name of the context for the
7401 static @var{variable}. In the case of file names, you can use quotes to
7402 make sure @value{GDBN} parses the file name as a single word---for example,
7403 to print a global value of @code{x} defined in @file{f2.c}:
7404
7405 @smallexample
7406 (@value{GDBP}) p 'f2.c'::x
7407 @end smallexample
7408
7409 The @code{::} notation is normally used for referring to
7410 static variables, since you typically disambiguate uses of local variables
7411 in functions by selecting the appropriate frame and using the
7412 simple name of the variable. However, you may also use this notation
7413 to refer to local variables in frames enclosing the selected frame:
7414
7415 @smallexample
7416 void
7417 foo (int a)
7418 @{
7419 if (a < 10)
7420 bar (a);
7421 else
7422 process (a); /* Stop here */
7423 @}
7424
7425 int
7426 bar (int a)
7427 @{
7428 foo (a + 5);
7429 @}
7430 @end smallexample
7431
7432 @noindent
7433 For example, if there is a breakpoint at the commented line,
7434 here is what you might see
7435 when the program stops after executing the call @code{bar(0)}:
7436
7437 @smallexample
7438 (@value{GDBP}) p a
7439 $1 = 10
7440 (@value{GDBP}) p bar::a
7441 $2 = 5
7442 (@value{GDBP}) up 2
7443 #2 0x080483d0 in foo (a=5) at foobar.c:12
7444 (@value{GDBP}) p a
7445 $3 = 5
7446 (@value{GDBP}) p bar::a
7447 $4 = 0
7448 @end smallexample
7449
7450 @cindex C@t{++} scope resolution
7451 These uses of @samp{::} are very rarely in conflict with the very similar
7452 use of the same notation in C@t{++}. @value{GDBN} also supports use of the C@t{++}
7453 scope resolution operator in @value{GDBN} expressions.
7454 @c FIXME: Um, so what happens in one of those rare cases where it's in
7455 @c conflict?? --mew
7456
7457 @cindex wrong values
7458 @cindex variable values, wrong
7459 @cindex function entry/exit, wrong values of variables
7460 @cindex optimized code, wrong values of variables
7461 @quotation
7462 @emph{Warning:} Occasionally, a local variable may appear to have the
7463 wrong value at certain points in a function---just after entry to a new
7464 scope, and just before exit.
7465 @end quotation
7466 You may see this problem when you are stepping by machine instructions.
7467 This is because, on most machines, it takes more than one instruction to
7468 set up a stack frame (including local variable definitions); if you are
7469 stepping by machine instructions, variables may appear to have the wrong
7470 values until the stack frame is completely built. On exit, it usually
7471 also takes more than one machine instruction to destroy a stack frame;
7472 after you begin stepping through that group of instructions, local
7473 variable definitions may be gone.
7474
7475 This may also happen when the compiler does significant optimizations.
7476 To be sure of always seeing accurate values, turn off all optimization
7477 when compiling.
7478
7479 @cindex ``No symbol "foo" in current context''
7480 Another possible effect of compiler optimizations is to optimize
7481 unused variables out of existence, or assign variables to registers (as
7482 opposed to memory addresses). Depending on the support for such cases
7483 offered by the debug info format used by the compiler, @value{GDBN}
7484 might not be able to display values for such local variables. If that
7485 happens, @value{GDBN} will print a message like this:
7486
7487 @smallexample
7488 No symbol "foo" in current context.
7489 @end smallexample
7490
7491 To solve such problems, either recompile without optimizations, or use a
7492 different debug info format, if the compiler supports several such
7493 formats. @xref{Compilation}, for more information on choosing compiler
7494 options. @xref{C, ,C and C@t{++}}, for more information about debug
7495 info formats that are best suited to C@t{++} programs.
7496
7497 If you ask to print an object whose contents are unknown to
7498 @value{GDBN}, e.g., because its data type is not completely specified
7499 by the debug information, @value{GDBN} will say @samp{<incomplete
7500 type>}. @xref{Symbols, incomplete type}, for more about this.
7501
7502 If you append @kbd{@@entry} string to a function parameter name you get its
7503 value at the time the function got called. If the value is not available an
7504 error message is printed. Entry values are available only with some compilers.
7505 Entry values are normally also printed at the function parameter list according
7506 to @ref{set print entry-values}.
7507
7508 @smallexample
7509 Breakpoint 1, d (i=30) at gdb.base/entry-value.c:29
7510 29 i++;
7511 (gdb) next
7512 30 e (i);
7513 (gdb) print i
7514 $1 = 31
7515 (gdb) print i@@entry
7516 $2 = 30
7517 @end smallexample
7518
7519 Strings are identified as arrays of @code{char} values without specified
7520 signedness. Arrays of either @code{signed char} or @code{unsigned char} get
7521 printed as arrays of 1 byte sized integers. @code{-fsigned-char} or
7522 @code{-funsigned-char} @value{NGCC} options have no effect as @value{GDBN}
7523 defines literal string type @code{"char"} as @code{char} without a sign.
7524 For program code
7525
7526 @smallexample
7527 char var0[] = "A";
7528 signed char var1[] = "A";
7529 @end smallexample
7530
7531 You get during debugging
7532 @smallexample
7533 (gdb) print var0
7534 $1 = "A"
7535 (gdb) print var1
7536 $2 = @{65 'A', 0 '\0'@}
7537 @end smallexample
7538
7539 @node Arrays
7540 @section Artificial Arrays
7541
7542 @cindex artificial array
7543 @cindex arrays
7544 @kindex @@@r{, referencing memory as an array}
7545 It is often useful to print out several successive objects of the
7546 same type in memory; a section of an array, or an array of
7547 dynamically determined size for which only a pointer exists in the
7548 program.
7549
7550 You can do this by referring to a contiguous span of memory as an
7551 @dfn{artificial array}, using the binary operator @samp{@@}. The left
7552 operand of @samp{@@} should be the first element of the desired array
7553 and be an individual object. The right operand should be the desired length
7554 of the array. The result is an array value whose elements are all of
7555 the type of the left argument. The first element is actually the left
7556 argument; the second element comes from bytes of memory immediately
7557 following those that hold the first element, and so on. Here is an
7558 example. If a program says
7559
7560 @smallexample
7561 int *array = (int *) malloc (len * sizeof (int));
7562 @end smallexample
7563
7564 @noindent
7565 you can print the contents of @code{array} with
7566
7567 @smallexample
7568 p *array@@len
7569 @end smallexample
7570
7571 The left operand of @samp{@@} must reside in memory. Array values made
7572 with @samp{@@} in this way behave just like other arrays in terms of
7573 subscripting, and are coerced to pointers when used in expressions.
7574 Artificial arrays most often appear in expressions via the value history
7575 (@pxref{Value History, ,Value History}), after printing one out.
7576
7577 Another way to create an artificial array is to use a cast.
7578 This re-interprets a value as if it were an array.
7579 The value need not be in memory:
7580 @smallexample
7581 (@value{GDBP}) p/x (short[2])0x12345678
7582 $1 = @{0x1234, 0x5678@}
7583 @end smallexample
7584
7585 As a convenience, if you leave the array length out (as in
7586 @samp{(@var{type}[])@var{value}}) @value{GDBN} calculates the size to fill
7587 the value (as @samp{sizeof(@var{value})/sizeof(@var{type})}:
7588 @smallexample
7589 (@value{GDBP}) p/x (short[])0x12345678
7590 $2 = @{0x1234, 0x5678@}
7591 @end smallexample
7592
7593 Sometimes the artificial array mechanism is not quite enough; in
7594 moderately complex data structures, the elements of interest may not
7595 actually be adjacent---for example, if you are interested in the values
7596 of pointers in an array. One useful work-around in this situation is
7597 to use a convenience variable (@pxref{Convenience Vars, ,Convenience
7598 Variables}) as a counter in an expression that prints the first
7599 interesting value, and then repeat that expression via @key{RET}. For
7600 instance, suppose you have an array @code{dtab} of pointers to
7601 structures, and you are interested in the values of a field @code{fv}
7602 in each structure. Here is an example of what you might type:
7603
7604 @smallexample
7605 set $i = 0
7606 p dtab[$i++]->fv
7607 @key{RET}
7608 @key{RET}
7609 @dots{}
7610 @end smallexample
7611
7612 @node Output Formats
7613 @section Output Formats
7614
7615 @cindex formatted output
7616 @cindex output formats
7617 By default, @value{GDBN} prints a value according to its data type. Sometimes
7618 this is not what you want. For example, you might want to print a number
7619 in hex, or a pointer in decimal. Or you might want to view data in memory
7620 at a certain address as a character string or as an instruction. To do
7621 these things, specify an @dfn{output format} when you print a value.
7622
7623 The simplest use of output formats is to say how to print a value
7624 already computed. This is done by starting the arguments of the
7625 @code{print} command with a slash and a format letter. The format
7626 letters supported are:
7627
7628 @table @code
7629 @item x
7630 Regard the bits of the value as an integer, and print the integer in
7631 hexadecimal.
7632
7633 @item d
7634 Print as integer in signed decimal.
7635
7636 @item u
7637 Print as integer in unsigned decimal.
7638
7639 @item o
7640 Print as integer in octal.
7641
7642 @item t
7643 Print as integer in binary. The letter @samp{t} stands for ``two''.
7644 @footnote{@samp{b} cannot be used because these format letters are also
7645 used with the @code{x} command, where @samp{b} stands for ``byte'';
7646 see @ref{Memory,,Examining Memory}.}
7647
7648 @item a
7649 @cindex unknown address, locating
7650 @cindex locate address
7651 Print as an address, both absolute in hexadecimal and as an offset from
7652 the nearest preceding symbol. You can use this format used to discover
7653 where (in what function) an unknown address is located:
7654
7655 @smallexample
7656 (@value{GDBP}) p/a 0x54320
7657 $3 = 0x54320 <_initialize_vx+396>
7658 @end smallexample
7659
7660 @noindent
7661 The command @code{info symbol 0x54320} yields similar results.
7662 @xref{Symbols, info symbol}.
7663
7664 @item c
7665 Regard as an integer and print it as a character constant. This
7666 prints both the numerical value and its character representation. The
7667 character representation is replaced with the octal escape @samp{\nnn}
7668 for characters outside the 7-bit @sc{ascii} range.
7669
7670 Without this format, @value{GDBN} displays @code{char},
7671 @w{@code{unsigned char}}, and @w{@code{signed char}} data as character
7672 constants. Single-byte members of vectors are displayed as integer
7673 data.
7674
7675 @item f
7676 Regard the bits of the value as a floating point number and print
7677 using typical floating point syntax.
7678
7679 @item s
7680 @cindex printing strings
7681 @cindex printing byte arrays
7682 Regard as a string, if possible. With this format, pointers to single-byte
7683 data are displayed as null-terminated strings and arrays of single-byte data
7684 are displayed as fixed-length strings. Other values are displayed in their
7685 natural types.
7686
7687 Without this format, @value{GDBN} displays pointers to and arrays of
7688 @code{char}, @w{@code{unsigned char}}, and @w{@code{signed char}} as
7689 strings. Single-byte members of a vector are displayed as an integer
7690 array.
7691
7692 @item r
7693 @cindex raw printing
7694 Print using the @samp{raw} formatting. By default, @value{GDBN} will
7695 use a Python-based pretty-printer, if one is available (@pxref{Pretty
7696 Printing}). This typically results in a higher-level display of the
7697 value's contents. The @samp{r} format bypasses any Python
7698 pretty-printer which might exist.
7699 @end table
7700
7701 For example, to print the program counter in hex (@pxref{Registers}), type
7702
7703 @smallexample
7704 p/x $pc
7705 @end smallexample
7706
7707 @noindent
7708 Note that no space is required before the slash; this is because command
7709 names in @value{GDBN} cannot contain a slash.
7710
7711 To reprint the last value in the value history with a different format,
7712 you can use the @code{print} command with just a format and no
7713 expression. For example, @samp{p/x} reprints the last value in hex.
7714
7715 @node Memory
7716 @section Examining Memory
7717
7718 You can use the command @code{x} (for ``examine'') to examine memory in
7719 any of several formats, independently of your program's data types.
7720
7721 @cindex examining memory
7722 @table @code
7723 @kindex x @r{(examine memory)}
7724 @item x/@var{nfu} @var{addr}
7725 @itemx x @var{addr}
7726 @itemx x
7727 Use the @code{x} command to examine memory.
7728 @end table
7729
7730 @var{n}, @var{f}, and @var{u} are all optional parameters that specify how
7731 much memory to display and how to format it; @var{addr} is an
7732 expression giving the address where you want to start displaying memory.
7733 If you use defaults for @var{nfu}, you need not type the slash @samp{/}.
7734 Several commands set convenient defaults for @var{addr}.
7735
7736 @table @r
7737 @item @var{n}, the repeat count
7738 The repeat count is a decimal integer; the default is 1. It specifies
7739 how much memory (counting by units @var{u}) to display.
7740 @c This really is **decimal**; unaffected by 'set radix' as of GDB
7741 @c 4.1.2.
7742
7743 @item @var{f}, the display format
7744 The display format is one of the formats used by @code{print}
7745 (@samp{x}, @samp{d}, @samp{u}, @samp{o}, @samp{t}, @samp{a}, @samp{c},
7746 @samp{f}, @samp{s}), and in addition @samp{i} (for machine instructions).
7747 The default is @samp{x} (hexadecimal) initially. The default changes
7748 each time you use either @code{x} or @code{print}.
7749
7750 @item @var{u}, the unit size
7751 The unit size is any of
7752
7753 @table @code
7754 @item b
7755 Bytes.
7756 @item h
7757 Halfwords (two bytes).
7758 @item w
7759 Words (four bytes). This is the initial default.
7760 @item g
7761 Giant words (eight bytes).
7762 @end table
7763
7764 Each time you specify a unit size with @code{x}, that size becomes the
7765 default unit the next time you use @code{x}. For the @samp{i} format,
7766 the unit size is ignored and is normally not written. For the @samp{s} format,
7767 the unit size defaults to @samp{b}, unless it is explicitly given.
7768 Use @kbd{x /hs} to display 16-bit char strings and @kbd{x /ws} to display
7769 32-bit strings. The next use of @kbd{x /s} will again display 8-bit strings.
7770 Note that the results depend on the programming language of the
7771 current compilation unit. If the language is C, the @samp{s}
7772 modifier will use the UTF-16 encoding while @samp{w} will use
7773 UTF-32. The encoding is set by the programming language and cannot
7774 be altered.
7775
7776 @item @var{addr}, starting display address
7777 @var{addr} is the address where you want @value{GDBN} to begin displaying
7778 memory. The expression need not have a pointer value (though it may);
7779 it is always interpreted as an integer address of a byte of memory.
7780 @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}, for more information on expressions. The default for
7781 @var{addr} is usually just after the last address examined---but several
7782 other commands also set the default address: @code{info breakpoints} (to
7783 the address of the last breakpoint listed), @code{info line} (to the
7784 starting address of a line), and @code{print} (if you use it to display
7785 a value from memory).
7786 @end table
7787
7788 For example, @samp{x/3uh 0x54320} is a request to display three halfwords
7789 (@code{h}) of memory, formatted as unsigned decimal integers (@samp{u}),
7790 starting at address @code{0x54320}. @samp{x/4xw $sp} prints the four
7791 words (@samp{w}) of memory above the stack pointer (here, @samp{$sp};
7792 @pxref{Registers, ,Registers}) in hexadecimal (@samp{x}).
7793
7794 Since the letters indicating unit sizes are all distinct from the
7795 letters specifying output formats, you do not have to remember whether
7796 unit size or format comes first; either order works. The output
7797 specifications @samp{4xw} and @samp{4wx} mean exactly the same thing.
7798 (However, the count @var{n} must come first; @samp{wx4} does not work.)
7799
7800 Even though the unit size @var{u} is ignored for the formats @samp{s}
7801 and @samp{i}, you might still want to use a count @var{n}; for example,
7802 @samp{3i} specifies that you want to see three machine instructions,
7803 including any operands. For convenience, especially when used with
7804 the @code{display} command, the @samp{i} format also prints branch delay
7805 slot instructions, if any, beyond the count specified, which immediately
7806 follow the last instruction that is within the count. The command
7807 @code{disassemble} gives an alternative way of inspecting machine
7808 instructions; see @ref{Machine Code,,Source and Machine Code}.
7809
7810 All the defaults for the arguments to @code{x} are designed to make it
7811 easy to continue scanning memory with minimal specifications each time
7812 you use @code{x}. For example, after you have inspected three machine
7813 instructions with @samp{x/3i @var{addr}}, you can inspect the next seven
7814 with just @samp{x/7}. If you use @key{RET} to repeat the @code{x} command,
7815 the repeat count @var{n} is used again; the other arguments default as
7816 for successive uses of @code{x}.
7817
7818 When examining machine instructions, the instruction at current program
7819 counter is shown with a @code{=>} marker. For example:
7820
7821 @smallexample
7822 (@value{GDBP}) x/5i $pc-6
7823 0x804837f <main+11>: mov %esp,%ebp
7824 0x8048381 <main+13>: push %ecx
7825 0x8048382 <main+14>: sub $0x4,%esp
7826 => 0x8048385 <main+17>: movl $0x8048460,(%esp)
7827 0x804838c <main+24>: call 0x80482d4 <puts@@plt>
7828 @end smallexample
7829
7830 @cindex @code{$_}, @code{$__}, and value history
7831 The addresses and contents printed by the @code{x} command are not saved
7832 in the value history because there is often too much of them and they
7833 would get in the way. Instead, @value{GDBN} makes these values available for
7834 subsequent use in expressions as values of the convenience variables
7835 @code{$_} and @code{$__}. After an @code{x} command, the last address
7836 examined is available for use in expressions in the convenience variable
7837 @code{$_}. The contents of that address, as examined, are available in
7838 the convenience variable @code{$__}.
7839
7840 If the @code{x} command has a repeat count, the address and contents saved
7841 are from the last memory unit printed; this is not the same as the last
7842 address printed if several units were printed on the last line of output.
7843
7844 @cindex remote memory comparison
7845 @cindex verify remote memory image
7846 When you are debugging a program running on a remote target machine
7847 (@pxref{Remote Debugging}), you may wish to verify the program's image in the
7848 remote machine's memory against the executable file you downloaded to
7849 the target. The @code{compare-sections} command is provided for such
7850 situations.
7851
7852 @table @code
7853 @kindex compare-sections
7854 @item compare-sections @r{[}@var{section-name}@r{]}
7855 Compare the data of a loadable section @var{section-name} in the
7856 executable file of the program being debugged with the same section in
7857 the remote machine's memory, and report any mismatches. With no
7858 arguments, compares all loadable sections. This command's
7859 availability depends on the target's support for the @code{"qCRC"}
7860 remote request.
7861 @end table
7862
7863 @node Auto Display
7864 @section Automatic Display
7865 @cindex automatic display
7866 @cindex display of expressions
7867
7868 If you find that you want to print the value of an expression frequently
7869 (to see how it changes), you might want to add it to the @dfn{automatic
7870 display list} so that @value{GDBN} prints its value each time your program stops.
7871 Each expression added to the list is given a number to identify it;
7872 to remove an expression from the list, you specify that number.
7873 The automatic display looks like this:
7874
7875 @smallexample
7876 2: foo = 38
7877 3: bar[5] = (struct hack *) 0x3804
7878 @end smallexample
7879
7880 @noindent
7881 This display shows item numbers, expressions and their current values. As with
7882 displays you request manually using @code{x} or @code{print}, you can
7883 specify the output format you prefer; in fact, @code{display} decides
7884 whether to use @code{print} or @code{x} depending your format
7885 specification---it uses @code{x} if you specify either the @samp{i}
7886 or @samp{s} format, or a unit size; otherwise it uses @code{print}.
7887
7888 @table @code
7889 @kindex display
7890 @item display @var{expr}
7891 Add the expression @var{expr} to the list of expressions to display
7892 each time your program stops. @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}.
7893
7894 @code{display} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} again after using it.
7895
7896 @item display/@var{fmt} @var{expr}
7897 For @var{fmt} specifying only a display format and not a size or
7898 count, add the expression @var{expr} to the auto-display list but
7899 arrange to display it each time in the specified format @var{fmt}.
7900 @xref{Output Formats,,Output Formats}.
7901
7902 @item display/@var{fmt} @var{addr}
7903 For @var{fmt} @samp{i} or @samp{s}, or including a unit-size or a
7904 number of units, add the expression @var{addr} as a memory address to
7905 be examined each time your program stops. Examining means in effect
7906 doing @samp{x/@var{fmt} @var{addr}}. @xref{Memory, ,Examining Memory}.
7907 @end table
7908
7909 For example, @samp{display/i $pc} can be helpful, to see the machine
7910 instruction about to be executed each time execution stops (@samp{$pc}
7911 is a common name for the program counter; @pxref{Registers, ,Registers}).
7912
7913 @table @code
7914 @kindex delete display
7915 @kindex undisplay
7916 @item undisplay @var{dnums}@dots{}
7917 @itemx delete display @var{dnums}@dots{}
7918 Remove items from the list of expressions to display. Specify the
7919 numbers of the displays that you want affected with the command
7920 argument @var{dnums}. It can be a single display number, one of the
7921 numbers shown in the first field of the @samp{info display} display;
7922 or it could be a range of display numbers, as in @code{2-4}.
7923
7924 @code{undisplay} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} after using it.
7925 (Otherwise you would just get the error @samp{No display number @dots{}}.)
7926
7927 @kindex disable display
7928 @item disable display @var{dnums}@dots{}
7929 Disable the display of item numbers @var{dnums}. A disabled display
7930 item is not printed automatically, but is not forgotten. It may be
7931 enabled again later. Specify the numbers of the displays that you
7932 want affected with the command argument @var{dnums}. It can be a
7933 single display number, one of the numbers shown in the first field of
7934 the @samp{info display} display; or it could be a range of display
7935 numbers, as in @code{2-4}.
7936
7937 @kindex enable display
7938 @item enable display @var{dnums}@dots{}
7939 Enable display of item numbers @var{dnums}. It becomes effective once
7940 again in auto display of its expression, until you specify otherwise.
7941 Specify the numbers of the displays that you want affected with the
7942 command argument @var{dnums}. It can be a single display number, one
7943 of the numbers shown in the first field of the @samp{info display}
7944 display; or it could be a range of display numbers, as in @code{2-4}.
7945
7946 @item display
7947 Display the current values of the expressions on the list, just as is
7948 done when your program stops.
7949
7950 @kindex info display
7951 @item info display
7952 Print the list of expressions previously set up to display
7953 automatically, each one with its item number, but without showing the
7954 values. This includes disabled expressions, which are marked as such.
7955 It also includes expressions which would not be displayed right now
7956 because they refer to automatic variables not currently available.
7957 @end table
7958
7959 @cindex display disabled out of scope
7960 If a display expression refers to local variables, then it does not make
7961 sense outside the lexical context for which it was set up. Such an
7962 expression is disabled when execution enters a context where one of its
7963 variables is not defined. For example, if you give the command
7964 @code{display last_char} while inside a function with an argument
7965 @code{last_char}, @value{GDBN} displays this argument while your program
7966 continues to stop inside that function. When it stops elsewhere---where
7967 there is no variable @code{last_char}---the display is disabled
7968 automatically. The next time your program stops where @code{last_char}
7969 is meaningful, you can enable the display expression once again.
7970
7971 @node Print Settings
7972 @section Print Settings
7973
7974 @cindex format options
7975 @cindex print settings
7976 @value{GDBN} provides the following ways to control how arrays, structures,
7977 and symbols are printed.
7978
7979 @noindent
7980 These settings are useful for debugging programs in any language:
7981
7982 @table @code
7983 @kindex set print
7984 @item set print address
7985 @itemx set print address on
7986 @cindex print/don't print memory addresses
7987 @value{GDBN} prints memory addresses showing the location of stack
7988 traces, structure values, pointer values, breakpoints, and so forth,
7989 even when it also displays the contents of those addresses. The default
7990 is @code{on}. For example, this is what a stack frame display looks like with
7991 @code{set print address on}:
7992
7993 @smallexample
7994 @group
7995 (@value{GDBP}) f
7996 #0 set_quotes (lq=0x34c78 "<<", rq=0x34c88 ">>")
7997 at input.c:530
7998 530 if (lquote != def_lquote)
7999 @end group
8000 @end smallexample
8001
8002 @item set print address off
8003 Do not print addresses when displaying their contents. For example,
8004 this is the same stack frame displayed with @code{set print address off}:
8005
8006 @smallexample
8007 @group
8008 (@value{GDBP}) set print addr off
8009 (@value{GDBP}) f
8010 #0 set_quotes (lq="<<", rq=">>") at input.c:530
8011 530 if (lquote != def_lquote)
8012 @end group
8013 @end smallexample
8014
8015 You can use @samp{set print address off} to eliminate all machine
8016 dependent displays from the @value{GDBN} interface. For example, with
8017 @code{print address off}, you should get the same text for backtraces on
8018 all machines---whether or not they involve pointer arguments.
8019
8020 @kindex show print
8021 @item show print address
8022 Show whether or not addresses are to be printed.
8023 @end table
8024
8025 When @value{GDBN} prints a symbolic address, it normally prints the
8026 closest earlier symbol plus an offset. If that symbol does not uniquely
8027 identify the address (for example, it is a name whose scope is a single
8028 source file), you may need to clarify. One way to do this is with
8029 @code{info line}, for example @samp{info line *0x4537}. Alternately,
8030 you can set @value{GDBN} to print the source file and line number when
8031 it prints a symbolic address:
8032
8033 @table @code
8034 @item set print symbol-filename on
8035 @cindex source file and line of a symbol
8036 @cindex symbol, source file and line
8037 Tell @value{GDBN} to print the source file name and line number of a
8038 symbol in the symbolic form of an address.
8039
8040 @item set print symbol-filename off
8041 Do not print source file name and line number of a symbol. This is the
8042 default.
8043
8044 @item show print symbol-filename
8045 Show whether or not @value{GDBN} will print the source file name and
8046 line number of a symbol in the symbolic form of an address.
8047 @end table
8048
8049 Another situation where it is helpful to show symbol filenames and line
8050 numbers is when disassembling code; @value{GDBN} shows you the line
8051 number and source file that corresponds to each instruction.
8052
8053 Also, you may wish to see the symbolic form only if the address being
8054 printed is reasonably close to the closest earlier symbol:
8055
8056 @table @code
8057 @item set print max-symbolic-offset @var{max-offset}
8058 @cindex maximum value for offset of closest symbol
8059 Tell @value{GDBN} to only display the symbolic form of an address if the
8060 offset between the closest earlier symbol and the address is less than
8061 @var{max-offset}. The default is 0, which tells @value{GDBN}
8062 to always print the symbolic form of an address if any symbol precedes it.
8063
8064 @item show print max-symbolic-offset
8065 Ask how large the maximum offset is that @value{GDBN} prints in a
8066 symbolic address.
8067 @end table
8068
8069 @cindex wild pointer, interpreting
8070 @cindex pointer, finding referent
8071 If you have a pointer and you are not sure where it points, try
8072 @samp{set print symbol-filename on}. Then you can determine the name
8073 and source file location of the variable where it points, using
8074 @samp{p/a @var{pointer}}. This interprets the address in symbolic form.
8075 For example, here @value{GDBN} shows that a variable @code{ptt} points
8076 at another variable @code{t}, defined in @file{hi2.c}:
8077
8078 @smallexample
8079 (@value{GDBP}) set print symbol-filename on
8080 (@value{GDBP}) p/a ptt
8081 $4 = 0xe008 <t in hi2.c>
8082 @end smallexample
8083
8084 @quotation
8085 @emph{Warning:} For pointers that point to a local variable, @samp{p/a}
8086 does not show the symbol name and filename of the referent, even with
8087 the appropriate @code{set print} options turned on.
8088 @end quotation
8089
8090 Other settings control how different kinds of objects are printed:
8091
8092 @table @code
8093 @item set print array
8094 @itemx set print array on
8095 @cindex pretty print arrays
8096 Pretty print arrays. This format is more convenient to read,
8097 but uses more space. The default is off.
8098
8099 @item set print array off
8100 Return to compressed format for arrays.
8101
8102 @item show print array
8103 Show whether compressed or pretty format is selected for displaying
8104 arrays.
8105
8106 @cindex print array indexes
8107 @item set print array-indexes
8108 @itemx set print array-indexes on
8109 Print the index of each element when displaying arrays. May be more
8110 convenient to locate a given element in the array or quickly find the
8111 index of a given element in that printed array. The default is off.
8112
8113 @item set print array-indexes off
8114 Stop printing element indexes when displaying arrays.
8115
8116 @item show print array-indexes
8117 Show whether the index of each element is printed when displaying
8118 arrays.
8119
8120 @item set print elements @var{number-of-elements}
8121 @cindex number of array elements to print
8122 @cindex limit on number of printed array elements
8123 Set a limit on how many elements of an array @value{GDBN} will print.
8124 If @value{GDBN} is printing a large array, it stops printing after it has
8125 printed the number of elements set by the @code{set print elements} command.
8126 This limit also applies to the display of strings.
8127 When @value{GDBN} starts, this limit is set to 200.
8128 Setting @var{number-of-elements} to zero means that the printing is unlimited.
8129
8130 @item show print elements
8131 Display the number of elements of a large array that @value{GDBN} will print.
8132 If the number is 0, then the printing is unlimited.
8133
8134 @item set print frame-arguments @var{value}
8135 @kindex set print frame-arguments
8136 @cindex printing frame argument values
8137 @cindex print all frame argument values
8138 @cindex print frame argument values for scalars only
8139 @cindex do not print frame argument values
8140 This command allows to control how the values of arguments are printed
8141 when the debugger prints a frame (@pxref{Frames}). The possible
8142 values are:
8143
8144 @table @code
8145 @item all
8146 The values of all arguments are printed.
8147
8148 @item scalars
8149 Print the value of an argument only if it is a scalar. The value of more
8150 complex arguments such as arrays, structures, unions, etc, is replaced
8151 by @code{@dots{}}. This is the default. Here is an example where
8152 only scalar arguments are shown:
8153
8154 @smallexample
8155 #1 0x08048361 in call_me (i=3, s=@dots{}, ss=0xbf8d508c, u=@dots{}, e=green)
8156 at frame-args.c:23
8157 @end smallexample
8158
8159 @item none
8160 None of the argument values are printed. Instead, the value of each argument
8161 is replaced by @code{@dots{}}. In this case, the example above now becomes:
8162
8163 @smallexample
8164 #1 0x08048361 in call_me (i=@dots{}, s=@dots{}, ss=@dots{}, u=@dots{}, e=@dots{})
8165 at frame-args.c:23
8166 @end smallexample
8167 @end table
8168
8169 By default, only scalar arguments are printed. This command can be used
8170 to configure the debugger to print the value of all arguments, regardless
8171 of their type. However, it is often advantageous to not print the value
8172 of more complex parameters. For instance, it reduces the amount of
8173 information printed in each frame, making the backtrace more readable.
8174 Also, it improves performance when displaying Ada frames, because
8175 the computation of large arguments can sometimes be CPU-intensive,
8176 especially in large applications. Setting @code{print frame-arguments}
8177 to @code{scalars} (the default) or @code{none} avoids this computation,
8178 thus speeding up the display of each Ada frame.
8179
8180 @item show print frame-arguments
8181 Show how the value of arguments should be displayed when printing a frame.
8182
8183 @anchor{set print entry-values}
8184 @item set print entry-values @var{value}
8185 @kindex set print entry-values
8186 Set printing of frame argument values at function entry. In some cases
8187 @value{GDBN} can determine the value of function argument which was passed by
8188 the function caller, even if the value was modified inside the called function
8189 and therefore is different. With optimized code, the current value could be
8190 unavailable, but the entry value may still be known.
8191
8192 The default value is @code{default} (see below for its description). Older
8193 @value{GDBN} behaved as with the setting @code{no}. Compilers not supporting
8194 this feature will behave in the @code{default} setting the same way as with the
8195 @code{no} setting.
8196
8197 This functionality is currently supported only by DWARF 2 debugging format and
8198 the compiler has to produce @samp{DW_TAG_GNU_call_site} tags. With
8199 @value{NGCC}, you need to specify @option{-O -g} during compilation, to get
8200 this information.
8201
8202 The @var{value} parameter can be one of the following:
8203
8204 @table @code
8205 @item no
8206 Print only actual parameter values, never print values from function entry
8207 point.
8208 @smallexample
8209 #0 equal (val=5)
8210 #0 different (val=6)
8211 #0 lost (val=<optimized out>)
8212 #0 born (val=10)
8213 #0 invalid (val=<optimized out>)
8214 @end smallexample
8215
8216 @item only
8217 Print only parameter values from function entry point. The actual parameter
8218 values are never printed.
8219 @smallexample
8220 #0 equal (val@@entry=5)
8221 #0 different (val@@entry=5)
8222 #0 lost (val@@entry=5)
8223 #0 born (val@@entry=<optimized out>)
8224 #0 invalid (val@@entry=<optimized out>)
8225 @end smallexample
8226
8227 @item preferred
8228 Print only parameter values from function entry point. If value from function
8229 entry point is not known while the actual value is known, print the actual
8230 value for such parameter.
8231 @smallexample
8232 #0 equal (val@@entry=5)
8233 #0 different (val@@entry=5)
8234 #0 lost (val@@entry=5)
8235 #0 born (val=10)
8236 #0 invalid (val@@entry=<optimized out>)
8237 @end smallexample
8238
8239 @item if-needed
8240 Print actual parameter values. If actual parameter value is not known while
8241 value from function entry point is known, print the entry point value for such
8242 parameter.
8243 @smallexample
8244 #0 equal (val=5)
8245 #0 different (val=6)
8246 #0 lost (val@@entry=5)
8247 #0 born (val=10)
8248 #0 invalid (val=<optimized out>)
8249 @end smallexample
8250
8251 @item both
8252 Always print both the actual parameter value and its value from function entry
8253 point, even if values of one or both are not available due to compiler
8254 optimizations.
8255 @smallexample
8256 #0 equal (val=5, val@@entry=5)
8257 #0 different (val=6, val@@entry=5)
8258 #0 lost (val=<optimized out>, val@@entry=5)
8259 #0 born (val=10, val@@entry=<optimized out>)
8260 #0 invalid (val=<optimized out>, val@@entry=<optimized out>)
8261 @end smallexample
8262
8263 @item compact
8264 Print the actual parameter value if it is known and also its value from
8265 function entry point if it is known. If neither is known, print for the actual
8266 value @code{<optimized out>}. If not in MI mode (@pxref{GDB/MI}) and if both
8267 values are known and identical, print the shortened
8268 @code{param=param@@entry=VALUE} notation.
8269 @smallexample
8270 #0 equal (val=val@@entry=5)
8271 #0 different (val=6, val@@entry=5)
8272 #0 lost (val@@entry=5)
8273 #0 born (val=10)
8274 #0 invalid (val=<optimized out>)
8275 @end smallexample
8276
8277 @item default
8278 Always print the actual parameter value. Print also its value from function
8279 entry point, but only if it is known. If not in MI mode (@pxref{GDB/MI}) and
8280 if both values are known and identical, print the shortened
8281 @code{param=param@@entry=VALUE} notation.
8282 @smallexample
8283 #0 equal (val=val@@entry=5)
8284 #0 different (val=6, val@@entry=5)
8285 #0 lost (val=<optimized out>, val@@entry=5)
8286 #0 born (val=10)
8287 #0 invalid (val=<optimized out>)
8288 @end smallexample
8289 @end table
8290
8291 For analysis messages on possible failures of frame argument values at function
8292 entry resolution see @ref{set debug entry-values}.
8293
8294 @item show print entry-values
8295 Show the method being used for printing of frame argument values at function
8296 entry.
8297
8298 @item set print repeats
8299 @cindex repeated array elements
8300 Set the threshold for suppressing display of repeated array
8301 elements. When the number of consecutive identical elements of an
8302 array exceeds the threshold, @value{GDBN} prints the string
8303 @code{"<repeats @var{n} times>"}, where @var{n} is the number of
8304 identical repetitions, instead of displaying the identical elements
8305 themselves. Setting the threshold to zero will cause all elements to
8306 be individually printed. The default threshold is 10.
8307
8308 @item show print repeats
8309 Display the current threshold for printing repeated identical
8310 elements.
8311
8312 @item set print null-stop
8313 @cindex @sc{null} elements in arrays
8314 Cause @value{GDBN} to stop printing the characters of an array when the first
8315 @sc{null} is encountered. This is useful when large arrays actually
8316 contain only short strings.
8317 The default is off.
8318
8319 @item show print null-stop
8320 Show whether @value{GDBN} stops printing an array on the first
8321 @sc{null} character.
8322
8323 @item set print pretty on
8324 @cindex print structures in indented form
8325 @cindex indentation in structure display
8326 Cause @value{GDBN} to print structures in an indented format with one member
8327 per line, like this:
8328
8329 @smallexample
8330 @group
8331 $1 = @{
8332 next = 0x0,
8333 flags = @{
8334 sweet = 1,
8335 sour = 1
8336 @},
8337 meat = 0x54 "Pork"
8338 @}
8339 @end group
8340 @end smallexample
8341
8342 @item set print pretty off
8343 Cause @value{GDBN} to print structures in a compact format, like this:
8344
8345 @smallexample
8346 @group
8347 $1 = @{next = 0x0, flags = @{sweet = 1, sour = 1@}, \
8348 meat = 0x54 "Pork"@}
8349 @end group
8350 @end smallexample
8351
8352 @noindent
8353 This is the default format.
8354
8355 @item show print pretty
8356 Show which format @value{GDBN} is using to print structures.
8357
8358 @item set print sevenbit-strings on
8359 @cindex eight-bit characters in strings
8360 @cindex octal escapes in strings
8361 Print using only seven-bit characters; if this option is set,
8362 @value{GDBN} displays any eight-bit characters (in strings or
8363 character values) using the notation @code{\}@var{nnn}. This setting is
8364 best if you are working in English (@sc{ascii}) and you use the
8365 high-order bit of characters as a marker or ``meta'' bit.
8366
8367 @item set print sevenbit-strings off
8368 Print full eight-bit characters. This allows the use of more
8369 international character sets, and is the default.
8370
8371 @item show print sevenbit-strings
8372 Show whether or not @value{GDBN} is printing only seven-bit characters.
8373
8374 @item set print union on
8375 @cindex unions in structures, printing
8376 Tell @value{GDBN} to print unions which are contained in structures
8377 and other unions. This is the default setting.
8378
8379 @item set print union off
8380 Tell @value{GDBN} not to print unions which are contained in
8381 structures and other unions. @value{GDBN} will print @code{"@{...@}"}
8382 instead.
8383
8384 @item show print union
8385 Ask @value{GDBN} whether or not it will print unions which are contained in
8386 structures and other unions.
8387
8388 For example, given the declarations
8389
8390 @smallexample
8391 typedef enum @{Tree, Bug@} Species;
8392 typedef enum @{Big_tree, Acorn, Seedling@} Tree_forms;
8393 typedef enum @{Caterpillar, Cocoon, Butterfly@}
8394 Bug_forms;
8395
8396 struct thing @{
8397 Species it;
8398 union @{
8399 Tree_forms tree;
8400 Bug_forms bug;
8401 @} form;
8402 @};
8403
8404 struct thing foo = @{Tree, @{Acorn@}@};
8405 @end smallexample
8406
8407 @noindent
8408 with @code{set print union on} in effect @samp{p foo} would print
8409
8410 @smallexample
8411 $1 = @{it = Tree, form = @{tree = Acorn, bug = Cocoon@}@}
8412 @end smallexample
8413
8414 @noindent
8415 and with @code{set print union off} in effect it would print
8416
8417 @smallexample
8418 $1 = @{it = Tree, form = @{...@}@}
8419 @end smallexample
8420
8421 @noindent
8422 @code{set print union} affects programs written in C-like languages
8423 and in Pascal.
8424 @end table
8425
8426 @need 1000
8427 @noindent
8428 These settings are of interest when debugging C@t{++} programs:
8429
8430 @table @code
8431 @cindex demangling C@t{++} names
8432 @item set print demangle
8433 @itemx set print demangle on
8434 Print C@t{++} names in their source form rather than in the encoded
8435 (``mangled'') form passed to the assembler and linker for type-safe
8436 linkage. The default is on.
8437
8438 @item show print demangle
8439 Show whether C@t{++} names are printed in mangled or demangled form.
8440
8441 @item set print asm-demangle
8442 @itemx set print asm-demangle on
8443 Print C@t{++} names in their source form rather than their mangled form, even
8444 in assembler code printouts such as instruction disassemblies.
8445 The default is off.
8446
8447 @item show print asm-demangle
8448 Show whether C@t{++} names in assembly listings are printed in mangled
8449 or demangled form.
8450
8451 @cindex C@t{++} symbol decoding style
8452 @cindex symbol decoding style, C@t{++}
8453 @kindex set demangle-style
8454 @item set demangle-style @var{style}
8455 Choose among several encoding schemes used by different compilers to
8456 represent C@t{++} names. The choices for @var{style} are currently:
8457
8458 @table @code
8459 @item auto
8460 Allow @value{GDBN} to choose a decoding style by inspecting your program.
8461
8462 @item gnu
8463 Decode based on the @sc{gnu} C@t{++} compiler (@code{g++}) encoding algorithm.
8464 This is the default.
8465
8466 @item hp
8467 Decode based on the HP ANSI C@t{++} (@code{aCC}) encoding algorithm.
8468
8469 @item lucid
8470 Decode based on the Lucid C@t{++} compiler (@code{lcc}) encoding algorithm.
8471
8472 @item arm
8473 Decode using the algorithm in the @cite{C@t{++} Annotated Reference Manual}.
8474 @strong{Warning:} this setting alone is not sufficient to allow
8475 debugging @code{cfront}-generated executables. @value{GDBN} would
8476 require further enhancement to permit that.
8477
8478 @end table
8479 If you omit @var{style}, you will see a list of possible formats.
8480
8481 @item show demangle-style
8482 Display the encoding style currently in use for decoding C@t{++} symbols.
8483
8484 @item set print object
8485 @itemx set print object on
8486 @cindex derived type of an object, printing
8487 @cindex display derived types
8488 When displaying a pointer to an object, identify the @emph{actual}
8489 (derived) type of the object rather than the @emph{declared} type, using
8490 the virtual function table. Note that the virtual function table is
8491 required---this feature can only work for objects that have run-time
8492 type identification; a single virtual method in the object's declared
8493 type is sufficient.
8494
8495 @item set print object off
8496 Display only the declared type of objects, without reference to the
8497 virtual function table. This is the default setting.
8498
8499 @item show print object
8500 Show whether actual, or declared, object types are displayed.
8501
8502 @item set print static-members
8503 @itemx set print static-members on
8504 @cindex static members of C@t{++} objects
8505 Print static members when displaying a C@t{++} object. The default is on.
8506
8507 @item set print static-members off
8508 Do not print static members when displaying a C@t{++} object.
8509
8510 @item show print static-members
8511 Show whether C@t{++} static members are printed or not.
8512
8513 @item set print pascal_static-members
8514 @itemx set print pascal_static-members on
8515 @cindex static members of Pascal objects
8516 @cindex Pascal objects, static members display
8517 Print static members when displaying a Pascal object. The default is on.
8518
8519 @item set print pascal_static-members off
8520 Do not print static members when displaying a Pascal object.
8521
8522 @item show print pascal_static-members
8523 Show whether Pascal static members are printed or not.
8524
8525 @c These don't work with HP ANSI C++ yet.
8526 @item set print vtbl
8527 @itemx set print vtbl on
8528 @cindex pretty print C@t{++} virtual function tables
8529 @cindex virtual functions (C@t{++}) display
8530 @cindex VTBL display
8531 Pretty print C@t{++} virtual function tables. The default is off.
8532 (The @code{vtbl} commands do not work on programs compiled with the HP
8533 ANSI C@t{++} compiler (@code{aCC}).)
8534
8535 @item set print vtbl off
8536 Do not pretty print C@t{++} virtual function tables.
8537
8538 @item show print vtbl
8539 Show whether C@t{++} virtual function tables are pretty printed, or not.
8540 @end table
8541
8542 @node Pretty Printing
8543 @section Pretty Printing
8544
8545 @value{GDBN} provides a mechanism to allow pretty-printing of values using
8546 Python code. It greatly simplifies the display of complex objects. This
8547 mechanism works for both MI and the CLI.
8548
8549 @menu
8550 * Pretty-Printer Introduction:: Introduction to pretty-printers
8551 * Pretty-Printer Example:: An example pretty-printer
8552 * Pretty-Printer Commands:: Pretty-printer commands
8553 @end menu
8554
8555 @node Pretty-Printer Introduction
8556 @subsection Pretty-Printer Introduction
8557
8558 When @value{GDBN} prints a value, it first sees if there is a pretty-printer
8559 registered for the value. If there is then @value{GDBN} invokes the
8560 pretty-printer to print the value. Otherwise the value is printed normally.
8561
8562 Pretty-printers are normally named. This makes them easy to manage.
8563 The @samp{info pretty-printer} command will list all the installed
8564 pretty-printers with their names.
8565 If a pretty-printer can handle multiple data types, then its
8566 @dfn{subprinters} are the printers for the individual data types.
8567 Each such subprinter has its own name.
8568 The format of the name is @var{printer-name};@var{subprinter-name}.
8569
8570 Pretty-printers are installed by @dfn{registering} them with @value{GDBN}.
8571 Typically they are automatically loaded and registered when the corresponding
8572 debug information is loaded, thus making them available without having to
8573 do anything special.
8574
8575 There are three places where a pretty-printer can be registered.
8576
8577 @itemize @bullet
8578 @item
8579 Pretty-printers registered globally are available when debugging
8580 all inferiors.
8581
8582 @item
8583 Pretty-printers registered with a program space are available only
8584 when debugging that program.
8585 @xref{Progspaces In Python}, for more details on program spaces in Python.
8586
8587 @item
8588 Pretty-printers registered with an objfile are loaded and unloaded
8589 with the corresponding objfile (e.g., shared library).
8590 @xref{Objfiles In Python}, for more details on objfiles in Python.
8591 @end itemize
8592
8593 @xref{Selecting Pretty-Printers}, for further information on how
8594 pretty-printers are selected,
8595
8596 @xref{Writing a Pretty-Printer}, for implementing pretty printers
8597 for new types.
8598
8599 @node Pretty-Printer Example
8600 @subsection Pretty-Printer Example
8601
8602 Here is how a C@t{++} @code{std::string} looks without a pretty-printer:
8603
8604 @smallexample
8605 (@value{GDBP}) print s
8606 $1 = @{
8607 static npos = 4294967295,
8608 _M_dataplus = @{
8609 <std::allocator<char>> = @{
8610 <__gnu_cxx::new_allocator<char>> = @{
8611 <No data fields>@}, <No data fields>
8612 @},
8613 members of std::basic_string<char, std::char_traits<char>,
8614 std::allocator<char> >::_Alloc_hider:
8615 _M_p = 0x804a014 "abcd"
8616 @}
8617 @}
8618 @end smallexample
8619
8620 With a pretty-printer for @code{std::string} only the contents are printed:
8621
8622 @smallexample
8623 (@value{GDBP}) print s
8624 $2 = "abcd"
8625 @end smallexample
8626
8627 @node Pretty-Printer Commands
8628 @subsection Pretty-Printer Commands
8629 @cindex pretty-printer commands
8630
8631 @table @code
8632 @kindex info pretty-printer
8633 @item info pretty-printer [@var{object-regexp} [@var{name-regexp}]]
8634 Print the list of installed pretty-printers.
8635 This includes disabled pretty-printers, which are marked as such.
8636
8637 @var{object-regexp} is a regular expression matching the objects
8638 whose pretty-printers to list.
8639 Objects can be @code{global}, the program space's file
8640 (@pxref{Progspaces In Python}),
8641 and the object files within that program space (@pxref{Objfiles In Python}).
8642 @xref{Selecting Pretty-Printers}, for details on how @value{GDBN}
8643 looks up a printer from these three objects.
8644
8645 @var{name-regexp} is a regular expression matching the name of the printers
8646 to list.
8647
8648 @kindex disable pretty-printer
8649 @item disable pretty-printer [@var{object-regexp} [@var{name-regexp}]]
8650 Disable pretty-printers matching @var{object-regexp} and @var{name-regexp}.
8651 A disabled pretty-printer is not forgotten, it may be enabled again later.
8652
8653 @kindex enable pretty-printer
8654 @item enable pretty-printer [@var{object-regexp} [@var{name-regexp}]]
8655 Enable pretty-printers matching @var{object-regexp} and @var{name-regexp}.
8656 @end table
8657
8658 Example:
8659
8660 Suppose we have three pretty-printers installed: one from library1.so
8661 named @code{foo} that prints objects of type @code{foo}, and
8662 another from library2.so named @code{bar} that prints two types of objects,
8663 @code{bar1} and @code{bar2}.
8664
8665 @smallexample
8666 (gdb) info pretty-printer
8667 library1.so:
8668 foo
8669 library2.so:
8670 bar
8671 bar1
8672 bar2
8673 (gdb) info pretty-printer library2
8674 library2.so:
8675 bar
8676 bar1
8677 bar2
8678 (gdb) disable pretty-printer library1
8679 1 printer disabled
8680 2 of 3 printers enabled
8681 (gdb) info pretty-printer
8682 library1.so:
8683 foo [disabled]
8684 library2.so:
8685 bar
8686 bar1
8687 bar2
8688 (gdb) disable pretty-printer library2 bar:bar1
8689 1 printer disabled
8690 1 of 3 printers enabled
8691 (gdb) info pretty-printer library2
8692 library1.so:
8693 foo [disabled]
8694 library2.so:
8695 bar
8696 bar1 [disabled]
8697 bar2
8698 (gdb) disable pretty-printer library2 bar
8699 1 printer disabled
8700 0 of 3 printers enabled
8701 (gdb) info pretty-printer library2
8702 library1.so:
8703 foo [disabled]
8704 library2.so:
8705 bar [disabled]
8706 bar1 [disabled]
8707 bar2
8708 @end smallexample
8709
8710 Note that for @code{bar} the entire printer can be disabled,
8711 as can each individual subprinter.
8712
8713 @node Value History
8714 @section Value History
8715
8716 @cindex value history
8717 @cindex history of values printed by @value{GDBN}
8718 Values printed by the @code{print} command are saved in the @value{GDBN}
8719 @dfn{value history}. This allows you to refer to them in other expressions.
8720 Values are kept until the symbol table is re-read or discarded
8721 (for example with the @code{file} or @code{symbol-file} commands).
8722 When the symbol table changes, the value history is discarded,
8723 since the values may contain pointers back to the types defined in the
8724 symbol table.
8725
8726 @cindex @code{$}
8727 @cindex @code{$$}
8728 @cindex history number
8729 The values printed are given @dfn{history numbers} by which you can
8730 refer to them. These are successive integers starting with one.
8731 @code{print} shows you the history number assigned to a value by
8732 printing @samp{$@var{num} = } before the value; here @var{num} is the
8733 history number.
8734
8735 To refer to any previous value, use @samp{$} followed by the value's
8736 history number. The way @code{print} labels its output is designed to
8737 remind you of this. Just @code{$} refers to the most recent value in
8738 the history, and @code{$$} refers to the value before that.
8739 @code{$$@var{n}} refers to the @var{n}th value from the end; @code{$$2}
8740 is the value just prior to @code{$$}, @code{$$1} is equivalent to
8741 @code{$$}, and @code{$$0} is equivalent to @code{$}.
8742
8743 For example, suppose you have just printed a pointer to a structure and
8744 want to see the contents of the structure. It suffices to type
8745
8746 @smallexample
8747 p *$
8748 @end smallexample
8749
8750 If you have a chain of structures where the component @code{next} points
8751 to the next one, you can print the contents of the next one with this:
8752
8753 @smallexample
8754 p *$.next
8755 @end smallexample
8756
8757 @noindent
8758 You can print successive links in the chain by repeating this
8759 command---which you can do by just typing @key{RET}.
8760
8761 Note that the history records values, not expressions. If the value of
8762 @code{x} is 4 and you type these commands:
8763
8764 @smallexample
8765 print x
8766 set x=5
8767 @end smallexample
8768
8769 @noindent
8770 then the value recorded in the value history by the @code{print} command
8771 remains 4 even though the value of @code{x} has changed.
8772
8773 @table @code
8774 @kindex show values
8775 @item show values
8776 Print the last ten values in the value history, with their item numbers.
8777 This is like @samp{p@ $$9} repeated ten times, except that @code{show
8778 values} does not change the history.
8779
8780 @item show values @var{n}
8781 Print ten history values centered on history item number @var{n}.
8782
8783 @item show values +
8784 Print ten history values just after the values last printed. If no more
8785 values are available, @code{show values +} produces no display.
8786 @end table
8787
8788 Pressing @key{RET} to repeat @code{show values @var{n}} has exactly the
8789 same effect as @samp{show values +}.
8790
8791 @node Convenience Vars
8792 @section Convenience Variables
8793
8794 @cindex convenience variables
8795 @cindex user-defined variables
8796 @value{GDBN} provides @dfn{convenience variables} that you can use within
8797 @value{GDBN} to hold on to a value and refer to it later. These variables
8798 exist entirely within @value{GDBN}; they are not part of your program, and
8799 setting a convenience variable has no direct effect on further execution
8800 of your program. That is why you can use them freely.
8801
8802 Convenience variables are prefixed with @samp{$}. Any name preceded by
8803 @samp{$} can be used for a convenience variable, unless it is one of
8804 the predefined machine-specific register names (@pxref{Registers, ,Registers}).
8805 (Value history references, in contrast, are @emph{numbers} preceded
8806 by @samp{$}. @xref{Value History, ,Value History}.)
8807
8808 You can save a value in a convenience variable with an assignment
8809 expression, just as you would set a variable in your program.
8810 For example:
8811
8812 @smallexample
8813 set $foo = *object_ptr
8814 @end smallexample
8815
8816 @noindent
8817 would save in @code{$foo} the value contained in the object pointed to by
8818 @code{object_ptr}.
8819
8820 Using a convenience variable for the first time creates it, but its
8821 value is @code{void} until you assign a new value. You can alter the
8822 value with another assignment at any time.
8823
8824 Convenience variables have no fixed types. You can assign a convenience
8825 variable any type of value, including structures and arrays, even if
8826 that variable already has a value of a different type. The convenience
8827 variable, when used as an expression, has the type of its current value.
8828
8829 @table @code
8830 @kindex show convenience
8831 @cindex show all user variables
8832 @item show convenience
8833 Print a list of convenience variables used so far, and their values.
8834 Abbreviated @code{show conv}.
8835
8836 @kindex init-if-undefined
8837 @cindex convenience variables, initializing
8838 @item init-if-undefined $@var{variable} = @var{expression}
8839 Set a convenience variable if it has not already been set. This is useful
8840 for user-defined commands that keep some state. It is similar, in concept,
8841 to using local static variables with initializers in C (except that
8842 convenience variables are global). It can also be used to allow users to
8843 override default values used in a command script.
8844
8845 If the variable is already defined then the expression is not evaluated so
8846 any side-effects do not occur.
8847 @end table
8848
8849 One of the ways to use a convenience variable is as a counter to be
8850 incremented or a pointer to be advanced. For example, to print
8851 a field from successive elements of an array of structures:
8852
8853 @smallexample
8854 set $i = 0
8855 print bar[$i++]->contents
8856 @end smallexample
8857
8858 @noindent
8859 Repeat that command by typing @key{RET}.
8860
8861 Some convenience variables are created automatically by @value{GDBN} and given
8862 values likely to be useful.
8863
8864 @table @code
8865 @vindex $_@r{, convenience variable}
8866 @item $_
8867 The variable @code{$_} is automatically set by the @code{x} command to
8868 the last address examined (@pxref{Memory, ,Examining Memory}). Other
8869 commands which provide a default address for @code{x} to examine also
8870 set @code{$_} to that address; these commands include @code{info line}
8871 and @code{info breakpoint}. The type of @code{$_} is @code{void *}
8872 except when set by the @code{x} command, in which case it is a pointer
8873 to the type of @code{$__}.
8874
8875 @vindex $__@r{, convenience variable}
8876 @item $__
8877 The variable @code{$__} is automatically set by the @code{x} command
8878 to the value found in the last address examined. Its type is chosen
8879 to match the format in which the data was printed.
8880
8881 @item $_exitcode
8882 @vindex $_exitcode@r{, convenience variable}
8883 The variable @code{$_exitcode} is automatically set to the exit code when
8884 the program being debugged terminates.
8885
8886 @item $_sdata
8887 @vindex $_sdata@r{, inspect, convenience variable}
8888 The variable @code{$_sdata} contains extra collected static tracepoint
8889 data. @xref{Tracepoint Actions,,Tracepoint Action Lists}. Note that
8890 @code{$_sdata} could be empty, if not inspecting a trace buffer, or
8891 if extra static tracepoint data has not been collected.
8892
8893 @item $_siginfo
8894 @vindex $_siginfo@r{, convenience variable}
8895 The variable @code{$_siginfo} contains extra signal information
8896 (@pxref{extra signal information}). Note that @code{$_siginfo}
8897 could be empty, if the application has not yet received any signals.
8898 For example, it will be empty before you execute the @code{run} command.
8899
8900 @item $_tlb
8901 @vindex $_tlb@r{, convenience variable}
8902 The variable @code{$_tlb} is automatically set when debugging
8903 applications running on MS-Windows in native mode or connected to
8904 gdbserver that supports the @code{qGetTIBAddr} request.
8905 @xref{General Query Packets}.
8906 This variable contains the address of the thread information block.
8907
8908 @end table
8909
8910 On HP-UX systems, if you refer to a function or variable name that
8911 begins with a dollar sign, @value{GDBN} searches for a user or system
8912 name first, before it searches for a convenience variable.
8913
8914 @cindex convenience functions
8915 @value{GDBN} also supplies some @dfn{convenience functions}. These
8916 have a syntax similar to convenience variables. A convenience
8917 function can be used in an expression just like an ordinary function;
8918 however, a convenience function is implemented internally to
8919 @value{GDBN}.
8920
8921 @table @code
8922 @item help function
8923 @kindex help function
8924 @cindex show all convenience functions
8925 Print a list of all convenience functions.
8926 @end table
8927
8928 @node Registers
8929 @section Registers
8930
8931 @cindex registers
8932 You can refer to machine register contents, in expressions, as variables
8933 with names starting with @samp{$}. The names of registers are different
8934 for each machine; use @code{info registers} to see the names used on
8935 your machine.
8936
8937 @table @code
8938 @kindex info registers
8939 @item info registers
8940 Print the names and values of all registers except floating-point
8941 and vector registers (in the selected stack frame).
8942
8943 @kindex info all-registers
8944 @cindex floating point registers
8945 @item info all-registers
8946 Print the names and values of all registers, including floating-point
8947 and vector registers (in the selected stack frame).
8948
8949 @item info registers @var{regname} @dots{}
8950 Print the @dfn{relativized} value of each specified register @var{regname}.
8951 As discussed in detail below, register values are normally relative to
8952 the selected stack frame. @var{regname} may be any register name valid on
8953 the machine you are using, with or without the initial @samp{$}.
8954 @end table
8955
8956 @cindex stack pointer register
8957 @cindex program counter register
8958 @cindex process status register
8959 @cindex frame pointer register
8960 @cindex standard registers
8961 @value{GDBN} has four ``standard'' register names that are available (in
8962 expressions) on most machines---whenever they do not conflict with an
8963 architecture's canonical mnemonics for registers. The register names
8964 @code{$pc} and @code{$sp} are used for the program counter register and
8965 the stack pointer. @code{$fp} is used for a register that contains a
8966 pointer to the current stack frame, and @code{$ps} is used for a
8967 register that contains the processor status. For example,
8968 you could print the program counter in hex with
8969
8970 @smallexample
8971 p/x $pc
8972 @end smallexample
8973
8974 @noindent
8975 or print the instruction to be executed next with
8976
8977 @smallexample
8978 x/i $pc
8979 @end smallexample
8980
8981 @noindent
8982 or add four to the stack pointer@footnote{This is a way of removing
8983 one word from the stack, on machines where stacks grow downward in
8984 memory (most machines, nowadays). This assumes that the innermost
8985 stack frame is selected; setting @code{$sp} is not allowed when other
8986 stack frames are selected. To pop entire frames off the stack,
8987 regardless of machine architecture, use @code{return};
8988 see @ref{Returning, ,Returning from a Function}.} with
8989
8990 @smallexample
8991 set $sp += 4
8992 @end smallexample
8993
8994 Whenever possible, these four standard register names are available on
8995 your machine even though the machine has different canonical mnemonics,
8996 so long as there is no conflict. The @code{info registers} command
8997 shows the canonical names. For example, on the SPARC, @code{info
8998 registers} displays the processor status register as @code{$psr} but you
8999 can also refer to it as @code{$ps}; and on x86-based machines @code{$ps}
9000 is an alias for the @sc{eflags} register.
9001
9002 @value{GDBN} always considers the contents of an ordinary register as an
9003 integer when the register is examined in this way. Some machines have
9004 special registers which can hold nothing but floating point; these
9005 registers are considered to have floating point values. There is no way
9006 to refer to the contents of an ordinary register as floating point value
9007 (although you can @emph{print} it as a floating point value with
9008 @samp{print/f $@var{regname}}).
9009
9010 Some registers have distinct ``raw'' and ``virtual'' data formats. This
9011 means that the data format in which the register contents are saved by
9012 the operating system is not the same one that your program normally
9013 sees. For example, the registers of the 68881 floating point
9014 coprocessor are always saved in ``extended'' (raw) format, but all C
9015 programs expect to work with ``double'' (virtual) format. In such
9016 cases, @value{GDBN} normally works with the virtual format only (the format
9017 that makes sense for your program), but the @code{info registers} command
9018 prints the data in both formats.
9019
9020 @cindex SSE registers (x86)
9021 @cindex MMX registers (x86)
9022 Some machines have special registers whose contents can be interpreted
9023 in several different ways. For example, modern x86-based machines
9024 have SSE and MMX registers that can hold several values packed
9025 together in several different formats. @value{GDBN} refers to such
9026 registers in @code{struct} notation:
9027
9028 @smallexample
9029 (@value{GDBP}) print $xmm1
9030 $1 = @{
9031 v4_float = @{0, 3.43859137e-038, 1.54142831e-044, 1.821688e-044@},
9032 v2_double = @{9.92129282474342e-303, 2.7585945287983262e-313@},
9033 v16_int8 = "\000\000\000\000\3706;\001\v\000\000\000\r\000\000",
9034 v8_int16 = @{0, 0, 14072, 315, 11, 0, 13, 0@},
9035 v4_int32 = @{0, 20657912, 11, 13@},
9036 v2_int64 = @{88725056443645952, 55834574859@},
9037 uint128 = 0x0000000d0000000b013b36f800000000
9038 @}
9039 @end smallexample
9040
9041 @noindent
9042 To set values of such registers, you need to tell @value{GDBN} which
9043 view of the register you wish to change, as if you were assigning
9044 value to a @code{struct} member:
9045
9046 @smallexample
9047 (@value{GDBP}) set $xmm1.uint128 = 0x000000000000000000000000FFFFFFFF
9048 @end smallexample
9049
9050 Normally, register values are relative to the selected stack frame
9051 (@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}). This means that you get the
9052 value that the register would contain if all stack frames farther in
9053 were exited and their saved registers restored. In order to see the
9054 true contents of hardware registers, you must select the innermost
9055 frame (with @samp{frame 0}).
9056
9057 However, @value{GDBN} must deduce where registers are saved, from the machine
9058 code generated by your compiler. If some registers are not saved, or if
9059 @value{GDBN} is unable to locate the saved registers, the selected stack
9060 frame makes no difference.
9061
9062 @node Floating Point Hardware
9063 @section Floating Point Hardware
9064 @cindex floating point
9065
9066 Depending on the configuration, @value{GDBN} may be able to give
9067 you more information about the status of the floating point hardware.
9068
9069 @table @code
9070 @kindex info float
9071 @item info float
9072 Display hardware-dependent information about the floating
9073 point unit. The exact contents and layout vary depending on the
9074 floating point chip. Currently, @samp{info float} is supported on
9075 the ARM and x86 machines.
9076 @end table
9077
9078 @node Vector Unit
9079 @section Vector Unit
9080 @cindex vector unit
9081
9082 Depending on the configuration, @value{GDBN} may be able to give you
9083 more information about the status of the vector unit.
9084
9085 @table @code
9086 @kindex info vector
9087 @item info vector
9088 Display information about the vector unit. The exact contents and
9089 layout vary depending on the hardware.
9090 @end table
9091
9092 @node OS Information
9093 @section Operating System Auxiliary Information
9094 @cindex OS information
9095
9096 @value{GDBN} provides interfaces to useful OS facilities that can help
9097 you debug your program.
9098
9099 @cindex @code{ptrace} system call
9100 @cindex @code{struct user} contents
9101 When @value{GDBN} runs on a @dfn{Posix system} (such as GNU or Unix
9102 machines), it interfaces with the inferior via the @code{ptrace}
9103 system call. The operating system creates a special sata structure,
9104 called @code{struct user}, for this interface. You can use the
9105 command @code{info udot} to display the contents of this data
9106 structure.
9107
9108 @table @code
9109 @item info udot
9110 @kindex info udot
9111 Display the contents of the @code{struct user} maintained by the OS
9112 kernel for the program being debugged. @value{GDBN} displays the
9113 contents of @code{struct user} as a list of hex numbers, similar to
9114 the @code{examine} command.
9115 @end table
9116
9117 @cindex auxiliary vector
9118 @cindex vector, auxiliary
9119 Some operating systems supply an @dfn{auxiliary vector} to programs at
9120 startup. This is akin to the arguments and environment that you
9121 specify for a program, but contains a system-dependent variety of
9122 binary values that tell system libraries important details about the
9123 hardware, operating system, and process. Each value's purpose is
9124 identified by an integer tag; the meanings are well-known but system-specific.
9125 Depending on the configuration and operating system facilities,
9126 @value{GDBN} may be able to show you this information. For remote
9127 targets, this functionality may further depend on the remote stub's
9128 support of the @samp{qXfer:auxv:read} packet, see
9129 @ref{qXfer auxiliary vector read}.
9130
9131 @table @code
9132 @kindex info auxv
9133 @item info auxv
9134 Display the auxiliary vector of the inferior, which can be either a
9135 live process or a core dump file. @value{GDBN} prints each tag value
9136 numerically, and also shows names and text descriptions for recognized
9137 tags. Some values in the vector are numbers, some bit masks, and some
9138 pointers to strings or other data. @value{GDBN} displays each value in the
9139 most appropriate form for a recognized tag, and in hexadecimal for
9140 an unrecognized tag.
9141 @end table
9142
9143 On some targets, @value{GDBN} can access operating-system-specific information
9144 and display it to user, without interpretation. For remote targets,
9145 this functionality depends on the remote stub's support of the
9146 @samp{qXfer:osdata:read} packet, see @ref{qXfer osdata read}.
9147
9148 @table @code
9149 @kindex info os
9150 @item info os
9151 List the types of OS information available for the target. If the
9152 target does not return a list of possible types, this command will
9153 report an error.
9154
9155 @kindex info os processes
9156 @item info os processes
9157 Display the list of processes on the target. For each process,
9158 @value{GDBN} prints the process identifier, the name of the user, and
9159 the command corresponding to the process.
9160 @end table
9161
9162 @node Memory Region Attributes
9163 @section Memory Region Attributes
9164 @cindex memory region attributes
9165
9166 @dfn{Memory region attributes} allow you to describe special handling
9167 required by regions of your target's memory. @value{GDBN} uses
9168 attributes to determine whether to allow certain types of memory
9169 accesses; whether to use specific width accesses; and whether to cache
9170 target memory. By default the description of memory regions is
9171 fetched from the target (if the current target supports this), but the
9172 user can override the fetched regions.
9173
9174 Defined memory regions can be individually enabled and disabled. When a
9175 memory region is disabled, @value{GDBN} uses the default attributes when
9176 accessing memory in that region. Similarly, if no memory regions have
9177 been defined, @value{GDBN} uses the default attributes when accessing
9178 all memory.
9179
9180 When a memory region is defined, it is given a number to identify it;
9181 to enable, disable, or remove a memory region, you specify that number.
9182
9183 @table @code
9184 @kindex mem
9185 @item mem @var{lower} @var{upper} @var{attributes}@dots{}
9186 Define a memory region bounded by @var{lower} and @var{upper} with
9187 attributes @var{attributes}@dots{}, and add it to the list of regions
9188 monitored by @value{GDBN}. Note that @var{upper} == 0 is a special
9189 case: it is treated as the target's maximum memory address.
9190 (0xffff on 16 bit targets, 0xffffffff on 32 bit targets, etc.)
9191
9192 @item mem auto
9193 Discard any user changes to the memory regions and use target-supplied
9194 regions, if available, or no regions if the target does not support.
9195
9196 @kindex delete mem
9197 @item delete mem @var{nums}@dots{}
9198 Remove memory regions @var{nums}@dots{} from the list of regions
9199 monitored by @value{GDBN}.
9200
9201 @kindex disable mem
9202 @item disable mem @var{nums}@dots{}
9203 Disable monitoring of memory regions @var{nums}@dots{}.
9204 A disabled memory region is not forgotten.
9205 It may be enabled again later.
9206
9207 @kindex enable mem
9208 @item enable mem @var{nums}@dots{}
9209 Enable monitoring of memory regions @var{nums}@dots{}.
9210
9211 @kindex info mem
9212 @item info mem
9213 Print a table of all defined memory regions, with the following columns
9214 for each region:
9215
9216 @table @emph
9217 @item Memory Region Number
9218 @item Enabled or Disabled.
9219 Enabled memory regions are marked with @samp{y}.
9220 Disabled memory regions are marked with @samp{n}.
9221
9222 @item Lo Address
9223 The address defining the inclusive lower bound of the memory region.
9224
9225 @item Hi Address
9226 The address defining the exclusive upper bound of the memory region.
9227
9228 @item Attributes
9229 The list of attributes set for this memory region.
9230 @end table
9231 @end table
9232
9233
9234 @subsection Attributes
9235
9236 @subsubsection Memory Access Mode
9237 The access mode attributes set whether @value{GDBN} may make read or
9238 write accesses to a memory region.
9239
9240 While these attributes prevent @value{GDBN} from performing invalid
9241 memory accesses, they do nothing to prevent the target system, I/O DMA,
9242 etc.@: from accessing memory.
9243
9244 @table @code
9245 @item ro
9246 Memory is read only.
9247 @item wo
9248 Memory is write only.
9249 @item rw
9250 Memory is read/write. This is the default.
9251 @end table
9252
9253 @subsubsection Memory Access Size
9254 The access size attribute tells @value{GDBN} to use specific sized
9255 accesses in the memory region. Often memory mapped device registers
9256 require specific sized accesses. If no access size attribute is
9257 specified, @value{GDBN} may use accesses of any size.
9258
9259 @table @code
9260 @item 8
9261 Use 8 bit memory accesses.
9262 @item 16
9263 Use 16 bit memory accesses.
9264 @item 32
9265 Use 32 bit memory accesses.
9266 @item 64
9267 Use 64 bit memory accesses.
9268 @end table
9269
9270 @c @subsubsection Hardware/Software Breakpoints
9271 @c The hardware/software breakpoint attributes set whether @value{GDBN}
9272 @c will use hardware or software breakpoints for the internal breakpoints
9273 @c used by the step, next, finish, until, etc. commands.
9274 @c
9275 @c @table @code
9276 @c @item hwbreak
9277 @c Always use hardware breakpoints
9278 @c @item swbreak (default)
9279 @c @end table
9280
9281 @subsubsection Data Cache
9282 The data cache attributes set whether @value{GDBN} will cache target
9283 memory. While this generally improves performance by reducing debug
9284 protocol overhead, it can lead to incorrect results because @value{GDBN}
9285 does not know about volatile variables or memory mapped device
9286 registers.
9287
9288 @table @code
9289 @item cache
9290 Enable @value{GDBN} to cache target memory.
9291 @item nocache
9292 Disable @value{GDBN} from caching target memory. This is the default.
9293 @end table
9294
9295 @subsection Memory Access Checking
9296 @value{GDBN} can be instructed to refuse accesses to memory that is
9297 not explicitly described. This can be useful if accessing such
9298 regions has undesired effects for a specific target, or to provide
9299 better error checking. The following commands control this behaviour.
9300
9301 @table @code
9302 @kindex set mem inaccessible-by-default
9303 @item set mem inaccessible-by-default [on|off]
9304 If @code{on} is specified, make @value{GDBN} treat memory not
9305 explicitly described by the memory ranges as non-existent and refuse accesses
9306 to such memory. The checks are only performed if there's at least one
9307 memory range defined. If @code{off} is specified, make @value{GDBN}
9308 treat the memory not explicitly described by the memory ranges as RAM.
9309 The default value is @code{on}.
9310 @kindex show mem inaccessible-by-default
9311 @item show mem inaccessible-by-default
9312 Show the current handling of accesses to unknown memory.
9313 @end table
9314
9315
9316 @c @subsubsection Memory Write Verification
9317 @c The memory write verification attributes set whether @value{GDBN}
9318 @c will re-reads data after each write to verify the write was successful.
9319 @c
9320 @c @table @code
9321 @c @item verify
9322 @c @item noverify (default)
9323 @c @end table
9324
9325 @node Dump/Restore Files
9326 @section Copy Between Memory and a File
9327 @cindex dump/restore files
9328 @cindex append data to a file
9329 @cindex dump data to a file
9330 @cindex restore data from a file
9331
9332 You can use the commands @code{dump}, @code{append}, and
9333 @code{restore} to copy data between target memory and a file. The
9334 @code{dump} and @code{append} commands write data to a file, and the
9335 @code{restore} command reads data from a file back into the inferior's
9336 memory. Files may be in binary, Motorola S-record, Intel hex, or
9337 Tektronix Hex format; however, @value{GDBN} can only append to binary
9338 files.
9339
9340 @table @code
9341
9342 @kindex dump
9343 @item dump @r{[}@var{format}@r{]} memory @var{filename} @var{start_addr} @var{end_addr}
9344 @itemx dump @r{[}@var{format}@r{]} value @var{filename} @var{expr}
9345 Dump the contents of memory from @var{start_addr} to @var{end_addr},
9346 or the value of @var{expr}, to @var{filename} in the given format.
9347
9348 The @var{format} parameter may be any one of:
9349 @table @code
9350 @item binary
9351 Raw binary form.
9352 @item ihex
9353 Intel hex format.
9354 @item srec
9355 Motorola S-record format.
9356 @item tekhex
9357 Tektronix Hex format.
9358 @end table
9359
9360 @value{GDBN} uses the same definitions of these formats as the
9361 @sc{gnu} binary utilities, like @samp{objdump} and @samp{objcopy}. If
9362 @var{format} is omitted, @value{GDBN} dumps the data in raw binary
9363 form.
9364
9365 @kindex append
9366 @item append @r{[}binary@r{]} memory @var{filename} @var{start_addr} @var{end_addr}
9367 @itemx append @r{[}binary@r{]} value @var{filename} @var{expr}
9368 Append the contents of memory from @var{start_addr} to @var{end_addr},
9369 or the value of @var{expr}, to the file @var{filename}, in raw binary form.
9370 (@value{GDBN} can only append data to files in raw binary form.)
9371
9372 @kindex restore
9373 @item restore @var{filename} @r{[}binary@r{]} @var{bias} @var{start} @var{end}
9374 Restore the contents of file @var{filename} into memory. The
9375 @code{restore} command can automatically recognize any known @sc{bfd}
9376 file format, except for raw binary. To restore a raw binary file you
9377 must specify the optional keyword @code{binary} after the filename.
9378
9379 If @var{bias} is non-zero, its value will be added to the addresses
9380 contained in the file. Binary files always start at address zero, so
9381 they will be restored at address @var{bias}. Other bfd files have
9382 a built-in location; they will be restored at offset @var{bias}
9383 from that location.
9384
9385 If @var{start} and/or @var{end} are non-zero, then only data between
9386 file offset @var{start} and file offset @var{end} will be restored.
9387 These offsets are relative to the addresses in the file, before
9388 the @var{bias} argument is applied.
9389
9390 @end table
9391
9392 @node Core File Generation
9393 @section How to Produce a Core File from Your Program
9394 @cindex dump core from inferior
9395
9396 A @dfn{core file} or @dfn{core dump} is a file that records the memory
9397 image of a running process and its process status (register values
9398 etc.). Its primary use is post-mortem debugging of a program that
9399 crashed while it ran outside a debugger. A program that crashes
9400 automatically produces a core file, unless this feature is disabled by
9401 the user. @xref{Files}, for information on invoking @value{GDBN} in
9402 the post-mortem debugging mode.
9403
9404 Occasionally, you may wish to produce a core file of the program you
9405 are debugging in order to preserve a snapshot of its state.
9406 @value{GDBN} has a special command for that.
9407
9408 @table @code
9409 @kindex gcore
9410 @kindex generate-core-file
9411 @item generate-core-file [@var{file}]
9412 @itemx gcore [@var{file}]
9413 Produce a core dump of the inferior process. The optional argument
9414 @var{file} specifies the file name where to put the core dump. If not
9415 specified, the file name defaults to @file{core.@var{pid}}, where
9416 @var{pid} is the inferior process ID.
9417
9418 Note that this command is implemented only for some systems (as of
9419 this writing, @sc{gnu}/Linux, FreeBSD, Solaris, Unixware, and S390).
9420 @end table
9421
9422 @node Character Sets
9423 @section Character Sets
9424 @cindex character sets
9425 @cindex charset
9426 @cindex translating between character sets
9427 @cindex host character set
9428 @cindex target character set
9429
9430 If the program you are debugging uses a different character set to
9431 represent characters and strings than the one @value{GDBN} uses itself,
9432 @value{GDBN} can automatically translate between the character sets for
9433 you. The character set @value{GDBN} uses we call the @dfn{host
9434 character set}; the one the inferior program uses we call the
9435 @dfn{target character set}.
9436
9437 For example, if you are running @value{GDBN} on a @sc{gnu}/Linux system, which
9438 uses the ISO Latin 1 character set, but you are using @value{GDBN}'s
9439 remote protocol (@pxref{Remote Debugging}) to debug a program
9440 running on an IBM mainframe, which uses the @sc{ebcdic} character set,
9441 then the host character set is Latin-1, and the target character set is
9442 @sc{ebcdic}. If you give @value{GDBN} the command @code{set
9443 target-charset EBCDIC-US}, then @value{GDBN} translates between
9444 @sc{ebcdic} and Latin 1 as you print character or string values, or use
9445 character and string literals in expressions.
9446
9447 @value{GDBN} has no way to automatically recognize which character set
9448 the inferior program uses; you must tell it, using the @code{set
9449 target-charset} command, described below.
9450
9451 Here are the commands for controlling @value{GDBN}'s character set
9452 support:
9453
9454 @table @code
9455 @item set target-charset @var{charset}
9456 @kindex set target-charset
9457 Set the current target character set to @var{charset}. To display the
9458 list of supported target character sets, type
9459 @kbd{@w{set target-charset @key{TAB}@key{TAB}}}.
9460
9461 @item set host-charset @var{charset}
9462 @kindex set host-charset
9463 Set the current host character set to @var{charset}.
9464
9465 By default, @value{GDBN} uses a host character set appropriate to the
9466 system it is running on; you can override that default using the
9467 @code{set host-charset} command. On some systems, @value{GDBN} cannot
9468 automatically determine the appropriate host character set. In this
9469 case, @value{GDBN} uses @samp{UTF-8}.
9470
9471 @value{GDBN} can only use certain character sets as its host character
9472 set. If you type @kbd{@w{set host-charset @key{TAB}@key{TAB}}},
9473 @value{GDBN} will list the host character sets it supports.
9474
9475 @item set charset @var{charset}
9476 @kindex set charset
9477 Set the current host and target character sets to @var{charset}. As
9478 above, if you type @kbd{@w{set charset @key{TAB}@key{TAB}}},
9479 @value{GDBN} will list the names of the character sets that can be used
9480 for both host and target.
9481
9482 @item show charset
9483 @kindex show charset
9484 Show the names of the current host and target character sets.
9485
9486 @item show host-charset
9487 @kindex show host-charset
9488 Show the name of the current host character set.
9489
9490 @item show target-charset
9491 @kindex show target-charset
9492 Show the name of the current target character set.
9493
9494 @item set target-wide-charset @var{charset}
9495 @kindex set target-wide-charset
9496 Set the current target's wide character set to @var{charset}. This is
9497 the character set used by the target's @code{wchar_t} type. To
9498 display the list of supported wide character sets, type
9499 @kbd{@w{set target-wide-charset @key{TAB}@key{TAB}}}.
9500
9501 @item show target-wide-charset
9502 @kindex show target-wide-charset
9503 Show the name of the current target's wide character set.
9504 @end table
9505
9506 Here is an example of @value{GDBN}'s character set support in action.
9507 Assume that the following source code has been placed in the file
9508 @file{charset-test.c}:
9509
9510 @smallexample
9511 #include <stdio.h>
9512
9513 char ascii_hello[]
9514 = @{72, 101, 108, 108, 111, 44, 32, 119,
9515 111, 114, 108, 100, 33, 10, 0@};
9516 char ibm1047_hello[]
9517 = @{200, 133, 147, 147, 150, 107, 64, 166,
9518 150, 153, 147, 132, 90, 37, 0@};
9519
9520 main ()
9521 @{
9522 printf ("Hello, world!\n");
9523 @}
9524 @end smallexample
9525
9526 In this program, @code{ascii_hello} and @code{ibm1047_hello} are arrays
9527 containing the string @samp{Hello, world!} followed by a newline,
9528 encoded in the @sc{ascii} and @sc{ibm1047} character sets.
9529
9530 We compile the program, and invoke the debugger on it:
9531
9532 @smallexample
9533 $ gcc -g charset-test.c -o charset-test
9534 $ gdb -nw charset-test
9535 GNU gdb 2001-12-19-cvs
9536 Copyright 2001 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
9537 @dots{}
9538 (@value{GDBP})
9539 @end smallexample
9540
9541 We can use the @code{show charset} command to see what character sets
9542 @value{GDBN} is currently using to interpret and display characters and
9543 strings:
9544
9545 @smallexample
9546 (@value{GDBP}) show charset
9547 The current host and target character set is `ISO-8859-1'.
9548 (@value{GDBP})
9549 @end smallexample
9550
9551 For the sake of printing this manual, let's use @sc{ascii} as our
9552 initial character set:
9553 @smallexample
9554 (@value{GDBP}) set charset ASCII
9555 (@value{GDBP}) show charset
9556 The current host and target character set is `ASCII'.
9557 (@value{GDBP})
9558 @end smallexample
9559
9560 Let's assume that @sc{ascii} is indeed the correct character set for our
9561 host system --- in other words, let's assume that if @value{GDBN} prints
9562 characters using the @sc{ascii} character set, our terminal will display
9563 them properly. Since our current target character set is also
9564 @sc{ascii}, the contents of @code{ascii_hello} print legibly:
9565
9566 @smallexample
9567 (@value{GDBP}) print ascii_hello
9568 $1 = 0x401698 "Hello, world!\n"
9569 (@value{GDBP}) print ascii_hello[0]
9570 $2 = 72 'H'
9571 (@value{GDBP})
9572 @end smallexample
9573
9574 @value{GDBN} uses the target character set for character and string
9575 literals you use in expressions:
9576
9577 @smallexample
9578 (@value{GDBP}) print '+'
9579 $3 = 43 '+'
9580 (@value{GDBP})
9581 @end smallexample
9582
9583 The @sc{ascii} character set uses the number 43 to encode the @samp{+}
9584 character.
9585
9586 @value{GDBN} relies on the user to tell it which character set the
9587 target program uses. If we print @code{ibm1047_hello} while our target
9588 character set is still @sc{ascii}, we get jibberish:
9589
9590 @smallexample
9591 (@value{GDBP}) print ibm1047_hello
9592 $4 = 0x4016a8 "\310\205\223\223\226k@@\246\226\231\223\204Z%"
9593 (@value{GDBP}) print ibm1047_hello[0]
9594 $5 = 200 '\310'
9595 (@value{GDBP})
9596 @end smallexample
9597
9598 If we invoke the @code{set target-charset} followed by @key{TAB}@key{TAB},
9599 @value{GDBN} tells us the character sets it supports:
9600
9601 @smallexample
9602 (@value{GDBP}) set target-charset
9603 ASCII EBCDIC-US IBM1047 ISO-8859-1
9604 (@value{GDBP}) set target-charset
9605 @end smallexample
9606
9607 We can select @sc{ibm1047} as our target character set, and examine the
9608 program's strings again. Now the @sc{ascii} string is wrong, but
9609 @value{GDBN} translates the contents of @code{ibm1047_hello} from the
9610 target character set, @sc{ibm1047}, to the host character set,
9611 @sc{ascii}, and they display correctly:
9612
9613 @smallexample
9614 (@value{GDBP}) set target-charset IBM1047
9615 (@value{GDBP}) show charset
9616 The current host character set is `ASCII'.
9617 The current target character set is `IBM1047'.
9618 (@value{GDBP}) print ascii_hello
9619 $6 = 0x401698 "\110\145%%?\054\040\167?\162%\144\041\012"
9620 (@value{GDBP}) print ascii_hello[0]
9621 $7 = 72 '\110'
9622 (@value{GDBP}) print ibm1047_hello
9623 $8 = 0x4016a8 "Hello, world!\n"
9624 (@value{GDBP}) print ibm1047_hello[0]
9625 $9 = 200 'H'
9626 (@value{GDBP})
9627 @end smallexample
9628
9629 As above, @value{GDBN} uses the target character set for character and
9630 string literals you use in expressions:
9631
9632 @smallexample
9633 (@value{GDBP}) print '+'
9634 $10 = 78 '+'
9635 (@value{GDBP})
9636 @end smallexample
9637
9638 The @sc{ibm1047} character set uses the number 78 to encode the @samp{+}
9639 character.
9640
9641 @node Caching Remote Data
9642 @section Caching Data of Remote Targets
9643 @cindex caching data of remote targets
9644
9645 @value{GDBN} caches data exchanged between the debugger and a
9646 remote target (@pxref{Remote Debugging}). Such caching generally improves
9647 performance, because it reduces the overhead of the remote protocol by
9648 bundling memory reads and writes into large chunks. Unfortunately, simply
9649 caching everything would lead to incorrect results, since @value{GDBN}
9650 does not necessarily know anything about volatile values, memory-mapped I/O
9651 addresses, etc. Furthermore, in non-stop mode (@pxref{Non-Stop Mode})
9652 memory can be changed @emph{while} a gdb command is executing.
9653 Therefore, by default, @value{GDBN} only caches data
9654 known to be on the stack@footnote{In non-stop mode, it is moderately
9655 rare for a running thread to modify the stack of a stopped thread
9656 in a way that would interfere with a backtrace, and caching of
9657 stack reads provides a significant speed up of remote backtraces.}.
9658 Other regions of memory can be explicitly marked as
9659 cacheable; see @pxref{Memory Region Attributes}.
9660
9661 @table @code
9662 @kindex set remotecache
9663 @item set remotecache on
9664 @itemx set remotecache off
9665 This option no longer does anything; it exists for compatibility
9666 with old scripts.
9667
9668 @kindex show remotecache
9669 @item show remotecache
9670 Show the current state of the obsolete remotecache flag.
9671
9672 @kindex set stack-cache
9673 @item set stack-cache on
9674 @itemx set stack-cache off
9675 Enable or disable caching of stack accesses. When @code{ON}, use
9676 caching. By default, this option is @code{ON}.
9677
9678 @kindex show stack-cache
9679 @item show stack-cache
9680 Show the current state of data caching for memory accesses.
9681
9682 @kindex info dcache
9683 @item info dcache @r{[}line@r{]}
9684 Print the information about the data cache performance. The
9685 information displayed includes the dcache width and depth, and for
9686 each cache line, its number, address, and how many times it was
9687 referenced. This command is useful for debugging the data cache
9688 operation.
9689
9690 If a line number is specified, the contents of that line will be
9691 printed in hex.
9692
9693 @item set dcache size @var{size}
9694 @cindex dcache size
9695 @kindex set dcache size
9696 Set maximum number of entries in dcache (dcache depth above).
9697
9698 @item set dcache line-size @var{line-size}
9699 @cindex dcache line-size
9700 @kindex set dcache line-size
9701 Set number of bytes each dcache entry caches (dcache width above).
9702 Must be a power of 2.
9703
9704 @item show dcache size
9705 @kindex show dcache size
9706 Show maximum number of dcache entries. See also @ref{Caching Remote Data, info dcache}.
9707
9708 @item show dcache line-size
9709 @kindex show dcache line-size
9710 Show default size of dcache lines. See also @ref{Caching Remote Data, info dcache}.
9711
9712 @end table
9713
9714 @node Searching Memory
9715 @section Search Memory
9716 @cindex searching memory
9717
9718 Memory can be searched for a particular sequence of bytes with the
9719 @code{find} command.
9720
9721 @table @code
9722 @kindex find
9723 @item find @r{[}/@var{sn}@r{]} @var{start_addr}, +@var{len}, @var{val1} @r{[}, @var{val2}, @dots{}@r{]}
9724 @itemx find @r{[}/@var{sn}@r{]} @var{start_addr}, @var{end_addr}, @var{val1} @r{[}, @var{val2}, @dots{}@r{]}
9725 Search memory for the sequence of bytes specified by @var{val1}, @var{val2},
9726 etc. The search begins at address @var{start_addr} and continues for either
9727 @var{len} bytes or through to @var{end_addr} inclusive.
9728 @end table
9729
9730 @var{s} and @var{n} are optional parameters.
9731 They may be specified in either order, apart or together.
9732
9733 @table @r
9734 @item @var{s}, search query size
9735 The size of each search query value.
9736
9737 @table @code
9738 @item b
9739 bytes
9740 @item h
9741 halfwords (two bytes)
9742 @item w
9743 words (four bytes)
9744 @item g
9745 giant words (eight bytes)
9746 @end table
9747
9748 All values are interpreted in the current language.
9749 This means, for example, that if the current source language is C/C@t{++}
9750 then searching for the string ``hello'' includes the trailing '\0'.
9751
9752 If the value size is not specified, it is taken from the
9753 value's type in the current language.
9754 This is useful when one wants to specify the search
9755 pattern as a mixture of types.
9756 Note that this means, for example, that in the case of C-like languages
9757 a search for an untyped 0x42 will search for @samp{(int) 0x42}
9758 which is typically four bytes.
9759
9760 @item @var{n}, maximum number of finds
9761 The maximum number of matches to print. The default is to print all finds.
9762 @end table
9763
9764 You can use strings as search values. Quote them with double-quotes
9765 (@code{"}).
9766 The string value is copied into the search pattern byte by byte,
9767 regardless of the endianness of the target and the size specification.
9768
9769 The address of each match found is printed as well as a count of the
9770 number of matches found.
9771
9772 The address of the last value found is stored in convenience variable
9773 @samp{$_}.
9774 A count of the number of matches is stored in @samp{$numfound}.
9775
9776 For example, if stopped at the @code{printf} in this function:
9777
9778 @smallexample
9779 void
9780 hello ()
9781 @{
9782 static char hello[] = "hello-hello";
9783 static struct @{ char c; short s; int i; @}
9784 __attribute__ ((packed)) mixed
9785 = @{ 'c', 0x1234, 0x87654321 @};
9786 printf ("%s\n", hello);
9787 @}
9788 @end smallexample
9789
9790 @noindent
9791 you get during debugging:
9792
9793 @smallexample
9794 (gdb) find &hello[0], +sizeof(hello), "hello"
9795 0x804956d <hello.1620+6>
9796 1 pattern found
9797 (gdb) find &hello[0], +sizeof(hello), 'h', 'e', 'l', 'l', 'o'
9798 0x8049567 <hello.1620>
9799 0x804956d <hello.1620+6>
9800 2 patterns found
9801 (gdb) find /b1 &hello[0], +sizeof(hello), 'h', 0x65, 'l'
9802 0x8049567 <hello.1620>
9803 1 pattern found
9804 (gdb) find &mixed, +sizeof(mixed), (char) 'c', (short) 0x1234, (int) 0x87654321
9805 0x8049560 <mixed.1625>
9806 1 pattern found
9807 (gdb) print $numfound
9808 $1 = 1
9809 (gdb) print $_
9810 $2 = (void *) 0x8049560
9811 @end smallexample
9812
9813 @node Optimized Code
9814 @chapter Debugging Optimized Code
9815 @cindex optimized code, debugging
9816 @cindex debugging optimized code
9817
9818 Almost all compilers support optimization. With optimization
9819 disabled, the compiler generates assembly code that corresponds
9820 directly to your source code, in a simplistic way. As the compiler
9821 applies more powerful optimizations, the generated assembly code
9822 diverges from your original source code. With help from debugging
9823 information generated by the compiler, @value{GDBN} can map from
9824 the running program back to constructs from your original source.
9825
9826 @value{GDBN} is more accurate with optimization disabled. If you
9827 can recompile without optimization, it is easier to follow the
9828 progress of your program during debugging. But, there are many cases
9829 where you may need to debug an optimized version.
9830
9831 When you debug a program compiled with @samp{-g -O}, remember that the
9832 optimizer has rearranged your code; the debugger shows you what is
9833 really there. Do not be too surprised when the execution path does not
9834 exactly match your source file! An extreme example: if you define a
9835 variable, but never use it, @value{GDBN} never sees that
9836 variable---because the compiler optimizes it out of existence.
9837
9838 Some things do not work as well with @samp{-g -O} as with just
9839 @samp{-g}, particularly on machines with instruction scheduling. If in
9840 doubt, recompile with @samp{-g} alone, and if this fixes the problem,
9841 please report it to us as a bug (including a test case!).
9842 @xref{Variables}, for more information about debugging optimized code.
9843
9844 @menu
9845 * Inline Functions:: How @value{GDBN} presents inlining
9846 * Tail Call Frames:: @value{GDBN} analysis of jumps to functions
9847 @end menu
9848
9849 @node Inline Functions
9850 @section Inline Functions
9851 @cindex inline functions, debugging
9852
9853 @dfn{Inlining} is an optimization that inserts a copy of the function
9854 body directly at each call site, instead of jumping to a shared
9855 routine. @value{GDBN} displays inlined functions just like
9856 non-inlined functions. They appear in backtraces. You can view their
9857 arguments and local variables, step into them with @code{step}, skip
9858 them with @code{next}, and escape from them with @code{finish}.
9859 You can check whether a function was inlined by using the
9860 @code{info frame} command.
9861
9862 For @value{GDBN} to support inlined functions, the compiler must
9863 record information about inlining in the debug information ---
9864 @value{NGCC} using the @sc{dwarf 2} format does this, and several
9865 other compilers do also. @value{GDBN} only supports inlined functions
9866 when using @sc{dwarf 2}. Versions of @value{NGCC} before 4.1
9867 do not emit two required attributes (@samp{DW_AT_call_file} and
9868 @samp{DW_AT_call_line}); @value{GDBN} does not display inlined
9869 function calls with earlier versions of @value{NGCC}. It instead
9870 displays the arguments and local variables of inlined functions as
9871 local variables in the caller.
9872
9873 The body of an inlined function is directly included at its call site;
9874 unlike a non-inlined function, there are no instructions devoted to
9875 the call. @value{GDBN} still pretends that the call site and the
9876 start of the inlined function are different instructions. Stepping to
9877 the call site shows the call site, and then stepping again shows
9878 the first line of the inlined function, even though no additional
9879 instructions are executed.
9880
9881 This makes source-level debugging much clearer; you can see both the
9882 context of the call and then the effect of the call. Only stepping by
9883 a single instruction using @code{stepi} or @code{nexti} does not do
9884 this; single instruction steps always show the inlined body.
9885
9886 There are some ways that @value{GDBN} does not pretend that inlined
9887 function calls are the same as normal calls:
9888
9889 @itemize @bullet
9890 @item
9891 You cannot set breakpoints on inlined functions. @value{GDBN}
9892 either reports that there is no symbol with that name, or else sets the
9893 breakpoint only on non-inlined copies of the function. This limitation
9894 will be removed in a future version of @value{GDBN}; until then,
9895 set a breakpoint by line number on the first line of the inlined
9896 function instead.
9897
9898 @item
9899 Setting breakpoints at the call site of an inlined function may not
9900 work, because the call site does not contain any code. @value{GDBN}
9901 may incorrectly move the breakpoint to the next line of the enclosing
9902 function, after the call. This limitation will be removed in a future
9903 version of @value{GDBN}; until then, set a breakpoint on an earlier line
9904 or inside the inlined function instead.
9905
9906 @item
9907 @value{GDBN} cannot locate the return value of inlined calls after
9908 using the @code{finish} command. This is a limitation of compiler-generated
9909 debugging information; after @code{finish}, you can step to the next line
9910 and print a variable where your program stored the return value.
9911
9912 @end itemize
9913
9914 @node Tail Call Frames
9915 @section Tail Call Frames
9916 @cindex tail call frames, debugging
9917
9918 Function @code{B} can call function @code{C} in its very last statement. In
9919 unoptimized compilation the call of @code{C} is immediately followed by return
9920 instruction at the end of @code{B} code. Optimizing compiler may replace the
9921 call and return in function @code{B} into one jump to function @code{C}
9922 instead. Such use of a jump instruction is called @dfn{tail call}.
9923
9924 During execution of function @code{C}, there will be no indication in the
9925 function call stack frames that it was tail-called from @code{B}. If function
9926 @code{A} regularly calls function @code{B} which tail-calls function @code{C},
9927 then @value{GDBN} will see @code{A} as the caller of @code{C}. However, in
9928 some cases @value{GDBN} can determine that @code{C} was tail-called from
9929 @code{B}, and it will then create fictitious call frame for that, with the
9930 return address set up as if @code{B} called @code{C} normally.
9931
9932 This functionality is currently supported only by DWARF 2 debugging format and
9933 the compiler has to produce @samp{DW_TAG_GNU_call_site} tags. With
9934 @value{NGCC}, you need to specify @option{-O -g} during compilation, to get
9935 this information.
9936
9937 @kbd{info frame} command (@pxref{Frame Info}) will indicate the tail call frame
9938 kind by text @code{tail call frame} such as in this sample @value{GDBN} output:
9939
9940 @smallexample
9941 (gdb) x/i $pc - 2
9942 0x40066b <b(int, double)+11>: jmp 0x400640 <c(int, double)>
9943 (gdb) info frame
9944 Stack level 1, frame at 0x7fffffffda30:
9945 rip = 0x40066d in b (amd64-entry-value.cc:59); saved rip 0x4004c5
9946 tail call frame, caller of frame at 0x7fffffffda30
9947 source language c++.
9948 Arglist at unknown address.
9949 Locals at unknown address, Previous frame's sp is 0x7fffffffda30
9950 @end smallexample
9951
9952 The detection of all the possible code path executions can find them ambiguous.
9953 There is no execution history stored (possible @ref{Reverse Execution} is never
9954 used for this purpose) and the last known caller could have reached the known
9955 callee by multiple different jump sequences. In such case @value{GDBN} still
9956 tries to show at least all the unambiguous top tail callers and all the
9957 unambiguous bottom tail calees, if any.
9958
9959 @table @code
9960 @anchor{set debug entry-values}
9961 @item set debug entry-values
9962 @kindex set debug entry-values
9963 When set to on, enables printing of analysis messages for both frame argument
9964 values at function entry and tail calls. It will show all the possible valid
9965 tail calls code paths it has considered. It will also print the intersection
9966 of them with the final unambiguous (possibly partial or even empty) code path
9967 result.
9968
9969 @item show debug entry-values
9970 @kindex show debug entry-values
9971 Show the current state of analysis messages printing for both frame argument
9972 values at function entry and tail calls.
9973 @end table
9974
9975 The analysis messages for tail calls can for example show why the virtual tail
9976 call frame for function @code{c} has not been recognized (due to the indirect
9977 reference by variable @code{x}):
9978
9979 @smallexample
9980 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) c (void);
9981 void (*x) (void) = c;
9982 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) a (void) @{ x++; @}
9983 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) c (void) @{ a (); @}
9984 int main (void) @{ x (); return 0; @}
9985
9986 Breakpoint 1, DW_OP_GNU_entry_value resolving cannot find
9987 DW_TAG_GNU_call_site 0x40039a in main
9988 a () at t.c:3
9989 3 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) a (void) @{ x++; @}
9990 (gdb) bt
9991 #0 a () at t.c:3
9992 #1 0x000000000040039a in main () at t.c:5
9993 @end smallexample
9994
9995 Another possibility is an ambiguous virtual tail call frames resolution:
9996
9997 @smallexample
9998 int i;
9999 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) f (void) @{ i++; @}
10000 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) e (void) @{ f (); @}
10001 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) d (void) @{ f (); @}
10002 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) c (void) @{ d (); @}
10003 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) b (void)
10004 @{ if (i) c (); else e (); @}
10005 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) a (void) @{ b (); @}
10006 int main (void) @{ a (); return 0; @}
10007
10008 tailcall: initial: 0x4004d2(a) 0x4004ce(b) 0x4004b2(c) 0x4004a2(d)
10009 tailcall: compare: 0x4004d2(a) 0x4004cc(b) 0x400492(e)
10010 tailcall: reduced: 0x4004d2(a) |
10011 (gdb) bt
10012 #0 f () at t.c:2
10013 #1 0x00000000004004d2 in a () at t.c:8
10014 #2 0x0000000000400395 in main () at t.c:9
10015 @end smallexample
10016
10017 @set CALLSEQ1A @code{main@value{ARROW}a@value{ARROW}b@value{ARROW}c@value{ARROW}d@value{ARROW}f}
10018 @set CALLSEQ2A @code{main@value{ARROW}a@value{ARROW}b@value{ARROW}e@value{ARROW}f}
10019
10020 @c Convert CALLSEQ#A to CALLSEQ#B depending on HAVE_MAKEINFO_CLICK.
10021 @ifset HAVE_MAKEINFO_CLICK
10022 @set ARROW @click{}
10023 @set CALLSEQ1B @clicksequence{@value{CALLSEQ1A}}
10024 @set CALLSEQ2B @clicksequence{@value{CALLSEQ2A}}
10025 @end ifset
10026 @ifclear HAVE_MAKEINFO_CLICK
10027 @set ARROW ->
10028 @set CALLSEQ1B @value{CALLSEQ1A}
10029 @set CALLSEQ2B @value{CALLSEQ2A}
10030 @end ifclear
10031
10032 Frames #0 and #2 are real, #1 is a virtual tail call frame.
10033 The code can have possible execution paths @value{CALLSEQ1B} or
10034 @value{CALLSEQ2B}, @value{GDBN} cannot find which one from the inferior state.
10035
10036 @code{initial:} state shows some random possible calling sequence @value{GDBN}
10037 has found. It then finds another possible calling sequcen - that one is
10038 prefixed by @code{compare:}. The non-ambiguous intersection of these two is
10039 printed as the @code{reduced:} calling sequence. That one could have many
10040 futher @code{compare:} and @code{reduced:} statements as long as there remain
10041 any non-ambiguous sequence entries.
10042
10043 For the frame of function @code{b} in both cases there are different possible
10044 @code{$pc} values (@code{0x4004cc} or @code{0x4004ce}), therefore this frame is
10045 also ambigous. The only non-ambiguous frame is the one for function @code{a},
10046 therefore this one is displayed to the user while the ambiguous frames are
10047 omitted.
10048
10049 There can be also reasons why printing of frame argument values at function
10050 entry may fail:
10051
10052 @smallexample
10053 int v;
10054 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) c (int i) @{ v++; @}
10055 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) a (int i);
10056 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) b (int i) @{ a (i); @}
10057 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) a (int i)
10058 @{ if (i) b (i - 1); else c (0); @}
10059 int main (void) @{ a (5); return 0; @}
10060
10061 (gdb) bt
10062 #0 c (i=i@@entry=0) at t.c:2
10063 #1 0x0000000000400428 in a (DW_OP_GNU_entry_value resolving has found
10064 function "a" at 0x400420 can call itself via tail calls
10065 i=<optimized out>) at t.c:6
10066 #2 0x000000000040036e in main () at t.c:7
10067 @end smallexample
10068
10069 @value{GDBN} cannot find out from the inferior state if and how many times did
10070 function @code{a} call itself (via function @code{b}) as these calls would be
10071 tail calls. Such tail calls would modify thue @code{i} variable, therefore
10072 @value{GDBN} cannot be sure the value it knows would be right - @value{GDBN}
10073 prints @code{<optimized out>} instead.
10074
10075 @node Macros
10076 @chapter C Preprocessor Macros
10077
10078 Some languages, such as C and C@t{++}, provide a way to define and invoke
10079 ``preprocessor macros'' which expand into strings of tokens.
10080 @value{GDBN} can evaluate expressions containing macro invocations, show
10081 the result of macro expansion, and show a macro's definition, including
10082 where it was defined.
10083
10084 You may need to compile your program specially to provide @value{GDBN}
10085 with information about preprocessor macros. Most compilers do not
10086 include macros in their debugging information, even when you compile
10087 with the @option{-g} flag. @xref{Compilation}.
10088
10089 A program may define a macro at one point, remove that definition later,
10090 and then provide a different definition after that. Thus, at different
10091 points in the program, a macro may have different definitions, or have
10092 no definition at all. If there is a current stack frame, @value{GDBN}
10093 uses the macros in scope at that frame's source code line. Otherwise,
10094 @value{GDBN} uses the macros in scope at the current listing location;
10095 see @ref{List}.
10096
10097 Whenever @value{GDBN} evaluates an expression, it always expands any
10098 macro invocations present in the expression. @value{GDBN} also provides
10099 the following commands for working with macros explicitly.
10100
10101 @table @code
10102
10103 @kindex macro expand
10104 @cindex macro expansion, showing the results of preprocessor
10105 @cindex preprocessor macro expansion, showing the results of
10106 @cindex expanding preprocessor macros
10107 @item macro expand @var{expression}
10108 @itemx macro exp @var{expression}
10109 Show the results of expanding all preprocessor macro invocations in
10110 @var{expression}. Since @value{GDBN} simply expands macros, but does
10111 not parse the result, @var{expression} need not be a valid expression;
10112 it can be any string of tokens.
10113
10114 @kindex macro exp1
10115 @item macro expand-once @var{expression}
10116 @itemx macro exp1 @var{expression}
10117 @cindex expand macro once
10118 @i{(This command is not yet implemented.)} Show the results of
10119 expanding those preprocessor macro invocations that appear explicitly in
10120 @var{expression}. Macro invocations appearing in that expansion are
10121 left unchanged. This command allows you to see the effect of a
10122 particular macro more clearly, without being confused by further
10123 expansions. Since @value{GDBN} simply expands macros, but does not
10124 parse the result, @var{expression} need not be a valid expression; it
10125 can be any string of tokens.
10126
10127 @kindex info macro
10128 @cindex macro definition, showing
10129 @cindex definition of a macro, showing
10130 @cindex macros, from debug info
10131 @item info macro [-a|-all] [--] @var{macro}
10132 Show the current definition or all definitions of the named @var{macro},
10133 and describe the source location or compiler command-line where that
10134 definition was established. The optional double dash is to signify the end of
10135 argument processing and the beginning of @var{macro} for non C-like macros where
10136 the macro may begin with a hyphen.
10137
10138 @kindex info macros
10139 @item info macros @var{linespec}
10140 Show all macro definitions that are in effect at the location specified
10141 by @var{linespec}, and describe the source location or compiler
10142 command-line where those definitions were established.
10143
10144 @kindex macro define
10145 @cindex user-defined macros
10146 @cindex defining macros interactively
10147 @cindex macros, user-defined
10148 @item macro define @var{macro} @var{replacement-list}
10149 @itemx macro define @var{macro}(@var{arglist}) @var{replacement-list}
10150 Introduce a definition for a preprocessor macro named @var{macro},
10151 invocations of which are replaced by the tokens given in
10152 @var{replacement-list}. The first form of this command defines an
10153 ``object-like'' macro, which takes no arguments; the second form
10154 defines a ``function-like'' macro, which takes the arguments given in
10155 @var{arglist}.
10156
10157 A definition introduced by this command is in scope in every
10158 expression evaluated in @value{GDBN}, until it is removed with the
10159 @code{macro undef} command, described below. The definition overrides
10160 all definitions for @var{macro} present in the program being debugged,
10161 as well as any previous user-supplied definition.
10162
10163 @kindex macro undef
10164 @item macro undef @var{macro}
10165 Remove any user-supplied definition for the macro named @var{macro}.
10166 This command only affects definitions provided with the @code{macro
10167 define} command, described above; it cannot remove definitions present
10168 in the program being debugged.
10169
10170 @kindex macro list
10171 @item macro list
10172 List all the macros defined using the @code{macro define} command.
10173 @end table
10174
10175 @cindex macros, example of debugging with
10176 Here is a transcript showing the above commands in action. First, we
10177 show our source files:
10178
10179 @smallexample
10180 $ cat sample.c
10181 #include <stdio.h>
10182 #include "sample.h"
10183
10184 #define M 42
10185 #define ADD(x) (M + x)
10186
10187 main ()
10188 @{
10189 #define N 28
10190 printf ("Hello, world!\n");
10191 #undef N
10192 printf ("We're so creative.\n");
10193 #define N 1729
10194 printf ("Goodbye, world!\n");
10195 @}
10196 $ cat sample.h
10197 #define Q <
10198 $
10199 @end smallexample
10200
10201 Now, we compile the program using the @sc{gnu} C compiler,
10202 @value{NGCC}. We pass the @option{-gdwarf-2}@footnote{This is the
10203 minimum. Recent versions of @value{NGCC} support @option{-gdwarf-3}
10204 and @option{-gdwarf-4}; we recommend always choosing the most recent
10205 version of DWARF.} @emph{and} @option{-g3} flags to ensure the compiler
10206 includes information about preprocessor macros in the debugging
10207 information.
10208
10209 @smallexample
10210 $ gcc -gdwarf-2 -g3 sample.c -o sample
10211 $
10212 @end smallexample
10213
10214 Now, we start @value{GDBN} on our sample program:
10215
10216 @smallexample
10217 $ gdb -nw sample
10218 GNU gdb 2002-05-06-cvs
10219 Copyright 2002 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
10220 GDB is free software, @dots{}
10221 (@value{GDBP})
10222 @end smallexample
10223
10224 We can expand macros and examine their definitions, even when the
10225 program is not running. @value{GDBN} uses the current listing position
10226 to decide which macro definitions are in scope:
10227
10228 @smallexample
10229 (@value{GDBP}) list main
10230 3
10231 4 #define M 42
10232 5 #define ADD(x) (M + x)
10233 6
10234 7 main ()
10235 8 @{
10236 9 #define N 28
10237 10 printf ("Hello, world!\n");
10238 11 #undef N
10239 12 printf ("We're so creative.\n");
10240 (@value{GDBP}) info macro ADD
10241 Defined at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:5
10242 #define ADD(x) (M + x)
10243 (@value{GDBP}) info macro Q
10244 Defined at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.h:1
10245 included at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:2
10246 #define Q <
10247 (@value{GDBP}) macro expand ADD(1)
10248 expands to: (42 + 1)
10249 (@value{GDBP}) macro expand-once ADD(1)
10250 expands to: once (M + 1)
10251 (@value{GDBP})
10252 @end smallexample
10253
10254 In the example above, note that @code{macro expand-once} expands only
10255 the macro invocation explicit in the original text --- the invocation of
10256 @code{ADD} --- but does not expand the invocation of the macro @code{M},
10257 which was introduced by @code{ADD}.
10258
10259 Once the program is running, @value{GDBN} uses the macro definitions in
10260 force at the source line of the current stack frame:
10261
10262 @smallexample
10263 (@value{GDBP}) break main
10264 Breakpoint 1 at 0x8048370: file sample.c, line 10.
10265 (@value{GDBP}) run
10266 Starting program: /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample
10267
10268 Breakpoint 1, main () at sample.c:10
10269 10 printf ("Hello, world!\n");
10270 (@value{GDBP})
10271 @end smallexample
10272
10273 At line 10, the definition of the macro @code{N} at line 9 is in force:
10274
10275 @smallexample
10276 (@value{GDBP}) info macro N
10277 Defined at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:9
10278 #define N 28
10279 (@value{GDBP}) macro expand N Q M
10280 expands to: 28 < 42
10281 (@value{GDBP}) print N Q M
10282 $1 = 1
10283 (@value{GDBP})
10284 @end smallexample
10285
10286 As we step over directives that remove @code{N}'s definition, and then
10287 give it a new definition, @value{GDBN} finds the definition (or lack
10288 thereof) in force at each point:
10289
10290 @smallexample
10291 (@value{GDBP}) next
10292 Hello, world!
10293 12 printf ("We're so creative.\n");
10294 (@value{GDBP}) info macro N
10295 The symbol `N' has no definition as a C/C++ preprocessor macro
10296 at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:12
10297 (@value{GDBP}) next
10298 We're so creative.
10299 14 printf ("Goodbye, world!\n");
10300 (@value{GDBP}) info macro N
10301 Defined at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:13
10302 #define N 1729
10303 (@value{GDBP}) macro expand N Q M
10304 expands to: 1729 < 42
10305 (@value{GDBP}) print N Q M
10306 $2 = 0
10307 (@value{GDBP})
10308 @end smallexample
10309
10310 In addition to source files, macros can be defined on the compilation command
10311 line using the @option{-D@var{name}=@var{value}} syntax. For macros defined in
10312 such a way, @value{GDBN} displays the location of their definition as line zero
10313 of the source file submitted to the compiler.
10314
10315 @smallexample
10316 (@value{GDBP}) info macro __STDC__
10317 Defined at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:0
10318 -D__STDC__=1
10319 (@value{GDBP})
10320 @end smallexample
10321
10322
10323 @node Tracepoints
10324 @chapter Tracepoints
10325 @c This chapter is based on the documentation written by Michael
10326 @c Snyder, David Taylor, Jim Blandy, and Elena Zannoni.
10327
10328 @cindex tracepoints
10329 In some applications, it is not feasible for the debugger to interrupt
10330 the program's execution long enough for the developer to learn
10331 anything helpful about its behavior. If the program's correctness
10332 depends on its real-time behavior, delays introduced by a debugger
10333 might cause the program to change its behavior drastically, or perhaps
10334 fail, even when the code itself is correct. It is useful to be able
10335 to observe the program's behavior without interrupting it.
10336
10337 Using @value{GDBN}'s @code{trace} and @code{collect} commands, you can
10338 specify locations in the program, called @dfn{tracepoints}, and
10339 arbitrary expressions to evaluate when those tracepoints are reached.
10340 Later, using the @code{tfind} command, you can examine the values
10341 those expressions had when the program hit the tracepoints. The
10342 expressions may also denote objects in memory---structures or arrays,
10343 for example---whose values @value{GDBN} should record; while visiting
10344 a particular tracepoint, you may inspect those objects as if they were
10345 in memory at that moment. However, because @value{GDBN} records these
10346 values without interacting with you, it can do so quickly and
10347 unobtrusively, hopefully not disturbing the program's behavior.
10348
10349 The tracepoint facility is currently available only for remote
10350 targets. @xref{Targets}. In addition, your remote target must know
10351 how to collect trace data. This functionality is implemented in the
10352 remote stub; however, none of the stubs distributed with @value{GDBN}
10353 support tracepoints as of this writing. The format of the remote
10354 packets used to implement tracepoints are described in @ref{Tracepoint
10355 Packets}.
10356
10357 It is also possible to get trace data from a file, in a manner reminiscent
10358 of corefiles; you specify the filename, and use @code{tfind} to search
10359 through the file. @xref{Trace Files}, for more details.
10360
10361 This chapter describes the tracepoint commands and features.
10362
10363 @menu
10364 * Set Tracepoints::
10365 * Analyze Collected Data::
10366 * Tracepoint Variables::
10367 * Trace Files::
10368 @end menu
10369
10370 @node Set Tracepoints
10371 @section Commands to Set Tracepoints
10372
10373 Before running such a @dfn{trace experiment}, an arbitrary number of
10374 tracepoints can be set. A tracepoint is actually a special type of
10375 breakpoint (@pxref{Set Breaks}), so you can manipulate it using
10376 standard breakpoint commands. For instance, as with breakpoints,
10377 tracepoint numbers are successive integers starting from one, and many
10378 of the commands associated with tracepoints take the tracepoint number
10379 as their argument, to identify which tracepoint to work on.
10380
10381 For each tracepoint, you can specify, in advance, some arbitrary set
10382 of data that you want the target to collect in the trace buffer when
10383 it hits that tracepoint. The collected data can include registers,
10384 local variables, or global data. Later, you can use @value{GDBN}
10385 commands to examine the values these data had at the time the
10386 tracepoint was hit.
10387
10388 Tracepoints do not support every breakpoint feature. Ignore counts on
10389 tracepoints have no effect, and tracepoints cannot run @value{GDBN}
10390 commands when they are hit. Tracepoints may not be thread-specific
10391 either.
10392
10393 @cindex fast tracepoints
10394 Some targets may support @dfn{fast tracepoints}, which are inserted in
10395 a different way (such as with a jump instead of a trap), that is
10396 faster but possibly restricted in where they may be installed.
10397
10398 @cindex static tracepoints
10399 @cindex markers, static tracepoints
10400 @cindex probing markers, static tracepoints
10401 Regular and fast tracepoints are dynamic tracing facilities, meaning
10402 that they can be used to insert tracepoints at (almost) any location
10403 in the target. Some targets may also support controlling @dfn{static
10404 tracepoints} from @value{GDBN}. With static tracing, a set of
10405 instrumentation points, also known as @dfn{markers}, are embedded in
10406 the target program, and can be activated or deactivated by name or
10407 address. These are usually placed at locations which facilitate
10408 investigating what the target is actually doing. @value{GDBN}'s
10409 support for static tracing includes being able to list instrumentation
10410 points, and attach them with @value{GDBN} defined high level
10411 tracepoints that expose the whole range of convenience of
10412 @value{GDBN}'s tracepoints support. Namely, support for collecting
10413 registers values and values of global or local (to the instrumentation
10414 point) variables; tracepoint conditions and trace state variables.
10415 The act of installing a @value{GDBN} static tracepoint on an
10416 instrumentation point, or marker, is referred to as @dfn{probing} a
10417 static tracepoint marker.
10418
10419 @code{gdbserver} supports tracepoints on some target systems.
10420 @xref{Server,,Tracepoints support in @code{gdbserver}}.
10421
10422 This section describes commands to set tracepoints and associated
10423 conditions and actions.
10424
10425 @menu
10426 * Create and Delete Tracepoints::
10427 * Enable and Disable Tracepoints::
10428 * Tracepoint Passcounts::
10429 * Tracepoint Conditions::
10430 * Trace State Variables::
10431 * Tracepoint Actions::
10432 * Listing Tracepoints::
10433 * Listing Static Tracepoint Markers::
10434 * Starting and Stopping Trace Experiments::
10435 * Tracepoint Restrictions::
10436 @end menu
10437
10438 @node Create and Delete Tracepoints
10439 @subsection Create and Delete Tracepoints
10440
10441 @table @code
10442 @cindex set tracepoint
10443 @kindex trace
10444 @item trace @var{location}
10445 The @code{trace} command is very similar to the @code{break} command.
10446 Its argument @var{location} can be a source line, a function name, or
10447 an address in the target program. @xref{Specify Location}. The
10448 @code{trace} command defines a tracepoint, which is a point in the
10449 target program where the debugger will briefly stop, collect some
10450 data, and then allow the program to continue. Setting a tracepoint or
10451 changing its actions takes effect immediately if the remote stub
10452 supports the @samp{InstallInTrace} feature (@pxref{install tracepoint
10453 in tracing}).
10454 If remote stub doesn't support the @samp{InstallInTrace} feature, all
10455 these changes don't take effect until the next @code{tstart}
10456 command, and once a trace experiment is running, further changes will
10457 not have any effect until the next trace experiment starts. In addition,
10458 @value{GDBN} supports @dfn{pending tracepoints}---tracepoints whose
10459 address is not yet resolved. (This is similar to pending breakpoints.)
10460 Pending tracepoints are not downloaded to the target and not installed
10461 until they are resolved. The resolution of pending tracepoints requires
10462 @value{GDBN} support---when debugging with the remote target, and
10463 @value{GDBN} disconnects from the remote stub (@pxref{disconnected
10464 tracing}), pending tracepoints can not be resolved (and downloaded to
10465 the remote stub) while @value{GDBN} is disconnected.
10466
10467 Here are some examples of using the @code{trace} command:
10468
10469 @smallexample
10470 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace foo.c:121} // a source file and line number
10471
10472 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace +2} // 2 lines forward
10473
10474 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace my_function} // first source line of function
10475
10476 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace *my_function} // EXACT start address of function
10477
10478 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace *0x2117c4} // an address
10479 @end smallexample
10480
10481 @noindent
10482 You can abbreviate @code{trace} as @code{tr}.
10483
10484 @item trace @var{location} if @var{cond}
10485 Set a tracepoint with condition @var{cond}; evaluate the expression
10486 @var{cond} each time the tracepoint is reached, and collect data only
10487 if the value is nonzero---that is, if @var{cond} evaluates as true.
10488 @xref{Tracepoint Conditions, ,Tracepoint Conditions}, for more
10489 information on tracepoint conditions.
10490
10491 @item ftrace @var{location} [ if @var{cond} ]
10492 @cindex set fast tracepoint
10493 @cindex fast tracepoints, setting
10494 @kindex ftrace
10495 The @code{ftrace} command sets a fast tracepoint. For targets that
10496 support them, fast tracepoints will use a more efficient but possibly
10497 less general technique to trigger data collection, such as a jump
10498 instruction instead of a trap, or some sort of hardware support. It
10499 may not be possible to create a fast tracepoint at the desired
10500 location, in which case the command will exit with an explanatory
10501 message.
10502
10503 @value{GDBN} handles arguments to @code{ftrace} exactly as for
10504 @code{trace}.
10505
10506 On 32-bit x86-architecture systems, fast tracepoints normally need to
10507 be placed at an instruction that is 5 bytes or longer, but can be
10508 placed at 4-byte instructions if the low 64K of memory of the target
10509 program is available to install trampolines. Some Unix-type systems,
10510 such as @sc{gnu}/Linux, exclude low addresses from the program's
10511 address space; but for instance with the Linux kernel it is possible
10512 to let @value{GDBN} use this area by doing a @command{sysctl} command
10513 to set the @code{mmap_min_addr} kernel parameter, as in
10514
10515 @example
10516 sudo sysctl -w vm.mmap_min_addr=32768
10517 @end example
10518
10519 @noindent
10520 which sets the low address to 32K, which leaves plenty of room for
10521 trampolines. The minimum address should be set to a page boundary.
10522
10523 @item strace @var{location} [ if @var{cond} ]
10524 @cindex set static tracepoint
10525 @cindex static tracepoints, setting
10526 @cindex probe static tracepoint marker
10527 @kindex strace
10528 The @code{strace} command sets a static tracepoint. For targets that
10529 support it, setting a static tracepoint probes a static
10530 instrumentation point, or marker, found at @var{location}. It may not
10531 be possible to set a static tracepoint at the desired location, in
10532 which case the command will exit with an explanatory message.
10533
10534 @value{GDBN} handles arguments to @code{strace} exactly as for
10535 @code{trace}, with the addition that the user can also specify
10536 @code{-m @var{marker}} as @var{location}. This probes the marker
10537 identified by the @var{marker} string identifier. This identifier
10538 depends on the static tracepoint backend library your program is
10539 using. You can find all the marker identifiers in the @samp{ID} field
10540 of the @code{info static-tracepoint-markers} command output.
10541 @xref{Listing Static Tracepoint Markers,,Listing Static Tracepoint
10542 Markers}. For example, in the following small program using the UST
10543 tracing engine:
10544
10545 @smallexample
10546 main ()
10547 @{
10548 trace_mark(ust, bar33, "str %s", "FOOBAZ");
10549 @}
10550 @end smallexample
10551
10552 @noindent
10553 the marker id is composed of joining the first two arguments to the
10554 @code{trace_mark} call with a slash, which translates to:
10555
10556 @smallexample
10557 (@value{GDBP}) info static-tracepoint-markers
10558 Cnt Enb ID Address What
10559 1 n ust/bar33 0x0000000000400ddc in main at stexample.c:22
10560 Data: "str %s"
10561 [etc...]
10562 @end smallexample
10563
10564 @noindent
10565 so you may probe the marker above with:
10566
10567 @smallexample
10568 (@value{GDBP}) strace -m ust/bar33
10569 @end smallexample
10570
10571 Static tracepoints accept an extra collect action --- @code{collect
10572 $_sdata}. This collects arbitrary user data passed in the probe point
10573 call to the tracing library. In the UST example above, you'll see
10574 that the third argument to @code{trace_mark} is a printf-like format
10575 string. The user data is then the result of running that formating
10576 string against the following arguments. Note that @code{info
10577 static-tracepoint-markers} command output lists that format string in
10578 the @samp{Data:} field.
10579
10580 You can inspect this data when analyzing the trace buffer, by printing
10581 the $_sdata variable like any other variable available to
10582 @value{GDBN}. @xref{Tracepoint Actions,,Tracepoint Action Lists}.
10583
10584 @vindex $tpnum
10585 @cindex last tracepoint number
10586 @cindex recent tracepoint number
10587 @cindex tracepoint number
10588 The convenience variable @code{$tpnum} records the tracepoint number
10589 of the most recently set tracepoint.
10590
10591 @kindex delete tracepoint
10592 @cindex tracepoint deletion
10593 @item delete tracepoint @r{[}@var{num}@r{]}
10594 Permanently delete one or more tracepoints. With no argument, the
10595 default is to delete all tracepoints. Note that the regular
10596 @code{delete} command can remove tracepoints also.
10597
10598 Examples:
10599
10600 @smallexample
10601 (@value{GDBP}) @b{delete trace 1 2 3} // remove three tracepoints
10602
10603 (@value{GDBP}) @b{delete trace} // remove all tracepoints
10604 @end smallexample
10605
10606 @noindent
10607 You can abbreviate this command as @code{del tr}.
10608 @end table
10609
10610 @node Enable and Disable Tracepoints
10611 @subsection Enable and Disable Tracepoints
10612
10613 These commands are deprecated; they are equivalent to plain @code{disable} and @code{enable}.
10614
10615 @table @code
10616 @kindex disable tracepoint
10617 @item disable tracepoint @r{[}@var{num}@r{]}
10618 Disable tracepoint @var{num}, or all tracepoints if no argument
10619 @var{num} is given. A disabled tracepoint will have no effect during
10620 a trace experiment, but it is not forgotten. You can re-enable
10621 a disabled tracepoint using the @code{enable tracepoint} command.
10622 If the command is issued during a trace experiment and the debug target
10623 has support for disabling tracepoints during a trace experiment, then the
10624 change will be effective immediately. Otherwise, it will be applied to the
10625 next trace experiment.
10626
10627 @kindex enable tracepoint
10628 @item enable tracepoint @r{[}@var{num}@r{]}
10629 Enable tracepoint @var{num}, or all tracepoints. If this command is
10630 issued during a trace experiment and the debug target supports enabling
10631 tracepoints during a trace experiment, then the enabled tracepoints will
10632 become effective immediately. Otherwise, they will become effective the
10633 next time a trace experiment is run.
10634 @end table
10635
10636 @node Tracepoint Passcounts
10637 @subsection Tracepoint Passcounts
10638
10639 @table @code
10640 @kindex passcount
10641 @cindex tracepoint pass count
10642 @item passcount @r{[}@var{n} @r{[}@var{num}@r{]]}
10643 Set the @dfn{passcount} of a tracepoint. The passcount is a way to
10644 automatically stop a trace experiment. If a tracepoint's passcount is
10645 @var{n}, then the trace experiment will be automatically stopped on
10646 the @var{n}'th time that tracepoint is hit. If the tracepoint number
10647 @var{num} is not specified, the @code{passcount} command sets the
10648 passcount of the most recently defined tracepoint. If no passcount is
10649 given, the trace experiment will run until stopped explicitly by the
10650 user.
10651
10652 Examples:
10653
10654 @smallexample
10655 (@value{GDBP}) @b{passcount 5 2} // Stop on the 5th execution of
10656 @exdent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @code{// tracepoint 2}
10657
10658 (@value{GDBP}) @b{passcount 12} // Stop on the 12th execution of the
10659 @exdent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @code{// most recently defined tracepoint.}
10660 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace foo}
10661 (@value{GDBP}) @b{pass 3}
10662 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace bar}
10663 (@value{GDBP}) @b{pass 2}
10664 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace baz}
10665 (@value{GDBP}) @b{pass 1} // Stop tracing when foo has been
10666 @exdent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @code{// executed 3 times OR when bar has}
10667 @exdent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @code{// been executed 2 times}
10668 @exdent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @code{// OR when baz has been executed 1 time.}
10669 @end smallexample
10670 @end table
10671
10672 @node Tracepoint Conditions
10673 @subsection Tracepoint Conditions
10674 @cindex conditional tracepoints
10675 @cindex tracepoint conditions
10676
10677 The simplest sort of tracepoint collects data every time your program
10678 reaches a specified place. You can also specify a @dfn{condition} for
10679 a tracepoint. A condition is just a Boolean expression in your
10680 programming language (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}). A
10681 tracepoint with a condition evaluates the expression each time your
10682 program reaches it, and data collection happens only if the condition
10683 is true.
10684
10685 Tracepoint conditions can be specified when a tracepoint is set, by
10686 using @samp{if} in the arguments to the @code{trace} command.
10687 @xref{Create and Delete Tracepoints, ,Setting Tracepoints}. They can
10688 also be set or changed at any time with the @code{condition} command,
10689 just as with breakpoints.
10690
10691 Unlike breakpoint conditions, @value{GDBN} does not actually evaluate
10692 the conditional expression itself. Instead, @value{GDBN} encodes the
10693 expression into an agent expression (@pxref{Agent Expressions})
10694 suitable for execution on the target, independently of @value{GDBN}.
10695 Global variables become raw memory locations, locals become stack
10696 accesses, and so forth.
10697
10698 For instance, suppose you have a function that is usually called
10699 frequently, but should not be called after an error has occurred. You
10700 could use the following tracepoint command to collect data about calls
10701 of that function that happen while the error code is propagating
10702 through the program; an unconditional tracepoint could end up
10703 collecting thousands of useless trace frames that you would have to
10704 search through.
10705
10706 @smallexample
10707 (@value{GDBP}) @kbd{trace normal_operation if errcode > 0}
10708 @end smallexample
10709
10710 @node Trace State Variables
10711 @subsection Trace State Variables
10712 @cindex trace state variables
10713
10714 A @dfn{trace state variable} is a special type of variable that is
10715 created and managed by target-side code. The syntax is the same as
10716 that for GDB's convenience variables (a string prefixed with ``$''),
10717 but they are stored on the target. They must be created explicitly,
10718 using a @code{tvariable} command. They are always 64-bit signed
10719 integers.
10720
10721 Trace state variables are remembered by @value{GDBN}, and downloaded
10722 to the target along with tracepoint information when the trace
10723 experiment starts. There are no intrinsic limits on the number of
10724 trace state variables, beyond memory limitations of the target.
10725
10726 @cindex convenience variables, and trace state variables
10727 Although trace state variables are managed by the target, you can use
10728 them in print commands and expressions as if they were convenience
10729 variables; @value{GDBN} will get the current value from the target
10730 while the trace experiment is running. Trace state variables share
10731 the same namespace as other ``$'' variables, which means that you
10732 cannot have trace state variables with names like @code{$23} or
10733 @code{$pc}, nor can you have a trace state variable and a convenience
10734 variable with the same name.
10735
10736 @table @code
10737
10738 @item tvariable $@var{name} [ = @var{expression} ]
10739 @kindex tvariable
10740 The @code{tvariable} command creates a new trace state variable named
10741 @code{$@var{name}}, and optionally gives it an initial value of
10742 @var{expression}. @var{expression} is evaluated when this command is
10743 entered; the result will be converted to an integer if possible,
10744 otherwise @value{GDBN} will report an error. A subsequent
10745 @code{tvariable} command specifying the same name does not create a
10746 variable, but instead assigns the supplied initial value to the
10747 existing variable of that name, overwriting any previous initial
10748 value. The default initial value is 0.
10749
10750 @item info tvariables
10751 @kindex info tvariables
10752 List all the trace state variables along with their initial values.
10753 Their current values may also be displayed, if the trace experiment is
10754 currently running.
10755
10756 @item delete tvariable @r{[} $@var{name} @dots{} @r{]}
10757 @kindex delete tvariable
10758 Delete the given trace state variables, or all of them if no arguments
10759 are specified.
10760
10761 @end table
10762
10763 @node Tracepoint Actions
10764 @subsection Tracepoint Action Lists
10765
10766 @table @code
10767 @kindex actions
10768 @cindex tracepoint actions
10769 @item actions @r{[}@var{num}@r{]}
10770 This command will prompt for a list of actions to be taken when the
10771 tracepoint is hit. If the tracepoint number @var{num} is not
10772 specified, this command sets the actions for the one that was most
10773 recently defined (so that you can define a tracepoint and then say
10774 @code{actions} without bothering about its number). You specify the
10775 actions themselves on the following lines, one action at a time, and
10776 terminate the actions list with a line containing just @code{end}. So
10777 far, the only defined actions are @code{collect}, @code{teval}, and
10778 @code{while-stepping}.
10779
10780 @code{actions} is actually equivalent to @code{commands} (@pxref{Break
10781 Commands, ,Breakpoint Command Lists}), except that only the defined
10782 actions are allowed; any other @value{GDBN} command is rejected.
10783
10784 @cindex remove actions from a tracepoint
10785 To remove all actions from a tracepoint, type @samp{actions @var{num}}
10786 and follow it immediately with @samp{end}.
10787
10788 @smallexample
10789 (@value{GDBP}) @b{collect @var{data}} // collect some data
10790
10791 (@value{GDBP}) @b{while-stepping 5} // single-step 5 times, collect data
10792
10793 (@value{GDBP}) @b{end} // signals the end of actions.
10794 @end smallexample
10795
10796 In the following example, the action list begins with @code{collect}
10797 commands indicating the things to be collected when the tracepoint is
10798 hit. Then, in order to single-step and collect additional data
10799 following the tracepoint, a @code{while-stepping} command is used,
10800 followed by the list of things to be collected after each step in a
10801 sequence of single steps. The @code{while-stepping} command is
10802 terminated by its own separate @code{end} command. Lastly, the action
10803 list is terminated by an @code{end} command.
10804
10805 @smallexample
10806 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace foo}
10807 (@value{GDBP}) @b{actions}
10808 Enter actions for tracepoint 1, one per line:
10809 > collect bar,baz
10810 > collect $regs
10811 > while-stepping 12
10812 > collect $pc, arr[i]
10813 > end
10814 end
10815 @end smallexample
10816
10817 @kindex collect @r{(tracepoints)}
10818 @item collect@r{[}/@var{mods}@r{]} @var{expr1}, @var{expr2}, @dots{}
10819 Collect values of the given expressions when the tracepoint is hit.
10820 This command accepts a comma-separated list of any valid expressions.
10821 In addition to global, static, or local variables, the following
10822 special arguments are supported:
10823
10824 @table @code
10825 @item $regs
10826 Collect all registers.
10827
10828 @item $args
10829 Collect all function arguments.
10830
10831 @item $locals
10832 Collect all local variables.
10833
10834 @item $_ret
10835 Collect the return address. This is helpful if you want to see more
10836 of a backtrace.
10837
10838 @item $_sdata
10839 @vindex $_sdata@r{, collect}
10840 Collect static tracepoint marker specific data. Only available for
10841 static tracepoints. @xref{Tracepoint Actions,,Tracepoint Action
10842 Lists}. On the UST static tracepoints library backend, an
10843 instrumentation point resembles a @code{printf} function call. The
10844 tracing library is able to collect user specified data formatted to a
10845 character string using the format provided by the programmer that
10846 instrumented the program. Other backends have similar mechanisms.
10847 Here's an example of a UST marker call:
10848
10849 @smallexample
10850 const char master_name[] = "$your_name";
10851 trace_mark(channel1, marker1, "hello %s", master_name)
10852 @end smallexample
10853
10854 In this case, collecting @code{$_sdata} collects the string
10855 @samp{hello $yourname}. When analyzing the trace buffer, you can
10856 inspect @samp{$_sdata} like any other variable available to
10857 @value{GDBN}.
10858 @end table
10859
10860 You can give several consecutive @code{collect} commands, each one
10861 with a single argument, or one @code{collect} command with several
10862 arguments separated by commas; the effect is the same.
10863
10864 The optional @var{mods} changes the usual handling of the arguments.
10865 @code{s} requests that pointers to chars be handled as strings, in
10866 particular collecting the contents of the memory being pointed at, up
10867 to the first zero. The upper bound is by default the value of the
10868 @code{print elements} variable; if @code{s} is followed by a decimal
10869 number, that is the upper bound instead. So for instance
10870 @samp{collect/s25 mystr} collects as many as 25 characters at
10871 @samp{mystr}.
10872
10873 The command @code{info scope} (@pxref{Symbols, info scope}) is
10874 particularly useful for figuring out what data to collect.
10875
10876 @kindex teval @r{(tracepoints)}
10877 @item teval @var{expr1}, @var{expr2}, @dots{}
10878 Evaluate the given expressions when the tracepoint is hit. This
10879 command accepts a comma-separated list of expressions. The results
10880 are discarded, so this is mainly useful for assigning values to trace
10881 state variables (@pxref{Trace State Variables}) without adding those
10882 values to the trace buffer, as would be the case if the @code{collect}
10883 action were used.
10884
10885 @kindex while-stepping @r{(tracepoints)}
10886 @item while-stepping @var{n}
10887 Perform @var{n} single-step instruction traces after the tracepoint,
10888 collecting new data after each step. The @code{while-stepping}
10889 command is followed by the list of what to collect while stepping
10890 (followed by its own @code{end} command):
10891
10892 @smallexample
10893 > while-stepping 12
10894 > collect $regs, myglobal
10895 > end
10896 >
10897 @end smallexample
10898
10899 @noindent
10900 Note that @code{$pc} is not automatically collected by
10901 @code{while-stepping}; you need to explicitly collect that register if
10902 you need it. You may abbreviate @code{while-stepping} as @code{ws} or
10903 @code{stepping}.
10904
10905 @item set default-collect @var{expr1}, @var{expr2}, @dots{}
10906 @kindex set default-collect
10907 @cindex default collection action
10908 This variable is a list of expressions to collect at each tracepoint
10909 hit. It is effectively an additional @code{collect} action prepended
10910 to every tracepoint action list. The expressions are parsed
10911 individually for each tracepoint, so for instance a variable named
10912 @code{xyz} may be interpreted as a global for one tracepoint, and a
10913 local for another, as appropriate to the tracepoint's location.
10914
10915 @item show default-collect
10916 @kindex show default-collect
10917 Show the list of expressions that are collected by default at each
10918 tracepoint hit.
10919
10920 @end table
10921
10922 @node Listing Tracepoints
10923 @subsection Listing Tracepoints
10924
10925 @table @code
10926 @kindex info tracepoints @r{[}@var{n}@dots{}@r{]}
10927 @kindex info tp @r{[}@var{n}@dots{}@r{]}
10928 @cindex information about tracepoints
10929 @item info tracepoints @r{[}@var{num}@dots{}@r{]}
10930 Display information about the tracepoint @var{num}. If you don't
10931 specify a tracepoint number, displays information about all the
10932 tracepoints defined so far. The format is similar to that used for
10933 @code{info breakpoints}; in fact, @code{info tracepoints} is the same
10934 command, simply restricting itself to tracepoints.
10935
10936 A tracepoint's listing may include additional information specific to
10937 tracing:
10938
10939 @itemize @bullet
10940 @item
10941 its passcount as given by the @code{passcount @var{n}} command
10942 @end itemize
10943
10944 @smallexample
10945 (@value{GDBP}) @b{info trace}
10946 Num Type Disp Enb Address What
10947 1 tracepoint keep y 0x0804ab57 in foo() at main.cxx:7
10948 while-stepping 20
10949 collect globfoo, $regs
10950 end
10951 collect globfoo2
10952 end
10953 pass count 1200
10954 (@value{GDBP})
10955 @end smallexample
10956
10957 @noindent
10958 This command can be abbreviated @code{info tp}.
10959 @end table
10960
10961 @node Listing Static Tracepoint Markers
10962 @subsection Listing Static Tracepoint Markers
10963
10964 @table @code
10965 @kindex info static-tracepoint-markers
10966 @cindex information about static tracepoint markers
10967 @item info static-tracepoint-markers
10968 Display information about all static tracepoint markers defined in the
10969 program.
10970
10971 For each marker, the following columns are printed:
10972
10973 @table @emph
10974 @item Count
10975 An incrementing counter, output to help readability. This is not a
10976 stable identifier.
10977 @item ID
10978 The marker ID, as reported by the target.
10979 @item Enabled or Disabled
10980 Probed markers are tagged with @samp{y}. @samp{n} identifies marks
10981 that are not enabled.
10982 @item Address
10983 Where the marker is in your program, as a memory address.
10984 @item What
10985 Where the marker is in the source for your program, as a file and line
10986 number. If the debug information included in the program does not
10987 allow @value{GDBN} to locate the source of the marker, this column
10988 will be left blank.
10989 @end table
10990
10991 @noindent
10992 In addition, the following information may be printed for each marker:
10993
10994 @table @emph
10995 @item Data
10996 User data passed to the tracing library by the marker call. In the
10997 UST backend, this is the format string passed as argument to the
10998 marker call.
10999 @item Static tracepoints probing the marker
11000 The list of static tracepoints attached to the marker.
11001 @end table
11002
11003 @smallexample
11004 (@value{GDBP}) info static-tracepoint-markers
11005 Cnt ID Enb Address What
11006 1 ust/bar2 y 0x0000000000400e1a in main at stexample.c:25
11007 Data: number1 %d number2 %d
11008 Probed by static tracepoints: #2
11009 2 ust/bar33 n 0x0000000000400c87 in main at stexample.c:24
11010 Data: str %s
11011 (@value{GDBP})
11012 @end smallexample
11013 @end table
11014
11015 @node Starting and Stopping Trace Experiments
11016 @subsection Starting and Stopping Trace Experiments
11017
11018 @table @code
11019 @kindex tstart [ @var{notes} ]
11020 @cindex start a new trace experiment
11021 @cindex collected data discarded
11022 @item tstart
11023 This command starts the trace experiment, and begins collecting data.
11024 It has the side effect of discarding all the data collected in the
11025 trace buffer during the previous trace experiment. If any arguments
11026 are supplied, they are taken as a note and stored with the trace
11027 experiment's state. The notes may be arbitrary text, and are
11028 especially useful with disconnected tracing in a multi-user context;
11029 the notes can explain what the trace is doing, supply user contact
11030 information, and so forth.
11031
11032 @kindex tstop [ @var{notes} ]
11033 @cindex stop a running trace experiment
11034 @item tstop
11035 This command stops the trace experiment. If any arguments are
11036 supplied, they are recorded with the experiment as a note. This is
11037 useful if you are stopping a trace started by someone else, for
11038 instance if the trace is interfering with the system's behavior and
11039 needs to be stopped quickly.
11040
11041 @strong{Note}: a trace experiment and data collection may stop
11042 automatically if any tracepoint's passcount is reached
11043 (@pxref{Tracepoint Passcounts}), or if the trace buffer becomes full.
11044
11045 @kindex tstatus
11046 @cindex status of trace data collection
11047 @cindex trace experiment, status of
11048 @item tstatus
11049 This command displays the status of the current trace data
11050 collection.
11051 @end table
11052
11053 Here is an example of the commands we described so far:
11054
11055 @smallexample
11056 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace gdb_c_test}
11057 (@value{GDBP}) @b{actions}
11058 Enter actions for tracepoint #1, one per line.
11059 > collect $regs,$locals,$args
11060 > while-stepping 11
11061 > collect $regs
11062 > end
11063 > end
11064 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tstart}
11065 [time passes @dots{}]
11066 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tstop}
11067 @end smallexample
11068
11069 @anchor{disconnected tracing}
11070 @cindex disconnected tracing
11071 You can choose to continue running the trace experiment even if
11072 @value{GDBN} disconnects from the target, voluntarily or
11073 involuntarily. For commands such as @code{detach}, the debugger will
11074 ask what you want to do with the trace. But for unexpected
11075 terminations (@value{GDBN} crash, network outage), it would be
11076 unfortunate to lose hard-won trace data, so the variable
11077 @code{disconnected-tracing} lets you decide whether the trace should
11078 continue running without @value{GDBN}.
11079
11080 @table @code
11081 @item set disconnected-tracing on
11082 @itemx set disconnected-tracing off
11083 @kindex set disconnected-tracing
11084 Choose whether a tracing run should continue to run if @value{GDBN}
11085 has disconnected from the target. Note that @code{detach} or
11086 @code{quit} will ask you directly what to do about a running trace no
11087 matter what this variable's setting, so the variable is mainly useful
11088 for handling unexpected situations, such as loss of the network.
11089
11090 @item show disconnected-tracing
11091 @kindex show disconnected-tracing
11092 Show the current choice for disconnected tracing.
11093
11094 @end table
11095
11096 When you reconnect to the target, the trace experiment may or may not
11097 still be running; it might have filled the trace buffer in the
11098 meantime, or stopped for one of the other reasons. If it is running,
11099 it will continue after reconnection.
11100
11101 Upon reconnection, the target will upload information about the
11102 tracepoints in effect. @value{GDBN} will then compare that
11103 information to the set of tracepoints currently defined, and attempt
11104 to match them up, allowing for the possibility that the numbers may
11105 have changed due to creation and deletion in the meantime. If one of
11106 the target's tracepoints does not match any in @value{GDBN}, the
11107 debugger will create a new tracepoint, so that you have a number with
11108 which to specify that tracepoint. This matching-up process is
11109 necessarily heuristic, and it may result in useless tracepoints being
11110 created; you may simply delete them if they are of no use.
11111
11112 @cindex circular trace buffer
11113 If your target agent supports a @dfn{circular trace buffer}, then you
11114 can run a trace experiment indefinitely without filling the trace
11115 buffer; when space runs out, the agent deletes already-collected trace
11116 frames, oldest first, until there is enough room to continue
11117 collecting. This is especially useful if your tracepoints are being
11118 hit too often, and your trace gets terminated prematurely because the
11119 buffer is full. To ask for a circular trace buffer, simply set
11120 @samp{circular-trace-buffer} to on. You can set this at any time,
11121 including during tracing; if the agent can do it, it will change
11122 buffer handling on the fly, otherwise it will not take effect until
11123 the next run.
11124
11125 @table @code
11126 @item set circular-trace-buffer on
11127 @itemx set circular-trace-buffer off
11128 @kindex set circular-trace-buffer
11129 Choose whether a tracing run should use a linear or circular buffer
11130 for trace data. A linear buffer will not lose any trace data, but may
11131 fill up prematurely, while a circular buffer will discard old trace
11132 data, but it will have always room for the latest tracepoint hits.
11133
11134 @item show circular-trace-buffer
11135 @kindex show circular-trace-buffer
11136 Show the current choice for the trace buffer. Note that this may not
11137 match the agent's current buffer handling, nor is it guaranteed to
11138 match the setting that might have been in effect during a past run,
11139 for instance if you are looking at frames from a trace file.
11140
11141 @end table
11142
11143 @table @code
11144 @item set trace-user @var{text}
11145 @kindex set trace-user
11146
11147 @item show trace-user
11148 @kindex show trace-user
11149
11150 @item set trace-notes @var{text}
11151 @kindex set trace-notes
11152 Set the trace run's notes.
11153
11154 @item show trace-notes
11155 @kindex show trace-notes
11156 Show the trace run's notes.
11157
11158 @item set trace-stop-notes @var{text}
11159 @kindex set trace-stop-notes
11160 Set the trace run's stop notes. The handling of the note is as for
11161 @code{tstop} arguments; the set command is convenient way to fix a
11162 stop note that is mistaken or incomplete.
