Add Guile as an extension language.
[deliverable/binutils-gdb.git] / gdb / doc / gdb.texinfo
1 \input texinfo @c -*-texinfo-*-
2 @c Copyright (C) 1988-2014 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 * gdbserver: (gdb) Server. The GNU debugging server.
49 @end direntry
50
51 @copying
52 @c man begin COPYRIGHT
53 Copyright @copyright{} 1988-2014 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
54
55 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
56 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.3 or
57 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with the
58 Invariant Sections being ``Free Software'' and ``Free Software Needs
59 Free Documentation'', with the Front-Cover Texts being ``A GNU Manual,''
60 and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below.
61
62 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You are free to copy and modify
63 this GNU Manual. Buying copies from GNU Press supports the FSF in
64 developing GNU and promoting software freedom.''
65 @c man end
66 @end copying
67
68 @ifnottex
69 This file documents the @sc{gnu} debugger @value{GDBN}.
70
71 This is the @value{EDITION} Edition, of @cite{Debugging with
72 @value{GDBN}: the @sc{gnu} Source-Level Debugger} for @value{GDBN}
73 @ifset VERSION_PACKAGE
74 @value{VERSION_PACKAGE}
75 @end ifset
76 Version @value{GDBVN}.
77
78 @insertcopying
79 @end ifnottex
80
81 @titlepage
82 @title Debugging with @value{GDBN}
83 @subtitle The @sc{gnu} Source-Level Debugger
84 @sp 1
85 @subtitle @value{EDITION} Edition, for @value{GDBN} version @value{GDBVN}
86 @ifset VERSION_PACKAGE
87 @sp 1
88 @subtitle @value{VERSION_PACKAGE}
89 @end ifset
90 @author Richard Stallman, Roland Pesch, Stan Shebs, et al.
91 @page
92 @tex
93 {\parskip=0pt
94 \hfill (Send bugs and comments on @value{GDBN} to @value{BUGURL}.)\par
95 \hfill {\it Debugging with @value{GDBN}}\par
96 \hfill \TeX{}info \texinfoversion\par
97 }
98 @end tex
99
100 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
101 Published by the Free Software Foundation @*
102 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor,
103 Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA@*
104 ISBN 978-0-9831592-3-0 @*
105
106 @insertcopying
107 @end titlepage
108 @page
109
110 @ifnottex
111 @node Top, Summary, (dir), (dir)
112
113 @top Debugging with @value{GDBN}
114
115 This file describes @value{GDBN}, the @sc{gnu} symbolic debugger.
116
117 This is the @value{EDITION} Edition, for @value{GDBN}
118 @ifset VERSION_PACKAGE
119 @value{VERSION_PACKAGE}
120 @end ifset
121 Version @value{GDBVN}.
122
123 Copyright (C) 1988-2014 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
124
125 This edition of the GDB manual is dedicated to the memory of Fred
126 Fish. Fred was a long-standing contributor to GDB and to Free
127 software in general. We will miss him.
128
129 @menu
130 * Summary:: Summary of @value{GDBN}
131 * Sample Session:: A sample @value{GDBN} session
132
133 * Invocation:: Getting in and out of @value{GDBN}
134 * Commands:: @value{GDBN} commands
135 * Running:: Running programs under @value{GDBN}
136 * Stopping:: Stopping and continuing
137 * Reverse Execution:: Running programs backward
138 * Process Record and Replay:: Recording inferior's execution and replaying it
139 * Stack:: Examining the stack
140 * Source:: Examining source files
141 * Data:: Examining data
142 * Optimized Code:: Debugging optimized code
143 * Macros:: Preprocessor Macros
144 * Tracepoints:: Debugging remote targets non-intrusively
145 * Overlays:: Debugging programs that use overlays
146
147 * Languages:: Using @value{GDBN} with different languages
148
149 * Symbols:: Examining the symbol table
150 * Altering:: Altering execution
151 * GDB Files:: @value{GDBN} files
152 * Targets:: Specifying a debugging target
153 * Remote Debugging:: Debugging remote programs
154 * Configurations:: Configuration-specific information
155 * Controlling GDB:: Controlling @value{GDBN}
156 * Extending GDB:: Extending @value{GDBN}
157 * Interpreters:: Command Interpreters
158 * TUI:: @value{GDBN} Text User Interface
159 * Emacs:: Using @value{GDBN} under @sc{gnu} Emacs
160 * GDB/MI:: @value{GDBN}'s Machine Interface.
161 * Annotations:: @value{GDBN}'s annotation interface.
162 * JIT Interface:: Using the JIT debugging interface.
163 * In-Process Agent:: In-Process Agent
164
165 * GDB Bugs:: Reporting bugs in @value{GDBN}
166
167 @ifset SYSTEM_READLINE
168 * Command Line Editing: (rluserman). Command Line Editing
169 * Using History Interactively: (history). Using History Interactively
170 @end ifset
171 @ifclear SYSTEM_READLINE
172 * Command Line Editing:: Command Line Editing
173 * Using History Interactively:: Using History Interactively
174 @end ifclear
175 * In Memoriam:: In Memoriam
176 * Formatting Documentation:: How to format and print @value{GDBN} documentation
177 * Installing GDB:: Installing GDB
178 * Maintenance Commands:: Maintenance Commands
179 * Remote Protocol:: GDB Remote Serial Protocol
180 * Agent Expressions:: The GDB Agent Expression Mechanism
181 * Target Descriptions:: How targets can describe themselves to
182 @value{GDBN}
183 * Operating System Information:: Getting additional information from
184 the operating system
185 * Trace File Format:: GDB trace file format
186 * Index Section Format:: .gdb_index section format
187 * Man Pages:: Manual pages
188 * Copying:: GNU General Public License says
189 how you can copy and share GDB
190 * GNU Free Documentation License:: The license for this documentation
191 * Concept Index:: Index of @value{GDBN} concepts
192 * Command and Variable Index:: Index of @value{GDBN} commands, variables,
193 functions, and Python data types
194 @end menu
195
196 @end ifnottex
197
198 @contents
199
200 @node Summary
201 @unnumbered Summary of @value{GDBN}
202
203 The purpose of a debugger such as @value{GDBN} is to allow you to see what is
204 going on ``inside'' another program while it executes---or what another
205 program was doing at the moment it crashed.
206
207 @value{GDBN} can do four main kinds of things (plus other things in support of
208 these) to help you catch bugs in the act:
209
210 @itemize @bullet
211 @item
212 Start your program, specifying anything that might affect its behavior.
213
214 @item
215 Make your program stop on specified conditions.
216
217 @item
218 Examine what has happened, when your program has stopped.
219
220 @item
221 Change things in your program, so you can experiment with correcting the
222 effects of one bug and go on to learn about another.
223 @end itemize
224
225 You can use @value{GDBN} to debug programs written in C and C@t{++}.
226 For more information, see @ref{Supported Languages,,Supported Languages}.
227 For more information, see @ref{C,,C and C++}.
228
229 Support for D is partial. For information on D, see
230 @ref{D,,D}.
231
232 @cindex Modula-2
233 Support for Modula-2 is partial. For information on Modula-2, see
234 @ref{Modula-2,,Modula-2}.
235
236 Support for OpenCL C is partial. For information on OpenCL C, see
237 @ref{OpenCL C,,OpenCL C}.
238
239 @cindex Pascal
240 Debugging Pascal programs which use sets, subranges, file variables, or
241 nested functions does not currently work. @value{GDBN} does not support
242 entering expressions, printing values, or similar features using Pascal
243 syntax.
244
245 @cindex Fortran
246 @value{GDBN} can be used to debug programs written in Fortran, although
247 it may be necessary to refer to some variables with a trailing
248 underscore.
249
250 @value{GDBN} can be used to debug programs written in Objective-C,
251 using either the Apple/NeXT or the GNU Objective-C runtime.
252
253 @menu
254 * Free Software:: Freely redistributable software
255 * Free Documentation:: Free Software Needs Free Documentation
256 * Contributors:: Contributors to GDB
257 @end menu
258
259 @node Free Software
260 @unnumberedsec Free Software
261
262 @value{GDBN} is @dfn{free software}, protected by the @sc{gnu}
263 General Public License
264 (GPL). The GPL gives you the freedom to copy or adapt a licensed
265 program---but every person getting a copy also gets with it the
266 freedom to modify that copy (which means that they must get access to
267 the source code), and the freedom to distribute further copies.
268 Typical software companies use copyrights to limit your freedoms; the
269 Free Software Foundation uses the GPL to preserve these freedoms.
270
271 Fundamentally, the General Public License is a license which says that
272 you have these freedoms and that you cannot take these freedoms away
273 from anyone else.
274
275 @node Free Documentation
276 @unnumberedsec Free Software Needs Free Documentation
277
278 The biggest deficiency in the free software community today is not in
279 the software---it is the lack of good free documentation that we can
280 include with the free software. Many of our most important
281 programs do not come with free reference manuals and free introductory
282 texts. Documentation is an essential part of any software package;
283 when an important free software package does not come with a free
284 manual and a free tutorial, that is a major gap. We have many such
285 gaps today.
286
287 Consider Perl, for instance. The tutorial manuals that people
288 normally use are non-free. How did this come about? Because the
289 authors of those manuals published them with restrictive terms---no
290 copying, no modification, source files not available---which exclude
291 them from the free software world.
292
293 That wasn't the first time this sort of thing happened, and it was far
294 from the last. Many times we have heard a GNU user eagerly describe a
295 manual that he is writing, his intended contribution to the community,
296 only to learn that he had ruined everything by signing a publication
297 contract to make it non-free.
298
299 Free documentation, like free software, is a matter of freedom, not
300 price. The problem with the non-free manual is not that publishers
301 charge a price for printed copies---that in itself is fine. (The Free
302 Software Foundation sells printed copies of manuals, too.) The
303 problem is the restrictions on the use of the manual. Free manuals
304 are available in source code form, and give you permission to copy and
305 modify. Non-free manuals do not allow this.
306
307 The criteria of freedom for a free manual are roughly the same as for
308 free software. Redistribution (including the normal kinds of
309 commercial redistribution) must be permitted, so that the manual can
310 accompany every copy of the program, both on-line and on paper.
311
312 Permission for modification of the technical content is crucial too.
313 When people modify the software, adding or changing features, if they
314 are conscientious they will change the manual too---so they can
315 provide accurate and clear documentation for the modified program. A
316 manual that leaves you no choice but to write a new manual to document
317 a changed version of the program is not really available to our
318 community.
319
320 Some kinds of limits on the way modification is handled are
321 acceptable. For example, requirements to preserve the original
322 author's copyright notice, the distribution terms, or the list of
323 authors, are ok. It is also no problem to require modified versions
324 to include notice that they were modified. Even entire sections that
325 may not be deleted or changed are acceptable, as long as they deal
326 with nontechnical topics (like this one). These kinds of restrictions
327 are acceptable because they don't obstruct the community's normal use
328 of the manual.
329
330 However, it must be possible to modify all the @emph{technical}
331 content of the manual, and then distribute the result in all the usual
332 media, through all the usual channels. Otherwise, the restrictions
333 obstruct the use of the manual, it is not free, and we need another
334 manual to replace it.
335
336 Please spread the word about this issue. Our community continues to
337 lose manuals to proprietary publishing. If we spread the word that
338 free software needs free reference manuals and free tutorials, perhaps
339 the next person who wants to contribute by writing documentation will
340 realize, before it is too late, that only free manuals contribute to
341 the free software community.
342
343 If you are writing documentation, please insist on publishing it under
344 the GNU Free Documentation License or another free documentation
345 license. Remember that this decision requires your approval---you
346 don't have to let the publisher decide. Some commercial publishers
347 will use a free license if you insist, but they will not propose the
348 option; it is up to you to raise the issue and say firmly that this is
349 what you want. If the publisher you are dealing with refuses, please
350 try other publishers. If you're not sure whether a proposed license
351 is free, write to @email{licensing@@gnu.org}.
352
353 You can encourage commercial publishers to sell more free, copylefted
354 manuals and tutorials by buying them, and particularly by buying
355 copies from the publishers that paid for their writing or for major
356 improvements. Meanwhile, try to avoid buying non-free documentation
357 at all. Check the distribution terms of a manual before you buy it,
358 and insist that whoever seeks your business must respect your freedom.
359 Check the history of the book, and try to reward the publishers that
360 have paid or pay the authors to work on it.
361
362 The Free Software Foundation maintains a list of free documentation
363 published by other publishers, at
364 @url{http://www.fsf.org/doc/other-free-books.html}.
365
366 @node Contributors
367 @unnumberedsec Contributors to @value{GDBN}
368
369 Richard Stallman was the original author of @value{GDBN}, and of many
370 other @sc{gnu} programs. Many others have contributed to its
371 development. This section attempts to credit major contributors. One
372 of the virtues of free software is that everyone is free to contribute
373 to it; with regret, we cannot actually acknowledge everyone here. The
374 file @file{ChangeLog} in the @value{GDBN} distribution approximates a
375 blow-by-blow account.
376
377 Changes much prior to version 2.0 are lost in the mists of time.
378
379 @quotation
380 @emph{Plea:} Additions to this section are particularly welcome. If you
381 or your friends (or enemies, to be evenhanded) have been unfairly
382 omitted from this list, we would like to add your names!
383 @end quotation
384
385 So that they may not regard their many labors as thankless, we
386 particularly thank those who shepherded @value{GDBN} through major
387 releases:
388 Andrew Cagney (releases 6.3, 6.2, 6.1, 6.0, 5.3, 5.2, 5.1 and 5.0);
389 Jim Blandy (release 4.18);
390 Jason Molenda (release 4.17);
391 Stan Shebs (release 4.14);
392 Fred Fish (releases 4.16, 4.15, 4.13, 4.12, 4.11, 4.10, and 4.9);
393 Stu Grossman and John Gilmore (releases 4.8, 4.7, 4.6, 4.5, and 4.4);
394 John Gilmore (releases 4.3, 4.2, 4.1, 4.0, and 3.9);
395 Jim Kingdon (releases 3.5, 3.4, and 3.3);
396 and Randy Smith (releases 3.2, 3.1, and 3.0).
397
398 Richard Stallman, assisted at various times by Peter TerMaat, Chris
399 Hanson, and Richard Mlynarik, handled releases through 2.8.
400
401 Michael Tiemann is the author of most of the @sc{gnu} C@t{++} support
402 in @value{GDBN}, with significant additional contributions from Per
403 Bothner and Daniel Berlin. James Clark wrote the @sc{gnu} C@t{++}
404 demangler. Early work on C@t{++} was by Peter TerMaat (who also did
405 much general update work leading to release 3.0).
406
407 @value{GDBN} uses the BFD subroutine library to examine multiple
408 object-file formats; BFD was a joint project of David V.
409 Henkel-Wallace, Rich Pixley, Steve Chamberlain, and John Gilmore.
410
411 David Johnson wrote the original COFF support; Pace Willison did
412 the original support for encapsulated COFF.
413
414 Brent Benson of Harris Computer Systems contributed DWARF 2 support.
415
416 Adam de Boor and Bradley Davis contributed the ISI Optimum V support.
417 Per Bothner, Noboyuki Hikichi, and Alessandro Forin contributed MIPS
418 support.
419 Jean-Daniel Fekete contributed Sun 386i support.
420 Chris Hanson improved the HP9000 support.
421 Noboyuki Hikichi and Tomoyuki Hasei contributed Sony/News OS 3 support.
422 David Johnson contributed Encore Umax support.
423 Jyrki Kuoppala contributed Altos 3068 support.
424 Jeff Law contributed HP PA and SOM support.
425 Keith Packard contributed NS32K support.
426 Doug Rabson contributed Acorn Risc Machine support.
427 Bob Rusk contributed Harris Nighthawk CX-UX support.
428 Chris Smith contributed Convex support (and Fortran debugging).
429 Jonathan Stone contributed Pyramid support.
430 Michael Tiemann contributed SPARC support.
431 Tim Tucker contributed support for the Gould NP1 and Gould Powernode.
432 Pace Willison contributed Intel 386 support.
433 Jay Vosburgh contributed Symmetry support.
434 Marko Mlinar contributed OpenRISC 1000 support.
435
436 Andreas Schwab contributed M68K @sc{gnu}/Linux support.
437
438 Rich Schaefer and Peter Schauer helped with support of SunOS shared
439 libraries.
440
441 Jay Fenlason and Roland McGrath ensured that @value{GDBN} and GAS agree
442 about several machine instruction sets.
443
444 Patrick Duval, Ted Goldstein, Vikram Koka and Glenn Engel helped develop
445 remote debugging. Intel Corporation, Wind River Systems, AMD, and ARM
446 contributed remote debugging modules for the i960, VxWorks, A29K UDI,
447 and RDI targets, respectively.
448
449 Brian Fox is the author of the readline libraries providing
450 command-line editing and command history.
451
452 Andrew Beers of SUNY Buffalo wrote the language-switching code, the
453 Modula-2 support, and contributed the Languages chapter of this manual.
454
455 Fred Fish wrote most of the support for Unix System Vr4.
456 He also enhanced the command-completion support to cover C@t{++} overloaded
457 symbols.
