Documentation for the remove-symbol-file command.
[binutils-gdb.git] / gdb / doc / gdb.texinfo
1 \input texinfo @c -*-texinfo-*-
2 @c Copyright (C) 1988-2013 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 @c man begin INCLUDE
10 @include gdb-cfg.texi
11 @c man end
12 @c
13 @settitle Debugging with @value{GDBN}
14 @setchapternewpage odd
15 @c %**end of header
16
17 @iftex
18 @c @smallbook
19 @c @cropmarks
20 @end iftex
21
22 @finalout
23 @c To avoid file-name clashes between index.html and Index.html, when
24 @c the manual is produced on a Posix host and then moved to a
25 @c case-insensitive filesystem (e.g., MS-Windows), we separate the
26 @c indices into two: Concept Index and all the rest.
27 @syncodeindex ky fn
28 @syncodeindex tp fn
29
30 @c readline appendices use @vindex, @findex and @ftable,
31 @c annotate.texi and gdbmi use @findex.
32 @syncodeindex vr fn
33
34 @c !!set GDB manual's edition---not the same as GDB version!
35 @c This is updated by GNU Press.
36 @set EDITION Tenth
37
38 @c !!set GDB edit command default editor
39 @set EDITOR /bin/ex
40
41 @c THIS MANUAL REQUIRES TEXINFO 4.0 OR LATER.
42
43 @c This is a dir.info fragment to support semi-automated addition of
44 @c manuals to an info tree.
45 @dircategory Software development
46 @direntry
47 * Gdb: (gdb). The GNU debugger.
48 @end direntry
49
50 @copying
51 @c man begin COPYRIGHT
52 Copyright @copyright{} 1988-2013 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
53
54 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
55 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.3 or
56 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with the
57 Invariant Sections being ``Free Software'' and ``Free Software Needs
58 Free Documentation'', with the Front-Cover Texts being ``A GNU Manual,''
59 and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below.
60
61 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You are free to copy and modify
62 this GNU Manual. Buying copies from GNU Press supports the FSF in
63 developing GNU and promoting software freedom.''
64 @c man end
65 @end copying
66
67 @ifnottex
68 This file documents the @sc{gnu} debugger @value{GDBN}.
69
70 This is the @value{EDITION} Edition, of @cite{Debugging with
71 @value{GDBN}: the @sc{gnu} Source-Level Debugger} for @value{GDBN}
72 @ifset VERSION_PACKAGE
73 @value{VERSION_PACKAGE}
74 @end ifset
75 Version @value{GDBVN}.
76
77 @insertcopying
78 @end ifnottex
79
80 @titlepage
81 @title Debugging with @value{GDBN}
82 @subtitle The @sc{gnu} Source-Level Debugger
83 @sp 1
84 @subtitle @value{EDITION} Edition, for @value{GDBN} version @value{GDBVN}
85 @ifset VERSION_PACKAGE
86 @sp 1
87 @subtitle @value{VERSION_PACKAGE}
88 @end ifset
89 @author Richard Stallman, Roland Pesch, Stan Shebs, et al.
90 @page
91 @tex
92 {\parskip=0pt
93 \hfill (Send bugs and comments on @value{GDBN} to @value{BUGURL}.)\par
94 \hfill {\it Debugging with @value{GDBN}}\par
95 \hfill \TeX{}info \texinfoversion\par
96 }
97 @end tex
98
99 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
100 Published by the Free Software Foundation @*
101 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor,
102 Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA@*
103 ISBN 978-0-9831592-3-0 @*
104
105 @insertcopying
106 @end titlepage
107 @page
108
109 @ifnottex
110 @node Top, Summary, (dir), (dir)
111
112 @top Debugging with @value{GDBN}
113
114 This file describes @value{GDBN}, the @sc{gnu} symbolic debugger.
115
116 This is the @value{EDITION} Edition, for @value{GDBN}
117 @ifset VERSION_PACKAGE
118 @value{VERSION_PACKAGE}
119 @end ifset
120 Version @value{GDBVN}.
121
122 Copyright (C) 1988-2013 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
123
124 This edition of the GDB manual is dedicated to the memory of Fred
125 Fish. Fred was a long-standing contributor to GDB and to Free
126 software in general. We will miss him.
127
128 @menu
129 * Summary:: Summary of @value{GDBN}
130 * Sample Session:: A sample @value{GDBN} session
131
132 * Invocation:: Getting in and out of @value{GDBN}
133 * Commands:: @value{GDBN} commands
134 * Running:: Running programs under @value{GDBN}
135 * Stopping:: Stopping and continuing
136 * Reverse Execution:: Running programs backward
137 * Process Record and Replay:: Recording inferior's execution and replaying it
138 * Stack:: Examining the stack
139 * Source:: Examining source files
140 * Data:: Examining data
141 * Optimized Code:: Debugging optimized code
142 * Macros:: Preprocessor Macros
143 * Tracepoints:: Debugging remote targets non-intrusively
144 * Overlays:: Debugging programs that use overlays
145
146 * Languages:: Using @value{GDBN} with different languages
147
148 * Symbols:: Examining the symbol table
149 * Altering:: Altering execution
150 * GDB Files:: @value{GDBN} files
151 * Targets:: Specifying a debugging target
152 * Remote Debugging:: Debugging remote programs
153 * Configurations:: Configuration-specific information
154 * Controlling GDB:: Controlling @value{GDBN}
155 * Extending GDB:: Extending @value{GDBN}
156 * Interpreters:: Command Interpreters
157 * TUI:: @value{GDBN} Text User Interface
158 * Emacs:: Using @value{GDBN} under @sc{gnu} Emacs
159 * GDB/MI:: @value{GDBN}'s Machine Interface.
160 * Annotations:: @value{GDBN}'s annotation interface.
161 * JIT Interface:: Using the JIT debugging interface.
162 * In-Process Agent:: In-Process Agent
163
164 * GDB Bugs:: Reporting bugs in @value{GDBN}
165
166 @ifset SYSTEM_READLINE
167 * Command Line Editing: (rluserman). Command Line Editing
168 * Using History Interactively: (history). Using History Interactively
169 @end ifset
170 @ifclear SYSTEM_READLINE
171 * Command Line Editing:: Command Line Editing
172 * Using History Interactively:: Using History Interactively
173 @end ifclear
174 * In Memoriam:: In Memoriam
175 * Formatting Documentation:: How to format and print @value{GDBN} documentation
176 * Installing GDB:: Installing GDB
177 * Maintenance Commands:: Maintenance Commands
178 * Remote Protocol:: GDB Remote Serial Protocol
179 * Agent Expressions:: The GDB Agent Expression Mechanism
180 * Target Descriptions:: How targets can describe themselves to
181 @value{GDBN}
182 * Operating System Information:: Getting additional information from
183 the operating system
184 * Trace File Format:: GDB trace file format
185 * Index Section Format:: .gdb_index section format
186 * Man Pages:: Manual pages
187 * Copying:: GNU General Public License says
188 how you can copy and share GDB
189 * GNU Free Documentation License:: The license for this documentation
190 * Concept Index:: Index of @value{GDBN} concepts
191 * Command and Variable Index:: Index of @value{GDBN} commands, variables,
192 functions, and Python data types
193 @end menu
194
195 @end ifnottex
196
197 @contents
198
199 @node Summary
200 @unnumbered Summary of @value{GDBN}
201
202 The purpose of a debugger such as @value{GDBN} is to allow you to see what is
203 going on ``inside'' another program while it executes---or what another
204 program was doing at the moment it crashed.
205
206 @value{GDBN} can do four main kinds of things (plus other things in support of
207 these) to help you catch bugs in the act:
208
209 @itemize @bullet
210 @item
211 Start your program, specifying anything that might affect its behavior.
212
213 @item
214 Make your program stop on specified conditions.
215
216 @item
217 Examine what has happened, when your program has stopped.
218
219 @item
220 Change things in your program, so you can experiment with correcting the
221 effects of one bug and go on to learn about another.
222 @end itemize
223
224 You can use @value{GDBN} to debug programs written in C and C@t{++}.
225 For more information, see @ref{Supported Languages,,Supported Languages}.
226 For more information, see @ref{C,,C and C++}.
227
228 Support for D is partial. For information on D, see
229 @ref{D,,D}.
230
231 @cindex Modula-2
232 Support for Modula-2 is partial. For information on Modula-2, see
233 @ref{Modula-2,,Modula-2}.
234
235 Support for OpenCL C is partial. For information on OpenCL C, see
236 @ref{OpenCL C,,OpenCL C}.
237
238 @cindex Pascal
239 Debugging Pascal programs which use sets, subranges, file variables, or
240 nested functions does not currently work. @value{GDBN} does not support
241 entering expressions, printing values, or similar features using Pascal
242 syntax.
243
244 @cindex Fortran
245 @value{GDBN} can be used to debug programs written in Fortran, although
246 it may be necessary to refer to some variables with a trailing
247 underscore.
248
249 @value{GDBN} can be used to debug programs written in Objective-C,
250 using either the Apple/NeXT or the GNU Objective-C runtime.
251
252 @menu
253 * Free Software:: Freely redistributable software
254 * Free Documentation:: Free Software Needs Free Documentation
255 * Contributors:: Contributors to GDB
256 @end menu
257
258 @node Free Software
259 @unnumberedsec Free Software
260
261 @value{GDBN} is @dfn{free software}, protected by the @sc{gnu}
262 General Public License
263 (GPL). The GPL gives you the freedom to copy or adapt a licensed
264 program---but every person getting a copy also gets with it the
265 freedom to modify that copy (which means that they must get access to
266 the source code), and the freedom to distribute further copies.
267 Typical software companies use copyrights to limit your freedoms; the
268 Free Software Foundation uses the GPL to preserve these freedoms.
269
270 Fundamentally, the General Public License is a license which says that
271 you have these freedoms and that you cannot take these freedoms away
272 from anyone else.
273
274 @node Free Documentation
275 @unnumberedsec Free Software Needs Free Documentation
276
277 The biggest deficiency in the free software community today is not in
278 the software---it is the lack of good free documentation that we can
279 include with the free software. Many of our most important
280 programs do not come with free reference manuals and free introductory
281 texts. Documentation is an essential part of any software package;
282 when an important free software package does not come with a free
283 manual and a free tutorial, that is a major gap. We have many such
284 gaps today.
285
286 Consider Perl, for instance. The tutorial manuals that people
287 normally use are non-free. How did this come about? Because the
288 authors of those manuals published them with restrictive terms---no
289 copying, no modification, source files not available---which exclude
290 them from the free software world.
291
292 That wasn't the first time this sort of thing happened, and it was far
293 from the last. Many times we have heard a GNU user eagerly describe a
294 manual that he is writing, his intended contribution to the community,
295 only to learn that he had ruined everything by signing a publication
296 contract to make it non-free.
297
298 Free documentation, like free software, is a matter of freedom, not
299 price. The problem with the non-free manual is not that publishers
300 charge a price for printed copies---that in itself is fine. (The Free
301 Software Foundation sells printed copies of manuals, too.) The
302 problem is the restrictions on the use of the manual. Free manuals
303 are available in source code form, and give you permission to copy and
304 modify. Non-free manuals do not allow this.
305
306 The criteria of freedom for a free manual are roughly the same as for
307 free software. Redistribution (including the normal kinds of
308 commercial redistribution) must be permitted, so that the manual can
309 accompany every copy of the program, both on-line and on paper.
310
311 Permission for modification of the technical content is crucial too.
312 When people modify the software, adding or changing features, if they
313 are conscientious they will change the manual too---so they can
314 provide accurate and clear documentation for the modified program. A
315 manual that leaves you no choice but to write a new manual to document
316 a changed version of the program is not really available to our
317 community.
318
319 Some kinds of limits on the way modification is handled are
320 acceptable. For example, requirements to preserve the original
321 author's copyright notice, the distribution terms, or the list of
322 authors, are ok. It is also no problem to require modified versions
323 to include notice that they were modified. Even entire sections that
324 may not be deleted or changed are acceptable, as long as they deal
325 with nontechnical topics (like this one). These kinds of restrictions
326 are acceptable because they don't obstruct the community's normal use
327 of the manual.
328
329 However, it must be possible to modify all the @emph{technical}
330 content of the manual, and then distribute the result in all the usual
331 media, through all the usual channels. Otherwise, the restrictions
332 obstruct the use of the manual, it is not free, and we need another
333 manual to replace it.
334
335 Please spread the word about this issue. Our community continues to
336 lose manuals to proprietary publishing. If we spread the word that
337 free software needs free reference manuals and free tutorials, perhaps
338 the next person who wants to contribute by writing documentation will
339 realize, before it is too late, that only free manuals contribute to
340 the free software community.
341
342 If you are writing documentation, please insist on publishing it under
343 the GNU Free Documentation License or another free documentation
344 license. Remember that this decision requires your approval---you
345 don't have to let the publisher decide. Some commercial publishers
346 will use a free license if you insist, but they will not propose the
347 option; it is up to you to raise the issue and say firmly that this is
348 what you want. If the publisher you are dealing with refuses, please
349 try other publishers. If you're not sure whether a proposed license
350 is free, write to @email{licensing@@gnu.org}.
351
352 You can encourage commercial publishers to sell more free, copylefted
353 manuals and tutorials by buying them, and particularly by buying
354 copies from the publishers that paid for their writing or for major
355 improvements. Meanwhile, try to avoid buying non-free documentation
356 at all. Check the distribution terms of a manual before you buy it,
357 and insist that whoever seeks your business must respect your freedom.
358 Check the history of the book, and try to reward the publishers that
359 have paid or pay the authors to work on it.
360
361 The Free Software Foundation maintains a list of free documentation
362 published by other publishers, at
363 @url{http://www.fsf.org/doc/other-free-books.html}.
364
365 @node Contributors
366 @unnumberedsec Contributors to @value{GDBN}
367
368 Richard Stallman was the original author of @value{GDBN}, and of many
369 other @sc{gnu} programs. Many others have contributed to its
370 development. This section attempts to credit major contributors. One
371 of the virtues of free software is that everyone is free to contribute
372 to it; with regret, we cannot actually acknowledge everyone here. The
373 file @file{ChangeLog} in the @value{GDBN} distribution approximates a
374 blow-by-blow account.
375
376 Changes much prior to version 2.0 are lost in the mists of time.
377
378 @quotation
379 @emph{Plea:} Additions to this section are particularly welcome. If you
380 or your friends (or enemies, to be evenhanded) have been unfairly
381 omitted from this list, we would like to add your names!
382 @end quotation
383
384 So that they may not regard their many labors as thankless, we
385 particularly thank those who shepherded @value{GDBN} through major
386 releases:
387 Andrew Cagney (releases 6.3, 6.2, 6.1, 6.0, 5.3, 5.2, 5.1 and 5.0);
388 Jim Blandy (release 4.18);
389 Jason Molenda (release 4.17);
390 Stan Shebs (release 4.14);
391 Fred Fish (releases 4.16, 4.15, 4.13, 4.12, 4.11, 4.10, and 4.9);
392 Stu Grossman and John Gilmore (releases 4.8, 4.7, 4.6, 4.5, and 4.4);
393 John Gilmore (releases 4.3, 4.2, 4.1, 4.0, and 3.9);
394 Jim Kingdon (releases 3.5, 3.4, and 3.3);
395 and Randy Smith (releases 3.2, 3.1, and 3.0).
396
397 Richard Stallman, assisted at various times by Peter TerMaat, Chris
398 Hanson, and Richard Mlynarik, handled releases through 2.8.
399
400 Michael Tiemann is the author of most of the @sc{gnu} C@t{++} support
401 in @value{GDBN}, with significant additional contributions from Per
402 Bothner and Daniel Berlin. James Clark wrote the @sc{gnu} C@t{++}
403 demangler. Early work on C@t{++} was by Peter TerMaat (who also did
404 much general update work leading to release 3.0).
405
406 @value{GDBN} uses the BFD subroutine library to examine multiple
407 object-file formats; BFD was a joint project of David V.
408 Henkel-Wallace, Rich Pixley, Steve Chamberlain, and John Gilmore.
409
410 David Johnson wrote the original COFF support; Pace Willison did
411 the original support for encapsulated COFF.
412
413 Brent Benson of Harris Computer Systems contributed DWARF 2 support.
414
415 Adam de Boor and Bradley Davis contributed the ISI Optimum V support.
416 Per Bothner, Noboyuki Hikichi, and Alessandro Forin contributed MIPS
417 support.
418 Jean-Daniel Fekete contributed Sun 386i support.
419 Chris Hanson improved the HP9000 support.
420 Noboyuki Hikichi and Tomoyuki Hasei contributed Sony/News OS 3 support.
421 David Johnson contributed Encore Umax support.
422 Jyrki Kuoppala contributed Altos 3068 support.
423 Jeff Law contributed HP PA and SOM support.
424 Keith Packard contributed NS32K support.
425 Doug Rabson contributed Acorn Risc Machine support.
426 Bob Rusk contributed Harris Nighthawk CX-UX support.
427 Chris Smith contributed Convex support (and Fortran debugging).
428 Jonathan Stone contributed Pyramid support.
429 Michael Tiemann contributed SPARC support.
430 Tim Tucker contributed support for the Gould NP1 and Gould Powernode.
431 Pace Willison contributed Intel 386 support.
432 Jay Vosburgh contributed Symmetry support.
433 Marko Mlinar contributed OpenRISC 1000 support.
434
435 Andreas Schwab contributed M68K @sc{gnu}/Linux support.
436
437 Rich Schaefer and Peter Schauer helped with support of SunOS shared
438 libraries.
439
440 Jay Fenlason and Roland McGrath ensured that @value{GDBN} and GAS agree
441 about several machine instruction sets.
442
443 Patrick Duval, Ted Goldstein, Vikram Koka and Glenn Engel helped develop
444 remote debugging. Intel Corporation, Wind River Systems, AMD, and ARM
445 contributed remote debugging modules for the i960, VxWorks, A29K UDI,
446 and RDI targets, respectively.
447
448 Brian Fox is the author of the readline libraries providing
449 command-line editing and command history.
450
451 Andrew Beers of SUNY Buffalo wrote the language-switching code, the
452 Modula-2 support, and contributed the Languages chapter of this manual.
453
454 Fred Fish wrote most of the support for Unix System Vr4.
455 He also enhanced the command-completion support to cover C@t{++} overloaded
456 symbols.
457
458 Hitachi America (now Renesas America), Ltd. sponsored the support for
459 H8/300, H8/500, and Super-H processors.
460
461 NEC sponsored the support for the v850, Vr4xxx, and Vr5xxx processors.
462
463 Mitsubishi (now Renesas) sponsored the support for D10V, D30V, and M32R/D
464 processors.
465
466 Toshiba sponsored the support for the TX39 Mips processor.
467
468 Matsushita sponsored the support for the MN10200 and MN10300 processors.
469
470 Fujitsu sponsored the support for SPARClite and FR30 processors.
471
472 Kung Hsu, Jeff Law, and Rick Sladkey added support for hardware
473 watchpoints.
474
475 Michael Snyder added support for tracepoints.
476
477 Stu Grossman wrote gdbserver.
478
479 Jim Kingdon, Peter Schauer, Ian Taylor, and Stu Grossman made
480 nearly innumerable bug fixes and cleanups throughout @value{GDBN}.
481
482 The following people at the Hewlett-Packard Company contributed
483 support for the PA-RISC 2.0 architecture, HP-UX 10.20, 10.30, and 11.0
484 (narrow mode), HP's implementation of kernel threads, HP's aC@t{++}
485 compiler, and the Text User Interface (nee Terminal User Interface):
486 Ben Krepp, Richard Title, John Bishop, Susan Macchia, Kathy Mann,
487 Satish Pai, India Paul, Steve Rehrauer, and Elena Zannoni. Kim Haase
488 provided HP-specific information in this manual.
489
490 DJ Delorie ported @value{GDBN} to MS-DOS, for the DJGPP project.
491 Robert Hoehne made significant contributions to the DJGPP port.
492
493 Cygnus Solutions has sponsored @value{GDBN} maintenance and much of its
494 development since 1991. Cygnus engineers who have worked on @value{GDBN}
495 fulltime include Mark Alexander, Jim Blandy, Per Bothner, Kevin
496 Buettner, Edith Epstein, Chris Faylor, Fred Fish, Martin Hunt, Jim
497 Ingham, John Gilmore, Stu Grossman, Kung Hsu, Jim Kingdon, John Metzler,
498 Fernando Nasser, Geoffrey Noer, Dawn Perchik, Rich Pixley, Zdenek
499 Radouch, Keith Seitz, Stan Shebs, David Taylor, and Elena Zannoni. In
500 addition, Dave Brolley, Ian Carmichael, Steve Chamberlain, Nick Clifton,
501 JT Conklin, Stan Cox, DJ Delorie, Ulrich Drepper, Frank Eigler, Doug
502 Evans, Sean Fagan, David Henkel-Wallace, Richard Henderson, Jeff
503 Holcomb, Jeff Law, Jim Lemke, Tom Lord, Bob Manson, Michael Meissner,
504 Jason Merrill, Catherine Moore, Drew Moseley, Ken Raeburn, Gavin
505 Romig-Koch, Rob Savoye, Jamie Smith, Mike Stump, Ian Taylor, Angela
506 Thomas, Michael Tiemann, Tom Tromey, Ron Unrau, Jim Wilson, and David
507 Zuhn have made contributions both large and small.
508
509 Andrew Cagney, Fernando Nasser, and Elena Zannoni, while working for
510 Cygnus Solutions, implemented the original @sc{gdb/mi} interface.
511
512 Jim Blandy added support for preprocessor macros, while working for Red
513 Hat.
514
515 Andrew Cagney designed @value{GDBN}'s architecture vector. Many
516 people including Andrew Cagney, Stephane Carrez, Randolph Chung, Nick
517 Duffek, Richard Henderson, Mark Kettenis, Grace Sainsbury, Kei
518 Sakamoto, Yoshinori Sato, Michael Snyder, Andreas Schwab, Jason
519 Thorpe, Corinna Vinschen, Ulrich Weigand, and Elena Zannoni, helped
520 with the migration of old architectures to this new framework.
521
522 Andrew Cagney completely re-designed and re-implemented @value{GDBN}'s
523 unwinder framework, this consisting of a fresh new design featuring
524 frame IDs, independent frame sniffers, and the sentinel frame. Mark
525 Kettenis implemented the @sc{dwarf 2} unwinder, Jeff Johnston the
526 libunwind unwinder, and Andrew Cagney the dummy, sentinel, tramp, and
527 trad unwinders. The architecture-specific changes, each involving a
528 complete rewrite of the architecture's frame code, were carried out by
529 Jim Blandy, Joel Brobecker, Kevin Buettner, Andrew Cagney, Stephane
530 Carrez, Randolph Chung, Orjan Friberg, Richard Henderson, Daniel
531 Jacobowitz, Jeff Johnston, Mark Kettenis, Theodore A. Roth, Kei
532 Sakamoto, Yoshinori Sato, Michael Snyder, Corinna Vinschen, and Ulrich
533 Weigand.
534
535 Christian Zankel, Ross Morley, Bob Wilson, and Maxim Grigoriev from
536 Tensilica, Inc.@: contributed support for Xtensa processors. Others
537 who have worked on the Xtensa port of @value{GDBN} in the past include
538 Steve Tjiang, John Newlin, and Scott Foehner.
539
540 Michael Eager and staff of Xilinx, Inc., contributed support for the
541 Xilinx MicroBlaze architecture.
542
543 @node Sample Session
544 @chapter A Sample @value{GDBN} Session
545
546 You can use this manual at your leisure to read all about @value{GDBN}.
547 However, a handful of commands are enough to get started using the
548 debugger. This chapter illustrates those commands.
549
550 @iftex
551 In this sample session, we emphasize user input like this: @b{input},
552 to make it easier to pick out from the surrounding output.
553 @end iftex
554
555 @c FIXME: this example may not be appropriate for some configs, where
556 @c FIXME...primary interest is in remote use.
557
558 One of the preliminary versions of @sc{gnu} @code{m4} (a generic macro
559 processor) exhibits the following bug: sometimes, when we change its
560 quote strings from the default, the commands used to capture one macro
561 definition within another stop working. In the following short @code{m4}
562 session, we define a macro @code{foo} which expands to @code{0000}; we
563 then use the @code{m4} built-in @code{defn} to define @code{bar} as the
564 same thing. However, when we change the open quote string to
565 @code{<QUOTE>} and the close quote string to @code{<UNQUOTE>}, the same
566 procedure fails to define a new synonym @code{baz}:
567
568 @smallexample
569 $ @b{cd gnu/m4}
570 $ @b{./m4}
571 @b{define(foo,0000)}
572
573 @b{foo}
574 0000
575 @b{define(bar,defn(`foo'))}
576
577 @b{bar}
578 0000
579 @b{changequote(<QUOTE>,<UNQUOTE>)}
580
581 @b{define(baz,defn(<QUOTE>foo<UNQUOTE>))}
582 @b{baz}
583 @b{Ctrl-d}
584 m4: End of input: 0: fatal error: EOF in string
585 @end smallexample
586
587 @noindent
588 Let us use @value{GDBN} to try to see what is going on.
589
590 @smallexample
591 $ @b{@value{GDBP} m4}
592 @c FIXME: this falsifies the exact text played out, to permit smallbook
593 @c FIXME... format to come out better.
594 @value{GDBN} is free software and you are welcome to distribute copies
595 of it under certain conditions; type "show copying" to see
596 the conditions.
597 There is absolutely no warranty for @value{GDBN}; type "show warranty"
598 for details.
599
600 @value{GDBN} @value{GDBVN}, Copyright 1999 Free Software Foundation, Inc...
601 (@value{GDBP})
602 @end smallexample
603
604 @noindent
605 @value{GDBN} reads only enough symbol data to know where to find the
606 rest when needed; as a result, the first prompt comes up very quickly.
607 We now tell @value{GDBN} to use a narrower display width than usual, so
608 that examples fit in this manual.
609
610 @smallexample
611 (@value{GDBP}) @b{set width 70}
612 @end smallexample
613
614 @noindent
615 We need to see how the @code{m4} built-in @code{changequote} works.
616 Having looked at the source, we know the relevant subroutine is
617 @code{m4_changequote}, so we set a breakpoint there with the @value{GDBN}
618 @code{break} command.
619
620 @smallexample
621 (@value{GDBP}) @b{break m4_changequote}
622 Breakpoint 1 at 0x62f4: file builtin.c, line 879.
623 @end smallexample
624
625 @noindent
626 Using the @code{run} command, we start @code{m4} running under @value{GDBN}
627 control; as long as control does not reach the @code{m4_changequote}
628 subroutine, the program runs as usual:
629
630 @smallexample
631 (@value{GDBP}) @b{run}
632 Starting program: /work/Editorial/gdb/gnu/m4/m4
633 @b{define(foo,0000)}
634
635 @b{foo}
636 0000
637 @end smallexample
638
639 @noindent
640 To trigger the breakpoint, we call @code{changequote}. @value{GDBN}
641 suspends execution of @code{m4}, displaying information about the
642 context where it stops.
643
644 @smallexample
645 @b{changequote(<QUOTE>,<UNQUOTE>)}
646
647 Breakpoint 1, m4_changequote (argc=3, argv=0x33c70)
648 at builtin.c:879
649 879 if (bad_argc(TOKEN_DATA_TEXT(argv[0]),argc,1,3))
650 @end smallexample
651
652 @noindent
653 Now we use the command @code{n} (@code{next}) to advance execution to
654 the next line of the current function.
655
656 @smallexample
657 (@value{GDBP}) @b{n}
658 882 set_quotes((argc >= 2) ? TOKEN_DATA_TEXT(argv[1])\
659 : nil,
660 @end smallexample
661
662 @noindent
663 @code{set_quotes} looks like a promising subroutine. We can go into it
664 by using the command @code{s} (@code{step}) instead of @code{next}.
665 @code{step} goes to the next line to be executed in @emph{any}
666 subroutine, so it steps into @code{set_quotes}.
667
668 @smallexample
669 (@value{GDBP}) @b{s}
670 set_quotes (lq=0x34c78 "<QUOTE>", rq=0x34c88 "<UNQUOTE>")
671 at input.c:530
672 530 if (lquote != def_lquote)
673 @end smallexample
674
675 @noindent
676 The display that shows the subroutine where @code{m4} is now
677 suspended (and its arguments) is called a stack frame display. It
678 shows a summary of the stack. We can use the @code{backtrace}
679 command (which can also be spelled @code{bt}), to see where we are
680 in the stack as a whole: the @code{backtrace} command displays a
681 stack frame for each active subroutine.
682
683 @smallexample
684 (@value{GDBP}) @b{bt}
685 #0 set_quotes (lq=0x34c78 "<QUOTE>", rq=0x34c88 "<UNQUOTE>")
686 at input.c:530
687 #1 0x6344 in m4_changequote (argc=3, argv=0x33c70)
688 at builtin.c:882
689 #2 0x8174 in expand_macro (sym=0x33320) at macro.c:242
690 #3 0x7a88 in expand_token (obs=0x0, t=209696, td=0xf7fffa30)
691 at macro.c:71
692 #4 0x79dc in expand_input () at macro.c:40
693 #5 0x2930 in main (argc=0, argv=0xf7fffb20) at m4.c:195
694 @end smallexample
695
696 @noindent
697 We step through a few more lines to see what happens. The first two
698 times, we can use @samp{s}; the next two times we use @code{n} to avoid
699 falling into the @code{xstrdup} subroutine.
700
701 @smallexample
702 (@value{GDBP}) @b{s}
703 0x3b5c 532 if (rquote != def_rquote)
704 (@value{GDBP}) @b{s}
705 0x3b80 535 lquote = (lq == nil || *lq == '\0') ? \
706 def_lquote : xstrdup(lq);
707 (@value{GDBP}) @b{n}
708 536 rquote = (rq == nil || *rq == '\0') ? def_rquote\
709 : xstrdup(rq);
710 (@value{GDBP}) @b{n}
711 538 len_lquote = strlen(rquote);
712 @end smallexample
713
714 @noindent
715 The last line displayed looks a little odd; we can examine the variables
716 @code{lquote} and @code{rquote} to see if they are in fact the new left
717 and right quotes we specified. We use the command @code{p}
718 (@code{print}) to see their values.
719
720 @smallexample
721 (@value{GDBP}) @b{p lquote}
722 $1 = 0x35d40 "<QUOTE>"
723 (@value{GDBP}) @b{p rquote}
724 $2 = 0x35d50 "<UNQUOTE>"
725 @end smallexample
726
727 @noindent
728 @code{lquote} and @code{rquote} are indeed the new left and right quotes.
729 To look at some context, we can display ten lines of source
730 surrounding the current line with the @code{l} (@code{list}) command.
731
732 @smallexample
733 (@value{GDBP}) @b{l}
734 533 xfree(rquote);
735 534
736 535 lquote = (lq == nil || *lq == '\0') ? def_lquote\
737 : xstrdup (lq);
738 536 rquote = (rq == nil || *rq == '\0') ? def_rquote\
739 : xstrdup (rq);
740 537
741 538 len_lquote = strlen(rquote);
742 539 len_rquote = strlen(lquote);
743 540 @}
744 541
745 542 void
746 @end smallexample
747
748 @noindent
749 Let us step past the two lines that set @code{len_lquote} and
750 @code{len_rquote}, and then examine the values of those variables.
751
752 @smallexample
753 (@value{GDBP}) @b{n}
754 539 len_rquote = strlen(lquote);
755 (@value{GDBP}) @b{n}
756 540 @}
757 (@value{GDBP}) @b{p len_lquote}
758 $3 = 9
759 (@value{GDBP}) @b{p len_rquote}
760 $4 = 7
761 @end smallexample
762
763 @noindent
764 That certainly looks wrong, assuming @code{len_lquote} and
765 @code{len_rquote} are meant to be the lengths of @code{lquote} and
766 @code{rquote} respectively. We can set them to better values using
767 the @code{p} command, since it can print the value of
768 any expression---and that expression can include subroutine calls and
769 assignments.
770
771 @smallexample
772 (@value{GDBP}) @b{p len_lquote=strlen(lquote)}
773 $5 = 7
774 (@value{GDBP}) @b{p len_rquote=strlen(rquote)}
775 $6 = 9
776 @end smallexample
777
778 @noindent
779 Is that enough to fix the problem of using the new quotes with the
780 @code{m4} built-in @code{defn}? We can allow @code{m4} to continue
781 executing with the @code{c} (@code{continue}) command, and then try the
782 example that caused trouble initially:
783
784 @smallexample
785 (@value{GDBP}) @b{c}
786 Continuing.
787
788 @b{define(baz,defn(<QUOTE>foo<UNQUOTE>))}
789
790 baz
791 0000
792 @end smallexample
793
794 @noindent
795 Success! The new quotes now work just as well as the default ones. The
796 problem seems to have been just the two typos defining the wrong
797 lengths. We allow @code{m4} exit by giving it an EOF as input:
798
799 @smallexample
800 @b{Ctrl-d}
801 Program exited normally.
802 @end smallexample
803
804 @noindent
805 The message @samp{Program exited normally.} is from @value{GDBN}; it
806 indicates @code{m4} has finished executing. We can end our @value{GDBN}
807 session with the @value{GDBN} @code{quit} command.
808
809 @smallexample
810 (@value{GDBP}) @b{quit}
811 @end smallexample
812
813 @node Invocation
814 @chapter Getting In and Out of @value{GDBN}
815
816 This chapter discusses how to start @value{GDBN}, and how to get out of it.
817 The essentials are:
818 @itemize @bullet
819 @item
820 type @samp{@value{GDBP}} to start @value{GDBN}.
821 @item
822 type @kbd{quit} or @kbd{Ctrl-d} to exit.
823 @end itemize
824
825 @menu
826 * Invoking GDB:: How to start @value{GDBN}
827 * Quitting GDB:: How to quit @value{GDBN}
828 * Shell Commands:: How to use shell commands inside @value{GDBN}
829 * Logging Output:: How to log @value{GDBN}'s output to a file
830 @end menu
831
832 @node Invoking GDB
833 @section Invoking @value{GDBN}
834
835 Invoke @value{GDBN} by running the program @code{@value{GDBP}}. Once started,
836 @value{GDBN} reads commands from the terminal until you tell it to exit.
837
838 You can also run @code{@value{GDBP}} with a variety of arguments and options,
839 to specify more of your debugging environment at the outset.
840
841 The command-line options described here are designed
842 to cover a variety of situations; in some environments, some of these
843 options may effectively be unavailable.
844
845 The most usual way to start @value{GDBN} is with one argument,
846 specifying an executable program:
847
848 @smallexample
849 @value{GDBP} @var{program}
850 @end smallexample
851
852 @noindent
853 You can also start with both an executable program and a core file
854 specified:
855
856 @smallexample
857 @value{GDBP} @var{program} @var{core}
858 @end smallexample
859
860 You can, instead, specify a process ID as a second argument, if you want
861 to debug a running process:
862
863 @smallexample
864 @value{GDBP} @var{program} 1234
865 @end smallexample
866
867 @noindent
868 would attach @value{GDBN} to process @code{1234} (unless you also have a file
869 named @file{1234}; @value{GDBN} does check for a core file first).
870
871 Taking advantage of the second command-line argument requires a fairly
872 complete operating system; when you use @value{GDBN} as a remote
873 debugger attached to a bare board, there may not be any notion of
874 ``process'', and there is often no way to get a core dump. @value{GDBN}
875 will warn you if it is unable to attach or to read core dumps.
876
877 You can optionally have @code{@value{GDBP}} pass any arguments after the
878 executable file to the inferior using @code{--args}. This option stops
879 option processing.
880 @smallexample
881 @value{GDBP} --args gcc -O2 -c foo.c
882 @end smallexample
883 This will cause @code{@value{GDBP}} to debug @code{gcc}, and to set
884 @code{gcc}'s command-line arguments (@pxref{Arguments}) to @samp{-O2 -c foo.c}.
885
886 You can run @code{@value{GDBP}} without printing the front material, which describes
887 @value{GDBN}'s non-warranty, by specifying @code{-silent}:
888
889 @smallexample
890 @value{GDBP} -silent
891 @end smallexample
892
893 @noindent
894 You can further control how @value{GDBN} starts up by using command-line
895 options. @value{GDBN} itself can remind you of the options available.
896
897 @noindent
898 Type
899
900 @smallexample
901 @value{GDBP} -help
902 @end smallexample
903
904 @noindent
905 to display all available options and briefly describe their use
906 (@samp{@value{GDBP} -h} is a shorter equivalent).
907
908 All options and command line arguments you give are processed
909 in sequential order. The order makes a difference when the
910 @samp{-x} option is used.
911
912
913 @menu
914 * File Options:: Choosing files
915 * Mode Options:: Choosing modes
916 * Startup:: What @value{GDBN} does during startup
917 @end menu
918
919 @node File Options
920 @subsection Choosing Files
921
922 When @value{GDBN} starts, it reads any arguments other than options as
923 specifying an executable file and core file (or process ID). This is
924 the same as if the arguments were specified by the @samp{-se} and
925 @samp{-c} (or @samp{-p}) options respectively. (@value{GDBN} reads the
926 first argument that does not have an associated option flag as
927 equivalent to the @samp{-se} option followed by that argument; and the
928 second argument that does not have an associated option flag, if any, as
929 equivalent to the @samp{-c}/@samp{-p} option followed by that argument.)
930 If the second argument begins with a decimal digit, @value{GDBN} will
931 first attempt to attach to it as a process, and if that fails, attempt
932 to open it as a corefile. If you have a corefile whose name begins with
933 a digit, you can prevent @value{GDBN} from treating it as a pid by
934 prefixing it with @file{./}, e.g.@: @file{./12345}.
935
936 If @value{GDBN} has not been configured to included core file support,
937 such as for most embedded targets, then it will complain about a second
938 argument and ignore it.
939
940 Many options have both long and short forms; both are shown in the
941 following list. @value{GDBN} also recognizes the long forms if you truncate
942 them, so long as enough of the option is present to be unambiguous.
943 (If you prefer, you can flag option arguments with @samp{--} rather
944 than @samp{-}, though we illustrate the more usual convention.)
945
946 @c NOTE: the @cindex entries here use double dashes ON PURPOSE. This
947 @c way, both those who look for -foo and --foo in the index, will find
948 @c it.
949
950 @table @code
951 @item -symbols @var{file}
952 @itemx -s @var{file}
953 @cindex @code{--symbols}
954 @cindex @code{-s}
955 Read symbol table from file @var{file}.
956
957 @item -exec @var{file}
958 @itemx -e @var{file}
959 @cindex @code{--exec}
960 @cindex @code{-e}
961 Use file @var{file} as the executable file to execute when appropriate,
962 and for examining pure data in conjunction with a core dump.
963
964 @item -se @var{file}
965 @cindex @code{--se}
966 Read symbol table from file @var{file} and use it as the executable
967 file.
968
969 @item -core @var{file}
970 @itemx -c @var{file}
971 @cindex @code{--core}
972 @cindex @code{-c}
973 Use file @var{file} as a core dump to examine.
974
975 @item -pid @var{number}
976 @itemx -p @var{number}
977 @cindex @code{--pid}
978 @cindex @code{-p}
979 Connect to process ID @var{number}, as with the @code{attach} command.
980
981 @item -command @var{file}
982 @itemx -x @var{file}
983 @cindex @code{--command}
984 @cindex @code{-x}
985 Execute commands from file @var{file}. The contents of this file is
986 evaluated exactly as the @code{source} command would.
987 @xref{Command Files,, Command files}.
988
989 @item -eval-command @var{command}
990 @itemx -ex @var{command}
991 @cindex @code{--eval-command}
992 @cindex @code{-ex}
993 Execute a single @value{GDBN} command.
994
995 This option may be used multiple times to call multiple commands. It may
996 also be interleaved with @samp{-command} as required.
997
998 @smallexample
999 @value{GDBP} -ex 'target sim' -ex 'load' \
1000 -x setbreakpoints -ex 'run' a.out
1001 @end smallexample
1002
1003 @item -init-command @var{file}
1004 @itemx -ix @var{file}
1005 @cindex @code{--init-command}
1006 @cindex @code{-ix}
1007 Execute commands from file @var{file} before loading the inferior (but
1008 after loading gdbinit files).
1009 @xref{Startup}.
1010
1011 @item -init-eval-command @var{command}
1012 @itemx -iex @var{command}
1013 @cindex @code{--init-eval-command}
1014 @cindex @code{-iex}
1015 Execute a single @value{GDBN} command before loading the inferior (but
1016 after loading gdbinit files).
1017 @xref{Startup}.
1018
1019 @item -directory @var{directory}
1020 @itemx -d @var{directory}
1021 @cindex @code{--directory}
1022 @cindex @code{-d}
1023 Add @var{directory} to the path to search for source and script files.
1024
1025 @item -r
1026 @itemx -readnow
1027 @cindex @code{--readnow}
1028 @cindex @code{-r}
1029 Read each symbol file's entire symbol table immediately, rather than
1030 the default, which is to read it incrementally as it is needed.
1031 This makes startup slower, but makes future operations faster.
1032
1033 @end table
1034
1035 @node Mode Options
1036 @subsection Choosing Modes
1037
1038 You can run @value{GDBN} in various alternative modes---for example, in
1039 batch mode or quiet mode.
1040
1041 @table @code
1042 @anchor{-nx}
1043 @item -nx
1044 @itemx -n
1045 @cindex @code{--nx}
1046 @cindex @code{-n}
1047 Do not execute commands found in any initialization file.
1048 There are three init files, loaded in the following order:
1049
1050 @table @code
1051 @item @file{system.gdbinit}
1052 This is the system-wide init file.
1053 Its location is specified with the @code{--with-system-gdbinit}
1054 configure option (@pxref{System-wide configuration}).
1055 It is loaded first when @value{GDBN} starts, before command line options
1056 have been processed.
1057 @item @file{~/.gdbinit}
1058 This is the init file in your home directory.
1059 It is loaded next, after @file{system.gdbinit}, and before
1060 command options have been processed.
1061 @item @file{./.gdbinit}
1062 This is the init file in the current directory.
1063 It is loaded last, after command line options other than @code{-x} and
1064 @code{-ex} have been processed. Command line options @code{-x} and
1065 @code{-ex} are processed last, after @file{./.gdbinit} has been loaded.
1066 @end table
1067
1068 For further documentation on startup processing, @xref{Startup}.
1069 For documentation on how to write command files,
1070 @xref{Command Files,,Command Files}.
1071
1072 @anchor{-nh}
1073 @item -nh
1074 @cindex @code{--nh}
1075 Do not execute commands found in @file{~/.gdbinit}, the init file
1076 in your home directory.
1077 @xref{Startup}.
1078
1079 @item -quiet
1080 @itemx -silent
1081 @itemx -q
1082 @cindex @code{--quiet}
1083 @cindex @code{--silent}
1084 @cindex @code{-q}
1085 ``Quiet''. Do not print the introductory and copyright messages. These
1086 messages are also suppressed in batch mode.
1087
1088 @item -batch
1089 @cindex @code{--batch}
1090 Run in batch mode. Exit with status @code{0} after processing all the
1091 command files specified with @samp{-x} (and all commands from
1092 initialization files, if not inhibited with @samp{-n}). Exit with
1093 nonzero status if an error occurs in executing the @value{GDBN} commands
1094 in the command files. Batch mode also disables pagination, sets unlimited
1095 terminal width and height @pxref{Screen Size}, and acts as if @kbd{set confirm
1096 off} were in effect (@pxref{Messages/Warnings}).
1097
1098 Batch mode may be useful for running @value{GDBN} as a filter, for
1099 example to download and run a program on another computer; in order to
1100 make this more useful, the message
1101
1102 @smallexample
1103 Program exited normally.
1104 @end smallexample
1105
1106 @noindent
1107 (which is ordinarily issued whenever a program running under
1108 @value{GDBN} control terminates) is not issued when running in batch
1109 mode.
1110
1111 @item -batch-silent
1112 @cindex @code{--batch-silent}
1113 Run in batch mode exactly like @samp{-batch}, but totally silently. All
1114 @value{GDBN} output to @code{stdout} is prevented (@code{stderr} is
1115 unaffected). This is much quieter than @samp{-silent} and would be useless
1116 for an interactive session.
1117
1118 This is particularly useful when using targets that give @samp{Loading section}
1119 messages, for example.
1120
1121 Note that targets that give their output via @value{GDBN}, as opposed to
1122 writing directly to @code{stdout}, will also be made silent.
1123
1124 @item -return-child-result
1125 @cindex @code{--return-child-result}
1126 The return code from @value{GDBN} will be the return code from the child
1127 process (the process being debugged), with the following exceptions:
1128
1129 @itemize @bullet
1130 @item
1131 @value{GDBN} exits abnormally. E.g., due to an incorrect argument or an
1132 internal error. In this case the exit code is the same as it would have been
1133 without @samp{-return-child-result}.
1134 @item
1135 The user quits with an explicit value. E.g., @samp{quit 1}.
1136 @item
1137 The child process never runs, or is not allowed to terminate, in which case
1138 the exit code will be -1.
1139 @end itemize
1140
1141 This option is useful in conjunction with @samp{-batch} or @samp{-batch-silent},
1142 when @value{GDBN} is being used as a remote program loader or simulator
1143 interface.
1144
1145 @item -nowindows
1146 @itemx -nw
1147 @cindex @code{--nowindows}
1148 @cindex @code{-nw}
1149 ``No windows''. If @value{GDBN} comes with a graphical user interface
1150 (GUI) built in, then this option tells @value{GDBN} to only use the command-line
1151 interface. If no GUI is available, this option has no effect.
1152
1153 @item -windows
1154 @itemx -w
1155 @cindex @code{--windows}
1156 @cindex @code{-w}
1157 If @value{GDBN} includes a GUI, then this option requires it to be
1158 used if possible.
1159
1160 @item -cd @var{directory}
1161 @cindex @code{--cd}
1162 Run @value{GDBN} using @var{directory} as its working directory,
1163 instead of the current directory.
1164
1165 @item -data-directory @var{directory}
1166 @cindex @code{--data-directory}
1167 Run @value{GDBN} using @var{directory} as its data directory.
1168 The data directory is where @value{GDBN} searches for its
1169 auxiliary files. @xref{Data Files}.
1170
1171 @item -fullname
1172 @itemx -f
1173 @cindex @code{--fullname}
1174 @cindex @code{-f}
1175 @sc{gnu} Emacs sets this option when it runs @value{GDBN} as a
1176 subprocess. It tells @value{GDBN} to output the full file name and line
1177 number in a standard, recognizable fashion each time a stack frame is
1178 displayed (which includes each time your program stops). This
1179 recognizable format looks like two @samp{\032} characters, followed by
1180 the file name, line number and character position separated by colons,
1181 and a newline. The Emacs-to-@value{GDBN} interface program uses the two
1182 @samp{\032} characters as a signal to display the source code for the
1183 frame.
1184
1185 @item -annotate @var{level}
1186 @cindex @code{--annotate}
1187 This option sets the @dfn{annotation level} inside @value{GDBN}. Its
1188 effect is identical to using @samp{set annotate @var{level}}
1189 (@pxref{Annotations}). The annotation @var{level} controls how much
1190 information @value{GDBN} prints together with its prompt, values of
1191 expressions, source lines, and other types of output. Level 0 is the
1192 normal, level 1 is for use when @value{GDBN} is run as a subprocess of
1193 @sc{gnu} Emacs, level 3 is the maximum annotation suitable for programs
1194 that control @value{GDBN}, and level 2 has been deprecated.
1195
1196 The annotation mechanism has largely been superseded by @sc{gdb/mi}
1197 (@pxref{GDB/MI}).
1198
1199 @item --args
1200 @cindex @code{--args}
1201 Change interpretation of command line so that arguments following the
1202 executable file are passed as command line arguments to the inferior.
1203 This option stops option processing.
1204
1205 @item -baud @var{bps}
1206 @itemx -b @var{bps}
1207 @cindex @code{--baud}
1208 @cindex @code{-b}
1209 Set the line speed (baud rate or bits per second) of any serial
1210 interface used by @value{GDBN} for remote debugging.
1211
1212 @item -l @var{timeout}
1213 @cindex @code{-l}
1214 Set the timeout (in seconds) of any communication used by @value{GDBN}
1215 for remote debugging.
1216
1217 @item -tty @var{device}
1218 @itemx -t @var{device}
1219 @cindex @code{--tty}
1220 @cindex @code{-t}
1221 Run using @var{device} for your program's standard input and output.
1222 @c FIXME: kingdon thinks there is more to -tty. Investigate.
1223
1224 @c resolve the situation of these eventually
1225 @item -tui
1226 @cindex @code{--tui}
1227 Activate the @dfn{Text User Interface} when starting. The Text User
1228 Interface manages several text windows on the terminal, showing
1229 source, assembly, registers and @value{GDBN} command outputs
1230 (@pxref{TUI, ,@value{GDBN} Text User Interface}). Do not use this
1231 option if you run @value{GDBN} from Emacs (@pxref{Emacs, ,
1232 Using @value{GDBN} under @sc{gnu} Emacs}).
1233
1234 @c @item -xdb
1235 @c @cindex @code{--xdb}
1236 @c Run in XDB compatibility mode, allowing the use of certain XDB commands.
1237 @c For information, see the file @file{xdb_trans.html}, which is usually
1238 @c installed in the directory @code{/opt/langtools/wdb/doc} on HP-UX
1239 @c systems.
1240
1241 @item -interpreter @var{interp}
1242 @cindex @code{--interpreter}
1243 Use the interpreter @var{interp} for interface with the controlling
1244 program or device. This option is meant to be set by programs which
1245 communicate with @value{GDBN} using it as a back end.
1246 @xref{Interpreters, , Command Interpreters}.
1247
1248 @samp{--interpreter=mi} (or @samp{--interpreter=mi2}) causes
1249 @value{GDBN} to use the @dfn{@sc{gdb/mi} interface} (@pxref{GDB/MI, ,
1250 The @sc{gdb/mi} Interface}) included since @value{GDBN} version 6.0. The
1251 previous @sc{gdb/mi} interface, included in @value{GDBN} version 5.3 and
1252 selected with @samp{--interpreter=mi1}, is deprecated. Earlier
1253 @sc{gdb/mi} interfaces are no longer supported.
1254
1255 @item -write
1256 @cindex @code{--write}
1257 Open the executable and core files for both reading and writing. This
1258 is equivalent to the @samp{set write on} command inside @value{GDBN}
1259 (@pxref{Patching}).
1260
1261 @item -statistics
1262 @cindex @code{--statistics}
1263 This option causes @value{GDBN} to print statistics about time and
1264 memory usage after it completes each command and returns to the prompt.
1265
1266 @item -version
1267 @cindex @code{--version}
1268 This option causes @value{GDBN} to print its version number and
1269 no-warranty blurb, and exit.
1270
1271 @item -configuration
1272 @cindex @code{--configuration}
1273 This option causes @value{GDBN} to print details about its build-time
1274 configuration parameters, and then exit. These details can be
1275 important when reporting @value{GDBN} bugs (@pxref{GDB Bugs}).
1276
1277 @end table
1278
1279 @node Startup
1280 @subsection What @value{GDBN} Does During Startup
1281 @cindex @value{GDBN} startup
1282
1283 Here's the description of what @value{GDBN} does during session startup:
1284
1285 @enumerate
1286 @item
1287 Sets up the command interpreter as specified by the command line
1288 (@pxref{Mode Options, interpreter}).
1289
1290 @item
1291 @cindex init file
1292 Reads the system-wide @dfn{init file} (if @option{--with-system-gdbinit} was
1293 used when building @value{GDBN}; @pxref{System-wide configuration,
1294 ,System-wide configuration and settings}) and executes all the commands in
1295 that file.
1296
1297 @anchor{Home Directory Init File}
1298 @item
1299 Reads the init file (if any) in your home directory@footnote{On
1300 DOS/Windows systems, the home directory is the one pointed to by the
1301 @code{HOME} environment variable.} and executes all the commands in
1302 that file.
1303
1304 @anchor{Option -init-eval-command}
1305 @item
1306 Executes commands and command files specified by the @samp{-iex} and
1307 @samp{-ix} options in their specified order. Usually you should use the
1308 @samp{-ex} and @samp{-x} options instead, but this way you can apply
1309 settings before @value{GDBN} init files get executed and before inferior
1310 gets loaded.
1311
1312 @item
1313 Processes command line options and operands.
1314
1315 @anchor{Init File in the Current Directory during Startup}
1316 @item
1317 Reads and executes the commands from init file (if any) in the current
1318 working directory as long as @samp{set auto-load local-gdbinit} is set to
1319 @samp{on} (@pxref{Init File in the Current Directory}).
1320 This is only done if the current directory is
1321 different from your home directory. Thus, you can have more than one
1322 init file, one generic in your home directory, and another, specific
1323 to the program you are debugging, in the directory where you invoke
1324 @value{GDBN}.
1325
1326 @item
1327 If the command line specified a program to debug, or a process to
1328 attach to, or a core file, @value{GDBN} loads any auto-loaded
1329 scripts provided for the program or for its loaded shared libraries.
1330 @xref{Auto-loading}.
1331
1332 If you wish to disable the auto-loading during startup,
1333 you must do something like the following:
1334
1335 @smallexample
1336 $ gdb -iex "set auto-load python-scripts off" myprogram
1337 @end smallexample
1338
1339 Option @samp{-ex} does not work because the auto-loading is then turned
1340 off too late.
1341
1342 @item
1343 Executes commands and command files specified by the @samp{-ex} and
1344 @samp{-x} options in their specified order. @xref{Command Files}, for
1345 more details about @value{GDBN} command files.
1346
1347 @item
1348 Reads the command history recorded in the @dfn{history file}.
1349 @xref{Command History}, for more details about the command history and the
1350 files where @value{GDBN} records it.
1351 @end enumerate
1352
1353 Init files use the same syntax as @dfn{command files} (@pxref{Command
1354 Files}) and are processed by @value{GDBN} in the same way. The init
1355 file in your home directory can set options (such as @samp{set
1356 complaints}) that affect subsequent processing of command line options
1357 and operands. Init files are not executed if you use the @samp{-nx}
1358 option (@pxref{Mode Options, ,Choosing Modes}).
1359
1360 To display the list of init files loaded by gdb at startup, you
1361 can use @kbd{gdb --help}.
1362
1363 @cindex init file name
1364 @cindex @file{.gdbinit}
1365 @cindex @file{gdb.ini}
1366 The @value{GDBN} init files are normally called @file{.gdbinit}.
1367 The DJGPP port of @value{GDBN} uses the name @file{gdb.ini}, due to
1368 the limitations of file names imposed by DOS filesystems. The Windows
1369 port of @value{GDBN} uses the standard name, but if it finds a
1370 @file{gdb.ini} file in your home directory, it warns you about that
1371 and suggests to rename the file to the standard name.
1372
1373
1374 @node Quitting GDB
1375 @section Quitting @value{GDBN}
1376 @cindex exiting @value{GDBN}
1377 @cindex leaving @value{GDBN}
1378
1379 @table @code
1380 @kindex quit @r{[}@var{expression}@r{]}
1381 @kindex q @r{(@code{quit})}
1382 @item quit @r{[}@var{expression}@r{]}
1383 @itemx q
1384 To exit @value{GDBN}, use the @code{quit} command (abbreviated
1385 @code{q}), or type an end-of-file character (usually @kbd{Ctrl-d}). If you
1386 do not supply @var{expression}, @value{GDBN} will terminate normally;
1387 otherwise it will terminate using the result of @var{expression} as the
1388 error code.
1389 @end table
1390
1391 @cindex interrupt
1392 An interrupt (often @kbd{Ctrl-c}) does not exit from @value{GDBN}, but rather
1393 terminates the action of any @value{GDBN} command that is in progress and
1394 returns to @value{GDBN} command level. It is safe to type the interrupt
1395 character at any time because @value{GDBN} does not allow it to take effect
1396 until a time when it is safe.
1397
1398 If you have been using @value{GDBN} to control an attached process or
1399 device, you can release it with the @code{detach} command
1400 (@pxref{Attach, ,Debugging an Already-running Process}).
1401
1402 @node Shell Commands
1403 @section Shell Commands
1404
1405 If you need to execute occasional shell commands during your
1406 debugging session, there is no need to leave or suspend @value{GDBN}; you can
1407 just use the @code{shell} command.
1408
1409 @table @code
1410 @kindex shell
1411 @kindex !
1412 @cindex shell escape
1413 @item shell @var{command-string}
1414 @itemx !@var{command-string}
1415 Invoke a standard shell to execute @var{command-string}.
1416 Note that no space is needed between @code{!} and @var{command-string}.
1417 If it exists, the environment variable @code{SHELL} determines which
1418 shell to run. Otherwise @value{GDBN} uses the default shell
1419 (@file{/bin/sh} on Unix systems, @file{COMMAND.COM} on MS-DOS, etc.).
1420 @end table
1421
1422 The utility @code{make} is often needed in development environments.
1423 You do not have to use the @code{shell} command for this purpose in
1424 @value{GDBN}:
1425
1426 @table @code
1427 @kindex make
1428 @cindex calling make
1429 @item make @var{make-args}
1430 Execute the @code{make} program with the specified
1431 arguments. This is equivalent to @samp{shell make @var{make-args}}.
1432 @end table
1433
1434 @node Logging Output
1435 @section Logging Output
1436 @cindex logging @value{GDBN} output
1437 @cindex save @value{GDBN} output to a file
1438
1439 You may want to save the output of @value{GDBN} commands to a file.
1440 There are several commands to control @value{GDBN}'s logging.
1441
1442 @table @code
1443 @kindex set logging
1444 @item set logging on
1445 Enable logging.
1446 @item set logging off
1447 Disable logging.
1448 @cindex logging file name
1449 @item set logging file @var{file}
1450 Change the name of the current logfile. The default logfile is @file{gdb.txt}.
1451 @item set logging overwrite [on|off]
1452 By default, @value{GDBN} will append to the logfile. Set @code{overwrite} if
1453 you want @code{set logging on} to overwrite the logfile instead.
1454 @item set logging redirect [on|off]
1455 By default, @value{GDBN} output will go to both the terminal and the logfile.
1456 Set @code{redirect} if you want output to go only to the log file.
1457 @kindex show logging
1458 @item show logging
1459 Show the current values of the logging settings.
1460 @end table
1461
1462 @node Commands
1463 @chapter @value{GDBN} Commands
1464
1465 You can abbreviate a @value{GDBN} command to the first few letters of the command
1466 name, if that abbreviation is unambiguous; and you can repeat certain
1467 @value{GDBN} commands by typing just @key{RET}. You can also use the @key{TAB}
1468 key to get @value{GDBN} to fill out the rest of a word in a command (or to
1469 show you the alternatives available, if there is more than one possibility).
1470
1471 @menu
1472 * Command Syntax:: How to give commands to @value{GDBN}
1473 * Completion:: Command completion
1474 * Help:: How to ask @value{GDBN} for help
1475 @end menu
1476
1477 @node Command Syntax
1478 @section Command Syntax
1479
1480 A @value{GDBN} command is a single line of input. There is no limit on
1481 how long it can be. It starts with a command name, which is followed by
1482 arguments whose meaning depends on the command name. For example, the
1483 command @code{step} accepts an argument which is the number of times to
1484 step, as in @samp{step 5}. You can also use the @code{step} command
1485 with no arguments. Some commands do not allow any arguments.
1486
1487 @cindex abbreviation
1488 @value{GDBN} command names may always be truncated if that abbreviation is
1489 unambiguous. Other possible command abbreviations are listed in the
1490 documentation for individual commands. In some cases, even ambiguous
1491 abbreviations are allowed; for example, @code{s} is specially defined as
1492 equivalent to @code{step} even though there are other commands whose
1493 names start with @code{s}. You can test abbreviations by using them as
1494 arguments to the @code{help} command.
1495
1496 @cindex repeating commands
1497 @kindex RET @r{(repeat last command)}
1498 A blank line as input to @value{GDBN} (typing just @key{RET}) means to
1499 repeat the previous command. Certain commands (for example, @code{run})
1500 will not repeat this way; these are commands whose unintentional
1501 repetition might cause trouble and which you are unlikely to want to
1502 repeat. User-defined commands can disable this feature; see
1503 @ref{Define, dont-repeat}.
1504
1505 The @code{list} and @code{x} commands, when you repeat them with
1506 @key{RET}, construct new arguments rather than repeating
1507 exactly as typed. This permits easy scanning of source or memory.
1508
1509 @value{GDBN} can also use @key{RET} in another way: to partition lengthy
1510 output, in a way similar to the common utility @code{more}
1511 (@pxref{Screen Size,,Screen Size}). Since it is easy to press one
1512 @key{RET} too many in this situation, @value{GDBN} disables command
1513 repetition after any command that generates this sort of display.
1514
1515 @kindex # @r{(a comment)}
1516 @cindex comment
1517 Any text from a @kbd{#} to the end of the line is a comment; it does
1518 nothing. This is useful mainly in command files (@pxref{Command
1519 Files,,Command Files}).
1520
1521 @cindex repeating command sequences
1522 @kindex Ctrl-o @r{(operate-and-get-next)}
1523 The @kbd{Ctrl-o} binding is useful for repeating a complex sequence of
1524 commands. This command accepts the current line, like @key{RET}, and
1525 then fetches the next line relative to the current line from the history
1526 for editing.
1527
1528 @node Completion
1529 @section Command Completion
1530
1531 @cindex completion
1532 @cindex word completion
1533 @value{GDBN} can fill in the rest of a word in a command for you, if there is
1534 only one possibility; it can also show you what the valid possibilities
1535 are for the next word in a command, at any time. This works for @value{GDBN}
1536 commands, @value{GDBN} subcommands, and the names of symbols in your program.
1537
1538 Press the @key{TAB} key whenever you want @value{GDBN} to fill out the rest
1539 of a word. If there is only one possibility, @value{GDBN} fills in the
1540 word, and waits for you to finish the command (or press @key{RET} to
1541 enter it). For example, if you type
1542
1543 @c FIXME "@key" does not distinguish its argument sufficiently to permit
1544 @c complete accuracy in these examples; space introduced for clarity.
1545 @c If texinfo enhancements make it unnecessary, it would be nice to
1546 @c replace " @key" by "@key" in the following...
1547 @smallexample
1548 (@value{GDBP}) info bre @key{TAB}
1549 @end smallexample
1550
1551 @noindent
1552 @value{GDBN} fills in the rest of the word @samp{breakpoints}, since that is
1553 the only @code{info} subcommand beginning with @samp{bre}:
1554
1555 @smallexample
1556 (@value{GDBP}) info breakpoints
1557 @end smallexample
1558
1559 @noindent
1560 You can either press @key{RET} at this point, to run the @code{info
1561 breakpoints} command, or backspace and enter something else, if
1562 @samp{breakpoints} does not look like the command you expected. (If you
1563 were sure you wanted @code{info breakpoints} in the first place, you
1564 might as well just type @key{RET} immediately after @samp{info bre},
1565 to exploit command abbreviations rather than command completion).
1566
1567 If there is more than one possibility for the next word when you press
1568 @key{TAB}, @value{GDBN} sounds a bell. You can either supply more
1569 characters and try again, or just press @key{TAB} a second time;
1570 @value{GDBN} displays all the possible completions for that word. For
1571 example, you might want to set a breakpoint on a subroutine whose name
1572 begins with @samp{make_}, but when you type @kbd{b make_@key{TAB}} @value{GDBN}
1573 just sounds the bell. Typing @key{TAB} again displays all the
1574 function names in your program that begin with those characters, for
1575 example:
1576
1577 @smallexample
1578 (@value{GDBP}) b make_ @key{TAB}
1579 @exdent @value{GDBN} sounds bell; press @key{TAB} again, to see:
1580 make_a_section_from_file make_environ
1581 make_abs_section make_function_type
1582 make_blockvector make_pointer_type
1583 make_cleanup make_reference_type
1584 make_command make_symbol_completion_list
1585 (@value{GDBP}) b make_
1586 @end smallexample
1587
1588 @noindent
1589 After displaying the available possibilities, @value{GDBN} copies your
1590 partial input (@samp{b make_} in the example) so you can finish the
1591 command.
1592
1593 If you just want to see the list of alternatives in the first place, you
1594 can press @kbd{M-?} rather than pressing @key{TAB} twice. @kbd{M-?}
1595 means @kbd{@key{META} ?}. You can type this either by holding down a
1596 key designated as the @key{META} shift on your keyboard (if there is
1597 one) while typing @kbd{?}, or as @key{ESC} followed by @kbd{?}.
1598
1599 @cindex quotes in commands
1600 @cindex completion of quoted strings
1601 Sometimes the string you need, while logically a ``word'', may contain
1602 parentheses or other characters that @value{GDBN} normally excludes from
1603 its notion of a word. To permit word completion to work in this
1604 situation, you may enclose words in @code{'} (single quote marks) in
1605 @value{GDBN} commands.
1606
1607 The most likely situation where you might need this is in typing the
1608 name of a C@t{++} function. This is because C@t{++} allows function
1609 overloading (multiple definitions of the same function, distinguished
1610 by argument type). For example, when you want to set a breakpoint you
1611 may need to distinguish whether you mean the version of @code{name}
1612 that takes an @code{int} parameter, @code{name(int)}, or the version
1613 that takes a @code{float} parameter, @code{name(float)}. To use the
1614 word-completion facilities in this situation, type a single quote
1615 @code{'} at the beginning of the function name. This alerts
1616 @value{GDBN} that it may need to consider more information than usual
1617 when you press @key{TAB} or @kbd{M-?} to request word completion:
1618
1619 @smallexample
1620 (@value{GDBP}) b 'bubble( @kbd{M-?}
1621 bubble(double,double) bubble(int,int)
1622 (@value{GDBP}) b 'bubble(
1623 @end smallexample
1624
1625 In some cases, @value{GDBN} can tell that completing a name requires using
1626 quotes. When this happens, @value{GDBN} inserts the quote for you (while
1627 completing as much as it can) if you do not type the quote in the first
1628 place:
1629
1630 @smallexample
1631 (@value{GDBP}) b bub @key{TAB}
1632 @exdent @value{GDBN} alters your input line to the following, and rings a bell:
1633 (@value{GDBP}) b 'bubble(
1634 @end smallexample
1635
1636 @noindent
1637 In general, @value{GDBN} can tell that a quote is needed (and inserts it) if
1638 you have not yet started typing the argument list when you ask for
1639 completion on an overloaded symbol.
1640
1641 For more information about overloaded functions, see @ref{C Plus Plus
1642 Expressions, ,C@t{++} Expressions}. You can use the command @code{set
1643 overload-resolution off} to disable overload resolution;
1644 see @ref{Debugging C Plus Plus, ,@value{GDBN} Features for C@t{++}}.
1645
1646 @cindex completion of structure field names
1647 @cindex structure field name completion
1648 @cindex completion of union field names
1649 @cindex union field name completion
1650 When completing in an expression which looks up a field in a
1651 structure, @value{GDBN} also tries@footnote{The completer can be
1652 confused by certain kinds of invalid expressions. Also, it only
1653 examines the static type of the expression, not the dynamic type.} to
1654 limit completions to the field names available in the type of the
1655 left-hand-side:
1656
1657 @smallexample
1658 (@value{GDBP}) p gdb_stdout.@kbd{M-?}
1659 magic to_fputs to_rewind
1660 to_data to_isatty to_write
1661 to_delete to_put to_write_async_safe
1662 to_flush to_read
1663 @end smallexample
1664
1665 @noindent
1666 This is because the @code{gdb_stdout} is a variable of the type
1667 @code{struct ui_file} that is defined in @value{GDBN} sources as
1668 follows:
1669
1670 @smallexample
1671 struct ui_file
1672 @{
1673 int *magic;
1674 ui_file_flush_ftype *to_flush;
1675 ui_file_write_ftype *to_write;
1676 ui_file_write_async_safe_ftype *to_write_async_safe;
1677 ui_file_fputs_ftype *to_fputs;
1678 ui_file_read_ftype *to_read;
1679 ui_file_delete_ftype *to_delete;
1680 ui_file_isatty_ftype *to_isatty;
1681 ui_file_rewind_ftype *to_rewind;
1682 ui_file_put_ftype *to_put;
1683 void *to_data;
1684 @}
1685 @end smallexample
1686
1687
1688 @node Help
1689 @section Getting Help
1690 @cindex online documentation
1691 @kindex help
1692
1693 You can always ask @value{GDBN} itself for information on its commands,
1694 using the command @code{help}.
1695
1696 @table @code
1697 @kindex h @r{(@code{help})}
1698 @item help
1699 @itemx h
1700 You can use @code{help} (abbreviated @code{h}) with no arguments to
1701 display a short list of named classes of commands:
1702
1703 @smallexample
1704 (@value{GDBP}) help
1705 List of classes of commands:
1706
1707 aliases -- Aliases of other commands
1708 breakpoints -- Making program stop at certain points
1709 data -- Examining data
1710 files -- Specifying and examining files
1711 internals -- Maintenance commands
1712 obscure -- Obscure features
1713 running -- Running the program
1714 stack -- Examining the stack
1715 status -- Status inquiries
1716 support -- Support facilities
1717 tracepoints -- Tracing of program execution without
1718 stopping the program
1719 user-defined -- User-defined commands
1720
1721 Type "help" followed by a class name for a list of
1722 commands in that class.
1723 Type "help" followed by command name for full
1724 documentation.
1725 Command name abbreviations are allowed if unambiguous.
1726 (@value{GDBP})
1727 @end smallexample
1728 @c the above line break eliminates huge line overfull...
1729
1730 @item help @var{class}
1731 Using one of the general help classes as an argument, you can get a
1732 list of the individual commands in that class. For example, here is the
1733 help display for the class @code{status}:
1734
1735 @smallexample
1736 (@value{GDBP}) help status
1737 Status inquiries.
1738
1739 List of commands:
1740
1741 @c Line break in "show" line falsifies real output, but needed
1742 @c to fit in smallbook page size.
1743 info -- Generic command for showing things
1744 about the program being debugged
1745 show -- Generic command for showing things
1746 about the debugger
1747
1748 Type "help" followed by command name for full
1749 documentation.
1750 Command name abbreviations are allowed if unambiguous.
1751 (@value{GDBP})
1752 @end smallexample
1753
1754 @item help @var{command}
1755 With a command name as @code{help} argument, @value{GDBN} displays a
1756 short paragraph on how to use that command.
1757
1758 @kindex apropos
1759 @item apropos @var{args}
1760 The @code{apropos} command searches through all of the @value{GDBN}
1761 commands, and their documentation, for the regular expression specified in
1762 @var{args}. It prints out all matches found. For example:
1763
1764 @smallexample
1765 apropos alias
1766 @end smallexample
1767
1768 @noindent
1769 results in:
1770
1771 @smallexample
1772 @c @group
1773 alias -- Define a new command that is an alias of an existing command
1774 aliases -- Aliases of other commands
1775 d -- Delete some breakpoints or auto-display expressions
1776 del -- Delete some breakpoints or auto-display expressions
1777 delete -- Delete some breakpoints or auto-display expressions
1778 @c @end group
1779 @end smallexample
1780
1781 @kindex complete
1782 @item complete @var{args}
1783 The @code{complete @var{args}} command lists all the possible completions
1784 for the beginning of a command. Use @var{args} to specify the beginning of the
1785 command you want completed. For example:
1786
1787 @smallexample
1788 complete i
1789 @end smallexample
1790
1791 @noindent results in:
1792
1793 @smallexample
1794 @group
1795 if
1796 ignore
1797 info
1798 inspect
1799 @end group
1800 @end smallexample
1801
1802 @noindent This is intended for use by @sc{gnu} Emacs.
1803 @end table
1804
1805 In addition to @code{help}, you can use the @value{GDBN} commands @code{info}
1806 and @code{show} to inquire about the state of your program, or the state
1807 of @value{GDBN} itself. Each command supports many topics of inquiry; this
1808 manual introduces each of them in the appropriate context. The listings
1809 under @code{info} and under @code{show} in the Command, Variable, and
1810 Function Index point to all the sub-commands. @xref{Command and Variable
1811 Index}.
1812
1813 @c @group
1814 @table @code
1815 @kindex info
1816 @kindex i @r{(@code{info})}
1817 @item info
1818 This command (abbreviated @code{i}) is for describing the state of your
1819 program. For example, you can show the arguments passed to a function
1820 with @code{info args}, list the registers currently in use with @code{info
1821 registers}, or list the breakpoints you have set with @code{info breakpoints}.
1822 You can get a complete list of the @code{info} sub-commands with
1823 @w{@code{help info}}.
1824
1825 @kindex set
1826 @item set
1827 You can assign the result of an expression to an environment variable with
1828 @code{set}. For example, you can set the @value{GDBN} prompt to a $-sign with
1829 @code{set prompt $}.
1830
1831 @kindex show
1832 @item show
1833 In contrast to @code{info}, @code{show} is for describing the state of
1834 @value{GDBN} itself.
1835 You can change most of the things you can @code{show}, by using the
1836 related command @code{set}; for example, you can control what number
1837 system is used for displays with @code{set radix}, or simply inquire
1838 which is currently in use with @code{show radix}.
1839
1840 @kindex info set
1841 To display all the settable parameters and their current
1842 values, you can use @code{show} with no arguments; you may also use
1843 @code{info set}. Both commands produce the same display.
1844 @c FIXME: "info set" violates the rule that "info" is for state of
1845 @c FIXME...program. Ck w/ GNU: "info set" to be called something else,
1846 @c FIXME...or change desc of rule---eg "state of prog and debugging session"?
1847 @end table
1848 @c @end group
1849
1850 Here are several miscellaneous @code{show} subcommands, all of which are
1851 exceptional in lacking corresponding @code{set} commands:
1852
1853 @table @code
1854 @kindex show version
1855 @cindex @value{GDBN} version number
1856 @item show version
1857 Show what version of @value{GDBN} is running. You should include this
1858 information in @value{GDBN} bug-reports. If multiple versions of
1859 @value{GDBN} are in use at your site, you may need to determine which
1860 version of @value{GDBN} you are running; as @value{GDBN} evolves, new
1861 commands are introduced, and old ones may wither away. Also, many
1862 system vendors ship variant versions of @value{GDBN}, and there are
1863 variant versions of @value{GDBN} in @sc{gnu}/Linux distributions as well.
1864 The version number is the same as the one announced when you start
1865 @value{GDBN}.
1866
1867 @kindex show copying
1868 @kindex info copying
1869 @cindex display @value{GDBN} copyright
1870 @item show copying
1871 @itemx info copying
1872 Display information about permission for copying @value{GDBN}.
1873
1874 @kindex show warranty
1875 @kindex info warranty
1876 @item show warranty
1877 @itemx info warranty
1878 Display the @sc{gnu} ``NO WARRANTY'' statement, or a warranty,
1879 if your version of @value{GDBN} comes with one.
1880
1881 @kindex show configuration
1882 @item show configuration
1883 Display detailed information about the way @value{GDBN} was configured
1884 when it was built. This displays the optional arguments passed to the
1885 @file{configure} script and also configuration parameters detected
1886 automatically by @command{configure}. When reporting a @value{GDBN}
1887 bug (@pxref{GDB Bugs}), it is important to include this information in
1888 your report.
1889
1890 @end table
1891
1892 @node Running
1893 @chapter Running Programs Under @value{GDBN}
1894
1895 When you run a program under @value{GDBN}, you must first generate
1896 debugging information when you compile it.
1897
1898 You may start @value{GDBN} with its arguments, if any, in an environment
1899 of your choice. If you are doing native debugging, you may redirect
1900 your program's input and output, debug an already running process, or
1901 kill a child process.
1902
1903 @menu
1904 * Compilation:: Compiling for debugging
1905 * Starting:: Starting your program
1906 * Arguments:: Your program's arguments
1907 * Environment:: Your program's environment
1908
1909 * Working Directory:: Your program's working directory
1910 * Input/Output:: Your program's input and output
1911 * Attach:: Debugging an already-running process
1912 * Kill Process:: Killing the child process
1913
1914 * Inferiors and Programs:: Debugging multiple inferiors and programs
1915 * Threads:: Debugging programs with multiple threads
1916 * Forks:: Debugging forks
1917 * Checkpoint/Restart:: Setting a @emph{bookmark} to return to later
1918 @end menu
1919
1920 @node Compilation
1921 @section Compiling for Debugging
1922
1923 In order to debug a program effectively, you need to generate
1924 debugging information when you compile it. This debugging information
1925 is stored in the object file; it describes the data type of each
1926 variable or function and the correspondence between source line numbers
1927 and addresses in the executable code.
1928
1929 To request debugging information, specify the @samp{-g} option when you run
1930 the compiler.
1931
1932 Programs that are to be shipped to your customers are compiled with
1933 optimizations, using the @samp{-O} compiler option. However, some
1934 compilers are unable to handle the @samp{-g} and @samp{-O} options
1935 together. Using those compilers, you cannot generate optimized
1936 executables containing debugging information.
1937
1938 @value{NGCC}, the @sc{gnu} C/C@t{++} compiler, supports @samp{-g} with or
1939 without @samp{-O}, making it possible to debug optimized code. We
1940 recommend that you @emph{always} use @samp{-g} whenever you compile a
1941 program. You may think your program is correct, but there is no sense
1942 in pushing your luck. For more information, see @ref{Optimized Code}.
1943
1944 Older versions of the @sc{gnu} C compiler permitted a variant option
1945 @w{@samp{-gg}} for debugging information. @value{GDBN} no longer supports this
1946 format; if your @sc{gnu} C compiler has this option, do not use it.
1947
1948 @value{GDBN} knows about preprocessor macros and can show you their
1949 expansion (@pxref{Macros}). Most compilers do not include information
1950 about preprocessor macros in the debugging information if you specify
1951 the @option{-g} flag alone. Version 3.1 and later of @value{NGCC},
1952 the @sc{gnu} C compiler, provides macro information if you are using
1953 the DWARF debugging format, and specify the option @option{-g3}.
1954
1955 @xref{Debugging Options,,Options for Debugging Your Program or GCC,
1956 gcc.info, Using the @sc{gnu} Compiler Collection (GCC)}, for more
1957 information on @value{NGCC} options affecting debug information.
1958
1959 You will have the best debugging experience if you use the latest
1960 version of the DWARF debugging format that your compiler supports.
1961 DWARF is currently the most expressive and best supported debugging
1962 format in @value{GDBN}.
1963
1964 @need 2000
1965 @node Starting
1966 @section Starting your Program
1967 @cindex starting
1968 @cindex running
1969
1970 @table @code
1971 @kindex run
1972 @kindex r @r{(@code{run})}
1973 @item run
1974 @itemx r
1975 Use the @code{run} command to start your program under @value{GDBN}.
1976 You must first specify the program name (except on VxWorks) with an
1977 argument to @value{GDBN} (@pxref{Invocation, ,Getting In and Out of
1978 @value{GDBN}}), or by using the @code{file} or @code{exec-file} command
1979 (@pxref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}).
1980
1981 @end table
1982
1983 If you are running your program in an execution environment that
1984 supports processes, @code{run} creates an inferior process and makes
1985 that process run your program. In some environments without processes,
1986 @code{run} jumps to the start of your program. Other targets,
1987 like @samp{remote}, are always running. If you get an error
1988 message like this one:
1989
1990 @smallexample
1991 The "remote" target does not support "run".
1992 Try "help target" or "continue".
1993 @end smallexample
1994
1995 @noindent
1996 then use @code{continue} to run your program. You may need @code{load}
1997 first (@pxref{load}).
1998
1999 The execution of a program is affected by certain information it
2000 receives from its superior. @value{GDBN} provides ways to specify this
2001 information, which you must do @emph{before} starting your program. (You
2002 can change it after starting your program, but such changes only affect
2003 your program the next time you start it.) This information may be
2004 divided into four categories:
2005
2006 @table @asis
2007 @item The @emph{arguments.}
2008 Specify the arguments to give your program as the arguments of the
2009 @code{run} command. If a shell is available on your target, the shell
2010 is used to pass the arguments, so that you may use normal conventions
2011 (such as wildcard expansion or variable substitution) in describing
2012 the arguments.
2013 In Unix systems, you can control which shell is used with the
2014 @code{SHELL} environment variable. If you do not define @code{SHELL},
2015 @value{GDBN} uses the default shell (@file{/bin/sh}). You can disable
2016 use of any shell with the @code{set startup-with-shell} command (see
2017 below for details).
2018
2019 @item The @emph{environment.}
2020 Your program normally inherits its environment from @value{GDBN}, but you can
2021 use the @value{GDBN} commands @code{set environment} and @code{unset
2022 environment} to change parts of the environment that affect
2023 your program. @xref{Environment, ,Your Program's Environment}.
2024
2025 @item The @emph{working directory.}
2026 Your program inherits its working directory from @value{GDBN}. You can set
2027 the @value{GDBN} working directory with the @code{cd} command in @value{GDBN}.
2028 @xref{Working Directory, ,Your Program's Working Directory}.
2029
2030 @item The @emph{standard input and output.}
2031 Your program normally uses the same device for standard input and
2032 standard output as @value{GDBN} is using. You can redirect input and output
2033 in the @code{run} command line, or you can use the @code{tty} command to
2034 set a different device for your program.
2035 @xref{Input/Output, ,Your Program's Input and Output}.
2036
2037 @cindex pipes
2038 @emph{Warning:} While input and output redirection work, you cannot use
2039 pipes to pass the output of the program you are debugging to another
2040 program; if you attempt this, @value{GDBN} is likely to wind up debugging the
2041 wrong program.
2042 @end table
2043
2044 When you issue the @code{run} command, your program begins to execute
2045 immediately. @xref{Stopping, ,Stopping and Continuing}, for discussion
2046 of how to arrange for your program to stop. Once your program has
2047 stopped, you may call functions in your program, using the @code{print}
2048 or @code{call} commands. @xref{Data, ,Examining Data}.
2049
2050 If the modification time of your symbol file has changed since the last
2051 time @value{GDBN} read its symbols, @value{GDBN} discards its symbol
2052 table, and reads it again. When it does this, @value{GDBN} tries to retain
2053 your current breakpoints.
2054
2055 @table @code
2056 @kindex start
2057 @item start
2058 @cindex run to main procedure
2059 The name of the main procedure can vary from language to language.
2060 With C or C@t{++}, the main procedure name is always @code{main}, but
2061 other languages such as Ada do not require a specific name for their
2062 main procedure. The debugger provides a convenient way to start the
2063 execution of the program and to stop at the beginning of the main
2064 procedure, depending on the language used.
2065
2066 The @samp{start} command does the equivalent of setting a temporary
2067 breakpoint at the beginning of the main procedure and then invoking
2068 the @samp{run} command.
2069
2070 @cindex elaboration phase
2071 Some programs contain an @dfn{elaboration} phase where some startup code is
2072 executed before the main procedure is called. This depends on the
2073 languages used to write your program. In C@t{++}, for instance,
2074 constructors for static and global objects are executed before
2075 @code{main} is called. It is therefore possible that the debugger stops
2076 before reaching the main procedure. However, the temporary breakpoint
2077 will remain to halt execution.
2078
2079 Specify the arguments to give to your program as arguments to the
2080 @samp{start} command. These arguments will be given verbatim to the
2081 underlying @samp{run} command. Note that the same arguments will be
2082 reused if no argument is provided during subsequent calls to
2083 @samp{start} or @samp{run}.
2084
2085 It is sometimes necessary to debug the program during elaboration. In
2086 these cases, using the @code{start} command would stop the execution of
2087 your program too late, as the program would have already completed the
2088 elaboration phase. Under these circumstances, insert breakpoints in your
2089 elaboration code before running your program.
2090
2091 @kindex set exec-wrapper
2092 @item set exec-wrapper @var{wrapper}
2093 @itemx show exec-wrapper
2094 @itemx unset exec-wrapper
2095 When @samp{exec-wrapper} is set, the specified wrapper is used to
2096 launch programs for debugging. @value{GDBN} starts your program
2097 with a shell command of the form @kbd{exec @var{wrapper}
2098 @var{program}}. Quoting is added to @var{program} and its
2099 arguments, but not to @var{wrapper}, so you should add quotes if
2100 appropriate for your shell. The wrapper runs until it executes
2101 your program, and then @value{GDBN} takes control.
2102
2103 You can use any program that eventually calls @code{execve} with
2104 its arguments as a wrapper. Several standard Unix utilities do
2105 this, e.g.@: @code{env} and @code{nohup}. Any Unix shell script ending
2106 with @code{exec "$@@"} will also work.
2107
2108 For example, you can use @code{env} to pass an environment variable to
2109 the debugged program, without setting the variable in your shell's
2110 environment:
2111
2112 @smallexample
2113 (@value{GDBP}) set exec-wrapper env 'LD_PRELOAD=libtest.so'
2114 (@value{GDBP}) run
2115 @end smallexample
2116
2117 This command is available when debugging locally on most targets, excluding
2118 @sc{djgpp}, Cygwin, MS Windows, and QNX Neutrino.
2119
2120 @kindex set startup-with-shell
2121 @item set startup-with-shell
2122 @itemx set startup-with-shell on
2123 @itemx set startup-with-shell off
2124 @itemx show set startup-with-shell
2125 On Unix systems, by default, if a shell is available on your target,
2126 @value{GDBN}) uses it to start your program. Arguments of the
2127 @code{run} command are passed to the shell, which does variable
2128 substitution, expands wildcard characters and performs redirection of
2129 I/O. In some circumstances, it may be useful to disable such use of a
2130 shell, for example, when debugging the shell itself or diagnosing
2131 startup failures such as:
2132
2133 @smallexample
2134 (@value{GDBP}) run
2135 Starting program: ./a.out
2136 During startup program terminated with signal SIGSEGV, Segmentation fault.
2137 @end smallexample
2138
2139 @noindent
2140 which indicates the shell or the wrapper specified with
2141 @samp{exec-wrapper} crashed, not your program. Most often, this is
2142 caused by something odd in your shell's initialization file---such as
2143 @file{.cshrc} for C-shell, $@file{.zshenv} for the Z shell, or the
2144 file specified in the @samp{BASH_ENV} environment variable for BASH.
2145
2146 @kindex set disable-randomization
2147 @item set disable-randomization
2148 @itemx set disable-randomization on
2149 This option (enabled by default in @value{GDBN}) will turn off the native
2150 randomization of the virtual address space of the started program. This option
2151 is useful for multiple debugging sessions to make the execution better
2152 reproducible and memory addresses reusable across debugging sessions.
2153
2154 This feature is implemented only on certain targets, including @sc{gnu}/Linux.
2155 On @sc{gnu}/Linux you can get the same behavior using
2156
2157 @smallexample
2158 (@value{GDBP}) set exec-wrapper setarch `uname -m` -R
2159 @end smallexample
2160
2161 @item set disable-randomization off
2162 Leave the behavior of the started executable unchanged. Some bugs rear their
2163 ugly heads only when the program is loaded at certain addresses. If your bug
2164 disappears when you run the program under @value{GDBN}, that might be because
2165 @value{GDBN} by default disables the address randomization on platforms, such
2166 as @sc{gnu}/Linux, which do that for stand-alone programs. Use @kbd{set
2167 disable-randomization off} to try to reproduce such elusive bugs.
2168
2169 On targets where it is available, virtual address space randomization
2170 protects the programs against certain kinds of security attacks. In these
2171 cases the attacker needs to know the exact location of a concrete executable
2172 code. Randomizing its location makes it impossible to inject jumps misusing
2173 a code at its expected addresses.
2174
2175 Prelinking shared libraries provides a startup performance advantage but it
2176 makes addresses in these libraries predictable for privileged processes by
2177 having just unprivileged access at the target system. Reading the shared
2178 library binary gives enough information for assembling the malicious code
2179 misusing it. Still even a prelinked shared library can get loaded at a new
2180 random address just requiring the regular relocation process during the
2181 startup. Shared libraries not already prelinked are always loaded at
2182 a randomly chosen address.
2183
2184 Position independent executables (PIE) contain position independent code
2185 similar to the shared libraries and therefore such executables get loaded at
2186 a randomly chosen address upon startup. PIE executables always load even
2187 already prelinked shared libraries at a random address. You can build such
2188 executable using @command{gcc -fPIE -pie}.
2189
2190 Heap (malloc storage), stack and custom mmap areas are always placed randomly
2191 (as long as the randomization is enabled).
2192
2193 @item show disable-randomization
2194 Show the current setting of the explicit disable of the native randomization of
2195 the virtual address space of the started program.
2196
2197 @end table
2198
2199 @node Arguments
2200 @section Your Program's Arguments
2201
2202 @cindex arguments (to your program)
2203 The arguments to your program can be specified by the arguments of the
2204 @code{run} command.
2205 They are passed to a shell, which expands wildcard characters and
2206 performs redirection of I/O, and thence to your program. Your
2207 @code{SHELL} environment variable (if it exists) specifies what shell
2208 @value{GDBN} uses. If you do not define @code{SHELL}, @value{GDBN} uses
2209 the default shell (@file{/bin/sh} on Unix).
2210
2211 On non-Unix systems, the program is usually invoked directly by
2212 @value{GDBN}, which emulates I/O redirection via the appropriate system
2213 calls, and the wildcard characters are expanded by the startup code of
2214 the program, not by the shell.
2215
2216 @code{run} with no arguments uses the same arguments used by the previous
2217 @code{run}, or those set by the @code{set args} command.
2218
2219 @table @code
2220 @kindex set args
2221 @item set args
2222 Specify the arguments to be used the next time your program is run. If
2223 @code{set args} has no arguments, @code{run} executes your program
2224 with no arguments. Once you have run your program with arguments,
2225 using @code{set args} before the next @code{run} is the only way to run
2226 it again without arguments.
2227
2228 @kindex show args
2229 @item show args
2230 Show the arguments to give your program when it is started.
2231 @end table
2232
2233 @node Environment
2234 @section Your Program's Environment
2235
2236 @cindex environment (of your program)
2237 The @dfn{environment} consists of a set of environment variables and
2238 their values. Environment variables conventionally record such things as
2239 your user name, your home directory, your terminal type, and your search
2240 path for programs to run. Usually you set up environment variables with
2241 the shell and they are inherited by all the other programs you run. When
2242 debugging, it can be useful to try running your program with a modified
2243 environment without having to start @value{GDBN} over again.
2244
2245 @table @code
2246 @kindex path
2247 @item path @var{directory}
2248 Add @var{directory} to the front of the @code{PATH} environment variable
2249 (the search path for executables) that will be passed to your program.
2250 The value of @code{PATH} used by @value{GDBN} does not change.
2251 You may specify several directory names, separated by whitespace or by a
2252 system-dependent separator character (@samp{:} on Unix, @samp{;} on
2253 MS-DOS and MS-Windows). If @var{directory} is already in the path, it
2254 is moved to the front, so it is searched sooner.
2255
2256 You can use the string @samp{$cwd} to refer to whatever is the current
2257 working directory at the time @value{GDBN} searches the path. If you
2258 use @samp{.} instead, it refers to the directory where you executed the
2259 @code{path} command. @value{GDBN} replaces @samp{.} in the
2260 @var{directory} argument (with the current path) before adding
2261 @var{directory} to the search path.
2262 @c 'path' is explicitly nonrepeatable, but RMS points out it is silly to
2263 @c document that, since repeating it would be a no-op.
2264
2265 @kindex show paths
2266 @item show paths
2267 Display the list of search paths for executables (the @code{PATH}
2268 environment variable).
2269
2270 @kindex show environment
2271 @item show environment @r{[}@var{varname}@r{]}
2272 Print the value of environment variable @var{varname} to be given to
2273 your program when it starts. If you do not supply @var{varname},
2274 print the names and values of all environment variables to be given to
2275 your program. You can abbreviate @code{environment} as @code{env}.
2276
2277 @kindex set environment
2278 @item set environment @var{varname} @r{[}=@var{value}@r{]}
2279 Set environment variable @var{varname} to @var{value}. The value
2280 changes for your program only, not for @value{GDBN} itself. @var{value} may
2281 be any string; the values of environment variables are just strings, and
2282 any interpretation is supplied by your program itself. The @var{value}
2283 parameter is optional; if it is eliminated, the variable is set to a
2284 null value.
2285 @c "any string" here does not include leading, trailing
2286 @c blanks. Gnu asks: does anyone care?
2287
2288 For example, this command:
2289
2290 @smallexample
2291 set env USER = foo
2292 @end smallexample
2293
2294 @noindent
2295 tells the debugged program, when subsequently run, that its user is named
2296 @samp{foo}. (The spaces around @samp{=} are used for clarity here; they
2297 are not actually required.)
2298
2299 @kindex unset environment
2300 @item unset environment @var{varname}
2301 Remove variable @var{varname} from the environment to be passed to your
2302 program. This is different from @samp{set env @var{varname} =};
2303 @code{unset environment} removes the variable from the environment,
2304 rather than assigning it an empty value.
2305 @end table
2306
2307 @emph{Warning:} On Unix systems, @value{GDBN} runs your program using
2308 the shell indicated
2309 by your @code{SHELL} environment variable if it exists (or
2310 @code{/bin/sh} if not). If your @code{SHELL} variable names a shell
2311 that runs an initialization file---such as @file{.cshrc} for C-shell, or
2312 @file{.bashrc} for BASH---any variables you set in that file affect
2313 your program. You may wish to move setting of environment variables to
2314 files that are only run when you sign on, such as @file{.login} or
2315 @file{.profile}.
2316
2317 @node Working Directory
2318 @section Your Program's Working Directory
2319
2320 @cindex working directory (of your program)
2321 Each time you start your program with @code{run}, it inherits its
2322 working directory from the current working directory of @value{GDBN}.
2323 The @value{GDBN} working directory is initially whatever it inherited
2324 from its parent process (typically the shell), but you can specify a new
2325 working directory in @value{GDBN} with the @code{cd} command.
2326
2327 The @value{GDBN} working directory also serves as a default for the commands
2328 that specify files for @value{GDBN} to operate on. @xref{Files, ,Commands to
2329 Specify Files}.
2330
2331 @table @code
2332 @kindex cd
2333 @cindex change working directory
2334 @item cd @r{[}@var{directory}@r{]}
2335 Set the @value{GDBN} working directory to @var{directory}. If not
2336 given, @var{directory} uses @file{'~'}.
2337
2338 @kindex pwd
2339 @item pwd
2340 Print the @value{GDBN} working directory.
2341 @end table
2342
2343 It is generally impossible to find the current working directory of
2344 the process being debugged (since a program can change its directory
2345 during its run). If you work on a system where @value{GDBN} is
2346 configured with the @file{/proc} support, you can use the @code{info
2347 proc} command (@pxref{SVR4 Process Information}) to find out the
2348 current working directory of the debuggee.
2349
2350 @node Input/Output
2351 @section Your Program's Input and Output
2352
2353 @cindex redirection
2354 @cindex i/o
2355 @cindex terminal
2356 By default, the program you run under @value{GDBN} does input and output to
2357 the same terminal that @value{GDBN} uses. @value{GDBN} switches the terminal
2358 to its own terminal modes to interact with you, but it records the terminal
2359 modes your program was using and switches back to them when you continue
2360 running your program.
2361
2362 @table @code
2363 @kindex info terminal
2364 @item info terminal
2365 Displays information recorded by @value{GDBN} about the terminal modes your
2366 program is using.
2367 @end table
2368
2369 You can redirect your program's input and/or output using shell
2370 redirection with the @code{run} command. For example,
2371
2372 @smallexample
2373 run > outfile
2374 @end smallexample
2375
2376 @noindent
2377 starts your program, diverting its output to the file @file{outfile}.
2378
2379 @kindex tty
2380 @cindex controlling terminal
2381 Another way to specify where your program should do input and output is
2382 with the @code{tty} command. This command accepts a file name as
2383 argument, and causes this file to be the default for future @code{run}
2384 commands. It also resets the controlling terminal for the child
2385 process, for future @code{run} commands. For example,
2386
2387 @smallexample
2388 tty /dev/ttyb
2389 @end smallexample
2390
2391 @noindent
2392 directs that processes started with subsequent @code{run} commands
2393 default to do input and output on the terminal @file{/dev/ttyb} and have
2394 that as their controlling terminal.
2395
2396 An explicit redirection in @code{run} overrides the @code{tty} command's
2397 effect on the input/output device, but not its effect on the controlling
2398 terminal.
2399
2400 When you use the @code{tty} command or redirect input in the @code{run}
2401 command, only the input @emph{for your program} is affected. The input
2402 for @value{GDBN} still comes from your terminal. @code{tty} is an alias
2403 for @code{set inferior-tty}.
2404
2405 @cindex inferior tty
2406 @cindex set inferior controlling terminal
2407 You can use the @code{show inferior-tty} command to tell @value{GDBN} to
2408 display the name of the terminal that will be used for future runs of your
2409 program.
2410
2411 @table @code
2412 @item set inferior-tty /dev/ttyb
2413 @kindex set inferior-tty
2414 Set the tty for the program being debugged to /dev/ttyb.
2415
2416 @item show inferior-tty
2417 @kindex show inferior-tty
2418 Show the current tty for the program being debugged.
2419 @end table
2420
2421 @node Attach
2422 @section Debugging an Already-running Process
2423 @kindex attach
2424 @cindex attach
2425
2426 @table @code
2427 @item attach @var{process-id}
2428 This command attaches to a running process---one that was started
2429 outside @value{GDBN}. (@code{info files} shows your active
2430 targets.) The command takes as argument a process ID. The usual way to
2431 find out the @var{process-id} of a Unix process is with the @code{ps} utility,
2432 or with the @samp{jobs -l} shell command.
2433
2434 @code{attach} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} a second time after
2435 executing the command.
2436 @end table
2437
2438 To use @code{attach}, your program must be running in an environment
2439 which supports processes; for example, @code{attach} does not work for
2440 programs on bare-board targets that lack an operating system. You must
2441 also have permission to send the process a signal.
2442
2443 When you use @code{attach}, the debugger finds the program running in
2444 the process first by looking in the current working directory, then (if
2445 the program is not found) by using the source file search path
2446 (@pxref{Source Path, ,Specifying Source Directories}). You can also use
2447 the @code{file} command to load the program. @xref{Files, ,Commands to
2448 Specify Files}.
2449
2450 The first thing @value{GDBN} does after arranging to debug the specified
2451 process is to stop it. You can examine and modify an attached process
2452 with all the @value{GDBN} commands that are ordinarily available when
2453 you start processes with @code{run}. You can insert breakpoints; you
2454 can step and continue; you can modify storage. If you would rather the
2455 process continue running, you may use the @code{continue} command after
2456 attaching @value{GDBN} to the process.
2457
2458 @table @code
2459 @kindex detach
2460 @item detach
2461 When you have finished debugging the attached process, you can use the
2462 @code{detach} command to release it from @value{GDBN} control. Detaching
2463 the process continues its execution. After the @code{detach} command,
2464 that process and @value{GDBN} become completely independent once more, and you
2465 are ready to @code{attach} another process or start one with @code{run}.
2466 @code{detach} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} again after
2467 executing the command.
2468 @end table
2469
2470 If you exit @value{GDBN} while you have an attached process, you detach
2471 that process. If you use the @code{run} command, you kill that process.
2472 By default, @value{GDBN} asks for confirmation if you try to do either of these
2473 things; you can control whether or not you need to confirm by using the
2474 @code{set confirm} command (@pxref{Messages/Warnings, ,Optional Warnings and
2475 Messages}).
2476
2477 @node Kill Process
2478 @section Killing the Child Process
2479
2480 @table @code
2481 @kindex kill
2482 @item kill
2483 Kill the child process in which your program is running under @value{GDBN}.
2484 @end table
2485
2486 This command is useful if you wish to debug a core dump instead of a
2487 running process. @value{GDBN} ignores any core dump file while your program
2488 is running.
2489
2490 On some operating systems, a program cannot be executed outside @value{GDBN}
2491 while you have breakpoints set on it inside @value{GDBN}. You can use the
2492 @code{kill} command in this situation to permit running your program
2493 outside the debugger.
2494
2495 The @code{kill} command is also useful if you wish to recompile and
2496 relink your program, since on many systems it is impossible to modify an
2497 executable file while it is running in a process. In this case, when you
2498 next type @code{run}, @value{GDBN} notices that the file has changed, and
2499 reads the symbol table again (while trying to preserve your current
2500 breakpoint settings).
2501
2502 @node Inferiors and Programs
2503 @section Debugging Multiple Inferiors and Programs
2504
2505 @value{GDBN} lets you run and debug multiple programs in a single
2506 session. In addition, @value{GDBN} on some systems may let you run
2507 several programs simultaneously (otherwise you have to exit from one
2508 before starting another). In the most general case, you can have
2509 multiple threads of execution in each of multiple processes, launched
2510 from multiple executables.
2511
2512 @cindex inferior
2513 @value{GDBN} represents the state of each program execution with an
2514 object called an @dfn{inferior}. An inferior typically corresponds to
2515 a process, but is more general and applies also to targets that do not
2516 have processes. Inferiors may be created before a process runs, and
2517 may be retained after a process exits. Inferiors have unique
2518 identifiers that are different from process ids. Usually each
2519 inferior will also have its own distinct address space, although some
2520 embedded targets may have several inferiors running in different parts
2521 of a single address space. Each inferior may in turn have multiple
2522 threads running in it.
2523
2524 To find out what inferiors exist at any moment, use @w{@code{info
2525 inferiors}}:
2526
2527 @table @code
2528 @kindex info inferiors
2529 @item info inferiors
2530 Print a list of all inferiors currently being managed by @value{GDBN}.
2531
2532 @value{GDBN} displays for each inferior (in this order):
2533
2534 @enumerate
2535 @item
2536 the inferior number assigned by @value{GDBN}
2537
2538 @item
2539 the target system's inferior identifier
2540
2541 @item
2542 the name of the executable the inferior is running.
2543
2544 @end enumerate
2545
2546 @noindent
2547 An asterisk @samp{*} preceding the @value{GDBN} inferior number
2548 indicates the current inferior.
2549
2550 For example,
2551 @end table
2552 @c end table here to get a little more width for example
2553
2554 @smallexample
2555 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
2556 Num Description Executable
2557 2 process 2307 hello
2558 * 1 process 3401 goodbye
2559 @end smallexample
2560
2561 To switch focus between inferiors, use the @code{inferior} command:
2562
2563 @table @code
2564 @kindex inferior @var{infno}
2565 @item inferior @var{infno}
2566 Make inferior number @var{infno} the current inferior. The argument
2567 @var{infno} is the inferior number assigned by @value{GDBN}, as shown
2568 in the first field of the @samp{info inferiors} display.
2569 @end table
2570
2571
2572 You can get multiple executables into a debugging session via the
2573 @code{add-inferior} and @w{@code{clone-inferior}} commands. On some
2574 systems @value{GDBN} can add inferiors to the debug session
2575 automatically by following calls to @code{fork} and @code{exec}. To
2576 remove inferiors from the debugging session use the
2577 @w{@code{remove-inferiors}} command.
2578
2579 @table @code
2580 @kindex add-inferior
2581 @item add-inferior [ -copies @var{n} ] [ -exec @var{executable} ]
2582 Adds @var{n} inferiors to be run using @var{executable} as the
2583 executable. @var{n} defaults to 1. If no executable is specified,
2584 the inferiors begins empty, with no program. You can still assign or
2585 change the program assigned to the inferior at any time by using the
2586 @code{file} command with the executable name as its argument.
2587
2588 @kindex clone-inferior
2589 @item clone-inferior [ -copies @var{n} ] [ @var{infno} ]
2590 Adds @var{n} inferiors ready to execute the same program as inferior
2591 @var{infno}. @var{n} defaults to 1. @var{infno} defaults to the
2592 number of the current inferior. This is a convenient command when you
2593 want to run another instance of the inferior you are debugging.
2594
2595 @smallexample
2596 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
2597 Num Description Executable
2598 * 1 process 29964 helloworld
2599 (@value{GDBP}) clone-inferior
2600 Added inferior 2.
2601 1 inferiors added.
2602 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
2603 Num Description Executable
2604 2 <null> helloworld
2605 * 1 process 29964 helloworld
2606 @end smallexample
2607
2608 You can now simply switch focus to inferior 2 and run it.
2609
2610 @kindex remove-inferiors
2611 @item remove-inferiors @var{infno}@dots{}
2612 Removes the inferior or inferiors @var{infno}@dots{}. It is not
2613 possible to remove an inferior that is running with this command. For
2614 those, use the @code{kill} or @code{detach} command first.
2615
2616 @end table
2617
2618 To quit debugging one of the running inferiors that is not the current
2619 inferior, you can either detach from it by using the @w{@code{detach
2620 inferior}} command (allowing it to run independently), or kill it
2621 using the @w{@code{kill inferiors}} command:
2622
2623 @table @code
2624 @kindex detach inferiors @var{infno}@dots{}
2625 @item detach inferior @var{infno}@dots{}
2626 Detach from the inferior or inferiors identified by @value{GDBN}
2627 inferior number(s) @var{infno}@dots{}. Note that the inferior's entry
2628 still stays on the list of inferiors shown by @code{info inferiors},
2629 but its Description will show @samp{<null>}.
2630
2631 @kindex kill inferiors @var{infno}@dots{}
2632 @item kill inferiors @var{infno}@dots{}
2633 Kill the inferior or inferiors identified by @value{GDBN} inferior
2634 number(s) @var{infno}@dots{}. Note that the inferior's entry still
2635 stays on the list of inferiors shown by @code{info inferiors}, but its
2636 Description will show @samp{<null>}.
2637 @end table
2638
2639 After the successful completion of a command such as @code{detach},
2640 @code{detach inferiors}, @code{kill} or @code{kill inferiors}, or after
2641 a normal process exit, the inferior is still valid and listed with
2642 @code{info inferiors}, ready to be restarted.
2643
2644
2645 To be notified when inferiors are started or exit under @value{GDBN}'s
2646 control use @w{@code{set print inferior-events}}:
2647
2648 @table @code
2649 @kindex set print inferior-events
2650 @cindex print messages on inferior start and exit
2651 @item set print inferior-events
2652 @itemx set print inferior-events on
2653 @itemx set print inferior-events off
2654 The @code{set print inferior-events} command allows you to enable or
2655 disable printing of messages when @value{GDBN} notices that new
2656 inferiors have started or that inferiors have exited or have been
2657 detached. By default, these messages will not be printed.
2658
2659 @kindex show print inferior-events
2660 @item show print inferior-events
2661 Show whether messages will be printed when @value{GDBN} detects that
2662 inferiors have started, exited or have been detached.
2663 @end table
2664
2665 Many commands will work the same with multiple programs as with a
2666 single program: e.g., @code{print myglobal} will simply display the
2667 value of @code{myglobal} in the current inferior.
2668
2669
2670 Occasionaly, when debugging @value{GDBN} itself, it may be useful to
2671 get more info about the relationship of inferiors, programs, address
2672 spaces in a debug session. You can do that with the @w{@code{maint
2673 info program-spaces}} command.
2674
2675 @table @code
2676 @kindex maint info program-spaces
2677 @item maint info program-spaces
2678 Print a list of all program spaces currently being managed by
2679 @value{GDBN}.
2680
2681 @value{GDBN} displays for each program space (in this order):
2682
2683 @enumerate
2684 @item
2685 the program space number assigned by @value{GDBN}
2686
2687 @item
2688 the name of the executable loaded into the program space, with e.g.,
2689 the @code{file} command.
2690
2691 @end enumerate
2692
2693 @noindent
2694 An asterisk @samp{*} preceding the @value{GDBN} program space number
2695 indicates the current program space.
2696
2697 In addition, below each program space line, @value{GDBN} prints extra
2698 information that isn't suitable to display in tabular form. For
2699 example, the list of inferiors bound to the program space.
2700
2701 @smallexample
2702 (@value{GDBP}) maint info program-spaces
2703 Id Executable
2704 2 goodbye
2705 Bound inferiors: ID 1 (process 21561)
2706 * 1 hello
2707 @end smallexample
2708
2709 Here we can see that no inferior is running the program @code{hello},
2710 while @code{process 21561} is running the program @code{goodbye}. On
2711 some targets, it is possible that multiple inferiors are bound to the
2712 same program space. The most common example is that of debugging both
2713 the parent and child processes of a @code{vfork} call. For example,
2714
2715 @smallexample
2716 (@value{GDBP}) maint info program-spaces
2717 Id Executable
2718 * 1 vfork-test
2719 Bound inferiors: ID 2 (process 18050), ID 1 (process 18045)
2720 @end smallexample
2721
2722 Here, both inferior 2 and inferior 1 are running in the same program
2723 space as a result of inferior 1 having executed a @code{vfork} call.
2724 @end table
2725
2726 @node Threads
2727 @section Debugging Programs with Multiple Threads
2728
2729 @cindex threads of execution
2730 @cindex multiple threads
2731 @cindex switching threads
2732 In some operating systems, such as HP-UX and Solaris, a single program
2733 may have more than one @dfn{thread} of execution. The precise semantics
2734 of threads differ from one operating system to another, but in general
2735 the threads of a single program are akin to multiple processes---except
2736 that they share one address space (that is, they can all examine and
2737 modify the same variables). On the other hand, each thread has its own
2738 registers and execution stack, and perhaps private memory.
2739
2740 @value{GDBN} provides these facilities for debugging multi-thread
2741 programs:
2742
2743 @itemize @bullet
2744 @item automatic notification of new threads
2745 @item @samp{thread @var{threadno}}, a command to switch among threads
2746 @item @samp{info threads}, a command to inquire about existing threads
2747 @item @samp{thread apply [@var{threadno}] [@var{all}] @var{args}},
2748 a command to apply a command to a list of threads
2749 @item thread-specific breakpoints
2750 @item @samp{set print thread-events}, which controls printing of
2751 messages on thread start and exit.
2752 @item @samp{set libthread-db-search-path @var{path}}, which lets
2753 the user specify which @code{libthread_db} to use if the default choice
2754 isn't compatible with the program.
2755 @end itemize
2756
2757 @quotation
2758 @emph{Warning:} These facilities are not yet available on every
2759 @value{GDBN} configuration where the operating system supports threads.
2760 If your @value{GDBN} does not support threads, these commands have no
2761 effect. For example, a system without thread support shows no output
2762 from @samp{info threads}, and always rejects the @code{thread} command,
2763 like this:
2764
2765 @smallexample
2766 (@value{GDBP}) info threads
2767 (@value{GDBP}) thread 1
2768 Thread ID 1 not known. Use the "info threads" command to
2769 see the IDs of currently known threads.
2770 @end smallexample
2771 @c FIXME to implementors: how hard would it be to say "sorry, this GDB
2772 @c doesn't support threads"?
2773 @end quotation
2774
2775 @cindex focus of debugging
2776 @cindex current thread
2777 The @value{GDBN} thread debugging facility allows you to observe all
2778 threads while your program runs---but whenever @value{GDBN} takes
2779 control, one thread in particular is always the focus of debugging.
2780 This thread is called the @dfn{current thread}. Debugging commands show
2781 program information from the perspective of the current thread.
2782
2783 @cindex @code{New} @var{systag} message
2784 @cindex thread identifier (system)
2785 @c FIXME-implementors!! It would be more helpful if the [New...] message
2786 @c included GDB's numeric thread handle, so you could just go to that
2787 @c thread without first checking `info threads'.
2788 Whenever @value{GDBN} detects a new thread in your program, it displays
2789 the target system's identification for the thread with a message in the
2790 form @samp{[New @var{systag}]}. @var{systag} is a thread identifier
2791 whose form varies depending on the particular system. For example, on
2792 @sc{gnu}/Linux, you might see
2793
2794 @smallexample
2795 [New Thread 0x41e02940 (LWP 25582)]
2796 @end smallexample
2797
2798 @noindent
2799 when @value{GDBN} notices a new thread. In contrast, on an SGI system,
2800 the @var{systag} is simply something like @samp{process 368}, with no
2801 further qualifier.
2802
2803 @c FIXME!! (1) Does the [New...] message appear even for the very first
2804 @c thread of a program, or does it only appear for the
2805 @c second---i.e.@: when it becomes obvious we have a multithread
2806 @c program?
2807 @c (2) *Is* there necessarily a first thread always? Or do some
2808 @c multithread systems permit starting a program with multiple
2809 @c threads ab initio?
2810
2811 @cindex thread number
2812 @cindex thread identifier (GDB)
2813 For debugging purposes, @value{GDBN} associates its own thread
2814 number---always a single integer---with each thread in your program.
2815
2816 @table @code
2817 @kindex info threads
2818 @item info threads @r{[}@var{id}@dots{}@r{]}
2819 Display a summary of all threads currently in your program. Optional
2820 argument @var{id}@dots{} is one or more thread ids separated by spaces, and
2821 means to print information only about the specified thread or threads.
2822 @value{GDBN} displays for each thread (in this order):
2823
2824 @enumerate
2825 @item
2826 the thread number assigned by @value{GDBN}
2827
2828 @item
2829 the target system's thread identifier (@var{systag})
2830
2831 @item
2832 the thread's name, if one is known. A thread can either be named by
2833 the user (see @code{thread name}, below), or, in some cases, by the
2834 program itself.
2835
2836 @item
2837 the current stack frame summary for that thread
2838 @end enumerate
2839
2840 @noindent
2841 An asterisk @samp{*} to the left of the @value{GDBN} thread number
2842 indicates the current thread.
2843
2844 For example,
2845 @end table
2846 @c end table here to get a little more width for example
2847
2848 @smallexample
2849 (@value{GDBP}) info threads
2850 Id Target Id Frame
2851 3 process 35 thread 27 0x34e5 in sigpause ()
2852 2 process 35 thread 23 0x34e5 in sigpause ()
2853 * 1 process 35 thread 13 main (argc=1, argv=0x7ffffff8)
2854 at threadtest.c:68
2855 @end smallexample
2856
2857 On Solaris, you can display more information about user threads with a
2858 Solaris-specific command:
2859
2860 @table @code
2861 @item maint info sol-threads
2862 @kindex maint info sol-threads
2863 @cindex thread info (Solaris)
2864 Display info on Solaris user threads.
2865 @end table
2866
2867 @table @code
2868 @kindex thread @var{threadno}
2869 @item thread @var{threadno}
2870 Make thread number @var{threadno} the current thread. The command
2871 argument @var{threadno} is the internal @value{GDBN} thread number, as
2872 shown in the first field of the @samp{info threads} display.
2873 @value{GDBN} responds by displaying the system identifier of the thread
2874 you selected, and its current stack frame summary:
2875
2876 @smallexample
2877 (@value{GDBP}) thread 2
2878 [Switching to thread 2 (Thread 0xb7fdab70 (LWP 12747))]
2879 #0 some_function (ignore=0x0) at example.c:8
2880 8 printf ("hello\n");
2881 @end smallexample
2882
2883 @noindent
2884 As with the @samp{[New @dots{}]} message, the form of the text after
2885 @samp{Switching to} depends on your system's conventions for identifying
2886 threads.
2887
2888 @vindex $_thread@r{, convenience variable}
2889 The debugger convenience variable @samp{$_thread} contains the number
2890 of the current thread. You may find this useful in writing breakpoint
2891 conditional expressions, command scripts, and so forth. See
2892 @xref{Convenience Vars,, Convenience Variables}, for general
2893 information on convenience variables.
2894
2895 @kindex thread apply
2896 @cindex apply command to several threads
2897 @item thread apply [@var{threadno} | all] @var{command}
2898 The @code{thread apply} command allows you to apply the named
2899 @var{command} to one or more threads. Specify the numbers of the
2900 threads that you want affected with the command argument
2901 @var{threadno}. It can be a single thread number, one of the numbers
2902 shown in the first field of the @samp{info threads} display; or it
2903 could be a range of thread numbers, as in @code{2-4}. To apply a
2904 command to all threads, type @kbd{thread apply all @var{command}}.
2905
2906 @kindex thread name
2907 @cindex name a thread
2908 @item thread name [@var{name}]
2909 This command assigns a name to the current thread. If no argument is
2910 given, any existing user-specified name is removed. The thread name
2911 appears in the @samp{info threads} display.
2912
2913 On some systems, such as @sc{gnu}/Linux, @value{GDBN} is able to
2914 determine the name of the thread as given by the OS. On these
2915 systems, a name specified with @samp{thread name} will override the
2916 system-give name, and removing the user-specified name will cause
2917 @value{GDBN} to once again display the system-specified name.
2918
2919 @kindex thread find
2920 @cindex search for a thread
2921 @item thread find [@var{regexp}]
2922 Search for and display thread ids whose name or @var{systag}
2923 matches the supplied regular expression.
2924
2925 As well as being the complement to the @samp{thread name} command,
2926 this command also allows you to identify a thread by its target
2927 @var{systag}. For instance, on @sc{gnu}/Linux, the target @var{systag}
2928 is the LWP id.
2929
2930 @smallexample
2931 (@value{GDBN}) thread find 26688
2932 Thread 4 has target id 'Thread 0x41e02940 (LWP 26688)'
2933 (@value{GDBN}) info thread 4
2934 Id Target Id Frame
2935 4 Thread 0x41e02940 (LWP 26688) 0x00000031ca6cd372 in select ()
2936 @end smallexample
2937
2938 @kindex set print thread-events
2939 @cindex print messages on thread start and exit
2940 @item set print thread-events
2941 @itemx set print thread-events on
2942 @itemx set print thread-events off
2943 The @code{set print thread-events} command allows you to enable or
2944 disable printing of messages when @value{GDBN} notices that new threads have
2945 started or that threads have exited. By default, these messages will
2946 be printed if detection of these events is supported by the target.
2947 Note that these messages cannot be disabled on all targets.
2948
2949 @kindex show print thread-events
2950 @item show print thread-events
2951 Show whether messages will be printed when @value{GDBN} detects that threads
2952 have started and exited.
2953 @end table
2954
2955 @xref{Thread Stops,,Stopping and Starting Multi-thread Programs}, for
2956 more information about how @value{GDBN} behaves when you stop and start
2957 programs with multiple threads.
2958
2959 @xref{Set Watchpoints,,Setting Watchpoints}, for information about
2960 watchpoints in programs with multiple threads.
2961
2962 @anchor{set libthread-db-search-path}
2963 @table @code
2964 @kindex set libthread-db-search-path
2965 @cindex search path for @code{libthread_db}
2966 @item set libthread-db-search-path @r{[}@var{path}@r{]}
2967 If this variable is set, @var{path} is a colon-separated list of
2968 directories @value{GDBN} will use to search for @code{libthread_db}.
2969 If you omit @var{path}, @samp{libthread-db-search-path} will be reset to
2970 its default value (@code{$sdir:$pdir} on @sc{gnu}/Linux and Solaris systems).
2971 Internally, the default value comes from the @code{LIBTHREAD_DB_SEARCH_PATH}
2972 macro.
2973
2974 On @sc{gnu}/Linux and Solaris systems, @value{GDBN} uses a ``helper''
2975 @code{libthread_db} library to obtain information about threads in the
2976 inferior process. @value{GDBN} will use @samp{libthread-db-search-path}
2977 to find @code{libthread_db}. @value{GDBN} also consults first if inferior
2978 specific thread debugging library loading is enabled
2979 by @samp{set auto-load libthread-db} (@pxref{libthread_db.so.1 file}).
2980
2981 A special entry @samp{$sdir} for @samp{libthread-db-search-path}
2982 refers to the default system directories that are
2983 normally searched for loading shared libraries. The @samp{$sdir} entry
2984 is the only kind not needing to be enabled by @samp{set auto-load libthread-db}
2985 (@pxref{libthread_db.so.1 file}).
2986
2987 A special entry @samp{$pdir} for @samp{libthread-db-search-path}
2988 refers to the directory from which @code{libpthread}
2989 was loaded in the inferior process.
2990
2991 For any @code{libthread_db} library @value{GDBN} finds in above directories,
2992 @value{GDBN} attempts to initialize it with the current inferior process.
2993 If this initialization fails (which could happen because of a version
2994 mismatch between @code{libthread_db} and @code{libpthread}), @value{GDBN}
2995 will unload @code{libthread_db}, and continue with the next directory.
2996 If none of @code{libthread_db} libraries initialize successfully,
2997 @value{GDBN} will issue a warning and thread debugging will be disabled.
2998
2999 Setting @code{libthread-db-search-path} is currently implemented
3000 only on some platforms.
3001
3002 @kindex show libthread-db-search-path
3003 @item show libthread-db-search-path
3004 Display current libthread_db search path.
3005
3006 @kindex set debug libthread-db
3007 @kindex show debug libthread-db
3008 @cindex debugging @code{libthread_db}
3009 @item set debug libthread-db
3010 @itemx show debug libthread-db
3011 Turns on or off display of @code{libthread_db}-related events.
3012 Use @code{1} to enable, @code{0} to disable.
3013 @end table
3014
3015 @node Forks
3016 @section Debugging Forks
3017
3018 @cindex fork, debugging programs which call
3019 @cindex multiple processes
3020 @cindex processes, multiple
3021 On most systems, @value{GDBN} has no special support for debugging
3022 programs which create additional processes using the @code{fork}
3023 function. When a program forks, @value{GDBN} will continue to debug the
3024 parent process and the child process will run unimpeded. If you have
3025 set a breakpoint in any code which the child then executes, the child
3026 will get a @code{SIGTRAP} signal which (unless it catches the signal)
3027 will cause it to terminate.
3028
3029 However, if you want to debug the child process there is a workaround
3030 which isn't too painful. Put a call to @code{sleep} in the code which
3031 the child process executes after the fork. It may be useful to sleep
3032 only if a certain environment variable is set, or a certain file exists,
3033 so that the delay need not occur when you don't want to run @value{GDBN}
3034 on the child. While the child is sleeping, use the @code{ps} program to
3035 get its process ID. Then tell @value{GDBN} (a new invocation of
3036 @value{GDBN} if you are also debugging the parent process) to attach to
3037 the child process (@pxref{Attach}). From that point on you can debug
3038 the child process just like any other process which you attached to.
3039
3040 On some systems, @value{GDBN} provides support for debugging programs that
3041 create additional processes using the @code{fork} or @code{vfork} functions.
3042 Currently, the only platforms with this feature are HP-UX (11.x and later
3043 only?) and @sc{gnu}/Linux (kernel version 2.5.60 and later).
3044
3045 By default, when a program forks, @value{GDBN} will continue to debug
3046 the parent process and the child process will run unimpeded.
3047
3048 If you want to follow the child process instead of the parent process,
3049 use the command @w{@code{set follow-fork-mode}}.
3050
3051 @table @code
3052 @kindex set follow-fork-mode
3053 @item set follow-fork-mode @var{mode}
3054 Set the debugger response to a program call of @code{fork} or
3055 @code{vfork}. A call to @code{fork} or @code{vfork} creates a new
3056 process. The @var{mode} argument can be:
3057
3058 @table @code
3059 @item parent
3060 The original process is debugged after a fork. The child process runs
3061 unimpeded. This is the default.
3062
3063 @item child
3064 The new process is debugged after a fork. The parent process runs
3065 unimpeded.
3066
3067 @end table
3068
3069 @kindex show follow-fork-mode
3070 @item show follow-fork-mode
3071 Display the current debugger response to a @code{fork} or @code{vfork} call.
3072 @end table
3073
3074 @cindex debugging multiple processes
3075 On Linux, if you want to debug both the parent and child processes, use the
3076 command @w{@code{set detach-on-fork}}.
3077
3078 @table @code
3079 @kindex set detach-on-fork
3080 @item set detach-on-fork @var{mode}
3081 Tells gdb whether to detach one of the processes after a fork, or
3082 retain debugger control over them both.
3083
3084 @table @code
3085 @item on
3086 The child process (or parent process, depending on the value of
3087 @code{follow-fork-mode}) will be detached and allowed to run
3088 independently. This is the default.
3089
3090 @item off
3091 Both processes will be held under the control of @value{GDBN}.
3092 One process (child or parent, depending on the value of
3093 @code{follow-fork-mode}) is debugged as usual, while the other
3094 is held suspended.
3095
3096 @end table
3097
3098 @kindex show detach-on-fork
3099 @item show detach-on-fork
3100 Show whether detach-on-fork mode is on/off.
3101 @end table
3102
3103 If you choose to set @samp{detach-on-fork} mode off, then @value{GDBN}
3104 will retain control of all forked processes (including nested forks).
3105 You can list the forked processes under the control of @value{GDBN} by
3106 using the @w{@code{info inferiors}} command, and switch from one fork
3107 to another by using the @code{inferior} command (@pxref{Inferiors and
3108 Programs, ,Debugging Multiple Inferiors and Programs}).
3109
3110 To quit debugging one of the forked processes, you can either detach
3111 from it by using the @w{@code{detach inferiors}} command (allowing it
3112 to run independently), or kill it using the @w{@code{kill inferiors}}
3113 command. @xref{Inferiors and Programs, ,Debugging Multiple Inferiors
3114 and Programs}.
3115
3116 If you ask to debug a child process and a @code{vfork} is followed by an
3117 @code{exec}, @value{GDBN} executes the new target up to the first
3118 breakpoint in the new target. If you have a breakpoint set on
3119 @code{main} in your original program, the breakpoint will also be set on
3120 the child process's @code{main}.
3121
3122 On some systems, when a child process is spawned by @code{vfork}, you
3123 cannot debug the child or parent until an @code{exec} call completes.
3124
3125 If you issue a @code{run} command to @value{GDBN} after an @code{exec}
3126 call executes, the new target restarts. To restart the parent
3127 process, use the @code{file} command with the parent executable name
3128 as its argument. By default, after an @code{exec} call executes,
3129 @value{GDBN} discards the symbols of the previous executable image.
3130 You can change this behaviour with the @w{@code{set follow-exec-mode}}
3131 command.
3132
3133 @table @code
3134 @kindex set follow-exec-mode
3135 @item set follow-exec-mode @var{mode}
3136
3137 Set debugger response to a program call of @code{exec}. An
3138 @code{exec} call replaces the program image of a process.
3139
3140 @code{follow-exec-mode} can be:
3141
3142 @table @code
3143 @item new
3144 @value{GDBN} creates a new inferior and rebinds the process to this
3145 new inferior. The program the process was running before the
3146 @code{exec} call can be restarted afterwards by restarting the
3147 original inferior.
3148
3149 For example:
3150
3151 @smallexample
3152 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
3153 (gdb) info inferior
3154 Id Description Executable
3155 * 1 <null> prog1
3156 (@value{GDBP}) run
3157 process 12020 is executing new program: prog2
3158 Program exited normally.
3159 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
3160 Id Description Executable
3161 * 2 <null> prog2
3162 1 <null> prog1
3163 @end smallexample
3164
3165 @item same
3166 @value{GDBN} keeps the process bound to the same inferior. The new
3167 executable image replaces the previous executable loaded in the
3168 inferior. Restarting the inferior after the @code{exec} call, with
3169 e.g., the @code{run} command, restarts the executable the process was
3170 running after the @code{exec} call. This is the default mode.
3171
3172 For example:
3173
3174 @smallexample
3175 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
3176 Id Description Executable
3177 * 1 <null> prog1
3178 (@value{GDBP}) run
3179 process 12020 is executing new program: prog2
3180 Program exited normally.
3181 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
3182 Id Description Executable
3183 * 1 <null> prog2
3184 @end smallexample
3185
3186 @end table
3187 @end table
3188
3189 You can use the @code{catch} command to make @value{GDBN} stop whenever
3190 a @code{fork}, @code{vfork}, or @code{exec} call is made. @xref{Set
3191 Catchpoints, ,Setting Catchpoints}.
3192
3193 @node Checkpoint/Restart
3194 @section Setting a @emph{Bookmark} to Return to Later
3195
3196 @cindex checkpoint
3197 @cindex restart
3198 @cindex bookmark
3199 @cindex snapshot of a process
3200 @cindex rewind program state
3201
3202 On certain operating systems@footnote{Currently, only
3203 @sc{gnu}/Linux.}, @value{GDBN} is able to save a @dfn{snapshot} of a
3204 program's state, called a @dfn{checkpoint}, and come back to it
3205 later.
3206
3207 Returning to a checkpoint effectively undoes everything that has
3208 happened in the program since the @code{checkpoint} was saved. This
3209 includes changes in memory, registers, and even (within some limits)
3210 system state. Effectively, it is like going back in time to the
3211 moment when the checkpoint was saved.
3212
3213 Thus, if you're stepping thru a program and you think you're
3214 getting close to the point where things go wrong, you can save
3215 a checkpoint. Then, if you accidentally go too far and miss
3216 the critical statement, instead of having to restart your program
3217 from the beginning, you can just go back to the checkpoint and
3218 start again from there.
3219
3220 This can be especially useful if it takes a lot of time or
3221 steps to reach the point where you think the bug occurs.
3222
3223 To use the @code{checkpoint}/@code{restart} method of debugging:
3224
3225 @table @code
3226 @kindex checkpoint
3227 @item checkpoint
3228 Save a snapshot of the debugged program's current execution state.
3229 The @code{checkpoint} command takes no arguments, but each checkpoint
3230 is assigned a small integer id, similar to a breakpoint id.
3231
3232 @kindex info checkpoints
3233 @item info checkpoints
3234 List the checkpoints that have been saved in the current debugging
3235 session. For each checkpoint, the following information will be
3236 listed:
3237
3238 @table @code
3239 @item Checkpoint ID
3240 @item Process ID
3241 @item Code Address
3242 @item Source line, or label
3243 @end table
3244
3245 @kindex restart @var{checkpoint-id}
3246 @item restart @var{checkpoint-id}
3247 Restore the program state that was saved as checkpoint number
3248 @var{checkpoint-id}. All program variables, registers, stack frames
3249 etc.@: will be returned to the values that they had when the checkpoint
3250 was saved. In essence, gdb will ``wind back the clock'' to the point
3251 in time when the checkpoint was saved.
3252
3253 Note that breakpoints, @value{GDBN} variables, command history etc.
3254 are not affected by restoring a checkpoint. In general, a checkpoint
3255 only restores things that reside in the program being debugged, not in
3256 the debugger.
3257
3258 @kindex delete checkpoint @var{checkpoint-id}
3259 @item delete checkpoint @var{checkpoint-id}
3260 Delete the previously-saved checkpoint identified by @var{checkpoint-id}.
3261
3262 @end table
3263
3264 Returning to a previously saved checkpoint will restore the user state
3265 of the program being debugged, plus a significant subset of the system
3266 (OS) state, including file pointers. It won't ``un-write'' data from
3267 a file, but it will rewind the file pointer to the previous location,
3268 so that the previously written data can be overwritten. For files
3269 opened in read mode, the pointer will also be restored so that the
3270 previously read data can be read again.
3271
3272 Of course, characters that have been sent to a printer (or other
3273 external device) cannot be ``snatched back'', and characters received
3274 from eg.@: a serial device can be removed from internal program buffers,
3275 but they cannot be ``pushed back'' into the serial pipeline, ready to
3276 be received again. Similarly, the actual contents of files that have
3277 been changed cannot be restored (at this time).
3278
3279 However, within those constraints, you actually can ``rewind'' your
3280 program to a previously saved point in time, and begin debugging it
3281 again --- and you can change the course of events so as to debug a
3282 different execution path this time.
3283
3284 @cindex checkpoints and process id
3285 Finally, there is one bit of internal program state that will be
3286 different when you return to a checkpoint --- the program's process
3287 id. Each checkpoint will have a unique process id (or @var{pid}),
3288 and each will be different from the program's original @var{pid}.
3289 If your program has saved a local copy of its process id, this could
3290 potentially pose a problem.
3291
3292 @subsection A Non-obvious Benefit of Using Checkpoints
3293
3294 On some systems such as @sc{gnu}/Linux, address space randomization
3295 is performed on new processes for security reasons. This makes it
3296 difficult or impossible to set a breakpoint, or watchpoint, on an
3297 absolute address if you have to restart the program, since the
3298 absolute location of a symbol will change from one execution to the
3299 next.
3300
3301 A checkpoint, however, is an @emph{identical} copy of a process.
3302 Therefore if you create a checkpoint at (eg.@:) the start of main,
3303 and simply return to that checkpoint instead of restarting the
3304 process, you can avoid the effects of address randomization and
3305 your symbols will all stay in the same place.
3306
3307 @node Stopping
3308 @chapter Stopping and Continuing
3309
3310 The principal purposes of using a debugger are so that you can stop your
3311 program before it terminates; or so that, if your program runs into
3312 trouble, you can investigate and find out why.
3313
3314 Inside @value{GDBN}, your program may stop for any of several reasons,
3315 such as a signal, a breakpoint, or reaching a new line after a
3316 @value{GDBN} command such as @code{step}. You may then examine and
3317 change variables, set new breakpoints or remove old ones, and then
3318 continue execution. Usually, the messages shown by @value{GDBN} provide
3319 ample explanation of the status of your program---but you can also
3320 explicitly request this information at any time.
3321
3322 @table @code
3323 @kindex info program
3324 @item info program
3325 Display information about the status of your program: whether it is
3326 running or not, what process it is, and why it stopped.
3327 @end table
3328
3329 @menu
3330 * Breakpoints:: Breakpoints, watchpoints, and catchpoints
3331 * Continuing and Stepping:: Resuming execution
3332 * Skipping Over Functions and Files::
3333 Skipping over functions and files
3334 * Signals:: Signals
3335 * Thread Stops:: Stopping and starting multi-thread programs
3336 @end menu
3337
3338 @node Breakpoints
3339 @section Breakpoints, Watchpoints, and Catchpoints
3340
3341 @cindex breakpoints
3342 A @dfn{breakpoint} makes your program stop whenever a certain point in
3343 the program is reached. For each breakpoint, you can add conditions to
3344 control in finer detail whether your program stops. You can set
3345 breakpoints with the @code{break} command and its variants (@pxref{Set
3346 Breaks, ,Setting Breakpoints}), to specify the place where your program
3347 should stop by line number, function name or exact address in the
3348 program.
3349
3350 On some systems, you can set breakpoints in shared libraries before
3351 the executable is run. There is a minor limitation on HP-UX systems:
3352 you must wait until the executable is run in order to set breakpoints
3353 in shared library routines that are not called directly by the program
3354 (for example, routines that are arguments in a @code{pthread_create}
3355 call).
3356
3357 @cindex watchpoints
3358 @cindex data breakpoints
3359 @cindex memory tracing
3360 @cindex breakpoint on memory address
3361 @cindex breakpoint on variable modification
3362 A @dfn{watchpoint} is a special breakpoint that stops your program
3363 when the value of an expression changes. The expression may be a value
3364 of a variable, or it could involve values of one or more variables
3365 combined by operators, such as @samp{a + b}. This is sometimes called
3366 @dfn{data breakpoints}. You must use a different command to set
3367 watchpoints (@pxref{Set Watchpoints, ,Setting Watchpoints}), but aside
3368 from that, you can manage a watchpoint like any other breakpoint: you
3369 enable, disable, and delete both breakpoints and watchpoints using the
3370 same commands.
3371
3372 You can arrange to have values from your program displayed automatically
3373 whenever @value{GDBN} stops at a breakpoint. @xref{Auto Display,,
3374 Automatic Display}.
3375
3376 @cindex catchpoints
3377 @cindex breakpoint on events
3378 A @dfn{catchpoint} is another special breakpoint that stops your program
3379 when a certain kind of event occurs, such as the throwing of a C@t{++}
3380 exception or the loading of a library. As with watchpoints, you use a
3381 different command to set a catchpoint (@pxref{Set Catchpoints, ,Setting
3382 Catchpoints}), but aside from that, you can manage a catchpoint like any
3383 other breakpoint. (To stop when your program receives a signal, use the
3384 @code{handle} command; see @ref{Signals, ,Signals}.)
3385
3386 @cindex breakpoint numbers
3387 @cindex numbers for breakpoints
3388 @value{GDBN} assigns a number to each breakpoint, watchpoint, or
3389 catchpoint when you create it; these numbers are successive integers
3390 starting with one. In many of the commands for controlling various
3391 features of breakpoints you use the breakpoint number to say which
3392 breakpoint you want to change. Each breakpoint may be @dfn{enabled} or
3393 @dfn{disabled}; if disabled, it has no effect on your program until you
3394 enable it again.
3395
3396 @cindex breakpoint ranges
3397 @cindex ranges of breakpoints
3398 Some @value{GDBN} commands accept a range of breakpoints on which to
3399 operate. A breakpoint range is either a single breakpoint number, like
3400 @samp{5}, or two such numbers, in increasing order, separated by a
3401 hyphen, like @samp{5-7}. When a breakpoint range is given to a command,
3402 all breakpoints in that range are operated on.
3403
3404 @menu
3405 * Set Breaks:: Setting breakpoints
3406 * Set Watchpoints:: Setting watchpoints
3407 * Set Catchpoints:: Setting catchpoints
3408 * Delete Breaks:: Deleting breakpoints
3409 * Disabling:: Disabling breakpoints
3410 * Conditions:: Break conditions
3411 * Break Commands:: Breakpoint command lists
3412 * Dynamic Printf:: Dynamic printf
3413 * Save Breakpoints:: How to save breakpoints in a file
3414 * Static Probe Points:: Listing static probe points
3415 * Error in Breakpoints:: ``Cannot insert breakpoints''
3416 * Breakpoint-related Warnings:: ``Breakpoint address adjusted...''
3417 @end menu
3418
3419 @node Set Breaks
3420 @subsection Setting Breakpoints
3421
3422 @c FIXME LMB what does GDB do if no code on line of breakpt?
3423 @c consider in particular declaration with/without initialization.
3424 @c
3425 @c FIXME 2 is there stuff on this already? break at fun start, already init?
3426
3427 @kindex break
3428 @kindex b @r{(@code{break})}
3429 @vindex $bpnum@r{, convenience variable}
3430 @cindex latest breakpoint
3431 Breakpoints are set with the @code{break} command (abbreviated
3432 @code{b}). The debugger convenience variable @samp{$bpnum} records the
3433 number of the breakpoint you've set most recently; see @ref{Convenience
3434 Vars,, Convenience Variables}, for a discussion of what you can do with
3435 convenience variables.
3436
3437 @table @code
3438 @item break @var{location}
3439 Set a breakpoint at the given @var{location}, which can specify a
3440 function name, a line number, or an address of an instruction.
3441 (@xref{Specify Location}, for a list of all the possible ways to
3442 specify a @var{location}.) The breakpoint will stop your program just
3443 before it executes any of the code in the specified @var{location}.
3444
3445 When using source languages that permit overloading of symbols, such as
3446 C@t{++}, a function name may refer to more than one possible place to break.
3447 @xref{Ambiguous Expressions,,Ambiguous Expressions}, for a discussion of
3448 that situation.
3449
3450 It is also possible to insert a breakpoint that will stop the program
3451 only if a specific thread (@pxref{Thread-Specific Breakpoints})
3452 or a specific task (@pxref{Ada Tasks}) hits that breakpoint.
3453
3454 @item break
3455 When called without any arguments, @code{break} sets a breakpoint at
3456 the next instruction to be executed in the selected stack frame
3457 (@pxref{Stack, ,Examining the Stack}). In any selected frame but the
3458 innermost, this makes your program stop as soon as control
3459 returns to that frame. This is similar to the effect of a
3460 @code{finish} command in the frame inside the selected frame---except
3461 that @code{finish} does not leave an active breakpoint. If you use
3462 @code{break} without an argument in the innermost frame, @value{GDBN} stops
3463 the next time it reaches the current location; this may be useful
3464 inside loops.
3465
3466 @value{GDBN} normally ignores breakpoints when it resumes execution, until at
3467 least one instruction has been executed. If it did not do this, you
3468 would be unable to proceed past a breakpoint without first disabling the
3469 breakpoint. This rule applies whether or not the breakpoint already
3470 existed when your program stopped.
3471
3472 @item break @dots{} if @var{cond}
3473 Set a breakpoint with condition @var{cond}; evaluate the expression
3474 @var{cond} each time the breakpoint is reached, and stop only if the
3475 value is nonzero---that is, if @var{cond} evaluates as true.
3476 @samp{@dots{}} stands for one of the possible arguments described
3477 above (or no argument) specifying where to break. @xref{Conditions,
3478 ,Break Conditions}, for more information on breakpoint conditions.
3479
3480 @kindex tbreak
3481 @item tbreak @var{args}
3482 Set a breakpoint enabled only for one stop. @var{args} are the
3483 same as for the @code{break} command, and the breakpoint is set in the same
3484 way, but the breakpoint is automatically deleted after the first time your
3485 program stops there. @xref{Disabling, ,Disabling Breakpoints}.
3486
3487 @kindex hbreak
3488 @cindex hardware breakpoints
3489 @item hbreak @var{args}
3490 Set a hardware-assisted breakpoint. @var{args} are the same as for the
3491 @code{break} command and the breakpoint is set in the same way, but the
3492 breakpoint requires hardware support and some target hardware may not
3493 have this support. The main purpose of this is EPROM/ROM code
3494 debugging, so you can set a breakpoint at an instruction without
3495 changing the instruction. This can be used with the new trap-generation
3496 provided by SPARClite DSU and most x86-based targets. These targets
3497 will generate traps when a program accesses some data or instruction
3498 address that is assigned to the debug registers. However the hardware
3499 breakpoint registers can take a limited number of breakpoints. For
3500 example, on the DSU, only two data breakpoints can be set at a time, and
3501 @value{GDBN} will reject this command if more than two are used. Delete
3502 or disable unused hardware breakpoints before setting new ones
3503 (@pxref{Disabling, ,Disabling Breakpoints}).
3504 @xref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions}.
3505 For remote targets, you can restrict the number of hardware
3506 breakpoints @value{GDBN} will use, see @ref{set remote
3507 hardware-breakpoint-limit}.
3508
3509 @kindex thbreak
3510 @item thbreak @var{args}
3511 Set a hardware-assisted breakpoint enabled only for one stop. @var{args}
3512 are the same as for the @code{hbreak} command and the breakpoint is set in
3513 the same way. However, like the @code{tbreak} command,
3514 the breakpoint is automatically deleted after the
3515 first time your program stops there. Also, like the @code{hbreak}
3516 command, the breakpoint requires hardware support and some target hardware
3517 may not have this support. @xref{Disabling, ,Disabling Breakpoints}.
3518 See also @ref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions}.
3519
3520 @kindex rbreak
3521 @cindex regular expression
3522 @cindex breakpoints at functions matching a regexp
3523 @cindex set breakpoints in many functions
3524 @item rbreak @var{regex}
3525 Set breakpoints on all functions matching the regular expression
3526 @var{regex}. This command sets an unconditional breakpoint on all
3527 matches, printing a list of all breakpoints it set. Once these
3528 breakpoints are set, they are treated just like the breakpoints set with
3529 the @code{break} command. You can delete them, disable them, or make
3530 them conditional the same way as any other breakpoint.
3531
3532 The syntax of the regular expression is the standard one used with tools
3533 like @file{grep}. Note that this is different from the syntax used by
3534 shells, so for instance @code{foo*} matches all functions that include
3535 an @code{fo} followed by zero or more @code{o}s. There is an implicit
3536 @code{.*} leading and trailing the regular expression you supply, so to
3537 match only functions that begin with @code{foo}, use @code{^foo}.
3538
3539 @cindex non-member C@t{++} functions, set breakpoint in
3540 When debugging C@t{++} programs, @code{rbreak} is useful for setting
3541 breakpoints on overloaded functions that are not members of any special
3542 classes.
3543
3544 @cindex set breakpoints on all functions
3545 The @code{rbreak} command can be used to set breakpoints in
3546 @strong{all} the functions in a program, like this:
3547
3548 @smallexample
3549 (@value{GDBP}) rbreak .
3550 @end smallexample
3551
3552 @item rbreak @var{file}:@var{regex}
3553 If @code{rbreak} is called with a filename qualification, it limits
3554 the search for functions matching the given regular expression to the
3555 specified @var{file}. This can be used, for example, to set breakpoints on
3556 every function in a given file:
3557
3558 @smallexample
3559 (@value{GDBP}) rbreak file.c:.
3560 @end smallexample
3561
3562 The colon separating the filename qualifier from the regex may
3563 optionally be surrounded by spaces.
3564
3565 @kindex info breakpoints
3566 @cindex @code{$_} and @code{info breakpoints}
3567 @item info breakpoints @r{[}@var{n}@dots{}@r{]}
3568 @itemx info break @r{[}@var{n}@dots{}@r{]}
3569 Print a table of all breakpoints, watchpoints, and catchpoints set and
3570 not deleted. Optional argument @var{n} means print information only
3571 about the specified breakpoint(s) (or watchpoint(s) or catchpoint(s)).
3572 For each breakpoint, following columns are printed:
3573
3574 @table @emph
3575 @item Breakpoint Numbers
3576 @item Type
3577 Breakpoint, watchpoint, or catchpoint.
3578 @item Disposition
3579 Whether the breakpoint is marked to be disabled or deleted when hit.
3580 @item Enabled or Disabled
3581 Enabled breakpoints are marked with @samp{y}. @samp{n} marks breakpoints
3582 that are not enabled.
3583 @item Address
3584 Where the breakpoint is in your program, as a memory address. For a
3585 pending breakpoint whose address is not yet known, this field will
3586 contain @samp{<PENDING>}. Such breakpoint won't fire until a shared
3587 library that has the symbol or line referred by breakpoint is loaded.
3588 See below for details. A breakpoint with several locations will
3589 have @samp{<MULTIPLE>} in this field---see below for details.
3590 @item What
3591 Where the breakpoint is in the source for your program, as a file and
3592 line number. For a pending breakpoint, the original string passed to
3593 the breakpoint command will be listed as it cannot be resolved until
3594 the appropriate shared library is loaded in the future.
3595 @end table
3596
3597 @noindent
3598 If a breakpoint is conditional, there are two evaluation modes: ``host'' and
3599 ``target''. If mode is ``host'', breakpoint condition evaluation is done by
3600 @value{GDBN} on the host's side. If it is ``target'', then the condition
3601 is evaluated by the target. The @code{info break} command shows
3602 the condition on the line following the affected breakpoint, together with
3603 its condition evaluation mode in between parentheses.
3604
3605 Breakpoint commands, if any, are listed after that. A pending breakpoint is
3606 allowed to have a condition specified for it. The condition is not parsed for
3607 validity until a shared library is loaded that allows the pending
3608 breakpoint to resolve to a valid location.
3609
3610 @noindent
3611 @code{info break} with a breakpoint
3612 number @var{n} as argument lists only that breakpoint. The
3613 convenience variable @code{$_} and the default examining-address for
3614 the @code{x} command are set to the address of the last breakpoint
3615 listed (@pxref{Memory, ,Examining Memory}).
3616
3617 @noindent
3618 @code{info break} displays a count of the number of times the breakpoint
3619 has been hit. This is especially useful in conjunction with the
3620 @code{ignore} command. You can ignore a large number of breakpoint
3621 hits, look at the breakpoint info to see how many times the breakpoint
3622 was hit, and then run again, ignoring one less than that number. This
3623 will get you quickly to the last hit of that breakpoint.
3624
3625 @noindent
3626 For a breakpoints with an enable count (xref) greater than 1,
3627 @code{info break} also displays that count.
3628
3629 @end table
3630
3631 @value{GDBN} allows you to set any number of breakpoints at the same place in
3632 your program. There is nothing silly or meaningless about this. When
3633 the breakpoints are conditional, this is even useful
3634 (@pxref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions}).
3635
3636 @cindex multiple locations, breakpoints
3637 @cindex breakpoints, multiple locations
3638 It is possible that a breakpoint corresponds to several locations
3639 in your program. Examples of this situation are:
3640
3641 @itemize @bullet
3642 @item
3643 Multiple functions in the program may have the same name.
3644
3645 @item
3646 For a C@t{++} constructor, the @value{NGCC} compiler generates several
3647 instances of the function body, used in different cases.
3648
3649 @item
3650 For a C@t{++} template function, a given line in the function can
3651 correspond to any number of instantiations.
3652
3653 @item
3654 For an inlined function, a given source line can correspond to
3655 several places where that function is inlined.
3656 @end itemize
3657
3658 In all those cases, @value{GDBN} will insert a breakpoint at all
3659 the relevant locations.
3660
3661 A breakpoint with multiple locations is displayed in the breakpoint
3662 table using several rows---one header row, followed by one row for
3663 each breakpoint location. The header row has @samp{<MULTIPLE>} in the
3664 address column. The rows for individual locations contain the actual
3665 addresses for locations, and show the functions to which those
3666 locations belong. The number column for a location is of the form
3667 @var{breakpoint-number}.@var{location-number}.
3668
3669 For example:
3670
3671 @smallexample
3672 Num Type Disp Enb Address What
3673 1 breakpoint keep y <MULTIPLE>
3674 stop only if i==1
3675 breakpoint already hit 1 time
3676 1.1 y 0x080486a2 in void foo<int>() at t.cc:8
3677 1.2 y 0x080486ca in void foo<double>() at t.cc:8
3678 @end smallexample
3679
3680 Each location can be individually enabled or disabled by passing
3681 @var{breakpoint-number}.@var{location-number} as argument to the
3682 @code{enable} and @code{disable} commands. Note that you cannot
3683 delete the individual locations from the list, you can only delete the
3684 entire list of locations that belong to their parent breakpoint (with
3685 the @kbd{delete @var{num}} command, where @var{num} is the number of
3686 the parent breakpoint, 1 in the above example). Disabling or enabling
3687 the parent breakpoint (@pxref{Disabling}) affects all of the locations
3688 that belong to that breakpoint.
3689
3690 @cindex pending breakpoints
3691 It's quite common to have a breakpoint inside a shared library.
3692 Shared libraries can be loaded and unloaded explicitly,
3693 and possibly repeatedly, as the program is executed. To support
3694 this use case, @value{GDBN} updates breakpoint locations whenever
3695 any shared library is loaded or unloaded. Typically, you would
3696 set a breakpoint in a shared library at the beginning of your
3697 debugging session, when the library is not loaded, and when the
3698 symbols from the library are not available. When you try to set
3699 breakpoint, @value{GDBN} will ask you if you want to set
3700 a so called @dfn{pending breakpoint}---breakpoint whose address
3701 is not yet resolved.
3702
3703 After the program is run, whenever a new shared library is loaded,
3704 @value{GDBN} reevaluates all the breakpoints. When a newly loaded
3705 shared library contains the symbol or line referred to by some
3706 pending breakpoint, that breakpoint is resolved and becomes an
3707 ordinary breakpoint. When a library is unloaded, all breakpoints
3708 that refer to its symbols or source lines become pending again.
3709
3710 This logic works for breakpoints with multiple locations, too. For
3711 example, if you have a breakpoint in a C@t{++} template function, and
3712 a newly loaded shared library has an instantiation of that template,
3713 a new location is added to the list of locations for the breakpoint.
3714
3715 Except for having unresolved address, pending breakpoints do not
3716 differ from regular breakpoints. You can set conditions or commands,
3717 enable and disable them and perform other breakpoint operations.
3718
3719 @value{GDBN} provides some additional commands for controlling what
3720 happens when the @samp{break} command cannot resolve breakpoint
3721 address specification to an address:
3722
3723 @kindex set breakpoint pending
3724 @kindex show breakpoint pending
3725 @table @code
3726 @item set breakpoint pending auto
3727 This is the default behavior. When @value{GDBN} cannot find the breakpoint
3728 location, it queries you whether a pending breakpoint should be created.
3729
3730 @item set breakpoint pending on
3731 This indicates that an unrecognized breakpoint location should automatically
3732 result in a pending breakpoint being created.
3733
3734 @item set breakpoint pending off
3735 This indicates that pending breakpoints are not to be created. Any
3736 unrecognized breakpoint location results in an error. This setting does
3737 not affect any pending breakpoints previously created.
3738
3739 @item show breakpoint pending
3740 Show the current behavior setting for creating pending breakpoints.
3741 @end table
3742
3743 The settings above only affect the @code{break} command and its
3744 variants. Once breakpoint is set, it will be automatically updated
3745 as shared libraries are loaded and unloaded.
3746
3747 @cindex automatic hardware breakpoints
3748 For some targets, @value{GDBN} can automatically decide if hardware or
3749 software breakpoints should be used, depending on whether the
3750 breakpoint address is read-only or read-write. This applies to
3751 breakpoints set with the @code{break} command as well as to internal
3752 breakpoints set by commands like @code{next} and @code{finish}. For
3753 breakpoints set with @code{hbreak}, @value{GDBN} will always use hardware
3754 breakpoints.
3755
3756 You can control this automatic behaviour with the following commands::
3757
3758 @kindex set breakpoint auto-hw
3759 @kindex show breakpoint auto-hw
3760 @table @code
3761 @item set breakpoint auto-hw on
3762 This is the default behavior. When @value{GDBN} sets a breakpoint, it
3763 will try to use the target memory map to decide if software or hardware
3764 breakpoint must be used.
3765
3766 @item set breakpoint auto-hw off
3767 This indicates @value{GDBN} should not automatically select breakpoint
3768 type. If the target provides a memory map, @value{GDBN} will warn when
3769 trying to set software breakpoint at a read-only address.
3770 @end table
3771
3772 @value{GDBN} normally implements breakpoints by replacing the program code
3773 at the breakpoint address with a special instruction, which, when
3774 executed, given control to the debugger. By default, the program
3775 code is so modified only when the program is resumed. As soon as
3776 the program stops, @value{GDBN} restores the original instructions. This
3777 behaviour guards against leaving breakpoints inserted in the
3778 target should gdb abrubptly disconnect. However, with slow remote
3779 targets, inserting and removing breakpoint can reduce the performance.
3780 This behavior can be controlled with the following commands::
3781
3782 @kindex set breakpoint always-inserted
3783 @kindex show breakpoint always-inserted
3784 @table @code
3785 @item set breakpoint always-inserted off
3786 All breakpoints, including newly added by the user, are inserted in
3787 the target only when the target is resumed. All breakpoints are
3788 removed from the target when it stops.
3789
3790 @item set breakpoint always-inserted on
3791 Causes all breakpoints to be inserted in the target at all times. If
3792 the user adds a new breakpoint, or changes an existing breakpoint, the
3793 breakpoints in the target are updated immediately. A breakpoint is
3794 removed from the target only when breakpoint itself is removed.
3795
3796 @cindex non-stop mode, and @code{breakpoint always-inserted}
3797 @item set breakpoint always-inserted auto
3798 This is the default mode. If @value{GDBN} is controlling the inferior
3799 in non-stop mode (@pxref{Non-Stop Mode}), gdb behaves as if
3800 @code{breakpoint always-inserted} mode is on. If @value{GDBN} is
3801 controlling the inferior in all-stop mode, @value{GDBN} behaves as if
3802 @code{breakpoint always-inserted} mode is off.
3803 @end table
3804
3805 @value{GDBN} handles conditional breakpoints by evaluating these conditions
3806 when a breakpoint breaks. If the condition is true, then the process being
3807 debugged stops, otherwise the process is resumed.
3808
3809 If the target supports evaluating conditions on its end, @value{GDBN} may
3810 download the breakpoint, together with its conditions, to it.
3811
3812 This feature can be controlled via the following commands:
3813
3814 @kindex set breakpoint condition-evaluation
3815 @kindex show breakpoint condition-evaluation
3816 @table @code
3817 @item set breakpoint condition-evaluation host
3818 This option commands @value{GDBN} to evaluate the breakpoint
3819 conditions on the host's side. Unconditional breakpoints are sent to
3820 the target which in turn receives the triggers and reports them back to GDB
3821 for condition evaluation. This is the standard evaluation mode.
3822
3823 @item set breakpoint condition-evaluation target
3824 This option commands @value{GDBN} to download breakpoint conditions
3825 to the target at the moment of their insertion. The target
3826 is responsible for evaluating the conditional expression and reporting
3827 breakpoint stop events back to @value{GDBN} whenever the condition
3828 is true. Due to limitations of target-side evaluation, some conditions
3829 cannot be evaluated there, e.g., conditions that depend on local data
3830 that is only known to the host. Examples include
3831 conditional expressions involving convenience variables, complex types
3832 that cannot be handled by the agent expression parser and expressions
3833 that are too long to be sent over to the target, specially when the
3834 target is a remote system. In these cases, the conditions will be
3835 evaluated by @value{GDBN}.
3836
3837 @item set breakpoint condition-evaluation auto
3838 This is the default mode. If the target supports evaluating breakpoint
3839 conditions on its end, @value{GDBN} will download breakpoint conditions to
3840 the target (limitations mentioned previously apply). If the target does
3841 not support breakpoint condition evaluation, then @value{GDBN} will fallback
3842 to evaluating all these conditions on the host's side.
3843 @end table
3844
3845
3846 @cindex negative breakpoint numbers
3847 @cindex internal @value{GDBN} breakpoints
3848 @value{GDBN} itself sometimes sets breakpoints in your program for
3849 special purposes, such as proper handling of @code{longjmp} (in C
3850 programs). These internal breakpoints are assigned negative numbers,
3851 starting with @code{-1}; @samp{info breakpoints} does not display them.
3852 You can see these breakpoints with the @value{GDBN} maintenance command
3853 @samp{maint info breakpoints} (@pxref{maint info breakpoints}).
3854
3855
3856 @node Set Watchpoints
3857 @subsection Setting Watchpoints
3858
3859 @cindex setting watchpoints
3860 You can use a watchpoint to stop execution whenever the value of an
3861 expression changes, without having to predict a particular place where
3862 this may happen. (This is sometimes called a @dfn{data breakpoint}.)
3863 The expression may be as simple as the value of a single variable, or
3864 as complex as many variables combined by operators. Examples include:
3865
3866 @itemize @bullet
3867 @item
3868 A reference to the value of a single variable.
3869
3870 @item
3871 An address cast to an appropriate data type. For example,
3872 @samp{*(int *)0x12345678} will watch a 4-byte region at the specified
3873 address (assuming an @code{int} occupies 4 bytes).
3874
3875 @item
3876 An arbitrarily complex expression, such as @samp{a*b + c/d}. The
3877 expression can use any operators valid in the program's native
3878 language (@pxref{Languages}).
3879 @end itemize
3880
3881 You can set a watchpoint on an expression even if the expression can
3882 not be evaluated yet. For instance, you can set a watchpoint on
3883 @samp{*global_ptr} before @samp{global_ptr} is initialized.
3884 @value{GDBN} will stop when your program sets @samp{global_ptr} and
3885 the expression produces a valid value. If the expression becomes
3886 valid in some other way than changing a variable (e.g.@: if the memory
3887 pointed to by @samp{*global_ptr} becomes readable as the result of a
3888 @code{malloc} call), @value{GDBN} may not stop until the next time
3889 the expression changes.
3890
3891 @cindex software watchpoints
3892 @cindex hardware watchpoints
3893 Depending on your system, watchpoints may be implemented in software or
3894 hardware. @value{GDBN} does software watchpointing by single-stepping your
3895 program and testing the variable's value each time, which is hundreds of
3896 times slower than normal execution. (But this may still be worth it, to
3897 catch errors where you have no clue what part of your program is the
3898 culprit.)
3899
3900 On some systems, such as HP-UX, PowerPC, @sc{gnu}/Linux and most other
3901 x86-based targets, @value{GDBN} includes support for hardware
3902 watchpoints, which do not slow down the running of your program.
3903
3904 @table @code
3905 @kindex watch
3906 @item watch @r{[}-l@r{|}-location@r{]} @var{expr} @r{[}thread @var{threadnum}@r{]} @r{[}mask @var{maskvalue}@r{]}
3907 Set a watchpoint for an expression. @value{GDBN} will break when the
3908 expression @var{expr} is written into by the program and its value
3909 changes. The simplest (and the most popular) use of this command is
3910 to watch the value of a single variable:
3911
3912 @smallexample
3913 (@value{GDBP}) watch foo
3914 @end smallexample
3915
3916 If the command includes a @code{@r{[}thread @var{threadnum}@r{]}}
3917 argument, @value{GDBN} breaks only when the thread identified by
3918 @var{threadnum} changes the value of @var{expr}. If any other threads
3919 change the value of @var{expr}, @value{GDBN} will not break. Note
3920 that watchpoints restricted to a single thread in this way only work
3921 with Hardware Watchpoints.
3922
3923 Ordinarily a watchpoint respects the scope of variables in @var{expr}
3924 (see below). The @code{-location} argument tells @value{GDBN} to
3925 instead watch the memory referred to by @var{expr}. In this case,
3926 @value{GDBN} will evaluate @var{expr}, take the address of the result,
3927 and watch the memory at that address. The type of the result is used
3928 to determine the size of the watched memory. If the expression's
3929 result does not have an address, then @value{GDBN} will print an
3930 error.
3931
3932 The @code{@r{[}mask @var{maskvalue}@r{]}} argument allows creation
3933 of masked watchpoints, if the current architecture supports this
3934 feature (e.g., PowerPC Embedded architecture, see @ref{PowerPC
3935 Embedded}.) A @dfn{masked watchpoint} specifies a mask in addition
3936 to an address to watch. The mask specifies that some bits of an address
3937 (the bits which are reset in the mask) should be ignored when matching
3938 the address accessed by the inferior against the watchpoint address.
3939 Thus, a masked watchpoint watches many addresses simultaneously---those
3940 addresses whose unmasked bits are identical to the unmasked bits in the
3941 watchpoint address. The @code{mask} argument implies @code{-location}.
3942 Examples:
3943
3944 @smallexample
3945 (@value{GDBP}) watch foo mask 0xffff00ff
3946 (@value{GDBP}) watch *0xdeadbeef mask 0xffffff00
3947 @end smallexample
3948
3949 @kindex rwatch
3950 @item rwatch @r{[}-l@r{|}-location@r{]} @var{expr} @r{[}thread @var{threadnum}@r{]} @r{[}mask @var{maskvalue}@r{]}
3951 Set a watchpoint that will break when the value of @var{expr} is read
3952 by the program.
3953
3954 @kindex awatch
3955 @item awatch @r{[}-l@r{|}-location@r{]} @var{expr} @r{[}thread @var{threadnum}@r{]} @r{[}mask @var{maskvalue}@r{]}
3956 Set a watchpoint that will break when @var{expr} is either read from
3957 or written into by the program.
3958
3959 @kindex info watchpoints @r{[}@var{n}@dots{}@r{]}
3960 @item info watchpoints @r{[}@var{n}@dots{}@r{]}
3961 This command prints a list of watchpoints, using the same format as
3962 @code{info break} (@pxref{Set Breaks}).
3963 @end table
3964
3965 If you watch for a change in a numerically entered address you need to
3966 dereference it, as the address itself is just a constant number which will
3967 never change. @value{GDBN} refuses to create a watchpoint that watches
3968 a never-changing value:
3969
3970 @smallexample
3971 (@value{GDBP}) watch 0x600850
3972 Cannot watch constant value 0x600850.
3973 (@value{GDBP}) watch *(int *) 0x600850
3974 Watchpoint 1: *(int *) 6293584
3975 @end smallexample
3976
3977 @value{GDBN} sets a @dfn{hardware watchpoint} if possible. Hardware
3978 watchpoints execute very quickly, and the debugger reports a change in
3979 value at the exact instruction where the change occurs. If @value{GDBN}
3980 cannot set a hardware watchpoint, it sets a software watchpoint, which
3981 executes more slowly and reports the change in value at the next
3982 @emph{statement}, not the instruction, after the change occurs.
3983
3984 @cindex use only software watchpoints
3985 You can force @value{GDBN} to use only software watchpoints with the
3986 @kbd{set can-use-hw-watchpoints 0} command. With this variable set to
3987 zero, @value{GDBN} will never try to use hardware watchpoints, even if
3988 the underlying system supports them. (Note that hardware-assisted
3989 watchpoints that were set @emph{before} setting
3990 @code{can-use-hw-watchpoints} to zero will still use the hardware
3991 mechanism of watching expression values.)
3992
3993 @table @code
3994 @item set can-use-hw-watchpoints
3995 @kindex set can-use-hw-watchpoints
3996 Set whether or not to use hardware watchpoints.
3997
3998 @item show can-use-hw-watchpoints
3999 @kindex show can-use-hw-watchpoints
4000 Show the current mode of using hardware watchpoints.
4001 @end table
4002
4003 For remote targets, you can restrict the number of hardware
4004 watchpoints @value{GDBN} will use, see @ref{set remote
4005 hardware-breakpoint-limit}.
4006
4007 When you issue the @code{watch} command, @value{GDBN} reports
4008
4009 @smallexample
4010 Hardware watchpoint @var{num}: @var{expr}
4011 @end smallexample
4012
4013 @noindent
4014 if it was able to set a hardware watchpoint.
4015
4016 Currently, the @code{awatch} and @code{rwatch} commands can only set
4017 hardware watchpoints, because accesses to data that don't change the
4018 value of the watched expression cannot be detected without examining
4019 every instruction as it is being executed, and @value{GDBN} does not do
4020 that currently. If @value{GDBN} finds that it is unable to set a
4021 hardware breakpoint with the @code{awatch} or @code{rwatch} command, it
4022 will print a message like this:
4023
4024 @smallexample
4025 Expression cannot be implemented with read/access watchpoint.
4026 @end smallexample
4027
4028 Sometimes, @value{GDBN} cannot set a hardware watchpoint because the
4029 data type of the watched expression is wider than what a hardware
4030 watchpoint on the target machine can handle. For example, some systems
4031 can only watch regions that are up to 4 bytes wide; on such systems you
4032 cannot set hardware watchpoints for an expression that yields a
4033 double-precision floating-point number (which is typically 8 bytes
4034 wide). As a work-around, it might be possible to break the large region
4035 into a series of smaller ones and watch them with separate watchpoints.
4036
4037 If you set too many hardware watchpoints, @value{GDBN} might be unable
4038 to insert all of them when you resume the execution of your program.
4039 Since the precise number of active watchpoints is unknown until such
4040 time as the program is about to be resumed, @value{GDBN} might not be
4041 able to warn you about this when you set the watchpoints, and the
4042 warning will be printed only when the program is resumed:
4043
4044 @smallexample
4045 Hardware watchpoint @var{num}: Could not insert watchpoint
4046 @end smallexample
4047
4048 @noindent
4049 If this happens, delete or disable some of the watchpoints.
4050
4051 Watching complex expressions that reference many variables can also
4052 exhaust the resources available for hardware-assisted watchpoints.
4053 That's because @value{GDBN} needs to watch every variable in the
4054 expression with separately allocated resources.
4055
4056 If you call a function interactively using @code{print} or @code{call},
4057 any watchpoints you have set will be inactive until @value{GDBN} reaches another
4058 kind of breakpoint or the call completes.
4059
4060 @value{GDBN} automatically deletes watchpoints that watch local
4061 (automatic) variables, or expressions that involve such variables, when
4062 they go out of scope, that is, when the execution leaves the block in
4063 which these variables were defined. In particular, when the program
4064 being debugged terminates, @emph{all} local variables go out of scope,
4065 and so only watchpoints that watch global variables remain set. If you
4066 rerun the program, you will need to set all such watchpoints again. One
4067 way of doing that would be to set a code breakpoint at the entry to the
4068 @code{main} function and when it breaks, set all the watchpoints.
4069
4070 @cindex watchpoints and threads
4071 @cindex threads and watchpoints
4072 In multi-threaded programs, watchpoints will detect changes to the
4073 watched expression from every thread.
4074
4075 @quotation
4076 @emph{Warning:} In multi-threaded programs, software watchpoints
4077 have only limited usefulness. If @value{GDBN} creates a software
4078 watchpoint, it can only watch the value of an expression @emph{in a
4079 single thread}. If you are confident that the expression can only
4080 change due to the current thread's activity (and if you are also
4081 confident that no other thread can become current), then you can use
4082 software watchpoints as usual. However, @value{GDBN} may not notice
4083 when a non-current thread's activity changes the expression. (Hardware
4084 watchpoints, in contrast, watch an expression in all threads.)
4085 @end quotation
4086
4087 @xref{set remote hardware-watchpoint-limit}.
4088
4089 @node Set Catchpoints
4090 @subsection Setting Catchpoints
4091 @cindex catchpoints, setting
4092 @cindex exception handlers
4093 @cindex event handling
4094
4095 You can use @dfn{catchpoints} to cause the debugger to stop for certain
4096 kinds of program events, such as C@t{++} exceptions or the loading of a
4097 shared library. Use the @code{catch} command to set a catchpoint.
4098
4099 @table @code
4100 @kindex catch
4101 @item catch @var{event}
4102 Stop when @var{event} occurs. @var{event} can be any of the following:
4103
4104 @table @code
4105 @item throw @r{[}@var{regexp}@r{]}
4106 @itemx rethrow @r{[}@var{regexp}@r{]}
4107 @itemx catch @r{[}@var{regexp}@r{]}
4108 @cindex stop on C@t{++} exceptions
4109 The throwing, re-throwing, or catching of a C@t{++} exception.
4110
4111 If @var{regexp} is given, then only exceptions whose type matches the
4112 regular expression will be caught.
4113
4114 @vindex $_exception@r{, convenience variable}
4115 The convenience variable @code{$_exception} is available at an
4116 exception-related catchpoint, on some systems. This holds the
4117 exception being thrown.
4118
4119 There are currently some limitations to C@t{++} exception handling in
4120 @value{GDBN}:
4121
4122 @itemize @bullet
4123 @item
4124 The support for these commands is system-dependent. Currently, only
4125 systems using the @samp{gnu-v3} C@t{++} ABI (@pxref{ABI}) are
4126 supported.
4127
4128 @item
4129 The regular expression feature and the @code{$_exception} convenience
4130 variable rely on the presence of some SDT probes in @code{libstdc++}.
4131 If these probes are not present, then these features cannot be used.
4132 These probes were first available in the GCC 4.8 release, but whether
4133 or not they are available in your GCC also depends on how it was
4134 built.
4135
4136 @item
4137 The @code{$_exception} convenience variable is only valid at the
4138 instruction at which an exception-related catchpoint is set.
4139
4140 @item
4141 When an exception-related catchpoint is hit, @value{GDBN} stops at a
4142 location in the system library which implements runtime exception
4143 support for C@t{++}, usually @code{libstdc++}. You can use @code{up}
4144 (@pxref{Selection}) to get to your code.
4145
4146 @item
4147 If you call a function interactively, @value{GDBN} normally returns
4148 control to you when the function has finished executing. If the call
4149 raises an exception, however, the call may bypass the mechanism that
4150 returns control to you and cause your program either to abort or to
4151 simply continue running until it hits a breakpoint, catches a signal
4152 that @value{GDBN} is listening for, or exits. This is the case even if
4153 you set a catchpoint for the exception; catchpoints on exceptions are
4154 disabled within interactive calls. @xref{Calling}, for information on
4155 controlling this with @code{set unwind-on-terminating-exception}.
4156
4157 @item
4158 You cannot raise an exception interactively.
4159
4160 @item
4161 You cannot install an exception handler interactively.
4162 @end itemize
4163
4164 @item exception
4165 @cindex Ada exception catching
4166 @cindex catch Ada exceptions
4167 An Ada exception being raised. If an exception name is specified
4168 at the end of the command (eg @code{catch exception Program_Error}),
4169 the debugger will stop only when this specific exception is raised.
4170 Otherwise, the debugger stops execution when any Ada exception is raised.
4171
4172 When inserting an exception catchpoint on a user-defined exception whose
4173 name is identical to one of the exceptions defined by the language, the
4174 fully qualified name must be used as the exception name. Otherwise,
4175 @value{GDBN} will assume that it should stop on the pre-defined exception
4176 rather than the user-defined one. For instance, assuming an exception
4177 called @code{Constraint_Error} is defined in package @code{Pck}, then
4178 the command to use to catch such exceptions is @kbd{catch exception
4179 Pck.Constraint_Error}.
4180
4181 @item exception unhandled
4182 An exception that was raised but is not handled by the program.
4183
4184 @item assert
4185 A failed Ada assertion.
4186
4187 @item exec
4188 @cindex break on fork/exec
4189 A call to @code{exec}. This is currently only available for HP-UX
4190 and @sc{gnu}/Linux.
4191
4192 @item syscall
4193 @itemx syscall @r{[}@var{name} @r{|} @var{number}@r{]} @dots{}
4194 @cindex break on a system call.
4195 A call to or return from a system call, a.k.a.@: @dfn{syscall}. A
4196 syscall is a mechanism for application programs to request a service
4197 from the operating system (OS) or one of the OS system services.
4198 @value{GDBN} can catch some or all of the syscalls issued by the
4199 debuggee, and show the related information for each syscall. If no
4200 argument is specified, calls to and returns from all system calls
4201 will be caught.
4202
4203 @var{name} can be any system call name that is valid for the
4204 underlying OS. Just what syscalls are valid depends on the OS. On
4205 GNU and Unix systems, you can find the full list of valid syscall
4206 names on @file{/usr/include/asm/unistd.h}.
4207
4208 @c For MS-Windows, the syscall names and the corresponding numbers
4209 @c can be found, e.g., on this URL:
4210 @c http://www.metasploit.com/users/opcode/syscalls.html
4211 @c but we don't support Windows syscalls yet.
4212
4213 Normally, @value{GDBN} knows in advance which syscalls are valid for
4214 each OS, so you can use the @value{GDBN} command-line completion
4215 facilities (@pxref{Completion,, command completion}) to list the
4216 available choices.
4217
4218 You may also specify the system call numerically. A syscall's
4219 number is the value passed to the OS's syscall dispatcher to
4220 identify the requested service. When you specify the syscall by its
4221 name, @value{GDBN} uses its database of syscalls to convert the name
4222 into the corresponding numeric code, but using the number directly
4223 may be useful if @value{GDBN}'s database does not have the complete
4224 list of syscalls on your system (e.g., because @value{GDBN} lags
4225 behind the OS upgrades).
4226
4227 The example below illustrates how this command works if you don't provide
4228 arguments to it:
4229
4230 @smallexample
4231 (@value{GDBP}) catch syscall
4232 Catchpoint 1 (syscall)
4233 (@value{GDBP}) r
4234 Starting program: /tmp/catch-syscall
4235
4236 Catchpoint 1 (call to syscall 'close'), \
4237 0xffffe424 in __kernel_vsyscall ()
4238 (@value{GDBP}) c
4239 Continuing.
4240
4241 Catchpoint 1 (returned from syscall 'close'), \
4242 0xffffe424 in __kernel_vsyscall ()
4243 (@value{GDBP})
4244 @end smallexample
4245
4246 Here is an example of catching a system call by name:
4247
4248 @smallexample
4249 (@value{GDBP}) catch syscall chroot
4250 Catchpoint 1 (syscall 'chroot' [61])
4251 (@value{GDBP}) r
4252 Starting program: /tmp/catch-syscall
4253
4254 Catchpoint 1 (call to syscall 'chroot'), \
4255 0xffffe424 in __kernel_vsyscall ()
4256 (@value{GDBP}) c
4257 Continuing.
4258
4259 Catchpoint 1 (returned from syscall 'chroot'), \
4260 0xffffe424 in __kernel_vsyscall ()
4261 (@value{GDBP})
4262 @end smallexample
4263
4264 An example of specifying a system call numerically. In the case
4265 below, the syscall number has a corresponding entry in the XML
4266 file, so @value{GDBN} finds its name and prints it:
4267
4268 @smallexample
4269 (@value{GDBP}) catch syscall 252
4270 Catchpoint 1 (syscall(s) 'exit_group')
4271 (@value{GDBP}) r
4272 Starting program: /tmp/catch-syscall
4273
4274 Catchpoint 1 (call to syscall 'exit_group'), \
4275 0xffffe424 in __kernel_vsyscall ()
4276 (@value{GDBP}) c
4277 Continuing.
4278
4279 Program exited normally.
4280 (@value{GDBP})
4281 @end smallexample
4282
4283 However, there can be situations when there is no corresponding name
4284 in XML file for that syscall number. In this case, @value{GDBN} prints
4285 a warning message saying that it was not able to find the syscall name,
4286 but the catchpoint will be set anyway. See the example below:
4287
4288 @smallexample
4289 (@value{GDBP}) catch syscall 764
4290 warning: The number '764' does not represent a known syscall.
4291 Catchpoint 2 (syscall 764)
4292 (@value{GDBP})
4293 @end smallexample
4294
4295 If you configure @value{GDBN} using the @samp{--without-expat} option,
4296 it will not be able to display syscall names. Also, if your
4297 architecture does not have an XML file describing its system calls,
4298 you will not be able to see the syscall names. It is important to
4299 notice that these two features are used for accessing the syscall
4300 name database. In either case, you will see a warning like this:
4301
4302 @smallexample
4303 (@value{GDBP}) catch syscall
4304 warning: Could not open "syscalls/i386-linux.xml"
4305 warning: Could not load the syscall XML file 'syscalls/i386-linux.xml'.
4306 GDB will not be able to display syscall names.
4307 Catchpoint 1 (syscall)
4308 (@value{GDBP})
4309 @end smallexample
4310
4311 Of course, the file name will change depending on your architecture and system.
4312
4313 Still using the example above, you can also try to catch a syscall by its
4314 number. In this case, you would see something like:
4315
4316 @smallexample
4317 (@value{GDBP}) catch syscall 252
4318 Catchpoint 1 (syscall(s) 252)
4319 @end smallexample
4320
4321 Again, in this case @value{GDBN} would not be able to display syscall's names.
4322
4323 @item fork
4324 A call to @code{fork}. This is currently only available for HP-UX
4325 and @sc{gnu}/Linux.
4326
4327 @item vfork
4328 A call to @code{vfork}. This is currently only available for HP-UX
4329 and @sc{gnu}/Linux.
4330
4331 @item load @r{[}regexp@r{]}
4332 @itemx unload @r{[}regexp@r{]}
4333 The loading or unloading of a shared library. If @var{regexp} is
4334 given, then the catchpoint will stop only if the regular expression
4335 matches one of the affected libraries.
4336
4337 @item signal @r{[}@var{signal}@dots{} @r{|} @samp{all}@r{]}
4338 The delivery of a signal.
4339
4340 With no arguments, this catchpoint will catch any signal that is not
4341 used internally by @value{GDBN}, specifically, all signals except
4342 @samp{SIGTRAP} and @samp{SIGINT}.
4343
4344 With the argument @samp{all}, all signals, including those used by
4345 @value{GDBN}, will be caught. This argument cannot be used with other
4346 signal names.
4347
4348 Otherwise, the arguments are a list of signal names as given to
4349 @code{handle} (@pxref{Signals}). Only signals specified in this list
4350 will be caught.
4351
4352 One reason that @code{catch signal} can be more useful than
4353 @code{handle} is that you can attach commands and conditions to the
4354 catchpoint.
4355
4356 When a signal is caught by a catchpoint, the signal's @code{stop} and
4357 @code{print} settings, as specified by @code{handle}, are ignored.
4358 However, whether the signal is still delivered to the inferior depends
4359 on the @code{pass} setting; this can be changed in the catchpoint's
4360 commands.
4361
4362 @end table
4363
4364 @item tcatch @var{event}
4365 Set a catchpoint that is enabled only for one stop. The catchpoint is
4366 automatically deleted after the first time the event is caught.
4367
4368 @end table
4369
4370 Use the @code{info break} command to list the current catchpoints.
4371
4372
4373 @node Delete Breaks
4374 @subsection Deleting Breakpoints
4375
4376 @cindex clearing breakpoints, watchpoints, catchpoints
4377 @cindex deleting breakpoints, watchpoints, catchpoints
4378 It is often necessary to eliminate a breakpoint, watchpoint, or
4379 catchpoint once it has done its job and you no longer want your program
4380 to stop there. This is called @dfn{deleting} the breakpoint. A
4381 breakpoint that has been deleted no longer exists; it is forgotten.
4382
4383 With the @code{clear} command you can delete breakpoints according to
4384 where they are in your program. With the @code{delete} command you can
4385 delete individual breakpoints, watchpoints, or catchpoints by specifying
4386 their breakpoint numbers.
4387
4388 It is not necessary to delete a breakpoint to proceed past it. @value{GDBN}
4389 automatically ignores breakpoints on the first instruction to be executed
4390 when you continue execution without changing the execution address.
4391
4392 @table @code
4393 @kindex clear
4394 @item clear
4395 Delete any breakpoints at the next instruction to be executed in the
4396 selected stack frame (@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}). When
4397 the innermost frame is selected, this is a good way to delete a
4398 breakpoint where your program just stopped.
4399
4400 @item clear @var{location}
4401 Delete any breakpoints set at the specified @var{location}.
4402 @xref{Specify Location}, for the various forms of @var{location}; the
4403 most useful ones are listed below:
4404
4405 @table @code
4406 @item clear @var{function}
4407 @itemx clear @var{filename}:@var{function}
4408 Delete any breakpoints set at entry to the named @var{function}.
4409
4410 @item clear @var{linenum}
4411 @itemx clear @var{filename}:@var{linenum}
4412 Delete any breakpoints set at or within the code of the specified
4413 @var{linenum} of the specified @var{filename}.
4414 @end table
4415
4416 @cindex delete breakpoints
4417 @kindex delete
4418 @kindex d @r{(@code{delete})}
4419 @item delete @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} @r{[}@var{range}@dots{}@r{]}
4420 Delete the breakpoints, watchpoints, or catchpoints of the breakpoint
4421 ranges specified as arguments. If no argument is specified, delete all
4422 breakpoints (@value{GDBN} asks confirmation, unless you have @code{set
4423 confirm off}). You can abbreviate this command as @code{d}.
4424 @end table
4425
4426 @node Disabling
4427 @subsection Disabling Breakpoints
4428
4429 @cindex enable/disable a breakpoint
4430 Rather than deleting a breakpoint, watchpoint, or catchpoint, you might
4431 prefer to @dfn{disable} it. This makes the breakpoint inoperative as if
4432 it had been deleted, but remembers the information on the breakpoint so
4433 that you can @dfn{enable} it again later.
4434
4435 You disable and enable breakpoints, watchpoints, and catchpoints with
4436 the @code{enable} and @code{disable} commands, optionally specifying
4437 one or more breakpoint numbers as arguments. Use @code{info break} to
4438 print a list of all breakpoints, watchpoints, and catchpoints if you
4439 do not know which numbers to use.
4440
4441 Disabling and enabling a breakpoint that has multiple locations
4442 affects all of its locations.
4443
4444 A breakpoint, watchpoint, or catchpoint can have any of several
4445 different states of enablement:
4446
4447 @itemize @bullet
4448 @item
4449 Enabled. The breakpoint stops your program. A breakpoint set
4450 with the @code{break} command starts out in this state.
4451 @item
4452 Disabled. The breakpoint has no effect on your program.
4453 @item
4454 Enabled once. The breakpoint stops your program, but then becomes
4455 disabled.
4456 @item
4457 Enabled for a count. The breakpoint stops your program for the next
4458 N times, then becomes disabled.
4459 @item
4460 Enabled for deletion. The breakpoint stops your program, but
4461 immediately after it does so it is deleted permanently. A breakpoint
4462 set with the @code{tbreak} command starts out in this state.
4463 @end itemize
4464
4465 You can use the following commands to enable or disable breakpoints,
4466 watchpoints, and catchpoints:
4467
4468 @table @code
4469 @kindex disable
4470 @kindex dis @r{(@code{disable})}
4471 @item disable @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} @r{[}@var{range}@dots{}@r{]}
4472 Disable the specified breakpoints---or all breakpoints, if none are
4473 listed. A disabled breakpoint has no effect but is not forgotten. All
4474 options such as ignore-counts, conditions and commands are remembered in
4475 case the breakpoint is enabled again later. You may abbreviate
4476 @code{disable} as @code{dis}.
4477
4478 @kindex enable
4479 @item enable @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} @r{[}@var{range}@dots{}@r{]}
4480 Enable the specified breakpoints (or all defined breakpoints). They
4481 become effective once again in stopping your program.
4482
4483 @item enable @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} once @var{range}@dots{}
4484 Enable the specified breakpoints temporarily. @value{GDBN} disables any
4485 of these breakpoints immediately after stopping your program.
4486
4487 @item enable @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} count @var{count} @var{range}@dots{}
4488 Enable the specified breakpoints temporarily. @value{GDBN} records
4489 @var{count} with each of the specified breakpoints, and decrements a
4490 breakpoint's count when it is hit. When any count reaches 0,
4491 @value{GDBN} disables that breakpoint. If a breakpoint has an ignore
4492 count (@pxref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions}), that will be
4493 decremented to 0 before @var{count} is affected.
4494
4495 @item enable @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} delete @var{range}@dots{}
4496 Enable the specified breakpoints to work once, then die. @value{GDBN}
4497 deletes any of these breakpoints as soon as your program stops there.
4498 Breakpoints set by the @code{tbreak} command start out in this state.
4499 @end table
4500
4501 @c FIXME: I think the following ``Except for [...] @code{tbreak}'' is
4502 @c confusing: tbreak is also initially enabled.
4503 Except for a breakpoint set with @code{tbreak} (@pxref{Set Breaks,
4504 ,Setting Breakpoints}), breakpoints that you set are initially enabled;
4505 subsequently, they become disabled or enabled only when you use one of
4506 the commands above. (The command @code{until} can set and delete a
4507 breakpoint of its own, but it does not change the state of your other
4508 breakpoints; see @ref{Continuing and Stepping, ,Continuing and
4509 Stepping}.)
4510
4511 @node Conditions
4512 @subsection Break Conditions
4513 @cindex conditional breakpoints
4514 @cindex breakpoint conditions
4515
4516 @c FIXME what is scope of break condition expr? Context where wanted?
4517 @c in particular for a watchpoint?
4518 The simplest sort of breakpoint breaks every time your program reaches a
4519 specified place. You can also specify a @dfn{condition} for a
4520 breakpoint. A condition is just a Boolean expression in your
4521 programming language (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}). A breakpoint with
4522 a condition evaluates the expression each time your program reaches it,
4523 and your program stops only if the condition is @emph{true}.
4524
4525 This is the converse of using assertions for program validation; in that
4526 situation, you want to stop when the assertion is violated---that is,
4527 when the condition is false. In C, if you want to test an assertion expressed
4528 by the condition @var{assert}, you should set the condition
4529 @samp{! @var{assert}} on the appropriate breakpoint.
4530
4531 Conditions are also accepted for watchpoints; you may not need them,
4532 since a watchpoint is inspecting the value of an expression anyhow---but
4533 it might be simpler, say, to just set a watchpoint on a variable name,
4534 and specify a condition that tests whether the new value is an interesting
4535 one.
4536
4537 Break conditions can have side effects, and may even call functions in
4538 your program. This can be useful, for example, to activate functions
4539 that log program progress, or to use your own print functions to
4540 format special data structures. The effects are completely predictable
4541 unless there is another enabled breakpoint at the same address. (In
4542 that case, @value{GDBN} might see the other breakpoint first and stop your
4543 program without checking the condition of this one.) Note that
4544 breakpoint commands are usually more convenient and flexible than break
4545 conditions for the
4546 purpose of performing side effects when a breakpoint is reached
4547 (@pxref{Break Commands, ,Breakpoint Command Lists}).
4548
4549 Breakpoint conditions can also be evaluated on the target's side if
4550 the target supports it. Instead of evaluating the conditions locally,
4551 @value{GDBN} encodes the expression into an agent expression
4552 (@pxref{Agent Expressions}) suitable for execution on the target,
4553 independently of @value{GDBN}. Global variables become raw memory
4554 locations, locals become stack accesses, and so forth.
4555
4556 In this case, @value{GDBN} will only be notified of a breakpoint trigger
4557 when its condition evaluates to true. This mechanism may provide faster
4558 response times depending on the performance characteristics of the target
4559 since it does not need to keep @value{GDBN} informed about
4560 every breakpoint trigger, even those with false conditions.
4561
4562 Break conditions can be specified when a breakpoint is set, by using
4563 @samp{if} in the arguments to the @code{break} command. @xref{Set
4564 Breaks, ,Setting Breakpoints}. They can also be changed at any time
4565 with the @code{condition} command.
4566
4567 You can also use the @code{if} keyword with the @code{watch} command.
4568 The @code{catch} command does not recognize the @code{if} keyword;
4569 @code{condition} is the only way to impose a further condition on a
4570 catchpoint.
4571
4572 @table @code
4573 @kindex condition
4574 @item condition @var{bnum} @var{expression}
4575 Specify @var{expression} as the break condition for breakpoint,
4576 watchpoint, or catchpoint number @var{bnum}. After you set a condition,
4577 breakpoint @var{bnum} stops your program only if the value of
4578 @var{expression} is true (nonzero, in C). When you use
4579 @code{condition}, @value{GDBN} checks @var{expression} immediately for
4580 syntactic correctness, and to determine whether symbols in it have
4581 referents in the context of your breakpoint. If @var{expression} uses
4582 symbols not referenced in the context of the breakpoint, @value{GDBN}
4583 prints an error message:
4584
4585 @smallexample
4586 No symbol "foo" in current context.
4587 @end smallexample
4588
4589 @noindent
4590 @value{GDBN} does
4591 not actually evaluate @var{expression} at the time the @code{condition}
4592 command (or a command that sets a breakpoint with a condition, like
4593 @code{break if @dots{}}) is given, however. @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}.
4594
4595 @item condition @var{bnum}
4596 Remove the condition from breakpoint number @var{bnum}. It becomes
4597 an ordinary unconditional breakpoint.
4598 @end table
4599
4600 @cindex ignore count (of breakpoint)
4601 A special case of a breakpoint condition is to stop only when the
4602 breakpoint has been reached a certain number of times. This is so
4603 useful that there is a special way to do it, using the @dfn{ignore
4604 count} of the breakpoint. Every breakpoint has an ignore count, which
4605 is an integer. Most of the time, the ignore count is zero, and
4606 therefore has no effect. But if your program reaches a breakpoint whose
4607 ignore count is positive, then instead of stopping, it just decrements
4608 the ignore count by one and continues. As a result, if the ignore count
4609 value is @var{n}, the breakpoint does not stop the next @var{n} times
4610 your program reaches it.
4611
4612 @table @code
4613 @kindex ignore
4614 @item ignore @var{bnum} @var{count}
4615 Set the ignore count of breakpoint number @var{bnum} to @var{count}.
4616 The next @var{count} times the breakpoint is reached, your program's
4617 execution does not stop; other than to decrement the ignore count, @value{GDBN}
4618 takes no action.
4619
4620 To make the breakpoint stop the next time it is reached, specify
4621 a count of zero.
4622
4623 When you use @code{continue} to resume execution of your program from a
4624 breakpoint, you can specify an ignore count directly as an argument to
4625 @code{continue}, rather than using @code{ignore}. @xref{Continuing and
4626 Stepping,,Continuing and Stepping}.
4627
4628 If a breakpoint has a positive ignore count and a condition, the
4629 condition is not checked. Once the ignore count reaches zero,
4630 @value{GDBN} resumes checking the condition.
4631
4632 You could achieve the effect of the ignore count with a condition such
4633 as @w{@samp{$foo-- <= 0}} using a debugger convenience variable that
4634 is decremented each time. @xref{Convenience Vars, ,Convenience
4635 Variables}.
4636 @end table
4637
4638 Ignore counts apply to breakpoints, watchpoints, and catchpoints.
4639
4640
4641 @node Break Commands
4642 @subsection Breakpoint Command Lists
4643
4644 @cindex breakpoint commands
4645 You can give any breakpoint (or watchpoint or catchpoint) a series of
4646 commands to execute when your program stops due to that breakpoint. For
4647 example, you might want to print the values of certain expressions, or
4648 enable other breakpoints.
4649
4650 @table @code
4651 @kindex commands
4652 @kindex end@r{ (breakpoint commands)}
4653 @item commands @r{[}@var{range}@dots{}@r{]}
4654 @itemx @dots{} @var{command-list} @dots{}
4655 @itemx end
4656 Specify a list of commands for the given breakpoints. The commands
4657 themselves appear on the following lines. Type a line containing just
4658 @code{end} to terminate the commands.
4659
4660 To remove all commands from a breakpoint, type @code{commands} and
4661 follow it immediately with @code{end}; that is, give no commands.
4662
4663 With no argument, @code{commands} refers to the last breakpoint,
4664 watchpoint, or catchpoint set (not to the breakpoint most recently
4665 encountered). If the most recent breakpoints were set with a single
4666 command, then the @code{commands} will apply to all the breakpoints
4667 set by that command. This applies to breakpoints set by
4668 @code{rbreak}, and also applies when a single @code{break} command
4669 creates multiple breakpoints (@pxref{Ambiguous Expressions,,Ambiguous
4670 Expressions}).
4671 @end table
4672
4673 Pressing @key{RET} as a means of repeating the last @value{GDBN} command is
4674 disabled within a @var{command-list}.
4675
4676 You can use breakpoint commands to start your program up again. Simply
4677 use the @code{continue} command, or @code{step}, or any other command
4678 that resumes execution.
4679
4680 Any other commands in the command list, after a command that resumes
4681 execution, are ignored. This is because any time you resume execution
4682 (even with a simple @code{next} or @code{step}), you may encounter
4683 another breakpoint---which could have its own command list, leading to
4684 ambiguities about which list to execute.
4685
4686 @kindex silent
4687 If the first command you specify in a command list is @code{silent}, the
4688 usual message about stopping at a breakpoint is not printed. This may
4689 be desirable for breakpoints that are to print a specific message and
4690 then continue. If none of the remaining commands print anything, you
4691 see no sign that the breakpoint was reached. @code{silent} is
4692 meaningful only at the beginning of a breakpoint command list.
4693
4694 The commands @code{echo}, @code{output}, and @code{printf} allow you to
4695 print precisely controlled output, and are often useful in silent
4696 breakpoints. @xref{Output, ,Commands for Controlled Output}.
4697
4698 For example, here is how you could use breakpoint commands to print the
4699 value of @code{x} at entry to @code{foo} whenever @code{x} is positive.
4700
4701 @smallexample
4702 break foo if x>0
4703 commands
4704 silent
4705 printf "x is %d\n",x
4706 cont
4707 end
4708 @end smallexample
4709
4710 One application for breakpoint commands is to compensate for one bug so
4711 you can test for another. Put a breakpoint just after the erroneous line
4712 of code, give it a condition to detect the case in which something
4713 erroneous has been done, and give it commands to assign correct values
4714 to any variables that need them. End with the @code{continue} command
4715 so that your program does not stop, and start with the @code{silent}
4716 command so that no output is produced. Here is an example:
4717
4718 @smallexample
4719 break 403
4720 commands
4721 silent
4722 set x = y + 4
4723 cont
4724 end
4725 @end smallexample
4726
4727 @node Dynamic Printf
4728 @subsection Dynamic Printf
4729
4730 @cindex dynamic printf
4731 @cindex dprintf
4732 The dynamic printf command @code{dprintf} combines a breakpoint with
4733 formatted printing of your program's data to give you the effect of
4734 inserting @code{printf} calls into your program on-the-fly, without
4735 having to recompile it.
4736
4737 In its most basic form, the output goes to the GDB console. However,
4738 you can set the variable @code{dprintf-style} for alternate handling.
4739 For instance, you can ask to format the output by calling your
4740 program's @code{printf} function. This has the advantage that the
4741 characters go to the program's output device, so they can recorded in
4742 redirects to files and so forth.
4743
4744 If you are doing remote debugging with a stub or agent, you can also
4745 ask to have the printf handled by the remote agent. In addition to
4746 ensuring that the output goes to the remote program's device along
4747 with any other output the program might produce, you can also ask that
4748 the dprintf remain active even after disconnecting from the remote
4749 target. Using the stub/agent is also more efficient, as it can do
4750 everything without needing to communicate with @value{GDBN}.
4751
4752 @table @code
4753 @kindex dprintf
4754 @item dprintf @var{location},@var{template},@var{expression}[,@var{expression}@dots{}]
4755 Whenever execution reaches @var{location}, print the values of one or
4756 more @var{expressions} under the control of the string @var{template}.
4757 To print several values, separate them with commas.
4758
4759 @item set dprintf-style @var{style}
4760 Set the dprintf output to be handled in one of several different
4761 styles enumerated below. A change of style affects all existing
4762 dynamic printfs immediately. (If you need individual control over the
4763 print commands, simply define normal breakpoints with
4764 explicitly-supplied command lists.)
4765
4766 @item gdb
4767 @kindex dprintf-style gdb
4768 Handle the output using the @value{GDBN} @code{printf} command.
4769
4770 @item call
4771 @kindex dprintf-style call
4772 Handle the output by calling a function in your program (normally
4773 @code{printf}).
4774
4775 @item agent
4776 @kindex dprintf-style agent
4777 Have the remote debugging agent (such as @code{gdbserver}) handle
4778 the output itself. This style is only available for agents that
4779 support running commands on the target.
4780
4781 @item set dprintf-function @var{function}
4782 Set the function to call if the dprintf style is @code{call}. By
4783 default its value is @code{printf}. You may set it to any expression.
4784 that @value{GDBN} can evaluate to a function, as per the @code{call}
4785 command.
4786
4787 @item set dprintf-channel @var{channel}
4788 Set a ``channel'' for dprintf. If set to a non-empty value,
4789 @value{GDBN} will evaluate it as an expression and pass the result as
4790 a first argument to the @code{dprintf-function}, in the manner of
4791 @code{fprintf} and similar functions. Otherwise, the dprintf format
4792 string will be the first argument, in the manner of @code{printf}.
4793
4794 As an example, if you wanted @code{dprintf} output to go to a logfile
4795 that is a standard I/O stream assigned to the variable @code{mylog},
4796 you could do the following:
4797
4798 @example
4799 (gdb) set dprintf-style call
4800 (gdb) set dprintf-function fprintf
4801 (gdb) set dprintf-channel mylog
4802 (gdb) dprintf 25,"at line 25, glob=%d\n",glob
4803 Dprintf 1 at 0x123456: file main.c, line 25.
4804 (gdb) info break
4805 1 dprintf keep y 0x00123456 in main at main.c:25
4806 call (void) fprintf (mylog,"at line 25, glob=%d\n",glob)
4807 continue
4808 (gdb)
4809 @end example
4810
4811 Note that the @code{info break} displays the dynamic printf commands
4812 as normal breakpoint commands; you can thus easily see the effect of
4813 the variable settings.
4814
4815 @item set disconnected-dprintf on
4816 @itemx set disconnected-dprintf off
4817 @kindex set disconnected-dprintf
4818 Choose whether @code{dprintf} commands should continue to run if
4819 @value{GDBN} has disconnected from the target. This only applies
4820 if the @code{dprintf-style} is @code{agent}.
4821
4822 @item show disconnected-dprintf off
4823 @kindex show disconnected-dprintf
4824 Show the current choice for disconnected @code{dprintf}.
4825
4826 @end table
4827
4828 @value{GDBN} does not check the validity of function and channel,
4829 relying on you to supply values that are meaningful for the contexts
4830 in which they are being used. For instance, the function and channel
4831 may be the values of local variables, but if that is the case, then
4832 all enabled dynamic prints must be at locations within the scope of
4833 those locals. If evaluation fails, @value{GDBN} will report an error.
4834
4835 @node Save Breakpoints
4836 @subsection How to save breakpoints to a file
4837
4838 To save breakpoint definitions to a file use the @w{@code{save
4839 breakpoints}} command.
4840
4841 @table @code
4842 @kindex save breakpoints
4843 @cindex save breakpoints to a file for future sessions
4844 @item save breakpoints [@var{filename}]
4845 This command saves all current breakpoint definitions together with
4846 their commands and ignore counts, into a file @file{@var{filename}}
4847 suitable for use in a later debugging session. This includes all
4848 types of breakpoints (breakpoints, watchpoints, catchpoints,
4849 tracepoints). To read the saved breakpoint definitions, use the
4850 @code{source} command (@pxref{Command Files}). Note that watchpoints
4851 with expressions involving local variables may fail to be recreated
4852 because it may not be possible to access the context where the
4853 watchpoint is valid anymore. Because the saved breakpoint definitions
4854 are simply a sequence of @value{GDBN} commands that recreate the
4855 breakpoints, you can edit the file in your favorite editing program,
4856 and remove the breakpoint definitions you're not interested in, or
4857 that can no longer be recreated.
4858 @end table
4859
4860 @node Static Probe Points
4861 @subsection Static Probe Points
4862
4863 @cindex static probe point, SystemTap
4864 @value{GDBN} supports @dfn{SDT} probes in the code. @acronym{SDT} stands
4865 for Statically Defined Tracing, and the probes are designed to have a tiny
4866 runtime code and data footprint, and no dynamic relocations. They are
4867 usable from assembly, C and C@t{++} languages. See
4868 @uref{http://sourceware.org/systemtap/wiki/UserSpaceProbeImplementation}
4869 for a good reference on how the @acronym{SDT} probes are implemented.
4870
4871 Currently, @code{SystemTap} (@uref{http://sourceware.org/systemtap/})
4872 @acronym{SDT} probes are supported on ELF-compatible systems. See
4873 @uref{http://sourceware.org/systemtap/wiki/AddingUserSpaceProbingToApps}
4874 for more information on how to add @code{SystemTap} @acronym{SDT} probes
4875 in your applications.
4876
4877 @cindex semaphores on static probe points
4878 Some probes have an associated semaphore variable; for instance, this
4879 happens automatically if you defined your probe using a DTrace-style
4880 @file{.d} file. If your probe has a semaphore, @value{GDBN} will
4881 automatically enable it when you specify a breakpoint using the
4882 @samp{-probe-stap} notation. But, if you put a breakpoint at a probe's
4883 location by some other method (e.g., @code{break file:line}), then
4884 @value{GDBN} will not automatically set the semaphore.
4885
4886 You can examine the available static static probes using @code{info
4887 probes}, with optional arguments:
4888
4889 @table @code
4890 @kindex info probes
4891 @item info probes stap @r{[}@var{provider} @r{[}@var{name} @r{[}@var{objfile}@r{]}@r{]}@r{]}
4892 If given, @var{provider} is a regular expression used to match against provider
4893 names when selecting which probes to list. If omitted, probes by all
4894 probes from all providers are listed.
4895
4896 If given, @var{name} is a regular expression to match against probe names
4897 when selecting which probes to list. If omitted, probe names are not
4898 considered when deciding whether to display them.
4899
4900 If given, @var{objfile} is a regular expression used to select which
4901 object files (executable or shared libraries) to examine. If not
4902 given, all object files are considered.
4903
4904 @item info probes all
4905 List the available static probes, from all types.
4906 @end table
4907
4908 @vindex $_probe_arg@r{, convenience variable}
4909 A probe may specify up to twelve arguments. These are available at the
4910 point at which the probe is defined---that is, when the current PC is
4911 at the probe's location. The arguments are available using the
4912 convenience variables (@pxref{Convenience Vars})
4913 @code{$_probe_arg0}@dots{}@code{$_probe_arg11}. Each probe argument is
4914 an integer of the appropriate size; types are not preserved. The
4915 convenience variable @code{$_probe_argc} holds the number of arguments
4916 at the current probe point.
4917
4918 These variables are always available, but attempts to access them at
4919 any location other than a probe point will cause @value{GDBN} to give
4920 an error message.
4921
4922
4923 @c @ifclear BARETARGET
4924 @node Error in Breakpoints
4925 @subsection ``Cannot insert breakpoints''
4926
4927 If you request too many active hardware-assisted breakpoints and
4928 watchpoints, you will see this error message:
4929
4930 @c FIXME: the precise wording of this message may change; the relevant
4931 @c source change is not committed yet (Sep 3, 1999).
4932 @smallexample
4933 Stopped; cannot insert breakpoints.
4934 You may have requested too many hardware breakpoints and watchpoints.
4935 @end smallexample
4936
4937 @noindent
4938 This message is printed when you attempt to resume the program, since
4939 only then @value{GDBN} knows exactly how many hardware breakpoints and
4940 watchpoints it needs to insert.
4941
4942 When this message is printed, you need to disable or remove some of the
4943 hardware-assisted breakpoints and watchpoints, and then continue.
4944
4945 @node Breakpoint-related Warnings
4946 @subsection ``Breakpoint address adjusted...''
4947 @cindex breakpoint address adjusted
4948
4949 Some processor architectures place constraints on the addresses at
4950 which breakpoints may be placed. For architectures thus constrained,
4951 @value{GDBN} will attempt to adjust the breakpoint's address to comply
4952 with the constraints dictated by the architecture.
4953
4954 One example of such an architecture is the Fujitsu FR-V. The FR-V is
4955 a VLIW architecture in which a number of RISC-like instructions may be
4956 bundled together for parallel execution. The FR-V architecture
4957 constrains the location of a breakpoint instruction within such a
4958 bundle to the instruction with the lowest address. @value{GDBN}
4959 honors this constraint by adjusting a breakpoint's address to the
4960 first in the bundle.
4961
4962 It is not uncommon for optimized code to have bundles which contain
4963 instructions from different source statements, thus it may happen that
4964 a breakpoint's address will be adjusted from one source statement to
4965 another. Since this adjustment may significantly alter @value{GDBN}'s
4966 breakpoint related behavior from what the user expects, a warning is
4967 printed when the breakpoint is first set and also when the breakpoint
4968 is hit.
4969
4970 A warning like the one below is printed when setting a breakpoint
4971 that's been subject to address adjustment:
4972
4973 @smallexample
4974 warning: Breakpoint address adjusted from 0x00010414 to 0x00010410.
4975 @end smallexample
4976
4977 Such warnings are printed both for user settable and @value{GDBN}'s
4978 internal breakpoints. If you see one of these warnings, you should
4979 verify that a breakpoint set at the adjusted address will have the
4980 desired affect. If not, the breakpoint in question may be removed and
4981 other breakpoints may be set which will have the desired behavior.
4982 E.g., it may be sufficient to place the breakpoint at a later
4983 instruction. A conditional breakpoint may also be useful in some
4984 cases to prevent the breakpoint from triggering too often.
4985
4986 @value{GDBN} will also issue a warning when stopping at one of these
4987 adjusted breakpoints:
4988
4989 @smallexample
4990 warning: Breakpoint 1 address previously adjusted from 0x00010414
4991 to 0x00010410.
4992 @end smallexample
4993
4994 When this warning is encountered, it may be too late to take remedial
4995 action except in cases where the breakpoint is hit earlier or more
4996 frequently than expected.
4997
4998 @node Continuing and Stepping
4999 @section Continuing and Stepping
5000
5001 @cindex stepping
5002 @cindex continuing
5003 @cindex resuming execution
5004 @dfn{Continuing} means resuming program execution until your program
5005 completes normally. In contrast, @dfn{stepping} means executing just
5006 one more ``step'' of your program, where ``step'' may mean either one
5007 line of source code, or one machine instruction (depending on what
5008 particular command you use). Either when continuing or when stepping,
5009 your program may stop even sooner, due to a breakpoint or a signal. (If
5010 it stops due to a signal, you may want to use @code{handle}, or use
5011 @samp{signal 0} to resume execution. @xref{Signals, ,Signals}.)
5012
5013 @table @code
5014 @kindex continue
5015 @kindex c @r{(@code{continue})}
5016 @kindex fg @r{(resume foreground execution)}
5017 @item continue @r{[}@var{ignore-count}@r{]}
5018 @itemx c @r{[}@var{ignore-count}@r{]}
5019 @itemx fg @r{[}@var{ignore-count}@r{]}
5020 Resume program execution, at the address where your program last stopped;
5021 any breakpoints set at that address are bypassed. The optional argument
5022 @var{ignore-count} allows you to specify a further number of times to
5023 ignore a breakpoint at this location; its effect is like that of
5024 @code{ignore} (@pxref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions}).
5025
5026 The argument @var{ignore-count} is meaningful only when your program
5027 stopped due to a breakpoint. At other times, the argument to
5028 @code{continue} is ignored.
5029
5030 The synonyms @code{c} and @code{fg} (for @dfn{foreground}, as the
5031 debugged program is deemed to be the foreground program) are provided
5032 purely for convenience, and have exactly the same behavior as
5033 @code{continue}.
5034 @end table
5035
5036 To resume execution at a different place, you can use @code{return}
5037 (@pxref{Returning, ,Returning from a Function}) to go back to the
5038 calling function; or @code{jump} (@pxref{Jumping, ,Continuing at a
5039 Different Address}) to go to an arbitrary location in your program.
5040
5041 A typical technique for using stepping is to set a breakpoint
5042 (@pxref{Breakpoints, ,Breakpoints; Watchpoints; and Catchpoints}) at the
5043 beginning of the function or the section of your program where a problem
5044 is believed to lie, run your program until it stops at that breakpoint,
5045 and then step through the suspect area, examining the variables that are
5046 interesting, until you see the problem happen.
5047
5048 @table @code
5049 @kindex step
5050 @kindex s @r{(@code{step})}
5051 @item step
5052 Continue running your program until control reaches a different source
5053 line, then stop it and return control to @value{GDBN}. This command is
5054 abbreviated @code{s}.
5055
5056 @quotation
5057 @c "without debugging information" is imprecise; actually "without line
5058 @c numbers in the debugging information". (gcc -g1 has debugging info but
5059 @c not line numbers). But it seems complex to try to make that
5060 @c distinction here.
5061 @emph{Warning:} If you use the @code{step} command while control is
5062 within a function that was compiled without debugging information,
5063 execution proceeds until control reaches a function that does have
5064 debugging information. Likewise, it will not step into a function which
5065 is compiled without debugging information. To step through functions
5066 without debugging information, use the @code{stepi} command, described
5067 below.
5068 @end quotation
5069
5070 The @code{step} command only stops at the first instruction of a source
5071 line. This prevents the multiple stops that could otherwise occur in
5072 @code{switch} statements, @code{for} loops, etc. @code{step} continues
5073 to stop if a function that has debugging information is called within
5074 the line. In other words, @code{step} @emph{steps inside} any functions
5075 called within the line.
5076
5077 Also, the @code{step} command only enters a function if there is line
5078 number information for the function. Otherwise it acts like the
5079 @code{next} command. This avoids problems when using @code{cc -gl}
5080 on @acronym{MIPS} machines. Previously, @code{step} entered subroutines if there
5081 was any debugging information about the routine.
5082
5083 @item step @var{count}
5084 Continue running as in @code{step}, but do so @var{count} times. If a
5085 breakpoint is reached, or a signal not related to stepping occurs before
5086 @var{count} steps, stepping stops right away.
5087
5088 @kindex next
5089 @kindex n @r{(@code{next})}
5090 @item next @r{[}@var{count}@r{]}
5091 Continue to the next source line in the current (innermost) stack frame.
5092 This is similar to @code{step}, but function calls that appear within
5093 the line of code are executed without stopping. Execution stops when
5094 control reaches a different line of code at the original stack level
5095 that was executing when you gave the @code{next} command. This command
5096 is abbreviated @code{n}.
5097
5098 An argument @var{count} is a repeat count, as for @code{step}.
5099
5100
5101 @c FIX ME!! Do we delete this, or is there a way it fits in with
5102 @c the following paragraph? --- Vctoria
5103 @c
5104 @c @code{next} within a function that lacks debugging information acts like
5105 @c @code{step}, but any function calls appearing within the code of the
5106 @c function are executed without stopping.