11163
11164 @item show trace-stop-notes
11165 @kindex show trace-stop-notes
11166 Show the trace run's stop notes.
11167
11168 @end table
11169
11170 @node Tracepoint Restrictions
11171 @subsection Tracepoint Restrictions
11172
11173 @cindex tracepoint restrictions
11174 There are a number of restrictions on the use of tracepoints. As
11175 described above, tracepoint data gathering occurs on the target
11176 without interaction from @value{GDBN}. Thus the full capabilities of
11177 the debugger are not available during data gathering, and then at data
11178 examination time, you will be limited by only having what was
11179 collected. The following items describe some common problems, but it
11180 is not exhaustive, and you may run into additional difficulties not
11181 mentioned here.
11182
11183 @itemize @bullet
11184
11185 @item
11186 Tracepoint expressions are intended to gather objects (lvalues). Thus
11187 the full flexibility of GDB's expression evaluator is not available.
11188 You cannot call functions, cast objects to aggregate types, access
11189 convenience variables or modify values (except by assignment to trace
11190 state variables). Some language features may implicitly call
11191 functions (for instance Objective-C fields with accessors), and therefore
11192 cannot be collected either.
11193
11194 @item
11195 Collection of local variables, either individually or in bulk with
11196 @code{$locals} or @code{$args}, during @code{while-stepping} may
11197 behave erratically. The stepping action may enter a new scope (for
11198 instance by stepping into a function), or the location of the variable
11199 may change (for instance it is loaded into a register). The
11200 tracepoint data recorded uses the location information for the
11201 variables that is correct for the tracepoint location. When the
11202 tracepoint is created, it is not possible, in general, to determine
11203 where the steps of a @code{while-stepping} sequence will advance the
11204 program---particularly if a conditional branch is stepped.
11205
11206 @item
11207 Collection of an incompletely-initialized or partially-destroyed object
11208 may result in something that @value{GDBN} cannot display, or displays
11209 in a misleading way.
11210
11211 @item
11212 When @value{GDBN} displays a pointer to character it automatically
11213 dereferences the pointer to also display characters of the string
11214 being pointed to. However, collecting the pointer during tracing does
11215 not automatically collect the string. You need to explicitly
11216 dereference the pointer and provide size information if you want to
11217 collect not only the pointer, but the memory pointed to. For example,
11218 @code{*ptr@@50} can be used to collect the 50 element array pointed to
11219 by @code{ptr}.
11220
11221 @item
11222 It is not possible to collect a complete stack backtrace at a
11223 tracepoint. Instead, you may collect the registers and a few hundred
11224 bytes from the stack pointer with something like @code{*(unsigned char *)$esp@@300}
11225 (adjust to use the name of the actual stack pointer register on your
11226 target architecture, and the amount of stack you wish to capture).
11227 Then the @code{backtrace} command will show a partial backtrace when
11228 using a trace frame. The number of stack frames that can be examined
11229 depends on the sizes of the frames in the collected stack. Note that
11230 if you ask for a block so large that it goes past the bottom of the
11231 stack, the target agent may report an error trying to read from an
11232 invalid address.
11233
11234 @item
11235 If you do not collect registers at a tracepoint, @value{GDBN} can
11236 infer that the value of @code{$pc} must be the same as the address of
11237 the tracepoint and use that when you are looking at a trace frame
11238 for that tracepoint. However, this cannot work if the tracepoint has
11239 multiple locations (for instance if it was set in a function that was
11240 inlined), or if it has a @code{while-stepping} loop. In those cases
11241 @value{GDBN} will warn you that it can't infer @code{$pc}, and default
11242 it to zero.
11243
11244 @end itemize
11245
11246 @node Analyze Collected Data
11247 @section Using the Collected Data
11248
11249 After the tracepoint experiment ends, you use @value{GDBN} commands
11250 for examining the trace data. The basic idea is that each tracepoint
11251 collects a trace @dfn{snapshot} every time it is hit and another
11252 snapshot every time it single-steps. All these snapshots are
11253 consecutively numbered from zero and go into a buffer, and you can
11254 examine them later. The way you examine them is to @dfn{focus} on a
11255 specific trace snapshot. When the remote stub is focused on a trace
11256 snapshot, it will respond to all @value{GDBN} requests for memory and
11257 registers by reading from the buffer which belongs to that snapshot,
11258 rather than from @emph{real} memory or registers of the program being
11259 debugged. This means that @strong{all} @value{GDBN} commands
11260 (@code{print}, @code{info registers}, @code{backtrace}, etc.) will
11261 behave as if we were currently debugging the program state as it was
11262 when the tracepoint occurred. Any requests for data that are not in
11263 the buffer will fail.
11264
11265 @menu
11266 * tfind:: How to select a trace snapshot
11267 * tdump:: How to display all data for a snapshot
11268 * save tracepoints:: How to save tracepoints for a future run
11269 @end menu
11270
11271 @node tfind
11272 @subsection @code{tfind @var{n}}
11273
11274 @kindex tfind
11275 @cindex select trace snapshot
11276 @cindex find trace snapshot
11277 The basic command for selecting a trace snapshot from the buffer is
11278 @code{tfind @var{n}}, which finds trace snapshot number @var{n},
11279 counting from zero. If no argument @var{n} is given, the next
11280 snapshot is selected.
11281
11282 Here are the various forms of using the @code{tfind} command.
11283
11284 @table @code
11285 @item tfind start
11286 Find the first snapshot in the buffer. This is a synonym for
11287 @code{tfind 0} (since 0 is the number of the first snapshot).
11288
11289 @item tfind none
11290 Stop debugging trace snapshots, resume @emph{live} debugging.
11291
11292 @item tfind end
11293 Same as @samp{tfind none}.
11294
11295 @item tfind
11296 No argument means find the next trace snapshot.
11297
11298 @item tfind -
11299 Find the previous trace snapshot before the current one. This permits
11300 retracing earlier steps.
11301
11302 @item tfind tracepoint @var{num}
11303 Find the next snapshot associated with tracepoint @var{num}. Search
11304 proceeds forward from the last examined trace snapshot. If no
11305 argument @var{num} is given, it means find the next snapshot collected
11306 for the same tracepoint as the current snapshot.
11307
11308 @item tfind pc @var{addr}
11309 Find the next snapshot associated with the value @var{addr} of the
11310 program counter. Search proceeds forward from the last examined trace
11311 snapshot. If no argument @var{addr} is given, it means find the next
11312 snapshot with the same value of PC as the current snapshot.
11313
11314 @item tfind outside @var{addr1}, @var{addr2}
11315 Find the next snapshot whose PC is outside the given range of
11316 addresses (exclusive).
11317
11318 @item tfind range @var{addr1}, @var{addr2}
11319 Find the next snapshot whose PC is between @var{addr1} and
11320 @var{addr2} (inclusive).
11321
11322 @item tfind line @r{[}@var{file}:@r{]}@var{n}
11323 Find the next snapshot associated with the source line @var{n}. If
11324 the optional argument @var{file} is given, refer to line @var{n} in
11325 that source file. Search proceeds forward from the last examined
11326 trace snapshot. If no argument @var{n} is given, it means find the
11327 next line other than the one currently being examined; thus saying
11328 @code{tfind line} repeatedly can appear to have the same effect as
11329 stepping from line to line in a @emph{live} debugging session.
11330 @end table
11331
11332 The default arguments for the @code{tfind} commands are specifically
11333 designed to make it easy to scan through the trace buffer. For
11334 instance, @code{tfind} with no argument selects the next trace
11335 snapshot, and @code{tfind -} with no argument selects the previous
11336 trace snapshot. So, by giving one @code{tfind} command, and then
11337 simply hitting @key{RET} repeatedly you can examine all the trace
11338 snapshots in order. Or, by saying @code{tfind -} and then hitting
11339 @key{RET} repeatedly you can examine the snapshots in reverse order.
11340 The @code{tfind line} command with no argument selects the snapshot
11341 for the next source line executed. The @code{tfind pc} command with
11342 no argument selects the next snapshot with the same program counter
11343 (PC) as the current frame. The @code{tfind tracepoint} command with
11344 no argument selects the next trace snapshot collected by the same
11345 tracepoint as the current one.
11346
11347 In addition to letting you scan through the trace buffer manually,
11348 these commands make it easy to construct @value{GDBN} scripts that
11349 scan through the trace buffer and print out whatever collected data
11350 you are interested in. Thus, if we want to examine the PC, FP, and SP
11351 registers from each trace frame in the buffer, we can say this:
11352
11353 @smallexample
11354 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tfind start}
11355 (@value{GDBP}) @b{while ($trace_frame != -1)}
11356 > printf "Frame %d, PC = %08X, SP = %08X, FP = %08X\n", \
11357 $trace_frame, $pc, $sp, $fp
11358 > tfind
11359 > end
11360
11361 Frame 0, PC = 0020DC64, SP = 0030BF3C, FP = 0030BF44
11362 Frame 1, PC = 0020DC6C, SP = 0030BF38, FP = 0030BF44
11363 Frame 2, PC = 0020DC70, SP = 0030BF34, FP = 0030BF44
11364 Frame 3, PC = 0020DC74, SP = 0030BF30, FP = 0030BF44
11365 Frame 4, PC = 0020DC78, SP = 0030BF2C, FP = 0030BF44
11366 Frame 5, PC = 0020DC7C, SP = 0030BF28, FP = 0030BF44
11367 Frame 6, PC = 0020DC80, SP = 0030BF24, FP = 0030BF44
11368 Frame 7, PC = 0020DC84, SP = 0030BF20, FP = 0030BF44
11369 Frame 8, PC = 0020DC88, SP = 0030BF1C, FP = 0030BF44
11370 Frame 9, PC = 0020DC8E, SP = 0030BF18, FP = 0030BF44
11371 Frame 10, PC = 00203F6C, SP = 0030BE3C, FP = 0030BF14
11372 @end smallexample
11373
11374 Or, if we want to examine the variable @code{X} at each source line in
11375 the buffer:
11376
11377 @smallexample
11378 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tfind start}
11379 (@value{GDBP}) @b{while ($trace_frame != -1)}
11380 > printf "Frame %d, X == %d\n", $trace_frame, X
11381 > tfind line
11382 > end
11383
11384 Frame 0, X = 1
11385 Frame 7, X = 2
11386 Frame 13, X = 255
11387 @end smallexample
11388
11389 @node tdump
11390 @subsection @code{tdump}
11391 @kindex tdump
11392 @cindex dump all data collected at tracepoint
11393 @cindex tracepoint data, display
11394
11395 This command takes no arguments. It prints all the data collected at
11396 the current trace snapshot.
11397
11398 @smallexample
11399 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace 444}
11400 (@value{GDBP}) @b{actions}
11401 Enter actions for tracepoint #2, one per line:
11402 > collect $regs, $locals, $args, gdb_long_test
11403 > end
11404
11405 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tstart}
11406
11407 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tfind line 444}
11408 #0 gdb_test (p1=0x11, p2=0x22, p3=0x33, p4=0x44, p5=0x55, p6=0x66)
11409 at gdb_test.c:444
11410 444 printp( "%s: arguments = 0x%X 0x%X 0x%X 0x%X 0x%X 0x%X\n", )
11411
11412 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tdump}
11413 Data collected at tracepoint 2, trace frame 1:
11414 d0 0xc4aa0085 -995491707
11415 d1 0x18 24
11416 d2 0x80 128
11417 d3 0x33 51
11418 d4 0x71aea3d 119204413
11419 d5 0x22 34
11420 d6 0xe0 224
11421 d7 0x380035 3670069
11422 a0 0x19e24a 1696330
11423 a1 0x3000668 50333288
11424 a2 0x100 256
11425 a3 0x322000 3284992
11426 a4 0x3000698 50333336
11427 a5 0x1ad3cc 1758156
11428 fp 0x30bf3c 0x30bf3c
11429 sp 0x30bf34 0x30bf34
11430 ps 0x0 0
11431 pc 0x20b2c8 0x20b2c8
11432 fpcontrol 0x0 0
11433 fpstatus 0x0 0
11434 fpiaddr 0x0 0
11435 p = 0x20e5b4 "gdb-test"
11436 p1 = (void *) 0x11
11437 p2 = (void *) 0x22
11438 p3 = (void *) 0x33
11439 p4 = (void *) 0x44
11440 p5 = (void *) 0x55
11441 p6 = (void *) 0x66
11442 gdb_long_test = 17 '\021'
11443
11444 (@value{GDBP})
11445 @end smallexample
11446
11447 @code{tdump} works by scanning the tracepoint's current collection
11448 actions and printing the value of each expression listed. So
11449 @code{tdump} can fail, if after a run, you change the tracepoint's
11450 actions to mention variables that were not collected during the run.
11451
11452 Also, for tracepoints with @code{while-stepping} loops, @code{tdump}
11453 uses the collected value of @code{$pc} to distinguish between trace
11454 frames that were collected at the tracepoint hit, and frames that were
11455 collected while stepping. This allows it to correctly choose whether
11456 to display the basic list of collections, or the collections from the
11457 body of the while-stepping loop. However, if @code{$pc} was not collected,
11458 then @code{tdump} will always attempt to dump using the basic collection
11459 list, and may fail if a while-stepping frame does not include all the
11460 same data that is collected at the tracepoint hit.
11461 @c This is getting pretty arcane, example would be good.
11462
11463 @node save tracepoints
11464 @subsection @code{save tracepoints @var{filename}}
11465 @kindex save tracepoints
11466 @kindex save-tracepoints
11467 @cindex save tracepoints for future sessions
11468
11469 This command saves all current tracepoint definitions together with
11470 their actions and passcounts, into a file @file{@var{filename}}
11471 suitable for use in a later debugging session. To read the saved
11472 tracepoint definitions, use the @code{source} command (@pxref{Command
11473 Files}). The @w{@code{save-tracepoints}} command is a deprecated
11474 alias for @w{@code{save tracepoints}}
11475
11476 @node Tracepoint Variables
11477 @section Convenience Variables for Tracepoints
11478 @cindex tracepoint variables
11479 @cindex convenience variables for tracepoints
11480
11481 @table @code
11482 @vindex $trace_frame
11483 @item (int) $trace_frame
11484 The current trace snapshot (a.k.a.@: @dfn{frame}) number, or -1 if no
11485 snapshot is selected.
11486
11487 @vindex $tracepoint
11488 @item (int) $tracepoint
11489 The tracepoint for the current trace snapshot.
11490
11491 @vindex $trace_line
11492 @item (int) $trace_line
11493 The line number for the current trace snapshot.
11494
11495 @vindex $trace_file
11496 @item (char []) $trace_file
11497 The source file for the current trace snapshot.
11498
11499 @vindex $trace_func
11500 @item (char []) $trace_func
11501 The name of the function containing @code{$tracepoint}.
11502 @end table
11503
11504 Note: @code{$trace_file} is not suitable for use in @code{printf},
11505 use @code{output} instead.
11506
11507 Here's a simple example of using these convenience variables for
11508 stepping through all the trace snapshots and printing some of their
11509 data. Note that these are not the same as trace state variables,
11510 which are managed by the target.
11511
11512 @smallexample
11513 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tfind start}
11514
11515 (@value{GDBP}) @b{while $trace_frame != -1}
11516 > output $trace_file
11517 > printf ", line %d (tracepoint #%d)\n", $trace_line, $tracepoint
11518 > tfind
11519 > end
11520 @end smallexample
11521
11522 @node Trace Files
11523 @section Using Trace Files
11524 @cindex trace files
11525
11526 In some situations, the target running a trace experiment may no
11527 longer be available; perhaps it crashed, or the hardware was needed
11528 for a different activity. To handle these cases, you can arrange to
11529 dump the trace data into a file, and later use that file as a source
11530 of trace data, via the @code{target tfile} command.
11531
11532 @table @code
11533
11534 @kindex tsave
11535 @item tsave [ -r ] @var{filename}
11536 Save the trace data to @var{filename}. By default, this command
11537 assumes that @var{filename} refers to the host filesystem, so if
11538 necessary @value{GDBN} will copy raw trace data up from the target and
11539 then save it. If the target supports it, you can also supply the
11540 optional argument @code{-r} (``remote'') to direct the target to save
11541 the data directly into @var{filename} in its own filesystem, which may be
11542 more efficient if the trace buffer is very large. (Note, however, that
11543 @code{target tfile} can only read from files accessible to the host.)
11544
11545 @kindex target tfile
11546 @kindex tfile
11547 @item target tfile @var{filename}
11548 Use the file named @var{filename} as a source of trace data. Commands
11549 that examine data work as they do with a live target, but it is not
11550 possible to run any new trace experiments. @code{tstatus} will report
11551 the state of the trace run at the moment the data was saved, as well
11552 as the current trace frame you are examining. @var{filename} must be
11553 on a filesystem accessible to the host.
11554
11555 @end table
11556
11557 @node Overlays
11558 @chapter Debugging Programs That Use Overlays
11559 @cindex overlays
11560
11561 If your program is too large to fit completely in your target system's
11562 memory, you can sometimes use @dfn{overlays} to work around this
11563 problem. @value{GDBN} provides some support for debugging programs that
11564 use overlays.
11565
11566 @menu
11567 * How Overlays Work:: A general explanation of overlays.
11568 * Overlay Commands:: Managing overlays in @value{GDBN}.
11569 * Automatic Overlay Debugging:: @value{GDBN} can find out which overlays are
11570 mapped by asking the inferior.
11571 * Overlay Sample Program:: A sample program using overlays.
11572 @end menu
11573
11574 @node How Overlays Work
11575 @section How Overlays Work
11576 @cindex mapped overlays
11577 @cindex unmapped overlays
11578 @cindex load address, overlay's
11579 @cindex mapped address
11580 @cindex overlay area
11581
11582 Suppose you have a computer whose instruction address space is only 64
11583 kilobytes long, but which has much more memory which can be accessed by
11584 other means: special instructions, segment registers, or memory
11585 management hardware, for example. Suppose further that you want to
11586 adapt a program which is larger than 64 kilobytes to run on this system.
11587
11588 One solution is to identify modules of your program which are relatively
11589 independent, and need not call each other directly; call these modules
11590 @dfn{overlays}. Separate the overlays from the main program, and place
11591 their machine code in the larger memory. Place your main program in
11592 instruction memory, but leave at least enough space there to hold the
11593 largest overlay as well.
11594
11595 Now, to call a function located in an overlay, you must first copy that
11596 overlay's machine code from the large memory into the space set aside
11597 for it in the instruction memory, and then jump to its entry point
11598 there.
11599
11600 @c NB: In the below the mapped area's size is greater or equal to the
11601 @c size of all overlays. This is intentional to remind the developer
11602 @c that overlays don't necessarily need to be the same size.
11603
11604 @smallexample
11605 @group
11606 Data Instruction Larger
11607 Address Space Address Space Address Space
11608 +-----------+ +-----------+ +-----------+
11609 | | | | | |
11610 +-----------+ +-----------+ +-----------+<-- overlay 1
11611 | program | | main | .----| overlay 1 | load address
11612 | variables | | program | | +-----------+
11613 | and heap | | | | | |
11614 +-----------+ | | | +-----------+<-- overlay 2
11615 | | +-----------+ | | | load address
11616 +-----------+ | | | .-| overlay 2 |
11617 | | | | | |
11618 mapped --->+-----------+ | | +-----------+
11619 address | | | | | |
11620 | overlay | <-' | | |
11621 | area | <---' +-----------+<-- overlay 3
11622 | | <---. | | load address
11623 +-----------+ `--| overlay 3 |
11624 | | | |
11625 +-----------+ | |
11626 +-----------+
11627 | |
11628 +-----------+
11629
11630 @anchor{A code overlay}A code overlay
11631 @end group
11632 @end smallexample
11633
11634 The diagram (@pxref{A code overlay}) shows a system with separate data
11635 and instruction address spaces. To map an overlay, the program copies
11636 its code from the larger address space to the instruction address space.
11637 Since the overlays shown here all use the same mapped address, only one
11638 may be mapped at a time. For a system with a single address space for
11639 data and instructions, the diagram would be similar, except that the
11640 program variables and heap would share an address space with the main
11641 program and the overlay area.
11642
11643 An overlay loaded into instruction memory and ready for use is called a
11644 @dfn{mapped} overlay; its @dfn{mapped address} is its address in the
11645 instruction memory. An overlay not present (or only partially present)
11646 in instruction memory is called @dfn{unmapped}; its @dfn{load address}
11647 is its address in the larger memory. The mapped address is also called
11648 the @dfn{virtual memory address}, or @dfn{VMA}; the load address is also
11649 called the @dfn{load memory address}, or @dfn{LMA}.
11650
11651 Unfortunately, overlays are not a completely transparent way to adapt a
11652 program to limited instruction memory. They introduce a new set of
11653 global constraints you must keep in mind as you design your program:
11654
11655 @itemize @bullet
11656
11657 @item
11658 Before calling or returning to a function in an overlay, your program
11659 must make sure that overlay is actually mapped. Otherwise, the call or
11660 return will transfer control to the right address, but in the wrong
11661 overlay, and your program will probably crash.
11662
11663 @item
11664 If the process of mapping an overlay is expensive on your system, you
11665 will need to choose your overlays carefully to minimize their effect on
11666 your program's performance.
11667
11668 @item
11669 The executable file you load onto your system must contain each
11670 overlay's instructions, appearing at the overlay's load address, not its
11671 mapped address. However, each overlay's instructions must be relocated
11672 and its symbols defined as if the overlay were at its mapped address.
11673 You can use GNU linker scripts to specify different load and relocation
11674 addresses for pieces of your program; see @ref{Overlay Description,,,
11675 ld.info, Using ld: the GNU linker}.
11676
11677 @item
11678 The procedure for loading executable files onto your system must be able
11679 to load their contents into the larger address space as well as the
11680 instruction and data spaces.
11681
11682 @end itemize
11683
11684 The overlay system described above is rather simple, and could be
11685 improved in many ways:
11686
11687 @itemize @bullet
11688
11689 @item
11690 If your system has suitable bank switch registers or memory management
11691 hardware, you could use those facilities to make an overlay's load area
11692 contents simply appear at their mapped address in instruction space.
11693 This would probably be faster than copying the overlay to its mapped
11694 area in the usual way.
11695
11696 @item
11697 If your overlays are small enough, you could set aside more than one
11698 overlay area, and have more than one overlay mapped at a time.
11699
11700 @item
11701 You can use overlays to manage data, as well as instructions. In
11702 general, data overlays are even less transparent to your design than
11703 code overlays: whereas code overlays only require care when you call or
11704 return to functions, data overlays require care every time you access
11705 the data. Also, if you change the contents of a data overlay, you
11706 must copy its contents back out to its load address before you can copy a
11707 different data overlay into the same mapped area.
11708
11709 @end itemize
11710
11711
11712 @node Overlay Commands
11713 @section Overlay Commands
11714
11715 To use @value{GDBN}'s overlay support, each overlay in your program must
11716 correspond to a separate section of the executable file. The section's
11717 virtual memory address and load memory address must be the overlay's
11718 mapped and load addresses. Identifying overlays with sections allows
11719 @value{GDBN} to determine the appropriate address of a function or
11720 variable, depending on whether the overlay is mapped or not.
11721
11722 @value{GDBN}'s overlay commands all start with the word @code{overlay};
11723 you can abbreviate this as @code{ov} or @code{ovly}. The commands are:
11724
11725 @table @code
11726 @item overlay off
11727 @kindex overlay
11728 Disable @value{GDBN}'s overlay support. When overlay support is
11729 disabled, @value{GDBN} assumes that all functions and variables are
11730 always present at their mapped addresses. By default, @value{GDBN}'s
11731 overlay support is disabled.
11732
11733 @item overlay manual
11734 @cindex manual overlay debugging
11735 Enable @dfn{manual} overlay debugging. In this mode, @value{GDBN}
11736 relies on you to tell it which overlays are mapped, and which are not,
11737 using the @code{overlay map-overlay} and @code{overlay unmap-overlay}
11738 commands described below.
11739
11740 @item overlay map-overlay @var{overlay}
11741 @itemx overlay map @var{overlay}
11742 @cindex map an overlay
11743 Tell @value{GDBN} that @var{overlay} is now mapped; @var{overlay} must
11744 be the name of the object file section containing the overlay. When an
11745 overlay is mapped, @value{GDBN} assumes it can find the overlay's
11746 functions and variables at their mapped addresses. @value{GDBN} assumes
11747 that any other overlays whose mapped ranges overlap that of
11748 @var{overlay} are now unmapped.
11749
11750 @item overlay unmap-overlay @var{overlay}
11751 @itemx overlay unmap @var{overlay}
11752 @cindex unmap an overlay
11753 Tell @value{GDBN} that @var{overlay} is no longer mapped; @var{overlay}
11754 must be the name of the object file section containing the overlay.
11755 When an overlay is unmapped, @value{GDBN} assumes it can find the
11756 overlay's functions and variables at their load addresses.
11757
11758 @item overlay auto
11759 Enable @dfn{automatic} overlay debugging. In this mode, @value{GDBN}
11760 consults a data structure the overlay manager maintains in the inferior
11761 to see which overlays are mapped. For details, see @ref{Automatic
11762 Overlay Debugging}.
11763
11764 @item overlay load-target
11765 @itemx overlay load
11766 @cindex reloading the overlay table
11767 Re-read the overlay table from the inferior. Normally, @value{GDBN}
11768 re-reads the table @value{GDBN} automatically each time the inferior
11769 stops, so this command should only be necessary if you have changed the
11770 overlay mapping yourself using @value{GDBN}. This command is only
11771 useful when using automatic overlay debugging.
11772
11773 @item overlay list-overlays
11774 @itemx overlay list
11775 @cindex listing mapped overlays
11776 Display a list of the overlays currently mapped, along with their mapped
11777 addresses, load addresses, and sizes.
11778
11779 @end table
11780
11781 Normally, when @value{GDBN} prints a code address, it includes the name
11782 of the function the address falls in:
11783
11784 @smallexample
11785 (@value{GDBP}) print main
11786 $3 = @{int ()@} 0x11a0 <main>
11787 @end smallexample
11788 @noindent
11789 When overlay debugging is enabled, @value{GDBN} recognizes code in
11790 unmapped overlays, and prints the names of unmapped functions with
11791 asterisks around them. For example, if @code{foo} is a function in an
11792 unmapped overlay, @value{GDBN} prints it this way:
11793
11794 @smallexample
11795 (@value{GDBP}) overlay list
11796 No sections are mapped.
11797 (@value{GDBP}) print foo
11798 $5 = @{int (int)@} 0x100000 <*foo*>
11799 @end smallexample
11800 @noindent
11801 When @code{foo}'s overlay is mapped, @value{GDBN} prints the function's
11802 name normally:
11803
11804 @smallexample
11805 (@value{GDBP}) overlay list
11806 Section .ov.foo.text, loaded at 0x100000 - 0x100034,
11807 mapped at 0x1016 - 0x104a
11808 (@value{GDBP}) print foo
11809 $6 = @{int (int)@} 0x1016 <foo>
11810 @end smallexample
11811
11812 When overlay debugging is enabled, @value{GDBN} can find the correct
11813 address for functions and variables in an overlay, whether or not the
11814 overlay is mapped. This allows most @value{GDBN} commands, like
11815 @code{break} and @code{disassemble}, to work normally, even on unmapped
11816 code. However, @value{GDBN}'s breakpoint support has some limitations:
11817
11818 @itemize @bullet
11819 @item
11820 @cindex breakpoints in overlays
11821 @cindex overlays, setting breakpoints in
11822 You can set breakpoints in functions in unmapped overlays, as long as
11823 @value{GDBN} can write to the overlay at its load address.
11824 @item
11825 @value{GDBN} can not set hardware or simulator-based breakpoints in
11826 unmapped overlays. However, if you set a breakpoint at the end of your
11827 overlay manager (and tell @value{GDBN} which overlays are now mapped, if
11828 you are using manual overlay management), @value{GDBN} will re-set its
11829 breakpoints properly.
11830 @end itemize
11831
11832
11833 @node Automatic Overlay Debugging
11834 @section Automatic Overlay Debugging
11835 @cindex automatic overlay debugging
11836
11837 @value{GDBN} can automatically track which overlays are mapped and which
11838 are not, given some simple co-operation from the overlay manager in the
11839 inferior. If you enable automatic overlay debugging with the
11840 @code{overlay auto} command (@pxref{Overlay Commands}), @value{GDBN}
11841 looks in the inferior's memory for certain variables describing the
11842 current state of the overlays.
11843
11844 Here are the variables your overlay manager must define to support
11845 @value{GDBN}'s automatic overlay debugging:
11846
11847 @table @asis
11848
11849 @item @code{_ovly_table}:
11850 This variable must be an array of the following structures:
11851
11852 @smallexample
11853 struct
11854 @{
11855 /* The overlay's mapped address. */
11856 unsigned long vma;
11857
11858 /* The size of the overlay, in bytes. */
11859 unsigned long size;
11860
11861 /* The overlay's load address. */
11862 unsigned long lma;
11863
11864 /* Non-zero if the overlay is currently mapped;
11865 zero otherwise. */
11866 unsigned long mapped;
11867 @}
11868 @end smallexample
11869
11870 @item @code{_novlys}:
11871 This variable must be a four-byte signed integer, holding the total
11872 number of elements in @code{_ovly_table}.
11873
11874 @end table
11875
11876 To decide whether a particular overlay is mapped or not, @value{GDBN}
11877 looks for an entry in @w{@code{_ovly_table}} whose @code{vma} and
11878 @code{lma} members equal the VMA and LMA of the overlay's section in the
11879 executable file. When @value{GDBN} finds a matching entry, it consults
11880 the entry's @code{mapped} member to determine whether the overlay is
11881 currently mapped.
11882
11883 In addition, your overlay manager may define a function called
11884 @code{_ovly_debug_event}. If this function is defined, @value{GDBN}
11885 will silently set a breakpoint there. If the overlay manager then
11886 calls this function whenever it has changed the overlay table, this
11887 will enable @value{GDBN} to accurately keep track of which overlays
11888 are in program memory, and update any breakpoints that may be set
11889 in overlays. This will allow breakpoints to work even if the
11890 overlays are kept in ROM or other non-writable memory while they
11891 are not being executed.
11892
11893 @node Overlay Sample Program
11894 @section Overlay Sample Program
11895 @cindex overlay example program
11896
11897 When linking a program which uses overlays, you must place the overlays
11898 at their load addresses, while relocating them to run at their mapped
11899 addresses. To do this, you must write a linker script (@pxref{Overlay
11900 Description,,, ld.info, Using ld: the GNU linker}). Unfortunately,
11901 since linker scripts are specific to a particular host system, target
11902 architecture, and target memory layout, this manual cannot provide
11903 portable sample code demonstrating @value{GDBN}'s overlay support.
11904
11905 However, the @value{GDBN} source distribution does contain an overlaid
11906 program, with linker scripts for a few systems, as part of its test
11907 suite. The program consists of the following files from
11908 @file{gdb/testsuite/gdb.base}:
11909
11910 @table @file
11911 @item overlays.c
11912 The main program file.
11913 @item ovlymgr.c
11914 A simple overlay manager, used by @file{overlays.c}.
11915 @item foo.c
11916 @itemx bar.c
11917 @itemx baz.c
11918 @itemx grbx.c
11919 Overlay modules, loaded and used by @file{overlays.c}.
11920 @item d10v.ld
11921 @itemx m32r.ld
11922 Linker scripts for linking the test program on the @code{d10v-elf}
11923 and @code{m32r-elf} targets.
11924 @end table
11925
11926 You can build the test program using the @code{d10v-elf} GCC
11927 cross-compiler like this:
11928
11929 @smallexample
11930 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c overlays.c
11931 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c ovlymgr.c
11932 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c foo.c
11933 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c bar.c
11934 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c baz.c
11935 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c grbx.c
11936 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g overlays.o ovlymgr.o foo.o bar.o \
11937 baz.o grbx.o -Wl,-Td10v.ld -o overlays
11938 @end smallexample
11939
11940 The build process is identical for any other architecture, except that
11941 you must substitute the appropriate compiler and linker script for the
11942 target system for @code{d10v-elf-gcc} and @code{d10v.ld}.
11943
11944
11945 @node Languages
11946 @chapter Using @value{GDBN} with Different Languages
11947 @cindex languages
11948
11949 Although programming languages generally have common aspects, they are
11950 rarely expressed in the same manner. For instance, in ANSI C,
11951 dereferencing a pointer @code{p} is accomplished by @code{*p}, but in
11952 Modula-2, it is accomplished by @code{p^}. Values can also be
11953 represented (and displayed) differently. Hex numbers in C appear as
11954 @samp{0x1ae}, while in Modula-2 they appear as @samp{1AEH}.
11955
11956 @cindex working language
11957 Language-specific information is built into @value{GDBN} for some languages,
11958 allowing you to express operations like the above in your program's
11959 native language, and allowing @value{GDBN} to output values in a manner
11960 consistent with the syntax of your program's native language. The
11961 language you use to build expressions is called the @dfn{working
11962 language}.
11963
11964 @menu
11965 * Setting:: Switching between source languages
11966 * Show:: Displaying the language
11967 * Checks:: Type and range checks
11968 * Supported Languages:: Supported languages
11969 * Unsupported Languages:: Unsupported languages
11970 @end menu
11971
11972 @node Setting
11973 @section Switching Between Source Languages
11974
11975 There are two ways to control the working language---either have @value{GDBN}
11976 set it automatically, or select it manually yourself. You can use the
11977 @code{set language} command for either purpose. On startup, @value{GDBN}
11978 defaults to setting the language automatically. The working language is
11979 used to determine how expressions you type are interpreted, how values
11980 are printed, etc.
11981
11982 In addition to the working language, every source file that
11983 @value{GDBN} knows about has its own working language. For some object
11984 file formats, the compiler might indicate which language a particular
11985 source file is in. However, most of the time @value{GDBN} infers the
11986 language from the name of the file. The language of a source file
11987 controls whether C@t{++} names are demangled---this way @code{backtrace} can
11988 show each frame appropriately for its own language. There is no way to
11989 set the language of a source file from within @value{GDBN}, but you can
11990 set the language associated with a filename extension. @xref{Show, ,
11991 Displaying the Language}.
11992
11993 This is most commonly a problem when you use a program, such
11994 as @code{cfront} or @code{f2c}, that generates C but is written in
11995 another language. In that case, make the
11996 program use @code{#line} directives in its C output; that way
11997 @value{GDBN} will know the correct language of the source code of the original
11998 program, and will display that source code, not the generated C code.
11999
12000 @menu
12001 * Filenames:: Filename extensions and languages.
12002 * Manually:: Setting the working language manually
12003 * Automatically:: Having @value{GDBN} infer the source language
12004 @end menu
12005
12006 @node Filenames
12007 @subsection List of Filename Extensions and Languages
12008
12009 If a source file name ends in one of the following extensions, then
12010 @value{GDBN} infers that its language is the one indicated.
12011
12012 @table @file
12013 @item .ada
12014 @itemx .ads
12015 @itemx .adb
12016 @itemx .a
12017 Ada source file.
12018
12019 @item .c
12020 C source file
12021
12022 @item .C
12023 @itemx .cc
12024 @itemx .cp
12025 @itemx .cpp
12026 @itemx .cxx
12027 @itemx .c++
12028 C@t{++} source file
12029
12030 @item .d
12031 D source file
12032
12033 @item .m
12034 Objective-C source file
12035
12036 @item .f
12037 @itemx .F
12038 Fortran source file
12039
12040 @item .mod
12041 Modula-2 source file
12042
12043 @item .s
12044 @itemx .S
12045 Assembler source file. This actually behaves almost like C, but
12046 @value{GDBN} does not skip over function prologues when stepping.
12047 @end table
12048
12049 In addition, you may set the language associated with a filename
12050 extension. @xref{Show, , Displaying the Language}.
12051
12052 @node Manually
12053 @subsection Setting the Working Language
12054
12055 If you allow @value{GDBN} to set the language automatically,
12056 expressions are interpreted the same way in your debugging session and
12057 your program.
12058
12059 @kindex set language
12060 If you wish, you may set the language manually. To do this, issue the
12061 command @samp{set language @var{lang}}, where @var{lang} is the name of
12062 a language, such as
12063 @code{c} or @code{modula-2}.
12064 For a list of the supported languages, type @samp{set language}.
12065
12066 Setting the language manually prevents @value{GDBN} from updating the working
12067 language automatically. This can lead to confusion if you try
12068 to debug a program when the working language is not the same as the
12069 source language, when an expression is acceptable to both
12070 languages---but means different things. For instance, if the current
12071 source file were written in C, and @value{GDBN} was parsing Modula-2, a
12072 command such as:
12073
12074 @smallexample
12075 print a = b + c
12076 @end smallexample
12077
12078 @noindent
12079 might not have the effect you intended. In C, this means to add
12080 @code{b} and @code{c} and place the result in @code{a}. The result
12081 printed would be the value of @code{a}. In Modula-2, this means to compare
12082 @code{a} to the result of @code{b+c}, yielding a @code{BOOLEAN} value.
12083
12084 @node Automatically
12085 @subsection Having @value{GDBN} Infer the Source Language
12086
12087 To have @value{GDBN} set the working language automatically, use
12088 @samp{set language local} or @samp{set language auto}. @value{GDBN}
12089 then infers the working language. That is, when your program stops in a
12090 frame (usually by encountering a breakpoint), @value{GDBN} sets the
12091 working language to the language recorded for the function in that
12092 frame. If the language for a frame is unknown (that is, if the function
12093 or block corresponding to the frame was defined in a source file that
12094 does not have a recognized extension), the current working language is
12095 not changed, and @value{GDBN} issues a warning.
12096
12097 This may not seem necessary for most programs, which are written
12098 entirely in one source language. However, program modules and libraries
12099 written in one source language can be used by a main program written in
12100 a different source language. Using @samp{set language auto} in this
12101 case frees you from having to set the working language manually.
12102
12103 @node Show
12104 @section Displaying the Language
12105
12106 The following commands help you find out which language is the
12107 working language, and also what language source files were written in.
12108
12109 @table @code
12110 @item show language
12111 @kindex show language
12112 Display the current working language. This is the
12113 language you can use with commands such as @code{print} to
12114 build and compute expressions that may involve variables in your program.
12115
12116 @item info frame
12117 @kindex info frame@r{, show the source language}
12118 Display the source language for this frame. This language becomes the
12119 working language if you use an identifier from this frame.
12120 @xref{Frame Info, ,Information about a Frame}, to identify the other
12121 information listed here.
12122
12123 @item info source
12124 @kindex info source@r{, show the source language}
12125 Display the source language of this source file.
12126 @xref{Symbols, ,Examining the Symbol Table}, to identify the other
12127 information listed here.
12128 @end table
12129
12130 In unusual circumstances, you may have source files with extensions
12131 not in the standard list. You can then set the extension associated
12132 with a language explicitly:
12133
12134 @table @code
12135 @item set extension-language @var{ext} @var{language}
12136 @kindex set extension-language
12137 Tell @value{GDBN} that source files with extension @var{ext} are to be
12138 assumed as written in the source language @var{language}.
12139
12140 @item info extensions
12141 @kindex info extensions
12142 List all the filename extensions and the associated languages.
12143 @end table
12144
12145 @node Checks
12146 @section Type and Range Checking
12147
12148 @quotation
12149 @emph{Warning:} In this release, the @value{GDBN} commands for type and range
12150 checking are included, but they do not yet have any effect. This
12151 section documents the intended facilities.
12152 @end quotation
12153 @c FIXME remove warning when type/range code added
12154
12155 Some languages are designed to guard you against making seemingly common
12156 errors through a series of compile- and run-time checks. These include
12157 checking the type of arguments to functions and operators, and making
12158 sure mathematical overflows are caught at run time. Checks such as
12159 these help to ensure a program's correctness once it has been compiled
12160 by eliminating type mismatches, and providing active checks for range
12161 errors when your program is running.
12162
12163 @value{GDBN} can check for conditions like the above if you wish.
12164 Although @value{GDBN} does not check the statements in your program,
12165 it can check expressions entered directly into @value{GDBN} for
12166 evaluation via the @code{print} command, for example. As with the
12167 working language, @value{GDBN} can also decide whether or not to check
12168 automatically based on your program's source language.
12169 @xref{Supported Languages, ,Supported Languages}, for the default
12170 settings of supported languages.
12171
12172 @menu
12173 * Type Checking:: An overview of type checking
12174 * Range Checking:: An overview of range checking
12175 @end menu
12176
12177 @cindex type checking
12178 @cindex checks, type
12179 @node Type Checking
12180 @subsection An Overview of Type Checking
12181
12182 Some languages, such as Modula-2, are strongly typed, meaning that the
12183 arguments to operators and functions have to be of the correct type,
12184 otherwise an error occurs. These checks prevent type mismatch
12185 errors from ever causing any run-time problems. For example,
12186
12187 @smallexample
12188 1 + 2 @result{} 3
12189 @exdent but
12190 @error{} 1 + 2.3
12191 @end smallexample
12192
12193 The second example fails because the @code{CARDINAL} 1 is not
12194 type-compatible with the @code{REAL} 2.3.
12195
12196 For the expressions you use in @value{GDBN} commands, you can tell the
12197 @value{GDBN} type checker to skip checking;
12198 to treat any mismatches as errors and abandon the expression;
12199 or to only issue warnings when type mismatches occur,
12200 but evaluate the expression anyway. When you choose the last of
12201 these, @value{GDBN} evaluates expressions like the second example above, but
12202 also issues a warning.
12203
12204 Even if you turn type checking off, there may be other reasons
12205 related to type that prevent @value{GDBN} from evaluating an expression.
12206 For instance, @value{GDBN} does not know how to add an @code{int} and
12207 a @code{struct foo}. These particular type errors have nothing to do
12208 with the language in use, and usually arise from expressions, such as
12209 the one described above, which make little sense to evaluate anyway.
12210
12211 Each language defines to what degree it is strict about type. For
12212 instance, both Modula-2 and C require the arguments to arithmetical
12213 operators to be numbers. In C, enumerated types and pointers can be
12214 represented as numbers, so that they are valid arguments to mathematical
12215 operators. @xref{Supported Languages, ,Supported Languages}, for further
12216 details on specific languages.
12217
12218 @value{GDBN} provides some additional commands for controlling the type checker:
12219
12220 @kindex set check type
12221 @kindex show check type
12222 @table @code
12223 @item set check type auto
12224 Set type checking on or off based on the current working language.
12225 @xref{Supported Languages, ,Supported Languages}, for the default settings for
12226 each language.
12227
12228 @item set check type on
12229 @itemx set check type off
12230 Set type checking on or off, overriding the default setting for the
12231 current working language. Issue a warning if the setting does not
12232 match the language default. If any type mismatches occur in
12233 evaluating an expression while type checking is on, @value{GDBN} prints a
12234 message and aborts evaluation of the expression.
12235
12236 @item set check type warn
12237 Cause the type checker to issue warnings, but to always attempt to
12238 evaluate the expression. Evaluating the expression may still
12239 be impossible for other reasons. For example, @value{GDBN} cannot add
12240 numbers and structures.
12241
12242 @item show type
12243 Show the current setting of the type checker, and whether or not @value{GDBN}
12244 is setting it automatically.
12245 @end table
12246
12247 @cindex range checking
12248 @cindex checks, range
12249 @node Range Checking
12250 @subsection An Overview of Range Checking
12251
12252 In some languages (such as Modula-2), it is an error to exceed the
12253 bounds of a type; this is enforced with run-time checks. Such range
12254 checking is meant to ensure program correctness by making sure
12255 computations do not overflow, or indices on an array element access do
12256 not exceed the bounds of the array.
12257
12258 For expressions you use in @value{GDBN} commands, you can tell
12259 @value{GDBN} to treat range errors in one of three ways: ignore them,
12260 always treat them as errors and abandon the expression, or issue
12261 warnings but evaluate the expression anyway.
12262
12263 A range error can result from numerical overflow, from exceeding an
12264 array index bound, or when you type a constant that is not a member
12265 of any type. Some languages, however, do not treat overflows as an
12266 error. In many implementations of C, mathematical overflow causes the
12267 result to ``wrap around'' to lower values---for example, if @var{m} is
12268 the largest integer value, and @var{s} is the smallest, then
12269
12270 @smallexample
12271 @var{m} + 1 @result{} @var{s}
12272 @end smallexample
12273
12274 This, too, is specific to individual languages, and in some cases
12275 specific to individual compilers or machines. @xref{Supported Languages, ,
12276 Supported Languages}, for further details on specific languages.
12277
12278 @value{GDBN} provides some additional commands for controlling the range checker:
12279
12280 @kindex set check range
12281 @kindex show check range
12282 @table @code
12283 @item set check range auto
12284 Set range checking on or off based on the current working language.
12285 @xref{Supported Languages, ,Supported Languages}, for the default settings for
12286 each language.
12287
12288 @item set check range on
12289 @itemx set check range off
12290 Set range checking on or off, overriding the default setting for the
12291 current working language. A warning is issued if the setting does not
12292 match the language default. If a range error occurs and range checking is on,
12293 then a message is printed and evaluation of the expression is aborted.
12294
12295 @item set check range warn
12296 Output messages when the @value{GDBN} range checker detects a range error,
12297 but attempt to evaluate the expression anyway. Evaluating the
12298 expression may still be impossible for other reasons, such as accessing
12299 memory that the process does not own (a typical example from many Unix
12300 systems).
12301
12302 @item show range
12303 Show the current setting of the range checker, and whether or not it is
12304 being set automatically by @value{GDBN}.
12305 @end table
12306
12307 @node Supported Languages
12308 @section Supported Languages
12309
12310 @value{GDBN} supports C, C@t{++}, D, Objective-C, Fortran, Java, OpenCL C, Pascal,
12311 assembly, Modula-2, and Ada.
12312 @c This is false ...
12313 Some @value{GDBN} features may be used in expressions regardless of the
12314 language you use: the @value{GDBN} @code{@@} and @code{::} operators,
12315 and the @samp{@{type@}addr} construct (@pxref{Expressions,
12316 ,Expressions}) can be used with the constructs of any supported
12317 language.
12318
12319 The following sections detail to what degree each source language is
12320 supported by @value{GDBN}. These sections are not meant to be language
12321 tutorials or references, but serve only as a reference guide to what the
12322 @value{GDBN} expression parser accepts, and what input and output
12323 formats should look like for different languages. There are many good
12324 books written on each of these languages; please look to these for a
12325 language reference or tutorial.
12326
12327 @menu
12328 * C:: C and C@t{++}
12329 * D:: D
12330 * Objective-C:: Objective-C
12331 * OpenCL C:: OpenCL C
12332 * Fortran:: Fortran
12333 * Pascal:: Pascal
12334 * Modula-2:: Modula-2
12335 * Ada:: Ada
12336 @end menu
12337
12338 @node C
12339 @subsection C and C@t{++}
12340
12341 @cindex C and C@t{++}
12342 @cindex expressions in C or C@t{++}
12343
12344 Since C and C@t{++} are so closely related, many features of @value{GDBN} apply
12345 to both languages. Whenever this is the case, we discuss those languages
12346 together.
12347
12348 @cindex C@t{++}
12349 @cindex @code{g++}, @sc{gnu} C@t{++} compiler
12350 @cindex @sc{gnu} C@t{++}
12351 The C@t{++} debugging facilities are jointly implemented by the C@t{++}
12352 compiler and @value{GDBN}. Therefore, to debug your C@t{++} code
12353 effectively, you must compile your C@t{++} programs with a supported
12354 C@t{++} compiler, such as @sc{gnu} @code{g++}, or the HP ANSI C@t{++}
12355 compiler (@code{aCC}).
12356
12357 @menu
12358 * C Operators:: C and C@t{++} operators
12359 * C Constants:: C and C@t{++} constants
12360 * C Plus Plus Expressions:: C@t{++} expressions
12361 * C Defaults:: Default settings for C and C@t{++}
12362 * C Checks:: C and C@t{++} type and range checks
12363 * Debugging C:: @value{GDBN} and C
12364 * Debugging C Plus Plus:: @value{GDBN} features for C@t{++}
12365 * Decimal Floating Point:: Numbers in Decimal Floating Point format
12366 @end menu
12367
12368 @node C Operators
12369 @subsubsection C and C@t{++} Operators
12370
12371 @cindex C and C@t{++} operators
12372
12373 Operators must be defined on values of specific types. For instance,
12374 @code{+} is defined on numbers, but not on structures. Operators are
12375 often defined on groups of types.
12376
12377 For the purposes of C and C@t{++}, the following definitions hold:
12378
12379 @itemize @bullet
12380
12381 @item
12382 @emph{Integral types} include @code{int} with any of its storage-class
12383 specifiers; @code{char}; @code{enum}; and, for C@t{++}, @code{bool}.
12384
12385 @item
12386 @emph{Floating-point types} include @code{float}, @code{double}, and
12387 @code{long double} (if supported by the target platform).
12388
12389 @item
12390 @emph{Pointer types} include all types defined as @code{(@var{type} *)}.
12391
12392 @item
12393 @emph{Scalar types} include all of the above.
12394
12395 @end itemize
12396
12397 @noindent
12398 The following operators are supported. They are listed here
12399 in order of increasing precedence:
12400
12401 @table @code
12402 @item ,
12403 The comma or sequencing operator. Expressions in a comma-separated list
12404 are evaluated from left to right, with the result of the entire
12405 expression being the last expression evaluated.
12406
12407 @item =
12408 Assignment. The value of an assignment expression is the value
12409 assigned. Defined on scalar types.
12410
12411 @item @var{op}=
12412 Used in an expression of the form @w{@code{@var{a} @var{op}= @var{b}}},
12413 and translated to @w{@code{@var{a} = @var{a op b}}}.
12414 @w{@code{@var{op}=}} and @code{=} have the same precedence.
12415 @var{op} is any one of the operators @code{|}, @code{^}, @code{&},
12416 @code{<<}, @code{>>}, @code{+}, @code{-}, @code{*}, @code{/}, @code{%}.
12417
12418 @item ?:
12419 The ternary operator. @code{@var{a} ? @var{b} : @var{c}} can be thought
12420 of as: if @var{a} then @var{b} else @var{c}. @var{a} should be of an
12421 integral type.
12422
12423 @item ||
12424 Logical @sc{or}. Defined on integral types.
12425
12426 @item &&
12427 Logical @sc{and}. Defined on integral types.
12428
12429 @item |
12430 Bitwise @sc{or}. Defined on integral types.
12431
12432 @item ^
12433 Bitwise exclusive-@sc{or}. Defined on integral types.
12434
12435 @item &
12436 Bitwise @sc{and}. Defined on integral types.
12437
12438 @item ==@r{, }!=
12439 Equality and inequality. Defined on scalar types. The value of these
12440 expressions is 0 for false and non-zero for true.
12441
12442 @item <@r{, }>@r{, }<=@r{, }>=
12443 Less than, greater than, less than or equal, greater than or equal.
12444 Defined on scalar types. The value of these expressions is 0 for false
12445 and non-zero for true.
12446
12447 @item <<@r{, }>>
12448 left shift, and right shift. Defined on integral types.
12449
12450 @item @@
12451 The @value{GDBN} ``artificial array'' operator (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}).
12452
12453 @item +@r{, }-
12454 Addition and subtraction. Defined on integral types, floating-point types and
12455 pointer types.
12456
12457 @item *@r{, }/@r{, }%
12458 Multiplication, division, and modulus. Multiplication and division are
12459 defined on integral and floating-point types. Modulus is defined on
12460 integral types.
12461
12462 @item ++@r{, }--
12463 Increment and decrement. When appearing before a variable, the
12464 operation is performed before the variable is used in an expression;
12465 when appearing after it, the variable's value is used before the
12466 operation takes place.
12467
12468 @item *
12469 Pointer dereferencing. Defined on pointer types. Same precedence as
12470 @code{++}.
12471
12472 @item &
12473 Address operator. Defined on variables. Same precedence as @code{++}.
12474
12475 For debugging C@t{++}, @value{GDBN} implements a use of @samp{&} beyond what is
12476 allowed in the C@t{++} language itself: you can use @samp{&(&@var{ref})}
12477 to examine the address
12478 where a C@t{++} reference variable (declared with @samp{&@var{ref}}) is
12479 stored.
12480
12481 @item -
12482 Negative. Defined on integral and floating-point types. Same
12483 precedence as @code{++}.
12484
12485 @item !
12486 Logical negation. Defined on integral types. Same precedence as
12487 @code{++}.
12488
12489 @item ~
12490 Bitwise complement operator. Defined on integral types. Same precedence as
12491 @code{++}.
12492
12493
12494 @item .@r{, }->
12495 Structure member, and pointer-to-structure member. For convenience,
12496 @value{GDBN} regards the two as equivalent, choosing whether to dereference a
12497 pointer based on the stored type information.
12498 Defined on @code{struct} and @code{union} data.
12499
12500 @item .*@r{, }->*
12501 Dereferences of pointers to members.
12502
12503 @item []
12504 Array indexing. @code{@var{a}[@var{i}]} is defined as
12505 @code{*(@var{a}+@var{i})}. Same precedence as @code{->}.
12506
12507 @item ()
12508 Function parameter list. Same precedence as @code{->}.
12509
12510 @item ::
12511 C@t{++} scope resolution operator. Defined on @code{struct}, @code{union},
12512 and @code{class} types.
12513
12514 @item ::
12515 Doubled colons also represent the @value{GDBN} scope operator
12516 (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}). Same precedence as @code{::},
12517 above.
12518 @end table
12519
12520 If an operator is redefined in the user code, @value{GDBN} usually
12521 attempts to invoke the redefined version instead of using the operator's
12522 predefined meaning.
12523
12524 @node C Constants
12525 @subsubsection C and C@t{++} Constants
12526
12527 @cindex C and C@t{++} constants
12528
12529 @value{GDBN} allows you to express the constants of C and C@t{++} in the
12530 following ways:
12531
12532 @itemize @bullet
12533 @item
12534 Integer constants are a sequence of digits. Octal constants are
12535 specified by a leading @samp{0} (i.e.@: zero), and hexadecimal constants
12536 by a leading @samp{0x} or @samp{0X}. Constants may also end with a letter
12537 @samp{l}, specifying that the constant should be treated as a
12538 @code{long} value.
12539
12540 @item
12541 Floating point constants are a sequence of digits, followed by a decimal
12542 point, followed by a sequence of digits, and optionally followed by an
12543 exponent. An exponent is of the form:
12544 @samp{@w{e@r{[[}+@r{]|}-@r{]}@var{nnn}}}, where @var{nnn} is another
12545 sequence of digits. The @samp{+} is optional for positive exponents.
12546 A floating-point constant may also end with a letter @samp{f} or
12547 @samp{F}, specifying that the constant should be treated as being of
12548 the @code{float} (as opposed to the default @code{double}) type; or with
12549 a letter @samp{l} or @samp{L}, which specifies a @code{long double}
12550 constant.
12551
12552 @item
12553 Enumerated constants consist of enumerated identifiers, or their
12554 integral equivalents.
12555
12556 @item
12557 Character constants are a single character surrounded by single quotes
12558 (@code{'}), or a number---the ordinal value of the corresponding character
12559 (usually its @sc{ascii} value). Within quotes, the single character may
12560 be represented by a letter or by @dfn{escape sequences}, which are of
12561 the form @samp{\@var{nnn}}, where @var{nnn} is the octal representation
12562 of the character's ordinal value; or of the form @samp{\@var{x}}, where
12563 @samp{@var{x}} is a predefined special character---for example,
12564 @samp{\n} for newline.
12565
12566 Wide character constants can be written by prefixing a character
12567 constant with @samp{L}, as in C. For example, @samp{L'x'} is the wide
12568 form of @samp{x}. The target wide character set is used when
12569 computing the value of this constant (@pxref{Character Sets}).
12570
12571 @item
12572 String constants are a sequence of character constants surrounded by
12573 double quotes (@code{"}). Any valid character constant (as described
12574 above) may appear. Double quotes within the string must be preceded by
12575 a backslash, so for instance @samp{"a\"b'c"} is a string of five
12576 characters.
12577
12578 Wide string constants can be written by prefixing a string constant
12579 with @samp{L}, as in C. The target wide character set is used when
12580 computing the value of this constant (@pxref{Character Sets}).
12581
12582 @item
12583 Pointer constants are an integral value. You can also write pointers
12584 to constants using the C operator @samp{&}.
12585
12586 @item
12587 Array constants are comma-separated lists surrounded by braces @samp{@{}
12588 and @samp{@}}; for example, @samp{@{1,2,3@}} is a three-element array of
12589 integers, @samp{@{@{1,2@}, @{3,4@}, @{5,6@}@}} is a three-by-two array,
12590 and @samp{@{&"hi", &"there", &"fred"@}} is a three-element array of pointers.
12591 @end itemize
12592
12593 @node C Plus Plus Expressions
12594 @subsubsection C@t{++} Expressions
12595
12596 @cindex expressions in C@t{++}
12597 @value{GDBN} expression handling can interpret most C@t{++} expressions.
12598
12599 @cindex debugging C@t{++} programs
12600 @cindex C@t{++} compilers
12601 @cindex debug formats and C@t{++}
12602 @cindex @value{NGCC} and C@t{++}
12603 @quotation
12604 @emph{Warning:} @value{GDBN} can only debug C@t{++} code if you use
12605 the proper compiler and the proper debug format. Currently,
12606 @value{GDBN} works best when debugging C@t{++} code that is compiled
12607 with the most recent version of @value{NGCC} possible. The DWARF
12608 debugging format is preferred; @value{NGCC} defaults to this on most
12609 popular platforms. Other compilers and/or debug formats are likely to
12610 work badly or not at all when using @value{GDBN} to debug C@t{++}
12611 code. @xref{Compilation}.
12612 @end quotation
12613
12614 @enumerate
12615
12616 @cindex member functions
12617 @item
12618 Member function calls are allowed; you can use expressions like
12619
12620 @smallexample
12621 count = aml->GetOriginal(x, y)
12622 @end smallexample
12623
12624 @vindex this@r{, inside C@t{++} member functions}
12625 @cindex namespace in C@t{++}
12626 @item
12627 While a member function is active (in the selected stack frame), your
12628 expressions have the same namespace available as the member function;
12629 that is, @value{GDBN} allows implicit references to the class instance
12630 pointer @code{this} following the same rules as C@t{++}. @code{using}
12631 declarations in the current scope are also respected by @value{GDBN}.
12632
12633 @cindex call overloaded functions
12634 @cindex overloaded functions, calling
12635 @cindex type conversions in C@t{++}
12636 @item
12637 You can call overloaded functions; @value{GDBN} resolves the function
12638 call to the right definition, with some restrictions. @value{GDBN} does not
12639 perform overload resolution involving user-defined type conversions,
12640 calls to constructors, or instantiations of templates that do not exist
12641 in the program. It also cannot handle ellipsis argument lists or
12642 default arguments.
12643
12644 It does perform integral conversions and promotions, floating-point
12645 promotions, arithmetic conversions, pointer conversions, conversions of
12646 class objects to base classes, and standard conversions such as those of
12647 functions or arrays to pointers; it requires an exact match on the
12648 number of function arguments.
12649
12650 Overload resolution is always performed, unless you have specified
12651 @code{set overload-resolution off}. @xref{Debugging C Plus Plus,
12652 ,@value{GDBN} Features for C@t{++}}.
12653
12654 You must specify @code{set overload-resolution off} in order to use an
12655 explicit function signature to call an overloaded function, as in
12656 @smallexample
12657 p 'foo(char,int)'('x', 13)
12658 @end smallexample
12659
12660 The @value{GDBN} command-completion facility can simplify this;
12661 see @ref{Completion, ,Command Completion}.
12662
12663 @cindex reference declarations
12664 @item
12665 @value{GDBN} understands variables declared as C@t{++} references; you can use
12666 them in expressions just as you do in C@t{++} source---they are automatically
12667 dereferenced.
12668
12669 In the parameter list shown when @value{GDBN} displays a frame, the values of
12670 reference variables are not displayed (unlike other variables); this
12671 avoids clutter, since references are often used for large structures.
12672 The @emph{address} of a reference variable is always shown, unless
12673 you have specified @samp{set print address off}.
12674
12675 @item
12676 @value{GDBN} supports the C@t{++} name resolution operator @code{::}---your
12677 expressions can use it just as expressions in your program do. Since
12678 one scope may be defined in another, you can use @code{::} repeatedly if
12679 necessary, for example in an expression like
12680 @samp{@var{scope1}::@var{scope2}::@var{name}}. @value{GDBN} also allows
12681 resolving name scope by reference to source files, in both C and C@t{++}
12682 debugging (@pxref{Variables, ,Program Variables}).
12683
12684 @item
12685 @value{GDBN} performs argument-dependent lookup, following the C@t{++}
12686 specification.
12687 @end enumerate
12688
12689 @node C Defaults
12690 @subsubsection C and C@t{++} Defaults
12691
12692 @cindex C and C@t{++} defaults
12693
12694 If you allow @value{GDBN} to set type and range checking automatically, they
12695 both default to @code{off} whenever the working language changes to
12696 C or C@t{++}. This happens regardless of whether you or @value{GDBN}
12697 selects the working language.
12698
12699 If you allow @value{GDBN} to set the language automatically, it
12700 recognizes source files whose names end with @file{.c}, @file{.C}, or
12701 @file{.cc}, etc, and when @value{GDBN} enters code compiled from one of
12702 these files, it sets the working language to C or C@t{++}.
12703 @xref{Automatically, ,Having @value{GDBN} Infer the Source Language},
12704 for further details.
12705
12706 @c Type checking is (a) primarily motivated by Modula-2, and (b)
12707 @c unimplemented. If (b) changes, it might make sense to let this node
12708 @c appear even if Mod-2 does not, but meanwhile ignore it. roland 16jul93.
12709
12710 @node C Checks
12711 @subsubsection C and C@t{++} Type and Range Checks
12712
12713 @cindex C and C@t{++} checks
12714
12715 By default, when @value{GDBN} parses C or C@t{++} expressions, type checking
12716 is not used. However, if you turn type checking on, @value{GDBN}
12717 considers two variables type equivalent if:
12718
12719 @itemize @bullet
12720 @item
12721 The two variables are structured and have the same structure, union, or
12722 enumerated tag.
12723
12724 @item
12725 The two variables have the same type name, or types that have been
12726 declared equivalent through @code{typedef}.
12727
12728 @ignore
12729 @c leaving this out because neither J Gilmore nor R Pesch understand it.
12730 @c FIXME--beers?
12731 @item
12732 The two @code{struct}, @code{union}, or @code{enum} variables are
12733 declared in the same declaration. (Note: this may not be true for all C
12734 compilers.)
12735 @end ignore
12736 @end itemize
12737
12738 Range checking, if turned on, is done on mathematical operations. Array
12739 indices are not checked, since they are often used to index a pointer
12740 that is not itself an array.
12741
12742 @node Debugging C
12743 @subsubsection @value{GDBN} and C
12744
12745 The @code{set print union} and @code{show print union} commands apply to
12746 the @code{union} type. When set to @samp{on}, any @code{union} that is
12747 inside a @code{struct} or @code{class} is also printed. Otherwise, it
12748 appears as @samp{@{...@}}.
12749
12750 The @code{@@} operator aids in the debugging of dynamic arrays, formed
12751 with pointers and a memory allocation function. @xref{Expressions,
12752 ,Expressions}.
12753
12754 @node Debugging C Plus Plus
12755 @subsubsection @value{GDBN} Features for C@t{++}
12756
12757 @cindex commands for C@t{++}
12758
12759 Some @value{GDBN} commands are particularly useful with C@t{++}, and some are
12760 designed specifically for use with C@t{++}. Here is a summary:
12761
12762 @table @code
12763 @cindex break in overloaded functions
12764 @item @r{breakpoint menus}
12765 When you want a breakpoint in a function whose name is overloaded,
12766 @value{GDBN} has the capability to display a menu of possible breakpoint
12767 locations to help you specify which function definition you want.
12768 @xref{Ambiguous Expressions,,Ambiguous Expressions}.
12769
12770 @cindex overloading in C@t{++}
12771 @item rbreak @var{regex}
12772 Setting breakpoints using regular expressions is helpful for setting
12773 breakpoints on overloaded functions that are not members of any special
12774 classes.
12775 @xref{Set Breaks, ,Setting Breakpoints}.
12776
12777 @cindex C@t{++} exception handling
12778 @item catch throw
12779 @itemx catch catch
12780 Debug C@t{++} exception handling using these commands. @xref{Set
12781 Catchpoints, , Setting Catchpoints}.
12782
12783 @cindex inheritance
12784 @item ptype @var{typename}
12785 Print inheritance relationships as well as other information for type
12786 @var{typename}.
12787 @xref{Symbols, ,Examining the Symbol Table}.
12788
12789 @cindex C@t{++} symbol display
12790 @item set print demangle
12791 @itemx show print demangle
12792 @itemx set print asm-demangle
12793 @itemx show print asm-demangle
12794 Control whether C@t{++} symbols display in their source form, both when
12795 displaying code as C@t{++} source and when displaying disassemblies.
12796 @xref{Print Settings, ,Print Settings}.
12797
12798 @item set print object
12799 @itemx show print object
12800 Choose whether to print derived (actual) or declared types of objects.
12801 @xref{Print Settings, ,Print Settings}.
12802
12803 @item set print vtbl
12804 @itemx show print vtbl
12805 Control the format for printing virtual function tables.
12806 @xref{Print Settings, ,Print Settings}.
12807 (The @code{vtbl} commands do not work on programs compiled with the HP
12808 ANSI C@t{++} compiler (@code{aCC}).)
12809
12810 @kindex set overload-resolution
12811 @cindex overloaded functions, overload resolution
12812 @item set overload-resolution on
12813 Enable overload resolution for C@t{++} expression evaluation. The default
12814 is on. For overloaded functions, @value{GDBN} evaluates the arguments
12815 and searches for a function whose signature matches the argument types,
12816 using the standard C@t{++} conversion rules (see @ref{C Plus Plus
12817 Expressions, ,C@t{++} Expressions}, for details).
12818 If it cannot find a match, it emits a message.
12819
12820 @item set overload-resolution off
12821 Disable overload resolution for C@t{++} expression evaluation. For
12822 overloaded functions that are not class member functions, @value{GDBN}
12823 chooses the first function of the specified name that it finds in the
12824 symbol table, whether or not its arguments are of the correct type. For
12825 overloaded functions that are class member functions, @value{GDBN}
12826 searches for a function whose signature @emph{exactly} matches the
12827 argument types.
12828
12829 @kindex show overload-resolution
12830 @item show overload-resolution
12831 Show the current setting of overload resolution.
12832
12833 @item @r{Overloaded symbol names}
12834 You can specify a particular definition of an overloaded symbol, using
12835 the same notation that is used to declare such symbols in C@t{++}: type
12836 @code{@var{symbol}(@var{types})} rather than just @var{symbol}. You can
12837 also use the @value{GDBN} command-line word completion facilities to list the
12838 available choices, or to finish the type list for you.
12839 @xref{Completion,, Command Completion}, for details on how to do this.
12840 @end table
12841
12842 @node Decimal Floating Point
12843 @subsubsection Decimal Floating Point format
12844 @cindex decimal floating point format
12845
12846 @value{GDBN} can examine, set and perform computations with numbers in
12847 decimal floating point format, which in the C language correspond to the
12848 @code{_Decimal32}, @code{_Decimal64} and @code{_Decimal128} types as
12849 specified by the extension to support decimal floating-point arithmetic.
12850
12851 There are two encodings in use, depending on the architecture: BID (Binary
12852 Integer Decimal) for x86 and x86-64, and DPD (Densely Packed Decimal) for
12853 PowerPC. @value{GDBN} will use the appropriate encoding for the configured
12854 target.
12855
12856 Because of a limitation in @file{libdecnumber}, the library used by @value{GDBN}
12857 to manipulate decimal floating point numbers, it is not possible to convert
12858 (using a cast, for example) integers wider than 32-bit to decimal float.
12859
12860 In addition, in order to imitate @value{GDBN}'s behaviour with binary floating
12861 point computations, error checking in decimal float operations ignores
12862 underflow, overflow and divide by zero exceptions.
12863
12864 In the PowerPC architecture, @value{GDBN} provides a set of pseudo-registers
12865 to inspect @code{_Decimal128} values stored in floating point registers.
12866 See @ref{PowerPC,,PowerPC} for more details.
12867
12868 @node D
12869 @subsection D
12870
12871 @cindex D
12872 @value{GDBN} can be used to debug programs written in D and compiled with
12873 GDC, LDC or DMD compilers. Currently @value{GDBN} supports only one D
12874 specific feature --- dynamic arrays.
12875
12876 @node Objective-C
12877 @subsection Objective-C
12878
12879 @cindex Objective-C
12880 This section provides information about some commands and command
12881 options that are useful for debugging Objective-C code. See also
12882 @ref{Symbols, info classes}, and @ref{Symbols, info selectors}, for a
12883 few more commands specific to Objective-C support.
12884
12885 @menu
12886 * Method Names in Commands::
12887 * The Print Command with Objective-C::
12888 @end menu
12889
12890 @node Method Names in Commands
12891 @subsubsection Method Names in Commands
12892
12893 The following commands have been extended to accept Objective-C method
12894 names as line specifications:
12895
12896 @kindex clear@r{, and Objective-C}
12897 @kindex break@r{, and Objective-C}
12898 @kindex info line@r{, and Objective-C}
12899 @kindex jump@r{, and Objective-C}
12900 @kindex list@r{, and Objective-C}
12901 @itemize
12902 @item @code{clear}
12903 @item @code{break}
12904 @item @code{info line}
12905 @item @code{jump}
12906 @item @code{list}
12907 @end itemize
12908
12909 A fully qualified Objective-C method name is specified as
12910
12911 @smallexample
12912 -[@var{Class} @var{methodName}]
12913 @end smallexample
12914
12915 where the minus sign is used to indicate an instance method and a
12916 plus sign (not shown) is used to indicate a class method. The class
12917 name @var{Class} and method name @var{methodName} are enclosed in
12918 brackets, similar to the way messages are specified in Objective-C
12919 source code. For example, to set a breakpoint at the @code{create}
12920 instance method of class @code{Fruit} in the program currently being
12921 debugged, enter:
12922
12923 @smallexample
12924 break -[Fruit create]
12925 @end smallexample
12926
12927 To list ten program lines around the @code{initialize} class method,
12928 enter:
12929
12930 @smallexample
12931 list +[NSText initialize]
12932 @end smallexample
12933
12934 In the current version of @value{GDBN}, the plus or minus sign is
12935 required. In future versions of @value{GDBN}, the plus or minus
12936 sign will be optional, but you can use it to narrow the search. It
12937 is also possible to specify just a method name:
12938
12939 @smallexample
12940 break create
12941 @end smallexample
12942
12943 You must specify the complete method name, including any colons. If
12944 your program's source files contain more than one @code{create} method,
12945 you'll be presented with a numbered list of classes that implement that
12946 method. Indicate your choice by number, or type @samp{0} to exit if
12947 none apply.
12948
12949 As another example, to clear a breakpoint established at the
12950 @code{makeKeyAndOrderFront:} method of the @code{NSWindow} class, enter:
12951
12952 @smallexample
12953 clear -[NSWindow makeKeyAndOrderFront:]
12954 @end smallexample
12955
12956 @node The Print Command with Objective-C
12957 @subsubsection The Print Command With Objective-C
12958 @cindex Objective-C, print objects
12959 @kindex print-object
12960 @kindex po @r{(@code{print-object})}
12961
12962 The print command has also been extended to accept methods. For example:
12963
12964 @smallexample
12965 print -[@var{object} hash]
12966 @end smallexample
12967
12968 @cindex print an Objective-C object description
12969 @cindex @code{_NSPrintForDebugger}, and printing Objective-C objects
12970 @noindent
12971 will tell @value{GDBN} to send the @code{hash} message to @var{object}
12972 and print the result. Also, an additional command has been added,
12973 @code{print-object} or @code{po} for short, which is meant to print
12974 the description of an object. However, this command may only work
12975 with certain Objective-C libraries that have a particular hook
12976 function, @code{_NSPrintForDebugger}, defined.
12977
12978 @node OpenCL C
12979 @subsection OpenCL C
12980
12981 @cindex OpenCL C
12982 This section provides information about @value{GDBN}s OpenCL C support.
12983
12984 @menu
12985 * OpenCL C Datatypes::
12986 * OpenCL C Expressions::
12987 * OpenCL C Operators::
12988 @end menu
12989
12990 @node OpenCL C Datatypes
12991 @subsubsection OpenCL C Datatypes
12992
12993 @cindex OpenCL C Datatypes
12994 @value{GDBN} supports the builtin scalar and vector datatypes specified
12995 by OpenCL 1.1. In addition the half- and double-precision floating point
12996 data types of the @code{cl_khr_fp16} and @code{cl_khr_fp64} OpenCL
12997 extensions are also known to @value{GDBN}.
12998
12999 @node OpenCL C Expressions
13000 @subsubsection OpenCL C Expressions
13001
13002 @cindex OpenCL C Expressions
13003 @value{GDBN} supports accesses to vector components including the access as
13004 lvalue where possible. Since OpenCL C is based on C99 most C expressions
13005 supported by @value{GDBN} can be used as well.
13006
13007 @node OpenCL C Operators
13008 @subsubsection OpenCL C Operators
13009
13010 @cindex OpenCL C Operators
13011 @value{GDBN} supports the operators specified by OpenCL 1.1 for scalar and
13012 vector data types.
13013
13014 @node Fortran
13015 @subsection Fortran
13016 @cindex Fortran-specific support in @value{GDBN}
13017
13018 @value{GDBN} can be used to debug programs written in Fortran, but it
13019 currently supports only the features of Fortran 77 language.
13020
13021 @cindex trailing underscore, in Fortran symbols
13022 Some Fortran compilers (@sc{gnu} Fortran 77 and Fortran 95 compilers
13023 among them) append an underscore to the names of variables and
13024 functions. When you debug programs compiled by those compilers, you
13025 will need to refer to variables and functions with a trailing
13026 underscore.
13027
13028 @menu
13029 * Fortran Operators:: Fortran operators and expressions
13030 * Fortran Defaults:: Default settings for Fortran
13031 * Special Fortran Commands:: Special @value{GDBN} commands for Fortran
13032 @end menu
13033
13034 @node Fortran Operators
13035 @subsubsection Fortran Operators and Expressions
13036
13037 @cindex Fortran operators and expressions
13038
13039 Operators must be defined on values of specific types. For instance,
13040 @code{+} is defined on numbers, but not on characters or other non-
13041 arithmetic types. Operators are often defined on groups of types.
13042
13043 @table @code
13044 @item **
13045 The exponentiation operator. It raises the first operand to the power
13046 of the second one.
13047
13048 @item :
13049 The range operator. Normally used in the form of array(low:high) to
13050 represent a section of array.
13051
13052 @item %
13053 The access component operator. Normally used to access elements in derived
13054 types. Also suitable for unions. As unions aren't part of regular Fortran,
13055 this can only happen when accessing a register that uses a gdbarch-defined
13056 union type.
13057 @end table
13058
13059 @node Fortran Defaults
13060 @subsubsection Fortran Defaults
13061
13062 @cindex Fortran Defaults
13063
13064 Fortran symbols are usually case-insensitive, so @value{GDBN} by
13065 default uses case-insensitive matches for Fortran symbols. You can
13066 change that with the @samp{set case-insensitive} command, see
13067 @ref{Symbols}, for the details.
13068
13069 @node Special Fortran Commands
13070 @subsubsection Special Fortran Commands
13071
13072 @cindex Special Fortran commands
13073
13074 @value{GDBN} has some commands to support Fortran-specific features,
13075 such as displaying common blocks.
13076
13077 @table @code
13078 @cindex @code{COMMON} blocks, Fortran
13079 @kindex info common
13080 @item info common @r{[}@var{common-name}@r{]}
13081 This command prints the values contained in the Fortran @code{COMMON}
13082 block whose name is @var{common-name}. With no argument, the names of
13083 all @code{COMMON} blocks visible at the current program location are
13084 printed.
13085 @end table
13086
13087 @node Pascal
13088 @subsection Pascal
13089
13090 @cindex Pascal support in @value{GDBN}, limitations
13091 Debugging Pascal programs which use sets, subranges, file variables, or
13092 nested functions does not currently work. @value{GDBN} does not support
13093 entering expressions, printing values, or similar features using Pascal
13094 syntax.
13095
13096 The Pascal-specific command @code{set print pascal_static-members}
13097 controls whether static members of Pascal objects are displayed.
13098 @xref{Print Settings, pascal_static-members}.
13099
13100 @node Modula-2
13101 @subsection Modula-2
13102
13103 @cindex Modula-2, @value{GDBN} support
13104
13105 The extensions made to @value{GDBN} to support Modula-2 only support
13106 output from the @sc{gnu} Modula-2 compiler (which is currently being
13107 developed). Other Modula-2 compilers are not currently supported, and
13108 attempting to debug executables produced by them is most likely
13109 to give an error as @value{GDBN} reads in the executable's symbol
13110 table.
13111
13112 @cindex expressions in Modula-2
13113 @menu
13114 * M2 Operators:: Built-in operators
13115 * Built-In Func/Proc:: Built-in functions and procedures
13116 * M2 Constants:: Modula-2 constants
13117 * M2 Types:: Modula-2 types
13118 * M2 Defaults:: Default settings for Modula-2
13119 * Deviations:: Deviations from standard Modula-2
13120 * M2 Checks:: Modula-2 type and range checks
13121 * M2 Scope:: The scope operators @code{::} and @code{.}
13122 * GDB/M2:: @value{GDBN} and Modula-2
13123 @end menu
13124
13125 @node M2 Operators
13126 @subsubsection Operators
13127 @cindex Modula-2 operators
13128
13129 Operators must be defined on values of specific types. For instance,
13130 @code{+} is defined on numbers, but not on structures. Operators are
13131 often defined on groups of types. For the purposes of Modula-2, the
13132 following definitions hold:
13133
13134 @itemize @bullet
13135
13136 @item
13137 @emph{Integral types} consist of @code{INTEGER}, @code{CARDINAL}, and
13138 their subranges.
13139
13140 @item
13141 @emph{Character types} consist of @code{CHAR} and its subranges.
13142
13143 @item
13144 @emph{Floating-point types} consist of @code{REAL}.
13145
13146 @item
13147 @emph{Pointer types} consist of anything declared as @code{POINTER TO
13148 @var{type}}.
13149
13150 @item
13151 @emph{Scalar types} consist of all of the above.
13152
13153 @item
13154 @emph{Set types} consist of @code{SET} and @code{BITSET} types.
13155
13156 @item
13157 @emph{Boolean types} consist of @code{BOOLEAN}.
13158 @end itemize
13159
13160 @noindent
13161 The following operators are supported, and appear in order of
13162 increasing precedence:
13163
13164 @table @code
13165 @item ,
13166 Function argument or array index separator.
13167
13168 @item :=
13169 Assignment. The value of @var{var} @code{:=} @var{value} is
13170 @var{value}.
13171
13172 @item <@r{, }>
13173 Less than, greater than on integral, floating-point, or enumerated
13174 types.
13175
13176 @item <=@r{, }>=
13177 Less than or equal to, greater than or equal to
13178 on integral, floating-point and enumerated types, or set inclusion on
13179 set types. Same precedence as @code{<}.
13180
13181 @item =@r{, }<>@r{, }#
13182 Equality and two ways of expressing inequality, valid on scalar types.
13183 Same precedence as @code{<}. In @value{GDBN} scripts, only @code{<>} is
13184 available for inequality, since @code{#} conflicts with the script
13185 comment character.
13186
13187 @item IN
13188 Set membership. Defined on set types and the types of their members.
13189 Same precedence as @code{<}.
13190
13191 @item OR
13192 Boolean disjunction. Defined on boolean types.
13193
13194 @item AND@r{, }&
13195 Boolean conjunction. Defined on boolean types.
13196
13197 @item @@
13198 The @value{GDBN} ``artificial array'' operator (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}).
13199
13200 @item +@r{, }-
13201 Addition and subtraction on integral and floating-point types, or union
13202 and difference on set types.
13203
13204 @item *
13205 Multiplication on integral and floating-point types, or set intersection
13206 on set types.
13207
13208 @item /
13209 Division on floating-point types, or symmetric set difference on set
13210 types. Same precedence as @code{*}.
13211
13212 @item DIV@r{, }MOD
13213 Integer division and remainder. Defined on integral types. Same
13214 precedence as @code{*}.
13215
13216 @item -
13217 Negative. Defined on @code{INTEGER} and @code{REAL} data.
13218
13219 @item ^
13220 Pointer dereferencing. Defined on pointer types.
13221
13222 @item NOT
13223 Boolean negation. Defined on boolean types. Same precedence as
13224 @code{^}.
13225
13226 @item .
13227 @code{RECORD} field selector. Defined on @code{RECORD} data. Same
13228 precedence as @code{^}.
13229
13230 @item []
13231 Array indexing. Defined on @code{ARRAY} data. Same precedence as @code{^}.
13232
13233 @item ()
13234 Procedure argument list. Defined on @code{PROCEDURE} objects. Same precedence
13235 as @code{^}.
13236
13237 @item ::@r{, }.
13238 @value{GDBN} and Modula-2 scope operators.
13239 @end table
13240
13241 @quotation
13242 @emph{Warning:} Set expressions and their operations are not yet supported, so @value{GDBN}
13243 treats the use of the operator @code{IN}, or the use of operators
13244 @code{+}, @code{-}, @code{*}, @code{/}, @code{=}, , @code{<>}, @code{#},
13245 @code{<=}, and @code{>=} on sets as an error.
13246 @end quotation
13247
13248
13249 @node Built-In Func/Proc
13250 @subsubsection Built-in Functions and Procedures
13251 @cindex Modula-2 built-ins
13252
13253 Modula-2 also makes available several built-in procedures and functions.
13254 In describing these, the following metavariables are used:
13255
13256 @table @var
13257
13258 @item a
13259 represents an @code{ARRAY} variable.
13260
13261 @item c
13262 represents a @code{CHAR} constant or variable.
13263
13264 @item i
13265 represents a variable or constant of integral type.
13266
13267 @item m
13268 represents an identifier that belongs to a set. Generally used in the
13269 same function with the metavariable @var{s}. The type of @var{s} should
13270 be @code{SET OF @var{mtype}} (where @var{mtype} is the type of @var{m}).
13271
13272 @item n
13273 represents a variable or constant of integral or floating-point type.
13274
13275 @item r
13276 represents a variable or constant of floating-point type.
13277
13278 @item t
13279 represents a type.
13280
13281 @item v
13282 represents a variable.
13283
13284 @item x
13285 represents a variable or constant of one of many types. See the
13286 explanation of the function for details.
13287 @end table
13288
13289 All Modula-2 built-in procedures also return a result, described below.
13290
13291 @table @code
13292 @item ABS(@var{n})
13293 Returns the absolute value of @var{n}.
13294
13295 @item CAP(@var{c})
13296 If @var{c} is a lower case letter, it returns its upper case
13297 equivalent, otherwise it returns its argument.
13298
13299 @item CHR(@var{i})
13300 Returns the character whose ordinal value is @var{i}.
13301
13302 @item DEC(@var{v})
13303 Decrements the value in the variable @var{v} by one. Returns the new value.
13304
13305 @item DEC(@var{v},@var{i})
13306 Decrements the value in the variable @var{v} by @var{i}. Returns the
13307 new value.
13308
13309 @item EXCL(@var{m},@var{s})
13310 Removes the element @var{m} from the set @var{s}. Returns the new
13311 set.
13312
13313 @item FLOAT(@var{i})
13314 Returns the floating point equivalent of the integer @var{i}.
13315
13316 @item HIGH(@var{a})
13317 Returns the index of the last member of @var{a}.
13318
13319 @item INC(@var{v})
13320 Increments the value in the variable @var{v} by one. Returns the new value.
13321
13322 @item INC(@var{v},@var{i})
13323 Increments the value in the variable @var{v} by @var{i}. Returns the
13324 new value.
13325
13326 @item INCL(@var{m},@var{s})
13327 Adds the element @var{m} to the set @var{s} if it is not already
13328 there. Returns the new set.
13329
13330 @item MAX(@var{t})
13331 Returns the maximum value of the type @var{t}.
13332
13333 @item MIN(@var{t})
13334 Returns the minimum value of the type @var{t}.
13335
13336 @item ODD(@var{i})
13337 Returns boolean TRUE if @var{i} is an odd number.
13338
13339 @item ORD(@var{x})
13340 Returns the ordinal value of its argument. For example, the ordinal
13341 value of a character is its @sc{ascii} value (on machines supporting the
13342 @sc{ascii} character set). @var{x} must be of an ordered type, which include
13343 integral, character and enumerated types.
13344
13345 @item SIZE(@var{x})
13346 Returns the size of its argument. @var{x} can be a variable or a type.
13347
13348 @item TRUNC(@var{r})
13349 Returns the integral part of @var{r}.
13350
13351 @item TSIZE(@var{x})
13352 Returns the size of its argument. @var{x} can be a variable or a type.
13353
13354 @item VAL(@var{t},@var{i})
13355 Returns the member of the type @var{t} whose ordinal value is @var{i}.
13356 @end table
13357
13358 @quotation
13359 @emph{Warning:} Sets and their operations are not yet supported, so
13360 @value{GDBN} treats the use of procedures @code{INCL} and @code{EXCL} as
13361 an error.
13362 @end quotation
13363
13364 @cindex Modula-2 constants
13365 @node M2 Constants
13366 @subsubsection Constants
13367
13368 @value{GDBN} allows you to express the constants of Modula-2 in the following
13369 ways:
13370
13371 @itemize @bullet
13372
13373 @item
13374 Integer constants are simply a sequence of digits. When used in an
13375 expression, a constant is interpreted to be type-compatible with the
13376 rest of the expression. Hexadecimal integers are specified by a
13377 trailing @samp{H}, and octal integers by a trailing @samp{B}.
13378
13379 @item
13380 Floating point constants appear as a sequence of digits, followed by a
13381 decimal point and another sequence of digits. An optional exponent can
13382 then be specified, in the form @samp{E@r{[}+@r{|}-@r{]}@var{nnn}}, where
13383 @samp{@r{[}+@r{|}-@r{]}@var{nnn}} is the desired exponent. All of the
13384 digits of the floating point constant must be valid decimal (base 10)
13385 digits.
13386
13387 @item
13388 Character constants consist of a single character enclosed by a pair of
13389 like quotes, either single (@code{'}) or double (@code{"}). They may
13390 also be expressed by their ordinal value (their @sc{ascii} value, usually)
13391 followed by a @samp{C}.
13392
13393 @item
13394 String constants consist of a sequence of characters enclosed by a
13395 pair of like quotes, either single (@code{'}) or double (@code{"}).
13396 Escape sequences in the style of C are also allowed. @xref{C
13397 Constants, ,C and C@t{++} Constants}, for a brief explanation of escape
13398 sequences.
13399
13400 @item
13401 Enumerated constants consist of an enumerated identifier.
13402
13403 @item
13404 Boolean constants consist of the identifiers @code{TRUE} and
13405 @code{FALSE}.
13406
13407 @item
13408 Pointer constants consist of integral values only.
13409
13410 @item
13411 Set constants are not yet supported.
13412 @end itemize
13413
13414 @node M2 Types
13415 @subsubsection Modula-2 Types
13416 @cindex Modula-2 types
13417
13418 Currently @value{GDBN} can print the following data types in Modula-2
13419 syntax: array types, record types, set types, pointer types, procedure
13420 types, enumerated types, subrange types and base types. You can also
13421 print the contents of variables declared using these type.
13422 This section gives a number of simple source code examples together with
13423 sample @value{GDBN} sessions.
13424
13425 The first example contains the following section of code:
13426
13427 @smallexample
13428 VAR
13429 s: SET OF CHAR ;
13430 r: [20..40] ;
13431 @end smallexample
13432
13433 @noindent
13434 and you can request @value{GDBN} to interrogate the type and value of
13435 @code{r} and @code{s}.
13436
13437 @smallexample
13438 (@value{GDBP}) print s
13439 @{'A'..'C', 'Z'@}
13440 (@value{GDBP}) ptype s
13441 SET OF CHAR
13442 (@value{GDBP}) print r
13443 21
13444 (@value{GDBP}) ptype r
13445 [20..40]
13446 @end smallexample
13447
13448 @noindent
13449 Likewise if your source code declares @code{s} as:
13450
13451 @smallexample
13452 VAR
13453 s: SET ['A'..'Z'] ;
13454 @end smallexample
13455
13456 @noindent
13457 then you may query the type of @code{s} by:
13458
13459 @smallexample
13460 (@value{GDBP}) ptype s
13461 type = SET ['A'..'Z']
13462 @end smallexample
13463
13464 @noindent
13465 Note that at present you cannot interactively manipulate set
13466 expressions using the debugger.
13467
13468 The following example shows how you might declare an array in Modula-2
13469 and how you can interact with @value{GDBN} to print its type and contents:
13470
13471 @smallexample
13472 VAR
13473 s: ARRAY [-10..10] OF CHAR ;
13474 @end smallexample
13475
13476 @smallexample
13477 (@value{GDBP}) ptype s
13478 ARRAY [-10..10] OF CHAR
13479 @end smallexample
13480
13481 Note that the array handling is not yet complete and although the type
13482 is printed correctly, expression handling still assumes that all
13483 arrays have a lower bound of zero and not @code{-10} as in the example
13484 above.
13485
13486 Here are some more type related Modula-2 examples:
13487
13488 @smallexample
13489 TYPE
13490 colour = (blue, red, yellow, green) ;
13491 t = [blue..yellow] ;
13492 VAR
13493 s: t ;
13494 BEGIN
13495 s := blue ;
13496 @end smallexample
13497
13498 @noindent
13499 The @value{GDBN} interaction shows how you can query the data type
13500 and value of a variable.
13501
13502 @smallexample
13503 (@value{GDBP}) print s
13504 $1 = blue
13505 (@value{GDBP}) ptype t
13506 type = [blue..yellow]
13507 @end smallexample
13508
13509 @noindent
13510 In this example a Modula-2 array is declared and its contents
13511 displayed. Observe that the contents are written in the same way as
13512 their @code{C} counterparts.
13513
13514 @smallexample
13515 VAR
13516 s: ARRAY [1..5] OF CARDINAL ;
13517 BEGIN
13518 s[1] := 1 ;
13519 @end smallexample
13520
13521 @smallexample
13522 (@value{GDBP}) print s
13523 $1 = @{1, 0, 0, 0, 0@}
13524 (@value{GDBP}) ptype s
13525 type = ARRAY [1..5] OF CARDINAL
13526 @end smallexample
13527
13528 The Modula-2 language interface to @value{GDBN} also understands
13529 pointer types as shown in this example:
13530
13531 @smallexample
13532 VAR
13533 s: POINTER TO ARRAY [1..5] OF CARDINAL ;
13534 BEGIN
13535 NEW(s) ;
13536 s^[1] := 1 ;
13537 @end smallexample
13538
13539 @noindent
13540 and you can request that @value{GDBN} describes the type of @code{s}.
13541
13542 @smallexample
13543 (@value{GDBP}) ptype s
13544 type = POINTER TO ARRAY [1..5] OF CARDINAL
13545 @end smallexample
13546
13547 @value{GDBN} handles compound types as we can see in this example.
13548 Here we combine array types, record types, pointer types and subrange
13549 types:
13550
13551 @smallexample
13552 TYPE
13553 foo = RECORD
13554 f1: CARDINAL ;
13555 f2: CHAR ;
13556 f3: myarray ;
13557 END ;
13558
13559 myarray = ARRAY myrange OF CARDINAL ;
13560 myrange = [-2..2] ;
13561 VAR
13562 s: POINTER TO ARRAY myrange OF foo ;
13563 @end smallexample
13564
13565 @noindent
13566 and you can ask @value{GDBN} to describe the type of @code{s} as shown
13567 below.
13568
13569 @smallexample
13570 (@value{GDBP}) ptype s
13571 type = POINTER TO ARRAY [-2..2] OF foo = RECORD
13572 f1 : CARDINAL;
13573 f2 : CHAR;
13574 f3 : ARRAY [-2..2] OF CARDINAL;
13575 END
13576 @end smallexample
13577
13578 @node M2 Defaults
13579 @subsubsection Modula-2 Defaults
13580 @cindex Modula-2 defaults
13581
13582 If type and range checking are set automatically by @value{GDBN}, they
13583 both default to @code{on} whenever the working language changes to
13584 Modula-2. This happens regardless of whether you or @value{GDBN}
13585 selected the working language.
13586
13587 If you allow @value{GDBN} to set the language automatically, then entering
13588 code compiled from a file whose name ends with @file{.mod} sets the
13589 working language to Modula-2. @xref{Automatically, ,Having @value{GDBN}
13590 Infer the Source Language}, for further details.
13591
13592 @node Deviations
13593 @subsubsection Deviations from Standard Modula-2
13594 @cindex Modula-2, deviations from
13595
13596 A few changes have been made to make Modula-2 programs easier to debug.
13597 This is done primarily via loosening its type strictness:
13598
13599 @itemize @bullet
13600 @item
13601 Unlike in standard Modula-2, pointer constants can be formed by
13602 integers. This allows you to modify pointer variables during
13603 debugging. (In standard Modula-2, the actual address contained in a
13604 pointer variable is hidden from you; it can only be modified
13605 through direct assignment to another pointer variable or expression that
13606 returned a pointer.)
13607
13608 @item
13609 C escape sequences can be used in strings and characters to represent
13610 non-printable characters. @value{GDBN} prints out strings with these
13611 escape sequences embedded. Single non-printable characters are
13612 printed using the @samp{CHR(@var{nnn})} format.
13613
13614 @item
13615 The assignment operator (@code{:=}) returns the value of its right-hand
13616 argument.
13617
13618 @item
13619 All built-in procedures both modify @emph{and} return their argument.
13620 @end itemize
13621
13622 @node M2 Checks
13623 @subsubsection Modula-2 Type and Range Checks
13624 @cindex Modula-2 checks
13625
13626 @quotation
13627 @emph{Warning:} in this release, @value{GDBN} does not yet perform type or
13628 range checking.
13629 @end quotation
13630 @c FIXME remove warning when type/range checks added
13631
13632 @value{GDBN} considers two Modula-2 variables type equivalent if:
13633
13634 @itemize @bullet
13635 @item
13636 They are of types that have been declared equivalent via a @code{TYPE
13637 @var{t1} = @var{t2}} statement
13638
13639 @item
13640 They have been declared on the same line. (Note: This is true of the
13641 @sc{gnu} Modula-2 compiler, but it may not be true of other compilers.)
13642 @end itemize
13643
13644 As long as type checking is enabled, any attempt to combine variables
13645 whose types are not equivalent is an error.
13646
13647 Range checking is done on all mathematical operations, assignment, array
13648 index bounds, and all built-in functions and procedures.
13649
13650 @node M2 Scope
13651 @subsubsection The Scope Operators @code{::} and @code{.}
13652 @cindex scope
13653 @cindex @code{.}, Modula-2 scope operator
13654 @cindex colon, doubled as scope operator
13655 @ifinfo
13656 @vindex colon-colon@r{, in Modula-2}
13657 @c Info cannot handle :: but TeX can.
13658 @end ifinfo
13659 @ifnotinfo
13660 @vindex ::@r{, in Modula-2}
13661 @end ifnotinfo
13662
13663 There are a few subtle differences between the Modula-2 scope operator
13664 (@code{.}) and the @value{GDBN} scope operator (@code{::}). The two have
13665 similar syntax:
13666
13667 @smallexample
13668
13669 @var{module} . @var{id}
13670 @var{scope} :: @var{id}
13671 @end smallexample
13672
13673 @noindent
13674 where @var{scope} is the name of a module or a procedure,
13675 @var{module} the name of a module, and @var{id} is any declared
13676 identifier within your program, except another module.
13677
13678 Using the @code{::} operator makes @value{GDBN} search the scope
13679 specified by @var{scope} for the identifier @var{id}. If it is not
13680 found in the specified scope, then @value{GDBN} searches all scopes
13681 enclosing the one specified by @var{scope}.
13682
13683 Using the @code{.} operator makes @value{GDBN} search the current scope for
13684 the identifier specified by @var{id} that was imported from the
13685 definition module specified by @var{module}. With this operator, it is
13686 an error if the identifier @var{id} was not imported from definition
13687 module @var{module}, or if @var{id} is not an identifier in
13688 @var{module}.
13689
13690 @node GDB/M2
13691 @subsubsection @value{GDBN} and Modula-2
13692
13693 Some @value{GDBN} commands have little use when debugging Modula-2 programs.
13694 Five subcommands of @code{set print} and @code{show print} apply
13695 specifically to C and C@t{++}: @samp{vtbl}, @samp{demangle},
13696 @samp{asm-demangle}, @samp{object}, and @samp{union}. The first four
13697 apply to C@t{++}, and the last to the C @code{union} type, which has no direct
13698 analogue in Modula-2.
13699
13700 The @code{@@} operator (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}), while available
13701 with any language, is not useful with Modula-2. Its
13702 intent is to aid the debugging of @dfn{dynamic arrays}, which cannot be
13703 created in Modula-2 as they can in C or C@t{++}. However, because an
13704 address can be specified by an integral constant, the construct
13705 @samp{@{@var{type}@}@var{adrexp}} is still useful.
13706
13707 @cindex @code{#} in Modula-2
13708 In @value{GDBN} scripts, the Modula-2 inequality operator @code{#} is
13709 interpreted as the beginning of a comment. Use @code{<>} instead.
13710
13711 @node Ada
13712 @subsection Ada
13713 @cindex Ada
13714
13715 The extensions made to @value{GDBN} for Ada only support
13716 output from the @sc{gnu} Ada (GNAT) compiler.
13717 Other Ada compilers are not currently supported, and
13718 attempting to debug executables produced by them is most likely
13719 to be difficult.
13720
13721
13722 @cindex expressions in Ada
13723 @menu
13724 * Ada Mode Intro:: General remarks on the Ada syntax
13725 and semantics supported by Ada mode
13726 in @value{GDBN}.
13727 * Omissions from Ada:: Restrictions on the Ada expression syntax.
13728 * Additions to Ada:: Extensions of the Ada expression syntax.
13729 * Stopping Before Main Program:: Debugging the program during elaboration.
13730 * Ada Tasks:: Listing and setting breakpoints in tasks.
13731 * Ada Tasks and Core Files:: Tasking Support when Debugging Core Files
13732 * Ravenscar Profile:: Tasking Support when using the Ravenscar
13733 Profile
13734 * Ada Glitches:: Known peculiarities of Ada mode.
13735 @end menu
13736
13737 @node Ada Mode Intro
13738 @subsubsection Introduction
13739 @cindex Ada mode, general
13740
13741 The Ada mode of @value{GDBN} supports a fairly large subset of Ada expression
13742 syntax, with some extensions.
13743 The philosophy behind the design of this subset is
13744
13745 @itemize @bullet
13746 @item
13747 That @value{GDBN} should provide basic literals and access to operations for
13748 arithmetic, dereferencing, field selection, indexing, and subprogram calls,
13749 leaving more sophisticated computations to subprograms written into the
13750 program (which therefore may be called from @value{GDBN}).
13751
13752 @item
13753 That type safety and strict adherence to Ada language restrictions
13754 are not particularly important to the @value{GDBN} user.
13755
13756 @item
13757 That brevity is important to the @value{GDBN} user.
13758 @end itemize
13759
13760 Thus, for brevity, the debugger acts as if all names declared in
13761 user-written packages are directly visible, even if they are not visible
13762 according to Ada rules, thus making it unnecessary to fully qualify most
13763 names with their packages, regardless of context. Where this causes
13764 ambiguity, @value{GDBN} asks the user's intent.
13765
13766 The debugger will start in Ada mode if it detects an Ada main program.
13767 As for other languages, it will enter Ada mode when stopped in a program that
13768 was translated from an Ada source file.
13769
13770 While in Ada mode, you may use `@t{--}' for comments. This is useful
13771 mostly for documenting command files. The standard @value{GDBN} comment
13772 (@samp{#}) still works at the beginning of a line in Ada mode, but not in the
13773 middle (to allow based literals).
13774
13775 The debugger supports limited overloading. Given a subprogram call in which
13776 the function symbol has multiple definitions, it will use the number of
13777 actual parameters and some information about their types to attempt to narrow
13778 the set of definitions. It also makes very limited use of context, preferring
13779 procedures to functions in the context of the @code{call} command, and
13780 functions to procedures elsewhere.
13781
13782 @node Omissions from Ada
13783 @subsubsection Omissions from Ada
13784 @cindex Ada, omissions from
13785
13786 Here are the notable omissions from the subset:
13787
13788 @itemize @bullet
13789 @item
13790 Only a subset of the attributes are supported:
13791
13792 @itemize @minus
13793 @item
13794 @t{'First}, @t{'Last}, and @t{'Length}
13795 on array objects (not on types and subtypes).
13796
13797 @item
13798 @t{'Min} and @t{'Max}.
13799
13800 @item
13801 @t{'Pos} and @t{'Val}.
13802
13803 @item
13804 @t{'Tag}.
13805
13806 @item
13807 @t{'Range} on array objects (not subtypes), but only as the right
13808 operand of the membership (@code{in}) operator.
13809
13810 @item
13811 @t{'Access}, @t{'Unchecked_Access}, and
13812 @t{'Unrestricted_Access} (a GNAT extension).
13813
13814 @item
13815 @t{'Address}.
13816 @end itemize
13817
13818 @item
13819 The names in
13820 @code{Characters.Latin_1} are not available and
13821 concatenation is not implemented. Thus, escape characters in strings are
13822 not currently available.
13823
13824 @item
13825 Equality tests (@samp{=} and @samp{/=}) on arrays test for bitwise
13826 equality of representations. They will generally work correctly
13827 for strings and arrays whose elements have integer or enumeration types.
13828 They may not work correctly for arrays whose element
13829 types have user-defined equality, for arrays of real values
13830 (in particular, IEEE-conformant floating point, because of negative
13831 zeroes and NaNs), and for arrays whose elements contain unused bits with
13832 indeterminate values.
13833
13834 @item
13835 The other component-by-component array operations (@code{and}, @code{or},
13836 @code{xor}, @code{not}, and relational tests other than equality)
13837 are not implemented.
13838
13839 @item
13840 @cindex array aggregates (Ada)
13841 @cindex record aggregates (Ada)
13842 @cindex aggregates (Ada)
13843 There is limited support for array and record aggregates. They are
13844 permitted only on the right sides of assignments, as in these examples:
13845
13846 @smallexample
13847 (@value{GDBP}) set An_Array := (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
13848 (@value{GDBP}) set An_Array := (1, others => 0)
13849 (@value{GDBP}) set An_Array := (0|4 => 1, 1..3 => 2, 5 => 6)
13850 (@value{GDBP}) set A_2D_Array := ((1, 2, 3), (4, 5, 6), (7, 8, 9))
13851 (@value{GDBP}) set A_Record := (1, "Peter", True);
13852 (@value{GDBP}) set A_Record := (Name => "Peter", Id => 1, Alive => True)
13853 @end smallexample
13854
13855 Changing a
13856 discriminant's value by assigning an aggregate has an
13857 undefined effect if that discriminant is used within the record.
13858 However, you can first modify discriminants by directly assigning to
13859 them (which normally would not be allowed in Ada), and then performing an
13860 aggregate assignment. For example, given a variable @code{A_Rec}
13861 declared to have a type such as:
13862
13863 @smallexample
13864 type Rec (Len : Small_Integer := 0) is record
13865 Id : Integer;
13866 Vals : IntArray (1 .. Len);
13867 end record;
13868 @end smallexample
13869
13870 you can assign a value with a different size of @code{Vals} with two
13871 assignments:
13872
13873 @smallexample
13874 (@value{GDBP}) set A_Rec.Len := 4
13875 (@value{GDBP}) set A_Rec := (Id => 42, Vals => (1, 2, 3, 4))
13876 @end smallexample
13877
13878 As this example also illustrates, @value{GDBN} is very loose about the usual
13879 rules concerning aggregates. You may leave out some of the
13880 components of an array or record aggregate (such as the @code{Len}
13881 component in the assignment to @code{A_Rec} above); they will retain their
13882 original values upon assignment. You may freely use dynamic values as
13883 indices in component associations. You may even use overlapping or
13884 redundant component associations, although which component values are
13885 assigned in such cases is not defined.
13886
13887 @item
13888 Calls to dispatching subprograms are not implemented.
13889
13890 @item
13891 The overloading algorithm is much more limited (i.e., less selective)
13892 than that of real Ada. It makes only limited use of the context in
13893 which a subexpression appears to resolve its meaning, and it is much
13894 looser in its rules for allowing type matches. As a result, some
13895 function calls will be ambiguous, and the user will be asked to choose
13896 the proper resolution.
13897
13898 @item
13899 The @code{new} operator is not implemented.
13900
13901 @item
13902 Entry calls are not implemented.
13903
13904 @item
13905 Aside from printing, arithmetic operations on the native VAX floating-point
13906 formats are not supported.
13907
13908 @item
13909 It is not possible to slice a packed array.
13910
13911 @item
13912 The names @code{True} and @code{False}, when not part of a qualified name,
13913 are interpreted as if implicitly prefixed by @code{Standard}, regardless of
13914 context.
13915 Should your program
13916 redefine these names in a package or procedure (at best a dubious practice),
13917 you will have to use fully qualified names to access their new definitions.
13918 @end itemize
13919
13920 @node Additions to Ada
13921 @subsubsection Additions to Ada
13922 @cindex Ada, deviations from
13923
13924 As it does for other languages, @value{GDBN} makes certain generic
13925 extensions to Ada (@pxref{Expressions}):
13926
13927 @itemize @bullet
13928 @item
13929 If the expression @var{E} is a variable residing in memory (typically
13930 a local variable or array element) and @var{N} is a positive integer,
13931 then @code{@var{E}@@@var{N}} displays the values of @var{E} and the
13932 @var{N}-1 adjacent variables following it in memory as an array. In
13933 Ada, this operator is generally not necessary, since its prime use is
13934 in displaying parts of an array, and slicing will usually do this in
13935 Ada. However, there are occasional uses when debugging programs in
13936 which certain debugging information has been optimized away.
13937
13938 @item
13939 @code{@var{B}::@var{var}} means ``the variable named @var{var} that
13940 appears in function or file @var{B}.'' When @var{B} is a file name,
13941 you must typically surround it in single quotes.
13942
13943 @item
13944 The expression @code{@{@var{type}@} @var{addr}} means ``the variable of type
13945 @var{type} that appears at address @var{addr}.''
13946
13947 @item
13948 A name starting with @samp{$} is a convenience variable
13949 (@pxref{Convenience Vars}) or a machine register (@pxref{Registers}).
13950 @end itemize
13951
13952 In addition, @value{GDBN} provides a few other shortcuts and outright
13953 additions specific to Ada:
13954
13955 @itemize @bullet
13956 @item
13957 The assignment statement is allowed as an expression, returning
13958 its right-hand operand as its value. Thus, you may enter
13959
13960 @smallexample
13961 (@value{GDBP}) set x := y + 3
13962 (@value{GDBP}) print A(tmp := y + 1)
13963 @end smallexample
13964
13965 @item
13966 The semicolon is allowed as an ``operator,'' returning as its value
13967 the value of its right-hand operand.
13968 This allows, for example,
13969 complex conditional breaks:
13970
13971 @smallexample
13972 (@value{GDBP}) break f
13973 (@value{GDBP}) condition 1 (report(i); k += 1; A(k) > 100)
13974 @end smallexample
13975
13976 @item
13977 Rather than use catenation and symbolic character names to introduce special
13978 characters into strings, one may instead use a special bracket notation,
13979 which is also used to print strings. A sequence of characters of the form
13980 @samp{["@var{XX}"]} within a string or character literal denotes the
13981 (single) character whose numeric encoding is @var{XX} in hexadecimal. The
13982 sequence of characters @samp{["""]} also denotes a single quotation mark
13983 in strings. For example,
13984 @smallexample
13985 "One line.["0a"]Next line.["0a"]"
13986 @end smallexample
13987 @noindent
13988 contains an ASCII newline character (@code{Ada.Characters.Latin_1.LF})
13989 after each period.
13990
13991 @item
13992 The subtype used as a prefix for the attributes @t{'Pos}, @t{'Min}, and
13993 @t{'Max} is optional (and is ignored in any case). For example, it is valid
13994 to write
13995
13996 @smallexample
13997 (@value{GDBP}) print 'max(x, y)
13998 @end smallexample
13999
14000 @item
14001 When printing arrays, @value{GDBN} uses positional notation when the
14002 array has a lower bound of 1, and uses a modified named notation otherwise.
14003 For example, a one-dimensional array of three integers with a lower bound
14004 of 3 might print as
14005
14006 @smallexample
14007 (3 => 10, 17, 1)
14008 @end smallexample
14009
14010 @noindent
14011 That is, in contrast to valid Ada, only the first component has a @code{=>}
14012 clause.
14013
14014 @item
14015 You may abbreviate attributes in expressions with any unique,
14016 multi-character subsequence of
14017 their names (an exact match gets preference).
14018 For example, you may use @t{a'len}, @t{a'gth}, or @t{a'lh}
14019 in place of @t{a'length}.
14020
14021 @item
14022 @cindex quoting Ada internal identifiers
14023 Since Ada is case-insensitive, the debugger normally maps identifiers you type
14024 to lower case. The GNAT compiler uses upper-case characters for
14025 some of its internal identifiers, which are normally of no interest to users.
14026 For the rare occasions when you actually have to look at them,
14027 enclose them in angle brackets to avoid the lower-case mapping.
14028 For example,
14029 @smallexample
14030 (@value{GDBP}) print <JMPBUF_SAVE>[0]
14031 @end smallexample
14032
14033 @item
14034 Printing an object of class-wide type or dereferencing an
14035 access-to-class-wide value will display all the components of the object's
14036 specific type (as indicated by its run-time tag). Likewise, component
14037 selection on such a value will operate on the specific type of the
14038 object.
14039
14040 @end itemize
14041
14042 @node Stopping Before Main Program
14043 @subsubsection Stopping at the Very Beginning
14044
14045 @cindex breakpointing Ada elaboration code
14046 It is sometimes necessary to debug the program during elaboration, and
14047 before reaching the main procedure.
14048 As defined in the Ada Reference
14049 Manual, the elaboration code is invoked from a procedure called
14050 @code{adainit}. To run your program up to the beginning of
14051 elaboration, simply use the following two commands:
14052 @code{tbreak adainit} and @code{run}.
14053
14054 @node Ada Tasks
14055 @subsubsection Extensions for Ada Tasks
14056 @cindex Ada, tasking
14057
14058 Support for Ada tasks is analogous to that for threads (@pxref{Threads}).
14059 @value{GDBN} provides the following task-related commands:
14060
14061 @table @code
14062 @kindex info tasks
14063 @item info tasks
14064 This command shows a list of current Ada tasks, as in the following example:
14065
14066
14067 @smallexample
14068 @iftex
14069 @leftskip=0.5cm
14070 @end iftex
14071 (@value{GDBP}) info tasks
14072 ID TID P-ID Pri State Name
14073 1 8088000 0 15 Child Activation Wait main_task
14074 2 80a4000 1 15 Accept Statement b
14075 3 809a800 1 15 Child Activation Wait a
14076 * 4 80ae800 3 15 Runnable c
14077
14078 @end smallexample
14079
14080 @noindent
14081 In this listing, the asterisk before the last task indicates it to be the
14082 task currently being inspected.
14083
14084 @table @asis
14085 @item ID
14086 Represents @value{GDBN}'s internal task number.
14087
14088 @item TID
14089 The Ada task ID.
14090
14091 @item P-ID
14092 The parent's task ID (@value{GDBN}'s internal task number).
14093
14094 @item Pri
14095 The base priority of the task.
14096
14097 @item State
14098 Current state of the task.
14099
14100 @table @code
14101 @item Unactivated
14102 The task has been created but has not been activated. It cannot be
14103 executing.
14104
14105 @item Runnable
14106 The task is not blocked for any reason known to Ada. (It may be waiting
14107 for a mutex, though.) It is conceptually "executing" in normal mode.
14108
14109 @item Terminated
14110 The task is terminated, in the sense of ARM 9.3 (5). Any dependents
14111 that were waiting on terminate alternatives have been awakened and have
14112 terminated themselves.
14113
14114 @item Child Activation Wait
14115 The task is waiting for created tasks to complete activation.
14116
14117 @item Accept Statement
14118 The task is waiting on an accept or selective wait statement.
14119
14120 @item Waiting on entry call
14121 The task is waiting on an entry call.
14122
14123 @item Async Select Wait
14124 The task is waiting to start the abortable part of an asynchronous
14125 select statement.
14126
14127 @item Delay Sleep
14128 The task is waiting on a select statement with only a delay
14129 alternative open.
14130
14131 @item Child Termination Wait
14132 The task is sleeping having completed a master within itself, and is
14133 waiting for the tasks dependent on that master to become terminated or
14134 waiting on a terminate Phase.
14135
14136 @item Wait Child in Term Alt
14137 The task is sleeping waiting for tasks on terminate alternatives to
14138 finish terminating.
14139
14140 @item Accepting RV with @var{taskno}
14141 The task is accepting a rendez-vous with the task @var{taskno}.
14142 @end table
14143
14144 @item Name
14145 Name of the task in the program.
14146
14147 @end table
14148
14149 @kindex info task @var{taskno}
14150 @item info task @var{taskno}
14151 This command shows detailled informations on the specified task, as in
14152 the following example:
14153 @smallexample
14154 @iftex
14155 @leftskip=0.5cm
14156 @end iftex
14157 (@value{GDBP}) info tasks
14158 ID TID P-ID Pri State Name
14159 1 8077880 0 15 Child Activation Wait main_task
14160 * 2 807c468 1 15 Runnable task_1
14161 (@value{GDBP}) info task 2
14162 Ada Task: 0x807c468
14163 Name: task_1
14164 Thread: 0x807f378
14165 Parent: 1 (main_task)
14166 Base Priority: 15
14167 State: Runnable
14168 @end smallexample
14169
14170 @item task
14171 @kindex task@r{ (Ada)}
14172 @cindex current Ada task ID
14173 This command prints the ID of the current task.
14174
14175 @smallexample
14176 @iftex
14177 @leftskip=0.5cm
14178 @end iftex
14179 (@value{GDBP}) info tasks
14180 ID TID P-ID Pri State Name
14181 1 8077870 0 15 Child Activation Wait main_task
14182 * 2 807c458 1 15 Runnable t
14183 (@value{GDBP}) task
14184 [Current task is 2]
14185 @end smallexample
14186
14187 @item task @var{taskno}
14188 @cindex Ada task switching
14189 This command is like the @code{thread @var{threadno}}
14190 command (@pxref{Threads}). It switches the context of debugging
14191 from the current task to the given task.
14192
14193 @smallexample
14194 @iftex
14195 @leftskip=0.5cm
14196 @end iftex
14197 (@value{GDBP}) info tasks
14198 ID TID P-ID Pri State Name
14199 1 8077870 0 15 Child Activation Wait main_task
14200 * 2 807c458 1 15 Runnable t
14201 (@value{GDBP}) task 1
14202 [Switching to task 1]
14203 #0 0x8067726 in pthread_cond_wait ()
14204 (@value{GDBP}) bt
14205 #0 0x8067726 in pthread_cond_wait ()
14206 #1 0x8056714 in system.os_interface.pthread_cond_wait ()
14207 #2 0x805cb63 in system.task_primitives.operations.sleep ()
14208 #3 0x806153e in system.tasking.stages.activate_tasks ()
14209 #4 0x804aacc in un () at un.adb:5
14210 @end smallexample
14211
14212 @item break @var{linespec} task @var{taskno}
14213 @itemx break @var{linespec} task @var{taskno} if @dots{}
14214 @cindex breakpoints and tasks, in Ada
14215 @cindex task breakpoints, in Ada
14216 @kindex break @dots{} task @var{taskno}@r{ (Ada)}
14217 These commands are like the @code{break @dots{} thread @dots{}}
14218 command (@pxref{Thread Stops}).
14219 @var{linespec} specifies source lines, as described
14220 in @ref{Specify Location}.
14221
14222 Use the qualifier @samp{task @var{taskno}} with a breakpoint command
14223 to specify that you only want @value{GDBN} to stop the program when a
14224 particular Ada task reaches this breakpoint. @var{taskno} is one of the
14225 numeric task identifiers assigned by @value{GDBN}, shown in the first
14226 column of the @samp{info tasks} display.
14227
14228 If you do not specify @samp{task @var{taskno}} when you set a
14229 breakpoint, the breakpoint applies to @emph{all} tasks of your
14230 program.
14231
14232 You can use the @code{task} qualifier on conditional breakpoints as
14233 well; in this case, place @samp{task @var{taskno}} before the
14234 breakpoint condition (before the @code{if}).
14235
14236 For example,
14237
14238 @smallexample
14239 @iftex
14240 @leftskip=0.5cm
14241 @end iftex
14242 (@value{GDBP}) info tasks
14243 ID TID P-ID Pri State Name
14244 1 140022020 0 15 Child Activation Wait main_task
14245 2 140045060 1 15 Accept/Select Wait t2
14246 3 140044840 1 15 Runnable t1
14247 * 4 140056040 1 15 Runnable t3
14248 (@value{GDBP}) b 15 task 2
14249 Breakpoint 5 at 0x120044cb0: file test_task_debug.adb, line 15.
14250 (@value{GDBP}) cont
14251 Continuing.
14252 task # 1 running
14253 task # 2 running
14254
14255 Breakpoint 5, test_task_debug () at test_task_debug.adb:15
14256 15 flush;
14257 (@value{GDBP}) info tasks
14258 ID TID P-ID Pri State Name
14259 1 140022020 0 15 Child Activation Wait main_task
14260 * 2 140045060 1 15 Runnable t2
14261 3 140044840 1 15 Runnable t1
14262 4 140056040 1 15 Delay Sleep t3
14263 @end smallexample
14264 @end table
14265
14266 @node Ada Tasks and Core Files
14267 @subsubsection Tasking Support when Debugging Core Files
14268 @cindex Ada tasking and core file debugging
14269
14270 When inspecting a core file, as opposed to debugging a live program,
14271 tasking support may be limited or even unavailable, depending on
14272 the platform being used.
14273 For instance, on x86-linux, the list of tasks is available, but task
14274 switching is not supported. On Tru64, however, task switching will work
14275 as usual.
14276
14277 On certain platforms, including Tru64, the debugger needs to perform some
14278 memory writes in order to provide Ada tasking support. When inspecting
14279 a core file, this means that the core file must be opened with read-write
14280 privileges, using the command @samp{"set write on"} (@pxref{Patching}).
14281 Under these circumstances, you should make a backup copy of the core
14282 file before inspecting it with @value{GDBN}.
14283
14284 @node Ravenscar Profile
14285 @subsubsection Tasking Support when using the Ravenscar Profile
14286 @cindex Ravenscar Profile
14287
14288 The @dfn{Ravenscar Profile} is a subset of the Ada tasking features,
14289 specifically designed for systems with safety-critical real-time
14290 requirements.
14291
14292 @table @code
14293 @kindex set ravenscar task-switching on
14294 @cindex task switching with program using Ravenscar Profile
14295 @item set ravenscar task-switching on
14296 Allows task switching when debugging a program that uses the Ravenscar
14297 Profile. This is the default.
14298
14299 @kindex set ravenscar task-switching off
14300 @item set ravenscar task-switching off
14301 Turn off task switching when debugging a program that uses the Ravenscar
14302 Profile. This is mostly intended to disable the code that adds support
14303 for the Ravenscar Profile, in case a bug in either @value{GDBN} or in
14304 the Ravenscar runtime is preventing @value{GDBN} from working properly.
14305 To be effective, this command should be run before the program is started.
14306
14307 @kindex show ravenscar task-switching
14308 @item show ravenscar task-switching
14309 Show whether it is possible to switch from task to task in a program
14310 using the Ravenscar Profile.
14311
14312 @end table
14313
14314 @node Ada Glitches
14315 @subsubsection Known Peculiarities of Ada Mode
14316 @cindex Ada, problems
14317
14318 Besides the omissions listed previously (@pxref{Omissions from Ada}),
14319 we know of several problems with and limitations of Ada mode in
14320 @value{GDBN},
14321 some of which will be fixed with planned future releases of the debugger
14322 and the GNU Ada compiler.
14323
14324 @itemize @bullet
14325 @item
14326 Static constants that the compiler chooses not to materialize as objects in
14327 storage are invisible to the debugger.
14328
14329 @item
14330 Named parameter associations in function argument lists are ignored (the
14331 argument lists are treated as positional).
14332
14333 @item
14334 Many useful library packages are currently invisible to the debugger.
14335
14336 @item
14337 Fixed-point arithmetic, conversions, input, and output is carried out using
14338 floating-point arithmetic, and may give results that only approximate those on
14339 the host machine.
14340
14341 @item
14342 The GNAT compiler never generates the prefix @code{Standard} for any of
14343 the standard symbols defined by the Ada language. @value{GDBN} knows about
14344 this: it will strip the prefix from names when you use it, and will never
14345 look for a name you have so qualified among local symbols, nor match against
14346 symbols in other packages or subprograms. If you have
14347 defined entities anywhere in your program other than parameters and
14348 local variables whose simple names match names in @code{Standard},
14349 GNAT's lack of qualification here can cause confusion. When this happens,
14350 you can usually resolve the confusion
14351 by qualifying the problematic names with package
14352 @code{Standard} explicitly.
14353 @end itemize
14354
14355 Older versions of the compiler sometimes generate erroneous debugging
14356 information, resulting in the debugger incorrectly printing the value
14357 of affected entities. In some cases, the debugger is able to work
14358 around an issue automatically. In other cases, the debugger is able
14359 to work around the issue, but the work-around has to be specifically
14360 enabled.
14361
14362 @kindex set ada trust-PAD-over-XVS
14363 @kindex show ada trust-PAD-over-XVS
14364 @table @code
14365
14366 @item set ada trust-PAD-over-XVS on
14367 Configure GDB to strictly follow the GNAT encoding when computing the
14368 value of Ada entities, particularly when @code{PAD} and @code{PAD___XVS}
14369 types are involved (see @code{ada/exp_dbug.ads} in the GCC sources for
14370 a complete description of the encoding used by the GNAT compiler).
14371 This is the default.
14372
14373 @item set ada trust-PAD-over-XVS off
14374 This is related to the encoding using by the GNAT compiler. If @value{GDBN}
14375 sometimes prints the wrong value for certain entities, changing @code{ada
14376 trust-PAD-over-XVS} to @code{off} activates a work-around which may fix
14377 the issue. It is always safe to set @code{ada trust-PAD-over-XVS} to
14378 @code{off}, but this incurs a slight performance penalty, so it is
14379 recommended to leave this setting to @code{on} unless necessary.
14380
14381 @end table
14382
14383 @node Unsupported Languages
14384 @section Unsupported Languages
14385
14386 @cindex unsupported languages
14387 @cindex minimal language
14388 In addition to the other fully-supported programming languages,
14389 @value{GDBN} also provides a pseudo-language, called @code{minimal}.
14390 It does not represent a real programming language, but provides a set
14391 of capabilities close to what the C or assembly languages provide.
14392 This should allow most simple operations to be performed while debugging
14393 an application that uses a language currently not supported by @value{GDBN}.
14394
14395 If the language is set to @code{auto}, @value{GDBN} will automatically
14396 select this language if the current frame corresponds to an unsupported
14397 language.
14398
14399 @node Symbols
14400 @chapter Examining the Symbol Table
14401
14402 The commands described in this chapter allow you to inquire about the
14403 symbols (names of variables, functions and types) defined in your
14404 program. This information is inherent in the text of your program and
14405 does not change as your program executes. @value{GDBN} finds it in your
14406 program's symbol table, in the file indicated when you started @value{GDBN}
14407 (@pxref{File Options, ,Choosing Files}), or by one of the
14408 file-management commands (@pxref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}).
14409
14410 @cindex symbol names
14411 @cindex names of symbols
14412 @cindex quoting names
14413 Occasionally, you may need to refer to symbols that contain unusual
14414 characters, which @value{GDBN} ordinarily treats as word delimiters. The
14415 most frequent case is in referring to static variables in other
14416 source files (@pxref{Variables,,Program Variables}). File names
14417 are recorded in object files as debugging symbols, but @value{GDBN} would
14418 ordinarily parse a typical file name, like @file{foo.c}, as the three words
14419 @samp{foo} @samp{.} @samp{c}. To allow @value{GDBN} to recognize
14420 @samp{foo.c} as a single symbol, enclose it in single quotes; for example,
14421
14422 @smallexample
14423 p 'foo.c'::x
14424 @end smallexample
14425
14426 @noindent
14427 looks up the value of @code{x} in the scope of the file @file{foo.c}.
14428
14429 @table @code
14430 @cindex case-insensitive symbol names
14431 @cindex case sensitivity in symbol names
14432 @kindex set case-sensitive
14433 @item set case-sensitive on
14434 @itemx set case-sensitive off
14435 @itemx set case-sensitive auto
14436 Normally, when @value{GDBN} looks up symbols, it matches their names
14437 with case sensitivity determined by the current source language.
14438 Occasionally, you may wish to control that. The command @code{set
14439 case-sensitive} lets you do that by specifying @code{on} for
14440 case-sensitive matches or @code{off} for case-insensitive ones. If
14441 you specify @code{auto}, case sensitivity is reset to the default
14442 suitable for the source language. The default is case-sensitive
14443 matches for all languages except for Fortran, for which the default is
14444 case-insensitive matches.
14445
14446 @kindex show case-sensitive
14447 @item show case-sensitive
14448 This command shows the current setting of case sensitivity for symbols
14449 lookups.
14450
14451 @kindex info address
14452 @cindex address of a symbol
14453 @item info address @var{symbol}
14454 Describe where the data for @var{symbol} is stored. For a register
14455 variable, this says which register it is kept in. For a non-register
14456 local variable, this prints the stack-frame offset at which the variable
14457 is always stored.
14458
14459 Note the contrast with @samp{print &@var{symbol}}, which does not work
14460 at all for a register variable, and for a stack local variable prints
14461 the exact address of the current instantiation of the variable.
14462
14463 @kindex info symbol
14464 @cindex symbol from address
14465 @cindex closest symbol and offset for an address
14466 @item info symbol @var{addr}
14467 Print the name of a symbol which is stored at the address @var{addr}.
14468 If no symbol is stored exactly at @var{addr}, @value{GDBN} prints the
14469 nearest symbol and an offset from it:
14470
14471 @smallexample
14472 (@value{GDBP}) info symbol 0x54320
14473 _initialize_vx + 396 in section .text
14474 @end smallexample
14475
14476 @noindent
14477 This is the opposite of the @code{info address} command. You can use
14478 it to find out the name of a variable or a function given its address.
14479
14480 For dynamically linked executables, the name of executable or shared
14481 library containing the symbol is also printed:
14482
14483 @smallexample
14484 (@value{GDBP}) info symbol 0x400225
14485 _start + 5 in section .text of /tmp/a.out
14486 (@value{GDBP}) info symbol 0x2aaaac2811cf
14487 __read_nocancel + 6 in section .text of /usr/lib64/libc.so.6
14488 @end smallexample
14489
14490 @kindex whatis
14491 @item whatis [@var{arg}]
14492 Print the data type of @var{arg}, which can be either an expression
14493 or a name of a data type. With no argument, print the data type of
14494 @code{$}, the last value in the value history.
14495
14496 If @var{arg} is an expression (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}), it
14497 is not actually evaluated, and any side-effecting operations (such as
14498 assignments or function calls) inside it do not take place.
14499
14500 If @var{arg} is a variable or an expression, @code{whatis} prints its
14501 literal type as it is used in the source code. If the type was
14502 defined using a @code{typedef}, @code{whatis} will @emph{not} print
14503 the data type underlying the @code{typedef}. If the type of the
14504 variable or the expression is a compound data type, such as
14505 @code{struct} or @code{class}, @code{whatis} never prints their
14506 fields or methods. It just prints the @code{struct}/@code{class}
14507 name (a.k.a.@: its @dfn{tag}). If you want to see the members of
14508 such a compound data type, use @code{ptype}.
14509
14510 If @var{arg} is a type name that was defined using @code{typedef},
14511 @code{whatis} @dfn{unrolls} only one level of that @code{typedef}.
14512 Unrolling means that @code{whatis} will show the underlying type used
14513 in the @code{typedef} declaration of @var{arg}. However, if that
14514 underlying type is also a @code{typedef}, @code{whatis} will not
14515 unroll it.
14516
14517 For C code, the type names may also have the form @samp{class
14518 @var{class-name}}, @samp{struct @var{struct-tag}}, @samp{union
14519 @var{union-tag}} or @samp{enum @var{enum-tag}}.
14520
14521 @kindex ptype
14522 @item ptype [@var{arg}]
14523 @code{ptype} accepts the same arguments as @code{whatis}, but prints a
14524 detailed description of the type, instead of just the name of the type.
14525 @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}.
14526
14527 Contrary to @code{whatis}, @code{ptype} always unrolls any
14528 @code{typedef}s in its argument declaration, whether the argument is
14529 a variable, expression, or a data type. This means that @code{ptype}
14530 of a variable or an expression will not print literally its type as
14531 present in the source code---use @code{whatis} for that. @code{typedef}s at
14532 the pointer or reference targets are also unrolled. Only @code{typedef}s of
14533 fields, methods and inner @code{class typedef}s of @code{struct}s,
14534 @code{class}es and @code{union}s are not unrolled even with @code{ptype}.
14535
14536 For example, for this variable declaration:
14537
14538 @smallexample
14539 typedef double real_t;
14540 struct complex @{ real_t real; double imag; @};
14541 typedef struct complex complex_t;
14542 complex_t var;
14543 real_t *real_pointer_var;
14544 @end smallexample
14545
14546 @noindent
14547 the two commands give this output:
14548
14549 @smallexample
14550 @group
14551 (@value{GDBP}) whatis var
14552 type = complex_t
14553 (@value{GDBP}) ptype var
14554 type = struct complex @{
14555 real_t real;
14556 double imag;
14557 @}
14558 (@value{GDBP}) whatis complex_t
14559 type = struct complex
14560 (@value{GDBP}) whatis struct complex
14561 type = struct complex
14562 (@value{GDBP}) ptype struct complex
14563 type = struct complex @{
14564 real_t real;
14565 double imag;
14566 @}
14567 (@value{GDBP}) whatis real_pointer_var
14568 type = real_t *
14569 (@value{GDBP}) ptype real_pointer_var
14570 type = double *
14571 @end group
14572 @end smallexample
14573
14574 @noindent
14575 As with @code{whatis}, using @code{ptype} without an argument refers to
14576 the type of @code{$}, the last value in the value history.
14577
14578 @cindex incomplete type
14579 Sometimes, programs use opaque data types or incomplete specifications
14580 of complex data structure. If the debug information included in the
14581 program does not allow @value{GDBN} to display a full declaration of
14582 the data type, it will say @samp{<incomplete type>}. For example,
14583 given these declarations:
14584
14585 @smallexample
14586 struct foo;
14587 struct foo *fooptr;
14588 @end smallexample
14589
14590 @noindent
14591 but no definition for @code{struct foo} itself, @value{GDBN} will say:
14592
14593 @smallexample
14594 (@value{GDBP}) ptype foo
14595 $1 = <incomplete type>
14596 @end smallexample
14597
14598 @noindent
14599 ``Incomplete type'' is C terminology for data types that are not
14600 completely specified.
14601
14602 @kindex info types
14603 @item info types @var{regexp}
14604 @itemx info types
14605 Print a brief description of all types whose names match the regular
14606 expression @var{regexp} (or all types in your program, if you supply
14607 no argument). Each complete typename is matched as though it were a
14608 complete line; thus, @samp{i type value} gives information on all
14609 types in your program whose names include the string @code{value}, but
14610 @samp{i type ^value$} gives information only on types whose complete
14611 name is @code{value}.
14612
14613 This command differs from @code{ptype} in two ways: first, like
14614 @code{whatis}, it does not print a detailed description; second, it
14615 lists all source files where a type is defined.
14616
14617 @kindex info scope
14618 @cindex local variables
14619 @item info scope @var{location}
14620 List all the variables local to a particular scope. This command
14621 accepts a @var{location} argument---a function name, a source line, or
14622 an address preceded by a @samp{*}, and prints all the variables local
14623 to the scope defined by that location. (@xref{Specify Location}, for
14624 details about supported forms of @var{location}.) For example:
14625
14626 @smallexample
14627 (@value{GDBP}) @b{info scope command_line_handler}
14628 Scope for command_line_handler:
14629 Symbol rl is an argument at stack/frame offset 8, length 4.
14630 Symbol linebuffer is in static storage at address 0x150a18, length 4.
14631 Symbol linelength is in static storage at address 0x150a1c, length 4.
14632 Symbol p is a local variable in register $esi, length 4.
14633 Symbol p1 is a local variable in register $ebx, length 4.
14634 Symbol nline is a local variable in register $edx, length 4.
14635 Symbol repeat is a local variable at frame offset -8, length 4.
14636 @end smallexample
14637
14638 @noindent
14639 This command is especially useful for determining what data to collect
14640 during a @dfn{trace experiment}, see @ref{Tracepoint Actions,
14641 collect}.
14642
14643 @kindex info source
14644 @item info source
14645 Show information about the current source file---that is, the source file for
14646 the function containing the current point of execution:
14647 @itemize @bullet
14648 @item
14649 the name of the source file, and the directory containing it,
14650 @item
14651 the directory it was compiled in,
14652 @item
14653 its length, in lines,
14654 @item
14655 which programming language it is written in,
14656 @item
14657 whether the executable includes debugging information for that file, and
14658 if so, what format the information is in (e.g., STABS, Dwarf 2, etc.), and
14659 @item
14660 whether the debugging information includes information about
14661 preprocessor macros.
14662 @end itemize
14663
14664
14665 @kindex info sources
14666 @item info sources
14667 Print the names of all source files in your program for which there is
14668 debugging information, organized into two lists: files whose symbols
14669 have already been read, and files whose symbols will be read when needed.
14670
14671 @kindex info functions
14672 @item info functions
14673 Print the names and data types of all defined functions.
14674
14675 @item info functions @var{regexp}
14676 Print the names and data types of all defined functions
14677 whose names contain a match for regular expression @var{regexp}.
14678 Thus, @samp{info fun step} finds all functions whose names
14679 include @code{step}; @samp{info fun ^step} finds those whose names
14680 start with @code{step}. If a function name contains characters
14681 that conflict with the regular expression language (e.g.@:
14682 @samp{operator*()}), they may be quoted with a backslash.
14683
14684 @kindex info variables
14685 @item info variables
14686 Print the names and data types of all variables that are defined
14687 outside of functions (i.e.@: excluding local variables).
14688
14689 @item info variables @var{regexp}
14690 Print the names and data types of all variables (except for local
14691 variables) whose names contain a match for regular expression
14692 @var{regexp}.
14693
14694 @kindex info classes
14695 @cindex Objective-C, classes and selectors
14696 @item info classes
14697 @itemx info classes @var{regexp}
14698 Display all Objective-C classes in your program, or
14699 (with the @var{regexp} argument) all those matching a particular regular
14700 expression.
14701
14702 @kindex info selectors
14703 @item info selectors
14704 @itemx info selectors @var{regexp}
14705 Display all Objective-C selectors in your program, or
14706 (with the @var{regexp} argument) all those matching a particular regular
14707 expression.
14708
14709 @ignore
14710 This was never implemented.
14711 @kindex info methods
14712 @item info methods
14713 @itemx info methods @var{regexp}
14714 The @code{info methods} command permits the user to examine all defined
14715 methods within C@t{++} program, or (with the @var{regexp} argument) a
14716 specific set of methods found in the various C@t{++} classes. Many
14717 C@t{++} classes provide a large number of methods. Thus, the output
14718 from the @code{ptype} command can be overwhelming and hard to use. The
14719 @code{info-methods} command filters the methods, printing only those
14720 which match the regular-expression @var{regexp}.
14721 @end ignore
14722
14723 @cindex reloading symbols
14724 Some systems allow individual object files that make up your program to
14725 be replaced without stopping and restarting your program. For example,
14726 in VxWorks you can simply recompile a defective object file and keep on
14727 running. If you are running on one of these systems, you can allow
14728 @value{GDBN} to reload the symbols for automatically relinked modules:
14729
14730 @table @code
14731 @kindex set symbol-reloading
14732 @item set symbol-reloading on
14733 Replace symbol definitions for the corresponding source file when an
14734 object file with a particular name is seen again.
14735
14736 @item set symbol-reloading off
14737 Do not replace symbol definitions when encountering object files of the
14738 same name more than once. This is the default state; if you are not
14739 running on a system that permits automatic relinking of modules, you
14740 should leave @code{symbol-reloading} off, since otherwise @value{GDBN}
14741 may discard symbols when linking large programs, that may contain
14742 several modules (from different directories or libraries) with the same
14743 name.
14744
14745 @kindex show symbol-reloading
14746 @item show symbol-reloading
14747 Show the current @code{on} or @code{off} setting.
14748 @end table
14749
14750 @cindex opaque data types
14751 @kindex set opaque-type-resolution
14752 @item set opaque-type-resolution on
14753 Tell @value{GDBN} to resolve opaque types. An opaque type is a type
14754 declared as a pointer to a @code{struct}, @code{class}, or
14755 @code{union}---for example, @code{struct MyType *}---that is used in one
14756 source file although the full declaration of @code{struct MyType} is in
14757 another source file. The default is on.
14758
14759 A change in the setting of this subcommand will not take effect until
14760 the next time symbols for a file are loaded.
14761
14762 @item set opaque-type-resolution off
14763 Tell @value{GDBN} not to resolve opaque types. In this case, the type
14764 is printed as follows:
14765 @smallexample
14766 @{<no data fields>@}
14767 @end smallexample
14768
14769 @kindex show opaque-type-resolution
14770 @item show opaque-type-resolution
14771 Show whether opaque types are resolved or not.
14772
14773 @kindex maint print symbols
14774 @cindex symbol dump
14775 @kindex maint print psymbols
14776 @cindex partial symbol dump
14777 @item maint print symbols @var{filename}
14778 @itemx maint print psymbols @var{filename}
14779 @itemx maint print msymbols @var{filename}
14780 Write a dump of debugging symbol data into the file @var{filename}.
14781 These commands are used to debug the @value{GDBN} symbol-reading code. Only
14782 symbols with debugging data are included. If you use @samp{maint print
14783 symbols}, @value{GDBN} includes all the symbols for which it has already
14784 collected full details: that is, @var{filename} reflects symbols for
14785 only those files whose symbols @value{GDBN} has read. You can use the
14786 command @code{info sources} to find out which files these are. If you
14787 use @samp{maint print psymbols} instead, the dump shows information about
14788 symbols that @value{GDBN} only knows partially---that is, symbols defined in
14789 files that @value{GDBN} has skimmed, but not yet read completely. Finally,
14790 @samp{maint print msymbols} dumps just the minimal symbol information
14791 required for each object file from which @value{GDBN} has read some symbols.
14792 @xref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}, for a discussion of how
14793 @value{GDBN} reads symbols (in the description of @code{symbol-file}).
14794
14795 @kindex maint info symtabs
14796 @kindex maint info psymtabs
14797 @cindex listing @value{GDBN}'s internal symbol tables
14798 @cindex symbol tables, listing @value{GDBN}'s internal
14799 @cindex full symbol tables, listing @value{GDBN}'s internal
14800 @cindex partial symbol tables, listing @value{GDBN}'s internal
14801 @item maint info symtabs @r{[} @var{regexp} @r{]}
14802 @itemx maint info psymtabs @r{[} @var{regexp} @r{]}
14803
14804 List the @code{struct symtab} or @code{struct partial_symtab}
14805 structures whose names match @var{regexp}. If @var{regexp} is not
14806 given, list them all. The output includes expressions which you can
14807 copy into a @value{GDBN} debugging this one to examine a particular
14808 structure in more detail. For example:
14809
14810 @smallexample
14811 (@value{GDBP}) maint info psymtabs dwarf2read
14812 @{ objfile /home/gnu/build/gdb/gdb
14813 ((struct objfile *) 0x82e69d0)
14814 @{ psymtab /home/gnu/src/gdb/dwarf2read.c
14815 ((struct partial_symtab *) 0x8474b10)
14816 readin no
14817 fullname (null)
14818 text addresses 0x814d3c8 -- 0x8158074
14819 globals (* (struct partial_symbol **) 0x8507a08 @@ 9)
14820 statics (* (struct partial_symbol **) 0x40e95b78 @@ 2882)
14821 dependencies (none)
14822 @}
14823 @}
14824 (@value{GDBP}) maint info symtabs
14825 (@value{GDBP})
14826 @end smallexample
14827 @noindent
14828 We see that there is one partial symbol table whose filename contains
14829 the string @samp{dwarf2read}, belonging to the @samp{gdb} executable;
14830 and we see that @value{GDBN} has not read in any symtabs yet at all.
14831 If we set a breakpoint on a function, that will cause @value{GDBN} to
14832 read the symtab for the compilation unit containing that function:
14833
14834 @smallexample
14835 (@value{GDBP}) break dwarf2_psymtab_to_symtab
14836 Breakpoint 1 at 0x814e5da: file /home/gnu/src/gdb/dwarf2read.c,
14837 line 1574.
14838 (@value{GDBP}) maint info symtabs
14839 @{ objfile /home/gnu/build/gdb/gdb
14840 ((struct objfile *) 0x82e69d0)
14841 @{ symtab /home/gnu/src/gdb/dwarf2read.c
14842 ((struct symtab *) 0x86c1f38)
14843 dirname (null)
14844 fullname (null)
14845 blockvector ((struct blockvector *) 0x86c1bd0) (primary)
14846 linetable ((struct linetable *) 0x8370fa0)
14847 debugformat DWARF 2
14848 @}
14849 @}
14850 (@value{GDBP})
14851 @end smallexample
14852 @end table
14853
14854
14855 @node Altering
14856 @chapter Altering Execution
14857
14858 Once you think you have found an error in your program, you might want to
14859 find out for certain whether correcting the apparent error would lead to
14860 correct results in the rest of the run. You can find the answer by
14861 experiment, using the @value{GDBN} features for altering execution of the
14862 program.
14863
14864 For example, you can store new values into variables or memory
14865 locations, give your program a signal, restart it at a different
14866 address, or even return prematurely from a function.
14867
14868 @menu
14869 * Assignment:: Assignment to variables
14870 * Jumping:: Continuing at a different address
14871 * Signaling:: Giving your program a signal
14872 * Returning:: Returning from a function
14873 * Calling:: Calling your program's functions
14874 * Patching:: Patching your program
14875 @end menu
14876
14877 @node Assignment
14878 @section Assignment to Variables
14879
14880 @cindex assignment
14881 @cindex setting variables
14882 To alter the value of a variable, evaluate an assignment expression.
14883 @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}. For example,
14884
14885 @smallexample
14886 print x=4
14887 @end smallexample
14888
14889 @noindent
14890 stores the value 4 into the variable @code{x}, and then prints the
14891 value of the assignment expression (which is 4).
14892 @xref{Languages, ,Using @value{GDBN} with Different Languages}, for more
14893 information on operators in supported languages.
14894
14895 @kindex set variable
14896 @cindex variables, setting
14897 If you are not interested in seeing the value of the assignment, use the
14898 @code{set} command instead of the @code{print} command. @code{set} is
14899 really the same as @code{print} except that the expression's value is
14900 not printed and is not put in the value history (@pxref{Value History,
14901 ,Value History}). The expression is evaluated only for its effects.
14902
14903 If the beginning of the argument string of the @code{set} command
14904 appears identical to a @code{set} subcommand, use the @code{set
14905 variable} command instead of just @code{set}. This command is identical
14906 to @code{set} except for its lack of subcommands. For example, if your
14907 program has a variable @code{width}, you get an error if you try to set
14908 a new value with just @samp{set width=13}, because @value{GDBN} has the
14909 command @code{set width}:
14910
14911 @smallexample
14912 (@value{GDBP}) whatis width
14913 type = double
14914 (@value{GDBP}) p width
14915 $4 = 13
14916 (@value{GDBP}) set width=47
14917 Invalid syntax in expression.
14918 @end smallexample
14919
14920 @noindent
14921 The invalid expression, of course, is @samp{=47}. In
14922 order to actually set the program's variable @code{width}, use
14923
14924 @smallexample
14925 (@value{GDBP}) set var width=47
14926 @end smallexample
14927
14928 Because the @code{set} command has many subcommands that can conflict
14929 with the names of program variables, it is a good idea to use the
14930 @code{set variable} command instead of just @code{set}. For example, if
14931 your program has a variable @code{g}, you run into problems if you try
14932 to set a new value with just @samp{set g=4}, because @value{GDBN} has
14933 the command @code{set gnutarget}, abbreviated @code{set g}:
14934
14935 @smallexample
14936 @group
14937 (@value{GDBP}) whatis g
14938 type = double
14939 (@value{GDBP}) p g
14940 $1 = 1
14941 (@value{GDBP}) set g=4
14942 (@value{GDBP}) p g
14943 $2 = 1
14944 (@value{GDBP}) r
14945 The program being debugged has been started already.
14946 Start it from the beginning? (y or n) y
14947 Starting program: /home/smith/cc_progs/a.out
14948 "/home/smith/cc_progs/a.out": can't open to read symbols:
14949 Invalid bfd target.
14950 (@value{GDBP}) show g
14951 The current BFD target is "=4".
14952 @end group
14953 @end smallexample
14954
14955 @noindent
14956 The program variable @code{g} did not change, and you silently set the
14957 @code{gnutarget} to an invalid value. In order to set the variable
14958 @code{g}, use
14959
14960 @smallexample
14961 (@value{GDBP}) set var g=4
14962 @end smallexample
14963
14964 @value{GDBN} allows more implicit conversions in assignments than C; you can
14965 freely store an integer value into a pointer variable or vice versa,
14966 and you can convert any structure to any other structure that is the
14967 same length or shorter.
14968 @comment FIXME: how do structs align/pad in these conversions?
14969 @comment /doc@cygnus.com 18dec1990
14970
14971 To store values into arbitrary places in memory, use the @samp{@{@dots{}@}}
14972 construct to generate a value of specified type at a specified address
14973 (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}). For example, @code{@{int@}0x83040} refers
14974 to memory location @code{0x83040} as an integer (which implies a certain size
14975 and representation in memory), and
14976
14977 @smallexample
14978 set @{int@}0x83040 = 4
14979 @end smallexample
14980
14981 @noindent
14982 stores the value 4 into that memory location.
14983
14984 @node Jumping
14985 @section Continuing at a Different Address
14986
14987 Ordinarily, when you continue your program, you do so at the place where
14988 it stopped, with the @code{continue} command. You can instead continue at
14989 an address of your own choosing, with the following commands:
14990
14991 @table @code
14992 @kindex jump
14993 @item jump @var{linespec}
14994 @itemx jump @var{location}
14995 Resume execution at line @var{linespec} or at address given by
14996 @var{location}. Execution stops again immediately if there is a
14997 breakpoint there. @xref{Specify Location}, for a description of the
14998 different forms of @var{linespec} and @var{location}. It is common
14999 practice to use the @code{tbreak} command in conjunction with
15000 @code{jump}. @xref{Set Breaks, ,Setting Breakpoints}.
15001
15002 The @code{jump} command does not change the current stack frame, or
15003 the stack pointer, or the contents of any memory location or any
15004 register other than the program counter. If line @var{linespec} is in
15005 a different function from the one currently executing, the results may
15006 be bizarre if the two functions expect different patterns of arguments or
15007 of local variables. For this reason, the @code{jump} command requests
15008 confirmation if the specified line is not in the function currently
15009 executing. However, even bizarre results are predictable if you are
15010 well acquainted with the machine-language code of your program.