458
459 Hitachi America (now Renesas America), Ltd. sponsored the support for
460 H8/300, H8/500, and Super-H processors.
461
462 NEC sponsored the support for the v850, Vr4xxx, and Vr5xxx processors.
463
464 Mitsubishi (now Renesas) sponsored the support for D10V, D30V, and M32R/D
465 processors.
466
467 Toshiba sponsored the support for the TX39 Mips processor.
468
469 Matsushita sponsored the support for the MN10200 and MN10300 processors.
470
471 Fujitsu sponsored the support for SPARClite and FR30 processors.
472
473 Kung Hsu, Jeff Law, and Rick Sladkey added support for hardware
474 watchpoints.
475
476 Michael Snyder added support for tracepoints.
477
478 Stu Grossman wrote gdbserver.
479
480 Jim Kingdon, Peter Schauer, Ian Taylor, and Stu Grossman made
481 nearly innumerable bug fixes and cleanups throughout @value{GDBN}.
482
483 The following people at the Hewlett-Packard Company contributed
484 support for the PA-RISC 2.0 architecture, HP-UX 10.20, 10.30, and 11.0
485 (narrow mode), HP's implementation of kernel threads, HP's aC@t{++}
486 compiler, and the Text User Interface (nee Terminal User Interface):
487 Ben Krepp, Richard Title, John Bishop, Susan Macchia, Kathy Mann,
488 Satish Pai, India Paul, Steve Rehrauer, and Elena Zannoni. Kim Haase
489 provided HP-specific information in this manual.
490
491 DJ Delorie ported @value{GDBN} to MS-DOS, for the DJGPP project.
492 Robert Hoehne made significant contributions to the DJGPP port.
493
494 Cygnus Solutions has sponsored @value{GDBN} maintenance and much of its
495 development since 1991. Cygnus engineers who have worked on @value{GDBN}
496 fulltime include Mark Alexander, Jim Blandy, Per Bothner, Kevin
497 Buettner, Edith Epstein, Chris Faylor, Fred Fish, Martin Hunt, Jim
498 Ingham, John Gilmore, Stu Grossman, Kung Hsu, Jim Kingdon, John Metzler,
499 Fernando Nasser, Geoffrey Noer, Dawn Perchik, Rich Pixley, Zdenek
500 Radouch, Keith Seitz, Stan Shebs, David Taylor, and Elena Zannoni. In
501 addition, Dave Brolley, Ian Carmichael, Steve Chamberlain, Nick Clifton,
502 JT Conklin, Stan Cox, DJ Delorie, Ulrich Drepper, Frank Eigler, Doug
503 Evans, Sean Fagan, David Henkel-Wallace, Richard Henderson, Jeff
504 Holcomb, Jeff Law, Jim Lemke, Tom Lord, Bob Manson, Michael Meissner,
505 Jason Merrill, Catherine Moore, Drew Moseley, Ken Raeburn, Gavin
506 Romig-Koch, Rob Savoye, Jamie Smith, Mike Stump, Ian Taylor, Angela
507 Thomas, Michael Tiemann, Tom Tromey, Ron Unrau, Jim Wilson, and David
508 Zuhn have made contributions both large and small.
509
510 Andrew Cagney, Fernando Nasser, and Elena Zannoni, while working for
511 Cygnus Solutions, implemented the original @sc{gdb/mi} interface.
512
513 Jim Blandy added support for preprocessor macros, while working for Red
514 Hat.
515
516 Andrew Cagney designed @value{GDBN}'s architecture vector. Many
517 people including Andrew Cagney, Stephane Carrez, Randolph Chung, Nick
518 Duffek, Richard Henderson, Mark Kettenis, Grace Sainsbury, Kei
519 Sakamoto, Yoshinori Sato, Michael Snyder, Andreas Schwab, Jason
520 Thorpe, Corinna Vinschen, Ulrich Weigand, and Elena Zannoni, helped
521 with the migration of old architectures to this new framework.
522
523 Andrew Cagney completely re-designed and re-implemented @value{GDBN}'s
524 unwinder framework, this consisting of a fresh new design featuring
525 frame IDs, independent frame sniffers, and the sentinel frame. Mark
526 Kettenis implemented the @sc{dwarf 2} unwinder, Jeff Johnston the
527 libunwind unwinder, and Andrew Cagney the dummy, sentinel, tramp, and
528 trad unwinders. The architecture-specific changes, each involving a
529 complete rewrite of the architecture's frame code, were carried out by
530 Jim Blandy, Joel Brobecker, Kevin Buettner, Andrew Cagney, Stephane
531 Carrez, Randolph Chung, Orjan Friberg, Richard Henderson, Daniel
532 Jacobowitz, Jeff Johnston, Mark Kettenis, Theodore A. Roth, Kei
533 Sakamoto, Yoshinori Sato, Michael Snyder, Corinna Vinschen, and Ulrich
534 Weigand.
535
536 Christian Zankel, Ross Morley, Bob Wilson, and Maxim Grigoriev from
537 Tensilica, Inc.@: contributed support for Xtensa processors. Others
538 who have worked on the Xtensa port of @value{GDBN} in the past include
539 Steve Tjiang, John Newlin, and Scott Foehner.
540
541 Michael Eager and staff of Xilinx, Inc., contributed support for the
542 Xilinx MicroBlaze architecture.
543
544 @node Sample Session
545 @chapter A Sample @value{GDBN} Session
546
547 You can use this manual at your leisure to read all about @value{GDBN}.
548 However, a handful of commands are enough to get started using the
549 debugger. This chapter illustrates those commands.
550
551 @iftex
552 In this sample session, we emphasize user input like this: @b{input},
553 to make it easier to pick out from the surrounding output.
554 @end iftex
555
556 @c FIXME: this example may not be appropriate for some configs, where
557 @c FIXME...primary interest is in remote use.
558
559 One of the preliminary versions of @sc{gnu} @code{m4} (a generic macro
560 processor) exhibits the following bug: sometimes, when we change its
561 quote strings from the default, the commands used to capture one macro
562 definition within another stop working. In the following short @code{m4}
563 session, we define a macro @code{foo} which expands to @code{0000}; we
564 then use the @code{m4} built-in @code{defn} to define @code{bar} as the
565 same thing. However, when we change the open quote string to
566 @code{<QUOTE>} and the close quote string to @code{<UNQUOTE>}, the same
567 procedure fails to define a new synonym @code{baz}:
568
569 @smallexample
570 $ @b{cd gnu/m4}
571 $ @b{./m4}
572 @b{define(foo,0000)}
573
574 @b{foo}
575 0000
576 @b{define(bar,defn(`foo'))}
577
578 @b{bar}
579 0000
580 @b{changequote(<QUOTE>,<UNQUOTE>)}
581
582 @b{define(baz,defn(<QUOTE>foo<UNQUOTE>))}
583 @b{baz}
584 @b{Ctrl-d}
585 m4: End of input: 0: fatal error: EOF in string
586 @end smallexample
587
588 @noindent
589 Let us use @value{GDBN} to try to see what is going on.
590
591 @smallexample
592 $ @b{@value{GDBP} m4}
593 @c FIXME: this falsifies the exact text played out, to permit smallbook
594 @c FIXME... format to come out better.
595 @value{GDBN} is free software and you are welcome to distribute copies
596 of it under certain conditions; type "show copying" to see
597 the conditions.
598 There is absolutely no warranty for @value{GDBN}; type "show warranty"
599 for details.
600
601 @value{GDBN} @value{GDBVN}, Copyright 1999 Free Software Foundation, Inc...
602 (@value{GDBP})
603 @end smallexample
604
605 @noindent
606 @value{GDBN} reads only enough symbol data to know where to find the
607 rest when needed; as a result, the first prompt comes up very quickly.
608 We now tell @value{GDBN} to use a narrower display width than usual, so
609 that examples fit in this manual.
610
611 @smallexample
612 (@value{GDBP}) @b{set width 70}
613 @end smallexample
614
615 @noindent
616 We need to see how the @code{m4} built-in @code{changequote} works.
617 Having looked at the source, we know the relevant subroutine is
618 @code{m4_changequote}, so we set a breakpoint there with the @value{GDBN}
619 @code{break} command.
620
621 @smallexample
622 (@value{GDBP}) @b{break m4_changequote}
623 Breakpoint 1 at 0x62f4: file builtin.c, line 879.
624 @end smallexample
625
626 @noindent
627 Using the @code{run} command, we start @code{m4} running under @value{GDBN}
628 control; as long as control does not reach the @code{m4_changequote}
629 subroutine, the program runs as usual:
630
631 @smallexample
632 (@value{GDBP}) @b{run}
633 Starting program: /work/Editorial/gdb/gnu/m4/m4
634 @b{define(foo,0000)}
635
636 @b{foo}
637 0000
638 @end smallexample
639
640 @noindent
641 To trigger the breakpoint, we call @code{changequote}. @value{GDBN}
642 suspends execution of @code{m4}, displaying information about the
643 context where it stops.
644
645 @smallexample
646 @b{changequote(<QUOTE>,<UNQUOTE>)}
647
648 Breakpoint 1, m4_changequote (argc=3, argv=0x33c70)
649 at builtin.c:879
650 879 if (bad_argc(TOKEN_DATA_TEXT(argv[0]),argc,1,3))
651 @end smallexample
652
653 @noindent
654 Now we use the command @code{n} (@code{next}) to advance execution to
655 the next line of the current function.
656
657 @smallexample
658 (@value{GDBP}) @b{n}
659 882 set_quotes((argc >= 2) ? TOKEN_DATA_TEXT(argv[1])\
660 : nil,
661 @end smallexample
662
663 @noindent
664 @code{set_quotes} looks like a promising subroutine. We can go into it
665 by using the command @code{s} (@code{step}) instead of @code{next}.
666 @code{step} goes to the next line to be executed in @emph{any}
667 subroutine, so it steps into @code{set_quotes}.
668
669 @smallexample
670 (@value{GDBP}) @b{s}
671 set_quotes (lq=0x34c78 "<QUOTE>", rq=0x34c88 "<UNQUOTE>")
672 at input.c:530
673 530 if (lquote != def_lquote)
674 @end smallexample
675
676 @noindent
677 The display that shows the subroutine where @code{m4} is now
678 suspended (and its arguments) is called a stack frame display. It
679 shows a summary of the stack. We can use the @code{backtrace}
680 command (which can also be spelled @code{bt}), to see where we are
681 in the stack as a whole: the @code{backtrace} command displays a
682 stack frame for each active subroutine.
683
684 @smallexample
685 (@value{GDBP}) @b{bt}
686 #0 set_quotes (lq=0x34c78 "<QUOTE>", rq=0x34c88 "<UNQUOTE>")
687 at input.c:530
688 #1 0x6344 in m4_changequote (argc=3, argv=0x33c70)
689 at builtin.c:882
690 #2 0x8174 in expand_macro (sym=0x33320) at macro.c:242
691 #3 0x7a88 in expand_token (obs=0x0, t=209696, td=0xf7fffa30)
692 at macro.c:71
693 #4 0x79dc in expand_input () at macro.c:40
694 #5 0x2930 in main (argc=0, argv=0xf7fffb20) at m4.c:195
695 @end smallexample
696
697 @noindent
698 We step through a few more lines to see what happens. The first two
699 times, we can use @samp{s}; the next two times we use @code{n} to avoid
700 falling into the @code{xstrdup} subroutine.
701
702 @smallexample
703 (@value{GDBP}) @b{s}
704 0x3b5c 532 if (rquote != def_rquote)
705 (@value{GDBP}) @b{s}
706 0x3b80 535 lquote = (lq == nil || *lq == '\0') ? \
707 def_lquote : xstrdup(lq);
708 (@value{GDBP}) @b{n}
709 536 rquote = (rq == nil || *rq == '\0') ? def_rquote\
710 : xstrdup(rq);
711 (@value{GDBP}) @b{n}
712 538 len_lquote = strlen(rquote);
713 @end smallexample
714
715 @noindent
716 The last line displayed looks a little odd; we can examine the variables
717 @code{lquote} and @code{rquote} to see if they are in fact the new left
718 and right quotes we specified. We use the command @code{p}
719 (@code{print}) to see their values.
720
721 @smallexample
722 (@value{GDBP}) @b{p lquote}
723 $1 = 0x35d40 "<QUOTE>"
724 (@value{GDBP}) @b{p rquote}
725 $2 = 0x35d50 "<UNQUOTE>"
726 @end smallexample
727
728 @noindent
729 @code{lquote} and @code{rquote} are indeed the new left and right quotes.
730 To look at some context, we can display ten lines of source
731 surrounding the current line with the @code{l} (@code{list}) command.
732
733 @smallexample
734 (@value{GDBP}) @b{l}
735 533 xfree(rquote);
736 534
737 535 lquote = (lq == nil || *lq == '\0') ? def_lquote\
738 : xstrdup (lq);
739 536 rquote = (rq == nil || *rq == '\0') ? def_rquote\
740 : xstrdup (rq);
741 537
742 538 len_lquote = strlen(rquote);
743 539 len_rquote = strlen(lquote);
744 540 @}
745 541
746 542 void
747 @end smallexample
748
749 @noindent
750 Let us step past the two lines that set @code{len_lquote} and
751 @code{len_rquote}, and then examine the values of those variables.
752
753 @smallexample
754 (@value{GDBP}) @b{n}
755 539 len_rquote = strlen(lquote);
756 (@value{GDBP}) @b{n}
757 540 @}
758 (@value{GDBP}) @b{p len_lquote}
759 $3 = 9
760 (@value{GDBP}) @b{p len_rquote}
761 $4 = 7
762 @end smallexample
763
764 @noindent
765 That certainly looks wrong, assuming @code{len_lquote} and
766 @code{len_rquote} are meant to be the lengths of @code{lquote} and
767 @code{rquote} respectively. We can set them to better values using
768 the @code{p} command, since it can print the value of
769 any expression---and that expression can include subroutine calls and
770 assignments.
771
772 @smallexample
773 (@value{GDBP}) @b{p len_lquote=strlen(lquote)}
774 $5 = 7
775 (@value{GDBP}) @b{p len_rquote=strlen(rquote)}
776 $6 = 9
777 @end smallexample
778
779 @noindent
780 Is that enough to fix the problem of using the new quotes with the
781 @code{m4} built-in @code{defn}? We can allow @code{m4} to continue
782 executing with the @code{c} (@code{continue}) command, and then try the
783 example that caused trouble initially:
784
785 @smallexample
786 (@value{GDBP}) @b{c}
787 Continuing.
788
789 @b{define(baz,defn(<QUOTE>foo<UNQUOTE>))}
790
791 baz
792 0000
793 @end smallexample
794
795 @noindent
796 Success! The new quotes now work just as well as the default ones. The
797 problem seems to have been just the two typos defining the wrong
798 lengths. We allow @code{m4} exit by giving it an EOF as input:
799
800 @smallexample
801 @b{Ctrl-d}
802 Program exited normally.
803 @end smallexample
804
805 @noindent
806 The message @samp{Program exited normally.} is from @value{GDBN}; it
807 indicates @code{m4} has finished executing. We can end our @value{GDBN}
808 session with the @value{GDBN} @code{quit} command.
809
810 @smallexample
811 (@value{GDBP}) @b{quit}
812 @end smallexample
813
814 @node Invocation
815 @chapter Getting In and Out of @value{GDBN}
816
817 This chapter discusses how to start @value{GDBN}, and how to get out of it.
818 The essentials are:
819 @itemize @bullet
820 @item
821 type @samp{@value{GDBP}} to start @value{GDBN}.
822 @item
823 type @kbd{quit} or @kbd{Ctrl-d} to exit.
824 @end itemize
825
826 @menu
827 * Invoking GDB:: How to start @value{GDBN}
828 * Quitting GDB:: How to quit @value{GDBN}
829 * Shell Commands:: How to use shell commands inside @value{GDBN}
830 * Logging Output:: How to log @value{GDBN}'s output to a file
831 @end menu
832
833 @node Invoking GDB
834 @section Invoking @value{GDBN}
835
836 Invoke @value{GDBN} by running the program @code{@value{GDBP}}. Once started,
837 @value{GDBN} reads commands from the terminal until you tell it to exit.
838
839 You can also run @code{@value{GDBP}} with a variety of arguments and options,
840 to specify more of your debugging environment at the outset.
841
842 The command-line options described here are designed
843 to cover a variety of situations; in some environments, some of these
844 options may effectively be unavailable.
845
846 The most usual way to start @value{GDBN} is with one argument,
847 specifying an executable program:
848
849 @smallexample
850 @value{GDBP} @var{program}
851 @end smallexample
852
853 @noindent
854 You can also start with both an executable program and a core file
855 specified:
856
857 @smallexample
858 @value{GDBP} @var{program} @var{core}
859 @end smallexample
860
861 You can, instead, specify a process ID as a second argument, if you want
862 to debug a running process:
863
864 @smallexample
865 @value{GDBP} @var{program} 1234
866 @end smallexample
867
868 @noindent
869 would attach @value{GDBN} to process @code{1234} (unless you also have a file
870 named @file{1234}; @value{GDBN} does check for a core file first).
