-Contents
---------
-
If you find inaccuracies in this list, please send mail to
-bug-gdb@prep.ai.mit.edu.
+gdb-patches@sourceware.cygnus.com. If you would like to work on any
+of these, you should consider sending mail to the same address, to
+find out whether anyone else is working on it.
+
+
+ Known problems in GDB 5.0
+ =========================
+
+Below is a list of problems identified during the GDB 5.0 release
+cycle. People hope to have these problems fixed in a follow-on
+release.
+
+(The names in paren indicate people that posted the original problem.)
+
+--
+
+GDB doesn't build under IRIX6.4
+
+Benjamin Gamsa wrote:
+
+Has anyone successfully built the latest (from cvs) gdb on IRIX6.4 or
+later? The first problem I hit is that proc-api.c includes
+sys/user.h, which no longer exists under IRIX6.4. If I comment out
+that include, the next problem I hit is that PIOCGETPR and PIOCGETU
+are no longer defined in IRIX6.4 (presumably related to the
+disappearance of user.h).
+
+--
+
+The BFD directory requires bug-fixed AUTOMAKE et.al.
+
+AUTOMAKE 1.4 incorrectly set the TEXINPUTS environment variable. It
+contained the full path to texinfo.tex when it should have only
+contained the directory. The bug has been fixed in the current
+AUTOMAKE sources. Automake snapshots can be found in:
+ ftp://sourceware.cygnus.com/pub/gdb/snapshots
+and ftp://sourceware.cygnus.com/pub/binutils
+
+--
+
+gdb-cvs fails to build on freebsd-elf
+http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb/2000-04/msg00004.html
+
+Either the FreeBSD group need to contribute their local GDB changes
+back to the master sources or someone needs to provides a new
+(clean-room) implementation. Since the former involves a fairly
+complicated assignment the latter may be easier. [cagney]
+
+--
+
+Generic: lin-thread cannot handle thread exit (Mark Kettenis, Michael
+Snyder) http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb/2000-q1/msg00525.html
+
+The thread_db assisted debugging code doesn't handle exiting threads
+properly, at least in combination with glibc 2.1.3 (the framework is
+there, just not the actual code). There are at least two problems
+that prevent this from working.
+
+As an additional reference point, the pre thread_db code did not work
+either.
+
+--
+
+Java (Anthony Green, David Taylor)
+
+Anthony Green has a number of Java patches that did not make it into
+the 5.0 release.
+
+Patch: java tests
+http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb-patches/2000-q1/msg00512.html
+
+Patch: java booleans
+http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb-patches/2000-q1/msg00515.html
+
+Patch: handle N_MAIN stab
+http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb-patches/2000-q1/msg00527.html
+
+--
+
+Pascal (Pierre Muller, David Taylor)
+
+Pierre Muller has contributed patches for adding Pascal Language
+support to GDB.
+
+2 pascal language patches inserted in database
+http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb/2000-q1/msg00521.html
+
+Indent -gnu ?
+http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb/2000-q1/msg00496.html
+
+--
+
+GNU/Linux/x86 and random thread signals (and Solaris/SPARC but not
+Solaris/x86).
+http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb/2000-q1/msg00336.html
+
+Christopher Blizzard writes:
+
+So, I've done some more digging into this and it looks like Jim
+Kingdon has reported this problem in the past:
+
+http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/bug-gdb/1999-10/msg00058.html
+
+I can reproduce this problem both with and without Tom's patch. Has
+anyone seen this before? Maybe have a solution for it hanging around?
+:)
+
+There's a test case for this documented at:
+
+when debugging threaded applications you get extra SIGTRAPs
+http://bugzilla.redhat.com/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=9565
+
+[There should be a GDB testcase - cagney]
+
+--
+
+Possible regressions with some devel GCCs.
+http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb/2000-q1/msg00475.html
+
+gcc-2.95.2 outputs a line note *before* the prologue (and one for the
+closing brace after the epilogue, instead of before it, as it used to
+be). By disabling the RTL-style prologue generating mechanism
+(undocumented GCC option -mno-schedule-prologue), you get back the
+traditional behaviour.
+http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb/2000-q1/msg00510.html
+
+This should now be fixed.
+
+--
+
+RFD: infrun.c: No bpstat_stop_status call after proceed over break?
+(Peter Schauer)
+http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb-patches/2000-q1/msg00665.html
+
+GDB misses watchpoint triggers after proceeding over a breakpoint on
+x86 targets.
+
+--
+
+x86 linux GDB and SIGALRM (???)
+http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb/2000-q1/msg00803.html
+
+I know there are problems with single stepping through signal
+handlers. These problems were present in 4.18. They were just masked
+because 4.18 failed to recognize signal handlers. Fixing it is not
+easy, and will require changes to handle_inferior_event(), that I
+prefer not to make before the 5.0 release.
+
+Mark
+
+--
+
+Revised UDP support (was: Re: [Fwd: [patch] UDP transport support])
+http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb-patches/2000-04/msg00000.html
+
+(Broken) support for GDB's remote protocol across UDP is to be
+included in the follow-on release.
+
+--
+
+Can't build IRIX -> arm GDB.