5107
5108 The @code{next} command only stops at the first instruction of a
5109 source line. This prevents multiple stops that could otherwise occur in
5110 @code{switch} statements, @code{for} loops, etc.
5111
5112 @kindex set step-mode
5113 @item set step-mode
5114 @cindex functions without line info, and stepping
5115 @cindex stepping into functions with no line info
5116 @itemx set step-mode on
5117 The @code{set step-mode on} command causes the @code{step} command to
5118 stop at the first instruction of a function which contains no debug line
5119 information rather than stepping over it.
5120
5121 This is useful in cases where you may be interested in inspecting the
5122 machine instructions of a function which has no symbolic info and do not
5123 want @value{GDBN} to automatically skip over this function.
5124
5125 @item set step-mode off
5126 Causes the @code{step} command to step over any functions which contains no
5127 debug information. This is the default.
5128
5129 @item show step-mode
5130 Show whether @value{GDBN} will stop in or step over functions without
5131 source line debug information.
5132
5133 @kindex finish
5134 @kindex fin @r{(@code{finish})}
5135 @item finish
5136 Continue running until just after function in the selected stack frame
5137 returns. Print the returned value (if any). This command can be
5138 abbreviated as @code{fin}.
5139
5140 Contrast this with the @code{return} command (@pxref{Returning,
5141 ,Returning from a Function}).
5142
5143 @kindex until
5144 @kindex u @r{(@code{until})}
5145 @cindex run until specified location
5146 @item until
5147 @itemx u
5148 Continue running until a source line past the current line, in the
5149 current stack frame, is reached. This command is used to avoid single
5150 stepping through a loop more than once. It is like the @code{next}
5151 command, except that when @code{until} encounters a jump, it
5152 automatically continues execution until the program counter is greater
5153 than the address of the jump.
5154
5155 This means that when you reach the end of a loop after single stepping
5156 though it, @code{until} makes your program continue execution until it
5157 exits the loop. In contrast, a @code{next} command at the end of a loop
5158 simply steps back to the beginning of the loop, which forces you to step
5159 through the next iteration.
5160
5161 @code{until} always stops your program if it attempts to exit the current
5162 stack frame.
5163
5164 @code{until} may produce somewhat counterintuitive results if the order
5165 of machine code does not match the order of the source lines. For
5166 example, in the following excerpt from a debugging session, the @code{f}
5167 (@code{frame}) command shows that execution is stopped at line
5168 @code{206}; yet when we use @code{until}, we get to line @code{195}:
5169
5170 @smallexample
5171 (@value{GDBP}) f
5172 #0 main (argc=4, argv=0xf7fffae8) at m4.c:206
5173 206 expand_input();
5174 (@value{GDBP}) until
5175 195 for ( ; argc > 0; NEXTARG) @{
5176 @end smallexample
5177
5178 This happened because, for execution efficiency, the compiler had
5179 generated code for the loop closure test at the end, rather than the
5180 start, of the loop---even though the test in a C @code{for}-loop is
5181 written before the body of the loop. The @code{until} command appeared
5182 to step back to the beginning of the loop when it advanced to this
5183 expression; however, it has not really gone to an earlier
5184 statement---not in terms of the actual machine code.
5185
5186 @code{until} with no argument works by means of single
5187 instruction stepping, and hence is slower than @code{until} with an
5188 argument.
5189
5190 @item until @var{location}
5191 @itemx u @var{location}
5192 Continue running your program until either the specified location is
5193 reached, or the current stack frame returns. @var{location} is any of
5194 the forms described in @ref{Specify Location}.
5195 This form of the command uses temporary breakpoints, and
5196 hence is quicker than @code{until} without an argument. The specified
5197 location is actually reached only if it is in the current frame. This
5198 implies that @code{until} can be used to skip over recursive function
5199 invocations. For instance in the code below, if the current location is
5200 line @code{96}, issuing @code{until 99} will execute the program up to
5201 line @code{99} in the same invocation of factorial, i.e., after the inner
5202 invocations have returned.
5203
5204 @smallexample
5205 94 int factorial (int value)
5206 95 @{
5207 96 if (value > 1) @{
5208 97 value *= factorial (value - 1);
5209 98 @}
5210 99 return (value);
5211 100 @}
5212 @end smallexample
5213
5214
5215 @kindex advance @var{location}
5216 @item advance @var{location}
5217 Continue running the program up to the given @var{location}. An argument is
5218 required, which should be of one of the forms described in
5219 @ref{Specify Location}.
5220 Execution will also stop upon exit from the current stack
5221 frame. This command is similar to @code{until}, but @code{advance} will
5222 not skip over recursive function calls, and the target location doesn't
5223 have to be in the same frame as the current one.
5224
5225
5226 @kindex stepi
5227 @kindex si @r{(@code{stepi})}
5228 @item stepi
5229 @itemx stepi @var{arg}
5230 @itemx si
5231 Execute one machine instruction, then stop and return to the debugger.
5232
5233 It is often useful to do @samp{display/i $pc} when stepping by machine
5234 instructions. This makes @value{GDBN} automatically display the next
5235 instruction to be executed, each time your program stops. @xref{Auto
5236 Display,, Automatic Display}.
5237
5238 An argument is a repeat count, as in @code{step}.
5239
5240 @need 750
5241 @kindex nexti
5242 @kindex ni @r{(@code{nexti})}
5243 @item nexti
5244 @itemx nexti @var{arg}
5245 @itemx ni
5246 Execute one machine instruction, but if it is a function call,
5247 proceed until the function returns.
5248
5249 An argument is a repeat count, as in @code{next}.
5250
5251 @end table
5252
5253 @anchor{range stepping}
5254 @cindex range stepping
5255 @cindex target-assisted range stepping
5256 By default, and if available, @value{GDBN} makes use of
5257 target-assisted @dfn{range stepping}. In other words, whenever you
5258 use a stepping command (e.g., @code{step}, @code{next}), @value{GDBN}
5259 tells the target to step the corresponding range of instruction
5260 addresses instead of issuing multiple single-steps. This speeds up
5261 line stepping, particularly for remote targets. Ideally, there should
5262 be no reason you would want to turn range stepping off. However, it's
5263 possible that a bug in the debug info, a bug in the remote stub (for
5264 remote targets), or even a bug in @value{GDBN} could make line
5265 stepping behave incorrectly when target-assisted range stepping is
5266 enabled. You can use the following command to turn off range stepping
5267 if necessary:
5268
5269 @table @code
5270 @kindex set range-stepping
5271 @kindex show range-stepping
5272 @item set range-stepping
5273 @itemx show range-stepping
5274 Control whether range stepping is enabled.
5275
5276 If @code{on}, and the target supports it, @value{GDBN} tells the
5277 target to step a range of addresses itself, instead of issuing
5278 multiple single-steps. If @code{off}, @value{GDBN} always issues
5279 single-steps, even if range stepping is supported by the target. The
5280 default is @code{on}.
5281
5282 @end table
5283
5284 @node Skipping Over Functions and Files
5285 @section Skipping Over Functions and Files
5286 @cindex skipping over functions and files
5287
5288 The program you are debugging may contain some functions which are
5289 uninteresting to debug. The @code{skip} comand lets you tell @value{GDBN} to
5290 skip a function or all functions in a file when stepping.
5291
5292 For example, consider the following C function:
5293
5294 @smallexample
5295 101 int func()
5296 102 @{
5297 103 foo(boring());
5298 104 bar(boring());
5299 105 @}
5300 @end smallexample
5301
5302 @noindent
5303 Suppose you wish to step into the functions @code{foo} and @code{bar}, but you
5304 are not interested in stepping through @code{boring}. If you run @code{step}
5305 at line 103, you'll enter @code{boring()}, but if you run @code{next}, you'll
5306 step over both @code{foo} and @code{boring}!
5307
5308 One solution is to @code{step} into @code{boring} and use the @code{finish}
5309 command to immediately exit it. But this can become tedious if @code{boring}
5310 is called from many places.
5311
5312 A more flexible solution is to execute @kbd{skip boring}. This instructs
5313 @value{GDBN} never to step into @code{boring}. Now when you execute
5314 @code{step} at line 103, you'll step over @code{boring} and directly into
5315 @code{foo}.
5316
5317 You can also instruct @value{GDBN} to skip all functions in a file, with, for
5318 example, @code{skip file boring.c}.
5319
5320 @table @code
5321 @kindex skip function
5322 @item skip @r{[}@var{linespec}@r{]}
5323 @itemx skip function @r{[}@var{linespec}@r{]}
5324 After running this command, the function named by @var{linespec} or the
5325 function containing the line named by @var{linespec} will be skipped over when
5326 stepping. @xref{Specify Location}.
5327
5328 If you do not specify @var{linespec}, the function you're currently debugging
5329 will be skipped.
5330
5331 (If you have a function called @code{file} that you want to skip, use
5332 @kbd{skip function file}.)
5333
5334 @kindex skip file
5335 @item skip file @r{[}@var{filename}@r{]}
5336 After running this command, any function whose source lives in @var{filename}
5337 will be skipped over when stepping.
5338
5339 If you do not specify @var{filename}, functions whose source lives in the file
5340 you're currently debugging will be skipped.
5341 @end table
5342
5343 Skips can be listed, deleted, disabled, and enabled, much like breakpoints.
5344 These are the commands for managing your list of skips:
5345
5346 @table @code
5347 @kindex info skip
5348 @item info skip @r{[}@var{range}@r{]}
5349 Print details about the specified skip(s). If @var{range} is not specified,
5350 print a table with details about all functions and files marked for skipping.
5351 @code{info skip} prints the following information about each skip:
5352
5353 @table @emph
5354 @item Identifier
5355 A number identifying this skip.
5356 @item Type
5357 The type of this skip, either @samp{function} or @samp{file}.
5358 @item Enabled or Disabled
5359 Enabled skips are marked with @samp{y}. Disabled skips are marked with @samp{n}.
5360 @item Address
5361 For function skips, this column indicates the address in memory of the function
5362 being skipped. If you've set a function skip on a function which has not yet
5363 been loaded, this field will contain @samp{<PENDING>}. Once a shared library
5364 which has the function is loaded, @code{info skip} will show the function's
5365 address here.
5366 @item What
5367 For file skips, this field contains the filename being skipped. For functions
5368 skips, this field contains the function name and its line number in the file
5369 where it is defined.
5370 @end table
5371
5372 @kindex skip delete
5373 @item skip delete @r{[}@var{range}@r{]}
5374 Delete the specified skip(s). If @var{range} is not specified, delete all
5375 skips.
5376
5377 @kindex skip enable
5378 @item skip enable @r{[}@var{range}@r{]}
5379 Enable the specified skip(s). If @var{range} is not specified, enable all
5380 skips.
5381
5382 @kindex skip disable
5383 @item skip disable @r{[}@var{range}@r{]}
5384 Disable the specified skip(s). If @var{range} is not specified, disable all
5385 skips.
5386
5387 @end table
5388
5389 @node Signals
5390 @section Signals
5391 @cindex signals
5392
5393 A signal is an asynchronous event that can happen in a program. The
5394 operating system defines the possible kinds of signals, and gives each
5395 kind a name and a number. For example, in Unix @code{SIGINT} is the
5396 signal a program gets when you type an interrupt character (often @kbd{Ctrl-c});
5397 @code{SIGSEGV} is the signal a program gets from referencing a place in
5398 memory far away from all the areas in use; @code{SIGALRM} occurs when
5399 the alarm clock timer goes off (which happens only if your program has
5400 requested an alarm).
5401
5402 @cindex fatal signals
5403 Some signals, including @code{SIGALRM}, are a normal part of the
5404 functioning of your program. Others, such as @code{SIGSEGV}, indicate
5405 errors; these signals are @dfn{fatal} (they kill your program immediately) if the
5406 program has not specified in advance some other way to handle the signal.
5407 @code{SIGINT} does not indicate an error in your program, but it is normally
5408 fatal so it can carry out the purpose of the interrupt: to kill the program.
5409
5410 @value{GDBN} has the ability to detect any occurrence of a signal in your
5411 program. You can tell @value{GDBN} in advance what to do for each kind of
5412 signal.
5413
5414 @cindex handling signals
5415 Normally, @value{GDBN} is set up to let the non-erroneous signals like
5416 @code{SIGALRM} be silently passed to your program
5417 (so as not to interfere with their role in the program's functioning)
5418 but to stop your program immediately whenever an error signal happens.
5419 You can change these settings with the @code{handle} command.
5420
5421 @table @code
5422 @kindex info signals
5423 @kindex info handle
5424 @item info signals
5425 @itemx info handle
5426 Print a table of all the kinds of signals and how @value{GDBN} has been told to
5427 handle each one. You can use this to see the signal numbers of all
5428 the defined types of signals.
5429
5430 @item info signals @var{sig}
5431 Similar, but print information only about the specified signal number.
5432
5433 @code{info handle} is an alias for @code{info signals}.
5434
5435 @item catch signal @r{[}@var{signal}@dots{} @r{|} @samp{all}@r{]}
5436 Set a catchpoint for the indicated signals. @xref{Set Catchpoints},
5437 for details about this command.
5438
5439 @kindex handle
5440 @item handle @var{signal} @r{[}@var{keywords}@dots{}@r{]}
5441 Change the way @value{GDBN} handles signal @var{signal}. @var{signal}
5442 can be the number of a signal or its name (with or without the
5443 @samp{SIG} at the beginning); a list of signal numbers of the form
5444 @samp{@var{low}-@var{high}}; or the word @samp{all}, meaning all the
5445 known signals. Optional arguments @var{keywords}, described below,
5446 say what change to make.
5447 @end table
5448
5449 @c @group
5450 The keywords allowed by the @code{handle} command can be abbreviated.
5451 Their full names are:
5452
5453 @table @code
5454 @item nostop
5455 @value{GDBN} should not stop your program when this signal happens. It may
5456 still print a message telling you that the signal has come in.
5457
5458 @item stop
5459 @value{GDBN} should stop your program when this signal happens. This implies
5460 the @code{print} keyword as well.
5461
5462 @item print
5463 @value{GDBN} should print a message when this signal happens.
5464
5465 @item noprint
5466 @value{GDBN} should not mention the occurrence of the signal at all. This
5467 implies the @code{nostop} keyword as well.
5468
5469 @item pass
5470 @itemx noignore
5471 @value{GDBN} should allow your program to see this signal; your program
5472 can handle the signal, or else it may terminate if the signal is fatal
5473 and not handled. @code{pass} and @code{noignore} are synonyms.
5474
5475 @item nopass
5476 @itemx ignore
5477 @value{GDBN} should not allow your program to see this signal.
5478 @code{nopass} and @code{ignore} are synonyms.
5479 @end table
5480 @c @end group
5481
5482 When a signal stops your program, the signal is not visible to the
5483 program until you
5484 continue. Your program sees the signal then, if @code{pass} is in
5485 effect for the signal in question @emph{at that time}. In other words,
5486 after @value{GDBN} reports a signal, you can use the @code{handle}
5487 command with @code{pass} or @code{nopass} to control whether your
5488 program sees that signal when you continue.
5489
5490 The default is set to @code{nostop}, @code{noprint}, @code{pass} for
5491 non-erroneous signals such as @code{SIGALRM}, @code{SIGWINCH} and
5492 @code{SIGCHLD}, and to @code{stop}, @code{print}, @code{pass} for the
5493 erroneous signals.
5494
5495 You can also use the @code{signal} command to prevent your program from
5496 seeing a signal, or cause it to see a signal it normally would not see,
5497 or to give it any signal at any time. For example, if your program stopped
5498 due to some sort of memory reference error, you might store correct
5499 values into the erroneous variables and continue, hoping to see more
5500 execution; but your program would probably terminate immediately as
5501 a result of the fatal signal once it saw the signal. To prevent this,
5502 you can continue with @samp{signal 0}. @xref{Signaling, ,Giving your
5503 Program a Signal}.
5504
5505 @cindex extra signal information
5506 @anchor{extra signal information}
5507
5508 On some targets, @value{GDBN} can inspect extra signal information
5509 associated with the intercepted signal, before it is actually
5510 delivered to the program being debugged. This information is exported
5511 by the convenience variable @code{$_siginfo}, and consists of data
5512 that is passed by the kernel to the signal handler at the time of the
5513 receipt of a signal. The data type of the information itself is
5514 target dependent. You can see the data type using the @code{ptype
5515 $_siginfo} command. On Unix systems, it typically corresponds to the
5516 standard @code{siginfo_t} type, as defined in the @file{signal.h}
5517 system header.
5518
5519 Here's an example, on a @sc{gnu}/Linux system, printing the stray
5520 referenced address that raised a segmentation fault.
5521
5522 @smallexample
5523 @group
5524 (@value{GDBP}) continue
5525 Program received signal SIGSEGV, Segmentation fault.
5526 0x0000000000400766 in main ()
5527 69 *(int *)p = 0;
5528 (@value{GDBP}) ptype $_siginfo
5529 type = struct @{
5530 int si_signo;
5531 int si_errno;
5532 int si_code;
5533 union @{
5534 int _pad[28];
5535 struct @{...@} _kill;
5536 struct @{...@} _timer;
5537 struct @{...@} _rt;
5538 struct @{...@} _sigchld;
5539 struct @{...@} _sigfault;
5540 struct @{...@} _sigpoll;
5541 @} _sifields;
5542 @}
5543 (@value{GDBP}) ptype $_siginfo._sifields._sigfault
5544 type = struct @{
5545 void *si_addr;
5546 @}
5547 (@value{GDBP}) p $_siginfo._sifields._sigfault.si_addr
5548 $1 = (void *) 0x7ffff7ff7000
5549 @end group
5550 @end smallexample
5551
5552 Depending on target support, @code{$_siginfo} may also be writable.
5553
5554 @node Thread Stops
5555 @section Stopping and Starting Multi-thread Programs
5556
5557 @cindex stopped threads
5558 @cindex threads, stopped
5559
5560 @cindex continuing threads
5561 @cindex threads, continuing
5562
5563 @value{GDBN} supports debugging programs with multiple threads
5564 (@pxref{Threads,, Debugging Programs with Multiple Threads}). There
5565 are two modes of controlling execution of your program within the
5566 debugger. In the default mode, referred to as @dfn{all-stop mode},
5567 when any thread in your program stops (for example, at a breakpoint
5568 or while being stepped), all other threads in the program are also stopped by
5569 @value{GDBN}. On some targets, @value{GDBN} also supports
5570 @dfn{non-stop mode}, in which other threads can continue to run freely while
5571 you examine the stopped thread in the debugger.
5572
5573 @menu
5574 * All-Stop Mode:: All threads stop when GDB takes control
5575 * Non-Stop Mode:: Other threads continue to execute
5576 * Background Execution:: Running your program asynchronously
5577 * Thread-Specific Breakpoints:: Controlling breakpoints
5578 * Interrupted System Calls:: GDB may interfere with system calls
5579 * Observer Mode:: GDB does not alter program behavior
5580 @end menu
5581
5582 @node All-Stop Mode
5583 @subsection All-Stop Mode
5584
5585 @cindex all-stop mode
5586
5587 In all-stop mode, whenever your program stops under @value{GDBN} for any reason,
5588 @emph{all} threads of execution stop, not just the current thread. This
5589 allows you to examine the overall state of the program, including
5590 switching between threads, without worrying that things may change
5591 underfoot.
5592
5593 Conversely, whenever you restart the program, @emph{all} threads start
5594 executing. @emph{This is true even when single-stepping} with commands
5595 like @code{step} or @code{next}.
5596
5597 In particular, @value{GDBN} cannot single-step all threads in lockstep.
5598 Since thread scheduling is up to your debugging target's operating
5599 system (not controlled by @value{GDBN}), other threads may
5600 execute more than one statement while the current thread completes a
5601 single step. Moreover, in general other threads stop in the middle of a
5602 statement, rather than at a clean statement boundary, when the program
5603 stops.
5604
5605 You might even find your program stopped in another thread after
5606 continuing or even single-stepping. This happens whenever some other
5607 thread runs into a breakpoint, a signal, or an exception before the
5608 first thread completes whatever you requested.
5609
5610 @cindex automatic thread selection
5611 @cindex switching threads automatically
5612 @cindex threads, automatic switching
5613 Whenever @value{GDBN} stops your program, due to a breakpoint or a
5614 signal, it automatically selects the thread where that breakpoint or
5615 signal happened. @value{GDBN} alerts you to the context switch with a
5616 message such as @samp{[Switching to Thread @var{n}]} to identify the
5617 thread.
5618
5619 On some OSes, you can modify @value{GDBN}'s default behavior by
5620 locking the OS scheduler to allow only a single thread to run.
5621
5622 @table @code
5623 @item set scheduler-locking @var{mode}
5624 @cindex scheduler locking mode
5625 @cindex lock scheduler
5626 Set the scheduler locking mode. If it is @code{off}, then there is no
5627 locking and any thread may run at any time. If @code{on}, then only the
5628 current thread may run when the inferior is resumed. The @code{step}
5629 mode optimizes for single-stepping; it prevents other threads
5630 from preempting the current thread while you are stepping, so that
5631 the focus of debugging does not change unexpectedly.
5632 Other threads only rarely (or never) get a chance to run
5633 when you step. They are more likely to run when you @samp{next} over a
5634 function call, and they are completely free to run when you use commands
5635 like @samp{continue}, @samp{until}, or @samp{finish}. However, unless another
5636 thread hits a breakpoint during its timeslice, @value{GDBN} does not change
5637 the current thread away from the thread that you are debugging.
5638
5639 @item show scheduler-locking
5640 Display the current scheduler locking mode.
5641 @end table
5642
5643 @cindex resume threads of multiple processes simultaneously
5644 By default, when you issue one of the execution commands such as
5645 @code{continue}, @code{next} or @code{step}, @value{GDBN} allows only
5646 threads of the current inferior to run. For example, if @value{GDBN}
5647 is attached to two inferiors, each with two threads, the
5648 @code{continue} command resumes only the two threads of the current
5649 inferior. This is useful, for example, when you debug a program that
5650 forks and you want to hold the parent stopped (so that, for instance,
5651 it doesn't run to exit), while you debug the child. In other
5652 situations, you may not be interested in inspecting the current state
5653 of any of the processes @value{GDBN} is attached to, and you may want
5654 to resume them all until some breakpoint is hit. In the latter case,
5655 you can instruct @value{GDBN} to allow all threads of all the
5656 inferiors to run with the @w{@code{set schedule-multiple}} command.
5657
5658 @table @code
5659 @kindex set schedule-multiple
5660 @item set schedule-multiple
5661 Set the mode for allowing threads of multiple processes to be resumed
5662 when an execution command is issued. When @code{on}, all threads of
5663 all processes are allowed to run. When @code{off}, only the threads
5664 of the current process are resumed. The default is @code{off}. The
5665 @code{scheduler-locking} mode takes precedence when set to @code{on},
5666 or while you are stepping and set to @code{step}.
5667
5668 @item show schedule-multiple
5669 Display the current mode for resuming the execution of threads of
5670 multiple processes.
5671 @end table
5672
5673 @node Non-Stop Mode
5674 @subsection Non-Stop Mode
5675
5676 @cindex non-stop mode
5677
5678 @c This section is really only a place-holder, and needs to be expanded
5679 @c with more details.
5680
5681 For some multi-threaded targets, @value{GDBN} supports an optional
5682 mode of operation in which you can examine stopped program threads in
5683 the debugger while other threads continue to execute freely. This
5684 minimizes intrusion when debugging live systems, such as programs
5685 where some threads have real-time constraints or must continue to
5686 respond to external events. This is referred to as @dfn{non-stop} mode.
5687
5688 In non-stop mode, when a thread stops to report a debugging event,
5689 @emph{only} that thread is stopped; @value{GDBN} does not stop other
5690 threads as well, in contrast to the all-stop mode behavior. Additionally,
5691 execution commands such as @code{continue} and @code{step} apply by default
5692 only to the current thread in non-stop mode, rather than all threads as
5693 in all-stop mode. This allows you to control threads explicitly in
5694 ways that are not possible in all-stop mode --- for example, stepping
5695 one thread while allowing others to run freely, stepping
5696 one thread while holding all others stopped, or stepping several threads
5697 independently and simultaneously.
5698
5699 To enter non-stop mode, use this sequence of commands before you run
5700 or attach to your program:
5701
5702 @smallexample
5703 # Enable the async interface.
5704 set target-async 1
5705
5706 # If using the CLI, pagination breaks non-stop.
5707 set pagination off
5708
5709 # Finally, turn it on!
5710 set non-stop on
5711 @end smallexample
5712
5713 You can use these commands to manipulate the non-stop mode setting:
5714
5715 @table @code
5716 @kindex set non-stop
5717 @item set non-stop on
5718 Enable selection of non-stop mode.
5719 @item set non-stop off
5720 Disable selection of non-stop mode.
5721 @kindex show non-stop
5722 @item show non-stop
5723 Show the current non-stop enablement setting.
5724 @end table
5725
5726 Note these commands only reflect whether non-stop mode is enabled,
5727 not whether the currently-executing program is being run in non-stop mode.
5728 In particular, the @code{set non-stop} preference is only consulted when
5729 @value{GDBN} starts or connects to the target program, and it is generally
5730 not possible to switch modes once debugging has started. Furthermore,
5731 since not all targets support non-stop mode, even when you have enabled
5732 non-stop mode, @value{GDBN} may still fall back to all-stop operation by
5733 default.
5734
5735 In non-stop mode, all execution commands apply only to the current thread
5736 by default. That is, @code{continue} only continues one thread.
5737 To continue all threads, issue @code{continue -a} or @code{c -a}.
5738
5739 You can use @value{GDBN}'s background execution commands
5740 (@pxref{Background Execution}) to run some threads in the background
5741 while you continue to examine or step others from @value{GDBN}.
5742 The MI execution commands (@pxref{GDB/MI Program Execution}) are
5743 always executed asynchronously in non-stop mode.
5744
5745 Suspending execution is done with the @code{interrupt} command when
5746 running in the background, or @kbd{Ctrl-c} during foreground execution.
5747 In all-stop mode, this stops the whole process;
5748 but in non-stop mode the interrupt applies only to the current thread.
5749 To stop the whole program, use @code{interrupt -a}.
5750
5751 Other execution commands do not currently support the @code{-a} option.
5752
5753 In non-stop mode, when a thread stops, @value{GDBN} doesn't automatically make
5754 that thread current, as it does in all-stop mode. This is because the
5755 thread stop notifications are asynchronous with respect to @value{GDBN}'s
5756 command interpreter, and it would be confusing if @value{GDBN} unexpectedly
5757 changed to a different thread just as you entered a command to operate on the
5758 previously current thread.
5759
5760 @node Background Execution
5761 @subsection Background Execution
5762
5763 @cindex foreground execution
5764 @cindex background execution
5765 @cindex asynchronous execution
5766 @cindex execution, foreground, background and asynchronous
5767
5768 @value{GDBN}'s execution commands have two variants: the normal
5769 foreground (synchronous) behavior, and a background
5770 (asynchronous) behavior. In foreground execution, @value{GDBN} waits for
5771 the program to report that some thread has stopped before prompting for
5772 another command. In background execution, @value{GDBN} immediately gives
5773 a command prompt so that you can issue other commands while your program runs.
5774
5775 You need to explicitly enable asynchronous mode before you can use
5776 background execution commands. You can use these commands to
5777 manipulate the asynchronous mode setting:
5778
5779 @table @code
5780 @kindex set target-async
5781 @item set target-async on
5782 Enable asynchronous mode.
5783 @item set target-async off
5784 Disable asynchronous mode.
5785 @kindex show target-async
5786 @item show target-async
5787 Show the current target-async setting.
5788 @end table
5789
5790 If the target doesn't support async mode, @value{GDBN} issues an error
5791 message if you attempt to use the background execution commands.
5792
5793 To specify background execution, add a @code{&} to the command. For example,
5794 the background form of the @code{continue} command is @code{continue&}, or
5795 just @code{c&}. The execution commands that accept background execution
5796 are:
5797
5798 @table @code
5799 @kindex run&
5800 @item run
5801 @xref{Starting, , Starting your Program}.
5802
5803 @item attach
5804 @kindex attach&
5805 @xref{Attach, , Debugging an Already-running Process}.
5806
5807 @item step
5808 @kindex step&
5809 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, step}.
5810
5811 @item stepi
5812 @kindex stepi&
5813 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, stepi}.
5814
5815 @item next
5816 @kindex next&
5817 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, next}.
5818
5819 @item nexti
5820 @kindex nexti&
5821 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, nexti}.
5822
5823 @item continue
5824 @kindex continue&
5825 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, continue}.
5826
5827 @item finish
5828 @kindex finish&
5829 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, finish}.
5830
5831 @item until
5832 @kindex until&
5833 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, until}.
5834
5835 @end table
5836
5837 Background execution is especially useful in conjunction with non-stop
5838 mode for debugging programs with multiple threads; see @ref{Non-Stop Mode}.
5839 However, you can also use these commands in the normal all-stop mode with
5840 the restriction that you cannot issue another execution command until the
5841 previous one finishes. Examples of commands that are valid in all-stop
5842 mode while the program is running include @code{help} and @code{info break}.
5843
5844 You can interrupt your program while it is running in the background by
5845 using the @code{interrupt} command.
5846
5847 @table @code
5848 @kindex interrupt
5849 @item interrupt
5850 @itemx interrupt -a
5851
5852 Suspend execution of the running program. In all-stop mode,
5853 @code{interrupt} stops the whole process, but in non-stop mode, it stops
5854 only the current thread. To stop the whole program in non-stop mode,
5855 use @code{interrupt -a}.
5856 @end table
5857
5858 @node Thread-Specific Breakpoints
5859 @subsection Thread-Specific Breakpoints
5860
5861 When your program has multiple threads (@pxref{Threads,, Debugging
5862 Programs with Multiple Threads}), you can choose whether to set
5863 breakpoints on all threads, or on a particular thread.
5864
5865 @table @code
5866 @cindex breakpoints and threads
5867 @cindex thread breakpoints
5868 @kindex break @dots{} thread @var{threadno}
5869 @item break @var{linespec} thread @var{threadno}
5870 @itemx break @var{linespec} thread @var{threadno} if @dots{}
5871 @var{linespec} specifies source lines; there are several ways of
5872 writing them (@pxref{Specify Location}), but the effect is always to
5873 specify some source line.
5874
5875 Use the qualifier @samp{thread @var{threadno}} with a breakpoint command
5876 to specify that you only want @value{GDBN} to stop the program when a
5877 particular thread reaches this breakpoint. @var{threadno} is one of the
5878 numeric thread identifiers assigned by @value{GDBN}, shown in the first
5879 column of the @samp{info threads} display.
5880
5881 If you do not specify @samp{thread @var{threadno}} when you set a
5882 breakpoint, the breakpoint applies to @emph{all} threads of your
5883 program.
5884
5885 You can use the @code{thread} qualifier on conditional breakpoints as
5886 well; in this case, place @samp{thread @var{threadno}} before or
5887 after the breakpoint condition, like this:
5888
5889 @smallexample
5890 (@value{GDBP}) break frik.c:13 thread 28 if bartab > lim
5891 @end smallexample
5892
5893 @end table
5894
5895 Thread-specific breakpoints are automatically deleted when
5896 @value{GDBN} detects the corresponding thread is no longer in the
5897 thread list. For example:
5898
5899 @smallexample
5900 (@value{GDBP}) c
5901 Thread-specific breakpoint 3 deleted - thread 28 no longer in the thread list.
5902 @end smallexample
5903
5904 There are several ways for a thread to disappear, such as a regular
5905 thread exit, but also when you detach from the process with the
5906 @code{detach} command (@pxref{Attach, ,Debugging an Already-running
5907 Process}), or if @value{GDBN} loses the remote connection
5908 (@pxref{Remote Debugging}), etc. Note that with some targets,
5909 @value{GDBN} is only able to detect a thread has exited when the user
5910 explictly asks for the thread list with the @code{info threads}
5911 command.
5912
5913 @node Interrupted System Calls
5914 @subsection Interrupted System Calls
5915
5916 @cindex thread breakpoints and system calls
5917 @cindex system calls and thread breakpoints
5918 @cindex premature return from system calls
5919 There is an unfortunate side effect when using @value{GDBN} to debug
5920 multi-threaded programs. If one thread stops for a
5921 breakpoint, or for some other reason, and another thread is blocked in a
5922 system call, then the system call may return prematurely. This is a
5923 consequence of the interaction between multiple threads and the signals
5924 that @value{GDBN} uses to implement breakpoints and other events that
5925 stop execution.
5926
5927 To handle this problem, your program should check the return value of
5928 each system call and react appropriately. This is good programming
5929 style anyways.
5930
5931 For example, do not write code like this:
5932
5933 @smallexample
5934 sleep (10);
5935 @end smallexample
5936
5937 The call to @code{sleep} will return early if a different thread stops
5938 at a breakpoint or for some other reason.
5939
5940 Instead, write this:
5941
5942 @smallexample
5943 int unslept = 10;
5944 while (unslept > 0)
5945 unslept = sleep (unslept);
5946 @end smallexample
5947
5948 A system call is allowed to return early, so the system is still
5949 conforming to its specification. But @value{GDBN} does cause your
5950 multi-threaded program to behave differently than it would without
5951 @value{GDBN}.
5952
5953 Also, @value{GDBN} uses internal breakpoints in the thread library to
5954 monitor certain events such as thread creation and thread destruction.
5955 When such an event happens, a system call in another thread may return
5956 prematurely, even though your program does not appear to stop.
5957
5958 @node Observer Mode
5959 @subsection Observer Mode
5960
5961 If you want to build on non-stop mode and observe program behavior
5962 without any chance of disruption by @value{GDBN}, you can set
5963 variables to disable all of the debugger's attempts to modify state,
5964 whether by writing memory, inserting breakpoints, etc. These operate
5965 at a low level, intercepting operations from all commands.
5966
5967 When all of these are set to @code{off}, then @value{GDBN} is said to
5968 be @dfn{observer mode}. As a convenience, the variable
5969 @code{observer} can be set to disable these, plus enable non-stop
5970 mode.
5971
5972 Note that @value{GDBN} will not prevent you from making nonsensical
5973 combinations of these settings. For instance, if you have enabled
5974 @code{may-insert-breakpoints} but disabled @code{may-write-memory},
5975 then breakpoints that work by writing trap instructions into the code
5976 stream will still not be able to be placed.
5977
5978 @table @code
5979
5980 @kindex observer
5981 @item set observer on
5982 @itemx set observer off
5983 When set to @code{on}, this disables all the permission variables
5984 below (except for @code{insert-fast-tracepoints}), plus enables
5985 non-stop debugging. Setting this to @code{off} switches back to
5986 normal debugging, though remaining in non-stop mode.
5987
5988 @item show observer
5989 Show whether observer mode is on or off.
5990
5991 @kindex may-write-registers
5992 @item set may-write-registers on
5993 @itemx set may-write-registers off
5994 This controls whether @value{GDBN} will attempt to alter the values of
5995 registers, such as with assignment expressions in @code{print}, or the
5996 @code{jump} command. It defaults to @code{on}.
5997
5998 @item show may-write-registers
5999 Show the current permission to write registers.
6000
6001 @kindex may-write-memory
6002 @item set may-write-memory on
6003 @itemx set may-write-memory off
6004 This controls whether @value{GDBN} will attempt to alter the contents
6005 of memory, such as with assignment expressions in @code{print}. It
6006 defaults to @code{on}.
6007
6008 @item show may-write-memory
6009 Show the current permission to write memory.
6010
6011 @kindex may-insert-breakpoints
6012 @item set may-insert-breakpoints on
6013 @itemx set may-insert-breakpoints off
6014 This controls whether @value{GDBN} will attempt to insert breakpoints.
6015 This affects all breakpoints, including internal breakpoints defined
6016 by @value{GDBN}. It defaults to @code{on}.
6017
6018 @item show may-insert-breakpoints
6019 Show the current permission to insert breakpoints.
6020
6021 @kindex may-insert-tracepoints
6022 @item set may-insert-tracepoints on
6023 @itemx set may-insert-tracepoints off
6024 This controls whether @value{GDBN} will attempt to insert (regular)
6025 tracepoints at the beginning of a tracing experiment. It affects only
6026 non-fast tracepoints, fast tracepoints being under the control of
6027 @code{may-insert-fast-tracepoints}. It defaults to @code{on}.
6028
6029 @item show may-insert-tracepoints
6030 Show the current permission to insert tracepoints.
6031
6032 @kindex may-insert-fast-tracepoints
6033 @item set may-insert-fast-tracepoints on
6034 @itemx set may-insert-fast-tracepoints off
6035 This controls whether @value{GDBN} will attempt to insert fast
6036 tracepoints at the beginning of a tracing experiment. It affects only
6037 fast tracepoints, regular (non-fast) tracepoints being under the
6038 control of @code{may-insert-tracepoints}. It defaults to @code{on}.
6039
6040 @item show may-insert-fast-tracepoints
6041 Show the current permission to insert fast tracepoints.
6042
6043 @kindex may-interrupt
6044 @item set may-interrupt on
6045 @itemx set may-interrupt off
6046 This controls whether @value{GDBN} will attempt to interrupt or stop
6047 program execution. When this variable is @code{off}, the
6048 @code{interrupt} command will have no effect, nor will
6049 @kbd{Ctrl-c}. It defaults to @code{on}.
6050
6051 @item show may-interrupt
6052 Show the current permission to interrupt or stop the program.
6053
6054 @end table
6055
6056 @node Reverse Execution
6057 @chapter Running programs backward
6058 @cindex reverse execution
6059 @cindex running programs backward
6060
6061 When you are debugging a program, it is not unusual to realize that
6062 you have gone too far, and some event of interest has already happened.
6063 If the target environment supports it, @value{GDBN} can allow you to
6064 ``rewind'' the program by running it backward.
6065
6066 A target environment that supports reverse execution should be able
6067 to ``undo'' the changes in machine state that have taken place as the
6068 program was executing normally. Variables, registers etc.@: should
6069 revert to their previous values. Obviously this requires a great
6070 deal of sophistication on the part of the target environment; not
6071 all target environments can support reverse execution.
6072
6073 When a program is executed in reverse, the instructions that
6074 have most recently been executed are ``un-executed'', in reverse
6075 order. The program counter runs backward, following the previous
6076 thread of execution in reverse. As each instruction is ``un-executed'',
6077 the values of memory and/or registers that were changed by that
6078 instruction are reverted to their previous states. After executing
6079 a piece of source code in reverse, all side effects of that code
6080 should be ``undone'', and all variables should be returned to their
6081 prior values@footnote{
6082 Note that some side effects are easier to undo than others. For instance,
6083 memory and registers are relatively easy, but device I/O is hard. Some
6084 targets may be able undo things like device I/O, and some may not.
6085
6086 The contract between @value{GDBN} and the reverse executing target
6087 requires only that the target do something reasonable when
6088 @value{GDBN} tells it to execute backwards, and then report the
6089 results back to @value{GDBN}. Whatever the target reports back to
6090 @value{GDBN}, @value{GDBN} will report back to the user. @value{GDBN}
6091 assumes that the memory and registers that the target reports are in a
6092 consistant state, but @value{GDBN} accepts whatever it is given.
6093 }.
6094
6095 If you are debugging in a target environment that supports
6096 reverse execution, @value{GDBN} provides the following commands.
6097
6098 @table @code
6099 @kindex reverse-continue
6100 @kindex rc @r{(@code{reverse-continue})}
6101 @item reverse-continue @r{[}@var{ignore-count}@r{]}
6102 @itemx rc @r{[}@var{ignore-count}@r{]}
6103 Beginning at the point where your program last stopped, start executing
6104 in reverse. Reverse execution will stop for breakpoints and synchronous
6105 exceptions (signals), just like normal execution. Behavior of
6106 asynchronous signals depends on the target environment.
6107
6108 @kindex reverse-step
6109 @kindex rs @r{(@code{step})}
6110 @item reverse-step @r{[}@var{count}@r{]}
6111 Run the program backward until control reaches the start of a
6112 different source line; then stop it, and return control to @value{GDBN}.
6113
6114 Like the @code{step} command, @code{reverse-step} will only stop
6115 at the beginning of a source line. It ``un-executes'' the previously
6116 executed source line. If the previous source line included calls to
6117 debuggable functions, @code{reverse-step} will step (backward) into
6118 the called function, stopping at the beginning of the @emph{last}
6119 statement in the called function (typically a return statement).
6120
6121 Also, as with the @code{step} command, if non-debuggable functions are
6122 called, @code{reverse-step} will run thru them backward without stopping.
6123
6124 @kindex reverse-stepi
6125 @kindex rsi @r{(@code{reverse-stepi})}
6126 @item reverse-stepi @r{[}@var{count}@r{]}
6127 Reverse-execute one machine instruction. Note that the instruction
6128 to be reverse-executed is @emph{not} the one pointed to by the program
6129 counter, but the instruction executed prior to that one. For instance,
6130 if the last instruction was a jump, @code{reverse-stepi} will take you
6131 back from the destination of the jump to the jump instruction itself.
6132
6133 @kindex reverse-next
6134 @kindex rn @r{(@code{reverse-next})}
6135 @item reverse-next @r{[}@var{count}@r{]}
6136 Run backward to the beginning of the previous line executed in
6137 the current (innermost) stack frame. If the line contains function
6138 calls, they will be ``un-executed'' without stopping. Starting from
6139 the first line of a function, @code{reverse-next} will take you back
6140 to the caller of that function, @emph{before} the function was called,
6141 just as the normal @code{next} command would take you from the last
6142 line of a function back to its return to its caller
6143 @footnote{Unless the code is too heavily optimized.}.
6144
6145 @kindex reverse-nexti
6146 @kindex rni @r{(@code{reverse-nexti})}
6147 @item reverse-nexti @r{[}@var{count}@r{]}
6148 Like @code{nexti}, @code{reverse-nexti} executes a single instruction
6149 in reverse, except that called functions are ``un-executed'' atomically.
6150 That is, if the previously executed instruction was a return from
6151 another function, @code{reverse-nexti} will continue to execute
6152 in reverse until the call to that function (from the current stack
6153 frame) is reached.
6154
6155 @kindex reverse-finish
6156 @item reverse-finish
6157 Just as the @code{finish} command takes you to the point where the
6158 current function returns, @code{reverse-finish} takes you to the point
6159 where it was called. Instead of ending up at the end of the current
6160 function invocation, you end up at the beginning.
6161
6162 @kindex set exec-direction
6163 @item set exec-direction
6164 Set the direction of target execution.
6165 @item set exec-direction reverse
6166 @cindex execute forward or backward in time
6167 @value{GDBN} will perform all execution commands in reverse, until the
6168 exec-direction mode is changed to ``forward''. Affected commands include
6169 @code{step, stepi, next, nexti, continue, and finish}. The @code{return}
6170 command cannot be used in reverse mode.
6171 @item set exec-direction forward
6172 @value{GDBN} will perform all execution commands in the normal fashion.
6173 This is the default.
6174 @end table
6175
6176
6177 @node Process Record and Replay
6178 @chapter Recording Inferior's Execution and Replaying It
6179 @cindex process record and replay
6180 @cindex recording inferior's execution and replaying it
6181
6182 On some platforms, @value{GDBN} provides a special @dfn{process record
6183 and replay} target that can record a log of the process execution, and
6184 replay it later with both forward and reverse execution commands.
6185
6186 @cindex replay mode
6187 When this target is in use, if the execution log includes the record
6188 for the next instruction, @value{GDBN} will debug in @dfn{replay
6189 mode}. In the replay mode, the inferior does not really execute code
6190 instructions. Instead, all the events that normally happen during
6191 code execution are taken from the execution log. While code is not
6192 really executed in replay mode, the values of registers (including the
6193 program counter register) and the memory of the inferior are still
6194 changed as they normally would. Their contents are taken from the
6195 execution log.
6196
6197 @cindex record mode
6198 If the record for the next instruction is not in the execution log,
6199 @value{GDBN} will debug in @dfn{record mode}. In this mode, the
6200 inferior executes normally, and @value{GDBN} records the execution log
6201 for future replay.
6202
6203 The process record and replay target supports reverse execution
6204 (@pxref{Reverse Execution}), even if the platform on which the
6205 inferior runs does not. However, the reverse execution is limited in
6206 this case by the range of the instructions recorded in the execution
6207 log. In other words, reverse execution on platforms that don't
6208 support it directly can only be done in the replay mode.
6209
6210 When debugging in the reverse direction, @value{GDBN} will work in
6211 replay mode as long as the execution log includes the record for the
6212 previous instruction; otherwise, it will work in record mode, if the
6213 platform supports reverse execution, or stop if not.
6214
6215 For architecture environments that support process record and replay,
6216 @value{GDBN} provides the following commands:
6217
6218 @table @code
6219 @kindex target record
6220 @kindex target record-full
6221 @kindex target record-btrace
6222 @kindex record
6223 @kindex record full
6224 @kindex record btrace
6225 @kindex rec
6226 @kindex rec full
6227 @kindex rec btrace
6228 @item record @var{method}
6229 This command starts the process record and replay target. The
6230 recording method can be specified as parameter. Without a parameter
6231 the command uses the @code{full} recording method. The following
6232 recording methods are available:
6233
6234 @table @code
6235 @item full
6236 Full record/replay recording using @value{GDBN}'s software record and
6237 replay implementation. This method allows replaying and reverse
6238 execution.
6239
6240 @item btrace
6241 Hardware-supported instruction recording. This method does not allow
6242 replaying and reverse execution.
6243
6244 This recording method may not be available on all processors.
6245 @end table
6246
6247 The process record and replay target can only debug a process that is
6248 already running. Therefore, you need first to start the process with
6249 the @kbd{run} or @kbd{start} commands, and then start the recording
6250 with the @kbd{record @var{method}} command.
6251
6252 Both @code{record @var{method}} and @code{rec @var{method}} are
6253 aliases of @code{target record-@var{method}}.
6254
6255 @cindex displaced stepping, and process record and replay
6256 Displaced stepping (@pxref{Maintenance Commands,, displaced stepping})
6257 will be automatically disabled when process record and replay target
6258 is started. That's because the process record and replay target
6259 doesn't support displaced stepping.
6260
6261 @cindex non-stop mode, and process record and replay
6262 @cindex asynchronous execution, and process record and replay
6263 If the inferior is in the non-stop mode (@pxref{Non-Stop Mode}) or in
6264 the asynchronous execution mode (@pxref{Background Execution}), not
6265 all recording methods are available. The @code{full} recording method
6266 does not support these two modes.
6267
6268 @kindex record stop
6269 @kindex rec s
6270 @item record stop
6271 Stop the process record and replay target. When process record and
6272 replay target stops, the entire execution log will be deleted and the
6273 inferior will either be terminated, or will remain in its final state.
6274
6275 When you stop the process record and replay target in record mode (at
6276 the end of the execution log), the inferior will be stopped at the
6277 next instruction that would have been recorded. In other words, if
6278 you record for a while and then stop recording, the inferior process
6279 will be left in the same state as if the recording never happened.
6280
6281 On the other hand, if the process record and replay target is stopped
6282 while in replay mode (that is, not at the end of the execution log,
6283 but at some earlier point), the inferior process will become ``live''
6284 at that earlier state, and it will then be possible to continue the
6285 usual ``live'' debugging of the process from that state.
6286
6287 When the inferior process exits, or @value{GDBN} detaches from it,
6288 process record and replay target will automatically stop itself.
6289
6290 @kindex record goto
6291 @item record goto
6292 Go to a specific location in the execution log. There are several
6293 ways to specify the location to go to:
6294
6295 @table @code
6296 @item record goto begin
6297 @itemx record goto start
6298 Go to the beginning of the execution log.
6299
6300 @item record goto end
6301 Go to the end of the execution log.
6302
6303 @item record goto @var{n}
6304 Go to instruction number @var{n} in the execution log.
6305 @end table
6306
6307 @kindex record save
6308 @item record save @var{filename}
6309 Save the execution log to a file @file{@var{filename}}.
6310 Default filename is @file{gdb_record.@var{process_id}}, where
6311 @var{process_id} is the process ID of the inferior.
6312
6313 This command may not be available for all recording methods.
6314
6315 @kindex record restore
6316 @item record restore @var{filename}
6317 Restore the execution log from a file @file{@var{filename}}.
6318 File must have been created with @code{record save}.
6319
6320 @kindex set record full
6321 @item set record full insn-number-max @var{limit}
6322 @itemx set record full insn-number-max unlimited
6323 Set the limit of instructions to be recorded for the @code{full}
6324 recording method. Default value is 200000.
6325
6326 If @var{limit} is a positive number, then @value{GDBN} will start
6327 deleting instructions from the log once the number of the record
6328 instructions becomes greater than @var{limit}. For every new recorded
6329 instruction, @value{GDBN} will delete the earliest recorded
6330 instruction to keep the number of recorded instructions at the limit.
6331 (Since deleting recorded instructions loses information, @value{GDBN}
6332 lets you control what happens when the limit is reached, by means of
6333 the @code{stop-at-limit} option, described below.)
6334
6335 If @var{limit} is @code{unlimited} or zero, @value{GDBN} will never
6336 delete recorded instructions from the execution log. The number of
6337 recorded instructions is limited only by the available memory.
6338
6339 @kindex show record full
6340 @item show record full insn-number-max
6341 Show the limit of instructions to be recorded with the @code{full}
6342 recording method.
6343
6344 @item set record full stop-at-limit
6345 Control the behavior of the @code{full} recording method when the
6346 number of recorded instructions reaches the limit. If ON (the
6347 default), @value{GDBN} will stop when the limit is reached for the
6348 first time and ask you whether you want to stop the inferior or
6349 continue running it and recording the execution log. If you decide
6350 to continue recording, each new recorded instruction will cause the
6351 oldest one to be deleted.
6352
6353 If this option is OFF, @value{GDBN} will automatically delete the
6354 oldest record to make room for each new one, without asking.
6355
6356 @item show record full stop-at-limit
6357 Show the current setting of @code{stop-at-limit}.
6358
6359 @item set record full memory-query
6360 Control the behavior when @value{GDBN} is unable to record memory
6361 changes caused by an instruction for the @code{full} recording method.
6362 If ON, @value{GDBN} will query whether to stop the inferior in that
6363 case.
6364
6365 If this option is OFF (the default), @value{GDBN} will automatically
6366 ignore the effect of such instructions on memory. Later, when
6367 @value{GDBN} replays this execution log, it will mark the log of this
6368 instruction as not accessible, and it will not affect the replay
6369 results.
6370
6371 @item show record full memory-query
6372 Show the current setting of @code{memory-query}.
6373
6374 @kindex info record
6375 @item info record
6376 Show various statistics about the recording depending on the recording
6377 method:
6378
6379 @table @code
6380 @item full
6381 For the @code{full} recording method, it shows the state of process
6382 record and its in-memory execution log buffer, including:
6383
6384 @itemize @bullet
6385 @item
6386 Whether in record mode or replay mode.
6387 @item
6388 Lowest recorded instruction number (counting from when the current execution log started recording instructions).
6389 @item
6390 Highest recorded instruction number.
6391 @item
6392 Current instruction about to be replayed (if in replay mode).
6393 @item
6394 Number of instructions contained in the execution log.
6395 @item
6396 Maximum number of instructions that may be contained in the execution log.
6397 @end itemize
6398
6399 @item btrace
6400 For the @code{btrace} recording method, it shows the number of
6401 instructions that have been recorded and the number of blocks of
6402 sequential control-flow that is formed by the recorded instructions.
6403 @end table
6404
6405 @kindex record delete
6406 @kindex rec del
6407 @item record delete
6408 When record target runs in replay mode (``in the past''), delete the
6409 subsequent execution log and begin to record a new execution log starting
6410 from the current address. This means you will abandon the previously
6411 recorded ``future'' and begin recording a new ``future''.
6412
6413 @kindex record instruction-history
6414 @kindex rec instruction-history
6415 @item record instruction-history
6416 Disassembles instructions from the recorded execution log. By
6417 default, ten instructions are disassembled. This can be changed using
6418 the @code{set record instruction-history-size} command. Instructions
6419 are printed in execution order. There are several ways to specify
6420 what part of the execution log to disassemble:
6421
6422 @table @code
6423 @item record instruction-history @var{insn}
6424 Disassembles ten instructions starting from instruction number
6425 @var{insn}.
6426
6427 @item record instruction-history @var{insn}, +/-@var{n}
6428 Disassembles @var{n} instructions around instruction number
6429 @var{insn}. If @var{n} is preceded with @code{+}, disassembles
6430 @var{n} instructions after instruction number @var{insn}. If
6431 @var{n} is preceded with @code{-}, disassembles @var{n}
6432 instructions before instruction number @var{insn}.
6433
6434 @item record instruction-history
6435 Disassembles ten more instructions after the last disassembly.
6436
6437 @item record instruction-history -
6438 Disassembles ten more instructions before the last disassembly.
6439
6440 @item record instruction-history @var{begin} @var{end}
6441 Disassembles instructions beginning with instruction number
6442 @var{begin} until instruction number @var{end}. The instruction
6443 number @var{end} is not included.
6444 @end table
6445
6446 This command may not be available for all recording methods.
6447
6448 @kindex set record
6449 @item set record instruction-history-size @var{size}
6450 @itemx set record instruction-history-size unlimited
6451 Define how many instructions to disassemble in the @code{record
6452 instruction-history} command. The default value is 10.
6453 A @var{size} of @code{unlimited} means unlimited instructions.
6454
6455 @kindex show record
6456 @item show record instruction-history-size
6457 Show how many instructions to disassemble in the @code{record
6458 instruction-history} command.
6459
6460 @kindex record function-call-history
6461 @kindex rec function-call-history
6462 @item record function-call-history
6463 Prints the execution history at function granularity. It prints one
6464 line for each sequence of instructions that belong to the same
6465 function giving the name of that function, the source lines
6466 for this instruction sequence (if the @code{/l} modifier is
6467 specified), and the instructions numbers that form the sequence (if
6468 the @code{/i} modifier is specified).
6469
6470 @smallexample
6471 (@value{GDBP}) @b{list 1, 10}
6472 1 void foo (void)
6473 2 @{
6474 3 @}
6475 4
6476 5 void bar (void)
6477 6 @{
6478 7 ...
6479 8 foo ();
6480 9 ...
6481 10 @}
6482 (@value{GDBP}) @b{record function-call-history /l}
6483 1 foo.c:6-8 bar
6484 2 foo.c:2-3 foo
6485 3 foo.c:9-10 bar
6486 @end smallexample
6487
6488 By default, ten lines are printed. This can be changed using the
6489 @code{set record function-call-history-size} command. Functions are
6490 printed in execution order. There are several ways to specify what
6491 to print:
6492
6493 @table @code
6494 @item record function-call-history @var{func}
6495 Prints ten functions starting from function number @var{func}.
6496
6497 @item record function-call-history @var{func}, +/-@var{n}
6498 Prints @var{n} functions around function number @var{func}. If
6499 @var{n} is preceded with @code{+}, prints @var{n} functions after
6500 function number @var{func}. If @var{n} is preceded with @code{-},
6501 prints @var{n} functions before function number @var{func}.
6502
6503 @item record function-call-history
6504 Prints ten more functions after the last ten-line print.
6505
6506 @item record function-call-history -
6507 Prints ten more functions before the last ten-line print.
6508
6509 @item record function-call-history @var{begin} @var{end}
6510 Prints functions beginning with function number @var{begin} until
6511 function number @var{end}. The function number @var{end} is not
6512 included.
6513 @end table
6514
6515 This command may not be available for all recording methods.
6516
6517 @item set record function-call-history-size @var{size}
6518 @itemx set record function-call-history-size unlimited
6519 Define how many lines to print in the
6520 @code{record function-call-history} command. The default value is 10.
6521 A size of @code{unlimited} means unlimited lines.
6522
6523 @item show record function-call-history-size
6524 Show how many lines to print in the
6525 @code{record function-call-history} command.
6526 @end table
6527
6528
6529 @node Stack
6530 @chapter Examining the Stack
6531
6532 When your program has stopped, the first thing you need to know is where it
6533 stopped and how it got there.
6534
6535 @cindex call stack
6536 Each time your program performs a function call, information about the call
6537 is generated.
6538 That information includes the location of the call in your program,
6539 the arguments of the call,
6540 and the local variables of the function being called.
6541 The information is saved in a block of data called a @dfn{stack frame}.
6542 The stack frames are allocated in a region of memory called the @dfn{call
6543 stack}.
6544
6545 When your program stops, the @value{GDBN} commands for examining the
6546 stack allow you to see all of this information.
6547
6548 @cindex selected frame
6549 One of the stack frames is @dfn{selected} by @value{GDBN} and many
6550 @value{GDBN} commands refer implicitly to the selected frame. In
6551 particular, whenever you ask @value{GDBN} for the value of a variable in
6552 your program, the value is found in the selected frame. There are
6553 special @value{GDBN} commands to select whichever frame you are
6554 interested in. @xref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}.
6555
6556 When your program stops, @value{GDBN} automatically selects the
6557 currently executing frame and describes it briefly, similar to the
6558 @code{frame} command (@pxref{Frame Info, ,Information about a Frame}).
6559
6560 @menu
6561 * Frames:: Stack frames
6562 * Backtrace:: Backtraces
6563 * Frame Filter Management:: Managing frame filters
6564 * Selection:: Selecting a frame
6565 * Frame Info:: Information on a frame
6566
6567 @end menu
6568
6569 @node Frames
6570 @section Stack Frames
6571
6572 @cindex frame, definition
6573 @cindex stack frame
6574 The call stack is divided up into contiguous pieces called @dfn{stack
6575 frames}, or @dfn{frames} for short; each frame is the data associated
6576 with one call to one function. The frame contains the arguments given
6577 to the function, the function's local variables, and the address at
6578 which the function is executing.
6579
6580 @cindex initial frame
6581 @cindex outermost frame
6582 @cindex innermost frame
6583 When your program is started, the stack has only one frame, that of the
6584 function @code{main}. This is called the @dfn{initial} frame or the
6585 @dfn{outermost} frame. Each time a function is called, a new frame is
6586 made. Each time a function returns, the frame for that function invocation
6587 is eliminated. If a function is recursive, there can be many frames for
6588 the same function. The frame for the function in which execution is
6589 actually occurring is called the @dfn{innermost} frame. This is the most
6590 recently created of all the stack frames that still exist.
6591
6592 @cindex frame pointer
6593 Inside your program, stack frames are identified by their addresses. A
6594 stack frame consists of many bytes, each of which has its own address; each
6595 kind of computer has a convention for choosing one byte whose
6596 address serves as the address of the frame. Usually this address is kept
6597 in a register called the @dfn{frame pointer register}
6598 (@pxref{Registers, $fp}) while execution is going on in that frame.
6599
6600 @cindex frame number
6601 @value{GDBN} assigns numbers to all existing stack frames, starting with
6602 zero for the innermost frame, one for the frame that called it,
6603 and so on upward. These numbers do not really exist in your program;
6604 they are assigned by @value{GDBN} to give you a way of designating stack
6605 frames in @value{GDBN} commands.
6606
6607 @c The -fomit-frame-pointer below perennially causes hbox overflow
6608 @c underflow problems.
6609 @cindex frameless execution
6610 Some compilers provide a way to compile functions so that they operate
6611 without stack frames. (For example, the @value{NGCC} option
6612 @smallexample
6613 @samp{-fomit-frame-pointer}
6614 @end smallexample
6615 generates functions without a frame.)
6616 This is occasionally done with heavily used library functions to save
6617 the frame setup time. @value{GDBN} has limited facilities for dealing
6618 with these function invocations. If the innermost function invocation
6619 has no stack frame, @value{GDBN} nevertheless regards it as though
6620 it had a separate frame, which is numbered zero as usual, allowing
6621 correct tracing of the function call chain. However, @value{GDBN} has
6622 no provision for frameless functions elsewhere in the stack.
6623
6624 @table @code
6625 @kindex frame@r{, command}
6626 @cindex current stack frame
6627 @item frame @var{args}
6628 The @code{frame} command allows you to move from one stack frame to another,
6629 and to print the stack frame you select. @var{args} may be either the
6630 address of the frame or the stack frame number. Without an argument,
6631 @code{frame} prints the current stack frame.
6632
6633 @kindex select-frame
6634 @cindex selecting frame silently
6635 @item select-frame
6636 The @code{select-frame} command allows you to move from one stack frame
6637 to another without printing the frame. This is the silent version of
6638 @code{frame}.
6639 @end table
6640
6641 @node Backtrace
6642 @section Backtraces
6643
6644 @cindex traceback
6645 @cindex call stack traces
6646 A backtrace is a summary of how your program got where it is. It shows one
6647 line per frame, for many frames, starting with the currently executing
6648 frame (frame zero), followed by its caller (frame one), and on up the
6649 stack.
6650
6651 @anchor{backtrace-command}
6652 @table @code
6653 @kindex backtrace
6654 @kindex bt @r{(@code{backtrace})}
6655 @item backtrace
6656 @itemx bt
6657 Print a backtrace of the entire stack: one line per frame for all
6658 frames in the stack.
6659
6660 You can stop the backtrace at any time by typing the system interrupt
6661 character, normally @kbd{Ctrl-c}.
6662
6663 @item backtrace @var{n}
6664 @itemx bt @var{n}
6665 Similar, but print only the innermost @var{n} frames.
6666
6667 @item backtrace -@var{n}
6668 @itemx bt -@var{n}
6669 Similar, but print only the outermost @var{n} frames.
6670
6671 @item backtrace full
6672 @itemx bt full
6673 @itemx bt full @var{n}
6674 @itemx bt full -@var{n}
6675 Print the values of the local variables also. @var{n} specifies the
6676 number of frames to print, as described above.
6677
6678 @item backtrace no-filters
6679 @itemx bt no-filters
6680 @itemx bt no-filters @var{n}
6681 @itemx bt no-filters -@var{n}
6682 @itemx bt no-filters full
6683 @itemx bt no-filters full @var{n}
6684 @itemx bt no-filters full -@var{n}
6685 Do not run Python frame filters on this backtrace. @xref{Frame
6686 Filter API}, for more information. Additionally use @ref{disable
6687 frame-filter all} to turn off all frame filters. This is only
6688 relevant when @value{GDBN} has been configured with @code{Python}
6689 support.
6690 @end table
6691
6692 @kindex where
6693 @kindex info stack
6694 The names @code{where} and @code{info stack} (abbreviated @code{info s})
6695 are additional aliases for @code{backtrace}.
6696
6697 @cindex multiple threads, backtrace
6698 In a multi-threaded program, @value{GDBN} by default shows the
6699 backtrace only for the current thread. To display the backtrace for
6700 several or all of the threads, use the command @code{thread apply}
6701 (@pxref{Threads, thread apply}). For example, if you type @kbd{thread
6702 apply all backtrace}, @value{GDBN} will display the backtrace for all
6703 the threads; this is handy when you debug a core dump of a
6704 multi-threaded program.
6705
6706 Each line in the backtrace shows the frame number and the function name.
6707 The program counter value is also shown---unless you use @code{set
6708 print address off}. The backtrace also shows the source file name and
6709 line number, as well as the arguments to the function. The program
6710 counter value is omitted if it is at the beginning of the code for that
6711 line number.
6712
6713 Here is an example of a backtrace. It was made with the command
6714 @samp{bt 3}, so it shows the innermost three frames.
6715
6716 @smallexample
6717 @group
6718 #0 m4_traceon (obs=0x24eb0, argc=1, argv=0x2b8c8)
6719 at builtin.c:993
6720 #1 0x6e38 in expand_macro (sym=0x2b600, data=...) at macro.c:242
6721 #2 0x6840 in expand_token (obs=0x0, t=177664, td=0xf7fffb08)
6722 at macro.c:71
6723 (More stack frames follow...)
6724 @end group
6725 @end smallexample
6726
6727 @noindent
6728 The display for frame zero does not begin with a program counter
6729 value, indicating that your program has stopped at the beginning of the
6730 code for line @code{993} of @code{builtin.c}.
6731
6732 @noindent
6733 The value of parameter @code{data} in frame 1 has been replaced by
6734 @code{@dots{}}. By default, @value{GDBN} prints the value of a parameter
6735 only if it is a scalar (integer, pointer, enumeration, etc). See command
6736 @kbd{set print frame-arguments} in @ref{Print Settings} for more details
6737 on how to configure the way function parameter values are printed.
6738
6739 @cindex optimized out, in backtrace
6740 @cindex function call arguments, optimized out
6741 If your program was compiled with optimizations, some compilers will
6742 optimize away arguments passed to functions if those arguments are
6743 never used after the call. Such optimizations generate code that
6744 passes arguments through registers, but doesn't store those arguments
6745 in the stack frame. @value{GDBN} has no way of displaying such
6746 arguments in stack frames other than the innermost one. Here's what
6747 such a backtrace might look like:
6748
6749 @smallexample
6750 @group
6751 #0 m4_traceon (obs=0x24eb0, argc=1, argv=0x2b8c8)
6752 at builtin.c:993
6753 #1 0x6e38 in expand_macro (sym=<optimized out>) at macro.c:242
6754 #2 0x6840 in expand_token (obs=0x0, t=<optimized out>, td=0xf7fffb08)
6755 at macro.c:71
6756 (More stack frames follow...)
6757 @end group
6758 @end smallexample
6759
6760 @noindent
6761 The values of arguments that were not saved in their stack frames are
6762 shown as @samp{<optimized out>}.
6763
6764 If you need to display the values of such optimized-out arguments,
6765 either deduce that from other variables whose values depend on the one
6766 you are interested in, or recompile without optimizations.
6767
6768 @cindex backtrace beyond @code{main} function
6769 @cindex program entry point
6770 @cindex startup code, and backtrace
6771 Most programs have a standard user entry point---a place where system
6772 libraries and startup code transition into user code. For C this is
6773 @code{main}@footnote{
6774 Note that embedded programs (the so-called ``free-standing''
6775 environment) are not required to have a @code{main} function as the
6776 entry point. They could even have multiple entry points.}.
6777 When @value{GDBN} finds the entry function in a backtrace
6778 it will terminate the backtrace, to avoid tracing into highly
6779 system-specific (and generally uninteresting) code.
6780
6781 If you need to examine the startup code, or limit the number of levels
6782 in a backtrace, you can change this behavior:
6783
6784 @table @code
6785 @item set backtrace past-main
6786 @itemx set backtrace past-main on
6787 @kindex set backtrace
6788 Backtraces will continue past the user entry point.
6789
6790 @item set backtrace past-main off
6791 Backtraces will stop when they encounter the user entry point. This is the
6792 default.
6793
6794 @item show backtrace past-main
6795 @kindex show backtrace
6796 Display the current user entry point backtrace policy.
6797
6798 @item set backtrace past-entry
6799 @itemx set backtrace past-entry on
6800 Backtraces will continue past the internal entry point of an application.
6801 This entry point is encoded by the linker when the application is built,
6802 and is likely before the user entry point @code{main} (or equivalent) is called.
6803
6804 @item set backtrace past-entry off
6805 Backtraces will stop when they encounter the internal entry point of an
6806 application. This is the default.
6807
6808 @item show backtrace past-entry
6809 Display the current internal entry point backtrace policy.
6810
6811 @item set backtrace limit @var{n}
6812 @itemx set backtrace limit 0
6813 @itemx set backtrace limit unlimited
6814 @cindex backtrace limit
6815 Limit the backtrace to @var{n} levels. A value of @code{unlimited}
6816 or zero means unlimited levels.
6817
6818 @item show backtrace limit
6819 Display the current limit on backtrace levels.
6820 @end table
6821
6822 You can control how file names are displayed.
6823
6824 @table @code
6825 @item set filename-display
6826 @itemx set filename-display relative
6827 @cindex filename-display
6828 Display file names relative to the compilation directory. This is the default.
6829
6830 @item set filename-display basename
6831 Display only basename of a filename.
6832
6833 @item set filename-display absolute
6834 Display an absolute filename.
6835
6836 @item show filename-display
6837 Show the current way to display filenames.
6838 @end table
6839
6840 @node Frame Filter Management
6841 @section Management of Frame Filters.
6842 @cindex managing frame filters
6843
6844 Frame filters are Python based utilities to manage and decorate the
6845 output of frames. @xref{Frame Filter API}, for further information.
6846
6847 Managing frame filters is performed by several commands available
6848 within @value{GDBN}, detailed here.
6849
6850 @table @code
6851 @kindex info frame-filter
6852 @item info frame-filter
6853 Print a list of installed frame filters from all dictionaries, showing
6854 their name, priority and enabled status.
6855
6856 @kindex disable frame-filter
6857 @anchor{disable frame-filter all}
6858 @item disable frame-filter @var{filter-dictionary} @var{filter-name}
6859 Disable a frame filter in the dictionary matching
6860 @var{filter-dictionary}, or @code{all}, and @var{filter-name}.
6861 @var{filter-dictionary} may be @code{all}, @code{global},
6862 @code{progspace} or the name of the object file where the frame filter
6863 dictionary resides. When @code{all} is specified, all frame filters
6864 across all dictionaries are disabled. @var{filter-name} is the name
6865 of the frame filter and is used when @code{all} is not the option for
6866 @var{filter-dictionary}. A disabled frame-filter is not deleted, it
6867 may be enabled again later.
6868
6869 @kindex enable frame-filter
6870 @item enable frame-filter @var{filter-dictionary} @var{filter-name}
6871 Enable a frame filter in the dictionary matching
6872 @var{filter-dictionary}, or @code{all}, and @var{filter-name}.
6873 @var{filter-dictionary} may be @code{all}, @code{global},
6874 @code{progspace} or the name of the object file where the frame filter
6875 dictionary resides. When @code{all} is specified, all frame filters across
6876 all dictionaries are enabled. @var{filter-name} is the name of the frame
6877 filter and is used when @code{all} is not the option for
6878 @var{filter-dictionary}.
6879
6880 Example:
6881
6882 @smallexample
6883 (gdb) info frame-filter
6884
6885 global frame-filters:
6886 Priority Enabled Name
6887 1000 No PrimaryFunctionFilter
6888 100 Yes Reverse
6889
6890 progspace /build/test frame-filters:
6891 Priority Enabled Name
6892 100 Yes ProgspaceFilter
6893
6894 objfile /build/test frame-filters:
6895 Priority Enabled Name
6896 999 Yes BuildProgra Filter
6897
6898 (gdb) disable frame-filter /build/test BuildProgramFilter
6899 (gdb) info frame-filter
6900
6901 global frame-filters:
6902 Priority Enabled Name
6903 1000 No PrimaryFunctionFilter
6904 100 Yes Reverse
6905
6906 progspace /build/test frame-filters:
6907 Priority Enabled Name
6908 100 Yes ProgspaceFilter
6909
6910 objfile /build/test frame-filters:
6911 Priority Enabled Name
6912 999 No BuildProgramFilter
6913
6914 (gdb) enable frame-filter global PrimaryFunctionFilter
6915 (gdb) info frame-filter
6916
6917 global frame-filters:
6918 Priority Enabled Name
6919 1000 Yes PrimaryFunctionFilter
6920 100 Yes Reverse
6921
6922 progspace /build/test frame-filters:
6923 Priority Enabled Name
6924 100 Yes ProgspaceFilter
6925
6926 objfile /build/test frame-filters:
6927 Priority Enabled Name
6928 999 No BuildProgramFilter
6929 @end smallexample
6930
6931 @kindex set frame-filter priority
6932 @item set frame-filter priority @var{filter-dictionary} @var{filter-name} @var{priority}
6933 Set the @var{priority} of a frame filter in the dictionary matching
6934 @var{filter-dictionary}, and the frame filter name matching
6935 @var{filter-name}. @var{filter-dictionary} may be @code{global},
6936 @code{progspace} or the name of the object file where the frame filter
6937 dictionary resides. @var{priority} is an integer.
6938
6939 @kindex show frame-filter priority
6940 @item show frame-filter priority @var{filter-dictionary} @var{filter-name}
6941 Show the @var{priority} of a frame filter in the dictionary matching
6942 @var{filter-dictionary}, and the frame filter name matching
6943 @var{filter-name}. @var{filter-dictionary} may be @code{global},
6944 @code{progspace} or the name of the object file where the frame filter
6945 dictionary resides.
6946
6947 Example:
6948
6949 @smallexample
6950 (gdb) info frame-filter
6951
6952 global frame-filters:
6953 Priority Enabled Name
6954 1000 Yes PrimaryFunctionFilter
6955 100 Yes Reverse
6956
6957 progspace /build/test frame-filters:
6958 Priority Enabled Name
6959 100 Yes ProgspaceFilter
6960
6961 objfile /build/test frame-filters:
6962 Priority Enabled Name
6963 999 No BuildProgramFilter
6964
6965 (gdb) set frame-filter priority global Reverse 50
6966 (gdb) info frame-filter
6967
6968 global frame-filters:
6969 Priority Enabled Name
6970 1000 Yes PrimaryFunctionFilter
6971 50 Yes Reverse
6972
6973 progspace /build/test frame-filters:
6974 Priority Enabled Name
6975 100 Yes ProgspaceFilter
6976
6977 objfile /build/test frame-filters:
6978 Priority Enabled Name
6979 999 No BuildProgramFilter
6980 @end smallexample
6981 @end table
6982
6983 @node Selection
6984 @section Selecting a Frame
6985
6986 Most commands for examining the stack and other data in your program work on
6987 whichever stack frame is selected at the moment. Here are the commands for
6988 selecting a stack frame; all of them finish by printing a brief description
6989 of the stack frame just selected.
6990
6991 @table @code
6992 @kindex frame@r{, selecting}
6993 @kindex f @r{(@code{frame})}
6994 @item frame @var{n}
6995 @itemx f @var{n}
6996 Select frame number @var{n}. Recall that frame zero is the innermost
6997 (currently executing) frame, frame one is the frame that called the
6998 innermost one, and so on. The highest-numbered frame is the one for
6999 @code{main}.
7000
7001 @item frame @var{addr}
7002 @itemx f @var{addr}
7003 Select the frame at address @var{addr}. This is useful mainly if the
7004 chaining of stack frames has been damaged by a bug, making it
7005 impossible for @value{GDBN} to assign numbers properly to all frames. In
7006 addition, this can be useful when your program has multiple stacks and
7007 switches between them.
7008
7009 On the SPARC architecture, @code{frame} needs two addresses to
7010 select an arbitrary frame: a frame pointer and a stack pointer.
7011
7012 On the @acronym{MIPS} and Alpha architecture, it needs two addresses: a stack
7013 pointer and a program counter.
7014
7015 On the 29k architecture, it needs three addresses: a register stack
7016 pointer, a program counter, and a memory stack pointer.
7017
7018 @kindex up
7019 @item up @var{n}
7020 Move @var{n} frames up the stack. For positive numbers @var{n}, this
7021 advances toward the outermost frame, to higher frame numbers, to frames
7022 that have existed longer. @var{n} defaults to one.
7023
7024 @kindex down
7025 @kindex do @r{(@code{down})}
7026 @item down @var{n}
7027 Move @var{n} frames down the stack. For positive numbers @var{n}, this
7028 advances toward the innermost frame, to lower frame numbers, to frames
7029 that were created more recently. @var{n} defaults to one. You may
7030 abbreviate @code{down} as @code{do}.
7031 @end table
7032
7033 All of these commands end by printing two lines of output describing the
7034 frame. The first line shows the frame number, the function name, the
7035 arguments, and the source file and line number of execution in that
7036 frame. The second line shows the text of that source line.
7037
7038 @need 1000
7039 For example:
7040
7041 @smallexample
7042 @group
7043 (@value{GDBP}) up
7044 #1 0x22f0 in main (argc=1, argv=0xf7fffbf4, env=0xf7fffbfc)
7045 at env.c:10
7046 10 read_input_file (argv[i]);
7047 @end group
7048 @end smallexample
7049
7050 After such a printout, the @code{list} command with no arguments
7051 prints ten lines centered on the point of execution in the frame.
7052 You can also edit the program at the point of execution with your favorite
7053 editing program by typing @code{edit}.
7054 @xref{List, ,Printing Source Lines},
7055 for details.
7056
7057 @table @code
7058 @kindex down-silently
7059 @kindex up-silently
7060 @item up-silently @var{n}
7061 @itemx down-silently @var{n}
7062 These two commands are variants of @code{up} and @code{down},
7063 respectively; they differ in that they do their work silently, without
7064 causing display of the new frame. They are intended primarily for use
7065 in @value{GDBN} command scripts, where the output might be unnecessary and
7066 distracting.
7067 @end table
7068
7069 @node Frame Info
7070 @section Information About a Frame
7071
7072 There are several other commands to print information about the selected
7073 stack frame.
7074
7075 @table @code
7076 @item frame
7077 @itemx f
7078 When used without any argument, this command does not change which
7079 frame is selected, but prints a brief description of the currently
7080 selected stack frame. It can be abbreviated @code{f}. With an
7081 argument, this command is used to select a stack frame.
7082 @xref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}.
7083
7084 @kindex info frame
7085 @kindex info f @r{(@code{info frame})}
7086 @item info frame
7087 @itemx info f
7088 This command prints a verbose description of the selected stack frame,
7089 including:
7090
7091 @itemize @bullet
7092 @item
7093 the address of the frame
7094 @item
7095 the address of the next frame down (called by this frame)
7096 @item
7097 the address of the next frame up (caller of this frame)
7098 @item
7099 the language in which the source code corresponding to this frame is written
7100 @item
7101 the address of the frame's arguments
7102 @item
7103 the address of the frame's local variables
7104 @item
7105 the program counter saved in it (the address of execution in the caller frame)
7106 @item
7107 which registers were saved in the frame
7108 @end itemize
7109
7110 @noindent The verbose description is useful when
7111 something has gone wrong that has made the stack format fail to fit
7112 the usual conventions.
7113
7114 @item info frame @var{addr}
7115 @itemx info f @var{addr}
7116 Print a verbose description of the frame at address @var{addr}, without
7117 selecting that frame. The selected frame remains unchanged by this
7118 command. This requires the same kind of address (more than one for some
7119 architectures) that you specify in the @code{frame} command.
7120 @xref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}.
7121
7122 @kindex info args
7123 @item info args
7124 Print the arguments of the selected frame, each on a separate line.
7125
7126 @item info locals
7127 @kindex info locals
7128 Print the local variables of the selected frame, each on a separate
7129 line. These are all variables (declared either static or automatic)
7130 accessible at the point of execution of the selected frame.
7131
7132 @end table
7133
7134
7135 @node Source
7136 @chapter Examining Source Files
7137
7138 @value{GDBN} can print parts of your program's source, since the debugging
7139 information recorded in the program tells @value{GDBN} what source files were
7140 used to build it. When your program stops, @value{GDBN} spontaneously prints
7141 the line where it stopped. Likewise, when you select a stack frame
7142 (@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}), @value{GDBN} prints the line where
7143 execution in that frame has stopped. You can print other portions of
7144 source files by explicit command.
7145
7146 If you use @value{GDBN} through its @sc{gnu} Emacs interface, you may
7147 prefer to use Emacs facilities to view source; see @ref{Emacs, ,Using
7148 @value{GDBN} under @sc{gnu} Emacs}.
7149
7150 @menu
7151 * List:: Printing source lines
7152 * Specify Location:: How to specify code locations
7153 * Edit:: Editing source files
7154 * Search:: Searching source files
7155 * Source Path:: Specifying source directories
7156 * Machine Code:: Source and machine code
7157 @end menu
7158
7159 @node List
7160 @section Printing Source Lines
7161
7162 @kindex list
7163 @kindex l @r{(@code{list})}
7164 To print lines from a source file, use the @code{list} command
7165 (abbreviated @code{l}). By default, ten lines are printed.
7166 There are several ways to specify what part of the file you want to
7167 print; see @ref{Specify Location}, for the full list.
7168
7169 Here are the forms of the @code{list} command most commonly used:
7170
7171 @table @code
7172 @item list @var{linenum}
7173 Print lines centered around line number @var{linenum} in the
7174 current source file.
7175
7176 @item list @var{function}
7177 Print lines centered around the beginning of function
7178 @var{function}.
7179
7180 @item list
7181 Print more lines. If the last lines printed were printed with a
7182 @code{list} command, this prints lines following the last lines
7183 printed; however, if the last line printed was a solitary line printed
7184 as part of displaying a stack frame (@pxref{Stack, ,Examining the
7185 Stack}), this prints lines centered around that line.
7186
7187 @item list -
7188 Print lines just before the lines last printed.
7189 @end table
7190
7191 @cindex @code{list}, how many lines to display
7192 By default, @value{GDBN} prints ten source lines with any of these forms of
7193 the @code{list} command. You can change this using @code{set listsize}:
7194
7195 @table @code
7196 @kindex set listsize
7197 @item set listsize @var{count}
7198 @itemx set listsize unlimited
7199 Make the @code{list} command display @var{count} source lines (unless
7200 the @code{list} argument explicitly specifies some other number).
7201 Setting @var{count} to @code{unlimited} or 0 means there's no limit.
7202
7203 @kindex show listsize
7204 @item show listsize
7205 Display the number of lines that @code{list} prints.
7206 @end table
7207
7208 Repeating a @code{list} command with @key{RET} discards the argument,
7209 so it is equivalent to typing just @code{list}. This is more useful
7210 than listing the same lines again. An exception is made for an
7211 argument of @samp{-}; that argument is preserved in repetition so that
7212 each repetition moves up in the source file.
7213
7214 In general, the @code{list} command expects you to supply zero, one or two
7215 @dfn{linespecs}. Linespecs specify source lines; there are several ways
7216 of writing them (@pxref{Specify Location}), but the effect is always
7217 to specify some source line.
7218
7219 Here is a complete description of the possible arguments for @code{list}:
7220
7221 @table @code
7222 @item list @var{linespec}
7223 Print lines centered around the line specified by @var{linespec}.
7224
7225 @item list @var{first},@var{last}
7226 Print lines from @var{first} to @var{last}. Both arguments are
7227 linespecs. When a @code{list} command has two linespecs, and the
7228 source file of the second linespec is omitted, this refers to
7229 the same source file as the first linespec.
7230
7231 @item list ,@var{last}
7232 Print lines ending with @var{last}.
7233
7234 @item list @var{first},
7235 Print lines starting with @var{first}.
7236
7237 @item list +
7238 Print lines just after the lines last printed.
7239
7240 @item list -
7241 Print lines just before the lines last printed.
7242
7243 @item list
7244 As described in the preceding table.
7245 @end table
7246
7247 @node Specify Location
7248 @section Specifying a Location
7249 @cindex specifying location
7250 @cindex linespec
7251
7252 Several @value{GDBN} commands accept arguments that specify a location
7253 of your program's code. Since @value{GDBN} is a source-level
7254 debugger, a location usually specifies some line in the source code;
7255 for that reason, locations are also known as @dfn{linespecs}.
7256
7257 Here are all the different ways of specifying a code location that
7258 @value{GDBN} understands:
7259
7260 @table @code
7261 @item @var{linenum}
7262 Specifies the line number @var{linenum} of the current source file.
7263
7264 @item -@var{offset}
7265 @itemx +@var{offset}
7266 Specifies the line @var{offset} lines before or after the @dfn{current
7267 line}. For the @code{list} command, the current line is the last one
7268 printed; for the breakpoint commands, this is the line at which
7269 execution stopped in the currently selected @dfn{stack frame}
7270 (@pxref{Frames, ,Frames}, for a description of stack frames.) When
7271 used as the second of the two linespecs in a @code{list} command,
7272 this specifies the line @var{offset} lines up or down from the first
7273 linespec.
7274
7275 @item @var{filename}:@var{linenum}
7276 Specifies the line @var{linenum} in the source file @var{filename}.
7277 If @var{filename} is a relative file name, then it will match any
7278 source file name with the same trailing components. For example, if
7279 @var{filename} is @samp{gcc/expr.c}, then it will match source file
7280 name of @file{/build/trunk/gcc/expr.c}, but not
7281 @file{/build/trunk/libcpp/expr.c} or @file{/build/trunk/gcc/x-expr.c}.
7282
7283 @item @var{function}
7284 Specifies the line that begins the body of the function @var{function}.
7285 For example, in C, this is the line with the open brace.
7286
7287 @item @var{function}:@var{label}
7288 Specifies the line where @var{label} appears in @var{function}.
7289
7290 @item @var{filename}:@var{function}
7291 Specifies the line that begins the body of the function @var{function}
7292 in the file @var{filename}. You only need the file name with a
7293 function name to avoid ambiguity when there are identically named
7294 functions in different source files.
7295
7296 @item @var{label}
7297 Specifies the line at which the label named @var{label} appears.
7298 @value{GDBN} searches for the label in the function corresponding to
7299 the currently selected stack frame. If there is no current selected
7300 stack frame (for instance, if the inferior is not running), then
7301 @value{GDBN} will not search for a label.
7302
7303 @item *@var{address}
7304 Specifies the program address @var{address}. For line-oriented
7305 commands, such as @code{list} and @code{edit}, this specifies a source
7306 line that contains @var{address}. For @code{break} and other
7307 breakpoint oriented commands, this can be used to set breakpoints in
7308 parts of your program which do not have debugging information or
7309 source files.
7310
7311 Here @var{address} may be any expression valid in the current working
7312 language (@pxref{Languages, working language}) that specifies a code
7313 address. In addition, as a convenience, @value{GDBN} extends the
7314 semantics of expressions used in locations to cover the situations
7315 that frequently happen during debugging. Here are the various forms
7316 of @var{address}:
7317
7318 @table @code
7319 @item @var{expression}
7320 Any expression valid in the current working language.
7321
7322 @item @var{funcaddr}
7323 An address of a function or procedure derived from its name. In C,
7324 C@t{++}, Java, Objective-C, Fortran, minimal, and assembly, this is
7325 simply the function's name @var{function} (and actually a special case
7326 of a valid expression). In Pascal and Modula-2, this is
7327 @code{&@var{function}}. In Ada, this is @code{@var{function}'Address}
7328 (although the Pascal form also works).
7329
7330 This form specifies the address of the function's first instruction,
7331 before the stack frame and arguments have been set up.
7332
7333 @item '@var{filename}'::@var{funcaddr}
7334 Like @var{funcaddr} above, but also specifies the name of the source
7335 file explicitly. This is useful if the name of the function does not
7336 specify the function unambiguously, e.g., if there are several
7337 functions with identical names in different source files.
7338 @end table
7339
7340 @cindex breakpoint at static probe point
7341 @item -pstap|-probe-stap @r{[}@var{objfile}:@r{[}@var{provider}:@r{]}@r{]}@var{name}
7342 The @sc{gnu}/Linux tool @code{SystemTap} provides a way for
7343 applications to embed static probes. @xref{Static Probe Points}, for more
7344 information on finding and using static probes. This form of linespec
7345 specifies the location of such a static probe.
7346
7347 If @var{objfile} is given, only probes coming from that shared library
7348 or executable matching @var{objfile} as a regular expression are considered.
7349 If @var{provider} is given, then only probes from that provider are considered.
7350 If several probes match the spec, @value{GDBN} will insert a breakpoint at
7351 each one of those probes.
7352
7353 @end table
7354
7355
7356 @node Edit
7357 @section Editing Source Files
7358 @cindex editing source files
7359
7360 @kindex edit
7361 @kindex e @r{(@code{edit})}
7362 To edit the lines in a source file, use the @code{edit} command.
7363 The editing program of your choice
7364 is invoked with the current line set to
7365 the active line in the program.
7366 Alternatively, there are several ways to specify what part of the file you
7367 want to print if you want to see other parts of the program:
7368
7369 @table @code
7370 @item edit @var{location}
7371 Edit the source file specified by @code{location}. Editing starts at
7372 that @var{location}, e.g., at the specified source line of the
7373 specified file. @xref{Specify Location}, for all the possible forms
7374 of the @var{location} argument; here are the forms of the @code{edit}
7375 command most commonly used:
7376
7377 @table @code
7378 @item edit @var{number}
7379 Edit the current source file with @var{number} as the active line number.
7380
7381 @item edit @var{function}
7382 Edit the file containing @var{function} at the beginning of its definition.
7383 @end table
7384
7385 @end table
7386
7387 @subsection Choosing your Editor
7388 You can customize @value{GDBN} to use any editor you want
7389 @footnote{
7390 The only restriction is that your editor (say @code{ex}), recognizes the
7391 following command-line syntax:
7392 @smallexample
7393 ex +@var{number} file
7394 @end smallexample
7395 The optional numeric value +@var{number} specifies the number of the line in
7396 the file where to start editing.}.
7397 By default, it is @file{@value{EDITOR}}, but you can change this
7398 by setting the environment variable @code{EDITOR} before using
7399 @value{GDBN}. For example, to configure @value{GDBN} to use the
7400 @code{vi} editor, you could use these commands with the @code{sh} shell:
7401 @smallexample
7402 EDITOR=/usr/bin/vi
7403 export EDITOR
7404 gdb @dots{}
7405 @end smallexample
7406 or in the @code{csh} shell,
7407 @smallexample
7408 setenv EDITOR /usr/bin/vi
7409 gdb @dots{}
7410 @end smallexample
7411
7412 @node Search
7413 @section Searching Source Files
7414 @cindex searching source files
7415
7416 There are two commands for searching through the current source file for a
7417 regular expression.
7418
7419 @table @code
7420 @kindex search
7421 @kindex forward-search
7422 @kindex fo @r{(@code{forward-search})}
7423 @item forward-search @var{regexp}
7424 @itemx search @var{regexp}
7425 The command @samp{forward-search @var{regexp}} checks each line,
7426 starting with the one following the last line listed, for a match for
7427 @var{regexp}. It lists the line that is found. You can use the
7428 synonym @samp{search @var{regexp}} or abbreviate the command name as
7429 @code{fo}.
7430
7431 @kindex reverse-search
7432 @item reverse-search @var{regexp}
7433 The command @samp{reverse-search @var{regexp}} checks each line, starting
7434 with the one before the last line listed and going backward, for a match
7435 for @var{regexp}. It lists the line that is found. You can abbreviate
7436 this command as @code{rev}.
7437 @end table
7438
7439 @node Source Path
7440 @section Specifying Source Directories
7441
7442 @cindex source path
7443 @cindex directories for source files
7444 Executable programs sometimes do not record the directories of the source
7445 files from which they were compiled, just the names. Even when they do,
7446 the directories could be moved between the compilation and your debugging
7447 session. @value{GDBN} has a list of directories to search for source files;
7448 this is called the @dfn{source path}. Each time @value{GDBN} wants a source file,
7449 it tries all the directories in the list, in the order they are present
7450 in the list, until it finds a file with the desired name.
7451
7452 For example, suppose an executable references the file
7453 @file{/usr/src/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c}, and our source path is
7454 @file{/mnt/cross}. The file is first looked up literally; if this
7455 fails, @file{/mnt/cross/usr/src/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c} is tried; if this
7456 fails, @file{/mnt/cross/foo.c} is opened; if this fails, an error
7457 message is printed. @value{GDBN} does not look up the parts of the
7458 source file name, such as @file{/mnt/cross/src/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c}.
7459 Likewise, the subdirectories of the source path are not searched: if
7460 the source path is @file{/mnt/cross}, and the binary refers to
7461 @file{foo.c}, @value{GDBN} would not find it under
7462 @file{/mnt/cross/usr/src/foo-1.0/lib}.
7463
7464 Plain file names, relative file names with leading directories, file
7465 names containing dots, etc.@: are all treated as described above; for
7466 instance, if the source path is @file{/mnt/cross}, and the source file
7467 is recorded as @file{../lib/foo.c}, @value{GDBN} would first try
7468 @file{../lib/foo.c}, then @file{/mnt/cross/../lib/foo.c}, and after
7469 that---@file{/mnt/cross/foo.c}.
7470
7471 Note that the executable search path is @emph{not} used to locate the
7472 source files.
7473
7474 Whenever you reset or rearrange the source path, @value{GDBN} clears out
7475 any information it has cached about where source files are found and where
7476 each line is in the file.
7477
7478 @kindex directory
7479 @kindex dir
7480 When you start @value{GDBN}, its source path includes only @samp{cdir}
7481 and @samp{cwd}, in that order.
7482 To add other directories, use the @code{directory} command.
7483
7484 The search path is used to find both program source files and @value{GDBN}
7485 script files (read using the @samp{-command} option and @samp{source} command).
7486
7487 In addition to the source path, @value{GDBN} provides a set of commands
7488 that manage a list of source path substitution rules. A @dfn{substitution
7489 rule} specifies how to rewrite source directories stored in the program's
7490 debug information in case the sources were moved to a different
7491 directory between compilation and debugging. A rule is made of
7492 two strings, the first specifying what needs to be rewritten in
7493 the path, and the second specifying how it should be rewritten.
7494 In @ref{set substitute-path}, we name these two parts @var{from} and
7495 @var{to} respectively. @value{GDBN} does a simple string replacement
7496 of @var{from} with @var{to} at the start of the directory part of the
7497 source file name, and uses that result instead of the original file
7498 name to look up the sources.
7499
7500 Using the previous example, suppose the @file{foo-1.0} tree has been
7501 moved from @file{/usr/src} to @file{/mnt/cross}, then you can tell
7502 @value{GDBN} to replace @file{/usr/src} in all source path names with
7503 @file{/mnt/cross}. The first lookup will then be
7504 @file{/mnt/cross/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c} in place of the original location
7505 of @file{/usr/src/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c}. To define a source path
7506 substitution rule, use the @code{set substitute-path} command
7507 (@pxref{set substitute-path}).
7508
7509 To avoid unexpected substitution results, a rule is applied only if the
7510 @var{from} part of the directory name ends at a directory separator.
7511 For instance, a rule substituting @file{/usr/source} into
7512 @file{/mnt/cross} will be applied to @file{/usr/source/foo-1.0} but
7513 not to @file{/usr/sourceware/foo-2.0}. And because the substitution
7514 is applied only at the beginning of the directory name, this rule will
7515 not be applied to @file{/root/usr/source/baz.c} either.
7516
7517 In many cases, you can achieve the same result using the @code{directory}
7518 command. However, @code{set substitute-path} can be more efficient in
7519 the case where the sources are organized in a complex tree with multiple
7520 subdirectories. With the @code{directory} command, you need to add each
7521 subdirectory of your project. If you moved the entire tree while
7522 preserving its internal organization, then @code{set substitute-path}
7523 allows you to direct the debugger to all the sources with one single
7524 command.
7525
7526 @code{set substitute-path} is also more than just a shortcut command.
7527 The source path is only used if the file at the original location no
7528 longer exists. On the other hand, @code{set substitute-path} modifies
7529 the debugger behavior to look at the rewritten location instead. So, if
7530 for any reason a source file that is not relevant to your executable is
7531 located at the original location, a substitution rule is the only
7532 method available to point @value{GDBN} at the new location.
7533
7534 @cindex @samp{--with-relocated-sources}
7535 @cindex default source path substitution
7536 You can configure a default source path substitution rule by
7537 configuring @value{GDBN} with the
7538 @samp{--with-relocated-sources=@var{dir}} option. The @var{dir}
7539 should be the name of a directory under @value{GDBN}'s configured
7540 prefix (set with @samp{--prefix} or @samp{--exec-prefix}), and
7541 directory names in debug information under @var{dir} will be adjusted
7542 automatically if the installed @value{GDBN} is moved to a new
7543 location. This is useful if @value{GDBN}, libraries or executables
7544 with debug information and corresponding source code are being moved
7545 together.
7546
7547 @table @code
7548 @item directory @var{dirname} @dots{}
7549 @item dir @var{dirname} @dots{}
7550 Add directory @var{dirname} to the front of the source path. Several
7551 directory names may be given to this command, separated by @samp{:}
7552 (@samp{;} on MS-DOS and MS-Windows, where @samp{:} usually appears as
7553 part of absolute file names) or
7554 whitespace. You may specify a directory that is already in the source
7555 path; this moves it forward, so @value{GDBN} searches it sooner.
7556
7557 @kindex cdir
7558 @kindex cwd
7559 @vindex $cdir@r{, convenience variable}
7560 @vindex $cwd@r{, convenience variable}
7561 @cindex compilation directory
7562 @cindex current directory
7563 @cindex working directory
7564 @cindex directory, current
7565 @cindex directory, compilation
7566 You can use the string @samp{$cdir} to refer to the compilation
7567 directory (if one is recorded), and @samp{$cwd} to refer to the current
7568 working directory. @samp{$cwd} is not the same as @samp{.}---the former
7569 tracks the current working directory as it changes during your @value{GDBN}
7570 session, while the latter is immediately expanded to the current
7571 directory at the time you add an entry to the source path.
7572
7573 @item directory
7574 Reset the source path to its default value (@samp{$cdir:$cwd} on Unix systems). This requires confirmation.
7575
7576 @c RET-repeat for @code{directory} is explicitly disabled, but since
7577 @c repeating it would be a no-op we do not say that. (thanks to RMS)
7578
7579 @item set directories @var{path-list}
7580 @kindex set directories
7581 Set the source path to @var{path-list}.
7582 @samp{$cdir:$cwd} are added if missing.
7583
7584 @item show directories
7585 @kindex show directories
7586 Print the source path: show which directories it contains.
7587
7588 @anchor{set substitute-path}
7589 @item set substitute-path @var{from} @var{to}
7590 @kindex set substitute-path
7591 Define a source path substitution rule, and add it at the end of the
7592 current list of existing substitution rules. If a rule with the same
7593 @var{from} was already defined, then the old rule is also deleted.
7594
7595 For example, if the file @file{/foo/bar/baz.c} was moved to
7596 @file{/mnt/cross/baz.c}, then the command
7597
7598 @smallexample
7599 (@value{GDBP}) set substitute-path /usr/src /mnt/cross
7600 @end smallexample
7601
7602 @noindent
7603 will tell @value{GDBN} to replace @samp{/usr/src} with
7604 @samp{/mnt/cross}, which will allow @value{GDBN} to find the file
7605 @file{baz.c} even though it was moved.
7606
7607 In the case when more than one substitution rule have been defined,
7608 the rules are evaluated one by one in the order where they have been
7609 defined. The first one matching, if any, is selected to perform
7610 the substitution.
7611
7612 For instance, if we had entered the following commands:
7613
7614 @smallexample
7615 (@value{GDBP}) set substitute-path /usr/src/include /mnt/include
7616 (@value{GDBP}) set substitute-path /usr/src /mnt/src
7617 @end smallexample
7618
7619 @noindent
7620 @value{GDBN} would then rewrite @file{/usr/src/include/defs.h} into
7621 @file{/mnt/include/defs.h} by using the first rule. However, it would
7622 use the second rule to rewrite @file{/usr/src/lib/foo.c} into
7623 @file{/mnt/src/lib/foo.c}.
7624
7625
7626 @item unset substitute-path [path]
7627 @kindex unset substitute-path
7628 If a path is specified, search the current list of substitution rules
7629 for a rule that would rewrite that path. Delete that rule if found.
7630 A warning is emitted by the debugger if no rule could be found.
7631
7632 If no path is specified, then all substitution rules are deleted.
7633
7634 @item show substitute-path [path]
7635 @kindex show substitute-path
7636 If a path is specified, then print the source path substitution rule
7637 which would rewrite that path, if any.
7638
7639 If no path is specified, then print all existing source path substitution
7640 rules.
7641
7642 @end table
7643
7644 If your source path is cluttered with directories that are no longer of
7645 interest, @value{GDBN} may sometimes cause confusion by finding the wrong
7646 versions of source. You can correct the situation as follows:
7647
7648 @enumerate
7649 @item
7650 Use @code{directory} with no argument to reset the source path to its default value.
7651
7652 @item
7653 Use @code{directory} with suitable arguments to reinstall the
7654 directories you want in the source path. You can add all the
7655 directories in one command.
7656 @end enumerate
7657
7658 @node Machine Code
7659 @section Source and Machine Code
7660 @cindex source line and its code address
7661
7662 You can use the command @code{info line} to map source lines to program
7663 addresses (and vice versa), and the command @code{disassemble} to display
7664 a range of addresses as machine instructions. You can use the command
7665 @code{set disassemble-next-line} to set whether to disassemble next
7666 source line when execution stops. When run under @sc{gnu} Emacs
7667 mode, the @code{info line} command causes the arrow to point to the
7668 line specified. Also, @code{info line} prints addresses in symbolic form as
7669 well as hex.
7670
7671 @table @code
7672 @kindex info line
7673 @item info line @var{linespec}
7674 Print the starting and ending addresses of the compiled code for
7675 source line @var{linespec}. You can specify source lines in any of
7676 the ways documented in @ref{Specify Location}.
7677 @end table
7678
7679 For example, we can use @code{info line} to discover the location of
7680 the object code for the first line of function
7681 @code{m4_changequote}:
7682
7683 @c FIXME: I think this example should also show the addresses in
7684 @c symbolic form, as they usually would be displayed.
7685 @smallexample
7686 (@value{GDBP}) info line m4_changequote
7687 Line 895 of "builtin.c" starts at pc 0x634c and ends at 0x6350.
7688 @end smallexample
7689
7690 @noindent
7691 @cindex code address and its source line
7692 We can also inquire (using @code{*@var{addr}} as the form for
7693 @var{linespec}) what source line covers a particular address:
7694 @smallexample
7695 (@value{GDBP}) info line *0x63ff
7696 Line 926 of "builtin.c" starts at pc 0x63e4 and ends at 0x6404.
7697 @end smallexample
7698
7699 @cindex @code{$_} and @code{info line}
7700 @cindex @code{x} command, default address
7701 @kindex x@r{(examine), and} info line
7702 After @code{info line}, the default address for the @code{x} command
7703 is changed to the starting address of the line, so that @samp{x/i} is
7704 sufficient to begin examining the machine code (@pxref{Memory,
7705 ,Examining Memory}). Also, this address is saved as the value of the
7706 convenience variable @code{$_} (@pxref{Convenience Vars, ,Convenience
7707 Variables}).
7708
7709 @table @code
7710 @kindex disassemble
7711 @cindex assembly instructions
7712 @cindex instructions, assembly
7713 @cindex machine instructions
7714 @cindex listing machine instructions
7715 @item disassemble
7716 @itemx disassemble /m
7717 @itemx disassemble /r
7718 This specialized command dumps a range of memory as machine
7719 instructions. It can also print mixed source+disassembly by specifying
7720 the @code{/m} modifier and print the raw instructions in hex as well as
7721 in symbolic form by specifying the @code{/r}.
7722 The default memory range is the function surrounding the
7723 program counter of the selected frame. A single argument to this
7724 command is a program counter value; @value{GDBN} dumps the function
7725 surrounding this value. When two arguments are given, they should
7726 be separated by a comma, possibly surrounded by whitespace. The
7727 arguments specify a range of addresses to dump, in one of two forms:
7728
7729 @table @code
7730 @item @var{start},@var{end}
7731 the addresses from @var{start} (inclusive) to @var{end} (exclusive)
7732 @item @var{start},+@var{length}
7733 the addresses from @var{start} (inclusive) to
7734 @code{@var{start}+@var{length}} (exclusive).
7735 @end table
7736
7737 @noindent
7738 When 2 arguments are specified, the name of the function is also
7739 printed (since there could be several functions in the given range).
7740
7741 The argument(s) can be any expression yielding a numeric value, such as
7742 @samp{0x32c4}, @samp{&main+10} or @samp{$pc - 8}.
7743
7744 If the range of memory being disassembled contains current program counter,
7745 the instruction at that location is shown with a @code{=>} marker.
7746 @end table
7747
7748 The following example shows the disassembly of a range of addresses of
7749 HP PA-RISC 2.0 code:
7750
7751 @smallexample
7752 (@value{GDBP}) disas 0x32c4, 0x32e4
7753 Dump of assembler code from 0x32c4 to 0x32e4:
7754 0x32c4 <main+204>: addil 0,dp
7755 0x32c8 <main+208>: ldw 0x22c(sr0,r1),r26
7756 0x32cc <main+212>: ldil 0x3000,r31
7757 0x32d0 <main+216>: ble 0x3f8(sr4,r31)
7758 0x32d4 <main+220>: ldo 0(r31),rp
7759 0x32d8 <main+224>: addil -0x800,dp
7760 0x32dc <main+228>: ldo 0x588(r1),r26
7761 0x32e0 <main+232>: ldil 0x3000,r31
7762 End of assembler dump.
7763 @end smallexample
7764
7765 Here is an example showing mixed source+assembly for Intel x86, when the
7766 program is stopped just after function prologue:
7767
7768 @smallexample
7769 (@value{GDBP}) disas /m main
7770 Dump of assembler code for function main:
7771 5 @{
7772 0x08048330 <+0>: push %ebp
7773 0x08048331 <+1>: mov %esp,%ebp
7774 0x08048333 <+3>: sub $0x8,%esp
7775 0x08048336 <+6>: and $0xfffffff0,%esp
7776 0x08048339 <+9>: sub $0x10,%esp
7777
7778 6 printf ("Hello.\n");
7779 => 0x0804833c <+12>: movl $0x8048440,(%esp)
7780 0x08048343 <+19>: call 0x8048284 <puts@@plt>
7781
7782 7 return 0;
7783 8 @}
7784 0x08048348 <+24>: mov $0x0,%eax
7785 0x0804834d <+29>: leave
7786 0x0804834e <+30>: ret
7787
7788 End of assembler dump.
7789 @end smallexample
7790
7791 Here is another example showing raw instructions in hex for AMD x86-64,
7792
7793 @smallexample
7794 (gdb) disas /r 0x400281,+10
7795 Dump of assembler code from 0x400281 to 0x40028b:
7796 0x0000000000400281: 38 36 cmp %dh,(%rsi)
7797 0x0000000000400283: 2d 36 34 2e 73 sub $0x732e3436,%eax
7798 0x0000000000400288: 6f outsl %ds:(%rsi),(%dx)
7799 0x0000000000400289: 2e 32 00 xor %cs:(%rax),%al
7800 End of assembler dump.
7801 @end smallexample
7802
7803 Addresses cannot be specified as a linespec (@pxref{Specify Location}).
7804 So, for example, if you want to disassemble function @code{bar}
7805 in file @file{foo.c}, you must type @samp{disassemble 'foo.c'::bar}
7806 and not @samp{disassemble foo.c:bar}.
7807
7808 Some architectures have more than one commonly-used set of instruction
7809 mnemonics or other syntax.
7810
7811 For programs that were dynamically linked and use shared libraries,
7812 instructions that call functions or branch to locations in the shared
7813 libraries might show a seemingly bogus location---it's actually a
7814 location of the relocation table. On some architectures, @value{GDBN}
7815 might be able to resolve these to actual function names.
7816
7817 @table @code
7818 @kindex set disassembly-flavor
7819 @cindex Intel disassembly flavor
7820 @cindex AT&T disassembly flavor
7821 @item set disassembly-flavor @var{instruction-set}
7822 Select the instruction set to use when disassembling the
7823 program via the @code{disassemble} or @code{x/i} commands.
7824
7825 Currently this command is only defined for the Intel x86 family. You
7826 can set @var{instruction-set} to either @code{intel} or @code{att}.
7827 The default is @code{att}, the AT&T flavor used by default by Unix
7828 assemblers for x86-based targets.
7829
7830 @kindex show disassembly-flavor
7831 @item show disassembly-flavor
7832 Show the current setting of the disassembly flavor.
7833 @end table
7834
7835 @table @code
7836 @kindex set disassemble-next-line
7837 @kindex show disassemble-next-line
7838 @item set disassemble-next-line
7839 @itemx show disassemble-next-line
7840 Control whether or not @value{GDBN} will disassemble the next source
7841 line or instruction when execution stops. If ON, @value{GDBN} will
7842 display disassembly of the next source line when execution of the
7843 program being debugged stops. This is @emph{in addition} to
7844 displaying the source line itself, which @value{GDBN} always does if
7845 possible. If the next source line cannot be displayed for some reason
7846 (e.g., if @value{GDBN} cannot find the source file, or there's no line
7847 info in the debug info), @value{GDBN} will display disassembly of the
7848 next @emph{instruction} instead of showing the next source line. If
7849 AUTO, @value{GDBN} will display disassembly of next instruction only
7850 if the source line cannot be displayed. This setting causes
7851 @value{GDBN} to display some feedback when you step through a function
7852 with no line info or whose source file is unavailable. The default is
7853 OFF, which means never display the disassembly of the next line or
7854 instruction.
7855 @end table
7856
7857
7858 @node Data
7859 @chapter Examining Data
7860
7861 @cindex printing data
7862 @cindex examining data
7863 @kindex print
7864 @kindex inspect
7865 The usual way to examine data in your program is with the @code{print}
7866 command (abbreviated @code{p}), or its synonym @code{inspect}. It
7867 evaluates and prints the value of an expression of the language your
7868 program is written in (@pxref{Languages, ,Using @value{GDBN} with
7869 Different Languages}). It may also print the expression using a
7870 Python-based pretty-printer (@pxref{Pretty Printing}).
7871
7872 @table @code
7873 @item print @var{expr}
7874 @itemx print /@var{f} @var{expr}
7875 @var{expr} is an expression (in the source language). By default the
7876 value of @var{expr} is printed in a format appropriate to its data type;
7877 you can choose a different format by specifying @samp{/@var{f}}, where
7878 @var{f} is a letter specifying the format; see @ref{Output Formats,,Output
7879 Formats}.
7880
7881 @item print
7882 @itemx print /@var{f}
7883 @cindex reprint the last value
7884 If you omit @var{expr}, @value{GDBN} displays the last value again (from the
7885 @dfn{value history}; @pxref{Value History, ,Value History}). This allows you to
7886 conveniently inspect the same value in an alternative format.
7887 @end table
7888
7889 A more low-level way of examining data is with the @code{x} command.
7890 It examines data in memory at a specified address and prints it in a
7891 specified format. @xref{Memory, ,Examining Memory}.
7892
7893 If you are interested in information about types, or about how the
7894 fields of a struct or a class are declared, use the @code{ptype @var{exp}}
7895 command rather than @code{print}. @xref{Symbols, ,Examining the Symbol
7896 Table}.
7897
7898 @cindex exploring hierarchical data structures
7899 @kindex explore
7900 Another way of examining values of expressions and type information is
7901 through the Python extension command @code{explore} (available only if
7902 the @value{GDBN} build is configured with @code{--with-python}). It
7903 offers an interactive way to start at the highest level (or, the most
7904 abstract level) of the data type of an expression (or, the data type
7905 itself) and explore all the way down to leaf scalar values/fields
7906 embedded in the higher level data types.
7907
7908 @table @code
7909 @item explore @var{arg}
7910 @var{arg} is either an expression (in the source language), or a type
7911 visible in the current context of the program being debugged.
7912 @end table
7913
7914 The working of the @code{explore} command can be illustrated with an
7915 example. If a data type @code{struct ComplexStruct} is defined in your
7916 C program as
7917
7918 @smallexample
7919 struct SimpleStruct
7920 @{
7921 int i;
7922 double d;
7923 @};
7924
7925 struct ComplexStruct
7926 @{
7927 struct SimpleStruct *ss_p;
7928 int arr[10];
7929 @};
7930 @end smallexample
7931
7932 @noindent
7933 followed by variable declarations as
7934
7935 @smallexample
7936 struct SimpleStruct ss = @{ 10, 1.11 @};
7937 struct ComplexStruct cs = @{ &ss, @{ 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 @} @};
7938 @end smallexample
7939
7940 @noindent
7941 then, the value of the variable @code{cs} can be explored using the
7942 @code{explore} command as follows.
7943
7944 @smallexample
7945 (gdb) explore cs
7946 The value of `cs' is a struct/class of type `struct ComplexStruct' with
7947 the following fields:
7948
7949 ss_p = <Enter 0 to explore this field of type `struct SimpleStruct *'>
7950 arr = <Enter 1 to explore this field of type `int [10]'>
7951
7952 Enter the field number of choice:
7953 @end smallexample
7954
7955 @noindent
7956 Since the fields of @code{cs} are not scalar values, you are being
7957 prompted to chose the field you want to explore. Let's say you choose
7958 the field @code{ss_p} by entering @code{0}. Then, since this field is a
7959 pointer, you will be asked if it is pointing to a single value. From
7960 the declaration of @code{cs} above, it is indeed pointing to a single
7961 value, hence you enter @code{y}. If you enter @code{n}, then you will
7962 be asked if it were pointing to an array of values, in which case this
7963 field will be explored as if it were an array.
7964
7965 @smallexample
7966 `cs.ss_p' is a pointer to a value of type `struct SimpleStruct'
7967 Continue exploring it as a pointer to a single value [y/n]: y
7968 The value of `*(cs.ss_p)' is a struct/class of type `struct
7969 SimpleStruct' with the following fields:
7970
7971 i = 10 .. (Value of type `int')
7972 d = 1.1100000000000001 .. (Value of type `double')
7973
7974 Press enter to return to parent value:
7975 @end smallexample
7976
7977 @noindent
7978 If the field @code{arr} of @code{cs} was chosen for exploration by
7979 entering @code{1} earlier, then since it is as array, you will be
7980 prompted to enter the index of the element in the array that you want
7981 to explore.
7982
7983 @smallexample
7984 `cs.arr' is an array of `int'.
7985 Enter the index of the element you want to explore in `cs.arr': 5
7986
7987 `(cs.arr)[5]' is a scalar value of type `int'.
7988
7989 (cs.arr)[5] = 4
7990
7991 Press enter to return to parent value:
7992 @end smallexample
7993
7994 In general, at any stage of exploration, you can go deeper towards the
7995 leaf values by responding to the prompts appropriately, or hit the
7996 return key to return to the enclosing data structure (the @i{higher}
7997 level data structure).
7998
7999 Similar to exploring values, you can use the @code{explore} command to
8000 explore types. Instead of specifying a value (which is typically a
8001 variable name or an expression valid in the current context of the
8002 program being debugged), you specify a type name. If you consider the
8003 same example as above, your can explore the type
8004 @code{struct ComplexStruct} by passing the argument
8005 @code{struct ComplexStruct} to the @code{explore} command.
8006
8007 @smallexample
8008 (gdb) explore struct ComplexStruct
8009 @end smallexample
8010
8011 @noindent
8012 By responding to the prompts appropriately in the subsequent interactive
8013 session, you can explore the type @code{struct ComplexStruct} in a
8014 manner similar to how the value @code{cs} was explored in the above
8015 example.
8016
8017 The @code{explore} command also has two sub-commands,
8018 @code{explore value} and @code{explore type}. The former sub-command is
8019 a way to explicitly specify that value exploration of the argument is
8020 being invoked, while the latter is a way to explicitly specify that type
8021 exploration of the argument is being invoked.
8022
8023 @table @code
8024 @item explore value @var{expr}
8025 @cindex explore value
8026 This sub-command of @code{explore} explores the value of the
8027 expression @var{expr} (if @var{expr} is an expression valid in the
8028 current context of the program being debugged). The behavior of this
8029 command is identical to that of the behavior of the @code{explore}
8030 command being passed the argument @var{expr}.
8031
8032 @item explore type @var{arg}
8033 @cindex explore type
8034 This sub-command of @code{explore} explores the type of @var{arg} (if
8035 @var{arg} is a type visible in the current context of program being
8036 debugged), or the type of the value/expression @var{arg} (if @var{arg}
8037 is an expression valid in the current context of the program being
8038 debugged). If @var{arg} is a type, then the behavior of this command is
8039 identical to that of the @code{explore} command being passed the
8040 argument @var{arg}. If @var{arg} is an expression, then the behavior of
8041 this command will be identical to that of the @code{explore} command
8042 being passed the type of @var{arg} as the argument.
8043 @end table
8044
8045 @menu
8046 * Expressions:: Expressions
8047 * Ambiguous Expressions:: Ambiguous Expressions
8048 * Variables:: Program variables
8049 * Arrays:: Artificial arrays
8050 * Output Formats:: Output formats
8051 * Memory:: Examining memory
8052 * Auto Display:: Automatic display
8053 * Print Settings:: Print settings
8054 * Pretty Printing:: Python pretty printing
8055 * Value History:: Value history
8056 * Convenience Vars:: Convenience variables
8057 * Convenience Funs:: Convenience functions
8058 * Registers:: Registers
8059 * Floating Point Hardware:: Floating point hardware
8060 * Vector Unit:: Vector Unit
8061 * OS Information:: Auxiliary data provided by operating system
8062 * Memory Region Attributes:: Memory region attributes
8063 * Dump/Restore Files:: Copy between memory and a file
8064 * Core File Generation:: Cause a program dump its core
8065 * Character Sets:: Debugging programs that use a different
8066 character set than GDB does
8067 * Caching Remote Data:: Data caching for remote targets
8068 * Searching Memory:: Searching memory for a sequence of bytes
8069 @end menu
8070
8071 @node Expressions
8072 @section Expressions
8073
8074 @cindex expressions
8075 @code{print} and many other @value{GDBN} commands accept an expression and
8076 compute its value. Any kind of constant, variable or operator defined
8077 by the programming language you are using is valid in an expression in
8078 @value{GDBN}. This includes conditional expressions, function calls,
8079 casts, and string constants. It also includes preprocessor macros, if
8080 you compiled your program to include this information; see
8081 @ref{Compilation}.
8082
8083 @cindex arrays in expressions
8084 @value{GDBN} supports array constants in expressions input by
8085 the user. The syntax is @{@var{element}, @var{element}@dots{}@}. For example,
8086 you can use the command @code{print @{1, 2, 3@}} to create an array
8087 of three integers. If you pass an array to a function or assign it
8088 to a program variable, @value{GDBN} copies the array to memory that
8089 is @code{malloc}ed in the target program.
8090
8091 Because C is so widespread, most of the expressions shown in examples in
8092 this manual are in C. @xref{Languages, , Using @value{GDBN} with Different
8093 Languages}, for information on how to use expressions in other
8094 languages.
8095
8096 In this section, we discuss operators that you can use in @value{GDBN}
8097 expressions regardless of your programming language.
8098
8099 @cindex casts, in expressions
8100 Casts are supported in all languages, not just in C, because it is so
8101 useful to cast a number into a pointer in order to examine a structure
8102 at that address in memory.
8103 @c FIXME: casts supported---Mod2 true?
8104
8105 @value{GDBN} supports these operators, in addition to those common
8106 to programming languages:
8107
8108 @table @code
8109 @item @@
8110 @samp{@@} is a binary operator for treating parts of memory as arrays.
8111 @xref{Arrays, ,Artificial Arrays}, for more information.
8112
8113 @item ::
8114 @samp{::} allows you to specify a variable in terms of the file or
8115 function where it is defined. @xref{Variables, ,Program Variables}.
8116
8117 @cindex @{@var{type}@}
8118 @cindex type casting memory
8119 @cindex memory, viewing as typed object
8120 @cindex casts, to view memory
8121 @item @{@var{type}@} @var{addr}
8122 Refers to an object of type @var{type} stored at address @var{addr} in
8123 memory. @var{addr} may be any expression whose value is an integer or
8124 pointer (but parentheses are required around binary operators, just as in
8125 a cast). This construct is allowed regardless of what kind of data is
8126 normally supposed to reside at @var{addr}.
8127 @end table
8128
8129 @node Ambiguous Expressions
8130 @section Ambiguous Expressions
8131 @cindex ambiguous expressions
8132
8133 Expressions can sometimes contain some ambiguous elements. For instance,
8134 some programming languages (notably Ada, C@t{++} and Objective-C) permit
8135 a single function name to be defined several times, for application in
8136 different contexts. This is called @dfn{overloading}. Another example
8137 involving Ada is generics. A @dfn{generic package} is similar to C@t{++}
8138 templates and is typically instantiated several times, resulting in
8139 the same function name being defined in different contexts.
8140
8141 In some cases and depending on the language, it is possible to adjust
8142 the expression to remove the ambiguity. For instance in C@t{++}, you
8143 can specify the signature of the function you want to break on, as in
8144 @kbd{break @var{function}(@var{types})}. In Ada, using the fully
8145 qualified name of your function often makes the expression unambiguous
8146 as well.
8147
8148 When an ambiguity that needs to be resolved is detected, the debugger
8149 has the capability to display a menu of numbered choices for each
8150 possibility, and then waits for the selection with the prompt @samp{>}.
8151 The first option is always @samp{[0] cancel}, and typing @kbd{0 @key{RET}}
8152 aborts the current command. If the command in which the expression was
8153 used allows more than one choice to be selected, the next option in the
8154 menu is @samp{[1] all}, and typing @kbd{1 @key{RET}} selects all possible
8155 choices.
8156
8157 For example, the following session excerpt shows an attempt to set a
8158 breakpoint at the overloaded symbol @code{String::after}.
8159 We choose three particular definitions of that function name:
8160
8161 @c FIXME! This is likely to change to show arg type lists, at least
8162 @smallexample
8163 @group
8164 (@value{GDBP}) b String::after
8165 [0] cancel
8166 [1] all
8167 [2] file:String.cc; line number:867
8168 [3] file:String.cc; line number:860
8169 [4] file:String.cc; line number:875
8170 [5] file:String.cc; line number:853
8171 [6] file:String.cc; line number:846
8172 [7] file:String.cc; line number:735
8173 > 2 4 6
8174 Breakpoint 1 at 0xb26c: file String.cc, line 867.
8175 Breakpoint 2 at 0xb344: file String.cc, line 875.
8176 Breakpoint 3 at 0xafcc: file String.cc, line 846.
8177 Multiple breakpoints were set.
8178 Use the "delete" command to delete unwanted
8179 breakpoints.
8180 (@value{GDBP})
8181 @end group
8182 @end smallexample
8183
8184 @table @code
8185 @kindex set multiple-symbols
8186 @item set multiple-symbols @var{mode}
8187 @cindex multiple-symbols menu
8188
8189 This option allows you to adjust the debugger behavior when an expression
8190 is ambiguous.
8191
8192 By default, @var{mode} is set to @code{all}. If the command with which
8193 the expression is used allows more than one choice, then @value{GDBN}
8194 automatically selects all possible choices. For instance, inserting
8195 a breakpoint on a function using an ambiguous name results in a breakpoint
8196 inserted on each possible match. However, if a unique choice must be made,
8197 then @value{GDBN} uses the menu to help you disambiguate the expression.
8198 For instance, printing the address of an overloaded function will result
8199 in the use of the menu.
8200
8201 When @var{mode} is set to @code{ask}, the debugger always uses the menu
8202 when an ambiguity is detected.
8203
8204 Finally, when @var{mode} is set to @code{cancel}, the debugger reports
8205 an error due to the ambiguity and the command is aborted.
8206
8207 @kindex show multiple-symbols
8208 @item show multiple-symbols
8209 Show the current value of the @code{multiple-symbols} setting.
8210 @end table
8211
8212 @node Variables
8213 @section Program Variables
8214
8215 The most common kind of expression to use is the name of a variable
8216 in your program.
8217
8218 Variables in expressions are understood in the selected stack frame
8219 (@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}); they must be either:
8220
8221 @itemize @bullet
8222 @item
8223 global (or file-static)
8224 @end itemize
8225
8226 @noindent or
8227
8228 @itemize @bullet
8229 @item
8230 visible according to the scope rules of the
8231 programming language from the point of execution in that frame
8232 @end itemize
8233
8234 @noindent This means that in the function
8235
8236 @smallexample
8237 foo (a)
8238 int a;
8239 @{
8240 bar (a);
8241 @{
8242 int b = test ();
8243 bar (b);
8244 @}
8245 @}
8246 @end smallexample
8247
8248 @noindent
8249 you can examine and use the variable @code{a} whenever your program is
8250 executing within the function @code{foo}, but you can only use or
8251 examine the variable @code{b} while your program is executing inside
8252 the block where @code{b} is declared.
8253
8254 @cindex variable name conflict
8255 There is an exception: you can refer to a variable or function whose
8256 scope is a single source file even if the current execution point is not
8257 in this file. But it is possible to have more than one such variable or
8258 function with the same name (in different source files). If that
8259 happens, referring to that name has unpredictable effects. If you wish,
8260 you can specify a static variable in a particular function or file by
8261 using the colon-colon (@code{::}) notation:
8262
8263 @cindex colon-colon, context for variables/functions
8264 @ifnotinfo
8265 @c info cannot cope with a :: index entry, but why deprive hard copy readers?
8266 @cindex @code{::}, context for variables/functions
8267 @end ifnotinfo
8268 @smallexample
8269 @var{file}::@var{variable}
8270 @var{function}::@var{variable}
8271 @end smallexample
8272
8273 @noindent
8274 Here @var{file} or @var{function} is the name of the context for the
8275 static @var{variable}. In the case of file names, you can use quotes to
8276 make sure @value{GDBN} parses the file name as a single word---for example,
8277 to print a global value of @code{x} defined in @file{f2.c}:
8278
8279 @smallexample
8280 (@value{GDBP}) p 'f2.c'::x
8281 @end smallexample
8282
8283 The @code{::} notation is normally used for referring to
8284 static variables, since you typically disambiguate uses of local variables
8285 in functions by selecting the appropriate frame and using the
8286 simple name of the variable. However, you may also use this notation
8287 to refer to local variables in frames enclosing the selected frame:
8288
8289 @smallexample
8290 void
8291 foo (int a)
8292 @{
8293 if (a < 10)
8294 bar (a);
8295 else
8296 process (a); /* Stop here */
8297 @}
8298
8299 int
8300 bar (int a)
8301 @{
8302 foo (a + 5);
8303 @}
8304 @end smallexample
8305
8306 @noindent
8307 For example, if there is a breakpoint at the commented line,
8308 here is what you might see
8309 when the program stops after executing the call @code{bar(0)}:
8310
8311 @smallexample
8312 (@value{GDBP}) p a
8313 $1 = 10
8314 (@value{GDBP}) p bar::a
8315 $2 = 5
8316 (@value{GDBP}) up 2
8317 #2 0x080483d0 in foo (a=5) at foobar.c:12
8318 (@value{GDBP}) p a
8319 $3 = 5
8320 (@value{GDBP}) p bar::a
8321 $4 = 0
8322 @end smallexample
8323
8324 @cindex C@t{++} scope resolution
8325 These uses of @samp{::} are very rarely in conflict with the very similar
8326 use of the same notation in C@t{++}. @value{GDBN} also supports use of the C@t{++}
8327 scope resolution operator in @value{GDBN} expressions.
8328 @c FIXME: Um, so what happens in one of those rare cases where it's in
8329 @c conflict?? --mew
8330
8331 @cindex wrong values
8332 @cindex variable values, wrong
8333 @cindex function entry/exit, wrong values of variables
8334 @cindex optimized code, wrong values of variables
8335 @quotation
8336 @emph{Warning:} Occasionally, a local variable may appear to have the
8337 wrong value at certain points in a function---just after entry to a new
8338 scope, and just before exit.
8339 @end quotation
8340 You may see this problem when you are stepping by machine instructions.
8341 This is because, on most machines, it takes more than one instruction to
8342 set up a stack frame (including local variable definitions); if you are
8343 stepping by machine instructions, variables may appear to have the wrong
8344 values until the stack frame is completely built. On exit, it usually
8345 also takes more than one machine instruction to destroy a stack frame;
8346 after you begin stepping through that group of instructions, local
8347 variable definitions may be gone.
8348
8349 This may also happen when the compiler does significant optimizations.
8350 To be sure of always seeing accurate values, turn off all optimization
8351 when compiling.
8352
8353 @cindex ``No symbol "foo" in current context''
8354 Another possible effect of compiler optimizations is to optimize
8355 unused variables out of existence, or assign variables to registers (as
8356 opposed to memory addresses). Depending on the support for such cases
8357 offered by the debug info format used by the compiler, @value{GDBN}
8358 might not be able to display values for such local variables. If that
8359 happens, @value{GDBN} will print a message like this:
8360
8361 @smallexample
8362 No symbol "foo" in current context.
8363 @end smallexample
8364
8365 To solve such problems, either recompile without optimizations, or use a
8366 different debug info format, if the compiler supports several such
8367 formats. @xref{Compilation}, for more information on choosing compiler
8368 options. @xref{C, ,C and C@t{++}}, for more information about debug
8369 info formats that are best suited to C@t{++} programs.
8370
8371 If you ask to print an object whose contents are unknown to
8372 @value{GDBN}, e.g., because its data type is not completely specified
8373 by the debug information, @value{GDBN} will say @samp{<incomplete
8374 type>}. @xref{Symbols, incomplete type}, for more about this.
8375
8376 If you append @kbd{@@entry} string to a function parameter name you get its
8377 value at the time the function got called. If the value is not available an
8378 error message is printed. Entry values are available only with some compilers.
8379 Entry values are normally also printed at the function parameter list according
8380 to @ref{set print entry-values}.
8381
8382 @smallexample
8383 Breakpoint 1, d (i=30) at gdb.base/entry-value.c:29
8384 29 i++;
8385 (gdb) next
8386 30 e (i);
8387 (gdb) print i
8388 $1 = 31
8389 (gdb) print i@@entry
8390 $2 = 30
8391 @end smallexample
8392
8393 Strings are identified as arrays of @code{char} values without specified
8394 signedness. Arrays of either @code{signed char} or @code{unsigned char} get
8395 printed as arrays of 1 byte sized integers. @code{-fsigned-char} or
8396 @code{-funsigned-char} @value{NGCC} options have no effect as @value{GDBN}
8397 defines literal string type @code{"char"} as @code{char} without a sign.
8398 For program code
8399
8400 @smallexample
8401 char var0[] = "A";
8402 signed char var1[] = "A";
8403 @end smallexample
8404
8405 You get during debugging
8406 @smallexample
8407 (gdb) print var0
8408 $1 = "A"
8409 (gdb) print var1
8410 $2 = @{65 'A', 0 '\0'@}
8411 @end smallexample
8412
8413 @node Arrays
8414 @section Artificial Arrays
8415
8416 @cindex artificial array
8417 @cindex arrays
8418 @kindex @@@r{, referencing memory as an array}
8419 It is often useful to print out several successive objects of the
8420 same type in memory; a section of an array, or an array of
8421 dynamically determined size for which only a pointer exists in the
8422 program.
8423
8424 You can do this by referring to a contiguous span of memory as an
8425 @dfn{artificial array}, using the binary operator @samp{@@}. The left
8426 operand of @samp{@@} should be the first element of the desired array
8427 and be an individual object. The right operand should be the desired length
8428 of the array. The result is an array value whose elements are all of
8429 the type of the left argument. The first element is actually the left
8430 argument; the second element comes from bytes of memory immediately
8431 following those that hold the first element, and so on. Here is an
8432 example. If a program says
8433
8434 @smallexample
8435 int *array = (int *) malloc (len * sizeof (int));
8436 @end smallexample
8437
8438 @noindent
8439 you can print the contents of @code{array} with
8440
8441 @smallexample
8442 p *array@@len
8443 @end smallexample
8444
8445 The left operand of @samp{@@} must reside in memory. Array values made
8446 with @samp{@@} in this way behave just like other arrays in terms of
8447 subscripting, and are coerced to pointers when used in expressions.
8448 Artificial arrays most often appear in expressions via the value history
8449 (@pxref{Value History, ,Value History}), after printing one out.
8450
8451 Another way to create an artificial array is to use a cast.
8452 This re-interprets a value as if it were an array.
8453 The value need not be in memory:
8454 @smallexample
8455 (@value{GDBP}) p/x (short[2])0x12345678
8456 $1 = @{0x1234, 0x5678@}
8457 @end smallexample
8458
8459 As a convenience, if you leave the array length out (as in
8460 @samp{(@var{type}[])@var{value}}) @value{GDBN} calculates the size to fill
8461 the value (as @samp{sizeof(@var{value})/sizeof(@var{type})}:
8462 @smallexample
8463 (@value{GDBP}) p/x (short[])0x12345678
8464 $2 = @{0x1234, 0x5678@}
8465 @end smallexample
8466
8467 Sometimes the artificial array mechanism is not quite enough; in
8468 moderately complex data structures, the elements of interest may not
8469 actually be adjacent---for example, if you are interested in the values
8470 of pointers in an array. One useful work-around in this situation is
8471 to use a convenience variable (@pxref{Convenience Vars, ,Convenience
8472 Variables}) as a counter in an expression that prints the first
8473 interesting value, and then repeat that expression via @key{RET}. For
8474 instance, suppose you have an array @code{dtab} of pointers to
8475 structures, and you are interested in the values of a field @code{fv}
8476 in each structure. Here is an example of what you might type:
8477
8478 @smallexample
8479 set $i = 0
8480 p dtab[$i++]->fv
8481 @key{RET}
8482 @key{RET}
8483 @dots{}
8484 @end smallexample
8485
8486 @node Output Formats
8487 @section Output Formats
8488
8489 @cindex formatted output
8490 @cindex output formats
8491 By default, @value{GDBN} prints a value according to its data type. Sometimes
8492 this is not what you want. For example, you might want to print a number
8493 in hex, or a pointer in decimal. Or you might want to view data in memory
8494 at a certain address as a character string or as an instruction. To do
8495 these things, specify an @dfn{output format} when you print a value.
8496
8497 The simplest use of output formats is to say how to print a value
8498 already computed. This is done by starting the arguments of the
8499 @code{print} command with a slash and a format letter. The format
8500 letters supported are:
8501
8502 @table @code
8503 @item x
8504 Regard the bits of the value as an integer, and print the integer in
8505 hexadecimal.
8506
8507 @item d
8508 Print as integer in signed decimal.
8509
8510 @item u
8511 Print as integer in unsigned decimal.
8512
8513 @item o
8514 Print as integer in octal.
8515
8516 @item t
8517 Print as integer in binary. The letter @samp{t} stands for ``two''.
8518 @footnote{@samp{b} cannot be used because these format letters are also
8519 used with the @code{x} command, where @samp{b} stands for ``byte'';
8520 see @ref{Memory,,Examining Memory}.}
8521
8522 @item a
8523 @cindex unknown address, locating
8524 @cindex locate address
8525 Print as an address, both absolute in hexadecimal and as an offset from
8526 the nearest preceding symbol. You can use this format used to discover
8527 where (in what function) an unknown address is located:
8528
8529 @smallexample
8530 (@value{GDBP}) p/a 0x54320
8531 $3 = 0x54320 <_initialize_vx+396>
8532 @end smallexample
8533
8534 @noindent
8535 The command @code{info symbol 0x54320} yields similar results.
8536 @xref{Symbols, info symbol}.
8537
8538 @item c
8539 Regard as an integer and print it as a character constant. This
8540 prints both the numerical value and its character representation. The
8541 character representation is replaced with the octal escape @samp{\nnn}
8542 for characters outside the 7-bit @sc{ascii} range.
8543
8544 Without this format, @value{GDBN} displays @code{char},
8545 @w{@code{unsigned char}}, and @w{@code{signed char}} data as character
8546 constants. Single-byte members of vectors are displayed as integer
8547 data.
8548
8549 @item f
8550 Regard the bits of the value as a floating point number and print
8551 using typical floating point syntax.
8552
8553 @item s
8554 @cindex printing strings
8555 @cindex printing byte arrays
8556 Regard as a string, if possible. With this format, pointers to single-byte
8557 data are displayed as null-terminated strings and arrays of single-byte data
8558 are displayed as fixed-length strings. Other values are displayed in their
8559 natural types.
8560
8561 Without this format, @value{GDBN} displays pointers to and arrays of
8562 @code{char}, @w{@code{unsigned char}}, and @w{@code{signed char}} as
8563 strings. Single-byte members of a vector are displayed as an integer
8564 array.
8565
8566 @item z
8567 Like @samp{x} formatting, the value is treated as an integer and
8568 printed as hexadecimal, but leading zeros are printed to pad the value
8569 to the size of the integer type.
8570
8571 @item r
8572 @cindex raw printing
8573 Print using the @samp{raw} formatting. By default, @value{GDBN} will
8574 use a Python-based pretty-printer, if one is available (@pxref{Pretty
8575 Printing}). This typically results in a higher-level display of the
8576 value's contents. The @samp{r} format bypasses any Python
8577 pretty-printer which might exist.
8578 @end table
8579
8580 For example, to print the program counter in hex (@pxref{Registers}), type
8581
8582 @smallexample
8583 p/x $pc
8584 @end smallexample
8585
8586 @noindent
8587 Note that no space is required before the slash; this is because command
8588 names in @value{GDBN} cannot contain a slash.
8589
8590 To reprint the last value in the value history with a different format,
8591 you can use the @code{print} command with just a format and no
8592 expression. For example, @samp{p/x} reprints the last value in hex.
8593
8594 @node Memory
8595 @section Examining Memory
8596
8597 You can use the command @code{x} (for ``examine'') to examine memory in
8598 any of several formats, independently of your program's data types.
8599
8600 @cindex examining memory
8601 @table @code
8602 @kindex x @r{(examine memory)}
8603 @item x/@var{nfu} @var{addr}
8604 @itemx x @var{addr}
8605 @itemx x
8606 Use the @code{x} command to examine memory.
8607 @end table
8608
8609 @var{n}, @var{f}, and @var{u} are all optional parameters that specify how
8610 much memory to display and how to format it; @var{addr} is an
8611 expression giving the address where you want to start displaying memory.
8612 If you use defaults for @var{nfu}, you need not type the slash @samp{/}.
8613 Several commands set convenient defaults for @var{addr}.
8614
8615 @table @r
8616 @item @var{n}, the repeat count
8617 The repeat count is a decimal integer; the default is 1. It specifies
8618 how much memory (counting by units @var{u}) to display.
8619 @c This really is **decimal**; unaffected by 'set radix' as of GDB
8620 @c 4.1.2.
8621
8622 @item @var{f}, the display format
8623 The display format is one of the formats used by @code{print}
8624 (@samp{x}, @samp{d}, @samp{u}, @samp{o}, @samp{t}, @samp{a}, @samp{c},
8625 @samp{f}, @samp{s}), and in addition @samp{i} (for machine instructions).
8626 The default is @samp{x} (hexadecimal) initially. The default changes
8627 each time you use either @code{x} or @code{print}.
8628
8629 @item @var{u}, the unit size
8630 The unit size is any of
8631
8632 @table @code
8633 @item b
8634 Bytes.
8635 @item h
8636 Halfwords (two bytes).
8637 @item w
8638 Words (four bytes). This is the initial default.
8639 @item g
8640 Giant words (eight bytes).
8641 @end table
8642
8643 Each time you specify a unit size with @code{x}, that size becomes the
8644 default unit the next time you use @code{x}. For the @samp{i} format,
8645 the unit size is ignored and is normally not written. For the @samp{s} format,
8646 the unit size defaults to @samp{b}, unless it is explicitly given.
8647 Use @kbd{x /hs} to display 16-bit char strings and @kbd{x /ws} to display
8648 32-bit strings. The next use of @kbd{x /s} will again display 8-bit strings.
8649 Note that the results depend on the programming language of the
8650 current compilation unit. If the language is C, the @samp{s}
8651 modifier will use the UTF-16 encoding while @samp{w} will use
8652 UTF-32. The encoding is set by the programming language and cannot
8653 be altered.
8654
8655 @item @var{addr}, starting display address
8656 @var{addr} is the address where you want @value{GDBN} to begin displaying
8657 memory. The expression need not have a pointer value (though it may);
8658 it is always interpreted as an integer address of a byte of memory.
8659 @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}, for more information on expressions. The default for
8660 @var{addr} is usually just after the last address examined---but several
8661 other commands also set the default address: @code{info breakpoints} (to
8662 the address of the last breakpoint listed), @code{info line} (to the
8663 starting address of a line), and @code{print} (if you use it to display
8664 a value from memory).
8665 @end table
8666
8667 For example, @samp{x/3uh 0x54320} is a request to display three halfwords
8668 (@code{h}) of memory, formatted as unsigned decimal integers (@samp{u}),
8669 starting at address @code{0x54320}. @samp{x/4xw $sp} prints the four
8670 words (@samp{w}) of memory above the stack pointer (here, @samp{$sp};
8671 @pxref{Registers, ,Registers}) in hexadecimal (@samp{x}).
8672
8673 Since the letters indicating unit sizes are all distinct from the
8674 letters specifying output formats, you do not have to remember whether
8675 unit size or format comes first; either order works. The output
8676 specifications @samp{4xw} and @samp{4wx} mean exactly the same thing.
8677 (However, the count @var{n} must come first; @samp{wx4} does not work.)
8678
8679 Even though the unit size @var{u} is ignored for the formats @samp{s}
8680 and @samp{i}, you might still want to use a count @var{n}; for example,
8681 @samp{3i} specifies that you want to see three machine instructions,
8682 including any operands. For convenience, especially when used with
8683 the @code{display} command, the @samp{i} format also prints branch delay
8684 slot instructions, if any, beyond the count specified, which immediately
8685 follow the last instruction that is within the count. The command
8686 @code{disassemble} gives an alternative way of inspecting machine
8687 instructions; see @ref{Machine Code,,Source and Machine Code}.
8688
8689 All the defaults for the arguments to @code{x} are designed to make it
8690 easy to continue scanning memory with minimal specifications each time
8691 you use @code{x}. For example, after you have inspected three machine
8692 instructions with @samp{x/3i @var{addr}}, you can inspect the next seven
8693 with just @samp{x/7}. If you use @key{RET} to repeat the @code{x} command,
8694 the repeat count @var{n} is used again; the other arguments default as
8695 for successive uses of @code{x}.
8696
8697 When examining machine instructions, the instruction at current program
8698 counter is shown with a @code{=>} marker. For example:
8699
8700 @smallexample
8701 (@value{GDBP}) x/5i $pc-6
8702 0x804837f <main+11>: mov %esp,%ebp
8703 0x8048381 <main+13>: push %ecx
8704 0x8048382 <main+14>: sub $0x4,%esp
8705 => 0x8048385 <main+17>: movl $0x8048460,(%esp)
8706 0x804838c <main+24>: call 0x80482d4 <puts@@plt>
8707 @end smallexample
8708
8709 @cindex @code{$_}, @code{$__}, and value history
8710 The addresses and contents printed by the @code{x} command are not saved
8711 in the value history because there is often too much of them and they
8712 would get in the way. Instead, @value{GDBN} makes these values available for
8713 subsequent use in expressions as values of the convenience variables
8714 @code{$_} and @code{$__}. After an @code{x} command, the last address
8715 examined is available for use in expressions in the convenience variable
8716 @code{$_}. The contents of that address, as examined, are available in
8717 the convenience variable @code{$__}.
8718
8719 If the @code{x} command has a repeat count, the address and contents saved
8720 are from the last memory unit printed; this is not the same as the last
8721 address printed if several units were printed on the last line of output.
8722
8723 @cindex remote memory comparison
8724 @cindex verify remote memory image
8725 When you are debugging a program running on a remote target machine
8726 (@pxref{Remote Debugging}), you may wish to verify the program's image in the
8727 remote machine's memory against the executable file you downloaded to
8728 the target. The @code{compare-sections} command is provided for such
8729 situations.
8730
8731 @table @code
8732 @kindex compare-sections
8733 @item compare-sections @r{[}@var{section-name}@r{]}
8734 Compare the data of a loadable section @var{section-name} in the
8735 executable file of the program being debugged with the same section in
8736 the remote machine's memory, and report any mismatches. With no
8737 arguments, compares all loadable sections. This command's
8738 availability depends on the target's support for the @code{"qCRC"}
8739 remote request.
8740 @end table
8741
8742 @node Auto Display
8743 @section Automatic Display
8744 @cindex automatic display
8745 @cindex display of expressions
8746
8747 If you find that you want to print the value of an expression frequently
8748 (to see how it changes), you might want to add it to the @dfn{automatic
8749 display list} so that @value{GDBN} prints its value each time your program stops.
8750 Each expression added to the list is given a number to identify it;
8751 to remove an expression from the list, you specify that number.
8752 The automatic display looks like this:
8753
8754 @smallexample
8755 2: foo = 38
8756 3: bar[5] = (struct hack *) 0x3804
8757 @end smallexample
8758
8759 @noindent
8760 This display shows item numbers, expressions and their current values. As with
8761 displays you request manually using @code{x} or @code{print}, you can
8762 specify the output format you prefer; in fact, @code{display} decides
8763 whether to use @code{print} or @code{x} depending your format
8764 specification---it uses @code{x} if you specify either the @samp{i}
8765 or @samp{s} format, or a unit size; otherwise it uses @code{print}.
8766
8767 @table @code
8768 @kindex display
8769 @item display @var{expr}
8770 Add the expression @var{expr} to the list of expressions to display
8771 each time your program stops. @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}.
8772
8773 @code{display} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} again after using it.
8774
8775 @item display/@var{fmt} @var{expr}
8776 For @var{fmt} specifying only a display format and not a size or
8777 count, add the expression @var{expr} to the auto-display list but
8778 arrange to display it each time in the specified format @var{fmt}.
8779 @xref{Output Formats,,Output Formats}.
8780
8781 @item display/@var{fmt} @var{addr}
8782 For @var{fmt} @samp{i} or @samp{s}, or including a unit-size or a
8783 number of units, add the expression @var{addr} as a memory address to
8784 be examined each time your program stops. Examining means in effect
8785 doing @samp{x/@var{fmt} @var{addr}}. @xref{Memory, ,Examining Memory}.
8786 @end table
8787
8788 For example, @samp{display/i $pc} can be helpful, to see the machine
8789 instruction about to be executed each time execution stops (@samp{$pc}
8790 is a common name for the program counter; @pxref{Registers, ,Registers}).
8791
8792 @table @code
8793 @kindex delete display
8794 @kindex undisplay
8795 @item undisplay @var{dnums}@dots{}
8796 @itemx delete display @var{dnums}@dots{}
8797 Remove items from the list of expressions to display. Specify the
8798 numbers of the displays that you want affected with the command
8799 argument @var{dnums}. It can be a single display number, one of the
8800 numbers shown in the first field of the @samp{info display} display;
8801 or it could be a range of display numbers, as in @code{2-4}.
8802
8803 @code{undisplay} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} after using it.
8804 (Otherwise you would just get the error @samp{No display number @dots{}}.)
8805
8806 @kindex disable display
8807 @item disable display @var{dnums}@dots{}
8808 Disable the display of item numbers @var{dnums}. A disabled display
8809 item is not printed automatically, but is not forgotten. It may be
8810 enabled again later. Specify the numbers of the displays that you
8811 want affected with the command argument @var{dnums}. It can be a
8812 single display number, one of the numbers shown in the first field of
8813 the @samp{info display} display; or it could be a range of display
8814 numbers, as in @code{2-4}.
8815
8816 @kindex enable display
8817 @item enable display @var{dnums}@dots{}
8818 Enable display of item numbers @var{dnums}. It becomes effective once
8819 again in auto display of its expression, until you specify otherwise.
8820 Specify the numbers of the displays that you want affected with the
8821 command argument @var{dnums}. It can be a single display number, one
8822 of the numbers shown in the first field of the @samp{info display}
8823 display; or it could be a range of display numbers, as in @code{2-4}.
8824
8825 @item display
8826 Display the current values of the expressions on the list, just as is
8827 done when your program stops.
8828
8829 @kindex info display
8830 @item info display
8831 Print the list of expressions previously set up to display
8832 automatically, each one with its item number, but without showing the
8833 values. This includes disabled expressions, which are marked as such.
8834 It also includes expressions which would not be displayed right now
8835 because they refer to automatic variables not currently available.
8836 @end table
8837
8838 @cindex display disabled out of scope
8839 If a display expression refers to local variables, then it does not make
8840 sense outside the lexical context for which it was set up. Such an
8841 expression is disabled when execution enters a context where one of its
8842 variables is not defined. For example, if you give the command
8843 @code{display last_char} while inside a function with an argument
8844 @code{last_char}, @value{GDBN} displays this argument while your program
8845 continues to stop inside that function. When it stops elsewhere---where
8846 there is no variable @code{last_char}---the display is disabled
8847 automatically. The next time your program stops where @code{last_char}
8848 is meaningful, you can enable the display expression once again.
8849
8850 @node Print Settings
8851 @section Print Settings
8852
8853 @cindex format options
8854 @cindex print settings
8855 @value{GDBN} provides the following ways to control how arrays, structures,
8856 and symbols are printed.
8857
8858 @noindent
8859 These settings are useful for debugging programs in any language:
8860
8861 @table @code
8862 @kindex set print
8863 @item set print address
8864 @itemx set print address on
8865 @cindex print/don't print memory addresses
8866 @value{GDBN} prints memory addresses showing the location of stack
8867 traces, structure values, pointer values, breakpoints, and so forth,
8868 even when it also displays the contents of those addresses. The default
8869 is @code{on}. For example, this is what a stack frame display looks like with
8870 @code{set print address on}:
8871
8872 @smallexample
8873 @group
8874 (@value{GDBP}) f
8875 #0 set_quotes (lq=0x34c78 "<<", rq=0x34c88 ">>")
8876 at input.c:530
8877 530 if (lquote != def_lquote)
8878 @end group
8879 @end smallexample
8880
8881 @item set print address off
8882 Do not print addresses when displaying their contents. For example,
8883 this is the same stack frame displayed with @code{set print address off}:
8884
8885 @smallexample
8886 @group
8887 (@value{GDBP}) set print addr off
8888 (@value{GDBP}) f
8889 #0 set_quotes (lq="<<", rq=">>") at input.c:530
8890 530 if (lquote != def_lquote)
8891 @end group
8892 @end smallexample
8893
8894 You can use @samp{set print address off} to eliminate all machine
8895 dependent displays from the @value{GDBN} interface. For example, with
8896 @code{print address off}, you should get the same text for backtraces on
8897 all machines---whether or not they involve pointer arguments.
8898
8899 @kindex show print
8900 @item show print address
8901 Show whether or not addresses are to be printed.
8902 @end table
8903
8904 When @value{GDBN} prints a symbolic address, it normally prints the
8905 closest earlier symbol plus an offset. If that symbol does not uniquely
8906 identify the address (for example, it is a name whose scope is a single
8907 source file), you may need to clarify. One way to do this is with
8908 @code{info line}, for example @samp{info line *0x4537}. Alternately,
8909 you can set @value{GDBN} to print the source file and line number when
8910 it prints a symbolic address:
8911
8912 @table @code
8913 @item set print symbol-filename on
8914 @cindex source file and line of a symbol
8915 @cindex symbol, source file and line
8916 Tell @value{GDBN} to print the source file name and line number of a
8917 symbol in the symbolic form of an address.
8918
8919 @item set print symbol-filename off
8920 Do not print source file name and line number of a symbol. This is the
8921 default.
8922
8923 @item show print symbol-filename
8924 Show whether or not @value{GDBN} will print the source file name and
8925 line number of a symbol in the symbolic form of an address.
8926 @end table
8927
8928 Another situation where it is helpful to show symbol filenames and line
8929 numbers is when disassembling code; @value{GDBN} shows you the line
8930 number and source file that corresponds to each instruction.
8931
8932 Also, you may wish to see the symbolic form only if the address being
8933 printed is reasonably close to the closest earlier symbol:
8934
8935 @table @code
8936 @item set print max-symbolic-offset @var{max-offset}
8937 @itemx set print max-symbolic-offset unlimited
8938 @cindex maximum value for offset of closest symbol
8939 Tell @value{GDBN} to only display the symbolic form of an address if the
8940 offset between the closest earlier symbol and the address is less than
8941 @var{max-offset}. The default is @code{unlimited}, which tells @value{GDBN}
8942 to always print the symbolic form of an address if any symbol precedes
8943 it. Zero is equivalent to @code{unlimited}.
8944
8945 @item show print max-symbolic-offset
8946 Ask how large the maximum offset is that @value{GDBN} prints in a
8947 symbolic address.
8948 @end table
8949
8950 @cindex wild pointer, interpreting
8951 @cindex pointer, finding referent
8952 If you have a pointer and you are not sure where it points, try
8953 @samp{set print symbol-filename on}. Then you can determine the name
8954 and source file location of the variable where it points, using
8955 @samp{p/a @var{pointer}}. This interprets the address in symbolic form.
8956 For example, here @value{GDBN} shows that a variable @code{ptt} points
8957 at another variable @code{t}, defined in @file{hi2.c}:
8958
8959 @smallexample
8960 (@value{GDBP}) set print symbol-filename on
8961 (@value{GDBP}) p/a ptt
8962 $4 = 0xe008 <t in hi2.c>
8963 @end smallexample
8964
8965 @quotation
8966 @emph{Warning:} For pointers that point to a local variable, @samp{p/a}
8967 does not show the symbol name and filename of the referent, even with
8968 the appropriate @code{set print} options turned on.
8969 @end quotation
8970
8971 You can also enable @samp{/a}-like formatting all the time using
8972 @samp{set print symbol on}:
8973
8974 @table @code
8975 @item set print symbol on
8976 Tell @value{GDBN} to print the symbol corresponding to an address, if
8977 one exists.
8978
8979 @item set print symbol off
8980 Tell @value{GDBN} not to print the symbol corresponding to an
8981 address. In this mode, @value{GDBN} will still print the symbol
8982 corresponding to pointers to functions. This is the default.
8983
8984 @item show print symbol
8985 Show whether @value{GDBN} will display the symbol corresponding to an
8986 address.
8987 @end table
8988
8989 Other settings control how different kinds of objects are printed:
8990
8991 @table @code
8992 @item set print array
8993 @itemx set print array on
8994 @cindex pretty print arrays
8995 Pretty print arrays. This format is more convenient to read,
8996 but uses more space. The default is off.
8997
8998 @item set print array off
8999 Return to compressed format for arrays.
9000
9001 @item show print array
9002 Show whether compressed or pretty format is selected for displaying
9003 arrays.
9004
9005 @cindex print array indexes
9006 @item set print array-indexes
9007 @itemx set print array-indexes on
9008 Print the index of each element when displaying arrays. May be more
9009 convenient to locate a given element in the array or quickly find the
9010 index of a given element in that printed array. The default is off.
9011
9012 @item set print array-indexes off
9013 Stop printing element indexes when displaying arrays.
9014
9015 @item show print array-indexes
9016 Show whether the index of each element is printed when displaying
9017 arrays.
9018
9019 @item set print elements @var{number-of-elements}
9020 @itemx set print elements unlimited
9021 @cindex number of array elements to print
9022 @cindex limit on number of printed array elements
9023 Set a limit on how many elements of an array @value{GDBN} will print.
9024 If @value{GDBN} is printing a large array, it stops printing after it has
9025 printed the number of elements set by the @code{set print elements} command.
9026 This limit also applies to the display of strings.
9027 When @value{GDBN} starts, this limit is set to 200.
9028 Setting @var{number-of-elements} to @code{unlimited} or zero means
9029 that the number of elements to print is unlimited.
9030
9031 @item show print elements
9032 Display the number of elements of a large array that @value{GDBN} will print.
9033 If the number is 0, then the printing is unlimited.
9034
9035 @item set print frame-arguments @var{value}
9036 @kindex set print frame-arguments
9037 @cindex printing frame argument values
9038 @cindex print all frame argument values
9039 @cindex print frame argument values for scalars only
9040 @cindex do not print frame argument values
9041 This command allows to control how the values of arguments are printed
9042 when the debugger prints a frame (@pxref{Frames}). The possible
9043 values are:
9044
9045 @table @code
9046 @item all
9047 The values of all arguments are printed.
9048
9049 @item scalars
9050 Print the value of an argument only if it is a scalar. The value of more
9051 complex arguments such as arrays, structures, unions, etc, is replaced
9052 by @code{@dots{}}. This is the default. Here is an example where
9053 only scalar arguments are shown:
9054
9055 @smallexample
9056 #1 0x08048361 in call_me (i=3, s=@dots{}, ss=0xbf8d508c, u=@dots{}, e=green)
9057 at frame-args.c:23
9058 @end smallexample
9059
9060 @item none
9061 None of the argument values are printed. Instead, the value of each argument
9062 is replaced by @code{@dots{}}. In this case, the example above now becomes:
9063
9064 @smallexample
9065 #1 0x08048361 in call_me (i=@dots{}, s=@dots{}, ss=@dots{}, u=@dots{}, e=@dots{})
9066 at frame-args.c:23
9067 @end smallexample
9068 @end table
9069
9070 By default, only scalar arguments are printed. This command can be used
9071 to configure the debugger to print the value of all arguments, regardless
9072 of their type. However, it is often advantageous to not print the value
9073 of more complex parameters. For instance, it reduces the amount of
9074 information printed in each frame, making the backtrace more readable.
9075 Also, it improves performance when displaying Ada frames, because
9076 the computation of large arguments can sometimes be CPU-intensive,
9077 especially in large applications. Setting @code{print frame-arguments}
9078 to @code{scalars} (the default) or @code{none} avoids this computation,
9079 thus speeding up the display of each Ada frame.
9080
9081 @item show print frame-arguments
9082 Show how the value of arguments should be displayed when printing a frame.
9083
9084 @item set print raw frame-arguments on
9085 Print frame arguments in raw, non pretty-printed, form.
9086
9087 @item set print raw frame-arguments off
9088 Print frame arguments in pretty-printed form, if there is a pretty-printer
9089 for the value (@pxref{Pretty Printing}),
9090 otherwise print the value in raw form.
9091 This is the default.
9092
9093 @item show print raw frame-arguments
9094 Show whether to print frame arguments in raw form.
9095
9096 @anchor{set print entry-values}
9097 @item set print entry-values @var{value}
9098 @kindex set print entry-values
9099 Set printing of frame argument values at function entry. In some cases
9100 @value{GDBN} can determine the value of function argument which was passed by
9101 the function caller, even if the value was modified inside the called function
9102 and therefore is different. With optimized code, the current value could be
9103 unavailable, but the entry value may still be known.
9104
9105 The default value is @code{default} (see below for its description). Older
9106 @value{GDBN} behaved as with the setting @code{no}. Compilers not supporting
9107 this feature will behave in the @code{default} setting the same way as with the
9108 @code{no} setting.
9109
9110 This functionality is currently supported only by DWARF 2 debugging format and
9111 the compiler has to produce @samp{DW_TAG_GNU_call_site} tags. With
9112 @value{NGCC}, you need to specify @option{-O -g} during compilation, to get
9113 this information.
9114
9115 The @var{value} parameter can be one of the following:
9116
9117 @table @code
9118 @item no
9119 Print only actual parameter values, never print values from function entry
9120 point.
9121 @smallexample
9122 #0 equal (val=5)
9123 #0 different (val=6)
9124 #0 lost (val=<optimized out>)
9125 #0 born (val=10)
9126 #0 invalid (val=<optimized out>)
9127 @end smallexample
9128
9129 @item only
9130 Print only parameter values from function entry point. The actual parameter
9131 values are never printed.
9132 @smallexample
9133 #0 equal (val@@entry=5)
9134 #0 different (val@@entry=5)
9135 #0 lost (val@@entry=5)
9136 #0 born (val@@entry=<optimized out>)
9137 #0 invalid (val@@entry=<optimized out>)
9138 @end smallexample
9139
9140 @item preferred
9141 Print only parameter values from function entry point. If value from function
9142 entry point is not known while the actual value is known, print the actual
9143 value for such parameter.
9144 @smallexample
9145 #0 equal (val@@entry=5)
9146 #0 different (val@@entry=5)
9147 #0 lost (val@@entry=5)
9148 #0 born (val=10)
9149 #0 invalid (val@@entry=<optimized out>)
9150 @end smallexample
9151
9152 @item if-needed
9153 Print actual parameter values. If actual parameter value is not known while
9154 value from function entry point is known, print the entry point value for such
9155 parameter.
9156 @smallexample
9157 #0 equal (val=5)
9158 #0 different (val=6)
9159 #0 lost (val@@entry=5)
9160 #0 born (val=10)
9161 #0 invalid (val=<optimized out>)
9162 @end smallexample
9163
9164 @item both
9165 Always print both the actual parameter value and its value from function entry
9166 point, even if values of one or both are not available due to compiler
9167 optimizations.
9168 @smallexample
9169 #0 equal (val=5, val@@entry=5)
9170 #0 different (val=6, val@@entry=5)
9171 #0 lost (val=<optimized out>, val@@entry=5)
9172 #0 born (val=10, val@@entry=<optimized out>)
9173 #0 invalid (val=<optimized out>, val@@entry=<optimized out>)
9174 @end smallexample
9175
9176 @item compact
9177 Print the actual parameter value if it is known and also its value from
9178 function entry point if it is known. If neither is known, print for the actual
9179 value @code{<optimized out>}. If not in MI mode (@pxref{GDB/MI}) and if both
9180 values are known and identical, print the shortened
9181 @code{param=param@@entry=VALUE} notation.
9182 @smallexample
9183 #0 equal (val=val@@entry=5)
9184 #0 different (val=6, val@@entry=5)
9185 #0 lost (val@@entry=5)
9186 #0 born (val=10)
9187 #0 invalid (val=<optimized out>)
9188 @end smallexample
9189
9190 @item default
9191 Always print the actual parameter value. Print also its value from function
9192 entry point, but only if it is known. If not in MI mode (@pxref{GDB/MI}) and
9193 if both values are known and identical, print the shortened
9194 @code{param=param@@entry=VALUE} notation.
9195 @smallexample
9196 #0 equal (val=val@@entry=5)
9197 #0 different (val=6, val@@entry=5)
9198 #0 lost (val=<optimized out>, val@@entry=5)
9199 #0 born (val=10)
9200 #0 invalid (val=<optimized out>)
9201 @end smallexample
9202 @end table
9203
9204 For analysis messages on possible failures of frame argument values at function
9205 entry resolution see @ref{set debug entry-values}.
9206
9207 @item show print entry-values
9208 Show the method being used for printing of frame argument values at function
9209 entry.
9210
9211 @item set print repeats @var{number-of-repeats}
9212 @itemx set print repeats unlimited
9213 @cindex repeated array elements
9214 Set the threshold for suppressing display of repeated array
9215 elements. When the number of consecutive identical elements of an
9216 array exceeds the threshold, @value{GDBN} prints the string
9217 @code{"<repeats @var{n} times>"}, where @var{n} is the number of
9218 identical repetitions, instead of displaying the identical elements
9219 themselves. Setting the threshold to @code{unlimited} or zero will
9220 cause all elements to be individually printed. The default threshold
9221 is 10.
9222
9223 @item show print repeats
9224 Display the current threshold for printing repeated identical
9225 elements.
9226
9227 @item set print null-stop
9228 @cindex @sc{null} elements in arrays
9229 Cause @value{GDBN} to stop printing the characters of an array when the first
9230 @sc{null} is encountered. This is useful when large arrays actually
9231 contain only short strings.
9232 The default is off.
9233
9234 @item show print null-stop
9235 Show whether @value{GDBN} stops printing an array on the first
9236 @sc{null} character.
9237
9238 @item set print pretty on
9239 @cindex print structures in indented form
9240 @cindex indentation in structure display
9241 Cause @value{GDBN} to print structures in an indented format with one member
9242 per line, like this:
9243
9244 @smallexample
9245 @group
9246 $1 = @{
9247 next = 0x0,
9248 flags = @{
9249 sweet = 1,
9250 sour = 1
9251 @},
9252 meat = 0x54 "Pork"
9253 @}
9254 @end group
9255 @end smallexample
9256
9257 @item set print pretty off
9258 Cause @value{GDBN} to print structures in a compact format, like this:
9259
9260 @smallexample
9261 @group
9262 $1 = @{next = 0x0, flags = @{sweet = 1, sour = 1@}, \
9263 meat = 0x54 "Pork"@}
9264 @end group
9265 @end smallexample
9266
9267 @noindent
9268 This is the default format.
9269
9270 @item show print pretty
9271 Show which format @value{GDBN} is using to print structures.
9272
9273 @item set print sevenbit-strings on
9274 @cindex eight-bit characters in strings
9275 @cindex octal escapes in strings
9276 Print using only seven-bit characters; if this option is set,
9277 @value{GDBN} displays any eight-bit characters (in strings or
9278 character values) using the notation @code{\}@var{nnn}. This setting is
9279 best if you are working in English (@sc{ascii}) and you use the
9280 high-order bit of characters as a marker or ``meta'' bit.
9281
9282 @item set print sevenbit-strings off
9283 Print full eight-bit characters. This allows the use of more
9284 international character sets, and is the default.
9285
9286 @item show print sevenbit-strings
9287 Show whether or not @value{GDBN} is printing only seven-bit characters.
9288
9289 @item set print union on
9290 @cindex unions in structures, printing
9291 Tell @value{GDBN} to print unions which are contained in structures
9292 and other unions. This is the default setting.
9293
9294 @item set print union off
9295 Tell @value{GDBN} not to print unions which are contained in
9296 structures and other unions. @value{GDBN} will print @code{"@{...@}"}
9297 instead.
9298
9299 @item show print union
9300 Ask @value{GDBN} whether or not it will print unions which are contained in
9301 structures and other unions.
9302
9303 For example, given the declarations
9304
9305 @smallexample
9306 typedef enum @{Tree, Bug@} Species;
9307 typedef enum @{Big_tree, Acorn, Seedling@} Tree_forms;
9308 typedef enum @{Caterpillar, Cocoon, Butterfly@}
9309 Bug_forms;
9310
9311 struct thing @{
9312 Species it;
9313 union @{
9314 Tree_forms tree;
9315 Bug_forms bug;
9316 @} form;
9317 @};
9318
9319 struct thing foo = @{Tree, @{Acorn@}@};
9320 @end smallexample
9321
9322 @noindent
9323 with @code{set print union on} in effect @samp{p foo} would print
9324
9325 @smallexample
9326 $1 = @{it = Tree, form = @{tree = Acorn, bug = Cocoon@}@}
9327 @end smallexample
9328
9329 @noindent
9330 and with @code{set print union off} in effect it would print
9331
9332 @smallexample
9333 $1 = @{it = Tree, form = @{...@}@}
9334 @end smallexample
9335
9336 @noindent
9337 @code{set print union} affects programs written in C-like languages
9338 and in Pascal.
9339 @end table
9340
9341 @need 1000
9342 @noindent
9343 These settings are of interest when debugging C@t{++} programs:
9344
9345 @table @code
9346 @cindex demangling C@t{++} names
9347 @item set print demangle
9348 @itemx set print demangle on
9349 Print C@t{++} names in their source form rather than in the encoded
9350 (``mangled'') form passed to the assembler and linker for type-safe
9351 linkage. The default is on.
9352
9353 @item show print demangle
9354 Show whether C@t{++} names are printed in mangled or demangled form.
9355
9356 @item set print asm-demangle
9357 @itemx set print asm-demangle on
9358 Print C@t{++} names in their source form rather than their mangled form, even
9359 in assembler code printouts such as instruction disassemblies.
9360 The default is off.
9361
9362 @item show print asm-demangle
9363 Show whether C@t{++} names in assembly listings are printed in mangled
9364 or demangled form.
9365
9366 @cindex C@t{++} symbol decoding style
9367 @cindex symbol decoding style, C@t{++}
9368 @kindex set demangle-style
9369 @item set demangle-style @var{style}
9370 Choose among several encoding schemes used by different compilers to
9371 represent C@t{++} names. The choices for @var{style} are currently:
9372
9373 @table @code
9374 @item auto
9375 Allow @value{GDBN} to choose a decoding style by inspecting your program.
9376 This is the default.
9377
9378 @item gnu
9379 Decode based on the @sc{gnu} C@t{++} compiler (@code{g++}) encoding algorithm.
9380
9381 @item hp
9382 Decode based on the HP ANSI C@t{++} (@code{aCC}) encoding algorithm.
9383
9384 @item lucid
9385 Decode based on the Lucid C@t{++} compiler (@code{lcc}) encoding algorithm.
9386
9387 @item arm
9388 Decode using the algorithm in the @cite{C@t{++} Annotated Reference Manual}.
9389 @strong{Warning:} this setting alone is not sufficient to allow
9390 debugging @code{cfront}-generated executables. @value{GDBN} would
9391 require further enhancement to permit that.
9392
9393 @end table
9394 If you omit @var{style}, you will see a list of possible formats.
9395
9396 @item show demangle-style
9397 Display the encoding style currently in use for decoding C@t{++} symbols.
9398
9399 @item set print object
9400 @itemx set print object on
9401 @cindex derived type of an object, printing
9402 @cindex display derived types
9403 When displaying a pointer to an object, identify the @emph{actual}
9404 (derived) type of the object rather than the @emph{declared} type, using
9405 the virtual function table. Note that the virtual function table is
9406 required---this feature can only work for objects that have run-time
9407 type identification; a single virtual method in the object's declared
9408 type is sufficient. Note that this setting is also taken into account when
9409 working with variable objects via MI (@pxref{GDB/MI}).
9410
9411 @item set print object off
9412 Display only the declared type of objects, without reference to the
9413 virtual function table. This is the default setting.
9414
9415 @item show print object
9416 Show whether actual, or declared, object types are displayed.
9417
9418 @item set print static-members
9419 @itemx set print static-members on
9420 @cindex static members of C@t{++} objects
9421 Print static members when displaying a C@t{++} object. The default is on.
9422
9423 @item set print static-members off
9424 Do not print static members when displaying a C@t{++} object.
9425
9426 @item show print static-members
9427 Show whether C@t{++} static members are printed or not.
9428
9429 @item set print pascal_static-members
9430 @itemx set print pascal_static-members on
9431 @cindex static members of Pascal objects
9432 @cindex Pascal objects, static members display
9433 Print static members when displaying a Pascal object. The default is on.
9434
9435 @item set print pascal_static-members off
9436 Do not print static members when displaying a Pascal object.
9437
9438 @item show print pascal_static-members
9439 Show whether Pascal static members are printed or not.
9440
9441 @c These don't work with HP ANSI C++ yet.
9442 @item set print vtbl
9443 @itemx set print vtbl on
9444 @cindex pretty print C@t{++} virtual function tables
9445 @cindex virtual functions (C@t{++}) display
9446 @cindex VTBL display
9447 Pretty print C@t{++} virtual function tables. The default is off.
9448 (The @code{vtbl} commands do not work on programs compiled with the HP
9449 ANSI C@t{++} compiler (@code{aCC}).)
9450
9451 @item set print vtbl off
9452 Do not pretty print C@t{++} virtual function tables.
9453
9454 @item show print vtbl
9455 Show whether C@t{++} virtual function tables are pretty printed, or not.
9456 @end table
9457
9458 @node Pretty Printing
9459 @section Pretty Printing
9460
9461 @value{GDBN} provides a mechanism to allow pretty-printing of values using
9462 Python code. It greatly simplifies the display of complex objects. This
9463 mechanism works for both MI and the CLI.
9464
9465 @menu
9466 * Pretty-Printer Introduction:: Introduction to pretty-printers
9467 * Pretty-Printer Example:: An example pretty-printer
9468 * Pretty-Printer Commands:: Pretty-printer commands
9469 @end menu
9470
9471 @node Pretty-Printer Introduction
9472 @subsection Pretty-Printer Introduction
9473
9474 When @value{GDBN} prints a value, it first sees if there is a pretty-printer
9475 registered for the value. If there is then @value{GDBN} invokes the
9476 pretty-printer to print the value. Otherwise the value is printed normally.
9477
9478 Pretty-printers are normally named. This makes them easy to manage.
9479 The @samp{info pretty-printer} command will list all the installed
9480 pretty-printers with their names.
9481 If a pretty-printer can handle multiple data types, then its
9482 @dfn{subprinters} are the printers for the individual data types.
9483 Each such subprinter has its own name.
9484 The format of the name is @var{printer-name};@var{subprinter-name}.
9485
9486 Pretty-printers are installed by @dfn{registering} them with @value{GDBN}.
9487 Typically they are automatically loaded and registered when the corresponding
9488 debug information is loaded, thus making them available without having to
9489 do anything special.
9490
9491 There are three places where a pretty-printer can be registered.
9492
9493 @itemize @bullet
9494 @item
9495 Pretty-printers registered globally are available when debugging
9496 all inferiors.
9497
9498 @item
9499 Pretty-printers registered with a program space are available only
9500 when debugging that program.
9501 @xref{Progspaces In Python}, for more details on program spaces in Python.
9502
9503 @item
9504 Pretty-printers registered with an objfile are loaded and unloaded
9505 with the corresponding objfile (e.g., shared library).
9506 @xref{Objfiles In Python}, for more details on objfiles in Python.
9507 @end itemize
9508
9509 @xref{Selecting Pretty-Printers}, for further information on how
9510 pretty-printers are selected,
9511
9512 @xref{Writing a Pretty-Printer}, for implementing pretty printers
9513 for new types.
9514
9515 @node Pretty-Printer Example
9516 @subsection Pretty-Printer Example
9517
9518 Here is how a C@t{++} @code{std::string} looks without a pretty-printer:
9519
9520 @smallexample
9521 (@value{GDBP}) print s
9522 $1 = @{
9523 static npos = 4294967295,
9524 _M_dataplus = @{
9525 <std::allocator<char>> = @{
9526 <__gnu_cxx::new_allocator<char>> = @{
9527 <No data fields>@}, <No data fields>
9528 @},
9529 members of std::basic_string<char, std::char_traits<char>,
9530 std::allocator<char> >::_Alloc_hider:
9531 _M_p = 0x804a014 "abcd"
9532 @}
9533 @}
9534 @end smallexample
9535
9536 With a pretty-printer for @code{std::string} only the contents are printed:
9537
9538 @smallexample
9539 (@value{GDBP}) print s
9540 $2 = "abcd"
9541 @end smallexample
9542
9543 @node Pretty-Printer Commands
9544 @subsection Pretty-Printer Commands
9545 @cindex pretty-printer commands
9546
9547 @table @code
9548 @kindex info pretty-printer
9549 @item info pretty-printer [@var{object-regexp} [@var{name-regexp}]]
9550 Print the list of installed pretty-printers.
9551 This includes disabled pretty-printers, which are marked as such.
9552
9553 @var{object-regexp} is a regular expression matching the objects
9554 whose pretty-printers to list.
9555 Objects can be @code{global}, the program space's file
9556 (@pxref{Progspaces In Python}),
9557 and the object files within that program space (@pxref{Objfiles In Python}).
9558 @xref{Selecting Pretty-Printers}, for details on how @value{GDBN}
9559 looks up a printer from these three objects.
9560
9561 @var{name-regexp} is a regular expression matching the name of the printers
9562 to list.
9563
9564 @kindex disable pretty-printer
9565 @item disable pretty-printer [@var{object-regexp} [@var{name-regexp}]]
9566 Disable pretty-printers matching @var{object-regexp} and @var{name-regexp}.
9567 A disabled pretty-printer is not forgotten, it may be enabled again later.
9568
9569 @kindex enable pretty-printer
9570 @item enable pretty-printer [@var{object-regexp} [@var{name-regexp}]]
9571 Enable pretty-printers matching @var{object-regexp} and @var{name-regexp}.
9572 @end table
9573
9574 Example:
9575
9576 Suppose we have three pretty-printers installed: one from library1.so
9577 named @code{foo} that prints objects of type @code{foo}, and
9578 another from library2.so named @code{bar} that prints two types of objects,
9579 @code{bar1} and @code{bar2}.
9580
9581 @smallexample
9582 (gdb) info pretty-printer
9583 library1.so:
9584 foo
9585 library2.so:
9586 bar
9587 bar1
9588 bar2
9589 (gdb) info pretty-printer library2
9590 library2.so:
9591 bar
9592 bar1
9593 bar2
9594 (gdb) disable pretty-printer library1
9595 1 printer disabled
9596 2 of 3 printers enabled
9597 (gdb) info pretty-printer
9598 library1.so:
9599 foo [disabled]
9600 library2.so:
9601 bar
9602 bar1
9603 bar2
9604 (gdb) disable pretty-printer library2 bar:bar1
9605 1 printer disabled
9606 1 of 3 printers enabled
9607 (gdb) info pretty-printer library2
9608 library1.so:
9609 foo [disabled]
9610 library2.so:
9611 bar
9612 bar1 [disabled]
9613 bar2
9614 (gdb) disable pretty-printer library2 bar
9615 1 printer disabled
9616 0 of 3 printers enabled
9617 (gdb) info pretty-printer library2
9618 library1.so:
9619 foo [disabled]
9620 library2.so:
9621 bar [disabled]
9622 bar1 [disabled]
9623 bar2
9624 @end smallexample
9625
9626 Note that for @code{bar} the entire printer can be disabled,
9627 as can each individual subprinter.
9628
9629 @node Value History
9630 @section Value History
9631
9632 @cindex value history
9633 @cindex history of values printed by @value{GDBN}
9634 Values printed by the @code{print} command are saved in the @value{GDBN}
9635 @dfn{value history}. This allows you to refer to them in other expressions.
9636 Values are kept until the symbol table is re-read or discarded
9637 (for example with the @code{file} or @code{symbol-file} commands).
9638 When the symbol table changes, the value history is discarded,
9639 since the values may contain pointers back to the types defined in the
9640 symbol table.
9641
9642 @cindex @code{$}
9643 @cindex @code{$$}
9644 @cindex history number
9645 The values printed are given @dfn{history numbers} by which you can
9646 refer to them. These are successive integers starting with one.
9647 @code{print} shows you the history number assigned to a value by
9648 printing @samp{$@var{num} = } before the value; here @var{num} is the
9649 history number.
9650
9651 To refer to any previous value, use @samp{$} followed by the value's
9652 history number. The way @code{print} labels its output is designed to
9653 remind you of this. Just @code{$} refers to the most recent value in
9654 the history, and @code{$$} refers to the value before that.
9655 @code{$$@var{n}} refers to the @var{n}th value from the end; @code{$$2}
9656 is the value just prior to @code{$$}, @code{$$1} is equivalent to
9657 @code{$$}, and @code{$$0} is equivalent to @code{$}.
9658
9659 For example, suppose you have just printed a pointer to a structure and
9660 want to see the contents of the structure. It suffices to type
9661
9662 @smallexample
9663 p *$
9664 @end smallexample
9665
9666 If you have a chain of structures where the component @code{next} points
9667 to the next one, you can print the contents of the next one with this:
9668
9669 @smallexample
9670 p *$.next
9671 @end smallexample
9672
9673 @noindent
9674 You can print successive links in the chain by repeating this
9675 command---which you can do by just typing @key{RET}.
9676
9677 Note that the history records values, not expressions. If the value of
9678 @code{x} is 4 and you type these commands:
9679
9680 @smallexample
9681 print x
9682 set x=5
9683 @end smallexample
9684
9685 @noindent
9686 then the value recorded in the value history by the @code{print} command
9687 remains 4 even though the value of @code{x} has changed.
9688
9689 @table @code
9690 @kindex show values
9691 @item show values
9692 Print the last ten values in the value history, with their item numbers.
9693 This is like @samp{p@ $$9} repeated ten times, except that @code{show
9694 values} does not change the history.
9695
9696 @item show values @var{n}
9697 Print ten history values centered on history item number @var{n}.
9698
9699 @item show values +
9700 Print ten history values just after the values last printed. If no more
9701 values are available, @code{show values +} produces no display.
9702 @end table
9703
9704 Pressing @key{RET} to repeat @code{show values @var{n}} has exactly the
9705 same effect as @samp{show values +}.
9706
9707 @node Convenience Vars
9708 @section Convenience Variables
9709
9710 @cindex convenience variables
9711 @cindex user-defined variables
9712 @value{GDBN} provides @dfn{convenience variables} that you can use within
9713 @value{GDBN} to hold on to a value and refer to it later. These variables
9714 exist entirely within @value{GDBN}; they are not part of your program, and
9715 setting a convenience variable has no direct effect on further execution
9716 of your program. That is why you can use them freely.
9717
9718 Convenience variables are prefixed with @samp{$}. Any name preceded by
9719 @samp{$} can be used for a convenience variable, unless it is one of
9720 the predefined machine-specific register names (@pxref{Registers, ,Registers}).
9721 (Value history references, in contrast, are @emph{numbers} preceded
9722 by @samp{$}. @xref{Value History, ,Value History}.)
9723
9724 You can save a value in a convenience variable with an assignment
9725 expression, just as you would set a variable in your program.
9726 For example:
9727
9728 @smallexample
9729 set $foo = *object_ptr
9730 @end smallexample
9731
9732 @noindent
9733 would save in @code{$foo} the value contained in the object pointed to by
9734 @code{object_ptr}.
9735
9736 Using a convenience variable for the first time creates it, but its
9737 value is @code{void} until you assign a new value. You can alter the
9738 value with another assignment at any time.
9739
9740 Convenience variables have no fixed types. You can assign a convenience
9741 variable any type of value, including structures and arrays, even if
9742 that variable already has a value of a different type. The convenience
9743 variable, when used as an expression, has the type of its current value.
9744
9745 @table @code
9746 @kindex show convenience
9747 @cindex show all user variables and functions
9748 @item show convenience
9749 Print a list of convenience variables used so far, and their values,
9750 as well as a list of the convenience functions.
9751 Abbreviated @code{show conv}.
9752
9753 @kindex init-if-undefined
9754 @cindex convenience variables, initializing
9755 @item init-if-undefined $@var{variable} = @var{expression}
9756 Set a convenience variable if it has not already been set. This is useful
9757 for user-defined commands that keep some state. It is similar, in concept,
9758 to using local static variables with initializers in C (except that
9759 convenience variables are global). It can also be used to allow users to
9760 override default values used in a command script.
9761
9762 If the variable is already defined then the expression is not evaluated so
9763 any side-effects do not occur.
9764 @end table
9765
9766 One of the ways to use a convenience variable is as a counter to be
9767 incremented or a pointer to be advanced. For example, to print
9768 a field from successive elements of an array of structures:
9769
9770 @smallexample
9771 set $i = 0
9772 print bar[$i++]->contents
9773 @end smallexample
9774
9775 @noindent
9776 Repeat that command by typing @key{RET}.
9777
9778 Some convenience variables are created automatically by @value{GDBN} and given
9779 values likely to be useful.
9780
9781 @table @code
9782 @vindex $_@r{, convenience variable}
9783 @item $_
9784 The variable @code{$_} is automatically set by the @code{x} command to
9785 the last address examined (@pxref{Memory, ,Examining Memory}). Other
9786 commands which provide a default address for @code{x} to examine also
9787 set @code{$_} to that address; these commands include @code{info line}
9788 and @code{info breakpoint}. The type of @code{$_} is @code{void *}
9789 except when set by the @code{x} command, in which case it is a pointer
9790 to the type of @code{$__}.
9791
9792 @vindex $__@r{, convenience variable}
9793 @item $__
9794 The variable @code{$__} is automatically set by the @code{x} command
9795 to the value found in the last address examined. Its type is chosen
9796 to match the format in which the data was printed.
9797
9798 @item $_exitcode
9799 @vindex $_exitcode@r{, convenience variable}
9800 When the program being debugged terminates normally, @value{GDBN}
9801 automatically sets this variable to the exit code of the program, and
9802 resets @code{$_exitsignal} to @code{void}.
9803
9804 @item $_exitsignal
9805 @vindex $_exitsignal@r{, convenience variable}
9806 When the program being debugged dies due to an uncaught signal,
9807 @value{GDBN} automatically sets this variable to that signal's number,
9808 and resets @code{$_exitcode} to @code{void}.
9809
9810 To distinguish between whether the program being debugged has exited
9811 (i.e., @code{$_exitcode} is not @code{void}) or signalled (i.e.,
9812 @code{$_exitsignal} is not @code{void}), the convenience function
9813 @code{$_isvoid} can be used (@pxref{Convenience Funs,, Convenience
9814 Functions}). For example, considering the following source code:
9815
9816 @smallexample
9817 #include <signal.h>
9818
9819 int
9820 main (int argc, char *argv[])
9821 @{
9822 raise (SIGALRM);
9823 return 0;
9824 @}
9825 @end smallexample
9826
9827 A valid way of telling whether the program being debugged has exited
9828 or signalled would be:
9829
9830 @smallexample
9831 (@value{GDBP}) define has_exited_or_signalled
9832 Type commands for definition of ``has_exited_or_signalled''.
9833 End with a line saying just ``end''.
9834 >if $_isvoid ($_exitsignal)
9835 >echo The program has exited\n
9836 >else
9837 >echo The program has signalled\n
9838 >end
9839 >end
9840 (@value{GDBP}) run
9841 Starting program:
9842
9843 Program terminated with signal SIGALRM, Alarm clock.
9844 The program no longer exists.
9845 (@value{GDBP}) has_exited_or_signalled
9846 The program has signalled
9847 @end smallexample
9848
9849 As can be seen, @value{GDBN} correctly informs that the program being
9850 debugged has signalled, since it calls @code{raise} and raises a
9851 @code{SIGALRM} signal. If the program being debugged had not called
9852 @code{raise}, then @value{GDBN} would report a normal exit:
9853
9854 @smallexample
9855 (@value{GDBP}) has_exited_or_signalled
9856 The program has exited
9857 @end smallexample
9858
9859 @item $_exception
9860 The variable @code{$_exception} is set to the exception object being
9861 thrown at an exception-related catchpoint. @xref{Set Catchpoints}.
9862
9863 @item $_probe_argc
9864 @itemx $_probe_arg0@dots{}$_probe_arg11
9865 Arguments to a static probe. @xref{Static Probe Points}.
9866
9867 @item $_sdata
9868 @vindex $_sdata@r{, inspect, convenience variable}
9869 The variable @code{$_sdata} contains extra collected static tracepoint
9870 data. @xref{Tracepoint Actions,,Tracepoint Action Lists}. Note that
9871 @code{$_sdata} could be empty, if not inspecting a trace buffer, or
9872 if extra static tracepoint data has not been collected.
9873
9874 @item $_siginfo
9875 @vindex $_siginfo@r{, convenience variable}
9876 The variable @code{$_siginfo} contains extra signal information
9877 (@pxref{extra signal information}). Note that @code{$_siginfo}
9878 could be empty, if the application has not yet received any signals.
9879 For example, it will be empty before you execute the @code{run} command.
9880
9881 @item $_tlb
9882 @vindex $_tlb@r{, convenience variable}
9883 The variable @code{$_tlb} is automatically set when debugging
9884 applications running on MS-Windows in native mode or connected to
9885 gdbserver that supports the @code{qGetTIBAddr} request.
9886 @xref{General Query Packets}.
9887 This variable contains the address of the thread information block.
9888
9889 @end table
9890
9891 On HP-UX systems, if you refer to a function or variable name that
9892 begins with a dollar sign, @value{GDBN} searches for a user or system
9893 name first, before it searches for a convenience variable.
9894
9895 @node Convenience Funs
9896 @section Convenience Functions
9897
9898 @cindex convenience functions
9899 @value{GDBN} also supplies some @dfn{convenience functions}. These
9900 have a syntax similar to convenience variables. A convenience
9901 function can be used in an expression just like an ordinary function;
9902 however, a convenience function is implemented internally to
9903 @value{GDBN}.
9904
9905 These functions do not require @value{GDBN} to be configured with
9906 @code{Python} support, which means that they are always available.
9907
9908 @table @code
9909
9910 @item $_isvoid (@var{expr})
9911 @findex $_isvoid@r{, convenience function}
9912 Return one if the expression @var{expr} is @code{void}. Otherwise it
9913 returns zero.
9914
9915 A @code{void} expression is an expression where the type of the result
9916 is @code{void}. For example, you can examine a convenience variable
9917 (see @ref{Convenience Vars,, Convenience Variables}) to check whether
9918 it is @code{void}:
9919
9920 @smallexample
9921 (@value{GDBP}) print $_exitcode
9922 $1 = void
9923 (@value{GDBP}) print $_isvoid ($_exitcode)
9924 $2 = 1
9925 (@value{GDBP}) run
9926 Starting program: ./a.out
9927 [Inferior 1 (process 29572) exited normally]
9928 (@value{GDBP}) print $_exitcode
9929 $3 = 0
9930 (@value{GDBP}) print $_isvoid ($_exitcode)
9931 $4 = 0
9932 @end smallexample
9933
9934 In the example above, we used @code{$_isvoid} to check whether
9935 @code{$_exitcode} is @code{void} before and after the execution of the
9936 program being debugged. Before the execution there is no exit code to
9937 be examined, therefore @code{$_exitcode} is @code{void}. After the
9938 execution the program being debugged returned zero, therefore
9939 @code{$_exitcode} is zero, which means that it is not @code{void}
9940 anymore.
9941
9942 The @code{void} expression can also be a call of a function from the
9943 program being debugged. For example, given the following function:
9944
9945 @smallexample
9946 void
9947 foo (void)
9948 @{
9949 @}
9950 @end smallexample
9951
9952 The result of calling it inside @value{GDBN} is @code{void}:
9953
9954 @smallexample
9955 (@value{GDBP}) print foo ()
9956 $1 = void
9957 (@value{GDBP}) print $_isvoid (foo ())
9958 $2 = 1
9959 (@value{GDBP}) set $v = foo ()
9960 (@value{GDBP}) print $v
9961 $3 = void
9962 (@value{GDBP}) print $_isvoid ($v)
9963 $4 = 1
9964 @end smallexample
9965
9966 @end table
9967
9968 These functions require @value{GDBN} to be configured with
9969 @code{Python} support.
9970
9971 @table @code
9972
9973 @item $_memeq(@var{buf1}, @var{buf2}, @var{length})
9974 @findex $_memeq@r{, convenience function}
9975 Returns one if the @var{length} bytes at the addresses given by
9976 @var{buf1} and @var{buf2} are equal.
9977 Otherwise it returns zero.
9978
9979 @item $_regex(@var{str}, @var{regex})
9980 @findex $_regex@r{, convenience function}
9981 Returns one if the string @var{str} matches the regular expression
9982 @var{regex}. Otherwise it returns zero.
9983 The syntax of the regular expression is that specified by @code{Python}'s
9984 regular expression support.
9985
9986 @item $_streq(@var{str1}, @var{str2})
9987 @findex $_streq@r{, convenience function}
9988 Returns one if the strings @var{str1} and @var{str2} are equal.
9989 Otherwise it returns zero.
9990
9991 @item $_strlen(@var{str})
9992 @findex $_strlen@r{, convenience function}
9993 Returns the length of string @var{str}.
9994
9995 @end table
9996
9997 @value{GDBN} provides the ability to list and get help on
9998 convenience functions.
9999
10000 @table @code
10001 @item help function
10002 @kindex help function
10003 @cindex show all convenience functions
10004 Print a list of all convenience functions.
10005 @end table
10006
10007 @node Registers
10008 @section Registers
10009
10010 @cindex registers
10011 You can refer to machine register contents, in expressions, as variables
10012 with names starting with @samp{$}. The names of registers are different
10013 for each machine; use @code{info registers} to see the names used on
10014 your machine.
10015
10016 @table @code
10017 @kindex info registers
10018 @item info registers
10019 Print the names and values of all registers except floating-point
10020 and vector registers (in the selected stack frame).
10021
10022 @kindex info all-registers
10023 @cindex floating point registers
10024 @item info all-registers
10025 Print the names and values of all registers, including floating-point
10026 and vector registers (in the selected stack frame).
10027
10028 @item info registers @var{regname} @dots{}
10029 Print the @dfn{relativized} value of each specified register @var{regname}.
10030 As discussed in detail below, register values are normally relative to
10031 the selected stack frame. @var{regname} may be any register name valid on
10032 the machine you are using, with or without the initial @samp{$}.
10033 @end table
10034
10035 @cindex stack pointer register
10036 @cindex program counter register
10037 @cindex process status register
10038 @cindex frame pointer register
10039 @cindex standard registers
10040 @value{GDBN} has four ``standard'' register names that are available (in
10041 expressions) on most machines---whenever they do not conflict with an
10042 architecture's canonical mnemonics for registers. The register names
10043 @code{$pc} and @code{$sp} are used for the program counter register and
10044 the stack pointer. @code{$fp} is used for a register that contains a
10045 pointer to the current stack frame, and @code{$ps} is used for a
10046 register that contains the processor status. For example,
10047 you could print the program counter in hex with
10048
10049 @smallexample
10050 p/x $pc
10051 @end smallexample
10052
10053 @noindent
10054 or print the instruction to be executed next with
10055
10056 @smallexample
10057 x/i $pc
10058 @end smallexample
10059
10060 @noindent
10061 or add four to the stack pointer@footnote{This is a way of removing
10062 one word from the stack, on machines where stacks grow downward in
10063 memory (most machines, nowadays). This assumes that the innermost
10064 stack frame is selected; setting @code{$sp} is not allowed when other
10065 stack frames are selected. To pop entire frames off the stack,
10066 regardless of machine architecture, use @code{return};
10067 see @ref{Returning, ,Returning from a Function}.} with
10068
10069 @smallexample
10070 set $sp += 4
10071 @end smallexample
10072
10073 Whenever possible, these four standard register names are available on
10074 your machine even though the machine has different canonical mnemonics,
10075 so long as there is no conflict. The @code{info registers} command
10076 shows the canonical names. For example, on the SPARC, @code{info
10077 registers} displays the processor status register as @code{$psr} but you
10078 can also refer to it as @code{$ps}; and on x86-based machines @code{$ps}
10079 is an alias for the @sc{eflags} register.
10080
10081 @value{GDBN} always considers the contents of an ordinary register as an
10082 integer when the register is examined in this way. Some machines have
10083 special registers which can hold nothing but floating point; these
10084 registers are considered to have floating point values. There is no way
10085 to refer to the contents of an ordinary register as floating point value
10086 (although you can @emph{print} it as a floating point value with
10087 @samp{print/f $@var{regname}}).
10088
10089 Some registers have distinct ``raw'' and ``virtual'' data formats. This
10090 means that the data format in which the register contents are saved by
10091 the operating system is not the same one that your program normally
10092 sees. For example, the registers of the 68881 floating point
10093 coprocessor are always saved in ``extended'' (raw) format, but all C
10094 programs expect to work with ``double'' (virtual) format. In such
10095 cases, @value{GDBN} normally works with the virtual format only (the format
10096 that makes sense for your program), but the @code{info registers} command
10097 prints the data in both formats.
10098
10099 @cindex SSE registers (x86)
10100 @cindex MMX registers (x86)
10101 Some machines have special registers whose contents can be interpreted
10102 in several different ways. For example, modern x86-based machines
10103 have SSE and MMX registers that can hold several values packed
10104 together in several different formats. @value{GDBN} refers to such
10105 registers in @code{struct} notation:
10106
10107 @smallexample
10108 (@value{GDBP}) print $xmm1
10109 $1 = @{
10110 v4_float = @{0, 3.43859137e-038, 1.54142831e-044, 1.821688e-044@},
10111 v2_double = @{9.92129282474342e-303, 2.7585945287983262e-313@},
10112 v16_int8 = "\000\000\000\000\3706;\001\v\000\000\000\r\000\000",
10113 v8_int16 = @{0, 0, 14072, 315, 11, 0, 13, 0@},
10114 v4_int32 = @{0, 20657912, 11, 13@},
10115 v2_int64 = @{88725056443645952, 55834574859@},
10116 uint128 = 0x0000000d0000000b013b36f800000000
10117 @}
10118 @end smallexample
10119
10120 @noindent
10121 To set values of such registers, you need to tell @value{GDBN} which
10122 view of the register you wish to change, as if you were assigning
10123 value to a @code{struct} member:
10124
10125 @smallexample
10126 (@value{GDBP}) set $xmm1.uint128 = 0x000000000000000000000000FFFFFFFF
10127 @end smallexample
10128
10129 Normally, register values are relative to the selected stack frame
10130 (@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}). This means that you get the
10131 value that the register would contain if all stack frames farther in
10132 were exited and their saved registers restored. In order to see the
10133 true contents of hardware registers, you must select the innermost
10134 frame (with @samp{frame 0}).
10135
10136 @cindex caller-saved registers
10137 @cindex call-clobbered registers
10138 @cindex volatile registers
10139 @cindex <not saved> values
10140 Usually ABIs reserve some registers as not needed to be saved by the
10141 callee (a.k.a.: ``caller-saved'', ``call-clobbered'' or ``volatile''
10142 registers). It may therefore not be possible for @value{GDBN} to know
10143 the value a register had before the call (in other words, in the outer
10144 frame), if the register value has since been changed by the callee.
10145 @value{GDBN} tries to deduce where the inner frame saved
10146 (``callee-saved'') registers, from the debug info, unwind info, or the
10147 machine code generated by your compiler. If some register is not
10148 saved, and @value{GDBN} knows the register is ``caller-saved'' (via
10149 its own knowledge of the ABI, or because the debug/unwind info
10150 explicitly says the register's value is undefined), @value{GDBN}
10151 displays @w{@samp{<not saved>}} as the register's value. With targets
10152 that @value{GDBN} has no knowledge of the register saving convention,
10153 if a register was not saved by the callee, then its value and location
10154 in the outer frame are assumed to be the same of the inner frame.
10155 This is usually harmless, because if the register is call-clobbered,
10156 the caller either does not care what is in the register after the
10157 call, or has code to restore the value that it does care about. Note,
10158 however, that if you change such a register in the outer frame, you
10159 may also be affecting the inner frame. Also, the more ``outer'' the
10160 frame is you're looking at, the more likely a call-clobbered
10161 register's value is to be wrong, in the sense that it doesn't actually
10162 represent the value the register had just before the call.
10163
10164 @node Floating Point Hardware
10165 @section Floating Point Hardware
10166 @cindex floating point
10167
10168 Depending on the configuration, @value{GDBN} may be able to give
10169 you more information about the status of the floating point hardware.
10170
10171 @table @code
10172 @kindex info float
10173 @item info float
10174 Display hardware-dependent information about the floating
10175 point unit. The exact contents and layout vary depending on the
10176 floating point chip. Currently, @samp{info float} is supported on
10177 the ARM and x86 machines.
10178 @end table
10179
10180 @node Vector Unit
10181 @section Vector Unit
10182 @cindex vector unit
10183
10184 Depending on the configuration, @value{GDBN} may be able to give you
10185 more information about the status of the vector unit.
10186
10187 @table @code
10188 @kindex info vector
10189 @item info vector
10190 Display information about the vector unit. The exact contents and
10191 layout vary depending on the hardware.
10192 @end table
10193
10194 @node OS Information
10195 @section Operating System Auxiliary Information
10196 @cindex OS information
10197
10198 @value{GDBN} provides interfaces to useful OS facilities that can help
10199 you debug your program.
10200
10201 @cindex auxiliary vector
10202 @cindex vector, auxiliary
10203 Some operating systems supply an @dfn{auxiliary vector} to programs at
10204 startup. This is akin to the arguments and environment that you
10205 specify for a program, but contains a system-dependent variety of
10206 binary values that tell system libraries important details about the
10207 hardware, operating system, and process. Each value's purpose is
10208 identified by an integer tag; the meanings are well-known but system-specific.
10209 Depending on the configuration and operating system facilities,
10210 @value{GDBN} may be able to show you this information. For remote
10211 targets, this functionality may further depend on the remote stub's
10212 support of the @samp{qXfer:auxv:read} packet, see
10213 @ref{qXfer auxiliary vector read}.
10214
10215 @table @code
10216 @kindex info auxv
10217 @item info auxv
10218 Display the auxiliary vector of the inferior, which can be either a
10219 live process or a core dump file. @value{GDBN} prints each tag value
10220 numerically, and also shows names and text descriptions for recognized
10221 tags. Some values in the vector are numbers, some bit masks, and some
10222 pointers to strings or other data. @value{GDBN} displays each value in the
10223 most appropriate form for a recognized tag, and in hexadecimal for
10224 an unrecognized tag.
10225 @end table
10226
10227 On some targets, @value{GDBN} can access operating system-specific
10228 information and show it to you. The types of information available
10229 will differ depending on the type of operating system running on the
10230 target. The mechanism used to fetch the data is described in
10231 @ref{Operating System Information}. For remote targets, this
10232 functionality depends on the remote stub's support of the
10233 @samp{qXfer:osdata:read} packet, see @ref{qXfer osdata read}.
10234
10235 @table @code
10236 @kindex info os
10237 @item info os @var{infotype}
10238
10239 Display OS information of the requested type.
10240
10241 On @sc{gnu}/Linux, the following values of @var{infotype} are valid:
10242
10243 @anchor{linux info os infotypes}
10244 @table @code
10245 @kindex info os processes
10246 @item processes
10247 Display the list of processes on the target. For each process,
10248 @value{GDBN} prints the process identifier, the name of the user, the
10249 command corresponding to the process, and the list of processor cores
10250 that the process is currently running on. (To understand what these
10251 properties mean, for this and the following info types, please consult
10252 the general @sc{gnu}/Linux documentation.)
10253
10254 @kindex info os procgroups
10255 @item procgroups
10256 Display the list of process groups on the target. For each process,
10257 @value{GDBN} prints the identifier of the process group that it belongs
10258 to, the command corresponding to the process group leader, the process
10259 identifier, and the command line of the process. The list is sorted
10260 first by the process group identifier, then by the process identifier,
10261 so that processes belonging to the same process group are grouped together
10262 and the process group leader is listed first.
10263
10264 @kindex info os threads
10265 @item threads
10266 Display the list of threads running on the target. For each thread,
10267 @value{GDBN} prints the identifier of the process that the thread
10268 belongs to, the command of the process, the thread identifier, and the
10269 processor core that it is currently running on. The main thread of a
10270 process is not listed.
10271
10272 @kindex info os files
10273 @item files
10274 Display the list of open file descriptors on the target. For each
10275 file descriptor, @value{GDBN} prints the identifier of the process
10276 owning the descriptor, the command of the owning process, the value
10277 of the descriptor, and the target of the descriptor.
10278
10279 @kindex info os sockets
10280 @item sockets
10281 Display the list of Internet-domain sockets on the target. For each
10282 socket, @value{GDBN} prints the address and port of the local and
10283 remote endpoints, the current state of the connection, the creator of
10284 the socket, the IP address family of the socket, and the type of the
10285 connection.
10286
10287 @kindex info os shm
10288 @item shm
10289 Display the list of all System V shared-memory regions on the target.
10290 For each shared-memory region, @value{GDBN} prints the region key,
10291 the shared-memory identifier, the access permissions, the size of the
10292 region, the process that created the region, the process that last
10293 attached to or detached from the region, the current number of live
10294 attaches to the region, and the times at which the region was last
10295 attached to, detach from, and changed.
10296
10297 @kindex info os semaphores
10298 @item semaphores
10299 Display the list of all System V semaphore sets on the target. For each
10300 semaphore set, @value{GDBN} prints the semaphore set key, the semaphore
10301 set identifier, the access permissions, the number of semaphores in the
10302 set, the user and group of the owner and creator of the semaphore set,
10303 and the times at which the semaphore set was operated upon and changed.
10304
10305 @kindex info os msg
10306 @item msg
10307 Display the list of all System V message queues on the target. For each
10308 message queue, @value{GDBN} prints the message queue key, the message
10309 queue identifier, the access permissions, the current number of bytes
10310 on the queue, the current number of messages on the queue, the processes
10311 that last sent and received a message on the queue, the user and group
10312 of the owner and creator of the message queue, the times at which a
10313 message was last sent and received on the queue, and the time at which
10314 the message queue was last changed.
10315
10316 @kindex info os modules
10317 @item modules
10318 Display the list of all loaded kernel modules on the target. For each
10319 module, @value{GDBN} prints the module name, the size of the module in
10320 bytes, the number of times the module is used, the dependencies of the
10321 module, the status of the module, and the address of the loaded module
10322 in memory.
10323 @end table
10324
10325 @item info os
10326 If @var{infotype} is omitted, then list the possible values for
10327 @var{infotype} and the kind of OS information available for each
10328 @var{infotype}. If the target does not return a list of possible
10329 types, this command will report an error.
10330 @end table
10331
10332 @node Memory Region Attributes
10333 @section Memory Region Attributes
10334 @cindex memory region attributes
10335
10336 @dfn{Memory region attributes} allow you to describe special handling
10337 required by regions of your target's memory. @value{GDBN} uses
10338 attributes to determine whether to allow certain types of memory
10339 accesses; whether to use specific width accesses; and whether to cache
10340 target memory. By default the description of memory regions is
10341 fetched from the target (if the current target supports this), but the
10342 user can override the fetched regions.
10343
10344 Defined memory regions can be individually enabled and disabled. When a
10345 memory region is disabled, @value{GDBN} uses the default attributes when
10346 accessing memory in that region. Similarly, if no memory regions have
10347 been defined, @value{GDBN} uses the default attributes when accessing
10348 all memory.
10349
10350 When a memory region is defined, it is given a number to identify it;
10351 to enable, disable, or remove a memory region, you specify that number.
10352
10353 @table @code
10354 @kindex mem
10355 @item mem @var{lower} @var{upper} @var{attributes}@dots{}
10356 Define a memory region bounded by @var{lower} and @var{upper} with
10357 attributes @var{attributes}@dots{}, and add it to the list of regions
10358 monitored by @value{GDBN}. Note that @var{upper} == 0 is a special
10359 case: it is treated as the target's maximum memory address.
10360 (0xffff on 16 bit targets, 0xffffffff on 32 bit targets, etc.)
10361
10362 @item mem auto
10363 Discard any user changes to the memory regions and use target-supplied
10364 regions, if available, or no regions if the target does not support.
10365
10366 @kindex delete mem
10367 @item delete mem @var{nums}@dots{}
10368 Remove memory regions @var{nums}@dots{} from the list of regions
10369 monitored by @value{GDBN}.
10370
10371 @kindex disable mem
10372 @item disable mem @var{nums}@dots{}
10373 Disable monitoring of memory regions @var{nums}@dots{}.
10374 A disabled memory region is not forgotten.
10375 It may be enabled again later.
10376
10377 @kindex enable mem
10378 @item enable mem @var{nums}@dots{}
10379 Enable monitoring of memory regions @var{nums}@dots{}.
10380
10381 @kindex info mem
10382 @item info mem
10383 Print a table of all defined memory regions, with the following columns
10384 for each region:
10385
10386 @table @emph
10387 @item Memory Region Number
10388 @item Enabled or Disabled.
10389 Enabled memory regions are marked with @samp{y}.
10390 Disabled memory regions are marked with @samp{n}.
10391
10392 @item Lo Address
10393 The address defining the inclusive lower bound of the memory region.
10394
10395 @item Hi Address
10396 The address defining the exclusive upper bound of the memory region.
10397
10398 @item Attributes
10399 The list of attributes set for this memory region.
10400 @end table
10401 @end table
10402
10403
10404 @subsection Attributes
10405
10406 @subsubsection Memory Access Mode
10407 The access mode attributes set whether @value{GDBN} may make read or
10408 write accesses to a memory region.
10409
10410 While these attributes prevent @value{GDBN} from performing invalid
10411 memory accesses, they do nothing to prevent the target system, I/O DMA,
10412 etc.@: from accessing memory.
10413
10414 @table @code
10415 @item ro
10416 Memory is read only.
10417 @item wo
10418 Memory is write only.
10419 @item rw
10420 Memory is read/write. This is the default.
10421 @end table
10422
10423 @subsubsection Memory Access Size
10424 The access size attribute tells @value{GDBN} to use specific sized
10425 accesses in the memory region. Often memory mapped device registers
10426 require specific sized accesses. If no access size attribute is
10427 specified, @value{GDBN} may use accesses of any size.
10428
10429 @table @code
10430 @item 8
10431 Use 8 bit memory accesses.
10432 @item 16
10433 Use 16 bit memory accesses.
10434 @item 32
10435 Use 32 bit memory accesses.
10436 @item 64
10437 Use 64 bit memory accesses.
10438 @end table
10439
10440 @c @subsubsection Hardware/Software Breakpoints
10441 @c The hardware/software breakpoint attributes set whether @value{GDBN}
10442 @c will use hardware or software breakpoints for the internal breakpoints
10443 @c used by the step, next, finish, until, etc. commands.
10444 @c
10445 @c @table @code
10446 @c @item hwbreak
10447 @c Always use hardware breakpoints
10448 @c @item swbreak (default)
10449 @c @end table
10450
10451 @subsubsection Data Cache
10452 The data cache attributes set whether @value{GDBN} will cache target
10453 memory. While this generally improves performance by reducing debug
10454 protocol overhead, it can lead to incorrect results because @value{GDBN}
10455 does not know about volatile variables or memory mapped device
10456 registers.
10457
10458 @table @code
10459 @item cache
10460 Enable @value{GDBN} to cache target memory.
10461 @item nocache
10462 Disable @value{GDBN} from caching target memory. This is the default.
10463 @end table
10464
10465 @subsection Memory Access Checking
10466 @value{GDBN} can be instructed to refuse accesses to memory that is
10467 not explicitly described. This can be useful if accessing such
10468 regions has undesired effects for a specific target, or to provide
10469 better error checking. The following commands control this behaviour.
10470
10471 @table @code
10472 @kindex set mem inaccessible-by-default
10473 @item set mem inaccessible-by-default [on|off]
10474 If @code{on} is specified, make @value{GDBN} treat memory not
10475 explicitly described by the memory ranges as non-existent and refuse accesses
10476 to such memory. The checks are only performed if there's at least one
10477 memory range defined. If @code{off} is specified, make @value{GDBN}
10478 treat the memory not explicitly described by the memory ranges as RAM.
10479 The default value is @code{on}.
10480 @kindex show mem inaccessible-by-default
10481 @item show mem inaccessible-by-default
10482 Show the current handling of accesses to unknown memory.
10483 @end table
10484
10485
10486 @c @subsubsection Memory Write Verification
10487 @c The memory write verification attributes set whether @value{GDBN}
10488 @c will re-reads data after each write to verify the write was successful.
10489 @c
10490 @c @table @code
10491 @c @item verify
10492 @c @item noverify (default)
10493 @c @end table
10494
10495 @node Dump/Restore Files
10496 @section Copy Between Memory and a File
10497 @cindex dump/restore files
10498 @cindex append data to a file
10499 @cindex dump data to a file
10500 @cindex restore data from a file
10501
10502 You can use the commands @code{dump}, @code{append}, and
10503 @code{restore} to copy data between target memory and a file. The
10504 @code{dump} and @code{append} commands write data to a file, and the
10505 @code{restore} command reads data from a file back into the inferior's
10506 memory. Files may be in binary, Motorola S-record, Intel hex, or
10507 Tektronix Hex format; however, @value{GDBN} can only append to binary
10508 files.
10509
10510 @table @code
10511
10512 @kindex dump
10513 @item dump @r{[}@var{format}@r{]} memory @var{filename} @var{start_addr} @var{end_addr}
10514 @itemx dump @r{[}@var{format}@r{]} value @var{filename} @var{expr}
10515 Dump the contents of memory from @var{start_addr} to @var{end_addr},
10516 or the value of @var{expr}, to @var{filename} in the given format.
10517
10518 The @var{format} parameter may be any one of:
10519 @table @code
10520 @item binary
10521 Raw binary form.
10522 @item ihex
10523 Intel hex format.
10524 @item srec
10525 Motorola S-record format.
10526 @item tekhex
10527 Tektronix Hex format.
10528 @end table
10529
10530 @value{GDBN} uses the same definitions of these formats as the
10531 @sc{gnu} binary utilities, like @samp{objdump} and @samp{objcopy}. If
10532 @var{format} is omitted, @value{GDBN} dumps the data in raw binary
10533 form.
10534
10535 @kindex append
10536 @item append @r{[}binary@r{]} memory @var{filename} @var{start_addr} @var{end_addr}
10537 @itemx append @r{[}binary@r{]} value @var{filename} @var{expr}
10538 Append the contents of memory from @var{start_addr} to @var{end_addr},
10539 or the value of @var{expr}, to the file @var{filename}, in raw binary form.