871
872 Taking advantage of the second command-line argument requires a fairly
873 complete operating system; when you use @value{GDBN} as a remote
874 debugger attached to a bare board, there may not be any notion of
875 ``process'', and there is often no way to get a core dump. @value{GDBN}
876 will warn you if it is unable to attach or to read core dumps.
877
878 You can optionally have @code{@value{GDBP}} pass any arguments after the
879 executable file to the inferior using @code{--args}. This option stops
880 option processing.
881 @smallexample
882 @value{GDBP} --args gcc -O2 -c foo.c
883 @end smallexample
884 This will cause @code{@value{GDBP}} to debug @code{gcc}, and to set
885 @code{gcc}'s command-line arguments (@pxref{Arguments}) to @samp{-O2 -c foo.c}.
886
887 You can run @code{@value{GDBP}} without printing the front material, which describes
888 @value{GDBN}'s non-warranty, by specifying @code{-silent}:
889
890 @smallexample
891 @value{GDBP} -silent
892 @end smallexample
893
894 @noindent
895 You can further control how @value{GDBN} starts up by using command-line
896 options. @value{GDBN} itself can remind you of the options available.
897
898 @noindent
899 Type
900
901 @smallexample
902 @value{GDBP} -help
903 @end smallexample
904
905 @noindent
906 to display all available options and briefly describe their use
907 (@samp{@value{GDBP} -h} is a shorter equivalent).
908
909 All options and command line arguments you give are processed
910 in sequential order. The order makes a difference when the
911 @samp{-x} option is used.
912
913
914 @menu
915 * File Options:: Choosing files
916 * Mode Options:: Choosing modes
917 * Startup:: What @value{GDBN} does during startup
918 @end menu
919
920 @node File Options
921 @subsection Choosing Files
922
923 When @value{GDBN} starts, it reads any arguments other than options as
924 specifying an executable file and core file (or process ID). This is
925 the same as if the arguments were specified by the @samp{-se} and
926 @samp{-c} (or @samp{-p}) options respectively. (@value{GDBN} reads the
927 first argument that does not have an associated option flag as
928 equivalent to the @samp{-se} option followed by that argument; and the
929 second argument that does not have an associated option flag, if any, as
930 equivalent to the @samp{-c}/@samp{-p} option followed by that argument.)
931 If the second argument begins with a decimal digit, @value{GDBN} will
932 first attempt to attach to it as a process, and if that fails, attempt
933 to open it as a corefile. If you have a corefile whose name begins with
934 a digit, you can prevent @value{GDBN} from treating it as a pid by
935 prefixing it with @file{./}, e.g.@: @file{./12345}.
936
937 If @value{GDBN} has not been configured to included core file support,
938 such as for most embedded targets, then it will complain about a second
939 argument and ignore it.
940
941 Many options have both long and short forms; both are shown in the
942 following list. @value{GDBN} also recognizes the long forms if you truncate
943 them, so long as enough of the option is present to be unambiguous.
944 (If you prefer, you can flag option arguments with @samp{--} rather
945 than @samp{-}, though we illustrate the more usual convention.)
946
947 @c NOTE: the @cindex entries here use double dashes ON PURPOSE. This
948 @c way, both those who look for -foo and --foo in the index, will find
949 @c it.
950
951 @table @code
952 @item -symbols @var{file}
953 @itemx -s @var{file}
954 @cindex @code{--symbols}
955 @cindex @code{-s}
956 Read symbol table from file @var{file}.
957
958 @item -exec @var{file}
959 @itemx -e @var{file}
960 @cindex @code{--exec}
961 @cindex @code{-e}
962 Use file @var{file} as the executable file to execute when appropriate,
963 and for examining pure data in conjunction with a core dump.
964
965 @item -se @var{file}
966 @cindex @code{--se}
967 Read symbol table from file @var{file} and use it as the executable
968 file.
969
970 @item -core @var{file}
971 @itemx -c @var{file}
972 @cindex @code{--core}
973 @cindex @code{-c}
974 Use file @var{file} as a core dump to examine.
975
976 @item -pid @var{number}
977 @itemx -p @var{number}
978 @cindex @code{--pid}
979 @cindex @code{-p}
980 Connect to process ID @var{number}, as with the @code{attach} command.
981
982 @item -command @var{file}
983 @itemx -x @var{file}
984 @cindex @code{--command}
985 @cindex @code{-x}
986 Execute commands from file @var{file}. The contents of this file is
987 evaluated exactly as the @code{source} command would.
988 @xref{Command Files,, Command files}.
989
990 @item -eval-command @var{command}
991 @itemx -ex @var{command}
992 @cindex @code{--eval-command}
993 @cindex @code{-ex}
994 Execute a single @value{GDBN} command.
995
996 This option may be used multiple times to call multiple commands. It may
997 also be interleaved with @samp{-command} as required.
998
999 @smallexample
1000 @value{GDBP} -ex 'target sim' -ex 'load' \
1001 -x setbreakpoints -ex 'run' a.out
1002 @end smallexample
1003
1004 @item -init-command @var{file}
1005 @itemx -ix @var{file}
1006 @cindex @code{--init-command}
1007 @cindex @code{-ix}
1008 Execute commands from file @var{file} before loading the inferior (but
1009 after loading gdbinit files).
1010 @xref{Startup}.
1011
1012 @item -init-eval-command @var{command}
1013 @itemx -iex @var{command}
1014 @cindex @code{--init-eval-command}
1015 @cindex @code{-iex}
1016 Execute a single @value{GDBN} command before loading the inferior (but
1017 after loading gdbinit files).
1018 @xref{Startup}.
1019
1020 @item -directory @var{directory}
1021 @itemx -d @var{directory}
1022 @cindex @code{--directory}
1023 @cindex @code{-d}
1024 Add @var{directory} to the path to search for source and script files.
1025
1026 @item -r
1027 @itemx -readnow
1028 @cindex @code{--readnow}
1029 @cindex @code{-r}
1030 Read each symbol file's entire symbol table immediately, rather than
1031 the default, which is to read it incrementally as it is needed.
1032 This makes startup slower, but makes future operations faster.
1033
1034 @end table
1035
1036 @node Mode Options
1037 @subsection Choosing Modes
1038
1039 You can run @value{GDBN} in various alternative modes---for example, in
1040 batch mode or quiet mode.
1041
1042 @table @code
1043 @anchor{-nx}
1044 @item -nx
1045 @itemx -n
1046 @cindex @code{--nx}
1047 @cindex @code{-n}
1048 Do not execute commands found in any initialization file.
1049 There are three init files, loaded in the following order:
1050
1051 @table @code
1052 @item @file{system.gdbinit}
1053 This is the system-wide init file.
1054 Its location is specified with the @code{--with-system-gdbinit}
1055 configure option (@pxref{System-wide configuration}).
1056 It is loaded first when @value{GDBN} starts, before command line options
1057 have been processed.
1058 @item @file{~/.gdbinit}
1059 This is the init file in your home directory.
1060 It is loaded next, after @file{system.gdbinit}, and before
1061 command options have been processed.
1062 @item @file{./.gdbinit}
1063 This is the init file in the current directory.
1064 It is loaded last, after command line options other than @code{-x} and
1065 @code{-ex} have been processed. Command line options @code{-x} and
1066 @code{-ex} are processed last, after @file{./.gdbinit} has been loaded.
1067 @end table
1068
1069 For further documentation on startup processing, @xref{Startup}.
1070 For documentation on how to write command files,
1071 @xref{Command Files,,Command Files}.
1072
1073 @anchor{-nh}
1074 @item -nh
1075 @cindex @code{--nh}
1076 Do not execute commands found in @file{~/.gdbinit}, the init file
1077 in your home directory.
1078 @xref{Startup}.
1079
1080 @item -quiet
1081 @itemx -silent
1082 @itemx -q
1083 @cindex @code{--quiet}
1084 @cindex @code{--silent}
1085 @cindex @code{-q}
1086 ``Quiet''. Do not print the introductory and copyright messages. These
1087 messages are also suppressed in batch mode.
1088
1089 @item -batch
1090 @cindex @code{--batch}
1091 Run in batch mode. Exit with status @code{0} after processing all the
1092 command files specified with @samp{-x} (and all commands from
1093 initialization files, if not inhibited with @samp{-n}). Exit with
1094 nonzero status if an error occurs in executing the @value{GDBN} commands
1095 in the command files. Batch mode also disables pagination, sets unlimited
1096 terminal width and height @pxref{Screen Size}, and acts as if @kbd{set confirm
1097 off} were in effect (@pxref{Messages/Warnings}).
1098
1099 Batch mode may be useful for running @value{GDBN} as a filter, for
1100 example to download and run a program on another computer; in order to
1101 make this more useful, the message
1102
1103 @smallexample
1104 Program exited normally.
1105 @end smallexample
1106
1107 @noindent
1108 (which is ordinarily issued whenever a program running under
1109 @value{GDBN} control terminates) is not issued when running in batch
1110 mode.
1111
1112 @item -batch-silent
1113 @cindex @code{--batch-silent}
1114 Run in batch mode exactly like @samp{-batch}, but totally silently. All
1115 @value{GDBN} output to @code{stdout} is prevented (@code{stderr} is
1116 unaffected). This is much quieter than @samp{-silent} and would be useless
1117 for an interactive session.
1118
1119 This is particularly useful when using targets that give @samp{Loading section}
1120 messages, for example.
1121
1122 Note that targets that give their output via @value{GDBN}, as opposed to
1123 writing directly to @code{stdout}, will also be made silent.
1124
1125 @item -return-child-result
1126 @cindex @code{--return-child-result}
1127 The return code from @value{GDBN} will be the return code from the child
1128 process (the process being debugged), with the following exceptions:
1129
1130 @itemize @bullet
1131 @item
1132 @value{GDBN} exits abnormally. E.g., due to an incorrect argument or an
1133 internal error. In this case the exit code is the same as it would have been
1134 without @samp{-return-child-result}.
1135 @item
1136 The user quits with an explicit value. E.g., @samp{quit 1}.
1137 @item
1138 The child process never runs, or is not allowed to terminate, in which case
1139 the exit code will be -1.
1140 @end itemize
1141
1142 This option is useful in conjunction with @samp{-batch} or @samp{-batch-silent},
1143 when @value{GDBN} is being used as a remote program loader or simulator
1144 interface.
1145
1146 @item -nowindows
1147 @itemx -nw
1148 @cindex @code{--nowindows}
1149 @cindex @code{-nw}
1150 ``No windows''. If @value{GDBN} comes with a graphical user interface
1151 (GUI) built in, then this option tells @value{GDBN} to only use the command-line
1152 interface. If no GUI is available, this option has no effect.
1153
1154 @item -windows
1155 @itemx -w
1156 @cindex @code{--windows}
1157 @cindex @code{-w}
1158 If @value{GDBN} includes a GUI, then this option requires it to be
1159 used if possible.
1160
1161 @item -cd @var{directory}
1162 @cindex @code{--cd}
1163 Run @value{GDBN} using @var{directory} as its working directory,
1164 instead of the current directory.
1165
1166 @item -data-directory @var{directory}
1167 @cindex @code{--data-directory}
1168 Run @value{GDBN} using @var{directory} as its data directory.
1169 The data directory is where @value{GDBN} searches for its
1170 auxiliary files. @xref{Data Files}.
1171
1172 @item -fullname
1173 @itemx -f
1174 @cindex @code{--fullname}
1175 @cindex @code{-f}
1176 @sc{gnu} Emacs sets this option when it runs @value{GDBN} as a
1177 subprocess. It tells @value{GDBN} to output the full file name and line
1178 number in a standard, recognizable fashion each time a stack frame is
1179 displayed (which includes each time your program stops). This
1180 recognizable format looks like two @samp{\032} characters, followed by
1181 the file name, line number and character position separated by colons,
1182 and a newline. The Emacs-to-@value{GDBN} interface program uses the two
1183 @samp{\032} characters as a signal to display the source code for the
1184 frame.
1185
1186 @item -annotate @var{level}
1187 @cindex @code{--annotate}
1188 This option sets the @dfn{annotation level} inside @value{GDBN}. Its
1189 effect is identical to using @samp{set annotate @var{level}}
1190 (@pxref{Annotations}). The annotation @var{level} controls how much
1191 information @value{GDBN} prints together with its prompt, values of
1192 expressions, source lines, and other types of output. Level 0 is the
1193 normal, level 1 is for use when @value{GDBN} is run as a subprocess of
1194 @sc{gnu} Emacs, level 3 is the maximum annotation suitable for programs
1195 that control @value{GDBN}, and level 2 has been deprecated.
1196
1197 The annotation mechanism has largely been superseded by @sc{gdb/mi}
1198 (@pxref{GDB/MI}).
1199
1200 @item --args
1201 @cindex @code{--args}
1202 Change interpretation of command line so that arguments following the
1203 executable file are passed as command line arguments to the inferior.
1204 This option stops option processing.
1205
1206 @item -baud @var{bps}
1207 @itemx -b @var{bps}
1208 @cindex @code{--baud}
1209 @cindex @code{-b}
1210 Set the line speed (baud rate or bits per second) of any serial
1211 interface used by @value{GDBN} for remote debugging.
1212
1213 @item -l @var{timeout}
1214 @cindex @code{-l}
1215 Set the timeout (in seconds) of any communication used by @value{GDBN}
1216 for remote debugging.
1217
1218 @item -tty @var{device}
1219 @itemx -t @var{device}
1220 @cindex @code{--tty}
1221 @cindex @code{-t}
1222 Run using @var{device} for your program's standard input and output.
1223 @c FIXME: kingdon thinks there is more to -tty. Investigate.
1224
1225 @c resolve the situation of these eventually
1226 @item -tui
1227 @cindex @code{--tui}
1228 Activate the @dfn{Text User Interface} when starting. The Text User
1229 Interface manages several text windows on the terminal, showing
1230 source, assembly, registers and @value{GDBN} command outputs
1231 (@pxref{TUI, ,@value{GDBN} Text User Interface}). Do not use this
1232 option if you run @value{GDBN} from Emacs (@pxref{Emacs, ,
1233 Using @value{GDBN} under @sc{gnu} Emacs}).
1234
1235 @c @item -xdb
1236 @c @cindex @code{--xdb}
1237 @c Run in XDB compatibility mode, allowing the use of certain XDB commands.
1238 @c For information, see the file @file{xdb_trans.html}, which is usually
1239 @c installed in the directory @code{/opt/langtools/wdb/doc} on HP-UX
1240 @c systems.
1241
1242 @item -interpreter @var{interp}
1243 @cindex @code{--interpreter}
1244 Use the interpreter @var{interp} for interface with the controlling
1245 program or device. This option is meant to be set by programs which
1246 communicate with @value{GDBN} using it as a back end.
1247 @xref{Interpreters, , Command Interpreters}.
1248
1249 @samp{--interpreter=mi} (or @samp{--interpreter=mi2}) causes
1250 @value{GDBN} to use the @dfn{@sc{gdb/mi} interface} (@pxref{GDB/MI, ,
1251 The @sc{gdb/mi} Interface}) included since @value{GDBN} version 6.0. The
1252 previous @sc{gdb/mi} interface, included in @value{GDBN} version 5.3 and
1253 selected with @samp{--interpreter=mi1}, is deprecated. Earlier
1254 @sc{gdb/mi} interfaces are no longer supported.
1255
1256 @item -write
1257 @cindex @code{--write}
1258 Open the executable and core files for both reading and writing. This
1259 is equivalent to the @samp{set write on} command inside @value{GDBN}
1260 (@pxref{Patching}).
1261
1262 @item -statistics
1263 @cindex @code{--statistics}
1264 This option causes @value{GDBN} to print statistics about time and
1265 memory usage after it completes each command and returns to the prompt.
1266
1267 @item -version
1268 @cindex @code{--version}
1269 This option causes @value{GDBN} to print its version number and
1270 no-warranty blurb, and exit.
1271
1272 @item -configuration
1273 @cindex @code{--configuration}
1274 This option causes @value{GDBN} to print details about its build-time
1275 configuration parameters, and then exit. These details can be
1276 important when reporting @value{GDBN} bugs (@pxref{GDB Bugs}).
1277
1278 @end table
1279
1280 @node Startup
1281 @subsection What @value{GDBN} Does During Startup
1282 @cindex @value{GDBN} startup
1283
1284 Here's the description of what @value{GDBN} does during session startup:
1285
1286 @enumerate
1287 @item
1288 Sets up the command interpreter as specified by the command line
1289 (@pxref{Mode Options, interpreter}).
1290
1291 @item
1292 @cindex init file
1293 Reads the system-wide @dfn{init file} (if @option{--with-system-gdbinit} was
1294 used when building @value{GDBN}; @pxref{System-wide configuration,
1295 ,System-wide configuration and settings}) and executes all the commands in
1296 that file.