15011 @end table
15012
15013 @c Doesn't work on HP-UX; have to set $pcoqh and $pcoqt.
15014 On many systems, you can get much the same effect as the @code{jump}
15015 command by storing a new value into the register @code{$pc}. The
15016 difference is that this does not start your program running; it only
15017 changes the address of where it @emph{will} run when you continue. For
15018 example,
15019
15020 @smallexample
15021 set $pc = 0x485
15022 @end smallexample
15023
15024 @noindent
15025 makes the next @code{continue} command or stepping command execute at
15026 address @code{0x485}, rather than at the address where your program stopped.
15027 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, ,Continuing and Stepping}.
15028
15029 The most common occasion to use the @code{jump} command is to back
15030 up---perhaps with more breakpoints set---over a portion of a program
15031 that has already executed, in order to examine its execution in more
15032 detail.
15033
15034 @c @group
15035 @node Signaling
15036 @section Giving your Program a Signal
15037 @cindex deliver a signal to a program
15038
15039 @table @code
15040 @kindex signal
15041 @item signal @var{signal}
15042 Resume execution where your program stopped, but immediately give it the
15043 signal @var{signal}. @var{signal} can be the name or the number of a
15044 signal. For example, on many systems @code{signal 2} and @code{signal
15045 SIGINT} are both ways of sending an interrupt signal.
15046
15047 Alternatively, if @var{signal} is zero, continue execution without
15048 giving a signal. This is useful when your program stopped on account of
15049 a signal and would ordinary see the signal when resumed with the
15050 @code{continue} command; @samp{signal 0} causes it to resume without a
15051 signal.
15052
15053 @code{signal} does not repeat when you press @key{RET} a second time
15054 after executing the command.
15055 @end table
15056 @c @end group
15057
15058 Invoking the @code{signal} command is not the same as invoking the
15059 @code{kill} utility from the shell. Sending a signal with @code{kill}
15060 causes @value{GDBN} to decide what to do with the signal depending on
15061 the signal handling tables (@pxref{Signals}). The @code{signal} command
15062 passes the signal directly to your program.
15063
15064
15065 @node Returning
15066 @section Returning from a Function
15067
15068 @table @code
15069 @cindex returning from a function
15070 @kindex return
15071 @item return
15072 @itemx return @var{expression}
15073 You can cancel execution of a function call with the @code{return}
15074 command. If you give an
15075 @var{expression} argument, its value is used as the function's return
15076 value.
15077 @end table
15078
15079 When you use @code{return}, @value{GDBN} discards the selected stack frame
15080 (and all frames within it). You can think of this as making the
15081 discarded frame return prematurely. If you wish to specify a value to
15082 be returned, give that value as the argument to @code{return}.
15083
15084 This pops the selected stack frame (@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting a
15085 Frame}), and any other frames inside of it, leaving its caller as the
15086 innermost remaining frame. That frame becomes selected. The
15087 specified value is stored in the registers used for returning values
15088 of functions.
15089
15090 The @code{return} command does not resume execution; it leaves the
15091 program stopped in the state that would exist if the function had just
15092 returned. In contrast, the @code{finish} command (@pxref{Continuing
15093 and Stepping, ,Continuing and Stepping}) resumes execution until the
15094 selected stack frame returns naturally.
15095
15096 @value{GDBN} needs to know how the @var{expression} argument should be set for
15097 the inferior. The concrete registers assignment depends on the OS ABI and the
15098 type being returned by the selected stack frame. For example it is common for
15099 OS ABI to return floating point values in FPU registers while integer values in
15100 CPU registers. Still some ABIs return even floating point values in CPU
15101 registers. Larger integer widths (such as @code{long long int}) also have
15102 specific placement rules. @value{GDBN} already knows the OS ABI from its
15103 current target so it needs to find out also the type being returned to make the
15104 assignment into the right register(s).
15105
15106 Normally, the selected stack frame has debug info. @value{GDBN} will always
15107 use the debug info instead of the implicit type of @var{expression} when the
15108 debug info is available. For example, if you type @kbd{return -1}, and the
15109 function in the current stack frame is declared to return a @code{long long
15110 int}, @value{GDBN} transparently converts the implicit @code{int} value of -1
15111 into a @code{long long int}:
15112
15113 @smallexample
15114 Breakpoint 1, func () at gdb.base/return-nodebug.c:29
15115 29 return 31;
15116 (@value{GDBP}) return -1
15117 Make func return now? (y or n) y
15118 #0 0x004004f6 in main () at gdb.base/return-nodebug.c:43
15119 43 printf ("result=%lld\n", func ());
15120 (@value{GDBP})
15121 @end smallexample
15122
15123 However, if the selected stack frame does not have a debug info, e.g., if the
15124 function was compiled without debug info, @value{GDBN} has to find out the type
15125 to return from user. Specifying a different type by mistake may set the value
15126 in different inferior registers than the caller code expects. For example,
15127 typing @kbd{return -1} with its implicit type @code{int} would set only a part
15128 of a @code{long long int} result for a debug info less function (on 32-bit
15129 architectures). Therefore the user is required to specify the return type by
15130 an appropriate cast explicitly:
15131
15132 @smallexample
15133 Breakpoint 2, 0x0040050b in func ()
15134 (@value{GDBP}) return -1
15135 Return value type not available for selected stack frame.
15136 Please use an explicit cast of the value to return.
15137 (@value{GDBP}) return (long long int) -1
15138 Make selected stack frame return now? (y or n) y
15139 #0 0x00400526 in main ()
15140 (@value{GDBP})
15141 @end smallexample
15142
15143 @node Calling
15144 @section Calling Program Functions
15145
15146 @table @code
15147 @cindex calling functions
15148 @cindex inferior functions, calling
15149 @item print @var{expr}
15150 Evaluate the expression @var{expr} and display the resulting value.
15151 @var{expr} may include calls to functions in the program being
15152 debugged.
15153
15154 @kindex call
15155 @item call @var{expr}
15156 Evaluate the expression @var{expr} without displaying @code{void}
15157 returned values.
15158
15159 You can use this variant of the @code{print} command if you want to
15160 execute a function from your program that does not return anything
15161 (a.k.a.@: @dfn{a void function}), but without cluttering the output
15162 with @code{void} returned values that @value{GDBN} will otherwise
15163 print. If the result is not void, it is printed and saved in the
15164 value history.
15165 @end table
15166
15167 It is possible for the function you call via the @code{print} or
15168 @code{call} command to generate a signal (e.g., if there's a bug in
15169 the function, or if you passed it incorrect arguments). What happens
15170 in that case is controlled by the @code{set unwindonsignal} command.
15171
15172 Similarly, with a C@t{++} program it is possible for the function you
15173 call via the @code{print} or @code{call} command to generate an
15174 exception that is not handled due to the constraints of the dummy
15175 frame. In this case, any exception that is raised in the frame, but has
15176 an out-of-frame exception handler will not be found. GDB builds a
15177 dummy-frame for the inferior function call, and the unwinder cannot
15178 seek for exception handlers outside of this dummy-frame. What happens
15179 in that case is controlled by the
15180 @code{set unwind-on-terminating-exception} command.
15181
15182 @table @code
15183 @item set unwindonsignal
15184 @kindex set unwindonsignal
15185 @cindex unwind stack in called functions
15186 @cindex call dummy stack unwinding
15187 Set unwinding of the stack if a signal is received while in a function
15188 that @value{GDBN} called in the program being debugged. If set to on,
15189 @value{GDBN} unwinds the stack it created for the call and restores
15190 the context to what it was before the call. If set to off (the
15191 default), @value{GDBN} stops in the frame where the signal was
15192 received.
15193
15194 @item show unwindonsignal
15195 @kindex show unwindonsignal
15196 Show the current setting of stack unwinding in the functions called by
15197 @value{GDBN}.
15198
15199 @item set unwind-on-terminating-exception
15200 @kindex set unwind-on-terminating-exception
15201 @cindex unwind stack in called functions with unhandled exceptions
15202 @cindex call dummy stack unwinding on unhandled exception.
15203 Set unwinding of the stack if a C@t{++} exception is raised, but left
15204 unhandled while in a function that @value{GDBN} called in the program being
15205 debugged. If set to on (the default), @value{GDBN} unwinds the stack
15206 it created for the call and restores the context to what it was before
15207 the call. If set to off, @value{GDBN} the exception is delivered to
15208 the default C@t{++} exception handler and the inferior terminated.
15209
15210 @item show unwind-on-terminating-exception
15211 @kindex show unwind-on-terminating-exception
15212 Show the current setting of stack unwinding in the functions called by
15213 @value{GDBN}.
15214
15215 @end table
15216
15217 @cindex weak alias functions
15218 Sometimes, a function you wish to call is actually a @dfn{weak alias}
15219 for another function. In such case, @value{GDBN} might not pick up
15220 the type information, including the types of the function arguments,
15221 which causes @value{GDBN} to call the inferior function incorrectly.
15222 As a result, the called function will function erroneously and may
15223 even crash. A solution to that is to use the name of the aliased
15224 function instead.
15225
15226 @node Patching
15227 @section Patching Programs
15228
15229 @cindex patching binaries
15230 @cindex writing into executables
15231 @cindex writing into corefiles
15232
15233 By default, @value{GDBN} opens the file containing your program's
15234 executable code (or the corefile) read-only. This prevents accidental
15235 alterations to machine code; but it also prevents you from intentionally
15236 patching your program's binary.
15237
15238 If you'd like to be able to patch the binary, you can specify that
15239 explicitly with the @code{set write} command. For example, you might
15240 want to turn on internal debugging flags, or even to make emergency
15241 repairs.
15242
15243 @table @code
15244 @kindex set write
15245 @item set write on
15246 @itemx set write off
15247 If you specify @samp{set write on}, @value{GDBN} opens executable and
15248 core files for both reading and writing; if you specify @kbd{set write
15249 off} (the default), @value{GDBN} opens them read-only.
15250
15251 If you have already loaded a file, you must load it again (using the
15252 @code{exec-file} or @code{core-file} command) after changing @code{set
15253 write}, for your new setting to take effect.
15254
15255 @item show write
15256 @kindex show write
15257 Display whether executable files and core files are opened for writing
15258 as well as reading.
15259 @end table
15260
15261 @node GDB Files
15262 @chapter @value{GDBN} Files
15263
15264 @value{GDBN} needs to know the file name of the program to be debugged,
15265 both in order to read its symbol table and in order to start your
15266 program. To debug a core dump of a previous run, you must also tell
15267 @value{GDBN} the name of the core dump file.
15268
15269 @menu
15270 * Files:: Commands to specify files
15271 * Separate Debug Files:: Debugging information in separate files
15272 * Index Files:: Index files speed up GDB
15273 * Symbol Errors:: Errors reading symbol files
15274 * Data Files:: GDB data files
15275 @end menu
15276
15277 @node Files
15278 @section Commands to Specify Files
15279
15280 @cindex symbol table
15281 @cindex core dump file
15282
15283 You may want to specify executable and core dump file names. The usual
15284 way to do this is at start-up time, using the arguments to
15285 @value{GDBN}'s start-up commands (@pxref{Invocation, , Getting In and
15286 Out of @value{GDBN}}).
15287
15288 Occasionally it is necessary to change to a different file during a
15289 @value{GDBN} session. Or you may run @value{GDBN} and forget to
15290 specify a file you want to use. Or you are debugging a remote target
15291 via @code{gdbserver} (@pxref{Server, file, Using the @code{gdbserver}
15292 Program}). In these situations the @value{GDBN} commands to specify
15293 new files are useful.
15294
15295 @table @code
15296 @cindex executable file
15297 @kindex file
15298 @item file @var{filename}
15299 Use @var{filename} as the program to be debugged. It is read for its
15300 symbols and for the contents of pure memory. It is also the program
15301 executed when you use the @code{run} command. If you do not specify a
15302 directory and the file is not found in the @value{GDBN} working directory,
15303 @value{GDBN} uses the environment variable @code{PATH} as a list of
15304 directories to search, just as the shell does when looking for a program
15305 to run. You can change the value of this variable, for both @value{GDBN}
15306 and your program, using the @code{path} command.
15307
15308 @cindex unlinked object files
15309 @cindex patching object files
15310 You can load unlinked object @file{.o} files into @value{GDBN} using
15311 the @code{file} command. You will not be able to ``run'' an object
15312 file, but you can disassemble functions and inspect variables. Also,
15313 if the underlying BFD functionality supports it, you could use
15314 @kbd{gdb -write} to patch object files using this technique. Note
15315 that @value{GDBN} can neither interpret nor modify relocations in this
15316 case, so branches and some initialized variables will appear to go to
15317 the wrong place. But this feature is still handy from time to time.
15318
15319 @item file
15320 @code{file} with no argument makes @value{GDBN} discard any information it
15321 has on both executable file and the symbol table.
15322
15323 @kindex exec-file
15324 @item exec-file @r{[} @var{filename} @r{]}
15325 Specify that the program to be run (but not the symbol table) is found
15326 in @var{filename}. @value{GDBN} searches the environment variable @code{PATH}
15327 if necessary to locate your program. Omitting @var{filename} means to
15328 discard information on the executable file.
15329
15330 @kindex symbol-file
15331 @item symbol-file @r{[} @var{filename} @r{]}
15332 Read symbol table information from file @var{filename}. @code{PATH} is
15333 searched when necessary. Use the @code{file} command to get both symbol
15334 table and program to run from the same file.
15335
15336 @code{symbol-file} with no argument clears out @value{GDBN} information on your
15337 program's symbol table.
15338
15339 The @code{symbol-file} command causes @value{GDBN} to forget the contents of
15340 some breakpoints and auto-display expressions. This is because they may
15341 contain pointers to the internal data recording symbols and data types,
15342 which are part of the old symbol table data being discarded inside
15343 @value{GDBN}.
15344
15345 @code{symbol-file} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} again after
15346 executing it once.
15347
15348 When @value{GDBN} is configured for a particular environment, it
15349 understands debugging information in whatever format is the standard
15350 generated for that environment; you may use either a @sc{gnu} compiler, or
15351 other compilers that adhere to the local conventions.
15352 Best results are usually obtained from @sc{gnu} compilers; for example,
15353 using @code{@value{NGCC}} you can generate debugging information for
15354 optimized code.
15355
15356 For most kinds of object files, with the exception of old SVR3 systems
15357 using COFF, the @code{symbol-file} command does not normally read the
15358 symbol table in full right away. Instead, it scans the symbol table
15359 quickly to find which source files and which symbols are present. The
15360 details are read later, one source file at a time, as they are needed.
15361
15362 The purpose of this two-stage reading strategy is to make @value{GDBN}
15363 start up faster. For the most part, it is invisible except for
15364 occasional pauses while the symbol table details for a particular source
15365 file are being read. (The @code{set verbose} command can turn these
15366 pauses into messages if desired. @xref{Messages/Warnings, ,Optional
15367 Warnings and Messages}.)
15368
15369 We have not implemented the two-stage strategy for COFF yet. When the
15370 symbol table is stored in COFF format, @code{symbol-file} reads the
15371 symbol table data in full right away. Note that ``stabs-in-COFF''
15372 still does the two-stage strategy, since the debug info is actually
15373 in stabs format.
15374
15375 @kindex readnow
15376 @cindex reading symbols immediately
15377 @cindex symbols, reading immediately
15378 @item symbol-file @r{[} -readnow @r{]} @var{filename}
15379 @itemx file @r{[} -readnow @r{]} @var{filename}
15380 You can override the @value{GDBN} two-stage strategy for reading symbol
15381 tables by using the @samp{-readnow} option with any of the commands that
15382 load symbol table information, if you want to be sure @value{GDBN} has the
15383 entire symbol table available.
15384
15385 @c FIXME: for now no mention of directories, since this seems to be in
15386 @c flux. 13mar1992 status is that in theory GDB would look either in
15387 @c current dir or in same dir as myprog; but issues like competing
15388 @c GDB's, or clutter in system dirs, mean that in practice right now
15389 @c only current dir is used. FFish says maybe a special GDB hierarchy
15390 @c (eg rooted in val of env var GDBSYMS) could exist for mappable symbol
15391 @c files.
15392
15393 @kindex core-file
15394 @item core-file @r{[}@var{filename}@r{]}
15395 @itemx core
15396 Specify the whereabouts of a core dump file to be used as the ``contents
15397 of memory''. Traditionally, core files contain only some parts of the
15398 address space of the process that generated them; @value{GDBN} can access the
15399 executable file itself for other parts.
15400
15401 @code{core-file} with no argument specifies that no core file is
15402 to be used.
15403
15404 Note that the core file is ignored when your program is actually running
15405 under @value{GDBN}. So, if you have been running your program and you
15406 wish to debug a core file instead, you must kill the subprocess in which
15407 the program is running. To do this, use the @code{kill} command
15408 (@pxref{Kill Process, ,Killing the Child Process}).
15409
15410 @kindex add-symbol-file
15411 @cindex dynamic linking
15412 @item add-symbol-file @var{filename} @var{address}
15413 @itemx add-symbol-file @var{filename} @var{address} @r{[} -readnow @r{]}
15414 @itemx add-symbol-file @var{filename} @var{address} -s @var{section} @var{address} @dots{}
15415 The @code{add-symbol-file} command reads additional symbol table
15416 information from the file @var{filename}. You would use this command
15417 when @var{filename} has been dynamically loaded (by some other means)
15418 into the program that is running. @var{address} should be the memory
15419 address at which the file has been loaded; @value{GDBN} cannot figure
15420 this out for itself. You can additionally specify an arbitrary number
15421 of @samp{-s @var{section} @var{address}} pairs, to give an explicit
15422 section name and base address for that section. You can specify any
15423 @var{address} as an expression.
15424
15425 The symbol table of the file @var{filename} is added to the symbol table
15426 originally read with the @code{symbol-file} command. You can use the
15427 @code{add-symbol-file} command any number of times; the new symbol data
15428 thus read keeps adding to the old. To discard all old symbol data
15429 instead, use the @code{symbol-file} command without any arguments.
15430
15431 @cindex relocatable object files, reading symbols from
15432 @cindex object files, relocatable, reading symbols from
15433 @cindex reading symbols from relocatable object files
15434 @cindex symbols, reading from relocatable object files
15435 @cindex @file{.o} files, reading symbols from
15436 Although @var{filename} is typically a shared library file, an
15437 executable file, or some other object file which has been fully
15438 relocated for loading into a process, you can also load symbolic
15439 information from relocatable @file{.o} files, as long as:
15440
15441 @itemize @bullet
15442 @item
15443 the file's symbolic information refers only to linker symbols defined in
15444 that file, not to symbols defined by other object files,
15445 @item
15446 every section the file's symbolic information refers to has actually
15447 been loaded into the inferior, as it appears in the file, and
15448 @item
15449 you can determine the address at which every section was loaded, and
15450 provide these to the @code{add-symbol-file} command.
15451 @end itemize
15452
15453 @noindent
15454 Some embedded operating systems, like Sun Chorus and VxWorks, can load
15455 relocatable files into an already running program; such systems
15456 typically make the requirements above easy to meet. However, it's
15457 important to recognize that many native systems use complex link
15458 procedures (@code{.linkonce} section factoring and C@t{++} constructor table
15459 assembly, for example) that make the requirements difficult to meet. In
15460 general, one cannot assume that using @code{add-symbol-file} to read a
15461 relocatable object file's symbolic information will have the same effect
15462 as linking the relocatable object file into the program in the normal
15463 way.
15464
15465 @code{add-symbol-file} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} after using it.
15466
15467 @kindex add-symbol-file-from-memory
15468 @cindex @code{syscall DSO}
15469 @cindex load symbols from memory
15470 @item add-symbol-file-from-memory @var{address}
15471 Load symbols from the given @var{address} in a dynamically loaded
15472 object file whose image is mapped directly into the inferior's memory.
15473 For example, the Linux kernel maps a @code{syscall DSO} into each
15474 process's address space; this DSO provides kernel-specific code for
15475 some system calls. The argument can be any expression whose
15476 evaluation yields the address of the file's shared object file header.
15477 For this command to work, you must have used @code{symbol-file} or
15478 @code{exec-file} commands in advance.
15479
15480 @kindex add-shared-symbol-files
15481 @kindex assf
15482 @item add-shared-symbol-files @var{library-file}
15483 @itemx assf @var{library-file}
15484 The @code{add-shared-symbol-files} command can currently be used only
15485 in the Cygwin build of @value{GDBN} on MS-Windows OS, where it is an
15486 alias for the @code{dll-symbols} command (@pxref{Cygwin Native}).
15487 @value{GDBN} automatically looks for shared libraries, however if
15488 @value{GDBN} does not find yours, you can invoke
15489 @code{add-shared-symbol-files}. It takes one argument: the shared
15490 library's file name. @code{assf} is a shorthand alias for
15491 @code{add-shared-symbol-files}.
15492
15493 @kindex section
15494 @item section @var{section} @var{addr}
15495 The @code{section} command changes the base address of the named
15496 @var{section} of the exec file to @var{addr}. This can be used if the
15497 exec file does not contain section addresses, (such as in the
15498 @code{a.out} format), or when the addresses specified in the file
15499 itself are wrong. Each section must be changed separately. The
15500 @code{info files} command, described below, lists all the sections and
15501 their addresses.
15502
15503 @kindex info files
15504 @kindex info target
15505 @item info files
15506 @itemx info target
15507 @code{info files} and @code{info target} are synonymous; both print the
15508 current target (@pxref{Targets, ,Specifying a Debugging Target}),
15509 including the names of the executable and core dump files currently in
15510 use by @value{GDBN}, and the files from which symbols were loaded. The
15511 command @code{help target} lists all possible targets rather than
15512 current ones.
15513
15514 @kindex maint info sections
15515 @item maint info sections
15516 Another command that can give you extra information about program sections
15517 is @code{maint info sections}. In addition to the section information
15518 displayed by @code{info files}, this command displays the flags and file
15519 offset of each section in the executable and core dump files. In addition,
15520 @code{maint info sections} provides the following command options (which
15521 may be arbitrarily combined):
15522
15523 @table @code
15524 @item ALLOBJ
15525 Display sections for all loaded object files, including shared libraries.
15526 @item @var{sections}
15527 Display info only for named @var{sections}.
15528 @item @var{section-flags}
15529 Display info only for sections for which @var{section-flags} are true.
15530 The section flags that @value{GDBN} currently knows about are:
15531 @table @code
15532 @item ALLOC
15533 Section will have space allocated in the process when loaded.
15534 Set for all sections except those containing debug information.
15535 @item LOAD
15536 Section will be loaded from the file into the child process memory.
15537 Set for pre-initialized code and data, clear for @code{.bss} sections.
15538 @item RELOC
15539 Section needs to be relocated before loading.
15540 @item READONLY
15541 Section cannot be modified by the child process.
15542 @item CODE
15543 Section contains executable code only.
15544 @item DATA
15545 Section contains data only (no executable code).
15546 @item ROM
15547 Section will reside in ROM.
15548 @item CONSTRUCTOR
15549 Section contains data for constructor/destructor lists.
15550 @item HAS_CONTENTS
15551 Section is not empty.
15552 @item NEVER_LOAD
15553 An instruction to the linker to not output the section.
15554 @item COFF_SHARED_LIBRARY
15555 A notification to the linker that the section contains
15556 COFF shared library information.
15557 @item IS_COMMON
15558 Section contains common symbols.
15559 @end table
15560 @end table
15561 @kindex set trust-readonly-sections
15562 @cindex read-only sections
15563 @item set trust-readonly-sections on
15564 Tell @value{GDBN} that readonly sections in your object file
15565 really are read-only (i.e.@: that their contents will not change).
15566 In that case, @value{GDBN} can fetch values from these sections
15567 out of the object file, rather than from the target program.
15568 For some targets (notably embedded ones), this can be a significant
15569 enhancement to debugging performance.
15570
15571 The default is off.
15572
15573 @item set trust-readonly-sections off
15574 Tell @value{GDBN} not to trust readonly sections. This means that
15575 the contents of the section might change while the program is running,
15576 and must therefore be fetched from the target when needed.
15577
15578 @item show trust-readonly-sections
15579 Show the current setting of trusting readonly sections.
15580 @end table
15581
15582 All file-specifying commands allow both absolute and relative file names
15583 as arguments. @value{GDBN} always converts the file name to an absolute file
15584 name and remembers it that way.
15585
15586 @cindex shared libraries
15587 @anchor{Shared Libraries}
15588 @value{GDBN} supports @sc{gnu}/Linux, MS-Windows, HP-UX, SunOS, SVr4, Irix,
15589 and IBM RS/6000 AIX shared libraries.
15590
15591 On MS-Windows @value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support
15592 shared libraries. @xref{Expat}.
15593
15594 @value{GDBN} automatically loads symbol definitions from shared libraries
15595 when you use the @code{run} command, or when you examine a core file.
15596 (Before you issue the @code{run} command, @value{GDBN} does not understand
15597 references to a function in a shared library, however---unless you are
15598 debugging a core file).
15599
15600 On HP-UX, if the program loads a library explicitly, @value{GDBN}
15601 automatically loads the symbols at the time of the @code{shl_load} call.
15602
15603 @c FIXME: some @value{GDBN} release may permit some refs to undef
15604 @c FIXME...symbols---eg in a break cmd---assuming they are from a shared
15605 @c FIXME...lib; check this from time to time when updating manual
15606
15607 There are times, however, when you may wish to not automatically load
15608 symbol definitions from shared libraries, such as when they are
15609 particularly large or there are many of them.
15610
15611 To control the automatic loading of shared library symbols, use the
15612 commands:
15613
15614 @table @code
15615 @kindex set auto-solib-add
15616 @item set auto-solib-add @var{mode}
15617 If @var{mode} is @code{on}, symbols from all shared object libraries
15618 will be loaded automatically when the inferior begins execution, you
15619 attach to an independently started inferior, or when the dynamic linker
15620 informs @value{GDBN} that a new library has been loaded. If @var{mode}
15621 is @code{off}, symbols must be loaded manually, using the
15622 @code{sharedlibrary} command. The default value is @code{on}.
15623
15624 @cindex memory used for symbol tables
15625 If your program uses lots of shared libraries with debug info that
15626 takes large amounts of memory, you can decrease the @value{GDBN}
15627 memory footprint by preventing it from automatically loading the
15628 symbols from shared libraries. To that end, type @kbd{set
15629 auto-solib-add off} before running the inferior, then load each
15630 library whose debug symbols you do need with @kbd{sharedlibrary
15631 @var{regexp}}, where @var{regexp} is a regular expression that matches
15632 the libraries whose symbols you want to be loaded.
15633
15634 @kindex show auto-solib-add
15635 @item show auto-solib-add
15636 Display the current autoloading mode.
15637 @end table
15638
15639 @cindex load shared library
15640 To explicitly load shared library symbols, use the @code{sharedlibrary}
15641 command:
15642
15643 @table @code
15644 @kindex info sharedlibrary
15645 @kindex info share
15646 @item info share @var{regex}
15647 @itemx info sharedlibrary @var{regex}
15648 Print the names of the shared libraries which are currently loaded
15649 that match @var{regex}. If @var{regex} is omitted then print
15650 all shared libraries that are loaded.
15651
15652 @kindex sharedlibrary
15653 @kindex share
15654 @item sharedlibrary @var{regex}
15655 @itemx share @var{regex}
15656 Load shared object library symbols for files matching a
15657 Unix regular expression.
15658 As with files loaded automatically, it only loads shared libraries
15659 required by your program for a core file or after typing @code{run}. If
15660 @var{regex} is omitted all shared libraries required by your program are
15661 loaded.
15662
15663 @item nosharedlibrary
15664 @kindex nosharedlibrary
15665 @cindex unload symbols from shared libraries
15666 Unload all shared object library symbols. This discards all symbols
15667 that have been loaded from all shared libraries. Symbols from shared
15668 libraries that were loaded by explicit user requests are not
15669 discarded.
15670 @end table
15671
15672 Sometimes you may wish that @value{GDBN} stops and gives you control
15673 when any of shared library events happen. The best way to do this is
15674 to use @code{catch load} and @code{catch unload} (@pxref{Set
15675 Catchpoints}).
15676
15677 @value{GDBN} also supports the the @code{set stop-on-solib-events}
15678 command for this. This command exists for historical reasons. It is
15679 less useful than setting a catchpoint, because it does not allow for
15680 conditions or commands as a catchpoint does.
15681
15682 @table @code
15683 @item set stop-on-solib-events
15684 @kindex set stop-on-solib-events
15685 This command controls whether @value{GDBN} should give you control
15686 when the dynamic linker notifies it about some shared library event.
15687 The most common event of interest is loading or unloading of a new
15688 shared library.
15689
15690 @item show stop-on-solib-events
15691 @kindex show stop-on-solib-events
15692 Show whether @value{GDBN} stops and gives you control when shared
15693 library events happen.
15694 @end table
15695
15696 Shared libraries are also supported in many cross or remote debugging
15697 configurations. @value{GDBN} needs to have access to the target's libraries;
15698 this can be accomplished either by providing copies of the libraries
15699 on the host system, or by asking @value{GDBN} to automatically retrieve the
15700 libraries from the target. If copies of the target libraries are
15701 provided, they need to be the same as the target libraries, although the
15702 copies on the target can be stripped as long as the copies on the host are
15703 not.
15704
15705 @cindex where to look for shared libraries
15706 For remote debugging, you need to tell @value{GDBN} where the target
15707 libraries are, so that it can load the correct copies---otherwise, it
15708 may try to load the host's libraries. @value{GDBN} has two variables
15709 to specify the search directories for target libraries.
15710
15711 @table @code
15712 @cindex prefix for shared library file names
15713 @cindex system root, alternate
15714 @kindex set solib-absolute-prefix
15715 @kindex set sysroot
15716 @item set sysroot @var{path}
15717 Use @var{path} as the system root for the program being debugged. Any
15718 absolute shared library paths will be prefixed with @var{path}; many
15719 runtime loaders store the absolute paths to the shared library in the
15720 target program's memory. If you use @code{set sysroot} to find shared
15721 libraries, they need to be laid out in the same way that they are on
15722 the target, with e.g.@: a @file{/lib} and @file{/usr/lib} hierarchy
15723 under @var{path}.
15724
15725 If @var{path} starts with the sequence @file{remote:}, @value{GDBN} will
15726 retrieve the target libraries from the remote system. This is only
15727 supported when using a remote target that supports the @code{remote get}
15728 command (@pxref{File Transfer,,Sending files to a remote system}).
15729 The part of @var{path} following the initial @file{remote:}
15730 (if present) is used as system root prefix on the remote file system.
15731 @footnote{If you want to specify a local system root using a directory
15732 that happens to be named @file{remote:}, you need to use some equivalent
15733 variant of the name like @file{./remote:}.}
15734
15735 For targets with an MS-DOS based filesystem, such as MS-Windows and
15736 SymbianOS, @value{GDBN} tries prefixing a few variants of the target
15737 absolute file name with @var{path}. But first, on Unix hosts,
15738 @value{GDBN} converts all backslash directory separators into forward
15739 slashes, because the backslash is not a directory separator on Unix:
15740
15741 @smallexample
15742 c:\foo\bar.dll @result{} c:/foo/bar.dll
15743 @end smallexample
15744
15745 Then, @value{GDBN} attempts prefixing the target file name with
15746 @var{path}, and looks for the resulting file name in the host file
15747 system:
15748
15749 @smallexample
15750 c:/foo/bar.dll @result{} /path/to/sysroot/c:/foo/bar.dll
15751 @end smallexample
15752
15753 If that does not find the shared library, @value{GDBN} tries removing
15754 the @samp{:} character from the drive spec, both for convenience, and,
15755 for the case of the host file system not supporting file names with
15756 colons:
15757
15758 @smallexample
15759 c:/foo/bar.dll @result{} /path/to/sysroot/c/foo/bar.dll
15760 @end smallexample
15761
15762 This makes it possible to have a system root that mirrors a target
15763 with more than one drive. E.g., you may want to setup your local
15764 copies of the target system shared libraries like so (note @samp{c} vs
15765 @samp{z}):
15766
15767 @smallexample
15768 @file{/path/to/sysroot/c/sys/bin/foo.dll}
15769 @file{/path/to/sysroot/c/sys/bin/bar.dll}
15770 @file{/path/to/sysroot/z/sys/bin/bar.dll}
15771 @end smallexample
15772
15773 @noindent
15774 and point the system root at @file{/path/to/sysroot}, so that
15775 @value{GDBN} can find the correct copies of both
15776 @file{c:\sys\bin\foo.dll}, and @file{z:\sys\bin\bar.dll}.
15777
15778 If that still does not find the shared library, @value{GDBN} tries
15779 removing the whole drive spec from the target file name:
15780
15781 @smallexample
15782 c:/foo/bar.dll @result{} /path/to/sysroot/foo/bar.dll
15783 @end smallexample
15784
15785 This last lookup makes it possible to not care about the drive name,
15786 if you don't want or need to.
15787
15788 The @code{set solib-absolute-prefix} command is an alias for @code{set
15789 sysroot}.
15790
15791 @cindex default system root
15792 @cindex @samp{--with-sysroot}
15793 You can set the default system root by using the configure-time
15794 @samp{--with-sysroot} option. If the system root is inside
15795 @value{GDBN}'s configured binary prefix (set with @samp{--prefix} or
15796 @samp{--exec-prefix}), then the default system root will be updated
15797 automatically if the installed @value{GDBN} is moved to a new
15798 location.
15799
15800 @kindex show sysroot
15801 @item show sysroot
15802 Display the current shared library prefix.
15803
15804 @kindex set solib-search-path
15805 @item set solib-search-path @var{path}
15806 If this variable is set, @var{path} is a colon-separated list of
15807 directories to search for shared libraries. @samp{solib-search-path}
15808 is used after @samp{sysroot} fails to locate the library, or if the
15809 path to the library is relative instead of absolute. If you want to
15810 use @samp{solib-search-path} instead of @samp{sysroot}, be sure to set
15811 @samp{sysroot} to a nonexistent directory to prevent @value{GDBN} from
15812 finding your host's libraries. @samp{sysroot} is preferred; setting
15813 it to a nonexistent directory may interfere with automatic loading
15814 of shared library symbols.
15815
15816 @kindex show solib-search-path
15817 @item show solib-search-path
15818 Display the current shared library search path.
15819
15820 @cindex DOS file-name semantics of file names.
15821 @kindex set target-file-system-kind (unix|dos-based|auto)
15822 @kindex show target-file-system-kind
15823 @item set target-file-system-kind @var{kind}
15824 Set assumed file system kind for target reported file names.
15825
15826 Shared library file names as reported by the target system may not
15827 make sense as is on the system @value{GDBN} is running on. For
15828 example, when remote debugging a target that has MS-DOS based file
15829 system semantics, from a Unix host, the target may be reporting to
15830 @value{GDBN} a list of loaded shared libraries with file names such as
15831 @file{c:\Windows\kernel32.dll}. On Unix hosts, there's no concept of
15832 drive letters, so the @samp{c:\} prefix is not normally understood as
15833 indicating an absolute file name, and neither is the backslash
15834 normally considered a directory separator character. In that case,
15835 the native file system would interpret this whole absolute file name
15836 as a relative file name with no directory components. This would make
15837 it impossible to point @value{GDBN} at a copy of the remote target's
15838 shared libraries on the host using @code{set sysroot}, and impractical
15839 with @code{set solib-search-path}. Setting
15840 @code{target-file-system-kind} to @code{dos-based} tells @value{GDBN}
15841 to interpret such file names similarly to how the target would, and to
15842 map them to file names valid on @value{GDBN}'s native file system
15843 semantics. The value of @var{kind} can be @code{"auto"}, in addition
15844 to one of the supported file system kinds. In that case, @value{GDBN}
15845 tries to determine the appropriate file system variant based on the
15846 current target's operating system (@pxref{ABI, ,Configuring the
15847 Current ABI}). The supported file system settings are:
15848
15849 @table @code
15850 @item unix
15851 Instruct @value{GDBN} to assume the target file system is of Unix
15852 kind. Only file names starting the forward slash (@samp{/}) character
15853 are considered absolute, and the directory separator character is also
15854 the forward slash.
15855
15856 @item dos-based
15857 Instruct @value{GDBN} to assume the target file system is DOS based.
15858 File names starting with either a forward slash, or a drive letter
15859 followed by a colon (e.g., @samp{c:}), are considered absolute, and
15860 both the slash (@samp{/}) and the backslash (@samp{\\}) characters are
15861 considered directory separators.
15862
15863 @item auto
15864 Instruct @value{GDBN} to use the file system kind associated with the
15865 target operating system (@pxref{ABI, ,Configuring the Current ABI}).
15866 This is the default.
15867 @end table
15868 @end table
15869
15870 @cindex file name canonicalization
15871 @cindex base name differences
15872 When processing file names provided by the user, @value{GDBN}
15873 frequently needs to compare them to the file names recorded in the
15874 program's debug info. Normally, @value{GDBN} compares just the
15875 @dfn{base names} of the files as strings, which is reasonably fast
15876 even for very large programs. (The base name of a file is the last
15877 portion of its name, after stripping all the leading directories.)
15878 This shortcut in comparison is based upon the assumption that files
15879 cannot have more than one base name. This is usually true, but
15880 references to files that use symlinks or similar filesystem
15881 facilities violate that assumption. If your program records files
15882 using such facilities, or if you provide file names to @value{GDBN}
15883 using symlinks etc., you can set @code{basenames-may-differ} to
15884 @code{true} to instruct @value{GDBN} to completely canonicalize each
15885 pair of file names it needs to compare. This will make file-name
15886 comparisons accurate, but at a price of a significant slowdown.
15887
15888 @table @code
15889 @item set basenames-may-differ
15890 @kindex set basenames-may-differ
15891 Set whether a source file may have multiple base names.
15892
15893 @item show basenames-may-differ
15894 @kindex show basenames-may-differ
15895 Show whether a source file may have multiple base names.
15896 @end table
15897
15898 @node Separate Debug Files
15899 @section Debugging Information in Separate Files
15900 @cindex separate debugging information files
15901 @cindex debugging information in separate files
15902 @cindex @file{.debug} subdirectories
15903 @cindex debugging information directory, global
15904 @cindex global debugging information directory
15905 @cindex build ID, and separate debugging files
15906 @cindex @file{.build-id} directory
15907
15908 @value{GDBN} allows you to put a program's debugging information in a
15909 file separate from the executable itself, in a way that allows
15910 @value{GDBN} to find and load the debugging information automatically.
15911 Since debugging information can be very large---sometimes larger
15912 than the executable code itself---some systems distribute debugging
15913 information for their executables in separate files, which users can
15914 install only when they need to debug a problem.
15915
15916 @value{GDBN} supports two ways of specifying the separate debug info
15917 file:
15918
15919 @itemize @bullet
15920 @item
15921 The executable contains a @dfn{debug link} that specifies the name of
15922 the separate debug info file. The separate debug file's name is
15923 usually @file{@var{executable}.debug}, where @var{executable} is the
15924 name of the corresponding executable file without leading directories
15925 (e.g., @file{ls.debug} for @file{/usr/bin/ls}). In addition, the
15926 debug link specifies a 32-bit @dfn{Cyclic Redundancy Check} (CRC)
15927 checksum for the debug file, which @value{GDBN} uses to validate that
15928 the executable and the debug file came from the same build.
15929
15930 @item
15931 The executable contains a @dfn{build ID}, a unique bit string that is
15932 also present in the corresponding debug info file. (This is supported
15933 only on some operating systems, notably those which use the ELF format
15934 for binary files and the @sc{gnu} Binutils.) For more details about
15935 this feature, see the description of the @option{--build-id}
15936 command-line option in @ref{Options, , Command Line Options, ld.info,
15937 The GNU Linker}. The debug info file's name is not specified
15938 explicitly by the build ID, but can be computed from the build ID, see
15939 below.
15940 @end itemize
15941
15942 Depending on the way the debug info file is specified, @value{GDBN}
15943 uses two different methods of looking for the debug file:
15944
15945 @itemize @bullet
15946 @item
15947 For the ``debug link'' method, @value{GDBN} looks up the named file in
15948 the directory of the executable file, then in a subdirectory of that
15949 directory named @file{.debug}, and finally under the global debug
15950 directory, in a subdirectory whose name is identical to the leading
15951 directories of the executable's absolute file name.
15952
15953 @item
15954 For the ``build ID'' method, @value{GDBN} looks in the
15955 @file{.build-id} subdirectory of the global debug directory for a file
15956 named @file{@var{nn}/@var{nnnnnnnn}.debug}, where @var{nn} are the
15957 first 2 hex characters of the build ID bit string, and @var{nnnnnnnn}
15958 are the rest of the bit string. (Real build ID strings are 32 or more
15959 hex characters, not 10.)
15960 @end itemize
15961
15962 So, for example, suppose you ask @value{GDBN} to debug
15963 @file{/usr/bin/ls}, which has a debug link that specifies the
15964 file @file{ls.debug}, and a build ID whose value in hex is
15965 @code{abcdef1234}. If the global debug directory is
15966 @file{/usr/lib/debug}, then @value{GDBN} will look for the following
15967 debug information files, in the indicated order:
15968
15969 @itemize @minus
15970 @item
15971 @file{/usr/lib/debug/.build-id/ab/cdef1234.debug}
15972 @item
15973 @file{/usr/bin/ls.debug}
15974 @item
15975 @file{/usr/bin/.debug/ls.debug}
15976 @item
15977 @file{/usr/lib/debug/usr/bin/ls.debug}.
15978 @end itemize
15979
15980 You can set the global debugging info directory's name, and view the
15981 name @value{GDBN} is currently using.
15982
15983 @table @code
15984
15985 @kindex set debug-file-directory
15986 @item set debug-file-directory @var{directories}
15987 Set the directories which @value{GDBN} searches for separate debugging
15988 information files to @var{directory}. Multiple directory components can be set
15989 concatenating them by a directory separator.
15990
15991 @kindex show debug-file-directory
15992 @item show debug-file-directory
15993 Show the directories @value{GDBN} searches for separate debugging
15994 information files.
15995
15996 @end table
15997
15998 @cindex @code{.gnu_debuglink} sections
15999 @cindex debug link sections
16000 A debug link is a special section of the executable file named
16001 @code{.gnu_debuglink}. The section must contain:
16002
16003 @itemize
16004 @item
16005 A filename, with any leading directory components removed, followed by
16006 a zero byte,
16007 @item
16008 zero to three bytes of padding, as needed to reach the next four-byte
16009 boundary within the section, and
16010 @item
16011 a four-byte CRC checksum, stored in the same endianness used for the
16012 executable file itself. The checksum is computed on the debugging
16013 information file's full contents by the function given below, passing
16014 zero as the @var{crc} argument.
16015 @end itemize
16016
16017 Any executable file format can carry a debug link, as long as it can
16018 contain a section named @code{.gnu_debuglink} with the contents
16019 described above.
16020
16021 @cindex @code{.note.gnu.build-id} sections
16022 @cindex build ID sections
16023 The build ID is a special section in the executable file (and in other
16024 ELF binary files that @value{GDBN} may consider). This section is
16025 often named @code{.note.gnu.build-id}, but that name is not mandatory.
16026 It contains unique identification for the built files---the ID remains
16027 the same across multiple builds of the same build tree. The default
16028 algorithm SHA1 produces 160 bits (40 hexadecimal characters) of the
16029 content for the build ID string. The same section with an identical
16030 value is present in the original built binary with symbols, in its
16031 stripped variant, and in the separate debugging information file.
16032
16033 The debugging information file itself should be an ordinary
16034 executable, containing a full set of linker symbols, sections, and
16035 debugging information. The sections of the debugging information file
16036 should have the same names, addresses, and sizes as the original file,
16037 but they need not contain any data---much like a @code{.bss} section
16038 in an ordinary executable.
16039
16040 The @sc{gnu} binary utilities (Binutils) package includes the
16041 @samp{objcopy} utility that can produce
16042 the separated executable / debugging information file pairs using the
16043 following commands:
16044
16045 @smallexample
16046 @kbd{objcopy --only-keep-debug foo foo.debug}
16047 @kbd{strip -g foo}
16048 @end smallexample
16049
16050 @noindent
16051 These commands remove the debugging
16052 information from the executable file @file{foo} and place it in the file
16053 @file{foo.debug}. You can use the first, second or both methods to link the
16054 two files:
16055
16056 @itemize @bullet
16057 @item
16058 The debug link method needs the following additional command to also leave
16059 behind a debug link in @file{foo}:
16060
16061 @smallexample
16062 @kbd{objcopy --add-gnu-debuglink=foo.debug foo}
16063 @end smallexample
16064
16065 Ulrich Drepper's @file{elfutils} package, starting with version 0.53, contains
16066 a version of the @code{strip} command such that the command @kbd{strip foo -f
16067 foo.debug} has the same functionality as the two @code{objcopy} commands and
16068 the @code{ln -s} command above, together.
16069
16070 @item
16071 Build ID gets embedded into the main executable using @code{ld --build-id} or
16072 the @value{NGCC} counterpart @code{gcc -Wl,--build-id}. Build ID support plus
16073 compatibility fixes for debug files separation are present in @sc{gnu} binary
16074 utilities (Binutils) package since version 2.18.
16075 @end itemize
16076
16077 @noindent
16078
16079 @cindex CRC algorithm definition
16080 The CRC used in @code{.gnu_debuglink} is the CRC-32 defined in
16081 IEEE 802.3 using the polynomial:
16082
16083 @c TexInfo requires naked braces for multi-digit exponents for Tex
16084 @c output, but this causes HTML output to barf. HTML has to be set using
16085 @c raw commands. So we end up having to specify this equation in 2
16086 @c different ways!
16087 @ifhtml
16088 @display
16089 @html
16090 <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>
16091 + <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
16092 @end html
16093 @end display
16094 @end ifhtml
16095 @ifnothtml
16096 @display
16097 @math{x^{32} + x^{26} + x^{23} + x^{22} + x^{16} + x^{12} + x^{11}}
16098 @math{+ x^{10} + x^8 + x^7 + x^5 + x^4 + x^2 + x + 1}
16099 @end display
16100 @end ifnothtml
16101
16102 The function is computed byte at a time, taking the least
16103 significant bit of each byte first. The initial pattern
16104 @code{0xffffffff} is used, to ensure leading zeros affect the CRC and
16105 the final result is inverted to ensure trailing zeros also affect the
16106 CRC.
16107
16108 @emph{Note:} This is the same CRC polynomial as used in handling the
16109 @dfn{Remote Serial Protocol} @code{qCRC} packet (@pxref{Remote Protocol,
16110 , @value{GDBN} Remote Serial Protocol}). However in the
16111 case of the Remote Serial Protocol, the CRC is computed @emph{most}
16112 significant bit first, and the result is not inverted, so trailing
16113 zeros have no effect on the CRC value.
16114
16115 To complete the description, we show below the code of the function
16116 which produces the CRC used in @code{.gnu_debuglink}. Inverting the
16117 initially supplied @code{crc} argument means that an initial call to
16118 this function passing in zero will start computing the CRC using
16119 @code{0xffffffff}.
16120
16121 @kindex gnu_debuglink_crc32
16122 @smallexample
16123 unsigned long
16124 gnu_debuglink_crc32 (unsigned long crc,
16125 unsigned char *buf, size_t len)
16126 @{
16127 static const unsigned long crc32_table[256] =
16128 @{
16129 0x00000000, 0x77073096, 0xee0e612c, 0x990951ba, 0x076dc419,
16130 0x706af48f, 0xe963a535, 0x9e6495a3, 0x0edb8832, 0x79dcb8a4,
16131 0xe0d5e91e, 0x97d2d988, 0x09b64c2b, 0x7eb17cbd, 0xe7b82d07,
16132 0x90bf1d91, 0x1db71064, 0x6ab020f2, 0xf3b97148, 0x84be41de,
16133 0x1adad47d, 0x6ddde4eb, 0xf4d4b551, 0x83d385c7, 0x136c9856,
16134 0x646ba8c0, 0xfd62f97a, 0x8a65c9ec, 0x14015c4f, 0x63066cd9,
16135 0xfa0f3d63, 0x8d080df5, 0x3b6e20c8, 0x4c69105e, 0xd56041e4,
16136 0xa2677172, 0x3c03e4d1, 0x4b04d447, 0xd20d85fd, 0xa50ab56b,
16137 0x35b5a8fa, 0x42b2986c, 0xdbbbc9d6, 0xacbcf940, 0x32d86ce3,
16138 0x45df5c75, 0xdcd60dcf, 0xabd13d59, 0x26d930ac, 0x51de003a,
16139 0xc8d75180, 0xbfd06116, 0x21b4f4b5, 0x56b3c423, 0xcfba9599,
16140 0xb8bda50f, 0x2802b89e, 0x5f058808, 0xc60cd9b2, 0xb10be924,
16141 0x2f6f7c87, 0x58684c11, 0xc1611dab, 0xb6662d3d, 0x76dc4190,
16142 0x01db7106, 0x98d220bc, 0xefd5102a, 0x71b18589, 0x06b6b51f,
16143 0x9fbfe4a5, 0xe8b8d433, 0x7807c9a2, 0x0f00f934, 0x9609a88e,
16144 0xe10e9818, 0x7f6a0dbb, 0x086d3d2d, 0x91646c97, 0xe6635c01,
16145 0x6b6b51f4, 0x1c6c6162, 0x856530d8, 0xf262004e, 0x6c0695ed,
16146 0x1b01a57b, 0x8208f4c1, 0xf50fc457, 0x65b0d9c6, 0x12b7e950,
16147 0x8bbeb8ea, 0xfcb9887c, 0x62dd1ddf, 0x15da2d49, 0x8cd37cf3,
16148 0xfbd44c65, 0x4db26158, 0x3ab551ce, 0xa3bc0074, 0xd4bb30e2,
16149 0x4adfa541, 0x3dd895d7, 0xa4d1c46d, 0xd3d6f4fb, 0x4369e96a,
16150 0x346ed9fc, 0xad678846, 0xda60b8d0, 0x44042d73, 0x33031de5,
16151 0xaa0a4c5f, 0xdd0d7cc9, 0x5005713c, 0x270241aa, 0xbe0b1010,
16152 0xc90c2086, 0x5768b525, 0x206f85b3, 0xb966d409, 0xce61e49f,
16153 0x5edef90e, 0x29d9c998, 0xb0d09822, 0xc7d7a8b4, 0x59b33d17,
16154 0x2eb40d81, 0xb7bd5c3b, 0xc0ba6cad, 0xedb88320, 0x9abfb3b6,
16155 0x03b6e20c, 0x74b1d29a, 0xead54739, 0x9dd277af, 0x04db2615,
16156 0x73dc1683, 0xe3630b12, 0x94643b84, 0x0d6d6a3e, 0x7a6a5aa8,
16157 0xe40ecf0b, 0x9309ff9d, 0x0a00ae27, 0x7d079eb1, 0xf00f9344,
16158 0x8708a3d2, 0x1e01f268, 0x6906c2fe, 0xf762575d, 0x806567cb,
16159 0x196c3671, 0x6e6b06e7, 0xfed41b76, 0x89d32be0, 0x10da7a5a,
16160 0x67dd4acc, 0xf9b9df6f, 0x8ebeeff9, 0x17b7be43, 0x60b08ed5,
16161 0xd6d6a3e8, 0xa1d1937e, 0x38d8c2c4, 0x4fdff252, 0xd1bb67f1,
16162 0xa6bc5767, 0x3fb506dd, 0x48b2364b, 0xd80d2bda, 0xaf0a1b4c,
16163 0x36034af6, 0x41047a60, 0xdf60efc3, 0xa867df55, 0x316e8eef,
16164 0x4669be79, 0xcb61b38c, 0xbc66831a, 0x256fd2a0, 0x5268e236,
16165 0xcc0c7795, 0xbb0b4703, 0x220216b9, 0x5505262f, 0xc5ba3bbe,
16166 0xb2bd0b28, 0x2bb45a92, 0x5cb36a04, 0xc2d7ffa7, 0xb5d0cf31,
16167 0x2cd99e8b, 0x5bdeae1d, 0x9b64c2b0, 0xec63f226, 0x756aa39c,
16168 0x026d930a, 0x9c0906a9, 0xeb0e363f, 0x72076785, 0x05005713,
16169 0x95bf4a82, 0xe2b87a14, 0x7bb12bae, 0x0cb61b38, 0x92d28e9b,
16170 0xe5d5be0d, 0x7cdcefb7, 0x0bdbdf21, 0x86d3d2d4, 0xf1d4e242,
16171 0x68ddb3f8, 0x1fda836e, 0x81be16cd, 0xf6b9265b, 0x6fb077e1,
16172 0x18b74777, 0x88085ae6, 0xff0f6a70, 0x66063bca, 0x11010b5c,
16173 0x8f659eff, 0xf862ae69, 0x616bffd3, 0x166ccf45, 0xa00ae278,
16174 0xd70dd2ee, 0x4e048354, 0x3903b3c2, 0xa7672661, 0xd06016f7,
16175 0x4969474d, 0x3e6e77db, 0xaed16a4a, 0xd9d65adc, 0x40df0b66,
16176 0x37d83bf0, 0xa9bcae53, 0xdebb9ec5, 0x47b2cf7f, 0x30b5ffe9,
16177 0xbdbdf21c, 0xcabac28a, 0x53b39330, 0x24b4a3a6, 0xbad03605,
16178 0xcdd70693, 0x54de5729, 0x23d967bf, 0xb3667a2e, 0xc4614ab8,
16179 0x5d681b02, 0x2a6f2b94, 0xb40bbe37, 0xc30c8ea1, 0x5a05df1b,
16180 0x2d02ef8d
16181 @};
16182 unsigned char *end;
16183
16184 crc = ~crc & 0xffffffff;
16185 for (end = buf + len; buf < end; ++buf)
16186 crc = crc32_table[(crc ^ *buf) & 0xff] ^ (crc >> 8);
16187 return ~crc & 0xffffffff;
16188 @}
16189 @end smallexample
16190
16191 @noindent
16192 This computation does not apply to the ``build ID'' method.
16193
16194
16195 @node Index Files
16196 @section Index Files Speed Up @value{GDBN}
16197 @cindex index files
16198 @cindex @samp{.gdb_index} section
16199
16200 When @value{GDBN} finds a symbol file, it scans the symbols in the
16201 file in order to construct an internal symbol table. This lets most
16202 @value{GDBN} operations work quickly---at the cost of a delay early
16203 on. For large programs, this delay can be quite lengthy, so
16204 @value{GDBN} provides a way to build an index, which speeds up
16205 startup.
16206
16207 The index is stored as a section in the symbol file. @value{GDBN} can
16208 write the index to a file, then you can put it into the symbol file
16209 using @command{objcopy}.
16210
16211 To create an index file, use the @code{save gdb-index} command:
16212
16213 @table @code
16214 @item save gdb-index @var{directory}
16215 @kindex save gdb-index
16216 Create an index file for each symbol file currently known by
16217 @value{GDBN}. Each file is named after its corresponding symbol file,
16218 with @samp{.gdb-index} appended, and is written into the given
16219 @var{directory}.
16220 @end table
16221
16222 Once you have created an index file you can merge it into your symbol
16223 file, here named @file{symfile}, using @command{objcopy}:
16224
16225 @smallexample
16226 $ objcopy --add-section .gdb_index=symfile.gdb-index \
16227 --set-section-flags .gdb_index=readonly symfile symfile
16228 @end smallexample
16229
16230 There are currently some limitation on indices. They only work when
16231 for DWARF debugging information, not stabs. And, they do not
16232 currently work for programs using Ada.
16233
16234 @node Symbol Errors
16235 @section Errors Reading Symbol Files
16236
16237 While reading a symbol file, @value{GDBN} occasionally encounters problems,
16238 such as symbol types it does not recognize, or known bugs in compiler
16239 output. By default, @value{GDBN} does not notify you of such problems, since
16240 they are relatively common and primarily of interest to people
16241 debugging compilers. If you are interested in seeing information
16242 about ill-constructed symbol tables, you can either ask @value{GDBN} to print
16243 only one message about each such type of problem, no matter how many
16244 times the problem occurs; or you can ask @value{GDBN} to print more messages,
16245 to see how many times the problems occur, with the @code{set
16246 complaints} command (@pxref{Messages/Warnings, ,Optional Warnings and
16247 Messages}).
16248
16249 The messages currently printed, and their meanings, include:
16250
16251 @table @code
16252 @item inner block not inside outer block in @var{symbol}
16253
16254 The symbol information shows where symbol scopes begin and end
16255 (such as at the start of a function or a block of statements). This
16256 error indicates that an inner scope block is not fully contained
16257 in its outer scope blocks.
16258
16259 @value{GDBN} circumvents the problem by treating the inner block as if it had
16260 the same scope as the outer block. In the error message, @var{symbol}
16261 may be shown as ``@code{(don't know)}'' if the outer block is not a
16262 function.
16263
16264 @item block at @var{address} out of order
16265
16266 The symbol information for symbol scope blocks should occur in
16267 order of increasing addresses. This error indicates that it does not
16268 do so.
16269
16270 @value{GDBN} does not circumvent this problem, and has trouble
16271 locating symbols in the source file whose symbols it is reading. (You
16272 can often determine what source file is affected by specifying
16273 @code{set verbose on}. @xref{Messages/Warnings, ,Optional Warnings and
16274 Messages}.)
16275
16276 @item bad block start address patched
16277
16278 The symbol information for a symbol scope block has a start address
16279 smaller than the address of the preceding source line. This is known
16280 to occur in the SunOS 4.1.1 (and earlier) C compiler.
16281
16282 @value{GDBN} circumvents the problem by treating the symbol scope block as
16283 starting on the previous source line.
16284
16285 @item bad string table offset in symbol @var{n}
16286
16287 @cindex foo
16288 Symbol number @var{n} contains a pointer into the string table which is
16289 larger than the size of the string table.
16290
16291 @value{GDBN} circumvents the problem by considering the symbol to have the
16292 name @code{foo}, which may cause other problems if many symbols end up
16293 with this name.
16294
16295 @item unknown symbol type @code{0x@var{nn}}
16296
16297 The symbol information contains new data types that @value{GDBN} does
16298 not yet know how to read. @code{0x@var{nn}} is the symbol type of the
16299 uncomprehended information, in hexadecimal.
16300
16301 @value{GDBN} circumvents the error by ignoring this symbol information.
16302 This usually allows you to debug your program, though certain symbols
16303 are not accessible. If you encounter such a problem and feel like
16304 debugging it, you can debug @code{@value{GDBP}} with itself, breakpoint
16305 on @code{complain}, then go up to the function @code{read_dbx_symtab}
16306 and examine @code{*bufp} to see the symbol.
16307
16308 @item stub type has NULL name
16309
16310 @value{GDBN} could not find the full definition for a struct or class.
16311
16312 @item const/volatile indicator missing (ok if using g++ v1.x), got@dots{}
16313 The symbol information for a C@t{++} member function is missing some
16314 information that recent versions of the compiler should have output for
16315 it.
16316
16317 @item info mismatch between compiler and debugger
16318
16319 @value{GDBN} could not parse a type specification output by the compiler.
16320
16321 @end table
16322
16323 @node Data Files
16324 @section GDB Data Files
16325
16326 @cindex prefix for data files
16327 @value{GDBN} will sometimes read an auxiliary data file. These files
16328 are kept in a directory known as the @dfn{data directory}.
16329
16330 You can set the data directory's name, and view the name @value{GDBN}
16331 is currently using.
16332
16333 @table @code
16334 @kindex set data-directory
16335 @item set data-directory @var{directory}
16336 Set the directory which @value{GDBN} searches for auxiliary data files
16337 to @var{directory}.
16338
16339 @kindex show data-directory
16340 @item show data-directory
16341 Show the directory @value{GDBN} searches for auxiliary data files.
16342 @end table
16343
16344 @cindex default data directory
16345 @cindex @samp{--with-gdb-datadir}
16346 You can set the default data directory by using the configure-time
16347 @samp{--with-gdb-datadir} option. If the data directory is inside
16348 @value{GDBN}'s configured binary prefix (set with @samp{--prefix} or
16349 @samp{--exec-prefix}), then the default data directory will be updated
16350 automatically if the installed @value{GDBN} is moved to a new
16351 location.
16352
16353 The data directory may also be specified with the
16354 @code{--data-directory} command line option.
16355 @xref{Mode Options}.
16356
16357 @node Targets
16358 @chapter Specifying a Debugging Target
16359
16360 @cindex debugging target
16361 A @dfn{target} is the execution environment occupied by your program.
16362
16363 Often, @value{GDBN} runs in the same host environment as your program;
16364 in that case, the debugging target is specified as a side effect when
16365 you use the @code{file} or @code{core} commands. When you need more
16366 flexibility---for example, running @value{GDBN} on a physically separate
16367 host, or controlling a standalone system over a serial port or a
16368 realtime system over a TCP/IP connection---you can use the @code{target}
16369 command to specify one of the target types configured for @value{GDBN}
16370 (@pxref{Target Commands, ,Commands for Managing Targets}).
16371
16372 @cindex target architecture
16373 It is possible to build @value{GDBN} for several different @dfn{target
16374 architectures}. When @value{GDBN} is built like that, you can choose
16375 one of the available architectures with the @kbd{set architecture}
16376 command.
16377
16378 @table @code
16379 @kindex set architecture
16380 @kindex show architecture
16381 @item set architecture @var{arch}
16382 This command sets the current target architecture to @var{arch}. The
16383 value of @var{arch} can be @code{"auto"}, in addition to one of the
16384 supported architectures.
16385
16386 @item show architecture
16387 Show the current target architecture.
16388
16389 @item set processor
16390 @itemx processor
16391 @kindex set processor
16392 @kindex show processor
16393 These are alias commands for, respectively, @code{set architecture}
16394 and @code{show architecture}.
16395 @end table
16396
16397 @menu
16398 * Active Targets:: Active targets
16399 * Target Commands:: Commands for managing targets
16400 * Byte Order:: Choosing target byte order
16401 @end menu
16402
16403 @node Active Targets
16404 @section Active Targets
16405
16406 @cindex stacking targets
16407 @cindex active targets
16408 @cindex multiple targets
16409
16410 There are multiple classes of targets such as: processes, executable files or
16411 recording sessions. Core files belong to the process class, making core file
16412 and process mutually exclusive. Otherwise, @value{GDBN} can work concurrently
16413 on multiple active targets, one in each class. This allows you to (for
16414 example) start a process and inspect its activity, while still having access to
16415 the executable file after the process finishes. Or if you start process
16416 recording (@pxref{Reverse Execution}) and @code{reverse-step} there, you are
16417 presented a virtual layer of the recording target, while the process target
16418 remains stopped at the chronologically last point of the process execution.
16419
16420 Use the @code{core-file} and @code{exec-file} commands to select a new core
16421 file or executable target (@pxref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}). To
16422 specify as a target a process that is already running, use the @code{attach}
16423 command (@pxref{Attach, ,Debugging an Already-running Process}).
16424
16425 @node Target Commands
16426 @section Commands for Managing Targets
16427
16428 @table @code
16429 @item target @var{type} @var{parameters}
16430 Connects the @value{GDBN} host environment to a target machine or
16431 process. A target is typically a protocol for talking to debugging
16432 facilities. You use the argument @var{type} to specify the type or
16433 protocol of the target machine.
16434
16435 Further @var{parameters} are interpreted by the target protocol, but
16436 typically include things like device names or host names to connect
16437 with, process numbers, and baud rates.
16438
16439 The @code{target} command does not repeat if you press @key{RET} again
16440 after executing the command.
16441
16442 @kindex help target
16443 @item help target
16444 Displays the names of all targets available. To display targets
16445 currently selected, use either @code{info target} or @code{info files}
16446 (@pxref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}).
16447
16448 @item help target @var{name}
16449 Describe a particular target, including any parameters necessary to
16450 select it.
16451
16452 @kindex set gnutarget
16453 @item set gnutarget @var{args}
16454 @value{GDBN} uses its own library BFD to read your files. @value{GDBN}
16455 knows whether it is reading an @dfn{executable},
16456 a @dfn{core}, or a @dfn{.o} file; however, you can specify the file format
16457 with the @code{set gnutarget} command. Unlike most @code{target} commands,
16458 with @code{gnutarget} the @code{target} refers to a program, not a machine.
16459
16460 @quotation
16461 @emph{Warning:} To specify a file format with @code{set gnutarget},
16462 you must know the actual BFD name.
16463 @end quotation
16464
16465 @noindent
16466 @xref{Files, , Commands to Specify Files}.
16467
16468 @kindex show gnutarget
16469 @item show gnutarget
16470 Use the @code{show gnutarget} command to display what file format
16471 @code{gnutarget} is set to read. If you have not set @code{gnutarget},
16472 @value{GDBN} will determine the file format for each file automatically,
16473 and @code{show gnutarget} displays @samp{The current BDF target is "auto"}.
16474 @end table
16475
16476 @cindex common targets
16477 Here are some common targets (available, or not, depending on the GDB
16478 configuration):
16479
16480 @table @code
16481 @kindex target
16482 @item target exec @var{program}
16483 @cindex executable file target
16484 An executable file. @samp{target exec @var{program}} is the same as
16485 @samp{exec-file @var{program}}.
16486
16487 @item target core @var{filename}
16488 @cindex core dump file target
16489 A core dump file. @samp{target core @var{filename}} is the same as
16490 @samp{core-file @var{filename}}.
16491
16492 @item target remote @var{medium}
16493 @cindex remote target
16494 A remote system connected to @value{GDBN} via a serial line or network
16495 connection. This command tells @value{GDBN} to use its own remote
16496 protocol over @var{medium} for debugging. @xref{Remote Debugging}.
16497
16498 For example, if you have a board connected to @file{/dev/ttya} on the
16499 machine running @value{GDBN}, you could say:
16500
16501 @smallexample
16502 target remote /dev/ttya
16503 @end smallexample
16504
16505 @code{target remote} supports the @code{load} command. This is only
16506 useful if you have some other way of getting the stub to the target
16507 system, and you can put it somewhere in memory where it won't get
16508 clobbered by the download.
16509
16510 @item target sim @r{[}@var{simargs}@r{]} @dots{}
16511 @cindex built-in simulator target
16512 Builtin CPU simulator. @value{GDBN} includes simulators for most architectures.
16513 In general,
16514 @smallexample
16515 target sim
16516 load
16517 run
16518 @end smallexample
16519 @noindent
16520 works; however, you cannot assume that a specific memory map, device
16521 drivers, or even basic I/O is available, although some simulators do
16522 provide these. For info about any processor-specific simulator details,
16523 see the appropriate section in @ref{Embedded Processors, ,Embedded
16524 Processors}.
16525
16526 @end table
16527
16528 Some configurations may include these targets as well:
16529
16530 @table @code
16531
16532 @item target nrom @var{dev}
16533 @cindex NetROM ROM emulator target
16534 NetROM ROM emulator. This target only supports downloading.
16535
16536 @end table
16537
16538 Different targets are available on different configurations of @value{GDBN};
16539 your configuration may have more or fewer targets.
16540
16541 Many remote targets require you to download the executable's code once
16542 you've successfully established a connection. You may wish to control
16543 various aspects of this process.
16544
16545 @table @code
16546
16547 @item set hash
16548 @kindex set hash@r{, for remote monitors}
16549 @cindex hash mark while downloading
16550 This command controls whether a hash mark @samp{#} is displayed while
16551 downloading a file to the remote monitor. If on, a hash mark is
16552 displayed after each S-record is successfully downloaded to the
16553 monitor.
16554
16555 @item show hash
16556 @kindex show hash@r{, for remote monitors}
16557 Show the current status of displaying the hash mark.
16558
16559 @item set debug monitor
16560 @kindex set debug monitor
16561 @cindex display remote monitor communications
16562 Enable or disable display of communications messages between
16563 @value{GDBN} and the remote monitor.
16564
16565 @item show debug monitor
16566 @kindex show debug monitor
16567 Show the current status of displaying communications between
16568 @value{GDBN} and the remote monitor.
16569 @end table
16570
16571 @table @code
16572
16573 @kindex load @var{filename}
16574 @item load @var{filename}
16575 @anchor{load}
16576 Depending on what remote debugging facilities are configured into
16577 @value{GDBN}, the @code{load} command may be available. Where it exists, it
16578 is meant to make @var{filename} (an executable) available for debugging
16579 on the remote system---by downloading, or dynamic linking, for example.
16580 @code{load} also records the @var{filename} symbol table in @value{GDBN}, like
16581 the @code{add-symbol-file} command.
16582
16583 If your @value{GDBN} does not have a @code{load} command, attempting to
16584 execute it gets the error message ``@code{You can't do that when your
16585 target is @dots{}}''
16586
16587 The file is loaded at whatever address is specified in the executable.
16588 For some object file formats, you can specify the load address when you
16589 link the program; for other formats, like a.out, the object file format
16590 specifies a fixed address.
16591 @c FIXME! This would be a good place for an xref to the GNU linker doc.
16592
16593 Depending on the remote side capabilities, @value{GDBN} may be able to
16594 load programs into flash memory.
16595
16596 @code{load} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} again after using it.
16597 @end table
16598
16599 @node Byte Order
16600 @section Choosing Target Byte Order
16601
16602 @cindex choosing target byte order
16603 @cindex target byte order
16604
16605 Some types of processors, such as the MIPS, PowerPC, and Renesas SH,
16606 offer the ability to run either big-endian or little-endian byte
16607 orders. Usually the executable or symbol will include a bit to
16608 designate the endian-ness, and you will not need to worry about
16609 which to use. However, you may still find it useful to adjust
16610 @value{GDBN}'s idea of processor endian-ness manually.
16611
16612 @table @code
16613 @kindex set endian
16614 @item set endian big
16615 Instruct @value{GDBN} to assume the target is big-endian.
16616
16617 @item set endian little
16618 Instruct @value{GDBN} to assume the target is little-endian.
16619
16620 @item set endian auto
16621 Instruct @value{GDBN} to use the byte order associated with the
16622 executable.
16623
16624 @item show endian
16625 Display @value{GDBN}'s current idea of the target byte order.
16626
16627 @end table
16628
16629 Note that these commands merely adjust interpretation of symbolic
16630 data on the host, and that they have absolutely no effect on the
16631 target system.
16632
16633
16634 @node Remote Debugging
16635 @chapter Debugging Remote Programs
16636 @cindex remote debugging
16637
16638 If you are trying to debug a program running on a machine that cannot run
16639 @value{GDBN} in the usual way, it is often useful to use remote debugging.
16640 For example, you might use remote debugging on an operating system kernel,
16641 or on a small system which does not have a general purpose operating system
16642 powerful enough to run a full-featured debugger.
16643
16644 Some configurations of @value{GDBN} have special serial or TCP/IP interfaces
16645 to make this work with particular debugging targets. In addition,
16646 @value{GDBN} comes with a generic serial protocol (specific to @value{GDBN},
16647 but not specific to any particular target system) which you can use if you
16648 write the remote stubs---the code that runs on the remote system to
16649 communicate with @value{GDBN}.
16650
16651 Other remote targets may be available in your
16652 configuration of @value{GDBN}; use @code{help target} to list them.
16653
16654 @menu
16655 * Connecting:: Connecting to a remote target
16656 * File Transfer:: Sending files to a remote system
16657 * Server:: Using the gdbserver program
16658 * Remote Configuration:: Remote configuration
16659 * Remote Stub:: Implementing a remote stub
16660 @end menu
16661
16662 @node Connecting
16663 @section Connecting to a Remote Target
16664
16665 On the @value{GDBN} host machine, you will need an unstripped copy of
16666 your program, since @value{GDBN} needs symbol and debugging information.
16667 Start up @value{GDBN} as usual, using the name of the local copy of your
16668 program as the first argument.
16669
16670 @cindex @code{target remote}
16671 @value{GDBN} can communicate with the target over a serial line, or
16672 over an @acronym{IP} network using @acronym{TCP} or @acronym{UDP}. In
16673 each case, @value{GDBN} uses the same protocol for debugging your
16674 program; only the medium carrying the debugging packets varies. The
16675 @code{target remote} command establishes a connection to the target.
16676 Its arguments indicate which medium to use:
16677
16678 @table @code
16679
16680 @item target remote @var{serial-device}
16681 @cindex serial line, @code{target remote}
16682 Use @var{serial-device} to communicate with the target. For example,
16683 to use a serial line connected to the device named @file{/dev/ttyb}:
16684
16685 @smallexample
16686 target remote /dev/ttyb
16687 @end smallexample
16688
16689 If you're using a serial line, you may want to give @value{GDBN} the
16690 @w{@samp{--baud}} option, or use the @code{set remotebaud} command
16691 (@pxref{Remote Configuration, set remotebaud}) before the
16692 @code{target} command.
16693
16694 @item target remote @code{@var{host}:@var{port}}
16695 @itemx target remote @code{tcp:@var{host}:@var{port}}
16696 @cindex @acronym{TCP} port, @code{target remote}
16697 Debug using a @acronym{TCP} connection to @var{port} on @var{host}.
16698 The @var{host} may be either a host name or a numeric @acronym{IP}
16699 address; @var{port} must be a decimal number. The @var{host} could be
16700 the target machine itself, if it is directly connected to the net, or
16701 it might be a terminal server which in turn has a serial line to the
16702 target.
16703
16704 For example, to connect to port 2828 on a terminal server named
16705 @code{manyfarms}:
16706
16707 @smallexample
16708 target remote manyfarms:2828
16709 @end smallexample
16710
16711 If your remote target is actually running on the same machine as your
16712 debugger session (e.g.@: a simulator for your target running on the
16713 same host), you can omit the hostname. For example, to connect to
16714 port 1234 on your local machine:
16715
16716 @smallexample
16717 target remote :1234
16718 @end smallexample
16719 @noindent
16720
16721 Note that the colon is still required here.
16722
16723 @item target remote @code{udp:@var{host}:@var{port}}
16724 @cindex @acronym{UDP} port, @code{target remote}
16725 Debug using @acronym{UDP} packets to @var{port} on @var{host}. For example, to
16726 connect to @acronym{UDP} port 2828 on a terminal server named @code{manyfarms}:
16727
16728 @smallexample
16729 target remote udp:manyfarms:2828
16730 @end smallexample
16731
16732 When using a @acronym{UDP} connection for remote debugging, you should
16733 keep in mind that the `U' stands for ``Unreliable''. @acronym{UDP}
16734 can silently drop packets on busy or unreliable networks, which will
16735 cause havoc with your debugging session.
16736
16737 @item target remote | @var{command}
16738 @cindex pipe, @code{target remote} to
16739 Run @var{command} in the background and communicate with it using a
16740 pipe. The @var{command} is a shell command, to be parsed and expanded
16741 by the system's command shell, @code{/bin/sh}; it should expect remote
16742 protocol packets on its standard input, and send replies on its
16743 standard output. You could use this to run a stand-alone simulator
16744 that speaks the remote debugging protocol, to make net connections
16745 using programs like @code{ssh}, or for other similar tricks.
16746
16747 If @var{command} closes its standard output (perhaps by exiting),
16748 @value{GDBN} will try to send it a @code{SIGTERM} signal. (If the
16749 program has already exited, this will have no effect.)
16750
16751 @end table
16752
16753 Once the connection has been established, you can use all the usual
16754 commands to examine and change data. The remote program is already
16755 running; you can use @kbd{step} and @kbd{continue}, and you do not
16756 need to use @kbd{run}.
16757
16758 @cindex interrupting remote programs
16759 @cindex remote programs, interrupting
16760 Whenever @value{GDBN} is waiting for the remote program, if you type the
16761 interrupt character (often @kbd{Ctrl-c}), @value{GDBN} attempts to stop the
16762 program. This may or may not succeed, depending in part on the hardware
16763 and the serial drivers the remote system uses. If you type the
16764 interrupt character once again, @value{GDBN} displays this prompt:
16765
16766 @smallexample
16767 Interrupted while waiting for the program.
16768 Give up (and stop debugging it)? (y or n)
16769 @end smallexample
16770
16771 If you type @kbd{y}, @value{GDBN} abandons the remote debugging session.
16772 (If you decide you want to try again later, you can use @samp{target
16773 remote} again to connect once more.) If you type @kbd{n}, @value{GDBN}
16774 goes back to waiting.
16775
16776 @table @code
16777 @kindex detach (remote)
16778 @item detach
16779 When you have finished debugging the remote program, you can use the
16780 @code{detach} command to release it from @value{GDBN} control.
16781 Detaching from the target normally resumes its execution, but the results
16782 will depend on your particular remote stub. After the @code{detach}
16783 command, @value{GDBN} is free to connect to another target.
16784
16785 @kindex disconnect
16786 @item disconnect
16787 The @code{disconnect} command behaves like @code{detach}, except that
16788 the target is generally not resumed. It will wait for @value{GDBN}
16789 (this instance or another one) to connect and continue debugging. After
16790 the @code{disconnect} command, @value{GDBN} is again free to connect to
16791 another target.
16792
16793 @cindex send command to remote monitor
16794 @cindex extend @value{GDBN} for remote targets
16795 @cindex add new commands for external monitor
16796 @kindex monitor
16797 @item monitor @var{cmd}
16798 This command allows you to send arbitrary commands directly to the
16799 remote monitor. Since @value{GDBN} doesn't care about the commands it
16800 sends like this, this command is the way to extend @value{GDBN}---you
16801 can add new commands that only the external monitor will understand
16802 and implement.
16803 @end table
16804
16805 @node File Transfer
16806 @section Sending files to a remote system
16807 @cindex remote target, file transfer
16808 @cindex file transfer
16809 @cindex sending files to remote systems
16810
16811 Some remote targets offer the ability to transfer files over the same
16812 connection used to communicate with @value{GDBN}. This is convenient
16813 for targets accessible through other means, e.g.@: @sc{gnu}/Linux systems
16814 running @code{gdbserver} over a network interface. For other targets,
16815 e.g.@: embedded devices with only a single serial port, this may be
16816 the only way to upload or download files.
16817
16818 Not all remote targets support these commands.
16819
16820 @table @code
16821 @kindex remote put
16822 @item remote put @var{hostfile} @var{targetfile}
16823 Copy file @var{hostfile} from the host system (the machine running
16824 @value{GDBN}) to @var{targetfile} on the target system.
16825
16826 @kindex remote get
16827 @item remote get @var{targetfile} @var{hostfile}
16828 Copy file @var{targetfile} from the target system to @var{hostfile}
16829 on the host system.
16830
16831 @kindex remote delete
16832 @item remote delete @var{targetfile}
16833 Delete @var{targetfile} from the target system.
16834
16835 @end table
16836
16837 @node Server
16838 @section Using the @code{gdbserver} Program
16839
16840 @kindex gdbserver
16841 @cindex remote connection without stubs
16842 @code{gdbserver} is a control program for Unix-like systems, which
16843 allows you to connect your program with a remote @value{GDBN} via
16844 @code{target remote}---but without linking in the usual debugging stub.
16845
16846 @code{gdbserver} is not a complete replacement for the debugging stubs,
16847 because it requires essentially the same operating-system facilities
16848 that @value{GDBN} itself does. In fact, a system that can run
16849 @code{gdbserver} to connect to a remote @value{GDBN} could also run
16850 @value{GDBN} locally! @code{gdbserver} is sometimes useful nevertheless,
16851 because it is a much smaller program than @value{GDBN} itself. It is
16852 also easier to port than all of @value{GDBN}, so you may be able to get
16853 started more quickly on a new system by using @code{gdbserver}.
16854 Finally, if you develop code for real-time systems, you may find that
16855 the tradeoffs involved in real-time operation make it more convenient to
16856 do as much development work as possible on another system, for example
16857 by cross-compiling. You can use @code{gdbserver} to make a similar
16858 choice for debugging.
16859
16860 @value{GDBN} and @code{gdbserver} communicate via either a serial line
16861 or a TCP connection, using the standard @value{GDBN} remote serial
16862 protocol.
16863
16864 @quotation
16865 @emph{Warning:} @code{gdbserver} does not have any built-in security.
16866 Do not run @code{gdbserver} connected to any public network; a
16867 @value{GDBN} connection to @code{gdbserver} provides access to the
16868 target system with the same privileges as the user running
16869 @code{gdbserver}.
16870 @end quotation
16871
16872 @subsection Running @code{gdbserver}
16873 @cindex arguments, to @code{gdbserver}
16874 @cindex @code{gdbserver}, command-line arguments
16875
16876 Run @code{gdbserver} on the target system. You need a copy of the
16877 program you want to debug, including any libraries it requires.
16878 @code{gdbserver} does not need your program's symbol table, so you can
16879 strip the program if necessary to save space. @value{GDBN} on the host
16880 system does all the symbol handling.
16881
16882 To use the server, you must tell it how to communicate with @value{GDBN};
16883 the name of your program; and the arguments for your program. The usual
16884 syntax is:
16885
16886 @smallexample
16887 target> gdbserver @var{comm} @var{program} [ @var{args} @dots{} ]
16888 @end smallexample
16889
16890 @var{comm} is either a device name (to use a serial line), or a TCP
16891 hostname and portnumber, or @code{-} or @code{stdio} to use
16892 stdin/stdout of @code{gdbserver}.
16893 For example, to debug Emacs with the argument
16894 @samp{foo.txt} and communicate with @value{GDBN} over the serial port
16895 @file{/dev/com1}:
16896
16897 @smallexample
16898 target> gdbserver /dev/com1 emacs foo.txt
16899 @end smallexample
16900
16901 @code{gdbserver} waits passively for the host @value{GDBN} to communicate
16902 with it.
16903
16904 To use a TCP connection instead of a serial line:
16905
16906 @smallexample
16907 target> gdbserver host:2345 emacs foo.txt
16908 @end smallexample
16909
16910 The only difference from the previous example is the first argument,
16911 specifying that you are communicating with the host @value{GDBN} via
16912 TCP. The @samp{host:2345} argument means that @code{gdbserver} is to
16913 expect a TCP connection from machine @samp{host} to local TCP port 2345.
16914 (Currently, the @samp{host} part is ignored.) You can choose any number
16915 you want for the port number as long as it does not conflict with any
16916 TCP ports already in use on the target system (for example, @code{23} is
16917 reserved for @code{telnet}).@footnote{If you choose a port number that
16918 conflicts with another service, @code{gdbserver} prints an error message
16919 and exits.} You must use the same port number with the host @value{GDBN}
16920 @code{target remote} command.
16921
16922 The @code{stdio} connection is useful when starting @code{gdbserver}
16923 with ssh:
16924
16925 @smallexample
16926 (gdb) target remote | ssh -T hostname gdbserver - hello
16927 @end smallexample
16928
16929 The @samp{-T} option to ssh is provided because we don't need a remote pty,
16930 and we don't want escape-character handling. Ssh does this by default when
16931 a command is provided, the flag is provided to make it explicit.
16932 You could elide it if you want to.
16933
16934 Programs started with stdio-connected gdbserver have @file{/dev/null} for
16935 @code{stdin}, and @code{stdout},@code{stderr} are sent back to gdb for
16936 display through a pipe connected to gdbserver.
16937 Both @code{stdout} and @code{stderr} use the same pipe.
16938
16939 @subsubsection Attaching to a Running Program
16940 @cindex attach to a program, @code{gdbserver}
16941 @cindex @option{--attach}, @code{gdbserver} option
16942
16943 On some targets, @code{gdbserver} can also attach to running programs.
16944 This is accomplished via the @code{--attach} argument. The syntax is:
16945
16946 @smallexample
16947 target> gdbserver --attach @var{comm} @var{pid}
16948 @end smallexample
16949
16950 @var{pid} is the process ID of a currently running process. It isn't necessary
16951 to point @code{gdbserver} at a binary for the running process.
16952
16953 @pindex pidof
16954 You can debug processes by name instead of process ID if your target has the
16955 @code{pidof} utility:
16956
16957 @smallexample
16958 target> gdbserver --attach @var{comm} `pidof @var{program}`
16959 @end smallexample
16960
16961 In case more than one copy of @var{program} is running, or @var{program}
16962 has multiple threads, most versions of @code{pidof} support the
16963 @code{-s} option to only return the first process ID.
16964
16965 @subsubsection Multi-Process Mode for @code{gdbserver}
16966 @cindex @code{gdbserver}, multiple processes
16967 @cindex multiple processes with @code{gdbserver}
16968
16969 When you connect to @code{gdbserver} using @code{target remote},
16970 @code{gdbserver} debugs the specified program only once. When the
16971 program exits, or you detach from it, @value{GDBN} closes the connection
16972 and @code{gdbserver} exits.
16973
16974 If you connect using @kbd{target extended-remote}, @code{gdbserver}
16975 enters multi-process mode. When the debugged program exits, or you
16976 detach from it, @value{GDBN} stays connected to @code{gdbserver} even
16977 though no program is running. The @code{run} and @code{attach}
16978 commands instruct @code{gdbserver} to run or attach to a new program.
16979 The @code{run} command uses @code{set remote exec-file} (@pxref{set
16980 remote exec-file}) to select the program to run. Command line
16981 arguments are supported, except for wildcard expansion and I/O
16982 redirection (@pxref{Arguments}).
16983
16984 @cindex @option{--multi}, @code{gdbserver} option
16985 To start @code{gdbserver} without supplying an initial command to run
16986 or process ID to attach, use the @option{--multi} command line option.
16987 Then you can connect using @kbd{target extended-remote} and start
16988 the program you want to debug.
16989
16990 In multi-process mode @code{gdbserver} does not automatically exit unless you
16991 use the option @option{--once}. You can terminate it by using
16992 @code{monitor exit} (@pxref{Monitor Commands for gdbserver}). Note that the
16993 conditions under which @code{gdbserver} terminates depend on how @value{GDBN}
16994 connects to it (@kbd{target remote} or @kbd{target extended-remote}). The
16995 @option{--multi} option to @code{gdbserver} has no influence on that.
16996
16997 @subsubsection TCP port allocation lifecycle of @code{gdbserver}
16998
16999 This section applies only when @code{gdbserver} is run to listen on a TCP port.
17000
17001 @code{gdbserver} normally terminates after all of its debugged processes have
17002 terminated in @kbd{target remote} mode. On the other hand, for @kbd{target
17003 extended-remote}, @code{gdbserver} stays running even with no processes left.
17004 @value{GDBN} normally terminates the spawned debugged process on its exit,
17005 which normally also terminates @code{gdbserver} in the @kbd{target remote}
17006 mode. Therefore, when the connection drops unexpectedly, and @value{GDBN}
17007 cannot ask @code{gdbserver} to kill its debugged processes, @code{gdbserver}
17008 stays running even in the @kbd{target remote} mode.
17009
17010 When @code{gdbserver} stays running, @value{GDBN} can connect to it again later.
17011 Such reconnecting is useful for features like @ref{disconnected tracing}. For
17012 completeness, at most one @value{GDBN} can be connected at a time.
17013
17014 @cindex @option{--once}, @code{gdbserver} option
17015 By default, @code{gdbserver} keeps the listening TCP port open, so that
17016 additional connections are possible. However, if you start @code{gdbserver}
17017 with the @option{--once} option, it will stop listening for any further
17018 connection attempts after connecting to the first @value{GDBN} session. This
17019 means no further connections to @code{gdbserver} will be possible after the
17020 first one. It also means @code{gdbserver} will terminate after the first
17021 connection with remote @value{GDBN} has closed, even for unexpectedly closed
17022 connections and even in the @kbd{target extended-remote} mode. The
17023 @option{--once} option allows reusing the same port number for connecting to
17024 multiple instances of @code{gdbserver} running on the same host, since each
17025 instance closes its port after the first connection.
17026
17027 @subsubsection Other Command-Line Arguments for @code{gdbserver}
17028
17029 @cindex @option{--debug}, @code{gdbserver} option
17030 The @option{--debug} option tells @code{gdbserver} to display extra
17031 status information about the debugging process.
17032 @cindex @option{--remote-debug}, @code{gdbserver} option
17033 The @option{--remote-debug} option tells @code{gdbserver} to display
17034 remote protocol debug output. These options are intended for
17035 @code{gdbserver} development and for bug reports to the developers.
17036
17037 @cindex @option{--wrapper}, @code{gdbserver} option
17038 The @option{--wrapper} option specifies a wrapper to launch programs
17039 for debugging. The option should be followed by the name of the
17040 wrapper, then any command-line arguments to pass to the wrapper, then
17041 @kbd{--} indicating the end of the wrapper arguments.
17042
17043 @code{gdbserver} runs the specified wrapper program with a combined
17044 command line including the wrapper arguments, then the name of the
17045 program to debug, then any arguments to the program. The wrapper
17046 runs until it executes your program, and then @value{GDBN} gains control.
17047
17048 You can use any program that eventually calls @code{execve} with
17049 its arguments as a wrapper. Several standard Unix utilities do
17050 this, e.g.@: @code{env} and @code{nohup}. Any Unix shell script ending
17051 with @code{exec "$@@"} will also work.
17052
17053 For example, you can use @code{env} to pass an environment variable to
17054 the debugged program, without setting the variable in @code{gdbserver}'s
17055 environment:
17056
17057 @smallexample
17058 $ gdbserver --wrapper env LD_PRELOAD=libtest.so -- :2222 ./testprog
17059 @end smallexample
17060
17061 @subsection Connecting to @code{gdbserver}
17062
17063 Run @value{GDBN} on the host system.
17064
17065 First make sure you have the necessary symbol files. Load symbols for
17066 your application using the @code{file} command before you connect. Use
17067 @code{set sysroot} to locate target libraries (unless your @value{GDBN}
17068 was compiled with the correct sysroot using @code{--with-sysroot}).
17069
17070 The symbol file and target libraries must exactly match the executable
17071 and libraries on the target, with one exception: the files on the host
17072 system should not be stripped, even if the files on the target system
17073 are. Mismatched or missing files will lead to confusing results
17074 during debugging. On @sc{gnu}/Linux targets, mismatched or missing
17075 files may also prevent @code{gdbserver} from debugging multi-threaded
17076 programs.
17077
17078 Connect to your target (@pxref{Connecting,,Connecting to a Remote Target}).
17079 For TCP connections, you must start up @code{gdbserver} prior to using
17080 the @code{target remote} command. Otherwise you may get an error whose
17081 text depends on the host system, but which usually looks something like
17082 @samp{Connection refused}. Don't use the @code{load}
17083 command in @value{GDBN} when using @code{gdbserver}, since the program is
17084 already on the target.
17085
17086 @subsection Monitor Commands for @code{gdbserver}
17087 @cindex monitor commands, for @code{gdbserver}
17088 @anchor{Monitor Commands for gdbserver}
17089
17090 During a @value{GDBN} session using @code{gdbserver}, you can use the
17091 @code{monitor} command to send special requests to @code{gdbserver}.
17092 Here are the available commands.
17093
17094 @table @code
17095 @item monitor help
17096 List the available monitor commands.
17097
17098 @item monitor set debug 0
17099 @itemx monitor set debug 1
17100 Disable or enable general debugging messages.
17101
17102 @item monitor set remote-debug 0
17103 @itemx monitor set remote-debug 1
17104 Disable or enable specific debugging messages associated with the remote
17105 protocol (@pxref{Remote Protocol}).
17106
17107 @item monitor set libthread-db-search-path [PATH]
17108 @cindex gdbserver, search path for @code{libthread_db}
17109 When this command is issued, @var{path} is a colon-separated list of
17110 directories to search for @code{libthread_db} (@pxref{Threads,,set
17111 libthread-db-search-path}). If you omit @var{path},
17112 @samp{libthread-db-search-path} will be reset to its default value.
17113
17114 The special entry @samp{$pdir} for @samp{libthread-db-search-path} is
17115 not supported in @code{gdbserver}.
17116
17117 @item monitor exit
17118 Tell gdbserver to exit immediately. This command should be followed by
17119 @code{disconnect} to close the debugging session. @code{gdbserver} will
17120 detach from any attached processes and kill any processes it created.
17121 Use @code{monitor exit} to terminate @code{gdbserver} at the end
17122 of a multi-process mode debug session.
17123
17124 @end table
17125
17126 @subsection Tracepoints support in @code{gdbserver}
17127 @cindex tracepoints support in @code{gdbserver}
17128
17129 On some targets, @code{gdbserver} supports tracepoints, fast
17130 tracepoints and static tracepoints.
17131
17132 For fast or static tracepoints to work, a special library called the
17133 @dfn{in-process agent} (IPA), must be loaded in the inferior process.
17134 This library is built and distributed as an integral part of
17135 @code{gdbserver}. In addition, support for static tracepoints
17136 requires building the in-process agent library with static tracepoints
17137 support. At present, the UST (LTTng Userspace Tracer,
17138 @url{http://lttng.org/ust}) tracing engine is supported. This support
17139 is automatically available if UST development headers are found in the
17140 standard include path when @code{gdbserver} is built, or if
17141 @code{gdbserver} was explicitly configured using @option{--with-ust}
17142 to point at such headers. You can explicitly disable the support
17143 using @option{--with-ust=no}.
17144
17145 There are several ways to load the in-process agent in your program:
17146
17147 @table @code
17148 @item Specifying it as dependency at link time
17149
17150 You can link your program dynamically with the in-process agent
17151 library. On most systems, this is accomplished by adding
17152 @code{-linproctrace} to the link command.
17153
17154 @item Using the system's preloading mechanisms
17155
17156 You can force loading the in-process agent at startup time by using
17157 your system's support for preloading shared libraries. Many Unixes
17158 support the concept of preloading user defined libraries. In most
17159 cases, you do that by specifying @code{LD_PRELOAD=libinproctrace.so}
17160 in the environment. See also the description of @code{gdbserver}'s
17161 @option{--wrapper} command line option.
17162
17163 @item Using @value{GDBN} to force loading the agent at run time
17164
17165 On some systems, you can force the inferior to load a shared library,
17166 by calling a dynamic loader function in the inferior that takes care
17167 of dynamically looking up and loading a shared library. On most Unix
17168 systems, the function is @code{dlopen}. You'll use the @code{call}
17169 command for that. For example:
17170
17171 @smallexample
17172 (@value{GDBP}) call dlopen ("libinproctrace.so", ...)
17173 @end smallexample
17174
17175 Note that on most Unix systems, for the @code{dlopen} function to be
17176 available, the program needs to be linked with @code{-ldl}.
17177 @end table
17178
17179 On systems that have a userspace dynamic loader, like most Unix
17180 systems, when you connect to @code{gdbserver} using @code{target
17181 remote}, you'll find that the program is stopped at the dynamic
17182 loader's entry point, and no shared library has been loaded in the
17183 program's address space yet, including the in-process agent. In that
17184 case, before being able to use any of the fast or static tracepoints
17185 features, you need to let the loader run and load the shared
17186 libraries. The simplest way to do that is to run the program to the
17187 main procedure. E.g., if debugging a C or C@t{++} program, start
17188 @code{gdbserver} like so:
17189
17190 @smallexample
17191 $ gdbserver :9999 myprogram
17192 @end smallexample
17193
17194 Start GDB and connect to @code{gdbserver} like so, and run to main:
17195
17196 @smallexample
17197 $ gdb myprogram
17198 (@value{GDBP}) target remote myhost:9999
17199 0x00007f215893ba60 in ?? () from /lib64/ld-linux-x86-64.so.2
17200 (@value{GDBP}) b main
17201 (@value{GDBP}) continue
17202 @end smallexample
17203
17204 The in-process tracing agent library should now be loaded into the
17205 process; you can confirm it with the @code{info sharedlibrary}
17206 command, which will list @file{libinproctrace.so} as loaded in the
17207 process. You are now ready to install fast tracepoints, list static
17208 tracepoint markers, probe static tracepoints markers, and start
17209 tracing.
17210
17211 @node Remote Configuration
17212 @section Remote Configuration
17213
17214 @kindex set remote
17215 @kindex show remote
17216 This section documents the configuration options available when
17217 debugging remote programs. For the options related to the File I/O
17218 extensions of the remote protocol, see @ref{system,
17219 system-call-allowed}.
17220
17221 @table @code
17222 @item set remoteaddresssize @var{bits}
17223 @cindex address size for remote targets
17224 @cindex bits in remote address
17225 Set the maximum size of address in a memory packet to the specified
17226 number of bits. @value{GDBN} will mask off the address bits above
17227 that number, when it passes addresses to the remote target. The
17228 default value is the number of bits in the target's address.
17229
17230 @item show remoteaddresssize
17231 Show the current value of remote address size in bits.
17232
17233 @item set remotebaud @var{n}
17234 @cindex baud rate for remote targets
17235 Set the baud rate for the remote serial I/O to @var{n} baud. The
17236 value is used to set the speed of the serial port used for debugging
17237 remote targets.
17238
17239 @item show remotebaud
17240 Show the current speed of the remote connection.
17241
17242 @item set remotebreak
17243 @cindex interrupt remote programs
17244 @cindex BREAK signal instead of Ctrl-C
17245 @anchor{set remotebreak}
17246 If set to on, @value{GDBN} sends a @code{BREAK} signal to the remote
17247 when you type @kbd{Ctrl-c} to interrupt the program running
17248 on the remote. If set to off, @value{GDBN} sends the @samp{Ctrl-C}
17249 character instead. The default is off, since most remote systems
17250 expect to see @samp{Ctrl-C} as the interrupt signal.
17251
17252 @item show remotebreak
17253 Show whether @value{GDBN} sends @code{BREAK} or @samp{Ctrl-C} to
17254 interrupt the remote program.
17255
17256 @item set remoteflow on
17257 @itemx set remoteflow off
17258 @kindex set remoteflow
17259 Enable or disable hardware flow control (@code{RTS}/@code{CTS})
17260 on the serial port used to communicate to the remote target.
17261
17262 @item show remoteflow
17263 @kindex show remoteflow
17264 Show the current setting of hardware flow control.
17265
17266 @item set remotelogbase @var{base}
17267 Set the base (a.k.a.@: radix) of logging serial protocol
17268 communications to @var{base}. Supported values of @var{base} are:
17269 @code{ascii}, @code{octal}, and @code{hex}. The default is
17270 @code{ascii}.
17271
17272 @item show remotelogbase
17273 Show the current setting of the radix for logging remote serial
17274 protocol.
17275
17276 @item set remotelogfile @var{file}
17277 @cindex record serial communications on file
17278 Record remote serial communications on the named @var{file}. The
17279 default is not to record at all.
17280
17281 @item show remotelogfile.
17282 Show the current setting of the file name on which to record the
17283 serial communications.
17284
17285 @item set remotetimeout @var{num}
17286 @cindex timeout for serial communications
17287 @cindex remote timeout
17288 Set the timeout limit to wait for the remote target to respond to
17289 @var{num} seconds. The default is 2 seconds.
17290
17291 @item show remotetimeout
17292 Show the current number of seconds to wait for the remote target
17293 responses.
17294
17295 @cindex limit hardware breakpoints and watchpoints
17296 @cindex remote target, limit break- and watchpoints
17297 @anchor{set remote hardware-watchpoint-limit}
17298 @anchor{set remote hardware-breakpoint-limit}
17299 @item set remote hardware-watchpoint-limit @var{limit}
17300 @itemx set remote hardware-breakpoint-limit @var{limit}
17301 Restrict @value{GDBN} to using @var{limit} remote hardware breakpoint or
17302 watchpoints. A limit of -1, the default, is treated as unlimited.
17303
17304 @cindex limit hardware watchpoints length
17305 @cindex remote target, limit watchpoints length
17306 @anchor{set remote hardware-watchpoint-length-limit}
17307 @item set remote hardware-watchpoint-length-limit @var{limit}
17308 Restrict @value{GDBN} to using @var{limit} bytes for the maximum length of
17309 a remote hardware watchpoint. A limit of -1, the default, is treated
17310 as unlimited.
17311
17312 @item show remote hardware-watchpoint-length-limit
17313 Show the current limit (in bytes) of the maximum length of
17314 a remote hardware watchpoint.
17315
17316 @item set remote exec-file @var{filename}
17317 @itemx show remote exec-file
17318 @anchor{set remote exec-file}
17319 @cindex executable file, for remote target
17320 Select the file used for @code{run} with @code{target
17321 extended-remote}. This should be set to a filename valid on the
17322 target system. If it is not set, the target will use a default
17323 filename (e.g.@: the last program run).
17324
17325 @item set remote interrupt-sequence
17326 @cindex interrupt remote programs
17327 @cindex select Ctrl-C, BREAK or BREAK-g
17328 Allow the user to select one of @samp{Ctrl-C}, a @code{BREAK} or
17329 @samp{BREAK-g} as the
17330 sequence to the remote target in order to interrupt the execution.
17331 @samp{Ctrl-C} is a default. Some system prefers @code{BREAK} which
17332 is high level of serial line for some certain time.
17333 Linux kernel prefers @samp{BREAK-g}, a.k.a Magic SysRq g.
17334 It is @code{BREAK} signal followed by character @code{g}.
17335
17336 @item show interrupt-sequence
17337 Show which of @samp{Ctrl-C}, @code{BREAK} or @code{BREAK-g}
17338 is sent by @value{GDBN} to interrupt the remote program.
17339 @code{BREAK-g} is BREAK signal followed by @code{g} and
17340 also known as Magic SysRq g.
17341
17342 @item set remote interrupt-on-connect
17343 @cindex send interrupt-sequence on start
17344 Specify whether interrupt-sequence is sent to remote target when
17345 @value{GDBN} connects to it. This is mostly needed when you debug
17346 Linux kernel. Linux kernel expects @code{BREAK} followed by @code{g}
17347 which is known as Magic SysRq g in order to connect @value{GDBN}.
17348
17349 @item show interrupt-on-connect
17350 Show whether interrupt-sequence is sent
17351 to remote target when @value{GDBN} connects to it.
17352
17353 @kindex set tcp
17354 @kindex show tcp
17355 @item set tcp auto-retry on
17356 @cindex auto-retry, for remote TCP target
17357 Enable auto-retry for remote TCP connections. This is useful if the remote
17358 debugging agent is launched in parallel with @value{GDBN}; there is a race
17359 condition because the agent may not become ready to accept the connection
17360 before @value{GDBN} attempts to connect. When auto-retry is
17361 enabled, if the initial attempt to connect fails, @value{GDBN} reattempts
17362 to establish the connection using the timeout specified by
17363 @code{set tcp connect-timeout}.
17364
17365 @item set tcp auto-retry off
17366 Do not auto-retry failed TCP connections.
17367
17368 @item show tcp auto-retry
17369 Show the current auto-retry setting.
17370
17371 @item set tcp connect-timeout @var{seconds}
17372 @cindex connection timeout, for remote TCP target
17373 @cindex timeout, for remote target connection
17374 Set the timeout for establishing a TCP connection to the remote target to
17375 @var{seconds}. The timeout affects both polling to retry failed connections
17376 (enabled by @code{set tcp auto-retry on}) and waiting for connections
17377 that are merely slow to complete, and represents an approximate cumulative
17378 value.
17379
17380 @item show tcp connect-timeout
17381 Show the current connection timeout setting.
17382 @end table
17383
17384 @cindex remote packets, enabling and disabling
17385 The @value{GDBN} remote protocol autodetects the packets supported by
17386 your debugging stub. If you need to override the autodetection, you
17387 can use these commands to enable or disable individual packets. Each
17388 packet can be set to @samp{on} (the remote target supports this
17389 packet), @samp{off} (the remote target does not support this packet),
17390 or @samp{auto} (detect remote target support for this packet). They
17391 all default to @samp{auto}. For more information about each packet,
17392 see @ref{Remote Protocol}.
17393
17394 During normal use, you should not have to use any of these commands.
17395 If you do, that may be a bug in your remote debugging stub, or a bug
17396 in @value{GDBN}. You may want to report the problem to the
17397 @value{GDBN} developers.
17398
17399 For each packet @var{name}, the command to enable or disable the
17400 packet is @code{set remote @var{name}-packet}. The available settings
17401 are:
17402
17403 @multitable @columnfractions 0.28 0.32 0.25
17404 @item Command Name
17405 @tab Remote Packet
17406 @tab Related Features
17407
17408 @item @code{fetch-register}
17409 @tab @code{p}
17410 @tab @code{info registers}
17411
17412 @item @code{set-register}
17413 @tab @code{P}
17414 @tab @code{set}
17415
17416 @item @code{binary-download}
17417 @tab @code{X}
17418 @tab @code{load}, @code{set}
17419
17420 @item @code{read-aux-vector}
17421 @tab @code{qXfer:auxv:read}
17422 @tab @code{info auxv}
17423
17424 @item @code{symbol-lookup}
17425 @tab @code{qSymbol}
17426 @tab Detecting multiple threads
17427
17428 @item @code{attach}
17429 @tab @code{vAttach}
17430 @tab @code{attach}
17431
17432 @item @code{verbose-resume}
17433 @tab @code{vCont}
17434 @tab Stepping or resuming multiple threads
17435
17436 @item @code{run}
17437 @tab @code{vRun}
17438 @tab @code{run}
17439
17440 @item @code{software-breakpoint}
17441 @tab @code{Z0}
17442 @tab @code{break}
17443
17444 @item @code{hardware-breakpoint}
17445 @tab @code{Z1}
17446 @tab @code{hbreak}
17447
17448 @item @code{write-watchpoint}
17449 @tab @code{Z2}
17450 @tab @code{watch}
17451
17452 @item @code{read-watchpoint}
17453 @tab @code{Z3}
17454 @tab @code{rwatch}
17455
17456 @item @code{access-watchpoint}
17457 @tab @code{Z4}
17458 @tab @code{awatch}
17459
17460 @item @code{target-features}
17461 @tab @code{qXfer:features:read}
17462 @tab @code{set architecture}
17463
17464 @item @code{library-info}
17465 @tab @code{qXfer:libraries:read}
17466 @tab @code{info sharedlibrary}
17467
17468 @item @code{memory-map}
17469 @tab @code{qXfer:memory-map:read}
17470 @tab @code{info mem}
17471
17472 @item @code{read-sdata-object}
17473 @tab @code{qXfer:sdata:read}
17474 @tab @code{print $_sdata}
17475
17476 @item @code{read-spu-object}
17477 @tab @code{qXfer:spu:read}
17478 @tab @code{info spu}
17479
17480 @item @code{write-spu-object}
17481 @tab @code{qXfer:spu:write}
17482 @tab @code{info spu}
17483
17484 @item @code{read-siginfo-object}
17485 @tab @code{qXfer:siginfo:read}
17486 @tab @code{print $_siginfo}
17487
17488 @item @code{write-siginfo-object}
17489 @tab @code{qXfer:siginfo:write}
17490 @tab @code{set $_siginfo}
17491
17492 @item @code{threads}
17493 @tab @code{qXfer:threads:read}
17494 @tab @code{info threads}
17495
17496 @item @code{get-thread-local-@*storage-address}
17497 @tab @code{qGetTLSAddr}
17498 @tab Displaying @code{__thread} variables
17499
17500 @item @code{get-thread-information-block-address}
17501 @tab @code{qGetTIBAddr}
17502 @tab Display MS-Windows Thread Information Block.
17503
17504 @item @code{search-memory}
17505 @tab @code{qSearch:memory}
17506 @tab @code{find}
17507
17508 @item @code{supported-packets}
17509 @tab @code{qSupported}
17510 @tab Remote communications parameters
17511
17512 @item @code{pass-signals}
17513 @tab @code{QPassSignals}
17514 @tab @code{handle @var{signal}}
17515
17516 @item @code{hostio-close-packet}
17517 @tab @code{vFile:close}
17518 @tab @code{remote get}, @code{remote put}
17519
17520 @item @code{hostio-open-packet}
17521 @tab @code{vFile:open}
17522 @tab @code{remote get}, @code{remote put}
17523
17524 @item @code{hostio-pread-packet}
17525 @tab @code{vFile:pread}
17526 @tab @code{remote get}, @code{remote put}
17527
17528 @item @code{hostio-pwrite-packet}
17529 @tab @code{vFile:pwrite}
17530 @tab @code{remote get}, @code{remote put}
17531
17532 @item @code{hostio-unlink-packet}
17533 @tab @code{vFile:unlink}
17534 @tab @code{remote delete}
17535
17536 @item @code{hostio-readlink-packet}
17537 @tab @code{vFile:readlink}
17538 @tab Host I/O
17539
17540 @item @code{noack-packet}
17541 @tab @code{QStartNoAckMode}
17542 @tab Packet acknowledgment
17543
17544 @item @code{osdata}
17545 @tab @code{qXfer:osdata:read}
17546 @tab @code{info os}
17547
17548 @item @code{query-attached}
17549 @tab @code{qAttached}
17550 @tab Querying remote process attach state.
17551
17552 @item @code{traceframe-info}
17553 @tab @code{qXfer:traceframe-info:read}
17554 @tab Traceframe info
17555
17556 @item @code{install-in-trace}
17557 @tab @code{InstallInTrace}
17558 @tab Install tracepoint in tracing
17559
17560 @item @code{disable-randomization}
17561 @tab @code{QDisableRandomization}
17562 @tab @code{set disable-randomization}
17563
17564 @item @code{conditional-breakpoints-packet}
17565 @tab @code{Z0 and Z1}
17566 @tab @code{Support for target-side breakpoint condition evaluation}
17567 @end multitable
17568
17569 @node Remote Stub
17570 @section Implementing a Remote Stub
17571
17572 @cindex debugging stub, example
17573 @cindex remote stub, example
17574 @cindex stub example, remote debugging
17575 The stub files provided with @value{GDBN} implement the target side of the
17576 communication protocol, and the @value{GDBN} side is implemented in the
17577 @value{GDBN} source file @file{remote.c}. Normally, you can simply allow
17578 these subroutines to communicate, and ignore the details. (If you're
17579 implementing your own stub file, you can still ignore the details: start
17580 with one of the existing stub files. @file{sparc-stub.c} is the best
17581 organized, and therefore the easiest to read.)
17582
17583 @cindex remote serial debugging, overview
17584 To debug a program running on another machine (the debugging
17585 @dfn{target} machine), you must first arrange for all the usual
17586 prerequisites for the program to run by itself. For example, for a C
17587 program, you need:
17588
17589 @enumerate
17590 @item
17591 A startup routine to set up the C runtime environment; these usually
17592 have a name like @file{crt0}. The startup routine may be supplied by
17593 your hardware supplier, or you may have to write your own.
17594
17595 @item
17596 A C subroutine library to support your program's
17597 subroutine calls, notably managing input and output.
17598
17599 @item
17600 A way of getting your program to the other machine---for example, a
17601 download program. These are often supplied by the hardware
17602 manufacturer, but you may have to write your own from hardware
17603 documentation.
17604 @end enumerate
17605
17606 The next step is to arrange for your program to use a serial port to
17607 communicate with the machine where @value{GDBN} is running (the @dfn{host}
17608 machine). In general terms, the scheme looks like this:
17609
17610 @table @emph
17611 @item On the host,
17612 @value{GDBN} already understands how to use this protocol; when everything
17613 else is set up, you can simply use the @samp{target remote} command
17614 (@pxref{Targets,,Specifying a Debugging Target}).
17615
17616 @item On the target,
17617 you must link with your program a few special-purpose subroutines that
17618 implement the @value{GDBN} remote serial protocol. The file containing these
17619 subroutines is called a @dfn{debugging stub}.
17620
17621 On certain remote targets, you can use an auxiliary program
17622 @code{gdbserver} instead of linking a stub into your program.
17623 @xref{Server,,Using the @code{gdbserver} Program}, for details.
17624 @end table
17625
17626 The debugging stub is specific to the architecture of the remote
17627 machine; for example, use @file{sparc-stub.c} to debug programs on
17628 @sc{sparc} boards.
17629
17630 @cindex remote serial stub list
17631 These working remote stubs are distributed with @value{GDBN}:
17632
17633 @table @code
17634
17635 @item i386-stub.c
17636 @cindex @file{i386-stub.c}
17637 @cindex Intel
17638 @cindex i386
17639 For Intel 386 and compatible architectures.
17640
17641 @item m68k-stub.c
17642 @cindex @file{m68k-stub.c}
17643 @cindex Motorola 680x0
17644 @cindex m680x0
17645 For Motorola 680x0 architectures.
17646
17647 @item sh-stub.c
17648 @cindex @file{sh-stub.c}
17649 @cindex Renesas
17650 @cindex SH
17651 For Renesas SH architectures.
17652
17653 @item sparc-stub.c
17654 @cindex @file{sparc-stub.c}
17655 @cindex Sparc
17656 For @sc{sparc} architectures.
17657
17658 @item sparcl-stub.c
17659 @cindex @file{sparcl-stub.c}
17660 @cindex Fujitsu
17661 @cindex SparcLite
17662 For Fujitsu @sc{sparclite} architectures.
17663
17664 @end table
17665
17666 The @file{README} file in the @value{GDBN} distribution may list other
17667 recently added stubs.
17668
17669 @menu
17670 * Stub Contents:: What the stub can do for you
17671 * Bootstrapping:: What you must do for the stub
17672 * Debug Session:: Putting it all together
17673 @end menu
17674
17675 @node Stub Contents
17676 @subsection What the Stub Can Do for You
17677
17678 @cindex remote serial stub
17679 The debugging stub for your architecture supplies these three
17680 subroutines:
17681
17682 @table @code
17683 @item set_debug_traps
17684 @findex set_debug_traps
17685 @cindex remote serial stub, initialization
17686 This routine arranges for @code{handle_exception} to run when your
17687 program stops. You must call this subroutine explicitly in your
17688 program's startup code.
17689
17690 @item handle_exception
17691 @findex handle_exception
17692 @cindex remote serial stub, main routine
17693 This is the central workhorse, but your program never calls it
17694 explicitly---the setup code arranges for @code{handle_exception} to
17695 run when a trap is triggered.
17696
17697 @code{handle_exception} takes control when your program stops during
17698 execution (for example, on a breakpoint), and mediates communications
17699 with @value{GDBN} on the host machine. This is where the communications
17700 protocol is implemented; @code{handle_exception} acts as the @value{GDBN}
17701 representative on the target machine. It begins by sending summary
17702 information on the state of your program, then continues to execute,
17703 retrieving and transmitting any information @value{GDBN} needs, until you
17704 execute a @value{GDBN} command that makes your program resume; at that point,
17705 @code{handle_exception} returns control to your own code on the target
17706 machine.
17707
17708 @item breakpoint
17709 @cindex @code{breakpoint} subroutine, remote
17710 Use this auxiliary subroutine to make your program contain a
17711 breakpoint. Depending on the particular situation, this may be the only
17712 way for @value{GDBN} to get control. For instance, if your target
17713 machine has some sort of interrupt button, you won't need to call this;
17714 pressing the interrupt button transfers control to
17715 @code{handle_exception}---in effect, to @value{GDBN}. On some machines,
17716 simply receiving characters on the serial port may also trigger a trap;
17717 again, in that situation, you don't need to call @code{breakpoint} from
17718 your own program---simply running @samp{target remote} from the host
17719 @value{GDBN} session gets control.
17720
17721 Call @code{breakpoint} if none of these is true, or if you simply want
17722 to make certain your program stops at a predetermined point for the
17723 start of your debugging session.
17724 @end table
17725
17726 @node Bootstrapping
17727 @subsection What You Must Do for the Stub
17728
17729 @cindex remote stub, support routines
17730 The debugging stubs that come with @value{GDBN} are set up for a particular
17731 chip architecture, but they have no information about the rest of your
17732 debugging target machine.
17733
17734 First of all you need to tell the stub how to communicate with the
17735 serial port.
17736
17737 @table @code
17738 @item int getDebugChar()
17739 @findex getDebugChar
17740 Write this subroutine to read a single character from the serial port.
17741 It may be identical to @code{getchar} for your target system; a
17742 different name is used to allow you to distinguish the two if you wish.
17743
17744 @item void putDebugChar(int)
17745 @findex putDebugChar
17746 Write this subroutine to write a single character to the serial port.
17747 It may be identical to @code{putchar} for your target system; a
17748 different name is used to allow you to distinguish the two if you wish.
17749 @end table
17750
17751 @cindex control C, and remote debugging
17752 @cindex interrupting remote targets
17753 If you want @value{GDBN} to be able to stop your program while it is
17754 running, you need to use an interrupt-driven serial driver, and arrange
17755 for it to stop when it receives a @code{^C} (@samp{\003}, the control-C
17756 character). That is the character which @value{GDBN} uses to tell the
17757 remote system to stop.
17758
17759 Getting the debugging target to return the proper status to @value{GDBN}
17760 probably requires changes to the standard stub; one quick and dirty way
17761 is to just execute a breakpoint instruction (the ``dirty'' part is that
17762 @value{GDBN} reports a @code{SIGTRAP} instead of a @code{SIGINT}).
17763
17764 Other routines you need to supply are:
17765
17766 @table @code
17767 @item void exceptionHandler (int @var{exception_number}, void *@var{exception_address})
17768 @findex exceptionHandler
17769 Write this function to install @var{exception_address} in the exception
17770 handling tables. You need to do this because the stub does not have any
17771 way of knowing what the exception handling tables on your target system
17772 are like (for example, the processor's table might be in @sc{rom},
17773 containing entries which point to a table in @sc{ram}).
17774 @var{exception_number} is the exception number which should be changed;
17775 its meaning is architecture-dependent (for example, different numbers
17776 might represent divide by zero, misaligned access, etc). When this
17777 exception occurs, control should be transferred directly to
17778 @var{exception_address}, and the processor state (stack, registers,
17779 and so on) should be just as it is when a processor exception occurs. So if
17780 you want to use a jump instruction to reach @var{exception_address}, it
17781 should be a simple jump, not a jump to subroutine.
17782
17783 For the 386, @var{exception_address} should be installed as an interrupt
17784 gate so that interrupts are masked while the handler runs. The gate
17785 should be at privilege level 0 (the most privileged level). The
17786 @sc{sparc} and 68k stubs are able to mask interrupts themselves without
17787 help from @code{exceptionHandler}.
17788
17789 @item void flush_i_cache()
17790 @findex flush_i_cache
17791 On @sc{sparc} and @sc{sparclite} only, write this subroutine to flush the
17792 instruction cache, if any, on your target machine. If there is no
17793 instruction cache, this subroutine may be a no-op.
17794
17795 On target machines that have instruction caches, @value{GDBN} requires this
17796 function to make certain that the state of your program is stable.
17797 @end table
17798
17799 @noindent
17800 You must also make sure this library routine is available:
17801
17802 @table @code
17803 @item void *memset(void *, int, int)
17804 @findex memset
17805 This is the standard library function @code{memset} that sets an area of
17806 memory to a known value. If you have one of the free versions of
17807 @code{libc.a}, @code{memset} can be found there; otherwise, you must
17808 either obtain it from your hardware manufacturer, or write your own.
17809 @end table
17810
17811 If you do not use the GNU C compiler, you may need other standard
17812 library subroutines as well; this varies from one stub to another,
17813 but in general the stubs are likely to use any of the common library
17814 subroutines which @code{@value{NGCC}} generates as inline code.
17815
17816
17817 @node Debug Session
17818 @subsection Putting it All Together
17819
17820 @cindex remote serial debugging summary
17821 In summary, when your program is ready to debug, you must follow these
17822 steps.
17823
17824 @enumerate
17825 @item
17826 Make sure you have defined the supporting low-level routines
17827 (@pxref{Bootstrapping,,What You Must Do for the Stub}):
17828 @display
17829 @code{getDebugChar}, @code{putDebugChar},
17830 @code{flush_i_cache}, @code{memset}, @code{exceptionHandler}.
17831 @end display
17832
17833 @item
17834 Insert these lines in your program's startup code, before the main
17835 procedure is called:
17836
17837 @smallexample
17838 set_debug_traps();
17839 breakpoint();
17840 @end smallexample
17841
17842 On some machines, when a breakpoint trap is raised, the hardware
17843 automatically makes the PC point to the instruction after the
17844 breakpoint. If your machine doesn't do that, you may need to adjust
17845 @code{handle_exception} to arrange for it to return to the instruction
17846 after the breakpoint on this first invocation, so that your program
17847 doesn't keep hitting the initial breakpoint instead of making
17848 progress.
17849
17850 @item
17851 For the 680x0 stub only, you need to provide a variable called
17852 @code{exceptionHook}. Normally you just use:
17853
17854 @smallexample
17855 void (*exceptionHook)() = 0;
17856 @end smallexample
17857
17858 @noindent
17859 but if before calling @code{set_debug_traps}, you set it to point to a
17860 function in your program, that function is called when
17861 @code{@value{GDBN}} continues after stopping on a trap (for example, bus
17862 error). The function indicated by @code{exceptionHook} is called with
17863 one parameter: an @code{int} which is the exception number.
17864
17865 @item
17866 Compile and link together: your program, the @value{GDBN} debugging stub for
17867 your target architecture, and the supporting subroutines.
17868
17869 @item
17870 Make sure you have a serial connection between your target machine and
17871 the @value{GDBN} host, and identify the serial port on the host.
17872
17873 @item
17874 @c The "remote" target now provides a `load' command, so we should
17875 @c document that. FIXME.
17876 Download your program to your target machine (or get it there by
17877 whatever means the manufacturer provides), and start it.
17878
17879 @item
17880 Start @value{GDBN} on the host, and connect to the target
17881 (@pxref{Connecting,,Connecting to a Remote Target}).
17882
17883 @end enumerate
17884
17885 @node Configurations
17886 @chapter Configuration-Specific Information
17887
17888 While nearly all @value{GDBN} commands are available for all native and
17889 cross versions of the debugger, there are some exceptions. This chapter
17890 describes things that are only available in certain configurations.
17891
17892 There are three major categories of configurations: native
17893 configurations, where the host and target are the same, embedded
17894 operating system configurations, which are usually the same for several
17895 different processor architectures, and bare embedded processors, which
17896 are quite different from each other.
17897
17898 @menu
17899 * Native::
17900 * Embedded OS::
17901 * Embedded Processors::
17902 * Architectures::
17903 @end menu
17904
17905 @node Native
17906 @section Native
17907
17908 This section describes details specific to particular native
17909 configurations.
17910
17911 @menu
17912 * HP-UX:: HP-UX
17913 * BSD libkvm Interface:: Debugging BSD kernel memory images
17914 * SVR4 Process Information:: SVR4 process information
17915 * DJGPP Native:: Features specific to the DJGPP port
17916 * Cygwin Native:: Features specific to the Cygwin port
17917 * Hurd Native:: Features specific to @sc{gnu} Hurd
17918 * Neutrino:: Features specific to QNX Neutrino
17919 * Darwin:: Features specific to Darwin
17920 @end menu
17921
17922 @node HP-UX
17923 @subsection HP-UX
17924
17925 On HP-UX systems, if you refer to a function or variable name that
17926 begins with a dollar sign, @value{GDBN} searches for a user or system
17927 name first, before it searches for a convenience variable.
17928
17929
17930 @node BSD libkvm Interface
17931 @subsection BSD libkvm Interface
17932
17933 @cindex libkvm
17934 @cindex kernel memory image
17935 @cindex kernel crash dump
17936
17937 BSD-derived systems (FreeBSD/NetBSD/OpenBSD) have a kernel memory
17938 interface that provides a uniform interface for accessing kernel virtual
17939 memory images, including live systems and crash dumps. @value{GDBN}
17940 uses this interface to allow you to debug live kernels and kernel crash
17941 dumps on many native BSD configurations. This is implemented as a
17942 special @code{kvm} debugging target. For debugging a live system, load
17943 the currently running kernel into @value{GDBN} and connect to the
17944 @code{kvm} target:
17945
17946 @smallexample
17947 (@value{GDBP}) @b{target kvm}
17948 @end smallexample
17949
17950 For debugging crash dumps, provide the file name of the crash dump as an
17951 argument:
17952
17953 @smallexample
17954 (@value{GDBP}) @b{target kvm /var/crash/bsd.0}
17955 @end smallexample
17956
17957 Once connected to the @code{kvm} target, the following commands are
17958 available:
17959
17960 @table @code
17961 @kindex kvm
17962 @item kvm pcb
17963 Set current context from the @dfn{Process Control Block} (PCB) address.
17964
17965 @item kvm proc
17966 Set current context from proc address. This command isn't available on
17967 modern FreeBSD systems.
17968 @end table
17969
17970 @node SVR4 Process Information
17971 @subsection SVR4 Process Information
17972 @cindex /proc
17973 @cindex examine process image
17974 @cindex process info via @file{/proc}
17975
17976 Many versions of SVR4 and compatible systems provide a facility called
17977 @samp{/proc} that can be used to examine the image of a running
17978 process using file-system subroutines. If @value{GDBN} is configured
17979 for an operating system with this facility, the command @code{info
17980 proc} is available to report information about the process running
17981 your program, or about any process running on your system. @code{info
17982 proc} works only on SVR4 systems that include the @code{procfs} code.
17983 This includes, as of this writing, @sc{gnu}/Linux, OSF/1 (Digital
17984 Unix), Solaris, Irix, and Unixware, but not HP-UX, for example.
17985
17986 @table @code
17987 @kindex info proc
17988 @cindex process ID
17989 @item info proc
17990 @itemx info proc @var{process-id}
17991 Summarize available information about any running process. If a
17992 process ID is specified by @var{process-id}, display information about
17993 that process; otherwise display information about the program being
17994 debugged. The summary includes the debugged process ID, the command
17995 line used to invoke it, its current working directory, and its
17996 executable file's absolute file name.
17997
17998 On some systems, @var{process-id} can be of the form
17999 @samp{[@var{pid}]/@var{tid}} which specifies a certain thread ID
18000 within a process. If the optional @var{pid} part is missing, it means
18001 a thread from the process being debugged (the leading @samp{/} still
18002 needs to be present, or else @value{GDBN} will interpret the number as
18003 a process ID rather than a thread ID).
18004
18005 @item info proc mappings
18006 @cindex memory address space mappings
18007 Report the memory address space ranges accessible in the program, with
18008 information on whether the process has read, write, or execute access
18009 rights to each range. On @sc{gnu}/Linux systems, each memory range
18010 includes the object file which is mapped to that range, instead of the
18011 memory access rights to that range.
18012
18013 @item info proc stat
18014 @itemx info proc status
18015 @cindex process detailed status information
18016 These subcommands are specific to @sc{gnu}/Linux systems. They show
18017 the process-related information, including the user ID and group ID;
18018 how many threads are there in the process; its virtual memory usage;
18019 the signals that are pending, blocked, and ignored; its TTY; its
18020 consumption of system and user time; its stack size; its @samp{nice}
18021 value; etc. For more information, see the @samp{proc} man page
18022 (type @kbd{man 5 proc} from your shell prompt).
18023
18024 @item info proc all
18025 Show all the information about the process described under all of the
18026 above @code{info proc} subcommands.
18027
18028 @ignore
18029 @comment These sub-options of 'info proc' were not included when
18030 @comment procfs.c was re-written. Keep their descriptions around
18031 @comment against the day when someone finds the time to put them back in.
18032 @kindex info proc times
18033 @item info proc times
18034 Starting time, user CPU time, and system CPU time for your program and
18035 its children.
18036
18037 @kindex info proc id
18038 @item info proc id
18039 Report on the process IDs related to your program: its own process ID,
18040 the ID of its parent, the process group ID, and the session ID.
18041 @end ignore
18042
18043 @item set procfs-trace
18044 @kindex set procfs-trace
18045 @cindex @code{procfs} API calls
18046 This command enables and disables tracing of @code{procfs} API calls.
18047
18048 @item show procfs-trace
18049 @kindex show procfs-trace
18050 Show the current state of @code{procfs} API call tracing.
18051
18052 @item set procfs-file @var{file}
18053 @kindex set procfs-file
18054 Tell @value{GDBN} to write @code{procfs} API trace to the named
18055 @var{file}. @value{GDBN} appends the trace info to the previous
18056 contents of the file. The default is to display the trace on the
18057 standard output.
18058
18059 @item show procfs-file
18060 @kindex show procfs-file
18061 Show the file to which @code{procfs} API trace is written.
18062
18063 @item proc-trace-entry
18064 @itemx proc-trace-exit
18065 @itemx proc-untrace-entry
18066 @itemx proc-untrace-exit
18067 @kindex proc-trace-entry
18068 @kindex proc-trace-exit
18069 @kindex proc-untrace-entry
18070 @kindex proc-untrace-exit
18071 These commands enable and disable tracing of entries into and exits
18072 from the @code{syscall} interface.
18073
18074 @item info pidlist
18075 @kindex info pidlist
18076 @cindex process list, QNX Neutrino
18077 For QNX Neutrino only, this command displays the list of all the
18078 processes and all the threads within each process.
18079
18080 @item info meminfo
18081 @kindex info meminfo
18082 @cindex mapinfo list, QNX Neutrino
18083 For QNX Neutrino only, this command displays the list of all mapinfos.
18084 @end table
18085
18086 @node DJGPP Native
18087 @subsection Features for Debugging @sc{djgpp} Programs
18088 @cindex @sc{djgpp} debugging
18089 @cindex native @sc{djgpp} debugging
18090 @cindex MS-DOS-specific commands
18091
18092 @cindex DPMI
18093 @sc{djgpp} is a port of the @sc{gnu} development tools to MS-DOS and
18094 MS-Windows. @sc{djgpp} programs are 32-bit protected-mode programs
18095 that use the @dfn{DPMI} (DOS Protected-Mode Interface) API to run on
18096 top of real-mode DOS systems and their emulations.
18097
18098 @value{GDBN} supports native debugging of @sc{djgpp} programs, and
18099 defines a few commands specific to the @sc{djgpp} port. This
18100 subsection describes those commands.
18101
18102 @table @code
18103 @kindex info dos
18104 @item info dos
18105 This is a prefix of @sc{djgpp}-specific commands which print
18106 information about the target system and important OS structures.
18107
18108 @kindex sysinfo
18109 @cindex MS-DOS system info
18110 @cindex free memory information (MS-DOS)
18111 @item info dos sysinfo
18112 This command displays assorted information about the underlying
18113 platform: the CPU type and features, the OS version and flavor, the
18114 DPMI version, and the available conventional and DPMI memory.
18115
18116 @cindex GDT
18117 @cindex LDT
18118 @cindex IDT
18119 @cindex segment descriptor tables
18120 @cindex descriptor tables display
18121 @item info dos gdt
18122 @itemx info dos ldt
18123 @itemx info dos idt
18124 These 3 commands display entries from, respectively, Global, Local,
18125 and Interrupt Descriptor Tables (GDT, LDT, and IDT). The descriptor
18126 tables are data structures which store a descriptor for each segment
18127 that is currently in use. The segment's selector is an index into a
18128 descriptor table; the table entry for that index holds the
18129 descriptor's base address and limit, and its attributes and access
18130 rights.
18131
18132 A typical @sc{djgpp} program uses 3 segments: a code segment, a data
18133 segment (used for both data and the stack), and a DOS segment (which
18134 allows access to DOS/BIOS data structures and absolute addresses in
18135 conventional memory). However, the DPMI host will usually define
18136 additional segments in order to support the DPMI environment.
18137
18138 @cindex garbled pointers
18139 These commands allow to display entries from the descriptor tables.
18140 Without an argument, all entries from the specified table are
18141 displayed. An argument, which should be an integer expression, means
18142 display a single entry whose index is given by the argument. For
18143 example, here's a convenient way to display information about the
18144 debugged program's data segment:
18145
18146 @smallexample
18147 @exdent @code{(@value{GDBP}) info dos ldt $ds}
18148 @exdent @code{0x13f: base=0x11970000 limit=0x0009ffff 32-Bit Data (Read/Write, Exp-up)}
18149 @end smallexample
18150
18151 @noindent
18152 This comes in handy when you want to see whether a pointer is outside
18153 the data segment's limit (i.e.@: @dfn{garbled}).
18154
18155 @cindex page tables display (MS-DOS)
18156 @item info dos pde
18157 @itemx info dos pte
18158 These two commands display entries from, respectively, the Page
18159 Directory and the Page Tables. Page Directories and Page Tables are
18160 data structures which control how virtual memory addresses are mapped
18161 into physical addresses. A Page Table includes an entry for every
18162 page of memory that is mapped into the program's address space; there
18163 may be several Page Tables, each one holding up to 4096 entries. A
18164 Page Directory has up to 4096 entries, one each for every Page Table
18165 that is currently in use.
18166
18167 Without an argument, @kbd{info dos pde} displays the entire Page
18168 Directory, and @kbd{info dos pte} displays all the entries in all of
18169 the Page Tables. An argument, an integer expression, given to the
18170 @kbd{info dos pde} command means display only that entry from the Page
18171 Directory table. An argument given to the @kbd{info dos pte} command
18172 means display entries from a single Page Table, the one pointed to by
18173 the specified entry in the Page Directory.
18174
18175 @cindex direct memory access (DMA) on MS-DOS
18176 These commands are useful when your program uses @dfn{DMA} (Direct
18177 Memory Access), which needs physical addresses to program the DMA
18178 controller.
18179
18180 These commands are supported only with some DPMI servers.
18181
18182 @cindex physical address from linear address
18183 @item info dos address-pte @var{addr}
18184 This command displays the Page Table entry for a specified linear
18185 address. The argument @var{addr} is a linear address which should
18186 already have the appropriate segment's base address added to it,
18187 because this command accepts addresses which may belong to @emph{any}
18188 segment. For example, here's how to display the Page Table entry for
18189 the page where a variable @code{i} is stored:
18190
18191 @smallexample
18192 @exdent @code{(@value{GDBP}) info dos address-pte __djgpp_base_address + (char *)&i}
18193 @exdent @code{Page Table entry for address 0x11a00d30:}
18194 @exdent @code{Base=0x02698000 Dirty Acc. Not-Cached Write-Back Usr Read-Write +0xd30}
18195 @end smallexample
18196
18197 @noindent
18198 This says that @code{i} is stored at offset @code{0xd30} from the page
18199 whose physical base address is @code{0x02698000}, and shows all the
18200 attributes of that page.
18201
18202 Note that you must cast the addresses of variables to a @code{char *},
18203 since otherwise the value of @code{__djgpp_base_address}, the base
18204 address of all variables and functions in a @sc{djgpp} program, will
18205 be added using the rules of C pointer arithmetics: if @code{i} is
18206 declared an @code{int}, @value{GDBN} will add 4 times the value of
18207 @code{__djgpp_base_address} to the address of @code{i}.
18208
18209 Here's another example, it displays the Page Table entry for the
18210 transfer buffer:
18211
18212 @smallexample
18213 @exdent @code{(@value{GDBP}) info dos address-pte *((unsigned *)&_go32_info_block + 3)}
18214 @exdent @code{Page Table entry for address 0x29110:}
18215 @exdent @code{Base=0x00029000 Dirty Acc. Not-Cached Write-Back Usr Read-Write +0x110}
18216 @end smallexample
18217
18218 @noindent
18219 (The @code{+ 3} offset is because the transfer buffer's address is the
18220 3rd member of the @code{_go32_info_block} structure.) The output
18221 clearly shows that this DPMI server maps the addresses in conventional
18222 memory 1:1, i.e.@: the physical (@code{0x00029000} + @code{0x110}) and
18223 linear (@code{0x29110}) addresses are identical.
18224
18225 This command is supported only with some DPMI servers.
18226 @end table
18227
18228 @cindex DOS serial data link, remote debugging
18229 In addition to native debugging, the DJGPP port supports remote
18230 debugging via a serial data link. The following commands are specific
18231 to remote serial debugging in the DJGPP port of @value{GDBN}.
18232
18233 @table @code
18234 @kindex set com1base
18235 @kindex set com1irq
18236 @kindex set com2base
18237 @kindex set com2irq
18238 @kindex set com3base
18239 @kindex set com3irq
18240 @kindex set com4base
18241 @kindex set com4irq
18242 @item set com1base @var{addr}
18243 This command sets the base I/O port address of the @file{COM1} serial
18244 port.
18245
18246 @item set com1irq @var{irq}
18247 This command sets the @dfn{Interrupt Request} (@code{IRQ}) line to use
18248 for the @file{COM1} serial port.
18249
18250 There are similar commands @samp{set com2base}, @samp{set com3irq},
18251 etc.@: for setting the port address and the @code{IRQ} lines for the
18252 other 3 COM ports.
18253
18254 @kindex show com1base
18255 @kindex show com1irq
18256 @kindex show com2base
18257 @kindex show com2irq
18258 @kindex show com3base
18259 @kindex show com3irq
18260 @kindex show com4base
18261 @kindex show com4irq
18262 The related commands @samp{show com1base}, @samp{show com1irq} etc.@:
18263 display the current settings of the base address and the @code{IRQ}
18264 lines used by the COM ports.
18265
18266 @item info serial
18267 @kindex info serial
18268 @cindex DOS serial port status
18269 This command prints the status of the 4 DOS serial ports. For each
18270 port, it prints whether it's active or not, its I/O base address and
18271 IRQ number, whether it uses a 16550-style FIFO, its baudrate, and the
18272 counts of various errors encountered so far.
18273 @end table
18274
18275
18276 @node Cygwin Native
18277 @subsection Features for Debugging MS Windows PE Executables
18278 @cindex MS Windows debugging
18279 @cindex native Cygwin debugging
18280 @cindex Cygwin-specific commands
18281
18282 @value{GDBN} supports native debugging of MS Windows programs, including
18283 DLLs with and without symbolic debugging information.
18284
18285 @cindex Ctrl-BREAK, MS-Windows
18286 @cindex interrupt debuggee on MS-Windows
18287 MS-Windows programs that call @code{SetConsoleMode} to switch off the
18288 special meaning of the @samp{Ctrl-C} keystroke cannot be interrupted
18289 by typing @kbd{C-c}. For this reason, @value{GDBN} on MS-Windows
18290 supports @kbd{C-@key{BREAK}} as an alternative interrupt key
18291 sequence, which can be used to interrupt the debuggee even if it
18292 ignores @kbd{C-c}.
18293
18294 There are various additional Cygwin-specific commands, described in
18295 this section. Working with DLLs that have no debugging symbols is
18296 described in @ref{Non-debug DLL Symbols}.
18297
18298 @table @code
18299 @kindex info w32
18300 @item info w32
18301 This is a prefix of MS Windows-specific commands which print
18302 information about the target system and important OS structures.
18303
18304 @item info w32 selector
18305 This command displays information returned by
18306 the Win32 API @code{GetThreadSelectorEntry} function.
18307 It takes an optional argument that is evaluated to
18308 a long value to give the information about this given selector.
18309 Without argument, this command displays information
18310 about the six segment registers.
18311
18312 @item info w32 thread-information-block
18313 This command displays thread specific information stored in the
18314 Thread Information Block (readable on the X86 CPU family using @code{$fs}
18315 selector for 32-bit programs and @code{$gs} for 64-bit programs).
18316
18317 @kindex info dll
18318 @item info dll
18319 This is a Cygwin-specific alias of @code{info shared}.
18320
18321 @kindex dll-symbols
18322 @item dll-symbols
18323 This command loads symbols from a dll similarly to
18324 add-sym command but without the need to specify a base address.
18325
18326 @kindex set cygwin-exceptions
18327 @cindex debugging the Cygwin DLL
18328 @cindex Cygwin DLL, debugging
18329 @item set cygwin-exceptions @var{mode}
18330 If @var{mode} is @code{on}, @value{GDBN} will break on exceptions that
18331 happen inside the Cygwin DLL. If @var{mode} is @code{off},
18332 @value{GDBN} will delay recognition of exceptions, and may ignore some
18333 exceptions which seem to be caused by internal Cygwin DLL
18334 ``bookkeeping''. This option is meant primarily for debugging the
18335 Cygwin DLL itself; the default value is @code{off} to avoid annoying
18336 @value{GDBN} users with false @code{SIGSEGV} signals.
18337
18338 @kindex show cygwin-exceptions
18339 @item show cygwin-exceptions
18340 Displays whether @value{GDBN} will break on exceptions that happen
18341 inside the Cygwin DLL itself.
18342
18343 @kindex set new-console
18344 @item set new-console @var{mode}
18345 If @var{mode} is @code{on} the debuggee will
18346 be started in a new console on next start.
18347 If @var{mode} is @code{off}, the debuggee will
18348 be started in the same console as the debugger.
18349
18350 @kindex show new-console
18351 @item show new-console
18352 Displays whether a new console is used
18353 when the debuggee is started.
18354
18355 @kindex set new-group
18356 @item set new-group @var{mode}
18357 This boolean value controls whether the debuggee should
18358 start a new group or stay in the same group as the debugger.
18359 This affects the way the Windows OS handles
18360 @samp{Ctrl-C}.
18361
18362 @kindex show new-group
18363 @item show new-group
18364 Displays current value of new-group boolean.
18365
18366 @kindex set debugevents
18367 @item set debugevents
18368 This boolean value adds debug output concerning kernel events related
18369 to the debuggee seen by the debugger. This includes events that
18370 signal thread and process creation and exit, DLL loading and
18371 unloading, console interrupts, and debugging messages produced by the
18372 Windows @code{OutputDebugString} API call.
18373
18374 @kindex set debugexec
18375 @item set debugexec
18376 This boolean value adds debug output concerning execute events
18377 (such as resume thread) seen by the debugger.
18378
18379 @kindex set debugexceptions
18380 @item set debugexceptions
18381 This boolean value adds debug output concerning exceptions in the
18382 debuggee seen by the debugger.
18383
18384 @kindex set debugmemory
18385 @item set debugmemory
18386 This boolean value adds debug output concerning debuggee memory reads
18387 and writes by the debugger.
18388
18389 @kindex set shell
18390 @item set shell
18391 This boolean values specifies whether the debuggee is called
18392 via a shell or directly (default value is on).
18393
18394 @kindex show shell
18395 @item show shell
18396 Displays if the debuggee will be started with a shell.
18397
18398 @end table
18399
18400 @menu
18401 * Non-debug DLL Symbols:: Support for DLLs without debugging symbols
18402 @end menu
18403
18404 @node Non-debug DLL Symbols
18405 @subsubsection Support for DLLs without Debugging Symbols
18406 @cindex DLLs with no debugging symbols
18407 @cindex Minimal symbols and DLLs
18408
18409 Very often on windows, some of the DLLs that your program relies on do
18410 not include symbolic debugging information (for example,
18411 @file{kernel32.dll}). When @value{GDBN} doesn't recognize any debugging
18412 symbols in a DLL, it relies on the minimal amount of symbolic
18413 information contained in the DLL's export table. This section
18414 describes working with such symbols, known internally to @value{GDBN} as
18415 ``minimal symbols''.
18416
18417 Note that before the debugged program has started execution, no DLLs
18418 will have been loaded. The easiest way around this problem is simply to
18419 start the program --- either by setting a breakpoint or letting the
18420 program run once to completion. It is also possible to force
18421 @value{GDBN} to load a particular DLL before starting the executable ---
18422 see the shared library information in @ref{Files}, or the
18423 @code{dll-symbols} command in @ref{Cygwin Native}. Currently,
18424 explicitly loading symbols from a DLL with no debugging information will
18425 cause the symbol names to be duplicated in @value{GDBN}'s lookup table,
18426 which may adversely affect symbol lookup performance.
18427
18428 @subsubsection DLL Name Prefixes
18429
18430 In keeping with the naming conventions used by the Microsoft debugging
18431 tools, DLL export symbols are made available with a prefix based on the
18432 DLL name, for instance @code{KERNEL32!CreateFileA}. The plain name is
18433 also entered into the symbol table, so @code{CreateFileA} is often
18434 sufficient. In some cases there will be name clashes within a program
18435 (particularly if the executable itself includes full debugging symbols)
18436 necessitating the use of the fully qualified name when referring to the
18437 contents of the DLL. Use single-quotes around the name to avoid the
18438 exclamation mark (``!'') being interpreted as a language operator.
18439
18440 Note that the internal name of the DLL may be all upper-case, even
18441 though the file name of the DLL is lower-case, or vice-versa. Since
18442 symbols within @value{GDBN} are @emph{case-sensitive} this may cause
18443 some confusion. If in doubt, try the @code{info functions} and
18444 @code{info variables} commands or even @code{maint print msymbols}
18445 (@pxref{Symbols}). Here's an example:
18446
18447 @smallexample
18448 (@value{GDBP}) info function CreateFileA
18449 All functions matching regular expression "CreateFileA":
18450
18451 Non-debugging symbols:
18452 0x77e885f4 CreateFileA
18453 0x77e885f4 KERNEL32!CreateFileA
18454 @end smallexample
18455
18456 @smallexample
18457 (@value{GDBP}) info function !
18458 All functions matching regular expression "!":
18459
18460 Non-debugging symbols:
18461 0x6100114c cygwin1!__assert
18462 0x61004034 cygwin1!_dll_crt0@@0
18463 0x61004240 cygwin1!dll_crt0(per_process *)
18464 [etc...]
18465 @end smallexample
18466
18467 @subsubsection Working with Minimal Symbols
18468
18469 Symbols extracted from a DLL's export table do not contain very much
18470 type information. All that @value{GDBN} can do is guess whether a symbol
18471 refers to a function or variable depending on the linker section that
18472 contains the symbol. Also note that the actual contents of the memory
18473 contained in a DLL are not available unless the program is running. This
18474 means that you cannot examine the contents of a variable or disassemble
18475 a function within a DLL without a running program.
18476
18477 Variables are generally treated as pointers and dereferenced
18478 automatically. For this reason, it is often necessary to prefix a
18479 variable name with the address-of operator (``&'') and provide explicit
18480 type information in the command. Here's an example of the type of
18481 problem:
18482
18483 @smallexample
18484 (@value{GDBP}) print 'cygwin1!__argv'
18485 $1 = 268572168
18486 @end smallexample
18487
18488 @smallexample
18489 (@value{GDBP}) x 'cygwin1!__argv'
18490 0x10021610: "\230y\""
18491 @end smallexample
18492
18493 And two possible solutions:
18494
18495 @smallexample
18496 (@value{GDBP}) print ((char **)'cygwin1!__argv')[0]
18497 $2 = 0x22fd98 "/cygdrive/c/mydirectory/myprogram"
18498 @end smallexample
18499
18500 @smallexample
18501 (@value{GDBP}) x/2x &'cygwin1!__argv'
18502 0x610c0aa8 <cygwin1!__argv>: 0x10021608 0x00000000
18503 (@value{GDBP}) x/x 0x10021608
18504 0x10021608: 0x0022fd98
18505 (@value{GDBP}) x/s 0x0022fd98
18506 0x22fd98: "/cygdrive/c/mydirectory/myprogram"
18507 @end smallexample
18508
18509 Setting a break point within a DLL is possible even before the program
18510 starts execution. However, under these circumstances, @value{GDBN} can't
18511 examine the initial instructions of the function in order to skip the
18512 function's frame set-up code. You can work around this by using ``*&''
18513 to set the breakpoint at a raw memory address:
18514
18515 @smallexample
18516 (@value{GDBP}) break *&'python22!PyOS_Readline'
18517 Breakpoint 1 at 0x1e04eff0
18518 @end smallexample
18519
18520 The author of these extensions is not entirely convinced that setting a
18521 break point within a shared DLL like @file{kernel32.dll} is completely
18522 safe.
18523
18524 @node Hurd Native
18525 @subsection Commands Specific to @sc{gnu} Hurd Systems
18526 @cindex @sc{gnu} Hurd debugging
18527
18528 This subsection describes @value{GDBN} commands specific to the
18529 @sc{gnu} Hurd native debugging.
18530
18531 @table @code
18532 @item set signals
18533 @itemx set sigs
18534 @kindex set signals@r{, Hurd command}
18535 @kindex set sigs@r{, Hurd command}
18536 This command toggles the state of inferior signal interception by
18537 @value{GDBN}. Mach exceptions, such as breakpoint traps, are not
18538 affected by this command. @code{sigs} is a shorthand alias for
18539 @code{signals}.
18540
18541 @item show signals
18542 @itemx show sigs
18543 @kindex show signals@r{, Hurd command}
18544 @kindex show sigs@r{, Hurd command}
18545 Show the current state of intercepting inferior's signals.
18546
18547 @item set signal-thread
18548 @itemx set sigthread
18549 @kindex set signal-thread
18550 @kindex set sigthread
18551 This command tells @value{GDBN} which thread is the @code{libc} signal
18552 thread. That thread is run when a signal is delivered to a running
18553 process. @code{set sigthread} is the shorthand alias of @code{set
18554 signal-thread}.