+http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb-patches/2000-04/msg00356.html
+
+David Whedon writes:
+> Now I'm building for an embedded arm target. If there is a way of turning
+> remote-rdi off, I couldn't find it. It looks like it gets built by default
+> in gdb/configure.tgt(line 58) Anyway, the build dies in
+> gdb/rdi-share/unixcomm.c. SERPORT1 et. al. never get defined because we
+> aren't one of the architectures supported.
+
+--
+
+Problem with weak functions
+http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb/2000-05/msg00060.html
+
+Dan Nicolaescu writes:
+> It seems that gdb-4.95.1 does not display correctly the function when
+> stoping in weak functions.
+>
+> It stops in a function that is defined as weak, not in the function
+> that is actualy run...
+
+--
+
+GDB5 TOT on unixware 7
+http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb/2000-04/msg00119.html
+
+Robert Lipe writes:
+> I just spun the top of tree of the GDB5 branch on UnixWare 7. As a
+> practical matter, the current thread support is somewhat more annoying
+> than when GDB was thread-unaware.
+
+--
+
+ Code Cleanups
+ =============
+
+The following are small cleanups that will hopefully be completed by
+the follow on to 5.0.
+
+--
+
+ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED
+
+The need for this as almost been eliminated. The next version of GCC
+(assuming cagney gets the relevant patch committed) will be able to
+supress unused parameter warnings.
+
+--
+
+Eliminate more compiler warnings.
+
+Of course there also needs to be the usual debate over which warnings
+are valid and how to best go about this.
+
+One method: choose a single option; get agreement that it is
+reasonable; try it out to see if there isn't anything silly about it
+(-Wunused-parameters is an example of that) then incrementally hack
+away.
+
+The other method is to enable all warnings and eliminate them from one
+file at a time.
+
+--
+
+Delete macro TARGET_BYTE_ORDER_SELECTABLE.
+
+Patches in the database.
+
+--
+
+Updated readline
+
+Readline 4.? is out. A merge wouldn't hurt.
+
+--
+
+Purge PARAMS
+
+Eliminate all uses of PARAMS in GDB's source code.
+
+--
+
+Elimination of make_cleanup_func. (Andrew Cagney)
+
+make_cleanup_func elimination
+http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb-patches/2000-q1/msg00791.html
+http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb-patches/2000-q1/msg00814.html
+
+--
+
+Re: Various C++ things
+
+value_headof/value_from_vtable_info are worthless, and should be removed.
+The one place in printcmd.c that uses it should use the RTTI functions.
+
+RTTI for g++ should be using the typeinfo functions rather than the vtables.
+The typeinfo functions are always at offset 4 from the beginning of the vtable,
+and are always right. The vtables will have weird names like E::VB sometimes.
+The typeinfo function will always be "E type_info function", or somesuch.
+
+value_virtual_fn_field needs to be fixed so there are no failures for virtual
+functions for C++ using g++.
+
+Testsuite cases are the major priority right now for C++ support, since i have
+to make a lot of changes that could potentially break each other.
+
+--
+
+Fix ``set architecture <tab>''
+
+This command should expand to a list of all supported architectures.
+At present ``info architecture'' needs to be used. That is simply
+wrong. It involves the use of add_set_enum_cmd().
+
+--
+
+GDBARCH cleanup (Andrew Cagney)
+
+The non-generated parts of gdbarch.{sh,h,c} should be separated out
+into arch-utils.[hc].
+
+Document that gdbarch_init_ftype could easily fail because it didn't
+identify an architecture.
+
+--
+
+Migrate qfThreadInfo packet -> qThreadInfo. (Andrew Cagney)
+
+Add support for packet enable/disable commands with these thread
+packets. General cleanup.
+
+[PATCH] Document the ThreadInfo remote protocol queries
+http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb-patches/2000-q1/msg00832.html
+
+[PATCH] "info threads" queries for remote.c
+http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb-patches/2000-q1/msg00831.html
+
+--
+
+ General Cleanups / Fixes
+ ========================
+
+The following are more general cleanups and fixes. They are not tied
+to any specific release.
+
+--
+
+Nuke USG define.
+
+--
+
+Eliminate gdb/tui/Makefile.in.
+Cleanup configury support for optional sub-directories.
+
+Check how GCC handles multiple front ends for an example of how things
+could work. A tentative first step is to rationalize things so that
+all sub directories are handled in a fashion similar to gdb/mi.
+
+--
+
+[PATCH/5] src/intl/Makefile.in:distclean additions
+http://sourceware.cygnus.com/ml/gdb-patches/2000-04/msg00363.html
+
+Do not forget to merge the patch back into the trunk.
+
+--
+
+Update ALPHA so that it uses ``struct frame_extra_info'' instead of
+EXTRA_FRAME_INFO.
+
+This is a barrier to replacing mips_extra_func_info with something
+that works with multi-arch.
+
+--
+
+Multi-arch mips_extra_func_info.
+
+This first needs the alpha to be updated so that it uses ``struct
+frame_extra_info''.
+
+--
+
+Send normal output to gdb_stdout.
+Send error messages to gdb_stderror.
+Send debug and log output log gdb_stdlog.