10540 (@value{GDBN} can only append data to files in raw binary form.)
10541
10542 @kindex restore
10543 @item restore @var{filename} @r{[}binary@r{]} @var{bias} @var{start} @var{end}
10544 Restore the contents of file @var{filename} into memory. The
10545 @code{restore} command can automatically recognize any known @sc{bfd}
10546 file format, except for raw binary. To restore a raw binary file you
10547 must specify the optional keyword @code{binary} after the filename.
10548
10549 If @var{bias} is non-zero, its value will be added to the addresses
10550 contained in the file. Binary files always start at address zero, so
10551 they will be restored at address @var{bias}. Other bfd files have
10552 a built-in location; they will be restored at offset @var{bias}
10553 from that location.
10554
10555 If @var{start} and/or @var{end} are non-zero, then only data between
10556 file offset @var{start} and file offset @var{end} will be restored.
10557 These offsets are relative to the addresses in the file, before
10558 the @var{bias} argument is applied.
10559
10560 @end table
10561
10562 @node Core File Generation
10563 @section How to Produce a Core File from Your Program
10564 @cindex dump core from inferior
10565
10566 A @dfn{core file} or @dfn{core dump} is a file that records the memory
10567 image of a running process and its process status (register values
10568 etc.). Its primary use is post-mortem debugging of a program that
10569 crashed while it ran outside a debugger. A program that crashes
10570 automatically produces a core file, unless this feature is disabled by
10571 the user. @xref{Files}, for information on invoking @value{GDBN} in
10572 the post-mortem debugging mode.
10573
10574 Occasionally, you may wish to produce a core file of the program you
10575 are debugging in order to preserve a snapshot of its state.
10576 @value{GDBN} has a special command for that.
10577
10578 @table @code
10579 @kindex gcore
10580 @kindex generate-core-file
10581 @item generate-core-file [@var{file}]
10582 @itemx gcore [@var{file}]
10583 Produce a core dump of the inferior process. The optional argument
10584 @var{file} specifies the file name where to put the core dump. If not
10585 specified, the file name defaults to @file{core.@var{pid}}, where
10586 @var{pid} is the inferior process ID.
10587
10588 Note that this command is implemented only for some systems (as of
10589 this writing, @sc{gnu}/Linux, FreeBSD, Solaris, and S390).
10590 @end table
10591
10592 @node Character Sets
10593 @section Character Sets
10594 @cindex character sets
10595 @cindex charset
10596 @cindex translating between character sets
10597 @cindex host character set
10598 @cindex target character set
10599
10600 If the program you are debugging uses a different character set to
10601 represent characters and strings than the one @value{GDBN} uses itself,
10602 @value{GDBN} can automatically translate between the character sets for
10603 you. The character set @value{GDBN} uses we call the @dfn{host
10604 character set}; the one the inferior program uses we call the
10605 @dfn{target character set}.
10606
10607 For example, if you are running @value{GDBN} on a @sc{gnu}/Linux system, which
10608 uses the ISO Latin 1 character set, but you are using @value{GDBN}'s
10609 remote protocol (@pxref{Remote Debugging}) to debug a program
10610 running on an IBM mainframe, which uses the @sc{ebcdic} character set,
10611 then the host character set is Latin-1, and the target character set is
10612 @sc{ebcdic}. If you give @value{GDBN} the command @code{set
10613 target-charset EBCDIC-US}, then @value{GDBN} translates between
10614 @sc{ebcdic} and Latin 1 as you print character or string values, or use
10615 character and string literals in expressions.
10616
10617 @value{GDBN} has no way to automatically recognize which character set
10618 the inferior program uses; you must tell it, using the @code{set
10619 target-charset} command, described below.
10620
10621 Here are the commands for controlling @value{GDBN}'s character set
10622 support:
10623
10624 @table @code
10625 @item set target-charset @var{charset}
10626 @kindex set target-charset
10627 Set the current target character set to @var{charset}. To display the
10628 list of supported target character sets, type
10629 @kbd{@w{set target-charset @key{TAB}@key{TAB}}}.
10630
10631 @item set host-charset @var{charset}
10632 @kindex set host-charset
10633 Set the current host character set to @var{charset}.
10634
10635 By default, @value{GDBN} uses a host character set appropriate to the
10636 system it is running on; you can override that default using the
10637 @code{set host-charset} command. On some systems, @value{GDBN} cannot
10638 automatically determine the appropriate host character set. In this
10639 case, @value{GDBN} uses @samp{UTF-8}.
10640
10641 @value{GDBN} can only use certain character sets as its host character
10642 set. If you type @kbd{@w{set host-charset @key{TAB}@key{TAB}}},
10643 @value{GDBN} will list the host character sets it supports.
10644
10645 @item set charset @var{charset}
10646 @kindex set charset
10647 Set the current host and target character sets to @var{charset}. As
10648 above, if you type @kbd{@w{set charset @key{TAB}@key{TAB}}},
10649 @value{GDBN} will list the names of the character sets that can be used
10650 for both host and target.
10651
10652 @item show charset
10653 @kindex show charset
10654 Show the names of the current host and target character sets.
10655
10656 @item show host-charset
10657 @kindex show host-charset
10658 Show the name of the current host character set.
10659
10660 @item show target-charset
10661 @kindex show target-charset
10662 Show the name of the current target character set.
10663
10664 @item set target-wide-charset @var{charset}
10665 @kindex set target-wide-charset
10666 Set the current target's wide character set to @var{charset}. This is
10667 the character set used by the target's @code{wchar_t} type. To
10668 display the list of supported wide character sets, type
10669 @kbd{@w{set target-wide-charset @key{TAB}@key{TAB}}}.
10670
10671 @item show target-wide-charset
10672 @kindex show target-wide-charset
10673 Show the name of the current target's wide character set.
10674 @end table
10675
10676 Here is an example of @value{GDBN}'s character set support in action.
10677 Assume that the following source code has been placed in the file
10678 @file{charset-test.c}:
10679
10680 @smallexample
10681 #include <stdio.h>
10682
10683 char ascii_hello[]
10684 = @{72, 101, 108, 108, 111, 44, 32, 119,
10685 111, 114, 108, 100, 33, 10, 0@};
10686 char ibm1047_hello[]
10687 = @{200, 133, 147, 147, 150, 107, 64, 166,
10688 150, 153, 147, 132, 90, 37, 0@};
10689
10690 main ()
10691 @{
10692 printf ("Hello, world!\n");
10693 @}
10694 @end smallexample
10695
10696 In this program, @code{ascii_hello} and @code{ibm1047_hello} are arrays
10697 containing the string @samp{Hello, world!} followed by a newline,
10698 encoded in the @sc{ascii} and @sc{ibm1047} character sets.
10699
10700 We compile the program, and invoke the debugger on it:
10701
10702 @smallexample
10703 $ gcc -g charset-test.c -o charset-test
10704 $ gdb -nw charset-test
10705 GNU gdb 2001-12-19-cvs
10706 Copyright 2001 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
10707 @dots{}
10708 (@value{GDBP})
10709 @end smallexample
10710
10711 We can use the @code{show charset} command to see what character sets
10712 @value{GDBN} is currently using to interpret and display characters and
10713 strings:
10714
10715 @smallexample
10716 (@value{GDBP}) show charset
10717 The current host and target character set is `ISO-8859-1'.
10718 (@value{GDBP})
10719 @end smallexample
10720
10721 For the sake of printing this manual, let's use @sc{ascii} as our
10722 initial character set:
10723 @smallexample
10724 (@value{GDBP}) set charset ASCII
10725 (@value{GDBP}) show charset
10726 The current host and target character set is `ASCII'.
10727 (@value{GDBP})
10728 @end smallexample
10729
10730 Let's assume that @sc{ascii} is indeed the correct character set for our
10731 host system --- in other words, let's assume that if @value{GDBN} prints
10732 characters using the @sc{ascii} character set, our terminal will display
10733 them properly. Since our current target character set is also
10734 @sc{ascii}, the contents of @code{ascii_hello} print legibly:
10735
10736 @smallexample
10737 (@value{GDBP}) print ascii_hello
10738 $1 = 0x401698 "Hello, world!\n"
10739 (@value{GDBP}) print ascii_hello[0]
10740 $2 = 72 'H'
10741 (@value{GDBP})
10742 @end smallexample
10743
10744 @value{GDBN} uses the target character set for character and string
10745 literals you use in expressions:
10746
10747 @smallexample
10748 (@value{GDBP}) print '+'
10749 $3 = 43 '+'
10750 (@value{GDBP})
10751 @end smallexample
10752
10753 The @sc{ascii} character set uses the number 43 to encode the @samp{+}
10754 character.
10755
10756 @value{GDBN} relies on the user to tell it which character set the
10757 target program uses. If we print @code{ibm1047_hello} while our target
10758 character set is still @sc{ascii}, we get jibberish:
10759
10760 @smallexample
10761 (@value{GDBP}) print ibm1047_hello
10762 $4 = 0x4016a8 "\310\205\223\223\226k@@\246\226\231\223\204Z%"
10763 (@value{GDBP}) print ibm1047_hello[0]
10764 $5 = 200 '\310'
10765 (@value{GDBP})
10766 @end smallexample
10767
10768 If we invoke the @code{set target-charset} followed by @key{TAB}@key{TAB},
10769 @value{GDBN} tells us the character sets it supports:
10770
10771 @smallexample
10772 (@value{GDBP}) set target-charset
10773 ASCII EBCDIC-US IBM1047 ISO-8859-1
10774 (@value{GDBP}) set target-charset
10775 @end smallexample
10776
10777 We can select @sc{ibm1047} as our target character set, and examine the
10778 program's strings again. Now the @sc{ascii} string is wrong, but
10779 @value{GDBN} translates the contents of @code{ibm1047_hello} from the
10780 target character set, @sc{ibm1047}, to the host character set,
10781 @sc{ascii}, and they display correctly:
10782
10783 @smallexample
10784 (@value{GDBP}) set target-charset IBM1047
10785 (@value{GDBP}) show charset
10786 The current host character set is `ASCII'.
10787 The current target character set is `IBM1047'.
10788 (@value{GDBP}) print ascii_hello
10789 $6 = 0x401698 "\110\145%%?\054\040\167?\162%\144\041\012"
10790 (@value{GDBP}) print ascii_hello[0]
10791 $7 = 72 '\110'
10792 (@value{GDBP}) print ibm1047_hello
10793 $8 = 0x4016a8 "Hello, world!\n"
10794 (@value{GDBP}) print ibm1047_hello[0]
10795 $9 = 200 'H'
10796 (@value{GDBP})
10797 @end smallexample
10798
10799 As above, @value{GDBN} uses the target character set for character and
10800 string literals you use in expressions:
10801
10802 @smallexample
10803 (@value{GDBP}) print '+'
10804 $10 = 78 '+'
10805 (@value{GDBP})
10806 @end smallexample
10807
10808 The @sc{ibm1047} character set uses the number 78 to encode the @samp{+}
10809 character.
10810
10811 @node Caching Remote Data
10812 @section Caching Data of Remote Targets
10813 @cindex caching data of remote targets
10814
10815 @value{GDBN} caches data exchanged between the debugger and a
10816 remote target (@pxref{Remote Debugging}). Such caching generally improves
10817 performance, because it reduces the overhead of the remote protocol by
10818 bundling memory reads and writes into large chunks. Unfortunately, simply
10819 caching everything would lead to incorrect results, since @value{GDBN}
10820 does not necessarily know anything about volatile values, memory-mapped I/O
10821 addresses, etc. Furthermore, in non-stop mode (@pxref{Non-Stop Mode})
10822 memory can be changed @emph{while} a gdb command is executing.
10823 Therefore, by default, @value{GDBN} only caches data
10824 known to be on the stack@footnote{In non-stop mode, it is moderately
10825 rare for a running thread to modify the stack of a stopped thread
10826 in a way that would interfere with a backtrace, and caching of
10827 stack reads provides a significant speed up of remote backtraces.}.
10828 Other regions of memory can be explicitly marked as
10829 cacheable; see @pxref{Memory Region Attributes}.
10830
10831 @table @code
10832 @kindex set remotecache
10833 @item set remotecache on
10834 @itemx set remotecache off
10835 This option no longer does anything; it exists for compatibility
10836 with old scripts.
10837
10838 @kindex show remotecache
10839 @item show remotecache
10840 Show the current state of the obsolete remotecache flag.
10841
10842 @kindex set stack-cache
10843 @item set stack-cache on
10844 @itemx set stack-cache off
10845 Enable or disable caching of stack accesses. When @code{ON}, use
10846 caching. By default, this option is @code{ON}.
10847
10848 @kindex show stack-cache
10849 @item show stack-cache
10850 Show the current state of data caching for memory accesses.
10851
10852 @kindex info dcache
10853 @item info dcache @r{[}line@r{]}
10854 Print the information about the data cache performance. The
10855 information displayed includes the dcache width and depth, and for
10856 each cache line, its number, address, and how many times it was
10857 referenced. This command is useful for debugging the data cache
10858 operation.
10859
10860 If a line number is specified, the contents of that line will be
10861 printed in hex.
10862
10863 @item set dcache size @var{size}
10864 @cindex dcache size
10865 @kindex set dcache size
10866 Set maximum number of entries in dcache (dcache depth above).
10867
10868 @item set dcache line-size @var{line-size}
10869 @cindex dcache line-size
10870 @kindex set dcache line-size
10871 Set number of bytes each dcache entry caches (dcache width above).
10872 Must be a power of 2.
10873
10874 @item show dcache size
10875 @kindex show dcache size
10876 Show maximum number of dcache entries. See also @ref{Caching Remote Data, info dcache}.
10877
10878 @item show dcache line-size
10879 @kindex show dcache line-size
10880 Show default size of dcache lines. See also @ref{Caching Remote Data, info dcache}.
10881
10882 @end table
10883
10884 @node Searching Memory
10885 @section Search Memory
10886 @cindex searching memory
10887
10888 Memory can be searched for a particular sequence of bytes with the
10889 @code{find} command.
10890
10891 @table @code
10892 @kindex find
10893 @item find @r{[}/@var{sn}@r{]} @var{start_addr}, +@var{len}, @var{val1} @r{[}, @var{val2}, @dots{}@r{]}
10894 @itemx find @r{[}/@var{sn}@r{]} @var{start_addr}, @var{end_addr}, @var{val1} @r{[}, @var{val2}, @dots{}@r{]}
10895 Search memory for the sequence of bytes specified by @var{val1}, @var{val2},
10896 etc. The search begins at address @var{start_addr} and continues for either
10897 @var{len} bytes or through to @var{end_addr} inclusive.
10898 @end table
10899
10900 @var{s} and @var{n} are optional parameters.
10901 They may be specified in either order, apart or together.
10902
10903 @table @r
10904 @item @var{s}, search query size
10905 The size of each search query value.
10906
10907 @table @code
10908 @item b
10909 bytes
10910 @item h
10911 halfwords (two bytes)
10912 @item w
10913 words (four bytes)
10914 @item g
10915 giant words (eight bytes)
10916 @end table
10917
10918 All values are interpreted in the current language.
10919 This means, for example, that if the current source language is C/C@t{++}
10920 then searching for the string ``hello'' includes the trailing '\0'.
10921
10922 If the value size is not specified, it is taken from the
10923 value's type in the current language.
10924 This is useful when one wants to specify the search
10925 pattern as a mixture of types.
10926 Note that this means, for example, that in the case of C-like languages
10927 a search for an untyped 0x42 will search for @samp{(int) 0x42}
10928 which is typically four bytes.
10929
10930 @item @var{n}, maximum number of finds
10931 The maximum number of matches to print. The default is to print all finds.
10932 @end table
10933
10934 You can use strings as search values. Quote them with double-quotes
10935 (@code{"}).
10936 The string value is copied into the search pattern byte by byte,
10937 regardless of the endianness of the target and the size specification.
10938
10939 The address of each match found is printed as well as a count of the
10940 number of matches found.
10941
10942 The address of the last value found is stored in convenience variable
10943 @samp{$_}.
10944 A count of the number of matches is stored in @samp{$numfound}.
10945
10946 For example, if stopped at the @code{printf} in this function:
10947
10948 @smallexample
10949 void
10950 hello ()
10951 @{
10952 static char hello[] = "hello-hello";
10953 static struct @{ char c; short s; int i; @}
10954 __attribute__ ((packed)) mixed
10955 = @{ 'c', 0x1234, 0x87654321 @};
10956 printf ("%s\n", hello);
10957 @}
10958 @end smallexample
10959
10960 @noindent
10961 you get during debugging:
10962
10963 @smallexample
10964 (gdb) find &hello[0], +sizeof(hello), "hello"
10965 0x804956d <hello.1620+6>
10966 1 pattern found
10967 (gdb) find &hello[0], +sizeof(hello), 'h', 'e', 'l', 'l', 'o'
10968 0x8049567 <hello.1620>
10969 0x804956d <hello.1620+6>
10970 2 patterns found
10971 (gdb) find /b1 &hello[0], +sizeof(hello), 'h', 0x65, 'l'
10972 0x8049567 <hello.1620>
10973 1 pattern found
10974 (gdb) find &mixed, +sizeof(mixed), (char) 'c', (short) 0x1234, (int) 0x87654321
10975 0x8049560 <mixed.1625>
10976 1 pattern found
10977 (gdb) print $numfound
10978 $1 = 1
10979 (gdb) print $_
10980 $2 = (void *) 0x8049560
10981 @end smallexample
10982
10983 @node Optimized Code
10984 @chapter Debugging Optimized Code
10985 @cindex optimized code, debugging
10986 @cindex debugging optimized code
10987
10988 Almost all compilers support optimization. With optimization
10989 disabled, the compiler generates assembly code that corresponds
10990 directly to your source code, in a simplistic way. As the compiler
10991 applies more powerful optimizations, the generated assembly code
10992 diverges from your original source code. With help from debugging
10993 information generated by the compiler, @value{GDBN} can map from
10994 the running program back to constructs from your original source.
10995
10996 @value{GDBN} is more accurate with optimization disabled. If you
10997 can recompile without optimization, it is easier to follow the
10998 progress of your program during debugging. But, there are many cases
10999 where you may need to debug an optimized version.
11000
11001 When you debug a program compiled with @samp{-g -O}, remember that the
11002 optimizer has rearranged your code; the debugger shows you what is
11003 really there. Do not be too surprised when the execution path does not
11004 exactly match your source file! An extreme example: if you define a
11005 variable, but never use it, @value{GDBN} never sees that
11006 variable---because the compiler optimizes it out of existence.
11007
11008 Some things do not work as well with @samp{-g -O} as with just
11009 @samp{-g}, particularly on machines with instruction scheduling. If in
11010 doubt, recompile with @samp{-g} alone, and if this fixes the problem,
11011 please report it to us as a bug (including a test case!).
11012 @xref{Variables}, for more information about debugging optimized code.
11013
11014 @menu
11015 * Inline Functions:: How @value{GDBN} presents inlining
11016 * Tail Call Frames:: @value{GDBN} analysis of jumps to functions
11017 @end menu
11018
11019 @node Inline Functions
11020 @section Inline Functions
11021 @cindex inline functions, debugging
11022
11023 @dfn{Inlining} is an optimization that inserts a copy of the function
11024 body directly at each call site, instead of jumping to a shared
11025 routine. @value{GDBN} displays inlined functions just like
11026 non-inlined functions. They appear in backtraces. You can view their
11027 arguments and local variables, step into them with @code{step}, skip
11028 them with @code{next}, and escape from them with @code{finish}.
11029 You can check whether a function was inlined by using the
11030 @code{info frame} command.
11031
11032 For @value{GDBN} to support inlined functions, the compiler must
11033 record information about inlining in the debug information ---
11034 @value{NGCC} using the @sc{dwarf 2} format does this, and several
11035 other compilers do also. @value{GDBN} only supports inlined functions
11036 when using @sc{dwarf 2}. Versions of @value{NGCC} before 4.1
11037 do not emit two required attributes (@samp{DW_AT_call_file} and
11038 @samp{DW_AT_call_line}); @value{GDBN} does not display inlined
11039 function calls with earlier versions of @value{NGCC}. It instead
11040 displays the arguments and local variables of inlined functions as
11041 local variables in the caller.
11042
11043 The body of an inlined function is directly included at its call site;
11044 unlike a non-inlined function, there are no instructions devoted to
11045 the call. @value{GDBN} still pretends that the call site and the
11046 start of the inlined function are different instructions. Stepping to
11047 the call site shows the call site, and then stepping again shows
11048 the first line of the inlined function, even though no additional
11049 instructions are executed.
11050
11051 This makes source-level debugging much clearer; you can see both the
11052 context of the call and then the effect of the call. Only stepping by
11053 a single instruction using @code{stepi} or @code{nexti} does not do
11054 this; single instruction steps always show the inlined body.
11055
11056 There are some ways that @value{GDBN} does not pretend that inlined
11057 function calls are the same as normal calls:
11058
11059 @itemize @bullet
11060 @item
11061 Setting breakpoints at the call site of an inlined function may not
11062 work, because the call site does not contain any code. @value{GDBN}
11063 may incorrectly move the breakpoint to the next line of the enclosing
11064 function, after the call. This limitation will be removed in a future
11065 version of @value{GDBN}; until then, set a breakpoint on an earlier line
11066 or inside the inlined function instead.
11067
11068 @item
11069 @value{GDBN} cannot locate the return value of inlined calls after
11070 using the @code{finish} command. This is a limitation of compiler-generated
11071 debugging information; after @code{finish}, you can step to the next line
11072 and print a variable where your program stored the return value.
11073
11074 @end itemize
11075
11076 @node Tail Call Frames
11077 @section Tail Call Frames
11078 @cindex tail call frames, debugging
11079
11080 Function @code{B} can call function @code{C} in its very last statement. In
11081 unoptimized compilation the call of @code{C} is immediately followed by return
11082 instruction at the end of @code{B} code. Optimizing compiler may replace the
11083 call and return in function @code{B} into one jump to function @code{C}
11084 instead. Such use of a jump instruction is called @dfn{tail call}.
11085
11086 During execution of function @code{C}, there will be no indication in the
11087 function call stack frames that it was tail-called from @code{B}. If function
11088 @code{A} regularly calls function @code{B} which tail-calls function @code{C},
11089 then @value{GDBN} will see @code{A} as the caller of @code{C}. However, in
11090 some cases @value{GDBN} can determine that @code{C} was tail-called from
11091 @code{B}, and it will then create fictitious call frame for that, with the
11092 return address set up as if @code{B} called @code{C} normally.
11093
11094 This functionality is currently supported only by DWARF 2 debugging format and
11095 the compiler has to produce @samp{DW_TAG_GNU_call_site} tags. With
11096 @value{NGCC}, you need to specify @option{-O -g} during compilation, to get
11097 this information.
11098
11099 @kbd{info frame} command (@pxref{Frame Info}) will indicate the tail call frame
11100 kind by text @code{tail call frame} such as in this sample @value{GDBN} output:
11101
11102 @smallexample
11103 (gdb) x/i $pc - 2
11104 0x40066b <b(int, double)+11>: jmp 0x400640 <c(int, double)>
11105 (gdb) info frame
11106 Stack level 1, frame at 0x7fffffffda30:
11107 rip = 0x40066d in b (amd64-entry-value.cc:59); saved rip 0x4004c5
11108 tail call frame, caller of frame at 0x7fffffffda30
11109 source language c++.
11110 Arglist at unknown address.
11111 Locals at unknown address, Previous frame's sp is 0x7fffffffda30
11112 @end smallexample
11113
11114 The detection of all the possible code path executions can find them ambiguous.
11115 There is no execution history stored (possible @ref{Reverse Execution} is never
11116 used for this purpose) and the last known caller could have reached the known
11117 callee by multiple different jump sequences. In such case @value{GDBN} still
11118 tries to show at least all the unambiguous top tail callers and all the
11119 unambiguous bottom tail calees, if any.
11120
11121 @table @code
11122 @anchor{set debug entry-values}
11123 @item set debug entry-values
11124 @kindex set debug entry-values
11125 When set to on, enables printing of analysis messages for both frame argument
11126 values at function entry and tail calls. It will show all the possible valid
11127 tail calls code paths it has considered. It will also print the intersection
11128 of them with the final unambiguous (possibly partial or even empty) code path
11129 result.
11130
11131 @item show debug entry-values
11132 @kindex show debug entry-values
11133 Show the current state of analysis messages printing for both frame argument
11134 values at function entry and tail calls.
11135 @end table
11136
11137 The analysis messages for tail calls can for example show why the virtual tail
11138 call frame for function @code{c} has not been recognized (due to the indirect
11139 reference by variable @code{x}):
11140
11141 @smallexample
11142 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) c (void);
11143 void (*x) (void) = c;
11144 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) a (void) @{ x++; @}
11145 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) c (void) @{ a (); @}
11146 int main (void) @{ x (); return 0; @}
11147
11148 Breakpoint 1, DW_OP_GNU_entry_value resolving cannot find
11149 DW_TAG_GNU_call_site 0x40039a in main
11150 a () at t.c:3
11151 3 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) a (void) @{ x++; @}
11152 (gdb) bt
11153 #0 a () at t.c:3
11154 #1 0x000000000040039a in main () at t.c:5
11155 @end smallexample
11156
11157 Another possibility is an ambiguous virtual tail call frames resolution:
11158
11159 @smallexample
11160 int i;
11161 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) f (void) @{ i++; @}
11162 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) e (void) @{ f (); @}
11163 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) d (void) @{ f (); @}
11164 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) c (void) @{ d (); @}
11165 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) b (void)
11166 @{ if (i) c (); else e (); @}
11167 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) a (void) @{ b (); @}
11168 int main (void) @{ a (); return 0; @}
11169
11170 tailcall: initial: 0x4004d2(a) 0x4004ce(b) 0x4004b2(c) 0x4004a2(d)
11171 tailcall: compare: 0x4004d2(a) 0x4004cc(b) 0x400492(e)
11172 tailcall: reduced: 0x4004d2(a) |
11173 (gdb) bt
11174 #0 f () at t.c:2
11175 #1 0x00000000004004d2 in a () at t.c:8
11176 #2 0x0000000000400395 in main () at t.c:9
11177 @end smallexample
11178
11179 @set CALLSEQ1A @code{main@value{ARROW}a@value{ARROW}b@value{ARROW}c@value{ARROW}d@value{ARROW}f}
11180 @set CALLSEQ2A @code{main@value{ARROW}a@value{ARROW}b@value{ARROW}e@value{ARROW}f}
11181
11182 @c Convert CALLSEQ#A to CALLSEQ#B depending on HAVE_MAKEINFO_CLICK.
11183 @ifset HAVE_MAKEINFO_CLICK
11184 @set ARROW @click{}
11185 @set CALLSEQ1B @clicksequence{@value{CALLSEQ1A}}
11186 @set CALLSEQ2B @clicksequence{@value{CALLSEQ2A}}
11187 @end ifset
11188 @ifclear HAVE_MAKEINFO_CLICK
11189 @set ARROW ->
11190 @set CALLSEQ1B @value{CALLSEQ1A}
11191 @set CALLSEQ2B @value{CALLSEQ2A}
11192 @end ifclear
11193
11194 Frames #0 and #2 are real, #1 is a virtual tail call frame.
11195 The code can have possible execution paths @value{CALLSEQ1B} or
11196 @value{CALLSEQ2B}, @value{GDBN} cannot find which one from the inferior state.
11197
11198 @code{initial:} state shows some random possible calling sequence @value{GDBN}
11199 has found. It then finds another possible calling sequcen - that one is
11200 prefixed by @code{compare:}. The non-ambiguous intersection of these two is
11201 printed as the @code{reduced:} calling sequence. That one could have many
11202 futher @code{compare:} and @code{reduced:} statements as long as there remain
11203 any non-ambiguous sequence entries.
11204
11205 For the frame of function @code{b} in both cases there are different possible
11206 @code{$pc} values (@code{0x4004cc} or @code{0x4004ce}), therefore this frame is
11207 also ambigous. The only non-ambiguous frame is the one for function @code{a},
11208 therefore this one is displayed to the user while the ambiguous frames are
11209 omitted.
11210
11211 There can be also reasons why printing of frame argument values at function
11212 entry may fail:
11213
11214 @smallexample
11215 int v;
11216 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) c (int i) @{ v++; @}
11217 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) a (int i);
11218 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) b (int i) @{ a (i); @}
11219 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) a (int i)
11220 @{ if (i) b (i - 1); else c (0); @}
11221 int main (void) @{ a (5); return 0; @}
11222
11223 (gdb) bt
11224 #0 c (i=i@@entry=0) at t.c:2
11225 #1 0x0000000000400428 in a (DW_OP_GNU_entry_value resolving has found
11226 function "a" at 0x400420 can call itself via tail calls
11227 i=<optimized out>) at t.c:6
11228 #2 0x000000000040036e in main () at t.c:7
11229 @end smallexample
11230
11231 @value{GDBN} cannot find out from the inferior state if and how many times did
11232 function @code{a} call itself (via function @code{b}) as these calls would be
11233 tail calls. Such tail calls would modify thue @code{i} variable, therefore
11234 @value{GDBN} cannot be sure the value it knows would be right - @value{GDBN}
11235 prints @code{<optimized out>} instead.
11236
11237 @node Macros
11238 @chapter C Preprocessor Macros
11239
11240 Some languages, such as C and C@t{++}, provide a way to define and invoke
11241 ``preprocessor macros'' which expand into strings of tokens.
11242 @value{GDBN} can evaluate expressions containing macro invocations, show
11243 the result of macro expansion, and show a macro's definition, including
11244 where it was defined.
11245
11246 You may need to compile your program specially to provide @value{GDBN}
11247 with information about preprocessor macros. Most compilers do not
11248 include macros in their debugging information, even when you compile
11249 with the @option{-g} flag. @xref{Compilation}.
11250
11251 A program may define a macro at one point, remove that definition later,
11252 and then provide a different definition after that. Thus, at different
11253 points in the program, a macro may have different definitions, or have
11254 no definition at all. If there is a current stack frame, @value{GDBN}
11255 uses the macros in scope at that frame's source code line. Otherwise,
11256 @value{GDBN} uses the macros in scope at the current listing location;
11257 see @ref{List}.
11258
11259 Whenever @value{GDBN} evaluates an expression, it always expands any
11260 macro invocations present in the expression. @value{GDBN} also provides
11261 the following commands for working with macros explicitly.
11262
11263 @table @code
11264
11265 @kindex macro expand
11266 @cindex macro expansion, showing the results of preprocessor
11267 @cindex preprocessor macro expansion, showing the results of
11268 @cindex expanding preprocessor macros
11269 @item macro expand @var{expression}
11270 @itemx macro exp @var{expression}
11271 Show the results of expanding all preprocessor macro invocations in
11272 @var{expression}. Since @value{GDBN} simply expands macros, but does
11273 not parse the result, @var{expression} need not be a valid expression;
11274 it can be any string of tokens.
11275
11276 @kindex macro exp1
11277 @item macro expand-once @var{expression}
11278 @itemx macro exp1 @var{expression}
11279 @cindex expand macro once
11280 @i{(This command is not yet implemented.)} Show the results of
11281 expanding those preprocessor macro invocations that appear explicitly in
11282 @var{expression}. Macro invocations appearing in that expansion are
11283 left unchanged. This command allows you to see the effect of a
11284 particular macro more clearly, without being confused by further
11285 expansions. Since @value{GDBN} simply expands macros, but does not
11286 parse the result, @var{expression} need not be a valid expression; it
11287 can be any string of tokens.
11288
11289 @kindex info macro
11290 @cindex macro definition, showing
11291 @cindex definition of a macro, showing
11292 @cindex macros, from debug info
11293 @item info macro [-a|-all] [--] @var{macro}
11294 Show the current definition or all definitions of the named @var{macro},
11295 and describe the source location or compiler command-line where that
11296 definition was established. The optional double dash is to signify the end of
11297 argument processing and the beginning of @var{macro} for non C-like macros where
11298 the macro may begin with a hyphen.
11299
11300 @kindex info macros
11301 @item info macros @var{linespec}
11302 Show all macro definitions that are in effect at the location specified
11303 by @var{linespec}, and describe the source location or compiler
11304 command-line where those definitions were established.
11305
11306 @kindex macro define
11307 @cindex user-defined macros
11308 @cindex defining macros interactively
11309 @cindex macros, user-defined
11310 @item macro define @var{macro} @var{replacement-list}
11311 @itemx macro define @var{macro}(@var{arglist}) @var{replacement-list}
11312 Introduce a definition for a preprocessor macro named @var{macro},
11313 invocations of which are replaced by the tokens given in
11314 @var{replacement-list}. The first form of this command defines an
11315 ``object-like'' macro, which takes no arguments; the second form
11316 defines a ``function-like'' macro, which takes the arguments given in
11317 @var{arglist}.
11318
11319 A definition introduced by this command is in scope in every
11320 expression evaluated in @value{GDBN}, until it is removed with the
11321 @code{macro undef} command, described below. The definition overrides
11322 all definitions for @var{macro} present in the program being debugged,
11323 as well as any previous user-supplied definition.
11324
11325 @kindex macro undef
11326 @item macro undef @var{macro}
11327 Remove any user-supplied definition for the macro named @var{macro}.
11328 This command only affects definitions provided with the @code{macro
11329 define} command, described above; it cannot remove definitions present
11330 in the program being debugged.
11331
11332 @kindex macro list
11333 @item macro list
11334 List all the macros defined using the @code{macro define} command.
11335 @end table
11336
11337 @cindex macros, example of debugging with
11338 Here is a transcript showing the above commands in action. First, we
11339 show our source files:
11340
11341 @smallexample
11342 $ cat sample.c
11343 #include <stdio.h>
11344 #include "sample.h"
11345
11346 #define M 42
11347 #define ADD(x) (M + x)
11348
11349 main ()
11350 @{
11351 #define N 28
11352 printf ("Hello, world!\n");
11353 #undef N
11354 printf ("We're so creative.\n");
11355 #define N 1729
11356 printf ("Goodbye, world!\n");
11357 @}
11358 $ cat sample.h
11359 #define Q <
11360 $
11361 @end smallexample
11362
11363 Now, we compile the program using the @sc{gnu} C compiler,
11364 @value{NGCC}. We pass the @option{-gdwarf-2}@footnote{This is the
11365 minimum. Recent versions of @value{NGCC} support @option{-gdwarf-3}
11366 and @option{-gdwarf-4}; we recommend always choosing the most recent
11367 version of DWARF.} @emph{and} @option{-g3} flags to ensure the compiler
11368 includes information about preprocessor macros in the debugging
11369 information.
11370
11371 @smallexample
11372 $ gcc -gdwarf-2 -g3 sample.c -o sample
11373 $
11374 @end smallexample
11375
11376 Now, we start @value{GDBN} on our sample program:
11377
11378 @smallexample
11379 $ gdb -nw sample
11380 GNU gdb 2002-05-06-cvs
11381 Copyright 2002 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
11382 GDB is free software, @dots{}
11383 (@value{GDBP})
11384 @end smallexample
11385
11386 We can expand macros and examine their definitions, even when the
11387 program is not running. @value{GDBN} uses the current listing position
11388 to decide which macro definitions are in scope:
11389
11390 @smallexample
11391 (@value{GDBP}) list main
11392 3
11393 4 #define M 42
11394 5 #define ADD(x) (M + x)
11395 6
11396 7 main ()
11397 8 @{
11398 9 #define N 28
11399 10 printf ("Hello, world!\n");
11400 11 #undef N
11401 12 printf ("We're so creative.\n");
11402 (@value{GDBP}) info macro ADD
11403 Defined at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:5
11404 #define ADD(x) (M + x)
11405 (@value{GDBP}) info macro Q
11406 Defined at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.h:1
11407 included at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:2
11408 #define Q <
11409 (@value{GDBP}) macro expand ADD(1)
11410 expands to: (42 + 1)
11411 (@value{GDBP}) macro expand-once ADD(1)
11412 expands to: once (M + 1)
11413 (@value{GDBP})
11414 @end smallexample
11415
11416 In the example above, note that @code{macro expand-once} expands only
11417 the macro invocation explicit in the original text --- the invocation of
11418 @code{ADD} --- but does not expand the invocation of the macro @code{M},
11419 which was introduced by @code{ADD}.
11420
11421 Once the program is running, @value{GDBN} uses the macro definitions in
11422 force at the source line of the current stack frame:
11423
11424 @smallexample
11425 (@value{GDBP}) break main
11426 Breakpoint 1 at 0x8048370: file sample.c, line 10.
11427 (@value{GDBP}) run
11428 Starting program: /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample
11429
11430 Breakpoint 1, main () at sample.c:10
11431 10 printf ("Hello, world!\n");
11432 (@value{GDBP})
11433 @end smallexample
11434
11435 At line 10, the definition of the macro @code{N} at line 9 is in force:
11436
11437 @smallexample
11438 (@value{GDBP}) info macro N
11439 Defined at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:9
11440 #define N 28
11441 (@value{GDBP}) macro expand N Q M
11442 expands to: 28 < 42
11443 (@value{GDBP}) print N Q M
11444 $1 = 1
11445 (@value{GDBP})
11446 @end smallexample
11447
11448 As we step over directives that remove @code{N}'s definition, and then
11449 give it a new definition, @value{GDBN} finds the definition (or lack
11450 thereof) in force at each point:
11451
11452 @smallexample
11453 (@value{GDBP}) next
11454 Hello, world!
11455 12 printf ("We're so creative.\n");
11456 (@value{GDBP}) info macro N
11457 The symbol `N' has no definition as a C/C++ preprocessor macro
11458 at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:12
11459 (@value{GDBP}) next
11460 We're so creative.
11461 14 printf ("Goodbye, world!\n");
11462 (@value{GDBP}) info macro N
11463 Defined at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:13
11464 #define N 1729
11465 (@value{GDBP}) macro expand N Q M
11466 expands to: 1729 < 42
11467 (@value{GDBP}) print N Q M
11468 $2 = 0
11469 (@value{GDBP})
11470 @end smallexample
11471
11472 In addition to source files, macros can be defined on the compilation command
11473 line using the @option{-D@var{name}=@var{value}} syntax. For macros defined in
11474 such a way, @value{GDBN} displays the location of their definition as line zero
11475 of the source file submitted to the compiler.
11476
11477 @smallexample
11478 (@value{GDBP}) info macro __STDC__
11479 Defined at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:0
11480 -D__STDC__=1
11481 (@value{GDBP})
11482 @end smallexample
11483
11484
11485 @node Tracepoints
11486 @chapter Tracepoints
11487 @c This chapter is based on the documentation written by Michael
11488 @c Snyder, David Taylor, Jim Blandy, and Elena Zannoni.
11489
11490 @cindex tracepoints
11491 In some applications, it is not feasible for the debugger to interrupt
11492 the program's execution long enough for the developer to learn
11493 anything helpful about its behavior. If the program's correctness
11494 depends on its real-time behavior, delays introduced by a debugger
11495 might cause the program to change its behavior drastically, or perhaps
11496 fail, even when the code itself is correct. It is useful to be able
11497 to observe the program's behavior without interrupting it.
11498
11499 Using @value{GDBN}'s @code{trace} and @code{collect} commands, you can
11500 specify locations in the program, called @dfn{tracepoints}, and
11501 arbitrary expressions to evaluate when those tracepoints are reached.
11502 Later, using the @code{tfind} command, you can examine the values
11503 those expressions had when the program hit the tracepoints. The
11504 expressions may also denote objects in memory---structures or arrays,
11505 for example---whose values @value{GDBN} should record; while visiting
11506 a particular tracepoint, you may inspect those objects as if they were
11507 in memory at that moment. However, because @value{GDBN} records these
11508 values without interacting with you, it can do so quickly and
11509 unobtrusively, hopefully not disturbing the program's behavior.
11510
11511 The tracepoint facility is currently available only for remote
11512 targets. @xref{Targets}. In addition, your remote target must know
11513 how to collect trace data. This functionality is implemented in the
11514 remote stub; however, none of the stubs distributed with @value{GDBN}
11515 support tracepoints as of this writing. The format of the remote
11516 packets used to implement tracepoints are described in @ref{Tracepoint
11517 Packets}.
11518
11519 It is also possible to get trace data from a file, in a manner reminiscent
11520 of corefiles; you specify the filename, and use @code{tfind} to search
11521 through the file. @xref{Trace Files}, for more details.
11522
11523 This chapter describes the tracepoint commands and features.
11524
11525 @menu
11526 * Set Tracepoints::
11527 * Analyze Collected Data::
11528 * Tracepoint Variables::
11529 * Trace Files::
11530 @end menu
11531
11532 @node Set Tracepoints
11533 @section Commands to Set Tracepoints
11534
11535 Before running such a @dfn{trace experiment}, an arbitrary number of
11536 tracepoints can be set. A tracepoint is actually a special type of
11537 breakpoint (@pxref{Set Breaks}), so you can manipulate it using
11538 standard breakpoint commands. For instance, as with breakpoints,
11539 tracepoint numbers are successive integers starting from one, and many
11540 of the commands associated with tracepoints take the tracepoint number
11541 as their argument, to identify which tracepoint to work on.
11542
11543 For each tracepoint, you can specify, in advance, some arbitrary set
11544 of data that you want the target to collect in the trace buffer when
11545 it hits that tracepoint. The collected data can include registers,
11546 local variables, or global data. Later, you can use @value{GDBN}
11547 commands to examine the values these data had at the time the
11548 tracepoint was hit.
11549
11550 Tracepoints do not support every breakpoint feature. Ignore counts on
11551 tracepoints have no effect, and tracepoints cannot run @value{GDBN}
11552 commands when they are hit. Tracepoints may not be thread-specific
11553 either.
11554
11555 @cindex fast tracepoints
11556 Some targets may support @dfn{fast tracepoints}, which are inserted in
11557 a different way (such as with a jump instead of a trap), that is
11558 faster but possibly restricted in where they may be installed.
11559
11560 @cindex static tracepoints
11561 @cindex markers, static tracepoints
11562 @cindex probing markers, static tracepoints
11563 Regular and fast tracepoints are dynamic tracing facilities, meaning
11564 that they can be used to insert tracepoints at (almost) any location
11565 in the target. Some targets may also support controlling @dfn{static
11566 tracepoints} from @value{GDBN}. With static tracing, a set of
11567 instrumentation points, also known as @dfn{markers}, are embedded in
11568 the target program, and can be activated or deactivated by name or
11569 address. These are usually placed at locations which facilitate
11570 investigating what the target is actually doing. @value{GDBN}'s
11571 support for static tracing includes being able to list instrumentation
11572 points, and attach them with @value{GDBN} defined high level
11573 tracepoints that expose the whole range of convenience of
11574 @value{GDBN}'s tracepoints support. Namely, support for collecting
11575 registers values and values of global or local (to the instrumentation
11576 point) variables; tracepoint conditions and trace state variables.
11577 The act of installing a @value{GDBN} static tracepoint on an
11578 instrumentation point, or marker, is referred to as @dfn{probing} a
11579 static tracepoint marker.
11580
11581 @code{gdbserver} supports tracepoints on some target systems.
11582 @xref{Server,,Tracepoints support in @code{gdbserver}}.
11583
11584 This section describes commands to set tracepoints and associated
11585 conditions and actions.
11586
11587 @menu
11588 * Create and Delete Tracepoints::
11589 * Enable and Disable Tracepoints::
11590 * Tracepoint Passcounts::
11591 * Tracepoint Conditions::
11592 * Trace State Variables::
11593 * Tracepoint Actions::
11594 * Listing Tracepoints::
11595 * Listing Static Tracepoint Markers::
11596 * Starting and Stopping Trace Experiments::
11597 * Tracepoint Restrictions::
11598 @end menu
11599
11600 @node Create and Delete Tracepoints
11601 @subsection Create and Delete Tracepoints
11602
11603 @table @code
11604 @cindex set tracepoint
11605 @kindex trace
11606 @item trace @var{location}
11607 The @code{trace} command is very similar to the @code{break} command.
11608 Its argument @var{location} can be a source line, a function name, or
11609 an address in the target program. @xref{Specify Location}. The
11610 @code{trace} command defines a tracepoint, which is a point in the
11611 target program where the debugger will briefly stop, collect some
11612 data, and then allow the program to continue. Setting a tracepoint or
11613 changing its actions takes effect immediately if the remote stub
11614 supports the @samp{InstallInTrace} feature (@pxref{install tracepoint
11615 in tracing}).
11616 If remote stub doesn't support the @samp{InstallInTrace} feature, all
11617 these changes don't take effect until the next @code{tstart}
11618 command, and once a trace experiment is running, further changes will
11619 not have any effect until the next trace experiment starts. In addition,
11620 @value{GDBN} supports @dfn{pending tracepoints}---tracepoints whose
11621 address is not yet resolved. (This is similar to pending breakpoints.)
11622 Pending tracepoints are not downloaded to the target and not installed
11623 until they are resolved. The resolution of pending tracepoints requires
11624 @value{GDBN} support---when debugging with the remote target, and
11625 @value{GDBN} disconnects from the remote stub (@pxref{disconnected
11626 tracing}), pending tracepoints can not be resolved (and downloaded to
11627 the remote stub) while @value{GDBN} is disconnected.
11628
11629 Here are some examples of using the @code{trace} command:
11630
11631 @smallexample
11632 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace foo.c:121} // a source file and line number
11633
11634 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace +2} // 2 lines forward
11635
11636 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace my_function} // first source line of function
11637
11638 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace *my_function} // EXACT start address of function
11639
11640 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace *0x2117c4} // an address
11641 @end smallexample
11642
11643 @noindent
11644 You can abbreviate @code{trace} as @code{tr}.
11645
11646 @item trace @var{location} if @var{cond}
11647 Set a tracepoint with condition @var{cond}; evaluate the expression
11648 @var{cond} each time the tracepoint is reached, and collect data only
11649 if the value is nonzero---that is, if @var{cond} evaluates as true.
11650 @xref{Tracepoint Conditions, ,Tracepoint Conditions}, for more
11651 information on tracepoint conditions.
11652
11653 @item ftrace @var{location} [ if @var{cond} ]
11654 @cindex set fast tracepoint
11655 @cindex fast tracepoints, setting
11656 @kindex ftrace
11657 The @code{ftrace} command sets a fast tracepoint. For targets that
11658 support them, fast tracepoints will use a more efficient but possibly
11659 less general technique to trigger data collection, such as a jump
11660 instruction instead of a trap, or some sort of hardware support. It
11661 may not be possible to create a fast tracepoint at the desired
11662 location, in which case the command will exit with an explanatory
11663 message.
11664
11665 @value{GDBN} handles arguments to @code{ftrace} exactly as for
11666 @code{trace}.
11667
11668 On 32-bit x86-architecture systems, fast tracepoints normally need to
11669 be placed at an instruction that is 5 bytes or longer, but can be
11670 placed at 4-byte instructions if the low 64K of memory of the target
11671 program is available to install trampolines. Some Unix-type systems,
11672 such as @sc{gnu}/Linux, exclude low addresses from the program's
11673 address space; but for instance with the Linux kernel it is possible
11674 to let @value{GDBN} use this area by doing a @command{sysctl} command
11675 to set the @code{mmap_min_addr} kernel parameter, as in
11676
11677 @example
11678 sudo sysctl -w vm.mmap_min_addr=32768
11679 @end example
11680
11681 @noindent
11682 which sets the low address to 32K, which leaves plenty of room for
11683 trampolines. The minimum address should be set to a page boundary.
11684
11685 @item strace @var{location} [ if @var{cond} ]
11686 @cindex set static tracepoint
11687 @cindex static tracepoints, setting
11688 @cindex probe static tracepoint marker
11689 @kindex strace
11690 The @code{strace} command sets a static tracepoint. For targets that
11691 support it, setting a static tracepoint probes a static
11692 instrumentation point, or marker, found at @var{location}. It may not
11693 be possible to set a static tracepoint at the desired location, in
11694 which case the command will exit with an explanatory message.
11695
11696 @value{GDBN} handles arguments to @code{strace} exactly as for
11697 @code{trace}, with the addition that the user can also specify
11698 @code{-m @var{marker}} as @var{location}. This probes the marker
11699 identified by the @var{marker} string identifier. This identifier
11700 depends on the static tracepoint backend library your program is
11701 using. You can find all the marker identifiers in the @samp{ID} field
11702 of the @code{info static-tracepoint-markers} command output.
11703 @xref{Listing Static Tracepoint Markers,,Listing Static Tracepoint
11704 Markers}. For example, in the following small program using the UST
11705 tracing engine:
11706
11707 @smallexample
11708 main ()
11709 @{
11710 trace_mark(ust, bar33, "str %s", "FOOBAZ");
11711 @}
11712 @end smallexample
11713
11714 @noindent
11715 the marker id is composed of joining the first two arguments to the
11716 @code{trace_mark} call with a slash, which translates to:
11717
11718 @smallexample
11719 (@value{GDBP}) info static-tracepoint-markers
11720 Cnt Enb ID Address What
11721 1 n ust/bar33 0x0000000000400ddc in main at stexample.c:22
11722 Data: "str %s"
11723 [etc...]
11724 @end smallexample
11725
11726 @noindent
11727 so you may probe the marker above with:
11728
11729 @smallexample
11730 (@value{GDBP}) strace -m ust/bar33
11731 @end smallexample
11732
11733 Static tracepoints accept an extra collect action --- @code{collect
11734 $_sdata}. This collects arbitrary user data passed in the probe point
11735 call to the tracing library. In the UST example above, you'll see
11736 that the third argument to @code{trace_mark} is a printf-like format
11737 string. The user data is then the result of running that formating
11738 string against the following arguments. Note that @code{info
11739 static-tracepoint-markers} command output lists that format string in
11740 the @samp{Data:} field.
11741
11742 You can inspect this data when analyzing the trace buffer, by printing
11743 the $_sdata variable like any other variable available to
11744 @value{GDBN}. @xref{Tracepoint Actions,,Tracepoint Action Lists}.
11745
11746 @vindex $tpnum
11747 @cindex last tracepoint number
11748 @cindex recent tracepoint number
11749 @cindex tracepoint number
11750 The convenience variable @code{$tpnum} records the tracepoint number
11751 of the most recently set tracepoint.
11752
11753 @kindex delete tracepoint
11754 @cindex tracepoint deletion
11755 @item delete tracepoint @r{[}@var{num}@r{]}
11756 Permanently delete one or more tracepoints. With no argument, the
11757 default is to delete all tracepoints. Note that the regular
11758 @code{delete} command can remove tracepoints also.
11759
11760 Examples:
11761
11762 @smallexample
11763 (@value{GDBP}) @b{delete trace 1 2 3} // remove three tracepoints
11764
11765 (@value{GDBP}) @b{delete trace} // remove all tracepoints
11766 @end smallexample
11767
11768 @noindent
11769 You can abbreviate this command as @code{del tr}.
11770 @end table
11771
11772 @node Enable and Disable Tracepoints
11773 @subsection Enable and Disable Tracepoints
11774
11775 These commands are deprecated; they are equivalent to plain @code{disable} and @code{enable}.
11776
11777 @table @code
11778 @kindex disable tracepoint
11779 @item disable tracepoint @r{[}@var{num}@r{]}
11780 Disable tracepoint @var{num}, or all tracepoints if no argument
11781 @var{num} is given. A disabled tracepoint will have no effect during
11782 a trace experiment, but it is not forgotten. You can re-enable
11783 a disabled tracepoint using the @code{enable tracepoint} command.
11784 If the command is issued during a trace experiment and the debug target
11785 has support for disabling tracepoints during a trace experiment, then the
11786 change will be effective immediately. Otherwise, it will be applied to the
11787 next trace experiment.
11788
11789 @kindex enable tracepoint
11790 @item enable tracepoint @r{[}@var{num}@r{]}
11791 Enable tracepoint @var{num}, or all tracepoints. If this command is
11792 issued during a trace experiment and the debug target supports enabling
11793 tracepoints during a trace experiment, then the enabled tracepoints will
11794 become effective immediately. Otherwise, they will become effective the
11795 next time a trace experiment is run.
11796 @end table
11797
11798 @node Tracepoint Passcounts
11799 @subsection Tracepoint Passcounts
11800
11801 @table @code
11802 @kindex passcount
11803 @cindex tracepoint pass count
11804 @item passcount @r{[}@var{n} @r{[}@var{num}@r{]]}
11805 Set the @dfn{passcount} of a tracepoint. The passcount is a way to
11806 automatically stop a trace experiment. If a tracepoint's passcount is
11807 @var{n}, then the trace experiment will be automatically stopped on
11808 the @var{n}'th time that tracepoint is hit. If the tracepoint number
11809 @var{num} is not specified, the @code{passcount} command sets the
11810 passcount of the most recently defined tracepoint. If no passcount is
11811 given, the trace experiment will run until stopped explicitly by the
11812 user.
11813
11814 Examples:
11815
11816 @smallexample
11817 (@value{GDBP}) @b{passcount 5 2} // Stop on the 5th execution of
11818 @exdent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @code{// tracepoint 2}
11819
11820 (@value{GDBP}) @b{passcount 12} // Stop on the 12th execution of the
11821 @exdent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @code{// most recently defined tracepoint.}
11822 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace foo}
11823 (@value{GDBP}) @b{pass 3}
11824 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace bar}
11825 (@value{GDBP}) @b{pass 2}
11826 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace baz}
11827 (@value{GDBP}) @b{pass 1} // Stop tracing when foo has been
11828 @exdent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @code{// executed 3 times OR when bar has}
11829 @exdent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @code{// been executed 2 times}
11830 @exdent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @code{// OR when baz has been executed 1 time.}
11831 @end smallexample
11832 @end table
11833
11834 @node Tracepoint Conditions
11835 @subsection Tracepoint Conditions
11836 @cindex conditional tracepoints
11837 @cindex tracepoint conditions
11838
11839 The simplest sort of tracepoint collects data every time your program
11840 reaches a specified place. You can also specify a @dfn{condition} for
11841 a tracepoint. A condition is just a Boolean expression in your
11842 programming language (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}). A
11843 tracepoint with a condition evaluates the expression each time your
11844 program reaches it, and data collection happens only if the condition
11845 is true.
11846
11847 Tracepoint conditions can be specified when a tracepoint is set, by
11848 using @samp{if} in the arguments to the @code{trace} command.
11849 @xref{Create and Delete Tracepoints, ,Setting Tracepoints}. They can
11850 also be set or changed at any time with the @code{condition} command,
11851 just as with breakpoints.
11852
11853 Unlike breakpoint conditions, @value{GDBN} does not actually evaluate
11854 the conditional expression itself. Instead, @value{GDBN} encodes the
11855 expression into an agent expression (@pxref{Agent Expressions})
11856 suitable for execution on the target, independently of @value{GDBN}.
11857 Global variables become raw memory locations, locals become stack
11858 accesses, and so forth.
11859
11860 For instance, suppose you have a function that is usually called
11861 frequently, but should not be called after an error has occurred. You
11862 could use the following tracepoint command to collect data about calls
11863 of that function that happen while the error code is propagating
11864 through the program; an unconditional tracepoint could end up
11865 collecting thousands of useless trace frames that you would have to
11866 search through.
11867
11868 @smallexample
11869 (@value{GDBP}) @kbd{trace normal_operation if errcode > 0}
11870 @end smallexample
11871
11872 @node Trace State Variables
11873 @subsection Trace State Variables
11874 @cindex trace state variables
11875
11876 A @dfn{trace state variable} is a special type of variable that is
11877 created and managed by target-side code. The syntax is the same as
11878 that for GDB's convenience variables (a string prefixed with ``$''),
11879 but they are stored on the target. They must be created explicitly,
11880 using a @code{tvariable} command. They are always 64-bit signed
11881 integers.
11882
11883 Trace state variables are remembered by @value{GDBN}, and downloaded
11884 to the target along with tracepoint information when the trace
11885 experiment starts. There are no intrinsic limits on the number of
11886 trace state variables, beyond memory limitations of the target.
11887
11888 @cindex convenience variables, and trace state variables
11889 Although trace state variables are managed by the target, you can use
11890 them in print commands and expressions as if they were convenience
11891 variables; @value{GDBN} will get the current value from the target
11892 while the trace experiment is running. Trace state variables share
11893 the same namespace as other ``$'' variables, which means that you
11894 cannot have trace state variables with names like @code{$23} or
11895 @code{$pc}, nor can you have a trace state variable and a convenience
11896 variable with the same name.
11897
11898 @table @code
11899
11900 @item tvariable $@var{name} [ = @var{expression} ]
11901 @kindex tvariable
11902 The @code{tvariable} command creates a new trace state variable named
11903 @code{$@var{name}}, and optionally gives it an initial value of
11904 @var{expression}. @var{expression} is evaluated when this command is
11905 entered; the result will be converted to an integer if possible,
11906 otherwise @value{GDBN} will report an error. A subsequent
11907 @code{tvariable} command specifying the same name does not create a
11908 variable, but instead assigns the supplied initial value to the
11909 existing variable of that name, overwriting any previous initial
11910 value. The default initial value is 0.
11911
11912 @item info tvariables
11913 @kindex info tvariables
11914 List all the trace state variables along with their initial values.
11915 Their current values may also be displayed, if the trace experiment is
11916 currently running.
11917
11918 @item delete tvariable @r{[} $@var{name} @dots{} @r{]}
11919 @kindex delete tvariable
11920 Delete the given trace state variables, or all of them if no arguments
11921 are specified.
11922
11923 @end table
11924
11925 @node Tracepoint Actions
11926 @subsection Tracepoint Action Lists
11927
11928 @table @code
11929 @kindex actions
11930 @cindex tracepoint actions
11931 @item actions @r{[}@var{num}@r{]}
11932 This command will prompt for a list of actions to be taken when the
11933 tracepoint is hit. If the tracepoint number @var{num} is not
11934 specified, this command sets the actions for the one that was most
11935 recently defined (so that you can define a tracepoint and then say
11936 @code{actions} without bothering about its number). You specify the
11937 actions themselves on the following lines, one action at a time, and
11938 terminate the actions list with a line containing just @code{end}. So
11939 far, the only defined actions are @code{collect}, @code{teval}, and
11940 @code{while-stepping}.
11941
11942 @code{actions} is actually equivalent to @code{commands} (@pxref{Break
11943 Commands, ,Breakpoint Command Lists}), except that only the defined
11944 actions are allowed; any other @value{GDBN} command is rejected.
11945
11946 @cindex remove actions from a tracepoint
11947 To remove all actions from a tracepoint, type @samp{actions @var{num}}
11948 and follow it immediately with @samp{end}.
11949
11950 @smallexample
11951 (@value{GDBP}) @b{collect @var{data}} // collect some data
11952
11953 (@value{GDBP}) @b{while-stepping 5} // single-step 5 times, collect data
11954
11955 (@value{GDBP}) @b{end} // signals the end of actions.
11956 @end smallexample
11957
11958 In the following example, the action list begins with @code{collect}
11959 commands indicating the things to be collected when the tracepoint is
11960 hit. Then, in order to single-step and collect additional data
11961 following the tracepoint, a @code{while-stepping} command is used,
11962 followed by the list of things to be collected after each step in a
11963 sequence of single steps. The @code{while-stepping} command is
11964 terminated by its own separate @code{end} command. Lastly, the action
11965 list is terminated by an @code{end} command.
11966
11967 @smallexample
11968 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace foo}
11969 (@value{GDBP}) @b{actions}
11970 Enter actions for tracepoint 1, one per line:
11971 > collect bar,baz
11972 > collect $regs
11973 > while-stepping 12
11974 > collect $pc, arr[i]
11975 > end
11976 end
11977 @end smallexample
11978
11979 @kindex collect @r{(tracepoints)}
11980 @item collect@r{[}/@var{mods}@r{]} @var{expr1}, @var{expr2}, @dots{}
11981 Collect values of the given expressions when the tracepoint is hit.
11982 This command accepts a comma-separated list of any valid expressions.
11983 In addition to global, static, or local variables, the following
11984 special arguments are supported:
11985
11986 @table @code
11987 @item $regs
11988 Collect all registers.
11989
11990 @item $args
11991 Collect all function arguments.
11992
11993 @item $locals
11994 Collect all local variables.
11995
11996 @item $_ret
11997 Collect the return address. This is helpful if you want to see more
11998 of a backtrace.
11999
12000 @item $_probe_argc
12001 Collects the number of arguments from the static probe at which the
12002 tracepoint is located.
12003 @xref{Static Probe Points}.
12004
12005 @item $_probe_arg@var{n}
12006 @var{n} is an integer between 0 and 11. Collects the @var{n}th argument
12007 from the static probe at which the tracepoint is located.
12008 @xref{Static Probe Points}.
12009
12010 @item $_sdata
12011 @vindex $_sdata@r{, collect}
12012 Collect static tracepoint marker specific data. Only available for
12013 static tracepoints. @xref{Tracepoint Actions,,Tracepoint Action
12014 Lists}. On the UST static tracepoints library backend, an
12015 instrumentation point resembles a @code{printf} function call. The
12016 tracing library is able to collect user specified data formatted to a
12017 character string using the format provided by the programmer that
12018 instrumented the program. Other backends have similar mechanisms.
12019 Here's an example of a UST marker call:
12020
12021 @smallexample
12022 const char master_name[] = "$your_name";
12023 trace_mark(channel1, marker1, "hello %s", master_name)
12024 @end smallexample
12025
12026 In this case, collecting @code{$_sdata} collects the string
12027 @samp{hello $yourname}. When analyzing the trace buffer, you can
12028 inspect @samp{$_sdata} like any other variable available to
12029 @value{GDBN}.
12030 @end table
12031
12032 You can give several consecutive @code{collect} commands, each one
12033 with a single argument, or one @code{collect} command with several
12034 arguments separated by commas; the effect is the same.
12035
12036 The optional @var{mods} changes the usual handling of the arguments.
12037 @code{s} requests that pointers to chars be handled as strings, in
12038 particular collecting the contents of the memory being pointed at, up
12039 to the first zero. The upper bound is by default the value of the
12040 @code{print elements} variable; if @code{s} is followed by a decimal
12041 number, that is the upper bound instead. So for instance
12042 @samp{collect/s25 mystr} collects as many as 25 characters at
12043 @samp{mystr}.
12044
12045 The command @code{info scope} (@pxref{Symbols, info scope}) is
12046 particularly useful for figuring out what data to collect.
12047
12048 @kindex teval @r{(tracepoints)}
12049 @item teval @var{expr1}, @var{expr2}, @dots{}
12050 Evaluate the given expressions when the tracepoint is hit. This
12051 command accepts a comma-separated list of expressions. The results
12052 are discarded, so this is mainly useful for assigning values to trace
12053 state variables (@pxref{Trace State Variables}) without adding those
12054 values to the trace buffer, as would be the case if the @code{collect}
12055 action were used.
12056
12057 @kindex while-stepping @r{(tracepoints)}
12058 @item while-stepping @var{n}
12059 Perform @var{n} single-step instruction traces after the tracepoint,
12060 collecting new data after each step. The @code{while-stepping}
12061 command is followed by the list of what to collect while stepping
12062 (followed by its own @code{end} command):
12063
12064 @smallexample
12065 > while-stepping 12
12066 > collect $regs, myglobal
12067 > end
12068 >
12069 @end smallexample
12070
12071 @noindent
12072 Note that @code{$pc} is not automatically collected by
12073 @code{while-stepping}; you need to explicitly collect that register if
12074 you need it. You may abbreviate @code{while-stepping} as @code{ws} or
12075 @code{stepping}.
12076
12077 @item set default-collect @var{expr1}, @var{expr2}, @dots{}
12078 @kindex set default-collect
12079 @cindex default collection action
12080 This variable is a list of expressions to collect at each tracepoint
12081 hit. It is effectively an additional @code{collect} action prepended
12082 to every tracepoint action list. The expressions are parsed
12083 individually for each tracepoint, so for instance a variable named
12084 @code{xyz} may be interpreted as a global for one tracepoint, and a
12085 local for another, as appropriate to the tracepoint's location.
12086
12087 @item show default-collect
12088 @kindex show default-collect
12089 Show the list of expressions that are collected by default at each
12090 tracepoint hit.
12091
12092 @end table
12093
12094 @node Listing Tracepoints
12095 @subsection Listing Tracepoints
12096
12097 @table @code
12098 @kindex info tracepoints @r{[}@var{n}@dots{}@r{]}
12099 @kindex info tp @r{[}@var{n}@dots{}@r{]}
12100 @cindex information about tracepoints
12101 @item info tracepoints @r{[}@var{num}@dots{}@r{]}
12102 Display information about the tracepoint @var{num}. If you don't
12103 specify a tracepoint number, displays information about all the
12104 tracepoints defined so far. The format is similar to that used for
12105 @code{info breakpoints}; in fact, @code{info tracepoints} is the same
12106 command, simply restricting itself to tracepoints.
12107
12108 A tracepoint's listing may include additional information specific to
12109 tracing:
12110
12111 @itemize @bullet
12112 @item
12113 its passcount as given by the @code{passcount @var{n}} command
12114
12115 @item
12116 the state about installed on target of each location
12117 @end itemize
12118
12119 @smallexample
12120 (@value{GDBP}) @b{info trace}
12121 Num Type Disp Enb Address What
12122 1 tracepoint keep y 0x0804ab57 in foo() at main.cxx:7
12123 while-stepping 20
12124 collect globfoo, $regs
12125 end
12126 collect globfoo2
12127 end
12128 pass count 1200
12129 2 tracepoint keep y <MULTIPLE>
12130 collect $eip
12131 2.1 y 0x0804859c in func4 at change-loc.h:35
12132 installed on target
12133 2.2 y 0xb7ffc480 in func4 at change-loc.h:35
12134 installed on target
12135 2.3 y <PENDING> set_tracepoint
12136 3 tracepoint keep y 0x080485b1 in foo at change-loc.c:29
12137 not installed on target
12138 (@value{GDBP})
12139 @end smallexample
12140
12141 @noindent
12142 This command can be abbreviated @code{info tp}.
12143 @end table
12144
12145 @node Listing Static Tracepoint Markers
12146 @subsection Listing Static Tracepoint Markers
12147
12148 @table @code
12149 @kindex info static-tracepoint-markers
12150 @cindex information about static tracepoint markers
12151 @item info static-tracepoint-markers
12152 Display information about all static tracepoint markers defined in the
12153 program.
12154
12155 For each marker, the following columns are printed:
12156
12157 @table @emph
12158 @item Count
12159 An incrementing counter, output to help readability. This is not a
12160 stable identifier.
12161 @item ID
12162 The marker ID, as reported by the target.
12163 @item Enabled or Disabled
12164 Probed markers are tagged with @samp{y}. @samp{n} identifies marks
12165 that are not enabled.
12166 @item Address
12167 Where the marker is in your program, as a memory address.
12168 @item What
12169 Where the marker is in the source for your program, as a file and line
12170 number. If the debug information included in the program does not
12171 allow @value{GDBN} to locate the source of the marker, this column
12172 will be left blank.
12173 @end table
12174
12175 @noindent
12176 In addition, the following information may be printed for each marker:
12177
12178 @table @emph
12179 @item Data
12180 User data passed to the tracing library by the marker call. In the
12181 UST backend, this is the format string passed as argument to the
12182 marker call.
12183 @item Static tracepoints probing the marker
12184 The list of static tracepoints attached to the marker.
12185 @end table
12186
12187 @smallexample
12188 (@value{GDBP}) info static-tracepoint-markers
12189 Cnt ID Enb Address What
12190 1 ust/bar2 y 0x0000000000400e1a in main at stexample.c:25
12191 Data: number1 %d number2 %d
12192 Probed by static tracepoints: #2
12193 2 ust/bar33 n 0x0000000000400c87 in main at stexample.c:24
12194 Data: str %s
12195 (@value{GDBP})
12196 @end smallexample
12197 @end table
12198
12199 @node Starting and Stopping Trace Experiments
12200 @subsection Starting and Stopping Trace Experiments
12201
12202 @table @code
12203 @kindex tstart [ @var{notes} ]
12204 @cindex start a new trace experiment
12205 @cindex collected data discarded
12206 @item tstart
12207 This command starts the trace experiment, and begins collecting data.
12208 It has the side effect of discarding all the data collected in the
12209 trace buffer during the previous trace experiment. If any arguments
12210 are supplied, they are taken as a note and stored with the trace
12211 experiment's state. The notes may be arbitrary text, and are
12212 especially useful with disconnected tracing in a multi-user context;
12213 the notes can explain what the trace is doing, supply user contact
12214 information, and so forth.
12215
12216 @kindex tstop [ @var{notes} ]
12217 @cindex stop a running trace experiment
12218 @item tstop
12219 This command stops the trace experiment. If any arguments are
12220 supplied, they are recorded with the experiment as a note. This is
12221 useful if you are stopping a trace started by someone else, for
12222 instance if the trace is interfering with the system's behavior and
12223 needs to be stopped quickly.
12224
12225 @strong{Note}: a trace experiment and data collection may stop
12226 automatically if any tracepoint's passcount is reached
12227 (@pxref{Tracepoint Passcounts}), or if the trace buffer becomes full.
12228
12229 @kindex tstatus
12230 @cindex status of trace data collection
12231 @cindex trace experiment, status of
12232 @item tstatus
12233 This command displays the status of the current trace data
12234 collection.
12235 @end table
12236
12237 Here is an example of the commands we described so far:
12238
12239 @smallexample
12240 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace gdb_c_test}
12241 (@value{GDBP}) @b{actions}
12242 Enter actions for tracepoint #1, one per line.
12243 > collect $regs,$locals,$args
12244 > while-stepping 11
12245 > collect $regs
12246 > end
12247 > end
12248 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tstart}
12249 [time passes @dots{}]
12250 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tstop}
12251 @end smallexample
12252
12253 @anchor{disconnected tracing}
12254 @cindex disconnected tracing
12255 You can choose to continue running the trace experiment even if
12256 @value{GDBN} disconnects from the target, voluntarily or
12257 involuntarily. For commands such as @code{detach}, the debugger will
12258 ask what you want to do with the trace. But for unexpected
12259 terminations (@value{GDBN} crash, network outage), it would be
12260 unfortunate to lose hard-won trace data, so the variable
12261 @code{disconnected-tracing} lets you decide whether the trace should
12262 continue running without @value{GDBN}.
12263
12264 @table @code
12265 @item set disconnected-tracing on
12266 @itemx set disconnected-tracing off
12267 @kindex set disconnected-tracing
12268 Choose whether a tracing run should continue to run if @value{GDBN}
12269 has disconnected from the target. Note that @code{detach} or
12270 @code{quit} will ask you directly what to do about a running trace no
12271 matter what this variable's setting, so the variable is mainly useful
12272 for handling unexpected situations, such as loss of the network.
12273
12274 @item show disconnected-tracing
12275 @kindex show disconnected-tracing
12276 Show the current choice for disconnected tracing.
12277
12278 @end table
12279
12280 When you reconnect to the target, the trace experiment may or may not
12281 still be running; it might have filled the trace buffer in the
12282 meantime, or stopped for one of the other reasons. If it is running,
12283 it will continue after reconnection.
12284
12285 Upon reconnection, the target will upload information about the
12286 tracepoints in effect. @value{GDBN} will then compare that
12287 information to the set of tracepoints currently defined, and attempt
12288 to match them up, allowing for the possibility that the numbers may
12289 have changed due to creation and deletion in the meantime. If one of
12290 the target's tracepoints does not match any in @value{GDBN}, the
12291 debugger will create a new tracepoint, so that you have a number with
12292 which to specify that tracepoint. This matching-up process is
12293 necessarily heuristic, and it may result in useless tracepoints being
12294 created; you may simply delete them if they are of no use.
12295
12296 @cindex circular trace buffer
12297 If your target agent supports a @dfn{circular trace buffer}, then you
12298 can run a trace experiment indefinitely without filling the trace
12299 buffer; when space runs out, the agent deletes already-collected trace
12300 frames, oldest first, until there is enough room to continue
12301 collecting. This is especially useful if your tracepoints are being
12302 hit too often, and your trace gets terminated prematurely because the
12303 buffer is full. To ask for a circular trace buffer, simply set
12304 @samp{circular-trace-buffer} to on. You can set this at any time,
12305 including during tracing; if the agent can do it, it will change
12306 buffer handling on the fly, otherwise it will not take effect until
12307 the next run.
12308
12309 @table @code
12310 @item set circular-trace-buffer on
12311 @itemx set circular-trace-buffer off
12312 @kindex set circular-trace-buffer
12313 Choose whether a tracing run should use a linear or circular buffer
12314 for trace data. A linear buffer will not lose any trace data, but may
12315 fill up prematurely, while a circular buffer will discard old trace
12316 data, but it will have always room for the latest tracepoint hits.
12317
12318 @item show circular-trace-buffer
12319 @kindex show circular-trace-buffer
12320 Show the current choice for the trace buffer. Note that this may not
12321 match the agent's current buffer handling, nor is it guaranteed to
12322 match the setting that might have been in effect during a past run,
12323 for instance if you are looking at frames from a trace file.
12324
12325 @end table
12326
12327 @table @code
12328 @item set trace-buffer-size @var{n}
12329 @itemx set trace-buffer-size unlimited
12330 @kindex set trace-buffer-size
12331 Request that the target use a trace buffer of @var{n} bytes. Not all
12332 targets will honor the request; they may have a compiled-in size for
12333 the trace buffer, or some other limitation. Set to a value of
12334 @code{unlimited} or @code{-1} to let the target use whatever size it
12335 likes. This is also the default.
12336
12337 @item show trace-buffer-size
12338 @kindex show trace-buffer-size
12339 Show the current requested size for the trace buffer. Note that this
12340 will only match the actual size if the target supports size-setting,
12341 and was able to handle the requested size. For instance, if the
12342 target can only change buffer size between runs, this variable will
12343 not reflect the change until the next run starts. Use @code{tstatus}
12344 to get a report of the actual buffer size.
12345 @end table
12346
12347 @table @code
12348 @item set trace-user @var{text}
12349 @kindex set trace-user
12350
12351 @item show trace-user
12352 @kindex show trace-user
12353
12354 @item set trace-notes @var{text}
12355 @kindex set trace-notes
12356 Set the trace run's notes.
12357
12358 @item show trace-notes
12359 @kindex show trace-notes
12360 Show the trace run's notes.
12361
12362 @item set trace-stop-notes @var{text}
12363 @kindex set trace-stop-notes
12364 Set the trace run's stop notes. The handling of the note is as for
12365 @code{tstop} arguments; the set command is convenient way to fix a
12366 stop note that is mistaken or incomplete.
12367
12368 @item show trace-stop-notes
12369 @kindex show trace-stop-notes
12370 Show the trace run's stop notes.
12371
12372 @end table
12373
12374 @node Tracepoint Restrictions
12375 @subsection Tracepoint Restrictions
12376
12377 @cindex tracepoint restrictions
12378 There are a number of restrictions on the use of tracepoints. As
12379 described above, tracepoint data gathering occurs on the target
12380 without interaction from @value{GDBN}. Thus the full capabilities of
12381 the debugger are not available during data gathering, and then at data
12382 examination time, you will be limited by only having what was
12383 collected. The following items describe some common problems, but it
12384 is not exhaustive, and you may run into additional difficulties not
12385 mentioned here.
12386
12387 @itemize @bullet
12388
12389 @item
12390 Tracepoint expressions are intended to gather objects (lvalues). Thus
12391 the full flexibility of GDB's expression evaluator is not available.
12392 You cannot call functions, cast objects to aggregate types, access
12393 convenience variables or modify values (except by assignment to trace
12394 state variables). Some language features may implicitly call
12395 functions (for instance Objective-C fields with accessors), and therefore
12396 cannot be collected either.
12397
12398 @item
12399 Collection of local variables, either individually or in bulk with
12400 @code{$locals} or @code{$args}, during @code{while-stepping} may
12401 behave erratically. The stepping action may enter a new scope (for
12402 instance by stepping into a function), or the location of the variable
12403 may change (for instance it is loaded into a register). The
12404 tracepoint data recorded uses the location information for the
12405 variables that is correct for the tracepoint location. When the
12406 tracepoint is created, it is not possible, in general, to determine
12407 where the steps of a @code{while-stepping} sequence will advance the
12408 program---particularly if a conditional branch is stepped.
12409
12410 @item
12411 Collection of an incompletely-initialized or partially-destroyed object
12412 may result in something that @value{GDBN} cannot display, or displays
12413 in a misleading way.
12414
12415 @item
12416 When @value{GDBN} displays a pointer to character it automatically
12417 dereferences the pointer to also display characters of the string
12418 being pointed to. However, collecting the pointer during tracing does
12419 not automatically collect the string. You need to explicitly
12420 dereference the pointer and provide size information if you want to
12421 collect not only the pointer, but the memory pointed to. For example,
12422 @code{*ptr@@50} can be used to collect the 50 element array pointed to
12423 by @code{ptr}.
12424
12425 @item
12426 It is not possible to collect a complete stack backtrace at a
12427 tracepoint. Instead, you may collect the registers and a few hundred
12428 bytes from the stack pointer with something like @code{*(unsigned char *)$esp@@300}
12429 (adjust to use the name of the actual stack pointer register on your
12430 target architecture, and the amount of stack you wish to capture).
12431 Then the @code{backtrace} command will show a partial backtrace when
12432 using a trace frame. The number of stack frames that can be examined
12433 depends on the sizes of the frames in the collected stack. Note that
12434 if you ask for a block so large that it goes past the bottom of the
12435 stack, the target agent may report an error trying to read from an
12436 invalid address.
12437
12438 @item
12439 If you do not collect registers at a tracepoint, @value{GDBN} can
12440 infer that the value of @code{$pc} must be the same as the address of
12441 the tracepoint and use that when you are looking at a trace frame
12442 for that tracepoint. However, this cannot work if the tracepoint has
12443 multiple locations (for instance if it was set in a function that was
12444 inlined), or if it has a @code{while-stepping} loop. In those cases
12445 @value{GDBN} will warn you that it can't infer @code{$pc}, and default
12446 it to zero.
12447
12448 @end itemize
12449
12450 @node Analyze Collected Data
12451 @section Using the Collected Data
12452
12453 After the tracepoint experiment ends, you use @value{GDBN} commands
12454 for examining the trace data. The basic idea is that each tracepoint
12455 collects a trace @dfn{snapshot} every time it is hit and another
12456 snapshot every time it single-steps. All these snapshots are
12457 consecutively numbered from zero and go into a buffer, and you can
12458 examine them later. The way you examine them is to @dfn{focus} on a
12459 specific trace snapshot. When the remote stub is focused on a trace
12460 snapshot, it will respond to all @value{GDBN} requests for memory and
12461 registers by reading from the buffer which belongs to that snapshot,
12462 rather than from @emph{real} memory or registers of the program being
12463 debugged. This means that @strong{all} @value{GDBN} commands
12464 (@code{print}, @code{info registers}, @code{backtrace}, etc.) will
12465 behave as if we were currently debugging the program state as it was
12466 when the tracepoint occurred. Any requests for data that are not in
12467 the buffer will fail.
12468
12469 @menu
12470 * tfind:: How to select a trace snapshot
12471 * tdump:: How to display all data for a snapshot
12472 * save tracepoints:: How to save tracepoints for a future run
12473 @end menu
12474
12475 @node tfind
12476 @subsection @code{tfind @var{n}}
12477
12478 @kindex tfind
12479 @cindex select trace snapshot
12480 @cindex find trace snapshot
12481 The basic command for selecting a trace snapshot from the buffer is
12482 @code{tfind @var{n}}, which finds trace snapshot number @var{n},
12483 counting from zero. If no argument @var{n} is given, the next
12484 snapshot is selected.
12485
12486 Here are the various forms of using the @code{tfind} command.
12487
12488 @table @code
12489 @item tfind start
12490 Find the first snapshot in the buffer. This is a synonym for
12491 @code{tfind 0} (since 0 is the number of the first snapshot).
12492
12493 @item tfind none
12494 Stop debugging trace snapshots, resume @emph{live} debugging.
12495
12496 @item tfind end
12497 Same as @samp{tfind none}.
12498
12499 @item tfind
12500 No argument means find the next trace snapshot.
12501
12502 @item tfind -
12503 Find the previous trace snapshot before the current one. This permits
12504 retracing earlier steps.
12505
12506 @item tfind tracepoint @var{num}
12507 Find the next snapshot associated with tracepoint @var{num}. Search
12508 proceeds forward from the last examined trace snapshot. If no
12509 argument @var{num} is given, it means find the next snapshot collected
12510 for the same tracepoint as the current snapshot.
12511
12512 @item tfind pc @var{addr}
12513 Find the next snapshot associated with the value @var{addr} of the
12514 program counter. Search proceeds forward from the last examined trace
12515 snapshot. If no argument @var{addr} is given, it means find the next
12516 snapshot with the same value of PC as the current snapshot.
12517
12518 @item tfind outside @var{addr1}, @var{addr2}
12519 Find the next snapshot whose PC is outside the given range of
12520 addresses (exclusive).
12521
12522 @item tfind range @var{addr1}, @var{addr2}
12523 Find the next snapshot whose PC is between @var{addr1} and
12524 @var{addr2} (inclusive).
12525
12526 @item tfind line @r{[}@var{file}:@r{]}@var{n}
12527 Find the next snapshot associated with the source line @var{n}. If
12528 the optional argument @var{file} is given, refer to line @var{n} in
12529 that source file. Search proceeds forward from the last examined
12530 trace snapshot. If no argument @var{n} is given, it means find the
12531 next line other than the one currently being examined; thus saying
12532 @code{tfind line} repeatedly can appear to have the same effect as
12533 stepping from line to line in a @emph{live} debugging session.
12534 @end table
12535
12536 The default arguments for the @code{tfind} commands are specifically
12537 designed to make it easy to scan through the trace buffer. For
12538 instance, @code{tfind} with no argument selects the next trace
12539 snapshot, and @code{tfind -} with no argument selects the previous
12540 trace snapshot. So, by giving one @code{tfind} command, and then
12541 simply hitting @key{RET} repeatedly you can examine all the trace
12542 snapshots in order. Or, by saying @code{tfind -} and then hitting
12543 @key{RET} repeatedly you can examine the snapshots in reverse order.
12544 The @code{tfind line} command with no argument selects the snapshot
12545 for the next source line executed. The @code{tfind pc} command with
12546 no argument selects the next snapshot with the same program counter
12547 (PC) as the current frame. The @code{tfind tracepoint} command with
12548 no argument selects the next trace snapshot collected by the same
12549 tracepoint as the current one.
12550
12551 In addition to letting you scan through the trace buffer manually,
12552 these commands make it easy to construct @value{GDBN} scripts that
12553 scan through the trace buffer and print out whatever collected data
12554 you are interested in. Thus, if we want to examine the PC, FP, and SP
12555 registers from each trace frame in the buffer, we can say this:
12556
12557 @smallexample
12558 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tfind start}
12559 (@value{GDBP}) @b{while ($trace_frame != -1)}
12560 > printf "Frame %d, PC = %08X, SP = %08X, FP = %08X\n", \
12561 $trace_frame, $pc, $sp, $fp
12562 > tfind
12563 > end
12564
12565 Frame 0, PC = 0020DC64, SP = 0030BF3C, FP = 0030BF44
12566 Frame 1, PC = 0020DC6C, SP = 0030BF38, FP = 0030BF44
12567 Frame 2, PC = 0020DC70, SP = 0030BF34, FP = 0030BF44
12568 Frame 3, PC = 0020DC74, SP = 0030BF30, FP = 0030BF44
12569 Frame 4, PC = 0020DC78, SP = 0030BF2C, FP = 0030BF44
12570 Frame 5, PC = 0020DC7C, SP = 0030BF28, FP = 0030BF44
12571 Frame 6, PC = 0020DC80, SP = 0030BF24, FP = 0030BF44
12572 Frame 7, PC = 0020DC84, SP = 0030BF20, FP = 0030BF44
12573 Frame 8, PC = 0020DC88, SP = 0030BF1C, FP = 0030BF44
12574 Frame 9, PC = 0020DC8E, SP = 0030BF18, FP = 0030BF44
12575 Frame 10, PC = 00203F6C, SP = 0030BE3C, FP = 0030BF14
12576 @end smallexample
12577
12578 Or, if we want to examine the variable @code{X} at each source line in
12579 the buffer:
12580
12581 @smallexample
12582 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tfind start}
12583 (@value{GDBP}) @b{while ($trace_frame != -1)}
12584 > printf "Frame %d, X == %d\n", $trace_frame, X
12585 > tfind line
12586 > end
12587
12588 Frame 0, X = 1
12589 Frame 7, X = 2
12590 Frame 13, X = 255
12591 @end smallexample
12592
12593 @node tdump
12594 @subsection @code{tdump}
12595 @kindex tdump
12596 @cindex dump all data collected at tracepoint
12597 @cindex tracepoint data, display
12598
12599 This command takes no arguments. It prints all the data collected at
12600 the current trace snapshot.
12601
12602 @smallexample
12603 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace 444}
12604 (@value{GDBP}) @b{actions}
12605 Enter actions for tracepoint #2, one per line:
12606 > collect $regs, $locals, $args, gdb_long_test
12607 > end
12608
12609 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tstart}
12610
12611 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tfind line 444}
12612 #0 gdb_test (p1=0x11, p2=0x22, p3=0x33, p4=0x44, p5=0x55, p6=0x66)
12613 at gdb_test.c:444
12614 444 printp( "%s: arguments = 0x%X 0x%X 0x%X 0x%X 0x%X 0x%X\n", )
12615
12616 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tdump}
12617 Data collected at tracepoint 2, trace frame 1:
12618 d0 0xc4aa0085 -995491707
12619 d1 0x18 24
12620 d2 0x80 128
12621 d3 0x33 51
12622 d4 0x71aea3d 119204413
12623 d5 0x22 34
12624 d6 0xe0 224
12625 d7 0x380035 3670069
12626 a0 0x19e24a 1696330
12627 a1 0x3000668 50333288
12628 a2 0x100 256
12629 a3 0x322000 3284992
12630 a4 0x3000698 50333336
12631 a5 0x1ad3cc 1758156
12632 fp 0x30bf3c 0x30bf3c
12633 sp 0x30bf34 0x30bf34
12634 ps 0x0 0
12635 pc 0x20b2c8 0x20b2c8
12636 fpcontrol 0x0 0
12637 fpstatus 0x0 0
12638 fpiaddr 0x0 0
12639 p = 0x20e5b4 "gdb-test"
12640 p1 = (void *) 0x11
12641 p2 = (void *) 0x22
12642 p3 = (void *) 0x33
12643 p4 = (void *) 0x44
12644 p5 = (void *) 0x55
12645 p6 = (void *) 0x66
12646 gdb_long_test = 17 '\021'
12647
12648 (@value{GDBP})
12649 @end smallexample
12650
12651 @code{tdump} works by scanning the tracepoint's current collection
12652 actions and printing the value of each expression listed. So
12653 @code{tdump} can fail, if after a run, you change the tracepoint's
12654 actions to mention variables that were not collected during the run.
12655
12656 Also, for tracepoints with @code{while-stepping} loops, @code{tdump}
12657 uses the collected value of @code{$pc} to distinguish between trace
12658 frames that were collected at the tracepoint hit, and frames that were
12659 collected while stepping. This allows it to correctly choose whether
12660 to display the basic list of collections, or the collections from the
12661 body of the while-stepping loop. However, if @code{$pc} was not collected,
12662 then @code{tdump} will always attempt to dump using the basic collection
12663 list, and may fail if a while-stepping frame does not include all the
12664 same data that is collected at the tracepoint hit.
12665 @c This is getting pretty arcane, example would be good.
12666
12667 @node save tracepoints
12668 @subsection @code{save tracepoints @var{filename}}
12669 @kindex save tracepoints
12670 @kindex save-tracepoints
12671 @cindex save tracepoints for future sessions
12672
12673 This command saves all current tracepoint definitions together with
12674 their actions and passcounts, into a file @file{@var{filename}}
12675 suitable for use in a later debugging session. To read the saved
12676 tracepoint definitions, use the @code{source} command (@pxref{Command
12677 Files}). The @w{@code{save-tracepoints}} command is a deprecated
12678 alias for @w{@code{save tracepoints}}
12679
12680 @node Tracepoint Variables
12681 @section Convenience Variables for Tracepoints
12682 @cindex tracepoint variables
12683 @cindex convenience variables for tracepoints
12684
12685 @table @code
12686 @vindex $trace_frame
12687 @item (int) $trace_frame
12688 The current trace snapshot (a.k.a.@: @dfn{frame}) number, or -1 if no
12689 snapshot is selected.
12690
12691 @vindex $tracepoint
12692 @item (int) $tracepoint
12693 The tracepoint for the current trace snapshot.
12694
12695 @vindex $trace_line
12696 @item (int) $trace_line
12697 The line number for the current trace snapshot.
12698
12699 @vindex $trace_file
12700 @item (char []) $trace_file
12701 The source file for the current trace snapshot.
12702
12703 @vindex $trace_func
12704 @item (char []) $trace_func
12705 The name of the function containing @code{$tracepoint}.
12706 @end table
12707
12708 Note: @code{$trace_file} is not suitable for use in @code{printf},
12709 use @code{output} instead.
12710
12711 Here's a simple example of using these convenience variables for
12712 stepping through all the trace snapshots and printing some of their
12713 data. Note that these are not the same as trace state variables,
12714 which are managed by the target.
12715
12716 @smallexample
12717 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tfind start}
12718
12719 (@value{GDBP}) @b{while $trace_frame != -1}
12720 > output $trace_file
12721 > printf ", line %d (tracepoint #%d)\n", $trace_line, $tracepoint
12722 > tfind
12723 > end
12724 @end smallexample
12725
12726 @node Trace Files
12727 @section Using Trace Files
12728 @cindex trace files
12729
12730 In some situations, the target running a trace experiment may no
12731 longer be available; perhaps it crashed, or the hardware was needed
12732 for a different activity. To handle these cases, you can arrange to
12733 dump the trace data into a file, and later use that file as a source
12734 of trace data, via the @code{target tfile} command.
12735
12736 @table @code
12737
12738 @kindex tsave
12739 @item tsave [ -r ] @var{filename}
12740 @itemx tsave [-ctf] @var{dirname}
12741 Save the trace data to @var{filename}. By default, this command
12742 assumes that @var{filename} refers to the host filesystem, so if
12743 necessary @value{GDBN} will copy raw trace data up from the target and
12744 then save it. If the target supports it, you can also supply the
12745 optional argument @code{-r} (``remote'') to direct the target to save
12746 the data directly into @var{filename} in its own filesystem, which may be
12747 more efficient if the trace buffer is very large. (Note, however, that
12748 @code{target tfile} can only read from files accessible to the host.)
12749 By default, this command will save trace frame in tfile format.
12750 You can supply the optional argument @code{-ctf} to save date in CTF
12751 format. The @dfn{Common Trace Format} (CTF) is proposed as a trace format
12752 that can be shared by multiple debugging and tracing tools. Please go to
12753 @indicateurl{http://www.efficios.com/ctf} to get more information.
12754
12755 @kindex target tfile
12756 @kindex tfile
12757 @kindex target ctf
12758 @kindex ctf
12759 @item target tfile @var{filename}
12760 @itemx target ctf @var{dirname}
12761 Use the file named @var{filename} or directory named @var{dirname} as
12762 a source of trace data. Commands that examine data work as they do with
12763 a live target, but it is not possible to run any new trace experiments.
12764 @code{tstatus} will report the state of the trace run at the moment
12765 the data was saved, as well as the current trace frame you are examining.
12766 @var{filename} or @var{dirname} must be on a filesystem accessible to
12767 the host.
12768
12769 @smallexample
12770 (@value{GDBP}) target ctf ctf.ctf
12771 (@value{GDBP}) tfind
12772 Found trace frame 0, tracepoint 2
12773 39 ++a; /* set tracepoint 1 here */
12774 (@value{GDBP}) tdump
12775 Data collected at tracepoint 2, trace frame 0:
12776 i = 0
12777 a = 0
12778 b = 1 '\001'
12779 c = @{"123", "456", "789", "123", "456", "789"@}
12780 d = @{@{@{a = 1, b = 2@}, @{a = 3, b = 4@}@}, @{@{a = 5, b = 6@}, @{a = 7, b = 8@}@}@}
12781 (@value{GDBP}) p b
12782 $1 = 1
12783 @end smallexample
12784
12785 @end table
12786
12787 @node Overlays
12788 @chapter Debugging Programs That Use Overlays
12789 @cindex overlays
12790
12791 If your program is too large to fit completely in your target system's
12792 memory, you can sometimes use @dfn{overlays} to work around this
12793 problem. @value{GDBN} provides some support for debugging programs that
12794 use overlays.
12795
12796 @menu
12797 * How Overlays Work:: A general explanation of overlays.
12798 * Overlay Commands:: Managing overlays in @value{GDBN}.
12799 * Automatic Overlay Debugging:: @value{GDBN} can find out which overlays are
12800 mapped by asking the inferior.
12801 * Overlay Sample Program:: A sample program using overlays.
12802 @end menu
12803
12804 @node How Overlays Work
12805 @section How Overlays Work
12806 @cindex mapped overlays
12807 @cindex unmapped overlays
12808 @cindex load address, overlay's
12809 @cindex mapped address
12810 @cindex overlay area
12811
12812 Suppose you have a computer whose instruction address space is only 64
12813 kilobytes long, but which has much more memory which can be accessed by
12814 other means: special instructions, segment registers, or memory
12815 management hardware, for example. Suppose further that you want to
12816 adapt a program which is larger than 64 kilobytes to run on this system.
12817
12818 One solution is to identify modules of your program which are relatively
12819 independent, and need not call each other directly; call these modules
12820 @dfn{overlays}. Separate the overlays from the main program, and place
12821 their machine code in the larger memory. Place your main program in
12822 instruction memory, but leave at least enough space there to hold the
12823 largest overlay as well.
12824
12825 Now, to call a function located in an overlay, you must first copy that
12826 overlay's machine code from the large memory into the space set aside
12827 for it in the instruction memory, and then jump to its entry point
12828 there.
12829
12830 @c NB: In the below the mapped area's size is greater or equal to the
12831 @c size of all overlays. This is intentional to remind the developer
12832 @c that overlays don't necessarily need to be the same size.
12833
12834 @smallexample
12835 @group
12836 Data Instruction Larger
12837 Address Space Address Space Address Space
12838 +-----------+ +-----------+ +-----------+
12839 | | | | | |
12840 +-----------+ +-----------+ +-----------+<-- overlay 1
12841 | program | | main | .----| overlay 1 | load address
12842 | variables | | program | | +-----------+
12843 | and heap | | | | | |
12844 +-----------+ | | | +-----------+<-- overlay 2
12845 | | +-----------+ | | | load address
12846 +-----------+ | | | .-| overlay 2 |
12847 | | | | | |
12848 mapped --->+-----------+ | | +-----------+
12849 address | | | | | |
12850 | overlay | <-' | | |
12851 | area | <---' +-----------+<-- overlay 3
12852 | | <---. | | load address
12853 +-----------+ `--| overlay 3 |
12854 | | | |
12855 +-----------+ | |
12856 +-----------+
12857 | |
12858 +-----------+
12859
12860 @anchor{A code overlay}A code overlay
12861 @end group
12862 @end smallexample
12863
12864 The diagram (@pxref{A code overlay}) shows a system with separate data
12865 and instruction address spaces. To map an overlay, the program copies
12866 its code from the larger address space to the instruction address space.
12867 Since the overlays shown here all use the same mapped address, only one
12868 may be mapped at a time. For a system with a single address space for
12869 data and instructions, the diagram would be similar, except that the
12870 program variables and heap would share an address space with the main
12871 program and the overlay area.
12872
12873 An overlay loaded into instruction memory and ready for use is called a
12874 @dfn{mapped} overlay; its @dfn{mapped address} is its address in the
12875 instruction memory. An overlay not present (or only partially present)
12876 in instruction memory is called @dfn{unmapped}; its @dfn{load address}
12877 is its address in the larger memory. The mapped address is also called
12878 the @dfn{virtual memory address}, or @dfn{VMA}; the load address is also
12879 called the @dfn{load memory address}, or @dfn{LMA}.
12880
12881 Unfortunately, overlays are not a completely transparent way to adapt a
12882 program to limited instruction memory. They introduce a new set of
12883 global constraints you must keep in mind as you design your program:
12884
12885 @itemize @bullet
12886
12887 @item
12888 Before calling or returning to a function in an overlay, your program
12889 must make sure that overlay is actually mapped. Otherwise, the call or
12890 return will transfer control to the right address, but in the wrong
12891 overlay, and your program will probably crash.
12892
12893 @item
12894 If the process of mapping an overlay is expensive on your system, you
12895 will need to choose your overlays carefully to minimize their effect on
12896 your program's performance.
12897
12898 @item
12899 The executable file you load onto your system must contain each
12900 overlay's instructions, appearing at the overlay's load address, not its
12901 mapped address. However, each overlay's instructions must be relocated
12902 and its symbols defined as if the overlay were at its mapped address.
12903 You can use GNU linker scripts to specify different load and relocation
12904 addresses for pieces of your program; see @ref{Overlay Description,,,
12905 ld.info, Using ld: the GNU linker}.
12906
12907 @item
12908 The procedure for loading executable files onto your system must be able
12909 to load their contents into the larger address space as well as the
12910 instruction and data spaces.
12911
12912 @end itemize
12913
12914 The overlay system described above is rather simple, and could be
12915 improved in many ways:
12916
12917 @itemize @bullet
12918
12919 @item
12920 If your system has suitable bank switch registers or memory management
12921 hardware, you could use those facilities to make an overlay's load area
12922 contents simply appear at their mapped address in instruction space.
12923 This would probably be faster than copying the overlay to its mapped
12924 area in the usual way.
12925
12926 @item
12927 If your overlays are small enough, you could set aside more than one
12928 overlay area, and have more than one overlay mapped at a time.
12929
12930 @item
12931 You can use overlays to manage data, as well as instructions. In
12932 general, data overlays are even less transparent to your design than
12933 code overlays: whereas code overlays only require care when you call or
12934 return to functions, data overlays require care every time you access
12935 the data. Also, if you change the contents of a data overlay, you
12936 must copy its contents back out to its load address before you can copy a
12937 different data overlay into the same mapped area.
12938
12939 @end itemize
12940
12941
12942 @node Overlay Commands
12943 @section Overlay Commands
12944
12945 To use @value{GDBN}'s overlay support, each overlay in your program must
12946 correspond to a separate section of the executable file. The section's
12947 virtual memory address and load memory address must be the overlay's
12948 mapped and load addresses. Identifying overlays with sections allows
12949 @value{GDBN} to determine the appropriate address of a function or
12950 variable, depending on whether the overlay is mapped or not.
12951
12952 @value{GDBN}'s overlay commands all start with the word @code{overlay};
12953 you can abbreviate this as @code{ov} or @code{ovly}. The commands are:
12954
12955 @table @code
12956 @item overlay off
12957 @kindex overlay
12958 Disable @value{GDBN}'s overlay support. When overlay support is
12959 disabled, @value{GDBN} assumes that all functions and variables are
12960 always present at their mapped addresses. By default, @value{GDBN}'s
12961 overlay support is disabled.
12962
12963 @item overlay manual
12964 @cindex manual overlay debugging
12965 Enable @dfn{manual} overlay debugging. In this mode, @value{GDBN}
12966 relies on you to tell it which overlays are mapped, and which are not,
12967 using the @code{overlay map-overlay} and @code{overlay unmap-overlay}
12968 commands described below.
12969
12970 @item overlay map-overlay @var{overlay}
12971 @itemx overlay map @var{overlay}
12972 @cindex map an overlay
12973 Tell @value{GDBN} that @var{overlay} is now mapped; @var{overlay} must
12974 be the name of the object file section containing the overlay. When an
12975 overlay is mapped, @value{GDBN} assumes it can find the overlay's
12976 functions and variables at their mapped addresses. @value{GDBN} assumes
12977 that any other overlays whose mapped ranges overlap that of
12978 @var{overlay} are now unmapped.
12979
12980 @item overlay unmap-overlay @var{overlay}
12981 @itemx overlay unmap @var{overlay}
12982 @cindex unmap an overlay
12983 Tell @value{GDBN} that @var{overlay} is no longer mapped; @var{overlay}
12984 must be the name of the object file section containing the overlay.
12985 When an overlay is unmapped, @value{GDBN} assumes it can find the
12986 overlay's functions and variables at their load addresses.
12987
12988 @item overlay auto
12989 Enable @dfn{automatic} overlay debugging. In this mode, @value{GDBN}
12990 consults a data structure the overlay manager maintains in the inferior
12991 to see which overlays are mapped. For details, see @ref{Automatic
12992 Overlay Debugging}.
12993
12994 @item overlay load-target
12995 @itemx overlay load
12996 @cindex reloading the overlay table
12997 Re-read the overlay table from the inferior. Normally, @value{GDBN}
12998 re-reads the table @value{GDBN} automatically each time the inferior
12999 stops, so this command should only be necessary if you have changed the
13000 overlay mapping yourself using @value{GDBN}. This command is only
13001 useful when using automatic overlay debugging.
13002
13003 @item overlay list-overlays
13004 @itemx overlay list
13005 @cindex listing mapped overlays
13006 Display a list of the overlays currently mapped, along with their mapped
13007 addresses, load addresses, and sizes.
13008
13009 @end table
13010
13011 Normally, when @value{GDBN} prints a code address, it includes the name
13012 of the function the address falls in:
13013
13014 @smallexample
13015 (@value{GDBP}) print main
13016 $3 = @{int ()@} 0x11a0 <main>
13017 @end smallexample
13018 @noindent
13019 When overlay debugging is enabled, @value{GDBN} recognizes code in
13020 unmapped overlays, and prints the names of unmapped functions with
13021 asterisks around them. For example, if @code{foo} is a function in an
13022 unmapped overlay, @value{GDBN} prints it this way:
13023
13024 @smallexample
13025 (@value{GDBP}) overlay list
13026 No sections are mapped.
13027 (@value{GDBP}) print foo
13028 $5 = @{int (int)@} 0x100000 <*foo*>
13029 @end smallexample
13030 @noindent
13031 When @code{foo}'s overlay is mapped, @value{GDBN} prints the function's
13032 name normally:
13033
13034 @smallexample
13035 (@value{GDBP}) overlay list
13036 Section .ov.foo.text, loaded at 0x100000 - 0x100034,
13037 mapped at 0x1016 - 0x104a
13038 (@value{GDBP}) print foo
13039 $6 = @{int (int)@} 0x1016 <foo>
13040 @end smallexample
13041
13042 When overlay debugging is enabled, @value{GDBN} can find the correct
13043 address for functions and variables in an overlay, whether or not the
13044 overlay is mapped. This allows most @value{GDBN} commands, like
13045 @code{break} and @code{disassemble}, to work normally, even on unmapped
13046 code. However, @value{GDBN}'s breakpoint support has some limitations:
13047
13048 @itemize @bullet
13049 @item
13050 @cindex breakpoints in overlays
13051 @cindex overlays, setting breakpoints in
13052 You can set breakpoints in functions in unmapped overlays, as long as
13053 @value{GDBN} can write to the overlay at its load address.
13054 @item
13055 @value{GDBN} can not set hardware or simulator-based breakpoints in
13056 unmapped overlays. However, if you set a breakpoint at the end of your
13057 overlay manager (and tell @value{GDBN} which overlays are now mapped, if
13058 you are using manual overlay management), @value{GDBN} will re-set its
13059 breakpoints properly.
13060 @end itemize
13061
13062
13063 @node Automatic Overlay Debugging
13064 @section Automatic Overlay Debugging
13065 @cindex automatic overlay debugging
13066
13067 @value{GDBN} can automatically track which overlays are mapped and which
13068 are not, given some simple co-operation from the overlay manager in the
13069 inferior. If you enable automatic overlay debugging with the
13070 @code{overlay auto} command (@pxref{Overlay Commands}), @value{GDBN}
13071 looks in the inferior's memory for certain variables describing the
13072 current state of the overlays.
13073
13074 Here are the variables your overlay manager must define to support
13075 @value{GDBN}'s automatic overlay debugging:
13076
13077 @table @asis
13078
13079 @item @code{_ovly_table}:
13080 This variable must be an array of the following structures:
13081
13082 @smallexample
13083 struct
13084 @{
13085 /* The overlay's mapped address. */
13086 unsigned long vma;
13087
13088 /* The size of the overlay, in bytes. */
13089 unsigned long size;
13090
13091 /* The overlay's load address. */
13092 unsigned long lma;
13093
13094 /* Non-zero if the overlay is currently mapped;
13095 zero otherwise. */
13096 unsigned long mapped;
13097 @}
13098 @end smallexample
13099
13100 @item @code{_novlys}:
13101 This variable must be a four-byte signed integer, holding the total
13102 number of elements in @code{_ovly_table}.
13103
13104 @end table
13105
13106 To decide whether a particular overlay is mapped or not, @value{GDBN}
13107 looks for an entry in @w{@code{_ovly_table}} whose @code{vma} and
13108 @code{lma} members equal the VMA and LMA of the overlay's section in the
13109 executable file. When @value{GDBN} finds a matching entry, it consults
13110 the entry's @code{mapped} member to determine whether the overlay is
13111 currently mapped.
13112
13113 In addition, your overlay manager may define a function called
13114 @code{_ovly_debug_event}. If this function is defined, @value{GDBN}
13115 will silently set a breakpoint there. If the overlay manager then
13116 calls this function whenever it has changed the overlay table, this
13117 will enable @value{GDBN} to accurately keep track of which overlays
13118 are in program memory, and update any breakpoints that may be set
13119 in overlays. This will allow breakpoints to work even if the
13120 overlays are kept in ROM or other non-writable memory while they
13121 are not being executed.
13122
13123 @node Overlay Sample Program
13124 @section Overlay Sample Program
13125 @cindex overlay example program
13126
13127 When linking a program which uses overlays, you must place the overlays
13128 at their load addresses, while relocating them to run at their mapped
13129 addresses. To do this, you must write a linker script (@pxref{Overlay
13130 Description,,, ld.info, Using ld: the GNU linker}). Unfortunately,
13131 since linker scripts are specific to a particular host system, target
13132 architecture, and target memory layout, this manual cannot provide
13133 portable sample code demonstrating @value{GDBN}'s overlay support.
13134
13135 However, the @value{GDBN} source distribution does contain an overlaid
13136 program, with linker scripts for a few systems, as part of its test
13137 suite. The program consists of the following files from
13138 @file{gdb/testsuite/gdb.base}:
13139
13140 @table @file
13141 @item overlays.c
13142 The main program file.
13143 @item ovlymgr.c
13144 A simple overlay manager, used by @file{overlays.c}.
13145 @item foo.c
13146 @itemx bar.c
13147 @itemx baz.c
13148 @itemx grbx.c
13149 Overlay modules, loaded and used by @file{overlays.c}.
13150 @item d10v.ld
13151 @itemx m32r.ld
13152 Linker scripts for linking the test program on the @code{d10v-elf}
13153 and @code{m32r-elf} targets.
13154 @end table
13155
13156 You can build the test program using the @code{d10v-elf} GCC
13157 cross-compiler like this:
13158
13159 @smallexample
13160 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c overlays.c
13161 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c ovlymgr.c
13162 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c foo.c
13163 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c bar.c
13164 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c baz.c
13165 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c grbx.c
13166 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g overlays.o ovlymgr.o foo.o bar.o \
13167 baz.o grbx.o -Wl,-Td10v.ld -o overlays
13168 @end smallexample
13169
13170 The build process is identical for any other architecture, except that
13171 you must substitute the appropriate compiler and linker script for the
13172 target system for @code{d10v-elf-gcc} and @code{d10v.ld}.
13173
13174
13175 @node Languages
13176 @chapter Using @value{GDBN} with Different Languages
13177 @cindex languages
13178
13179 Although programming languages generally have common aspects, they are
13180 rarely expressed in the same manner. For instance, in ANSI C,
13181 dereferencing a pointer @code{p} is accomplished by @code{*p}, but in
13182 Modula-2, it is accomplished by @code{p^}. Values can also be
13183 represented (and displayed) differently. Hex numbers in C appear as
13184 @samp{0x1ae}, while in Modula-2 they appear as @samp{1AEH}.
13185
13186 @cindex working language
13187 Language-specific information is built into @value{GDBN} for some languages,
13188 allowing you to express operations like the above in your program's
13189 native language, and allowing @value{GDBN} to output values in a manner
13190 consistent with the syntax of your program's native language. The
13191 language you use to build expressions is called the @dfn{working
13192 language}.
13193
13194 @menu
13195 * Setting:: Switching between source languages
13196 * Show:: Displaying the language
13197 * Checks:: Type and range checks
13198 * Supported Languages:: Supported languages
13199 * Unsupported Languages:: Unsupported languages
13200 @end menu
13201
13202 @node Setting
13203 @section Switching Between Source Languages
13204
13205 There are two ways to control the working language---either have @value{GDBN}
13206 set it automatically, or select it manually yourself. You can use the
13207 @code{set language} command for either purpose. On startup, @value{GDBN}
13208 defaults to setting the language automatically. The working language is
13209 used to determine how expressions you type are interpreted, how values
13210 are printed, etc.
13211
13212 In addition to the working language, every source file that
13213 @value{GDBN} knows about has its own working language. For some object
13214 file formats, the compiler might indicate which language a particular
13215 source file is in. However, most of the time @value{GDBN} infers the
13216 language from the name of the file. The language of a source file
13217 controls whether C@t{++} names are demangled---this way @code{backtrace} can
13218 show each frame appropriately for its own language. There is no way to
13219 set the language of a source file from within @value{GDBN}, but you can
13220 set the language associated with a filename extension. @xref{Show, ,
13221 Displaying the Language}.
13222
13223 This is most commonly a problem when you use a program, such
13224 as @code{cfront} or @code{f2c}, that generates C but is written in
13225 another language. In that case, make the
13226 program use @code{#line} directives in its C output; that way
13227 @value{GDBN} will know the correct language of the source code of the original
13228 program, and will display that source code, not the generated C code.
13229
13230 @menu
13231 * Filenames:: Filename extensions and languages.
13232 * Manually:: Setting the working language manually
13233 * Automatically:: Having @value{GDBN} infer the source language
13234 @end menu
13235
13236 @node Filenames
13237 @subsection List of Filename Extensions and Languages
13238
13239 If a source file name ends in one of the following extensions, then
13240 @value{GDBN} infers that its language is the one indicated.
13241
13242 @table @file
13243 @item .ada
13244 @itemx .ads
13245 @itemx .adb
13246 @itemx .a
13247 Ada source file.
13248
13249 @item .c
13250 C source file
13251
13252 @item .C
13253 @itemx .cc
13254 @itemx .cp
13255 @itemx .cpp
13256 @itemx .cxx
13257 @itemx .c++
13258 C@t{++} source file
13259
13260 @item .d
13261 D source file
13262
13263 @item .m
13264 Objective-C source file
13265
13266 @item .f
13267 @itemx .F
13268 Fortran source file
13269
13270 @item .mod
13271 Modula-2 source file
13272
13273 @item .s
13274 @itemx .S
13275 Assembler source file. This actually behaves almost like C, but
13276 @value{GDBN} does not skip over function prologues when stepping.
13277 @end table
13278
13279 In addition, you may set the language associated with a filename
13280 extension. @xref{Show, , Displaying the Language}.
13281
13282 @node Manually
13283 @subsection Setting the Working Language
13284
13285 If you allow @value{GDBN} to set the language automatically,
13286 expressions are interpreted the same way in your debugging session and
13287 your program.
13288
13289 @kindex set language
13290 If you wish, you may set the language manually. To do this, issue the
13291 command @samp{set language @var{lang}}, where @var{lang} is the name of
13292 a language, such as
13293 @code{c} or @code{modula-2}.
13294 For a list of the supported languages, type @samp{set language}.
13295
13296 Setting the language manually prevents @value{GDBN} from updating the working
13297 language automatically. This can lead to confusion if you try
13298 to debug a program when the working language is not the same as the
13299 source language, when an expression is acceptable to both
13300 languages---but means different things. For instance, if the current
13301 source file were written in C, and @value{GDBN} was parsing Modula-2, a
13302 command such as:
13303
13304 @smallexample
13305 print a = b + c
13306 @end smallexample
13307
13308 @noindent
13309 might not have the effect you intended. In C, this means to add
13310 @code{b} and @code{c} and place the result in @code{a}. The result
13311 printed would be the value of @code{a}. In Modula-2, this means to compare
13312 @code{a} to the result of @code{b+c}, yielding a @code{BOOLEAN} value.
13313
13314 @node Automatically
13315 @subsection Having @value{GDBN} Infer the Source Language
13316
13317 To have @value{GDBN} set the working language automatically, use
13318 @samp{set language local} or @samp{set language auto}. @value{GDBN}
13319 then infers the working language. That is, when your program stops in a
13320 frame (usually by encountering a breakpoint), @value{GDBN} sets the
13321 working language to the language recorded for the function in that
13322 frame. If the language for a frame is unknown (that is, if the function
13323 or block corresponding to the frame was defined in a source file that
13324 does not have a recognized extension), the current working language is
13325 not changed, and @value{GDBN} issues a warning.
13326
13327 This may not seem necessary for most programs, which are written
13328 entirely in one source language. However, program modules and libraries
13329 written in one source language can be used by a main program written in
13330 a different source language. Using @samp{set language auto} in this
13331 case frees you from having to set the working language manually.
13332
13333 @node Show
13334 @section Displaying the Language
13335
13336 The following commands help you find out which language is the
13337 working language, and also what language source files were written in.
13338
13339 @table @code
13340 @item show language
13341 @kindex show language
13342 Display the current working language. This is the
13343 language you can use with commands such as @code{print} to
13344 build and compute expressions that may involve variables in your program.
13345
13346 @item info frame
13347 @kindex info frame@r{, show the source language}
13348 Display the source language for this frame. This language becomes the
13349 working language if you use an identifier from this frame.
13350 @xref{Frame Info, ,Information about a Frame}, to identify the other
13351 information listed here.
13352
13353 @item info source
13354 @kindex info source@r{, show the source language}
13355 Display the source language of this source file.
13356 @xref{Symbols, ,Examining the Symbol Table}, to identify the other
13357 information listed here.
13358 @end table
13359
13360 In unusual circumstances, you may have source files with extensions
13361 not in the standard list. You can then set the extension associated
13362 with a language explicitly:
13363
13364 @table @code
13365 @item set extension-language @var{ext} @var{language}
13366 @kindex set extension-language
13367 Tell @value{GDBN} that source files with extension @var{ext} are to be
13368 assumed as written in the source language @var{language}.
13369
13370 @item info extensions
13371 @kindex info extensions
13372 List all the filename extensions and the associated languages.
13373 @end table
13374
13375 @node Checks
13376 @section Type and Range Checking
13377
13378 Some languages are designed to guard you against making seemingly common
13379 errors through a series of compile- and run-time checks. These include
13380 checking the type of arguments to functions and operators and making
13381 sure mathematical overflows are caught at run time. Checks such as
13382 these help to ensure a program's correctness once it has been compiled
13383 by eliminating type mismatches and providing active checks for range
13384 errors when your program is running.
13385
13386 By default @value{GDBN} checks for these errors according to the
13387 rules of the current source language. Although @value{GDBN} does not check
13388 the statements in your program, it can check expressions entered directly
13389 into @value{GDBN} for evaluation via the @code{print} command, for example.
13390
13391 @menu
13392 * Type Checking:: An overview of type checking
13393 * Range Checking:: An overview of range checking
13394 @end menu
13395
13396 @cindex type checking
13397 @cindex checks, type
13398 @node Type Checking
13399 @subsection An Overview of Type Checking
13400
13401 Some languages, such as C and C@t{++}, are strongly typed, meaning that the
13402 arguments to operators and functions have to be of the correct type,
13403 otherwise an error occurs. These checks prevent type mismatch
13404 errors from ever causing any run-time problems. For example,
13405
13406 @smallexample
13407 int klass::my_method(char *b) @{ return b ? 1 : 2; @}
13408
13409 (@value{GDBP}) print obj.my_method (0)
13410 $1 = 2
13411 @exdent but
13412 (@value{GDBP}) print obj.my_method (0x1234)
13413 Cannot resolve method klass::my_method to any overloaded instance
13414 @end smallexample
13415
13416 The second example fails because in C@t{++} the integer constant
13417 @samp{0x1234} is not type-compatible with the pointer parameter type.
13418
13419 For the expressions you use in @value{GDBN} commands, you can tell
13420 @value{GDBN} to not enforce strict type checking or
13421 to treat any mismatches as errors and abandon the expression;
13422 When type checking is disabled, @value{GDBN} successfully evaluates
13423 expressions like the second example above.
13424
13425 Even if type checking is off, there may be other reasons
13426 related to type that prevent @value{GDBN} from evaluating an expression.
13427 For instance, @value{GDBN} does not know how to add an @code{int} and
13428 a @code{struct foo}. These particular type errors have nothing to do
13429 with the language in use and usually arise from expressions which make
13430 little sense to evaluate anyway.
13431
13432 @value{GDBN} provides some additional commands for controlling type checking:
13433
13434 @kindex set check type
13435 @kindex show check type
13436 @table @code
13437 @item set check type on
13438 @itemx set check type off
13439 Set strict type checking on or off. If any type mismatches occur in
13440 evaluating an expression while type checking is on, @value{GDBN} prints a
13441 message and aborts evaluation of the expression.
13442
13443 @item show check type
13444 Show the current setting of type checking and whether @value{GDBN}
13445 is enforcing strict type checking rules.
13446 @end table
13447
13448 @cindex range checking
13449 @cindex checks, range
13450 @node Range Checking
13451 @subsection An Overview of Range Checking
13452
13453 In some languages (such as Modula-2), it is an error to exceed the
13454 bounds of a type; this is enforced with run-time checks. Such range
13455 checking is meant to ensure program correctness by making sure
13456 computations do not overflow, or indices on an array element access do
13457 not exceed the bounds of the array.
13458
13459 For expressions you use in @value{GDBN} commands, you can tell
13460 @value{GDBN} to treat range errors in one of three ways: ignore them,
13461 always treat them as errors and abandon the expression, or issue
13462 warnings but evaluate the expression anyway.
13463
13464 A range error can result from numerical overflow, from exceeding an
13465 array index bound, or when you type a constant that is not a member
13466 of any type. Some languages, however, do not treat overflows as an
13467 error. In many implementations of C, mathematical overflow causes the
13468 result to ``wrap around'' to lower values---for example, if @var{m} is
13469 the largest integer value, and @var{s} is the smallest, then
13470
13471 @smallexample
13472 @var{m} + 1 @result{} @var{s}
13473 @end smallexample
13474
13475 This, too, is specific to individual languages, and in some cases
13476 specific to individual compilers or machines. @xref{Supported Languages, ,
13477 Supported Languages}, for further details on specific languages.
13478
13479 @value{GDBN} provides some additional commands for controlling the range checker:
13480
13481 @kindex set check range
13482 @kindex show check range
13483 @table @code
13484 @item set check range auto
13485 Set range checking on or off based on the current working language.
13486 @xref{Supported Languages, ,Supported Languages}, for the default settings for
13487 each language.
13488
13489 @item set check range on
13490 @itemx set check range off
13491 Set range checking on or off, overriding the default setting for the
13492 current working language. A warning is issued if the setting does not
13493 match the language default. If a range error occurs and range checking is on,
13494 then a message is printed and evaluation of the expression is aborted.
13495
13496 @item set check range warn
13497 Output messages when the @value{GDBN} range checker detects a range error,
13498 but attempt to evaluate the expression anyway. Evaluating the
13499 expression may still be impossible for other reasons, such as accessing
13500 memory that the process does not own (a typical example from many Unix
13501 systems).
13502
13503 @item show range
13504 Show the current setting of the range checker, and whether or not it is
13505 being set automatically by @value{GDBN}.
13506 @end table
13507
13508 @node Supported Languages
13509 @section Supported Languages
13510
13511 @value{GDBN} supports C, C@t{++}, D, Go, Objective-C, Fortran, Java,
13512 OpenCL C, Pascal, assembly, Modula-2, and Ada.
13513 @c This is false ...
13514 Some @value{GDBN} features may be used in expressions regardless of the
13515 language you use: the @value{GDBN} @code{@@} and @code{::} operators,
13516 and the @samp{@{type@}addr} construct (@pxref{Expressions,
13517 ,Expressions}) can be used with the constructs of any supported
13518 language.
13519
13520 The following sections detail to what degree each source language is
13521 supported by @value{GDBN}. These sections are not meant to be language
13522 tutorials or references, but serve only as a reference guide to what the
13523 @value{GDBN} expression parser accepts, and what input and output
13524 formats should look like for different languages. There are many good
13525 books written on each of these languages; please look to these for a
13526 language reference or tutorial.
13527
13528 @menu
13529 * C:: C and C@t{++}
13530 * D:: D
13531 * Go:: Go
13532 * Objective-C:: Objective-C
13533 * OpenCL C:: OpenCL C
13534 * Fortran:: Fortran
13535 * Pascal:: Pascal
13536 * Modula-2:: Modula-2
13537 * Ada:: Ada
13538 @end menu
13539
13540 @node C
13541 @subsection C and C@t{++}
13542
13543 @cindex C and C@t{++}
13544 @cindex expressions in C or C@t{++}
13545
13546 Since C and C@t{++} are so closely related, many features of @value{GDBN} apply
13547 to both languages. Whenever this is the case, we discuss those languages
13548 together.
13549
13550 @cindex C@t{++}
13551 @cindex @code{g++}, @sc{gnu} C@t{++} compiler
13552 @cindex @sc{gnu} C@t{++}
13553 The C@t{++} debugging facilities are jointly implemented by the C@t{++}
13554 compiler and @value{GDBN}. Therefore, to debug your C@t{++} code
13555 effectively, you must compile your C@t{++} programs with a supported
13556 C@t{++} compiler, such as @sc{gnu} @code{g++}, or the HP ANSI C@t{++}
13557 compiler (@code{aCC}).
13558
13559 @menu
13560 * C Operators:: C and C@t{++} operators
13561 * C Constants:: C and C@t{++} constants
13562 * C Plus Plus Expressions:: C@t{++} expressions
13563 * C Defaults:: Default settings for C and C@t{++}
13564 * C Checks:: C and C@t{++} type and range checks
13565 * Debugging C:: @value{GDBN} and C
13566 * Debugging C Plus Plus:: @value{GDBN} features for C@t{++}
13567 * Decimal Floating Point:: Numbers in Decimal Floating Point format
13568 @end menu
13569
13570 @node C Operators
13571 @subsubsection C and C@t{++} Operators
13572
13573 @cindex C and C@t{++} operators
13574
13575 Operators must be defined on values of specific types. For instance,
13576 @code{+} is defined on numbers, but not on structures. Operators are
13577 often defined on groups of types.
13578
13579 For the purposes of C and C@t{++}, the following definitions hold:
13580
13581 @itemize @bullet
13582
13583 @item
13584 @emph{Integral types} include @code{int} with any of its storage-class
13585 specifiers; @code{char}; @code{enum}; and, for C@t{++}, @code{bool}.
13586
13587 @item
13588 @emph{Floating-point types} include @code{float}, @code{double}, and
13589 @code{long double} (if supported by the target platform).
13590
13591 @item
13592 @emph{Pointer types} include all types defined as @code{(@var{type} *)}.
13593
13594 @item
13595 @emph{Scalar types} include all of the above.
13596
13597 @end itemize
13598
13599 @noindent
13600 The following operators are supported. They are listed here
13601 in order of increasing precedence:
13602
13603 @table @code
13604 @item ,
13605 The comma or sequencing operator. Expressions in a comma-separated list
13606 are evaluated from left to right, with the result of the entire
13607 expression being the last expression evaluated.
13608
13609 @item =
13610 Assignment. The value of an assignment expression is the value
13611 assigned. Defined on scalar types.
13612
13613 @item @var{op}=
13614 Used in an expression of the form @w{@code{@var{a} @var{op}= @var{b}}},
13615 and translated to @w{@code{@var{a} = @var{a op b}}}.
13616 @w{@code{@var{op}=}} and @code{=} have the same precedence.
13617 @var{op} is any one of the operators @code{|}, @code{^}, @code{&},
13618 @code{<<}, @code{>>}, @code{+}, @code{-}, @code{*}, @code{/}, @code{%}.
13619
13620 @item ?:
13621 The ternary operator. @code{@var{a} ? @var{b} : @var{c}} can be thought
13622 of as: if @var{a} then @var{b} else @var{c}. @var{a} should be of an
13623 integral type.
13624
13625 @item ||
13626 Logical @sc{or}. Defined on integral types.
13627
13628 @item &&
13629 Logical @sc{and}. Defined on integral types.
13630
13631 @item |
13632 Bitwise @sc{or}. Defined on integral types.
13633
13634 @item ^
13635 Bitwise exclusive-@sc{or}. Defined on integral types.
13636
13637 @item &
13638 Bitwise @sc{and}. Defined on integral types.
13639
13640 @item ==@r{, }!=
13641 Equality and inequality. Defined on scalar types. The value of these
13642 expressions is 0 for false and non-zero for true.
13643
13644 @item <@r{, }>@r{, }<=@r{, }>=
13645 Less than, greater than, less than or equal, greater than or equal.
13646 Defined on scalar types. The value of these expressions is 0 for false
13647 and non-zero for true.
13648
13649 @item <<@r{, }>>
13650 left shift, and right shift. Defined on integral types.
13651
13652 @item @@
13653 The @value{GDBN} ``artificial array'' operator (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}).
13654
13655 @item +@r{, }-
13656 Addition and subtraction. Defined on integral types, floating-point types and
13657 pointer types.
13658
13659 @item *@r{, }/@r{, }%
13660 Multiplication, division, and modulus. Multiplication and division are
13661 defined on integral and floating-point types. Modulus is defined on
13662 integral types.
13663
13664 @item ++@r{, }--
13665 Increment and decrement. When appearing before a variable, the
13666 operation is performed before the variable is used in an expression;
13667 when appearing after it, the variable's value is used before the
13668 operation takes place.
13669
13670 @item *
13671 Pointer dereferencing. Defined on pointer types. Same precedence as
13672 @code{++}.
13673
13674 @item &
13675 Address operator. Defined on variables. Same precedence as @code{++}.
13676
13677 For debugging C@t{++}, @value{GDBN} implements a use of @samp{&} beyond what is
13678 allowed in the C@t{++} language itself: you can use @samp{&(&@var{ref})}
13679 to examine the address
13680 where a C@t{++} reference variable (declared with @samp{&@var{ref}}) is
13681 stored.
13682
13683 @item -
13684 Negative. Defined on integral and floating-point types. Same
13685 precedence as @code{++}.
13686
13687 @item !
13688 Logical negation. Defined on integral types. Same precedence as
13689 @code{++}.
13690
13691 @item ~
13692 Bitwise complement operator. Defined on integral types. Same precedence as
13693 @code{++}.
13694
13695
13696 @item .@r{, }->
13697 Structure member, and pointer-to-structure member. For convenience,
13698 @value{GDBN} regards the two as equivalent, choosing whether to dereference a
13699 pointer based on the stored type information.
13700 Defined on @code{struct} and @code{union} data.
13701
13702 @item .*@r{, }->*
13703 Dereferences of pointers to members.
13704
13705 @item []
13706 Array indexing. @code{@var{a}[@var{i}]} is defined as
13707 @code{*(@var{a}+@var{i})}. Same precedence as @code{->}.
13708
13709 @item ()
13710 Function parameter list. Same precedence as @code{->}.
13711
13712 @item ::
13713 C@t{++} scope resolution operator. Defined on @code{struct}, @code{union},
13714 and @code{class} types.
13715
13716 @item ::
13717 Doubled colons also represent the @value{GDBN} scope operator
13718 (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}). Same precedence as @code{::},
13719 above.
13720 @end table
13721
13722 If an operator is redefined in the user code, @value{GDBN} usually
13723 attempts to invoke the redefined version instead of using the operator's
13724 predefined meaning.
13725
13726 @node C Constants
13727 @subsubsection C and C@t{++} Constants
13728
13729 @cindex C and C@t{++} constants
13730
13731 @value{GDBN} allows you to express the constants of C and C@t{++} in the
13732 following ways:
13733
13734 @itemize @bullet
13735 @item
13736 Integer constants are a sequence of digits. Octal constants are
13737 specified by a leading @samp{0} (i.e.@: zero), and hexadecimal constants
13738 by a leading @samp{0x} or @samp{0X}. Constants may also end with a letter
13739 @samp{l}, specifying that the constant should be treated as a
13740 @code{long} value.
13741
13742 @item
13743 Floating point constants are a sequence of digits, followed by a decimal
13744 point, followed by a sequence of digits, and optionally followed by an
13745 exponent. An exponent is of the form:
13746 @samp{@w{e@r{[[}+@r{]|}-@r{]}@var{nnn}}}, where @var{nnn} is another
13747 sequence of digits. The @samp{+} is optional for positive exponents.
13748 A floating-point constant may also end with a letter @samp{f} or
13749 @samp{F}, specifying that the constant should be treated as being of
13750 the @code{float} (as opposed to the default @code{double}) type; or with
13751 a letter @samp{l} or @samp{L}, which specifies a @code{long double}
13752 constant.
13753
13754 @item
13755 Enumerated constants consist of enumerated identifiers, or their
13756 integral equivalents.
13757
13758 @item
13759 Character constants are a single character surrounded by single quotes
13760 (@code{'}), or a number---the ordinal value of the corresponding character
13761 (usually its @sc{ascii} value). Within quotes, the single character may
13762 be represented by a letter or by @dfn{escape sequences}, which are of
13763 the form @samp{\@var{nnn}}, where @var{nnn} is the octal representation
13764 of the character's ordinal value; or of the form @samp{\@var{x}}, where
13765 @samp{@var{x}} is a predefined special character---for example,
13766 @samp{\n} for newline.
13767
13768 Wide character constants can be written by prefixing a character
13769 constant with @samp{L}, as in C. For example, @samp{L'x'} is the wide
13770 form of @samp{x}. The target wide character set is used when
13771 computing the value of this constant (@pxref{Character Sets}).
13772
13773 @item
13774 String constants are a sequence of character constants surrounded by
13775 double quotes (@code{"}). Any valid character constant (as described
13776 above) may appear. Double quotes within the string must be preceded by
13777 a backslash, so for instance @samp{"a\"b'c"} is a string of five
13778 characters.
13779
13780 Wide string constants can be written by prefixing a string constant
13781 with @samp{L}, as in C. The target wide character set is used when
13782 computing the value of this constant (@pxref{Character Sets}).
13783
13784 @item
13785 Pointer constants are an integral value. You can also write pointers
13786 to constants using the C operator @samp{&}.
13787
13788 @item
13789 Array constants are comma-separated lists surrounded by braces @samp{@{}
13790 and @samp{@}}; for example, @samp{@{1,2,3@}} is a three-element array of
13791 integers, @samp{@{@{1,2@}, @{3,4@}, @{5,6@}@}} is a three-by-two array,
13792 and @samp{@{&"hi", &"there", &"fred"@}} is a three-element array of pointers.
13793 @end itemize
13794
13795 @node C Plus Plus Expressions
13796 @subsubsection C@t{++} Expressions
13797
13798 @cindex expressions in C@t{++}
13799 @value{GDBN} expression handling can interpret most C@t{++} expressions.
13800
13801 @cindex debugging C@t{++} programs
13802 @cindex C@t{++} compilers
13803 @cindex debug formats and C@t{++}
13804 @cindex @value{NGCC} and C@t{++}
13805 @quotation
13806 @emph{Warning:} @value{GDBN} can only debug C@t{++} code if you use
13807 the proper compiler and the proper debug format. Currently,
13808 @value{GDBN} works best when debugging C@t{++} code that is compiled
13809 with the most recent version of @value{NGCC} possible. The DWARF
13810 debugging format is preferred; @value{NGCC} defaults to this on most
13811 popular platforms. Other compilers and/or debug formats are likely to
13812 work badly or not at all when using @value{GDBN} to debug C@t{++}
13813 code. @xref{Compilation}.
13814 @end quotation
13815
13816 @enumerate
13817
13818 @cindex member functions
13819 @item
13820 Member function calls are allowed; you can use expressions like
13821
13822 @smallexample
13823 count = aml->GetOriginal(x, y)
13824 @end smallexample
13825
13826 @vindex this@r{, inside C@t{++} member functions}
13827 @cindex namespace in C@t{++}
13828 @item
13829 While a member function is active (in the selected stack frame), your
13830 expressions have the same namespace available as the member function;
13831 that is, @value{GDBN} allows implicit references to the class instance
13832 pointer @code{this} following the same rules as C@t{++}. @code{using}
13833 declarations in the current scope are also respected by @value{GDBN}.
13834
13835 @cindex call overloaded functions
13836 @cindex overloaded functions, calling
13837 @cindex type conversions in C@t{++}
13838 @item
13839 You can call overloaded functions; @value{GDBN} resolves the function
13840 call to the right definition, with some restrictions. @value{GDBN} does not
13841 perform overload resolution involving user-defined type conversions,
13842 calls to constructors, or instantiations of templates that do not exist
13843 in the program. It also cannot handle ellipsis argument lists or
13844 default arguments.
13845
13846 It does perform integral conversions and promotions, floating-point
13847 promotions, arithmetic conversions, pointer conversions, conversions of
13848 class objects to base classes, and standard conversions such as those of
13849 functions or arrays to pointers; it requires an exact match on the
13850 number of function arguments.
13851
13852 Overload resolution is always performed, unless you have specified
13853 @code{set overload-resolution off}. @xref{Debugging C Plus Plus,
13854 ,@value{GDBN} Features for C@t{++}}.
13855
13856 You must specify @code{set overload-resolution off} in order to use an
13857 explicit function signature to call an overloaded function, as in
13858 @smallexample
13859 p 'foo(char,int)'('x', 13)
13860 @end smallexample
13861
13862 The @value{GDBN} command-completion facility can simplify this;
13863 see @ref{Completion, ,Command Completion}.
13864
13865 @cindex reference declarations
13866 @item
13867 @value{GDBN} understands variables declared as C@t{++} references; you can use
13868 them in expressions just as you do in C@t{++} source---they are automatically
13869 dereferenced.
13870
13871 In the parameter list shown when @value{GDBN} displays a frame, the values of
13872 reference variables are not displayed (unlike other variables); this
13873 avoids clutter, since references are often used for large structures.
13874 The @emph{address} of a reference variable is always shown, unless
13875 you have specified @samp{set print address off}.
13876
13877 @item
13878 @value{GDBN} supports the C@t{++} name resolution operator @code{::}---your
13879 expressions can use it just as expressions in your program do. Since
13880 one scope may be defined in another, you can use @code{::} repeatedly if
13881 necessary, for example in an expression like
13882 @samp{@var{scope1}::@var{scope2}::@var{name}}. @value{GDBN} also allows
13883 resolving name scope by reference to source files, in both C and C@t{++}
13884 debugging (@pxref{Variables, ,Program Variables}).
13885
13886 @item
13887 @value{GDBN} performs argument-dependent lookup, following the C@t{++}
13888 specification.
13889 @end enumerate
13890
13891 @node C Defaults
13892 @subsubsection C and C@t{++} Defaults
13893
13894 @cindex C and C@t{++} defaults
13895
13896 If you allow @value{GDBN} to set range checking automatically, it
13897 defaults to @code{off} whenever the working language changes to
13898 C or C@t{++}. This happens regardless of whether you or @value{GDBN}
13899 selects the working language.
13900
13901 If you allow @value{GDBN} to set the language automatically, it
13902 recognizes source files whose names end with @file{.c}, @file{.C}, or
13903 @file{.cc}, etc, and when @value{GDBN} enters code compiled from one of
13904 these files, it sets the working language to C or C@t{++}.
13905 @xref{Automatically, ,Having @value{GDBN} Infer the Source Language},
13906 for further details.
13907
13908 @node C Checks
13909 @subsubsection C and C@t{++} Type and Range Checks
13910
13911 @cindex C and C@t{++} checks
13912
13913 By default, when @value{GDBN} parses C or C@t{++} expressions, strict type
13914 checking is used. However, if you turn type checking off, @value{GDBN}
13915 will allow certain non-standard conversions, such as promoting integer
13916 constants to pointers.
13917
13918 Range checking, if turned on, is done on mathematical operations. Array
13919 indices are not checked, since they are often used to index a pointer
13920 that is not itself an array.
13921
13922 @node Debugging C
13923 @subsubsection @value{GDBN} and C
13924
13925 The @code{set print union} and @code{show print union} commands apply to
13926 the @code{union} type. When set to @samp{on}, any @code{union} that is
13927 inside a @code{struct} or @code{class} is also printed. Otherwise, it
13928 appears as @samp{@{...@}}.
13929
13930 The @code{@@} operator aids in the debugging of dynamic arrays, formed
13931 with pointers and a memory allocation function. @xref{Expressions,
13932 ,Expressions}.
13933
13934 @node Debugging C Plus Plus
13935 @subsubsection @value{GDBN} Features for C@t{++}
13936
13937 @cindex commands for C@t{++}
13938
13939 Some @value{GDBN} commands are particularly useful with C@t{++}, and some are
13940 designed specifically for use with C@t{++}. Here is a summary:
13941
13942 @table @code
13943 @cindex break in overloaded functions
13944 @item @r{breakpoint menus}
13945 When you want a breakpoint in a function whose name is overloaded,
13946 @value{GDBN} has the capability to display a menu of possible breakpoint
13947 locations to help you specify which function definition you want.
13948 @xref{Ambiguous Expressions,,Ambiguous Expressions}.
13949
13950 @cindex overloading in C@t{++}
13951 @item rbreak @var{regex}
13952 Setting breakpoints using regular expressions is helpful for setting
13953 breakpoints on overloaded functions that are not members of any special
13954 classes.
13955 @xref{Set Breaks, ,Setting Breakpoints}.
13956
13957 @cindex C@t{++} exception handling
13958 @item catch throw
13959 @itemx catch rethrow
13960 @itemx catch catch
13961 Debug C@t{++} exception handling using these commands. @xref{Set
13962 Catchpoints, , Setting Catchpoints}.
13963
13964 @cindex inheritance
13965 @item ptype @var{typename}
13966 Print inheritance relationships as well as other information for type
13967 @var{typename}.
13968 @xref{Symbols, ,Examining the Symbol Table}.
13969
13970 @item info vtbl @var{expression}.
13971 The @code{info vtbl} command can be used to display the virtual
13972 method tables of the object computed by @var{expression}. This shows
13973 one entry per virtual table; there may be multiple virtual tables when
13974 multiple inheritance is in use.
13975
13976 @cindex C@t{++} symbol display
13977 @item set print demangle
13978 @itemx show print demangle
13979 @itemx set print asm-demangle
13980 @itemx show print asm-demangle
13981 Control whether C@t{++} symbols display in their source form, both when
13982 displaying code as C@t{++} source and when displaying disassemblies.
13983 @xref{Print Settings, ,Print Settings}.
13984
13985 @item set print object
13986 @itemx show print object
13987 Choose whether to print derived (actual) or declared types of objects.
13988 @xref{Print Settings, ,Print Settings}.
13989
13990 @item set print vtbl
13991 @itemx show print vtbl
13992 Control the format for printing virtual function tables.
13993 @xref{Print Settings, ,Print Settings}.
13994 (The @code{vtbl} commands do not work on programs compiled with the HP
13995 ANSI C@t{++} compiler (@code{aCC}).)
13996
13997 @kindex set overload-resolution
13998 @cindex overloaded functions, overload resolution
13999 @item set overload-resolution on
14000 Enable overload resolution for C@t{++} expression evaluation. The default
14001 is on. For overloaded functions, @value{GDBN} evaluates the arguments
14002 and searches for a function whose signature matches the argument types,
14003 using the standard C@t{++} conversion rules (see @ref{C Plus Plus
14004 Expressions, ,C@t{++} Expressions}, for details).
14005 If it cannot find a match, it emits a message.
14006
14007 @item set overload-resolution off
14008 Disable overload resolution for C@t{++} expression evaluation. For
14009 overloaded functions that are not class member functions, @value{GDBN}
14010 chooses the first function of the specified name that it finds in the
14011 symbol table, whether or not its arguments are of the correct type. For
14012 overloaded functions that are class member functions, @value{GDBN}
14013 searches for a function whose signature @emph{exactly} matches the
14014 argument types.
14015
14016 @kindex show overload-resolution
14017 @item show overload-resolution
14018 Show the current setting of overload resolution.
14019
14020 @item @r{Overloaded symbol names}
14021 You can specify a particular definition of an overloaded symbol, using
14022 the same notation that is used to declare such symbols in C@t{++}: type
14023 @code{@var{symbol}(@var{types})} rather than just @var{symbol}. You can
14024 also use the @value{GDBN} command-line word completion facilities to list the
14025 available choices, or to finish the type list for you.
14026 @xref{Completion,, Command Completion}, for details on how to do this.
14027 @end table
14028
14029 @node Decimal Floating Point
14030 @subsubsection Decimal Floating Point format
14031 @cindex decimal floating point format
14032
14033 @value{GDBN} can examine, set and perform computations with numbers in
14034 decimal floating point format, which in the C language correspond to the
14035 @code{_Decimal32}, @code{_Decimal64} and @code{_Decimal128} types as
14036 specified by the extension to support decimal floating-point arithmetic.
14037
14038 There are two encodings in use, depending on the architecture: BID (Binary
14039 Integer Decimal) for x86 and x86-64, and DPD (Densely Packed Decimal) for
14040 PowerPC and S/390. @value{GDBN} will use the appropriate encoding for the
14041 configured target.
14042
14043 Because of a limitation in @file{libdecnumber}, the library used by @value{GDBN}
14044 to manipulate decimal floating point numbers, it is not possible to convert
14045 (using a cast, for example) integers wider than 32-bit to decimal float.
14046
14047 In addition, in order to imitate @value{GDBN}'s behaviour with binary floating
14048 point computations, error checking in decimal float operations ignores
14049 underflow, overflow and divide by zero exceptions.
14050
14051 In the PowerPC architecture, @value{GDBN} provides a set of pseudo-registers
14052 to inspect @code{_Decimal128} values stored in floating point registers.
14053 See @ref{PowerPC,,PowerPC} for more details.
14054
14055 @node D
14056 @subsection D
14057
14058 @cindex D
14059 @value{GDBN} can be used to debug programs written in D and compiled with
14060 GDC, LDC or DMD compilers. Currently @value{GDBN} supports only one D
14061 specific feature --- dynamic arrays.
14062
14063 @node Go
14064 @subsection Go
14065
14066 @cindex Go (programming language)
14067 @value{GDBN} can be used to debug programs written in Go and compiled with
14068 @file{gccgo} or @file{6g} compilers.
14069
14070 Here is a summary of the Go-specific features and restrictions:
14071
14072 @table @code
14073 @cindex current Go package
14074 @item The current Go package
14075 The name of the current package does not need to be specified when
14076 specifying global variables and functions.
14077
14078 For example, given the program:
14079
14080 @example
14081 package main
14082 var myglob = "Shall we?"
14083 func main () @{
14084 // ...
14085 @}
14086 @end example
14087
14088 When stopped inside @code{main} either of these work:
14089
14090 @example
14091 (gdb) p myglob
14092 (gdb) p main.myglob
14093 @end example
14094
14095 @cindex builtin Go types
14096 @item Builtin Go types
14097 The @code{string} type is recognized by @value{GDBN} and is printed
14098 as a string.
14099
14100 @cindex builtin Go functions
14101 @item Builtin Go functions
14102 The @value{GDBN} expression parser recognizes the @code{unsafe.Sizeof}
14103 function and handles it internally.
14104
14105 @cindex restrictions on Go expressions
14106 @item Restrictions on Go expressions
14107 All Go operators are supported except @code{&^}.
14108 The Go @code{_} ``blank identifier'' is not supported.
14109 Automatic dereferencing of pointers is not supported.
14110 @end table
14111
14112 @node Objective-C
14113 @subsection Objective-C
14114
14115 @cindex Objective-C
14116 This section provides information about some commands and command
14117 options that are useful for debugging Objective-C code. See also
14118 @ref{Symbols, info classes}, and @ref{Symbols, info selectors}, for a
14119 few more commands specific to Objective-C support.
14120
14121 @menu
14122 * Method Names in Commands::
14123 * The Print Command with Objective-C::
14124 @end menu
14125
14126 @node Method Names in Commands
14127 @subsubsection Method Names in Commands
14128
14129 The following commands have been extended to accept Objective-C method
14130 names as line specifications:
14131
14132 @kindex clear@r{, and Objective-C}
14133 @kindex break@r{, and Objective-C}
14134 @kindex info line@r{, and Objective-C}
14135 @kindex jump@r{, and Objective-C}
14136 @kindex list@r{, and Objective-C}
14137 @itemize
14138 @item @code{clear}
14139 @item @code{break}
14140 @item @code{info line}
14141 @item @code{jump}
14142 @item @code{list}
14143 @end itemize
14144
14145 A fully qualified Objective-C method name is specified as
14146
14147 @smallexample
14148 -[@var{Class} @var{methodName}]
14149 @end smallexample
14150
14151 where the minus sign is used to indicate an instance method and a
14152 plus sign (not shown) is used to indicate a class method. The class
14153 name @var{Class} and method name @var{methodName} are enclosed in
14154 brackets, similar to the way messages are specified in Objective-C
14155 source code. For example, to set a breakpoint at the @code{create}
14156 instance method of class @code{Fruit} in the program currently being
14157 debugged, enter:
14158
14159 @smallexample
14160 break -[Fruit create]
14161 @end smallexample
14162
14163 To list ten program lines around the @code{initialize} class method,
14164 enter:
14165
14166 @smallexample
14167 list +[NSText initialize]
14168 @end smallexample
14169
14170 In the current version of @value{GDBN}, the plus or minus sign is
14171 required. In future versions of @value{GDBN}, the plus or minus
14172 sign will be optional, but you can use it to narrow the search. It
14173 is also possible to specify just a method name:
14174
14175 @smallexample
14176 break create
14177 @end smallexample
14178
14179 You must specify the complete method name, including any colons. If
14180 your program's source files contain more than one @code{create} method,
14181 you'll be presented with a numbered list of classes that implement that
14182 method. Indicate your choice by number, or type @samp{0} to exit if
14183 none apply.
14184
14185 As another example, to clear a breakpoint established at the
14186 @code{makeKeyAndOrderFront:} method of the @code{NSWindow} class, enter:
14187
14188 @smallexample
14189 clear -[NSWindow makeKeyAndOrderFront:]
14190 @end smallexample
14191
14192 @node The Print Command with Objective-C
14193 @subsubsection The Print Command With Objective-C
14194 @cindex Objective-C, print objects
14195 @kindex print-object
14196 @kindex po @r{(@code{print-object})}
14197
14198 The print command has also been extended to accept methods. For example:
14199
14200 @smallexample
14201 print -[@var{object} hash]
14202 @end smallexample
14203
14204 @cindex print an Objective-C object description
14205 @cindex @code{_NSPrintForDebugger}, and printing Objective-C objects
14206 @noindent
14207 will tell @value{GDBN} to send the @code{hash} message to @var{object}
14208 and print the result. Also, an additional command has been added,
14209 @code{print-object} or @code{po} for short, which is meant to print
14210 the description of an object. However, this command may only work
14211 with certain Objective-C libraries that have a particular hook
14212 function, @code{_NSPrintForDebugger}, defined.
14213
14214 @node OpenCL C
14215 @subsection OpenCL C
14216
14217 @cindex OpenCL C
14218 This section provides information about @value{GDBN}s OpenCL C support.
14219
14220 @menu
14221 * OpenCL C Datatypes::
14222 * OpenCL C Expressions::
14223 * OpenCL C Operators::
14224 @end menu
14225
14226 @node OpenCL C Datatypes
14227 @subsubsection OpenCL C Datatypes
14228
14229 @cindex OpenCL C Datatypes
14230 @value{GDBN} supports the builtin scalar and vector datatypes specified
14231 by OpenCL 1.1. In addition the half- and double-precision floating point
14232 data types of the @code{cl_khr_fp16} and @code{cl_khr_fp64} OpenCL
14233 extensions are also known to @value{GDBN}.
14234
14235 @node OpenCL C Expressions
14236 @subsubsection OpenCL C Expressions
14237
14238 @cindex OpenCL C Expressions
14239 @value{GDBN} supports accesses to vector components including the access as
14240 lvalue where possible. Since OpenCL C is based on C99 most C expressions
14241 supported by @value{GDBN} can be used as well.
14242
14243 @node OpenCL C Operators
14244 @subsubsection OpenCL C Operators
14245
14246 @cindex OpenCL C Operators
14247 @value{GDBN} supports the operators specified by OpenCL 1.1 for scalar and
14248 vector data types.
14249
14250 @node Fortran
14251 @subsection Fortran
14252 @cindex Fortran-specific support in @value{GDBN}
14253
14254 @value{GDBN} can be used to debug programs written in Fortran, but it
14255 currently supports only the features of Fortran 77 language.
14256
14257 @cindex trailing underscore, in Fortran symbols
14258 Some Fortran compilers (@sc{gnu} Fortran 77 and Fortran 95 compilers
14259 among them) append an underscore to the names of variables and
14260 functions. When you debug programs compiled by those compilers, you
14261 will need to refer to variables and functions with a trailing
14262 underscore.
14263
14264 @menu
14265 * Fortran Operators:: Fortran operators and expressions
14266 * Fortran Defaults:: Default settings for Fortran
14267 * Special Fortran Commands:: Special @value{GDBN} commands for Fortran
14268 @end menu
14269
14270 @node Fortran Operators
14271 @subsubsection Fortran Operators and Expressions
14272
14273 @cindex Fortran operators and expressions
14274
14275 Operators must be defined on values of specific types. For instance,
14276 @code{+} is defined on numbers, but not on characters or other non-
14277 arithmetic types. Operators are often defined on groups of types.
14278
14279 @table @code
14280 @item **
14281 The exponentiation operator. It raises the first operand to the power
14282 of the second one.
14283
14284 @item :
14285 The range operator. Normally used in the form of array(low:high) to
14286 represent a section of array.
14287
14288 @item %
14289 The access component operator. Normally used to access elements in derived
14290 types. Also suitable for unions. As unions aren't part of regular Fortran,
14291 this can only happen when accessing a register that uses a gdbarch-defined
14292 union type.
14293 @end table
14294
14295 @node Fortran Defaults
14296 @subsubsection Fortran Defaults
14297
14298 @cindex Fortran Defaults
14299
14300 Fortran symbols are usually case-insensitive, so @value{GDBN} by
14301 default uses case-insensitive matches for Fortran symbols. You can
14302 change that with the @samp{set case-insensitive} command, see
14303 @ref{Symbols}, for the details.
14304
14305 @node Special Fortran Commands
14306 @subsubsection Special Fortran Commands
14307
14308 @cindex Special Fortran commands
14309
14310 @value{GDBN} has some commands to support Fortran-specific features,
14311 such as displaying common blocks.
14312
14313 @table @code
14314 @cindex @code{COMMON} blocks, Fortran
14315 @kindex info common
14316 @item info common @r{[}@var{common-name}@r{]}
14317 This command prints the values contained in the Fortran @code{COMMON}
14318 block whose name is @var{common-name}. With no argument, the names of
14319 all @code{COMMON} blocks visible at the current program location are
14320 printed.
14321 @end table
14322
14323 @node Pascal
14324 @subsection Pascal
14325
14326 @cindex Pascal support in @value{GDBN}, limitations
14327 Debugging Pascal programs which use sets, subranges, file variables, or
14328 nested functions does not currently work. @value{GDBN} does not support
14329 entering expressions, printing values, or similar features using Pascal
14330 syntax.
14331
14332 The Pascal-specific command @code{set print pascal_static-members}
14333 controls whether static members of Pascal objects are displayed.
14334 @xref{Print Settings, pascal_static-members}.
14335
14336 @node Modula-2
14337 @subsection Modula-2
14338
14339 @cindex Modula-2, @value{GDBN} support
14340
14341 The extensions made to @value{GDBN} to support Modula-2 only support
14342 output from the @sc{gnu} Modula-2 compiler (which is currently being
14343 developed). Other Modula-2 compilers are not currently supported, and
14344 attempting to debug executables produced by them is most likely
14345 to give an error as @value{GDBN} reads in the executable's symbol
14346 table.
14347
14348 @cindex expressions in Modula-2
14349 @menu
14350 * M2 Operators:: Built-in operators
14351 * Built-In Func/Proc:: Built-in functions and procedures
14352 * M2 Constants:: Modula-2 constants
14353 * M2 Types:: Modula-2 types
14354 * M2 Defaults:: Default settings for Modula-2
14355 * Deviations:: Deviations from standard Modula-2
14356 * M2 Checks:: Modula-2 type and range checks
14357 * M2 Scope:: The scope operators @code{::} and @code{.}
14358 * GDB/M2:: @value{GDBN} and Modula-2
14359 @end menu
14360
14361 @node M2 Operators
14362 @subsubsection Operators
14363 @cindex Modula-2 operators
14364
14365 Operators must be defined on values of specific types. For instance,
14366 @code{+} is defined on numbers, but not on structures. Operators are
14367 often defined on groups of types. For the purposes of Modula-2, the
14368 following definitions hold:
14369
14370 @itemize @bullet
14371
14372 @item
14373 @emph{Integral types} consist of @code{INTEGER}, @code{CARDINAL}, and
14374 their subranges.
14375
14376 @item
14377 @emph{Character types} consist of @code{CHAR} and its subranges.
14378
14379 @item
14380 @emph{Floating-point types} consist of @code{REAL}.
14381
14382 @item
14383 @emph{Pointer types} consist of anything declared as @code{POINTER TO
14384 @var{type}}.
14385
14386 @item
14387 @emph{Scalar types} consist of all of the above.
14388
14389 @item
14390 @emph{Set types} consist of @code{SET} and @code{BITSET} types.
14391
14392 @item
14393 @emph{Boolean types} consist of @code{BOOLEAN}.
14394 @end itemize
14395
14396 @noindent
14397 The following operators are supported, and appear in order of
14398 increasing precedence:
14399
14400 @table @code
14401 @item ,
14402 Function argument or array index separator.
14403
14404 @item :=
14405 Assignment. The value of @var{var} @code{:=} @var{value} is
14406 @var{value}.
14407
14408 @item <@r{, }>
14409 Less than, greater than on integral, floating-point, or enumerated
14410 types.
14411
14412 @item <=@r{, }>=
14413 Less than or equal to, greater than or equal to
14414 on integral, floating-point and enumerated types, or set inclusion on
14415 set types. Same precedence as @code{<}.
14416
14417 @item =@r{, }<>@r{, }#
14418 Equality and two ways of expressing inequality, valid on scalar types.
14419 Same precedence as @code{<}. In @value{GDBN} scripts, only @code{<>} is
14420 available for inequality, since @code{#} conflicts with the script
14421 comment character.
14422
14423 @item IN
14424 Set membership. Defined on set types and the types of their members.
14425 Same precedence as @code{<}.
14426
14427 @item OR
14428 Boolean disjunction. Defined on boolean types.
14429
14430 @item AND@r{, }&
14431 Boolean conjunction. Defined on boolean types.
14432
14433 @item @@
14434 The @value{GDBN} ``artificial array'' operator (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}).
14435
14436 @item +@r{, }-
14437 Addition and subtraction on integral and floating-point types, or union
14438 and difference on set types.
14439
14440 @item *
14441 Multiplication on integral and floating-point types, or set intersection
14442 on set types.
14443
14444 @item /
14445 Division on floating-point types, or symmetric set difference on set
14446 types. Same precedence as @code{*}.
14447
14448 @item DIV@r{, }MOD
14449 Integer division and remainder. Defined on integral types. Same
14450 precedence as @code{*}.
14451
14452 @item -
14453 Negative. Defined on @code{INTEGER} and @code{REAL} data.
14454
14455 @item ^
14456 Pointer dereferencing. Defined on pointer types.
14457
14458 @item NOT
14459 Boolean negation. Defined on boolean types. Same precedence as
14460 @code{^}.
14461
14462 @item .
14463 @code{RECORD} field selector. Defined on @code{RECORD} data. Same
14464 precedence as @code{^}.
14465
14466 @item []
14467 Array indexing. Defined on @code{ARRAY} data. Same precedence as @code{^}.
14468
14469 @item ()
14470 Procedure argument list. Defined on @code{PROCEDURE} objects. Same precedence
14471 as @code{^}.
14472
14473 @item ::@r{, }.
14474 @value{GDBN} and Modula-2 scope operators.
14475 @end table
14476
14477 @quotation
14478 @emph{Warning:} Set expressions and their operations are not yet supported, so @value{GDBN}
14479 treats the use of the operator @code{IN}, or the use of operators
14480 @code{+}, @code{-}, @code{*}, @code{/}, @code{=}, , @code{<>}, @code{#},
14481 @code{<=}, and @code{>=} on sets as an error.
14482 @end quotation
14483
14484
14485 @node Built-In Func/Proc
14486 @subsubsection Built-in Functions and Procedures
14487 @cindex Modula-2 built-ins
14488
14489 Modula-2 also makes available several built-in procedures and functions.
14490 In describing these, the following metavariables are used:
14491
14492 @table @var
14493
14494 @item a
14495 represents an @code{ARRAY} variable.
14496
14497 @item c
14498 represents a @code{CHAR} constant or variable.
14499
14500 @item i
14501 represents a variable or constant of integral type.
14502
14503 @item m
14504 represents an identifier that belongs to a set. Generally used in the
14505 same function with the metavariable @var{s}. The type of @var{s} should
14506 be @code{SET OF @var{mtype}} (where @var{mtype} is the type of @var{m}).
14507
14508 @item n
14509 represents a variable or constant of integral or floating-point type.
14510
14511 @item r
14512 represents a variable or constant of floating-point type.
14513
14514 @item t
14515 represents a type.
14516
14517 @item v
14518 represents a variable.
14519
14520 @item x
14521 represents a variable or constant of one of many types. See the
14522 explanation of the function for details.
14523 @end table
14524
14525 All Modula-2 built-in procedures also return a result, described below.
14526
14527 @table @code
14528 @item ABS(@var{n})
14529 Returns the absolute value of @var{n}.
14530
14531 @item CAP(@var{c})
14532 If @var{c} is a lower case letter, it returns its upper case
14533 equivalent, otherwise it returns its argument.
14534
14535 @item CHR(@var{i})
14536 Returns the character whose ordinal value is @var{i}.
14537
14538 @item DEC(@var{v})
14539 Decrements the value in the variable @var{v} by one. Returns the new value.
14540
14541 @item DEC(@var{v},@var{i})
14542 Decrements the value in the variable @var{v} by @var{i}. Returns the
14543 new value.
14544
14545 @item EXCL(@var{m},@var{s})
14546 Removes the element @var{m} from the set @var{s}. Returns the new
14547 set.
14548
14549 @item FLOAT(@var{i})
14550 Returns the floating point equivalent of the integer @var{i}.
14551
14552 @item HIGH(@var{a})
14553 Returns the index of the last member of @var{a}.
14554
14555 @item INC(@var{v})
14556 Increments the value in the variable @var{v} by one. Returns the new value.
14557
14558 @item INC(@var{v},@var{i})
14559 Increments the value in the variable @var{v} by @var{i}. Returns the
14560 new value.
14561
14562 @item INCL(@var{m},@var{s})
14563 Adds the element @var{m} to the set @var{s} if it is not already
14564 there. Returns the new set.
14565
14566 @item MAX(@var{t})
14567 Returns the maximum value of the type @var{t}.
14568
14569 @item MIN(@var{t})
14570 Returns the minimum value of the type @var{t}.
14571
14572 @item ODD(@var{i})
14573 Returns boolean TRUE if @var{i} is an odd number.
14574
14575 @item ORD(@var{x})
14576 Returns the ordinal value of its argument. For example, the ordinal
14577 value of a character is its @sc{ascii} value (on machines supporting the
14578 @sc{ascii} character set). @var{x} must be of an ordered type, which include
14579 integral, character and enumerated types.
14580
14581 @item SIZE(@var{x})
14582 Returns the size of its argument. @var{x} can be a variable or a type.
14583
14584 @item TRUNC(@var{r})
14585 Returns the integral part of @var{r}.
14586
14587 @item TSIZE(@var{x})
14588 Returns the size of its argument. @var{x} can be a variable or a type.
14589
14590 @item VAL(@var{t},@var{i})
14591 Returns the member of the type @var{t} whose ordinal value is @var{i}.
14592 @end table
14593
14594 @quotation
14595 @emph{Warning:} Sets and their operations are not yet supported, so
14596 @value{GDBN} treats the use of procedures @code{INCL} and @code{EXCL} as
14597 an error.
14598 @end quotation
14599
14600 @cindex Modula-2 constants
14601 @node M2 Constants
14602 @subsubsection Constants
14603
14604 @value{GDBN} allows you to express the constants of Modula-2 in the following
14605 ways:
14606
14607 @itemize @bullet
14608
14609 @item
14610 Integer constants are simply a sequence of digits. When used in an
14611 expression, a constant is interpreted to be type-compatible with the
14612 rest of the expression. Hexadecimal integers are specified by a
14613 trailing @samp{H}, and octal integers by a trailing @samp{B}.
14614
14615 @item
14616 Floating point constants appear as a sequence of digits, followed by a
14617 decimal point and another sequence of digits. An optional exponent can
14618 then be specified, in the form @samp{E@r{[}+@r{|}-@r{]}@var{nnn}}, where
14619 @samp{@r{[}+@r{|}-@r{]}@var{nnn}} is the desired exponent. All of the
14620 digits of the floating point constant must be valid decimal (base 10)
14621 digits.
14622
14623 @item
14624 Character constants consist of a single character enclosed by a pair of
14625 like quotes, either single (@code{'}) or double (@code{"}). They may
14626 also be expressed by their ordinal value (their @sc{ascii} value, usually)
14627 followed by a @samp{C}.
14628
14629 @item
14630 String constants consist of a sequence of characters enclosed by a
14631 pair of like quotes, either single (@code{'}) or double (@code{"}).
14632 Escape sequences in the style of C are also allowed. @xref{C
14633 Constants, ,C and C@t{++} Constants}, for a brief explanation of escape
14634 sequences.
14635
14636 @item
14637 Enumerated constants consist of an enumerated identifier.
14638
14639 @item
14640 Boolean constants consist of the identifiers @code{TRUE} and
14641 @code{FALSE}.
14642
14643 @item
14644 Pointer constants consist of integral values only.
14645
14646 @item
14647 Set constants are not yet supported.
14648 @end itemize
14649
14650 @node M2 Types
14651 @subsubsection Modula-2 Types
14652 @cindex Modula-2 types
14653
14654 Currently @value{GDBN} can print the following data types in Modula-2
14655 syntax: array types, record types, set types, pointer types, procedure
14656 types, enumerated types, subrange types and base types. You can also
14657 print the contents of variables declared using these type.
14658 This section gives a number of simple source code examples together with
14659 sample @value{GDBN} sessions.
14660
14661 The first example contains the following section of code:
14662
14663 @smallexample
14664 VAR
14665 s: SET OF CHAR ;
14666 r: [20..40] ;
14667 @end smallexample
14668
14669 @noindent
14670 and you can request @value{GDBN} to interrogate the type and value of
14671 @code{r} and @code{s}.
14672
14673 @smallexample
14674 (@value{GDBP}) print s
14675 @{'A'..'C', 'Z'@}
14676 (@value{GDBP}) ptype s
14677 SET OF CHAR
14678 (@value{GDBP}) print r
14679 21
14680 (@value{GDBP}) ptype r
14681 [20..40]
14682 @end smallexample
14683
14684 @noindent
14685 Likewise if your source code declares @code{s} as:
14686
14687 @smallexample
14688 VAR
14689 s: SET ['A'..'Z'] ;
14690 @end smallexample
14691
14692 @noindent
14693 then you may query the type of @code{s} by:
14694
14695 @smallexample
14696 (@value{GDBP}) ptype s
14697 type = SET ['A'..'Z']
14698 @end smallexample
14699
14700 @noindent
14701 Note that at present you cannot interactively manipulate set
14702 expressions using the debugger.
14703
14704 The following example shows how you might declare an array in Modula-2
14705 and how you can interact with @value{GDBN} to print its type and contents:
14706
14707 @smallexample
14708 VAR
14709 s: ARRAY [-10..10] OF CHAR ;
14710 @end smallexample
14711
14712 @smallexample
14713 (@value{GDBP}) ptype s
14714 ARRAY [-10..10] OF CHAR
14715 @end smallexample
14716
14717 Note that the array handling is not yet complete and although the type
14718 is printed correctly, expression handling still assumes that all
14719 arrays have a lower bound of zero and not @code{-10} as in the example
14720 above.
14721
14722 Here are some more type related Modula-2 examples:
14723
14724 @smallexample
14725 TYPE
14726 colour = (blue, red, yellow, green) ;
14727 t = [blue..yellow] ;
14728 VAR
14729 s: t ;
14730 BEGIN
14731 s := blue ;
14732 @end smallexample
14733
14734 @noindent
14735 The @value{GDBN} interaction shows how you can query the data type
14736 and value of a variable.
14737
14738 @smallexample
14739 (@value{GDBP}) print s
14740 $1 = blue
14741 (@value{GDBP}) ptype t
14742 type = [blue..yellow]
14743 @end smallexample
14744
14745 @noindent
14746 In this example a Modula-2 array is declared and its contents
14747 displayed. Observe that the contents are written in the same way as
14748 their @code{C} counterparts.
14749
14750 @smallexample
14751 VAR
14752 s: ARRAY [1..5] OF CARDINAL ;
14753 BEGIN
14754 s[1] := 1 ;
14755 @end smallexample
14756
14757 @smallexample
14758 (@value{GDBP}) print s
14759 $1 = @{1, 0, 0, 0, 0@}
14760 (@value{GDBP}) ptype s
14761 type = ARRAY [1..5] OF CARDINAL
14762 @end smallexample
14763
14764 The Modula-2 language interface to @value{GDBN} also understands
14765 pointer types as shown in this example:
14766
14767 @smallexample
14768 VAR
14769 s: POINTER TO ARRAY [1..5] OF CARDINAL ;
14770 BEGIN
14771 NEW(s) ;
14772 s^[1] := 1 ;
14773 @end smallexample
14774
14775 @noindent
14776 and you can request that @value{GDBN} describes the type of @code{s}.
14777
14778 @smallexample
14779 (@value{GDBP}) ptype s
14780 type = POINTER TO ARRAY [1..5] OF CARDINAL
14781 @end smallexample
14782
14783 @value{GDBN} handles compound types as we can see in this example.
14784 Here we combine array types, record types, pointer types and subrange
14785 types:
14786
14787 @smallexample
14788 TYPE
14789 foo = RECORD
14790 f1: CARDINAL ;
14791 f2: CHAR ;
14792 f3: myarray ;
14793 END ;
14794
14795 myarray = ARRAY myrange OF CARDINAL ;
14796 myrange = [-2..2] ;
14797 VAR
14798 s: POINTER TO ARRAY myrange OF foo ;
14799 @end smallexample
14800
14801 @noindent
14802 and you can ask @value{GDBN} to describe the type of @code{s} as shown
14803 below.
14804
14805 @smallexample
14806 (@value{GDBP}) ptype s
14807 type = POINTER TO ARRAY [-2..2] OF foo = RECORD
14808 f1 : CARDINAL;
14809 f2 : CHAR;
14810 f3 : ARRAY [-2..2] OF CARDINAL;
14811 END
14812 @end smallexample
14813
14814 @node M2 Defaults
14815 @subsubsection Modula-2 Defaults
14816 @cindex Modula-2 defaults
14817
14818 If type and range checking are set automatically by @value{GDBN}, they
14819 both default to @code{on} whenever the working language changes to
14820 Modula-2. This happens regardless of whether you or @value{GDBN}
14821 selected the working language.
14822
14823 If you allow @value{GDBN} to set the language automatically, then entering
14824 code compiled from a file whose name ends with @file{.mod} sets the
14825 working language to Modula-2. @xref{Automatically, ,Having @value{GDBN}
14826 Infer the Source Language}, for further details.
14827
14828 @node Deviations
14829 @subsubsection Deviations from Standard Modula-2
14830 @cindex Modula-2, deviations from
14831
14832 A few changes have been made to make Modula-2 programs easier to debug.
14833 This is done primarily via loosening its type strictness:
14834
14835 @itemize @bullet
14836 @item
14837 Unlike in standard Modula-2, pointer constants can be formed by
14838 integers. This allows you to modify pointer variables during
14839 debugging. (In standard Modula-2, the actual address contained in a
14840 pointer variable is hidden from you; it can only be modified
14841 through direct assignment to another pointer variable or expression that
14842 returned a pointer.)
14843
14844 @item
14845 C escape sequences can be used in strings and characters to represent
14846 non-printable characters. @value{GDBN} prints out strings with these
14847 escape sequences embedded. Single non-printable characters are
14848 printed using the @samp{CHR(@var{nnn})} format.
14849
14850 @item
14851 The assignment operator (@code{:=}) returns the value of its right-hand
14852 argument.
14853
14854 @item
14855 All built-in procedures both modify @emph{and} return their argument.
14856 @end itemize
14857
14858 @node M2 Checks
14859 @subsubsection Modula-2 Type and Range Checks
14860 @cindex Modula-2 checks
14861
14862 @quotation
14863 @emph{Warning:} in this release, @value{GDBN} does not yet perform type or
14864 range checking.
14865 @end quotation
14866 @c FIXME remove warning when type/range checks added
14867
14868 @value{GDBN} considers two Modula-2 variables type equivalent if:
14869
14870 @itemize @bullet
14871 @item
14872 They are of types that have been declared equivalent via a @code{TYPE
14873 @var{t1} = @var{t2}} statement
14874
14875 @item
14876 They have been declared on the same line. (Note: This is true of the
14877 @sc{gnu} Modula-2 compiler, but it may not be true of other compilers.)
14878 @end itemize
14879
14880 As long as type checking is enabled, any attempt to combine variables
14881 whose types are not equivalent is an error.
14882
14883 Range checking is done on all mathematical operations, assignment, array
14884 index bounds, and all built-in functions and procedures.
14885
14886 @node M2 Scope
14887 @subsubsection The Scope Operators @code{::} and @code{.}
14888 @cindex scope
14889 @cindex @code{.}, Modula-2 scope operator
14890 @cindex colon, doubled as scope operator
14891 @ifinfo
14892 @vindex colon-colon@r{, in Modula-2}
14893 @c Info cannot handle :: but TeX can.
14894 @end ifinfo
14895 @ifnotinfo
14896 @vindex ::@r{, in Modula-2}
14897 @end ifnotinfo
14898
14899 There are a few subtle differences between the Modula-2 scope operator
14900 (@code{.}) and the @value{GDBN} scope operator (@code{::}). The two have
14901 similar syntax:
14902
14903 @smallexample
14904
14905 @var{module} . @var{id}
14906 @var{scope} :: @var{id}
14907 @end smallexample
14908
14909 @noindent
14910 where @var{scope} is the name of a module or a procedure,
14911 @var{module} the name of a module, and @var{id} is any declared
14912 identifier within your program, except another module.
14913
14914 Using the @code{::} operator makes @value{GDBN} search the scope
14915 specified by @var{scope} for the identifier @var{id}. If it is not
14916 found in the specified scope, then @value{GDBN} searches all scopes
14917 enclosing the one specified by @var{scope}.
14918
14919 Using the @code{.} operator makes @value{GDBN} search the current scope for
14920 the identifier specified by @var{id} that was imported from the
14921 definition module specified by @var{module}. With this operator, it is
14922 an error if the identifier @var{id} was not imported from definition
14923 module @var{module}, or if @var{id} is not an identifier in
14924 @var{module}.
14925
14926 @node GDB/M2
14927 @subsubsection @value{GDBN} and Modula-2
14928
14929 Some @value{GDBN} commands have little use when debugging Modula-2 programs.
14930 Five subcommands of @code{set print} and @code{show print} apply
14931 specifically to C and C@t{++}: @samp{vtbl}, @samp{demangle},
14932 @samp{asm-demangle}, @samp{object}, and @samp{union}. The first four
14933 apply to C@t{++}, and the last to the C @code{union} type, which has no direct
14934 analogue in Modula-2.
14935
14936 The @code{@@} operator (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}), while available
14937 with any language, is not useful with Modula-2. Its
14938 intent is to aid the debugging of @dfn{dynamic arrays}, which cannot be
14939 created in Modula-2 as they can in C or C@t{++}. However, because an
14940 address can be specified by an integral constant, the construct
14941 @samp{@{@var{type}@}@var{adrexp}} is still useful.
14942
14943 @cindex @code{#} in Modula-2
14944 In @value{GDBN} scripts, the Modula-2 inequality operator @code{#} is
14945 interpreted as the beginning of a comment. Use @code{<>} instead.
14946
14947 @node Ada
14948 @subsection Ada
14949 @cindex Ada
14950
14951 The extensions made to @value{GDBN} for Ada only support
14952 output from the @sc{gnu} Ada (GNAT) compiler.
14953 Other Ada compilers are not currently supported, and
14954 attempting to debug executables produced by them is most likely
14955 to be difficult.
14956
14957
14958 @cindex expressions in Ada
14959 @menu
14960 * Ada Mode Intro:: General remarks on the Ada syntax
14961 and semantics supported by Ada mode
14962 in @value{GDBN}.
14963 * Omissions from Ada:: Restrictions on the Ada expression syntax.
14964 * Additions to Ada:: Extensions of the Ada expression syntax.
14965 * Stopping Before Main Program:: Debugging the program during elaboration.
14966 * Ada Tasks:: Listing and setting breakpoints in tasks.
14967 * Ada Tasks and Core Files:: Tasking Support when Debugging Core Files
14968 * Ravenscar Profile:: Tasking Support when using the Ravenscar
14969 Profile
14970 * Ada Glitches:: Known peculiarities of Ada mode.
14971 @end menu
14972
14973 @node Ada Mode Intro
14974 @subsubsection Introduction
14975 @cindex Ada mode, general
14976
14977 The Ada mode of @value{GDBN} supports a fairly large subset of Ada expression
14978 syntax, with some extensions.
14979 The philosophy behind the design of this subset is
14980
14981 @itemize @bullet
14982 @item
14983 That @value{GDBN} should provide basic literals and access to operations for
14984 arithmetic, dereferencing, field selection, indexing, and subprogram calls,
14985 leaving more sophisticated computations to subprograms written into the
14986 program (which therefore may be called from @value{GDBN}).
14987
14988 @item
14989 That type safety and strict adherence to Ada language restrictions
14990 are not particularly important to the @value{GDBN} user.
14991
14992 @item
14993 That brevity is important to the @value{GDBN} user.
14994 @end itemize
14995
14996 Thus, for brevity, the debugger acts as if all names declared in
14997 user-written packages are directly visible, even if they are not visible
14998 according to Ada rules, thus making it unnecessary to fully qualify most
14999 names with their packages, regardless of context. Where this causes
15000 ambiguity, @value{GDBN} asks the user's intent.
15001
15002 The debugger will start in Ada mode if it detects an Ada main program.
15003 As for other languages, it will enter Ada mode when stopped in a program that
15004 was translated from an Ada source file.
15005
15006 While in Ada mode, you may use `@t{--}' for comments. This is useful
15007 mostly for documenting command files. The standard @value{GDBN} comment
15008 (@samp{#}) still works at the beginning of a line in Ada mode, but not in the
15009 middle (to allow based literals).
15010
15011 The debugger supports limited overloading. Given a subprogram call in which
15012 the function symbol has multiple definitions, it will use the number of
15013 actual parameters and some information about their types to attempt to narrow
15014 the set of definitions. It also makes very limited use of context, preferring
15015 procedures to functions in the context of the @code{call} command, and
15016 functions to procedures elsewhere.
15017
15018 @node Omissions from Ada
15019 @subsubsection Omissions from Ada
15020 @cindex Ada, omissions from
15021
15022 Here are the notable omissions from the subset:
15023
15024 @itemize @bullet
15025 @item
15026 Only a subset of the attributes are supported:
15027
15028 @itemize @minus
15029 @item
15030 @t{'First}, @t{'Last}, and @t{'Length}
15031 on array objects (not on types and subtypes).
15032
15033 @item
15034 @t{'Min} and @t{'Max}.
15035
15036 @item
15037 @t{'Pos} and @t{'Val}.
15038
15039 @item
15040 @t{'Tag}.
15041
15042 @item
15043 @t{'Range} on array objects (not subtypes), but only as the right
15044 operand of the membership (@code{in}) operator.
15045
15046 @item
15047 @t{'Access}, @t{'Unchecked_Access}, and
15048 @t{'Unrestricted_Access} (a GNAT extension).
15049
15050 @item
15051 @t{'Address}.
15052 @end itemize
15053
15054 @item
15055 The names in
15056 @code{Characters.Latin_1} are not available and
15057 concatenation is not implemented. Thus, escape characters in strings are
15058 not currently available.
15059
15060 @item
15061 Equality tests (@samp{=} and @samp{/=}) on arrays test for bitwise
15062 equality of representations. They will generally work correctly
15063 for strings and arrays whose elements have integer or enumeration types.
15064 They may not work correctly for arrays whose element
15065 types have user-defined equality, for arrays of real values
15066 (in particular, IEEE-conformant floating point, because of negative
15067 zeroes and NaNs), and for arrays whose elements contain unused bits with
15068 indeterminate values.
15069
15070 @item
15071 The other component-by-component array operations (@code{and}, @code{or},
15072 @code{xor}, @code{not}, and relational tests other than equality)
15073 are not implemented.
15074
15075 @item
15076 @cindex array aggregates (Ada)
15077 @cindex record aggregates (Ada)
15078 @cindex aggregates (Ada)
15079 There is limited support for array and record aggregates. They are
15080 permitted only on the right sides of assignments, as in these examples:
15081
15082 @smallexample
15083 (@value{GDBP}) set An_Array := (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
15084 (@value{GDBP}) set An_Array := (1, others => 0)
15085 (@value{GDBP}) set An_Array := (0|4 => 1, 1..3 => 2, 5 => 6)
15086 (@value{GDBP}) set A_2D_Array := ((1, 2, 3), (4, 5, 6), (7, 8, 9))
15087 (@value{GDBP}) set A_Record := (1, "Peter", True);
15088 (@value{GDBP}) set A_Record := (Name => "Peter", Id => 1, Alive => True)
15089 @end smallexample
15090
15091 Changing a
15092 discriminant's value by assigning an aggregate has an
15093 undefined effect if that discriminant is used within the record.
15094 However, you can first modify discriminants by directly assigning to
15095 them (which normally would not be allowed in Ada), and then performing an
15096 aggregate assignment. For example, given a variable @code{A_Rec}
15097 declared to have a type such as:
15098
15099 @smallexample
15100 type Rec (Len : Small_Integer := 0) is record
15101 Id : Integer;
15102 Vals : IntArray (1 .. Len);
15103 end record;
15104 @end smallexample
15105
15106 you can assign a value with a different size of @code{Vals} with two
15107 assignments:
15108
15109 @smallexample
15110 (@value{GDBP}) set A_Rec.Len := 4
15111 (@value{GDBP}) set A_Rec := (Id => 42, Vals => (1, 2, 3, 4))
15112 @end smallexample
15113
15114 As this example also illustrates, @value{GDBN} is very loose about the usual
15115 rules concerning aggregates. You may leave out some of the
15116 components of an array or record aggregate (such as the @code{Len}
15117 component in the assignment to @code{A_Rec} above); they will retain their
15118 original values upon assignment. You may freely use dynamic values as
15119 indices in component associations. You may even use overlapping or
15120 redundant component associations, although which component values are
15121 assigned in such cases is not defined.
15122
15123 @item
15124 Calls to dispatching subprograms are not implemented.
15125
15126 @item
15127 The overloading algorithm is much more limited (i.e., less selective)
15128 than that of real Ada. It makes only limited use of the context in
15129 which a subexpression appears to resolve its meaning, and it is much
15130 looser in its rules for allowing type matches. As a result, some
15131 function calls will be ambiguous, and the user will be asked to choose
15132 the proper resolution.
15133
15134 @item
15135 The @code{new} operator is not implemented.
15136
15137 @item
15138 Entry calls are not implemented.
15139
15140 @item
15141 Aside from printing, arithmetic operations on the native VAX floating-point
15142 formats are not supported.
15143
15144 @item
15145 It is not possible to slice a packed array.
15146
15147 @item
15148 The names @code{True} and @code{False}, when not part of a qualified name,
15149 are interpreted as if implicitly prefixed by @code{Standard}, regardless of
15150 context.
15151 Should your program
15152 redefine these names in a package or procedure (at best a dubious practice),
15153 you will have to use fully qualified names to access their new definitions.
15154 @end itemize
15155
15156 @node Additions to Ada
15157 @subsubsection Additions to Ada
15158 @cindex Ada, deviations from
15159
15160 As it does for other languages, @value{GDBN} makes certain generic
15161 extensions to Ada (@pxref{Expressions}):
15162
15163 @itemize @bullet
15164 @item
15165 If the expression @var{E} is a variable residing in memory (typically
15166 a local variable or array element) and @var{N} is a positive integer,
15167 then @code{@var{E}@@@var{N}} displays the values of @var{E} and the
15168 @var{N}-1 adjacent variables following it in memory as an array. In
15169 Ada, this operator is generally not necessary, since its prime use is
15170 in displaying parts of an array, and slicing will usually do this in
15171 Ada. However, there are occasional uses when debugging programs in
15172 which certain debugging information has been optimized away.
15173
15174 @item
15175 @code{@var{B}::@var{var}} means ``the variable named @var{var} that
15176 appears in function or file @var{B}.'' When @var{B} is a file name,
15177 you must typically surround it in single quotes.
15178
15179 @item
15180 The expression @code{@{@var{type}@} @var{addr}} means ``the variable of type
15181 @var{type} that appears at address @var{addr}.''
15182
15183 @item
15184 A name starting with @samp{$} is a convenience variable
15185 (@pxref{Convenience Vars}) or a machine register (@pxref{Registers}).
15186 @end itemize
15187
15188 In addition, @value{GDBN} provides a few other shortcuts and outright
15189 additions specific to Ada:
15190
15191 @itemize @bullet
15192 @item
15193 The assignment statement is allowed as an expression, returning
15194 its right-hand operand as its value. Thus, you may enter
15195
15196 @smallexample
15197 (@value{GDBP}) set x := y + 3
15198 (@value{GDBP}) print A(tmp := y + 1)
15199 @end smallexample
15200
15201 @item
15202 The semicolon is allowed as an ``operator,'' returning as its value
15203 the value of its right-hand operand.
15204 This allows, for example,
15205 complex conditional breaks:
15206
15207 @smallexample
15208 (@value{GDBP}) break f
15209 (@value{GDBP}) condition 1 (report(i); k += 1; A(k) > 100)
15210 @end smallexample
15211
15212 @item
15213 Rather than use catenation and symbolic character names to introduce special
15214 characters into strings, one may instead use a special bracket notation,
15215 which is also used to print strings. A sequence of characters of the form
15216 @samp{["@var{XX}"]} within a string or character literal denotes the
15217 (single) character whose numeric encoding is @var{XX} in hexadecimal. The
15218 sequence of characters @samp{["""]} also denotes a single quotation mark
15219 in strings. For example,
15220 @smallexample
15221 "One line.["0a"]Next line.["0a"]"
15222 @end smallexample
15223 @noindent
15224 contains an ASCII newline character (@code{Ada.Characters.Latin_1.LF})
15225 after each period.
15226
15227 @item
15228 The subtype used as a prefix for the attributes @t{'Pos}, @t{'Min}, and
15229 @t{'Max} is optional (and is ignored in any case). For example, it is valid
15230 to write
15231
15232 @smallexample
15233 (@value{GDBP}) print 'max(x, y)
15234 @end smallexample
15235
15236 @item
15237 When printing arrays, @value{GDBN} uses positional notation when the
15238 array has a lower bound of 1, and uses a modified named notation otherwise.
15239 For example, a one-dimensional array of three integers with a lower bound
15240 of 3 might print as
15241
15242 @smallexample
15243 (3 => 10, 17, 1)
15244 @end smallexample
15245
15246 @noindent
15247 That is, in contrast to valid Ada, only the first component has a @code{=>}
15248 clause.
15249
15250 @item
15251 You may abbreviate attributes in expressions with any unique,
15252 multi-character subsequence of
15253 their names (an exact match gets preference).
15254 For example, you may use @t{a'len}, @t{a'gth}, or @t{a'lh}
15255 in place of @t{a'length}.
15256
15257 @item
15258 @cindex quoting Ada internal identifiers
15259 Since Ada is case-insensitive, the debugger normally maps identifiers you type
15260 to lower case. The GNAT compiler uses upper-case characters for
15261 some of its internal identifiers, which are normally of no interest to users.
15262 For the rare occasions when you actually have to look at them,
15263 enclose them in angle brackets to avoid the lower-case mapping.
15264 For example,
15265 @smallexample
15266 (@value{GDBP}) print <JMPBUF_SAVE>[0]
15267 @end smallexample
15268
15269 @item
15270 Printing an object of class-wide type or dereferencing an
15271 access-to-class-wide value will display all the components of the object's
15272 specific type (as indicated by its run-time tag). Likewise, component
15273 selection on such a value will operate on the specific type of the
15274 object.
15275
15276 @end itemize
15277
15278 @node Stopping Before Main Program
15279 @subsubsection Stopping at the Very Beginning
15280
15281 @cindex breakpointing Ada elaboration code
15282 It is sometimes necessary to debug the program during elaboration, and
15283 before reaching the main procedure.
15284 As defined in the Ada Reference
15285 Manual, the elaboration code is invoked from a procedure called
15286 @code{adainit}. To run your program up to the beginning of
15287 elaboration, simply use the following two commands:
15288 @code{tbreak adainit} and @code{run}.
15289
15290 @node Ada Tasks
15291 @subsubsection Extensions for Ada Tasks
15292 @cindex Ada, tasking
15293
15294 Support for Ada tasks is analogous to that for threads (@pxref{Threads}).
15295 @value{GDBN} provides the following task-related commands:
15296
15297 @table @code
15298 @kindex info tasks
15299 @item info tasks
15300 This command shows a list of current Ada tasks, as in the following example:
15301
15302
15303 @smallexample
15304 @iftex
15305 @leftskip=0.5cm
15306 @end iftex
15307 (@value{GDBP}) info tasks
15308 ID TID P-ID Pri State Name
15309 1 8088000 0 15 Child Activation Wait main_task
15310 2 80a4000 1 15 Accept Statement b
15311 3 809a800 1 15 Child Activation Wait a
15312 * 4 80ae800 3 15 Runnable c
15313
15314 @end smallexample
15315
15316 @noindent
15317 In this listing, the asterisk before the last task indicates it to be the
15318 task currently being inspected.
15319
15320 @table @asis
15321 @item ID
15322 Represents @value{GDBN}'s internal task number.
15323
15324 @item TID
15325 The Ada task ID.
15326
15327 @item P-ID
15328 The parent's task ID (@value{GDBN}'s internal task number).
15329
15330 @item Pri
15331 The base priority of the task.
15332
15333 @item State
15334 Current state of the task.
15335
15336 @table @code
15337 @item Unactivated
15338 The task has been created but has not been activated. It cannot be
15339 executing.
15340
15341 @item Runnable
15342 The task is not blocked for any reason known to Ada. (It may be waiting
15343 for a mutex, though.) It is conceptually "executing" in normal mode.
15344
15345 @item Terminated
15346 The task is terminated, in the sense of ARM 9.3 (5). Any dependents
15347 that were waiting on terminate alternatives have been awakened and have
15348 terminated themselves.
15349
15350 @item Child Activation Wait
15351 The task is waiting for created tasks to complete activation.
15352
15353 @item Accept Statement
15354 The task is waiting on an accept or selective wait statement.
15355
15356 @item Waiting on entry call
15357 The task is waiting on an entry call.
15358
15359 @item Async Select Wait
15360 The task is waiting to start the abortable part of an asynchronous
15361 select statement.
15362
15363 @item Delay Sleep
15364 The task is waiting on a select statement with only a delay
15365 alternative open.
15366
15367 @item Child Termination Wait
15368 The task is sleeping having completed a master within itself, and is
15369 waiting for the tasks dependent on that master to become terminated or
15370 waiting on a terminate Phase.
15371
15372 @item Wait Child in Term Alt
15373 The task is sleeping waiting for tasks on terminate alternatives to
15374 finish terminating.
15375
15376 @item Accepting RV with @var{taskno}
15377 The task is accepting a rendez-vous with the task @var{taskno}.
15378 @end table
15379
15380 @item Name
15381 Name of the task in the program.
15382
15383 @end table
15384
15385 @kindex info task @var{taskno}
15386 @item info task @var{taskno}
15387 This command shows detailled informations on the specified task, as in
15388 the following example:
15389 @smallexample
15390 @iftex
15391 @leftskip=0.5cm
15392 @end iftex
15393 (@value{GDBP}) info tasks
15394 ID TID P-ID Pri State Name
15395 1 8077880 0 15 Child Activation Wait main_task
15396 * 2 807c468 1 15 Runnable task_1
15397 (@value{GDBP}) info task 2
15398 Ada Task: 0x807c468
15399 Name: task_1
15400 Thread: 0x807f378
15401 Parent: 1 (main_task)
15402 Base Priority: 15
15403 State: Runnable
15404 @end smallexample
15405
15406 @item task
15407 @kindex task@r{ (Ada)}
15408 @cindex current Ada task ID
15409 This command prints the ID of the current task.
15410
15411 @smallexample
15412 @iftex
15413 @leftskip=0.5cm
15414 @end iftex
15415 (@value{GDBP}) info tasks
15416 ID TID P-ID Pri State Name
15417 1 8077870 0 15 Child Activation Wait main_task
15418 * 2 807c458 1 15 Runnable t
15419 (@value{GDBP}) task
15420 [Current task is 2]
15421 @end smallexample
15422
15423 @item task @var{taskno}
15424 @cindex Ada task switching
15425 This command is like the @code{thread @var{threadno}}
15426 command (@pxref{Threads}). It switches the context of debugging
15427 from the current task to the given task.
15428
15429 @smallexample
15430 @iftex
15431 @leftskip=0.5cm
15432 @end iftex
15433 (@value{GDBP}) info tasks
15434 ID TID P-ID Pri State Name
15435 1 8077870 0 15 Child Activation Wait main_task
15436 * 2 807c458 1 15 Runnable t
15437 (@value{GDBP}) task 1
15438 [Switching to task 1]
15439 #0 0x8067726 in pthread_cond_wait ()
15440 (@value{GDBP}) bt
15441 #0 0x8067726 in pthread_cond_wait ()
15442 #1 0x8056714 in system.os_interface.pthread_cond_wait ()
15443 #2 0x805cb63 in system.task_primitives.operations.sleep ()
15444 #3 0x806153e in system.tasking.stages.activate_tasks ()
15445 #4 0x804aacc in un () at un.adb:5
15446 @end smallexample
15447
15448 @item break @var{linespec} task @var{taskno}
15449 @itemx break @var{linespec} task @var{taskno} if @dots{}
15450 @cindex breakpoints and tasks, in Ada
15451 @cindex task breakpoints, in Ada
15452 @kindex break @dots{} task @var{taskno}@r{ (Ada)}
15453 These commands are like the @code{break @dots{} thread @dots{}}
15454 command (@pxref{Thread Stops}).
15455 @var{linespec} specifies source lines, as described
15456 in @ref{Specify Location}.
15457
15458 Use the qualifier @samp{task @var{taskno}} with a breakpoint command
15459 to specify that you only want @value{GDBN} to stop the program when a
15460 particular Ada task reaches this breakpoint. @var{taskno} is one of the
15461 numeric task identifiers assigned by @value{GDBN}, shown in the first
15462 column of the @samp{info tasks} display.
15463
15464 If you do not specify @samp{task @var{taskno}} when you set a
15465 breakpoint, the breakpoint applies to @emph{all} tasks of your
15466 program.
15467
15468 You can use the @code{task} qualifier on conditional breakpoints as
15469 well; in this case, place @samp{task @var{taskno}} before the
15470 breakpoint condition (before the @code{if}).
15471
15472 For example,
15473
15474 @smallexample
15475 @iftex
15476 @leftskip=0.5cm
15477 @end iftex
15478 (@value{GDBP}) info tasks
15479 ID TID P-ID Pri State Name
15480 1 140022020 0 15 Child Activation Wait main_task
15481 2 140045060 1 15 Accept/Select Wait t2
15482 3 140044840 1 15 Runnable t1
15483 * 4 140056040 1 15 Runnable t3
15484 (@value{GDBP}) b 15 task 2
15485 Breakpoint 5 at 0x120044cb0: file test_task_debug.adb, line 15.
15486 (@value{GDBP}) cont
15487 Continuing.
15488 task # 1 running
15489 task # 2 running
15490
15491 Breakpoint 5, test_task_debug () at test_task_debug.adb:15
15492 15 flush;
15493 (@value{GDBP}) info tasks
15494 ID TID P-ID Pri State Name
15495 1 140022020 0 15 Child Activation Wait main_task
15496 * 2 140045060 1 15 Runnable t2
15497 3 140044840 1 15 Runnable t1
15498 4 140056040 1 15 Delay Sleep t3
15499 @end smallexample
15500 @end table
15501
15502 @node Ada Tasks and Core Files
15503 @subsubsection Tasking Support when Debugging Core Files
15504 @cindex Ada tasking and core file debugging
15505
15506 When inspecting a core file, as opposed to debugging a live program,
15507 tasking support may be limited or even unavailable, depending on
15508 the platform being used.
15509 For instance, on x86-linux, the list of tasks is available, but task
15510 switching is not supported. On Tru64, however, task switching will work
15511 as usual.
15512
15513 On certain platforms, including Tru64, the debugger needs to perform some
15514 memory writes in order to provide Ada tasking support. When inspecting
15515 a core file, this means that the core file must be opened with read-write
15516 privileges, using the command @samp{"set write on"} (@pxref{Patching}).
15517 Under these circumstances, you should make a backup copy of the core
15518 file before inspecting it with @value{GDBN}.
15519
15520 @node Ravenscar Profile
15521 @subsubsection Tasking Support when using the Ravenscar Profile
15522 @cindex Ravenscar Profile
15523
15524 The @dfn{Ravenscar Profile} is a subset of the Ada tasking features,
15525 specifically designed for systems with safety-critical real-time
15526 requirements.
15527
15528 @table @code
15529 @kindex set ravenscar task-switching on
15530 @cindex task switching with program using Ravenscar Profile
15531 @item set ravenscar task-switching on
15532 Allows task switching when debugging a program that uses the Ravenscar
15533 Profile. This is the default.
15534
15535 @kindex set ravenscar task-switching off
15536 @item set ravenscar task-switching off
15537 Turn off task switching when debugging a program that uses the Ravenscar
15538 Profile. This is mostly intended to disable the code that adds support
15539 for the Ravenscar Profile, in case a bug in either @value{GDBN} or in
15540 the Ravenscar runtime is preventing @value{GDBN} from working properly.
15541 To be effective, this command should be run before the program is started.
15542
15543 @kindex show ravenscar task-switching
15544 @item show ravenscar task-switching
15545 Show whether it is possible to switch from task to task in a program
15546 using the Ravenscar Profile.
15547
15548 @end table
15549
15550 @node Ada Glitches
15551 @subsubsection Known Peculiarities of Ada Mode
15552 @cindex Ada, problems
15553
15554 Besides the omissions listed previously (@pxref{Omissions from Ada}),
15555 we know of several problems with and limitations of Ada mode in
15556 @value{GDBN},
15557 some of which will be fixed with planned future releases of the debugger
15558 and the GNU Ada compiler.
15559
15560 @itemize @bullet
15561 @item
15562 Static constants that the compiler chooses not to materialize as objects in
15563 storage are invisible to the debugger.
15564
15565 @item
15566 Named parameter associations in function argument lists are ignored (the
15567 argument lists are treated as positional).
15568
15569 @item
15570 Many useful library packages are currently invisible to the debugger.
15571
15572 @item
15573 Fixed-point arithmetic, conversions, input, and output is carried out using
15574 floating-point arithmetic, and may give results that only approximate those on
15575 the host machine.
15576
15577 @item
15578 The GNAT compiler never generates the prefix @code{Standard} for any of
15579 the standard symbols defined by the Ada language. @value{GDBN} knows about
15580 this: it will strip the prefix from names when you use it, and will never
15581 look for a name you have so qualified among local symbols, nor match against
15582 symbols in other packages or subprograms. If you have
15583 defined entities anywhere in your program other than parameters and
15584 local variables whose simple names match names in @code{Standard},
15585 GNAT's lack of qualification here can cause confusion. When this happens,
15586 you can usually resolve the confusion
15587 by qualifying the problematic names with package
15588 @code{Standard} explicitly.
15589 @end itemize
15590
15591 Older versions of the compiler sometimes generate erroneous debugging
15592 information, resulting in the debugger incorrectly printing the value
15593 of affected entities. In some cases, the debugger is able to work
15594 around an issue automatically. In other cases, the debugger is able
15595 to work around the issue, but the work-around has to be specifically
15596 enabled.
15597
15598 @kindex set ada trust-PAD-over-XVS
15599 @kindex show ada trust-PAD-over-XVS
15600 @table @code
15601
15602 @item set ada trust-PAD-over-XVS on
15603 Configure GDB to strictly follow the GNAT encoding when computing the
15604 value of Ada entities, particularly when @code{PAD} and @code{PAD___XVS}
15605 types are involved (see @code{ada/exp_dbug.ads} in the GCC sources for
15606 a complete description of the encoding used by the GNAT compiler).
15607 This is the default.
15608
15609 @item set ada trust-PAD-over-XVS off
15610 This is related to the encoding using by the GNAT compiler. If @value{GDBN}
15611 sometimes prints the wrong value for certain entities, changing @code{ada
15612 trust-PAD-over-XVS} to @code{off} activates a work-around which may fix
15613 the issue. It is always safe to set @code{ada trust-PAD-over-XVS} to
15614 @code{off}, but this incurs a slight performance penalty, so it is
15615 recommended to leave this setting to @code{on} unless necessary.
15616
15617 @end table
15618
15619 @node Unsupported Languages
15620 @section Unsupported Languages
15621
15622 @cindex unsupported languages
15623 @cindex minimal language
15624 In addition to the other fully-supported programming languages,
15625 @value{GDBN} also provides a pseudo-language, called @code{minimal}.
15626 It does not represent a real programming language, but provides a set
15627 of capabilities close to what the C or assembly languages provide.
15628 This should allow most simple operations to be performed while debugging
15629 an application that uses a language currently not supported by @value{GDBN}.
15630
15631 If the language is set to @code{auto}, @value{GDBN} will automatically
15632 select this language if the current frame corresponds to an unsupported
15633 language.
15634
15635 @node Symbols
15636 @chapter Examining the Symbol Table
15637
15638 The commands described in this chapter allow you to inquire about the
15639 symbols (names of variables, functions and types) defined in your
15640 program. This information is inherent in the text of your program and
15641 does not change as your program executes. @value{GDBN} finds it in your
15642 program's symbol table, in the file indicated when you started @value{GDBN}
15643 (@pxref{File Options, ,Choosing Files}), or by one of the
15644 file-management commands (@pxref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}).
15645
15646 @cindex symbol names
15647 @cindex names of symbols
15648 @cindex quoting names
15649 Occasionally, you may need to refer to symbols that contain unusual
15650 characters, which @value{GDBN} ordinarily treats as word delimiters. The
15651 most frequent case is in referring to static variables in other
15652 source files (@pxref{Variables,,Program Variables}). File names
15653 are recorded in object files as debugging symbols, but @value{GDBN} would
15654 ordinarily parse a typical file name, like @file{foo.c}, as the three words
15655 @samp{foo} @samp{.} @samp{c}. To allow @value{GDBN} to recognize
15656 @samp{foo.c} as a single symbol, enclose it in single quotes; for example,
15657
15658 @smallexample
15659 p 'foo.c'::x
15660 @end smallexample
15661
15662 @noindent
15663 looks up the value of @code{x} in the scope of the file @file{foo.c}.
15664
15665 @table @code
15666 @cindex case-insensitive symbol names
15667 @cindex case sensitivity in symbol names
15668 @kindex set case-sensitive
15669 @item set case-sensitive on
15670 @itemx set case-sensitive off
15671 @itemx set case-sensitive auto
15672 Normally, when @value{GDBN} looks up symbols, it matches their names
15673 with case sensitivity determined by the current source language.
15674 Occasionally, you may wish to control that. The command @code{set
15675 case-sensitive} lets you do that by specifying @code{on} for
15676 case-sensitive matches or @code{off} for case-insensitive ones. If
15677 you specify @code{auto}, case sensitivity is reset to the default
15678 suitable for the source language. The default is case-sensitive
15679 matches for all languages except for Fortran, for which the default is
15680 case-insensitive matches.
15681
15682 @kindex show case-sensitive
15683 @item show case-sensitive
15684 This command shows the current setting of case sensitivity for symbols
15685 lookups.
15686
15687 @kindex set print type methods
15688 @item set print type methods
15689 @itemx set print type methods on
15690 @itemx set print type methods off
15691 Normally, when @value{GDBN} prints a class, it displays any methods
15692 declared in that class. You can control this behavior either by
15693 passing the appropriate flag to @code{ptype}, or using @command{set
15694 print type methods}. Specifying @code{on} will cause @value{GDBN} to
15695 display the methods; this is the default. Specifying @code{off} will
15696 cause @value{GDBN} to omit the methods.
15697
15698 @kindex show print type methods
15699 @item show print type methods
15700 This command shows the current setting of method display when printing
15701 classes.
15702
15703 @kindex set print type typedefs
15704 @item set print type typedefs
15705 @itemx set print type typedefs on
15706 @itemx set print type typedefs off
15707
15708 Normally, when @value{GDBN} prints a class, it displays any typedefs
15709 defined in that class. You can control this behavior either by
15710 passing the appropriate flag to @code{ptype}, or using @command{set
15711 print type typedefs}. Specifying @code{on} will cause @value{GDBN} to
15712 display the typedef definitions; this is the default. Specifying
15713 @code{off} will cause @value{GDBN} to omit the typedef definitions.
15714 Note that this controls whether the typedef definition itself is
15715 printed, not whether typedef names are substituted when printing other
15716 types.
15717
15718 @kindex show print type typedefs
15719 @item show print type typedefs
15720 This command shows the current setting of typedef display when
15721 printing classes.
15722
15723 @kindex info address
15724 @cindex address of a symbol
15725 @item info address @var{symbol}
15726 Describe where the data for @var{symbol} is stored. For a register
15727 variable, this says which register it is kept in. For a non-register
15728 local variable, this prints the stack-frame offset at which the variable
15729 is always stored.
15730
15731 Note the contrast with @samp{print &@var{symbol}}, which does not work
15732 at all for a register variable, and for a stack local variable prints
15733 the exact address of the current instantiation of the variable.
15734
15735 @kindex info symbol
15736 @cindex symbol from address
15737 @cindex closest symbol and offset for an address
15738 @item info symbol @var{addr}
15739 Print the name of a symbol which is stored at the address @var{addr}.
15740 If no symbol is stored exactly at @var{addr}, @value{GDBN} prints the
15741 nearest symbol and an offset from it:
15742
15743 @smallexample
15744 (@value{GDBP}) info symbol 0x54320
15745 _initialize_vx + 396 in section .text
15746 @end smallexample
15747
15748 @noindent
15749 This is the opposite of the @code{info address} command. You can use
15750 it to find out the name of a variable or a function given its address.
15751
15752 For dynamically linked executables, the name of executable or shared
15753 library containing the symbol is also printed:
15754
15755 @smallexample
15756 (@value{GDBP}) info symbol 0x400225
15757 _start + 5 in section .text of /tmp/a.out
15758 (@value{GDBP}) info symbol 0x2aaaac2811cf
15759 __read_nocancel + 6 in section .text of /usr/lib64/libc.so.6
15760 @end smallexample
15761
15762 @kindex whatis
15763 @item whatis[/@var{flags}] [@var{arg}]
15764 Print the data type of @var{arg}, which can be either an expression
15765 or a name of a data type. With no argument, print the data type of
15766 @code{$}, the last value in the value history.
15767
15768 If @var{arg} is an expression (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}), it
15769 is not actually evaluated, and any side-effecting operations (such as
15770 assignments or function calls) inside it do not take place.
15771
15772 If @var{arg} is a variable or an expression, @code{whatis} prints its
15773 literal type as it is used in the source code. If the type was
15774 defined using a @code{typedef}, @code{whatis} will @emph{not} print
15775 the data type underlying the @code{typedef}. If the type of the
15776 variable or the expression is a compound data type, such as
15777 @code{struct} or @code{class}, @code{whatis} never prints their
15778 fields or methods. It just prints the @code{struct}/@code{class}
15779 name (a.k.a.@: its @dfn{tag}). If you want to see the members of
15780 such a compound data type, use @code{ptype}.
15781
15782 If @var{arg} is a type name that was defined using @code{typedef},
15783 @code{whatis} @dfn{unrolls} only one level of that @code{typedef}.
15784 Unrolling means that @code{whatis} will show the underlying type used
15785 in the @code{typedef} declaration of @var{arg}. However, if that
15786 underlying type is also a @code{typedef}, @code{whatis} will not
15787 unroll it.
15788
15789 For C code, the type names may also have the form @samp{class
15790 @var{class-name}}, @samp{struct @var{struct-tag}}, @samp{union
15791 @var{union-tag}} or @samp{enum @var{enum-tag}}.
15792
15793 @var{flags} can be used to modify how the type is displayed.
15794 Available flags are:
15795
15796 @table @code
15797 @item r
15798 Display in ``raw'' form. Normally, @value{GDBN} substitutes template
15799 parameters and typedefs defined in a class when printing the class'
15800 members. The @code{/r} flag disables this.
15801
15802 @item m
15803 Do not print methods defined in the class.
15804
15805 @item M
15806 Print methods defined in the class. This is the default, but the flag
15807 exists in case you change the default with @command{set print type methods}.
15808
15809 @item t
15810 Do not print typedefs defined in the class. Note that this controls
15811 whether the typedef definition itself is printed, not whether typedef
15812 names are substituted when printing other types.
15813
15814 @item T
15815 Print typedefs defined in the class. This is the default, but the flag
15816 exists in case you change the default with @command{set print type typedefs}.
15817 @end table
15818
15819 @kindex ptype
15820 @item ptype[/@var{flags}] [@var{arg}]
15821 @code{ptype} accepts the same arguments as @code{whatis}, but prints a
15822 detailed description of the type, instead of just the name of the type.
15823 @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}.
15824
15825 Contrary to @code{whatis}, @code{ptype} always unrolls any
15826 @code{typedef}s in its argument declaration, whether the argument is
15827 a variable, expression, or a data type. This means that @code{ptype}
15828 of a variable or an expression will not print literally its type as
15829 present in the source code---use @code{whatis} for that. @code{typedef}s at
15830 the pointer or reference targets are also unrolled. Only @code{typedef}s of
15831 fields, methods and inner @code{class typedef}s of @code{struct}s,
15832 @code{class}es and @code{union}s are not unrolled even with @code{ptype}.
15833
15834 For example, for this variable declaration:
15835
15836 @smallexample
15837 typedef double real_t;
15838 struct complex @{ real_t real; double imag; @};
15839 typedef struct complex complex_t;
15840 complex_t var;
15841 real_t *real_pointer_var;
15842 @end smallexample
15843
15844 @noindent
15845 the two commands give this output:
15846
15847 @smallexample
15848 @group
15849 (@value{GDBP}) whatis var
15850 type = complex_t
15851 (@value{GDBP}) ptype var
15852 type = struct complex @{
15853 real_t real;
15854 double imag;
15855 @}
15856 (@value{GDBP}) whatis complex_t
15857 type = struct complex
15858 (@value{GDBP}) whatis struct complex
15859 type = struct complex
15860 (@value{GDBP}) ptype struct complex
15861 type = struct complex @{
15862 real_t real;
15863 double imag;
15864 @}
15865 (@value{GDBP}) whatis real_pointer_var
15866 type = real_t *
15867 (@value{GDBP}) ptype real_pointer_var
15868 type = double *
15869 @end group
15870 @end smallexample
15871
15872 @noindent
15873 As with @code{whatis}, using @code{ptype} without an argument refers to
15874 the type of @code{$}, the last value in the value history.
15875
15876 @cindex incomplete type
15877 Sometimes, programs use opaque data types or incomplete specifications
15878 of complex data structure. If the debug information included in the
15879 program does not allow @value{GDBN} to display a full declaration of
15880 the data type, it will say @samp{<incomplete type>}. For example,
15881 given these declarations:
15882
15883 @smallexample
15884 struct foo;
15885 struct foo *fooptr;
15886 @end smallexample
15887
15888 @noindent
15889 but no definition for @code{struct foo} itself, @value{GDBN} will say:
15890
15891 @smallexample
15892 (@value{GDBP}) ptype foo
15893 $1 = <incomplete type>
15894 @end smallexample
15895
15896 @noindent
15897 ``Incomplete type'' is C terminology for data types that are not
15898 completely specified.
15899
15900 @kindex info types
15901 @item info types @var{regexp}
15902 @itemx info types
15903 Print a brief description of all types whose names match the regular
15904 expression @var{regexp} (or all types in your program, if you supply
15905 no argument). Each complete typename is matched as though it were a
15906 complete line; thus, @samp{i type value} gives information on all
15907 types in your program whose names include the string @code{value}, but
15908 @samp{i type ^value$} gives information only on types whose complete
15909 name is @code{value}.
15910
15911 This command differs from @code{ptype} in two ways: first, like
15912 @code{whatis}, it does not print a detailed description; second, it
15913 lists all source files where a type is defined.
15914
15915 @kindex info type-printers
15916 @item info type-printers
15917 Versions of @value{GDBN} that ship with Python scripting enabled may
15918 have ``type printers'' available. When using @command{ptype} or
15919 @command{whatis}, these printers are consulted when the name of a type
15920 is needed. @xref{Type Printing API}, for more information on writing
15921 type printers.
15922
15923 @code{info type-printers} displays all the available type printers.