1297
1298 @anchor{Home Directory Init File}
1299 @item
1300 Reads the init file (if any) in your home directory@footnote{On
1301 DOS/Windows systems, the home directory is the one pointed to by the
1302 @code{HOME} environment variable.} and executes all the commands in
1303 that file.
1304
1305 @anchor{Option -init-eval-command}
1306 @item
1307 Executes commands and command files specified by the @samp{-iex} and
1308 @samp{-ix} options in their specified order. Usually you should use the
1309 @samp{-ex} and @samp{-x} options instead, but this way you can apply
1310 settings before @value{GDBN} init files get executed and before inferior
1311 gets loaded.
1312
1313 @item
1314 Processes command line options and operands.
1315
1316 @anchor{Init File in the Current Directory during Startup}
1317 @item
1318 Reads and executes the commands from init file (if any) in the current
1319 working directory as long as @samp{set auto-load local-gdbinit} is set to
1320 @samp{on} (@pxref{Init File in the Current Directory}).
1321 This is only done if the current directory is
1322 different from your home directory. Thus, you can have more than one
1323 init file, one generic in your home directory, and another, specific
1324 to the program you are debugging, in the directory where you invoke
1325 @value{GDBN}.
1326
1327 @item
1328 If the command line specified a program to debug, or a process to
1329 attach to, or a core file, @value{GDBN} loads any auto-loaded
1330 scripts provided for the program or for its loaded shared libraries.
1331 @xref{Auto-loading}.
1332
1333 If you wish to disable the auto-loading during startup,
1334 you must do something like the following:
1335
1336 @smallexample
1337 $ gdb -iex "set auto-load python-scripts off" myprogram
1338 @end smallexample
1339
1340 Option @samp{-ex} does not work because the auto-loading is then turned
1341 off too late.
1342
1343 @item
1344 Executes commands and command files specified by the @samp{-ex} and
1345 @samp{-x} options in their specified order. @xref{Command Files}, for
1346 more details about @value{GDBN} command files.
1347
1348 @item
1349 Reads the command history recorded in the @dfn{history file}.
1350 @xref{Command History}, for more details about the command history and the
1351 files where @value{GDBN} records it.
1352 @end enumerate
1353
1354 Init files use the same syntax as @dfn{command files} (@pxref{Command
1355 Files}) and are processed by @value{GDBN} in the same way. The init
1356 file in your home directory can set options (such as @samp{set
1357 complaints}) that affect subsequent processing of command line options
1358 and operands. Init files are not executed if you use the @samp{-nx}
1359 option (@pxref{Mode Options, ,Choosing Modes}).
1360
1361 To display the list of init files loaded by gdb at startup, you
1362 can use @kbd{gdb --help}.
1363
1364 @cindex init file name
1365 @cindex @file{.gdbinit}
1366 @cindex @file{gdb.ini}
1367 The @value{GDBN} init files are normally called @file{.gdbinit}.
1368 The DJGPP port of @value{GDBN} uses the name @file{gdb.ini}, due to
1369 the limitations of file names imposed by DOS filesystems. The Windows
1370 port of @value{GDBN} uses the standard name, but if it finds a
1371 @file{gdb.ini} file in your home directory, it warns you about that
1372 and suggests to rename the file to the standard name.
1373
1374
1375 @node Quitting GDB
1376 @section Quitting @value{GDBN}
1377 @cindex exiting @value{GDBN}
1378 @cindex leaving @value{GDBN}
1379
1380 @table @code
1381 @kindex quit @r{[}@var{expression}@r{]}
1382 @kindex q @r{(@code{quit})}
1383 @item quit @r{[}@var{expression}@r{]}
1384 @itemx q
1385 To exit @value{GDBN}, use the @code{quit} command (abbreviated
1386 @code{q}), or type an end-of-file character (usually @kbd{Ctrl-d}). If you
1387 do not supply @var{expression}, @value{GDBN} will terminate normally;
1388 otherwise it will terminate using the result of @var{expression} as the
1389 error code.
1390 @end table
1391
1392 @cindex interrupt
1393 An interrupt (often @kbd{Ctrl-c}) does not exit from @value{GDBN}, but rather
1394 terminates the action of any @value{GDBN} command that is in progress and
1395 returns to @value{GDBN} command level. It is safe to type the interrupt
1396 character at any time because @value{GDBN} does not allow it to take effect
1397 until a time when it is safe.
1398
1399 If you have been using @value{GDBN} to control an attached process or
1400 device, you can release it with the @code{detach} command
1401 (@pxref{Attach, ,Debugging an Already-running Process}).
1402
1403 @node Shell Commands
1404 @section Shell Commands
1405
1406 If you need to execute occasional shell commands during your
1407 debugging session, there is no need to leave or suspend @value{GDBN}; you can
1408 just use the @code{shell} command.
1409
1410 @table @code
1411 @kindex shell
1412 @kindex !
1413 @cindex shell escape
1414 @item shell @var{command-string}
1415 @itemx !@var{command-string}
1416 Invoke a standard shell to execute @var{command-string}.
1417 Note that no space is needed between @code{!} and @var{command-string}.
1418 If it exists, the environment variable @code{SHELL} determines which
1419 shell to run. Otherwise @value{GDBN} uses the default shell
1420 (@file{/bin/sh} on Unix systems, @file{COMMAND.COM} on MS-DOS, etc.).
1421 @end table
1422
1423 The utility @code{make} is often needed in development environments.
1424 You do not have to use the @code{shell} command for this purpose in
1425 @value{GDBN}:
1426
1427 @table @code
1428 @kindex make
1429 @cindex calling make
1430 @item make @var{make-args}
1431 Execute the @code{make} program with the specified
1432 arguments. This is equivalent to @samp{shell make @var{make-args}}.
1433 @end table
1434
1435 @node Logging Output
1436 @section Logging Output
1437 @cindex logging @value{GDBN} output
1438 @cindex save @value{GDBN} output to a file
1439
1440 You may want to save the output of @value{GDBN} commands to a file.
1441 There are several commands to control @value{GDBN}'s logging.
1442
1443 @table @code
1444 @kindex set logging
1445 @item set logging on
1446 Enable logging.
1447 @item set logging off
1448 Disable logging.
1449 @cindex logging file name
1450 @item set logging file @var{file}
1451 Change the name of the current logfile. The default logfile is @file{gdb.txt}.
1452 @item set logging overwrite [on|off]
1453 By default, @value{GDBN} will append to the logfile. Set @code{overwrite} if
1454 you want @code{set logging on} to overwrite the logfile instead.
1455 @item set logging redirect [on|off]
1456 By default, @value{GDBN} output will go to both the terminal and the logfile.
1457 Set @code{redirect} if you want output to go only to the log file.
1458 @kindex show logging
1459 @item show logging
1460 Show the current values of the logging settings.
1461 @end table
1462
1463 @node Commands
1464 @chapter @value{GDBN} Commands
1465
1466 You can abbreviate a @value{GDBN} command to the first few letters of the command
1467 name, if that abbreviation is unambiguous; and you can repeat certain
1468 @value{GDBN} commands by typing just @key{RET}. You can also use the @key{TAB}
1469 key to get @value{GDBN} to fill out the rest of a word in a command (or to
1470 show you the alternatives available, if there is more than one possibility).
1471
1472 @menu
1473 * Command Syntax:: How to give commands to @value{GDBN}
1474 * Completion:: Command completion
1475 * Help:: How to ask @value{GDBN} for help
1476 @end menu
1477
1478 @node Command Syntax
1479 @section Command Syntax
1480
1481 A @value{GDBN} command is a single line of input. There is no limit on
1482 how long it can be. It starts with a command name, which is followed by
1483 arguments whose meaning depends on the command name. For example, the
1484 command @code{step} accepts an argument which is the number of times to
1485 step, as in @samp{step 5}. You can also use the @code{step} command
1486 with no arguments. Some commands do not allow any arguments.
1487
1488 @cindex abbreviation
1489 @value{GDBN} command names may always be truncated if that abbreviation is
1490 unambiguous. Other possible command abbreviations are listed in the
1491 documentation for individual commands. In some cases, even ambiguous
1492 abbreviations are allowed; for example, @code{s} is specially defined as
1493 equivalent to @code{step} even though there are other commands whose
1494 names start with @code{s}. You can test abbreviations by using them as
1495 arguments to the @code{help} command.
1496
1497 @cindex repeating commands
1498 @kindex RET @r{(repeat last command)}
1499 A blank line as input to @value{GDBN} (typing just @key{RET}) means to
1500 repeat the previous command. Certain commands (for example, @code{run})
1501 will not repeat this way; these are commands whose unintentional
1502 repetition might cause trouble and which you are unlikely to want to
1503 repeat. User-defined commands can disable this feature; see
1504 @ref{Define, dont-repeat}.
1505
1506 The @code{list} and @code{x} commands, when you repeat them with
1507 @key{RET}, construct new arguments rather than repeating
1508 exactly as typed. This permits easy scanning of source or memory.
1509
1510 @value{GDBN} can also use @key{RET} in another way: to partition lengthy
1511 output, in a way similar to the common utility @code{more}
1512 (@pxref{Screen Size,,Screen Size}). Since it is easy to press one
1513 @key{RET} too many in this situation, @value{GDBN} disables command
1514 repetition after any command that generates this sort of display.
1515
1516 @kindex # @r{(a comment)}
1517 @cindex comment
1518 Any text from a @kbd{#} to the end of the line is a comment; it does
1519 nothing. This is useful mainly in command files (@pxref{Command
1520 Files,,Command Files}).
1521
1522 @cindex repeating command sequences
1523 @kindex Ctrl-o @r{(operate-and-get-next)}
1524 The @kbd{Ctrl-o} binding is useful for repeating a complex sequence of
1525 commands. This command accepts the current line, like @key{RET}, and
1526 then fetches the next line relative to the current line from the history
1527 for editing.
1528
1529 @node Completion
1530 @section Command Completion
1531
1532 @cindex completion
1533 @cindex word completion
1534 @value{GDBN} can fill in the rest of a word in a command for you, if there is
1535 only one possibility; it can also show you what the valid possibilities
1536 are for the next word in a command, at any time. This works for @value{GDBN}
1537 commands, @value{GDBN} subcommands, and the names of symbols in your program.
1538
1539 Press the @key{TAB} key whenever you want @value{GDBN} to fill out the rest
1540 of a word. If there is only one possibility, @value{GDBN} fills in the
1541 word, and waits for you to finish the command (or press @key{RET} to
1542 enter it). For example, if you type
1543
1544 @c FIXME "@key" does not distinguish its argument sufficiently to permit
1545 @c complete accuracy in these examples; space introduced for clarity.
1546 @c If texinfo enhancements make it unnecessary, it would be nice to
1547 @c replace " @key" by "@key" in the following...
1548 @smallexample
1549 (@value{GDBP}) info bre @key{TAB}
1550 @end smallexample
1551
1552 @noindent
1553 @value{GDBN} fills in the rest of the word @samp{breakpoints}, since that is
1554 the only @code{info} subcommand beginning with @samp{bre}:
1555
1556 @smallexample
1557 (@value{GDBP}) info breakpoints
1558 @end smallexample
1559
1560 @noindent
1561 You can either press @key{RET} at this point, to run the @code{info
1562 breakpoints} command, or backspace and enter something else, if
1563 @samp{breakpoints} does not look like the command you expected. (If you
1564 were sure you wanted @code{info breakpoints} in the first place, you
1565 might as well just type @key{RET} immediately after @samp{info bre},
1566 to exploit command abbreviations rather than command completion).
1567
1568 If there is more than one possibility for the next word when you press
1569 @key{TAB}, @value{GDBN} sounds a bell. You can either supply more
1570 characters and try again, or just press @key{TAB} a second time;
1571 @value{GDBN} displays all the possible completions for that word. For
1572 example, you might want to set a breakpoint on a subroutine whose name
1573 begins with @samp{make_}, but when you type @kbd{b make_@key{TAB}} @value{GDBN}
1574 just sounds the bell. Typing @key{TAB} again displays all the
1575 function names in your program that begin with those characters, for
1576 example:
1577
1578 @smallexample
1579 (@value{GDBP}) b make_ @key{TAB}
1580 @exdent @value{GDBN} sounds bell; press @key{TAB} again, to see:
1581 make_a_section_from_file make_environ
1582 make_abs_section make_function_type
1583 make_blockvector make_pointer_type
1584 make_cleanup make_reference_type
1585 make_command make_symbol_completion_list
1586 (@value{GDBP}) b make_
1587 @end smallexample
1588
1589 @noindent
1590 After displaying the available possibilities, @value{GDBN} copies your
1591 partial input (@samp{b make_} in the example) so you can finish the
1592 command.
1593
1594 If you just want to see the list of alternatives in the first place, you
1595 can press @kbd{M-?} rather than pressing @key{TAB} twice. @kbd{M-?}
1596 means @kbd{@key{META} ?}. You can type this either by holding down a
1597 key designated as the @key{META} shift on your keyboard (if there is
1598 one) while typing @kbd{?}, or as @key{ESC} followed by @kbd{?}.
1599
1600 @cindex quotes in commands
1601 @cindex completion of quoted strings
1602 Sometimes the string you need, while logically a ``word'', may contain
1603 parentheses or other characters that @value{GDBN} normally excludes from
1604 its notion of a word. To permit word completion to work in this
1605 situation, you may enclose words in @code{'} (single quote marks) in
1606 @value{GDBN} commands.
1607
1608 The most likely situation where you might need this is in typing the
1609 name of a C@t{++} function. This is because C@t{++} allows function
1610 overloading (multiple definitions of the same function, distinguished
1611 by argument type). For example, when you want to set a breakpoint you
1612 may need to distinguish whether you mean the version of @code{name}
1613 that takes an @code{int} parameter, @code{name(int)}, or the version
1614 that takes a @code{float} parameter, @code{name(float)}. To use the
1615 word-completion facilities in this situation, type a single quote
1616 @code{'} at the beginning of the function name. This alerts
1617 @value{GDBN} that it may need to consider more information than usual
1618 when you press @key{TAB} or @kbd{M-?} to request word completion:
1619
1620 @smallexample
1621 (@value{GDBP}) b 'bubble( @kbd{M-?}
1622 bubble(double,double) bubble(int,int)
1623 (@value{GDBP}) b 'bubble(
1624 @end smallexample
1625
1626 In some cases, @value{GDBN} can tell that completing a name requires using
1627 quotes. When this happens, @value{GDBN} inserts the quote for you (while
1628 completing as much as it can) if you do not type the quote in the first
1629 place:
1630
1631 @smallexample
1632 (@value{GDBP}) b bub @key{TAB}
1633 @exdent @value{GDBN} alters your input line to the following, and rings a bell:
1634 (@value{GDBP}) b 'bubble(
1635 @end smallexample
1636
1637 @noindent
1638 In general, @value{GDBN} can tell that a quote is needed (and inserts it) if
1639 you have not yet started typing the argument list when you ask for
1640 completion on an overloaded symbol.
1641
1642 For more information about overloaded functions, see @ref{C Plus Plus
1643 Expressions, ,C@t{++} Expressions}. You can use the command @code{set
1644 overload-resolution off} to disable overload resolution;
1645 see @ref{Debugging C Plus Plus, ,@value{GDBN} Features for C@t{++}}.
1646
1647 @cindex completion of structure field names
1648 @cindex structure field name completion
1649 @cindex completion of union field names
1650 @cindex union field name completion
1651 When completing in an expression which looks up a field in a
1652 structure, @value{GDBN} also tries@footnote{The completer can be
1653 confused by certain kinds of invalid expressions. Also, it only
1654 examines the static type of the expression, not the dynamic type.} to
1655 limit completions to the field names available in the type of the
1656 left-hand-side:
1657
1658 @smallexample
1659 (@value{GDBP}) p gdb_stdout.@kbd{M-?}
1660 magic to_fputs to_rewind
1661 to_data to_isatty to_write
1662 to_delete to_put to_write_async_safe
1663 to_flush to_read
1664 @end smallexample
1665
1666 @noindent
1667 This is because the @code{gdb_stdout} is a variable of the type
1668 @code{struct ui_file} that is defined in @value{GDBN} sources as
1669 follows:
1670
1671 @smallexample
1672 struct ui_file
1673 @{
1674 int *magic;
1675 ui_file_flush_ftype *to_flush;
1676 ui_file_write_ftype *to_write;
1677 ui_file_write_async_safe_ftype *to_write_async_safe;
1678 ui_file_fputs_ftype *to_fputs;
1679 ui_file_read_ftype *to_read;
1680 ui_file_delete_ftype *to_delete;
1681 ui_file_isatty_ftype *to_isatty;
1682 ui_file_rewind_ftype *to_rewind;
1683 ui_file_put_ftype *to_put;
1684 void *to_data;
1685 @}
1686 @end smallexample
1687
1688
1689 @node Help
1690 @section Getting Help
1691 @cindex online documentation
1692 @kindex help
1693
1694 You can always ask @value{GDBN} itself for information on its commands,
1695 using the command @code{help}.