+
+GDB still contains many cases where (f)printf or printf_filtered () is
+used when it should be sending the messages to gdb_stderror or
+gdb_stdlog.
+
+--
+
+Rationalize the host-endian code (grep for HOST_BYTE_ORDER).
+
+At preent defs.h includes <endian.h> (which is linux specific) yet
+almost nothing depends on it. Suggest "gdb_endian.h" which can also
+handle <machine/endian.h> and only include that where it is really
+needed.
+
+--
+
+Replace asprintf() calls with xasprintf() calls.
+
+As with things like strdup() most calls to asprintf() don't check the
+return value.
+
+--
+
+Rationaize savestring(), msavestring() and mstrsave().
+
+In general libiberty's xstrdup () can be used.
+
+--
+
+Eliminate mmalloc() from GDB.
+
+Also eliminate it from defs.h.
+
+--
+
+Check/cleanup MI documentation.
+
+The list of commands specified in the documentation needs to be
+checked against the mi-cmds.c table in a mechanical way (so that they
+two can be kept up-to-date).
+
+--
+
+Eliminate error_begin().
+
+With ui_file, there is no need for the statefull error_begin ()
+function.
+
+--
+
+Add built-by, build-date, tm, xm, nm and anything else into gdb binary
+so that you can see how the GDB was created.
+
+Some of these (*m.h) would be added to the generated config.h. That
+in turn would fix a long standing bug where by the build process many
+not notice a changed tm.h file. Since everything depends on config.h,
+a change to *m.h forces a change to config.h and, consequently forces
+a rebuild.
+
+--
+
+Replace gdb_stdtarg with gdb_targout (and possibly gdb_targerr).
+
+gdb_stdtarg is easily confused with gdb_stdarg.
+
+--
+
+Remote protocol doco feedback.
+
+Too much feedback to mention needs to be merged in (901660). Search
+for the word ``remote''.
+
+--
+
+set/show remote X-packet ...
+
+``(gdb) help set remote X-packet'' doesn't list the applicable
+responses. The help message needs to be expanded.
+
+--
+
+Extra ui_file methods - dump.
+
+These are for debugging / testing. An aside is to set up a whitebox
+testsuite for key internals such as ui_file.
+
+--
+
+Add an "info bfd" command that displays supported object formats,
+similarly to objdump -i.
+
+Is there a command already?
+
+--
+
+Eliminate PTR. ISO-C allows ``void *''.
+
+--
+
+Eliminate abort ().
+
+GDB should never abort. GDB should either throw ``error ()'' or
+``internal_error ()''. Better still GDB should naturally unwind with
+an error status.
+
+--
+
+ Architectural Changes
+ =====================
+
+These are harder than simple cleanups / fixes and, consequently
+involve more work. Typically an Architectural Change will be broken
+down into a more digestible set of cleanups and fixes.
+
+--
+
+Replace READ_FP() with FRAME_HANDLE().
+
+READ_FP() is a hangover from the days of the vax when the ABI really
+did have a frame pointer register. Modern architectures typically
+construct a virtual frame-handle from the stack pointer and various
+other bits of string.
+
+Unfortunatly GDB still treats this synthetic FP register as though it
+is real. That in turn really confuses users (arm and ``print $fp'' VS
+``info registers fp''). The synthetic FP should be separated out of
+the true register set presented to the user.
+
+--
+
+MI's input does not use buffering.
+
+At present the MI interface reads raw characters of from an unbuffered
+FD. This is to avoid several nasty buffer/race conditions. That code
+should be changed so that it registers its self with the event loop
+(on the input FD) and then push commands up to MI as they arrive.
+
+The serial code already does this.
+
+--
+
+Register Cache Cleanup (below from Andrew Cagney)
+
+I would depict the current register architecture as something like:
+
+ High GDB --> Low GDB
+ | |
+ \|/ \|/
+ --- REG NR -----
+ |
+ register + REGISTER_BYTE(reg_nr)
+ |
+ \|/
+ -------------------------
+ | extern register[] |
+ -------------------------
-* Things to do for Mach.
-* General to do list.
+where neither the high (valops.c et.al.) or low gdb (*-tdep.c) are
+really clear on what mechanisms they should be using to manipulate that
+buffer. Further, much code assumes, dangerously, that registers are
+contigious. Having got mips-tdep.c to support multiple ABIs, believe
+me, that is a bad assumption. Finally, that register cache layout is
+determined by the current remote/local target and _not_ the less
+specific target ISA. In fact, in many cases it is determined by the
+somewhat arbitrary layout of the [gG] packets!
-Things to do for Mach
----------------------
-This section is up to date as of 28 Oct 1993.
+How I would like the register file to work is more like:
-All my attempted compilation was on douglas.gnu.ai.mit.edu.
-0. Get it to compile and run again, especially for non-threaded
-programs (some of the following are sub-tasks for this).
+ High GDB
+ |
+ \|/
+ pseudo reg-nr
+ |
+ map pseudo <->
+ random cache
+ bytes
+ |
+ \|/
+ ------------
+ | register |
+ | cache |
+ ------------
+ /|\
+ |
+ map random cache
+ bytes to target
+ dependant i-face
+ /|\
+ |
+ target dependant
+ such as [gG] packet
+ or ptrace buffer
-1. attach_command still contains a call to wait_for_inferior which is
-wrong for Mach. Need to figure out a way to push this functionality
-into target_attach (perhaps by having target_attach, for non-Mach
-targets, call a function which does what is now in attach_command).