15924
15925 @kindex enable type-printer
15926 @kindex disable type-printer
15927 @item enable type-printer @var{name}@dots{}
15928 @item disable type-printer @var{name}@dots{}
15929 These commands can be used to enable or disable type printers.
15930
15931 @kindex info scope
15932 @cindex local variables
15933 @item info scope @var{location}
15934 List all the variables local to a particular scope. This command
15935 accepts a @var{location} argument---a function name, a source line, or
15936 an address preceded by a @samp{*}, and prints all the variables local
15937 to the scope defined by that location. (@xref{Specify Location}, for
15938 details about supported forms of @var{location}.) For example:
15939
15940 @smallexample
15941 (@value{GDBP}) @b{info scope command_line_handler}
15942 Scope for command_line_handler:
15943 Symbol rl is an argument at stack/frame offset 8, length 4.
15944 Symbol linebuffer is in static storage at address 0x150a18, length 4.
15945 Symbol linelength is in static storage at address 0x150a1c, length 4.
15946 Symbol p is a local variable in register $esi, length 4.
15947 Symbol p1 is a local variable in register $ebx, length 4.
15948 Symbol nline is a local variable in register $edx, length 4.
15949 Symbol repeat is a local variable at frame offset -8, length 4.
15950 @end smallexample
15951
15952 @noindent
15953 This command is especially useful for determining what data to collect
15954 during a @dfn{trace experiment}, see @ref{Tracepoint Actions,
15955 collect}.
15956
15957 @kindex info source
15958 @item info source
15959 Show information about the current source file---that is, the source file for
15960 the function containing the current point of execution:
15961 @itemize @bullet
15962 @item
15963 the name of the source file, and the directory containing it,
15964 @item
15965 the directory it was compiled in,
15966 @item
15967 its length, in lines,
15968 @item
15969 which programming language it is written in,
15970 @item
15971 whether the executable includes debugging information for that file, and
15972 if so, what format the information is in (e.g., STABS, Dwarf 2, etc.), and
15973 @item
15974 whether the debugging information includes information about
15975 preprocessor macros.
15976 @end itemize
15977
15978
15979 @kindex info sources
15980 @item info sources
15981 Print the names of all source files in your program for which there is
15982 debugging information, organized into two lists: files whose symbols
15983 have already been read, and files whose symbols will be read when needed.
15984
15985 @kindex info functions
15986 @item info functions
15987 Print the names and data types of all defined functions.
15988
15989 @item info functions @var{regexp}
15990 Print the names and data types of all defined functions
15991 whose names contain a match for regular expression @var{regexp}.
15992 Thus, @samp{info fun step} finds all functions whose names
15993 include @code{step}; @samp{info fun ^step} finds those whose names
15994 start with @code{step}. If a function name contains characters
15995 that conflict with the regular expression language (e.g.@:
15996 @samp{operator*()}), they may be quoted with a backslash.
15997
15998 @kindex info variables
15999 @item info variables
16000 Print the names and data types of all variables that are defined
16001 outside of functions (i.e.@: excluding local variables).
16002
16003 @item info variables @var{regexp}
16004 Print the names and data types of all variables (except for local
16005 variables) whose names contain a match for regular expression
16006 @var{regexp}.
16007
16008 @kindex info classes
16009 @cindex Objective-C, classes and selectors
16010 @item info classes
16011 @itemx info classes @var{regexp}
16012 Display all Objective-C classes in your program, or
16013 (with the @var{regexp} argument) all those matching a particular regular
16014 expression.
16015
16016 @kindex info selectors
16017 @item info selectors
16018 @itemx info selectors @var{regexp}
16019 Display all Objective-C selectors in your program, or
16020 (with the @var{regexp} argument) all those matching a particular regular
16021 expression.
16022
16023 @ignore
16024 This was never implemented.
16025 @kindex info methods
16026 @item info methods
16027 @itemx info methods @var{regexp}
16028 The @code{info methods} command permits the user to examine all defined
16029 methods within C@t{++} program, or (with the @var{regexp} argument) a
16030 specific set of methods found in the various C@t{++} classes. Many
16031 C@t{++} classes provide a large number of methods. Thus, the output
16032 from the @code{ptype} command can be overwhelming and hard to use. The
16033 @code{info-methods} command filters the methods, printing only those
16034 which match the regular-expression @var{regexp}.
16035 @end ignore
16036
16037 @cindex opaque data types
16038 @kindex set opaque-type-resolution
16039 @item set opaque-type-resolution on
16040 Tell @value{GDBN} to resolve opaque types. An opaque type is a type
16041 declared as a pointer to a @code{struct}, @code{class}, or
16042 @code{union}---for example, @code{struct MyType *}---that is used in one
16043 source file although the full declaration of @code{struct MyType} is in
16044 another source file. The default is on.
16045
16046 A change in the setting of this subcommand will not take effect until
16047 the next time symbols for a file are loaded.
16048
16049 @item set opaque-type-resolution off
16050 Tell @value{GDBN} not to resolve opaque types. In this case, the type
16051 is printed as follows:
16052 @smallexample
16053 @{<no data fields>@}
16054 @end smallexample
16055
16056 @kindex show opaque-type-resolution
16057 @item show opaque-type-resolution
16058 Show whether opaque types are resolved or not.
16059
16060 @kindex maint print symbols
16061 @cindex symbol dump
16062 @kindex maint print psymbols
16063 @cindex partial symbol dump
16064 @kindex maint print msymbols
16065 @cindex minimal symbol dump
16066 @item maint print symbols @var{filename}
16067 @itemx maint print psymbols @var{filename}
16068 @itemx maint print msymbols @var{filename}
16069 Write a dump of debugging symbol data into the file @var{filename}.
16070 These commands are used to debug the @value{GDBN} symbol-reading code. Only
16071 symbols with debugging data are included. If you use @samp{maint print
16072 symbols}, @value{GDBN} includes all the symbols for which it has already
16073 collected full details: that is, @var{filename} reflects symbols for
16074 only those files whose symbols @value{GDBN} has read. You can use the
16075 command @code{info sources} to find out which files these are. If you
16076 use @samp{maint print psymbols} instead, the dump shows information about
16077 symbols that @value{GDBN} only knows partially---that is, symbols defined in
16078 files that @value{GDBN} has skimmed, but not yet read completely. Finally,
16079 @samp{maint print msymbols} dumps just the minimal symbol information
16080 required for each object file from which @value{GDBN} has read some symbols.
16081 @xref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}, for a discussion of how
16082 @value{GDBN} reads symbols (in the description of @code{symbol-file}).
16083
16084 @kindex maint info symtabs
16085 @kindex maint info psymtabs
16086 @cindex listing @value{GDBN}'s internal symbol tables
16087 @cindex symbol tables, listing @value{GDBN}'s internal
16088 @cindex full symbol tables, listing @value{GDBN}'s internal
16089 @cindex partial symbol tables, listing @value{GDBN}'s internal
16090 @item maint info symtabs @r{[} @var{regexp} @r{]}
16091 @itemx maint info psymtabs @r{[} @var{regexp} @r{]}
16092
16093 List the @code{struct symtab} or @code{struct partial_symtab}
16094 structures whose names match @var{regexp}. If @var{regexp} is not
16095 given, list them all. The output includes expressions which you can
16096 copy into a @value{GDBN} debugging this one to examine a particular
16097 structure in more detail. For example:
16098
16099 @smallexample
16100 (@value{GDBP}) maint info psymtabs dwarf2read
16101 @{ objfile /home/gnu/build/gdb/gdb
16102 ((struct objfile *) 0x82e69d0)
16103 @{ psymtab /home/gnu/src/gdb/dwarf2read.c
16104 ((struct partial_symtab *) 0x8474b10)
16105 readin no
16106 fullname (null)
16107 text addresses 0x814d3c8 -- 0x8158074
16108 globals (* (struct partial_symbol **) 0x8507a08 @@ 9)
16109 statics (* (struct partial_symbol **) 0x40e95b78 @@ 2882)
16110 dependencies (none)
16111 @}
16112 @}
16113 (@value{GDBP}) maint info symtabs
16114 (@value{GDBP})
16115 @end smallexample
16116 @noindent
16117 We see that there is one partial symbol table whose filename contains
16118 the string @samp{dwarf2read}, belonging to the @samp{gdb} executable;
16119 and we see that @value{GDBN} has not read in any symtabs yet at all.
16120 If we set a breakpoint on a function, that will cause @value{GDBN} to
16121 read the symtab for the compilation unit containing that function:
16122
16123 @smallexample
16124 (@value{GDBP}) break dwarf2_psymtab_to_symtab
16125 Breakpoint 1 at 0x814e5da: file /home/gnu/src/gdb/dwarf2read.c,
16126 line 1574.
16127 (@value{GDBP}) maint info symtabs
16128 @{ objfile /home/gnu/build/gdb/gdb
16129 ((struct objfile *) 0x82e69d0)
16130 @{ symtab /home/gnu/src/gdb/dwarf2read.c
16131 ((struct symtab *) 0x86c1f38)
16132 dirname (null)
16133 fullname (null)
16134 blockvector ((struct blockvector *) 0x86c1bd0) (primary)
16135 linetable ((struct linetable *) 0x8370fa0)
16136 debugformat DWARF 2
16137 @}
16138 @}
16139 (@value{GDBP})
16140 @end smallexample
16141 @end table
16142
16143
16144 @node Altering
16145 @chapter Altering Execution
16146
16147 Once you think you have found an error in your program, you might want to
16148 find out for certain whether correcting the apparent error would lead to
16149 correct results in the rest of the run. You can find the answer by
16150 experiment, using the @value{GDBN} features for altering execution of the
16151 program.
16152
16153 For example, you can store new values into variables or memory
16154 locations, give your program a signal, restart it at a different
16155 address, or even return prematurely from a function.
16156
16157 @menu
16158 * Assignment:: Assignment to variables
16159 * Jumping:: Continuing at a different address
16160 * Signaling:: Giving your program a signal
16161 * Returning:: Returning from a function
16162 * Calling:: Calling your program's functions
16163 * Patching:: Patching your program
16164 @end menu
16165
16166 @node Assignment
16167 @section Assignment to Variables
16168
16169 @cindex assignment
16170 @cindex setting variables
16171 To alter the value of a variable, evaluate an assignment expression.
16172 @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}. For example,
16173
16174 @smallexample
16175 print x=4
16176 @end smallexample
16177
16178 @noindent
16179 stores the value 4 into the variable @code{x}, and then prints the
16180 value of the assignment expression (which is 4).
16181 @xref{Languages, ,Using @value{GDBN} with Different Languages}, for more
16182 information on operators in supported languages.
16183
16184 @kindex set variable
16185 @cindex variables, setting
16186 If you are not interested in seeing the value of the assignment, use the
16187 @code{set} command instead of the @code{print} command. @code{set} is
16188 really the same as @code{print} except that the expression's value is
16189 not printed and is not put in the value history (@pxref{Value History,
16190 ,Value History}). The expression is evaluated only for its effects.
16191
16192 If the beginning of the argument string of the @code{set} command
16193 appears identical to a @code{set} subcommand, use the @code{set
16194 variable} command instead of just @code{set}. This command is identical
16195 to @code{set} except for its lack of subcommands. For example, if your
16196 program has a variable @code{width}, you get an error if you try to set
16197 a new value with just @samp{set width=13}, because @value{GDBN} has the
16198 command @code{set width}:
16199
16200 @smallexample
16201 (@value{GDBP}) whatis width
16202 type = double
16203 (@value{GDBP}) p width
16204 $4 = 13
16205 (@value{GDBP}) set width=47
16206 Invalid syntax in expression.
16207 @end smallexample
16208
16209 @noindent
16210 The invalid expression, of course, is @samp{=47}. In
16211 order to actually set the program's variable @code{width}, use
16212
16213 @smallexample
16214 (@value{GDBP}) set var width=47
16215 @end smallexample
16216
16217 Because the @code{set} command has many subcommands that can conflict
16218 with the names of program variables, it is a good idea to use the
16219 @code{set variable} command instead of just @code{set}. For example, if
16220 your program has a variable @code{g}, you run into problems if you try
16221 to set a new value with just @samp{set g=4}, because @value{GDBN} has
16222 the command @code{set gnutarget}, abbreviated @code{set g}:
16223
16224 @smallexample
16225 @group
16226 (@value{GDBP}) whatis g
16227 type = double
16228 (@value{GDBP}) p g
16229 $1 = 1
16230 (@value{GDBP}) set g=4
16231 (@value{GDBP}) p g
16232 $2 = 1
16233 (@value{GDBP}) r
16234 The program being debugged has been started already.
16235 Start it from the beginning? (y or n) y
16236 Starting program: /home/smith/cc_progs/a.out
16237 "/home/smith/cc_progs/a.out": can't open to read symbols:
16238 Invalid bfd target.
16239 (@value{GDBP}) show g
16240 The current BFD target is "=4".
16241 @end group
16242 @end smallexample
16243
16244 @noindent
16245 The program variable @code{g} did not change, and you silently set the
16246 @code{gnutarget} to an invalid value. In order to set the variable
16247 @code{g}, use
16248
16249 @smallexample
16250 (@value{GDBP}) set var g=4
16251 @end smallexample
16252
16253 @value{GDBN} allows more implicit conversions in assignments than C; you can
16254 freely store an integer value into a pointer variable or vice versa,
16255 and you can convert any structure to any other structure that is the
16256 same length or shorter.
16257 @comment FIXME: how do structs align/pad in these conversions?
16258 @comment /doc@cygnus.com 18dec1990
16259
16260 To store values into arbitrary places in memory, use the @samp{@{@dots{}@}}
16261 construct to generate a value of specified type at a specified address
16262 (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}). For example, @code{@{int@}0x83040} refers
16263 to memory location @code{0x83040} as an integer (which implies a certain size
16264 and representation in memory), and
16265
16266 @smallexample
16267 set @{int@}0x83040 = 4
16268 @end smallexample
16269
16270 @noindent
16271 stores the value 4 into that memory location.
16272
16273 @node Jumping
16274 @section Continuing at a Different Address
16275
16276 Ordinarily, when you continue your program, you do so at the place where
16277 it stopped, with the @code{continue} command. You can instead continue at
16278 an address of your own choosing, with the following commands:
16279
16280 @table @code
16281 @kindex jump
16282 @kindex j @r{(@code{jump})}
16283 @item jump @var{linespec}
16284 @itemx j @var{linespec}
16285 @itemx jump @var{location}
16286 @itemx j @var{location}
16287 Resume execution at line @var{linespec} or at address given by
16288 @var{location}. Execution stops again immediately if there is a
16289 breakpoint there. @xref{Specify Location}, for a description of the
16290 different forms of @var{linespec} and @var{location}. It is common
16291 practice to use the @code{tbreak} command in conjunction with
16292 @code{jump}. @xref{Set Breaks, ,Setting Breakpoints}.
16293
16294 The @code{jump} command does not change the current stack frame, or
16295 the stack pointer, or the contents of any memory location or any
16296 register other than the program counter. If line @var{linespec} is in
16297 a different function from the one currently executing, the results may
16298 be bizarre if the two functions expect different patterns of arguments or
16299 of local variables. For this reason, the @code{jump} command requests
16300 confirmation if the specified line is not in the function currently
16301 executing. However, even bizarre results are predictable if you are
16302 well acquainted with the machine-language code of your program.
16303 @end table
16304
16305 @c Doesn't work on HP-UX; have to set $pcoqh and $pcoqt.
16306 On many systems, you can get much the same effect as the @code{jump}
16307 command by storing a new value into the register @code{$pc}. The
16308 difference is that this does not start your program running; it only
16309 changes the address of where it @emph{will} run when you continue. For
16310 example,
16311
16312 @smallexample
16313 set $pc = 0x485
16314 @end smallexample
16315
16316 @noindent
16317 makes the next @code{continue} command or stepping command execute at
16318 address @code{0x485}, rather than at the address where your program stopped.
16319 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, ,Continuing and Stepping}.
16320
16321 The most common occasion to use the @code{jump} command is to back
16322 up---perhaps with more breakpoints set---over a portion of a program
16323 that has already executed, in order to examine its execution in more
16324 detail.
16325
16326 @c @group
16327 @node Signaling
16328 @section Giving your Program a Signal
16329 @cindex deliver a signal to a program
16330
16331 @table @code
16332 @kindex signal
16333 @item signal @var{signal}
16334 Resume execution where your program stopped, but immediately give it the
16335 signal @var{signal}. @var{signal} can be the name or the number of a
16336 signal. For example, on many systems @code{signal 2} and @code{signal
16337 SIGINT} are both ways of sending an interrupt signal.
16338
16339 Alternatively, if @var{signal} is zero, continue execution without
16340 giving a signal. This is useful when your program stopped on account of
16341 a signal and would ordinarily see the signal when resumed with the
16342 @code{continue} command; @samp{signal 0} causes it to resume without a
16343 signal.
16344
16345 @code{signal} does not repeat when you press @key{RET} a second time
16346 after executing the command.
16347 @end table
16348 @c @end group
16349
16350 Invoking the @code{signal} command is not the same as invoking the
16351 @code{kill} utility from the shell. Sending a signal with @code{kill}
16352 causes @value{GDBN} to decide what to do with the signal depending on
16353 the signal handling tables (@pxref{Signals}). The @code{signal} command
16354 passes the signal directly to your program.
16355
16356
16357 @node Returning
16358 @section Returning from a Function
16359
16360 @table @code
16361 @cindex returning from a function
16362 @kindex return
16363 @item return
16364 @itemx return @var{expression}
16365 You can cancel execution of a function call with the @code{return}
16366 command. If you give an
16367 @var{expression} argument, its value is used as the function's return
16368 value.
16369 @end table
16370
16371 When you use @code{return}, @value{GDBN} discards the selected stack frame
16372 (and all frames within it). You can think of this as making the
16373 discarded frame return prematurely. If you wish to specify a value to
16374 be returned, give that value as the argument to @code{return}.
16375
16376 This pops the selected stack frame (@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting a
16377 Frame}), and any other frames inside of it, leaving its caller as the
16378 innermost remaining frame. That frame becomes selected. The
16379 specified value is stored in the registers used for returning values
16380 of functions.
16381
16382 The @code{return} command does not resume execution; it leaves the
16383 program stopped in the state that would exist if the function had just
16384 returned. In contrast, the @code{finish} command (@pxref{Continuing
16385 and Stepping, ,Continuing and Stepping}) resumes execution until the
16386 selected stack frame returns naturally.
16387
16388 @value{GDBN} needs to know how the @var{expression} argument should be set for
16389 the inferior. The concrete registers assignment depends on the OS ABI and the
16390 type being returned by the selected stack frame. For example it is common for
16391 OS ABI to return floating point values in FPU registers while integer values in
16392 CPU registers. Still some ABIs return even floating point values in CPU
16393 registers. Larger integer widths (such as @code{long long int}) also have
16394 specific placement rules. @value{GDBN} already knows the OS ABI from its
16395 current target so it needs to find out also the type being returned to make the
16396 assignment into the right register(s).
16397
16398 Normally, the selected stack frame has debug info. @value{GDBN} will always
16399 use the debug info instead of the implicit type of @var{expression} when the
16400 debug info is available. For example, if you type @kbd{return -1}, and the
16401 function in the current stack frame is declared to return a @code{long long
16402 int}, @value{GDBN} transparently converts the implicit @code{int} value of -1
16403 into a @code{long long int}:
16404
16405 @smallexample
16406 Breakpoint 1, func () at gdb.base/return-nodebug.c:29
16407 29 return 31;
16408 (@value{GDBP}) return -1
16409 Make func return now? (y or n) y
16410 #0 0x004004f6 in main () at gdb.base/return-nodebug.c:43
16411 43 printf ("result=%lld\n", func ());
16412 (@value{GDBP})
16413 @end smallexample
16414
16415 However, if the selected stack frame does not have a debug info, e.g., if the
16416 function was compiled without debug info, @value{GDBN} has to find out the type
16417 to return from user. Specifying a different type by mistake may set the value
16418 in different inferior registers than the caller code expects. For example,
16419 typing @kbd{return -1} with its implicit type @code{int} would set only a part
16420 of a @code{long long int} result for a debug info less function (on 32-bit
16421 architectures). Therefore the user is required to specify the return type by
16422 an appropriate cast explicitly:
16423
16424 @smallexample
16425 Breakpoint 2, 0x0040050b in func ()
16426 (@value{GDBP}) return -1
16427 Return value type not available for selected stack frame.
16428 Please use an explicit cast of the value to return.
16429 (@value{GDBP}) return (long long int) -1
16430 Make selected stack frame return now? (y or n) y
16431 #0 0x00400526 in main ()
16432 (@value{GDBP})
16433 @end smallexample
16434
16435 @node Calling
16436 @section Calling Program Functions
16437
16438 @table @code
16439 @cindex calling functions
16440 @cindex inferior functions, calling
16441 @item print @var{expr}
16442 Evaluate the expression @var{expr} and display the resulting value.
16443 @var{expr} may include calls to functions in the program being
16444 debugged.
16445
16446 @kindex call
16447 @item call @var{expr}
16448 Evaluate the expression @var{expr} without displaying @code{void}
16449 returned values.
16450
16451 You can use this variant of the @code{print} command if you want to
16452 execute a function from your program that does not return anything
16453 (a.k.a.@: @dfn{a void function}), but without cluttering the output
16454 with @code{void} returned values that @value{GDBN} will otherwise
16455 print. If the result is not void, it is printed and saved in the
16456 value history.
16457 @end table
16458
16459 It is possible for the function you call via the @code{print} or
16460 @code{call} command to generate a signal (e.g., if there's a bug in
16461 the function, or if you passed it incorrect arguments). What happens
16462 in that case is controlled by the @code{set unwindonsignal} command.
16463
16464 Similarly, with a C@t{++} program it is possible for the function you
16465 call via the @code{print} or @code{call} command to generate an
16466 exception that is not handled due to the constraints of the dummy
16467 frame. In this case, any exception that is raised in the frame, but has
16468 an out-of-frame exception handler will not be found. GDB builds a
16469 dummy-frame for the inferior function call, and the unwinder cannot
16470 seek for exception handlers outside of this dummy-frame. What happens
16471 in that case is controlled by the
16472 @code{set unwind-on-terminating-exception} command.
16473
16474 @table @code
16475 @item set unwindonsignal
16476 @kindex set unwindonsignal
16477 @cindex unwind stack in called functions
16478 @cindex call dummy stack unwinding
16479 Set unwinding of the stack if a signal is received while in a function
16480 that @value{GDBN} called in the program being debugged. If set to on,
16481 @value{GDBN} unwinds the stack it created for the call and restores
16482 the context to what it was before the call. If set to off (the
16483 default), @value{GDBN} stops in the frame where the signal was
16484 received.
16485
16486 @item show unwindonsignal
16487 @kindex show unwindonsignal
16488 Show the current setting of stack unwinding in the functions called by
16489 @value{GDBN}.
16490
16491 @item set unwind-on-terminating-exception
16492 @kindex set unwind-on-terminating-exception
16493 @cindex unwind stack in called functions with unhandled exceptions
16494 @cindex call dummy stack unwinding on unhandled exception.
16495 Set unwinding of the stack if a C@t{++} exception is raised, but left
16496 unhandled while in a function that @value{GDBN} called in the program being
16497 debugged. If set to on (the default), @value{GDBN} unwinds the stack
16498 it created for the call and restores the context to what it was before
16499 the call. If set to off, @value{GDBN} the exception is delivered to
16500 the default C@t{++} exception handler and the inferior terminated.
16501
16502 @item show unwind-on-terminating-exception
16503 @kindex show unwind-on-terminating-exception
16504 Show the current setting of stack unwinding in the functions called by
16505 @value{GDBN}.
16506
16507 @end table
16508
16509 @cindex weak alias functions
16510 Sometimes, a function you wish to call is actually a @dfn{weak alias}
16511 for another function. In such case, @value{GDBN} might not pick up
16512 the type information, including the types of the function arguments,
16513 which causes @value{GDBN} to call the inferior function incorrectly.
16514 As a result, the called function will function erroneously and may
16515 even crash. A solution to that is to use the name of the aliased
16516 function instead.
16517
16518 @node Patching
16519 @section Patching Programs
16520
16521 @cindex patching binaries
16522 @cindex writing into executables
16523 @cindex writing into corefiles
16524
16525 By default, @value{GDBN} opens the file containing your program's
16526 executable code (or the corefile) read-only. This prevents accidental
16527 alterations to machine code; but it also prevents you from intentionally
16528 patching your program's binary.
16529
16530 If you'd like to be able to patch the binary, you can specify that
16531 explicitly with the @code{set write} command. For example, you might
16532 want to turn on internal debugging flags, or even to make emergency
16533 repairs.
16534
16535 @table @code
16536 @kindex set write
16537 @item set write on
16538 @itemx set write off
16539 If you specify @samp{set write on}, @value{GDBN} opens executable and
16540 core files for both reading and writing; if you specify @kbd{set write
16541 off} (the default), @value{GDBN} opens them read-only.
16542
16543 If you have already loaded a file, you must load it again (using the
16544 @code{exec-file} or @code{core-file} command) after changing @code{set
16545 write}, for your new setting to take effect.
16546
16547 @item show write
16548 @kindex show write
16549 Display whether executable files and core files are opened for writing
16550 as well as reading.
16551 @end table
16552
16553 @node GDB Files
16554 @chapter @value{GDBN} Files
16555
16556 @value{GDBN} needs to know the file name of the program to be debugged,
16557 both in order to read its symbol table and in order to start your
16558 program. To debug a core dump of a previous run, you must also tell
16559 @value{GDBN} the name of the core dump file.
16560
16561 @menu
16562 * Files:: Commands to specify files
16563 * Separate Debug Files:: Debugging information in separate files
16564 * MiniDebugInfo:: Debugging information in a special section
16565 * Index Files:: Index files speed up GDB
16566 * Symbol Errors:: Errors reading symbol files
16567 * Data Files:: GDB data files
16568 @end menu
16569
16570 @node Files
16571 @section Commands to Specify Files
16572
16573 @cindex symbol table
16574 @cindex core dump file
16575
16576 You may want to specify executable and core dump file names. The usual
16577 way to do this is at start-up time, using the arguments to
16578 @value{GDBN}'s start-up commands (@pxref{Invocation, , Getting In and
16579 Out of @value{GDBN}}).
16580
16581 Occasionally it is necessary to change to a different file during a
16582 @value{GDBN} session. Or you may run @value{GDBN} and forget to
16583 specify a file you want to use. Or you are debugging a remote target
16584 via @code{gdbserver} (@pxref{Server, file, Using the @code{gdbserver}
16585 Program}). In these situations the @value{GDBN} commands to specify
16586 new files are useful.
16587
16588 @table @code
16589 @cindex executable file
16590 @kindex file
16591 @item file @var{filename}
16592 Use @var{filename} as the program to be debugged. It is read for its
16593 symbols and for the contents of pure memory. It is also the program
16594 executed when you use the @code{run} command. If you do not specify a
16595 directory and the file is not found in the @value{GDBN} working directory,
16596 @value{GDBN} uses the environment variable @code{PATH} as a list of
16597 directories to search, just as the shell does when looking for a program
16598 to run. You can change the value of this variable, for both @value{GDBN}
16599 and your program, using the @code{path} command.
16600
16601 @cindex unlinked object files
16602 @cindex patching object files
16603 You can load unlinked object @file{.o} files into @value{GDBN} using
16604 the @code{file} command. You will not be able to ``run'' an object
16605 file, but you can disassemble functions and inspect variables. Also,
16606 if the underlying BFD functionality supports it, you could use
16607 @kbd{gdb -write} to patch object files using this technique. Note
16608 that @value{GDBN} can neither interpret nor modify relocations in this
16609 case, so branches and some initialized variables will appear to go to
16610 the wrong place. But this feature is still handy from time to time.
16611
16612 @item file
16613 @code{file} with no argument makes @value{GDBN} discard any information it
16614 has on both executable file and the symbol table.
16615
16616 @kindex exec-file
16617 @item exec-file @r{[} @var{filename} @r{]}
16618 Specify that the program to be run (but not the symbol table) is found
16619 in @var{filename}. @value{GDBN} searches the environment variable @code{PATH}
16620 if necessary to locate your program. Omitting @var{filename} means to
16621 discard information on the executable file.
16622
16623 @kindex symbol-file
16624 @item symbol-file @r{[} @var{filename} @r{]}
16625 Read symbol table information from file @var{filename}. @code{PATH} is
16626 searched when necessary. Use the @code{file} command to get both symbol
16627 table and program to run from the same file.
16628
16629 @code{symbol-file} with no argument clears out @value{GDBN} information on your
16630 program's symbol table.
16631
16632 The @code{symbol-file} command causes @value{GDBN} to forget the contents of
16633 some breakpoints and auto-display expressions. This is because they may
16634 contain pointers to the internal data recording symbols and data types,
16635 which are part of the old symbol table data being discarded inside
16636 @value{GDBN}.
16637
16638 @code{symbol-file} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} again after
16639 executing it once.
16640
16641 When @value{GDBN} is configured for a particular environment, it
16642 understands debugging information in whatever format is the standard
16643 generated for that environment; you may use either a @sc{gnu} compiler, or
16644 other compilers that adhere to the local conventions.
16645 Best results are usually obtained from @sc{gnu} compilers; for example,
16646 using @code{@value{NGCC}} you can generate debugging information for
16647 optimized code.
16648
16649 For most kinds of object files, with the exception of old SVR3 systems
16650 using COFF, the @code{symbol-file} command does not normally read the
16651 symbol table in full right away. Instead, it scans the symbol table
16652 quickly to find which source files and which symbols are present. The
16653 details are read later, one source file at a time, as they are needed.
16654
16655 The purpose of this two-stage reading strategy is to make @value{GDBN}
16656 start up faster. For the most part, it is invisible except for
16657 occasional pauses while the symbol table details for a particular source
16658 file are being read. (The @code{set verbose} command can turn these
16659 pauses into messages if desired. @xref{Messages/Warnings, ,Optional
16660 Warnings and Messages}.)
16661
16662 We have not implemented the two-stage strategy for COFF yet. When the
16663 symbol table is stored in COFF format, @code{symbol-file} reads the
16664 symbol table data in full right away. Note that ``stabs-in-COFF''
16665 still does the two-stage strategy, since the debug info is actually
16666 in stabs format.
16667
16668 @kindex readnow
16669 @cindex reading symbols immediately
16670 @cindex symbols, reading immediately
16671 @item symbol-file @r{[} -readnow @r{]} @var{filename}
16672 @itemx file @r{[} -readnow @r{]} @var{filename}
16673 You can override the @value{GDBN} two-stage strategy for reading symbol
16674 tables by using the @samp{-readnow} option with any of the commands that
16675 load symbol table information, if you want to be sure @value{GDBN} has the
16676 entire symbol table available.
16677
16678 @c FIXME: for now no mention of directories, since this seems to be in
16679 @c flux. 13mar1992 status is that in theory GDB would look either in
16680 @c current dir or in same dir as myprog; but issues like competing
16681 @c GDB's, or clutter in system dirs, mean that in practice right now
16682 @c only current dir is used. FFish says maybe a special GDB hierarchy
16683 @c (eg rooted in val of env var GDBSYMS) could exist for mappable symbol
16684 @c files.
16685
16686 @kindex core-file
16687 @item core-file @r{[}@var{filename}@r{]}
16688 @itemx core
16689 Specify the whereabouts of a core dump file to be used as the ``contents
16690 of memory''. Traditionally, core files contain only some parts of the
16691 address space of the process that generated them; @value{GDBN} can access the
16692 executable file itself for other parts.
16693
16694 @code{core-file} with no argument specifies that no core file is
16695 to be used.
16696
16697 Note that the core file is ignored when your program is actually running
16698 under @value{GDBN}. So, if you have been running your program and you
16699 wish to debug a core file instead, you must kill the subprocess in which
16700 the program is running. To do this, use the @code{kill} command
16701 (@pxref{Kill Process, ,Killing the Child Process}).
16702
16703 @kindex add-symbol-file
16704 @cindex dynamic linking
16705 @item add-symbol-file @var{filename} @var{address}
16706 @itemx add-symbol-file @var{filename} @var{address} @r{[} -readnow @r{]}
16707 @itemx add-symbol-file @var{filename} @var{address} -s @var{section} @var{address} @dots{}
16708 The @code{add-symbol-file} command reads additional symbol table
16709 information from the file @var{filename}. You would use this command
16710 when @var{filename} has been dynamically loaded (by some other means)
16711 into the program that is running. @var{address} should be the memory
16712 address at which the file has been loaded; @value{GDBN} cannot figure
16713 this out for itself. You can additionally specify an arbitrary number
16714 of @samp{-s @var{section} @var{address}} pairs, to give an explicit
16715 section name and base address for that section. You can specify any
16716 @var{address} as an expression.
16717
16718 The symbol table of the file @var{filename} is added to the symbol table
16719 originally read with the @code{symbol-file} command. You can use the
16720 @code{add-symbol-file} command any number of times; the new symbol data
16721 thus read is kept in addition to the old.
16722
16723 Changes can be reverted using the command @code{remove-symbol-file}.
16724
16725 @cindex relocatable object files, reading symbols from
16726 @cindex object files, relocatable, reading symbols from
16727 @cindex reading symbols from relocatable object files
16728 @cindex symbols, reading from relocatable object files
16729 @cindex @file{.o} files, reading symbols from
16730 Although @var{filename} is typically a shared library file, an
16731 executable file, or some other object file which has been fully
16732 relocated for loading into a process, you can also load symbolic
16733 information from relocatable @file{.o} files, as long as:
16734
16735 @itemize @bullet
16736 @item
16737 the file's symbolic information refers only to linker symbols defined in
16738 that file, not to symbols defined by other object files,
16739 @item
16740 every section the file's symbolic information refers to has actually
16741 been loaded into the inferior, as it appears in the file, and
16742 @item
16743 you can determine the address at which every section was loaded, and
16744 provide these to the @code{add-symbol-file} command.
16745 @end itemize
16746
16747 @noindent
16748 Some embedded operating systems, like Sun Chorus and VxWorks, can load
16749 relocatable files into an already running program; such systems
16750 typically make the requirements above easy to meet. However, it's
16751 important to recognize that many native systems use complex link
16752 procedures (@code{.linkonce} section factoring and C@t{++} constructor table
16753 assembly, for example) that make the requirements difficult to meet. In
16754 general, one cannot assume that using @code{add-symbol-file} to read a
16755 relocatable object file's symbolic information will have the same effect
16756 as linking the relocatable object file into the program in the normal
16757 way.
16758
16759 @code{add-symbol-file} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} after using it.
16760
16761 @kindex remove-symbol-file
16762 @item remove-symbol-file @var{filename}
16763 @item remove-symbol-file -a @var{address}
16764 Remove a symbol file added via the @code{add-symbol-file} command. The
16765 file to remove can be identified by its @var{filename} or by an @var{address}
16766 that lies within the boundaries of this symbol file in memory. Example:
16767
16768 @smallexample
16769 (gdb) add-symbol-file /home/user/gdb/mylib.so 0x7ffff7ff9480
16770 add symbol table from file "/home/user/gdb/mylib.so" at
16771 .text_addr = 0x7ffff7ff9480
16772 (y or n) y
16773 Reading symbols from /home/user/gdb/mylib.so...done.
16774 (gdb) remove-symbol-file -a 0x7ffff7ff9480
16775 Remove symbol table from file "/home/user/gdb/mylib.so"? (y or n) y
16776 (gdb)
16777 @end smallexample
16778
16779
16780 @code{remove-symbol-file} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} after using it.
16781
16782 @kindex add-symbol-file-from-memory
16783 @cindex @code{syscall DSO}
16784 @cindex load symbols from memory
16785 @item add-symbol-file-from-memory @var{address}
16786 Load symbols from the given @var{address} in a dynamically loaded
16787 object file whose image is mapped directly into the inferior's memory.
16788 For example, the Linux kernel maps a @code{syscall DSO} into each
16789 process's address space; this DSO provides kernel-specific code for
16790 some system calls. The argument can be any expression whose
16791 evaluation yields the address of the file's shared object file header.
16792 For this command to work, you must have used @code{symbol-file} or
16793 @code{exec-file} commands in advance.
16794
16795 @kindex add-shared-symbol-files
16796 @kindex assf
16797 @item add-shared-symbol-files @var{library-file}
16798 @itemx assf @var{library-file}
16799 The @code{add-shared-symbol-files} command can currently be used only
16800 in the Cygwin build of @value{GDBN} on MS-Windows OS, where it is an
16801 alias for the @code{dll-symbols} command (@pxref{Cygwin Native}).
16802 @value{GDBN} automatically looks for shared libraries, however if
16803 @value{GDBN} does not find yours, you can invoke
16804 @code{add-shared-symbol-files}. It takes one argument: the shared
16805 library's file name. @code{assf} is a shorthand alias for
16806 @code{add-shared-symbol-files}.
16807
16808 @kindex section
16809 @item section @var{section} @var{addr}
16810 The @code{section} command changes the base address of the named
16811 @var{section} of the exec file to @var{addr}. This can be used if the
16812 exec file does not contain section addresses, (such as in the
16813 @code{a.out} format), or when the addresses specified in the file
16814 itself are wrong. Each section must be changed separately. The
16815 @code{info files} command, described below, lists all the sections and
16816 their addresses.
16817
16818 @kindex info files
16819 @kindex info target
16820 @item info files
16821 @itemx info target
16822 @code{info files} and @code{info target} are synonymous; both print the
16823 current target (@pxref{Targets, ,Specifying a Debugging Target}),
16824 including the names of the executable and core dump files currently in
16825 use by @value{GDBN}, and the files from which symbols were loaded. The
16826 command @code{help target} lists all possible targets rather than
16827 current ones.
16828
16829 @kindex maint info sections
16830 @item maint info sections
16831 Another command that can give you extra information about program sections
16832 is @code{maint info sections}. In addition to the section information
16833 displayed by @code{info files}, this command displays the flags and file
16834 offset of each section in the executable and core dump files. In addition,
16835 @code{maint info sections} provides the following command options (which
16836 may be arbitrarily combined):
16837
16838 @table @code
16839 @item ALLOBJ
16840 Display sections for all loaded object files, including shared libraries.
16841 @item @var{sections}
16842 Display info only for named @var{sections}.
16843 @item @var{section-flags}
16844 Display info only for sections for which @var{section-flags} are true.
16845 The section flags that @value{GDBN} currently knows about are:
16846 @table @code
16847 @item ALLOC
16848 Section will have space allocated in the process when loaded.
16849 Set for all sections except those containing debug information.
16850 @item LOAD
16851 Section will be loaded from the file into the child process memory.
16852 Set for pre-initialized code and data, clear for @code{.bss} sections.
16853 @item RELOC
16854 Section needs to be relocated before loading.
16855 @item READONLY
16856 Section cannot be modified by the child process.
16857 @item CODE
16858 Section contains executable code only.
16859 @item DATA
16860 Section contains data only (no executable code).
16861 @item ROM
16862 Section will reside in ROM.
16863 @item CONSTRUCTOR
16864 Section contains data for constructor/destructor lists.
16865 @item HAS_CONTENTS
16866 Section is not empty.
16867 @item NEVER_LOAD
16868 An instruction to the linker to not output the section.
16869 @item COFF_SHARED_LIBRARY
16870 A notification to the linker that the section contains
16871 COFF shared library information.
16872 @item IS_COMMON
16873 Section contains common symbols.
16874 @end table
16875 @end table
16876 @kindex set trust-readonly-sections
16877 @cindex read-only sections
16878 @item set trust-readonly-sections on
16879 Tell @value{GDBN} that readonly sections in your object file
16880 really are read-only (i.e.@: that their contents will not change).
16881 In that case, @value{GDBN} can fetch values from these sections
16882 out of the object file, rather than from the target program.
16883 For some targets (notably embedded ones), this can be a significant
16884 enhancement to debugging performance.
16885
16886 The default is off.
16887
16888 @item set trust-readonly-sections off
16889 Tell @value{GDBN} not to trust readonly sections. This means that
16890 the contents of the section might change while the program is running,
16891 and must therefore be fetched from the target when needed.
16892
16893 @item show trust-readonly-sections
16894 Show the current setting of trusting readonly sections.
16895 @end table
16896
16897 All file-specifying commands allow both absolute and relative file names
16898 as arguments. @value{GDBN} always converts the file name to an absolute file
16899 name and remembers it that way.
16900
16901 @cindex shared libraries
16902 @anchor{Shared Libraries}
16903 @value{GDBN} supports @sc{gnu}/Linux, MS-Windows, HP-UX, SunOS, SVr4, Irix,
16904 and IBM RS/6000 AIX shared libraries.
16905
16906 On MS-Windows @value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support
16907 shared libraries. @xref{Expat}.
16908
16909 @value{GDBN} automatically loads symbol definitions from shared libraries
16910 when you use the @code{run} command, or when you examine a core file.
16911 (Before you issue the @code{run} command, @value{GDBN} does not understand
16912 references to a function in a shared library, however---unless you are
16913 debugging a core file).
16914
16915 On HP-UX, if the program loads a library explicitly, @value{GDBN}
16916 automatically loads the symbols at the time of the @code{shl_load} call.
16917
16918 @c FIXME: some @value{GDBN} release may permit some refs to undef
16919 @c FIXME...symbols---eg in a break cmd---assuming they are from a shared
16920 @c FIXME...lib; check this from time to time when updating manual
16921
16922 There are times, however, when you may wish to not automatically load
16923 symbol definitions from shared libraries, such as when they are
16924 particularly large or there are many of them.
16925
16926 To control the automatic loading of shared library symbols, use the
16927 commands:
16928
16929 @table @code
16930 @kindex set auto-solib-add
16931 @item set auto-solib-add @var{mode}
16932 If @var{mode} is @code{on}, symbols from all shared object libraries
16933 will be loaded automatically when the inferior begins execution, you
16934 attach to an independently started inferior, or when the dynamic linker
16935 informs @value{GDBN} that a new library has been loaded. If @var{mode}
16936 is @code{off}, symbols must be loaded manually, using the
16937 @code{sharedlibrary} command. The default value is @code{on}.
16938
16939 @cindex memory used for symbol tables
16940 If your program uses lots of shared libraries with debug info that
16941 takes large amounts of memory, you can decrease the @value{GDBN}
16942 memory footprint by preventing it from automatically loading the
16943 symbols from shared libraries. To that end, type @kbd{set
16944 auto-solib-add off} before running the inferior, then load each
16945 library whose debug symbols you do need with @kbd{sharedlibrary
16946 @var{regexp}}, where @var{regexp} is a regular expression that matches
16947 the libraries whose symbols you want to be loaded.
16948
16949 @kindex show auto-solib-add
16950 @item show auto-solib-add
16951 Display the current autoloading mode.
16952 @end table
16953
16954 @cindex load shared library
16955 To explicitly load shared library symbols, use the @code{sharedlibrary}
16956 command:
16957
16958 @table @code
16959 @kindex info sharedlibrary
16960 @kindex info share
16961 @item info share @var{regex}
16962 @itemx info sharedlibrary @var{regex}
16963 Print the names of the shared libraries which are currently loaded
16964 that match @var{regex}. If @var{regex} is omitted then print
16965 all shared libraries that are loaded.
16966
16967 @kindex sharedlibrary
16968 @kindex share
16969 @item sharedlibrary @var{regex}
16970 @itemx share @var{regex}
16971 Load shared object library symbols for files matching a
16972 Unix regular expression.
16973 As with files loaded automatically, it only loads shared libraries
16974 required by your program for a core file or after typing @code{run}. If
16975 @var{regex} is omitted all shared libraries required by your program are
16976 loaded.
16977
16978 @item nosharedlibrary
16979 @kindex nosharedlibrary
16980 @cindex unload symbols from shared libraries
16981 Unload all shared object library symbols. This discards all symbols
16982 that have been loaded from all shared libraries. Symbols from shared
16983 libraries that were loaded by explicit user requests are not
16984 discarded.
16985 @end table
16986
16987 Sometimes you may wish that @value{GDBN} stops and gives you control
16988 when any of shared library events happen. The best way to do this is
16989 to use @code{catch load} and @code{catch unload} (@pxref{Set
16990 Catchpoints}).
16991
16992 @value{GDBN} also supports the the @code{set stop-on-solib-events}
16993 command for this. This command exists for historical reasons. It is
16994 less useful than setting a catchpoint, because it does not allow for
16995 conditions or commands as a catchpoint does.
16996
16997 @table @code
16998 @item set stop-on-solib-events
16999 @kindex set stop-on-solib-events
17000 This command controls whether @value{GDBN} should give you control
17001 when the dynamic linker notifies it about some shared library event.
17002 The most common event of interest is loading or unloading of a new
17003 shared library.
17004
17005 @item show stop-on-solib-events
17006 @kindex show stop-on-solib-events
17007 Show whether @value{GDBN} stops and gives you control when shared
17008 library events happen.
17009 @end table
17010
17011 Shared libraries are also supported in many cross or remote debugging
17012 configurations. @value{GDBN} needs to have access to the target's libraries;
17013 this can be accomplished either by providing copies of the libraries
17014 on the host system, or by asking @value{GDBN} to automatically retrieve the
17015 libraries from the target. If copies of the target libraries are
17016 provided, they need to be the same as the target libraries, although the
17017 copies on the target can be stripped as long as the copies on the host are
17018 not.
17019
17020 @cindex where to look for shared libraries
17021 For remote debugging, you need to tell @value{GDBN} where the target
17022 libraries are, so that it can load the correct copies---otherwise, it
17023 may try to load the host's libraries. @value{GDBN} has two variables
17024 to specify the search directories for target libraries.
17025
17026 @table @code
17027 @cindex prefix for shared library file names
17028 @cindex system root, alternate
17029 @kindex set solib-absolute-prefix
17030 @kindex set sysroot
17031 @item set sysroot @var{path}
17032 Use @var{path} as the system root for the program being debugged. Any
17033 absolute shared library paths will be prefixed with @var{path}; many
17034 runtime loaders store the absolute paths to the shared library in the
17035 target program's memory. If you use @code{set sysroot} to find shared
17036 libraries, they need to be laid out in the same way that they are on
17037 the target, with e.g.@: a @file{/lib} and @file{/usr/lib} hierarchy
17038 under @var{path}.
17039
17040 If @var{path} starts with the sequence @file{remote:}, @value{GDBN} will
17041 retrieve the target libraries from the remote system. This is only
17042 supported when using a remote target that supports the @code{remote get}
17043 command (@pxref{File Transfer,,Sending files to a remote system}).
17044 The part of @var{path} following the initial @file{remote:}
17045 (if present) is used as system root prefix on the remote file system.
17046 @footnote{If you want to specify a local system root using a directory
17047 that happens to be named @file{remote:}, you need to use some equivalent
17048 variant of the name like @file{./remote:}.}
17049
17050 For targets with an MS-DOS based filesystem, such as MS-Windows and
17051 SymbianOS, @value{GDBN} tries prefixing a few variants of the target
17052 absolute file name with @var{path}. But first, on Unix hosts,
17053 @value{GDBN} converts all backslash directory separators into forward
17054 slashes, because the backslash is not a directory separator on Unix:
17055
17056 @smallexample
17057 c:\foo\bar.dll @result{} c:/foo/bar.dll
17058 @end smallexample
17059
17060 Then, @value{GDBN} attempts prefixing the target file name with
17061 @var{path}, and looks for the resulting file name in the host file
17062 system:
17063
17064 @smallexample
17065 c:/foo/bar.dll @result{} /path/to/sysroot/c:/foo/bar.dll
17066 @end smallexample
17067
17068 If that does not find the shared library, @value{GDBN} tries removing
17069 the @samp{:} character from the drive spec, both for convenience, and,
17070 for the case of the host file system not supporting file names with
17071 colons:
17072
17073 @smallexample
17074 c:/foo/bar.dll @result{} /path/to/sysroot/c/foo/bar.dll
17075 @end smallexample
17076
17077 This makes it possible to have a system root that mirrors a target
17078 with more than one drive. E.g., you may want to setup your local
17079 copies of the target system shared libraries like so (note @samp{c} vs
17080 @samp{z}):
17081
17082 @smallexample
17083 @file{/path/to/sysroot/c/sys/bin/foo.dll}
17084 @file{/path/to/sysroot/c/sys/bin/bar.dll}
17085 @file{/path/to/sysroot/z/sys/bin/bar.dll}
17086 @end smallexample
17087
17088 @noindent
17089 and point the system root at @file{/path/to/sysroot}, so that
17090 @value{GDBN} can find the correct copies of both
17091 @file{c:\sys\bin\foo.dll}, and @file{z:\sys\bin\bar.dll}.
17092
17093 If that still does not find the shared library, @value{GDBN} tries
17094 removing the whole drive spec from the target file name:
17095
17096 @smallexample
17097 c:/foo/bar.dll @result{} /path/to/sysroot/foo/bar.dll
17098 @end smallexample
17099
17100 This last lookup makes it possible to not care about the drive name,
17101 if you don't want or need to.
17102
17103 The @code{set solib-absolute-prefix} command is an alias for @code{set
17104 sysroot}.
17105
17106 @cindex default system root
17107 @cindex @samp{--with-sysroot}
17108 You can set the default system root by using the configure-time
17109 @samp{--with-sysroot} option. If the system root is inside
17110 @value{GDBN}'s configured binary prefix (set with @samp{--prefix} or
17111 @samp{--exec-prefix}), then the default system root will be updated
17112 automatically if the installed @value{GDBN} is moved to a new
17113 location.
17114
17115 @kindex show sysroot
17116 @item show sysroot
17117 Display the current shared library prefix.
17118
17119 @kindex set solib-search-path
17120 @item set solib-search-path @var{path}
17121 If this variable is set, @var{path} is a colon-separated list of
17122 directories to search for shared libraries. @samp{solib-search-path}
17123 is used after @samp{sysroot} fails to locate the library, or if the
17124 path to the library is relative instead of absolute. If you want to
17125 use @samp{solib-search-path} instead of @samp{sysroot}, be sure to set
17126 @samp{sysroot} to a nonexistent directory to prevent @value{GDBN} from
17127 finding your host's libraries. @samp{sysroot} is preferred; setting
17128 it to a nonexistent directory may interfere with automatic loading
17129 of shared library symbols.
17130
17131 @kindex show solib-search-path
17132 @item show solib-search-path
17133 Display the current shared library search path.
17134
17135 @cindex DOS file-name semantics of file names.
17136 @kindex set target-file-system-kind (unix|dos-based|auto)
17137 @kindex show target-file-system-kind
17138 @item set target-file-system-kind @var{kind}
17139 Set assumed file system kind for target reported file names.
17140
17141 Shared library file names as reported by the target system may not
17142 make sense as is on the system @value{GDBN} is running on. For
17143 example, when remote debugging a target that has MS-DOS based file
17144 system semantics, from a Unix host, the target may be reporting to
17145 @value{GDBN} a list of loaded shared libraries with file names such as
17146 @file{c:\Windows\kernel32.dll}. On Unix hosts, there's no concept of
17147 drive letters, so the @samp{c:\} prefix is not normally understood as
17148 indicating an absolute file name, and neither is the backslash
17149 normally considered a directory separator character. In that case,
17150 the native file system would interpret this whole absolute file name
17151 as a relative file name with no directory components. This would make
17152 it impossible to point @value{GDBN} at a copy of the remote target's
17153 shared libraries on the host using @code{set sysroot}, and impractical
17154 with @code{set solib-search-path}. Setting
17155 @code{target-file-system-kind} to @code{dos-based} tells @value{GDBN}
17156 to interpret such file names similarly to how the target would, and to
17157 map them to file names valid on @value{GDBN}'s native file system
17158 semantics. The value of @var{kind} can be @code{"auto"}, in addition
17159 to one of the supported file system kinds. In that case, @value{GDBN}
17160 tries to determine the appropriate file system variant based on the
17161 current target's operating system (@pxref{ABI, ,Configuring the
17162 Current ABI}). The supported file system settings are:
17163
17164 @table @code
17165 @item unix
17166 Instruct @value{GDBN} to assume the target file system is of Unix
17167 kind. Only file names starting the forward slash (@samp{/}) character
17168 are considered absolute, and the directory separator character is also
17169 the forward slash.
17170
17171 @item dos-based
17172 Instruct @value{GDBN} to assume the target file system is DOS based.
17173 File names starting with either a forward slash, or a drive letter
17174 followed by a colon (e.g., @samp{c:}), are considered absolute, and
17175 both the slash (@samp{/}) and the backslash (@samp{\\}) characters are
17176 considered directory separators.
17177
17178 @item auto
17179 Instruct @value{GDBN} to use the file system kind associated with the
17180 target operating system (@pxref{ABI, ,Configuring the Current ABI}).
17181 This is the default.
17182 @end table
17183 @end table
17184
17185 @cindex file name canonicalization
17186 @cindex base name differences
17187 When processing file names provided by the user, @value{GDBN}
17188 frequently needs to compare them to the file names recorded in the
17189 program's debug info. Normally, @value{GDBN} compares just the
17190 @dfn{base names} of the files as strings, which is reasonably fast
17191 even for very large programs. (The base name of a file is the last
17192 portion of its name, after stripping all the leading directories.)
17193 This shortcut in comparison is based upon the assumption that files
17194 cannot have more than one base name. This is usually true, but
17195 references to files that use symlinks or similar filesystem
17196 facilities violate that assumption. If your program records files
17197 using such facilities, or if you provide file names to @value{GDBN}
17198 using symlinks etc., you can set @code{basenames-may-differ} to
17199 @code{true} to instruct @value{GDBN} to completely canonicalize each
17200 pair of file names it needs to compare. This will make file-name
17201 comparisons accurate, but at a price of a significant slowdown.
17202
17203 @table @code
17204 @item set basenames-may-differ
17205 @kindex set basenames-may-differ
17206 Set whether a source file may have multiple base names.
17207
17208 @item show basenames-may-differ
17209 @kindex show basenames-may-differ
17210 Show whether a source file may have multiple base names.
17211 @end table
17212
17213 @node Separate Debug Files
17214 @section Debugging Information in Separate Files
17215 @cindex separate debugging information files
17216 @cindex debugging information in separate files
17217 @cindex @file{.debug} subdirectories
17218 @cindex debugging information directory, global
17219 @cindex global debugging information directories
17220 @cindex build ID, and separate debugging files
17221 @cindex @file{.build-id} directory
17222
17223 @value{GDBN} allows you to put a program's debugging information in a
17224 file separate from the executable itself, in a way that allows
17225 @value{GDBN} to find and load the debugging information automatically.
17226 Since debugging information can be very large---sometimes larger
17227 than the executable code itself---some systems distribute debugging
17228 information for their executables in separate files, which users can
17229 install only when they need to debug a problem.
17230
17231 @value{GDBN} supports two ways of specifying the separate debug info
17232 file:
17233
17234 @itemize @bullet
17235 @item
17236 The executable contains a @dfn{debug link} that specifies the name of
17237 the separate debug info file. The separate debug file's name is
17238 usually @file{@var{executable}.debug}, where @var{executable} is the
17239 name of the corresponding executable file without leading directories
17240 (e.g., @file{ls.debug} for @file{/usr/bin/ls}). In addition, the
17241 debug link specifies a 32-bit @dfn{Cyclic Redundancy Check} (CRC)
17242 checksum for the debug file, which @value{GDBN} uses to validate that
17243 the executable and the debug file came from the same build.
17244
17245 @item
17246 The executable contains a @dfn{build ID}, a unique bit string that is
17247 also present in the corresponding debug info file. (This is supported
17248 only on some operating systems, notably those which use the ELF format
17249 for binary files and the @sc{gnu} Binutils.) For more details about
17250 this feature, see the description of the @option{--build-id}
17251 command-line option in @ref{Options, , Command Line Options, ld.info,
17252 The GNU Linker}. The debug info file's name is not specified
17253 explicitly by the build ID, but can be computed from the build ID, see
17254 below.
17255 @end itemize
17256
17257 Depending on the way the debug info file is specified, @value{GDBN}
17258 uses two different methods of looking for the debug file:
17259
17260 @itemize @bullet
17261 @item
17262 For the ``debug link'' method, @value{GDBN} looks up the named file in
17263 the directory of the executable file, then in a subdirectory of that
17264 directory named @file{.debug}, and finally under each one of the global debug
17265 directories, in a subdirectory whose name is identical to the leading
17266 directories of the executable's absolute file name.
17267
17268 @item
17269 For the ``build ID'' method, @value{GDBN} looks in the
17270 @file{.build-id} subdirectory of each one of the global debug directories for
17271 a file named @file{@var{nn}/@var{nnnnnnnn}.debug}, where @var{nn} are the
17272 first 2 hex characters of the build ID bit string, and @var{nnnnnnnn}
17273 are the rest of the bit string. (Real build ID strings are 32 or more
17274 hex characters, not 10.)
17275 @end itemize
17276
17277 So, for example, suppose you ask @value{GDBN} to debug
17278 @file{/usr/bin/ls}, which has a debug link that specifies the
17279 file @file{ls.debug}, and a build ID whose value in hex is
17280 @code{abcdef1234}. If the list of the global debug directories includes
17281 @file{/usr/lib/debug}, then @value{GDBN} will look for the following
17282 debug information files, in the indicated order:
17283
17284 @itemize @minus
17285 @item
17286 @file{/usr/lib/debug/.build-id/ab/cdef1234.debug}
17287 @item
17288 @file{/usr/bin/ls.debug}
17289 @item
17290 @file{/usr/bin/.debug/ls.debug}
17291 @item
17292 @file{/usr/lib/debug/usr/bin/ls.debug}.
17293 @end itemize
17294
17295 @anchor{debug-file-directory}
17296 Global debugging info directories default to what is set by @value{GDBN}
17297 configure option @option{--with-separate-debug-dir}. During @value{GDBN} run
17298 you can also set the global debugging info directories, and view the list
17299 @value{GDBN} is currently using.
17300
17301 @table @code
17302
17303 @kindex set debug-file-directory
17304 @item set debug-file-directory @var{directories}
17305 Set the directories which @value{GDBN} searches for separate debugging
17306 information files to @var{directory}. Multiple path components can be set
17307 concatenating them by a path separator.
17308
17309 @kindex show debug-file-directory
17310 @item show debug-file-directory
17311 Show the directories @value{GDBN} searches for separate debugging
17312 information files.
17313
17314 @end table
17315
17316 @cindex @code{.gnu_debuglink} sections
17317 @cindex debug link sections
17318 A debug link is a special section of the executable file named
17319 @code{.gnu_debuglink}. The section must contain:
17320
17321 @itemize
17322 @item
17323 A filename, with any leading directory components removed, followed by
17324 a zero byte,
17325 @item
17326 zero to three bytes of padding, as needed to reach the next four-byte
17327 boundary within the section, and
17328 @item
17329 a four-byte CRC checksum, stored in the same endianness used for the
17330 executable file itself. The checksum is computed on the debugging
17331 information file's full contents by the function given below, passing
17332 zero as the @var{crc} argument.
17333 @end itemize
17334
17335 Any executable file format can carry a debug link, as long as it can
17336 contain a section named @code{.gnu_debuglink} with the contents
17337 described above.
17338
17339 @cindex @code{.note.gnu.build-id} sections
17340 @cindex build ID sections
17341 The build ID is a special section in the executable file (and in other
17342 ELF binary files that @value{GDBN} may consider). This section is
17343 often named @code{.note.gnu.build-id}, but that name is not mandatory.
17344 It contains unique identification for the built files---the ID remains
17345 the same across multiple builds of the same build tree. The default
17346 algorithm SHA1 produces 160 bits (40 hexadecimal characters) of the
17347 content for the build ID string. The same section with an identical
17348 value is present in the original built binary with symbols, in its
17349 stripped variant, and in the separate debugging information file.
17350
17351 The debugging information file itself should be an ordinary
17352 executable, containing a full set of linker symbols, sections, and
17353 debugging information. The sections of the debugging information file
17354 should have the same names, addresses, and sizes as the original file,
17355 but they need not contain any data---much like a @code{.bss} section
17356 in an ordinary executable.
17357
17358 The @sc{gnu} binary utilities (Binutils) package includes the
17359 @samp{objcopy} utility that can produce
17360 the separated executable / debugging information file pairs using the
17361 following commands:
17362
17363 @smallexample
17364 @kbd{objcopy --only-keep-debug foo foo.debug}
17365 @kbd{strip -g foo}
17366 @end smallexample
17367
17368 @noindent
17369 These commands remove the debugging
17370 information from the executable file @file{foo} and place it in the file
17371 @file{foo.debug}. You can use the first, second or both methods to link the
17372 two files:
17373
17374 @itemize @bullet
17375 @item
17376 The debug link method needs the following additional command to also leave
17377 behind a debug link in @file{foo}:
17378
17379 @smallexample
17380 @kbd{objcopy --add-gnu-debuglink=foo.debug foo}
17381 @end smallexample
17382
17383 Ulrich Drepper's @file{elfutils} package, starting with version 0.53, contains
17384 a version of the @code{strip} command such that the command @kbd{strip foo -f
17385 foo.debug} has the same functionality as the two @code{objcopy} commands and
17386 the @code{ln -s} command above, together.
17387
17388 @item
17389 Build ID gets embedded into the main executable using @code{ld --build-id} or
17390 the @value{NGCC} counterpart @code{gcc -Wl,--build-id}. Build ID support plus
17391 compatibility fixes for debug files separation are present in @sc{gnu} binary
17392 utilities (Binutils) package since version 2.18.
17393 @end itemize
17394
17395 @noindent
17396
17397 @cindex CRC algorithm definition
17398 The CRC used in @code{.gnu_debuglink} is the CRC-32 defined in
17399 IEEE 802.3 using the polynomial:
17400
17401 @c TexInfo requires naked braces for multi-digit exponents for Tex
17402 @c output, but this causes HTML output to barf. HTML has to be set using
17403 @c raw commands. So we end up having to specify this equation in 2
17404 @c different ways!
17405 @ifhtml
17406 @display
17407 @html
17408 <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>
17409 + <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
17410 @end html
17411 @end display
17412 @end ifhtml
17413 @ifnothtml
17414 @display
17415 @math{x^{32} + x^{26} + x^{23} + x^{22} + x^{16} + x^{12} + x^{11}}
17416 @math{+ x^{10} + x^8 + x^7 + x^5 + x^4 + x^2 + x + 1}
17417 @end display
17418 @end ifnothtml
17419
17420 The function is computed byte at a time, taking the least
17421 significant bit of each byte first. The initial pattern
17422 @code{0xffffffff} is used, to ensure leading zeros affect the CRC and
17423 the final result is inverted to ensure trailing zeros also affect the
17424 CRC.
17425
17426 @emph{Note:} This is the same CRC polynomial as used in handling the
17427 @dfn{Remote Serial Protocol} @code{qCRC} packet (@pxref{Remote Protocol,
17428 , @value{GDBN} Remote Serial Protocol}). However in the
17429 case of the Remote Serial Protocol, the CRC is computed @emph{most}
17430 significant bit first, and the result is not inverted, so trailing
17431 zeros have no effect on the CRC value.
17432
17433 To complete the description, we show below the code of the function
17434 which produces the CRC used in @code{.gnu_debuglink}. Inverting the
17435 initially supplied @code{crc} argument means that an initial call to
17436 this function passing in zero will start computing the CRC using
17437 @code{0xffffffff}.
17438
17439 @kindex gnu_debuglink_crc32
17440 @smallexample
17441 unsigned long
17442 gnu_debuglink_crc32 (unsigned long crc,
17443 unsigned char *buf, size_t len)
17444 @{
17445 static const unsigned long crc32_table[256] =
17446 @{
17447 0x00000000, 0x77073096, 0xee0e612c, 0x990951ba, 0x076dc419,
17448 0x706af48f, 0xe963a535, 0x9e6495a3, 0x0edb8832, 0x79dcb8a4,
17449 0xe0d5e91e, 0x97d2d988, 0x09b64c2b, 0x7eb17cbd, 0xe7b82d07,
17450 0x90bf1d91, 0x1db71064, 0x6ab020f2, 0xf3b97148, 0x84be41de,
17451 0x1adad47d, 0x6ddde4eb, 0xf4d4b551, 0x83d385c7, 0x136c9856,
17452 0x646ba8c0, 0xfd62f97a, 0x8a65c9ec, 0x14015c4f, 0x63066cd9,
17453 0xfa0f3d63, 0x8d080df5, 0x3b6e20c8, 0x4c69105e, 0xd56041e4,
17454 0xa2677172, 0x3c03e4d1, 0x4b04d447, 0xd20d85fd, 0xa50ab56b,
17455 0x35b5a8fa, 0x42b2986c, 0xdbbbc9d6, 0xacbcf940, 0x32d86ce3,
17456 0x45df5c75, 0xdcd60dcf, 0xabd13d59, 0x26d930ac, 0x51de003a,
17457 0xc8d75180, 0xbfd06116, 0x21b4f4b5, 0x56b3c423, 0xcfba9599,
17458 0xb8bda50f, 0x2802b89e, 0x5f058808, 0xc60cd9b2, 0xb10be924,
17459 0x2f6f7c87, 0x58684c11, 0xc1611dab, 0xb6662d3d, 0x76dc4190,
17460 0x01db7106, 0x98d220bc, 0xefd5102a, 0x71b18589, 0x06b6b51f,
17461 0x9fbfe4a5, 0xe8b8d433, 0x7807c9a2, 0x0f00f934, 0x9609a88e,
17462 0xe10e9818, 0x7f6a0dbb, 0x086d3d2d, 0x91646c97, 0xe6635c01,
17463 0x6b6b51f4, 0x1c6c6162, 0x856530d8, 0xf262004e, 0x6c0695ed,
17464 0x1b01a57b, 0x8208f4c1, 0xf50fc457, 0x65b0d9c6, 0x12b7e950,
17465 0x8bbeb8ea, 0xfcb9887c, 0x62dd1ddf, 0x15da2d49, 0x8cd37cf3,
17466 0xfbd44c65, 0x4db26158, 0x3ab551ce, 0xa3bc0074, 0xd4bb30e2,
17467 0x4adfa541, 0x3dd895d7, 0xa4d1c46d, 0xd3d6f4fb, 0x4369e96a,
17468 0x346ed9fc, 0xad678846, 0xda60b8d0, 0x44042d73, 0x33031de5,
17469 0xaa0a4c5f, 0xdd0d7cc9, 0x5005713c, 0x270241aa, 0xbe0b1010,
17470 0xc90c2086, 0x5768b525, 0x206f85b3, 0xb966d409, 0xce61e49f,
17471 0x5edef90e, 0x29d9c998, 0xb0d09822, 0xc7d7a8b4, 0x59b33d17,
17472 0x2eb40d81, 0xb7bd5c3b, 0xc0ba6cad, 0xedb88320, 0x9abfb3b6,
17473 0x03b6e20c, 0x74b1d29a, 0xead54739, 0x9dd277af, 0x04db2615,
17474 0x73dc1683, 0xe3630b12, 0x94643b84, 0x0d6d6a3e, 0x7a6a5aa8,
17475 0xe40ecf0b, 0x9309ff9d, 0x0a00ae27, 0x7d079eb1, 0xf00f9344,
17476 0x8708a3d2, 0x1e01f268, 0x6906c2fe, 0xf762575d, 0x806567cb,
17477 0x196c3671, 0x6e6b06e7, 0xfed41b76, 0x89d32be0, 0x10da7a5a,
17478 0x67dd4acc, 0xf9b9df6f, 0x8ebeeff9, 0x17b7be43, 0x60b08ed5,
17479 0xd6d6a3e8, 0xa1d1937e, 0x38d8c2c4, 0x4fdff252, 0xd1bb67f1,
17480 0xa6bc5767, 0x3fb506dd, 0x48b2364b, 0xd80d2bda, 0xaf0a1b4c,
17481 0x36034af6, 0x41047a60, 0xdf60efc3, 0xa867df55, 0x316e8eef,
17482 0x4669be79, 0xcb61b38c, 0xbc66831a, 0x256fd2a0, 0x5268e236,
17483 0xcc0c7795, 0xbb0b4703, 0x220216b9, 0x5505262f, 0xc5ba3bbe,
17484 0xb2bd0b28, 0x2bb45a92, 0x5cb36a04, 0xc2d7ffa7, 0xb5d0cf31,
17485 0x2cd99e8b, 0x5bdeae1d, 0x9b64c2b0, 0xec63f226, 0x756aa39c,
17486 0x026d930a, 0x9c0906a9, 0xeb0e363f, 0x72076785, 0x05005713,
17487 0x95bf4a82, 0xe2b87a14, 0x7bb12bae, 0x0cb61b38, 0x92d28e9b,
17488 0xe5d5be0d, 0x7cdcefb7, 0x0bdbdf21, 0x86d3d2d4, 0xf1d4e242,
17489 0x68ddb3f8, 0x1fda836e, 0x81be16cd, 0xf6b9265b, 0x6fb077e1,
17490 0x18b74777, 0x88085ae6, 0xff0f6a70, 0x66063bca, 0x11010b5c,
17491 0x8f659eff, 0xf862ae69, 0x616bffd3, 0x166ccf45, 0xa00ae278,
17492 0xd70dd2ee, 0x4e048354, 0x3903b3c2, 0xa7672661, 0xd06016f7,
17493 0x4969474d, 0x3e6e77db, 0xaed16a4a, 0xd9d65adc, 0x40df0b66,
17494 0x37d83bf0, 0xa9bcae53, 0xdebb9ec5, 0x47b2cf7f, 0x30b5ffe9,
17495 0xbdbdf21c, 0xcabac28a, 0x53b39330, 0x24b4a3a6, 0xbad03605,
17496 0xcdd70693, 0x54de5729, 0x23d967bf, 0xb3667a2e, 0xc4614ab8,
17497 0x5d681b02, 0x2a6f2b94, 0xb40bbe37, 0xc30c8ea1, 0x5a05df1b,
17498 0x2d02ef8d
17499 @};
17500 unsigned char *end;
17501
17502 crc = ~crc & 0xffffffff;
17503 for (end = buf + len; buf < end; ++buf)
17504 crc = crc32_table[(crc ^ *buf) & 0xff] ^ (crc >> 8);
17505 return ~crc & 0xffffffff;
17506 @}
17507 @end smallexample
17508
17509 @noindent
17510 This computation does not apply to the ``build ID'' method.
17511
17512 @node MiniDebugInfo
17513 @section Debugging information in a special section
17514 @cindex separate debug sections
17515 @cindex @samp{.gnu_debugdata} section
17516
17517 Some systems ship pre-built executables and libraries that have a
17518 special @samp{.gnu_debugdata} section. This feature is called
17519 @dfn{MiniDebugInfo}. This section holds an LZMA-compressed object and
17520 is used to supply extra symbols for backtraces.
17521
17522 The intent of this section is to provide extra minimal debugging
17523 information for use in simple backtraces. It is not intended to be a
17524 replacement for full separate debugging information (@pxref{Separate
17525 Debug Files}). The example below shows the intended use; however,
17526 @value{GDBN} does not currently put restrictions on what sort of
17527 debugging information might be included in the section.
17528
17529 @value{GDBN} has support for this extension. If the section exists,
17530 then it is used provided that no other source of debugging information
17531 can be found, and that @value{GDBN} was configured with LZMA support.
17532
17533 This section can be easily created using @command{objcopy} and other
17534 standard utilities:
17535
17536 @smallexample
17537 # Extract the dynamic symbols from the main binary, there is no need
17538 # to also have these in the normal symbol table.
17539 nm -D @var{binary} --format=posix --defined-only \
17540 | awk '@{ print $1 @}' | sort > dynsyms
17541
17542 # Extract all the text (i.e. function) symbols from the debuginfo.
17543 # (Note that we actually also accept "D" symbols, for the benefit
17544 # of platforms like PowerPC64 that use function descriptors.)
17545 nm @var{binary} --format=posix --defined-only \
17546 | awk '@{ if ($2 == "T" || $2 == "t" || $2 == "D") print $1 @}' \
17547 | sort > funcsyms
17548
17549 # Keep all the function symbols not already in the dynamic symbol
17550 # table.
17551 comm -13 dynsyms funcsyms > keep_symbols
17552
17553 # Separate full debug info into debug binary.
17554 objcopy --only-keep-debug @var{binary} debug
17555
17556 # Copy the full debuginfo, keeping only a minimal set of symbols and
17557 # removing some unnecessary sections.
17558 objcopy -S --remove-section .gdb_index --remove-section .comment \
17559 --keep-symbols=keep_symbols debug mini_debuginfo
17560
17561 # Drop the full debug info from the original binary.
17562 strip --strip-all -R .comment @var{binary}
17563
17564 # Inject the compressed data into the .gnu_debugdata section of the
17565 # original binary.
17566 xz mini_debuginfo
17567 objcopy --add-section .gnu_debugdata=mini_debuginfo.xz @var{binary}
17568 @end smallexample
17569
17570 @node Index Files
17571 @section Index Files Speed Up @value{GDBN}
17572 @cindex index files
17573 @cindex @samp{.gdb_index} section
17574
17575 When @value{GDBN} finds a symbol file, it scans the symbols in the
17576 file in order to construct an internal symbol table. This lets most
17577 @value{GDBN} operations work quickly---at the cost of a delay early
17578 on. For large programs, this delay can be quite lengthy, so
17579 @value{GDBN} provides a way to build an index, which speeds up
17580 startup.
17581
17582 The index is stored as a section in the symbol file. @value{GDBN} can
17583 write the index to a file, then you can put it into the symbol file
17584 using @command{objcopy}.
17585
17586 To create an index file, use the @code{save gdb-index} command:
17587
17588 @table @code
17589 @item save gdb-index @var{directory}
17590 @kindex save gdb-index
17591 Create an index file for each symbol file currently known by
17592 @value{GDBN}. Each file is named after its corresponding symbol file,
17593 with @samp{.gdb-index} appended, and is written into the given
17594 @var{directory}.
17595 @end table
17596
17597 Once you have created an index file you can merge it into your symbol
17598 file, here named @file{symfile}, using @command{objcopy}:
17599
17600 @smallexample
17601 $ objcopy --add-section .gdb_index=symfile.gdb-index \
17602 --set-section-flags .gdb_index=readonly symfile symfile
17603 @end smallexample
17604
17605 @value{GDBN} will normally ignore older versions of @file{.gdb_index}
17606 sections that have been deprecated. Usually they are deprecated because
17607 they are missing a new feature or have performance issues.
17608 To tell @value{GDBN} to use a deprecated index section anyway
17609 specify @code{set use-deprecated-index-sections on}.
17610 The default is @code{off}.
17611 This can speed up startup, but may result in some functionality being lost.
17612 @xref{Index Section Format}.
17613
17614 @emph{Warning:} Setting @code{use-deprecated-index-sections} to @code{on}
17615 must be done before gdb reads the file. The following will not work:
17616
17617 @smallexample
17618 $ gdb -ex "set use-deprecated-index-sections on" <program>
17619 @end smallexample
17620
17621 Instead you must do, for example,
17622
17623 @smallexample
17624 $ gdb -iex "set use-deprecated-index-sections on" <program>
17625 @end smallexample
17626
17627 There are currently some limitation on indices. They only work when
17628 for DWARF debugging information, not stabs. And, they do not
17629 currently work for programs using Ada.
17630
17631 @node Symbol Errors
17632 @section Errors Reading Symbol Files
17633
17634 While reading a symbol file, @value{GDBN} occasionally encounters problems,
17635 such as symbol types it does not recognize, or known bugs in compiler
17636 output. By default, @value{GDBN} does not notify you of such problems, since
17637 they are relatively common and primarily of interest to people
17638 debugging compilers. If you are interested in seeing information
17639 about ill-constructed symbol tables, you can either ask @value{GDBN} to print
17640 only one message about each such type of problem, no matter how many
17641 times the problem occurs; or you can ask @value{GDBN} to print more messages,
17642 to see how many times the problems occur, with the @code{set
17643 complaints} command (@pxref{Messages/Warnings, ,Optional Warnings and
17644 Messages}).
17645
17646 The messages currently printed, and their meanings, include:
17647
17648 @table @code
17649 @item inner block not inside outer block in @var{symbol}
17650
17651 The symbol information shows where symbol scopes begin and end
17652 (such as at the start of a function or a block of statements). This
17653 error indicates that an inner scope block is not fully contained
17654 in its outer scope blocks.
17655
17656 @value{GDBN} circumvents the problem by treating the inner block as if it had
17657 the same scope as the outer block. In the error message, @var{symbol}
17658 may be shown as ``@code{(don't know)}'' if the outer block is not a
17659 function.
17660
17661 @item block at @var{address} out of order
17662
17663 The symbol information for symbol scope blocks should occur in
17664 order of increasing addresses. This error indicates that it does not
17665 do so.
17666
17667 @value{GDBN} does not circumvent this problem, and has trouble
17668 locating symbols in the source file whose symbols it is reading. (You
17669 can often determine what source file is affected by specifying
17670 @code{set verbose on}. @xref{Messages/Warnings, ,Optional Warnings and
17671 Messages}.)
17672
17673 @item bad block start address patched
17674
17675 The symbol information for a symbol scope block has a start address
17676 smaller than the address of the preceding source line. This is known
17677 to occur in the SunOS 4.1.1 (and earlier) C compiler.
17678
17679 @value{GDBN} circumvents the problem by treating the symbol scope block as
17680 starting on the previous source line.
17681
17682 @item bad string table offset in symbol @var{n}
17683
17684 @cindex foo
17685 Symbol number @var{n} contains a pointer into the string table which is
17686 larger than the size of the string table.
17687
17688 @value{GDBN} circumvents the problem by considering the symbol to have the
17689 name @code{foo}, which may cause other problems if many symbols end up
17690 with this name.
17691
17692 @item unknown symbol type @code{0x@var{nn}}
17693
17694 The symbol information contains new data types that @value{GDBN} does
17695 not yet know how to read. @code{0x@var{nn}} is the symbol type of the
17696 uncomprehended information, in hexadecimal.
17697
17698 @value{GDBN} circumvents the error by ignoring this symbol information.
17699 This usually allows you to debug your program, though certain symbols
17700 are not accessible. If you encounter such a problem and feel like
17701 debugging it, you can debug @code{@value{GDBP}} with itself, breakpoint
17702 on @code{complain}, then go up to the function @code{read_dbx_symtab}
17703 and examine @code{*bufp} to see the symbol.
17704
17705 @item stub type has NULL name
17706
17707 @value{GDBN} could not find the full definition for a struct or class.
17708
17709 @item const/volatile indicator missing (ok if using g++ v1.x), got@dots{}
17710 The symbol information for a C@t{++} member function is missing some
17711 information that recent versions of the compiler should have output for
17712 it.
17713
17714 @item info mismatch between compiler and debugger
17715
17716 @value{GDBN} could not parse a type specification output by the compiler.
17717
17718 @end table
17719
17720 @node Data Files
17721 @section GDB Data Files
17722
17723 @cindex prefix for data files
17724 @value{GDBN} will sometimes read an auxiliary data file. These files
17725 are kept in a directory known as the @dfn{data directory}.
17726
17727 You can set the data directory's name, and view the name @value{GDBN}
17728 is currently using.
17729
17730 @table @code
17731 @kindex set data-directory
17732 @item set data-directory @var{directory}
17733 Set the directory which @value{GDBN} searches for auxiliary data files
17734 to @var{directory}.
17735
17736 @kindex show data-directory
17737 @item show data-directory
17738 Show the directory @value{GDBN} searches for auxiliary data files.
17739 @end table
17740
17741 @cindex default data directory
17742 @cindex @samp{--with-gdb-datadir}
17743 You can set the default data directory by using the configure-time
17744 @samp{--with-gdb-datadir} option. If the data directory is inside
17745 @value{GDBN}'s configured binary prefix (set with @samp{--prefix} or
17746 @samp{--exec-prefix}), then the default data directory will be updated
17747 automatically if the installed @value{GDBN} is moved to a new
17748 location.
17749
17750 The data directory may also be specified with the
17751 @code{--data-directory} command line option.
17752 @xref{Mode Options}.
17753
17754 @node Targets
17755 @chapter Specifying a Debugging Target
17756
17757 @cindex debugging target
17758 A @dfn{target} is the execution environment occupied by your program.
17759
17760 Often, @value{GDBN} runs in the same host environment as your program;
17761 in that case, the debugging target is specified as a side effect when
17762 you use the @code{file} or @code{core} commands. When you need more
17763 flexibility---for example, running @value{GDBN} on a physically separate
17764 host, or controlling a standalone system over a serial port or a
17765 realtime system over a TCP/IP connection---you can use the @code{target}
17766 command to specify one of the target types configured for @value{GDBN}
17767 (@pxref{Target Commands, ,Commands for Managing Targets}).
17768
17769 @cindex target architecture
17770 It is possible to build @value{GDBN} for several different @dfn{target
17771 architectures}. When @value{GDBN} is built like that, you can choose
17772 one of the available architectures with the @kbd{set architecture}
17773 command.
17774
17775 @table @code
17776 @kindex set architecture
17777 @kindex show architecture
17778 @item set architecture @var{arch}
17779 This command sets the current target architecture to @var{arch}. The
17780 value of @var{arch} can be @code{"auto"}, in addition to one of the
17781 supported architectures.
17782
17783 @item show architecture
17784 Show the current target architecture.
17785
17786 @item set processor
17787 @itemx processor
17788 @kindex set processor
17789 @kindex show processor
17790 These are alias commands for, respectively, @code{set architecture}
17791 and @code{show architecture}.
17792 @end table
17793
17794 @menu
17795 * Active Targets:: Active targets
17796 * Target Commands:: Commands for managing targets
17797 * Byte Order:: Choosing target byte order
17798 @end menu
17799
17800 @node Active Targets
17801 @section Active Targets
17802
17803 @cindex stacking targets
17804 @cindex active targets
17805 @cindex multiple targets
17806
17807 There are multiple classes of targets such as: processes, executable files or
17808 recording sessions. Core files belong to the process class, making core file
17809 and process mutually exclusive. Otherwise, @value{GDBN} can work concurrently
17810 on multiple active targets, one in each class. This allows you to (for
17811 example) start a process and inspect its activity, while still having access to
17812 the executable file after the process finishes. Or if you start process
17813 recording (@pxref{Reverse Execution}) and @code{reverse-step} there, you are
17814 presented a virtual layer of the recording target, while the process target
17815 remains stopped at the chronologically last point of the process execution.
17816
17817 Use the @code{core-file} and @code{exec-file} commands to select a new core
17818 file or executable target (@pxref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}). To
17819 specify as a target a process that is already running, use the @code{attach}
17820 command (@pxref{Attach, ,Debugging an Already-running Process}).
17821
17822 @node Target Commands
17823 @section Commands for Managing Targets
17824
17825 @table @code
17826 @item target @var{type} @var{parameters}
17827 Connects the @value{GDBN} host environment to a target machine or
17828 process. A target is typically a protocol for talking to debugging
17829 facilities. You use the argument @var{type} to specify the type or
17830 protocol of the target machine.
17831
17832 Further @var{parameters} are interpreted by the target protocol, but
17833 typically include things like device names or host names to connect
17834 with, process numbers, and baud rates.
17835
17836 The @code{target} command does not repeat if you press @key{RET} again
17837 after executing the command.
17838
17839 @kindex help target
17840 @item help target
17841 Displays the names of all targets available. To display targets
17842 currently selected, use either @code{info target} or @code{info files}
17843 (@pxref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}).
17844
17845 @item help target @var{name}
17846 Describe a particular target, including any parameters necessary to
17847 select it.
17848
17849 @kindex set gnutarget
17850 @item set gnutarget @var{args}
17851 @value{GDBN} uses its own library BFD to read your files. @value{GDBN}
17852 knows whether it is reading an @dfn{executable},
17853 a @dfn{core}, or a @dfn{.o} file; however, you can specify the file format
17854 with the @code{set gnutarget} command. Unlike most @code{target} commands,
17855 with @code{gnutarget} the @code{target} refers to a program, not a machine.
17856
17857 @quotation
17858 @emph{Warning:} To specify a file format with @code{set gnutarget},
17859 you must know the actual BFD name.
17860 @end quotation
17861
17862 @noindent
17863 @xref{Files, , Commands to Specify Files}.
17864
17865 @kindex show gnutarget
17866 @item show gnutarget
17867 Use the @code{show gnutarget} command to display what file format
17868 @code{gnutarget} is set to read. If you have not set @code{gnutarget},
17869 @value{GDBN} will determine the file format for each file automatically,
17870 and @code{show gnutarget} displays @samp{The current BFD target is "auto"}.
17871 @end table
17872
17873 @cindex common targets
17874 Here are some common targets (available, or not, depending on the GDB
17875 configuration):
17876
17877 @table @code
17878 @kindex target
17879 @item target exec @var{program}
17880 @cindex executable file target
17881 An executable file. @samp{target exec @var{program}} is the same as
17882 @samp{exec-file @var{program}}.
17883
17884 @item target core @var{filename}
17885 @cindex core dump file target
17886 A core dump file. @samp{target core @var{filename}} is the same as
17887 @samp{core-file @var{filename}}.
17888
17889 @item target remote @var{medium}
17890 @cindex remote target
17891 A remote system connected to @value{GDBN} via a serial line or network
17892 connection. This command tells @value{GDBN} to use its own remote
17893 protocol over @var{medium} for debugging. @xref{Remote Debugging}.
17894
17895 For example, if you have a board connected to @file{/dev/ttya} on the
17896 machine running @value{GDBN}, you could say:
17897
17898 @smallexample
17899 target remote /dev/ttya
17900 @end smallexample
17901
17902 @code{target remote} supports the @code{load} command. This is only
17903 useful if you have some other way of getting the stub to the target
17904 system, and you can put it somewhere in memory where it won't get
17905 clobbered by the download.
17906
17907 @item target sim @r{[}@var{simargs}@r{]} @dots{}
17908 @cindex built-in simulator target
17909 Builtin CPU simulator. @value{GDBN} includes simulators for most architectures.
17910 In general,
17911 @smallexample
17912 target sim
17913 load
17914 run
17915 @end smallexample
17916 @noindent
17917 works; however, you cannot assume that a specific memory map, device
17918 drivers, or even basic I/O is available, although some simulators do
17919 provide these. For info about any processor-specific simulator details,
17920 see the appropriate section in @ref{Embedded Processors, ,Embedded
17921 Processors}.
17922
17923 @end table
17924
17925 Different targets are available on different configurations of @value{GDBN};
17926 your configuration may have more or fewer targets.
17927
17928 Many remote targets require you to download the executable's code once
17929 you've successfully established a connection. You may wish to control
17930 various aspects of this process.
17931
17932 @table @code
17933
17934 @item set hash
17935 @kindex set hash@r{, for remote monitors}
17936 @cindex hash mark while downloading
17937 This command controls whether a hash mark @samp{#} is displayed while
17938 downloading a file to the remote monitor. If on, a hash mark is
17939 displayed after each S-record is successfully downloaded to the
17940 monitor.
17941
17942 @item show hash
17943 @kindex show hash@r{, for remote monitors}
17944 Show the current status of displaying the hash mark.
17945
17946 @item set debug monitor
17947 @kindex set debug monitor
17948 @cindex display remote monitor communications
17949 Enable or disable display of communications messages between
17950 @value{GDBN} and the remote monitor.
17951
17952 @item show debug monitor
17953 @kindex show debug monitor
17954 Show the current status of displaying communications between
17955 @value{GDBN} and the remote monitor.
17956 @end table
17957
17958 @table @code
17959
17960 @kindex load @var{filename}
17961 @item load @var{filename}
17962 @anchor{load}
17963 Depending on what remote debugging facilities are configured into
17964 @value{GDBN}, the @code{load} command may be available. Where it exists, it
17965 is meant to make @var{filename} (an executable) available for debugging
17966 on the remote system---by downloading, or dynamic linking, for example.
17967 @code{load} also records the @var{filename} symbol table in @value{GDBN}, like
17968 the @code{add-symbol-file} command.
17969
17970 If your @value{GDBN} does not have a @code{load} command, attempting to
17971 execute it gets the error message ``@code{You can't do that when your
17972 target is @dots{}}''
17973
17974 The file is loaded at whatever address is specified in the executable.
17975 For some object file formats, you can specify the load address when you
17976 link the program; for other formats, like a.out, the object file format
17977 specifies a fixed address.
17978 @c FIXME! This would be a good place for an xref to the GNU linker doc.
17979
17980 Depending on the remote side capabilities, @value{GDBN} may be able to
17981 load programs into flash memory.
17982
17983 @code{load} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} again after using it.
17984 @end table
17985
17986 @node Byte Order
17987 @section Choosing Target Byte Order
17988
17989 @cindex choosing target byte order
17990 @cindex target byte order
17991
17992 Some types of processors, such as the @acronym{MIPS}, PowerPC, and Renesas SH,
17993 offer the ability to run either big-endian or little-endian byte
17994 orders. Usually the executable or symbol will include a bit to
17995 designate the endian-ness, and you will not need to worry about
17996 which to use. However, you may still find it useful to adjust
17997 @value{GDBN}'s idea of processor endian-ness manually.
17998
17999 @table @code
18000 @kindex set endian
18001 @item set endian big
18002 Instruct @value{GDBN} to assume the target is big-endian.
18003
18004 @item set endian little
18005 Instruct @value{GDBN} to assume the target is little-endian.
18006
18007 @item set endian auto
18008 Instruct @value{GDBN} to use the byte order associated with the
18009 executable.
18010
18011 @item show endian
18012 Display @value{GDBN}'s current idea of the target byte order.
18013
18014 @end table
18015
18016 Note that these commands merely adjust interpretation of symbolic
18017 data on the host, and that they have absolutely no effect on the
18018 target system.
18019
18020
18021 @node Remote Debugging
18022 @chapter Debugging Remote Programs
18023 @cindex remote debugging
18024
18025 If you are trying to debug a program running on a machine that cannot run
18026 @value{GDBN} in the usual way, it is often useful to use remote debugging.
18027 For example, you might use remote debugging on an operating system kernel,
18028 or on a small system which does not have a general purpose operating system
18029 powerful enough to run a full-featured debugger.
18030
18031 Some configurations of @value{GDBN} have special serial or TCP/IP interfaces
18032 to make this work with particular debugging targets. In addition,
18033 @value{GDBN} comes with a generic serial protocol (specific to @value{GDBN},
18034 but not specific to any particular target system) which you can use if you
18035 write the remote stubs---the code that runs on the remote system to
18036 communicate with @value{GDBN}.
18037
18038 Other remote targets may be available in your
18039 configuration of @value{GDBN}; use @code{help target} to list them.
18040
18041 @menu
18042 * Connecting:: Connecting to a remote target
18043 * File Transfer:: Sending files to a remote system
18044 * Server:: Using the gdbserver program
18045 * Remote Configuration:: Remote configuration
18046 * Remote Stub:: Implementing a remote stub
18047 @end menu
18048
18049 @node Connecting
18050 @section Connecting to a Remote Target
18051
18052 On the @value{GDBN} host machine, you will need an unstripped copy of
18053 your program, since @value{GDBN} needs symbol and debugging information.
18054 Start up @value{GDBN} as usual, using the name of the local copy of your
18055 program as the first argument.
18056
18057 @cindex @code{target remote}
18058 @value{GDBN} can communicate with the target over a serial line, or
18059 over an @acronym{IP} network using @acronym{TCP} or @acronym{UDP}. In
18060 each case, @value{GDBN} uses the same protocol for debugging your
18061 program; only the medium carrying the debugging packets varies. The
18062 @code{target remote} command establishes a connection to the target.
18063 Its arguments indicate which medium to use:
18064
18065 @table @code
18066
18067 @item target remote @var{serial-device}
18068 @cindex serial line, @code{target remote}
18069 Use @var{serial-device} to communicate with the target. For example,
18070 to use a serial line connected to the device named @file{/dev/ttyb}:
18071
18072 @smallexample
18073 target remote /dev/ttyb
18074 @end smallexample
18075
18076 If you're using a serial line, you may want to give @value{GDBN} the
18077 @samp{--baud} option, or use the @code{set serial baud} command
18078 (@pxref{Remote Configuration, set serial baud}) before the
18079 @code{target} command.
18080
18081 @item target remote @code{@var{host}:@var{port}}
18082 @itemx target remote @code{tcp:@var{host}:@var{port}}
18083 @cindex @acronym{TCP} port, @code{target remote}
18084 Debug using a @acronym{TCP} connection to @var{port} on @var{host}.
18085 The @var{host} may be either a host name or a numeric @acronym{IP}
18086 address; @var{port} must be a decimal number. The @var{host} could be
18087 the target machine itself, if it is directly connected to the net, or
18088 it might be a terminal server which in turn has a serial line to the
18089 target.
18090
18091 For example, to connect to port 2828 on a terminal server named
18092 @code{manyfarms}:
18093
18094 @smallexample
18095 target remote manyfarms:2828
18096 @end smallexample
18097
18098 If your remote target is actually running on the same machine as your
18099 debugger session (e.g.@: a simulator for your target running on the
18100 same host), you can omit the hostname. For example, to connect to
18101 port 1234 on your local machine:
18102
18103 @smallexample
18104 target remote :1234
18105 @end smallexample
18106 @noindent
18107
18108 Note that the colon is still required here.
18109
18110 @item target remote @code{udp:@var{host}:@var{port}}
18111 @cindex @acronym{UDP} port, @code{target remote}
18112 Debug using @acronym{UDP} packets to @var{port} on @var{host}. For example, to
18113 connect to @acronym{UDP} port 2828 on a terminal server named @code{manyfarms}:
18114
18115 @smallexample
18116 target remote udp:manyfarms:2828
18117 @end smallexample
18118
18119 When using a @acronym{UDP} connection for remote debugging, you should
18120 keep in mind that the `U' stands for ``Unreliable''. @acronym{UDP}
18121 can silently drop packets on busy or unreliable networks, which will
18122 cause havoc with your debugging session.
18123
18124 @item target remote | @var{command}
18125 @cindex pipe, @code{target remote} to
18126 Run @var{command} in the background and communicate with it using a
18127 pipe. The @var{command} is a shell command, to be parsed and expanded
18128 by the system's command shell, @code{/bin/sh}; it should expect remote
18129 protocol packets on its standard input, and send replies on its
18130 standard output. You could use this to run a stand-alone simulator
18131 that speaks the remote debugging protocol, to make net connections
18132 using programs like @code{ssh}, or for other similar tricks.
18133
18134 If @var{command} closes its standard output (perhaps by exiting),
18135 @value{GDBN} will try to send it a @code{SIGTERM} signal. (If the
18136 program has already exited, this will have no effect.)
18137
18138 @end table
18139
18140 Once the connection has been established, you can use all the usual
18141 commands to examine and change data. The remote program is already
18142 running; you can use @kbd{step} and @kbd{continue}, and you do not
18143 need to use @kbd{run}.
18144
18145 @cindex interrupting remote programs
18146 @cindex remote programs, interrupting
18147 Whenever @value{GDBN} is waiting for the remote program, if you type the
18148 interrupt character (often @kbd{Ctrl-c}), @value{GDBN} attempts to stop the
18149 program. This may or may not succeed, depending in part on the hardware
18150 and the serial drivers the remote system uses. If you type the
18151 interrupt character once again, @value{GDBN} displays this prompt:
18152
18153 @smallexample
18154 Interrupted while waiting for the program.
18155 Give up (and stop debugging it)? (y or n)
18156 @end smallexample
18157
18158 If you type @kbd{y}, @value{GDBN} abandons the remote debugging session.
18159 (If you decide you want to try again later, you can use @samp{target
18160 remote} again to connect once more.) If you type @kbd{n}, @value{GDBN}
18161 goes back to waiting.
18162
18163 @table @code
18164 @kindex detach (remote)
18165 @item detach
18166 When you have finished debugging the remote program, you can use the
18167 @code{detach} command to release it from @value{GDBN} control.
18168 Detaching from the target normally resumes its execution, but the results
18169 will depend on your particular remote stub. After the @code{detach}
18170 command, @value{GDBN} is free to connect to another target.
18171
18172 @kindex disconnect
18173 @item disconnect
18174 The @code{disconnect} command behaves like @code{detach}, except that
18175 the target is generally not resumed. It will wait for @value{GDBN}
18176 (this instance or another one) to connect and continue debugging. After
18177 the @code{disconnect} command, @value{GDBN} is again free to connect to
18178 another target.
18179
18180 @cindex send command to remote monitor
18181 @cindex extend @value{GDBN} for remote targets
18182 @cindex add new commands for external monitor
18183 @kindex monitor
18184 @item monitor @var{cmd}
18185 This command allows you to send arbitrary commands directly to the
18186 remote monitor. Since @value{GDBN} doesn't care about the commands it
18187 sends like this, this command is the way to extend @value{GDBN}---you
18188 can add new commands that only the external monitor will understand
18189 and implement.
18190 @end table
18191
18192 @node File Transfer
18193 @section Sending files to a remote system
18194 @cindex remote target, file transfer
18195 @cindex file transfer
18196 @cindex sending files to remote systems
18197
18198 Some remote targets offer the ability to transfer files over the same
18199 connection used to communicate with @value{GDBN}. This is convenient
18200 for targets accessible through other means, e.g.@: @sc{gnu}/Linux systems
18201 running @code{gdbserver} over a network interface. For other targets,
18202 e.g.@: embedded devices with only a single serial port, this may be
18203 the only way to upload or download files.
18204
18205 Not all remote targets support these commands.
18206
18207 @table @code
18208 @kindex remote put
18209 @item remote put @var{hostfile} @var{targetfile}
18210 Copy file @var{hostfile} from the host system (the machine running
18211 @value{GDBN}) to @var{targetfile} on the target system.
18212
18213 @kindex remote get
18214 @item remote get @var{targetfile} @var{hostfile}
18215 Copy file @var{targetfile} from the target system to @var{hostfile}
18216 on the host system.
18217
18218 @kindex remote delete
18219 @item remote delete @var{targetfile}
18220 Delete @var{targetfile} from the target system.
18221
18222 @end table
18223
18224 @node Server
18225 @section Using the @code{gdbserver} Program
18226
18227 @kindex gdbserver
18228 @cindex remote connection without stubs
18229 @code{gdbserver} is a control program for Unix-like systems, which
18230 allows you to connect your program with a remote @value{GDBN} via
18231 @code{target remote}---but without linking in the usual debugging stub.
18232
18233 @code{gdbserver} is not a complete replacement for the debugging stubs,
18234 because it requires essentially the same operating-system facilities
18235 that @value{GDBN} itself does. In fact, a system that can run
18236 @code{gdbserver} to connect to a remote @value{GDBN} could also run
18237 @value{GDBN} locally! @code{gdbserver} is sometimes useful nevertheless,
18238 because it is a much smaller program than @value{GDBN} itself. It is
18239 also easier to port than all of @value{GDBN}, so you may be able to get
18240 started more quickly on a new system by using @code{gdbserver}.
18241 Finally, if you develop code for real-time systems, you may find that
18242 the tradeoffs involved in real-time operation make it more convenient to
18243 do as much development work as possible on another system, for example
18244 by cross-compiling. You can use @code{gdbserver} to make a similar
18245 choice for debugging.
18246
18247 @value{GDBN} and @code{gdbserver} communicate via either a serial line
18248 or a TCP connection, using the standard @value{GDBN} remote serial
18249 protocol.
18250
18251 @quotation
18252 @emph{Warning:} @code{gdbserver} does not have any built-in security.
18253 Do not run @code{gdbserver} connected to any public network; a
18254 @value{GDBN} connection to @code{gdbserver} provides access to the
18255 target system with the same privileges as the user running
18256 @code{gdbserver}.
18257 @end quotation
18258
18259 @subsection Running @code{gdbserver}
18260 @cindex arguments, to @code{gdbserver}
18261 @cindex @code{gdbserver}, command-line arguments
18262
18263 Run @code{gdbserver} on the target system. You need a copy of the
18264 program you want to debug, including any libraries it requires.
18265 @code{gdbserver} does not need your program's symbol table, so you can
18266 strip the program if necessary to save space. @value{GDBN} on the host
18267 system does all the symbol handling.
18268
18269 To use the server, you must tell it how to communicate with @value{GDBN};
18270 the name of your program; and the arguments for your program. The usual
18271 syntax is:
18272
18273 @smallexample
18274 target> gdbserver @var{comm} @var{program} [ @var{args} @dots{} ]
18275 @end smallexample
18276
18277 @var{comm} is either a device name (to use a serial line), or a TCP
18278 hostname and portnumber, or @code{-} or @code{stdio} to use
18279 stdin/stdout of @code{gdbserver}.
18280 For example, to debug Emacs with the argument
18281 @samp{foo.txt} and communicate with @value{GDBN} over the serial port
18282 @file{/dev/com1}:
18283
18284 @smallexample
18285 target> gdbserver /dev/com1 emacs foo.txt
18286 @end smallexample
18287
18288 @code{gdbserver} waits passively for the host @value{GDBN} to communicate
18289 with it.
18290
18291 To use a TCP connection instead of a serial line:
18292
18293 @smallexample
18294 target> gdbserver host:2345 emacs foo.txt
18295 @end smallexample
18296
18297 The only difference from the previous example is the first argument,
18298 specifying that you are communicating with the host @value{GDBN} via
18299 TCP. The @samp{host:2345} argument means that @code{gdbserver} is to
18300 expect a TCP connection from machine @samp{host} to local TCP port 2345.
18301 (Currently, the @samp{host} part is ignored.) You can choose any number
18302 you want for the port number as long as it does not conflict with any
18303 TCP ports already in use on the target system (for example, @code{23} is
18304 reserved for @code{telnet}).@footnote{If you choose a port number that
18305 conflicts with another service, @code{gdbserver} prints an error message
18306 and exits.} You must use the same port number with the host @value{GDBN}
18307 @code{target remote} command.
18308
18309 The @code{stdio} connection is useful when starting @code{gdbserver}
18310 with ssh:
18311
18312 @smallexample
18313 (gdb) target remote | ssh -T hostname gdbserver - hello
18314 @end smallexample
18315
18316 The @samp{-T} option to ssh is provided because we don't need a remote pty,
18317 and we don't want escape-character handling. Ssh does this by default when
18318 a command is provided, the flag is provided to make it explicit.
18319 You could elide it if you want to.
18320
18321 Programs started with stdio-connected gdbserver have @file{/dev/null} for
18322 @code{stdin}, and @code{stdout},@code{stderr} are sent back to gdb for
18323 display through a pipe connected to gdbserver.
18324 Both @code{stdout} and @code{stderr} use the same pipe.
18325
18326 @subsubsection Attaching to a Running Program
18327 @cindex attach to a program, @code{gdbserver}
18328 @cindex @option{--attach}, @code{gdbserver} option
18329
18330 On some targets, @code{gdbserver} can also attach to running programs.
18331 This is accomplished via the @code{--attach} argument. The syntax is:
18332
18333 @smallexample
18334 target> gdbserver --attach @var{comm} @var{pid}
18335 @end smallexample
18336
18337 @var{pid} is the process ID of a currently running process. It isn't necessary
18338 to point @code{gdbserver} at a binary for the running process.
18339
18340 @pindex pidof
18341 You can debug processes by name instead of process ID if your target has the
18342 @code{pidof} utility:
18343
18344 @smallexample
18345 target> gdbserver --attach @var{comm} `pidof @var{program}`
18346 @end smallexample
18347
18348 In case more than one copy of @var{program} is running, or @var{program}
18349 has multiple threads, most versions of @code{pidof} support the
18350 @code{-s} option to only return the first process ID.
18351
18352 @subsubsection Multi-Process Mode for @code{gdbserver}
18353 @cindex @code{gdbserver}, multiple processes
18354 @cindex multiple processes with @code{gdbserver}
18355
18356 When you connect to @code{gdbserver} using @code{target remote},
18357 @code{gdbserver} debugs the specified program only once. When the
18358 program exits, or you detach from it, @value{GDBN} closes the connection
18359 and @code{gdbserver} exits.
18360
18361 If you connect using @kbd{target extended-remote}, @code{gdbserver}
18362 enters multi-process mode. When the debugged program exits, or you
18363 detach from it, @value{GDBN} stays connected to @code{gdbserver} even
18364 though no program is running. The @code{run} and @code{attach}
18365 commands instruct @code{gdbserver} to run or attach to a new program.
18366 The @code{run} command uses @code{set remote exec-file} (@pxref{set
18367 remote exec-file}) to select the program to run. Command line
18368 arguments are supported, except for wildcard expansion and I/O
18369 redirection (@pxref{Arguments}).
18370
18371 @cindex @option{--multi}, @code{gdbserver} option
18372 To start @code{gdbserver} without supplying an initial command to run
18373 or process ID to attach, use the @option{--multi} command line option.
18374 Then you can connect using @kbd{target extended-remote} and start
18375 the program you want to debug.
18376
18377 In multi-process mode @code{gdbserver} does not automatically exit unless you
18378 use the option @option{--once}. You can terminate it by using
18379 @code{monitor exit} (@pxref{Monitor Commands for gdbserver}). Note that the
18380 conditions under which @code{gdbserver} terminates depend on how @value{GDBN}
18381 connects to it (@kbd{target remote} or @kbd{target extended-remote}). The
18382 @option{--multi} option to @code{gdbserver} has no influence on that.
18383
18384 @subsubsection TCP port allocation lifecycle of @code{gdbserver}
18385
18386 This section applies only when @code{gdbserver} is run to listen on a TCP port.
18387
18388 @code{gdbserver} normally terminates after all of its debugged processes have
18389 terminated in @kbd{target remote} mode. On the other hand, for @kbd{target
18390 extended-remote}, @code{gdbserver} stays running even with no processes left.
18391 @value{GDBN} normally terminates the spawned debugged process on its exit,
18392 which normally also terminates @code{gdbserver} in the @kbd{target remote}
18393 mode. Therefore, when the connection drops unexpectedly, and @value{GDBN}
18394 cannot ask @code{gdbserver} to kill its debugged processes, @code{gdbserver}
18395 stays running even in the @kbd{target remote} mode.
18396
18397 When @code{gdbserver} stays running, @value{GDBN} can connect to it again later.
18398 Such reconnecting is useful for features like @ref{disconnected tracing}. For
18399 completeness, at most one @value{GDBN} can be connected at a time.
18400
18401 @cindex @option{--once}, @code{gdbserver} option
18402 By default, @code{gdbserver} keeps the listening TCP port open, so that
18403 subsequent connections are possible. However, if you start @code{gdbserver}
18404 with the @option{--once} option, it will stop listening for any further
18405 connection attempts after connecting to the first @value{GDBN} session. This
18406 means no further connections to @code{gdbserver} will be possible after the
18407 first one. It also means @code{gdbserver} will terminate after the first
18408 connection with remote @value{GDBN} has closed, even for unexpectedly closed
18409 connections and even in the @kbd{target extended-remote} mode. The
18410 @option{--once} option allows reusing the same port number for connecting to
18411 multiple instances of @code{gdbserver} running on the same host, since each
18412 instance closes its port after the first connection.
18413
18414 @subsubsection Other Command-Line Arguments for @code{gdbserver}
18415
18416 @cindex @option{--debug}, @code{gdbserver} option
18417 The @option{--debug} option tells @code{gdbserver} to display extra
18418 status information about the debugging process.
18419 @cindex @option{--remote-debug}, @code{gdbserver} option
18420 The @option{--remote-debug} option tells @code{gdbserver} to display
18421 remote protocol debug output. These options are intended for
18422 @code{gdbserver} development and for bug reports to the developers.
18423
18424 @cindex @option{--wrapper}, @code{gdbserver} option
18425 The @option{--wrapper} option specifies a wrapper to launch programs
18426 for debugging. The option should be followed by the name of the
18427 wrapper, then any command-line arguments to pass to the wrapper, then
18428 @kbd{--} indicating the end of the wrapper arguments.
18429
18430 @code{gdbserver} runs the specified wrapper program with a combined
18431 command line including the wrapper arguments, then the name of the
18432 program to debug, then any arguments to the program. The wrapper
18433 runs until it executes your program, and then @value{GDBN} gains control.
18434
18435 You can use any program that eventually calls @code{execve} with
18436 its arguments as a wrapper. Several standard Unix utilities do
18437 this, e.g.@: @code{env} and @code{nohup}. Any Unix shell script ending
18438 with @code{exec "$@@"} will also work.
18439
18440 For example, you can use @code{env} to pass an environment variable to
18441 the debugged program, without setting the variable in @code{gdbserver}'s
18442 environment:
18443
18444 @smallexample
18445 $ gdbserver --wrapper env LD_PRELOAD=libtest.so -- :2222 ./testprog
18446 @end smallexample
18447
18448 @subsection Connecting to @code{gdbserver}
18449
18450 Run @value{GDBN} on the host system.
18451
18452 First make sure you have the necessary symbol files. Load symbols for
18453 your application using the @code{file} command before you connect. Use
18454 @code{set sysroot} to locate target libraries (unless your @value{GDBN}
18455 was compiled with the correct sysroot using @code{--with-sysroot}).
18456
18457 The symbol file and target libraries must exactly match the executable
18458 and libraries on the target, with one exception: the files on the host
18459 system should not be stripped, even if the files on the target system
18460 are. Mismatched or missing files will lead to confusing results
18461 during debugging. On @sc{gnu}/Linux targets, mismatched or missing
18462 files may also prevent @code{gdbserver} from debugging multi-threaded
18463 programs.
18464
18465 Connect to your target (@pxref{Connecting,,Connecting to a Remote Target}).
18466 For TCP connections, you must start up @code{gdbserver} prior to using
18467 the @code{target remote} command. Otherwise you may get an error whose
18468 text depends on the host system, but which usually looks something like
18469 @samp{Connection refused}. Don't use the @code{load}
18470 command in @value{GDBN} when using @code{gdbserver}, since the program is
18471 already on the target.
18472
18473 @subsection Monitor Commands for @code{gdbserver}
18474 @cindex monitor commands, for @code{gdbserver}
18475 @anchor{Monitor Commands for gdbserver}
18476
18477 During a @value{GDBN} session using @code{gdbserver}, you can use the
18478 @code{monitor} command to send special requests to @code{gdbserver}.
18479 Here are the available commands.
18480
18481 @table @code
18482 @item monitor help
18483 List the available monitor commands.
18484
18485 @item monitor set debug 0
18486 @itemx monitor set debug 1
18487 Disable or enable general debugging messages.
18488
18489 @item monitor set remote-debug 0
18490 @itemx monitor set remote-debug 1
18491 Disable or enable specific debugging messages associated with the remote
18492 protocol (@pxref{Remote Protocol}).
18493
18494 @item monitor set libthread-db-search-path [PATH]
18495 @cindex gdbserver, search path for @code{libthread_db}
18496 When this command is issued, @var{path} is a colon-separated list of
18497 directories to search for @code{libthread_db} (@pxref{Threads,,set
18498 libthread-db-search-path}). If you omit @var{path},
18499 @samp{libthread-db-search-path} will be reset to its default value.
18500
18501 The special entry @samp{$pdir} for @samp{libthread-db-search-path} is
18502 not supported in @code{gdbserver}.
18503
18504 @item monitor exit
18505 Tell gdbserver to exit immediately. This command should be followed by
18506 @code{disconnect} to close the debugging session. @code{gdbserver} will
18507 detach from any attached processes and kill any processes it created.
18508 Use @code{monitor exit} to terminate @code{gdbserver} at the end
18509 of a multi-process mode debug session.
18510
18511 @end table
18512
18513 @subsection Tracepoints support in @code{gdbserver}
18514 @cindex tracepoints support in @code{gdbserver}
18515
18516 On some targets, @code{gdbserver} supports tracepoints, fast
18517 tracepoints and static tracepoints.
18518
18519 For fast or static tracepoints to work, a special library called the
18520 @dfn{in-process agent} (IPA), must be loaded in the inferior process.
18521 This library is built and distributed as an integral part of
18522 @code{gdbserver}. In addition, support for static tracepoints
18523 requires building the in-process agent library with static tracepoints
18524 support. At present, the UST (LTTng Userspace Tracer,
18525 @url{http://lttng.org/ust}) tracing engine is supported. This support
18526 is automatically available if UST development headers are found in the
18527 standard include path when @code{gdbserver} is built, or if
18528 @code{gdbserver} was explicitly configured using @option{--with-ust}
18529 to point at such headers. You can explicitly disable the support
18530 using @option{--with-ust=no}.
18531
18532 There are several ways to load the in-process agent in your program:
18533
18534 @table @code
18535 @item Specifying it as dependency at link time
18536
18537 You can link your program dynamically with the in-process agent
18538 library. On most systems, this is accomplished by adding
18539 @code{-linproctrace} to the link command.
18540
18541 @item Using the system's preloading mechanisms
18542
18543 You can force loading the in-process agent at startup time by using
18544 your system's support for preloading shared libraries. Many Unixes
18545 support the concept of preloading user defined libraries. In most
18546 cases, you do that by specifying @code{LD_PRELOAD=libinproctrace.so}
18547 in the environment. See also the description of @code{gdbserver}'s
18548 @option{--wrapper} command line option.
18549
18550 @item Using @value{GDBN} to force loading the agent at run time
18551
18552 On some systems, you can force the inferior to load a shared library,
18553 by calling a dynamic loader function in the inferior that takes care
18554 of dynamically looking up and loading a shared library. On most Unix
18555 systems, the function is @code{dlopen}. You'll use the @code{call}
18556 command for that. For example:
18557
18558 @smallexample
18559 (@value{GDBP}) call dlopen ("libinproctrace.so", ...)
18560 @end smallexample
18561
18562 Note that on most Unix systems, for the @code{dlopen} function to be
18563 available, the program needs to be linked with @code{-ldl}.
18564 @end table
18565
18566 On systems that have a userspace dynamic loader, like most Unix
18567 systems, when you connect to @code{gdbserver} using @code{target
18568 remote}, you'll find that the program is stopped at the dynamic
18569 loader's entry point, and no shared library has been loaded in the
18570 program's address space yet, including the in-process agent. In that
18571 case, before being able to use any of the fast or static tracepoints
18572 features, you need to let the loader run and load the shared
18573 libraries. The simplest way to do that is to run the program to the
18574 main procedure. E.g., if debugging a C or C@t{++} program, start
18575 @code{gdbserver} like so:
18576
18577 @smallexample
18578 $ gdbserver :9999 myprogram
18579 @end smallexample
18580
18581 Start GDB and connect to @code{gdbserver} like so, and run to main:
18582
18583 @smallexample
18584 $ gdb myprogram
18585 (@value{GDBP}) target remote myhost:9999
18586 0x00007f215893ba60 in ?? () from /lib64/ld-linux-x86-64.so.2
18587 (@value{GDBP}) b main
18588 (@value{GDBP}) continue
18589 @end smallexample
18590
18591 The in-process tracing agent library should now be loaded into the
18592 process; you can confirm it with the @code{info sharedlibrary}
18593 command, which will list @file{libinproctrace.so} as loaded in the
18594 process. You are now ready to install fast tracepoints, list static
18595 tracepoint markers, probe static tracepoints markers, and start
18596 tracing.
18597
18598 @node Remote Configuration
18599 @section Remote Configuration
18600
18601 @kindex set remote
18602 @kindex show remote
18603 This section documents the configuration options available when
18604 debugging remote programs. For the options related to the File I/O
18605 extensions of the remote protocol, see @ref{system,
18606 system-call-allowed}.
18607
18608 @table @code
18609 @item set remoteaddresssize @var{bits}
18610 @cindex address size for remote targets
18611 @cindex bits in remote address
18612 Set the maximum size of address in a memory packet to the specified
18613 number of bits. @value{GDBN} will mask off the address bits above
18614 that number, when it passes addresses to the remote target. The
18615 default value is the number of bits in the target's address.
18616
18617 @item show remoteaddresssize
18618 Show the current value of remote address size in bits.
18619
18620 @item set serial baud @var{n}
18621 @cindex baud rate for remote targets
18622 Set the baud rate for the remote serial I/O to @var{n} baud. The
18623 value is used to set the speed of the serial port used for debugging
18624 remote targets.
18625
18626 @item show serial baud
18627 Show the current speed of the remote connection.
18628
18629 @item set remotebreak
18630 @cindex interrupt remote programs
18631 @cindex BREAK signal instead of Ctrl-C
18632 @anchor{set remotebreak}
18633 If set to on, @value{GDBN} sends a @code{BREAK} signal to the remote
18634 when you type @kbd{Ctrl-c} to interrupt the program running
18635 on the remote. If set to off, @value{GDBN} sends the @samp{Ctrl-C}
18636 character instead. The default is off, since most remote systems
18637 expect to see @samp{Ctrl-C} as the interrupt signal.
18638
18639 @item show remotebreak
18640 Show whether @value{GDBN} sends @code{BREAK} or @samp{Ctrl-C} to
18641 interrupt the remote program.
18642
18643 @item set remoteflow on
18644 @itemx set remoteflow off
18645 @kindex set remoteflow
18646 Enable or disable hardware flow control (@code{RTS}/@code{CTS})
18647 on the serial port used to communicate to the remote target.
18648
18649 @item show remoteflow
18650 @kindex show remoteflow
18651 Show the current setting of hardware flow control.
18652
18653 @item set remotelogbase @var{base}
18654 Set the base (a.k.a.@: radix) of logging serial protocol
18655 communications to @var{base}. Supported values of @var{base} are:
18656 @code{ascii}, @code{octal}, and @code{hex}. The default is
18657 @code{ascii}.
18658
18659 @item show remotelogbase
18660 Show the current setting of the radix for logging remote serial
18661 protocol.
18662
18663 @item set remotelogfile @var{file}
18664 @cindex record serial communications on file
18665 Record remote serial communications on the named @var{file}. The
18666 default is not to record at all.
18667
18668 @item show remotelogfile.
18669 Show the current setting of the file name on which to record the
18670 serial communications.
18671
18672 @item set remotetimeout @var{num}
18673 @cindex timeout for serial communications
18674 @cindex remote timeout
18675 Set the timeout limit to wait for the remote target to respond to
18676 @var{num} seconds. The default is 2 seconds.
18677
18678 @item show remotetimeout
18679 Show the current number of seconds to wait for the remote target
18680 responses.
18681
18682 @cindex limit hardware breakpoints and watchpoints
18683 @cindex remote target, limit break- and watchpoints
18684 @anchor{set remote hardware-watchpoint-limit}
18685 @anchor{set remote hardware-breakpoint-limit}
18686 @item set remote hardware-watchpoint-limit @var{limit}
18687 @itemx set remote hardware-breakpoint-limit @var{limit}
18688 Restrict @value{GDBN} to using @var{limit} remote hardware breakpoint or
18689 watchpoints. A limit of -1, the default, is treated as unlimited.
18690
18691 @cindex limit hardware watchpoints length
18692 @cindex remote target, limit watchpoints length
18693 @anchor{set remote hardware-watchpoint-length-limit}
18694 @item set remote hardware-watchpoint-length-limit @var{limit}
18695 Restrict @value{GDBN} to using @var{limit} bytes for the maximum length of
18696 a remote hardware watchpoint. A limit of -1, the default, is treated
18697 as unlimited.
18698
18699 @item show remote hardware-watchpoint-length-limit
18700 Show the current limit (in bytes) of the maximum length of
18701 a remote hardware watchpoint.
18702
18703 @item set remote exec-file @var{filename}
18704 @itemx show remote exec-file
18705 @anchor{set remote exec-file}
18706 @cindex executable file, for remote target
18707 Select the file used for @code{run} with @code{target
18708 extended-remote}. This should be set to a filename valid on the
18709 target system. If it is not set, the target will use a default
18710 filename (e.g.@: the last program run).
18711
18712 @item set remote interrupt-sequence
18713 @cindex interrupt remote programs
18714 @cindex select Ctrl-C, BREAK or BREAK-g
18715 Allow the user to select one of @samp{Ctrl-C}, a @code{BREAK} or
18716 @samp{BREAK-g} as the
18717 sequence to the remote target in order to interrupt the execution.
18718 @samp{Ctrl-C} is a default. Some system prefers @code{BREAK} which
18719 is high level of serial line for some certain time.
18720 Linux kernel prefers @samp{BREAK-g}, a.k.a Magic SysRq g.
18721 It is @code{BREAK} signal followed by character @code{g}.
18722
18723 @item show interrupt-sequence
18724 Show which of @samp{Ctrl-C}, @code{BREAK} or @code{BREAK-g}
18725 is sent by @value{GDBN} to interrupt the remote program.
18726 @code{BREAK-g} is BREAK signal followed by @code{g} and
18727 also known as Magic SysRq g.
18728
18729 @item set remote interrupt-on-connect
18730 @cindex send interrupt-sequence on start
18731 Specify whether interrupt-sequence is sent to remote target when
18732 @value{GDBN} connects to it. This is mostly needed when you debug
18733 Linux kernel. Linux kernel expects @code{BREAK} followed by @code{g}
18734 which is known as Magic SysRq g in order to connect @value{GDBN}.
18735
18736 @item show interrupt-on-connect
18737 Show whether interrupt-sequence is sent
18738 to remote target when @value{GDBN} connects to it.
18739
18740 @kindex set tcp
18741 @kindex show tcp
18742 @item set tcp auto-retry on
18743 @cindex auto-retry, for remote TCP target
18744 Enable auto-retry for remote TCP connections. This is useful if the remote
18745 debugging agent is launched in parallel with @value{GDBN}; there is a race
18746 condition because the agent may not become ready to accept the connection
18747 before @value{GDBN} attempts to connect. When auto-retry is
18748 enabled, if the initial attempt to connect fails, @value{GDBN} reattempts
18749 to establish the connection using the timeout specified by
18750 @code{set tcp connect-timeout}.
18751
18752 @item set tcp auto-retry off
18753 Do not auto-retry failed TCP connections.
18754
18755 @item show tcp auto-retry
18756 Show the current auto-retry setting.
18757
18758 @item set tcp connect-timeout @var{seconds}
18759 @itemx set tcp connect-timeout unlimited
18760 @cindex connection timeout, for remote TCP target
18761 @cindex timeout, for remote target connection
18762 Set the timeout for establishing a TCP connection to the remote target to
18763 @var{seconds}. The timeout affects both polling to retry failed connections
18764 (enabled by @code{set tcp auto-retry on}) and waiting for connections
18765 that are merely slow to complete, and represents an approximate cumulative
18766 value. If @var{seconds} is @code{unlimited}, there is no timeout and
18767 @value{GDBN} will keep attempting to establish a connection forever,
18768 unless interrupted with @kbd{Ctrl-c}. The default is 15 seconds.
18769
18770 @item show tcp connect-timeout
18771 Show the current connection timeout setting.
18772 @end table
18773
18774 @cindex remote packets, enabling and disabling
18775 The @value{GDBN} remote protocol autodetects the packets supported by
18776 your debugging stub. If you need to override the autodetection, you
18777 can use these commands to enable or disable individual packets. Each
18778 packet can be set to @samp{on} (the remote target supports this
18779 packet), @samp{off} (the remote target does not support this packet),
18780 or @samp{auto} (detect remote target support for this packet). They
18781 all default to @samp{auto}. For more information about each packet,
18782 see @ref{Remote Protocol}.
18783
18784 During normal use, you should not have to use any of these commands.
18785 If you do, that may be a bug in your remote debugging stub, or a bug
18786 in @value{GDBN}. You may want to report the problem to the
18787 @value{GDBN} developers.
18788
18789 For each packet @var{name}, the command to enable or disable the
18790 packet is @code{set remote @var{name}-packet}. The available settings
18791 are:
18792
18793 @multitable @columnfractions 0.28 0.32 0.25
18794 @item Command Name
18795 @tab Remote Packet
18796 @tab Related Features
18797
18798 @item @code{fetch-register}
18799 @tab @code{p}
18800 @tab @code{info registers}
18801
18802 @item @code{set-register}
18803 @tab @code{P}
18804 @tab @code{set}
18805
18806 @item @code{binary-download}
18807 @tab @code{X}
18808 @tab @code{load}, @code{set}
18809
18810 @item @code{read-aux-vector}
18811 @tab @code{qXfer:auxv:read}
18812 @tab @code{info auxv}
18813
18814 @item @code{symbol-lookup}
18815 @tab @code{qSymbol}
18816 @tab Detecting multiple threads
18817
18818 @item @code{attach}
18819 @tab @code{vAttach}
18820 @tab @code{attach}
18821
18822 @item @code{verbose-resume}
18823 @tab @code{vCont}
18824 @tab Stepping or resuming multiple threads
18825
18826 @item @code{run}
18827 @tab @code{vRun}
18828 @tab @code{run}
18829
18830 @item @code{software-breakpoint}
18831 @tab @code{Z0}
18832 @tab @code{break}
18833
18834 @item @code{hardware-breakpoint}
18835 @tab @code{Z1}
18836 @tab @code{hbreak}
18837
18838 @item @code{write-watchpoint}
18839 @tab @code{Z2}
18840 @tab @code{watch}
18841
18842 @item @code{read-watchpoint}
18843 @tab @code{Z3}
18844 @tab @code{rwatch}
18845
18846 @item @code{access-watchpoint}
18847 @tab @code{Z4}
18848 @tab @code{awatch}
18849
18850 @item @code{target-features}
18851 @tab @code{qXfer:features:read}
18852 @tab @code{set architecture}
18853
18854 @item @code{library-info}
18855 @tab @code{qXfer:libraries:read}
18856 @tab @code{info sharedlibrary}
18857
18858 @item @code{memory-map}
18859 @tab @code{qXfer:memory-map:read}
18860 @tab @code{info mem}
18861
18862 @item @code{read-sdata-object}
18863 @tab @code{qXfer:sdata:read}
18864 @tab @code{print $_sdata}
18865
18866 @item @code{read-spu-object}
18867 @tab @code{qXfer:spu:read}
18868 @tab @code{info spu}
18869
18870 @item @code{write-spu-object}
18871 @tab @code{qXfer:spu:write}
18872 @tab @code{info spu}
18873
18874 @item @code{read-siginfo-object}
18875 @tab @code{qXfer:siginfo:read}
18876 @tab @code{print $_siginfo}
18877
18878 @item @code{write-siginfo-object}
18879 @tab @code{qXfer:siginfo:write}
18880 @tab @code{set $_siginfo}
18881
18882 @item @code{threads}
18883 @tab @code{qXfer:threads:read}
18884 @tab @code{info threads}
18885
18886 @item @code{get-thread-local-@*storage-address}
18887 @tab @code{qGetTLSAddr}
18888 @tab Displaying @code{__thread} variables
18889
18890 @item @code{get-thread-information-block-address}
18891 @tab @code{qGetTIBAddr}
18892 @tab Display MS-Windows Thread Information Block.
18893
18894 @item @code{search-memory}
18895 @tab @code{qSearch:memory}
18896 @tab @code{find}
18897
18898 @item @code{supported-packets}
18899 @tab @code{qSupported}
18900 @tab Remote communications parameters
18901
18902 @item @code{pass-signals}
18903 @tab @code{QPassSignals}
18904 @tab @code{handle @var{signal}}
18905
18906 @item @code{program-signals}
18907 @tab @code{QProgramSignals}
18908 @tab @code{handle @var{signal}}
18909
18910 @item @code{hostio-close-packet}
18911 @tab @code{vFile:close}
18912 @tab @code{remote get}, @code{remote put}
18913
18914 @item @code{hostio-open-packet}
18915 @tab @code{vFile:open}
18916 @tab @code{remote get}, @code{remote put}
18917
18918 @item @code{hostio-pread-packet}
18919 @tab @code{vFile:pread}
18920 @tab @code{remote get}, @code{remote put}
18921
18922 @item @code{hostio-pwrite-packet}
18923 @tab @code{vFile:pwrite}
18924 @tab @code{remote get}, @code{remote put}
18925
18926 @item @code{hostio-unlink-packet}
18927 @tab @code{vFile:unlink}
18928 @tab @code{remote delete}
18929
18930 @item @code{hostio-readlink-packet}
18931 @tab @code{vFile:readlink}
18932 @tab Host I/O
18933
18934 @item @code{noack-packet}
18935 @tab @code{QStartNoAckMode}
18936 @tab Packet acknowledgment
18937
18938 @item @code{osdata}
18939 @tab @code{qXfer:osdata:read}
18940 @tab @code{info os}
18941
18942 @item @code{query-attached}
18943 @tab @code{qAttached}
18944 @tab Querying remote process attach state.
18945
18946 @item @code{trace-buffer-size}
18947 @tab @code{QTBuffer:size}
18948 @tab @code{set trace-buffer-size}
18949
18950 @item @code{trace-status}
18951 @tab @code{qTStatus}
18952 @tab @code{tstatus}
18953
18954 @item @code{traceframe-info}
18955 @tab @code{qXfer:traceframe-info:read}
18956 @tab Traceframe info
18957
18958 @item @code{install-in-trace}
18959 @tab @code{InstallInTrace}
18960 @tab Install tracepoint in tracing
18961
18962 @item @code{disable-randomization}
18963 @tab @code{QDisableRandomization}
18964 @tab @code{set disable-randomization}
18965
18966 @item @code{conditional-breakpoints-packet}
18967 @tab @code{Z0 and Z1}
18968 @tab @code{Support for target-side breakpoint condition evaluation}
18969 @end multitable
18970
18971 @node Remote Stub
18972 @section Implementing a Remote Stub
18973
18974 @cindex debugging stub, example
18975 @cindex remote stub, example
18976 @cindex stub example, remote debugging
18977 The stub files provided with @value{GDBN} implement the target side of the
18978 communication protocol, and the @value{GDBN} side is implemented in the
18979 @value{GDBN} source file @file{remote.c}. Normally, you can simply allow
18980 these subroutines to communicate, and ignore the details. (If you're
18981 implementing your own stub file, you can still ignore the details: start
18982 with one of the existing stub files. @file{sparc-stub.c} is the best
18983 organized, and therefore the easiest to read.)
18984
18985 @cindex remote serial debugging, overview
18986 To debug a program running on another machine (the debugging
18987 @dfn{target} machine), you must first arrange for all the usual
18988 prerequisites for the program to run by itself. For example, for a C
18989 program, you need:
18990
18991 @enumerate
18992 @item
18993 A startup routine to set up the C runtime environment; these usually
18994 have a name like @file{crt0}. The startup routine may be supplied by
18995 your hardware supplier, or you may have to write your own.
18996
18997 @item
18998 A C subroutine library to support your program's
18999 subroutine calls, notably managing input and output.
19000
19001 @item
19002 A way of getting your program to the other machine---for example, a
19003 download program. These are often supplied by the hardware
19004 manufacturer, but you may have to write your own from hardware
19005 documentation.
19006 @end enumerate
19007
19008 The next step is to arrange for your program to use a serial port to
19009 communicate with the machine where @value{GDBN} is running (the @dfn{host}
19010 machine). In general terms, the scheme looks like this:
19011
19012 @table @emph
19013 @item On the host,
19014 @value{GDBN} already understands how to use this protocol; when everything
19015 else is set up, you can simply use the @samp{target remote} command
19016 (@pxref{Targets,,Specifying a Debugging Target}).
19017
19018 @item On the target,
19019 you must link with your program a few special-purpose subroutines that
19020 implement the @value{GDBN} remote serial protocol. The file containing these
19021 subroutines is called a @dfn{debugging stub}.
19022
19023 On certain remote targets, you can use an auxiliary program
19024 @code{gdbserver} instead of linking a stub into your program.
19025 @xref{Server,,Using the @code{gdbserver} Program}, for details.
19026 @end table
19027
19028 The debugging stub is specific to the architecture of the remote
19029 machine; for example, use @file{sparc-stub.c} to debug programs on
19030 @sc{sparc} boards.
19031
19032 @cindex remote serial stub list
19033 These working remote stubs are distributed with @value{GDBN}:
19034
19035 @table @code
19036
19037 @item i386-stub.c
19038 @cindex @file{i386-stub.c}
19039 @cindex Intel
19040 @cindex i386
19041 For Intel 386 and compatible architectures.
19042
19043 @item m68k-stub.c
19044 @cindex @file{m68k-stub.c}
19045 @cindex Motorola 680x0
19046 @cindex m680x0
19047 For Motorola 680x0 architectures.
19048
19049 @item sh-stub.c
19050 @cindex @file{sh-stub.c}
19051 @cindex Renesas
19052 @cindex SH
19053 For Renesas SH architectures.
19054
19055 @item sparc-stub.c
19056 @cindex @file{sparc-stub.c}
19057 @cindex Sparc
19058 For @sc{sparc} architectures.
19059
19060 @item sparcl-stub.c
19061 @cindex @file{sparcl-stub.c}
19062 @cindex Fujitsu
19063 @cindex SparcLite
19064 For Fujitsu @sc{sparclite} architectures.
19065
19066 @end table
19067
19068 The @file{README} file in the @value{GDBN} distribution may list other
19069 recently added stubs.
19070
19071 @menu
19072 * Stub Contents:: What the stub can do for you
19073 * Bootstrapping:: What you must do for the stub
19074 * Debug Session:: Putting it all together
19075 @end menu
19076
19077 @node Stub Contents
19078 @subsection What the Stub Can Do for You
19079
19080 @cindex remote serial stub
19081 The debugging stub for your architecture supplies these three
19082 subroutines:
19083
19084 @table @code
19085 @item set_debug_traps
19086 @findex set_debug_traps
19087 @cindex remote serial stub, initialization
19088 This routine arranges for @code{handle_exception} to run when your
19089 program stops. You must call this subroutine explicitly in your
19090 program's startup code.
19091
19092 @item handle_exception
19093 @findex handle_exception
19094 @cindex remote serial stub, main routine
19095 This is the central workhorse, but your program never calls it
19096 explicitly---the setup code arranges for @code{handle_exception} to
19097 run when a trap is triggered.
19098
19099 @code{handle_exception} takes control when your program stops during
19100 execution (for example, on a breakpoint), and mediates communications
19101 with @value{GDBN} on the host machine. This is where the communications
19102 protocol is implemented; @code{handle_exception} acts as the @value{GDBN}
19103 representative on the target machine. It begins by sending summary
19104 information on the state of your program, then continues to execute,
19105 retrieving and transmitting any information @value{GDBN} needs, until you
19106 execute a @value{GDBN} command that makes your program resume; at that point,
19107 @code{handle_exception} returns control to your own code on the target
19108 machine.
19109
19110 @item breakpoint
19111 @cindex @code{breakpoint} subroutine, remote
19112 Use this auxiliary subroutine to make your program contain a
19113 breakpoint. Depending on the particular situation, this may be the only
19114 way for @value{GDBN} to get control. For instance, if your target
19115 machine has some sort of interrupt button, you won't need to call this;
19116 pressing the interrupt button transfers control to
19117 @code{handle_exception}---in effect, to @value{GDBN}. On some machines,
19118 simply receiving characters on the serial port may also trigger a trap;
19119 again, in that situation, you don't need to call @code{breakpoint} from
19120 your own program---simply running @samp{target remote} from the host
19121 @value{GDBN} session gets control.
19122
19123 Call @code{breakpoint} if none of these is true, or if you simply want
19124 to make certain your program stops at a predetermined point for the
19125 start of your debugging session.
19126 @end table
19127
19128 @node Bootstrapping
19129 @subsection What You Must Do for the Stub
19130
19131 @cindex remote stub, support routines
19132 The debugging stubs that come with @value{GDBN} are set up for a particular
19133 chip architecture, but they have no information about the rest of your
19134 debugging target machine.
19135
19136 First of all you need to tell the stub how to communicate with the
19137 serial port.
19138
19139 @table @code
19140 @item int getDebugChar()
19141 @findex getDebugChar
19142 Write this subroutine to read a single character from the serial port.
19143 It may be identical to @code{getchar} for your target system; a
19144 different name is used to allow you to distinguish the two if you wish.
19145
19146 @item void putDebugChar(int)
19147 @findex putDebugChar
19148 Write this subroutine to write a single character to the serial port.
19149 It may be identical to @code{putchar} for your target system; a
19150 different name is used to allow you to distinguish the two if you wish.
19151 @end table
19152
19153 @cindex control C, and remote debugging
19154 @cindex interrupting remote targets
19155 If you want @value{GDBN} to be able to stop your program while it is
19156 running, you need to use an interrupt-driven serial driver, and arrange
19157 for it to stop when it receives a @code{^C} (@samp{\003}, the control-C
19158 character). That is the character which @value{GDBN} uses to tell the
19159 remote system to stop.
19160
19161 Getting the debugging target to return the proper status to @value{GDBN}
19162 probably requires changes to the standard stub; one quick and dirty way
19163 is to just execute a breakpoint instruction (the ``dirty'' part is that
19164 @value{GDBN} reports a @code{SIGTRAP} instead of a @code{SIGINT}).
19165
19166 Other routines you need to supply are:
19167
19168 @table @code
19169 @item void exceptionHandler (int @var{exception_number}, void *@var{exception_address})
19170 @findex exceptionHandler
19171 Write this function to install @var{exception_address} in the exception
19172 handling tables. You need to do this because the stub does not have any
19173 way of knowing what the exception handling tables on your target system
19174 are like (for example, the processor's table might be in @sc{rom},
19175 containing entries which point to a table in @sc{ram}).
19176 @var{exception_number} is the exception number which should be changed;
19177 its meaning is architecture-dependent (for example, different numbers
19178 might represent divide by zero, misaligned access, etc). When this
19179 exception occurs, control should be transferred directly to
19180 @var{exception_address}, and the processor state (stack, registers,
19181 and so on) should be just as it is when a processor exception occurs. So if
19182 you want to use a jump instruction to reach @var{exception_address}, it
19183 should be a simple jump, not a jump to subroutine.
19184
19185 For the 386, @var{exception_address} should be installed as an interrupt
19186 gate so that interrupts are masked while the handler runs. The gate
19187 should be at privilege level 0 (the most privileged level). The
19188 @sc{sparc} and 68k stubs are able to mask interrupts themselves without
19189 help from @code{exceptionHandler}.
19190
19191 @item void flush_i_cache()
19192 @findex flush_i_cache
19193 On @sc{sparc} and @sc{sparclite} only, write this subroutine to flush the
19194 instruction cache, if any, on your target machine. If there is no
19195 instruction cache, this subroutine may be a no-op.
19196
19197 On target machines that have instruction caches, @value{GDBN} requires this
19198 function to make certain that the state of your program is stable.
19199 @end table
19200
19201 @noindent
19202 You must also make sure this library routine is available:
19203
19204 @table @code
19205 @item void *memset(void *, int, int)
19206 @findex memset
19207 This is the standard library function @code{memset} that sets an area of
19208 memory to a known value. If you have one of the free versions of
19209 @code{libc.a}, @code{memset} can be found there; otherwise, you must
19210 either obtain it from your hardware manufacturer, or write your own.
19211 @end table
19212
19213 If you do not use the GNU C compiler, you may need other standard
19214 library subroutines as well; this varies from one stub to another,
19215 but in general the stubs are likely to use any of the common library
19216 subroutines which @code{@value{NGCC}} generates as inline code.
19217
19218
19219 @node Debug Session
19220 @subsection Putting it All Together
19221
19222 @cindex remote serial debugging summary
19223 In summary, when your program is ready to debug, you must follow these
19224 steps.
19225
19226 @enumerate
19227 @item
19228 Make sure you have defined the supporting low-level routines
19229 (@pxref{Bootstrapping,,What You Must Do for the Stub}):
19230 @display
19231 @code{getDebugChar}, @code{putDebugChar},
19232 @code{flush_i_cache}, @code{memset}, @code{exceptionHandler}.
19233 @end display
19234
19235 @item
19236 Insert these lines in your program's startup code, before the main
19237 procedure is called:
19238
19239 @smallexample
19240 set_debug_traps();
19241 breakpoint();
19242 @end smallexample
19243
19244 On some machines, when a breakpoint trap is raised, the hardware
19245 automatically makes the PC point to the instruction after the
19246 breakpoint. If your machine doesn't do that, you may need to adjust
19247 @code{handle_exception} to arrange for it to return to the instruction
19248 after the breakpoint on this first invocation, so that your program
19249 doesn't keep hitting the initial breakpoint instead of making
19250 progress.
19251
19252 @item
19253 For the 680x0 stub only, you need to provide a variable called
19254 @code{exceptionHook}. Normally you just use:
19255
19256 @smallexample
19257 void (*exceptionHook)() = 0;
19258 @end smallexample
19259
19260 @noindent
19261 but if before calling @code{set_debug_traps}, you set it to point to a
19262 function in your program, that function is called when
19263 @code{@value{GDBN}} continues after stopping on a trap (for example, bus
19264 error). The function indicated by @code{exceptionHook} is called with
19265 one parameter: an @code{int} which is the exception number.
19266
19267 @item
19268 Compile and link together: your program, the @value{GDBN} debugging stub for
19269 your target architecture, and the supporting subroutines.
19270
19271 @item
19272 Make sure you have a serial connection between your target machine and
19273 the @value{GDBN} host, and identify the serial port on the host.
19274
19275 @item
19276 @c The "remote" target now provides a `load' command, so we should
19277 @c document that. FIXME.
19278 Download your program to your target machine (or get it there by
19279 whatever means the manufacturer provides), and start it.
19280
19281 @item
19282 Start @value{GDBN} on the host, and connect to the target
19283 (@pxref{Connecting,,Connecting to a Remote Target}).
19284
19285 @end enumerate
19286
19287 @node Configurations
19288 @chapter Configuration-Specific Information
19289
19290 While nearly all @value{GDBN} commands are available for all native and
19291 cross versions of the debugger, there are some exceptions. This chapter
19292 describes things that are only available in certain configurations.
19293
19294 There are three major categories of configurations: native
19295 configurations, where the host and target are the same, embedded
19296 operating system configurations, which are usually the same for several
19297 different processor architectures, and bare embedded processors, which
19298 are quite different from each other.
19299
19300 @menu
19301 * Native::
19302 * Embedded OS::
19303 * Embedded Processors::
19304 * Architectures::
19305 @end menu
19306
19307 @node Native
19308 @section Native
19309
19310 This section describes details specific to particular native
19311 configurations.
19312
19313 @menu
19314 * HP-UX:: HP-UX
19315 * BSD libkvm Interface:: Debugging BSD kernel memory images
19316 * SVR4 Process Information:: SVR4 process information
19317 * DJGPP Native:: Features specific to the DJGPP port
19318 * Cygwin Native:: Features specific to the Cygwin port
19319 * Hurd Native:: Features specific to @sc{gnu} Hurd
19320 * Darwin:: Features specific to Darwin
19321 @end menu
19322
19323 @node HP-UX
19324 @subsection HP-UX
19325
19326 On HP-UX systems, if you refer to a function or variable name that
19327 begins with a dollar sign, @value{GDBN} searches for a user or system
19328 name first, before it searches for a convenience variable.
19329
19330
19331 @node BSD libkvm Interface
19332 @subsection BSD libkvm Interface
19333
19334 @cindex libkvm
19335 @cindex kernel memory image
19336 @cindex kernel crash dump
19337
19338 BSD-derived systems (FreeBSD/NetBSD/OpenBSD) have a kernel memory
19339 interface that provides a uniform interface for accessing kernel virtual
19340 memory images, including live systems and crash dumps. @value{GDBN}
19341 uses this interface to allow you to debug live kernels and kernel crash
19342 dumps on many native BSD configurations. This is implemented as a
19343 special @code{kvm} debugging target. For debugging a live system, load
19344 the currently running kernel into @value{GDBN} and connect to the
19345 @code{kvm} target:
19346
19347 @smallexample
19348 (@value{GDBP}) @b{target kvm}
19349 @end smallexample
19350
19351 For debugging crash dumps, provide the file name of the crash dump as an
19352 argument:
19353
19354 @smallexample
19355 (@value{GDBP}) @b{target kvm /var/crash/bsd.0}
19356 @end smallexample
19357
19358 Once connected to the @code{kvm} target, the following commands are
19359 available:
19360
19361 @table @code
19362 @kindex kvm
19363 @item kvm pcb
19364 Set current context from the @dfn{Process Control Block} (PCB) address.
19365
19366 @item kvm proc
19367 Set current context from proc address. This command isn't available on
19368 modern FreeBSD systems.
19369 @end table
19370
19371 @node SVR4 Process Information
19372 @subsection SVR4 Process Information
19373 @cindex /proc
19374 @cindex examine process image
19375 @cindex process info via @file{/proc}
19376
19377 Many versions of SVR4 and compatible systems provide a facility called
19378 @samp{/proc} that can be used to examine the image of a running
19379 process using file-system subroutines.
19380
19381 If @value{GDBN} is configured for an operating system with this
19382 facility, the command @code{info proc} is available to report
19383 information about the process running your program, or about any
19384 process running on your system. This includes, as of this writing,
19385 @sc{gnu}/Linux, OSF/1 (Digital Unix), Solaris, and Irix, but
19386 not HP-UX, for example.
19387
19388 This command may also work on core files that were created on a system
19389 that has the @samp{/proc} facility.
19390
19391 @table @code
19392 @kindex info proc
19393 @cindex process ID
19394 @item info proc
19395 @itemx info proc @var{process-id}
19396 Summarize available information about any running process. If a
19397 process ID is specified by @var{process-id}, display information about
19398 that process; otherwise display information about the program being
19399 debugged. The summary includes the debugged process ID, the command
19400 line used to invoke it, its current working directory, and its
19401 executable file's absolute file name.
19402
19403 On some systems, @var{process-id} can be of the form
19404 @samp{[@var{pid}]/@var{tid}} which specifies a certain thread ID
19405 within a process. If the optional @var{pid} part is missing, it means
19406 a thread from the process being debugged (the leading @samp{/} still
19407 needs to be present, or else @value{GDBN} will interpret the number as
19408 a process ID rather than a thread ID).
19409
19410 @item info proc cmdline
19411 @cindex info proc cmdline
19412 Show the original command line of the process. This command is
19413 specific to @sc{gnu}/Linux.
19414
19415 @item info proc cwd
19416 @cindex info proc cwd
19417 Show the current working directory of the process. This command is
19418 specific to @sc{gnu}/Linux.
19419
19420 @item info proc exe
19421 @cindex info proc exe
19422 Show the name of executable of the process. This command is specific
19423 to @sc{gnu}/Linux.
19424
19425 @item info proc mappings
19426 @cindex memory address space mappings
19427 Report the memory address space ranges accessible in the program, with
19428 information on whether the process has read, write, or execute access
19429 rights to each range. On @sc{gnu}/Linux systems, each memory range
19430 includes the object file which is mapped to that range, instead of the
19431 memory access rights to that range.
19432
19433 @item info proc stat
19434 @itemx info proc status
19435 @cindex process detailed status information
19436 These subcommands are specific to @sc{gnu}/Linux systems. They show
19437 the process-related information, including the user ID and group ID;
19438 how many threads are there in the process; its virtual memory usage;
19439 the signals that are pending, blocked, and ignored; its TTY; its
19440 consumption of system and user time; its stack size; its @samp{nice}
19441 value; etc. For more information, see the @samp{proc} man page
19442 (type @kbd{man 5 proc} from your shell prompt).
19443
19444 @item info proc all
19445 Show all the information about the process described under all of the
19446 above @code{info proc} subcommands.
19447
19448 @ignore
19449 @comment These sub-options of 'info proc' were not included when
19450 @comment procfs.c was re-written. Keep their descriptions around
19451 @comment against the day when someone finds the time to put them back in.
19452 @kindex info proc times
19453 @item info proc times
19454 Starting time, user CPU time, and system CPU time for your program and
19455 its children.
19456
19457 @kindex info proc id
19458 @item info proc id
19459 Report on the process IDs related to your program: its own process ID,
19460 the ID of its parent, the process group ID, and the session ID.
19461 @end ignore
19462
19463 @item set procfs-trace
19464 @kindex set procfs-trace
19465 @cindex @code{procfs} API calls
19466 This command enables and disables tracing of @code{procfs} API calls.
19467
19468 @item show procfs-trace
19469 @kindex show procfs-trace
19470 Show the current state of @code{procfs} API call tracing.
19471
19472 @item set procfs-file @var{file}
19473 @kindex set procfs-file
19474 Tell @value{GDBN} to write @code{procfs} API trace to the named
19475 @var{file}. @value{GDBN} appends the trace info to the previous
19476 contents of the file. The default is to display the trace on the
19477 standard output.
19478
19479 @item show procfs-file
19480 @kindex show procfs-file
19481 Show the file to which @code{procfs} API trace is written.
19482
19483 @item proc-trace-entry
19484 @itemx proc-trace-exit
19485 @itemx proc-untrace-entry
19486 @itemx proc-untrace-exit
19487 @kindex proc-trace-entry
19488 @kindex proc-trace-exit
19489 @kindex proc-untrace-entry
19490 @kindex proc-untrace-exit
19491 These commands enable and disable tracing of entries into and exits
19492 from the @code{syscall} interface.
19493
19494 @item info pidlist
19495 @kindex info pidlist
19496 @cindex process list, QNX Neutrino
19497 For QNX Neutrino only, this command displays the list of all the
19498 processes and all the threads within each process.
19499
19500 @item info meminfo
19501 @kindex info meminfo
19502 @cindex mapinfo list, QNX Neutrino
19503 For QNX Neutrino only, this command displays the list of all mapinfos.
19504 @end table
19505
19506 @node DJGPP Native
19507 @subsection Features for Debugging @sc{djgpp} Programs
19508 @cindex @sc{djgpp} debugging
19509 @cindex native @sc{djgpp} debugging
19510 @cindex MS-DOS-specific commands
19511
19512 @cindex DPMI
19513 @sc{djgpp} is a port of the @sc{gnu} development tools to MS-DOS and
19514 MS-Windows. @sc{djgpp} programs are 32-bit protected-mode programs
19515 that use the @dfn{DPMI} (DOS Protected-Mode Interface) API to run on
19516 top of real-mode DOS systems and their emulations.
19517
19518 @value{GDBN} supports native debugging of @sc{djgpp} programs, and
19519 defines a few commands specific to the @sc{djgpp} port. This
19520 subsection describes those commands.
19521
19522 @table @code
19523 @kindex info dos
19524 @item info dos
19525 This is a prefix of @sc{djgpp}-specific commands which print
19526 information about the target system and important OS structures.
19527
19528 @kindex sysinfo
19529 @cindex MS-DOS system info
19530 @cindex free memory information (MS-DOS)
19531 @item info dos sysinfo
19532 This command displays assorted information about the underlying
19533 platform: the CPU type and features, the OS version and flavor, the
19534 DPMI version, and the available conventional and DPMI memory.
19535
19536 @cindex GDT
19537 @cindex LDT
19538 @cindex IDT
19539 @cindex segment descriptor tables
19540 @cindex descriptor tables display
19541 @item info dos gdt
19542 @itemx info dos ldt
19543 @itemx info dos idt
19544 These 3 commands display entries from, respectively, Global, Local,
19545 and Interrupt Descriptor Tables (GDT, LDT, and IDT). The descriptor
19546 tables are data structures which store a descriptor for each segment
19547 that is currently in use. The segment's selector is an index into a
19548 descriptor table; the table entry for that index holds the
19549 descriptor's base address and limit, and its attributes and access
19550 rights.
19551
19552 A typical @sc{djgpp} program uses 3 segments: a code segment, a data
19553 segment (used for both data and the stack), and a DOS segment (which
19554 allows access to DOS/BIOS data structures and absolute addresses in
19555 conventional memory). However, the DPMI host will usually define
19556 additional segments in order to support the DPMI environment.
19557
19558 @cindex garbled pointers
19559 These commands allow to display entries from the descriptor tables.
19560 Without an argument, all entries from the specified table are
19561 displayed. An argument, which should be an integer expression, means
19562 display a single entry whose index is given by the argument. For
19563 example, here's a convenient way to display information about the
19564 debugged program's data segment:
19565
19566 @smallexample
19567 @exdent @code{(@value{GDBP}) info dos ldt $ds}
19568 @exdent @code{0x13f: base=0x11970000 limit=0x0009ffff 32-Bit Data (Read/Write, Exp-up)}
19569 @end smallexample
19570
19571 @noindent
19572 This comes in handy when you want to see whether a pointer is outside
19573 the data segment's limit (i.e.@: @dfn{garbled}).
19574
19575 @cindex page tables display (MS-DOS)
19576 @item info dos pde
19577 @itemx info dos pte
19578 These two commands display entries from, respectively, the Page
19579 Directory and the Page Tables. Page Directories and Page Tables are
19580 data structures which control how virtual memory addresses are mapped
19581 into physical addresses. A Page Table includes an entry for every
19582 page of memory that is mapped into the program's address space; there
19583 may be several Page Tables, each one holding up to 4096 entries. A
19584 Page Directory has up to 4096 entries, one each for every Page Table
19585 that is currently in use.
19586
19587 Without an argument, @kbd{info dos pde} displays the entire Page
19588 Directory, and @kbd{info dos pte} displays all the entries in all of
19589 the Page Tables. An argument, an integer expression, given to the
19590 @kbd{info dos pde} command means display only that entry from the Page
19591 Directory table. An argument given to the @kbd{info dos pte} command
19592 means display entries from a single Page Table, the one pointed to by
19593 the specified entry in the Page Directory.
19594
19595 @cindex direct memory access (DMA) on MS-DOS
19596 These commands are useful when your program uses @dfn{DMA} (Direct
19597 Memory Access), which needs physical addresses to program the DMA
19598 controller.
19599
19600 These commands are supported only with some DPMI servers.
19601
19602 @cindex physical address from linear address
19603 @item info dos address-pte @var{addr}
19604 This command displays the Page Table entry for a specified linear
19605 address. The argument @var{addr} is a linear address which should
19606 already have the appropriate segment's base address added to it,
19607 because this command accepts addresses which may belong to @emph{any}
19608 segment. For example, here's how to display the Page Table entry for
19609 the page where a variable @code{i} is stored:
19610
19611 @smallexample
19612 @exdent @code{(@value{GDBP}) info dos address-pte __djgpp_base_address + (char *)&i}
19613 @exdent @code{Page Table entry for address 0x11a00d30:}
19614 @exdent @code{Base=0x02698000 Dirty Acc. Not-Cached Write-Back Usr Read-Write +0xd30}
19615 @end smallexample
19616
19617 @noindent
19618 This says that @code{i} is stored at offset @code{0xd30} from the page
19619 whose physical base address is @code{0x02698000}, and shows all the
19620 attributes of that page.
19621
19622 Note that you must cast the addresses of variables to a @code{char *},
19623 since otherwise the value of @code{__djgpp_base_address}, the base
19624 address of all variables and functions in a @sc{djgpp} program, will
19625 be added using the rules of C pointer arithmetics: if @code{i} is
19626 declared an @code{int}, @value{GDBN} will add 4 times the value of
19627 @code{__djgpp_base_address} to the address of @code{i}.
19628
19629 Here's another example, it displays the Page Table entry for the
19630 transfer buffer:
19631
19632 @smallexample
19633 @exdent @code{(@value{GDBP}) info dos address-pte *((unsigned *)&_go32_info_block + 3)}
19634 @exdent @code{Page Table entry for address 0x29110:}
19635 @exdent @code{Base=0x00029000 Dirty Acc. Not-Cached Write-Back Usr Read-Write +0x110}
19636 @end smallexample
19637
19638 @noindent
19639 (The @code{+ 3} offset is because the transfer buffer's address is the
19640 3rd member of the @code{_go32_info_block} structure.) The output
19641 clearly shows that this DPMI server maps the addresses in conventional
19642 memory 1:1, i.e.@: the physical (@code{0x00029000} + @code{0x110}) and
19643 linear (@code{0x29110}) addresses are identical.
19644
19645 This command is supported only with some DPMI servers.
19646 @end table
19647
19648 @cindex DOS serial data link, remote debugging
19649 In addition to native debugging, the DJGPP port supports remote
19650 debugging via a serial data link. The following commands are specific
19651 to remote serial debugging in the DJGPP port of @value{GDBN}.
19652
19653 @table @code
19654 @kindex set com1base
19655 @kindex set com1irq
19656 @kindex set com2base
19657 @kindex set com2irq
19658 @kindex set com3base
19659 @kindex set com3irq
19660 @kindex set com4base
19661 @kindex set com4irq
19662 @item set com1base @var{addr}
19663 This command sets the base I/O port address of the @file{COM1} serial
19664 port.
19665
19666 @item set com1irq @var{irq}
19667 This command sets the @dfn{Interrupt Request} (@code{IRQ}) line to use
19668 for the @file{COM1} serial port.
19669
19670 There are similar commands @samp{set com2base}, @samp{set com3irq},
19671 etc.@: for setting the port address and the @code{IRQ} lines for the
19672 other 3 COM ports.
19673
19674 @kindex show com1base
19675 @kindex show com1irq
19676 @kindex show com2base
19677 @kindex show com2irq
19678 @kindex show com3base
19679 @kindex show com3irq
19680 @kindex show com4base
19681 @kindex show com4irq
19682 The related commands @samp{show com1base}, @samp{show com1irq} etc.@:
19683 display the current settings of the base address and the @code{IRQ}
19684 lines used by the COM ports.
19685
19686 @item info serial
19687 @kindex info serial
19688 @cindex DOS serial port status
19689 This command prints the status of the 4 DOS serial ports. For each
19690 port, it prints whether it's active or not, its I/O base address and
19691 IRQ number, whether it uses a 16550-style FIFO, its baudrate, and the
19692 counts of various errors encountered so far.
19693 @end table
19694
19695
19696 @node Cygwin Native
19697 @subsection Features for Debugging MS Windows PE Executables
19698 @cindex MS Windows debugging
19699 @cindex native Cygwin debugging
19700 @cindex Cygwin-specific commands
19701
19702 @value{GDBN} supports native debugging of MS Windows programs, including
19703 DLLs with and without symbolic debugging information.
19704
19705 @cindex Ctrl-BREAK, MS-Windows
19706 @cindex interrupt debuggee on MS-Windows
19707 MS-Windows programs that call @code{SetConsoleMode} to switch off the
19708 special meaning of the @samp{Ctrl-C} keystroke cannot be interrupted
19709 by typing @kbd{C-c}. For this reason, @value{GDBN} on MS-Windows
19710 supports @kbd{C-@key{BREAK}} as an alternative interrupt key
19711 sequence, which can be used to interrupt the debuggee even if it
19712 ignores @kbd{C-c}.
19713
19714 There are various additional Cygwin-specific commands, described in
19715 this section. Working with DLLs that have no debugging symbols is
19716 described in @ref{Non-debug DLL Symbols}.
19717
19718 @table @code
19719 @kindex info w32
19720 @item info w32
19721 This is a prefix of MS Windows-specific commands which print
19722 information about the target system and important OS structures.
19723
19724 @item info w32 selector
19725 This command displays information returned by
19726 the Win32 API @code{GetThreadSelectorEntry} function.
19727 It takes an optional argument that is evaluated to
19728 a long value to give the information about this given selector.
19729 Without argument, this command displays information
19730 about the six segment registers.
19731
19732 @item info w32 thread-information-block
19733 This command displays thread specific information stored in the
19734 Thread Information Block (readable on the X86 CPU family using @code{$fs}
19735 selector for 32-bit programs and @code{$gs} for 64-bit programs).
19736
19737 @kindex info dll
19738 @item info dll
19739 This is a Cygwin-specific alias of @code{info shared}.
19740
19741 @kindex dll-symbols
19742 @item dll-symbols
19743 This command loads symbols from a dll similarly to
19744 add-sym command but without the need to specify a base address.
19745
19746 @kindex set cygwin-exceptions
19747 @cindex debugging the Cygwin DLL
19748 @cindex Cygwin DLL, debugging
19749 @item set cygwin-exceptions @var{mode}
19750 If @var{mode} is @code{on}, @value{GDBN} will break on exceptions that
19751 happen inside the Cygwin DLL. If @var{mode} is @code{off},
19752 @value{GDBN} will delay recognition of exceptions, and may ignore some
19753 exceptions which seem to be caused by internal Cygwin DLL
19754 ``bookkeeping''. This option is meant primarily for debugging the
19755 Cygwin DLL itself; the default value is @code{off} to avoid annoying
19756 @value{GDBN} users with false @code{SIGSEGV} signals.
19757
19758 @kindex show cygwin-exceptions
19759 @item show cygwin-exceptions
19760 Displays whether @value{GDBN} will break on exceptions that happen
19761 inside the Cygwin DLL itself.
19762
19763 @kindex set new-console
19764 @item set new-console @var{mode}
19765 If @var{mode} is @code{on} the debuggee will
19766 be started in a new console on next start.
19767 If @var{mode} is @code{off}, the debuggee will
19768 be started in the same console as the debugger.
19769
19770 @kindex show new-console
19771 @item show new-console
19772 Displays whether a new console is used
19773 when the debuggee is started.
19774
19775 @kindex set new-group
19776 @item set new-group @var{mode}
19777 This boolean value controls whether the debuggee should
19778 start a new group or stay in the same group as the debugger.
19779 This affects the way the Windows OS handles
19780 @samp{Ctrl-C}.
19781
19782 @kindex show new-group
19783 @item show new-group
19784 Displays current value of new-group boolean.
19785
19786 @kindex set debugevents
19787 @item set debugevents
19788 This boolean value adds debug output concerning kernel events related
19789 to the debuggee seen by the debugger. This includes events that
19790 signal thread and process creation and exit, DLL loading and
19791 unloading, console interrupts, and debugging messages produced by the
19792 Windows @code{OutputDebugString} API call.
19793
19794 @kindex set debugexec
19795 @item set debugexec
19796 This boolean value adds debug output concerning execute events
19797 (such as resume thread) seen by the debugger.
19798
19799 @kindex set debugexceptions
19800 @item set debugexceptions
19801 This boolean value adds debug output concerning exceptions in the
19802 debuggee seen by the debugger.
19803
19804 @kindex set debugmemory
19805 @item set debugmemory
19806 This boolean value adds debug output concerning debuggee memory reads
19807 and writes by the debugger.
19808
19809 @kindex set shell
19810 @item set shell
19811 This boolean values specifies whether the debuggee is called
19812 via a shell or directly (default value is on).
19813
19814 @kindex show shell
19815 @item show shell
19816 Displays if the debuggee will be started with a shell.
19817
19818 @end table
19819
19820 @menu
19821 * Non-debug DLL Symbols:: Support for DLLs without debugging symbols
19822 @end menu
19823
19824 @node Non-debug DLL Symbols
19825 @subsubsection Support for DLLs without Debugging Symbols
19826 @cindex DLLs with no debugging symbols
19827 @cindex Minimal symbols and DLLs
19828
19829 Very often on windows, some of the DLLs that your program relies on do
19830 not include symbolic debugging information (for example,
19831 @file{kernel32.dll}). When @value{GDBN} doesn't recognize any debugging
19832 symbols in a DLL, it relies on the minimal amount of symbolic
19833 information contained in the DLL's export table. This section
19834 describes working with such symbols, known internally to @value{GDBN} as
19835 ``minimal symbols''.
19836
19837 Note that before the debugged program has started execution, no DLLs
19838 will have been loaded. The easiest way around this problem is simply to
19839 start the program --- either by setting a breakpoint or letting the
19840 program run once to completion. It is also possible to force
19841 @value{GDBN} to load a particular DLL before starting the executable ---
19842 see the shared library information in @ref{Files}, or the
19843 @code{dll-symbols} command in @ref{Cygwin Native}. Currently,
19844 explicitly loading symbols from a DLL with no debugging information will
19845 cause the symbol names to be duplicated in @value{GDBN}'s lookup table,
19846 which may adversely affect symbol lookup performance.
19847
19848 @subsubsection DLL Name Prefixes
19849
19850 In keeping with the naming conventions used by the Microsoft debugging
19851 tools, DLL export symbols are made available with a prefix based on the
19852 DLL name, for instance @code{KERNEL32!CreateFileA}. The plain name is
19853 also entered into the symbol table, so @code{CreateFileA} is often
19854 sufficient. In some cases there will be name clashes within a program
19855 (particularly if the executable itself includes full debugging symbols)
19856 necessitating the use of the fully qualified name when referring to the
19857 contents of the DLL. Use single-quotes around the name to avoid the
19858 exclamation mark (``!'') being interpreted as a language operator.
19859
19860 Note that the internal name of the DLL may be all upper-case, even
19861 though the file name of the DLL is lower-case, or vice-versa. Since
19862 symbols within @value{GDBN} are @emph{case-sensitive} this may cause
19863 some confusion. If in doubt, try the @code{info functions} and
19864 @code{info variables} commands or even @code{maint print msymbols}
19865 (@pxref{Symbols}). Here's an example:
19866
19867 @smallexample
19868 (@value{GDBP}) info function CreateFileA
19869 All functions matching regular expression "CreateFileA":
19870
19871 Non-debugging symbols:
19872 0x77e885f4 CreateFileA
19873 0x77e885f4 KERNEL32!CreateFileA
19874 @end smallexample
19875
19876 @smallexample
19877 (@value{GDBP}) info function !
19878 All functions matching regular expression "!":
19879
19880 Non-debugging symbols:
19881 0x6100114c cygwin1!__assert
19882 0x61004034 cygwin1!_dll_crt0@@0
19883 0x61004240 cygwin1!dll_crt0(per_process *)
19884 [etc...]
19885 @end smallexample
19886
19887 @subsubsection Working with Minimal Symbols
19888
19889 Symbols extracted from a DLL's export table do not contain very much
19890 type information. All that @value{GDBN} can do is guess whether a symbol
19891 refers to a function or variable depending on the linker section that
19892 contains the symbol. Also note that the actual contents of the memory
19893 contained in a DLL are not available unless the program is running. This
19894 means that you cannot examine the contents of a variable or disassemble
19895 a function within a DLL without a running program.
19896
19897 Variables are generally treated as pointers and dereferenced
19898 automatically. For this reason, it is often necessary to prefix a
19899 variable name with the address-of operator (``&'') and provide explicit
19900 type information in the command. Here's an example of the type of
19901 problem:
19902
19903 @smallexample
19904 (@value{GDBP}) print 'cygwin1!__argv'
19905 $1 = 268572168
19906 @end smallexample
19907
19908 @smallexample
19909 (@value{GDBP}) x 'cygwin1!__argv'
19910 0x10021610: "\230y\""
19911 @end smallexample
19912
19913 And two possible solutions:
19914
19915 @smallexample
19916 (@value{GDBP}) print ((char **)'cygwin1!__argv')[0]
19917 $2 = 0x22fd98 "/cygdrive/c/mydirectory/myprogram"
19918 @end smallexample
19919
19920 @smallexample
19921 (@value{GDBP}) x/2x &'cygwin1!__argv'
19922 0x610c0aa8 <cygwin1!__argv>: 0x10021608 0x00000000
19923 (@value{GDBP}) x/x 0x10021608
19924 0x10021608: 0x0022fd98
19925 (@value{GDBP}) x/s 0x0022fd98
19926 0x22fd98: "/cygdrive/c/mydirectory/myprogram"
19927 @end smallexample
19928
19929 Setting a break point within a DLL is possible even before the program
19930 starts execution. However, under these circumstances, @value{GDBN} can't
19931 examine the initial instructions of the function in order to skip the
19932 function's frame set-up code. You can work around this by using ``*&''
19933 to set the breakpoint at a raw memory address:
19934
19935 @smallexample
19936 (@value{GDBP}) break *&'python22!PyOS_Readline'
19937 Breakpoint 1 at 0x1e04eff0
19938 @end smallexample
19939
19940 The author of these extensions is not entirely convinced that setting a
19941 break point within a shared DLL like @file{kernel32.dll} is completely
19942 safe.
19943
19944 @node Hurd Native
19945 @subsection Commands Specific to @sc{gnu} Hurd Systems
19946 @cindex @sc{gnu} Hurd debugging
19947
19948 This subsection describes @value{GDBN} commands specific to the
19949 @sc{gnu} Hurd native debugging.
19950
19951 @table @code
19952 @item set signals
19953 @itemx set sigs
19954 @kindex set signals@r{, Hurd command}
19955 @kindex set sigs@r{, Hurd command}
19956 This command toggles the state of inferior signal interception by
19957 @value{GDBN}. Mach exceptions, such as breakpoint traps, are not
19958 affected by this command. @code{sigs} is a shorthand alias for
19959 @code{signals}.
19960
19961 @item show signals
19962 @itemx show sigs
19963 @kindex show signals@r{, Hurd command}
19964 @kindex show sigs@r{, Hurd command}
19965 Show the current state of intercepting inferior's signals.
19966
19967 @item set signal-thread
19968 @itemx set sigthread
19969 @kindex set signal-thread
19970 @kindex set sigthread
19971 This command tells @value{GDBN} which thread is the @code{libc} signal
19972 thread. That thread is run when a signal is delivered to a running
19973 process. @code{set sigthread} is the shorthand alias of @code{set
19974 signal-thread}.
19975
19976 @item show signal-thread
19977 @itemx show sigthread
19978 @kindex show signal-thread
19979 @kindex show sigthread
19980 These two commands show which thread will run when the inferior is
19981 delivered a signal.
19982
19983 @item set stopped
19984 @kindex set stopped@r{, Hurd command}
19985 This commands tells @value{GDBN} that the inferior process is stopped,
19986 as with the @code{SIGSTOP} signal. The stopped process can be
19987 continued by delivering a signal to it.
19988
19989 @item show stopped
19990 @kindex show stopped@r{, Hurd command}
19991 This command shows whether @value{GDBN} thinks the debuggee is
19992 stopped.
19993
19994 @item set exceptions
19995 @kindex set exceptions@r{, Hurd command}
19996 Use this command to turn off trapping of exceptions in the inferior.
19997 When exception trapping is off, neither breakpoints nor
19998 single-stepping will work. To restore the default, set exception
19999 trapping on.
20000
20001 @item show exceptions
20002 @kindex show exceptions@r{, Hurd command}
20003 Show the current state of trapping exceptions in the inferior.
20004
20005 @item set task pause
20006 @kindex set task@r{, Hurd commands}
20007 @cindex task attributes (@sc{gnu} Hurd)
20008 @cindex pause current task (@sc{gnu} Hurd)
20009 This command toggles task suspension when @value{GDBN} has control.
20010 Setting it to on takes effect immediately, and the task is suspended
20011 whenever @value{GDBN} gets control. Setting it to off will take
20012 effect the next time the inferior is continued. If this option is set
20013 to off, you can use @code{set thread default pause on} or @code{set
20014 thread pause on} (see below) to pause individual threads.
20015
20016 @item show task pause
20017 @kindex show task@r{, Hurd commands}
20018 Show the current state of task suspension.
20019
20020 @item set task detach-suspend-count
20021 @cindex task suspend count
20022 @cindex detach from task, @sc{gnu} Hurd
20023 This command sets the suspend count the task will be left with when
20024 @value{GDBN} detaches from it.
20025
20026 @item show task detach-suspend-count
20027 Show the suspend count the task will be left with when detaching.
20028
20029 @item set task exception-port
20030 @itemx set task excp
20031 @cindex task exception port, @sc{gnu} Hurd
20032 This command sets the task exception port to which @value{GDBN} will
20033 forward exceptions. The argument should be the value of the @dfn{send
20034 rights} of the task. @code{set task excp} is a shorthand alias.
20035
20036 @item set noninvasive
20037 @cindex noninvasive task options
20038 This command switches @value{GDBN} to a mode that is the least
20039 invasive as far as interfering with the inferior is concerned. This
20040 is the same as using @code{set task pause}, @code{set exceptions}, and
20041 @code{set signals} to values opposite to the defaults.
20042
20043 @item info send-rights
20044 @itemx info receive-rights
20045 @itemx info port-rights
20046 @itemx info port-sets
20047 @itemx info dead-names
20048 @itemx info ports
20049 @itemx info psets
20050 @cindex send rights, @sc{gnu} Hurd
20051 @cindex receive rights, @sc{gnu} Hurd
20052 @cindex port rights, @sc{gnu} Hurd
20053 @cindex port sets, @sc{gnu} Hurd
20054 @cindex dead names, @sc{gnu} Hurd
20055 These commands display information about, respectively, send rights,
20056 receive rights, port rights, port sets, and dead names of a task.
20057 There are also shorthand aliases: @code{info ports} for @code{info
20058 port-rights} and @code{info psets} for @code{info port-sets}.
20059
20060 @item set thread pause
20061 @kindex set thread@r{, Hurd command}
20062 @cindex thread properties, @sc{gnu} Hurd
20063 @cindex pause current thread (@sc{gnu} Hurd)
20064 This command toggles current thread suspension when @value{GDBN} has
20065 control. Setting it to on takes effect immediately, and the current
20066 thread is suspended whenever @value{GDBN} gets control. Setting it to
20067 off will take effect the next time the inferior is continued.
20068 Normally, this command has no effect, since when @value{GDBN} has
20069 control, the whole task is suspended. However, if you used @code{set
20070 task pause off} (see above), this command comes in handy to suspend
20071 only the current thread.
20072
20073 @item show thread pause
20074 @kindex show thread@r{, Hurd command}
20075 This command shows the state of current thread suspension.
20076
20077 @item set thread run
20078 This command sets whether the current thread is allowed to run.
20079
20080 @item show thread run
20081 Show whether the current thread is allowed to run.
20082
20083 @item set thread detach-suspend-count
20084 @cindex thread suspend count, @sc{gnu} Hurd
20085 @cindex detach from thread, @sc{gnu} Hurd
20086 This command sets the suspend count @value{GDBN} will leave on a
20087 thread when detaching. This number is relative to the suspend count
20088 found by @value{GDBN} when it notices the thread; use @code{set thread
20089 takeover-suspend-count} to force it to an absolute value.
20090
20091 @item show thread detach-suspend-count
20092 Show the suspend count @value{GDBN} will leave on the thread when
20093 detaching.
20094
20095 @item set thread exception-port
20096 @itemx set thread excp
20097 Set the thread exception port to which to forward exceptions. This
20098 overrides the port set by @code{set task exception-port} (see above).
20099 @code{set thread excp} is the shorthand alias.
20100
20101 @item set thread takeover-suspend-count
20102 Normally, @value{GDBN}'s thread suspend counts are relative to the
20103 value @value{GDBN} finds when it notices each thread. This command
20104 changes the suspend counts to be absolute instead.
20105
20106 @item set thread default
20107 @itemx show thread default
20108 @cindex thread default settings, @sc{gnu} Hurd
20109 Each of the above @code{set thread} commands has a @code{set thread
20110 default} counterpart (e.g., @code{set thread default pause}, @code{set
20111 thread default exception-port}, etc.). The @code{thread default}
20112 variety of commands sets the default thread properties for all
20113 threads; you can then change the properties of individual threads with
20114 the non-default commands.
20115 @end table
20116
20117 @node Darwin
20118 @subsection Darwin
20119 @cindex Darwin
20120
20121 @value{GDBN} provides the following commands specific to the Darwin target:
20122
20123 @table @code
20124 @item set debug darwin @var{num}
20125 @kindex set debug darwin
20126 When set to a non zero value, enables debugging messages specific to
20127 the Darwin support. Higher values produce more verbose output.
20128
20129 @item show debug darwin
20130 @kindex show debug darwin
20131 Show the current state of Darwin messages.
20132
20133 @item set debug mach-o @var{num}
20134 @kindex set debug mach-o
20135 When set to a non zero value, enables debugging messages while
20136 @value{GDBN} is reading Darwin object files. (@dfn{Mach-O} is the
20137 file format used on Darwin for object and executable files.) Higher
20138 values produce more verbose output. This is a command to diagnose
20139 problems internal to @value{GDBN} and should not be needed in normal
20140 usage.
20141
20142 @item show debug mach-o
20143 @kindex show debug mach-o
20144 Show the current state of Mach-O file messages.
20145
20146 @item set mach-exceptions on
20147 @itemx set mach-exceptions off
20148 @kindex set mach-exceptions
20149 On Darwin, faults are first reported as a Mach exception and are then
20150 mapped to a Posix signal. Use this command to turn on trapping of
20151 Mach exceptions in the inferior. This might be sometimes useful to
20152 better understand the cause of a fault. The default is off.
20153
20154 @item show mach-exceptions
20155 @kindex show mach-exceptions
20156 Show the current state of exceptions trapping.
20157 @end table
20158
20159
20160 @node Embedded OS
20161 @section Embedded Operating Systems
20162
20163 This section describes configurations involving the debugging of
20164 embedded operating systems that are available for several different
20165 architectures.
20166
20167 @menu
20168 * VxWorks:: Using @value{GDBN} with VxWorks
20169 @end menu
20170
20171 @value{GDBN} includes the ability to debug programs running on
20172 various real-time operating systems.
20173
20174 @node VxWorks
20175 @subsection Using @value{GDBN} with VxWorks
20176
20177 @cindex VxWorks
20178
20179 @table @code
20180
20181 @kindex target vxworks
20182 @item target vxworks @var{machinename}
20183 A VxWorks system, attached via TCP/IP. The argument @var{machinename}
20184 is the target system's machine name or IP address.
20185
20186 @end table
20187
20188 On VxWorks, @code{load} links @var{filename} dynamically on the
20189 current target system as well as adding its symbols in @value{GDBN}.
20190
20191 @value{GDBN} enables developers to spawn and debug tasks running on networked
20192 VxWorks targets from a Unix host. Already-running tasks spawned from
20193 the VxWorks shell can also be debugged. @value{GDBN} uses code that runs on
20194 both the Unix host and on the VxWorks target. The program
20195 @code{@value{GDBP}} is installed and executed on the Unix host. (It may be
20196 installed with the name @code{vxgdb}, to distinguish it from a
20197 @value{GDBN} for debugging programs on the host itself.)
20198
20199 @table @code
20200 @item VxWorks-timeout @var{args}
20201 @kindex vxworks-timeout
20202 All VxWorks-based targets now support the option @code{vxworks-timeout}.
20203 This option is set by the user, and @var{args} represents the number of
20204 seconds @value{GDBN} waits for responses to rpc's. You might use this if
20205 your VxWorks target is a slow software simulator or is on the far side
20206 of a thin network line.
20207 @end table
20208
20209 The following information on connecting to VxWorks was current when
20210 this manual was produced; newer releases of VxWorks may use revised
20211 procedures.
20212
20213 @findex INCLUDE_RDB
20214 To use @value{GDBN} with VxWorks, you must rebuild your VxWorks kernel
20215 to include the remote debugging interface routines in the VxWorks
20216 library @file{rdb.a}. To do this, define @code{INCLUDE_RDB} in the
20217 VxWorks configuration file @file{configAll.h} and rebuild your VxWorks
20218 kernel. The resulting kernel contains @file{rdb.a}, and spawns the
20219 source debugging task @code{tRdbTask} when VxWorks is booted. For more
20220 information on configuring and remaking VxWorks, see the manufacturer's
20221 manual.
20222 @c VxWorks, see the @cite{VxWorks Programmer's Guide}.
20223
20224 Once you have included @file{rdb.a} in your VxWorks system image and set
20225 your Unix execution search path to find @value{GDBN}, you are ready to
20226 run @value{GDBN}. From your Unix host, run @code{@value{GDBP}} (or
20227 @code{vxgdb}, depending on your installation).
20228
20229 @value{GDBN} comes up showing the prompt:
20230
20231 @smallexample
20232 (vxgdb)
20233 @end smallexample
20234
20235 @menu
20236 * VxWorks Connection:: Connecting to VxWorks
20237 * VxWorks Download:: VxWorks download
20238 * VxWorks Attach:: Running tasks
20239 @end menu
20240
20241 @node VxWorks Connection
20242 @subsubsection Connecting to VxWorks
20243
20244 The @value{GDBN} command @code{target} lets you connect to a VxWorks target on the
20245 network. To connect to a target whose host name is ``@code{tt}'', type:
20246
20247 @smallexample
20248 (vxgdb) target vxworks tt
20249 @end smallexample
20250
20251 @need 750
20252 @value{GDBN} displays messages like these:
20253
20254 @smallexample
20255 Attaching remote machine across net...
20256 Connected to tt.
20257 @end smallexample
20258
20259 @need 1000
20260 @value{GDBN} then attempts to read the symbol tables of any object modules
20261 loaded into the VxWorks target since it was last booted. @value{GDBN} locates
20262 these files by searching the directories listed in the command search
20263 path (@pxref{Environment, ,Your Program's Environment}); if it fails
20264 to find an object file, it displays a message such as:
20265
20266 @smallexample
20267 prog.o: No such file or directory.
20268 @end smallexample
20269
20270 When this happens, add the appropriate directory to the search path with
20271 the @value{GDBN} command @code{path}, and execute the @code{target}
20272 command again.
20273
20274 @node VxWorks Download
20275 @subsubsection VxWorks Download
20276
20277 @cindex download to VxWorks
20278 If you have connected to the VxWorks target and you want to debug an
20279 object that has not yet been loaded, you can use the @value{GDBN}
20280 @code{load} command to download a file from Unix to VxWorks
20281 incrementally. The object file given as an argument to the @code{load}
20282 command is actually opened twice: first by the VxWorks target in order
20283 to download the code, then by @value{GDBN} in order to read the symbol
20284 table. This can lead to problems if the current working directories on
20285 the two systems differ. If both systems have NFS mounted the same
20286 filesystems, you can avoid these problems by using absolute paths.
20287 Otherwise, it is simplest to set the working directory on both systems
20288 to the directory in which the object file resides, and then to reference
20289 the file by its name, without any path. For instance, a program
20290 @file{prog.o} may reside in @file{@var{vxpath}/vw/demo/rdb} in VxWorks
20291 and in @file{@var{hostpath}/vw/demo/rdb} on the host. To load this
20292 program, type this on VxWorks:
20293
20294 @smallexample
20295 -> cd "@var{vxpath}/vw/demo/rdb"
20296 @end smallexample
20297
20298 @noindent
20299 Then, in @value{GDBN}, type:
20300
20301 @smallexample
20302 (vxgdb) cd @var{hostpath}/vw/demo/rdb
20303 (vxgdb) load prog.o
20304 @end smallexample
20305
20306 @value{GDBN} displays a response similar to this:
20307
20308 @smallexample
20309 Reading symbol data from wherever/vw/demo/rdb/prog.o... done.
20310 @end smallexample
20311
20312 You can also use the @code{load} command to reload an object module
20313 after editing and recompiling the corresponding source file. Note that
20314 this makes @value{GDBN} delete all currently-defined breakpoints,
20315 auto-displays, and convenience variables, and to clear the value
20316 history. (This is necessary in order to preserve the integrity of
20317 debugger's data structures that reference the target system's symbol
20318 table.)
20319
20320 @node VxWorks Attach
20321 @subsubsection Running Tasks
20322
20323 @cindex running VxWorks tasks
20324 You can also attach to an existing task using the @code{attach} command as
20325 follows:
20326
20327 @smallexample
20328 (vxgdb) attach @var{task}
20329 @end smallexample
20330
20331 @noindent
20332 where @var{task} is the VxWorks hexadecimal task ID. The task can be running
20333 or suspended when you attach to it. Running tasks are suspended at
20334 the time of attachment.
20335
20336 @node Embedded Processors
20337 @section Embedded Processors
20338
20339 This section goes into details specific to particular embedded
20340 configurations.
20341
20342 @cindex send command to simulator
20343 Whenever a specific embedded processor has a simulator, @value{GDBN}
20344 allows to send an arbitrary command to the simulator.
20345
20346 @table @code
20347 @item sim @var{command}
20348 @kindex sim@r{, a command}
20349 Send an arbitrary @var{command} string to the simulator. Consult the
20350 documentation for the specific simulator in use for information about
20351 acceptable commands.
20352 @end table
20353
20354
20355 @menu
20356 * ARM:: ARM RDI
20357 * M32R/D:: Renesas M32R/D
20358 * M68K:: Motorola M68K
20359 * MicroBlaze:: Xilinx MicroBlaze
20360 * MIPS Embedded:: MIPS Embedded
20361 * PowerPC Embedded:: PowerPC Embedded
20362 * PA:: HP PA Embedded
20363 * Sparclet:: Tsqware Sparclet
20364 * Sparclite:: Fujitsu Sparclite
20365 * Z8000:: Zilog Z8000
20366 * AVR:: Atmel AVR
20367 * CRIS:: CRIS
20368 * Super-H:: Renesas Super-H
20369 @end menu
20370
20371 @node ARM
20372 @subsection ARM
20373 @cindex ARM RDI
20374
20375 @table @code
20376 @kindex target rdi
20377 @item target rdi @var{dev}
20378 ARM Angel monitor, via RDI library interface to ADP protocol. You may
20379 use this target to communicate with both boards running the Angel
20380 monitor, or with the EmbeddedICE JTAG debug device.
20381
20382 @kindex target rdp
20383 @item target rdp @var{dev}
20384 ARM Demon monitor.
20385
20386 @end table
20387
20388 @value{GDBN} provides the following ARM-specific commands:
20389
20390 @table @code
20391 @item set arm disassembler
20392 @kindex set arm
20393 This commands selects from a list of disassembly styles. The
20394 @code{"std"} style is the standard style.
20395
20396 @item show arm disassembler
20397 @kindex show arm
20398 Show the current disassembly style.
20399
20400 @item set arm apcs32
20401 @cindex ARM 32-bit mode
20402 This command toggles ARM operation mode between 32-bit and 26-bit.
20403
20404 @item show arm apcs32
20405 Display the current usage of the ARM 32-bit mode.
20406
20407 @item set arm fpu @var{fputype}
20408 This command sets the ARM floating-point unit (FPU) type. The
20409 argument @var{fputype} can be one of these:
20410
20411 @table @code
20412 @item auto
20413 Determine the FPU type by querying the OS ABI.
20414 @item softfpa
20415 Software FPU, with mixed-endian doubles on little-endian ARM
20416 processors.
20417 @item fpa
20418 GCC-compiled FPA co-processor.
20419 @item softvfp
20420 Software FPU with pure-endian doubles.
20421 @item vfp
20422 VFP co-processor.
20423 @end table
20424
20425 @item show arm fpu
20426 Show the current type of the FPU.
20427
20428 @item set arm abi
20429 This command forces @value{GDBN} to use the specified ABI.
20430
20431 @item show arm abi
20432 Show the currently used ABI.
20433
20434 @item set arm fallback-mode (arm|thumb|auto)
20435 @value{GDBN} uses the symbol table, when available, to determine
20436 whether instructions are ARM or Thumb. This command controls
20437 @value{GDBN}'s default behavior when the symbol table is not
20438 available. The default is @samp{auto}, which causes @value{GDBN} to
20439 use the current execution mode (from the @code{T} bit in the @code{CPSR}
20440 register).
20441
20442 @item show arm fallback-mode
20443 Show the current fallback instruction mode.
20444
20445 @item set arm force-mode (arm|thumb|auto)
20446 This command overrides use of the symbol table to determine whether
20447 instructions are ARM or Thumb. The default is @samp{auto}, which
20448 causes @value{GDBN} to use the symbol table and then the setting
20449 of @samp{set arm fallback-mode}.
20450
20451 @item show arm force-mode
20452 Show the current forced instruction mode.
20453
20454 @item set debug arm
20455 Toggle whether to display ARM-specific debugging messages from the ARM
20456 target support subsystem.
20457
20458 @item show debug arm
20459 Show whether ARM-specific debugging messages are enabled.
20460 @end table
20461
20462 The following commands are available when an ARM target is debugged
20463 using the RDI interface:
20464
20465 @table @code
20466 @item rdilogfile @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
20467 @kindex rdilogfile
20468 @cindex ADP (Angel Debugger Protocol) logging
20469 Set the filename for the ADP (Angel Debugger Protocol) packet log.
20470 With an argument, sets the log file to the specified @var{file}. With
20471 no argument, show the current log file name. The default log file is
20472 @file{rdi.log}.
20473
20474 @item rdilogenable @r{[}@var{arg}@r{]}
20475 @kindex rdilogenable
20476 Control logging of ADP packets. With an argument of 1 or @code{"yes"}
20477 enables logging, with an argument 0 or @code{"no"} disables it. With
20478 no arguments displays the current setting. When logging is enabled,
20479 ADP packets exchanged between @value{GDBN} and the RDI target device
20480 are logged to a file.
20481
20482 @item set rdiromatzero
20483 @kindex set rdiromatzero
20484 @cindex ROM at zero address, RDI
20485 Tell @value{GDBN} whether the target has ROM at address 0. If on,
20486 vector catching is disabled, so that zero address can be used. If off
20487 (the default), vector catching is enabled. For this command to take
20488 effect, it needs to be invoked prior to the @code{target rdi} command.
20489
20490 @item show rdiromatzero
20491 @kindex show rdiromatzero
20492 Show the current setting of ROM at zero address.
20493
20494 @item set rdiheartbeat
20495 @kindex set rdiheartbeat
20496 @cindex RDI heartbeat
20497 Enable or disable RDI heartbeat packets. It is not recommended to
20498 turn on this option, since it confuses ARM and EPI JTAG interface, as
20499 well as the Angel monitor.
20500
20501 @item show rdiheartbeat
20502 @kindex show rdiheartbeat
20503 Show the setting of RDI heartbeat packets.
20504 @end table
20505
20506 @table @code
20507 @item target sim @r{[}@var{simargs}@r{]} @dots{}
20508 The @value{GDBN} ARM simulator accepts the following optional arguments.
20509
20510 @table @code
20511 @item --swi-support=@var{type}
20512 Tell the simulator which SWI interfaces to support.
20513 @var{type} may be a comma separated list of the following values.
20514 The default value is @code{all}.
20515
20516 @table @code
20517 @item none
20518 @item demon
20519 @item angel
20520 @item redboot
20521 @item all
20522 @end table
20523 @end table
20524 @end table
20525
20526 @node M32R/D
20527 @subsection Renesas M32R/D and M32R/SDI
20528
20529 @table @code
20530 @kindex target m32r
20531 @item target m32r @var{dev}
20532 Renesas M32R/D ROM monitor.
20533
20534 @kindex target m32rsdi
20535 @item target m32rsdi @var{dev}
20536 Renesas M32R SDI server, connected via parallel port to the board.
20537 @end table
20538
20539 The following @value{GDBN} commands are specific to the M32R monitor:
20540
20541 @table @code
20542 @item set download-path @var{path}
20543 @kindex set download-path
20544 @cindex find downloadable @sc{srec} files (M32R)
20545 Set the default path for finding downloadable @sc{srec} files.
20546
20547 @item show download-path
20548 @kindex show download-path
20549 Show the default path for downloadable @sc{srec} files.
20550
20551 @item set board-address @var{addr}
20552 @kindex set board-address
20553 @cindex M32-EVA target board address
20554 Set the IP address for the M32R-EVA target board.
20555
20556 @item show board-address
20557 @kindex show board-address
20558 Show the current IP address of the target board.
20559
20560 @item set server-address @var{addr}
20561 @kindex set server-address
20562 @cindex download server address (M32R)
20563 Set the IP address for the download server, which is the @value{GDBN}'s
20564 host machine.
20565
20566 @item show server-address
20567 @kindex show server-address
20568 Display the IP address of the download server.
20569
20570 @item upload @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
20571 @kindex upload@r{, M32R}
20572 Upload the specified @sc{srec} @var{file} via the monitor's Ethernet
20573 upload capability. If no @var{file} argument is given, the current
20574 executable file is uploaded.
20575
20576 @item tload @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
20577 @kindex tload@r{, M32R}
20578 Test the @code{upload} command.
20579 @end table
20580
20581 The following commands are available for M32R/SDI:
20582
20583 @table @code
20584 @item sdireset
20585 @kindex sdireset
20586 @cindex reset SDI connection, M32R
20587 This command resets the SDI connection.
20588
20589 @item sdistatus
20590 @kindex sdistatus
20591 This command shows the SDI connection status.
20592
20593 @item debug_chaos
20594 @kindex debug_chaos
20595 @cindex M32R/Chaos debugging
20596 Instructs the remote that M32R/Chaos debugging is to be used.
20597
20598 @item use_debug_dma
20599 @kindex use_debug_dma
20600 Instructs the remote to use the DEBUG_DMA method of accessing memory.
20601
20602 @item use_mon_code
20603 @kindex use_mon_code
20604 Instructs the remote to use the MON_CODE method of accessing memory.
20605
20606 @item use_ib_break
20607 @kindex use_ib_break
20608 Instructs the remote to set breakpoints by IB break.
20609
20610 @item use_dbt_break
20611 @kindex use_dbt_break
20612 Instructs the remote to set breakpoints by DBT.
20613 @end table
20614
20615 @node M68K
20616 @subsection M68k
20617
20618 The Motorola m68k configuration includes ColdFire support, and a
20619 target command for the following ROM monitor.
20620
20621 @table @code
20622
20623 @kindex target dbug
20624 @item target dbug @var{dev}
20625 dBUG ROM monitor for Motorola ColdFire.
20626
20627 @end table
20628
20629 @node MicroBlaze
20630 @subsection MicroBlaze
20631 @cindex Xilinx MicroBlaze
20632 @cindex XMD, Xilinx Microprocessor Debugger
20633
20634 The MicroBlaze is a soft-core processor supported on various Xilinx
20635 FPGAs, such as Spartan or Virtex series. Boards with these processors
20636 usually have JTAG ports which connect to a host system running the Xilinx
20637 Embedded Development Kit (EDK) or Software Development Kit (SDK).
20638 This host system is used to download the configuration bitstream to
20639 the target FPGA. The Xilinx Microprocessor Debugger (XMD) program
20640 communicates with the target board using the JTAG interface and
20641 presents a @code{gdbserver} interface to the board. By default
20642 @code{xmd} uses port @code{1234}. (While it is possible to change
20643 this default port, it requires the use of undocumented @code{xmd}
20644 commands. Contact Xilinx support if you need to do this.)
20645
20646 Use these GDB commands to connect to the MicroBlaze target processor.
20647
20648 @table @code
20649 @item target remote :1234
20650 Use this command to connect to the target if you are running @value{GDBN}
20651 on the same system as @code{xmd}.
20652
20653 @item target remote @var{xmd-host}:1234
20654 Use this command to connect to the target if it is connected to @code{xmd}
20655 running on a different system named @var{xmd-host}.
20656
20657 @item load
20658 Use this command to download a program to the MicroBlaze target.
20659
20660 @item set debug microblaze @var{n}
20661 Enable MicroBlaze-specific debugging messages if non-zero.
20662
20663 @item show debug microblaze @var{n}
20664 Show MicroBlaze-specific debugging level.
20665 @end table
20666
20667 @node MIPS Embedded
20668 @subsection @acronym{MIPS} Embedded
20669
20670 @cindex @acronym{MIPS} boards
20671 @value{GDBN} can use the @acronym{MIPS} remote debugging protocol to talk to a
20672 @acronym{MIPS} board attached to a serial line. This is available when
20673 you configure @value{GDBN} with @samp{--target=mips-elf}.
20674
20675 @need 1000
20676 Use these @value{GDBN} commands to specify the connection to your target board:
20677
20678 @table @code
20679 @item target mips @var{port}
20680 @kindex target mips @var{port}
20681 To run a program on the board, start up @code{@value{GDBP}} with the
20682 name of your program as the argument. To connect to the board, use the
20683 command @samp{target mips @var{port}}, where @var{port} is the name of
20684 the serial port connected to the board. If the program has not already
20685 been downloaded to the board, you may use the @code{load} command to
20686 download it. You can then use all the usual @value{GDBN} commands.
20687
20688 For example, this sequence connects to the target board through a serial
20689 port, and loads and runs a program called @var{prog} through the
20690 debugger:
20691
20692 @smallexample
20693 host$ @value{GDBP} @var{prog}
20694 @value{GDBN} is free software and @dots{}
20695 (@value{GDBP}) target mips /dev/ttyb
20696 (@value{GDBP}) load @var{prog}
20697 (@value{GDBP}) run
20698 @end smallexample
20699
20700 @item target mips @var{hostname}:@var{portnumber}
20701 On some @value{GDBN} host configurations, you can specify a TCP
20702 connection (for instance, to a serial line managed by a terminal
20703 concentrator) instead of a serial port, using the syntax
20704 @samp{@var{hostname}:@var{portnumber}}.
20705
20706 @item target pmon @var{port}
20707 @kindex target pmon @var{port}
20708 PMON ROM monitor.
20709
20710 @item target ddb @var{port}
20711 @kindex target ddb @var{port}
20712 NEC's DDB variant of PMON for Vr4300.
20713
20714 @item target lsi @var{port}
20715 @kindex target lsi @var{port}
20716 LSI variant of PMON.
20717
20718 @kindex target r3900
20719 @item target r3900 @var{dev}
20720 Densan DVE-R3900 ROM monitor for Toshiba R3900 Mips.
20721
20722 @kindex target array
20723 @item target array @var{dev}
20724 Array Tech LSI33K RAID controller board.
20725
20726 @end table
20727
20728
20729 @noindent
20730 @value{GDBN} also supports these special commands for @acronym{MIPS} targets:
20731
20732 @table @code
20733 @item set mipsfpu double
20734 @itemx set mipsfpu single
20735 @itemx set mipsfpu none
20736 @itemx set mipsfpu auto
20737 @itemx show mipsfpu
20738 @kindex set mipsfpu
20739 @kindex show mipsfpu
20740 @cindex @acronym{MIPS} remote floating point
20741 @cindex floating point, @acronym{MIPS} remote
20742 If your target board does not support the @acronym{MIPS} floating point
20743 coprocessor, you should use the command @samp{set mipsfpu none} (if you
20744 need this, you may wish to put the command in your @value{GDBN} init
20745 file). This tells @value{GDBN} how to find the return value of
20746 functions which return floating point values. It also allows
20747 @value{GDBN} to avoid saving the floating point registers when calling
20748 functions on the board. If you are using a floating point coprocessor
20749 with only single precision floating point support, as on the @sc{r4650}
20750 processor, use the command @samp{set mipsfpu single}. The default
20751 double precision floating point coprocessor may be selected using
20752 @samp{set mipsfpu double}.
20753
20754 In previous versions the only choices were double precision or no
20755 floating point, so @samp{set mipsfpu on} will select double precision
20756 and @samp{set mipsfpu off} will select no floating point.
20757
20758 As usual, you can inquire about the @code{mipsfpu} variable with
20759 @samp{show mipsfpu}.
20760
20761 @item set timeout @var{seconds}
20762 @itemx set retransmit-timeout @var{seconds}
20763 @itemx show timeout
20764 @itemx show retransmit-timeout
20765 @cindex @code{timeout}, @acronym{MIPS} protocol
20766 @cindex @code{retransmit-timeout}, @acronym{MIPS} protocol
20767 @kindex set timeout
20768 @kindex show timeout
20769 @kindex set retransmit-timeout
20770 @kindex show retransmit-timeout
20771 You can control the timeout used while waiting for a packet, in the @acronym{MIPS}
20772 remote protocol, with the @code{set timeout @var{seconds}} command. The
20773 default is 5 seconds. Similarly, you can control the timeout used while
20774 waiting for an acknowledgment of a packet with the @code{set
20775 retransmit-timeout @var{seconds}} command. The default is 3 seconds.
20776 You can inspect both values with @code{show timeout} and @code{show
20777 retransmit-timeout}. (These commands are @emph{only} available when
20778 @value{GDBN} is configured for @samp{--target=mips-elf}.)
20779
20780 The timeout set by @code{set timeout} does not apply when @value{GDBN}
20781 is waiting for your program to stop. In that case, @value{GDBN} waits
20782 forever because it has no way of knowing how long the program is going
20783 to run before stopping.
20784
20785 @item set syn-garbage-limit @var{num}
20786 @kindex set syn-garbage-limit@r{, @acronym{MIPS} remote}
20787 @cindex synchronize with remote @acronym{MIPS} target
20788 Limit the maximum number of characters @value{GDBN} should ignore when
20789 it tries to synchronize with the remote target. The default is 10
20790 characters. Setting the limit to -1 means there's no limit.
20791
20792 @item show syn-garbage-limit
20793 @kindex show syn-garbage-limit@r{, @acronym{MIPS} remote}
20794 Show the current limit on the number of characters to ignore when
20795 trying to synchronize with the remote system.
20796
20797 @item set monitor-prompt @var{prompt}
20798 @kindex set monitor-prompt@r{, @acronym{MIPS} remote}
20799 @cindex remote monitor prompt
20800 Tell @value{GDBN} to expect the specified @var{prompt} string from the
20801 remote monitor. The default depends on the target:
20802 @table @asis
20803 @item pmon target
20804 @samp{PMON}
20805 @item ddb target
20806 @samp{NEC010}
20807 @item lsi target
20808 @samp{PMON>}
20809 @end table
20810
20811 @item show monitor-prompt
20812 @kindex show monitor-prompt@r{, @acronym{MIPS} remote}
20813 Show the current strings @value{GDBN} expects as the prompt from the
20814 remote monitor.
20815
20816 @item set monitor-warnings
20817 @kindex set monitor-warnings@r{, @acronym{MIPS} remote}
20818 Enable or disable monitor warnings about hardware breakpoints. This
20819 has effect only for the @code{lsi} target. When on, @value{GDBN} will
20820 display warning messages whose codes are returned by the @code{lsi}
20821 PMON monitor for breakpoint commands.
20822
20823 @item show monitor-warnings
20824 @kindex show monitor-warnings@r{, @acronym{MIPS} remote}
20825 Show the current setting of printing monitor warnings.
20826
20827 @item pmon @var{command}
20828 @kindex pmon@r{, @acronym{MIPS} remote}
20829 @cindex send PMON command
20830 This command allows sending an arbitrary @var{command} string to the
20831 monitor. The monitor must be in debug mode for this to work.
20832 @end table
20833
20834 @node PowerPC Embedded
20835 @subsection PowerPC Embedded
20836
20837 @cindex DVC register
20838 @value{GDBN} supports using the DVC (Data Value Compare) register to
20839 implement in hardware simple hardware watchpoint conditions of the form:
20840
20841 @smallexample
20842 (@value{GDBP}) watch @var{ADDRESS|VARIABLE} \
20843 if @var{ADDRESS|VARIABLE} == @var{CONSTANT EXPRESSION}
20844 @end smallexample
20845
20846 The DVC register will be automatically used when @value{GDBN} detects
20847 such pattern in a condition expression, and the created watchpoint uses one
20848 debug register (either the @code{exact-watchpoints} option is on and the
20849 variable is scalar, or the variable has a length of one byte). This feature
20850 is available in native @value{GDBN} running on a Linux kernel version 2.6.34
20851 or newer.
20852
20853 When running on PowerPC embedded processors, @value{GDBN} automatically uses
20854 ranged hardware watchpoints, unless the @code{exact-watchpoints} option is on,
20855 in which case watchpoints using only one debug register are created when
20856 watching variables of scalar types.
20857
20858 You can create an artificial array to watch an arbitrary memory
20859 region using one of the following commands (@pxref{Expressions}):
20860
20861 @smallexample
20862 (@value{GDBP}) watch *((char *) @var{address})@@@var{length}
20863 (@value{GDBP}) watch @{char[@var{length}]@} @var{address}
20864 @end smallexample
20865
20866 PowerPC embedded processors support masked watchpoints. See the discussion
20867 about the @code{mask} argument in @ref{Set Watchpoints}.
20868
20869 @cindex ranged breakpoint
20870 PowerPC embedded processors support hardware accelerated
20871 @dfn{ranged breakpoints}. A ranged breakpoint stops execution of
20872 the inferior whenever it executes an instruction at any address within
20873 the range it specifies. To set a ranged breakpoint in @value{GDBN},
20874 use the @code{break-range} command.
20875
20876 @value{GDBN} provides the following PowerPC-specific commands:
20877
20878 @table @code
20879 @kindex break-range
20880 @item break-range @var{start-location}, @var{end-location}
20881 Set a breakpoint for an address range.
20882 @var{start-location} and @var{end-location} can specify a function name,
20883 a line number, an offset of lines from the current line or from the start
20884 location, or an address of an instruction (see @ref{Specify Location},
20885 for a list of all the possible ways to specify a @var{location}.)
20886 The breakpoint will stop execution of the inferior whenever it
20887 executes an instruction at any address within the specified range,
20888 (including @var{start-location} and @var{end-location}.)
20889
20890 @kindex set powerpc
20891 @item set powerpc soft-float
20892 @itemx show powerpc soft-float
20893 Force @value{GDBN} to use (or not use) a software floating point calling
20894 convention. By default, @value{GDBN} selects the calling convention based
20895 on the selected architecture and the provided executable file.
20896
20897 @item set powerpc vector-abi
20898 @itemx show powerpc vector-abi
20899 Force @value{GDBN} to use the specified calling convention for vector
20900 arguments and return values. The valid options are @samp{auto};
20901 @samp{generic}, to avoid vector registers even if they are present;
20902 @samp{altivec}, to use AltiVec registers; and @samp{spe} to use SPE
20903 registers. By default, @value{GDBN} selects the calling convention
20904 based on the selected architecture and the provided executable file.
20905
20906 @item set powerpc exact-watchpoints
20907 @itemx show powerpc exact-watchpoints
20908 Allow @value{GDBN} to use only one debug register when watching a variable
20909 of scalar type, thus assuming that the variable is accessed through the
20910 address of its first byte.
20911
20912 @kindex target dink32
20913 @item target dink32 @var{dev}
20914 DINK32 ROM monitor.
20915
20916 @kindex target ppcbug
20917 @item target ppcbug @var{dev}
20918 @kindex target ppcbug1
20919 @item target ppcbug1 @var{dev}
20920 PPCBUG ROM monitor for PowerPC.
20921
20922 @kindex target sds
20923 @item target sds @var{dev}
20924 SDS monitor, running on a PowerPC board (such as Motorola's ADS).
20925 @end table
20926
20927 @cindex SDS protocol
20928 The following commands specific to the SDS protocol are supported
20929 by @value{GDBN}:
20930
20931 @table @code
20932 @item set sdstimeout @var{nsec}
20933 @kindex set sdstimeout
20934 Set the timeout for SDS protocol reads to be @var{nsec} seconds. The
20935 default is 2 seconds.
20936
20937 @item show sdstimeout
20938 @kindex show sdstimeout
20939 Show the current value of the SDS timeout.
20940
20941 @item sds @var{command}
20942 @kindex sds@r{, a command}
20943 Send the specified @var{command} string to the SDS monitor.
20944 @end table
20945
20946
20947 @node PA
20948 @subsection HP PA Embedded
20949
20950 @table @code
20951
20952 @kindex target op50n
20953 @item target op50n @var{dev}
20954 OP50N monitor, running on an OKI HPPA board.
20955
20956 @kindex target w89k
20957 @item target w89k @var{dev}
20958 W89K monitor, running on a Winbond HPPA board.
20959
20960 @end table
20961
20962 @node Sparclet
20963 @subsection Tsqware Sparclet
20964
20965 @cindex Sparclet
20966
20967 @value{GDBN} enables developers to debug tasks running on
20968 Sparclet targets from a Unix host.
20969 @value{GDBN} uses code that runs on
20970 both the Unix host and on the Sparclet target. The program
20971 @code{@value{GDBP}} is installed and executed on the Unix host.
20972
20973 @table @code
20974 @item remotetimeout @var{args}
20975 @kindex remotetimeout
20976 @value{GDBN} supports the option @code{remotetimeout}.
20977 This option is set by the user, and @var{args} represents the number of
20978 seconds @value{GDBN} waits for responses.
20979 @end table
20980
20981 @cindex compiling, on Sparclet
20982 When compiling for debugging, include the options @samp{-g} to get debug
20983 information and @samp{-Ttext} to relocate the program to where you wish to
20984 load it on the target. You may also want to add the options @samp{-n} or
20985 @samp{-N} in order to reduce the size of the sections. Example:
20986
20987 @smallexample
20988 sparclet-aout-gcc prog.c -Ttext 0x12010000 -g -o prog -N
20989 @end smallexample
20990
20991 You can use @code{objdump} to verify that the addresses are what you intended:
20992
20993 @smallexample
20994 sparclet-aout-objdump --headers --syms prog
20995 @end smallexample
20996
20997 @cindex running, on Sparclet
20998 Once you have set
20999 your Unix execution search path to find @value{GDBN}, you are ready to
21000 run @value{GDBN}. From your Unix host, run @code{@value{GDBP}}
21001 (or @code{sparclet-aout-gdb}, depending on your installation).
21002
21003 @value{GDBN} comes up showing the prompt:
21004
21005 @smallexample
21006 (gdbslet)
21007 @end smallexample
21008
21009 @menu
21010 * Sparclet File:: Setting the file to debug
21011 * Sparclet Connection:: Connecting to Sparclet
21012 * Sparclet Download:: Sparclet download
21013 * Sparclet Execution:: Running and debugging
21014 @end menu
21015
21016 @node Sparclet File
21017 @subsubsection Setting File to Debug
21018
21019 The @value{GDBN} command @code{file} lets you choose with program to debug.
21020
21021 @smallexample
21022 (gdbslet) file prog
21023 @end smallexample
21024
21025 @need 1000
21026 @value{GDBN} then attempts to read the symbol table of @file{prog}.
21027 @value{GDBN} locates
21028 the file by searching the directories listed in the command search
21029 path.
21030 If the file was compiled with debug information (option @samp{-g}), source
21031 files will be searched as well.
21032 @value{GDBN} locates
21033 the source files by searching the directories listed in the directory search
21034 path (@pxref{Environment, ,Your Program's Environment}).
21035 If it fails
21036 to find a file, it displays a message such as:
21037
21038 @smallexample
21039 prog: No such file or directory.
21040 @end smallexample
21041
21042 When this happens, add the appropriate directories to the search paths with
21043 the @value{GDBN} commands @code{path} and @code{dir}, and execute the
21044 @code{target} command again.
21045
21046 @node Sparclet Connection
21047 @subsubsection Connecting to Sparclet
21048
21049 The @value{GDBN} command @code{target} lets you connect to a Sparclet target.
21050 To connect to a target on serial port ``@code{ttya}'', type:
21051
21052 @smallexample
21053 (gdbslet) target sparclet /dev/ttya
21054 Remote target sparclet connected to /dev/ttya
21055 main () at ../prog.c:3
21056 @end smallexample
21057
21058 @need 750
21059 @value{GDBN} displays messages like these:
21060
21061 @smallexample
21062 Connected to ttya.
21063 @end smallexample
21064
21065 @node Sparclet Download
21066 @subsubsection Sparclet Download
21067
21068 @cindex download to Sparclet
21069 Once connected to the Sparclet target,
21070 you can use the @value{GDBN}
21071 @code{load} command to download the file from the host to the target.
21072 The file name and load offset should be given as arguments to the @code{load}
21073 command.
21074 Since the file format is aout, the program must be loaded to the starting
21075 address. You can use @code{objdump} to find out what this value is. The load
21076 offset is an offset which is added to the VMA (virtual memory address)
21077 of each of the file's sections.
21078 For instance, if the program
21079 @file{prog} was linked to text address 0x1201000, with data at 0x12010160
21080 and bss at 0x12010170, in @value{GDBN}, type:
21081
21082 @smallexample
21083 (gdbslet) load prog 0x12010000
21084 Loading section .text, size 0xdb0 vma 0x12010000
21085 @end smallexample
21086
21087 If the code is loaded at a different address then what the program was linked
21088 to, you may need to use the @code{section} and @code{add-symbol-file} commands
21089 to tell @value{GDBN} where to map the symbol table.
21090
21091 @node Sparclet Execution
21092 @subsubsection Running and Debugging
21093
21094 @cindex running and debugging Sparclet programs
21095 You can now begin debugging the task using @value{GDBN}'s execution control
21096 commands, @code{b}, @code{step}, @code{run}, etc. See the @value{GDBN}
21097 manual for the list of commands.