18555
18556 @item show signal-thread
18557 @itemx show sigthread
18558 @kindex show signal-thread
18559 @kindex show sigthread
18560 These two commands show which thread will run when the inferior is
18561 delivered a signal.
18562
18563 @item set stopped
18564 @kindex set stopped@r{, Hurd command}
18565 This commands tells @value{GDBN} that the inferior process is stopped,
18566 as with the @code{SIGSTOP} signal. The stopped process can be
18567 continued by delivering a signal to it.
18568
18569 @item show stopped
18570 @kindex show stopped@r{, Hurd command}
18571 This command shows whether @value{GDBN} thinks the debuggee is
18572 stopped.
18573
18574 @item set exceptions
18575 @kindex set exceptions@r{, Hurd command}
18576 Use this command to turn off trapping of exceptions in the inferior.
18577 When exception trapping is off, neither breakpoints nor
18578 single-stepping will work. To restore the default, set exception
18579 trapping on.
18580
18581 @item show exceptions
18582 @kindex show exceptions@r{, Hurd command}
18583 Show the current state of trapping exceptions in the inferior.
18584
18585 @item set task pause
18586 @kindex set task@r{, Hurd commands}
18587 @cindex task attributes (@sc{gnu} Hurd)
18588 @cindex pause current task (@sc{gnu} Hurd)
18589 This command toggles task suspension when @value{GDBN} has control.
18590 Setting it to on takes effect immediately, and the task is suspended
18591 whenever @value{GDBN} gets control. Setting it to off will take
18592 effect the next time the inferior is continued. If this option is set
18593 to off, you can use @code{set thread default pause on} or @code{set
18594 thread pause on} (see below) to pause individual threads.
18595
18596 @item show task pause
18597 @kindex show task@r{, Hurd commands}
18598 Show the current state of task suspension.
18599
18600 @item set task detach-suspend-count
18601 @cindex task suspend count
18602 @cindex detach from task, @sc{gnu} Hurd
18603 This command sets the suspend count the task will be left with when
18604 @value{GDBN} detaches from it.
18605
18606 @item show task detach-suspend-count
18607 Show the suspend count the task will be left with when detaching.
18608
18609 @item set task exception-port
18610 @itemx set task excp
18611 @cindex task exception port, @sc{gnu} Hurd
18612 This command sets the task exception port to which @value{GDBN} will
18613 forward exceptions. The argument should be the value of the @dfn{send
18614 rights} of the task. @code{set task excp} is a shorthand alias.
18615
18616 @item set noninvasive
18617 @cindex noninvasive task options
18618 This command switches @value{GDBN} to a mode that is the least
18619 invasive as far as interfering with the inferior is concerned. This
18620 is the same as using @code{set task pause}, @code{set exceptions}, and
18621 @code{set signals} to values opposite to the defaults.
18622
18623 @item info send-rights
18624 @itemx info receive-rights
18625 @itemx info port-rights
18626 @itemx info port-sets
18627 @itemx info dead-names
18628 @itemx info ports
18629 @itemx info psets
18630 @cindex send rights, @sc{gnu} Hurd
18631 @cindex receive rights, @sc{gnu} Hurd
18632 @cindex port rights, @sc{gnu} Hurd
18633 @cindex port sets, @sc{gnu} Hurd
18634 @cindex dead names, @sc{gnu} Hurd
18635 These commands display information about, respectively, send rights,
18636 receive rights, port rights, port sets, and dead names of a task.
18637 There are also shorthand aliases: @code{info ports} for @code{info
18638 port-rights} and @code{info psets} for @code{info port-sets}.
18639
18640 @item set thread pause
18641 @kindex set thread@r{, Hurd command}
18642 @cindex thread properties, @sc{gnu} Hurd
18643 @cindex pause current thread (@sc{gnu} Hurd)
18644 This command toggles current thread suspension when @value{GDBN} has
18645 control. Setting it to on takes effect immediately, and the current
18646 thread is suspended whenever @value{GDBN} gets control. Setting it to
18647 off will take effect the next time the inferior is continued.
18648 Normally, this command has no effect, since when @value{GDBN} has
18649 control, the whole task is suspended. However, if you used @code{set
18650 task pause off} (see above), this command comes in handy to suspend
18651 only the current thread.
18652
18653 @item show thread pause
18654 @kindex show thread@r{, Hurd command}
18655 This command shows the state of current thread suspension.
18656
18657 @item set thread run
18658 This command sets whether the current thread is allowed to run.
18659
18660 @item show thread run
18661 Show whether the current thread is allowed to run.
18662
18663 @item set thread detach-suspend-count
18664 @cindex thread suspend count, @sc{gnu} Hurd
18665 @cindex detach from thread, @sc{gnu} Hurd
18666 This command sets the suspend count @value{GDBN} will leave on a
18667 thread when detaching. This number is relative to the suspend count
18668 found by @value{GDBN} when it notices the thread; use @code{set thread
18669 takeover-suspend-count} to force it to an absolute value.
18670
18671 @item show thread detach-suspend-count
18672 Show the suspend count @value{GDBN} will leave on the thread when
18673 detaching.
18674
18675 @item set thread exception-port
18676 @itemx set thread excp
18677 Set the thread exception port to which to forward exceptions. This
18678 overrides the port set by @code{set task exception-port} (see above).
18679 @code{set thread excp} is the shorthand alias.
18680
18681 @item set thread takeover-suspend-count
18682 Normally, @value{GDBN}'s thread suspend counts are relative to the
18683 value @value{GDBN} finds when it notices each thread. This command
18684 changes the suspend counts to be absolute instead.
18685
18686 @item set thread default
18687 @itemx show thread default
18688 @cindex thread default settings, @sc{gnu} Hurd
18689 Each of the above @code{set thread} commands has a @code{set thread
18690 default} counterpart (e.g., @code{set thread default pause}, @code{set
18691 thread default exception-port}, etc.). The @code{thread default}
18692 variety of commands sets the default thread properties for all
18693 threads; you can then change the properties of individual threads with
18694 the non-default commands.
18695 @end table
18696
18697
18698 @node Neutrino
18699 @subsection QNX Neutrino
18700 @cindex QNX Neutrino
18701
18702 @value{GDBN} provides the following commands specific to the QNX
18703 Neutrino target:
18704
18705 @table @code
18706 @item set debug nto-debug
18707 @kindex set debug nto-debug
18708 When set to on, enables debugging messages specific to the QNX
18709 Neutrino support.
18710
18711 @item show debug nto-debug
18712 @kindex show debug nto-debug
18713 Show the current state of QNX Neutrino messages.
18714 @end table
18715
18716 @node Darwin
18717 @subsection Darwin
18718 @cindex Darwin
18719
18720 @value{GDBN} provides the following commands specific to the Darwin target:
18721
18722 @table @code
18723 @item set debug darwin @var{num}
18724 @kindex set debug darwin
18725 When set to a non zero value, enables debugging messages specific to
18726 the Darwin support. Higher values produce more verbose output.
18727
18728 @item show debug darwin
18729 @kindex show debug darwin
18730 Show the current state of Darwin messages.
18731
18732 @item set debug mach-o @var{num}
18733 @kindex set debug mach-o
18734 When set to a non zero value, enables debugging messages while
18735 @value{GDBN} is reading Darwin object files. (@dfn{Mach-O} is the
18736 file format used on Darwin for object and executable files.) Higher
18737 values produce more verbose output. This is a command to diagnose
18738 problems internal to @value{GDBN} and should not be needed in normal
18739 usage.
18740
18741 @item show debug mach-o
18742 @kindex show debug mach-o
18743 Show the current state of Mach-O file messages.
18744
18745 @item set mach-exceptions on
18746 @itemx set mach-exceptions off
18747 @kindex set mach-exceptions
18748 On Darwin, faults are first reported as a Mach exception and are then
18749 mapped to a Posix signal. Use this command to turn on trapping of
18750 Mach exceptions in the inferior. This might be sometimes useful to
18751 better understand the cause of a fault. The default is off.
18752
18753 @item show mach-exceptions
18754 @kindex show mach-exceptions
18755 Show the current state of exceptions trapping.
18756 @end table
18757
18758
18759 @node Embedded OS
18760 @section Embedded Operating Systems
18761
18762 This section describes configurations involving the debugging of
18763 embedded operating systems that are available for several different
18764 architectures.
18765
18766 @menu
18767 * VxWorks:: Using @value{GDBN} with VxWorks
18768 @end menu
18769
18770 @value{GDBN} includes the ability to debug programs running on
18771 various real-time operating systems.
18772
18773 @node VxWorks
18774 @subsection Using @value{GDBN} with VxWorks
18775
18776 @cindex VxWorks
18777
18778 @table @code
18779
18780 @kindex target vxworks
18781 @item target vxworks @var{machinename}
18782 A VxWorks system, attached via TCP/IP. The argument @var{machinename}
18783 is the target system's machine name or IP address.
18784
18785 @end table
18786
18787 On VxWorks, @code{load} links @var{filename} dynamically on the
18788 current target system as well as adding its symbols in @value{GDBN}.
18789
18790 @value{GDBN} enables developers to spawn and debug tasks running on networked
18791 VxWorks targets from a Unix host. Already-running tasks spawned from
18792 the VxWorks shell can also be debugged. @value{GDBN} uses code that runs on
18793 both the Unix host and on the VxWorks target. The program
18794 @code{@value{GDBP}} is installed and executed on the Unix host. (It may be
18795 installed with the name @code{vxgdb}, to distinguish it from a
18796 @value{GDBN} for debugging programs on the host itself.)
18797
18798 @table @code
18799 @item VxWorks-timeout @var{args}
18800 @kindex vxworks-timeout
18801 All VxWorks-based targets now support the option @code{vxworks-timeout}.
18802 This option is set by the user, and @var{args} represents the number of
18803 seconds @value{GDBN} waits for responses to rpc's. You might use this if
18804 your VxWorks target is a slow software simulator or is on the far side
18805 of a thin network line.
18806 @end table
18807
18808 The following information on connecting to VxWorks was current when
18809 this manual was produced; newer releases of VxWorks may use revised
18810 procedures.
18811
18812 @findex INCLUDE_RDB
18813 To use @value{GDBN} with VxWorks, you must rebuild your VxWorks kernel
18814 to include the remote debugging interface routines in the VxWorks
18815 library @file{rdb.a}. To do this, define @code{INCLUDE_RDB} in the
18816 VxWorks configuration file @file{configAll.h} and rebuild your VxWorks
18817 kernel. The resulting kernel contains @file{rdb.a}, and spawns the
18818 source debugging task @code{tRdbTask} when VxWorks is booted. For more
18819 information on configuring and remaking VxWorks, see the manufacturer's
18820 manual.
18821 @c VxWorks, see the @cite{VxWorks Programmer's Guide}.
18822
18823 Once you have included @file{rdb.a} in your VxWorks system image and set
18824 your Unix execution search path to find @value{GDBN}, you are ready to
18825 run @value{GDBN}. From your Unix host, run @code{@value{GDBP}} (or
18826 @code{vxgdb}, depending on your installation).
18827
18828 @value{GDBN} comes up showing the prompt:
18829
18830 @smallexample
18831 (vxgdb)
18832 @end smallexample
18833
18834 @menu
18835 * VxWorks Connection:: Connecting to VxWorks
18836 * VxWorks Download:: VxWorks download
18837 * VxWorks Attach:: Running tasks
18838 @end menu
18839
18840 @node VxWorks Connection
18841 @subsubsection Connecting to VxWorks
18842
18843 The @value{GDBN} command @code{target} lets you connect to a VxWorks target on the
18844 network. To connect to a target whose host name is ``@code{tt}'', type:
18845
18846 @smallexample
18847 (vxgdb) target vxworks tt
18848 @end smallexample
18849
18850 @need 750
18851 @value{GDBN} displays messages like these:
18852
18853 @smallexample
18854 Attaching remote machine across net...
18855 Connected to tt.
18856 @end smallexample
18857
18858 @need 1000
18859 @value{GDBN} then attempts to read the symbol tables of any object modules
18860 loaded into the VxWorks target since it was last booted. @value{GDBN} locates
18861 these files by searching the directories listed in the command search
18862 path (@pxref{Environment, ,Your Program's Environment}); if it fails
18863 to find an object file, it displays a message such as:
18864
18865 @smallexample
18866 prog.o: No such file or directory.
18867 @end smallexample
18868
18869 When this happens, add the appropriate directory to the search path with
18870 the @value{GDBN} command @code{path}, and execute the @code{target}
18871 command again.
18872
18873 @node VxWorks Download
18874 @subsubsection VxWorks Download
18875
18876 @cindex download to VxWorks
18877 If you have connected to the VxWorks target and you want to debug an
18878 object that has not yet been loaded, you can use the @value{GDBN}
18879 @code{load} command to download a file from Unix to VxWorks
18880 incrementally. The object file given as an argument to the @code{load}
18881 command is actually opened twice: first by the VxWorks target in order
18882 to download the code, then by @value{GDBN} in order to read the symbol
18883 table. This can lead to problems if the current working directories on
18884 the two systems differ. If both systems have NFS mounted the same
18885 filesystems, you can avoid these problems by using absolute paths.
18886 Otherwise, it is simplest to set the working directory on both systems
18887 to the directory in which the object file resides, and then to reference
18888 the file by its name, without any path. For instance, a program
18889 @file{prog.o} may reside in @file{@var{vxpath}/vw/demo/rdb} in VxWorks
18890 and in @file{@var{hostpath}/vw/demo/rdb} on the host. To load this
18891 program, type this on VxWorks:
18892
18893 @smallexample
18894 -> cd "@var{vxpath}/vw/demo/rdb"
18895 @end smallexample
18896
18897 @noindent
18898 Then, in @value{GDBN}, type:
18899
18900 @smallexample
18901 (vxgdb) cd @var{hostpath}/vw/demo/rdb
18902 (vxgdb) load prog.o
18903 @end smallexample
18904
18905 @value{GDBN} displays a response similar to this:
18906
18907 @smallexample
18908 Reading symbol data from wherever/vw/demo/rdb/prog.o... done.
18909 @end smallexample
18910
18911 You can also use the @code{load} command to reload an object module
18912 after editing and recompiling the corresponding source file. Note that
18913 this makes @value{GDBN} delete all currently-defined breakpoints,
18914 auto-displays, and convenience variables, and to clear the value
18915 history. (This is necessary in order to preserve the integrity of
18916 debugger's data structures that reference the target system's symbol
18917 table.)
18918
18919 @node VxWorks Attach
18920 @subsubsection Running Tasks
18921
18922 @cindex running VxWorks tasks
18923 You can also attach to an existing task using the @code{attach} command as
18924 follows:
18925
18926 @smallexample
18927 (vxgdb) attach @var{task}
18928 @end smallexample
18929
18930 @noindent
18931 where @var{task} is the VxWorks hexadecimal task ID. The task can be running
18932 or suspended when you attach to it. Running tasks are suspended at
18933 the time of attachment.
18934
18935 @node Embedded Processors
18936 @section Embedded Processors
18937
18938 This section goes into details specific to particular embedded
18939 configurations.
18940
18941 @cindex send command to simulator
18942 Whenever a specific embedded processor has a simulator, @value{GDBN}
18943 allows to send an arbitrary command to the simulator.
18944
18945 @table @code
18946 @item sim @var{command}
18947 @kindex sim@r{, a command}
18948 Send an arbitrary @var{command} string to the simulator. Consult the
18949 documentation for the specific simulator in use for information about
18950 acceptable commands.
18951 @end table
18952
18953
18954 @menu
18955 * ARM:: ARM RDI
18956 * M32R/D:: Renesas M32R/D
18957 * M68K:: Motorola M68K
18958 * MicroBlaze:: Xilinx MicroBlaze
18959 * MIPS Embedded:: MIPS Embedded
18960 * OpenRISC 1000:: OpenRisc 1000
18961 * PA:: HP PA Embedded
18962 * PowerPC Embedded:: PowerPC Embedded
18963 * Sparclet:: Tsqware Sparclet
18964 * Sparclite:: Fujitsu Sparclite
18965 * Z8000:: Zilog Z8000
18966 * AVR:: Atmel AVR
18967 * CRIS:: CRIS
18968 * Super-H:: Renesas Super-H
18969 @end menu
18970
18971 @node ARM
18972 @subsection ARM
18973 @cindex ARM RDI
18974
18975 @table @code
18976 @kindex target rdi
18977 @item target rdi @var{dev}
18978 ARM Angel monitor, via RDI library interface to ADP protocol. You may
18979 use this target to communicate with both boards running the Angel
18980 monitor, or with the EmbeddedICE JTAG debug device.
18981
18982 @kindex target rdp
18983 @item target rdp @var{dev}
18984 ARM Demon monitor.
18985
18986 @end table
18987
18988 @value{GDBN} provides the following ARM-specific commands:
18989
18990 @table @code
18991 @item set arm disassembler
18992 @kindex set arm
18993 This commands selects from a list of disassembly styles. The
18994 @code{"std"} style is the standard style.
18995
18996 @item show arm disassembler
18997 @kindex show arm
18998 Show the current disassembly style.
18999
19000 @item set arm apcs32
19001 @cindex ARM 32-bit mode
19002 This command toggles ARM operation mode between 32-bit and 26-bit.
19003
19004 @item show arm apcs32
19005 Display the current usage of the ARM 32-bit mode.
19006
19007 @item set arm fpu @var{fputype}
19008 This command sets the ARM floating-point unit (FPU) type. The
19009 argument @var{fputype} can be one of these:
19010
19011 @table @code
19012 @item auto
19013 Determine the FPU type by querying the OS ABI.
19014 @item softfpa
19015 Software FPU, with mixed-endian doubles on little-endian ARM
19016 processors.
19017 @item fpa
19018 GCC-compiled FPA co-processor.
19019 @item softvfp
19020 Software FPU with pure-endian doubles.
19021 @item vfp
19022 VFP co-processor.
19023 @end table
19024
19025 @item show arm fpu
19026 Show the current type of the FPU.
19027
19028 @item set arm abi
19029 This command forces @value{GDBN} to use the specified ABI.
19030
19031 @item show arm abi
19032 Show the currently used ABI.
19033
19034 @item set arm fallback-mode (arm|thumb|auto)
19035 @value{GDBN} uses the symbol table, when available, to determine
19036 whether instructions are ARM or Thumb. This command controls
19037 @value{GDBN}'s default behavior when the symbol table is not
19038 available. The default is @samp{auto}, which causes @value{GDBN} to
19039 use the current execution mode (from the @code{T} bit in the @code{CPSR}
19040 register).
19041
19042 @item show arm fallback-mode
19043 Show the current fallback instruction mode.
19044
19045 @item set arm force-mode (arm|thumb|auto)
19046 This command overrides use of the symbol table to determine whether
19047 instructions are ARM or Thumb. The default is @samp{auto}, which
19048 causes @value{GDBN} to use the symbol table and then the setting
19049 of @samp{set arm fallback-mode}.
19050
19051 @item show arm force-mode
19052 Show the current forced instruction mode.
19053
19054 @item set debug arm
19055 Toggle whether to display ARM-specific debugging messages from the ARM
19056 target support subsystem.
19057
19058 @item show debug arm
19059 Show whether ARM-specific debugging messages are enabled.
19060 @end table
19061
19062 The following commands are available when an ARM target is debugged
19063 using the RDI interface:
19064
19065 @table @code
19066 @item rdilogfile @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
19067 @kindex rdilogfile
19068 @cindex ADP (Angel Debugger Protocol) logging
19069 Set the filename for the ADP (Angel Debugger Protocol) packet log.
19070 With an argument, sets the log file to the specified @var{file}. With
19071 no argument, show the current log file name. The default log file is
19072 @file{rdi.log}.
19073
19074 @item rdilogenable @r{[}@var{arg}@r{]}
19075 @kindex rdilogenable
19076 Control logging of ADP packets. With an argument of 1 or @code{"yes"}
19077 enables logging, with an argument 0 or @code{"no"} disables it. With
19078 no arguments displays the current setting. When logging is enabled,
19079 ADP packets exchanged between @value{GDBN} and the RDI target device
19080 are logged to a file.
19081
19082 @item set rdiromatzero
19083 @kindex set rdiromatzero
19084 @cindex ROM at zero address, RDI
19085 Tell @value{GDBN} whether the target has ROM at address 0. If on,
19086 vector catching is disabled, so that zero address can be used. If off
19087 (the default), vector catching is enabled. For this command to take
19088 effect, it needs to be invoked prior to the @code{target rdi} command.
19089
19090 @item show rdiromatzero
19091 @kindex show rdiromatzero
19092 Show the current setting of ROM at zero address.
19093
19094 @item set rdiheartbeat
19095 @kindex set rdiheartbeat
19096 @cindex RDI heartbeat
19097 Enable or disable RDI heartbeat packets. It is not recommended to
19098 turn on this option, since it confuses ARM and EPI JTAG interface, as
19099 well as the Angel monitor.
19100
19101 @item show rdiheartbeat
19102 @kindex show rdiheartbeat
19103 Show the setting of RDI heartbeat packets.
19104 @end table
19105
19106 @table @code
19107 @item target sim @r{[}@var{simargs}@r{]} @dots{}
19108 The @value{GDBN} ARM simulator accepts the following optional arguments.
19109
19110 @table @code
19111 @item --swi-support=@var{type}
19112 Tell the simulator which SWI interfaces to support.
19113 @var{type} may be a comma separated list of the following values.
19114 The default value is @code{all}.
19115
19116 @table @code
19117 @item none
19118 @item demon
19119 @item angel
19120 @item redboot
19121 @item all
19122 @end table
19123 @end table
19124 @end table
19125
19126 @node M32R/D
19127 @subsection Renesas M32R/D and M32R/SDI
19128
19129 @table @code
19130 @kindex target m32r
19131 @item target m32r @var{dev}
19132 Renesas M32R/D ROM monitor.
19133
19134 @kindex target m32rsdi
19135 @item target m32rsdi @var{dev}
19136 Renesas M32R SDI server, connected via parallel port to the board.
19137 @end table
19138
19139 The following @value{GDBN} commands are specific to the M32R monitor:
19140
19141 @table @code
19142 @item set download-path @var{path}
19143 @kindex set download-path
19144 @cindex find downloadable @sc{srec} files (M32R)
19145 Set the default path for finding downloadable @sc{srec} files.
19146
19147 @item show download-path
19148 @kindex show download-path
19149 Show the default path for downloadable @sc{srec} files.
19150
19151 @item set board-address @var{addr}
19152 @kindex set board-address
19153 @cindex M32-EVA target board address
19154 Set the IP address for the M32R-EVA target board.
19155
19156 @item show board-address
19157 @kindex show board-address
19158 Show the current IP address of the target board.
19159
19160 @item set server-address @var{addr}
19161 @kindex set server-address
19162 @cindex download server address (M32R)
19163 Set the IP address for the download server, which is the @value{GDBN}'s
19164 host machine.
19165
19166 @item show server-address
19167 @kindex show server-address
19168 Display the IP address of the download server.
19169
19170 @item upload @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
19171 @kindex upload@r{, M32R}
19172 Upload the specified @sc{srec} @var{file} via the monitor's Ethernet
19173 upload capability. If no @var{file} argument is given, the current
19174 executable file is uploaded.
19175
19176 @item tload @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
19177 @kindex tload@r{, M32R}
19178 Test the @code{upload} command.
19179 @end table
19180
19181 The following commands are available for M32R/SDI:
19182
19183 @table @code
19184 @item sdireset
19185 @kindex sdireset
19186 @cindex reset SDI connection, M32R
19187 This command resets the SDI connection.
19188
19189 @item sdistatus
19190 @kindex sdistatus
19191 This command shows the SDI connection status.
19192
19193 @item debug_chaos
19194 @kindex debug_chaos
19195 @cindex M32R/Chaos debugging
19196 Instructs the remote that M32R/Chaos debugging is to be used.
19197
19198 @item use_debug_dma
19199 @kindex use_debug_dma
19200 Instructs the remote to use the DEBUG_DMA method of accessing memory.
19201
19202 @item use_mon_code
19203 @kindex use_mon_code
19204 Instructs the remote to use the MON_CODE method of accessing memory.
19205
19206 @item use_ib_break
19207 @kindex use_ib_break
19208 Instructs the remote to set breakpoints by IB break.
19209
19210 @item use_dbt_break
19211 @kindex use_dbt_break
19212 Instructs the remote to set breakpoints by DBT.
19213 @end table
19214
19215 @node M68K
19216 @subsection M68k
19217
19218 The Motorola m68k configuration includes ColdFire support, and a
19219 target command for the following ROM monitor.
19220
19221 @table @code
19222
19223 @kindex target dbug
19224 @item target dbug @var{dev}
19225 dBUG ROM monitor for Motorola ColdFire.
19226
19227 @end table
19228
19229 @node MicroBlaze
19230 @subsection MicroBlaze
19231 @cindex Xilinx MicroBlaze
19232 @cindex XMD, Xilinx Microprocessor Debugger
19233
19234 The MicroBlaze is a soft-core processor supported on various Xilinx
19235 FPGAs, such as Spartan or Virtex series. Boards with these processors
19236 usually have JTAG ports which connect to a host system running the Xilinx
19237 Embedded Development Kit (EDK) or Software Development Kit (SDK).
19238 This host system is used to download the configuration bitstream to
19239 the target FPGA. The Xilinx Microprocessor Debugger (XMD) program
19240 communicates with the target board using the JTAG interface and
19241 presents a @code{gdbserver} interface to the board. By default
19242 @code{xmd} uses port @code{1234}. (While it is possible to change
19243 this default port, it requires the use of undocumented @code{xmd}
19244 commands. Contact Xilinx support if you need to do this.)
19245
19246 Use these GDB commands to connect to the MicroBlaze target processor.
19247
19248 @table @code
19249 @item target remote :1234
19250 Use this command to connect to the target if you are running @value{GDBN}
19251 on the same system as @code{xmd}.
19252
19253 @item target remote @var{xmd-host}:1234
19254 Use this command to connect to the target if it is connected to @code{xmd}
19255 running on a different system named @var{xmd-host}.
19256
19257 @item load
19258 Use this command to download a program to the MicroBlaze target.
19259
19260 @item set debug microblaze @var{n}
19261 Enable MicroBlaze-specific debugging messages if non-zero.
19262
19263 @item show debug microblaze @var{n}
19264 Show MicroBlaze-specific debugging level.
19265 @end table
19266
19267 @node MIPS Embedded
19268 @subsection MIPS Embedded
19269
19270 @cindex MIPS boards
19271 @value{GDBN} can use the MIPS remote debugging protocol to talk to a
19272 MIPS board attached to a serial line. This is available when
19273 you configure @value{GDBN} with @samp{--target=mips-elf}.
19274
19275 @need 1000
19276 Use these @value{GDBN} commands to specify the connection to your target board:
19277
19278 @table @code
19279 @item target mips @var{port}
19280 @kindex target mips @var{port}
19281 To run a program on the board, start up @code{@value{GDBP}} with the
19282 name of your program as the argument. To connect to the board, use the
19283 command @samp{target mips @var{port}}, where @var{port} is the name of
19284 the serial port connected to the board. If the program has not already
19285 been downloaded to the board, you may use the @code{load} command to
19286 download it. You can then use all the usual @value{GDBN} commands.
19287
19288 For example, this sequence connects to the target board through a serial
19289 port, and loads and runs a program called @var{prog} through the
19290 debugger:
19291
19292 @smallexample
19293 host$ @value{GDBP} @var{prog}
19294 @value{GDBN} is free software and @dots{}
19295 (@value{GDBP}) target mips /dev/ttyb
19296 (@value{GDBP}) load @var{prog}
19297 (@value{GDBP}) run
19298 @end smallexample
19299
19300 @item target mips @var{hostname}:@var{portnumber}
19301 On some @value{GDBN} host configurations, you can specify a TCP
19302 connection (for instance, to a serial line managed by a terminal
19303 concentrator) instead of a serial port, using the syntax
19304 @samp{@var{hostname}:@var{portnumber}}.
19305
19306 @item target pmon @var{port}
19307 @kindex target pmon @var{port}
19308 PMON ROM monitor.
19309
19310 @item target ddb @var{port}
19311 @kindex target ddb @var{port}
19312 NEC's DDB variant of PMON for Vr4300.
19313
19314 @item target lsi @var{port}
19315 @kindex target lsi @var{port}
19316 LSI variant of PMON.
19317
19318 @kindex target r3900
19319 @item target r3900 @var{dev}
19320 Densan DVE-R3900 ROM monitor for Toshiba R3900 Mips.
19321
19322 @kindex target array
19323 @item target array @var{dev}
19324 Array Tech LSI33K RAID controller board.
19325
19326 @end table
19327
19328
19329 @noindent
19330 @value{GDBN} also supports these special commands for MIPS targets:
19331
19332 @table @code
19333 @item set mipsfpu double
19334 @itemx set mipsfpu single
19335 @itemx set mipsfpu none
19336 @itemx set mipsfpu auto
19337 @itemx show mipsfpu
19338 @kindex set mipsfpu
19339 @kindex show mipsfpu
19340 @cindex MIPS remote floating point
19341 @cindex floating point, MIPS remote
19342 If your target board does not support the MIPS floating point
19343 coprocessor, you should use the command @samp{set mipsfpu none} (if you
19344 need this, you may wish to put the command in your @value{GDBN} init
19345 file). This tells @value{GDBN} how to find the return value of
19346 functions which return floating point values. It also allows
19347 @value{GDBN} to avoid saving the floating point registers when calling
19348 functions on the board. If you are using a floating point coprocessor
19349 with only single precision floating point support, as on the @sc{r4650}
19350 processor, use the command @samp{set mipsfpu single}. The default
19351 double precision floating point coprocessor may be selected using
19352 @samp{set mipsfpu double}.
19353
19354 In previous versions the only choices were double precision or no
19355 floating point, so @samp{set mipsfpu on} will select double precision
19356 and @samp{set mipsfpu off} will select no floating point.
19357
19358 As usual, you can inquire about the @code{mipsfpu} variable with
19359 @samp{show mipsfpu}.
19360
19361 @item set timeout @var{seconds}
19362 @itemx set retransmit-timeout @var{seconds}
19363 @itemx show timeout
19364 @itemx show retransmit-timeout
19365 @cindex @code{timeout}, MIPS protocol
19366 @cindex @code{retransmit-timeout}, MIPS protocol
19367 @kindex set timeout
19368 @kindex show timeout
19369 @kindex set retransmit-timeout
19370 @kindex show retransmit-timeout
19371 You can control the timeout used while waiting for a packet, in the MIPS
19372 remote protocol, with the @code{set timeout @var{seconds}} command. The
19373 default is 5 seconds. Similarly, you can control the timeout used while
19374 waiting for an acknowledgment of a packet with the @code{set
19375 retransmit-timeout @var{seconds}} command. The default is 3 seconds.
19376 You can inspect both values with @code{show timeout} and @code{show
19377 retransmit-timeout}. (These commands are @emph{only} available when
19378 @value{GDBN} is configured for @samp{--target=mips-elf}.)
19379
19380 The timeout set by @code{set timeout} does not apply when @value{GDBN}
19381 is waiting for your program to stop. In that case, @value{GDBN} waits
19382 forever because it has no way of knowing how long the program is going
19383 to run before stopping.
19384
19385 @item set syn-garbage-limit @var{num}
19386 @kindex set syn-garbage-limit@r{, MIPS remote}
19387 @cindex synchronize with remote MIPS target
19388 Limit the maximum number of characters @value{GDBN} should ignore when
19389 it tries to synchronize with the remote target. The default is 10
19390 characters. Setting the limit to -1 means there's no limit.
19391
19392 @item show syn-garbage-limit
19393 @kindex show syn-garbage-limit@r{, MIPS remote}
19394 Show the current limit on the number of characters to ignore when
19395 trying to synchronize with the remote system.
19396
19397 @item set monitor-prompt @var{prompt}
19398 @kindex set monitor-prompt@r{, MIPS remote}
19399 @cindex remote monitor prompt
19400 Tell @value{GDBN} to expect the specified @var{prompt} string from the
19401 remote monitor. The default depends on the target:
19402 @table @asis
19403 @item pmon target
19404 @samp{PMON}
19405 @item ddb target
19406 @samp{NEC010}
19407 @item lsi target
19408 @samp{PMON>}
19409 @end table
19410
19411 @item show monitor-prompt
19412 @kindex show monitor-prompt@r{, MIPS remote}
19413 Show the current strings @value{GDBN} expects as the prompt from the
19414 remote monitor.
19415
19416 @item set monitor-warnings
19417 @kindex set monitor-warnings@r{, MIPS remote}
19418 Enable or disable monitor warnings about hardware breakpoints. This
19419 has effect only for the @code{lsi} target. When on, @value{GDBN} will
19420 display warning messages whose codes are returned by the @code{lsi}
19421 PMON monitor for breakpoint commands.
19422
19423 @item show monitor-warnings
19424 @kindex show monitor-warnings@r{, MIPS remote}
19425 Show the current setting of printing monitor warnings.
19426
19427 @item pmon @var{command}
19428 @kindex pmon@r{, MIPS remote}
19429 @cindex send PMON command
19430 This command allows sending an arbitrary @var{command} string to the
19431 monitor. The monitor must be in debug mode for this to work.
19432 @end table
19433
19434 @node OpenRISC 1000
19435 @subsection OpenRISC 1000
19436 @cindex OpenRISC 1000
19437
19438 @cindex or1k boards
19439 See OR1k Architecture document (@uref{www.opencores.org}) for more information
19440 about platform and commands.
19441
19442 @table @code
19443
19444 @kindex target jtag
19445 @item target jtag jtag://@var{host}:@var{port}
19446
19447 Connects to remote JTAG server.
19448 JTAG remote server can be either an or1ksim or JTAG server,
19449 connected via parallel port to the board.
19450
19451 Example: @code{target jtag jtag://localhost:9999}
19452
19453 @kindex or1ksim
19454 @item or1ksim @var{command}
19455 If connected to @code{or1ksim} OpenRISC 1000 Architectural
19456 Simulator, proprietary commands can be executed.
19457
19458 @kindex info or1k spr
19459 @item info or1k spr
19460 Displays spr groups.
19461
19462 @item info or1k spr @var{group}
19463 @itemx info or1k spr @var{groupno}
19464 Displays register names in selected group.
19465
19466 @item info or1k spr @var{group} @var{register}
19467 @itemx info or1k spr @var{register}
19468 @itemx info or1k spr @var{groupno} @var{registerno}
19469 @itemx info or1k spr @var{registerno}
19470 Shows information about specified spr register.
19471
19472 @kindex spr
19473 @item spr @var{group} @var{register} @var{value}
19474 @itemx spr @var{register @var{value}}
19475 @itemx spr @var{groupno} @var{registerno @var{value}}
19476 @itemx spr @var{registerno @var{value}}
19477 Writes @var{value} to specified spr register.
19478 @end table
19479
19480 Some implementations of OpenRISC 1000 Architecture also have hardware trace.
19481 It is very similar to @value{GDBN} trace, except it does not interfere with normal
19482 program execution and is thus much faster. Hardware breakpoints/watchpoint
19483 triggers can be set using:
19484 @table @code
19485 @item $LEA/$LDATA
19486 Load effective address/data
19487 @item $SEA/$SDATA
19488 Store effective address/data
19489 @item $AEA/$ADATA
19490 Access effective address ($SEA or $LEA) or data ($SDATA/$LDATA)
19491 @item $FETCH
19492 Fetch data
19493 @end table
19494
19495 When triggered, it can capture low level data, like: @code{PC}, @code{LSEA},
19496 @code{LDATA}, @code{SDATA}, @code{READSPR}, @code{WRITESPR}, @code{INSTR}.
19497
19498 @code{htrace} commands:
19499 @cindex OpenRISC 1000 htrace
19500 @table @code
19501 @kindex hwatch
19502 @item hwatch @var{conditional}
19503 Set hardware watchpoint on combination of Load/Store Effective Address(es)
19504 or Data. For example:
19505
19506 @code{hwatch ($LEA == my_var) && ($LDATA < 50) || ($SEA == my_var) && ($SDATA >= 50)}
19507
19508 @code{hwatch ($LEA == my_var) && ($LDATA < 50) || ($SEA == my_var) && ($SDATA >= 50)}
19509
19510 @kindex htrace
19511 @item htrace info
19512 Display information about current HW trace configuration.
19513
19514 @item htrace trigger @var{conditional}
19515 Set starting criteria for HW trace.
19516
19517 @item htrace qualifier @var{conditional}
19518 Set acquisition qualifier for HW trace.
19519
19520 @item htrace stop @var{conditional}
19521 Set HW trace stopping criteria.
19522
19523 @item htrace record [@var{data}]*
19524 Selects the data to be recorded, when qualifier is met and HW trace was
19525 triggered.
19526
19527 @item htrace enable
19528 @itemx htrace disable
19529 Enables/disables the HW trace.
19530
19531 @item htrace rewind [@var{filename}]
19532 Clears currently recorded trace data.
19533
19534 If filename is specified, new trace file is made and any newly collected data
19535 will be written there.
19536
19537 @item htrace print [@var{start} [@var{len}]]
19538 Prints trace buffer, using current record configuration.
19539
19540 @item htrace mode continuous
19541 Set continuous trace mode.
19542
19543 @item htrace mode suspend
19544 Set suspend trace mode.
19545
19546 @end table
19547
19548 @node PowerPC Embedded
19549 @subsection PowerPC Embedded
19550
19551 @cindex DVC register
19552 @value{GDBN} supports using the DVC (Data Value Compare) register to
19553 implement in hardware simple hardware watchpoint conditions of the form:
19554
19555 @smallexample
19556 (@value{GDBP}) watch @var{ADDRESS|VARIABLE} \
19557 if @var{ADDRESS|VARIABLE} == @var{CONSTANT EXPRESSION}
19558 @end smallexample
19559
19560 The DVC register will be automatically used when @value{GDBN} detects
19561 such pattern in a condition expression, and the created watchpoint uses one
19562 debug register (either the @code{exact-watchpoints} option is on and the
19563 variable is scalar, or the variable has a length of one byte). This feature
19564 is available in native @value{GDBN} running on a Linux kernel version 2.6.34
19565 or newer.
19566
19567 When running on PowerPC embedded processors, @value{GDBN} automatically uses
19568 ranged hardware watchpoints, unless the @code{exact-watchpoints} option is on,
19569 in which case watchpoints using only one debug register are created when
19570 watching variables of scalar types.
19571
19572 You can create an artificial array to watch an arbitrary memory
19573 region using one of the following commands (@pxref{Expressions}):
19574
19575 @smallexample
19576 (@value{GDBP}) watch *((char *) @var{address})@@@var{length}
19577 (@value{GDBP}) watch @{char[@var{length}]@} @var{address}
19578 @end smallexample
19579
19580 PowerPC embedded processors support masked watchpoints. See the discussion
19581 about the @code{mask} argument in @ref{Set Watchpoints}.
19582
19583 @cindex ranged breakpoint
19584 PowerPC embedded processors support hardware accelerated
19585 @dfn{ranged breakpoints}. A ranged breakpoint stops execution of
19586 the inferior whenever it executes an instruction at any address within
19587 the range it specifies. To set a ranged breakpoint in @value{GDBN},
19588 use the @code{break-range} command.
19589
19590 @value{GDBN} provides the following PowerPC-specific commands:
19591
19592 @table @code
19593 @kindex break-range
19594 @item break-range @var{start-location}, @var{end-location}
19595 Set a breakpoint for an address range.
19596 @var{start-location} and @var{end-location} can specify a function name,
19597 a line number, an offset of lines from the current line or from the start
19598 location, or an address of an instruction (see @ref{Specify Location},
19599 for a list of all the possible ways to specify a @var{location}.)
19600 The breakpoint will stop execution of the inferior whenever it
19601 executes an instruction at any address within the specified range,
19602 (including @var{start-location} and @var{end-location}.)
19603
19604 @kindex set powerpc
19605 @item set powerpc soft-float
19606 @itemx show powerpc soft-float
19607 Force @value{GDBN} to use (or not use) a software floating point calling
19608 convention. By default, @value{GDBN} selects the calling convention based
19609 on the selected architecture and the provided executable file.
19610
19611 @item set powerpc vector-abi
19612 @itemx show powerpc vector-abi
19613 Force @value{GDBN} to use the specified calling convention for vector
19614 arguments and return values. The valid options are @samp{auto};
19615 @samp{generic}, to avoid vector registers even if they are present;
19616 @samp{altivec}, to use AltiVec registers; and @samp{spe} to use SPE
19617 registers. By default, @value{GDBN} selects the calling convention
19618 based on the selected architecture and the provided executable file.
19619
19620 @item set powerpc exact-watchpoints
19621 @itemx show powerpc exact-watchpoints
19622 Allow @value{GDBN} to use only one debug register when watching a variable
19623 of scalar type, thus assuming that the variable is accessed through the
19624 address of its first byte.
19625
19626 @kindex target dink32
19627 @item target dink32 @var{dev}
19628 DINK32 ROM monitor.
19629
19630 @kindex target ppcbug
19631 @item target ppcbug @var{dev}
19632 @kindex target ppcbug1
19633 @item target ppcbug1 @var{dev}
19634 PPCBUG ROM monitor for PowerPC.
19635
19636 @kindex target sds
19637 @item target sds @var{dev}
19638 SDS monitor, running on a PowerPC board (such as Motorola's ADS).
19639 @end table
19640
19641 @cindex SDS protocol
19642 The following commands specific to the SDS protocol are supported
19643 by @value{GDBN}:
19644
19645 @table @code
19646 @item set sdstimeout @var{nsec}
19647 @kindex set sdstimeout
19648 Set the timeout for SDS protocol reads to be @var{nsec} seconds. The
19649 default is 2 seconds.
19650
19651 @item show sdstimeout
19652 @kindex show sdstimeout
19653 Show the current value of the SDS timeout.
19654
19655 @item sds @var{command}
19656 @kindex sds@r{, a command}
19657 Send the specified @var{command} string to the SDS monitor.
19658 @end table
19659
19660
19661 @node PA
19662 @subsection HP PA Embedded
19663
19664 @table @code
19665
19666 @kindex target op50n
19667 @item target op50n @var{dev}
19668 OP50N monitor, running on an OKI HPPA board.
19669
19670 @kindex target w89k
19671 @item target w89k @var{dev}
19672 W89K monitor, running on a Winbond HPPA board.
19673
19674 @end table
19675
19676 @node Sparclet
19677 @subsection Tsqware Sparclet
19678
19679 @cindex Sparclet
19680
19681 @value{GDBN} enables developers to debug tasks running on
19682 Sparclet targets from a Unix host.
19683 @value{GDBN} uses code that runs on
19684 both the Unix host and on the Sparclet target. The program
19685 @code{@value{GDBP}} is installed and executed on the Unix host.
19686
19687 @table @code
19688 @item remotetimeout @var{args}
19689 @kindex remotetimeout
19690 @value{GDBN} supports the option @code{remotetimeout}.
19691 This option is set by the user, and @var{args} represents the number of
19692 seconds @value{GDBN} waits for responses.
19693 @end table
19694
19695 @cindex compiling, on Sparclet
19696 When compiling for debugging, include the options @samp{-g} to get debug
19697 information and @samp{-Ttext} to relocate the program to where you wish to
19698 load it on the target. You may also want to add the options @samp{-n} or
19699 @samp{-N} in order to reduce the size of the sections. Example:
19700
19701 @smallexample
19702 sparclet-aout-gcc prog.c -Ttext 0x12010000 -g -o prog -N
19703 @end smallexample
19704
19705 You can use @code{objdump} to verify that the addresses are what you intended:
19706
19707 @smallexample
19708 sparclet-aout-objdump --headers --syms prog
19709 @end smallexample
19710
19711 @cindex running, on Sparclet
19712 Once you have set
19713 your Unix execution search path to find @value{GDBN}, you are ready to
19714 run @value{GDBN}. From your Unix host, run @code{@value{GDBP}}
19715 (or @code{sparclet-aout-gdb}, depending on your installation).
19716
19717 @value{GDBN} comes up showing the prompt:
19718
19719 @smallexample
19720 (gdbslet)
19721 @end smallexample
19722
19723 @menu
19724 * Sparclet File:: Setting the file to debug
19725 * Sparclet Connection:: Connecting to Sparclet
19726 * Sparclet Download:: Sparclet download
19727 * Sparclet Execution:: Running and debugging
19728 @end menu
19729
19730 @node Sparclet File
19731 @subsubsection Setting File to Debug
19732
19733 The @value{GDBN} command @code{file} lets you choose with program to debug.
19734
19735 @smallexample
19736 (gdbslet) file prog
19737 @end smallexample
19738
19739 @need 1000
19740 @value{GDBN} then attempts to read the symbol table of @file{prog}.
19741 @value{GDBN} locates
19742 the file by searching the directories listed in the command search
19743 path.
19744 If the file was compiled with debug information (option @samp{-g}), source
19745 files will be searched as well.
19746 @value{GDBN} locates
19747 the source files by searching the directories listed in the directory search
19748 path (@pxref{Environment, ,Your Program's Environment}).
19749 If it fails
19750 to find a file, it displays a message such as:
19751
19752 @smallexample
19753 prog: No such file or directory.
19754 @end smallexample
19755
19756 When this happens, add the appropriate directories to the search paths with
19757 the @value{GDBN} commands @code{path} and @code{dir}, and execute the
19758 @code{target} command again.
19759
19760 @node Sparclet Connection
19761 @subsubsection Connecting to Sparclet
19762
19763 The @value{GDBN} command @code{target} lets you connect to a Sparclet target.
19764 To connect to a target on serial port ``@code{ttya}'', type:
19765
19766 @smallexample
19767 (gdbslet) target sparclet /dev/ttya
19768 Remote target sparclet connected to /dev/ttya
19769 main () at ../prog.c:3
19770 @end smallexample
19771
19772 @need 750
19773 @value{GDBN} displays messages like these:
19774
19775 @smallexample
19776 Connected to ttya.
19777 @end smallexample
19778
19779 @node Sparclet Download
19780 @subsubsection Sparclet Download
19781
19782 @cindex download to Sparclet
19783 Once connected to the Sparclet target,
19784 you can use the @value{GDBN}
19785 @code{load} command to download the file from the host to the target.
19786 The file name and load offset should be given as arguments to the @code{load}
19787 command.
19788 Since the file format is aout, the program must be loaded to the starting
19789 address. You can use @code{objdump} to find out what this value is. The load
19790 offset is an offset which is added to the VMA (virtual memory address)
19791 of each of the file's sections.
19792 For instance, if the program
19793 @file{prog} was linked to text address 0x1201000, with data at 0x12010160
19794 and bss at 0x12010170, in @value{GDBN}, type:
19795
19796 @smallexample
19797 (gdbslet) load prog 0x12010000
19798 Loading section .text, size 0xdb0 vma 0x12010000
19799 @end smallexample
19800
19801 If the code is loaded at a different address then what the program was linked
19802 to, you may need to use the @code{section} and @code{add-symbol-file} commands
19803 to tell @value{GDBN} where to map the symbol table.
19804
19805 @node Sparclet Execution
19806 @subsubsection Running and Debugging
19807
19808 @cindex running and debugging Sparclet programs
19809 You can now begin debugging the task using @value{GDBN}'s execution control
19810 commands, @code{b}, @code{step}, @code{run}, etc. See the @value{GDBN}
19811 manual for the list of commands.
19812
19813 @smallexample
19814 (gdbslet) b main
19815 Breakpoint 1 at 0x12010000: file prog.c, line 3.
19816 (gdbslet) run
19817 Starting program: prog
19818 Breakpoint 1, main (argc=1, argv=0xeffff21c) at prog.c:3
19819 3 char *symarg = 0;
19820 (gdbslet) step
19821 4 char *execarg = "hello!";
19822 (gdbslet)
19823 @end smallexample
19824
19825 @node Sparclite
19826 @subsection Fujitsu Sparclite
19827
19828 @table @code
19829
19830 @kindex target sparclite
19831 @item target sparclite @var{dev}
19832 Fujitsu sparclite boards, used only for the purpose of loading.
19833 You must use an additional command to debug the program.
19834 For example: target remote @var{dev} using @value{GDBN} standard
19835 remote protocol.
19836
19837 @end table
19838
19839 @node Z8000
19840 @subsection Zilog Z8000
19841
19842 @cindex Z8000
19843 @cindex simulator, Z8000
19844 @cindex Zilog Z8000 simulator
19845
19846 When configured for debugging Zilog Z8000 targets, @value{GDBN} includes
19847 a Z8000 simulator.
19848
19849 For the Z8000 family, @samp{target sim} simulates either the Z8002 (the
19850 unsegmented variant of the Z8000 architecture) or the Z8001 (the
19851 segmented variant). The simulator recognizes which architecture is
19852 appropriate by inspecting the object code.
19853
19854 @table @code
19855 @item target sim @var{args}
19856 @kindex sim
19857 @kindex target sim@r{, with Z8000}
19858 Debug programs on a simulated CPU. If the simulator supports setup
19859 options, specify them via @var{args}.
19860 @end table
19861
19862 @noindent
19863 After specifying this target, you can debug programs for the simulated
19864 CPU in the same style as programs for your host computer; use the
19865 @code{file} command to load a new program image, the @code{run} command
19866 to run your program, and so on.
19867
19868 As well as making available all the usual machine registers
19869 (@pxref{Registers, ,Registers}), the Z8000 simulator provides three
19870 additional items of information as specially named registers:
19871
19872 @table @code
19873
19874 @item cycles
19875 Counts clock-ticks in the simulator.
19876
19877 @item insts
19878 Counts instructions run in the simulator.
19879
19880 @item time
19881 Execution time in 60ths of a second.
19882
19883 @end table
19884
19885 You can refer to these values in @value{GDBN} expressions with the usual
19886 conventions; for example, @w{@samp{b fputc if $cycles>5000}} sets a
19887 conditional breakpoint that suspends only after at least 5000
19888 simulated clock ticks.
19889
19890 @node AVR
19891 @subsection Atmel AVR
19892 @cindex AVR
19893
19894 When configured for debugging the Atmel AVR, @value{GDBN} supports the
19895 following AVR-specific commands:
19896
19897 @table @code
19898 @item info io_registers
19899 @kindex info io_registers@r{, AVR}
19900 @cindex I/O registers (Atmel AVR)
19901 This command displays information about the AVR I/O registers. For
19902 each register, @value{GDBN} prints its number and value.
19903 @end table
19904
19905 @node CRIS
19906 @subsection CRIS
19907 @cindex CRIS
19908
19909 When configured for debugging CRIS, @value{GDBN} provides the
19910 following CRIS-specific commands:
19911
19912 @table @code
19913 @item set cris-version @var{ver}
19914 @cindex CRIS version
19915 Set the current CRIS version to @var{ver}, either @samp{10} or @samp{32}.
19916 The CRIS version affects register names and sizes. This command is useful in
19917 case autodetection of the CRIS version fails.
19918
19919 @item show cris-version
19920 Show the current CRIS version.
19921
19922 @item set cris-dwarf2-cfi
19923 @cindex DWARF-2 CFI and CRIS
19924 Set the usage of DWARF-2 CFI for CRIS debugging. The default is @samp{on}.
19925 Change to @samp{off} when using @code{gcc-cris} whose version is below
19926 @code{R59}.
19927
19928 @item show cris-dwarf2-cfi
19929 Show the current state of using DWARF-2 CFI.
19930
19931 @item set cris-mode @var{mode}
19932 @cindex CRIS mode
19933 Set the current CRIS mode to @var{mode}. It should only be changed when
19934 debugging in guru mode, in which case it should be set to
19935 @samp{guru} (the default is @samp{normal}).
19936
19937 @item show cris-mode
19938 Show the current CRIS mode.
19939 @end table
19940
19941 @node Super-H
19942 @subsection Renesas Super-H
19943 @cindex Super-H
19944
19945 For the Renesas Super-H processor, @value{GDBN} provides these
19946 commands:
19947
19948 @table @code
19949 @item regs
19950 @kindex regs@r{, Super-H}
19951 Show the values of all Super-H registers.
19952
19953 @item set sh calling-convention @var{convention}
19954 @kindex set sh calling-convention
19955 Set the calling-convention used when calling functions from @value{GDBN}.
19956 Allowed values are @samp{gcc}, which is the default setting, and @samp{renesas}.
19957 With the @samp{gcc} setting, functions are called using the @value{NGCC} calling
19958 convention. If the DWARF-2 information of the called function specifies
19959 that the function follows the Renesas calling convention, the function
19960 is called using the Renesas calling convention. If the calling convention
19961 is set to @samp{renesas}, the Renesas calling convention is always used,
19962 regardless of the DWARF-2 information. This can be used to override the
19963 default of @samp{gcc} if debug information is missing, or the compiler
19964 does not emit the DWARF-2 calling convention entry for a function.
19965
19966 @item show sh calling-convention
19967 @kindex show sh calling-convention
19968 Show the current calling convention setting.
19969
19970 @end table
19971
19972
19973 @node Architectures
19974 @section Architectures
19975
19976 This section describes characteristics of architectures that affect
19977 all uses of @value{GDBN} with the architecture, both native and cross.
19978
19979 @menu
19980 * i386::
19981 * A29K::
19982 * Alpha::
19983 * MIPS::
19984 * HPPA:: HP PA architecture
19985 * SPU:: Cell Broadband Engine SPU architecture
19986 * PowerPC::
19987 @end menu
19988
19989 @node i386
19990 @subsection x86 Architecture-specific Issues
19991
19992 @table @code
19993 @item set struct-convention @var{mode}
19994 @kindex set struct-convention
19995 @cindex struct return convention
19996 @cindex struct/union returned in registers
19997 Set the convention used by the inferior to return @code{struct}s and
19998 @code{union}s from functions to @var{mode}. Possible values of
19999 @var{mode} are @code{"pcc"}, @code{"reg"}, and @code{"default"} (the
20000 default). @code{"default"} or @code{"pcc"} means that @code{struct}s
20001 are returned on the stack, while @code{"reg"} means that a
20002 @code{struct} or a @code{union} whose size is 1, 2, 4, or 8 bytes will
20003 be returned in a register.
20004
20005 @item show struct-convention
20006 @kindex show struct-convention
20007 Show the current setting of the convention to return @code{struct}s
20008 from functions.
20009 @end table
20010
20011 @node A29K
20012 @subsection A29K
20013
20014 @table @code
20015
20016 @kindex set rstack_high_address
20017 @cindex AMD 29K register stack
20018 @cindex register stack, AMD29K
20019 @item set rstack_high_address @var{address}
20020 On AMD 29000 family processors, registers are saved in a separate
20021 @dfn{register stack}. There is no way for @value{GDBN} to determine the
20022 extent of this stack. Normally, @value{GDBN} just assumes that the
20023 stack is ``large enough''. This may result in @value{GDBN} referencing
20024 memory locations that do not exist. If necessary, you can get around
20025 this problem by specifying the ending address of the register stack with
20026 the @code{set rstack_high_address} command. The argument should be an
20027 address, which you probably want to precede with @samp{0x} to specify in
20028 hexadecimal.
20029
20030 @kindex show rstack_high_address
20031 @item show rstack_high_address
20032 Display the current limit of the register stack, on AMD 29000 family
20033 processors.
20034
20035 @end table
20036
20037 @node Alpha
20038 @subsection Alpha
20039
20040 See the following section.
20041
20042 @node MIPS
20043 @subsection MIPS
20044
20045 @cindex stack on Alpha
20046 @cindex stack on MIPS
20047 @cindex Alpha stack
20048 @cindex MIPS stack
20049 Alpha- and MIPS-based computers use an unusual stack frame, which
20050 sometimes requires @value{GDBN} to search backward in the object code to
20051 find the beginning of a function.
20052
20053 @cindex response time, MIPS debugging
20054 To improve response time (especially for embedded applications, where
20055 @value{GDBN} may be restricted to a slow serial line for this search)
20056 you may want to limit the size of this search, using one of these
20057 commands:
20058
20059 @table @code
20060 @cindex @code{heuristic-fence-post} (Alpha, MIPS)
20061 @item set heuristic-fence-post @var{limit}
20062 Restrict @value{GDBN} to examining at most @var{limit} bytes in its
20063 search for the beginning of a function. A value of @var{0} (the
20064 default) means there is no limit. However, except for @var{0}, the
20065 larger the limit the more bytes @code{heuristic-fence-post} must search
20066 and therefore the longer it takes to run. You should only need to use
20067 this command when debugging a stripped executable.
20068
20069 @item show heuristic-fence-post
20070 Display the current limit.
20071 @end table
20072
20073 @noindent
20074 These commands are available @emph{only} when @value{GDBN} is configured
20075 for debugging programs on Alpha or MIPS processors.
20076
20077 Several MIPS-specific commands are available when debugging MIPS
20078 programs:
20079
20080 @table @code
20081 @item set mips abi @var{arg}
20082 @kindex set mips abi
20083 @cindex set ABI for MIPS
20084 Tell @value{GDBN} which MIPS ABI is used by the inferior. Possible
20085 values of @var{arg} are:
20086
20087 @table @samp
20088 @item auto
20089 The default ABI associated with the current binary (this is the
20090 default).
20091 @item o32
20092 @item o64
20093 @item n32
20094 @item n64
20095 @item eabi32
20096 @item eabi64
20097 @end table
20098
20099 @item show mips abi
20100 @kindex show mips abi
20101 Show the MIPS ABI used by @value{GDBN} to debug the inferior.
20102
20103 @item set mipsfpu
20104 @itemx show mipsfpu
20105 @xref{MIPS Embedded, set mipsfpu}.
20106
20107 @item set mips mask-address @var{arg}
20108 @kindex set mips mask-address
20109 @cindex MIPS addresses, masking
20110 This command determines whether the most-significant 32 bits of 64-bit
20111 MIPS addresses are masked off. The argument @var{arg} can be
20112 @samp{on}, @samp{off}, or @samp{auto}. The latter is the default
20113 setting, which lets @value{GDBN} determine the correct value.
20114
20115 @item show mips mask-address
20116 @kindex show mips mask-address
20117 Show whether the upper 32 bits of MIPS addresses are masked off or
20118 not.
20119
20120 @item set remote-mips64-transfers-32bit-regs
20121 @kindex set remote-mips64-transfers-32bit-regs
20122 This command controls compatibility with 64-bit MIPS targets that
20123 transfer data in 32-bit quantities. If you have an old MIPS 64 target
20124 that transfers 32 bits for some registers, like @sc{sr} and @sc{fsr},
20125 and 64 bits for other registers, set this option to @samp{on}.
20126
20127 @item show remote-mips64-transfers-32bit-regs
20128 @kindex show remote-mips64-transfers-32bit-regs
20129 Show the current setting of compatibility with older MIPS 64 targets.
20130
20131 @item set debug mips
20132 @kindex set debug mips
20133 This command turns on and off debugging messages for the MIPS-specific
20134 target code in @value{GDBN}.
20135
20136 @item show debug mips
20137 @kindex show debug mips
20138 Show the current setting of MIPS debugging messages.
20139 @end table
20140
20141
20142 @node HPPA
20143 @subsection HPPA
20144 @cindex HPPA support
20145
20146 When @value{GDBN} is debugging the HP PA architecture, it provides the
20147 following special commands:
20148
20149 @table @code
20150 @item set debug hppa
20151 @kindex set debug hppa
20152 This command determines whether HPPA architecture-specific debugging
20153 messages are to be displayed.
20154
20155 @item show debug hppa
20156 Show whether HPPA debugging messages are displayed.
20157
20158 @item maint print unwind @var{address}
20159 @kindex maint print unwind@r{, HPPA}
20160 This command displays the contents of the unwind table entry at the
20161 given @var{address}.
20162
20163 @end table
20164
20165
20166 @node SPU
20167 @subsection Cell Broadband Engine SPU architecture
20168 @cindex Cell Broadband Engine
20169 @cindex SPU
20170
20171 When @value{GDBN} is debugging the Cell Broadband Engine SPU architecture,
20172 it provides the following special commands:
20173
20174 @table @code
20175 @item info spu event
20176 @kindex info spu
20177 Display SPU event facility status. Shows current event mask
20178 and pending event status.
20179
20180 @item info spu signal
20181 Display SPU signal notification facility status. Shows pending
20182 signal-control word and signal notification mode of both signal
20183 notification channels.
20184
20185 @item info spu mailbox
20186 Display SPU mailbox facility status. Shows all pending entries,
20187 in order of processing, in each of the SPU Write Outbound,
20188 SPU Write Outbound Interrupt, and SPU Read Inbound mailboxes.
20189
20190 @item info spu dma
20191 Display MFC DMA status. Shows all pending commands in the MFC
20192 DMA queue. For each entry, opcode, tag, class IDs, effective
20193 and local store addresses and transfer size are shown.
20194
20195 @item info spu proxydma
20196 Display MFC Proxy-DMA status. Shows all pending commands in the MFC
20197 Proxy-DMA queue. For each entry, opcode, tag, class IDs, effective
20198 and local store addresses and transfer size are shown.
20199
20200 @end table
20201
20202 When @value{GDBN} is debugging a combined PowerPC/SPU application
20203 on the Cell Broadband Engine, it provides in addition the following
20204 special commands:
20205
20206 @table @code
20207 @item set spu stop-on-load @var{arg}
20208 @kindex set spu
20209 Set whether to stop for new SPE threads. When set to @code{on}, @value{GDBN}
20210 will give control to the user when a new SPE thread enters its @code{main}
20211 function. The default is @code{off}.
20212
20213 @item show spu stop-on-load
20214 @kindex show spu
20215 Show whether to stop for new SPE threads.
20216
20217 @item set spu auto-flush-cache @var{arg}
20218 Set whether to automatically flush the software-managed cache. When set to
20219 @code{on}, @value{GDBN} will automatically cause the SPE software-managed
20220 cache to be flushed whenever SPE execution stops. This provides a consistent
20221 view of PowerPC memory that is accessed via the cache. If an application
20222 does not use the software-managed cache, this option has no effect.
20223
20224 @item show spu auto-flush-cache
20225 Show whether to automatically flush the software-managed cache.
20226
20227 @end table
20228
20229 @node PowerPC
20230 @subsection PowerPC
20231 @cindex PowerPC architecture
20232
20233 When @value{GDBN} is debugging the PowerPC architecture, it provides a set of
20234 pseudo-registers to enable inspection of 128-bit wide Decimal Floating Point
20235 numbers stored in the floating point registers. These values must be stored
20236 in two consecutive registers, always starting at an even register like
20237 @code{f0} or @code{f2}.
20238
20239 The pseudo-registers go from @code{$dl0} through @code{$dl15}, and are formed
20240 by joining the even/odd register pairs @code{f0} and @code{f1} for @code{$dl0},
20241 @code{f2} and @code{f3} for @code{$dl1} and so on.
20242
20243 For POWER7 processors, @value{GDBN} provides a set of pseudo-registers, the 64-bit
20244 wide Extended Floating Point Registers (@samp{f32} through @samp{f63}).
20245
20246
20247 @node Controlling GDB
20248 @chapter Controlling @value{GDBN}
20249
20250 You can alter the way @value{GDBN} interacts with you by using the
20251 @code{set} command. For commands controlling how @value{GDBN} displays
20252 data, see @ref{Print Settings, ,Print Settings}. Other settings are
20253 described here.
20254
20255 @menu
20256 * Prompt:: Prompt
20257 * Editing:: Command editing
20258 * Command History:: Command history
20259 * Screen Size:: Screen size
20260 * Numbers:: Numbers
20261 * ABI:: Configuring the current ABI
20262 * Messages/Warnings:: Optional warnings and messages
20263 * Debugging Output:: Optional messages about internal happenings
20264 * Other Misc Settings:: Other Miscellaneous Settings
20265 @end menu
20266
20267 @node Prompt
20268 @section Prompt
20269
20270 @cindex prompt
20271
20272 @value{GDBN} indicates its readiness to read a command by printing a string
20273 called the @dfn{prompt}. This string is normally @samp{(@value{GDBP})}. You
20274 can change the prompt string with the @code{set prompt} command. For
20275 instance, when debugging @value{GDBN} with @value{GDBN}, it is useful to change
20276 the prompt in one of the @value{GDBN} sessions so that you can always tell
20277 which one you are talking to.
20278
20279 @emph{Note:} @code{set prompt} does not add a space for you after the
20280 prompt you set. This allows you to set a prompt which ends in a space
20281 or a prompt that does not.
20282
20283 @table @code
20284 @kindex set prompt
20285 @item set prompt @var{newprompt}
20286 Directs @value{GDBN} to use @var{newprompt} as its prompt string henceforth.
20287
20288 @kindex show prompt
20289 @item show prompt
20290 Prints a line of the form: @samp{Gdb's prompt is: @var{your-prompt}}
20291 @end table
20292
20293 Versions of @value{GDBN} that ship with Python scripting enabled have
20294 prompt extensions. The commands for interacting with these extensions
20295 are:
20296
20297 @table @code
20298 @kindex set extended-prompt
20299 @item set extended-prompt @var{prompt}
20300 Set an extended prompt that allows for substitutions.
20301 @xref{gdb.prompt}, for a list of escape sequences that can be used for
20302 substitution. Any escape sequences specified as part of the prompt
20303 string are replaced with the corresponding strings each time the prompt
20304 is displayed.
20305
20306 For example:
20307
20308 @smallexample
20309 set extended-prompt Current working directory: \w (gdb)
20310 @end smallexample
20311
20312 Note that when an extended-prompt is set, it takes control of the
20313 @var{prompt_hook} hook. @xref{prompt_hook}, for further information.
20314
20315 @kindex show extended-prompt
20316 @item show extended-prompt
20317 Prints the extended prompt. Any escape sequences specified as part of
20318 the prompt string with @code{set extended-prompt}, are replaced with the
20319 corresponding strings each time the prompt is displayed.
20320 @end table
20321
20322 @node Editing
20323 @section Command Editing
20324 @cindex readline
20325 @cindex command line editing
20326
20327 @value{GDBN} reads its input commands via the @dfn{Readline} interface. This
20328 @sc{gnu} library provides consistent behavior for programs which provide a
20329 command line interface to the user. Advantages are @sc{gnu} Emacs-style
20330 or @dfn{vi}-style inline editing of commands, @code{csh}-like history
20331 substitution, and a storage and recall of command history across
20332 debugging sessions.
20333
20334 You may control the behavior of command line editing in @value{GDBN} with the
20335 command @code{set}.
20336
20337 @table @code
20338 @kindex set editing
20339 @cindex editing
20340 @item set editing
20341 @itemx set editing on
20342 Enable command line editing (enabled by default).
20343
20344 @item set editing off
20345 Disable command line editing.
20346
20347 @kindex show editing
20348 @item show editing
20349 Show whether command line editing is enabled.
20350 @end table
20351
20352 @ifset SYSTEM_READLINE
20353 @xref{Command Line Editing, , , rluserman, GNU Readline Library},
20354 @end ifset
20355 @ifclear SYSTEM_READLINE
20356 @xref{Command Line Editing},
20357 @end ifclear
20358 for more details about the Readline
20359 interface. Users unfamiliar with @sc{gnu} Emacs or @code{vi} are
20360 encouraged to read that chapter.
20361
20362 @node Command History
20363 @section Command History
20364 @cindex command history
20365
20366 @value{GDBN} can keep track of the commands you type during your
20367 debugging sessions, so that you can be certain of precisely what
20368 happened. Use these commands to manage the @value{GDBN} command
20369 history facility.
20370
20371 @value{GDBN} uses the @sc{gnu} History library, a part of the Readline
20372 package, to provide the history facility.
20373 @ifset SYSTEM_READLINE
20374 @xref{Using History Interactively, , , history, GNU History Library},
20375 @end ifset
20376 @ifclear SYSTEM_READLINE
20377 @xref{Using History Interactively},
20378 @end ifclear
20379 for the detailed description of the History library.
20380
20381 To issue a command to @value{GDBN} without affecting certain aspects of
20382 the state which is seen by users, prefix it with @samp{server }
20383 (@pxref{Server Prefix}). This
20384 means that this command will not affect the command history, nor will it
20385 affect @value{GDBN}'s notion of which command to repeat if @key{RET} is
20386 pressed on a line by itself.
20387
20388 @cindex @code{server}, command prefix
20389 The server prefix does not affect the recording of values into the value
20390 history; to print a value without recording it into the value history,
20391 use the @code{output} command instead of the @code{print} command.
20392
20393 Here is the description of @value{GDBN} commands related to command
20394 history.
20395
20396 @table @code
20397 @cindex history substitution
20398 @cindex history file
20399 @kindex set history filename
20400 @cindex @env{GDBHISTFILE}, environment variable
20401 @item set history filename @var{fname}
20402 Set the name of the @value{GDBN} command history file to @var{fname}.
20403 This is the file where @value{GDBN} reads an initial command history
20404 list, and where it writes the command history from this session when it
20405 exits. You can access this list through history expansion or through
20406 the history command editing characters listed below. This file defaults
20407 to the value of the environment variable @code{GDBHISTFILE}, or to
20408 @file{./.gdb_history} (@file{./_gdb_history} on MS-DOS) if this variable
20409 is not set.
20410
20411 @cindex save command history
20412 @kindex set history save
20413 @item set history save
20414 @itemx set history save on
20415 Record command history in a file, whose name may be specified with the
20416 @code{set history filename} command. By default, this option is disabled.
20417
20418 @item set history save off
20419 Stop recording command history in a file.
20420
20421 @cindex history size
20422 @kindex set history size
20423 @cindex @env{HISTSIZE}, environment variable
20424 @item set history size @var{size}
20425 Set the number of commands which @value{GDBN} keeps in its history list.
20426 This defaults to the value of the environment variable
20427 @code{HISTSIZE}, or to 256 if this variable is not set.
20428 @end table
20429
20430 History expansion assigns special meaning to the character @kbd{!}.
20431 @ifset SYSTEM_READLINE
20432 @xref{Event Designators, , , history, GNU History Library},
20433 @end ifset
20434 @ifclear SYSTEM_READLINE
20435 @xref{Event Designators},
20436 @end ifclear
20437 for more details.
20438
20439 @cindex history expansion, turn on/off
20440 Since @kbd{!} is also the logical not operator in C, history expansion
20441 is off by default. If you decide to enable history expansion with the
20442 @code{set history expansion on} command, you may sometimes need to
20443 follow @kbd{!} (when it is used as logical not, in an expression) with
20444 a space or a tab to prevent it from being expanded. The readline
20445 history facilities do not attempt substitution on the strings
20446 @kbd{!=} and @kbd{!(}, even when history expansion is enabled.
20447
20448 The commands to control history expansion are:
20449
20450 @table @code
20451 @item set history expansion on
20452 @itemx set history expansion
20453 @kindex set history expansion
20454 Enable history expansion. History expansion is off by default.
20455
20456 @item set history expansion off
20457 Disable history expansion.
20458
20459 @c @group
20460 @kindex show history
20461 @item show history
20462 @itemx show history filename
20463 @itemx show history save
20464 @itemx show history size
20465 @itemx show history expansion
20466 These commands display the state of the @value{GDBN} history parameters.
20467 @code{show history} by itself displays all four states.
20468 @c @end group
20469 @end table
20470
20471 @table @code
20472 @kindex show commands
20473 @cindex show last commands
20474 @cindex display command history
20475 @item show commands
20476 Display the last ten commands in the command history.
20477
20478 @item show commands @var{n}
20479 Print ten commands centered on command number @var{n}.
20480
20481 @item show commands +
20482 Print ten commands just after the commands last printed.
20483 @end table
20484
20485 @node Screen Size
20486 @section Screen Size
20487 @cindex size of screen
20488 @cindex pauses in output
20489
20490 Certain commands to @value{GDBN} may produce large amounts of
20491 information output to the screen. To help you read all of it,
20492 @value{GDBN} pauses and asks you for input at the end of each page of
20493 output. Type @key{RET} when you want to continue the output, or @kbd{q}
20494 to discard the remaining output. Also, the screen width setting
20495 determines when to wrap lines of output. Depending on what is being
20496 printed, @value{GDBN} tries to break the line at a readable place,
20497 rather than simply letting it overflow onto the following line.
20498
20499 Normally @value{GDBN} knows the size of the screen from the terminal
20500 driver software. For example, on Unix @value{GDBN} uses the termcap data base
20501 together with the value of the @code{TERM} environment variable and the
20502 @code{stty rows} and @code{stty cols} settings. If this is not correct,
20503 you can override it with the @code{set height} and @code{set
20504 width} commands:
20505
20506 @table @code
20507 @kindex set height
20508 @kindex set width
20509 @kindex show width
20510 @kindex show height
20511 @item set height @var{lpp}
20512 @itemx show height
20513 @itemx set width @var{cpl}
20514 @itemx show width
20515 These @code{set} commands specify a screen height of @var{lpp} lines and
20516 a screen width of @var{cpl} characters. The associated @code{show}
20517 commands display the current settings.
20518
20519 If you specify a height of zero lines, @value{GDBN} does not pause during
20520 output no matter how long the output is. This is useful if output is to a
20521 file or to an editor buffer.
20522
20523 Likewise, you can specify @samp{set width 0} to prevent @value{GDBN}
20524 from wrapping its output.
20525
20526 @item set pagination on
20527 @itemx set pagination off
20528 @kindex set pagination
20529 Turn the output pagination on or off; the default is on. Turning
20530 pagination off is the alternative to @code{set height 0}. Note that
20531 running @value{GDBN} with the @option{--batch} option (@pxref{Mode
20532 Options, -batch}) also automatically disables pagination.
20533
20534 @item show pagination
20535 @kindex show pagination
20536 Show the current pagination mode.
20537 @end table
20538
20539 @node Numbers
20540 @section Numbers
20541 @cindex number representation
20542 @cindex entering numbers
20543
20544 You can always enter numbers in octal, decimal, or hexadecimal in
20545 @value{GDBN} by the usual conventions: octal numbers begin with
20546 @samp{0}, decimal numbers end with @samp{.}, and hexadecimal numbers
20547 begin with @samp{0x}. Numbers that neither begin with @samp{0} or
20548 @samp{0x}, nor end with a @samp{.} are, by default, entered in base
20549 10; likewise, the default display for numbers---when no particular
20550 format is specified---is base 10. You can change the default base for
20551 both input and output with the commands described below.
20552
20553 @table @code
20554 @kindex set input-radix
20555 @item set input-radix @var{base}
20556 Set the default base for numeric input. Supported choices
20557 for @var{base} are decimal 8, 10, or 16. @var{base} must itself be
20558 specified either unambiguously or using the current input radix; for
20559 example, any of
20560
20561 @smallexample
20562 set input-radix 012
20563 set input-radix 10.
20564 set input-radix 0xa
20565 @end smallexample
20566
20567 @noindent
20568 sets the input base to decimal. On the other hand, @samp{set input-radix 10}
20569 leaves the input radix unchanged, no matter what it was, since
20570 @samp{10}, being without any leading or trailing signs of its base, is
20571 interpreted in the current radix. Thus, if the current radix is 16,
20572 @samp{10} is interpreted in hex, i.e.@: as 16 decimal, which doesn't
20573 change the radix.
20574
20575 @kindex set output-radix
20576 @item set output-radix @var{base}
20577 Set the default base for numeric display. Supported choices
20578 for @var{base} are decimal 8, 10, or 16. @var{base} must itself be
20579 specified either unambiguously or using the current input radix.
20580
20581 @kindex show input-radix
20582 @item show input-radix
20583 Display the current default base for numeric input.
20584
20585 @kindex show output-radix
20586 @item show output-radix
20587 Display the current default base for numeric display.
20588
20589 @item set radix @r{[}@var{base}@r{]}
20590 @itemx show radix
20591 @kindex set radix
20592 @kindex show radix
20593 These commands set and show the default base for both input and output
20594 of numbers. @code{set radix} sets the radix of input and output to
20595 the same base; without an argument, it resets the radix back to its
20596 default value of 10.
20597
20598 @end table
20599
20600 @node ABI
20601 @section Configuring the Current ABI
20602
20603 @value{GDBN} can determine the @dfn{ABI} (Application Binary Interface) of your
20604 application automatically. However, sometimes you need to override its
20605 conclusions. Use these commands to manage @value{GDBN}'s view of the
20606 current ABI.
20607
20608 @cindex OS ABI
20609 @kindex set osabi
20610 @kindex show osabi
20611
20612 One @value{GDBN} configuration can debug binaries for multiple operating
20613 system targets, either via remote debugging or native emulation.
20614 @value{GDBN} will autodetect the @dfn{OS ABI} (Operating System ABI) in use,
20615 but you can override its conclusion using the @code{set osabi} command.
20616 One example where this is useful is in debugging of binaries which use
20617 an alternate C library (e.g.@: @sc{uClibc} for @sc{gnu}/Linux) which does
20618 not have the same identifying marks that the standard C library for your
20619 platform provides.
20620
20621 @table @code
20622 @item show osabi
20623 Show the OS ABI currently in use.
20624
20625 @item set osabi
20626 With no argument, show the list of registered available OS ABI's.
20627
20628 @item set osabi @var{abi}
20629 Set the current OS ABI to @var{abi}.
20630 @end table
20631
20632 @cindex float promotion
20633
20634 Generally, the way that an argument of type @code{float} is passed to a
20635 function depends on whether the function is prototyped. For a prototyped
20636 (i.e.@: ANSI/ISO style) function, @code{float} arguments are passed unchanged,
20637 according to the architecture's convention for @code{float}. For unprototyped
20638 (i.e.@: K&R style) functions, @code{float} arguments are first promoted to type
20639 @code{double} and then passed.
20640
20641 Unfortunately, some forms of debug information do not reliably indicate whether
20642 a function is prototyped. If @value{GDBN} calls a function that is not marked
20643 as prototyped, it consults @kbd{set coerce-float-to-double}.
20644
20645 @table @code
20646 @kindex set coerce-float-to-double
20647 @item set coerce-float-to-double
20648 @itemx set coerce-float-to-double on
20649 Arguments of type @code{float} will be promoted to @code{double} when passed
20650 to an unprototyped function. This is the default setting.
20651
20652 @item set coerce-float-to-double off
20653 Arguments of type @code{float} will be passed directly to unprototyped
20654 functions.
20655
20656 @kindex show coerce-float-to-double
20657 @item show coerce-float-to-double
20658 Show the current setting of promoting @code{float} to @code{double}.
20659 @end table
20660
20661 @kindex set cp-abi
20662 @kindex show cp-abi
20663 @value{GDBN} needs to know the ABI used for your program's C@t{++}
20664 objects. The correct C@t{++} ABI depends on which C@t{++} compiler was
20665 used to build your application. @value{GDBN} only fully supports
20666 programs with a single C@t{++} ABI; if your program contains code using
20667 multiple C@t{++} ABI's or if @value{GDBN} can not identify your
20668 program's ABI correctly, you can tell @value{GDBN} which ABI to use.
20669 Currently supported ABI's include ``gnu-v2'', for @code{g++} versions
20670 before 3.0, ``gnu-v3'', for @code{g++} versions 3.0 and later, and
20671 ``hpaCC'' for the HP ANSI C@t{++} compiler. Other C@t{++} compilers may
20672 use the ``gnu-v2'' or ``gnu-v3'' ABI's as well. The default setting is
20673 ``auto''.
20674
20675 @table @code
20676 @item show cp-abi
20677 Show the C@t{++} ABI currently in use.
20678
20679 @item set cp-abi
20680 With no argument, show the list of supported C@t{++} ABI's.
20681
20682 @item set cp-abi @var{abi}
20683 @itemx set cp-abi auto
20684 Set the current C@t{++} ABI to @var{abi}, or return to automatic detection.
20685 @end table
20686
20687 @node Messages/Warnings
20688 @section Optional Warnings and Messages
20689
20690 @cindex verbose operation
20691 @cindex optional warnings
20692 By default, @value{GDBN} is silent about its inner workings. If you are
20693 running on a slow machine, you may want to use the @code{set verbose}
20694 command. This makes @value{GDBN} tell you when it does a lengthy
20695 internal operation, so you will not think it has crashed.
20696
20697 Currently, the messages controlled by @code{set verbose} are those
20698 which announce that the symbol table for a source file is being read;
20699 see @code{symbol-file} in @ref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}.
20700
20701 @table @code
20702 @kindex set verbose
20703 @item set verbose on
20704 Enables @value{GDBN} output of certain informational messages.
20705
20706 @item set verbose off
20707 Disables @value{GDBN} output of certain informational messages.
20708
20709 @kindex show verbose
20710 @item show verbose
20711 Displays whether @code{set verbose} is on or off.
20712 @end table
20713
20714 By default, if @value{GDBN} encounters bugs in the symbol table of an
20715 object file, it is silent; but if you are debugging a compiler, you may
20716 find this information useful (@pxref{Symbol Errors, ,Errors Reading
20717 Symbol Files}).
20718
20719 @table @code
20720
20721 @kindex set complaints
20722 @item set complaints @var{limit}
20723 Permits @value{GDBN} to output @var{limit} complaints about each type of
20724 unusual symbols before becoming silent about the problem. Set
20725 @var{limit} to zero to suppress all complaints; set it to a large number
20726 to prevent complaints from being suppressed.
20727
20728 @kindex show complaints
20729 @item show complaints
20730 Displays how many symbol complaints @value{GDBN} is permitted to produce.
20731
20732 @end table
20733
20734 @anchor{confirmation requests}
20735 By default, @value{GDBN} is cautious, and asks what sometimes seems to be a
20736 lot of stupid questions to confirm certain commands. For example, if
20737 you try to run a program which is already running:
20738
20739 @smallexample
20740 (@value{GDBP}) run
20741 The program being debugged has been started already.
20742 Start it from the beginning? (y or n)
20743 @end smallexample
20744
20745 If you are willing to unflinchingly face the consequences of your own
20746 commands, you can disable this ``feature'':
20747
20748 @table @code
20749
20750 @kindex set confirm
20751 @cindex flinching
20752 @cindex confirmation
20753 @cindex stupid questions
20754 @item set confirm off
20755 Disables confirmation requests. Note that running @value{GDBN} with
20756 the @option{--batch} option (@pxref{Mode Options, -batch}) also
20757 automatically disables confirmation requests.
20758
20759 @item set confirm on
20760 Enables confirmation requests (the default).
20761
20762 @kindex show confirm
20763 @item show confirm
20764 Displays state of confirmation requests.
20765
20766 @end table
20767
20768 @cindex command tracing
20769 If you need to debug user-defined commands or sourced files you may find it
20770 useful to enable @dfn{command tracing}. In this mode each command will be
20771 printed as it is executed, prefixed with one or more @samp{+} symbols, the
20772 quantity denoting the call depth of each command.
20773
20774 @table @code
20775 @kindex set trace-commands
20776 @cindex command scripts, debugging
20777 @item set trace-commands on
20778 Enable command tracing.
20779 @item set trace-commands off
20780 Disable command tracing.
20781 @item show trace-commands
20782 Display the current state of command tracing.
20783 @end table
20784
20785 @node Debugging Output
20786 @section Optional Messages about Internal Happenings
20787 @cindex optional debugging messages
20788
20789 @value{GDBN} has commands that enable optional debugging messages from
20790 various @value{GDBN} subsystems; normally these commands are of
20791 interest to @value{GDBN} maintainers, or when reporting a bug. This
20792 section documents those commands.
20793
20794 @table @code
20795 @kindex set exec-done-display
20796 @item set exec-done-display
20797 Turns on or off the notification of asynchronous commands'
20798 completion. When on, @value{GDBN} will print a message when an
20799 asynchronous command finishes its execution. The default is off.
20800 @kindex show exec-done-display
20801 @item show exec-done-display
20802 Displays the current setting of asynchronous command completion
20803 notification.
20804 @kindex set debug
20805 @cindex gdbarch debugging info
20806 @cindex architecture debugging info
20807 @item set debug arch
20808 Turns on or off display of gdbarch debugging info. The default is off
20809 @kindex show debug
20810 @item show debug arch
20811 Displays the current state of displaying gdbarch debugging info.
20812 @item set debug aix-thread
20813 @cindex AIX threads
20814 Display debugging messages about inner workings of the AIX thread
20815 module.
20816 @item show debug aix-thread
20817 Show the current state of AIX thread debugging info display.
20818 @item set debug check-physname
20819 @cindex physname
20820 Check the results of the ``physname'' computation. When reading DWARF
20821 debugging information for C@t{++}, @value{GDBN} attempts to compute
20822 each entity's name. @value{GDBN} can do this computation in two
20823 different ways, depending on exactly what information is present.
20824 When enabled, this setting causes @value{GDBN} to compute the names
20825 both ways and display any discrepancies.
20826 @item show debug check-physname
20827 Show the current state of ``physname'' checking.
20828 @item set debug dwarf2-die
20829 @cindex DWARF2 DIEs
20830 Dump DWARF2 DIEs after they are read in.
20831 The value is the number of nesting levels to print.
20832 A value of zero turns off the display.
20833 @item show debug dwarf2-die
20834 Show the current state of DWARF2 DIE debugging.
20835 @item set debug displaced
20836 @cindex displaced stepping debugging info
20837 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} debugging info for the
20838 displaced stepping support. The default is off.
20839 @item show debug displaced
20840 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} debugging info
20841 related to displaced stepping.
20842 @item set debug event
20843 @cindex event debugging info
20844 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} event debugging info. The
20845 default is off.
20846 @item show debug event
20847 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} event debugging
20848 info.
20849 @item set debug expression
20850 @cindex expression debugging info
20851 Turns on or off display of debugging info about @value{GDBN}
20852 expression parsing. The default is off.
20853 @item show debug expression
20854 Displays the current state of displaying debugging info about
20855 @value{GDBN} expression parsing.
20856 @item set debug frame
20857 @cindex frame debugging info
20858 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} frame debugging info. The
20859 default is off.
20860 @item show debug frame
20861 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} frame debugging
20862 info.
20863 @item set debug gnu-nat
20864 @cindex @sc{gnu}/Hurd debug messages
20865 Turns on or off debugging messages from the @sc{gnu}/Hurd debug support.
20866 @item show debug gnu-nat
20867 Show the current state of @sc{gnu}/Hurd debugging messages.
20868 @item set debug infrun
20869 @cindex inferior debugging info
20870 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} debugging info for running the inferior.
20871 The default is off. @file{infrun.c} contains GDB's runtime state machine used
20872 for implementing operations such as single-stepping the inferior.
20873 @item show debug infrun
20874 Displays the current state of @value{GDBN} inferior debugging.
20875 @item set debug jit
20876 @cindex just-in-time compilation, debugging messages
20877 Turns on or off debugging messages from JIT debug support.
20878 @item show debug jit
20879 Displays the current state of @value{GDBN} JIT debugging.
20880 @item set debug lin-lwp
20881 @cindex @sc{gnu}/Linux LWP debug messages
20882 @cindex Linux lightweight processes
20883 Turns on or off debugging messages from the Linux LWP debug support.
20884 @item show debug lin-lwp
20885 Show the current state of Linux LWP debugging messages.
20886 @item set debug observer
20887 @cindex observer debugging info
20888 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} observer debugging. This
20889 includes info such as the notification of observable events.
20890 @item show debug observer
20891 Displays the current state of observer debugging.
20892 @item set debug overload
20893 @cindex C@t{++} overload debugging info
20894 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} C@t{++} overload debugging
20895 info. This includes info such as ranking of functions, etc. The default
20896 is off.
20897 @item show debug overload
20898 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} C@t{++} overload
20899 debugging info.
20900 @cindex expression parser, debugging info
20901 @cindex debug expression parser
20902 @item set debug parser
20903 Turns on or off the display of expression parser debugging output.
20904 Internally, this sets the @code{yydebug} variable in the expression
20905 parser. @xref{Tracing, , Tracing Your Parser, bison, Bison}, for
20906 details. The default is off.
20907 @item show debug parser
20908 Show the current state of expression parser debugging.
20909 @cindex packets, reporting on stdout
20910 @cindex serial connections, debugging
20911 @cindex debug remote protocol
20912 @cindex remote protocol debugging
20913 @cindex display remote packets
20914 @item set debug remote
20915 Turns on or off display of reports on all packets sent back and forth across
20916 the serial line to the remote machine. The info is printed on the
20917 @value{GDBN} standard output stream. The default is off.
20918 @item show debug remote
20919 Displays the state of display of remote packets.
20920 @item set debug serial
20921 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} serial debugging info. The
20922 default is off.
20923 @item show debug serial
20924 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} serial debugging
20925 info.
20926 @item set debug solib-frv
20927 @cindex FR-V shared-library debugging
20928 Turns on or off debugging messages for FR-V shared-library code.
20929 @item show debug solib-frv
20930 Display the current state of FR-V shared-library code debugging
20931 messages.
20932 @item set debug target
20933 @cindex target debugging info
20934 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} target debugging info. This info
20935 includes what is going on at the target level of GDB, as it happens. The
20936 default is 0. Set it to 1 to track events, and to 2 to also track the
20937 value of large memory transfers. Changes to this flag do not take effect
20938 until the next time you connect to a target or use the @code{run} command.
20939 @item show debug target
20940 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} target debugging
20941 info.
20942 @item set debug timestamp
20943 @cindex timestampping debugging info
20944 Turns on or off display of timestamps with @value{GDBN} debugging info.
20945 When enabled, seconds and microseconds are displayed before each debugging
20946 message.
20947 @item show debug timestamp
20948 Displays the current state of displaying timestamps with @value{GDBN}
20949 debugging info.
20950 @item set debugvarobj
20951 @cindex variable object debugging info
20952 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} variable object debugging
20953 info. The default is off.
20954 @item show debugvarobj
20955 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} variable object
20956 debugging info.
20957 @item set debug xml
20958 @cindex XML parser debugging
20959 Turns on or off debugging messages for built-in XML parsers.
20960 @item show debug xml
20961 Displays the current state of XML debugging messages.
20962 @end table
20963
20964 @node Other Misc Settings
20965 @section Other Miscellaneous Settings
20966 @cindex miscellaneous settings
20967
20968 @table @code
20969 @kindex set interactive-mode
20970 @item set interactive-mode
20971 If @code{on}, forces @value{GDBN} to assume that GDB was started
20972 in a terminal. In practice, this means that @value{GDBN} should wait
20973 for the user to answer queries generated by commands entered at
20974 the command prompt. If @code{off}, forces @value{GDBN} to operate
20975 in the opposite mode, and it uses the default answers to all queries.
20976 If @code{auto} (the default), @value{GDBN} tries to determine whether
20977 its standard input is a terminal, and works in interactive-mode if it
20978 is, non-interactively otherwise.
20979
20980 In the vast majority of cases, the debugger should be able to guess
20981 correctly which mode should be used. But this setting can be useful
20982 in certain specific cases, such as running a MinGW @value{GDBN}
20983 inside a cygwin window.
20984
20985 @kindex show interactive-mode
20986 @item show interactive-mode
20987 Displays whether the debugger is operating in interactive mode or not.
20988 @end table
20989
20990 @node Extending GDB
20991 @chapter Extending @value{GDBN}
20992 @cindex extending GDB
20993
20994 @value{GDBN} provides three mechanisms for extension. The first is based
20995 on composition of @value{GDBN} commands, the second is based on the
20996 Python scripting language, and the third is for defining new aliases of
20997 existing commands.
20998
20999 To facilitate the use of the first two extensions, @value{GDBN} is capable
21000 of evaluating the contents of a file. When doing so, @value{GDBN}
21001 can recognize which scripting language is being used by looking at
21002 the filename extension. Files with an unrecognized filename extension
21003 are always treated as a @value{GDBN} Command Files.
21004 @xref{Command Files,, Command files}.
21005
21006 You can control how @value{GDBN} evaluates these files with the following
21007 setting:
21008
21009 @table @code
21010 @kindex set script-extension
21011 @kindex show script-extension
21012 @item set script-extension off
21013 All scripts are always evaluated as @value{GDBN} Command Files.
21014
21015 @item set script-extension soft
21016 The debugger determines the scripting language based on filename
21017 extension. If this scripting language is supported, @value{GDBN}
21018 evaluates the script using that language. Otherwise, it evaluates
21019 the file as a @value{GDBN} Command File.
21020
21021 @item set script-extension strict
21022 The debugger determines the scripting language based on filename
21023 extension, and evaluates the script using that language. If the
21024 language is not supported, then the evaluation fails.
21025
21026 @item show script-extension
21027 Display the current value of the @code{script-extension} option.
21028
21029 @end table
21030
21031 @menu
21032 * Sequences:: Canned Sequences of Commands
21033 * Python:: Scripting @value{GDBN} using Python
21034 * Aliases:: Creating new spellings of existing commands
21035 @end menu
21036
21037 @node Sequences
21038 @section Canned Sequences of Commands
21039
21040 Aside from breakpoint commands (@pxref{Break Commands, ,Breakpoint
21041 Command Lists}), @value{GDBN} provides two ways to store sequences of
21042 commands for execution as a unit: user-defined commands and command
21043 files.
21044
21045 @menu
21046 * Define:: How to define your own commands
21047 * Hooks:: Hooks for user-defined commands
21048 * Command Files:: How to write scripts of commands to be stored in a file
21049 * Output:: Commands for controlled output
21050 @end menu
21051
21052 @node Define
21053 @subsection User-defined Commands
21054
21055 @cindex user-defined command
21056 @cindex arguments, to user-defined commands
21057 A @dfn{user-defined command} is a sequence of @value{GDBN} commands to
21058 which you assign a new name as a command. This is done with the
21059 @code{define} command. User commands may accept up to 10 arguments
21060 separated by whitespace. Arguments are accessed within the user command
21061 via @code{$arg0@dots{}$arg9}. A trivial example:
21062
21063 @smallexample
21064 define adder
21065 print $arg0 + $arg1 + $arg2
21066 end
21067 @end smallexample
21068
21069 @noindent
21070 To execute the command use:
21071
21072 @smallexample
21073 adder 1 2 3
21074 @end smallexample
21075
21076 @noindent
21077 This defines the command @code{adder}, which prints the sum of
21078 its three arguments. Note the arguments are text substitutions, so they may
21079 reference variables, use complex expressions, or even perform inferior
21080 functions calls.
21081
21082 @cindex argument count in user-defined commands
21083 @cindex how many arguments (user-defined commands)
21084 In addition, @code{$argc} may be used to find out how many arguments have
21085 been passed. This expands to a number in the range 0@dots{}10.
21086
21087 @smallexample
21088 define adder
21089 if $argc == 2
21090 print $arg0 + $arg1
21091 end
21092 if $argc == 3
21093 print $arg0 + $arg1 + $arg2
21094 end
21095 end
21096 @end smallexample
21097
21098 @table @code
21099
21100 @kindex define
21101 @item define @var{commandname}
21102 Define a command named @var{commandname}. If there is already a command
21103 by that name, you are asked to confirm that you want to redefine it.
21104 @var{commandname} may be a bare command name consisting of letters,
21105 numbers, dashes, and underscores. It may also start with any predefined
21106 prefix command. For example, @samp{define target my-target} creates
21107 a user-defined @samp{target my-target} command.
21108
21109 The definition of the command is made up of other @value{GDBN} command lines,
21110 which are given following the @code{define} command. The end of these
21111 commands is marked by a line containing @code{end}.
21112
21113 @kindex document
21114 @kindex end@r{ (user-defined commands)}
21115 @item document @var{commandname}
21116 Document the user-defined command @var{commandname}, so that it can be
21117 accessed by @code{help}. The command @var{commandname} must already be
21118 defined. This command reads lines of documentation just as @code{define}
21119 reads the lines of the command definition, ending with @code{end}.
21120 After the @code{document} command is finished, @code{help} on command
21121 @var{commandname} displays the documentation you have written.
21122
21123 You may use the @code{document} command again to change the
21124 documentation of a command. Redefining the command with @code{define}
21125 does not change the documentation.
21126
21127 @kindex dont-repeat
21128 @cindex don't repeat command
21129 @item dont-repeat
21130 Used inside a user-defined command, this tells @value{GDBN} that this
21131 command should not be repeated when the user hits @key{RET}
21132 (@pxref{Command Syntax, repeat last command}).
21133
21134 @kindex help user-defined
21135 @item help user-defined
21136 List all user-defined commands and all python commands defined in class
21137 COMAND_USER. The first line of the documentation or docstring is
21138 included (if any).
21139
21140 @kindex show user
21141 @item show user
21142 @itemx show user @var{commandname}
21143 Display the @value{GDBN} commands used to define @var{commandname} (but
21144 not its documentation). If no @var{commandname} is given, display the
21145 definitions for all user-defined commands.
21146 This does not work for user-defined python commands.
21147
21148 @cindex infinite recursion in user-defined commands
21149 @kindex show max-user-call-depth
21150 @kindex set max-user-call-depth
21151 @item show max-user-call-depth
21152 @itemx set max-user-call-depth
21153 The value of @code{max-user-call-depth} controls how many recursion
21154 levels are allowed in user-defined commands before @value{GDBN} suspects an
21155 infinite recursion and aborts the command.
21156 This does not apply to user-defined python commands.
21157 @end table
21158
21159 In addition to the above commands, user-defined commands frequently
21160 use control flow commands, described in @ref{Command Files}.
21161
21162 When user-defined commands are executed, the
21163 commands of the definition are not printed. An error in any command
21164 stops execution of the user-defined command.
21165
21166 If used interactively, commands that would ask for confirmation proceed
21167 without asking when used inside a user-defined command. Many @value{GDBN}
21168 commands that normally print messages to say what they are doing omit the
21169 messages when used in a user-defined command.
21170
21171 @node Hooks
21172 @subsection User-defined Command Hooks
21173 @cindex command hooks
21174 @cindex hooks, for commands
21175 @cindex hooks, pre-command
21176
21177 @kindex hook
21178 You may define @dfn{hooks}, which are a special kind of user-defined
21179 command. Whenever you run the command @samp{foo}, if the user-defined
21180 command @samp{hook-foo} exists, it is executed (with no arguments)
21181 before that command.
21182
21183 @cindex hooks, post-command
21184 @kindex hookpost
21185 A hook may also be defined which is run after the command you executed.
21186 Whenever you run the command @samp{foo}, if the user-defined command
21187 @samp{hookpost-foo} exists, it is executed (with no arguments) after
21188 that command. Post-execution hooks may exist simultaneously with
21189 pre-execution hooks, for the same command.
21190
21191 It is valid for a hook to call the command which it hooks. If this
21192 occurs, the hook is not re-executed, thereby avoiding infinite recursion.
21193
21194 @c It would be nice if hookpost could be passed a parameter indicating
21195 @c if the command it hooks executed properly or not. FIXME!
21196
21197 @kindex stop@r{, a pseudo-command}
21198 In addition, a pseudo-command, @samp{stop} exists. Defining
21199 (@samp{hook-stop}) makes the associated commands execute every time
21200 execution stops in your program: before breakpoint commands are run,
21201 displays are printed, or the stack frame is printed.
21202
21203 For example, to ignore @code{SIGALRM} signals while
21204 single-stepping, but treat them normally during normal execution,
21205 you could define:
21206
21207 @smallexample
21208 define hook-stop
21209 handle SIGALRM nopass
21210 end
21211
21212 define hook-run
21213 handle SIGALRM pass
21214 end
21215
21216 define hook-continue
21217 handle SIGALRM pass
21218 end
21219 @end smallexample
21220
21221 As a further example, to hook at the beginning and end of the @code{echo}
21222 command, and to add extra text to the beginning and end of the message,
21223 you could define:
21224
21225 @smallexample
21226 define hook-echo
21227 echo <<<---
21228 end
21229
21230 define hookpost-echo
21231 echo --->>>\n
21232 end
21233
21234 (@value{GDBP}) echo Hello World
21235 <<<---Hello World--->>>
21236 (@value{GDBP})
21237
21238 @end smallexample
21239
21240 You can define a hook for any single-word command in @value{GDBN}, but
21241 not for command aliases; you should define a hook for the basic command
21242 name, e.g.@: @code{backtrace} rather than @code{bt}.
21243 @c FIXME! So how does Joe User discover whether a command is an alias
21244 @c or not?
21245 You can hook a multi-word command by adding @code{hook-} or
21246 @code{hookpost-} to the last word of the command, e.g.@:
21247 @samp{define target hook-remote} to add a hook to @samp{target remote}.
21248
21249 If an error occurs during the execution of your hook, execution of
21250 @value{GDBN} commands stops and @value{GDBN} issues a prompt
21251 (before the command that you actually typed had a chance to run).
21252
21253 If you try to define a hook which does not match any known command, you
21254 get a warning from the @code{define} command.
21255
21256 @node Command Files
21257 @subsection Command Files
21258
21259 @cindex command files
21260 @cindex scripting commands
21261 A command file for @value{GDBN} is a text file made of lines that are
21262 @value{GDBN} commands. Comments (lines starting with @kbd{#}) may
21263 also be included. An empty line in a command file does nothing; it
21264 does not mean to repeat the last command, as it would from the
21265 terminal.
21266
21267 You can request the execution of a command file with the @code{source}
21268 command. Note that the @code{source} command is also used to evaluate
21269 scripts that are not Command Files. The exact behavior can be configured
21270 using the @code{script-extension} setting.
21271 @xref{Extending GDB,, Extending GDB}.
21272
21273 @table @code
21274 @kindex source
21275 @cindex execute commands from a file
21276 @item source [-s] [-v] @var{filename}
21277 Execute the command file @var{filename}.
21278 @end table
21279
21280 The lines in a command file are generally executed sequentially,
21281 unless the order of execution is changed by one of the
21282 @emph{flow-control commands} described below. The commands are not
21283 printed as they are executed. An error in any command terminates
21284 execution of the command file and control is returned to the console.
21285
21286 @value{GDBN} first searches for @var{filename} in the current directory.
21287 If the file is not found there, and @var{filename} does not specify a
21288 directory, then @value{GDBN} also looks for the file on the source search path
21289 (specified with the @samp{directory} command);
21290 except that @file{$cdir} is not searched because the compilation directory
21291 is not relevant to scripts.
21292
21293 If @code{-s} is specified, then @value{GDBN} searches for @var{filename}
21294 on the search path even if @var{filename} specifies a directory.
21295 The search is done by appending @var{filename} to each element of the
21296 search path. So, for example, if @var{filename} is @file{mylib/myscript}
21297 and the search path contains @file{/home/user} then @value{GDBN} will
21298 look for the script @file{/home/user/mylib/myscript}.
21299 The search is also done if @var{filename} is an absolute path.
21300 For example, if @var{filename} is @file{/tmp/myscript} and
21301 the search path contains @file{/home/user} then @value{GDBN} will
21302 look for the script @file{/home/user/tmp/myscript}.
21303 For DOS-like systems, if @var{filename} contains a drive specification,
21304 it is stripped before concatenation. For example, if @var{filename} is
21305 @file{d:myscript} and the search path contains @file{c:/tmp} then @value{GDBN}
21306 will look for the script @file{c:/tmp/myscript}.
21307
21308 If @code{-v}, for verbose mode, is given then @value{GDBN} displays
21309 each command as it is executed. The option must be given before
21310 @var{filename}, and is interpreted as part of the filename anywhere else.
21311
21312 Commands that would ask for confirmation if used interactively proceed
21313 without asking when used in a command file. Many @value{GDBN} commands that
21314 normally print messages to say what they are doing omit the messages
21315 when called from command files.
21316
21317 @value{GDBN} also accepts command input from standard input. In this
21318 mode, normal output goes to standard output and error output goes to
21319 standard error. Errors in a command file supplied on standard input do
21320 not terminate execution of the command file---execution continues with
21321 the next command.
21322
21323 @smallexample
21324 gdb < cmds > log 2>&1
21325 @end smallexample
21326
21327 (The syntax above will vary depending on the shell used.) This example
21328 will execute commands from the file @file{cmds}. All output and errors
21329 would be directed to @file{log}.
21330
21331 Since commands stored on command files tend to be more general than
21332 commands typed interactively, they frequently need to deal with
21333 complicated situations, such as different or unexpected values of
21334 variables and symbols, changes in how the program being debugged is
21335 built, etc. @value{GDBN} provides a set of flow-control commands to
21336 deal with these complexities. Using these commands, you can write
21337 complex scripts that loop over data structures, execute commands
21338 conditionally, etc.
21339
21340 @table @code
21341 @kindex if
21342 @kindex else
21343 @item if
21344 @itemx else
21345 This command allows to include in your script conditionally executed
21346 commands. The @code{if} command takes a single argument, which is an
21347 expression to evaluate. It is followed by a series of commands that
21348 are executed only if the expression is true (its value is nonzero).
21349 There can then optionally be an @code{else} line, followed by a series
21350 of commands that are only executed if the expression was false. The
21351 end of the list is marked by a line containing @code{end}.
21352
21353 @kindex while
21354 @item while
21355 This command allows to write loops. Its syntax is similar to
21356 @code{if}: the command takes a single argument, which is an expression
21357 to evaluate, and must be followed by the commands to execute, one per
21358 line, terminated by an @code{end}. These commands are called the
21359 @dfn{body} of the loop. The commands in the body of @code{while} are
21360 executed repeatedly as long as the expression evaluates to true.
21361
21362 @kindex loop_break
21363 @item loop_break
21364 This command exits the @code{while} loop in whose body it is included.
21365 Execution of the script continues after that @code{while}s @code{end}
21366 line.
21367
21368 @kindex loop_continue
21369 @item loop_continue
21370 This command skips the execution of the rest of the body of commands
21371 in the @code{while} loop in whose body it is included. Execution
21372 branches to the beginning of the @code{while} loop, where it evaluates
21373 the controlling expression.
21374
21375 @kindex end@r{ (if/else/while commands)}
21376 @item end
21377 Terminate the block of commands that are the body of @code{if},
21378 @code{else}, or @code{while} flow-control commands.
21379 @end table
21380
21381
21382 @node Output
21383 @subsection Commands for Controlled Output
21384
21385 During the execution of a command file or a user-defined command, normal
21386 @value{GDBN} output is suppressed; the only output that appears is what is
21387 explicitly printed by the commands in the definition. This section
21388 describes three commands useful for generating exactly the output you
21389 want.
21390
21391 @table @code
21392 @kindex echo
21393 @item echo @var{text}
21394 @c I do not consider backslash-space a standard C escape sequence
21395 @c because it is not in ANSI.
21396 Print @var{text}. Nonprinting characters can be included in
21397 @var{text} using C escape sequences, such as @samp{\n} to print a
21398 newline. @strong{No newline is printed unless you specify one.}
21399 In addition to the standard C escape sequences, a backslash followed
21400 by a space stands for a space. This is useful for displaying a
21401 string with spaces at the beginning or the end, since leading and
21402 trailing spaces are otherwise trimmed from all arguments.
21403 To print @samp{@w{ }and foo =@w{ }}, use the command
21404 @samp{echo \@w{ }and foo = \@w{ }}.
21405
21406 A backslash at the end of @var{text} can be used, as in C, to continue
21407 the command onto subsequent lines. For example,
21408
21409 @smallexample
21410 echo This is some text\n\
21411 which is continued\n\
21412 onto several lines.\n
21413 @end smallexample
21414
21415 produces the same output as
21416
21417 @smallexample
21418 echo This is some text\n
21419 echo which is continued\n
21420 echo onto several lines.\n
21421 @end smallexample
21422
21423 @kindex output
21424 @item output @var{expression}
21425 Print the value of @var{expression} and nothing but that value: no
21426 newlines, no @samp{$@var{nn} = }. The value is not entered in the
21427 value history either. @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}, for more information
21428 on expressions.
21429
21430 @item output/@var{fmt} @var{expression}
21431 Print the value of @var{expression} in format @var{fmt}. You can use
21432 the same formats as for @code{print}. @xref{Output Formats,,Output
21433 Formats}, for more information.
21434
21435 @kindex printf
21436 @item printf @var{template}, @var{expressions}@dots{}
21437 Print the values of one or more @var{expressions} under the control of
21438 the string @var{template}. To print several values, make
21439 @var{expressions} be a comma-separated list of individual expressions,
21440 which may be either numbers or pointers. Their values are printed as
21441 specified by @var{template}, exactly as a C program would do by
21442 executing the code below:
21443
21444 @smallexample
21445 printf (@var{template}, @var{expressions}@dots{});
21446 @end smallexample
21447
21448 As in @code{C} @code{printf}, ordinary characters in @var{template}
21449 are printed verbatim, while @dfn{conversion specification} introduced
21450 by the @samp{%} character cause subsequent @var{expressions} to be
21451 evaluated, their values converted and formatted according to type and
21452 style information encoded in the conversion specifications, and then
21453 printed.
21454
21455 For example, you can print two values in hex like this:
21456
21457 @smallexample
21458 printf "foo, bar-foo = 0x%x, 0x%x\n", foo, bar-foo
21459 @end smallexample
21460
21461 @code{printf} supports all the standard @code{C} conversion
21462 specifications, including the flags and modifiers between the @samp{%}
21463 character and the conversion letter, with the following exceptions:
21464
21465 @itemize @bullet
21466 @item
21467 The argument-ordering modifiers, such as @samp{2$}, are not supported.
21468
21469 @item
21470 The modifier @samp{*} is not supported for specifying precision or
21471 width.
21472
21473 @item
21474 The @samp{'} flag (for separation of digits into groups according to
21475 @code{LC_NUMERIC'}) is not supported.
21476
21477 @item
21478 The type modifiers @samp{hh}, @samp{j}, @samp{t}, and @samp{z} are not
21479 supported.
21480
21481 @item
21482 The conversion letter @samp{n} (as in @samp{%n}) is not supported.
21483
21484 @item
21485 The conversion letters @samp{a} and @samp{A} are not supported.
21486 @end itemize
21487
21488 @noindent
21489 Note that the @samp{ll} type modifier is supported only if the
21490 underlying @code{C} implementation used to build @value{GDBN} supports
21491 the @code{long long int} type, and the @samp{L} type modifier is
21492 supported only if @code{long double} type is available.
21493
21494 As in @code{C}, @code{printf} supports simple backslash-escape
21495 sequences, such as @code{\n}, @samp{\t}, @samp{\\}, @samp{\"},
21496 @samp{\a}, and @samp{\f}, that consist of backslash followed by a
21497 single character. Octal and hexadecimal escape sequences are not
21498 supported.
21499
21500 Additionally, @code{printf} supports conversion specifications for DFP
21501 (@dfn{Decimal Floating Point}) types using the following length modifiers
21502 together with a floating point specifier.
21503 letters:
21504
21505 @itemize @bullet
21506 @item
21507 @samp{H} for printing @code{Decimal32} types.
21508
21509 @item
21510 @samp{D} for printing @code{Decimal64} types.
21511
21512 @item
21513 @samp{DD} for printing @code{Decimal128} types.
21514 @end itemize
21515
21516 If the underlying @code{C} implementation used to build @value{GDBN} has
21517 support for the three length modifiers for DFP types, other modifiers
21518 such as width and precision will also be available for @value{GDBN} to use.
21519
21520 In case there is no such @code{C} support, no additional modifiers will be
21521 available and the value will be printed in the standard way.
21522
21523 Here's an example of printing DFP types using the above conversion letters:
21524 @smallexample
21525 printf "D32: %Hf - D64: %Df - D128: %DDf\n",1.2345df,1.2E10dd,1.2E1dl
21526 @end smallexample
21527
21528 @kindex eval
21529 @item eval @var{template}, @var{expressions}@dots{}
21530 Convert the values of one or more @var{expressions} under the control of
21531 the string @var{template} to a command line, and call it.
21532
21533 @end table
21534
21535 @node Python
21536 @section Scripting @value{GDBN} using Python
21537 @cindex python scripting
21538 @cindex scripting with python
21539
21540 You can script @value{GDBN} using the @uref{http://www.python.org/,
21541 Python programming language}. This feature is available only if
21542 @value{GDBN} was configured using @option{--with-python}.
21543
21544 @cindex python directory
21545 Python scripts used by @value{GDBN} should be installed in
21546 @file{@var{data-directory}/python}, where @var{data-directory} is
21547 the data directory as determined at @value{GDBN} startup (@pxref{Data Files}).
21548 This directory, known as the @dfn{python directory},
21549 is automatically added to the Python Search Path in order to allow
21550 the Python interpreter to locate all scripts installed at this location.
21551
21552 Additionally, @value{GDBN} commands and convenience functions which
21553 are written in Python and are located in the
21554 @file{@var{data-directory}/python/gdb/command} or
21555 @file{@var{data-directory}/python/gdb/function} directories are
21556 automatically imported when @value{GDBN} starts.
21557
21558 @menu
21559 * Python Commands:: Accessing Python from @value{GDBN}.
21560 * Python API:: Accessing @value{GDBN} from Python.
21561 * Auto-loading:: Automatically loading Python code.
21562 * Python modules:: Python modules provided by @value{GDBN}.
21563 @end menu
21564
21565 @node Python Commands
21566 @subsection Python Commands
21567 @cindex python commands
21568 @cindex commands to access python
21569
21570 @value{GDBN} provides one command for accessing the Python interpreter,
21571 and one related setting:
21572
21573 @table @code
21574 @kindex python
21575 @item python @r{[}@var{code}@r{]}
21576 The @code{python} command can be used to evaluate Python code.
21577
21578 If given an argument, the @code{python} command will evaluate the
21579 argument as a Python command. For example:
21580
21581 @smallexample
21582 (@value{GDBP}) python print 23
21583 23
21584 @end smallexample
21585
21586 If you do not provide an argument to @code{python}, it will act as a
21587 multi-line command, like @code{define}. In this case, the Python
21588 script is made up of subsequent command lines, given after the
21589 @code{python} command. This command list is terminated using a line
21590 containing @code{end}. For example:
21591
21592 @smallexample
21593 (@value{GDBP}) python
21594 Type python script
21595 End with a line saying just "end".
21596 >print 23
21597 >end
21598 23
21599 @end smallexample
21600
21601 @kindex set python print-stack
21602 @item set python print-stack
21603 By default, @value{GDBN} will print only the message component of a
21604 Python exception when an error occurs in a Python script. This can be
21605 controlled using @code{set python print-stack}: if @code{full}, then
21606 full Python stack printing is enabled; if @code{none}, then Python stack
21607 and message printing is disabled; if @code{message}, the default, only
21608 the message component of the error is printed.
21609 @end table
21610
21611 It is also possible to execute a Python script from the @value{GDBN}
21612 interpreter:
21613
21614 @table @code
21615 @item source @file{script-name}
21616 The script name must end with @samp{.py} and @value{GDBN} must be configured
21617 to recognize the script language based on filename extension using
21618 the @code{script-extension} setting. @xref{Extending GDB, ,Extending GDB}.
21619
21620 @item python execfile ("script-name")
21621 This method is based on the @code{execfile} Python built-in function,
21622 and thus is always available.
21623 @end table
21624
21625 @node Python API
21626 @subsection Python API
21627 @cindex python api
21628 @cindex programming in python
21629
21630 @cindex python stdout
21631 @cindex python pagination
21632 At startup, @value{GDBN} overrides Python's @code{sys.stdout} and
21633 @code{sys.stderr} to print using @value{GDBN}'s output-paging streams.
21634 A Python program which outputs to one of these streams may have its
21635 output interrupted by the user (@pxref{Screen Size}). In this
21636 situation, a Python @code{KeyboardInterrupt} exception is thrown.
21637
21638 @menu
21639 * Basic Python:: Basic Python Functions.
21640 * Exception Handling:: How Python exceptions are translated.
21641 * Values From Inferior:: Python representation of values.
21642 * Types In Python:: Python representation of types.
21643 * Pretty Printing API:: Pretty-printing values.
21644 * Selecting Pretty-Printers:: How GDB chooses a pretty-printer.
21645 * Writing a Pretty-Printer:: Writing a Pretty-Printer.
21646 * Inferiors In Python:: Python representation of inferiors (processes)
21647 * Events In Python:: Listening for events from @value{GDBN}.
21648 * Threads In Python:: Accessing inferior threads from Python.
21649 * Commands In Python:: Implementing new commands in Python.
21650 * Parameters In Python:: Adding new @value{GDBN} parameters.
21651 * Functions In Python:: Writing new convenience functions.
21652 * Progspaces In Python:: Program spaces.
21653 * Objfiles In Python:: Object files.
21654 * Frames In Python:: Accessing inferior stack frames from Python.
21655 * Blocks In Python:: Accessing frame blocks from Python.
21656 * Symbols In Python:: Python representation of symbols.
21657 * Symbol Tables In Python:: Python representation of symbol tables.
21658 * Lazy Strings In Python:: Python representation of lazy strings.
21659 * Breakpoints In Python:: Manipulating breakpoints using Python.
21660 * Finish Breakpoints in Python:: Setting Breakpoints on function return
21661 using Python.
21662 @end menu
21663
21664 @node Basic Python
21665 @subsubsection Basic Python
21666
21667 @cindex python functions
21668 @cindex python module
21669 @cindex gdb module
21670 @value{GDBN} introduces a new Python module, named @code{gdb}. All
21671 methods and classes added by @value{GDBN} are placed in this module.
21672 @value{GDBN} automatically @code{import}s the @code{gdb} module for
21673 use in all scripts evaluated by the @code{python} command.
21674
21675 @findex gdb.PYTHONDIR
21676 @defvar gdb.PYTHONDIR
21677 A string containing the python directory (@pxref{Python}).
21678 @end defvar
21679
21680 @findex gdb.execute
21681 @defun gdb.execute (command @r{[}, from_tty @r{[}, to_string@r{]]})
21682 Evaluate @var{command}, a string, as a @value{GDBN} CLI command.
21683 If a GDB exception happens while @var{command} runs, it is
21684 translated as described in @ref{Exception Handling,,Exception Handling}.
21685
21686 @var{from_tty} specifies whether @value{GDBN} ought to consider this
21687 command as having originated from the user invoking it interactively.
21688 It must be a boolean value. If omitted, it defaults to @code{False}.
21689
21690 By default, any output produced by @var{command} is sent to
21691 @value{GDBN}'s standard output. If the @var{to_string} parameter is
21692 @code{True}, then output will be collected by @code{gdb.execute} and
21693 returned as a string. The default is @code{False}, in which case the
21694 return value is @code{None}. If @var{to_string} is @code{True}, the
21695 @value{GDBN} virtual terminal will be temporarily set to unlimited width
21696 and height, and its pagination will be disabled; @pxref{Screen Size}.
21697 @end defun
21698
21699 @findex gdb.breakpoints
21700 @defun gdb.breakpoints ()
21701 Return a sequence holding all of @value{GDBN}'s breakpoints.
21702 @xref{Breakpoints In Python}, for more information.
21703 @end defun
21704
21705 @findex gdb.parameter
21706 @defun gdb.parameter (parameter)
21707 Return the value of a @value{GDBN} parameter. @var{parameter} is a
21708 string naming the parameter to look up; @var{parameter} may contain
21709 spaces if the parameter has a multi-part name. For example,
21710 @samp{print object} is a valid parameter name.
21711
21712 If the named parameter does not exist, this function throws a
21713 @code{gdb.error} (@pxref{Exception Handling}). Otherwise, the
21714 parameter's value is converted to a Python value of the appropriate
21715 type, and returned.
21716 @end defun
21717
21718 @findex gdb.history
21719 @defun gdb.history (number)
21720 Return a value from @value{GDBN}'s value history (@pxref{Value
21721 History}). @var{number} indicates which history element to return.
21722 If @var{number} is negative, then @value{GDBN} will take its absolute value
21723 and count backward from the last element (i.e., the most recent element) to
21724 find the value to return. If @var{number} is zero, then @value{GDBN} will
21725 return the most recent element. If the element specified by @var{number}
21726 doesn't exist in the value history, a @code{gdb.error} exception will be
21727 raised.
21728
21729 If no exception is raised, the return value is always an instance of
21730 @code{gdb.Value} (@pxref{Values From Inferior}).
21731 @end defun
21732
21733 @findex gdb.parse_and_eval
21734 @defun gdb.parse_and_eval (expression)
21735 Parse @var{expression} as an expression in the current language,
21736 evaluate it, and return the result as a @code{gdb.Value}.
21737 @var{expression} must be a string.
21738
21739 This function can be useful when implementing a new command
21740 (@pxref{Commands In Python}), as it provides a way to parse the
21741 command's argument as an expression. It is also useful simply to
21742 compute values, for example, it is the only way to get the value of a
21743 convenience variable (@pxref{Convenience Vars}) as a @code{gdb.Value}.
21744 @end defun
21745
21746 @findex gdb.post_event
21747 @defun gdb.post_event (event)
21748 Put @var{event}, a callable object taking no arguments, into
21749 @value{GDBN}'s internal event queue. This callable will be invoked at
21750 some later point, during @value{GDBN}'s event processing. Events
21751 posted using @code{post_event} will be run in the order in which they
21752 were posted; however, there is no way to know when they will be
21753 processed relative to other events inside @value{GDBN}.
21754
21755 @value{GDBN} is not thread-safe. If your Python program uses multiple
21756 threads, you must be careful to only call @value{GDBN}-specific
21757 functions in the main @value{GDBN} thread. @code{post_event} ensures
21758 this. For example:
21759
21760 @smallexample
21761 (@value{GDBP}) python
21762 >import threading
21763 >
21764 >class Writer():
21765 > def __init__(self, message):
21766 > self.message = message;
21767 > def __call__(self):
21768 > gdb.write(self.message)
21769 >
21770 >class MyThread1 (threading.Thread):
21771 > def run (self):
21772 > gdb.post_event(Writer("Hello "))
21773 >
21774 >class MyThread2 (threading.Thread):
21775 > def run (self):
21776 > gdb.post_event(Writer("World\n"))
21777 >
21778 >MyThread1().start()
21779 >MyThread2().start()
21780 >end
21781 (@value{GDBP}) Hello World
21782 @end smallexample
21783 @end defun
21784
21785 @findex gdb.write
21786 @defun gdb.write (string @r{[}, stream{]})
21787 Print a string to @value{GDBN}'s paginated output stream. The
21788 optional @var{stream} determines the stream to print to. The default
21789 stream is @value{GDBN}'s standard output stream. Possible stream
21790 values are:
21791
21792 @table @code
21793 @findex STDOUT
21794 @findex gdb.STDOUT
21795 @item gdb.STDOUT
21796 @value{GDBN}'s standard output stream.
21797
21798 @findex STDERR
21799 @findex gdb.STDERR
21800 @item gdb.STDERR
21801 @value{GDBN}'s standard error stream.
21802
21803 @findex STDLOG
21804 @findex gdb.STDLOG
21805 @item gdb.STDLOG
21806 @value{GDBN}'s log stream (@pxref{Logging Output}).
21807 @end table
21808
21809 Writing to @code{sys.stdout} or @code{sys.stderr} will automatically
21810 call this function and will automatically direct the output to the
21811 relevant stream.
21812 @end defun
21813
21814 @findex gdb.flush
21815 @defun gdb.flush ()
21816 Flush the buffer of a @value{GDBN} paginated stream so that the
21817 contents are displayed immediately. @value{GDBN} will flush the
21818 contents of a stream automatically when it encounters a newline in the
21819 buffer. The optional @var{stream} determines the stream to flush. The
21820 default stream is @value{GDBN}'s standard output stream. Possible
21821 stream values are:
21822
21823 @table @code
21824 @findex STDOUT
21825 @findex gdb.STDOUT
21826 @item gdb.STDOUT
21827 @value{GDBN}'s standard output stream.
21828
21829 @findex STDERR
21830 @findex gdb.STDERR
21831 @item gdb.STDERR
21832 @value{GDBN}'s standard error stream.
21833
21834 @findex STDLOG
21835 @findex gdb.STDLOG
21836 @item gdb.STDLOG
21837 @value{GDBN}'s log stream (@pxref{Logging Output}).
21838
21839 @end table
21840
21841 Flushing @code{sys.stdout} or @code{sys.stderr} will automatically
21842 call this function for the relevant stream.
21843 @end defun
21844
21845 @findex gdb.target_charset
21846 @defun gdb.target_charset ()
21847 Return the name of the current target character set (@pxref{Character
21848 Sets}). This differs from @code{gdb.parameter('target-charset')} in
21849 that @samp{auto} is never returned.
21850 @end defun
21851
21852 @findex gdb.target_wide_charset
21853 @defun gdb.target_wide_charset ()
21854 Return the name of the current target wide character set
21855 (@pxref{Character Sets}). This differs from
21856 @code{gdb.parameter('target-wide-charset')} in that @samp{auto} is
21857 never returned.
21858 @end defun
21859
21860 @findex gdb.solib_name
21861 @defun gdb.solib_name (address)
21862 Return the name of the shared library holding the given @var{address}
21863 as a string, or @code{None}.
21864 @end defun
21865
21866 @findex gdb.decode_line
21867 @defun gdb.decode_line @r{[}expression@r{]}
21868 Return locations of the line specified by @var{expression}, or of the
21869 current line if no argument was given. This function returns a Python
21870 tuple containing two elements. The first element contains a string
21871 holding any unparsed section of @var{expression} (or @code{None} if
21872 the expression has been fully parsed). The second element contains
21873 either @code{None} or another tuple that contains all the locations
21874 that match the expression represented as @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line}
21875 objects (@pxref{Symbol Tables In Python}). If @var{expression} is
21876 provided, it is decoded the way that @value{GDBN}'s inbuilt
21877 @code{break} or @code{edit} commands do (@pxref{Specify Location}).
21878 @end defun
21879
21880 @defun gdb.prompt_hook (current_prompt)
21881 @anchor{prompt_hook}
21882
21883 If @var{prompt_hook} is callable, @value{GDBN} will call the method
21884 assigned to this operation before a prompt is displayed by
21885 @value{GDBN}.
21886
21887 The parameter @code{current_prompt} contains the current @value{GDBN}
21888 prompt. This method must return a Python string, or @code{None}. If
21889 a string is returned, the @value{GDBN} prompt will be set to that
21890 string. If @code{None} is returned, @value{GDBN} will continue to use
21891 the current prompt.
21892
21893 Some prompts cannot be substituted in @value{GDBN}. Secondary prompts
21894 such as those used by readline for command input, and annotation
21895 related prompts are prohibited from being changed.
21896 @end defun
21897
21898 @node Exception Handling
21899 @subsubsection Exception Handling
21900 @cindex python exceptions
21901 @cindex exceptions, python
21902
21903 When executing the @code{python} command, Python exceptions
21904 uncaught within the Python code are translated to calls to
21905 @value{GDBN} error-reporting mechanism. If the command that called
21906 @code{python} does not handle the error, @value{GDBN} will
21907 terminate it and print an error message containing the Python
21908 exception name, the associated value, and the Python call stack
21909 backtrace at the point where the exception was raised. Example:
21910
21911 @smallexample
21912 (@value{GDBP}) python print foo
21913 Traceback (most recent call last):
21914 File "<string>", line 1, in <module>
21915 NameError: name 'foo' is not defined
21916 @end smallexample
21917
21918 @value{GDBN} errors that happen in @value{GDBN} commands invoked by
21919 Python code are converted to Python exceptions. The type of the
21920 Python exception depends on the error.
21921
21922 @ftable @code
21923 @item gdb.error
21924 This is the base class for most exceptions generated by @value{GDBN}.
21925 It is derived from @code{RuntimeError}, for compatibility with earlier
21926 versions of @value{GDBN}.
21927
21928 If an error occurring in @value{GDBN} does not fit into some more
21929 specific category, then the generated exception will have this type.
21930
21931 @item gdb.MemoryError
21932 This is a subclass of @code{gdb.error} which is thrown when an
21933 operation tried to access invalid memory in the inferior.
21934
21935 @item KeyboardInterrupt
21936 User interrupt (via @kbd{C-c} or by typing @kbd{q} at a pagination
21937 prompt) is translated to a Python @code{KeyboardInterrupt} exception.
21938 @end ftable
21939
21940 In all cases, your exception handler will see the @value{GDBN} error
21941 message as its value and the Python call stack backtrace at the Python
21942 statement closest to where the @value{GDBN} error occured as the
21943 traceback.
21944
21945 @findex gdb.GdbError
21946 When implementing @value{GDBN} commands in Python via @code{gdb.Command},
21947 it is useful to be able to throw an exception that doesn't cause a
21948 traceback to be printed. For example, the user may have invoked the
21949 command incorrectly. Use the @code{gdb.GdbError} exception
21950 to handle this case. Example:
21951
21952 @smallexample
21953 (gdb) python
21954 >class HelloWorld (gdb.Command):
21955 > """Greet the whole world."""
21956 > def __init__ (self):
21957 > super (HelloWorld, self).__init__ ("hello-world", gdb.COMMAND_USER)
21958 > def invoke (self, args, from_tty):
21959 > argv = gdb.string_to_argv (args)
21960 > if len (argv) != 0:
21961 > raise gdb.GdbError ("hello-world takes no arguments")
21962 > print "Hello, World!"
21963 >HelloWorld ()
21964 >end
21965 (gdb) hello-world 42
21966 hello-world takes no arguments
21967 @end smallexample
21968
21969 @node Values From Inferior
21970 @subsubsection Values From Inferior
21971 @cindex values from inferior, with Python
21972 @cindex python, working with values from inferior
21973
21974 @cindex @code{gdb.Value}
21975 @value{GDBN} provides values it obtains from the inferior program in
21976 an object of type @code{gdb.Value}. @value{GDBN} uses this object
21977 for its internal bookkeeping of the inferior's values, and for
21978 fetching values when necessary.
21979
21980 Inferior values that are simple scalars can be used directly in
21981 Python expressions that are valid for the value's data type. Here's
21982 an example for an integer or floating-point value @code{some_val}:
21983
21984 @smallexample
21985 bar = some_val + 2
21986 @end smallexample
21987
21988 @noindent
21989 As result of this, @code{bar} will also be a @code{gdb.Value} object
21990 whose values are of the same type as those of @code{some_val}.
21991
21992 Inferior values that are structures or instances of some class can
21993 be accessed using the Python @dfn{dictionary syntax}. For example, if
21994 @code{some_val} is a @code{gdb.Value} instance holding a structure, you
21995 can access its @code{foo} element with:
21996
21997 @smallexample
21998 bar = some_val['foo']
21999 @end smallexample
22000
22001 Again, @code{bar} will also be a @code{gdb.Value} object.
22002
22003 A @code{gdb.Value} that represents a function can be executed via
22004 inferior function call. Any arguments provided to the call must match
22005 the function's prototype, and must be provided in the order specified
22006 by that prototype.
22007
22008 For example, @code{some_val} is a @code{gdb.Value} instance
22009 representing a function that takes two integers as arguments. To
22010 execute this function, call it like so:
22011
22012 @smallexample
22013 result = some_val (10,20)
22014 @end smallexample
22015
22016 Any values returned from a function call will be stored as a
22017 @code{gdb.Value}.
22018
22019 The following attributes are provided:
22020
22021 @table @code
22022 @defvar Value.address
22023 If this object is addressable, this read-only attribute holds a
22024 @code{gdb.Value} object representing the address. Otherwise,
22025 this attribute holds @code{None}.
22026 @end defvar
22027
22028 @cindex optimized out value in Python
22029 @defvar Value.is_optimized_out
22030 This read-only boolean attribute is true if the compiler optimized out
22031 this value, thus it is not available for fetching from the inferior.
22032 @end defvar
22033
22034 @defvar Value.type
22035 The type of this @code{gdb.Value}. The value of this attribute is a
22036 @code{gdb.Type} object (@pxref{Types In Python}).
22037 @end defvar
22038
22039 @defvar Value.dynamic_type
22040 The dynamic type of this @code{gdb.Value}. This uses C@t{++} run-time
22041 type information (@acronym{RTTI}) to determine the dynamic type of the
22042 value. If this value is of class type, it will return the class in
22043 which the value is embedded, if any. If this value is of pointer or
22044 reference to a class type, it will compute the dynamic type of the
22045 referenced object, and return a pointer or reference to that type,
22046 respectively. In all other cases, it will return the value's static
22047 type.
22048
22049 Note that this feature will only work when debugging a C@t{++} program
22050 that includes @acronym{RTTI} for the object in question. Otherwise,
22051 it will just return the static type of the value as in @kbd{ptype foo}
22052 (@pxref{Symbols, ptype}).
22053 @end defvar
22054
22055 @defvar Value.is_lazy
22056 The value of this read-only boolean attribute is @code{True} if this
22057 @code{gdb.Value} has not yet been fetched from the inferior.
22058 @value{GDBN} does not fetch values until necessary, for efficiency.
22059 For example:
22060
22061 @smallexample
22062 myval = gdb.parse_and_eval ('somevar')
22063 @end smallexample
22064
22065 The value of @code{somevar} is not fetched at this time. It will be
22066 fetched when the value is needed, or when the @code{fetch_lazy}
22067 method is invoked.
22068 @end defvar
22069 @end table
22070
22071 The following methods are provided:
22072
22073 @table @code
22074 @defun Value.__init__ (@var{val})
22075 Many Python values can be converted directly to a @code{gdb.Value} via
22076 this object initializer. Specifically:
22077
22078 @table @asis
22079 @item Python boolean
22080 A Python boolean is converted to the boolean type from the current
22081 language.
22082
22083 @item Python integer
22084 A Python integer is converted to the C @code{long} type for the
22085 current architecture.
22086
22087 @item Python long
22088 A Python long is converted to the C @code{long long} type for the
22089 current architecture.
22090
22091 @item Python float
22092 A Python float is converted to the C @code{double} type for the
22093 current architecture.
22094
22095 @item Python string
22096 A Python string is converted to a target string, using the current
22097 target encoding.
22098
22099 @item @code{gdb.Value}
22100 If @code{val} is a @code{gdb.Value}, then a copy of the value is made.
22101
22102 @item @code{gdb.LazyString}
22103 If @code{val} is a @code{gdb.LazyString} (@pxref{Lazy Strings In
22104 Python}), then the lazy string's @code{value} method is called, and
22105 its result is used.
22106 @end table
22107 @end defun
22108
22109 @defun Value.cast (type)
22110 Return a new instance of @code{gdb.Value} that is the result of
22111 casting this instance to the type described by @var{type}, which must
22112 be a @code{gdb.Type} object. If the cast cannot be performed for some
22113 reason, this method throws an exception.
22114 @end defun
22115
22116 @defun Value.dereference ()
22117 For pointer data types, this method returns a new @code{gdb.Value} object
22118 whose contents is the object pointed to by the pointer. For example, if
22119 @code{foo} is a C pointer to an @code{int}, declared in your C program as
22120
22121 @smallexample
22122 int *foo;
22123 @end smallexample
22124
22125 @noindent
22126 then you can use the corresponding @code{gdb.Value} to access what
22127 @code{foo} points to like this:
22128
22129 @smallexample
22130 bar = foo.dereference ()
22131 @end smallexample
22132
22133 The result @code{bar} will be a @code{gdb.Value} object holding the
22134 value pointed to by @code{foo}.
22135 @end defun
22136
22137 @defun Value.dynamic_cast (type)
22138 Like @code{Value.cast}, but works as if the C@t{++} @code{dynamic_cast}
22139 operator were used. Consult a C@t{++} reference for details.
22140 @end defun
22141
22142 @defun Value.reinterpret_cast (type)
22143 Like @code{Value.cast}, but works as if the C@t{++} @code{reinterpret_cast}
22144 operator were used. Consult a C@t{++} reference for details.
22145 @end defun
22146
22147 @defun Value.string (@r{[}encoding@r{[}, errors@r{[}, length@r{]]]})
22148 If this @code{gdb.Value} represents a string, then this method
22149 converts the contents to a Python string. Otherwise, this method will
22150 throw an exception.
22151
22152 Strings are recognized in a language-specific way; whether a given
22153 @code{gdb.Value} represents a string is determined by the current
22154 language.
22155
22156 For C-like languages, a value is a string if it is a pointer to or an
22157 array of characters or ints. The string is assumed to be terminated
22158 by a zero of the appropriate width. However if the optional length
22159 argument is given, the string will be converted to that given length,
22160 ignoring any embedded zeros that the string may contain.
22161
22162 If the optional @var{encoding} argument is given, it must be a string
22163 naming the encoding of the string in the @code{gdb.Value}, such as
22164 @code{"ascii"}, @code{"iso-8859-6"} or @code{"utf-8"}. It accepts
22165 the same encodings as the corresponding argument to Python's
22166 @code{string.decode} method, and the Python codec machinery will be used
22167 to convert the string. If @var{encoding} is not given, or if
22168 @var{encoding} is the empty string, then either the @code{target-charset}
22169 (@pxref{Character Sets}) will be used, or a language-specific encoding
22170 will be used, if the current language is able to supply one.
22171
22172 The optional @var{errors} argument is the same as the corresponding
22173 argument to Python's @code{string.decode} method.
22174
22175 If the optional @var{length} argument is given, the string will be
22176 fetched and converted to the given length.
22177 @end defun
22178
22179 @defun Value.lazy_string (@r{[}encoding @r{[}, length@r{]]})
22180 If this @code{gdb.Value} represents a string, then this method
22181 converts the contents to a @code{gdb.LazyString} (@pxref{Lazy Strings
22182 In Python}). Otherwise, this method will throw an exception.
22183
22184 If the optional @var{encoding} argument is given, it must be a string
22185 naming the encoding of the @code{gdb.LazyString}. Some examples are:
22186 @samp{ascii}, @samp{iso-8859-6} or @samp{utf-8}. If the
22187 @var{encoding} argument is an encoding that @value{GDBN} does
22188 recognize, @value{GDBN} will raise an error.
22189
22190 When a lazy string is printed, the @value{GDBN} encoding machinery is
22191 used to convert the string during printing. If the optional
22192 @var{encoding} argument is not provided, or is an empty string,
22193 @value{GDBN} will automatically select the encoding most suitable for
22194 the string type. For further information on encoding in @value{GDBN}
22195 please see @ref{Character Sets}.
22196
22197 If the optional @var{length} argument is given, the string will be
22198 fetched and encoded to the length of characters specified. If
22199 the @var{length} argument is not provided, the string will be fetched
22200 and encoded until a null of appropriate width is found.
22201 @end defun
22202
22203 @defun Value.fetch_lazy ()
22204 If the @code{gdb.Value} object is currently a lazy value
22205 (@code{gdb.Value.is_lazy} is @code{True}), then the value is
22206 fetched from the inferior. Any errors that occur in the process
22207 will produce a Python exception.
22208
22209 If the @code{gdb.Value} object is not a lazy value, this method
22210 has no effect.
22211
22212 This method does not return a value.
22213 @end defun
22214
22215 @end table
22216
22217 @node Types In Python
22218 @subsubsection Types In Python
22219 @cindex types in Python
22220 @cindex Python, working with types
22221
22222 @tindex gdb.Type
22223 @value{GDBN} represents types from the inferior using the class
22224 @code{gdb.Type}.
22225
22226 The following type-related functions are available in the @code{gdb}
22227 module:
22228
22229 @findex gdb.lookup_type
22230 @defun gdb.lookup_type (name @r{[}, block@r{]})
22231 This function looks up a type by name. @var{name} is the name of the
22232 type to look up. It must be a string.
22233
22234 If @var{block} is given, then @var{name} is looked up in that scope.
22235 Otherwise, it is searched for globally.
22236
22237 Ordinarily, this function will return an instance of @code{gdb.Type}.
22238 If the named type cannot be found, it will throw an exception.
22239 @end defun
22240
22241 If the type is a structure or class type, or an enum type, the fields
22242 of that type can be accessed using the Python @dfn{dictionary syntax}.
22243 For example, if @code{some_type} is a @code{gdb.Type} instance holding
22244 a structure type, you can access its @code{foo} field with:
22245
22246 @smallexample
22247 bar = some_type['foo']
22248 @end smallexample
22249
22250 @code{bar} will be a @code{gdb.Field} object; see below under the
22251 description of the @code{Type.fields} method for a description of the
22252 @code{gdb.Field} class.
22253
22254 An instance of @code{Type} has the following attributes:
22255
22256 @table @code
22257 @defvar Type.code
22258 The type code for this type. The type code will be one of the
22259 @code{TYPE_CODE_} constants defined below.
22260 @end defvar
22261
22262 @defvar Type.sizeof
22263 The size of this type, in target @code{char} units. Usually, a
22264 target's @code{char} type will be an 8-bit byte. However, on some
22265 unusual platforms, this type may have a different size.
22266 @end defvar
22267
22268 @defvar Type.tag
22269 The tag name for this type. The tag name is the name after
22270 @code{struct}, @code{union}, or @code{enum} in C and C@t{++}; not all
22271 languages have this concept. If this type has no tag name, then
22272 @code{None} is returned.
22273 @end defvar
22274 @end table
22275
22276 The following methods are provided:
22277
22278 @table @code
22279 @defun Type.fields ()
22280 For structure and union types, this method returns the fields. Range
22281 types have two fields, the minimum and maximum values. Enum types
22282 have one field per enum constant. Function and method types have one
22283 field per parameter. The base types of C@t{++} classes are also
22284 represented as fields. If the type has no fields, or does not fit
22285 into one of these categories, an empty sequence will be returned.
22286
22287 Each field is a @code{gdb.Field} object, with some pre-defined attributes:
22288 @table @code
22289 @item bitpos
22290 This attribute is not available for @code{static} fields (as in
22291 C@t{++} or Java). For non-@code{static} fields, the value is the bit
22292 position of the field. For @code{enum} fields, the value is the
22293 enumeration member's integer representation.
22294
22295 @item name
22296 The name of the field, or @code{None} for anonymous fields.
22297
22298 @item artificial
22299 This is @code{True} if the field is artificial, usually meaning that
22300 it was provided by the compiler and not the user. This attribute is
22301 always provided, and is @code{False} if the field is not artificial.
22302
22303 @item is_base_class
22304 This is @code{True} if the field represents a base class of a C@t{++}
22305 structure. This attribute is always provided, and is @code{False}
22306 if the field is not a base class of the type that is the argument of
22307 @code{fields}, or if that type was not a C@t{++} class.
22308
22309 @item bitsize
22310 If the field is packed, or is a bitfield, then this will have a
22311 non-zero value, which is the size of the field in bits. Otherwise,
22312 this will be zero; in this case the field's size is given by its type.
22313
22314 @item type
22315 The type of the field. This is usually an instance of @code{Type},
22316 but it can be @code{None} in some situations.
22317 @end table
22318 @end defun
22319
22320 @defun Type.array (@var{n1} @r{[}, @var{n2}@r{]})
22321 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents an array of this
22322 type. If one argument is given, it is the inclusive upper bound of
22323 the array; in this case the lower bound is zero. If two arguments are
22324 given, the first argument is the lower bound of the array, and the
22325 second argument is the upper bound of the array. An array's length
22326 must not be negative, but the bounds can be.
22327 @end defun
22328
22329 @defun Type.const ()
22330 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents a
22331 @code{const}-qualified variant of this type.
22332 @end defun
22333
22334 @defun Type.volatile ()
22335 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents a
22336 @code{volatile}-qualified variant of this type.
22337 @end defun
22338
22339 @defun Type.unqualified ()
22340 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents an unqualified
22341 variant of this type. That is, the result is neither @code{const} nor
22342 @code{volatile}.
22343 @end defun
22344
22345 @defun Type.range ()
22346 Return a Python @code{Tuple} object that contains two elements: the
22347 low bound of the argument type and the high bound of that type. If
22348 the type does not have a range, @value{GDBN} will raise a
22349 @code{gdb.error} exception (@pxref{Exception Handling}).
22350 @end defun
22351
22352 @defun Type.reference ()
22353 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents a reference to this
22354 type.
22355 @end defun
22356
22357 @defun Type.pointer ()
22358 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents a pointer to this
22359 type.
22360 @end defun
22361
22362 @defun Type.strip_typedefs ()
22363 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} that represents the real type,
22364 after removing all layers of typedefs.
22365 @end defun
22366
22367 @defun Type.target ()
22368 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents the target type
22369 of this type.
22370
22371 For a pointer type, the target type is the type of the pointed-to
22372 object. For an array type (meaning C-like arrays), the target type is
22373 the type of the elements of the array. For a function or method type,
22374 the target type is the type of the return value. For a complex type,
22375 the target type is the type of the elements. For a typedef, the
22376 target type is the aliased type.
22377
22378 If the type does not have a target, this method will throw an
22379 exception.
22380 @end defun
22381
22382 @defun Type.template_argument (n @r{[}, block@r{]})
22383 If this @code{gdb.Type} is an instantiation of a template, this will
22384 return a new @code{gdb.Type} which represents the type of the
22385 @var{n}th template argument.
22386
22387 If this @code{gdb.Type} is not a template type, this will throw an
22388 exception. Ordinarily, only C@t{++} code will have template types.
22389
22390 If @var{block} is given, then @var{name} is looked up in that scope.
22391 Otherwise, it is searched for globally.
22392 @end defun
22393 @end table
22394
22395
22396 Each type has a code, which indicates what category this type falls
22397 into. The available type categories are represented by constants
22398 defined in the @code{gdb} module:
22399
22400 @table @code
22401 @findex TYPE_CODE_PTR
22402 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_PTR
22403 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_PTR
22404 The type is a pointer.
22405
22406 @findex TYPE_CODE_ARRAY
22407 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_ARRAY
22408 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_ARRAY
22409 The type is an array.
22410
22411 @findex TYPE_CODE_STRUCT
22412 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_STRUCT
22413 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_STRUCT
22414 The type is a structure.
22415
22416 @findex TYPE_CODE_UNION
22417 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_UNION
22418 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_UNION
22419 The type is a union.
22420
22421 @findex TYPE_CODE_ENUM
22422 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_ENUM
22423 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_ENUM
22424 The type is an enum.
22425
22426 @findex TYPE_CODE_FLAGS
22427 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_FLAGS
22428 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_FLAGS
22429 A bit flags type, used for things such as status registers.
22430
22431 @findex TYPE_CODE_FUNC
22432 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_FUNC
22433 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_FUNC
22434 The type is a function.
22435
22436 @findex TYPE_CODE_INT
22437 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_INT
22438 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_INT
22439 The type is an integer type.
22440
22441 @findex TYPE_CODE_FLT
22442 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_FLT
22443 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_FLT
22444 A floating point type.
22445
22446 @findex TYPE_CODE_VOID
22447 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_VOID
22448 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_VOID
22449 The special type @code{void}.
22450
22451 @findex TYPE_CODE_SET
22452 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_SET
22453 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_SET
22454 A Pascal set type.
22455
22456 @findex TYPE_CODE_RANGE
22457 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_RANGE
22458 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_RANGE
22459 A range type, that is, an integer type with bounds.
22460
22461 @findex TYPE_CODE_STRING
22462 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_STRING
22463 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_STRING
22464 A string type. Note that this is only used for certain languages with
22465 language-defined string types; C strings are not represented this way.
22466
22467 @findex TYPE_CODE_BITSTRING
22468 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_BITSTRING
22469 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_BITSTRING
22470 A string of bits.
22471
22472 @findex TYPE_CODE_ERROR
22473 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_ERROR
22474 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_ERROR
22475 An unknown or erroneous type.
22476
22477 @findex TYPE_CODE_METHOD
22478 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_METHOD
22479 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_METHOD
22480 A method type, as found in C@t{++} or Java.
22481
22482 @findex TYPE_CODE_METHODPTR
22483 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_METHODPTR
22484 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_METHODPTR
22485 A pointer-to-member-function.
22486
22487 @findex TYPE_CODE_MEMBERPTR
22488 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_MEMBERPTR
22489 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_MEMBERPTR
22490 A pointer-to-member.
22491
22492 @findex TYPE_CODE_REF
22493 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_REF
22494 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_REF
22495 A reference type.
22496
22497 @findex TYPE_CODE_CHAR
22498 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_CHAR
22499 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_CHAR
22500 A character type.
22501
22502 @findex TYPE_CODE_BOOL
22503 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_BOOL
22504 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_BOOL
22505 A boolean type.
22506
22507 @findex TYPE_CODE_COMPLEX
22508 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_COMPLEX
22509 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_COMPLEX
22510 A complex float type.
22511
22512 @findex TYPE_CODE_TYPEDEF
22513 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_TYPEDEF
22514 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_TYPEDEF
22515 A typedef to some other type.
22516
22517 @findex TYPE_CODE_NAMESPACE
22518 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_NAMESPACE
22519 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_NAMESPACE
22520 A C@t{++} namespace.
22521
22522 @findex TYPE_CODE_DECFLOAT
22523 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_DECFLOAT
22524 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_DECFLOAT
22525 A decimal floating point type.
22526
22527 @findex TYPE_CODE_INTERNAL_FUNCTION
22528 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_INTERNAL_FUNCTION
22529 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_INTERNAL_FUNCTION
22530 A function internal to @value{GDBN}. This is the type used to represent
22531 convenience functions.