+The main objectives being:
-2. jtv's port contains an #ifdef which skips the call to
-insert_step_breakpoint right after SOLIB_CREATE_INFERIOR_HOOK, but
-goes ahead and calls insert_breakpoints. I don't understand this--the
-comment would appear to apply to all breakpoints. Perhaps it is an
-artifact from a previous version of the Mach port? (BTW, the modern
-equivalent is the call to proceed from m3_create_inferior; proceed
-inserts breakpoints).
+ o a clear separation between the low
+ level target and the high level GDB
-3. Get the thread stuff to use the new generic thread code (enhancing
-the generic thread code to include any missing features). This is
-necessary to make thread-specific breakpoints work again. If someone
-wants to try to patch up the old Mach threads code, need to deal with
-the hooks for PREPARE_TO_PROCEED and ATTACH_TO_THREAD, which I haven't
-merged--can these go in target_resume()?
+ o a mechanism that solves the general
+ problem of register aliases, overlaps
+ etc instead of treating them as optional
+ extras that can be wedged in as an after
+ thought (that is a reasonable description
+ of the current code).
-4. BFD problem--"Undefined symbol _aout_32_swap_exec_header_in".
-Believed to be fixed (fix not yet tested with GDB).
+ Identify then solve the hard case and the
+ rest just falls out. GDB solved the easy
+ case and then tried to ignore the real
+ world :-)
-5. The linker complains about mfree and so on being multiply defined.
-Believed to be fixed (fix not yet tested).
+ o a removal of the assumption that the
+ mapping between the register cache
+ and virtual registers is largely static.
+ If you flip the USR/SSR stack register
+ select bit in the status-register then
+ the corresponding stack registers should
+ reflect the change.
-6. i386_mach3_float_info and register_addr were undefined in the
-link. I haven't investigated, but probably just another easy
-configuration thing or something.
+ o a mechanism that clearly separates the
+ gdb internal register cache from any
+ target (not architecture) dependant
+ specifics such as [gG] packets.
-7. I couldn't find mach_port_t in any of the headers in
-/usr/include/*.h or /usr/include/mach/*.h (I think those are the two
-places I grepped; I don't know what headers I was actually getting).
-Typedeffing it to void * in nm-m3.h seemed to work, but of course
-that's hardly an elegant solution.
+Of course, like anything, it sounds good in theory. In reality, it
+would have to contend with many<->many relationships at both the
+virt<->cache and cache<->target level. For instance:
-8. Implement the features which CMU gdb has which the main GDB does
-not. This could be done by getting paperwork from CMU and merging
-their changes, or by reimplementing them.
+ virt<->cache
+ Modifying an mmx register may involve
+ scattering values across both FP and
+ mmpx specific parts of a buffer
-General To Do List
-------------------
+ cache<->target
+ When writing back a SP it may need to
+ both be written to both SP and USP.
-This to do list is probably not up to date, and opinions may vary
-about the importance or even desirability of some of the items.
+
+Hmm,
+
+Rather than let this like the last time it was discussed, just slip, I'm
+first going to add this e-mail (+ references) to TODO. I'd then like to
+sketch out a broad strategy I think could get us there.
+
+
+First thing I'd suggest is separating out the ``extern registers[]''
+code so that we can at least identify what is using it. At present
+things are scattered across many files. That way we can at least
+pretend that there is a cache instead of a global array :-)
+
+I'd then suggest someone putting up a proposal for the pseudo-reg /
+high-level side interface so that code can be adopted to it. For old
+code, initially a blanket rename of write_register_bytes() to
+deprecated_write_register_bytes() would help.
+
+Following that would, finaly be the corresponding changes to the target.
+
+--
+
+Fix ``I'm sorry, Dave, I can't do that.'' from symfile.c.
+
+This requires internationalization.
+
+--
+
+Check that GDB can handle all BFD architectures (Andrew Cagney)
+
+There should be a test that checks that BFD/GDB are in sync with
+regard to architecture changes. Something like a test that first
+queries GDB for all supported architectures and then feeds each back
+to GDB.. Anyone interested in learning how to write tests? :-)
+
+--
+
+Add support for Modula3
+
+Get DEC/Compaq to contribute their Modula-3 support.
+
+--
+
+Convert ALL architectures to MULTI-ARCH.
+
+--
+
+Convert GDB build process to AUTOMAKE.
+
+--
+
+Restructure gdb directory tree so that it avoids any 8.3 and 14
+filename problems.
+
+--
+
+Can the xdep files be replaced by autoconf?
+Can the tm.h and nm.h files be eliminated by multi-arch.
+
+--
+
+Add a transcript mechanism to GDB.
+
+Such a mechanism might log all gdb input and output to a file in a
+form that would allow it to be replayed. It could involve ``gdb
+--transcript=FILE'' or it could involve ``(gdb) transcript file''.
+
+--
+
+Make MI interface accessable from existing CLI.