1696
1697 @table @code
1698 @kindex h @r{(@code{help})}
1699 @item help
1700 @itemx h
1701 You can use @code{help} (abbreviated @code{h}) with no arguments to
1702 display a short list of named classes of commands:
1703
1704 @smallexample
1705 (@value{GDBP}) help
1706 List of classes of commands:
1707
1708 aliases -- Aliases of other commands
1709 breakpoints -- Making program stop at certain points
1710 data -- Examining data
1711 files -- Specifying and examining files
1712 internals -- Maintenance commands
1713 obscure -- Obscure features
1714 running -- Running the program
1715 stack -- Examining the stack
1716 status -- Status inquiries
1717 support -- Support facilities
1718 tracepoints -- Tracing of program execution without
1719 stopping the program
1720 user-defined -- User-defined commands
1721
1722 Type "help" followed by a class name for a list of
1723 commands in that class.
1724 Type "help" followed by command name for full
1725 documentation.
1726 Command name abbreviations are allowed if unambiguous.
1727 (@value{GDBP})
1728 @end smallexample
1729 @c the above line break eliminates huge line overfull...
1730
1731 @item help @var{class}
1732 Using one of the general help classes as an argument, you can get a
1733 list of the individual commands in that class. For example, here is the
1734 help display for the class @code{status}:
1735
1736 @smallexample
1737 (@value{GDBP}) help status
1738 Status inquiries.
1739
1740 List of commands:
1741
1742 @c Line break in "show" line falsifies real output, but needed
1743 @c to fit in smallbook page size.
1744 info -- Generic command for showing things
1745 about the program being debugged
1746 show -- Generic command for showing things
1747 about the debugger
1748
1749 Type "help" followed by command name for full
1750 documentation.
1751 Command name abbreviations are allowed if unambiguous.
1752 (@value{GDBP})
1753 @end smallexample
1754
1755 @item help @var{command}
1756 With a command name as @code{help} argument, @value{GDBN} displays a
1757 short paragraph on how to use that command.
1758
1759 @kindex apropos
1760 @item apropos @var{args}
1761 The @code{apropos} command searches through all of the @value{GDBN}
1762 commands, and their documentation, for the regular expression specified in
1763 @var{args}. It prints out all matches found. For example:
1764
1765 @smallexample
1766 apropos alias
1767 @end smallexample
1768
1769 @noindent
1770 results in:
1771
1772 @smallexample
1773 @c @group
1774 alias -- Define a new command that is an alias of an existing command
1775 aliases -- Aliases of other commands
1776 d -- Delete some breakpoints or auto-display expressions
1777 del -- Delete some breakpoints or auto-display expressions
1778 delete -- Delete some breakpoints or auto-display expressions
1779 @c @end group
1780 @end smallexample
1781
1782 @kindex complete
1783 @item complete @var{args}
1784 The @code{complete @var{args}} command lists all the possible completions
1785 for the beginning of a command. Use @var{args} to specify the beginning of the
1786 command you want completed. For example:
1787
1788 @smallexample
1789 complete i
1790 @end smallexample
1791
1792 @noindent results in:
1793
1794 @smallexample
1795 @group
1796 if
1797 ignore
1798 info
1799 inspect
1800 @end group
1801 @end smallexample
1802
1803 @noindent This is intended for use by @sc{gnu} Emacs.
1804 @end table
1805
1806 In addition to @code{help}, you can use the @value{GDBN} commands @code{info}
1807 and @code{show} to inquire about the state of your program, or the state
1808 of @value{GDBN} itself. Each command supports many topics of inquiry; this
1809 manual introduces each of them in the appropriate context. The listings
1810 under @code{info} and under @code{show} in the Command, Variable, and
1811 Function Index point to all the sub-commands. @xref{Command and Variable
1812 Index}.
1813
1814 @c @group
1815 @table @code
1816 @kindex info
1817 @kindex i @r{(@code{info})}
1818 @item info
1819 This command (abbreviated @code{i}) is for describing the state of your
1820 program. For example, you can show the arguments passed to a function
1821 with @code{info args}, list the registers currently in use with @code{info
1822 registers}, or list the breakpoints you have set with @code{info breakpoints}.
1823 You can get a complete list of the @code{info} sub-commands with
1824 @w{@code{help info}}.
1825
1826 @kindex set
1827 @item set
1828 You can assign the result of an expression to an environment variable with
1829 @code{set}. For example, you can set the @value{GDBN} prompt to a $-sign with
1830 @code{set prompt $}.
1831
1832 @kindex show
1833 @item show
1834 In contrast to @code{info}, @code{show} is for describing the state of
1835 @value{GDBN} itself.
1836 You can change most of the things you can @code{show}, by using the
1837 related command @code{set}; for example, you can control what number
1838 system is used for displays with @code{set radix}, or simply inquire
1839 which is currently in use with @code{show radix}.
1840
1841 @kindex info set
1842 To display all the settable parameters and their current
1843 values, you can use @code{show} with no arguments; you may also use
1844 @code{info set}. Both commands produce the same display.
1845 @c FIXME: "info set" violates the rule that "info" is for state of
1846 @c FIXME...program. Ck w/ GNU: "info set" to be called something else,
1847 @c FIXME...or change desc of rule---eg "state of prog and debugging session"?
1848 @end table
1849 @c @end group
1850
1851 Here are several miscellaneous @code{show} subcommands, all of which are
1852 exceptional in lacking corresponding @code{set} commands:
1853
1854 @table @code
1855 @kindex show version
1856 @cindex @value{GDBN} version number
1857 @item show version
1858 Show what version of @value{GDBN} is running. You should include this
1859 information in @value{GDBN} bug-reports. If multiple versions of
1860 @value{GDBN} are in use at your site, you may need to determine which
1861 version of @value{GDBN} you are running; as @value{GDBN} evolves, new
1862 commands are introduced, and old ones may wither away. Also, many
1863 system vendors ship variant versions of @value{GDBN}, and there are
1864 variant versions of @value{GDBN} in @sc{gnu}/Linux distributions as well.
1865 The version number is the same as the one announced when you start
1866 @value{GDBN}.
1867
1868 @kindex show copying
1869 @kindex info copying
1870 @cindex display @value{GDBN} copyright
1871 @item show copying
1872 @itemx info copying
1873 Display information about permission for copying @value{GDBN}.
1874
1875 @kindex show warranty
1876 @kindex info warranty
1877 @item show warranty
1878 @itemx info warranty
1879 Display the @sc{gnu} ``NO WARRANTY'' statement, or a warranty,
1880 if your version of @value{GDBN} comes with one.
1881
1882 @kindex show configuration
1883 @item show configuration
1884 Display detailed information about the way @value{GDBN} was configured
1885 when it was built. This displays the optional arguments passed to the
1886 @file{configure} script and also configuration parameters detected
1887 automatically by @command{configure}. When reporting a @value{GDBN}
1888 bug (@pxref{GDB Bugs}), it is important to include this information in
1889 your report.
1890
1891 @end table
1892
1893 @node Running
1894 @chapter Running Programs Under @value{GDBN}
1895
1896 When you run a program under @value{GDBN}, you must first generate
1897 debugging information when you compile it.
1898
1899 You may start @value{GDBN} with its arguments, if any, in an environment
1900 of your choice. If you are doing native debugging, you may redirect
1901 your program's input and output, debug an already running process, or
1902 kill a child process.
1903
1904 @menu
1905 * Compilation:: Compiling for debugging
1906 * Starting:: Starting your program
1907 * Arguments:: Your program's arguments
1908 * Environment:: Your program's environment
1909
1910 * Working Directory:: Your program's working directory
1911 * Input/Output:: Your program's input and output
1912 * Attach:: Debugging an already-running process
1913 * Kill Process:: Killing the child process
1914
1915 * Inferiors and Programs:: Debugging multiple inferiors and programs
1916 * Threads:: Debugging programs with multiple threads
1917 * Forks:: Debugging forks
1918 * Checkpoint/Restart:: Setting a @emph{bookmark} to return to later
1919 @end menu
1920
1921 @node Compilation
1922 @section Compiling for Debugging
1923
1924 In order to debug a program effectively, you need to generate
1925 debugging information when you compile it. This debugging information
1926 is stored in the object file; it describes the data type of each
1927 variable or function and the correspondence between source line numbers
1928 and addresses in the executable code.
1929
1930 To request debugging information, specify the @samp{-g} option when you run
1931 the compiler.
1932
1933 Programs that are to be shipped to your customers are compiled with
1934 optimizations, using the @samp{-O} compiler option. However, some
1935 compilers are unable to handle the @samp{-g} and @samp{-O} options
1936 together. Using those compilers, you cannot generate optimized
1937 executables containing debugging information.
1938
1939 @value{NGCC}, the @sc{gnu} C/C@t{++} compiler, supports @samp{-g} with or
1940 without @samp{-O}, making it possible to debug optimized code. We
1941 recommend that you @emph{always} use @samp{-g} whenever you compile a
1942 program. You may think your program is correct, but there is no sense
1943 in pushing your luck. For more information, see @ref{Optimized Code}.
1944
1945 Older versions of the @sc{gnu} C compiler permitted a variant option
1946 @w{@samp{-gg}} for debugging information. @value{GDBN} no longer supports this
1947 format; if your @sc{gnu} C compiler has this option, do not use it.
1948
1949 @value{GDBN} knows about preprocessor macros and can show you their
1950 expansion (@pxref{Macros}). Most compilers do not include information
1951 about preprocessor macros in the debugging information if you specify
1952 the @option{-g} flag alone. Version 3.1 and later of @value{NGCC},
1953 the @sc{gnu} C compiler, provides macro information if you are using
1954 the DWARF debugging format, and specify the option @option{-g3}.
1955
1956 @xref{Debugging Options,,Options for Debugging Your Program or GCC,
1957 gcc.info, Using the @sc{gnu} Compiler Collection (GCC)}, for more
1958 information on @value{NGCC} options affecting debug information.
1959
1960 You will have the best debugging experience if you use the latest
1961 version of the DWARF debugging format that your compiler supports.
1962 DWARF is currently the most expressive and best supported debugging
1963 format in @value{GDBN}.
1964
1965 @need 2000
1966 @node Starting
1967 @section Starting your Program
1968 @cindex starting
1969 @cindex running
1970
1971 @table @code
1972 @kindex run
1973 @kindex r @r{(@code{run})}
1974 @item run
1975 @itemx r
1976 Use the @code{run} command to start your program under @value{GDBN}.
1977 You must first specify the program name (except on VxWorks) with an
1978 argument to @value{GDBN} (@pxref{Invocation, ,Getting In and Out of
1979 @value{GDBN}}), or by using the @code{file} or @code{exec-file} command
1980 (@pxref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}).
1981
1982 @end table
1983
1984 If you are running your program in an execution environment that
1985 supports processes, @code{run} creates an inferior process and makes
1986 that process run your program. In some environments without processes,
1987 @code{run} jumps to the start of your program. Other targets,
1988 like @samp{remote}, are always running. If you get an error
1989 message like this one:
1990
1991 @smallexample
1992 The "remote" target does not support "run".
1993 Try "help target" or "continue".
1994 @end smallexample
1995
1996 @noindent
1997 then use @code{continue} to run your program. You may need @code{load}
1998 first (@pxref{load}).
1999
2000 The execution of a program is affected by certain information it
2001 receives from its superior. @value{GDBN} provides ways to specify this
2002 information, which you must do @emph{before} starting your program. (You
2003 can change it after starting your program, but such changes only affect
2004 your program the next time you start it.) This information may be
2005 divided into four categories:
2006
2007 @table @asis
2008 @item The @emph{arguments.}
2009 Specify the arguments to give your program as the arguments of the
2010 @code{run} command. If a shell is available on your target, the shell
2011 is used to pass the arguments, so that you may use normal conventions
2012 (such as wildcard expansion or variable substitution) in describing
2013 the arguments.
2014 In Unix systems, you can control which shell is used with the
2015 @code{SHELL} environment variable. If you do not define @code{SHELL},
2016 @value{GDBN} uses the default shell (@file{/bin/sh}). You can disable
2017 use of any shell with the @code{set startup-with-shell} command (see
2018 below for details).
2019
2020 @item The @emph{environment.}
2021 Your program normally inherits its environment from @value{GDBN}, but you can
2022 use the @value{GDBN} commands @code{set environment} and @code{unset
2023 environment} to change parts of the environment that affect
2024 your program. @xref{Environment, ,Your Program's Environment}.
2025
2026 @item The @emph{working directory.}
2027 Your program inherits its working directory from @value{GDBN}. You can set
2028 the @value{GDBN} working directory with the @code{cd} command in @value{GDBN}.
2029 @xref{Working Directory, ,Your Program's Working Directory}.
2030
2031 @item The @emph{standard input and output.}
2032 Your program normally uses the same device for standard input and
2033 standard output as @value{GDBN} is using. You can redirect input and output
2034 in the @code{run} command line, or you can use the @code{tty} command to
2035 set a different device for your program.
2036 @xref{Input/Output, ,Your Program's Input and Output}.
2037
2038 @cindex pipes
2039 @emph{Warning:} While input and output redirection work, you cannot use
2040 pipes to pass the output of the program you are debugging to another
2041 program; if you attempt this, @value{GDBN} is likely to wind up debugging the
2042 wrong program.
2043 @end table
2044
2045 When you issue the @code{run} command, your program begins to execute
2046 immediately. @xref{Stopping, ,Stopping and Continuing}, for discussion
2047 of how to arrange for your program to stop. Once your program has
2048 stopped, you may call functions in your program, using the @code{print}
2049 or @code{call} commands. @xref{Data, ,Examining Data}.
2050
2051 If the modification time of your symbol file has changed since the last
2052 time @value{GDBN} read its symbols, @value{GDBN} discards its symbol
2053 table, and reads it again. When it does this, @value{GDBN} tries to retain
2054 your current breakpoints.
2055
2056 @table @code
2057 @kindex start
2058 @item start
2059 @cindex run to main procedure
2060 The name of the main procedure can vary from language to language.
2061 With C or C@t{++}, the main procedure name is always @code{main}, but
2062 other languages such as Ada do not require a specific name for their
2063 main procedure. The debugger provides a convenient way to start the
2064 execution of the program and to stop at the beginning of the main
2065 procedure, depending on the language used.
2066
2067 The @samp{start} command does the equivalent of setting a temporary
2068 breakpoint at the beginning of the main procedure and then invoking
2069 the @samp{run} command.
2070
2071 @cindex elaboration phase
2072 Some programs contain an @dfn{elaboration} phase where some startup code is
2073 executed before the main procedure is called. This depends on the
2074 languages used to write your program. In C@t{++}, for instance,
2075 constructors for static and global objects are executed before
2076 @code{main} is called. It is therefore possible that the debugger stops
2077 before reaching the main procedure. However, the temporary breakpoint
2078 will remain to halt execution.
2079
2080 Specify the arguments to give to your program as arguments to the
2081 @samp{start} command. These arguments will be given verbatim to the
2082 underlying @samp{run} command. Note that the same arguments will be
2083 reused if no argument is provided during subsequent calls to
2084 @samp{start} or @samp{run}.
2085
2086 It is sometimes necessary to debug the program during elaboration. In
2087 these cases, using the @code{start} command would stop the execution of
2088 your program too late, as the program would have already completed the
2089 elaboration phase. Under these circumstances, insert breakpoints in your
2090 elaboration code before running your program.
2091
2092 @anchor{set exec-wrapper}
2093 @kindex set exec-wrapper
2094 @item set exec-wrapper @var{wrapper}
2095 @itemx show exec-wrapper
2096 @itemx unset exec-wrapper
2097 When @samp{exec-wrapper} is set, the specified wrapper is used to
2098 launch programs for debugging. @value{GDBN} starts your program
2099 with a shell command of the form @kbd{exec @var{wrapper}
2100 @var{program}}. Quoting is added to @var{program} and its
2101 arguments, but not to @var{wrapper}, so you should add quotes if
2102 appropriate for your shell. The wrapper runs until it executes
2103 your program, and then @value{GDBN} takes control.
2104
2105 You can use any program that eventually calls @code{execve} with
2106 its arguments as a wrapper. Several standard Unix utilities do
2107 this, e.g.@: @code{env} and @code{nohup}. Any Unix shell script ending
2108 with @code{exec "$@@"} will also work.
2109
2110 For example, you can use @code{env} to pass an environment variable to
2111 the debugged program, without setting the variable in your shell's
2112 environment:
2113
2114 @smallexample
2115 (@value{GDBP}) set exec-wrapper env 'LD_PRELOAD=libtest.so'
2116 (@value{GDBP}) run
2117 @end smallexample
2118
2119 This command is available when debugging locally on most targets, excluding
2120 @sc{djgpp}, Cygwin, MS Windows, and QNX Neutrino.