22532 @end table
22533
22534 Further support for types is provided in the @code{gdb.types}
22535 Python module (@pxref{gdb.types}).
22536
22537 @node Pretty Printing API
22538 @subsubsection Pretty Printing API
22539
22540 An example output is provided (@pxref{Pretty Printing}).
22541
22542 A pretty-printer is just an object that holds a value and implements a
22543 specific interface, defined here.
22544
22545 @defun pretty_printer.children (self)
22546 @value{GDBN} will call this method on a pretty-printer to compute the
22547 children of the pretty-printer's value.
22548
22549 This method must return an object conforming to the Python iterator
22550 protocol. Each item returned by the iterator must be a tuple holding
22551 two elements. The first element is the ``name'' of the child; the
22552 second element is the child's value. The value can be any Python
22553 object which is convertible to a @value{GDBN} value.
22554
22555 This method is optional. If it does not exist, @value{GDBN} will act
22556 as though the value has no children.
22557 @end defun
22558
22559 @defun pretty_printer.display_hint (self)
22560 The CLI may call this method and use its result to change the
22561 formatting of a value. The result will also be supplied to an MI
22562 consumer as a @samp{displayhint} attribute of the variable being
22563 printed.
22564
22565 This method is optional. If it does exist, this method must return a
22566 string.
22567
22568 Some display hints are predefined by @value{GDBN}:
22569
22570 @table @samp
22571 @item array
22572 Indicate that the object being printed is ``array-like''. The CLI
22573 uses this to respect parameters such as @code{set print elements} and
22574 @code{set print array}.
22575
22576 @item map
22577 Indicate that the object being printed is ``map-like'', and that the
22578 children of this value can be assumed to alternate between keys and
22579 values.
22580
22581 @item string
22582 Indicate that the object being printed is ``string-like''. If the
22583 printer's @code{to_string} method returns a Python string of some
22584 kind, then @value{GDBN} will call its internal language-specific
22585 string-printing function to format the string. For the CLI this means
22586 adding quotation marks, possibly escaping some characters, respecting
22587 @code{set print elements}, and the like.
22588 @end table
22589 @end defun
22590
22591 @defun pretty_printer.to_string (self)
22592 @value{GDBN} will call this method to display the string
22593 representation of the value passed to the object's constructor.
22594
22595 When printing from the CLI, if the @code{to_string} method exists,
22596 then @value{GDBN} will prepend its result to the values returned by
22597 @code{children}. Exactly how this formatting is done is dependent on
22598 the display hint, and may change as more hints are added. Also,
22599 depending on the print settings (@pxref{Print Settings}), the CLI may
22600 print just the result of @code{to_string} in a stack trace, omitting
22601 the result of @code{children}.
22602
22603 If this method returns a string, it is printed verbatim.
22604
22605 Otherwise, if this method returns an instance of @code{gdb.Value},
22606 then @value{GDBN} prints this value. This may result in a call to
22607 another pretty-printer.
22608
22609 If instead the method returns a Python value which is convertible to a
22610 @code{gdb.Value}, then @value{GDBN} performs the conversion and prints
22611 the resulting value. Again, this may result in a call to another
22612 pretty-printer. Python scalars (integers, floats, and booleans) and
22613 strings are convertible to @code{gdb.Value}; other types are not.
22614
22615 Finally, if this method returns @code{None} then no further operations
22616 are peformed in this method and nothing is printed.
22617
22618 If the result is not one of these types, an exception is raised.
22619 @end defun
22620
22621 @value{GDBN} provides a function which can be used to look up the
22622 default pretty-printer for a @code{gdb.Value}:
22623
22624 @findex gdb.default_visualizer
22625 @defun gdb.default_visualizer (value)
22626 This function takes a @code{gdb.Value} object as an argument. If a
22627 pretty-printer for this value exists, then it is returned. If no such
22628 printer exists, then this returns @code{None}.
22629 @end defun
22630
22631 @node Selecting Pretty-Printers
22632 @subsubsection Selecting Pretty-Printers
22633
22634 The Python list @code{gdb.pretty_printers} contains an array of
22635 functions or callable objects that have been registered via addition
22636 as a pretty-printer. Printers in this list are called @code{global}
22637 printers, they're available when debugging all inferiors.
22638 Each @code{gdb.Progspace} contains a @code{pretty_printers} attribute.
22639 Each @code{gdb.Objfile} also contains a @code{pretty_printers}
22640 attribute.
22641
22642 Each function on these lists is passed a single @code{gdb.Value}
22643 argument and should return a pretty-printer object conforming to the
22644 interface definition above (@pxref{Pretty Printing API}). If a function
22645 cannot create a pretty-printer for the value, it should return
22646 @code{None}.
22647
22648 @value{GDBN} first checks the @code{pretty_printers} attribute of each
22649 @code{gdb.Objfile} in the current program space and iteratively calls
22650 each enabled lookup routine in the list for that @code{gdb.Objfile}
22651 until it receives a pretty-printer object.
22652 If no pretty-printer is found in the objfile lists, @value{GDBN} then
22653 searches the pretty-printer list of the current program space,
22654 calling each enabled function until an object is returned.
22655 After these lists have been exhausted, it tries the global
22656 @code{gdb.pretty_printers} list, again calling each enabled function until an
22657 object is returned.
22658
22659 The order in which the objfiles are searched is not specified. For a
22660 given list, functions are always invoked from the head of the list,
22661 and iterated over sequentially until the end of the list, or a printer
22662 object is returned.
22663
22664 For various reasons a pretty-printer may not work.
22665 For example, the underlying data structure may have changed and
22666 the pretty-printer is out of date.
22667
22668 The consequences of a broken pretty-printer are severe enough that
22669 @value{GDBN} provides support for enabling and disabling individual
22670 printers. For example, if @code{print frame-arguments} is on,
22671 a backtrace can become highly illegible if any argument is printed
22672 with a broken printer.
22673
22674 Pretty-printers are enabled and disabled by attaching an @code{enabled}
22675 attribute to the registered function or callable object. If this attribute
22676 is present and its value is @code{False}, the printer is disabled, otherwise
22677 the printer is enabled.
22678
22679 @node Writing a Pretty-Printer
22680 @subsubsection Writing a Pretty-Printer
22681 @cindex writing a pretty-printer
22682
22683 A pretty-printer consists of two parts: a lookup function to detect
22684 if the type is supported, and the printer itself.
22685
22686 Here is an example showing how a @code{std::string} printer might be
22687 written. @xref{Pretty Printing API}, for details on the API this class
22688 must provide.
22689
22690 @smallexample
22691 class StdStringPrinter(object):
22692 "Print a std::string"
22693
22694 def __init__(self, val):
22695 self.val = val
22696
22697 def to_string(self):
22698 return self.val['_M_dataplus']['_M_p']
22699
22700 def display_hint(self):
22701 return 'string'
22702 @end smallexample
22703
22704 And here is an example showing how a lookup function for the printer
22705 example above might be written.
22706
22707 @smallexample
22708 def str_lookup_function(val):
22709 lookup_tag = val.type.tag
22710 if lookup_tag == None:
22711 return None
22712 regex = re.compile("^std::basic_string<char,.*>$")
22713 if regex.match(lookup_tag):
22714 return StdStringPrinter(val)
22715 return None
22716 @end smallexample
22717
22718 The example lookup function extracts the value's type, and attempts to
22719 match it to a type that it can pretty-print. If it is a type the
22720 printer can pretty-print, it will return a printer object. If not, it
22721 returns @code{None}.
22722
22723 We recommend that you put your core pretty-printers into a Python
22724 package. If your pretty-printers are for use with a library, we
22725 further recommend embedding a version number into the package name.
22726 This practice will enable @value{GDBN} to load multiple versions of
22727 your pretty-printers at the same time, because they will have
22728 different names.
22729
22730 You should write auto-loaded code (@pxref{Auto-loading}) such that it
22731 can be evaluated multiple times without changing its meaning. An
22732 ideal auto-load file will consist solely of @code{import}s of your
22733 printer modules, followed by a call to a register pretty-printers with
22734 the current objfile.
22735
22736 Taken as a whole, this approach will scale nicely to multiple
22737 inferiors, each potentially using a different library version.
22738 Embedding a version number in the Python package name will ensure that
22739 @value{GDBN} is able to load both sets of printers simultaneously.
22740 Then, because the search for pretty-printers is done by objfile, and
22741 because your auto-loaded code took care to register your library's
22742 printers with a specific objfile, @value{GDBN} will find the correct
22743 printers for the specific version of the library used by each
22744 inferior.
22745
22746 To continue the @code{std::string} example (@pxref{Pretty Printing API}),
22747 this code might appear in @code{gdb.libstdcxx.v6}:
22748
22749 @smallexample
22750 def register_printers(objfile):
22751 objfile.pretty_printers.append(str_lookup_function)
22752 @end smallexample
22753
22754 @noindent
22755 And then the corresponding contents of the auto-load file would be:
22756
22757 @smallexample
22758 import gdb.libstdcxx.v6
22759 gdb.libstdcxx.v6.register_printers(gdb.current_objfile())
22760 @end smallexample
22761
22762 The previous example illustrates a basic pretty-printer.
22763 There are a few things that can be improved on.
22764 The printer doesn't have a name, making it hard to identify in a
22765 list of installed printers. The lookup function has a name, but
22766 lookup functions can have arbitrary, even identical, names.
22767
22768 Second, the printer only handles one type, whereas a library typically has
22769 several types. One could install a lookup function for each desired type
22770 in the library, but one could also have a single lookup function recognize
22771 several types. The latter is the conventional way this is handled.
22772 If a pretty-printer can handle multiple data types, then its
22773 @dfn{subprinters} are the printers for the individual data types.
22774
22775 The @code{gdb.printing} module provides a formal way of solving these
22776 problems (@pxref{gdb.printing}).
22777 Here is another example that handles multiple types.
22778
22779 These are the types we are going to pretty-print:
22780
22781 @smallexample
22782 struct foo @{ int a, b; @};
22783 struct bar @{ struct foo x, y; @};
22784 @end smallexample
22785
22786 Here are the printers:
22787
22788 @smallexample
22789 class fooPrinter:
22790 """Print a foo object."""
22791
22792 def __init__(self, val):
22793 self.val = val
22794
22795 def to_string(self):
22796 return ("a=<" + str(self.val["a"]) +
22797 "> b=<" + str(self.val["b"]) + ">")
22798
22799 class barPrinter:
22800 """Print a bar object."""
22801
22802 def __init__(self, val):
22803 self.val = val
22804
22805 def to_string(self):
22806 return ("x=<" + str(self.val["x"]) +
22807 "> y=<" + str(self.val["y"]) + ">")
22808 @end smallexample
22809
22810 This example doesn't need a lookup function, that is handled by the
22811 @code{gdb.printing} module. Instead a function is provided to build up
22812 the object that handles the lookup.
22813
22814 @smallexample
22815 import gdb.printing
22816
22817 def build_pretty_printer():
22818 pp = gdb.printing.RegexpCollectionPrettyPrinter(
22819 "my_library")
22820 pp.add_printer('foo', '^foo$', fooPrinter)
22821 pp.add_printer('bar', '^bar$', barPrinter)
22822 return pp
22823 @end smallexample
22824
22825 And here is the autoload support:
22826
22827 @smallexample
22828 import gdb.printing
22829 import my_library
22830 gdb.printing.register_pretty_printer(
22831 gdb.current_objfile(),
22832 my_library.build_pretty_printer())
22833 @end smallexample
22834
22835 Finally, when this printer is loaded into @value{GDBN}, here is the
22836 corresponding output of @samp{info pretty-printer}:
22837
22838 @smallexample
22839 (gdb) info pretty-printer
22840 my_library.so:
22841 my_library
22842 foo
22843 bar
22844 @end smallexample
22845
22846 @node Inferiors In Python
22847 @subsubsection Inferiors In Python
22848 @cindex inferiors in Python
22849
22850 @findex gdb.Inferior
22851 Programs which are being run under @value{GDBN} are called inferiors
22852 (@pxref{Inferiors and Programs}). Python scripts can access
22853 information about and manipulate inferiors controlled by @value{GDBN}
22854 via objects of the @code{gdb.Inferior} class.
22855
22856 The following inferior-related functions are available in the @code{gdb}
22857 module:
22858
22859 @defun gdb.inferiors ()
22860 Return a tuple containing all inferior objects.
22861 @end defun
22862
22863 @defun gdb.selected_inferior ()
22864 Return an object representing the current inferior.
22865 @end defun
22866
22867 A @code{gdb.Inferior} object has the following attributes:
22868
22869 @table @code
22870 @defvar Inferior.num
22871 ID of inferior, as assigned by GDB.
22872 @end defvar
22873
22874 @defvar Inferior.pid
22875 Process ID of the inferior, as assigned by the underlying operating
22876 system.
22877 @end defvar
22878
22879 @defvar Inferior.was_attached
22880 Boolean signaling whether the inferior was created using `attach', or
22881 started by @value{GDBN} itself.
22882 @end defvar
22883 @end table
22884
22885 A @code{gdb.Inferior} object has the following methods:
22886
22887 @table @code
22888 @defun Inferior.is_valid ()
22889 Returns @code{True} if the @code{gdb.Inferior} object is valid,
22890 @code{False} if not. A @code{gdb.Inferior} object will become invalid
22891 if the inferior no longer exists within @value{GDBN}. All other
22892 @code{gdb.Inferior} methods will throw an exception if it is invalid
22893 at the time the method is called.
22894 @end defun
22895
22896 @defun Inferior.threads ()
22897 This method returns a tuple holding all the threads which are valid
22898 when it is called. If there are no valid threads, the method will
22899 return an empty tuple.
22900 @end defun
22901
22902 @findex gdb.read_memory
22903 @defun Inferior.read_memory (address, length)
22904 Read @var{length} bytes of memory from the inferior, starting at
22905 @var{address}. Returns a buffer object, which behaves much like an array
22906 or a string. It can be modified and given to the @code{gdb.write_memory}
22907 function.
22908 @end defun
22909
22910 @findex gdb.write_memory
22911 @defun Inferior.write_memory (address, buffer @r{[}, length@r{]})
22912 Write the contents of @var{buffer} to the inferior, starting at
22913 @var{address}. The @var{buffer} parameter must be a Python object
22914 which supports the buffer protocol, i.e., a string, an array or the
22915 object returned from @code{gdb.read_memory}. If given, @var{length}
22916 determines the number of bytes from @var{buffer} to be written.
22917 @end defun
22918
22919 @findex gdb.search_memory
22920 @defun Inferior.search_memory (address, length, pattern)
22921 Search a region of the inferior memory starting at @var{address} with
22922 the given @var{length} using the search pattern supplied in
22923 @var{pattern}. The @var{pattern} parameter must be a Python object
22924 which supports the buffer protocol, i.e., a string, an array or the
22925 object returned from @code{gdb.read_memory}. Returns a Python @code{Long}
22926 containing the address where the pattern was found, or @code{None} if
22927 the pattern could not be found.
22928 @end defun
22929 @end table
22930
22931 @node Events In Python
22932 @subsubsection Events In Python
22933 @cindex inferior events in Python
22934
22935 @value{GDBN} provides a general event facility so that Python code can be
22936 notified of various state changes, particularly changes that occur in
22937 the inferior.
22938
22939 An @dfn{event} is just an object that describes some state change. The
22940 type of the object and its attributes will vary depending on the details
22941 of the change. All the existing events are described below.
22942
22943 In order to be notified of an event, you must register an event handler
22944 with an @dfn{event registry}. An event registry is an object in the
22945 @code{gdb.events} module which dispatches particular events. A registry
22946 provides methods to register and unregister event handlers:
22947
22948 @table @code
22949 @defun EventRegistry.connect (object)
22950 Add the given callable @var{object} to the registry. This object will be
22951 called when an event corresponding to this registry occurs.
22952 @end defun
22953
22954 @defun EventRegistry.disconnect (object)
22955 Remove the given @var{object} from the registry. Once removed, the object
22956 will no longer receive notifications of events.
22957 @end defun
22958 @end table
22959
22960 Here is an example:
22961
22962 @smallexample
22963 def exit_handler (event):
22964 print "event type: exit"
22965 print "exit code: %d" % (event.exit_code)
22966
22967 gdb.events.exited.connect (exit_handler)
22968 @end smallexample
22969
22970 In the above example we connect our handler @code{exit_handler} to the
22971 registry @code{events.exited}. Once connected, @code{exit_handler} gets
22972 called when the inferior exits. The argument @dfn{event} in this example is
22973 of type @code{gdb.ExitedEvent}. As you can see in the example the
22974 @code{ExitedEvent} object has an attribute which indicates the exit code of
22975 the inferior.
22976
22977 The following is a listing of the event registries that are available and
22978 details of the events they emit:
22979
22980 @table @code
22981
22982 @item events.cont
22983 Emits @code{gdb.ThreadEvent}.
22984
22985 Some events can be thread specific when @value{GDBN} is running in non-stop
22986 mode. When represented in Python, these events all extend
22987 @code{gdb.ThreadEvent}. Note, this event is not emitted directly; instead,
22988 events which are emitted by this or other modules might extend this event.
22989 Examples of these events are @code{gdb.BreakpointEvent} and
22990 @code{gdb.ContinueEvent}.
22991
22992 @table @code
22993 @defvar ThreadEvent.inferior_thread
22994 In non-stop mode this attribute will be set to the specific thread which was
22995 involved in the emitted event. Otherwise, it will be set to @code{None}.
22996 @end defvar
22997 @end table
22998
22999 Emits @code{gdb.ContinueEvent} which extends @code{gdb.ThreadEvent}.
23000
23001 This event indicates that the inferior has been continued after a stop. For
23002 inherited attribute refer to @code{gdb.ThreadEvent} above.
23003
23004 @item events.exited
23005 Emits @code{events.ExitedEvent} which indicates that the inferior has exited.
23006 @code{events.ExitedEvent} has two attributes:
23007 @table @code
23008 @defvar ExitedEvent.exit_code
23009 An integer representing the exit code, if available, which the inferior
23010 has returned. (The exit code could be unavailable if, for example,
23011 @value{GDBN} detaches from the inferior.) If the exit code is unavailable,
23012 the attribute does not exist.
23013 @end defvar
23014 @defvar ExitedEvent inferior
23015 A reference to the inferior which triggered the @code{exited} event.
23016 @end defvar
23017 @end table
23018
23019 @item events.stop
23020 Emits @code{gdb.StopEvent} which extends @code{gdb.ThreadEvent}.
23021
23022 Indicates that the inferior has stopped. All events emitted by this registry
23023 extend StopEvent. As a child of @code{gdb.ThreadEvent}, @code{gdb.StopEvent}
23024 will indicate the stopped thread when @value{GDBN} is running in non-stop
23025 mode. Refer to @code{gdb.ThreadEvent} above for more details.
23026
23027 Emits @code{gdb.SignalEvent} which extends @code{gdb.StopEvent}.
23028
23029 This event indicates that the inferior or one of its threads has received as
23030 signal. @code{gdb.SignalEvent} has the following attributes:
23031
23032 @table @code
23033 @defvar SignalEvent.stop_signal
23034 A string representing the signal received by the inferior. A list of possible
23035 signal values can be obtained by running the command @code{info signals} in
23036 the @value{GDBN} command prompt.
23037 @end defvar
23038 @end table
23039
23040 Also emits @code{gdb.BreakpointEvent} which extends @code{gdb.StopEvent}.
23041
23042 @code{gdb.BreakpointEvent} event indicates that one or more breakpoints have
23043 been hit, and has the following attributes:
23044
23045 @table @code
23046 @defvar BreakpointEvent.breakpoints
23047 A sequence containing references to all the breakpoints (type
23048 @code{gdb.Breakpoint}) that were hit.
23049 @xref{Breakpoints In Python}, for details of the @code{gdb.Breakpoint} object.
23050 @end defvar
23051 @defvar BreakpointEvent.breakpoint
23052 A reference to the first breakpoint that was hit.
23053 This function is maintained for backward compatibility and is now deprecated
23054 in favor of the @code{gdb.BreakpointEvent.breakpoints} attribute.
23055 @end defvar
23056 @end table
23057
23058 @item events.new_objfile
23059 Emits @code{gdb.NewObjFileEvent} which indicates that a new object file has
23060 been loaded by @value{GDBN}. @code{gdb.NewObjFileEvent} has one attribute:
23061
23062 @table @code
23063 @defvar NewObjFileEvent.new_objfile
23064 A reference to the object file (@code{gdb.Objfile}) which has been loaded.
23065 @xref{Objfiles In Python}, for details of the @code{gdb.Objfile} object.
23066 @end defvar
23067 @end table
23068
23069 @end table
23070
23071 @node Threads In Python
23072 @subsubsection Threads In Python
23073 @cindex threads in python
23074
23075 @findex gdb.InferiorThread
23076 Python scripts can access information about, and manipulate inferior threads
23077 controlled by @value{GDBN}, via objects of the @code{gdb.InferiorThread} class.
23078
23079 The following thread-related functions are available in the @code{gdb}
23080 module:
23081
23082 @findex gdb.selected_thread
23083 @defun gdb.selected_thread ()
23084 This function returns the thread object for the selected thread. If there
23085 is no selected thread, this will return @code{None}.
23086 @end defun
23087
23088 A @code{gdb.InferiorThread} object has the following attributes:
23089
23090 @table @code
23091 @defvar InferiorThread.name
23092 The name of the thread. If the user specified a name using
23093 @code{thread name}, then this returns that name. Otherwise, if an
23094 OS-supplied name is available, then it is returned. Otherwise, this
23095 returns @code{None}.
23096
23097 This attribute can be assigned to. The new value must be a string
23098 object, which sets the new name, or @code{None}, which removes any
23099 user-specified thread name.
23100 @end defvar
23101
23102 @defvar InferiorThread.num
23103 ID of the thread, as assigned by GDB.
23104 @end defvar
23105
23106 @defvar InferiorThread.ptid
23107 ID of the thread, as assigned by the operating system. This attribute is a
23108 tuple containing three integers. The first is the Process ID (PID); the second
23109 is the Lightweight Process ID (LWPID), and the third is the Thread ID (TID).
23110 Either the LWPID or TID may be 0, which indicates that the operating system
23111 does not use that identifier.
23112 @end defvar
23113 @end table
23114
23115 A @code{gdb.InferiorThread} object has the following methods:
23116
23117 @table @code
23118 @defun InferiorThread.is_valid ()
23119 Returns @code{True} if the @code{gdb.InferiorThread} object is valid,
23120 @code{False} if not. A @code{gdb.InferiorThread} object will become
23121 invalid if the thread exits, or the inferior that the thread belongs
23122 is deleted. All other @code{gdb.InferiorThread} methods will throw an
23123 exception if it is invalid at the time the method is called.
23124 @end defun
23125
23126 @defun InferiorThread.switch ()
23127 This changes @value{GDBN}'s currently selected thread to the one represented
23128 by this object.
23129 @end defun
23130
23131 @defun InferiorThread.is_stopped ()
23132 Return a Boolean indicating whether the thread is stopped.
23133 @end defun
23134
23135 @defun InferiorThread.is_running ()
23136 Return a Boolean indicating whether the thread is running.
23137 @end defun
23138
23139 @defun InferiorThread.is_exited ()
23140 Return a Boolean indicating whether the thread is exited.
23141 @end defun
23142 @end table
23143
23144 @node Commands In Python
23145 @subsubsection Commands In Python
23146
23147 @cindex commands in python
23148 @cindex python commands
23149 You can implement new @value{GDBN} CLI commands in Python. A CLI
23150 command is implemented using an instance of the @code{gdb.Command}
23151 class, most commonly using a subclass.
23152
23153 @defun Command.__init__ (name, @var{command_class} @r{[}, @var{completer_class} @r{[}, @var{prefix}@r{]]})
23154 The object initializer for @code{Command} registers the new command
23155 with @value{GDBN}. This initializer is normally invoked from the
23156 subclass' own @code{__init__} method.
23157
23158 @var{name} is the name of the command. If @var{name} consists of
23159 multiple words, then the initial words are looked for as prefix
23160 commands. In this case, if one of the prefix commands does not exist,
23161 an exception is raised.
23162
23163 There is no support for multi-line commands.
23164
23165 @var{command_class} should be one of the @samp{COMMAND_} constants
23166 defined below. This argument tells @value{GDBN} how to categorize the
23167 new command in the help system.
23168
23169 @var{completer_class} is an optional argument. If given, it should be
23170 one of the @samp{COMPLETE_} constants defined below. This argument
23171 tells @value{GDBN} how to perform completion for this command. If not
23172 given, @value{GDBN} will attempt to complete using the object's
23173 @code{complete} method (see below); if no such method is found, an
23174 error will occur when completion is attempted.
23175
23176 @var{prefix} is an optional argument. If @code{True}, then the new
23177 command is a prefix command; sub-commands of this command may be
23178 registered.
23179
23180 The help text for the new command is taken from the Python
23181 documentation string for the command's class, if there is one. If no
23182 documentation string is provided, the default value ``This command is
23183 not documented.'' is used.
23184 @end defun
23185
23186 @cindex don't repeat Python command
23187 @defun Command.dont_repeat ()
23188 By default, a @value{GDBN} command is repeated when the user enters a
23189 blank line at the command prompt. A command can suppress this
23190 behavior by invoking the @code{dont_repeat} method. This is similar
23191 to the user command @code{dont-repeat}, see @ref{Define, dont-repeat}.
23192 @end defun
23193
23194 @defun Command.invoke (argument, from_tty)
23195 This method is called by @value{GDBN} when this command is invoked.
23196
23197 @var{argument} is a string. It is the argument to the command, after
23198 leading and trailing whitespace has been stripped.
23199
23200 @var{from_tty} is a boolean argument. When true, this means that the
23201 command was entered by the user at the terminal; when false it means
23202 that the command came from elsewhere.
23203
23204 If this method throws an exception, it is turned into a @value{GDBN}
23205 @code{error} call. Otherwise, the return value is ignored.
23206
23207 @findex gdb.string_to_argv
23208 To break @var{argument} up into an argv-like string use
23209 @code{gdb.string_to_argv}. This function behaves identically to
23210 @value{GDBN}'s internal argument lexer @code{buildargv}.
23211 It is recommended to use this for consistency.
23212 Arguments are separated by spaces and may be quoted.
23213 Example:
23214
23215 @smallexample
23216 print gdb.string_to_argv ("1 2\ \\\"3 '4 \"5' \"6 '7\"")
23217 ['1', '2 "3', '4 "5', "6 '7"]
23218 @end smallexample
23219
23220 @end defun
23221
23222 @cindex completion of Python commands
23223 @defun Command.complete (text, word)
23224 This method is called by @value{GDBN} when the user attempts
23225 completion on this command. All forms of completion are handled by
23226 this method, that is, the @key{TAB} and @key{M-?} key bindings
23227 (@pxref{Completion}), and the @code{complete} command (@pxref{Help,
23228 complete}).
23229
23230 The arguments @var{text} and @var{word} are both strings. @var{text}
23231 holds the complete command line up to the cursor's location.
23232 @var{word} holds the last word of the command line; this is computed
23233 using a word-breaking heuristic.
23234
23235 The @code{complete} method can return several values:
23236 @itemize @bullet
23237 @item
23238 If the return value is a sequence, the contents of the sequence are
23239 used as the completions. It is up to @code{complete} to ensure that the
23240 contents actually do complete the word. A zero-length sequence is
23241 allowed, it means that there were no completions available. Only
23242 string elements of the sequence are used; other elements in the
23243 sequence are ignored.
23244
23245 @item
23246 If the return value is one of the @samp{COMPLETE_} constants defined
23247 below, then the corresponding @value{GDBN}-internal completion
23248 function is invoked, and its result is used.
23249
23250 @item
23251 All other results are treated as though there were no available
23252 completions.
23253 @end itemize
23254 @end defun
23255
23256 When a new command is registered, it must be declared as a member of
23257 some general class of commands. This is used to classify top-level
23258 commands in the on-line help system; note that prefix commands are not
23259 listed under their own category but rather that of their top-level
23260 command. The available classifications are represented by constants
23261 defined in the @code{gdb} module:
23262
23263 @table @code
23264 @findex COMMAND_NONE
23265 @findex gdb.COMMAND_NONE
23266 @item gdb.COMMAND_NONE
23267 The command does not belong to any particular class. A command in
23268 this category will not be displayed in any of the help categories.
23269
23270 @findex COMMAND_RUNNING
23271 @findex gdb.COMMAND_RUNNING
23272 @item gdb.COMMAND_RUNNING
23273 The command is related to running the inferior. For example,
23274 @code{start}, @code{step}, and @code{continue} are in this category.
23275 Type @kbd{help running} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of
23276 commands in this category.
23277
23278 @findex COMMAND_DATA
23279 @findex gdb.COMMAND_DATA
23280 @item gdb.COMMAND_DATA
23281 The command is related to data or variables. For example,
23282 @code{call}, @code{find}, and @code{print} are in this category. Type
23283 @kbd{help data} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of commands
23284 in this category.
23285
23286 @findex COMMAND_STACK
23287 @findex gdb.COMMAND_STACK
23288 @item gdb.COMMAND_STACK
23289 The command has to do with manipulation of the stack. For example,
23290 @code{backtrace}, @code{frame}, and @code{return} are in this
23291 category. Type @kbd{help stack} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a
23292 list of commands in this category.
23293
23294 @findex COMMAND_FILES
23295 @findex gdb.COMMAND_FILES
23296 @item gdb.COMMAND_FILES
23297 This class is used for file-related commands. For example,
23298 @code{file}, @code{list} and @code{section} are in this category.
23299 Type @kbd{help files} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of
23300 commands in this category.
23301
23302 @findex COMMAND_SUPPORT
23303 @findex gdb.COMMAND_SUPPORT
23304 @item gdb.COMMAND_SUPPORT
23305 This should be used for ``support facilities'', generally meaning
23306 things that are useful to the user when interacting with @value{GDBN},
23307 but not related to the state of the inferior. For example,
23308 @code{help}, @code{make}, and @code{shell} are in this category. Type
23309 @kbd{help support} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of
23310 commands in this category.
23311
23312 @findex COMMAND_STATUS
23313 @findex gdb.COMMAND_STATUS
23314 @item gdb.COMMAND_STATUS
23315 The command is an @samp{info}-related command, that is, related to the
23316 state of @value{GDBN} itself. For example, @code{info}, @code{macro},
23317 and @code{show} are in this category. Type @kbd{help status} at the
23318 @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of commands in this category.
23319
23320 @findex COMMAND_BREAKPOINTS
23321 @findex gdb.COMMAND_BREAKPOINTS
23322 @item gdb.COMMAND_BREAKPOINTS
23323 The command has to do with breakpoints. For example, @code{break},
23324 @code{clear}, and @code{delete} are in this category. Type @kbd{help
23325 breakpoints} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of commands in
23326 this category.
23327
23328 @findex COMMAND_TRACEPOINTS
23329 @findex gdb.COMMAND_TRACEPOINTS
23330 @item gdb.COMMAND_TRACEPOINTS
23331 The command has to do with tracepoints. For example, @code{trace},
23332 @code{actions}, and @code{tfind} are in this category. Type
23333 @kbd{help tracepoints} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of
23334 commands in this category.
23335
23336 @findex COMMAND_USER
23337 @findex gdb.COMMAND_USER
23338 @item gdb.COMMAND_USER
23339 The command is a general purpose command for the user, and typically
23340 does not fit in one of the other categories.
23341 Type @kbd{help user-defined} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see
23342 a list of commands in this category, as well as the list of gdb macros
23343 (@pxref{Sequences}).
23344
23345 @findex COMMAND_OBSCURE
23346 @findex gdb.COMMAND_OBSCURE
23347 @item gdb.COMMAND_OBSCURE
23348 The command is only used in unusual circumstances, or is not of
23349 general interest to users. For example, @code{checkpoint},
23350 @code{fork}, and @code{stop} are in this category. Type @kbd{help
23351 obscure} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of commands in this
23352 category.
23353
23354 @findex COMMAND_MAINTENANCE
23355 @findex gdb.COMMAND_MAINTENANCE
23356 @item gdb.COMMAND_MAINTENANCE
23357 The command is only useful to @value{GDBN} maintainers. The
23358 @code{maintenance} and @code{flushregs} commands are in this category.
23359 Type @kbd{help internals} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of
23360 commands in this category.
23361 @end table
23362
23363 A new command can use a predefined completion function, either by
23364 specifying it via an argument at initialization, or by returning it
23365 from the @code{complete} method. These predefined completion
23366 constants are all defined in the @code{gdb} module:
23367
23368 @table @code
23369 @findex COMPLETE_NONE
23370 @findex gdb.COMPLETE_NONE
23371 @item gdb.COMPLETE_NONE
23372 This constant means that no completion should be done.
23373
23374 @findex COMPLETE_FILENAME
23375 @findex gdb.COMPLETE_FILENAME
23376 @item gdb.COMPLETE_FILENAME
23377 This constant means that filename completion should be performed.
23378
23379 @findex COMPLETE_LOCATION
23380 @findex gdb.COMPLETE_LOCATION
23381 @item gdb.COMPLETE_LOCATION
23382 This constant means that location completion should be done.
23383 @xref{Specify Location}.
23384
23385 @findex COMPLETE_COMMAND
23386 @findex gdb.COMPLETE_COMMAND
23387 @item gdb.COMPLETE_COMMAND
23388 This constant means that completion should examine @value{GDBN}
23389 command names.
23390
23391 @findex COMPLETE_SYMBOL
23392 @findex gdb.COMPLETE_SYMBOL
23393 @item gdb.COMPLETE_SYMBOL
23394 This constant means that completion should be done using symbol names
23395 as the source.
23396 @end table
23397
23398 The following code snippet shows how a trivial CLI command can be
23399 implemented in Python:
23400
23401 @smallexample
23402 class HelloWorld (gdb.Command):
23403 """Greet the whole world."""
23404
23405 def __init__ (self):
23406 super (HelloWorld, self).__init__ ("hello-world", gdb.COMMAND_USER)
23407
23408 def invoke (self, arg, from_tty):
23409 print "Hello, World!"
23410
23411 HelloWorld ()
23412 @end smallexample
23413
23414 The last line instantiates the class, and is necessary to trigger the
23415 registration of the command with @value{GDBN}. Depending on how the
23416 Python code is read into @value{GDBN}, you may need to import the
23417 @code{gdb} module explicitly.
23418
23419 @node Parameters In Python
23420 @subsubsection Parameters In Python
23421
23422 @cindex parameters in python
23423 @cindex python parameters
23424 @tindex gdb.Parameter
23425 @tindex Parameter
23426 You can implement new @value{GDBN} parameters using Python. A new
23427 parameter is implemented as an instance of the @code{gdb.Parameter}
23428 class.
23429
23430 Parameters are exposed to the user via the @code{set} and
23431 @code{show} commands. @xref{Help}.
23432
23433 There are many parameters that already exist and can be set in
23434 @value{GDBN}. Two examples are: @code{set follow fork} and
23435 @code{set charset}. Setting these parameters influences certain
23436 behavior in @value{GDBN}. Similarly, you can define parameters that
23437 can be used to influence behavior in custom Python scripts and commands.
23438
23439 @defun Parameter.__init__ (name, @var{command-class}, @var{parameter-class} @r{[}, @var{enum-sequence}@r{]})
23440 The object initializer for @code{Parameter} registers the new
23441 parameter with @value{GDBN}. This initializer is normally invoked
23442 from the subclass' own @code{__init__} method.
23443
23444 @var{name} is the name of the new parameter. If @var{name} consists
23445 of multiple words, then the initial words are looked for as prefix
23446 parameters. An example of this can be illustrated with the
23447 @code{set print} set of parameters. If @var{name} is
23448 @code{print foo}, then @code{print} will be searched as the prefix
23449 parameter. In this case the parameter can subsequently be accessed in
23450 @value{GDBN} as @code{set print foo}.
23451
23452 If @var{name} consists of multiple words, and no prefix parameter group
23453 can be found, an exception is raised.
23454
23455 @var{command-class} should be one of the @samp{COMMAND_} constants
23456 (@pxref{Commands In Python}). This argument tells @value{GDBN} how to
23457 categorize the new parameter in the help system.
23458
23459 @var{parameter-class} should be one of the @samp{PARAM_} constants
23460 defined below. This argument tells @value{GDBN} the type of the new
23461 parameter; this information is used for input validation and
23462 completion.
23463
23464 If @var{parameter-class} is @code{PARAM_ENUM}, then
23465 @var{enum-sequence} must be a sequence of strings. These strings
23466 represent the possible values for the parameter.
23467
23468 If @var{parameter-class} is not @code{PARAM_ENUM}, then the presence
23469 of a fourth argument will cause an exception to be thrown.
23470
23471 The help text for the new parameter is taken from the Python
23472 documentation string for the parameter's class, if there is one. If
23473 there is no documentation string, a default value is used.
23474 @end defun
23475
23476 @defvar Parameter.set_doc
23477 If this attribute exists, and is a string, then its value is used as
23478 the help text for this parameter's @code{set} command. The value is
23479 examined when @code{Parameter.__init__} is invoked; subsequent changes
23480 have no effect.
23481 @end defvar
23482
23483 @defvar Parameter.show_doc
23484 If this attribute exists, and is a string, then its value is used as
23485 the help text for this parameter's @code{show} command. The value is
23486 examined when @code{Parameter.__init__} is invoked; subsequent changes
23487 have no effect.
23488 @end defvar
23489
23490 @defvar Parameter.value
23491 The @code{value} attribute holds the underlying value of the
23492 parameter. It can be read and assigned to just as any other
23493 attribute. @value{GDBN} does validation when assignments are made.
23494 @end defvar
23495
23496 There are two methods that should be implemented in any
23497 @code{Parameter} class. These are:
23498
23499 @defun Parameter.get_set_string (self)
23500 @value{GDBN} will call this method when a @var{parameter}'s value has
23501 been changed via the @code{set} API (for example, @kbd{set foo off}).
23502 The @code{value} attribute has already been populated with the new
23503 value and may be used in output. This method must return a string.
23504 @end defun
23505
23506 @defun Parameter.get_show_string (self, svalue)
23507 @value{GDBN} will call this method when a @var{parameter}'s
23508 @code{show} API has been invoked (for example, @kbd{show foo}). The
23509 argument @code{svalue} receives the string representation of the
23510 current value. This method must return a string.
23511 @end defun
23512
23513 When a new parameter is defined, its type must be specified. The
23514 available types are represented by constants defined in the @code{gdb}
23515 module:
23516
23517 @table @code
23518 @findex PARAM_BOOLEAN
23519 @findex gdb.PARAM_BOOLEAN
23520 @item gdb.PARAM_BOOLEAN
23521 The value is a plain boolean. The Python boolean values, @code{True}
23522 and @code{False} are the only valid values.
23523
23524 @findex PARAM_AUTO_BOOLEAN
23525 @findex gdb.PARAM_AUTO_BOOLEAN
23526 @item gdb.PARAM_AUTO_BOOLEAN
23527 The value has three possible states: true, false, and @samp{auto}. In
23528 Python, true and false are represented using boolean constants, and
23529 @samp{auto} is represented using @code{None}.
23530
23531 @findex PARAM_UINTEGER
23532 @findex gdb.PARAM_UINTEGER
23533 @item gdb.PARAM_UINTEGER
23534 The value is an unsigned integer. The value of 0 should be
23535 interpreted to mean ``unlimited''.
23536
23537 @findex PARAM_INTEGER
23538 @findex gdb.PARAM_INTEGER
23539 @item gdb.PARAM_INTEGER
23540 The value is a signed integer. The value of 0 should be interpreted
23541 to mean ``unlimited''.
23542
23543 @findex PARAM_STRING
23544 @findex gdb.PARAM_STRING
23545 @item gdb.PARAM_STRING
23546 The value is a string. When the user modifies the string, any escape
23547 sequences, such as @samp{\t}, @samp{\f}, and octal escapes, are
23548 translated into corresponding characters and encoded into the current
23549 host charset.
23550
23551 @findex PARAM_STRING_NOESCAPE
23552 @findex gdb.PARAM_STRING_NOESCAPE
23553 @item gdb.PARAM_STRING_NOESCAPE
23554 The value is a string. When the user modifies the string, escapes are
23555 passed through untranslated.
23556
23557 @findex PARAM_OPTIONAL_FILENAME
23558 @findex gdb.PARAM_OPTIONAL_FILENAME
23559 @item gdb.PARAM_OPTIONAL_FILENAME
23560 The value is a either a filename (a string), or @code{None}.
23561
23562 @findex PARAM_FILENAME
23563 @findex gdb.PARAM_FILENAME
23564 @item gdb.PARAM_FILENAME
23565 The value is a filename. This is just like
23566 @code{PARAM_STRING_NOESCAPE}, but uses file names for completion.
23567
23568 @findex PARAM_ZINTEGER
23569 @findex gdb.PARAM_ZINTEGER
23570 @item gdb.PARAM_ZINTEGER
23571 The value is an integer. This is like @code{PARAM_INTEGER}, except 0
23572 is interpreted as itself.
23573
23574 @findex PARAM_ENUM
23575 @findex gdb.PARAM_ENUM
23576 @item gdb.PARAM_ENUM
23577 The value is a string, which must be one of a collection string
23578 constants provided when the parameter is created.
23579 @end table
23580
23581 @node Functions In Python
23582 @subsubsection Writing new convenience functions
23583
23584 @cindex writing convenience functions
23585 @cindex convenience functions in python
23586 @cindex python convenience functions
23587 @tindex gdb.Function
23588 @tindex Function
23589 You can implement new convenience functions (@pxref{Convenience Vars})
23590 in Python. A convenience function is an instance of a subclass of the
23591 class @code{gdb.Function}.
23592
23593 @defun Function.__init__ (name)
23594 The initializer for @code{Function} registers the new function with
23595 @value{GDBN}. The argument @var{name} is the name of the function,
23596 a string. The function will be visible to the user as a convenience
23597 variable of type @code{internal function}, whose name is the same as
23598 the given @var{name}.
23599
23600 The documentation for the new function is taken from the documentation
23601 string for the new class.
23602 @end defun
23603
23604 @defun Function.invoke (@var{*args})
23605 When a convenience function is evaluated, its arguments are converted
23606 to instances of @code{gdb.Value}, and then the function's
23607 @code{invoke} method is called. Note that @value{GDBN} does not
23608 predetermine the arity of convenience functions. Instead, all
23609 available arguments are passed to @code{invoke}, following the
23610 standard Python calling convention. In particular, a convenience
23611 function can have default values for parameters without ill effect.
23612
23613 The return value of this method is used as its value in the enclosing
23614 expression. If an ordinary Python value is returned, it is converted
23615 to a @code{gdb.Value} following the usual rules.
23616 @end defun
23617
23618 The following code snippet shows how a trivial convenience function can
23619 be implemented in Python:
23620
23621 @smallexample
23622 class Greet (gdb.Function):
23623 """Return string to greet someone.
23624 Takes a name as argument."""
23625
23626 def __init__ (self):
23627 super (Greet, self).__init__ ("greet")
23628
23629 def invoke (self, name):
23630 return "Hello, %s!" % name.string ()
23631
23632 Greet ()
23633 @end smallexample
23634
23635 The last line instantiates the class, and is necessary to trigger the
23636 registration of the function with @value{GDBN}. Depending on how the
23637 Python code is read into @value{GDBN}, you may need to import the
23638 @code{gdb} module explicitly.
23639
23640 @node Progspaces In Python
23641 @subsubsection Program Spaces In Python
23642
23643 @cindex progspaces in python
23644 @tindex gdb.Progspace
23645 @tindex Progspace
23646 A program space, or @dfn{progspace}, represents a symbolic view
23647 of an address space.
23648 It consists of all of the objfiles of the program.
23649 @xref{Objfiles In Python}.
23650 @xref{Inferiors and Programs, program spaces}, for more details
23651 about program spaces.
23652
23653 The following progspace-related functions are available in the
23654 @code{gdb} module:
23655
23656 @findex gdb.current_progspace
23657 @defun gdb.current_progspace ()
23658 This function returns the program space of the currently selected inferior.
23659 @xref{Inferiors and Programs}.
23660 @end defun
23661
23662 @findex gdb.progspaces
23663 @defun gdb.progspaces ()
23664 Return a sequence of all the progspaces currently known to @value{GDBN}.
23665 @end defun
23666
23667 Each progspace is represented by an instance of the @code{gdb.Progspace}
23668 class.
23669
23670 @defvar Progspace.filename
23671 The file name of the progspace as a string.
23672 @end defvar
23673
23674 @defvar Progspace.pretty_printers
23675 The @code{pretty_printers} attribute is a list of functions. It is
23676 used to look up pretty-printers. A @code{Value} is passed to each
23677 function in order; if the function returns @code{None}, then the
23678 search continues. Otherwise, the return value should be an object
23679 which is used to format the value. @xref{Pretty Printing API}, for more
23680 information.
23681 @end defvar
23682
23683 @node Objfiles In Python
23684 @subsubsection Objfiles In Python
23685
23686 @cindex objfiles in python
23687 @tindex gdb.Objfile
23688 @tindex Objfile
23689 @value{GDBN} loads symbols for an inferior from various
23690 symbol-containing files (@pxref{Files}). These include the primary
23691 executable file, any shared libraries used by the inferior, and any
23692 separate debug info files (@pxref{Separate Debug Files}).
23693 @value{GDBN} calls these symbol-containing files @dfn{objfiles}.
23694
23695 The following objfile-related functions are available in the
23696 @code{gdb} module:
23697
23698 @findex gdb.current_objfile
23699 @defun gdb.current_objfile ()
23700 When auto-loading a Python script (@pxref{Auto-loading}), @value{GDBN}
23701 sets the ``current objfile'' to the corresponding objfile. This
23702 function returns the current objfile. If there is no current objfile,
23703 this function returns @code{None}.
23704 @end defun
23705
23706 @findex gdb.objfiles
23707 @defun gdb.objfiles ()
23708 Return a sequence of all the objfiles current known to @value{GDBN}.
23709 @xref{Objfiles In Python}.
23710 @end defun
23711
23712 Each objfile is represented by an instance of the @code{gdb.Objfile}
23713 class.
23714
23715 @defvar Objfile.filename
23716 The file name of the objfile as a string.
23717 @end defvar
23718
23719 @defvar Objfile.pretty_printers
23720 The @code{pretty_printers} attribute is a list of functions. It is
23721 used to look up pretty-printers. A @code{Value} is passed to each
23722 function in order; if the function returns @code{None}, then the
23723 search continues. Otherwise, the return value should be an object
23724 which is used to format the value. @xref{Pretty Printing API}, for more
23725 information.
23726 @end defvar
23727
23728 A @code{gdb.Objfile} object has the following methods:
23729
23730 @defun Objfile.is_valid ()
23731 Returns @code{True} if the @code{gdb.Objfile} object is valid,
23732 @code{False} if not. A @code{gdb.Objfile} object can become invalid
23733 if the object file it refers to is not loaded in @value{GDBN} any
23734 longer. All other @code{gdb.Objfile} methods will throw an exception
23735 if it is invalid at the time the method is called.
23736 @end defun
23737
23738 @node Frames In Python
23739 @subsubsection Accessing inferior stack frames from Python.
23740
23741 @cindex frames in python
23742 When the debugged program stops, @value{GDBN} is able to analyze its call
23743 stack (@pxref{Frames,,Stack frames}). The @code{gdb.Frame} class
23744 represents a frame in the stack. A @code{gdb.Frame} object is only valid
23745 while its corresponding frame exists in the inferior's stack. If you try
23746 to use an invalid frame object, @value{GDBN} will throw a @code{gdb.error}
23747 exception (@pxref{Exception Handling}).
23748
23749 Two @code{gdb.Frame} objects can be compared for equality with the @code{==}
23750 operator, like:
23751
23752 @smallexample
23753 (@value{GDBP}) python print gdb.newest_frame() == gdb.selected_frame ()
23754 True
23755 @end smallexample
23756
23757 The following frame-related functions are available in the @code{gdb} module:
23758
23759 @findex gdb.selected_frame
23760 @defun gdb.selected_frame ()
23761 Return the selected frame object. (@pxref{Selection,,Selecting a Frame}).
23762 @end defun
23763
23764 @findex gdb.newest_frame
23765 @defun gdb.newest_frame ()
23766 Return the newest frame object for the selected thread.
23767 @end defun
23768
23769 @defun gdb.frame_stop_reason_string (reason)
23770 Return a string explaining the reason why @value{GDBN} stopped unwinding
23771 frames, as expressed by the given @var{reason} code (an integer, see the
23772 @code{unwind_stop_reason} method further down in this section).
23773 @end defun
23774
23775 A @code{gdb.Frame} object has the following methods:
23776
23777 @table @code
23778 @defun Frame.is_valid ()
23779 Returns true if the @code{gdb.Frame} object is valid, false if not.
23780 A frame object can become invalid if the frame it refers to doesn't
23781 exist anymore in the inferior. All @code{gdb.Frame} methods will throw
23782 an exception if it is invalid at the time the method is called.
23783 @end defun
23784
23785 @defun Frame.name ()
23786 Returns the function name of the frame, or @code{None} if it can't be
23787 obtained.
23788 @end defun
23789
23790 @defun Frame.type ()
23791 Returns the type of the frame. The value can be one of:
23792 @table @code
23793 @item gdb.NORMAL_FRAME
23794 An ordinary stack frame.
23795
23796 @item gdb.DUMMY_FRAME
23797 A fake stack frame that was created by @value{GDBN} when performing an
23798 inferior function call.
23799
23800 @item gdb.INLINE_FRAME
23801 A frame representing an inlined function. The function was inlined
23802 into a @code{gdb.NORMAL_FRAME} that is older than this one.
23803
23804 @item gdb.TAILCALL_FRAME
23805 A frame representing a tail call. @xref{Tail Call Frames}.
23806
23807 @item gdb.SIGTRAMP_FRAME
23808 A signal trampoline frame. This is the frame created by the OS when
23809 it calls into a signal handler.
23810
23811 @item gdb.ARCH_FRAME
23812 A fake stack frame representing a cross-architecture call.
23813
23814 @item gdb.SENTINEL_FRAME
23815 This is like @code{gdb.NORMAL_FRAME}, but it is only used for the
23816 newest frame.
23817 @end table
23818 @end defun
23819
23820 @defun Frame.unwind_stop_reason ()
23821 Return an integer representing the reason why it's not possible to find
23822 more frames toward the outermost frame. Use
23823 @code{gdb.frame_stop_reason_string} to convert the value returned by this
23824 function to a string. The value can be one of:
23825
23826 @table @code
23827 @item gdb.FRAME_UNWIND_NO_REASON
23828 No particular reason (older frames should be available).
23829
23830 @item gdb.FRAME_UNWIND_NULL_ID
23831 The previous frame's analyzer returns an invalid result.
23832
23833 @item gdb.FRAME_UNWIND_OUTERMOST
23834 This frame is the outermost.
23835
23836 @item gdb.FRAME_UNWIND_UNAVAILABLE
23837 Cannot unwind further, because that would require knowing the
23838 values of registers or memory that have not been collected.
23839
23840 @item gdb.FRAME_UNWIND_INNER_ID
23841 This frame ID looks like it ought to belong to a NEXT frame,
23842 but we got it for a PREV frame. Normally, this is a sign of
23843 unwinder failure. It could also indicate stack corruption.
23844
23845 @item gdb.FRAME_UNWIND_SAME_ID
23846 This frame has the same ID as the previous one. That means
23847 that unwinding further would almost certainly give us another
23848 frame with exactly the same ID, so break the chain. Normally,
23849 this is a sign of unwinder failure. It could also indicate
23850 stack corruption.
23851
23852 @item gdb.FRAME_UNWIND_NO_SAVED_PC
23853 The frame unwinder did not find any saved PC, but we needed
23854 one to unwind further.
23855
23856 @item gdb.FRAME_UNWIND_FIRST_ERROR
23857 Any stop reason greater or equal to this value indicates some kind
23858 of error. This special value facilitates writing code that tests
23859 for errors in unwinding in a way that will work correctly even if
23860 the list of the other values is modified in future @value{GDBN}
23861 versions. Using it, you could write:
23862 @smallexample
23863 reason = gdb.selected_frame().unwind_stop_reason ()
23864 reason_str = gdb.frame_stop_reason_string (reason)
23865 if reason >= gdb.FRAME_UNWIND_FIRST_ERROR:
23866 print "An error occured: %s" % reason_str
23867 @end smallexample
23868 @end table
23869
23870 @end defun
23871
23872 @defun Frame.pc ()
23873 Returns the frame's resume address.
23874 @end defun
23875
23876 @defun Frame.block ()
23877 Return the frame's code block. @xref{Blocks In Python}.
23878 @end defun
23879
23880 @defun Frame.function ()
23881 Return the symbol for the function corresponding to this frame.
23882 @xref{Symbols In Python}.
23883 @end defun
23884
23885 @defun Frame.older ()
23886 Return the frame that called this frame.
23887 @end defun
23888
23889 @defun Frame.newer ()
23890 Return the frame called by this frame.
23891 @end defun
23892
23893 @defun Frame.find_sal ()
23894 Return the frame's symtab and line object.
23895 @xref{Symbol Tables In Python}.
23896 @end defun
23897
23898 @defun Frame.read_var (variable @r{[}, block@r{]})
23899 Return the value of @var{variable} in this frame. If the optional
23900 argument @var{block} is provided, search for the variable from that
23901 block; otherwise start at the frame's current block (which is
23902 determined by the frame's current program counter). @var{variable}
23903 must be a string or a @code{gdb.Symbol} object. @var{block} must be a
23904 @code{gdb.Block} object.
23905 @end defun
23906
23907 @defun Frame.select ()
23908 Set this frame to be the selected frame. @xref{Stack, ,Examining the
23909 Stack}.
23910 @end defun
23911 @end table
23912
23913 @node Blocks In Python
23914 @subsubsection Accessing frame blocks from Python.
23915
23916 @cindex blocks in python
23917 @tindex gdb.Block
23918
23919 Within each frame, @value{GDBN} maintains information on each block
23920 stored in that frame. These blocks are organized hierarchically, and
23921 are represented individually in Python as a @code{gdb.Block}.
23922 Please see @ref{Frames In Python}, for a more in-depth discussion on
23923 frames. Furthermore, see @ref{Stack, ,Examining the Stack}, for more
23924 detailed technical information on @value{GDBN}'s book-keeping of the
23925 stack.
23926
23927 A @code{gdb.Block} is iterable. The iterator returns the symbols
23928 (@pxref{Symbols In Python}) local to the block.
23929
23930 The following block-related functions are available in the @code{gdb}
23931 module:
23932
23933 @findex gdb.block_for_pc
23934 @defun gdb.block_for_pc (pc)
23935 Return the @code{gdb.Block} containing the given @var{pc} value. If the
23936 block cannot be found for the @var{pc} value specified, the function
23937 will return @code{None}.
23938 @end defun
23939
23940 A @code{gdb.Block} object has the following methods:
23941
23942 @table @code
23943 @defun Block.is_valid ()
23944 Returns @code{True} if the @code{gdb.Block} object is valid,
23945 @code{False} if not. A block object can become invalid if the block it
23946 refers to doesn't exist anymore in the inferior. All other
23947 @code{gdb.Block} methods will throw an exception if it is invalid at
23948 the time the method is called. The block's validity is also checked
23949 during iteration over symbols of the block.
23950 @end defun
23951 @end table
23952
23953 A @code{gdb.Block} object has the following attributes:
23954
23955 @table @code
23956 @defvar Block.start
23957 The start address of the block. This attribute is not writable.
23958 @end defvar
23959
23960 @defvar Block.end
23961 The end address of the block. This attribute is not writable.
23962 @end defvar
23963
23964 @defvar Block.function
23965 The name of the block represented as a @code{gdb.Symbol}. If the
23966 block is not named, then this attribute holds @code{None}. This
23967 attribute is not writable.
23968 @end defvar
23969
23970 @defvar Block.superblock
23971 The block containing this block. If this parent block does not exist,
23972 this attribute holds @code{None}. This attribute is not writable.
23973 @end defvar
23974
23975 @defvar Block.global_block
23976 The global block associated with this block. This attribute is not
23977 writable.
23978 @end defvar
23979
23980 @defvar Block.static_block
23981 The static block associated with this block. This attribute is not
23982 writable.
23983 @end defvar
23984
23985 @defvar Block.is_global
23986 @code{True} if the @code{gdb.Block} object is a global block,
23987 @code{False} if not. This attribute is not
23988 writable.
23989 @end defvar
23990
23991 @defvar Block.is_static
23992 @code{True} if the @code{gdb.Block} object is a static block,
23993 @code{False} if not. This attribute is not writable.
23994 @end defvar
23995 @end table
23996
23997 @node Symbols In Python
23998 @subsubsection Python representation of Symbols.
23999
24000 @cindex symbols in python
24001 @tindex gdb.Symbol
24002
24003 @value{GDBN} represents every variable, function and type as an
24004 entry in a symbol table. @xref{Symbols, ,Examining the Symbol Table}.
24005 Similarly, Python represents these symbols in @value{GDBN} with the
24006 @code{gdb.Symbol} object.
24007
24008 The following symbol-related functions are available in the @code{gdb}
24009 module:
24010
24011 @findex gdb.lookup_symbol
24012 @defun gdb.lookup_symbol (name @r{[}, block @r{[}, domain@r{]]})
24013 This function searches for a symbol by name. The search scope can be
24014 restricted to the parameters defined in the optional domain and block
24015 arguments.
24016
24017 @var{name} is the name of the symbol. It must be a string. The
24018 optional @var{block} argument restricts the search to symbols visible
24019 in that @var{block}. The @var{block} argument must be a
24020 @code{gdb.Block} object. If omitted, the block for the current frame
24021 is used. The optional @var{domain} argument restricts
24022 the search to the domain type. The @var{domain} argument must be a
24023 domain constant defined in the @code{gdb} module and described later
24024 in this chapter.
24025
24026 The result is a tuple of two elements.
24027 The first element is a @code{gdb.Symbol} object or @code{None} if the symbol
24028 is not found.
24029 If the symbol is found, the second element is @code{True} if the symbol
24030 is a field of a method's object (e.g., @code{this} in C@t{++}),
24031 otherwise it is @code{False}.
24032 If the symbol is not found, the second element is @code{False}.
24033 @end defun
24034
24035 @findex gdb.lookup_global_symbol
24036 @defun gdb.lookup_global_symbol (name @r{[}, domain@r{]})
24037 This function searches for a global symbol by name.
24038 The search scope can be restricted to by the domain argument.
24039
24040 @var{name} is the name of the symbol. It must be a string.
24041 The optional @var{domain} argument restricts the search to the domain type.
24042 The @var{domain} argument must be a domain constant defined in the @code{gdb}
24043 module and described later in this chapter.
24044
24045 The result is a @code{gdb.Symbol} object or @code{None} if the symbol
24046 is not found.
24047 @end defun
24048
24049 A @code{gdb.Symbol} object has the following attributes:
24050
24051 @table @code
24052 @defvar Symbol.type
24053 The type of the symbol or @code{None} if no type is recorded.
24054 This attribute is represented as a @code{gdb.Type} object.
24055 @xref{Types In Python}. This attribute is not writable.
24056 @end defvar
24057
24058 @defvar Symbol.symtab
24059 The symbol table in which the symbol appears. This attribute is
24060 represented as a @code{gdb.Symtab} object. @xref{Symbol Tables In
24061 Python}. This attribute is not writable.
24062 @end defvar
24063
24064 @defvar Symbol.line
24065 The line number in the source code at which the symbol was defined.
24066 This is an integer.
24067 @end defvar
24068
24069 @defvar Symbol.name
24070 The name of the symbol as a string. This attribute is not writable.
24071 @end defvar
24072
24073 @defvar Symbol.linkage_name
24074 The name of the symbol, as used by the linker (i.e., may be mangled).
24075 This attribute is not writable.
24076 @end defvar
24077
24078 @defvar Symbol.print_name
24079 The name of the symbol in a form suitable for output. This is either
24080 @code{name} or @code{linkage_name}, depending on whether the user
24081 asked @value{GDBN} to display demangled or mangled names.
24082 @end defvar
24083
24084 @defvar Symbol.addr_class
24085 The address class of the symbol. This classifies how to find the value
24086 of a symbol. Each address class is a constant defined in the
24087 @code{gdb} module and described later in this chapter.
24088 @end defvar
24089
24090 @defvar Symbol.needs_frame
24091 This is @code{True} if evaluating this symbol's value requires a frame
24092 (@pxref{Frames In Python}) and @code{False} otherwise. Typically,
24093 local variables will require a frame, but other symbols will not.
24094 @end defvar
24095
24096 @defvar Symbol.is_argument
24097 @code{True} if the symbol is an argument of a function.
24098 @end defvar
24099
24100 @defvar Symbol.is_constant
24101 @code{True} if the symbol is a constant.
24102 @end defvar
24103
24104 @defvar Symbol.is_function
24105 @code{True} if the symbol is a function or a method.
24106 @end defvar
24107
24108 @defvar Symbol.is_variable
24109 @code{True} if the symbol is a variable.
24110 @end defvar
24111 @end table
24112
24113 A @code{gdb.Symbol} object has the following methods:
24114
24115 @table @code
24116 @defun Symbol.is_valid ()
24117 Returns @code{True} if the @code{gdb.Symbol} object is valid,
24118 @code{False} if not. A @code{gdb.Symbol} object can become invalid if
24119 the symbol it refers to does not exist in @value{GDBN} any longer.
24120 All other @code{gdb.Symbol} methods will throw an exception if it is
24121 invalid at the time the method is called.
24122 @end defun
24123
24124 @defun Symbol.value (@r{[}frame@r{]})
24125 Compute the value of the symbol, as a @code{gdb.Value}. For
24126 functions, this computes the address of the function, cast to the
24127 appropriate type. If the symbol requires a frame in order to compute
24128 its value, then @var{frame} must be given. If @var{frame} is not
24129 given, or if @var{frame} is invalid, then this method will throw an
24130 exception.
24131 @end defun
24132 @end table
24133
24134 The available domain categories in @code{gdb.Symbol} are represented
24135 as constants in the @code{gdb} module:
24136
24137 @table @code
24138 @findex SYMBOL_UNDEF_DOMAIN
24139 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_UNDEF_DOMAIN
24140 @item gdb.SYMBOL_UNDEF_DOMAIN
24141 This is used when a domain has not been discovered or none of the
24142 following domains apply. This usually indicates an error either
24143 in the symbol information or in @value{GDBN}'s handling of symbols.
24144 @findex SYMBOL_VAR_DOMAIN
24145 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_VAR_DOMAIN
24146 @item gdb.SYMBOL_VAR_DOMAIN
24147 This domain contains variables, function names, typedef names and enum
24148 type values.
24149 @findex SYMBOL_STRUCT_DOMAIN
24150 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_STRUCT_DOMAIN
24151 @item gdb.SYMBOL_STRUCT_DOMAIN
24152 This domain holds struct, union and enum type names.
24153 @findex SYMBOL_LABEL_DOMAIN
24154 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LABEL_DOMAIN
24155 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LABEL_DOMAIN
24156 This domain contains names of labels (for gotos).
24157 @findex SYMBOL_VARIABLES_DOMAIN
24158 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_VARIABLES_DOMAIN
24159 @item gdb.SYMBOL_VARIABLES_DOMAIN
24160 This domain holds a subset of the @code{SYMBOLS_VAR_DOMAIN}; it
24161 contains everything minus functions and types.
24162 @findex SYMBOL_FUNCTIONS_DOMAIN
24163 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_FUNCTIONS_DOMAIN
24164 @item gdb.SYMBOL_FUNCTION_DOMAIN
24165 This domain contains all functions.
24166 @findex SYMBOL_TYPES_DOMAIN
24167 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_TYPES_DOMAIN
24168 @item gdb.SYMBOL_TYPES_DOMAIN
24169 This domain contains all types.
24170 @end table
24171
24172 The available address class categories in @code{gdb.Symbol} are represented
24173 as constants in the @code{gdb} module:
24174
24175 @table @code
24176 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_UNDEF
24177 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_UNDEF
24178 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_UNDEF
24179 If this is returned by address class, it indicates an error either in
24180 the symbol information or in @value{GDBN}'s handling of symbols.
24181 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_CONST
24182 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_CONST
24183 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_CONST
24184 Value is constant int.
24185 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_STATIC
24186 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_STATIC
24187 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_STATIC
24188 Value is at a fixed address.
24189 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_REGISTER
24190 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_REGISTER
24191 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_REGISTER
24192 Value is in a register.
24193 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_ARG
24194 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_ARG
24195 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_ARG
24196 Value is an argument. This value is at the offset stored within the
24197 symbol inside the frame's argument list.
24198 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_REF_ARG
24199 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_REF_ARG
24200 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_REF_ARG
24201 Value address is stored in the frame's argument list. Just like
24202 @code{LOC_ARG} except that the value's address is stored at the
24203 offset, not the value itself.
24204 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_REGPARM_ADDR
24205 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_REGPARM_ADDR
24206 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_REGPARM_ADDR
24207 Value is a specified register. Just like @code{LOC_REGISTER} except
24208 the register holds the address of the argument instead of the argument
24209 itself.
24210 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_LOCAL
24211 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_LOCAL
24212 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_LOCAL
24213 Value is a local variable.
24214 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_TYPEDEF
24215 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_TYPEDEF
24216 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_TYPEDEF
24217 Value not used. Symbols in the domain @code{SYMBOL_STRUCT_DOMAIN} all
24218 have this class.
24219 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_BLOCK
24220 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_BLOCK
24221 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_BLOCK
24222 Value is a block.
24223 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_CONST_BYTES
24224 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_CONST_BYTES
24225 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_CONST_BYTES
24226 Value is a byte-sequence.
24227 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_UNRESOLVED
24228 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_UNRESOLVED
24229 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_UNRESOLVED
24230 Value is at a fixed address, but the address of the variable has to be
24231 determined from the minimal symbol table whenever the variable is
24232 referenced.
24233 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_OPTIMIZED_OUT
24234 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_OPTIMIZED_OUT
24235 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_OPTIMIZED_OUT
24236 The value does not actually exist in the program.
24237 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_COMPUTED
24238 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_COMPUTED
24239 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_COMPUTED
24240 The value's address is a computed location.
24241 @end table
24242
24243 @node Symbol Tables In Python
24244 @subsubsection Symbol table representation in Python.
24245
24246 @cindex symbol tables in python
24247 @tindex gdb.Symtab
24248 @tindex gdb.Symtab_and_line
24249
24250 Access to symbol table data maintained by @value{GDBN} on the inferior
24251 is exposed to Python via two objects: @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line} and
24252 @code{gdb.Symtab}. Symbol table and line data for a frame is returned
24253 from the @code{find_sal} method in @code{gdb.Frame} object.
24254 @xref{Frames In Python}.
24255
24256 For more information on @value{GDBN}'s symbol table management, see
24257 @ref{Symbols, ,Examining the Symbol Table}, for more information.
24258
24259 A @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line} object has the following attributes:
24260
24261 @table @code
24262 @defvar Symtab_and_line.symtab
24263 The symbol table object (@code{gdb.Symtab}) for this frame.
24264 This attribute is not writable.
24265 @end defvar
24266
24267 @defvar Symtab_and_line.pc
24268 Indicates the current program counter address. This attribute is not
24269 writable.
24270 @end defvar
24271
24272 @defvar Symtab_and_line.line
24273 Indicates the current line number for this object. This
24274 attribute is not writable.
24275 @end defvar
24276 @end table
24277
24278 A @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line} object has the following methods:
24279
24280 @table @code
24281 @defun Symtab_and_line.is_valid ()
24282 Returns @code{True} if the @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line} object is valid,
24283 @code{False} if not. A @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line} object can become
24284 invalid if the Symbol table and line object it refers to does not
24285 exist in @value{GDBN} any longer. All other
24286 @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line} methods will throw an exception if it is
24287 invalid at the time the method is called.
24288 @end defun
24289 @end table
24290
24291 A @code{gdb.Symtab} object has the following attributes:
24292
24293 @table @code
24294 @defvar Symtab.filename
24295 The symbol table's source filename. This attribute is not writable.
24296 @end defvar
24297
24298 @defvar Symtab.objfile
24299 The symbol table's backing object file. @xref{Objfiles In Python}.
24300 This attribute is not writable.
24301 @end defvar
24302 @end table
24303
24304 A @code{gdb.Symtab} object has the following methods:
24305
24306 @table @code
24307 @defun Symtab.is_valid ()
24308 Returns @code{True} if the @code{gdb.Symtab} object is valid,
24309 @code{False} if not. A @code{gdb.Symtab} object can become invalid if
24310 the symbol table it refers to does not exist in @value{GDBN} any
24311 longer. All other @code{gdb.Symtab} methods will throw an exception
24312 if it is invalid at the time the method is called.
24313 @end defun
24314
24315 @defun Symtab.fullname ()
24316 Return the symbol table's source absolute file name.
24317 @end defun
24318 @end table
24319
24320 @node Breakpoints In Python
24321 @subsubsection Manipulating breakpoints using Python
24322
24323 @cindex breakpoints in python
24324 @tindex gdb.Breakpoint
24325
24326 Python code can manipulate breakpoints via the @code{gdb.Breakpoint}
24327 class.
24328
24329 @defun Breakpoint.__init__ (spec @r{[}, type @r{[}, wp_class @r{[},internal@r{]]]})
24330 Create a new breakpoint. @var{spec} is a string naming the
24331 location of the breakpoint, or an expression that defines a
24332 watchpoint. The contents can be any location recognized by the
24333 @code{break} command, or in the case of a watchpoint, by the @code{watch}
24334 command. The optional @var{type} denotes the breakpoint to create
24335 from the types defined later in this chapter. This argument can be
24336 either: @code{gdb.BP_BREAKPOINT} or @code{gdb.BP_WATCHPOINT}. @var{type}
24337 defaults to @code{gdb.BP_BREAKPOINT}. The optional @var{internal} argument
24338 allows the breakpoint to become invisible to the user. The breakpoint
24339 will neither be reported when created, nor will it be listed in the
24340 output from @code{info breakpoints} (but will be listed with the
24341 @code{maint info breakpoints} command). The optional @var{wp_class}
24342 argument defines the class of watchpoint to create, if @var{type} is
24343 @code{gdb.BP_WATCHPOINT}. If a watchpoint class is not provided, it is
24344 assumed to be a @code{gdb.WP_WRITE} class.
24345 @end defun
24346
24347 @defun Breakpoint.stop (self)
24348 The @code{gdb.Breakpoint} class can be sub-classed and, in
24349 particular, you may choose to implement the @code{stop} method.
24350 If this method is defined as a sub-class of @code{gdb.Breakpoint},
24351 it will be called when the inferior reaches any location of a
24352 breakpoint which instantiates that sub-class. If the method returns
24353 @code{True}, the inferior will be stopped at the location of the
24354 breakpoint, otherwise the inferior will continue.
24355
24356 If there are multiple breakpoints at the same location with a
24357 @code{stop} method, each one will be called regardless of the
24358 return status of the previous. This ensures that all @code{stop}
24359 methods have a chance to execute at that location. In this scenario
24360 if one of the methods returns @code{True} but the others return
24361 @code{False}, the inferior will still be stopped.
24362
24363 You should not alter the execution state of the inferior (i.e.@:, step,
24364 next, etc.), alter the current frame context (i.e.@:, change the current
24365 active frame), or alter, add or delete any breakpoint. As a general
24366 rule, you should not alter any data within @value{GDBN} or the inferior
24367 at this time.
24368
24369 Example @code{stop} implementation:
24370
24371 @smallexample
24372 class MyBreakpoint (gdb.Breakpoint):
24373 def stop (self):
24374 inf_val = gdb.parse_and_eval("foo")
24375 if inf_val == 3:
24376 return True
24377 return False
24378 @end smallexample
24379 @end defun
24380
24381 The available watchpoint types represented by constants are defined in the
24382 @code{gdb} module:
24383
24384 @table @code
24385 @findex WP_READ
24386 @findex gdb.WP_READ
24387 @item gdb.WP_READ
24388 Read only watchpoint.
24389
24390 @findex WP_WRITE
24391 @findex gdb.WP_WRITE
24392 @item gdb.WP_WRITE
24393 Write only watchpoint.
24394
24395 @findex WP_ACCESS
24396 @findex gdb.WP_ACCESS
24397 @item gdb.WP_ACCESS
24398 Read/Write watchpoint.
24399 @end table
24400
24401 @defun Breakpoint.is_valid ()
24402 Return @code{True} if this @code{Breakpoint} object is valid,
24403 @code{False} otherwise. A @code{Breakpoint} object can become invalid
24404 if the user deletes the breakpoint. In this case, the object still
24405 exists, but the underlying breakpoint does not. In the cases of
24406 watchpoint scope, the watchpoint remains valid even if execution of the
24407 inferior leaves the scope of that watchpoint.
24408 @end defun
24409
24410 @defun Breakpoint.delete
24411 Permanently deletes the @value{GDBN} breakpoint. This also
24412 invalidates the Python @code{Breakpoint} object. Any further access
24413 to this object's attributes or methods will raise an error.
24414 @end defun
24415
24416 @defvar Breakpoint.enabled
24417 This attribute is @code{True} if the breakpoint is enabled, and
24418 @code{False} otherwise. This attribute is writable.
24419 @end defvar
24420
24421 @defvar Breakpoint.silent
24422 This attribute is @code{True} if the breakpoint is silent, and
24423 @code{False} otherwise. This attribute is writable.
24424
24425 Note that a breakpoint can also be silent if it has commands and the
24426 first command is @code{silent}. This is not reported by the
24427 @code{silent} attribute.
24428 @end defvar
24429
24430 @defvar Breakpoint.thread
24431 If the breakpoint is thread-specific, this attribute holds the thread
24432 id. If the breakpoint is not thread-specific, this attribute is
24433 @code{None}. This attribute is writable.
24434 @end defvar
24435
24436 @defvar Breakpoint.task
24437 If the breakpoint is Ada task-specific, this attribute holds the Ada task
24438 id. If the breakpoint is not task-specific (or the underlying
24439 language is not Ada), this attribute is @code{None}. This attribute
24440 is writable.
24441 @end defvar
24442
24443 @defvar Breakpoint.ignore_count
24444 This attribute holds the ignore count for the breakpoint, an integer.
24445 This attribute is writable.
24446 @end defvar
24447
24448 @defvar Breakpoint.number
24449 This attribute holds the breakpoint's number --- the identifier used by
24450 the user to manipulate the breakpoint. This attribute is not writable.
24451 @end defvar
24452
24453 @defvar Breakpoint.type
24454 This attribute holds the breakpoint's type --- the identifier used to
24455 determine the actual breakpoint type or use-case. This attribute is not
24456 writable.
24457 @end defvar
24458
24459 @defvar Breakpoint.visible
24460 This attribute tells whether the breakpoint is visible to the user
24461 when set, or when the @samp{info breakpoints} command is run. This
24462 attribute is not writable.
24463 @end defvar
24464
24465 The available types are represented by constants defined in the @code{gdb}
24466 module:
24467
24468 @table @code
24469 @findex BP_BREAKPOINT
24470 @findex gdb.BP_BREAKPOINT
24471 @item gdb.BP_BREAKPOINT
24472 Normal code breakpoint.
24473
24474 @findex BP_WATCHPOINT
24475 @findex gdb.BP_WATCHPOINT
24476 @item gdb.BP_WATCHPOINT
24477 Watchpoint breakpoint.
24478
24479 @findex BP_HARDWARE_WATCHPOINT
24480 @findex gdb.BP_HARDWARE_WATCHPOINT
24481 @item gdb.BP_HARDWARE_WATCHPOINT
24482 Hardware assisted watchpoint.
24483
24484 @findex BP_READ_WATCHPOINT
24485 @findex gdb.BP_READ_WATCHPOINT
24486 @item gdb.BP_READ_WATCHPOINT
24487 Hardware assisted read watchpoint.
24488
24489 @findex BP_ACCESS_WATCHPOINT
24490 @findex gdb.BP_ACCESS_WATCHPOINT
24491 @item gdb.BP_ACCESS_WATCHPOINT
24492 Hardware assisted access watchpoint.
24493 @end table
24494
24495 @defvar Breakpoint.hit_count
24496 This attribute holds the hit count for the breakpoint, an integer.
24497 This attribute is writable, but currently it can only be set to zero.
24498 @end defvar
24499
24500 @defvar Breakpoint.location
24501 This attribute holds the location of the breakpoint, as specified by
24502 the user. It is a string. If the breakpoint does not have a location
24503 (that is, it is a watchpoint) the attribute's value is @code{None}. This
24504 attribute is not writable.
24505 @end defvar
24506
24507 @defvar Breakpoint.expression
24508 This attribute holds a breakpoint expression, as specified by
24509 the user. It is a string. If the breakpoint does not have an
24510 expression (the breakpoint is not a watchpoint) the attribute's value
24511 is @code{None}. This attribute is not writable.
24512 @end defvar
24513
24514 @defvar Breakpoint.condition
24515 This attribute holds the condition of the breakpoint, as specified by
24516 the user. It is a string. If there is no condition, this attribute's
24517 value is @code{None}. This attribute is writable.
24518 @end defvar
24519
24520 @defvar Breakpoint.commands
24521 This attribute holds the commands attached to the breakpoint. If
24522 there are commands, this attribute's value is a string holding all the
24523 commands, separated by newlines. If there are no commands, this
24524 attribute is @code{None}. This attribute is not writable.
24525 @end defvar
24526
24527 @node Finish Breakpoints in Python
24528 @subsubsection Finish Breakpoints
24529
24530 @cindex python finish breakpoints
24531 @tindex gdb.FinishBreakpoint
24532
24533 A finish breakpoint is a temporary breakpoint set at the return address of
24534 a frame, based on the @code{finish} command. @code{gdb.FinishBreakpoint}
24535 extends @code{gdb.Breakpoint}. The underlying breakpoint will be disabled
24536 and deleted when the execution will run out of the breakpoint scope (i.e.@:
24537 @code{Breakpoint.stop} or @code{FinishBreakpoint.out_of_scope} triggered).
24538 Finish breakpoints are thread specific and must be create with the right
24539 thread selected.
24540
24541 @defun FinishBreakpoint.__init__ (@r{[}frame@r{]} @r{[}, internal@r{]})
24542 Create a finish breakpoint at the return address of the @code{gdb.Frame}
24543 object @var{frame}. If @var{frame} is not provided, this defaults to the
24544 newest frame. The optional @var{internal} argument allows the breakpoint to
24545 become invisible to the user. @xref{Breakpoints In Python}, for further
24546 details about this argument.
24547 @end defun
24548
24549 @defun FinishBreakpoint.out_of_scope (self)
24550 In some circumstances (e.g.@: @code{longjmp}, C@t{++} exceptions, @value{GDBN}
24551 @code{return} command, @dots{}), a function may not properly terminate, and
24552 thus never hit the finish breakpoint. When @value{GDBN} notices such a
24553 situation, the @code{out_of_scope} callback will be triggered.
24554
24555 You may want to sub-class @code{gdb.FinishBreakpoint} and override this
24556 method:
24557
24558 @smallexample
24559 class MyFinishBreakpoint (gdb.FinishBreakpoint)
24560 def stop (self):
24561 print "normal finish"
24562 return True
24563
24564 def out_of_scope ():
24565 print "abnormal finish"
24566 @end smallexample
24567 @end defun
24568
24569 @defvar FinishBreakpoint.return_value
24570 When @value{GDBN} is stopped at a finish breakpoint and the frame
24571 used to build the @code{gdb.FinishBreakpoint} object had debug symbols, this
24572 attribute will contain a @code{gdb.Value} object corresponding to the return
24573 value of the function. The value will be @code{None} if the function return
24574 type is @code{void} or if the return value was not computable. This attribute
24575 is not writable.
24576 @end defvar
24577
24578 @node Lazy Strings In Python
24579 @subsubsection Python representation of lazy strings.
24580
24581 @cindex lazy strings in python
24582 @tindex gdb.LazyString
24583
24584 A @dfn{lazy string} is a string whose contents is not retrieved or
24585 encoded until it is needed.
24586
24587 A @code{gdb.LazyString} is represented in @value{GDBN} as an
24588 @code{address} that points to a region of memory, an @code{encoding}
24589 that will be used to encode that region of memory, and a @code{length}
24590 to delimit the region of memory that represents the string. The
24591 difference between a @code{gdb.LazyString} and a string wrapped within
24592 a @code{gdb.Value} is that a @code{gdb.LazyString} will be treated
24593 differently by @value{GDBN} when printing. A @code{gdb.LazyString} is
24594 retrieved and encoded during printing, while a @code{gdb.Value}
24595 wrapping a string is immediately retrieved and encoded on creation.
24596
24597 A @code{gdb.LazyString} object has the following functions:
24598
24599 @defun LazyString.value ()
24600 Convert the @code{gdb.LazyString} to a @code{gdb.Value}. This value
24601 will point to the string in memory, but will lose all the delayed
24602 retrieval, encoding and handling that @value{GDBN} applies to a
24603 @code{gdb.LazyString}.
24604 @end defun
24605
24606 @defvar LazyString.address
24607 This attribute holds the address of the string. This attribute is not
24608 writable.
24609 @end defvar
24610
24611 @defvar LazyString.length
24612 This attribute holds the length of the string in characters. If the
24613 length is -1, then the string will be fetched and encoded up to the
24614 first null of appropriate width. This attribute is not writable.
24615 @end defvar
24616
24617 @defvar LazyString.encoding
24618 This attribute holds the encoding that will be applied to the string
24619 when the string is printed by @value{GDBN}. If the encoding is not
24620 set, or contains an empty string, then @value{GDBN} will select the
24621 most appropriate encoding when the string is printed. This attribute
24622 is not writable.
24623 @end defvar
24624
24625 @defvar LazyString.type
24626 This attribute holds the type that is represented by the lazy string's
24627 type. For a lazy string this will always be a pointer type. To
24628 resolve this to the lazy string's character type, use the type's
24629 @code{target} method. @xref{Types In Python}. This attribute is not
24630 writable.
24631 @end defvar
24632
24633 @node Auto-loading
24634 @subsection Auto-loading
24635 @cindex auto-loading, Python
24636
24637 When a new object file is read (for example, due to the @code{file}
24638 command, or because the inferior has loaded a shared library),
24639 @value{GDBN} will look for Python support scripts in several ways:
24640 @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.py} and @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section.
24641
24642 @menu
24643 * objfile-gdb.py file:: The @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.py} file
24644 * .debug_gdb_scripts section:: The @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section
24645 * Which flavor to choose?::
24646 @end menu
24647
24648 The auto-loading feature is useful for supplying application-specific
24649 debugging commands and scripts.
24650
24651 Auto-loading can be enabled or disabled,
24652 and the list of auto-loaded scripts can be printed.
24653
24654 @table @code
24655 @kindex set auto-load-scripts
24656 @item set auto-load-scripts [yes|no]
24657 Enable or disable the auto-loading of Python scripts.
24658
24659 @kindex show auto-load-scripts
24660 @item show auto-load-scripts
24661 Show whether auto-loading of Python scripts is enabled or disabled.
24662
24663 @kindex info auto-load-scripts
24664 @cindex print list of auto-loaded scripts
24665 @item info auto-load-scripts [@var{regexp}]
24666 Print the list of all scripts that @value{GDBN} auto-loaded.
24667
24668 Also printed is the list of scripts that were mentioned in
24669 the @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section and were not found
24670 (@pxref{.debug_gdb_scripts section}).
24671 This is useful because their names are not printed when @value{GDBN}
24672 tries to load them and fails. There may be many of them, and printing
24673 an error message for each one is problematic.
24674
24675 If @var{regexp} is supplied only scripts with matching names are printed.
24676
24677 Example:
24678
24679 @smallexample
24680 (gdb) info auto-load-scripts
24681 Loaded Script
24682 Yes py-section-script.py
24683 full name: /tmp/py-section-script.py
24684 Missing my-foo-pretty-printers.py
24685 @end smallexample
24686 @end table
24687
24688 When reading an auto-loaded file, @value{GDBN} sets the
24689 @dfn{current objfile}. This is available via the @code{gdb.current_objfile}
24690 function (@pxref{Objfiles In Python}). This can be useful for
24691 registering objfile-specific pretty-printers.
24692
24693 @node objfile-gdb.py file
24694 @subsubsection The @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.py} file
24695 @cindex @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.py}
24696
24697 When a new object file is read, @value{GDBN} looks for
24698 a file named @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.py},
24699 where @var{objfile} is the object file's real name, formed by ensuring
24700 that the file name is absolute, following all symlinks, and resolving
24701 @code{.} and @code{..} components. If this file exists and is
24702 readable, @value{GDBN} will evaluate it as a Python script.
24703
24704 If this file does not exist, and if the parameter
24705 @code{debug-file-directory} is set (@pxref{Separate Debug Files}),
24706 then @value{GDBN} will look for @var{real-name} in all of the
24707 directories mentioned in the value of @code{debug-file-directory}.
24708
24709 Finally, if this file does not exist, then @value{GDBN} will look for
24710 a file named @file{@var{data-directory}/auto-load/@var{real-name}}, where
24711 @var{data-directory} is @value{GDBN}'s data directory (available via
24712 @code{show data-directory}, @pxref{Data Files}), and @var{real-name}
24713 is the object file's real name, as described above.
24714
24715 @value{GDBN} does not track which files it has already auto-loaded this way.
24716 @value{GDBN} will load the associated script every time the corresponding
24717 @var{objfile} is opened.
24718 So your @file{-gdb.py} file should be careful to avoid errors if it
24719 is evaluated more than once.
24720
24721 @node .debug_gdb_scripts section
24722 @subsubsection The @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section
24723 @cindex @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section
24724
24725 For systems using file formats like ELF and COFF,
24726 when @value{GDBN} loads a new object file
24727 it will look for a special section named @samp{.debug_gdb_scripts}.
24728 If this section exists, its contents is a list of names of scripts to load.
24729
24730 @value{GDBN} will look for each specified script file first in the
24731 current directory and then along the source search path
24732 (@pxref{Source Path, ,Specifying Source Directories}),
24733 except that @file{$cdir} is not searched, since the compilation
24734 directory is not relevant to scripts.
24735
24736 Entries can be placed in section @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} with,
24737 for example, this GCC macro:
24738
24739 @example
24740 /* Note: The "MS" section flags are to remove duplicates. */
24741 #define DEFINE_GDB_SCRIPT(script_name) \
24742 asm("\
24743 .pushsection \".debug_gdb_scripts\", \"MS\",@@progbits,1\n\
24744 .byte 1\n\
24745 .asciz \"" script_name "\"\n\
24746 .popsection \n\
24747 ");
24748 @end example
24749
24750 @noindent
24751 Then one can reference the macro in a header or source file like this:
24752
24753 @example
24754 DEFINE_GDB_SCRIPT ("my-app-scripts.py")
24755 @end example
24756
24757 The script name may include directories if desired.
24758
24759 If the macro is put in a header, any application or library
24760 using this header will get a reference to the specified script.
24761
24762 @node Which flavor to choose?
24763 @subsubsection Which flavor to choose?
24764
24765 Given the multiple ways of auto-loading Python scripts, it might not always
24766 be clear which one to choose. This section provides some guidance.
24767
24768 Benefits of the @file{-gdb.py} way:
24769
24770 @itemize @bullet
24771 @item
24772 Can be used with file formats that don't support multiple sections.
24773
24774 @item
24775 Ease of finding scripts for public libraries.
24776
24777 Scripts specified in the @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section are searched for
24778 in the source search path.
24779 For publicly installed libraries, e.g., @file{libstdc++}, there typically
24780 isn't a source directory in which to find the script.
24781
24782 @item
24783 Doesn't require source code additions.
24784 @end itemize
24785
24786 Benefits of the @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} way:
24787
24788 @itemize @bullet
24789 @item
24790 Works with static linking.
24791
24792 Scripts for libraries done the @file{-gdb.py} way require an objfile to
24793 trigger their loading. When an application is statically linked the only
24794 objfile available is the executable, and it is cumbersome to attach all the
24795 scripts from all the input libraries to the executable's @file{-gdb.py} script.
24796
24797 @item
24798 Works with classes that are entirely inlined.
24799
24800 Some classes can be entirely inlined, and thus there may not be an associated
24801 shared library to attach a @file{-gdb.py} script to.
24802
24803 @item
24804 Scripts needn't be copied out of the source tree.
24805
24806 In some circumstances, apps can be built out of large collections of internal
24807 libraries, and the build infrastructure necessary to install the
24808 @file{-gdb.py} scripts in a place where @value{GDBN} can find them is
24809 cumbersome. It may be easier to specify the scripts in the
24810 @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section as relative paths, and add a path to the
24811 top of the source tree to the source search path.
24812 @end itemize
24813
24814 @node Python modules
24815 @subsection Python modules
24816 @cindex python modules
24817
24818 @value{GDBN} comes with several modules to assist writing Python code.
24819
24820 @menu
24821 * gdb.printing:: Building and registering pretty-printers.
24822 * gdb.types:: Utilities for working with types.
24823 * gdb.prompt:: Utilities for prompt value substitution.
24824 @end menu
24825
24826 @node gdb.printing
24827 @subsubsection gdb.printing
24828 @cindex gdb.printing
24829
24830 This module provides a collection of utilities for working with
24831 pretty-printers.
24832
24833 @table @code
24834 @item PrettyPrinter (@var{name}, @var{subprinters}=None)
24835 This class specifies the API that makes @samp{info pretty-printer},
24836 @samp{enable pretty-printer} and @samp{disable pretty-printer} work.
24837 Pretty-printers should generally inherit from this class.
24838
24839 @item SubPrettyPrinter (@var{name})
24840 For printers that handle multiple types, this class specifies the
24841 corresponding API for the subprinters.
24842
24843 @item RegexpCollectionPrettyPrinter (@var{name})
24844 Utility class for handling multiple printers, all recognized via
24845 regular expressions.
24846 @xref{Writing a Pretty-Printer}, for an example.
24847
24848 @item FlagEnumerationPrinter (@var{name})
24849 A pretty-printer which handles printing of @code{enum} values. Unlike
24850 @value{GDBN}'s built-in @code{enum} printing, this printer attempts to
24851 work properly when there is some overlap between the enumeration
24852 constants. @var{name} is the name of the printer and also the name of
24853 the @code{enum} type to look up.
24854
24855 @item register_pretty_printer (@var{obj}, @var{printer}, @var{replace}=False)
24856 Register @var{printer} with the pretty-printer list of @var{obj}.
24857 If @var{replace} is @code{True} then any existing copy of the printer
24858 is replaced. Otherwise a @code{RuntimeError} exception is raised
24859 if a printer with the same name already exists.
24860 @end table
24861
24862 @node gdb.types
24863 @subsubsection gdb.types
24864 @cindex gdb.types
24865
24866 This module provides a collection of utilities for working with
24867 @code{gdb.Types} objects.
24868
24869 @table @code
24870 @item get_basic_type (@var{type})
24871 Return @var{type} with const and volatile qualifiers stripped,
24872 and with typedefs and C@t{++} references converted to the underlying type.
24873
24874 C@t{++} example:
24875
24876 @smallexample
24877 typedef const int const_int;
24878 const_int foo (3);
24879 const_int& foo_ref (foo);
24880 int main () @{ return 0; @}
24881 @end smallexample
24882
24883 Then in gdb:
24884
24885 @smallexample
24886 (gdb) start
24887 (gdb) python import gdb.types
24888 (gdb) python foo_ref = gdb.parse_and_eval("foo_ref")
24889 (gdb) python print gdb.types.get_basic_type(foo_ref.type)
24890 int
24891 @end smallexample
24892
24893 @item has_field (@var{type}, @var{field})
24894 Return @code{True} if @var{type}, assumed to be a type with fields
24895 (e.g., a structure or union), has field @var{field}.
24896
24897 @item make_enum_dict (@var{enum_type})
24898 Return a Python @code{dictionary} type produced from @var{enum_type}.
24899
24900 @item deep_items (@var{type})
24901 Returns a Python iterator similar to the standard
24902 @code{gdb.Type.iteritems} method, except that the iterator returned
24903 by @code{deep_items} will recursively traverse anonymous struct or
24904 union fields. For example:
24905
24906 @smallexample
24907 struct A
24908 @{
24909 int a;
24910 union @{
24911 int b0;
24912 int b1;
24913 @};
24914 @};
24915 @end smallexample
24916
24917 @noindent
24918 Then in @value{GDBN}:
24919 @smallexample
24920 (@value{GDBP}) python import gdb.types
24921 (@value{GDBP}) python struct_a = gdb.lookup_type("struct A")
24922 (@value{GDBP}) python print struct_a.keys ()
24923 @{['a', '']@}
24924 (@value{GDBP}) python print [k for k,v in gdb.types.deep_items(struct_a)]
24925 @{['a', 'b0', 'b1']@}
24926 @end smallexample
24927
24928 @end table
24929
24930 @node gdb.prompt
24931 @subsubsection gdb.prompt
24932 @cindex gdb.prompt
24933
24934 This module provides a method for prompt value-substitution.
24935
24936 @table @code
24937 @item substitute_prompt (@var{string})
24938 Return @var{string} with escape sequences substituted by values. Some
24939 escape sequences take arguments. You can specify arguments inside
24940 ``@{@}'' immediately following the escape sequence.
24941
24942 The escape sequences you can pass to this function are:
24943
24944 @table @code
24945 @item \\
24946 Substitute a backslash.
24947 @item \e
24948 Substitute an ESC character.
24949 @item \f
24950 Substitute the selected frame; an argument names a frame parameter.
24951 @item \n
24952 Substitute a newline.
24953 @item \p
24954 Substitute a parameter's value; the argument names the parameter.
24955 @item \r
24956 Substitute a carriage return.
24957 @item \t
24958 Substitute the selected thread; an argument names a thread parameter.
24959 @item \v
24960 Substitute the version of GDB.
24961 @item \w
24962 Substitute the current working directory.
24963 @item \[
24964 Begin a sequence of non-printing characters. These sequences are
24965 typically used with the ESC character, and are not counted in the string
24966 length. Example: ``\[\e[0;34m\](gdb)\[\e[0m\]'' will return a
24967 blue-colored ``(gdb)'' prompt where the length is five.
24968 @item \]
24969 End a sequence of non-printing characters.
24970 @end table
24971
24972 For example:
24973
24974 @smallexample
24975 substitute_prompt (``frame: \f,
24976 print arguments: \p@{print frame-arguments@}'')
24977 @end smallexample
24978
24979 @exdent will return the string:
24980
24981 @smallexample
24982 "frame: main, print arguments: scalars"
24983 @end smallexample
24984 @end table
24985
24986 @node Aliases
24987 @section Creating new spellings of existing commands
24988 @cindex aliases for commands
24989
24990 It is often useful to define alternate spellings of existing commands.
24991 For example, if a new @value{GDBN} command defined in Python has
24992 a long name to type, it is handy to have an abbreviated version of it
24993 that involves less typing.
24994
24995 @value{GDBN} itself uses aliases. For example @samp{s} is an alias
24996 of the @samp{step} command even though it is otherwise an ambiguous
24997 abbreviation of other commands like @samp{set} and @samp{show}.
24998
24999 Aliases are also used to provide shortened or more common versions
25000 of multi-word commands. For example, @value{GDBN} provides the
25001 @samp{tty} alias of the @samp{set inferior-tty} command.
25002
25003 You can define a new alias with the @samp{alias} command.
25004
25005 @table @code
25006
25007 @kindex alias
25008 @item alias [-a] [--] @var{ALIAS} = @var{COMMAND}
25009
25010 @end table
25011
25012 @var{ALIAS} specifies the name of the new alias.
25013 Each word of @var{ALIAS} must consist of letters, numbers, dashes and
25014 underscores.
25015
25016 @var{COMMAND} specifies the name of an existing command
25017 that is being aliased.
25018
25019 The @samp{-a} option specifies that the new alias is an abbreviation
25020 of the command. Abbreviations are not shown in command
25021 lists displayed by the @samp{help} command.
25022
25023 The @samp{--} option specifies the end of options,
25024 and is useful when @var{ALIAS} begins with a dash.
25025
25026 Here is a simple example showing how to make an abbreviation
25027 of a command so that there is less to type.
25028 Suppose you were tired of typing @samp{disas}, the current
25029 shortest unambiguous abbreviation of the @samp{disassemble} command
25030 and you wanted an even shorter version named @samp{di}.
25031 The following will accomplish this.
25032
25033 @smallexample
25034 (gdb) alias -a di = disas
25035 @end smallexample
25036
25037 Note that aliases are different from user-defined commands.
25038 With a user-defined command, you also need to write documentation
25039 for it with the @samp{document} command.
25040 An alias automatically picks up the documentation of the existing command.
25041
25042 Here is an example where we make @samp{elms} an abbreviation of
25043 @samp{elements} in the @samp{set print elements} command.
25044 This is to show that you can make an abbreviation of any part
25045 of a command.
25046
25047 @smallexample
25048 (gdb) alias -a set print elms = set print elements
25049 (gdb) alias -a show print elms = show print elements
25050 (gdb) set p elms 20
25051 (gdb) show p elms
25052 Limit on string chars or array elements to print is 200.
25053 @end smallexample
25054
25055 Note that if you are defining an alias of a @samp{set} command,
25056 and you want to have an alias for the corresponding @samp{show}
25057 command, then you need to define the latter separately.
25058
25059 Unambiguously abbreviated commands are allowed in @var{COMMAND} and
25060 @var{ALIAS}, just as they are normally.
25061
25062 @smallexample
25063 (gdb) alias -a set pr elms = set p ele
25064 @end smallexample
25065
25066 Finally, here is an example showing the creation of a one word
25067 alias for a more complex command.
25068 This creates alias @samp{spe} of the command @samp{set print elements}.
25069
25070 @smallexample
25071 (gdb) alias spe = set print elements
25072 (gdb) spe 20
25073 @end smallexample
25074
25075 @node Interpreters
25076 @chapter Command Interpreters
25077 @cindex command interpreters
25078
25079 @value{GDBN} supports multiple command interpreters, and some command
25080 infrastructure to allow users or user interface writers to switch
25081 between interpreters or run commands in other interpreters.
25082
25083 @value{GDBN} currently supports two command interpreters, the console
25084 interpreter (sometimes called the command-line interpreter or @sc{cli})
25085 and the machine interface interpreter (or @sc{gdb/mi}). This manual
25086 describes both of these interfaces in great detail.
25087
25088 By default, @value{GDBN} will start with the console interpreter.
25089 However, the user may choose to start @value{GDBN} with another
25090 interpreter by specifying the @option{-i} or @option{--interpreter}
25091 startup options. Defined interpreters include:
25092
25093 @table @code
25094 @item console
25095 @cindex console interpreter
25096 The traditional console or command-line interpreter. This is the most often
25097 used interpreter with @value{GDBN}. With no interpreter specified at runtime,
25098 @value{GDBN} will use this interpreter.
25099
25100 @item mi
25101 @cindex mi interpreter
25102 The newest @sc{gdb/mi} interface (currently @code{mi2}). Used primarily
25103 by programs wishing to use @value{GDBN} as a backend for a debugger GUI
25104 or an IDE. For more information, see @ref{GDB/MI, ,The @sc{gdb/mi}
25105 Interface}.
25106
25107 @item mi2
25108 @cindex mi2 interpreter
25109 The current @sc{gdb/mi} interface.
25110
25111 @item mi1
25112 @cindex mi1 interpreter
25113 The @sc{gdb/mi} interface included in @value{GDBN} 5.1, 5.2, and 5.3.
25114
25115 @end table
25116
25117 @cindex invoke another interpreter
25118 The interpreter being used by @value{GDBN} may not be dynamically
25119 switched at runtime. Although possible, this could lead to a very
25120 precarious situation. Consider an IDE using @sc{gdb/mi}. If a user
25121 enters the command "interpreter-set console" in a console view,
25122 @value{GDBN} would switch to using the console interpreter, rendering
25123 the IDE inoperable!
25124
25125 @kindex interpreter-exec
25126 Although you may only choose a single interpreter at startup, you may execute
25127 commands in any interpreter from the current interpreter using the appropriate
25128 command. If you are running the console interpreter, simply use the
25129 @code{interpreter-exec} command:
25130
25131 @smallexample
25132 interpreter-exec mi "-data-list-register-names"
25133 @end smallexample
25134
25135 @sc{gdb/mi} has a similar command, although it is only available in versions of
25136 @value{GDBN} which support @sc{gdb/mi} version 2 (or greater).
25137
25138 @node TUI
25139 @chapter @value{GDBN} Text User Interface
25140 @cindex TUI
25141 @cindex Text User Interface
25142
25143 @menu
25144 * TUI Overview:: TUI overview
25145 * TUI Keys:: TUI key bindings
25146 * TUI Single Key Mode:: TUI single key mode
25147 * TUI Commands:: TUI-specific commands
25148 * TUI Configuration:: TUI configuration variables
25149 @end menu
25150
25151 The @value{GDBN} Text User Interface (TUI) is a terminal
25152 interface which uses the @code{curses} library to show the source
25153 file, the assembly output, the program registers and @value{GDBN}
25154 commands in separate text windows. The TUI mode is supported only
25155 on platforms where a suitable version of the @code{curses} library
25156 is available.
25157
25158 The TUI mode is enabled by default when you invoke @value{GDBN} as
25159 @samp{@value{GDBP} -tui}.
25160 You can also switch in and out of TUI mode while @value{GDBN} runs by
25161 using various TUI commands and key bindings, such as @kbd{C-x C-a}.
25162 @xref{TUI Keys, ,TUI Key Bindings}.
25163
25164 @node TUI Overview
25165 @section TUI Overview
25166
25167 In TUI mode, @value{GDBN} can display several text windows:
25168
25169 @table @emph
25170 @item command
25171 This window is the @value{GDBN} command window with the @value{GDBN}
25172 prompt and the @value{GDBN} output. The @value{GDBN} input is still
25173 managed using readline.
25174
25175 @item source
25176 The source window shows the source file of the program. The current
25177 line and active breakpoints are displayed in this window.
25178
25179 @item assembly
25180 The assembly window shows the disassembly output of the program.
25181
25182 @item register
25183 This window shows the processor registers. Registers are highlighted
25184 when their values change.
25185 @end table
25186
25187 The source and assembly windows show the current program position
25188 by highlighting the current line and marking it with a @samp{>} marker.
25189 Breakpoints are indicated with two markers. The first marker
25190 indicates the breakpoint type:
25191
25192 @table @code
25193 @item B
25194 Breakpoint which was hit at least once.
25195
25196 @item b
25197 Breakpoint which was never hit.
25198
25199 @item H
25200 Hardware breakpoint which was hit at least once.
25201
25202 @item h
25203 Hardware breakpoint which was never hit.
25204 @end table
25205
25206 The second marker indicates whether the breakpoint is enabled or not:
25207
25208 @table @code
25209 @item +
25210 Breakpoint is enabled.
25211
25212 @item -
25213 Breakpoint is disabled.
25214 @end table
25215
25216 The source, assembly and register windows are updated when the current
25217 thread changes, when the frame changes, or when the program counter
25218 changes.
25219
25220 These windows are not all visible at the same time. The command
25221 window is always visible. The others can be arranged in several
25222 layouts:
25223
25224 @itemize @bullet
25225 @item
25226 source only,
25227
25228 @item
25229 assembly only,
25230
25231 @item
25232 source and assembly,
25233
25234 @item
25235 source and registers, or
25236
25237 @item
25238 assembly and registers.
25239 @end itemize
25240
25241 A status line above the command window shows the following information:
25242
25243 @table @emph
25244 @item target
25245 Indicates the current @value{GDBN} target.
25246 (@pxref{Targets, ,Specifying a Debugging Target}).
25247
25248 @item process
25249 Gives the current process or thread number.
25250 When no process is being debugged, this field is set to @code{No process}.
25251
25252 @item function
25253 Gives the current function name for the selected frame.
25254 The name is demangled if demangling is turned on (@pxref{Print Settings}).
25255 When there is no symbol corresponding to the current program counter,
25256 the string @code{??} is displayed.
25257
25258 @item line
25259 Indicates the current line number for the selected frame.
25260 When the current line number is not known, the string @code{??} is displayed.
25261
25262 @item pc
25263 Indicates the current program counter address.
25264 @end table
25265
25266 @node TUI Keys
25267 @section TUI Key Bindings
25268 @cindex TUI key bindings
25269
25270 The TUI installs several key bindings in the readline keymaps
25271 @ifset SYSTEM_READLINE
25272 (@pxref{Command Line Editing, , , rluserman, GNU Readline Library}).
25273 @end ifset
25274 @ifclear SYSTEM_READLINE
25275 (@pxref{Command Line Editing}).
25276 @end ifclear
25277 The following key bindings are installed for both TUI mode and the
25278 @value{GDBN} standard mode.
25279
25280 @table @kbd
25281 @kindex C-x C-a
25282 @item C-x C-a
25283 @kindex C-x a
25284 @itemx C-x a
25285 @kindex C-x A
25286 @itemx C-x A
25287 Enter or leave the TUI mode. When leaving the TUI mode,
25288 the curses window management stops and @value{GDBN} operates using
25289 its standard mode, writing on the terminal directly. When reentering
25290 the TUI mode, control is given back to the curses windows.
25291 The screen is then refreshed.
25292
25293 @kindex C-x 1
25294 @item C-x 1
25295 Use a TUI layout with only one window. The layout will
25296 either be @samp{source} or @samp{assembly}. When the TUI mode
25297 is not active, it will switch to the TUI mode.
25298
25299 Think of this key binding as the Emacs @kbd{C-x 1} binding.
25300
25301 @kindex C-x 2
25302 @item C-x 2
25303 Use a TUI layout with at least two windows. When the current
25304 layout already has two windows, the next layout with two windows is used.
25305 When a new layout is chosen, one window will always be common to the
25306 previous layout and the new one.
25307
25308 Think of it as the Emacs @kbd{C-x 2} binding.
25309
25310 @kindex C-x o
25311 @item C-x o
25312 Change the active window. The TUI associates several key bindings
25313 (like scrolling and arrow keys) with the active window. This command
25314 gives the focus to the next TUI window.
25315
25316 Think of it as the Emacs @kbd{C-x o} binding.
25317
25318 @kindex C-x s
25319 @item C-x s
25320 Switch in and out of the TUI SingleKey mode that binds single
25321 keys to @value{GDBN} commands (@pxref{TUI Single Key Mode}).
25322 @end table
25323
25324 The following key bindings only work in the TUI mode:
25325
25326 @table @asis
25327 @kindex PgUp
25328 @item @key{PgUp}
25329 Scroll the active window one page up.
25330
25331 @kindex PgDn
25332 @item @key{PgDn}
25333 Scroll the active window one page down.
25334
25335 @kindex Up
25336 @item @key{Up}
25337 Scroll the active window one line up.
25338
25339 @kindex Down
25340 @item @key{Down}
25341 Scroll the active window one line down.
25342
25343 @kindex Left
25344 @item @key{Left}
25345 Scroll the active window one column left.
25346
25347 @kindex Right
25348 @item @key{Right}
25349 Scroll the active window one column right.
25350
25351 @kindex C-L
25352 @item @kbd{C-L}
25353 Refresh the screen.
25354 @end table
25355
25356 Because the arrow keys scroll the active window in the TUI mode, they
25357 are not available for their normal use by readline unless the command
25358 window has the focus. When another window is active, you must use
25359 other readline key bindings such as @kbd{C-p}, @kbd{C-n}, @kbd{C-b}
25360 and @kbd{C-f} to control the command window.
25361
25362 @node TUI Single Key Mode
25363 @section TUI Single Key Mode
25364 @cindex TUI single key mode
25365
25366 The TUI also provides a @dfn{SingleKey} mode, which binds several
25367 frequently used @value{GDBN} commands to single keys. Type @kbd{C-x s} to
25368 switch into this mode, where the following key bindings are used:
25369
25370 @table @kbd
25371 @kindex c @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
25372 @item c
25373 continue
25374
25375 @kindex d @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
25376 @item d
25377 down
25378
25379 @kindex f @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
25380 @item f
25381 finish
25382
25383 @kindex n @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
25384 @item n
25385 next
25386
25387 @kindex q @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
25388 @item q
25389 exit the SingleKey mode.
25390
25391 @kindex r @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
25392 @item r
25393 run
25394
25395 @kindex s @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
25396 @item s
25397 step
25398
25399 @kindex u @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
25400 @item u
25401 up
25402
25403 @kindex v @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
25404 @item v
25405 info locals
25406
25407 @kindex w @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
25408 @item w
25409 where
25410 @end table
25411
25412 Other keys temporarily switch to the @value{GDBN} command prompt.
25413 The key that was pressed is inserted in the editing buffer so that
25414 it is possible to type most @value{GDBN} commands without interaction
25415 with the TUI SingleKey mode. Once the command is entered the TUI
25416 SingleKey mode is restored. The only way to permanently leave
25417 this mode is by typing @kbd{q} or @kbd{C-x s}.
25418
25419
25420 @node TUI Commands
25421 @section TUI-specific Commands
25422 @cindex TUI commands
25423
25424 The TUI has specific commands to control the text windows.
25425 These commands are always available, even when @value{GDBN} is not in
25426 the TUI mode. When @value{GDBN} is in the standard mode, most
25427 of these commands will automatically switch to the TUI mode.
25428
25429 Note that if @value{GDBN}'s @code{stdout} is not connected to a
25430 terminal, or @value{GDBN} has been started with the machine interface
25431 interpreter (@pxref{GDB/MI, ,The @sc{gdb/mi} Interface}), most of
25432 these commands will fail with an error, because it would not be
25433 possible or desirable to enable curses window management.
25434
25435 @table @code
25436 @item info win
25437 @kindex info win
25438 List and give the size of all displayed windows.
25439
25440 @item layout next
25441 @kindex layout
25442 Display the next layout.
25443
25444 @item layout prev
25445 Display the previous layout.
25446
25447 @item layout src
25448 Display the source window only.
25449
25450 @item layout asm
25451 Display the assembly window only.
25452
25453 @item layout split
25454 Display the source and assembly window.
25455
25456 @item layout regs
25457 Display the register window together with the source or assembly window.
25458
25459 @item focus next
25460 @kindex focus
25461 Make the next window active for scrolling.
25462
25463 @item focus prev
25464 Make the previous window active for scrolling.
25465
25466 @item focus src
25467 Make the source window active for scrolling.
25468
25469 @item focus asm
25470 Make the assembly window active for scrolling.
25471
25472 @item focus regs
25473 Make the register window active for scrolling.
25474
25475 @item focus cmd
25476 Make the command window active for scrolling.
25477
25478 @item refresh
25479 @kindex refresh
25480 Refresh the screen. This is similar to typing @kbd{C-L}.
25481
25482 @item tui reg float
25483 @kindex tui reg
25484 Show the floating point registers in the register window.
25485
25486 @item tui reg general
25487 Show the general registers in the register window.
25488
25489 @item tui reg next
25490 Show the next register group. The list of register groups as well as
25491 their order is target specific. The predefined register groups are the
25492 following: @code{general}, @code{float}, @code{system}, @code{vector},
25493 @code{all}, @code{save}, @code{restore}.
25494
25495 @item tui reg system
25496 Show the system registers in the register window.
25497
25498 @item update
25499 @kindex update
25500 Update the source window and the current execution point.
25501
25502 @item winheight @var{name} +@var{count}
25503 @itemx winheight @var{name} -@var{count}
25504 @kindex winheight
25505 Change the height of the window @var{name} by @var{count}
25506 lines. Positive counts increase the height, while negative counts
25507 decrease it.
25508
25509 @item tabset @var{nchars}
25510 @kindex tabset
25511 Set the width of tab stops to be @var{nchars} characters.
25512 @end table
25513
25514 @node TUI Configuration
25515 @section TUI Configuration Variables
25516 @cindex TUI configuration variables
25517
25518 Several configuration variables control the appearance of TUI windows.
25519
25520 @table @code
25521 @item set tui border-kind @var{kind}
25522 @kindex set tui border-kind
25523 Select the border appearance for the source, assembly and register windows.
25524 The possible values are the following:
25525 @table @code
25526 @item space
25527 Use a space character to draw the border.
25528
25529 @item ascii
25530 Use @sc{ascii} characters @samp{+}, @samp{-} and @samp{|} to draw the border.
25531
25532 @item acs
25533 Use the Alternate Character Set to draw the border. The border is
25534 drawn using character line graphics if the terminal supports them.
25535 @end table
25536
25537 @item set tui border-mode @var{mode}
25538 @kindex set tui border-mode
25539 @itemx set tui active-border-mode @var{mode}
25540 @kindex set tui active-border-mode
25541 Select the display attributes for the borders of the inactive windows
25542 or the active window. The @var{mode} can be one of the following:
25543 @table @code
25544 @item normal
25545 Use normal attributes to display the border.
25546
25547 @item standout
25548 Use standout mode.
25549
25550 @item reverse
25551 Use reverse video mode.
25552
25553 @item half
25554 Use half bright mode.
25555
25556 @item half-standout
25557 Use half bright and standout mode.
25558
25559 @item bold
25560 Use extra bright or bold mode.
25561
25562 @item bold-standout
25563 Use extra bright or bold and standout mode.
25564 @end table
25565 @end table
25566
25567 @node Emacs
25568 @chapter Using @value{GDBN} under @sc{gnu} Emacs
25569
25570 @cindex Emacs
25571 @cindex @sc{gnu} Emacs
25572 A special interface allows you to use @sc{gnu} Emacs to view (and
25573 edit) the source files for the program you are debugging with
25574 @value{GDBN}.
25575
25576 To use this interface, use the command @kbd{M-x gdb} in Emacs. Give the
25577 executable file you want to debug as an argument. This command starts
25578 @value{GDBN} as a subprocess of Emacs, with input and output through a newly
25579 created Emacs buffer.
25580 @c (Do not use the @code{-tui} option to run @value{GDBN} from Emacs.)
25581
25582 Running @value{GDBN} under Emacs can be just like running @value{GDBN} normally except for two
25583 things:
25584
25585 @itemize @bullet
25586 @item
25587 All ``terminal'' input and output goes through an Emacs buffer, called
25588 the GUD buffer.
25589
25590 This applies both to @value{GDBN} commands and their output, and to the input
25591 and output done by the program you are debugging.
25592
25593 This is useful because it means that you can copy the text of previous
25594 commands and input them again; you can even use parts of the output
25595 in this way.
25596
25597 All the facilities of Emacs' Shell mode are available for interacting
25598 with your program. In particular, you can send signals the usual
25599 way---for example, @kbd{C-c C-c} for an interrupt, @kbd{C-c C-z} for a
25600 stop.
25601
25602 @item
25603 @value{GDBN} displays source code through Emacs.
25604
25605 Each time @value{GDBN} displays a stack frame, Emacs automatically finds the
25606 source file for that frame and puts an arrow (@samp{=>}) at the
25607 left margin of the current line. Emacs uses a separate buffer for
25608 source display, and splits the screen to show both your @value{GDBN} session
25609 and the source.
25610
25611 Explicit @value{GDBN} @code{list} or search commands still produce output as
25612 usual, but you probably have no reason to use them from Emacs.
25613 @end itemize
25614
25615 We call this @dfn{text command mode}. Emacs 22.1, and later, also uses
25616 a graphical mode, enabled by default, which provides further buffers
25617 that can control the execution and describe the state of your program.
25618 @xref{GDB Graphical Interface,,, Emacs, The @sc{gnu} Emacs Manual}.
25619
25620 If you specify an absolute file name when prompted for the @kbd{M-x
25621 gdb} argument, then Emacs sets your current working directory to where
25622 your program resides. If you only specify the file name, then Emacs
25623 sets your current working directory to the directory associated
25624 with the previous buffer. In this case, @value{GDBN} may find your
25625 program by searching your environment's @code{PATH} variable, but on
25626 some operating systems it might not find the source. So, although the
25627 @value{GDBN} input and output session proceeds normally, the auxiliary
25628 buffer does not display the current source and line of execution.
25629
25630 The initial working directory of @value{GDBN} is printed on the top
25631 line of the GUD buffer and this serves as a default for the commands
25632 that specify files for @value{GDBN} to operate on. @xref{Files,
25633 ,Commands to Specify Files}.
25634
25635 By default, @kbd{M-x gdb} calls the program called @file{gdb}. If you
25636 need to call @value{GDBN} by a different name (for example, if you
25637 keep several configurations around, with different names) you can
25638 customize the Emacs variable @code{gud-gdb-command-name} to run the
25639 one you want.
25640
25641 In the GUD buffer, you can use these special Emacs commands in
25642 addition to the standard Shell mode commands:
25643
25644 @table @kbd
25645 @item C-h m
25646 Describe the features of Emacs' GUD Mode.
25647
25648 @item C-c C-s
25649 Execute to another source line, like the @value{GDBN} @code{step} command; also
25650 update the display window to show the current file and location.
25651
25652 @item C-c C-n
25653 Execute to next source line in this function, skipping all function
25654 calls, like the @value{GDBN} @code{next} command. Then update the display window
25655 to show the current file and location.
25656
25657 @item C-c C-i
25658 Execute one instruction, like the @value{GDBN} @code{stepi} command; update
25659 display window accordingly.
25660
25661 @item C-c C-f
25662 Execute until exit from the selected stack frame, like the @value{GDBN}
25663 @code{finish} command.
25664
25665 @item C-c C-r
25666 Continue execution of your program, like the @value{GDBN} @code{continue}
25667 command.
25668
25669 @item C-c <
25670 Go up the number of frames indicated by the numeric argument
25671 (@pxref{Arguments, , Numeric Arguments, Emacs, The @sc{gnu} Emacs Manual}),
25672 like the @value{GDBN} @code{up} command.
25673
25674 @item C-c >
25675 Go down the number of frames indicated by the numeric argument, like the
25676 @value{GDBN} @code{down} command.
25677 @end table
25678
25679 In any source file, the Emacs command @kbd{C-x @key{SPC}} (@code{gud-break})
25680 tells @value{GDBN} to set a breakpoint on the source line point is on.
25681
25682 In text command mode, if you type @kbd{M-x speedbar}, Emacs displays a
25683 separate frame which shows a backtrace when the GUD buffer is current.
25684 Move point to any frame in the stack and type @key{RET} to make it
25685 become the current frame and display the associated source in the
25686 source buffer. Alternatively, click @kbd{Mouse-2} to make the
25687 selected frame become the current one. In graphical mode, the
25688 speedbar displays watch expressions.
25689
25690 If you accidentally delete the source-display buffer, an easy way to get
25691 it back is to type the command @code{f} in the @value{GDBN} buffer, to
25692 request a frame display; when you run under Emacs, this recreates
25693 the source buffer if necessary to show you the context of the current
25694 frame.
25695
25696 The source files displayed in Emacs are in ordinary Emacs buffers
25697 which are visiting the source files in the usual way. You can edit
25698 the files with these buffers if you wish; but keep in mind that @value{GDBN}
25699 communicates with Emacs in terms of line numbers. If you add or
25700 delete lines from the text, the line numbers that @value{GDBN} knows cease
25701 to correspond properly with the code.
25702
25703 A more detailed description of Emacs' interaction with @value{GDBN} is
25704 given in the Emacs manual (@pxref{Debuggers,,, Emacs, The @sc{gnu}
25705 Emacs Manual}).
25706
25707 @c The following dropped because Epoch is nonstandard. Reactivate
25708 @c if/when v19 does something similar. ---doc@cygnus.com 19dec1990
25709 @ignore
25710 @kindex Emacs Epoch environment
25711 @kindex Epoch
25712 @kindex inspect
25713
25714 Version 18 of @sc{gnu} Emacs has a built-in window system
25715 called the @code{epoch}
25716 environment. Users of this environment can use a new command,
25717 @code{inspect} which performs identically to @code{print} except that
25718 each value is printed in its own window.
25719 @end ignore
25720
25721
25722 @node GDB/MI
25723 @chapter The @sc{gdb/mi} Interface
25724
25725 @unnumberedsec Function and Purpose
25726
25727 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, its purpose
25728 @sc{gdb/mi} is a line based machine oriented text interface to
25729 @value{GDBN} and is activated by specifying using the
25730 @option{--interpreter} command line option (@pxref{Mode Options}). It
25731 is specifically intended to support the development of systems which
25732 use the debugger as just one small component of a larger system.
25733
25734 This chapter is a specification of the @sc{gdb/mi} interface. It is written
25735 in the form of a reference manual.
25736
25737 Note that @sc{gdb/mi} is still under construction, so some of the
25738 features described below are incomplete and subject to change
25739 (@pxref{GDB/MI Development and Front Ends, , @sc{gdb/mi} Development and Front Ends}).
25740
25741 @unnumberedsec Notation and Terminology
25742
25743 @cindex notational conventions, for @sc{gdb/mi}
25744 This chapter uses the following notation:
25745
25746 @itemize @bullet
25747 @item
25748 @code{|} separates two alternatives.
25749
25750 @item
25751 @code{[ @var{something} ]} indicates that @var{something} is optional:
25752 it may or may not be given.
25753
25754 @item
25755 @code{( @var{group} )*} means that @var{group} inside the parentheses
25756 may repeat zero or more times.
25757
25758 @item
25759 @code{( @var{group} )+} means that @var{group} inside the parentheses
25760 may repeat one or more times.
25761
25762 @item
25763 @code{"@var{string}"} means a literal @var{string}.
25764 @end itemize
25765
25766 @ignore
25767 @heading Dependencies
25768 @end ignore
25769
25770 @menu
25771 * GDB/MI General Design::
25772 * GDB/MI Command Syntax::
25773 * GDB/MI Compatibility with CLI::
25774 * GDB/MI Development and Front Ends::
25775 * GDB/MI Output Records::
25776 * GDB/MI Simple Examples::
25777 * GDB/MI Command Description Format::
25778 * GDB/MI Breakpoint Commands::
25779 * GDB/MI Program Context::
25780 * GDB/MI Thread Commands::
25781 * GDB/MI Ada Tasking Commands::
25782 * GDB/MI Program Execution::
25783 * GDB/MI Stack Manipulation::
25784 * GDB/MI Variable Objects::
25785 * GDB/MI Data Manipulation::
25786 * GDB/MI Tracepoint Commands::
25787 * GDB/MI Symbol Query::
25788 * GDB/MI File Commands::
25789 @ignore
25790 * GDB/MI Kod Commands::
25791 * GDB/MI Memory Overlay Commands::
25792 * GDB/MI Signal Handling Commands::
25793 @end ignore
25794 * GDB/MI Target Manipulation::
25795 * GDB/MI File Transfer Commands::
25796 * GDB/MI Miscellaneous Commands::
25797 @end menu
25798
25799 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
25800 @node GDB/MI General Design
25801 @section @sc{gdb/mi} General Design
25802 @cindex GDB/MI General Design
25803
25804 Interaction of a @sc{GDB/MI} frontend with @value{GDBN} involves three
25805 parts---commands sent to @value{GDBN}, responses to those commands
25806 and notifications. Each command results in exactly one response,
25807 indicating either successful completion of the command, or an error.
25808 For the commands that do not resume the target, the response contains the
25809 requested information. For the commands that resume the target, the
25810 response only indicates whether the target was successfully resumed.
25811 Notifications is the mechanism for reporting changes in the state of the
25812 target, or in @value{GDBN} state, that cannot conveniently be associated with
25813 a command and reported as part of that command response.
25814
25815 The important examples of notifications are:
25816 @itemize @bullet
25817
25818 @item
25819 Exec notifications. These are used to report changes in
25820 target state---when a target is resumed, or stopped. It would not
25821 be feasible to include this information in response of resuming
25822 commands, because one resume commands can result in multiple events in
25823 different threads. Also, quite some time may pass before any event
25824 happens in the target, while a frontend needs to know whether the resuming
25825 command itself was successfully executed.
25826
25827 @item
25828 Console output, and status notifications. Console output
25829 notifications are used to report output of CLI commands, as well as
25830 diagnostics for other commands. Status notifications are used to
25831 report the progress of a long-running operation. Naturally, including
25832 this information in command response would mean no output is produced
25833 until the command is finished, which is undesirable.
25834
25835 @item
25836 General notifications. Commands may have various side effects on
25837 the @value{GDBN} or target state beyond their official purpose. For example,
25838 a command may change the selected thread. Although such changes can
25839 be included in command response, using notification allows for more
25840 orthogonal frontend design.
25841
25842 @end itemize
25843
25844 There's no guarantee that whenever an MI command reports an error,
25845 @value{GDBN} or the target are in any specific state, and especially,
25846 the state is not reverted to the state before the MI command was
25847 processed. Therefore, whenever an MI command results in an error,
25848 we recommend that the frontend refreshes all the information shown in
25849 the user interface.
25850
25851
25852 @menu
25853 * Context management::
25854 * Asynchronous and non-stop modes::
25855 * Thread groups::
25856 @end menu
25857
25858 @node Context management
25859 @subsection Context management
25860
25861 In most cases when @value{GDBN} accesses the target, this access is
25862 done in context of a specific thread and frame (@pxref{Frames}).
25863 Often, even when accessing global data, the target requires that a thread
25864 be specified. The CLI interface maintains the selected thread and frame,
25865 and supplies them to target on each command. This is convenient,
25866 because a command line user would not want to specify that information
25867 explicitly on each command, and because user interacts with
25868 @value{GDBN} via a single terminal, so no confusion is possible as
25869 to what thread and frame are the current ones.
25870
25871 In the case of MI, the concept of selected thread and frame is less
25872 useful. First, a frontend can easily remember this information
25873 itself. Second, a graphical frontend can have more than one window,
25874 each one used for debugging a different thread, and the frontend might
25875 want to access additional threads for internal purposes. This
25876 increases the risk that by relying on implicitly selected thread, the
25877 frontend may be operating on a wrong one. Therefore, each MI command
25878 should explicitly specify which thread and frame to operate on. To
25879 make it possible, each MI command accepts the @samp{--thread} and
25880 @samp{--frame} options, the value to each is @value{GDBN} identifier
25881 for thread and frame to operate on.
25882
25883 Usually, each top-level window in a frontend allows the user to select
25884 a thread and a frame, and remembers the user selection for further
25885 operations. However, in some cases @value{GDBN} may suggest that the
25886 current thread be changed. For example, when stopping on a breakpoint
25887 it is reasonable to switch to the thread where breakpoint is hit. For
25888 another example, if the user issues the CLI @samp{thread} command via
25889 the frontend, it is desirable to change the frontend's selected thread to the
25890 one specified by user. @value{GDBN} communicates the suggestion to
25891 change current thread using the @samp{=thread-selected} notification.
25892 No such notification is available for the selected frame at the moment.
25893
25894 Note that historically, MI shares the selected thread with CLI, so
25895 frontends used the @code{-thread-select} to execute commands in the
25896 right context. However, getting this to work right is cumbersome. The
25897 simplest way is for frontend to emit @code{-thread-select} command
25898 before every command. This doubles the number of commands that need
25899 to be sent. The alternative approach is to suppress @code{-thread-select}
25900 if the selected thread in @value{GDBN} is supposed to be identical to the
25901 thread the frontend wants to operate on. However, getting this
25902 optimization right can be tricky. In particular, if the frontend
25903 sends several commands to @value{GDBN}, and one of the commands changes the
25904 selected thread, then the behaviour of subsequent commands will
25905 change. So, a frontend should either wait for response from such
25906 problematic commands, or explicitly add @code{-thread-select} for
25907 all subsequent commands. No frontend is known to do this exactly
25908 right, so it is suggested to just always pass the @samp{--thread} and
25909 @samp{--frame} options.
25910
25911 @node Asynchronous and non-stop modes
25912 @subsection Asynchronous command execution and non-stop mode
25913
25914 On some targets, @value{GDBN} is capable of processing MI commands
25915 even while the target is running. This is called @dfn{asynchronous
25916 command execution} (@pxref{Background Execution}). The frontend may
25917 specify a preferrence for asynchronous execution using the
25918 @code{-gdb-set target-async 1} command, which should be emitted before
25919 either running the executable or attaching to the target. After the
25920 frontend has started the executable or attached to the target, it can
25921 find if asynchronous execution is enabled using the
25922 @code{-list-target-features} command.
25923
25924 Even if @value{GDBN} can accept a command while target is running,
25925 many commands that access the target do not work when the target is
25926 running. Therefore, asynchronous command execution is most useful
25927 when combined with non-stop mode (@pxref{Non-Stop Mode}). Then,
25928 it is possible to examine the state of one thread, while other threads
25929 are running.
25930
25931 When a given thread is running, MI commands that try to access the
25932 target in the context of that thread may not work, or may work only on
25933 some targets. In particular, commands that try to operate on thread's
25934 stack will not work, on any target. Commands that read memory, or
25935 modify breakpoints, may work or not work, depending on the target. Note
25936 that even commands that operate on global state, such as @code{print},
25937 @code{set}, and breakpoint commands, still access the target in the
25938 context of a specific thread, so frontend should try to find a
25939 stopped thread and perform the operation on that thread (using the
25940 @samp{--thread} option).
25941
25942 Which commands will work in the context of a running thread is
25943 highly target dependent. However, the two commands
25944 @code{-exec-interrupt}, to stop a thread, and @code{-thread-info},
25945 to find the state of a thread, will always work.
25946
25947 @node Thread groups
25948 @subsection Thread groups
25949 @value{GDBN} may be used to debug several processes at the same time.
25950 On some platfroms, @value{GDBN} may support debugging of several
25951 hardware systems, each one having several cores with several different
25952 processes running on each core. This section describes the MI
25953 mechanism to support such debugging scenarios.
25954
25955 The key observation is that regardless of the structure of the
25956 target, MI can have a global list of threads, because most commands that
25957 accept the @samp{--thread} option do not need to know what process that
25958 thread belongs to. Therefore, it is not necessary to introduce
25959 neither additional @samp{--process} option, nor an notion of the
25960 current process in the MI interface. The only strictly new feature
25961 that is required is the ability to find how the threads are grouped
25962 into processes.
25963
25964 To allow the user to discover such grouping, and to support arbitrary
25965 hierarchy of machines/cores/processes, MI introduces the concept of a
25966 @dfn{thread group}. Thread group is a collection of threads and other
25967 thread groups. A thread group always has a string identifier, a type,
25968 and may have additional attributes specific to the type. A new
25969 command, @code{-list-thread-groups}, returns the list of top-level
25970 thread groups, which correspond to processes that @value{GDBN} is
25971 debugging at the moment. By passing an identifier of a thread group
25972 to the @code{-list-thread-groups} command, it is possible to obtain
25973 the members of specific thread group.
25974
25975 To allow the user to easily discover processes, and other objects, he
25976 wishes to debug, a concept of @dfn{available thread group} is
25977 introduced. Available thread group is an thread group that
25978 @value{GDBN} is not debugging, but that can be attached to, using the
25979 @code{-target-attach} command. The list of available top-level thread
25980 groups can be obtained using @samp{-list-thread-groups --available}.
25981 In general, the content of a thread group may be only retrieved only
25982 after attaching to that thread group.
25983
25984 Thread groups are related to inferiors (@pxref{Inferiors and
25985 Programs}). Each inferior corresponds to a thread group of a special
25986 type @samp{process}, and some additional operations are permitted on
25987 such thread groups.
25988
25989 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
25990 @node GDB/MI Command Syntax
25991 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Command Syntax
25992
25993 @menu
25994 * GDB/MI Input Syntax::
25995 * GDB/MI Output Syntax::
25996 @end menu
25997
25998 @node GDB/MI Input Syntax
25999 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Input Syntax
26000
26001 @cindex input syntax for @sc{gdb/mi}
26002 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, input syntax
26003 @table @code
26004 @item @var{command} @expansion{}
26005 @code{@var{cli-command} | @var{mi-command}}
26006
26007 @item @var{cli-command} @expansion{}
26008 @code{[ @var{token} ] @var{cli-command} @var{nl}}, where
26009 @var{cli-command} is any existing @value{GDBN} CLI command.
26010
26011 @item @var{mi-command} @expansion{}
26012 @code{[ @var{token} ] "-" @var{operation} ( " " @var{option} )*
26013 @code{[} " --" @code{]} ( " " @var{parameter} )* @var{nl}}
26014
26015 @item @var{token} @expansion{}
26016 "any sequence of digits"
26017
26018 @item @var{option} @expansion{}
26019 @code{"-" @var{parameter} [ " " @var{parameter} ]}
26020
26021 @item @var{parameter} @expansion{}
26022 @code{@var{non-blank-sequence} | @var{c-string}}
26023
26024 @item @var{operation} @expansion{}
26025 @emph{any of the operations described in this chapter}
26026
26027 @item @var{non-blank-sequence} @expansion{}
26028 @emph{anything, provided it doesn't contain special characters such as
26029 "-", @var{nl}, """ and of course " "}
26030
26031 @item @var{c-string} @expansion{}
26032 @code{""" @var{seven-bit-iso-c-string-content} """}
26033
26034 @item @var{nl} @expansion{}
26035 @code{CR | CR-LF}
26036 @end table
26037
26038 @noindent
26039 Notes:
26040
26041 @itemize @bullet
26042 @item
26043 The CLI commands are still handled by the @sc{mi} interpreter; their
26044 output is described below.
26045
26046 @item
26047 The @code{@var{token}}, when present, is passed back when the command
26048 finishes.
26049
26050 @item
26051 Some @sc{mi} commands accept optional arguments as part of the parameter
26052 list. Each option is identified by a leading @samp{-} (dash) and may be
26053 followed by an optional argument parameter. Options occur first in the
26054 parameter list and can be delimited from normal parameters using
26055 @samp{--} (this is useful when some parameters begin with a dash).
26056 @end itemize
26057
26058 Pragmatics:
26059
26060 @itemize @bullet
26061 @item
26062 We want easy access to the existing CLI syntax (for debugging).
26063
26064 @item
26065 We want it to be easy to spot a @sc{mi} operation.
26066 @end itemize
26067
26068 @node GDB/MI Output Syntax
26069 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Output Syntax
26070
26071 @cindex output syntax of @sc{gdb/mi}
26072 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, output syntax
26073 The output from @sc{gdb/mi} consists of zero or more out-of-band records
26074 followed, optionally, by a single result record. This result record
26075 is for the most recent command. The sequence of output records is
26076 terminated by @samp{(gdb)}.
26077
26078 If an input command was prefixed with a @code{@var{token}} then the
26079 corresponding output for that command will also be prefixed by that same
26080 @var{token}.
26081
26082 @table @code
26083 @item @var{output} @expansion{}
26084 @code{( @var{out-of-band-record} )* [ @var{result-record} ] "(gdb)" @var{nl}}
26085
26086 @item @var{result-record} @expansion{}
26087 @code{ [ @var{token} ] "^" @var{result-class} ( "," @var{result} )* @var{nl}}
26088
26089 @item @var{out-of-band-record} @expansion{}
26090 @code{@var{async-record} | @var{stream-record}}
26091
26092 @item @var{async-record} @expansion{}
26093 @code{@var{exec-async-output} | @var{status-async-output} | @var{notify-async-output}}
26094
26095 @item @var{exec-async-output} @expansion{}
26096 @code{[ @var{token} ] "*" @var{async-output}}
26097
26098 @item @var{status-async-output} @expansion{}
26099 @code{[ @var{token} ] "+" @var{async-output}}
26100
26101 @item @var{notify-async-output} @expansion{}
26102 @code{[ @var{token} ] "=" @var{async-output}}
26103
26104 @item @var{async-output} @expansion{}
26105 @code{@var{async-class} ( "," @var{result} )* @var{nl}}
26106
26107 @item @var{result-class} @expansion{}
26108 @code{"done" | "running" | "connected" | "error" | "exit"}
26109
26110 @item @var{async-class} @expansion{}
26111 @code{"stopped" | @var{others}} (where @var{others} will be added
26112 depending on the needs---this is still in development).
26113
26114 @item @var{result} @expansion{}
26115 @code{ @var{variable} "=" @var{value}}
26116
26117 @item @var{variable} @expansion{}
26118 @code{ @var{string} }
26119
26120 @item @var{value} @expansion{}
26121 @code{ @var{const} | @var{tuple} | @var{list} }
26122
26123 @item @var{const} @expansion{}
26124 @code{@var{c-string}}
26125
26126 @item @var{tuple} @expansion{}
26127 @code{ "@{@}" | "@{" @var{result} ( "," @var{result} )* "@}" }
26128
26129 @item @var{list} @expansion{}
26130 @code{ "[]" | "[" @var{value} ( "," @var{value} )* "]" | "["
26131 @var{result} ( "," @var{result} )* "]" }
26132
26133 @item @var{stream-record} @expansion{}
26134 @code{@var{console-stream-output} | @var{target-stream-output} | @var{log-stream-output}}
26135
26136 @item @var{console-stream-output} @expansion{}
26137 @code{"~" @var{c-string}}
26138
26139 @item @var{target-stream-output} @expansion{}
26140 @code{"@@" @var{c-string}}
26141
26142 @item @var{log-stream-output} @expansion{}
26143 @code{"&" @var{c-string}}
26144
26145 @item @var{nl} @expansion{}
26146 @code{CR | CR-LF}
26147
26148 @item @var{token} @expansion{}
26149 @emph{any sequence of digits}.
26150 @end table
26151
26152 @noindent
26153 Notes:
26154
26155 @itemize @bullet
26156 @item
26157 All output sequences end in a single line containing a period.
26158
26159 @item
26160 The @code{@var{token}} is from the corresponding request. Note that
26161 for all async output, while the token is allowed by the grammar and
26162 may be output by future versions of @value{GDBN} for select async
26163 output messages, it is generally omitted. Frontends should treat
26164 all async output as reporting general changes in the state of the
26165 target and there should be no need to associate async output to any
26166 prior command.
26167
26168 @item
26169 @cindex status output in @sc{gdb/mi}
26170 @var{status-async-output} contains on-going status information about the
26171 progress of a slow operation. It can be discarded. All status output is
26172 prefixed by @samp{+}.
26173
26174 @item
26175 @cindex async output in @sc{gdb/mi}
26176 @var{exec-async-output} contains asynchronous state change on the target
26177 (stopped, started, disappeared). All async output is prefixed by
26178 @samp{*}.
26179
26180 @item
26181 @cindex notify output in @sc{gdb/mi}
26182 @var{notify-async-output} contains supplementary information that the
26183 client should handle (e.g., a new breakpoint information). All notify
26184 output is prefixed by @samp{=}.
26185
26186 @item
26187 @cindex console output in @sc{gdb/mi}
26188 @var{console-stream-output} is output that should be displayed as is in the
26189 console. It is the textual response to a CLI command. All the console
26190 output is prefixed by @samp{~}.
26191
26192 @item
26193 @cindex target output in @sc{gdb/mi}
26194 @var{target-stream-output} is the output produced by the target program.
26195 All the target output is prefixed by @samp{@@}.
26196
26197 @item
26198 @cindex log output in @sc{gdb/mi}
26199 @var{log-stream-output} is output text coming from @value{GDBN}'s internals, for
26200 instance messages that should be displayed as part of an error log. All
26201 the log output is prefixed by @samp{&}.
26202
26203 @item
26204 @cindex list output in @sc{gdb/mi}
26205 New @sc{gdb/mi} commands should only output @var{lists} containing
26206 @var{values}.
26207
26208
26209 @end itemize
26210
26211 @xref{GDB/MI Stream Records, , @sc{gdb/mi} Stream Records}, for more
26212 details about the various output records.
26213
26214 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
26215 @node GDB/MI Compatibility with CLI
26216 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Compatibility with CLI
26217
26218 @cindex compatibility, @sc{gdb/mi} and CLI
26219 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, compatibility with CLI
26220
26221 For the developers convenience CLI commands can be entered directly,
26222 but there may be some unexpected behaviour. For example, commands
26223 that query the user will behave as if the user replied yes, breakpoint
26224 command lists are not executed and some CLI commands, such as
26225 @code{if}, @code{when} and @code{define}, prompt for further input with
26226 @samp{>}, which is not valid MI output.
26227
26228 This feature may be removed at some stage in the future and it is
26229 recommended that front ends use the @code{-interpreter-exec} command
26230 (@pxref{-interpreter-exec}).
26231
26232 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
26233 @node GDB/MI Development and Front Ends
26234 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Development and Front Ends
26235 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi} development
26236
26237 The application which takes the MI output and presents the state of the
26238 program being debugged to the user is called a @dfn{front end}.
26239
26240 Although @sc{gdb/mi} is still incomplete, it is currently being used
26241 by a variety of front ends to @value{GDBN}. This makes it difficult
26242 to introduce new functionality without breaking existing usage. This
26243 section tries to minimize the problems by describing how the protocol
26244 might change.
26245
26246 Some changes in MI need not break a carefully designed front end, and
26247 for these the MI version will remain unchanged. The following is a
26248 list of changes that may occur within one level, so front ends should
26249 parse MI output in a way that can handle them:
26250
26251 @itemize @bullet
26252 @item
26253 New MI commands may be added.
26254
26255 @item
26256 New fields may be added to the output of any MI command.
26257
26258 @item
26259 The range of values for fields with specified values, e.g.,
26260 @code{in_scope} (@pxref{-var-update}) may be extended.
26261
26262 @c The format of field's content e.g type prefix, may change so parse it
26263 @c at your own risk. Yes, in general?
26264
26265 @c The order of fields may change? Shouldn't really matter but it might
26266 @c resolve inconsistencies.
26267 @end itemize
26268
26269 If the changes are likely to break front ends, the MI version level
26270 will be increased by one. This will allow the front end to parse the
26271 output according to the MI version. Apart from mi0, new versions of
26272 @value{GDBN} will not support old versions of MI and it will be the
26273 responsibility of the front end to work with the new one.
26274
26275 @c Starting with mi3, add a new command -mi-version that prints the MI
26276 @c version?
26277
26278 The best way to avoid unexpected changes in MI that might break your front
26279 end is to make your project known to @value{GDBN} developers and
26280 follow development on @email{gdb@@sourceware.org} and
26281 @email{gdb-patches@@sourceware.org}.
26282 @cindex mailing lists
26283
26284 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
26285 @node GDB/MI Output Records
26286 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Output Records
26287
26288 @menu
26289 * GDB/MI Result Records::
26290 * GDB/MI Stream Records::
26291 * GDB/MI Async Records::
26292 * GDB/MI Frame Information::
26293 * GDB/MI Thread Information::
26294 * GDB/MI Ada Exception Information::
26295 @end menu
26296
26297 @node GDB/MI Result Records
26298 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Result Records
26299
26300 @cindex result records in @sc{gdb/mi}
26301 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, result records
26302 In addition to a number of out-of-band notifications, the response to a
26303 @sc{gdb/mi} command includes one of the following result indications:
26304
26305 @table @code
26306 @findex ^done
26307 @item "^done" [ "," @var{results} ]
26308 The synchronous operation was successful, @code{@var{results}} are the return
26309 values.
26310
26311 @item "^running"
26312 @findex ^running
26313 This result record is equivalent to @samp{^done}. Historically, it
26314 was output instead of @samp{^done} if the command has resumed the
26315 target. This behaviour is maintained for backward compatibility, but
26316 all frontends should treat @samp{^done} and @samp{^running}
26317 identically and rely on the @samp{*running} output record to determine
26318 which threads are resumed.
26319
26320 @item "^connected"
26321 @findex ^connected
26322 @value{GDBN} has connected to a remote target.
26323
26324 @item "^error" "," @var{c-string}
26325 @findex ^error
26326 The operation failed. The @code{@var{c-string}} contains the corresponding
26327 error message.
26328
26329 @item "^exit"
26330 @findex ^exit
26331 @value{GDBN} has terminated.
26332
26333 @end table
26334
26335 @node GDB/MI Stream Records
26336 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Stream Records
26337
26338 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, stream records
26339 @cindex stream records in @sc{gdb/mi}
26340 @value{GDBN} internally maintains a number of output streams: the console, the
26341 target, and the log. The output intended for each of these streams is
26342 funneled through the @sc{gdb/mi} interface using @dfn{stream records}.
26343
26344 Each stream record begins with a unique @dfn{prefix character} which
26345 identifies its stream (@pxref{GDB/MI Output Syntax, , @sc{gdb/mi} Output
26346 Syntax}). In addition to the prefix, each stream record contains a
26347 @code{@var{string-output}}. This is either raw text (with an implicit new
26348 line) or a quoted C string (which does not contain an implicit newline).
26349
26350 @table @code
26351 @item "~" @var{string-output}
26352 The console output stream contains text that should be displayed in the
26353 CLI console window. It contains the textual responses to CLI commands.
26354
26355 @item "@@" @var{string-output}
26356 The target output stream contains any textual output from the running
26357 target. This is only present when GDB's event loop is truly
26358 asynchronous, which is currently only the case for remote targets.
26359
26360 @item "&" @var{string-output}
26361 The log stream contains debugging messages being produced by @value{GDBN}'s
26362 internals.
26363 @end table
26364
26365 @node GDB/MI Async Records
26366 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Async Records
26367
26368 @cindex async records in @sc{gdb/mi}
26369 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, async records
26370 @dfn{Async} records are used to notify the @sc{gdb/mi} client of
26371 additional changes that have occurred. Those changes can either be a
26372 consequence of @sc{gdb/mi} commands (e.g., a breakpoint modified) or a result of
26373 target activity (e.g., target stopped).
26374
26375 The following is the list of possible async records:
26376
26377 @table @code
26378
26379 @item *running,thread-id="@var{thread}"
26380 The target is now running. The @var{thread} field tells which
26381 specific thread is now running, and can be @samp{all} if all threads
26382 are running. The frontend should assume that no interaction with a
26383 running thread is possible after this notification is produced.
26384 The frontend should not assume that this notification is output
26385 only once for any command. @value{GDBN} may emit this notification
26386 several times, either for different threads, because it cannot resume
26387 all threads together, or even for a single thread, if the thread must
26388 be stepped though some code before letting it run freely.
26389
26390 @item *stopped,reason="@var{reason}",thread-id="@var{id}",stopped-threads="@var{stopped}",core="@var{core}"
26391 The target has stopped. The @var{reason} field can have one of the
26392 following values:
26393
26394 @table @code
26395 @item breakpoint-hit
26396 A breakpoint was reached.
26397 @item watchpoint-trigger
26398 A watchpoint was triggered.
26399 @item read-watchpoint-trigger
26400 A read watchpoint was triggered.
26401 @item access-watchpoint-trigger
26402 An access watchpoint was triggered.
26403 @item function-finished
26404 An -exec-finish or similar CLI command was accomplished.
26405 @item location-reached
26406 An -exec-until or similar CLI command was accomplished.
26407 @item watchpoint-scope
26408 A watchpoint has gone out of scope.
26409 @item end-stepping-range
26410 An -exec-next, -exec-next-instruction, -exec-step, -exec-step-instruction or
26411 similar CLI command was accomplished.
26412 @item exited-signalled
26413 The inferior exited because of a signal.
26414 @item exited
26415 The inferior exited.
26416 @item exited-normally
26417 The inferior exited normally.
26418 @item signal-received
26419 A signal was received by the inferior.
26420 @item solib-event
26421 The inferior has stopped due to a library being loaded or unloaded.
26422 This can happen when @code{stop-on-solib-events} (@pxref{Files}) is
26423 set or when a @code{catch load} or @code{catch unload} catchpoint is
26424 in use (@pxref{Set Catchpoints}).