+
+--
+
+Select the initial multi-arch ISA / ABI based on --target or similar.
+
+At present the default is based on what ever is first in the BFD
+archures table. It should be determined based on the ``--target=...''
+name.
+
+--
+
+Truly multi-arch.
+
+Enable the code to recognize --enable-targets=.... like BINUTILS does.
+
+--
+
+Add a breakpoint-edit command to MI.
+
+It would be similar to MI's breakpoint create but would apply to an
+existing breakpoint. It saves the need to delete/create breakpoints
+when ever they are changed.
+
+--
+
+Add directory path to MI breakpoint.
+
+That way the GUI's task of finding the file within which the
+breakpoint was set is simplified.
+
+--
+
+Re-do GDB's output pager.
+
+GDB's output pager still relies on people correctly using *_filtered
+for gdb_stdout and *_unfiltered for gdb_stdlog / gdb_stderr.
+Hopefully, with all normal output going to gdb_stdout, the pager can
+just look at the ui_file that the output is on and then use that to
+decide what to do about paging. Sounds good in theory.
+
+--
+
+Add mechanism to reject expression classes to MI
+
+There are situtations where you don't want GDB's expression
+parser/evaluator to perform inferior function calls or variable
+assignments.
+
+--
+
+Remove sideffects from libgdb breakpoint create function.
+
+The user can use the CLI to create a breakpoint with partial
+information - no file (gdb would use the file from the last
+breakpoint).
+
+The libgdb interface currently affects that environment which can lead
+to confusion when a user is setting breakpoints via both the MI and
+the CLI.
+
+This is also a good example of how getting the CLI ``right'' will be
+hard.
+
+--
+
+GDB doesn't recover gracefully from remote protocol errors.
+
+GDB wasn't checking for NAKs from the remote target. Instead a NAK is
+ignored and a timeout is required before GDB retries. A pre-cursor to
+fixing this this is making GDB's remote protocol packet more robust.
+
+While downloading to a remote protocol target, gdb ignores packet
+errors in so far as it will continue to edownload with chunk N+1 even
+if chunk N was not correctly sent. This causes gdb.base/remote.exp to
+take a painfully long time to run. As a PS that test needs to be
+fixed so that it builds on 16 bit machines.
+
+--
+
+Move gdb_lasterr to ui_out?
+
+The way GDB throws errors and records them needs a re-think. ui_out
+handles the correct output well. It doesn't resolve what to do with
+output / error-messages when things go wrong.
+
+--
+
+Fix implementation of ``target xxx''.
+
+At present when the user specifies ``target xxxx'', the CLI maps that
+directly onto a target open method. It is then assumed that the
+target open method should do all sorts of complicated things as this
+is the only chance it has. Check how the various remote targets
+duplicate the target operations. Check also how the various targets
+behave differently for purely arbitrary reasons.
+
+What should happen is that ``target xxxx'' should call a generic
+``target'' function and that should then co-ordinate the opening of
+``xxxx''. This becomes especially important when you're trying to
+open an asynchronous target that may need to perform background tasks
+as part of the ``attach'' phase.
+
+Unfortunatly, due to limitations in the old/creaking command.h
+interface, that isn't possible. The function being called isn't told
+of the ``xxx'' or any other context information.
+
+Consequently a precursor to fixing ``target xxxx'' is to clean up the
+CLI code so that it passes to the callback function (attatched to a
+command) useful information such as the actual command and a context
+for that command. Other changes such as making ``struct command''
+opaque may also help.
+
+--
+
+Document trace machinery
+
+--
+
+Document overlay machinery.
+
+--
+
+ Legacy Wish List
+ ================
+
+This list is not up to date, and opinions vary about the importance or
+even desirability of some of the items. If you do fix something, it
+always pays to check the below.
+
+--
+
+@c This does not work (yet if ever). FIXME.
+@c @item --parse=@var{lang} @dots{}
+@c Configure the @value{GDBN} expression parser to parse the listed languages.
+@c @samp{all} configures @value{GDBN} for all supported languages. To get a
+@c list of all supported languages, omit the argument. Without this
+@c option, @value{GDBN} is configured to parse all supported languages.
+
+--
+
+START_INFERIOR_TRAPS_EXPECTED need never be defined to 2, since that
+is its default value. Clean this up.
+
+--
It should be possible to use symbols from shared libraries before we know
exactly where the libraries will be loaded. E.g. "b perror" before running
the program. This could maybe be done as an extension of the "breakpoint
re-evaluation" after new symbols are loaded.
+--
+
Make single_step() insert and remove breakpoints in one operation.
+--
+
Speed up single stepping by avoiding extraneous ptrace calls.
+--
+
Speed up single stepping by not inserting and removing breakpoints
each time the inferior starts and stops.
one(s) there should be removed when we have to step over one. Support
breakpoints that don't have to be removed to step over them.
-Speed up watchpoints by using debug registers, page table diddling (on
-SunOS4, can call mprotect() in the inferior; on other machines can do
-something simpler), etc. Note that you need to detect a
-"fast-watchable expression" (i.e., if watching "*p", then either a
-change to the address pointed to by p or a change to p itself which
-causes the value of *p to change, is a watchpoint hit). It is
-possible we will also someday want extensions which are
-lower-level--"read from these addresses", "write to these addresses",
-etc., but there is no consensus about just how important these are and
-exactly what form they would take. There is a consensus that the
-existing watchpoint semantics should use hardware assists when
-available.