2121
2122 @kindex set startup-with-shell
2123 @item set startup-with-shell
2124 @itemx set startup-with-shell on
2125 @itemx set startup-with-shell off
2126 @itemx show set startup-with-shell
2127 On Unix systems, by default, if a shell is available on your target,
2128 @value{GDBN}) uses it to start your program. Arguments of the
2129 @code{run} command are passed to the shell, which does variable
2130 substitution, expands wildcard characters and performs redirection of
2131 I/O. In some circumstances, it may be useful to disable such use of a
2132 shell, for example, when debugging the shell itself or diagnosing
2133 startup failures such as:
2134
2135 @smallexample
2136 (@value{GDBP}) run
2137 Starting program: ./a.out
2138 During startup program terminated with signal SIGSEGV, Segmentation fault.
2139 @end smallexample
2140
2141 @noindent
2142 which indicates the shell or the wrapper specified with
2143 @samp{exec-wrapper} crashed, not your program. Most often, this is
2144 caused by something odd in your shell's non-interactive mode
2145 initialization file---such as @file{.cshrc} for C-shell,
2146 $@file{.zshenv} for the Z shell, or the file specified in the
2147 @samp{BASH_ENV} environment variable for BASH.
2148
2149 @kindex set disable-randomization
2150 @item set disable-randomization
2151 @itemx set disable-randomization on
2152 This option (enabled by default in @value{GDBN}) will turn off the native
2153 randomization of the virtual address space of the started program. This option
2154 is useful for multiple debugging sessions to make the execution better
2155 reproducible and memory addresses reusable across debugging sessions.
2156
2157 This feature is implemented only on certain targets, including @sc{gnu}/Linux.
2158 On @sc{gnu}/Linux you can get the same behavior using
2159
2160 @smallexample
2161 (@value{GDBP}) set exec-wrapper setarch `uname -m` -R
2162 @end smallexample
2163
2164 @item set disable-randomization off
2165 Leave the behavior of the started executable unchanged. Some bugs rear their
2166 ugly heads only when the program is loaded at certain addresses. If your bug
2167 disappears when you run the program under @value{GDBN}, that might be because
2168 @value{GDBN} by default disables the address randomization on platforms, such
2169 as @sc{gnu}/Linux, which do that for stand-alone programs. Use @kbd{set
2170 disable-randomization off} to try to reproduce such elusive bugs.
2171
2172 On targets where it is available, virtual address space randomization
2173 protects the programs against certain kinds of security attacks. In these
2174 cases the attacker needs to know the exact location of a concrete executable
2175 code. Randomizing its location makes it impossible to inject jumps misusing
2176 a code at its expected addresses.
2177
2178 Prelinking shared libraries provides a startup performance advantage but it
2179 makes addresses in these libraries predictable for privileged processes by
2180 having just unprivileged access at the target system. Reading the shared
2181 library binary gives enough information for assembling the malicious code
2182 misusing it. Still even a prelinked shared library can get loaded at a new
2183 random address just requiring the regular relocation process during the
2184 startup. Shared libraries not already prelinked are always loaded at
2185 a randomly chosen address.
2186
2187 Position independent executables (PIE) contain position independent code
2188 similar to the shared libraries and therefore such executables get loaded at
2189 a randomly chosen address upon startup. PIE executables always load even
2190 already prelinked shared libraries at a random address. You can build such
2191 executable using @command{gcc -fPIE -pie}.
2192
2193 Heap (malloc storage), stack and custom mmap areas are always placed randomly
2194 (as long as the randomization is enabled).
2195
2196 @item show disable-randomization
2197 Show the current setting of the explicit disable of the native randomization of
2198 the virtual address space of the started program.
2199
2200 @end table
2201
2202 @node Arguments
2203 @section Your Program's Arguments
2204
2205 @cindex arguments (to your program)
2206 The arguments to your program can be specified by the arguments of the
2207 @code{run} command.
2208 They are passed to a shell, which expands wildcard characters and
2209 performs redirection of I/O, and thence to your program. Your
2210 @code{SHELL} environment variable (if it exists) specifies what shell
2211 @value{GDBN} uses. If you do not define @code{SHELL}, @value{GDBN} uses
2212 the default shell (@file{/bin/sh} on Unix).
2213
2214 On non-Unix systems, the program is usually invoked directly by
2215 @value{GDBN}, which emulates I/O redirection via the appropriate system
2216 calls, and the wildcard characters are expanded by the startup code of
2217 the program, not by the shell.
2218
2219 @code{run} with no arguments uses the same arguments used by the previous
2220 @code{run}, or those set by the @code{set args} command.
2221
2222 @table @code
2223 @kindex set args
2224 @item set args
2225 Specify the arguments to be used the next time your program is run. If
2226 @code{set args} has no arguments, @code{run} executes your program
2227 with no arguments. Once you have run your program with arguments,
2228 using @code{set args} before the next @code{run} is the only way to run
2229 it again without arguments.
2230
2231 @kindex show args
2232 @item show args
2233 Show the arguments to give your program when it is started.
2234 @end table
2235
2236 @node Environment
2237 @section Your Program's Environment
2238
2239 @cindex environment (of your program)
2240 The @dfn{environment} consists of a set of environment variables and
2241 their values. Environment variables conventionally record such things as
2242 your user name, your home directory, your terminal type, and your search
2243 path for programs to run. Usually you set up environment variables with
2244 the shell and they are inherited by all the other programs you run. When
2245 debugging, it can be useful to try running your program with a modified
2246 environment without having to start @value{GDBN} over again.
2247
2248 @table @code
2249 @kindex path
2250 @item path @var{directory}
2251 Add @var{directory} to the front of the @code{PATH} environment variable
2252 (the search path for executables) that will be passed to your program.
2253 The value of @code{PATH} used by @value{GDBN} does not change.
2254 You may specify several directory names, separated by whitespace or by a
2255 system-dependent separator character (@samp{:} on Unix, @samp{;} on
2256 MS-DOS and MS-Windows). If @var{directory} is already in the path, it
2257 is moved to the front, so it is searched sooner.
2258
2259 You can use the string @samp{$cwd} to refer to whatever is the current
2260 working directory at the time @value{GDBN} searches the path. If you
2261 use @samp{.} instead, it refers to the directory where you executed the
2262 @code{path} command. @value{GDBN} replaces @samp{.} in the
2263 @var{directory} argument (with the current path) before adding
2264 @var{directory} to the search path.
2265 @c 'path' is explicitly nonrepeatable, but RMS points out it is silly to
2266 @c document that, since repeating it would be a no-op.
2267
2268 @kindex show paths
2269 @item show paths
2270 Display the list of search paths for executables (the @code{PATH}
2271 environment variable).
2272
2273 @kindex show environment
2274 @item show environment @r{[}@var{varname}@r{]}
2275 Print the value of environment variable @var{varname} to be given to
2276 your program when it starts. If you do not supply @var{varname},
2277 print the names and values of all environment variables to be given to
2278 your program. You can abbreviate @code{environment} as @code{env}.
2279
2280 @kindex set environment
2281 @item set environment @var{varname} @r{[}=@var{value}@r{]}
2282 Set environment variable @var{varname} to @var{value}. The value
2283 changes for your program (and the shell @value{GDBN} uses to launch
2284 it), not for @value{GDBN} itself. @var{value} may be any string; the
2285 values of environment variables are just strings, and any
2286 interpretation is supplied by your program itself. The @var{value}
2287 parameter is optional; if it is eliminated, the variable is set to a
2288 null value.
2289 @c "any string" here does not include leading, trailing
2290 @c blanks. Gnu asks: does anyone care?
2291
2292 For example, this command:
2293
2294 @smallexample
2295 set env USER = foo
2296 @end smallexample
2297
2298 @noindent
2299 tells the debugged program, when subsequently run, that its user is named
2300 @samp{foo}. (The spaces around @samp{=} are used for clarity here; they
2301 are not actually required.)
2302
2303 Note that on Unix systems, @value{GDBN} runs your program via a shell,
2304 which also inherits the environment set with @code{set environment}.
2305 If necessary, you can avoid that by using the @samp{env} program as a
2306 wrapper instead of using @code{set environment}. @xref{set
2307 exec-wrapper}, for an example doing just that.
2308
2309 @kindex unset environment
2310 @item unset environment @var{varname}
2311 Remove variable @var{varname} from the environment to be passed to your
2312 program. This is different from @samp{set env @var{varname} =};
2313 @code{unset environment} removes the variable from the environment,
2314 rather than assigning it an empty value.
2315 @end table
2316
2317 @emph{Warning:} On Unix systems, @value{GDBN} runs your program using
2318 the shell indicated by your @code{SHELL} environment variable if it
2319 exists (or @code{/bin/sh} if not). If your @code{SHELL} variable
2320 names a shell that runs an initialization file when started
2321 non-interactively---such as @file{.cshrc} for C-shell, $@file{.zshenv}
2322 for the Z shell, or the file specified in the @samp{BASH_ENV}
2323 environment variable for BASH---any variables you set in that file
2324 affect your program. You may wish to move setting of environment
2325 variables to files that are only run when you sign on, such as
2326 @file{.login} or @file{.profile}.
2327
2328 @node Working Directory
2329 @section Your Program's Working Directory
2330
2331 @cindex working directory (of your program)
2332 Each time you start your program with @code{run}, it inherits its
2333 working directory from the current working directory of @value{GDBN}.
2334 The @value{GDBN} working directory is initially whatever it inherited
2335 from its parent process (typically the shell), but you can specify a new
2336 working directory in @value{GDBN} with the @code{cd} command.
2337
2338 The @value{GDBN} working directory also serves as a default for the commands
2339 that specify files for @value{GDBN} to operate on. @xref{Files, ,Commands to
2340 Specify Files}.
2341
2342 @table @code
2343 @kindex cd
2344 @cindex change working directory
2345 @item cd @r{[}@var{directory}@r{]}
2346 Set the @value{GDBN} working directory to @var{directory}. If not
2347 given, @var{directory} uses @file{'~'}.
2348
2349 @kindex pwd
2350 @item pwd
2351 Print the @value{GDBN} working directory.
2352 @end table
2353
2354 It is generally impossible to find the current working directory of
2355 the process being debugged (since a program can change its directory
2356 during its run). If you work on a system where @value{GDBN} is
2357 configured with the @file{/proc} support, you can use the @code{info
2358 proc} command (@pxref{SVR4 Process Information}) to find out the
2359 current working directory of the debuggee.
2360
2361 @node Input/Output
2362 @section Your Program's Input and Output
2363
2364 @cindex redirection
2365 @cindex i/o
2366 @cindex terminal
2367 By default, the program you run under @value{GDBN} does input and output to
2368 the same terminal that @value{GDBN} uses. @value{GDBN} switches the terminal
2369 to its own terminal modes to interact with you, but it records the terminal
2370 modes your program was using and switches back to them when you continue
2371 running your program.
2372
2373 @table @code
2374 @kindex info terminal
2375 @item info terminal
2376 Displays information recorded by @value{GDBN} about the terminal modes your
2377 program is using.
2378 @end table
2379
2380 You can redirect your program's input and/or output using shell
2381 redirection with the @code{run} command. For example,
2382
2383 @smallexample
2384 run > outfile
2385 @end smallexample
2386
2387 @noindent
2388 starts your program, diverting its output to the file @file{outfile}.
2389
2390 @kindex tty
2391 @cindex controlling terminal
2392 Another way to specify where your program should do input and output is
2393 with the @code{tty} command. This command accepts a file name as
2394 argument, and causes this file to be the default for future @code{run}
2395 commands. It also resets the controlling terminal for the child
2396 process, for future @code{run} commands. For example,
2397
2398 @smallexample
2399 tty /dev/ttyb
2400 @end smallexample
2401
2402 @noindent
2403 directs that processes started with subsequent @code{run} commands
2404 default to do input and output on the terminal @file{/dev/ttyb} and have
2405 that as their controlling terminal.
2406
2407 An explicit redirection in @code{run} overrides the @code{tty} command's
2408 effect on the input/output device, but not its effect on the controlling
2409 terminal.
2410
2411 When you use the @code{tty} command or redirect input in the @code{run}
2412 command, only the input @emph{for your program} is affected. The input
2413 for @value{GDBN} still comes from your terminal. @code{tty} is an alias
2414 for @code{set inferior-tty}.
2415
2416 @cindex inferior tty
2417 @cindex set inferior controlling terminal
2418 You can use the @code{show inferior-tty} command to tell @value{GDBN} to
2419 display the name of the terminal that will be used for future runs of your
2420 program.
2421
2422 @table @code
2423 @item set inferior-tty /dev/ttyb
2424 @kindex set inferior-tty
2425 Set the tty for the program being debugged to /dev/ttyb.
2426
2427 @item show inferior-tty
2428 @kindex show inferior-tty
2429 Show the current tty for the program being debugged.
2430 @end table
2431
2432 @node Attach
2433 @section Debugging an Already-running Process
2434 @kindex attach
2435 @cindex attach
2436
2437 @table @code
2438 @item attach @var{process-id}
2439 This command attaches to a running process---one that was started
2440 outside @value{GDBN}. (@code{info files} shows your active
2441 targets.) The command takes as argument a process ID. The usual way to
2442 find out the @var{process-id} of a Unix process is with the @code{ps} utility,
2443 or with the @samp{jobs -l} shell command.
2444
2445 @code{attach} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} a second time after
2446 executing the command.
2447 @end table
2448
2449 To use @code{attach}, your program must be running in an environment
2450 which supports processes; for example, @code{attach} does not work for
2451 programs on bare-board targets that lack an operating system. You must
2452 also have permission to send the process a signal.
2453
2454 When you use @code{attach}, the debugger finds the program running in
2455 the process first by looking in the current working directory, then (if
2456 the program is not found) by using the source file search path
2457 (@pxref{Source Path, ,Specifying Source Directories}). You can also use
2458 the @code{file} command to load the program. @xref{Files, ,Commands to
2459 Specify Files}.
2460
2461 The first thing @value{GDBN} does after arranging to debug the specified
2462 process is to stop it. You can examine and modify an attached process
2463 with all the @value{GDBN} commands that are ordinarily available when
2464 you start processes with @code{run}. You can insert breakpoints; you
2465 can step and continue; you can modify storage. If you would rather the
2466 process continue running, you may use the @code{continue} command after
2467 attaching @value{GDBN} to the process.
2468
2469 @table @code
2470 @kindex detach
2471 @item detach
2472 When you have finished debugging the attached process, you can use the
2473 @code{detach} command to release it from @value{GDBN} control. Detaching
2474 the process continues its execution. After the @code{detach} command,
2475 that process and @value{GDBN} become completely independent once more, and you
2476 are ready to @code{attach} another process or start one with @code{run}.
2477 @code{detach} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} again after
2478 executing the command.
2479 @end table
2480
2481 If you exit @value{GDBN} while you have an attached process, you detach
2482 that process. If you use the @code{run} command, you kill that process.
2483 By default, @value{GDBN} asks for confirmation if you try to do either of these
2484 things; you can control whether or not you need to confirm by using the
2485 @code{set confirm} command (@pxref{Messages/Warnings, ,Optional Warnings and
2486 Messages}).
2487
2488 @node Kill Process
2489 @section Killing the Child Process
2490
2491 @table @code
2492 @kindex kill
2493 @item kill
2494 Kill the child process in which your program is running under @value{GDBN}.
2495 @end table
2496
2497 This command is useful if you wish to debug a core dump instead of a
2498 running process. @value{GDBN} ignores any core dump file while your program
2499 is running.
2500
2501 On some operating systems, a program cannot be executed outside @value{GDBN}
2502 while you have breakpoints set on it inside @value{GDBN}. You can use the
2503 @code{kill} command in this situation to permit running your program
2504 outside the debugger.
2505
2506 The @code{kill} command is also useful if you wish to recompile and
2507 relink your program, since on many systems it is impossible to modify an
2508 executable file while it is running in a process. In this case, when you
2509 next type @code{run}, @value{GDBN} notices that the file has changed, and
2510 reads the symbol table again (while trying to preserve your current
2511 breakpoint settings).
2512
2513 @node Inferiors and Programs
2514 @section Debugging Multiple Inferiors and Programs
2515
2516 @value{GDBN} lets you run and debug multiple programs in a single
2517 session. In addition, @value{GDBN} on some systems may let you run
2518 several programs simultaneously (otherwise you have to exit from one
2519 before starting another). In the most general case, you can have
2520 multiple threads of execution in each of multiple processes, launched
2521 from multiple executables.
2522
2523 @cindex inferior
2524 @value{GDBN} represents the state of each program execution with an
2525 object called an @dfn{inferior}. An inferior typically corresponds to
2526 a process, but is more general and applies also to targets that do not
2527 have processes. Inferiors may be created before a process runs, and
2528 may be retained after a process exits. Inferiors have unique
2529 identifiers that are different from process ids. Usually each
2530 inferior will also have its own distinct address space, although some
2531 embedded targets may have several inferiors running in different parts
2532 of a single address space. Each inferior may in turn have multiple
2533 threads running in it.