21098
21099 @smallexample
21100 (gdbslet) b main
21101 Breakpoint 1 at 0x12010000: file prog.c, line 3.
21102 (gdbslet) run
21103 Starting program: prog
21104 Breakpoint 1, main (argc=1, argv=0xeffff21c) at prog.c:3
21105 3 char *symarg = 0;
21106 (gdbslet) step
21107 4 char *execarg = "hello!";
21108 (gdbslet)
21109 @end smallexample
21110
21111 @node Sparclite
21112 @subsection Fujitsu Sparclite
21113
21114 @table @code
21115
21116 @kindex target sparclite
21117 @item target sparclite @var{dev}
21118 Fujitsu sparclite boards, used only for the purpose of loading.
21119 You must use an additional command to debug the program.
21120 For example: target remote @var{dev} using @value{GDBN} standard
21121 remote protocol.
21122
21123 @end table
21124
21125 @node Z8000
21126 @subsection Zilog Z8000
21127
21128 @cindex Z8000
21129 @cindex simulator, Z8000
21130 @cindex Zilog Z8000 simulator
21131
21132 When configured for debugging Zilog Z8000 targets, @value{GDBN} includes
21133 a Z8000 simulator.
21134
21135 For the Z8000 family, @samp{target sim} simulates either the Z8002 (the
21136 unsegmented variant of the Z8000 architecture) or the Z8001 (the
21137 segmented variant). The simulator recognizes which architecture is
21138 appropriate by inspecting the object code.
21139
21140 @table @code
21141 @item target sim @var{args}
21142 @kindex sim
21143 @kindex target sim@r{, with Z8000}
21144 Debug programs on a simulated CPU. If the simulator supports setup
21145 options, specify them via @var{args}.
21146 @end table
21147
21148 @noindent
21149 After specifying this target, you can debug programs for the simulated
21150 CPU in the same style as programs for your host computer; use the
21151 @code{file} command to load a new program image, the @code{run} command
21152 to run your program, and so on.
21153
21154 As well as making available all the usual machine registers
21155 (@pxref{Registers, ,Registers}), the Z8000 simulator provides three
21156 additional items of information as specially named registers:
21157
21158 @table @code
21159
21160 @item cycles
21161 Counts clock-ticks in the simulator.
21162
21163 @item insts
21164 Counts instructions run in the simulator.
21165
21166 @item time
21167 Execution time in 60ths of a second.
21168
21169 @end table
21170
21171 You can refer to these values in @value{GDBN} expressions with the usual
21172 conventions; for example, @w{@samp{b fputc if $cycles>5000}} sets a
21173 conditional breakpoint that suspends only after at least 5000
21174 simulated clock ticks.
21175
21176 @node AVR
21177 @subsection Atmel AVR
21178 @cindex AVR
21179
21180 When configured for debugging the Atmel AVR, @value{GDBN} supports the
21181 following AVR-specific commands:
21182
21183 @table @code
21184 @item info io_registers
21185 @kindex info io_registers@r{, AVR}
21186 @cindex I/O registers (Atmel AVR)
21187 This command displays information about the AVR I/O registers. For
21188 each register, @value{GDBN} prints its number and value.
21189 @end table
21190
21191 @node CRIS
21192 @subsection CRIS
21193 @cindex CRIS
21194
21195 When configured for debugging CRIS, @value{GDBN} provides the
21196 following CRIS-specific commands:
21197
21198 @table @code
21199 @item set cris-version @var{ver}
21200 @cindex CRIS version
21201 Set the current CRIS version to @var{ver}, either @samp{10} or @samp{32}.
21202 The CRIS version affects register names and sizes. This command is useful in
21203 case autodetection of the CRIS version fails.
21204
21205 @item show cris-version
21206 Show the current CRIS version.
21207
21208 @item set cris-dwarf2-cfi
21209 @cindex DWARF-2 CFI and CRIS
21210 Set the usage of DWARF-2 CFI for CRIS debugging. The default is @samp{on}.
21211 Change to @samp{off} when using @code{gcc-cris} whose version is below
21212 @code{R59}.
21213
21214 @item show cris-dwarf2-cfi
21215 Show the current state of using DWARF-2 CFI.
21216
21217 @item set cris-mode @var{mode}
21218 @cindex CRIS mode
21219 Set the current CRIS mode to @var{mode}. It should only be changed when
21220 debugging in guru mode, in which case it should be set to
21221 @samp{guru} (the default is @samp{normal}).
21222
21223 @item show cris-mode
21224 Show the current CRIS mode.
21225 @end table
21226
21227 @node Super-H
21228 @subsection Renesas Super-H
21229 @cindex Super-H
21230
21231 For the Renesas Super-H processor, @value{GDBN} provides these
21232 commands:
21233
21234 @table @code
21235 @item set sh calling-convention @var{convention}
21236 @kindex set sh calling-convention
21237 Set the calling-convention used when calling functions from @value{GDBN}.
21238 Allowed values are @samp{gcc}, which is the default setting, and @samp{renesas}.
21239 With the @samp{gcc} setting, functions are called using the @value{NGCC} calling
21240 convention. If the DWARF-2 information of the called function specifies
21241 that the function follows the Renesas calling convention, the function
21242 is called using the Renesas calling convention. If the calling convention
21243 is set to @samp{renesas}, the Renesas calling convention is always used,
21244 regardless of the DWARF-2 information. This can be used to override the
21245 default of @samp{gcc} if debug information is missing, or the compiler
21246 does not emit the DWARF-2 calling convention entry for a function.
21247
21248 @item show sh calling-convention
21249 @kindex show sh calling-convention
21250 Show the current calling convention setting.
21251
21252 @end table
21253
21254
21255 @node Architectures
21256 @section Architectures
21257
21258 This section describes characteristics of architectures that affect
21259 all uses of @value{GDBN} with the architecture, both native and cross.
21260
21261 @menu
21262 * AArch64::
21263 * i386::
21264 * Alpha::
21265 * MIPS::
21266 * HPPA:: HP PA architecture
21267 * SPU:: Cell Broadband Engine SPU architecture
21268 * PowerPC::
21269 * Nios II::
21270 @end menu
21271
21272 @node AArch64
21273 @subsection AArch64
21274 @cindex AArch64 support
21275
21276 When @value{GDBN} is debugging the AArch64 architecture, it provides the
21277 following special commands:
21278
21279 @table @code
21280 @item set debug aarch64
21281 @kindex set debug aarch64
21282 This command determines whether AArch64 architecture-specific debugging
21283 messages are to be displayed.
21284
21285 @item show debug aarch64
21286 Show whether AArch64 debugging messages are displayed.
21287
21288 @end table
21289
21290 @node i386
21291 @subsection x86 Architecture-specific Issues
21292
21293 @table @code
21294 @item set struct-convention @var{mode}
21295 @kindex set struct-convention
21296 @cindex struct return convention
21297 @cindex struct/union returned in registers
21298 Set the convention used by the inferior to return @code{struct}s and
21299 @code{union}s from functions to @var{mode}. Possible values of
21300 @var{mode} are @code{"pcc"}, @code{"reg"}, and @code{"default"} (the
21301 default). @code{"default"} or @code{"pcc"} means that @code{struct}s
21302 are returned on the stack, while @code{"reg"} means that a
21303 @code{struct} or a @code{union} whose size is 1, 2, 4, or 8 bytes will
21304 be returned in a register.
21305
21306 @item show struct-convention
21307 @kindex show struct-convention
21308 Show the current setting of the convention to return @code{struct}s
21309 from functions.
21310 @end table
21311
21312 @node Alpha
21313 @subsection Alpha
21314
21315 See the following section.
21316
21317 @node MIPS
21318 @subsection @acronym{MIPS}
21319
21320 @cindex stack on Alpha
21321 @cindex stack on @acronym{MIPS}
21322 @cindex Alpha stack
21323 @cindex @acronym{MIPS} stack
21324 Alpha- and @acronym{MIPS}-based computers use an unusual stack frame, which
21325 sometimes requires @value{GDBN} to search backward in the object code to
21326 find the beginning of a function.
21327
21328 @cindex response time, @acronym{MIPS} debugging
21329 To improve response time (especially for embedded applications, where
21330 @value{GDBN} may be restricted to a slow serial line for this search)
21331 you may want to limit the size of this search, using one of these
21332 commands:
21333
21334 @table @code
21335 @cindex @code{heuristic-fence-post} (Alpha, @acronym{MIPS})
21336 @item set heuristic-fence-post @var{limit}
21337 Restrict @value{GDBN} to examining at most @var{limit} bytes in its
21338 search for the beginning of a function. A value of @var{0} (the
21339 default) means there is no limit. However, except for @var{0}, the
21340 larger the limit the more bytes @code{heuristic-fence-post} must search
21341 and therefore the longer it takes to run. You should only need to use
21342 this command when debugging a stripped executable.
21343
21344 @item show heuristic-fence-post
21345 Display the current limit.
21346 @end table
21347
21348 @noindent
21349 These commands are available @emph{only} when @value{GDBN} is configured
21350 for debugging programs on Alpha or @acronym{MIPS} processors.
21351
21352 Several @acronym{MIPS}-specific commands are available when debugging @acronym{MIPS}
21353 programs:
21354
21355 @table @code
21356 @item set mips abi @var{arg}
21357 @kindex set mips abi
21358 @cindex set ABI for @acronym{MIPS}
21359 Tell @value{GDBN} which @acronym{MIPS} ABI is used by the inferior. Possible
21360 values of @var{arg} are:
21361
21362 @table @samp
21363 @item auto
21364 The default ABI associated with the current binary (this is the
21365 default).
21366 @item o32
21367 @item o64
21368 @item n32
21369 @item n64
21370 @item eabi32
21371 @item eabi64
21372 @end table
21373
21374 @item show mips abi
21375 @kindex show mips abi
21376 Show the @acronym{MIPS} ABI used by @value{GDBN} to debug the inferior.
21377
21378 @item set mips compression @var{arg}
21379 @kindex set mips compression
21380 @cindex code compression, @acronym{MIPS}
21381 Tell @value{GDBN} which @acronym{MIPS} compressed
21382 @acronym{ISA, Instruction Set Architecture} encoding is used by the
21383 inferior. @value{GDBN} uses this for code disassembly and other
21384 internal interpretation purposes. This setting is only referred to
21385 when no executable has been associated with the debugging session or
21386 the executable does not provide information about the encoding it uses.
21387 Otherwise this setting is automatically updated from information
21388 provided by the executable.
21389
21390 Possible values of @var{arg} are @samp{mips16} and @samp{micromips}.
21391 The default compressed @acronym{ISA} encoding is @samp{mips16}, as
21392 executables containing @acronym{MIPS16} code frequently are not
21393 identified as such.
21394
21395 This setting is ``sticky''; that is, it retains its value across
21396 debugging sessions until reset either explicitly with this command or
21397 implicitly from an executable.
21398
21399 The compiler and/or assembler typically add symbol table annotations to
21400 identify functions compiled for the @acronym{MIPS16} or
21401 @acronym{microMIPS} @acronym{ISA}s. If these function-scope annotations
21402 are present, @value{GDBN} uses them in preference to the global
21403 compressed @acronym{ISA} encoding setting.
21404
21405 @item show mips compression
21406 @kindex show mips compression
21407 Show the @acronym{MIPS} compressed @acronym{ISA} encoding used by
21408 @value{GDBN} to debug the inferior.
21409
21410 @item set mipsfpu
21411 @itemx show mipsfpu
21412 @xref{MIPS Embedded, set mipsfpu}.
21413
21414 @item set mips mask-address @var{arg}
21415 @kindex set mips mask-address
21416 @cindex @acronym{MIPS} addresses, masking
21417 This command determines whether the most-significant 32 bits of 64-bit
21418 @acronym{MIPS} addresses are masked off. The argument @var{arg} can be
21419 @samp{on}, @samp{off}, or @samp{auto}. The latter is the default
21420 setting, which lets @value{GDBN} determine the correct value.
21421
21422 @item show mips mask-address
21423 @kindex show mips mask-address
21424 Show whether the upper 32 bits of @acronym{MIPS} addresses are masked off or
21425 not.
21426
21427 @item set remote-mips64-transfers-32bit-regs
21428 @kindex set remote-mips64-transfers-32bit-regs
21429 This command controls compatibility with 64-bit @acronym{MIPS} targets that
21430 transfer data in 32-bit quantities. If you have an old @acronym{MIPS} 64 target
21431 that transfers 32 bits for some registers, like @sc{sr} and @sc{fsr},
21432 and 64 bits for other registers, set this option to @samp{on}.
21433
21434 @item show remote-mips64-transfers-32bit-regs
21435 @kindex show remote-mips64-transfers-32bit-regs
21436 Show the current setting of compatibility with older @acronym{MIPS} 64 targets.
21437
21438 @item set debug mips
21439 @kindex set debug mips
21440 This command turns on and off debugging messages for the @acronym{MIPS}-specific
21441 target code in @value{GDBN}.
21442
21443 @item show debug mips
21444 @kindex show debug mips
21445 Show the current setting of @acronym{MIPS} debugging messages.
21446 @end table
21447
21448
21449 @node HPPA
21450 @subsection HPPA
21451 @cindex HPPA support
21452
21453 When @value{GDBN} is debugging the HP PA architecture, it provides the
21454 following special commands:
21455
21456 @table @code
21457 @item set debug hppa
21458 @kindex set debug hppa
21459 This command determines whether HPPA architecture-specific debugging
21460 messages are to be displayed.
21461
21462 @item show debug hppa
21463 Show whether HPPA debugging messages are displayed.
21464
21465 @item maint print unwind @var{address}
21466 @kindex maint print unwind@r{, HPPA}
21467 This command displays the contents of the unwind table entry at the
21468 given @var{address}.
21469
21470 @end table
21471
21472
21473 @node SPU
21474 @subsection Cell Broadband Engine SPU architecture
21475 @cindex Cell Broadband Engine
21476 @cindex SPU
21477
21478 When @value{GDBN} is debugging the Cell Broadband Engine SPU architecture,
21479 it provides the following special commands:
21480
21481 @table @code
21482 @item info spu event
21483 @kindex info spu
21484 Display SPU event facility status. Shows current event mask
21485 and pending event status.
21486
21487 @item info spu signal
21488 Display SPU signal notification facility status. Shows pending
21489 signal-control word and signal notification mode of both signal
21490 notification channels.
21491
21492 @item info spu mailbox
21493 Display SPU mailbox facility status. Shows all pending entries,
21494 in order of processing, in each of the SPU Write Outbound,
21495 SPU Write Outbound Interrupt, and SPU Read Inbound mailboxes.
21496
21497 @item info spu dma
21498 Display MFC DMA status. Shows all pending commands in the MFC
21499 DMA queue. For each entry, opcode, tag, class IDs, effective
21500 and local store addresses and transfer size are shown.
21501
21502 @item info spu proxydma
21503 Display MFC Proxy-DMA status. Shows all pending commands in the MFC
21504 Proxy-DMA queue. For each entry, opcode, tag, class IDs, effective
21505 and local store addresses and transfer size are shown.
21506
21507 @end table
21508
21509 When @value{GDBN} is debugging a combined PowerPC/SPU application
21510 on the Cell Broadband Engine, it provides in addition the following
21511 special commands:
21512
21513 @table @code
21514 @item set spu stop-on-load @var{arg}
21515 @kindex set spu
21516 Set whether to stop for new SPE threads. When set to @code{on}, @value{GDBN}
21517 will give control to the user when a new SPE thread enters its @code{main}
21518 function. The default is @code{off}.
21519
21520 @item show spu stop-on-load
21521 @kindex show spu
21522 Show whether to stop for new SPE threads.
21523
21524 @item set spu auto-flush-cache @var{arg}
21525 Set whether to automatically flush the software-managed cache. When set to
21526 @code{on}, @value{GDBN} will automatically cause the SPE software-managed
21527 cache to be flushed whenever SPE execution stops. This provides a consistent
21528 view of PowerPC memory that is accessed via the cache. If an application
21529 does not use the software-managed cache, this option has no effect.
21530
21531 @item show spu auto-flush-cache
21532 Show whether to automatically flush the software-managed cache.
21533
21534 @end table
21535
21536 @node PowerPC
21537 @subsection PowerPC
21538 @cindex PowerPC architecture
21539
21540 When @value{GDBN} is debugging the PowerPC architecture, it provides a set of
21541 pseudo-registers to enable inspection of 128-bit wide Decimal Floating Point
21542 numbers stored in the floating point registers. These values must be stored
21543 in two consecutive registers, always starting at an even register like
21544 @code{f0} or @code{f2}.
21545
21546 The pseudo-registers go from @code{$dl0} through @code{$dl15}, and are formed
21547 by joining the even/odd register pairs @code{f0} and @code{f1} for @code{$dl0},
21548 @code{f2} and @code{f3} for @code{$dl1} and so on.
21549
21550 For POWER7 processors, @value{GDBN} provides a set of pseudo-registers, the 64-bit
21551 wide Extended Floating Point Registers (@samp{f32} through @samp{f63}).
21552
21553 @node Nios II
21554 @subsection Nios II
21555 @cindex Nios II architecture
21556
21557 When @value{GDBN} is debugging the Nios II architecture,
21558 it provides the following special commands:
21559
21560 @table @code
21561
21562 @item set debug nios2
21563 @kindex set debug nios2
21564 This command turns on and off debugging messages for the Nios II
21565 target code in @value{GDBN}.
21566
21567 @item show debug nios2
21568 @kindex show debug nios2
21569 Show the current setting of Nios II debugging messages.
21570 @end table
21571
21572 @node Controlling GDB
21573 @chapter Controlling @value{GDBN}
21574
21575 You can alter the way @value{GDBN} interacts with you by using the
21576 @code{set} command. For commands controlling how @value{GDBN} displays
21577 data, see @ref{Print Settings, ,Print Settings}. Other settings are
21578 described here.
21579
21580 @menu
21581 * Prompt:: Prompt
21582 * Editing:: Command editing
21583 * Command History:: Command history
21584 * Screen Size:: Screen size
21585 * Numbers:: Numbers
21586 * ABI:: Configuring the current ABI
21587 * Auto-loading:: Automatically loading associated files
21588 * Messages/Warnings:: Optional warnings and messages
21589 * Debugging Output:: Optional messages about internal happenings
21590 * Other Misc Settings:: Other Miscellaneous Settings
21591 @end menu
21592
21593 @node Prompt
21594 @section Prompt
21595
21596 @cindex prompt
21597
21598 @value{GDBN} indicates its readiness to read a command by printing a string
21599 called the @dfn{prompt}. This string is normally @samp{(@value{GDBP})}. You
21600 can change the prompt string with the @code{set prompt} command. For
21601 instance, when debugging @value{GDBN} with @value{GDBN}, it is useful to change
21602 the prompt in one of the @value{GDBN} sessions so that you can always tell
21603 which one you are talking to.
21604
21605 @emph{Note:} @code{set prompt} does not add a space for you after the
21606 prompt you set. This allows you to set a prompt which ends in a space
21607 or a prompt that does not.
21608
21609 @table @code
21610 @kindex set prompt
21611 @item set prompt @var{newprompt}
21612 Directs @value{GDBN} to use @var{newprompt} as its prompt string henceforth.
21613
21614 @kindex show prompt
21615 @item show prompt
21616 Prints a line of the form: @samp{Gdb's prompt is: @var{your-prompt}}
21617 @end table
21618
21619 Versions of @value{GDBN} that ship with Python scripting enabled have
21620 prompt extensions. The commands for interacting with these extensions
21621 are:
21622
21623 @table @code
21624 @kindex set extended-prompt
21625 @item set extended-prompt @var{prompt}
21626 Set an extended prompt that allows for substitutions.
21627 @xref{gdb.prompt}, for a list of escape sequences that can be used for
21628 substitution. Any escape sequences specified as part of the prompt
21629 string are replaced with the corresponding strings each time the prompt
21630 is displayed.
21631
21632 For example:
21633
21634 @smallexample
21635 set extended-prompt Current working directory: \w (gdb)
21636 @end smallexample
21637
21638 Note that when an extended-prompt is set, it takes control of the
21639 @var{prompt_hook} hook. @xref{prompt_hook}, for further information.
21640
21641 @kindex show extended-prompt
21642 @item show extended-prompt
21643 Prints the extended prompt. Any escape sequences specified as part of
21644 the prompt string with @code{set extended-prompt}, are replaced with the
21645 corresponding strings each time the prompt is displayed.
21646 @end table
21647
21648 @node Editing
21649 @section Command Editing
21650 @cindex readline
21651 @cindex command line editing
21652
21653 @value{GDBN} reads its input commands via the @dfn{Readline} interface. This
21654 @sc{gnu} library provides consistent behavior for programs which provide a
21655 command line interface to the user. Advantages are @sc{gnu} Emacs-style
21656 or @dfn{vi}-style inline editing of commands, @code{csh}-like history
21657 substitution, and a storage and recall of command history across
21658 debugging sessions.
21659
21660 You may control the behavior of command line editing in @value{GDBN} with the
21661 command @code{set}.
21662
21663 @table @code
21664 @kindex set editing
21665 @cindex editing
21666 @item set editing
21667 @itemx set editing on
21668 Enable command line editing (enabled by default).
21669
21670 @item set editing off
21671 Disable command line editing.
21672
21673 @kindex show editing
21674 @item show editing
21675 Show whether command line editing is enabled.
21676 @end table
21677
21678 @ifset SYSTEM_READLINE
21679 @xref{Command Line Editing, , , rluserman, GNU Readline Library},
21680 @end ifset
21681 @ifclear SYSTEM_READLINE
21682 @xref{Command Line Editing},
21683 @end ifclear
21684 for more details about the Readline
21685 interface. Users unfamiliar with @sc{gnu} Emacs or @code{vi} are
21686 encouraged to read that chapter.
21687
21688 @node Command History
21689 @section Command History
21690 @cindex command history
21691
21692 @value{GDBN} can keep track of the commands you type during your
21693 debugging sessions, so that you can be certain of precisely what
21694 happened. Use these commands to manage the @value{GDBN} command
21695 history facility.
21696
21697 @value{GDBN} uses the @sc{gnu} History library, a part of the Readline
21698 package, to provide the history facility.
21699 @ifset SYSTEM_READLINE
21700 @xref{Using History Interactively, , , history, GNU History Library},
21701 @end ifset
21702 @ifclear SYSTEM_READLINE
21703 @xref{Using History Interactively},
21704 @end ifclear
21705 for the detailed description of the History library.
21706
21707 To issue a command to @value{GDBN} without affecting certain aspects of
21708 the state which is seen by users, prefix it with @samp{server }
21709 (@pxref{Server Prefix}). This
21710 means that this command will not affect the command history, nor will it
21711 affect @value{GDBN}'s notion of which command to repeat if @key{RET} is
21712 pressed on a line by itself.
21713
21714 @cindex @code{server}, command prefix
21715 The server prefix does not affect the recording of values into the value
21716 history; to print a value without recording it into the value history,
21717 use the @code{output} command instead of the @code{print} command.
21718
21719 Here is the description of @value{GDBN} commands related to command
21720 history.
21721
21722 @table @code
21723 @cindex history substitution
21724 @cindex history file
21725 @kindex set history filename
21726 @cindex @env{GDBHISTFILE}, environment variable
21727 @item set history filename @var{fname}
21728 Set the name of the @value{GDBN} command history file to @var{fname}.
21729 This is the file where @value{GDBN} reads an initial command history
21730 list, and where it writes the command history from this session when it
21731 exits. You can access this list through history expansion or through
21732 the history command editing characters listed below. This file defaults
21733 to the value of the environment variable @code{GDBHISTFILE}, or to
21734 @file{./.gdb_history} (@file{./_gdb_history} on MS-DOS) if this variable
21735 is not set.
21736
21737 @cindex save command history
21738 @kindex set history save
21739 @item set history save
21740 @itemx set history save on
21741 Record command history in a file, whose name may be specified with the
21742 @code{set history filename} command. By default, this option is disabled.
21743
21744 @item set history save off
21745 Stop recording command history in a file.
21746
21747 @cindex history size
21748 @kindex set history size
21749 @cindex @env{HISTSIZE}, environment variable
21750 @item set history size @var{size}
21751 @itemx set history size unlimited
21752 Set the number of commands which @value{GDBN} keeps in its history list.
21753 This defaults to the value of the environment variable
21754 @code{HISTSIZE}, or to 256 if this variable is not set. If @var{size}
21755 is @code{unlimited}, the number of commands @value{GDBN} keeps in the
21756 history list is unlimited.
21757 @end table
21758
21759 History expansion assigns special meaning to the character @kbd{!}.
21760 @ifset SYSTEM_READLINE
21761 @xref{Event Designators, , , history, GNU History Library},
21762 @end ifset
21763 @ifclear SYSTEM_READLINE
21764 @xref{Event Designators},
21765 @end ifclear
21766 for more details.
21767
21768 @cindex history expansion, turn on/off
21769 Since @kbd{!} is also the logical not operator in C, history expansion
21770 is off by default. If you decide to enable history expansion with the
21771 @code{set history expansion on} command, you may sometimes need to
21772 follow @kbd{!} (when it is used as logical not, in an expression) with
21773 a space or a tab to prevent it from being expanded. The readline
21774 history facilities do not attempt substitution on the strings
21775 @kbd{!=} and @kbd{!(}, even when history expansion is enabled.
21776
21777 The commands to control history expansion are:
21778
21779 @table @code
21780 @item set history expansion on
21781 @itemx set history expansion
21782 @kindex set history expansion
21783 Enable history expansion. History expansion is off by default.
21784
21785 @item set history expansion off
21786 Disable history expansion.
21787
21788 @c @group
21789 @kindex show history
21790 @item show history
21791 @itemx show history filename
21792 @itemx show history save
21793 @itemx show history size
21794 @itemx show history expansion
21795 These commands display the state of the @value{GDBN} history parameters.
21796 @code{show history} by itself displays all four states.
21797 @c @end group
21798 @end table
21799
21800 @table @code
21801 @kindex show commands
21802 @cindex show last commands
21803 @cindex display command history
21804 @item show commands
21805 Display the last ten commands in the command history.
21806
21807 @item show commands @var{n}
21808 Print ten commands centered on command number @var{n}.
21809
21810 @item show commands +
21811 Print ten commands just after the commands last printed.
21812 @end table
21813
21814 @node Screen Size
21815 @section Screen Size
21816 @cindex size of screen
21817 @cindex pauses in output
21818
21819 Certain commands to @value{GDBN} may produce large amounts of
21820 information output to the screen. To help you read all of it,
21821 @value{GDBN} pauses and asks you for input at the end of each page of
21822 output. Type @key{RET} when you want to continue the output, or @kbd{q}
21823 to discard the remaining output. Also, the screen width setting
21824 determines when to wrap lines of output. Depending on what is being
21825 printed, @value{GDBN} tries to break the line at a readable place,
21826 rather than simply letting it overflow onto the following line.
21827
21828 Normally @value{GDBN} knows the size of the screen from the terminal
21829 driver software. For example, on Unix @value{GDBN} uses the termcap data base
21830 together with the value of the @code{TERM} environment variable and the
21831 @code{stty rows} and @code{stty cols} settings. If this is not correct,
21832 you can override it with the @code{set height} and @code{set
21833 width} commands:
21834
21835 @table @code
21836 @kindex set height
21837 @kindex set width
21838 @kindex show width
21839 @kindex show height
21840 @item set height @var{lpp}
21841 @itemx set height unlimited
21842 @itemx show height
21843 @itemx set width @var{cpl}
21844 @itemx set width unlimited
21845 @itemx show width
21846 These @code{set} commands specify a screen height of @var{lpp} lines and
21847 a screen width of @var{cpl} characters. The associated @code{show}
21848 commands display the current settings.
21849
21850 If you specify a height of either @code{unlimited} or zero lines,
21851 @value{GDBN} does not pause during output no matter how long the
21852 output is. This is useful if output is to a file or to an editor
21853 buffer.
21854
21855 Likewise, you can specify @samp{set width unlimited} or @samp{set
21856 width 0} to prevent @value{GDBN} from wrapping its output.
21857
21858 @item set pagination on
21859 @itemx set pagination off
21860 @kindex set pagination
21861 Turn the output pagination on or off; the default is on. Turning
21862 pagination off is the alternative to @code{set height unlimited}. Note that
21863 running @value{GDBN} with the @option{--batch} option (@pxref{Mode
21864 Options, -batch}) also automatically disables pagination.
21865
21866 @item show pagination
21867 @kindex show pagination
21868 Show the current pagination mode.
21869 @end table
21870
21871 @node Numbers
21872 @section Numbers
21873 @cindex number representation
21874 @cindex entering numbers
21875
21876 You can always enter numbers in octal, decimal, or hexadecimal in
21877 @value{GDBN} by the usual conventions: octal numbers begin with
21878 @samp{0}, decimal numbers end with @samp{.}, and hexadecimal numbers
21879 begin with @samp{0x}. Numbers that neither begin with @samp{0} or
21880 @samp{0x}, nor end with a @samp{.} are, by default, entered in base
21881 10; likewise, the default display for numbers---when no particular
21882 format is specified---is base 10. You can change the default base for
21883 both input and output with the commands described below.
21884
21885 @table @code
21886 @kindex set input-radix
21887 @item set input-radix @var{base}
21888 Set the default base for numeric input. Supported choices
21889 for @var{base} are decimal 8, 10, or 16. @var{base} must itself be
21890 specified either unambiguously or using the current input radix; for
21891 example, any of
21892
21893 @smallexample
21894 set input-radix 012
21895 set input-radix 10.
21896 set input-radix 0xa
21897 @end smallexample
21898
21899 @noindent
21900 sets the input base to decimal. On the other hand, @samp{set input-radix 10}
21901 leaves the input radix unchanged, no matter what it was, since
21902 @samp{10}, being without any leading or trailing signs of its base, is
21903 interpreted in the current radix. Thus, if the current radix is 16,
21904 @samp{10} is interpreted in hex, i.e.@: as 16 decimal, which doesn't
21905 change the radix.
21906
21907 @kindex set output-radix
21908 @item set output-radix @var{base}
21909 Set the default base for numeric display. Supported choices
21910 for @var{base} are decimal 8, 10, or 16. @var{base} must itself be
21911 specified either unambiguously or using the current input radix.
21912
21913 @kindex show input-radix
21914 @item show input-radix
21915 Display the current default base for numeric input.
21916
21917 @kindex show output-radix
21918 @item show output-radix
21919 Display the current default base for numeric display.
21920
21921 @item set radix @r{[}@var{base}@r{]}
21922 @itemx show radix
21923 @kindex set radix
21924 @kindex show radix
21925 These commands set and show the default base for both input and output
21926 of numbers. @code{set radix} sets the radix of input and output to
21927 the same base; without an argument, it resets the radix back to its
21928 default value of 10.
21929
21930 @end table
21931
21932 @node ABI
21933 @section Configuring the Current ABI
21934
21935 @value{GDBN} can determine the @dfn{ABI} (Application Binary Interface) of your
21936 application automatically. However, sometimes you need to override its
21937 conclusions. Use these commands to manage @value{GDBN}'s view of the
21938 current ABI.
21939
21940 @cindex OS ABI
21941 @kindex set osabi
21942 @kindex show osabi
21943 @cindex Newlib OS ABI and its influence on the longjmp handling
21944
21945 One @value{GDBN} configuration can debug binaries for multiple operating
21946 system targets, either via remote debugging or native emulation.
21947 @value{GDBN} will autodetect the @dfn{OS ABI} (Operating System ABI) in use,
21948 but you can override its conclusion using the @code{set osabi} command.
21949 One example where this is useful is in debugging of binaries which use
21950 an alternate C library (e.g.@: @sc{uClibc} for @sc{gnu}/Linux) which does
21951 not have the same identifying marks that the standard C library for your
21952 platform provides.
21953
21954 When @value{GDBN} is debugging the AArch64 architecture, it provides a
21955 ``Newlib'' OS ABI. This is useful for handling @code{setjmp} and
21956 @code{longjmp} when debugging binaries that use the @sc{newlib} C library.
21957 The ``Newlib'' OS ABI can be selected by @code{set osabi Newlib}.
21958
21959 @table @code
21960 @item show osabi
21961 Show the OS ABI currently in use.
21962
21963 @item set osabi
21964 With no argument, show the list of registered available OS ABI's.
21965
21966 @item set osabi @var{abi}
21967 Set the current OS ABI to @var{abi}.
21968 @end table
21969
21970 @cindex float promotion
21971
21972 Generally, the way that an argument of type @code{float} is passed to a
21973 function depends on whether the function is prototyped. For a prototyped
21974 (i.e.@: ANSI/ISO style) function, @code{float} arguments are passed unchanged,
21975 according to the architecture's convention for @code{float}. For unprototyped
21976 (i.e.@: K&R style) functions, @code{float} arguments are first promoted to type
21977 @code{double} and then passed.
21978
21979 Unfortunately, some forms of debug information do not reliably indicate whether
21980 a function is prototyped. If @value{GDBN} calls a function that is not marked
21981 as prototyped, it consults @kbd{set coerce-float-to-double}.
21982
21983 @table @code
21984 @kindex set coerce-float-to-double
21985 @item set coerce-float-to-double
21986 @itemx set coerce-float-to-double on
21987 Arguments of type @code{float} will be promoted to @code{double} when passed
21988 to an unprototyped function. This is the default setting.
21989
21990 @item set coerce-float-to-double off
21991 Arguments of type @code{float} will be passed directly to unprototyped
21992 functions.
21993
21994 @kindex show coerce-float-to-double
21995 @item show coerce-float-to-double
21996 Show the current setting of promoting @code{float} to @code{double}.
21997 @end table
21998
21999 @kindex set cp-abi
22000 @kindex show cp-abi
22001 @value{GDBN} needs to know the ABI used for your program's C@t{++}
22002 objects. The correct C@t{++} ABI depends on which C@t{++} compiler was
22003 used to build your application. @value{GDBN} only fully supports
22004 programs with a single C@t{++} ABI; if your program contains code using
22005 multiple C@t{++} ABI's or if @value{GDBN} can not identify your
22006 program's ABI correctly, you can tell @value{GDBN} which ABI to use.
22007 Currently supported ABI's include ``gnu-v2'', for @code{g++} versions
22008 before 3.0, ``gnu-v3'', for @code{g++} versions 3.0 and later, and
22009 ``hpaCC'' for the HP ANSI C@t{++} compiler. Other C@t{++} compilers may
22010 use the ``gnu-v2'' or ``gnu-v3'' ABI's as well. The default setting is
22011 ``auto''.
22012
22013 @table @code
22014 @item show cp-abi
22015 Show the C@t{++} ABI currently in use.
22016
22017 @item set cp-abi
22018 With no argument, show the list of supported C@t{++} ABI's.
22019
22020 @item set cp-abi @var{abi}
22021 @itemx set cp-abi auto
22022 Set the current C@t{++} ABI to @var{abi}, or return to automatic detection.
22023 @end table
22024
22025 @node Auto-loading
22026 @section Automatically loading associated files
22027 @cindex auto-loading
22028
22029 @value{GDBN} sometimes reads files with commands and settings automatically,
22030 without being explicitly told so by the user. We call this feature
22031 @dfn{auto-loading}. While auto-loading is useful for automatically adapting
22032 @value{GDBN} to the needs of your project, it can sometimes produce unexpected
22033 results or introduce security risks (e.g., if the file comes from untrusted
22034 sources).
22035
22036 Note that loading of these associated files (including the local @file{.gdbinit}
22037 file) requires accordingly configured @code{auto-load safe-path}
22038 (@pxref{Auto-loading safe path}).
22039
22040 For these reasons, @value{GDBN} includes commands and options to let you
22041 control when to auto-load files and which files should be auto-loaded.
22042
22043 @table @code
22044 @anchor{set auto-load off}
22045 @kindex set auto-load off
22046 @item set auto-load off
22047 Globally disable loading of all auto-loaded files.
22048 You may want to use this command with the @samp{-iex} option
22049 (@pxref{Option -init-eval-command}) such as:
22050 @smallexample
22051 $ @kbd{gdb -iex "set auto-load off" untrusted-executable corefile}
22052 @end smallexample
22053
22054 Be aware that system init file (@pxref{System-wide configuration})
22055 and init files from your home directory (@pxref{Home Directory Init File})
22056 still get read (as they come from generally trusted directories).
22057 To prevent @value{GDBN} from auto-loading even those init files, use the
22058 @option{-nx} option (@pxref{Mode Options}), in addition to
22059 @code{set auto-load no}.
22060
22061 @anchor{show auto-load}
22062 @kindex show auto-load
22063 @item show auto-load
22064 Show whether auto-loading of each specific @samp{auto-load} file(s) is enabled
22065 or disabled.
22066
22067 @smallexample
22068 (gdb) show auto-load
22069 gdb-scripts: Auto-loading of canned sequences of commands scripts is on.
22070 libthread-db: Auto-loading of inferior specific libthread_db is on.
22071 local-gdbinit: Auto-loading of .gdbinit script from current directory
22072 is on.
22073 python-scripts: Auto-loading of Python scripts is on.
22074 safe-path: List of directories from which it is safe to auto-load files
22075 is $debugdir:$datadir/auto-load.
22076 scripts-directory: List of directories from which to load auto-loaded scripts
22077 is $debugdir:$datadir/auto-load.
22078 @end smallexample
22079
22080 @anchor{info auto-load}
22081 @kindex info auto-load
22082 @item info auto-load
22083 Print whether each specific @samp{auto-load} file(s) have been auto-loaded or
22084 not.
22085
22086 @smallexample
22087 (gdb) info auto-load
22088 gdb-scripts:
22089 Loaded Script
22090 Yes /home/user/gdb/gdb-gdb.gdb
22091 libthread-db: No auto-loaded libthread-db.
22092 local-gdbinit: Local .gdbinit file "/home/user/gdb/.gdbinit" has been
22093 loaded.
22094 python-scripts:
22095 Loaded Script
22096 Yes /home/user/gdb/gdb-gdb.py
22097 @end smallexample
22098 @end table
22099
22100 These are various kinds of files @value{GDBN} can automatically load:
22101
22102 @itemize @bullet
22103 @item
22104 @xref{objfile-gdb.py file}, controlled by @ref{set auto-load python-scripts}.
22105 @item
22106 @xref{objfile-gdb.gdb file}, controlled by @ref{set auto-load gdb-scripts}.
22107 @item
22108 @xref{dotdebug_gdb_scripts section},
22109 controlled by @ref{set auto-load python-scripts}.
22110 @item
22111 @xref{Init File in the Current Directory},
22112 controlled by @ref{set auto-load local-gdbinit}.
22113 @item
22114 @xref{libthread_db.so.1 file}, controlled by @ref{set auto-load libthread-db}.
22115 @end itemize
22116
22117 These are @value{GDBN} control commands for the auto-loading:
22118
22119 @multitable @columnfractions .5 .5
22120 @item @xref{set auto-load off}.
22121 @tab Disable auto-loading globally.
22122 @item @xref{show auto-load}.
22123 @tab Show setting of all kinds of files.
22124 @item @xref{info auto-load}.
22125 @tab Show state of all kinds of files.
22126 @item @xref{set auto-load gdb-scripts}.
22127 @tab Control for @value{GDBN} command scripts.
22128 @item @xref{show auto-load gdb-scripts}.
22129 @tab Show setting of @value{GDBN} command scripts.
22130 @item @xref{info auto-load gdb-scripts}.
22131 @tab Show state of @value{GDBN} command scripts.
22132 @item @xref{set auto-load python-scripts}.
22133 @tab Control for @value{GDBN} Python scripts.
22134 @item @xref{show auto-load python-scripts}.
22135 @tab Show setting of @value{GDBN} Python scripts.
22136 @item @xref{info auto-load python-scripts}.
22137 @tab Show state of @value{GDBN} Python scripts.
22138 @item @xref{set auto-load scripts-directory}.
22139 @tab Control for @value{GDBN} auto-loaded scripts location.
22140 @item @xref{show auto-load scripts-directory}.
22141 @tab Show @value{GDBN} auto-loaded scripts location.
22142 @item @xref{set auto-load local-gdbinit}.
22143 @tab Control for init file in the current directory.
22144 @item @xref{show auto-load local-gdbinit}.
22145 @tab Show setting of init file in the current directory.
22146 @item @xref{info auto-load local-gdbinit}.
22147 @tab Show state of init file in the current directory.
22148 @item @xref{set auto-load libthread-db}.
22149 @tab Control for thread debugging library.
22150 @item @xref{show auto-load libthread-db}.
22151 @tab Show setting of thread debugging library.
22152 @item @xref{info auto-load libthread-db}.
22153 @tab Show state of thread debugging library.
22154 @item @xref{set auto-load safe-path}.
22155 @tab Control directories trusted for automatic loading.
22156 @item @xref{show auto-load safe-path}.
22157 @tab Show directories trusted for automatic loading.
22158 @item @xref{add-auto-load-safe-path}.
22159 @tab Add directory trusted for automatic loading.
22160 @end multitable
22161
22162 @menu
22163 * Init File in the Current Directory:: @samp{set/show/info auto-load local-gdbinit}
22164 * libthread_db.so.1 file:: @samp{set/show/info auto-load libthread-db}
22165 * objfile-gdb.gdb file:: @samp{set/show/info auto-load gdb-script}
22166 * Auto-loading safe path:: @samp{set/show/info auto-load safe-path}
22167 * Auto-loading verbose mode:: @samp{set/show debug auto-load}
22168 @xref{Python Auto-loading}.
22169 @end menu
22170
22171 @node Init File in the Current Directory
22172 @subsection Automatically loading init file in the current directory
22173 @cindex auto-loading init file in the current directory
22174
22175 By default, @value{GDBN} reads and executes the canned sequences of commands
22176 from init file (if any) in the current working directory,
22177 see @ref{Init File in the Current Directory during Startup}.
22178
22179 Note that loading of this local @file{.gdbinit} file also requires accordingly
22180 configured @code{auto-load safe-path} (@pxref{Auto-loading safe path}).
22181
22182 @table @code
22183 @anchor{set auto-load local-gdbinit}
22184 @kindex set auto-load local-gdbinit
22185 @item set auto-load local-gdbinit [on|off]
22186 Enable or disable the auto-loading of canned sequences of commands
22187 (@pxref{Sequences}) found in init file in the current directory.
22188
22189 @anchor{show auto-load local-gdbinit}
22190 @kindex show auto-load local-gdbinit
22191 @item show auto-load local-gdbinit
22192 Show whether auto-loading of canned sequences of commands from init file in the
22193 current directory is enabled or disabled.
22194
22195 @anchor{info auto-load local-gdbinit}
22196 @kindex info auto-load local-gdbinit
22197 @item info auto-load local-gdbinit
22198 Print whether canned sequences of commands from init file in the
22199 current directory have been auto-loaded.
22200 @end table
22201
22202 @node libthread_db.so.1 file
22203 @subsection Automatically loading thread debugging library
22204 @cindex auto-loading libthread_db.so.1
22205
22206 This feature is currently present only on @sc{gnu}/Linux native hosts.
22207
22208 @value{GDBN} reads in some cases thread debugging library from places specific
22209 to the inferior (@pxref{set libthread-db-search-path}).
22210
22211 The special @samp{libthread-db-search-path} entry @samp{$sdir} is processed
22212 without checking this @samp{set auto-load libthread-db} switch as system
22213 libraries have to be trusted in general. In all other cases of
22214 @samp{libthread-db-search-path} entries @value{GDBN} checks first if @samp{set
22215 auto-load libthread-db} is enabled before trying to open such thread debugging
22216 library.
22217
22218 Note that loading of this debugging library also requires accordingly configured
22219 @code{auto-load safe-path} (@pxref{Auto-loading safe path}).
22220
22221 @table @code
22222 @anchor{set auto-load libthread-db}
22223 @kindex set auto-load libthread-db
22224 @item set auto-load libthread-db [on|off]
22225 Enable or disable the auto-loading of inferior specific thread debugging library.
22226
22227 @anchor{show auto-load libthread-db}
22228 @kindex show auto-load libthread-db
22229 @item show auto-load libthread-db
22230 Show whether auto-loading of inferior specific thread debugging library is
22231 enabled or disabled.
22232
22233 @anchor{info auto-load libthread-db}
22234 @kindex info auto-load libthread-db
22235 @item info auto-load libthread-db
22236 Print the list of all loaded inferior specific thread debugging libraries and
22237 for each such library print list of inferior @var{pid}s using it.
22238 @end table
22239
22240 @node objfile-gdb.gdb file
22241 @subsection The @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.gdb} file
22242 @cindex auto-loading @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.gdb}
22243
22244 @value{GDBN} tries to load an @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.gdb} file containing
22245 canned sequences of commands (@pxref{Sequences}), as long as @samp{set
22246 auto-load gdb-scripts} is set to @samp{on}.
22247
22248 Note that loading of this script file also requires accordingly configured
22249 @code{auto-load safe-path} (@pxref{Auto-loading safe path}).
22250
22251 For more background refer to the similar Python scripts auto-loading
22252 description (@pxref{objfile-gdb.py file}).
22253
22254 @table @code
22255 @anchor{set auto-load gdb-scripts}
22256 @kindex set auto-load gdb-scripts
22257 @item set auto-load gdb-scripts [on|off]
22258 Enable or disable the auto-loading of canned sequences of commands scripts.
22259
22260 @anchor{show auto-load gdb-scripts}
22261 @kindex show auto-load gdb-scripts
22262 @item show auto-load gdb-scripts
22263 Show whether auto-loading of canned sequences of commands scripts is enabled or
22264 disabled.
22265
22266 @anchor{info auto-load gdb-scripts}
22267 @kindex info auto-load gdb-scripts
22268 @cindex print list of auto-loaded canned sequences of commands scripts
22269 @item info auto-load gdb-scripts [@var{regexp}]
22270 Print the list of all canned sequences of commands scripts that @value{GDBN}
22271 auto-loaded.
22272 @end table
22273
22274 If @var{regexp} is supplied only canned sequences of commands scripts with
22275 matching names are printed.
22276
22277 @node Auto-loading safe path
22278 @subsection Security restriction for auto-loading
22279 @cindex auto-loading safe-path
22280
22281 As the files of inferior can come from untrusted source (such as submitted by
22282 an application user) @value{GDBN} does not always load any files automatically.
22283 @value{GDBN} provides the @samp{set auto-load safe-path} setting to list
22284 directories trusted for loading files not explicitly requested by user.
22285 Each directory can also be a shell wildcard pattern.
22286
22287 If the path is not set properly you will see a warning and the file will not
22288 get loaded:
22289
22290 @smallexample
22291 $ ./gdb -q ./gdb
22292 Reading symbols from /home/user/gdb/gdb...done.
22293 warning: File "/home/user/gdb/gdb-gdb.gdb" auto-loading has been
22294 declined by your `auto-load safe-path' set
22295 to "$debugdir:$datadir/auto-load".
22296 warning: File "/home/user/gdb/gdb-gdb.py" auto-loading has been
22297 declined by your `auto-load safe-path' set
22298 to "$debugdir:$datadir/auto-load".
22299 @end smallexample
22300
22301 @noindent
22302 To instruct @value{GDBN} to go ahead and use the init files anyway,
22303 invoke @value{GDBN} like this:
22304
22305 @smallexample
22306 $ gdb -q -iex "set auto-load safe-path /home/user/gdb" ./gdb
22307 @end smallexample
22308
22309 The list of trusted directories is controlled by the following commands:
22310
22311 @table @code
22312 @anchor{set auto-load safe-path}
22313 @kindex set auto-load safe-path
22314 @item set auto-load safe-path @r{[}@var{directories}@r{]}
22315 Set the list of directories (and their subdirectories) trusted for automatic
22316 loading and execution of scripts. You can also enter a specific trusted file.
22317 Each directory can also be a shell wildcard pattern; wildcards do not match
22318 directory separator - see @code{FNM_PATHNAME} for system function @code{fnmatch}
22319 (@pxref{Wildcard Matching, fnmatch, , libc, GNU C Library Reference Manual}).
22320 If you omit @var{directories}, @samp{auto-load safe-path} will be reset to
22321 its default value as specified during @value{GDBN} compilation.
22322
22323 The list of directories uses path separator (@samp{:} on GNU and Unix
22324 systems, @samp{;} on MS-Windows and MS-DOS) to separate directories, similarly
22325 to the @env{PATH} environment variable.
22326
22327 @anchor{show auto-load safe-path}
22328 @kindex show auto-load safe-path
22329 @item show auto-load safe-path
22330 Show the list of directories trusted for automatic loading and execution of
22331 scripts.
22332
22333 @anchor{add-auto-load-safe-path}
22334 @kindex add-auto-load-safe-path
22335 @item add-auto-load-safe-path
22336 Add an entry (or list of entries) the list of directories trusted for automatic
22337 loading and execution of scripts. Multiple entries may be delimited by the
22338 host platform path separator in use.
22339 @end table
22340
22341 This variable defaults to what @code{--with-auto-load-dir} has been configured
22342 to (@pxref{with-auto-load-dir}). @file{$debugdir} and @file{$datadir}
22343 substitution applies the same as for @ref{set auto-load scripts-directory}.
22344 The default @code{set auto-load safe-path} value can be also overriden by
22345 @value{GDBN} configuration option @option{--with-auto-load-safe-path}.
22346
22347 Setting this variable to @file{/} disables this security protection,
22348 corresponding @value{GDBN} configuration option is
22349 @option{--without-auto-load-safe-path}.
22350 This variable is supposed to be set to the system directories writable by the
22351 system superuser only. Users can add their source directories in init files in
22352 their home directories (@pxref{Home Directory Init File}). See also deprecated
22353 init file in the current directory
22354 (@pxref{Init File in the Current Directory during Startup}).
22355
22356 To force @value{GDBN} to load the files it declined to load in the previous
22357 example, you could use one of the following ways:
22358
22359 @table @asis
22360 @item @file{~/.gdbinit}: @samp{add-auto-load-safe-path ~/src/gdb}
22361 Specify this trusted directory (or a file) as additional component of the list.
22362 You have to specify also any existing directories displayed by
22363 by @samp{show auto-load safe-path} (such as @samp{/usr:/bin} in this example).
22364
22365 @item @kbd{gdb -iex "set auto-load safe-path /usr:/bin:~/src/gdb" @dots{}}
22366 Specify this directory as in the previous case but just for a single
22367 @value{GDBN} session.
22368
22369 @item @kbd{gdb -iex "set auto-load safe-path /" @dots{}}
22370 Disable auto-loading safety for a single @value{GDBN} session.
22371 This assumes all the files you debug during this @value{GDBN} session will come
22372 from trusted sources.
22373
22374 @item @kbd{./configure --without-auto-load-safe-path}
22375 During compilation of @value{GDBN} you may disable any auto-loading safety.
22376 This assumes all the files you will ever debug with this @value{GDBN} come from
22377 trusted sources.
22378 @end table
22379
22380 On the other hand you can also explicitly forbid automatic files loading which
22381 also suppresses any such warning messages:
22382
22383 @table @asis
22384 @item @kbd{gdb -iex "set auto-load no" @dots{}}
22385 You can use @value{GDBN} command-line option for a single @value{GDBN} session.
22386
22387 @item @file{~/.gdbinit}: @samp{set auto-load no}
22388 Disable auto-loading globally for the user
22389 (@pxref{Home Directory Init File}). While it is improbable, you could also
22390 use system init file instead (@pxref{System-wide configuration}).
22391 @end table
22392
22393 This setting applies to the file names as entered by user. If no entry matches
22394 @value{GDBN} tries as a last resort to also resolve all the file names into
22395 their canonical form (typically resolving symbolic links) and compare the
22396 entries again. @value{GDBN} already canonicalizes most of the filenames on its
22397 own before starting the comparison so a canonical form of directories is
22398 recommended to be entered.
22399
22400 @node Auto-loading verbose mode
22401 @subsection Displaying files tried for auto-load
22402 @cindex auto-loading verbose mode
22403
22404 For better visibility of all the file locations where you can place scripts to
22405 be auto-loaded with inferior --- or to protect yourself against accidental
22406 execution of untrusted scripts --- @value{GDBN} provides a feature for printing
22407 all the files attempted to be loaded. Both existing and non-existing files may
22408 be printed.
22409
22410 For example the list of directories from which it is safe to auto-load files
22411 (@pxref{Auto-loading safe path}) applies also to canonicalized filenames which
22412 may not be too obvious while setting it up.
22413
22414 @smallexample
22415 (gdb) set debug auto-load on
22416 (gdb) file ~/src/t/true
22417 auto-load: Loading canned sequences of commands script "/tmp/true-gdb.gdb"
22418 for objfile "/tmp/true".
22419 auto-load: Updating directories of "/usr:/opt".
22420 auto-load: Using directory "/usr".
22421 auto-load: Using directory "/opt".
22422 warning: File "/tmp/true-gdb.gdb" auto-loading has been declined
22423 by your `auto-load safe-path' set to "/usr:/opt".
22424 @end smallexample
22425
22426 @table @code
22427 @anchor{set debug auto-load}
22428 @kindex set debug auto-load
22429 @item set debug auto-load [on|off]
22430 Set whether to print the filenames attempted to be auto-loaded.
22431
22432 @anchor{show debug auto-load}
22433 @kindex show debug auto-load
22434 @item show debug auto-load
22435 Show whether printing of the filenames attempted to be auto-loaded is turned
22436 on or off.
22437 @end table
22438
22439 @node Messages/Warnings
22440 @section Optional Warnings and Messages
22441
22442 @cindex verbose operation
22443 @cindex optional warnings
22444 By default, @value{GDBN} is silent about its inner workings. If you are
22445 running on a slow machine, you may want to use the @code{set verbose}
22446 command. This makes @value{GDBN} tell you when it does a lengthy
22447 internal operation, so you will not think it has crashed.
22448
22449 Currently, the messages controlled by @code{set verbose} are those
22450 which announce that the symbol table for a source file is being read;
22451 see @code{symbol-file} in @ref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}.
22452
22453 @table @code
22454 @kindex set verbose
22455 @item set verbose on
22456 Enables @value{GDBN} output of certain informational messages.
22457
22458 @item set verbose off
22459 Disables @value{GDBN} output of certain informational messages.
22460
22461 @kindex show verbose
22462 @item show verbose
22463 Displays whether @code{set verbose} is on or off.
22464 @end table
22465
22466 By default, if @value{GDBN} encounters bugs in the symbol table of an
22467 object file, it is silent; but if you are debugging a compiler, you may
22468 find this information useful (@pxref{Symbol Errors, ,Errors Reading
22469 Symbol Files}).
22470
22471 @table @code
22472
22473 @kindex set complaints
22474 @item set complaints @var{limit}
22475 Permits @value{GDBN} to output @var{limit} complaints about each type of
22476 unusual symbols before becoming silent about the problem. Set
22477 @var{limit} to zero to suppress all complaints; set it to a large number
22478 to prevent complaints from being suppressed.
22479
22480 @kindex show complaints
22481 @item show complaints
22482 Displays how many symbol complaints @value{GDBN} is permitted to produce.
22483
22484 @end table
22485
22486 @anchor{confirmation requests}
22487 By default, @value{GDBN} is cautious, and asks what sometimes seems to be a
22488 lot of stupid questions to confirm certain commands. For example, if
22489 you try to run a program which is already running:
22490
22491 @smallexample
22492 (@value{GDBP}) run
22493 The program being debugged has been started already.
22494 Start it from the beginning? (y or n)
22495 @end smallexample
22496
22497 If you are willing to unflinchingly face the consequences of your own
22498 commands, you can disable this ``feature'':
22499
22500 @table @code
22501
22502 @kindex set confirm
22503 @cindex flinching
22504 @cindex confirmation
22505 @cindex stupid questions
22506 @item set confirm off
22507 Disables confirmation requests. Note that running @value{GDBN} with
22508 the @option{--batch} option (@pxref{Mode Options, -batch}) also
22509 automatically disables confirmation requests.
22510
22511 @item set confirm on
22512 Enables confirmation requests (the default).
22513
22514 @kindex show confirm
22515 @item show confirm
22516 Displays state of confirmation requests.
22517
22518 @end table
22519
22520 @cindex command tracing
22521 If you need to debug user-defined commands or sourced files you may find it
22522 useful to enable @dfn{command tracing}. In this mode each command will be
22523 printed as it is executed, prefixed with one or more @samp{+} symbols, the
22524 quantity denoting the call depth of each command.
22525
22526 @table @code
22527 @kindex set trace-commands
22528 @cindex command scripts, debugging
22529 @item set trace-commands on
22530 Enable command tracing.
22531 @item set trace-commands off
22532 Disable command tracing.
22533 @item show trace-commands
22534 Display the current state of command tracing.
22535 @end table
22536
22537 @node Debugging Output
22538 @section Optional Messages about Internal Happenings
22539 @cindex optional debugging messages
22540
22541 @value{GDBN} has commands that enable optional debugging messages from
22542 various @value{GDBN} subsystems; normally these commands are of
22543 interest to @value{GDBN} maintainers, or when reporting a bug. This
22544 section documents those commands.
22545
22546 @table @code
22547 @kindex set exec-done-display
22548 @item set exec-done-display
22549 Turns on or off the notification of asynchronous commands'
22550 completion. When on, @value{GDBN} will print a message when an
22551 asynchronous command finishes its execution. The default is off.
22552 @kindex show exec-done-display
22553 @item show exec-done-display
22554 Displays the current setting of asynchronous command completion
22555 notification.
22556 @kindex set debug
22557 @cindex ARM AArch64
22558 @item set debug aarch64
22559 Turns on or off display of debugging messages related to ARM AArch64.
22560 The default is off.
22561 @kindex show debug
22562 @item show debug aarch64
22563 Displays the current state of displaying debugging messages related to
22564 ARM AArch64.
22565 @cindex gdbarch debugging info
22566 @cindex architecture debugging info
22567 @item set debug arch
22568 Turns on or off display of gdbarch debugging info. The default is off
22569 @item show debug arch
22570 Displays the current state of displaying gdbarch debugging info.
22571 @item set debug aix-solib
22572 @cindex AIX shared library debugging
22573 Control display of debugging messages from the AIX shared library
22574 support module. The default is off.
22575 @item show debug aix-thread
22576 Show the current state of displaying AIX shared library debugging messages.
22577 @item set debug aix-thread
22578 @cindex AIX threads
22579 Display debugging messages about inner workings of the AIX thread
22580 module.
22581 @item show debug aix-thread
22582 Show the current state of AIX thread debugging info display.
22583 @item set debug check-physname
22584 @cindex physname
22585 Check the results of the ``physname'' computation. When reading DWARF
22586 debugging information for C@t{++}, @value{GDBN} attempts to compute
22587 each entity's name. @value{GDBN} can do this computation in two
22588 different ways, depending on exactly what information is present.
22589 When enabled, this setting causes @value{GDBN} to compute the names
22590 both ways and display any discrepancies.
22591 @item show debug check-physname
22592 Show the current state of ``physname'' checking.
22593 @item set debug coff-pe-read
22594 @cindex COFF/PE exported symbols
22595 Control display of debugging messages related to reading of COFF/PE
22596 exported symbols. The default is off.
22597 @item show debug coff-pe-read
22598 Displays the current state of displaying debugging messages related to
22599 reading of COFF/PE exported symbols.
22600 @item set debug dwarf2-die
22601 @cindex DWARF2 DIEs
22602 Dump DWARF2 DIEs after they are read in.
22603 The value is the number of nesting levels to print.
22604 A value of zero turns off the display.
22605 @item show debug dwarf2-die
22606 Show the current state of DWARF2 DIE debugging.
22607 @item set debug dwarf2-read
22608 @cindex DWARF2 Reading
22609 Turns on or off display of debugging messages related to reading
22610 DWARF debug info. The default is off.
22611 @item show debug dwarf2-read
22612 Show the current state of DWARF2 reader debugging.
22613 @item set debug displaced
22614 @cindex displaced stepping debugging info
22615 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} debugging info for the
22616 displaced stepping support. The default is off.
22617 @item show debug displaced
22618 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} debugging info
22619 related to displaced stepping.
22620 @item set debug event
22621 @cindex event debugging info
22622 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} event debugging info. The
22623 default is off.
22624 @item show debug event
22625 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} event debugging
22626 info.
22627 @item set debug expression
22628 @cindex expression debugging info
22629 Turns on or off display of debugging info about @value{GDBN}
22630 expression parsing. The default is off.
22631 @item show debug expression
22632 Displays the current state of displaying debugging info about
22633 @value{GDBN} expression parsing.
22634 @item set debug frame
22635 @cindex frame debugging info
22636 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} frame debugging info. The
22637 default is off.
22638 @item show debug frame
22639 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} frame debugging
22640 info.
22641 @item set debug gnu-nat
22642 @cindex @sc{gnu}/Hurd debug messages
22643 Turns on or off debugging messages from the @sc{gnu}/Hurd debug support.
22644 @item show debug gnu-nat
22645 Show the current state of @sc{gnu}/Hurd debugging messages.
22646 @item set debug infrun
22647 @cindex inferior debugging info
22648 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} debugging info for running the inferior.
22649 The default is off. @file{infrun.c} contains GDB's runtime state machine used
22650 for implementing operations such as single-stepping the inferior.
22651 @item show debug infrun
22652 Displays the current state of @value{GDBN} inferior debugging.
22653 @item set debug jit
22654 @cindex just-in-time compilation, debugging messages
22655 Turns on or off debugging messages from JIT debug support.
22656 @item show debug jit
22657 Displays the current state of @value{GDBN} JIT debugging.
22658 @item set debug lin-lwp
22659 @cindex @sc{gnu}/Linux LWP debug messages
22660 @cindex Linux lightweight processes
22661 Turns on or off debugging messages from the Linux LWP debug support.
22662 @item show debug lin-lwp
22663 Show the current state of Linux LWP debugging messages.
22664 @item set debug mach-o
22665 @cindex Mach-O symbols processing
22666 Control display of debugging messages related to Mach-O symbols
22667 processing. The default is off.
22668 @item show debug mach-o
22669 Displays the current state of displaying debugging messages related to
22670 reading of COFF/PE exported symbols.
22671 @item set debug notification
22672 @cindex remote async notification debugging info
22673 Turns on or off debugging messages about remote async notification.
22674 The default is off.
22675 @item show debug notification
22676 Displays the current state of remote async notification debugging messages.
22677 @item set debug observer
22678 @cindex observer debugging info
22679 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} observer debugging. This
22680 includes info such as the notification of observable events.
22681 @item show debug observer
22682 Displays the current state of observer debugging.
22683 @item set debug overload
22684 @cindex C@t{++} overload debugging info
22685 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} C@t{++} overload debugging
22686 info. This includes info such as ranking of functions, etc. The default
22687 is off.
22688 @item show debug overload
22689 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} C@t{++} overload
22690 debugging info.
22691 @cindex expression parser, debugging info
22692 @cindex debug expression parser
22693 @item set debug parser
22694 Turns on or off the display of expression parser debugging output.
22695 Internally, this sets the @code{yydebug} variable in the expression
22696 parser. @xref{Tracing, , Tracing Your Parser, bison, Bison}, for
22697 details. The default is off.
22698 @item show debug parser
22699 Show the current state of expression parser debugging.
22700 @cindex packets, reporting on stdout
22701 @cindex serial connections, debugging
22702 @cindex debug remote protocol
22703 @cindex remote protocol debugging
22704 @cindex display remote packets
22705 @item set debug remote
22706 Turns on or off display of reports on all packets sent back and forth across
22707 the serial line to the remote machine. The info is printed on the
22708 @value{GDBN} standard output stream. The default is off.
22709 @item show debug remote
22710 Displays the state of display of remote packets.
22711 @item set debug serial
22712 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} serial debugging info. The
22713 default is off.
22714 @item show debug serial
22715 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} serial debugging
22716 info.
22717 @item set debug solib-frv
22718 @cindex FR-V shared-library debugging
22719 Turns on or off debugging messages for FR-V shared-library code.
22720 @item show debug solib-frv
22721 Display the current state of FR-V shared-library code debugging
22722 messages.
22723 @item set debug symfile
22724 @cindex symbol file functions
22725 Turns on or off display of debugging messages related to symbol file functions.
22726 The default is off. @xref{Files}.
22727 @item show debug symfile
22728 Show the current state of symbol file debugging messages.
22729 @item set debug symtab-create
22730 @cindex symbol table creation
22731 Turns on or off display of debugging messages related to symbol table creation.
22732 The default is off.
22733 @item show debug symtab-create
22734 Show the current state of symbol table creation debugging.
22735 @item set debug target
22736 @cindex target debugging info
22737 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} target debugging info. This info
22738 includes what is going on at the target level of GDB, as it happens. The
22739 default is 0. Set it to 1 to track events, and to 2 to also track the
22740 value of large memory transfers. Changes to this flag do not take effect
22741 until the next time you connect to a target or use the @code{run} command.
22742 @item show debug target
22743 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} target debugging
22744 info.
22745 @item set debug timestamp
22746 @cindex timestampping debugging info
22747 Turns on or off display of timestamps with @value{GDBN} debugging info.
22748 When enabled, seconds and microseconds are displayed before each debugging
22749 message.
22750 @item show debug timestamp
22751 Displays the current state of displaying timestamps with @value{GDBN}
22752 debugging info.
22753 @item set debugvarobj
22754 @cindex variable object debugging info
22755 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} variable object debugging
22756 info. The default is off.
22757 @item show debugvarobj
22758 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} variable object
22759 debugging info.
22760 @item set debug xml
22761 @cindex XML parser debugging
22762 Turns on or off debugging messages for built-in XML parsers.
22763 @item show debug xml
22764 Displays the current state of XML debugging messages.
22765 @end table
22766
22767 @node Other Misc Settings
22768 @section Other Miscellaneous Settings
22769 @cindex miscellaneous settings
22770
22771 @table @code
22772 @kindex set interactive-mode
22773 @item set interactive-mode
22774 If @code{on}, forces @value{GDBN} to assume that GDB was started
22775 in a terminal. In practice, this means that @value{GDBN} should wait
22776 for the user to answer queries generated by commands entered at
22777 the command prompt. If @code{off}, forces @value{GDBN} to operate
22778 in the opposite mode, and it uses the default answers to all queries.
22779 If @code{auto} (the default), @value{GDBN} tries to determine whether
22780 its standard input is a terminal, and works in interactive-mode if it
22781 is, non-interactively otherwise.
22782
22783 In the vast majority of cases, the debugger should be able to guess
22784 correctly which mode should be used. But this setting can be useful
22785 in certain specific cases, such as running a MinGW @value{GDBN}
22786 inside a cygwin window.
22787
22788 @kindex show interactive-mode
22789 @item show interactive-mode
22790 Displays whether the debugger is operating in interactive mode or not.
22791 @end table
22792
22793 @node Extending GDB
22794 @chapter Extending @value{GDBN}
22795 @cindex extending GDB
22796
22797 @value{GDBN} provides three mechanisms for extension. The first is based
22798 on composition of @value{GDBN} commands, the second is based on the
22799 Python scripting language, and the third is for defining new aliases of
22800 existing commands.
22801
22802 To facilitate the use of the first two extensions, @value{GDBN} is capable
22803 of evaluating the contents of a file. When doing so, @value{GDBN}
22804 can recognize which scripting language is being used by looking at
22805 the filename extension. Files with an unrecognized filename extension
22806 are always treated as a @value{GDBN} Command Files.
22807 @xref{Command Files,, Command files}.
22808
22809 You can control how @value{GDBN} evaluates these files with the following
22810 setting:
22811
22812 @table @code
22813 @kindex set script-extension
22814 @kindex show script-extension
22815 @item set script-extension off
22816 All scripts are always evaluated as @value{GDBN} Command Files.
22817
22818 @item set script-extension soft
22819 The debugger determines the scripting language based on filename
22820 extension. If this scripting language is supported, @value{GDBN}
22821 evaluates the script using that language. Otherwise, it evaluates
22822 the file as a @value{GDBN} Command File.
22823
22824 @item set script-extension strict
22825 The debugger determines the scripting language based on filename
22826 extension, and evaluates the script using that language. If the
22827 language is not supported, then the evaluation fails.
22828
22829 @item show script-extension
22830 Display the current value of the @code{script-extension} option.
22831
22832 @end table
22833
22834 @menu
22835 * Sequences:: Canned Sequences of Commands
22836 * Python:: Scripting @value{GDBN} using Python
22837 * Aliases:: Creating new spellings of existing commands
22838 @end menu
22839
22840 @node Sequences
22841 @section Canned Sequences of Commands
22842
22843 Aside from breakpoint commands (@pxref{Break Commands, ,Breakpoint
22844 Command Lists}), @value{GDBN} provides two ways to store sequences of
22845 commands for execution as a unit: user-defined commands and command
22846 files.
22847
22848 @menu
22849 * Define:: How to define your own commands
22850 * Hooks:: Hooks for user-defined commands
22851 * Command Files:: How to write scripts of commands to be stored in a file
22852 * Output:: Commands for controlled output
22853 @end menu
22854
22855 @node Define
22856 @subsection User-defined Commands
22857
22858 @cindex user-defined command
22859 @cindex arguments, to user-defined commands
22860 A @dfn{user-defined command} is a sequence of @value{GDBN} commands to
22861 which you assign a new name as a command. This is done with the
22862 @code{define} command. User commands may accept up to 10 arguments
22863 separated by whitespace. Arguments are accessed within the user command
22864 via @code{$arg0@dots{}$arg9}. A trivial example:
22865
22866 @smallexample
22867 define adder
22868 print $arg0 + $arg1 + $arg2
22869 end
22870 @end smallexample
22871
22872 @noindent
22873 To execute the command use:
22874
22875 @smallexample
22876 adder 1 2 3
22877 @end smallexample
22878
22879 @noindent
22880 This defines the command @code{adder}, which prints the sum of
22881 its three arguments. Note the arguments are text substitutions, so they may
22882 reference variables, use complex expressions, or even perform inferior
22883 functions calls.
22884
22885 @cindex argument count in user-defined commands
22886 @cindex how many arguments (user-defined commands)
22887 In addition, @code{$argc} may be used to find out how many arguments have
22888 been passed. This expands to a number in the range 0@dots{}10.
22889
22890 @smallexample
22891 define adder
22892 if $argc == 2
22893 print $arg0 + $arg1
22894 end
22895 if $argc == 3
22896 print $arg0 + $arg1 + $arg2
22897 end
22898 end
22899 @end smallexample
22900
22901 @table @code
22902
22903 @kindex define
22904 @item define @var{commandname}
22905 Define a command named @var{commandname}. If there is already a command
22906 by that name, you are asked to confirm that you want to redefine it.
22907 @var{commandname} may be a bare command name consisting of letters,
22908 numbers, dashes, and underscores. It may also start with any predefined
22909 prefix command. For example, @samp{define target my-target} creates
22910 a user-defined @samp{target my-target} command.
22911
22912 The definition of the command is made up of other @value{GDBN} command lines,
22913 which are given following the @code{define} command. The end of these
22914 commands is marked by a line containing @code{end}.
22915
22916 @kindex document
22917 @kindex end@r{ (user-defined commands)}
22918 @item document @var{commandname}
22919 Document the user-defined command @var{commandname}, so that it can be
22920 accessed by @code{help}. The command @var{commandname} must already be
22921 defined. This command reads lines of documentation just as @code{define}
22922 reads the lines of the command definition, ending with @code{end}.
22923 After the @code{document} command is finished, @code{help} on command
22924 @var{commandname} displays the documentation you have written.
22925
22926 You may use the @code{document} command again to change the
22927 documentation of a command. Redefining the command with @code{define}
22928 does not change the documentation.
22929
22930 @kindex dont-repeat
22931 @cindex don't repeat command
22932 @item dont-repeat
22933 Used inside a user-defined command, this tells @value{GDBN} that this
22934 command should not be repeated when the user hits @key{RET}
22935 (@pxref{Command Syntax, repeat last command}).
22936
22937 @kindex help user-defined
22938 @item help user-defined
22939 List all user-defined commands and all python commands defined in class
22940 COMAND_USER. The first line of the documentation or docstring is
22941 included (if any).
22942
22943 @kindex show user
22944 @item show user
22945 @itemx show user @var{commandname}
22946 Display the @value{GDBN} commands used to define @var{commandname} (but
22947 not its documentation). If no @var{commandname} is given, display the
22948 definitions for all user-defined commands.
22949 This does not work for user-defined python commands.
22950
22951 @cindex infinite recursion in user-defined commands
22952 @kindex show max-user-call-depth
22953 @kindex set max-user-call-depth
22954 @item show max-user-call-depth
22955 @itemx set max-user-call-depth
22956 The value of @code{max-user-call-depth} controls how many recursion
22957 levels are allowed in user-defined commands before @value{GDBN} suspects an
22958 infinite recursion and aborts the command.
22959 This does not apply to user-defined python commands.
22960 @end table
22961
22962 In addition to the above commands, user-defined commands frequently
22963 use control flow commands, described in @ref{Command Files}.
22964
22965 When user-defined commands are executed, the
22966 commands of the definition are not printed. An error in any command
22967 stops execution of the user-defined command.
22968
22969 If used interactively, commands that would ask for confirmation proceed
22970 without asking when used inside a user-defined command. Many @value{GDBN}
22971 commands that normally print messages to say what they are doing omit the
22972 messages when used in a user-defined command.
22973
22974 @node Hooks
22975 @subsection User-defined Command Hooks
22976 @cindex command hooks
22977 @cindex hooks, for commands
22978 @cindex hooks, pre-command
22979
22980 @kindex hook
22981 You may define @dfn{hooks}, which are a special kind of user-defined
22982 command. Whenever you run the command @samp{foo}, if the user-defined
22983 command @samp{hook-foo} exists, it is executed (with no arguments)
22984 before that command.
22985
22986 @cindex hooks, post-command
22987 @kindex hookpost
22988 A hook may also be defined which is run after the command you executed.
22989 Whenever you run the command @samp{foo}, if the user-defined command
22990 @samp{hookpost-foo} exists, it is executed (with no arguments) after
22991 that command. Post-execution hooks may exist simultaneously with
22992 pre-execution hooks, for the same command.
22993
22994 It is valid for a hook to call the command which it hooks. If this
22995 occurs, the hook is not re-executed, thereby avoiding infinite recursion.
22996
22997 @c It would be nice if hookpost could be passed a parameter indicating
22998 @c if the command it hooks executed properly or not. FIXME!
22999
23000 @kindex stop@r{, a pseudo-command}
23001 In addition, a pseudo-command, @samp{stop} exists. Defining
23002 (@samp{hook-stop}) makes the associated commands execute every time
23003 execution stops in your program: before breakpoint commands are run,
23004 displays are printed, or the stack frame is printed.
23005
23006 For example, to ignore @code{SIGALRM} signals while
23007 single-stepping, but treat them normally during normal execution,
23008 you could define:
23009
23010 @smallexample
23011 define hook-stop
23012 handle SIGALRM nopass
23013 end
23014
23015 define hook-run
23016 handle SIGALRM pass
23017 end
23018
23019 define hook-continue
23020 handle SIGALRM pass
23021 end
23022 @end smallexample
23023
23024 As a further example, to hook at the beginning and end of the @code{echo}
23025 command, and to add extra text to the beginning and end of the message,
23026 you could define:
23027
23028 @smallexample
23029 define hook-echo
23030 echo <<<---
23031 end
23032
23033 define hookpost-echo
23034 echo --->>>\n
23035 end
23036
23037 (@value{GDBP}) echo Hello World
23038 <<<---Hello World--->>>
23039 (@value{GDBP})
23040
23041 @end smallexample
23042
23043 You can define a hook for any single-word command in @value{GDBN}, but
23044 not for command aliases; you should define a hook for the basic command
23045 name, e.g.@: @code{backtrace} rather than @code{bt}.
23046 @c FIXME! So how does Joe User discover whether a command is an alias
23047 @c or not?
23048 You can hook a multi-word command by adding @code{hook-} or
23049 @code{hookpost-} to the last word of the command, e.g.@:
23050 @samp{define target hook-remote} to add a hook to @samp{target remote}.
23051
23052 If an error occurs during the execution of your hook, execution of
23053 @value{GDBN} commands stops and @value{GDBN} issues a prompt
23054 (before the command that you actually typed had a chance to run).
23055
23056 If you try to define a hook which does not match any known command, you
23057 get a warning from the @code{define} command.
23058
23059 @node Command Files
23060 @subsection Command Files
23061
23062 @cindex command files
23063 @cindex scripting commands
23064 A command file for @value{GDBN} is a text file made of lines that are
23065 @value{GDBN} commands. Comments (lines starting with @kbd{#}) may
23066 also be included. An empty line in a command file does nothing; it
23067 does not mean to repeat the last command, as it would from the
23068 terminal.
23069
23070 You can request the execution of a command file with the @code{source}
23071 command. Note that the @code{source} command is also used to evaluate
23072 scripts that are not Command Files. The exact behavior can be configured
23073 using the @code{script-extension} setting.
23074 @xref{Extending GDB,, Extending GDB}.
23075
23076 @table @code
23077 @kindex source
23078 @cindex execute commands from a file
23079 @item source [-s] [-v] @var{filename}
23080 Execute the command file @var{filename}.
23081 @end table
23082
23083 The lines in a command file are generally executed sequentially,
23084 unless the order of execution is changed by one of the
23085 @emph{flow-control commands} described below. The commands are not
23086 printed as they are executed. An error in any command terminates
23087 execution of the command file and control is returned to the console.
23088
23089 @value{GDBN} first searches for @var{filename} in the current directory.
23090 If the file is not found there, and @var{filename} does not specify a
23091 directory, then @value{GDBN} also looks for the file on the source search path
23092 (specified with the @samp{directory} command);
23093 except that @file{$cdir} is not searched because the compilation directory
23094 is not relevant to scripts.
23095
23096 If @code{-s} is specified, then @value{GDBN} searches for @var{filename}
23097 on the search path even if @var{filename} specifies a directory.
23098 The search is done by appending @var{filename} to each element of the
23099 search path. So, for example, if @var{filename} is @file{mylib/myscript}
23100 and the search path contains @file{/home/user} then @value{GDBN} will
23101 look for the script @file{/home/user/mylib/myscript}.
23102 The search is also done if @var{filename} is an absolute path.
23103 For example, if @var{filename} is @file{/tmp/myscript} and
23104 the search path contains @file{/home/user} then @value{GDBN} will
23105 look for the script @file{/home/user/tmp/myscript}.
23106 For DOS-like systems, if @var{filename} contains a drive specification,
23107 it is stripped before concatenation. For example, if @var{filename} is
23108 @file{d:myscript} and the search path contains @file{c:/tmp} then @value{GDBN}
23109 will look for the script @file{c:/tmp/myscript}.
23110
23111 If @code{-v}, for verbose mode, is given then @value{GDBN} displays
23112 each command as it is executed. The option must be given before
23113 @var{filename}, and is interpreted as part of the filename anywhere else.
23114
23115 Commands that would ask for confirmation if used interactively proceed
23116 without asking when used in a command file. Many @value{GDBN} commands that
23117 normally print messages to say what they are doing omit the messages
23118 when called from command files.
23119
23120 @value{GDBN} also accepts command input from standard input. In this
23121 mode, normal output goes to standard output and error output goes to
23122 standard error. Errors in a command file supplied on standard input do
23123 not terminate execution of the command file---execution continues with
23124 the next command.
23125
23126 @smallexample
23127 gdb < cmds > log 2>&1
23128 @end smallexample
23129
23130 (The syntax above will vary depending on the shell used.) This example
23131 will execute commands from the file @file{cmds}. All output and errors
23132 would be directed to @file{log}.
23133
23134 Since commands stored on command files tend to be more general than
23135 commands typed interactively, they frequently need to deal with
23136 complicated situations, such as different or unexpected values of
23137 variables and symbols, changes in how the program being debugged is
23138 built, etc. @value{GDBN} provides a set of flow-control commands to
23139 deal with these complexities. Using these commands, you can write
23140 complex scripts that loop over data structures, execute commands
23141 conditionally, etc.
23142
23143 @table @code
23144 @kindex if
23145 @kindex else
23146 @item if
23147 @itemx else
23148 This command allows to include in your script conditionally executed
23149 commands. The @code{if} command takes a single argument, which is an
23150 expression to evaluate. It is followed by a series of commands that
23151 are executed only if the expression is true (its value is nonzero).
23152 There can then optionally be an @code{else} line, followed by a series
23153 of commands that are only executed if the expression was false. The
23154 end of the list is marked by a line containing @code{end}.
23155
23156 @kindex while
23157 @item while
23158 This command allows to write loops. Its syntax is similar to
23159 @code{if}: the command takes a single argument, which is an expression
23160 to evaluate, and must be followed by the commands to execute, one per
23161 line, terminated by an @code{end}. These commands are called the
23162 @dfn{body} of the loop. The commands in the body of @code{while} are
23163 executed repeatedly as long as the expression evaluates to true.
23164
23165 @kindex loop_break
23166 @item loop_break
23167 This command exits the @code{while} loop in whose body it is included.
23168 Execution of the script continues after that @code{while}s @code{end}
23169 line.
23170
23171 @kindex loop_continue
23172 @item loop_continue
23173 This command skips the execution of the rest of the body of commands
23174 in the @code{while} loop in whose body it is included. Execution
23175 branches to the beginning of the @code{while} loop, where it evaluates
23176 the controlling expression.
23177
23178 @kindex end@r{ (if/else/while commands)}
23179 @item end
23180 Terminate the block of commands that are the body of @code{if},
23181 @code{else}, or @code{while} flow-control commands.
23182 @end table
23183
23184
23185 @node Output
23186 @subsection Commands for Controlled Output
23187
23188 During the execution of a command file or a user-defined command, normal
23189 @value{GDBN} output is suppressed; the only output that appears is what is
23190 explicitly printed by the commands in the definition. This section
23191 describes three commands useful for generating exactly the output you
23192 want.
23193
23194 @table @code
23195 @kindex echo
23196 @item echo @var{text}
23197 @c I do not consider backslash-space a standard C escape sequence
23198 @c because it is not in ANSI.
23199 Print @var{text}. Nonprinting characters can be included in
23200 @var{text} using C escape sequences, such as @samp{\n} to print a
23201 newline. @strong{No newline is printed unless you specify one.}
23202 In addition to the standard C escape sequences, a backslash followed
23203 by a space stands for a space. This is useful for displaying a
23204 string with spaces at the beginning or the end, since leading and
23205 trailing spaces are otherwise trimmed from all arguments.
23206 To print @samp{@w{ }and foo =@w{ }}, use the command
23207 @samp{echo \@w{ }and foo = \@w{ }}.
23208
23209 A backslash at the end of @var{text} can be used, as in C, to continue
23210 the command onto subsequent lines. For example,
23211
23212 @smallexample
23213 echo This is some text\n\
23214 which is continued\n\
23215 onto several lines.\n
23216 @end smallexample
23217
23218 produces the same output as
23219
23220 @smallexample
23221 echo This is some text\n
23222 echo which is continued\n
23223 echo onto several lines.\n
23224 @end smallexample
23225
23226 @kindex output
23227 @item output @var{expression}
23228 Print the value of @var{expression} and nothing but that value: no
23229 newlines, no @samp{$@var{nn} = }. The value is not entered in the
23230 value history either. @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}, for more information
23231 on expressions.
23232
23233 @item output/@var{fmt} @var{expression}
23234 Print the value of @var{expression} in format @var{fmt}. You can use
23235 the same formats as for @code{print}. @xref{Output Formats,,Output
23236 Formats}, for more information.
23237
23238 @kindex printf
23239 @item printf @var{template}, @var{expressions}@dots{}
23240 Print the values of one or more @var{expressions} under the control of
23241 the string @var{template}. To print several values, make
23242 @var{expressions} be a comma-separated list of individual expressions,
23243 which may be either numbers or pointers. Their values are printed as
23244 specified by @var{template}, exactly as a C program would do by
23245 executing the code below:
23246
23247 @smallexample
23248 printf (@var{template}, @var{expressions}@dots{});
23249 @end smallexample
23250
23251 As in @code{C} @code{printf}, ordinary characters in @var{template}
23252 are printed verbatim, while @dfn{conversion specification} introduced
23253 by the @samp{%} character cause subsequent @var{expressions} to be
23254 evaluated, their values converted and formatted according to type and
23255 style information encoded in the conversion specifications, and then
23256 printed.
23257
23258 For example, you can print two values in hex like this:
23259
23260 @smallexample
23261 printf "foo, bar-foo = 0x%x, 0x%x\n", foo, bar-foo
23262 @end smallexample
23263
23264 @code{printf} supports all the standard @code{C} conversion
23265 specifications, including the flags and modifiers between the @samp{%}
23266 character and the conversion letter, with the following exceptions:
23267
23268 @itemize @bullet
23269 @item
23270 The argument-ordering modifiers, such as @samp{2$}, are not supported.
23271
23272 @item
23273 The modifier @samp{*} is not supported for specifying precision or
23274 width.
23275
23276 @item
23277 The @samp{'} flag (for separation of digits into groups according to
23278 @code{LC_NUMERIC'}) is not supported.
23279
23280 @item
23281 The type modifiers @samp{hh}, @samp{j}, @samp{t}, and @samp{z} are not
23282 supported.
23283
23284 @item
23285 The conversion letter @samp{n} (as in @samp{%n}) is not supported.
23286
23287 @item
23288 The conversion letters @samp{a} and @samp{A} are not supported.
23289 @end itemize
23290
23291 @noindent
23292 Note that the @samp{ll} type modifier is supported only if the
23293 underlying @code{C} implementation used to build @value{GDBN} supports
23294 the @code{long long int} type, and the @samp{L} type modifier is
23295 supported only if @code{long double} type is available.
23296
23297 As in @code{C}, @code{printf} supports simple backslash-escape
23298 sequences, such as @code{\n}, @samp{\t}, @samp{\\}, @samp{\"},
23299 @samp{\a}, and @samp{\f}, that consist of backslash followed by a
23300 single character. Octal and hexadecimal escape sequences are not
23301 supported.
23302
23303 Additionally, @code{printf} supports conversion specifications for DFP
23304 (@dfn{Decimal Floating Point}) types using the following length modifiers
23305 together with a floating point specifier.
23306 letters:
23307
23308 @itemize @bullet
23309 @item
23310 @samp{H} for printing @code{Decimal32} types.
23311
23312 @item
23313 @samp{D} for printing @code{Decimal64} types.
23314
23315 @item
23316 @samp{DD} for printing @code{Decimal128} types.
23317 @end itemize
23318
23319 If the underlying @code{C} implementation used to build @value{GDBN} has
23320 support for the three length modifiers for DFP types, other modifiers
23321 such as width and precision will also be available for @value{GDBN} to use.
23322
23323 In case there is no such @code{C} support, no additional modifiers will be
23324 available and the value will be printed in the standard way.
23325
23326 Here's an example of printing DFP types using the above conversion letters:
23327 @smallexample
23328 printf "D32: %Hf - D64: %Df - D128: %DDf\n",1.2345df,1.2E10dd,1.2E1dl
23329 @end smallexample
23330
23331 @kindex eval
23332 @item eval @var{template}, @var{expressions}@dots{}
23333 Convert the values of one or more @var{expressions} under the control of
23334 the string @var{template} to a command line, and call it.
23335
23336 @end table
23337
23338 @node Python
23339 @section Scripting @value{GDBN} using Python
23340 @cindex python scripting
23341 @cindex scripting with python
23342
23343 You can script @value{GDBN} using the @uref{http://www.python.org/,
23344 Python programming language}. This feature is available only if
23345 @value{GDBN} was configured using @option{--with-python}.
23346
23347 @cindex python directory
23348 Python scripts used by @value{GDBN} should be installed in
23349 @file{@var{data-directory}/python}, where @var{data-directory} is
23350 the data directory as determined at @value{GDBN} startup (@pxref{Data Files}).
23351 This directory, known as the @dfn{python directory},
23352 is automatically added to the Python Search Path in order to allow
23353 the Python interpreter to locate all scripts installed at this location.
23354
23355 Additionally, @value{GDBN} commands and convenience functions which
23356 are written in Python and are located in the
23357 @file{@var{data-directory}/python/gdb/command} or
23358 @file{@var{data-directory}/python/gdb/function} directories are
23359 automatically imported when @value{GDBN} starts.
23360
23361 @menu
23362 * Python Commands:: Accessing Python from @value{GDBN}.
23363 * Python API:: Accessing @value{GDBN} from Python.
23364 * Python Auto-loading:: Automatically loading Python code.
23365 * Python modules:: Python modules provided by @value{GDBN}.
23366 @end menu
23367
23368 @node Python Commands
23369 @subsection Python Commands
23370 @cindex python commands
23371 @cindex commands to access python
23372
23373 @value{GDBN} provides two commands for accessing the Python interpreter,
23374 and one related setting:
23375
23376 @table @code
23377 @kindex python-interactive
23378 @kindex pi
23379 @item python-interactive @r{[}@var{command}@r{]}
23380 @itemx pi @r{[}@var{command}@r{]}
23381 Without an argument, the @code{python-interactive} command can be used
23382 to start an interactive Python prompt. To return to @value{GDBN},
23383 type the @code{EOF} character (e.g., @kbd{Ctrl-D} on an empty prompt).
23384
23385 Alternatively, a single-line Python command can be given as an
23386 argument and evaluated. If the command is an expression, the result
23387 will be printed; otherwise, nothing will be printed. For example:
23388
23389 @smallexample
23390 (@value{GDBP}) python-interactive 2 + 3
23391 5
23392 @end smallexample
23393
23394 @kindex python
23395 @kindex py
23396 @item python @r{[}@var{command}@r{]}
23397 @itemx py @r{[}@var{command}@r{]}
23398 The @code{python} command can be used to evaluate Python code.
23399
23400 If given an argument, the @code{python} command will evaluate the
23401 argument as a Python command. For example:
23402
23403 @smallexample
23404 (@value{GDBP}) python print 23
23405 23
23406 @end smallexample
23407
23408 If you do not provide an argument to @code{python}, it will act as a
23409 multi-line command, like @code{define}. In this case, the Python
23410 script is made up of subsequent command lines, given after the
23411 @code{python} command. This command list is terminated using a line
23412 containing @code{end}. For example:
23413
23414 @smallexample
23415 (@value{GDBP}) python
23416 Type python script
23417 End with a line saying just "end".
23418 >print 23
23419 >end
23420 23
23421 @end smallexample
23422
23423 @kindex set python print-stack
23424 @item set python print-stack
23425 By default, @value{GDBN} will print only the message component of a
23426 Python exception when an error occurs in a Python script. This can be
23427 controlled using @code{set python print-stack}: if @code{full}, then
23428 full Python stack printing is enabled; if @code{none}, then Python stack
23429 and message printing is disabled; if @code{message}, the default, only
23430 the message component of the error is printed.
23431 @end table
23432
23433 It is also possible to execute a Python script from the @value{GDBN}
23434 interpreter:
23435
23436 @table @code
23437 @item source @file{script-name}
23438 The script name must end with @samp{.py} and @value{GDBN} must be configured
23439 to recognize the script language based on filename extension using
23440 the @code{script-extension} setting. @xref{Extending GDB, ,Extending GDB}.
23441
23442 @item python execfile ("script-name")
23443 This method is based on the @code{execfile} Python built-in function,
23444 and thus is always available.
23445 @end table
23446
23447 @node Python API
23448 @subsection Python API
23449 @cindex python api
23450 @cindex programming in python
23451
23452 You can get quick online help for @value{GDBN}'s Python API by issuing
23453 the command @w{@kbd{python help (gdb)}}.
23454
23455 Functions and methods which have two or more optional arguments allow
23456 them to be specified using keyword syntax. This allows passing some
23457 optional arguments while skipping others. Example:
23458 @w{@code{gdb.some_function ('foo', bar = 1, baz = 2)}}.
23459
23460 @menu
23461 * Basic Python:: Basic Python Functions.
23462 * Exception Handling:: How Python exceptions are translated.
23463 * Values From Inferior:: Python representation of values.
23464 * Types In Python:: Python representation of types.
23465 * Pretty Printing API:: Pretty-printing values.
23466 * Selecting Pretty-Printers:: How GDB chooses a pretty-printer.
23467 * Writing a Pretty-Printer:: Writing a Pretty-Printer.
23468 * Type Printing API:: Pretty-printing types.
23469 * Frame Filter API:: Filtering Frames.
23470 * Frame Decorator API:: Decorating Frames.
23471 * Writing a Frame Filter:: Writing a Frame Filter.
23472 * Inferiors In Python:: Python representation of inferiors (processes)
23473 * Events In Python:: Listening for events from @value{GDBN}.
23474 * Threads In Python:: Accessing inferior threads from Python.
23475 * Commands In Python:: Implementing new commands in Python.
23476 * Parameters In Python:: Adding new @value{GDBN} parameters.
23477 * Functions In Python:: Writing new convenience functions.
23478 * Progspaces In Python:: Program spaces.
23479 * Objfiles In Python:: Object files.
23480 * Frames In Python:: Accessing inferior stack frames from Python.
23481 * Blocks In Python:: Accessing blocks from Python.
23482 * Symbols In Python:: Python representation of symbols.
23483 * Symbol Tables In Python:: Python representation of symbol tables.
23484 * Breakpoints In Python:: Manipulating breakpoints using Python.
23485 * Finish Breakpoints in Python:: Setting Breakpoints on function return
23486 using Python.
23487 * Lazy Strings In Python:: Python representation of lazy strings.
23488 * Architectures In Python:: Python representation of architectures.
23489 @end menu
23490
23491 @node Basic Python
23492 @subsubsection Basic Python
23493
23494 @cindex python stdout
23495 @cindex python pagination
23496 At startup, @value{GDBN} overrides Python's @code{sys.stdout} and
23497 @code{sys.stderr} to print using @value{GDBN}'s output-paging streams.
23498 A Python program which outputs to one of these streams may have its
23499 output interrupted by the user (@pxref{Screen Size}). In this
23500 situation, a Python @code{KeyboardInterrupt} exception is thrown.
23501
23502 Some care must be taken when writing Python code to run in
23503 @value{GDBN}. Two things worth noting in particular:
23504
23505 @itemize @bullet
23506 @item
23507 @value{GDBN} install handlers for @code{SIGCHLD} and @code{SIGINT}.
23508 Python code must not override these, or even change the options using
23509 @code{sigaction}. If your program changes the handling of these
23510 signals, @value{GDBN} will most likely stop working correctly. Note
23511 that it is unfortunately common for GUI toolkits to install a
23512 @code{SIGCHLD} handler.
23513
23514 @item
23515 @value{GDBN} takes care to mark its internal file descriptors as
23516 close-on-exec. However, this cannot be done in a thread-safe way on
23517 all platforms. Your Python programs should be aware of this and
23518 should both create new file descriptors with the close-on-exec flag
23519 set and arrange to close unneeded file descriptors before starting a
23520 child process.
23521 @end itemize
23522
23523 @cindex python functions
23524 @cindex python module
23525 @cindex gdb module
23526 @value{GDBN} introduces a new Python module, named @code{gdb}. All
23527 methods and classes added by @value{GDBN} are placed in this module.
23528 @value{GDBN} automatically @code{import}s the @code{gdb} module for
23529 use in all scripts evaluated by the @code{python} command.
23530
23531 @findex gdb.PYTHONDIR
23532 @defvar gdb.PYTHONDIR
23533 A string containing the python directory (@pxref{Python}).
23534 @end defvar
23535
23536 @findex gdb.execute
23537 @defun gdb.execute (command @r{[}, from_tty @r{[}, to_string@r{]]})
23538 Evaluate @var{command}, a string, as a @value{GDBN} CLI command.
23539 If a GDB exception happens while @var{command} runs, it is
23540 translated as described in @ref{Exception Handling,,Exception Handling}.
23541
23542 @var{from_tty} specifies whether @value{GDBN} ought to consider this
23543 command as having originated from the user invoking it interactively.
23544 It must be a boolean value. If omitted, it defaults to @code{False}.
23545
23546 By default, any output produced by @var{command} is sent to
23547 @value{GDBN}'s standard output. If the @var{to_string} parameter is
23548 @code{True}, then output will be collected by @code{gdb.execute} and
23549 returned as a string. The default is @code{False}, in which case the
23550 return value is @code{None}. If @var{to_string} is @code{True}, the
23551 @value{GDBN} virtual terminal will be temporarily set to unlimited width
23552 and height, and its pagination will be disabled; @pxref{Screen Size}.
23553 @end defun
23554
23555 @findex gdb.breakpoints
23556 @defun gdb.breakpoints ()
23557 Return a sequence holding all of @value{GDBN}'s breakpoints.
23558 @xref{Breakpoints In Python}, for more information.
23559 @end defun
23560
23561 @findex gdb.parameter
23562 @defun gdb.parameter (parameter)
23563 Return the value of a @value{GDBN} parameter. @var{parameter} is a
23564 string naming the parameter to look up; @var{parameter} may contain
23565 spaces if the parameter has a multi-part name. For example,
23566 @samp{print object} is a valid parameter name.
23567
23568 If the named parameter does not exist, this function throws a
23569 @code{gdb.error} (@pxref{Exception Handling}). Otherwise, the
23570 parameter's value is converted to a Python value of the appropriate
23571 type, and returned.
23572 @end defun
23573
23574 @findex gdb.history
23575 @defun gdb.history (number)
23576 Return a value from @value{GDBN}'s value history (@pxref{Value
23577 History}). @var{number} indicates which history element to return.
23578 If @var{number} is negative, then @value{GDBN} will take its absolute value
23579 and count backward from the last element (i.e., the most recent element) to
23580 find the value to return. If @var{number} is zero, then @value{GDBN} will
23581 return the most recent element. If the element specified by @var{number}
23582 doesn't exist in the value history, a @code{gdb.error} exception will be
23583 raised.
23584
23585 If no exception is raised, the return value is always an instance of
23586 @code{gdb.Value} (@pxref{Values From Inferior}).
23587 @end defun
23588
23589 @findex gdb.parse_and_eval
23590 @defun gdb.parse_and_eval (expression)
23591 Parse @var{expression} as an expression in the current language,
23592 evaluate it, and return the result as a @code{gdb.Value}.
23593 @var{expression} must be a string.
23594
23595 This function can be useful when implementing a new command
23596 (@pxref{Commands In Python}), as it provides a way to parse the
23597 command's argument as an expression. It is also useful simply to
23598 compute values, for example, it is the only way to get the value of a
23599 convenience variable (@pxref{Convenience Vars}) as a @code{gdb.Value}.
23600 @end defun
23601
23602 @findex gdb.find_pc_line
23603 @defun gdb.find_pc_line (pc)
23604 Return the @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line} object corresponding to the
23605 @var{pc} value. @xref{Symbol Tables In Python}. If an invalid
23606 value of @var{pc} is passed as an argument, then the @code{symtab} and
23607 @code{line} attributes of the returned @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line} object
23608 will be @code{None} and 0 respectively.
23609 @end defun
23610
23611 @findex gdb.post_event
23612 @defun gdb.post_event (event)
23613 Put @var{event}, a callable object taking no arguments, into
23614 @value{GDBN}'s internal event queue. This callable will be invoked at
23615 some later point, during @value{GDBN}'s event processing. Events
23616 posted using @code{post_event} will be run in the order in which they
23617 were posted; however, there is no way to know when they will be
23618 processed relative to other events inside @value{GDBN}.
23619
23620 @value{GDBN} is not thread-safe. If your Python program uses multiple
23621 threads, you must be careful to only call @value{GDBN}-specific
23622 functions in the main @value{GDBN} thread. @code{post_event} ensures
23623 this. For example:
23624
23625 @smallexample
23626 (@value{GDBP}) python
23627 >import threading
23628 >
23629 >class Writer():
23630 > def __init__(self, message):
23631 > self.message = message;
23632 > def __call__(self):
23633 > gdb.write(self.message)
23634 >
23635 >class MyThread1 (threading.Thread):
23636 > def run (self):
23637 > gdb.post_event(Writer("Hello "))
23638 >
23639 >class MyThread2 (threading.Thread):
23640 > def run (self):
23641 > gdb.post_event(Writer("World\n"))
23642 >
23643 >MyThread1().start()
23644 >MyThread2().start()
23645 >end
23646 (@value{GDBP}) Hello World
23647 @end smallexample
23648 @end defun
23649
23650 @findex gdb.write
23651 @defun gdb.write (string @r{[}, stream{]})
23652 Print a string to @value{GDBN}'s paginated output stream. The
23653 optional @var{stream} determines the stream to print to. The default
23654 stream is @value{GDBN}'s standard output stream. Possible stream
23655 values are:
23656
23657 @table @code
23658 @findex STDOUT
23659 @findex gdb.STDOUT
23660 @item gdb.STDOUT
23661 @value{GDBN}'s standard output stream.
23662
23663 @findex STDERR
23664 @findex gdb.STDERR
23665 @item gdb.STDERR
23666 @value{GDBN}'s standard error stream.
23667
23668 @findex STDLOG
23669 @findex gdb.STDLOG
23670 @item gdb.STDLOG
23671 @value{GDBN}'s log stream (@pxref{Logging Output}).
23672 @end table
23673
23674 Writing to @code{sys.stdout} or @code{sys.stderr} will automatically
23675 call this function and will automatically direct the output to the
23676 relevant stream.
23677 @end defun
23678
23679 @findex gdb.flush
23680 @defun gdb.flush ()
23681 Flush the buffer of a @value{GDBN} paginated stream so that the
23682 contents are displayed immediately. @value{GDBN} will flush the
23683 contents of a stream automatically when it encounters a newline in the
23684 buffer. The optional @var{stream} determines the stream to flush. The
23685 default stream is @value{GDBN}'s standard output stream. Possible
23686 stream values are:
23687
23688 @table @code
23689 @findex STDOUT
23690 @findex gdb.STDOUT
23691 @item gdb.STDOUT
23692 @value{GDBN}'s standard output stream.
23693
23694 @findex STDERR
23695 @findex gdb.STDERR
23696 @item gdb.STDERR
23697 @value{GDBN}'s standard error stream.
23698
23699 @findex STDLOG
23700 @findex gdb.STDLOG
23701 @item gdb.STDLOG
23702 @value{GDBN}'s log stream (@pxref{Logging Output}).
23703
23704 @end table
23705
23706 Flushing @code{sys.stdout} or @code{sys.stderr} will automatically
23707 call this function for the relevant stream.
23708 @end defun
23709
23710 @findex gdb.target_charset
23711 @defun gdb.target_charset ()
23712 Return the name of the current target character set (@pxref{Character
23713 Sets}). This differs from @code{gdb.parameter('target-charset')} in
23714 that @samp{auto} is never returned.
23715 @end defun
23716
23717 @findex gdb.target_wide_charset
23718 @defun gdb.target_wide_charset ()
23719 Return the name of the current target wide character set
23720 (@pxref{Character Sets}). This differs from
23721 @code{gdb.parameter('target-wide-charset')} in that @samp{auto} is
23722 never returned.
23723 @end defun
23724
23725 @findex gdb.solib_name
23726 @defun gdb.solib_name (address)
23727 Return the name of the shared library holding the given @var{address}
23728 as a string, or @code{None}.
23729 @end defun
23730
23731 @findex gdb.decode_line
23732 @defun gdb.decode_line @r{[}expression@r{]}
23733 Return locations of the line specified by @var{expression}, or of the
23734 current line if no argument was given. This function returns a Python
23735 tuple containing two elements. The first element contains a string
23736 holding any unparsed section of @var{expression} (or @code{None} if
23737 the expression has been fully parsed). The second element contains
23738 either @code{None} or another tuple that contains all the locations
23739 that match the expression represented as @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line}
23740 objects (@pxref{Symbol Tables In Python}). If @var{expression} is
23741 provided, it is decoded the way that @value{GDBN}'s inbuilt
23742 @code{break} or @code{edit} commands do (@pxref{Specify Location}).
23743 @end defun
23744
23745 @defun gdb.prompt_hook (current_prompt)
23746 @anchor{prompt_hook}
23747
23748 If @var{prompt_hook} is callable, @value{GDBN} will call the method
23749 assigned to this operation before a prompt is displayed by
23750 @value{GDBN}.
23751
23752 The parameter @code{current_prompt} contains the current @value{GDBN}
23753 prompt. This method must return a Python string, or @code{None}. If
23754 a string is returned, the @value{GDBN} prompt will be set to that
23755 string. If @code{None} is returned, @value{GDBN} will continue to use
23756 the current prompt.
23757
23758 Some prompts cannot be substituted in @value{GDBN}. Secondary prompts
23759 such as those used by readline for command input, and annotation
23760 related prompts are prohibited from being changed.
23761 @end defun
23762
23763 @node Exception Handling
23764 @subsubsection Exception Handling
23765 @cindex python exceptions
23766 @cindex exceptions, python
23767
23768 When executing the @code{python} command, Python exceptions
23769 uncaught within the Python code are translated to calls to
23770 @value{GDBN} error-reporting mechanism. If the command that called
23771 @code{python} does not handle the error, @value{GDBN} will
23772 terminate it and print an error message containing the Python
23773 exception name, the associated value, and the Python call stack
23774 backtrace at the point where the exception was raised. Example:
23775
23776 @smallexample
23777 (@value{GDBP}) python print foo
23778 Traceback (most recent call last):
23779 File "<string>", line 1, in <module>
23780 NameError: name 'foo' is not defined
23781 @end smallexample
23782
23783 @value{GDBN} errors that happen in @value{GDBN} commands invoked by
23784 Python code are converted to Python exceptions. The type of the
23785 Python exception depends on the error.
23786
23787 @ftable @code
23788 @item gdb.error
23789 This is the base class for most exceptions generated by @value{GDBN}.
23790 It is derived from @code{RuntimeError}, for compatibility with earlier
23791 versions of @value{GDBN}.
23792
23793 If an error occurring in @value{GDBN} does not fit into some more
23794 specific category, then the generated exception will have this type.
23795
23796 @item gdb.MemoryError
23797 This is a subclass of @code{gdb.error} which is thrown when an
23798 operation tried to access invalid memory in the inferior.
23799
23800 @item KeyboardInterrupt
23801 User interrupt (via @kbd{C-c} or by typing @kbd{q} at a pagination
23802 prompt) is translated to a Python @code{KeyboardInterrupt} exception.
23803 @end ftable
23804
23805 In all cases, your exception handler will see the @value{GDBN} error
23806 message as its value and the Python call stack backtrace at the Python
23807 statement closest to where the @value{GDBN} error occured as the
23808 traceback.
23809
23810 @findex gdb.GdbError
23811 When implementing @value{GDBN} commands in Python via @code{gdb.Command},
23812 it is useful to be able to throw an exception that doesn't cause a
23813 traceback to be printed. For example, the user may have invoked the
23814 command incorrectly. Use the @code{gdb.GdbError} exception
23815 to handle this case. Example:
23816
23817 @smallexample
23818 (gdb) python
23819 >class HelloWorld (gdb.Command):
23820 > """Greet the whole world."""
23821 > def __init__ (self):
23822 > super (HelloWorld, self).__init__ ("hello-world", gdb.COMMAND_USER)
23823 > def invoke (self, args, from_tty):
23824 > argv = gdb.string_to_argv (args)
23825 > if len (argv) != 0:
23826 > raise gdb.GdbError ("hello-world takes no arguments")
23827 > print "Hello, World!"
23828 >HelloWorld ()
23829 >end
23830 (gdb) hello-world 42
23831 hello-world takes no arguments
23832 @end smallexample
23833
23834 @node Values From Inferior
23835 @subsubsection Values From Inferior
23836 @cindex values from inferior, with Python
23837 @cindex python, working with values from inferior
23838
23839 @cindex @code{gdb.Value}
23840 @value{GDBN} provides values it obtains from the inferior program in
23841 an object of type @code{gdb.Value}. @value{GDBN} uses this object
23842 for its internal bookkeeping of the inferior's values, and for
23843 fetching values when necessary.
23844
23845 Inferior values that are simple scalars can be used directly in
23846 Python expressions that are valid for the value's data type. Here's
23847 an example for an integer or floating-point value @code{some_val}:
23848
23849 @smallexample
23850 bar = some_val + 2
23851 @end smallexample
23852
23853 @noindent
23854 As result of this, @code{bar} will also be a @code{gdb.Value} object
23855 whose values are of the same type as those of @code{some_val}.
23856
23857 Inferior values that are structures or instances of some class can
23858 be accessed using the Python @dfn{dictionary syntax}. For example, if
23859 @code{some_val} is a @code{gdb.Value} instance holding a structure, you
23860 can access its @code{foo} element with:
23861
23862 @smallexample
23863 bar = some_val['foo']
23864 @end smallexample
23865
23866 Again, @code{bar} will also be a @code{gdb.Value} object.
23867
23868 A @code{gdb.Value} that represents a function can be executed via
23869 inferior function call. Any arguments provided to the call must match
23870 the function's prototype, and must be provided in the order specified
23871 by that prototype.
23872
23873 For example, @code{some_val} is a @code{gdb.Value} instance
23874 representing a function that takes two integers as arguments. To
23875 execute this function, call it like so:
23876
23877 @smallexample
23878 result = some_val (10,20)
23879 @end smallexample
23880
23881 Any values returned from a function call will be stored as a
23882 @code{gdb.Value}.
23883
23884 The following attributes are provided:
23885
23886 @defvar Value.address
23887 If this object is addressable, this read-only attribute holds a
23888 @code{gdb.Value} object representing the address. Otherwise,
23889 this attribute holds @code{None}.
23890 @end defvar
23891
23892 @cindex optimized out value in Python
23893 @defvar Value.is_optimized_out
23894 This read-only boolean attribute is true if the compiler optimized out
23895 this value, thus it is not available for fetching from the inferior.
23896 @end defvar
23897
23898 @defvar Value.type
23899 The type of this @code{gdb.Value}. The value of this attribute is a
23900 @code{gdb.Type} object (@pxref{Types In Python}).
23901 @end defvar
23902
23903 @defvar Value.dynamic_type
23904 The dynamic type of this @code{gdb.Value}. This uses C@t{++} run-time
23905 type information (@acronym{RTTI}) to determine the dynamic type of the
23906 value. If this value is of class type, it will return the class in
23907 which the value is embedded, if any. If this value is of pointer or
23908 reference to a class type, it will compute the dynamic type of the
23909 referenced object, and return a pointer or reference to that type,
23910 respectively. In all other cases, it will return the value's static
23911 type.
23912
23913 Note that this feature will only work when debugging a C@t{++} program
23914 that includes @acronym{RTTI} for the object in question. Otherwise,
23915 it will just return the static type of the value as in @kbd{ptype foo}
23916 (@pxref{Symbols, ptype}).
23917 @end defvar
23918
23919 @defvar Value.is_lazy
23920 The value of this read-only boolean attribute is @code{True} if this
23921 @code{gdb.Value} has not yet been fetched from the inferior.
23922 @value{GDBN} does not fetch values until necessary, for efficiency.
23923 For example:
23924
23925 @smallexample
23926 myval = gdb.parse_and_eval ('somevar')
23927 @end smallexample
23928
23929 The value of @code{somevar} is not fetched at this time. It will be
23930 fetched when the value is needed, or when the @code{fetch_lazy}
23931 method is invoked.
23932 @end defvar
23933
23934 The following methods are provided:
23935
23936 @defun Value.__init__ (@var{val})
23937 Many Python values can be converted directly to a @code{gdb.Value} via
23938 this object initializer. Specifically:
23939
23940 @table @asis
23941 @item Python boolean
23942 A Python boolean is converted to the boolean type from the current
23943 language.
23944
23945 @item Python integer
23946 A Python integer is converted to the C @code{long} type for the
23947 current architecture.
23948
23949 @item Python long
23950 A Python long is converted to the C @code{long long} type for the
23951 current architecture.
23952
23953 @item Python float
23954 A Python float is converted to the C @code{double} type for the
23955 current architecture.
23956
23957 @item Python string
23958 A Python string is converted to a target string, using the current
23959 target encoding.
23960
23961 @item @code{gdb.Value}
23962 If @code{val} is a @code{gdb.Value}, then a copy of the value is made.
23963
23964 @item @code{gdb.LazyString}
23965 If @code{val} is a @code{gdb.LazyString} (@pxref{Lazy Strings In
23966 Python}), then the lazy string's @code{value} method is called, and
23967 its result is used.
23968 @end table
23969 @end defun
23970
23971 @defun Value.cast (type)
23972 Return a new instance of @code{gdb.Value} that is the result of
23973 casting this instance to the type described by @var{type}, which must
23974 be a @code{gdb.Type} object. If the cast cannot be performed for some
23975 reason, this method throws an exception.
23976 @end defun
23977
23978 @defun Value.dereference ()
23979 For pointer data types, this method returns a new @code{gdb.Value} object
23980 whose contents is the object pointed to by the pointer. For example, if
23981 @code{foo} is a C pointer to an @code{int}, declared in your C program as
23982
23983 @smallexample
23984 int *foo;
23985 @end smallexample
23986
23987 @noindent
23988 then you can use the corresponding @code{gdb.Value} to access what
23989 @code{foo} points to like this:
23990
23991 @smallexample
23992 bar = foo.dereference ()
23993 @end smallexample
23994
23995 The result @code{bar} will be a @code{gdb.Value} object holding the
23996 value pointed to by @code{foo}.
23997
23998 A similar function @code{Value.referenced_value} exists which also
23999 returns @code{gdb.Value} objects corresonding to the values pointed to
24000 by pointer values (and additionally, values referenced by reference
24001 values). However, the behavior of @code{Value.dereference}
24002 differs from @code{Value.referenced_value} by the fact that the
24003 behavior of @code{Value.dereference} is identical to applying the C
24004 unary operator @code{*} on a given value. For example, consider a
24005 reference to a pointer @code{ptrref}, declared in your C@t{++} program
24006 as
24007
24008 @smallexample
24009 typedef int *intptr;
24010 ...
24011 int val = 10;
24012 intptr ptr = &val;
24013 intptr &ptrref = ptr;
24014 @end smallexample
24015
24016 Though @code{ptrref} is a reference value, one can apply the method
24017 @code{Value.dereference} to the @code{gdb.Value} object corresponding
24018 to it and obtain a @code{gdb.Value} which is identical to that
24019 corresponding to @code{val}. However, if you apply the method
24020 @code{Value.referenced_value}, the result would be a @code{gdb.Value}
24021 object identical to that corresponding to @code{ptr}.
24022
24023 @smallexample
24024 py_ptrref = gdb.parse_and_eval ("ptrref")
24025 py_val = py_ptrref.dereference ()
24026 py_ptr = py_ptrref.referenced_value ()
24027 @end smallexample
24028
24029 The @code{gdb.Value} object @code{py_val} is identical to that
24030 corresponding to @code{val}, and @code{py_ptr} is identical to that
24031 corresponding to @code{ptr}. In general, @code{Value.dereference} can
24032 be applied whenever the C unary operator @code{*} can be applied
24033 to the corresponding C value. For those cases where applying both
24034 @code{Value.dereference} and @code{Value.referenced_value} is allowed,
24035 the results obtained need not be identical (as we have seen in the above
24036 example). The results are however identical when applied on
24037 @code{gdb.Value} objects corresponding to pointers (@code{gdb.Value}
24038 objects with type code @code{TYPE_CODE_PTR}) in a C/C@t{++} program.
24039 @end defun
24040
24041 @defun Value.referenced_value ()
24042 For pointer or reference data types, this method returns a new
24043 @code{gdb.Value} object corresponding to the value referenced by the
24044 pointer/reference value. For pointer data types,
24045 @code{Value.dereference} and @code{Value.referenced_value} produce
24046 identical results. The difference between these methods is that
24047 @code{Value.dereference} cannot get the values referenced by reference
24048 values. For example, consider a reference to an @code{int}, declared
24049 in your C@t{++} program as
24050
24051 @smallexample
24052 int val = 10;
24053 int &ref = val;
24054 @end smallexample
24055
24056 @noindent
24057 then applying @code{Value.dereference} to the @code{gdb.Value} object
24058 corresponding to @code{ref} will result in an error, while applying
24059 @code{Value.referenced_value} will result in a @code{gdb.Value} object
24060 identical to that corresponding to @code{val}.
24061
24062 @smallexample
24063 py_ref = gdb.parse_and_eval ("ref")
24064 er_ref = py_ref.dereference () # Results in error
24065 py_val = py_ref.referenced_value () # Returns the referenced value
24066 @end smallexample
24067
24068 The @code{gdb.Value} object @code{py_val} is identical to that
24069 corresponding to @code{val}.
24070 @end defun
24071
24072 @defun Value.dynamic_cast (type)
24073 Like @code{Value.cast}, but works as if the C@t{++} @code{dynamic_cast}
24074 operator were used. Consult a C@t{++} reference for details.
24075 @end defun
24076
24077 @defun Value.reinterpret_cast (type)
24078 Like @code{Value.cast}, but works as if the C@t{++} @code{reinterpret_cast}
24079 operator were used. Consult a C@t{++} reference for details.
24080 @end defun
24081
24082 @defun Value.string (@r{[}encoding@r{[}, errors@r{[}, length@r{]]]})
24083 If this @code{gdb.Value} represents a string, then this method
24084 converts the contents to a Python string. Otherwise, this method will
24085 throw an exception.
24086
24087 Strings are recognized in a language-specific way; whether a given
24088 @code{gdb.Value} represents a string is determined by the current
24089 language.
24090
24091 For C-like languages, a value is a string if it is a pointer to or an
24092 array of characters or ints. The string is assumed to be terminated
24093 by a zero of the appropriate width. However if the optional length
24094 argument is given, the string will be converted to that given length,
24095 ignoring any embedded zeros that the string may contain.
24096
24097 If the optional @var{encoding} argument is given, it must be a string
24098 naming the encoding of the string in the @code{gdb.Value}, such as
24099 @code{"ascii"}, @code{"iso-8859-6"} or @code{"utf-8"}. It accepts
24100 the same encodings as the corresponding argument to Python's
24101 @code{string.decode} method, and the Python codec machinery will be used
24102 to convert the string. If @var{encoding} is not given, or if
24103 @var{encoding} is the empty string, then either the @code{target-charset}
24104 (@pxref{Character Sets}) will be used, or a language-specific encoding
24105 will be used, if the current language is able to supply one.
24106
24107 The optional @var{errors} argument is the same as the corresponding
24108 argument to Python's @code{string.decode} method.
24109
24110 If the optional @var{length} argument is given, the string will be
24111 fetched and converted to the given length.
24112 @end defun
24113
24114 @defun Value.lazy_string (@r{[}encoding @r{[}, length@r{]]})
24115 If this @code{gdb.Value} represents a string, then this method
24116 converts the contents to a @code{gdb.LazyString} (@pxref{Lazy Strings
24117 In Python}). Otherwise, this method will throw an exception.
24118
24119 If the optional @var{encoding} argument is given, it must be a string
24120 naming the encoding of the @code{gdb.LazyString}. Some examples are:
24121 @samp{ascii}, @samp{iso-8859-6} or @samp{utf-8}. If the
24122 @var{encoding} argument is an encoding that @value{GDBN} does
24123 recognize, @value{GDBN} will raise an error.
24124
24125 When a lazy string is printed, the @value{GDBN} encoding machinery is
24126 used to convert the string during printing. If the optional
24127 @var{encoding} argument is not provided, or is an empty string,
24128 @value{GDBN} will automatically select the encoding most suitable for
24129 the string type. For further information on encoding in @value{GDBN}
24130 please see @ref{Character Sets}.
24131
24132 If the optional @var{length} argument is given, the string will be
24133 fetched and encoded to the length of characters specified. If
24134 the @var{length} argument is not provided, the string will be fetched
24135 and encoded until a null of appropriate width is found.
24136 @end defun
24137
24138 @defun Value.fetch_lazy ()
24139 If the @code{gdb.Value} object is currently a lazy value
24140 (@code{gdb.Value.is_lazy} is @code{True}), then the value is
24141 fetched from the inferior. Any errors that occur in the process
24142 will produce a Python exception.
24143
24144 If the @code{gdb.Value} object is not a lazy value, this method
24145 has no effect.
24146
24147 This method does not return a value.
24148 @end defun
24149
24150
24151 @node Types In Python
24152 @subsubsection Types In Python
24153 @cindex types in Python
24154 @cindex Python, working with types
24155
24156 @tindex gdb.Type
24157 @value{GDBN} represents types from the inferior using the class
24158 @code{gdb.Type}.
24159
24160 The following type-related functions are available in the @code{gdb}
24161 module:
24162
24163 @findex gdb.lookup_type
24164 @defun gdb.lookup_type (name @r{[}, block@r{]})
24165 This function looks up a type by name. @var{name} is the name of the
24166 type to look up. It must be a string.
24167
24168 If @var{block} is given, then @var{name} is looked up in that scope.
24169 Otherwise, it is searched for globally.
24170
24171 Ordinarily, this function will return an instance of @code{gdb.Type}.
24172 If the named type cannot be found, it will throw an exception.
24173 @end defun
24174
24175 If the type is a structure or class type, or an enum type, the fields
24176 of that type can be accessed using the Python @dfn{dictionary syntax}.
24177 For example, if @code{some_type} is a @code{gdb.Type} instance holding
24178 a structure type, you can access its @code{foo} field with:
24179
24180 @smallexample
24181 bar = some_type['foo']
24182 @end smallexample
24183
24184 @code{bar} will be a @code{gdb.Field} object; see below under the
24185 description of the @code{Type.fields} method for a description of the
24186 @code{gdb.Field} class.
24187
24188 An instance of @code{Type} has the following attributes:
24189
24190 @defvar Type.code
24191 The type code for this type. The type code will be one of the
24192 @code{TYPE_CODE_} constants defined below.
24193 @end defvar
24194
24195 @defvar Type.sizeof
24196 The size of this type, in target @code{char} units. Usually, a
24197 target's @code{char} type will be an 8-bit byte. However, on some
24198 unusual platforms, this type may have a different size.
24199 @end defvar
24200
24201 @defvar Type.tag
24202 The tag name for this type. The tag name is the name after
24203 @code{struct}, @code{union}, or @code{enum} in C and C@t{++}; not all
24204 languages have this concept. If this type has no tag name, then
24205 @code{None} is returned.
24206 @end defvar
24207
24208 The following methods are provided:
24209
24210 @defun Type.fields ()
24211 For structure and union types, this method returns the fields. Range
24212 types have two fields, the minimum and maximum values. Enum types
24213 have one field per enum constant. Function and method types have one
24214 field per parameter. The base types of C@t{++} classes are also
24215 represented as fields. If the type has no fields, or does not fit
24216 into one of these categories, an empty sequence will be returned.
24217
24218 Each field is a @code{gdb.Field} object, with some pre-defined attributes:
24219 @table @code
24220 @item bitpos
24221 This attribute is not available for @code{static} fields (as in
24222 C@t{++} or Java). For non-@code{static} fields, the value is the bit
24223 position of the field. For @code{enum} fields, the value is the
24224 enumeration member's integer representation.
24225
24226 @item name
24227 The name of the field, or @code{None} for anonymous fields.
24228
24229 @item artificial
24230 This is @code{True} if the field is artificial, usually meaning that
24231 it was provided by the compiler and not the user. This attribute is
24232 always provided, and is @code{False} if the field is not artificial.
24233
24234 @item is_base_class
24235 This is @code{True} if the field represents a base class of a C@t{++}
24236 structure. This attribute is always provided, and is @code{False}
24237 if the field is not a base class of the type that is the argument of
24238 @code{fields}, or if that type was not a C@t{++} class.
24239
24240 @item bitsize
24241 If the field is packed, or is a bitfield, then this will have a
24242 non-zero value, which is the size of the field in bits. Otherwise,
24243 this will be zero; in this case the field's size is given by its type.
24244
24245 @item type
24246 The type of the field. This is usually an instance of @code{Type},
24247 but it can be @code{None} in some situations.
24248 @end table
24249 @end defun
24250
24251 @defun Type.array (@var{n1} @r{[}, @var{n2}@r{]})
24252 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents an array of this
24253 type. If one argument is given, it is the inclusive upper bound of
24254 the array; in this case the lower bound is zero. If two arguments are
24255 given, the first argument is the lower bound of the array, and the
24256 second argument is the upper bound of the array. An array's length
24257 must not be negative, but the bounds can be.
24258 @end defun
24259
24260 @defun Type.vector (@var{n1} @r{[}, @var{n2}@r{]})
24261 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents a vector of this
24262 type. If one argument is given, it is the inclusive upper bound of
24263 the vector; in this case the lower bound is zero. If two arguments are
24264 given, the first argument is the lower bound of the vector, and the
24265 second argument is the upper bound of the vector. A vector's length
24266 must not be negative, but the bounds can be.
24267
24268 The difference between an @code{array} and a @code{vector} is that
24269 arrays behave like in C: when used in expressions they decay to a pointer
24270 to the first element whereas vectors are treated as first class values.
24271 @end defun
24272
24273 @defun Type.const ()
24274 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents a
24275 @code{const}-qualified variant of this type.
24276 @end defun
24277
24278 @defun Type.volatile ()
24279 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents a
24280 @code{volatile}-qualified variant of this type.
24281 @end defun
24282
24283 @defun Type.unqualified ()
24284 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents an unqualified
24285 variant of this type. That is, the result is neither @code{const} nor
24286 @code{volatile}.
24287 @end defun
24288
24289 @defun Type.range ()
24290 Return a Python @code{Tuple} object that contains two elements: the
24291 low bound of the argument type and the high bound of that type. If
24292 the type does not have a range, @value{GDBN} will raise a
24293 @code{gdb.error} exception (@pxref{Exception Handling}).
24294 @end defun
24295
24296 @defun Type.reference ()
24297 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents a reference to this
24298 type.
24299 @end defun
24300
24301 @defun Type.pointer ()
24302 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents a pointer to this
24303 type.
24304 @end defun
24305
24306 @defun Type.strip_typedefs ()
24307 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} that represents the real type,
24308 after removing all layers of typedefs.
24309 @end defun
24310
24311 @defun Type.target ()
24312 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents the target type
24313 of this type.
24314
24315 For a pointer type, the target type is the type of the pointed-to
24316 object. For an array type (meaning C-like arrays), the target type is
24317 the type of the elements of the array. For a function or method type,
24318 the target type is the type of the return value. For a complex type,
24319 the target type is the type of the elements. For a typedef, the
24320 target type is the aliased type.
24321
24322 If the type does not have a target, this method will throw an
24323 exception.
24324 @end defun
24325
24326 @defun Type.template_argument (n @r{[}, block@r{]})
24327 If this @code{gdb.Type} is an instantiation of a template, this will
24328 return a new @code{gdb.Type} which represents the type of the
24329 @var{n}th template argument.
24330
24331 If this @code{gdb.Type} is not a template type, this will throw an
24332 exception. Ordinarily, only C@t{++} code will have template types.
24333
24334 If @var{block} is given, then @var{name} is looked up in that scope.
24335 Otherwise, it is searched for globally.
24336 @end defun
24337
24338
24339 Each type has a code, which indicates what category this type falls
24340 into. The available type categories are represented by constants
24341 defined in the @code{gdb} module:
24342
24343 @table @code
24344 @findex TYPE_CODE_PTR
24345 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_PTR
24346 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_PTR
24347 The type is a pointer.
24348
24349 @findex TYPE_CODE_ARRAY
24350 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_ARRAY
24351 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_ARRAY
24352 The type is an array.
24353
24354 @findex TYPE_CODE_STRUCT
24355 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_STRUCT
24356 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_STRUCT
24357 The type is a structure.
24358
24359 @findex TYPE_CODE_UNION
24360 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_UNION
24361 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_UNION
24362 The type is a union.
24363
24364 @findex TYPE_CODE_ENUM
24365 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_ENUM
24366 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_ENUM
24367 The type is an enum.
24368
24369 @findex TYPE_CODE_FLAGS
24370 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_FLAGS
24371 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_FLAGS
24372 A bit flags type, used for things such as status registers.
24373
24374 @findex TYPE_CODE_FUNC
24375 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_FUNC
24376 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_FUNC
24377 The type is a function.
24378
24379 @findex TYPE_CODE_INT
24380 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_INT
24381 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_INT
24382 The type is an integer type.
24383
24384 @findex TYPE_CODE_FLT
24385 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_FLT
24386 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_FLT
24387 A floating point type.
24388
24389 @findex TYPE_CODE_VOID
24390 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_VOID
24391 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_VOID
24392 The special type @code{void}.
24393
24394 @findex TYPE_CODE_SET
24395 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_SET
24396 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_SET
24397 A Pascal set type.
24398
24399 @findex TYPE_CODE_RANGE
24400 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_RANGE
24401 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_RANGE
24402 A range type, that is, an integer type with bounds.
24403
24404 @findex TYPE_CODE_STRING
24405 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_STRING
24406 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_STRING
24407 A string type. Note that this is only used for certain languages with
24408 language-defined string types; C strings are not represented this way.
24409
24410 @findex TYPE_CODE_BITSTRING
24411 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_BITSTRING
24412 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_BITSTRING
24413 A string of bits. It is deprecated.
24414
24415 @findex TYPE_CODE_ERROR
24416 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_ERROR
24417 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_ERROR
24418 An unknown or erroneous type.
24419
24420 @findex TYPE_CODE_METHOD
24421 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_METHOD
24422 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_METHOD
24423 A method type, as found in C@t{++} or Java.
24424
24425 @findex TYPE_CODE_METHODPTR
24426 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_METHODPTR
24427 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_METHODPTR
24428 A pointer-to-member-function.
24429
24430 @findex TYPE_CODE_MEMBERPTR
24431 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_MEMBERPTR
24432 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_MEMBERPTR
24433 A pointer-to-member.
24434
24435 @findex TYPE_CODE_REF
24436 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_REF
24437 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_REF
24438 A reference type.
24439
24440 @findex TYPE_CODE_CHAR
24441 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_CHAR
24442 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_CHAR
24443 A character type.
24444
24445 @findex TYPE_CODE_BOOL
24446 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_BOOL
24447 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_BOOL
24448 A boolean type.
24449
24450 @findex TYPE_CODE_COMPLEX
24451 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_COMPLEX
24452 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_COMPLEX
24453 A complex float type.
24454
24455 @findex TYPE_CODE_TYPEDEF
24456 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_TYPEDEF
24457 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_TYPEDEF
24458 A typedef to some other type.
24459
24460 @findex TYPE_CODE_NAMESPACE
24461 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_NAMESPACE
24462 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_NAMESPACE
24463 A C@t{++} namespace.
24464
24465 @findex TYPE_CODE_DECFLOAT
24466 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_DECFLOAT
24467 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_DECFLOAT
24468 A decimal floating point type.
24469
24470 @findex TYPE_CODE_INTERNAL_FUNCTION
24471 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_INTERNAL_FUNCTION
24472 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_INTERNAL_FUNCTION
24473 A function internal to @value{GDBN}. This is the type used to represent
24474 convenience functions.
24475 @end table
24476
24477 Further support for types is provided in the @code{gdb.types}
24478 Python module (@pxref{gdb.types}).
24479
24480 @node Pretty Printing API
24481 @subsubsection Pretty Printing API
24482
24483 An example output is provided (@pxref{Pretty Printing}).
24484
24485 A pretty-printer is just an object that holds a value and implements a
24486 specific interface, defined here.
24487
24488 @defun pretty_printer.children (self)
24489 @value{GDBN} will call this method on a pretty-printer to compute the
24490 children of the pretty-printer's value.
24491
24492 This method must return an object conforming to the Python iterator
24493 protocol. Each item returned by the iterator must be a tuple holding
24494 two elements. The first element is the ``name'' of the child; the
24495 second element is the child's value. The value can be any Python
24496 object which is convertible to a @value{GDBN} value.
24497
24498 This method is optional. If it does not exist, @value{GDBN} will act
24499 as though the value has no children.
24500 @end defun
24501
24502 @defun pretty_printer.display_hint (self)
24503 The CLI may call this method and use its result to change the
24504 formatting of a value. The result will also be supplied to an MI
24505 consumer as a @samp{displayhint} attribute of the variable being
24506 printed.
24507
24508 This method is optional. If it does exist, this method must return a
24509 string.
24510
24511 Some display hints are predefined by @value{GDBN}:
24512
24513 @table @samp
24514 @item array
24515 Indicate that the object being printed is ``array-like''. The CLI
24516 uses this to respect parameters such as @code{set print elements} and
24517 @code{set print array}.
24518
24519 @item map
24520 Indicate that the object being printed is ``map-like'', and that the
24521 children of this value can be assumed to alternate between keys and
24522 values.
24523
24524 @item string
24525 Indicate that the object being printed is ``string-like''. If the
24526 printer's @code{to_string} method returns a Python string of some
24527 kind, then @value{GDBN} will call its internal language-specific
24528 string-printing function to format the string. For the CLI this means
24529 adding quotation marks, possibly escaping some characters, respecting
24530 @code{set print elements}, and the like.
24531 @end table
24532 @end defun
24533
24534 @defun pretty_printer.to_string (self)
24535 @value{GDBN} will call this method to display the string
24536 representation of the value passed to the object's constructor.
24537
24538 When printing from the CLI, if the @code{to_string} method exists,
24539 then @value{GDBN} will prepend its result to the values returned by
24540 @code{children}. Exactly how this formatting is done is dependent on
24541 the display hint, and may change as more hints are added. Also,
24542 depending on the print settings (@pxref{Print Settings}), the CLI may
24543 print just the result of @code{to_string} in a stack trace, omitting
24544 the result of @code{children}.
24545
24546 If this method returns a string, it is printed verbatim.
24547
24548 Otherwise, if this method returns an instance of @code{gdb.Value},
24549 then @value{GDBN} prints this value. This may result in a call to
24550 another pretty-printer.
24551
24552 If instead the method returns a Python value which is convertible to a
24553 @code{gdb.Value}, then @value{GDBN} performs the conversion and prints
24554 the resulting value. Again, this may result in a call to another
24555 pretty-printer. Python scalars (integers, floats, and booleans) and
24556 strings are convertible to @code{gdb.Value}; other types are not.
24557
24558 Finally, if this method returns @code{None} then no further operations
24559 are peformed in this method and nothing is printed.
24560
24561 If the result is not one of these types, an exception is raised.
24562 @end defun
24563
24564 @value{GDBN} provides a function which can be used to look up the
24565 default pretty-printer for a @code{gdb.Value}:
24566
24567 @findex gdb.default_visualizer
24568 @defun gdb.default_visualizer (value)
24569 This function takes a @code{gdb.Value} object as an argument. If a
24570 pretty-printer for this value exists, then it is returned. If no such
24571 printer exists, then this returns @code{None}.
24572 @end defun
24573
24574 @node Selecting Pretty-Printers
24575 @subsubsection Selecting Pretty-Printers
24576
24577 The Python list @code{gdb.pretty_printers} contains an array of
24578 functions or callable objects that have been registered via addition
24579 as a pretty-printer. Printers in this list are called @code{global}
24580 printers, they're available when debugging all inferiors.
24581 Each @code{gdb.Progspace} contains a @code{pretty_printers} attribute.
24582 Each @code{gdb.Objfile} also contains a @code{pretty_printers}
24583 attribute.
24584
24585 Each function on these lists is passed a single @code{gdb.Value}
24586 argument and should return a pretty-printer object conforming to the
24587 interface definition above (@pxref{Pretty Printing API}). If a function
24588 cannot create a pretty-printer for the value, it should return
24589 @code{None}.
24590
24591 @value{GDBN} first checks the @code{pretty_printers} attribute of each
24592 @code{gdb.Objfile} in the current program space and iteratively calls
24593 each enabled lookup routine in the list for that @code{gdb.Objfile}
24594 until it receives a pretty-printer object.
24595 If no pretty-printer is found in the objfile lists, @value{GDBN} then
24596 searches the pretty-printer list of the current program space,
24597 calling each enabled function until an object is returned.
24598 After these lists have been exhausted, it tries the global
24599 @code{gdb.pretty_printers} list, again calling each enabled function until an
24600 object is returned.
24601
24602 The order in which the objfiles are searched is not specified. For a
24603 given list, functions are always invoked from the head of the list,
24604 and iterated over sequentially until the end of the list, or a printer
24605 object is returned.
24606
24607 For various reasons a pretty-printer may not work.
24608 For example, the underlying data structure may have changed and
24609 the pretty-printer is out of date.
24610
24611 The consequences of a broken pretty-printer are severe enough that
24612 @value{GDBN} provides support for enabling and disabling individual
24613 printers. For example, if @code{print frame-arguments} is on,
24614 a backtrace can become highly illegible if any argument is printed
24615 with a broken printer.
24616
24617 Pretty-printers are enabled and disabled by attaching an @code{enabled}
24618 attribute to the registered function or callable object. If this attribute
24619 is present and its value is @code{False}, the printer is disabled, otherwise
24620 the printer is enabled.
24621
24622 @node Writing a Pretty-Printer
24623 @subsubsection Writing a Pretty-Printer
24624 @cindex writing a pretty-printer
24625
24626 A pretty-printer consists of two parts: a lookup function to detect
24627 if the type is supported, and the printer itself.
24628
24629 Here is an example showing how a @code{std::string} printer might be
24630 written. @xref{Pretty Printing API}, for details on the API this class
24631 must provide.
24632
24633 @smallexample
24634 class StdStringPrinter(object):
24635 "Print a std::string"
24636
24637 def __init__(self, val):
24638 self.val = val
24639
24640 def to_string(self):
24641 return self.val['_M_dataplus']['_M_p']
24642
24643 def display_hint(self):
24644 return 'string'
24645 @end smallexample
24646
24647 And here is an example showing how a lookup function for the printer
24648 example above might be written.
24649
24650 @smallexample
24651 def str_lookup_function(val):
24652 lookup_tag = val.type.tag
24653 if lookup_tag == None:
24654 return None
24655 regex = re.compile("^std::basic_string<char,.*>$")
24656 if regex.match(lookup_tag):
24657 return StdStringPrinter(val)
24658 return None
24659 @end smallexample
24660
24661 The example lookup function extracts the value's type, and attempts to
24662 match it to a type that it can pretty-print. If it is a type the
24663 printer can pretty-print, it will return a printer object. If not, it
24664 returns @code{None}.
24665
24666 We recommend that you put your core pretty-printers into a Python
24667 package. If your pretty-printers are for use with a library, we
24668 further recommend embedding a version number into the package name.
24669 This practice will enable @value{GDBN} to load multiple versions of
24670 your pretty-printers at the same time, because they will have
24671 different names.
24672
24673 You should write auto-loaded code (@pxref{Python Auto-loading}) such that it
24674 can be evaluated multiple times without changing its meaning. An
24675 ideal auto-load file will consist solely of @code{import}s of your
24676 printer modules, followed by a call to a register pretty-printers with
24677 the current objfile.
24678
24679 Taken as a whole, this approach will scale nicely to multiple
24680 inferiors, each potentially using a different library version.
24681 Embedding a version number in the Python package name will ensure that
24682 @value{GDBN} is able to load both sets of printers simultaneously.
24683 Then, because the search for pretty-printers is done by objfile, and
24684 because your auto-loaded code took care to register your library's
24685 printers with a specific objfile, @value{GDBN} will find the correct
24686 printers for the specific version of the library used by each
24687 inferior.
24688
24689 To continue the @code{std::string} example (@pxref{Pretty Printing API}),
24690 this code might appear in @code{gdb.libstdcxx.v6}:
24691
24692 @smallexample
24693 def register_printers(objfile):
24694 objfile.pretty_printers.append(str_lookup_function)
24695 @end smallexample
24696
24697 @noindent
24698 And then the corresponding contents of the auto-load file would be:
24699
24700 @smallexample
24701 import gdb.libstdcxx.v6
24702 gdb.libstdcxx.v6.register_printers(gdb.current_objfile())
24703 @end smallexample
24704
24705 The previous example illustrates a basic pretty-printer.
24706 There are a few things that can be improved on.
24707 The printer doesn't have a name, making it hard to identify in a
24708 list of installed printers. The lookup function has a name, but
24709 lookup functions can have arbitrary, even identical, names.
24710
24711 Second, the printer only handles one type, whereas a library typically has
24712 several types. One could install a lookup function for each desired type
24713 in the library, but one could also have a single lookup function recognize
24714 several types. The latter is the conventional way this is handled.
24715 If a pretty-printer can handle multiple data types, then its
24716 @dfn{subprinters} are the printers for the individual data types.
24717
24718 The @code{gdb.printing} module provides a formal way of solving these
24719 problems (@pxref{gdb.printing}).
24720 Here is another example that handles multiple types.
24721
24722 These are the types we are going to pretty-print:
24723
24724 @smallexample
24725 struct foo @{ int a, b; @};
24726 struct bar @{ struct foo x, y; @};
24727 @end smallexample
24728
24729 Here are the printers:
24730
24731 @smallexample
24732 class fooPrinter:
24733 """Print a foo object."""
24734
24735 def __init__(self, val):
24736 self.val = val
24737
24738 def to_string(self):
24739 return ("a=<" + str(self.val["a"]) +
24740 "> b=<" + str(self.val["b"]) + ">")
24741
24742 class barPrinter:
24743 """Print a bar object."""
24744
24745 def __init__(self, val):
24746 self.val = val
24747
24748 def to_string(self):
24749 return ("x=<" + str(self.val["x"]) +
24750 "> y=<" + str(self.val["y"]) + ">")
24751 @end smallexample
24752
24753 This example doesn't need a lookup function, that is handled by the
24754 @code{gdb.printing} module. Instead a function is provided to build up
24755 the object that handles the lookup.
24756
24757 @smallexample
24758 import gdb.printing
24759
24760 def build_pretty_printer():
24761 pp = gdb.printing.RegexpCollectionPrettyPrinter(
24762 "my_library")
24763 pp.add_printer('foo', '^foo$', fooPrinter)
24764 pp.add_printer('bar', '^bar$', barPrinter)
24765 return pp
24766 @end smallexample
24767
24768 And here is the autoload support:
24769
24770 @smallexample
24771 import gdb.printing
24772 import my_library
24773 gdb.printing.register_pretty_printer(
24774 gdb.current_objfile(),
24775 my_library.build_pretty_printer())
24776 @end smallexample
24777
24778 Finally, when this printer is loaded into @value{GDBN}, here is the
24779 corresponding output of @samp{info pretty-printer}:
24780
24781 @smallexample
24782 (gdb) info pretty-printer
24783 my_library.so:
24784 my_library
24785 foo
24786 bar
24787 @end smallexample
24788
24789 @node Type Printing API
24790 @subsubsection Type Printing API
24791 @cindex type printing API for Python
24792
24793 @value{GDBN} provides a way for Python code to customize type display.
24794 This is mainly useful for substituting canonical typedef names for
24795 types.
24796
24797 @cindex type printer
24798 A @dfn{type printer} is just a Python object conforming to a certain
24799 protocol. A simple base class implementing the protocol is provided;
24800 see @ref{gdb.types}. A type printer must supply at least:
24801
24802 @defivar type_printer enabled
24803 A boolean which is True if the printer is enabled, and False
24804 otherwise. This is manipulated by the @code{enable type-printer}
24805 and @code{disable type-printer} commands.
24806 @end defivar
24807
24808 @defivar type_printer name
24809 The name of the type printer. This must be a string. This is used by
24810 the @code{enable type-printer} and @code{disable type-printer}
24811 commands.
24812 @end defivar
24813
24814 @defmethod type_printer instantiate (self)
24815 This is called by @value{GDBN} at the start of type-printing. It is
24816 only called if the type printer is enabled. This method must return a
24817 new object that supplies a @code{recognize} method, as described below.
24818 @end defmethod
24819
24820
24821 When displaying a type, say via the @code{ptype} command, @value{GDBN}
24822 will compute a list of type recognizers. This is done by iterating
24823 first over the per-objfile type printers (@pxref{Objfiles In Python}),
24824 followed by the per-progspace type printers (@pxref{Progspaces In
24825 Python}), and finally the global type printers.
24826
24827 @value{GDBN} will call the @code{instantiate} method of each enabled
24828 type printer. If this method returns @code{None}, then the result is
24829 ignored; otherwise, it is appended to the list of recognizers.
24830
24831 Then, when @value{GDBN} is going to display a type name, it iterates
24832 over the list of recognizers. For each one, it calls the recognition
24833 function, stopping if the function returns a non-@code{None} value.
24834 The recognition function is defined as:
24835
24836 @defmethod type_recognizer recognize (self, type)
24837 If @var{type} is not recognized, return @code{None}. Otherwise,
24838 return a string which is to be printed as the name of @var{type}.
24839 @var{type} will be an instance of @code{gdb.Type} (@pxref{Types In
24840 Python}).
24841 @end defmethod
24842
24843 @value{GDBN} uses this two-pass approach so that type printers can
24844 efficiently cache information without holding on to it too long. For
24845 example, it can be convenient to look up type information in a type
24846 printer and hold it for a recognizer's lifetime; if a single pass were
24847 done then type printers would have to make use of the event system in
24848 order to avoid holding information that could become stale as the
24849 inferior changed.
24850
24851 @node Frame Filter API
24852 @subsubsection Filtering Frames.
24853 @cindex frame filters api
24854
24855 Frame filters are Python objects that manipulate the visibility of a
24856 frame or frames when a backtrace (@pxref{Backtrace}) is printed by
24857 @value{GDBN}.
24858
24859 Only commands that print a backtrace, or, in the case of @sc{gdb/mi}
24860 commands (@pxref{GDB/MI}), those that return a collection of frames
24861 are affected. The commands that work with frame filters are:
24862
24863 @code{backtrace} (@pxref{backtrace-command,, The backtrace command}),
24864 @code{-stack-list-frames}
24865 (@pxref{-stack-list-frames,, The -stack-list-frames command}),
24866 @code{-stack-list-variables} (@pxref{-stack-list-variables,, The
24867 -stack-list-variables command}), @code{-stack-list-arguments}
24868 @pxref{-stack-list-arguments,, The -stack-list-arguments command}) and
24869 @code{-stack-list-locals} (@pxref{-stack-list-locals,, The
24870 -stack-list-locals command}).
24871
24872 A frame filter works by taking an iterator as an argument, applying
24873 actions to the contents of that iterator, and returning another
24874 iterator (or, possibly, the same iterator it was provided in the case
24875 where the filter does not perform any operations). Typically, frame
24876 filters utilize tools such as the Python's @code{itertools} module to
24877 work with and create new iterators from the source iterator.
24878 Regardless of how a filter chooses to apply actions, it must not alter
24879 the underlying @value{GDBN} frame or frames, or attempt to alter the
24880 call-stack within @value{GDBN}. This preserves data integrity within
24881 @value{GDBN}. Frame filters are executed on a priority basis and care
24882 should be taken that some frame filters may have been executed before,
24883 and that some frame filters will be executed after.
24884
24885 An important consideration when designing frame filters, and well
24886 worth reflecting upon, is that frame filters should avoid unwinding
24887 the call stack if possible. Some stacks can run very deep, into the
24888 tens of thousands in some cases. To search every frame when a frame
24889 filter executes may be too expensive at that step. The frame filter
24890 cannot know how many frames it has to iterate over, and it may have to
24891 iterate through them all. This ends up duplicating effort as
24892 @value{GDBN} performs this iteration when it prints the frames. If
24893 the filter can defer unwinding frames until frame decorators are
24894 executed, after the last filter has executed, it should. @xref{Frame
24895 Decorator API}, for more information on decorators. Also, there are
24896 examples for both frame decorators and filters in later chapters.
24897 @xref{Writing a Frame Filter}, for more information.
24898
24899 The Python dictionary @code{gdb.frame_filters} contains key/object
24900 pairings that comprise a frame filter. Frame filters in this
24901 dictionary are called @code{global} frame filters, and they are
24902 available when debugging all inferiors. These frame filters must
24903 register with the dictionary directly. In addition to the
24904 @code{global} dictionary, there are other dictionaries that are loaded
24905 with different inferiors via auto-loading (@pxref{Python
24906 Auto-loading}). The two other areas where frame filter dictionaries
24907 can be found are: @code{gdb.Progspace} which contains a
24908 @code{frame_filters} dictionary attribute, and each @code{gdb.Objfile}
24909 object which also contains a @code{frame_filters} dictionary
24910 attribute.
24911
24912 When a command is executed from @value{GDBN} that is compatible with
24913 frame filters, @value{GDBN} combines the @code{global},
24914 @code{gdb.Progspace} and all @code{gdb.Objfile} dictionaries currently
24915 loaded. All of the @code{gdb.Objfile} dictionaries are combined, as
24916 several frames, and thus several object files, might be in use.
24917 @value{GDBN} then prunes any frame filter whose @code{enabled}
24918 attribute is @code{False}. This pruned list is then sorted according
24919 to the @code{priority} attribute in each filter.
24920
24921 Once the dictionaries are combined, pruned and sorted, @value{GDBN}
24922 creates an iterator which wraps each frame in the call stack in a
24923 @code{FrameDecorator} object, and calls each filter in order. The
24924 output from the previous filter will always be the input to the next
24925 filter, and so on.
24926
24927 Frame filters have a mandatory interface which each frame filter must
24928 implement, defined here:
24929
24930 @defun FrameFilter.filter (iterator)
24931 @value{GDBN} will call this method on a frame filter when it has
24932 reached the order in the priority list for that filter.
24933
24934 For example, if there are four frame filters:
24935
24936 @smallexample
24937 Name Priority
24938
24939 Filter1 5
24940 Filter2 10
24941 Filter3 100
24942 Filter4 1
24943 @end smallexample
24944
24945 The order that the frame filters will be called is:
24946
24947 @smallexample
24948 Filter3 -> Filter2 -> Filter1 -> Filter4
24949 @end smallexample
24950
24951 Note that the output from @code{Filter3} is passed to the input of
24952 @code{Filter2}, and so on.
24953
24954 This @code{filter} method is passed a Python iterator. This iterator
24955 contains a sequence of frame decorators that wrap each
24956 @code{gdb.Frame}, or a frame decorator that wraps another frame
24957 decorator. The first filter that is executed in the sequence of frame
24958 filters will receive an iterator entirely comprised of default
24959 @code{FrameDecorator} objects. However, after each frame filter is
24960 executed, the previous frame filter may have wrapped some or all of
24961 the frame decorators with their own frame decorator. As frame
24962 decorators must also conform to a mandatory interface, these
24963 decorators can be assumed to act in a uniform manner (@pxref{Frame
24964 Decorator API}).
24965
24966 This method must return an object conforming to the Python iterator
24967 protocol. Each item in the iterator must be an object conforming to
24968 the frame decorator interface. If a frame filter does not wish to
24969 perform any operations on this iterator, it should return that
24970 iterator untouched.
24971
24972 This method is not optional. If it does not exist, @value{GDBN} will
24973 raise and print an error.
24974 @end defun
24975
24976 @defvar FrameFilter.name
24977 The @code{name} attribute must be Python string which contains the
24978 name of the filter displayed by @value{GDBN} (@pxref{Frame Filter
24979 Management}). This attribute may contain any combination of letters
24980 or numbers. Care should be taken to ensure that it is unique. This
24981 attribute is mandatory.
24982 @end defvar
24983
24984 @defvar FrameFilter.enabled
24985 The @code{enabled} attribute must be Python boolean. This attribute
24986 indicates to @value{GDBN} whether the frame filter is enabled, and
24987 should be considered when frame filters are executed. If
24988 @code{enabled} is @code{True}, then the frame filter will be executed
24989 when any of the backtrace commands detailed earlier in this chapter
24990 are executed. If @code{enabled} is @code{False}, then the frame
24991 filter will not be executed. This attribute is mandatory.
24992 @end defvar
24993
24994 @defvar FrameFilter.priority
24995 The @code{priority} attribute must be Python integer. This attribute
24996 controls the order of execution in relation to other frame filters.
24997 There are no imposed limits on the range of @code{priority} other than
24998 it must be a valid integer. The higher the @code{priority} attribute,
24999 the sooner the frame filter will be executed in relation to other
25000 frame filters. Although @code{priority} can be negative, it is
25001 recommended practice to assume zero is the lowest priority that a
25002 frame filter can be assigned. Frame filters that have the same
25003 priority are executed in unsorted order in that priority slot. This
25004 attribute is mandatory.
25005 @end defvar
25006
25007 @node Frame Decorator API
25008 @subsubsection Decorating Frames.
25009 @cindex frame decorator api
25010
25011 Frame decorators are sister objects to frame filters (@pxref{Frame
25012 Filter API}). Frame decorators are applied by a frame filter and can
25013 only be used in conjunction with frame filters.
25014
25015 The purpose of a frame decorator is to customize the printed content
25016 of each @code{gdb.Frame} in commands where frame filters are executed.
25017 This concept is called decorating a frame. Frame decorators decorate
25018 a @code{gdb.Frame} with Python code contained within each API call.
25019 This separates the actual data contained in a @code{gdb.Frame} from
25020 the decorated data produced by a frame decorator. This abstraction is
25021 necessary to maintain integrity of the data contained in each
25022 @code{gdb.Frame}.
25023
25024 Frame decorators have a mandatory interface, defined below.
25025
25026 @value{GDBN} already contains a frame decorator called
25027 @code{FrameDecorator}. This contains substantial amounts of
25028 boilerplate code to decorate the content of a @code{gdb.Frame}. It is
25029 recommended that other frame decorators inherit and extend this
25030 object, and only to override the methods needed.
25031
25032 @defun FrameDecorator.elided (self)
25033
25034 The @code{elided} method groups frames together in a hierarchical
25035 system. An example would be an interpreter, where multiple low-level
25036 frames make up a single call in the interpreted language. In this
25037 example, the frame filter would elide the low-level frames and present
25038 a single high-level frame, representing the call in the interpreted
25039 language, to the user.
25040
25041 The @code{elided} function must return an iterable and this iterable
25042 must contain the frames that are being elided wrapped in a suitable
25043 frame decorator. If no frames are being elided this function may
25044 return an empty iterable, or @code{None}. Elided frames are indented
25045 from normal frames in a @code{CLI} backtrace, or in the case of
25046 @code{GDB/MI}, are placed in the @code{children} field of the eliding
25047 frame.
25048
25049 It is the frame filter's task to also filter out the elided frames from
25050 the source iterator. This will avoid printing the frame twice.
25051 @end defun
25052
25053 @defun FrameDecorator.function (self)
25054
25055 This method returns the name of the function in the frame that is to
25056 be printed.
25057
25058 This method must return a Python string describing the function, or
25059 @code{None}.
25060
25061 If this function returns @code{None}, @value{GDBN} will not print any
25062 data for this field.
25063 @end defun
25064
25065 @defun FrameDecorator.address (self)
25066
25067 This method returns the address of the frame that is to be printed.
25068
25069 This method must return a Python numeric integer type of sufficient
25070 size to describe the address of the frame, or @code{None}.
25071
25072 If this function returns a @code{None}, @value{GDBN} will not print
25073 any data for this field.
25074 @end defun
25075
25076 @defun FrameDecorator.filename (self)
25077
25078 This method returns the filename and path associated with this frame.
25079
25080 This method must return a Python string containing the filename and
25081 the path to the object file backing the frame, or @code{None}.
25082
25083 If this function returns a @code{None}, @value{GDBN} will not print
25084 any data for this field.
25085 @end defun
25086
25087 @defun FrameDecorator.line (self):
25088
25089 This method returns the line number associated with the current
25090 position within the function addressed by this frame.
25091
25092 This method must return a Python integer type, or @code{None}.
25093
25094 If this function returns a @code{None}, @value{GDBN} will not print
25095 any data for this field.
25096 @end defun
25097
25098 @defun FrameDecorator.frame_args (self)
25099 @anchor{frame_args}
25100
25101 This method must return an iterable, or @code{None}. Returning an
25102 empty iterable, or @code{None} means frame arguments will not be
25103 printed for this frame. This iterable must contain objects that
25104 implement two methods, described here.
25105
25106 This object must implement a @code{argument} method which takes a
25107 single @code{self} parameter and must return a @code{gdb.Symbol}
25108 (@pxref{Symbols In Python}), or a Python string. The object must also
25109 implement a @code{value} method which takes a single @code{self}
25110 parameter and must return a @code{gdb.Value} (@pxref{Values From
25111 Inferior}), a Python value, or @code{None}. If the @code{value}
25112 method returns @code{None}, and the @code{argument} method returns a
25113 @code{gdb.Symbol}, @value{GDBN} will look-up and print the value of
25114 the @code{gdb.Symbol} automatically.
25115
25116 A brief example:
25117
25118 @smallexample
25119 class SymValueWrapper():
25120
25121 def __init__(self, symbol, value):
25122 self.sym = symbol
25123 self.val = value
25124
25125 def value(self):
25126 return self.val
25127
25128 def symbol(self):
25129 return self.sym
25130
25131 class SomeFrameDecorator()
25132 ...
25133 ...
25134 def frame_args(self):
25135 args = []
25136 try:
25137 block = self.inferior_frame.block()
25138 except:
25139 return None
25140
25141 # Iterate over all symbols in a block. Only add
25142 # symbols that are arguments.
25143 for sym in block:
25144 if not sym.is_argument:
25145 continue
25146 args.append(SymValueWrapper(sym,None))
25147
25148 # Add example synthetic argument.
25149 args.append(SymValueWrapper(``foo'', 42))
25150
25151 return args
25152 @end smallexample
25153 @end defun
25154
25155 @defun FrameDecorator.frame_locals (self)
25156
25157 This method must return an iterable or @code{None}. Returning an
25158 empty iterable, or @code{None} means frame local arguments will not be
25159 printed for this frame.
25160
25161 The object interface, the description of the various strategies for
25162 reading frame locals, and the example are largely similar to those
25163 described in the @code{frame_args} function, (@pxref{frame_args,,The
25164 frame filter frame_args function}). Below is a modified example:
25165
25166 @smallexample
25167 class SomeFrameDecorator()
25168 ...
25169 ...
25170 def frame_locals(self):
25171 vars = []
25172 try:
25173 block = self.inferior_frame.block()
25174 except:
25175 return None
25176
25177 # Iterate over all symbols in a block. Add all
25178 # symbols, except arguments.
25179 for sym in block:
25180 if sym.is_argument:
25181 continue
25182 vars.append(SymValueWrapper(sym,None))
25183
25184 # Add an example of a synthetic local variable.
25185 vars.append(SymValueWrapper(``bar'', 99))
25186
25187 return vars
25188 @end smallexample
25189 @end defun
25190
25191 @defun FrameDecorator.inferior_frame (self):
25192
25193 This method must return the underlying @code{gdb.Frame} that this
25194 frame decorator is decorating. @value{GDBN} requires the underlying
25195 frame for internal frame information to determine how to print certain
25196 values when printing a frame.
25197 @end defun
25198
25199 @node Writing a Frame Filter
25200 @subsubsection Writing a Frame Filter
25201 @cindex writing a frame filter
25202
25203 There are three basic elements that a frame filter must implement: it
25204 must correctly implement the documented interface (@pxref{Frame Filter
25205 API}), it must register itself with @value{GDBN}, and finally, it must
25206 decide if it is to work on the data provided by @value{GDBN}. In all
25207 cases, whether it works on the iterator or not, each frame filter must
25208 return an iterator. A bare-bones frame filter follows the pattern in
25209 the following example.
25210
25211 @smallexample
25212 import gdb
25213
25214 class FrameFilter():
25215
25216 def __init__(self):
25217 # Frame filter attribute creation.
25218 #
25219 # 'name' is the name of the filter that GDB will display.
25220 #
25221 # 'priority' is the priority of the filter relative to other
25222 # filters.
25223 #
25224 # 'enabled' is a boolean that indicates whether this filter is
25225 # enabled and should be executed.
25226
25227 self.name = "Foo"
25228 self.priority = 100
25229 self.enabled = True
25230
25231 # Register this frame filter with the global frame_filters
25232 # dictionary.
25233 gdb.frame_filters[self.name] = self
25234
25235 def filter(self, frame_iter):
25236 # Just return the iterator.
25237 return frame_iter
25238 @end smallexample
25239
25240 The frame filter in the example above implements the three
25241 requirements for all frame filters. It implements the API, self
25242 registers, and makes a decision on the iterator (in this case, it just
25243 returns the iterator untouched).
25244
25245 The first step is attribute creation and assignment, and as shown in
25246 the comments the filter assigns the following attributes: @code{name},
25247 @code{priority} and whether the filter should be enabled with the
25248 @code{enabled} attribute.
25249
25250 The second step is registering the frame filter with the dictionary or
25251 dictionaries that the frame filter has interest in. As shown in the
25252 comments, this filter just registers itself with the global dictionary
25253 @code{gdb.frame_filters}. As noted earlier, @code{gdb.frame_filters}
25254 is a dictionary that is initialized in the @code{gdb} module when
25255 @value{GDBN} starts. What dictionary a filter registers with is an
25256 important consideration. Generally, if a filter is specific to a set
25257 of code, it should be registered either in the @code{objfile} or
25258 @code{progspace} dictionaries as they are specific to the program
25259 currently loaded in @value{GDBN}. The global dictionary is always
25260 present in @value{GDBN} and is never unloaded. Any filters registered
25261 with the global dictionary will exist until @value{GDBN} exits. To
25262 avoid filters that may conflict, it is generally better to register
25263 frame filters against the dictionaries that more closely align with
25264 the usage of the filter currently in question. @xref{Python
25265 Auto-loading}, for further information on auto-loading Python scripts.
25266
25267 @value{GDBN} takes a hands-off approach to frame filter registration,
25268 therefore it is the frame filter's responsibility to ensure
25269 registration has occurred, and that any exceptions are handled
25270 appropriately. In particular, you may wish to handle exceptions
25271 relating to Python dictionary key uniqueness. It is mandatory that
25272 the dictionary key is the same as frame filter's @code{name}
25273 attribute. When a user manages frame filters (@pxref{Frame Filter
25274 Management}), the names @value{GDBN} will display are those contained
25275 in the @code{name} attribute.
25276
25277 The final step of this example is the implementation of the
25278 @code{filter} method. As shown in the example comments, we define the
25279 @code{filter} method and note that the method must take an iterator,
25280 and also must return an iterator. In this bare-bones example, the
25281 frame filter is not very useful as it just returns the iterator
25282 untouched. However this is a valid operation for frame filters that
25283 have the @code{enabled} attribute set, but decide not to operate on
25284 any frames.
25285
25286 In the next example, the frame filter operates on all frames and
25287 utilizes a frame decorator to perform some work on the frames.
25288 @xref{Frame Decorator API}, for further information on the frame
25289 decorator interface.
25290
25291 This example works on inlined frames. It highlights frames which are
25292 inlined by tagging them with an ``[inlined]'' tag. By applying a
25293 frame decorator to all frames with the Python @code{itertools imap}
25294 method, the example defers actions to the frame decorator. Frame
25295 decorators are only processed when @value{GDBN} prints the backtrace.
25296
25297 This introduces a new decision making topic: whether to perform
25298 decision making operations at the filtering step, or at the printing
25299 step. In this example's approach, it does not perform any filtering
25300 decisions at the filtering step beyond mapping a frame decorator to
25301 each frame. This allows the actual decision making to be performed
25302 when each frame is printed. This is an important consideration, and
25303 well worth reflecting upon when designing a frame filter. An issue
25304 that frame filters should avoid is unwinding the stack if possible.
25305 Some stacks can run very deep, into the tens of thousands in some
25306 cases. To search every frame to determine if it is inlined ahead of
25307 time may be too expensive at the filtering step. The frame filter
25308 cannot know how many frames it has to iterate over, and it would have
25309 to iterate through them all. This ends up duplicating effort as
25310 @value{GDBN} performs this iteration when it prints the frames.
25311
25312 In this example decision making can be deferred to the printing step.
25313 As each frame is printed, the frame decorator can examine each frame
25314 in turn when @value{GDBN} iterates. From a performance viewpoint,
25315 this is the most appropriate decision to make as it avoids duplicating
25316 the effort that the printing step would undertake anyway. Also, if
25317 there are many frame filters unwinding the stack during filtering, it
25318 can substantially delay the printing of the backtrace which will
25319 result in large memory usage, and a poor user experience.
25320
25321 @smallexample
25322 class InlineFilter():
25323
25324 def __init__(self):
25325 self.name = "InlinedFrameFilter"
25326 self.priority = 100
25327 self.enabled = True
25328 gdb.frame_filters[self.name] = self
25329
25330 def filter(self, frame_iter):
25331 frame_iter = itertools.imap(InlinedFrameDecorator,
25332 frame_iter)
25333 return frame_iter
25334 @end smallexample
25335
25336 This frame filter is somewhat similar to the earlier example, except
25337 that the @code{filter} method applies a frame decorator object called
25338 @code{InlinedFrameDecorator} to each element in the iterator. The
25339 @code{imap} Python method is light-weight. It does not proactively
25340 iterate over the iterator, but rather creates a new iterator which
25341 wraps the existing one.
25342
25343 Below is the frame decorator for this example.
25344
25345 @smallexample
25346 class InlinedFrameDecorator(FrameDecorator):
25347
25348 def __init__(self, fobj):
25349 super(InlinedFrameDecorator, self).__init__(fobj)
25350
25351 def function(self):
25352 frame = fobj.inferior_frame()
25353 name = str(frame.name())
25354
25355 if frame.type() == gdb.INLINE_FRAME:
25356 name = name + " [inlined]"
25357
25358 return name
25359 @end smallexample
25360
25361 This frame decorator only defines and overrides the @code{function}
25362 method. It lets the supplied @code{FrameDecorator}, which is shipped
25363 with @value{GDBN}, perform the other work associated with printing
25364 this frame.
25365
25366 The combination of these two objects create this output from a
25367 backtrace:
25368
25369 @smallexample
25370 #0 0x004004e0 in bar () at inline.c:11
25371 #1 0x00400566 in max [inlined] (b=6, a=12) at inline.c:21
25372 #2 0x00400566 in main () at inline.c:31
25373 @end smallexample
25374
25375 So in the case of this example, a frame decorator is applied to all
25376 frames, regardless of whether they may be inlined or not. As
25377 @value{GDBN} iterates over the iterator produced by the frame filters,
25378 @value{GDBN} executes each frame decorator which then makes a decision
25379 on what to print in the @code{function} callback. Using a strategy
25380 like this is a way to defer decisions on the frame content to printing
25381 time.
25382
25383 @subheading Eliding Frames
25384
25385 It might be that the above example is not desirable for representing
25386 inlined frames, and a hierarchical approach may be preferred. If we
25387 want to hierarchically represent frames, the @code{elided} frame
25388 decorator interface might be preferable.
25389
25390 This example approaches the issue with the @code{elided} method. This
25391 example is quite long, but very simplistic. It is out-of-scope for
25392 this section to write a complete example that comprehensively covers
25393 all approaches of finding and printing inlined frames. However, this
25394 example illustrates the approach an author might use.
25395
25396 This example comprises of three sections.
25397
25398 @smallexample
25399 class InlineFrameFilter():
25400
25401 def __init__(self):
25402 self.name = "InlinedFrameFilter"
25403 self.priority = 100
25404 self.enabled = True
25405 gdb.frame_filters[self.name] = self
25406
25407 def filter(self, frame_iter):
25408 return ElidingInlineIterator(frame_iter)
25409 @end smallexample
25410
25411 This frame filter is very similar to the other examples. The only
25412 difference is this frame filter is wrapping the iterator provided to
25413 it (@code{frame_iter}) with a custom iterator called
25414 @code{ElidingInlineIterator}. This again defers actions to when
25415 @value{GDBN} prints the backtrace, as the iterator is not traversed
25416 until printing.
25417
25418 The iterator for this example is as follows. It is in this section of
25419 the example where decisions are made on the content of the backtrace.
25420
25421 @smallexample
25422 class ElidingInlineIterator:
25423 def __init__(self, ii):
25424 self.input_iterator = ii
25425
25426 def __iter__(self):
25427 return self
25428
25429 def next(self):
25430 frame = next(self.input_iterator)
25431
25432 if frame.inferior_frame().type() != gdb.INLINE_FRAME:
25433 return frame
25434
25435 try:
25436 eliding_frame = next(self.input_iterator)
25437 except StopIteration:
25438 return frame
25439 return ElidingFrameDecorator(eliding_frame, [frame])
25440 @end smallexample
25441
25442 This iterator implements the Python iterator protocol. When the
25443 @code{next} function is called (when @value{GDBN} prints each frame),
25444 the iterator checks if this frame decorator, @code{frame}, is wrapping
25445 an inlined frame. If it is not, it returns the existing frame decorator
25446 untouched. If it is wrapping an inlined frame, it assumes that the
25447 inlined frame was contained within the next oldest frame,
25448 @code{eliding_frame}, which it fetches. It then creates and returns a
25449 frame decorator, @code{ElidingFrameDecorator}, which contains both the
25450 elided frame, and the eliding frame.
25451
25452 @smallexample
25453 class ElidingInlineDecorator(FrameDecorator):
25454
25455 def __init__(self, frame, elided_frames):
25456 super(ElidingInlineDecorator, self).__init__(frame)
25457 self.frame = frame
25458 self.elided_frames = elided_frames
25459
25460 def elided(self):
25461 return iter(self.elided_frames)
25462 @end smallexample
25463
25464 This frame decorator overrides one function and returns the inlined
25465 frame in the @code{elided} method. As before it lets
25466 @code{FrameDecorator} do the rest of the work involved in printing
25467 this frame. This produces the following output.
25468
25469 @smallexample
25470 #0 0x004004e0 in bar () at inline.c:11
25471 #2 0x00400529 in main () at inline.c:25
25472 #1 0x00400529 in max (b=6, a=12) at inline.c:15
25473 @end smallexample
25474
25475 In that output, @code{max} which has been inlined into @code{main} is
25476 printed hierarchically. Another approach would be to combine the
25477 @code{function} method, and the @code{elided} method to both print a
25478 marker in the inlined frame, and also show the hierarchical
25479 relationship.
25480
25481 @node Inferiors In Python
25482 @subsubsection Inferiors In Python
25483 @cindex inferiors in Python
25484
25485 @findex gdb.Inferior
25486 Programs which are being run under @value{GDBN} are called inferiors
25487 (@pxref{Inferiors and Programs}). Python scripts can access
25488 information about and manipulate inferiors controlled by @value{GDBN}
25489 via objects of the @code{gdb.Inferior} class.
25490
25491 The following inferior-related functions are available in the @code{gdb}
25492 module:
25493
25494 @defun gdb.inferiors ()
25495 Return a tuple containing all inferior objects.
25496 @end defun
25497
25498 @defun gdb.selected_inferior ()
25499 Return an object representing the current inferior.
25500 @end defun
25501
25502 A @code{gdb.Inferior} object has the following attributes:
25503
25504 @defvar Inferior.num
25505 ID of inferior, as assigned by GDB.
25506 @end defvar
25507
25508 @defvar Inferior.pid
25509 Process ID of the inferior, as assigned by the underlying operating
25510 system.
25511 @end defvar
25512
25513 @defvar Inferior.was_attached
25514 Boolean signaling whether the inferior was created using `attach', or
25515 started by @value{GDBN} itself.
25516 @end defvar
25517
25518 A @code{gdb.Inferior} object has the following methods:
25519
25520 @defun Inferior.is_valid ()
25521 Returns @code{True} if the @code{gdb.Inferior} object is valid,
25522 @code{False} if not. A @code{gdb.Inferior} object will become invalid
25523 if the inferior no longer exists within @value{GDBN}. All other
25524 @code{gdb.Inferior} methods will throw an exception if it is invalid
25525 at the time the method is called.
25526 @end defun
25527
25528 @defun Inferior.threads ()
25529 This method returns a tuple holding all the threads which are valid
25530 when it is called. If there are no valid threads, the method will
25531 return an empty tuple.
25532 @end defun
25533
25534 @findex Inferior.read_memory
25535 @defun Inferior.read_memory (address, length)
25536 Read @var{length} bytes of memory from the inferior, starting at
25537 @var{address}. Returns a buffer object, which behaves much like an array
25538 or a string. It can be modified and given to the
25539 @code{Inferior.write_memory} function. In @code{Python} 3, the return
25540 value is a @code{memoryview} object.
25541 @end defun
25542
25543 @findex Inferior.write_memory
25544 @defun Inferior.write_memory (address, buffer @r{[}, length@r{]})
25545 Write the contents of @var{buffer} to the inferior, starting at
25546 @var{address}. The @var{buffer} parameter must be a Python object
25547 which supports the buffer protocol, i.e., a string, an array or the
25548 object returned from @code{Inferior.read_memory}. If given, @var{length}
25549 determines the number of bytes from @var{buffer} to be written.
25550 @end defun
25551
25552 @findex gdb.search_memory
25553 @defun Inferior.search_memory (address, length, pattern)
25554 Search a region of the inferior memory starting at @var{address} with
25555 the given @var{length} using the search pattern supplied in
25556 @var{pattern}. The @var{pattern} parameter must be a Python object
25557 which supports the buffer protocol, i.e., a string, an array or the
25558 object returned from @code{gdb.read_memory}. Returns a Python @code{Long}
25559 containing the address where the pattern was found, or @code{None} if
25560 the pattern could not be found.
25561 @end defun
25562
25563 @node Events In Python
25564 @subsubsection Events In Python
25565 @cindex inferior events in Python
25566
25567 @value{GDBN} provides a general event facility so that Python code can be
25568 notified of various state changes, particularly changes that occur in
25569 the inferior.
25570
25571 An @dfn{event} is just an object that describes some state change. The
25572 type of the object and its attributes will vary depending on the details
25573 of the change. All the existing events are described below.
25574
25575 In order to be notified of an event, you must register an event handler
25576 with an @dfn{event registry}. An event registry is an object in the
25577 @code{gdb.events} module which dispatches particular events. A registry
25578 provides methods to register and unregister event handlers:
25579
25580 @defun EventRegistry.connect (object)
25581 Add the given callable @var{object} to the registry. This object will be
25582 called when an event corresponding to this registry occurs.
25583 @end defun
25584
25585 @defun EventRegistry.disconnect (object)
25586 Remove the given @var{object} from the registry. Once removed, the object
25587 will no longer receive notifications of events.
25588 @end defun
25589
25590 Here is an example:
25591
25592 @smallexample
25593 def exit_handler (event):
25594 print "event type: exit"
25595 print "exit code: %d" % (event.exit_code)
25596
25597 gdb.events.exited.connect (exit_handler)
25598 @end smallexample
25599
25600 In the above example we connect our handler @code{exit_handler} to the
25601 registry @code{events.exited}. Once connected, @code{exit_handler} gets
25602 called when the inferior exits. The argument @dfn{event} in this example is
25603 of type @code{gdb.ExitedEvent}. As you can see in the example the
25604 @code{ExitedEvent} object has an attribute which indicates the exit code of
25605 the inferior.
25606
25607 The following is a listing of the event registries that are available and
25608 details of the events they emit:
25609
25610 @table @code
25611
25612 @item events.cont
25613 Emits @code{gdb.ThreadEvent}.
25614
25615 Some events can be thread specific when @value{GDBN} is running in non-stop
25616 mode. When represented in Python, these events all extend
25617 @code{gdb.ThreadEvent}. Note, this event is not emitted directly; instead,
25618 events which are emitted by this or other modules might extend this event.
25619 Examples of these events are @code{gdb.BreakpointEvent} and
25620 @code{gdb.ContinueEvent}.
25621
25622 @defvar ThreadEvent.inferior_thread
25623 In non-stop mode this attribute will be set to the specific thread which was
25624 involved in the emitted event. Otherwise, it will be set to @code{None}.
25625 @end defvar
25626
25627 Emits @code{gdb.ContinueEvent} which extends @code{gdb.ThreadEvent}.
25628
25629 This event indicates that the inferior has been continued after a stop. For
25630 inherited attribute refer to @code{gdb.ThreadEvent} above.
25631
25632 @item events.exited
25633 Emits @code{events.ExitedEvent} which indicates that the inferior has exited.
25634 @code{events.ExitedEvent} has two attributes:
25635 @defvar ExitedEvent.exit_code
25636 An integer representing the exit code, if available, which the inferior
25637 has returned. (The exit code could be unavailable if, for example,
25638 @value{GDBN} detaches from the inferior.) If the exit code is unavailable,
25639 the attribute does not exist.
25640 @end defvar
25641 @defvar ExitedEvent inferior
25642 A reference to the inferior which triggered the @code{exited} event.
25643 @end defvar
25644
25645 @item events.stop
25646 Emits @code{gdb.StopEvent} which extends @code{gdb.ThreadEvent}.
25647
25648 Indicates that the inferior has stopped. All events emitted by this registry
25649 extend StopEvent. As a child of @code{gdb.ThreadEvent}, @code{gdb.StopEvent}
25650 will indicate the stopped thread when @value{GDBN} is running in non-stop
25651 mode. Refer to @code{gdb.ThreadEvent} above for more details.
25652
25653 Emits @code{gdb.SignalEvent} which extends @code{gdb.StopEvent}.
25654
25655 This event indicates that the inferior or one of its threads has received as
25656 signal. @code{gdb.SignalEvent} has the following attributes:
25657
25658 @defvar SignalEvent.stop_signal
25659 A string representing the signal received by the inferior. A list of possible
25660 signal values can be obtained by running the command @code{info signals} in
25661 the @value{GDBN} command prompt.
25662 @end defvar
25663
25664 Also emits @code{gdb.BreakpointEvent} which extends @code{gdb.StopEvent}.
25665
25666 @code{gdb.BreakpointEvent} event indicates that one or more breakpoints have
25667 been hit, and has the following attributes:
25668
25669 @defvar BreakpointEvent.breakpoints
25670 A sequence containing references to all the breakpoints (type
25671 @code{gdb.Breakpoint}) that were hit.
25672 @xref{Breakpoints In Python}, for details of the @code{gdb.Breakpoint} object.
25673 @end defvar
25674 @defvar BreakpointEvent.breakpoint
25675 A reference to the first breakpoint that was hit.
25676 This function is maintained for backward compatibility and is now deprecated
25677 in favor of the @code{gdb.BreakpointEvent.breakpoints} attribute.
25678 @end defvar
25679
25680 @item events.new_objfile
25681 Emits @code{gdb.NewObjFileEvent} which indicates that a new object file has
25682 been loaded by @value{GDBN}. @code{gdb.NewObjFileEvent} has one attribute:
25683
25684 @defvar NewObjFileEvent.new_objfile
25685 A reference to the object file (@code{gdb.Objfile}) which has been loaded.
25686 @xref{Objfiles In Python}, for details of the @code{gdb.Objfile} object.
25687 @end defvar
25688
25689 @end table
25690
25691 @node Threads In Python
25692 @subsubsection Threads In Python
25693 @cindex threads in python
25694
25695 @findex gdb.InferiorThread
25696 Python scripts can access information about, and manipulate inferior threads
25697 controlled by @value{GDBN}, via objects of the @code{gdb.InferiorThread} class.
25698
25699 The following thread-related functions are available in the @code{gdb}
25700 module:
25701
25702 @findex gdb.selected_thread
25703 @defun gdb.selected_thread ()
25704 This function returns the thread object for the selected thread. If there
25705 is no selected thread, this will return @code{None}.
25706 @end defun
25707
25708 A @code{gdb.InferiorThread} object has the following attributes:
25709
25710 @defvar InferiorThread.name
25711 The name of the thread. If the user specified a name using
25712 @code{thread name}, then this returns that name. Otherwise, if an
25713 OS-supplied name is available, then it is returned. Otherwise, this
25714 returns @code{None}.
25715
25716 This attribute can be assigned to. The new value must be a string
25717 object, which sets the new name, or @code{None}, which removes any
25718 user-specified thread name.
25719 @end defvar
25720
25721 @defvar InferiorThread.num
25722 ID of the thread, as assigned by GDB.
25723 @end defvar
25724
25725 @defvar InferiorThread.ptid
25726 ID of the thread, as assigned by the operating system. This attribute is a
25727 tuple containing three integers. The first is the Process ID (PID); the second
25728 is the Lightweight Process ID (LWPID), and the third is the Thread ID (TID).
25729 Either the LWPID or TID may be 0, which indicates that the operating system
25730 does not use that identifier.
25731 @end defvar
25732
25733 A @code{gdb.InferiorThread} object has the following methods:
25734
25735 @defun InferiorThread.is_valid ()
25736 Returns @code{True} if the @code{gdb.InferiorThread} object is valid,
25737 @code{False} if not. A @code{gdb.InferiorThread} object will become
25738 invalid if the thread exits, or the inferior that the thread belongs
25739 is deleted. All other @code{gdb.InferiorThread} methods will throw an
25740 exception if it is invalid at the time the method is called.
25741 @end defun
25742
25743 @defun InferiorThread.switch ()
25744 This changes @value{GDBN}'s currently selected thread to the one represented
25745 by this object.
25746 @end defun
25747
25748 @defun InferiorThread.is_stopped ()
25749 Return a Boolean indicating whether the thread is stopped.
25750 @end defun
25751
25752 @defun InferiorThread.is_running ()
25753 Return a Boolean indicating whether the thread is running.
25754 @end defun
25755
25756 @defun InferiorThread.is_exited ()
25757 Return a Boolean indicating whether the thread is exited.
25758 @end defun
25759
25760 @node Commands In Python
25761 @subsubsection Commands In Python
25762
25763 @cindex commands in python
25764 @cindex python commands
25765 You can implement new @value{GDBN} CLI commands in Python. A CLI
25766 command is implemented using an instance of the @code{gdb.Command}
25767 class, most commonly using a subclass.
25768
25769 @defun Command.__init__ (name, @var{command_class} @r{[}, @var{completer_class} @r{[}, @var{prefix}@r{]]})
25770 The object initializer for @code{Command} registers the new command
25771 with @value{GDBN}. This initializer is normally invoked from the
25772 subclass' own @code{__init__} method.
25773
25774 @var{name} is the name of the command. If @var{name} consists of
25775 multiple words, then the initial words are looked for as prefix
25776 commands. In this case, if one of the prefix commands does not exist,
25777 an exception is raised.
25778
25779 There is no support for multi-line commands.
25780
25781 @var{command_class} should be one of the @samp{COMMAND_} constants
25782 defined below. This argument tells @value{GDBN} how to categorize the
25783 new command in the help system.
25784
25785 @var{completer_class} is an optional argument. If given, it should be
25786 one of the @samp{COMPLETE_} constants defined below. This argument
25787 tells @value{GDBN} how to perform completion for this command. If not
25788 given, @value{GDBN} will attempt to complete using the object's
25789 @code{complete} method (see below); if no such method is found, an
25790 error will occur when completion is attempted.
25791
25792 @var{prefix} is an optional argument. If @code{True}, then the new
25793 command is a prefix command; sub-commands of this command may be
25794 registered.
25795
25796 The help text for the new command is taken from the Python
25797 documentation string for the command's class, if there is one. If no
25798 documentation string is provided, the default value ``This command is
25799 not documented.'' is used.
25800 @end defun
25801
25802 @cindex don't repeat Python command
25803 @defun Command.dont_repeat ()
25804 By default, a @value{GDBN} command is repeated when the user enters a
25805 blank line at the command prompt. A command can suppress this
25806 behavior by invoking the @code{dont_repeat} method. This is similar
25807 to the user command @code{dont-repeat}, see @ref{Define, dont-repeat}.
25808 @end defun
25809
25810 @defun Command.invoke (argument, from_tty)
25811 This method is called by @value{GDBN} when this command is invoked.
25812
25813 @var{argument} is a string. It is the argument to the command, after
25814 leading and trailing whitespace has been stripped.
25815
25816 @var{from_tty} is a boolean argument. When true, this means that the
25817 command was entered by the user at the terminal; when false it means
25818 that the command came from elsewhere.
25819
25820 If this method throws an exception, it is turned into a @value{GDBN}
25821 @code{error} call. Otherwise, the return value is ignored.
25822
25823 @findex gdb.string_to_argv
25824 To break @var{argument} up into an argv-like string use
25825 @code{gdb.string_to_argv}. This function behaves identically to
25826 @value{GDBN}'s internal argument lexer @code{buildargv}.
25827 It is recommended to use this for consistency.
25828 Arguments are separated by spaces and may be quoted.
25829 Example:
25830
25831 @smallexample
25832 print gdb.string_to_argv ("1 2\ \\\"3 '4 \"5' \"6 '7\"")
25833 ['1', '2 "3', '4 "5', "6 '7"]
25834 @end smallexample
25835
25836 @end defun
25837
25838 @cindex completion of Python commands
25839 @defun Command.complete (text, word)
25840 This method is called by @value{GDBN} when the user attempts
25841 completion on this command. All forms of completion are handled by
25842 this method, that is, the @key{TAB} and @key{M-?} key bindings
25843 (@pxref{Completion}), and the @code{complete} command (@pxref{Help,
25844 complete}).
25845
25846 The arguments @var{text} and @var{word} are both strings. @var{text}
25847 holds the complete command line up to the cursor's location.
25848 @var{word} holds the last word of the command line; this is computed
25849 using a word-breaking heuristic.
25850
25851 The @code{complete} method can return several values:
25852 @itemize @bullet
25853 @item
25854 If the return value is a sequence, the contents of the sequence are
25855 used as the completions. It is up to @code{complete} to ensure that the
25856 contents actually do complete the word. A zero-length sequence is
25857 allowed, it means that there were no completions available. Only
25858 string elements of the sequence are used; other elements in the
25859 sequence are ignored.
25860
25861 @item
25862 If the return value is one of the @samp{COMPLETE_} constants defined
25863 below, then the corresponding @value{GDBN}-internal completion
25864 function is invoked, and its result is used.
25865
25866 @item
25867 All other results are treated as though there were no available
25868 completions.
25869 @end itemize
25870 @end defun
25871
25872 When a new command is registered, it must be declared as a member of
25873 some general class of commands. This is used to classify top-level
25874 commands in the on-line help system; note that prefix commands are not
25875 listed under their own category but rather that of their top-level
25876 command. The available classifications are represented by constants
25877 defined in the @code{gdb} module:
25878
25879 @table @code
25880 @findex COMMAND_NONE
25881 @findex gdb.COMMAND_NONE
25882 @item gdb.COMMAND_NONE
25883 The command does not belong to any particular class. A command in
25884 this category will not be displayed in any of the help categories.
25885
25886 @findex COMMAND_RUNNING
25887 @findex gdb.COMMAND_RUNNING
25888 @item gdb.COMMAND_RUNNING
25889 The command is related to running the inferior. For example,
25890 @code{start}, @code{step}, and @code{continue} are in this category.
25891 Type @kbd{help running} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of
25892 commands in this category.
25893
25894 @findex COMMAND_DATA
25895 @findex gdb.COMMAND_DATA
25896 @item gdb.COMMAND_DATA
25897 The command is related to data or variables. For example,
25898 @code{call}, @code{find}, and @code{print} are in this category. Type
25899 @kbd{help data} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of commands
25900 in this category.
25901
25902 @findex COMMAND_STACK
25903 @findex gdb.COMMAND_STACK
25904 @item gdb.COMMAND_STACK
25905 The command has to do with manipulation of the stack. For example,
25906 @code{backtrace}, @code{frame}, and @code{return} are in this
25907 category. Type @kbd{help stack} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a
25908 list of commands in this category.
25909
25910 @findex COMMAND_FILES
25911 @findex gdb.COMMAND_FILES
25912 @item gdb.COMMAND_FILES
25913 This class is used for file-related commands. For example,
25914 @code{file}, @code{list} and @code{section} are in this category.
25915 Type @kbd{help files} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of
25916 commands in this category.
25917
25918 @findex COMMAND_SUPPORT
25919 @findex gdb.COMMAND_SUPPORT
25920 @item gdb.COMMAND_SUPPORT
25921 This should be used for ``support facilities'', generally meaning
25922 things that are useful to the user when interacting with @value{GDBN},
25923 but not related to the state of the inferior. For example,
25924 @code{help}, @code{make}, and @code{shell} are in this category. Type
25925 @kbd{help support} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of
25926 commands in this category.
25927
25928 @findex COMMAND_STATUS
25929 @findex gdb.COMMAND_STATUS
25930 @item gdb.COMMAND_STATUS
25931 The command is an @samp{info}-related command, that is, related to the
25932 state of @value{GDBN} itself. For example, @code{info}, @code{macro},
25933 and @code{show} are in this category. Type @kbd{help status} at the
25934 @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of commands in this category.
25935
25936 @findex COMMAND_BREAKPOINTS
25937 @findex gdb.COMMAND_BREAKPOINTS
25938 @item gdb.COMMAND_BREAKPOINTS
25939 The command has to do with breakpoints. For example, @code{break},
25940 @code{clear}, and @code{delete} are in this category. Type @kbd{help
25941 breakpoints} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of commands in
25942 this category.
25943
25944 @findex COMMAND_TRACEPOINTS
25945 @findex gdb.COMMAND_TRACEPOINTS
25946 @item gdb.COMMAND_TRACEPOINTS
25947 The command has to do with tracepoints. For example, @code{trace},
25948 @code{actions}, and @code{tfind} are in this category. Type
25949 @kbd{help tracepoints} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of
25950 commands in this category.
25951
25952 @findex COMMAND_USER
25953 @findex gdb.COMMAND_USER
25954 @item gdb.COMMAND_USER
25955 The command is a general purpose command for the user, and typically
25956 does not fit in one of the other categories.
25957 Type @kbd{help user-defined} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see
25958 a list of commands in this category, as well as the list of gdb macros
25959 (@pxref{Sequences}).
25960
25961 @findex COMMAND_OBSCURE
25962 @findex gdb.COMMAND_OBSCURE
25963 @item gdb.COMMAND_OBSCURE
25964 The command is only used in unusual circumstances, or is not of
25965 general interest to users. For example, @code{checkpoint},
25966 @code{fork}, and @code{stop} are in this category. Type @kbd{help
25967 obscure} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of commands in this
25968 category.
25969
25970 @findex COMMAND_MAINTENANCE
25971 @findex gdb.COMMAND_MAINTENANCE
25972 @item gdb.COMMAND_MAINTENANCE
25973 The command is only useful to @value{GDBN} maintainers. The
25974 @code{maintenance} and @code{flushregs} commands are in this category.
25975 Type @kbd{help internals} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of
25976 commands in this category.
25977 @end table
25978
25979 A new command can use a predefined completion function, either by
25980 specifying it via an argument at initialization, or by returning it
25981 from the @code{complete} method. These predefined completion
25982 constants are all defined in the @code{gdb} module:
25983
25984 @table @code
25985 @findex COMPLETE_NONE
25986 @findex gdb.COMPLETE_NONE
25987 @item gdb.COMPLETE_NONE
25988 This constant means that no completion should be done.
25989
25990 @findex COMPLETE_FILENAME
25991 @findex gdb.COMPLETE_FILENAME
25992 @item gdb.COMPLETE_FILENAME
25993 This constant means that filename completion should be performed.
25994
25995 @findex COMPLETE_LOCATION
25996 @findex gdb.COMPLETE_LOCATION
25997 @item gdb.COMPLETE_LOCATION
25998 This constant means that location completion should be done.
25999 @xref{Specify Location}.
26000
26001 @findex COMPLETE_COMMAND
26002 @findex gdb.COMPLETE_COMMAND
26003 @item gdb.COMPLETE_COMMAND
26004 This constant means that completion should examine @value{GDBN}
26005 command names.
26006
26007 @findex COMPLETE_SYMBOL
26008 @findex gdb.COMPLETE_SYMBOL
26009 @item gdb.COMPLETE_SYMBOL
26010 This constant means that completion should be done using symbol names
26011 as the source.
26012 @end table
26013
26014 The following code snippet shows how a trivial CLI command can be
26015 implemented in Python:
26016
26017 @smallexample
26018 class HelloWorld (gdb.Command):
26019 """Greet the whole world."""
26020
26021 def __init__ (self):
26022 super (HelloWorld, self).__init__ ("hello-world", gdb.COMMAND_USER)
26023
26024 def invoke (self, arg, from_tty):
26025 print "Hello, World!"
26026
26027 HelloWorld ()
26028 @end smallexample
26029
26030 The last line instantiates the class, and is necessary to trigger the
26031 registration of the command with @value{GDBN}. Depending on how the
26032 Python code is read into @value{GDBN}, you may need to import the
26033 @code{gdb} module explicitly.
26034
26035 @node Parameters In Python
26036 @subsubsection Parameters In Python
26037
26038 @cindex parameters in python
26039 @cindex python parameters
26040 @tindex gdb.Parameter
26041 @tindex Parameter
26042 You can implement new @value{GDBN} parameters using Python. A new
26043 parameter is implemented as an instance of the @code{gdb.Parameter}
26044 class.
26045
26046 Parameters are exposed to the user via the @code{set} and
26047 @code{show} commands. @xref{Help}.
26048
26049 There are many parameters that already exist and can be set in
26050 @value{GDBN}. Two examples are: @code{set follow fork} and
26051 @code{set charset}. Setting these parameters influences certain
26052 behavior in @value{GDBN}. Similarly, you can define parameters that
26053 can be used to influence behavior in custom Python scripts and commands.
26054
26055 @defun Parameter.__init__ (name, @var{command-class}, @var{parameter-class} @r{[}, @var{enum-sequence}@r{]})
26056 The object initializer for @code{Parameter} registers the new
26057 parameter with @value{GDBN}. This initializer is normally invoked
26058 from the subclass' own @code{__init__} method.
26059
26060 @var{name} is the name of the new parameter. If @var{name} consists
26061 of multiple words, then the initial words are looked for as prefix
26062 parameters. An example of this can be illustrated with the
26063 @code{set print} set of parameters. If @var{name} is
26064 @code{print foo}, then @code{print} will be searched as the prefix
26065 parameter. In this case the parameter can subsequently be accessed in
26066 @value{GDBN} as @code{set print foo}.
26067
26068 If @var{name} consists of multiple words, and no prefix parameter group
26069 can be found, an exception is raised.
26070
26071 @var{command-class} should be one of the @samp{COMMAND_} constants
26072 (@pxref{Commands In Python}). This argument tells @value{GDBN} how to
26073 categorize the new parameter in the help system.
26074
26075 @var{parameter-class} should be one of the @samp{PARAM_} constants
26076 defined below. This argument tells @value{GDBN} the type of the new
26077 parameter; this information is used for input validation and
26078 completion.
26079
26080 If @var{parameter-class} is @code{PARAM_ENUM}, then
26081 @var{enum-sequence} must be a sequence of strings. These strings
26082 represent the possible values for the parameter.
26083
26084 If @var{parameter-class} is not @code{PARAM_ENUM}, then the presence
26085 of a fourth argument will cause an exception to be thrown.
26086
26087 The help text for the new parameter is taken from the Python
26088 documentation string for the parameter's class, if there is one. If
26089 there is no documentation string, a default value is used.
26090 @end defun
26091
26092 @defvar Parameter.set_doc
26093 If this attribute exists, and is a string, then its value is used as
26094 the help text for this parameter's @code{set} command. The value is
26095 examined when @code{Parameter.__init__} is invoked; subsequent changes
26096 have no effect.
26097 @end defvar
26098
26099 @defvar Parameter.show_doc
26100 If this attribute exists, and is a string, then its value is used as
26101 the help text for this parameter's @code{show} command. The value is
26102 examined when @code{Parameter.__init__} is invoked; subsequent changes
26103 have no effect.
26104 @end defvar
26105
26106 @defvar Parameter.value
26107 The @code{value} attribute holds the underlying value of the
26108 parameter. It can be read and assigned to just as any other
26109 attribute. @value{GDBN} does validation when assignments are made.
26110 @end defvar
26111
26112 There are two methods that should be implemented in any
26113 @code{Parameter} class. These are:
26114
26115 @defun Parameter.get_set_string (self)
26116 @value{GDBN} will call this method when a @var{parameter}'s value has
26117 been changed via the @code{set} API (for example, @kbd{set foo off}).
26118 The @code{value} attribute has already been populated with the new
26119 value and may be used in output. This method must return a string.
26120 @end defun
26121
26122 @defun Parameter.get_show_string (self, svalue)
26123 @value{GDBN} will call this method when a @var{parameter}'s
26124 @code{show} API has been invoked (for example, @kbd{show foo}). The
26125 argument @code{svalue} receives the string representation of the
26126 current value. This method must return a string.
26127 @end defun
26128
26129 When a new parameter is defined, its type must be specified. The
26130 available types are represented by constants defined in the @code{gdb}
26131 module:
26132
26133 @table @code
26134 @findex PARAM_BOOLEAN
26135 @findex gdb.PARAM_BOOLEAN
26136 @item gdb.PARAM_BOOLEAN
26137 The value is a plain boolean. The Python boolean values, @code{True}
26138 and @code{False} are the only valid values.
26139
26140 @findex PARAM_AUTO_BOOLEAN
26141 @findex gdb.PARAM_AUTO_BOOLEAN
26142 @item gdb.PARAM_AUTO_BOOLEAN
26143 The value has three possible states: true, false, and @samp{auto}. In
26144 Python, true and false are represented using boolean constants, and
26145 @samp{auto} is represented using @code{None}.
26146
26147 @findex PARAM_UINTEGER
26148 @findex gdb.PARAM_UINTEGER
26149 @item gdb.PARAM_UINTEGER
26150 The value is an unsigned integer. The value of 0 should be
26151 interpreted to mean ``unlimited''.
26152
26153 @findex PARAM_INTEGER
26154 @findex gdb.PARAM_INTEGER
26155 @item gdb.PARAM_INTEGER
26156 The value is a signed integer. The value of 0 should be interpreted
26157 to mean ``unlimited''.
26158
26159 @findex PARAM_STRING
26160 @findex gdb.PARAM_STRING
26161 @item gdb.PARAM_STRING
26162 The value is a string. When the user modifies the string, any escape
26163 sequences, such as @samp{\t}, @samp{\f}, and octal escapes, are
26164 translated into corresponding characters and encoded into the current
26165 host charset.
26166
26167 @findex PARAM_STRING_NOESCAPE
26168 @findex gdb.PARAM_STRING_NOESCAPE
26169 @item gdb.PARAM_STRING_NOESCAPE
26170 The value is a string. When the user modifies the string, escapes are
26171 passed through untranslated.
26172
26173 @findex PARAM_OPTIONAL_FILENAME
26174 @findex gdb.PARAM_OPTIONAL_FILENAME
26175 @item gdb.PARAM_OPTIONAL_FILENAME
26176 The value is a either a filename (a string), or @code{None}.
26177
26178 @findex PARAM_FILENAME
26179 @findex gdb.PARAM_FILENAME
26180 @item gdb.PARAM_FILENAME
26181 The value is a filename. This is just like
26182 @code{PARAM_STRING_NOESCAPE}, but uses file names for completion.
26183
26184 @findex PARAM_ZINTEGER
26185 @findex gdb.PARAM_ZINTEGER
26186 @item gdb.PARAM_ZINTEGER
26187 The value is an integer. This is like @code{PARAM_INTEGER}, except 0
26188 is interpreted as itself.
26189
26190 @findex PARAM_ENUM
26191 @findex gdb.PARAM_ENUM
26192 @item gdb.PARAM_ENUM
26193 The value is a string, which must be one of a collection string
26194 constants provided when the parameter is created.
26195 @end table
26196
26197 @node Functions In Python
26198 @subsubsection Writing new convenience functions
26199
26200 @cindex writing convenience functions
26201 @cindex convenience functions in python
26202 @cindex python convenience functions
26203 @tindex gdb.Function
26204 @tindex Function
26205 You can implement new convenience functions (@pxref{Convenience Vars})
26206 in Python. A convenience function is an instance of a subclass of the
26207 class @code{gdb.Function}.
26208
26209 @defun Function.__init__ (name)
26210 The initializer for @code{Function} registers the new function with
26211 @value{GDBN}. The argument @var{name} is the name of the function,
26212 a string. The function will be visible to the user as a convenience
26213 variable of type @code{internal function}, whose name is the same as
26214 the given @var{name}.
26215
26216 The documentation for the new function is taken from the documentation
26217 string for the new class.
26218 @end defun
26219
26220 @defun Function.invoke (@var{*args})
26221 When a convenience function is evaluated, its arguments are converted
26222 to instances of @code{gdb.Value}, and then the function's
26223 @code{invoke} method is called. Note that @value{GDBN} does not
26224 predetermine the arity of convenience functions. Instead, all
26225 available arguments are passed to @code{invoke}, following the
26226 standard Python calling convention. In particular, a convenience
26227 function can have default values for parameters without ill effect.
26228
26229 The return value of this method is used as its value in the enclosing
26230 expression. If an ordinary Python value is returned, it is converted
26231 to a @code{gdb.Value} following the usual rules.
26232 @end defun
26233
26234 The following code snippet shows how a trivial convenience function can
26235 be implemented in Python:
26236
26237 @smallexample
26238 class Greet (gdb.Function):
26239 """Return string to greet someone.
26240 Takes a name as argument."""
26241
26242 def __init__ (self):
26243 super (Greet, self).__init__ ("greet")
26244
26245 def invoke (self, name):
26246 return "Hello, %s!" % name.string ()
26247
26248 Greet ()
26249 @end smallexample
26250
26251 The last line instantiates the class, and is necessary to trigger the
26252 registration of the function with @value{GDBN}. Depending on how the
26253 Python code is read into @value{GDBN}, you may need to import the
26254 @code{gdb} module explicitly.
26255
26256 Now you can use the function in an expression:
26257
26258 @smallexample
26259 (gdb) print $greet("Bob")
26260 $1 = "Hello, Bob!"
26261 @end smallexample
26262
26263 @node Progspaces In Python
26264 @subsubsection Program Spaces In Python
26265
26266 @cindex progspaces in python
26267 @tindex gdb.Progspace
26268 @tindex Progspace
26269 A program space, or @dfn{progspace}, represents a symbolic view
26270 of an address space.
26271 It consists of all of the objfiles of the program.
26272 @xref{Objfiles In Python}.
26273 @xref{Inferiors and Programs, program spaces}, for more details
26274 about program spaces.
26275
26276 The following progspace-related functions are available in the
26277 @code{gdb} module:
26278
26279 @findex gdb.current_progspace
26280 @defun gdb.current_progspace ()
26281 This function returns the program space of the currently selected inferior.
26282 @xref{Inferiors and Programs}.
26283 @end defun
26284
26285 @findex gdb.progspaces
26286 @defun gdb.progspaces ()
26287 Return a sequence of all the progspaces currently known to @value{GDBN}.
26288 @end defun
26289
26290 Each progspace is represented by an instance of the @code{gdb.Progspace}
26291 class.
26292
26293 @defvar Progspace.filename
26294 The file name of the progspace as a string.
26295 @end defvar
26296
26297 @defvar Progspace.pretty_printers
26298 The @code{pretty_printers} attribute is a list of functions. It is
26299 used to look up pretty-printers. A @code{Value} is passed to each
26300 function in order; if the function returns @code{None}, then the
26301 search continues. Otherwise, the return value should be an object
26302 which is used to format the value. @xref{Pretty Printing API}, for more
26303 information.
26304 @end defvar
26305
26306 @defvar Progspace.type_printers
26307 The @code{type_printers} attribute is a list of type printer objects.
26308 @xref{Type Printing API}, for more information.
26309 @end defvar
26310
26311 @defvar Progspace.frame_filters
26312 The @code{frame_filters} attribute is a dictionary of frame filter
26313 objects. @xref{Frame Filter API}, for more information.
26314 @end defvar
26315
26316 @node Objfiles In Python
26317 @subsubsection Objfiles In Python
26318
26319 @cindex objfiles in python
26320 @tindex gdb.Objfile
26321 @tindex Objfile
26322 @value{GDBN} loads symbols for an inferior from various
26323 symbol-containing files (@pxref{Files}). These include the primary
26324 executable file, any shared libraries used by the inferior, and any
26325 separate debug info files (@pxref{Separate Debug Files}).
26326 @value{GDBN} calls these symbol-containing files @dfn{objfiles}.
26327
26328 The following objfile-related functions are available in the
26329 @code{gdb} module:
26330
26331 @findex gdb.current_objfile
26332 @defun gdb.current_objfile ()
26333 When auto-loading a Python script (@pxref{Python Auto-loading}), @value{GDBN}
26334 sets the ``current objfile'' to the corresponding objfile. This
26335 function returns the current objfile. If there is no current objfile,
26336 this function returns @code{None}.
26337 @end defun
26338
26339 @findex gdb.objfiles
26340 @defun gdb.objfiles ()
26341 Return a sequence of all the objfiles current known to @value{GDBN}.
26342 @xref{Objfiles In Python}.
26343 @end defun
26344
26345 Each objfile is represented by an instance of the @code{gdb.Objfile}
26346 class.
26347
26348 @defvar Objfile.filename
26349 The file name of the objfile as a string.
26350 @end defvar
26351
26352 @defvar Objfile.pretty_printers
26353 The @code{pretty_printers} attribute is a list of functions. It is
26354 used to look up pretty-printers. A @code{Value} is passed to each
26355 function in order; if the function returns @code{None}, then the
26356 search continues. Otherwise, the return value should be an object
26357 which is used to format the value. @xref{Pretty Printing API}, for more
26358 information.
26359 @end defvar
26360
26361 @defvar Objfile.type_printers
26362 The @code{type_printers} attribute is a list of type printer objects.
26363 @xref{Type Printing API}, for more information.
26364 @end defvar
26365
26366 @defvar Objfile.frame_filters
26367 The @code{frame_filters} attribute is a dictionary of frame filter
26368 objects. @xref{Frame Filter API}, for more information.
26369 @end defvar
26370
26371 A @code{gdb.Objfile} object has the following methods:
26372
26373 @defun Objfile.is_valid ()
26374 Returns @code{True} if the @code{gdb.Objfile} object is valid,
26375 @code{False} if not. A @code{gdb.Objfile} object can become invalid
26376 if the object file it refers to is not loaded in @value{GDBN} any
26377 longer. All other @code{gdb.Objfile} methods will throw an exception
26378 if it is invalid at the time the method is called.
26379 @end defun
26380
26381 @node Frames In Python
26382 @subsubsection Accessing inferior stack frames from Python.
26383
26384 @cindex frames in python
26385 When the debugged program stops, @value{GDBN} is able to analyze its call
26386 stack (@pxref{Frames,,Stack frames}). The @code{gdb.Frame} class
26387 represents a frame in the stack. A @code{gdb.Frame} object is only valid
26388 while its corresponding frame exists in the inferior's stack. If you try
26389 to use an invalid frame object, @value{GDBN} will throw a @code{gdb.error}
26390 exception (@pxref{Exception Handling}).
26391
26392 Two @code{gdb.Frame} objects can be compared for equality with the @code{==}
26393 operator, like:
26394
26395 @smallexample
26396 (@value{GDBP}) python print gdb.newest_frame() == gdb.selected_frame ()
26397 True
26398 @end smallexample
26399
26400 The following frame-related functions are available in the @code{gdb} module:
26401
26402 @findex gdb.selected_frame
26403 @defun gdb.selected_frame ()
26404 Return the selected frame object. (@pxref{Selection,,Selecting a Frame}).
26405 @end defun
26406
26407 @findex gdb.newest_frame
26408 @defun gdb.newest_frame ()
26409 Return the newest frame object for the selected thread.
26410 @end defun
26411
26412 @defun gdb.frame_stop_reason_string (reason)
26413 Return a string explaining the reason why @value{GDBN} stopped unwinding
26414 frames, as expressed by the given @var{reason} code (an integer, see the
26415 @code{unwind_stop_reason} method further down in this section).
26416 @end defun
26417
26418 A @code{gdb.Frame} object has the following methods:
26419
26420 @defun Frame.is_valid ()
26421 Returns true if the @code{gdb.Frame} object is valid, false if not.
26422 A frame object can become invalid if the frame it refers to doesn't
26423 exist anymore in the inferior. All @code{gdb.Frame} methods will throw
26424 an exception if it is invalid at the time the method is called.
26425 @end defun
26426
26427 @defun Frame.name ()
26428 Returns the function name of the frame, or @code{None} if it can't be
26429 obtained.
26430 @end defun
26431
26432 @defun Frame.architecture ()
26433 Returns the @code{gdb.Architecture} object corresponding to the frame's
26434 architecture. @xref{Architectures In Python}.
26435 @end defun
26436
26437 @defun Frame.type ()
26438 Returns the type of the frame. The value can be one of:
26439 @table @code
26440 @item gdb.NORMAL_FRAME
26441 An ordinary stack frame.
26442
26443 @item gdb.DUMMY_FRAME
26444 A fake stack frame that was created by @value{GDBN} when performing an
26445 inferior function call.
26446
26447 @item gdb.INLINE_FRAME
26448 A frame representing an inlined function. The function was inlined
26449 into a @code{gdb.NORMAL_FRAME} that is older than this one.
26450
26451 @item gdb.TAILCALL_FRAME
26452 A frame representing a tail call. @xref{Tail Call Frames}.
26453
26454 @item gdb.SIGTRAMP_FRAME
26455 A signal trampoline frame. This is the frame created by the OS when
26456 it calls into a signal handler.
26457
26458 @item gdb.ARCH_FRAME
26459 A fake stack frame representing a cross-architecture call.
26460
26461 @item gdb.SENTINEL_FRAME
26462 This is like @code{gdb.NORMAL_FRAME}, but it is only used for the
26463 newest frame.
26464 @end table
26465 @end defun
26466
26467 @defun Frame.unwind_stop_reason ()
26468 Return an integer representing the reason why it's not possible to find
26469 more frames toward the outermost frame. Use
26470 @code{gdb.frame_stop_reason_string} to convert the value returned by this
26471 function to a string. The value can be one of:
26472
26473 @table @code
26474 @item gdb.FRAME_UNWIND_NO_REASON
26475 No particular reason (older frames should be available).
26476
26477 @item gdb.FRAME_UNWIND_NULL_ID
26478 The previous frame's analyzer returns an invalid result.
26479
26480 @item gdb.FRAME_UNWIND_OUTERMOST
26481 This frame is the outermost.
26482
26483 @item gdb.FRAME_UNWIND_UNAVAILABLE
26484 Cannot unwind further, because that would require knowing the
26485 values of registers or memory that have not been collected.
26486
26487 @item gdb.FRAME_UNWIND_INNER_ID
26488 This frame ID looks like it ought to belong to a NEXT frame,
26489 but we got it for a PREV frame. Normally, this is a sign of
26490 unwinder failure. It could also indicate stack corruption.
26491
26492 @item gdb.FRAME_UNWIND_SAME_ID
26493 This frame has the same ID as the previous one. That means
26494 that unwinding further would almost certainly give us another
26495 frame with exactly the same ID, so break the chain. Normally,
26496 this is a sign of unwinder failure. It could also indicate
26497 stack corruption.
26498
26499 @item gdb.FRAME_UNWIND_NO_SAVED_PC
26500 The frame unwinder did not find any saved PC, but we needed
26501 one to unwind further.