26425 @item fork
26426 The inferior has forked. This is reported when @code{catch fork}
26427 (@pxref{Set Catchpoints}) has been used.
26428 @item vfork
26429 The inferior has vforked. This is reported in when @code{catch vfork}
26430 (@pxref{Set Catchpoints}) has been used.
26431 @item syscall-entry
26432 The inferior entered a system call. This is reported when @code{catch
26433 syscall} (@pxref{Set Catchpoints}) has been used.
26434 @item syscall-entry
26435 The inferior returned from a system call. This is reported when
26436 @code{catch syscall} (@pxref{Set Catchpoints}) has been used.
26437 @item exec
26438 The inferior called @code{exec}. This is reported when @code{catch exec}
26439 (@pxref{Set Catchpoints}) has been used.
26440 @end table
26441
26442 The @var{id} field identifies the thread that directly caused the stop
26443 -- for example by hitting a breakpoint. Depending on whether all-stop
26444 mode is in effect (@pxref{All-Stop Mode}), @value{GDBN} may either
26445 stop all threads, or only the thread that directly triggered the stop.
26446 If all threads are stopped, the @var{stopped} field will have the
26447 value of @code{"all"}. Otherwise, the value of the @var{stopped}
26448 field will be a list of thread identifiers. Presently, this list will
26449 always include a single thread, but frontend should be prepared to see
26450 several threads in the list. The @var{core} field reports the
26451 processor core on which the stop event has happened. This field may be absent
26452 if such information is not available.
26453
26454 @item =thread-group-added,id="@var{id}"
26455 @itemx =thread-group-removed,id="@var{id}"
26456 A thread group was either added or removed. The @var{id} field
26457 contains the @value{GDBN} identifier of the thread group. When a thread
26458 group is added, it generally might not be associated with a running
26459 process. When a thread group is removed, its id becomes invalid and
26460 cannot be used in any way.
26461
26462 @item =thread-group-started,id="@var{id}",pid="@var{pid}"
26463 A thread group became associated with a running program,
26464 either because the program was just started or the thread group
26465 was attached to a program. The @var{id} field contains the
26466 @value{GDBN} identifier of the thread group. The @var{pid} field
26467 contains process identifier, specific to the operating system.
26468
26469 @item =thread-group-exited,id="@var{id}"[,exit-code="@var{code}"]
26470 A thread group is no longer associated with a running program,
26471 either because the program has exited, or because it was detached
26472 from. The @var{id} field contains the @value{GDBN} identifier of the
26473 thread group. @var{code} is the exit code of the inferior; it exists
26474 only when the inferior exited with some code.
26475
26476 @item =thread-created,id="@var{id}",group-id="@var{gid}"
26477 @itemx =thread-exited,id="@var{id}",group-id="@var{gid}"
26478 A thread either was created, or has exited. The @var{id} field
26479 contains the @value{GDBN} identifier of the thread. The @var{gid}
26480 field identifies the thread group this thread belongs to.
26481
26482 @item =thread-selected,id="@var{id}"
26483 Informs that the selected thread was changed as result of the last
26484 command. This notification is not emitted as result of @code{-thread-select}
26485 command but is emitted whenever an MI command that is not documented
26486 to change the selected thread actually changes it. In particular,
26487 invoking, directly or indirectly (via user-defined command), the CLI
26488 @code{thread} command, will generate this notification.
26489
26490 We suggest that in response to this notification, front ends
26491 highlight the selected thread and cause subsequent commands to apply to
26492 that thread.
26493
26494 @item =library-loaded,...
26495 Reports that a new library file was loaded by the program. This
26496 notification has 4 fields---@var{id}, @var{target-name},
26497 @var{host-name}, and @var{symbols-loaded}. The @var{id} field is an
26498 opaque identifier of the library. For remote debugging case,
26499 @var{target-name} and @var{host-name} fields give the name of the
26500 library file on the target, and on the host respectively. For native
26501 debugging, both those fields have the same value. The
26502 @var{symbols-loaded} field is emitted only for backward compatibility
26503 and should not be relied on to convey any useful information. The
26504 @var{thread-group} field, if present, specifies the id of the thread
26505 group in whose context the library was loaded. If the field is
26506 absent, it means the library was loaded in the context of all present
26507 thread groups.
26508
26509 @item =library-unloaded,...
26510 Reports that a library was unloaded by the program. This notification
26511 has 3 fields---@var{id}, @var{target-name} and @var{host-name} with
26512 the same meaning as for the @code{=library-loaded} notification.
26513 The @var{thread-group} field, if present, specifies the id of the
26514 thread group in whose context the library was unloaded. If the field is
26515 absent, it means the library was unloaded in the context of all present
26516 thread groups.
26517
26518 @item =breakpoint-created,bkpt=@{...@}
26519 @itemx =breakpoint-modified,bkpt=@{...@}
26520 @itemx =breakpoint-deleted,bkpt=@{...@}
26521 Reports that a breakpoint was created, modified, or deleted,
26522 respectively. Only user-visible breakpoints are reported to the MI
26523 user.
26524
26525 The @var{bkpt} argument is of the same form as returned by the various
26526 breakpoint commands; @xref{GDB/MI Breakpoint Commands}.
26527
26528 Note that if a breakpoint is emitted in the result record of a
26529 command, then it will not also be emitted in an async record.
26530
26531 @end table
26532
26533 @node GDB/MI Frame Information
26534 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Frame Information
26535
26536 Response from many MI commands includes an information about stack
26537 frame. This information is a tuple that may have the following
26538 fields:
26539
26540 @table @code
26541 @item level
26542 The level of the stack frame. The innermost frame has the level of
26543 zero. This field is always present.
26544
26545 @item func
26546 The name of the function corresponding to the frame. This field may
26547 be absent if @value{GDBN} is unable to determine the function name.
26548
26549 @item addr
26550 The code address for the frame. This field is always present.
26551
26552 @item file
26553 The name of the source files that correspond to the frame's code
26554 address. This field may be absent.
26555
26556 @item line
26557 The source line corresponding to the frames' code address. This field
26558 may be absent.
26559
26560 @item from
26561 The name of the binary file (either executable or shared library) the
26562 corresponds to the frame's code address. This field may be absent.
26563
26564 @end table
26565
26566 @node GDB/MI Thread Information
26567 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Thread Information
26568
26569 Whenever @value{GDBN} has to report an information about a thread, it
26570 uses a tuple with the following fields:
26571
26572 @table @code
26573 @item id
26574 The numeric id assigned to the thread by @value{GDBN}. This field is
26575 always present.
26576
26577 @item target-id
26578 Target-specific string identifying the thread. This field is always present.
26579
26580 @item details
26581 Additional information about the thread provided by the target.
26582 It is supposed to be human-readable and not interpreted by the
26583 frontend. This field is optional.
26584
26585 @item state
26586 Either @samp{stopped} or @samp{running}, depending on whether the
26587 thread is presently running. This field is always present.
26588
26589 @item core
26590 The value of this field is an integer number of the processor core the
26591 thread was last seen on. This field is optional.
26592 @end table
26593
26594 @node GDB/MI Ada Exception Information
26595 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Ada Exception Information
26596
26597 Whenever a @code{*stopped} record is emitted because the program
26598 stopped after hitting an exception catchpoint (@pxref{Set Catchpoints}),
26599 @value{GDBN} provides the name of the exception that was raised via
26600 the @code{exception-name} field.
26601
26602 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
26603 @node GDB/MI Simple Examples
26604 @section Simple Examples of @sc{gdb/mi} Interaction
26605 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, simple examples
26606
26607 This subsection presents several simple examples of interaction using
26608 the @sc{gdb/mi} interface. In these examples, @samp{->} means that the
26609 following line is passed to @sc{gdb/mi} as input, while @samp{<-} means
26610 the output received from @sc{gdb/mi}.
26611
26612 Note the line breaks shown in the examples are here only for
26613 readability, they don't appear in the real output.
26614
26615 @subheading Setting a Breakpoint
26616
26617 Setting a breakpoint generates synchronous output which contains detailed
26618 information of the breakpoint.
26619
26620 @smallexample
26621 -> -break-insert main
26622 <- ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",
26623 enabled="y",addr="0x08048564",func="main",file="myprog.c",
26624 fullname="/home/nickrob/myprog.c",line="68",times="0"@}
26625 <- (gdb)
26626 @end smallexample
26627
26628 @subheading Program Execution
26629
26630 Program execution generates asynchronous records and MI gives the
26631 reason that execution stopped.
26632
26633 @smallexample
26634 -> -exec-run
26635 <- ^running
26636 <- (gdb)
26637 <- *stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",bkptno="1",thread-id="0",
26638 frame=@{addr="0x08048564",func="main",
26639 args=[@{name="argc",value="1"@},@{name="argv",value="0xbfc4d4d4"@}],
26640 file="myprog.c",fullname="/home/nickrob/myprog.c",line="68"@}
26641 <- (gdb)
26642 -> -exec-continue
26643 <- ^running
26644 <- (gdb)
26645 <- *stopped,reason="exited-normally"
26646 <- (gdb)
26647 @end smallexample
26648
26649 @subheading Quitting @value{GDBN}
26650
26651 Quitting @value{GDBN} just prints the result class @samp{^exit}.
26652
26653 @smallexample
26654 -> (gdb)
26655 <- -gdb-exit
26656 <- ^exit
26657 @end smallexample
26658
26659 Please note that @samp{^exit} is printed immediately, but it might
26660 take some time for @value{GDBN} to actually exit. During that time, @value{GDBN}
26661 performs necessary cleanups, including killing programs being debugged
26662 or disconnecting from debug hardware, so the frontend should wait till
26663 @value{GDBN} exits and should only forcibly kill @value{GDBN} if it
26664 fails to exit in reasonable time.
26665
26666 @subheading A Bad Command
26667
26668 Here's what happens if you pass a non-existent command:
26669
26670 @smallexample
26671 -> -rubbish
26672 <- ^error,msg="Undefined MI command: rubbish"
26673 <- (gdb)
26674 @end smallexample
26675
26676
26677 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
26678 @node GDB/MI Command Description Format
26679 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Command Description Format
26680
26681 The remaining sections describe blocks of commands. Each block of
26682 commands is laid out in a fashion similar to this section.
26683
26684 @subheading Motivation
26685
26686 The motivation for this collection of commands.
26687
26688 @subheading Introduction
26689
26690 A brief introduction to this collection of commands as a whole.
26691
26692 @subheading Commands
26693
26694 For each command in the block, the following is described:
26695
26696 @subsubheading Synopsis
26697
26698 @smallexample
26699 -command @var{args}@dots{}
26700 @end smallexample
26701
26702 @subsubheading Result
26703
26704 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
26705
26706 The corresponding @value{GDBN} CLI command(s), if any.
26707
26708 @subsubheading Example
26709
26710 Example(s) formatted for readability. Some of the described commands have
26711 not been implemented yet and these are labeled N.A.@: (not available).
26712
26713
26714 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
26715 @node GDB/MI Breakpoint Commands
26716 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Breakpoint Commands
26717
26718 @cindex breakpoint commands for @sc{gdb/mi}
26719 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, breakpoint commands
26720 This section documents @sc{gdb/mi} commands for manipulating
26721 breakpoints.
26722
26723 @subheading The @code{-break-after} Command
26724 @findex -break-after
26725
26726 @subsubheading Synopsis
26727
26728 @smallexample
26729 -break-after @var{number} @var{count}
26730 @end smallexample
26731
26732 The breakpoint number @var{number} is not in effect until it has been
26733 hit @var{count} times. To see how this is reflected in the output of
26734 the @samp{-break-list} command, see the description of the
26735 @samp{-break-list} command below.
26736
26737 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
26738
26739 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{ignore}.
26740
26741 @subsubheading Example
26742
26743 @smallexample
26744 (gdb)
26745 -break-insert main
26746 ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",
26747 enabled="y",addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",
26748 fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",line="5",times="0"@}
26749 (gdb)
26750 -break-after 1 3
26751 ~
26752 ^done
26753 (gdb)
26754 -break-list
26755 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="6",
26756 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
26757 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
26758 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
26759 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
26760 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
26761 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
26762 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
26763 addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",
26764 line="5",times="0",ignore="3"@}]@}
26765 (gdb)
26766 @end smallexample
26767
26768 @ignore
26769 @subheading The @code{-break-catch} Command
26770 @findex -break-catch
26771 @end ignore
26772
26773 @subheading The @code{-break-commands} Command
26774 @findex -break-commands
26775
26776 @subsubheading Synopsis
26777
26778 @smallexample
26779 -break-commands @var{number} [ @var{command1} ... @var{commandN} ]
26780 @end smallexample
26781
26782 Specifies the CLI commands that should be executed when breakpoint
26783 @var{number} is hit. The parameters @var{command1} to @var{commandN}
26784 are the commands. If no command is specified, any previously-set
26785 commands are cleared. @xref{Break Commands}. Typical use of this
26786 functionality is tracing a program, that is, printing of values of
26787 some variables whenever breakpoint is hit and then continuing.
26788
26789 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
26790
26791 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{commands}.
26792
26793 @subsubheading Example
26794
26795 @smallexample
26796 (gdb)
26797 -break-insert main
26798 ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",
26799 enabled="y",addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",
26800 fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",line="5",times="0"@}
26801 (gdb)
26802 -break-commands 1 "print v" "continue"
26803 ^done
26804 (gdb)
26805 @end smallexample
26806
26807 @subheading The @code{-break-condition} Command
26808 @findex -break-condition
26809
26810 @subsubheading Synopsis
26811
26812 @smallexample
26813 -break-condition @var{number} @var{expr}
26814 @end smallexample
26815
26816 Breakpoint @var{number} will stop the program only if the condition in
26817 @var{expr} is true. The condition becomes part of the
26818 @samp{-break-list} output (see the description of the @samp{-break-list}
26819 command below).
26820
26821 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
26822
26823 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{condition}.
26824
26825 @subsubheading Example
26826
26827 @smallexample
26828 (gdb)
26829 -break-condition 1 1
26830 ^done
26831 (gdb)
26832 -break-list
26833 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="6",
26834 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
26835 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
26836 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
26837 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
26838 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
26839 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
26840 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
26841 addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",
26842 line="5",cond="1",times="0",ignore="3"@}]@}
26843 (gdb)
26844 @end smallexample
26845
26846 @subheading The @code{-break-delete} Command
26847 @findex -break-delete
26848
26849 @subsubheading Synopsis
26850
26851 @smallexample
26852 -break-delete ( @var{breakpoint} )+
26853 @end smallexample
26854
26855 Delete the breakpoint(s) whose number(s) are specified in the argument
26856 list. This is obviously reflected in the breakpoint list.
26857
26858 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
26859
26860 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{delete}.
26861
26862 @subsubheading Example
26863
26864 @smallexample
26865 (gdb)
26866 -break-delete 1
26867 ^done
26868 (gdb)
26869 -break-list
26870 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="0",nr_cols="6",
26871 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
26872 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
26873 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
26874 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
26875 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
26876 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
26877 body=[]@}
26878 (gdb)
26879 @end smallexample
26880
26881 @subheading The @code{-break-disable} Command
26882 @findex -break-disable
26883
26884 @subsubheading Synopsis
26885
26886 @smallexample
26887 -break-disable ( @var{breakpoint} )+
26888 @end smallexample
26889
26890 Disable the named @var{breakpoint}(s). The field @samp{enabled} in the
26891 break list is now set to @samp{n} for the named @var{breakpoint}(s).
26892
26893 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
26894
26895 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{disable}.
26896
26897 @subsubheading Example
26898
26899 @smallexample
26900 (gdb)
26901 -break-disable 2
26902 ^done
26903 (gdb)
26904 -break-list
26905 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="6",
26906 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
26907 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
26908 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
26909 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
26910 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
26911 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
26912 body=[bkpt=@{number="2",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="n",
26913 addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",
26914 line="5",times="0"@}]@}
26915 (gdb)
26916 @end smallexample
26917
26918 @subheading The @code{-break-enable} Command
26919 @findex -break-enable
26920
26921 @subsubheading Synopsis
26922
26923 @smallexample
26924 -break-enable ( @var{breakpoint} )+
26925 @end smallexample
26926
26927 Enable (previously disabled) @var{breakpoint}(s).
26928
26929 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
26930
26931 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{enable}.
26932
26933 @subsubheading Example
26934
26935 @smallexample
26936 (gdb)
26937 -break-enable 2
26938 ^done
26939 (gdb)
26940 -break-list
26941 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="6",
26942 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
26943 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
26944 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
26945 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
26946 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
26947 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
26948 body=[bkpt=@{number="2",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
26949 addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",
26950 line="5",times="0"@}]@}
26951 (gdb)
26952 @end smallexample
26953
26954 @subheading The @code{-break-info} Command
26955 @findex -break-info
26956
26957 @subsubheading Synopsis
26958
26959 @smallexample
26960 -break-info @var{breakpoint}
26961 @end smallexample
26962
26963 @c REDUNDANT???
26964 Get information about a single breakpoint.
26965
26966 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
26967
26968 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info break @var{breakpoint}}.
26969
26970 @subsubheading Example
26971 N.A.
26972
26973 @subheading The @code{-break-insert} Command
26974 @findex -break-insert
26975
26976 @subsubheading Synopsis
26977
26978 @smallexample
26979 -break-insert [ -t ] [ -h ] [ -f ] [ -d ] [ -a ]
26980 [ -c @var{condition} ] [ -i @var{ignore-count} ]
26981 [ -p @var{thread} ] [ @var{location} ]
26982 @end smallexample
26983
26984 @noindent
26985 If specified, @var{location}, can be one of:
26986
26987 @itemize @bullet
26988 @item function
26989 @c @item +offset
26990 @c @item -offset
26991 @c @item linenum
26992 @item filename:linenum
26993 @item filename:function
26994 @item *address
26995 @end itemize
26996
26997 The possible optional parameters of this command are:
26998
26999 @table @samp
27000 @item -t
27001 Insert a temporary breakpoint.
27002 @item -h
27003 Insert a hardware breakpoint.
27004 @item -c @var{condition}
27005 Make the breakpoint conditional on @var{condition}.
27006 @item -i @var{ignore-count}
27007 Initialize the @var{ignore-count}.
27008 @item -f
27009 If @var{location} cannot be parsed (for example if it
27010 refers to unknown files or functions), create a pending
27011 breakpoint. Without this flag, @value{GDBN} will report
27012 an error, and won't create a breakpoint, if @var{location}
27013 cannot be parsed.
27014 @item -d
27015 Create a disabled breakpoint.
27016 @item -a
27017 Create a tracepoint. @xref{Tracepoints}. When this parameter
27018 is used together with @samp{-h}, a fast tracepoint is created.
27019 @end table
27020
27021 @subsubheading Result
27022
27023 The result is in the form:
27024
27025 @smallexample
27026 ^done,bkpt=@{number="@var{number}",type="@var{type}",disp="del"|"keep",
27027 enabled="y"|"n",addr="@var{hex}",func="@var{funcname}",file="@var{filename}",
27028 fullname="@var{full_filename}",line="@var{lineno}",[thread="@var{threadno},]
27029 times="@var{times}"@}
27030 @end smallexample
27031
27032 @noindent
27033 where @var{number} is the @value{GDBN} number for this breakpoint,
27034 @var{funcname} is the name of the function where the breakpoint was
27035 inserted, @var{filename} is the name of the source file which contains
27036 this function, @var{lineno} is the source line number within that file
27037 and @var{times} the number of times that the breakpoint has been hit
27038 (always 0 for -break-insert but may be greater for -break-info or -break-list
27039 which use the same output).
27040
27041 Note: this format is open to change.
27042 @c An out-of-band breakpoint instead of part of the result?
27043
27044 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27045
27046 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{break}, @samp{tbreak},
27047 @samp{hbreak}, @samp{thbreak}, and @samp{rbreak}.
27048
27049 @subsubheading Example
27050
27051 @smallexample
27052 (gdb)
27053 -break-insert main
27054 ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",addr="0x0001072c",file="recursive2.c",
27055 fullname="/home/foo/recursive2.c,line="4",times="0"@}
27056 (gdb)
27057 -break-insert -t foo
27058 ^done,bkpt=@{number="2",addr="0x00010774",file="recursive2.c",
27059 fullname="/home/foo/recursive2.c,line="11",times="0"@}
27060 (gdb)
27061 -break-list
27062 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="2",nr_cols="6",
27063 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
27064 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
27065 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
27066 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
27067 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
27068 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
27069 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
27070 addr="0x0001072c", func="main",file="recursive2.c",
27071 fullname="/home/foo/recursive2.c,"line="4",times="0"@},
27072 bkpt=@{number="2",type="breakpoint",disp="del",enabled="y",
27073 addr="0x00010774",func="foo",file="recursive2.c",
27074 fullname="/home/foo/recursive2.c",line="11",times="0"@}]@}
27075 (gdb)
27076 -break-insert -r foo.*
27077 ~int foo(int, int);
27078 ^done,bkpt=@{number="3",addr="0x00010774",file="recursive2.c,
27079 "fullname="/home/foo/recursive2.c",line="11",times="0"@}
27080 (gdb)
27081 @end smallexample
27082
27083 @subheading The @code{-break-list} Command
27084 @findex -break-list
27085
27086 @subsubheading Synopsis
27087
27088 @smallexample
27089 -break-list
27090 @end smallexample
27091
27092 Displays the list of inserted breakpoints, showing the following fields:
27093
27094 @table @samp
27095 @item Number
27096 number of the breakpoint
27097 @item Type
27098 type of the breakpoint: @samp{breakpoint} or @samp{watchpoint}
27099 @item Disposition
27100 should the breakpoint be deleted or disabled when it is hit: @samp{keep}
27101 or @samp{nokeep}
27102 @item Enabled
27103 is the breakpoint enabled or no: @samp{y} or @samp{n}
27104 @item Address
27105 memory location at which the breakpoint is set
27106 @item What
27107 logical location of the breakpoint, expressed by function name, file
27108 name, line number
27109 @item Times
27110 number of times the breakpoint has been hit
27111 @end table
27112
27113 If there are no breakpoints or watchpoints, the @code{BreakpointTable}
27114 @code{body} field is an empty list.
27115
27116 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27117
27118 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info break}.
27119
27120 @subsubheading Example
27121
27122 @smallexample
27123 (gdb)
27124 -break-list
27125 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="2",nr_cols="6",
27126 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
27127 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
27128 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
27129 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
27130 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
27131 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
27132 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
27133 addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",line="5",times="0"@},
27134 bkpt=@{number="2",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
27135 addr="0x00010114",func="foo",file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",
27136 line="13",times="0"@}]@}
27137 (gdb)
27138 @end smallexample
27139
27140 Here's an example of the result when there are no breakpoints:
27141
27142 @smallexample
27143 (gdb)
27144 -break-list
27145 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="0",nr_cols="6",
27146 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
27147 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
27148 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
27149 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
27150 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
27151 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
27152 body=[]@}
27153 (gdb)
27154 @end smallexample
27155
27156 @subheading The @code{-break-passcount} Command
27157 @findex -break-passcount
27158
27159 @subsubheading Synopsis
27160
27161 @smallexample
27162 -break-passcount @var{tracepoint-number} @var{passcount}
27163 @end smallexample
27164
27165 Set the passcount for tracepoint @var{tracepoint-number} to
27166 @var{passcount}. If the breakpoint referred to by @var{tracepoint-number}
27167 is not a tracepoint, error is emitted. This corresponds to CLI
27168 command @samp{passcount}.
27169
27170 @subheading The @code{-break-watch} Command
27171 @findex -break-watch
27172
27173 @subsubheading Synopsis
27174
27175 @smallexample
27176 -break-watch [ -a | -r ]
27177 @end smallexample
27178
27179 Create a watchpoint. With the @samp{-a} option it will create an
27180 @dfn{access} watchpoint, i.e., a watchpoint that triggers either on a
27181 read from or on a write to the memory location. With the @samp{-r}
27182 option, the watchpoint created is a @dfn{read} watchpoint, i.e., it will
27183 trigger only when the memory location is accessed for reading. Without
27184 either of the options, the watchpoint created is a regular watchpoint,
27185 i.e., it will trigger when the memory location is accessed for writing.
27186 @xref{Set Watchpoints, , Setting Watchpoints}.
27187
27188 Note that @samp{-break-list} will report a single list of watchpoints and
27189 breakpoints inserted.
27190
27191 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27192
27193 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{watch}, @samp{awatch}, and
27194 @samp{rwatch}.
27195
27196 @subsubheading Example
27197
27198 Setting a watchpoint on a variable in the @code{main} function:
27199
27200 @smallexample
27201 (gdb)
27202 -break-watch x
27203 ^done,wpt=@{number="2",exp="x"@}
27204 (gdb)
27205 -exec-continue
27206 ^running
27207 (gdb)
27208 *stopped,reason="watchpoint-trigger",wpt=@{number="2",exp="x"@},
27209 value=@{old="-268439212",new="55"@},
27210 frame=@{func="main",args=[],file="recursive2.c",
27211 fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="5"@}
27212 (gdb)
27213 @end smallexample
27214
27215 Setting a watchpoint on a variable local to a function. @value{GDBN} will stop
27216 the program execution twice: first for the variable changing value, then
27217 for the watchpoint going out of scope.
27218
27219 @smallexample
27220 (gdb)
27221 -break-watch C
27222 ^done,wpt=@{number="5",exp="C"@}
27223 (gdb)
27224 -exec-continue
27225 ^running
27226 (gdb)
27227 *stopped,reason="watchpoint-trigger",
27228 wpt=@{number="5",exp="C"@},value=@{old="-276895068",new="3"@},
27229 frame=@{func="callee4",args=[],
27230 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
27231 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="13"@}
27232 (gdb)
27233 -exec-continue
27234 ^running
27235 (gdb)
27236 *stopped,reason="watchpoint-scope",wpnum="5",
27237 frame=@{func="callee3",args=[@{name="strarg",
27238 value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}],
27239 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
27240 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="18"@}
27241 (gdb)
27242 @end smallexample
27243
27244 Listing breakpoints and watchpoints, at different points in the program
27245 execution. Note that once the watchpoint goes out of scope, it is
27246 deleted.
27247
27248 @smallexample
27249 (gdb)
27250 -break-watch C
27251 ^done,wpt=@{number="2",exp="C"@}
27252 (gdb)
27253 -break-list
27254 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="2",nr_cols="6",
27255 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
27256 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
27257 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
27258 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
27259 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
27260 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
27261 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
27262 addr="0x00010734",func="callee4",
27263 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
27264 fullname="/home/foo/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c"line="8",times="1"@},
27265 bkpt=@{number="2",type="watchpoint",disp="keep",
27266 enabled="y",addr="",what="C",times="0"@}]@}
27267 (gdb)
27268 -exec-continue
27269 ^running
27270 (gdb)
27271 *stopped,reason="watchpoint-trigger",wpt=@{number="2",exp="C"@},
27272 value=@{old="-276895068",new="3"@},
27273 frame=@{func="callee4",args=[],
27274 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
27275 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="13"@}
27276 (gdb)
27277 -break-list
27278 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="2",nr_cols="6",
27279 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
27280 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
27281 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
27282 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
27283 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
27284 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
27285 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
27286 addr="0x00010734",func="callee4",
27287 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
27288 fullname="/home/foo/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="8",times="1"@},
27289 bkpt=@{number="2",type="watchpoint",disp="keep",
27290 enabled="y",addr="",what="C",times="-5"@}]@}
27291 (gdb)
27292 -exec-continue
27293 ^running
27294 ^done,reason="watchpoint-scope",wpnum="2",
27295 frame=@{func="callee3",args=[@{name="strarg",
27296 value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}],
27297 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
27298 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="18"@}
27299 (gdb)
27300 -break-list
27301 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="6",
27302 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
27303 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
27304 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
27305 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
27306 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
27307 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
27308 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
27309 addr="0x00010734",func="callee4",
27310 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
27311 fullname="/home/foo/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="8",
27312 times="1"@}]@}
27313 (gdb)
27314 @end smallexample
27315
27316 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
27317 @node GDB/MI Program Context
27318 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Program Context
27319
27320 @subheading The @code{-exec-arguments} Command
27321 @findex -exec-arguments
27322
27323
27324 @subsubheading Synopsis
27325
27326 @smallexample
27327 -exec-arguments @var{args}
27328 @end smallexample
27329
27330 Set the inferior program arguments, to be used in the next
27331 @samp{-exec-run}.
27332
27333 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27334
27335 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{set args}.
27336
27337 @subsubheading Example
27338
27339 @smallexample
27340 (gdb)
27341 -exec-arguments -v word
27342 ^done
27343 (gdb)
27344 @end smallexample
27345
27346
27347 @ignore
27348 @subheading The @code{-exec-show-arguments} Command
27349 @findex -exec-show-arguments
27350
27351 @subsubheading Synopsis
27352
27353 @smallexample
27354 -exec-show-arguments
27355 @end smallexample
27356
27357 Print the arguments of the program.
27358
27359 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27360
27361 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{show args}.
27362
27363 @subsubheading Example
27364 N.A.
27365 @end ignore
27366
27367
27368 @subheading The @code{-environment-cd} Command
27369 @findex -environment-cd
27370
27371 @subsubheading Synopsis
27372
27373 @smallexample
27374 -environment-cd @var{pathdir}
27375 @end smallexample
27376
27377 Set @value{GDBN}'s working directory.
27378
27379 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27380
27381 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{cd}.
27382
27383 @subsubheading Example
27384
27385 @smallexample
27386 (gdb)
27387 -environment-cd /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb
27388 ^done
27389 (gdb)
27390 @end smallexample
27391
27392
27393 @subheading The @code{-environment-directory} Command
27394 @findex -environment-directory
27395
27396 @subsubheading Synopsis
27397
27398 @smallexample
27399 -environment-directory [ -r ] [ @var{pathdir} ]+
27400 @end smallexample
27401
27402 Add directories @var{pathdir} to beginning of search path for source files.
27403 If the @samp{-r} option is used, the search path is reset to the default
27404 search path. If directories @var{pathdir} are supplied in addition to the
27405 @samp{-r} option, the search path is first reset and then addition
27406 occurs as normal.
27407 Multiple directories may be specified, separated by blanks. Specifying
27408 multiple directories in a single command
27409 results in the directories added to the beginning of the
27410 search path in the same order they were presented in the command.
27411 If blanks are needed as
27412 part of a directory name, double-quotes should be used around
27413 the name. In the command output, the path will show up separated
27414 by the system directory-separator character. The directory-separator
27415 character must not be used
27416 in any directory name.
27417 If no directories are specified, the current search path is displayed.
27418
27419 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27420
27421 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{dir}.
27422
27423 @subsubheading Example
27424
27425 @smallexample
27426 (gdb)
27427 -environment-directory /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb
27428 ^done,source-path="/kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb:$cdir:$cwd"
27429 (gdb)
27430 -environment-directory ""
27431 ^done,source-path="/kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb:$cdir:$cwd"
27432 (gdb)
27433 -environment-directory -r /home/jjohnstn/src/gdb /usr/src
27434 ^done,source-path="/home/jjohnstn/src/gdb:/usr/src:$cdir:$cwd"
27435 (gdb)
27436 -environment-directory -r
27437 ^done,source-path="$cdir:$cwd"
27438 (gdb)
27439 @end smallexample
27440
27441
27442 @subheading The @code{-environment-path} Command
27443 @findex -environment-path
27444
27445 @subsubheading Synopsis
27446
27447 @smallexample
27448 -environment-path [ -r ] [ @var{pathdir} ]+
27449 @end smallexample
27450
27451 Add directories @var{pathdir} to beginning of search path for object files.
27452 If the @samp{-r} option is used, the search path is reset to the original
27453 search path that existed at gdb start-up. If directories @var{pathdir} are
27454 supplied in addition to the
27455 @samp{-r} option, the search path is first reset and then addition
27456 occurs as normal.
27457 Multiple directories may be specified, separated by blanks. Specifying
27458 multiple directories in a single command
27459 results in the directories added to the beginning of the
27460 search path in the same order they were presented in the command.
27461 If blanks are needed as
27462 part of a directory name, double-quotes should be used around
27463 the name. In the command output, the path will show up separated
27464 by the system directory-separator character. The directory-separator
27465 character must not be used
27466 in any directory name.
27467 If no directories are specified, the current path is displayed.
27468
27469
27470 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27471
27472 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{path}.
27473
27474 @subsubheading Example
27475
27476 @smallexample
27477 (gdb)
27478 -environment-path
27479 ^done,path="/usr/bin"
27480 (gdb)
27481 -environment-path /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/ppc-eabi/gdb /bin
27482 ^done,path="/kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/ppc-eabi/gdb:/bin:/usr/bin"
27483 (gdb)
27484 -environment-path -r /usr/local/bin
27485 ^done,path="/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin"
27486 (gdb)
27487 @end smallexample
27488
27489
27490 @subheading The @code{-environment-pwd} Command
27491 @findex -environment-pwd
27492
27493 @subsubheading Synopsis
27494
27495 @smallexample
27496 -environment-pwd
27497 @end smallexample
27498
27499 Show the current working directory.
27500
27501 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27502
27503 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{pwd}.
27504
27505 @subsubheading Example
27506
27507 @smallexample
27508 (gdb)
27509 -environment-pwd
27510 ^done,cwd="/kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb"
27511 (gdb)
27512 @end smallexample
27513
27514 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
27515 @node GDB/MI Thread Commands
27516 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Thread Commands
27517
27518
27519 @subheading The @code{-thread-info} Command
27520 @findex -thread-info
27521
27522 @subsubheading Synopsis
27523
27524 @smallexample
27525 -thread-info [ @var{thread-id} ]
27526 @end smallexample
27527
27528 Reports information about either a specific thread, if
27529 the @var{thread-id} parameter is present, or about all
27530 threads. When printing information about all threads,
27531 also reports the current thread.
27532
27533 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27534
27535 The @samp{info thread} command prints the same information
27536 about all threads.
27537
27538 @subsubheading Result
27539
27540 The result is a list of threads. The following attributes are
27541 defined for a given thread:
27542
27543 @table @samp
27544 @item current
27545 This field exists only for the current thread. It has the value @samp{*}.
27546
27547 @item id
27548 The identifier that @value{GDBN} uses to refer to the thread.
27549
27550 @item target-id
27551 The identifier that the target uses to refer to the thread.
27552
27553 @item details
27554 Extra information about the thread, in a target-specific format. This
27555 field is optional.
27556
27557 @item name
27558 The name of the thread. If the user specified a name using the
27559 @code{thread name} command, then this name is given. Otherwise, if
27560 @value{GDBN} can extract the thread name from the target, then that
27561 name is given. If @value{GDBN} cannot find the thread name, then this
27562 field is omitted.
27563
27564 @item frame
27565 The stack frame currently executing in the thread.
27566
27567 @item state
27568 The thread's state. The @samp{state} field may have the following
27569 values:
27570
27571 @table @code
27572 @item stopped
27573 The thread is stopped. Frame information is available for stopped
27574 threads.
27575
27576 @item running
27577 The thread is running. There's no frame information for running
27578 threads.
27579
27580 @end table
27581
27582 @item core
27583 If @value{GDBN} can find the CPU core on which this thread is running,
27584 then this field is the core identifier. This field is optional.
27585
27586 @end table
27587
27588 @subsubheading Example
27589
27590 @smallexample
27591 -thread-info
27592 ^done,threads=[
27593 @{id="2",target-id="Thread 0xb7e14b90 (LWP 21257)",
27594 frame=@{level="0",addr="0xffffe410",func="__kernel_vsyscall",
27595 args=[]@},state="running"@},
27596 @{id="1",target-id="Thread 0xb7e156b0 (LWP 21254)",
27597 frame=@{level="0",addr="0x0804891f",func="foo",
27598 args=[@{name="i",value="10"@}],
27599 file="/tmp/a.c",fullname="/tmp/a.c",line="158"@},
27600 state="running"@}],
27601 current-thread-id="1"
27602 (gdb)
27603 @end smallexample
27604
27605 @subheading The @code{-thread-list-ids} Command
27606 @findex -thread-list-ids
27607
27608 @subsubheading Synopsis
27609
27610 @smallexample
27611 -thread-list-ids
27612 @end smallexample
27613
27614 Produces a list of the currently known @value{GDBN} thread ids. At the
27615 end of the list it also prints the total number of such threads.
27616
27617 This command is retained for historical reasons, the
27618 @code{-thread-info} command should be used instead.
27619
27620 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27621
27622 Part of @samp{info threads} supplies the same information.
27623
27624 @subsubheading Example
27625
27626 @smallexample
27627 (gdb)
27628 -thread-list-ids
27629 ^done,thread-ids=@{thread-id="3",thread-id="2",thread-id="1"@},
27630 current-thread-id="1",number-of-threads="3"
27631 (gdb)
27632 @end smallexample
27633
27634
27635 @subheading The @code{-thread-select} Command
27636 @findex -thread-select
27637
27638 @subsubheading Synopsis
27639
27640 @smallexample
27641 -thread-select @var{threadnum}
27642 @end smallexample
27643
27644 Make @var{threadnum} the current thread. It prints the number of the new
27645 current thread, and the topmost frame for that thread.
27646
27647 This command is deprecated in favor of explicitly using the
27648 @samp{--thread} option to each command.
27649
27650 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27651
27652 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{thread}.
27653
27654 @subsubheading Example
27655
27656 @smallexample
27657 (gdb)
27658 -exec-next
27659 ^running
27660 (gdb)
27661 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",thread-id="2",line="187",
27662 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.threads/linux-dp.c"
27663 (gdb)
27664 -thread-list-ids
27665 ^done,
27666 thread-ids=@{thread-id="3",thread-id="2",thread-id="1"@},
27667 number-of-threads="3"
27668 (gdb)
27669 -thread-select 3
27670 ^done,new-thread-id="3",
27671 frame=@{level="0",func="vprintf",
27672 args=[@{name="format",value="0x8048e9c \"%*s%c %d %c\\n\""@},
27673 @{name="arg",value="0x2"@}],file="vprintf.c",line="31"@}
27674 (gdb)
27675 @end smallexample
27676
27677 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
27678 @node GDB/MI Ada Tasking Commands
27679 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Ada Tasking Commands
27680
27681 @subheading The @code{-ada-task-info} Command
27682 @findex -ada-task-info
27683
27684 @subsubheading Synopsis
27685
27686 @smallexample
27687 -ada-task-info [ @var{task-id} ]
27688 @end smallexample
27689
27690 Reports information about either a specific Ada task, if the
27691 @var{task-id} parameter is present, or about all Ada tasks.
27692
27693 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27694
27695 The @samp{info tasks} command prints the same information
27696 about all Ada tasks (@pxref{Ada Tasks}).
27697
27698 @subsubheading Result
27699
27700 The result is a table of Ada tasks. The following columns are
27701 defined for each Ada task:
27702
27703 @table @samp
27704 @item current
27705 This field exists only for the current thread. It has the value @samp{*}.
27706
27707 @item id
27708 The identifier that @value{GDBN} uses to refer to the Ada task.
27709
27710 @item task-id
27711 The identifier that the target uses to refer to the Ada task.
27712
27713 @item thread-id
27714 The identifier of the thread corresponding to the Ada task.
27715
27716 This field should always exist, as Ada tasks are always implemented
27717 on top of a thread. But if @value{GDBN} cannot find this corresponding
27718 thread for any reason, the field is omitted.
27719
27720 @item parent-id
27721 This field exists only when the task was created by another task.
27722 In this case, it provides the ID of the parent task.
27723
27724 @item priority
27725 The base priority of the task.
27726
27727 @item state
27728 The current state of the task. For a detailed description of the
27729 possible states, see @ref{Ada Tasks}.
27730
27731 @item name
27732 The name of the task.
27733
27734 @end table
27735
27736 @subsubheading Example
27737
27738 @smallexample
27739 -ada-task-info
27740 ^done,tasks=@{nr_rows="3",nr_cols="8",
27741 hdr=[@{width="1",alignment="-1",col_name="current",colhdr=""@},
27742 @{width="3",alignment="1",col_name="id",colhdr="ID"@},
27743 @{width="9",alignment="1",col_name="task-id",colhdr="TID"@},
27744 @{width="4",alignment="1",col_name="thread-id",colhdr=""@},
27745 @{width="4",alignment="1",col_name="parent-id",colhdr="P-ID"@},
27746 @{width="3",alignment="1",col_name="priority",colhdr="Pri"@},
27747 @{width="22",alignment="-1",col_name="state",colhdr="State"@},
27748 @{width="1",alignment="2",col_name="name",colhdr="Name"@}],
27749 body=[@{current="*",id="1",task-id=" 644010",thread-id="1",priority="48",
27750 state="Child Termination Wait",name="main_task"@}]@}
27751 (gdb)
27752 @end smallexample
27753
27754 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
27755 @node GDB/MI Program Execution
27756 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Program Execution
27757
27758 These are the asynchronous commands which generate the out-of-band
27759 record @samp{*stopped}. Currently @value{GDBN} only really executes
27760 asynchronously with remote targets and this interaction is mimicked in
27761 other cases.
27762
27763 @subheading The @code{-exec-continue} Command
27764 @findex -exec-continue
27765
27766 @subsubheading Synopsis
27767
27768 @smallexample
27769 -exec-continue [--reverse] [--all|--thread-group N]
27770 @end smallexample
27771
27772 Resumes the execution of the inferior program, which will continue
27773 to execute until it reaches a debugger stop event. If the
27774 @samp{--reverse} option is specified, execution resumes in reverse until
27775 it reaches a stop event. Stop events may include
27776 @itemize @bullet
27777 @item
27778 breakpoints or watchpoints
27779 @item
27780 signals or exceptions
27781 @item
27782 the end of the process (or its beginning under @samp{--reverse})
27783 @item
27784 the end or beginning of a replay log if one is being used.
27785 @end itemize
27786 In all-stop mode (@pxref{All-Stop
27787 Mode}), may resume only one thread, or all threads, depending on the
27788 value of the @samp{scheduler-locking} variable. If @samp{--all} is
27789 specified, all threads (in all inferiors) will be resumed. The @samp{--all} option is
27790 ignored in all-stop mode. If the @samp{--thread-group} options is
27791 specified, then all threads in that thread group are resumed.
27792
27793 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27794
27795 The corresponding @value{GDBN} corresponding is @samp{continue}.
27796
27797 @subsubheading Example
27798
27799 @smallexample
27800 -exec-continue
27801 ^running
27802 (gdb)
27803 @@Hello world
27804 *stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",bkptno="2",frame=@{
27805 func="foo",args=[],file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/hello.c",
27806 line="13"@}
27807 (gdb)
27808 @end smallexample
27809
27810
27811 @subheading The @code{-exec-finish} Command
27812 @findex -exec-finish
27813
27814 @subsubheading Synopsis
27815
27816 @smallexample
27817 -exec-finish [--reverse]
27818 @end smallexample
27819
27820 Resumes the execution of the inferior program until the current
27821 function is exited. Displays the results returned by the function.
27822 If the @samp{--reverse} option is specified, resumes the reverse
27823 execution of the inferior program until the point where current
27824 function was called.
27825
27826 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27827
27828 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{finish}.
27829
27830 @subsubheading Example
27831
27832 Function returning @code{void}.
27833
27834 @smallexample
27835 -exec-finish
27836 ^running
27837 (gdb)
27838 @@hello from foo
27839 *stopped,reason="function-finished",frame=@{func="main",args=[],
27840 file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/hello.c",line="7"@}
27841 (gdb)
27842 @end smallexample
27843
27844 Function returning other than @code{void}. The name of the internal
27845 @value{GDBN} variable storing the result is printed, together with the
27846 value itself.
27847
27848 @smallexample
27849 -exec-finish
27850 ^running
27851 (gdb)
27852 *stopped,reason="function-finished",frame=@{addr="0x000107b0",func="foo",
27853 args=[@{name="a",value="1"],@{name="b",value="9"@}@},
27854 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
27855 gdb-result-var="$1",return-value="0"
27856 (gdb)
27857 @end smallexample
27858
27859
27860 @subheading The @code{-exec-interrupt} Command
27861 @findex -exec-interrupt
27862
27863 @subsubheading Synopsis
27864
27865 @smallexample
27866 -exec-interrupt [--all|--thread-group N]
27867 @end smallexample
27868
27869 Interrupts the background execution of the target. Note how the token
27870 associated with the stop message is the one for the execution command
27871 that has been interrupted. The token for the interrupt itself only
27872 appears in the @samp{^done} output. If the user is trying to
27873 interrupt a non-running program, an error message will be printed.
27874
27875 Note that when asynchronous execution is enabled, this command is
27876 asynchronous just like other execution commands. That is, first the
27877 @samp{^done} response will be printed, and the target stop will be
27878 reported after that using the @samp{*stopped} notification.
27879
27880 In non-stop mode, only the context thread is interrupted by default.
27881 All threads (in all inferiors) will be interrupted if the
27882 @samp{--all} option is specified. If the @samp{--thread-group}
27883 option is specified, all threads in that group will be interrupted.
27884
27885 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27886
27887 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{interrupt}.
27888
27889 @subsubheading Example
27890
27891 @smallexample
27892 (gdb)
27893 111-exec-continue
27894 111^running
27895
27896 (gdb)
27897 222-exec-interrupt
27898 222^done
27899 (gdb)
27900 111*stopped,signal-name="SIGINT",signal-meaning="Interrupt",
27901 frame=@{addr="0x00010140",func="foo",args=[],file="try.c",
27902 fullname="/home/foo/bar/try.c",line="13"@}
27903 (gdb)
27904
27905 (gdb)
27906 -exec-interrupt
27907 ^error,msg="mi_cmd_exec_interrupt: Inferior not executing."
27908 (gdb)
27909 @end smallexample
27910
27911 @subheading The @code{-exec-jump} Command
27912 @findex -exec-jump
27913
27914 @subsubheading Synopsis
27915
27916 @smallexample
27917 -exec-jump @var{location}
27918 @end smallexample
27919
27920 Resumes execution of the inferior program at the location specified by
27921 parameter. @xref{Specify Location}, for a description of the
27922 different forms of @var{location}.
27923
27924 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27925
27926 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{jump}.
27927
27928 @subsubheading Example
27929
27930 @smallexample
27931 -exec-jump foo.c:10
27932 *running,thread-id="all"
27933 ^running
27934 @end smallexample
27935
27936
27937 @subheading The @code{-exec-next} Command
27938 @findex -exec-next
27939
27940 @subsubheading Synopsis
27941
27942 @smallexample
27943 -exec-next [--reverse]
27944 @end smallexample
27945
27946 Resumes execution of the inferior program, stopping when the beginning
27947 of the next source line is reached.
27948
27949 If the @samp{--reverse} option is specified, resumes reverse execution
27950 of the inferior program, stopping at the beginning of the previous
27951 source line. If you issue this command on the first line of a
27952 function, it will take you back to the caller of that function, to the
27953 source line where the function was called.
27954
27955
27956 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27957
27958 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{next}.
27959
27960 @subsubheading Example
27961
27962 @smallexample
27963 -exec-next
27964 ^running
27965 (gdb)
27966 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",line="8",file="hello.c"
27967 (gdb)
27968 @end smallexample
27969
27970
27971 @subheading The @code{-exec-next-instruction} Command
27972 @findex -exec-next-instruction
27973
27974 @subsubheading Synopsis
27975
27976 @smallexample
27977 -exec-next-instruction [--reverse]
27978 @end smallexample
27979
27980 Executes one machine instruction. If the instruction is a function
27981 call, continues until the function returns. If the program stops at an
27982 instruction in the middle of a source line, the address will be
27983 printed as well.
27984
27985 If the @samp{--reverse} option is specified, resumes reverse execution
27986 of the inferior program, stopping at the previous instruction. If the
27987 previously executed instruction was a return from another function,
27988 it will continue to execute in reverse until the call to that function
27989 (from the current stack frame) is reached.
27990
27991 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27992
27993 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{nexti}.
27994
27995 @subsubheading Example
27996
27997 @smallexample
27998 (gdb)
27999 -exec-next-instruction
28000 ^running
28001
28002 (gdb)
28003 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",
28004 addr="0x000100d4",line="5",file="hello.c"
28005 (gdb)
28006 @end smallexample
28007
28008
28009 @subheading The @code{-exec-return} Command
28010 @findex -exec-return
28011
28012 @subsubheading Synopsis
28013
28014 @smallexample
28015 -exec-return
28016 @end smallexample
28017
28018 Makes current function return immediately. Doesn't execute the inferior.
28019 Displays the new current frame.
28020
28021 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28022
28023 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{return}.
28024
28025 @subsubheading Example
28026
28027 @smallexample
28028 (gdb)
28029 200-break-insert callee4
28030 200^done,bkpt=@{number="1",addr="0x00010734",
28031 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="8"@}
28032 (gdb)
28033 000-exec-run
28034 000^running
28035 (gdb)
28036 000*stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",bkptno="1",
28037 frame=@{func="callee4",args=[],
28038 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
28039 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="8"@}
28040 (gdb)
28041 205-break-delete
28042 205^done
28043 (gdb)
28044 111-exec-return
28045 111^done,frame=@{level="0",func="callee3",
28046 args=[@{name="strarg",
28047 value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}],
28048 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
28049 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="18"@}
28050 (gdb)
28051 @end smallexample
28052
28053
28054 @subheading The @code{-exec-run} Command
28055 @findex -exec-run
28056
28057 @subsubheading Synopsis
28058
28059 @smallexample
28060 -exec-run [--all | --thread-group N]
28061 @end smallexample
28062
28063 Starts execution of the inferior from the beginning. The inferior
28064 executes until either a breakpoint is encountered or the program
28065 exits. In the latter case the output will include an exit code, if
28066 the program has exited exceptionally.
28067
28068 When no option is specified, the current inferior is started. If the
28069 @samp{--thread-group} option is specified, it should refer to a thread
28070 group of type @samp{process}, and that thread group will be started.
28071 If the @samp{--all} option is specified, then all inferiors will be started.
28072
28073 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28074
28075 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{run}.
28076
28077 @subsubheading Examples
28078
28079 @smallexample
28080 (gdb)
28081 -break-insert main
28082 ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",addr="0x0001072c",file="recursive2.c",line="4"@}
28083 (gdb)
28084 -exec-run
28085 ^running
28086 (gdb)
28087 *stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",bkptno="1",
28088 frame=@{func="main",args=[],file="recursive2.c",
28089 fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="4"@}
28090 (gdb)
28091 @end smallexample
28092
28093 @noindent
28094 Program exited normally:
28095
28096 @smallexample
28097 (gdb)
28098 -exec-run
28099 ^running
28100 (gdb)
28101 x = 55
28102 *stopped,reason="exited-normally"
28103 (gdb)
28104 @end smallexample
28105
28106 @noindent
28107 Program exited exceptionally:
28108
28109 @smallexample
28110 (gdb)
28111 -exec-run
28112 ^running
28113 (gdb)
28114 x = 55
28115 *stopped,reason="exited",exit-code="01"
28116 (gdb)
28117 @end smallexample
28118
28119 Another way the program can terminate is if it receives a signal such as
28120 @code{SIGINT}. In this case, @sc{gdb/mi} displays this:
28121
28122 @smallexample
28123 (gdb)
28124 *stopped,reason="exited-signalled",signal-name="SIGINT",
28125 signal-meaning="Interrupt"
28126 @end smallexample
28127
28128
28129 @c @subheading -exec-signal
28130
28131
28132 @subheading The @code{-exec-step} Command
28133 @findex -exec-step
28134
28135 @subsubheading Synopsis
28136
28137 @smallexample
28138 -exec-step [--reverse]
28139 @end smallexample
28140
28141 Resumes execution of the inferior program, stopping when the beginning
28142 of the next source line is reached, if the next source line is not a
28143 function call. If it is, stop at the first instruction of the called
28144 function. If the @samp{--reverse} option is specified, resumes reverse
28145 execution of the inferior program, stopping at the beginning of the
28146 previously executed source line.
28147
28148 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28149
28150 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{step}.
28151
28152 @subsubheading Example
28153
28154 Stepping into a function:
28155
28156 @smallexample
28157 -exec-step
28158 ^running
28159 (gdb)
28160 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",
28161 frame=@{func="foo",args=[@{name="a",value="10"@},
28162 @{name="b",value="0"@}],file="recursive2.c",
28163 fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="11"@}
28164 (gdb)
28165 @end smallexample
28166
28167 Regular stepping:
28168
28169 @smallexample
28170 -exec-step
28171 ^running
28172 (gdb)
28173 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",line="14",file="recursive2.c"
28174 (gdb)
28175 @end smallexample
28176
28177
28178 @subheading The @code{-exec-step-instruction} Command
28179 @findex -exec-step-instruction
28180
28181 @subsubheading Synopsis
28182
28183 @smallexample
28184 -exec-step-instruction [--reverse]
28185 @end smallexample
28186
28187 Resumes the inferior which executes one machine instruction. If the
28188 @samp{--reverse} option is specified, resumes reverse execution of the
28189 inferior program, stopping at the previously executed instruction.
28190 The output, once @value{GDBN} has stopped, will vary depending on
28191 whether we have stopped in the middle of a source line or not. In the
28192 former case, the address at which the program stopped will be printed
28193 as well.
28194
28195 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28196
28197 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{stepi}.
28198
28199 @subsubheading Example
28200
28201 @smallexample
28202 (gdb)
28203 -exec-step-instruction
28204 ^running
28205
28206 (gdb)
28207 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",
28208 frame=@{func="foo",args=[],file="try.c",
28209 fullname="/home/foo/bar/try.c",line="10"@}
28210 (gdb)
28211 -exec-step-instruction
28212 ^running
28213
28214 (gdb)
28215 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",
28216 frame=@{addr="0x000100f4",func="foo",args=[],file="try.c",
28217 fullname="/home/foo/bar/try.c",line="10"@}
28218 (gdb)
28219 @end smallexample
28220
28221
28222 @subheading The @code{-exec-until} Command
28223 @findex -exec-until
28224
28225 @subsubheading Synopsis
28226
28227 @smallexample
28228 -exec-until [ @var{location} ]
28229 @end smallexample
28230
28231 Executes the inferior until the @var{location} specified in the
28232 argument is reached. If there is no argument, the inferior executes
28233 until a source line greater than the current one is reached. The
28234 reason for stopping in this case will be @samp{location-reached}.
28235
28236 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28237
28238 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{until}.
28239
28240 @subsubheading Example
28241
28242 @smallexample
28243 (gdb)
28244 -exec-until recursive2.c:6
28245 ^running
28246 (gdb)
28247 x = 55
28248 *stopped,reason="location-reached",frame=@{func="main",args=[],
28249 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="6"@}
28250 (gdb)
28251 @end smallexample
28252
28253 @ignore
28254 @subheading -file-clear
28255 Is this going away????
28256 @end ignore
28257
28258 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
28259 @node GDB/MI Stack Manipulation
28260 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Stack Manipulation Commands
28261
28262
28263 @subheading The @code{-stack-info-frame} Command
28264 @findex -stack-info-frame
28265
28266 @subsubheading Synopsis
28267
28268 @smallexample
28269 -stack-info-frame
28270 @end smallexample
28271
28272 Get info on the selected frame.
28273
28274 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28275
28276 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info frame} or @samp{frame}
28277 (without arguments).
28278
28279 @subsubheading Example
28280
28281 @smallexample
28282 (gdb)
28283 -stack-info-frame
28284 ^done,frame=@{level="1",addr="0x0001076c",func="callee3",
28285 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
28286 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="17"@}
28287 (gdb)
28288 @end smallexample
28289
28290 @subheading The @code{-stack-info-depth} Command
28291 @findex -stack-info-depth
28292
28293 @subsubheading Synopsis
28294
28295 @smallexample
28296 -stack-info-depth [ @var{max-depth} ]
28297 @end smallexample
28298
28299 Return the depth of the stack. If the integer argument @var{max-depth}
28300 is specified, do not count beyond @var{max-depth} frames.
28301
28302 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28303
28304 There's no equivalent @value{GDBN} command.
28305
28306 @subsubheading Example
28307
28308 For a stack with frame levels 0 through 11:
28309
28310 @smallexample
28311 (gdb)
28312 -stack-info-depth
28313 ^done,depth="12"
28314 (gdb)
28315 -stack-info-depth 4
28316 ^done,depth="4"
28317 (gdb)
28318 -stack-info-depth 12
28319 ^done,depth="12"
28320 (gdb)
28321 -stack-info-depth 11
28322 ^done,depth="11"
28323 (gdb)
28324 -stack-info-depth 13
28325 ^done,depth="12"
28326 (gdb)
28327 @end smallexample
28328
28329 @subheading The @code{-stack-list-arguments} Command
28330 @findex -stack-list-arguments
28331
28332 @subsubheading Synopsis
28333
28334 @smallexample
28335 -stack-list-arguments @var{print-values}
28336 [ @var{low-frame} @var{high-frame} ]
28337 @end smallexample
28338
28339 Display a list of the arguments for the frames between @var{low-frame}
28340 and @var{high-frame} (inclusive). If @var{low-frame} and
28341 @var{high-frame} are not provided, list the arguments for the whole
28342 call stack. If the two arguments are equal, show the single frame
28343 at the corresponding level. It is an error if @var{low-frame} is
28344 larger than the actual number of frames. On the other hand,
28345 @var{high-frame} may be larger than the actual number of frames, in
28346 which case only existing frames will be returned.
28347
28348 If @var{print-values} is 0 or @code{--no-values}, print only the names of
28349 the variables; if it is 1 or @code{--all-values}, print also their
28350 values; and if it is 2 or @code{--simple-values}, print the name,
28351 type and value for simple data types, and the name and type for arrays,
28352 structures and unions.
28353
28354 Use of this command to obtain arguments in a single frame is
28355 deprecated in favor of the @samp{-stack-list-variables} command.
28356
28357 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28358
28359 @value{GDBN} does not have an equivalent command. @code{gdbtk} has a
28360 @samp{gdb_get_args} command which partially overlaps with the
28361 functionality of @samp{-stack-list-arguments}.
28362
28363 @subsubheading Example
28364
28365 @smallexample
28366 (gdb)
28367 -stack-list-frames
28368 ^done,
28369 stack=[
28370 frame=@{level="0",addr="0x00010734",func="callee4",
28371 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
28372 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="8"@},
28373 frame=@{level="1",addr="0x0001076c",func="callee3",
28374 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
28375 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="17"@},
28376 frame=@{level="2",addr="0x0001078c",func="callee2",
28377 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
28378 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="22"@},
28379 frame=@{level="3",addr="0x000107b4",func="callee1",
28380 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
28381 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="27"@},
28382 frame=@{level="4",addr="0x000107e0",func="main",
28383 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
28384 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="32"@}]
28385 (gdb)
28386 -stack-list-arguments 0
28387 ^done,
28388 stack-args=[
28389 frame=@{level="0",args=[]@},
28390 frame=@{level="1",args=[name="strarg"]@},
28391 frame=@{level="2",args=[name="intarg",name="strarg"]@},
28392 frame=@{level="3",args=[name="intarg",name="strarg",name="fltarg"]@},
28393 frame=@{level="4",args=[]@}]
28394 (gdb)
28395 -stack-list-arguments 1
28396 ^done,
28397 stack-args=[
28398 frame=@{level="0",args=[]@},
28399 frame=@{level="1",
28400 args=[@{name="strarg",value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}]@},
28401 frame=@{level="2",args=[
28402 @{name="intarg",value="2"@},
28403 @{name="strarg",value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}]@},
28404 @{frame=@{level="3",args=[
28405 @{name="intarg",value="2"@},
28406 @{name="strarg",value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@},
28407 @{name="fltarg",value="3.5"@}]@},
28408 frame=@{level="4",args=[]@}]
28409 (gdb)
28410 -stack-list-arguments 0 2 2
28411 ^done,stack-args=[frame=@{level="2",args=[name="intarg",name="strarg"]@}]
28412 (gdb)
28413 -stack-list-arguments 1 2 2
28414 ^done,stack-args=[frame=@{level="2",
28415 args=[@{name="intarg",value="2"@},
28416 @{name="strarg",value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}]@}]
28417 (gdb)
28418 @end smallexample
28419
28420 @c @subheading -stack-list-exception-handlers
28421
28422
28423 @subheading The @code{-stack-list-frames} Command
28424 @findex -stack-list-frames
28425
28426 @subsubheading Synopsis
28427
28428 @smallexample
28429 -stack-list-frames [ @var{low-frame} @var{high-frame} ]
28430 @end smallexample
28431
28432 List the frames currently on the stack. For each frame it displays the
28433 following info:
28434
28435 @table @samp
28436 @item @var{level}
28437 The frame number, 0 being the topmost frame, i.e., the innermost function.
28438 @item @var{addr}
28439 The @code{$pc} value for that frame.
28440 @item @var{func}
28441 Function name.
28442 @item @var{file}
28443 File name of the source file where the function lives.
28444 @item @var{fullname}
28445 The full file name of the source file where the function lives.
28446 @item @var{line}
28447 Line number corresponding to the @code{$pc}.
28448 @item @var{from}
28449 The shared library where this function is defined. This is only given
28450 if the frame's function is not known.
28451 @end table
28452
28453 If invoked without arguments, this command prints a backtrace for the
28454 whole stack. If given two integer arguments, it shows the frames whose
28455 levels are between the two arguments (inclusive). If the two arguments
28456 are equal, it shows the single frame at the corresponding level. It is
28457 an error if @var{low-frame} is larger than the actual number of
28458 frames. On the other hand, @var{high-frame} may be larger than the
28459 actual number of frames, in which case only existing frames will be returned.
28460
28461 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28462
28463 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{backtrace} and @samp{where}.
28464
28465 @subsubheading Example
28466
28467 Full stack backtrace:
28468
28469 @smallexample
28470 (gdb)
28471 -stack-list-frames
28472 ^done,stack=
28473 [frame=@{level="0",addr="0x0001076c",func="foo",
28474 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="11"@},
28475 frame=@{level="1",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
28476 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
28477 frame=@{level="2",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
28478 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
28479 frame=@{level="3",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
28480 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
28481 frame=@{level="4",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
28482 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
28483 frame=@{level="5",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
28484 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
28485 frame=@{level="6",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
28486 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
28487 frame=@{level="7",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
28488 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
28489 frame=@{level="8",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
28490 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
28491 frame=@{level="9",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
28492 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
28493 frame=@{level="10",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
28494 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
28495 frame=@{level="11",addr="0x00010738",func="main",
28496 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="4"@}]
28497 (gdb)
28498 @end smallexample
28499
28500 Show frames between @var{low_frame} and @var{high_frame}:
28501
28502 @smallexample
28503 (gdb)
28504 -stack-list-frames 3 5
28505 ^done,stack=
28506 [frame=@{level="3",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
28507 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
28508 frame=@{level="4",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
28509 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
28510 frame=@{level="5",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
28511 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@}]
28512 (gdb)
28513 @end smallexample
28514
28515 Show a single frame:
28516
28517 @smallexample
28518 (gdb)
28519 -stack-list-frames 3 3
28520 ^done,stack=
28521 [frame=@{level="3",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
28522 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@}]
28523 (gdb)
28524 @end smallexample
28525
28526
28527 @subheading The @code{-stack-list-locals} Command
28528 @findex -stack-list-locals
28529
28530 @subsubheading Synopsis
28531
28532 @smallexample
28533 -stack-list-locals @var{print-values}
28534 @end smallexample
28535
28536 Display the local variable names for the selected frame. If
28537 @var{print-values} is 0 or @code{--no-values}, print only the names of
28538 the variables; if it is 1 or @code{--all-values}, print also their
28539 values; and if it is 2 or @code{--simple-values}, print the name,
28540 type and value for simple data types, and the name and type for arrays,
28541 structures and unions. In this last case, a frontend can immediately
28542 display the value of simple data types and create variable objects for
28543 other data types when the user wishes to explore their values in
28544 more detail.
28545
28546 This command is deprecated in favor of the
28547 @samp{-stack-list-variables} command.
28548
28549 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28550
28551 @samp{info locals} in @value{GDBN}, @samp{gdb_get_locals} in @code{gdbtk}.
28552
28553 @subsubheading Example
28554
28555 @smallexample
28556 (gdb)
28557 -stack-list-locals 0
28558 ^done,locals=[name="A",name="B",name="C"]
28559 (gdb)
28560 -stack-list-locals --all-values
28561 ^done,locals=[@{name="A",value="1"@},@{name="B",value="2"@},
28562 @{name="C",value="@{1, 2, 3@}"@}]
28563 -stack-list-locals --simple-values
28564 ^done,locals=[@{name="A",type="int",value="1"@},
28565 @{name="B",type="int",value="2"@},@{name="C",type="int [3]"@}]
28566 (gdb)
28567 @end smallexample
28568
28569 @subheading The @code{-stack-list-variables} Command
28570 @findex -stack-list-variables
28571
28572 @subsubheading Synopsis
28573
28574 @smallexample
28575 -stack-list-variables @var{print-values}
28576 @end smallexample
28577
28578 Display the names of local variables and function arguments for the selected frame. If
28579 @var{print-values} is 0 or @code{--no-values}, print only the names of
28580 the variables; if it is 1 or @code{--all-values}, print also their
28581 values; and if it is 2 or @code{--simple-values}, print the name,
28582 type and value for simple data types, and the name and type for arrays,
28583 structures and unions.
28584
28585 @subsubheading Example
28586
28587 @smallexample
28588 (gdb)
28589 -stack-list-variables --thread 1 --frame 0 --all-values
28590 ^done,variables=[@{name="x",value="11"@},@{name="s",value="@{a = 1, b = 2@}"@}]
28591 (gdb)
28592 @end smallexample
28593
28594
28595 @subheading The @code{-stack-select-frame} Command
28596 @findex -stack-select-frame
28597
28598 @subsubheading Synopsis
28599
28600 @smallexample
28601 -stack-select-frame @var{framenum}
28602 @end smallexample
28603
28604 Change the selected frame. Select a different frame @var{framenum} on
28605 the stack.
28606
28607 This command in deprecated in favor of passing the @samp{--frame}
28608 option to every command.
28609
28610 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28611
28612 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{frame}, @samp{up},
28613 @samp{down}, @samp{select-frame}, @samp{up-silent}, and @samp{down-silent}.
28614
28615 @subsubheading Example
28616
28617 @smallexample
28618 (gdb)
28619 -stack-select-frame 2
28620 ^done
28621 (gdb)
28622 @end smallexample
28623
28624 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
28625 @node GDB/MI Variable Objects
28626 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Variable Objects
28627
28628 @ignore
28629
28630 @subheading Motivation for Variable Objects in @sc{gdb/mi}
28631
28632 For the implementation of a variable debugger window (locals, watched
28633 expressions, etc.), we are proposing the adaptation of the existing code
28634 used by @code{Insight}.
28635
28636 The two main reasons for that are:
28637
28638 @enumerate 1
28639 @item
28640 It has been proven in practice (it is already on its second generation).
28641
28642 @item
28643 It will shorten development time (needless to say how important it is
28644 now).
28645 @end enumerate
28646
28647 The original interface was designed to be used by Tcl code, so it was
28648 slightly changed so it could be used through @sc{gdb/mi}. This section
28649 describes the @sc{gdb/mi} operations that will be available and gives some
28650 hints about their use.
28651
28652 @emph{Note}: In addition to the set of operations described here, we
28653 expect the @sc{gui} implementation of a variable window to require, at
28654 least, the following operations:
28655
28656 @itemize @bullet
28657 @item @code{-gdb-show} @code{output-radix}
28658 @item @code{-stack-list-arguments}
28659 @item @code{-stack-list-locals}
28660 @item @code{-stack-select-frame}
28661 @end itemize
28662
28663 @end ignore
28664
28665 @subheading Introduction to Variable Objects
28666
28667 @cindex variable objects in @sc{gdb/mi}
28668
28669 Variable objects are "object-oriented" MI interface for examining and
28670 changing values of expressions. Unlike some other MI interfaces that
28671 work with expressions, variable objects are specifically designed for
28672 simple and efficient presentation in the frontend. A variable object
28673 is identified by string name. When a variable object is created, the
28674 frontend specifies the expression for that variable object. The
28675 expression can be a simple variable, or it can be an arbitrary complex
28676 expression, and can even involve CPU registers. After creating a
28677 variable object, the frontend can invoke other variable object
28678 operations---for example to obtain or change the value of a variable
28679 object, or to change display format.
28680
28681 Variable objects have hierarchical tree structure. Any variable object
28682 that corresponds to a composite type, such as structure in C, has
28683 a number of child variable objects, for example corresponding to each
28684 element of a structure. A child variable object can itself have
28685 children, recursively. Recursion ends when we reach
28686 leaf variable objects, which always have built-in types. Child variable
28687 objects are created only by explicit request, so if a frontend
28688 is not interested in the children of a particular variable object, no
28689 child will be created.
28690
28691 For a leaf variable object it is possible to obtain its value as a
28692 string, or set the value from a string. String value can be also
28693 obtained for a non-leaf variable object, but it's generally a string
28694 that only indicates the type of the object, and does not list its
28695 contents. Assignment to a non-leaf variable object is not allowed.
28696
28697 A frontend does not need to read the values of all variable objects each time
28698 the program stops. Instead, MI provides an update command that lists all
28699 variable objects whose values has changed since the last update
28700 operation. This considerably reduces the amount of data that must
28701 be transferred to the frontend. As noted above, children variable
28702 objects are created on demand, and only leaf variable objects have a
28703 real value. As result, gdb will read target memory only for leaf
28704 variables that frontend has created.
28705
28706 The automatic update is not always desirable. For example, a frontend
28707 might want to keep a value of some expression for future reference,
28708 and never update it. For another example, fetching memory is
28709 relatively slow for embedded targets, so a frontend might want
28710 to disable automatic update for the variables that are either not
28711 visible on the screen, or ``closed''. This is possible using so
28712 called ``frozen variable objects''. Such variable objects are never
28713 implicitly updated.
28714
28715 Variable objects can be either @dfn{fixed} or @dfn{floating}. For the
28716 fixed variable object, the expression is parsed when the variable
28717 object is created, including associating identifiers to specific
28718 variables. The meaning of expression never changes. For a floating
28719 variable object the values of variables whose names appear in the
28720 expressions are re-evaluated every time in the context of the current
28721 frame. Consider this example:
28722
28723 @smallexample
28724 void do_work(...)
28725 @{
28726 struct work_state state;
28727
28728 if (...)
28729 do_work(...);
28730 @}
28731 @end smallexample
28732
28733 If a fixed variable object for the @code{state} variable is created in
28734 this function, and we enter the recursive call, the variable
28735 object will report the value of @code{state} in the top-level
28736 @code{do_work} invocation. On the other hand, a floating variable
28737 object will report the value of @code{state} in the current frame.
28738
28739 If an expression specified when creating a fixed variable object
28740 refers to a local variable, the variable object becomes bound to the
28741 thread and frame in which the variable object is created. When such
28742 variable object is updated, @value{GDBN} makes sure that the
28743 thread/frame combination the variable object is bound to still exists,
28744 and re-evaluates the variable object in context of that thread/frame.
28745
28746 The following is the complete set of @sc{gdb/mi} operations defined to
28747 access this functionality:
28748
28749 @multitable @columnfractions .4 .6
28750 @item @strong{Operation}
28751 @tab @strong{Description}
28752
28753 @item @code{-enable-pretty-printing}
28754 @tab enable Python-based pretty-printing
28755 @item @code{-var-create}
28756 @tab create a variable object
28757 @item @code{-var-delete}
28758 @tab delete the variable object and/or its children
28759 @item @code{-var-set-format}
28760 @tab set the display format of this variable
28761 @item @code{-var-show-format}
28762 @tab show the display format of this variable
28763 @item @code{-var-info-num-children}
28764 @tab tells how many children this object has
28765 @item @code{-var-list-children}
28766 @tab return a list of the object's children
28767 @item @code{-var-info-type}
28768 @tab show the type of this variable object
28769 @item @code{-var-info-expression}
28770 @tab print parent-relative expression that this variable object represents
28771 @item @code{-var-info-path-expression}
28772 @tab print full expression that this variable object represents
28773 @item @code{-var-show-attributes}
28774 @tab is this variable editable? does it exist here?
28775 @item @code{-var-evaluate-expression}
28776 @tab get the value of this variable
28777 @item @code{-var-assign}
28778 @tab set the value of this variable
28779 @item @code{-var-update}
28780 @tab update the variable and its children
28781 @item @code{-var-set-frozen}
28782 @tab set frozeness attribute
28783 @item @code{-var-set-update-range}
28784 @tab set range of children to display on update
28785 @end multitable
28786
28787 In the next subsection we describe each operation in detail and suggest
28788 how it can be used.
28789
28790 @subheading Description And Use of Operations on Variable Objects
28791
28792 @subheading The @code{-enable-pretty-printing} Command
28793 @findex -enable-pretty-printing
28794
28795 @smallexample
28796 -enable-pretty-printing
28797 @end smallexample
28798
28799 @value{GDBN} allows Python-based visualizers to affect the output of the
28800 MI variable object commands. However, because there was no way to
28801 implement this in a fully backward-compatible way, a front end must
28802 request that this functionality be enabled.
28803
28804 Once enabled, this feature cannot be disabled.
28805
28806 Note that if Python support has not been compiled into @value{GDBN},
28807 this command will still succeed (and do nothing).
28808
28809 This feature is currently (as of @value{GDBN} 7.0) experimental, and
28810 may work differently in future versions of @value{GDBN}.
28811
28812 @subheading The @code{-var-create} Command
28813 @findex -var-create
28814
28815 @subsubheading Synopsis
28816
28817 @smallexample
28818 -var-create @{@var{name} | "-"@}
28819 @{@var{frame-addr} | "*" | "@@"@} @var{expression}
28820 @end smallexample
28821
28822 This operation creates a variable object, which allows the monitoring of
28823 a variable, the result of an expression, a memory cell or a CPU
28824 register.
28825
28826 The @var{name} parameter is the string by which the object can be
28827 referenced. It must be unique. If @samp{-} is specified, the varobj
28828 system will generate a string ``varNNNNNN'' automatically. It will be
28829 unique provided that one does not specify @var{name} of that format.
28830 The command fails if a duplicate name is found.
28831
28832 The frame under which the expression should be evaluated can be
28833 specified by @var{frame-addr}. A @samp{*} indicates that the current
28834 frame should be used. A @samp{@@} indicates that a floating variable
28835 object must be created.
28836
28837 @var{expression} is any expression valid on the current language set (must not
28838 begin with a @samp{*}), or one of the following:
28839
28840 @itemize @bullet
28841 @item
28842 @samp{*@var{addr}}, where @var{addr} is the address of a memory cell
28843
28844 @item
28845 @samp{*@var{addr}-@var{addr}} --- a memory address range (TBD)
28846
28847 @item
28848 @samp{$@var{regname}} --- a CPU register name
28849 @end itemize
28850
28851 @cindex dynamic varobj
28852 A varobj's contents may be provided by a Python-based pretty-printer. In this
28853 case the varobj is known as a @dfn{dynamic varobj}. Dynamic varobjs
28854 have slightly different semantics in some cases. If the
28855 @code{-enable-pretty-printing} command is not sent, then @value{GDBN}
28856 will never create a dynamic varobj. This ensures backward
28857 compatibility for existing clients.
28858
28859 @subsubheading Result
28860
28861 This operation returns attributes of the newly-created varobj. These
28862 are:
28863
28864 @table @samp
28865 @item name
28866 The name of the varobj.
28867
28868 @item numchild
28869 The number of children of the varobj. This number is not necessarily
28870 reliable for a dynamic varobj. Instead, you must examine the
28871 @samp{has_more} attribute.
28872
28873 @item value
28874 The varobj's scalar value. For a varobj whose type is some sort of
28875 aggregate (e.g., a @code{struct}), or for a dynamic varobj, this value
28876 will not be interesting.
28877
28878 @item type
28879 The varobj's type. This is a string representation of the type, as
28880 would be printed by the @value{GDBN} CLI.
28881
28882 @item thread-id
28883 If a variable object is bound to a specific thread, then this is the
28884 thread's identifier.
28885
28886 @item has_more
28887 For a dynamic varobj, this indicates whether there appear to be any
28888 children available. For a non-dynamic varobj, this will be 0.
28889
28890 @item dynamic
28891 This attribute will be present and have the value @samp{1} if the
28892 varobj is a dynamic varobj. If the varobj is not a dynamic varobj,
28893 then this attribute will not be present.
28894
28895 @item displayhint
28896 A dynamic varobj can supply a display hint to the front end. The
28897 value comes directly from the Python pretty-printer object's
28898 @code{display_hint} method. @xref{Pretty Printing API}.
28899 @end table
28900
28901 Typical output will look like this:
28902
28903 @smallexample
28904 name="@var{name}",numchild="@var{N}",type="@var{type}",thread-id="@var{M}",
28905 has_more="@var{has_more}"
28906 @end smallexample
28907
28908
28909 @subheading The @code{-var-delete} Command
28910 @findex -var-delete
28911
28912 @subsubheading Synopsis
28913
28914 @smallexample
28915 -var-delete [ -c ] @var{name}
28916 @end smallexample
28917
28918 Deletes a previously created variable object and all of its children.
28919 With the @samp{-c} option, just deletes the children.
28920
28921 Returns an error if the object @var{name} is not found.
28922
28923
28924 @subheading The @code{-var-set-format} Command
28925 @findex -var-set-format
28926
28927 @subsubheading Synopsis
28928
28929 @smallexample
28930 -var-set-format @var{name} @var{format-spec}
28931 @end smallexample
28932
28933 Sets the output format for the value of the object @var{name} to be
28934 @var{format-spec}.
28935
28936 @anchor{-var-set-format}
28937 The syntax for the @var{format-spec} is as follows:
28938
28939 @smallexample
28940 @var{format-spec} @expansion{}
28941 @{binary | decimal | hexadecimal | octal | natural@}
28942 @end smallexample
28943
28944 The natural format is the default format choosen automatically
28945 based on the variable type (like decimal for an @code{int}, hex
28946 for pointers, etc.).
28947
28948 For a variable with children, the format is set only on the
28949 variable itself, and the children are not affected.
28950
28951 @subheading The @code{-var-show-format} Command
28952 @findex -var-show-format
28953
28954 @subsubheading Synopsis
28955
28956 @smallexample
28957 -var-show-format @var{name}
28958 @end smallexample
28959
28960 Returns the format used to display the value of the object @var{name}.
28961
28962 @smallexample
28963 @var{format} @expansion{}
28964 @var{format-spec}
28965 @end smallexample
28966
28967
28968 @subheading The @code{-var-info-num-children} Command
28969 @findex -var-info-num-children
28970
28971 @subsubheading Synopsis
28972
28973 @smallexample
28974 -var-info-num-children @var{name}
28975 @end smallexample
28976
28977 Returns the number of children of a variable object @var{name}:
28978
28979 @smallexample
28980 numchild=@var{n}
28981 @end smallexample
28982
28983 Note that this number is not completely reliable for a dynamic varobj.
28984 It will return the current number of children, but more children may
28985 be available.
28986
28987
28988 @subheading The @code{-var-list-children} Command
28989 @findex -var-list-children
28990
28991 @subsubheading Synopsis
28992
28993 @smallexample
28994 -var-list-children [@var{print-values}] @var{name} [@var{from} @var{to}]
28995 @end smallexample
28996 @anchor{-var-list-children}
28997
28998 Return a list of the children of the specified variable object and
28999 create variable objects for them, if they do not already exist. With
29000 a single argument or if @var{print-values} has a value of 0 or
29001 @code{--no-values}, print only the names of the variables; if
29002 @var{print-values} is 1 or @code{--all-values}, also print their
29003 values; and if it is 2 or @code{--simple-values} print the name and
29004 value for simple data types and just the name for arrays, structures
29005 and unions.
29006
29007 @var{from} and @var{to}, if specified, indicate the range of children
29008 to report. If @var{from} or @var{to} is less than zero, the range is
29009 reset and all children will be reported. Otherwise, children starting
29010 at @var{from} (zero-based) and up to and excluding @var{to} will be
29011 reported.
29012
29013 If a child range is requested, it will only affect the current call to
29014 @code{-var-list-children}, but not future calls to @code{-var-update}.
29015 For this, you must instead use @code{-var-set-update-range}. The
29016 intent of this approach is to enable a front end to implement any
29017 update approach it likes; for example, scrolling a view may cause the
29018 front end to request more children with @code{-var-list-children}, and
29019 then the front end could call @code{-var-set-update-range} with a
29020 different range to ensure that future updates are restricted to just
29021 the visible items.
29022
29023 For each child the following results are returned:
29024
29025 @table @var
29026
29027 @item name
29028 Name of the variable object created for this child.
29029
29030 @item exp
29031 The expression to be shown to the user by the front end to designate this child.
29032 For example this may be the name of a structure member.
29033
29034 For a dynamic varobj, this value cannot be used to form an
29035 expression. There is no way to do this at all with a dynamic varobj.
29036
29037 For C/C@t{++} structures there are several pseudo children returned to
29038 designate access qualifiers. For these pseudo children @var{exp} is
29039 @samp{public}, @samp{private}, or @samp{protected}. In this case the
29040 type and value are not present.
29041
29042 A dynamic varobj will not report the access qualifying
29043 pseudo-children, regardless of the language. This information is not
29044 available at all with a dynamic varobj.
29045
29046 @item numchild
29047 Number of children this child has. For a dynamic varobj, this will be
29048 0.
29049
29050 @item type
29051 The type of the child.
29052
29053 @item value
29054 If values were requested, this is the value.
29055
29056 @item thread-id
29057 If this variable object is associated with a thread, this is the thread id.
29058 Otherwise this result is not present.
29059
29060 @item frozen
29061 If the variable object is frozen, this variable will be present with a value of 1.
29062 @end table
29063
29064 The result may have its own attributes:
29065
29066 @table @samp
29067 @item displayhint
29068 A dynamic varobj can supply a display hint to the front end. The
29069 value comes directly from the Python pretty-printer object's
29070 @code{display_hint} method. @xref{Pretty Printing API}.
29071
29072 @item has_more
29073 This is an integer attribute which is nonzero if there are children
29074 remaining after the end of the selected range.
29075 @end table
29076
29077 @subsubheading Example
29078
29079 @smallexample
29080 (gdb)
29081 -var-list-children n
29082 ^done,numchild=@var{n},children=[child=@{name=@var{name},exp=@var{exp},
29083 numchild=@var{n},type=@var{type}@},@r{(repeats N times)}]
29084 (gdb)
29085 -var-list-children --all-values n
29086 ^done,numchild=@var{n},children=[child=@{name=@var{name},exp=@var{exp},
29087 numchild=@var{n},value=@var{value},type=@var{type}@},@r{(repeats N times)}]
29088 @end smallexample
29089
29090
29091 @subheading The @code{-var-info-type} Command
29092 @findex -var-info-type
29093
29094 @subsubheading Synopsis
29095
29096 @smallexample
29097 -var-info-type @var{name}
29098 @end smallexample
29099
29100 Returns the type of the specified variable @var{name}. The type is
29101 returned as a string in the same format as it is output by the
29102 @value{GDBN} CLI:
29103
29104 @smallexample
29105 type=@var{typename}
29106 @end smallexample
29107
29108
29109 @subheading The @code{-var-info-expression} Command
29110 @findex -var-info-expression
29111
29112 @subsubheading Synopsis
29113
29114 @smallexample
29115 -var-info-expression @var{name}
29116 @end smallexample
29117
29118 Returns a string that is suitable for presenting this
29119 variable object in user interface. The string is generally
29120 not valid expression in the current language, and cannot be evaluated.
29121
29122 For example, if @code{a} is an array, and variable object
29123 @code{A} was created for @code{a}, then we'll get this output:
29124
29125 @smallexample
29126 (gdb) -var-info-expression A.1
29127 ^done,lang="C",exp="1"
29128 @end smallexample
29129
29130 @noindent
29131 Here, the values of @code{lang} can be @code{@{"C" | "C++" | "Java"@}}.
29132
29133 Note that the output of the @code{-var-list-children} command also
29134 includes those expressions, so the @code{-var-info-expression} command
29135 is of limited use.
29136
29137 @subheading The @code{-var-info-path-expression} Command
29138 @findex -var-info-path-expression
29139
29140 @subsubheading Synopsis
29141
29142 @smallexample
29143 -var-info-path-expression @var{name}
29144 @end smallexample
29145
29146 Returns an expression that can be evaluated in the current
29147 context and will yield the same value that a variable object has.
29148 Compare this with the @code{-var-info-expression} command, which
29149 result can be used only for UI presentation. Typical use of
29150 the @code{-var-info-path-expression} command is creating a
29151 watchpoint from a variable object.
29152
29153 This command is currently not valid for children of a dynamic varobj,
29154 and will give an error when invoked on one.
29155
29156 For example, suppose @code{C} is a C@t{++} class, derived from class
29157 @code{Base}, and that the @code{Base} class has a member called
29158 @code{m_size}. Assume a variable @code{c} is has the type of
29159 @code{C} and a variable object @code{C} was created for variable
29160 @code{c}. Then, we'll get this output:
29161 @smallexample
29162 (gdb) -var-info-path-expression C.Base.public.m_size
29163 ^done,path_expr=((Base)c).m_size)
29164 @end smallexample
29165
29166 @subheading The @code{-var-show-attributes} Command
29167 @findex -var-show-attributes
29168
29169 @subsubheading Synopsis
29170
29171 @smallexample
29172 -var-show-attributes @var{name}
29173 @end smallexample
29174
29175 List attributes of the specified variable object @var{name}:
29176
29177 @smallexample
29178 status=@var{attr} [ ( ,@var{attr} )* ]
29179 @end smallexample
29180
29181 @noindent
29182 where @var{attr} is @code{@{ @{ editable | noneditable @} | TBD @}}.
29183
29184 @subheading The @code{-var-evaluate-expression} Command
29185 @findex -var-evaluate-expression
29186
29187 @subsubheading Synopsis
29188
29189 @smallexample
29190 -var-evaluate-expression [-f @var{format-spec}] @var{name}
29191 @end smallexample
29192
29193 Evaluates the expression that is represented by the specified variable
29194 object and returns its value as a string. The format of the string
29195 can be specified with the @samp{-f} option. The possible values of
29196 this option are the same as for @code{-var-set-format}
29197 (@pxref{-var-set-format}). If the @samp{-f} option is not specified,
29198 the current display format will be used. The current display format
29199 can be changed using the @code{-var-set-format} command.
29200
29201 @smallexample
29202 value=@var{value}
29203 @end smallexample
29204
29205 Note that one must invoke @code{-var-list-children} for a variable
29206 before the value of a child variable can be evaluated.
29207
29208 @subheading The @code{-var-assign} Command
29209 @findex -var-assign
29210
29211 @subsubheading Synopsis
29212
29213 @smallexample
29214 -var-assign @var{name} @var{expression}
29215 @end smallexample
29216
29217 Assigns the value of @var{expression} to the variable object specified
29218 by @var{name}. The object must be @samp{editable}. If the variable's
29219 value is altered by the assign, the variable will show up in any
29220 subsequent @code{-var-update} list.
29221
29222 @subsubheading Example
29223
29224 @smallexample
29225 (gdb)
29226 -var-assign var1 3
29227 ^done,value="3"
29228 (gdb)
29229 -var-update *
29230 ^done,changelist=[@{name="var1",in_scope="true",type_changed="false"@}]
29231 (gdb)
29232 @end smallexample
29233
29234 @subheading The @code{-var-update} Command
29235 @findex -var-update
29236
29237 @subsubheading Synopsis
29238
29239 @smallexample
29240 -var-update [@var{print-values}] @{@var{name} | "*"@}
29241 @end smallexample
29242
29243 Reevaluate the expressions corresponding to the variable object
29244 @var{name} and all its direct and indirect children, and return the
29245 list of variable objects whose values have changed; @var{name} must
29246 be a root variable object. Here, ``changed'' means that the result of
29247 @code{-var-evaluate-expression} before and after the
29248 @code{-var-update} is different. If @samp{*} is used as the variable
29249 object names, all existing variable objects are updated, except
29250 for frozen ones (@pxref{-var-set-frozen}). The option
29251 @var{print-values} determines whether both names and values, or just
29252 names are printed. The possible values of this option are the same
29253 as for @code{-var-list-children} (@pxref{-var-list-children}). It is
29254 recommended to use the @samp{--all-values} option, to reduce the
29255 number of MI commands needed on each program stop.
29256
29257 With the @samp{*} parameter, if a variable object is bound to a
29258 currently running thread, it will not be updated, without any
29259 diagnostic.
29260
29261 If @code{-var-set-update-range} was previously used on a varobj, then
29262 only the selected range of children will be reported.
29263
29264 @code{-var-update} reports all the changed varobjs in a tuple named
29265 @samp{changelist}.
29266
29267 Each item in the change list is itself a tuple holding:
29268
29269 @table @samp
29270 @item name
29271 The name of the varobj.
29272
29273 @item value
29274 If values were requested for this update, then this field will be
29275 present and will hold the value of the varobj.
29276
29277 @item in_scope
29278 @anchor{-var-update}
29279 This field is a string which may take one of three values:
29280
29281 @table @code
29282 @item "true"
29283 The variable object's current value is valid.
29284
29285 @item "false"
29286 The variable object does not currently hold a valid value but it may
29287 hold one in the future if its associated expression comes back into
29288 scope.
29289
29290 @item "invalid"
29291 The variable object no longer holds a valid value.
29292 This can occur when the executable file being debugged has changed,
29293 either through recompilation or by using the @value{GDBN} @code{file}
29294 command. The front end should normally choose to delete these variable
29295 objects.
29296 @end table
29297
29298 In the future new values may be added to this list so the front should
29299 be prepared for this possibility. @xref{GDB/MI Development and Front Ends, ,@sc{GDB/MI} Development and Front Ends}.
29300
29301 @item type_changed
29302 This is only present if the varobj is still valid. If the type
29303 changed, then this will be the string @samp{true}; otherwise it will
29304 be @samp{false}.
29305
29306 @item new_type
29307 If the varobj's type changed, then this field will be present and will
29308 hold the new type.
29309
29310 @item new_num_children
29311 For a dynamic varobj, if the number of children changed, or if the
29312 type changed, this will be the new number of children.
29313
29314 The @samp{numchild} field in other varobj responses is generally not
29315 valid for a dynamic varobj -- it will show the number of children that
29316 @value{GDBN} knows about, but because dynamic varobjs lazily
29317 instantiate their children, this will not reflect the number of
29318 children which may be available.
29319
29320 The @samp{new_num_children} attribute only reports changes to the
29321 number of children known by @value{GDBN}. This is the only way to
29322 detect whether an update has removed children (which necessarily can
29323 only happen at the end of the update range).
29324
29325 @item displayhint
29326 The display hint, if any.
29327
29328 @item has_more
29329 This is an integer value, which will be 1 if there are more children
29330 available outside the varobj's update range.
29331
29332 @item dynamic
29333 This attribute will be present and have the value @samp{1} if the
29334 varobj is a dynamic varobj. If the varobj is not a dynamic varobj,
29335 then this attribute will not be present.
29336
29337 @item new_children
29338 If new children were added to a dynamic varobj within the selected
29339 update range (as set by @code{-var-set-update-range}), then they will
29340 be listed in this attribute.
29341 @end table
29342
29343 @subsubheading Example
29344
29345 @smallexample
29346 (gdb)
29347 -var-assign var1 3
29348 ^done,value="3"
29349 (gdb)
29350 -var-update --all-values var1
29351 ^done,changelist=[@{name="var1",value="3",in_scope="true",
29352 type_changed="false"@}]
29353 (gdb)
29354 @end smallexample
29355
29356 @subheading The @code{-var-set-frozen} Command
29357 @findex -var-set-frozen
29358 @anchor{-var-set-frozen}
29359
29360 @subsubheading Synopsis
29361
29362 @smallexample
29363 -var-set-frozen @var{name} @var{flag}
29364 @end smallexample
29365
29366 Set the frozenness flag on the variable object @var{name}. The
29367 @var{flag} parameter should be either @samp{1} to make the variable
29368 frozen or @samp{0} to make it unfrozen. If a variable object is
29369 frozen, then neither itself, nor any of its children, are
29370 implicitly updated by @code{-var-update} of
29371 a parent variable or by @code{-var-update *}. Only
29372 @code{-var-update} of the variable itself will update its value and
29373 values of its children. After a variable object is unfrozen, it is
29374 implicitly updated by all subsequent @code{-var-update} operations.
29375 Unfreezing a variable does not update it, only subsequent
29376 @code{-var-update} does.
29377
29378 @subsubheading Example
29379
29380 @smallexample
29381 (gdb)
29382 -var-set-frozen V 1
29383 ^done
29384 (gdb)
29385 @end smallexample
29386
29387 @subheading The @code{-var-set-update-range} command
29388 @findex -var-set-update-range
29389 @anchor{-var-set-update-range}
29390
29391 @subsubheading Synopsis
29392
29393 @smallexample
29394 -var-set-update-range @var{name} @var{from} @var{to}
29395 @end smallexample
29396
29397 Set the range of children to be returned by future invocations of
29398 @code{-var-update}.
29399
29400 @var{from} and @var{to} indicate the range of children to report. If
29401 @var{from} or @var{to} is less than zero, the range is reset and all
29402 children will be reported. Otherwise, children starting at @var{from}
29403 (zero-based) and up to and excluding @var{to} will be reported.
29404
29405 @subsubheading Example
29406
29407 @smallexample
29408 (gdb)
29409 -var-set-update-range V 1 2
29410 ^done
29411 @end smallexample
29412
29413 @subheading The @code{-var-set-visualizer} command
29414 @findex -var-set-visualizer
29415 @anchor{-var-set-visualizer}
29416
29417 @subsubheading Synopsis
29418
29419 @smallexample
29420 -var-set-visualizer @var{name} @var{visualizer}
29421 @end smallexample
29422
29423 Set a visualizer for the variable object @var{name}.
29424
29425 @var{visualizer} is the visualizer to use. The special value
29426 @samp{None} means to disable any visualizer in use.
29427
29428 If not @samp{None}, @var{visualizer} must be a Python expression.
29429 This expression must evaluate to a callable object which accepts a
29430 single argument. @value{GDBN} will call this object with the value of
29431 the varobj @var{name} as an argument (this is done so that the same
29432 Python pretty-printing code can be used for both the CLI and MI).
29433 When called, this object must return an object which conforms to the
29434 pretty-printing interface (@pxref{Pretty Printing API}).
29435
29436 The pre-defined function @code{gdb.default_visualizer} may be used to
29437 select a visualizer by following the built-in process
29438 (@pxref{Selecting Pretty-Printers}). This is done automatically when
29439 a varobj is created, and so ordinarily is not needed.
29440
29441 This feature is only available if Python support is enabled. The MI
29442 command @code{-list-features} (@pxref{GDB/MI Miscellaneous Commands})
29443 can be used to check this.
29444
29445 @subsubheading Example
29446
29447 Resetting the visualizer:
29448
29449 @smallexample
29450 (gdb)
29451 -var-set-visualizer V None
29452 ^done
29453 @end smallexample
29454
29455 Reselecting the default (type-based) visualizer:
29456
29457 @smallexample
29458 (gdb)
29459 -var-set-visualizer V gdb.default_visualizer
29460 ^done
29461 @end smallexample
29462
29463 Suppose @code{SomeClass} is a visualizer class. A lambda expression
29464 can be used to instantiate this class for a varobj:
29465
29466 @smallexample
29467 (gdb)
29468 -var-set-visualizer V "lambda val: SomeClass()"
29469 ^done
29470 @end smallexample
29471
29472 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
29473 @node GDB/MI Data Manipulation
29474 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Data Manipulation
29475
29476 @cindex data manipulation, in @sc{gdb/mi}
29477 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, data manipulation
29478 This section describes the @sc{gdb/mi} commands that manipulate data:
29479 examine memory and registers, evaluate expressions, etc.
29480
29481 @c REMOVED FROM THE INTERFACE.
29482 @c @subheading -data-assign
29483 @c Change the value of a program variable. Plenty of side effects.
29484 @c @subsubheading GDB Command
29485 @c set variable
29486 @c @subsubheading Example
29487 @c N.A.
29488
29489 @subheading The @code{-data-disassemble} Command
29490 @findex -data-disassemble
29491
29492 @subsubheading Synopsis
29493
29494 @smallexample
29495 -data-disassemble
29496 [ -s @var{start-addr} -e @var{end-addr} ]
29497 | [ -f @var{filename} -l @var{linenum} [ -n @var{lines} ] ]
29498 -- @var{mode}
29499 @end smallexample
29500
29501 @noindent
29502 Where:
29503
29504 @table @samp
29505 @item @var{start-addr}
29506 is the beginning address (or @code{$pc})
29507 @item @var{end-addr}
29508 is the end address
29509 @item @var{filename}
29510 is the name of the file to disassemble
29511 @item @var{linenum}
29512 is the line number to disassemble around
29513 @item @var{lines}
29514 is the number of disassembly lines to be produced. If it is -1,
29515 the whole function will be disassembled, in case no @var{end-addr} is
29516 specified. If @var{end-addr} is specified as a non-zero value, and
29517 @var{lines} is lower than the number of disassembly lines between
29518 @var{start-addr} and @var{end-addr}, only @var{lines} lines are
29519 displayed; if @var{lines} is higher than the number of lines between
29520 @var{start-addr} and @var{end-addr}, only the lines up to @var{end-addr}
29521 are displayed.
29522 @item @var{mode}
29523 is either 0 (meaning only disassembly), 1 (meaning mixed source and
29524 disassembly), 2 (meaning disassembly with raw opcodes), or 3 (meaning
29525 mixed source and disassembly with raw opcodes).
29526 @end table
29527
29528 @subsubheading Result
29529
29530 The output for each instruction is composed of four fields:
29531
29532 @itemize @bullet
29533 @item Address
29534 @item Func-name
29535 @item Offset
29536 @item Instruction
29537 @end itemize
29538
29539 Note that whatever included in the instruction field, is not manipulated
29540 directly by @sc{gdb/mi}, i.e., it is not possible to adjust its format.
29541
29542 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29543
29544 There's no direct mapping from this command to the CLI.
29545
29546 @subsubheading Example
29547
29548 Disassemble from the current value of @code{$pc} to @code{$pc + 20}:
29549
29550 @smallexample
29551 (gdb)
29552 -data-disassemble -s $pc -e "$pc + 20" -- 0
29553 ^done,
29554 asm_insns=[
29555 @{address="0x000107c0",func-name="main",offset="4",
29556 inst="mov 2, %o0"@},
29557 @{address="0x000107c4",func-name="main",offset="8",
29558 inst="sethi %hi(0x11800), %o2"@},
29559 @{address="0x000107c8",func-name="main",offset="12",
29560 inst="or %o2, 0x140, %o1\t! 0x11940 <_lib_version+8>"@},
29561 @{address="0x000107cc",func-name="main",offset="16",
29562 inst="sethi %hi(0x11800), %o2"@},
29563 @{address="0x000107d0",func-name="main",offset="20",
29564 inst="or %o2, 0x168, %o4\t! 0x11968 <_lib_version+48>"@}]
29565 (gdb)
29566 @end smallexample
29567
29568 Disassemble the whole @code{main} function. Line 32 is part of
29569 @code{main}.
29570
29571 @smallexample
29572 -data-disassemble -f basics.c -l 32 -- 0
29573 ^done,asm_insns=[
29574 @{address="0x000107bc",func-name="main",offset="0",
29575 inst="save %sp, -112, %sp"@},
29576 @{address="0x000107c0",func-name="main",offset="4",
29577 inst="mov 2, %o0"@},
29578 @{address="0x000107c4",func-name="main",offset="8",
29579 inst="sethi %hi(0x11800), %o2"@},
29580 [@dots{}]
29581 @{address="0x0001081c",func-name="main",offset="96",inst="ret "@},
29582 @{address="0x00010820",func-name="main",offset="100",inst="restore "@}]
29583 (gdb)
29584 @end smallexample
29585
29586 Disassemble 3 instructions from the start of @code{main}:
29587
29588 @smallexample
29589 (gdb)
29590 -data-disassemble -f basics.c -l 32 -n 3 -- 0
29591 ^done,asm_insns=[
29592 @{address="0x000107bc",func-name="main",offset="0",
29593 inst="save %sp, -112, %sp"@},
29594 @{address="0x000107c0",func-name="main",offset="4",
29595 inst="mov 2, %o0"@},
29596 @{address="0x000107c4",func-name="main",offset="8",
29597 inst="sethi %hi(0x11800), %o2"@}]
29598 (gdb)
29599 @end smallexample
29600
29601 Disassemble 3 instructions from the start of @code{main} in mixed mode:
29602
29603 @smallexample
29604 (gdb)
29605 -data-disassemble -f basics.c -l 32 -n 3 -- 1
29606 ^done,asm_insns=[
29607 src_and_asm_line=@{line="31",
29608 file="/kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb/ \
29609 testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line_asm_insn=[
29610 @{address="0x000107bc",func-name="main",offset="0",
29611 inst="save %sp, -112, %sp"@}]@},
29612 src_and_asm_line=@{line="32",
29613 file="/kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb/ \
29614 testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line_asm_insn=[
29615 @{address="0x000107c0",func-name="main",offset="4",
29616 inst="mov 2, %o0"@},
29617 @{address="0x000107c4",func-name="main",offset="8",
29618 inst="sethi %hi(0x11800), %o2"@}]@}]
29619 (gdb)
29620 @end smallexample
29621
29622
29623 @subheading The @code{-data-evaluate-expression} Command
29624 @findex -data-evaluate-expression
29625
29626 @subsubheading Synopsis
29627
29628 @smallexample
29629 -data-evaluate-expression @var{expr}
29630 @end smallexample
29631
29632 Evaluate @var{expr} as an expression. The expression could contain an
29633 inferior function call. The function call will execute synchronously.
29634 If the expression contains spaces, it must be enclosed in double quotes.
29635
29636 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29637
29638 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{print}, @samp{output}, and
29639 @samp{call}. In @code{gdbtk} only, there's a corresponding
29640 @samp{gdb_eval} command.
29641
29642 @subsubheading Example
29643
29644 In the following example, the numbers that precede the commands are the
29645 @dfn{tokens} described in @ref{GDB/MI Command Syntax, ,@sc{gdb/mi}
29646 Command Syntax}. Notice how @sc{gdb/mi} returns the same tokens in its
29647 output.
29648
29649 @smallexample
29650 211-data-evaluate-expression A
29651 211^done,value="1"
29652 (gdb)
29653 311-data-evaluate-expression &A
29654 311^done,value="0xefffeb7c"
29655 (gdb)
29656 411-data-evaluate-expression A+3
29657 411^done,value="4"
29658 (gdb)
29659 511-data-evaluate-expression "A + 3"
29660 511^done,value="4"
29661 (gdb)
29662 @end smallexample
29663
29664
29665 @subheading The @code{-data-list-changed-registers} Command
29666 @findex -data-list-changed-registers
29667
29668 @subsubheading Synopsis
29669
29670 @smallexample
29671 -data-list-changed-registers
29672 @end smallexample
29673
29674 Display a list of the registers that have changed.
29675
29676 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29677
29678 @value{GDBN} doesn't have a direct analog for this command; @code{gdbtk}
29679 has the corresponding command @samp{gdb_changed_register_list}.
29680
29681 @subsubheading Example
29682
29683 On a PPC MBX board:
29684
29685 @smallexample
29686 (gdb)
29687 -exec-continue
29688 ^running
29689
29690 (gdb)
29691 *stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",bkptno="1",frame=@{
29692 func="main",args=[],file="try.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/try.c",
29693 line="5"@}
29694 (gdb)
29695 -data-list-changed-registers
29696 ^done,changed-registers=["0","1","2","4","5","6","7","8","9",
29697 "10","11","13","14","15","16","17","18","19","20","21","22","23",
29698 "24","25","26","27","28","30","31","64","65","66","67","69"]
29699 (gdb)
29700 @end smallexample
29701
29702
29703 @subheading The @code{-data-list-register-names} Command
29704 @findex -data-list-register-names
29705
29706 @subsubheading Synopsis
29707
29708 @smallexample
29709 -data-list-register-names [ ( @var{regno} )+ ]
29710 @end smallexample
29711
29712 Show a list of register names for the current target. If no arguments
29713 are given, it shows a list of the names of all the registers. If
29714 integer numbers are given as arguments, it will print a list of the
29715 names of the registers corresponding to the arguments. To ensure
29716 consistency between a register name and its number, the output list may
29717 include empty register names.
29718
29719 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29720
29721 @value{GDBN} does not have a command which corresponds to
29722 @samp{-data-list-register-names}. In @code{gdbtk} there is a
29723 corresponding command @samp{gdb_regnames}.
29724
29725 @subsubheading Example
29726
29727 For the PPC MBX board:
29728 @smallexample
29729 (gdb)
29730 -data-list-register-names
29731 ^done,register-names=["r0","r1","r2","r3","r4","r5","r6","r7",
29732 "r8","r9","r10","r11","r12","r13","r14","r15","r16","r17","r18",
29733 "r19","r20","r21","r22","r23","r24","r25","r26","r27","r28","r29",
29734 "r30","r31","f0","f1","f2","f3","f4","f5","f6","f7","f8","f9",
29735 "f10","f11","f12","f13","f14","f15","f16","f17","f18","f19","f20",
29736 "f21","f22","f23","f24","f25","f26","f27","f28","f29","f30","f31",
29737 "", "pc","ps","cr","lr","ctr","xer"]
29738 (gdb)
29739 -data-list-register-names 1 2 3
29740 ^done,register-names=["r1","r2","r3"]
29741 (gdb)
29742 @end smallexample
29743
29744 @subheading The @code{-data-list-register-values} Command
29745 @findex -data-list-register-values
29746
29747 @subsubheading Synopsis
29748
29749 @smallexample
29750 -data-list-register-values @var{fmt} [ ( @var{regno} )*]
29751 @end smallexample
29752
29753 Display the registers' contents. @var{fmt} is the format according to
29754 which the registers' contents are to be returned, followed by an optional
29755 list of numbers specifying the registers to display. A missing list of
29756 numbers indicates that the contents of all the registers must be returned.
29757
29758 Allowed formats for @var{fmt} are:
29759
29760 @table @code
29761 @item x
29762 Hexadecimal
29763 @item o
29764 Octal
29765 @item t
29766 Binary
29767 @item d
29768 Decimal
29769 @item r
29770 Raw
29771 @item N
29772 Natural
29773 @end table
29774
29775 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29776
29777 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{info reg}, @samp{info
29778 all-reg}, and (in @code{gdbtk}) @samp{gdb_fetch_registers}.
29779
29780 @subsubheading Example
29781
29782 For a PPC MBX board (note: line breaks are for readability only, they
29783 don't appear in the actual output):
29784
29785 @smallexample
29786 (gdb)
29787 -data-list-register-values r 64 65
29788 ^done,register-values=[@{number="64",value="0xfe00a300"@},
29789 @{number="65",value="0x00029002"@}]
29790 (gdb)
29791 -data-list-register-values x
29792 ^done,register-values=[@{number="0",value="0xfe0043c8"@},
29793 @{number="1",value="0x3fff88"@},@{number="2",value="0xfffffffe"@},
29794 @{number="3",value="0x0"@},@{number="4",value="0xa"@},
29795 @{number="5",value="0x3fff68"@},@{number="6",value="0x3fff58"@},
29796 @{number="7",value="0xfe011e98"@},@{number="8",value="0x2"@},
29797 @{number="9",value="0xfa202820"@},@{number="10",value="0xfa202808"@},
29798 @{number="11",value="0x1"@},@{number="12",value="0x0"@},
29799 @{number="13",value="0x4544"@},@{number="14",value="0xffdfffff"@},
29800 @{number="15",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="16",value="0xfffffeff"@},
29801 @{number="17",value="0xefffffed"@},@{number="18",value="0xfffffffe"@},
29802 @{number="19",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="20",value="0xffffffff"@},
29803 @{number="21",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="22",value="0xfffffff7"@},
29804 @{number="23",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="24",value="0xffffffff"@},
29805 @{number="25",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="26",value="0xfffffffb"@},
29806 @{number="27",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="28",value="0xf7bfffff"@},
29807 @{number="29",value="0x0"@},@{number="30",value="0xfe010000"@},
29808 @{number="31",value="0x0"@},@{number="32",value="0x0"@},
29809 @{number="33",value="0x0"@},@{number="34",value="0x0"@},
29810 @{number="35",value="0x0"@},@{number="36",value="0x0"@},
29811 @{number="37",value="0x0"@},@{number="38",value="0x0"@},
29812 @{number="39",value="0x0"@},@{number="40",value="0x0"@},
29813 @{number="41",value="0x0"@},@{number="42",value="0x0"@},
29814 @{number="43",value="0x0"@},@{number="44",value="0x0"@},
29815 @{number="45",value="0x0"@},@{number="46",value="0x0"@},
29816 @{number="47",value="0x0"@},@{number="48",value="0x0"@},
29817 @{number="49",value="0x0"@},@{number="50",value="0x0"@},
29818 @{number="51",value="0x0"@},@{number="52",value="0x0"@},
29819 @{number="53",value="0x0"@},@{number="54",value="0x0"@},
29820 @{number="55",value="0x0"@},@{number="56",value="0x0"@},
29821 @{number="57",value="0x0"@},@{number="58",value="0x0"@},
29822 @{number="59",value="0x0"@},@{number="60",value="0x0"@},
29823 @{number="61",value="0x0"@},@{number="62",value="0x0"@},
29824 @{number="63",value="0x0"@},@{number="64",value="0xfe00a300"@},
29825 @{number="65",value="0x29002"@},@{number="66",value="0x202f04b5"@},
29826 @{number="67",value="0xfe0043b0"@},@{number="68",value="0xfe00b3e4"@},
29827 @{number="69",value="0x20002b03"@}]
29828 (gdb)
29829 @end smallexample
29830
29831
29832 @subheading The @code{-data-read-memory} Command
29833 @findex -data-read-memory
29834
29835 This command is deprecated, use @code{-data-read-memory-bytes} instead.
29836
29837 @subsubheading Synopsis
29838
29839 @smallexample
29840 -data-read-memory [ -o @var{byte-offset} ]
29841 @var{address} @var{word-format} @var{word-size}
29842 @var{nr-rows} @var{nr-cols} [ @var{aschar} ]
29843 @end smallexample
29844
29845 @noindent
29846 where:
29847
29848 @table @samp
29849 @item @var{address}
29850 An expression specifying the address of the first memory word to be
29851 read. Complex expressions containing embedded white space should be
29852 quoted using the C convention.
29853
29854 @item @var{word-format}
29855 The format to be used to print the memory words. The notation is the
29856 same as for @value{GDBN}'s @code{print} command (@pxref{Output Formats,
29857 ,Output Formats}).
29858
29859 @item @var{word-size}
29860 The size of each memory word in bytes.
29861
29862 @item @var{nr-rows}
29863 The number of rows in the output table.
29864
29865 @item @var{nr-cols}
29866 The number of columns in the output table.
29867
29868 @item @var{aschar}
29869 If present, indicates that each row should include an @sc{ascii} dump. The
29870 value of @var{aschar} is used as a padding character when a byte is not a
29871 member of the printable @sc{ascii} character set (printable @sc{ascii}
29872 characters are those whose code is between 32 and 126, inclusively).
29873
29874 @item @var{byte-offset}
29875 An offset to add to the @var{address} before fetching memory.
29876 @end table
29877
29878 This command displays memory contents as a table of @var{nr-rows} by
29879 @var{nr-cols} words, each word being @var{word-size} bytes. In total,
29880 @code{@var{nr-rows} * @var{nr-cols} * @var{word-size}} bytes are read
29881 (returned as @samp{total-bytes}). Should less than the requested number
29882 of bytes be returned by the target, the missing words are identified
29883 using @samp{N/A}. The number of bytes read from the target is returned
29884 in @samp{nr-bytes} and the starting address used to read memory in
29885 @samp{addr}.
29886
29887 The address of the next/previous row or page is available in
29888 @samp{next-row} and @samp{prev-row}, @samp{next-page} and
29889 @samp{prev-page}.
29890
29891 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29892
29893 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{x}. @code{gdbtk} has
29894 @samp{gdb_get_mem} memory read command.
29895
29896 @subsubheading Example
29897
29898 Read six bytes of memory starting at @code{bytes+6} but then offset by
29899 @code{-6} bytes. Format as three rows of two columns. One byte per
29900 word. Display each word in hex.
29901
29902 @smallexample
29903 (gdb)
29904 9-data-read-memory -o -6 -- bytes+6 x 1 3 2
29905 9^done,addr="0x00001390",nr-bytes="6",total-bytes="6",
29906 next-row="0x00001396",prev-row="0x0000138e",next-page="0x00001396",
29907 prev-page="0x0000138a",memory=[
29908 @{addr="0x00001390",data=["0x00","0x01"]@},
29909 @{addr="0x00001392",data=["0x02","0x03"]@},
29910 @{addr="0x00001394",data=["0x04","0x05"]@}]
29911 (gdb)
29912 @end smallexample
29913
29914 Read two bytes of memory starting at address @code{shorts + 64} and
29915 display as a single word formatted in decimal.
29916
29917 @smallexample
29918 (gdb)
29919 5-data-read-memory shorts+64 d 2 1 1
29920 5^done,addr="0x00001510",nr-bytes="2",total-bytes="2",
29921 next-row="0x00001512",prev-row="0x0000150e",
29922 next-page="0x00001512",prev-page="0x0000150e",memory=[
29923 @{addr="0x00001510",data=["128"]@}]
29924 (gdb)
29925 @end smallexample
29926
29927 Read thirty two bytes of memory starting at @code{bytes+16} and format
29928 as eight rows of four columns. Include a string encoding with @samp{x}
29929 used as the non-printable character.
29930
29931 @smallexample
29932 (gdb)
29933 4-data-read-memory bytes+16 x 1 8 4 x
29934 4^done,addr="0x000013a0",nr-bytes="32",total-bytes="32",
29935 next-row="0x000013c0",prev-row="0x0000139c",
29936 next-page="0x000013c0",prev-page="0x00001380",memory=[
29937 @{addr="0x000013a0",data=["0x10","0x11","0x12","0x13"],ascii="xxxx"@},
29938 @{addr="0x000013a4",data=["0x14","0x15","0x16","0x17"],ascii="xxxx"@},
29939 @{addr="0x000013a8",data=["0x18","0x19","0x1a","0x1b"],ascii="xxxx"@},
29940 @{addr="0x000013ac",data=["0x1c","0x1d","0x1e","0x1f"],ascii="xxxx"@},
29941 @{addr="0x000013b0",data=["0x20","0x21","0x22","0x23"],ascii=" !\"#"@},
29942 @{addr="0x000013b4",data=["0x24","0x25","0x26","0x27"],ascii="$%&'"@},
29943 @{addr="0x000013b8",data=["0x28","0x29","0x2a","0x2b"],ascii="()*+"@},
29944 @{addr="0x000013bc",data=["0x2c","0x2d","0x2e","0x2f"],ascii=",-./"@}]
29945 (gdb)
29946 @end smallexample
29947
29948 @subheading The @code{-data-read-memory-bytes} Command
29949 @findex -data-read-memory-bytes
29950
29951 @subsubheading Synopsis
29952
29953 @smallexample
29954 -data-read-memory-bytes [ -o @var{byte-offset} ]
29955 @var{address} @var{count}
29956 @end smallexample
29957
29958 @noindent
29959 where:
29960
29961 @table @samp
29962 @item @var{address}
29963 An expression specifying the address of the first memory word to be
29964 read. Complex expressions containing embedded white space should be
29965 quoted using the C convention.
29966
29967 @item @var{count}
29968 The number of bytes to read. This should be an integer literal.
29969
29970 @item @var{byte-offset}
29971 The offsets in bytes relative to @var{address} at which to start
29972 reading. This should be an integer literal. This option is provided
29973 so that a frontend is not required to first evaluate address and then
29974 perform address arithmetics itself.
29975
29976 @end table
29977
29978 This command attempts to read all accessible memory regions in the
29979 specified range. First, all regions marked as unreadable in the memory
29980 map (if one is defined) will be skipped. @xref{Memory Region
29981 Attributes}. Second, @value{GDBN} will attempt to read the remaining
29982 regions. For each one, if reading full region results in an errors,
29983 @value{GDBN} will try to read a subset of the region.
29984
29985 In general, every single byte in the region may be readable or not,
29986 and the only way to read every readable byte is to try a read at
29987 every address, which is not practical. Therefore, @value{GDBN} will
29988 attempt to read all accessible bytes at either beginning or the end
29989 of the region, using a binary division scheme. This heuristic works
29990 well for reading accross a memory map boundary. Note that if a region
29991 has a readable range that is neither at the beginning or the end,
29992 @value{GDBN} will not read it.
29993
29994 The result record (@pxref{GDB/MI Result Records}) that is output of
29995 the command includes a field named @samp{memory} whose content is a
29996 list of tuples. Each tuple represent a successfully read memory block
29997 and has the following fields:
29998
29999 @table @code
30000 @item begin
30001 The start address of the memory block, as hexadecimal literal.
30002
30003 @item end
30004 The end address of the memory block, as hexadecimal literal.
30005
30006 @item offset
30007 The offset of the memory block, as hexadecimal literal, relative to
30008 the start address passed to @code{-data-read-memory-bytes}.
30009
30010 @item contents
30011 The contents of the memory block, in hex.
30012
30013 @end table
30014
30015
30016
30017 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30018
30019 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{x}.
30020
30021 @subsubheading Example
30022
30023 @smallexample
30024 (gdb)
30025 -data-read-memory-bytes &a 10
30026 ^done,memory=[@{begin="0xbffff154",offset="0x00000000",
30027 end="0xbffff15e",
30028 contents="01000000020000000300"@}]
30029 (gdb)
30030 @end smallexample
30031
30032
30033 @subheading The @code{-data-write-memory-bytes} Command
30034 @findex -data-write-memory-bytes
30035
30036 @subsubheading Synopsis
30037
30038 @smallexample
30039 -data-write-memory-bytes @var{address} @var{contents}
30040 @end smallexample
30041
30042 @noindent
30043 where:
30044
30045 @table @samp
30046 @item @var{address}
30047 An expression specifying the address of the first memory word to be
30048 read. Complex expressions containing embedded white space should be
30049 quoted using the C convention.
30050
30051 @item @var{contents}
30052 The hex-encoded bytes to write.
30053
30054 @end table
30055
30056 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30057
30058 There's no corresponding @value{GDBN} command.
30059
30060 @subsubheading Example
30061
30062 @smallexample
30063 (gdb)
30064 -data-write-memory-bytes &a "aabbccdd"
30065 ^done
30066 (gdb)
30067 @end smallexample
30068
30069
30070 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
30071 @node GDB/MI Tracepoint Commands
30072 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Tracepoint Commands
30073
30074 The commands defined in this section implement MI support for
30075 tracepoints. For detailed introduction, see @ref{Tracepoints}.
30076
30077 @subheading The @code{-trace-find} Command
30078 @findex -trace-find
30079
30080 @subsubheading Synopsis
30081
30082 @smallexample
30083 -trace-find @var{mode} [@var{parameters}@dots{}]
30084 @end smallexample
30085
30086 Find a trace frame using criteria defined by @var{mode} and
30087 @var{parameters}. The following table lists permissible
30088 modes and their parameters. For details of operation, see @ref{tfind}.
30089
30090 @table @samp
30091
30092 @item none
30093 No parameters are required. Stops examining trace frames.
30094
30095 @item frame-number
30096 An integer is required as parameter. Selects tracepoint frame with
30097 that index.
30098
30099 @item tracepoint-number
30100 An integer is required as parameter. Finds next
30101 trace frame that corresponds to tracepoint with the specified number.
30102
30103 @item pc
30104 An address is required as parameter. Finds
30105 next trace frame that corresponds to any tracepoint at the specified
30106 address.
30107
30108 @item pc-inside-range
30109 Two addresses are required as parameters. Finds next trace
30110 frame that corresponds to a tracepoint at an address inside the
30111 specified range. Both bounds are considered to be inside the range.
30112
30113 @item pc-outside-range
30114 Two addresses are required as parameters. Finds
30115 next trace frame that corresponds to a tracepoint at an address outside
30116 the specified range. Both bounds are considered to be inside the range.
30117
30118 @item line
30119 Line specification is required as parameter. @xref{Specify Location}.
30120 Finds next trace frame that corresponds to a tracepoint at
30121 the specified location.
30122
30123 @end table
30124
30125 If @samp{none} was passed as @var{mode}, the response does not
30126 have fields. Otherwise, the response may have the following fields:
30127
30128 @table @samp
30129 @item found
30130 This field has either @samp{0} or @samp{1} as the value, depending
30131 on whether a matching tracepoint was found.
30132
30133 @item traceframe
30134 The index of the found traceframe. This field is present iff
30135 the @samp{found} field has value of @samp{1}.
30136
30137 @item tracepoint
30138 The index of the found tracepoint. This field is present iff
30139 the @samp{found} field has value of @samp{1}.
30140
30141 @item frame
30142 The information about the frame corresponding to the found trace
30143 frame. This field is present only if a trace frame was found.
30144 @xref{GDB/MI Frame Information}, for description of this field.
30145
30146 @end table
30147
30148 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30149
30150 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tfind}.
30151
30152 @subheading -trace-define-variable
30153 @findex -trace-define-variable
30154
30155 @subsubheading Synopsis
30156
30157 @smallexample
30158 -trace-define-variable @var{name} [ @var{value} ]
30159 @end smallexample
30160
30161 Create trace variable @var{name} if it does not exist. If
30162 @var{value} is specified, sets the initial value of the specified
30163 trace variable to that value. Note that the @var{name} should start
30164 with the @samp{$} character.
30165
30166 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30167
30168 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tvariable}.
30169
30170 @subheading -trace-list-variables
30171 @findex -trace-list-variables
30172
30173 @subsubheading Synopsis
30174
30175 @smallexample
30176 -trace-list-variables
30177 @end smallexample
30178
30179 Return a table of all defined trace variables. Each element of the
30180 table has the following fields:
30181
30182 @table @samp
30183 @item name
30184 The name of the trace variable. This field is always present.
30185
30186 @item initial
30187 The initial value. This is a 64-bit signed integer. This
30188 field is always present.
30189
30190 @item current
30191 The value the trace variable has at the moment. This is a 64-bit
30192 signed integer. This field is absent iff current value is
30193 not defined, for example if the trace was never run, or is
30194 presently running.
30195
30196 @end table
30197
30198 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30199
30200 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tvariables}.
30201
30202 @subsubheading Example
30203
30204 @smallexample
30205 (gdb)
30206 -trace-list-variables
30207 ^done,trace-variables=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="3",
30208 hdr=[@{width="15",alignment="-1",col_name="name",colhdr="Name"@},
30209 @{width="11",alignment="-1",col_name="initial",colhdr="Initial"@},
30210 @{width="11",alignment="-1",col_name="current",colhdr="Current"@}],
30211 body=[variable=@{name="$trace_timestamp",initial="0"@}
30212 variable=@{name="$foo",initial="10",current="15"@}]@}
30213 (gdb)
30214 @end smallexample
30215
30216 @subheading -trace-save
30217 @findex -trace-save
30218
30219 @subsubheading Synopsis
30220
30221 @smallexample
30222 -trace-save [-r ] @var{filename}
30223 @end smallexample
30224
30225 Saves the collected trace data to @var{filename}. Without the
30226 @samp{-r} option, the data is downloaded from the target and saved
30227 in a local file. With the @samp{-r} option the target is asked
30228 to perform the save.
30229
30230 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30231
30232 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tsave}.
30233
30234
30235 @subheading -trace-start
30236 @findex -trace-start
30237
30238 @subsubheading Synopsis
30239
30240 @smallexample
30241 -trace-start
30242 @end smallexample
30243
30244 Starts a tracing experiments. The result of this command does not
30245 have any fields.
30246
30247 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30248
30249 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tstart}.
30250
30251 @subheading -trace-status
30252 @findex -trace-status
30253
30254 @subsubheading Synopsis
30255
30256 @smallexample
30257 -trace-status
30258 @end smallexample
30259
30260 Obtains the status of a tracing experiment. The result may include
30261 the following fields:
30262
30263 @table @samp
30264
30265 @item supported
30266 May have a value of either @samp{0}, when no tracing operations are
30267 supported, @samp{1}, when all tracing operations are supported, or
30268 @samp{file} when examining trace file. In the latter case, examining
30269 of trace frame is possible but new tracing experiement cannot be
30270 started. This field is always present.
30271
30272 @item running
30273 May have a value of either @samp{0} or @samp{1} depending on whether
30274 tracing experiement is in progress on target. This field is present
30275 if @samp{supported} field is not @samp{0}.
30276
30277 @item stop-reason
30278 Report the reason why the tracing was stopped last time. This field
30279 may be absent iff tracing was never stopped on target yet. The
30280 value of @samp{request} means the tracing was stopped as result of
30281 the @code{-trace-stop} command. The value of @samp{overflow} means
30282 the tracing buffer is full. The value of @samp{disconnection} means
30283 tracing was automatically stopped when @value{GDBN} has disconnected.
30284 The value of @samp{passcount} means tracing was stopped when a
30285 tracepoint was passed a maximal number of times for that tracepoint.
30286 This field is present if @samp{supported} field is not @samp{0}.
30287
30288 @item stopping-tracepoint
30289 The number of tracepoint whose passcount as exceeded. This field is
30290 present iff the @samp{stop-reason} field has the value of
30291 @samp{passcount}.
30292
30293 @item frames
30294 @itemx frames-created
30295 The @samp{frames} field is a count of the total number of trace frames
30296 in the trace buffer, while @samp{frames-created} is the total created
30297 during the run, including ones that were discarded, such as when a
30298 circular trace buffer filled up. Both fields are optional.
30299
30300 @item buffer-size
30301 @itemx buffer-free
30302 These fields tell the current size of the tracing buffer and the
30303 remaining space. These fields are optional.
30304
30305 @item circular
30306 The value of the circular trace buffer flag. @code{1} means that the
30307 trace buffer is circular and old trace frames will be discarded if
30308 necessary to make room, @code{0} means that the trace buffer is linear
30309 and may fill up.
30310
30311 @item disconnected
30312 The value of the disconnected tracing flag. @code{1} means that
30313 tracing will continue after @value{GDBN} disconnects, @code{0} means
30314 that the trace run will stop.
30315
30316 @end table
30317
30318 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30319
30320 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tstatus}.
30321
30322 @subheading -trace-stop
30323 @findex -trace-stop
30324
30325 @subsubheading Synopsis
30326
30327 @smallexample
30328 -trace-stop
30329 @end smallexample
30330
30331 Stops a tracing experiment. The result of this command has the same
30332 fields as @code{-trace-status}, except that the @samp{supported} and
30333 @samp{running} fields are not output.
30334
30335 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30336
30337 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tstop}.
30338
30339
30340 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
30341 @node GDB/MI Symbol Query
30342 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Symbol Query Commands
30343
30344
30345 @ignore
30346 @subheading The @code{-symbol-info-address} Command
30347 @findex -symbol-info-address
30348
30349 @subsubheading Synopsis
30350
30351 @smallexample
30352 -symbol-info-address @var{symbol}
30353 @end smallexample
30354
30355 Describe where @var{symbol} is stored.
30356
30357 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30358
30359 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info address}.
30360
30361 @subsubheading Example
30362 N.A.
30363
30364
30365 @subheading The @code{-symbol-info-file} Command
30366 @findex -symbol-info-file
30367
30368 @subsubheading Synopsis
30369
30370 @smallexample
30371 -symbol-info-file
30372 @end smallexample
30373
30374 Show the file for the symbol.
30375
30376 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30377
30378 There's no equivalent @value{GDBN} command. @code{gdbtk} has
30379 @samp{gdb_find_file}.
30380
30381 @subsubheading Example
30382 N.A.
30383
30384
30385 @subheading The @code{-symbol-info-function} Command
30386 @findex -symbol-info-function
30387
30388 @subsubheading Synopsis
30389
30390 @smallexample
30391 -symbol-info-function
30392 @end smallexample
30393
30394 Show which function the symbol lives in.
30395
30396 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30397
30398 @samp{gdb_get_function} in @code{gdbtk}.
30399
30400 @subsubheading Example
30401 N.A.
30402
30403
30404 @subheading The @code{-symbol-info-line} Command
30405 @findex -symbol-info-line
30406
30407 @subsubheading Synopsis
30408
30409 @smallexample
30410 -symbol-info-line
30411 @end smallexample
30412
30413 Show the core addresses of the code for a source line.
30414
30415 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30416
30417 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info line}.
30418 @code{gdbtk} has the @samp{gdb_get_line} and @samp{gdb_get_file} commands.
30419
30420 @subsubheading Example
30421 N.A.
30422
30423
30424 @subheading The @code{-symbol-info-symbol} Command
30425 @findex -symbol-info-symbol
30426
30427 @subsubheading Synopsis
30428
30429 @smallexample
30430 -symbol-info-symbol @var{addr}
30431 @end smallexample
30432
30433 Describe what symbol is at location @var{addr}.
30434
30435 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30436
30437 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info symbol}.
30438
30439 @subsubheading Example
30440 N.A.
30441
30442
30443 @subheading The @code{-symbol-list-functions} Command
30444 @findex -symbol-list-functions
30445
30446 @subsubheading Synopsis
30447
30448 @smallexample
30449 -symbol-list-functions
30450 @end smallexample
30451
30452 List the functions in the executable.
30453
30454 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30455
30456 @samp{info functions} in @value{GDBN}, @samp{gdb_listfunc} and
30457 @samp{gdb_search} in @code{gdbtk}.
30458
30459 @subsubheading Example
30460 N.A.
30461 @end ignore
30462
30463
30464 @subheading The @code{-symbol-list-lines} Command
30465 @findex -symbol-list-lines
30466
30467 @subsubheading Synopsis
30468
30469 @smallexample
30470 -symbol-list-lines @var{filename}
30471 @end smallexample
30472
30473 Print the list of lines that contain code and their associated program
30474 addresses for the given source filename. The entries are sorted in
30475 ascending PC order.
30476
30477 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30478
30479 There is no corresponding @value{GDBN} command.
30480
30481 @subsubheading Example
30482 @smallexample
30483 (gdb)
30484 -symbol-list-lines basics.c
30485 ^done,lines=[@{pc="0x08048554",line="7"@},@{pc="0x0804855a",line="8"@}]
30486 (gdb)
30487 @end smallexample
30488
30489
30490 @ignore
30491 @subheading The @code{-symbol-list-types} Command
30492 @findex -symbol-list-types
30493
30494 @subsubheading Synopsis
30495
30496 @smallexample
30497 -symbol-list-types
30498 @end smallexample
30499
30500 List all the type names.
30501
30502 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30503
30504 The corresponding commands are @samp{info types} in @value{GDBN},
30505 @samp{gdb_search} in @code{gdbtk}.
30506
30507 @subsubheading Example
30508 N.A.
30509
30510
30511 @subheading The @code{-symbol-list-variables} Command
30512 @findex -symbol-list-variables
30513
30514 @subsubheading Synopsis
30515
30516 @smallexample
30517 -symbol-list-variables
30518 @end smallexample
30519
30520 List all the global and static variable names.
30521
30522 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30523
30524 @samp{info variables} in @value{GDBN}, @samp{gdb_search} in @code{gdbtk}.
30525
30526 @subsubheading Example
30527 N.A.
30528
30529
30530 @subheading The @code{-symbol-locate} Command
30531 @findex -symbol-locate
30532
30533 @subsubheading Synopsis
30534
30535 @smallexample
30536 -symbol-locate
30537 @end smallexample
30538
30539 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30540
30541 @samp{gdb_loc} in @code{gdbtk}.
30542
30543 @subsubheading Example
30544 N.A.
30545
30546
30547 @subheading The @code{-symbol-type} Command
30548 @findex -symbol-type
30549
30550 @subsubheading Synopsis
30551
30552 @smallexample
30553 -symbol-type @var{variable}
30554 @end smallexample
30555
30556 Show type of @var{variable}.
30557
30558 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30559
30560 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{ptype}, @code{gdbtk} has
30561 @samp{gdb_obj_variable}.
30562
30563 @subsubheading Example
30564 N.A.
30565 @end ignore
30566
30567
30568 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
30569 @node GDB/MI File Commands
30570 @section @sc{gdb/mi} File Commands
30571
30572 This section describes the GDB/MI commands to specify executable file names
30573 and to read in and obtain symbol table information.
30574
30575 @subheading The @code{-file-exec-and-symbols} Command
30576 @findex -file-exec-and-symbols
30577
30578 @subsubheading Synopsis
30579
30580 @smallexample
30581 -file-exec-and-symbols @var{file}
30582 @end smallexample
30583
30584 Specify the executable file to be debugged. This file is the one from
30585 which the symbol table is also read. If no file is specified, the
30586 command clears the executable and symbol information. If breakpoints
30587 are set when using this command with no arguments, @value{GDBN} will produce
30588 error messages. Otherwise, no output is produced, except a completion
30589 notification.
30590
30591 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30592
30593 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{file}.
30594
30595 @subsubheading Example
30596
30597 @smallexample
30598 (gdb)
30599 -file-exec-and-symbols /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/TRUNK/mbx/hello.mbx
30600 ^done
30601 (gdb)
30602 @end smallexample
30603
30604
30605 @subheading The @code{-file-exec-file} Command
30606 @findex -file-exec-file
30607
30608 @subsubheading Synopsis
30609
30610 @smallexample
30611 -file-exec-file @var{file}
30612 @end smallexample
30613
30614 Specify the executable file to be debugged. Unlike
30615 @samp{-file-exec-and-symbols}, the symbol table is @emph{not} read
30616 from this file. If used without argument, @value{GDBN} clears the information
30617 about the executable file. No output is produced, except a completion
30618 notification.
30619
30620 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30621
30622 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{exec-file}.
30623
30624 @subsubheading Example
30625
30626 @smallexample
30627 (gdb)
30628 -file-exec-file /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/TRUNK/mbx/hello.mbx
30629 ^done
30630 (gdb)
30631 @end smallexample
30632
30633
30634 @ignore
30635 @subheading The @code{-file-list-exec-sections} Command
30636 @findex -file-list-exec-sections
30637
30638 @subsubheading Synopsis
30639
30640 @smallexample
30641 -file-list-exec-sections
30642 @end smallexample
30643
30644 List the sections of the current executable file.
30645
30646 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30647
30648 The @value{GDBN} command @samp{info file} shows, among the rest, the same
30649 information as this command. @code{gdbtk} has a corresponding command
30650 @samp{gdb_load_info}.
30651
30652 @subsubheading Example
30653 N.A.
30654 @end ignore
30655
30656
30657 @subheading The @code{-file-list-exec-source-file} Command
30658 @findex -file-list-exec-source-file
30659
30660 @subsubheading Synopsis
30661
30662 @smallexample
30663 -file-list-exec-source-file
30664 @end smallexample
30665
30666 List the line number, the current source file, and the absolute path
30667 to the current source file for the current executable. The macro
30668 information field has a value of @samp{1} or @samp{0} depending on
30669 whether or not the file includes preprocessor macro information.
30670
30671 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30672
30673 The @value{GDBN} equivalent is @samp{info source}
30674
30675 @subsubheading Example
30676
30677 @smallexample
30678 (gdb)
30679 123-file-list-exec-source-file
30680 123^done,line="1",file="foo.c",fullname="/home/bar/foo.c,macro-info="1"
30681 (gdb)
30682 @end smallexample
30683
30684
30685 @subheading The @code{-file-list-exec-source-files} Command
30686 @findex -file-list-exec-source-files
30687
30688 @subsubheading Synopsis
30689
30690 @smallexample
30691 -file-list-exec-source-files
30692 @end smallexample
30693
30694 List the source files for the current executable.
30695
30696 It will always output the filename, but only when @value{GDBN} can find
30697 the absolute file name of a source file, will it output the fullname.
30698
30699 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30700
30701 The @value{GDBN} equivalent is @samp{info sources}.
30702 @code{gdbtk} has an analogous command @samp{gdb_listfiles}.
30703
30704 @subsubheading Example
30705 @smallexample
30706 (gdb)
30707 -file-list-exec-source-files
30708 ^done,files=[
30709 @{file=foo.c,fullname=/home/foo.c@},
30710 @{file=/home/bar.c,fullname=/home/bar.c@},
30711 @{file=gdb_could_not_find_fullpath.c@}]
30712 (gdb)
30713 @end smallexample
30714
30715 @ignore
30716 @subheading The @code{-file-list-shared-libraries} Command
30717 @findex -file-list-shared-libraries
30718
30719 @subsubheading Synopsis
30720
30721 @smallexample
30722 -file-list-shared-libraries
30723 @end smallexample
30724
30725 List the shared libraries in the program.
30726
30727 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30728
30729 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info shared}.
30730
30731 @subsubheading Example
30732 N.A.
30733
30734
30735 @subheading The @code{-file-list-symbol-files} Command
30736 @findex -file-list-symbol-files
30737
30738 @subsubheading Synopsis
30739
30740 @smallexample
30741 -file-list-symbol-files
30742 @end smallexample
30743
30744 List symbol files.
30745
30746 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30747
30748 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info file} (part of it).
30749
30750 @subsubheading Example
30751 N.A.
30752 @end ignore
30753
30754
30755 @subheading The @code{-file-symbol-file} Command
30756 @findex -file-symbol-file
30757
30758 @subsubheading Synopsis
30759
30760 @smallexample
30761 -file-symbol-file @var{file}
30762 @end smallexample
30763
30764 Read symbol table info from the specified @var{file} argument. When
30765 used without arguments, clears @value{GDBN}'s symbol table info. No output is
30766 produced, except for a completion notification.
30767
30768 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30769
30770 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{symbol-file}.
30771
30772 @subsubheading Example
30773
30774 @smallexample
30775 (gdb)
30776 -file-symbol-file /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/TRUNK/mbx/hello.mbx
30777 ^done
30778 (gdb)
30779 @end smallexample
30780
30781 @ignore
30782 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
30783 @node GDB/MI Memory Overlay Commands
30784 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Memory Overlay Commands
30785
30786 The memory overlay commands are not implemented.
30787
30788 @c @subheading -overlay-auto
30789
30790 @c @subheading -overlay-list-mapping-state
30791
30792 @c @subheading -overlay-list-overlays
30793
30794 @c @subheading -overlay-map
30795
30796 @c @subheading -overlay-off
30797
30798 @c @subheading -overlay-on
30799
30800 @c @subheading -overlay-unmap
30801
30802 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
30803 @node GDB/MI Signal Handling Commands
30804 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Signal Handling Commands
30805
30806 Signal handling commands are not implemented.
30807
30808 @c @subheading -signal-handle
30809
30810 @c @subheading -signal-list-handle-actions
30811
30812 @c @subheading -signal-list-signal-types
30813 @end ignore
30814
30815
30816 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
30817 @node GDB/MI Target Manipulation
30818 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Target Manipulation Commands
30819
30820
30821 @subheading The @code{-target-attach} Command
30822 @findex -target-attach
30823
30824 @subsubheading Synopsis
30825
30826 @smallexample
30827 -target-attach @var{pid} | @var{gid} | @var{file}
30828 @end smallexample
30829
30830 Attach to a process @var{pid} or a file @var{file} outside of
30831 @value{GDBN}, or a thread group @var{gid}. If attaching to a thread
30832 group, the id previously returned by
30833 @samp{-list-thread-groups --available} must be used.
30834
30835 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30836
30837 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{attach}.
30838
30839 @subsubheading Example
30840 @smallexample
30841 (gdb)
30842 -target-attach 34
30843 =thread-created,id="1"
30844 *stopped,thread-id="1",frame=@{addr="0xb7f7e410",func="bar",args=[]@}
30845 ^done
30846 (gdb)
30847 @end smallexample
30848
30849 @ignore
30850 @subheading The @code{-target-compare-sections} Command
30851 @findex -target-compare-sections
30852
30853 @subsubheading Synopsis
30854
30855 @smallexample
30856 -target-compare-sections [ @var{section} ]
30857 @end smallexample
30858
30859 Compare data of section @var{section} on target to the exec file.
30860 Without the argument, all sections are compared.
30861
30862 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30863
30864 The @value{GDBN} equivalent is @samp{compare-sections}.
30865
30866 @subsubheading Example
30867 N.A.
30868 @end ignore
30869
30870
30871 @subheading The @code{-target-detach} Command
30872 @findex -target-detach
30873
30874 @subsubheading Synopsis
30875
30876 @smallexample
30877 -target-detach [ @var{pid} | @var{gid} ]
30878 @end smallexample
30879
30880 Detach from the remote target which normally resumes its execution.
30881 If either @var{pid} or @var{gid} is specified, detaches from either
30882 the specified process, or specified thread group. There's no output.
30883
30884 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30885
30886 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{detach}.
30887
30888 @subsubheading Example
30889
30890 @smallexample
30891 (gdb)
30892 -target-detach
30893 ^done
30894 (gdb)
30895 @end smallexample
30896
30897
30898 @subheading The @code{-target-disconnect} Command
30899 @findex -target-disconnect
30900
30901 @subsubheading Synopsis
30902
30903 @smallexample
30904 -target-disconnect
30905 @end smallexample
30906
30907 Disconnect from the remote target. There's no output and the target is
30908 generally not resumed.
30909
30910 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30911
30912 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{disconnect}.
30913
30914 @subsubheading Example
30915
30916 @smallexample
30917 (gdb)
30918 -target-disconnect
30919 ^done
30920 (gdb)
30921 @end smallexample
30922
30923
30924 @subheading The @code{-target-download} Command
30925 @findex -target-download
30926
30927 @subsubheading Synopsis
30928
30929 @smallexample
30930 -target-download
30931 @end smallexample
30932
30933 Loads the executable onto the remote target.
30934 It prints out an update message every half second, which includes the fields:
30935
30936 @table @samp
30937 @item section
30938 The name of the section.
30939 @item section-sent
30940 The size of what has been sent so far for that section.
30941 @item section-size
30942 The size of the section.
30943 @item total-sent
30944 The total size of what was sent so far (the current and the previous sections).
30945 @item total-size
30946 The size of the overall executable to download.
30947 @end table
30948
30949 @noindent
30950 Each message is sent as status record (@pxref{GDB/MI Output Syntax, ,
30951 @sc{gdb/mi} Output Syntax}).
30952
30953 In addition, it prints the name and size of the sections, as they are
30954 downloaded. These messages include the following fields:
30955
30956 @table @samp
30957 @item section
30958 The name of the section.
30959 @item section-size
30960 The size of the section.
30961 @item total-size
30962 The size of the overall executable to download.
30963 @end table
30964
30965 @noindent
30966 At the end, a summary is printed.
30967
30968 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30969
30970 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{load}.
30971
30972 @subsubheading Example
30973
30974 Note: each status message appears on a single line. Here the messages
30975 have been broken down so that they can fit onto a page.
30976
30977 @smallexample
30978 (gdb)
30979 -target-download
30980 +download,@{section=".text",section-size="6668",total-size="9880"@}
30981 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="512",section-size="6668",
30982 total-sent="512",total-size="9880"@}
30983 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="1024",section-size="6668",
30984 total-sent="1024",total-size="9880"@}
30985 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="1536",section-size="6668",
30986 total-sent="1536",total-size="9880"@}
30987 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="2048",section-size="6668",
30988 total-sent="2048",total-size="9880"@}
30989 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="2560",section-size="6668",
30990 total-sent="2560",total-size="9880"@}
30991 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="3072",section-size="6668",
30992 total-sent="3072",total-size="9880"@}
30993 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="3584",section-size="6668",
30994 total-sent="3584",total-size="9880"@}
30995 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="4096",section-size="6668",
30996 total-sent="4096",total-size="9880"@}
30997 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="4608",section-size="6668",
30998 total-sent="4608",total-size="9880"@}
30999 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="5120",section-size="6668",
31000 total-sent="5120",total-size="9880"@}
31001 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="5632",section-size="6668",
31002 total-sent="5632",total-size="9880"@}
31003 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="6144",section-size="6668",
31004 total-sent="6144",total-size="9880"@}
31005 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="6656",section-size="6668",
31006 total-sent="6656",total-size="9880"@}
31007 +download,@{section=".init",section-size="28",total-size="9880"@}
31008 +download,@{section=".fini",section-size="28",total-size="9880"@}
31009 +download,@{section=".data",section-size="3156",total-size="9880"@}
31010 +download,@{section=".data",section-sent="512",section-size="3156",
31011 total-sent="7236",total-size="9880"@}
31012 +download,@{section=".data",section-sent="1024",section-size="3156",
31013 total-sent="7748",total-size="9880"@}
31014 +download,@{section=".data",section-sent="1536",section-size="3156",
31015 total-sent="8260",total-size="9880"@}
31016 +download,@{section=".data",section-sent="2048",section-size="3156",
31017 total-sent="8772",total-size="9880"@}
31018 +download,@{section=".data",section-sent="2560",section-size="3156",
31019 total-sent="9284",total-size="9880"@}
31020 +download,@{section=".data",section-sent="3072",section-size="3156",
31021 total-sent="9796",total-size="9880"@}
31022 ^done,address="0x10004",load-size="9880",transfer-rate="6586",
31023 write-rate="429"
31024 (gdb)
31025 @end smallexample
31026
31027
31028 @ignore
31029 @subheading The @code{-target-exec-status} Command
31030 @findex -target-exec-status
31031
31032 @subsubheading Synopsis
31033
31034 @smallexample
31035 -target-exec-status
31036 @end smallexample
31037
31038 Provide information on the state of the target (whether it is running or
31039 not, for instance).
31040
31041 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31042
31043 There's no equivalent @value{GDBN} command.
31044
31045 @subsubheading Example
31046 N.A.
31047
31048
31049 @subheading The @code{-target-list-available-targets} Command
31050 @findex -target-list-available-targets
31051
31052 @subsubheading Synopsis
31053
31054 @smallexample
31055 -target-list-available-targets
31056 @end smallexample
31057
31058 List the possible targets to connect to.
31059
31060 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31061
31062 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{help target}.
31063
31064 @subsubheading Example
31065 N.A.
31066
31067
31068 @subheading The @code{-target-list-current-targets} Command
31069 @findex -target-list-current-targets
31070
31071 @subsubheading Synopsis
31072
31073 @smallexample
31074 -target-list-current-targets
31075 @end smallexample
31076
31077 Describe the current target.
31078
31079 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31080
31081 The corresponding information is printed by @samp{info file} (among
31082 other things).
31083
31084 @subsubheading Example
31085 N.A.
31086
31087
31088 @subheading The @code{-target-list-parameters} Command
31089 @findex -target-list-parameters
31090
31091 @subsubheading Synopsis
31092
31093 @smallexample
31094 -target-list-parameters
31095 @end smallexample
31096
31097 @c ????
31098 @end ignore
31099
31100 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31101
31102 No equivalent.
31103
31104 @subsubheading Example
31105 N.A.
31106
31107
31108 @subheading The @code{-target-select} Command
31109 @findex -target-select
31110
31111 @subsubheading Synopsis
31112
31113 @smallexample
31114 -target-select @var{type} @var{parameters @dots{}}
31115 @end smallexample
31116
31117 Connect @value{GDBN} to the remote target. This command takes two args:
31118
31119 @table @samp
31120 @item @var{type}
31121 The type of target, for instance @samp{remote}, etc.
31122 @item @var{parameters}
31123 Device names, host names and the like. @xref{Target Commands, ,
31124 Commands for Managing Targets}, for more details.
31125 @end table
31126
31127 The output is a connection notification, followed by the address at
31128 which the target program is, in the following form:
31129
31130 @smallexample
31131 ^connected,addr="@var{address}",func="@var{function name}",
31132 args=[@var{arg list}]
31133 @end smallexample
31134
31135 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31136
31137 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{target}.