2534
2535 To find out what inferiors exist at any moment, use @w{@code{info
2536 inferiors}}:
2537
2538 @table @code
2539 @kindex info inferiors
2540 @item info inferiors
2541 Print a list of all inferiors currently being managed by @value{GDBN}.
2542
2543 @value{GDBN} displays for each inferior (in this order):
2544
2545 @enumerate
2546 @item
2547 the inferior number assigned by @value{GDBN}
2548
2549 @item
2550 the target system's inferior identifier
2551
2552 @item
2553 the name of the executable the inferior is running.
2554
2555 @end enumerate
2556
2557 @noindent
2558 An asterisk @samp{*} preceding the @value{GDBN} inferior number
2559 indicates the current inferior.
2560
2561 For example,
2562 @end table
2563 @c end table here to get a little more width for example
2564
2565 @smallexample
2566 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
2567 Num Description Executable
2568 2 process 2307 hello
2569 * 1 process 3401 goodbye
2570 @end smallexample
2571
2572 To switch focus between inferiors, use the @code{inferior} command:
2573
2574 @table @code
2575 @kindex inferior @var{infno}
2576 @item inferior @var{infno}
2577 Make inferior number @var{infno} the current inferior. The argument
2578 @var{infno} is the inferior number assigned by @value{GDBN}, as shown
2579 in the first field of the @samp{info inferiors} display.
2580 @end table
2581
2582
2583 You can get multiple executables into a debugging session via the
2584 @code{add-inferior} and @w{@code{clone-inferior}} commands. On some
2585 systems @value{GDBN} can add inferiors to the debug session
2586 automatically by following calls to @code{fork} and @code{exec}. To
2587 remove inferiors from the debugging session use the
2588 @w{@code{remove-inferiors}} command.
2589
2590 @table @code
2591 @kindex add-inferior
2592 @item add-inferior [ -copies @var{n} ] [ -exec @var{executable} ]
2593 Adds @var{n} inferiors to be run using @var{executable} as the
2594 executable. @var{n} defaults to 1. If no executable is specified,
2595 the inferiors begins empty, with no program. You can still assign or
2596 change the program assigned to the inferior at any time by using the
2597 @code{file} command with the executable name as its argument.
2598
2599 @kindex clone-inferior
2600 @item clone-inferior [ -copies @var{n} ] [ @var{infno} ]
2601 Adds @var{n} inferiors ready to execute the same program as inferior
2602 @var{infno}. @var{n} defaults to 1. @var{infno} defaults to the
2603 number of the current inferior. This is a convenient command when you
2604 want to run another instance of the inferior you are debugging.
2605
2606 @smallexample
2607 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
2608 Num Description Executable
2609 * 1 process 29964 helloworld
2610 (@value{GDBP}) clone-inferior
2611 Added inferior 2.
2612 1 inferiors added.
2613 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
2614 Num Description Executable
2615 2 <null> helloworld
2616 * 1 process 29964 helloworld
2617 @end smallexample
2618
2619 You can now simply switch focus to inferior 2 and run it.
2620
2621 @kindex remove-inferiors
2622 @item remove-inferiors @var{infno}@dots{}
2623 Removes the inferior or inferiors @var{infno}@dots{}. It is not
2624 possible to remove an inferior that is running with this command. For
2625 those, use the @code{kill} or @code{detach} command first.
2626
2627 @end table
2628
2629 To quit debugging one of the running inferiors that is not the current
2630 inferior, you can either detach from it by using the @w{@code{detach
2631 inferior}} command (allowing it to run independently), or kill it
2632 using the @w{@code{kill inferiors}} command:
2633
2634 @table @code
2635 @kindex detach inferiors @var{infno}@dots{}
2636 @item detach inferior @var{infno}@dots{}
2637 Detach from the inferior or inferiors identified by @value{GDBN}
2638 inferior number(s) @var{infno}@dots{}. Note that the inferior's entry
2639 still stays on the list of inferiors shown by @code{info inferiors},
2640 but its Description will show @samp{<null>}.
2641
2642 @kindex kill inferiors @var{infno}@dots{}
2643 @item kill inferiors @var{infno}@dots{}
2644 Kill the inferior or inferiors identified by @value{GDBN} inferior
2645 number(s) @var{infno}@dots{}. Note that the inferior's entry still
2646 stays on the list of inferiors shown by @code{info inferiors}, but its
2647 Description will show @samp{<null>}.
2648 @end table
2649
2650 After the successful completion of a command such as @code{detach},
2651 @code{detach inferiors}, @code{kill} or @code{kill inferiors}, or after
2652 a normal process exit, the inferior is still valid and listed with
2653 @code{info inferiors}, ready to be restarted.
2654
2655
2656 To be notified when inferiors are started or exit under @value{GDBN}'s
2657 control use @w{@code{set print inferior-events}}:
2658
2659 @table @code
2660 @kindex set print inferior-events
2661 @cindex print messages on inferior start and exit
2662 @item set print inferior-events
2663 @itemx set print inferior-events on
2664 @itemx set print inferior-events off
2665 The @code{set print inferior-events} command allows you to enable or
2666 disable printing of messages when @value{GDBN} notices that new
2667 inferiors have started or that inferiors have exited or have been
2668 detached. By default, these messages will not be printed.
2669
2670 @kindex show print inferior-events
2671 @item show print inferior-events
2672 Show whether messages will be printed when @value{GDBN} detects that
2673 inferiors have started, exited or have been detached.
2674 @end table
2675
2676 Many commands will work the same with multiple programs as with a
2677 single program: e.g., @code{print myglobal} will simply display the
2678 value of @code{myglobal} in the current inferior.
2679
2680
2681 Occasionaly, when debugging @value{GDBN} itself, it may be useful to
2682 get more info about the relationship of inferiors, programs, address
2683 spaces in a debug session. You can do that with the @w{@code{maint
2684 info program-spaces}} command.
2685
2686 @table @code
2687 @kindex maint info program-spaces
2688 @item maint info program-spaces
2689 Print a list of all program spaces currently being managed by
2690 @value{GDBN}.
2691
2692 @value{GDBN} displays for each program space (in this order):
2693
2694 @enumerate
2695 @item
2696 the program space number assigned by @value{GDBN}
2697
2698 @item
2699 the name of the executable loaded into the program space, with e.g.,
2700 the @code{file} command.
2701
2702 @end enumerate
2703
2704 @noindent
2705 An asterisk @samp{*} preceding the @value{GDBN} program space number
2706 indicates the current program space.
2707
2708 In addition, below each program space line, @value{GDBN} prints extra
2709 information that isn't suitable to display in tabular form. For
2710 example, the list of inferiors bound to the program space.
2711
2712 @smallexample
2713 (@value{GDBP}) maint info program-spaces
2714 Id Executable
2715 2 goodbye
2716 Bound inferiors: ID 1 (process 21561)
2717 * 1 hello
2718 @end smallexample
2719
2720 Here we can see that no inferior is running the program @code{hello},
2721 while @code{process 21561} is running the program @code{goodbye}. On
2722 some targets, it is possible that multiple inferiors are bound to the
2723 same program space. The most common example is that of debugging both
2724 the parent and child processes of a @code{vfork} call. For example,
2725
2726 @smallexample
2727 (@value{GDBP}) maint info program-spaces
2728 Id Executable
2729 * 1 vfork-test
2730 Bound inferiors: ID 2 (process 18050), ID 1 (process 18045)
2731 @end smallexample
2732
2733 Here, both inferior 2 and inferior 1 are running in the same program
2734 space as a result of inferior 1 having executed a @code{vfork} call.
2735 @end table
2736
2737 @node Threads
2738 @section Debugging Programs with Multiple Threads
2739
2740 @cindex threads of execution
2741 @cindex multiple threads
2742 @cindex switching threads
2743 In some operating systems, such as HP-UX and Solaris, a single program
2744 may have more than one @dfn{thread} of execution. The precise semantics
2745 of threads differ from one operating system to another, but in general
2746 the threads of a single program are akin to multiple processes---except
2747 that they share one address space (that is, they can all examine and
2748 modify the same variables). On the other hand, each thread has its own
2749 registers and execution stack, and perhaps private memory.
2750
2751 @value{GDBN} provides these facilities for debugging multi-thread
2752 programs:
2753
2754 @itemize @bullet
2755 @item automatic notification of new threads
2756 @item @samp{thread @var{threadno}}, a command to switch among threads
2757 @item @samp{info threads}, a command to inquire about existing threads
2758 @item @samp{thread apply [@var{threadno}] [@var{all}] @var{args}},
2759 a command to apply a command to a list of threads
2760 @item thread-specific breakpoints
2761 @item @samp{set print thread-events}, which controls printing of
2762 messages on thread start and exit.
2763 @item @samp{set libthread-db-search-path @var{path}}, which lets
2764 the user specify which @code{libthread_db} to use if the default choice
2765 isn't compatible with the program.
2766 @end itemize
2767
2768 @quotation
2769 @emph{Warning:} These facilities are not yet available on every
2770 @value{GDBN} configuration where the operating system supports threads.
2771 If your @value{GDBN} does not support threads, these commands have no
2772 effect. For example, a system without thread support shows no output
2773 from @samp{info threads}, and always rejects the @code{thread} command,
2774 like this:
2775
2776 @smallexample
2777 (@value{GDBP}) info threads
2778 (@value{GDBP}) thread 1
2779 Thread ID 1 not known. Use the "info threads" command to
2780 see the IDs of currently known threads.
2781 @end smallexample
2782 @c FIXME to implementors: how hard would it be to say "sorry, this GDB
2783 @c doesn't support threads"?
2784 @end quotation
2785
2786 @cindex focus of debugging
2787 @cindex current thread
2788 The @value{GDBN} thread debugging facility allows you to observe all
2789 threads while your program runs---but whenever @value{GDBN} takes
2790 control, one thread in particular is always the focus of debugging.
2791 This thread is called the @dfn{current thread}. Debugging commands show
2792 program information from the perspective of the current thread.
2793
2794 @cindex @code{New} @var{systag} message
2795 @cindex thread identifier (system)
2796 @c FIXME-implementors!! It would be more helpful if the [New...] message
2797 @c included GDB's numeric thread handle, so you could just go to that
2798 @c thread without first checking `info threads'.
2799 Whenever @value{GDBN} detects a new thread in your program, it displays
2800 the target system's identification for the thread with a message in the
2801 form @samp{[New @var{systag}]}. @var{systag} is a thread identifier
2802 whose form varies depending on the particular system. For example, on
2803 @sc{gnu}/Linux, you might see
2804
2805 @smallexample
2806 [New Thread 0x41e02940 (LWP 25582)]
2807 @end smallexample
2808
2809 @noindent
2810 when @value{GDBN} notices a new thread. In contrast, on an SGI system,
2811 the @var{systag} is simply something like @samp{process 368}, with no
2812 further qualifier.
2813
2814 @c FIXME!! (1) Does the [New...] message appear even for the very first
2815 @c thread of a program, or does it only appear for the
2816 @c second---i.e.@: when it becomes obvious we have a multithread
2817 @c program?
2818 @c (2) *Is* there necessarily a first thread always? Or do some
2819 @c multithread systems permit starting a program with multiple
2820 @c threads ab initio?
2821
2822 @cindex thread number
2823 @cindex thread identifier (GDB)
2824 For debugging purposes, @value{GDBN} associates its own thread
2825 number---always a single integer---with each thread in your program.
2826
2827 @table @code
2828 @kindex info threads
2829 @item info threads @r{[}@var{id}@dots{}@r{]}
2830 Display a summary of all threads currently in your program. Optional
2831 argument @var{id}@dots{} is one or more thread ids separated by spaces, and
2832 means to print information only about the specified thread or threads.
2833 @value{GDBN} displays for each thread (in this order):
2834
2835 @enumerate
2836 @item
2837 the thread number assigned by @value{GDBN}
2838
2839 @item
2840 the target system's thread identifier (@var{systag})
2841
2842 @item
2843 the thread's name, if one is known. A thread can either be named by
2844 the user (see @code{thread name}, below), or, in some cases, by the
2845 program itself.
2846
2847 @item
2848 the current stack frame summary for that thread
2849 @end enumerate
2850
2851 @noindent
2852 An asterisk @samp{*} to the left of the @value{GDBN} thread number
2853 indicates the current thread.
2854
2855 For example,
2856 @end table
2857 @c end table here to get a little more width for example
2858
2859 @smallexample
2860 (@value{GDBP}) info threads
2861 Id Target Id Frame
2862 3 process 35 thread 27 0x34e5 in sigpause ()
2863 2 process 35 thread 23 0x34e5 in sigpause ()
2864 * 1 process 35 thread 13 main (argc=1, argv=0x7ffffff8)
2865 at threadtest.c:68
2866 @end smallexample
2867
2868 On Solaris, you can display more information about user threads with a
2869 Solaris-specific command:
2870
2871 @table @code
2872 @item maint info sol-threads
2873 @kindex maint info sol-threads
2874 @cindex thread info (Solaris)
2875 Display info on Solaris user threads.
2876 @end table
2877
2878 @table @code
2879 @kindex thread @var{threadno}
2880 @item thread @var{threadno}
2881 Make thread number @var{threadno} the current thread. The command
2882 argument @var{threadno} is the internal @value{GDBN} thread number, as
2883 shown in the first field of the @samp{info threads} display.
2884 @value{GDBN} responds by displaying the system identifier of the thread
2885 you selected, and its current stack frame summary:
2886
2887 @smallexample
2888 (@value{GDBP}) thread 2
2889 [Switching to thread 2 (Thread 0xb7fdab70 (LWP 12747))]
2890 #0 some_function (ignore=0x0) at example.c:8
2891 8 printf ("hello\n");
2892 @end smallexample
2893
2894 @noindent
2895 As with the @samp{[New @dots{}]} message, the form of the text after
2896 @samp{Switching to} depends on your system's conventions for identifying
2897 threads.
2898
2899 @vindex $_thread@r{, convenience variable}
2900 The debugger convenience variable @samp{$_thread} contains the number
2901 of the current thread. You may find this useful in writing breakpoint
2902 conditional expressions, command scripts, and so forth. See
2903 @xref{Convenience Vars,, Convenience Variables}, for general
2904 information on convenience variables.
2905
2906 @kindex thread apply
2907 @cindex apply command to several threads
2908 @item thread apply [@var{threadno} | all] @var{command}
2909 The @code{thread apply} command allows you to apply the named
2910 @var{command} to one or more threads. Specify the numbers of the
2911 threads that you want affected with the command argument
2912 @var{threadno}. It can be a single thread number, one of the numbers
2913 shown in the first field of the @samp{info threads} display; or it
2914 could be a range of thread numbers, as in @code{2-4}. To apply a
2915 command to all threads, type @kbd{thread apply all @var{command}}.
2916
2917 @kindex thread name
2918 @cindex name a thread
2919 @item thread name [@var{name}]
2920 This command assigns a name to the current thread. If no argument is
2921 given, any existing user-specified name is removed. The thread name
2922 appears in the @samp{info threads} display.
2923
2924 On some systems, such as @sc{gnu}/Linux, @value{GDBN} is able to
2925 determine the name of the thread as given by the OS. On these
2926 systems, a name specified with @samp{thread name} will override the
2927 system-give name, and removing the user-specified name will cause
2928 @value{GDBN} to once again display the system-specified name.
2929
2930 @kindex thread find
2931 @cindex search for a thread
2932 @item thread find [@var{regexp}]
2933 Search for and display thread ids whose name or @var{systag}
2934 matches the supplied regular expression.
2935
2936 As well as being the complement to the @samp{thread name} command,
2937 this command also allows you to identify a thread by its target
2938 @var{systag}. For instance, on @sc{gnu}/Linux, the target @var{systag}
2939 is the LWP id.
2940
2941 @smallexample
2942 (@value{GDBN}) thread find 26688
2943 Thread 4 has target id 'Thread 0x41e02940 (LWP 26688)'
2944 (@value{GDBN}) info thread 4
2945 Id Target Id Frame
2946 4 Thread 0x41e02940 (LWP 26688) 0x00000031ca6cd372 in select ()
2947 @end smallexample
2948
2949 @kindex set print thread-events
2950 @cindex print messages on thread start and exit
2951 @item set print thread-events
2952 @itemx set print thread-events on
2953 @itemx set print thread-events off
2954 The @code{set print thread-events} command allows you to enable or
2955 disable printing of messages when @value{GDBN} notices that new threads have
2956 started or that threads have exited. By default, these messages will
2957 be printed if detection of these events is supported by the target.
2958 Note that these messages cannot be disabled on all targets.
2959
2960 @kindex show print thread-events
2961 @item show print thread-events
2962 Show whether messages will be printed when @value{GDBN} detects that threads
2963 have started and exited.
2964 @end table
2965
2966 @xref{Thread Stops,,Stopping and Starting Multi-thread Programs}, for
2967 more information about how @value{GDBN} behaves when you stop and start
2968 programs with multiple threads.
2969
2970 @xref{Set Watchpoints,,Setting Watchpoints}, for information about
2971 watchpoints in programs with multiple threads.