26502
26503 @item gdb.FRAME_UNWIND_FIRST_ERROR
26504 Any stop reason greater or equal to this value indicates some kind
26505 of error. This special value facilitates writing code that tests
26506 for errors in unwinding in a way that will work correctly even if
26507 the list of the other values is modified in future @value{GDBN}
26508 versions. Using it, you could write:
26509 @smallexample
26510 reason = gdb.selected_frame().unwind_stop_reason ()
26511 reason_str = gdb.frame_stop_reason_string (reason)
26512 if reason >= gdb.FRAME_UNWIND_FIRST_ERROR:
26513 print "An error occured: %s" % reason_str
26514 @end smallexample
26515 @end table
26516
26517 @end defun
26518
26519 @defun Frame.pc ()
26520 Returns the frame's resume address.
26521 @end defun
26522
26523 @defun Frame.block ()
26524 Return the frame's code block. @xref{Blocks In Python}.
26525 @end defun
26526
26527 @defun Frame.function ()
26528 Return the symbol for the function corresponding to this frame.
26529 @xref{Symbols In Python}.
26530 @end defun
26531
26532 @defun Frame.older ()
26533 Return the frame that called this frame.
26534 @end defun
26535
26536 @defun Frame.newer ()
26537 Return the frame called by this frame.
26538 @end defun
26539
26540 @defun Frame.find_sal ()
26541 Return the frame's symtab and line object.
26542 @xref{Symbol Tables In Python}.
26543 @end defun
26544
26545 @defun Frame.read_var (variable @r{[}, block@r{]})
26546 Return the value of @var{variable} in this frame. If the optional
26547 argument @var{block} is provided, search for the variable from that
26548 block; otherwise start at the frame's current block (which is
26549 determined by the frame's current program counter). @var{variable}
26550 must be a string or a @code{gdb.Symbol} object. @var{block} must be a
26551 @code{gdb.Block} object.
26552 @end defun
26553
26554 @defun Frame.select ()
26555 Set this frame to be the selected frame. @xref{Stack, ,Examining the
26556 Stack}.
26557 @end defun
26558
26559 @node Blocks In Python
26560 @subsubsection Accessing blocks from Python.
26561
26562 @cindex blocks in python
26563 @tindex gdb.Block
26564
26565 In @value{GDBN}, symbols are stored in blocks. A block corresponds
26566 roughly to a scope in the source code. Blocks are organized
26567 hierarchically, and are represented individually in Python as a
26568 @code{gdb.Block}. Blocks rely on debugging information being
26569 available.
26570
26571 A frame has a block. Please see @ref{Frames In Python}, for a more
26572 in-depth discussion of frames.
26573
26574 The outermost block is known as the @dfn{global block}. The global
26575 block typically holds public global variables and functions.
26576
26577 The block nested just inside the global block is the @dfn{static
26578 block}. The static block typically holds file-scoped variables and
26579 functions.
26580
26581 @value{GDBN} provides a method to get a block's superblock, but there
26582 is currently no way to examine the sub-blocks of a block, or to
26583 iterate over all the blocks in a symbol table (@pxref{Symbol Tables In
26584 Python}).
26585
26586 Here is a short example that should help explain blocks:
26587
26588 @smallexample
26589 /* This is in the global block. */
26590 int global;
26591
26592 /* This is in the static block. */
26593 static int file_scope;
26594
26595 /* 'function' is in the global block, and 'argument' is
26596 in a block nested inside of 'function'. */
26597 int function (int argument)
26598 @{
26599 /* 'local' is in a block inside 'function'. It may or may
26600 not be in the same block as 'argument'. */
26601 int local;
26602
26603 @{
26604 /* 'inner' is in a block whose superblock is the one holding
26605 'local'. */
26606 int inner;
26607
26608 /* If this call is expanded by the compiler, you may see
26609 a nested block here whose function is 'inline_function'
26610 and whose superblock is the one holding 'inner'. */
26611 inline_function ();
26612 @}
26613 @}
26614 @end smallexample
26615
26616 A @code{gdb.Block} is iterable. The iterator returns the symbols
26617 (@pxref{Symbols In Python}) local to the block. Python programs
26618 should not assume that a specific block object will always contain a
26619 given symbol, since changes in @value{GDBN} features and
26620 infrastructure may cause symbols move across blocks in a symbol
26621 table.
26622
26623 The following block-related functions are available in the @code{gdb}
26624 module:
26625
26626 @findex gdb.block_for_pc
26627 @defun gdb.block_for_pc (pc)
26628 Return the innermost @code{gdb.Block} containing the given @var{pc}
26629 value. If the block cannot be found for the @var{pc} value specified,
26630 the function will return @code{None}.
26631 @end defun
26632
26633 A @code{gdb.Block} object has the following methods:
26634
26635 @defun Block.is_valid ()
26636 Returns @code{True} if the @code{gdb.Block} object is valid,
26637 @code{False} if not. A block object can become invalid if the block it
26638 refers to doesn't exist anymore in the inferior. All other
26639 @code{gdb.Block} methods will throw an exception if it is invalid at
26640 the time the method is called. The block's validity is also checked
26641 during iteration over symbols of the block.
26642 @end defun
26643
26644 A @code{gdb.Block} object has the following attributes:
26645
26646 @defvar Block.start
26647 The start address of the block. This attribute is not writable.
26648 @end defvar
26649
26650 @defvar Block.end
26651 The end address of the block. This attribute is not writable.
26652 @end defvar
26653
26654 @defvar Block.function
26655 The name of the block represented as a @code{gdb.Symbol}. If the
26656 block is not named, then this attribute holds @code{None}. This
26657 attribute is not writable.
26658
26659 For ordinary function blocks, the superblock is the static block.
26660 However, you should note that it is possible for a function block to
26661 have a superblock that is not the static block -- for instance this
26662 happens for an inlined function.
26663 @end defvar
26664
26665 @defvar Block.superblock
26666 The block containing this block. If this parent block does not exist,
26667 this attribute holds @code{None}. This attribute is not writable.
26668 @end defvar
26669
26670 @defvar Block.global_block
26671 The global block associated with this block. This attribute is not
26672 writable.
26673 @end defvar
26674
26675 @defvar Block.static_block
26676 The static block associated with this block. This attribute is not
26677 writable.
26678 @end defvar
26679
26680 @defvar Block.is_global
26681 @code{True} if the @code{gdb.Block} object is a global block,
26682 @code{False} if not. This attribute is not
26683 writable.
26684 @end defvar
26685
26686 @defvar Block.is_static
26687 @code{True} if the @code{gdb.Block} object is a static block,
26688 @code{False} if not. This attribute is not writable.
26689 @end defvar
26690
26691 @node Symbols In Python
26692 @subsubsection Python representation of Symbols.
26693
26694 @cindex symbols in python
26695 @tindex gdb.Symbol
26696
26697 @value{GDBN} represents every variable, function and type as an
26698 entry in a symbol table. @xref{Symbols, ,Examining the Symbol Table}.
26699 Similarly, Python represents these symbols in @value{GDBN} with the
26700 @code{gdb.Symbol} object.
26701
26702 The following symbol-related functions are available in the @code{gdb}
26703 module:
26704
26705 @findex gdb.lookup_symbol
26706 @defun gdb.lookup_symbol (name @r{[}, block @r{[}, domain@r{]]})
26707 This function searches for a symbol by name. The search scope can be
26708 restricted to the parameters defined in the optional domain and block
26709 arguments.
26710
26711 @var{name} is the name of the symbol. It must be a string. The
26712 optional @var{block} argument restricts the search to symbols visible
26713 in that @var{block}. The @var{block} argument must be a
26714 @code{gdb.Block} object. If omitted, the block for the current frame
26715 is used. The optional @var{domain} argument restricts
26716 the search to the domain type. The @var{domain} argument must be a
26717 domain constant defined in the @code{gdb} module and described later
26718 in this chapter.
26719
26720 The result is a tuple of two elements.
26721 The first element is a @code{gdb.Symbol} object or @code{None} if the symbol
26722 is not found.
26723 If the symbol is found, the second element is @code{True} if the symbol
26724 is a field of a method's object (e.g., @code{this} in C@t{++}),
26725 otherwise it is @code{False}.
26726 If the symbol is not found, the second element is @code{False}.
26727 @end defun
26728
26729 @findex gdb.lookup_global_symbol
26730 @defun gdb.lookup_global_symbol (name @r{[}, domain@r{]})
26731 This function searches for a global symbol by name.
26732 The search scope can be restricted to by the domain argument.
26733
26734 @var{name} is the name of the symbol. It must be a string.
26735 The optional @var{domain} argument restricts the search to the domain type.
26736 The @var{domain} argument must be a domain constant defined in the @code{gdb}
26737 module and described later in this chapter.
26738
26739 The result is a @code{gdb.Symbol} object or @code{None} if the symbol
26740 is not found.
26741 @end defun
26742
26743 A @code{gdb.Symbol} object has the following attributes:
26744
26745 @defvar Symbol.type
26746 The type of the symbol or @code{None} if no type is recorded.
26747 This attribute is represented as a @code{gdb.Type} object.
26748 @xref{Types In Python}. This attribute is not writable.
26749 @end defvar
26750
26751 @defvar Symbol.symtab
26752 The symbol table in which the symbol appears. This attribute is
26753 represented as a @code{gdb.Symtab} object. @xref{Symbol Tables In
26754 Python}. This attribute is not writable.
26755 @end defvar
26756
26757 @defvar Symbol.line
26758 The line number in the source code at which the symbol was defined.
26759 This is an integer.
26760 @end defvar
26761
26762 @defvar Symbol.name
26763 The name of the symbol as a string. This attribute is not writable.
26764 @end defvar
26765
26766 @defvar Symbol.linkage_name
26767 The name of the symbol, as used by the linker (i.e., may be mangled).
26768 This attribute is not writable.
26769 @end defvar
26770
26771 @defvar Symbol.print_name
26772 The name of the symbol in a form suitable for output. This is either
26773 @code{name} or @code{linkage_name}, depending on whether the user
26774 asked @value{GDBN} to display demangled or mangled names.
26775 @end defvar
26776
26777 @defvar Symbol.addr_class
26778 The address class of the symbol. This classifies how to find the value
26779 of a symbol. Each address class is a constant defined in the
26780 @code{gdb} module and described later in this chapter.
26781 @end defvar
26782
26783 @defvar Symbol.needs_frame
26784 This is @code{True} if evaluating this symbol's value requires a frame
26785 (@pxref{Frames In Python}) and @code{False} otherwise. Typically,
26786 local variables will require a frame, but other symbols will not.
26787 @end defvar
26788
26789 @defvar Symbol.is_argument
26790 @code{True} if the symbol is an argument of a function.
26791 @end defvar
26792
26793 @defvar Symbol.is_constant
26794 @code{True} if the symbol is a constant.
26795 @end defvar
26796
26797 @defvar Symbol.is_function
26798 @code{True} if the symbol is a function or a method.
26799 @end defvar
26800
26801 @defvar Symbol.is_variable
26802 @code{True} if the symbol is a variable.
26803 @end defvar
26804
26805 A @code{gdb.Symbol} object has the following methods:
26806
26807 @defun Symbol.is_valid ()
26808 Returns @code{True} if the @code{gdb.Symbol} object is valid,
26809 @code{False} if not. A @code{gdb.Symbol} object can become invalid if
26810 the symbol it refers to does not exist in @value{GDBN} any longer.
26811 All other @code{gdb.Symbol} methods will throw an exception if it is
26812 invalid at the time the method is called.
26813 @end defun
26814
26815 @defun Symbol.value (@r{[}frame@r{]})
26816 Compute the value of the symbol, as a @code{gdb.Value}. For
26817 functions, this computes the address of the function, cast to the
26818 appropriate type. If the symbol requires a frame in order to compute
26819 its value, then @var{frame} must be given. If @var{frame} is not
26820 given, or if @var{frame} is invalid, then this method will throw an
26821 exception.
26822 @end defun
26823
26824 The available domain categories in @code{gdb.Symbol} are represented
26825 as constants in the @code{gdb} module:
26826
26827 @table @code
26828 @findex SYMBOL_UNDEF_DOMAIN
26829 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_UNDEF_DOMAIN
26830 @item gdb.SYMBOL_UNDEF_DOMAIN
26831 This is used when a domain has not been discovered or none of the
26832 following domains apply. This usually indicates an error either
26833 in the symbol information or in @value{GDBN}'s handling of symbols.
26834 @findex SYMBOL_VAR_DOMAIN
26835 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_VAR_DOMAIN
26836 @item gdb.SYMBOL_VAR_DOMAIN
26837 This domain contains variables, function names, typedef names and enum
26838 type values.
26839 @findex SYMBOL_STRUCT_DOMAIN
26840 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_STRUCT_DOMAIN
26841 @item gdb.SYMBOL_STRUCT_DOMAIN
26842 This domain holds struct, union and enum type names.
26843 @findex SYMBOL_LABEL_DOMAIN
26844 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LABEL_DOMAIN
26845 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LABEL_DOMAIN
26846 This domain contains names of labels (for gotos).
26847 @findex SYMBOL_VARIABLES_DOMAIN
26848 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_VARIABLES_DOMAIN
26849 @item gdb.SYMBOL_VARIABLES_DOMAIN
26850 This domain holds a subset of the @code{SYMBOLS_VAR_DOMAIN}; it
26851 contains everything minus functions and types.
26852 @findex SYMBOL_FUNCTIONS_DOMAIN
26853 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_FUNCTIONS_DOMAIN
26854 @item gdb.SYMBOL_FUNCTION_DOMAIN
26855 This domain contains all functions.
26856 @findex SYMBOL_TYPES_DOMAIN
26857 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_TYPES_DOMAIN
26858 @item gdb.SYMBOL_TYPES_DOMAIN
26859 This domain contains all types.
26860 @end table
26861
26862 The available address class categories in @code{gdb.Symbol} are represented
26863 as constants in the @code{gdb} module:
26864
26865 @table @code
26866 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_UNDEF
26867 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_UNDEF
26868 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_UNDEF
26869 If this is returned by address class, it indicates an error either in
26870 the symbol information or in @value{GDBN}'s handling of symbols.
26871 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_CONST
26872 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_CONST
26873 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_CONST
26874 Value is constant int.
26875 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_STATIC
26876 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_STATIC
26877 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_STATIC
26878 Value is at a fixed address.
26879 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_REGISTER
26880 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_REGISTER
26881 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_REGISTER
26882 Value is in a register.
26883 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_ARG
26884 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_ARG
26885 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_ARG
26886 Value is an argument. This value is at the offset stored within the
26887 symbol inside the frame's argument list.
26888 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_REF_ARG
26889 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_REF_ARG
26890 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_REF_ARG
26891 Value address is stored in the frame's argument list. Just like
26892 @code{LOC_ARG} except that the value's address is stored at the
26893 offset, not the value itself.
26894 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_REGPARM_ADDR
26895 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_REGPARM_ADDR
26896 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_REGPARM_ADDR
26897 Value is a specified register. Just like @code{LOC_REGISTER} except
26898 the register holds the address of the argument instead of the argument
26899 itself.
26900 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_LOCAL
26901 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_LOCAL
26902 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_LOCAL
26903 Value is a local variable.
26904 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_TYPEDEF
26905 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_TYPEDEF
26906 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_TYPEDEF
26907 Value not used. Symbols in the domain @code{SYMBOL_STRUCT_DOMAIN} all
26908 have this class.
26909 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_BLOCK
26910 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_BLOCK
26911 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_BLOCK
26912 Value is a block.
26913 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_CONST_BYTES
26914 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_CONST_BYTES
26915 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_CONST_BYTES
26916 Value is a byte-sequence.
26917 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_UNRESOLVED
26918 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_UNRESOLVED
26919 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_UNRESOLVED
26920 Value is at a fixed address, but the address of the variable has to be
26921 determined from the minimal symbol table whenever the variable is
26922 referenced.
26923 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_OPTIMIZED_OUT
26924 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_OPTIMIZED_OUT
26925 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_OPTIMIZED_OUT
26926 The value does not actually exist in the program.
26927 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_COMPUTED
26928 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_COMPUTED
26929 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_COMPUTED
26930 The value's address is a computed location.
26931 @end table
26932
26933 @node Symbol Tables In Python
26934 @subsubsection Symbol table representation in Python.
26935
26936 @cindex symbol tables in python
26937 @tindex gdb.Symtab
26938 @tindex gdb.Symtab_and_line
26939
26940 Access to symbol table data maintained by @value{GDBN} on the inferior
26941 is exposed to Python via two objects: @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line} and
26942 @code{gdb.Symtab}. Symbol table and line data for a frame is returned
26943 from the @code{find_sal} method in @code{gdb.Frame} object.
26944 @xref{Frames In Python}.
26945
26946 For more information on @value{GDBN}'s symbol table management, see
26947 @ref{Symbols, ,Examining the Symbol Table}, for more information.
26948
26949 A @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line} object has the following attributes:
26950
26951 @defvar Symtab_and_line.symtab
26952 The symbol table object (@code{gdb.Symtab}) for this frame.
26953 This attribute is not writable.
26954 @end defvar
26955
26956 @defvar Symtab_and_line.pc
26957 Indicates the start of the address range occupied by code for the
26958 current source line. This attribute is not writable.
26959 @end defvar
26960
26961 @defvar Symtab_and_line.last
26962 Indicates the end of the address range occupied by code for the current
26963 source line. This attribute is not writable.
26964 @end defvar
26965
26966 @defvar Symtab_and_line.line
26967 Indicates the current line number for this object. This
26968 attribute is not writable.
26969 @end defvar
26970
26971 A @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line} object has the following methods:
26972
26973 @defun Symtab_and_line.is_valid ()
26974 Returns @code{True} if the @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line} object is valid,
26975 @code{False} if not. A @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line} object can become
26976 invalid if the Symbol table and line object it refers to does not
26977 exist in @value{GDBN} any longer. All other
26978 @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line} methods will throw an exception if it is
26979 invalid at the time the method is called.
26980 @end defun
26981
26982 A @code{gdb.Symtab} object has the following attributes:
26983
26984 @defvar Symtab.filename
26985 The symbol table's source filename. This attribute is not writable.
26986 @end defvar
26987
26988 @defvar Symtab.objfile
26989 The symbol table's backing object file. @xref{Objfiles In Python}.
26990 This attribute is not writable.
26991 @end defvar
26992
26993 A @code{gdb.Symtab} object has the following methods:
26994
26995 @defun Symtab.is_valid ()
26996 Returns @code{True} if the @code{gdb.Symtab} object is valid,
26997 @code{False} if not. A @code{gdb.Symtab} object can become invalid if
26998 the symbol table it refers to does not exist in @value{GDBN} any
26999 longer. All other @code{gdb.Symtab} methods will throw an exception
27000 if it is invalid at the time the method is called.
27001 @end defun
27002
27003 @defun Symtab.fullname ()
27004 Return the symbol table's source absolute file name.
27005 @end defun
27006
27007 @defun Symtab.global_block ()
27008 Return the global block of the underlying symbol table.
27009 @xref{Blocks In Python}.
27010 @end defun
27011
27012 @defun Symtab.static_block ()
27013 Return the static block of the underlying symbol table.
27014 @xref{Blocks In Python}.
27015 @end defun
27016
27017 @node Breakpoints In Python
27018 @subsubsection Manipulating breakpoints using Python
27019
27020 @cindex breakpoints in python
27021 @tindex gdb.Breakpoint
27022
27023 Python code can manipulate breakpoints via the @code{gdb.Breakpoint}
27024 class.
27025
27026 @defun Breakpoint.__init__ (spec @r{[}, type @r{[}, wp_class @r{[},internal@r{]]]})
27027 Create a new breakpoint. @var{spec} is a string naming the
27028 location of the breakpoint, or an expression that defines a
27029 watchpoint. The contents can be any location recognized by the
27030 @code{break} command, or in the case of a watchpoint, by the @code{watch}
27031 command. The optional @var{type} denotes the breakpoint to create
27032 from the types defined later in this chapter. This argument can be
27033 either: @code{gdb.BP_BREAKPOINT} or @code{gdb.BP_WATCHPOINT}. @var{type}
27034 defaults to @code{gdb.BP_BREAKPOINT}. The optional @var{internal} argument
27035 allows the breakpoint to become invisible to the user. The breakpoint
27036 will neither be reported when created, nor will it be listed in the
27037 output from @code{info breakpoints} (but will be listed with the
27038 @code{maint info breakpoints} command). The optional @var{wp_class}
27039 argument defines the class of watchpoint to create, if @var{type} is
27040 @code{gdb.BP_WATCHPOINT}. If a watchpoint class is not provided, it is
27041 assumed to be a @code{gdb.WP_WRITE} class.
27042 @end defun
27043
27044 @defun Breakpoint.stop (self)
27045 The @code{gdb.Breakpoint} class can be sub-classed and, in
27046 particular, you may choose to implement the @code{stop} method.
27047 If this method is defined as a sub-class of @code{gdb.Breakpoint},
27048 it will be called when the inferior reaches any location of a
27049 breakpoint which instantiates that sub-class. If the method returns
27050 @code{True}, the inferior will be stopped at the location of the
27051 breakpoint, otherwise the inferior will continue.
27052
27053 If there are multiple breakpoints at the same location with a
27054 @code{stop} method, each one will be called regardless of the
27055 return status of the previous. This ensures that all @code{stop}
27056 methods have a chance to execute at that location. In this scenario
27057 if one of the methods returns @code{True} but the others return
27058 @code{False}, the inferior will still be stopped.
27059
27060 You should not alter the execution state of the inferior (i.e.@:, step,
27061 next, etc.), alter the current frame context (i.e.@:, change the current
27062 active frame), or alter, add or delete any breakpoint. As a general
27063 rule, you should not alter any data within @value{GDBN} or the inferior
27064 at this time.
27065
27066 Example @code{stop} implementation:
27067
27068 @smallexample
27069 class MyBreakpoint (gdb.Breakpoint):
27070 def stop (self):
27071 inf_val = gdb.parse_and_eval("foo")
27072 if inf_val == 3:
27073 return True
27074 return False
27075 @end smallexample
27076 @end defun
27077
27078 The available watchpoint types represented by constants are defined in the
27079 @code{gdb} module:
27080
27081 @table @code
27082 @findex WP_READ
27083 @findex gdb.WP_READ
27084 @item gdb.WP_READ
27085 Read only watchpoint.
27086
27087 @findex WP_WRITE
27088 @findex gdb.WP_WRITE
27089 @item gdb.WP_WRITE
27090 Write only watchpoint.
27091
27092 @findex WP_ACCESS
27093 @findex gdb.WP_ACCESS
27094 @item gdb.WP_ACCESS
27095 Read/Write watchpoint.
27096 @end table
27097
27098 @defun Breakpoint.is_valid ()
27099 Return @code{True} if this @code{Breakpoint} object is valid,
27100 @code{False} otherwise. A @code{Breakpoint} object can become invalid
27101 if the user deletes the breakpoint. In this case, the object still
27102 exists, but the underlying breakpoint does not. In the cases of
27103 watchpoint scope, the watchpoint remains valid even if execution of the
27104 inferior leaves the scope of that watchpoint.
27105 @end defun
27106
27107 @defun Breakpoint.delete
27108 Permanently deletes the @value{GDBN} breakpoint. This also
27109 invalidates the Python @code{Breakpoint} object. Any further access
27110 to this object's attributes or methods will raise an error.
27111 @end defun
27112
27113 @defvar Breakpoint.enabled
27114 This attribute is @code{True} if the breakpoint is enabled, and
27115 @code{False} otherwise. This attribute is writable.
27116 @end defvar
27117
27118 @defvar Breakpoint.silent
27119 This attribute is @code{True} if the breakpoint is silent, and
27120 @code{False} otherwise. This attribute is writable.
27121
27122 Note that a breakpoint can also be silent if it has commands and the
27123 first command is @code{silent}. This is not reported by the
27124 @code{silent} attribute.
27125 @end defvar
27126
27127 @defvar Breakpoint.thread
27128 If the breakpoint is thread-specific, this attribute holds the thread
27129 id. If the breakpoint is not thread-specific, this attribute is
27130 @code{None}. This attribute is writable.
27131 @end defvar
27132
27133 @defvar Breakpoint.task
27134 If the breakpoint is Ada task-specific, this attribute holds the Ada task
27135 id. If the breakpoint is not task-specific (or the underlying
27136 language is not Ada), this attribute is @code{None}. This attribute
27137 is writable.
27138 @end defvar
27139
27140 @defvar Breakpoint.ignore_count
27141 This attribute holds the ignore count for the breakpoint, an integer.
27142 This attribute is writable.
27143 @end defvar
27144
27145 @defvar Breakpoint.number
27146 This attribute holds the breakpoint's number --- the identifier used by
27147 the user to manipulate the breakpoint. This attribute is not writable.
27148 @end defvar
27149
27150 @defvar Breakpoint.type
27151 This attribute holds the breakpoint's type --- the identifier used to
27152 determine the actual breakpoint type or use-case. This attribute is not
27153 writable.
27154 @end defvar
27155
27156 @defvar Breakpoint.visible
27157 This attribute tells whether the breakpoint is visible to the user
27158 when set, or when the @samp{info breakpoints} command is run. This
27159 attribute is not writable.
27160 @end defvar
27161
27162 The available types are represented by constants defined in the @code{gdb}
27163 module:
27164
27165 @table @code
27166 @findex BP_BREAKPOINT
27167 @findex gdb.BP_BREAKPOINT
27168 @item gdb.BP_BREAKPOINT
27169 Normal code breakpoint.
27170
27171 @findex BP_WATCHPOINT
27172 @findex gdb.BP_WATCHPOINT
27173 @item gdb.BP_WATCHPOINT
27174 Watchpoint breakpoint.
27175
27176 @findex BP_HARDWARE_WATCHPOINT
27177 @findex gdb.BP_HARDWARE_WATCHPOINT
27178 @item gdb.BP_HARDWARE_WATCHPOINT
27179 Hardware assisted watchpoint.
27180
27181 @findex BP_READ_WATCHPOINT
27182 @findex gdb.BP_READ_WATCHPOINT
27183 @item gdb.BP_READ_WATCHPOINT
27184 Hardware assisted read watchpoint.
27185
27186 @findex BP_ACCESS_WATCHPOINT
27187 @findex gdb.BP_ACCESS_WATCHPOINT
27188 @item gdb.BP_ACCESS_WATCHPOINT
27189 Hardware assisted access watchpoint.
27190 @end table
27191
27192 @defvar Breakpoint.hit_count
27193 This attribute holds the hit count for the breakpoint, an integer.
27194 This attribute is writable, but currently it can only be set to zero.
27195 @end defvar
27196
27197 @defvar Breakpoint.location
27198 This attribute holds the location of the breakpoint, as specified by
27199 the user. It is a string. If the breakpoint does not have a location
27200 (that is, it is a watchpoint) the attribute's value is @code{None}. This
27201 attribute is not writable.
27202 @end defvar
27203
27204 @defvar Breakpoint.expression
27205 This attribute holds a breakpoint expression, as specified by
27206 the user. It is a string. If the breakpoint does not have an
27207 expression (the breakpoint is not a watchpoint) the attribute's value
27208 is @code{None}. This attribute is not writable.
27209 @end defvar
27210
27211 @defvar Breakpoint.condition
27212 This attribute holds the condition of the breakpoint, as specified by
27213 the user. It is a string. If there is no condition, this attribute's
27214 value is @code{None}. This attribute is writable.
27215 @end defvar
27216
27217 @defvar Breakpoint.commands
27218 This attribute holds the commands attached to the breakpoint. If
27219 there are commands, this attribute's value is a string holding all the
27220 commands, separated by newlines. If there are no commands, this
27221 attribute is @code{None}. This attribute is not writable.
27222 @end defvar
27223
27224 @node Finish Breakpoints in Python
27225 @subsubsection Finish Breakpoints
27226
27227 @cindex python finish breakpoints
27228 @tindex gdb.FinishBreakpoint
27229
27230 A finish breakpoint is a temporary breakpoint set at the return address of
27231 a frame, based on the @code{finish} command. @code{gdb.FinishBreakpoint}
27232 extends @code{gdb.Breakpoint}. The underlying breakpoint will be disabled
27233 and deleted when the execution will run out of the breakpoint scope (i.e.@:
27234 @code{Breakpoint.stop} or @code{FinishBreakpoint.out_of_scope} triggered).
27235 Finish breakpoints are thread specific and must be create with the right
27236 thread selected.
27237
27238 @defun FinishBreakpoint.__init__ (@r{[}frame@r{]} @r{[}, internal@r{]})
27239 Create a finish breakpoint at the return address of the @code{gdb.Frame}
27240 object @var{frame}. If @var{frame} is not provided, this defaults to the
27241 newest frame. The optional @var{internal} argument allows the breakpoint to
27242 become invisible to the user. @xref{Breakpoints In Python}, for further
27243 details about this argument.
27244 @end defun
27245
27246 @defun FinishBreakpoint.out_of_scope (self)
27247 In some circumstances (e.g.@: @code{longjmp}, C@t{++} exceptions, @value{GDBN}
27248 @code{return} command, @dots{}), a function may not properly terminate, and
27249 thus never hit the finish breakpoint. When @value{GDBN} notices such a
27250 situation, the @code{out_of_scope} callback will be triggered.
27251
27252 You may want to sub-class @code{gdb.FinishBreakpoint} and override this
27253 method:
27254
27255 @smallexample
27256 class MyFinishBreakpoint (gdb.FinishBreakpoint)
27257 def stop (self):
27258 print "normal finish"
27259 return True
27260
27261 def out_of_scope ():
27262 print "abnormal finish"
27263 @end smallexample
27264 @end defun
27265
27266 @defvar FinishBreakpoint.return_value
27267 When @value{GDBN} is stopped at a finish breakpoint and the frame
27268 used to build the @code{gdb.FinishBreakpoint} object had debug symbols, this
27269 attribute will contain a @code{gdb.Value} object corresponding to the return
27270 value of the function. The value will be @code{None} if the function return
27271 type is @code{void} or if the return value was not computable. This attribute
27272 is not writable.
27273 @end defvar
27274
27275 @node Lazy Strings In Python
27276 @subsubsection Python representation of lazy strings.
27277
27278 @cindex lazy strings in python
27279 @tindex gdb.LazyString
27280
27281 A @dfn{lazy string} is a string whose contents is not retrieved or
27282 encoded until it is needed.
27283
27284 A @code{gdb.LazyString} is represented in @value{GDBN} as an
27285 @code{address} that points to a region of memory, an @code{encoding}
27286 that will be used to encode that region of memory, and a @code{length}
27287 to delimit the region of memory that represents the string. The
27288 difference between a @code{gdb.LazyString} and a string wrapped within
27289 a @code{gdb.Value} is that a @code{gdb.LazyString} will be treated
27290 differently by @value{GDBN} when printing. A @code{gdb.LazyString} is
27291 retrieved and encoded during printing, while a @code{gdb.Value}
27292 wrapping a string is immediately retrieved and encoded on creation.
27293
27294 A @code{gdb.LazyString} object has the following functions:
27295
27296 @defun LazyString.value ()
27297 Convert the @code{gdb.LazyString} to a @code{gdb.Value}. This value
27298 will point to the string in memory, but will lose all the delayed
27299 retrieval, encoding and handling that @value{GDBN} applies to a
27300 @code{gdb.LazyString}.
27301 @end defun
27302
27303 @defvar LazyString.address
27304 This attribute holds the address of the string. This attribute is not
27305 writable.
27306 @end defvar
27307
27308 @defvar LazyString.length
27309 This attribute holds the length of the string in characters. If the
27310 length is -1, then the string will be fetched and encoded up to the
27311 first null of appropriate width. This attribute is not writable.
27312 @end defvar
27313
27314 @defvar LazyString.encoding
27315 This attribute holds the encoding that will be applied to the string
27316 when the string is printed by @value{GDBN}. If the encoding is not
27317 set, or contains an empty string, then @value{GDBN} will select the
27318 most appropriate encoding when the string is printed. This attribute
27319 is not writable.
27320 @end defvar
27321
27322 @defvar LazyString.type
27323 This attribute holds the type that is represented by the lazy string's
27324 type. For a lazy string this will always be a pointer type. To
27325 resolve this to the lazy string's character type, use the type's
27326 @code{target} method. @xref{Types In Python}. This attribute is not
27327 writable.
27328 @end defvar
27329
27330 @node Architectures In Python
27331 @subsubsection Python representation of architectures
27332 @cindex Python architectures
27333
27334 @value{GDBN} uses architecture specific parameters and artifacts in a
27335 number of its various computations. An architecture is represented
27336 by an instance of the @code{gdb.Architecture} class.
27337
27338 A @code{gdb.Architecture} class has the following methods:
27339
27340 @defun Architecture.name ()
27341 Return the name (string value) of the architecture.
27342 @end defun
27343
27344 @defun Architecture.disassemble (@var{start_pc} @r{[}, @var{end_pc} @r{[}, @var{count}@r{]]})
27345 Return a list of disassembled instructions starting from the memory
27346 address @var{start_pc}. The optional arguments @var{end_pc} and
27347 @var{count} determine the number of instructions in the returned list.
27348 If both the optional arguments @var{end_pc} and @var{count} are
27349 specified, then a list of at most @var{count} disassembled instructions
27350 whose start address falls in the closed memory address interval from
27351 @var{start_pc} to @var{end_pc} are returned. If @var{end_pc} is not
27352 specified, but @var{count} is specified, then @var{count} number of
27353 instructions starting from the address @var{start_pc} are returned. If
27354 @var{count} is not specified but @var{end_pc} is specified, then all
27355 instructions whose start address falls in the closed memory address
27356 interval from @var{start_pc} to @var{end_pc} are returned. If neither
27357 @var{end_pc} nor @var{count} are specified, then a single instruction at
27358 @var{start_pc} is returned. For all of these cases, each element of the
27359 returned list is a Python @code{dict} with the following string keys:
27360
27361 @table @code
27362
27363 @item addr
27364 The value corresponding to this key is a Python long integer capturing
27365 the memory address of the instruction.
27366
27367 @item asm
27368 The value corresponding to this key is a string value which represents
27369 the instruction with assembly language mnemonics. The assembly
27370 language flavor used is the same as that specified by the current CLI
27371 variable @code{disassembly-flavor}. @xref{Machine Code}.
27372
27373 @item length
27374 The value corresponding to this key is the length (integer value) of the
27375 instruction in bytes.
27376
27377 @end table
27378 @end defun
27379
27380 @node Python Auto-loading
27381 @subsection Python Auto-loading
27382 @cindex Python auto-loading
27383
27384 When a new object file is read (for example, due to the @code{file}
27385 command, or because the inferior has loaded a shared library),
27386 @value{GDBN} will look for Python support scripts in several ways:
27387 @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.py} (@pxref{objfile-gdb.py file})
27388 and @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section
27389 (@pxref{dotdebug_gdb_scripts section}).
27390
27391 The auto-loading feature is useful for supplying application-specific
27392 debugging commands and scripts.
27393
27394 Auto-loading can be enabled or disabled,
27395 and the list of auto-loaded scripts can be printed.
27396
27397 @table @code
27398 @anchor{set auto-load python-scripts}
27399 @kindex set auto-load python-scripts
27400 @item set auto-load python-scripts [on|off]
27401 Enable or disable the auto-loading of Python scripts.
27402
27403 @anchor{show auto-load python-scripts}
27404 @kindex show auto-load python-scripts
27405 @item show auto-load python-scripts
27406 Show whether auto-loading of Python scripts is enabled or disabled.
27407
27408 @anchor{info auto-load python-scripts}
27409 @kindex info auto-load python-scripts
27410 @cindex print list of auto-loaded Python scripts
27411 @item info auto-load python-scripts [@var{regexp}]
27412 Print the list of all Python scripts that @value{GDBN} auto-loaded.
27413
27414 Also printed is the list of Python scripts that were mentioned in
27415 the @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section and were not found
27416 (@pxref{dotdebug_gdb_scripts section}).
27417 This is useful because their names are not printed when @value{GDBN}
27418 tries to load them and fails. There may be many of them, and printing
27419 an error message for each one is problematic.
27420
27421 If @var{regexp} is supplied only Python scripts with matching names are printed.
27422
27423 Example:
27424
27425 @smallexample
27426 (gdb) info auto-load python-scripts
27427 Loaded Script
27428 Yes py-section-script.py
27429 full name: /tmp/py-section-script.py
27430 No my-foo-pretty-printers.py
27431 @end smallexample
27432 @end table
27433
27434 When reading an auto-loaded file, @value{GDBN} sets the
27435 @dfn{current objfile}. This is available via the @code{gdb.current_objfile}
27436 function (@pxref{Objfiles In Python}). This can be useful for
27437 registering objfile-specific pretty-printers and frame-filters.
27438
27439 @menu
27440 * objfile-gdb.py file:: The @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.py} file
27441 * dotdebug_gdb_scripts section:: The @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section
27442 * Which flavor to choose?::
27443 @end menu
27444
27445 @node objfile-gdb.py file
27446 @subsubsection The @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.py} file
27447 @cindex @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.py}
27448
27449 When a new object file is read, @value{GDBN} looks for
27450 a file named @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.py} (we call it @var{script-name} below),
27451 where @var{objfile} is the object file's real name, formed by ensuring
27452 that the file name is absolute, following all symlinks, and resolving
27453 @code{.} and @code{..} components. If this file exists and is
27454 readable, @value{GDBN} will evaluate it as a Python script.
27455
27456 If this file does not exist, then @value{GDBN} will look for
27457 @var{script-name} file in all of the directories as specified below.
27458
27459 Note that loading of this script file also requires accordingly configured
27460 @code{auto-load safe-path} (@pxref{Auto-loading safe path}).
27461
27462 For object files using @file{.exe} suffix @value{GDBN} tries to load first the
27463 scripts normally according to its @file{.exe} filename. But if no scripts are
27464 found @value{GDBN} also tries script filenames matching the object file without
27465 its @file{.exe} suffix. This @file{.exe} stripping is case insensitive and it
27466 is attempted on any platform. This makes the script filenames compatible
27467 between Unix and MS-Windows hosts.
27468
27469 @table @code
27470 @anchor{set auto-load scripts-directory}
27471 @kindex set auto-load scripts-directory
27472 @item set auto-load scripts-directory @r{[}@var{directories}@r{]}
27473 Control @value{GDBN} auto-loaded scripts location. Multiple directory entries
27474 may be delimited by the host platform path separator in use
27475 (@samp{:} on Unix, @samp{;} on MS-Windows and MS-DOS).
27476
27477 Each entry here needs to be covered also by the security setting
27478 @code{set auto-load safe-path} (@pxref{set auto-load safe-path}).
27479
27480 @anchor{with-auto-load-dir}
27481 This variable defaults to @file{$debugdir:$datadir/auto-load}. The default
27482 @code{set auto-load safe-path} value can be also overriden by @value{GDBN}
27483 configuration option @option{--with-auto-load-dir}.
27484
27485 Any reference to @file{$debugdir} will get replaced by
27486 @var{debug-file-directory} value (@pxref{Separate Debug Files}) and any
27487 reference to @file{$datadir} will get replaced by @var{data-directory} which is
27488 determined at @value{GDBN} startup (@pxref{Data Files}). @file{$debugdir} and
27489 @file{$datadir} must be placed as a directory component --- either alone or
27490 delimited by @file{/} or @file{\} directory separators, depending on the host
27491 platform.
27492
27493 The list of directories uses path separator (@samp{:} on GNU and Unix
27494 systems, @samp{;} on MS-Windows and MS-DOS) to separate directories, similarly
27495 to the @env{PATH} environment variable.
27496
27497 @anchor{show auto-load scripts-directory}
27498 @kindex show auto-load scripts-directory
27499 @item show auto-load scripts-directory
27500 Show @value{GDBN} auto-loaded scripts location.
27501 @end table
27502
27503 @value{GDBN} does not track which files it has already auto-loaded this way.
27504 @value{GDBN} will load the associated script every time the corresponding
27505 @var{objfile} is opened.
27506 So your @file{-gdb.py} file should be careful to avoid errors if it
27507 is evaluated more than once.
27508
27509 @node dotdebug_gdb_scripts section
27510 @subsubsection The @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section
27511 @cindex @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section
27512
27513 For systems using file formats like ELF and COFF,
27514 when @value{GDBN} loads a new object file
27515 it will look for a special section named @samp{.debug_gdb_scripts}.
27516 If this section exists, its contents is a list of names of scripts to load.
27517
27518 @value{GDBN} will look for each specified script file first in the
27519 current directory and then along the source search path
27520 (@pxref{Source Path, ,Specifying Source Directories}),
27521 except that @file{$cdir} is not searched, since the compilation
27522 directory is not relevant to scripts.
27523
27524 Entries can be placed in section @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} with,
27525 for example, this GCC macro:
27526
27527 @example
27528 /* Note: The "MS" section flags are to remove duplicates. */
27529 #define DEFINE_GDB_SCRIPT(script_name) \
27530 asm("\
27531 .pushsection \".debug_gdb_scripts\", \"MS\",@@progbits,1\n\
27532 .byte 1\n\
27533 .asciz \"" script_name "\"\n\
27534 .popsection \n\
27535 ");
27536 @end example
27537
27538 @noindent
27539 Then one can reference the macro in a header or source file like this:
27540
27541 @example
27542 DEFINE_GDB_SCRIPT ("my-app-scripts.py")
27543 @end example
27544
27545 The script name may include directories if desired.
27546
27547 Note that loading of this script file also requires accordingly configured
27548 @code{auto-load safe-path} (@pxref{Auto-loading safe path}).
27549
27550 If the macro is put in a header, any application or library
27551 using this header will get a reference to the specified script.
27552
27553 @node Which flavor to choose?
27554 @subsubsection Which flavor to choose?
27555
27556 Given the multiple ways of auto-loading Python scripts, it might not always
27557 be clear which one to choose. This section provides some guidance.
27558
27559 Benefits of the @file{-gdb.py} way:
27560
27561 @itemize @bullet
27562 @item
27563 Can be used with file formats that don't support multiple sections.
27564
27565 @item
27566 Ease of finding scripts for public libraries.
27567
27568 Scripts specified in the @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section are searched for
27569 in the source search path.
27570 For publicly installed libraries, e.g., @file{libstdc++}, there typically
27571 isn't a source directory in which to find the script.
27572
27573 @item
27574 Doesn't require source code additions.
27575 @end itemize
27576
27577 Benefits of the @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} way:
27578
27579 @itemize @bullet
27580 @item
27581 Works with static linking.
27582
27583 Scripts for libraries done the @file{-gdb.py} way require an objfile to
27584 trigger their loading. When an application is statically linked the only
27585 objfile available is the executable, and it is cumbersome to attach all the
27586 scripts from all the input libraries to the executable's @file{-gdb.py} script.
27587
27588 @item
27589 Works with classes that are entirely inlined.
27590
27591 Some classes can be entirely inlined, and thus there may not be an associated
27592 shared library to attach a @file{-gdb.py} script to.
27593
27594 @item
27595 Scripts needn't be copied out of the source tree.
27596
27597 In some circumstances, apps can be built out of large collections of internal
27598 libraries, and the build infrastructure necessary to install the
27599 @file{-gdb.py} scripts in a place where @value{GDBN} can find them is
27600 cumbersome. It may be easier to specify the scripts in the
27601 @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section as relative paths, and add a path to the
27602 top of the source tree to the source search path.
27603 @end itemize
27604
27605 @node Python modules
27606 @subsection Python modules
27607 @cindex python modules
27608
27609 @value{GDBN} comes with several modules to assist writing Python code.
27610
27611 @menu
27612 * gdb.printing:: Building and registering pretty-printers.
27613 * gdb.types:: Utilities for working with types.
27614 * gdb.prompt:: Utilities for prompt value substitution.
27615 @end menu
27616
27617 @node gdb.printing
27618 @subsubsection gdb.printing
27619 @cindex gdb.printing
27620
27621 This module provides a collection of utilities for working with
27622 pretty-printers.
27623
27624 @table @code
27625 @item PrettyPrinter (@var{name}, @var{subprinters}=None)
27626 This class specifies the API that makes @samp{info pretty-printer},
27627 @samp{enable pretty-printer} and @samp{disable pretty-printer} work.
27628 Pretty-printers should generally inherit from this class.
27629
27630 @item SubPrettyPrinter (@var{name})
27631 For printers that handle multiple types, this class specifies the
27632 corresponding API for the subprinters.
27633
27634 @item RegexpCollectionPrettyPrinter (@var{name})
27635 Utility class for handling multiple printers, all recognized via
27636 regular expressions.
27637 @xref{Writing a Pretty-Printer}, for an example.
27638
27639 @item FlagEnumerationPrinter (@var{name})
27640 A pretty-printer which handles printing of @code{enum} values. Unlike
27641 @value{GDBN}'s built-in @code{enum} printing, this printer attempts to
27642 work properly when there is some overlap between the enumeration
27643 constants. @var{name} is the name of the printer and also the name of
27644 the @code{enum} type to look up.
27645
27646 @item register_pretty_printer (@var{obj}, @var{printer}, @var{replace}=False)
27647 Register @var{printer} with the pretty-printer list of @var{obj}.
27648 If @var{replace} is @code{True} then any existing copy of the printer
27649 is replaced. Otherwise a @code{RuntimeError} exception is raised
27650 if a printer with the same name already exists.
27651 @end table
27652
27653 @node gdb.types
27654 @subsubsection gdb.types
27655 @cindex gdb.types
27656
27657 This module provides a collection of utilities for working with
27658 @code{gdb.Type} objects.
27659
27660 @table @code
27661 @item get_basic_type (@var{type})
27662 Return @var{type} with const and volatile qualifiers stripped,
27663 and with typedefs and C@t{++} references converted to the underlying type.
27664
27665 C@t{++} example:
27666
27667 @smallexample
27668 typedef const int const_int;
27669 const_int foo (3);
27670 const_int& foo_ref (foo);
27671 int main () @{ return 0; @}
27672 @end smallexample
27673
27674 Then in gdb:
27675
27676 @smallexample
27677 (gdb) start
27678 (gdb) python import gdb.types
27679 (gdb) python foo_ref = gdb.parse_and_eval("foo_ref")
27680 (gdb) python print gdb.types.get_basic_type(foo_ref.type)
27681 int
27682 @end smallexample
27683
27684 @item has_field (@var{type}, @var{field})
27685 Return @code{True} if @var{type}, assumed to be a type with fields
27686 (e.g., a structure or union), has field @var{field}.
27687
27688 @item make_enum_dict (@var{enum_type})
27689 Return a Python @code{dictionary} type produced from @var{enum_type}.
27690
27691 @item deep_items (@var{type})
27692 Returns a Python iterator similar to the standard
27693 @code{gdb.Type.iteritems} method, except that the iterator returned
27694 by @code{deep_items} will recursively traverse anonymous struct or
27695 union fields. For example:
27696
27697 @smallexample
27698 struct A
27699 @{
27700 int a;
27701 union @{
27702 int b0;
27703 int b1;
27704 @};
27705 @};
27706 @end smallexample
27707
27708 @noindent
27709 Then in @value{GDBN}:
27710 @smallexample
27711 (@value{GDBP}) python import gdb.types
27712 (@value{GDBP}) python struct_a = gdb.lookup_type("struct A")
27713 (@value{GDBP}) python print struct_a.keys ()
27714 @{['a', '']@}
27715 (@value{GDBP}) python print [k for k,v in gdb.types.deep_items(struct_a)]
27716 @{['a', 'b0', 'b1']@}
27717 @end smallexample
27718
27719 @item get_type_recognizers ()
27720 Return a list of the enabled type recognizers for the current context.
27721 This is called by @value{GDBN} during the type-printing process
27722 (@pxref{Type Printing API}).
27723
27724 @item apply_type_recognizers (recognizers, type_obj)
27725 Apply the type recognizers, @var{recognizers}, to the type object
27726 @var{type_obj}. If any recognizer returns a string, return that
27727 string. Otherwise, return @code{None}. This is called by
27728 @value{GDBN} during the type-printing process (@pxref{Type Printing
27729 API}).
27730
27731 @item register_type_printer (locus, printer)
27732 This is a convenience function to register a type printer.
27733 @var{printer} is the type printer to register. It must implement the
27734 type printer protocol. @var{locus} is either a @code{gdb.Objfile}, in
27735 which case the printer is registered with that objfile; a
27736 @code{gdb.Progspace}, in which case the printer is registered with
27737 that progspace; or @code{None}, in which case the printer is
27738 registered globally.
27739
27740 @item TypePrinter
27741 This is a base class that implements the type printer protocol. Type
27742 printers are encouraged, but not required, to derive from this class.
27743 It defines a constructor:
27744
27745 @defmethod TypePrinter __init__ (self, name)
27746 Initialize the type printer with the given name. The new printer
27747 starts in the enabled state.
27748 @end defmethod
27749
27750 @end table
27751
27752 @node gdb.prompt
27753 @subsubsection gdb.prompt
27754 @cindex gdb.prompt
27755
27756 This module provides a method for prompt value-substitution.
27757
27758 @table @code
27759 @item substitute_prompt (@var{string})
27760 Return @var{string} with escape sequences substituted by values. Some
27761 escape sequences take arguments. You can specify arguments inside
27762 ``@{@}'' immediately following the escape sequence.
27763
27764 The escape sequences you can pass to this function are:
27765
27766 @table @code
27767 @item \\
27768 Substitute a backslash.
27769 @item \e
27770 Substitute an ESC character.
27771 @item \f
27772 Substitute the selected frame; an argument names a frame parameter.
27773 @item \n
27774 Substitute a newline.
27775 @item \p
27776 Substitute a parameter's value; the argument names the parameter.
27777 @item \r
27778 Substitute a carriage return.
27779 @item \t
27780 Substitute the selected thread; an argument names a thread parameter.
27781 @item \v
27782 Substitute the version of GDB.
27783 @item \w
27784 Substitute the current working directory.
27785 @item \[
27786 Begin a sequence of non-printing characters. These sequences are
27787 typically used with the ESC character, and are not counted in the string
27788 length. Example: ``\[\e[0;34m\](gdb)\[\e[0m\]'' will return a
27789 blue-colored ``(gdb)'' prompt where the length is five.
27790 @item \]
27791 End a sequence of non-printing characters.
27792 @end table
27793
27794 For example:
27795
27796 @smallexample
27797 substitute_prompt (``frame: \f,
27798 print arguments: \p@{print frame-arguments@}'')
27799 @end smallexample
27800
27801 @exdent will return the string:
27802
27803 @smallexample
27804 "frame: main, print arguments: scalars"
27805 @end smallexample
27806 @end table
27807
27808 @node Aliases
27809 @section Creating new spellings of existing commands
27810 @cindex aliases for commands
27811
27812 It is often useful to define alternate spellings of existing commands.
27813 For example, if a new @value{GDBN} command defined in Python has
27814 a long name to type, it is handy to have an abbreviated version of it
27815 that involves less typing.
27816
27817 @value{GDBN} itself uses aliases. For example @samp{s} is an alias
27818 of the @samp{step} command even though it is otherwise an ambiguous
27819 abbreviation of other commands like @samp{set} and @samp{show}.
27820
27821 Aliases are also used to provide shortened or more common versions
27822 of multi-word commands. For example, @value{GDBN} provides the
27823 @samp{tty} alias of the @samp{set inferior-tty} command.
27824
27825 You can define a new alias with the @samp{alias} command.
27826
27827 @table @code
27828
27829 @kindex alias
27830 @item alias [-a] [--] @var{ALIAS} = @var{COMMAND}
27831
27832 @end table
27833
27834 @var{ALIAS} specifies the name of the new alias.
27835 Each word of @var{ALIAS} must consist of letters, numbers, dashes and
27836 underscores.
27837
27838 @var{COMMAND} specifies the name of an existing command
27839 that is being aliased.
27840
27841 The @samp{-a} option specifies that the new alias is an abbreviation
27842 of the command. Abbreviations are not shown in command
27843 lists displayed by the @samp{help} command.
27844
27845 The @samp{--} option specifies the end of options,
27846 and is useful when @var{ALIAS} begins with a dash.
27847
27848 Here is a simple example showing how to make an abbreviation
27849 of a command so that there is less to type.
27850 Suppose you were tired of typing @samp{disas}, the current
27851 shortest unambiguous abbreviation of the @samp{disassemble} command
27852 and you wanted an even shorter version named @samp{di}.
27853 The following will accomplish this.
27854
27855 @smallexample
27856 (gdb) alias -a di = disas
27857 @end smallexample
27858
27859 Note that aliases are different from user-defined commands.
27860 With a user-defined command, you also need to write documentation
27861 for it with the @samp{document} command.
27862 An alias automatically picks up the documentation of the existing command.
27863
27864 Here is an example where we make @samp{elms} an abbreviation of
27865 @samp{elements} in the @samp{set print elements} command.
27866 This is to show that you can make an abbreviation of any part
27867 of a command.
27868
27869 @smallexample
27870 (gdb) alias -a set print elms = set print elements
27871 (gdb) alias -a show print elms = show print elements
27872 (gdb) set p elms 20
27873 (gdb) show p elms
27874 Limit on string chars or array elements to print is 200.
27875 @end smallexample
27876
27877 Note that if you are defining an alias of a @samp{set} command,
27878 and you want to have an alias for the corresponding @samp{show}
27879 command, then you need to define the latter separately.
27880
27881 Unambiguously abbreviated commands are allowed in @var{COMMAND} and
27882 @var{ALIAS}, just as they are normally.
27883
27884 @smallexample
27885 (gdb) alias -a set pr elms = set p ele
27886 @end smallexample
27887
27888 Finally, here is an example showing the creation of a one word
27889 alias for a more complex command.
27890 This creates alias @samp{spe} of the command @samp{set print elements}.
27891
27892 @smallexample
27893 (gdb) alias spe = set print elements
27894 (gdb) spe 20
27895 @end smallexample
27896
27897 @node Interpreters
27898 @chapter Command Interpreters
27899 @cindex command interpreters
27900
27901 @value{GDBN} supports multiple command interpreters, and some command
27902 infrastructure to allow users or user interface writers to switch
27903 between interpreters or run commands in other interpreters.
27904
27905 @value{GDBN} currently supports two command interpreters, the console
27906 interpreter (sometimes called the command-line interpreter or @sc{cli})
27907 and the machine interface interpreter (or @sc{gdb/mi}). This manual
27908 describes both of these interfaces in great detail.
27909
27910 By default, @value{GDBN} will start with the console interpreter.
27911 However, the user may choose to start @value{GDBN} with another
27912 interpreter by specifying the @option{-i} or @option{--interpreter}
27913 startup options. Defined interpreters include:
27914
27915 @table @code
27916 @item console
27917 @cindex console interpreter
27918 The traditional console or command-line interpreter. This is the most often
27919 used interpreter with @value{GDBN}. With no interpreter specified at runtime,
27920 @value{GDBN} will use this interpreter.
27921
27922 @item mi
27923 @cindex mi interpreter
27924 The newest @sc{gdb/mi} interface (currently @code{mi2}). Used primarily
27925 by programs wishing to use @value{GDBN} as a backend for a debugger GUI
27926 or an IDE. For more information, see @ref{GDB/MI, ,The @sc{gdb/mi}
27927 Interface}.
27928
27929 @item mi2
27930 @cindex mi2 interpreter
27931 The current @sc{gdb/mi} interface.
27932
27933 @item mi1
27934 @cindex mi1 interpreter
27935 The @sc{gdb/mi} interface included in @value{GDBN} 5.1, 5.2, and 5.3.
27936
27937 @end table
27938
27939 @cindex invoke another interpreter
27940 The interpreter being used by @value{GDBN} may not be dynamically
27941 switched at runtime. Although possible, this could lead to a very
27942 precarious situation. Consider an IDE using @sc{gdb/mi}. If a user
27943 enters the command "interpreter-set console" in a console view,
27944 @value{GDBN} would switch to using the console interpreter, rendering
27945 the IDE inoperable!
27946
27947 @kindex interpreter-exec
27948 Although you may only choose a single interpreter at startup, you may execute
27949 commands in any interpreter from the current interpreter using the appropriate
27950 command. If you are running the console interpreter, simply use the
27951 @code{interpreter-exec} command:
27952
27953 @smallexample
27954 interpreter-exec mi "-data-list-register-names"
27955 @end smallexample
27956
27957 @sc{gdb/mi} has a similar command, although it is only available in versions of
27958 @value{GDBN} which support @sc{gdb/mi} version 2 (or greater).
27959
27960 @node TUI
27961 @chapter @value{GDBN} Text User Interface
27962 @cindex TUI
27963 @cindex Text User Interface
27964
27965 @menu
27966 * TUI Overview:: TUI overview
27967 * TUI Keys:: TUI key bindings
27968 * TUI Single Key Mode:: TUI single key mode
27969 * TUI Commands:: TUI-specific commands
27970 * TUI Configuration:: TUI configuration variables
27971 @end menu
27972
27973 The @value{GDBN} Text User Interface (TUI) is a terminal
27974 interface which uses the @code{curses} library to show the source
27975 file, the assembly output, the program registers and @value{GDBN}
27976 commands in separate text windows. The TUI mode is supported only
27977 on platforms where a suitable version of the @code{curses} library
27978 is available.
27979
27980 The TUI mode is enabled by default when you invoke @value{GDBN} as
27981 @samp{@value{GDBP} -tui}.
27982 You can also switch in and out of TUI mode while @value{GDBN} runs by
27983 using various TUI commands and key bindings, such as @kbd{C-x C-a}.
27984 @xref{TUI Keys, ,TUI Key Bindings}.
27985
27986 @node TUI Overview
27987 @section TUI Overview
27988
27989 In TUI mode, @value{GDBN} can display several text windows:
27990
27991 @table @emph
27992 @item command
27993 This window is the @value{GDBN} command window with the @value{GDBN}
27994 prompt and the @value{GDBN} output. The @value{GDBN} input is still
27995 managed using readline.
27996
27997 @item source
27998 The source window shows the source file of the program. The current
27999 line and active breakpoints are displayed in this window.
28000
28001 @item assembly
28002 The assembly window shows the disassembly output of the program.
28003
28004 @item register
28005 This window shows the processor registers. Registers are highlighted
28006 when their values change.
28007 @end table
28008
28009 The source and assembly windows show the current program position
28010 by highlighting the current line and marking it with a @samp{>} marker.
28011 Breakpoints are indicated with two markers. The first marker
28012 indicates the breakpoint type:
28013
28014 @table @code
28015 @item B
28016 Breakpoint which was hit at least once.
28017
28018 @item b
28019 Breakpoint which was never hit.
28020
28021 @item H
28022 Hardware breakpoint which was hit at least once.
28023
28024 @item h
28025 Hardware breakpoint which was never hit.
28026 @end table
28027
28028 The second marker indicates whether the breakpoint is enabled or not:
28029
28030 @table @code
28031 @item +
28032 Breakpoint is enabled.
28033
28034 @item -
28035 Breakpoint is disabled.
28036 @end table
28037
28038 The source, assembly and register windows are updated when the current
28039 thread changes, when the frame changes, or when the program counter
28040 changes.
28041
28042 These windows are not all visible at the same time. The command
28043 window is always visible. The others can be arranged in several
28044 layouts:
28045
28046 @itemize @bullet
28047 @item
28048 source only,
28049
28050 @item
28051 assembly only,
28052
28053 @item
28054 source and assembly,
28055
28056 @item
28057 source and registers, or
28058
28059 @item
28060 assembly and registers.
28061 @end itemize
28062
28063 A status line above the command window shows the following information:
28064
28065 @table @emph
28066 @item target
28067 Indicates the current @value{GDBN} target.
28068 (@pxref{Targets, ,Specifying a Debugging Target}).
28069
28070 @item process
28071 Gives the current process or thread number.
28072 When no process is being debugged, this field is set to @code{No process}.
28073
28074 @item function
28075 Gives the current function name for the selected frame.
28076 The name is demangled if demangling is turned on (@pxref{Print Settings}).
28077 When there is no symbol corresponding to the current program counter,
28078 the string @code{??} is displayed.
28079
28080 @item line
28081 Indicates the current line number for the selected frame.
28082 When the current line number is not known, the string @code{??} is displayed.
28083
28084 @item pc
28085 Indicates the current program counter address.
28086 @end table
28087
28088 @node TUI Keys
28089 @section TUI Key Bindings
28090 @cindex TUI key bindings
28091
28092 The TUI installs several key bindings in the readline keymaps
28093 @ifset SYSTEM_READLINE
28094 (@pxref{Command Line Editing, , , rluserman, GNU Readline Library}).
28095 @end ifset
28096 @ifclear SYSTEM_READLINE
28097 (@pxref{Command Line Editing}).
28098 @end ifclear
28099 The following key bindings are installed for both TUI mode and the
28100 @value{GDBN} standard mode.
28101
28102 @table @kbd
28103 @kindex C-x C-a
28104 @item C-x C-a
28105 @kindex C-x a
28106 @itemx C-x a
28107 @kindex C-x A
28108 @itemx C-x A
28109 Enter or leave the TUI mode. When leaving the TUI mode,
28110 the curses window management stops and @value{GDBN} operates using
28111 its standard mode, writing on the terminal directly. When reentering
28112 the TUI mode, control is given back to the curses windows.
28113 The screen is then refreshed.
28114
28115 @kindex C-x 1
28116 @item C-x 1
28117 Use a TUI layout with only one window. The layout will
28118 either be @samp{source} or @samp{assembly}. When the TUI mode
28119 is not active, it will switch to the TUI mode.
28120
28121 Think of this key binding as the Emacs @kbd{C-x 1} binding.
28122
28123 @kindex C-x 2
28124 @item C-x 2
28125 Use a TUI layout with at least two windows. When the current
28126 layout already has two windows, the next layout with two windows is used.
28127 When a new layout is chosen, one window will always be common to the
28128 previous layout and the new one.
28129
28130 Think of it as the Emacs @kbd{C-x 2} binding.
28131
28132 @kindex C-x o
28133 @item C-x o
28134 Change the active window. The TUI associates several key bindings
28135 (like scrolling and arrow keys) with the active window. This command
28136 gives the focus to the next TUI window.
28137
28138 Think of it as the Emacs @kbd{C-x o} binding.
28139
28140 @kindex C-x s
28141 @item C-x s
28142 Switch in and out of the TUI SingleKey mode that binds single
28143 keys to @value{GDBN} commands (@pxref{TUI Single Key Mode}).
28144 @end table
28145
28146 The following key bindings only work in the TUI mode:
28147
28148 @table @asis
28149 @kindex PgUp
28150 @item @key{PgUp}
28151 Scroll the active window one page up.
28152
28153 @kindex PgDn
28154 @item @key{PgDn}
28155 Scroll the active window one page down.
28156
28157 @kindex Up
28158 @item @key{Up}
28159 Scroll the active window one line up.
28160
28161 @kindex Down
28162 @item @key{Down}
28163 Scroll the active window one line down.
28164
28165 @kindex Left
28166 @item @key{Left}
28167 Scroll the active window one column left.
28168
28169 @kindex Right
28170 @item @key{Right}
28171 Scroll the active window one column right.
28172
28173 @kindex C-L
28174 @item @kbd{C-L}
28175 Refresh the screen.
28176 @end table
28177
28178 Because the arrow keys scroll the active window in the TUI mode, they
28179 are not available for their normal use by readline unless the command
28180 window has the focus. When another window is active, you must use
28181 other readline key bindings such as @kbd{C-p}, @kbd{C-n}, @kbd{C-b}
28182 and @kbd{C-f} to control the command window.
28183
28184 @node TUI Single Key Mode
28185 @section TUI Single Key Mode
28186 @cindex TUI single key mode
28187
28188 The TUI also provides a @dfn{SingleKey} mode, which binds several
28189 frequently used @value{GDBN} commands to single keys. Type @kbd{C-x s} to
28190 switch into this mode, where the following key bindings are used:
28191
28192 @table @kbd
28193 @kindex c @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
28194 @item c
28195 continue
28196
28197 @kindex d @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
28198 @item d
28199 down
28200
28201 @kindex f @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
28202 @item f
28203 finish
28204
28205 @kindex n @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
28206 @item n
28207 next
28208
28209 @kindex q @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
28210 @item q
28211 exit the SingleKey mode.
28212
28213 @kindex r @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
28214 @item r
28215 run
28216
28217 @kindex s @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
28218 @item s
28219 step
28220
28221 @kindex u @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
28222 @item u
28223 up
28224
28225 @kindex v @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
28226 @item v
28227 info locals
28228
28229 @kindex w @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
28230 @item w
28231 where
28232 @end table
28233
28234 Other keys temporarily switch to the @value{GDBN} command prompt.
28235 The key that was pressed is inserted in the editing buffer so that
28236 it is possible to type most @value{GDBN} commands without interaction
28237 with the TUI SingleKey mode. Once the command is entered the TUI
28238 SingleKey mode is restored. The only way to permanently leave
28239 this mode is by typing @kbd{q} or @kbd{C-x s}.
28240
28241
28242 @node TUI Commands
28243 @section TUI-specific Commands
28244 @cindex TUI commands
28245
28246 The TUI has specific commands to control the text windows.
28247 These commands are always available, even when @value{GDBN} is not in
28248 the TUI mode. When @value{GDBN} is in the standard mode, most
28249 of these commands will automatically switch to the TUI mode.
28250
28251 Note that if @value{GDBN}'s @code{stdout} is not connected to a
28252 terminal, or @value{GDBN} has been started with the machine interface
28253 interpreter (@pxref{GDB/MI, ,The @sc{gdb/mi} Interface}), most of
28254 these commands will fail with an error, because it would not be
28255 possible or desirable to enable curses window management.
28256
28257 @table @code
28258 @item info win
28259 @kindex info win
28260 List and give the size of all displayed windows.
28261
28262 @item layout next
28263 @kindex layout
28264 Display the next layout.
28265
28266 @item layout prev
28267 Display the previous layout.
28268
28269 @item layout src
28270 Display the source window only.
28271
28272 @item layout asm
28273 Display the assembly window only.
28274
28275 @item layout split
28276 Display the source and assembly window.
28277
28278 @item layout regs
28279 Display the register window together with the source or assembly window.
28280
28281 @item focus next
28282 @kindex focus
28283 Make the next window active for scrolling.
28284
28285 @item focus prev
28286 Make the previous window active for scrolling.
28287
28288 @item focus src
28289 Make the source window active for scrolling.
28290
28291 @item focus asm
28292 Make the assembly window active for scrolling.
28293
28294 @item focus regs
28295 Make the register window active for scrolling.
28296
28297 @item focus cmd
28298 Make the command window active for scrolling.
28299
28300 @item refresh
28301 @kindex refresh
28302 Refresh the screen. This is similar to typing @kbd{C-L}.
28303
28304 @item tui reg float
28305 @kindex tui reg
28306 Show the floating point registers in the register window.
28307
28308 @item tui reg general
28309 Show the general registers in the register window.
28310
28311 @item tui reg next
28312 Show the next register group. The list of register groups as well as
28313 their order is target specific. The predefined register groups are the
28314 following: @code{general}, @code{float}, @code{system}, @code{vector},
28315 @code{all}, @code{save}, @code{restore}.
28316
28317 @item tui reg system
28318 Show the system registers in the register window.
28319
28320 @item update
28321 @kindex update
28322 Update the source window and the current execution point.
28323
28324 @item winheight @var{name} +@var{count}
28325 @itemx winheight @var{name} -@var{count}
28326 @kindex winheight
28327 Change the height of the window @var{name} by @var{count}
28328 lines. Positive counts increase the height, while negative counts
28329 decrease it.
28330
28331 @item tabset @var{nchars}
28332 @kindex tabset
28333 Set the width of tab stops to be @var{nchars} characters.
28334 @end table
28335
28336 @node TUI Configuration
28337 @section TUI Configuration Variables
28338 @cindex TUI configuration variables
28339
28340 Several configuration variables control the appearance of TUI windows.
28341
28342 @table @code
28343 @item set tui border-kind @var{kind}
28344 @kindex set tui border-kind
28345 Select the border appearance for the source, assembly and register windows.
28346 The possible values are the following:
28347 @table @code
28348 @item space
28349 Use a space character to draw the border.
28350
28351 @item ascii
28352 Use @sc{ascii} characters @samp{+}, @samp{-} and @samp{|} to draw the border.
28353
28354 @item acs
28355 Use the Alternate Character Set to draw the border. The border is
28356 drawn using character line graphics if the terminal supports them.
28357 @end table
28358
28359 @item set tui border-mode @var{mode}
28360 @kindex set tui border-mode
28361 @itemx set tui active-border-mode @var{mode}
28362 @kindex set tui active-border-mode
28363 Select the display attributes for the borders of the inactive windows
28364 or the active window. The @var{mode} can be one of the following:
28365 @table @code
28366 @item normal
28367 Use normal attributes to display the border.
28368
28369 @item standout
28370 Use standout mode.
28371
28372 @item reverse
28373 Use reverse video mode.
28374
28375 @item half
28376 Use half bright mode.
28377
28378 @item half-standout
28379 Use half bright and standout mode.
28380
28381 @item bold
28382 Use extra bright or bold mode.
28383
28384 @item bold-standout
28385 Use extra bright or bold and standout mode.
28386 @end table
28387 @end table
28388
28389 @node Emacs
28390 @chapter Using @value{GDBN} under @sc{gnu} Emacs
28391
28392 @cindex Emacs
28393 @cindex @sc{gnu} Emacs
28394 A special interface allows you to use @sc{gnu} Emacs to view (and
28395 edit) the source files for the program you are debugging with
28396 @value{GDBN}.
28397
28398 To use this interface, use the command @kbd{M-x gdb} in Emacs. Give the
28399 executable file you want to debug as an argument. This command starts
28400 @value{GDBN} as a subprocess of Emacs, with input and output through a newly
28401 created Emacs buffer.
28402 @c (Do not use the @code{-tui} option to run @value{GDBN} from Emacs.)
28403
28404 Running @value{GDBN} under Emacs can be just like running @value{GDBN} normally except for two
28405 things:
28406
28407 @itemize @bullet
28408 @item
28409 All ``terminal'' input and output goes through an Emacs buffer, called
28410 the GUD buffer.
28411
28412 This applies both to @value{GDBN} commands and their output, and to the input
28413 and output done by the program you are debugging.
28414
28415 This is useful because it means that you can copy the text of previous
28416 commands and input them again; you can even use parts of the output
28417 in this way.
28418
28419 All the facilities of Emacs' Shell mode are available for interacting
28420 with your program. In particular, you can send signals the usual
28421 way---for example, @kbd{C-c C-c} for an interrupt, @kbd{C-c C-z} for a
28422 stop.
28423
28424 @item
28425 @value{GDBN} displays source code through Emacs.
28426
28427 Each time @value{GDBN} displays a stack frame, Emacs automatically finds the
28428 source file for that frame and puts an arrow (@samp{=>}) at the
28429 left margin of the current line. Emacs uses a separate buffer for
28430 source display, and splits the screen to show both your @value{GDBN} session
28431 and the source.
28432
28433 Explicit @value{GDBN} @code{list} or search commands still produce output as
28434 usual, but you probably have no reason to use them from Emacs.
28435 @end itemize
28436
28437 We call this @dfn{text command mode}. Emacs 22.1, and later, also uses
28438 a graphical mode, enabled by default, which provides further buffers
28439 that can control the execution and describe the state of your program.
28440 @xref{GDB Graphical Interface,,, Emacs, The @sc{gnu} Emacs Manual}.
28441
28442 If you specify an absolute file name when prompted for the @kbd{M-x
28443 gdb} argument, then Emacs sets your current working directory to where
28444 your program resides. If you only specify the file name, then Emacs
28445 sets your current working directory to the directory associated
28446 with the previous buffer. In this case, @value{GDBN} may find your
28447 program by searching your environment's @code{PATH} variable, but on
28448 some operating systems it might not find the source. So, although the
28449 @value{GDBN} input and output session proceeds normally, the auxiliary
28450 buffer does not display the current source and line of execution.
28451
28452 The initial working directory of @value{GDBN} is printed on the top
28453 line of the GUD buffer and this serves as a default for the commands
28454 that specify files for @value{GDBN} to operate on. @xref{Files,
28455 ,Commands to Specify Files}.
28456
28457 By default, @kbd{M-x gdb} calls the program called @file{gdb}. If you
28458 need to call @value{GDBN} by a different name (for example, if you
28459 keep several configurations around, with different names) you can
28460 customize the Emacs variable @code{gud-gdb-command-name} to run the
28461 one you want.
28462
28463 In the GUD buffer, you can use these special Emacs commands in
28464 addition to the standard Shell mode commands:
28465
28466 @table @kbd
28467 @item C-h m
28468 Describe the features of Emacs' GUD Mode.
28469
28470 @item C-c C-s
28471 Execute to another source line, like the @value{GDBN} @code{step} command; also
28472 update the display window to show the current file and location.
28473
28474 @item C-c C-n
28475 Execute to next source line in this function, skipping all function
28476 calls, like the @value{GDBN} @code{next} command. Then update the display window
28477 to show the current file and location.
28478
28479 @item C-c C-i
28480 Execute one instruction, like the @value{GDBN} @code{stepi} command; update
28481 display window accordingly.
28482
28483 @item C-c C-f
28484 Execute until exit from the selected stack frame, like the @value{GDBN}
28485 @code{finish} command.
28486
28487 @item C-c C-r
28488 Continue execution of your program, like the @value{GDBN} @code{continue}
28489 command.
28490
28491 @item C-c <
28492 Go up the number of frames indicated by the numeric argument
28493 (@pxref{Arguments, , Numeric Arguments, Emacs, The @sc{gnu} Emacs Manual}),
28494 like the @value{GDBN} @code{up} command.
28495
28496 @item C-c >
28497 Go down the number of frames indicated by the numeric argument, like the
28498 @value{GDBN} @code{down} command.
28499 @end table
28500
28501 In any source file, the Emacs command @kbd{C-x @key{SPC}} (@code{gud-break})
28502 tells @value{GDBN} to set a breakpoint on the source line point is on.
28503
28504 In text command mode, if you type @kbd{M-x speedbar}, Emacs displays a
28505 separate frame which shows a backtrace when the GUD buffer is current.
28506 Move point to any frame in the stack and type @key{RET} to make it
28507 become the current frame and display the associated source in the
28508 source buffer. Alternatively, click @kbd{Mouse-2} to make the
28509 selected frame become the current one. In graphical mode, the
28510 speedbar displays watch expressions.
28511
28512 If you accidentally delete the source-display buffer, an easy way to get
28513 it back is to type the command @code{f} in the @value{GDBN} buffer, to
28514 request a frame display; when you run under Emacs, this recreates
28515 the source buffer if necessary to show you the context of the current
28516 frame.
28517
28518 The source files displayed in Emacs are in ordinary Emacs buffers
28519 which are visiting the source files in the usual way. You can edit
28520 the files with these buffers if you wish; but keep in mind that @value{GDBN}
28521 communicates with Emacs in terms of line numbers. If you add or
28522 delete lines from the text, the line numbers that @value{GDBN} knows cease
28523 to correspond properly with the code.
28524
28525 A more detailed description of Emacs' interaction with @value{GDBN} is
28526 given in the Emacs manual (@pxref{Debuggers,,, Emacs, The @sc{gnu}
28527 Emacs Manual}).
28528
28529 @node GDB/MI
28530 @chapter The @sc{gdb/mi} Interface
28531
28532 @unnumberedsec Function and Purpose
28533
28534 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, its purpose
28535 @sc{gdb/mi} is a line based machine oriented text interface to
28536 @value{GDBN} and is activated by specifying using the
28537 @option{--interpreter} command line option (@pxref{Mode Options}). It
28538 is specifically intended to support the development of systems which
28539 use the debugger as just one small component of a larger system.
28540
28541 This chapter is a specification of the @sc{gdb/mi} interface. It is written
28542 in the form of a reference manual.
28543
28544 Note that @sc{gdb/mi} is still under construction, so some of the
28545 features described below are incomplete and subject to change
28546 (@pxref{GDB/MI Development and Front Ends, , @sc{gdb/mi} Development and Front Ends}).
28547
28548 @unnumberedsec Notation and Terminology
28549
28550 @cindex notational conventions, for @sc{gdb/mi}
28551 This chapter uses the following notation:
28552
28553 @itemize @bullet
28554 @item
28555 @code{|} separates two alternatives.
28556
28557 @item
28558 @code{[ @var{something} ]} indicates that @var{something} is optional:
28559 it may or may not be given.
28560
28561 @item
28562 @code{( @var{group} )*} means that @var{group} inside the parentheses
28563 may repeat zero or more times.
28564
28565 @item
28566 @code{( @var{group} )+} means that @var{group} inside the parentheses
28567 may repeat one or more times.
28568
28569 @item
28570 @code{"@var{string}"} means a literal @var{string}.
28571 @end itemize
28572
28573 @ignore
28574 @heading Dependencies
28575 @end ignore
28576
28577 @menu
28578 * GDB/MI General Design::
28579 * GDB/MI Command Syntax::
28580 * GDB/MI Compatibility with CLI::
28581 * GDB/MI Development and Front Ends::
28582 * GDB/MI Output Records::
28583 * GDB/MI Simple Examples::
28584 * GDB/MI Command Description Format::
28585 * GDB/MI Breakpoint Commands::
28586 * GDB/MI Catchpoint Commands::
28587 * GDB/MI Program Context::
28588 * GDB/MI Thread Commands::
28589 * GDB/MI Ada Tasking Commands::
28590 * GDB/MI Program Execution::
28591 * GDB/MI Stack Manipulation::
28592 * GDB/MI Variable Objects::
28593 * GDB/MI Data Manipulation::
28594 * GDB/MI Tracepoint Commands::
28595 * GDB/MI Symbol Query::
28596 * GDB/MI File Commands::
28597 @ignore
28598 * GDB/MI Kod Commands::
28599 * GDB/MI Memory Overlay Commands::
28600 * GDB/MI Signal Handling Commands::
28601 @end ignore
28602 * GDB/MI Target Manipulation::
28603 * GDB/MI File Transfer Commands::
28604 * GDB/MI Miscellaneous Commands::
28605 @end menu
28606
28607 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
28608 @node GDB/MI General Design
28609 @section @sc{gdb/mi} General Design
28610 @cindex GDB/MI General Design
28611
28612 Interaction of a @sc{GDB/MI} frontend with @value{GDBN} involves three
28613 parts---commands sent to @value{GDBN}, responses to those commands
28614 and notifications. Each command results in exactly one response,
28615 indicating either successful completion of the command, or an error.
28616 For the commands that do not resume the target, the response contains the
28617 requested information. For the commands that resume the target, the
28618 response only indicates whether the target was successfully resumed.
28619 Notifications is the mechanism for reporting changes in the state of the
28620 target, or in @value{GDBN} state, that cannot conveniently be associated with
28621 a command and reported as part of that command response.
28622
28623 The important examples of notifications are:
28624 @itemize @bullet
28625
28626 @item
28627 Exec notifications. These are used to report changes in
28628 target state---when a target is resumed, or stopped. It would not
28629 be feasible to include this information in response of resuming
28630 commands, because one resume commands can result in multiple events in
28631 different threads. Also, quite some time may pass before any event
28632 happens in the target, while a frontend needs to know whether the resuming
28633 command itself was successfully executed.
28634
28635 @item
28636 Console output, and status notifications. Console output
28637 notifications are used to report output of CLI commands, as well as
28638 diagnostics for other commands. Status notifications are used to
28639 report the progress of a long-running operation. Naturally, including
28640 this information in command response would mean no output is produced
28641 until the command is finished, which is undesirable.
28642
28643 @item
28644 General notifications. Commands may have various side effects on
28645 the @value{GDBN} or target state beyond their official purpose. For example,
28646 a command may change the selected thread. Although such changes can
28647 be included in command response, using notification allows for more
28648 orthogonal frontend design.
28649
28650 @end itemize
28651
28652 There's no guarantee that whenever an MI command reports an error,
28653 @value{GDBN} or the target are in any specific state, and especially,
28654 the state is not reverted to the state before the MI command was
28655 processed. Therefore, whenever an MI command results in an error,
28656 we recommend that the frontend refreshes all the information shown in
28657 the user interface.
28658
28659
28660 @menu
28661 * Context management::
28662 * Asynchronous and non-stop modes::
28663 * Thread groups::
28664 @end menu
28665
28666 @node Context management
28667 @subsection Context management
28668
28669 In most cases when @value{GDBN} accesses the target, this access is
28670 done in context of a specific thread and frame (@pxref{Frames}).
28671 Often, even when accessing global data, the target requires that a thread
28672 be specified. The CLI interface maintains the selected thread and frame,
28673 and supplies them to target on each command. This is convenient,
28674 because a command line user would not want to specify that information
28675 explicitly on each command, and because user interacts with
28676 @value{GDBN} via a single terminal, so no confusion is possible as
28677 to what thread and frame are the current ones.
28678
28679 In the case of MI, the concept of selected thread and frame is less
28680 useful. First, a frontend can easily remember this information
28681 itself. Second, a graphical frontend can have more than one window,
28682 each one used for debugging a different thread, and the frontend might
28683 want to access additional threads for internal purposes. This
28684 increases the risk that by relying on implicitly selected thread, the
28685 frontend may be operating on a wrong one. Therefore, each MI command
28686 should explicitly specify which thread and frame to operate on. To
28687 make it possible, each MI command accepts the @samp{--thread} and
28688 @samp{--frame} options, the value to each is @value{GDBN} identifier
28689 for thread and frame to operate on.
28690
28691 Usually, each top-level window in a frontend allows the user to select
28692 a thread and a frame, and remembers the user selection for further
28693 operations. However, in some cases @value{GDBN} may suggest that the
28694 current thread be changed. For example, when stopping on a breakpoint
28695 it is reasonable to switch to the thread where breakpoint is hit. For
28696 another example, if the user issues the CLI @samp{thread} command via
28697 the frontend, it is desirable to change the frontend's selected thread to the
28698 one specified by user. @value{GDBN} communicates the suggestion to
28699 change current thread using the @samp{=thread-selected} notification.
28700 No such notification is available for the selected frame at the moment.
28701
28702 Note that historically, MI shares the selected thread with CLI, so
28703 frontends used the @code{-thread-select} to execute commands in the
28704 right context. However, getting this to work right is cumbersome. The
28705 simplest way is for frontend to emit @code{-thread-select} command
28706 before every command. This doubles the number of commands that need
28707 to be sent. The alternative approach is to suppress @code{-thread-select}
28708 if the selected thread in @value{GDBN} is supposed to be identical to the
28709 thread the frontend wants to operate on. However, getting this
28710 optimization right can be tricky. In particular, if the frontend
28711 sends several commands to @value{GDBN}, and one of the commands changes the
28712 selected thread, then the behaviour of subsequent commands will
28713 change. So, a frontend should either wait for response from such
28714 problematic commands, or explicitly add @code{-thread-select} for
28715 all subsequent commands. No frontend is known to do this exactly
28716 right, so it is suggested to just always pass the @samp{--thread} and
28717 @samp{--frame} options.
28718
28719 @node Asynchronous and non-stop modes
28720 @subsection Asynchronous command execution and non-stop mode
28721
28722 On some targets, @value{GDBN} is capable of processing MI commands
28723 even while the target is running. This is called @dfn{asynchronous
28724 command execution} (@pxref{Background Execution}). The frontend may
28725 specify a preferrence for asynchronous execution using the
28726 @code{-gdb-set target-async 1} command, which should be emitted before
28727 either running the executable or attaching to the target. After the
28728 frontend has started the executable or attached to the target, it can
28729 find if asynchronous execution is enabled using the
28730 @code{-list-target-features} command.
28731
28732 Even if @value{GDBN} can accept a command while target is running,
28733 many commands that access the target do not work when the target is
28734 running. Therefore, asynchronous command execution is most useful
28735 when combined with non-stop mode (@pxref{Non-Stop Mode}). Then,
28736 it is possible to examine the state of one thread, while other threads
28737 are running.
28738
28739 When a given thread is running, MI commands that try to access the
28740 target in the context of that thread may not work, or may work only on
28741 some targets. In particular, commands that try to operate on thread's
28742 stack will not work, on any target. Commands that read memory, or
28743 modify breakpoints, may work or not work, depending on the target. Note
28744 that even commands that operate on global state, such as @code{print},
28745 @code{set}, and breakpoint commands, still access the target in the
28746 context of a specific thread, so frontend should try to find a
28747 stopped thread and perform the operation on that thread (using the
28748 @samp{--thread} option).
28749
28750 Which commands will work in the context of a running thread is
28751 highly target dependent. However, the two commands
28752 @code{-exec-interrupt}, to stop a thread, and @code{-thread-info},
28753 to find the state of a thread, will always work.
28754
28755 @node Thread groups
28756 @subsection Thread groups
28757 @value{GDBN} may be used to debug several processes at the same time.
28758 On some platfroms, @value{GDBN} may support debugging of several
28759 hardware systems, each one having several cores with several different
28760 processes running on each core. This section describes the MI
28761 mechanism to support such debugging scenarios.
28762
28763 The key observation is that regardless of the structure of the
28764 target, MI can have a global list of threads, because most commands that
28765 accept the @samp{--thread} option do not need to know what process that
28766 thread belongs to. Therefore, it is not necessary to introduce
28767 neither additional @samp{--process} option, nor an notion of the
28768 current process in the MI interface. The only strictly new feature
28769 that is required is the ability to find how the threads are grouped
28770 into processes.
28771
28772 To allow the user to discover such grouping, and to support arbitrary
28773 hierarchy of machines/cores/processes, MI introduces the concept of a
28774 @dfn{thread group}. Thread group is a collection of threads and other
28775 thread groups. A thread group always has a string identifier, a type,
28776 and may have additional attributes specific to the type. A new
28777 command, @code{-list-thread-groups}, returns the list of top-level
28778 thread groups, which correspond to processes that @value{GDBN} is
28779 debugging at the moment. By passing an identifier of a thread group
28780 to the @code{-list-thread-groups} command, it is possible to obtain
28781 the members of specific thread group.
28782
28783 To allow the user to easily discover processes, and other objects, he
28784 wishes to debug, a concept of @dfn{available thread group} is
28785 introduced. Available thread group is an thread group that
28786 @value{GDBN} is not debugging, but that can be attached to, using the
28787 @code{-target-attach} command. The list of available top-level thread
28788 groups can be obtained using @samp{-list-thread-groups --available}.
28789 In general, the content of a thread group may be only retrieved only
28790 after attaching to that thread group.
28791
28792 Thread groups are related to inferiors (@pxref{Inferiors and
28793 Programs}). Each inferior corresponds to a thread group of a special
28794 type @samp{process}, and some additional operations are permitted on
28795 such thread groups.
28796
28797 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
28798 @node GDB/MI Command Syntax
28799 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Command Syntax
28800
28801 @menu
28802 * GDB/MI Input Syntax::
28803 * GDB/MI Output Syntax::
28804 @end menu
28805
28806 @node GDB/MI Input Syntax
28807 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Input Syntax
28808
28809 @cindex input syntax for @sc{gdb/mi}
28810 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, input syntax
28811 @table @code
28812 @item @var{command} @expansion{}
28813 @code{@var{cli-command} | @var{mi-command}}
28814
28815 @item @var{cli-command} @expansion{}
28816 @code{[ @var{token} ] @var{cli-command} @var{nl}}, where
28817 @var{cli-command} is any existing @value{GDBN} CLI command.
28818
28819 @item @var{mi-command} @expansion{}
28820 @code{[ @var{token} ] "-" @var{operation} ( " " @var{option} )*
28821 @code{[} " --" @code{]} ( " " @var{parameter} )* @var{nl}}
28822
28823 @item @var{token} @expansion{}
28824 "any sequence of digits"
28825
28826 @item @var{option} @expansion{}
28827 @code{"-" @var{parameter} [ " " @var{parameter} ]}
28828
28829 @item @var{parameter} @expansion{}
28830 @code{@var{non-blank-sequence} | @var{c-string}}
28831
28832 @item @var{operation} @expansion{}
28833 @emph{any of the operations described in this chapter}
28834
28835 @item @var{non-blank-sequence} @expansion{}
28836 @emph{anything, provided it doesn't contain special characters such as
28837 "-", @var{nl}, """ and of course " "}
28838
28839 @item @var{c-string} @expansion{}
28840 @code{""" @var{seven-bit-iso-c-string-content} """}
28841
28842 @item @var{nl} @expansion{}
28843 @code{CR | CR-LF}
28844 @end table
28845
28846 @noindent
28847 Notes:
28848
28849 @itemize @bullet
28850 @item
28851 The CLI commands are still handled by the @sc{mi} interpreter; their
28852 output is described below.
28853
28854 @item
28855 The @code{@var{token}}, when present, is passed back when the command
28856 finishes.
28857
28858 @item
28859 Some @sc{mi} commands accept optional arguments as part of the parameter
28860 list. Each option is identified by a leading @samp{-} (dash) and may be
28861 followed by an optional argument parameter. Options occur first in the
28862 parameter list and can be delimited from normal parameters using
28863 @samp{--} (this is useful when some parameters begin with a dash).
28864 @end itemize
28865
28866 Pragmatics:
28867
28868 @itemize @bullet
28869 @item
28870 We want easy access to the existing CLI syntax (for debugging).
28871
28872 @item
28873 We want it to be easy to spot a @sc{mi} operation.
28874 @end itemize
28875
28876 @node GDB/MI Output Syntax
28877 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Output Syntax
28878
28879 @cindex output syntax of @sc{gdb/mi}
28880 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, output syntax
28881 The output from @sc{gdb/mi} consists of zero or more out-of-band records
28882 followed, optionally, by a single result record. This result record
28883 is for the most recent command. The sequence of output records is
28884 terminated by @samp{(gdb)}.
28885
28886 If an input command was prefixed with a @code{@var{token}} then the
28887 corresponding output for that command will also be prefixed by that same
28888 @var{token}.
28889
28890 @table @code
28891 @item @var{output} @expansion{}
28892 @code{( @var{out-of-band-record} )* [ @var{result-record} ] "(gdb)" @var{nl}}
28893
28894 @item @var{result-record} @expansion{}
28895 @code{ [ @var{token} ] "^" @var{result-class} ( "," @var{result} )* @var{nl}}
28896
28897 @item @var{out-of-band-record} @expansion{}
28898 @code{@var{async-record} | @var{stream-record}}
28899
28900 @item @var{async-record} @expansion{}
28901 @code{@var{exec-async-output} | @var{status-async-output} | @var{notify-async-output}}
28902
28903 @item @var{exec-async-output} @expansion{}
28904 @code{[ @var{token} ] "*" @var{async-output}}
28905
28906 @item @var{status-async-output} @expansion{}
28907 @code{[ @var{token} ] "+" @var{async-output}}
28908
28909 @item @var{notify-async-output} @expansion{}
28910 @code{[ @var{token} ] "=" @var{async-output}}
28911
28912 @item @var{async-output} @expansion{}
28913 @code{@var{async-class} ( "," @var{result} )* @var{nl}}
28914
28915 @item @var{result-class} @expansion{}
28916 @code{"done" | "running" | "connected" | "error" | "exit"}
28917
28918 @item @var{async-class} @expansion{}
28919 @code{"stopped" | @var{others}} (where @var{others} will be added
28920 depending on the needs---this is still in development).
28921
28922 @item @var{result} @expansion{}
28923 @code{ @var{variable} "=" @var{value}}
28924
28925 @item @var{variable} @expansion{}
28926 @code{ @var{string} }
28927
28928 @item @var{value} @expansion{}
28929 @code{ @var{const} | @var{tuple} | @var{list} }
28930
28931 @item @var{const} @expansion{}
28932 @code{@var{c-string}}
28933
28934 @item @var{tuple} @expansion{}
28935 @code{ "@{@}" | "@{" @var{result} ( "," @var{result} )* "@}" }
28936
28937 @item @var{list} @expansion{}
28938 @code{ "[]" | "[" @var{value} ( "," @var{value} )* "]" | "["
28939 @var{result} ( "," @var{result} )* "]" }
28940
28941 @item @var{stream-record} @expansion{}
28942 @code{@var{console-stream-output} | @var{target-stream-output} | @var{log-stream-output}}
28943
28944 @item @var{console-stream-output} @expansion{}
28945 @code{"~" @var{c-string}}
28946
28947 @item @var{target-stream-output} @expansion{}
28948 @code{"@@" @var{c-string}}
28949
28950 @item @var{log-stream-output} @expansion{}
28951 @code{"&" @var{c-string}}
28952
28953 @item @var{nl} @expansion{}
28954 @code{CR | CR-LF}
28955
28956 @item @var{token} @expansion{}
28957 @emph{any sequence of digits}.
28958 @end table
28959
28960 @noindent
28961 Notes:
28962
28963 @itemize @bullet
28964 @item
28965 All output sequences end in a single line containing a period.
28966
28967 @item
28968 The @code{@var{token}} is from the corresponding request. Note that
28969 for all async output, while the token is allowed by the grammar and
28970 may be output by future versions of @value{GDBN} for select async
28971 output messages, it is generally omitted. Frontends should treat
28972 all async output as reporting general changes in the state of the
28973 target and there should be no need to associate async output to any
28974 prior command.
28975
28976 @item
28977 @cindex status output in @sc{gdb/mi}
28978 @var{status-async-output} contains on-going status information about the
28979 progress of a slow operation. It can be discarded. All status output is
28980 prefixed by @samp{+}.
28981
28982 @item
28983 @cindex async output in @sc{gdb/mi}
28984 @var{exec-async-output} contains asynchronous state change on the target
28985 (stopped, started, disappeared). All async output is prefixed by
28986 @samp{*}.
28987
28988 @item
28989 @cindex notify output in @sc{gdb/mi}
28990 @var{notify-async-output} contains supplementary information that the
28991 client should handle (e.g., a new breakpoint information). All notify
28992 output is prefixed by @samp{=}.
28993
28994 @item
28995 @cindex console output in @sc{gdb/mi}
28996 @var{console-stream-output} is output that should be displayed as is in the
28997 console. It is the textual response to a CLI command. All the console
28998 output is prefixed by @samp{~}.
28999
29000 @item
29001 @cindex target output in @sc{gdb/mi}
29002 @var{target-stream-output} is the output produced by the target program.
29003 All the target output is prefixed by @samp{@@}.
29004
29005 @item
29006 @cindex log output in @sc{gdb/mi}
29007 @var{log-stream-output} is output text coming from @value{GDBN}'s internals, for
29008 instance messages that should be displayed as part of an error log. All
29009 the log output is prefixed by @samp{&}.
29010
29011 @item
29012 @cindex list output in @sc{gdb/mi}
29013 New @sc{gdb/mi} commands should only output @var{lists} containing
29014 @var{values}.
29015
29016
29017 @end itemize
29018
29019 @xref{GDB/MI Stream Records, , @sc{gdb/mi} Stream Records}, for more
29020 details about the various output records.
29021
29022 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
29023 @node GDB/MI Compatibility with CLI
29024 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Compatibility with CLI
29025
29026 @cindex compatibility, @sc{gdb/mi} and CLI
29027 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, compatibility with CLI
29028
29029 For the developers convenience CLI commands can be entered directly,
29030 but there may be some unexpected behaviour. For example, commands
29031 that query the user will behave as if the user replied yes, breakpoint
29032 command lists are not executed and some CLI commands, such as
29033 @code{if}, @code{when} and @code{define}, prompt for further input with
29034 @samp{>}, which is not valid MI output.
29035
29036 This feature may be removed at some stage in the future and it is
29037 recommended that front ends use the @code{-interpreter-exec} command
29038 (@pxref{-interpreter-exec}).
29039
29040 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
29041 @node GDB/MI Development and Front Ends
29042 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Development and Front Ends
29043 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi} development
29044
29045 The application which takes the MI output and presents the state of the
29046 program being debugged to the user is called a @dfn{front end}.
29047
29048 Although @sc{gdb/mi} is still incomplete, it is currently being used
29049 by a variety of front ends to @value{GDBN}. This makes it difficult
29050 to introduce new functionality without breaking existing usage. This
29051 section tries to minimize the problems by describing how the protocol
29052 might change.
29053
29054 Some changes in MI need not break a carefully designed front end, and
29055 for these the MI version will remain unchanged. The following is a
29056 list of changes that may occur within one level, so front ends should
29057 parse MI output in a way that can handle them:
29058
29059 @itemize @bullet
29060 @item
29061 New MI commands may be added.
29062
29063 @item
29064 New fields may be added to the output of any MI command.
29065
29066 @item
29067 The range of values for fields with specified values, e.g.,
29068 @code{in_scope} (@pxref{-var-update}) may be extended.
29069
29070 @c The format of field's content e.g type prefix, may change so parse it
29071 @c at your own risk. Yes, in general?
29072
29073 @c The order of fields may change? Shouldn't really matter but it might
29074 @c resolve inconsistencies.
29075 @end itemize
29076
29077 If the changes are likely to break front ends, the MI version level
29078 will be increased by one. This will allow the front end to parse the
29079 output according to the MI version. Apart from mi0, new versions of
29080 @value{GDBN} will not support old versions of MI and it will be the
29081 responsibility of the front end to work with the new one.
29082
29083 @c Starting with mi3, add a new command -mi-version that prints the MI
29084 @c version?
29085
29086 The best way to avoid unexpected changes in MI that might break your front
29087 end is to make your project known to @value{GDBN} developers and
29088 follow development on @email{gdb@@sourceware.org} and
29089 @email{gdb-patches@@sourceware.org}.
29090 @cindex mailing lists
29091
29092 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
29093 @node GDB/MI Output Records
29094 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Output Records
29095
29096 @menu
29097 * GDB/MI Result Records::
29098 * GDB/MI Stream Records::
29099 * GDB/MI Async Records::
29100 * GDB/MI Breakpoint Information::
29101 * GDB/MI Frame Information::
29102 * GDB/MI Thread Information::
29103 * GDB/MI Ada Exception Information::
29104 @end menu
29105
29106 @node GDB/MI Result Records
29107 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Result Records
29108
29109 @cindex result records in @sc{gdb/mi}
29110 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, result records
29111 In addition to a number of out-of-band notifications, the response to a
29112 @sc{gdb/mi} command includes one of the following result indications:
29113
29114 @table @code
29115 @findex ^done
29116 @item "^done" [ "," @var{results} ]
29117 The synchronous operation was successful, @code{@var{results}} are the return
29118 values.
29119
29120 @item "^running"
29121 @findex ^running
29122 This result record is equivalent to @samp{^done}. Historically, it
29123 was output instead of @samp{^done} if the command has resumed the
29124 target. This behaviour is maintained for backward compatibility, but
29125 all frontends should treat @samp{^done} and @samp{^running}
29126 identically and rely on the @samp{*running} output record to determine
29127 which threads are resumed.
29128
29129 @item "^connected"
29130 @findex ^connected
29131 @value{GDBN} has connected to a remote target.
29132
29133 @item "^error" "," @var{c-string}
29134 @findex ^error
29135 The operation failed. The @code{@var{c-string}} contains the corresponding
29136 error message.
29137
29138 @item "^exit"
29139 @findex ^exit
29140 @value{GDBN} has terminated.
29141
29142 @end table
29143
29144 @node GDB/MI Stream Records
29145 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Stream Records
29146
29147 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, stream records
29148 @cindex stream records in @sc{gdb/mi}
29149 @value{GDBN} internally maintains a number of output streams: the console, the
29150 target, and the log. The output intended for each of these streams is
29151 funneled through the @sc{gdb/mi} interface using @dfn{stream records}.
29152
29153 Each stream record begins with a unique @dfn{prefix character} which
29154 identifies its stream (@pxref{GDB/MI Output Syntax, , @sc{gdb/mi} Output
29155 Syntax}). In addition to the prefix, each stream record contains a
29156 @code{@var{string-output}}. This is either raw text (with an implicit new
29157 line) or a quoted C string (which does not contain an implicit newline).
29158
29159 @table @code
29160 @item "~" @var{string-output}
29161 The console output stream contains text that should be displayed in the
29162 CLI console window. It contains the textual responses to CLI commands.
29163
29164 @item "@@" @var{string-output}
29165 The target output stream contains any textual output from the running
29166 target. This is only present when GDB's event loop is truly
29167 asynchronous, which is currently only the case for remote targets.
29168
29169 @item "&" @var{string-output}
29170 The log stream contains debugging messages being produced by @value{GDBN}'s
29171 internals.
29172 @end table
29173
29174 @node GDB/MI Async Records
29175 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Async Records
29176
29177 @cindex async records in @sc{gdb/mi}
29178 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, async records
29179 @dfn{Async} records are used to notify the @sc{gdb/mi} client of
29180 additional changes that have occurred. Those changes can either be a
29181 consequence of @sc{gdb/mi} commands (e.g., a breakpoint modified) or a result of
29182 target activity (e.g., target stopped).
29183
29184 The following is the list of possible async records:
29185
29186 @table @code
29187
29188 @item *running,thread-id="@var{thread}"
29189 The target is now running. The @var{thread} field tells which
29190 specific thread is now running, and can be @samp{all} if all threads
29191 are running. The frontend should assume that no interaction with a
29192 running thread is possible after this notification is produced.
29193 The frontend should not assume that this notification is output
29194 only once for any command. @value{GDBN} may emit this notification
29195 several times, either for different threads, because it cannot resume
29196 all threads together, or even for a single thread, if the thread must
29197 be stepped though some code before letting it run freely.
29198
29199 @item *stopped,reason="@var{reason}",thread-id="@var{id}",stopped-threads="@var{stopped}",core="@var{core}"
29200 The target has stopped. The @var{reason} field can have one of the
29201 following values:
29202
29203 @table @code
29204 @item breakpoint-hit
29205 A breakpoint was reached.
29206 @item watchpoint-trigger
29207 A watchpoint was triggered.
29208 @item read-watchpoint-trigger
29209 A read watchpoint was triggered.
29210 @item access-watchpoint-trigger
29211 An access watchpoint was triggered.
29212 @item function-finished
29213 An -exec-finish or similar CLI command was accomplished.
29214 @item location-reached
29215 An -exec-until or similar CLI command was accomplished.
29216 @item watchpoint-scope
29217 A watchpoint has gone out of scope.
29218 @item end-stepping-range
29219 An -exec-next, -exec-next-instruction, -exec-step, -exec-step-instruction or
29220 similar CLI command was accomplished.
29221 @item exited-signalled
29222 The inferior exited because of a signal.
29223 @item exited
29224 The inferior exited.
29225 @item exited-normally
29226 The inferior exited normally.
29227 @item signal-received
29228 A signal was received by the inferior.
29229 @item solib-event
29230 The inferior has stopped due to a library being loaded or unloaded.
29231 This can happen when @code{stop-on-solib-events} (@pxref{Files}) is
29232 set or when a @code{catch load} or @code{catch unload} catchpoint is
29233 in use (@pxref{Set Catchpoints}).
29234 @item fork
29235 The inferior has forked. This is reported when @code{catch fork}
29236 (@pxref{Set Catchpoints}) has been used.
29237 @item vfork
29238 The inferior has vforked. This is reported in when @code{catch vfork}
29239 (@pxref{Set Catchpoints}) has been used.
29240 @item syscall-entry
29241 The inferior entered a system call. This is reported when @code{catch
29242 syscall} (@pxref{Set Catchpoints}) has been used.
29243 @item syscall-entry
29244 The inferior returned from a system call. This is reported when
29245 @code{catch syscall} (@pxref{Set Catchpoints}) has been used.
29246 @item exec
29247 The inferior called @code{exec}. This is reported when @code{catch exec}
29248 (@pxref{Set Catchpoints}) has been used.
29249 @end table
29250
29251 The @var{id} field identifies the thread that directly caused the stop
29252 -- for example by hitting a breakpoint. Depending on whether all-stop
29253 mode is in effect (@pxref{All-Stop Mode}), @value{GDBN} may either
29254 stop all threads, or only the thread that directly triggered the stop.
29255 If all threads are stopped, the @var{stopped} field will have the
29256 value of @code{"all"}. Otherwise, the value of the @var{stopped}
29257 field will be a list of thread identifiers. Presently, this list will
29258 always include a single thread, but frontend should be prepared to see
29259 several threads in the list. The @var{core} field reports the
29260 processor core on which the stop event has happened. This field may be absent
29261 if such information is not available.
29262
29263 @item =thread-group-added,id="@var{id}"
29264 @itemx =thread-group-removed,id="@var{id}"
29265 A thread group was either added or removed. The @var{id} field
29266 contains the @value{GDBN} identifier of the thread group. When a thread
29267 group is added, it generally might not be associated with a running
29268 process. When a thread group is removed, its id becomes invalid and
29269 cannot be used in any way.
29270
29271 @item =thread-group-started,id="@var{id}",pid="@var{pid}"
29272 A thread group became associated with a running program,
29273 either because the program was just started or the thread group
29274 was attached to a program. The @var{id} field contains the
29275 @value{GDBN} identifier of the thread group. The @var{pid} field
29276 contains process identifier, specific to the operating system.
29277
29278 @item =thread-group-exited,id="@var{id}"[,exit-code="@var{code}"]
29279 A thread group is no longer associated with a running program,
29280 either because the program has exited, or because it was detached
29281 from. The @var{id} field contains the @value{GDBN} identifier of the
29282 thread group. @var{code} is the exit code of the inferior; it exists
29283 only when the inferior exited with some code.
29284
29285 @item =thread-created,id="@var{id}",group-id="@var{gid}"
29286 @itemx =thread-exited,id="@var{id}",group-id="@var{gid}"
29287 A thread either was created, or has exited. The @var{id} field
29288 contains the @value{GDBN} identifier of the thread. The @var{gid}
29289 field identifies the thread group this thread belongs to.
29290
29291 @item =thread-selected,id="@var{id}"
29292 Informs that the selected thread was changed as result of the last
29293 command. This notification is not emitted as result of @code{-thread-select}
29294 command but is emitted whenever an MI command that is not documented
29295 to change the selected thread actually changes it. In particular,
29296 invoking, directly or indirectly (via user-defined command), the CLI
29297 @code{thread} command, will generate this notification.
29298
29299 We suggest that in response to this notification, front ends
29300 highlight the selected thread and cause subsequent commands to apply to
29301 that thread.
29302
29303 @item =library-loaded,...
29304 Reports that a new library file was loaded by the program. This
29305 notification has 4 fields---@var{id}, @var{target-name},
29306 @var{host-name}, and @var{symbols-loaded}. The @var{id} field is an
29307 opaque identifier of the library. For remote debugging case,
29308 @var{target-name} and @var{host-name} fields give the name of the
29309 library file on the target, and on the host respectively. For native
29310 debugging, both those fields have the same value. The
29311 @var{symbols-loaded} field is emitted only for backward compatibility
29312 and should not be relied on to convey any useful information. The
29313 @var{thread-group} field, if present, specifies the id of the thread
29314 group in whose context the library was loaded. If the field is
29315 absent, it means the library was loaded in the context of all present
29316 thread groups.
29317
29318 @item =library-unloaded,...
29319 Reports that a library was unloaded by the program. This notification
29320 has 3 fields---@var{id}, @var{target-name} and @var{host-name} with
29321 the same meaning as for the @code{=library-loaded} notification.
29322 The @var{thread-group} field, if present, specifies the id of the
29323 thread group in whose context the library was unloaded. If the field is
29324 absent, it means the library was unloaded in the context of all present
29325 thread groups.
29326
29327 @item =traceframe-changed,num=@var{tfnum},tracepoint=@var{tpnum}
29328 @itemx =traceframe-changed,end
29329 Reports that the trace frame was changed and its new number is
29330 @var{tfnum}. The number of the tracepoint associated with this trace
29331 frame is @var{tpnum}.
29332
29333 @item =tsv-created,name=@var{name},initial=@var{initial}
29334 Reports that the new trace state variable @var{name} is created with
29335 initial value @var{initial}.
29336
29337 @item =tsv-deleted,name=@var{name}
29338 @itemx =tsv-deleted
29339 Reports that the trace state variable @var{name} is deleted or all
29340 trace state variables are deleted.
29341
29342 @item =tsv-modified,name=@var{name},initial=@var{initial}[,current=@var{current}]
29343 Reports that the trace state variable @var{name} is modified with
29344 the initial value @var{initial}. The current value @var{current} of
29345 trace state variable is optional and is reported if the current
29346 value of trace state variable is known.
29347
29348 @item =breakpoint-created,bkpt=@{...@}
29349 @itemx =breakpoint-modified,bkpt=@{...@}
29350 @itemx =breakpoint-deleted,id=@var{number}
29351 Reports that a breakpoint was created, modified, or deleted,
29352 respectively. Only user-visible breakpoints are reported to the MI
29353 user.
29354
29355 The @var{bkpt} argument is of the same form as returned by the various
29356 breakpoint commands; @xref{GDB/MI Breakpoint Commands}. The
29357 @var{number} is the ordinal number of the breakpoint.
29358
29359 Note that if a breakpoint is emitted in the result record of a
29360 command, then it will not also be emitted in an async record.
29361
29362 @item =record-started,thread-group="@var{id}"
29363 @itemx =record-stopped,thread-group="@var{id}"
29364 Execution log recording was either started or stopped on an
29365 inferior. The @var{id} is the @value{GDBN} identifier of the thread
29366 group corresponding to the affected inferior.
29367
29368 @item =cmd-param-changed,param=@var{param},value=@var{value}
29369 Reports that a parameter of the command @code{set @var{param}} is
29370 changed to @var{value}. In the multi-word @code{set} command,
29371 the @var{param} is the whole parameter list to @code{set} command.
29372 For example, In command @code{set check type on}, @var{param}
29373 is @code{check type} and @var{value} is @code{on}.
29374
29375 @item =memory-changed,thread-group=@var{id},addr=@var{addr},len=@var{len}[,type="code"]
29376 Reports that bytes from @var{addr} to @var{data} + @var{len} were
29377 written in an inferior. The @var{id} is the identifier of the
29378 thread group corresponding to the affected inferior. The optional
29379 @code{type="code"} part is reported if the memory written to holds
29380 executable code.
29381 @end table
29382
29383 @node GDB/MI Breakpoint Information
29384 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Breakpoint Information
29385
29386 When @value{GDBN} reports information about a breakpoint, a
29387 tracepoint, a watchpoint, or a catchpoint, it uses a tuple with the
29388 following fields:
29389
29390 @table @code
29391 @item number
29392 The breakpoint number. For a breakpoint that represents one location
29393 of a multi-location breakpoint, this will be a dotted pair, like
29394 @samp{1.2}.
29395
29396 @item type
29397 The type of the breakpoint. For ordinary breakpoints this will be
29398 @samp{breakpoint}, but many values are possible.
29399
29400 @item catch-type
29401 If the type of the breakpoint is @samp{catchpoint}, then this
29402 indicates the exact type of catchpoint.
29403
29404 @item disp
29405 This is the breakpoint disposition---either @samp{del}, meaning that
29406 the breakpoint will be deleted at the next stop, or @samp{keep},
29407 meaning that the breakpoint will not be deleted.
29408
29409 @item enabled
29410 This indicates whether the breakpoint is enabled, in which case the
29411 value is @samp{y}, or disabled, in which case the value is @samp{n}.
29412 Note that this is not the same as the field @code{enable}.
29413
29414 @item addr
29415 The address of the breakpoint. This may be a hexidecimal number,
29416 giving the address; or the string @samp{<PENDING>}, for a pending
29417 breakpoint; or the string @samp{<MULTIPLE>}, for a breakpoint with
29418 multiple locations. This field will not be present if no address can
29419 be determined. For example, a watchpoint does not have an address.
29420
29421 @item func
29422 If known, the function in which the breakpoint appears.
29423 If not known, this field is not present.
29424
29425 @item filename
29426 The name of the source file which contains this function, if known.
29427 If not known, this field is not present.
29428
29429 @item fullname
29430 The full file name of the source file which contains this function, if
29431 known. If not known, this field is not present.
29432
29433 @item line
29434 The line number at which this breakpoint appears, if known.
29435 If not known, this field is not present.
29436
29437 @item at
29438 If the source file is not known, this field may be provided. If
29439 provided, this holds the address of the breakpoint, possibly followed
29440 by a symbol name.
29441
29442 @item pending
29443 If this breakpoint is pending, this field is present and holds the
29444 text used to set the breakpoint, as entered by the user.
29445
29446 @item evaluated-by
29447 Where this breakpoint's condition is evaluated, either @samp{host} or
29448 @samp{target}.
29449
29450 @item thread
29451 If this is a thread-specific breakpoint, then this identifies the
29452 thread in which the breakpoint can trigger.
29453
29454 @item task
29455 If this breakpoint is restricted to a particular Ada task, then this
29456 field will hold the task identifier.
29457
29458 @item cond
29459 If the breakpoint is conditional, this is the condition expression.
29460
29461 @item ignore
29462 The ignore count of the breakpoint.
29463
29464 @item enable
29465 The enable count of the breakpoint.
29466
29467 @item traceframe-usage
29468 FIXME.
29469
29470 @item static-tracepoint-marker-string-id
29471 For a static tracepoint, the name of the static tracepoint marker.
29472
29473 @item mask
29474 For a masked watchpoint, this is the mask.
29475
29476 @item pass
29477 A tracepoint's pass count.
29478
29479 @item original-location
29480 The location of the breakpoint as originally specified by the user.
29481 This field is optional.
29482
29483 @item times
29484 The number of times the breakpoint has been hit.
29485
29486 @item installed
29487 This field is only given for tracepoints. This is either @samp{y},
29488 meaning that the tracepoint is installed, or @samp{n}, meaning that it
29489 is not.
29490
29491 @item what
29492 Some extra data, the exact contents of which are type-dependent.
29493
29494 @end table
29495
29496 For example, here is what the output of @code{-break-insert}
29497 (@pxref{GDB/MI Breakpoint Commands}) might be:
29498
29499 @smallexample
29500 -> -break-insert main
29501 <- ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",
29502 enabled="y",addr="0x08048564",func="main",file="myprog.c",
29503 fullname="/home/nickrob/myprog.c",line="68",thread-groups=["i1"],
29504 times="0"@}
29505 <- (gdb)
29506 @end smallexample
29507
29508 @node GDB/MI Frame Information
29509 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Frame Information
29510
29511 Response from many MI commands includes an information about stack
29512 frame. This information is a tuple that may have the following
29513 fields:
29514
29515 @table @code
29516 @item level
29517 The level of the stack frame. The innermost frame has the level of
29518 zero. This field is always present.
29519
29520 @item func
29521 The name of the function corresponding to the frame. This field may
29522 be absent if @value{GDBN} is unable to determine the function name.
29523
29524 @item addr
29525 The code address for the frame. This field is always present.
29526
29527 @item file
29528 The name of the source files that correspond to the frame's code
29529 address. This field may be absent.
29530
29531 @item line
29532 The source line corresponding to the frames' code address. This field
29533 may be absent.
29534
29535 @item from
29536 The name of the binary file (either executable or shared library) the
29537 corresponds to the frame's code address. This field may be absent.
29538
29539 @end table
29540
29541 @node GDB/MI Thread Information
29542 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Thread Information
29543
29544 Whenever @value{GDBN} has to report an information about a thread, it
29545 uses a tuple with the following fields:
29546
29547 @table @code
29548 @item id
29549 The numeric id assigned to the thread by @value{GDBN}. This field is
29550 always present.
29551
29552 @item target-id
29553 Target-specific string identifying the thread. This field is always present.
29554
29555 @item details
29556 Additional information about the thread provided by the target.
29557 It is supposed to be human-readable and not interpreted by the
29558 frontend. This field is optional.
29559
29560 @item state
29561 Either @samp{stopped} or @samp{running}, depending on whether the
29562 thread is presently running. This field is always present.
29563
29564 @item core
29565 The value of this field is an integer number of the processor core the
29566 thread was last seen on. This field is optional.
29567 @end table
29568
29569 @node GDB/MI Ada Exception Information
29570 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Ada Exception Information
29571
29572 Whenever a @code{*stopped} record is emitted because the program
29573 stopped after hitting an exception catchpoint (@pxref{Set Catchpoints}),
29574 @value{GDBN} provides the name of the exception that was raised via
29575 the @code{exception-name} field.
29576
29577 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
29578 @node GDB/MI Simple Examples
29579 @section Simple Examples of @sc{gdb/mi} Interaction
29580 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, simple examples
29581
29582 This subsection presents several simple examples of interaction using
29583 the @sc{gdb/mi} interface. In these examples, @samp{->} means that the
29584 following line is passed to @sc{gdb/mi} as input, while @samp{<-} means
29585 the output received from @sc{gdb/mi}.
29586
29587 Note the line breaks shown in the examples are here only for
29588 readability, they don't appear in the real output.
29589
29590 @subheading Setting a Breakpoint
29591
29592 Setting a breakpoint generates synchronous output which contains detailed
29593 information of the breakpoint.
29594
29595 @smallexample
29596 -> -break-insert main
29597 <- ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",
29598 enabled="y",addr="0x08048564",func="main",file="myprog.c",
29599 fullname="/home/nickrob/myprog.c",line="68",thread-groups=["i1"],
29600 times="0"@}
29601 <- (gdb)
29602 @end smallexample
29603
29604 @subheading Program Execution
29605
29606 Program execution generates asynchronous records and MI gives the
29607 reason that execution stopped.
29608
29609 @smallexample
29610 -> -exec-run
29611 <- ^running
29612 <- (gdb)
29613 <- *stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",bkptno="1",thread-id="0",
29614 frame=@{addr="0x08048564",func="main",
29615 args=[@{name="argc",value="1"@},@{name="argv",value="0xbfc4d4d4"@}],
29616 file="myprog.c",fullname="/home/nickrob/myprog.c",line="68"@}
29617 <- (gdb)
29618 -> -exec-continue
29619 <- ^running
29620 <- (gdb)
29621 <- *stopped,reason="exited-normally"
29622 <- (gdb)
29623 @end smallexample
29624
29625 @subheading Quitting @value{GDBN}
29626
29627 Quitting @value{GDBN} just prints the result class @samp{^exit}.
29628
29629 @smallexample
29630 -> (gdb)
29631 <- -gdb-exit
29632 <- ^exit
29633 @end smallexample
29634
29635 Please note that @samp{^exit} is printed immediately, but it might
29636 take some time for @value{GDBN} to actually exit. During that time, @value{GDBN}
29637 performs necessary cleanups, including killing programs being debugged
29638 or disconnecting from debug hardware, so the frontend should wait till
29639 @value{GDBN} exits and should only forcibly kill @value{GDBN} if it
29640 fails to exit in reasonable time.
29641
29642 @subheading A Bad Command
29643
29644 Here's what happens if you pass a non-existent command:
29645
29646 @smallexample
29647 -> -rubbish
29648 <- ^error,msg="Undefined MI command: rubbish"
29649 <- (gdb)
29650 @end smallexample
29651
29652
29653 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
29654 @node GDB/MI Command Description Format
29655 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Command Description Format
29656
29657 The remaining sections describe blocks of commands. Each block of
29658 commands is laid out in a fashion similar to this section.
29659
29660 @subheading Motivation
29661
29662 The motivation for this collection of commands.
29663
29664 @subheading Introduction
29665
29666 A brief introduction to this collection of commands as a whole.
29667
29668 @subheading Commands
29669
29670 For each command in the block, the following is described:
29671
29672 @subsubheading Synopsis
29673
29674 @smallexample
29675 -command @var{args}@dots{}
29676 @end smallexample
29677
29678 @subsubheading Result
29679
29680 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29681
29682 The corresponding @value{GDBN} CLI command(s), if any.
29683
29684 @subsubheading Example
29685
29686 Example(s) formatted for readability. Some of the described commands have
29687 not been implemented yet and these are labeled N.A.@: (not available).
29688
29689
29690 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
29691 @node GDB/MI Breakpoint Commands
29692 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Breakpoint Commands
29693
29694 @cindex breakpoint commands for @sc{gdb/mi}
29695 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, breakpoint commands
29696 This section documents @sc{gdb/mi} commands for manipulating
29697 breakpoints.
29698
29699 @subheading The @code{-break-after} Command
29700 @findex -break-after
29701
29702 @subsubheading Synopsis
29703
29704 @smallexample
29705 -break-after @var{number} @var{count}
29706 @end smallexample
29707
29708 The breakpoint number @var{number} is not in effect until it has been
29709 hit @var{count} times. To see how this is reflected in the output of
29710 the @samp{-break-list} command, see the description of the
29711 @samp{-break-list} command below.
29712
29713 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29714
29715 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{ignore}.
29716
29717 @subsubheading Example
29718
29719 @smallexample
29720 (gdb)
29721 -break-insert main
29722 ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",
29723 enabled="y",addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",
29724 fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",line="5",thread-groups=["i1"],
29725 times="0"@}
29726 (gdb)
29727 -break-after 1 3
29728 ~
29729 ^done
29730 (gdb)
29731 -break-list
29732 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="6",
29733 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
29734 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
29735 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
29736 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
29737 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
29738 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
29739 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
29740 addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",
29741 line="5",thread-groups=["i1"],times="0",ignore="3"@}]@}
29742 (gdb)
29743 @end smallexample
29744
29745 @ignore
29746 @subheading The @code{-break-catch} Command
29747 @findex -break-catch
29748 @end ignore
29749
29750 @subheading The @code{-break-commands} Command
29751 @findex -break-commands
29752
29753 @subsubheading Synopsis
29754
29755 @smallexample
29756 -break-commands @var{number} [ @var{command1} ... @var{commandN} ]
29757 @end smallexample
29758
29759 Specifies the CLI commands that should be executed when breakpoint
29760 @var{number} is hit. The parameters @var{command1} to @var{commandN}
29761 are the commands. If no command is specified, any previously-set
29762 commands are cleared. @xref{Break Commands}. Typical use of this
29763 functionality is tracing a program, that is, printing of values of
29764 some variables whenever breakpoint is hit and then continuing.
29765
29766 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29767
29768 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{commands}.
29769
29770 @subsubheading Example
29771
29772 @smallexample
29773 (gdb)
29774 -break-insert main
29775 ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",
29776 enabled="y",addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",
29777 fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",line="5",thread-groups=["i1"],
29778 times="0"@}
29779 (gdb)
29780 -break-commands 1 "print v" "continue"
29781 ^done
29782 (gdb)
29783 @end smallexample
29784
29785 @subheading The @code{-break-condition} Command
29786 @findex -break-condition
29787
29788 @subsubheading Synopsis
29789
29790 @smallexample
29791 -break-condition @var{number} @var{expr}
29792 @end smallexample
29793
29794 Breakpoint @var{number} will stop the program only if the condition in
29795 @var{expr} is true. The condition becomes part of the
29796 @samp{-break-list} output (see the description of the @samp{-break-list}
29797 command below).
29798
29799 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29800
29801 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{condition}.
29802
29803 @subsubheading Example
29804
29805 @smallexample
29806 (gdb)
29807 -break-condition 1 1
29808 ^done
29809 (gdb)
29810 -break-list
29811 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="6",
29812 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
29813 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
29814 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
29815 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
29816 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
29817 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
29818 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
29819 addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",
29820 line="5",cond="1",thread-groups=["i1"],times="0",ignore="3"@}]@}
29821 (gdb)
29822 @end smallexample
29823
29824 @subheading The @code{-break-delete} Command
29825 @findex -break-delete
29826
29827 @subsubheading Synopsis
29828
29829 @smallexample
29830 -break-delete ( @var{breakpoint} )+
29831 @end smallexample
29832
29833 Delete the breakpoint(s) whose number(s) are specified in the argument
29834 list. This is obviously reflected in the breakpoint list.
29835
29836 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29837
29838 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{delete}.
29839
29840 @subsubheading Example
29841
29842 @smallexample
29843 (gdb)
29844 -break-delete 1
29845 ^done
29846 (gdb)
29847 -break-list
29848 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="0",nr_cols="6",
29849 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
29850 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
29851 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
29852 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
29853 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
29854 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
29855 body=[]@}
29856 (gdb)
29857 @end smallexample
29858
29859 @subheading The @code{-break-disable} Command
29860 @findex -break-disable
29861
29862 @subsubheading Synopsis
29863
29864 @smallexample
29865 -break-disable ( @var{breakpoint} )+
29866 @end smallexample
29867
29868 Disable the named @var{breakpoint}(s). The field @samp{enabled} in the
29869 break list is now set to @samp{n} for the named @var{breakpoint}(s).
29870
29871 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29872
29873 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{disable}.
29874
29875 @subsubheading Example
29876
29877 @smallexample
29878 (gdb)
29879 -break-disable 2
29880 ^done
29881 (gdb)
29882 -break-list
29883 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="6",
29884 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
29885 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
29886 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
29887 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
29888 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
29889 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
29890 body=[bkpt=@{number="2",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="n",
29891 addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",
29892 line="5",thread-groups=["i1"],times="0"@}]@}
29893 (gdb)
29894 @end smallexample
29895
29896 @subheading The @code{-break-enable} Command
29897 @findex -break-enable
29898
29899 @subsubheading Synopsis
29900
29901 @smallexample
29902 -break-enable ( @var{breakpoint} )+
29903 @end smallexample
29904
29905 Enable (previously disabled) @var{breakpoint}(s).
29906
29907 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29908
29909 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{enable}.
29910
29911 @subsubheading Example
29912
29913 @smallexample
29914 (gdb)
29915 -break-enable 2
29916 ^done
29917 (gdb)
29918 -break-list
29919 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="6",
29920 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
29921 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
29922 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
29923 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
29924 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
29925 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
29926 body=[bkpt=@{number="2",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
29927 addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",
29928 line="5",thread-groups=["i1"],times="0"@}]@}
29929 (gdb)
29930 @end smallexample
29931
29932 @subheading The @code{-break-info} Command
29933 @findex -break-info
29934
29935 @subsubheading Synopsis
29936
29937 @smallexample
29938 -break-info @var{breakpoint}
29939 @end smallexample
29940
29941 @c REDUNDANT???
29942 Get information about a single breakpoint.
29943
29944 The result is a table of breakpoints. @xref{GDB/MI Breakpoint
29945 Information}, for details on the format of each breakpoint in the
29946 table.
29947
29948 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29949
29950 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info break @var{breakpoint}}.
29951
29952 @subsubheading Example
29953 N.A.
29954
29955 @subheading The @code{-break-insert} Command
29956 @findex -break-insert
29957
29958 @subsubheading Synopsis
29959
29960 @smallexample
29961 -break-insert [ -t ] [ -h ] [ -f ] [ -d ] [ -a ]
29962 [ -c @var{condition} ] [ -i @var{ignore-count} ]
29963 [ -p @var{thread-id} ] [ @var{location} ]
29964 @end smallexample
29965
29966 @noindent
29967 If specified, @var{location}, can be one of:
29968
29969 @itemize @bullet
29970 @item function
29971 @c @item +offset
29972 @c @item -offset
29973 @c @item linenum
29974 @item filename:linenum
29975 @item filename:function
29976 @item *address
29977 @end itemize
29978
29979 The possible optional parameters of this command are:
29980
29981 @table @samp
29982 @item -t
29983 Insert a temporary breakpoint.
29984 @item -h
29985 Insert a hardware breakpoint.
29986 @item -f
29987 If @var{location} cannot be parsed (for example if it
29988 refers to unknown files or functions), create a pending
29989 breakpoint. Without this flag, @value{GDBN} will report
29990 an error, and won't create a breakpoint, if @var{location}
29991 cannot be parsed.
29992 @item -d
29993 Create a disabled breakpoint.
29994 @item -a
29995 Create a tracepoint. @xref{Tracepoints}. When this parameter
29996 is used together with @samp{-h}, a fast tracepoint is created.
29997 @item -c @var{condition}
29998 Make the breakpoint conditional on @var{condition}.
29999 @item -i @var{ignore-count}
30000 Initialize the @var{ignore-count}.
30001 @item -p @var{thread-id}
30002 Restrict the breakpoint to the specified @var{thread-id}.
30003 @end table
30004
30005 @subsubheading Result
30006
30007 @xref{GDB/MI Breakpoint Information}, for details on the format of the
30008 resulting breakpoint.
30009
30010 Note: this format is open to change.
30011 @c An out-of-band breakpoint instead of part of the result?
30012
30013 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30014
30015 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{break}, @samp{tbreak},
30016 @samp{hbreak}, and @samp{thbreak}. @c and @samp{rbreak}.
30017
30018 @subsubheading Example
30019
30020 @smallexample
30021 (gdb)
30022 -break-insert main
30023 ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",addr="0x0001072c",file="recursive2.c",
30024 fullname="/home/foo/recursive2.c,line="4",thread-groups=["i1"],
30025 times="0"@}
30026 (gdb)
30027 -break-insert -t foo
30028 ^done,bkpt=@{number="2",addr="0x00010774",file="recursive2.c",
30029 fullname="/home/foo/recursive2.c,line="11",thread-groups=["i1"],
30030 times="0"@}
30031 (gdb)
30032 -break-list
30033 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="2",nr_cols="6",
30034 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
30035 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
30036 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
30037 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
30038 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
30039 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
30040 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
30041 addr="0x0001072c", func="main",file="recursive2.c",
30042 fullname="/home/foo/recursive2.c,"line="4",thread-groups=["i1"],
30043 times="0"@},
30044 bkpt=@{number="2",type="breakpoint",disp="del",enabled="y",
30045 addr="0x00010774",func="foo",file="recursive2.c",
30046 fullname="/home/foo/recursive2.c",line="11",thread-groups=["i1"],
30047 times="0"@}]@}
30048 (gdb)
30049 @c -break-insert -r foo.*
30050 @c ~int foo(int, int);
30051 @c ^done,bkpt=@{number="3",addr="0x00010774",file="recursive2.c,
30052 @c "fullname="/home/foo/recursive2.c",line="11",thread-groups=["i1"],
30053 @c times="0"@}
30054 @c (gdb)
30055 @end smallexample
30056
30057 @subheading The @code{-dprintf-insert} Command
30058 @findex -dprintf-insert
30059
30060 @subsubheading Synopsis
30061
30062 @smallexample
30063 -dprintf-insert [ -t ] [ -f ] [ -d ]
30064 [ -c @var{condition} ] [ -i @var{ignore-count} ]
30065 [ -p @var{thread-id} ] [ @var{location} ] [ @var{format} ]
30066 [ @var{argument} ]
30067 @end smallexample
30068
30069 @noindent
30070 If specified, @var{location}, can be one of:
30071
30072 @itemize @bullet
30073 @item @var{function}
30074 @c @item +offset
30075 @c @item -offset
30076 @c @item @var{linenum}
30077 @item @var{filename}:@var{linenum}
30078 @item @var{filename}:function
30079 @item *@var{address}
30080 @end itemize
30081
30082 The possible optional parameters of this command are:
30083
30084 @table @samp
30085 @item -t
30086 Insert a temporary breakpoint.
30087 @item -f
30088 If @var{location} cannot be parsed (for example, if it
30089 refers to unknown files or functions), create a pending
30090 breakpoint. Without this flag, @value{GDBN} will report
30091 an error, and won't create a breakpoint, if @var{location}
30092 cannot be parsed.
30093 @item -d
30094 Create a disabled breakpoint.
30095 @item -c @var{condition}
30096 Make the breakpoint conditional on @var{condition}.
30097 @item -i @var{ignore-count}
30098 Set the ignore count of the breakpoint (@pxref{Conditions, ignore count})
30099 to @var{ignore-count}.
30100 @item -p @var{thread-id}
30101 Restrict the breakpoint to the specified @var{thread-id}.
30102 @end table
30103
30104 @subsubheading Result
30105
30106 @xref{GDB/MI Breakpoint Information}, for details on the format of the
30107 resulting breakpoint.
30108
30109 @c An out-of-band breakpoint instead of part of the result?
30110
30111 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30112
30113 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{dprintf}.
30114
30115 @subsubheading Example
30116
30117 @smallexample
30118 (gdb)
30119 4-dprintf-insert foo "At foo entry\n"
30120 4^done,bkpt=@{number="1",type="dprintf",disp="keep",enabled="y",
30121 addr="0x000000000040061b",func="foo",file="mi-dprintf.c",
30122 fullname="mi-dprintf.c",line="25",thread-groups=["i1"],
30123 times="0",script=@{"printf \"At foo entry\\n\"","continue"@},
30124 original-location="foo"@}
30125 (gdb)
30126 5-dprintf-insert 26 "arg=%d, g=%d\n" arg g
30127 5^done,bkpt=@{number="2",type="dprintf",disp="keep",enabled="y",
30128 addr="0x000000000040062a",func="foo",file="mi-dprintf.c",
30129 fullname="mi-dprintf.c",line="26",thread-groups=["i1"],
30130 times="0",script=@{"printf \"arg=%d, g=%d\\n\", arg, g","continue"@},
30131 original-location="mi-dprintf.c:26"@}
30132 (gdb)
30133 @end smallexample
30134
30135 @subheading The @code{-break-list} Command
30136 @findex -break-list
30137
30138 @subsubheading Synopsis
30139
30140 @smallexample
30141 -break-list
30142 @end smallexample
30143
30144 Displays the list of inserted breakpoints, showing the following fields:
30145
30146 @table @samp
30147 @item Number
30148 number of the breakpoint
30149 @item Type
30150 type of the breakpoint: @samp{breakpoint} or @samp{watchpoint}
30151 @item Disposition
30152 should the breakpoint be deleted or disabled when it is hit: @samp{keep}
30153 or @samp{nokeep}
30154 @item Enabled
30155 is the breakpoint enabled or no: @samp{y} or @samp{n}
30156 @item Address
30157 memory location at which the breakpoint is set
30158 @item What
30159 logical location of the breakpoint, expressed by function name, file
30160 name, line number
30161 @item Thread-groups
30162 list of thread groups to which this breakpoint applies
30163 @item Times
30164 number of times the breakpoint has been hit
30165 @end table
30166
30167 If there are no breakpoints or watchpoints, the @code{BreakpointTable}
30168 @code{body} field is an empty list.
30169
30170 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30171
30172 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info break}.
30173
30174 @subsubheading Example
30175
30176 @smallexample
30177 (gdb)
30178 -break-list
30179 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="2",nr_cols="6",
30180 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
30181 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
30182 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
30183 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
30184 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
30185 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
30186 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
30187 addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",line="5",thread-groups=["i1"],
30188 times="0"@},
30189 bkpt=@{number="2",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
30190 addr="0x00010114",func="foo",file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",
30191 line="13",thread-groups=["i1"],times="0"@}]@}
30192 (gdb)
30193 @end smallexample
30194
30195 Here's an example of the result when there are no breakpoints:
30196
30197 @smallexample
30198 (gdb)
30199 -break-list
30200 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="0",nr_cols="6",
30201 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
30202 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
30203 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
30204 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
30205 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
30206 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
30207 body=[]@}
30208 (gdb)
30209 @end smallexample
30210
30211 @subheading The @code{-break-passcount} Command
30212 @findex -break-passcount
30213
30214 @subsubheading Synopsis
30215
30216 @smallexample
30217 -break-passcount @var{tracepoint-number} @var{passcount}
30218 @end smallexample
30219
30220 Set the passcount for tracepoint @var{tracepoint-number} to
30221 @var{passcount}. If the breakpoint referred to by @var{tracepoint-number}
30222 is not a tracepoint, error is emitted. This corresponds to CLI
30223 command @samp{passcount}.
30224
30225 @subheading The @code{-break-watch} Command
30226 @findex -break-watch
30227
30228 @subsubheading Synopsis
30229
30230 @smallexample
30231 -break-watch [ -a | -r ]
30232 @end smallexample
30233
30234 Create a watchpoint. With the @samp{-a} option it will create an
30235 @dfn{access} watchpoint, i.e., a watchpoint that triggers either on a
30236 read from or on a write to the memory location. With the @samp{-r}
30237 option, the watchpoint created is a @dfn{read} watchpoint, i.e., it will
30238 trigger only when the memory location is accessed for reading. Without
30239 either of the options, the watchpoint created is a regular watchpoint,
30240 i.e., it will trigger when the memory location is accessed for writing.
30241 @xref{Set Watchpoints, , Setting Watchpoints}.
30242
30243 Note that @samp{-break-list} will report a single list of watchpoints and
30244 breakpoints inserted.
30245
30246 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30247
30248 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{watch}, @samp{awatch}, and
30249 @samp{rwatch}.
30250
30251 @subsubheading Example
30252
30253 Setting a watchpoint on a variable in the @code{main} function:
30254
30255 @smallexample
30256 (gdb)
30257 -break-watch x
30258 ^done,wpt=@{number="2",exp="x"@}
30259 (gdb)
30260 -exec-continue
30261 ^running
30262 (gdb)
30263 *stopped,reason="watchpoint-trigger",wpt=@{number="2",exp="x"@},
30264 value=@{old="-268439212",new="55"@},
30265 frame=@{func="main",args=[],file="recursive2.c",
30266 fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="5"@}
30267 (gdb)
30268 @end smallexample
30269
30270 Setting a watchpoint on a variable local to a function. @value{GDBN} will stop
30271 the program execution twice: first for the variable changing value, then
30272 for the watchpoint going out of scope.
30273
30274 @smallexample
30275 (gdb)
30276 -break-watch C
30277 ^done,wpt=@{number="5",exp="C"@}
30278 (gdb)
30279 -exec-continue
30280 ^running
30281 (gdb)
30282 *stopped,reason="watchpoint-trigger",
30283 wpt=@{number="5",exp="C"@},value=@{old="-276895068",new="3"@},
30284 frame=@{func="callee4",args=[],
30285 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
30286 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="13"@}
30287 (gdb)
30288 -exec-continue
30289 ^running
30290 (gdb)
30291 *stopped,reason="watchpoint-scope",wpnum="5",
30292 frame=@{func="callee3",args=[@{name="strarg",
30293 value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}],
30294 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
30295 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="18"@}
30296 (gdb)
30297 @end smallexample
30298
30299 Listing breakpoints and watchpoints, at different points in the program
30300 execution. Note that once the watchpoint goes out of scope, it is
30301 deleted.
30302
30303 @smallexample
30304 (gdb)
30305 -break-watch C
30306 ^done,wpt=@{number="2",exp="C"@}
30307 (gdb)
30308 -break-list
30309 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="2",nr_cols="6",
30310 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
30311 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
30312 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
30313 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
30314 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
30315 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
30316 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
30317 addr="0x00010734",func="callee4",
30318 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
30319 fullname="/home/foo/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c"line="8",thread-groups=["i1"],
30320 times="1"@},
30321 bkpt=@{number="2",type="watchpoint",disp="keep",
30322 enabled="y",addr="",what="C",thread-groups=["i1"],times="0"@}]@}
30323 (gdb)
30324 -exec-continue
30325 ^running
30326 (gdb)
30327 *stopped,reason="watchpoint-trigger",wpt=@{number="2",exp="C"@},
30328 value=@{old="-276895068",new="3"@},
30329 frame=@{func="callee4",args=[],
30330 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
30331 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="13"@}
30332 (gdb)
30333 -break-list
30334 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="2",nr_cols="6",
30335 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
30336 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
30337 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
30338 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
30339 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
30340 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
30341 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
30342 addr="0x00010734",func="callee4",
30343 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
30344 fullname="/home/foo/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="8",thread-groups=["i1"],
30345 times="1"@},
30346 bkpt=@{number="2",type="watchpoint",disp="keep",
30347 enabled="y",addr="",what="C",thread-groups=["i1"],times="-5"@}]@}
30348 (gdb)
30349 -exec-continue
30350 ^running
30351 ^done,reason="watchpoint-scope",wpnum="2",
30352 frame=@{func="callee3",args=[@{name="strarg",
30353 value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}],
30354 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
30355 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="18"@}
30356 (gdb)
30357 -break-list
30358 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="6",
30359 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
30360 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
30361 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
30362 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
30363 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
30364 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
30365 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
30366 addr="0x00010734",func="callee4",
30367 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
30368 fullname="/home/foo/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="8",
30369 thread-groups=["i1"],times="1"@}]@}
30370 (gdb)
30371 @end smallexample
30372
30373
30374 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
30375 @node GDB/MI Catchpoint Commands
30376 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Catchpoint Commands
30377
30378 This section documents @sc{gdb/mi} commands for manipulating
30379 catchpoints.
30380
30381 @menu
30382 * Shared Library GDB/MI Catchpoint Commands::
30383 * Ada Exception GDB/MI Catchpoint Commands::
30384 @end menu
30385
30386 @node Shared Library GDB/MI Catchpoint Commands
30387 @subsection Shared Library @sc{gdb/mi} Catchpoints
30388
30389 @subheading The @code{-catch-load} Command
30390 @findex -catch-load
30391
30392 @subsubheading Synopsis
30393
30394 @smallexample
30395 -catch-load [ -t ] [ -d ] @var{regexp}
30396 @end smallexample
30397
30398 Add a catchpoint for library load events. If the @samp{-t} option is used,
30399 the catchpoint is a temporary one (@pxref{Set Breaks, ,Setting
30400 Breakpoints}). If the @samp{-d} option is used, the catchpoint is created
30401 in a disabled state. The @samp{regexp} argument is a regular
30402 expression used to match the name of the loaded library.
30403
30404
30405 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30406
30407 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{catch load}.
30408
30409 @subsubheading Example
30410
30411 @smallexample
30412 -catch-load -t foo.so
30413 ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",type="catchpoint",disp="del",enabled="y",
30414 what="load of library matching foo.so",catch-type="load",times="0"@}
30415 (gdb)
30416 @end smallexample
30417
30418
30419 @subheading The @code{-catch-unload} Command
30420 @findex -catch-unload
30421
30422 @subsubheading Synopsis
30423
30424 @smallexample
30425 -catch-unload [ -t ] [ -d ] @var{regexp}
30426 @end smallexample
30427
30428 Add a catchpoint for library unload events. If the @samp{-t} option is
30429 used, the catchpoint is a temporary one (@pxref{Set Breaks, ,Setting
30430 Breakpoints}). If the @samp{-d} option is used, the catchpoint is
30431 created in a disabled state. The @samp{regexp} argument is a regular
30432 expression used to match the name of the unloaded library.
30433
30434 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30435
30436 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{catch unload}.
30437
30438 @subsubheading Example
30439
30440 @smallexample
30441 -catch-unload -d bar.so
30442 ^done,bkpt=@{number="2",type="catchpoint",disp="keep",enabled="n",
30443 what="load of library matching bar.so",catch-type="unload",times="0"@}
30444 (gdb)
30445 @end smallexample
30446
30447 @node Ada Exception GDB/MI Catchpoint Commands
30448 @subsection Ada Exception @sc{gdb/mi} Catchpoints
30449
30450 The following @sc{gdb/mi} commands can be used to create catchpoints
30451 that stop the execution when Ada exceptions are being raised.
30452
30453 @subheading The @code{-catch-assert} Command
30454 @findex -catch-assert
30455
30456 @subsubheading Synopsis
30457
30458 @smallexample
30459 -catch-assert [ -c @var{condition}] [ -d ] [ -t ]
30460 @end smallexample
30461
30462 Add a catchpoint for failed Ada assertions.
30463
30464 The possible optional parameters for this command are:
30465
30466 @table @samp
30467 @item -c @var{condition}
30468 Make the catchpoint conditional on @var{condition}.
30469 @item -d
30470 Create a disabled catchpoint.
30471 @item -t
30472 Create a temporary catchpoint.
30473 @end table
30474
30475 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30476
30477 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{catch assert}.
30478
30479 @subsubheading Example
30480
30481 @smallexample
30482 -catch-assert
30483 ^done,bkptno="5",bkpt=@{number="5",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",
30484 enabled="y",addr="0x0000000000404888",what="failed Ada assertions",
30485 thread-groups=["i1"],times="0",
30486 original-location="__gnat_debug_raise_assert_failure"@}
30487 (gdb)
30488 @end smallexample
30489
30490 @subheading The @code{-catch-exception} Command
30491 @findex -catch-exception
30492
30493 @subsubheading Synopsis
30494
30495 @smallexample
30496 -catch-exception [ -c @var{condition}] [ -d ] [ -e @var{exception-name} ]
30497 [ -t ] [ -u ]
30498 @end smallexample
30499
30500 Add a catchpoint stopping when Ada exceptions are raised.
30501 By default, the command stops the program when any Ada exception
30502 gets raised. But it is also possible, by using some of the
30503 optional parameters described below, to create more selective
30504 catchpoints.
30505
30506 The possible optional parameters for this command are:
30507
30508 @table @samp
30509 @item -c @var{condition}
30510 Make the catchpoint conditional on @var{condition}.
30511 @item -d
30512 Create a disabled catchpoint.
30513 @item -e @var{exception-name}
30514 Only stop when @var{exception-name} is raised. This option cannot
30515 be used combined with @samp{-u}.
30516 @item -t
30517 Create a temporary catchpoint.
30518 @item -u
30519 Stop only when an unhandled exception gets raised. This option
30520 cannot be used combined with @samp{-e}.
30521 @end table
30522
30523 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30524
30525 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{catch exception}
30526 and @samp{catch exception unhandled}.
30527
30528 @subsubheading Example
30529
30530 @smallexample
30531 -catch-exception -e Program_Error
30532 ^done,bkptno="4",bkpt=@{number="4",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",
30533 enabled="y",addr="0x0000000000404874",
30534 what="`Program_Error' Ada exception", thread-groups=["i1"],
30535 times="0",original-location="__gnat_debug_raise_exception"@}
30536 (gdb)
30537 @end smallexample
30538
30539 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
30540 @node GDB/MI Program Context
30541 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Program Context
30542
30543 @subheading The @code{-exec-arguments} Command
30544 @findex -exec-arguments
30545
30546
30547 @subsubheading Synopsis
30548
30549 @smallexample
30550 -exec-arguments @var{args}
30551 @end smallexample
30552
30553 Set the inferior program arguments, to be used in the next
30554 @samp{-exec-run}.
30555
30556 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30557
30558 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{set args}.
30559
30560 @subsubheading Example
30561
30562 @smallexample
30563 (gdb)
30564 -exec-arguments -v word
30565 ^done
30566 (gdb)
30567 @end smallexample
30568
30569
30570 @ignore
30571 @subheading The @code{-exec-show-arguments} Command
30572 @findex -exec-show-arguments
30573
30574 @subsubheading Synopsis
30575
30576 @smallexample
30577 -exec-show-arguments
30578 @end smallexample
30579
30580 Print the arguments of the program.
30581
30582 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30583
30584 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{show args}.
30585
30586 @subsubheading Example
30587 N.A.
30588 @end ignore
30589
30590
30591 @subheading The @code{-environment-cd} Command
30592 @findex -environment-cd
30593
30594 @subsubheading Synopsis
30595
30596 @smallexample
30597 -environment-cd @var{pathdir}
30598 @end smallexample
30599
30600 Set @value{GDBN}'s working directory.
30601
30602 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30603
30604 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{cd}.
30605
30606 @subsubheading Example
30607
30608 @smallexample
30609 (gdb)
30610 -environment-cd /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb
30611 ^done
30612 (gdb)
30613 @end smallexample
30614
30615
30616 @subheading The @code{-environment-directory} Command
30617 @findex -environment-directory
30618
30619 @subsubheading Synopsis
30620
30621 @smallexample
30622 -environment-directory [ -r ] [ @var{pathdir} ]+
30623 @end smallexample
30624
30625 Add directories @var{pathdir} to beginning of search path for source files.
30626 If the @samp{-r} option is used, the search path is reset to the default
30627 search path. If directories @var{pathdir} are supplied in addition to the
30628 @samp{-r} option, the search path is first reset and then addition
30629 occurs as normal.
30630 Multiple directories may be specified, separated by blanks. Specifying
30631 multiple directories in a single command
30632 results in the directories added to the beginning of the
30633 search path in the same order they were presented in the command.
30634 If blanks are needed as
30635 part of a directory name, double-quotes should be used around
30636 the name. In the command output, the path will show up separated
30637 by the system directory-separator character. The directory-separator
30638 character must not be used
30639 in any directory name.
30640 If no directories are specified, the current search path is displayed.
30641
30642 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30643
30644 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{dir}.
30645
30646 @subsubheading Example
30647
30648 @smallexample
30649 (gdb)
30650 -environment-directory /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb
30651 ^done,source-path="/kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb:$cdir:$cwd"
30652 (gdb)
30653 -environment-directory ""
30654 ^done,source-path="/kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb:$cdir:$cwd"
30655 (gdb)
30656 -environment-directory -r /home/jjohnstn/src/gdb /usr/src
30657 ^done,source-path="/home/jjohnstn/src/gdb:/usr/src:$cdir:$cwd"
30658 (gdb)
30659 -environment-directory -r
30660 ^done,source-path="$cdir:$cwd"
30661 (gdb)
30662 @end smallexample
30663
30664
30665 @subheading The @code{-environment-path} Command
30666 @findex -environment-path
30667
30668 @subsubheading Synopsis
30669
30670 @smallexample
30671 -environment-path [ -r ] [ @var{pathdir} ]+
30672 @end smallexample
30673
30674 Add directories @var{pathdir} to beginning of search path for object files.
30675 If the @samp{-r} option is used, the search path is reset to the original
30676 search path that existed at gdb start-up. If directories @var{pathdir} are
30677 supplied in addition to the
30678 @samp{-r} option, the search path is first reset and then addition
30679 occurs as normal.
30680 Multiple directories may be specified, separated by blanks. Specifying
30681 multiple directories in a single command
30682 results in the directories added to the beginning of the
30683 search path in the same order they were presented in the command.
30684 If blanks are needed as
30685 part of a directory name, double-quotes should be used around
30686 the name. In the command output, the path will show up separated
30687 by the system directory-separator character. The directory-separator
30688 character must not be used
30689 in any directory name.
30690 If no directories are specified, the current path is displayed.
30691
30692
30693 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30694
30695 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{path}.
30696
30697 @subsubheading Example
30698
30699 @smallexample
30700 (gdb)
30701 -environment-path
30702 ^done,path="/usr/bin"
30703 (gdb)
30704 -environment-path /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/ppc-eabi/gdb /bin
30705 ^done,path="/kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/ppc-eabi/gdb:/bin:/usr/bin"
30706 (gdb)
30707 -environment-path -r /usr/local/bin
30708 ^done,path="/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin"
30709 (gdb)
30710 @end smallexample
30711
30712
30713 @subheading The @code{-environment-pwd} Command
30714 @findex -environment-pwd
30715
30716 @subsubheading Synopsis
30717
30718 @smallexample
30719 -environment-pwd
30720 @end smallexample
30721
30722 Show the current working directory.
30723
30724 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30725
30726 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{pwd}.
30727
30728 @subsubheading Example
30729
30730 @smallexample
30731 (gdb)
30732 -environment-pwd
30733 ^done,cwd="/kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb"
30734 (gdb)
30735 @end smallexample
30736
30737 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
30738 @node GDB/MI Thread Commands
30739 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Thread Commands
30740
30741
30742 @subheading The @code{-thread-info} Command
30743 @findex -thread-info
30744
30745 @subsubheading Synopsis
30746
30747 @smallexample
30748 -thread-info [ @var{thread-id} ]
30749 @end smallexample
30750
30751 Reports information about either a specific thread, if
30752 the @var{thread-id} parameter is present, or about all
30753 threads. When printing information about all threads,
30754 also reports the current thread.
30755
30756 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30757
30758 The @samp{info thread} command prints the same information
30759 about all threads.
30760
30761 @subsubheading Result
30762
30763 The result is a list of threads. The following attributes are
30764 defined for a given thread:
30765
30766 @table @samp
30767 @item current
30768 This field exists only for the current thread. It has the value @samp{*}.
30769
30770 @item id
30771 The identifier that @value{GDBN} uses to refer to the thread.
30772
30773 @item target-id
30774 The identifier that the target uses to refer to the thread.
30775
30776 @item details
30777 Extra information about the thread, in a target-specific format. This
30778 field is optional.
30779
30780 @item name
30781 The name of the thread. If the user specified a name using the
30782 @code{thread name} command, then this name is given. Otherwise, if
30783 @value{GDBN} can extract the thread name from the target, then that
30784 name is given. If @value{GDBN} cannot find the thread name, then this
30785 field is omitted.
30786
30787 @item frame
30788 The stack frame currently executing in the thread.
30789
30790 @item state
30791 The thread's state. The @samp{state} field may have the following
30792 values:
30793
30794 @table @code
30795 @item stopped
30796 The thread is stopped. Frame information is available for stopped
30797 threads.
30798
30799 @item running
30800 The thread is running. There's no frame information for running
30801 threads.
30802
30803 @end table
30804
30805 @item core
30806 If @value{GDBN} can find the CPU core on which this thread is running,
30807 then this field is the core identifier. This field is optional.
30808
30809 @end table
30810
30811 @subsubheading Example
30812
30813 @smallexample
30814 -thread-info
30815 ^done,threads=[
30816 @{id="2",target-id="Thread 0xb7e14b90 (LWP 21257)",
30817 frame=@{level="0",addr="0xffffe410",func="__kernel_vsyscall",
30818 args=[]@},state="running"@},
30819 @{id="1",target-id="Thread 0xb7e156b0 (LWP 21254)",
30820 frame=@{level="0",addr="0x0804891f",func="foo",
30821 args=[@{name="i",value="10"@}],
30822 file="/tmp/a.c",fullname="/tmp/a.c",line="158"@},
30823 state="running"@}],
30824 current-thread-id="1"
30825 (gdb)
30826 @end smallexample
30827
30828 @subheading The @code{-thread-list-ids} Command
30829 @findex -thread-list-ids
30830
30831 @subsubheading Synopsis
30832
30833 @smallexample
30834 -thread-list-ids
30835 @end smallexample
30836
30837 Produces a list of the currently known @value{GDBN} thread ids. At the
30838 end of the list it also prints the total number of such threads.
30839
30840 This command is retained for historical reasons, the
30841 @code{-thread-info} command should be used instead.
30842
30843 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30844
30845 Part of @samp{info threads} supplies the same information.
30846
30847 @subsubheading Example
30848
30849 @smallexample
30850 (gdb)
30851 -thread-list-ids
30852 ^done,thread-ids=@{thread-id="3",thread-id="2",thread-id="1"@},
30853 current-thread-id="1",number-of-threads="3"
30854 (gdb)
30855 @end smallexample
30856
30857
30858 @subheading The @code{-thread-select} Command
30859 @findex -thread-select
30860
30861 @subsubheading Synopsis
30862
30863 @smallexample
30864 -thread-select @var{threadnum}
30865 @end smallexample
30866
30867 Make @var{threadnum} the current thread. It prints the number of the new
30868 current thread, and the topmost frame for that thread.
30869
30870 This command is deprecated in favor of explicitly using the
30871 @samp{--thread} option to each command.
30872
30873 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30874
30875 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{thread}.
30876
30877 @subsubheading Example
30878
30879 @smallexample
30880 (gdb)
30881 -exec-next
30882 ^running
30883 (gdb)
30884 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",thread-id="2",line="187",
30885 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.threads/linux-dp.c"
30886 (gdb)
30887 -thread-list-ids
30888 ^done,
30889 thread-ids=@{thread-id="3",thread-id="2",thread-id="1"@},
30890 number-of-threads="3"
30891 (gdb)
30892 -thread-select 3
30893 ^done,new-thread-id="3",
30894 frame=@{level="0",func="vprintf",
30895 args=[@{name="format",value="0x8048e9c \"%*s%c %d %c\\n\""@},
30896 @{name="arg",value="0x2"@}],file="vprintf.c",line="31"@}
30897 (gdb)
30898 @end smallexample
30899
30900 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
30901 @node GDB/MI Ada Tasking Commands
30902 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Ada Tasking Commands
30903
30904 @subheading The @code{-ada-task-info} Command
30905 @findex -ada-task-info
30906
30907 @subsubheading Synopsis
30908
30909 @smallexample
30910 -ada-task-info [ @var{task-id} ]
30911 @end smallexample
30912
30913 Reports information about either a specific Ada task, if the
30914 @var{task-id} parameter is present, or about all Ada tasks.
30915
30916 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30917
30918 The @samp{info tasks} command prints the same information
30919 about all Ada tasks (@pxref{Ada Tasks}).
30920
30921 @subsubheading Result
30922
30923 The result is a table of Ada tasks. The following columns are
30924 defined for each Ada task:
30925
30926 @table @samp
30927 @item current
30928 This field exists only for the current thread. It has the value @samp{*}.
30929
30930 @item id
30931 The identifier that @value{GDBN} uses to refer to the Ada task.
30932
30933 @item task-id
30934 The identifier that the target uses to refer to the Ada task.
30935
30936 @item thread-id
30937 The identifier of the thread corresponding to the Ada task.
30938
30939 This field should always exist, as Ada tasks are always implemented
30940 on top of a thread. But if @value{GDBN} cannot find this corresponding
30941 thread for any reason, the field is omitted.
30942
30943 @item parent-id
30944 This field exists only when the task was created by another task.
30945 In this case, it provides the ID of the parent task.
30946
30947 @item priority
30948 The base priority of the task.
30949
30950 @item state
30951 The current state of the task. For a detailed description of the
30952 possible states, see @ref{Ada Tasks}.
30953
30954 @item name
30955 The name of the task.
30956
30957 @end table
30958
30959 @subsubheading Example
30960
30961 @smallexample
30962 -ada-task-info
30963 ^done,tasks=@{nr_rows="3",nr_cols="8",
30964 hdr=[@{width="1",alignment="-1",col_name="current",colhdr=""@},
30965 @{width="3",alignment="1",col_name="id",colhdr="ID"@},
30966 @{width="9",alignment="1",col_name="task-id",colhdr="TID"@},
30967 @{width="4",alignment="1",col_name="thread-id",colhdr=""@},
30968 @{width="4",alignment="1",col_name="parent-id",colhdr="P-ID"@},
30969 @{width="3",alignment="1",col_name="priority",colhdr="Pri"@},
30970 @{width="22",alignment="-1",col_name="state",colhdr="State"@},
30971 @{width="1",alignment="2",col_name="name",colhdr="Name"@}],
30972 body=[@{current="*",id="1",task-id=" 644010",thread-id="1",priority="48",
30973 state="Child Termination Wait",name="main_task"@}]@}
30974 (gdb)
30975 @end smallexample
30976
30977 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
30978 @node GDB/MI Program Execution
30979 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Program Execution
30980
30981 These are the asynchronous commands which generate the out-of-band
30982 record @samp{*stopped}. Currently @value{GDBN} only really executes
30983 asynchronously with remote targets and this interaction is mimicked in
30984 other cases.
30985
30986 @subheading The @code{-exec-continue} Command
30987 @findex -exec-continue
30988
30989 @subsubheading Synopsis
30990
30991 @smallexample
30992 -exec-continue [--reverse] [--all|--thread-group N]
30993 @end smallexample
30994
30995 Resumes the execution of the inferior program, which will continue
30996 to execute until it reaches a debugger stop event. If the
30997 @samp{--reverse} option is specified, execution resumes in reverse until
30998 it reaches a stop event. Stop events may include
30999 @itemize @bullet
31000 @item
31001 breakpoints or watchpoints
31002 @item
31003 signals or exceptions
31004 @item
31005 the end of the process (or its beginning under @samp{--reverse})
31006 @item
31007 the end or beginning of a replay log if one is being used.
31008 @end itemize
31009 In all-stop mode (@pxref{All-Stop
31010 Mode}), may resume only one thread, or all threads, depending on the
31011 value of the @samp{scheduler-locking} variable. If @samp{--all} is
31012 specified, all threads (in all inferiors) will be resumed. The @samp{--all} option is
31013 ignored in all-stop mode. If the @samp{--thread-group} options is
31014 specified, then all threads in that thread group are resumed.
31015
31016 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31017
31018 The corresponding @value{GDBN} corresponding is @samp{continue}.
31019
31020 @subsubheading Example
31021
31022 @smallexample
31023 -exec-continue
31024 ^running
31025 (gdb)
31026 @@Hello world
31027 *stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",bkptno="2",frame=@{
31028 func="foo",args=[],file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/hello.c",
31029 line="13"@}
31030 (gdb)
31031 @end smallexample
31032
31033
31034 @subheading The @code{-exec-finish} Command
31035 @findex -exec-finish
31036
31037 @subsubheading Synopsis
31038
31039 @smallexample
31040 -exec-finish [--reverse]
31041 @end smallexample
31042
31043 Resumes the execution of the inferior program until the current
31044 function is exited. Displays the results returned by the function.
31045 If the @samp{--reverse} option is specified, resumes the reverse
31046 execution of the inferior program until the point where current
31047 function was called.
31048
31049 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31050
31051 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{finish}.
31052
31053 @subsubheading Example
31054
31055 Function returning @code{void}.
31056
31057 @smallexample
31058 -exec-finish
31059 ^running
31060 (gdb)
31061 @@hello from foo
31062 *stopped,reason="function-finished",frame=@{func="main",args=[],
31063 file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/hello.c",line="7"@}
31064 (gdb)
31065 @end smallexample
31066
31067 Function returning other than @code{void}. The name of the internal
31068 @value{GDBN} variable storing the result is printed, together with the
31069 value itself.
31070
31071 @smallexample
31072 -exec-finish
31073 ^running
31074 (gdb)
31075 *stopped,reason="function-finished",frame=@{addr="0x000107b0",func="foo",
31076 args=[@{name="a",value="1"],@{name="b",value="9"@}@},
31077 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
31078 gdb-result-var="$1",return-value="0"
31079 (gdb)
31080 @end smallexample
31081
31082
31083 @subheading The @code{-exec-interrupt} Command
31084 @findex -exec-interrupt
31085
31086 @subsubheading Synopsis
31087
31088 @smallexample
31089 -exec-interrupt [--all|--thread-group N]
31090 @end smallexample
31091
31092 Interrupts the background execution of the target. Note how the token
31093 associated with the stop message is the one for the execution command
31094 that has been interrupted. The token for the interrupt itself only
31095 appears in the @samp{^done} output. If the user is trying to
31096 interrupt a non-running program, an error message will be printed.
31097
31098 Note that when asynchronous execution is enabled, this command is
31099 asynchronous just like other execution commands. That is, first the
31100 @samp{^done} response will be printed, and the target stop will be
31101 reported after that using the @samp{*stopped} notification.
31102
31103 In non-stop mode, only the context thread is interrupted by default.
31104 All threads (in all inferiors) will be interrupted if the
31105 @samp{--all} option is specified. If the @samp{--thread-group}
31106 option is specified, all threads in that group will be interrupted.
31107
31108 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31109
31110 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{interrupt}.
31111
31112 @subsubheading Example
31113
31114 @smallexample
31115 (gdb)
31116 111-exec-continue
31117 111^running
31118
31119 (gdb)
31120 222-exec-interrupt
31121 222^done
31122 (gdb)
31123 111*stopped,signal-name="SIGINT",signal-meaning="Interrupt",
31124 frame=@{addr="0x00010140",func="foo",args=[],file="try.c",
31125 fullname="/home/foo/bar/try.c",line="13"@}
31126 (gdb)
31127
31128 (gdb)
31129 -exec-interrupt
31130 ^error,msg="mi_cmd_exec_interrupt: Inferior not executing."
31131 (gdb)
31132 @end smallexample
31133
31134 @subheading The @code{-exec-jump} Command
31135 @findex -exec-jump
31136
31137 @subsubheading Synopsis
31138
31139 @smallexample
31140 -exec-jump @var{location}
31141 @end smallexample
31142
31143 Resumes execution of the inferior program at the location specified by
31144 parameter. @xref{Specify Location}, for a description of the
31145 different forms of @var{location}.
31146
31147 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31148
31149 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{jump}.
31150
31151 @subsubheading Example
31152
31153 @smallexample
31154 -exec-jump foo.c:10
31155 *running,thread-id="all"
31156 ^running
31157 @end smallexample
31158
31159
31160 @subheading The @code{-exec-next} Command
31161 @findex -exec-next
31162
31163 @subsubheading Synopsis
31164
31165 @smallexample
31166 -exec-next [--reverse]
31167 @end smallexample
31168
31169 Resumes execution of the inferior program, stopping when the beginning
31170 of the next source line is reached.
31171
31172 If the @samp{--reverse} option is specified, resumes reverse execution
31173 of the inferior program, stopping at the beginning of the previous
31174 source line. If you issue this command on the first line of a
31175 function, it will take you back to the caller of that function, to the
31176 source line where the function was called.
31177
31178
31179 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31180
31181 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{next}.
31182
31183 @subsubheading Example
31184
31185 @smallexample
31186 -exec-next
31187 ^running
31188 (gdb)
31189 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",line="8",file="hello.c"
31190 (gdb)
31191 @end smallexample
31192
31193
31194 @subheading The @code{-exec-next-instruction} Command
31195 @findex -exec-next-instruction
31196
31197 @subsubheading Synopsis
31198
31199 @smallexample
31200 -exec-next-instruction [--reverse]
31201 @end smallexample
31202
31203 Executes one machine instruction. If the instruction is a function
31204 call, continues until the function returns. If the program stops at an
31205 instruction in the middle of a source line, the address will be
31206 printed as well.
31207
31208 If the @samp{--reverse} option is specified, resumes reverse execution
31209 of the inferior program, stopping at the previous instruction. If the
31210 previously executed instruction was a return from another function,
31211 it will continue to execute in reverse until the call to that function
31212 (from the current stack frame) is reached.
31213
31214 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31215
31216 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{nexti}.
31217
31218 @subsubheading Example
31219
31220 @smallexample
31221 (gdb)
31222 -exec-next-instruction
31223 ^running
31224
31225 (gdb)
31226 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",
31227 addr="0x000100d4",line="5",file="hello.c"
31228 (gdb)
31229 @end smallexample
31230
31231
31232 @subheading The @code{-exec-return} Command
31233 @findex -exec-return
31234
31235 @subsubheading Synopsis
31236
31237 @smallexample
31238 -exec-return
31239 @end smallexample
31240
31241 Makes current function return immediately. Doesn't execute the inferior.
31242 Displays the new current frame.
31243
31244 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31245
31246 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{return}.
31247
31248 @subsubheading Example
31249
31250 @smallexample
31251 (gdb)
31252 200-break-insert callee4
31253 200^done,bkpt=@{number="1",addr="0x00010734",
31254 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="8"@}
31255 (gdb)
31256 000-exec-run
31257 000^running
31258 (gdb)
31259 000*stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",bkptno="1",
31260 frame=@{func="callee4",args=[],
31261 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
31262 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="8"@}
31263 (gdb)
31264 205-break-delete
31265 205^done
31266 (gdb)
31267 111-exec-return
31268 111^done,frame=@{level="0",func="callee3",
31269 args=[@{name="strarg",
31270 value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}],
31271 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
31272 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="18"@}
31273 (gdb)
31274 @end smallexample
31275
31276
31277 @subheading The @code{-exec-run} Command
31278 @findex -exec-run
31279
31280 @subsubheading Synopsis
31281
31282 @smallexample
31283 -exec-run [ --all | --thread-group N ] [ --start ]
31284 @end smallexample
31285
31286 Starts execution of the inferior from the beginning. The inferior
31287 executes until either a breakpoint is encountered or the program
31288 exits. In the latter case the output will include an exit code, if
31289 the program has exited exceptionally.
31290
31291 When neither the @samp{--all} nor the @samp{--thread-group} option
31292 is specified, the current inferior is started. If the
31293 @samp{--thread-group} option is specified, it should refer to a thread
31294 group of type @samp{process}, and that thread group will be started.
31295 If the @samp{--all} option is specified, then all inferiors will be started.
31296
31297 Using the @samp{--start} option instructs the debugger to stop
31298 the execution at the start of the inferior's main subprogram,
31299 following the same behavior as the @code{start} command
31300 (@pxref{Starting}).
31301
31302 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31303
31304 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{run}.
31305
31306 @subsubheading Examples
31307
31308 @smallexample
31309 (gdb)
31310 -break-insert main
31311 ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",addr="0x0001072c",file="recursive2.c",line="4"@}
31312 (gdb)
31313 -exec-run
31314 ^running
31315 (gdb)
31316 *stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",bkptno="1",
31317 frame=@{func="main",args=[],file="recursive2.c",
31318 fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="4"@}
31319 (gdb)
31320 @end smallexample
31321
31322 @noindent
31323 Program exited normally:
31324
31325 @smallexample
31326 (gdb)
31327 -exec-run
31328 ^running
31329 (gdb)
31330 x = 55
31331 *stopped,reason="exited-normally"
31332 (gdb)
31333 @end smallexample
31334
31335 @noindent
31336 Program exited exceptionally:
31337
31338 @smallexample
31339 (gdb)
31340 -exec-run
31341 ^running
31342 (gdb)
31343 x = 55
31344 *stopped,reason="exited",exit-code="01"
31345 (gdb)
31346 @end smallexample
31347
31348 Another way the program can terminate is if it receives a signal such as
31349 @code{SIGINT}. In this case, @sc{gdb/mi} displays this:
31350
31351 @smallexample
31352 (gdb)
31353 *stopped,reason="exited-signalled",signal-name="SIGINT",
31354 signal-meaning="Interrupt"
31355 @end smallexample
31356
31357
31358 @c @subheading -exec-signal
31359
31360
31361 @subheading The @code{-exec-step} Command
31362 @findex -exec-step
31363
31364 @subsubheading Synopsis
31365
31366 @smallexample
31367 -exec-step [--reverse]
31368 @end smallexample
31369
31370 Resumes execution of the inferior program, stopping when the beginning
31371 of the next source line is reached, if the next source line is not a
31372 function call. If it is, stop at the first instruction of the called
31373 function. If the @samp{--reverse} option is specified, resumes reverse
31374 execution of the inferior program, stopping at the beginning of the
31375 previously executed source line.
31376
31377 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31378
31379 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{step}.
31380
31381 @subsubheading Example
31382
31383 Stepping into a function:
31384
31385 @smallexample
31386 -exec-step
31387 ^running
31388 (gdb)
31389 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",
31390 frame=@{func="foo",args=[@{name="a",value="10"@},
31391 @{name="b",value="0"@}],file="recursive2.c",
31392 fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="11"@}
31393 (gdb)
31394 @end smallexample
31395
31396 Regular stepping:
31397
31398 @smallexample
31399 -exec-step
31400 ^running
31401 (gdb)
31402 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",line="14",file="recursive2.c"
31403 (gdb)
31404 @end smallexample
31405
31406
31407 @subheading The @code{-exec-step-instruction} Command
31408 @findex -exec-step-instruction
31409
31410 @subsubheading Synopsis
31411
31412 @smallexample
31413 -exec-step-instruction [--reverse]
31414 @end smallexample
31415
31416 Resumes the inferior which executes one machine instruction. If the
31417 @samp{--reverse} option is specified, resumes reverse execution of the
31418 inferior program, stopping at the previously executed instruction.
31419 The output, once @value{GDBN} has stopped, will vary depending on
31420 whether we have stopped in the middle of a source line or not. In the
31421 former case, the address at which the program stopped will be printed
31422 as well.
31423
31424 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31425
31426 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{stepi}.
31427
31428 @subsubheading Example
31429
31430 @smallexample
31431 (gdb)
31432 -exec-step-instruction
31433 ^running
31434
31435 (gdb)
31436 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",
31437 frame=@{func="foo",args=[],file="try.c",
31438 fullname="/home/foo/bar/try.c",line="10"@}
31439 (gdb)
31440 -exec-step-instruction
31441 ^running
31442
31443 (gdb)
31444 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",
31445 frame=@{addr="0x000100f4",func="foo",args=[],file="try.c",
31446 fullname="/home/foo/bar/try.c",line="10"@}
31447 (gdb)
31448 @end smallexample
31449
31450
31451 @subheading The @code{-exec-until} Command
31452 @findex -exec-until
31453
31454 @subsubheading Synopsis
31455
31456 @smallexample
31457 -exec-until [ @var{location} ]
31458 @end smallexample
31459
31460 Executes the inferior until the @var{location} specified in the
31461 argument is reached. If there is no argument, the inferior executes
31462 until a source line greater than the current one is reached. The
31463 reason for stopping in this case will be @samp{location-reached}.
31464
31465 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31466
31467 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{until}.
31468
31469 @subsubheading Example
31470
31471 @smallexample
31472 (gdb)
31473 -exec-until recursive2.c:6
31474 ^running
31475 (gdb)
31476 x = 55
31477 *stopped,reason="location-reached",frame=@{func="main",args=[],
31478 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="6"@}
31479 (gdb)
31480 @end smallexample
31481
31482 @ignore
31483 @subheading -file-clear
31484 Is this going away????
31485 @end ignore
31486
31487 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
31488 @node GDB/MI Stack Manipulation
31489 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Stack Manipulation Commands
31490
31491 @subheading The @code{-enable-frame-filters} Command
31492 @findex -enable-frame-filters
31493
31494 @smallexample
31495 -enable-frame-filters
31496 @end smallexample
31497
31498 @value{GDBN} allows Python-based frame filters to affect the output of
31499 the MI commands relating to stack traces. As there is no way to
31500 implement this in a fully backward-compatible way, a front end must
31501 request that this functionality be enabled.
31502
31503 Once enabled, this feature cannot be disabled.
31504
31505 Note that if Python support has not been compiled into @value{GDBN},
31506 this command will still succeed (and do nothing).
31507
31508 @subheading The @code{-stack-info-frame} Command
31509 @findex -stack-info-frame
31510
31511 @subsubheading Synopsis
31512
31513 @smallexample
31514 -stack-info-frame
31515 @end smallexample
31516
31517 Get info on the selected frame.
31518
31519 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31520
31521 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info frame} or @samp{frame}
31522 (without arguments).
31523
31524 @subsubheading Example
31525
31526 @smallexample
31527 (gdb)
31528 -stack-info-frame
31529 ^done,frame=@{level="1",addr="0x0001076c",func="callee3",
31530 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
31531 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="17"@}
31532 (gdb)
31533 @end smallexample
31534
31535 @subheading The @code{-stack-info-depth} Command
31536 @findex -stack-info-depth
31537
31538 @subsubheading Synopsis
31539
31540 @smallexample
31541 -stack-info-depth [ @var{max-depth} ]
31542 @end smallexample
31543
31544 Return the depth of the stack. If the integer argument @var{max-depth}
31545 is specified, do not count beyond @var{max-depth} frames.
31546
31547 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31548
31549 There's no equivalent @value{GDBN} command.
31550
31551 @subsubheading Example
31552
31553 For a stack with frame levels 0 through 11:
31554
31555 @smallexample
31556 (gdb)
31557 -stack-info-depth
31558 ^done,depth="12"
31559 (gdb)
31560 -stack-info-depth 4
31561 ^done,depth="4"
31562 (gdb)
31563 -stack-info-depth 12
31564 ^done,depth="12"
31565 (gdb)
31566 -stack-info-depth 11
31567 ^done,depth="11"
31568 (gdb)
31569 -stack-info-depth 13
31570 ^done,depth="12"
31571 (gdb)
31572 @end smallexample
31573
31574 @anchor{-stack-list-arguments}
31575 @subheading The @code{-stack-list-arguments} Command
31576 @findex -stack-list-arguments
31577
31578 @subsubheading Synopsis
31579
31580 @smallexample
31581 -stack-list-arguments [ --no-frame-filters ] [ --skip-unavailable ] @var{print-values}
31582 [ @var{low-frame} @var{high-frame} ]
31583 @end smallexample
31584
31585 Display a list of the arguments for the frames between @var{low-frame}
31586 and @var{high-frame} (inclusive). If @var{low-frame} and
31587 @var{high-frame} are not provided, list the arguments for the whole
31588 call stack. If the two arguments are equal, show the single frame
31589 at the corresponding level. It is an error if @var{low-frame} is
31590 larger than the actual number of frames. On the other hand,
31591 @var{high-frame} may be larger than the actual number of frames, in
31592 which case only existing frames will be returned.
31593
31594 If @var{print-values} is 0 or @code{--no-values}, print only the names of
31595 the variables; if it is 1 or @code{--all-values}, print also their
31596 values; and if it is 2 or @code{--simple-values}, print the name,
31597 type and value for simple data types, and the name and type for arrays,
31598 structures and unions. If the option @code{--no-frame-filters} is
31599 supplied, then Python frame filters will not be executed.
31600
31601 If the @code{--skip-unavailable} option is specified, arguments that
31602 are not available are not listed. Partially available arguments
31603 are still displayed, however.
31604
31605 Use of this command to obtain arguments in a single frame is
31606 deprecated in favor of the @samp{-stack-list-variables} command.
31607
31608 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31609
31610 @value{GDBN} does not have an equivalent command. @code{gdbtk} has a
31611 @samp{gdb_get_args} command which partially overlaps with the
31612 functionality of @samp{-stack-list-arguments}.
31613
31614 @subsubheading Example
31615
31616 @smallexample
31617 (gdb)
31618 -stack-list-frames
31619 ^done,
31620 stack=[
31621 frame=@{level="0",addr="0x00010734",func="callee4",
31622 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
31623 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="8"@},
31624 frame=@{level="1",addr="0x0001076c",func="callee3",
31625 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
31626 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="17"@},
31627 frame=@{level="2",addr="0x0001078c",func="callee2",
31628 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
31629 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="22"@},
31630 frame=@{level="3",addr="0x000107b4",func="callee1",
31631 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
31632 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="27"@},
31633 frame=@{level="4",addr="0x000107e0",func="main",
31634 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
31635 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="32"@}]
31636 (gdb)
31637 -stack-list-arguments 0
31638 ^done,
31639 stack-args=[
31640 frame=@{level="0",args=[]@},
31641 frame=@{level="1",args=[name="strarg"]@},
31642 frame=@{level="2",args=[name="intarg",name="strarg"]@},
31643 frame=@{level="3",args=[name="intarg",name="strarg",name="fltarg"]@},
31644 frame=@{level="4",args=[]@}]
31645 (gdb)
31646 -stack-list-arguments 1
31647 ^done,
31648 stack-args=[
31649 frame=@{level="0",args=[]@},
31650 frame=@{level="1",
31651 args=[@{name="strarg",value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}]@},
31652 frame=@{level="2",args=[
31653 @{name="intarg",value="2"@},
31654 @{name="strarg",value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}]@},
31655 @{frame=@{level="3",args=[
31656 @{name="intarg",value="2"@},
31657 @{name="strarg",value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@},
31658 @{name="fltarg",value="3.5"@}]@},
31659 frame=@{level="4",args=[]@}]
31660 (gdb)
31661 -stack-list-arguments 0 2 2
31662 ^done,stack-args=[frame=@{level="2",args=[name="intarg",name="strarg"]@}]
31663 (gdb)
31664 -stack-list-arguments 1 2 2
31665 ^done,stack-args=[frame=@{level="2",
31666 args=[@{name="intarg",value="2"@},
31667 @{name="strarg",value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}]@}]
31668 (gdb)
31669 @end smallexample
31670
31671 @c @subheading -stack-list-exception-handlers
31672
31673
31674 @anchor{-stack-list-frames}
31675 @subheading The @code{-stack-list-frames} Command
31676 @findex -stack-list-frames
31677
31678 @subsubheading Synopsis
31679
31680 @smallexample
31681 -stack-list-frames [ --no-frame-filters @var{low-frame} @var{high-frame} ]
31682 @end smallexample
31683
31684 List the frames currently on the stack. For each frame it displays the
31685 following info:
31686
31687 @table @samp
31688 @item @var{level}
31689 The frame number, 0 being the topmost frame, i.e., the innermost function.
31690 @item @var{addr}
31691 The @code{$pc} value for that frame.
31692 @item @var{func}
31693 Function name.
31694 @item @var{file}
31695 File name of the source file where the function lives.
31696 @item @var{fullname}
31697 The full file name of the source file where the function lives.
31698 @item @var{line}
31699 Line number corresponding to the @code{$pc}.
31700 @item @var{from}
31701 The shared library where this function is defined. This is only given
31702 if the frame's function is not known.
31703 @end table
31704
31705 If invoked without arguments, this command prints a backtrace for the
31706 whole stack. If given two integer arguments, it shows the frames whose
31707 levels are between the two arguments (inclusive). If the two arguments
31708 are equal, it shows the single frame at the corresponding level. It is
31709 an error if @var{low-frame} is larger than the actual number of
31710 frames. On the other hand, @var{high-frame} may be larger than the
31711 actual number of frames, in which case only existing frames will be
31712 returned. If the option @code{--no-frame-filters} is supplied, then
31713 Python frame filters will not be executed.
31714
31715 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31716
31717 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{backtrace} and @samp{where}.
31718
31719 @subsubheading Example
31720
31721 Full stack backtrace:
31722
31723 @smallexample
31724 (gdb)
31725 -stack-list-frames
31726 ^done,stack=
31727 [frame=@{level="0",addr="0x0001076c",func="foo",
31728 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="11"@},
31729 frame=@{level="1",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
31730 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
31731 frame=@{level="2",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
31732 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
31733 frame=@{level="3",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
31734 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
31735 frame=@{level="4",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
31736 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
31737 frame=@{level="5",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
31738 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
31739 frame=@{level="6",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
31740 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
31741 frame=@{level="7",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
31742 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
31743 frame=@{level="8",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
31744 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
31745 frame=@{level="9",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
31746 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
31747 frame=@{level="10",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
31748 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
31749 frame=@{level="11",addr="0x00010738",func="main",
31750 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="4"@}]
31751 (gdb)
31752 @end smallexample
31753
31754 Show frames between @var{low_frame} and @var{high_frame}:
31755
31756 @smallexample
31757 (gdb)
31758 -stack-list-frames 3 5
31759 ^done,stack=
31760 [frame=@{level="3",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
31761 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
31762 frame=@{level="4",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
31763 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
31764 frame=@{level="5",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
31765 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@}]
31766 (gdb)
31767 @end smallexample
31768
31769 Show a single frame:
31770
31771 @smallexample
31772 (gdb)
31773 -stack-list-frames 3 3
31774 ^done,stack=
31775 [frame=@{level="3",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
31776 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@}]
31777 (gdb)
31778 @end smallexample
31779
31780
31781 @subheading The @code{-stack-list-locals} Command
31782 @findex -stack-list-locals
31783 @anchor{-stack-list-locals}
31784
31785 @subsubheading Synopsis
31786
31787 @smallexample
31788 -stack-list-locals [ --no-frame-filters ] [ --skip-unavailable ] @var{print-values}
31789 @end smallexample
31790
31791 Display the local variable names for the selected frame. If
31792 @var{print-values} is 0 or @code{--no-values}, print only the names of
31793 the variables; if it is 1 or @code{--all-values}, print also their
31794 values; and if it is 2 or @code{--simple-values}, print the name,
31795 type and value for simple data types, and the name and type for arrays,
31796 structures and unions. In this last case, a frontend can immediately
31797 display the value of simple data types and create variable objects for
31798 other data types when the user wishes to explore their values in
31799 more detail. If the option @code{--no-frame-filters} is supplied, then
31800 Python frame filters will not be executed.
31801
31802 If the @code{--skip-unavailable} option is specified, local variables
31803 that are not available are not listed. Partially available local
31804 variables are still displayed, however.
31805
31806 This command is deprecated in favor of the
31807 @samp{-stack-list-variables} command.
31808
31809 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31810
31811 @samp{info locals} in @value{GDBN}, @samp{gdb_get_locals} in @code{gdbtk}.
31812
31813 @subsubheading Example
31814
31815 @smallexample
31816 (gdb)
31817 -stack-list-locals 0
31818 ^done,locals=[name="A",name="B",name="C"]
31819 (gdb)
31820 -stack-list-locals --all-values
31821 ^done,locals=[@{name="A",value="1"@},@{name="B",value="2"@},
31822 @{name="C",value="@{1, 2, 3@}"@}]
31823 -stack-list-locals --simple-values
31824 ^done,locals=[@{name="A",type="int",value="1"@},
31825 @{name="B",type="int",value="2"@},@{name="C",type="int [3]"@}]
31826 (gdb)
31827 @end smallexample
31828
31829 @anchor{-stack-list-variables}
31830 @subheading The @code{-stack-list-variables} Command
31831 @findex -stack-list-variables
31832
31833 @subsubheading Synopsis
31834
31835 @smallexample
31836 -stack-list-variables [ --no-frame-filters ] [ --skip-unavailable ] @var{print-values}
31837 @end smallexample
31838
31839 Display the names of local variables and function arguments for the selected frame. If
31840 @var{print-values} is 0 or @code{--no-values}, print only the names of
31841 the variables; if it is 1 or @code{--all-values}, print also their
31842 values; and if it is 2 or @code{--simple-values}, print the name,
31843 type and value for simple data types, and the name and type for arrays,
31844 structures and unions. If the option @code{--no-frame-filters} is
31845 supplied, then Python frame filters will not be executed.
31846
31847 If the @code{--skip-unavailable} option is specified, local variables
31848 and arguments that are not available are not listed. Partially
31849 available arguments and local variables are still displayed, however.
31850
31851 @subsubheading Example
31852
31853 @smallexample
31854 (gdb)
31855 -stack-list-variables --thread 1 --frame 0 --all-values
31856 ^done,variables=[@{name="x",value="11"@},@{name="s",value="@{a = 1, b = 2@}"@}]
31857 (gdb)
31858 @end smallexample
31859
31860
31861 @subheading The @code{-stack-select-frame} Command
31862 @findex -stack-select-frame
31863
31864 @subsubheading Synopsis
31865
31866 @smallexample
31867 -stack-select-frame @var{framenum}
31868 @end smallexample
31869
31870 Change the selected frame. Select a different frame @var{framenum} on
31871 the stack.
31872
31873 This command in deprecated in favor of passing the @samp{--frame}
31874 option to every command.
31875
31876 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31877
31878 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{frame}, @samp{up},
31879 @samp{down}, @samp{select-frame}, @samp{up-silent}, and @samp{down-silent}.
31880
31881 @subsubheading Example
31882
31883 @smallexample
31884 (gdb)
31885 -stack-select-frame 2
31886 ^done
31887 (gdb)
31888 @end smallexample
31889
31890 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
31891 @node GDB/MI Variable Objects
31892 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Variable Objects
31893
31894 @ignore
31895
31896 @subheading Motivation for Variable Objects in @sc{gdb/mi}
31897
31898 For the implementation of a variable debugger window (locals, watched
31899 expressions, etc.), we are proposing the adaptation of the existing code
31900 used by @code{Insight}.
31901
31902 The two main reasons for that are:
31903
31904 @enumerate 1
31905 @item
31906 It has been proven in practice (it is already on its second generation).
31907
31908 @item
31909 It will shorten development time (needless to say how important it is
31910 now).
31911 @end enumerate
31912
31913 The original interface was designed to be used by Tcl code, so it was
31914 slightly changed so it could be used through @sc{gdb/mi}. This section
31915 describes the @sc{gdb/mi} operations that will be available and gives some
31916 hints about their use.
31917
31918 @emph{Note}: In addition to the set of operations described here, we
31919 expect the @sc{gui} implementation of a variable window to require, at
31920 least, the following operations:
31921
31922 @itemize @bullet
31923 @item @code{-gdb-show} @code{output-radix}
31924 @item @code{-stack-list-arguments}
31925 @item @code{-stack-list-locals}
31926 @item @code{-stack-select-frame}
31927 @end itemize
31928
31929 @end ignore
31930
31931 @subheading Introduction to Variable Objects
31932
31933 @cindex variable objects in @sc{gdb/mi}
31934
31935 Variable objects are "object-oriented" MI interface for examining and
31936 changing values of expressions. Unlike some other MI interfaces that
31937 work with expressions, variable objects are specifically designed for
31938 simple and efficient presentation in the frontend. A variable object
31939 is identified by string name. When a variable object is created, the
31940 frontend specifies the expression for that variable object. The
31941 expression can be a simple variable, or it can be an arbitrary complex
31942 expression, and can even involve CPU registers. After creating a
31943 variable object, the frontend can invoke other variable object
31944 operations---for example to obtain or change the value of a variable
31945 object, or to change display format.
31946
31947 Variable objects have hierarchical tree structure. Any variable object
31948 that corresponds to a composite type, such as structure in C, has
31949 a number of child variable objects, for example corresponding to each
31950 element of a structure. A child variable object can itself have
31951 children, recursively. Recursion ends when we reach
31952 leaf variable objects, which always have built-in types. Child variable
31953 objects are created only by explicit request, so if a frontend
31954 is not interested in the children of a particular variable object, no
31955 child will be created.
31956
31957 For a leaf variable object it is possible to obtain its value as a
31958 string, or set the value from a string. String value can be also
31959 obtained for a non-leaf variable object, but it's generally a string
31960 that only indicates the type of the object, and does not list its
31961 contents. Assignment to a non-leaf variable object is not allowed.
31962
31963 A frontend does not need to read the values of all variable objects each time
31964 the program stops. Instead, MI provides an update command that lists all
31965 variable objects whose values has changed since the last update
31966 operation. This considerably reduces the amount of data that must
31967 be transferred to the frontend. As noted above, children variable
31968 objects are created on demand, and only leaf variable objects have a
31969 real value. As result, gdb will read target memory only for leaf
31970 variables that frontend has created.
31971
31972 The automatic update is not always desirable. For example, a frontend
31973 might want to keep a value of some expression for future reference,
31974 and never update it. For another example, fetching memory is
31975 relatively slow for embedded targets, so a frontend might want
31976 to disable automatic update for the variables that are either not
31977 visible on the screen, or ``closed''. This is possible using so
31978 called ``frozen variable objects''. Such variable objects are never
31979 implicitly updated.
31980
31981 Variable objects can be either @dfn{fixed} or @dfn{floating}. For the
31982 fixed variable object, the expression is parsed when the variable
31983 object is created, including associating identifiers to specific
31984 variables. The meaning of expression never changes. For a floating
31985 variable object the values of variables whose names appear in the
31986 expressions are re-evaluated every time in the context of the current
31987 frame. Consider this example:
31988
31989 @smallexample
31990 void do_work(...)
31991 @{
31992 struct work_state state;
31993
31994 if (...)
31995 do_work(...);
31996 @}
31997 @end smallexample
31998
31999 If a fixed variable object for the @code{state} variable is created in
32000 this function, and we enter the recursive call, the variable
32001 object will report the value of @code{state} in the top-level
32002 @code{do_work} invocation. On the other hand, a floating variable
32003 object will report the value of @code{state} in the current frame.
32004
32005 If an expression specified when creating a fixed variable object
32006 refers to a local variable, the variable object becomes bound to the
32007 thread and frame in which the variable object is created. When such
32008 variable object is updated, @value{GDBN} makes sure that the
32009 thread/frame combination the variable object is bound to still exists,
32010 and re-evaluates the variable object in context of that thread/frame.
32011
32012 The following is the complete set of @sc{gdb/mi} operations defined to
32013 access this functionality:
32014
32015 @multitable @columnfractions .4 .6
32016 @item @strong{Operation}
32017 @tab @strong{Description}
32018
32019 @item @code{-enable-pretty-printing}
32020 @tab enable Python-based pretty-printing
32021 @item @code{-var-create}
32022 @tab create a variable object
32023 @item @code{-var-delete}
32024 @tab delete the variable object and/or its children
32025 @item @code{-var-set-format}
32026 @tab set the display format of this variable
32027 @item @code{-var-show-format}
32028 @tab show the display format of this variable
32029 @item @code{-var-info-num-children}
32030 @tab tells how many children this object has
32031 @item @code{-var-list-children}
32032 @tab return a list of the object's children
32033 @item @code{-var-info-type}
32034 @tab show the type of this variable object
32035 @item @code{-var-info-expression}
32036 @tab print parent-relative expression that this variable object represents
32037 @item @code{-var-info-path-expression}
32038 @tab print full expression that this variable object represents
32039 @item @code{-var-show-attributes}
32040 @tab is this variable editable? does it exist here?
32041 @item @code{-var-evaluate-expression}
32042 @tab get the value of this variable
32043 @item @code{-var-assign}
32044 @tab set the value of this variable
32045 @item @code{-var-update}
32046 @tab update the variable and its children
32047 @item @code{-var-set-frozen}
32048 @tab set frozeness attribute
32049 @item @code{-var-set-update-range}
32050 @tab set range of children to display on update
32051 @end multitable
32052
32053 In the next subsection we describe each operation in detail and suggest
32054 how it can be used.
32055
32056 @subheading Description And Use of Operations on Variable Objects
32057
32058 @subheading The @code{-enable-pretty-printing} Command
32059 @findex -enable-pretty-printing
32060
32061 @smallexample
32062 -enable-pretty-printing
32063 @end smallexample
32064
32065 @value{GDBN} allows Python-based visualizers to affect the output of the
32066 MI variable object commands. However, because there was no way to
32067 implement this in a fully backward-compatible way, a front end must
32068 request that this functionality be enabled.
32069
32070 Once enabled, this feature cannot be disabled.
32071
32072 Note that if Python support has not been compiled into @value{GDBN},
32073 this command will still succeed (and do nothing).
32074
32075 This feature is currently (as of @value{GDBN} 7.0) experimental, and
32076 may work differently in future versions of @value{GDBN}.
32077
32078 @subheading The @code{-var-create} Command
32079 @findex -var-create
32080
32081 @subsubheading Synopsis
32082
32083 @smallexample
32084 -var-create @{@var{name} | "-"@}
32085 @{@var{frame-addr} | "*" | "@@"@} @var{expression}
32086 @end smallexample
32087
32088 This operation creates a variable object, which allows the monitoring of
32089 a variable, the result of an expression, a memory cell or a CPU
32090 register.
32091
32092 The @var{name} parameter is the string by which the object can be
32093 referenced. It must be unique. If @samp{-} is specified, the varobj
32094 system will generate a string ``varNNNNNN'' automatically. It will be
32095 unique provided that one does not specify @var{name} of that format.
32096 The command fails if a duplicate name is found.
32097
32098 The frame under which the expression should be evaluated can be
32099 specified by @var{frame-addr}. A @samp{*} indicates that the current
32100 frame should be used. A @samp{@@} indicates that a floating variable
32101 object must be created.
32102
32103 @var{expression} is any expression valid on the current language set (must not
32104 begin with a @samp{*}), or one of the following:
32105
32106 @itemize @bullet
32107 @item
32108 @samp{*@var{addr}}, where @var{addr} is the address of a memory cell
32109
32110 @item
32111 @samp{*@var{addr}-@var{addr}} --- a memory address range (TBD)
32112
32113 @item
32114 @samp{$@var{regname}} --- a CPU register name
32115 @end itemize
32116
32117 @cindex dynamic varobj
32118 A varobj's contents may be provided by a Python-based pretty-printer. In this
32119 case the varobj is known as a @dfn{dynamic varobj}. Dynamic varobjs
32120 have slightly different semantics in some cases. If the
32121 @code{-enable-pretty-printing} command is not sent, then @value{GDBN}
32122 will never create a dynamic varobj. This ensures backward
32123 compatibility for existing clients.
32124
32125 @subsubheading Result
32126
32127 This operation returns attributes of the newly-created varobj. These
32128 are:
32129
32130 @table @samp
32131 @item name
32132 The name of the varobj.
32133
32134 @item numchild
32135 The number of children of the varobj. This number is not necessarily
32136 reliable for a dynamic varobj. Instead, you must examine the
32137 @samp{has_more} attribute.
32138
32139 @item value
32140 The varobj's scalar value. For a varobj whose type is some sort of
32141 aggregate (e.g., a @code{struct}), or for a dynamic varobj, this value
32142 will not be interesting.
32143
32144 @item type
32145 The varobj's type. This is a string representation of the type, as
32146 would be printed by the @value{GDBN} CLI. If @samp{print object}
32147 (@pxref{Print Settings, set print object}) is set to @code{on}, the
32148 @emph{actual} (derived) type of the object is shown rather than the
32149 @emph{declared} one.
32150
32151 @item thread-id
32152 If a variable object is bound to a specific thread, then this is the
32153 thread's identifier.
32154
32155 @item has_more
32156 For a dynamic varobj, this indicates whether there appear to be any
32157 children available. For a non-dynamic varobj, this will be 0.
32158
32159 @item dynamic
32160 This attribute will be present and have the value @samp{1} if the
32161 varobj is a dynamic varobj. If the varobj is not a dynamic varobj,
32162 then this attribute will not be present.
32163
32164 @item displayhint
32165 A dynamic varobj can supply a display hint to the front end. The
32166 value comes directly from the Python pretty-printer object's
32167 @code{display_hint} method. @xref{Pretty Printing API}.
32168 @end table
32169
32170 Typical output will look like this:
32171
32172 @smallexample
32173 name="@var{name}",numchild="@var{N}",type="@var{type}",thread-id="@var{M}",
32174 has_more="@var{has_more}"
32175 @end smallexample
32176
32177
32178 @subheading The @code{-var-delete} Command
32179 @findex -var-delete
32180
32181 @subsubheading Synopsis
32182
32183 @smallexample
32184 -var-delete [ -c ] @var{name}
32185 @end smallexample
32186
32187 Deletes a previously created variable object and all of its children.
32188 With the @samp{-c} option, just deletes the children.
32189
32190 Returns an error if the object @var{name} is not found.
32191
32192
32193 @subheading The @code{-var-set-format} Command
32194 @findex -var-set-format
32195
32196 @subsubheading Synopsis
32197
32198 @smallexample
32199 -var-set-format @var{name} @var{format-spec}
32200 @end smallexample
32201
32202 Sets the output format for the value of the object @var{name} to be
32203 @var{format-spec}.
32204
32205 @anchor{-var-set-format}
32206 The syntax for the @var{format-spec} is as follows:
32207
32208 @smallexample
32209 @var{format-spec} @expansion{}
32210 @{binary | decimal | hexadecimal | octal | natural@}
32211 @end smallexample
32212
32213 The natural format is the default format choosen automatically
32214 based on the variable type (like decimal for an @code{int}, hex
32215 for pointers, etc.).
32216
32217 For a variable with children, the format is set only on the
32218 variable itself, and the children are not affected.
32219
32220 @subheading The @code{-var-show-format} Command
32221 @findex -var-show-format
32222
32223 @subsubheading Synopsis
32224
32225 @smallexample
32226 -var-show-format @var{name}
32227 @end smallexample
32228
32229 Returns the format used to display the value of the object @var{name}.
32230
32231 @smallexample
32232 @var{format} @expansion{}
32233 @var{format-spec}
32234 @end smallexample
32235
32236
32237 @subheading The @code{-var-info-num-children} Command
32238 @findex -var-info-num-children
32239
32240 @subsubheading Synopsis
32241
32242 @smallexample
32243 -var-info-num-children @var{name}
32244 @end smallexample
32245
32246 Returns the number of children of a variable object @var{name}:
32247
32248 @smallexample
32249 numchild=@var{n}
32250 @end smallexample
32251
32252 Note that this number is not completely reliable for a dynamic varobj.
32253 It will return the current number of children, but more children may
32254 be available.
32255
32256
32257 @subheading The @code{-var-list-children} Command
32258 @findex -var-list-children
32259
32260 @subsubheading Synopsis
32261
32262 @smallexample
32263 -var-list-children [@var{print-values}] @var{name} [@var{from} @var{to}]
32264 @end smallexample
32265 @anchor{-var-list-children}
32266
32267 Return a list of the children of the specified variable object and
32268 create variable objects for them, if they do not already exist. With
32269 a single argument or if @var{print-values} has a value of 0 or
32270 @code{--no-values}, print only the names of the variables; if
32271 @var{print-values} is 1 or @code{--all-values}, also print their
32272 values; and if it is 2 or @code{--simple-values} print the name and
32273 value for simple data types and just the name for arrays, structures
32274 and unions.
32275
32276 @var{from} and @var{to}, if specified, indicate the range of children
32277 to report. If @var{from} or @var{to} is less than zero, the range is
32278 reset and all children will be reported. Otherwise, children starting
32279 at @var{from} (zero-based) and up to and excluding @var{to} will be
32280 reported.
32281
32282 If a child range is requested, it will only affect the current call to
32283 @code{-var-list-children}, but not future calls to @code{-var-update}.
32284 For this, you must instead use @code{-var-set-update-range}. The
32285 intent of this approach is to enable a front end to implement any
32286 update approach it likes; for example, scrolling a view may cause the
32287 front end to request more children with @code{-var-list-children}, and
32288 then the front end could call @code{-var-set-update-range} with a
32289 different range to ensure that future updates are restricted to just
32290 the visible items.
32291
32292 For each child the following results are returned:
32293
32294 @table @var
32295
32296 @item name
32297 Name of the variable object created for this child.
32298
32299 @item exp
32300 The expression to be shown to the user by the front end to designate this child.
32301 For example this may be the name of a structure member.
32302
32303 For a dynamic varobj, this value cannot be used to form an
32304 expression. There is no way to do this at all with a dynamic varobj.
32305
32306 For C/C@t{++} structures there are several pseudo children returned to
32307 designate access qualifiers. For these pseudo children @var{exp} is
32308 @samp{public}, @samp{private}, or @samp{protected}. In this case the
32309 type and value are not present.
32310
32311 A dynamic varobj will not report the access qualifying
32312 pseudo-children, regardless of the language. This information is not
32313 available at all with a dynamic varobj.
32314
32315 @item numchild
32316 Number of children this child has. For a dynamic varobj, this will be
32317 0.
32318
32319 @item type
32320 The type of the child. If @samp{print object}
32321 (@pxref{Print Settings, set print object}) is set to @code{on}, the
32322 @emph{actual} (derived) type of the object is shown rather than the
32323 @emph{declared} one.
32324
32325 @item value
32326 If values were requested, this is the value.
32327
32328 @item thread-id
32329 If this variable object is associated with a thread, this is the thread id.
32330 Otherwise this result is not present.
32331
32332 @item frozen
32333 If the variable object is frozen, this variable will be present with a value of 1.
32334 @end table
32335
32336 The result may have its own attributes:
32337
32338 @table @samp
32339 @item displayhint
32340 A dynamic varobj can supply a display hint to the front end. The
32341 value comes directly from the Python pretty-printer object's
32342 @code{display_hint} method. @xref{Pretty Printing API}.
32343
32344 @item has_more
32345 This is an integer attribute which is nonzero if there are children
32346 remaining after the end of the selected range.
32347 @end table
32348
32349 @subsubheading Example
32350
32351 @smallexample
32352 (gdb)
32353 -var-list-children n
32354 ^done,numchild=@var{n},children=[child=@{name=@var{name},exp=@var{exp},
32355 numchild=@var{n},type=@var{type}@},@r{(repeats N times)}]
32356 (gdb)
32357 -var-list-children --all-values n
32358 ^done,numchild=@var{n},children=[child=@{name=@var{name},exp=@var{exp},
32359 numchild=@var{n},value=@var{value},type=@var{type}@},@r{(repeats N times)}]
32360 @end smallexample
32361
32362
32363 @subheading The @code{-var-info-type} Command
32364 @findex -var-info-type
32365
32366 @subsubheading Synopsis
32367
32368 @smallexample
32369 -var-info-type @var{name}
32370 @end smallexample
32371
32372 Returns the type of the specified variable @var{name}. The type is
32373 returned as a string in the same format as it is output by the
32374 @value{GDBN} CLI:
32375
32376 @smallexample
32377 type=@var{typename}
32378 @end smallexample
32379
32380
32381 @subheading The @code{-var-info-expression} Command
32382 @findex -var-info-expression
32383
32384 @subsubheading Synopsis
32385
32386 @smallexample
32387 -var-info-expression @var{name}
32388 @end smallexample
32389
32390 Returns a string that is suitable for presenting this
32391 variable object in user interface. The string is generally
32392 not valid expression in the current language, and cannot be evaluated.
32393
32394 For example, if @code{a} is an array, and variable object
32395 @code{A} was created for @code{a}, then we'll get this output:
32396
32397 @smallexample
32398 (gdb) -var-info-expression A.1
32399 ^done,lang="C",exp="1"
32400 @end smallexample
32401
32402 @noindent
32403 Here, the values of @code{lang} can be @code{@{"C" | "C++" | "Java"@}}.
32404
32405 Note that the output of the @code{-var-list-children} command also
32406 includes those expressions, so the @code{-var-info-expression} command
32407 is of limited use.
32408
32409 @subheading The @code{-var-info-path-expression} Command
32410 @findex -var-info-path-expression
32411
32412 @subsubheading Synopsis
32413
32414 @smallexample
32415 -var-info-path-expression @var{name}
32416 @end smallexample
32417
32418 Returns an expression that can be evaluated in the current
32419 context and will yield the same value that a variable object has.
32420 Compare this with the @code{-var-info-expression} command, which
32421 result can be used only for UI presentation. Typical use of
32422 the @code{-var-info-path-expression} command is creating a
32423 watchpoint from a variable object.
32424
32425 This command is currently not valid for children of a dynamic varobj,
32426 and will give an error when invoked on one.
32427
32428 For example, suppose @code{C} is a C@t{++} class, derived from class
32429 @code{Base}, and that the @code{Base} class has a member called
32430 @code{m_size}. Assume a variable @code{c} is has the type of
32431 @code{C} and a variable object @code{C} was created for variable
32432 @code{c}. Then, we'll get this output:
32433 @smallexample
32434 (gdb) -var-info-path-expression C.Base.public.m_size
32435 ^done,path_expr=((Base)c).m_size)
32436 @end smallexample
32437
32438 @subheading The @code{-var-show-attributes} Command
32439 @findex -var-show-attributes
32440
32441 @subsubheading Synopsis
32442
32443 @smallexample
32444 -var-show-attributes @var{name}
32445 @end smallexample
32446
32447 List attributes of the specified variable object @var{name}:
32448
32449 @smallexample
32450 status=@var{attr} [ ( ,@var{attr} )* ]
32451 @end smallexample
32452
32453 @noindent
32454 where @var{attr} is @code{@{ @{ editable | noneditable @} | TBD @}}.
32455
32456 @subheading The @code{-var-evaluate-expression} Command
32457 @findex -var-evaluate-expression
32458
32459 @subsubheading Synopsis
32460
32461 @smallexample
32462 -var-evaluate-expression [-f @var{format-spec}] @var{name}
32463 @end smallexample
32464
32465 Evaluates the expression that is represented by the specified variable
32466 object and returns its value as a string. The format of the string
32467 can be specified with the @samp{-f} option. The possible values of
32468 this option are the same as for @code{-var-set-format}
32469 (@pxref{-var-set-format}). If the @samp{-f} option is not specified,
32470 the current display format will be used. The current display format
32471 can be changed using the @code{-var-set-format} command.
32472
32473 @smallexample
32474 value=@var{value}
32475 @end smallexample
32476
32477 Note that one must invoke @code{-var-list-children} for a variable
32478 before the value of a child variable can be evaluated.
32479
32480 @subheading The @code{-var-assign} Command
32481 @findex -var-assign
32482
32483 @subsubheading Synopsis
32484
32485 @smallexample
32486 -var-assign @var{name} @var{expression}
32487 @end smallexample
32488
32489 Assigns the value of @var{expression} to the variable object specified
32490 by @var{name}. The object must be @samp{editable}. If the variable's
32491 value is altered by the assign, the variable will show up in any
32492 subsequent @code{-var-update} list.
32493
32494 @subsubheading Example
32495
32496 @smallexample
32497 (gdb)
32498 -var-assign var1 3
32499 ^done,value="3"
32500 (gdb)
32501 -var-update *
32502 ^done,changelist=[@{name="var1",in_scope="true",type_changed="false"@}]
32503 (gdb)
32504 @end smallexample
32505
32506 @subheading The @code{-var-update} Command
32507 @findex -var-update
32508
32509 @subsubheading Synopsis
32510
32511 @smallexample
32512 -var-update [@var{print-values}] @{@var{name} | "*"@}
32513 @end smallexample
32514
32515 Reevaluate the expressions corresponding to the variable object
32516 @var{name} and all its direct and indirect children, and return the
32517 list of variable objects whose values have changed; @var{name} must
32518 be a root variable object. Here, ``changed'' means that the result of
32519 @code{-var-evaluate-expression} before and after the
32520 @code{-var-update} is different. If @samp{*} is used as the variable
32521 object names, all existing variable objects are updated, except
32522 for frozen ones (@pxref{-var-set-frozen}). The option
32523 @var{print-values} determines whether both names and values, or just
32524 names are printed. The possible values of this option are the same
32525 as for @code{-var-list-children} (@pxref{-var-list-children}). It is
32526 recommended to use the @samp{--all-values} option, to reduce the
32527 number of MI commands needed on each program stop.
32528
32529 With the @samp{*} parameter, if a variable object is bound to a
32530 currently running thread, it will not be updated, without any
32531 diagnostic.
32532
32533 If @code{-var-set-update-range} was previously used on a varobj, then
32534 only the selected range of children will be reported.
32535
32536 @code{-var-update} reports all the changed varobjs in a tuple named
32537 @samp{changelist}.
32538
32539 Each item in the change list is itself a tuple holding:
32540
32541 @table @samp
32542 @item name
32543 The name of the varobj.
32544
32545 @item value
32546 If values were requested for this update, then this field will be
32547 present and will hold the value of the varobj.
32548
32549 @item in_scope
32550 @anchor{-var-update}
32551 This field is a string which may take one of three values:
32552
32553 @table @code
32554 @item "true"
32555 The variable object's current value is valid.
32556
32557 @item "false"
32558 The variable object does not currently hold a valid value but it may
32559 hold one in the future if its associated expression comes back into
32560 scope.
32561
32562 @item "invalid"
32563 The variable object no longer holds a valid value.
32564 This can occur when the executable file being debugged has changed,
32565 either through recompilation or by using the @value{GDBN} @code{file}
32566 command. The front end should normally choose to delete these variable
32567 objects.
32568 @end table
32569
32570 In the future new values may be added to this list so the front should
32571 be prepared for this possibility. @xref{GDB/MI Development and Front Ends, ,@sc{GDB/MI} Development and Front Ends}.
32572
32573 @item type_changed
32574 This is only present if the varobj is still valid. If the type
32575 changed, then this will be the string @samp{true}; otherwise it will
32576 be @samp{false}.
32577
32578 When a varobj's type changes, its children are also likely to have
32579 become incorrect. Therefore, the varobj's children are automatically
32580 deleted when this attribute is @samp{true}. Also, the varobj's update
32581 range, when set using the @code{-var-set-update-range} command, is
32582 unset.
32583
32584 @item new_type
32585 If the varobj's type changed, then this field will be present and will
32586 hold the new type.
32587
32588 @item new_num_children
32589 For a dynamic varobj, if the number of children changed, or if the
32590 type changed, this will be the new number of children.
32591
32592 The @samp{numchild} field in other varobj responses is generally not
32593 valid for a dynamic varobj -- it will show the number of children that
32594 @value{GDBN} knows about, but because dynamic varobjs lazily
32595 instantiate their children, this will not reflect the number of
32596 children which may be available.
32597
32598 The @samp{new_num_children} attribute only reports changes to the
32599 number of children known by @value{GDBN}. This is the only way to
32600 detect whether an update has removed children (which necessarily can
32601 only happen at the end of the update range).
32602
32603 @item displayhint
32604 The display hint, if any.
32605
32606 @item has_more
32607 This is an integer value, which will be 1 if there are more children
32608 available outside the varobj's update range.
32609
32610 @item dynamic
32611 This attribute will be present and have the value @samp{1} if the
32612 varobj is a dynamic varobj. If the varobj is not a dynamic varobj,
32613 then this attribute will not be present.