-
-Update gdbint.texinfo to include doc on the directory structure and
-the various tricks of building gdb.
-
-Do a tutorial in gdb.texinfo on how to do simple things in gdb.
-E.g. how to set a breakpoint that just prints something and continues.
-How to break on aborts. Etc.
+[this has resulted in numerous debates. The issue isn't clear cut]
+
+--
Provide "voodoo" debugging of core files. This creates a zombie
process as a child of the debugger, and loads it up with the data,
stack, and regs of the core file. This allows you to call functions
in the executable, to manipulate the data in the core file.
-GDB reopens the source file on every line, as you "next" through it.
+[you wish]
-Referencing the vtbl member of a struct doesn't work. It prints OK
-if you print the struct, but it gets 0 if you try to deref it.
+--
-Persistent command history: A feature where you could save off a list
-of the commands you did, so you can edit it into something that will bring
-the target to the same place every time you source it.
-This would also be useful for automated fast watchpointing; if you go
-past the place where it watchpoints, you just start it over again and
-do it more carefully.
+GDB reopens the source file on every line, as you "next" through it.
-Deal with the SunOS 4.0 and 4.1.1 ptrace bug that loses the registers if
-the stack is paged out.
+[still true? I've a memory of this being fixed]
-Finish the C++ exception handling stub routines. Lint points them out
-as unused statics functions.
+--
Perhaps "i source" should take an argument like that of "list".
-See if coredep.c's fetch_core_registers can be used on more machines.
-E.g. MIPS (mips-xdep.c).
-
-unpack_double() does not handle IEEE float on the target unless the host
-is also IEEE. Death on a vax.
-
-Set up interface between GDB and INFO so that you can hop into interactive
-INFO and back out again. When running under Emacs, should use Emacs
-info, else fork the info program. Installation of GDB should install
-its texinfo files into the info tree automagically, including the readline
-texinfo files.
-
-"help address" ought to find the "help set print address" entry.
-
-Remove the VTBL internal guts from printouts of C++ structs, unless
-vtblprint is set.
+--
Remove "at 0xnnnn" from the "b foo" response, if `print address off' and if
it matches the source line indicated.
-The prompt at end of screen should accept space as well as CR.
-
-"List" should put you into a pseudo-"more" where you can hit space to
-get more, forever to eof. (questionable--you can already hit return
-to get more, and modal user interfaces are evil -kingdon, 28 Oct
-1993).
-
-Check STORE_RETURN_VALUE on all architectures. Check near it in tm-sparc.h
-for other bogosities.
+--
-Check for storage leaks in GDB, I'm sure there are a lot!
+The prompt at end of screen should accept space as well as CR.
-vtblprint of a vtbl should demangle the names it's printing.
+--
Backtrace should point out what the currently selected frame is, in
its display, perhaps showing "@3 foo (bar, ...)" or ">3 foo (bar,
...)" rather than "#3 foo (bar, ...)".
+--
+
"i program" should work for core files, and display more info, like what
actually caused it to die.
+--
+
"x/10i" should shorten the long name, if any, on subsequent lines.
-Check through the code for FIXME comments and fix them. dbxread.c,
-blockframe.c, and plenty more.
+--
"next" over a function that longjumps, never stops until next time you happen
to get to that spot by accident. E.g. "n" over execute_command which has
an error.
-Watchpoints seem not entirely reliable, though they haven't failed me recently.
+--
-"set zeroprint off", don't bother printing members of structs which are entirely
-zero. Useful for those big structs with few useful members.
+"set zeroprint off", don't bother printing members of structs which
+are entirely zero. Useful for those big structs with few useful
+members.
+
+--
GDB does four ioctl's for every command, probably switching terminal modes
to/from inferior or for readline or something.
+--
+
terminal_ours versus terminal_inferior: cache state. Switch should be a noop
if the state is the same, too.
-ptype $i6 = void??!
-
-Clean up invalid_float handling so gdb doesn't coredump when it tries to
-access a NaN. While this might work on SPARC, other machines are not
-configured right.
-
-"b value_at ; commands ; continue ; end" stops EVERY OTHER TIME!
-Then once you enter a command, it does the command, runs two more
-times, and then stops again! Bizarre... (This behaviour has been
-modified, but it is not yet 100% predictable when e.g. the commands
-call functions in the child, and while there, the child is interrupted
-with a signal, or hits a breakpoint.)
-
-help completion, help history should work.
-
-Check that we can handle stack trace through varargs AND alloca in same
-function, on 29K.
-
-wait_for_inferior loops forever if wait() gives it an error.
+--
"i frame" shows wrong "arglist at" location, doesn't show where the args
should be found, only their actual values.
+--
+
There should be a way for "set" commands to validate the new setting
before it takes effect.
-A mess of floating point opcodes are missing from sparc-opcode.h.