31138
31139 @subsubheading Example
31140
31141 @smallexample
31142 (gdb)
31143 -target-select remote /dev/ttya
31144 ^connected,addr="0xfe00a300",func="??",args=[]
31145 (gdb)
31146 @end smallexample
31147
31148 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
31149 @node GDB/MI File Transfer Commands
31150 @section @sc{gdb/mi} File Transfer Commands
31151
31152
31153 @subheading The @code{-target-file-put} Command
31154 @findex -target-file-put
31155
31156 @subsubheading Synopsis
31157
31158 @smallexample
31159 -target-file-put @var{hostfile} @var{targetfile}
31160 @end smallexample
31161
31162 Copy file @var{hostfile} from the host system (the machine running
31163 @value{GDBN}) to @var{targetfile} on the target system.
31164
31165 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31166
31167 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{remote put}.
31168
31169 @subsubheading Example
31170
31171 @smallexample
31172 (gdb)
31173 -target-file-put localfile remotefile
31174 ^done
31175 (gdb)
31176 @end smallexample
31177
31178
31179 @subheading The @code{-target-file-get} Command
31180 @findex -target-file-get
31181
31182 @subsubheading Synopsis
31183
31184 @smallexample
31185 -target-file-get @var{targetfile} @var{hostfile}
31186 @end smallexample
31187
31188 Copy file @var{targetfile} from the target system to @var{hostfile}
31189 on the host system.
31190
31191 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31192
31193 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{remote get}.
31194
31195 @subsubheading Example
31196
31197 @smallexample
31198 (gdb)
31199 -target-file-get remotefile localfile
31200 ^done
31201 (gdb)
31202 @end smallexample
31203
31204
31205 @subheading The @code{-target-file-delete} Command
31206 @findex -target-file-delete
31207
31208 @subsubheading Synopsis
31209
31210 @smallexample
31211 -target-file-delete @var{targetfile}
31212 @end smallexample
31213
31214 Delete @var{targetfile} from the target system.
31215
31216 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31217
31218 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{remote delete}.
31219
31220 @subsubheading Example
31221
31222 @smallexample
31223 (gdb)
31224 -target-file-delete remotefile
31225 ^done
31226 (gdb)
31227 @end smallexample
31228
31229
31230 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
31231 @node GDB/MI Miscellaneous Commands
31232 @section Miscellaneous @sc{gdb/mi} Commands
31233
31234 @c @subheading -gdb-complete
31235
31236 @subheading The @code{-gdb-exit} Command
31237 @findex -gdb-exit
31238
31239 @subsubheading Synopsis
31240
31241 @smallexample
31242 -gdb-exit
31243 @end smallexample
31244
31245 Exit @value{GDBN} immediately.
31246
31247 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31248
31249 Approximately corresponds to @samp{quit}.
31250
31251 @subsubheading Example
31252
31253 @smallexample
31254 (gdb)
31255 -gdb-exit
31256 ^exit
31257 @end smallexample
31258
31259
31260 @ignore
31261 @subheading The @code{-exec-abort} Command
31262 @findex -exec-abort
31263
31264 @subsubheading Synopsis
31265
31266 @smallexample
31267 -exec-abort
31268 @end smallexample
31269
31270 Kill the inferior running program.
31271
31272 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31273
31274 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{kill}.
31275
31276 @subsubheading Example
31277 N.A.
31278 @end ignore
31279
31280
31281 @subheading The @code{-gdb-set} Command
31282 @findex -gdb-set
31283
31284 @subsubheading Synopsis
31285
31286 @smallexample
31287 -gdb-set
31288 @end smallexample
31289
31290 Set an internal @value{GDBN} variable.
31291 @c IS THIS A DOLLAR VARIABLE? OR SOMETHING LIKE ANNOTATE ?????
31292
31293 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31294
31295 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{set}.
31296
31297 @subsubheading Example
31298
31299 @smallexample
31300 (gdb)
31301 -gdb-set $foo=3
31302 ^done
31303 (gdb)
31304 @end smallexample
31305
31306
31307 @subheading The @code{-gdb-show} Command
31308 @findex -gdb-show
31309
31310 @subsubheading Synopsis
31311
31312 @smallexample
31313 -gdb-show
31314 @end smallexample
31315
31316 Show the current value of a @value{GDBN} variable.
31317
31318 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31319
31320 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{show}.
31321
31322 @subsubheading Example
31323
31324 @smallexample
31325 (gdb)
31326 -gdb-show annotate
31327 ^done,value="0"
31328 (gdb)
31329 @end smallexample
31330
31331 @c @subheading -gdb-source
31332
31333
31334 @subheading The @code{-gdb-version} Command
31335 @findex -gdb-version
31336
31337 @subsubheading Synopsis
31338
31339 @smallexample
31340 -gdb-version
31341 @end smallexample
31342
31343 Show version information for @value{GDBN}. Used mostly in testing.
31344
31345 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31346
31347 The @value{GDBN} equivalent is @samp{show version}. @value{GDBN} by
31348 default shows this information when you start an interactive session.
31349
31350 @subsubheading Example
31351
31352 @c This example modifies the actual output from GDB to avoid overfull
31353 @c box in TeX.
31354 @smallexample
31355 (gdb)
31356 -gdb-version
31357 ~GNU gdb 5.2.1
31358 ~Copyright 2000 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
31359 ~GDB is free software, covered by the GNU General Public License, and
31360 ~you are welcome to change it and/or distribute copies of it under
31361 ~ certain conditions.
31362 ~Type "show copying" to see the conditions.
31363 ~There is absolutely no warranty for GDB. Type "show warranty" for
31364 ~ details.
31365 ~This GDB was configured as
31366 "--host=sparc-sun-solaris2.5.1 --target=ppc-eabi".
31367 ^done
31368 (gdb)
31369 @end smallexample
31370
31371 @subheading The @code{-list-features} Command
31372 @findex -list-features
31373
31374 Returns a list of particular features of the MI protocol that
31375 this version of gdb implements. A feature can be a command,
31376 or a new field in an output of some command, or even an
31377 important bugfix. While a frontend can sometimes detect presence
31378 of a feature at runtime, it is easier to perform detection at debugger
31379 startup.
31380
31381 The command returns a list of strings, with each string naming an
31382 available feature. Each returned string is just a name, it does not
31383 have any internal structure. The list of possible feature names
31384 is given below.
31385
31386 Example output:
31387
31388 @smallexample
31389 (gdb) -list-features
31390 ^done,result=["feature1","feature2"]
31391 @end smallexample
31392
31393 The current list of features is:
31394
31395 @table @samp
31396 @item frozen-varobjs
31397 Indicates support for the @code{-var-set-frozen} command, as well
31398 as possible presense of the @code{frozen} field in the output
31399 of @code{-varobj-create}.
31400 @item pending-breakpoints
31401 Indicates support for the @option{-f} option to the @code{-break-insert}
31402 command.
31403 @item python
31404 Indicates Python scripting support, Python-based
31405 pretty-printing commands, and possible presence of the
31406 @samp{display_hint} field in the output of @code{-var-list-children}
31407 @item thread-info
31408 Indicates support for the @code{-thread-info} command.
31409 @item data-read-memory-bytes
31410 Indicates support for the @code{-data-read-memory-bytes} and the
31411 @code{-data-write-memory-bytes} commands.
31412 @item breakpoint-notifications
31413 Indicates that changes to breakpoints and breakpoints created via the
31414 CLI will be announced via async records.
31415 @item ada-task-info
31416 Indicates support for the @code{-ada-task-info} command.
31417 @end table
31418
31419 @subheading The @code{-list-target-features} Command
31420 @findex -list-target-features
31421
31422 Returns a list of particular features that are supported by the
31423 target. Those features affect the permitted MI commands, but
31424 unlike the features reported by the @code{-list-features} command, the
31425 features depend on which target GDB is using at the moment. Whenever
31426 a target can change, due to commands such as @code{-target-select},
31427 @code{-target-attach} or @code{-exec-run}, the list of target features
31428 may change, and the frontend should obtain it again.
31429 Example output:
31430
31431 @smallexample
31432 (gdb) -list-features
31433 ^done,result=["async"]
31434 @end smallexample
31435
31436 The current list of features is:
31437
31438 @table @samp
31439 @item async
31440 Indicates that the target is capable of asynchronous command
31441 execution, which means that @value{GDBN} will accept further commands
31442 while the target is running.
31443
31444 @item reverse
31445 Indicates that the target is capable of reverse execution.
31446 @xref{Reverse Execution}, for more information.
31447
31448 @end table
31449
31450 @subheading The @code{-list-thread-groups} Command
31451 @findex -list-thread-groups
31452
31453 @subheading Synopsis
31454
31455 @smallexample
31456 -list-thread-groups [ --available ] [ --recurse 1 ] [ @var{group} ... ]
31457 @end smallexample
31458
31459 Lists thread groups (@pxref{Thread groups}). When a single thread
31460 group is passed as the argument, lists the children of that group.
31461 When several thread group are passed, lists information about those
31462 thread groups. Without any parameters, lists information about all
31463 top-level thread groups.
31464
31465 Normally, thread groups that are being debugged are reported.
31466 With the @samp{--available} option, @value{GDBN} reports thread groups
31467 available on the target.
31468
31469 The output of this command may have either a @samp{threads} result or
31470 a @samp{groups} result. The @samp{thread} result has a list of tuples
31471 as value, with each tuple describing a thread (@pxref{GDB/MI Thread
31472 Information}). The @samp{groups} result has a list of tuples as value,
31473 each tuple describing a thread group. If top-level groups are
31474 requested (that is, no parameter is passed), or when several groups
31475 are passed, the output always has a @samp{groups} result. The format
31476 of the @samp{group} result is described below.
31477
31478 To reduce the number of roundtrips it's possible to list thread groups
31479 together with their children, by passing the @samp{--recurse} option
31480 and the recursion depth. Presently, only recursion depth of 1 is
31481 permitted. If this option is present, then every reported thread group
31482 will also include its children, either as @samp{group} or
31483 @samp{threads} field.
31484
31485 In general, any combination of option and parameters is permitted, with
31486 the following caveats:
31487
31488 @itemize @bullet
31489 @item
31490 When a single thread group is passed, the output will typically
31491 be the @samp{threads} result. Because threads may not contain
31492 anything, the @samp{recurse} option will be ignored.
31493
31494 @item
31495 When the @samp{--available} option is passed, limited information may
31496 be available. In particular, the list of threads of a process might
31497 be inaccessible. Further, specifying specific thread groups might
31498 not give any performance advantage over listing all thread groups.
31499 The frontend should assume that @samp{-list-thread-groups --available}
31500 is always an expensive operation and cache the results.
31501
31502 @end itemize
31503
31504 The @samp{groups} result is a list of tuples, where each tuple may
31505 have the following fields:
31506
31507 @table @code
31508 @item id
31509 Identifier of the thread group. This field is always present.
31510 The identifier is an opaque string; frontends should not try to
31511 convert it to an integer, even though it might look like one.
31512
31513 @item type
31514 The type of the thread group. At present, only @samp{process} is a
31515 valid type.
31516
31517 @item pid
31518 The target-specific process identifier. This field is only present
31519 for thread groups of type @samp{process} and only if the process exists.
31520
31521 @item num_children
31522 The number of children this thread group has. This field may be
31523 absent for an available thread group.
31524
31525 @item threads
31526 This field has a list of tuples as value, each tuple describing a
31527 thread. It may be present if the @samp{--recurse} option is
31528 specified, and it's actually possible to obtain the threads.
31529
31530 @item cores
31531 This field is a list of integers, each identifying a core that one
31532 thread of the group is running on. This field may be absent if
31533 such information is not available.
31534
31535 @item executable
31536 The name of the executable file that corresponds to this thread group.
31537 The field is only present for thread groups of type @samp{process},
31538 and only if there is a corresponding executable file.
31539
31540 @end table
31541
31542 @subheading Example
31543
31544 @smallexample
31545 @value{GDBP}
31546 -list-thread-groups
31547 ^done,groups=[@{id="17",type="process",pid="yyy",num_children="2"@}]
31548 -list-thread-groups 17
31549 ^done,threads=[@{id="2",target-id="Thread 0xb7e14b90 (LWP 21257)",
31550 frame=@{level="0",addr="0xffffe410",func="__kernel_vsyscall",args=[]@},state="running"@},
31551 @{id="1",target-id="Thread 0xb7e156b0 (LWP 21254)",
31552 frame=@{level="0",addr="0x0804891f",func="foo",args=[@{name="i",value="10"@}],
31553 file="/tmp/a.c",fullname="/tmp/a.c",line="158"@},state="running"@}]]
31554 -list-thread-groups --available
31555 ^done,groups=[@{id="17",type="process",pid="yyy",num_children="2",cores=[1,2]@}]
31556 -list-thread-groups --available --recurse 1
31557 ^done,groups=[@{id="17", types="process",pid="yyy",num_children="2",cores=[1,2],
31558 threads=[@{id="1",target-id="Thread 0xb7e14b90",cores=[1]@},
31559 @{id="2",target-id="Thread 0xb7e14b90",cores=[2]@}]@},..]
31560 -list-thread-groups --available --recurse 1 17 18
31561 ^done,groups=[@{id="17", types="process",pid="yyy",num_children="2",cores=[1,2],
31562 threads=[@{id="1",target-id="Thread 0xb7e14b90",cores=[1]@},
31563 @{id="2",target-id="Thread 0xb7e14b90",cores=[2]@}]@},...]
31564 @end smallexample
31565
31566
31567 @subheading The @code{-add-inferior} Command
31568 @findex -add-inferior
31569
31570 @subheading Synopsis
31571
31572 @smallexample
31573 -add-inferior
31574 @end smallexample
31575
31576 Creates a new inferior (@pxref{Inferiors and Programs}). The created
31577 inferior is not associated with any executable. Such association may
31578 be established with the @samp{-file-exec-and-symbols} command
31579 (@pxref{GDB/MI File Commands}). The command response has a single
31580 field, @samp{thread-group}, whose value is the identifier of the
31581 thread group corresponding to the new inferior.
31582
31583 @subheading Example
31584
31585 @smallexample
31586 @value{GDBP}
31587 -add-inferior
31588 ^done,thread-group="i3"
31589 @end smallexample
31590
31591 @subheading The @code{-interpreter-exec} Command
31592 @findex -interpreter-exec
31593
31594 @subheading Synopsis
31595
31596 @smallexample
31597 -interpreter-exec @var{interpreter} @var{command}
31598 @end smallexample
31599 @anchor{-interpreter-exec}
31600
31601 Execute the specified @var{command} in the given @var{interpreter}.
31602
31603 @subheading @value{GDBN} Command
31604
31605 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{interpreter-exec}.
31606
31607 @subheading Example
31608
31609 @smallexample
31610 (gdb)
31611 -interpreter-exec console "break main"
31612 &"During symbol reading, couldn't parse type; debugger out of date?.\n"
31613 &"During symbol reading, bad structure-type format.\n"
31614 ~"Breakpoint 1 at 0x8074fc6: file ../../src/gdb/main.c, line 743.\n"
31615 ^done
31616 (gdb)
31617 @end smallexample
31618
31619 @subheading The @code{-inferior-tty-set} Command
31620 @findex -inferior-tty-set
31621
31622 @subheading Synopsis
31623
31624 @smallexample
31625 -inferior-tty-set /dev/pts/1
31626 @end smallexample
31627
31628 Set terminal for future runs of the program being debugged.
31629
31630 @subheading @value{GDBN} Command
31631
31632 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{set inferior-tty} /dev/pts/1.
31633
31634 @subheading Example
31635
31636 @smallexample
31637 (gdb)
31638 -inferior-tty-set /dev/pts/1
31639 ^done
31640 (gdb)
31641 @end smallexample
31642
31643 @subheading The @code{-inferior-tty-show} Command
31644 @findex -inferior-tty-show
31645
31646 @subheading Synopsis
31647
31648 @smallexample
31649 -inferior-tty-show
31650 @end smallexample
31651
31652 Show terminal for future runs of program being debugged.
31653
31654 @subheading @value{GDBN} Command
31655
31656 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{show inferior-tty}.
31657
31658 @subheading Example
31659
31660 @smallexample
31661 (gdb)
31662 -inferior-tty-set /dev/pts/1
31663 ^done
31664 (gdb)
31665 -inferior-tty-show
31666 ^done,inferior_tty_terminal="/dev/pts/1"
31667 (gdb)
31668 @end smallexample
31669
31670 @subheading The @code{-enable-timings} Command
31671 @findex -enable-timings
31672
31673 @subheading Synopsis
31674
31675 @smallexample
31676 -enable-timings [yes | no]
31677 @end smallexample
31678
31679 Toggle the printing of the wallclock, user and system times for an MI
31680 command as a field in its output. This command is to help frontend
31681 developers optimize the performance of their code. No argument is
31682 equivalent to @samp{yes}.
31683
31684 @subheading @value{GDBN} Command
31685
31686 No equivalent.
31687
31688 @subheading Example
31689
31690 @smallexample
31691 (gdb)
31692 -enable-timings
31693 ^done
31694 (gdb)
31695 -break-insert main
31696 ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
31697 addr="0x080484ed",func="main",file="myprog.c",
31698 fullname="/home/nickrob/myprog.c",line="73",times="0"@},
31699 time=@{wallclock="0.05185",user="0.00800",system="0.00000"@}
31700 (gdb)
31701 -enable-timings no
31702 ^done
31703 (gdb)
31704 -exec-run
31705 ^running
31706 (gdb)
31707 *stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",bkptno="1",thread-id="0",
31708 frame=@{addr="0x080484ed",func="main",args=[@{name="argc",value="1"@},
31709 @{name="argv",value="0xbfb60364"@}],file="myprog.c",
31710 fullname="/home/nickrob/myprog.c",line="73"@}
31711 (gdb)
31712 @end smallexample
31713
31714 @node Annotations
31715 @chapter @value{GDBN} Annotations
31716
31717 This chapter describes annotations in @value{GDBN}. Annotations were
31718 designed to interface @value{GDBN} to graphical user interfaces or other
31719 similar programs which want to interact with @value{GDBN} at a
31720 relatively high level.
31721
31722 The annotation mechanism has largely been superseded by @sc{gdb/mi}
31723 (@pxref{GDB/MI}).
31724
31725 @ignore
31726 This is Edition @value{EDITION}, @value{DATE}.
31727 @end ignore
31728
31729 @menu
31730 * Annotations Overview:: What annotations are; the general syntax.
31731 * Server Prefix:: Issuing a command without affecting user state.
31732 * Prompting:: Annotations marking @value{GDBN}'s need for input.
31733 * Errors:: Annotations for error messages.
31734 * Invalidation:: Some annotations describe things now invalid.
31735 * Annotations for Running::
31736 Whether the program is running, how it stopped, etc.
31737 * Source Annotations:: Annotations describing source code.
31738 @end menu
31739
31740 @node Annotations Overview
31741 @section What is an Annotation?
31742 @cindex annotations
31743
31744 Annotations start with a newline character, two @samp{control-z}
31745 characters, and the name of the annotation. If there is no additional
31746 information associated with this annotation, the name of the annotation
31747 is followed immediately by a newline. If there is additional
31748 information, the name of the annotation is followed by a space, the
31749 additional information, and a newline. The additional information
31750 cannot contain newline characters.
31751
31752 Any output not beginning with a newline and two @samp{control-z}
31753 characters denotes literal output from @value{GDBN}. Currently there is
31754 no need for @value{GDBN} to output a newline followed by two
31755 @samp{control-z} characters, but if there was such a need, the
31756 annotations could be extended with an @samp{escape} annotation which
31757 means those three characters as output.
31758
31759 The annotation @var{level}, which is specified using the
31760 @option{--annotate} command line option (@pxref{Mode Options}), controls
31761 how much information @value{GDBN} prints together with its prompt,
31762 values of expressions, source lines, and other types of output. Level 0
31763 is for no annotations, level 1 is for use when @value{GDBN} is run as a
31764 subprocess of @sc{gnu} Emacs, level 3 is the maximum annotation suitable
31765 for programs that control @value{GDBN}, and level 2 annotations have
31766 been made obsolete (@pxref{Limitations, , Limitations of the Annotation
31767 Interface, annotate, GDB's Obsolete Annotations}).
31768
31769 @table @code
31770 @kindex set annotate
31771 @item set annotate @var{level}
31772 The @value{GDBN} command @code{set annotate} sets the level of
31773 annotations to the specified @var{level}.
31774
31775 @item show annotate
31776 @kindex show annotate
31777 Show the current annotation level.
31778 @end table
31779
31780 This chapter describes level 3 annotations.
31781
31782 A simple example of starting up @value{GDBN} with annotations is:
31783
31784 @smallexample
31785 $ @kbd{gdb --annotate=3}
31786 GNU gdb 6.0
31787 Copyright 2003 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
31788 GDB is free software, covered by the GNU General Public License,
31789 and you are welcome to change it and/or distribute copies of it
31790 under certain conditions.
31791 Type "show copying" to see the conditions.
31792 There is absolutely no warranty for GDB. Type "show warranty"
31793 for details.
31794 This GDB was configured as "i386-pc-linux-gnu"
31795
31796 ^Z^Zpre-prompt
31797 (@value{GDBP})
31798 ^Z^Zprompt
31799 @kbd{quit}
31800
31801 ^Z^Zpost-prompt
31802 $
31803 @end smallexample
31804
31805 Here @samp{quit} is input to @value{GDBN}; the rest is output from
31806 @value{GDBN}. The three lines beginning @samp{^Z^Z} (where @samp{^Z}
31807 denotes a @samp{control-z} character) are annotations; the rest is
31808 output from @value{GDBN}.
31809
31810 @node Server Prefix
31811 @section The Server Prefix
31812 @cindex server prefix
31813
31814 If you prefix a command with @samp{server } then it will not affect
31815 the command history, nor will it affect @value{GDBN}'s notion of which
31816 command to repeat if @key{RET} is pressed on a line by itself. This
31817 means that commands can be run behind a user's back by a front-end in
31818 a transparent manner.
31819
31820 The @code{server } prefix does not affect the recording of values into
31821 the value history; to print a value without recording it into the
31822 value history, use the @code{output} command instead of the
31823 @code{print} command.
31824
31825 Using this prefix also disables confirmation requests
31826 (@pxref{confirmation requests}).
31827
31828 @node Prompting
31829 @section Annotation for @value{GDBN} Input
31830
31831 @cindex annotations for prompts
31832 When @value{GDBN} prompts for input, it annotates this fact so it is possible
31833 to know when to send output, when the output from a given command is
31834 over, etc.
31835
31836 Different kinds of input each have a different @dfn{input type}. Each
31837 input type has three annotations: a @code{pre-} annotation, which
31838 denotes the beginning of any prompt which is being output, a plain
31839 annotation, which denotes the end of the prompt, and then a @code{post-}
31840 annotation which denotes the end of any echo which may (or may not) be
31841 associated with the input. For example, the @code{prompt} input type
31842 features the following annotations:
31843
31844 @smallexample
31845 ^Z^Zpre-prompt
31846 ^Z^Zprompt
31847 ^Z^Zpost-prompt
31848 @end smallexample
31849
31850 The input types are
31851
31852 @table @code
31853 @findex pre-prompt annotation
31854 @findex prompt annotation
31855 @findex post-prompt annotation
31856 @item prompt
31857 When @value{GDBN} is prompting for a command (the main @value{GDBN} prompt).
31858
31859 @findex pre-commands annotation
31860 @findex commands annotation
31861 @findex post-commands annotation
31862 @item commands
31863 When @value{GDBN} prompts for a set of commands, like in the @code{commands}
31864 command. The annotations are repeated for each command which is input.
31865
31866 @findex pre-overload-choice annotation
31867 @findex overload-choice annotation
31868 @findex post-overload-choice annotation
31869 @item overload-choice
31870 When @value{GDBN} wants the user to select between various overloaded functions.
31871
31872 @findex pre-query annotation
31873 @findex query annotation
31874 @findex post-query annotation
31875 @item query
31876 When @value{GDBN} wants the user to confirm a potentially dangerous operation.
31877
31878 @findex pre-prompt-for-continue annotation
31879 @findex prompt-for-continue annotation
31880 @findex post-prompt-for-continue annotation
31881 @item prompt-for-continue
31882 When @value{GDBN} is asking the user to press return to continue. Note: Don't
31883 expect this to work well; instead use @code{set height 0} to disable
31884 prompting. This is because the counting of lines is buggy in the
31885 presence of annotations.
31886 @end table
31887
31888 @node Errors
31889 @section Errors
31890 @cindex annotations for errors, warnings and interrupts
31891
31892 @findex quit annotation
31893 @smallexample
31894 ^Z^Zquit
31895 @end smallexample
31896
31897 This annotation occurs right before @value{GDBN} responds to an interrupt.
31898
31899 @findex error annotation
31900 @smallexample
31901 ^Z^Zerror
31902 @end smallexample
31903
31904 This annotation occurs right before @value{GDBN} responds to an error.
31905
31906 Quit and error annotations indicate that any annotations which @value{GDBN} was
31907 in the middle of may end abruptly. For example, if a
31908 @code{value-history-begin} annotation is followed by a @code{error}, one
31909 cannot expect to receive the matching @code{value-history-end}. One
31910 cannot expect not to receive it either, however; an error annotation
31911 does not necessarily mean that @value{GDBN} is immediately returning all the way
31912 to the top level.
31913
31914 @findex error-begin annotation
31915 A quit or error annotation may be preceded by
31916
31917 @smallexample
31918 ^Z^Zerror-begin
31919 @end smallexample
31920
31921 Any output between that and the quit or error annotation is the error
31922 message.
31923
31924 Warning messages are not yet annotated.
31925 @c If we want to change that, need to fix warning(), type_error(),
31926 @c range_error(), and possibly other places.
31927
31928 @node Invalidation
31929 @section Invalidation Notices
31930
31931 @cindex annotations for invalidation messages
31932 The following annotations say that certain pieces of state may have
31933 changed.
31934
31935 @table @code
31936 @findex frames-invalid annotation
31937 @item ^Z^Zframes-invalid
31938
31939 The frames (for example, output from the @code{backtrace} command) may
31940 have changed.
31941
31942 @findex breakpoints-invalid annotation
31943 @item ^Z^Zbreakpoints-invalid
31944
31945 The breakpoints may have changed. For example, the user just added or
31946 deleted a breakpoint.
31947 @end table
31948
31949 @node Annotations for Running
31950 @section Running the Program
31951 @cindex annotations for running programs
31952
31953 @findex starting annotation
31954 @findex stopping annotation
31955 When the program starts executing due to a @value{GDBN} command such as
31956 @code{step} or @code{continue},
31957
31958 @smallexample
31959 ^Z^Zstarting
31960 @end smallexample
31961
31962 is output. When the program stops,
31963
31964 @smallexample
31965 ^Z^Zstopped
31966 @end smallexample
31967
31968 is output. Before the @code{stopped} annotation, a variety of
31969 annotations describe how the program stopped.
31970
31971 @table @code
31972 @findex exited annotation
31973 @item ^Z^Zexited @var{exit-status}
31974 The program exited, and @var{exit-status} is the exit status (zero for
31975 successful exit, otherwise nonzero).
31976
31977 @findex signalled annotation
31978 @findex signal-name annotation
31979 @findex signal-name-end annotation
31980 @findex signal-string annotation
31981 @findex signal-string-end annotation
31982 @item ^Z^Zsignalled
31983 The program exited with a signal. After the @code{^Z^Zsignalled}, the
31984 annotation continues:
31985
31986 @smallexample
31987 @var{intro-text}
31988 ^Z^Zsignal-name
31989 @var{name}
31990 ^Z^Zsignal-name-end
31991 @var{middle-text}
31992 ^Z^Zsignal-string
31993 @var{string}
31994 ^Z^Zsignal-string-end
31995 @var{end-text}
31996 @end smallexample
31997
31998 @noindent
31999 where @var{name} is the name of the signal, such as @code{SIGILL} or
32000 @code{SIGSEGV}, and @var{string} is the explanation of the signal, such
32001 as @code{Illegal Instruction} or @code{Segmentation fault}.
32002 @var{intro-text}, @var{middle-text}, and @var{end-text} are for the
32003 user's benefit and have no particular format.
32004
32005 @findex signal annotation
32006 @item ^Z^Zsignal
32007 The syntax of this annotation is just like @code{signalled}, but @value{GDBN} is
32008 just saying that the program received the signal, not that it was
32009 terminated with it.
32010
32011 @findex breakpoint annotation
32012 @item ^Z^Zbreakpoint @var{number}
32013 The program hit breakpoint number @var{number}.
32014
32015 @findex watchpoint annotation
32016 @item ^Z^Zwatchpoint @var{number}
32017 The program hit watchpoint number @var{number}.
32018 @end table
32019
32020 @node Source Annotations
32021 @section Displaying Source
32022 @cindex annotations for source display
32023
32024 @findex source annotation
32025 The following annotation is used instead of displaying source code:
32026
32027 @smallexample
32028 ^Z^Zsource @var{filename}:@var{line}:@var{character}:@var{middle}:@var{addr}
32029 @end smallexample
32030
32031 where @var{filename} is an absolute file name indicating which source
32032 file, @var{line} is the line number within that file (where 1 is the
32033 first line in the file), @var{character} is the character position
32034 within the file (where 0 is the first character in the file) (for most
32035 debug formats this will necessarily point to the beginning of a line),
32036 @var{middle} is @samp{middle} if @var{addr} is in the middle of the
32037 line, or @samp{beg} if @var{addr} is at the beginning of the line, and
32038 @var{addr} is the address in the target program associated with the
32039 source which is being displayed. @var{addr} is in the form @samp{0x}
32040 followed by one or more lowercase hex digits (note that this does not
32041 depend on the language).
32042
32043 @node JIT Interface
32044 @chapter JIT Compilation Interface
32045 @cindex just-in-time compilation
32046 @cindex JIT compilation interface
32047
32048 This chapter documents @value{GDBN}'s @dfn{just-in-time} (JIT) compilation
32049 interface. A JIT compiler is a program or library that generates native
32050 executable code at runtime and executes it, usually in order to achieve good
32051 performance while maintaining platform independence.
32052
32053 Programs that use JIT compilation are normally difficult to debug because
32054 portions of their code are generated at runtime, instead of being loaded from
32055 object files, which is where @value{GDBN} normally finds the program's symbols
32056 and debug information. In order to debug programs that use JIT compilation,
32057 @value{GDBN} has an interface that allows the program to register in-memory
32058 symbol files with @value{GDBN} at runtime.
32059
32060 If you are using @value{GDBN} to debug a program that uses this interface, then
32061 it should work transparently so long as you have not stripped the binary. If
32062 you are developing a JIT compiler, then the interface is documented in the rest
32063 of this chapter. At this time, the only known client of this interface is the
32064 LLVM JIT.
32065
32066 Broadly speaking, the JIT interface mirrors the dynamic loader interface. The
32067 JIT compiler communicates with @value{GDBN} by writing data into a global
32068 variable and calling a fuction at a well-known symbol. When @value{GDBN}
32069 attaches, it reads a linked list of symbol files from the global variable to
32070 find existing code, and puts a breakpoint in the function so that it can find
32071 out about additional code.
32072
32073 @menu
32074 * Declarations:: Relevant C struct declarations
32075 * Registering Code:: Steps to register code
32076 * Unregistering Code:: Steps to unregister code
32077 * Custom Debug Info:: Emit debug information in a custom format
32078 @end menu
32079
32080 @node Declarations
32081 @section JIT Declarations
32082
32083 These are the relevant struct declarations that a C program should include to
32084 implement the interface:
32085
32086 @smallexample
32087 typedef enum
32088 @{
32089 JIT_NOACTION = 0,
32090 JIT_REGISTER_FN,
32091 JIT_UNREGISTER_FN
32092 @} jit_actions_t;
32093
32094 struct jit_code_entry
32095 @{
32096 struct jit_code_entry *next_entry;
32097 struct jit_code_entry *prev_entry;
32098 const char *symfile_addr;
32099 uint64_t symfile_size;
32100 @};
32101
32102 struct jit_descriptor
32103 @{
32104 uint32_t version;
32105 /* This type should be jit_actions_t, but we use uint32_t
32106 to be explicit about the bitwidth. */
32107 uint32_t action_flag;
32108 struct jit_code_entry *relevant_entry;
32109 struct jit_code_entry *first_entry;
32110 @};
32111
32112 /* GDB puts a breakpoint in this function. */
32113 void __attribute__((noinline)) __jit_debug_register_code() @{ @};
32114
32115 /* Make sure to specify the version statically, because the
32116 debugger may check the version before we can set it. */
32117 struct jit_descriptor __jit_debug_descriptor = @{ 1, 0, 0, 0 @};
32118 @end smallexample
32119
32120 If the JIT is multi-threaded, then it is important that the JIT synchronize any
32121 modifications to this global data properly, which can easily be done by putting
32122 a global mutex around modifications to these structures.
32123
32124 @node Registering Code
32125 @section Registering Code
32126
32127 To register code with @value{GDBN}, the JIT should follow this protocol:
32128
32129 @itemize @bullet
32130 @item
32131 Generate an object file in memory with symbols and other desired debug
32132 information. The file must include the virtual addresses of the sections.
32133
32134 @item
32135 Create a code entry for the file, which gives the start and size of the symbol
32136 file.
32137
32138 @item
32139 Add it to the linked list in the JIT descriptor.
32140
32141 @item
32142 Point the relevant_entry field of the descriptor at the entry.
32143
32144 @item
32145 Set @code{action_flag} to @code{JIT_REGISTER} and call
32146 @code{__jit_debug_register_code}.
32147 @end itemize
32148
32149 When @value{GDBN} is attached and the breakpoint fires, @value{GDBN} uses the
32150 @code{relevant_entry} pointer so it doesn't have to walk the list looking for
32151 new code. However, the linked list must still be maintained in order to allow
32152 @value{GDBN} to attach to a running process and still find the symbol files.
32153
32154 @node Unregistering Code
32155 @section Unregistering Code
32156
32157 If code is freed, then the JIT should use the following protocol:
32158
32159 @itemize @bullet
32160 @item
32161 Remove the code entry corresponding to the code from the linked list.
32162
32163 @item
32164 Point the @code{relevant_entry} field of the descriptor at the code entry.
32165
32166 @item
32167 Set @code{action_flag} to @code{JIT_UNREGISTER} and call
32168 @code{__jit_debug_register_code}.
32169 @end itemize
32170
32171 If the JIT frees or recompiles code without unregistering it, then @value{GDBN}
32172 and the JIT will leak the memory used for the associated symbol files.
32173
32174 @node Custom Debug Info
32175 @section Custom Debug Info
32176 @cindex custom JIT debug info
32177 @cindex JIT debug info reader
32178
32179 Generating debug information in platform-native file formats (like ELF
32180 or COFF) may be an overkill for JIT compilers; especially if all the
32181 debug info is used for is displaying a meaningful backtrace. The
32182 issue can be resolved by having the JIT writers decide on a debug info
32183 format and also provide a reader that parses the debug info generated
32184 by the JIT compiler. This section gives a brief overview on writing
32185 such a parser. More specific details can be found in the source file
32186 @file{gdb/jit-reader.in}, which is also installed as a header at
32187 @file{@var{includedir}/gdb/jit-reader.h} for easy inclusion.
32188
32189 The reader is implemented as a shared object (so this functionality is
32190 not available on platforms which don't allow loading shared objects at
32191 runtime). Two @value{GDBN} commands, @code{jit-reader-load} and
32192 @code{jit-reader-unload} are provided, to be used to load and unload
32193 the readers from a preconfigured directory. Once loaded, the shared
32194 object is used the parse the debug information emitted by the JIT
32195 compiler.
32196
32197 @menu
32198 * Using JIT Debug Info Readers:: How to use supplied readers correctly
32199 * Writing JIT Debug Info Readers:: Creating a debug-info reader
32200 @end menu
32201
32202 @node Using JIT Debug Info Readers
32203 @subsection Using JIT Debug Info Readers
32204 @kindex jit-reader-load
32205 @kindex jit-reader-unload
32206
32207 Readers can be loaded and unloaded using the @code{jit-reader-load}
32208 and @code{jit-reader-unload} commands.
32209
32210 @table @code
32211 @item jit-reader-load @var{reader-name}
32212 Load the JIT reader named @var{reader-name}. On a UNIX system, this
32213 will usually load @file{@var{libdir}/gdb/@var{reader-name}}, where
32214 @var{libdir} is the system library directory, usually
32215 @file{/usr/local/lib}. Only one reader can be active at a time;
32216 trying to load a second reader when one is already loaded will result
32217 in @value{GDBN} reporting an error. A new JIT reader can be loaded by
32218 first unloading the current one using @code{jit-reader-load} and then
32219 invoking @code{jit-reader-load}.
32220
32221 @item jit-reader-unload
32222 Unload the currently loaded JIT reader.
32223
32224 @end table
32225
32226 @node Writing JIT Debug Info Readers
32227 @subsection Writing JIT Debug Info Readers
32228 @cindex writing JIT debug info readers
32229
32230 As mentioned, a reader is essentially a shared object conforming to a
32231 certain ABI. This ABI is described in @file{jit-reader.h}.
32232
32233 @file{jit-reader.h} defines the structures, macros and functions
32234 required to write a reader. It is installed (along with
32235 @value{GDBN}), in @file{@var{includedir}/gdb} where @var{includedir} is
32236 the system include directory.
32237
32238 Readers need to be released under a GPL compatible license. A reader
32239 can be declared as released under such a license by placing the macro
32240 @code{GDB_DECLARE_GPL_COMPATIBLE_READER} in a source file.
32241
32242 The entry point for readers is the symbol @code{gdb_init_reader},
32243 which is expected to be a function with the prototype
32244
32245 @findex gdb_init_reader
32246 @smallexample
32247 extern struct gdb_reader_funcs *gdb_init_reader (void);
32248 @end smallexample
32249
32250 @cindex @code{struct gdb_reader_funcs}
32251
32252 @code{struct gdb_reader_funcs} contains a set of pointers to callback
32253 functions. These functions are executed to read the debug info
32254 generated by the JIT compiler (@code{read}), to unwind stack frames
32255 (@code{unwind}) and to create canonical frame IDs
32256 (@code{get_Frame_id}). It also has a callback that is called when the
32257 reader is being unloaded (@code{destroy}). The struct looks like this
32258
32259 @smallexample
32260 struct gdb_reader_funcs
32261 @{
32262 /* Must be set to GDB_READER_INTERFACE_VERSION. */
32263 int reader_version;
32264
32265 /* For use by the reader. */
32266 void *priv_data;
32267
32268 gdb_read_debug_info *read;
32269 gdb_unwind_frame *unwind;
32270 gdb_get_frame_id *get_frame_id;
32271 gdb_destroy_reader *destroy;
32272 @};
32273 @end smallexample
32274
32275 @cindex @code{struct gdb_symbol_callbacks}
32276 @cindex @code{struct gdb_unwind_callbacks}
32277
32278 The callbacks are provided with another set of callbacks by
32279 @value{GDBN} to do their job. For @code{read}, these callbacks are
32280 passed in a @code{struct gdb_symbol_callbacks} and for @code{unwind}
32281 and @code{get_frame_id}, in a @code{struct gdb_unwind_callbacks}.
32282 @code{struct gdb_symbol_callbacks} has callbacks to create new object
32283 files and new symbol tables inside those object files. @code{struct
32284 gdb_unwind_callbacks} has callbacks to read registers off the current
32285 frame and to write out the values of the registers in the previous
32286 frame. Both have a callback (@code{target_read}) to read bytes off the
32287 target's address space.
32288
32289 @node GDB Bugs
32290 @chapter Reporting Bugs in @value{GDBN}
32291 @cindex bugs in @value{GDBN}
32292 @cindex reporting bugs in @value{GDBN}
32293
32294 Your bug reports play an essential role in making @value{GDBN} reliable.
32295
32296 Reporting a bug may help you by bringing a solution to your problem, or it
32297 may not. But in any case the principal function of a bug report is to help
32298 the entire community by making the next version of @value{GDBN} work better. Bug
32299 reports are your contribution to the maintenance of @value{GDBN}.
32300
32301 In order for a bug report to serve its purpose, you must include the
32302 information that enables us to fix the bug.
32303
32304 @menu
32305 * Bug Criteria:: Have you found a bug?
32306 * Bug Reporting:: How to report bugs
32307 @end menu
32308
32309 @node Bug Criteria
32310 @section Have You Found a Bug?
32311 @cindex bug criteria
32312
32313 If you are not sure whether you have found a bug, here are some guidelines:
32314
32315 @itemize @bullet
32316 @cindex fatal signal
32317 @cindex debugger crash
32318 @cindex crash of debugger
32319 @item
32320 If the debugger gets a fatal signal, for any input whatever, that is a
32321 @value{GDBN} bug. Reliable debuggers never crash.
32322
32323 @cindex error on valid input
32324 @item
32325 If @value{GDBN} produces an error message for valid input, that is a
32326 bug. (Note that if you're cross debugging, the problem may also be
32327 somewhere in the connection to the target.)
32328
32329 @cindex invalid input
32330 @item
32331 If @value{GDBN} does not produce an error message for invalid input,
32332 that is a bug. However, you should note that your idea of
32333 ``invalid input'' might be our idea of ``an extension'' or ``support
32334 for traditional practice''.
32335
32336 @item
32337 If you are an experienced user of debugging tools, your suggestions
32338 for improvement of @value{GDBN} are welcome in any case.
32339 @end itemize
32340
32341 @node Bug Reporting
32342 @section How to Report Bugs
32343 @cindex bug reports
32344 @cindex @value{GDBN} bugs, reporting
32345
32346 A number of companies and individuals offer support for @sc{gnu} products.
32347 If you obtained @value{GDBN} from a support organization, we recommend you
32348 contact that organization first.
32349
32350 You can find contact information for many support companies and
32351 individuals in the file @file{etc/SERVICE} in the @sc{gnu} Emacs
32352 distribution.
32353 @c should add a web page ref...
32354
32355 @ifset BUGURL
32356 @ifset BUGURL_DEFAULT
32357 In any event, we also recommend that you submit bug reports for
32358 @value{GDBN}. The preferred method is to submit them directly using
32359 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gdb/bugs/, @value{GDBN}'s Bugs web
32360 page}. Alternatively, the @email{bug-gdb@@gnu.org, e-mail gateway} can
32361 be used.
32362
32363 @strong{Do not send bug reports to @samp{info-gdb}, or to
32364 @samp{help-gdb}, or to any newsgroups.} Most users of @value{GDBN} do
32365 not want to receive bug reports. Those that do have arranged to receive
32366 @samp{bug-gdb}.
32367
32368 The mailing list @samp{bug-gdb} has a newsgroup @samp{gnu.gdb.bug} which
32369 serves as a repeater. The mailing list and the newsgroup carry exactly
32370 the same messages. Often people think of posting bug reports to the
32371 newsgroup instead of mailing them. This appears to work, but it has one
32372 problem which can be crucial: a newsgroup posting often lacks a mail
32373 path back to the sender. Thus, if we need to ask for more information,
32374 we may be unable to reach you. For this reason, it is better to send
32375 bug reports to the mailing list.
32376 @end ifset
32377 @ifclear BUGURL_DEFAULT
32378 In any event, we also recommend that you submit bug reports for
32379 @value{GDBN} to @value{BUGURL}.
32380 @end ifclear
32381 @end ifset
32382
32383 The fundamental principle of reporting bugs usefully is this:
32384 @strong{report all the facts}. If you are not sure whether to state a
32385 fact or leave it out, state it!
32386
32387 Often people omit facts because they think they know what causes the
32388 problem and assume that some details do not matter. Thus, you might
32389 assume that the name of the variable you use in an example does not matter.
32390 Well, probably it does not, but one cannot be sure. Perhaps the bug is a
32391 stray memory reference which happens to fetch from the location where that
32392 name is stored in memory; perhaps, if the name were different, the contents
32393 of that location would fool the debugger into doing the right thing despite
32394 the bug. Play it safe and give a specific, complete example. That is the
32395 easiest thing for you to do, and the most helpful.
32396
32397 Keep in mind that the purpose of a bug report is to enable us to fix the
32398 bug. It may be that the bug has been reported previously, but neither
32399 you nor we can know that unless your bug report is complete and
32400 self-contained.
32401
32402 Sometimes people give a few sketchy facts and ask, ``Does this ring a
32403 bell?'' Those bug reports are useless, and we urge everyone to
32404 @emph{refuse to respond to them} except to chide the sender to report
32405 bugs properly.
32406
32407 To enable us to fix the bug, you should include all these things:
32408
32409 @itemize @bullet
32410 @item
32411 The version of @value{GDBN}. @value{GDBN} announces it if you start
32412 with no arguments; you can also print it at any time using @code{show
32413 version}.
32414
32415 Without this, we will not know whether there is any point in looking for
32416 the bug in the current version of @value{GDBN}.
32417
32418 @item
32419 The type of machine you are using, and the operating system name and
32420 version number.
32421
32422 @item
32423 What compiler (and its version) was used to compile @value{GDBN}---e.g.@:
32424 ``@value{GCC}--2.8.1''.
32425
32426 @item
32427 What compiler (and its version) was used to compile the program you are
32428 debugging---e.g.@: ``@value{GCC}--2.8.1'', or ``HP92453-01 A.10.32.03 HP
32429 C Compiler''. For @value{NGCC}, you can say @kbd{@value{GCC} --version}
32430 to get this information; for other compilers, see the documentation for
32431 those compilers.
32432
32433 @item
32434 The command arguments you gave the compiler to compile your example and
32435 observe the bug. For example, did you use @samp{-O}? To guarantee
32436 you will not omit something important, list them all. A copy of the
32437 Makefile (or the output from make) is sufficient.
32438
32439 If we were to try to guess the arguments, we would probably guess wrong
32440 and then we might not encounter the bug.
32441
32442 @item
32443 A complete input script, and all necessary source files, that will
32444 reproduce the bug.
32445
32446 @item
32447 A description of what behavior you observe that you believe is
32448 incorrect. For example, ``It gets a fatal signal.''
32449
32450 Of course, if the bug is that @value{GDBN} gets a fatal signal, then we
32451 will certainly notice it. But if the bug is incorrect output, we might
32452 not notice unless it is glaringly wrong. You might as well not give us
32453 a chance to make a mistake.
32454
32455 Even if the problem you experience is a fatal signal, you should still
32456 say so explicitly. Suppose something strange is going on, such as, your
32457 copy of @value{GDBN} is out of synch, or you have encountered a bug in
32458 the C library on your system. (This has happened!) Your copy might
32459 crash and ours would not. If you told us to expect a crash, then when
32460 ours fails to crash, we would know that the bug was not happening for
32461 us. If you had not told us to expect a crash, then we would not be able
32462 to draw any conclusion from our observations.
32463
32464 @pindex script
32465 @cindex recording a session script
32466 To collect all this information, you can use a session recording program
32467 such as @command{script}, which is available on many Unix systems.
32468 Just run your @value{GDBN} session inside @command{script} and then
32469 include the @file{typescript} file with your bug report.
32470
32471 Another way to record a @value{GDBN} session is to run @value{GDBN}
32472 inside Emacs and then save the entire buffer to a file.
32473
32474 @item
32475 If you wish to suggest changes to the @value{GDBN} source, send us context
32476 diffs. If you even discuss something in the @value{GDBN} source, refer to
32477 it by context, not by line number.
32478
32479 The line numbers in our development sources will not match those in your
32480 sources. Your line numbers would convey no useful information to us.
32481
32482 @end itemize
32483
32484 Here are some things that are not necessary:
32485
32486 @itemize @bullet
32487 @item
32488 A description of the envelope of the bug.
32489
32490 Often people who encounter a bug spend a lot of time investigating
32491 which changes to the input file will make the bug go away and which
32492 changes will not affect it.
32493
32494 This is often time consuming and not very useful, because the way we
32495 will find the bug is by running a single example under the debugger
32496 with breakpoints, not by pure deduction from a series of examples.
32497 We recommend that you save your time for something else.
32498
32499 Of course, if you can find a simpler example to report @emph{instead}
32500 of the original one, that is a convenience for us. Errors in the
32501 output will be easier to spot, running under the debugger will take
32502 less time, and so on.
32503
32504 However, simplification is not vital; if you do not want to do this,
32505 report the bug anyway and send us the entire test case you used.
32506
32507 @item
32508 A patch for the bug.
32509
32510 A patch for the bug does help us if it is a good one. But do not omit
32511 the necessary information, such as the test case, on the assumption that
32512 a patch is all we need. We might see problems with your patch and decide
32513 to fix the problem another way, or we might not understand it at all.
32514
32515 Sometimes with a program as complicated as @value{GDBN} it is very hard to
32516 construct an example that will make the program follow a certain path
32517 through the code. If you do not send us the example, we will not be able
32518 to construct one, so we will not be able to verify that the bug is fixed.
32519
32520 And if we cannot understand what bug you are trying to fix, or why your
32521 patch should be an improvement, we will not install it. A test case will
32522 help us to understand.
32523
32524 @item
32525 A guess about what the bug is or what it depends on.
32526
32527 Such guesses are usually wrong. Even we cannot guess right about such
32528 things without first using the debugger to find the facts.
32529 @end itemize
32530
32531 @c The readline documentation is distributed with the readline code
32532 @c and consists of the two following files:
32533 @c rluser.texi
32534 @c hsuser.texi
32535 @c Use -I with makeinfo to point to the appropriate directory,
32536 @c environment var TEXINPUTS with TeX.
32537 @ifclear SYSTEM_READLINE
32538 @include rluser.texi
32539 @include hsuser.texi
32540 @end ifclear
32541
32542 @node In Memoriam
32543 @appendix In Memoriam
32544
32545 The @value{GDBN} project mourns the loss of the following long-time
32546 contributors:
32547
32548 @table @code
32549 @item Fred Fish
32550 Fred was a long-standing contributor to @value{GDBN} (1991-2006), and
32551 to Free Software in general. Outside of @value{GDBN}, he was known in
32552 the Amiga world for his series of Fish Disks, and the GeekGadget project.
32553
32554 @item Michael Snyder
32555 Michael was one of the Global Maintainers of the @value{GDBN} project,
32556 with contributions recorded as early as 1996, until 2011. In addition
32557 to his day to day participation, he was a large driving force behind
32558 adding Reverse Debugging to @value{GDBN}.
32559 @end table
32560
32561 Beyond their technical contributions to the project, they were also
32562 enjoyable members of the Free Software Community. We will miss them.
32563
32564 @node Formatting Documentation
32565 @appendix Formatting Documentation
32566
32567 @cindex @value{GDBN} reference card
32568 @cindex reference card
32569 The @value{GDBN} 4 release includes an already-formatted reference card, ready
32570 for printing with PostScript or Ghostscript, in the @file{gdb}
32571 subdirectory of the main source directory@footnote{In
32572 @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}/gdb/refcard.ps} of the version @value{GDBVN}
32573 release.}. If you can use PostScript or Ghostscript with your printer,
32574 you can print the reference card immediately with @file{refcard.ps}.
32575
32576 The release also includes the source for the reference card. You
32577 can format it, using @TeX{}, by typing:
32578
32579 @smallexample
32580 make refcard.dvi
32581 @end smallexample
32582
32583 The @value{GDBN} reference card is designed to print in @dfn{landscape}
32584 mode on US ``letter'' size paper;
32585 that is, on a sheet 11 inches wide by 8.5 inches
32586 high. You will need to specify this form of printing as an option to
32587 your @sc{dvi} output program.
32588
32589 @cindex documentation
32590
32591 All the documentation for @value{GDBN} comes as part of the machine-readable
32592 distribution. The documentation is written in Texinfo format, which is
32593 a documentation system that uses a single source file to produce both
32594 on-line information and a printed manual. You can use one of the Info
32595 formatting commands to create the on-line version of the documentation
32596 and @TeX{} (or @code{texi2roff}) to typeset the printed version.
32597
32598 @value{GDBN} includes an already formatted copy of the on-line Info
32599 version of this manual in the @file{gdb} subdirectory. The main Info
32600 file is @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}/gdb/gdb.info}, and it refers to
32601 subordinate files matching @samp{gdb.info*} in the same directory. If
32602 necessary, you can print out these files, or read them with any editor;
32603 but they are easier to read using the @code{info} subsystem in @sc{gnu}
32604 Emacs or the standalone @code{info} program, available as part of the
32605 @sc{gnu} Texinfo distribution.
32606
32607 If you want to format these Info files yourself, you need one of the
32608 Info formatting programs, such as @code{texinfo-format-buffer} or
32609 @code{makeinfo}.
32610
32611 If you have @code{makeinfo} installed, and are in the top level
32612 @value{GDBN} source directory (@file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}}, in the case of
32613 version @value{GDBVN}), you can make the Info file by typing:
32614
32615 @smallexample
32616 cd gdb
32617 make gdb.info
32618 @end smallexample
32619
32620 If you want to typeset and print copies of this manual, you need @TeX{},
32621 a program to print its @sc{dvi} output files, and @file{texinfo.tex}, the
32622 Texinfo definitions file.
32623
32624 @TeX{} is a typesetting program; it does not print files directly, but
32625 produces output files called @sc{dvi} files. To print a typeset
32626 document, you need a program to print @sc{dvi} files. If your system
32627 has @TeX{} installed, chances are it has such a program. The precise
32628 command to use depends on your system; @kbd{lpr -d} is common; another
32629 (for PostScript devices) is @kbd{dvips}. The @sc{dvi} print command may
32630 require a file name without any extension or a @samp{.dvi} extension.
32631
32632 @TeX{} also requires a macro definitions file called
32633 @file{texinfo.tex}. This file tells @TeX{} how to typeset a document
32634 written in Texinfo format. On its own, @TeX{} cannot either read or
32635 typeset a Texinfo file. @file{texinfo.tex} is distributed with GDB
32636 and is located in the @file{gdb-@var{version-number}/texinfo}
32637 directory.
32638
32639 If you have @TeX{} and a @sc{dvi} printer program installed, you can
32640 typeset and print this manual. First switch to the @file{gdb}
32641 subdirectory of the main source directory (for example, to
32642 @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}/gdb}) and type:
32643
32644 @smallexample
32645 make gdb.dvi
32646 @end smallexample
32647
32648 Then give @file{gdb.dvi} to your @sc{dvi} printing program.
32649
32650 @node Installing GDB
32651 @appendix Installing @value{GDBN}
32652 @cindex installation
32653
32654 @menu
32655 * Requirements:: Requirements for building @value{GDBN}
32656 * Running Configure:: Invoking the @value{GDBN} @file{configure} script
32657 * Separate Objdir:: Compiling @value{GDBN} in another directory
32658 * Config Names:: Specifying names for hosts and targets
32659 * Configure Options:: Summary of options for configure
32660 * System-wide configuration:: Having a system-wide init file
32661 @end menu
32662
32663 @node Requirements
32664 @section Requirements for Building @value{GDBN}
32665 @cindex building @value{GDBN}, requirements for
32666
32667 Building @value{GDBN} requires various tools and packages to be available.
32668 Other packages will be used only if they are found.
32669
32670 @heading Tools/Packages Necessary for Building @value{GDBN}
32671 @table @asis
32672 @item ISO C90 compiler
32673 @value{GDBN} is written in ISO C90. It should be buildable with any
32674 working C90 compiler, e.g.@: GCC.
32675
32676 @end table
32677
32678 @heading Tools/Packages Optional for Building @value{GDBN}
32679 @table @asis
32680 @item Expat
32681 @anchor{Expat}
32682 @value{GDBN} can use the Expat XML parsing library. This library may be
32683 included with your operating system distribution; if it is not, you
32684 can get the latest version from @url{http://expat.sourceforge.net}.
32685 The @file{configure} script will search for this library in several
32686 standard locations; if it is installed in an unusual path, you can
32687 use the @option{--with-libexpat-prefix} option to specify its location.
32688
32689 Expat is used for:
32690
32691 @itemize @bullet
32692 @item
32693 Remote protocol memory maps (@pxref{Memory Map Format})
32694 @item
32695 Target descriptions (@pxref{Target Descriptions})
32696 @item
32697 Remote shared library lists (@xref{Library List Format},
32698 or alternatively @pxref{Library List Format for SVR4 Targets})
32699 @item
32700 MS-Windows shared libraries (@pxref{Shared Libraries})
32701 @item
32702 Traceframe info (@pxref{Traceframe Info Format})
32703 @end itemize
32704
32705 @item zlib
32706 @cindex compressed debug sections
32707 @value{GDBN} will use the @samp{zlib} library, if available, to read
32708 compressed debug sections. Some linkers, such as GNU gold, are capable
32709 of producing binaries with compressed debug sections. If @value{GDBN}
32710 is compiled with @samp{zlib}, it will be able to read the debug
32711 information in such binaries.
32712
32713 The @samp{zlib} library is likely included with your operating system
32714 distribution; if it is not, you can get the latest version from
32715 @url{http://zlib.net}.
32716
32717 @item iconv
32718 @value{GDBN}'s features related to character sets (@pxref{Character
32719 Sets}) require a functioning @code{iconv} implementation. If you are
32720 on a GNU system, then this is provided by the GNU C Library. Some
32721 other systems also provide a working @code{iconv}.
32722
32723 If @value{GDBN} is using the @code{iconv} program which is installed
32724 in a non-standard place, you will need to tell @value{GDBN} where to find it.
32725 This is done with @option{--with-iconv-bin} which specifies the
32726 directory that contains the @code{iconv} program.
32727
32728 On systems without @code{iconv}, you can install GNU Libiconv. If you
32729 have previously installed Libiconv, you can use the
32730 @option{--with-libiconv-prefix} option to configure.
32731
32732 @value{GDBN}'s top-level @file{configure} and @file{Makefile} will
32733 arrange to build Libiconv if a directory named @file{libiconv} appears
32734 in the top-most source directory. If Libiconv is built this way, and
32735 if the operating system does not provide a suitable @code{iconv}
32736 implementation, then the just-built library will automatically be used
32737 by @value{GDBN}. One easy way to set this up is to download GNU
32738 Libiconv, unpack it, and then rename the directory holding the
32739 Libiconv source code to @samp{libiconv}.
32740 @end table
32741
32742 @node Running Configure
32743 @section Invoking the @value{GDBN} @file{configure} Script
32744 @cindex configuring @value{GDBN}
32745 @value{GDBN} comes with a @file{configure} script that automates the process
32746 of preparing @value{GDBN} for installation; you can then use @code{make} to
32747 build the @code{gdb} program.
32748 @iftex
32749 @c irrelevant in info file; it's as current as the code it lives with.
32750 @footnote{If you have a more recent version of @value{GDBN} than @value{GDBVN},
32751 look at the @file{README} file in the sources; we may have improved the
32752 installation procedures since publishing this manual.}
32753 @end iftex
32754
32755 The @value{GDBN} distribution includes all the source code you need for
32756 @value{GDBN} in a single directory, whose name is usually composed by
32757 appending the version number to @samp{gdb}.
32758
32759 For example, the @value{GDBN} version @value{GDBVN} distribution is in the
32760 @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}} directory. That directory contains:
32761
32762 @table @code
32763 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/configure @r{(and supporting files)}
32764 script for configuring @value{GDBN} and all its supporting libraries
32765
32766 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/gdb
32767 the source specific to @value{GDBN} itself
32768
32769 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/bfd
32770 source for the Binary File Descriptor library
32771
32772 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/include
32773 @sc{gnu} include files
32774
32775 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/libiberty
32776 source for the @samp{-liberty} free software library
32777
32778 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/opcodes
32779 source for the library of opcode tables and disassemblers
32780
32781 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/readline
32782 source for the @sc{gnu} command-line interface
32783
32784 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/glob
32785 source for the @sc{gnu} filename pattern-matching subroutine
32786
32787 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/mmalloc
32788 source for the @sc{gnu} memory-mapped malloc package
32789 @end table
32790
32791 The simplest way to configure and build @value{GDBN} is to run @file{configure}
32792 from the @file{gdb-@var{version-number}} source directory, which in
32793 this example is the @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}} directory.
32794
32795 First switch to the @file{gdb-@var{version-number}} source directory
32796 if you are not already in it; then run @file{configure}. Pass the
32797 identifier for the platform on which @value{GDBN} will run as an
32798 argument.
32799
32800 For example:
32801
32802 @smallexample
32803 cd gdb-@value{GDBVN}
32804 ./configure @var{host}
32805 make
32806 @end smallexample
32807
32808 @noindent
32809 where @var{host} is an identifier such as @samp{sun4} or
32810 @samp{decstation}, that identifies the platform where @value{GDBN} will run.
32811 (You can often leave off @var{host}; @file{configure} tries to guess the
32812 correct value by examining your system.)
32813
32814 Running @samp{configure @var{host}} and then running @code{make} builds the
32815 @file{bfd}, @file{readline}, @file{mmalloc}, and @file{libiberty}
32816 libraries, then @code{gdb} itself. The configured source files, and the
32817 binaries, are left in the corresponding source directories.
32818
32819 @need 750
32820 @file{configure} is a Bourne-shell (@code{/bin/sh}) script; if your
32821 system does not recognize this automatically when you run a different
32822 shell, you may need to run @code{sh} on it explicitly:
32823
32824 @smallexample
32825 sh configure @var{host}
32826 @end smallexample
32827
32828 If you run @file{configure} from a directory that contains source
32829 directories for multiple libraries or programs, such as the
32830 @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}} source directory for version @value{GDBVN},
32831 @file{configure}
32832 creates configuration files for every directory level underneath (unless
32833 you tell it not to, with the @samp{--norecursion} option).
32834
32835 You should run the @file{configure} script from the top directory in the
32836 source tree, the @file{gdb-@var{version-number}} directory. If you run
32837 @file{configure} from one of the subdirectories, you will configure only
32838 that subdirectory. That is usually not what you want. In particular,
32839 if you run the first @file{configure} from the @file{gdb} subdirectory
32840 of the @file{gdb-@var{version-number}} directory, you will omit the
32841 configuration of @file{bfd}, @file{readline}, and other sibling
32842 directories of the @file{gdb} subdirectory. This leads to build errors
32843 about missing include files such as @file{bfd/bfd.h}.
32844
32845 You can install @code{@value{GDBP}} anywhere; it has no hardwired paths.
32846 However, you should make sure that the shell on your path (named by
32847 the @samp{SHELL} environment variable) is publicly readable. Remember
32848 that @value{GDBN} uses the shell to start your program---some systems refuse to
32849 let @value{GDBN} debug child processes whose programs are not readable.
32850
32851 @node Separate Objdir
32852 @section Compiling @value{GDBN} in Another Directory
32853
32854 If you want to run @value{GDBN} versions for several host or target machines,
32855 you need a different @code{gdb} compiled for each combination of
32856 host and target. @file{configure} is designed to make this easy by
32857 allowing you to generate each configuration in a separate subdirectory,
32858 rather than in the source directory. If your @code{make} program
32859 handles the @samp{VPATH} feature (@sc{gnu} @code{make} does), running
32860 @code{make} in each of these directories builds the @code{gdb}
32861 program specified there.
32862
32863 To build @code{gdb} in a separate directory, run @file{configure}
32864 with the @samp{--srcdir} option to specify where to find the source.
32865 (You also need to specify a path to find @file{configure}
32866 itself from your working directory. If the path to @file{configure}
32867 would be the same as the argument to @samp{--srcdir}, you can leave out
32868 the @samp{--srcdir} option; it is assumed.)
32869
32870 For example, with version @value{GDBVN}, you can build @value{GDBN} in a
32871 separate directory for a Sun 4 like this:
32872
32873 @smallexample
32874 @group
32875 cd gdb-@value{GDBVN}
32876 mkdir ../gdb-sun4
32877 cd ../gdb-sun4
32878 ../gdb-@value{GDBVN}/configure sun4
32879 make
32880 @end group
32881 @end smallexample
32882
32883 When @file{configure} builds a configuration using a remote source
32884 directory, it creates a tree for the binaries with the same structure
32885 (and using the same names) as the tree under the source directory. In
32886 the example, you'd find the Sun 4 library @file{libiberty.a} in the
32887 directory @file{gdb-sun4/libiberty}, and @value{GDBN} itself in
32888 @file{gdb-sun4/gdb}.
32889
32890 Make sure that your path to the @file{configure} script has just one
32891 instance of @file{gdb} in it. If your path to @file{configure} looks
32892 like @file{../gdb-@value{GDBVN}/gdb/configure}, you are configuring only
32893 one subdirectory of @value{GDBN}, not the whole package. This leads to
32894 build errors about missing include files such as @file{bfd/bfd.h}.
32895
32896 One popular reason to build several @value{GDBN} configurations in separate
32897 directories is to configure @value{GDBN} for cross-compiling (where
32898 @value{GDBN} runs on one machine---the @dfn{host}---while debugging
32899 programs that run on another machine---the @dfn{target}).
32900 You specify a cross-debugging target by
32901 giving the @samp{--target=@var{target}} option to @file{configure}.
32902
32903 When you run @code{make} to build a program or library, you must run
32904 it in a configured directory---whatever directory you were in when you
32905 called @file{configure} (or one of its subdirectories).
32906
32907 The @code{Makefile} that @file{configure} generates in each source
32908 directory also runs recursively. If you type @code{make} in a source
32909 directory such as @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}} (or in a separate configured
32910 directory configured with @samp{--srcdir=@var{dirname}/gdb-@value{GDBVN}}), you
32911 will build all the required libraries, and then build GDB.
32912
32913 When you have multiple hosts or targets configured in separate
32914 directories, you can run @code{make} on them in parallel (for example,
32915 if they are NFS-mounted on each of the hosts); they will not interfere
32916 with each other.
32917
32918 @node Config Names
32919 @section Specifying Names for Hosts and Targets
32920
32921 The specifications used for hosts and targets in the @file{configure}
32922 script are based on a three-part naming scheme, but some short predefined
32923 aliases are also supported. The full naming scheme encodes three pieces
32924 of information in the following pattern:
32925
32926 @smallexample
32927 @var{architecture}-@var{vendor}-@var{os}
32928 @end smallexample
32929
32930 For example, you can use the alias @code{sun4} as a @var{host} argument,
32931 or as the value for @var{target} in a @code{--target=@var{target}}
32932 option. The equivalent full name is @samp{sparc-sun-sunos4}.
32933
32934 The @file{configure} script accompanying @value{GDBN} does not provide
32935 any query facility to list all supported host and target names or
32936 aliases. @file{configure} calls the Bourne shell script
32937 @code{config.sub} to map abbreviations to full names; you can read the
32938 script, if you wish, or you can use it to test your guesses on
32939 abbreviations---for example:
32940
32941 @smallexample
32942 % sh config.sub i386-linux
32943 i386-pc-linux-gnu
32944 % sh config.sub alpha-linux
32945 alpha-unknown-linux-gnu
32946 % sh config.sub hp9k700
32947 hppa1.1-hp-hpux
32948 % sh config.sub sun4
32949 sparc-sun-sunos4.1.1
32950 % sh config.sub sun3
32951 m68k-sun-sunos4.1.1
32952 % sh config.sub i986v
32953 Invalid configuration `i986v': machine `i986v' not recognized
32954 @end smallexample
32955
32956 @noindent
32957 @code{config.sub} is also distributed in the @value{GDBN} source
32958 directory (@file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}}, for version @value{GDBVN}).
32959
32960 @node Configure Options
32961 @section @file{configure} Options
32962
32963 Here is a summary of the @file{configure} options and arguments that
32964 are most often useful for building @value{GDBN}. @file{configure} also has
32965 several other options not listed here. @inforef{What Configure
32966 Does,,configure.info}, for a full explanation of @file{configure}.
32967
32968 @smallexample
32969 configure @r{[}--help@r{]}
32970 @r{[}--prefix=@var{dir}@r{]}
32971 @r{[}--exec-prefix=@var{dir}@r{]}
32972 @r{[}--srcdir=@var{dirname}@r{]}
32973 @r{[}--norecursion@r{]} @r{[}--rm@r{]}
32974 @r{[}--target=@var{target}@r{]}
32975 @var{host}
32976 @end smallexample
32977
32978 @noindent
32979 You may introduce options with a single @samp{-} rather than
32980 @samp{--} if you prefer; but you may abbreviate option names if you use
32981 @samp{--}.
32982
32983 @table @code
32984 @item --help
32985 Display a quick summary of how to invoke @file{configure}.
32986
32987 @item --prefix=@var{dir}
32988 Configure the source to install programs and files under directory
32989 @file{@var{dir}}.
32990
32991 @item --exec-prefix=@var{dir}
32992 Configure the source to install programs under directory
32993 @file{@var{dir}}.
32994
32995 @c avoid splitting the warning from the explanation:
32996 @need 2000
32997 @item --srcdir=@var{dirname}
32998 @strong{Warning: using this option requires @sc{gnu} @code{make}, or another
32999 @code{make} that implements the @code{VPATH} feature.}@*
33000 Use this option to make configurations in directories separate from the
33001 @value{GDBN} source directories. Among other things, you can use this to
33002 build (or maintain) several configurations simultaneously, in separate
33003 directories. @file{configure} writes configuration-specific files in
33004 the current directory, but arranges for them to use the source in the
33005 directory @var{dirname}. @file{configure} creates directories under
33006 the working directory in parallel to the source directories below
33007 @var{dirname}.
33008
33009 @item --norecursion
33010 Configure only the directory level where @file{configure} is executed; do not
33011 propagate configuration to subdirectories.
33012
33013 @item --target=@var{target}
33014 Configure @value{GDBN} for cross-debugging programs running on the specified
33015 @var{target}. Without this option, @value{GDBN} is configured to debug
33016 programs that run on the same machine (@var{host}) as @value{GDBN} itself.
33017
33018 There is no convenient way to generate a list of all available targets.
33019
33020 @item @var{host} @dots{}
33021 Configure @value{GDBN} to run on the specified @var{host}.
33022
33023 There is no convenient way to generate a list of all available hosts.
33024 @end table
33025
33026 There are many other options available as well, but they are generally
33027 needed for special purposes only.
33028
33029 @node System-wide configuration
33030 @section System-wide configuration and settings
33031 @cindex system-wide init file
33032
33033 @value{GDBN} can be configured to have a system-wide init file;
33034 this file will be read and executed at startup (@pxref{Startup, , What
33035 @value{GDBN} does during startup}).
33036
33037 Here is the corresponding configure option:
33038
33039 @table @code
33040 @item --with-system-gdbinit=@var{file}
33041 Specify that the default location of the system-wide init file is
33042 @var{file}.
33043 @end table
33044
33045 If @value{GDBN} has been configured with the option @option{--prefix=$prefix},
33046 it may be subject to relocation. Two possible cases:
33047
33048 @itemize @bullet
33049 @item
33050 If the default location of this init file contains @file{$prefix},
33051 it will be subject to relocation. Suppose that the configure options
33052 are @option{--prefix=$prefix --with-system-gdbinit=$prefix/etc/gdbinit};
33053 if @value{GDBN} is moved from @file{$prefix} to @file{$install}, the system
33054 init file is looked for as @file{$install/etc/gdbinit} instead of
33055 @file{$prefix/etc/gdbinit}.
33056
33057 @item
33058 By contrast, if the default location does not contain the prefix,
33059 it will not be relocated. E.g.@: if @value{GDBN} has been configured with
33060 @option{--prefix=/usr/local --with-system-gdbinit=/usr/share/gdb/gdbinit},
33061 then @value{GDBN} will always look for @file{/usr/share/gdb/gdbinit},
33062 wherever @value{GDBN} is installed.
33063 @end itemize
33064
33065 @node Maintenance Commands
33066 @appendix Maintenance Commands
33067 @cindex maintenance commands
33068 @cindex internal commands
33069
33070 In addition to commands intended for @value{GDBN} users, @value{GDBN}
33071 includes a number of commands intended for @value{GDBN} developers,
33072 that are not documented elsewhere in this manual. These commands are
33073 provided here for reference. (For commands that turn on debugging
33074 messages, see @ref{Debugging Output}.)
33075
33076 @table @code
33077 @kindex maint agent
33078 @kindex maint agent-eval
33079 @item maint agent @var{expression}
33080 @itemx maint agent-eval @var{expression}
33081 Translate the given @var{expression} into remote agent bytecodes.
33082 This command is useful for debugging the Agent Expression mechanism
33083 (@pxref{Agent Expressions}). The @samp{agent} version produces an
33084 expression useful for data collection, such as by tracepoints, while
33085 @samp{maint agent-eval} produces an expression that evaluates directly
33086 to a result. For instance, a collection expression for @code{globa +
33087 globb} will include bytecodes to record four bytes of memory at each
33088 of the addresses of @code{globa} and @code{globb}, while discarding
33089 the result of the addition, while an evaluation expression will do the
33090 addition and return the sum.
33091
33092 @kindex maint info breakpoints
33093 @item @anchor{maint info breakpoints}maint info breakpoints
33094 Using the same format as @samp{info breakpoints}, display both the
33095 breakpoints you've set explicitly, and those @value{GDBN} is using for
33096 internal purposes. Internal breakpoints are shown with negative
33097 breakpoint numbers. The type column identifies what kind of breakpoint
33098 is shown:
33099
33100 @table @code
33101 @item breakpoint
33102 Normal, explicitly set breakpoint.
33103
33104 @item watchpoint
33105 Normal, explicitly set watchpoint.
33106
33107 @item longjmp
33108 Internal breakpoint, used to handle correctly stepping through
33109 @code{longjmp} calls.
33110
33111 @item longjmp resume
33112 Internal breakpoint at the target of a @code{longjmp}.
33113
33114 @item until
33115 Temporary internal breakpoint used by the @value{GDBN} @code{until} command.
33116
33117 @item finish
33118 Temporary internal breakpoint used by the @value{GDBN} @code{finish} command.
33119
33120 @item shlib events
33121 Shared library events.
33122
33123 @end table
33124
33125 @kindex set displaced-stepping
33126 @kindex show displaced-stepping
33127 @cindex displaced stepping support
33128 @cindex out-of-line single-stepping
33129 @item set displaced-stepping
33130 @itemx show displaced-stepping
33131 Control whether or not @value{GDBN} will do @dfn{displaced stepping}
33132 if the target supports it. Displaced stepping is a way to single-step
33133 over breakpoints without removing them from the inferior, by executing
33134 an out-of-line copy of the instruction that was originally at the
33135 breakpoint location. It is also known as out-of-line single-stepping.
33136
33137 @table @code
33138 @item set displaced-stepping on
33139 If the target architecture supports it, @value{GDBN} will use
33140 displaced stepping to step over breakpoints.
33141
33142 @item set displaced-stepping off
33143 @value{GDBN} will not use displaced stepping to step over breakpoints,
33144 even if such is supported by the target architecture.
33145
33146 @cindex non-stop mode, and @samp{set displaced-stepping}
33147 @item set displaced-stepping auto
33148 This is the default mode. @value{GDBN} will use displaced stepping
33149 only if non-stop mode is active (@pxref{Non-Stop Mode}) and the target
33150 architecture supports displaced stepping.
33151 @end table
33152
33153 @kindex maint check-symtabs
33154 @item maint check-symtabs
33155 Check the consistency of psymtabs and symtabs.
33156
33157 @kindex maint cplus first_component
33158 @item maint cplus first_component @var{name}
33159 Print the first C@t{++} class/namespace component of @var{name}.
33160
33161 @kindex maint cplus namespace
33162 @item maint cplus namespace
33163 Print the list of possible C@t{++} namespaces.
33164
33165 @kindex maint demangle
33166 @item maint demangle @var{name}
33167 Demangle a C@t{++} or Objective-C mangled @var{name}.
33168
33169 @kindex maint deprecate
33170 @kindex maint undeprecate
33171 @cindex deprecated commands
33172 @item maint deprecate @var{command} @r{[}@var{replacement}@r{]}
33173 @itemx maint undeprecate @var{command}
33174 Deprecate or undeprecate the named @var{command}. Deprecated commands
33175 cause @value{GDBN} to issue a warning when you use them. The optional
33176 argument @var{replacement} says which newer command should be used in
33177 favor of the deprecated one; if it is given, @value{GDBN} will mention
33178 the replacement as part of the warning.
33179
33180 @kindex maint dump-me
33181 @item maint dump-me
33182 @cindex @code{SIGQUIT} signal, dump core of @value{GDBN}
33183 Cause a fatal signal in the debugger and force it to dump its core.
33184 This is supported only on systems which support aborting a program
33185 with the @code{SIGQUIT} signal.
33186
33187 @kindex maint internal-error
33188 @kindex maint internal-warning
33189 @item maint internal-error @r{[}@var{message-text}@r{]}
33190 @itemx maint internal-warning @r{[}@var{message-text}@r{]}
33191 Cause @value{GDBN} to call the internal function @code{internal_error}
33192 or @code{internal_warning} and hence behave as though an internal error
33193 or internal warning has been detected. In addition to reporting the
33194 internal problem, these functions give the user the opportunity to
33195 either quit @value{GDBN} or create a core file of the current
33196 @value{GDBN} session.
33197
33198 These commands take an optional parameter @var{message-text} that is
33199 used as the text of the error or warning message.
33200
33201 Here's an example of using @code{internal-error}:
33202
33203 @smallexample
33204 (@value{GDBP}) @kbd{maint internal-error testing, 1, 2}
33205 @dots{}/maint.c:121: internal-error: testing, 1, 2
33206 A problem internal to GDB has been detected. Further
33207 debugging may prove unreliable.
33208 Quit this debugging session? (y or n) @kbd{n}
33209 Create a core file? (y or n) @kbd{n}
33210 (@value{GDBP})
33211 @end smallexample
33212
33213 @cindex @value{GDBN} internal error
33214 @cindex internal errors, control of @value{GDBN} behavior
33215
33216 @kindex maint set internal-error
33217 @kindex maint show internal-error
33218 @kindex maint set internal-warning
33219 @kindex maint show internal-warning
33220 @item maint set internal-error @var{action} [ask|yes|no]
33221 @itemx maint show internal-error @var{action}
33222 @itemx maint set internal-warning @var{action} [ask|yes|no]
33223 @itemx maint show internal-warning @var{action}
33224 When @value{GDBN} reports an internal problem (error or warning) it
33225 gives the user the opportunity to both quit @value{GDBN} and create a
33226 core file of the current @value{GDBN} session. These commands let you
33227 override the default behaviour for each particular @var{action},
33228 described in the table below.
33229
33230 @table @samp
33231 @item quit
33232 You can specify that @value{GDBN} should always (yes) or never (no)
33233 quit. The default is to ask the user what to do.
33234
33235 @item corefile
33236 You can specify that @value{GDBN} should always (yes) or never (no)
33237 create a core file. The default is to ask the user what to do.
33238 @end table
33239
33240 @kindex maint packet
33241 @item maint packet @var{text}
33242 If @value{GDBN} is talking to an inferior via the serial protocol,
33243 then this command sends the string @var{text} to the inferior, and
33244 displays the response packet. @value{GDBN} supplies the initial
33245 @samp{$} character, the terminating @samp{#} character, and the
33246 checksum.
33247
33248 @kindex maint print architecture
33249 @item maint print architecture @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
33250 Print the entire architecture configuration. The optional argument
33251 @var{file} names the file where the output goes.
33252
33253 @kindex maint print c-tdesc
33254 @item maint print c-tdesc
33255 Print the current target description (@pxref{Target Descriptions}) as
33256 a C source file. The created source file can be used in @value{GDBN}
33257 when an XML parser is not available to parse the description.
33258
33259 @kindex maint print dummy-frames
33260 @item maint print dummy-frames
33261 Prints the contents of @value{GDBN}'s internal dummy-frame stack.
33262
33263 @smallexample
33264 (@value{GDBP}) @kbd{b add}
33265 @dots{}
33266 (@value{GDBP}) @kbd{print add(2,3)}
33267 Breakpoint 2, add (a=2, b=3) at @dots{}
33268 58 return (a + b);
33269 The program being debugged stopped while in a function called from GDB.
33270 @dots{}
33271 (@value{GDBP}) @kbd{maint print dummy-frames}
33272 0x1a57c80: pc=0x01014068 fp=0x0200bddc sp=0x0200bdd6
33273 top=0x0200bdd4 id=@{stack=0x200bddc,code=0x101405c@}
33274 call_lo=0x01014000 call_hi=0x01014001
33275 (@value{GDBP})
33276 @end smallexample
33277
33278 Takes an optional file parameter.
33279
33280 @kindex maint print registers
33281 @kindex maint print raw-registers
33282 @kindex maint print cooked-registers
33283 @kindex maint print register-groups
33284 @kindex maint print remote-registers
33285 @item maint print registers @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
33286 @itemx maint print raw-registers @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
33287 @itemx maint print cooked-registers @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
33288 @itemx maint print register-groups @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
33289 @itemx maint print remote-registers @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
33290 Print @value{GDBN}'s internal register data structures.
33291
33292 The command @code{maint print raw-registers} includes the contents of
33293 the raw register cache; the command @code{maint print
33294 cooked-registers} includes the (cooked) value of all registers,
33295 including registers which aren't available on the target nor visible
33296 to user; the command @code{maint print register-groups} includes the
33297 groups that each register is a member of; and the command @code{maint
33298 print remote-registers} includes the remote target's register numbers
33299 and offsets in the `G' packets. @xref{Registers,, Registers, gdbint,
33300 @value{GDBN} Internals}.
33301
33302 These commands take an optional parameter, a file name to which to
33303 write the information.
33304
33305 @kindex maint print reggroups
33306 @item maint print reggroups @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
33307 Print @value{GDBN}'s internal register group data structures. The
33308 optional argument @var{file} tells to what file to write the
33309 information.
33310
33311 The register groups info looks like this:
33312
33313 @smallexample
33314 (@value{GDBP}) @kbd{maint print reggroups}
33315 Group Type
33316 general user
33317 float user
33318 all user
33319 vector user
33320 system user
33321 save internal
33322 restore internal
33323 @end smallexample
33324
33325 @kindex flushregs
33326 @item flushregs
33327 This command forces @value{GDBN} to flush its internal register cache.
33328
33329 @kindex maint print objfiles
33330 @cindex info for known object files
33331 @item maint print objfiles
33332 Print a dump of all known object files. For each object file, this
33333 command prints its name, address in memory, and all of its psymtabs
33334 and symtabs.
33335
33336 @kindex maint print section-scripts
33337 @cindex info for known .debug_gdb_scripts-loaded scripts
33338 @item maint print section-scripts [@var{regexp}]
33339 Print a dump of scripts specified in the @code{.debug_gdb_section} section.
33340 If @var{regexp} is specified, only print scripts loaded by object files
33341 matching @var{regexp}.
33342 For each script, this command prints its name as specified in the objfile,
33343 and the full path if known.
33344 @xref{.debug_gdb_scripts section}.
33345
33346 @kindex maint print statistics
33347 @cindex bcache statistics
33348 @item maint print statistics
33349 This command prints, for each object file in the program, various data
33350 about that object file followed by the byte cache (@dfn{bcache})
33351 statistics for the object file. The objfile data includes the number
33352 of minimal, partial, full, and stabs symbols, the number of types
33353 defined by the objfile, the number of as yet unexpanded psym tables,
33354 the number of line tables and string tables, and the amount of memory
33355 used by the various tables. The bcache statistics include the counts,
33356 sizes, and counts of duplicates of all and unique objects, max,
33357 average, and median entry size, total memory used and its overhead and
33358 savings, and various measures of the hash table size and chain
33359 lengths.
33360
33361 @kindex maint print target-stack
33362 @cindex target stack description
33363 @item maint print target-stack
33364 A @dfn{target} is an interface between the debugger and a particular
33365 kind of file or process. Targets can be stacked in @dfn{strata},
33366 so that more than one target can potentially respond to a request.
33367 In particular, memory accesses will walk down the stack of targets
33368 until they find a target that is interested in handling that particular
33369 address.
33370
33371 This command prints a short description of each layer that was pushed on
33372 the @dfn{target stack}, starting from the top layer down to the bottom one.
33373
33374 @kindex maint print type
33375 @cindex type chain of a data type
33376 @item maint print type @var{expr}
33377 Print the type chain for a type specified by @var{expr}. The argument
33378 can be either a type name or a symbol. If it is a symbol, the type of
33379 that symbol is described. The type chain produced by this command is
33380 a recursive definition of the data type as stored in @value{GDBN}'s
33381 data structures, including its flags and contained types.
33382
33383 @kindex maint set dwarf2 always-disassemble
33384 @kindex maint show dwarf2 always-disassemble
33385 @item maint set dwarf2 always-disassemble
33386 @item maint show dwarf2 always-disassemble
33387 Control the behavior of @code{info address} when using DWARF debugging
33388 information.
33389
33390 The default is @code{off}, which means that @value{GDBN} should try to
33391 describe a variable's location in an easily readable format. When
33392 @code{on}, @value{GDBN} will instead display the DWARF location
33393 expression in an assembly-like format. Note that some locations are
33394 too complex for @value{GDBN} to describe simply; in this case you will
33395 always see the disassembly form.
33396
33397 Here is an example of the resulting disassembly:
33398
33399 @smallexample
33400 (gdb) info addr argc
33401 Symbol "argc" is a complex DWARF expression:
33402 1: DW_OP_fbreg 0
33403 @end smallexample
33404
33405 For more information on these expressions, see
33406 @uref{http://www.dwarfstd.org/, the DWARF standard}.
33407
33408 @kindex maint set dwarf2 max-cache-age
33409 @kindex maint show dwarf2 max-cache-age
33410 @item maint set dwarf2 max-cache-age
33411 @itemx maint show dwarf2 max-cache-age
33412 Control the DWARF 2 compilation unit cache.
33413
33414 @cindex DWARF 2 compilation units cache
33415 In object files with inter-compilation-unit references, such as those
33416 produced by the GCC option @samp{-feliminate-dwarf2-dups}, the DWARF 2
33417 reader needs to frequently refer to previously read compilation units.
33418 This setting controls how long a compilation unit will remain in the
33419 cache if it is not referenced. A higher limit means that cached
33420 compilation units will be stored in memory longer, and more total
33421 memory will be used. Setting it to zero disables caching, which will
33422 slow down @value{GDBN} startup, but reduce memory consumption.
33423
33424 @kindex maint set profile
33425 @kindex maint show profile
33426 @cindex profiling GDB
33427 @item maint set profile
33428 @itemx maint show profile
33429 Control profiling of @value{GDBN}.
33430
33431 Profiling will be disabled until you use the @samp{maint set profile}
33432 command to enable it. When you enable profiling, the system will begin
33433 collecting timing and execution count data; when you disable profiling or
33434 exit @value{GDBN}, the results will be written to a log file. Remember that
33435 if you use profiling, @value{GDBN} will overwrite the profiling log file
33436 (often called @file{gmon.out}). If you have a record of important profiling
33437 data in a @file{gmon.out} file, be sure to move it to a safe location.
33438
33439 Configuring with @samp{--enable-profiling} arranges for @value{GDBN} to be
33440 compiled with the @samp{-pg} compiler option.
33441
33442 @kindex maint set show-debug-regs
33443 @kindex maint show show-debug-regs
33444 @cindex hardware debug registers
33445 @item maint set show-debug-regs
33446 @itemx maint show show-debug-regs
33447 Control whether to show variables that mirror the hardware debug
33448 registers. Use @code{ON} to enable, @code{OFF} to disable. If
33449 enabled, the debug registers values are shown when @value{GDBN} inserts or
33450 removes a hardware breakpoint or watchpoint, and when the inferior
33451 triggers a hardware-assisted breakpoint or watchpoint.
33452
33453 @kindex maint set show-all-tib
33454 @kindex maint show show-all-tib
33455 @item maint set show-all-tib
33456 @itemx maint show show-all-tib
33457 Control whether to show all non zero areas within a 1k block starting
33458 at thread local base, when using the @samp{info w32 thread-information-block}
33459 command.
33460
33461 @kindex maint space
33462 @cindex memory used by commands
33463 @item maint space
33464 Control whether to display memory usage for each command. If set to a
33465 nonzero value, @value{GDBN} will display how much memory each command
33466 took, following the command's own output. This can also be requested
33467 by invoking @value{GDBN} with the @option{--statistics} command-line
33468 switch (@pxref{Mode Options}).
33469
33470 @kindex maint time
33471 @cindex time of command execution
33472 @item maint time
33473 Control whether to display the execution time of @value{GDBN} for each command.
33474 If set to a nonzero value, @value{GDBN} will display how much time it
33475 took to execute each command, following the command's own output.
33476 Both CPU time and wallclock time are printed.
33477 Printing both is useful when trying to determine whether the cost is
33478 CPU or, e.g., disk/network, latency.
33479 Note that the CPU time printed is for @value{GDBN} only, it does not include
33480 the execution time of the inferior because there's no mechanism currently
33481 to compute how much time was spent by @value{GDBN} and how much time was
33482 spent by the program been debugged.
33483 This can also be requested by invoking @value{GDBN} with the
33484 @option{--statistics} command-line switch (@pxref{Mode Options}).
33485
33486 @kindex maint translate-address
33487 @item maint translate-address @r{[}@var{section}@r{]} @var{addr}
33488 Find the symbol stored at the location specified by the address
33489 @var{addr} and an optional section name @var{section}. If found,
33490 @value{GDBN} prints the name of the closest symbol and an offset from
33491 the symbol's location to the specified address. This is similar to
33492 the @code{info address} command (@pxref{Symbols}), except that this
33493 command also allows to find symbols in other sections.
33494
33495 If section was not specified, the section in which the symbol was found
33496 is also printed. For dynamically linked executables, the name of
33497 executable or shared library containing the symbol is printed as well.
33498
33499 @end table
33500
33501 The following command is useful for non-interactive invocations of
33502 @value{GDBN}, such as in the test suite.
33503
33504 @table @code
33505 @item set watchdog @var{nsec}
33506 @kindex set watchdog
33507 @cindex watchdog timer
33508 @cindex timeout for commands
33509 Set the maximum number of seconds @value{GDBN} will wait for the
33510 target operation to finish. If this time expires, @value{GDBN}
33511 reports and error and the command is aborted.
33512
33513 @item show watchdog
33514 Show the current setting of the target wait timeout.
33515 @end table
33516
33517 @node Remote Protocol
33518 @appendix @value{GDBN} Remote Serial Protocol
33519
33520 @menu
33521 * Overview::
33522 * Packets::
33523 * Stop Reply Packets::
33524 * General Query Packets::
33525 * Architecture-Specific Protocol Details::
33526 * Tracepoint Packets::
33527 * Host I/O Packets::
33528 * Interrupts::
33529 * Notification Packets::
33530 * Remote Non-Stop::
33531 * Packet Acknowledgment::
33532 * Examples::
33533 * File-I/O Remote Protocol Extension::
33534 * Library List Format::
33535 * Library List Format for SVR4 Targets::
33536 * Memory Map Format::
33537 * Thread List Format::
33538 * Traceframe Info Format::
33539 @end menu
33540
33541 @node Overview
33542 @section Overview
33543
33544 There may be occasions when you need to know something about the
33545 protocol---for example, if there is only one serial port to your target
33546 machine, you might want your program to do something special if it
33547 recognizes a packet meant for @value{GDBN}.
33548
33549 In the examples below, @samp{->} and @samp{<-} are used to indicate
33550 transmitted and received data, respectively.
33551
33552 @cindex protocol, @value{GDBN} remote serial
33553 @cindex serial protocol, @value{GDBN} remote
33554 @cindex remote serial protocol
33555 All @value{GDBN} commands and responses (other than acknowledgments
33556 and notifications, see @ref{Notification Packets}) are sent as a
33557 @var{packet}. A @var{packet} is introduced with the character
33558 @samp{$}, the actual @var{packet-data}, and the terminating character
33559 @samp{#} followed by a two-digit @var{checksum}:
33560
33561 @smallexample
33562 @code{$}@var{packet-data}@code{#}@var{checksum}
33563 @end smallexample
33564 @noindent
33565
33566 @cindex checksum, for @value{GDBN} remote
33567 @noindent
33568 The two-digit @var{checksum} is computed as the modulo 256 sum of all
33569 characters between the leading @samp{$} and the trailing @samp{#} (an
33570 eight bit unsigned checksum).
33571
33572 Implementors should note that prior to @value{GDBN} 5.0 the protocol
33573 specification also included an optional two-digit @var{sequence-id}:
33574
33575 @smallexample
33576 @code{$}@var{sequence-id}@code{:}@var{packet-data}@code{#}@var{checksum}
33577 @end smallexample
33578
33579 @cindex sequence-id, for @value{GDBN} remote
33580 @noindent
33581 That @var{sequence-id} was appended to the acknowledgment. @value{GDBN}
33582 has never output @var{sequence-id}s. Stubs that handle packets added
33583 since @value{GDBN} 5.0 must not accept @var{sequence-id}.
33584
33585 When either the host or the target machine receives a packet, the first
33586 response expected is an acknowledgment: either @samp{+} (to indicate
33587 the package was received correctly) or @samp{-} (to request
33588 retransmission):
33589
33590 @smallexample
33591 -> @code{$}@var{packet-data}@code{#}@var{checksum}
33592 <- @code{+}
33593 @end smallexample
33594 @noindent
33595
33596 The @samp{+}/@samp{-} acknowledgments can be disabled
33597 once a connection is established.
33598 @xref{Packet Acknowledgment}, for details.
33599
33600 The host (@value{GDBN}) sends @var{command}s, and the target (the
33601 debugging stub incorporated in your program) sends a @var{response}. In
33602 the case of step and continue @var{command}s, the response is only sent
33603 when the operation has completed, and the target has again stopped all
33604 threads in all attached processes. This is the default all-stop mode
33605 behavior, but the remote protocol also supports @value{GDBN}'s non-stop
33606 execution mode; see @ref{Remote Non-Stop}, for details.
33607
33608 @var{packet-data} consists of a sequence of characters with the
33609 exception of @samp{#} and @samp{$} (see @samp{X} packet for additional
33610 exceptions).
33611
33612 @cindex remote protocol, field separator
33613 Fields within the packet should be separated using @samp{,} @samp{;} or
33614 @samp{:}. Except where otherwise noted all numbers are represented in
33615 @sc{hex} with leading zeros suppressed.
33616
33617 Implementors should note that prior to @value{GDBN} 5.0, the character
33618 @samp{:} could not appear as the third character in a packet (as it
33619 would potentially conflict with the @var{sequence-id}).
33620
33621 @cindex remote protocol, binary data
33622 @anchor{Binary Data}
33623 Binary data in most packets is encoded either as two hexadecimal
33624 digits per byte of binary data. This allowed the traditional remote
33625 protocol to work over connections which were only seven-bit clean.
33626 Some packets designed more recently assume an eight-bit clean
33627 connection, and use a more efficient encoding to send and receive
33628 binary data.
33629
33630 The binary data representation uses @code{7d} (@sc{ascii} @samp{@}})
33631 as an escape character. Any escaped byte is transmitted as the escape
33632 character followed by the original character XORed with @code{0x20}.
33633 For example, the byte @code{0x7d} would be transmitted as the two
33634 bytes @code{0x7d 0x5d}. The bytes @code{0x23} (@sc{ascii} @samp{#}),
33635 @code{0x24} (@sc{ascii} @samp{$}), and @code{0x7d} (@sc{ascii}
33636 @samp{@}}) must always be escaped. Responses sent by the stub
33637 must also escape @code{0x2a} (@sc{ascii} @samp{*}), so that it
33638 is not interpreted as the start of a run-length encoded sequence
33639 (described next).
33640
33641 Response @var{data} can be run-length encoded to save space.
33642 Run-length encoding replaces runs of identical characters with one
33643 instance of the repeated character, followed by a @samp{*} and a
33644 repeat count. The repeat count is itself sent encoded, to avoid
33645 binary characters in @var{data}: a value of @var{n} is sent as
33646 @code{@var{n}+29}. For a repeat count greater or equal to 3, this
33647 produces a printable @sc{ascii} character, e.g.@: a space (@sc{ascii}
33648 code 32) for a repeat count of 3. (This is because run-length
33649 encoding starts to win for counts 3 or more.) Thus, for example,
33650 @samp{0* } is a run-length encoding of ``0000'': the space character
33651 after @samp{*} means repeat the leading @code{0} @w{@code{32 - 29 =
33652 3}} more times.
33653
33654 The printable characters @samp{#} and @samp{$} or with a numeric value
33655 greater than 126 must not be used. Runs of six repeats (@samp{#}) or
33656 seven repeats (@samp{$}) can be expanded using a repeat count of only
33657 five (@samp{"}). For example, @samp{00000000} can be encoded as
33658 @samp{0*"00}.
33659
33660 The error response returned for some packets includes a two character
33661 error number. That number is not well defined.
33662
33663 @cindex empty response, for unsupported packets
33664 For any @var{command} not supported by the stub, an empty response
33665 (@samp{$#00}) should be returned. That way it is possible to extend the
33666 protocol. A newer @value{GDBN} can tell if a packet is supported based
33667 on that response.
33668
33669 At a minimum, a stub is required to support the @samp{g} and @samp{G}
33670 commands for register access, and the @samp{m} and @samp{M} commands
33671 for memory access. Stubs that only control single-threaded targets
33672 can implement run control with the @samp{c} (continue), and @samp{s}
33673 (step) commands. Stubs that support multi-threading targets should
33674 support the @samp{vCont} command. All other commands are optional.
33675
33676 @node Packets
33677 @section Packets
33678
33679 The following table provides a complete list of all currently defined
33680 @var{command}s and their corresponding response @var{data}.
33681 @xref{File-I/O Remote Protocol Extension}, for details about the File
33682 I/O extension of the remote protocol.
33683
33684 Each packet's description has a template showing the packet's overall
33685 syntax, followed by an explanation of the packet's meaning. We
33686 include spaces in some of the templates for clarity; these are not
33687 part of the packet's syntax. No @value{GDBN} packet uses spaces to
33688 separate its components. For example, a template like @samp{foo
33689 @var{bar} @var{baz}} describes a packet beginning with the three ASCII
33690 bytes @samp{foo}, followed by a @var{bar}, followed directly by a
33691 @var{baz}. @value{GDBN} does not transmit a space character between the
33692 @samp{foo} and the @var{bar}, or between the @var{bar} and the
33693 @var{baz}.
33694
33695 @cindex @var{thread-id}, in remote protocol
33696 @anchor{thread-id syntax}
33697 Several packets and replies include a @var{thread-id} field to identify
33698 a thread. Normally these are positive numbers with a target-specific
33699 interpretation, formatted as big-endian hex strings. A @var{thread-id}
33700 can also be a literal @samp{-1} to indicate all threads, or @samp{0} to
33701 pick any thread.
33702
33703 In addition, the remote protocol supports a multiprocess feature in
33704 which the @var{thread-id} syntax is extended to optionally include both
33705 process and thread ID fields, as @samp{p@var{pid}.@var{tid}}.
33706 The @var{pid} (process) and @var{tid} (thread) components each have the
33707 format described above: a positive number with target-specific
33708 interpretation formatted as a big-endian hex string, literal @samp{-1}
33709 to indicate all processes or threads (respectively), or @samp{0} to
33710 indicate an arbitrary process or thread. Specifying just a process, as
33711 @samp{p@var{pid}}, is equivalent to @samp{p@var{pid}.-1}. It is an
33712 error to specify all processes but a specific thread, such as
33713 @samp{p-1.@var{tid}}. Note that the @samp{p} prefix is @emph{not} used
33714 for those packets and replies explicitly documented to include a process
33715 ID, rather than a @var{thread-id}.
33716
33717 The multiprocess @var{thread-id} syntax extensions are only used if both
33718 @value{GDBN} and the stub report support for the @samp{multiprocess}
33719 feature using @samp{qSupported}. @xref{multiprocess extensions}, for
33720 more information.
33721
33722 Note that all packet forms beginning with an upper- or lower-case
33723 letter, other than those described here, are reserved for future use.
33724
33725 Here are the packet descriptions.
33726
33727 @table @samp
33728
33729 @item !
33730 @cindex @samp{!} packet
33731 @anchor{extended mode}
33732 Enable extended mode. In extended mode, the remote server is made
33733 persistent. The @samp{R} packet is used to restart the program being
33734 debugged.
33735
33736 Reply:
33737 @table @samp
33738 @item OK
33739 The remote target both supports and has enabled extended mode.
33740 @end table
33741
33742 @item ?
33743 @cindex @samp{?} packet
33744 Indicate the reason the target halted. The reply is the same as for
33745 step and continue. This packet has a special interpretation when the
33746 target is in non-stop mode; see @ref{Remote Non-Stop}.
33747
33748 Reply:
33749 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
33750
33751 @item A @var{arglen},@var{argnum},@var{arg},@dots{}
33752 @cindex @samp{A} packet
33753 Initialized @code{argv[]} array passed into program. @var{arglen}
33754 specifies the number of bytes in the hex encoded byte stream
33755 @var{arg}. See @code{gdbserver} for more details.
33756
33757 Reply:
33758 @table @samp
33759 @item OK
33760 The arguments were set.
33761 @item E @var{NN}
33762 An error occurred.
33763 @end table
33764
33765 @item b @var{baud}
33766 @cindex @samp{b} packet
33767 (Don't use this packet; its behavior is not well-defined.)
33768 Change the serial line speed to @var{baud}.
33769
33770 JTC: @emph{When does the transport layer state change? When it's
33771 received, or after the ACK is transmitted. In either case, there are
33772 problems if the command or the acknowledgment packet is dropped.}
33773
33774 Stan: @emph{If people really wanted to add something like this, and get
33775 it working for the first time, they ought to modify ser-unix.c to send
33776 some kind of out-of-band message to a specially-setup stub and have the
33777 switch happen "in between" packets, so that from remote protocol's point
33778 of view, nothing actually happened.}
33779
33780 @item B @var{addr},@var{mode}
33781 @cindex @samp{B} packet
33782 Set (@var{mode} is @samp{S}) or clear (@var{mode} is @samp{C}) a
33783 breakpoint at @var{addr}.
33784
33785 Don't use this packet. Use the @samp{Z} and @samp{z} packets instead
33786 (@pxref{insert breakpoint or watchpoint packet}).
33787
33788 @cindex @samp{bc} packet
33789 @anchor{bc}
33790 @item bc
33791 Backward continue. Execute the target system in reverse. No parameter.
33792 @xref{Reverse Execution}, for more information.
33793
33794 Reply:
33795 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
33796
33797 @cindex @samp{bs} packet
33798 @anchor{bs}
33799 @item bs
33800 Backward single step. Execute one instruction in reverse. No parameter.
33801 @xref{Reverse Execution}, for more information.
33802
33803 Reply:
33804 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
33805
33806 @item c @r{[}@var{addr}@r{]}
33807 @cindex @samp{c} packet
33808 Continue. @var{addr} is address to resume. If @var{addr} is omitted,
33809 resume at current address.
33810
33811 This packet is deprecated for multi-threading support. @xref{vCont
33812 packet}.
33813
33814 Reply:
33815 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
33816
33817 @item C @var{sig}@r{[};@var{addr}@r{]}
33818 @cindex @samp{C} packet
33819 Continue with signal @var{sig} (hex signal number). If
33820 @samp{;@var{addr}} is omitted, resume at same address.
33821
33822 This packet is deprecated for multi-threading support. @xref{vCont
33823 packet}.
33824
33825 Reply:
33826 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
33827
33828 @item d
33829 @cindex @samp{d} packet
33830 Toggle debug flag.
33831
33832 Don't use this packet; instead, define a general set packet
33833 (@pxref{General Query Packets}).
33834
33835 @item D
33836 @itemx D;@var{pid}
33837 @cindex @samp{D} packet
33838 The first form of the packet is used to detach @value{GDBN} from the
33839 remote system. It is sent to the remote target
33840 before @value{GDBN} disconnects via the @code{detach} command.
33841
33842 The second form, including a process ID, is used when multiprocess
33843 protocol extensions are enabled (@pxref{multiprocess extensions}), to
33844 detach only a specific process. The @var{pid} is specified as a
33845 big-endian hex string.
33846
33847 Reply:
33848 @table @samp
33849 @item OK
33850 for success
33851 @item E @var{NN}
33852 for an error
33853 @end table
33854
33855 @item F @var{RC},@var{EE},@var{CF};@var{XX}
33856 @cindex @samp{F} packet
33857 A reply from @value{GDBN} to an @samp{F} packet sent by the target.
33858 This is part of the File-I/O protocol extension. @xref{File-I/O
33859 Remote Protocol Extension}, for the specification.
33860
33861 @item g
33862 @anchor{read registers packet}
33863 @cindex @samp{g} packet
33864 Read general registers.
33865
33866 Reply:
33867 @table @samp
33868 @item @var{XX@dots{}}
33869 Each byte of register data is described by two hex digits. The bytes
33870 with the register are transmitted in target byte order. The size of
33871 each register and their position within the @samp{g} packet are
33872 determined by the @value{GDBN} internal gdbarch functions
33873 @code{DEPRECATED_REGISTER_RAW_SIZE} and @code{gdbarch_register_name}. The
33874 specification of several standard @samp{g} packets is specified below.
33875
33876 When reading registers from a trace frame (@pxref{Analyze Collected
33877 Data,,Using the Collected Data}), the stub may also return a string of
33878 literal @samp{x}'s in place of the register data digits, to indicate
33879 that the corresponding register has not been collected, thus its value
33880 is unavailable. For example, for an architecture with 4 registers of
33881 4 bytes each, the following reply indicates to @value{GDBN} that
33882 registers 0 and 2 have not been collected, while registers 1 and 3
33883 have been collected, and both have zero value:
33884
33885 @smallexample
33886 -> @code{g}
33887 <- @code{xxxxxxxx00000000xxxxxxxx00000000}
33888 @end smallexample
33889
33890 @item E @var{NN}
33891 for an error.
33892 @end table
33893
33894 @item G @var{XX@dots{}}
33895 @cindex @samp{G} packet
33896 Write general registers. @xref{read registers packet}, for a
33897 description of the @var{XX@dots{}} data.
33898
33899 Reply:
33900 @table @samp
33901 @item OK
33902 for success
33903 @item E @var{NN}
33904 for an error
33905 @end table
33906
33907 @item H @var{op} @var{thread-id}
33908 @cindex @samp{H} packet
33909 Set thread for subsequent operations (@samp{m}, @samp{M}, @samp{g},
33910 @samp{G}, et.al.). @var{op} depends on the operation to be performed:
33911 it should be @samp{c} for step and continue operations (note that this
33912 is deprecated, supporting the @samp{vCont} command is a better
33913 option), @samp{g} for other operations. The thread designator
33914 @var{thread-id} has the format and interpretation described in
33915 @ref{thread-id syntax}.
33916
33917 Reply:
33918 @table @samp
33919 @item OK
33920 for success
33921 @item E @var{NN}
33922 for an error
33923 @end table
33924
33925 @c FIXME: JTC:
33926 @c 'H': How restrictive (or permissive) is the thread model. If a
33927 @c thread is selected and stopped, are other threads allowed
33928 @c to continue to execute? As I mentioned above, I think the
33929 @c semantics of each command when a thread is selected must be
33930 @c described. For example:
33931 @c
33932 @c 'g': If the stub supports threads and a specific thread is
33933 @c selected, returns the register block from that thread;
33934 @c otherwise returns current registers.
33935 @c
33936 @c 'G' If the stub supports threads and a specific thread is
33937 @c selected, sets the registers of the register block of
33938 @c that thread; otherwise sets current registers.
33939
33940 @item i @r{[}@var{addr}@r{[},@var{nnn}@r{]]}
33941 @anchor{cycle step packet}
33942 @cindex @samp{i} packet
33943 Step the remote target by a single clock cycle. If @samp{,@var{nnn}} is
33944 present, cycle step @var{nnn} cycles. If @var{addr} is present, cycle
33945 step starting at that address.
33946
33947 @item I
33948 @cindex @samp{I} packet
33949 Signal, then cycle step. @xref{step with signal packet}. @xref{cycle
33950 step packet}.
33951
33952 @item k
33953 @cindex @samp{k} packet
33954 Kill request.
33955
33956 FIXME: @emph{There is no description of how to operate when a specific
33957 thread context has been selected (i.e.@: does 'k' kill only that
33958 thread?)}.
33959
33960 @item m @var{addr},@var{length}
33961 @cindex @samp{m} packet
33962 Read @var{length} bytes of memory starting at address @var{addr}.
33963 Note that @var{addr} may not be aligned to any particular boundary.
33964
33965 The stub need not use any particular size or alignment when gathering
33966 data from memory for the response; even if @var{addr} is word-aligned
33967 and @var{length} is a multiple of the word size, the stub is free to
33968 use byte accesses, or not. For this reason, this packet may not be
33969 suitable for accessing memory-mapped I/O devices.
33970 @cindex alignment of remote memory accesses
33971 @cindex size of remote memory accesses
33972 @cindex memory, alignment and size of remote accesses
33973
33974 Reply:
33975 @table @samp
33976 @item @var{XX@dots{}}
33977 Memory contents; each byte is transmitted as a two-digit hexadecimal
33978 number. The reply may contain fewer bytes than requested if the
33979 server was able to read only part of the region of memory.
33980 @item E @var{NN}
33981 @var{NN} is errno
33982 @end table
33983
33984 @item M @var{addr},@var{length}:@var{XX@dots{}}
33985 @cindex @samp{M} packet
33986 Write @var{length} bytes of memory starting at address @var{addr}.
33987 @var{XX@dots{}} is the data; each byte is transmitted as a two-digit
33988 hexadecimal number.
33989
33990 Reply:
33991 @table @samp
33992 @item OK
33993 for success
33994 @item E @var{NN}
33995 for an error (this includes the case where only part of the data was
33996 written).
33997 @end table
33998
33999 @item p @var{n}
34000 @cindex @samp{p} packet
34001 Read the value of register @var{n}; @var{n} is in hex.
34002 @xref{read registers packet}, for a description of how the returned
34003 register value is encoded.
34004
34005 Reply:
34006 @table @samp
34007 @item @var{XX@dots{}}
34008 the register's value
34009 @item E @var{NN}
34010 for an error
34011 @item
34012 Indicating an unrecognized @var{query}.
34013 @end table
34014
34015 @item P @var{n@dots{}}=@var{r@dots{}}
34016 @anchor{write register packet}
34017 @cindex @samp{P} packet
34018 Write register @var{n@dots{}} with value @var{r@dots{}}. The register
34019 number @var{n} is in hexadecimal, and @var{r@dots{}} contains two hex
34020 digits for each byte in the register (target byte order).
34021
34022 Reply:
34023 @table @samp
34024 @item OK
34025 for success
34026 @item E @var{NN}
34027 for an error
34028 @end table
34029
34030 @item q @var{name} @var{params}@dots{}
34031 @itemx Q @var{name} @var{params}@dots{}
34032 @cindex @samp{q} packet
34033 @cindex @samp{Q} packet
34034 General query (@samp{q}) and set (@samp{Q}). These packets are
34035 described fully in @ref{General Query Packets}.
34036
34037 @item r
34038 @cindex @samp{r} packet
34039 Reset the entire system.
34040
34041 Don't use this packet; use the @samp{R} packet instead.
34042
34043 @item R @var{XX}
34044 @cindex @samp{R} packet
34045 Restart the program being debugged. @var{XX}, while needed, is ignored.
34046 This packet is only available in extended mode (@pxref{extended mode}).
34047
34048 The @samp{R} packet has no reply.
34049
34050 @item s @r{[}@var{addr}@r{]}
34051 @cindex @samp{s} packet
34052 Single step. @var{addr} is the address at which to resume. If
34053 @var{addr} is omitted, resume at same address.
34054
34055 This packet is deprecated for multi-threading support. @xref{vCont
34056 packet}.
34057
34058 Reply:
34059 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
34060
34061 @item S @var{sig}@r{[};@var{addr}@r{]}
34062 @anchor{step with signal packet}
34063 @cindex @samp{S} packet
34064 Step with signal. This is analogous to the @samp{C} packet, but
34065 requests a single-step, rather than a normal resumption of execution.
34066
34067 This packet is deprecated for multi-threading support. @xref{vCont
34068 packet}.
34069
34070 Reply:
34071 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
34072
34073 @item t @var{addr}:@var{PP},@var{MM}
34074 @cindex @samp{t} packet
34075 Search backwards starting at address @var{addr} for a match with pattern
34076 @var{PP} and mask @var{MM}. @var{PP} and @var{MM} are 4 bytes.
34077 @var{addr} must be at least 3 digits.
34078
34079 @item T @var{thread-id}
34080 @cindex @samp{T} packet
34081 Find out if the thread @var{thread-id} is alive. @xref{thread-id syntax}.
34082
34083 Reply:
34084 @table @samp
34085 @item OK
34086 thread is still alive
34087 @item E @var{NN}
34088 thread is dead
34089 @end table
34090
34091 @item v
34092 Packets starting with @samp{v} are identified by a multi-letter name,
34093 up to the first @samp{;} or @samp{?} (or the end of the packet).
34094
34095 @item vAttach;@var{pid}
34096 @cindex @samp{vAttach} packet
34097 Attach to a new process with the specified process ID @var{pid}.
34098 The process ID is a
34099 hexadecimal integer identifying the process. In all-stop mode, all
34100 threads in the attached process are stopped; in non-stop mode, it may be
34101 attached without being stopped if that is supported by the target.
34102
34103 @c In non-stop mode, on a successful vAttach, the stub should set the
34104 @c current thread to a thread of the newly-attached process. After
34105 @c attaching, GDB queries for the attached process's thread ID with qC.
34106 @c Also note that, from a user perspective, whether or not the
34107 @c target is stopped on attach in non-stop mode depends on whether you
34108 @c use the foreground or background version of the attach command, not
34109 @c on what vAttach does; GDB does the right thing with respect to either
34110 @c stopping or restarting threads.
34111
34112 This packet is only available in extended mode (@pxref{extended mode}).
34113
34114 Reply:
34115 @table @samp
34116 @item E @var{nn}
34117 for an error
34118 @item @r{Any stop packet}
34119 for success in all-stop mode (@pxref{Stop Reply Packets})
34120 @item OK
34121 for success in non-stop mode (@pxref{Remote Non-Stop})
34122 @end table
34123
34124 @item vCont@r{[};@var{action}@r{[}:@var{thread-id}@r{]]}@dots{}
34125 @cindex @samp{vCont} packet
34126 @anchor{vCont packet}
34127 Resume the inferior, specifying different actions for each thread.
34128 If an action is specified with no @var{thread-id}, then it is applied to any
34129 threads that don't have a specific action specified; if no default action is
34130 specified then other threads should remain stopped in all-stop mode and
34131 in their current state in non-stop mode.
34132 Specifying multiple
34133 default actions is an error; specifying no actions is also an error.
34134 Thread IDs are specified using the syntax described in @ref{thread-id syntax}.
34135
34136 Currently supported actions are:
34137
34138 @table @samp
34139 @item c
34140 Continue.
34141 @item C @var{sig}
34142 Continue with signal @var{sig}. The signal @var{sig} should be two hex digits.
34143 @item s
34144 Step.
34145 @item S @var{sig}
34146 Step with signal @var{sig}. The signal @var{sig} should be two hex digits.
34147 @item t
34148 Stop.
34149 @end table
34150
34151 The optional argument @var{addr} normally associated with the
34152 @samp{c}, @samp{C}, @samp{s}, and @samp{S} packets is
34153 not supported in @samp{vCont}.
34154
34155 The @samp{t} action is only relevant in non-stop mode
34156 (@pxref{Remote Non-Stop}) and may be ignored by the stub otherwise.
34157 A stop reply should be generated for any affected thread not already stopped.
34158 When a thread is stopped by means of a @samp{t} action,
34159 the corresponding stop reply should indicate that the thread has stopped with
34160 signal @samp{0}, regardless of whether the target uses some other signal
34161 as an implementation detail.
34162
34163 The stub must support @samp{vCont} if it reports support for
34164 multiprocess extensions (@pxref{multiprocess extensions}). Note that in
34165 this case @samp{vCont} actions can be specified to apply to all threads
34166 in a process by using the @samp{p@var{pid}.-1} form of the
34167 @var{thread-id}.
34168
34169 Reply:
34170 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
34171
34172 @item vCont?
34173 @cindex @samp{vCont?} packet
34174 Request a list of actions supported by the @samp{vCont} packet.
34175
34176 Reply:
34177 @table @samp
34178 @item vCont@r{[};@var{action}@dots{}@r{]}
34179 The @samp{vCont} packet is supported. Each @var{action} is a supported
34180 command in the @samp{vCont} packet.
34181 @item
34182 The @samp{vCont} packet is not supported.
34183 @end table
34184
34185 @item vFile:@var{operation}:@var{parameter}@dots{}
34186 @cindex @samp{vFile} packet
34187 Perform a file operation on the target system. For details,
34188 see @ref{Host I/O Packets}.
34189
34190 @item vFlashErase:@var{addr},@var{length}
34191 @cindex @samp{vFlashErase} packet
34192 Direct the stub to erase @var{length} bytes of flash starting at
34193 @var{addr}. The region may enclose any number of flash blocks, but
34194 its start and end must fall on block boundaries, as indicated by the
34195 flash block size appearing in the memory map (@pxref{Memory Map
34196 Format}). @value{GDBN} groups flash memory programming operations
34197 together, and sends a @samp{vFlashDone} request after each group; the
34198 stub is allowed to delay erase operation until the @samp{vFlashDone}
34199 packet is received.
34200
34201 Reply:
34202 @table @samp
34203 @item OK
34204 for success
34205 @item E @var{NN}
34206 for an error
34207 @end table
34208
34209 @item vFlashWrite:@var{addr}:@var{XX@dots{}}
34210 @cindex @samp{vFlashWrite} packet
34211 Direct the stub to write data to flash address @var{addr}. The data
34212 is passed in binary form using the same encoding as for the @samp{X}
34213 packet (@pxref{Binary Data}). The memory ranges specified by
34214 @samp{vFlashWrite} packets preceding a @samp{vFlashDone} packet must
34215 not overlap, and must appear in order of increasing addresses
34216 (although @samp{vFlashErase} packets for higher addresses may already
34217 have been received; the ordering is guaranteed only between
34218 @samp{vFlashWrite} packets). If a packet writes to an address that was
34219 neither erased by a preceding @samp{vFlashErase} packet nor by some other
34220 target-specific method, the results are unpredictable.
34221
34222
34223 Reply:
34224 @table @samp
34225 @item OK
34226 for success
34227 @item E.memtype
34228 for vFlashWrite addressing non-flash memory
34229 @item E @var{NN}
34230 for an error
34231 @end table
34232
34233 @item vFlashDone
34234 @cindex @samp{vFlashDone} packet
34235 Indicate to the stub that flash programming operation is finished.
34236 The stub is permitted to delay or batch the effects of a group of
34237 @samp{vFlashErase} and @samp{vFlashWrite} packets until a
34238 @samp{vFlashDone} packet is received. The contents of the affected
34239 regions of flash memory are unpredictable until the @samp{vFlashDone}
34240 request is completed.
34241
34242 @item vKill;@var{pid}
34243 @cindex @samp{vKill} packet
34244 Kill the process with the specified process ID. @var{pid} is a
34245 hexadecimal integer identifying the process. This packet is used in
34246 preference to @samp{k} when multiprocess protocol extensions are
34247 supported; see @ref{multiprocess extensions}.
34248
34249 Reply:
34250 @table @samp
34251 @item E @var{nn}
34252 for an error
34253 @item OK
34254 for success
34255 @end table
34256
34257 @item vRun;@var{filename}@r{[};@var{argument}@r{]}@dots{}
34258 @cindex @samp{vRun} packet
34259 Run the program @var{filename}, passing it each @var{argument} on its
34260 command line. The file and arguments are hex-encoded strings. If
34261 @var{filename} is an empty string, the stub may use a default program
34262 (e.g.@: the last program run). The program is created in the stopped
34263 state.
34264
34265 @c FIXME: What about non-stop mode?
34266
34267 This packet is only available in extended mode (@pxref{extended mode}).
34268
34269 Reply:
34270 @table @samp
34271 @item E @var{nn}
34272 for an error
34273 @item @r{Any stop packet}
34274 for success (@pxref{Stop Reply Packets})
34275 @end table
34276
34277 @item vStopped
34278 @anchor{vStopped packet}
34279 @cindex @samp{vStopped} packet
34280
34281 In non-stop mode (@pxref{Remote Non-Stop}), acknowledge a previous stop
34282 reply and prompt for the stub to report another one.
34283
34284 Reply:
34285 @table @samp
34286 @item @r{Any stop packet}
34287 if there is another unreported stop event (@pxref{Stop Reply Packets})
34288 @item OK
34289 if there are no unreported stop events
34290 @end table
34291
34292 @item X @var{addr},@var{length}:@var{XX@dots{}}
34293 @anchor{X packet}
34294 @cindex @samp{X} packet
34295 Write data to memory, where the data is transmitted in binary.
34296 @var{addr} is address, @var{length} is number of bytes,
34297 @samp{@var{XX}@dots{}} is binary data (@pxref{Binary Data}).
34298
34299 Reply:
34300 @table @samp
34301 @item OK
34302 for success
34303 @item E @var{NN}
34304 for an error
34305 @end table
34306
34307 @item z @var{type},@var{addr},@var{kind}
34308 @itemx Z @var{type},@var{addr},@var{kind}
34309 @anchor{insert breakpoint or watchpoint packet}
34310 @cindex @samp{z} packet
34311 @cindex @samp{Z} packets
34312 Insert (@samp{Z}) or remove (@samp{z}) a @var{type} breakpoint or
34313 watchpoint starting at address @var{address} of kind @var{kind}.
34314
34315 Each breakpoint and watchpoint packet @var{type} is documented
34316 separately.
34317
34318 @emph{Implementation notes: A remote target shall return an empty string
34319 for an unrecognized breakpoint or watchpoint packet @var{type}. A
34320 remote target shall support either both or neither of a given
34321 @samp{Z@var{type}@dots{}} and @samp{z@var{type}@dots{}} packet pair. To
34322 avoid potential problems with duplicate packets, the operations should
34323 be implemented in an idempotent way.}
34324
34325 @item z0,@var{addr},@var{kind}
34326 @itemx Z0,@var{addr},@var{kind}@r{[};@var{cond_list}@dots{}@r{]}
34327 @cindex @samp{z0} packet
34328 @cindex @samp{Z0} packet
34329 Insert (@samp{Z0}) or remove (@samp{z0}) a memory breakpoint at address
34330 @var{addr} of type @var{kind}.
34331
34332 A memory breakpoint is implemented by replacing the instruction at
34333 @var{addr} with a software breakpoint or trap instruction. The
34334 @var{kind} is target-specific and typically indicates the size of
34335 the breakpoint in bytes that should be inserted. E.g., the @sc{arm}
34336 and @sc{mips} can insert either a 2 or 4 byte breakpoint. Some
34337 architectures have additional meanings for @var{kind};
34338 @var{cond_list} is an optional list of conditional expressions in bytecode
34339 form that should be evaluated on the target's side. These are the
34340 conditions that should be taken into consideration when deciding if
34341 the breakpoint trigger should be reported back to @var{GDBN}.
34342
34343 The @var{cond_list} parameter is comprised of a series of expressions,
34344 concatenated without separators. Each expression has the following form:
34345
34346 @table @samp
34347
34348 @item X @var{len},@var{expr}
34349 @var{len} is the length of the bytecode expression and @var{expr} is the
34350 actual conditional expression in bytecode form.
34351
34352 @end table
34353
34354 see @ref{Architecture-Specific Protocol Details}.
34355
34356 @emph{Implementation note: It is possible for a target to copy or move
34357 code that contains memory breakpoints (e.g., when implementing
34358 overlays). The behavior of this packet, in the presence of such a
34359 target, is not defined.}
34360
34361 Reply:
34362 @table @samp
34363 @item OK
34364 success
34365 @item
34366 not supported
34367 @item E @var{NN}
34368 for an error
34369 @end table
34370
34371 @item z1,@var{addr},@var{kind}
34372 @itemx Z1,@var{addr},@var{kind}@r{[};@var{cond_list}@dots{}@r{]}
34373 @cindex @samp{z1} packet
34374 @cindex @samp{Z1} packet
34375 Insert (@samp{Z1}) or remove (@samp{z1}) a hardware breakpoint at
34376 address @var{addr}.
34377
34378 A hardware breakpoint is implemented using a mechanism that is not
34379 dependant on being able to modify the target's memory. @var{kind}
34380 and @var{cond_list} have the same meaning as in @samp{Z0} packets.
34381
34382 @emph{Implementation note: A hardware breakpoint is not affected by code
34383 movement.}
34384
34385 Reply:
34386 @table @samp
34387 @item OK
34388 success
34389 @item
34390 not supported
34391 @item E @var{NN}
34392 for an error
34393 @end table
34394
34395 @item z2,@var{addr},@var{kind}
34396 @itemx Z2,@var{addr},@var{kind}
34397 @cindex @samp{z2} packet
34398 @cindex @samp{Z2} packet
34399 Insert (@samp{Z2}) or remove (@samp{z2}) a write watchpoint at @var{addr}.
34400 @var{kind} is interpreted as the number of bytes to watch.
34401
34402 Reply:
34403 @table @samp
34404 @item OK
34405 success
34406 @item
34407 not supported
34408 @item E @var{NN}
34409 for an error
34410 @end table
34411
34412 @item z3,@var{addr},@var{kind}
34413 @itemx Z3,@var{addr},@var{kind}
34414 @cindex @samp{z3} packet
34415 @cindex @samp{Z3} packet
34416 Insert (@samp{Z3}) or remove (@samp{z3}) a read watchpoint at @var{addr}.
34417 @var{kind} is interpreted as the number of bytes to watch.
34418
34419 Reply:
34420 @table @samp
34421 @item OK
34422 success
34423 @item
34424 not supported
34425 @item E @var{NN}
34426 for an error
34427 @end table
34428
34429 @item z4,@var{addr},@var{kind}
34430 @itemx Z4,@var{addr},@var{kind}
34431 @cindex @samp{z4} packet
34432 @cindex @samp{Z4} packet
34433 Insert (@samp{Z4}) or remove (@samp{z4}) an access watchpoint at @var{addr}.
34434 @var{kind} is interpreted as the number of bytes to watch.
34435
34436 Reply:
34437 @table @samp
34438 @item OK
34439 success
34440 @item
34441 not supported
34442 @item E @var{NN}
34443 for an error
34444 @end table
34445
34446 @end table
34447
34448 @node Stop Reply Packets
34449 @section Stop Reply Packets
34450 @cindex stop reply packets
34451
34452 The @samp{C}, @samp{c}, @samp{S}, @samp{s}, @samp{vCont},
34453 @samp{vAttach}, @samp{vRun}, @samp{vStopped}, and @samp{?} packets can
34454 receive any of the below as a reply. Except for @samp{?}
34455 and @samp{vStopped}, that reply is only returned
34456 when the target halts. In the below the exact meaning of @dfn{signal
34457 number} is defined by the header @file{include/gdb/signals.h} in the
34458 @value{GDBN} source code.
34459
34460 As in the description of request packets, we include spaces in the
34461 reply templates for clarity; these are not part of the reply packet's
34462 syntax. No @value{GDBN} stop reply packet uses spaces to separate its
34463 components.
34464
34465 @table @samp
34466
34467 @item S @var{AA}
34468 The program received signal number @var{AA} (a two-digit hexadecimal
34469 number). This is equivalent to a @samp{T} response with no
34470 @var{n}:@var{r} pairs.
34471
34472 @item T @var{AA} @var{n1}:@var{r1};@var{n2}:@var{r2};@dots{}
34473 @cindex @samp{T} packet reply
34474 The program received signal number @var{AA} (a two-digit hexadecimal
34475 number). This is equivalent to an @samp{S} response, except that the
34476 @samp{@var{n}:@var{r}} pairs can carry values of important registers
34477 and other information directly in the stop reply packet, reducing
34478 round-trip latency. Single-step and breakpoint traps are reported
34479 this way. Each @samp{@var{n}:@var{r}} pair is interpreted as follows:
34480
34481 @itemize @bullet
34482 @item
34483 If @var{n} is a hexadecimal number, it is a register number, and the
34484 corresponding @var{r} gives that register's value. @var{r} is a
34485 series of bytes in target byte order, with each byte given by a
34486 two-digit hex number.
34487
34488 @item
34489 If @var{n} is @samp{thread}, then @var{r} is the @var{thread-id} of
34490 the stopped thread, as specified in @ref{thread-id syntax}.
34491
34492 @item
34493 If @var{n} is @samp{core}, then @var{r} is the hexadecimal number of
34494 the core on which the stop event was detected.
34495
34496 @item
34497 If @var{n} is a recognized @dfn{stop reason}, it describes a more
34498 specific event that stopped the target. The currently defined stop
34499 reasons are listed below. @var{aa} should be @samp{05}, the trap
34500 signal. At most one stop reason should be present.
34501
34502 @item
34503 Otherwise, @value{GDBN} should ignore this @samp{@var{n}:@var{r}} pair
34504 and go on to the next; this allows us to extend the protocol in the
34505 future.
34506 @end itemize
34507
34508 The currently defined stop reasons are:
34509
34510 @table @samp
34511 @item watch
34512 @itemx rwatch
34513 @itemx awatch
34514 The packet indicates a watchpoint hit, and @var{r} is the data address, in
34515 hex.
34516
34517 @cindex shared library events, remote reply
34518 @item library
34519 The packet indicates that the loaded libraries have changed.
34520 @value{GDBN} should use @samp{qXfer:libraries:read} to fetch a new
34521 list of loaded libraries. @var{r} is ignored.
34522
34523 @cindex replay log events, remote reply
34524 @item replaylog
34525 The packet indicates that the target cannot continue replaying
34526 logged execution events, because it has reached the end (or the
34527 beginning when executing backward) of the log. The value of @var{r}
34528 will be either @samp{begin} or @samp{end}. @xref{Reverse Execution},
34529 for more information.
34530 @end table
34531
34532 @item W @var{AA}
34533 @itemx W @var{AA} ; process:@var{pid}
34534 The process exited, and @var{AA} is the exit status. This is only
34535 applicable to certain targets.
34536
34537 The second form of the response, including the process ID of the exited
34538 process, can be used only when @value{GDBN} has reported support for
34539 multiprocess protocol extensions; see @ref{multiprocess extensions}.
34540 The @var{pid} is formatted as a big-endian hex string.
34541
34542 @item X @var{AA}
34543 @itemx X @var{AA} ; process:@var{pid}
34544 The process terminated with signal @var{AA}.
34545
34546 The second form of the response, including the process ID of the
34547 terminated process, can be used only when @value{GDBN} has reported
34548 support for multiprocess protocol extensions; see @ref{multiprocess
34549 extensions}. The @var{pid} is formatted as a big-endian hex string.
34550
34551 @item O @var{XX}@dots{}
34552 @samp{@var{XX}@dots{}} is hex encoding of @sc{ascii} data, to be
34553 written as the program's console output. This can happen at any time
34554 while the program is running and the debugger should continue to wait
34555 for @samp{W}, @samp{T}, etc. This reply is not permitted in non-stop mode.
34556
34557 @item F @var{call-id},@var{parameter}@dots{}
34558 @var{call-id} is the identifier which says which host system call should
34559 be called. This is just the name of the function. Translation into the
34560 correct system call is only applicable as it's defined in @value{GDBN}.
34561 @xref{File-I/O Remote Protocol Extension}, for a list of implemented
34562 system calls.
34563
34564 @samp{@var{parameter}@dots{}} is a list of parameters as defined for
34565 this very system call.
34566
34567 The target replies with this packet when it expects @value{GDBN} to
34568 call a host system call on behalf of the target. @value{GDBN} replies
34569 with an appropriate @samp{F} packet and keeps up waiting for the next
34570 reply packet from the target. The latest @samp{C}, @samp{c}, @samp{S}
34571 or @samp{s} action is expected to be continued. @xref{File-I/O Remote
34572 Protocol Extension}, for more details.
34573
34574 @end table
34575
34576 @node General Query Packets
34577 @section General Query Packets
34578 @cindex remote query requests
34579
34580 Packets starting with @samp{q} are @dfn{general query packets};
34581 packets starting with @samp{Q} are @dfn{general set packets}. General
34582 query and set packets are a semi-unified form for retrieving and
34583 sending information to and from the stub.
34584
34585 The initial letter of a query or set packet is followed by a name
34586 indicating what sort of thing the packet applies to. For example,
34587 @value{GDBN} may use a @samp{qSymbol} packet to exchange symbol
34588 definitions with the stub. These packet names follow some
34589 conventions:
34590
34591 @itemize @bullet
34592 @item
34593 The name must not contain commas, colons or semicolons.
34594 @item
34595 Most @value{GDBN} query and set packets have a leading upper case
34596 letter.
34597 @item
34598 The names of custom vendor packets should use a company prefix, in
34599 lower case, followed by a period. For example, packets designed at
34600 the Acme Corporation might begin with @samp{qacme.foo} (for querying
34601 foos) or @samp{Qacme.bar} (for setting bars).
34602 @end itemize
34603
34604 The name of a query or set packet should be separated from any
34605 parameters by a @samp{:}; the parameters themselves should be
34606 separated by @samp{,} or @samp{;}. Stubs must be careful to match the
34607 full packet name, and check for a separator or the end of the packet,
34608 in case two packet names share a common prefix. New packets should not begin
34609 with @samp{qC}, @samp{qP}, or @samp{qL}@footnote{The @samp{qP} and @samp{qL}
34610 packets predate these conventions, and have arguments without any terminator
34611 for the packet name; we suspect they are in widespread use in places that
34612 are difficult to upgrade. The @samp{qC} packet has no arguments, but some
34613 existing stubs (e.g.@: RedBoot) are known to not check for the end of the
34614 packet.}.
34615
34616 Like the descriptions of the other packets, each description here
34617 has a template showing the packet's overall syntax, followed by an
34618 explanation of the packet's meaning. We include spaces in some of the
34619 templates for clarity; these are not part of the packet's syntax. No
34620 @value{GDBN} packet uses spaces to separate its components.
34621
34622 Here are the currently defined query and set packets:
34623
34624 @table @samp
34625
34626 @item QAllow:@var{op}:@var{val}@dots{}
34627 @cindex @samp{QAllow} packet
34628 Specify which operations @value{GDBN} expects to request of the
34629 target, as a semicolon-separated list of operation name and value
34630 pairs. Possible values for @var{op} include @samp{WriteReg},
34631 @samp{WriteMem}, @samp{InsertBreak}, @samp{InsertTrace},
34632 @samp{InsertFastTrace}, and @samp{Stop}. @var{val} is either 0,
34633 indicating that @value{GDBN} will not request the operation, or 1,
34634 indicating that it may. (The target can then use this to set up its
34635 own internals optimally, for instance if the debugger never expects to
34636 insert breakpoints, it may not need to install its own trap handler.)
34637
34638 @item qC
34639 @cindex current thread, remote request
34640 @cindex @samp{qC} packet
34641 Return the current thread ID.
34642
34643 Reply:
34644 @table @samp
34645 @item QC @var{thread-id}
34646 Where @var{thread-id} is a thread ID as documented in
34647 @ref{thread-id syntax}.
34648 @item @r{(anything else)}
34649 Any other reply implies the old thread ID.
34650 @end table
34651
34652 @item qCRC:@var{addr},@var{length}
34653 @cindex CRC of memory block, remote request
34654 @cindex @samp{qCRC} packet
34655 Compute the CRC checksum of a block of memory using CRC-32 defined in
34656 IEEE 802.3. The CRC is computed byte at a time, taking the most
34657 significant bit of each byte first. The initial pattern code
34658 @code{0xffffffff} is used to ensure leading zeros affect the CRC.
34659
34660 @emph{Note:} This is the same CRC used in validating separate debug
34661 files (@pxref{Separate Debug Files, , Debugging Information in Separate
34662 Files}). However the algorithm is slightly different. When validating
34663 separate debug files, the CRC is computed taking the @emph{least}
34664 significant bit of each byte first, and the final result is inverted to
34665 detect trailing zeros.
34666
34667 Reply:
34668 @table @samp
34669 @item E @var{NN}
34670 An error (such as memory fault)
34671 @item C @var{crc32}
34672 The specified memory region's checksum is @var{crc32}.
34673 @end table
34674
34675 @item QDisableRandomization:@var{value}
34676 @cindex disable address space randomization, remote request
34677 @cindex @samp{QDisableRandomization} packet
34678 Some target operating systems will randomize the virtual address space
34679 of the inferior process as a security feature, but provide a feature
34680 to disable such randomization, e.g.@: to allow for a more deterministic
34681 debugging experience. On such systems, this packet with a @var{value}
34682 of 1 directs the target to disable address space randomization for
34683 processes subsequently started via @samp{vRun} packets, while a packet
34684 with a @var{value} of 0 tells the target to enable address space
34685 randomization.
34686
34687 This packet is only available in extended mode (@pxref{extended mode}).
34688
34689 Reply:
34690 @table @samp
34691 @item OK
34692 The request succeeded.
34693
34694 @item E @var{nn}
34695 An error occurred. @var{nn} are hex digits.
34696
34697 @item
34698 An empty reply indicates that @samp{QDisableRandomization} is not supported
34699 by the stub.
34700 @end table
34701
34702 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
34703 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
34704 This should only be done on targets that actually support disabling
34705 address space randomization.
34706
34707 @item qfThreadInfo
34708 @itemx qsThreadInfo
34709 @cindex list active threads, remote request
34710 @cindex @samp{qfThreadInfo} packet
34711 @cindex @samp{qsThreadInfo} packet
34712 Obtain a list of all active thread IDs from the target (OS). Since there
34713 may be too many active threads to fit into one reply packet, this query
34714 works iteratively: it may require more than one query/reply sequence to
34715 obtain the entire list of threads. The first query of the sequence will
34716 be the @samp{qfThreadInfo} query; subsequent queries in the
34717 sequence will be the @samp{qsThreadInfo} query.
34718
34719 NOTE: This packet replaces the @samp{qL} query (see below).
34720
34721 Reply:
34722 @table @samp
34723 @item m @var{thread-id}
34724 A single thread ID
34725 @item m @var{thread-id},@var{thread-id}@dots{}
34726 a comma-separated list of thread IDs
34727 @item l
34728 (lower case letter @samp{L}) denotes end of list.
34729 @end table
34730
34731 In response to each query, the target will reply with a list of one or
34732 more thread IDs, separated by commas.
34733 @value{GDBN} will respond to each reply with a request for more thread
34734 ids (using the @samp{qs} form of the query), until the target responds
34735 with @samp{l} (lower-case ell, for @dfn{last}).
34736 Refer to @ref{thread-id syntax}, for the format of the @var{thread-id}
34737 fields.
34738
34739 @item qGetTLSAddr:@var{thread-id},@var{offset},@var{lm}
34740 @cindex get thread-local storage address, remote request
34741 @cindex @samp{qGetTLSAddr} packet
34742 Fetch the address associated with thread local storage specified
34743 by @var{thread-id}, @var{offset}, and @var{lm}.
34744
34745 @var{thread-id} is the thread ID associated with the
34746 thread for which to fetch the TLS address. @xref{thread-id syntax}.
34747
34748 @var{offset} is the (big endian, hex encoded) offset associated with the
34749 thread local variable. (This offset is obtained from the debug
34750 information associated with the variable.)
34751
34752 @var{lm} is the (big endian, hex encoded) OS/ABI-specific encoding of the
34753 load module associated with the thread local storage. For example,
34754 a @sc{gnu}/Linux system will pass the link map address of the shared
34755 object associated with the thread local storage under consideration.
34756 Other operating environments may choose to represent the load module
34757 differently, so the precise meaning of this parameter will vary.
34758
34759 Reply:
34760 @table @samp
34761 @item @var{XX}@dots{}
34762 Hex encoded (big endian) bytes representing the address of the thread
34763 local storage requested.
34764
34765 @item E @var{nn}
34766 An error occurred. @var{nn} are hex digits.
34767
34768 @item
34769 An empty reply indicates that @samp{qGetTLSAddr} is not supported by the stub.
34770 @end table
34771
34772 @item qGetTIBAddr:@var{thread-id}
34773 @cindex get thread information block address
34774 @cindex @samp{qGetTIBAddr} packet
34775 Fetch address of the Windows OS specific Thread Information Block.
34776
34777 @var{thread-id} is the thread ID associated with the thread.
34778
34779 Reply:
34780 @table @samp
34781 @item @var{XX}@dots{}
34782 Hex encoded (big endian) bytes representing the linear address of the
34783 thread information block.
34784
34785 @item E @var{nn}
34786 An error occured. This means that either the thread was not found, or the
34787 address could not be retrieved.
34788
34789 @item
34790 An empty reply indicates that @samp{qGetTIBAddr} is not supported by the stub.
34791 @end table
34792
34793 @item qL @var{startflag} @var{threadcount} @var{nextthread}
34794 Obtain thread information from RTOS. Where: @var{startflag} (one hex
34795 digit) is one to indicate the first query and zero to indicate a
34796 subsequent query; @var{threadcount} (two hex digits) is the maximum
34797 number of threads the response packet can contain; and @var{nextthread}
34798 (eight hex digits), for subsequent queries (@var{startflag} is zero), is
34799 returned in the response as @var{argthread}.
34800
34801 Don't use this packet; use the @samp{qfThreadInfo} query instead (see above).
34802
34803 Reply:
34804 @table @samp
34805 @item qM @var{count} @var{done} @var{argthread} @var{thread}@dots{}
34806 Where: @var{count} (two hex digits) is the number of threads being
34807 returned; @var{done} (one hex digit) is zero to indicate more threads
34808 and one indicates no further threads; @var{argthreadid} (eight hex
34809 digits) is @var{nextthread} from the request packet; @var{thread}@dots{}
34810 is a sequence of thread IDs from the target. @var{threadid} (eight hex
34811 digits). See @code{remote.c:parse_threadlist_response()}.
34812 @end table
34813
34814 @item qOffsets
34815 @cindex section offsets, remote request
34816 @cindex @samp{qOffsets} packet
34817 Get section offsets that the target used when relocating the downloaded
34818 image.
34819
34820 Reply:
34821 @table @samp
34822 @item Text=@var{xxx};Data=@var{yyy}@r{[};Bss=@var{zzz}@r{]}
34823 Relocate the @code{Text} section by @var{xxx} from its original address.
34824 Relocate the @code{Data} section by @var{yyy} from its original address.
34825 If the object file format provides segment information (e.g.@: @sc{elf}
34826 @samp{PT_LOAD} program headers), @value{GDBN} will relocate entire
34827 segments by the supplied offsets.
34828
34829 @emph{Note: while a @code{Bss} offset may be included in the response,
34830 @value{GDBN} ignores this and instead applies the @code{Data} offset
34831 to the @code{Bss} section.}
34832
34833 @item TextSeg=@var{xxx}@r{[};DataSeg=@var{yyy}@r{]}
34834 Relocate the first segment of the object file, which conventionally
34835 contains program code, to a starting address of @var{xxx}. If
34836 @samp{DataSeg} is specified, relocate the second segment, which
34837 conventionally contains modifiable data, to a starting address of
34838 @var{yyy}. @value{GDBN} will report an error if the object file
34839 does not contain segment information, or does not contain at least
34840 as many segments as mentioned in the reply. Extra segments are
34841 kept at fixed offsets relative to the last relocated segment.
34842 @end table
34843
34844 @item qP @var{mode} @var{thread-id}
34845 @cindex thread information, remote request
34846 @cindex @samp{qP} packet
34847 Returns information on @var{thread-id}. Where: @var{mode} is a hex
34848 encoded 32 bit mode; @var{thread-id} is a thread ID
34849 (@pxref{thread-id syntax}).
34850
34851 Don't use this packet; use the @samp{qThreadExtraInfo} query instead
34852 (see below).
34853
34854 Reply: see @code{remote.c:remote_unpack_thread_info_response()}.
34855
34856 @item QNonStop:1
34857 @item QNonStop:0
34858 @cindex non-stop mode, remote request
34859 @cindex @samp{QNonStop} packet
34860 @anchor{QNonStop}
34861 Enter non-stop (@samp{QNonStop:1}) or all-stop (@samp{QNonStop:0}) mode.
34862 @xref{Remote Non-Stop}, for more information.
34863
34864 Reply:
34865 @table @samp
34866 @item OK
34867 The request succeeded.
34868
34869 @item E @var{nn}
34870 An error occurred. @var{nn} are hex digits.
34871
34872 @item
34873 An empty reply indicates that @samp{QNonStop} is not supported by
34874 the stub.
34875 @end table
34876
34877 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
34878 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
34879 Use of this packet is controlled by the @code{set non-stop} command;
34880 @pxref{Non-Stop Mode}.
34881
34882 @item QPassSignals: @var{signal} @r{[};@var{signal}@r{]}@dots{}
34883 @cindex pass signals to inferior, remote request
34884 @cindex @samp{QPassSignals} packet
34885 @anchor{QPassSignals}
34886 Each listed @var{signal} should be passed directly to the inferior process.
34887 Signals are numbered identically to continue packets and stop replies
34888 (@pxref{Stop Reply Packets}). Each @var{signal} list item should be
34889 strictly greater than the previous item. These signals do not need to stop
34890 the inferior, or be reported to @value{GDBN}. All other signals should be
34891 reported to @value{GDBN}. Multiple @samp{QPassSignals} packets do not
34892 combine; any earlier @samp{QPassSignals} list is completely replaced by the
34893 new list. This packet improves performance when using @samp{handle
34894 @var{signal} nostop noprint pass}.
34895
34896 Reply:
34897 @table @samp
34898 @item OK
34899 The request succeeded.
34900
34901 @item E @var{nn}
34902 An error occurred. @var{nn} are hex digits.
34903
34904 @item
34905 An empty reply indicates that @samp{QPassSignals} is not supported by
34906 the stub.
34907 @end table
34908
34909 Use of this packet is controlled by the @code{set remote pass-signals}
34910 command (@pxref{Remote Configuration, set remote pass-signals}).
34911 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
34912 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
34913
34914 @item qRcmd,@var{command}
34915 @cindex execute remote command, remote request
34916 @cindex @samp{qRcmd} packet
34917 @var{command} (hex encoded) is passed to the local interpreter for
34918 execution. Invalid commands should be reported using the output
34919 string. Before the final result packet, the target may also respond
34920 with a number of intermediate @samp{O@var{output}} console output
34921 packets. @emph{Implementors should note that providing access to a
34922 stubs's interpreter may have security implications}.
34923
34924 Reply:
34925 @table @samp
34926 @item OK
34927 A command response with no output.
34928 @item @var{OUTPUT}
34929 A command response with the hex encoded output string @var{OUTPUT}.
34930 @item E @var{NN}
34931 Indicate a badly formed request.
34932 @item
34933 An empty reply indicates that @samp{qRcmd} is not recognized.
34934 @end table
34935
34936 (Note that the @code{qRcmd} packet's name is separated from the
34937 command by a @samp{,}, not a @samp{:}, contrary to the naming
34938 conventions above. Please don't use this packet as a model for new
34939 packets.)
34940
34941 @item qSearch:memory:@var{address};@var{length};@var{search-pattern}
34942 @cindex searching memory, in remote debugging
34943 @cindex @samp{qSearch:memory} packet
34944 @anchor{qSearch memory}
34945 Search @var{length} bytes at @var{address} for @var{search-pattern}.
34946 @var{address} and @var{length} are encoded in hex.
34947 @var{search-pattern} is a sequence of bytes, hex encoded.
34948
34949 Reply:
34950 @table @samp
34951 @item 0
34952 The pattern was not found.
34953 @item 1,address
34954 The pattern was found at @var{address}.
34955 @item E @var{NN}
34956 A badly formed request or an error was encountered while searching memory.
34957 @item
34958 An empty reply indicates that @samp{qSearch:memory} is not recognized.
34959 @end table
34960
34961 @item QStartNoAckMode
34962 @cindex @samp{QStartNoAckMode} packet
34963 @anchor{QStartNoAckMode}
34964 Request that the remote stub disable the normal @samp{+}/@samp{-}
34965 protocol acknowledgments (@pxref{Packet Acknowledgment}).
34966
34967 Reply:
34968 @table @samp
34969 @item OK
34970 The stub has switched to no-acknowledgment mode.
34971 @value{GDBN} acknowledges this reponse,
34972 but neither the stub nor @value{GDBN} shall send or expect further
34973 @samp{+}/@samp{-} acknowledgments in the current connection.