32614
32615 @item new_children
32616 If new children were added to a dynamic varobj within the selected
32617 update range (as set by @code{-var-set-update-range}), then they will
32618 be listed in this attribute.
32619 @end table
32620
32621 @subsubheading Example
32622
32623 @smallexample
32624 (gdb)
32625 -var-assign var1 3
32626 ^done,value="3"
32627 (gdb)
32628 -var-update --all-values var1
32629 ^done,changelist=[@{name="var1",value="3",in_scope="true",
32630 type_changed="false"@}]
32631 (gdb)
32632 @end smallexample
32633
32634 @subheading The @code{-var-set-frozen} Command
32635 @findex -var-set-frozen
32636 @anchor{-var-set-frozen}
32637
32638 @subsubheading Synopsis
32639
32640 @smallexample
32641 -var-set-frozen @var{name} @var{flag}
32642 @end smallexample
32643
32644 Set the frozenness flag on the variable object @var{name}. The
32645 @var{flag} parameter should be either @samp{1} to make the variable
32646 frozen or @samp{0} to make it unfrozen. If a variable object is
32647 frozen, then neither itself, nor any of its children, are
32648 implicitly updated by @code{-var-update} of
32649 a parent variable or by @code{-var-update *}. Only
32650 @code{-var-update} of the variable itself will update its value and
32651 values of its children. After a variable object is unfrozen, it is
32652 implicitly updated by all subsequent @code{-var-update} operations.
32653 Unfreezing a variable does not update it, only subsequent
32654 @code{-var-update} does.
32655
32656 @subsubheading Example
32657
32658 @smallexample
32659 (gdb)
32660 -var-set-frozen V 1
32661 ^done
32662 (gdb)
32663 @end smallexample
32664
32665 @subheading The @code{-var-set-update-range} command
32666 @findex -var-set-update-range
32667 @anchor{-var-set-update-range}
32668
32669 @subsubheading Synopsis
32670
32671 @smallexample
32672 -var-set-update-range @var{name} @var{from} @var{to}
32673 @end smallexample
32674
32675 Set the range of children to be returned by future invocations of
32676 @code{-var-update}.
32677
32678 @var{from} and @var{to} indicate the range of children to report. If
32679 @var{from} or @var{to} is less than zero, the range is reset and all
32680 children will be reported. Otherwise, children starting at @var{from}
32681 (zero-based) and up to and excluding @var{to} will be reported.
32682
32683 @subsubheading Example
32684
32685 @smallexample
32686 (gdb)
32687 -var-set-update-range V 1 2
32688 ^done
32689 @end smallexample
32690
32691 @subheading The @code{-var-set-visualizer} command
32692 @findex -var-set-visualizer
32693 @anchor{-var-set-visualizer}
32694
32695 @subsubheading Synopsis
32696
32697 @smallexample
32698 -var-set-visualizer @var{name} @var{visualizer}
32699 @end smallexample
32700
32701 Set a visualizer for the variable object @var{name}.
32702
32703 @var{visualizer} is the visualizer to use. The special value
32704 @samp{None} means to disable any visualizer in use.
32705
32706 If not @samp{None}, @var{visualizer} must be a Python expression.
32707 This expression must evaluate to a callable object which accepts a
32708 single argument. @value{GDBN} will call this object with the value of
32709 the varobj @var{name} as an argument (this is done so that the same
32710 Python pretty-printing code can be used for both the CLI and MI).
32711 When called, this object must return an object which conforms to the
32712 pretty-printing interface (@pxref{Pretty Printing API}).
32713
32714 The pre-defined function @code{gdb.default_visualizer} may be used to
32715 select a visualizer by following the built-in process
32716 (@pxref{Selecting Pretty-Printers}). This is done automatically when
32717 a varobj is created, and so ordinarily is not needed.
32718
32719 This feature is only available if Python support is enabled. The MI
32720 command @code{-list-features} (@pxref{GDB/MI Miscellaneous Commands})
32721 can be used to check this.
32722
32723 @subsubheading Example
32724
32725 Resetting the visualizer:
32726
32727 @smallexample
32728 (gdb)
32729 -var-set-visualizer V None
32730 ^done
32731 @end smallexample
32732
32733 Reselecting the default (type-based) visualizer:
32734
32735 @smallexample
32736 (gdb)
32737 -var-set-visualizer V gdb.default_visualizer
32738 ^done
32739 @end smallexample
32740
32741 Suppose @code{SomeClass} is a visualizer class. A lambda expression
32742 can be used to instantiate this class for a varobj:
32743
32744 @smallexample
32745 (gdb)
32746 -var-set-visualizer V "lambda val: SomeClass()"
32747 ^done
32748 @end smallexample
32749
32750 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
32751 @node GDB/MI Data Manipulation
32752 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Data Manipulation
32753
32754 @cindex data manipulation, in @sc{gdb/mi}
32755 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, data manipulation
32756 This section describes the @sc{gdb/mi} commands that manipulate data:
32757 examine memory and registers, evaluate expressions, etc.
32758
32759 @c REMOVED FROM THE INTERFACE.
32760 @c @subheading -data-assign
32761 @c Change the value of a program variable. Plenty of side effects.
32762 @c @subsubheading GDB Command
32763 @c set variable
32764 @c @subsubheading Example
32765 @c N.A.
32766
32767 @subheading The @code{-data-disassemble} Command
32768 @findex -data-disassemble
32769
32770 @subsubheading Synopsis
32771
32772 @smallexample
32773 -data-disassemble
32774 [ -s @var{start-addr} -e @var{end-addr} ]
32775 | [ -f @var{filename} -l @var{linenum} [ -n @var{lines} ] ]
32776 -- @var{mode}
32777 @end smallexample
32778
32779 @noindent
32780 Where:
32781
32782 @table @samp
32783 @item @var{start-addr}
32784 is the beginning address (or @code{$pc})
32785 @item @var{end-addr}
32786 is the end address
32787 @item @var{filename}
32788 is the name of the file to disassemble
32789 @item @var{linenum}
32790 is the line number to disassemble around
32791 @item @var{lines}
32792 is the number of disassembly lines to be produced. If it is -1,
32793 the whole function will be disassembled, in case no @var{end-addr} is
32794 specified. If @var{end-addr} is specified as a non-zero value, and
32795 @var{lines} is lower than the number of disassembly lines between
32796 @var{start-addr} and @var{end-addr}, only @var{lines} lines are
32797 displayed; if @var{lines} is higher than the number of lines between
32798 @var{start-addr} and @var{end-addr}, only the lines up to @var{end-addr}
32799 are displayed.
32800 @item @var{mode}
32801 is either 0 (meaning only disassembly), 1 (meaning mixed source and
32802 disassembly), 2 (meaning disassembly with raw opcodes), or 3 (meaning
32803 mixed source and disassembly with raw opcodes).
32804 @end table
32805
32806 @subsubheading Result
32807
32808 The result of the @code{-data-disassemble} command will be a list named
32809 @samp{asm_insns}, the contents of this list depend on the @var{mode}
32810 used with the @code{-data-disassemble} command.
32811
32812 For modes 0 and 2 the @samp{asm_insns} list contains tuples with the
32813 following fields:
32814
32815 @table @code
32816 @item address
32817 The address at which this instruction was disassembled.
32818
32819 @item func-name
32820 The name of the function this instruction is within.
32821
32822 @item offset
32823 The decimal offset in bytes from the start of @samp{func-name}.
32824
32825 @item inst
32826 The text disassembly for this @samp{address}.
32827
32828 @item opcodes
32829 This field is only present for mode 2. This contains the raw opcode
32830 bytes for the @samp{inst} field.
32831
32832 @end table
32833
32834 For modes 1 and 3 the @samp{asm_insns} list contains tuples named
32835 @samp{src_and_asm_line}, each of which has the following fields:
32836
32837 @table @code
32838 @item line
32839 The line number within @samp{file}.
32840
32841 @item file
32842 The file name from the compilation unit. This might be an absolute
32843 file name or a relative file name depending on the compile command
32844 used.
32845
32846 @item fullname
32847 Absolute file name of @samp{file}. It is converted to a canonical form
32848 using the source file search path
32849 (@pxref{Source Path, ,Specifying Source Directories})
32850 and after resolving all the symbolic links.
32851
32852 If the source file is not found this field will contain the path as
32853 present in the debug information.
32854
32855 @item line_asm_insn
32856 This is a list of tuples containing the disassembly for @samp{line} in
32857 @samp{file}. The fields of each tuple are the same as for
32858 @code{-data-disassemble} in @var{mode} 0 and 2, so @samp{address},
32859 @samp{func-name}, @samp{offset}, @samp{inst}, and optionally
32860 @samp{opcodes}.
32861
32862 @end table
32863
32864 Note that whatever included in the @samp{inst} field, is not
32865 manipulated directly by @sc{gdb/mi}, i.e., it is not possible to
32866 adjust its format.
32867
32868 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
32869
32870 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{disassemble}.
32871
32872 @subsubheading Example
32873
32874 Disassemble from the current value of @code{$pc} to @code{$pc + 20}:
32875
32876 @smallexample
32877 (gdb)
32878 -data-disassemble -s $pc -e "$pc + 20" -- 0
32879 ^done,
32880 asm_insns=[
32881 @{address="0x000107c0",func-name="main",offset="4",
32882 inst="mov 2, %o0"@},
32883 @{address="0x000107c4",func-name="main",offset="8",
32884 inst="sethi %hi(0x11800), %o2"@},
32885 @{address="0x000107c8",func-name="main",offset="12",
32886 inst="or %o2, 0x140, %o1\t! 0x11940 <_lib_version+8>"@},
32887 @{address="0x000107cc",func-name="main",offset="16",
32888 inst="sethi %hi(0x11800), %o2"@},
32889 @{address="0x000107d0",func-name="main",offset="20",
32890 inst="or %o2, 0x168, %o4\t! 0x11968 <_lib_version+48>"@}]
32891 (gdb)
32892 @end smallexample
32893
32894 Disassemble the whole @code{main} function. Line 32 is part of
32895 @code{main}.
32896
32897 @smallexample
32898 -data-disassemble -f basics.c -l 32 -- 0
32899 ^done,asm_insns=[
32900 @{address="0x000107bc",func-name="main",offset="0",
32901 inst="save %sp, -112, %sp"@},
32902 @{address="0x000107c0",func-name="main",offset="4",
32903 inst="mov 2, %o0"@},
32904 @{address="0x000107c4",func-name="main",offset="8",
32905 inst="sethi %hi(0x11800), %o2"@},
32906 [@dots{}]
32907 @{address="0x0001081c",func-name="main",offset="96",inst="ret "@},
32908 @{address="0x00010820",func-name="main",offset="100",inst="restore "@}]
32909 (gdb)
32910 @end smallexample
32911
32912 Disassemble 3 instructions from the start of @code{main}:
32913
32914 @smallexample
32915 (gdb)
32916 -data-disassemble -f basics.c -l 32 -n 3 -- 0
32917 ^done,asm_insns=[
32918 @{address="0x000107bc",func-name="main",offset="0",
32919 inst="save %sp, -112, %sp"@},
32920 @{address="0x000107c0",func-name="main",offset="4",
32921 inst="mov 2, %o0"@},
32922 @{address="0x000107c4",func-name="main",offset="8",
32923 inst="sethi %hi(0x11800), %o2"@}]
32924 (gdb)
32925 @end smallexample
32926
32927 Disassemble 3 instructions from the start of @code{main} in mixed mode:
32928
32929 @smallexample
32930 (gdb)
32931 -data-disassemble -f basics.c -l 32 -n 3 -- 1
32932 ^done,asm_insns=[
32933 src_and_asm_line=@{line="31",
32934 file="../../../src/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
32935 fullname="/absolute/path/to/src/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
32936 line_asm_insn=[@{address="0x000107bc",
32937 func-name="main",offset="0",inst="save %sp, -112, %sp"@}]@},
32938 src_and_asm_line=@{line="32",
32939 file="../../../src/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
32940 fullname="/absolute/path/to/src/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
32941 line_asm_insn=[@{address="0x000107c0",
32942 func-name="main",offset="4",inst="mov 2, %o0"@},
32943 @{address="0x000107c4",func-name="main",offset="8",
32944 inst="sethi %hi(0x11800), %o2"@}]@}]
32945 (gdb)
32946 @end smallexample
32947
32948
32949 @subheading The @code{-data-evaluate-expression} Command
32950 @findex -data-evaluate-expression
32951
32952 @subsubheading Synopsis
32953
32954 @smallexample
32955 -data-evaluate-expression @var{expr}
32956 @end smallexample
32957
32958 Evaluate @var{expr} as an expression. The expression could contain an
32959 inferior function call. The function call will execute synchronously.
32960 If the expression contains spaces, it must be enclosed in double quotes.
32961
32962 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
32963
32964 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{print}, @samp{output}, and
32965 @samp{call}. In @code{gdbtk} only, there's a corresponding
32966 @samp{gdb_eval} command.
32967
32968 @subsubheading Example
32969
32970 In the following example, the numbers that precede the commands are the
32971 @dfn{tokens} described in @ref{GDB/MI Command Syntax, ,@sc{gdb/mi}
32972 Command Syntax}. Notice how @sc{gdb/mi} returns the same tokens in its
32973 output.
32974
32975 @smallexample
32976 211-data-evaluate-expression A
32977 211^done,value="1"
32978 (gdb)
32979 311-data-evaluate-expression &A
32980 311^done,value="0xefffeb7c"
32981 (gdb)
32982 411-data-evaluate-expression A+3
32983 411^done,value="4"
32984 (gdb)
32985 511-data-evaluate-expression "A + 3"
32986 511^done,value="4"
32987 (gdb)
32988 @end smallexample
32989
32990
32991 @subheading The @code{-data-list-changed-registers} Command
32992 @findex -data-list-changed-registers
32993
32994 @subsubheading Synopsis
32995
32996 @smallexample
32997 -data-list-changed-registers
32998 @end smallexample
32999
33000 Display a list of the registers that have changed.
33001
33002 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33003
33004 @value{GDBN} doesn't have a direct analog for this command; @code{gdbtk}
33005 has the corresponding command @samp{gdb_changed_register_list}.
33006
33007 @subsubheading Example
33008
33009 On a PPC MBX board:
33010
33011 @smallexample
33012 (gdb)
33013 -exec-continue
33014 ^running
33015
33016 (gdb)
33017 *stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",bkptno="1",frame=@{
33018 func="main",args=[],file="try.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/try.c",
33019 line="5"@}
33020 (gdb)
33021 -data-list-changed-registers
33022 ^done,changed-registers=["0","1","2","4","5","6","7","8","9",
33023 "10","11","13","14","15","16","17","18","19","20","21","22","23",
33024 "24","25","26","27","28","30","31","64","65","66","67","69"]
33025 (gdb)
33026 @end smallexample
33027
33028
33029 @subheading The @code{-data-list-register-names} Command
33030 @findex -data-list-register-names
33031
33032 @subsubheading Synopsis
33033
33034 @smallexample
33035 -data-list-register-names [ ( @var{regno} )+ ]
33036 @end smallexample
33037
33038 Show a list of register names for the current target. If no arguments
33039 are given, it shows a list of the names of all the registers. If
33040 integer numbers are given as arguments, it will print a list of the
33041 names of the registers corresponding to the arguments. To ensure
33042 consistency between a register name and its number, the output list may
33043 include empty register names.
33044
33045 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33046
33047 @value{GDBN} does not have a command which corresponds to
33048 @samp{-data-list-register-names}. In @code{gdbtk} there is a
33049 corresponding command @samp{gdb_regnames}.
33050
33051 @subsubheading Example
33052
33053 For the PPC MBX board:
33054 @smallexample
33055 (gdb)
33056 -data-list-register-names
33057 ^done,register-names=["r0","r1","r2","r3","r4","r5","r6","r7",
33058 "r8","r9","r10","r11","r12","r13","r14","r15","r16","r17","r18",
33059 "r19","r20","r21","r22","r23","r24","r25","r26","r27","r28","r29",
33060 "r30","r31","f0","f1","f2","f3","f4","f5","f6","f7","f8","f9",
33061 "f10","f11","f12","f13","f14","f15","f16","f17","f18","f19","f20",
33062 "f21","f22","f23","f24","f25","f26","f27","f28","f29","f30","f31",
33063 "", "pc","ps","cr","lr","ctr","xer"]
33064 (gdb)
33065 -data-list-register-names 1 2 3
33066 ^done,register-names=["r1","r2","r3"]
33067 (gdb)
33068 @end smallexample
33069
33070 @subheading The @code{-data-list-register-values} Command
33071 @findex -data-list-register-values
33072
33073 @subsubheading Synopsis
33074
33075 @smallexample
33076 -data-list-register-values
33077 [ @code{--skip-unavailable} ] @var{fmt} [ ( @var{regno} )*]
33078 @end smallexample
33079
33080 Display the registers' contents. @var{fmt} is the format according to
33081 which the registers' contents are to be returned, followed by an optional
33082 list of numbers specifying the registers to display. A missing list of
33083 numbers indicates that the contents of all the registers must be
33084 returned. The @code{--skip-unavailable} option indicates that only
33085 the available registers are to be returned.
33086
33087 Allowed formats for @var{fmt} are:
33088
33089 @table @code
33090 @item x
33091 Hexadecimal
33092 @item o
33093 Octal
33094 @item t
33095 Binary
33096 @item d
33097 Decimal
33098 @item r
33099 Raw
33100 @item N
33101 Natural
33102 @end table
33103
33104 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33105
33106 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{info reg}, @samp{info
33107 all-reg}, and (in @code{gdbtk}) @samp{gdb_fetch_registers}.
33108
33109 @subsubheading Example
33110
33111 For a PPC MBX board (note: line breaks are for readability only, they
33112 don't appear in the actual output):
33113
33114 @smallexample
33115 (gdb)
33116 -data-list-register-values r 64 65
33117 ^done,register-values=[@{number="64",value="0xfe00a300"@},
33118 @{number="65",value="0x00029002"@}]
33119 (gdb)
33120 -data-list-register-values x
33121 ^done,register-values=[@{number="0",value="0xfe0043c8"@},
33122 @{number="1",value="0x3fff88"@},@{number="2",value="0xfffffffe"@},
33123 @{number="3",value="0x0"@},@{number="4",value="0xa"@},
33124 @{number="5",value="0x3fff68"@},@{number="6",value="0x3fff58"@},
33125 @{number="7",value="0xfe011e98"@},@{number="8",value="0x2"@},
33126 @{number="9",value="0xfa202820"@},@{number="10",value="0xfa202808"@},
33127 @{number="11",value="0x1"@},@{number="12",value="0x0"@},
33128 @{number="13",value="0x4544"@},@{number="14",value="0xffdfffff"@},
33129 @{number="15",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="16",value="0xfffffeff"@},
33130 @{number="17",value="0xefffffed"@},@{number="18",value="0xfffffffe"@},
33131 @{number="19",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="20",value="0xffffffff"@},
33132 @{number="21",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="22",value="0xfffffff7"@},
33133 @{number="23",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="24",value="0xffffffff"@},
33134 @{number="25",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="26",value="0xfffffffb"@},
33135 @{number="27",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="28",value="0xf7bfffff"@},
33136 @{number="29",value="0x0"@},@{number="30",value="0xfe010000"@},
33137 @{number="31",value="0x0"@},@{number="32",value="0x0"@},
33138 @{number="33",value="0x0"@},@{number="34",value="0x0"@},
33139 @{number="35",value="0x0"@},@{number="36",value="0x0"@},
33140 @{number="37",value="0x0"@},@{number="38",value="0x0"@},
33141 @{number="39",value="0x0"@},@{number="40",value="0x0"@},
33142 @{number="41",value="0x0"@},@{number="42",value="0x0"@},
33143 @{number="43",value="0x0"@},@{number="44",value="0x0"@},
33144 @{number="45",value="0x0"@},@{number="46",value="0x0"@},
33145 @{number="47",value="0x0"@},@{number="48",value="0x0"@},
33146 @{number="49",value="0x0"@},@{number="50",value="0x0"@},
33147 @{number="51",value="0x0"@},@{number="52",value="0x0"@},
33148 @{number="53",value="0x0"@},@{number="54",value="0x0"@},
33149 @{number="55",value="0x0"@},@{number="56",value="0x0"@},
33150 @{number="57",value="0x0"@},@{number="58",value="0x0"@},
33151 @{number="59",value="0x0"@},@{number="60",value="0x0"@},
33152 @{number="61",value="0x0"@},@{number="62",value="0x0"@},
33153 @{number="63",value="0x0"@},@{number="64",value="0xfe00a300"@},
33154 @{number="65",value="0x29002"@},@{number="66",value="0x202f04b5"@},
33155 @{number="67",value="0xfe0043b0"@},@{number="68",value="0xfe00b3e4"@},
33156 @{number="69",value="0x20002b03"@}]
33157 (gdb)
33158 @end smallexample
33159
33160
33161 @subheading The @code{-data-read-memory} Command
33162 @findex -data-read-memory
33163
33164 This command is deprecated, use @code{-data-read-memory-bytes} instead.
33165
33166 @subsubheading Synopsis
33167
33168 @smallexample
33169 -data-read-memory [ -o @var{byte-offset} ]
33170 @var{address} @var{word-format} @var{word-size}
33171 @var{nr-rows} @var{nr-cols} [ @var{aschar} ]
33172 @end smallexample
33173
33174 @noindent
33175 where:
33176
33177 @table @samp
33178 @item @var{address}
33179 An expression specifying the address of the first memory word to be
33180 read. Complex expressions containing embedded white space should be
33181 quoted using the C convention.
33182
33183 @item @var{word-format}
33184 The format to be used to print the memory words. The notation is the
33185 same as for @value{GDBN}'s @code{print} command (@pxref{Output Formats,
33186 ,Output Formats}).
33187
33188 @item @var{word-size}
33189 The size of each memory word in bytes.
33190
33191 @item @var{nr-rows}
33192 The number of rows in the output table.
33193
33194 @item @var{nr-cols}
33195 The number of columns in the output table.
33196
33197 @item @var{aschar}
33198 If present, indicates that each row should include an @sc{ascii} dump. The
33199 value of @var{aschar} is used as a padding character when a byte is not a
33200 member of the printable @sc{ascii} character set (printable @sc{ascii}
33201 characters are those whose code is between 32 and 126, inclusively).
33202
33203 @item @var{byte-offset}
33204 An offset to add to the @var{address} before fetching memory.
33205 @end table
33206
33207 This command displays memory contents as a table of @var{nr-rows} by
33208 @var{nr-cols} words, each word being @var{word-size} bytes. In total,
33209 @code{@var{nr-rows} * @var{nr-cols} * @var{word-size}} bytes are read
33210 (returned as @samp{total-bytes}). Should less than the requested number
33211 of bytes be returned by the target, the missing words are identified
33212 using @samp{N/A}. The number of bytes read from the target is returned
33213 in @samp{nr-bytes} and the starting address used to read memory in
33214 @samp{addr}.
33215
33216 The address of the next/previous row or page is available in
33217 @samp{next-row} and @samp{prev-row}, @samp{next-page} and
33218 @samp{prev-page}.
33219
33220 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33221
33222 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{x}. @code{gdbtk} has
33223 @samp{gdb_get_mem} memory read command.
33224
33225 @subsubheading Example
33226
33227 Read six bytes of memory starting at @code{bytes+6} but then offset by
33228 @code{-6} bytes. Format as three rows of two columns. One byte per
33229 word. Display each word in hex.
33230
33231 @smallexample
33232 (gdb)
33233 9-data-read-memory -o -6 -- bytes+6 x 1 3 2
33234 9^done,addr="0x00001390",nr-bytes="6",total-bytes="6",
33235 next-row="0x00001396",prev-row="0x0000138e",next-page="0x00001396",
33236 prev-page="0x0000138a",memory=[
33237 @{addr="0x00001390",data=["0x00","0x01"]@},
33238 @{addr="0x00001392",data=["0x02","0x03"]@},
33239 @{addr="0x00001394",data=["0x04","0x05"]@}]
33240 (gdb)
33241 @end smallexample
33242
33243 Read two bytes of memory starting at address @code{shorts + 64} and
33244 display as a single word formatted in decimal.
33245
33246 @smallexample
33247 (gdb)
33248 5-data-read-memory shorts+64 d 2 1 1
33249 5^done,addr="0x00001510",nr-bytes="2",total-bytes="2",
33250 next-row="0x00001512",prev-row="0x0000150e",
33251 next-page="0x00001512",prev-page="0x0000150e",memory=[
33252 @{addr="0x00001510",data=["128"]@}]
33253 (gdb)
33254 @end smallexample
33255
33256 Read thirty two bytes of memory starting at @code{bytes+16} and format
33257 as eight rows of four columns. Include a string encoding with @samp{x}
33258 used as the non-printable character.
33259
33260 @smallexample
33261 (gdb)
33262 4-data-read-memory bytes+16 x 1 8 4 x
33263 4^done,addr="0x000013a0",nr-bytes="32",total-bytes="32",
33264 next-row="0x000013c0",prev-row="0x0000139c",
33265 next-page="0x000013c0",prev-page="0x00001380",memory=[
33266 @{addr="0x000013a0",data=["0x10","0x11","0x12","0x13"],ascii="xxxx"@},
33267 @{addr="0x000013a4",data=["0x14","0x15","0x16","0x17"],ascii="xxxx"@},
33268 @{addr="0x000013a8",data=["0x18","0x19","0x1a","0x1b"],ascii="xxxx"@},
33269 @{addr="0x000013ac",data=["0x1c","0x1d","0x1e","0x1f"],ascii="xxxx"@},
33270 @{addr="0x000013b0",data=["0x20","0x21","0x22","0x23"],ascii=" !\"#"@},
33271 @{addr="0x000013b4",data=["0x24","0x25","0x26","0x27"],ascii="$%&'"@},
33272 @{addr="0x000013b8",data=["0x28","0x29","0x2a","0x2b"],ascii="()*+"@},
33273 @{addr="0x000013bc",data=["0x2c","0x2d","0x2e","0x2f"],ascii=",-./"@}]
33274 (gdb)
33275 @end smallexample
33276
33277 @subheading The @code{-data-read-memory-bytes} Command
33278 @findex -data-read-memory-bytes
33279
33280 @subsubheading Synopsis
33281
33282 @smallexample
33283 -data-read-memory-bytes [ -o @var{byte-offset} ]
33284 @var{address} @var{count}
33285 @end smallexample
33286
33287 @noindent
33288 where:
33289
33290 @table @samp
33291 @item @var{address}
33292 An expression specifying the address of the first memory word to be
33293 read. Complex expressions containing embedded white space should be
33294 quoted using the C convention.
33295
33296 @item @var{count}
33297 The number of bytes to read. This should be an integer literal.
33298
33299 @item @var{byte-offset}
33300 The offsets in bytes relative to @var{address} at which to start
33301 reading. This should be an integer literal. This option is provided
33302 so that a frontend is not required to first evaluate address and then
33303 perform address arithmetics itself.
33304
33305 @end table
33306
33307 This command attempts to read all accessible memory regions in the
33308 specified range. First, all regions marked as unreadable in the memory
33309 map (if one is defined) will be skipped. @xref{Memory Region
33310 Attributes}. Second, @value{GDBN} will attempt to read the remaining
33311 regions. For each one, if reading full region results in an errors,
33312 @value{GDBN} will try to read a subset of the region.
33313
33314 In general, every single byte in the region may be readable or not,
33315 and the only way to read every readable byte is to try a read at
33316 every address, which is not practical. Therefore, @value{GDBN} will
33317 attempt to read all accessible bytes at either beginning or the end
33318 of the region, using a binary division scheme. This heuristic works
33319 well for reading accross a memory map boundary. Note that if a region
33320 has a readable range that is neither at the beginning or the end,
33321 @value{GDBN} will not read it.
33322
33323 The result record (@pxref{GDB/MI Result Records}) that is output of
33324 the command includes a field named @samp{memory} whose content is a
33325 list of tuples. Each tuple represent a successfully read memory block
33326 and has the following fields:
33327
33328 @table @code
33329 @item begin
33330 The start address of the memory block, as hexadecimal literal.
33331
33332 @item end
33333 The end address of the memory block, as hexadecimal literal.
33334
33335 @item offset
33336 The offset of the memory block, as hexadecimal literal, relative to
33337 the start address passed to @code{-data-read-memory-bytes}.
33338
33339 @item contents
33340 The contents of the memory block, in hex.
33341
33342 @end table
33343
33344
33345
33346 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33347
33348 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{x}.
33349
33350 @subsubheading Example
33351
33352 @smallexample
33353 (gdb)
33354 -data-read-memory-bytes &a 10
33355 ^done,memory=[@{begin="0xbffff154",offset="0x00000000",
33356 end="0xbffff15e",
33357 contents="01000000020000000300"@}]
33358 (gdb)
33359 @end smallexample
33360
33361
33362 @subheading The @code{-data-write-memory-bytes} Command
33363 @findex -data-write-memory-bytes
33364
33365 @subsubheading Synopsis
33366
33367 @smallexample
33368 -data-write-memory-bytes @var{address} @var{contents}
33369 -data-write-memory-bytes @var{address} @var{contents} @r{[}@var{count}@r{]}
33370 @end smallexample
33371
33372 @noindent
33373 where:
33374
33375 @table @samp
33376 @item @var{address}
33377 An expression specifying the address of the first memory word to be
33378 read. Complex expressions containing embedded white space should be
33379 quoted using the C convention.
33380
33381 @item @var{contents}
33382 The hex-encoded bytes to write.
33383
33384 @item @var{count}
33385 Optional argument indicating the number of bytes to be written. If @var{count}
33386 is greater than @var{contents}' length, @value{GDBN} will repeatedly
33387 write @var{contents} until it fills @var{count} bytes.
33388
33389 @end table
33390
33391 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33392
33393 There's no corresponding @value{GDBN} command.
33394
33395 @subsubheading Example
33396
33397 @smallexample
33398 (gdb)
33399 -data-write-memory-bytes &a "aabbccdd"
33400 ^done
33401 (gdb)
33402 @end smallexample
33403
33404 @smallexample
33405 (gdb)
33406 -data-write-memory-bytes &a "aabbccdd" 16e
33407 ^done
33408 (gdb)
33409 @end smallexample
33410
33411 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
33412 @node GDB/MI Tracepoint Commands
33413 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Tracepoint Commands
33414
33415 The commands defined in this section implement MI support for
33416 tracepoints. For detailed introduction, see @ref{Tracepoints}.
33417
33418 @subheading The @code{-trace-find} Command
33419 @findex -trace-find
33420
33421 @subsubheading Synopsis
33422
33423 @smallexample
33424 -trace-find @var{mode} [@var{parameters}@dots{}]
33425 @end smallexample
33426
33427 Find a trace frame using criteria defined by @var{mode} and
33428 @var{parameters}. The following table lists permissible
33429 modes and their parameters. For details of operation, see @ref{tfind}.
33430
33431 @table @samp
33432
33433 @item none
33434 No parameters are required. Stops examining trace frames.
33435
33436 @item frame-number
33437 An integer is required as parameter. Selects tracepoint frame with
33438 that index.
33439
33440 @item tracepoint-number
33441 An integer is required as parameter. Finds next
33442 trace frame that corresponds to tracepoint with the specified number.
33443
33444 @item pc
33445 An address is required as parameter. Finds
33446 next trace frame that corresponds to any tracepoint at the specified
33447 address.
33448
33449 @item pc-inside-range
33450 Two addresses are required as parameters. Finds next trace
33451 frame that corresponds to a tracepoint at an address inside the
33452 specified range. Both bounds are considered to be inside the range.
33453
33454 @item pc-outside-range
33455 Two addresses are required as parameters. Finds
33456 next trace frame that corresponds to a tracepoint at an address outside
33457 the specified range. Both bounds are considered to be inside the range.
33458
33459 @item line
33460 Line specification is required as parameter. @xref{Specify Location}.
33461 Finds next trace frame that corresponds to a tracepoint at
33462 the specified location.
33463
33464 @end table
33465
33466 If @samp{none} was passed as @var{mode}, the response does not
33467 have fields. Otherwise, the response may have the following fields:
33468
33469 @table @samp
33470 @item found
33471 This field has either @samp{0} or @samp{1} as the value, depending
33472 on whether a matching tracepoint was found.
33473
33474 @item traceframe
33475 The index of the found traceframe. This field is present iff
33476 the @samp{found} field has value of @samp{1}.
33477
33478 @item tracepoint
33479 The index of the found tracepoint. This field is present iff
33480 the @samp{found} field has value of @samp{1}.
33481
33482 @item frame
33483 The information about the frame corresponding to the found trace
33484 frame. This field is present only if a trace frame was found.
33485 @xref{GDB/MI Frame Information}, for description of this field.
33486
33487 @end table
33488
33489 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33490
33491 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tfind}.
33492
33493 @subheading -trace-define-variable
33494 @findex -trace-define-variable
33495
33496 @subsubheading Synopsis
33497
33498 @smallexample
33499 -trace-define-variable @var{name} [ @var{value} ]
33500 @end smallexample
33501
33502 Create trace variable @var{name} if it does not exist. If
33503 @var{value} is specified, sets the initial value of the specified
33504 trace variable to that value. Note that the @var{name} should start
33505 with the @samp{$} character.
33506
33507 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33508
33509 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tvariable}.
33510
33511 @subheading The @code{-trace-frame-collected} Command
33512 @findex -trace-frame-collected
33513
33514 @subsubheading Synopsis
33515
33516 @smallexample
33517 -trace-frame-collected
33518 [--var-print-values @var{var_pval}]
33519 [--comp-print-values @var{comp_pval}]
33520 [--registers-format @var{regformat}]
33521 [--memory-contents]
33522 @end smallexample
33523
33524 This command returns the set of collected objects, register names,
33525 trace state variable names, memory ranges and computed expressions
33526 that have been collected at a particular trace frame. The optional
33527 parameters to the command affect the output format in different ways.
33528 See the output description table below for more details.
33529
33530 The reported names can be used in the normal manner to create
33531 varobjs and inspect the objects themselves. The items returned by
33532 this command are categorized so that it is clear which is a variable,
33533 which is a register, which is a trace state variable, which is a
33534 memory range and which is a computed expression.
33535
33536 For instance, if the actions were
33537 @smallexample
33538 collect myVar, myArray[myIndex], myObj.field, myPtr->field, myCount + 2
33539 collect *(int*)0xaf02bef0@@40
33540 @end smallexample
33541
33542 @noindent
33543 the object collected in its entirety would be @code{myVar}. The
33544 object @code{myArray} would be partially collected, because only the
33545 element at index @code{myIndex} would be collected. The remaining
33546 objects would be computed expressions.
33547
33548 An example output would be:
33549
33550 @smallexample
33551 (gdb)
33552 -trace-frame-collected
33553 ^done,
33554 explicit-variables=[@{name="myVar",value="1"@}],
33555 computed-expressions=[@{name="myArray[myIndex]",value="0"@},
33556 @{name="myObj.field",value="0"@},
33557 @{name="myPtr->field",value="1"@},
33558 @{name="myCount + 2",value="3"@},
33559 @{name="$tvar1 + 1",value="43970027"@}],
33560 registers=[@{number="0",value="0x7fe2c6e79ec8"@},
33561 @{number="1",value="0x0"@},
33562 @{number="2",value="0x4"@},
33563 ...
33564 @{number="125",value="0x0"@}],
33565 tvars=[@{name="$tvar1",current="43970026"@}],
33566 memory=[@{address="0x0000000000602264",length="4"@},
33567 @{address="0x0000000000615bc0",length="4"@}]
33568 (gdb)
33569 @end smallexample
33570
33571 Where:
33572
33573 @table @code
33574 @item explicit-variables
33575 The set of objects that have been collected in their entirety (as
33576 opposed to collecting just a few elements of an array or a few struct
33577 members). For each object, its name and value are printed.
33578 The @code{--var-print-values} option affects how or whether the value
33579 field is output. If @var{var_pval} is 0, then print only the names;
33580 if it is 1, print also their values; and if it is 2, print the name,
33581 type and value for simple data types, and the name and type for
33582 arrays, structures and unions.
33583
33584 @item computed-expressions
33585 The set of computed expressions that have been collected at the
33586 current trace frame. The @code{--comp-print-values} option affects
33587 this set like the @code{--var-print-values} option affects the
33588 @code{explicit-variables} set. See above.
33589
33590 @item registers
33591 The registers that have been collected at the current trace frame.
33592 For each register collected, the name and current value are returned.
33593 The value is formatted according to the @code{--registers-format}
33594 option. See the @command{-data-list-register-values} command for a
33595 list of the allowed formats. The default is @samp{x}.
33596
33597 @item tvars
33598 The trace state variables that have been collected at the current
33599 trace frame. For each trace state variable collected, the name and
33600 current value are returned.
33601
33602 @item memory
33603 The set of memory ranges that have been collected at the current trace
33604 frame. Its content is a list of tuples. Each tuple represents a
33605 collected memory range and has the following fields:
33606
33607 @table @code
33608 @item address
33609 The start address of the memory range, as hexadecimal literal.
33610
33611 @item length
33612 The length of the memory range, as decimal literal.
33613
33614 @item contents
33615 The contents of the memory block, in hex. This field is only present
33616 if the @code{--memory-contents} option is specified.
33617
33618 @end table
33619
33620 @end table
33621
33622 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33623
33624 There is no corresponding @value{GDBN} command.
33625
33626 @subsubheading Example
33627
33628 @subheading -trace-list-variables
33629 @findex -trace-list-variables
33630
33631 @subsubheading Synopsis
33632
33633 @smallexample
33634 -trace-list-variables
33635 @end smallexample
33636
33637 Return a table of all defined trace variables. Each element of the
33638 table has the following fields:
33639
33640 @table @samp
33641 @item name
33642 The name of the trace variable. This field is always present.
33643
33644 @item initial
33645 The initial value. This is a 64-bit signed integer. This
33646 field is always present.
33647
33648 @item current
33649 The value the trace variable has at the moment. This is a 64-bit
33650 signed integer. This field is absent iff current value is
33651 not defined, for example if the trace was never run, or is
33652 presently running.
33653
33654 @end table
33655
33656 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33657
33658 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tvariables}.
33659
33660 @subsubheading Example
33661
33662 @smallexample
33663 (gdb)
33664 -trace-list-variables
33665 ^done,trace-variables=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="3",
33666 hdr=[@{width="15",alignment="-1",col_name="name",colhdr="Name"@},
33667 @{width="11",alignment="-1",col_name="initial",colhdr="Initial"@},
33668 @{width="11",alignment="-1",col_name="current",colhdr="Current"@}],
33669 body=[variable=@{name="$trace_timestamp",initial="0"@}
33670 variable=@{name="$foo",initial="10",current="15"@}]@}
33671 (gdb)
33672 @end smallexample
33673
33674 @subheading -trace-save
33675 @findex -trace-save
33676
33677 @subsubheading Synopsis
33678
33679 @smallexample
33680 -trace-save [-r ] @var{filename}
33681 @end smallexample
33682
33683 Saves the collected trace data to @var{filename}. Without the
33684 @samp{-r} option, the data is downloaded from the target and saved
33685 in a local file. With the @samp{-r} option the target is asked
33686 to perform the save.
33687
33688 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33689
33690 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tsave}.
33691
33692
33693 @subheading -trace-start
33694 @findex -trace-start
33695
33696 @subsubheading Synopsis
33697
33698 @smallexample
33699 -trace-start
33700 @end smallexample
33701
33702 Starts a tracing experiments. The result of this command does not
33703 have any fields.
33704
33705 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33706
33707 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tstart}.
33708
33709 @subheading -trace-status
33710 @findex -trace-status
33711
33712 @subsubheading Synopsis
33713
33714 @smallexample
33715 -trace-status
33716 @end smallexample
33717
33718 Obtains the status of a tracing experiment. The result may include
33719 the following fields:
33720
33721 @table @samp
33722
33723 @item supported
33724 May have a value of either @samp{0}, when no tracing operations are
33725 supported, @samp{1}, when all tracing operations are supported, or
33726 @samp{file} when examining trace file. In the latter case, examining
33727 of trace frame is possible but new tracing experiement cannot be
33728 started. This field is always present.
33729
33730 @item running
33731 May have a value of either @samp{0} or @samp{1} depending on whether
33732 tracing experiement is in progress on target. This field is present
33733 if @samp{supported} field is not @samp{0}.
33734
33735 @item stop-reason
33736 Report the reason why the tracing was stopped last time. This field
33737 may be absent iff tracing was never stopped on target yet. The
33738 value of @samp{request} means the tracing was stopped as result of
33739 the @code{-trace-stop} command. The value of @samp{overflow} means
33740 the tracing buffer is full. The value of @samp{disconnection} means
33741 tracing was automatically stopped when @value{GDBN} has disconnected.
33742 The value of @samp{passcount} means tracing was stopped when a
33743 tracepoint was passed a maximal number of times for that tracepoint.
33744 This field is present if @samp{supported} field is not @samp{0}.
33745
33746 @item stopping-tracepoint
33747 The number of tracepoint whose passcount as exceeded. This field is
33748 present iff the @samp{stop-reason} field has the value of
33749 @samp{passcount}.
33750
33751 @item frames
33752 @itemx frames-created
33753 The @samp{frames} field is a count of the total number of trace frames
33754 in the trace buffer, while @samp{frames-created} is the total created
33755 during the run, including ones that were discarded, such as when a
33756 circular trace buffer filled up. Both fields are optional.
33757
33758 @item buffer-size
33759 @itemx buffer-free
33760 These fields tell the current size of the tracing buffer and the
33761 remaining space. These fields are optional.
33762
33763 @item circular
33764 The value of the circular trace buffer flag. @code{1} means that the
33765 trace buffer is circular and old trace frames will be discarded if
33766 necessary to make room, @code{0} means that the trace buffer is linear
33767 and may fill up.
33768
33769 @item disconnected
33770 The value of the disconnected tracing flag. @code{1} means that
33771 tracing will continue after @value{GDBN} disconnects, @code{0} means
33772 that the trace run will stop.
33773
33774 @item trace-file
33775 The filename of the trace file being examined. This field is
33776 optional, and only present when examining a trace file.
33777
33778 @end table
33779
33780 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33781
33782 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tstatus}.
33783
33784 @subheading -trace-stop
33785 @findex -trace-stop
33786
33787 @subsubheading Synopsis
33788
33789 @smallexample
33790 -trace-stop
33791 @end smallexample
33792
33793 Stops a tracing experiment. The result of this command has the same
33794 fields as @code{-trace-status}, except that the @samp{supported} and
33795 @samp{running} fields are not output.
33796
33797 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33798
33799 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tstop}.
33800
33801
33802 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
33803 @node GDB/MI Symbol Query
33804 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Symbol Query Commands
33805
33806
33807 @ignore
33808 @subheading The @code{-symbol-info-address} Command
33809 @findex -symbol-info-address
33810
33811 @subsubheading Synopsis
33812
33813 @smallexample
33814 -symbol-info-address @var{symbol}
33815 @end smallexample
33816
33817 Describe where @var{symbol} is stored.
33818
33819 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33820
33821 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info address}.
33822
33823 @subsubheading Example
33824 N.A.
33825
33826
33827 @subheading The @code{-symbol-info-file} Command
33828 @findex -symbol-info-file
33829
33830 @subsubheading Synopsis
33831
33832 @smallexample
33833 -symbol-info-file
33834 @end smallexample
33835
33836 Show the file for the symbol.
33837
33838 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33839
33840 There's no equivalent @value{GDBN} command. @code{gdbtk} has
33841 @samp{gdb_find_file}.
33842
33843 @subsubheading Example
33844 N.A.
33845
33846
33847 @subheading The @code{-symbol-info-function} Command
33848 @findex -symbol-info-function
33849
33850 @subsubheading Synopsis
33851
33852 @smallexample
33853 -symbol-info-function
33854 @end smallexample
33855
33856 Show which function the symbol lives in.
33857
33858 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33859
33860 @samp{gdb_get_function} in @code{gdbtk}.
33861
33862 @subsubheading Example
33863 N.A.
33864
33865
33866 @subheading The @code{-symbol-info-line} Command
33867 @findex -symbol-info-line
33868
33869 @subsubheading Synopsis
33870
33871 @smallexample
33872 -symbol-info-line
33873 @end smallexample
33874
33875 Show the core addresses of the code for a source line.
33876
33877 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33878
33879 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info line}.
33880 @code{gdbtk} has the @samp{gdb_get_line} and @samp{gdb_get_file} commands.
33881
33882 @subsubheading Example
33883 N.A.
33884
33885
33886 @subheading The @code{-symbol-info-symbol} Command
33887 @findex -symbol-info-symbol
33888
33889 @subsubheading Synopsis
33890
33891 @smallexample
33892 -symbol-info-symbol @var{addr}
33893 @end smallexample
33894
33895 Describe what symbol is at location @var{addr}.
33896
33897 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33898
33899 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info symbol}.
33900
33901 @subsubheading Example
33902 N.A.
33903
33904
33905 @subheading The @code{-symbol-list-functions} Command
33906 @findex -symbol-list-functions
33907
33908 @subsubheading Synopsis
33909
33910 @smallexample
33911 -symbol-list-functions
33912 @end smallexample
33913
33914 List the functions in the executable.
33915
33916 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33917
33918 @samp{info functions} in @value{GDBN}, @samp{gdb_listfunc} and
33919 @samp{gdb_search} in @code{gdbtk}.
33920
33921 @subsubheading Example
33922 N.A.
33923 @end ignore
33924
33925
33926 @subheading The @code{-symbol-list-lines} Command
33927 @findex -symbol-list-lines
33928
33929 @subsubheading Synopsis
33930
33931 @smallexample
33932 -symbol-list-lines @var{filename}
33933 @end smallexample
33934
33935 Print the list of lines that contain code and their associated program
33936 addresses for the given source filename. The entries are sorted in
33937 ascending PC order.
33938
33939 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33940
33941 There is no corresponding @value{GDBN} command.
33942
33943 @subsubheading Example
33944 @smallexample
33945 (gdb)
33946 -symbol-list-lines basics.c
33947 ^done,lines=[@{pc="0x08048554",line="7"@},@{pc="0x0804855a",line="8"@}]
33948 (gdb)
33949 @end smallexample
33950
33951
33952 @ignore
33953 @subheading The @code{-symbol-list-types} Command
33954 @findex -symbol-list-types
33955
33956 @subsubheading Synopsis
33957
33958 @smallexample
33959 -symbol-list-types
33960 @end smallexample
33961
33962 List all the type names.
33963
33964 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33965
33966 The corresponding commands are @samp{info types} in @value{GDBN},
33967 @samp{gdb_search} in @code{gdbtk}.
33968
33969 @subsubheading Example
33970 N.A.
33971
33972
33973 @subheading The @code{-symbol-list-variables} Command
33974 @findex -symbol-list-variables
33975
33976 @subsubheading Synopsis
33977
33978 @smallexample
33979 -symbol-list-variables
33980 @end smallexample
33981
33982 List all the global and static variable names.
33983
33984 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33985
33986 @samp{info variables} in @value{GDBN}, @samp{gdb_search} in @code{gdbtk}.
33987
33988 @subsubheading Example
33989 N.A.
33990
33991
33992 @subheading The @code{-symbol-locate} Command
33993 @findex -symbol-locate
33994
33995 @subsubheading Synopsis
33996
33997 @smallexample
33998 -symbol-locate
33999 @end smallexample
34000
34001 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34002
34003 @samp{gdb_loc} in @code{gdbtk}.
34004
34005 @subsubheading Example
34006 N.A.
34007
34008
34009 @subheading The @code{-symbol-type} Command
34010 @findex -symbol-type
34011
34012 @subsubheading Synopsis
34013
34014 @smallexample
34015 -symbol-type @var{variable}
34016 @end smallexample
34017
34018 Show type of @var{variable}.
34019
34020 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34021
34022 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{ptype}, @code{gdbtk} has
34023 @samp{gdb_obj_variable}.
34024
34025 @subsubheading Example
34026 N.A.
34027 @end ignore
34028
34029
34030 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
34031 @node GDB/MI File Commands
34032 @section @sc{gdb/mi} File Commands
34033
34034 This section describes the GDB/MI commands to specify executable file names
34035 and to read in and obtain symbol table information.
34036
34037 @subheading The @code{-file-exec-and-symbols} Command
34038 @findex -file-exec-and-symbols
34039
34040 @subsubheading Synopsis
34041
34042 @smallexample
34043 -file-exec-and-symbols @var{file}
34044 @end smallexample
34045
34046 Specify the executable file to be debugged. This file is the one from
34047 which the symbol table is also read. If no file is specified, the
34048 command clears the executable and symbol information. If breakpoints
34049 are set when using this command with no arguments, @value{GDBN} will produce
34050 error messages. Otherwise, no output is produced, except a completion
34051 notification.
34052
34053 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34054
34055 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{file}.
34056
34057 @subsubheading Example
34058
34059 @smallexample
34060 (gdb)
34061 -file-exec-and-symbols /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/TRUNK/mbx/hello.mbx
34062 ^done
34063 (gdb)
34064 @end smallexample
34065
34066
34067 @subheading The @code{-file-exec-file} Command
34068 @findex -file-exec-file
34069
34070 @subsubheading Synopsis
34071
34072 @smallexample
34073 -file-exec-file @var{file}
34074 @end smallexample
34075
34076 Specify the executable file to be debugged. Unlike
34077 @samp{-file-exec-and-symbols}, the symbol table is @emph{not} read
34078 from this file. If used without argument, @value{GDBN} clears the information
34079 about the executable file. No output is produced, except a completion
34080 notification.
34081
34082 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34083
34084 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{exec-file}.
34085
34086 @subsubheading Example
34087
34088 @smallexample
34089 (gdb)
34090 -file-exec-file /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/TRUNK/mbx/hello.mbx
34091 ^done
34092 (gdb)
34093 @end smallexample
34094
34095
34096 @ignore
34097 @subheading The @code{-file-list-exec-sections} Command
34098 @findex -file-list-exec-sections
34099
34100 @subsubheading Synopsis
34101
34102 @smallexample
34103 -file-list-exec-sections
34104 @end smallexample
34105
34106 List the sections of the current executable file.
34107
34108 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34109
34110 The @value{GDBN} command @samp{info file} shows, among the rest, the same
34111 information as this command. @code{gdbtk} has a corresponding command
34112 @samp{gdb_load_info}.
34113
34114 @subsubheading Example
34115 N.A.
34116 @end ignore
34117
34118
34119 @subheading The @code{-file-list-exec-source-file} Command
34120 @findex -file-list-exec-source-file
34121
34122 @subsubheading Synopsis
34123
34124 @smallexample
34125 -file-list-exec-source-file
34126 @end smallexample
34127
34128 List the line number, the current source file, and the absolute path
34129 to the current source file for the current executable. The macro
34130 information field has a value of @samp{1} or @samp{0} depending on
34131 whether or not the file includes preprocessor macro information.
34132
34133 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34134
34135 The @value{GDBN} equivalent is @samp{info source}
34136
34137 @subsubheading Example
34138
34139 @smallexample
34140 (gdb)
34141 123-file-list-exec-source-file
34142 123^done,line="1",file="foo.c",fullname="/home/bar/foo.c,macro-info="1"
34143 (gdb)
34144 @end smallexample
34145
34146
34147 @subheading The @code{-file-list-exec-source-files} Command
34148 @findex -file-list-exec-source-files
34149
34150 @subsubheading Synopsis
34151
34152 @smallexample
34153 -file-list-exec-source-files
34154 @end smallexample
34155
34156 List the source files for the current executable.
34157
34158 It will always output both the filename and fullname (absolute file
34159 name) of a source file.
34160
34161 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34162
34163 The @value{GDBN} equivalent is @samp{info sources}.
34164 @code{gdbtk} has an analogous command @samp{gdb_listfiles}.
34165
34166 @subsubheading Example
34167 @smallexample
34168 (gdb)
34169 -file-list-exec-source-files
34170 ^done,files=[
34171 @{file=foo.c,fullname=/home/foo.c@},
34172 @{file=/home/bar.c,fullname=/home/bar.c@},
34173 @{file=gdb_could_not_find_fullpath.c@}]
34174 (gdb)
34175 @end smallexample
34176
34177 @ignore
34178 @subheading The @code{-file-list-shared-libraries} Command
34179 @findex -file-list-shared-libraries
34180
34181 @subsubheading Synopsis
34182
34183 @smallexample
34184 -file-list-shared-libraries
34185 @end smallexample
34186
34187 List the shared libraries in the program.
34188
34189 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34190
34191 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info shared}.
34192
34193 @subsubheading Example
34194 N.A.
34195
34196
34197 @subheading The @code{-file-list-symbol-files} Command
34198 @findex -file-list-symbol-files
34199
34200 @subsubheading Synopsis
34201
34202 @smallexample
34203 -file-list-symbol-files
34204 @end smallexample
34205
34206 List symbol files.
34207
34208 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34209
34210 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info file} (part of it).
34211
34212 @subsubheading Example
34213 N.A.
34214 @end ignore
34215
34216
34217 @subheading The @code{-file-symbol-file} Command
34218 @findex -file-symbol-file
34219
34220 @subsubheading Synopsis
34221
34222 @smallexample
34223 -file-symbol-file @var{file}
34224 @end smallexample
34225
34226 Read symbol table info from the specified @var{file} argument. When
34227 used without arguments, clears @value{GDBN}'s symbol table info. No output is
34228 produced, except for a completion notification.
34229
34230 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34231
34232 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{symbol-file}.
34233
34234 @subsubheading Example
34235
34236 @smallexample
34237 (gdb)
34238 -file-symbol-file /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/TRUNK/mbx/hello.mbx
34239 ^done
34240 (gdb)
34241 @end smallexample
34242
34243 @ignore
34244 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
34245 @node GDB/MI Memory Overlay Commands
34246 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Memory Overlay Commands
34247
34248 The memory overlay commands are not implemented.
34249
34250 @c @subheading -overlay-auto
34251
34252 @c @subheading -overlay-list-mapping-state
34253
34254 @c @subheading -overlay-list-overlays
34255
34256 @c @subheading -overlay-map
34257
34258 @c @subheading -overlay-off
34259
34260 @c @subheading -overlay-on
34261
34262 @c @subheading -overlay-unmap
34263
34264 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
34265 @node GDB/MI Signal Handling Commands
34266 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Signal Handling Commands
34267
34268 Signal handling commands are not implemented.
34269
34270 @c @subheading -signal-handle
34271
34272 @c @subheading -signal-list-handle-actions
34273
34274 @c @subheading -signal-list-signal-types
34275 @end ignore
34276
34277
34278 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
34279 @node GDB/MI Target Manipulation
34280 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Target Manipulation Commands
34281
34282
34283 @subheading The @code{-target-attach} Command
34284 @findex -target-attach
34285
34286 @subsubheading Synopsis
34287
34288 @smallexample
34289 -target-attach @var{pid} | @var{gid} | @var{file}
34290 @end smallexample
34291
34292 Attach to a process @var{pid} or a file @var{file} outside of
34293 @value{GDBN}, or a thread group @var{gid}. If attaching to a thread
34294 group, the id previously returned by
34295 @samp{-list-thread-groups --available} must be used.
34296
34297 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34298
34299 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{attach}.
34300
34301 @subsubheading Example
34302 @smallexample
34303 (gdb)
34304 -target-attach 34
34305 =thread-created,id="1"
34306 *stopped,thread-id="1",frame=@{addr="0xb7f7e410",func="bar",args=[]@}
34307 ^done
34308 (gdb)
34309 @end smallexample
34310
34311 @ignore
34312 @subheading The @code{-target-compare-sections} Command
34313 @findex -target-compare-sections
34314
34315 @subsubheading Synopsis
34316
34317 @smallexample
34318 -target-compare-sections [ @var{section} ]
34319 @end smallexample
34320
34321 Compare data of section @var{section} on target to the exec file.
34322 Without the argument, all sections are compared.
34323
34324 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34325
34326 The @value{GDBN} equivalent is @samp{compare-sections}.
34327
34328 @subsubheading Example
34329 N.A.
34330 @end ignore
34331
34332
34333 @subheading The @code{-target-detach} Command
34334 @findex -target-detach
34335
34336 @subsubheading Synopsis
34337
34338 @smallexample
34339 -target-detach [ @var{pid} | @var{gid} ]
34340 @end smallexample
34341
34342 Detach from the remote target which normally resumes its execution.
34343 If either @var{pid} or @var{gid} is specified, detaches from either
34344 the specified process, or specified thread group. There's no output.
34345
34346 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34347
34348 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{detach}.
34349
34350 @subsubheading Example
34351
34352 @smallexample
34353 (gdb)
34354 -target-detach
34355 ^done
34356 (gdb)
34357 @end smallexample
34358
34359
34360 @subheading The @code{-target-disconnect} Command
34361 @findex -target-disconnect
34362
34363 @subsubheading Synopsis
34364
34365 @smallexample
34366 -target-disconnect
34367 @end smallexample
34368
34369 Disconnect from the remote target. There's no output and the target is
34370 generally not resumed.
34371
34372 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34373
34374 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{disconnect}.
34375
34376 @subsubheading Example
34377
34378 @smallexample
34379 (gdb)
34380 -target-disconnect
34381 ^done
34382 (gdb)
34383 @end smallexample
34384
34385
34386 @subheading The @code{-target-download} Command
34387 @findex -target-download
34388
34389 @subsubheading Synopsis
34390
34391 @smallexample
34392 -target-download
34393 @end smallexample
34394
34395 Loads the executable onto the remote target.
34396 It prints out an update message every half second, which includes the fields:
34397
34398 @table @samp
34399 @item section
34400 The name of the section.
34401 @item section-sent
34402 The size of what has been sent so far for that section.
34403 @item section-size
34404 The size of the section.
34405 @item total-sent
34406 The total size of what was sent so far (the current and the previous sections).
34407 @item total-size
34408 The size of the overall executable to download.
34409 @end table
34410
34411 @noindent
34412 Each message is sent as status record (@pxref{GDB/MI Output Syntax, ,
34413 @sc{gdb/mi} Output Syntax}).
34414
34415 In addition, it prints the name and size of the sections, as they are
34416 downloaded. These messages include the following fields:
34417
34418 @table @samp
34419 @item section
34420 The name of the section.
34421 @item section-size
34422 The size of the section.
34423 @item total-size
34424 The size of the overall executable to download.
34425 @end table
34426
34427 @noindent
34428 At the end, a summary is printed.
34429
34430 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34431
34432 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{load}.
34433
34434 @subsubheading Example
34435
34436 Note: each status message appears on a single line. Here the messages
34437 have been broken down so that they can fit onto a page.
34438
34439 @smallexample
34440 (gdb)
34441 -target-download
34442 +download,@{section=".text",section-size="6668",total-size="9880"@}
34443 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="512",section-size="6668",
34444 total-sent="512",total-size="9880"@}
34445 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="1024",section-size="6668",
34446 total-sent="1024",total-size="9880"@}
34447 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="1536",section-size="6668",
34448 total-sent="1536",total-size="9880"@}
34449 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="2048",section-size="6668",
34450 total-sent="2048",total-size="9880"@}
34451 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="2560",section-size="6668",
34452 total-sent="2560",total-size="9880"@}
34453 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="3072",section-size="6668",
34454 total-sent="3072",total-size="9880"@}
34455 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="3584",section-size="6668",
34456 total-sent="3584",total-size="9880"@}
34457 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="4096",section-size="6668",
34458 total-sent="4096",total-size="9880"@}
34459 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="4608",section-size="6668",
34460 total-sent="4608",total-size="9880"@}
34461 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="5120",section-size="6668",
34462 total-sent="5120",total-size="9880"@}
34463 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="5632",section-size="6668",
34464 total-sent="5632",total-size="9880"@}
34465 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="6144",section-size="6668",
34466 total-sent="6144",total-size="9880"@}
34467 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="6656",section-size="6668",
34468 total-sent="6656",total-size="9880"@}
34469 +download,@{section=".init",section-size="28",total-size="9880"@}
34470 +download,@{section=".fini",section-size="28",total-size="9880"@}
34471 +download,@{section=".data",section-size="3156",total-size="9880"@}
34472 +download,@{section=".data",section-sent="512",section-size="3156",
34473 total-sent="7236",total-size="9880"@}
34474 +download,@{section=".data",section-sent="1024",section-size="3156",
34475 total-sent="7748",total-size="9880"@}
34476 +download,@{section=".data",section-sent="1536",section-size="3156",
34477 total-sent="8260",total-size="9880"@}
34478 +download,@{section=".data",section-sent="2048",section-size="3156",
34479 total-sent="8772",total-size="9880"@}
34480 +download,@{section=".data",section-sent="2560",section-size="3156",
34481 total-sent="9284",total-size="9880"@}
34482 +download,@{section=".data",section-sent="3072",section-size="3156",
34483 total-sent="9796",total-size="9880"@}
34484 ^done,address="0x10004",load-size="9880",transfer-rate="6586",
34485 write-rate="429"
34486 (gdb)
34487 @end smallexample
34488
34489
34490 @ignore
34491 @subheading The @code{-target-exec-status} Command
34492 @findex -target-exec-status
34493
34494 @subsubheading Synopsis
34495
34496 @smallexample
34497 -target-exec-status
34498 @end smallexample
34499
34500 Provide information on the state of the target (whether it is running or
34501 not, for instance).
34502
34503 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34504
34505 There's no equivalent @value{GDBN} command.
34506
34507 @subsubheading Example
34508 N.A.
34509
34510
34511 @subheading The @code{-target-list-available-targets} Command
34512 @findex -target-list-available-targets
34513
34514 @subsubheading Synopsis
34515
34516 @smallexample
34517 -target-list-available-targets
34518 @end smallexample
34519
34520 List the possible targets to connect to.
34521
34522 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34523
34524 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{help target}.
34525
34526 @subsubheading Example
34527 N.A.
34528
34529
34530 @subheading The @code{-target-list-current-targets} Command
34531 @findex -target-list-current-targets
34532
34533 @subsubheading Synopsis
34534
34535 @smallexample
34536 -target-list-current-targets
34537 @end smallexample
34538
34539 Describe the current target.
34540
34541 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34542
34543 The corresponding information is printed by @samp{info file} (among
34544 other things).
34545
34546 @subsubheading Example
34547 N.A.
34548
34549
34550 @subheading The @code{-target-list-parameters} Command
34551 @findex -target-list-parameters
34552
34553 @subsubheading Synopsis
34554
34555 @smallexample
34556 -target-list-parameters
34557 @end smallexample
34558
34559 @c ????
34560 @end ignore
34561
34562 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34563
34564 No equivalent.
34565
34566 @subsubheading Example
34567 N.A.
34568
34569
34570 @subheading The @code{-target-select} Command
34571 @findex -target-select
34572
34573 @subsubheading Synopsis
34574
34575 @smallexample
34576 -target-select @var{type} @var{parameters @dots{}}
34577 @end smallexample
34578
34579 Connect @value{GDBN} to the remote target. This command takes two args:
34580
34581 @table @samp
34582 @item @var{type}
34583 The type of target, for instance @samp{remote}, etc.
34584 @item @var{parameters}
34585 Device names, host names and the like. @xref{Target Commands, ,
34586 Commands for Managing Targets}, for more details.
34587 @end table
34588
34589 The output is a connection notification, followed by the address at
34590 which the target program is, in the following form:
34591
34592 @smallexample
34593 ^connected,addr="@var{address}",func="@var{function name}",
34594 args=[@var{arg list}]
34595 @end smallexample
34596
34597 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34598
34599 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{target}.
34600
34601 @subsubheading Example
34602
34603 @smallexample
34604 (gdb)
34605 -target-select remote /dev/ttya
34606 ^connected,addr="0xfe00a300",func="??",args=[]
34607 (gdb)
34608 @end smallexample
34609
34610 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
34611 @node GDB/MI File Transfer Commands
34612 @section @sc{gdb/mi} File Transfer Commands
34613
34614
34615 @subheading The @code{-target-file-put} Command
34616 @findex -target-file-put
34617
34618 @subsubheading Synopsis
34619
34620 @smallexample
34621 -target-file-put @var{hostfile} @var{targetfile}
34622 @end smallexample
34623
34624 Copy file @var{hostfile} from the host system (the machine running
34625 @value{GDBN}) to @var{targetfile} on the target system.
34626
34627 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34628
34629 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{remote put}.
34630
34631 @subsubheading Example
34632
34633 @smallexample
34634 (gdb)
34635 -target-file-put localfile remotefile
34636 ^done
34637 (gdb)
34638 @end smallexample
34639
34640
34641 @subheading The @code{-target-file-get} Command
34642 @findex -target-file-get
34643
34644 @subsubheading Synopsis
34645
34646 @smallexample
34647 -target-file-get @var{targetfile} @var{hostfile}
34648 @end smallexample
34649
34650 Copy file @var{targetfile} from the target system to @var{hostfile}
34651 on the host system.
34652
34653 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34654
34655 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{remote get}.
34656
34657 @subsubheading Example
34658
34659 @smallexample
34660 (gdb)
34661 -target-file-get remotefile localfile
34662 ^done
34663 (gdb)
34664 @end smallexample
34665
34666
34667 @subheading The @code{-target-file-delete} Command
34668 @findex -target-file-delete
34669
34670 @subsubheading Synopsis
34671
34672 @smallexample
34673 -target-file-delete @var{targetfile}
34674 @end smallexample
34675
34676 Delete @var{targetfile} from the target system.
34677
34678 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34679
34680 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{remote delete}.
34681
34682 @subsubheading Example
34683
34684 @smallexample
34685 (gdb)
34686 -target-file-delete remotefile
34687 ^done
34688 (gdb)
34689 @end smallexample
34690
34691
34692 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
34693 @node GDB/MI Miscellaneous Commands
34694 @section Miscellaneous @sc{gdb/mi} Commands
34695
34696 @c @subheading -gdb-complete
34697
34698 @subheading The @code{-gdb-exit} Command
34699 @findex -gdb-exit
34700
34701 @subsubheading Synopsis
34702
34703 @smallexample
34704 -gdb-exit
34705 @end smallexample
34706
34707 Exit @value{GDBN} immediately.
34708
34709 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34710
34711 Approximately corresponds to @samp{quit}.
34712
34713 @subsubheading Example
34714
34715 @smallexample
34716 (gdb)
34717 -gdb-exit
34718 ^exit
34719 @end smallexample
34720
34721
34722 @ignore
34723 @subheading The @code{-exec-abort} Command
34724 @findex -exec-abort
34725
34726 @subsubheading Synopsis
34727
34728 @smallexample
34729 -exec-abort
34730 @end smallexample
34731
34732 Kill the inferior running program.
34733
34734 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34735
34736 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{kill}.
34737
34738 @subsubheading Example
34739 N.A.
34740 @end ignore
34741
34742
34743 @subheading The @code{-gdb-set} Command
34744 @findex -gdb-set
34745
34746 @subsubheading Synopsis
34747
34748 @smallexample
34749 -gdb-set
34750 @end smallexample
34751
34752 Set an internal @value{GDBN} variable.
34753 @c IS THIS A DOLLAR VARIABLE? OR SOMETHING LIKE ANNOTATE ?????
34754
34755 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34756
34757 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{set}.
34758
34759 @subsubheading Example
34760
34761 @smallexample
34762 (gdb)
34763 -gdb-set $foo=3
34764 ^done
34765 (gdb)
34766 @end smallexample
34767
34768
34769 @subheading The @code{-gdb-show} Command
34770 @findex -gdb-show
34771
34772 @subsubheading Synopsis
34773
34774 @smallexample
34775 -gdb-show
34776 @end smallexample
34777
34778 Show the current value of a @value{GDBN} variable.
34779
34780 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34781
34782 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{show}.
34783
34784 @subsubheading Example
34785
34786 @smallexample
34787 (gdb)
34788 -gdb-show annotate
34789 ^done,value="0"
34790 (gdb)
34791 @end smallexample
34792
34793 @c @subheading -gdb-source
34794
34795
34796 @subheading The @code{-gdb-version} Command
34797 @findex -gdb-version
34798
34799 @subsubheading Synopsis
34800
34801 @smallexample
34802 -gdb-version
34803 @end smallexample
34804
34805 Show version information for @value{GDBN}. Used mostly in testing.
34806
34807 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34808
34809 The @value{GDBN} equivalent is @samp{show version}. @value{GDBN} by
34810 default shows this information when you start an interactive session.
34811
34812 @subsubheading Example
34813
34814 @c This example modifies the actual output from GDB to avoid overfull
34815 @c box in TeX.
34816 @smallexample
34817 (gdb)
34818 -gdb-version
34819 ~GNU gdb 5.2.1
34820 ~Copyright 2000 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
34821 ~GDB is free software, covered by the GNU General Public License, and
34822 ~you are welcome to change it and/or distribute copies of it under
34823 ~ certain conditions.
34824 ~Type "show copying" to see the conditions.
34825 ~There is absolutely no warranty for GDB. Type "show warranty" for
34826 ~ details.
34827 ~This GDB was configured as
34828 "--host=sparc-sun-solaris2.5.1 --target=ppc-eabi".
34829 ^done
34830 (gdb)
34831 @end smallexample
34832
34833 @subheading The @code{-list-features} Command
34834 @findex -list-features
34835
34836 Returns a list of particular features of the MI protocol that
34837 this version of gdb implements. A feature can be a command,
34838 or a new field in an output of some command, or even an
34839 important bugfix. While a frontend can sometimes detect presence
34840 of a feature at runtime, it is easier to perform detection at debugger
34841 startup.
34842
34843 The command returns a list of strings, with each string naming an
34844 available feature. Each returned string is just a name, it does not
34845 have any internal structure. The list of possible feature names
34846 is given below.
34847
34848 Example output:
34849
34850 @smallexample
34851 (gdb) -list-features
34852 ^done,result=["feature1","feature2"]
34853 @end smallexample
34854
34855 The current list of features is:
34856
34857 @table @samp
34858 @item frozen-varobjs
34859 Indicates support for the @code{-var-set-frozen} command, as well
34860 as possible presense of the @code{frozen} field in the output
34861 of @code{-varobj-create}.
34862 @item pending-breakpoints
34863 Indicates support for the @option{-f} option to the @code{-break-insert}
34864 command.
34865 @item python
34866 Indicates Python scripting support, Python-based
34867 pretty-printing commands, and possible presence of the
34868 @samp{display_hint} field in the output of @code{-var-list-children}
34869 @item thread-info
34870 Indicates support for the @code{-thread-info} command.
34871 @item data-read-memory-bytes
34872 Indicates support for the @code{-data-read-memory-bytes} and the
34873 @code{-data-write-memory-bytes} commands.
34874 @item breakpoint-notifications
34875 Indicates that changes to breakpoints and breakpoints created via the
34876 CLI will be announced via async records.
34877 @item ada-task-info
34878 Indicates support for the @code{-ada-task-info} command.
34879 @end table
34880
34881 @subheading The @code{-list-target-features} Command
34882 @findex -list-target-features
34883
34884 Returns a list of particular features that are supported by the
34885 target. Those features affect the permitted MI commands, but
34886 unlike the features reported by the @code{-list-features} command, the
34887 features depend on which target GDB is using at the moment. Whenever
34888 a target can change, due to commands such as @code{-target-select},
34889 @code{-target-attach} or @code{-exec-run}, the list of target features
34890 may change, and the frontend should obtain it again.
34891 Example output:
34892
34893 @smallexample
34894 (gdb) -list-target-features
34895 ^done,result=["async"]
34896 @end smallexample
34897
34898 The current list of features is:
34899
34900 @table @samp
34901 @item async
34902 Indicates that the target is capable of asynchronous command
34903 execution, which means that @value{GDBN} will accept further commands
34904 while the target is running.
34905
34906 @item reverse
34907 Indicates that the target is capable of reverse execution.
34908 @xref{Reverse Execution}, for more information.
34909
34910 @end table
34911
34912 @subheading The @code{-list-thread-groups} Command
34913 @findex -list-thread-groups
34914
34915 @subheading Synopsis
34916
34917 @smallexample
34918 -list-thread-groups [ --available ] [ --recurse 1 ] [ @var{group} ... ]
34919 @end smallexample
34920
34921 Lists thread groups (@pxref{Thread groups}). When a single thread
34922 group is passed as the argument, lists the children of that group.
34923 When several thread group are passed, lists information about those
34924 thread groups. Without any parameters, lists information about all
34925 top-level thread groups.
34926
34927 Normally, thread groups that are being debugged are reported.
34928 With the @samp{--available} option, @value{GDBN} reports thread groups
34929 available on the target.
34930
34931 The output of this command may have either a @samp{threads} result or
34932 a @samp{groups} result. The @samp{thread} result has a list of tuples
34933 as value, with each tuple describing a thread (@pxref{GDB/MI Thread
34934 Information}). The @samp{groups} result has a list of tuples as value,
34935 each tuple describing a thread group. If top-level groups are
34936 requested (that is, no parameter is passed), or when several groups
34937 are passed, the output always has a @samp{groups} result. The format
34938 of the @samp{group} result is described below.
34939
34940 To reduce the number of roundtrips it's possible to list thread groups
34941 together with their children, by passing the @samp{--recurse} option
34942 and the recursion depth. Presently, only recursion depth of 1 is
34943 permitted. If this option is present, then every reported thread group
34944 will also include its children, either as @samp{group} or
34945 @samp{threads} field.
34946
34947 In general, any combination of option and parameters is permitted, with
34948 the following caveats:
34949
34950 @itemize @bullet
34951 @item
34952 When a single thread group is passed, the output will typically
34953 be the @samp{threads} result. Because threads may not contain
34954 anything, the @samp{recurse} option will be ignored.
34955
34956 @item
34957 When the @samp{--available} option is passed, limited information may
34958 be available. In particular, the list of threads of a process might
34959 be inaccessible. Further, specifying specific thread groups might
34960 not give any performance advantage over listing all thread groups.
34961 The frontend should assume that @samp{-list-thread-groups --available}
34962 is always an expensive operation and cache the results.
34963
34964 @end itemize
34965
34966 The @samp{groups} result is a list of tuples, where each tuple may
34967 have the following fields:
34968
34969 @table @code
34970 @item id
34971 Identifier of the thread group. This field is always present.
34972 The identifier is an opaque string; frontends should not try to
34973 convert it to an integer, even though it might look like one.
34974
34975 @item type
34976 The type of the thread group. At present, only @samp{process} is a
34977 valid type.
34978
34979 @item pid
34980 The target-specific process identifier. This field is only present
34981 for thread groups of type @samp{process} and only if the process exists.
34982
34983 @item num_children
34984 The number of children this thread group has. This field may be
34985 absent for an available thread group.
34986
34987 @item threads
34988 This field has a list of tuples as value, each tuple describing a
34989 thread. It may be present if the @samp{--recurse} option is
34990 specified, and it's actually possible to obtain the threads.
34991
34992 @item cores
34993 This field is a list of integers, each identifying a core that one
34994 thread of the group is running on. This field may be absent if
34995 such information is not available.
34996
34997 @item executable
34998 The name of the executable file that corresponds to this thread group.
34999 The field is only present for thread groups of type @samp{process},
35000 and only if there is a corresponding executable file.
35001
35002 @end table
35003
35004 @subheading Example
35005
35006 @smallexample
35007 @value{GDBP}
35008 -list-thread-groups
35009 ^done,groups=[@{id="17",type="process",pid="yyy",num_children="2"@}]
35010 -list-thread-groups 17
35011 ^done,threads=[@{id="2",target-id="Thread 0xb7e14b90 (LWP 21257)",
35012 frame=@{level="0",addr="0xffffe410",func="__kernel_vsyscall",args=[]@},state="running"@},
35013 @{id="1",target-id="Thread 0xb7e156b0 (LWP 21254)",
35014 frame=@{level="0",addr="0x0804891f",func="foo",args=[@{name="i",value="10"@}],
35015 file="/tmp/a.c",fullname="/tmp/a.c",line="158"@},state="running"@}]]
35016 -list-thread-groups --available
35017 ^done,groups=[@{id="17",type="process",pid="yyy",num_children="2",cores=[1,2]@}]
35018 -list-thread-groups --available --recurse 1
35019 ^done,groups=[@{id="17", types="process",pid="yyy",num_children="2",cores=[1,2],
35020 threads=[@{id="1",target-id="Thread 0xb7e14b90",cores=[1]@},
35021 @{id="2",target-id="Thread 0xb7e14b90",cores=[2]@}]@},..]
35022 -list-thread-groups --available --recurse 1 17 18
35023 ^done,groups=[@{id="17", types="process",pid="yyy",num_children="2",cores=[1,2],
35024 threads=[@{id="1",target-id="Thread 0xb7e14b90",cores=[1]@},
35025 @{id="2",target-id="Thread 0xb7e14b90",cores=[2]@}]@},...]
35026 @end smallexample
35027
35028 @subheading The @code{-info-os} Command
35029 @findex -info-os
35030
35031 @subsubheading Synopsis
35032
35033 @smallexample
35034 -info-os [ @var{type} ]
35035 @end smallexample
35036
35037 If no argument is supplied, the command returns a table of available
35038 operating-system-specific information types. If one of these types is
35039 supplied as an argument @var{type}, then the command returns a table
35040 of data of that type.
35041
35042 The types of information available depend on the target operating
35043 system.
35044
35045 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
35046
35047 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info os}.
35048
35049 @subsubheading Example
35050
35051 When run on a @sc{gnu}/Linux system, the output will look something
35052 like this:
35053
35054 @smallexample
35055 @value{GDBP}
35056 -info-os
35057 ^done,OSDataTable=@{nr_rows="9",nr_cols="3",
35058 hdr=[@{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="col0",colhdr="Type"@},
35059 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="col1",colhdr="Description"@},
35060 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="col2",colhdr="Title"@}],
35061 body=[item=@{col0="processes",col1="Listing of all processes",
35062 col2="Processes"@},
35063 item=@{col0="procgroups",col1="Listing of all process groups",
35064 col2="Process groups"@},
35065 item=@{col0="threads",col1="Listing of all threads",
35066 col2="Threads"@},
35067 item=@{col0="files",col1="Listing of all file descriptors",
35068 col2="File descriptors"@},
35069 item=@{col0="sockets",col1="Listing of all internet-domain sockets",
35070 col2="Sockets"@},
35071 item=@{col0="shm",col1="Listing of all shared-memory regions",
35072 col2="Shared-memory regions"@},
35073 item=@{col0="semaphores",col1="Listing of all semaphores",
35074 col2="Semaphores"@},
35075 item=@{col0="msg",col1="Listing of all message queues",
35076 col2="Message queues"@},
35077 item=@{col0="modules",col1="Listing of all loaded kernel modules",
35078 col2="Kernel modules"@}]@}
35079 @value{GDBP}
35080 -info-os processes
35081 ^done,OSDataTable=@{nr_rows="190",nr_cols="4",
35082 hdr=[@{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="col0",colhdr="pid"@},
35083 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="col1",colhdr="user"@},
35084 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="col2",colhdr="command"@},
35085 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="col3",colhdr="cores"@}],
35086 body=[item=@{col0="1",col1="root",col2="/sbin/init",col3="0"@},
35087 item=@{col0="2",col1="root",col2="[kthreadd]",col3="1"@},
35088 item=@{col0="3",col1="root",col2="[ksoftirqd/0]",col3="0"@},
35089 ...
35090 item=@{col0="26446",col1="stan",col2="bash",col3="0"@},
35091 item=@{col0="28152",col1="stan",col2="bash",col3="1"@}]@}
35092 (gdb)
35093 @end smallexample
35094
35095 (Note that the MI output here includes a @code{"Title"} column that
35096 does not appear in command-line @code{info os}; this column is useful
35097 for MI clients that want to enumerate the types of data, such as in a
35098 popup menu, but is needless clutter on the command line, and
35099 @code{info os} omits it.)
35100
35101 @subheading The @code{-add-inferior} Command
35102 @findex -add-inferior
35103
35104 @subheading Synopsis
35105
35106 @smallexample
35107 -add-inferior
35108 @end smallexample
35109
35110 Creates a new inferior (@pxref{Inferiors and Programs}). The created
35111 inferior is not associated with any executable. Such association may
35112 be established with the @samp{-file-exec-and-symbols} command
35113 (@pxref{GDB/MI File Commands}). The command response has a single
35114 field, @samp{inferior}, whose value is the identifier of the
35115 thread group corresponding to the new inferior.
35116
35117 @subheading Example
35118
35119 @smallexample
35120 @value{GDBP}
35121 -add-inferior
35122 ^done,inferior="i3"
35123 @end smallexample
35124
35125 @subheading The @code{-interpreter-exec} Command
35126 @findex -interpreter-exec
35127
35128 @subheading Synopsis
35129
35130 @smallexample
35131 -interpreter-exec @var{interpreter} @var{command}
35132 @end smallexample
35133 @anchor{-interpreter-exec}
35134
35135 Execute the specified @var{command} in the given @var{interpreter}.
35136
35137 @subheading @value{GDBN} Command
35138
35139 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{interpreter-exec}.
35140
35141 @subheading Example
35142
35143 @smallexample
35144 (gdb)
35145 -interpreter-exec console "break main"
35146 &"During symbol reading, couldn't parse type; debugger out of date?.\n"
35147 &"During symbol reading, bad structure-type format.\n"
35148 ~"Breakpoint 1 at 0x8074fc6: file ../../src/gdb/main.c, line 743.\n"
35149 ^done
35150 (gdb)
35151 @end smallexample
35152
35153 @subheading The @code{-inferior-tty-set} Command
35154 @findex -inferior-tty-set
35155
35156 @subheading Synopsis
35157
35158 @smallexample
35159 -inferior-tty-set /dev/pts/1
35160 @end smallexample
35161
35162 Set terminal for future runs of the program being debugged.
35163
35164 @subheading @value{GDBN} Command
35165
35166 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{set inferior-tty} /dev/pts/1.
35167
35168 @subheading Example
35169
35170 @smallexample
35171 (gdb)
35172 -inferior-tty-set /dev/pts/1
35173 ^done
35174 (gdb)
35175 @end smallexample
35176
35177 @subheading The @code{-inferior-tty-show} Command
35178 @findex -inferior-tty-show
35179
35180 @subheading Synopsis
35181
35182 @smallexample
35183 -inferior-tty-show
35184 @end smallexample
35185
35186 Show terminal for future runs of program being debugged.
35187
35188 @subheading @value{GDBN} Command
35189
35190 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{show inferior-tty}.
35191
35192 @subheading Example
35193
35194 @smallexample
35195 (gdb)
35196 -inferior-tty-set /dev/pts/1
35197 ^done
35198 (gdb)
35199 -inferior-tty-show
35200 ^done,inferior_tty_terminal="/dev/pts/1"
35201 (gdb)
35202 @end smallexample
35203
35204 @subheading The @code{-enable-timings} Command
35205 @findex -enable-timings
35206
35207 @subheading Synopsis
35208
35209 @smallexample
35210 -enable-timings [yes | no]
35211 @end smallexample
35212
35213 Toggle the printing of the wallclock, user and system times for an MI
35214 command as a field in its output. This command is to help frontend
35215 developers optimize the performance of their code. No argument is
35216 equivalent to @samp{yes}.
35217
35218 @subheading @value{GDBN} Command
35219
35220 No equivalent.
35221
35222 @subheading Example
35223
35224 @smallexample
35225 (gdb)
35226 -enable-timings
35227 ^done
35228 (gdb)
35229 -break-insert main
35230 ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
35231 addr="0x080484ed",func="main",file="myprog.c",
35232 fullname="/home/nickrob/myprog.c",line="73",thread-groups=["i1"],
35233 times="0"@},
35234 time=@{wallclock="0.05185",user="0.00800",system="0.00000"@}
35235 (gdb)
35236 -enable-timings no
35237 ^done
35238 (gdb)
35239 -exec-run
35240 ^running
35241 (gdb)
35242 *stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",bkptno="1",thread-id="0",
35243 frame=@{addr="0x080484ed",func="main",args=[@{name="argc",value="1"@},
35244 @{name="argv",value="0xbfb60364"@}],file="myprog.c",
35245 fullname="/home/nickrob/myprog.c",line="73"@}
35246 (gdb)
35247 @end smallexample
35248
35249 @node Annotations
35250 @chapter @value{GDBN} Annotations
35251
35252 This chapter describes annotations in @value{GDBN}. Annotations were
35253 designed to interface @value{GDBN} to graphical user interfaces or other
35254 similar programs which want to interact with @value{GDBN} at a
35255 relatively high level.
35256
35257 The annotation mechanism has largely been superseded by @sc{gdb/mi}
35258 (@pxref{GDB/MI}).
35259
35260 @ignore
35261 This is Edition @value{EDITION}, @value{DATE}.
35262 @end ignore
35263
35264 @menu
35265 * Annotations Overview:: What annotations are; the general syntax.
35266 * Server Prefix:: Issuing a command without affecting user state.
35267 * Prompting:: Annotations marking @value{GDBN}'s need for input.
35268 * Errors:: Annotations for error messages.
35269 * Invalidation:: Some annotations describe things now invalid.
35270 * Annotations for Running::
35271 Whether the program is running, how it stopped, etc.
35272 * Source Annotations:: Annotations describing source code.
35273 @end menu
35274
35275 @node Annotations Overview
35276 @section What is an Annotation?
35277 @cindex annotations
35278
35279 Annotations start with a newline character, two @samp{control-z}
35280 characters, and the name of the annotation. If there is no additional
35281 information associated with this annotation, the name of the annotation
35282 is followed immediately by a newline. If there is additional
35283 information, the name of the annotation is followed by a space, the
35284 additional information, and a newline. The additional information
35285 cannot contain newline characters.
35286
35287 Any output not beginning with a newline and two @samp{control-z}
35288 characters denotes literal output from @value{GDBN}. Currently there is
35289 no need for @value{GDBN} to output a newline followed by two
35290 @samp{control-z} characters, but if there was such a need, the
35291 annotations could be extended with an @samp{escape} annotation which
35292 means those three characters as output.
35293
35294 The annotation @var{level}, which is specified using the
35295 @option{--annotate} command line option (@pxref{Mode Options}), controls
35296 how much information @value{GDBN} prints together with its prompt,
35297 values of expressions, source lines, and other types of output. Level 0
35298 is for no annotations, level 1 is for use when @value{GDBN} is run as a
35299 subprocess of @sc{gnu} Emacs, level 3 is the maximum annotation suitable
35300 for programs that control @value{GDBN}, and level 2 annotations have
35301 been made obsolete (@pxref{Limitations, , Limitations of the Annotation
35302 Interface, annotate, GDB's Obsolete Annotations}).
35303
35304 @table @code
35305 @kindex set annotate
35306 @item set annotate @var{level}
35307 The @value{GDBN} command @code{set annotate} sets the level of
35308 annotations to the specified @var{level}.
35309
35310 @item show annotate
35311 @kindex show annotate
35312 Show the current annotation level.
35313 @end table
35314
35315 This chapter describes level 3 annotations.
35316
35317 A simple example of starting up @value{GDBN} with annotations is:
35318
35319 @smallexample
35320 $ @kbd{gdb --annotate=3}
35321 GNU gdb 6.0
35322 Copyright 2003 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
35323 GDB is free software, covered by the GNU General Public License,
35324 and you are welcome to change it and/or distribute copies of it
35325 under certain conditions.
35326 Type "show copying" to see the conditions.
35327 There is absolutely no warranty for GDB. Type "show warranty"
35328 for details.
35329 This GDB was configured as "i386-pc-linux-gnu"
35330
35331 ^Z^Zpre-prompt
35332 (@value{GDBP})
35333 ^Z^Zprompt
35334 @kbd{quit}
35335
35336 ^Z^Zpost-prompt
35337 $
35338 @end smallexample
35339
35340 Here @samp{quit} is input to @value{GDBN}; the rest is output from
35341 @value{GDBN}. The three lines beginning @samp{^Z^Z} (where @samp{^Z}
35342 denotes a @samp{control-z} character) are annotations; the rest is
35343 output from @value{GDBN}.
35344
35345 @node Server Prefix
35346 @section The Server Prefix
35347 @cindex server prefix
35348
35349 If you prefix a command with @samp{server } then it will not affect
35350 the command history, nor will it affect @value{GDBN}'s notion of which
35351 command to repeat if @key{RET} is pressed on a line by itself. This
35352 means that commands can be run behind a user's back by a front-end in
35353 a transparent manner.
35354
35355 The @code{server } prefix does not affect the recording of values into
35356 the value history; to print a value without recording it into the
35357 value history, use the @code{output} command instead of the
35358 @code{print} command.
35359
35360 Using this prefix also disables confirmation requests
35361 (@pxref{confirmation requests}).
35362
35363 @node Prompting
35364 @section Annotation for @value{GDBN} Input
35365
35366 @cindex annotations for prompts
35367 When @value{GDBN} prompts for input, it annotates this fact so it is possible
35368 to know when to send output, when the output from a given command is
35369 over, etc.
35370
35371 Different kinds of input each have a different @dfn{input type}. Each
35372 input type has three annotations: a @code{pre-} annotation, which
35373 denotes the beginning of any prompt which is being output, a plain
35374 annotation, which denotes the end of the prompt, and then a @code{post-}
35375 annotation which denotes the end of any echo which may (or may not) be
35376 associated with the input. For example, the @code{prompt} input type
35377 features the following annotations:
35378
35379 @smallexample
35380 ^Z^Zpre-prompt
35381 ^Z^Zprompt
35382 ^Z^Zpost-prompt
35383 @end smallexample
35384
35385 The input types are
35386
35387 @table @code
35388 @findex pre-prompt annotation
35389 @findex prompt annotation
35390 @findex post-prompt annotation
35391 @item prompt
35392 When @value{GDBN} is prompting for a command (the main @value{GDBN} prompt).
35393
35394 @findex pre-commands annotation
35395 @findex commands annotation
35396 @findex post-commands annotation
35397 @item commands
35398 When @value{GDBN} prompts for a set of commands, like in the @code{commands}
35399 command. The annotations are repeated for each command which is input.
35400
35401 @findex pre-overload-choice annotation
35402 @findex overload-choice annotation
35403 @findex post-overload-choice annotation
35404 @item overload-choice
35405 When @value{GDBN} wants the user to select between various overloaded functions.
35406
35407 @findex pre-query annotation
35408 @findex query annotation
35409 @findex post-query annotation
35410 @item query
35411 When @value{GDBN} wants the user to confirm a potentially dangerous operation.
35412
35413 @findex pre-prompt-for-continue annotation
35414 @findex prompt-for-continue annotation
35415 @findex post-prompt-for-continue annotation
35416 @item prompt-for-continue
35417 When @value{GDBN} is asking the user to press return to continue. Note: Don't
35418 expect this to work well; instead use @code{set height 0} to disable
35419 prompting. This is because the counting of lines is buggy in the
35420 presence of annotations.
35421 @end table
35422
35423 @node Errors
35424 @section Errors
35425 @cindex annotations for errors, warnings and interrupts
35426
35427 @findex quit annotation
35428 @smallexample
35429 ^Z^Zquit
35430 @end smallexample
35431
35432 This annotation occurs right before @value{GDBN} responds to an interrupt.
35433
35434 @findex error annotation
35435 @smallexample
35436 ^Z^Zerror
35437 @end smallexample
35438
35439 This annotation occurs right before @value{GDBN} responds to an error.
35440
35441 Quit and error annotations indicate that any annotations which @value{GDBN} was
35442 in the middle of may end abruptly. For example, if a
35443 @code{value-history-begin} annotation is followed by a @code{error}, one
35444 cannot expect to receive the matching @code{value-history-end}. One
35445 cannot expect not to receive it either, however; an error annotation
35446 does not necessarily mean that @value{GDBN} is immediately returning all the way
35447 to the top level.
35448
35449 @findex error-begin annotation
35450 A quit or error annotation may be preceded by
35451
35452 @smallexample
35453 ^Z^Zerror-begin
35454 @end smallexample
35455
35456 Any output between that and the quit or error annotation is the error
35457 message.
35458
35459 Warning messages are not yet annotated.
35460 @c If we want to change that, need to fix warning(), type_error(),
35461 @c range_error(), and possibly other places.
35462
35463 @node Invalidation
35464 @section Invalidation Notices
35465
35466 @cindex annotations for invalidation messages
35467 The following annotations say that certain pieces of state may have
35468 changed.
35469
35470 @table @code
35471 @findex frames-invalid annotation
35472 @item ^Z^Zframes-invalid
35473
35474 The frames (for example, output from the @code{backtrace} command) may
35475 have changed.
35476
35477 @findex breakpoints-invalid annotation
35478 @item ^Z^Zbreakpoints-invalid
35479
35480 The breakpoints may have changed. For example, the user just added or
35481 deleted a breakpoint.
35482 @end table
35483
35484 @node Annotations for Running
35485 @section Running the Program
35486 @cindex annotations for running programs
35487
35488 @findex starting annotation
35489 @findex stopping annotation
35490 When the program starts executing due to a @value{GDBN} command such as
35491 @code{step} or @code{continue},
35492
35493 @smallexample
35494 ^Z^Zstarting
35495 @end smallexample
35496
35497 is output. When the program stops,
35498
35499 @smallexample
35500 ^Z^Zstopped
35501 @end smallexample
35502
35503 is output. Before the @code{stopped} annotation, a variety of
35504 annotations describe how the program stopped.
35505
35506 @table @code
35507 @findex exited annotation
35508 @item ^Z^Zexited @var{exit-status}
35509 The program exited, and @var{exit-status} is the exit status (zero for
35510 successful exit, otherwise nonzero).
35511
35512 @findex signalled annotation
35513 @findex signal-name annotation
35514 @findex signal-name-end annotation
35515 @findex signal-string annotation
35516 @findex signal-string-end annotation
35517 @item ^Z^Zsignalled
35518 The program exited with a signal. After the @code{^Z^Zsignalled}, the
35519 annotation continues:
35520
35521 @smallexample
35522 @var{intro-text}
35523 ^Z^Zsignal-name
35524 @var{name}
35525 ^Z^Zsignal-name-end
35526 @var{middle-text}
35527 ^Z^Zsignal-string
35528 @var{string}
35529 ^Z^Zsignal-string-end
35530 @var{end-text}
35531 @end smallexample
35532
35533 @noindent
35534 where @var{name} is the name of the signal, such as @code{SIGILL} or
35535 @code{SIGSEGV}, and @var{string} is the explanation of the signal, such
35536 as @code{Illegal Instruction} or @code{Segmentation fault}.
35537 @var{intro-text}, @var{middle-text}, and @var{end-text} are for the
35538 user's benefit and have no particular format.
35539
35540 @findex signal annotation
35541 @item ^Z^Zsignal
35542 The syntax of this annotation is just like @code{signalled}, but @value{GDBN} is
35543 just saying that the program received the signal, not that it was
35544 terminated with it.
35545
35546 @findex breakpoint annotation
35547 @item ^Z^Zbreakpoint @var{number}
35548 The program hit breakpoint number @var{number}.
35549
35550 @findex watchpoint annotation
35551 @item ^Z^Zwatchpoint @var{number}
35552 The program hit watchpoint number @var{number}.
35553 @end table
35554
35555 @node Source Annotations
35556 @section Displaying Source
35557 @cindex annotations for source display
35558
35559 @findex source annotation
35560 The following annotation is used instead of displaying source code:
35561
35562 @smallexample
35563 ^Z^Zsource @var{filename}:@var{line}:@var{character}:@var{middle}:@var{addr}
35564 @end smallexample
35565
35566 where @var{filename} is an absolute file name indicating which source
35567 file, @var{line} is the line number within that file (where 1 is the
35568 first line in the file), @var{character} is the character position
35569 within the file (where 0 is the first character in the file) (for most
35570 debug formats this will necessarily point to the beginning of a line),
35571 @var{middle} is @samp{middle} if @var{addr} is in the middle of the
35572 line, or @samp{beg} if @var{addr} is at the beginning of the line, and
35573 @var{addr} is the address in the target program associated with the
35574 source which is being displayed. @var{addr} is in the form @samp{0x}
35575 followed by one or more lowercase hex digits (note that this does not
35576 depend on the language).
35577
35578 @node JIT Interface
35579 @chapter JIT Compilation Interface
35580 @cindex just-in-time compilation
35581 @cindex JIT compilation interface
35582
35583 This chapter documents @value{GDBN}'s @dfn{just-in-time} (JIT) compilation
35584 interface. A JIT compiler is a program or library that generates native
35585 executable code at runtime and executes it, usually in order to achieve good
35586 performance while maintaining platform independence.
35587
35588 Programs that use JIT compilation are normally difficult to debug because
35589 portions of their code are generated at runtime, instead of being loaded from
35590 object files, which is where @value{GDBN} normally finds the program's symbols
35591 and debug information. In order to debug programs that use JIT compilation,
35592 @value{GDBN} has an interface that allows the program to register in-memory
35593 symbol files with @value{GDBN} at runtime.
35594
35595 If you are using @value{GDBN} to debug a program that uses this interface, then
35596 it should work transparently so long as you have not stripped the binary. If
35597 you are developing a JIT compiler, then the interface is documented in the rest
35598 of this chapter. At this time, the only known client of this interface is the
35599 LLVM JIT.
35600
35601 Broadly speaking, the JIT interface mirrors the dynamic loader interface. The
35602 JIT compiler communicates with @value{GDBN} by writing data into a global
35603 variable and calling a fuction at a well-known symbol. When @value{GDBN}
35604 attaches, it reads a linked list of symbol files from the global variable to
35605 find existing code, and puts a breakpoint in the function so that it can find
35606 out about additional code.
35607
35608 @menu
35609 * Declarations:: Relevant C struct declarations
35610 * Registering Code:: Steps to register code
35611 * Unregistering Code:: Steps to unregister code
35612 * Custom Debug Info:: Emit debug information in a custom format
35613 @end menu
35614
35615 @node Declarations
35616 @section JIT Declarations
35617
35618 These are the relevant struct declarations that a C program should include to
35619 implement the interface:
35620
35621 @smallexample
35622 typedef enum
35623 @{
35624 JIT_NOACTION = 0,
35625 JIT_REGISTER_FN,
35626 JIT_UNREGISTER_FN
35627 @} jit_actions_t;
35628
35629 struct jit_code_entry
35630 @{
35631 struct jit_code_entry *next_entry;
35632 struct jit_code_entry *prev_entry;
35633 const char *symfile_addr;
35634 uint64_t symfile_size;
35635 @};
35636
35637 struct jit_descriptor
35638 @{
35639 uint32_t version;
35640 /* This type should be jit_actions_t, but we use uint32_t
35641 to be explicit about the bitwidth. */
35642 uint32_t action_flag;
35643 struct jit_code_entry *relevant_entry;
35644 struct jit_code_entry *first_entry;
35645 @};
35646
35647 /* GDB puts a breakpoint in this function. */
35648 void __attribute__((noinline)) __jit_debug_register_code() @{ @};
35649
35650 /* Make sure to specify the version statically, because the
35651 debugger may check the version before we can set it. */
35652 struct jit_descriptor __jit_debug_descriptor = @{ 1, 0, 0, 0 @};
35653 @end smallexample
35654
35655 If the JIT is multi-threaded, then it is important that the JIT synchronize any
35656 modifications to this global data properly, which can easily be done by putting
35657 a global mutex around modifications to these structures.
35658
35659 @node Registering Code
35660 @section Registering Code
35661
35662 To register code with @value{GDBN}, the JIT should follow this protocol:
35663
35664 @itemize @bullet
35665 @item
35666 Generate an object file in memory with symbols and other desired debug
35667 information. The file must include the virtual addresses of the sections.
35668
35669 @item
35670 Create a code entry for the file, which gives the start and size of the symbol
35671 file.
35672
35673 @item
35674 Add it to the linked list in the JIT descriptor.
35675
35676 @item
35677 Point the relevant_entry field of the descriptor at the entry.
35678
35679 @item
35680 Set @code{action_flag} to @code{JIT_REGISTER} and call
35681 @code{__jit_debug_register_code}.
35682 @end itemize
35683
35684 When @value{GDBN} is attached and the breakpoint fires, @value{GDBN} uses the
35685 @code{relevant_entry} pointer so it doesn't have to walk the list looking for
35686 new code. However, the linked list must still be maintained in order to allow
35687 @value{GDBN} to attach to a running process and still find the symbol files.
35688
35689 @node Unregistering Code
35690 @section Unregistering Code
35691
35692 If code is freed, then the JIT should use the following protocol:
35693
35694 @itemize @bullet
35695 @item
35696 Remove the code entry corresponding to the code from the linked list.
35697
35698 @item
35699 Point the @code{relevant_entry} field of the descriptor at the code entry.
35700
35701 @item
35702 Set @code{action_flag} to @code{JIT_UNREGISTER} and call
35703 @code{__jit_debug_register_code}.
35704 @end itemize
35705
35706 If the JIT frees or recompiles code without unregistering it, then @value{GDBN}
35707 and the JIT will leak the memory used for the associated symbol files.
35708
35709 @node Custom Debug Info
35710 @section Custom Debug Info
35711 @cindex custom JIT debug info
35712 @cindex JIT debug info reader
35713
35714 Generating debug information in platform-native file formats (like ELF
35715 or COFF) may be an overkill for JIT compilers; especially if all the
35716 debug info is used for is displaying a meaningful backtrace. The
35717 issue can be resolved by having the JIT writers decide on a debug info
35718 format and also provide a reader that parses the debug info generated
35719 by the JIT compiler. This section gives a brief overview on writing
35720 such a parser. More specific details can be found in the source file
35721 @file{gdb/jit-reader.in}, which is also installed as a header at
35722 @file{@var{includedir}/gdb/jit-reader.h} for easy inclusion.
35723
35724 The reader is implemented as a shared object (so this functionality is
35725 not available on platforms which don't allow loading shared objects at
35726 runtime). Two @value{GDBN} commands, @code{jit-reader-load} and
35727 @code{jit-reader-unload} are provided, to be used to load and unload
35728 the readers from a preconfigured directory. Once loaded, the shared
35729 object is used the parse the debug information emitted by the JIT
35730 compiler.
35731
35732 @menu
35733 * Using JIT Debug Info Readers:: How to use supplied readers correctly
35734 * Writing JIT Debug Info Readers:: Creating a debug-info reader
35735 @end menu
35736
35737 @node Using JIT Debug Info Readers
35738 @subsection Using JIT Debug Info Readers
35739 @kindex jit-reader-load
35740 @kindex jit-reader-unload
35741
35742 Readers can be loaded and unloaded using the @code{jit-reader-load}
35743 and @code{jit-reader-unload} commands.
35744
35745 @table @code
35746 @item jit-reader-load @var{reader}
35747 Load the JIT reader named @var{reader}. @var{reader} is a shared
35748 object specified as either an absolute or a relative file name. In
35749 the latter case, @value{GDBN} will try to load the reader from a
35750 pre-configured directory, usually @file{@var{libdir}/gdb/} on a UNIX
35751 system (here @var{libdir} is the system library directory, often
35752 @file{/usr/local/lib}).
35753
35754 Only one reader can be active at a time; trying to load a second
35755 reader when one is already loaded will result in @value{GDBN}
35756 reporting an error. A new JIT reader can be loaded by first unloading
35757 the current one using @code{jit-reader-unload} and then invoking
35758 @code{jit-reader-load}.
35759
35760 @item jit-reader-unload
35761 Unload the currently loaded JIT reader.
35762
35763 @end table
35764
35765 @node Writing JIT Debug Info Readers
35766 @subsection Writing JIT Debug Info Readers
35767 @cindex writing JIT debug info readers
35768
35769 As mentioned, a reader is essentially a shared object conforming to a
35770 certain ABI. This ABI is described in @file{jit-reader.h}.
35771
35772 @file{jit-reader.h} defines the structures, macros and functions
35773 required to write a reader. It is installed (along with
35774 @value{GDBN}), in @file{@var{includedir}/gdb} where @var{includedir} is
35775 the system include directory.
35776
35777 Readers need to be released under a GPL compatible license. A reader
35778 can be declared as released under such a license by placing the macro
35779 @code{GDB_DECLARE_GPL_COMPATIBLE_READER} in a source file.
35780
35781 The entry point for readers is the symbol @code{gdb_init_reader},
35782 which is expected to be a function with the prototype
35783
35784 @findex gdb_init_reader
35785 @smallexample
35786 extern struct gdb_reader_funcs *gdb_init_reader (void);
35787 @end smallexample
35788
35789 @cindex @code{struct gdb_reader_funcs}
35790
35791 @code{struct gdb_reader_funcs} contains a set of pointers to callback
35792 functions. These functions are executed to read the debug info
35793 generated by the JIT compiler (@code{read}), to unwind stack frames
35794 (@code{unwind}) and to create canonical frame IDs
35795 (@code{get_Frame_id}). It also has a callback that is called when the
35796 reader is being unloaded (@code{destroy}). The struct looks like this
35797
35798 @smallexample
35799 struct gdb_reader_funcs
35800 @{
35801 /* Must be set to GDB_READER_INTERFACE_VERSION. */
35802 int reader_version;
35803
35804 /* For use by the reader. */
35805 void *priv_data;
35806
35807 gdb_read_debug_info *read;
35808 gdb_unwind_frame *unwind;
35809 gdb_get_frame_id *get_frame_id;
35810 gdb_destroy_reader *destroy;
35811 @};
35812 @end smallexample
35813
35814 @cindex @code{struct gdb_symbol_callbacks}
35815 @cindex @code{struct gdb_unwind_callbacks}
35816
35817 The callbacks are provided with another set of callbacks by
35818 @value{GDBN} to do their job. For @code{read}, these callbacks are
35819 passed in a @code{struct gdb_symbol_callbacks} and for @code{unwind}
35820 and @code{get_frame_id}, in a @code{struct gdb_unwind_callbacks}.
35821 @code{struct gdb_symbol_callbacks} has callbacks to create new object
35822 files and new symbol tables inside those object files. @code{struct
35823 gdb_unwind_callbacks} has callbacks to read registers off the current
35824 frame and to write out the values of the registers in the previous
35825 frame. Both have a callback (@code{target_read}) to read bytes off the
35826 target's address space.
35827
35828 @node In-Process Agent
35829 @chapter In-Process Agent
35830 @cindex debugging agent
35831 The traditional debugging model is conceptually low-speed, but works fine,
35832 because most bugs can be reproduced in debugging-mode execution. However,
35833 as multi-core or many-core processors are becoming mainstream, and
35834 multi-threaded programs become more and more popular, there should be more
35835 and more bugs that only manifest themselves at normal-mode execution, for
35836 example, thread races, because debugger's interference with the program's
35837 timing may conceal the bugs. On the other hand, in some applications,
35838 it is not feasible for the debugger to interrupt the program's execution
35839 long enough for the developer to learn anything helpful about its behavior.
35840 If the program's correctness depends on its real-time behavior, delays
35841 introduced by a debugger might cause the program to fail, even when the
35842 code itself is correct. It is useful to be able to observe the program's
35843 behavior without interrupting it.
35844
35845 Therefore, traditional debugging model is too intrusive to reproduce
35846 some bugs. In order to reduce the interference with the program, we can
35847 reduce the number of operations performed by debugger. The
35848 @dfn{In-Process Agent}, a shared library, is running within the same
35849 process with inferior, and is able to perform some debugging operations
35850 itself. As a result, debugger is only involved when necessary, and
35851 performance of debugging can be improved accordingly. Note that
35852 interference with program can be reduced but can't be removed completely,
35853 because the in-process agent will still stop or slow down the program.
35854
35855 The in-process agent can interpret and execute Agent Expressions
35856 (@pxref{Agent Expressions}) during performing debugging operations. The
35857 agent expressions can be used for different purposes, such as collecting
35858 data in tracepoints, and condition evaluation in breakpoints.
35859
35860 @anchor{Control Agent}
35861 You can control whether the in-process agent is used as an aid for
35862 debugging with the following commands:
35863
35864 @table @code
35865 @kindex set agent on
35866 @item set agent on
35867 Causes the in-process agent to perform some operations on behalf of the
35868 debugger. Just which operations requested by the user will be done
35869 by the in-process agent depends on the its capabilities. For example,
35870 if you request to evaluate breakpoint conditions in the in-process agent,
35871 and the in-process agent has such capability as well, then breakpoint
35872 conditions will be evaluated in the in-process agent.
35873
35874 @kindex set agent off
35875 @item set agent off
35876 Disables execution of debugging operations by the in-process agent. All
35877 of the operations will be performed by @value{GDBN}.
35878
35879 @kindex show agent
35880 @item show agent
35881 Display the current setting of execution of debugging operations by
35882 the in-process agent.
35883 @end table
35884
35885 @menu
35886 * In-Process Agent Protocol::
35887 @end menu
35888
35889 @node In-Process Agent Protocol
35890 @section In-Process Agent Protocol
35891 @cindex in-process agent protocol
35892
35893 The in-process agent is able to communicate with both @value{GDBN} and
35894 GDBserver (@pxref{In-Process Agent}). This section documents the protocol
35895 used for communications between @value{GDBN} or GDBserver and the IPA.
35896 In general, @value{GDBN} or GDBserver sends commands
35897 (@pxref{IPA Protocol Commands}) and data to in-process agent, and then
35898 in-process agent replies back with the return result of the command, or
35899 some other information. The data sent to in-process agent is composed
35900 of primitive data types, such as 4-byte or 8-byte type, and composite
35901 types, which are called objects (@pxref{IPA Protocol Objects}).
35902
35903 @menu
35904 * IPA Protocol Objects::
35905 * IPA Protocol Commands::
35906 @end menu
35907
35908 @node IPA Protocol Objects
35909 @subsection IPA Protocol Objects
35910 @cindex ipa protocol objects
35911
35912 The commands sent to and results received from agent may contain some
35913 complex data types called @dfn{objects}.
35914
35915 The in-process agent is running on the same machine with @value{GDBN}
35916 or GDBserver, so it doesn't have to handle as much differences between
35917 two ends as remote protocol (@pxref{Remote Protocol}) tries to handle.
35918 However, there are still some differences of two ends in two processes:
35919
35920 @enumerate
35921 @item
35922 word size. On some 64-bit machines, @value{GDBN} or GDBserver can be
35923 compiled as a 64-bit executable, while in-process agent is a 32-bit one.
35924 @item
35925 ABI. Some machines may have multiple types of ABI, @value{GDBN} or
35926 GDBserver is compiled with one, and in-process agent is compiled with
35927 the other one.
35928 @end enumerate
35929
35930 Here are the IPA Protocol Objects:
35931
35932 @enumerate
35933 @item
35934 agent expression object. It represents an agent expression
35935 (@pxref{Agent Expressions}).
35936 @anchor{agent expression object}
35937 @item
35938 tracepoint action object. It represents a tracepoint action
35939 (@pxref{Tracepoint Actions,,Tracepoint Action Lists}) to collect registers,
35940 memory, static trace data and to evaluate expression.
35941 @anchor{tracepoint action object}
35942 @item
35943 tracepoint object. It represents a tracepoint (@pxref{Tracepoints}).
35944 @anchor{tracepoint object}
35945
35946 @end enumerate
35947
35948 The following table describes important attributes of each IPA protocol
35949 object:
35950
35951 @multitable @columnfractions .30 .20 .50
35952 @headitem Name @tab Size @tab Description
35953 @item @emph{agent expression object} @tab @tab
35954 @item length @tab 4 @tab length of bytes code
35955 @item byte code @tab @var{length} @tab contents of byte code
35956 @item @emph{tracepoint action for collecting memory} @tab @tab
35957 @item 'M' @tab 1 @tab type of tracepoint action
35958 @item addr @tab 8 @tab if @var{basereg} is @samp{-1}, @var{addr} is the
35959 address of the lowest byte to collect, otherwise @var{addr} is the offset
35960 of @var{basereg} for memory collecting.
35961 @item len @tab 8 @tab length of memory for collecting
35962 @item basereg @tab 4 @tab the register number containing the starting
35963 memory address for collecting.
35964 @item @emph{tracepoint action for collecting registers} @tab @tab
35965 @item 'R' @tab 1 @tab type of tracepoint action
35966 @item @emph{tracepoint action for collecting static trace data} @tab @tab
35967 @item 'L' @tab 1 @tab type of tracepoint action
35968 @item @emph{tracepoint action for expression evaluation} @tab @tab
35969 @item 'X' @tab 1 @tab type of tracepoint action
35970 @item agent expression @tab length of @tab @ref{agent expression object}
35971 @item @emph{tracepoint object} @tab @tab
35972 @item number @tab 4 @tab number of tracepoint
35973 @item address @tab 8 @tab address of tracepoint inserted on
35974 @item type @tab 4 @tab type of tracepoint
35975 @item enabled @tab 1 @tab enable or disable of tracepoint
35976 @item step_count @tab 8 @tab step
35977 @item pass_count @tab 8 @tab pass
35978 @item numactions @tab 4 @tab number of tracepoint actions
35979 @item hit count @tab 8 @tab hit count
35980 @item trace frame usage @tab 8 @tab trace frame usage
35981 @item compiled_cond @tab 8 @tab compiled condition
35982 @item orig_size @tab 8 @tab orig size
35983 @item condition @tab 4 if condition is NULL otherwise length of
35984 @ref{agent expression object}
35985 @tab zero if condition is NULL, otherwise is
35986 @ref{agent expression object}
35987 @item actions @tab variable
35988 @tab numactions number of @ref{tracepoint action object}
35989 @end multitable
35990
35991 @node IPA Protocol Commands
35992 @subsection IPA Protocol Commands
35993 @cindex ipa protocol commands
35994
35995 The spaces in each command are delimiters to ease reading this commands
35996 specification. They don't exist in real commands.
35997
35998 @table @samp
35999
36000 @item FastTrace:@var{tracepoint_object} @var{gdb_jump_pad_head}
36001 Installs a new fast tracepoint described by @var{tracepoint_object}
36002 (@pxref{tracepoint object}). @var{gdb_jump_pad_head}, 8-byte long, is the
36003 head of @dfn{jumppad}, which is used to jump to data collection routine
36004 in IPA finally.
36005
36006 Replies:
36007 @table @samp
36008 @item OK @var{target_address} @var{gdb_jump_pad_head} @var{fjump_size} @var{fjump}
36009 @var{target_address} is address of tracepoint in the inferior.
36010 @var{gdb_jump_pad_head} is updated head of jumppad. Both of
36011 @var{target_address} and @var{gdb_jump_pad_head} are 8-byte long.
36012 @var{fjump} contains a sequence of instructions jump to jumppad entry.
36013 @var{fjump_size}, 4-byte long, is the size of @var{fjump}.
36014 @item E @var{NN}
36015 for an error
36016
36017 @end table
36018
36019 @item close
36020 Closes the in-process agent. This command is sent when @value{GDBN} or GDBserver
36021 is about to kill inferiors.
36022
36023 @item qTfSTM
36024 @xref{qTfSTM}.
36025 @item qTsSTM
36026 @xref{qTsSTM}.
36027 @item qTSTMat
36028 @xref{qTSTMat}.
36029 @item probe_marker_at:@var{address}
36030 Asks in-process agent to probe the marker at @var{address}.
36031
36032 Replies:
36033 @table @samp
36034 @item E @var{NN}
36035 for an error
36036 @end table
36037 @item unprobe_marker_at:@var{address}
36038 Asks in-process agent to unprobe the marker at @var{address}.
36039 @end table
36040
36041 @node GDB Bugs
36042 @chapter Reporting Bugs in @value{GDBN}
36043 @cindex bugs in @value{GDBN}
36044 @cindex reporting bugs in @value{GDBN}
36045
36046 Your bug reports play an essential role in making @value{GDBN} reliable.
36047
36048 Reporting a bug may help you by bringing a solution to your problem, or it
36049 may not. But in any case the principal function of a bug report is to help
36050 the entire community by making the next version of @value{GDBN} work better. Bug
36051 reports are your contribution to the maintenance of @value{GDBN}.
36052
36053 In order for a bug report to serve its purpose, you must include the
36054 information that enables us to fix the bug.
36055
36056 @menu
36057 * Bug Criteria:: Have you found a bug?
36058 * Bug Reporting:: How to report bugs
36059 @end menu
36060
36061 @node Bug Criteria
36062 @section Have You Found a Bug?
36063 @cindex bug criteria
36064
36065 If you are not sure whether you have found a bug, here are some guidelines:
36066
36067 @itemize @bullet
36068 @cindex fatal signal
36069 @cindex debugger crash
36070 @cindex crash of debugger
36071 @item
36072 If the debugger gets a fatal signal, for any input whatever, that is a
36073 @value{GDBN} bug. Reliable debuggers never crash.
36074
36075 @cindex error on valid input
36076 @item
36077 If @value{GDBN} produces an error message for valid input, that is a
36078 bug. (Note that if you're cross debugging, the problem may also be
36079 somewhere in the connection to the target.)
36080
36081 @cindex invalid input
36082 @item
36083 If @value{GDBN} does not produce an error message for invalid input,
36084 that is a bug. However, you should note that your idea of
36085 ``invalid input'' might be our idea of ``an extension'' or ``support
36086 for traditional practice''.
36087
36088 @item
36089 If you are an experienced user of debugging tools, your suggestions
36090 for improvement of @value{GDBN} are welcome in any case.
36091 @end itemize
36092
36093 @node Bug Reporting
36094 @section How to Report Bugs
36095 @cindex bug reports
36096 @cindex @value{GDBN} bugs, reporting
36097
36098 A number of companies and individuals offer support for @sc{gnu} products.
36099 If you obtained @value{GDBN} from a support organization, we recommend you
36100 contact that organization first.
36101
36102 You can find contact information for many support companies and
36103 individuals in the file @file{etc/SERVICE} in the @sc{gnu} Emacs
36104 distribution.
36105 @c should add a web page ref...
36106
36107 @ifset BUGURL
36108 @ifset BUGURL_DEFAULT
36109 In any event, we also recommend that you submit bug reports for
36110 @value{GDBN}. The preferred method is to submit them directly using
36111 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gdb/bugs/, @value{GDBN}'s Bugs web
36112 page}. Alternatively, the @email{bug-gdb@@gnu.org, e-mail gateway} can
36113 be used.
36114
36115 @strong{Do not send bug reports to @samp{info-gdb}, or to
36116 @samp{help-gdb}, or to any newsgroups.} Most users of @value{GDBN} do
36117 not want to receive bug reports. Those that do have arranged to receive
36118 @samp{bug-gdb}.
36119
36120 The mailing list @samp{bug-gdb} has a newsgroup @samp{gnu.gdb.bug} which
36121 serves as a repeater. The mailing list and the newsgroup carry exactly
36122 the same messages. Often people think of posting bug reports to the
36123 newsgroup instead of mailing them. This appears to work, but it has one
36124 problem which can be crucial: a newsgroup posting often lacks a mail
36125 path back to the sender. Thus, if we need to ask for more information,
36126 we may be unable to reach you. For this reason, it is better to send
36127 bug reports to the mailing list.
36128 @end ifset
36129 @ifclear BUGURL_DEFAULT
36130 In any event, we also recommend that you submit bug reports for
36131 @value{GDBN} to @value{BUGURL}.
36132 @end ifclear
36133 @end ifset
36134
36135 The fundamental principle of reporting bugs usefully is this:
36136 @strong{report all the facts}. If you are not sure whether to state a
36137 fact or leave it out, state it!
36138
36139 Often people omit facts because they think they know what causes the
36140 problem and assume that some details do not matter. Thus, you might
36141 assume that the name of the variable you use in an example does not matter.
36142 Well, probably it does not, but one cannot be sure. Perhaps the bug is a
36143 stray memory reference which happens to fetch from the location where that
36144 name is stored in memory; perhaps, if the name were different, the contents
36145 of that location would fool the debugger into doing the right thing despite
36146 the bug. Play it safe and give a specific, complete example. That is the
36147 easiest thing for you to do, and the most helpful.
36148
36149 Keep in mind that the purpose of a bug report is to enable us to fix the
36150 bug. It may be that the bug has been reported previously, but neither
36151 you nor we can know that unless your bug report is complete and
36152 self-contained.
36153
36154 Sometimes people give a few sketchy facts and ask, ``Does this ring a
36155 bell?'' Those bug reports are useless, and we urge everyone to
36156 @emph{refuse to respond to them} except to chide the sender to report
36157 bugs properly.
36158
36159 To enable us to fix the bug, you should include all these things:
36160
36161 @itemize @bullet
36162 @item
36163 The version of @value{GDBN}. @value{GDBN} announces it if you start
36164 with no arguments; you can also print it at any time using @code{show
36165 version}.
36166
36167 Without this, we will not know whether there is any point in looking for
36168 the bug in the current version of @value{GDBN}.
36169
36170 @item
36171 The type of machine you are using, and the operating system name and
36172 version number.
36173
36174 @item
36175 The details of the @value{GDBN} build-time configuration.
36176 @value{GDBN} shows these details if you invoke it with the
36177 @option{--configuration} command-line option, or if you type
36178 @code{show configuration} at @value{GDBN}'s prompt.
36179
36180 @item
36181 What compiler (and its version) was used to compile @value{GDBN}---e.g.@:
36182 ``@value{GCC}--2.8.1''.
36183
36184 @item
36185 What compiler (and its version) was used to compile the program you are
36186 debugging---e.g.@: ``@value{GCC}--2.8.1'', or ``HP92453-01 A.10.32.03 HP
36187 C Compiler''. For @value{NGCC}, you can say @kbd{@value{GCC} --version}
36188 to get this information; for other compilers, see the documentation for
36189 those compilers.
36190
36191 @item
36192 The command arguments you gave the compiler to compile your example and
36193 observe the bug. For example, did you use @samp{-O}? To guarantee
36194 you will not omit something important, list them all. A copy of the
36195 Makefile (or the output from make) is sufficient.
36196
36197 If we were to try to guess the arguments, we would probably guess wrong
36198 and then we might not encounter the bug.
36199
36200 @item
36201 A complete input script, and all necessary source files, that will
36202 reproduce the bug.
36203
36204 @item
36205 A description of what behavior you observe that you believe is
36206 incorrect. For example, ``It gets a fatal signal.''
36207
36208 Of course, if the bug is that @value{GDBN} gets a fatal signal, then we
36209 will certainly notice it. But if the bug is incorrect output, we might
36210 not notice unless it is glaringly wrong. You might as well not give us
36211 a chance to make a mistake.
36212
36213 Even if the problem you experience is a fatal signal, you should still
36214 say so explicitly. Suppose something strange is going on, such as, your
36215 copy of @value{GDBN} is out of synch, or you have encountered a bug in
36216 the C library on your system. (This has happened!) Your copy might
36217 crash and ours would not. If you told us to expect a crash, then when
36218 ours fails to crash, we would know that the bug was not happening for
36219 us. If you had not told us to expect a crash, then we would not be able
36220 to draw any conclusion from our observations.
36221
36222 @pindex script
36223 @cindex recording a session script
36224 To collect all this information, you can use a session recording program
36225 such as @command{script}, which is available on many Unix systems.
36226 Just run your @value{GDBN} session inside @command{script} and then
36227 include the @file{typescript} file with your bug report.
36228
36229 Another way to record a @value{GDBN} session is to run @value{GDBN}
36230 inside Emacs and then save the entire buffer to a file.
36231
36232 @item
36233 If you wish to suggest changes to the @value{GDBN} source, send us context
36234 diffs. If you even discuss something in the @value{GDBN} source, refer to
36235 it by context, not by line number.
36236
36237 The line numbers in our development sources will not match those in your
36238 sources. Your line numbers would convey no useful information to us.
36239
36240 @end itemize
36241
36242 Here are some things that are not necessary:
36243
36244 @itemize @bullet
36245 @item
36246 A description of the envelope of the bug.
36247
36248 Often people who encounter a bug spend a lot of time investigating
36249 which changes to the input file will make the bug go away and which
36250 changes will not affect it.
36251
36252 This is often time consuming and not very useful, because the way we
36253 will find the bug is by running a single example under the debugger
36254 with breakpoints, not by pure deduction from a series of examples.
36255 We recommend that you save your time for something else.
36256
36257 Of course, if you can find a simpler example to report @emph{instead}
36258 of the original one, that is a convenience for us. Errors in the
36259 output will be easier to spot, running under the debugger will take
36260 less time, and so on.
36261
36262 However, simplification is not vital; if you do not want to do this,
36263 report the bug anyway and send us the entire test case you used.
36264
36265 @item
36266 A patch for the bug.
36267
36268 A patch for the bug does help us if it is a good one. But do not omit
36269 the necessary information, such as the test case, on the assumption that
36270 a patch is all we need. We might see problems with your patch and decide
36271 to fix the problem another way, or we might not understand it at all.
36272
36273 Sometimes with a program as complicated as @value{GDBN} it is very hard to
36274 construct an example that will make the program follow a certain path
36275 through the code. If you do not send us the example, we will not be able
36276 to construct one, so we will not be able to verify that the bug is fixed.
36277
36278 And if we cannot understand what bug you are trying to fix, or why your
36279 patch should be an improvement, we will not install it. A test case will
36280 help us to understand.
36281
36282 @item
36283 A guess about what the bug is or what it depends on.
36284
36285 Such guesses are usually wrong. Even we cannot guess right about such
36286 things without first using the debugger to find the facts.
36287 @end itemize
36288
36289 @c The readline documentation is distributed with the readline code
36290 @c and consists of the two following files:
36291 @c rluser.texi
36292 @c hsuser.texi
36293 @c Use -I with makeinfo to point to the appropriate directory,
36294 @c environment var TEXINPUTS with TeX.
36295 @ifclear SYSTEM_READLINE
36296 @include rluser.texi
36297 @include hsuser.texi
36298 @end ifclear
36299
36300 @node In Memoriam
36301 @appendix In Memoriam
36302
36303 The @value{GDBN} project mourns the loss of the following long-time
36304 contributors:
36305
36306 @table @code
36307 @item Fred Fish
36308 Fred was a long-standing contributor to @value{GDBN} (1991-2006), and
36309 to Free Software in general. Outside of @value{GDBN}, he was known in
36310 the Amiga world for his series of Fish Disks, and the GeekGadget project.
36311
36312 @item Michael Snyder
36313 Michael was one of the Global Maintainers of the @value{GDBN} project,
36314 with contributions recorded as early as 1996, until 2011. In addition
36315 to his day to day participation, he was a large driving force behind
36316 adding Reverse Debugging to @value{GDBN}.
36317 @end table
36318
36319 Beyond their technical contributions to the project, they were also
36320 enjoyable members of the Free Software Community. We will miss them.
36321
36322 @node Formatting Documentation
36323 @appendix Formatting Documentation
36324
36325 @cindex @value{GDBN} reference card
36326 @cindex reference card
36327 The @value{GDBN} 4 release includes an already-formatted reference card, ready
36328 for printing with PostScript or Ghostscript, in the @file{gdb}
36329 subdirectory of the main source directory@footnote{In
36330 @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}/gdb/refcard.ps} of the version @value{GDBVN}
36331 release.}. If you can use PostScript or Ghostscript with your printer,
36332 you can print the reference card immediately with @file{refcard.ps}.
36333
36334 The release also includes the source for the reference card. You
36335 can format it, using @TeX{}, by typing:
36336
36337 @smallexample
36338 make refcard.dvi
36339 @end smallexample
36340
36341 The @value{GDBN} reference card is designed to print in @dfn{landscape}
36342 mode on US ``letter'' size paper;
36343 that is, on a sheet 11 inches wide by 8.5 inches
36344 high. You will need to specify this form of printing as an option to
36345 your @sc{dvi} output program.
36346
36347 @cindex documentation
36348
36349 All the documentation for @value{GDBN} comes as part of the machine-readable
36350 distribution. The documentation is written in Texinfo format, which is
36351 a documentation system that uses a single source file to produce both
36352 on-line information and a printed manual. You can use one of the Info
36353 formatting commands to create the on-line version of the documentation
36354 and @TeX{} (or @code{texi2roff}) to typeset the printed version.
36355
36356 @value{GDBN} includes an already formatted copy of the on-line Info
36357 version of this manual in the @file{gdb} subdirectory. The main Info
36358 file is @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}/gdb/gdb.info}, and it refers to
36359 subordinate files matching @samp{gdb.info*} in the same directory. If
36360 necessary, you can print out these files, or read them with any editor;
36361 but they are easier to read using the @code{info} subsystem in @sc{gnu}
36362 Emacs or the standalone @code{info} program, available as part of the
36363 @sc{gnu} Texinfo distribution.
36364
36365 If you want to format these Info files yourself, you need one of the
36366 Info formatting programs, such as @code{texinfo-format-buffer} or
36367 @code{makeinfo}.
36368
36369 If you have @code{makeinfo} installed, and are in the top level
36370 @value{GDBN} source directory (@file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}}, in the case of
36371 version @value{GDBVN}), you can make the Info file by typing:
36372
36373 @smallexample
36374 cd gdb
36375 make gdb.info
36376 @end smallexample
36377
36378 If you want to typeset and print copies of this manual, you need @TeX{},
36379 a program to print its @sc{dvi} output files, and @file{texinfo.tex}, the
36380 Texinfo definitions file.
36381
36382 @TeX{} is a typesetting program; it does not print files directly, but
36383 produces output files called @sc{dvi} files. To print a typeset
36384 document, you need a program to print @sc{dvi} files. If your system
36385 has @TeX{} installed, chances are it has such a program. The precise
36386 command to use depends on your system; @kbd{lpr -d} is common; another
36387 (for PostScript devices) is @kbd{dvips}. The @sc{dvi} print command may
36388 require a file name without any extension or a @samp{.dvi} extension.
36389
36390 @TeX{} also requires a macro definitions file called
36391 @file{texinfo.tex}. This file tells @TeX{} how to typeset a document
36392 written in Texinfo format. On its own, @TeX{} cannot either read or
36393 typeset a Texinfo file. @file{texinfo.tex} is distributed with GDB
36394 and is located in the @file{gdb-@var{version-number}/texinfo}
36395 directory.
36396
36397 If you have @TeX{} and a @sc{dvi} printer program installed, you can
36398 typeset and print this manual. First switch to the @file{gdb}
36399 subdirectory of the main source directory (for example, to
36400 @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}/gdb}) and type:
36401
36402 @smallexample
36403 make gdb.dvi
36404 @end smallexample
36405
36406 Then give @file{gdb.dvi} to your @sc{dvi} printing program.
36407
36408 @node Installing GDB
36409 @appendix Installing @value{GDBN}
36410 @cindex installation
36411
36412 @menu
36413 * Requirements:: Requirements for building @value{GDBN}
36414 * Running Configure:: Invoking the @value{GDBN} @file{configure} script
36415 * Separate Objdir:: Compiling @value{GDBN} in another directory
36416 * Config Names:: Specifying names for hosts and targets
36417 * Configure Options:: Summary of options for configure
36418 * System-wide configuration:: Having a system-wide init file
36419 @end menu
36420
36421 @node Requirements
36422 @section Requirements for Building @value{GDBN}
36423 @cindex building @value{GDBN}, requirements for
36424
36425 Building @value{GDBN} requires various tools and packages to be available.
36426 Other packages will be used only if they are found.
36427
36428 @heading Tools/Packages Necessary for Building @value{GDBN}
36429 @table @asis
36430 @item ISO C90 compiler
36431 @value{GDBN} is written in ISO C90. It should be buildable with any
36432 working C90 compiler, e.g.@: GCC.
36433
36434 @end table
36435
36436 @heading Tools/Packages Optional for Building @value{GDBN}
36437 @table @asis
36438 @item Expat
36439 @anchor{Expat}
36440 @value{GDBN} can use the Expat XML parsing library. This library may be
36441 included with your operating system distribution; if it is not, you
36442 can get the latest version from @url{http://expat.sourceforge.net}.
36443 The @file{configure} script will search for this library in several
36444 standard locations; if it is installed in an unusual path, you can
36445 use the @option{--with-libexpat-prefix} option to specify its location.
36446
36447 Expat is used for:
36448
36449 @itemize @bullet
36450 @item
36451 Remote protocol memory maps (@pxref{Memory Map Format})
36452 @item
36453 Target descriptions (@pxref{Target Descriptions})
36454 @item
36455 Remote shared library lists (@xref{Library List Format},
36456 or alternatively @pxref{Library List Format for SVR4 Targets})
36457 @item
36458 MS-Windows shared libraries (@pxref{Shared Libraries})
36459 @item
36460 Traceframe info (@pxref{Traceframe Info Format})
36461 @item
36462 Branch trace (@pxref{Branch Trace Format})
36463 @end itemize
36464
36465 @item zlib
36466 @cindex compressed debug sections
36467 @value{GDBN} will use the @samp{zlib} library, if available, to read
36468 compressed debug sections. Some linkers, such as GNU gold, are capable
36469 of producing binaries with compressed debug sections. If @value{GDBN}
36470 is compiled with @samp{zlib}, it will be able to read the debug
36471 information in such binaries.
36472
36473 The @samp{zlib} library is likely included with your operating system
36474 distribution; if it is not, you can get the latest version from
36475 @url{http://zlib.net}.
36476
36477 @item iconv
36478 @value{GDBN}'s features related to character sets (@pxref{Character
36479 Sets}) require a functioning @code{iconv} implementation. If you are
36480 on a GNU system, then this is provided by the GNU C Library. Some
36481 other systems also provide a working @code{iconv}.
36482
36483 If @value{GDBN} is using the @code{iconv} program which is installed
36484 in a non-standard place, you will need to tell @value{GDBN} where to find it.
36485 This is done with @option{--with-iconv-bin} which specifies the
36486 directory that contains the @code{iconv} program.
36487
36488 On systems without @code{iconv}, you can install GNU Libiconv. If you
36489 have previously installed Libiconv, you can use the
36490 @option{--with-libiconv-prefix} option to configure.
36491
36492 @value{GDBN}'s top-level @file{configure} and @file{Makefile} will
36493 arrange to build Libiconv if a directory named @file{libiconv} appears
36494 in the top-most source directory. If Libiconv is built this way, and
36495 if the operating system does not provide a suitable @code{iconv}
36496 implementation, then the just-built library will automatically be used
36497 by @value{GDBN}. One easy way to set this up is to download GNU
36498 Libiconv, unpack it, and then rename the directory holding the
36499 Libiconv source code to @samp{libiconv}.
36500 @end table
36501
36502 @node Running Configure
36503 @section Invoking the @value{GDBN} @file{configure} Script
36504 @cindex configuring @value{GDBN}
36505 @value{GDBN} comes with a @file{configure} script that automates the process
36506 of preparing @value{GDBN} for installation; you can then use @code{make} to
36507 build the @code{gdb} program.
36508 @iftex
36509 @c irrelevant in info file; it's as current as the code it lives with.
36510 @footnote{If you have a more recent version of @value{GDBN} than @value{GDBVN},
36511 look at the @file{README} file in the sources; we may have improved the
36512 installation procedures since publishing this manual.}
36513 @end iftex
36514
36515 The @value{GDBN} distribution includes all the source code you need for
36516 @value{GDBN} in a single directory, whose name is usually composed by
36517 appending the version number to @samp{gdb}.
36518
36519 For example, the @value{GDBN} version @value{GDBVN} distribution is in the
36520 @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}} directory. That directory contains:
36521
36522 @table @code
36523 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/configure @r{(and supporting files)}
36524 script for configuring @value{GDBN} and all its supporting libraries
36525
36526 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/gdb
36527 the source specific to @value{GDBN} itself
36528
36529 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/bfd
36530 source for the Binary File Descriptor library
36531
36532 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/include
36533 @sc{gnu} include files
36534
36535 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/libiberty
36536 source for the @samp{-liberty} free software library
36537
36538 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/opcodes
36539 source for the library of opcode tables and disassemblers
36540
36541 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/readline
36542 source for the @sc{gnu} command-line interface
36543
36544 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/glob
36545 source for the @sc{gnu} filename pattern-matching subroutine
36546
36547 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/mmalloc
36548 source for the @sc{gnu} memory-mapped malloc package
36549 @end table
36550
36551 The simplest way to configure and build @value{GDBN} is to run @file{configure}
36552 from the @file{gdb-@var{version-number}} source directory, which in
36553 this example is the @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}} directory.
36554
36555 First switch to the @file{gdb-@var{version-number}} source directory
36556 if you are not already in it; then run @file{configure}. Pass the
36557 identifier for the platform on which @value{GDBN} will run as an
36558 argument.
36559
36560 For example:
36561
36562 @smallexample
36563 cd gdb-@value{GDBVN}
36564 ./configure @var{host}
36565 make
36566 @end smallexample
36567
36568 @noindent
36569 where @var{host} is an identifier such as @samp{sun4} or
36570 @samp{decstation}, that identifies the platform where @value{GDBN} will run.
36571 (You can often leave off @var{host}; @file{configure} tries to guess the
36572 correct value by examining your system.)
36573
36574 Running @samp{configure @var{host}} and then running @code{make} builds the
36575 @file{bfd}, @file{readline}, @file{mmalloc}, and @file{libiberty}
36576 libraries, then @code{gdb} itself. The configured source files, and the
36577 binaries, are left in the corresponding source directories.
36578
36579 @need 750
36580 @file{configure} is a Bourne-shell (@code{/bin/sh}) script; if your
36581 system does not recognize this automatically when you run a different
36582 shell, you may need to run @code{sh} on it explicitly:
36583
36584 @smallexample
36585 sh configure @var{host}
36586 @end smallexample
36587
36588 If you run @file{configure} from a directory that contains source
36589 directories for multiple libraries or programs, such as the
36590 @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}} source directory for version @value{GDBVN},
36591 @file{configure}
36592 creates configuration files for every directory level underneath (unless
36593 you tell it not to, with the @samp{--norecursion} option).
36594
36595 You should run the @file{configure} script from the top directory in the
36596 source tree, the @file{gdb-@var{version-number}} directory. If you run
36597 @file{configure} from one of the subdirectories, you will configure only
36598 that subdirectory. That is usually not what you want. In particular,
36599 if you run the first @file{configure} from the @file{gdb} subdirectory
36600 of the @file{gdb-@var{version-number}} directory, you will omit the
36601 configuration of @file{bfd}, @file{readline}, and other sibling
36602 directories of the @file{gdb} subdirectory. This leads to build errors
36603 about missing include files such as @file{bfd/bfd.h}.
36604
36605 You can install @code{@value{GDBP}} anywhere; it has no hardwired paths.
36606 However, you should make sure that the shell on your path (named by
36607 the @samp{SHELL} environment variable) is publicly readable. Remember
36608 that @value{GDBN} uses the shell to start your program---some systems refuse to
36609 let @value{GDBN} debug child processes whose programs are not readable.
36610
36611 @node Separate Objdir
36612 @section Compiling @value{GDBN} in Another Directory
36613
36614 If you want to run @value{GDBN} versions for several host or target machines,
36615 you need a different @code{gdb} compiled for each combination of
36616 host and target. @file{configure} is designed to make this easy by
36617 allowing you to generate each configuration in a separate subdirectory,
36618 rather than in the source directory. If your @code{make} program
36619 handles the @samp{VPATH} feature (@sc{gnu} @code{make} does), running
36620 @code{make} in each of these directories builds the @code{gdb}
36621 program specified there.
36622
36623 To build @code{gdb} in a separate directory, run @file{configure}
36624 with the @samp{--srcdir} option to specify where to find the source.
36625 (You also need to specify a path to find @file{configure}
36626 itself from your working directory. If the path to @file{configure}
36627 would be the same as the argument to @samp{--srcdir}, you can leave out
36628 the @samp{--srcdir} option; it is assumed.)
36629
36630 For example, with version @value{GDBVN}, you can build @value{GDBN} in a
36631 separate directory for a Sun 4 like this:
36632
36633 @smallexample
36634 @group
36635 cd gdb-@value{GDBVN}
36636 mkdir ../gdb-sun4
36637 cd ../gdb-sun4
36638 ../gdb-@value{GDBVN}/configure sun4
36639 make
36640 @end group
36641 @end smallexample
36642
36643 When @file{configure} builds a configuration using a remote source
36644 directory, it creates a tree for the binaries with the same structure
36645 (and using the same names) as the tree under the source directory. In
36646 the example, you'd find the Sun 4 library @file{libiberty.a} in the
36647 directory @file{gdb-sun4/libiberty}, and @value{GDBN} itself in
36648 @file{gdb-sun4/gdb}.
36649
36650 Make sure that your path to the @file{configure} script has just one
36651 instance of @file{gdb} in it. If your path to @file{configure} looks
36652 like @file{../gdb-@value{GDBVN}/gdb/configure}, you are configuring only
36653 one subdirectory of @value{GDBN}, not the whole package. This leads to
36654 build errors about missing include files such as @file{bfd/bfd.h}.
36655
36656 One popular reason to build several @value{GDBN} configurations in separate
36657 directories is to configure @value{GDBN} for cross-compiling (where
36658 @value{GDBN} runs on one machine---the @dfn{host}---while debugging
36659 programs that run on another machine---the @dfn{target}).
36660 You specify a cross-debugging target by
36661 giving the @samp{--target=@var{target}} option to @file{configure}.
36662
36663 When you run @code{make} to build a program or library, you must run
36664 it in a configured directory---whatever directory you were in when you
36665 called @file{configure} (or one of its subdirectories).
36666
36667 The @code{Makefile} that @file{configure} generates in each source
36668 directory also runs recursively. If you type @code{make} in a source
36669 directory such as @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}} (or in a separate configured
36670 directory configured with @samp{--srcdir=@var{dirname}/gdb-@value{GDBVN}}), you
36671 will build all the required libraries, and then build GDB.
36672
36673 When you have multiple hosts or targets configured in separate
36674 directories, you can run @code{make} on them in parallel (for example,
36675 if they are NFS-mounted on each of the hosts); they will not interfere
36676 with each other.
36677
36678 @node Config Names
36679 @section Specifying Names for Hosts and Targets
36680
36681 The specifications used for hosts and targets in the @file{configure}
36682 script are based on a three-part naming scheme, but some short predefined
36683 aliases are also supported. The full naming scheme encodes three pieces
36684 of information in the following pattern:
36685
36686 @smallexample
36687 @var{architecture}-@var{vendor}-@var{os}
36688 @end smallexample
36689
36690 For example, you can use the alias @code{sun4} as a @var{host} argument,
36691 or as the value for @var{target} in a @code{--target=@var{target}}
36692 option. The equivalent full name is @samp{sparc-sun-sunos4}.
36693
36694 The @file{configure} script accompanying @value{GDBN} does not provide
36695 any query facility to list all supported host and target names or
36696 aliases. @file{configure} calls the Bourne shell script
36697 @code{config.sub} to map abbreviations to full names; you can read the
36698 script, if you wish, or you can use it to test your guesses on
36699 abbreviations---for example:
36700
36701 @smallexample
36702 % sh config.sub i386-linux
36703 i386-pc-linux-gnu
36704 % sh config.sub alpha-linux
36705 alpha-unknown-linux-gnu
36706 % sh config.sub hp9k700
36707 hppa1.1-hp-hpux
36708 % sh config.sub sun4
36709 sparc-sun-sunos4.1.1
36710 % sh config.sub sun3
36711 m68k-sun-sunos4.1.1
36712 % sh config.sub i986v
36713 Invalid configuration `i986v': machine `i986v' not recognized
36714 @end smallexample
36715
36716 @noindent
36717 @code{config.sub} is also distributed in the @value{GDBN} source
36718 directory (@file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}}, for version @value{GDBVN}).
36719
36720 @node Configure Options
36721 @section @file{configure} Options
36722
36723 Here is a summary of the @file{configure} options and arguments that
36724 are most often useful for building @value{GDBN}. @file{configure} also has
36725 several other options not listed here. @inforef{What Configure
36726 Does,,configure.info}, for a full explanation of @file{configure}.
36727
36728 @smallexample
36729 configure @r{[}--help@r{]}
36730 @r{[}--prefix=@var{dir}@r{]}
36731 @r{[}--exec-prefix=@var{dir}@r{]}
36732 @r{[}--srcdir=@var{dirname}@r{]}
36733 @r{[}--norecursion@r{]} @r{[}--rm@r{]}
36734 @r{[}--target=@var{target}@r{]}
36735 @var{host}
36736 @end smallexample
36737
36738 @noindent
36739 You may introduce options with a single @samp{-} rather than
36740 @samp{--} if you prefer; but you may abbreviate option names if you use
36741 @samp{--}.
36742
36743 @table @code
36744 @item --help
36745 Display a quick summary of how to invoke @file{configure}.
36746
36747 @item --prefix=@var{dir}
36748 Configure the source to install programs and files under directory
36749 @file{@var{dir}}.
36750
36751 @item --exec-prefix=@var{dir}
36752 Configure the source to install programs under directory
36753 @file{@var{dir}}.
36754
36755 @c avoid splitting the warning from the explanation:
36756 @need 2000
36757 @item --srcdir=@var{dirname}
36758 @strong{Warning: using this option requires @sc{gnu} @code{make}, or another
36759 @code{make} that implements the @code{VPATH} feature.}@*
36760 Use this option to make configurations in directories separate from the
36761 @value{GDBN} source directories. Among other things, you can use this to
36762 build (or maintain) several configurations simultaneously, in separate
36763 directories. @file{configure} writes configuration-specific files in
36764 the current directory, but arranges for them to use the source in the
36765 directory @var{dirname}. @file{configure} creates directories under
36766 the working directory in parallel to the source directories below
36767 @var{dirname}.
36768
36769 @item --norecursion
36770 Configure only the directory level where @file{configure} is executed; do not
36771 propagate configuration to subdirectories.
36772
36773 @item --target=@var{target}
36774 Configure @value{GDBN} for cross-debugging programs running on the specified
36775 @var{target}. Without this option, @value{GDBN} is configured to debug
36776 programs that run on the same machine (@var{host}) as @value{GDBN} itself.
36777
36778 There is no convenient way to generate a list of all available targets.
36779
36780 @item @var{host} @dots{}
36781 Configure @value{GDBN} to run on the specified @var{host}.
36782
36783 There is no convenient way to generate a list of all available hosts.
36784 @end table
36785
36786 There are many other options available as well, but they are generally
36787 needed for special purposes only.
36788
36789 @node System-wide configuration
36790 @section System-wide configuration and settings
36791 @cindex system-wide init file
36792
36793 @value{GDBN} can be configured to have a system-wide init file;
36794 this file will be read and executed at startup (@pxref{Startup, , What
36795 @value{GDBN} does during startup}).
36796
36797 Here is the corresponding configure option:
36798
36799 @table @code
36800 @item --with-system-gdbinit=@var{file}
36801 Specify that the default location of the system-wide init file is
36802 @var{file}.
36803 @end table
36804
36805 If @value{GDBN} has been configured with the option @option{--prefix=$prefix},
36806 it may be subject to relocation. Two possible cases:
36807
36808 @itemize @bullet
36809 @item
36810 If the default location of this init file contains @file{$prefix},
36811 it will be subject to relocation. Suppose that the configure options
36812 are @option{--prefix=$prefix --with-system-gdbinit=$prefix/etc/gdbinit};
36813 if @value{GDBN} is moved from @file{$prefix} to @file{$install}, the system
36814 init file is looked for as @file{$install/etc/gdbinit} instead of
36815 @file{$prefix/etc/gdbinit}.
36816
36817 @item
36818 By contrast, if the default location does not contain the prefix,
36819 it will not be relocated. E.g.@: if @value{GDBN} has been configured with
36820 @option{--prefix=/usr/local --with-system-gdbinit=/usr/share/gdb/gdbinit},
36821 then @value{GDBN} will always look for @file{/usr/share/gdb/gdbinit},
36822 wherever @value{GDBN} is installed.
36823 @end itemize
36824
36825 If the configured location of the system-wide init file (as given by the
36826 @option{--with-system-gdbinit} option at configure time) is in the
36827 data-directory (as specified by @option{--with-gdb-datadir} at configure
36828 time) or in one of its subdirectories, then @value{GDBN} will look for the
36829 system-wide init file in the directory specified by the
36830 @option{--data-directory} command-line option.
36831 Note that the system-wide init file is only read once, during @value{GDBN}
36832 initialization. If the data-directory is changed after @value{GDBN} has
36833 started with the @code{set data-directory} command, the file will not be
36834 reread.
36835
36836 @menu
36837 * System-wide Configuration Scripts:: Installed System-wide Configuration Scripts
36838 @end menu
36839
36840 @node System-wide Configuration Scripts
36841 @subsection Installed System-wide Configuration Scripts
36842 @cindex system-wide configuration scripts
36843
36844 The @file{system-gdbinit} directory, located inside the data-directory
36845 (as specified by @option{--with-gdb-datadir} at configure time) contains
36846 a number of scripts which can be used as system-wide init files. To
36847 automatically source those scripts at startup, @value{GDBN} should be
36848 configured with @option{--with-system-gdbinit}. Otherwise, any user
36849 should be able to source them by hand as needed.
36850
36851 The following scripts are currently available:
36852 @itemize @bullet
36853
36854 @item @file{elinos.py}
36855 @pindex elinos.py
36856 @cindex ELinOS system-wide configuration script
36857 This script is useful when debugging a program on an ELinOS target.
36858 It takes advantage of the environment variables defined in a standard
36859 ELinOS environment in order to determine the location of the system
36860 shared libraries, and then sets the @samp{solib-absolute-prefix}
36861 and @samp{solib-search-path} variables appropriately.
36862
36863 @item @file{wrs-linux.py}
36864 @pindex wrs-linux.py
36865 @cindex Wind River Linux system-wide configuration script
36866 This script is useful when debugging a program on a target running
36867 Wind River Linux. It expects the @env{ENV_PREFIX} to be set to
36868 the host-side sysroot used by the target system.
36869
36870 @end itemize
36871
36872 @node Maintenance Commands
36873 @appendix Maintenance Commands
36874 @cindex maintenance commands
36875 @cindex internal commands
36876
36877 In addition to commands intended for @value{GDBN} users, @value{GDBN}
36878 includes a number of commands intended for @value{GDBN} developers,
36879 that are not documented elsewhere in this manual. These commands are
36880 provided here for reference. (For commands that turn on debugging
36881 messages, see @ref{Debugging Output}.)
36882
36883 @table @code
36884 @kindex maint agent
36885 @kindex maint agent-eval
36886 @item maint agent @r{[}-at @var{location}@r{,}@r{]} @var{expression}
36887 @itemx maint agent-eval @r{[}-at @var{location}@r{,}@r{]} @var{expression}
36888 Translate the given @var{expression} into remote agent bytecodes.
36889 This command is useful for debugging the Agent Expression mechanism
36890 (@pxref{Agent Expressions}). The @samp{agent} version produces an
36891 expression useful for data collection, such as by tracepoints, while
36892 @samp{maint agent-eval} produces an expression that evaluates directly
36893 to a result. For instance, a collection expression for @code{globa +
36894 globb} will include bytecodes to record four bytes of memory at each
36895 of the addresses of @code{globa} and @code{globb}, while discarding
36896 the result of the addition, while an evaluation expression will do the
36897 addition and return the sum.
36898 If @code{-at} is given, generate remote agent bytecode for @var{location}.
36899 If not, generate remote agent bytecode for current frame PC address.
36900
36901 @kindex maint agent-printf
36902 @item maint agent-printf @var{format},@var{expr},...
36903 Translate the given format string and list of argument expressions
36904 into remote agent bytecodes and display them as a disassembled list.
36905 This command is useful for debugging the agent version of dynamic
36906 printf (@pxref{Dynamic Printf}).
36907
36908 @kindex maint info breakpoints
36909 @item @anchor{maint info breakpoints}maint info breakpoints
36910 Using the same format as @samp{info breakpoints}, display both the
36911 breakpoints you've set explicitly, and those @value{GDBN} is using for
36912 internal purposes. Internal breakpoints are shown with negative
36913 breakpoint numbers. The type column identifies what kind of breakpoint
36914 is shown:
36915
36916 @table @code
36917 @item breakpoint
36918 Normal, explicitly set breakpoint.
36919
36920 @item watchpoint
36921 Normal, explicitly set watchpoint.
36922
36923 @item longjmp
36924 Internal breakpoint, used to handle correctly stepping through
36925 @code{longjmp} calls.
36926
36927 @item longjmp resume
36928 Internal breakpoint at the target of a @code{longjmp}.
36929
36930 @item until
36931 Temporary internal breakpoint used by the @value{GDBN} @code{until} command.
36932
36933 @item finish
36934 Temporary internal breakpoint used by the @value{GDBN} @code{finish} command.
36935
36936 @item shlib events
36937 Shared library events.
36938
36939 @end table
36940
36941 @kindex maint info bfds
36942 @item maint info bfds
36943 This prints information about each @code{bfd} object that is known to
36944 @value{GDBN}. @xref{Top, , BFD, bfd, The Binary File Descriptor Library}.
36945
36946 @kindex set displaced-stepping
36947 @kindex show displaced-stepping
36948 @cindex displaced stepping support
36949 @cindex out-of-line single-stepping
36950 @item set displaced-stepping
36951 @itemx show displaced-stepping
36952 Control whether or not @value{GDBN} will do @dfn{displaced stepping}
36953 if the target supports it. Displaced stepping is a way to single-step
36954 over breakpoints without removing them from the inferior, by executing
36955 an out-of-line copy of the instruction that was originally at the
36956 breakpoint location. It is also known as out-of-line single-stepping.
36957
36958 @table @code
36959 @item set displaced-stepping on
36960 If the target architecture supports it, @value{GDBN} will use
36961 displaced stepping to step over breakpoints.
36962
36963 @item set displaced-stepping off
36964 @value{GDBN} will not use displaced stepping to step over breakpoints,
36965 even if such is supported by the target architecture.
36966
36967 @cindex non-stop mode, and @samp{set displaced-stepping}
36968 @item set displaced-stepping auto
36969 This is the default mode. @value{GDBN} will use displaced stepping
36970 only if non-stop mode is active (@pxref{Non-Stop Mode}) and the target
36971 architecture supports displaced stepping.
36972 @end table
36973
36974 @kindex maint check-psymtabs
36975 @item maint check-psymtabs
36976 Check the consistency of currently expanded psymtabs versus symtabs.
36977 Use this to check, for example, whether a symbol is in one but not the other.
36978
36979 @kindex maint check-symtabs
36980 @item maint check-symtabs
36981 Check the consistency of currently expanded symtabs.
36982
36983 @kindex maint expand-symtabs
36984 @item maint expand-symtabs [@var{regexp}]
36985 Expand symbol tables.
36986 If @var{regexp} is specified, only expand symbol tables for file
36987 names matching @var{regexp}.
36988
36989 @kindex maint cplus first_component
36990 @item maint cplus first_component @var{name}
36991 Print the first C@t{++} class/namespace component of @var{name}.
36992
36993 @kindex maint cplus namespace
36994 @item maint cplus namespace
36995 Print the list of possible C@t{++} namespaces.
36996
36997 @kindex maint demangle
36998 @item maint demangle @var{name}
36999 Demangle a C@t{++} or Objective-C mangled @var{name}.
37000
37001 @kindex maint deprecate
37002 @kindex maint undeprecate
37003 @cindex deprecated commands
37004 @item maint deprecate @var{command} @r{[}@var{replacement}@r{]}
37005 @itemx maint undeprecate @var{command}
37006 Deprecate or undeprecate the named @var{command}. Deprecated commands
37007 cause @value{GDBN} to issue a warning when you use them. The optional
37008 argument @var{replacement} says which newer command should be used in
37009 favor of the deprecated one; if it is given, @value{GDBN} will mention
37010 the replacement as part of the warning.
37011
37012 @kindex maint dump-me
37013 @item maint dump-me
37014 @cindex @code{SIGQUIT} signal, dump core of @value{GDBN}
37015 Cause a fatal signal in the debugger and force it to dump its core.
37016 This is supported only on systems which support aborting a program
37017 with the @code{SIGQUIT} signal.
37018
37019 @kindex maint internal-error
37020 @kindex maint internal-warning
37021 @item maint internal-error @r{[}@var{message-text}@r{]}
37022 @itemx maint internal-warning @r{[}@var{message-text}@r{]}
37023 Cause @value{GDBN} to call the internal function @code{internal_error}
37024 or @code{internal_warning} and hence behave as though an internal error
37025 or internal warning has been detected. In addition to reporting the
37026 internal problem, these functions give the user the opportunity to
37027 either quit @value{GDBN} or create a core file of the current
37028 @value{GDBN} session.
37029
37030 These commands take an optional parameter @var{message-text} that is
37031 used as the text of the error or warning message.
37032
37033 Here's an example of using @code{internal-error}:
37034
37035 @smallexample
37036 (@value{GDBP}) @kbd{maint internal-error testing, 1, 2}
37037 @dots{}/maint.c:121: internal-error: testing, 1, 2
37038 A problem internal to GDB has been detected. Further
37039 debugging may prove unreliable.
37040 Quit this debugging session? (y or n) @kbd{n}
37041 Create a core file? (y or n) @kbd{n}
37042 (@value{GDBP})
37043 @end smallexample
37044
37045 @cindex @value{GDBN} internal error
37046 @cindex internal errors, control of @value{GDBN} behavior
37047
37048 @kindex maint set internal-error
37049 @kindex maint show internal-error
37050 @kindex maint set internal-warning
37051 @kindex maint show internal-warning
37052 @item maint set internal-error @var{action} [ask|yes|no]
37053 @itemx maint show internal-error @var{action}
37054 @itemx maint set internal-warning @var{action} [ask|yes|no]
37055 @itemx maint show internal-warning @var{action}
37056 When @value{GDBN} reports an internal problem (error or warning) it
37057 gives the user the opportunity to both quit @value{GDBN} and create a
37058 core file of the current @value{GDBN} session. These commands let you
37059 override the default behaviour for each particular @var{action},
37060 described in the table below.
37061
37062 @table @samp
37063 @item quit
37064 You can specify that @value{GDBN} should always (yes) or never (no)
37065 quit. The default is to ask the user what to do.
37066
37067 @item corefile
37068 You can specify that @value{GDBN} should always (yes) or never (no)
37069 create a core file. The default is to ask the user what to do.
37070 @end table
37071
37072 @kindex maint packet
37073 @item maint packet @var{text}
37074 If @value{GDBN} is talking to an inferior via the serial protocol,
37075 then this command sends the string @var{text} to the inferior, and
37076 displays the response packet. @value{GDBN} supplies the initial
37077 @samp{$} character, the terminating @samp{#} character, and the
37078 checksum.
37079
37080 @kindex maint print architecture
37081 @item maint print architecture @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
37082 Print the entire architecture configuration. The optional argument
37083 @var{file} names the file where the output goes.
37084
37085 @kindex maint print c-tdesc
37086 @item maint print c-tdesc
37087 Print the current target description (@pxref{Target Descriptions}) as
37088 a C source file. The created source file can be used in @value{GDBN}
37089 when an XML parser is not available to parse the description.
37090
37091 @kindex maint print dummy-frames
37092 @item maint print dummy-frames
37093 Prints the contents of @value{GDBN}'s internal dummy-frame stack.
37094
37095 @smallexample
37096 (@value{GDBP}) @kbd{b add}
37097 @dots{}
37098 (@value{GDBP}) @kbd{print add(2,3)}
37099 Breakpoint 2, add (a=2, b=3) at @dots{}
37100 58 return (a + b);
37101 The program being debugged stopped while in a function called from GDB.
37102 @dots{}
37103 (@value{GDBP}) @kbd{maint print dummy-frames}
37104 0x1a57c80: pc=0x01014068 fp=0x0200bddc sp=0x0200bdd6
37105 top=0x0200bdd4 id=@{stack=0x200bddc,code=0x101405c@}
37106 call_lo=0x01014000 call_hi=0x01014001
37107 (@value{GDBP})
37108 @end smallexample
37109
37110 Takes an optional file parameter.
37111
37112 @kindex maint print registers
37113 @kindex maint print raw-registers
37114 @kindex maint print cooked-registers
37115 @kindex maint print register-groups
37116 @kindex maint print remote-registers
37117 @item maint print registers @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
37118 @itemx maint print raw-registers @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
37119 @itemx maint print cooked-registers @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
37120 @itemx maint print register-groups @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
37121 @itemx maint print remote-registers @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
37122 Print @value{GDBN}'s internal register data structures.
37123
37124 The command @code{maint print raw-registers} includes the contents of
37125 the raw register cache; the command @code{maint print
37126 cooked-registers} includes the (cooked) value of all registers,
37127 including registers which aren't available on the target nor visible
37128 to user; the command @code{maint print register-groups} includes the
37129 groups that each register is a member of; and the command @code{maint
37130 print remote-registers} includes the remote target's register numbers
37131 and offsets in the `G' packets.
37132
37133 These commands take an optional parameter, a file name to which to
37134 write the information.
37135
37136 @kindex maint print reggroups
37137 @item maint print reggroups @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
37138 Print @value{GDBN}'s internal register group data structures. The
37139 optional argument @var{file} tells to what file to write the
37140 information.
37141
37142 The register groups info looks like this:
37143
37144 @smallexample
37145 (@value{GDBP}) @kbd{maint print reggroups}
37146 Group Type
37147 general user
37148 float user
37149 all user
37150 vector user
37151 system user
37152 save internal
37153 restore internal
37154 @end smallexample
37155
37156 @kindex flushregs
37157 @item flushregs
37158 This command forces @value{GDBN} to flush its internal register cache.
37159
37160 @kindex maint print objfiles
37161 @cindex info for known object files
37162 @item maint print objfiles @r{[}@var{regexp}@r{]}
37163 Print a dump of all known object files.
37164 If @var{regexp} is specified, only print object files whose names
37165 match @var{regexp}. For each object file, this command prints its name,
37166 address in memory, and all of its psymtabs and symtabs.
37167
37168 @kindex maint print section-scripts
37169 @cindex info for known .debug_gdb_scripts-loaded scripts
37170 @item maint print section-scripts [@var{regexp}]
37171 Print a dump of scripts specified in the @code{.debug_gdb_section} section.
37172 If @var{regexp} is specified, only print scripts loaded by object files
37173 matching @var{regexp}.
37174 For each script, this command prints its name as specified in the objfile,
37175 and the full path if known.
37176 @xref{dotdebug_gdb_scripts section}.
37177
37178 @kindex maint print statistics
37179 @cindex bcache statistics
37180 @item maint print statistics
37181 This command prints, for each object file in the program, various data
37182 about that object file followed by the byte cache (@dfn{bcache})
37183 statistics for the object file. The objfile data includes the number
37184 of minimal, partial, full, and stabs symbols, the number of types
37185 defined by the objfile, the number of as yet unexpanded psym tables,
37186 the number of line tables and string tables, and the amount of memory
37187 used by the various tables. The bcache statistics include the counts,
37188 sizes, and counts of duplicates of all and unique objects, max,
37189 average, and median entry size, total memory used and its overhead and
37190 savings, and various measures of the hash table size and chain
37191 lengths.
37192
37193 @kindex maint print target-stack
37194 @cindex target stack description
37195 @item maint print target-stack
37196 A @dfn{target} is an interface between the debugger and a particular
37197 kind of file or process. Targets can be stacked in @dfn{strata},
37198 so that more than one target can potentially respond to a request.
37199 In particular, memory accesses will walk down the stack of targets
37200 until they find a target that is interested in handling that particular
37201 address.
37202
37203 This command prints a short description of each layer that was pushed on
37204 the @dfn{target stack}, starting from the top layer down to the bottom one.
37205
37206 @kindex maint print type
37207 @cindex type chain of a data type
37208 @item maint print type @var{expr}
37209 Print the type chain for a type specified by @var{expr}. The argument
37210 can be either a type name or a symbol. If it is a symbol, the type of
37211 that symbol is described. The type chain produced by this command is
37212 a recursive definition of the data type as stored in @value{GDBN}'s
37213 data structures, including its flags and contained types.
37214
37215 @kindex maint set dwarf2 always-disassemble
37216 @kindex maint show dwarf2 always-disassemble
37217 @item maint set dwarf2 always-disassemble
37218 @item maint show dwarf2 always-disassemble
37219 Control the behavior of @code{info address} when using DWARF debugging
37220 information.
37221
37222 The default is @code{off}, which means that @value{GDBN} should try to
37223 describe a variable's location in an easily readable format. When
37224 @code{on}, @value{GDBN} will instead display the DWARF location
37225 expression in an assembly-like format. Note that some locations are
37226 too complex for @value{GDBN} to describe simply; in this case you will
37227 always see the disassembly form.
37228
37229 Here is an example of the resulting disassembly:
37230
37231 @smallexample
37232 (gdb) info addr argc
37233 Symbol "argc" is a complex DWARF expression:
37234 1: DW_OP_fbreg 0
37235 @end smallexample
37236
37237 For more information on these expressions, see
37238 @uref{http://www.dwarfstd.org/, the DWARF standard}.
37239
37240 @kindex maint set dwarf2 max-cache-age
37241 @kindex maint show dwarf2 max-cache-age
37242 @item maint set dwarf2 max-cache-age
37243 @itemx maint show dwarf2 max-cache-age
37244 Control the DWARF 2 compilation unit cache.
37245
37246 @cindex DWARF 2 compilation units cache
37247 In object files with inter-compilation-unit references, such as those
37248 produced by the GCC option @samp{-feliminate-dwarf2-dups}, the DWARF 2
37249 reader needs to frequently refer to previously read compilation units.
37250 This setting controls how long a compilation unit will remain in the
37251 cache if it is not referenced. A higher limit means that cached
37252 compilation units will be stored in memory longer, and more total
37253 memory will be used. Setting it to zero disables caching, which will
37254 slow down @value{GDBN} startup, but reduce memory consumption.
37255
37256 @kindex maint set profile
37257 @kindex maint show profile
37258 @cindex profiling GDB
37259 @item maint set profile
37260 @itemx maint show profile
37261 Control profiling of @value{GDBN}.
37262
37263 Profiling will be disabled until you use the @samp{maint set profile}
37264 command to enable it. When you enable profiling, the system will begin
37265 collecting timing and execution count data; when you disable profiling or
37266 exit @value{GDBN}, the results will be written to a log file. Remember that
37267 if you use profiling, @value{GDBN} will overwrite the profiling log file
37268 (often called @file{gmon.out}). If you have a record of important profiling
37269 data in a @file{gmon.out} file, be sure to move it to a safe location.
37270
37271 Configuring with @samp{--enable-profiling} arranges for @value{GDBN} to be
37272 compiled with the @samp{-pg} compiler option.
37273
37274 @kindex maint set show-debug-regs
37275 @kindex maint show show-debug-regs
37276 @cindex hardware debug registers
37277 @item maint set show-debug-regs
37278 @itemx maint show show-debug-regs
37279 Control whether to show variables that mirror the hardware debug
37280 registers. Use @code{ON} to enable, @code{OFF} to disable. If
37281 enabled, the debug registers values are shown when @value{GDBN} inserts or
37282 removes a hardware breakpoint or watchpoint, and when the inferior
37283 triggers a hardware-assisted breakpoint or watchpoint.
37284
37285 @kindex maint set show-all-tib
37286 @kindex maint show show-all-tib
37287 @item maint set show-all-tib
37288 @itemx maint show show-all-tib
37289 Control whether to show all non zero areas within a 1k block starting
37290 at thread local base, when using the @samp{info w32 thread-information-block}
37291 command.
37292
37293 @kindex maint set per-command
37294 @kindex maint show per-command
37295 @item maint set per-command
37296 @itemx maint show per-command
37297 @cindex resources used by commands
37298
37299 @value{GDBN} can display the resources used by each command.
37300 This is useful in debugging performance problems.
37301
37302 @table @code
37303 @item maint set per-command space [on|off]
37304 @itemx maint show per-command space
37305 Enable or disable the printing of the memory used by GDB for each command.
37306 If enabled, @value{GDBN} will display how much memory each command
37307 took, following the command's own output.
37308 This can also be requested by invoking @value{GDBN} with the
37309 @option{--statistics} command-line switch (@pxref{Mode Options}).
37310
37311 @item maint set per-command time [on|off]
37312 @itemx maint show per-command time
37313 Enable or disable the printing of the execution time of @value{GDBN}
37314 for each command.
37315 If enabled, @value{GDBN} will display how much time it
37316 took to execute each command, following the command's own output.
37317 Both CPU time and wallclock time are printed.
37318 Printing both is useful when trying to determine whether the cost is
37319 CPU or, e.g., disk/network latency.
37320 Note that the CPU time printed is for @value{GDBN} only, it does not include
37321 the execution time of the inferior because there's no mechanism currently
37322 to compute how much time was spent by @value{GDBN} and how much time was
37323 spent by the program been debugged.
37324 This can also be requested by invoking @value{GDBN} with the
37325 @option{--statistics} command-line switch (@pxref{Mode Options}).
37326
37327 @item maint set per-command symtab [on|off]
37328 @itemx maint show per-command symtab
37329 Enable or disable the printing of basic symbol table statistics
37330 for each command.
37331 If enabled, @value{GDBN} will display the following information:
37332
37333 @enumerate a
37334 @item
37335 number of symbol tables
37336 @item
37337 number of primary symbol tables
37338 @item
37339 number of blocks in the blockvector
37340 @end enumerate
37341 @end table
37342
37343 @kindex maint space
37344 @cindex memory used by commands
37345 @item maint space @var{value}
37346 An alias for @code{maint set per-command space}.
37347 A non-zero value enables it, zero disables it.
37348
37349 @kindex maint time
37350 @cindex time of command execution
37351 @item maint time @var{value}
37352 An alias for @code{maint set per-command time}.
37353 A non-zero value enables it, zero disables it.
37354
37355 @kindex maint translate-address
37356 @item maint translate-address @r{[}@var{section}@r{]} @var{addr}
37357 Find the symbol stored at the location specified by the address
37358 @var{addr} and an optional section name @var{section}. If found,
37359 @value{GDBN} prints the name of the closest symbol and an offset from
37360 the symbol's location to the specified address. This is similar to
37361 the @code{info address} command (@pxref{Symbols}), except that this
37362 command also allows to find symbols in other sections.
37363
37364 If section was not specified, the section in which the symbol was found
37365 is also printed. For dynamically linked executables, the name of
37366 executable or shared library containing the symbol is printed as well.
37367
37368 @end table
37369
37370 The following command is useful for non-interactive invocations of
37371 @value{GDBN}, such as in the test suite.
37372
37373 @table @code
37374 @item set watchdog @var{nsec}
37375 @kindex set watchdog
37376 @cindex watchdog timer
37377 @cindex timeout for commands
37378 Set the maximum number of seconds @value{GDBN} will wait for the
37379 target operation to finish. If this time expires, @value{GDBN}
37380 reports and error and the command is aborted.
37381
37382 @item show watchdog
37383 Show the current setting of the target wait timeout.
37384 @end table
37385
37386 @node Remote Protocol
37387 @appendix @value{GDBN} Remote Serial Protocol
37388
37389 @menu
37390 * Overview::
37391 * Packets::
37392 * Stop Reply Packets::
37393 * General Query Packets::
37394 * Architecture-Specific Protocol Details::
37395 * Tracepoint Packets::
37396 * Host I/O Packets::
37397 * Interrupts::
37398 * Notification Packets::
37399 * Remote Non-Stop::
37400 * Packet Acknowledgment::
37401 * Examples::
37402 * File-I/O Remote Protocol Extension::
37403 * Library List Format::
37404 * Library List Format for SVR4 Targets::
37405 * Memory Map Format::
37406 * Thread List Format::
37407 * Traceframe Info Format::
37408 * Branch Trace Format::
37409 @end menu
37410
37411 @node Overview
37412 @section Overview
37413
37414 There may be occasions when you need to know something about the
37415 protocol---for example, if there is only one serial port to your target
37416 machine, you might want your program to do something special if it
37417 recognizes a packet meant for @value{GDBN}.
37418
37419 In the examples below, @samp{->} and @samp{<-} are used to indicate
37420 transmitted and received data, respectively.
37421
37422 @cindex protocol, @value{GDBN} remote serial
37423 @cindex serial protocol, @value{GDBN} remote
37424 @cindex remote serial protocol
37425 All @value{GDBN} commands and responses (other than acknowledgments
37426 and notifications, see @ref{Notification Packets}) are sent as a
37427 @var{packet}. A @var{packet} is introduced with the character
37428 @samp{$}, the actual @var{packet-data}, and the terminating character
37429 @samp{#} followed by a two-digit @var{checksum}:
37430
37431 @smallexample
37432 @code{$}@var{packet-data}@code{#}@var{checksum}
37433 @end smallexample
37434 @noindent
37435
37436 @cindex checksum, for @value{GDBN} remote
37437 @noindent
37438 The two-digit @var{checksum} is computed as the modulo 256 sum of all
37439 characters between the leading @samp{$} and the trailing @samp{#} (an
37440 eight bit unsigned checksum).
37441
37442 Implementors should note that prior to @value{GDBN} 5.0 the protocol
37443 specification also included an optional two-digit @var{sequence-id}:
37444
37445 @smallexample
37446 @code{$}@var{sequence-id}@code{:}@var{packet-data}@code{#}@var{checksum}
37447 @end smallexample
37448
37449 @cindex sequence-id, for @value{GDBN} remote
37450 @noindent
37451 That @var{sequence-id} was appended to the acknowledgment. @value{GDBN}
37452 has never output @var{sequence-id}s. Stubs that handle packets added
37453 since @value{GDBN} 5.0 must not accept @var{sequence-id}.
37454
37455 When either the host or the target machine receives a packet, the first
37456 response expected is an acknowledgment: either @samp{+} (to indicate
37457 the package was received correctly) or @samp{-} (to request
37458 retransmission):
37459
37460 @smallexample
37461 -> @code{$}@var{packet-data}@code{#}@var{checksum}
37462 <- @code{+}
37463 @end smallexample
37464 @noindent
37465
37466 The @samp{+}/@samp{-} acknowledgments can be disabled
37467 once a connection is established.
37468 @xref{Packet Acknowledgment}, for details.
37469
37470 The host (@value{GDBN}) sends @var{command}s, and the target (the
37471 debugging stub incorporated in your program) sends a @var{response}. In
37472 the case of step and continue @var{command}s, the response is only sent
37473 when the operation has completed, and the target has again stopped all
37474 threads in all attached processes. This is the default all-stop mode
37475 behavior, but the remote protocol also supports @value{GDBN}'s non-stop
37476 execution mode; see @ref{Remote Non-Stop}, for details.
37477
37478 @var{packet-data} consists of a sequence of characters with the
37479 exception of @samp{#} and @samp{$} (see @samp{X} packet for additional
37480 exceptions).
37481
37482 @cindex remote protocol, field separator
37483 Fields within the packet should be separated using @samp{,} @samp{;} or
37484 @samp{:}. Except where otherwise noted all numbers are represented in
37485 @sc{hex} with leading zeros suppressed.
37486
37487 Implementors should note that prior to @value{GDBN} 5.0, the character
37488 @samp{:} could not appear as the third character in a packet (as it
37489 would potentially conflict with the @var{sequence-id}).
37490
37491 @cindex remote protocol, binary data
37492 @anchor{Binary Data}
37493 Binary data in most packets is encoded either as two hexadecimal
37494 digits per byte of binary data. This allowed the traditional remote
37495 protocol to work over connections which were only seven-bit clean.
37496 Some packets designed more recently assume an eight-bit clean
37497 connection, and use a more efficient encoding to send and receive
37498 binary data.
37499
37500 The binary data representation uses @code{7d} (@sc{ascii} @samp{@}})
37501 as an escape character. Any escaped byte is transmitted as the escape
37502 character followed by the original character XORed with @code{0x20}.
37503 For example, the byte @code{0x7d} would be transmitted as the two
37504 bytes @code{0x7d 0x5d}. The bytes @code{0x23} (@sc{ascii} @samp{#}),
37505 @code{0x24} (@sc{ascii} @samp{$}), and @code{0x7d} (@sc{ascii}
37506 @samp{@}}) must always be escaped. Responses sent by the stub
37507 must also escape @code{0x2a} (@sc{ascii} @samp{*}), so that it
37508 is not interpreted as the start of a run-length encoded sequence
37509 (described next).
37510
37511 Response @var{data} can be run-length encoded to save space.
37512 Run-length encoding replaces runs of identical characters with one
37513 instance of the repeated character, followed by a @samp{*} and a
37514 repeat count. The repeat count is itself sent encoded, to avoid
37515 binary characters in @var{data}: a value of @var{n} is sent as
37516 @code{@var{n}+29}. For a repeat count greater or equal to 3, this
37517 produces a printable @sc{ascii} character, e.g.@: a space (@sc{ascii}
37518 code 32) for a repeat count of 3. (This is because run-length
37519 encoding starts to win for counts 3 or more.) Thus, for example,
37520 @samp{0* } is a run-length encoding of ``0000'': the space character
37521 after @samp{*} means repeat the leading @code{0} @w{@code{32 - 29 =
37522 3}} more times.
37523
37524 The printable characters @samp{#} and @samp{$} or with a numeric value
37525 greater than 126 must not be used. Runs of six repeats (@samp{#}) or
37526 seven repeats (@samp{$}) can be expanded using a repeat count of only
37527 five (@samp{"}). For example, @samp{00000000} can be encoded as
37528 @samp{0*"00}.
37529
37530 The error response returned for some packets includes a two character
37531 error number. That number is not well defined.
37532
37533 @cindex empty response, for unsupported packets
37534 For any @var{command} not supported by the stub, an empty response
37535 (@samp{$#00}) should be returned. That way it is possible to extend the
37536 protocol. A newer @value{GDBN} can tell if a packet is supported based
37537 on that response.
37538
37539 At a minimum, a stub is required to support the @samp{g} and @samp{G}
37540 commands for register access, and the @samp{m} and @samp{M} commands
37541 for memory access. Stubs that only control single-threaded targets
37542 can implement run control with the @samp{c} (continue), and @samp{s}
37543 (step) commands. Stubs that support multi-threading targets should
37544 support the @samp{vCont} command. All other commands are optional.
37545
37546 @node Packets
37547 @section Packets
37548
37549 The following table provides a complete list of all currently defined
37550 @var{command}s and their corresponding response @var{data}.
37551 @xref{File-I/O Remote Protocol Extension}, for details about the File
37552 I/O extension of the remote protocol.
37553
37554 Each packet's description has a template showing the packet's overall
37555 syntax, followed by an explanation of the packet's meaning. We
37556 include spaces in some of the templates for clarity; these are not
37557 part of the packet's syntax. No @value{GDBN} packet uses spaces to
37558 separate its components. For example, a template like @samp{foo
37559 @var{bar} @var{baz}} describes a packet beginning with the three ASCII
37560 bytes @samp{foo}, followed by a @var{bar}, followed directly by a
37561 @var{baz}. @value{GDBN} does not transmit a space character between the
37562 @samp{foo} and the @var{bar}, or between the @var{bar} and the
37563 @var{baz}.
37564
37565 @cindex @var{thread-id}, in remote protocol
37566 @anchor{thread-id syntax}
37567 Several packets and replies include a @var{thread-id} field to identify
37568 a thread. Normally these are positive numbers with a target-specific
37569 interpretation, formatted as big-endian hex strings. A @var{thread-id}
37570 can also be a literal @samp{-1} to indicate all threads, or @samp{0} to
37571 pick any thread.
37572
37573 In addition, the remote protocol supports a multiprocess feature in
37574 which the @var{thread-id} syntax is extended to optionally include both
37575 process and thread ID fields, as @samp{p@var{pid}.@var{tid}}.
37576 The @var{pid} (process) and @var{tid} (thread) components each have the
37577 format described above: a positive number with target-specific
37578 interpretation formatted as a big-endian hex string, literal @samp{-1}
37579 to indicate all processes or threads (respectively), or @samp{0} to
37580 indicate an arbitrary process or thread. Specifying just a process, as
37581 @samp{p@var{pid}}, is equivalent to @samp{p@var{pid}.-1}. It is an
37582 error to specify all processes but a specific thread, such as
37583 @samp{p-1.@var{tid}}. Note that the @samp{p} prefix is @emph{not} used
37584 for those packets and replies explicitly documented to include a process
37585 ID, rather than a @var{thread-id}.
37586
37587 The multiprocess @var{thread-id} syntax extensions are only used if both
37588 @value{GDBN} and the stub report support for the @samp{multiprocess}
37589 feature using @samp{qSupported}. @xref{multiprocess extensions}, for
37590 more information.
37591
37592 Note that all packet forms beginning with an upper- or lower-case
37593 letter, other than those described here, are reserved for future use.
37594
37595 Here are the packet descriptions.
37596
37597 @table @samp
37598
37599 @item !
37600 @cindex @samp{!} packet
37601 @anchor{extended mode}
37602 Enable extended mode. In extended mode, the remote server is made
37603 persistent. The @samp{R} packet is used to restart the program being
37604 debugged.
37605
37606 Reply:
37607 @table @samp
37608 @item OK
37609 The remote target both supports and has enabled extended mode.
37610 @end table
37611
37612 @item ?
37613 @cindex @samp{?} packet
37614 Indicate the reason the target halted. The reply is the same as for
37615 step and continue. This packet has a special interpretation when the
37616 target is in non-stop mode; see @ref{Remote Non-Stop}.
37617
37618 Reply:
37619 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
37620
37621 @item A @var{arglen},@var{argnum},@var{arg},@dots{}
37622 @cindex @samp{A} packet
37623 Initialized @code{argv[]} array passed into program. @var{arglen}
37624 specifies the number of bytes in the hex encoded byte stream
37625 @var{arg}. See @code{gdbserver} for more details.
37626
37627 Reply:
37628 @table @samp
37629 @item OK
37630 The arguments were set.
37631 @item E @var{NN}
37632 An error occurred.
37633 @end table
37634
37635 @item b @var{baud}
37636 @cindex @samp{b} packet
37637 (Don't use this packet; its behavior is not well-defined.)
37638 Change the serial line speed to @var{baud}.
37639
37640 JTC: @emph{When does the transport layer state change? When it's
37641 received, or after the ACK is transmitted. In either case, there are
37642 problems if the command or the acknowledgment packet is dropped.}
37643
37644 Stan: @emph{If people really wanted to add something like this, and get
37645 it working for the first time, they ought to modify ser-unix.c to send
37646 some kind of out-of-band message to a specially-setup stub and have the
37647 switch happen "in between" packets, so that from remote protocol's point
37648 of view, nothing actually happened.}
37649
37650 @item B @var{addr},@var{mode}
37651 @cindex @samp{B} packet
37652 Set (@var{mode} is @samp{S}) or clear (@var{mode} is @samp{C}) a
37653 breakpoint at @var{addr}.
37654
37655 Don't use this packet. Use the @samp{Z} and @samp{z} packets instead
37656 (@pxref{insert breakpoint or watchpoint packet}).
37657
37658 @cindex @samp{bc} packet
37659 @anchor{bc}
37660 @item bc
37661 Backward continue. Execute the target system in reverse. No parameter.
37662 @xref{Reverse Execution}, for more information.
37663
37664 Reply:
37665 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
37666
37667 @cindex @samp{bs} packet
37668 @anchor{bs}
37669 @item bs
37670 Backward single step. Execute one instruction in reverse. No parameter.
37671 @xref{Reverse Execution}, for more information.
37672
37673 Reply:
37674 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
37675
37676 @item c @r{[}@var{addr}@r{]}
37677 @cindex @samp{c} packet
37678 Continue. @var{addr} is address to resume. If @var{addr} is omitted,
37679 resume at current address.
37680
37681 This packet is deprecated for multi-threading support. @xref{vCont
37682 packet}.
37683
37684 Reply:
37685 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
37686
37687 @item C @var{sig}@r{[};@var{addr}@r{]}
37688 @cindex @samp{C} packet
37689 Continue with signal @var{sig} (hex signal number). If
37690 @samp{;@var{addr}} is omitted, resume at same address.
37691
37692 This packet is deprecated for multi-threading support. @xref{vCont
37693 packet}.
37694
37695 Reply:
37696 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
37697
37698 @item d
37699 @cindex @samp{d} packet
37700 Toggle debug flag.
37701
37702 Don't use this packet; instead, define a general set packet
37703 (@pxref{General Query Packets}).
37704
37705 @item D
37706 @itemx D;@var{pid}
37707 @cindex @samp{D} packet
37708 The first form of the packet is used to detach @value{GDBN} from the
37709 remote system. It is sent to the remote target
37710 before @value{GDBN} disconnects via the @code{detach} command.
37711
37712 The second form, including a process ID, is used when multiprocess
37713 protocol extensions are enabled (@pxref{multiprocess extensions}), to
37714 detach only a specific process. The @var{pid} is specified as a
37715 big-endian hex string.
37716
37717 Reply:
37718 @table @samp
37719 @item OK
37720 for success
37721 @item E @var{NN}
37722 for an error
37723 @end table
37724
37725 @item F @var{RC},@var{EE},@var{CF};@var{XX}
37726 @cindex @samp{F} packet
37727 A reply from @value{GDBN} to an @samp{F} packet sent by the target.
37728 This is part of the File-I/O protocol extension. @xref{File-I/O
37729 Remote Protocol Extension}, for the specification.
37730
37731 @item g
37732 @anchor{read registers packet}
37733 @cindex @samp{g} packet
37734 Read general registers.
37735
37736 Reply:
37737 @table @samp
37738 @item @var{XX@dots{}}
37739 Each byte of register data is described by two hex digits. The bytes
37740 with the register are transmitted in target byte order. The size of
37741 each register and their position within the @samp{g} packet are
37742 determined by the @value{GDBN} internal gdbarch functions
37743 @code{DEPRECATED_REGISTER_RAW_SIZE} and @code{gdbarch_register_name}. The
37744 specification of several standard @samp{g} packets is specified below.
37745
37746 When reading registers from a trace frame (@pxref{Analyze Collected
37747 Data,,Using the Collected Data}), the stub may also return a string of
37748 literal @samp{x}'s in place of the register data digits, to indicate
37749 that the corresponding register has not been collected, thus its value
37750 is unavailable. For example, for an architecture with 4 registers of
37751 4 bytes each, the following reply indicates to @value{GDBN} that
37752 registers 0 and 2 have not been collected, while registers 1 and 3
37753 have been collected, and both have zero value:
37754
37755 @smallexample
37756 -> @code{g}
37757 <- @code{xxxxxxxx00000000xxxxxxxx00000000}
37758 @end smallexample
37759
37760 @item E @var{NN}
37761 for an error.
37762 @end table
37763
37764 @item G @var{XX@dots{}}
37765 @cindex @samp{G} packet
37766 Write general registers. @xref{read registers packet}, for a
37767 description of the @var{XX@dots{}} data.
37768
37769 Reply:
37770 @table @samp
37771 @item OK
37772 for success
37773 @item E @var{NN}
37774 for an error
37775 @end table
37776
37777 @item H @var{op} @var{thread-id}
37778 @cindex @samp{H} packet
37779 Set thread for subsequent operations (@samp{m}, @samp{M}, @samp{g},
37780 @samp{G}, et.al.). @var{op} depends on the operation to be performed:
37781 it should be @samp{c} for step and continue operations (note that this
37782 is deprecated, supporting the @samp{vCont} command is a better
37783 option), @samp{g} for other operations. The thread designator
37784 @var{thread-id} has the format and interpretation described in
37785 @ref{thread-id syntax}.
37786
37787 Reply:
37788 @table @samp
37789 @item OK
37790 for success
37791 @item E @var{NN}
37792 for an error
37793 @end table
37794
37795 @c FIXME: JTC:
37796 @c 'H': How restrictive (or permissive) is the thread model. If a
37797 @c thread is selected and stopped, are other threads allowed
37798 @c to continue to execute? As I mentioned above, I think the
37799 @c semantics of each command when a thread is selected must be
37800 @c described. For example:
37801 @c
37802 @c 'g': If the stub supports threads and a specific thread is
37803 @c selected, returns the register block from that thread;
37804 @c otherwise returns current registers.
37805 @c
37806 @c 'G' If the stub supports threads and a specific thread is
37807 @c selected, sets the registers of the register block of
37808 @c that thread; otherwise sets current registers.
37809
37810 @item i @r{[}@var{addr}@r{[},@var{nnn}@r{]]}
37811 @anchor{cycle step packet}
37812 @cindex @samp{i} packet
37813 Step the remote target by a single clock cycle. If @samp{,@var{nnn}} is
37814 present, cycle step @var{nnn} cycles. If @var{addr} is present, cycle
37815 step starting at that address.
37816
37817 @item I
37818 @cindex @samp{I} packet
37819 Signal, then cycle step. @xref{step with signal packet}. @xref{cycle
37820 step packet}.
37821
37822 @item k
37823 @cindex @samp{k} packet
37824 Kill request.
37825
37826 FIXME: @emph{There is no description of how to operate when a specific
37827 thread context has been selected (i.e.@: does 'k' kill only that
37828 thread?)}.
37829
37830 @item m @var{addr},@var{length}
37831 @cindex @samp{m} packet
37832 Read @var{length} bytes of memory starting at address @var{addr}.
37833 Note that @var{addr} may not be aligned to any particular boundary.
37834
37835 The stub need not use any particular size or alignment when gathering
37836 data from memory for the response; even if @var{addr} is word-aligned
37837 and @var{length} is a multiple of the word size, the stub is free to
37838 use byte accesses, or not. For this reason, this packet may not be
37839 suitable for accessing memory-mapped I/O devices.
37840 @cindex alignment of remote memory accesses
37841 @cindex size of remote memory accesses
37842 @cindex memory, alignment and size of remote accesses
37843
37844 Reply:
37845 @table @samp
37846 @item @var{XX@dots{}}
37847 Memory contents; each byte is transmitted as a two-digit hexadecimal
37848 number. The reply may contain fewer bytes than requested if the
37849 server was able to read only part of the region of memory.
37850 @item E @var{NN}
37851 @var{NN} is errno
37852 @end table
37853
37854 @item M @var{addr},@var{length}:@var{XX@dots{}}
37855 @cindex @samp{M} packet
37856 Write @var{length} bytes of memory starting at address @var{addr}.
37857 @var{XX@dots{}} is the data; each byte is transmitted as a two-digit
37858 hexadecimal number.
37859
37860 Reply:
37861 @table @samp
37862 @item OK
37863 for success
37864 @item E @var{NN}
37865 for an error (this includes the case where only part of the data was
37866 written).
37867 @end table
37868
37869 @item p @var{n}
37870 @cindex @samp{p} packet
37871 Read the value of register @var{n}; @var{n} is in hex.
37872 @xref{read registers packet}, for a description of how the returned
37873 register value is encoded.
37874
37875 Reply:
37876 @table @samp
37877 @item @var{XX@dots{}}
37878 the register's value
37879 @item E @var{NN}
37880 for an error
37881 @item @w{}
37882 Indicating an unrecognized @var{query}.
37883 @end table
37884
37885 @item P @var{n@dots{}}=@var{r@dots{}}
37886 @anchor{write register packet}
37887 @cindex @samp{P} packet
37888 Write register @var{n@dots{}} with value @var{r@dots{}}. The register
37889 number @var{n} is in hexadecimal, and @var{r@dots{}} contains two hex
37890 digits for each byte in the register (target byte order).
37891
37892 Reply:
37893 @table @samp
37894 @item OK
37895 for success
37896 @item E @var{NN}
37897 for an error
37898 @end table
37899
37900 @item q @var{name} @var{params}@dots{}
37901 @itemx Q @var{name} @var{params}@dots{}
37902 @cindex @samp{q} packet
37903 @cindex @samp{Q} packet
37904 General query (@samp{q}) and set (@samp{Q}). These packets are
37905 described fully in @ref{General Query Packets}.
37906
37907 @item r
37908 @cindex @samp{r} packet
37909 Reset the entire system.
37910
37911 Don't use this packet; use the @samp{R} packet instead.
37912
37913 @item R @var{XX}
37914 @cindex @samp{R} packet
37915 Restart the program being debugged. @var{XX}, while needed, is ignored.
37916 This packet is only available in extended mode (@pxref{extended mode}).
37917
37918 The @samp{R} packet has no reply.
37919
37920 @item s @r{[}@var{addr}@r{]}
37921 @cindex @samp{s} packet
37922 Single step. @var{addr} is the address at which to resume. If
37923 @var{addr} is omitted, resume at same address.
37924
37925 This packet is deprecated for multi-threading support. @xref{vCont
37926 packet}.
37927
37928 Reply:
37929 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
37930
37931 @item S @var{sig}@r{[};@var{addr}@r{]}
37932 @anchor{step with signal packet}
37933 @cindex @samp{S} packet
37934 Step with signal. This is analogous to the @samp{C} packet, but
37935 requests a single-step, rather than a normal resumption of execution.
37936
37937 This packet is deprecated for multi-threading support. @xref{vCont
37938 packet}.
37939
37940 Reply:
37941 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
37942
37943 @item t @var{addr}:@var{PP},@var{MM}
37944 @cindex @samp{t} packet
37945 Search backwards starting at address @var{addr} for a match with pattern
37946 @var{PP} and mask @var{MM}. @var{PP} and @var{MM} are 4 bytes.
37947 @var{addr} must be at least 3 digits.
37948
37949 @item T @var{thread-id}
37950 @cindex @samp{T} packet
37951 Find out if the thread @var{thread-id} is alive. @xref{thread-id syntax}.
37952
37953 Reply:
37954 @table @samp
37955 @item OK
37956 thread is still alive
37957 @item E @var{NN}
37958 thread is dead
37959 @end table
37960
37961 @item v
37962 Packets starting with @samp{v} are identified by a multi-letter name,
37963 up to the first @samp{;} or @samp{?} (or the end of the packet).
37964
37965 @item vAttach;@var{pid}
37966 @cindex @samp{vAttach} packet
37967 Attach to a new process with the specified process ID @var{pid}.
37968 The process ID is a
37969 hexadecimal integer identifying the process. In all-stop mode, all
37970 threads in the attached process are stopped; in non-stop mode, it may be
37971 attached without being stopped if that is supported by the target.
37972
37973 @c In non-stop mode, on a successful vAttach, the stub should set the
37974 @c current thread to a thread of the newly-attached process. After
37975 @c attaching, GDB queries for the attached process's thread ID with qC.
37976 @c Also note that, from a user perspective, whether or not the
37977 @c target is stopped on attach in non-stop mode depends on whether you
37978 @c use the foreground or background version of the attach command, not
37979 @c on what vAttach does; GDB does the right thing with respect to either
37980 @c stopping or restarting threads.
37981
37982 This packet is only available in extended mode (@pxref{extended mode}).
37983
37984 Reply:
37985 @table @samp
37986 @item E @var{nn}
37987 for an error
37988 @item @r{Any stop packet}
37989 for success in all-stop mode (@pxref{Stop Reply Packets})
37990 @item OK
37991 for success in non-stop mode (@pxref{Remote Non-Stop})
37992 @end table
37993
37994 @item vCont@r{[};@var{action}@r{[}:@var{thread-id}@r{]]}@dots{}
37995 @cindex @samp{vCont} packet
37996 @anchor{vCont packet}
37997 Resume the inferior, specifying different actions for each thread.
37998 If an action is specified with no @var{thread-id}, then it is applied to any
37999 threads that don't have a specific action specified; if no default action is
38000 specified then other threads should remain stopped in all-stop mode and
38001 in their current state in non-stop mode.
38002 Specifying multiple
38003 default actions is an error; specifying no actions is also an error.
38004 Thread IDs are specified using the syntax described in @ref{thread-id syntax}.
38005
38006 Currently supported actions are:
38007
38008 @table @samp
38009 @item c
38010 Continue.
38011 @item C @var{sig}
38012 Continue with signal @var{sig}. The signal @var{sig} should be two hex digits.
38013 @item s
38014 Step.
38015 @item S @var{sig}
38016 Step with signal @var{sig}. The signal @var{sig} should be two hex digits.
38017 @item t
38018 Stop.
38019 @item r @var{start},@var{end}
38020 Step once, and then keep stepping as long as the thread stops at
38021 addresses between @var{start} (inclusive) and @var{end} (exclusive).
38022 The remote stub reports a stop reply when either the thread goes out
38023 of the range or is stopped due to an unrelated reason, such as hitting
38024 a breakpoint. @xref{range stepping}.
38025
38026 If the range is empty (@var{start} == @var{end}), then the action
38027 becomes equivalent to the @samp{s} action. In other words,
38028 single-step once, and report the stop (even if the stepped instruction
38029 jumps to @var{start}).
38030
38031 (A stop reply may be sent at any point even if the PC is still within
38032 the stepping range; for example, it is valid to implement this packet
38033 in a degenerate way as a single instruction step operation.)
38034
38035 @end table
38036
38037 The optional argument @var{addr} normally associated with the
38038 @samp{c}, @samp{C}, @samp{s}, and @samp{S} packets is
38039 not supported in @samp{vCont}.
38040
38041 The @samp{t} action is only relevant in non-stop mode
38042 (@pxref{Remote Non-Stop}) and may be ignored by the stub otherwise.
38043 A stop reply should be generated for any affected thread not already stopped.
38044 When a thread is stopped by means of a @samp{t} action,
38045 the corresponding stop reply should indicate that the thread has stopped with
38046 signal @samp{0}, regardless of whether the target uses some other signal
38047 as an implementation detail.
38048
38049 The stub must support @samp{vCont} if it reports support for
38050 multiprocess extensions (@pxref{multiprocess extensions}). Note that in
38051 this case @samp{vCont} actions can be specified to apply to all threads
38052 in a process by using the @samp{p@var{pid}.-1} form of the
38053 @var{thread-id}.
38054
38055 Reply:
38056 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
38057
38058 @item vCont?
38059 @cindex @samp{vCont?} packet
38060 Request a list of actions supported by the @samp{vCont} packet.
38061
38062 Reply:
38063 @table @samp
38064 @item vCont@r{[};@var{action}@dots{}@r{]}
38065 The @samp{vCont} packet is supported. Each @var{action} is a supported
38066 command in the @samp{vCont} packet.
38067 @item @w{}
38068 The @samp{vCont} packet is not supported.
38069 @end table
38070
38071 @item vFile:@var{operation}:@var{parameter}@dots{}
38072 @cindex @samp{vFile} packet
38073 Perform a file operation on the target system. For details,
38074 see @ref{Host I/O Packets}.
38075
38076 @item vFlashErase:@var{addr},@var{length}
38077 @cindex @samp{vFlashErase} packet
38078 Direct the stub to erase @var{length} bytes of flash starting at
38079 @var{addr}. The region may enclose any number of flash blocks, but
38080 its start and end must fall on block boundaries, as indicated by the
38081 flash block size appearing in the memory map (@pxref{Memory Map
38082 Format}). @value{GDBN} groups flash memory programming operations
38083 together, and sends a @samp{vFlashDone} request after each group; the
38084 stub is allowed to delay erase operation until the @samp{vFlashDone}
38085 packet is received.
38086
38087 Reply:
38088 @table @samp
38089 @item OK
38090 for success
38091 @item E @var{NN}
38092 for an error
38093 @end table
38094
38095 @item vFlashWrite:@var{addr}:@var{XX@dots{}}
38096 @cindex @samp{vFlashWrite} packet
38097 Direct the stub to write data to flash address @var{addr}. The data
38098 is passed in binary form using the same encoding as for the @samp{X}
38099 packet (@pxref{Binary Data}). The memory ranges specified by
38100 @samp{vFlashWrite} packets preceding a @samp{vFlashDone} packet must
38101 not overlap, and must appear in order of increasing addresses
38102 (although @samp{vFlashErase} packets for higher addresses may already
38103 have been received; the ordering is guaranteed only between
38104 @samp{vFlashWrite} packets). If a packet writes to an address that was
38105 neither erased by a preceding @samp{vFlashErase} packet nor by some other
38106 target-specific method, the results are unpredictable.
38107
38108
38109 Reply:
38110 @table @samp
38111 @item OK
38112 for success
38113 @item E.memtype
38114 for vFlashWrite addressing non-flash memory
38115 @item E @var{NN}
38116 for an error
38117 @end table
38118
38119 @item vFlashDone
38120 @cindex @samp{vFlashDone} packet
38121 Indicate to the stub that flash programming operation is finished.
38122 The stub is permitted to delay or batch the effects of a group of
38123 @samp{vFlashErase} and @samp{vFlashWrite} packets until a
38124 @samp{vFlashDone} packet is received. The contents of the affected
38125 regions of flash memory are unpredictable until the @samp{vFlashDone}
38126 request is completed.
38127
38128 @item vKill;@var{pid}
38129 @cindex @samp{vKill} packet
38130 Kill the process with the specified process ID. @var{pid} is a
38131 hexadecimal integer identifying the process. This packet is used in
38132 preference to @samp{k} when multiprocess protocol extensions are
38133 supported; see @ref{multiprocess extensions}.
38134
38135 Reply:
38136 @table @samp
38137 @item E @var{nn}
38138 for an error
38139 @item OK
38140 for success
38141 @end table
38142
38143 @item vRun;@var{filename}@r{[};@var{argument}@r{]}@dots{}
38144 @cindex @samp{vRun} packet
38145 Run the program @var{filename}, passing it each @var{argument} on its
38146 command line. The file and arguments are hex-encoded strings. If
38147 @var{filename} is an empty string, the stub may use a default program
38148 (e.g.@: the last program run). The program is created in the stopped
38149 state.
38150
38151 @c FIXME: What about non-stop mode?
38152
38153 This packet is only available in extended mode (@pxref{extended mode}).
38154
38155 Reply:
38156 @table @samp
38157 @item E @var{nn}
38158 for an error
38159 @item @r{Any stop packet}
38160 for success (@pxref{Stop Reply Packets})
38161 @end table
38162
38163 @item vStopped
38164 @cindex @samp{vStopped} packet
38165 @xref{Notification Packets}.
38166
38167 @item X @var{addr},@var{length}:@var{XX@dots{}}
38168 @anchor{X packet}
38169 @cindex @samp{X} packet
38170 Write data to memory, where the data is transmitted in binary.
38171 @var{addr} is address, @var{length} is number of bytes,
38172 @samp{@var{XX}@dots{}} is binary data (@pxref{Binary Data}).
38173
38174 Reply:
38175 @table @samp
38176 @item OK
38177 for success
38178 @item E @var{NN}
38179 for an error
38180 @end table
38181
38182 @item z @var{type},@var{addr},@var{kind}
38183 @itemx Z @var{type},@var{addr},@var{kind}
38184 @anchor{insert breakpoint or watchpoint packet}
38185 @cindex @samp{z} packet
38186 @cindex @samp{Z} packets
38187 Insert (@samp{Z}) or remove (@samp{z}) a @var{type} breakpoint or
38188 watchpoint starting at address @var{address} of kind @var{kind}.
38189
38190 Each breakpoint and watchpoint packet @var{type} is documented
38191 separately.
38192
38193 @emph{Implementation notes: A remote target shall return an empty string
38194 for an unrecognized breakpoint or watchpoint packet @var{type}. A
38195 remote target shall support either both or neither of a given
38196 @samp{Z@var{type}@dots{}} and @samp{z@var{type}@dots{}} packet pair. To
38197 avoid potential problems with duplicate packets, the operations should
38198 be implemented in an idempotent way.}
38199
38200 @item z0,@var{addr},@var{kind}
38201 @itemx Z0,@var{addr},@var{kind}@r{[};@var{cond_list}@dots{}@r{]}@r{[};cmds:@var{persist},@var{cmd_list}@dots{}@r{]}
38202 @cindex @samp{z0} packet
38203 @cindex @samp{Z0} packet
38204 Insert (@samp{Z0}) or remove (@samp{z0}) a memory breakpoint at address
38205 @var{addr} of type @var{kind}.
38206
38207 A memory breakpoint is implemented by replacing the instruction at
38208 @var{addr} with a software breakpoint or trap instruction. The
38209 @var{kind} is target-specific and typically indicates the size of
38210 the breakpoint in bytes that should be inserted. E.g., the @sc{arm}
38211 and @sc{mips} can insert either a 2 or 4 byte breakpoint. Some
38212 architectures have additional meanings for @var{kind};
38213 @var{cond_list} is an optional list of conditional expressions in bytecode
38214 form that should be evaluated on the target's side. These are the
38215 conditions that should be taken into consideration when deciding if
38216 the breakpoint trigger should be reported back to @var{GDBN}.
38217
38218 The @var{cond_list} parameter is comprised of a series of expressions,
38219 concatenated without separators. Each expression has the following form:
38220
38221 @table @samp
38222
38223 @item X @var{len},@var{expr}
38224 @var{len} is the length of the bytecode expression and @var{expr} is the
38225 actual conditional expression in bytecode form.
38226
38227 @end table
38228
38229 The optional @var{cmd_list} parameter introduces commands that may be
38230 run on the target, rather than being reported back to @value{GDBN}.
38231 The parameter starts with a numeric flag @var{persist}; if the flag is
38232 nonzero, then the breakpoint may remain active and the commands
38233 continue to be run even when @value{GDBN} disconnects from the target.
38234 Following this flag is a series of expressions concatenated with no
38235 separators. Each expression has the following form:
38236
38237 @table @samp
38238
38239 @item X @var{len},@var{expr}
38240 @var{len} is the length of the bytecode expression and @var{expr} is the
38241 actual conditional expression in bytecode form.
38242
38243 @end table
38244
38245 see @ref{Architecture-Specific Protocol Details}.
38246
38247 @emph{Implementation note: It is possible for a target to copy or move
38248 code that contains memory breakpoints (e.g., when implementing
38249 overlays). The behavior of this packet, in the presence of such a
38250 target, is not defined.}
38251
38252 Reply:
38253 @table @samp
38254 @item OK
38255 success
38256 @item @w{}
38257 not supported
38258 @item E @var{NN}
38259 for an error
38260 @end table
38261
38262 @item z1,@var{addr},@var{kind}
38263 @itemx Z1,@var{addr},@var{kind}@r{[};@var{cond_list}@dots{}@r{]}
38264 @cindex @samp{z1} packet
38265 @cindex @samp{Z1} packet
38266 Insert (@samp{Z1}) or remove (@samp{z1}) a hardware breakpoint at
38267 address @var{addr}.
38268
38269 A hardware breakpoint is implemented using a mechanism that is not
38270 dependant on being able to modify the target's memory. @var{kind}
38271 and @var{cond_list} have the same meaning as in @samp{Z0} packets.
38272
38273 @emph{Implementation note: A hardware breakpoint is not affected by code
38274 movement.}
38275
38276 Reply:
38277 @table @samp
38278 @item OK
38279 success
38280 @item @w{}
38281 not supported
38282 @item E @var{NN}
38283 for an error
38284 @end table
38285
38286 @item z2,@var{addr},@var{kind}
38287 @itemx Z2,@var{addr},@var{kind}
38288 @cindex @samp{z2} packet
38289 @cindex @samp{Z2} packet
38290 Insert (@samp{Z2}) or remove (@samp{z2}) a write watchpoint at @var{addr}.
38291 @var{kind} is interpreted as the number of bytes to watch.
38292
38293 Reply:
38294 @table @samp
38295 @item OK
38296 success
38297 @item @w{}
38298 not supported
38299 @item E @var{NN}
38300 for an error
38301 @end table
38302
38303 @item z3,@var{addr},@var{kind}
38304 @itemx Z3,@var{addr},@var{kind}
38305 @cindex @samp{z3} packet
38306 @cindex @samp{Z3} packet
38307 Insert (@samp{Z3}) or remove (@samp{z3}) a read watchpoint at @var{addr}.
38308 @var{kind} is interpreted as the number of bytes to watch.
38309
38310 Reply:
38311 @table @samp
38312 @item OK
38313 success
38314 @item @w{}
38315 not supported
38316 @item E @var{NN}
38317 for an error
38318 @end table
38319
38320 @item z4,@var{addr},@var{kind}
38321 @itemx Z4,@var{addr},@var{kind}
38322 @cindex @samp{z4} packet
38323 @cindex @samp{Z4} packet
38324 Insert (@samp{Z4}) or remove (@samp{z4}) an access watchpoint at @var{addr}.
38325 @var{kind} is interpreted as the number of bytes to watch.
38326
38327 Reply:
38328 @table @samp
38329 @item OK
38330 success
38331 @item @w{}
38332 not supported
38333 @item E @var{NN}
38334 for an error
38335 @end table
38336
38337 @end table
38338
38339 @node Stop Reply Packets
38340 @section Stop Reply Packets
38341 @cindex stop reply packets
38342
38343 The @samp{C}, @samp{c}, @samp{S}, @samp{s}, @samp{vCont},
38344 @samp{vAttach}, @samp{vRun}, @samp{vStopped}, and @samp{?} packets can
38345 receive any of the below as a reply. Except for @samp{?}
38346 and @samp{vStopped}, that reply is only returned
38347 when the target halts. In the below the exact meaning of @dfn{signal
38348 number} is defined by the header @file{include/gdb/signals.h} in the
38349 @value{GDBN} source code.
38350
38351 As in the description of request packets, we include spaces in the
38352 reply templates for clarity; these are not part of the reply packet's
38353 syntax. No @value{GDBN} stop reply packet uses spaces to separate its
38354 components.
38355
38356 @table @samp
38357
38358 @item S @var{AA}
38359 The program received signal number @var{AA} (a two-digit hexadecimal
38360 number). This is equivalent to a @samp{T} response with no
38361 @var{n}:@var{r} pairs.
38362
38363 @item T @var{AA} @var{n1}:@var{r1};@var{n2}:@var{r2};@dots{}
38364 @cindex @samp{T} packet reply
38365 The program received signal number @var{AA} (a two-digit hexadecimal
38366 number). This is equivalent to an @samp{S} response, except that the
38367 @samp{@var{n}:@var{r}} pairs can carry values of important registers
38368 and other information directly in the stop reply packet, reducing
38369 round-trip latency. Single-step and breakpoint traps are reported
38370 this way. Each @samp{@var{n}:@var{r}} pair is interpreted as follows:
38371
38372 @itemize @bullet
38373 @item
38374 If @var{n} is a hexadecimal number, it is a register number, and the
38375 corresponding @var{r} gives that register's value. @var{r} is a
38376 series of bytes in target byte order, with each byte given by a
38377 two-digit hex number.
38378
38379 @item
38380 If @var{n} is @samp{thread}, then @var{r} is the @var{thread-id} of
38381 the stopped thread, as specified in @ref{thread-id syntax}.
38382
38383 @item
38384 If @var{n} is @samp{core}, then @var{r} is the hexadecimal number of
38385 the core on which the stop event was detected.
38386
38387 @item
38388 If @var{n} is a recognized @dfn{stop reason}, it describes a more
38389 specific event that stopped the target. The currently defined stop
38390 reasons are listed below. @var{aa} should be @samp{05}, the trap
38391 signal. At most one stop reason should be present.
38392
38393 @item
38394 Otherwise, @value{GDBN} should ignore this @samp{@var{n}:@var{r}} pair
38395 and go on to the next; this allows us to extend the protocol in the
38396 future.
38397 @end itemize
38398
38399 The currently defined stop reasons are:
38400
38401 @table @samp
38402 @item watch
38403 @itemx rwatch
38404 @itemx awatch
38405 The packet indicates a watchpoint hit, and @var{r} is the data address, in
38406 hex.