-Also, a little program should test the table for bits that are
-overspecified or underspecified. E.g. if the must-be-ones bits
-and the must-be-zeroes bits leave some fields unexamined, and the format
-string leaves them unprinted, then point this out. If multiple
-non-alias patterns match, point this out too. Finally, there should
-be a sparc-optest.s file that tries each pattern out. This file
-should end up coming back the same (modulo transformation comments)
-if fed to "gas" then the .o is fed to gdb for disassembly.
-
-Eliminate all the core_file_command's in all the xdep files.
-Eliminate separate declarations of registers[] everywhere.
+--
"ena d" is ambiguous, why? "ena delete" seems to think it is a command!
-Line numbers are off in some spots. In proceed() at 1st "oneproc = 1",
-it seems to run that statement, but it doesn't actually.
-
-Perhaps move the tdep, xdep, and nat files, into the config
-subdirectories. If not, at least straighten out their names so that
-they all start with the machine name.
-
-inferior_status should include stop_print_frame. It won't need to be
-reset in wait_for_inferior after bpstat_stop_status call, then.
+--
i line VAR produces "Line number not known for symbol ``var''.". I
thought we were stashing that info now!
+--
+
We should be able to write to random files at hex offsets like adb.
+--
+
Make "target xxx" command interruptible.
+--
+
+[elena - delete this]
+
Handle add_file with separate text, data, and bss addresses. Maybe
handle separate addresses for each segment in the object file?
+--
+
+[Jimb/Elena delete this one]
+
Handle free_named_symtab to cope with multiply-loaded object files
in a dynamic linking environment. Should remember the last copy loaded,
but not get too snowed if it finds references to the older copy.
-The original BFD core dump reading routine would itself coredump when fed
-a garbage file as a core file. Does the current one?
+--
-Generalize and Standardize the RPC interface to a target program,
-improve it beyond the "ptrace" interface, and see if it can become a
-standard for remote debugging.
+[elena delete this also]
Remove all references to:
text_offset
...
now that we have BFD. All remaining are in machine dependent files.
-When quitting with a running program, if a core file was previously
-examined, you get "Couldn't read float regs from core file"...if
-indeed it can't. generic_mourn_inferior...
-
-Have remote targets give a warning on a signal argument to
-target_resume. Or better yet, extend the protocols so that it works
-like it does on the Unix-like systems.
-
-Sort help and info output.
+--
Re-organize help categories into things that tend to fit on a screen
and hang together.
-renote-nindy.c handles interrupts poorly; it error()s out of badly
-chosen places, e.g. leaving current_frame zero, which causes core dumps
-on the next command.
+--
Add in commands like ADB's for searching for patterns, etc. We should
be able to examine and patch raw unsymboled binaries as well in gdb as
we can in adb. (E.g. increase the timeout in /bin/login without source).
-Those xdep files that call register_addr without defining it are
-probably simply broken. When reconfiguring this part of gdb, I could
-only make guesses about how to redo some of those files, and I
-probably guessed wrong, or left them "for later" when I have a
-machine that can attempt to build them.
+[actually, add ADB interface :-]
+
+--
When doing "step" or "next", if a few lines of source are skipped between
the previous line and the current one, print those lines, not just the
last line of a multiline statement.
-When searching for C++ superclasses in value_cast in valops.c, we must
-not search the "fields", only the "superclasses". There might be a
-struct with a field name that matches the superclass name. This can
-happen when the struct was defined before the superclass (before the
-name became a typedef).
+--
Handling of "&" address-of operator needs some serious overhaul
for ANSI C and consistency on arrays and functions.
For "char *malloc();":
ptype malloc ==> "char *()"; should be same as
ptype &malloc ==> "char *(*)()"
-call printf ("%x\n", malloc) ==> wierd value, should be same as
+call printf ("%x\n", malloc) ==> weird value, should be same as
call printf ("%x\n", &malloc) ==> correct value
+--
+
Fix dbxread.c symbol reading in the presence of interrupts. It
currently leaves a cleanup to blow away the entire symbol table when a
QUIT occurs. (What's wrong with that? -kingdon, 28 Oct 1993).
+[I suspect that the grype was that, on a slow system, you might want
+to cntrl-c and get just half the symbols and then load the rest later
+- scary to be honest]
+
+--
+
Mipsread.c reads include files depth-first, because the dependencies
in the psymtabs are way too inclusive (it seems to me). Figure out what
really depends on what, to avoid recursing 20 or 30 times while reading
real symtabs.
+--
+
value_add() should be subtracting the lower bound of arrays, if known,
and possibly checking against the upper bound for error reporting.
-mipsread.c symbol table allocation and deallocation should be checked.
-My suspicion is that it's full of memory leaks.
-
-SunOS should have a target_lookup_symbol() for common'd things allocated
-by the shared library linker ld.so.
+--
When listing source lines, check for a preceding \n, to verify that
the file hasn't changed out from under us.
-When listing source lines, eat leading whitespace corresponding to the
-line-number prefix we print. This avoids long lines wrapping.
+[fixed by some other means I think. That hack wouldn't actually work
+reliably - the file might move such that another \n appears. ]
-mipsread.c needs to check for old symtabs and psymtabs for the same
-files, the way it happens for dbxread.c and coffread.c, for VxWorks
-incremental symbol table reloading.