34974 @item
34975 An empty reply indicates that the stub does not support no-acknowledgment mode.
34976 @end table
34977
34978 @item qSupported @r{[}:@var{gdbfeature} @r{[};@var{gdbfeature}@r{]}@dots{} @r{]}
34979 @cindex supported packets, remote query
34980 @cindex features of the remote protocol
34981 @cindex @samp{qSupported} packet
34982 @anchor{qSupported}
34983 Tell the remote stub about features supported by @value{GDBN}, and
34984 query the stub for features it supports. This packet allows
34985 @value{GDBN} and the remote stub to take advantage of each others'
34986 features. @samp{qSupported} also consolidates multiple feature probes
34987 at startup, to improve @value{GDBN} performance---a single larger
34988 packet performs better than multiple smaller probe packets on
34989 high-latency links. Some features may enable behavior which must not
34990 be on by default, e.g.@: because it would confuse older clients or
34991 stubs. Other features may describe packets which could be
34992 automatically probed for, but are not. These features must be
34993 reported before @value{GDBN} will use them. This ``default
34994 unsupported'' behavior is not appropriate for all packets, but it
34995 helps to keep the initial connection time under control with new
34996 versions of @value{GDBN} which support increasing numbers of packets.
34997
34998 Reply:
34999 @table @samp
35000 @item @var{stubfeature} @r{[};@var{stubfeature}@r{]}@dots{}
35001 The stub supports or does not support each returned @var{stubfeature},
35002 depending on the form of each @var{stubfeature} (see below for the
35003 possible forms).
35004 @item
35005 An empty reply indicates that @samp{qSupported} is not recognized,
35006 or that no features needed to be reported to @value{GDBN}.
35007 @end table
35008
35009 The allowed forms for each feature (either a @var{gdbfeature} in the
35010 @samp{qSupported} packet, or a @var{stubfeature} in the response)
35011 are:
35012
35013 @table @samp
35014 @item @var{name}=@var{value}
35015 The remote protocol feature @var{name} is supported, and associated
35016 with the specified @var{value}. The format of @var{value} depends
35017 on the feature, but it must not include a semicolon.
35018 @item @var{name}+
35019 The remote protocol feature @var{name} is supported, and does not
35020 need an associated value.
35021 @item @var{name}-
35022 The remote protocol feature @var{name} is not supported.
35023 @item @var{name}?
35024 The remote protocol feature @var{name} may be supported, and
35025 @value{GDBN} should auto-detect support in some other way when it is
35026 needed. This form will not be used for @var{gdbfeature} notifications,
35027 but may be used for @var{stubfeature} responses.
35028 @end table
35029
35030 Whenever the stub receives a @samp{qSupported} request, the
35031 supplied set of @value{GDBN} features should override any previous
35032 request. This allows @value{GDBN} to put the stub in a known
35033 state, even if the stub had previously been communicating with
35034 a different version of @value{GDBN}.
35035
35036 The following values of @var{gdbfeature} (for the packet sent by @value{GDBN})
35037 are defined:
35038
35039 @table @samp
35040 @item multiprocess
35041 This feature indicates whether @value{GDBN} supports multiprocess
35042 extensions to the remote protocol. @value{GDBN} does not use such
35043 extensions unless the stub also reports that it supports them by
35044 including @samp{multiprocess+} in its @samp{qSupported} reply.
35045 @xref{multiprocess extensions}, for details.
35046
35047 @item xmlRegisters
35048 This feature indicates that @value{GDBN} supports the XML target
35049 description. If the stub sees @samp{xmlRegisters=} with target
35050 specific strings separated by a comma, it will report register
35051 description.
35052
35053 @item qRelocInsn
35054 This feature indicates whether @value{GDBN} supports the
35055 @samp{qRelocInsn} packet (@pxref{Tracepoint Packets,,Relocate
35056 instruction reply packet}).
35057 @end table
35058
35059 Stubs should ignore any unknown values for
35060 @var{gdbfeature}. Any @value{GDBN} which sends a @samp{qSupported}
35061 packet supports receiving packets of unlimited length (earlier
35062 versions of @value{GDBN} may reject overly long responses). Additional values
35063 for @var{gdbfeature} may be defined in the future to let the stub take
35064 advantage of new features in @value{GDBN}, e.g.@: incompatible
35065 improvements in the remote protocol---the @samp{multiprocess} feature is
35066 an example of such a feature. The stub's reply should be independent
35067 of the @var{gdbfeature} entries sent by @value{GDBN}; first @value{GDBN}
35068 describes all the features it supports, and then the stub replies with
35069 all the features it supports.
35070
35071 Similarly, @value{GDBN} will silently ignore unrecognized stub feature
35072 responses, as long as each response uses one of the standard forms.
35073
35074 Some features are flags. A stub which supports a flag feature
35075 should respond with a @samp{+} form response. Other features
35076 require values, and the stub should respond with an @samp{=}
35077 form response.
35078
35079 Each feature has a default value, which @value{GDBN} will use if
35080 @samp{qSupported} is not available or if the feature is not mentioned
35081 in the @samp{qSupported} response. The default values are fixed; a
35082 stub is free to omit any feature responses that match the defaults.
35083
35084 Not all features can be probed, but for those which can, the probing
35085 mechanism is useful: in some cases, a stub's internal
35086 architecture may not allow the protocol layer to know some information
35087 about the underlying target in advance. This is especially common in
35088 stubs which may be configured for multiple targets.
35089
35090 These are the currently defined stub features and their properties:
35091
35092 @multitable @columnfractions 0.35 0.2 0.12 0.2
35093 @c NOTE: The first row should be @headitem, but we do not yet require
35094 @c a new enough version of Texinfo (4.7) to use @headitem.
35095 @item Feature Name
35096 @tab Value Required
35097 @tab Default
35098 @tab Probe Allowed
35099
35100 @item @samp{PacketSize}
35101 @tab Yes
35102 @tab @samp{-}
35103 @tab No
35104
35105 @item @samp{qXfer:auxv:read}
35106 @tab No
35107 @tab @samp{-}
35108 @tab Yes
35109
35110 @item @samp{qXfer:features:read}
35111 @tab No
35112 @tab @samp{-}
35113 @tab Yes
35114
35115 @item @samp{qXfer:libraries:read}
35116 @tab No
35117 @tab @samp{-}
35118 @tab Yes
35119
35120 @item @samp{qXfer:memory-map:read}
35121 @tab No
35122 @tab @samp{-}
35123 @tab Yes
35124
35125 @item @samp{qXfer:sdata:read}
35126 @tab No
35127 @tab @samp{-}
35128 @tab Yes
35129
35130 @item @samp{qXfer:spu:read}
35131 @tab No
35132 @tab @samp{-}
35133 @tab Yes
35134
35135 @item @samp{qXfer:spu:write}
35136 @tab No
35137 @tab @samp{-}
35138 @tab Yes
35139
35140 @item @samp{qXfer:siginfo:read}
35141 @tab No
35142 @tab @samp{-}
35143 @tab Yes
35144
35145 @item @samp{qXfer:siginfo:write}
35146 @tab No
35147 @tab @samp{-}
35148 @tab Yes
35149
35150 @item @samp{qXfer:threads:read}
35151 @tab No
35152 @tab @samp{-}
35153 @tab Yes
35154
35155 @item @samp{qXfer:traceframe-info:read}
35156 @tab No
35157 @tab @samp{-}
35158 @tab Yes
35159
35160 @item @samp{qXfer:fdpic:read}
35161 @tab No
35162 @tab @samp{-}
35163 @tab Yes
35164
35165 @item @samp{QNonStop}
35166 @tab No
35167 @tab @samp{-}
35168 @tab Yes
35169
35170 @item @samp{QPassSignals}
35171 @tab No
35172 @tab @samp{-}
35173 @tab Yes
35174
35175 @item @samp{QStartNoAckMode}
35176 @tab No
35177 @tab @samp{-}
35178 @tab Yes
35179
35180 @item @samp{multiprocess}
35181 @tab No
35182 @tab @samp{-}
35183 @tab No
35184
35185 @item @samp{ConditionalBreakpoints}
35186 @tab No
35187 @tab @samp{-}
35188 @tab No
35189
35190 @item @samp{ConditionalTracepoints}
35191 @tab No
35192 @tab @samp{-}
35193 @tab No
35194
35195 @item @samp{ReverseContinue}
35196 @tab No
35197 @tab @samp{-}
35198 @tab No
35199
35200 @item @samp{ReverseStep}
35201 @tab No
35202 @tab @samp{-}
35203 @tab No
35204
35205 @item @samp{TracepointSource}
35206 @tab No
35207 @tab @samp{-}
35208 @tab No
35209
35210 @item @samp{QAllow}
35211 @tab No
35212 @tab @samp{-}
35213 @tab No
35214
35215 @item @samp{QDisableRandomization}
35216 @tab No
35217 @tab @samp{-}
35218 @tab No
35219
35220 @item @samp{EnableDisableTracepoints}
35221 @tab No
35222 @tab @samp{-}
35223 @tab No
35224
35225 @item @samp{tracenz}
35226 @tab No
35227 @tab @samp{-}
35228 @tab No
35229
35230 @end multitable
35231
35232 These are the currently defined stub features, in more detail:
35233
35234 @table @samp
35235 @cindex packet size, remote protocol
35236 @item PacketSize=@var{bytes}
35237 The remote stub can accept packets up to at least @var{bytes} in
35238 length. @value{GDBN} will send packets up to this size for bulk
35239 transfers, and will never send larger packets. This is a limit on the
35240 data characters in the packet, including the frame and checksum.
35241 There is no trailing NUL byte in a remote protocol packet; if the stub
35242 stores packets in a NUL-terminated format, it should allow an extra
35243 byte in its buffer for the NUL. If this stub feature is not supported,
35244 @value{GDBN} guesses based on the size of the @samp{g} packet response.
35245
35246 @item qXfer:auxv:read
35247 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:auxv:read} packet
35248 (@pxref{qXfer auxiliary vector read}).
35249
35250 @item qXfer:features:read
35251 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:features:read} packet
35252 (@pxref{qXfer target description read}).
35253
35254 @item qXfer:libraries:read
35255 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:libraries:read} packet
35256 (@pxref{qXfer library list read}).
35257
35258 @item qXfer:libraries-svr4:read
35259 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:libraries-svr4:read} packet
35260 (@pxref{qXfer svr4 library list read}).
35261
35262 @item qXfer:memory-map:read
35263 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:memory-map:read} packet
35264 (@pxref{qXfer memory map read}).
35265
35266 @item qXfer:sdata:read
35267 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:sdata:read} packet
35268 (@pxref{qXfer sdata read}).
35269
35270 @item qXfer:spu:read
35271 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:spu:read} packet
35272 (@pxref{qXfer spu read}).
35273
35274 @item qXfer:spu:write
35275 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:spu:write} packet
35276 (@pxref{qXfer spu write}).
35277
35278 @item qXfer:siginfo:read
35279 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:siginfo:read} packet
35280 (@pxref{qXfer siginfo read}).
35281
35282 @item qXfer:siginfo:write
35283 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:siginfo:write} packet
35284 (@pxref{qXfer siginfo write}).
35285
35286 @item qXfer:threads:read
35287 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:threads:read} packet
35288 (@pxref{qXfer threads read}).
35289
35290 @item qXfer:traceframe-info:read
35291 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:traceframe-info:read}
35292 packet (@pxref{qXfer traceframe info read}).
35293
35294 @item qXfer:fdpic:read
35295 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:fdpic:read}
35296 packet (@pxref{qXfer fdpic loadmap read}).
35297
35298 @item QNonStop
35299 The remote stub understands the @samp{QNonStop} packet
35300 (@pxref{QNonStop}).
35301
35302 @item QPassSignals
35303 The remote stub understands the @samp{QPassSignals} packet
35304 (@pxref{QPassSignals}).
35305
35306 @item QStartNoAckMode
35307 The remote stub understands the @samp{QStartNoAckMode} packet and
35308 prefers to operate in no-acknowledgment mode. @xref{Packet Acknowledgment}.
35309
35310 @item multiprocess
35311 @anchor{multiprocess extensions}
35312 @cindex multiprocess extensions, in remote protocol
35313 The remote stub understands the multiprocess extensions to the remote
35314 protocol syntax. The multiprocess extensions affect the syntax of
35315 thread IDs in both packets and replies (@pxref{thread-id syntax}), and
35316 add process IDs to the @samp{D} packet and @samp{W} and @samp{X}
35317 replies. Note that reporting this feature indicates support for the
35318 syntactic extensions only, not that the stub necessarily supports
35319 debugging of more than one process at a time. The stub must not use
35320 multiprocess extensions in packet replies unless @value{GDBN} has also
35321 indicated it supports them in its @samp{qSupported} request.
35322
35323 @item qXfer:osdata:read
35324 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:osdata:read} packet
35325 ((@pxref{qXfer osdata read}).
35326
35327 @item ConditionalBreakpoints
35328 The target accepts and implements evaluation of conditional expressions
35329 defined for breakpoints. The target will only report breakpoint triggers
35330 when such conditions are true (@pxref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions}).
35331
35332 @item ConditionalTracepoints
35333 The remote stub accepts and implements conditional expressions defined
35334 for tracepoints (@pxref{Tracepoint Conditions}).
35335
35336 @item ReverseContinue
35337 The remote stub accepts and implements the reverse continue packet
35338 (@pxref{bc}).
35339
35340 @item ReverseStep
35341 The remote stub accepts and implements the reverse step packet
35342 (@pxref{bs}).
35343
35344 @item TracepointSource
35345 The remote stub understands the @samp{QTDPsrc} packet that supplies
35346 the source form of tracepoint definitions.
35347
35348 @item QAllow
35349 The remote stub understands the @samp{QAllow} packet.
35350
35351 @item QDisableRandomization
35352 The remote stub understands the @samp{QDisableRandomization} packet.
35353
35354 @item StaticTracepoint
35355 @cindex static tracepoints, in remote protocol
35356 The remote stub supports static tracepoints.
35357
35358 @item InstallInTrace
35359 @anchor{install tracepoint in tracing}
35360 The remote stub supports installing tracepoint in tracing.
35361
35362 @item EnableDisableTracepoints
35363 The remote stub supports the @samp{QTEnable} (@pxref{QTEnable}) and
35364 @samp{QTDisable} (@pxref{QTDisable}) packets that allow tracepoints
35365 to be enabled and disabled while a trace experiment is running.
35366
35367 @item tracenz
35368 @cindex string tracing, in remote protocol
35369 The remote stub supports the @samp{tracenz} bytecode for collecting strings.
35370 See @ref{Bytecode Descriptions} for details about the bytecode.
35371
35372 @end table
35373
35374 @item qSymbol::
35375 @cindex symbol lookup, remote request
35376 @cindex @samp{qSymbol} packet
35377 Notify the target that @value{GDBN} is prepared to serve symbol lookup
35378 requests. Accept requests from the target for the values of symbols.
35379
35380 Reply:
35381 @table @samp
35382 @item OK
35383 The target does not need to look up any (more) symbols.
35384 @item qSymbol:@var{sym_name}
35385 The target requests the value of symbol @var{sym_name} (hex encoded).
35386 @value{GDBN} may provide the value by using the
35387 @samp{qSymbol:@var{sym_value}:@var{sym_name}} message, described
35388 below.
35389 @end table
35390
35391 @item qSymbol:@var{sym_value}:@var{sym_name}
35392 Set the value of @var{sym_name} to @var{sym_value}.
35393
35394 @var{sym_name} (hex encoded) is the name of a symbol whose value the
35395 target has previously requested.
35396
35397 @var{sym_value} (hex) is the value for symbol @var{sym_name}. If
35398 @value{GDBN} cannot supply a value for @var{sym_name}, then this field
35399 will be empty.
35400
35401 Reply:
35402 @table @samp
35403 @item OK
35404 The target does not need to look up any (more) symbols.
35405 @item qSymbol:@var{sym_name}
35406 The target requests the value of a new symbol @var{sym_name} (hex
35407 encoded). @value{GDBN} will continue to supply the values of symbols
35408 (if available), until the target ceases to request them.
35409 @end table
35410
35411 @item qTBuffer
35412 @item QTBuffer
35413 @item QTDisconnected
35414 @itemx QTDP
35415 @itemx QTDPsrc
35416 @itemx QTDV
35417 @itemx qTfP
35418 @itemx qTfV
35419 @itemx QTFrame
35420 @itemx qTMinFTPILen
35421
35422 @xref{Tracepoint Packets}.
35423
35424 @item qThreadExtraInfo,@var{thread-id}
35425 @cindex thread attributes info, remote request
35426 @cindex @samp{qThreadExtraInfo} packet
35427 Obtain a printable string description of a thread's attributes from
35428 the target OS. @var{thread-id} is a thread ID;
35429 see @ref{thread-id syntax}. This
35430 string may contain anything that the target OS thinks is interesting
35431 for @value{GDBN} to tell the user about the thread. The string is
35432 displayed in @value{GDBN}'s @code{info threads} display. Some
35433 examples of possible thread extra info strings are @samp{Runnable}, or
35434 @samp{Blocked on Mutex}.
35435
35436 Reply:
35437 @table @samp
35438 @item @var{XX}@dots{}
35439 Where @samp{@var{XX}@dots{}} is a hex encoding of @sc{ascii} data,
35440 comprising the printable string containing the extra information about
35441 the thread's attributes.
35442 @end table
35443
35444 (Note that the @code{qThreadExtraInfo} packet's name is separated from
35445 the command by a @samp{,}, not a @samp{:}, contrary to the naming
35446 conventions above. Please don't use this packet as a model for new
35447 packets.)
35448
35449 @item QTNotes
35450 @item qTP
35451 @item QTSave
35452 @item qTsP
35453 @item qTsV
35454 @itemx QTStart
35455 @itemx QTStop
35456 @itemx QTEnable
35457 @itemx QTDisable
35458 @itemx QTinit
35459 @itemx QTro
35460 @itemx qTStatus
35461 @itemx qTV
35462 @itemx qTfSTM
35463 @itemx qTsSTM
35464 @itemx qTSTMat
35465 @xref{Tracepoint Packets}.
35466
35467 @item qXfer:@var{object}:read:@var{annex}:@var{offset},@var{length}
35468 @cindex read special object, remote request
35469 @cindex @samp{qXfer} packet
35470 @anchor{qXfer read}
35471 Read uninterpreted bytes from the target's special data area
35472 identified by the keyword @var{object}. Request @var{length} bytes
35473 starting at @var{offset} bytes into the data. The content and
35474 encoding of @var{annex} is specific to @var{object}; it can supply
35475 additional details about what data to access.
35476
35477 Here are the specific requests of this form defined so far. All
35478 @samp{qXfer:@var{object}:read:@dots{}} requests use the same reply
35479 formats, listed below.
35480
35481 @table @samp
35482 @item qXfer:auxv:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
35483 @anchor{qXfer auxiliary vector read}
35484 Access the target's @dfn{auxiliary vector}. @xref{OS Information,
35485 auxiliary vector}. Note @var{annex} must be empty.
35486
35487 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
35488 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
35489
35490 @item qXfer:features:read:@var{annex}:@var{offset},@var{length}
35491 @anchor{qXfer target description read}
35492 Access the @dfn{target description}. @xref{Target Descriptions}. The
35493 annex specifies which XML document to access. The main description is
35494 always loaded from the @samp{target.xml} annex.
35495
35496 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
35497 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
35498
35499 @item qXfer:libraries:read:@var{annex}:@var{offset},@var{length}
35500 @anchor{qXfer library list read}
35501 Access the target's list of loaded libraries. @xref{Library List Format}.
35502 The annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must be empty
35503 (@pxref{qXfer read}).
35504
35505 Targets which maintain a list of libraries in the program's memory do
35506 not need to implement this packet; it is designed for platforms where
35507 the operating system manages the list of loaded libraries.
35508
35509 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
35510 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
35511
35512 @item qXfer:libraries-svr4:read:@var{annex}:@var{offset},@var{length}
35513 @anchor{qXfer svr4 library list read}
35514 Access the target's list of loaded libraries when the target is an SVR4
35515 platform. @xref{Library List Format for SVR4 Targets}. The annex part
35516 of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must be empty (@pxref{qXfer read}).
35517
35518 This packet is optional for better performance on SVR4 targets.
35519 @value{GDBN} uses memory read packets to read the SVR4 library list otherwise.
35520
35521 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
35522 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
35523
35524 @item qXfer:memory-map:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
35525 @anchor{qXfer memory map read}
35526 Access the target's @dfn{memory-map}. @xref{Memory Map Format}. The
35527 annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must be empty
35528 (@pxref{qXfer read}).
35529
35530 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
35531 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
35532
35533 @item qXfer:sdata:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
35534 @anchor{qXfer sdata read}
35535
35536 Read contents of the extra collected static tracepoint marker
35537 information. The annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must
35538 be empty (@pxref{qXfer read}). @xref{Tracepoint Actions,,Tracepoint
35539 Action Lists}.
35540
35541 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
35542 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response
35543 (@pxref{qSupported}).
35544
35545 @item qXfer:siginfo:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
35546 @anchor{qXfer siginfo read}
35547 Read contents of the extra signal information on the target
35548 system. The annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must be
35549 empty (@pxref{qXfer read}).
35550
35551 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
35552 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response
35553 (@pxref{qSupported}).
35554
35555 @item qXfer:spu:read:@var{annex}:@var{offset},@var{length}
35556 @anchor{qXfer spu read}
35557 Read contents of an @code{spufs} file on the target system. The
35558 annex specifies which file to read; it must be of the form
35559 @file{@var{id}/@var{name}}, where @var{id} specifies an SPU context ID
35560 in the target process, and @var{name} identifes the @code{spufs} file
35561 in that context to be accessed.
35562
35563 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
35564 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response
35565 (@pxref{qSupported}).
35566
35567 @item qXfer:threads:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
35568 @anchor{qXfer threads read}
35569 Access the list of threads on target. @xref{Thread List Format}. The
35570 annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must be empty
35571 (@pxref{qXfer read}).
35572
35573 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
35574 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
35575
35576 @item qXfer:traceframe-info:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
35577 @anchor{qXfer traceframe info read}
35578
35579 Return a description of the current traceframe's contents.
35580 @xref{Traceframe Info Format}. The annex part of the generic
35581 @samp{qXfer} packet must be empty (@pxref{qXfer read}).
35582
35583 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
35584 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
35585
35586 @item qXfer:fdpic:read:@var{annex}:@var{offset},@var{length}
35587 @anchor{qXfer fdpic loadmap read}
35588 Read contents of @code{loadmap}s on the target system. The
35589 annex, either @samp{exec} or @samp{interp}, specifies which @code{loadmap},
35590 executable @code{loadmap} or interpreter @code{loadmap} to read.
35591
35592 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
35593 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
35594
35595 @item qXfer:osdata:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
35596 @anchor{qXfer osdata read}
35597 Access the target's @dfn{operating system information}.
35598 @xref{Operating System Information}.
35599
35600 @end table
35601
35602 Reply:
35603 @table @samp
35604 @item m @var{data}
35605 Data @var{data} (@pxref{Binary Data}) has been read from the
35606 target. There may be more data at a higher address (although
35607 it is permitted to return @samp{m} even for the last valid
35608 block of data, as long as at least one byte of data was read).
35609 @var{data} may have fewer bytes than the @var{length} in the
35610 request.
35611
35612 @item l @var{data}
35613 Data @var{data} (@pxref{Binary Data}) has been read from the target.
35614 There is no more data to be read. @var{data} may have fewer bytes
35615 than the @var{length} in the request.
35616
35617 @item l
35618 The @var{offset} in the request is at the end of the data.
35619 There is no more data to be read.
35620
35621 @item E00
35622 The request was malformed, or @var{annex} was invalid.
35623
35624 @item E @var{nn}
35625 The offset was invalid, or there was an error encountered reading the data.
35626 @var{nn} is a hex-encoded @code{errno} value.
35627
35628 @item
35629 An empty reply indicates the @var{object} string was not recognized by
35630 the stub, or that the object does not support reading.
35631 @end table
35632
35633 @item qXfer:@var{object}:write:@var{annex}:@var{offset}:@var{data}@dots{}
35634 @cindex write data into object, remote request
35635 @anchor{qXfer write}
35636 Write uninterpreted bytes into the target's special data area
35637 identified by the keyword @var{object}, starting at @var{offset} bytes
35638 into the data. @var{data}@dots{} is the binary-encoded data
35639 (@pxref{Binary Data}) to be written. The content and encoding of @var{annex}
35640 is specific to @var{object}; it can supply additional details about what data
35641 to access.
35642
35643 Here are the specific requests of this form defined so far. All
35644 @samp{qXfer:@var{object}:write:@dots{}} requests use the same reply
35645 formats, listed below.
35646
35647 @table @samp
35648 @item qXfer:siginfo:write::@var{offset}:@var{data}@dots{}
35649 @anchor{qXfer siginfo write}
35650 Write @var{data} to the extra signal information on the target system.
35651 The annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must be
35652 empty (@pxref{qXfer write}).
35653
35654 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
35655 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response
35656 (@pxref{qSupported}).
35657
35658 @item qXfer:spu:write:@var{annex}:@var{offset}:@var{data}@dots{}
35659 @anchor{qXfer spu write}
35660 Write @var{data} to an @code{spufs} file on the target system. The
35661 annex specifies which file to write; it must be of the form
35662 @file{@var{id}/@var{name}}, where @var{id} specifies an SPU context ID
35663 in the target process, and @var{name} identifes the @code{spufs} file
35664 in that context to be accessed.
35665
35666 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
35667 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
35668 @end table
35669
35670 Reply:
35671 @table @samp
35672 @item @var{nn}
35673 @var{nn} (hex encoded) is the number of bytes written.
35674 This may be fewer bytes than supplied in the request.
35675
35676 @item E00
35677 The request was malformed, or @var{annex} was invalid.
35678
35679 @item E @var{nn}
35680 The offset was invalid, or there was an error encountered writing the data.
35681 @var{nn} is a hex-encoded @code{errno} value.
35682
35683 @item
35684 An empty reply indicates the @var{object} string was not
35685 recognized by the stub, or that the object does not support writing.
35686 @end table
35687
35688 @item qXfer:@var{object}:@var{operation}:@dots{}
35689 Requests of this form may be added in the future. When a stub does
35690 not recognize the @var{object} keyword, or its support for
35691 @var{object} does not recognize the @var{operation} keyword, the stub
35692 must respond with an empty packet.
35693
35694 @item qAttached:@var{pid}
35695 @cindex query attached, remote request
35696 @cindex @samp{qAttached} packet
35697 Return an indication of whether the remote server attached to an
35698 existing process or created a new process. When the multiprocess
35699 protocol extensions are supported (@pxref{multiprocess extensions}),
35700 @var{pid} is an integer in hexadecimal format identifying the target
35701 process. Otherwise, @value{GDBN} will omit the @var{pid} field and
35702 the query packet will be simplified as @samp{qAttached}.
35703
35704 This query is used, for example, to know whether the remote process
35705 should be detached or killed when a @value{GDBN} session is ended with
35706 the @code{quit} command.
35707
35708 Reply:
35709 @table @samp
35710 @item 1
35711 The remote server attached to an existing process.
35712 @item 0
35713 The remote server created a new process.
35714 @item E @var{NN}
35715 A badly formed request or an error was encountered.
35716 @end table
35717
35718 @end table
35719
35720 @node Architecture-Specific Protocol Details
35721 @section Architecture-Specific Protocol Details
35722
35723 This section describes how the remote protocol is applied to specific
35724 target architectures. Also see @ref{Standard Target Features}, for
35725 details of XML target descriptions for each architecture.
35726
35727 @subsection ARM
35728
35729 @subsubsection Breakpoint Kinds
35730
35731 These breakpoint kinds are defined for the @samp{Z0} and @samp{Z1} packets.
35732
35733 @table @r
35734
35735 @item 2
35736 16-bit Thumb mode breakpoint.
35737
35738 @item 3
35739 32-bit Thumb mode (Thumb-2) breakpoint.
35740
35741 @item 4
35742 32-bit ARM mode breakpoint.
35743
35744 @end table
35745
35746 @subsection MIPS
35747
35748 @subsubsection Register Packet Format
35749
35750 The following @code{g}/@code{G} packets have previously been defined.
35751 In the below, some thirty-two bit registers are transferred as
35752 sixty-four bits. Those registers should be zero/sign extended (which?)
35753 to fill the space allocated. Register bytes are transferred in target
35754 byte order. The two nibbles within a register byte are transferred
35755 most-significant - least-significant.
35756
35757 @table @r
35758
35759 @item MIPS32
35760
35761 All registers are transferred as thirty-two bit quantities in the order:
35762 32 general-purpose; sr; lo; hi; bad; cause; pc; 32 floating-point
35763 registers; fsr; fir; fp.
35764
35765 @item MIPS64
35766
35767 All registers are transferred as sixty-four bit quantities (including
35768 thirty-two bit registers such as @code{sr}). The ordering is the same
35769 as @code{MIPS32}.
35770
35771 @end table
35772
35773 @node Tracepoint Packets
35774 @section Tracepoint Packets
35775 @cindex tracepoint packets
35776 @cindex packets, tracepoint
35777
35778 Here we describe the packets @value{GDBN} uses to implement
35779 tracepoints (@pxref{Tracepoints}).
35780
35781 @table @samp
35782
35783 @item QTDP:@var{n}:@var{addr}:@var{ena}:@var{step}:@var{pass}[:F@var{flen}][:X@var{len},@var{bytes}]@r{[}-@r{]}
35784 Create a new tracepoint, number @var{n}, at @var{addr}. If @var{ena}
35785 is @samp{E}, then the tracepoint is enabled; if it is @samp{D}, then
35786 the tracepoint is disabled. @var{step} is the tracepoint's step
35787 count, and @var{pass} is its pass count. If an @samp{F} is present,
35788 then the tracepoint is to be a fast tracepoint, and the @var{flen} is
35789 the number of bytes that the target should copy elsewhere to make room
35790 for the tracepoint. If an @samp{X} is present, it introduces a
35791 tracepoint condition, which consists of a hexadecimal length, followed
35792 by a comma and hex-encoded bytes, in a manner similar to action
35793 encodings as described below. If the trailing @samp{-} is present,
35794 further @samp{QTDP} packets will follow to specify this tracepoint's
35795 actions.
35796
35797 Replies:
35798 @table @samp
35799 @item OK
35800 The packet was understood and carried out.
35801 @item qRelocInsn
35802 @xref{Tracepoint Packets,,Relocate instruction reply packet}.
35803 @item
35804 The packet was not recognized.
35805 @end table
35806
35807 @item QTDP:-@var{n}:@var{addr}:@r{[}S@r{]}@var{action}@dots{}@r{[}-@r{]}
35808 Define actions to be taken when a tracepoint is hit. @var{n} and
35809 @var{addr} must be the same as in the initial @samp{QTDP} packet for
35810 this tracepoint. This packet may only be sent immediately after
35811 another @samp{QTDP} packet that ended with a @samp{-}. If the
35812 trailing @samp{-} is present, further @samp{QTDP} packets will follow,
35813 specifying more actions for this tracepoint.
35814
35815 In the series of action packets for a given tracepoint, at most one
35816 can have an @samp{S} before its first @var{action}. If such a packet
35817 is sent, it and the following packets define ``while-stepping''
35818 actions. Any prior packets define ordinary actions --- that is, those
35819 taken when the tracepoint is first hit. If no action packet has an
35820 @samp{S}, then all the packets in the series specify ordinary
35821 tracepoint actions.
35822
35823 The @samp{@var{action}@dots{}} portion of the packet is a series of
35824 actions, concatenated without separators. Each action has one of the
35825 following forms:
35826
35827 @table @samp
35828
35829 @item R @var{mask}
35830 Collect the registers whose bits are set in @var{mask}. @var{mask} is
35831 a hexadecimal number whose @var{i}'th bit is set if register number
35832 @var{i} should be collected. (The least significant bit is numbered
35833 zero.) Note that @var{mask} may be any number of digits long; it may
35834 not fit in a 32-bit word.
35835
35836 @item M @var{basereg},@var{offset},@var{len}
35837 Collect @var{len} bytes of memory starting at the address in register
35838 number @var{basereg}, plus @var{offset}. If @var{basereg} is
35839 @samp{-1}, then the range has a fixed address: @var{offset} is the
35840 address of the lowest byte to collect. The @var{basereg},
35841 @var{offset}, and @var{len} parameters are all unsigned hexadecimal
35842 values (the @samp{-1} value for @var{basereg} is a special case).
35843
35844 @item X @var{len},@var{expr}
35845 Evaluate @var{expr}, whose length is @var{len}, and collect memory as
35846 it directs. @var{expr} is an agent expression, as described in
35847 @ref{Agent Expressions}. Each byte of the expression is encoded as a
35848 two-digit hex number in the packet; @var{len} is the number of bytes
35849 in the expression (and thus one-half the number of hex digits in the
35850 packet).
35851
35852 @end table
35853
35854 Any number of actions may be packed together in a single @samp{QTDP}
35855 packet, as long as the packet does not exceed the maximum packet
35856 length (400 bytes, for many stubs). There may be only one @samp{R}
35857 action per tracepoint, and it must precede any @samp{M} or @samp{X}
35858 actions. Any registers referred to by @samp{M} and @samp{X} actions
35859 must be collected by a preceding @samp{R} action. (The
35860 ``while-stepping'' actions are treated as if they were attached to a
35861 separate tracepoint, as far as these restrictions are concerned.)
35862
35863 Replies:
35864 @table @samp
35865 @item OK
35866 The packet was understood and carried out.
35867 @item qRelocInsn
35868 @xref{Tracepoint Packets,,Relocate instruction reply packet}.
35869 @item
35870 The packet was not recognized.
35871 @end table
35872
35873 @item QTDPsrc:@var{n}:@var{addr}:@var{type}:@var{start}:@var{slen}:@var{bytes}
35874 @cindex @samp{QTDPsrc} packet
35875 Specify a source string of tracepoint @var{n} at address @var{addr}.
35876 This is useful to get accurate reproduction of the tracepoints
35877 originally downloaded at the beginning of the trace run. @var{type}
35878 is the name of the tracepoint part, such as @samp{cond} for the
35879 tracepoint's conditional expression (see below for a list of types), while
35880 @var{bytes} is the string, encoded in hexadecimal.
35881
35882 @var{start} is the offset of the @var{bytes} within the overall source
35883 string, while @var{slen} is the total length of the source string.
35884 This is intended for handling source strings that are longer than will
35885 fit in a single packet.
35886 @c Add detailed example when this info is moved into a dedicated
35887 @c tracepoint descriptions section.
35888
35889 The available string types are @samp{at} for the location,
35890 @samp{cond} for the conditional, and @samp{cmd} for an action command.
35891 @value{GDBN} sends a separate packet for each command in the action
35892 list, in the same order in which the commands are stored in the list.
35893
35894 The target does not need to do anything with source strings except
35895 report them back as part of the replies to the @samp{qTfP}/@samp{qTsP}
35896 query packets.
35897
35898 Although this packet is optional, and @value{GDBN} will only send it
35899 if the target replies with @samp{TracepointSource} @xref{General
35900 Query Packets}, it makes both disconnected tracing and trace files
35901 much easier to use. Otherwise the user must be careful that the
35902 tracepoints in effect while looking at trace frames are identical to
35903 the ones in effect during the trace run; even a small discrepancy
35904 could cause @samp{tdump} not to work, or a particular trace frame not
35905 be found.
35906
35907 @item QTDV:@var{n}:@var{value}
35908 @cindex define trace state variable, remote request
35909 @cindex @samp{QTDV} packet
35910 Create a new trace state variable, number @var{n}, with an initial
35911 value of @var{value}, which is a 64-bit signed integer. Both @var{n}
35912 and @var{value} are encoded as hexadecimal values. @value{GDBN} has
35913 the option of not using this packet for initial values of zero; the
35914 target should simply create the trace state variables as they are
35915 mentioned in expressions.
35916
35917 @item QTFrame:@var{n}
35918 Select the @var{n}'th tracepoint frame from the buffer, and use the
35919 register and memory contents recorded there to answer subsequent
35920 request packets from @value{GDBN}.
35921
35922 A successful reply from the stub indicates that the stub has found the
35923 requested frame. The response is a series of parts, concatenated
35924 without separators, describing the frame we selected. Each part has
35925 one of the following forms:
35926
35927 @table @samp
35928 @item F @var{f}
35929 The selected frame is number @var{n} in the trace frame buffer;
35930 @var{f} is a hexadecimal number. If @var{f} is @samp{-1}, then there
35931 was no frame matching the criteria in the request packet.
35932
35933 @item T @var{t}
35934 The selected trace frame records a hit of tracepoint number @var{t};
35935 @var{t} is a hexadecimal number.
35936
35937 @end table
35938
35939 @item QTFrame:pc:@var{addr}
35940 Like @samp{QTFrame:@var{n}}, but select the first tracepoint frame after the
35941 currently selected frame whose PC is @var{addr};
35942 @var{addr} is a hexadecimal number.
35943
35944 @item QTFrame:tdp:@var{t}
35945 Like @samp{QTFrame:@var{n}}, but select the first tracepoint frame after the
35946 currently selected frame that is a hit of tracepoint @var{t}; @var{t}
35947 is a hexadecimal number.
35948
35949 @item QTFrame:range:@var{start}:@var{end}
35950 Like @samp{QTFrame:@var{n}}, but select the first tracepoint frame after the
35951 currently selected frame whose PC is between @var{start} (inclusive)
35952 and @var{end} (inclusive); @var{start} and @var{end} are hexadecimal
35953 numbers.
35954
35955 @item QTFrame:outside:@var{start}:@var{end}
35956 Like @samp{QTFrame:range:@var{start}:@var{end}}, but select the first
35957 frame @emph{outside} the given range of addresses (exclusive).
35958
35959 @item qTMinFTPILen
35960 This packet requests the minimum length of instruction at which a fast
35961 tracepoint (@pxref{Set Tracepoints}) may be placed. For instance, on
35962 the 32-bit x86 architecture, it is possible to use a 4-byte jump, but
35963 it depends on the target system being able to create trampolines in
35964 the first 64K of memory, which might or might not be possible for that
35965 system. So the reply to this packet will be 4 if it is able to
35966 arrange for that.
35967
35968 Replies:
35969
35970 @table @samp
35971 @item 0
35972 The minimum instruction length is currently unknown.
35973 @item @var{length}
35974 The minimum instruction length is @var{length}, where @var{length} is greater
35975 or equal to 1. @var{length} is a hexadecimal number. A reply of 1 means
35976 that a fast tracepoint may be placed on any instruction regardless of size.
35977 @item E
35978 An error has occurred.
35979 @item
35980 An empty reply indicates that the request is not supported by the stub.
35981 @end table
35982
35983 @item QTStart
35984 Begin the tracepoint experiment. Begin collecting data from
35985 tracepoint hits in the trace frame buffer. This packet supports the
35986 @samp{qRelocInsn} reply (@pxref{Tracepoint Packets,,Relocate
35987 instruction reply packet}).
35988
35989 @item QTStop
35990 End the tracepoint experiment. Stop collecting trace frames.
35991
35992 @item QTEnable:@var{n}:@var{addr}
35993 @anchor{QTEnable}
35994 Enable tracepoint @var{n} at address @var{addr} in a started tracepoint
35995 experiment. If the tracepoint was previously disabled, then collection
35996 of data from it will resume.
35997
35998 @item QTDisable:@var{n}:@var{addr}
35999 @anchor{QTDisable}
36000 Disable tracepoint @var{n} at address @var{addr} in a started tracepoint
36001 experiment. No more data will be collected from the tracepoint unless
36002 @samp{QTEnable:@var{n}:@var{addr}} is subsequently issued.
36003
36004 @item QTinit
36005 Clear the table of tracepoints, and empty the trace frame buffer.
36006
36007 @item QTro:@var{start1},@var{end1}:@var{start2},@var{end2}:@dots{}
36008 Establish the given ranges of memory as ``transparent''. The stub
36009 will answer requests for these ranges from memory's current contents,
36010 if they were not collected as part of the tracepoint hit.
36011
36012 @value{GDBN} uses this to mark read-only regions of memory, like those
36013 containing program code. Since these areas never change, they should
36014 still have the same contents they did when the tracepoint was hit, so
36015 there's no reason for the stub to refuse to provide their contents.
36016
36017 @item QTDisconnected:@var{value}
36018 Set the choice to what to do with the tracing run when @value{GDBN}
36019 disconnects from the target. A @var{value} of 1 directs the target to
36020 continue the tracing run, while 0 tells the target to stop tracing if
36021 @value{GDBN} is no longer in the picture.
36022
36023 @item qTStatus
36024 Ask the stub if there is a trace experiment running right now.
36025
36026 The reply has the form:
36027
36028 @table @samp
36029
36030 @item T@var{running}@r{[};@var{field}@r{]}@dots{}
36031 @var{running} is a single digit @code{1} if the trace is presently
36032 running, or @code{0} if not. It is followed by semicolon-separated
36033 optional fields that an agent may use to report additional status.
36034
36035 @end table
36036
36037 If the trace is not running, the agent may report any of several
36038 explanations as one of the optional fields:
36039
36040 @table @samp
36041
36042 @item tnotrun:0
36043 No trace has been run yet.
36044
36045 @item tstop[:@var{text}]:0
36046 The trace was stopped by a user-originated stop command. The optional
36047 @var{text} field is a user-supplied string supplied as part of the
36048 stop command (for instance, an explanation of why the trace was
36049 stopped manually). It is hex-encoded.
36050
36051 @item tfull:0
36052 The trace stopped because the trace buffer filled up.
36053
36054 @item tdisconnected:0
36055 The trace stopped because @value{GDBN} disconnected from the target.
36056
36057 @item tpasscount:@var{tpnum}
36058 The trace stopped because tracepoint @var{tpnum} exceeded its pass count.
36059
36060 @item terror:@var{text}:@var{tpnum}
36061 The trace stopped because tracepoint @var{tpnum} had an error. The
36062 string @var{text} is available to describe the nature of the error
36063 (for instance, a divide by zero in the condition expression).
36064 @var{text} is hex encoded.
36065
36066 @item tunknown:0
36067 The trace stopped for some other reason.
36068
36069 @end table
36070
36071 Additional optional fields supply statistical and other information.
36072 Although not required, they are extremely useful for users monitoring
36073 the progress of a trace run. If a trace has stopped, and these
36074 numbers are reported, they must reflect the state of the just-stopped
36075 trace.
36076
36077 @table @samp
36078
36079 @item tframes:@var{n}
36080 The number of trace frames in the buffer.
36081
36082 @item tcreated:@var{n}
36083 The total number of trace frames created during the run. This may
36084 be larger than the trace frame count, if the buffer is circular.
36085
36086 @item tsize:@var{n}
36087 The total size of the trace buffer, in bytes.
36088
36089 @item tfree:@var{n}
36090 The number of bytes still unused in the buffer.
36091
36092 @item circular:@var{n}
36093 The value of the circular trace buffer flag. @code{1} means that the
36094 trace buffer is circular and old trace frames will be discarded if
36095 necessary to make room, @code{0} means that the trace buffer is linear
36096 and may fill up.
36097
36098 @item disconn:@var{n}
36099 The value of the disconnected tracing flag. @code{1} means that
36100 tracing will continue after @value{GDBN} disconnects, @code{0} means
36101 that the trace run will stop.
36102
36103 @end table
36104
36105 @item qTP:@var{tp}:@var{addr}
36106 @cindex tracepoint status, remote request
36107 @cindex @samp{qTP} packet
36108 Ask the stub for the current state of tracepoint number @var{tp} at
36109 address @var{addr}.
36110
36111 Replies:
36112 @table @samp
36113 @item V@var{hits}:@var{usage}
36114 The tracepoint has been hit @var{hits} times so far during the trace
36115 run, and accounts for @var{usage} in the trace buffer. Note that
36116 @code{while-stepping} steps are not counted as separate hits, but the
36117 steps' space consumption is added into the usage number.
36118
36119 @end table
36120
36121 @item qTV:@var{var}
36122 @cindex trace state variable value, remote request
36123 @cindex @samp{qTV} packet
36124 Ask the stub for the value of the trace state variable number @var{var}.
36125
36126 Replies:
36127 @table @samp
36128 @item V@var{value}
36129 The value of the variable is @var{value}. This will be the current
36130 value of the variable if the user is examining a running target, or a
36131 saved value if the variable was collected in the trace frame that the
36132 user is looking at. Note that multiple requests may result in
36133 different reply values, such as when requesting values while the
36134 program is running.
36135
36136 @item U
36137 The value of the variable is unknown. This would occur, for example,
36138 if the user is examining a trace frame in which the requested variable
36139 was not collected.
36140 @end table
36141
36142 @item qTfP
36143 @itemx qTsP
36144 These packets request data about tracepoints that are being used by
36145 the target. @value{GDBN} sends @code{qTfP} to get the first piece
36146 of data, and multiple @code{qTsP} to get additional pieces. Replies
36147 to these packets generally take the form of the @code{QTDP} packets
36148 that define tracepoints. (FIXME add detailed syntax)
36149
36150 @item qTfV
36151 @itemx qTsV
36152 These packets request data about trace state variables that are on the
36153 target. @value{GDBN} sends @code{qTfV} to get the first vari of data,
36154 and multiple @code{qTsV} to get additional variables. Replies to
36155 these packets follow the syntax of the @code{QTDV} packets that define
36156 trace state variables.
36157
36158 @item qTfSTM
36159 @itemx qTsSTM
36160 These packets request data about static tracepoint markers that exist
36161 in the target program. @value{GDBN} sends @code{qTfSTM} to get the
36162 first piece of data, and multiple @code{qTsSTM} to get additional
36163 pieces. Replies to these packets take the following form:
36164
36165 Reply:
36166 @table @samp
36167 @item m @var{address}:@var{id}:@var{extra}
36168 A single marker
36169 @item m @var{address}:@var{id}:@var{extra},@var{address}:@var{id}:@var{extra}@dots{}
36170 a comma-separated list of markers
36171 @item l
36172 (lower case letter @samp{L}) denotes end of list.
36173 @item E @var{nn}
36174 An error occurred. @var{nn} are hex digits.
36175 @item
36176 An empty reply indicates that the request is not supported by the
36177 stub.
36178 @end table
36179
36180 @var{address} is encoded in hex.
36181 @var{id} and @var{extra} are strings encoded in hex.
36182
36183 In response to each query, the target will reply with a list of one or
36184 more markers, separated by commas. @value{GDBN} will respond to each
36185 reply with a request for more markers (using the @samp{qs} form of the
36186 query), until the target responds with @samp{l} (lower-case ell, for
36187 @dfn{last}).
36188
36189 @item qTSTMat:@var{address}
36190 This packets requests data about static tracepoint markers in the
36191 target program at @var{address}. Replies to this packet follow the
36192 syntax of the @samp{qTfSTM} and @code{qTsSTM} packets that list static
36193 tracepoint markers.
36194
36195 @item QTSave:@var{filename}
36196 This packet directs the target to save trace data to the file name
36197 @var{filename} in the target's filesystem. @var{filename} is encoded
36198 as a hex string; the interpretation of the file name (relative vs
36199 absolute, wild cards, etc) is up to the target.
36200
36201 @item qTBuffer:@var{offset},@var{len}
36202 Return up to @var{len} bytes of the current contents of trace buffer,
36203 starting at @var{offset}. The trace buffer is treated as if it were
36204 a contiguous collection of traceframes, as per the trace file format.
36205 The reply consists as many hex-encoded bytes as the target can deliver
36206 in a packet; it is not an error to return fewer than were asked for.
36207 A reply consisting of just @code{l} indicates that no bytes are
36208 available.
36209
36210 @item QTBuffer:circular:@var{value}
36211 This packet directs the target to use a circular trace buffer if
36212 @var{value} is 1, or a linear buffer if the value is 0.
36213
36214 @item QTNotes:@r{[}@var{type}:@var{text}@r{]}@r{[};@var{type}:@var{text}@r{]}@dots{}
36215 This packet adds optional textual notes to the trace run. Allowable
36216 types include @code{user}, @code{notes}, and @code{tstop}, the
36217 @var{text} fields are arbitrary strings, hex-encoded.
36218
36219 @end table
36220
36221 @subsection Relocate instruction reply packet
36222 When installing fast tracepoints in memory, the target may need to
36223 relocate the instruction currently at the tracepoint address to a
36224 different address in memory. For most instructions, a simple copy is
36225 enough, but, for example, call instructions that implicitly push the
36226 return address on the stack, and relative branches or other
36227 PC-relative instructions require offset adjustment, so that the effect
36228 of executing the instruction at a different address is the same as if
36229 it had executed in the original location.
36230
36231 In response to several of the tracepoint packets, the target may also
36232 respond with a number of intermediate @samp{qRelocInsn} request
36233 packets before the final result packet, to have @value{GDBN} handle
36234 this relocation operation. If a packet supports this mechanism, its
36235 documentation will explicitly say so. See for example the above
36236 descriptions for the @samp{QTStart} and @samp{QTDP} packets. The
36237 format of the request is:
36238
36239 @table @samp
36240 @item qRelocInsn:@var{from};@var{to}
36241
36242 This requests @value{GDBN} to copy instruction at address @var{from}
36243 to address @var{to}, possibly adjusted so that executing the
36244 instruction at @var{to} has the same effect as executing it at
36245 @var{from}. @value{GDBN} writes the adjusted instruction to target
36246 memory starting at @var{to}.
36247 @end table
36248
36249 Replies:
36250 @table @samp
36251 @item qRelocInsn:@var{adjusted_size}
36252 Informs the stub the relocation is complete. @var{adjusted_size} is
36253 the length in bytes of resulting relocated instruction sequence.
36254 @item E @var{NN}
36255 A badly formed request was detected, or an error was encountered while
36256 relocating the instruction.
36257 @end table
36258
36259 @node Host I/O Packets
36260 @section Host I/O Packets
36261 @cindex Host I/O, remote protocol
36262 @cindex file transfer, remote protocol
36263
36264 The @dfn{Host I/O} packets allow @value{GDBN} to perform I/O
36265 operations on the far side of a remote link. For example, Host I/O is
36266 used to upload and download files to a remote target with its own
36267 filesystem. Host I/O uses the same constant values and data structure
36268 layout as the target-initiated File-I/O protocol. However, the
36269 Host I/O packets are structured differently. The target-initiated
36270 protocol relies on target memory to store parameters and buffers.
36271 Host I/O requests are initiated by @value{GDBN}, and the
36272 target's memory is not involved. @xref{File-I/O Remote Protocol
36273 Extension}, for more details on the target-initiated protocol.
36274
36275 The Host I/O request packets all encode a single operation along with
36276 its arguments. They have this format:
36277
36278 @table @samp
36279
36280 @item vFile:@var{operation}: @var{parameter}@dots{}
36281 @var{operation} is the name of the particular request; the target
36282 should compare the entire packet name up to the second colon when checking
36283 for a supported operation. The format of @var{parameter} depends on
36284 the operation. Numbers are always passed in hexadecimal. Negative
36285 numbers have an explicit minus sign (i.e.@: two's complement is not
36286 used). Strings (e.g.@: filenames) are encoded as a series of
36287 hexadecimal bytes. The last argument to a system call may be a
36288 buffer of escaped binary data (@pxref{Binary Data}).
36289
36290 @end table
36291
36292 The valid responses to Host I/O packets are:
36293
36294 @table @samp
36295
36296 @item F @var{result} [, @var{errno}] [; @var{attachment}]
36297 @var{result} is the integer value returned by this operation, usually
36298 non-negative for success and -1 for errors. If an error has occured,
36299 @var{errno} will be included in the result. @var{errno} will have a
36300 value defined by the File-I/O protocol (@pxref{Errno Values}). For
36301 operations which return data, @var{attachment} supplies the data as a
36302 binary buffer. Binary buffers in response packets are escaped in the
36303 normal way (@pxref{Binary Data}). See the individual packet
36304 documentation for the interpretation of @var{result} and
36305 @var{attachment}.
36306
36307 @item
36308 An empty response indicates that this operation is not recognized.
36309
36310 @end table
36311
36312 These are the supported Host I/O operations:
36313
36314 @table @samp
36315 @item vFile:open: @var{pathname}, @var{flags}, @var{mode}
36316 Open a file at @var{pathname} and return a file descriptor for it, or
36317 return -1 if an error occurs. @var{pathname} is a string,
36318 @var{flags} is an integer indicating a mask of open flags
36319 (@pxref{Open Flags}), and @var{mode} is an integer indicating a mask
36320 of mode bits to use if the file is created (@pxref{mode_t Values}).
36321 @xref{open}, for details of the open flags and mode values.
36322
36323 @item vFile:close: @var{fd}
36324 Close the open file corresponding to @var{fd} and return 0, or
36325 -1 if an error occurs.
36326
36327 @item vFile:pread: @var{fd}, @var{count}, @var{offset}
36328 Read data from the open file corresponding to @var{fd}. Up to
36329 @var{count} bytes will be read from the file, starting at @var{offset}
36330 relative to the start of the file. The target may read fewer bytes;
36331 common reasons include packet size limits and an end-of-file
36332 condition. The number of bytes read is returned. Zero should only be
36333 returned for a successful read at the end of the file, or if
36334 @var{count} was zero.
36335
36336 The data read should be returned as a binary attachment on success.
36337 If zero bytes were read, the response should include an empty binary
36338 attachment (i.e.@: a trailing semicolon). The return value is the
36339 number of target bytes read; the binary attachment may be longer if
36340 some characters were escaped.
36341
36342 @item vFile:pwrite: @var{fd}, @var{offset}, @var{data}
36343 Write @var{data} (a binary buffer) to the open file corresponding
36344 to @var{fd}. Start the write at @var{offset} from the start of the
36345 file. Unlike many @code{write} system calls, there is no
36346 separate @var{count} argument; the length of @var{data} in the
36347 packet is used. @samp{vFile:write} returns the number of bytes written,
36348 which may be shorter than the length of @var{data}, or -1 if an
36349 error occurred.
36350
36351 @item vFile:unlink: @var{pathname}
36352 Delete the file at @var{pathname} on the target. Return 0,
36353 or -1 if an error occurs. @var{pathname} is a string.
36354
36355 @item vFile:readlink: @var{filename}
36356 Read value of symbolic link @var{filename} on the target. Return
36357 the number of bytes read, or -1 if an error occurs.
36358
36359 The data read should be returned as a binary attachment on success.
36360 If zero bytes were read, the response should include an empty binary
36361 attachment (i.e.@: a trailing semicolon). The return value is the
36362 number of target bytes read; the binary attachment may be longer if
36363 some characters were escaped.
36364
36365 @end table
36366
36367 @node Interrupts
36368 @section Interrupts
36369 @cindex interrupts (remote protocol)
36370
36371 When a program on the remote target is running, @value{GDBN} may
36372 attempt to interrupt it by sending a @samp{Ctrl-C}, @code{BREAK} or
36373 a @code{BREAK} followed by @code{g},
36374 control of which is specified via @value{GDBN}'s @samp{interrupt-sequence}.
36375
36376 The precise meaning of @code{BREAK} is defined by the transport
36377 mechanism and may, in fact, be undefined. @value{GDBN} does not
36378 currently define a @code{BREAK} mechanism for any of the network
36379 interfaces except for TCP, in which case @value{GDBN} sends the
36380 @code{telnet} BREAK sequence.
36381
36382 @samp{Ctrl-C}, on the other hand, is defined and implemented for all
36383 transport mechanisms. It is represented by sending the single byte
36384 @code{0x03} without any of the usual packet overhead described in
36385 the Overview section (@pxref{Overview}). When a @code{0x03} byte is
36386 transmitted as part of a packet, it is considered to be packet data
36387 and does @emph{not} represent an interrupt. E.g., an @samp{X} packet
36388 (@pxref{X packet}), used for binary downloads, may include an unescaped
36389 @code{0x03} as part of its packet.
36390
36391 @code{BREAK} followed by @code{g} is also known as Magic SysRq g.
36392 When Linux kernel receives this sequence from serial port,
36393 it stops execution and connects to gdb.
36394
36395 Stubs are not required to recognize these interrupt mechanisms and the
36396 precise meaning associated with receipt of the interrupt is
36397 implementation defined. If the target supports debugging of multiple
36398 threads and/or processes, it should attempt to interrupt all
36399 currently-executing threads and processes.
36400 If the stub is successful at interrupting the
36401 running program, it should send one of the stop
36402 reply packets (@pxref{Stop Reply Packets}) to @value{GDBN} as a result
36403 of successfully stopping the program in all-stop mode, and a stop reply
36404 for each stopped thread in non-stop mode.
36405 Interrupts received while the
36406 program is stopped are discarded.
36407
36408 @node Notification Packets
36409 @section Notification Packets
36410 @cindex notification packets
36411 @cindex packets, notification
36412
36413 The @value{GDBN} remote serial protocol includes @dfn{notifications},
36414 packets that require no acknowledgment. Both the GDB and the stub
36415 may send notifications (although the only notifications defined at
36416 present are sent by the stub). Notifications carry information
36417 without incurring the round-trip latency of an acknowledgment, and so
36418 are useful for low-impact communications where occasional packet loss
36419 is not a problem.
36420
36421 A notification packet has the form @samp{% @var{data} #
36422 @var{checksum}}, where @var{data} is the content of the notification,
36423 and @var{checksum} is a checksum of @var{data}, computed and formatted
36424 as for ordinary @value{GDBN} packets. A notification's @var{data}
36425 never contains @samp{$}, @samp{%} or @samp{#} characters. Upon
36426 receiving a notification, the recipient sends no @samp{+} or @samp{-}
36427 to acknowledge the notification's receipt or to report its corruption.
36428
36429 Every notification's @var{data} begins with a name, which contains no
36430 colon characters, followed by a colon character.
36431
36432 Recipients should silently ignore corrupted notifications and
36433 notifications they do not understand. Recipients should restart
36434 timeout periods on receipt of a well-formed notification, whether or
36435 not they understand it.
36436
36437 Senders should only send the notifications described here when this
36438 protocol description specifies that they are permitted. In the
36439 future, we may extend the protocol to permit existing notifications in
36440 new contexts; this rule helps older senders avoid confusing newer
36441 recipients.
36442
36443 (Older versions of @value{GDBN} ignore bytes received until they see
36444 the @samp{$} byte that begins an ordinary packet, so new stubs may
36445 transmit notifications without fear of confusing older clients. There
36446 are no notifications defined for @value{GDBN} to send at the moment, but we
36447 assume that most older stubs would ignore them, as well.)
36448
36449 The following notification packets from the stub to @value{GDBN} are
36450 defined:
36451
36452 @table @samp
36453 @item Stop: @var{reply}
36454 Report an asynchronous stop event in non-stop mode.
36455 The @var{reply} has the form of a stop reply, as
36456 described in @ref{Stop Reply Packets}. Refer to @ref{Remote Non-Stop},
36457 for information on how these notifications are acknowledged by
36458 @value{GDBN}.
36459 @end table
36460
36461 @node Remote Non-Stop
36462 @section Remote Protocol Support for Non-Stop Mode
36463
36464 @value{GDBN}'s remote protocol supports non-stop debugging of
36465 multi-threaded programs, as described in @ref{Non-Stop Mode}. If the stub
36466 supports non-stop mode, it should report that to @value{GDBN} by including
36467 @samp{QNonStop+} in its @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
36468
36469 @value{GDBN} typically sends a @samp{QNonStop} packet only when
36470 establishing a new connection with the stub. Entering non-stop mode
36471 does not alter the state of any currently-running threads, but targets
36472 must stop all threads in any already-attached processes when entering
36473 all-stop mode. @value{GDBN} uses the @samp{?} packet as necessary to
36474 probe the target state after a mode change.
36475
36476 In non-stop mode, when an attached process encounters an event that
36477 would otherwise be reported with a stop reply, it uses the
36478 asynchronous notification mechanism (@pxref{Notification Packets}) to
36479 inform @value{GDBN}. In contrast to all-stop mode, where all threads
36480 in all processes are stopped when a stop reply is sent, in non-stop
36481 mode only the thread reporting the stop event is stopped. That is,
36482 when reporting a @samp{S} or @samp{T} response to indicate completion
36483 of a step operation, hitting a breakpoint, or a fault, only the
36484 affected thread is stopped; any other still-running threads continue
36485 to run. When reporting a @samp{W} or @samp{X} response, all running
36486 threads belonging to other attached processes continue to run.
36487
36488 Only one stop reply notification at a time may be pending; if
36489 additional stop events occur before @value{GDBN} has acknowledged the
36490 previous notification, they must be queued by the stub for later
36491 synchronous transmission in response to @samp{vStopped} packets from
36492 @value{GDBN}. Because the notification mechanism is unreliable,
36493 the stub is permitted to resend a stop reply notification
36494 if it believes @value{GDBN} may not have received it. @value{GDBN}
36495 ignores additional stop reply notifications received before it has
36496 finished processing a previous notification and the stub has completed
36497 sending any queued stop events.
36498
36499 Otherwise, @value{GDBN} must be prepared to receive a stop reply
36500 notification at any time. Specifically, they may appear when
36501 @value{GDBN} is not otherwise reading input from the stub, or when
36502 @value{GDBN} is expecting to read a normal synchronous response or a
36503 @samp{+}/@samp{-} acknowledgment to a packet it has sent.
36504 Notification packets are distinct from any other communication from
36505 the stub so there is no ambiguity.
36506
36507 After receiving a stop reply notification, @value{GDBN} shall
36508 acknowledge it by sending a @samp{vStopped} packet (@pxref{vStopped packet})
36509 as a regular, synchronous request to the stub. Such acknowledgment
36510 is not required to happen immediately, as @value{GDBN} is permitted to
36511 send other, unrelated packets to the stub first, which the stub should
36512 process normally.
36513
36514 Upon receiving a @samp{vStopped} packet, if the stub has other queued
36515 stop events to report to @value{GDBN}, it shall respond by sending a
36516 normal stop reply response. @value{GDBN} shall then send another
36517 @samp{vStopped} packet to solicit further responses; again, it is
36518 permitted to send other, unrelated packets as well which the stub
36519 should process normally.
36520
36521 If the stub receives a @samp{vStopped} packet and there are no
36522 additional stop events to report, the stub shall return an @samp{OK}
36523 response. At this point, if further stop events occur, the stub shall
36524 send a new stop reply notification, @value{GDBN} shall accept the
36525 notification, and the process shall be repeated.
36526
36527 In non-stop mode, the target shall respond to the @samp{?} packet as
36528 follows. First, any incomplete stop reply notification/@samp{vStopped}
36529 sequence in progress is abandoned. The target must begin a new
36530 sequence reporting stop events for all stopped threads, whether or not
36531 it has previously reported those events to @value{GDBN}. The first
36532 stop reply is sent as a synchronous reply to the @samp{?} packet, and
36533 subsequent stop replies are sent as responses to @samp{vStopped} packets
36534 using the mechanism described above. The target must not send
36535 asynchronous stop reply notifications until the sequence is complete.
36536 If all threads are running when the target receives the @samp{?} packet,
36537 or if the target is not attached to any process, it shall respond
36538 @samp{OK}.
36539
36540 @node Packet Acknowledgment
36541 @section Packet Acknowledgment
36542
36543 @cindex acknowledgment, for @value{GDBN} remote
36544 @cindex packet acknowledgment, for @value{GDBN} remote
36545 By default, when either the host or the target machine receives a packet,
36546 the first response expected is an acknowledgment: either @samp{+} (to indicate
36547 the package was received correctly) or @samp{-} (to request retransmission).
36548 This mechanism allows the @value{GDBN} remote protocol to operate over
36549 unreliable transport mechanisms, such as a serial line.
36550
36551 In cases where the transport mechanism is itself reliable (such as a pipe or
36552 TCP connection), the @samp{+}/@samp{-} acknowledgments are redundant.
36553 It may be desirable to disable them in that case to reduce communication
36554 overhead, or for other reasons. This can be accomplished by means of the
36555 @samp{QStartNoAckMode} packet; @pxref{QStartNoAckMode}.
36556
36557 When in no-acknowledgment mode, neither the stub nor @value{GDBN} shall send or
36558 expect @samp{+}/@samp{-} protocol acknowledgments. The packet
36559 and response format still includes the normal checksum, as described in
36560 @ref{Overview}, but the checksum may be ignored by the receiver.
36561
36562 If the stub supports @samp{QStartNoAckMode} and prefers to operate in
36563 no-acknowledgment mode, it should report that to @value{GDBN}
36564 by including @samp{QStartNoAckMode+} in its response to @samp{qSupported};
36565 @pxref{qSupported}.
36566 If @value{GDBN} also supports @samp{QStartNoAckMode} and it has not been
36567 disabled via the @code{set remote noack-packet off} command
36568 (@pxref{Remote Configuration}),
36569 @value{GDBN} may then send a @samp{QStartNoAckMode} packet to the stub.
36570 Only then may the stub actually turn off packet acknowledgments.
36571 @value{GDBN} sends a final @samp{+} acknowledgment of the stub's @samp{OK}
36572 response, which can be safely ignored by the stub.
36573
36574 Note that @code{set remote noack-packet} command only affects negotiation
36575 between @value{GDBN} and the stub when subsequent connections are made;
36576 it does not affect the protocol acknowledgment state for any current
36577 connection.
36578 Since @samp{+}/@samp{-} acknowledgments are enabled by default when a
36579 new connection is established,
36580 there is also no protocol request to re-enable the acknowledgments
36581 for the current connection, once disabled.
36582
36583 @node Examples
36584 @section Examples
36585
36586 Example sequence of a target being re-started. Notice how the restart
36587 does not get any direct output:
36588
36589 @smallexample
36590 -> @code{R00}
36591 <- @code{+}
36592 @emph{target restarts}
36593 -> @code{?}
36594 <- @code{+}
36595 <- @code{T001:1234123412341234}
36596 -> @code{+}
36597 @end smallexample
36598
36599 Example sequence of a target being stepped by a single instruction:
36600
36601 @smallexample
36602 -> @code{G1445@dots{}}
36603 <- @code{+}
36604 -> @code{s}
36605 <- @code{+}
36606 @emph{time passes}
36607 <- @code{T001:1234123412341234}
36608 -> @code{+}
36609 -> @code{g}
36610 <- @code{+}
36611 <- @code{1455@dots{}}
36612 -> @code{+}
36613 @end smallexample
36614
36615 @node File-I/O Remote Protocol Extension
36616 @section File-I/O Remote Protocol Extension
36617 @cindex File-I/O remote protocol extension
36618
36619 @menu
36620 * File-I/O Overview::
36621 * Protocol Basics::
36622 * The F Request Packet::
36623 * The F Reply Packet::
36624 * The Ctrl-C Message::
36625 * Console I/O::
36626 * List of Supported Calls::
36627 * Protocol-specific Representation of Datatypes::
36628 * Constants::
36629 * File-I/O Examples::
36630 @end menu
36631
36632 @node File-I/O Overview
36633 @subsection File-I/O Overview
36634 @cindex file-i/o overview
36635
36636 The @dfn{File I/O remote protocol extension} (short: File-I/O) allows the
36637 target to use the host's file system and console I/O to perform various
36638 system calls. System calls on the target system are translated into a
36639 remote protocol packet to the host system, which then performs the needed
36640 actions and returns a response packet to the target system.
36641 This simulates file system operations even on targets that lack file systems.
36642
36643 The protocol is defined to be independent of both the host and target systems.
36644 It uses its own internal representation of datatypes and values. Both
36645 @value{GDBN} and the target's @value{GDBN} stub are responsible for
36646 translating the system-dependent value representations into the internal
36647 protocol representations when data is transmitted.
36648
36649 The communication is synchronous. A system call is possible only when
36650 @value{GDBN} is waiting for a response from the @samp{C}, @samp{c}, @samp{S}
36651 or @samp{s} packets. While @value{GDBN} handles the request for a system call,
36652 the target is stopped to allow deterministic access to the target's
36653 memory. Therefore File-I/O is not interruptible by target signals. On
36654 the other hand, it is possible to interrupt File-I/O by a user interrupt
36655 (@samp{Ctrl-C}) within @value{GDBN}.
36656
36657 The target's request to perform a host system call does not finish
36658 the latest @samp{C}, @samp{c}, @samp{S} or @samp{s} action. That means,
36659 after finishing the system call, the target returns to continuing the
36660 previous activity (continue, step). No additional continue or step
36661 request from @value{GDBN} is required.
36662
36663 @smallexample
36664 (@value{GDBP}) continue
36665 <- target requests 'system call X'
36666 target is stopped, @value{GDBN} executes system call
36667 -> @value{GDBN} returns result
36668 ... target continues, @value{GDBN} returns to wait for the target
36669 <- target hits breakpoint and sends a Txx packet
36670 @end smallexample
36671
36672 The protocol only supports I/O on the console and to regular files on
36673 the host file system. Character or block special devices, pipes,
36674 named pipes, sockets or any other communication method on the host
36675 system are not supported by this protocol.
36676
36677 File I/O is not supported in non-stop mode.
36678
36679 @node Protocol Basics
36680 @subsection Protocol Basics
36681 @cindex protocol basics, file-i/o
36682
36683 The File-I/O protocol uses the @code{F} packet as the request as well
36684 as reply packet. Since a File-I/O system call can only occur when
36685 @value{GDBN} is waiting for a response from the continuing or stepping target,
36686 the File-I/O request is a reply that @value{GDBN} has to expect as a result
36687 of a previous @samp{C}, @samp{c}, @samp{S} or @samp{s} packet.
36688 This @code{F} packet contains all information needed to allow @value{GDBN}
36689 to call the appropriate host system call:
36690
36691 @itemize @bullet
36692 @item
36693 A unique identifier for the requested system call.
36694
36695 @item
36696 All parameters to the system call. Pointers are given as addresses
36697 in the target memory address space. Pointers to strings are given as
36698 pointer/length pair. Numerical values are given as they are.
36699 Numerical control flags are given in a protocol-specific representation.
36700
36701 @end itemize
36702
36703 At this point, @value{GDBN} has to perform the following actions.
36704
36705 @itemize @bullet
36706 @item
36707 If the parameters include pointer values to data needed as input to a
36708 system call, @value{GDBN} requests this data from the target with a
36709 standard @code{m} packet request. This additional communication has to be
36710 expected by the target implementation and is handled as any other @code{m}
36711 packet.
36712
36713 @item
36714 @value{GDBN} translates all value from protocol representation to host
36715 representation as needed. Datatypes are coerced into the host types.
36716
36717 @item
36718 @value{GDBN} calls the system call.
36719
36720 @item
36721 It then coerces datatypes back to protocol representation.
36722
36723 @item
36724 If the system call is expected to return data in buffer space specified
36725 by pointer parameters to the call, the data is transmitted to the
36726 target using a @code{M} or @code{X} packet. This packet has to be expected
36727 by the target implementation and is handled as any other @code{M} or @code{X}
36728 packet.
36729
36730 @end itemize
36731
36732 Eventually @value{GDBN} replies with another @code{F} packet which contains all
36733 necessary information for the target to continue. This at least contains
36734
36735 @itemize @bullet
36736 @item
36737 Return value.
36738
36739 @item
36740 @code{errno}, if has been changed by the system call.
36741
36742 @item
36743 ``Ctrl-C'' flag.
36744
36745 @end itemize
36746
36747 After having done the needed type and value coercion, the target continues
36748 the latest continue or step action.
36749
36750 @node The F Request Packet
36751 @subsection The @code{F} Request Packet
36752 @cindex file-i/o request packet
36753 @cindex @code{F} request packet
36754
36755 The @code{F} request packet has the following format:
36756
36757 @table @samp
36758 @item F@var{call-id},@var{parameter@dots{}}
36759
36760 @var{call-id} is the identifier to indicate the host system call to be called.
36761 This is just the name of the function.
36762
36763 @var{parameter@dots{}} are the parameters to the system call.
36764 Parameters are hexadecimal integer values, either the actual values in case
36765 of scalar datatypes, pointers to target buffer space in case of compound
36766 datatypes and unspecified memory areas, or pointer/length pairs in case
36767 of string parameters. These are appended to the @var{call-id} as a
36768 comma-delimited list. All values are transmitted in ASCII
36769 string representation, pointer/length pairs separated by a slash.
36770
36771 @end table
36772
36773
36774
36775 @node The F Reply Packet
36776 @subsection The @code{F} Reply Packet
36777 @cindex file-i/o reply packet
36778 @cindex @code{F} reply packet
36779
36780 The @code{F} reply packet has the following format:
36781
36782 @table @samp
36783
36784 @item F@var{retcode},@var{errno},@var{Ctrl-C flag};@var{call-specific attachment}
36785
36786 @var{retcode} is the return code of the system call as hexadecimal value.
36787
36788 @var{errno} is the @code{errno} set by the call, in protocol-specific
36789 representation.
36790 This parameter can be omitted if the call was successful.
36791
36792 @var{Ctrl-C flag} is only sent if the user requested a break. In this
36793 case, @var{errno} must be sent as well, even if the call was successful.
36794 The @var{Ctrl-C flag} itself consists of the character @samp{C}:
36795
36796 @smallexample
36797 F0,0,C
36798 @end smallexample
36799
36800 @noindent
36801 or, if the call was interrupted before the host call has been performed:
36802
36803 @smallexample
36804 F-1,4,C
36805 @end smallexample
36806
36807 @noindent
36808 assuming 4 is the protocol-specific representation of @code{EINTR}.
36809
36810 @end table
36811
36812
36813 @node The Ctrl-C Message
36814 @subsection The @samp{Ctrl-C} Message
36815 @cindex ctrl-c message, in file-i/o protocol
36816
36817 If the @samp{Ctrl-C} flag is set in the @value{GDBN}
36818 reply packet (@pxref{The F Reply Packet}),
36819 the target should behave as if it had
36820 gotten a break message. The meaning for the target is ``system call
36821 interrupted by @code{SIGINT}''. Consequentially, the target should actually stop
36822 (as with a break message) and return to @value{GDBN} with a @code{T02}
36823 packet.
36824
36825 It's important for the target to know in which
36826 state the system call was interrupted. There are two possible cases:
36827
36828 @itemize @bullet
36829 @item
36830 The system call hasn't been performed on the host yet.
36831
36832 @item
36833 The system call on the host has been finished.
36834
36835 @end itemize
36836
36837 These two states can be distinguished by the target by the value of the
36838 returned @code{errno}. If it's the protocol representation of @code{EINTR}, the system
36839 call hasn't been performed. This is equivalent to the @code{EINTR} handling
36840 on POSIX systems. In any other case, the target may presume that the
36841 system call has been finished --- successfully or not --- and should behave
36842 as if the break message arrived right after the system call.
36843
36844 @value{GDBN} must behave reliably. If the system call has not been called
36845 yet, @value{GDBN} may send the @code{F} reply immediately, setting @code{EINTR} as
36846 @code{errno} in the packet. If the system call on the host has been finished
36847 before the user requests a break, the full action must be finished by
36848 @value{GDBN}. This requires sending @code{M} or @code{X} packets as necessary.
36849 The @code{F} packet may only be sent when either nothing has happened
36850 or the full action has been completed.
36851
36852 @node Console I/O
36853 @subsection Console I/O
36854 @cindex console i/o as part of file-i/o
36855
36856 By default and if not explicitly closed by the target system, the file
36857 descriptors 0, 1 and 2 are connected to the @value{GDBN} console. Output
36858 on the @value{GDBN} console is handled as any other file output operation
36859 (@code{write(1, @dots{})} or @code{write(2, @dots{})}). Console input is handled
36860 by @value{GDBN} so that after the target read request from file descriptor
36861 0 all following typing is buffered until either one of the following
36862 conditions is met:
36863
36864 @itemize @bullet
36865 @item
36866 The user types @kbd{Ctrl-c}. The behaviour is as explained above, and the
36867 @code{read}
36868 system call is treated as finished.
36869
36870 @item
36871 The user presses @key{RET}. This is treated as end of input with a trailing
36872 newline.
36873
36874 @item
36875 The user types @kbd{Ctrl-d}. This is treated as end of input. No trailing
36876 character (neither newline nor @samp{Ctrl-D}) is appended to the input.
36877
36878 @end itemize
36879
36880 If the user has typed more characters than fit in the buffer given to
36881 the @code{read} call, the trailing characters are buffered in @value{GDBN} until
36882 either another @code{read(0, @dots{})} is requested by the target, or debugging
36883 is stopped at the user's request.
36884
36885
36886 @node List of Supported Calls
36887 @subsection List of Supported Calls
36888 @cindex list of supported file-i/o calls
36889
36890 @menu
36891 * open::
36892 * close::
36893 * read::
36894 * write::
36895 * lseek::
36896 * rename::
36897 * unlink::
36898 * stat/fstat::
36899 * gettimeofday::
36900 * isatty::
36901 * system::
36902 @end menu
36903
36904 @node open
36905 @unnumberedsubsubsec open
36906 @cindex open, file-i/o system call
36907
36908 @table @asis
36909 @item Synopsis:
36910 @smallexample
36911 int open(const char *pathname, int flags);
36912 int open(const char *pathname, int flags, mode_t mode);
36913 @end smallexample
36914
36915 @item Request:
36916 @samp{Fopen,@var{pathptr}/@var{len},@var{flags},@var{mode}}
36917
36918 @noindent
36919 @var{flags} is the bitwise @code{OR} of the following values:
36920
36921 @table @code
36922 @item O_CREAT
36923 If the file does not exist it will be created. The host
36924 rules apply as far as file ownership and time stamps
36925 are concerned.
36926
36927 @item O_EXCL
36928 When used with @code{O_CREAT}, if the file already exists it is
36929 an error and open() fails.
36930
36931 @item O_TRUNC
36932 If the file already exists and the open mode allows
36933 writing (@code{O_RDWR} or @code{O_WRONLY} is given) it will be
36934 truncated to zero length.
36935
36936 @item O_APPEND
36937 The file is opened in append mode.
36938
36939 @item O_RDONLY
36940 The file is opened for reading only.
36941
36942 @item O_WRONLY
36943 The file is opened for writing only.
36944
36945 @item O_RDWR
36946 The file is opened for reading and writing.
36947 @end table
36948
36949 @noindent
36950 Other bits are silently ignored.
36951
36952
36953 @noindent
36954 @var{mode} is the bitwise @code{OR} of the following values:
36955
36956 @table @code
36957 @item S_IRUSR
36958 User has read permission.
36959
36960 @item S_IWUSR
36961 User has write permission.
36962
36963 @item S_IRGRP
36964 Group has read permission.
36965
36966 @item S_IWGRP
36967 Group has write permission.
36968
36969 @item S_IROTH
36970 Others have read permission.
36971
36972 @item S_IWOTH
36973 Others have write permission.
36974 @end table
36975
36976 @noindent
36977 Other bits are silently ignored.
36978
36979
36980 @item Return value:
36981 @code{open} returns the new file descriptor or -1 if an error
36982 occurred.
36983
36984 @item Errors:
36985
36986 @table @code
36987 @item EEXIST
36988 @var{pathname} already exists and @code{O_CREAT} and @code{O_EXCL} were used.
36989
36990 @item EISDIR
36991 @var{pathname} refers to a directory.
36992
36993 @item EACCES
36994 The requested access is not allowed.
36995
36996 @item ENAMETOOLONG
36997 @var{pathname} was too long.
36998
36999 @item ENOENT
37000 A directory component in @var{pathname} does not exist.
37001
37002 @item ENODEV
37003 @var{pathname} refers to a device, pipe, named pipe or socket.
37004
37005 @item EROFS
37006 @var{pathname} refers to a file on a read-only filesystem and
37007 write access was requested.
37008
37009 @item EFAULT
37010 @var{pathname} is an invalid pointer value.
37011
37012 @item ENOSPC
37013 No space on device to create the file.
37014
37015 @item EMFILE
37016 The process already has the maximum number of files open.
37017
37018 @item ENFILE
37019 The limit on the total number of files open on the system
37020 has been reached.
37021
37022 @item EINTR
37023 The call was interrupted by the user.
37024 @end table
37025
37026 @end table
37027
37028 @node close
37029 @unnumberedsubsubsec close
37030 @cindex close, file-i/o system call
37031
37032 @table @asis
37033 @item Synopsis:
37034 @smallexample
37035 int close(int fd);
37036 @end smallexample
37037
37038 @item Request:
37039 @samp{Fclose,@var{fd}}
37040
37041 @item Return value:
37042 @code{close} returns zero on success, or -1 if an error occurred.
37043
37044 @item Errors:
37045
37046 @table @code
37047 @item EBADF
37048 @var{fd} isn't a valid open file descriptor.
37049
37050 @item EINTR
37051 The call was interrupted by the user.
37052 @end table
37053
37054 @end table
37055
37056 @node read
37057 @unnumberedsubsubsec read
37058 @cindex read, file-i/o system call
37059
37060 @table @asis
37061 @item Synopsis:
37062 @smallexample
37063 int read(int fd, void *buf, unsigned int count);
37064 @end smallexample
37065
37066 @item Request:
37067 @samp{Fread,@var{fd},@var{bufptr},@var{count}}
37068
37069 @item Return value:
37070 On success, the number of bytes read is returned.
37071 Zero indicates end of file. If count is zero, read
37072 returns zero as well. On error, -1 is returned.
37073
37074 @item Errors:
37075
37076 @table @code
37077 @item EBADF
37078 @var{fd} is not a valid file descriptor or is not open for
37079 reading.
37080
37081 @item EFAULT
37082 @var{bufptr} is an invalid pointer value.
37083
37084 @item EINTR
37085 The call was interrupted by the user.
37086 @end table
37087
37088 @end table
37089
37090 @node write
37091 @unnumberedsubsubsec write
37092 @cindex write, file-i/o system call
37093
37094 @table @asis
37095 @item Synopsis:
37096 @smallexample
37097 int write(int fd, const void *buf, unsigned int count);
37098 @end smallexample
37099
37100 @item Request:
37101 @samp{Fwrite,@var{fd},@var{bufptr},@var{count}}
37102
37103 @item Return value:
37104 On success, the number of bytes written are returned.
37105 Zero indicates nothing was written. On error, -1
37106 is returned.
37107
37108 @item Errors:
37109
37110 @table @code
37111 @item EBADF
37112 @var{fd} is not a valid file descriptor or is not open for
37113 writing.
37114
37115 @item EFAULT
37116 @var{bufptr} is an invalid pointer value.
37117
37118 @item EFBIG
37119 An attempt was made to write a file that exceeds the
37120 host-specific maximum file size allowed.
37121
37122 @item ENOSPC
37123 No space on device to write the data.
37124
37125 @item EINTR
37126 The call was interrupted by the user.
37127 @end table
37128
37129 @end table
37130
37131 @node lseek
37132 @unnumberedsubsubsec lseek
37133 @cindex lseek, file-i/o system call
37134
37135 @table @asis
37136 @item Synopsis:
37137 @smallexample
37138 long lseek (int fd, long offset, int flag);
37139 @end smallexample
37140
37141 @item Request:
37142 @samp{Flseek,@var{fd},@var{offset},@var{flag}}
37143
37144 @var{flag} is one of:
37145
37146 @table @code
37147 @item SEEK_SET
37148 The offset is set to @var{offset} bytes.
37149
37150 @item SEEK_CUR
37151 The offset is set to its current location plus @var{offset}
37152 bytes.
37153
37154 @item SEEK_END
37155 The offset is set to the size of the file plus @var{offset}
37156 bytes.
37157 @end table
37158
37159 @item Return value:
37160 On success, the resulting unsigned offset in bytes from
37161 the beginning of the file is returned. Otherwise, a
37162 value of -1 is returned.
37163
37164 @item Errors:
37165
37166 @table @code
37167 @item EBADF
37168 @var{fd} is not a valid open file descriptor.
37169
37170 @item ESPIPE
37171 @var{fd} is associated with the @value{GDBN} console.
37172
37173 @item EINVAL
37174 @var{flag} is not a proper value.
37175
37176 @item EINTR
37177 The call was interrupted by the user.
37178 @end table
37179
37180 @end table
37181
37182 @node rename
37183 @unnumberedsubsubsec rename
37184 @cindex rename, file-i/o system call
37185
37186 @table @asis
37187 @item Synopsis:
37188 @smallexample
37189 int rename(const char *oldpath, const char *newpath);
37190 @end smallexample
37191
37192 @item Request:
37193 @samp{Frename,@var{oldpathptr}/@var{len},@var{newpathptr}/@var{len}}
37194
37195 @item Return value:
37196 On success, zero is returned. On error, -1 is returned.
37197
37198 @item Errors:
37199
37200 @table @code
37201 @item EISDIR
37202 @var{newpath} is an existing directory, but @var{oldpath} is not a
37203 directory.
37204
37205 @item EEXIST
37206 @var{newpath} is a non-empty directory.
37207
37208 @item EBUSY
37209 @var{oldpath} or @var{newpath} is a directory that is in use by some
37210 process.
37211
37212 @item EINVAL
37213 An attempt was made to make a directory a subdirectory
37214 of itself.
37215
37216 @item ENOTDIR
37217 A component used as a directory in @var{oldpath} or new
37218 path is not a directory. Or @var{oldpath} is a directory
37219 and @var{newpath} exists but is not a directory.
37220
37221 @item EFAULT
37222 @var{oldpathptr} or @var{newpathptr} are invalid pointer values.
37223
37224 @item EACCES
37225 No access to the file or the path of the file.
37226
37227 @item ENAMETOOLONG
37228
37229 @var{oldpath} or @var{newpath} was too long.
37230
37231 @item ENOENT
37232 A directory component in @var{oldpath} or @var{newpath} does not exist.
37233
37234 @item EROFS
37235 The file is on a read-only filesystem.
37236
37237 @item ENOSPC
37238 The device containing the file has no room for the new
37239 directory entry.
37240
37241 @item EINTR
37242 The call was interrupted by the user.
37243 @end table
37244
37245 @end table
37246
37247 @node unlink
37248 @unnumberedsubsubsec unlink
37249 @cindex unlink, file-i/o system call
37250
37251 @table @asis
37252 @item Synopsis:
37253 @smallexample
37254 int unlink(const char *pathname);
37255 @end smallexample
37256
37257 @item Request:
37258 @samp{Funlink,@var{pathnameptr}/@var{len}}
37259
37260 @item Return value:
37261 On success, zero is returned. On error, -1 is returned.
37262
37263 @item Errors:
37264
37265 @table @code
37266 @item EACCES
37267 No access to the file or the path of the file.
37268
37269 @item EPERM
37270 The system does not allow unlinking of directories.
37271
37272 @item EBUSY
37273 The file @var{pathname} cannot be unlinked because it's
37274 being used by another process.
37275
37276 @item EFAULT
37277 @var{pathnameptr} is an invalid pointer value.
37278
37279 @item ENAMETOOLONG
37280 @var{pathname} was too long.
37281
37282 @item ENOENT
37283 A directory component in @var{pathname} does not exist.
37284
37285 @item ENOTDIR
37286 A component of the path is not a directory.
37287
37288 @item EROFS
37289 The file is on a read-only filesystem.
37290
37291 @item EINTR
37292 The call was interrupted by the user.
37293 @end table
37294
37295 @end table
37296
37297 @node stat/fstat
37298 @unnumberedsubsubsec stat/fstat
37299 @cindex fstat, file-i/o system call
37300 @cindex stat, file-i/o system call
37301
37302 @table @asis
37303 @item Synopsis:
37304 @smallexample
37305 int stat(const char *pathname, struct stat *buf);
37306 int fstat(int fd, struct stat *buf);
37307 @end smallexample
37308
37309 @item Request:
37310 @samp{Fstat,@var{pathnameptr}/@var{len},@var{bufptr}}@*
37311 @samp{Ffstat,@var{fd},@var{bufptr}}
37312
37313 @item Return value:
37314 On success, zero is returned. On error, -1 is returned.
37315
37316 @item Errors:
37317
37318 @table @code
37319 @item EBADF
37320 @var{fd} is not a valid open file.
37321
37322 @item ENOENT
37323 A directory component in @var{pathname} does not exist or the
37324 path is an empty string.
37325
37326 @item ENOTDIR
37327 A component of the path is not a directory.
37328
37329 @item EFAULT
37330 @var{pathnameptr} is an invalid pointer value.
37331
37332 @item EACCES
37333 No access to the file or the path of the file.
37334
37335 @item ENAMETOOLONG
37336 @var{pathname} was too long.
37337
37338 @item EINTR
37339 The call was interrupted by the user.
37340 @end table
37341
37342 @end table
37343
37344 @node gettimeofday
37345 @unnumberedsubsubsec gettimeofday
37346 @cindex gettimeofday, file-i/o system call
37347
37348 @table @asis
37349 @item Synopsis:
37350 @smallexample
37351 int gettimeofday(struct timeval *tv, void *tz);
37352 @end smallexample
37353
37354 @item Request:
37355 @samp{Fgettimeofday,@var{tvptr},@var{tzptr}}
37356
37357 @item Return value:
37358 On success, 0 is returned, -1 otherwise.
37359
37360 @item Errors:
37361
37362 @table @code
37363 @item EINVAL
37364 @var{tz} is a non-NULL pointer.
37365
37366 @item EFAULT
37367 @var{tvptr} and/or @var{tzptr} is an invalid pointer value.
37368 @end table
37369
37370 @end table
37371
37372 @node isatty
37373 @unnumberedsubsubsec isatty
37374 @cindex isatty, file-i/o system call
37375
37376 @table @asis
37377 @item Synopsis:
37378 @smallexample
37379 int isatty(int fd);
37380 @end smallexample
37381
37382 @item Request:
37383 @samp{Fisatty,@var{fd}}
37384
37385 @item Return value:
37386 Returns 1 if @var{fd} refers to the @value{GDBN} console, 0 otherwise.
37387
37388 @item Errors:
37389
37390 @table @code
37391 @item EINTR
37392 The call was interrupted by the user.
37393 @end table
37394
37395 @end table
37396
37397 Note that the @code{isatty} call is treated as a special case: it returns
37398 1 to the target if the file descriptor is attached
37399 to the @value{GDBN} console, 0 otherwise. Implementing through system calls
37400 would require implementing @code{ioctl} and would be more complex than
37401 needed.
37402
37403
37404 @node system
37405 @unnumberedsubsubsec system
37406 @cindex system, file-i/o system call
37407
37408 @table @asis
37409 @item Synopsis:
37410 @smallexample
37411 int system(const char *command);
37412 @end smallexample
37413
37414 @item Request:
37415 @samp{Fsystem,@var{commandptr}/@var{len}}
37416
37417 @item Return value:
37418 If @var{len} is zero, the return value indicates whether a shell is
37419 available. A zero return value indicates a shell is not available.
37420 For non-zero @var{len}, the value returned is -1 on error and the
37421 return status of the command otherwise. Only the exit status of the
37422 command is returned, which is extracted from the host's @code{system}
37423 return value by calling @code{WEXITSTATUS(retval)}. In case
37424 @file{/bin/sh} could not be executed, 127 is returned.
37425
37426 @item Errors:
37427
37428 @table @code
37429 @item EINTR
37430 The call was interrupted by the user.
37431 @end table
37432
37433 @end table
37434
37435 @value{GDBN} takes over the full task of calling the necessary host calls
37436 to perform the @code{system} call. The return value of @code{system} on
37437 the host is simplified before it's returned
37438 to the target. Any termination signal information from the child process
37439 is discarded, and the return value consists
37440 entirely of the exit status of the called command.
37441
37442 Due to security concerns, the @code{system} call is by default refused
37443 by @value{GDBN}. The user has to allow this call explicitly with the
37444 @code{set remote system-call-allowed 1} command.
37445
37446 @table @code
37447 @item set remote system-call-allowed
37448 @kindex set remote system-call-allowed
37449 Control whether to allow the @code{system} calls in the File I/O
37450 protocol for the remote target. The default is zero (disabled).
37451
37452 @item show remote system-call-allowed
37453 @kindex show remote system-call-allowed
37454 Show whether the @code{system} calls are allowed in the File I/O
37455 protocol.
37456 @end table
37457
37458 @node Protocol-specific Representation of Datatypes
37459 @subsection Protocol-specific Representation of Datatypes
37460 @cindex protocol-specific representation of datatypes, in file-i/o protocol
37461
37462 @menu
37463 * Integral Datatypes::
37464 * Pointer Values::
37465 * Memory Transfer::
37466 * struct stat::
37467 * struct timeval::
37468 @end menu
37469
37470 @node Integral Datatypes
37471 @unnumberedsubsubsec Integral Datatypes
37472 @cindex integral datatypes, in file-i/o protocol
37473
37474 The integral datatypes used in the system calls are @code{int},
37475 @code{unsigned int}, @code{long}, @code{unsigned long},
37476 @code{mode_t}, and @code{time_t}.
37477
37478 @code{int}, @code{unsigned int}, @code{mode_t} and @code{time_t} are
37479 implemented as 32 bit values in this protocol.
37480
37481 @code{long} and @code{unsigned long} are implemented as 64 bit types.
37482
37483 @xref{Limits}, for corresponding MIN and MAX values (similar to those
37484 in @file{limits.h}) to allow range checking on host and target.
37485
37486 @code{time_t} datatypes are defined as seconds since the Epoch.
37487
37488 All integral datatypes transferred as part of a memory read or write of a
37489 structured datatype e.g.@: a @code{struct stat} have to be given in big endian
37490 byte order.
37491
37492 @node Pointer Values
37493 @unnumberedsubsubsec Pointer Values
37494 @cindex pointer values, in file-i/o protocol
37495
37496 Pointers to target data are transmitted as they are. An exception
37497 is made for pointers to buffers for which the length isn't
37498 transmitted as part of the function call, namely strings. Strings
37499 are transmitted as a pointer/length pair, both as hex values, e.g.@:
37500
37501 @smallexample
37502 @code{1aaf/12}
37503 @end smallexample
37504
37505 @noindent
37506 which is a pointer to data of length 18 bytes at position 0x1aaf.
37507 The length is defined as the full string length in bytes, including
37508 the trailing null byte. For example, the string @code{"hello world"}
37509 at address 0x123456 is transmitted as
37510
37511 @smallexample
37512 @code{123456/d}
37513 @end smallexample
37514
37515 @node Memory Transfer
37516 @unnumberedsubsubsec Memory Transfer
37517 @cindex memory transfer, in file-i/o protocol
37518
37519 Structured data which is transferred using a memory read or write (for
37520 example, a @code{struct stat}) is expected to be in a protocol-specific format
37521 with all scalar multibyte datatypes being big endian. Translation to
37522 this representation needs to be done both by the target before the @code{F}
37523 packet is sent, and by @value{GDBN} before
37524 it transfers memory to the target. Transferred pointers to structured
37525 data should point to the already-coerced data at any time.
37526
37527
37528 @node struct stat
37529 @unnumberedsubsubsec struct stat
37530 @cindex struct stat, in file-i/o protocol
37531
37532 The buffer of type @code{struct stat} used by the target and @value{GDBN}
37533 is defined as follows:
37534
37535 @smallexample
37536 struct stat @{
37537 unsigned int st_dev; /* device */
37538 unsigned int st_ino; /* inode */
37539 mode_t st_mode; /* protection */
37540 unsigned int st_nlink; /* number of hard links */
37541 unsigned int st_uid; /* user ID of owner */
37542 unsigned int st_gid; /* group ID of owner */
37543 unsigned int st_rdev; /* device type (if inode device) */
37544 unsigned long st_size; /* total size, in bytes */
37545 unsigned long st_blksize; /* blocksize for filesystem I/O */
37546 unsigned long st_blocks; /* number of blocks allocated */
37547 time_t st_atime; /* time of last access */
37548 time_t st_mtime; /* time of last modification */
37549 time_t st_ctime; /* time of last change */
37550 @};
37551 @end smallexample
37552
37553 The integral datatypes conform to the definitions given in the
37554 appropriate section (see @ref{Integral Datatypes}, for details) so this
37555 structure is of size 64 bytes.
37556
37557 The values of several fields have a restricted meaning and/or
37558 range of values.
37559
37560 @table @code
37561
37562 @item st_dev
37563 A value of 0 represents a file, 1 the console.
37564
37565 @item st_ino
37566 No valid meaning for the target. Transmitted unchanged.
37567
37568 @item st_mode
37569 Valid mode bits are described in @ref{Constants}. Any other
37570 bits have currently no meaning for the target.
37571
37572 @item st_uid
37573 @itemx st_gid
37574 @itemx st_rdev
37575 No valid meaning for the target. Transmitted unchanged.
37576
37577 @item st_atime
37578 @itemx st_mtime
37579 @itemx st_ctime
37580 These values have a host and file system dependent
37581 accuracy. Especially on Windows hosts, the file system may not
37582 support exact timing values.
37583 @end table
37584
37585 The target gets a @code{struct stat} of the above representation and is
37586 responsible for coercing it to the target representation before
37587 continuing.
37588
37589 Note that due to size differences between the host, target, and protocol
37590 representations of @code{struct stat} members, these members could eventually
37591 get truncated on the target.
37592
37593 @node struct timeval
37594 @unnumberedsubsubsec struct timeval
37595 @cindex struct timeval, in file-i/o protocol
37596
37597 The buffer of type @code{struct timeval} used by the File-I/O protocol
37598 is defined as follows:
37599
37600 @smallexample
37601 struct timeval @{
37602 time_t tv_sec; /* second */
37603 long tv_usec; /* microsecond */
37604 @};
37605 @end smallexample
37606
37607 The integral datatypes conform to the definitions given in the
37608 appropriate section (see @ref{Integral Datatypes}, for details) so this
37609 structure is of size 8 bytes.
37610
37611 @node Constants
37612 @subsection Constants
37613 @cindex constants, in file-i/o protocol
37614
37615 The following values are used for the constants inside of the
37616 protocol. @value{GDBN} and target are responsible for translating these
37617 values before and after the call as needed.
37618
37619 @menu
37620 * Open Flags::
37621 * mode_t Values::
37622 * Errno Values::
37623 * Lseek Flags::
37624 * Limits::
37625 @end menu
37626
37627 @node Open Flags
37628 @unnumberedsubsubsec Open Flags
37629 @cindex open flags, in file-i/o protocol
37630
37631 All values are given in hexadecimal representation.
37632
37633 @smallexample
37634 O_RDONLY 0x0
37635 O_WRONLY 0x1
37636 O_RDWR 0x2
37637 O_APPEND 0x8
37638 O_CREAT 0x200
37639 O_TRUNC 0x400
37640 O_EXCL 0x800
37641 @end smallexample
37642
37643 @node mode_t Values
37644 @unnumberedsubsubsec mode_t Values
37645 @cindex mode_t values, in file-i/o protocol
37646
37647 All values are given in octal representation.
37648
37649 @smallexample
37650 S_IFREG 0100000
37651 S_IFDIR 040000
37652 S_IRUSR 0400
37653 S_IWUSR 0200
37654 S_IXUSR 0100
37655 S_IRGRP 040
37656 S_IWGRP 020
37657 S_IXGRP 010
37658 S_IROTH 04
37659 S_IWOTH 02
37660 S_IXOTH 01
37661 @end smallexample
37662
37663 @node Errno Values
37664 @unnumberedsubsubsec Errno Values
37665 @cindex errno values, in file-i/o protocol
37666
37667 All values are given in decimal representation.
37668
37669 @smallexample
37670 EPERM 1
37671 ENOENT 2
37672 EINTR 4
37673 EBADF 9
37674 EACCES 13
37675 EFAULT 14
37676 EBUSY 16
37677 EEXIST 17
37678 ENODEV 19
37679 ENOTDIR 20
37680 EISDIR 21
37681 EINVAL 22
37682 ENFILE 23
37683 EMFILE 24
37684 EFBIG 27
37685 ENOSPC 28
37686 ESPIPE 29
37687 EROFS 30
37688 ENAMETOOLONG 91
37689 EUNKNOWN 9999
37690 @end smallexample
37691
37692 @code{EUNKNOWN} is used as a fallback error value if a host system returns
37693 any error value not in the list of supported error numbers.
37694
37695 @node Lseek Flags
37696 @unnumberedsubsubsec Lseek Flags
37697 @cindex lseek flags, in file-i/o protocol
37698
37699 @smallexample
37700 SEEK_SET 0
37701 SEEK_CUR 1
37702 SEEK_END 2
37703 @end smallexample
37704
37705 @node Limits
37706 @unnumberedsubsubsec Limits
37707 @cindex limits, in file-i/o protocol
37708
37709 All values are given in decimal representation.
37710
37711 @smallexample
37712 INT_MIN -2147483648
37713 INT_MAX 2147483647
37714 UINT_MAX 4294967295
37715 LONG_MIN -9223372036854775808
37716 LONG_MAX 9223372036854775807
37717 ULONG_MAX 18446744073709551615
37718 @end smallexample
37719
37720 @node File-I/O Examples
37721 @subsection File-I/O Examples
37722 @cindex file-i/o examples
37723
37724 Example sequence of a write call, file descriptor 3, buffer is at target
37725 address 0x1234, 6 bytes should be written:
37726
37727 @smallexample
37728 <- @code{Fwrite,3,1234,6}
37729 @emph{request memory read from target}
37730 -> @code{m1234,6}
37731 <- XXXXXX
37732 @emph{return "6 bytes written"}
37733 -> @code{F6}
37734 @end smallexample
37735
37736 Example sequence of a read call, file descriptor 3, buffer is at target
37737 address 0x1234, 6 bytes should be read:
37738
37739 @smallexample
37740 <- @code{Fread,3,1234,6}
37741 @emph{request memory write to target}
37742 -> @code{X1234,6:XXXXXX}
37743 @emph{return "6 bytes read"}
37744 -> @code{F6}
37745 @end smallexample
37746
37747 Example sequence of a read call, call fails on the host due to invalid
37748 file descriptor (@code{EBADF}):
37749
37750 @smallexample
37751 <- @code{Fread,3,1234,6}
37752 -> @code{F-1,9}
37753 @end smallexample
37754
37755 Example sequence of a read call, user presses @kbd{Ctrl-c} before syscall on
37756 host is called:
37757
37758 @smallexample
37759 <- @code{Fread,3,1234,6}
37760 -> @code{F-1,4,C}
37761 <- @code{T02}
37762 @end smallexample
37763
37764 Example sequence of a read call, user presses @kbd{Ctrl-c} after syscall on
37765 host is called:
37766
37767 @smallexample
37768 <- @code{Fread,3,1234,6}
37769 -> @code{X1234,6:XXXXXX}
37770 <- @code{T02}
37771 @end smallexample
37772
37773 @node Library List Format
37774 @section Library List Format
37775 @cindex library list format, remote protocol
37776
37777 On some platforms, a dynamic loader (e.g.@: @file{ld.so}) runs in the
37778 same process as your application to manage libraries. In this case,
37779 @value{GDBN} can use the loader's symbol table and normal memory
37780 operations to maintain a list of shared libraries. On other
37781 platforms, the operating system manages loaded libraries.
37782 @value{GDBN} can not retrieve the list of currently loaded libraries
37783 through memory operations, so it uses the @samp{qXfer:libraries:read}
37784 packet (@pxref{qXfer library list read}) instead. The remote stub
37785 queries the target's operating system and reports which libraries
37786 are loaded.
37787
37788 The @samp{qXfer:libraries:read} packet returns an XML document which
37789 lists loaded libraries and their offsets. Each library has an
37790 associated name and one or more segment or section base addresses,
37791 which report where the library was loaded in memory.
37792
37793 For the common case of libraries that are fully linked binaries, the
37794 library should have a list of segments. If the target supports
37795 dynamic linking of a relocatable object file, its library XML element
37796 should instead include a list of allocated sections. The segment or
37797 section bases are start addresses, not relocation offsets; they do not
37798 depend on the library's link-time base addresses.
37799
37800 @value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support XML
37801 library lists. @xref{Expat}.
37802
37803 A simple memory map, with one loaded library relocated by a single
37804 offset, looks like this:
37805
37806 @smallexample
37807 <library-list>
37808 <library name="/lib/libc.so.6">
37809 <segment address="0x10000000"/>
37810 </library>
37811 </library-list>
37812 @end smallexample
37813
37814 Another simple memory map, with one loaded library with three
37815 allocated sections (.text, .data, .bss), looks like this:
37816
37817 @smallexample
37818 <library-list>
37819 <library name="sharedlib.o">
37820 <section address="0x10000000"/>
37821 <section address="0x20000000"/>
37822 <section address="0x30000000"/>
37823 </library>
37824 </library-list>
37825 @end smallexample
37826
37827 The format of a library list is described by this DTD:
37828
37829 @smallexample
37830 <!-- library-list: Root element with versioning -->
37831 <!ELEMENT library-list (library)*>
37832 <!ATTLIST library-list version CDATA #FIXED "1.0">
37833 <!ELEMENT library (segment*, section*)>
37834 <!ATTLIST library name CDATA #REQUIRED>
37835 <!ELEMENT segment EMPTY>
37836 <!ATTLIST segment address CDATA #REQUIRED>
37837 <!ELEMENT section EMPTY>
37838 <!ATTLIST section address CDATA #REQUIRED>
37839 @end smallexample
37840
37841 In addition, segments and section descriptors cannot be mixed within a
37842 single library element, and you must supply at least one segment or
37843 section for each library.
37844
37845 @node Library List Format for SVR4 Targets
37846 @section Library List Format for SVR4 Targets
37847 @cindex library list format, remote protocol
37848
37849 On SVR4 platforms @value{GDBN} can use the symbol table of a dynamic loader
37850 (e.g.@: @file{ld.so}) and normal memory operations to maintain a list of
37851 shared libraries. Still a special library list provided by this packet is
37852 more efficient for the @value{GDBN} remote protocol.
37853
37854 The @samp{qXfer:libraries-svr4:read} packet returns an XML document which lists
37855 loaded libraries and their SVR4 linker parameters. For each library on SVR4
37856 target, the following parameters are reported:
37857
37858 @itemize @minus
37859 @item
37860 @code{name}, the absolute file name from the @code{l_name} field of
37861 @code{struct link_map}.
37862 @item
37863 @code{lm} with address of @code{struct link_map} used for TLS
37864 (Thread Local Storage) access.
37865 @item
37866 @code{l_addr}, the displacement as read from the field @code{l_addr} of
37867 @code{struct link_map}. For prelinked libraries this is not an absolute
37868 memory address. It is a displacement of absolute memory address against
37869 address the file was prelinked to during the library load.
37870 @item
37871 @code{l_ld}, which is memory address of the @code{PT_DYNAMIC} segment
37872 @end itemize
37873
37874 Additionally the single @code{main-lm} attribute specifies address of
37875 @code{struct link_map} used for the main executable. This parameter is used
37876 for TLS access and its presence is optional.
37877
37878 @value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support XML
37879 SVR4 library lists. @xref{Expat}.
37880
37881 A simple memory map, with two loaded libraries (which do not use prelink),
37882 looks like this:
37883
37884 @smallexample
37885 <library-list-svr4 version="1.0" main-lm="0xe4f8f8">
37886 <library name="/lib/ld-linux.so.2" lm="0xe4f51c" l_addr="0xe2d000"
37887 l_ld="0xe4eefc"/>
37888 <library name="/lib/libc.so.6" lm="0xe4fbe8" l_addr="0x154000"
37889 l_ld="0x152350"/>
37890 </library-list-svr>
37891 @end smallexample
37892
37893 The format of an SVR4 library list is described by this DTD:
37894
37895 @smallexample
37896 <!-- library-list-svr4: Root element with versioning -->
37897 <!ELEMENT library-list-svr4 (library)*>
37898 <!ATTLIST library-list-svr4 version CDATA #FIXED "1.0">
37899 <!ATTLIST library-list-svr4 main-lm CDATA #IMPLIED>
37900 <!ELEMENT library EMPTY>
37901 <!ATTLIST library name CDATA #REQUIRED>
37902 <!ATTLIST library lm CDATA #REQUIRED>
37903 <!ATTLIST library l_addr CDATA #REQUIRED>
37904 <!ATTLIST library l_ld CDATA #REQUIRED>
37905 @end smallexample
37906
37907 @node Memory Map Format
37908 @section Memory Map Format
37909 @cindex memory map format
37910
37911 To be able to write into flash memory, @value{GDBN} needs to obtain a
37912 memory map from the target. This section describes the format of the
37913 memory map.
37914
37915 The memory map is obtained using the @samp{qXfer:memory-map:read}
37916 (@pxref{qXfer memory map read}) packet and is an XML document that
37917 lists memory regions.
37918
37919 @value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support XML
37920 memory maps. @xref{Expat}.
37921
37922 The top-level structure of the document is shown below:
37923
37924 @smallexample
37925 <?xml version="1.0"?>
37926 <!DOCTYPE memory-map
37927 PUBLIC "+//IDN gnu.org//DTD GDB Memory Map V1.0//EN"
37928 "http://sourceware.org/gdb/gdb-memory-map.dtd">
37929 <memory-map>
37930 region...
37931 </memory-map>
37932 @end smallexample
37933
37934 Each region can be either:
37935
37936 @itemize
37937
37938 @item
37939 A region of RAM starting at @var{addr} and extending for @var{length}
37940 bytes from there:
37941
37942 @smallexample
37943 <memory type="ram" start="@var{addr}" length="@var{length}"/>
37944 @end smallexample
37945
37946
37947 @item
37948 A region of read-only memory:
37949
37950 @smallexample
37951 <memory type="rom" start="@var{addr}" length="@var{length}"/>
37952 @end smallexample
37953
37954
37955 @item
37956 A region of flash memory, with erasure blocks @var{blocksize}
37957 bytes in length:
37958
37959 @smallexample
37960 <memory type="flash" start="@var{addr}" length="@var{length}">
37961 <property name="blocksize">@var{blocksize}</property>
37962 </memory>
37963 @end smallexample
37964
37965 @end itemize
37966
37967 Regions must not overlap. @value{GDBN} assumes that areas of memory not covered
37968 by the memory map are RAM, and uses the ordinary @samp{M} and @samp{X}
37969 packets to write to addresses in such ranges.
37970
37971 The formal DTD for memory map format is given below:
37972
37973 @smallexample
37974 <!-- ................................................... -->
37975 <!-- Memory Map XML DTD ................................ -->
37976 <!-- File: memory-map.dtd .............................. -->
37977 <!-- .................................... .............. -->
37978 <!-- memory-map.dtd -->
37979 <!-- memory-map: Root element with versioning -->
37980 <!ELEMENT memory-map (memory | property)>
37981 <!ATTLIST memory-map version CDATA #FIXED "1.0.0">
37982 <!ELEMENT memory (property)>
37983 <!-- memory: Specifies a memory region,
37984 and its type, or device. -->
37985 <!ATTLIST memory type CDATA #REQUIRED
37986 start CDATA #REQUIRED
37987 length CDATA #REQUIRED
37988 device CDATA #IMPLIED>
37989 <!-- property: Generic attribute tag -->
37990 <!ELEMENT property (#PCDATA | property)*>
37991 <!ATTLIST property name CDATA #REQUIRED>
37992 @end smallexample
37993
37994 @node Thread List Format
37995 @section Thread List Format
37996 @cindex thread list format
37997
37998 To efficiently update the list of threads and their attributes,
37999 @value{GDBN} issues the @samp{qXfer:threads:read} packet
38000 (@pxref{qXfer threads read}) and obtains the XML document with
38001 the following structure:
38002
38003 @smallexample
38004 <?xml version="1.0"?>
38005 <threads>
38006 <thread id="id" core="0">
38007 ... description ...
38008 </thread>
38009 </threads>
38010 @end smallexample
38011
38012 Each @samp{thread} element must have the @samp{id} attribute that
38013 identifies the thread (@pxref{thread-id syntax}). The
38014 @samp{core} attribute, if present, specifies which processor core
38015 the thread was last executing on. The content of the of @samp{thread}
38016 element is interpreted as human-readable auxilliary information.
38017
38018 @node Traceframe Info Format
38019 @section Traceframe Info Format
38020 @cindex traceframe info format
38021
38022 To be able to know which objects in the inferior can be examined when
38023 inspecting a tracepoint hit, @value{GDBN} needs to obtain the list of
38024 memory ranges, registers and trace state variables that have been
38025 collected in a traceframe.
38026
38027 This list is obtained using the @samp{qXfer:traceframe-info:read}
38028 (@pxref{qXfer traceframe info read}) packet and is an XML document.
38029
38030 @value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support XML
38031 traceframe info discovery. @xref{Expat}.
38032
38033 The top-level structure of the document is shown below:
38034
38035 @smallexample
38036 <?xml version="1.0"?>
38037 <!DOCTYPE traceframe-info
38038 PUBLIC "+//IDN gnu.org//DTD GDB Memory Map V1.0//EN"
38039 "http://sourceware.org/gdb/gdb-traceframe-info.dtd">
38040 <traceframe-info>
38041 block...
38042 </traceframe-info>
38043 @end smallexample
38044
38045 Each traceframe block can be either:
38046
38047 @itemize
38048
38049 @item
38050 A region of collected memory starting at @var{addr} and extending for
38051 @var{length} bytes from there:
38052
38053 @smallexample
38054 <memory start="@var{addr}" length="@var{length}"/>
38055 @end smallexample
38056
38057 @end itemize
38058
38059 The formal DTD for the traceframe info format is given below:
38060
38061 @smallexample
38062 <!ELEMENT traceframe-info (memory)* >
38063 <!ATTLIST traceframe-info version CDATA #FIXED "1.0">
38064
38065 <!ELEMENT memory EMPTY>
38066 <!ATTLIST memory start CDATA #REQUIRED
38067 length CDATA #REQUIRED>
38068 @end smallexample
38069
38070 @include agentexpr.texi
38071
38072 @node Target Descriptions
38073 @appendix Target Descriptions
38074 @cindex target descriptions
38075
38076 One of the challenges of using @value{GDBN} to debug embedded systems
38077 is that there are so many minor variants of each processor
38078 architecture in use. It is common practice for vendors to start with
38079 a standard processor core --- ARM, PowerPC, or MIPS, for example ---
38080 and then make changes to adapt it to a particular market niche. Some
38081 architectures have hundreds of variants, available from dozens of
38082 vendors. This leads to a number of problems:
38083
38084 @itemize @bullet
38085 @item
38086 With so many different customized processors, it is difficult for
38087 the @value{GDBN} maintainers to keep up with the changes.
38088 @item
38089 Since individual variants may have short lifetimes or limited
38090 audiences, it may not be worthwhile to carry information about every
38091 variant in the @value{GDBN} source tree.
38092 @item
38093 When @value{GDBN} does support the architecture of the embedded system
38094 at hand, the task of finding the correct architecture name to give the
38095 @command{set architecture} command can be error-prone.
38096 @end itemize
38097
38098 To address these problems, the @value{GDBN} remote protocol allows a
38099 target system to not only identify itself to @value{GDBN}, but to
38100 actually describe its own features. This lets @value{GDBN} support
38101 processor variants it has never seen before --- to the extent that the
38102 descriptions are accurate, and that @value{GDBN} understands them.
38103
38104 @value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support XML
38105 target descriptions. @xref{Expat}.
38106
38107 @menu
38108 * Retrieving Descriptions:: How descriptions are fetched from a target.
38109 * Target Description Format:: The contents of a target description.
38110 * Predefined Target Types:: Standard types available for target
38111 descriptions.
38112 * Standard Target Features:: Features @value{GDBN} knows about.
38113 @end menu
38114
38115 @node Retrieving Descriptions
38116 @section Retrieving Descriptions
38117
38118 Target descriptions can be read from the target automatically, or
38119 specified by the user manually. The default behavior is to read the
38120 description from the target. @value{GDBN} retrieves it via the remote
38121 protocol using @samp{qXfer} requests (@pxref{General Query Packets,
38122 qXfer}). The @var{annex} in the @samp{qXfer} packet will be
38123 @samp{target.xml}. The contents of the @samp{target.xml} annex are an
38124 XML document, of the form described in @ref{Target Description
38125 Format}.
38126
38127 Alternatively, you can specify a file to read for the target description.
38128 If a file is set, the target will not be queried. The commands to
38129 specify a file are:
38130
38131 @table @code
38132 @cindex set tdesc filename
38133 @item set tdesc filename @var{path}
38134 Read the target description from @var{path}.
38135
38136 @cindex unset tdesc filename
38137 @item unset tdesc filename
38138 Do not read the XML target description from a file. @value{GDBN}
38139 will use the description supplied by the current target.
38140
38141 @cindex show tdesc filename
38142 @item show tdesc filename
38143 Show the filename to read for a target description, if any.
38144 @end table
38145
38146
38147 @node Target Description Format
38148 @section Target Description Format
38149 @cindex target descriptions, XML format
38150
38151 A target description annex is an @uref{http://www.w3.org/XML/, XML}
38152 document which complies with the Document Type Definition provided in
38153 the @value{GDBN} sources in @file{gdb/features/gdb-target.dtd}. This
38154 means you can use generally available tools like @command{xmllint} to
38155 check that your feature descriptions are well-formed and valid.
38156 However, to help people unfamiliar with XML write descriptions for
38157 their targets, we also describe the grammar here.
38158
38159 Target descriptions can identify the architecture of the remote target
38160 and (for some architectures) provide information about custom register
38161 sets. They can also identify the OS ABI of the remote target.
38162 @value{GDBN} can use this information to autoconfigure for your
38163 target, or to warn you if you connect to an unsupported target.
38164
38165 Here is a simple target description:
38166
38167 @smallexample
38168 <target version="1.0">
38169 <architecture>i386:x86-64</architecture>
38170 </target>
38171 @end smallexample
38172
38173 @noindent
38174 This minimal description only says that the target uses
38175 the x86-64 architecture.
38176
38177 A target description has the following overall form, with [ ] marking
38178 optional elements and @dots{} marking repeatable elements. The elements
38179 are explained further below.
38180
38181 @smallexample
38182 <?xml version="1.0"?>
38183 <!DOCTYPE target SYSTEM "gdb-target.dtd">
38184 <target version="1.0">
38185 @r{[}@var{architecture}@r{]}
38186 @r{[}@var{osabi}@r{]}
38187 @r{[}@var{compatible}@r{]}
38188 @r{[}@var{feature}@dots{}@r{]}
38189 </target>
38190 @end smallexample
38191
38192 @noindent
38193 The description is generally insensitive to whitespace and line
38194 breaks, under the usual common-sense rules. The XML version
38195 declaration and document type declaration can generally be omitted
38196 (@value{GDBN} does not require them), but specifying them may be
38197 useful for XML validation tools. The @samp{version} attribute for
38198 @samp{<target>} may also be omitted, but we recommend
38199 including it; if future versions of @value{GDBN} use an incompatible
38200 revision of @file{gdb-target.dtd}, they will detect and report
38201 the version mismatch.
38202
38203 @subsection Inclusion
38204 @cindex target descriptions, inclusion
38205 @cindex XInclude
38206 @ifnotinfo
38207 @cindex <xi:include>
38208 @end ifnotinfo
38209
38210 It can sometimes be valuable to split a target description up into
38211 several different annexes, either for organizational purposes, or to
38212 share files between different possible target descriptions. You can
38213 divide a description into multiple files by replacing any element of
38214 the target description with an inclusion directive of the form:
38215
38216 @smallexample
38217 <xi:include href="@var{document}"/>
38218 @end smallexample
38219
38220 @noindent
38221 When @value{GDBN} encounters an element of this form, it will retrieve
38222 the named XML @var{document}, and replace the inclusion directive with
38223 the contents of that document. If the current description was read
38224 using @samp{qXfer}, then so will be the included document;
38225 @var{document} will be interpreted as the name of an annex. If the
38226 current description was read from a file, @value{GDBN} will look for
38227 @var{document} as a file in the same directory where it found the
38228 original description.
38229
38230 @subsection Architecture
38231 @cindex <architecture>
38232
38233 An @samp{<architecture>} element has this form:
38234
38235 @smallexample
38236 <architecture>@var{arch}</architecture>
38237 @end smallexample
38238
38239 @var{arch} is one of the architectures from the set accepted by
38240 @code{set architecture} (@pxref{Targets, ,Specifying a Debugging Target}).
38241
38242 @subsection OS ABI
38243 @cindex @code{<osabi>}
38244
38245 This optional field was introduced in @value{GDBN} version 7.0.
38246 Previous versions of @value{GDBN} ignore it.
38247
38248 An @samp{<osabi>} element has this form:
38249
38250 @smallexample
38251 <osabi>@var{abi-name}</osabi>
38252 @end smallexample
38253
38254 @var{abi-name} is an OS ABI name from the same selection accepted by
38255 @w{@code{set osabi}} (@pxref{ABI, ,Configuring the Current ABI}).
38256
38257 @subsection Compatible Architecture
38258 @cindex @code{<compatible>}
38259
38260 This optional field was introduced in @value{GDBN} version 7.0.
38261 Previous versions of @value{GDBN} ignore it.
38262
38263 A @samp{<compatible>} element has this form:
38264
38265 @smallexample
38266 <compatible>@var{arch}</compatible>
38267 @end smallexample
38268
38269 @var{arch} is one of the architectures from the set accepted by
38270 @code{set architecture} (@pxref{Targets, ,Specifying a Debugging Target}).
38271
38272 A @samp{<compatible>} element is used to specify that the target
38273 is able to run binaries in some other than the main target architecture
38274 given by the @samp{<architecture>} element. For example, on the
38275 Cell Broadband Engine, the main architecture is @code{powerpc:common}
38276 or @code{powerpc:common64}, but the system is able to run binaries
38277 in the @code{spu} architecture as well. The way to describe this
38278 capability with @samp{<compatible>} is as follows:
38279
38280 @smallexample
38281 <architecture>powerpc:common</architecture>
38282 <compatible>spu</compatible>
38283 @end smallexample
38284
38285 @subsection Features
38286 @cindex <feature>
38287
38288 Each @samp{<feature>} describes some logical portion of the target
38289 system. Features are currently used to describe available CPU
38290 registers and the types of their contents. A @samp{<feature>} element
38291 has this form:
38292
38293 @smallexample
38294 <feature name="@var{name}">
38295 @r{[}@var{type}@dots{}@r{]}
38296 @var{reg}@dots{}
38297 </feature>
38298 @end smallexample
38299
38300 @noindent
38301 Each feature's name should be unique within the description. The name
38302 of a feature does not matter unless @value{GDBN} has some special
38303 knowledge of the contents of that feature; if it does, the feature
38304 should have its standard name. @xref{Standard Target Features}.
38305
38306 @subsection Types
38307
38308 Any register's value is a collection of bits which @value{GDBN} must
38309 interpret. The default interpretation is a two's complement integer,
38310 but other types can be requested by name in the register description.
38311 Some predefined types are provided by @value{GDBN} (@pxref{Predefined
38312 Target Types}), and the description can define additional composite types.
38313
38314 Each type element must have an @samp{id} attribute, which gives
38315 a unique (within the containing @samp{<feature>}) name to the type.
38316 Types must be defined before they are used.
38317
38318 @cindex <vector>
38319 Some targets offer vector registers, which can be treated as arrays
38320 of scalar elements. These types are written as @samp{<vector>} elements,
38321 specifying the array element type, @var{type}, and the number of elements,
38322 @var{count}:
38323
38324 @smallexample
38325 <vector id="@var{id}" type="@var{type}" count="@var{count}"/>
38326 @end smallexample
38327
38328 @cindex <union>
38329 If a register's value is usefully viewed in multiple ways, define it
38330 with a union type containing the useful representations. The
38331 @samp{<union>} element contains one or more @samp{<field>} elements,
38332 each of which has a @var{name} and a @var{type}:
38333
38334 @smallexample
38335 <union id="@var{id}">
38336 <field name="@var{name}" type="@var{type}"/>
38337 @dots{}
38338 </union>
38339 @end smallexample
38340
38341 @cindex <struct>
38342 If a register's value is composed from several separate values, define
38343 it with a structure type. There are two forms of the @samp{<struct>}
38344 element; a @samp{<struct>} element must either contain only bitfields
38345 or contain no bitfields. If the structure contains only bitfields,
38346 its total size in bytes must be specified, each bitfield must have an
38347 explicit start and end, and bitfields are automatically assigned an
38348 integer type. The field's @var{start} should be less than or
38349 equal to its @var{end}, and zero represents the least significant bit.
38350
38351 @smallexample
38352 <struct id="@var{id}" size="@var{size}">
38353 <field name="@var{name}" start="@var{start}" end="@var{end}"/>
38354 @dots{}
38355 </struct>
38356 @end smallexample
38357
38358 If the structure contains no bitfields, then each field has an
38359 explicit type, and no implicit padding is added.
38360
38361 @smallexample
38362 <struct id="@var{id}">
38363 <field name="@var{name}" type="@var{type}"/>
38364 @dots{}
38365 </struct>
38366 @end smallexample
38367
38368 @cindex <flags>
38369 If a register's value is a series of single-bit flags, define it with
38370 a flags type. The @samp{<flags>} element has an explicit @var{size}
38371 and contains one or more @samp{<field>} elements. Each field has a
38372 @var{name}, a @var{start}, and an @var{end}. Only single-bit flags
38373 are supported.
38374
38375 @smallexample
38376 <flags id="@var{id}" size="@var{size}">
38377 <field name="@var{name}" start="@var{start}" end="@var{end}"/>
38378 @dots{}
38379 </flags>
38380 @end smallexample
38381
38382 @subsection Registers
38383 @cindex <reg>
38384
38385 Each register is represented as an element with this form:
38386
38387 @smallexample
38388 <reg name="@var{name}"
38389 bitsize="@var{size}"
38390 @r{[}regnum="@var{num}"@r{]}
38391 @r{[}save-restore="@var{save-restore}"@r{]}
38392 @r{[}type="@var{type}"@r{]}
38393 @r{[}group="@var{group}"@r{]}/>
38394 @end smallexample
38395
38396 @noindent
38397 The components are as follows:
38398
38399 @table @var
38400
38401 @item name
38402 The register's name; it must be unique within the target description.
38403
38404 @item bitsize
38405 The register's size, in bits.
38406
38407 @item regnum
38408 The register's number. If omitted, a register's number is one greater
38409 than that of the previous register (either in the current feature or in
38410 a preceding feature); the first register in the target description
38411 defaults to zero. This register number is used to read or write
38412 the register; e.g.@: it is used in the remote @code{p} and @code{P}
38413 packets, and registers appear in the @code{g} and @code{G} packets
38414 in order of increasing register number.
38415
38416 @item save-restore
38417 Whether the register should be preserved across inferior function
38418 calls; this must be either @code{yes} or @code{no}. The default is
38419 @code{yes}, which is appropriate for most registers except for
38420 some system control registers; this is not related to the target's
38421 ABI.
38422
38423 @item type
38424 The type of the register. @var{type} may be a predefined type, a type
38425 defined in the current feature, or one of the special types @code{int}
38426 and @code{float}. @code{int} is an integer type of the correct size
38427 for @var{bitsize}, and @code{float} is a floating point type (in the
38428 architecture's normal floating point format) of the correct size for
38429 @var{bitsize}. The default is @code{int}.
38430
38431 @item group
38432 The register group to which this register belongs. @var{group} must
38433 be either @code{general}, @code{float}, or @code{vector}. If no
38434 @var{group} is specified, @value{GDBN} will not display the register
38435 in @code{info registers}.
38436
38437 @end table
38438
38439 @node Predefined Target Types
38440 @section Predefined Target Types
38441 @cindex target descriptions, predefined types
38442
38443 Type definitions in the self-description can build up composite types
38444 from basic building blocks, but can not define fundamental types. Instead,
38445 standard identifiers are provided by @value{GDBN} for the fundamental
38446 types. The currently supported types are:
38447
38448 @table @code
38449
38450 @item int8
38451 @itemx int16
38452 @itemx int32
38453 @itemx int64
38454 @itemx int128
38455 Signed integer types holding the specified number of bits.
38456
38457 @item uint8
38458 @itemx uint16
38459 @itemx uint32
38460 @itemx uint64
38461 @itemx uint128
38462 Unsigned integer types holding the specified number of bits.
38463
38464 @item code_ptr
38465 @itemx data_ptr
38466 Pointers to unspecified code and data. The program counter and
38467 any dedicated return address register may be marked as code
38468 pointers; printing a code pointer converts it into a symbolic
38469 address. The stack pointer and any dedicated address registers
38470 may be marked as data pointers.
38471
38472 @item ieee_single
38473 Single precision IEEE floating point.
38474
38475 @item ieee_double
38476 Double precision IEEE floating point.
38477
38478 @item arm_fpa_ext
38479 The 12-byte extended precision format used by ARM FPA registers.
38480
38481 @item i387_ext
38482 The 10-byte extended precision format used by x87 registers.
38483
38484 @item i386_eflags
38485 32bit @sc{eflags} register used by x86.
38486
38487 @item i386_mxcsr
38488 32bit @sc{mxcsr} register used by x86.
38489
38490 @end table
38491
38492 @node Standard Target Features
38493 @section Standard Target Features
38494 @cindex target descriptions, standard features
38495
38496 A target description must contain either no registers or all the
38497 target's registers. If the description contains no registers, then
38498 @value{GDBN} will assume a default register layout, selected based on
38499 the architecture. If the description contains any registers, the
38500 default layout will not be used; the standard registers must be
38501 described in the target description, in such a way that @value{GDBN}
38502 can recognize them.
38503
38504 This is accomplished by giving specific names to feature elements
38505 which contain standard registers. @value{GDBN} will look for features
38506 with those names and verify that they contain the expected registers;
38507 if any known feature is missing required registers, or if any required
38508 feature is missing, @value{GDBN} will reject the target
38509 description. You can add additional registers to any of the
38510 standard features --- @value{GDBN} will display them just as if
38511 they were added to an unrecognized feature.
38512
38513 This section lists the known features and their expected contents.
38514 Sample XML documents for these features are included in the
38515 @value{GDBN} source tree, in the directory @file{gdb/features}.
38516
38517 Names recognized by @value{GDBN} should include the name of the
38518 company or organization which selected the name, and the overall
38519 architecture to which the feature applies; so e.g.@: the feature
38520 containing ARM core registers is named @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.core}.
38521
38522 The names of registers are not case sensitive for the purpose
38523 of recognizing standard features, but @value{GDBN} will only display
38524 registers using the capitalization used in the description.
38525
38526 @menu
38527 * ARM Features::
38528 * i386 Features::
38529 * MIPS Features::
38530 * M68K Features::
38531 * PowerPC Features::
38532 * TIC6x Features::
38533 @end menu
38534
38535
38536 @node ARM Features
38537 @subsection ARM Features
38538 @cindex target descriptions, ARM features
38539
38540 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.core} feature is required for non-M-profile
38541 ARM targets.
38542 It should contain registers @samp{r0} through @samp{r13}, @samp{sp},
38543 @samp{lr}, @samp{pc}, and @samp{cpsr}.
38544
38545 For M-profile targets (e.g. Cortex-M3), the @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.core}
38546 feature is replaced by @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.m-profile}. It should contain
38547 registers @samp{r0} through @samp{r13}, @samp{sp}, @samp{lr}, @samp{pc},
38548 and @samp{xpsr}.
38549
38550 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.fpa} feature is optional. If present, it
38551 should contain registers @samp{f0} through @samp{f7} and @samp{fps}.
38552
38553 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.xscale.iwmmxt} feature is optional. If present,
38554 it should contain at least registers @samp{wR0} through @samp{wR15} and
38555 @samp{wCGR0} through @samp{wCGR3}. The @samp{wCID}, @samp{wCon},
38556 @samp{wCSSF}, and @samp{wCASF} registers are optional.
38557
38558 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.vfp} feature is optional. If present, it
38559 should contain at least registers @samp{d0} through @samp{d15}. If
38560 they are present, @samp{d16} through @samp{d31} should also be included.
38561 @value{GDBN} will synthesize the single-precision registers from
38562 halves of the double-precision registers.
38563
38564 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.neon} feature is optional. It does not
38565 need to contain registers; it instructs @value{GDBN} to display the
38566 VFP double-precision registers as vectors and to synthesize the
38567 quad-precision registers from pairs of double-precision registers.
38568 If this feature is present, @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.vfp} must also
38569 be present and include 32 double-precision registers.
38570
38571 @node i386 Features
38572 @subsection i386 Features
38573 @cindex target descriptions, i386 features
38574
38575 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.i386.core} feature is required for i386/amd64
38576 targets. It should describe the following registers:
38577
38578 @itemize @minus
38579 @item
38580 @samp{eax} through @samp{edi} plus @samp{eip} for i386
38581 @item
38582 @samp{rax} through @samp{r15} plus @samp{rip} for amd64
38583 @item
38584 @samp{eflags}, @samp{cs}, @samp{ss}, @samp{ds}, @samp{es},
38585 @samp{fs}, @samp{gs}
38586 @item
38587 @samp{st0} through @samp{st7}
38588 @item
38589 @samp{fctrl}, @samp{fstat}, @samp{ftag}, @samp{fiseg}, @samp{fioff},
38590 @samp{foseg}, @samp{fooff} and @samp{fop}
38591 @end itemize
38592
38593 The register sets may be different, depending on the target.
38594
38595 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.i386.sse} feature is optional. It should
38596 describe registers:
38597
38598 @itemize @minus
38599 @item
38600 @samp{xmm0} through @samp{xmm7} for i386
38601 @item
38602 @samp{xmm0} through @samp{xmm15} for amd64
38603 @item
38604 @samp{mxcsr}
38605 @end itemize
38606
38607 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.i386.avx} feature is optional and requires the
38608 @samp{org.gnu.gdb.i386.sse} feature. It should
38609 describe the upper 128 bits of @sc{ymm} registers:
38610
38611 @itemize @minus
38612 @item
38613 @samp{ymm0h} through @samp{ymm7h} for i386
38614 @item
38615 @samp{ymm0h} through @samp{ymm15h} for amd64
38616 @end itemize
38617
38618 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.i386.linux} feature is optional. It should
38619 describe a single register, @samp{orig_eax}.
38620
38621 @node MIPS Features
38622 @subsection MIPS Features
38623 @cindex target descriptions, MIPS features
38624
38625 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.mips.cpu} feature is required for MIPS targets.
38626 It should contain registers @samp{r0} through @samp{r31}, @samp{lo},
38627 @samp{hi}, and @samp{pc}. They may be 32-bit or 64-bit depending
38628 on the target.
38629
38630 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.mips.cp0} feature is also required. It should
38631 contain at least the @samp{status}, @samp{badvaddr}, and @samp{cause}
38632 registers. They may be 32-bit or 64-bit depending on the target.
38633
38634 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.mips.fpu} feature is currently required, though
38635 it may be optional in a future version of @value{GDBN}. It should
38636 contain registers @samp{f0} through @samp{f31}, @samp{fcsr}, and
38637 @samp{fir}. They may be 32-bit or 64-bit depending on the target.
38638
38639 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.mips.dsp} feature is optional. It should
38640 contain registers @samp{hi1} through @samp{hi3}, @samp{lo1} through
38641 @samp{lo3}, and @samp{dspctl}. The @samp{dspctl} register should
38642 be 32-bit and the rest may be 32-bit or 64-bit depending on the target.
38643
38644 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.mips.linux} feature is optional. It should
38645 contain a single register, @samp{restart}, which is used by the
38646 Linux kernel to control restartable syscalls.
38647
38648 @node M68K Features
38649 @subsection M68K Features
38650 @cindex target descriptions, M68K features
38651
38652 @table @code
38653 @item @samp{org.gnu.gdb.m68k.core}
38654 @itemx @samp{org.gnu.gdb.coldfire.core}
38655 @itemx @samp{org.gnu.gdb.fido.core}
38656 One of those features must be always present.
38657 The feature that is present determines which flavor of m68k is
38658 used. The feature that is present should contain registers
38659 @samp{d0} through @samp{d7}, @samp{a0} through @samp{a5}, @samp{fp},
38660 @samp{sp}, @samp{ps} and @samp{pc}.
38661
38662 @item @samp{org.gnu.gdb.coldfire.fp}
38663 This feature is optional. If present, it should contain registers
38664 @samp{fp0} through @samp{fp7}, @samp{fpcontrol}, @samp{fpstatus} and
38665 @samp{fpiaddr}.
38666 @end table
38667
38668 @node PowerPC Features
38669 @subsection PowerPC Features
38670 @cindex target descriptions, PowerPC features
38671
38672 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.core} feature is required for PowerPC
38673 targets. It should contain registers @samp{r0} through @samp{r31},
38674 @samp{pc}, @samp{msr}, @samp{cr}, @samp{lr}, @samp{ctr}, and
38675 @samp{xer}. They may be 32-bit or 64-bit depending on the target.
38676
38677 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.fpu} feature is optional. It should
38678 contain registers @samp{f0} through @samp{f31} and @samp{fpscr}.
38679
38680 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.altivec} feature is optional. It should
38681 contain registers @samp{vr0} through @samp{vr31}, @samp{vscr},
38682 and @samp{vrsave}.
38683
38684 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.vsx} feature is optional. It should
38685 contain registers @samp{vs0h} through @samp{vs31h}. @value{GDBN}
38686 will combine these registers with the floating point registers
38687 (@samp{f0} through @samp{f31}) and the altivec registers (@samp{vr0}
38688 through @samp{vr31}) to present the 128-bit wide registers @samp{vs0}
38689 through @samp{vs63}, the set of vector registers for POWER7.
38690
38691 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.spe} feature is optional. It should
38692 contain registers @samp{ev0h} through @samp{ev31h}, @samp{acc}, and
38693 @samp{spefscr}. SPE targets should provide 32-bit registers in
38694 @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.core} and provide the upper halves in
38695 @samp{ev0h} through @samp{ev31h}. @value{GDBN} will combine
38696 these to present registers @samp{ev0} through @samp{ev31} to the
38697 user.
38698
38699 @node TIC6x Features
38700 @subsection TMS320C6x Features
38701 @cindex target descriptions, TIC6x features
38702 @cindex target descriptions, TMS320C6x features
38703 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.tic6x.core} feature is required for TMS320C6x
38704 targets. It should contain registers @samp{A0} through @samp{A15},
38705 registers @samp{B0} through @samp{B15}, @samp{CSR} and @samp{PC}.
38706
38707 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.tic6x.gp} feature is optional. It should
38708 contain registers @samp{A16} through @samp{A31} and @samp{B16}
38709 through @samp{B31}.
38710
38711 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.tic6x.c6xp} feature is optional. It should
38712 contain registers @samp{TSR}, @samp{ILC} and @samp{RILC}.
38713
38714 @node Operating System Information
38715 @appendix Operating System Information
38716 @cindex operating system information
38717
38718 @menu
38719 * Process list::
38720 @end menu
38721
38722 Users of @value{GDBN} often wish to obtain information about the state of
38723 the operating system running on the target---for example the list of
38724 processes, or the list of open files. This section describes the
38725 mechanism that makes it possible. This mechanism is similar to the
38726 target features mechanism (@pxref{Target Descriptions}), but focuses
38727 on a different aspect of target.
38728
38729 Operating system information is retrived from the target via the
38730 remote protocol, using @samp{qXfer} requests (@pxref{qXfer osdata
38731 read}). The object name in the request should be @samp{osdata}, and
38732 the @var{annex} identifies the data to be fetched.
38733
38734 @node Process list
38735 @appendixsection Process list
38736 @cindex operating system information, process list
38737
38738 When requesting the process list, the @var{annex} field in the
38739 @samp{qXfer} request should be @samp{processes}. The returned data is
38740 an XML document. The formal syntax of this document is defined in
38741 @file{gdb/features/osdata.dtd}.
38742
38743 An example document is:
38744
38745 @smallexample
38746 <?xml version="1.0"?>
38747 <!DOCTYPE target SYSTEM "osdata.dtd">
38748 <osdata type="processes">
38749 <item>
38750 <column name="pid">1</column>
38751 <column name="user">root</column>
38752 <column name="command">/sbin/init</column>
38753 <column name="cores">1,2,3</column>
38754 </item>
38755 </osdata>
38756 @end smallexample
38757
38758 Each item should include a column whose name is @samp{pid}. The value
38759 of that column should identify the process on the target. The
38760 @samp{user} and @samp{command} columns are optional, and will be
38761 displayed by @value{GDBN}. The @samp{cores} column, if present,
38762 should contain a comma-separated list of cores that this process
38763 is running on. Target may provide additional columns,
38764 which @value{GDBN} currently ignores.
38765
38766 @node Trace File Format
38767 @appendix Trace File Format
38768 @cindex trace file format
38769
38770 The trace file comes in three parts: a header, a textual description
38771 section, and a trace frame section with binary data.
38772
38773 The header has the form @code{\x7fTRACE0\n}. The first byte is
38774 @code{0x7f} so as to indicate that the file contains binary data,
38775 while the @code{0} is a version number that may have different values
38776 in the future.
38777
38778 The description section consists of multiple lines of @sc{ascii} text
38779 separated by newline characters (@code{0xa}). The lines may include a
38780 variety of optional descriptive or context-setting information, such
38781 as tracepoint definitions or register set size. @value{GDBN} will
38782 ignore any line that it does not recognize. An empty line marks the end
38783 of this section.
38784
38785 @c FIXME add some specific types of data
38786
38787 The trace frame section consists of a number of consecutive frames.
38788 Each frame begins with a two-byte tracepoint number, followed by a
38789 four-byte size giving the amount of data in the frame. The data in
38790 the frame consists of a number of blocks, each introduced by a
38791 character indicating its type (at least register, memory, and trace
38792 state variable). The data in this section is raw binary, not a
38793 hexadecimal or other encoding; its endianness matches the target's
38794 endianness.
38795
38796 @c FIXME bi-arch may require endianness/arch info in description section
38797
38798 @table @code
38799 @item R @var{bytes}
38800 Register block. The number and ordering of bytes matches that of a
38801 @code{g} packet in the remote protocol. Note that these are the
38802 actual bytes, in target order and @value{GDBN} register order, not a
38803 hexadecimal encoding.
38804
38805 @item M @var{address} @var{length} @var{bytes}...
38806 Memory block. This is a contiguous block of memory, at the 8-byte
38807 address @var{address}, with a 2-byte length @var{length}, followed by
38808 @var{length} bytes.
38809
38810 @item V @var{number} @var{value}
38811 Trace state variable block. This records the 8-byte signed value
38812 @var{value} of trace state variable numbered @var{number}.
38813
38814 @end table
38815
38816 Future enhancements of the trace file format may include additional types
38817 of blocks.
38818
38819 @node Index Section Format
38820 @appendix @code{.gdb_index} section format
38821 @cindex .gdb_index section format
38822 @cindex index section format
38823
38824 This section documents the index section that is created by @code{save
38825 gdb-index} (@pxref{Index Files}). The index section is
38826 DWARF-specific; some knowledge of DWARF is assumed in this
38827 description.
38828
38829 The mapped index file format is designed to be directly
38830 @code{mmap}able on any architecture. In most cases, a datum is
38831 represented using a little-endian 32-bit integer value, called an
38832 @code{offset_type}. Big endian machines must byte-swap the values
38833 before using them. Exceptions to this rule are noted. The data is
38834 laid out such that alignment is always respected.
38835
38836 A mapped index consists of several areas, laid out in order.
38837
38838 @enumerate
38839 @item
38840 The file header. This is a sequence of values, of @code{offset_type}
38841 unless otherwise noted:
38842
38843 @enumerate
38844 @item
38845 The version number, currently 5. Versions 1, 2 and 3 are obsolete.
38846 Version 4 differs by its hashing function.
38847
38848 @item
38849 The offset, from the start of the file, of the CU list.
38850
38851 @item
38852 The offset, from the start of the file, of the types CU list. Note
38853 that this area can be empty, in which case this offset will be equal
38854 to the next offset.
38855
38856 @item
38857 The offset, from the start of the file, of the address area.
38858
38859 @item
38860 The offset, from the start of the file, of the symbol table.
38861
38862 @item
38863 The offset, from the start of the file, of the constant pool.
38864 @end enumerate
38865
38866 @item
38867 The CU list. This is a sequence of pairs of 64-bit little-endian
38868 values, sorted by the CU offset. The first element in each pair is
38869 the offset of a CU in the @code{.debug_info} section. The second
38870 element in each pair is the length of that CU. References to a CU
38871 elsewhere in the map are done using a CU index, which is just the
38872 0-based index into this table. Note that if there are type CUs, then
38873 conceptually CUs and type CUs form a single list for the purposes of
38874 CU indices.
38875
38876 @item
38877 The types CU list. This is a sequence of triplets of 64-bit
38878 little-endian values. In a triplet, the first value is the CU offset,
38879 the second value is the type offset in the CU, and the third value is
38880 the type signature. The types CU list is not sorted.
38881
38882 @item
38883 The address area. The address area consists of a sequence of address
38884 entries. Each address entry has three elements:
38885
38886 @enumerate
38887 @item
38888 The low address. This is a 64-bit little-endian value.
38889
38890 @item
38891 The high address. This is a 64-bit little-endian value. Like
38892 @code{DW_AT_high_pc}, the value is one byte beyond the end.
38893
38894 @item
38895 The CU index. This is an @code{offset_type} value.
38896 @end enumerate
38897
38898 @item
38899 The symbol table. This is an open-addressed hash table. The size of
38900 the hash table is always a power of 2.
38901
38902 Each slot in the hash table consists of a pair of @code{offset_type}
38903 values. The first value is the offset of the symbol's name in the
38904 constant pool. The second value is the offset of the CU vector in the
38905 constant pool.
38906
38907 If both values are 0, then this slot in the hash table is empty. This
38908 is ok because while 0 is a valid constant pool index, it cannot be a
38909 valid index for both a string and a CU vector.
38910
38911 The hash value for a table entry is computed by applying an
38912 iterative hash function to the symbol's name. Starting with an
38913 initial value of @code{r = 0}, each (unsigned) character @samp{c} in
38914 the string is incorporated into the hash using the formula depending on the
38915 index version:
38916
38917 @table @asis
38918 @item Version 4
38919 The formula is @code{r = r * 67 + c - 113}.
38920
38921 @item Version 5
38922 The formula is @code{r = r * 67 + tolower (c) - 113}.
38923 @end table
38924
38925 The terminating @samp{\0} is not incorporated into the hash.
38926
38927 The step size used in the hash table is computed via
38928 @code{((hash * 17) & (size - 1)) | 1}, where @samp{hash} is the hash
38929 value, and @samp{size} is the size of the hash table. The step size
38930 is used to find the next candidate slot when handling a hash
38931 collision.
38932
38933 The names of C@t{++} symbols in the hash table are canonicalized. We
38934 don't currently have a simple description of the canonicalization
38935 algorithm; if you intend to create new index sections, you must read
38936 the code.
38937
38938 @item
38939 The constant pool. This is simply a bunch of bytes. It is organized
38940 so that alignment is correct: CU vectors are stored first, followed by
38941 strings.
38942
38943 A CU vector in the constant pool is a sequence of @code{offset_type}
38944 values. The first value is the number of CU indices in the vector.
38945 Each subsequent value is the index of a CU in the CU list. This
38946 element in the hash table is used to indicate which CUs define the
38947 symbol.
38948
38949 A string in the constant pool is zero-terminated.
38950 @end enumerate
38951
38952 @include gpl.texi
38953
38954 @node GNU Free Documentation License
38955 @appendix GNU Free Documentation License
38956 @include fdl.texi
38957
38958 @node Index
38959 @unnumbered Index
38960
38961 @printindex cp
38962
38963 @tex
38964 % I think something like @colophon should be in texinfo. In the
38965 % meantime:
38966 \long\def\colophon{\hbox to0pt{}\vfill
38967 \centerline{The body of this manual is set in}
38968 \centerline{\fontname\tenrm,}
38969 \centerline{with headings in {\bf\fontname\tenbf}}
38970 \centerline{and examples in {\tt\fontname\tentt}.}
38971 \centerline{{\it\fontname\tenit\/},}
38972 \centerline{{\bf\fontname\tenbf}, and}
38973 \centerline{{\sl\fontname\tensl\/}}
38974 \centerline{are used for emphasis.}\vfill}
38975 \page\colophon
38976 % Blame: doc@cygnus.com, 1991.
38977 @end tex
38978
38979 @bye