38407
38408 @cindex shared library events, remote reply
38409 @item library
38410 The packet indicates that the loaded libraries have changed.
38411 @value{GDBN} should use @samp{qXfer:libraries:read} to fetch a new
38412 list of loaded libraries. @var{r} is ignored.
38413
38414 @cindex replay log events, remote reply
38415 @item replaylog
38416 The packet indicates that the target cannot continue replaying
38417 logged execution events, because it has reached the end (or the
38418 beginning when executing backward) of the log. The value of @var{r}
38419 will be either @samp{begin} or @samp{end}. @xref{Reverse Execution},
38420 for more information.
38421 @end table
38422
38423 @item W @var{AA}
38424 @itemx W @var{AA} ; process:@var{pid}
38425 The process exited, and @var{AA} is the exit status. This is only
38426 applicable to certain targets.
38427
38428 The second form of the response, including the process ID of the exited
38429 process, can be used only when @value{GDBN} has reported support for
38430 multiprocess protocol extensions; see @ref{multiprocess extensions}.
38431 The @var{pid} is formatted as a big-endian hex string.
38432
38433 @item X @var{AA}
38434 @itemx X @var{AA} ; process:@var{pid}
38435 The process terminated with signal @var{AA}.
38436
38437 The second form of the response, including the process ID of the
38438 terminated process, can be used only when @value{GDBN} has reported
38439 support for multiprocess protocol extensions; see @ref{multiprocess
38440 extensions}. The @var{pid} is formatted as a big-endian hex string.
38441
38442 @item O @var{XX}@dots{}
38443 @samp{@var{XX}@dots{}} is hex encoding of @sc{ascii} data, to be
38444 written as the program's console output. This can happen at any time
38445 while the program is running and the debugger should continue to wait
38446 for @samp{W}, @samp{T}, etc. This reply is not permitted in non-stop mode.
38447
38448 @item F @var{call-id},@var{parameter}@dots{}
38449 @var{call-id} is the identifier which says which host system call should
38450 be called. This is just the name of the function. Translation into the
38451 correct system call is only applicable as it's defined in @value{GDBN}.
38452 @xref{File-I/O Remote Protocol Extension}, for a list of implemented
38453 system calls.
38454
38455 @samp{@var{parameter}@dots{}} is a list of parameters as defined for
38456 this very system call.
38457
38458 The target replies with this packet when it expects @value{GDBN} to
38459 call a host system call on behalf of the target. @value{GDBN} replies
38460 with an appropriate @samp{F} packet and keeps up waiting for the next
38461 reply packet from the target. The latest @samp{C}, @samp{c}, @samp{S}
38462 or @samp{s} action is expected to be continued. @xref{File-I/O Remote
38463 Protocol Extension}, for more details.
38464
38465 @end table
38466
38467 @node General Query Packets
38468 @section General Query Packets
38469 @cindex remote query requests
38470
38471 Packets starting with @samp{q} are @dfn{general query packets};
38472 packets starting with @samp{Q} are @dfn{general set packets}. General
38473 query and set packets are a semi-unified form for retrieving and
38474 sending information to and from the stub.
38475
38476 The initial letter of a query or set packet is followed by a name
38477 indicating what sort of thing the packet applies to. For example,
38478 @value{GDBN} may use a @samp{qSymbol} packet to exchange symbol
38479 definitions with the stub. These packet names follow some
38480 conventions:
38481
38482 @itemize @bullet
38483 @item
38484 The name must not contain commas, colons or semicolons.
38485 @item
38486 Most @value{GDBN} query and set packets have a leading upper case
38487 letter.
38488 @item
38489 The names of custom vendor packets should use a company prefix, in
38490 lower case, followed by a period. For example, packets designed at
38491 the Acme Corporation might begin with @samp{qacme.foo} (for querying
38492 foos) or @samp{Qacme.bar} (for setting bars).
38493 @end itemize
38494
38495 The name of a query or set packet should be separated from any
38496 parameters by a @samp{:}; the parameters themselves should be
38497 separated by @samp{,} or @samp{;}. Stubs must be careful to match the
38498 full packet name, and check for a separator or the end of the packet,
38499 in case two packet names share a common prefix. New packets should not begin
38500 with @samp{qC}, @samp{qP}, or @samp{qL}@footnote{The @samp{qP} and @samp{qL}
38501 packets predate these conventions, and have arguments without any terminator
38502 for the packet name; we suspect they are in widespread use in places that
38503 are difficult to upgrade. The @samp{qC} packet has no arguments, but some
38504 existing stubs (e.g.@: RedBoot) are known to not check for the end of the
38505 packet.}.
38506
38507 Like the descriptions of the other packets, each description here
38508 has a template showing the packet's overall syntax, followed by an
38509 explanation of the packet's meaning. We include spaces in some of the
38510 templates for clarity; these are not part of the packet's syntax. No
38511 @value{GDBN} packet uses spaces to separate its components.
38512
38513 Here are the currently defined query and set packets:
38514
38515 @table @samp
38516
38517 @item QAgent:1
38518 @itemx QAgent:0
38519 Turn on or off the agent as a helper to perform some debugging operations
38520 delegated from @value{GDBN} (@pxref{Control Agent}).
38521
38522 @item QAllow:@var{op}:@var{val}@dots{}
38523 @cindex @samp{QAllow} packet
38524 Specify which operations @value{GDBN} expects to request of the
38525 target, as a semicolon-separated list of operation name and value
38526 pairs. Possible values for @var{op} include @samp{WriteReg},
38527 @samp{WriteMem}, @samp{InsertBreak}, @samp{InsertTrace},
38528 @samp{InsertFastTrace}, and @samp{Stop}. @var{val} is either 0,
38529 indicating that @value{GDBN} will not request the operation, or 1,
38530 indicating that it may. (The target can then use this to set up its
38531 own internals optimally, for instance if the debugger never expects to
38532 insert breakpoints, it may not need to install its own trap handler.)
38533
38534 @item qC
38535 @cindex current thread, remote request
38536 @cindex @samp{qC} packet
38537 Return the current thread ID.
38538
38539 Reply:
38540 @table @samp
38541 @item QC @var{thread-id}
38542 Where @var{thread-id} is a thread ID as documented in
38543 @ref{thread-id syntax}.
38544 @item @r{(anything else)}
38545 Any other reply implies the old thread ID.
38546 @end table
38547
38548 @item qCRC:@var{addr},@var{length}
38549 @cindex CRC of memory block, remote request
38550 @cindex @samp{qCRC} packet
38551 Compute the CRC checksum of a block of memory using CRC-32 defined in
38552 IEEE 802.3. The CRC is computed byte at a time, taking the most
38553 significant bit of each byte first. The initial pattern code
38554 @code{0xffffffff} is used to ensure leading zeros affect the CRC.
38555
38556 @emph{Note:} This is the same CRC used in validating separate debug
38557 files (@pxref{Separate Debug Files, , Debugging Information in Separate
38558 Files}). However the algorithm is slightly different. When validating
38559 separate debug files, the CRC is computed taking the @emph{least}
38560 significant bit of each byte first, and the final result is inverted to
38561 detect trailing zeros.
38562
38563 Reply:
38564 @table @samp
38565 @item E @var{NN}
38566 An error (such as memory fault)
38567 @item C @var{crc32}
38568 The specified memory region's checksum is @var{crc32}.
38569 @end table
38570
38571 @item QDisableRandomization:@var{value}
38572 @cindex disable address space randomization, remote request
38573 @cindex @samp{QDisableRandomization} packet
38574 Some target operating systems will randomize the virtual address space
38575 of the inferior process as a security feature, but provide a feature
38576 to disable such randomization, e.g.@: to allow for a more deterministic
38577 debugging experience. On such systems, this packet with a @var{value}
38578 of 1 directs the target to disable address space randomization for
38579 processes subsequently started via @samp{vRun} packets, while a packet
38580 with a @var{value} of 0 tells the target to enable address space
38581 randomization.
38582
38583 This packet is only available in extended mode (@pxref{extended mode}).
38584
38585 Reply:
38586 @table @samp
38587 @item OK
38588 The request succeeded.
38589
38590 @item E @var{nn}
38591 An error occurred. @var{nn} are hex digits.
38592
38593 @item @w{}
38594 An empty reply indicates that @samp{QDisableRandomization} is not supported
38595 by the stub.
38596 @end table
38597
38598 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
38599 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
38600 This should only be done on targets that actually support disabling
38601 address space randomization.
38602
38603 @item qfThreadInfo
38604 @itemx qsThreadInfo
38605 @cindex list active threads, remote request
38606 @cindex @samp{qfThreadInfo} packet
38607 @cindex @samp{qsThreadInfo} packet
38608 Obtain a list of all active thread IDs from the target (OS). Since there
38609 may be too many active threads to fit into one reply packet, this query
38610 works iteratively: it may require more than one query/reply sequence to
38611 obtain the entire list of threads. The first query of the sequence will
38612 be the @samp{qfThreadInfo} query; subsequent queries in the
38613 sequence will be the @samp{qsThreadInfo} query.
38614
38615 NOTE: This packet replaces the @samp{qL} query (see below).
38616
38617 Reply:
38618 @table @samp
38619 @item m @var{thread-id}
38620 A single thread ID
38621 @item m @var{thread-id},@var{thread-id}@dots{}
38622 a comma-separated list of thread IDs
38623 @item l
38624 (lower case letter @samp{L}) denotes end of list.
38625 @end table
38626
38627 In response to each query, the target will reply with a list of one or
38628 more thread IDs, separated by commas.
38629 @value{GDBN} will respond to each reply with a request for more thread
38630 ids (using the @samp{qs} form of the query), until the target responds
38631 with @samp{l} (lower-case ell, for @dfn{last}).
38632 Refer to @ref{thread-id syntax}, for the format of the @var{thread-id}
38633 fields.
38634
38635 @item qGetTLSAddr:@var{thread-id},@var{offset},@var{lm}
38636 @cindex get thread-local storage address, remote request
38637 @cindex @samp{qGetTLSAddr} packet
38638 Fetch the address associated with thread local storage specified
38639 by @var{thread-id}, @var{offset}, and @var{lm}.
38640
38641 @var{thread-id} is the thread ID associated with the
38642 thread for which to fetch the TLS address. @xref{thread-id syntax}.
38643
38644 @var{offset} is the (big endian, hex encoded) offset associated with the
38645 thread local variable. (This offset is obtained from the debug
38646 information associated with the variable.)
38647
38648 @var{lm} is the (big endian, hex encoded) OS/ABI-specific encoding of the
38649 load module associated with the thread local storage. For example,
38650 a @sc{gnu}/Linux system will pass the link map address of the shared
38651 object associated with the thread local storage under consideration.
38652 Other operating environments may choose to represent the load module
38653 differently, so the precise meaning of this parameter will vary.
38654
38655 Reply:
38656 @table @samp
38657 @item @var{XX}@dots{}
38658 Hex encoded (big endian) bytes representing the address of the thread
38659 local storage requested.
38660
38661 @item E @var{nn}
38662 An error occurred. @var{nn} are hex digits.
38663
38664 @item @w{}
38665 An empty reply indicates that @samp{qGetTLSAddr} is not supported by the stub.
38666 @end table
38667
38668 @item qGetTIBAddr:@var{thread-id}
38669 @cindex get thread information block address
38670 @cindex @samp{qGetTIBAddr} packet
38671 Fetch address of the Windows OS specific Thread Information Block.
38672
38673 @var{thread-id} is the thread ID associated with the thread.
38674
38675 Reply:
38676 @table @samp
38677 @item @var{XX}@dots{}
38678 Hex encoded (big endian) bytes representing the linear address of the
38679 thread information block.
38680
38681 @item E @var{nn}
38682 An error occured. This means that either the thread was not found, or the
38683 address could not be retrieved.
38684
38685 @item @w{}
38686 An empty reply indicates that @samp{qGetTIBAddr} is not supported by the stub.
38687 @end table
38688
38689 @item qL @var{startflag} @var{threadcount} @var{nextthread}
38690 Obtain thread information from RTOS. Where: @var{startflag} (one hex
38691 digit) is one to indicate the first query and zero to indicate a
38692 subsequent query; @var{threadcount} (two hex digits) is the maximum
38693 number of threads the response packet can contain; and @var{nextthread}
38694 (eight hex digits), for subsequent queries (@var{startflag} is zero), is
38695 returned in the response as @var{argthread}.
38696
38697 Don't use this packet; use the @samp{qfThreadInfo} query instead (see above).
38698
38699 Reply:
38700 @table @samp
38701 @item qM @var{count} @var{done} @var{argthread} @var{thread}@dots{}
38702 Where: @var{count} (two hex digits) is the number of threads being
38703 returned; @var{done} (one hex digit) is zero to indicate more threads
38704 and one indicates no further threads; @var{argthreadid} (eight hex
38705 digits) is @var{nextthread} from the request packet; @var{thread}@dots{}
38706 is a sequence of thread IDs from the target. @var{threadid} (eight hex
38707 digits). See @code{remote.c:parse_threadlist_response()}.
38708 @end table
38709
38710 @item qOffsets
38711 @cindex section offsets, remote request
38712 @cindex @samp{qOffsets} packet
38713 Get section offsets that the target used when relocating the downloaded
38714 image.
38715
38716 Reply:
38717 @table @samp
38718 @item Text=@var{xxx};Data=@var{yyy}@r{[};Bss=@var{zzz}@r{]}
38719 Relocate the @code{Text} section by @var{xxx} from its original address.
38720 Relocate the @code{Data} section by @var{yyy} from its original address.
38721 If the object file format provides segment information (e.g.@: @sc{elf}
38722 @samp{PT_LOAD} program headers), @value{GDBN} will relocate entire
38723 segments by the supplied offsets.
38724
38725 @emph{Note: while a @code{Bss} offset may be included in the response,
38726 @value{GDBN} ignores this and instead applies the @code{Data} offset
38727 to the @code{Bss} section.}
38728
38729 @item TextSeg=@var{xxx}@r{[};DataSeg=@var{yyy}@r{]}
38730 Relocate the first segment of the object file, which conventionally
38731 contains program code, to a starting address of @var{xxx}. If
38732 @samp{DataSeg} is specified, relocate the second segment, which
38733 conventionally contains modifiable data, to a starting address of
38734 @var{yyy}. @value{GDBN} will report an error if the object file
38735 does not contain segment information, or does not contain at least
38736 as many segments as mentioned in the reply. Extra segments are
38737 kept at fixed offsets relative to the last relocated segment.
38738 @end table
38739
38740 @item qP @var{mode} @var{thread-id}
38741 @cindex thread information, remote request
38742 @cindex @samp{qP} packet
38743 Returns information on @var{thread-id}. Where: @var{mode} is a hex
38744 encoded 32 bit mode; @var{thread-id} is a thread ID
38745 (@pxref{thread-id syntax}).
38746
38747 Don't use this packet; use the @samp{qThreadExtraInfo} query instead
38748 (see below).
38749
38750 Reply: see @code{remote.c:remote_unpack_thread_info_response()}.
38751
38752 @item QNonStop:1
38753 @itemx QNonStop:0
38754 @cindex non-stop mode, remote request
38755 @cindex @samp{QNonStop} packet
38756 @anchor{QNonStop}
38757 Enter non-stop (@samp{QNonStop:1}) or all-stop (@samp{QNonStop:0}) mode.
38758 @xref{Remote Non-Stop}, for more information.
38759
38760 Reply:
38761 @table @samp
38762 @item OK
38763 The request succeeded.
38764
38765 @item E @var{nn}
38766 An error occurred. @var{nn} are hex digits.
38767
38768 @item @w{}
38769 An empty reply indicates that @samp{QNonStop} is not supported by
38770 the stub.
38771 @end table
38772
38773 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
38774 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
38775 Use of this packet is controlled by the @code{set non-stop} command;
38776 @pxref{Non-Stop Mode}.
38777
38778 @item QPassSignals: @var{signal} @r{[};@var{signal}@r{]}@dots{}
38779 @cindex pass signals to inferior, remote request
38780 @cindex @samp{QPassSignals} packet
38781 @anchor{QPassSignals}
38782 Each listed @var{signal} should be passed directly to the inferior process.
38783 Signals are numbered identically to continue packets and stop replies
38784 (@pxref{Stop Reply Packets}). Each @var{signal} list item should be
38785 strictly greater than the previous item. These signals do not need to stop
38786 the inferior, or be reported to @value{GDBN}. All other signals should be
38787 reported to @value{GDBN}. Multiple @samp{QPassSignals} packets do not
38788 combine; any earlier @samp{QPassSignals} list is completely replaced by the
38789 new list. This packet improves performance when using @samp{handle
38790 @var{signal} nostop noprint pass}.
38791
38792 Reply:
38793 @table @samp
38794 @item OK
38795 The request succeeded.
38796
38797 @item E @var{nn}
38798 An error occurred. @var{nn} are hex digits.
38799
38800 @item @w{}
38801 An empty reply indicates that @samp{QPassSignals} is not supported by
38802 the stub.
38803 @end table
38804
38805 Use of this packet is controlled by the @code{set remote pass-signals}
38806 command (@pxref{Remote Configuration, set remote pass-signals}).
38807 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
38808 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
38809
38810 @item QProgramSignals: @var{signal} @r{[};@var{signal}@r{]}@dots{}
38811 @cindex signals the inferior may see, remote request
38812 @cindex @samp{QProgramSignals} packet
38813 @anchor{QProgramSignals}
38814 Each listed @var{signal} may be delivered to the inferior process.
38815 Others should be silently discarded.
38816
38817 In some cases, the remote stub may need to decide whether to deliver a
38818 signal to the program or not without @value{GDBN} involvement. One
38819 example of that is while detaching --- the program's threads may have
38820 stopped for signals that haven't yet had a chance of being reported to
38821 @value{GDBN}, and so the remote stub can use the signal list specified
38822 by this packet to know whether to deliver or ignore those pending
38823 signals.
38824
38825 This does not influence whether to deliver a signal as requested by a
38826 resumption packet (@pxref{vCont packet}).
38827
38828 Signals are numbered identically to continue packets and stop replies
38829 (@pxref{Stop Reply Packets}). Each @var{signal} list item should be
38830 strictly greater than the previous item. Multiple
38831 @samp{QProgramSignals} packets do not combine; any earlier
38832 @samp{QProgramSignals} list is completely replaced by the new list.
38833
38834 Reply:
38835 @table @samp
38836 @item OK
38837 The request succeeded.
38838
38839 @item E @var{nn}
38840 An error occurred. @var{nn} are hex digits.
38841
38842 @item @w{}
38843 An empty reply indicates that @samp{QProgramSignals} is not supported
38844 by the stub.
38845 @end table
38846
38847 Use of this packet is controlled by the @code{set remote program-signals}
38848 command (@pxref{Remote Configuration, set remote program-signals}).
38849 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
38850 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
38851
38852 @item qRcmd,@var{command}
38853 @cindex execute remote command, remote request
38854 @cindex @samp{qRcmd} packet
38855 @var{command} (hex encoded) is passed to the local interpreter for
38856 execution. Invalid commands should be reported using the output
38857 string. Before the final result packet, the target may also respond
38858 with a number of intermediate @samp{O@var{output}} console output
38859 packets. @emph{Implementors should note that providing access to a
38860 stubs's interpreter may have security implications}.
38861
38862 Reply:
38863 @table @samp
38864 @item OK
38865 A command response with no output.
38866 @item @var{OUTPUT}
38867 A command response with the hex encoded output string @var{OUTPUT}.
38868 @item E @var{NN}
38869 Indicate a badly formed request.
38870 @item @w{}
38871 An empty reply indicates that @samp{qRcmd} is not recognized.
38872 @end table
38873
38874 (Note that the @code{qRcmd} packet's name is separated from the
38875 command by a @samp{,}, not a @samp{:}, contrary to the naming
38876 conventions above. Please don't use this packet as a model for new
38877 packets.)
38878
38879 @item qSearch:memory:@var{address};@var{length};@var{search-pattern}
38880 @cindex searching memory, in remote debugging
38881 @ifnotinfo
38882 @cindex @samp{qSearch:memory} packet
38883 @end ifnotinfo
38884 @cindex @samp{qSearch memory} packet
38885 @anchor{qSearch memory}
38886 Search @var{length} bytes at @var{address} for @var{search-pattern}.
38887 @var{address} and @var{length} are encoded in hex.
38888 @var{search-pattern} is a sequence of bytes, hex encoded.
38889
38890 Reply:
38891 @table @samp
38892 @item 0
38893 The pattern was not found.
38894 @item 1,address
38895 The pattern was found at @var{address}.
38896 @item E @var{NN}
38897 A badly formed request or an error was encountered while searching memory.
38898 @item @w{}
38899 An empty reply indicates that @samp{qSearch:memory} is not recognized.
38900 @end table
38901
38902 @item QStartNoAckMode
38903 @cindex @samp{QStartNoAckMode} packet
38904 @anchor{QStartNoAckMode}
38905 Request that the remote stub disable the normal @samp{+}/@samp{-}
38906 protocol acknowledgments (@pxref{Packet Acknowledgment}).
38907
38908 Reply:
38909 @table @samp
38910 @item OK
38911 The stub has switched to no-acknowledgment mode.
38912 @value{GDBN} acknowledges this reponse,
38913 but neither the stub nor @value{GDBN} shall send or expect further
38914 @samp{+}/@samp{-} acknowledgments in the current connection.
38915 @item @w{}
38916 An empty reply indicates that the stub does not support no-acknowledgment mode.
38917 @end table
38918
38919 @item qSupported @r{[}:@var{gdbfeature} @r{[};@var{gdbfeature}@r{]}@dots{} @r{]}
38920 @cindex supported packets, remote query
38921 @cindex features of the remote protocol
38922 @cindex @samp{qSupported} packet
38923 @anchor{qSupported}
38924 Tell the remote stub about features supported by @value{GDBN}, and
38925 query the stub for features it supports. This packet allows
38926 @value{GDBN} and the remote stub to take advantage of each others'
38927 features. @samp{qSupported} also consolidates multiple feature probes
38928 at startup, to improve @value{GDBN} performance---a single larger
38929 packet performs better than multiple smaller probe packets on
38930 high-latency links. Some features may enable behavior which must not
38931 be on by default, e.g.@: because it would confuse older clients or
38932 stubs. Other features may describe packets which could be
38933 automatically probed for, but are not. These features must be
38934 reported before @value{GDBN} will use them. This ``default
38935 unsupported'' behavior is not appropriate for all packets, but it
38936 helps to keep the initial connection time under control with new
38937 versions of @value{GDBN} which support increasing numbers of packets.
38938
38939 Reply:
38940 @table @samp
38941 @item @var{stubfeature} @r{[};@var{stubfeature}@r{]}@dots{}
38942 The stub supports or does not support each returned @var{stubfeature},
38943 depending on the form of each @var{stubfeature} (see below for the
38944 possible forms).
38945 @item @w{}
38946 An empty reply indicates that @samp{qSupported} is not recognized,
38947 or that no features needed to be reported to @value{GDBN}.
38948 @end table
38949
38950 The allowed forms for each feature (either a @var{gdbfeature} in the
38951 @samp{qSupported} packet, or a @var{stubfeature} in the response)
38952 are:
38953
38954 @table @samp
38955 @item @var{name}=@var{value}
38956 The remote protocol feature @var{name} is supported, and associated
38957 with the specified @var{value}. The format of @var{value} depends
38958 on the feature, but it must not include a semicolon.
38959 @item @var{name}+
38960 The remote protocol feature @var{name} is supported, and does not
38961 need an associated value.
38962 @item @var{name}-
38963 The remote protocol feature @var{name} is not supported.
38964 @item @var{name}?
38965 The remote protocol feature @var{name} may be supported, and
38966 @value{GDBN} should auto-detect support in some other way when it is
38967 needed. This form will not be used for @var{gdbfeature} notifications,
38968 but may be used for @var{stubfeature} responses.
38969 @end table
38970
38971 Whenever the stub receives a @samp{qSupported} request, the
38972 supplied set of @value{GDBN} features should override any previous
38973 request. This allows @value{GDBN} to put the stub in a known
38974 state, even if the stub had previously been communicating with
38975 a different version of @value{GDBN}.
38976
38977 The following values of @var{gdbfeature} (for the packet sent by @value{GDBN})
38978 are defined:
38979
38980 @table @samp
38981 @item multiprocess
38982 This feature indicates whether @value{GDBN} supports multiprocess
38983 extensions to the remote protocol. @value{GDBN} does not use such
38984 extensions unless the stub also reports that it supports them by
38985 including @samp{multiprocess+} in its @samp{qSupported} reply.
38986 @xref{multiprocess extensions}, for details.
38987
38988 @item xmlRegisters
38989 This feature indicates that @value{GDBN} supports the XML target
38990 description. If the stub sees @samp{xmlRegisters=} with target
38991 specific strings separated by a comma, it will report register
38992 description.
38993
38994 @item qRelocInsn
38995 This feature indicates whether @value{GDBN} supports the
38996 @samp{qRelocInsn} packet (@pxref{Tracepoint Packets,,Relocate
38997 instruction reply packet}).
38998 @end table
38999
39000 Stubs should ignore any unknown values for
39001 @var{gdbfeature}. Any @value{GDBN} which sends a @samp{qSupported}
39002 packet supports receiving packets of unlimited length (earlier
39003 versions of @value{GDBN} may reject overly long responses). Additional values
39004 for @var{gdbfeature} may be defined in the future to let the stub take
39005 advantage of new features in @value{GDBN}, e.g.@: incompatible
39006 improvements in the remote protocol---the @samp{multiprocess} feature is
39007 an example of such a feature. The stub's reply should be independent
39008 of the @var{gdbfeature} entries sent by @value{GDBN}; first @value{GDBN}
39009 describes all the features it supports, and then the stub replies with
39010 all the features it supports.
39011
39012 Similarly, @value{GDBN} will silently ignore unrecognized stub feature
39013 responses, as long as each response uses one of the standard forms.
39014
39015 Some features are flags. A stub which supports a flag feature
39016 should respond with a @samp{+} form response. Other features
39017 require values, and the stub should respond with an @samp{=}
39018 form response.
39019
39020 Each feature has a default value, which @value{GDBN} will use if
39021 @samp{qSupported} is not available or if the feature is not mentioned
39022 in the @samp{qSupported} response. The default values are fixed; a
39023 stub is free to omit any feature responses that match the defaults.
39024
39025 Not all features can be probed, but for those which can, the probing
39026 mechanism is useful: in some cases, a stub's internal
39027 architecture may not allow the protocol layer to know some information
39028 about the underlying target in advance. This is especially common in
39029 stubs which may be configured for multiple targets.
39030
39031 These are the currently defined stub features and their properties:
39032
39033 @multitable @columnfractions 0.35 0.2 0.12 0.2
39034 @c NOTE: The first row should be @headitem, but we do not yet require
39035 @c a new enough version of Texinfo (4.7) to use @headitem.
39036 @item Feature Name
39037 @tab Value Required
39038 @tab Default
39039 @tab Probe Allowed
39040
39041 @item @samp{PacketSize}
39042 @tab Yes
39043 @tab @samp{-}
39044 @tab No
39045
39046 @item @samp{qXfer:auxv:read}
39047 @tab No
39048 @tab @samp{-}
39049 @tab Yes
39050
39051 @item @samp{qXfer:btrace:read}
39052 @tab No
39053 @tab @samp{-}
39054 @tab Yes
39055
39056 @item @samp{qXfer:features:read}
39057 @tab No
39058 @tab @samp{-}
39059 @tab Yes
39060
39061 @item @samp{qXfer:libraries:read}
39062 @tab No
39063 @tab @samp{-}
39064 @tab Yes
39065
39066 @item @samp{qXfer:libraries-svr4:read}
39067 @tab No
39068 @tab @samp{-}
39069 @tab Yes
39070
39071 @item @samp{augmented-libraries-svr4-read}
39072 @tab No
39073 @tab @samp{-}
39074 @tab No
39075
39076 @item @samp{qXfer:memory-map:read}
39077 @tab No
39078 @tab @samp{-}
39079 @tab Yes
39080
39081 @item @samp{qXfer:sdata:read}
39082 @tab No
39083 @tab @samp{-}
39084 @tab Yes
39085
39086 @item @samp{qXfer:spu:read}
39087 @tab No
39088 @tab @samp{-}
39089 @tab Yes
39090
39091 @item @samp{qXfer:spu:write}
39092 @tab No
39093 @tab @samp{-}
39094 @tab Yes
39095
39096 @item @samp{qXfer:siginfo:read}
39097 @tab No
39098 @tab @samp{-}
39099 @tab Yes
39100
39101 @item @samp{qXfer:siginfo:write}
39102 @tab No
39103 @tab @samp{-}
39104 @tab Yes
39105
39106 @item @samp{qXfer:threads:read}
39107 @tab No
39108 @tab @samp{-}
39109 @tab Yes
39110
39111 @item @samp{qXfer:traceframe-info:read}
39112 @tab No
39113 @tab @samp{-}
39114 @tab Yes
39115
39116 @item @samp{qXfer:uib:read}
39117 @tab No
39118 @tab @samp{-}
39119 @tab Yes
39120
39121 @item @samp{qXfer:fdpic:read}
39122 @tab No
39123 @tab @samp{-}
39124 @tab Yes
39125
39126 @item @samp{Qbtrace:off}
39127 @tab Yes
39128 @tab @samp{-}
39129 @tab Yes
39130
39131 @item @samp{Qbtrace:bts}
39132 @tab Yes
39133 @tab @samp{-}
39134 @tab Yes
39135
39136 @item @samp{QNonStop}
39137 @tab No
39138 @tab @samp{-}
39139 @tab Yes
39140
39141 @item @samp{QPassSignals}
39142 @tab No
39143 @tab @samp{-}
39144 @tab Yes
39145
39146 @item @samp{QStartNoAckMode}
39147 @tab No
39148 @tab @samp{-}
39149 @tab Yes
39150
39151 @item @samp{multiprocess}
39152 @tab No
39153 @tab @samp{-}
39154 @tab No
39155
39156 @item @samp{ConditionalBreakpoints}
39157 @tab No
39158 @tab @samp{-}
39159 @tab No
39160
39161 @item @samp{ConditionalTracepoints}
39162 @tab No
39163 @tab @samp{-}
39164 @tab No
39165
39166 @item @samp{ReverseContinue}
39167 @tab No
39168 @tab @samp{-}
39169 @tab No
39170
39171 @item @samp{ReverseStep}
39172 @tab No
39173 @tab @samp{-}
39174 @tab No
39175
39176 @item @samp{TracepointSource}
39177 @tab No
39178 @tab @samp{-}
39179 @tab No
39180
39181 @item @samp{QAgent}
39182 @tab No
39183 @tab @samp{-}
39184 @tab No
39185
39186 @item @samp{QAllow}
39187 @tab No
39188 @tab @samp{-}
39189 @tab No
39190
39191 @item @samp{QDisableRandomization}
39192 @tab No
39193 @tab @samp{-}
39194 @tab No
39195
39196 @item @samp{EnableDisableTracepoints}
39197 @tab No
39198 @tab @samp{-}
39199 @tab No
39200
39201 @item @samp{QTBuffer:size}
39202 @tab No
39203 @tab @samp{-}
39204 @tab No
39205
39206 @item @samp{tracenz}
39207 @tab No
39208 @tab @samp{-}
39209 @tab No
39210
39211 @item @samp{BreakpointCommands}
39212 @tab No
39213 @tab @samp{-}
39214 @tab No
39215
39216 @end multitable
39217
39218 These are the currently defined stub features, in more detail:
39219
39220 @table @samp
39221 @cindex packet size, remote protocol
39222 @item PacketSize=@var{bytes}
39223 The remote stub can accept packets up to at least @var{bytes} in
39224 length. @value{GDBN} will send packets up to this size for bulk
39225 transfers, and will never send larger packets. This is a limit on the
39226 data characters in the packet, including the frame and checksum.
39227 There is no trailing NUL byte in a remote protocol packet; if the stub
39228 stores packets in a NUL-terminated format, it should allow an extra
39229 byte in its buffer for the NUL. If this stub feature is not supported,
39230 @value{GDBN} guesses based on the size of the @samp{g} packet response.
39231
39232 @item qXfer:auxv:read
39233 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:auxv:read} packet
39234 (@pxref{qXfer auxiliary vector read}).
39235
39236 @item qXfer:btrace:read
39237 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:btrace:read}
39238 packet (@pxref{qXfer btrace read}).
39239
39240 @item qXfer:features:read
39241 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:features:read} packet
39242 (@pxref{qXfer target description read}).
39243
39244 @item qXfer:libraries:read
39245 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:libraries:read} packet
39246 (@pxref{qXfer library list read}).
39247
39248 @item qXfer:libraries-svr4:read
39249 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:libraries-svr4:read} packet
39250 (@pxref{qXfer svr4 library list read}).
39251
39252 @item augmented-libraries-svr4-read
39253 The remote stub understands the augmented form of the
39254 @samp{qXfer:libraries-svr4:read} packet
39255 (@pxref{qXfer svr4 library list read}).
39256
39257 @item qXfer:memory-map:read
39258 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:memory-map:read} packet
39259 (@pxref{qXfer memory map read}).
39260
39261 @item qXfer:sdata:read
39262 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:sdata:read} packet
39263 (@pxref{qXfer sdata read}).
39264
39265 @item qXfer:spu:read
39266 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:spu:read} packet
39267 (@pxref{qXfer spu read}).
39268
39269 @item qXfer:spu:write
39270 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:spu:write} packet
39271 (@pxref{qXfer spu write}).
39272
39273 @item qXfer:siginfo:read
39274 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:siginfo:read} packet
39275 (@pxref{qXfer siginfo read}).
39276
39277 @item qXfer:siginfo:write
39278 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:siginfo:write} packet
39279 (@pxref{qXfer siginfo write}).
39280
39281 @item qXfer:threads:read
39282 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:threads:read} packet
39283 (@pxref{qXfer threads read}).
39284
39285 @item qXfer:traceframe-info:read
39286 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:traceframe-info:read}
39287 packet (@pxref{qXfer traceframe info read}).
39288
39289 @item qXfer:uib:read
39290 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:uib:read}
39291 packet (@pxref{qXfer unwind info block}).
39292
39293 @item qXfer:fdpic:read
39294 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:fdpic:read}
39295 packet (@pxref{qXfer fdpic loadmap read}).
39296
39297 @item QNonStop
39298 The remote stub understands the @samp{QNonStop} packet
39299 (@pxref{QNonStop}).
39300
39301 @item QPassSignals
39302 The remote stub understands the @samp{QPassSignals} packet
39303 (@pxref{QPassSignals}).
39304
39305 @item QStartNoAckMode
39306 The remote stub understands the @samp{QStartNoAckMode} packet and
39307 prefers to operate in no-acknowledgment mode. @xref{Packet Acknowledgment}.
39308
39309 @item multiprocess
39310 @anchor{multiprocess extensions}
39311 @cindex multiprocess extensions, in remote protocol
39312 The remote stub understands the multiprocess extensions to the remote
39313 protocol syntax. The multiprocess extensions affect the syntax of
39314 thread IDs in both packets and replies (@pxref{thread-id syntax}), and
39315 add process IDs to the @samp{D} packet and @samp{W} and @samp{X}
39316 replies. Note that reporting this feature indicates support for the
39317 syntactic extensions only, not that the stub necessarily supports
39318 debugging of more than one process at a time. The stub must not use
39319 multiprocess extensions in packet replies unless @value{GDBN} has also
39320 indicated it supports them in its @samp{qSupported} request.
39321
39322 @item qXfer:osdata:read
39323 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:osdata:read} packet
39324 ((@pxref{qXfer osdata read}).
39325
39326 @item ConditionalBreakpoints
39327 The target accepts and implements evaluation of conditional expressions
39328 defined for breakpoints. The target will only report breakpoint triggers
39329 when such conditions are true (@pxref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions}).
39330
39331 @item ConditionalTracepoints
39332 The remote stub accepts and implements conditional expressions defined
39333 for tracepoints (@pxref{Tracepoint Conditions}).
39334
39335 @item ReverseContinue
39336 The remote stub accepts and implements the reverse continue packet
39337 (@pxref{bc}).
39338
39339 @item ReverseStep
39340 The remote stub accepts and implements the reverse step packet
39341 (@pxref{bs}).
39342
39343 @item TracepointSource
39344 The remote stub understands the @samp{QTDPsrc} packet that supplies
39345 the source form of tracepoint definitions.
39346
39347 @item QAgent
39348 The remote stub understands the @samp{QAgent} packet.
39349
39350 @item QAllow
39351 The remote stub understands the @samp{QAllow} packet.
39352
39353 @item QDisableRandomization
39354 The remote stub understands the @samp{QDisableRandomization} packet.
39355
39356 @item StaticTracepoint
39357 @cindex static tracepoints, in remote protocol
39358 The remote stub supports static tracepoints.
39359
39360 @item InstallInTrace
39361 @anchor{install tracepoint in tracing}
39362 The remote stub supports installing tracepoint in tracing.
39363
39364 @item EnableDisableTracepoints
39365 The remote stub supports the @samp{QTEnable} (@pxref{QTEnable}) and
39366 @samp{QTDisable} (@pxref{QTDisable}) packets that allow tracepoints
39367 to be enabled and disabled while a trace experiment is running.
39368
39369 @item QTBuffer:size
39370 The remote stub supports the @samp{QTBuffer:size} (@pxref{QTBuffer-size})
39371 packet that allows to change the size of the trace buffer.
39372
39373 @item tracenz
39374 @cindex string tracing, in remote protocol
39375 The remote stub supports the @samp{tracenz} bytecode for collecting strings.
39376 See @ref{Bytecode Descriptions} for details about the bytecode.
39377
39378 @item BreakpointCommands
39379 @cindex breakpoint commands, in remote protocol
39380 The remote stub supports running a breakpoint's command list itself,
39381 rather than reporting the hit to @value{GDBN}.
39382
39383 @item Qbtrace:off
39384 The remote stub understands the @samp{Qbtrace:off} packet.
39385
39386 @item Qbtrace:bts
39387 The remote stub understands the @samp{Qbtrace:bts} packet.
39388
39389 @end table
39390
39391 @item qSymbol::
39392 @cindex symbol lookup, remote request
39393 @cindex @samp{qSymbol} packet
39394 Notify the target that @value{GDBN} is prepared to serve symbol lookup
39395 requests. Accept requests from the target for the values of symbols.
39396
39397 Reply:
39398 @table @samp
39399 @item OK
39400 The target does not need to look up any (more) symbols.
39401 @item qSymbol:@var{sym_name}
39402 The target requests the value of symbol @var{sym_name} (hex encoded).
39403 @value{GDBN} may provide the value by using the
39404 @samp{qSymbol:@var{sym_value}:@var{sym_name}} message, described
39405 below.
39406 @end table
39407
39408 @item qSymbol:@var{sym_value}:@var{sym_name}
39409 Set the value of @var{sym_name} to @var{sym_value}.
39410
39411 @var{sym_name} (hex encoded) is the name of a symbol whose value the
39412 target has previously requested.
39413
39414 @var{sym_value} (hex) is the value for symbol @var{sym_name}. If
39415 @value{GDBN} cannot supply a value for @var{sym_name}, then this field
39416 will be empty.
39417
39418 Reply:
39419 @table @samp
39420 @item OK
39421 The target does not need to look up any (more) symbols.
39422 @item qSymbol:@var{sym_name}
39423 The target requests the value of a new symbol @var{sym_name} (hex
39424 encoded). @value{GDBN} will continue to supply the values of symbols
39425 (if available), until the target ceases to request them.
39426 @end table
39427
39428 @item qTBuffer
39429 @itemx QTBuffer
39430 @itemx QTDisconnected
39431 @itemx QTDP
39432 @itemx QTDPsrc
39433 @itemx QTDV
39434 @itemx qTfP
39435 @itemx qTfV
39436 @itemx QTFrame
39437 @itemx qTMinFTPILen
39438
39439 @xref{Tracepoint Packets}.
39440
39441 @item qThreadExtraInfo,@var{thread-id}
39442 @cindex thread attributes info, remote request
39443 @cindex @samp{qThreadExtraInfo} packet
39444 Obtain a printable string description of a thread's attributes from
39445 the target OS. @var{thread-id} is a thread ID;
39446 see @ref{thread-id syntax}. This
39447 string may contain anything that the target OS thinks is interesting
39448 for @value{GDBN} to tell the user about the thread. The string is
39449 displayed in @value{GDBN}'s @code{info threads} display. Some
39450 examples of possible thread extra info strings are @samp{Runnable}, or
39451 @samp{Blocked on Mutex}.
39452
39453 Reply:
39454 @table @samp
39455 @item @var{XX}@dots{}
39456 Where @samp{@var{XX}@dots{}} is a hex encoding of @sc{ascii} data,
39457 comprising the printable string containing the extra information about
39458 the thread's attributes.
39459 @end table
39460
39461 (Note that the @code{qThreadExtraInfo} packet's name is separated from
39462 the command by a @samp{,}, not a @samp{:}, contrary to the naming
39463 conventions above. Please don't use this packet as a model for new
39464 packets.)
39465
39466 @item QTNotes
39467 @itemx qTP
39468 @itemx QTSave
39469 @itemx qTsP
39470 @itemx qTsV
39471 @itemx QTStart
39472 @itemx QTStop
39473 @itemx QTEnable
39474 @itemx QTDisable
39475 @itemx QTinit
39476 @itemx QTro
39477 @itemx qTStatus
39478 @itemx qTV
39479 @itemx qTfSTM
39480 @itemx qTsSTM
39481 @itemx qTSTMat
39482 @xref{Tracepoint Packets}.
39483
39484 @item qXfer:@var{object}:read:@var{annex}:@var{offset},@var{length}
39485 @cindex read special object, remote request
39486 @cindex @samp{qXfer} packet
39487 @anchor{qXfer read}
39488 Read uninterpreted bytes from the target's special data area
39489 identified by the keyword @var{object}. Request @var{length} bytes
39490 starting at @var{offset} bytes into the data. The content and
39491 encoding of @var{annex} is specific to @var{object}; it can supply
39492 additional details about what data to access.
39493
39494 Here are the specific requests of this form defined so far. All
39495 @samp{qXfer:@var{object}:read:@dots{}} requests use the same reply
39496 formats, listed below.
39497
39498 @table @samp
39499 @item qXfer:auxv:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
39500 @anchor{qXfer auxiliary vector read}
39501 Access the target's @dfn{auxiliary vector}. @xref{OS Information,
39502 auxiliary vector}. Note @var{annex} must be empty.
39503
39504 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
39505 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
39506
39507 @item qXfer:btrace:read:@var{annex}:@var{offset},@var{length}
39508 @anchor{qXfer btrace read}
39509
39510 Return a description of the current branch trace.
39511 @xref{Branch Trace Format}. The annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer}
39512 packet may have one of the following values:
39513
39514 @table @code
39515 @item all
39516 Returns all available branch trace.
39517
39518 @item new
39519 Returns all available branch trace if the branch trace changed since
39520 the last read request.
39521 @end table
39522
39523 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it
39524 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
39525
39526 @item qXfer:features:read:@var{annex}:@var{offset},@var{length}
39527 @anchor{qXfer target description read}
39528 Access the @dfn{target description}. @xref{Target Descriptions}. The
39529 annex specifies which XML document to access. The main description is
39530 always loaded from the @samp{target.xml} annex.
39531
39532 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
39533 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
39534
39535 @item qXfer:libraries:read:@var{annex}:@var{offset},@var{length}
39536 @anchor{qXfer library list read}
39537 Access the target's list of loaded libraries. @xref{Library List Format}.
39538 The annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must be empty
39539 (@pxref{qXfer read}).
39540
39541 Targets which maintain a list of libraries in the program's memory do
39542 not need to implement this packet; it is designed for platforms where
39543 the operating system manages the list of loaded libraries.
39544
39545 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
39546 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
39547
39548 @item qXfer:libraries-svr4:read:@var{annex}:@var{offset},@var{length}
39549 @anchor{qXfer svr4 library list read}
39550 Access the target's list of loaded libraries when the target is an SVR4
39551 platform. @xref{Library List Format for SVR4 Targets}. The annex part
39552 of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must be empty unless the remote
39553 stub indicated it supports the augmented form of this packet
39554 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response
39555 (@pxref{qXfer read}, @ref{qSupported}).
39556
39557 This packet is optional for better performance on SVR4 targets.
39558 @value{GDBN} uses memory read packets to read the SVR4 library list otherwise.
39559
39560 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
39561 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
39562
39563 If the remote stub indicates it supports the augmented form of this
39564 packet then the annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet may
39565 contain a semicolon-separated list of @samp{@var{name}=@var{value}}
39566 arguments. The currently supported arguments are:
39567
39568 @table @code
39569 @item start=@var{address}
39570 A hexadecimal number specifying the address of the @samp{struct
39571 link_map} to start reading the library list from. If unset or zero
39572 then the first @samp{struct link_map} in the library list will be
39573 chosen as the starting point.
39574
39575 @item prev=@var{address}
39576 A hexadecimal number specifying the address of the @samp{struct
39577 link_map} immediately preceding the @samp{struct link_map}
39578 specified by the @samp{start} argument. If unset or zero then
39579 the remote stub will expect that no @samp{struct link_map}
39580 exists prior to the starting point.
39581
39582 @end table
39583
39584 Arguments that are not understood by the remote stub will be silently
39585 ignored.
39586
39587 @item qXfer:memory-map:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
39588 @anchor{qXfer memory map read}
39589 Access the target's @dfn{memory-map}. @xref{Memory Map Format}. The
39590 annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must be empty
39591 (@pxref{qXfer read}).
39592
39593 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
39594 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
39595
39596 @item qXfer:sdata:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
39597 @anchor{qXfer sdata read}
39598
39599 Read contents of the extra collected static tracepoint marker
39600 information. The annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must
39601 be empty (@pxref{qXfer read}). @xref{Tracepoint Actions,,Tracepoint
39602 Action Lists}.
39603
39604 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
39605 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response
39606 (@pxref{qSupported}).
39607
39608 @item qXfer:siginfo:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
39609 @anchor{qXfer siginfo read}
39610 Read contents of the extra signal information on the target
39611 system. The annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must be
39612 empty (@pxref{qXfer read}).
39613
39614 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
39615 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response
39616 (@pxref{qSupported}).
39617
39618 @item qXfer:spu:read:@var{annex}:@var{offset},@var{length}
39619 @anchor{qXfer spu read}
39620 Read contents of an @code{spufs} file on the target system. The
39621 annex specifies which file to read; it must be of the form
39622 @file{@var{id}/@var{name}}, where @var{id} specifies an SPU context ID
39623 in the target process, and @var{name} identifes the @code{spufs} file
39624 in that context to be accessed.
39625
39626 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
39627 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response
39628 (@pxref{qSupported}).
39629
39630 @item qXfer:threads:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
39631 @anchor{qXfer threads read}
39632 Access the list of threads on target. @xref{Thread List Format}. The
39633 annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must be empty
39634 (@pxref{qXfer read}).
39635
39636 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
39637 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
39638
39639 @item qXfer:traceframe-info:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
39640 @anchor{qXfer traceframe info read}
39641
39642 Return a description of the current traceframe's contents.
39643 @xref{Traceframe Info Format}. The annex part of the generic
39644 @samp{qXfer} packet must be empty (@pxref{qXfer read}).
39645
39646 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
39647 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
39648
39649 @item qXfer:uib:read:@var{pc}:@var{offset},@var{length}
39650 @anchor{qXfer unwind info block}
39651
39652 Return the unwind information block for @var{pc}. This packet is used
39653 on OpenVMS/ia64 to ask the kernel unwind information.
39654
39655 This packet is not probed by default.
39656
39657 @item qXfer:fdpic:read:@var{annex}:@var{offset},@var{length}
39658 @anchor{qXfer fdpic loadmap read}
39659 Read contents of @code{loadmap}s on the target system. The
39660 annex, either @samp{exec} or @samp{interp}, specifies which @code{loadmap},
39661 executable @code{loadmap} or interpreter @code{loadmap} to read.
39662
39663 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
39664 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
39665
39666 @item qXfer:osdata:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
39667 @anchor{qXfer osdata read}
39668 Access the target's @dfn{operating system information}.
39669 @xref{Operating System Information}.
39670
39671 @end table
39672
39673 Reply:
39674 @table @samp
39675 @item m @var{data}
39676 Data @var{data} (@pxref{Binary Data}) has been read from the
39677 target. There may be more data at a higher address (although
39678 it is permitted to return @samp{m} even for the last valid
39679 block of data, as long as at least one byte of data was read).
39680 @var{data} may have fewer bytes than the @var{length} in the
39681 request.
39682
39683 @item l @var{data}
39684 Data @var{data} (@pxref{Binary Data}) has been read from the target.
39685 There is no more data to be read. @var{data} may have fewer bytes
39686 than the @var{length} in the request.
39687
39688 @item l
39689 The @var{offset} in the request is at the end of the data.
39690 There is no more data to be read.
39691
39692 @item E00
39693 The request was malformed, or @var{annex} was invalid.
39694
39695 @item E @var{nn}
39696 The offset was invalid, or there was an error encountered reading the data.
39697 @var{nn} is a hex-encoded @code{errno} value.
39698
39699 @item @w{}
39700 An empty reply indicates the @var{object} string was not recognized by
39701 the stub, or that the object does not support reading.
39702 @end table
39703
39704 @item qXfer:@var{object}:write:@var{annex}:@var{offset}:@var{data}@dots{}
39705 @cindex write data into object, remote request
39706 @anchor{qXfer write}
39707 Write uninterpreted bytes into the target's special data area
39708 identified by the keyword @var{object}, starting at @var{offset} bytes
39709 into the data. @var{data}@dots{} is the binary-encoded data
39710 (@pxref{Binary Data}) to be written. The content and encoding of @var{annex}
39711 is specific to @var{object}; it can supply additional details about what data
39712 to access.
39713
39714 Here are the specific requests of this form defined so far. All
39715 @samp{qXfer:@var{object}:write:@dots{}} requests use the same reply
39716 formats, listed below.
39717
39718 @table @samp
39719 @item qXfer:siginfo:write::@var{offset}:@var{data}@dots{}
39720 @anchor{qXfer siginfo write}
39721 Write @var{data} to the extra signal information on the target system.
39722 The annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must be
39723 empty (@pxref{qXfer write}).
39724
39725 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
39726 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response
39727 (@pxref{qSupported}).
39728
39729 @item qXfer:spu:write:@var{annex}:@var{offset}:@var{data}@dots{}
39730 @anchor{qXfer spu write}
39731 Write @var{data} to an @code{spufs} file on the target system. The
39732 annex specifies which file to write; it must be of the form
39733 @file{@var{id}/@var{name}}, where @var{id} specifies an SPU context ID
39734 in the target process, and @var{name} identifes the @code{spufs} file
39735 in that context to be accessed.
39736
39737 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
39738 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
39739 @end table
39740
39741 Reply:
39742 @table @samp
39743 @item @var{nn}
39744 @var{nn} (hex encoded) is the number of bytes written.
39745 This may be fewer bytes than supplied in the request.
39746
39747 @item E00
39748 The request was malformed, or @var{annex} was invalid.
39749
39750 @item E @var{nn}
39751 The offset was invalid, or there was an error encountered writing the data.
39752 @var{nn} is a hex-encoded @code{errno} value.
39753
39754 @item @w{}
39755 An empty reply indicates the @var{object} string was not
39756 recognized by the stub, or that the object does not support writing.
39757 @end table
39758
39759 @item qXfer:@var{object}:@var{operation}:@dots{}
39760 Requests of this form may be added in the future. When a stub does
39761 not recognize the @var{object} keyword, or its support for
39762 @var{object} does not recognize the @var{operation} keyword, the stub
39763 must respond with an empty packet.
39764
39765 @item qAttached:@var{pid}
39766 @cindex query attached, remote request
39767 @cindex @samp{qAttached} packet
39768 Return an indication of whether the remote server attached to an
39769 existing process or created a new process. When the multiprocess
39770 protocol extensions are supported (@pxref{multiprocess extensions}),
39771 @var{pid} is an integer in hexadecimal format identifying the target
39772 process. Otherwise, @value{GDBN} will omit the @var{pid} field and
39773 the query packet will be simplified as @samp{qAttached}.
39774
39775 This query is used, for example, to know whether the remote process
39776 should be detached or killed when a @value{GDBN} session is ended with
39777 the @code{quit} command.
39778
39779 Reply:
39780 @table @samp
39781 @item 1
39782 The remote server attached to an existing process.
39783 @item 0
39784 The remote server created a new process.
39785 @item E @var{NN}
39786 A badly formed request or an error was encountered.
39787 @end table
39788
39789 @item Qbtrace:bts
39790 Enable branch tracing for the current thread using bts tracing.
39791
39792 Reply:
39793 @table @samp
39794 @item OK
39795 Branch tracing has been enabled.
39796 @item E.errtext
39797 A badly formed request or an error was encountered.
39798 @end table
39799
39800 @item Qbtrace:off
39801 Disable branch tracing for the current thread.
39802
39803 Reply:
39804 @table @samp
39805 @item OK
39806 Branch tracing has been disabled.
39807 @item E.errtext
39808 A badly formed request or an error was encountered.
39809 @end table
39810
39811 @end table
39812
39813 @node Architecture-Specific Protocol Details
39814 @section Architecture-Specific Protocol Details
39815
39816 This section describes how the remote protocol is applied to specific
39817 target architectures. Also see @ref{Standard Target Features}, for
39818 details of XML target descriptions for each architecture.
39819
39820 @menu
39821 * ARM-Specific Protocol Details::
39822 * MIPS-Specific Protocol Details::
39823 @end menu
39824
39825 @node ARM-Specific Protocol Details
39826 @subsection @acronym{ARM}-specific Protocol Details
39827
39828 @menu
39829 * ARM Breakpoint Kinds::
39830 @end menu
39831
39832 @node ARM Breakpoint Kinds
39833 @subsubsection @acronym{ARM} Breakpoint Kinds
39834 @cindex breakpoint kinds, @acronym{ARM}
39835
39836 These breakpoint kinds are defined for the @samp{Z0} and @samp{Z1} packets.
39837
39838 @table @r
39839
39840 @item 2
39841 16-bit Thumb mode breakpoint.
39842
39843 @item 3
39844 32-bit Thumb mode (Thumb-2) breakpoint.
39845
39846 @item 4
39847 32-bit @acronym{ARM} mode breakpoint.
39848
39849 @end table
39850
39851 @node MIPS-Specific Protocol Details
39852 @subsection @acronym{MIPS}-specific Protocol Details
39853
39854 @menu
39855 * MIPS Register packet Format::
39856 * MIPS Breakpoint Kinds::
39857 @end menu
39858
39859 @node MIPS Register packet Format
39860 @subsubsection @acronym{MIPS} Register Packet Format
39861 @cindex register packet format, @acronym{MIPS}
39862
39863 The following @code{g}/@code{G} packets have previously been defined.
39864 In the below, some thirty-two bit registers are transferred as
39865 sixty-four bits. Those registers should be zero/sign extended (which?)
39866 to fill the space allocated. Register bytes are transferred in target
39867 byte order. The two nibbles within a register byte are transferred
39868 most-significant -- least-significant.
39869
39870 @table @r
39871
39872 @item MIPS32
39873 All registers are transferred as thirty-two bit quantities in the order:
39874 32 general-purpose; sr; lo; hi; bad; cause; pc; 32 floating-point
39875 registers; fsr; fir; fp.
39876
39877 @item MIPS64
39878 All registers are transferred as sixty-four bit quantities (including
39879 thirty-two bit registers such as @code{sr}). The ordering is the same
39880 as @code{MIPS32}.
39881
39882 @end table
39883
39884 @node MIPS Breakpoint Kinds
39885 @subsubsection @acronym{MIPS} Breakpoint Kinds
39886 @cindex breakpoint kinds, @acronym{MIPS}
39887
39888 These breakpoint kinds are defined for the @samp{Z0} and @samp{Z1} packets.
39889
39890 @table @r
39891
39892 @item 2
39893 16-bit @acronym{MIPS16} mode breakpoint.
39894
39895 @item 3
39896 16-bit @acronym{microMIPS} mode breakpoint.
39897
39898 @item 4
39899 32-bit standard @acronym{MIPS} mode breakpoint.
39900
39901 @item 5
39902 32-bit @acronym{microMIPS} mode breakpoint.
39903
39904 @end table
39905
39906 @node Tracepoint Packets
39907 @section Tracepoint Packets
39908 @cindex tracepoint packets
39909 @cindex packets, tracepoint
39910
39911 Here we describe the packets @value{GDBN} uses to implement
39912 tracepoints (@pxref{Tracepoints}).
39913
39914 @table @samp
39915
39916 @item QTDP:@var{n}:@var{addr}:@var{ena}:@var{step}:@var{pass}[:F@var{flen}][:X@var{len},@var{bytes}]@r{[}-@r{]}
39917 @cindex @samp{QTDP} packet
39918 Create a new tracepoint, number @var{n}, at @var{addr}. If @var{ena}
39919 is @samp{E}, then the tracepoint is enabled; if it is @samp{D}, then
39920 the tracepoint is disabled. @var{step} is the tracepoint's step
39921 count, and @var{pass} is its pass count. If an @samp{F} is present,
39922 then the tracepoint is to be a fast tracepoint, and the @var{flen} is
39923 the number of bytes that the target should copy elsewhere to make room
39924 for the tracepoint. If an @samp{X} is present, it introduces a
39925 tracepoint condition, which consists of a hexadecimal length, followed
39926 by a comma and hex-encoded bytes, in a manner similar to action
39927 encodings as described below. If the trailing @samp{-} is present,
39928 further @samp{QTDP} packets will follow to specify this tracepoint's
39929 actions.
39930
39931 Replies:
39932 @table @samp
39933 @item OK
39934 The packet was understood and carried out.
39935 @item qRelocInsn
39936 @xref{Tracepoint Packets,,Relocate instruction reply packet}.
39937 @item @w{}
39938 The packet was not recognized.
39939 @end table
39940
39941 @item QTDP:-@var{n}:@var{addr}:@r{[}S@r{]}@var{action}@dots{}@r{[}-@r{]}
39942 Define actions to be taken when a tracepoint is hit. @var{n} and
39943 @var{addr} must be the same as in the initial @samp{QTDP} packet for
39944 this tracepoint. This packet may only be sent immediately after
39945 another @samp{QTDP} packet that ended with a @samp{-}. If the
39946 trailing @samp{-} is present, further @samp{QTDP} packets will follow,
39947 specifying more actions for this tracepoint.
39948
39949 In the series of action packets for a given tracepoint, at most one
39950 can have an @samp{S} before its first @var{action}. If such a packet
39951 is sent, it and the following packets define ``while-stepping''
39952 actions. Any prior packets define ordinary actions --- that is, those
39953 taken when the tracepoint is first hit. If no action packet has an
39954 @samp{S}, then all the packets in the series specify ordinary
39955 tracepoint actions.
39956
39957 The @samp{@var{action}@dots{}} portion of the packet is a series of
39958 actions, concatenated without separators. Each action has one of the
39959 following forms:
39960
39961 @table @samp
39962
39963 @item R @var{mask}
39964 Collect the registers whose bits are set in @var{mask}. @var{mask} is
39965 a hexadecimal number whose @var{i}'th bit is set if register number
39966 @var{i} should be collected. (The least significant bit is numbered
39967 zero.) Note that @var{mask} may be any number of digits long; it may
39968 not fit in a 32-bit word.
39969
39970 @item M @var{basereg},@var{offset},@var{len}
39971 Collect @var{len} bytes of memory starting at the address in register
39972 number @var{basereg}, plus @var{offset}. If @var{basereg} is
39973 @samp{-1}, then the range has a fixed address: @var{offset} is the
39974 address of the lowest byte to collect. The @var{basereg},
39975 @var{offset}, and @var{len} parameters are all unsigned hexadecimal
39976 values (the @samp{-1} value for @var{basereg} is a special case).
39977
39978 @item X @var{len},@var{expr}
39979 Evaluate @var{expr}, whose length is @var{len}, and collect memory as
39980 it directs. @var{expr} is an agent expression, as described in
39981 @ref{Agent Expressions}. Each byte of the expression is encoded as a
39982 two-digit hex number in the packet; @var{len} is the number of bytes
39983 in the expression (and thus one-half the number of hex digits in the
39984 packet).
39985
39986 @end table
39987
39988 Any number of actions may be packed together in a single @samp{QTDP}
39989 packet, as long as the packet does not exceed the maximum packet
39990 length (400 bytes, for many stubs). There may be only one @samp{R}
39991 action per tracepoint, and it must precede any @samp{M} or @samp{X}
39992 actions. Any registers referred to by @samp{M} and @samp{X} actions
39993 must be collected by a preceding @samp{R} action. (The
39994 ``while-stepping'' actions are treated as if they were attached to a
39995 separate tracepoint, as far as these restrictions are concerned.)
39996
39997 Replies:
39998 @table @samp
39999 @item OK
40000 The packet was understood and carried out.
40001 @item qRelocInsn
40002 @xref{Tracepoint Packets,,Relocate instruction reply packet}.
40003 @item @w{}
40004 The packet was not recognized.
40005 @end table
40006
40007 @item QTDPsrc:@var{n}:@var{addr}:@var{type}:@var{start}:@var{slen}:@var{bytes}
40008 @cindex @samp{QTDPsrc} packet
40009 Specify a source string of tracepoint @var{n} at address @var{addr}.
40010 This is useful to get accurate reproduction of the tracepoints
40011 originally downloaded at the beginning of the trace run. @var{type}
40012 is the name of the tracepoint part, such as @samp{cond} for the
40013 tracepoint's conditional expression (see below for a list of types), while
40014 @var{bytes} is the string, encoded in hexadecimal.
40015
40016 @var{start} is the offset of the @var{bytes} within the overall source
40017 string, while @var{slen} is the total length of the source string.
40018 This is intended for handling source strings that are longer than will
40019 fit in a single packet.
40020 @c Add detailed example when this info is moved into a dedicated
40021 @c tracepoint descriptions section.
40022
40023 The available string types are @samp{at} for the location,
40024 @samp{cond} for the conditional, and @samp{cmd} for an action command.
40025 @value{GDBN} sends a separate packet for each command in the action
40026 list, in the same order in which the commands are stored in the list.
40027
40028 The target does not need to do anything with source strings except
40029 report them back as part of the replies to the @samp{qTfP}/@samp{qTsP}
40030 query packets.
40031
40032 Although this packet is optional, and @value{GDBN} will only send it
40033 if the target replies with @samp{TracepointSource} @xref{General
40034 Query Packets}, it makes both disconnected tracing and trace files
40035 much easier to use. Otherwise the user must be careful that the
40036 tracepoints in effect while looking at trace frames are identical to
40037 the ones in effect during the trace run; even a small discrepancy
40038 could cause @samp{tdump} not to work, or a particular trace frame not
40039 be found.
40040
40041 @item QTDV:@var{n}:@var{value}
40042 @cindex define trace state variable, remote request
40043 @cindex @samp{QTDV} packet
40044 Create a new trace state variable, number @var{n}, with an initial
40045 value of @var{value}, which is a 64-bit signed integer. Both @var{n}
40046 and @var{value} are encoded as hexadecimal values. @value{GDBN} has
40047 the option of not using this packet for initial values of zero; the
40048 target should simply create the trace state variables as they are
40049 mentioned in expressions.
40050
40051 @item QTFrame:@var{n}
40052 @cindex @samp{QTFrame} packet
40053 Select the @var{n}'th tracepoint frame from the buffer, and use the
40054 register and memory contents recorded there to answer subsequent
40055 request packets from @value{GDBN}.
40056
40057 A successful reply from the stub indicates that the stub has found the
40058 requested frame. The response is a series of parts, concatenated
40059 without separators, describing the frame we selected. Each part has
40060 one of the following forms:
40061
40062 @table @samp
40063 @item F @var{f}
40064 The selected frame is number @var{n} in the trace frame buffer;
40065 @var{f} is a hexadecimal number. If @var{f} is @samp{-1}, then there
40066 was no frame matching the criteria in the request packet.
40067
40068 @item T @var{t}
40069 The selected trace frame records a hit of tracepoint number @var{t};
40070 @var{t} is a hexadecimal number.
40071
40072 @end table
40073
40074 @item QTFrame:pc:@var{addr}
40075 Like @samp{QTFrame:@var{n}}, but select the first tracepoint frame after the
40076 currently selected frame whose PC is @var{addr};
40077 @var{addr} is a hexadecimal number.
40078
40079 @item QTFrame:tdp:@var{t}
40080 Like @samp{QTFrame:@var{n}}, but select the first tracepoint frame after the
40081 currently selected frame that is a hit of tracepoint @var{t}; @var{t}
40082 is a hexadecimal number.
40083
40084 @item QTFrame:range:@var{start}:@var{end}
40085 Like @samp{QTFrame:@var{n}}, but select the first tracepoint frame after the
40086 currently selected frame whose PC is between @var{start} (inclusive)
40087 and @var{end} (inclusive); @var{start} and @var{end} are hexadecimal
40088 numbers.
40089
40090 @item QTFrame:outside:@var{start}:@var{end}
40091 Like @samp{QTFrame:range:@var{start}:@var{end}}, but select the first
40092 frame @emph{outside} the given range of addresses (exclusive).
40093
40094 @item qTMinFTPILen
40095 @cindex @samp{qTMinFTPILen} packet
40096 This packet requests the minimum length of instruction at which a fast
40097 tracepoint (@pxref{Set Tracepoints}) may be placed. For instance, on
40098 the 32-bit x86 architecture, it is possible to use a 4-byte jump, but
40099 it depends on the target system being able to create trampolines in
40100 the first 64K of memory, which might or might not be possible for that
40101 system. So the reply to this packet will be 4 if it is able to
40102 arrange for that.
40103
40104 Replies:
40105
40106 @table @samp
40107 @item 0
40108 The minimum instruction length is currently unknown.
40109 @item @var{length}
40110 The minimum instruction length is @var{length}, where @var{length} is greater
40111 or equal to 1. @var{length} is a hexadecimal number. A reply of 1 means
40112 that a fast tracepoint may be placed on any instruction regardless of size.
40113 @item E
40114 An error has occurred.
40115 @item @w{}
40116 An empty reply indicates that the request is not supported by the stub.
40117 @end table
40118
40119 @item QTStart
40120 @cindex @samp{QTStart} packet
40121 Begin the tracepoint experiment. Begin collecting data from
40122 tracepoint hits in the trace frame buffer. This packet supports the
40123 @samp{qRelocInsn} reply (@pxref{Tracepoint Packets,,Relocate
40124 instruction reply packet}).
40125
40126 @item QTStop
40127 @cindex @samp{QTStop} packet
40128 End the tracepoint experiment. Stop collecting trace frames.
40129
40130 @item QTEnable:@var{n}:@var{addr}
40131 @anchor{QTEnable}
40132 @cindex @samp{QTEnable} packet
40133 Enable tracepoint @var{n} at address @var{addr} in a started tracepoint
40134 experiment. If the tracepoint was previously disabled, then collection
40135 of data from it will resume.
40136
40137 @item QTDisable:@var{n}:@var{addr}
40138 @anchor{QTDisable}
40139 @cindex @samp{QTDisable} packet
40140 Disable tracepoint @var{n} at address @var{addr} in a started tracepoint
40141 experiment. No more data will be collected from the tracepoint unless
40142 @samp{QTEnable:@var{n}:@var{addr}} is subsequently issued.
40143
40144 @item QTinit
40145 @cindex @samp{QTinit} packet
40146 Clear the table of tracepoints, and empty the trace frame buffer.
40147
40148 @item QTro:@var{start1},@var{end1}:@var{start2},@var{end2}:@dots{}
40149 @cindex @samp{QTro} packet
40150 Establish the given ranges of memory as ``transparent''. The stub
40151 will answer requests for these ranges from memory's current contents,
40152 if they were not collected as part of the tracepoint hit.
40153
40154 @value{GDBN} uses this to mark read-only regions of memory, like those
40155 containing program code. Since these areas never change, they should
40156 still have the same contents they did when the tracepoint was hit, so
40157 there's no reason for the stub to refuse to provide their contents.
40158
40159 @item QTDisconnected:@var{value}
40160 @cindex @samp{QTDisconnected} packet
40161 Set the choice to what to do with the tracing run when @value{GDBN}
40162 disconnects from the target. A @var{value} of 1 directs the target to
40163 continue the tracing run, while 0 tells the target to stop tracing if
40164 @value{GDBN} is no longer in the picture.
40165
40166 @item qTStatus
40167 @cindex @samp{qTStatus} packet
40168 Ask the stub if there is a trace experiment running right now.
40169
40170 The reply has the form:
40171
40172 @table @samp
40173
40174 @item T@var{running}@r{[};@var{field}@r{]}@dots{}
40175 @var{running} is a single digit @code{1} if the trace is presently
40176 running, or @code{0} if not. It is followed by semicolon-separated
40177 optional fields that an agent may use to report additional status.
40178
40179 @end table
40180
40181 If the trace is not running, the agent may report any of several
40182 explanations as one of the optional fields:
40183
40184 @table @samp
40185
40186 @item tnotrun:0
40187 No trace has been run yet.
40188
40189 @item tstop[:@var{text}]:0
40190 The trace was stopped by a user-originated stop command. The optional
40191 @var{text} field is a user-supplied string supplied as part of the
40192 stop command (for instance, an explanation of why the trace was
40193 stopped manually). It is hex-encoded.
40194
40195 @item tfull:0
40196 The trace stopped because the trace buffer filled up.
40197
40198 @item tdisconnected:0
40199 The trace stopped because @value{GDBN} disconnected from the target.
40200
40201 @item tpasscount:@var{tpnum}
40202 The trace stopped because tracepoint @var{tpnum} exceeded its pass count.
40203
40204 @item terror:@var{text}:@var{tpnum}
40205 The trace stopped because tracepoint @var{tpnum} had an error. The
40206 string @var{text} is available to describe the nature of the error
40207 (for instance, a divide by zero in the condition expression).
40208 @var{text} is hex encoded.
40209
40210 @item tunknown:0
40211 The trace stopped for some other reason.
40212
40213 @end table
40214
40215 Additional optional fields supply statistical and other information.
40216 Although not required, they are extremely useful for users monitoring
40217 the progress of a trace run. If a trace has stopped, and these
40218 numbers are reported, they must reflect the state of the just-stopped
40219 trace.
40220
40221 @table @samp
40222
40223 @item tframes:@var{n}
40224 The number of trace frames in the buffer.
40225
40226 @item tcreated:@var{n}
40227 The total number of trace frames created during the run. This may
40228 be larger than the trace frame count, if the buffer is circular.
40229
40230 @item tsize:@var{n}
40231 The total size of the trace buffer, in bytes.
40232
40233 @item tfree:@var{n}
40234 The number of bytes still unused in the buffer.
40235
40236 @item circular:@var{n}
40237 The value of the circular trace buffer flag. @code{1} means that the
40238 trace buffer is circular and old trace frames will be discarded if
40239 necessary to make room, @code{0} means that the trace buffer is linear
40240 and may fill up.
40241
40242 @item disconn:@var{n}
40243 The value of the disconnected tracing flag. @code{1} means that
40244 tracing will continue after @value{GDBN} disconnects, @code{0} means
40245 that the trace run will stop.
40246
40247 @end table
40248
40249 @item qTP:@var{tp}:@var{addr}
40250 @cindex tracepoint status, remote request
40251 @cindex @samp{qTP} packet
40252 Ask the stub for the current state of tracepoint number @var{tp} at
40253 address @var{addr}.
40254
40255 Replies:
40256 @table @samp
40257 @item V@var{hits}:@var{usage}
40258 The tracepoint has been hit @var{hits} times so far during the trace
40259 run, and accounts for @var{usage} in the trace buffer. Note that
40260 @code{while-stepping} steps are not counted as separate hits, but the
40261 steps' space consumption is added into the usage number.
40262
40263 @end table
40264
40265 @item qTV:@var{var}
40266 @cindex trace state variable value, remote request
40267 @cindex @samp{qTV} packet
40268 Ask the stub for the value of the trace state variable number @var{var}.
40269
40270 Replies:
40271 @table @samp
40272 @item V@var{value}
40273 The value of the variable is @var{value}. This will be the current
40274 value of the variable if the user is examining a running target, or a
40275 saved value if the variable was collected in the trace frame that the
40276 user is looking at. Note that multiple requests may result in
40277 different reply values, such as when requesting values while the
40278 program is running.
40279
40280 @item U
40281 The value of the variable is unknown. This would occur, for example,
40282 if the user is examining a trace frame in which the requested variable
40283 was not collected.
40284 @end table
40285
40286 @item qTfP
40287 @cindex @samp{qTfP} packet
40288 @itemx qTsP
40289 @cindex @samp{qTsP} packet
40290 These packets request data about tracepoints that are being used by
40291 the target. @value{GDBN} sends @code{qTfP} to get the first piece
40292 of data, and multiple @code{qTsP} to get additional pieces. Replies
40293 to these packets generally take the form of the @code{QTDP} packets
40294 that define tracepoints. (FIXME add detailed syntax)
40295
40296 @item qTfV
40297 @cindex @samp{qTfV} packet
40298 @itemx qTsV
40299 @cindex @samp{qTsV} packet
40300 These packets request data about trace state variables that are on the
40301 target. @value{GDBN} sends @code{qTfV} to get the first vari of data,
40302 and multiple @code{qTsV} to get additional variables. Replies to
40303 these packets follow the syntax of the @code{QTDV} packets that define
40304 trace state variables.
40305
40306 @item qTfSTM
40307 @itemx qTsSTM
40308 @anchor{qTfSTM}
40309 @anchor{qTsSTM}
40310 @cindex @samp{qTfSTM} packet
40311 @cindex @samp{qTsSTM} packet
40312 These packets request data about static tracepoint markers that exist
40313 in the target program. @value{GDBN} sends @code{qTfSTM} to get the
40314 first piece of data, and multiple @code{qTsSTM} to get additional
40315 pieces. Replies to these packets take the following form:
40316
40317 Reply:
40318 @table @samp
40319 @item m @var{address}:@var{id}:@var{extra}
40320 A single marker
40321 @item m @var{address}:@var{id}:@var{extra},@var{address}:@var{id}:@var{extra}@dots{}
40322 a comma-separated list of markers
40323 @item l
40324 (lower case letter @samp{L}) denotes end of list.
40325 @item E @var{nn}
40326 An error occurred. @var{nn} are hex digits.
40327 @item @w{}
40328 An empty reply indicates that the request is not supported by the
40329 stub.
40330 @end table
40331
40332 @var{address} is encoded in hex.
40333 @var{id} and @var{extra} are strings encoded in hex.
40334
40335 In response to each query, the target will reply with a list of one or
40336 more markers, separated by commas. @value{GDBN} will respond to each
40337 reply with a request for more markers (using the @samp{qs} form of the
40338 query), until the target responds with @samp{l} (lower-case ell, for
40339 @dfn{last}).
40340
40341 @item qTSTMat:@var{address}
40342 @anchor{qTSTMat}
40343 @cindex @samp{qTSTMat} packet
40344 This packets requests data about static tracepoint markers in the
40345 target program at @var{address}. Replies to this packet follow the
40346 syntax of the @samp{qTfSTM} and @code{qTsSTM} packets that list static
40347 tracepoint markers.
40348
40349 @item QTSave:@var{filename}
40350 @cindex @samp{QTSave} packet
40351 This packet directs the target to save trace data to the file name
40352 @var{filename} in the target's filesystem. @var{filename} is encoded
40353 as a hex string; the interpretation of the file name (relative vs
40354 absolute, wild cards, etc) is up to the target.
40355
40356 @item qTBuffer:@var{offset},@var{len}
40357 @cindex @samp{qTBuffer} packet
40358 Return up to @var{len} bytes of the current contents of trace buffer,
40359 starting at @var{offset}. The trace buffer is treated as if it were
40360 a contiguous collection of traceframes, as per the trace file format.
40361 The reply consists as many hex-encoded bytes as the target can deliver
40362 in a packet; it is not an error to return fewer than were asked for.
40363 A reply consisting of just @code{l} indicates that no bytes are
40364 available.
40365
40366 @item QTBuffer:circular:@var{value}
40367 This packet directs the target to use a circular trace buffer if
40368 @var{value} is 1, or a linear buffer if the value is 0.
40369
40370 @item QTBuffer:size:@var{size}
40371 @anchor{QTBuffer-size}
40372 @cindex @samp{QTBuffer size} packet
40373 This packet directs the target to make the trace buffer be of size
40374 @var{size} if possible. A value of @code{-1} tells the target to
40375 use whatever size it prefers.
40376
40377 @item QTNotes:@r{[}@var{type}:@var{text}@r{]}@r{[};@var{type}:@var{text}@r{]}@dots{}
40378 @cindex @samp{QTNotes} packet
40379 This packet adds optional textual notes to the trace run. Allowable
40380 types include @code{user}, @code{notes}, and @code{tstop}, the
40381 @var{text} fields are arbitrary strings, hex-encoded.
40382
40383 @end table
40384
40385 @subsection Relocate instruction reply packet
40386 When installing fast tracepoints in memory, the target may need to
40387 relocate the instruction currently at the tracepoint address to a
40388 different address in memory. For most instructions, a simple copy is
40389 enough, but, for example, call instructions that implicitly push the
40390 return address on the stack, and relative branches or other
40391 PC-relative instructions require offset adjustment, so that the effect
40392 of executing the instruction at a different address is the same as if
40393 it had executed in the original location.
40394
40395 In response to several of the tracepoint packets, the target may also
40396 respond with a number of intermediate @samp{qRelocInsn} request
40397 packets before the final result packet, to have @value{GDBN} handle
40398 this relocation operation. If a packet supports this mechanism, its
40399 documentation will explicitly say so. See for example the above
40400 descriptions for the @samp{QTStart} and @samp{QTDP} packets. The
40401 format of the request is:
40402
40403 @table @samp
40404 @item qRelocInsn:@var{from};@var{to}
40405
40406 This requests @value{GDBN} to copy instruction at address @var{from}
40407 to address @var{to}, possibly adjusted so that executing the
40408 instruction at @var{to} has the same effect as executing it at
40409 @var{from}. @value{GDBN} writes the adjusted instruction to target
40410 memory starting at @var{to}.
40411 @end table
40412
40413 Replies:
40414 @table @samp
40415 @item qRelocInsn:@var{adjusted_size}
40416 Informs the stub the relocation is complete. @var{adjusted_size} is
40417 the length in bytes of resulting relocated instruction sequence.
40418 @item E @var{NN}
40419 A badly formed request was detected, or an error was encountered while
40420 relocating the instruction.
40421 @end table
40422
40423 @node Host I/O Packets
40424 @section Host I/O Packets
40425 @cindex Host I/O, remote protocol
40426 @cindex file transfer, remote protocol
40427
40428 The @dfn{Host I/O} packets allow @value{GDBN} to perform I/O
40429 operations on the far side of a remote link. For example, Host I/O is
40430 used to upload and download files to a remote target with its own
40431 filesystem. Host I/O uses the same constant values and data structure
40432 layout as the target-initiated File-I/O protocol. However, the
40433 Host I/O packets are structured differently. The target-initiated
40434 protocol relies on target memory to store parameters and buffers.
40435 Host I/O requests are initiated by @value{GDBN}, and the
40436 target's memory is not involved. @xref{File-I/O Remote Protocol
40437 Extension}, for more details on the target-initiated protocol.
40438
40439 The Host I/O request packets all encode a single operation along with
40440 its arguments. They have this format:
40441
40442 @table @samp
40443
40444 @item vFile:@var{operation}: @var{parameter}@dots{}
40445 @var{operation} is the name of the particular request; the target
40446 should compare the entire packet name up to the second colon when checking
40447 for a supported operation. The format of @var{parameter} depends on
40448 the operation. Numbers are always passed in hexadecimal. Negative
40449 numbers have an explicit minus sign (i.e.@: two's complement is not
40450 used). Strings (e.g.@: filenames) are encoded as a series of
40451 hexadecimal bytes. The last argument to a system call may be a
40452 buffer of escaped binary data (@pxref{Binary Data}).
40453
40454 @end table
40455
40456 The valid responses to Host I/O packets are:
40457
40458 @table @samp
40459
40460 @item F @var{result} [, @var{errno}] [; @var{attachment}]
40461 @var{result} is the integer value returned by this operation, usually
40462 non-negative for success and -1 for errors. If an error has occured,
40463 @var{errno} will be included in the result. @var{errno} will have a
40464 value defined by the File-I/O protocol (@pxref{Errno Values}). For
40465 operations which return data, @var{attachment} supplies the data as a
40466 binary buffer. Binary buffers in response packets are escaped in the
40467 normal way (@pxref{Binary Data}). See the individual packet
40468 documentation for the interpretation of @var{result} and
40469 @var{attachment}.
40470
40471 @item @w{}
40472 An empty response indicates that this operation is not recognized.
40473
40474 @end table
40475
40476 These are the supported Host I/O operations:
40477
40478 @table @samp
40479 @item vFile:open: @var{pathname}, @var{flags}, @var{mode}
40480 Open a file at @var{pathname} and return a file descriptor for it, or
40481 return -1 if an error occurs. @var{pathname} is a string,
40482 @var{flags} is an integer indicating a mask of open flags
40483 (@pxref{Open Flags}), and @var{mode} is an integer indicating a mask
40484 of mode bits to use if the file is created (@pxref{mode_t Values}).
40485 @xref{open}, for details of the open flags and mode values.
40486
40487 @item vFile:close: @var{fd}
40488 Close the open file corresponding to @var{fd} and return 0, or
40489 -1 if an error occurs.
40490
40491 @item vFile:pread: @var{fd}, @var{count}, @var{offset}
40492 Read data from the open file corresponding to @var{fd}. Up to
40493 @var{count} bytes will be read from the file, starting at @var{offset}
40494 relative to the start of the file. The target may read fewer bytes;
40495 common reasons include packet size limits and an end-of-file
40496 condition. The number of bytes read is returned. Zero should only be
40497 returned for a successful read at the end of the file, or if
40498 @var{count} was zero.
40499
40500 The data read should be returned as a binary attachment on success.
40501 If zero bytes were read, the response should include an empty binary
40502 attachment (i.e.@: a trailing semicolon). The return value is the
40503 number of target bytes read; the binary attachment may be longer if
40504 some characters were escaped.
40505
40506 @item vFile:pwrite: @var{fd}, @var{offset}, @var{data}
40507 Write @var{data} (a binary buffer) to the open file corresponding
40508 to @var{fd}. Start the write at @var{offset} from the start of the
40509 file. Unlike many @code{write} system calls, there is no
40510 separate @var{count} argument; the length of @var{data} in the
40511 packet is used. @samp{vFile:write} returns the number of bytes written,
40512 which may be shorter than the length of @var{data}, or -1 if an
40513 error occurred.
40514
40515 @item vFile:unlink: @var{pathname}
40516 Delete the file at @var{pathname} on the target. Return 0,
40517 or -1 if an error occurs. @var{pathname} is a string.
40518
40519 @item vFile:readlink: @var{filename}
40520 Read value of symbolic link @var{filename} on the target. Return
40521 the number of bytes read, or -1 if an error occurs.
40522
40523 The data read should be returned as a binary attachment on success.
40524 If zero bytes were read, the response should include an empty binary
40525 attachment (i.e.@: a trailing semicolon). The return value is the
40526 number of target bytes read; the binary attachment may be longer if
40527 some characters were escaped.
40528
40529 @end table
40530
40531 @node Interrupts
40532 @section Interrupts
40533 @cindex interrupts (remote protocol)
40534
40535 When a program on the remote target is running, @value{GDBN} may
40536 attempt to interrupt it by sending a @samp{Ctrl-C}, @code{BREAK} or
40537 a @code{BREAK} followed by @code{g},
40538 control of which is specified via @value{GDBN}'s @samp{interrupt-sequence}.
40539
40540 The precise meaning of @code{BREAK} is defined by the transport
40541 mechanism and may, in fact, be undefined. @value{GDBN} does not
40542 currently define a @code{BREAK} mechanism for any of the network
40543 interfaces except for TCP, in which case @value{GDBN} sends the
40544 @code{telnet} BREAK sequence.
40545
40546 @samp{Ctrl-C}, on the other hand, is defined and implemented for all
40547 transport mechanisms. It is represented by sending the single byte
40548 @code{0x03} without any of the usual packet overhead described in
40549 the Overview section (@pxref{Overview}). When a @code{0x03} byte is
40550 transmitted as part of a packet, it is considered to be packet data
40551 and does @emph{not} represent an interrupt. E.g., an @samp{X} packet
40552 (@pxref{X packet}), used for binary downloads, may include an unescaped
40553 @code{0x03} as part of its packet.
40554
40555 @code{BREAK} followed by @code{g} is also known as Magic SysRq g.
40556 When Linux kernel receives this sequence from serial port,
40557 it stops execution and connects to gdb.
40558
40559 Stubs are not required to recognize these interrupt mechanisms and the
40560 precise meaning associated with receipt of the interrupt is
40561 implementation defined. If the target supports debugging of multiple
40562 threads and/or processes, it should attempt to interrupt all
40563 currently-executing threads and processes.
40564 If the stub is successful at interrupting the
40565 running program, it should send one of the stop
40566 reply packets (@pxref{Stop Reply Packets}) to @value{GDBN} as a result
40567 of successfully stopping the program in all-stop mode, and a stop reply
40568 for each stopped thread in non-stop mode.
40569 Interrupts received while the
40570 program is stopped are discarded.
40571
40572 @node Notification Packets
40573 @section Notification Packets
40574 @cindex notification packets
40575 @cindex packets, notification
40576
40577 The @value{GDBN} remote serial protocol includes @dfn{notifications},
40578 packets that require no acknowledgment. Both the GDB and the stub
40579 may send notifications (although the only notifications defined at
40580 present are sent by the stub). Notifications carry information
40581 without incurring the round-trip latency of an acknowledgment, and so
40582 are useful for low-impact communications where occasional packet loss
40583 is not a problem.
40584
40585 A notification packet has the form @samp{% @var{data} #
40586 @var{checksum}}, where @var{data} is the content of the notification,
40587 and @var{checksum} is a checksum of @var{data}, computed and formatted
40588 as for ordinary @value{GDBN} packets. A notification's @var{data}
40589 never contains @samp{$}, @samp{%} or @samp{#} characters. Upon
40590 receiving a notification, the recipient sends no @samp{+} or @samp{-}
40591 to acknowledge the notification's receipt or to report its corruption.
40592
40593 Every notification's @var{data} begins with a name, which contains no
40594 colon characters, followed by a colon character.
40595
40596 Recipients should silently ignore corrupted notifications and
40597 notifications they do not understand. Recipients should restart
40598 timeout periods on receipt of a well-formed notification, whether or
40599 not they understand it.
40600
40601 Senders should only send the notifications described here when this
40602 protocol description specifies that they are permitted. In the
40603 future, we may extend the protocol to permit existing notifications in
40604 new contexts; this rule helps older senders avoid confusing newer
40605 recipients.
40606
40607 (Older versions of @value{GDBN} ignore bytes received until they see
40608 the @samp{$} byte that begins an ordinary packet, so new stubs may
40609 transmit notifications without fear of confusing older clients. There
40610 are no notifications defined for @value{GDBN} to send at the moment, but we
40611 assume that most older stubs would ignore them, as well.)
40612
40613 Each notification is comprised of three parts:
40614 @table @samp
40615 @item @var{name}:@var{event}
40616 The notification packet is sent by the side that initiates the
40617 exchange (currently, only the stub does that), with @var{event}
40618 carrying the specific information about the notification.
40619 @var{name} is the name of the notification.
40620 @item @var{ack}
40621 The acknowledge sent by the other side, usually @value{GDBN}, to
40622 acknowledge the exchange and request the event.
40623 @end table
40624
40625 The purpose of an asynchronous notification mechanism is to report to
40626 @value{GDBN} that something interesting happened in the remote stub.
40627
40628 The remote stub may send notification @var{name}:@var{event}
40629 at any time, but @value{GDBN} acknowledges the notification when
40630 appropriate. The notification event is pending before @value{GDBN}
40631 acknowledges. Only one notification at a time may be pending; if
40632 additional events occur before @value{GDBN} has acknowledged the
40633 previous notification, they must be queued by the stub for later
40634 synchronous transmission in response to @var{ack} packets from
40635 @value{GDBN}. Because the notification mechanism is unreliable,
40636 the stub is permitted to resend a notification if it believes
40637 @value{GDBN} may not have received it.
40638
40639 Specifically, notifications may appear when @value{GDBN} is not
40640 otherwise reading input from the stub, or when @value{GDBN} is
40641 expecting to read a normal synchronous response or a
40642 @samp{+}/@samp{-} acknowledgment to a packet it has sent.
40643 Notification packets are distinct from any other communication from
40644 the stub so there is no ambiguity.
40645
40646 After receiving a notification, @value{GDBN} shall acknowledge it by
40647 sending a @var{ack} packet as a regular, synchronous request to the
40648 stub. Such acknowledgment is not required to happen immediately, as
40649 @value{GDBN} is permitted to send other, unrelated packets to the
40650 stub first, which the stub should process normally.
40651
40652 Upon receiving a @var{ack} packet, if the stub has other queued
40653 events to report to @value{GDBN}, it shall respond by sending a
40654 normal @var{event}. @value{GDBN} shall then send another @var{ack}
40655 packet to solicit further responses; again, it is permitted to send
40656 other, unrelated packets as well which the stub should process
40657 normally.
40658
40659 If the stub receives a @var{ack} packet and there are no additional
40660 @var{event} to report, the stub shall return an @samp{OK} response.
40661 At this point, @value{GDBN} has finished processing a notification
40662 and the stub has completed sending any queued events. @value{GDBN}
40663 won't accept any new notifications until the final @samp{OK} is
40664 received . If further notification events occur, the stub shall send
40665 a new notification, @value{GDBN} shall accept the notification, and
40666 the process shall be repeated.
40667
40668 The process of asynchronous notification can be illustrated by the
40669 following example:
40670 @smallexample
40671 <- @code{%%Stop:T0505:98e7ffbf;04:4ce6ffbf;08:b1b6e54c;thread:p7526.7526;core:0;}
40672 @code{...}
40673 -> @code{vStopped}
40674 <- @code{T0505:68f37db7;04:40f37db7;08:63850408;thread:p7526.7528;core:0;}
40675 -> @code{vStopped}
40676 <- @code{T0505:68e3fdb6;04:40e3fdb6;08:63850408;thread:p7526.7529;core:0;}
40677 -> @code{vStopped}
40678 <- @code{OK}
40679 @end smallexample
40680
40681 The following notifications are defined:
40682 @multitable @columnfractions 0.12 0.12 0.38 0.38
40683
40684 @item Notification
40685 @tab Ack
40686 @tab Event
40687 @tab Description
40688
40689 @item Stop
40690 @tab vStopped
40691 @tab @var{reply}. The @var{reply} has the form of a stop reply, as
40692 described in @ref{Stop Reply Packets}. Refer to @ref{Remote Non-Stop},
40693 for information on how these notifications are acknowledged by
40694 @value{GDBN}.
40695 @tab Report an asynchronous stop event in non-stop mode.
40696
40697 @end multitable
40698
40699 @node Remote Non-Stop
40700 @section Remote Protocol Support for Non-Stop Mode
40701
40702 @value{GDBN}'s remote protocol supports non-stop debugging of
40703 multi-threaded programs, as described in @ref{Non-Stop Mode}. If the stub
40704 supports non-stop mode, it should report that to @value{GDBN} by including
40705 @samp{QNonStop+} in its @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
40706
40707 @value{GDBN} typically sends a @samp{QNonStop} packet only when
40708 establishing a new connection with the stub. Entering non-stop mode
40709 does not alter the state of any currently-running threads, but targets
40710 must stop all threads in any already-attached processes when entering
40711 all-stop mode. @value{GDBN} uses the @samp{?} packet as necessary to
40712 probe the target state after a mode change.
40713
40714 In non-stop mode, when an attached process encounters an event that
40715 would otherwise be reported with a stop reply, it uses the
40716 asynchronous notification mechanism (@pxref{Notification Packets}) to
40717 inform @value{GDBN}. In contrast to all-stop mode, where all threads
40718 in all processes are stopped when a stop reply is sent, in non-stop
40719 mode only the thread reporting the stop event is stopped. That is,
40720 when reporting a @samp{S} or @samp{T} response to indicate completion
40721 of a step operation, hitting a breakpoint, or a fault, only the
40722 affected thread is stopped; any other still-running threads continue
40723 to run. When reporting a @samp{W} or @samp{X} response, all running
40724 threads belonging to other attached processes continue to run.
40725
40726 In non-stop mode, the target shall respond to the @samp{?} packet as
40727 follows. First, any incomplete stop reply notification/@samp{vStopped}
40728 sequence in progress is abandoned. The target must begin a new
40729 sequence reporting stop events for all stopped threads, whether or not
40730 it has previously reported those events to @value{GDBN}. The first
40731 stop reply is sent as a synchronous reply to the @samp{?} packet, and
40732 subsequent stop replies are sent as responses to @samp{vStopped} packets
40733 using the mechanism described above. The target must not send
40734 asynchronous stop reply notifications until the sequence is complete.
40735 If all threads are running when the target receives the @samp{?} packet,
40736 or if the target is not attached to any process, it shall respond
40737 @samp{OK}.
40738
40739 @node Packet Acknowledgment
40740 @section Packet Acknowledgment
40741
40742 @cindex acknowledgment, for @value{GDBN} remote
40743 @cindex packet acknowledgment, for @value{GDBN} remote
40744 By default, when either the host or the target machine receives a packet,
40745 the first response expected is an acknowledgment: either @samp{+} (to indicate
40746 the package was received correctly) or @samp{-} (to request retransmission).
40747 This mechanism allows the @value{GDBN} remote protocol to operate over
40748 unreliable transport mechanisms, such as a serial line.
40749
40750 In cases where the transport mechanism is itself reliable (such as a pipe or
40751 TCP connection), the @samp{+}/@samp{-} acknowledgments are redundant.
40752 It may be desirable to disable them in that case to reduce communication
40753 overhead, or for other reasons. This can be accomplished by means of the
40754 @samp{QStartNoAckMode} packet; @pxref{QStartNoAckMode}.
40755
40756 When in no-acknowledgment mode, neither the stub nor @value{GDBN} shall send or
40757 expect @samp{+}/@samp{-} protocol acknowledgments. The packet
40758 and response format still includes the normal checksum, as described in
40759 @ref{Overview}, but the checksum may be ignored by the receiver.
40760
40761 If the stub supports @samp{QStartNoAckMode} and prefers to operate in
40762 no-acknowledgment mode, it should report that to @value{GDBN}
40763 by including @samp{QStartNoAckMode+} in its response to @samp{qSupported};
40764 @pxref{qSupported}.
40765 If @value{GDBN} also supports @samp{QStartNoAckMode} and it has not been
40766 disabled via the @code{set remote noack-packet off} command
40767 (@pxref{Remote Configuration}),
40768 @value{GDBN} may then send a @samp{QStartNoAckMode} packet to the stub.
40769 Only then may the stub actually turn off packet acknowledgments.
40770 @value{GDBN} sends a final @samp{+} acknowledgment of the stub's @samp{OK}
40771 response, which can be safely ignored by the stub.
40772
40773 Note that @code{set remote noack-packet} command only affects negotiation
40774 between @value{GDBN} and the stub when subsequent connections are made;
40775 it does not affect the protocol acknowledgment state for any current
40776 connection.
40777 Since @samp{+}/@samp{-} acknowledgments are enabled by default when a
40778 new connection is established,
40779 there is also no protocol request to re-enable the acknowledgments
40780 for the current connection, once disabled.
40781
40782 @node Examples
40783 @section Examples
40784
40785 Example sequence of a target being re-started. Notice how the restart
40786 does not get any direct output:
40787
40788 @smallexample
40789 -> @code{R00}
40790 <- @code{+}
40791 @emph{target restarts}
40792 -> @code{?}
40793 <- @code{+}
40794 <- @code{T001:1234123412341234}
40795 -> @code{+}
40796 @end smallexample
40797
40798 Example sequence of a target being stepped by a single instruction:
40799
40800 @smallexample
40801 -> @code{G1445@dots{}}
40802 <- @code{+}
40803 -> @code{s}
40804 <- @code{+}
40805 @emph{time passes}
40806 <- @code{T001:1234123412341234}
40807 -> @code{+}
40808 -> @code{g}
40809 <- @code{+}
40810 <- @code{1455@dots{}}
40811 -> @code{+}
40812 @end smallexample
40813
40814 @node File-I/O Remote Protocol Extension
40815 @section File-I/O Remote Protocol Extension
40816 @cindex File-I/O remote protocol extension
40817
40818 @menu
40819 * File-I/O Overview::
40820 * Protocol Basics::
40821 * The F Request Packet::
40822 * The F Reply Packet::
40823 * The Ctrl-C Message::
40824 * Console I/O::
40825 * List of Supported Calls::
40826 * Protocol-specific Representation of Datatypes::
40827 * Constants::
40828 * File-I/O Examples::
40829 @end menu
40830
40831 @node File-I/O Overview
40832 @subsection File-I/O Overview
40833 @cindex file-i/o overview
40834
40835 The @dfn{File I/O remote protocol extension} (short: File-I/O) allows the
40836 target to use the host's file system and console I/O to perform various
40837 system calls. System calls on the target system are translated into a
40838 remote protocol packet to the host system, which then performs the needed
40839 actions and returns a response packet to the target system.
40840 This simulates file system operations even on targets that lack file systems.
40841
40842 The protocol is defined to be independent of both the host and target systems.
40843 It uses its own internal representation of datatypes and values. Both
40844 @value{GDBN} and the target's @value{GDBN} stub are responsible for
40845 translating the system-dependent value representations into the internal
40846 protocol representations when data is transmitted.
40847
40848 The communication is synchronous. A system call is possible only when
40849 @value{GDBN} is waiting for a response from the @samp{C}, @samp{c}, @samp{S}
40850 or @samp{s} packets. While @value{GDBN} handles the request for a system call,
40851 the target is stopped to allow deterministic access to the target's
40852 memory. Therefore File-I/O is not interruptible by target signals. On
40853 the other hand, it is possible to interrupt File-I/O by a user interrupt
40854 (@samp{Ctrl-C}) within @value{GDBN}.
40855
40856 The target's request to perform a host system call does not finish
40857 the latest @samp{C}, @samp{c}, @samp{S} or @samp{s} action. That means,
40858 after finishing the system call, the target returns to continuing the
40859 previous activity (continue, step). No additional continue or step
40860 request from @value{GDBN} is required.
40861
40862 @smallexample
40863 (@value{GDBP}) continue
40864 <- target requests 'system call X'
40865 target is stopped, @value{GDBN} executes system call
40866 -> @value{GDBN} returns result
40867 ... target continues, @value{GDBN} returns to wait for the target
40868 <- target hits breakpoint and sends a Txx packet
40869 @end smallexample
40870
40871 The protocol only supports I/O on the console and to regular files on
40872 the host file system. Character or block special devices, pipes,
40873 named pipes, sockets or any other communication method on the host
40874 system are not supported by this protocol.
40875
40876 File I/O is not supported in non-stop mode.
40877
40878 @node Protocol Basics
40879 @subsection Protocol Basics
40880 @cindex protocol basics, file-i/o
40881
40882 The File-I/O protocol uses the @code{F} packet as the request as well
40883 as reply packet. Since a File-I/O system call can only occur when
40884 @value{GDBN} is waiting for a response from the continuing or stepping target,
40885 the File-I/O request is a reply that @value{GDBN} has to expect as a result
40886 of a previous @samp{C}, @samp{c}, @samp{S} or @samp{s} packet.
40887 This @code{F} packet contains all information needed to allow @value{GDBN}
40888 to call the appropriate host system call:
40889
40890 @itemize @bullet
40891 @item
40892 A unique identifier for the requested system call.
40893
40894 @item
40895 All parameters to the system call. Pointers are given as addresses
40896 in the target memory address space. Pointers to strings are given as
40897 pointer/length pair. Numerical values are given as they are.
40898 Numerical control flags are given in a protocol-specific representation.
40899
40900 @end itemize
40901
40902 At this point, @value{GDBN} has to perform the following actions.
40903
40904 @itemize @bullet
40905 @item
40906 If the parameters include pointer values to data needed as input to a
40907 system call, @value{GDBN} requests this data from the target with a
40908 standard @code{m} packet request. This additional communication has to be
40909 expected by the target implementation and is handled as any other @code{m}
40910 packet.
40911
40912 @item
40913 @value{GDBN} translates all value from protocol representation to host
40914 representation as needed. Datatypes are coerced into the host types.
40915
40916 @item
40917 @value{GDBN} calls the system call.
40918
40919 @item
40920 It then coerces datatypes back to protocol representation.
40921
40922 @item
40923 If the system call is expected to return data in buffer space specified
40924 by pointer parameters to the call, the data is transmitted to the
40925 target using a @code{M} or @code{X} packet. This packet has to be expected
40926 by the target implementation and is handled as any other @code{M} or @code{X}
40927 packet.
40928
40929 @end itemize
40930
40931 Eventually @value{GDBN} replies with another @code{F} packet which contains all
40932 necessary information for the target to continue. This at least contains
40933
40934 @itemize @bullet
40935 @item
40936 Return value.
40937
40938 @item
40939 @code{errno}, if has been changed by the system call.
40940
40941 @item
40942 ``Ctrl-C'' flag.
40943
40944 @end itemize
40945
40946 After having done the needed type and value coercion, the target continues
40947 the latest continue or step action.
40948
40949 @node The F Request Packet
40950 @subsection The @code{F} Request Packet
40951 @cindex file-i/o request packet
40952 @cindex @code{F} request packet
40953
40954 The @code{F} request packet has the following format:
40955
40956 @table @samp
40957 @item F@var{call-id},@var{parameter@dots{}}
40958
40959 @var{call-id} is the identifier to indicate the host system call to be called.
40960 This is just the name of the function.
40961
40962 @var{parameter@dots{}} are the parameters to the system call.
40963 Parameters are hexadecimal integer values, either the actual values in case
40964 of scalar datatypes, pointers to target buffer space in case of compound
40965 datatypes and unspecified memory areas, or pointer/length pairs in case
40966 of string parameters. These are appended to the @var{call-id} as a
40967 comma-delimited list. All values are transmitted in ASCII
40968 string representation, pointer/length pairs separated by a slash.
40969
40970 @end table
40971
40972
40973
40974 @node The F Reply Packet
40975 @subsection The @code{F} Reply Packet
40976 @cindex file-i/o reply packet
40977 @cindex @code{F} reply packet
40978
40979 The @code{F} reply packet has the following format:
40980
40981 @table @samp
40982
40983 @item F@var{retcode},@var{errno},@var{Ctrl-C flag};@var{call-specific attachment}
40984
40985 @var{retcode} is the return code of the system call as hexadecimal value.
40986
40987 @var{errno} is the @code{errno} set by the call, in protocol-specific
40988 representation.
40989 This parameter can be omitted if the call was successful.
40990
40991 @var{Ctrl-C flag} is only sent if the user requested a break. In this
40992 case, @var{errno} must be sent as well, even if the call was successful.
40993 The @var{Ctrl-C flag} itself consists of the character @samp{C}:
40994
40995 @smallexample
40996 F0,0,C
40997 @end smallexample
40998
40999 @noindent
41000 or, if the call was interrupted before the host call has been performed:
41001
41002 @smallexample
41003 F-1,4,C
41004 @end smallexample
41005
41006 @noindent
41007 assuming 4 is the protocol-specific representation of @code{EINTR}.
41008
41009 @end table
41010
41011
41012 @node The Ctrl-C Message
41013 @subsection The @samp{Ctrl-C} Message
41014 @cindex ctrl-c message, in file-i/o protocol
41015
41016 If the @samp{Ctrl-C} flag is set in the @value{GDBN}
41017 reply packet (@pxref{The F Reply Packet}),
41018 the target should behave as if it had
41019 gotten a break message. The meaning for the target is ``system call
41020 interrupted by @code{SIGINT}''. Consequentially, the target should actually stop
41021 (as with a break message) and return to @value{GDBN} with a @code{T02}
41022 packet.
41023
41024 It's important for the target to know in which
41025 state the system call was interrupted. There are two possible cases:
41026
41027 @itemize @bullet
41028 @item
41029 The system call hasn't been performed on the host yet.
41030
41031 @item
41032 The system call on the host has been finished.
41033
41034 @end itemize
41035
41036 These two states can be distinguished by the target by the value of the
41037 returned @code{errno}. If it's the protocol representation of @code{EINTR}, the system
41038 call hasn't been performed. This is equivalent to the @code{EINTR} handling
41039 on POSIX systems. In any other case, the target may presume that the
41040 system call has been finished --- successfully or not --- and should behave
41041 as if the break message arrived right after the system call.
41042
41043 @value{GDBN} must behave reliably. If the system call has not been called
41044 yet, @value{GDBN} may send the @code{F} reply immediately, setting @code{EINTR} as
41045 @code{errno} in the packet. If the system call on the host has been finished
41046 before the user requests a break, the full action must be finished by
41047 @value{GDBN}. This requires sending @code{M} or @code{X} packets as necessary.
41048 The @code{F} packet may only be sent when either nothing has happened
41049 or the full action has been completed.
41050
41051 @node Console I/O
41052 @subsection Console I/O
41053 @cindex console i/o as part of file-i/o
41054
41055 By default and if not explicitly closed by the target system, the file
41056 descriptors 0, 1 and 2 are connected to the @value{GDBN} console. Output
41057 on the @value{GDBN} console is handled as any other file output operation
41058 (@code{write(1, @dots{})} or @code{write(2, @dots{})}). Console input is handled
41059 by @value{GDBN} so that after the target read request from file descriptor
41060 0 all following typing is buffered until either one of the following
41061 conditions is met:
41062
41063 @itemize @bullet
41064 @item
41065 The user types @kbd{Ctrl-c}. The behaviour is as explained above, and the
41066 @code{read}
41067 system call is treated as finished.
41068
41069 @item
41070 The user presses @key{RET}. This is treated as end of input with a trailing
41071 newline.
41072
41073 @item
41074 The user types @kbd{Ctrl-d}. This is treated as end of input. No trailing
41075 character (neither newline nor @samp{Ctrl-D}) is appended to the input.
41076
41077 @end itemize
41078
41079 If the user has typed more characters than fit in the buffer given to
41080 the @code{read} call, the trailing characters are buffered in @value{GDBN} until
41081 either another @code{read(0, @dots{})} is requested by the target, or debugging
41082 is stopped at the user's request.
41083
41084
41085 @node List of Supported Calls
41086 @subsection List of Supported Calls
41087 @cindex list of supported file-i/o calls
41088
41089 @menu
41090 * open::
41091 * close::
41092 * read::
41093 * write::
41094 * lseek::
41095 * rename::
41096 * unlink::
41097 * stat/fstat::
41098 * gettimeofday::
41099 * isatty::
41100 * system::
41101 @end menu
41102
41103 @node open
41104 @unnumberedsubsubsec open
41105 @cindex open, file-i/o system call
41106
41107 @table @asis
41108 @item Synopsis:
41109 @smallexample
41110 int open(const char *pathname, int flags);
41111 int open(const char *pathname, int flags, mode_t mode);
41112 @end smallexample
41113
41114 @item Request:
41115 @samp{Fopen,@var{pathptr}/@var{len},@var{flags},@var{mode}}
41116
41117 @noindent
41118 @var{flags} is the bitwise @code{OR} of the following values:
41119
41120 @table @code
41121 @item O_CREAT
41122 If the file does not exist it will be created. The host
41123 rules apply as far as file ownership and time stamps
41124 are concerned.
41125
41126 @item O_EXCL
41127 When used with @code{O_CREAT}, if the file already exists it is
41128 an error and open() fails.
41129
41130 @item O_TRUNC
41131 If the file already exists and the open mode allows
41132 writing (@code{O_RDWR} or @code{O_WRONLY} is given) it will be
41133 truncated to zero length.
41134
41135 @item O_APPEND
41136 The file is opened in append mode.
41137
41138 @item O_RDONLY
41139 The file is opened for reading only.
41140
41141 @item O_WRONLY
41142 The file is opened for writing only.
41143
41144 @item O_RDWR
41145 The file is opened for reading and writing.
41146 @end table
41147
41148 @noindent
41149 Other bits are silently ignored.
41150
41151
41152 @noindent
41153 @var{mode} is the bitwise @code{OR} of the following values:
41154
41155 @table @code
41156 @item S_IRUSR
41157 User has read permission.
41158
41159 @item S_IWUSR
41160 User has write permission.
41161
41162 @item S_IRGRP
41163 Group has read permission.
41164
41165 @item S_IWGRP
41166 Group has write permission.
41167
41168 @item S_IROTH
41169 Others have read permission.
41170
41171 @item S_IWOTH
41172 Others have write permission.
41173 @end table
41174
41175 @noindent
41176 Other bits are silently ignored.
41177
41178
41179 @item Return value:
41180 @code{open} returns the new file descriptor or -1 if an error
41181 occurred.
41182
41183 @item Errors:
41184
41185 @table @code
41186 @item EEXIST
41187 @var{pathname} already exists and @code{O_CREAT} and @code{O_EXCL} were used.
41188
41189 @item EISDIR
41190 @var{pathname} refers to a directory.
41191
41192 @item EACCES
41193 The requested access is not allowed.
41194
41195 @item ENAMETOOLONG
41196 @var{pathname} was too long.
41197
41198 @item ENOENT
41199 A directory component in @var{pathname} does not exist.
41200
41201 @item ENODEV
41202 @var{pathname} refers to a device, pipe, named pipe or socket.
41203
41204 @item EROFS
41205 @var{pathname} refers to a file on a read-only filesystem and
41206 write access was requested.
41207
41208 @item EFAULT
41209 @var{pathname} is an invalid pointer value.
41210
41211 @item ENOSPC
41212 No space on device to create the file.
41213
41214 @item EMFILE
41215 The process already has the maximum number of files open.
41216
41217 @item ENFILE
41218 The limit on the total number of files open on the system
41219 has been reached.
41220
41221 @item EINTR
41222 The call was interrupted by the user.
41223 @end table
41224
41225 @end table
41226
41227 @node close
41228 @unnumberedsubsubsec close
41229 @cindex close, file-i/o system call
41230
41231 @table @asis
41232 @item Synopsis:
41233 @smallexample
41234 int close(int fd);
41235 @end smallexample
41236
41237 @item Request:
41238 @samp{Fclose,@var{fd}}
41239
41240 @item Return value:
41241 @code{close} returns zero on success, or -1 if an error occurred.
41242
41243 @item Errors:
41244
41245 @table @code
41246 @item EBADF
41247 @var{fd} isn't a valid open file descriptor.
41248
41249 @item EINTR
41250 The call was interrupted by the user.
41251 @end table
41252
41253 @end table
41254
41255 @node read
41256 @unnumberedsubsubsec read
41257 @cindex read, file-i/o system call
41258
41259 @table @asis
41260 @item Synopsis:
41261 @smallexample
41262 int read(int fd, void *buf, unsigned int count);
41263 @end smallexample
41264
41265 @item Request:
41266 @samp{Fread,@var{fd},@var{bufptr},@var{count}}
41267
41268 @item Return value:
41269 On success, the number of bytes read is returned.
41270 Zero indicates end of file. If count is zero, read
41271 returns zero as well. On error, -1 is returned.
41272
41273 @item Errors:
41274
41275 @table @code
41276 @item EBADF
41277 @var{fd} is not a valid file descriptor or is not open for
41278 reading.
41279
41280 @item EFAULT
41281 @var{bufptr} is an invalid pointer value.
41282
41283 @item EINTR
41284 The call was interrupted by the user.
41285 @end table
41286
41287 @end table
41288
41289 @node write
41290 @unnumberedsubsubsec write
41291 @cindex write, file-i/o system call
41292
41293 @table @asis
41294 @item Synopsis:
41295 @smallexample
41296 int write(int fd, const void *buf, unsigned int count);
41297 @end smallexample
41298
41299 @item Request:
41300 @samp{Fwrite,@var{fd},@var{bufptr},@var{count}}
41301
41302 @item Return value:
41303 On success, the number of bytes written are returned.
41304 Zero indicates nothing was written. On error, -1
41305 is returned.
41306
41307 @item Errors:
41308
41309 @table @code
41310 @item EBADF
41311 @var{fd} is not a valid file descriptor or is not open for
41312 writing.
41313
41314 @item EFAULT
41315 @var{bufptr} is an invalid pointer value.
41316
41317 @item EFBIG
41318 An attempt was made to write a file that exceeds the
41319 host-specific maximum file size allowed.
41320
41321 @item ENOSPC
41322 No space on device to write the data.
41323
41324 @item EINTR
41325 The call was interrupted by the user.
41326 @end table
41327
41328 @end table
41329
41330 @node lseek
41331 @unnumberedsubsubsec lseek
41332 @cindex lseek, file-i/o system call
41333
41334 @table @asis
41335 @item Synopsis:
41336 @smallexample
41337 long lseek (int fd, long offset, int flag);
41338 @end smallexample
41339
41340 @item Request:
41341 @samp{Flseek,@var{fd},@var{offset},@var{flag}}
41342
41343 @var{flag} is one of:
41344
41345 @table @code
41346 @item SEEK_SET
41347 The offset is set to @var{offset} bytes.
41348
41349 @item SEEK_CUR
41350 The offset is set to its current location plus @var{offset}
41351 bytes.
41352
41353 @item SEEK_END
41354 The offset is set to the size of the file plus @var{offset}
41355 bytes.
41356 @end table
41357
41358 @item Return value:
41359 On success, the resulting unsigned offset in bytes from
41360 the beginning of the file is returned. Otherwise, a
41361 value of -1 is returned.
41362
41363 @item Errors:
41364
41365 @table @code
41366 @item EBADF
41367 @var{fd} is not a valid open file descriptor.
41368
41369 @item ESPIPE
41370 @var{fd} is associated with the @value{GDBN} console.
41371
41372 @item EINVAL
41373 @var{flag} is not a proper value.
41374
41375 @item EINTR
41376 The call was interrupted by the user.
41377 @end table
41378
41379 @end table
41380
41381 @node rename
41382 @unnumberedsubsubsec rename
41383 @cindex rename, file-i/o system call
41384
41385 @table @asis
41386 @item Synopsis:
41387 @smallexample
41388 int rename(const char *oldpath, const char *newpath);
41389 @end smallexample
41390
41391 @item Request:
41392 @samp{Frename,@var{oldpathptr}/@var{len},@var{newpathptr}/@var{len}}
41393
41394 @item Return value:
41395 On success, zero is returned. On error, -1 is returned.
41396
41397 @item Errors:
41398
41399 @table @code
41400 @item EISDIR
41401 @var{newpath} is an existing directory, but @var{oldpath} is not a
41402 directory.
41403
41404 @item EEXIST
41405 @var{newpath} is a non-empty directory.
41406
41407 @item EBUSY
41408 @var{oldpath} or @var{newpath} is a directory that is in use by some
41409 process.
41410
41411 @item EINVAL
41412 An attempt was made to make a directory a subdirectory
41413 of itself.
41414
41415 @item ENOTDIR
41416 A component used as a directory in @var{oldpath} or new
41417 path is not a directory. Or @var{oldpath} is a directory
41418 and @var{newpath} exists but is not a directory.
41419
41420 @item EFAULT
41421 @var{oldpathptr} or @var{newpathptr} are invalid pointer values.
41422
41423 @item EACCES
41424 No access to the file or the path of the file.
41425
41426 @item ENAMETOOLONG
41427
41428 @var{oldpath} or @var{newpath} was too long.
41429
41430 @item ENOENT
41431 A directory component in @var{oldpath} or @var{newpath} does not exist.
41432
41433 @item EROFS
41434 The file is on a read-only filesystem.
41435
41436 @item ENOSPC
41437 The device containing the file has no room for the new
41438 directory entry.
41439
41440 @item EINTR
41441 The call was interrupted by the user.
41442 @end table
41443
41444 @end table
41445
41446 @node unlink
41447 @unnumberedsubsubsec unlink
41448 @cindex unlink, file-i/o system call
41449
41450 @table @asis
41451 @item Synopsis:
41452 @smallexample
41453 int unlink(const char *pathname);
41454 @end smallexample
41455
41456 @item Request:
41457 @samp{Funlink,@var{pathnameptr}/@var{len}}
41458
41459 @item Return value:
41460 On success, zero is returned. On error, -1 is returned.
41461
41462 @item Errors:
41463
41464 @table @code
41465 @item EACCES
41466 No access to the file or the path of the file.
41467
41468 @item EPERM
41469 The system does not allow unlinking of directories.
41470
41471 @item EBUSY
41472 The file @var{pathname} cannot be unlinked because it's
41473 being used by another process.
41474
41475 @item EFAULT
41476 @var{pathnameptr} is an invalid pointer value.
41477
41478 @item ENAMETOOLONG
41479 @var{pathname} was too long.
41480
41481 @item ENOENT
41482 A directory component in @var{pathname} does not exist.
41483
41484 @item ENOTDIR
41485 A component of the path is not a directory.
41486
41487 @item EROFS
41488 The file is on a read-only filesystem.
41489
41490 @item EINTR
41491 The call was interrupted by the user.
41492 @end table
41493
41494 @end table
41495
41496 @node stat/fstat
41497 @unnumberedsubsubsec stat/fstat
41498 @cindex fstat, file-i/o system call
41499 @cindex stat, file-i/o system call
41500
41501 @table @asis
41502 @item Synopsis:
41503 @smallexample
41504 int stat(const char *pathname, struct stat *buf);
41505 int fstat(int fd, struct stat *buf);
41506 @end smallexample
41507
41508 @item Request:
41509 @samp{Fstat,@var{pathnameptr}/@var{len},@var{bufptr}}@*
41510 @samp{Ffstat,@var{fd},@var{bufptr}}
41511
41512 @item Return value:
41513 On success, zero is returned. On error, -1 is returned.
41514
41515 @item Errors:
41516
41517 @table @code
41518 @item EBADF
41519 @var{fd} is not a valid open file.
41520
41521 @item ENOENT
41522 A directory component in @var{pathname} does not exist or the
41523 path is an empty string.
41524
41525 @item ENOTDIR
41526 A component of the path is not a directory.
41527
41528 @item EFAULT
41529 @var{pathnameptr} is an invalid pointer value.
41530
41531 @item EACCES
41532 No access to the file or the path of the file.
41533
41534 @item ENAMETOOLONG
41535 @var{pathname} was too long.
41536
41537 @item EINTR
41538 The call was interrupted by the user.
41539 @end table
41540
41541 @end table
41542
41543 @node gettimeofday
41544 @unnumberedsubsubsec gettimeofday
41545 @cindex gettimeofday, file-i/o system call
41546
41547 @table @asis
41548 @item Synopsis:
41549 @smallexample
41550 int gettimeofday(struct timeval *tv, void *tz);
41551 @end smallexample
41552
41553 @item Request:
41554 @samp{Fgettimeofday,@var{tvptr},@var{tzptr}}
41555
41556 @item Return value:
41557 On success, 0 is returned, -1 otherwise.
41558
41559 @item Errors:
41560
41561 @table @code
41562 @item EINVAL
41563 @var{tz} is a non-NULL pointer.
41564
41565 @item EFAULT
41566 @var{tvptr} and/or @var{tzptr} is an invalid pointer value.
41567 @end table
41568
41569 @end table
41570
41571 @node isatty
41572 @unnumberedsubsubsec isatty
41573 @cindex isatty, file-i/o system call
41574
41575 @table @asis
41576 @item Synopsis:
41577 @smallexample
41578 int isatty(int fd);
41579 @end smallexample
41580
41581 @item Request:
41582 @samp{Fisatty,@var{fd}}
41583
41584 @item Return value:
41585 Returns 1 if @var{fd} refers to the @value{GDBN} console, 0 otherwise.
41586
41587 @item Errors:
41588
41589 @table @code
41590 @item EINTR
41591 The call was interrupted by the user.
41592 @end table
41593
41594 @end table
41595
41596 Note that the @code{isatty} call is treated as a special case: it returns
41597 1 to the target if the file descriptor is attached
41598 to the @value{GDBN} console, 0 otherwise. Implementing through system calls
41599 would require implementing @code{ioctl} and would be more complex than
41600 needed.
41601
41602
41603 @node system
41604 @unnumberedsubsubsec system
41605 @cindex system, file-i/o system call
41606
41607 @table @asis
41608 @item Synopsis:
41609 @smallexample
41610 int system(const char *command);
41611 @end smallexample
41612
41613 @item Request:
41614 @samp{Fsystem,@var{commandptr}/@var{len}}
41615
41616 @item Return value:
41617 If @var{len} is zero, the return value indicates whether a shell is
41618 available. A zero return value indicates a shell is not available.
41619 For non-zero @var{len}, the value returned is -1 on error and the
41620 return status of the command otherwise. Only the exit status of the
41621 command is returned, which is extracted from the host's @code{system}
41622 return value by calling @code{WEXITSTATUS(retval)}. In case
41623 @file{/bin/sh} could not be executed, 127 is returned.
41624
41625 @item Errors:
41626
41627 @table @code
41628 @item EINTR
41629 The call was interrupted by the user.
41630 @end table
41631
41632 @end table
41633
41634 @value{GDBN} takes over the full task of calling the necessary host calls
41635 to perform the @code{system} call. The return value of @code{system} on
41636 the host is simplified before it's returned
41637 to the target. Any termination signal information from the child process
41638 is discarded, and the return value consists
41639 entirely of the exit status of the called command.
41640
41641 Due to security concerns, the @code{system} call is by default refused
41642 by @value{GDBN}. The user has to allow this call explicitly with the
41643 @code{set remote system-call-allowed 1} command.
41644
41645 @table @code
41646 @item set remote system-call-allowed
41647 @kindex set remote system-call-allowed
41648 Control whether to allow the @code{system} calls in the File I/O
41649 protocol for the remote target. The default is zero (disabled).
41650
41651 @item show remote system-call-allowed
41652 @kindex show remote system-call-allowed
41653 Show whether the @code{system} calls are allowed in the File I/O
41654 protocol.
41655 @end table
41656
41657 @node Protocol-specific Representation of Datatypes
41658 @subsection Protocol-specific Representation of Datatypes
41659 @cindex protocol-specific representation of datatypes, in file-i/o protocol
41660
41661 @menu
41662 * Integral Datatypes::
41663 * Pointer Values::
41664 * Memory Transfer::
41665 * struct stat::
41666 * struct timeval::
41667 @end menu
41668
41669 @node Integral Datatypes
41670 @unnumberedsubsubsec Integral Datatypes
41671 @cindex integral datatypes, in file-i/o protocol
41672
41673 The integral datatypes used in the system calls are @code{int},
41674 @code{unsigned int}, @code{long}, @code{unsigned long},
41675 @code{mode_t}, and @code{time_t}.
41676
41677 @code{int}, @code{unsigned int}, @code{mode_t} and @code{time_t} are
41678 implemented as 32 bit values in this protocol.
41679
41680 @code{long} and @code{unsigned long} are implemented as 64 bit types.
41681
41682 @xref{Limits}, for corresponding MIN and MAX values (similar to those
41683 in @file{limits.h}) to allow range checking on host and target.
41684
41685 @code{time_t} datatypes are defined as seconds since the Epoch.
41686
41687 All integral datatypes transferred as part of a memory read or write of a
41688 structured datatype e.g.@: a @code{struct stat} have to be given in big endian
41689 byte order.
41690
41691 @node Pointer Values
41692 @unnumberedsubsubsec Pointer Values
41693 @cindex pointer values, in file-i/o protocol
41694
41695 Pointers to target data are transmitted as they are. An exception
41696 is made for pointers to buffers for which the length isn't
41697 transmitted as part of the function call, namely strings. Strings
41698 are transmitted as a pointer/length pair, both as hex values, e.g.@:
41699
41700 @smallexample
41701 @code{1aaf/12}
41702 @end smallexample
41703
41704 @noindent
41705 which is a pointer to data of length 18 bytes at position 0x1aaf.
41706 The length is defined as the full string length in bytes, including
41707 the trailing null byte. For example, the string @code{"hello world"}
41708 at address 0x123456 is transmitted as
41709
41710 @smallexample
41711 @code{123456/d}
41712 @end smallexample
41713
41714 @node Memory Transfer
41715 @unnumberedsubsubsec Memory Transfer
41716 @cindex memory transfer, in file-i/o protocol
41717
41718 Structured data which is transferred using a memory read or write (for
41719 example, a @code{struct stat}) is expected to be in a protocol-specific format
41720 with all scalar multibyte datatypes being big endian. Translation to
41721 this representation needs to be done both by the target before the @code{F}
41722 packet is sent, and by @value{GDBN} before
41723 it transfers memory to the target. Transferred pointers to structured
41724 data should point to the already-coerced data at any time.
41725
41726
41727 @node struct stat
41728 @unnumberedsubsubsec struct stat
41729 @cindex struct stat, in file-i/o protocol
41730
41731 The buffer of type @code{struct stat} used by the target and @value{GDBN}
41732 is defined as follows:
41733
41734 @smallexample
41735 struct stat @{
41736 unsigned int st_dev; /* device */
41737 unsigned int st_ino; /* inode */
41738 mode_t st_mode; /* protection */
41739 unsigned int st_nlink; /* number of hard links */
41740 unsigned int st_uid; /* user ID of owner */
41741 unsigned int st_gid; /* group ID of owner */
41742 unsigned int st_rdev; /* device type (if inode device) */
41743 unsigned long st_size; /* total size, in bytes */
41744 unsigned long st_blksize; /* blocksize for filesystem I/O */
41745 unsigned long st_blocks; /* number of blocks allocated */
41746 time_t st_atime; /* time of last access */
41747 time_t st_mtime; /* time of last modification */
41748 time_t st_ctime; /* time of last change */
41749 @};
41750 @end smallexample
41751
41752 The integral datatypes conform to the definitions given in the
41753 appropriate section (see @ref{Integral Datatypes}, for details) so this
41754 structure is of size 64 bytes.
41755
41756 The values of several fields have a restricted meaning and/or
41757 range of values.
41758
41759 @table @code
41760
41761 @item st_dev
41762 A value of 0 represents a file, 1 the console.
41763
41764 @item st_ino
41765 No valid meaning for the target. Transmitted unchanged.
41766
41767 @item st_mode
41768 Valid mode bits are described in @ref{Constants}. Any other
41769 bits have currently no meaning for the target.
41770
41771 @item st_uid
41772 @itemx st_gid
41773 @itemx st_rdev
41774 No valid meaning for the target. Transmitted unchanged.
41775
41776 @item st_atime
41777 @itemx st_mtime
41778 @itemx st_ctime
41779 These values have a host and file system dependent
41780 accuracy. Especially on Windows hosts, the file system may not
41781 support exact timing values.
41782 @end table
41783
41784 The target gets a @code{struct stat} of the above representation and is
41785 responsible for coercing it to the target representation before
41786 continuing.
41787
41788 Note that due to size differences between the host, target, and protocol
41789 representations of @code{struct stat} members, these members could eventually
41790 get truncated on the target.
41791
41792 @node struct timeval
41793 @unnumberedsubsubsec struct timeval
41794 @cindex struct timeval, in file-i/o protocol
41795
41796 The buffer of type @code{struct timeval} used by the File-I/O protocol
41797 is defined as follows:
41798
41799 @smallexample
41800 struct timeval @{
41801 time_t tv_sec; /* second */
41802 long tv_usec; /* microsecond */
41803 @};
41804 @end smallexample
41805
41806 The integral datatypes conform to the definitions given in the
41807 appropriate section (see @ref{Integral Datatypes}, for details) so this
41808 structure is of size 8 bytes.
41809
41810 @node Constants
41811 @subsection Constants
41812 @cindex constants, in file-i/o protocol
41813
41814 The following values are used for the constants inside of the
41815 protocol. @value{GDBN} and target are responsible for translating these
41816 values before and after the call as needed.
41817
41818 @menu
41819 * Open Flags::
41820 * mode_t Values::
41821 * Errno Values::
41822 * Lseek Flags::
41823 * Limits::
41824 @end menu
41825
41826 @node Open Flags
41827 @unnumberedsubsubsec Open Flags
41828 @cindex open flags, in file-i/o protocol
41829
41830 All values are given in hexadecimal representation.
41831
41832 @smallexample
41833 O_RDONLY 0x0
41834 O_WRONLY 0x1
41835 O_RDWR 0x2
41836 O_APPEND 0x8
41837 O_CREAT 0x200
41838 O_TRUNC 0x400
41839 O_EXCL 0x800
41840 @end smallexample
41841
41842 @node mode_t Values
41843 @unnumberedsubsubsec mode_t Values
41844 @cindex mode_t values, in file-i/o protocol
41845
41846 All values are given in octal representation.
41847
41848 @smallexample
41849 S_IFREG 0100000
41850 S_IFDIR 040000
41851 S_IRUSR 0400
41852 S_IWUSR 0200
41853 S_IXUSR 0100
41854 S_IRGRP 040
41855 S_IWGRP 020
41856 S_IXGRP 010
41857 S_IROTH 04
41858 S_IWOTH 02
41859 S_IXOTH 01
41860 @end smallexample
41861
41862 @node Errno Values
41863 @unnumberedsubsubsec Errno Values
41864 @cindex errno values, in file-i/o protocol
41865
41866 All values are given in decimal representation.
41867
41868 @smallexample
41869 EPERM 1
41870 ENOENT 2
41871 EINTR 4
41872 EBADF 9
41873 EACCES 13
41874 EFAULT 14
41875 EBUSY 16
41876 EEXIST 17
41877 ENODEV 19
41878 ENOTDIR 20
41879 EISDIR 21
41880 EINVAL 22
41881 ENFILE 23
41882 EMFILE 24
41883 EFBIG 27
41884 ENOSPC 28
41885 ESPIPE 29
41886 EROFS 30
41887 ENAMETOOLONG 91
41888 EUNKNOWN 9999
41889 @end smallexample
41890
41891 @code{EUNKNOWN} is used as a fallback error value if a host system returns
41892 any error value not in the list of supported error numbers.
41893
41894 @node Lseek Flags
41895 @unnumberedsubsubsec Lseek Flags
41896 @cindex lseek flags, in file-i/o protocol
41897
41898 @smallexample
41899 SEEK_SET 0
41900 SEEK_CUR 1
41901 SEEK_END 2
41902 @end smallexample
41903
41904 @node Limits
41905 @unnumberedsubsubsec Limits
41906 @cindex limits, in file-i/o protocol
41907
41908 All values are given in decimal representation.
41909
41910 @smallexample
41911 INT_MIN -2147483648
41912 INT_MAX 2147483647
41913 UINT_MAX 4294967295
41914 LONG_MIN -9223372036854775808
41915 LONG_MAX 9223372036854775807
41916 ULONG_MAX 18446744073709551615
41917 @end smallexample
41918
41919 @node File-I/O Examples
41920 @subsection File-I/O Examples
41921 @cindex file-i/o examples
41922
41923 Example sequence of a write call, file descriptor 3, buffer is at target
41924 address 0x1234, 6 bytes should be written:
41925
41926 @smallexample
41927 <- @code{Fwrite,3,1234,6}
41928 @emph{request memory read from target}
41929 -> @code{m1234,6}
41930 <- XXXXXX
41931 @emph{return "6 bytes written"}
41932 -> @code{F6}
41933 @end smallexample
41934
41935 Example sequence of a read call, file descriptor 3, buffer is at target
41936 address 0x1234, 6 bytes should be read:
41937
41938 @smallexample
41939 <- @code{Fread,3,1234,6}
41940 @emph{request memory write to target}
41941 -> @code{X1234,6:XXXXXX}
41942 @emph{return "6 bytes read"}
41943 -> @code{F6}
41944 @end smallexample
41945
41946 Example sequence of a read call, call fails on the host due to invalid
41947 file descriptor (@code{EBADF}):
41948
41949 @smallexample
41950 <- @code{Fread,3,1234,6}
41951 -> @code{F-1,9}
41952 @end smallexample
41953
41954 Example sequence of a read call, user presses @kbd{Ctrl-c} before syscall on
41955 host is called:
41956
41957 @smallexample
41958 <- @code{Fread,3,1234,6}
41959 -> @code{F-1,4,C}
41960 <- @code{T02}
41961 @end smallexample
41962
41963 Example sequence of a read call, user presses @kbd{Ctrl-c} after syscall on
41964 host is called:
41965
41966 @smallexample
41967 <- @code{Fread,3,1234,6}
41968 -> @code{X1234,6:XXXXXX}
41969 <- @code{T02}
41970 @end smallexample
41971
41972 @node Library List Format
41973 @section Library List Format
41974 @cindex library list format, remote protocol
41975
41976 On some platforms, a dynamic loader (e.g.@: @file{ld.so}) runs in the
41977 same process as your application to manage libraries. In this case,
41978 @value{GDBN} can use the loader's symbol table and normal memory
41979 operations to maintain a list of shared libraries. On other
41980 platforms, the operating system manages loaded libraries.
41981 @value{GDBN} can not retrieve the list of currently loaded libraries
41982 through memory operations, so it uses the @samp{qXfer:libraries:read}
41983 packet (@pxref{qXfer library list read}) instead. The remote stub
41984 queries the target's operating system and reports which libraries
41985 are loaded.
41986
41987 The @samp{qXfer:libraries:read} packet returns an XML document which
41988 lists loaded libraries and their offsets. Each library has an
41989 associated name and one or more segment or section base addresses,
41990 which report where the library was loaded in memory.
41991
41992 For the common case of libraries that are fully linked binaries, the
41993 library should have a list of segments. If the target supports
41994 dynamic linking of a relocatable object file, its library XML element
41995 should instead include a list of allocated sections. The segment or
41996 section bases are start addresses, not relocation offsets; they do not
41997 depend on the library's link-time base addresses.
41998
41999 @value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support XML
42000 library lists. @xref{Expat}.
42001
42002 A simple memory map, with one loaded library relocated by a single
42003 offset, looks like this:
42004
42005 @smallexample
42006 <library-list>
42007 <library name="/lib/libc.so.6">
42008 <segment address="0x10000000"/>
42009 </library>
42010 </library-list>
42011 @end smallexample
42012
42013 Another simple memory map, with one loaded library with three
42014 allocated sections (.text, .data, .bss), looks like this:
42015
42016 @smallexample
42017 <library-list>
42018 <library name="sharedlib.o">
42019 <section address="0x10000000"/>
42020 <section address="0x20000000"/>
42021 <section address="0x30000000"/>
42022 </library>
42023 </library-list>
42024 @end smallexample
42025
42026 The format of a library list is described by this DTD:
42027
42028 @smallexample
42029 <!-- library-list: Root element with versioning -->
42030 <!ELEMENT library-list (library)*>
42031 <!ATTLIST library-list version CDATA #FIXED "1.0">
42032 <!ELEMENT library (segment*, section*)>
42033 <!ATTLIST library name CDATA #REQUIRED>
42034 <!ELEMENT segment EMPTY>
42035 <!ATTLIST segment address CDATA #REQUIRED>
42036 <!ELEMENT section EMPTY>
42037 <!ATTLIST section address CDATA #REQUIRED>
42038 @end smallexample
42039
42040 In addition, segments and section descriptors cannot be mixed within a
42041 single library element, and you must supply at least one segment or
42042 section for each library.
42043
42044 @node Library List Format for SVR4 Targets
42045 @section Library List Format for SVR4 Targets
42046 @cindex library list format, remote protocol
42047
42048 On SVR4 platforms @value{GDBN} can use the symbol table of a dynamic loader
42049 (e.g.@: @file{ld.so}) and normal memory operations to maintain a list of
42050 shared libraries. Still a special library list provided by this packet is
42051 more efficient for the @value{GDBN} remote protocol.
42052
42053 The @samp{qXfer:libraries-svr4:read} packet returns an XML document which lists
42054 loaded libraries and their SVR4 linker parameters. For each library on SVR4
42055 target, the following parameters are reported:
42056
42057 @itemize @minus
42058 @item
42059 @code{name}, the absolute file name from the @code{l_name} field of
42060 @code{struct link_map}.
42061 @item
42062 @code{lm} with address of @code{struct link_map} used for TLS
42063 (Thread Local Storage) access.
42064 @item
42065 @code{l_addr}, the displacement as read from the field @code{l_addr} of
42066 @code{struct link_map}. For prelinked libraries this is not an absolute
42067 memory address. It is a displacement of absolute memory address against
42068 address the file was prelinked to during the library load.
42069 @item
42070 @code{l_ld}, which is memory address of the @code{PT_DYNAMIC} segment
42071 @end itemize
42072
42073 Additionally the single @code{main-lm} attribute specifies address of
42074 @code{struct link_map} used for the main executable. This parameter is used
42075 for TLS access and its presence is optional.
42076
42077 @value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support XML
42078 SVR4 library lists. @xref{Expat}.
42079
42080 A simple memory map, with two loaded libraries (which do not use prelink),
42081 looks like this:
42082
42083 @smallexample
42084 <library-list-svr4 version="1.0" main-lm="0xe4f8f8">
42085 <library name="/lib/ld-linux.so.2" lm="0xe4f51c" l_addr="0xe2d000"
42086 l_ld="0xe4eefc"/>
42087 <library name="/lib/libc.so.6" lm="0xe4fbe8" l_addr="0x154000"
42088 l_ld="0x152350"/>
42089 </library-list-svr>
42090 @end smallexample
42091
42092 The format of an SVR4 library list is described by this DTD:
42093
42094 @smallexample
42095 <!-- library-list-svr4: Root element with versioning -->
42096 <!ELEMENT library-list-svr4 (library)*>
42097 <!ATTLIST library-list-svr4 version CDATA #FIXED "1.0">
42098 <!ATTLIST library-list-svr4 main-lm CDATA #IMPLIED>
42099 <!ELEMENT library EMPTY>
42100 <!ATTLIST library name CDATA #REQUIRED>
42101 <!ATTLIST library lm CDATA #REQUIRED>
42102 <!ATTLIST library l_addr CDATA #REQUIRED>
42103 <!ATTLIST library l_ld CDATA #REQUIRED>
42104 @end smallexample
42105
42106 @node Memory Map Format
42107 @section Memory Map Format
42108 @cindex memory map format
42109
42110 To be able to write into flash memory, @value{GDBN} needs to obtain a
42111 memory map from the target. This section describes the format of the
42112 memory map.
42113
42114 The memory map is obtained using the @samp{qXfer:memory-map:read}
42115 (@pxref{qXfer memory map read}) packet and is an XML document that
42116 lists memory regions.
42117
42118 @value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support XML
42119 memory maps. @xref{Expat}.
42120
42121 The top-level structure of the document is shown below:
42122
42123 @smallexample
42124 <?xml version="1.0"?>
42125 <!DOCTYPE memory-map
42126 PUBLIC "+//IDN gnu.org//DTD GDB Memory Map V1.0//EN"
42127 "http://sourceware.org/gdb/gdb-memory-map.dtd">
42128 <memory-map>
42129 region...
42130 </memory-map>
42131 @end smallexample
42132
42133 Each region can be either:
42134
42135 @itemize
42136
42137 @item
42138 A region of RAM starting at @var{addr} and extending for @var{length}
42139 bytes from there:
42140
42141 @smallexample
42142 <memory type="ram" start="@var{addr}" length="@var{length}"/>
42143 @end smallexample
42144
42145
42146 @item
42147 A region of read-only memory:
42148
42149 @smallexample
42150 <memory type="rom" start="@var{addr}" length="@var{length}"/>
42151 @end smallexample
42152
42153
42154 @item
42155 A region of flash memory, with erasure blocks @var{blocksize}
42156 bytes in length:
42157
42158 @smallexample
42159 <memory type="flash" start="@var{addr}" length="@var{length}">
42160 <property name="blocksize">@var{blocksize}</property>
42161 </memory>
42162 @end smallexample
42163
42164 @end itemize
42165
42166 Regions must not overlap. @value{GDBN} assumes that areas of memory not covered
42167 by the memory map are RAM, and uses the ordinary @samp{M} and @samp{X}
42168 packets to write to addresses in such ranges.
42169
42170 The formal DTD for memory map format is given below:
42171
42172 @smallexample
42173 <!-- ................................................... -->
42174 <!-- Memory Map XML DTD ................................ -->
42175 <!-- File: memory-map.dtd .............................. -->
42176 <!-- .................................... .............. -->
42177 <!-- memory-map.dtd -->
42178 <!-- memory-map: Root element with versioning -->
42179 <!ELEMENT memory-map (memory | property)>
42180 <!ATTLIST memory-map version CDATA #FIXED "1.0.0">
42181 <!ELEMENT memory (property)>
42182 <!-- memory: Specifies a memory region,
42183 and its type, or device. -->
42184 <!ATTLIST memory type CDATA #REQUIRED
42185 start CDATA #REQUIRED
42186 length CDATA #REQUIRED
42187 device CDATA #IMPLIED>
42188 <!-- property: Generic attribute tag -->
42189 <!ELEMENT property (#PCDATA | property)*>
42190 <!ATTLIST property name CDATA #REQUIRED>
42191 @end smallexample
42192
42193 @node Thread List Format
42194 @section Thread List Format
42195 @cindex thread list format
42196
42197 To efficiently update the list of threads and their attributes,
42198 @value{GDBN} issues the @samp{qXfer:threads:read} packet
42199 (@pxref{qXfer threads read}) and obtains the XML document with
42200 the following structure:
42201
42202 @smallexample
42203 <?xml version="1.0"?>
42204 <threads>
42205 <thread id="id" core="0">
42206 ... description ...
42207 </thread>
42208 </threads>
42209 @end smallexample
42210
42211 Each @samp{thread} element must have the @samp{id} attribute that
42212 identifies the thread (@pxref{thread-id syntax}). The
42213 @samp{core} attribute, if present, specifies which processor core
42214 the thread was last executing on. The content of the of @samp{thread}
42215 element is interpreted as human-readable auxilliary information.
42216
42217 @node Traceframe Info Format
42218 @section Traceframe Info Format
42219 @cindex traceframe info format
42220
42221 To be able to know which objects in the inferior can be examined when
42222 inspecting a tracepoint hit, @value{GDBN} needs to obtain the list of
42223 memory ranges, registers and trace state variables that have been
42224 collected in a traceframe.
42225
42226 This list is obtained using the @samp{qXfer:traceframe-info:read}
42227 (@pxref{qXfer traceframe info read}) packet and is an XML document.
42228
42229 @value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support XML
42230 traceframe info discovery. @xref{Expat}.
42231
42232 The top-level structure of the document is shown below:
42233
42234 @smallexample
42235 <?xml version="1.0"?>
42236 <!DOCTYPE traceframe-info
42237 PUBLIC "+//IDN gnu.org//DTD GDB Memory Map V1.0//EN"
42238 "http://sourceware.org/gdb/gdb-traceframe-info.dtd">
42239 <traceframe-info>
42240 block...
42241 </traceframe-info>
42242 @end smallexample
42243
42244 Each traceframe block can be either:
42245
42246 @itemize
42247
42248 @item
42249 A region of collected memory starting at @var{addr} and extending for
42250 @var{length} bytes from there:
42251
42252 @smallexample
42253 <memory start="@var{addr}" length="@var{length}"/>
42254 @end smallexample
42255
42256 @item
42257 A block indicating trace state variable numbered @var{number} has been
42258 collected:
42259
42260 @smallexample
42261 <tvar id="@var{number}"/>
42262 @end smallexample
42263
42264 @end itemize
42265
42266 The formal DTD for the traceframe info format is given below:
42267
42268 @smallexample
42269 <!ELEMENT traceframe-info (memory | tvar)* >
42270 <!ATTLIST traceframe-info version CDATA #FIXED "1.0">
42271
42272 <!ELEMENT memory EMPTY>
42273 <!ATTLIST memory start CDATA #REQUIRED
42274 length CDATA #REQUIRED>
42275 <!ELEMENT tvar>
42276 <!ATTLIST tvar id CDATA #REQUIRED>
42277 @end smallexample
42278
42279 @node Branch Trace Format
42280 @section Branch Trace Format
42281 @cindex branch trace format
42282
42283 In order to display the branch trace of an inferior thread,
42284 @value{GDBN} needs to obtain the list of branches. This list is
42285 represented as list of sequential code blocks that are connected via
42286 branches. The code in each block has been executed sequentially.
42287
42288 This list is obtained using the @samp{qXfer:btrace:read}
42289 (@pxref{qXfer btrace read}) packet and is an XML document.
42290
42291 @value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support XML
42292 traceframe info discovery. @xref{Expat}.
42293
42294 The top-level structure of the document is shown below:
42295
42296 @smallexample
42297 <?xml version="1.0"?>
42298 <!DOCTYPE btrace
42299 PUBLIC "+//IDN gnu.org//DTD GDB Branch Trace V1.0//EN"
42300 "http://sourceware.org/gdb/gdb-btrace.dtd">
42301 <btrace>
42302 block...
42303 </btrace>
42304 @end smallexample
42305
42306 @itemize
42307
42308 @item
42309 A block of sequentially executed instructions starting at @var{begin}
42310 and ending at @var{end}:
42311
42312 @smallexample
42313 <block begin="@var{begin}" end="@var{end}"/>
42314 @end smallexample
42315
42316 @end itemize
42317
42318 The formal DTD for the branch trace format is given below:
42319
42320 @smallexample
42321 <!ELEMENT btrace (block)* >
42322 <!ATTLIST btrace version CDATA #FIXED "1.0">
42323
42324 <!ELEMENT block EMPTY>
42325 <!ATTLIST block begin CDATA #REQUIRED
42326 end CDATA #REQUIRED>
42327 @end smallexample
42328
42329 @include agentexpr.texi
42330
42331 @node Target Descriptions
42332 @appendix Target Descriptions
42333 @cindex target descriptions
42334
42335 One of the challenges of using @value{GDBN} to debug embedded systems
42336 is that there are so many minor variants of each processor
42337 architecture in use. It is common practice for vendors to start with
42338 a standard processor core --- ARM, PowerPC, or @acronym{MIPS}, for example ---
42339 and then make changes to adapt it to a particular market niche. Some
42340 architectures have hundreds of variants, available from dozens of
42341 vendors. This leads to a number of problems:
42342
42343 @itemize @bullet
42344 @item
42345 With so many different customized processors, it is difficult for
42346 the @value{GDBN} maintainers to keep up with the changes.
42347 @item
42348 Since individual variants may have short lifetimes or limited
42349 audiences, it may not be worthwhile to carry information about every
42350 variant in the @value{GDBN} source tree.
42351 @item
42352 When @value{GDBN} does support the architecture of the embedded system
42353 at hand, the task of finding the correct architecture name to give the
42354 @command{set architecture} command can be error-prone.
42355 @end itemize
42356
42357 To address these problems, the @value{GDBN} remote protocol allows a
42358 target system to not only identify itself to @value{GDBN}, but to
42359 actually describe its own features. This lets @value{GDBN} support
42360 processor variants it has never seen before --- to the extent that the
42361 descriptions are accurate, and that @value{GDBN} understands them.
42362
42363 @value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support XML
42364 target descriptions. @xref{Expat}.
42365
42366 @menu
42367 * Retrieving Descriptions:: How descriptions are fetched from a target.
42368 * Target Description Format:: The contents of a target description.
42369 * Predefined Target Types:: Standard types available for target
42370 descriptions.
42371 * Standard Target Features:: Features @value{GDBN} knows about.
42372 @end menu
42373
42374 @node Retrieving Descriptions
42375 @section Retrieving Descriptions
42376
42377 Target descriptions can be read from the target automatically, or
42378 specified by the user manually. The default behavior is to read the
42379 description from the target. @value{GDBN} retrieves it via the remote
42380 protocol using @samp{qXfer} requests (@pxref{General Query Packets,
42381 qXfer}). The @var{annex} in the @samp{qXfer} packet will be
42382 @samp{target.xml}. The contents of the @samp{target.xml} annex are an
42383 XML document, of the form described in @ref{Target Description
42384 Format}.
42385
42386 Alternatively, you can specify a file to read for the target description.
42387 If a file is set, the target will not be queried. The commands to
42388 specify a file are:
42389
42390 @table @code
42391 @cindex set tdesc filename
42392 @item set tdesc filename @var{path}
42393 Read the target description from @var{path}.
42394
42395 @cindex unset tdesc filename
42396 @item unset tdesc filename
42397 Do not read the XML target description from a file. @value{GDBN}
42398 will use the description supplied by the current target.
42399
42400 @cindex show tdesc filename
42401 @item show tdesc filename
42402 Show the filename to read for a target description, if any.
42403 @end table
42404
42405
42406 @node Target Description Format
42407 @section Target Description Format
42408 @cindex target descriptions, XML format
42409
42410 A target description annex is an @uref{http://www.w3.org/XML/, XML}
42411 document which complies with the Document Type Definition provided in
42412 the @value{GDBN} sources in @file{gdb/features/gdb-target.dtd}. This
42413 means you can use generally available tools like @command{xmllint} to
42414 check that your feature descriptions are well-formed and valid.
42415 However, to help people unfamiliar with XML write descriptions for
42416 their targets, we also describe the grammar here.
42417
42418 Target descriptions can identify the architecture of the remote target
42419 and (for some architectures) provide information about custom register
42420 sets. They can also identify the OS ABI of the remote target.
42421 @value{GDBN} can use this information to autoconfigure for your
42422 target, or to warn you if you connect to an unsupported target.
42423
42424 Here is a simple target description:
42425
42426 @smallexample
42427 <target version="1.0">
42428 <architecture>i386:x86-64</architecture>
42429 </target>
42430 @end smallexample
42431
42432 @noindent
42433 This minimal description only says that the target uses
42434 the x86-64 architecture.
42435
42436 A target description has the following overall form, with [ ] marking
42437 optional elements and @dots{} marking repeatable elements. The elements
42438 are explained further below.
42439
42440 @smallexample
42441 <?xml version="1.0"?>
42442 <!DOCTYPE target SYSTEM "gdb-target.dtd">
42443 <target version="1.0">
42444 @r{[}@var{architecture}@r{]}
42445 @r{[}@var{osabi}@r{]}
42446 @r{[}@var{compatible}@r{]}
42447 @r{[}@var{feature}@dots{}@r{]}
42448 </target>
42449 @end smallexample
42450
42451 @noindent
42452 The description is generally insensitive to whitespace and line
42453 breaks, under the usual common-sense rules. The XML version
42454 declaration and document type declaration can generally be omitted
42455 (@value{GDBN} does not require them), but specifying them may be
42456 useful for XML validation tools. The @samp{version} attribute for
42457 @samp{<target>} may also be omitted, but we recommend
42458 including it; if future versions of @value{GDBN} use an incompatible
42459 revision of @file{gdb-target.dtd}, they will detect and report
42460 the version mismatch.
42461
42462 @subsection Inclusion
42463 @cindex target descriptions, inclusion
42464 @cindex XInclude
42465 @ifnotinfo
42466 @cindex <xi:include>
42467 @end ifnotinfo
42468
42469 It can sometimes be valuable to split a target description up into
42470 several different annexes, either for organizational purposes, or to
42471 share files between different possible target descriptions. You can
42472 divide a description into multiple files by replacing any element of
42473 the target description with an inclusion directive of the form:
42474
42475 @smallexample
42476 <xi:include href="@var{document}"/>
42477 @end smallexample
42478
42479 @noindent
42480 When @value{GDBN} encounters an element of this form, it will retrieve
42481 the named XML @var{document}, and replace the inclusion directive with
42482 the contents of that document. If the current description was read
42483 using @samp{qXfer}, then so will be the included document;
42484 @var{document} will be interpreted as the name of an annex. If the
42485 current description was read from a file, @value{GDBN} will look for
42486 @var{document} as a file in the same directory where it found the
42487 original description.
42488
42489 @subsection Architecture
42490 @cindex <architecture>
42491
42492 An @samp{<architecture>} element has this form:
42493
42494 @smallexample
42495 <architecture>@var{arch}</architecture>
42496 @end smallexample
42497
42498 @var{arch} is one of the architectures from the set accepted by
42499 @code{set architecture} (@pxref{Targets, ,Specifying a Debugging Target}).
42500
42501 @subsection OS ABI
42502 @cindex @code{<osabi>}
42503
42504 This optional field was introduced in @value{GDBN} version 7.0.
42505 Previous versions of @value{GDBN} ignore it.
42506
42507 An @samp{<osabi>} element has this form:
42508
42509 @smallexample
42510 <osabi>@var{abi-name}</osabi>
42511 @end smallexample
42512
42513 @var{abi-name} is an OS ABI name from the same selection accepted by
42514 @w{@code{set osabi}} (@pxref{ABI, ,Configuring the Current ABI}).
42515
42516 @subsection Compatible Architecture
42517 @cindex @code{<compatible>}
42518
42519 This optional field was introduced in @value{GDBN} version 7.0.
42520 Previous versions of @value{GDBN} ignore it.
42521
42522 A @samp{<compatible>} element has this form:
42523
42524 @smallexample
42525 <compatible>@var{arch}</compatible>
42526 @end smallexample
42527
42528 @var{arch} is one of the architectures from the set accepted by
42529 @code{set architecture} (@pxref{Targets, ,Specifying a Debugging Target}).
42530
42531 A @samp{<compatible>} element is used to specify that the target
42532 is able to run binaries in some other than the main target architecture
42533 given by the @samp{<architecture>} element. For example, on the
42534 Cell Broadband Engine, the main architecture is @code{powerpc:common}
42535 or @code{powerpc:common64}, but the system is able to run binaries
42536 in the @code{spu} architecture as well. The way to describe this
42537 capability with @samp{<compatible>} is as follows:
42538
42539 @smallexample
42540 <architecture>powerpc:common</architecture>
42541 <compatible>spu</compatible>
42542 @end smallexample
42543
42544 @subsection Features
42545 @cindex <feature>
42546
42547 Each @samp{<feature>} describes some logical portion of the target
42548 system. Features are currently used to describe available CPU
42549 registers and the types of their contents. A @samp{<feature>} element
42550 has this form:
42551
42552 @smallexample
42553 <feature name="@var{name}">
42554 @r{[}@var{type}@dots{}@r{]}
42555 @var{reg}@dots{}
42556 </feature>
42557 @end smallexample
42558
42559 @noindent
42560 Each feature's name should be unique within the description. The name
42561 of a feature does not matter unless @value{GDBN} has some special
42562 knowledge of the contents of that feature; if it does, the feature
42563 should have its standard name. @xref{Standard Target Features}.
42564
42565 @subsection Types
42566
42567 Any register's value is a collection of bits which @value{GDBN} must
42568 interpret. The default interpretation is a two's complement integer,
42569 but other types can be requested by name in the register description.
42570 Some predefined types are provided by @value{GDBN} (@pxref{Predefined
42571 Target Types}), and the description can define additional composite types.
42572
42573 Each type element must have an @samp{id} attribute, which gives
42574 a unique (within the containing @samp{<feature>}) name to the type.
42575 Types must be defined before they are used.
42576
42577 @cindex <vector>
42578 Some targets offer vector registers, which can be treated as arrays
42579 of scalar elements. These types are written as @samp{<vector>} elements,
42580 specifying the array element type, @var{type}, and the number of elements,
42581 @var{count}:
42582
42583 @smallexample
42584 <vector id="@var{id}" type="@var{type}" count="@var{count}"/>
42585 @end smallexample
42586
42587 @cindex <union>
42588 If a register's value is usefully viewed in multiple ways, define it
42589 with a union type containing the useful representations. The
42590 @samp{<union>} element contains one or more @samp{<field>} elements,
42591 each of which has a @var{name} and a @var{type}:
42592
42593 @smallexample
42594 <union id="@var{id}">
42595 <field name="@var{name}" type="@var{type}"/>
42596 @dots{}
42597 </union>
42598 @end smallexample
42599
42600 @cindex <struct>
42601 If a register's value is composed from several separate values, define
42602 it with a structure type. There are two forms of the @samp{<struct>}
42603 element; a @samp{<struct>} element must either contain only bitfields
42604 or contain no bitfields. If the structure contains only bitfields,
42605 its total size in bytes must be specified, each bitfield must have an
42606 explicit start and end, and bitfields are automatically assigned an
42607 integer type. The field's @var{start} should be less than or
42608 equal to its @var{end}, and zero represents the least significant bit.
42609
42610 @smallexample
42611 <struct id="@var{id}" size="@var{size}">
42612 <field name="@var{name}" start="@var{start}" end="@var{end}"/>
42613 @dots{}
42614 </struct>
42615 @end smallexample
42616
42617 If the structure contains no bitfields, then each field has an
42618 explicit type, and no implicit padding is added.
42619
42620 @smallexample
42621 <struct id="@var{id}">
42622 <field name="@var{name}" type="@var{type}"/>
42623 @dots{}
42624 </struct>
42625 @end smallexample
42626
42627 @cindex <flags>
42628 If a register's value is a series of single-bit flags, define it with
42629 a flags type. The @samp{<flags>} element has an explicit @var{size}
42630 and contains one or more @samp{<field>} elements. Each field has a
42631 @var{name}, a @var{start}, and an @var{end}. Only single-bit flags
42632 are supported.
42633
42634 @smallexample
42635 <flags id="@var{id}" size="@var{size}">
42636 <field name="@var{name}" start="@var{start}" end="@var{end}"/>
42637 @dots{}
42638 </flags>
42639 @end smallexample
42640
42641 @subsection Registers
42642 @cindex <reg>
42643
42644 Each register is represented as an element with this form:
42645
42646 @smallexample
42647 <reg name="@var{name}"
42648 bitsize="@var{size}"
42649 @r{[}regnum="@var{num}"@r{]}
42650 @r{[}save-restore="@var{save-restore}"@r{]}
42651 @r{[}type="@var{type}"@r{]}
42652 @r{[}group="@var{group}"@r{]}/>
42653 @end smallexample
42654
42655 @noindent
42656 The components are as follows:
42657
42658 @table @var
42659
42660 @item name
42661 The register's name; it must be unique within the target description.
42662
42663 @item bitsize
42664 The register's size, in bits.
42665
42666 @item regnum
42667 The register's number. If omitted, a register's number is one greater
42668 than that of the previous register (either in the current feature or in
42669 a preceding feature); the first register in the target description
42670 defaults to zero. This register number is used to read or write
42671 the register; e.g.@: it is used in the remote @code{p} and @code{P}
42672 packets, and registers appear in the @code{g} and @code{G} packets
42673 in order of increasing register number.
42674
42675 @item save-restore
42676 Whether the register should be preserved across inferior function
42677 calls; this must be either @code{yes} or @code{no}. The default is
42678 @code{yes}, which is appropriate for most registers except for
42679 some system control registers; this is not related to the target's
42680 ABI.
42681
42682 @item type
42683 The type of the register. @var{type} may be a predefined type, a type
42684 defined in the current feature, or one of the special types @code{int}
42685 and @code{float}. @code{int} is an integer type of the correct size
42686 for @var{bitsize}, and @code{float} is a floating point type (in the
42687 architecture's normal floating point format) of the correct size for
42688 @var{bitsize}. The default is @code{int}.
42689
42690 @item group
42691 The register group to which this register belongs. @var{group} must
42692 be either @code{general}, @code{float}, or @code{vector}. If no
42693 @var{group} is specified, @value{GDBN} will not display the register
42694 in @code{info registers}.
42695
42696 @end table
42697
42698 @node Predefined Target Types
42699 @section Predefined Target Types
42700 @cindex target descriptions, predefined types
42701
42702 Type definitions in the self-description can build up composite types
42703 from basic building blocks, but can not define fundamental types. Instead,
42704 standard identifiers are provided by @value{GDBN} for the fundamental
42705 types. The currently supported types are:
42706
42707 @table @code
42708
42709 @item int8
42710 @itemx int16
42711 @itemx int32
42712 @itemx int64
42713 @itemx int128
42714 Signed integer types holding the specified number of bits.
42715
42716 @item uint8
42717 @itemx uint16
42718 @itemx uint32
42719 @itemx uint64
42720 @itemx uint128
42721 Unsigned integer types holding the specified number of bits.
42722
42723 @item code_ptr
42724 @itemx data_ptr
42725 Pointers to unspecified code and data. The program counter and
42726 any dedicated return address register may be marked as code
42727 pointers; printing a code pointer converts it into a symbolic
42728 address. The stack pointer and any dedicated address registers
42729 may be marked as data pointers.
42730
42731 @item ieee_single
42732 Single precision IEEE floating point.
42733
42734 @item ieee_double
42735 Double precision IEEE floating point.
42736
42737 @item arm_fpa_ext
42738 The 12-byte extended precision format used by ARM FPA registers.
42739
42740 @item i387_ext
42741 The 10-byte extended precision format used by x87 registers.
42742
42743 @item i386_eflags
42744 32bit @sc{eflags} register used by x86.
42745
42746 @item i386_mxcsr
42747 32bit @sc{mxcsr} register used by x86.
42748
42749 @end table
42750
42751 @node Standard Target Features
42752 @section Standard Target Features
42753 @cindex target descriptions, standard features
42754
42755 A target description must contain either no registers or all the
42756 target's registers. If the description contains no registers, then
42757 @value{GDBN} will assume a default register layout, selected based on
42758 the architecture. If the description contains any registers, the
42759 default layout will not be used; the standard registers must be
42760 described in the target description, in such a way that @value{GDBN}
42761 can recognize them.
42762
42763 This is accomplished by giving specific names to feature elements
42764 which contain standard registers. @value{GDBN} will look for features
42765 with those names and verify that they contain the expected registers;
42766 if any known feature is missing required registers, or if any required
42767 feature is missing, @value{GDBN} will reject the target
42768 description. You can add additional registers to any of the
42769 standard features --- @value{GDBN} will display them just as if
42770 they were added to an unrecognized feature.
42771
42772 This section lists the known features and their expected contents.
42773 Sample XML documents for these features are included in the
42774 @value{GDBN} source tree, in the directory @file{gdb/features}.
42775
42776 Names recognized by @value{GDBN} should include the name of the
42777 company or organization which selected the name, and the overall
42778 architecture to which the feature applies; so e.g.@: the feature
42779 containing ARM core registers is named @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.core}.
42780
42781 The names of registers are not case sensitive for the purpose
42782 of recognizing standard features, but @value{GDBN} will only display
42783 registers using the capitalization used in the description.
42784
42785 @menu
42786 * AArch64 Features::
42787 * ARM Features::
42788 * i386 Features::
42789 * MIPS Features::
42790 * M68K Features::
42791 * Nios II Features::
42792 * PowerPC Features::
42793 * S/390 and System z Features::
42794 * TIC6x Features::
42795 @end menu
42796
42797
42798 @node AArch64 Features
42799 @subsection AArch64 Features
42800 @cindex target descriptions, AArch64 features
42801
42802 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.aarch64.core} feature is required for AArch64
42803 targets. It should contain registers @samp{x0} through @samp{x30},
42804 @samp{sp}, @samp{pc}, and @samp{cpsr}.
42805
42806 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.aarch64.fpu} feature is optional. If present,
42807 it should contain registers @samp{v0} through @samp{v31}, @samp{fpsr},
42808 and @samp{fpcr}.
42809
42810 @node ARM Features
42811 @subsection ARM Features
42812 @cindex target descriptions, ARM features
42813
42814 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.core} feature is required for non-M-profile
42815 ARM targets.
42816 It should contain registers @samp{r0} through @samp{r13}, @samp{sp},
42817 @samp{lr}, @samp{pc}, and @samp{cpsr}.
42818
42819 For M-profile targets (e.g. Cortex-M3), the @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.core}
42820 feature is replaced by @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.m-profile}. It should contain
42821 registers @samp{r0} through @samp{r13}, @samp{sp}, @samp{lr}, @samp{pc},
42822 and @samp{xpsr}.
42823
42824 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.fpa} feature is optional. If present, it
42825 should contain registers @samp{f0} through @samp{f7} and @samp{fps}.
42826
42827 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.xscale.iwmmxt} feature is optional. If present,
42828 it should contain at least registers @samp{wR0} through @samp{wR15} and
42829 @samp{wCGR0} through @samp{wCGR3}. The @samp{wCID}, @samp{wCon},
42830 @samp{wCSSF}, and @samp{wCASF} registers are optional.
42831
42832 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.vfp} feature is optional. If present, it
42833 should contain at least registers @samp{d0} through @samp{d15}. If
42834 they are present, @samp{d16} through @samp{d31} should also be included.
42835 @value{GDBN} will synthesize the single-precision registers from
42836 halves of the double-precision registers.
42837
42838 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.neon} feature is optional. It does not
42839 need to contain registers; it instructs @value{GDBN} to display the
42840 VFP double-precision registers as vectors and to synthesize the
42841 quad-precision registers from pairs of double-precision registers.
42842 If this feature is present, @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.vfp} must also
42843 be present and include 32 double-precision registers.
42844
42845 @node i386 Features
42846 @subsection i386 Features
42847 @cindex target descriptions, i386 features
42848
42849 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.i386.core} feature is required for i386/amd64
42850 targets. It should describe the following registers:
42851
42852 @itemize @minus
42853 @item
42854 @samp{eax} through @samp{edi} plus @samp{eip} for i386
42855 @item
42856 @samp{rax} through @samp{r15} plus @samp{rip} for amd64
42857 @item
42858 @samp{eflags}, @samp{cs}, @samp{ss}, @samp{ds}, @samp{es},
42859 @samp{fs}, @samp{gs}
42860 @item
42861 @samp{st0} through @samp{st7}
42862 @item
42863 @samp{fctrl}, @samp{fstat}, @samp{ftag}, @samp{fiseg}, @samp{fioff},
42864 @samp{foseg}, @samp{fooff} and @samp{fop}
42865 @end itemize
42866
42867 The register sets may be different, depending on the target.
42868
42869 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.i386.sse} feature is optional. It should
42870 describe registers:
42871
42872 @itemize @minus
42873 @item
42874 @samp{xmm0} through @samp{xmm7} for i386
42875 @item
42876 @samp{xmm0} through @samp{xmm15} for amd64
42877 @item
42878 @samp{mxcsr}
42879 @end itemize
42880
42881 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.i386.avx} feature is optional and requires the
42882 @samp{org.gnu.gdb.i386.sse} feature. It should
42883 describe the upper 128 bits of @sc{ymm} registers:
42884
42885 @itemize @minus
42886 @item
42887 @samp{ymm0h} through @samp{ymm7h} for i386
42888 @item
42889 @samp{ymm0h} through @samp{ymm15h} for amd64
42890 @end itemize
42891
42892 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.i386.linux} feature is optional. It should
42893 describe a single register, @samp{orig_eax}.
42894
42895 @node MIPS Features
42896 @subsection @acronym{MIPS} Features
42897 @cindex target descriptions, @acronym{MIPS} features
42898
42899 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.mips.cpu} feature is required for @acronym{MIPS} targets.
42900 It should contain registers @samp{r0} through @samp{r31}, @samp{lo},
42901 @samp{hi}, and @samp{pc}. They may be 32-bit or 64-bit depending
42902 on the target.
42903
42904 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.mips.cp0} feature is also required. It should
42905 contain at least the @samp{status}, @samp{badvaddr}, and @samp{cause}
42906 registers. They may be 32-bit or 64-bit depending on the target.
42907
42908 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.mips.fpu} feature is currently required, though
42909 it may be optional in a future version of @value{GDBN}. It should
42910 contain registers @samp{f0} through @samp{f31}, @samp{fcsr}, and
42911 @samp{fir}. They may be 32-bit or 64-bit depending on the target.
42912
42913 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.mips.dsp} feature is optional. It should
42914 contain registers @samp{hi1} through @samp{hi3}, @samp{lo1} through
42915 @samp{lo3}, and @samp{dspctl}. The @samp{dspctl} register should
42916 be 32-bit and the rest may be 32-bit or 64-bit depending on the target.
42917
42918 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.mips.linux} feature is optional. It should
42919 contain a single register, @samp{restart}, which is used by the
42920 Linux kernel to control restartable syscalls.
42921
42922 @node M68K Features
42923 @subsection M68K Features
42924 @cindex target descriptions, M68K features
42925
42926 @table @code
42927 @item @samp{org.gnu.gdb.m68k.core}
42928 @itemx @samp{org.gnu.gdb.coldfire.core}
42929 @itemx @samp{org.gnu.gdb.fido.core}
42930 One of those features must be always present.
42931 The feature that is present determines which flavor of m68k is
42932 used. The feature that is present should contain registers
42933 @samp{d0} through @samp{d7}, @samp{a0} through @samp{a5}, @samp{fp},
42934 @samp{sp}, @samp{ps} and @samp{pc}.
42935
42936 @item @samp{org.gnu.gdb.coldfire.fp}
42937 This feature is optional. If present, it should contain registers
42938 @samp{fp0} through @samp{fp7}, @samp{fpcontrol}, @samp{fpstatus} and
42939 @samp{fpiaddr}.
42940 @end table
42941
42942 @node Nios II Features
42943 @subsection Nios II Features
42944 @cindex target descriptions, Nios II features
42945
42946 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.nios2.cpu} feature is required for Nios II
42947 targets. It should contain the 32 core registers (@samp{zero},
42948 @samp{at}, @samp{r2} through @samp{r23}, @samp{et} through @samp{ra}),
42949 @samp{pc}, and the 16 control registers (@samp{status} through
42950 @samp{mpuacc}).
42951
42952 @node PowerPC Features
42953 @subsection PowerPC Features
42954 @cindex target descriptions, PowerPC features
42955
42956 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.core} feature is required for PowerPC
42957 targets. It should contain registers @samp{r0} through @samp{r31},
42958 @samp{pc}, @samp{msr}, @samp{cr}, @samp{lr}, @samp{ctr}, and
42959 @samp{xer}. They may be 32-bit or 64-bit depending on the target.
42960
42961 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.fpu} feature is optional. It should
42962 contain registers @samp{f0} through @samp{f31} and @samp{fpscr}.
42963
42964 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.altivec} feature is optional. It should
42965 contain registers @samp{vr0} through @samp{vr31}, @samp{vscr},
42966 and @samp{vrsave}.
42967
42968 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.vsx} feature is optional. It should
42969 contain registers @samp{vs0h} through @samp{vs31h}. @value{GDBN}
42970 will combine these registers with the floating point registers
42971 (@samp{f0} through @samp{f31}) and the altivec registers (@samp{vr0}
42972 through @samp{vr31}) to present the 128-bit wide registers @samp{vs0}
42973 through @samp{vs63}, the set of vector registers for POWER7.
42974
42975 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.spe} feature is optional. It should
42976 contain registers @samp{ev0h} through @samp{ev31h}, @samp{acc}, and
42977 @samp{spefscr}. SPE targets should provide 32-bit registers in
42978 @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.core} and provide the upper halves in
42979 @samp{ev0h} through @samp{ev31h}. @value{GDBN} will combine
42980 these to present registers @samp{ev0} through @samp{ev31} to the
42981 user.
42982
42983 @node S/390 and System z Features
42984 @subsection S/390 and System z Features
42985 @cindex target descriptions, S/390 features
42986 @cindex target descriptions, System z features
42987
42988 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.s390.core} feature is required for S/390 and
42989 System z targets. It should contain the PSW and the 16 general
42990 registers. In particular, System z targets should provide the 64-bit
42991 registers @samp{pswm}, @samp{pswa}, and @samp{r0} through @samp{r15}.
42992 S/390 targets should provide the 32-bit versions of these registers.
42993 A System z target that runs in 31-bit addressing mode should provide
42994 32-bit versions of @samp{pswm} and @samp{pswa}, as well as the general
42995 register's upper halves @samp{r0h} through @samp{r15h}, and their
42996 lower halves @samp{r0l} through @samp{r15l}.
42997
42998 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.s390.fpr} feature is required. It should
42999 contain the 64-bit registers @samp{f0} through @samp{f15}, and
43000 @samp{fpc}.
43001
43002 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.s390.acr} feature is required. It should
43003 contain the 32-bit registers @samp{acr0} through @samp{acr15}.
43004
43005 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.s390.linux} feature is optional. It should
43006 contain the register @samp{orig_r2}, which is 64-bit wide on System z
43007 targets and 32-bit otherwise. In addition, the feature may contain
43008 the @samp{last_break} register, whose width depends on the addressing
43009 mode, as well as the @samp{system_call} register, which is always
43010 32-bit wide.
43011
43012 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.s390.tdb} feature is optional. It should
43013 contain the 64-bit registers @samp{tdb0}, @samp{tac}, @samp{tct},
43014 @samp{atia}, and @samp{tr0} through @samp{tr15}.
43015
43016 @node TIC6x Features
43017 @subsection TMS320C6x Features
43018 @cindex target descriptions, TIC6x features
43019 @cindex target descriptions, TMS320C6x features
43020 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.tic6x.core} feature is required for TMS320C6x
43021 targets. It should contain registers @samp{A0} through @samp{A15},
43022 registers @samp{B0} through @samp{B15}, @samp{CSR} and @samp{PC}.
43023
43024 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.tic6x.gp} feature is optional. It should
43025 contain registers @samp{A16} through @samp{A31} and @samp{B16}
43026 through @samp{B31}.
43027
43028 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.tic6x.c6xp} feature is optional. It should
43029 contain registers @samp{TSR}, @samp{ILC} and @samp{RILC}.
43030
43031 @node Operating System Information
43032 @appendix Operating System Information
43033 @cindex operating system information
43034
43035 @menu
43036 * Process list::
43037 @end menu
43038
43039 Users of @value{GDBN} often wish to obtain information about the state of
43040 the operating system running on the target---for example the list of
43041 processes, or the list of open files. This section describes the
43042 mechanism that makes it possible. This mechanism is similar to the
43043 target features mechanism (@pxref{Target Descriptions}), but focuses
43044 on a different aspect of target.
43045
43046 Operating system information is retrived from the target via the
43047 remote protocol, using @samp{qXfer} requests (@pxref{qXfer osdata
43048 read}). The object name in the request should be @samp{osdata}, and
43049 the @var{annex} identifies the data to be fetched.
43050
43051 @node Process list
43052 @appendixsection Process list
43053 @cindex operating system information, process list
43054
43055 When requesting the process list, the @var{annex} field in the
43056 @samp{qXfer} request should be @samp{processes}. The returned data is
43057 an XML document. The formal syntax of this document is defined in
43058 @file{gdb/features/osdata.dtd}.
43059
43060 An example document is:
43061
43062 @smallexample
43063 <?xml version="1.0"?>
43064 <!DOCTYPE target SYSTEM "osdata.dtd">
43065 <osdata type="processes">
43066 <item>
43067 <column name="pid">1</column>
43068 <column name="user">root</column>
43069 <column name="command">/sbin/init</column>
43070 <column name="cores">1,2,3</column>
43071 </item>
43072 </osdata>
43073 @end smallexample
43074
43075 Each item should include a column whose name is @samp{pid}. The value
43076 of that column should identify the process on the target. The
43077 @samp{user} and @samp{command} columns are optional, and will be
43078 displayed by @value{GDBN}. The @samp{cores} column, if present,
43079 should contain a comma-separated list of cores that this process
43080 is running on. Target may provide additional columns,
43081 which @value{GDBN} currently ignores.
43082
43083 @node Trace File Format
43084 @appendix Trace File Format
43085 @cindex trace file format
43086
43087 The trace file comes in three parts: a header, a textual description
43088 section, and a trace frame section with binary data.
43089
43090 The header has the form @code{\x7fTRACE0\n}. The first byte is
43091 @code{0x7f} so as to indicate that the file contains binary data,
43092 while the @code{0} is a version number that may have different values
43093 in the future.
43094
43095 The description section consists of multiple lines of @sc{ascii} text
43096 separated by newline characters (@code{0xa}). The lines may include a
43097 variety of optional descriptive or context-setting information, such
43098 as tracepoint definitions or register set size. @value{GDBN} will
43099 ignore any line that it does not recognize. An empty line marks the end
43100 of this section.
43101
43102 @c FIXME add some specific types of data
43103
43104 The trace frame section consists of a number of consecutive frames.
43105 Each frame begins with a two-byte tracepoint number, followed by a
43106 four-byte size giving the amount of data in the frame. The data in
43107 the frame consists of a number of blocks, each introduced by a
43108 character indicating its type (at least register, memory, and trace
43109 state variable). The data in this section is raw binary, not a
43110 hexadecimal or other encoding; its endianness matches the target's
43111 endianness.
43112
43113 @c FIXME bi-arch may require endianness/arch info in description section
43114
43115 @table @code
43116 @item R @var{bytes}
43117 Register block. The number and ordering of bytes matches that of a
43118 @code{g} packet in the remote protocol. Note that these are the
43119 actual bytes, in target order and @value{GDBN} register order, not a
43120 hexadecimal encoding.
43121
43122 @item M @var{address} @var{length} @var{bytes}...
43123 Memory block. This is a contiguous block of memory, at the 8-byte
43124 address @var{address}, with a 2-byte length @var{length}, followed by
43125 @var{length} bytes.
43126
43127 @item V @var{number} @var{value}
43128 Trace state variable block. This records the 8-byte signed value
43129 @var{value} of trace state variable numbered @var{number}.
43130
43131 @end table
43132
43133 Future enhancements of the trace file format may include additional types
43134 of blocks.
43135
43136 @node Index Section Format
43137 @appendix @code{.gdb_index} section format
43138 @cindex .gdb_index section format
43139 @cindex index section format
43140
43141 This section documents the index section that is created by @code{save
43142 gdb-index} (@pxref{Index Files}). The index section is
43143 DWARF-specific; some knowledge of DWARF is assumed in this
43144 description.
43145
43146 The mapped index file format is designed to be directly
43147 @code{mmap}able on any architecture. In most cases, a datum is
43148 represented using a little-endian 32-bit integer value, called an
43149 @code{offset_type}. Big endian machines must byte-swap the values
43150 before using them. Exceptions to this rule are noted. The data is
43151 laid out such that alignment is always respected.
43152
43153 A mapped index consists of several areas, laid out in order.
43154
43155 @enumerate
43156 @item
43157 The file header. This is a sequence of values, of @code{offset_type}
43158 unless otherwise noted:
43159
43160 @enumerate
43161 @item
43162 The version number, currently 8. Versions 1, 2 and 3 are obsolete.
43163 Version 4 uses a different hashing function from versions 5 and 6.
43164 Version 6 includes symbols for inlined functions, whereas versions 4
43165 and 5 do not. Version 7 adds attributes to the CU indices in the
43166 symbol table. Version 8 specifies that symbols from DWARF type units
43167 (@samp{DW_TAG_type_unit}) refer to the type unit's symbol table and not the
43168 compilation unit (@samp{DW_TAG_comp_unit}) using the type.
43169
43170 @value{GDBN} will only read version 4, 5, or 6 indices
43171 by specifying @code{set use-deprecated-index-sections on}.
43172 GDB has a workaround for potentially broken version 7 indices so it is
43173 currently not flagged as deprecated.
43174
43175 @item
43176 The offset, from the start of the file, of the CU list.
43177
43178 @item
43179 The offset, from the start of the file, of the types CU list. Note
43180 that this area can be empty, in which case this offset will be equal
43181 to the next offset.
43182
43183 @item
43184 The offset, from the start of the file, of the address area.
43185
43186 @item
43187 The offset, from the start of the file, of the symbol table.
43188
43189 @item
43190 The offset, from the start of the file, of the constant pool.
43191 @end enumerate
43192
43193 @item
43194 The CU list. This is a sequence of pairs of 64-bit little-endian
43195 values, sorted by the CU offset. The first element in each pair is
43196 the offset of a CU in the @code{.debug_info} section. The second
43197 element in each pair is the length of that CU. References to a CU
43198 elsewhere in the map are done using a CU index, which is just the
43199 0-based index into this table. Note that if there are type CUs, then
43200 conceptually CUs and type CUs form a single list for the purposes of
43201 CU indices.
43202
43203 @item
43204 The types CU list. This is a sequence of triplets of 64-bit
43205 little-endian values. In a triplet, the first value is the CU offset,
43206 the second value is the type offset in the CU, and the third value is
43207 the type signature. The types CU list is not sorted.
43208
43209 @item
43210 The address area. The address area consists of a sequence of address
43211 entries. Each address entry has three elements:
43212
43213 @enumerate
43214 @item
43215 The low address. This is a 64-bit little-endian value.
43216
43217 @item
43218 The high address. This is a 64-bit little-endian value. Like
43219 @code{DW_AT_high_pc}, the value is one byte beyond the end.
43220
43221 @item
43222 The CU index. This is an @code{offset_type} value.
43223 @end enumerate
43224
43225 @item
43226 The symbol table. This is an open-addressed hash table. The size of
43227 the hash table is always a power of 2.
43228
43229 Each slot in the hash table consists of a pair of @code{offset_type}
43230 values. The first value is the offset of the symbol's name in the
43231 constant pool. The second value is the offset of the CU vector in the
43232 constant pool.
43233
43234 If both values are 0, then this slot in the hash table is empty. This
43235 is ok because while 0 is a valid constant pool index, it cannot be a
43236 valid index for both a string and a CU vector.
43237
43238 The hash value for a table entry is computed by applying an
43239 iterative hash function to the symbol's name. Starting with an
43240 initial value of @code{r = 0}, each (unsigned) character @samp{c} in
43241 the string is incorporated into the hash using the formula depending on the
43242 index version:
43243
43244 @table @asis
43245 @item Version 4
43246 The formula is @code{r = r * 67 + c - 113}.
43247
43248 @item Versions 5 to 7
43249 The formula is @code{r = r * 67 + tolower (c) - 113}.
43250 @end table
43251
43252 The terminating @samp{\0} is not incorporated into the hash.
43253
43254 The step size used in the hash table is computed via
43255 @code{((hash * 17) & (size - 1)) | 1}, where @samp{hash} is the hash
43256 value, and @samp{size} is the size of the hash table. The step size
43257 is used to find the next candidate slot when handling a hash
43258 collision.
43259
43260 The names of C@t{++} symbols in the hash table are canonicalized. We
43261 don't currently have a simple description of the canonicalization
43262 algorithm; if you intend to create new index sections, you must read
43263 the code.
43264
43265 @item
43266 The constant pool. This is simply a bunch of bytes. It is organized
43267 so that alignment is correct: CU vectors are stored first, followed by
43268 strings.
43269
43270 A CU vector in the constant pool is a sequence of @code{offset_type}
43271 values. The first value is the number of CU indices in the vector.
43272 Each subsequent value is the index and symbol attributes of a CU in
43273 the CU list. This element in the hash table is used to indicate which
43274 CUs define the symbol and how the symbol is used.
43275 See below for the format of each CU index+attributes entry.
43276
43277 A string in the constant pool is zero-terminated.
43278 @end enumerate
43279
43280 Attributes were added to CU index values in @code{.gdb_index} version 7.
43281 If a symbol has multiple uses within a CU then there is one
43282 CU index+attributes value for each use.
43283
43284 The format of each CU index+attributes entry is as follows
43285 (bit 0 = LSB):
43286
43287 @table @asis
43288
43289 @item Bits 0-23
43290 This is the index of the CU in the CU list.
43291 @item Bits 24-27
43292 These bits are reserved for future purposes and must be zero.
43293 @item Bits 28-30
43294 The kind of the symbol in the CU.
43295
43296 @table @asis
43297 @item 0
43298 This value is reserved and should not be used.
43299 By reserving zero the full @code{offset_type} value is backwards compatible
43300 with previous versions of the index.
43301 @item 1
43302 The symbol is a type.
43303 @item 2
43304 The symbol is a variable or an enum value.
43305 @item 3
43306 The symbol is a function.
43307 @item 4
43308 Any other kind of symbol.
43309 @item 5,6,7
43310 These values are reserved.
43311 @end table
43312
43313 @item Bit 31
43314 This bit is zero if the value is global and one if it is static.
43315
43316 The determination of whether a symbol is global or static is complicated.
43317 The authorative reference is the file @file{dwarf2read.c} in
43318 @value{GDBN} sources.
43319
43320 @end table
43321
43322 This pseudo-code describes the computation of a symbol's kind and
43323 global/static attributes in the index.
43324
43325 @smallexample
43326 is_external = get_attribute (die, DW_AT_external);
43327 language = get_attribute (cu_die, DW_AT_language);
43328 switch (die->tag)
43329 @{
43330 case DW_TAG_typedef:
43331 case DW_TAG_base_type:
43332 case DW_TAG_subrange_type:
43333 kind = TYPE;
43334 is_static = 1;
43335 break;
43336 case DW_TAG_enumerator:
43337 kind = VARIABLE;
43338 is_static = (language != CPLUS && language != JAVA);
43339 break;
43340 case DW_TAG_subprogram:
43341 kind = FUNCTION;
43342 is_static = ! (is_external || language == ADA);
43343 break;
43344 case DW_TAG_constant:
43345 kind = VARIABLE;
43346 is_static = ! is_external;
43347 break;
43348 case DW_TAG_variable:
43349 kind = VARIABLE;
43350 is_static = ! is_external;
43351 break;
43352 case DW_TAG_namespace:
43353 kind = TYPE;
43354 is_static = 0;
43355 break;
43356 case DW_TAG_class_type:
43357 case DW_TAG_interface_type:
43358 case DW_TAG_structure_type:
43359 case DW_TAG_union_type:
43360 case DW_TAG_enumeration_type:
43361 kind = TYPE;
43362 is_static = (language != CPLUS && language != JAVA);
43363 break;
43364 default:
43365 assert (0);
43366 @}
43367 @end smallexample
43368
43369 @node Man Pages
43370 @appendix Manual pages
43371 @cindex Man pages
43372
43373 @menu
43374 * gdb man:: The GNU Debugger man page
43375 * gdbserver man:: Remote Server for the GNU Debugger man page
43376 * gcore man:: Generate a core file of a running program
43377 * gdbinit man:: gdbinit scripts
43378 @end menu
43379
43380 @node gdb man
43381 @heading gdb man
43382
43383 @c man title gdb The GNU Debugger
43384
43385 @c man begin SYNOPSIS gdb
43386 gdb [@option{-help}] [@option{-nh}] [@option{-nx}] [@option{-q}]
43387 [@option{-batch}] [@option{-cd=}@var{dir}] [@option{-f}]
43388 [@option{-b}@w{ }@var{bps}]
43389 [@option{-tty=}@var{dev}] [@option{-s} @var{symfile}]
43390 [@option{-e}@w{ }@var{prog}] [@option{-se}@w{ }@var{prog}]
43391 [@option{-c}@w{ }@var{core}] [@option{-p}@w{ }@var{procID}]
43392 [@option{-x}@w{ }@var{cmds}] [@option{-d}@w{ }@var{dir}]
43393 [@var{prog}|@var{prog} @var{procID}|@var{prog} @var{core}]
43394 @c man end
43395
43396 @c man begin DESCRIPTION gdb
43397 The purpose of a debugger such as @value{GDBN} is to allow you to see what is
43398 going on ``inside'' another program while it executes -- or what another
43399 program was doing at the moment it crashed.
43400
43401 @value{GDBN} can do four main kinds of things (plus other things in support of
43402 these) to help you catch bugs in the act:
43403
43404 @itemize @bullet
43405 @item
43406 Start your program, specifying anything that might affect its behavior.
43407
43408 @item
43409 Make your program stop on specified conditions.
43410
43411 @item
43412 Examine what has happened, when your program has stopped.
43413
43414 @item
43415 Change things in your program, so you can experiment with correcting the
43416 effects of one bug and go on to learn about another.
43417 @end itemize
43418
43419 You can use @value{GDBN} to debug programs written in C, C@t{++}, Fortran and
43420 Modula-2.
43421
43422 @value{GDBN} is invoked with the shell command @code{gdb}. Once started, it reads
43423 commands from the terminal until you tell it to exit with the @value{GDBN}
43424 command @code{quit}. You can get online help from @value{GDBN} itself
43425 by using the command @code{help}.
43426
43427 You can run @code{gdb} with no arguments or options; but the most
43428 usual way to start @value{GDBN} is with one argument or two, specifying an
43429 executable program as the argument:
43430
43431 @smallexample
43432 gdb program
43433 @end smallexample
43434
43435 You can also start with both an executable program and a core file specified:
43436
43437 @smallexample
43438 gdb program core
43439 @end smallexample
43440
43441 You can, instead, specify a process ID as a second argument, if you want
43442 to debug a running process:
43443
43444 @smallexample
43445 gdb program 1234
43446 gdb -p 1234
43447 @end smallexample
43448
43449 @noindent
43450 would attach @value{GDBN} to process @code{1234} (unless you also have a file
43451 named @file{1234}; @value{GDBN} does check for a core file first).
43452 With option @option{-p} you can omit the @var{program} filename.
43453
43454 Here are some of the most frequently needed @value{GDBN} commands:
43455
43456 @c pod2man highlights the right hand side of the @item lines.
43457 @table @env
43458 @item break [@var{file}:]@var{functiop}
43459 Set a breakpoint at @var{function} (in @var{file}).
43460
43461 @item run [@var{arglist}]
43462 Start your program (with @var{arglist}, if specified).
43463
43464 @item bt
43465 Backtrace: display the program stack.
43466
43467 @item print @var{expr}
43468 Display the value of an expression.
43469
43470 @item c
43471 Continue running your program (after stopping, e.g. at a breakpoint).
43472
43473 @item next
43474 Execute next program line (after stopping); step @emph{over} any
43475 function calls in the line.
43476
43477 @item edit [@var{file}:]@var{function}
43478 look at the program line where it is presently stopped.
43479
43480 @item list [@var{file}:]@var{function}
43481 type the text of the program in the vicinity of where it is presently stopped.
43482
43483 @item step
43484 Execute next program line (after stopping); step @emph{into} any
43485 function calls in the line.
43486
43487 @item help [@var{name}]
43488 Show information about @value{GDBN} command @var{name}, or general information
43489 about using @value{GDBN}.
43490
43491 @item quit
43492 Exit from @value{GDBN}.
43493 @end table
43494
43495 @ifset man
43496 For full details on @value{GDBN},
43497 see @cite{Using GDB: A Guide to the GNU Source-Level Debugger},
43498 by Richard M. Stallman and Roland H. Pesch. The same text is available online
43499 as the @code{gdb} entry in the @code{info} program.
43500 @end ifset
43501 @c man end
43502
43503 @c man begin OPTIONS gdb
43504 Any arguments other than options specify an executable
43505 file and core file (or process ID); that is, the first argument
43506 encountered with no
43507 associated option flag is equivalent to a @option{-se} option, and the second,
43508 if any, is equivalent to a @option{-c} option if it's the name of a file.
43509 Many options have
43510 both long and short forms; both are shown here. The long forms are also
43511 recognized if you truncate them, so long as enough of the option is
43512 present to be unambiguous. (If you prefer, you can flag option
43513 arguments with @option{+} rather than @option{-}, though we illustrate the
43514 more usual convention.)
43515
43516 All the options and command line arguments you give are processed
43517 in sequential order. The order makes a difference when the @option{-x}
43518 option is used.
43519
43520 @table @env
43521 @item -help
43522 @itemx -h
43523 List all options, with brief explanations.
43524
43525 @item -symbols=@var{file}
43526 @itemx -s @var{file}
43527 Read symbol table from file @var{file}.
43528
43529 @item -write
43530 Enable writing into executable and core files.
43531
43532 @item -exec=@var{file}
43533 @itemx -e @var{file}
43534 Use file @var{file} as the executable file to execute when
43535 appropriate, and for examining pure data in conjunction with a core
43536 dump.
43537
43538 @item -se=@var{file}
43539 Read symbol table from file @var{file} and use it as the executable
43540 file.
43541
43542 @item -core=@var{file}
43543 @itemx -c @var{file}
43544 Use file @var{file} as a core dump to examine.
43545
43546 @item -command=@var{file}
43547 @itemx -x @var{file}
43548 Execute @value{GDBN} commands from file @var{file}.
43549
43550 @item -ex @var{command}
43551 Execute given @value{GDBN} @var{command}.
43552
43553 @item -directory=@var{directory}
43554 @itemx -d @var{directory}
43555 Add @var{directory} to the path to search for source files.
43556
43557 @item -nh
43558 Do not execute commands from @file{~/.gdbinit}.
43559
43560 @item -nx
43561 @itemx -n
43562 Do not execute commands from any @file{.gdbinit} initialization files.
43563
43564 @item -quiet
43565 @itemx -q
43566 ``Quiet''. Do not print the introductory and copyright messages. These
43567 messages are also suppressed in batch mode.
43568
43569 @item -batch
43570 Run in batch mode. Exit with status @code{0} after processing all the command
43571 files specified with @option{-x} (and @file{.gdbinit}, if not inhibited).
43572 Exit with nonzero status if an error occurs in executing the @value{GDBN}
43573 commands in the command files.
43574
43575 Batch mode may be useful for running @value{GDBN} as a filter, for example to
43576 download and run a program on another computer; in order to make this
43577 more useful, the message
43578
43579 @smallexample
43580 Program exited normally.
43581 @end smallexample
43582
43583 @noindent
43584 (which is ordinarily issued whenever a program running under @value{GDBN} control
43585 terminates) is not issued when running in batch mode.
43586
43587 @item -cd=@var{directory}
43588 Run @value{GDBN} using @var{directory} as its working directory,
43589 instead of the current directory.
43590
43591 @item -fullname
43592 @itemx -f
43593 Emacs sets this option when it runs @value{GDBN} as a subprocess. It tells
43594 @value{GDBN} to output the full file name and line number in a standard,
43595 recognizable fashion each time a stack frame is displayed (which
43596 includes each time the program stops). This recognizable format looks
43597 like two @samp{\032} characters, followed by the file name, line number
43598 and character position separated by colons, and a newline. The
43599 Emacs-to-@value{GDBN} interface program uses the two @samp{\032}
43600 characters as a signal to display the source code for the frame.
43601
43602 @item -b @var{bps}
43603 Set the line speed (baud rate or bits per second) of any serial
43604 interface used by @value{GDBN} for remote debugging.
43605
43606 @item -tty=@var{device}
43607 Run using @var{device} for your program's standard input and output.
43608 @end table
43609 @c man end
43610
43611 @c man begin SEEALSO gdb
43612 @ifset man
43613 The full documentation for @value{GDBN} is maintained as a Texinfo manual.
43614 If the @code{info} and @code{gdb} programs and @value{GDBN}'s Texinfo
43615 documentation are properly installed at your site, the command
43616
43617 @smallexample
43618 info gdb
43619 @end smallexample
43620
43621 @noindent
43622 should give you access to the complete manual.
43623
43624 @cite{Using GDB: A Guide to the GNU Source-Level Debugger},
43625 Richard M. Stallman and Roland H. Pesch, July 1991.
43626 @end ifset
43627 @c man end
43628
43629 @node gdbserver man
43630 @heading gdbserver man
43631
43632 @c man title gdbserver Remote Server for the GNU Debugger
43633 @format
43634 @c man begin SYNOPSIS gdbserver
43635 gdbserver @var{comm} @var{prog} [@var{args}@dots{}]
43636
43637 gdbserver --attach @var{comm} @var{pid}
43638
43639 gdbserver --multi @var{comm}
43640 @c man end
43641 @end format
43642
43643 @c man begin DESCRIPTION gdbserver
43644 @command{gdbserver} is a program that allows you to run @value{GDBN} on a different machine
43645 than the one which is running the program being debugged.
43646
43647 @ifclear man
43648 @subheading Usage (server (target) side)
43649 @end ifclear
43650 @ifset man
43651 Usage (server (target) side):
43652 @end ifset
43653
43654 First, you need to have a copy of the program you want to debug put onto
43655 the target system. The program can be stripped to save space if needed, as
43656 @command{gdbserver} doesn't care about symbols. All symbol handling is taken care of by
43657 the @value{GDBN} running on the host system.
43658
43659 To use the server, you log on to the target system, and run the @command{gdbserver}
43660 program. You must tell it (a) how to communicate with @value{GDBN}, (b) the name of
43661 your program, and (c) its arguments. The general syntax is:
43662
43663 @smallexample
43664 target> gdbserver @var{comm} @var{program} [@var{args} ...]
43665 @end smallexample
43666
43667 For example, using a serial port, you might say:
43668
43669 @smallexample
43670 @ifset man
43671 @c @file would wrap it as F</dev/com1>.
43672 target> gdbserver /dev/com1 emacs foo.txt
43673 @end ifset
43674 @ifclear man
43675 target> gdbserver @file{/dev/com1} emacs foo.txt
43676 @end ifclear
43677 @end smallexample
43678
43679 This tells @command{gdbserver} to debug emacs with an argument of foo.txt, and
43680 to communicate with @value{GDBN} via @file{/dev/com1}. @command{gdbserver} now
43681 waits patiently for the host @value{GDBN} to communicate with it.
43682
43683 To use a TCP connection, you could say:
43684
43685 @smallexample
43686 target> gdbserver host:2345 emacs foo.txt
43687 @end smallexample
43688
43689 This says pretty much the same thing as the last example, except that we are
43690 going to communicate with the @code{host} @value{GDBN} via TCP. The @code{host:2345} argument means
43691 that we are expecting to see a TCP connection from @code{host} to local TCP port
43692 2345. (Currently, the @code{host} part is ignored.) You can choose any number you
43693 want for the port number as long as it does not conflict with any existing TCP
43694 ports on the target system. This same port number must be used in the host
43695 @value{GDBN}s @code{target remote} command, which will be described shortly. Note that if
43696 you chose a port number that conflicts with another service, @command{gdbserver} will
43697 print an error message and exit.
43698
43699 @command{gdbserver} can also attach to running programs.
43700 This is accomplished via the @option{--attach} argument. The syntax is:
43701
43702 @smallexample
43703 target> gdbserver --attach @var{comm} @var{pid}
43704 @end smallexample
43705
43706 @var{pid} is the process ID of a currently running process. It isn't
43707 necessary to point @command{gdbserver} at a binary for the running process.
43708
43709 To start @code{gdbserver} without supplying an initial command to run
43710 or process ID to attach, use the @option{--multi} command line option.
43711 In such case you should connect using @kbd{target extended-remote} to start
43712 the program you want to debug.
43713
43714 @smallexample
43715 target> gdbserver --multi @var{comm}
43716 @end smallexample
43717
43718 @ifclear man
43719 @subheading Usage (host side)
43720 @end ifclear
43721 @ifset man
43722 Usage (host side):
43723 @end ifset
43724
43725 You need an unstripped copy of the target program on your host system, since
43726 @value{GDBN} needs to examine it's symbol tables and such. Start up @value{GDBN} as you normally
43727 would, with the target program as the first argument. (You may need to use the
43728 @option{--baud} option if the serial line is running at anything except 9600 baud.)
43729 That is @code{gdb TARGET-PROG}, or @code{gdb --baud BAUD TARGET-PROG}. After that, the only
43730 new command you need to know about is @code{target remote}
43731 (or @code{target extended-remote}). Its argument is either
43732 a device name (usually a serial device, like @file{/dev/ttyb}), or a @code{HOST:PORT}
43733 descriptor. For example:
43734
43735 @smallexample
43736 @ifset man
43737 @c @file would wrap it as F</dev/ttyb>.
43738 (gdb) target remote /dev/ttyb
43739 @end ifset
43740 @ifclear man
43741 (gdb) target remote @file{/dev/ttyb}
43742 @end ifclear
43743 @end smallexample
43744
43745 @noindent
43746 communicates with the server via serial line @file{/dev/ttyb}, and:
43747
43748 @smallexample
43749 (gdb) target remote the-target:2345
43750 @end smallexample
43751
43752 @noindent
43753 communicates via a TCP connection to port 2345 on host `the-target', where
43754 you previously started up @command{gdbserver} with the same port number. Note that for
43755 TCP connections, you must start up @command{gdbserver} prior to using the `target remote'
43756 command, otherwise you may get an error that looks something like
43757 `Connection refused'.
43758
43759 @command{gdbserver} can also debug multiple inferiors at once,
43760 described in
43761 @ifset man
43762 the @value{GDBN} manual in node @code{Inferiors and Programs}
43763 -- shell command @code{info -f gdb -n 'Inferiors and Programs'}.
43764 @end ifset
43765 @ifclear man
43766 @ref{Inferiors and Programs}.
43767 @end ifclear
43768 In such case use the @code{extended-remote} @value{GDBN} command variant:
43769
43770 @smallexample
43771 (gdb) target extended-remote the-target:2345
43772 @end smallexample
43773
43774 The @command{gdbserver} option @option{--multi} may or may not be used in such
43775 case.
43776 @c man end
43777
43778 @c man begin OPTIONS gdbserver
43779 There are three different modes for invoking @command{gdbserver}:
43780
43781 @itemize @bullet
43782
43783 @item
43784 Debug a specific program specified by its program name:
43785
43786 @smallexample
43787 gdbserver @var{comm} @var{prog} [@var{args}@dots{}]
43788 @end smallexample
43789
43790 The @var{comm} parameter specifies how should the server communicate
43791 with @value{GDBN}; it is either a device name (to use a serial line),
43792 a TCP port number (@code{:1234}), or @code{-} or @code{stdio} to use
43793 stdin/stdout of @code{gdbserver}. Specify the name of the program to
43794 debug in @var{prog}. Any remaining arguments will be passed to the
43795 program verbatim. When the program exits, @value{GDBN} will close the
43796 connection, and @code{gdbserver} will exit.
43797
43798 @item
43799 Debug a specific program by specifying the process ID of a running
43800 program:
43801
43802 @smallexample
43803 gdbserver --attach @var{comm} @var{pid}
43804 @end smallexample
43805
43806 The @var{comm} parameter is as described above. Supply the process ID
43807 of a running program in @var{pid}; @value{GDBN} will do everything
43808 else. Like with the previous mode, when the process @var{pid} exits,
43809 @value{GDBN} will close the connection, and @code{gdbserver} will exit.
43810
43811 @item
43812 Multi-process mode -- debug more than one program/process:
43813
43814 @smallexample
43815 gdbserver --multi @var{comm}
43816 @end smallexample
43817
43818 In this mode, @value{GDBN} can instruct @command{gdbserver} which
43819 command(s) to run. Unlike the other 2 modes, @value{GDBN} will not
43820 close the connection when a process being debugged exits, so you can
43821 debug several processes in the same session.
43822 @end itemize
43823
43824 In each of the modes you may specify these options:
43825
43826 @table @env
43827
43828 @item --help
43829 List all options, with brief explanations.
43830
43831 @item --version
43832 This option causes @command{gdbserver} to print its version number and exit.
43833
43834 @item --attach
43835 @command{gdbserver} will attach to a running program. The syntax is:
43836
43837 @smallexample
43838 target> gdbserver --attach @var{comm} @var{pid}
43839 @end smallexample
43840
43841 @var{pid} is the process ID of a currently running process. It isn't
43842 necessary to point @command{gdbserver} at a binary for the running process.
43843
43844 @item --multi
43845 To start @code{gdbserver} without supplying an initial command to run
43846 or process ID to attach, use this command line option.
43847 Then you can connect using @kbd{target extended-remote} and start
43848 the program you want to debug. The syntax is:
43849
43850 @smallexample
43851 target> gdbserver --multi @var{comm}
43852 @end smallexample
43853
43854 @item --debug
43855 Instruct @code{gdbserver} to display extra status information about the debugging
43856 process.
43857 This option is intended for @code{gdbserver} development and for bug reports to
43858 the developers.
43859
43860 @item --remote-debug
43861 Instruct @code{gdbserver} to display remote protocol debug output.
43862 This option is intended for @code{gdbserver} development and for bug reports to
43863 the developers.
43864
43865 @item --wrapper
43866 Specify a wrapper to launch programs
43867 for debugging. The option should be followed by the name of the
43868 wrapper, then any command-line arguments to pass to the wrapper, then
43869 @kbd{--} indicating the end of the wrapper arguments.
43870
43871 @item --once
43872 By default, @command{gdbserver} keeps the listening TCP port open, so that
43873 additional connections are possible. However, if you start @code{gdbserver}
43874 with the @option{--once} option, it will stop listening for any further
43875 connection attempts after connecting to the first @value{GDBN} session.
43876
43877 @c --disable-packet is not documented for users.
43878
43879 @c --disable-randomization and --no-disable-randomization are superseded by
43880 @c QDisableRandomization.
43881
43882 @end table
43883 @c man end
43884
43885 @c man begin SEEALSO gdbserver
43886 @ifset man
43887 The full documentation for @value{GDBN} is maintained as a Texinfo manual.
43888 If the @code{info} and @code{gdb} programs and @value{GDBN}'s Texinfo
43889 documentation are properly installed at your site, the command
43890
43891 @smallexample
43892 info gdb
43893 @end smallexample
43894
43895 should give you access to the complete manual.
43896
43897 @cite{Using GDB: A Guide to the GNU Source-Level Debugger},
43898 Richard M. Stallman and Roland H. Pesch, July 1991.
43899 @end ifset
43900 @c man end
43901
43902 @node gcore man
43903 @heading gcore
43904
43905 @c man title gcore Generate a core file of a running program
43906
43907 @format
43908 @c man begin SYNOPSIS gcore
43909 gcore [-o @var{filename}] @var{pid}
43910 @c man end
43911 @end format
43912
43913 @c man begin DESCRIPTION gcore
43914 Generate a core dump of a running program with process ID @var{pid}.
43915 Produced file is equivalent to a kernel produced core file as if the process
43916 crashed (and if @kbd{ulimit -c} were used to set up an appropriate core dump
43917 limit). Unlike after a crash, after @command{gcore} the program remains
43918 running without any change.
43919 @c man end
43920
43921 @c man begin OPTIONS gcore
43922 @table @env
43923 @item -o @var{filename}
43924 The optional argument
43925 @var{filename} specifies the file name where to put the core dump.
43926 If not specified, the file name defaults to @file{core.@var{pid}},
43927 where @var{pid} is the running program process ID.
43928 @end table
43929 @c man end
43930
43931 @c man begin SEEALSO gcore
43932 @ifset man
43933 The full documentation for @value{GDBN} is maintained as a Texinfo manual.
43934 If the @code{info} and @code{gdb} programs and @value{GDBN}'s Texinfo
43935 documentation are properly installed at your site, the command
43936
43937 @smallexample
43938 info gdb
43939 @end smallexample
43940
43941 @noindent
43942 should give you access to the complete manual.
43943
43944 @cite{Using GDB: A Guide to the GNU Source-Level Debugger},
43945 Richard M. Stallman and Roland H. Pesch, July 1991.
43946 @end ifset
43947 @c man end
43948
43949 @node gdbinit man
43950 @heading gdbinit
43951
43952 @c man title gdbinit GDB initialization scripts
43953
43954 @format
43955 @c man begin SYNOPSIS gdbinit
43956 @ifset SYSTEM_GDBINIT
43957 @value{SYSTEM_GDBINIT}
43958 @end ifset
43959
43960 ~/.gdbinit
43961
43962 ./.gdbinit
43963 @c man end
43964 @end format
43965
43966 @c man begin DESCRIPTION gdbinit
43967 These files contain @value{GDBN} commands to automatically execute during
43968 @value{GDBN} startup. The lines of contents are canned sequences of commands,
43969 described in
43970 @ifset man
43971 the @value{GDBN} manual in node @code{Sequences}
43972 -- shell command @code{info -f gdb -n Sequences}.
43973 @end ifset
43974 @ifclear man
43975 @ref{Sequences}.
43976 @end ifclear
43977
43978 Please read more in
43979 @ifset man
43980 the @value{GDBN} manual in node @code{Startup}
43981 -- shell command @code{info -f gdb -n Startup}.
43982 @end ifset
43983 @ifclear man
43984 @ref{Startup}.
43985 @end ifclear
43986
43987 @table @env
43988 @ifset SYSTEM_GDBINIT
43989 @item @value{SYSTEM_GDBINIT}
43990 @end ifset
43991 @ifclear SYSTEM_GDBINIT
43992 @item (not enabled with @code{--with-system-gdbinit} during compilation)
43993 @end ifclear
43994 System-wide initialization file. It is executed unless user specified
43995 @value{GDBN} option @code{-nx} or @code{-n}.
43996 See more in
43997 @ifset man
43998 the @value{GDBN} manual in node @code{System-wide configuration}
43999 -- shell command @code{info -f gdb -n 'System-wide configuration'}.
44000 @end ifset
44001 @ifclear man
44002 @ref{System-wide configuration}.
44003 @end ifclear
44004
44005 @item ~/.gdbinit
44006 User initialization file. It is executed unless user specified
44007 @value{GDBN} options @code{-nx}, @code{-n} or @code{-nh}.
44008
44009 @item ./.gdbinit
44010 Initialization file for current directory. It may need to be enabled with
44011 @value{GDBN} security command @code{set auto-load local-gdbinit}.
44012 See more in
44013 @ifset man
44014 the @value{GDBN} manual in node @code{Init File in the Current Directory}
44015 -- shell command @code{info -f gdb -n 'Init File in the Current Directory'}.
44016 @end ifset
44017 @ifclear man
44018 @ref{Init File in the Current Directory}.
44019 @end ifclear
44020 @end table
44021 @c man end
44022
44023 @c man begin SEEALSO gdbinit
44024 @ifset man
44025 gdb(1), @code{info -f gdb -n Startup}
44026
44027 The full documentation for @value{GDBN} is maintained as a Texinfo manual.
44028 If the @code{info} and @code{gdb} programs and @value{GDBN}'s Texinfo
44029 documentation are properly installed at your site, the command
44030
44031 @smallexample
44032 info gdb
44033 @end smallexample
44034
44035 should give you access to the complete manual.
44036
44037 @cite{Using GDB: A Guide to the GNU Source-Level Debugger},
44038 Richard M. Stallman and Roland H. Pesch, July 1991.
44039 @end ifset
44040 @c man end
44041
44042 @include gpl.texi
44043
44044 @node GNU Free Documentation License
44045 @appendix GNU Free Documentation License
44046 @include fdl.texi
44047
44048 @node Concept Index
44049 @unnumbered Concept Index
44050
44051 @printindex cp
44052
44053 @node Command and Variable Index
44054 @unnumbered Command, Variable, and Function Index
44055
44056 @printindex fn
44057
44058 @tex
44059 % I think something like @@colophon should be in texinfo. In the
44060 % meantime:
44061 \long\def\colophon{\hbox to0pt{}\vfill
44062 \centerline{The body of this manual is set in}
44063 \centerline{\fontname\tenrm,}
44064 \centerline{with headings in {\bf\fontname\tenbf}}
44065 \centerline{and examples in {\tt\fontname\tentt}.}
44066 \centerline{{\it\fontname\tenit\/},}
44067 \centerline{{\bf\fontname\tenbf}, and}
44068 \centerline{{\sl\fontname\tensl\/}}
44069 \centerline{are used for emphasis.}\vfill}
44070 \page\colophon
44071 % Blame: doc@@cygnus.com, 1991.
44072 @end tex
44073
44074 @bye