+--
Get all the remote systems (where the protocol allows it) to be able to
stop the remote system when the GDB user types ^C (like remote.c
does). For ebmon, use ^Ak.
+--
+
Possible feature: A version of the "disassemble" command which shows
both source and assembly code ("set symbol-filename on" is a partial
solution).
+
+[has this been done? It was certainly done for MI and GDBtk]
+
+--
+
+investigate "x/s 0" (right now stops early) (I think maybe GDB is
+using a 0 address for bad purposes internally).
+
+--
+
+Make "info path" and path_command work again (but independent of the
+environment either of gdb or that we'll pass to the inferior).
+
+--
+
+Make GDB understand the GCC feature for putting octal constants in
+enums. Make it so overflow on an enum constant does not error_type
+the whole type. Allow arbitrarily large enums with type attributes.
+Put all this stuff in the testsuite.
+
+--
+
+Make TYPE_CODE_ERROR with a non-zero TYPE_LENGTH more useful (print
+the value in hex; process type attributes). Add this to the
+testsuite. This way future compilers can add new types and old
+versions of GDB can do something halfway reasonable.
+
+--
+
+Fix mdebugread.c:parse_type to do fundamental types right (see
+rs6000_builtin_type in stabsread.c for what "right" is--the point is
+that the debug format fixes the sizes of these things and it shouldn't
+depend on stuff like TARGET_PTR_BIT and so on. For mdebug, there seem
+to be separate bt* codes for 64 bit and 32 bit things, and GDB should
+be aware of that). Also use a switch statement for clarity and speed.
+
+--
+
+Investigate adding symbols in target_load--some targets do, some
+don't.
+
+--
+
+Put dirname in psymtabs and change lookup*symtab to use dirname (so
+/foo/bar.c works whether compiled by cc /foo/bar.c, or cd /foo; cc
+bar.c).
+
+--
+
+Merge xcoffread.c and coffread.c. Use breakpoint_re_set instead of
+fixup_breakpoints.
+
+--
+
+Make a watchpoint which contains a function call an error (it is
+broken now, making it work is probably not worth the effort).
+
+--
+
+New test case based on weird.exp but in which type numbers are not
+renumbered (thus multiply defining a type). This currently causes an
+infinite loop on "p v_comb".
+
+--
+
+[Hey! Hint Hint Delete Delete!!!]
+
+Fix 386 floating point so that floating point registers are real
+registers (but code can deal at run-time if they are missing, like
+mips and 68k). This would clean up "info float" and related stuff.
+
+--
+
+gcc -g -c enummask.c then gdb enummask.o, then "p v". GDB complains
+about not being able to access memory location 0.
+
+-------------------- enummask.c
+enum mask
+{
+ ANIMAL = 0,
+ VEGETABLE = 1,
+ MINERAL = 2,
+ BASIC_CATEGORY = 3,
+
+ WHITE = 0,
+ BLUE = 4,
+ GREEN = 8,
+ BLACK = 0xc,
+ COLOR = 0xc,
+
+ ALIVE = 0x10,
+
+ LARGE = 0x20
+} v;
+
+--
+
+If try to modify value in file with "set write off" should give
+appropriate error not "cannot access memory at address 0x65e0".
+
+--
+
+Allow core file without exec file on RS/6000.
+
+--
+
+Make sure "shell" with no arguments works right on DOS.
+
+--
+
+Make gdb.ini (as well as .gdbinit) be checked on all platforms, so
+the same directory can be NFS-mounted on unix or DOS, and work the
+same way.
+
+--
+
+[Is this another delete???]
+
+Get SECT_OFF_TEXT stuff out of objfile_relocate (might be needed to
+get RS/6000 to work right, might not be immediately relevant).
+
+--
+
+Work out some kind of way to allow running the inferior to be done as
+a sub-execution of, eg. breakpoint command lists. Currently running
+the inferior interupts any command list execution. This would require
+some rewriting of wait_for_inferior & friends, and hence should
+probably be done in concert with the above.
+
+--
+
+Add function arguments to gdb user defined functions.
+
+--
+
+Add convenience variables that refer to exec file, symbol file,
+selected frame source file, selected frame function, selected frame
+line number, etc.
+
+--
+
+Add a "suspend" subcommand of the "continue" command to suspend gdb
+while continuing execution of the subprocess. Useful when you are
+debugging servers and you want to dodge out and initiate a connection
+to a server running under gdb.
+
+[hey async!!]
+
+--
+
+Modify the handling of symbols grouped through BINCL/EINCL stabs to
+allocate a partial symtab for each BINCL/EINCL grouping. This will
+seriously decrease the size of inter-psymtab dependencies and hence
+lessen the amount that needs to be read in when a new source file is
+accessed.
+
+--
+
+[Comming...]
+
+Modify gdb to work correctly with Pascal.
+
+--
+
+Add a command for searching memory, a la adb. It specifies size,
+mask, value, start address. ADB searches until it finds it or hits
+an error (or is interrupted).
+
+--
+
+Remove the range and type checking code and documentation, if not
+going to implement.
+
+# Local Variables:
+# mode: text
+# End:
projects / binutils-gdb.git / blobdiff