2972
2973 @anchor{set libthread-db-search-path}
2974 @table @code
2975 @kindex set libthread-db-search-path
2976 @cindex search path for @code{libthread_db}
2977 @item set libthread-db-search-path @r{[}@var{path}@r{]}
2978 If this variable is set, @var{path} is a colon-separated list of
2979 directories @value{GDBN} will use to search for @code{libthread_db}.
2980 If you omit @var{path}, @samp{libthread-db-search-path} will be reset to
2981 its default value (@code{$sdir:$pdir} on @sc{gnu}/Linux and Solaris systems).
2982 Internally, the default value comes from the @code{LIBTHREAD_DB_SEARCH_PATH}
2983 macro.
2984
2985 On @sc{gnu}/Linux and Solaris systems, @value{GDBN} uses a ``helper''
2986 @code{libthread_db} library to obtain information about threads in the
2987 inferior process. @value{GDBN} will use @samp{libthread-db-search-path}
2988 to find @code{libthread_db}. @value{GDBN} also consults first if inferior
2989 specific thread debugging library loading is enabled
2990 by @samp{set auto-load libthread-db} (@pxref{libthread_db.so.1 file}).
2991
2992 A special entry @samp{$sdir} for @samp{libthread-db-search-path}
2993 refers to the default system directories that are
2994 normally searched for loading shared libraries. The @samp{$sdir} entry
2995 is the only kind not needing to be enabled by @samp{set auto-load libthread-db}
2996 (@pxref{libthread_db.so.1 file}).
2997
2998 A special entry @samp{$pdir} for @samp{libthread-db-search-path}
2999 refers to the directory from which @code{libpthread}
3000 was loaded in the inferior process.
3001
3002 For any @code{libthread_db} library @value{GDBN} finds in above directories,
3003 @value{GDBN} attempts to initialize it with the current inferior process.
3004 If this initialization fails (which could happen because of a version
3005 mismatch between @code{libthread_db} and @code{libpthread}), @value{GDBN}
3006 will unload @code{libthread_db}, and continue with the next directory.
3007 If none of @code{libthread_db} libraries initialize successfully,
3008 @value{GDBN} will issue a warning and thread debugging will be disabled.
3009
3010 Setting @code{libthread-db-search-path} is currently implemented
3011 only on some platforms.
3012
3013 @kindex show libthread-db-search-path
3014 @item show libthread-db-search-path
3015 Display current libthread_db search path.
3016
3017 @kindex set debug libthread-db
3018 @kindex show debug libthread-db
3019 @cindex debugging @code{libthread_db}
3020 @item set debug libthread-db
3021 @itemx show debug libthread-db
3022 Turns on or off display of @code{libthread_db}-related events.
3023 Use @code{1} to enable, @code{0} to disable.
3024 @end table
3025
3026 @node Forks
3027 @section Debugging Forks
3028
3029 @cindex fork, debugging programs which call
3030 @cindex multiple processes
3031 @cindex processes, multiple
3032 On most systems, @value{GDBN} has no special support for debugging
3033 programs which create additional processes using the @code{fork}
3034 function. When a program forks, @value{GDBN} will continue to debug the
3035 parent process and the child process will run unimpeded. If you have
3036 set a breakpoint in any code which the child then executes, the child
3037 will get a @code{SIGTRAP} signal which (unless it catches the signal)
3038 will cause it to terminate.
3039
3040 However, if you want to debug the child process there is a workaround
3041 which isn't too painful. Put a call to @code{sleep} in the code which
3042 the child process executes after the fork. It may be useful to sleep
3043 only if a certain environment variable is set, or a certain file exists,
3044 so that the delay need not occur when you don't want to run @value{GDBN}
3045 on the child. While the child is sleeping, use the @code{ps} program to
3046 get its process ID. Then tell @value{GDBN} (a new invocation of
3047 @value{GDBN} if you are also debugging the parent process) to attach to
3048 the child process (@pxref{Attach}). From that point on you can debug
3049 the child process just like any other process which you attached to.
3050
3051 On some systems, @value{GDBN} provides support for debugging programs that
3052 create additional processes using the @code{fork} or @code{vfork} functions.
3053 Currently, the only platforms with this feature are HP-UX (11.x and later
3054 only?) and @sc{gnu}/Linux (kernel version 2.5.60 and later).
3055
3056 By default, when a program forks, @value{GDBN} will continue to debug
3057 the parent process and the child process will run unimpeded.
3058
3059 If you want to follow the child process instead of the parent process,
3060 use the command @w{@code{set follow-fork-mode}}.
3061
3062 @table @code
3063 @kindex set follow-fork-mode
3064 @item set follow-fork-mode @var{mode}
3065 Set the debugger response to a program call of @code{fork} or
3066 @code{vfork}. A call to @code{fork} or @code{vfork} creates a new
3067 process. The @var{mode} argument can be:
3068
3069 @table @code
3070 @item parent
3071 The original process is debugged after a fork. The child process runs
3072 unimpeded. This is the default.
3073
3074 @item child
3075 The new process is debugged after a fork. The parent process runs
3076 unimpeded.
3077
3078 @end table
3079
3080 @kindex show follow-fork-mode
3081 @item show follow-fork-mode
3082 Display the current debugger response to a @code{fork} or @code{vfork} call.
3083 @end table
3084
3085 @cindex debugging multiple processes
3086 On Linux, if you want to debug both the parent and child processes, use the
3087 command @w{@code{set detach-on-fork}}.
3088
3089 @table @code
3090 @kindex set detach-on-fork
3091 @item set detach-on-fork @var{mode}
3092 Tells gdb whether to detach one of the processes after a fork, or
3093 retain debugger control over them both.
3094
3095 @table @code
3096 @item on
3097 The child process (or parent process, depending on the value of
3098 @code{follow-fork-mode}) will be detached and allowed to run
3099 independently. This is the default.
3100
3101 @item off
3102 Both processes will be held under the control of @value{GDBN}.
3103 One process (child or parent, depending on the value of
3104 @code{follow-fork-mode}) is debugged as usual, while the other
3105 is held suspended.
3106
3107 @end table
3108
3109 @kindex show detach-on-fork
3110 @item show detach-on-fork
3111 Show whether detach-on-fork mode is on/off.
3112 @end table
3113
3114 If you choose to set @samp{detach-on-fork} mode off, then @value{GDBN}
3115 will retain control of all forked processes (including nested forks).
3116 You can list the forked processes under the control of @value{GDBN} by
3117 using the @w{@code{info inferiors}} command, and switch from one fork
3118 to another by using the @code{inferior} command (@pxref{Inferiors and
3119 Programs, ,Debugging Multiple Inferiors and Programs}).
3120
3121 To quit debugging one of the forked processes, you can either detach
3122 from it by using the @w{@code{detach inferiors}} command (allowing it
3123 to run independently), or kill it using the @w{@code{kill inferiors}}
3124 command. @xref{Inferiors and Programs, ,Debugging Multiple Inferiors
3125 and Programs}.
3126
3127 If you ask to debug a child process and a @code{vfork} is followed by an
3128 @code{exec}, @value{GDBN} executes the new target up to the first
3129 breakpoint in the new target. If you have a breakpoint set on
3130 @code{main} in your original program, the breakpoint will also be set on
3131 the child process's @code{main}.
3132
3133 On some systems, when a child process is spawned by @code{vfork}, you
3134 cannot debug the child or parent until an @code{exec} call completes.
3135
3136 If you issue a @code{run} command to @value{GDBN} after an @code{exec}
3137 call executes, the new target restarts. To restart the parent
3138 process, use the @code{file} command with the parent executable name
3139 as its argument. By default, after an @code{exec} call executes,
3140 @value{GDBN} discards the symbols of the previous executable image.
3141 You can change this behaviour with the @w{@code{set follow-exec-mode}}
3142 command.
3143
3144 @table @code
3145 @kindex set follow-exec-mode
3146 @item set follow-exec-mode @var{mode}
3147
3148 Set debugger response to a program call of @code{exec}. An
3149 @code{exec} call replaces the program image of a process.
3150
3151 @code{follow-exec-mode} can be:
3152
3153 @table @code
3154 @item new
3155 @value{GDBN} creates a new inferior and rebinds the process to this
3156 new inferior. The program the process was running before the
3157 @code{exec} call can be restarted afterwards by restarting the
3158 original inferior.
3159
3160 For example:
3161
3162 @smallexample
3163 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
3164 (gdb) info inferior
3165 Id Description Executable
3166 * 1 <null> prog1
3167 (@value{GDBP}) run
3168 process 12020 is executing new program: prog2
3169 Program exited normally.
3170 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
3171 Id Description Executable
3172 * 2 <null> prog2
3173 1 <null> prog1
3174 @end smallexample
3175
3176 @item same
3177 @value{GDBN} keeps the process bound to the same inferior. The new
3178 executable image replaces the previous executable loaded in the
3179 inferior. Restarting the inferior after the @code{exec} call, with
3180 e.g., the @code{run} command, restarts the executable the process was
3181 running after the @code{exec} call. This is the default mode.
3182
3183 For example:
3184
3185 @smallexample
3186 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
3187 Id Description Executable
3188 * 1 <null> prog1
3189 (@value{GDBP}) run
3190 process 12020 is executing new program: prog2
3191 Program exited normally.
3192 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
3193 Id Description Executable
3194 * 1 <null> prog2
3195 @end smallexample
3196
3197 @end table
3198 @end table
3199
3200 You can use the @code{catch} command to make @value{GDBN} stop whenever
3201 a @code{fork}, @code{vfork}, or @code{exec} call is made. @xref{Set
3202 Catchpoints, ,Setting Catchpoints}.
3203
3204 @node Checkpoint/Restart
3205 @section Setting a @emph{Bookmark} to Return to Later
3206
3207 @cindex checkpoint
3208 @cindex restart
3209 @cindex bookmark
3210 @cindex snapshot of a process
3211 @cindex rewind program state
3212
3213 On certain operating systems@footnote{Currently, only
3214 @sc{gnu}/Linux.}, @value{GDBN} is able to save a @dfn{snapshot} of a
3215 program's state, called a @dfn{checkpoint}, and come back to it
3216 later.
3217
3218 Returning to a checkpoint effectively undoes everything that has
3219 happened in the program since the @code{checkpoint} was saved. This
3220 includes changes in memory, registers, and even (within some limits)
3221 system state. Effectively, it is like going back in time to the
3222 moment when the checkpoint was saved.
3223
3224 Thus, if you're stepping thru a program and you think you're
3225 getting close to the point where things go wrong, you can save
3226 a checkpoint. Then, if you accidentally go too far and miss
3227 the critical statement, instead of having to restart your program
3228 from the beginning, you can just go back to the checkpoint and
3229 start again from there.
3230
3231 This can be especially useful if it takes a lot of time or
3232 steps to reach the point where you think the bug occurs.
3233
3234 To use the @code{checkpoint}/@code{restart} method of debugging:
3235
3236 @table @code
3237 @kindex checkpoint
3238 @item checkpoint
3239 Save a snapshot of the debugged program's current execution state.
3240 The @code{checkpoint} command takes no arguments, but each checkpoint
3241 is assigned a small integer id, similar to a breakpoint id.
3242
3243 @kindex info checkpoints
3244 @item info checkpoints
3245 List the checkpoints that have been saved in the current debugging
3246 session. For each checkpoint, the following information will be
3247 listed:
3248
3249 @table @code
3250 @item Checkpoint ID
3251 @item Process ID
3252 @item Code Address
3253 @item Source line, or label
3254 @end table
3255
3256 @kindex restart @var{checkpoint-id}
3257 @item restart @var{checkpoint-id}
3258 Restore the program state that was saved as checkpoint number
3259 @var{checkpoint-id}. All program variables, registers, stack frames
3260 etc.@: will be returned to the values that they had when the checkpoint
3261 was saved. In essence, gdb will ``wind back the clock'' to the point
3262 in time when the checkpoint was saved.
3263
3264 Note that breakpoints, @value{GDBN} variables, command history etc.
3265 are not affected by restoring a checkpoint. In general, a checkpoint
3266 only restores things that reside in the program being debugged, not in
3267 the debugger.
3268
3269 @kindex delete checkpoint @var{checkpoint-id}
3270 @item delete checkpoint @var{checkpoint-id}
3271 Delete the previously-saved checkpoint identified by @var{checkpoint-id}.
3272
3273 @end table
3274
3275 Returning to a previously saved checkpoint will restore the user state
3276 of the program being debugged, plus a significant subset of the system
3277 (OS) state, including file pointers. It won't ``un-write'' data from
3278 a file, but it will rewind the file pointer to the previous location,
3279 so that the previously written data can be overwritten. For files
3280 opened in read mode, the pointer will also be restored so that the
3281 previously read data can be read again.
3282
3283 Of course, characters that have been sent to a printer (or other
3284 external device) cannot be ``snatched back'', and characters received
3285 from eg.@: a serial device can be removed from internal program buffers,
3286 but they cannot be ``pushed back'' into the serial pipeline, ready to
3287 be received again. Similarly, the actual contents of files that have
3288 been changed cannot be restored (at this time).
3289
3290 However, within those constraints, you actually can ``rewind'' your
3291 program to a previously saved point in time, and begin debugging it
3292 again --- and you can change the course of events so as to debug a
3293 different execution path this time.
3294
3295 @cindex checkpoints and process id
3296 Finally, there is one bit of internal program state that will be
3297 different when you return to a checkpoint --- the program's process
3298 id. Each checkpoint will have a unique process id (or @var{pid}),
3299 and each will be different from the program's original @var{pid}.
3300 If your program has saved a local copy of its process id, this could
3301 potentially pose a problem.
3302
3303 @subsection A Non-obvious Benefit of Using Checkpoints
3304
3305 On some systems such as @sc{gnu}/Linux, address space randomization
3306 is performed on new processes for security reasons. This makes it
3307 difficult or impossible to set a breakpoint, or watchpoint, on an
3308 absolute address if you have to restart the program, since the
3309 absolute location of a symbol will change from one execution to the
3310 next.
3311
3312 A checkpoint, however, is an @emph{identical} copy of a process.
3313 Therefore if you create a checkpoint at (eg.@:) the start of main,
3314 and simply return to that checkpoint instead of restarting the
3315 process, you can avoid the effects of address randomization and
3316 your symbols will all stay in the same place.
3317
3318 @node Stopping
3319 @chapter Stopping and Continuing
3320
3321 The principal purposes of using a debugger are so that you can stop your
3322 program before it terminates; or so that, if your program runs into
3323 trouble, you can investigate and find out why.
3324
3325 Inside @value{GDBN}, your program may stop for any of several reasons,
3326 such as a signal, a breakpoint, or reaching a new line after a
3327 @value{GDBN} command such as @code{step}. You may then examine and
3328 change variables, set new breakpoints or remove old ones, and then
3329 continue execution. Usually, the messages shown by @value{GDBN} provide
3330 ample explanation of the status of your program---but you can also
3331 explicitly request this information at any time.
3332
3333 @table @code
3334 @kindex info program
3335 @item info program
3336 Display information about the status of your program: whether it is
3337 running or not, what process it is, and why it stopped.
3338 @end table
3339
3340 @menu
3341 * Breakpoints:: Breakpoints, watchpoints, and catchpoints
3342 * Continuing and Stepping:: Resuming execution
3343 * Skipping Over Functions and Files::
3344 Skipping over functions and files
3345 * Signals:: Signals
3346 * Thread Stops:: Stopping and starting multi-thread programs
3347 @end menu
3348
3349 @node Breakpoints
3350 @section Breakpoints, Watchpoints, and Catchpoints
3351
3352 @cindex breakpoints
3353 A @dfn{breakpoint} makes your program stop whenever a certain point in
3354 the program is reached. For each breakpoint, you can add conditions to
3355 control in finer detail whether your program stops. You can set
3356 breakpoints with the @code{break} command and its variants (@pxref{Set
3357 Breaks, ,Setting Breakpoints}), to specify the place where your program
3358 should stop by line number, function name or exact address in the
3359 program.
3360
3361 On some systems, you can set breakpoints in shared libraries before
3362 the executable is run. There is a minor limitation on HP-UX systems:
3363 you must wait until the executable is run in order to set breakpoints
3364 in shared library routines that are not called directly by the program
3365 (for example, routines that are arguments in a @code{pthread_create}
3366 call).
3367
3368 @cindex watchpoints
3369 @cindex data breakpoints
3370 @cindex memory tracing
3371 @cindex breakpoint on memory address
3372 @cindex breakpoint on variable modification
3373 A @dfn{watchpoint} is a special breakpoint that stops your program
3374 when the value of an expression changes. The expression may be a value
3375 of a variable, or it could involve values of one or more variables
3376 combined by operators, such as @samp{a + b}. This is sometimes called
3377 @dfn{data breakpoints}. You must use a different command to set
3378 watchpoints (@pxref{Set Watchpoints, ,Setting Watchpoints}), but aside
3379 from that, you can manage a watchpoint like any other breakpoint: you
3380 enable, disable, and delete both breakpoints and watchpoints using the
3381 same commands.
3382
3383 You can arrange to have values from your program displayed automatically
3384 whenever @value{GDBN} stops at a breakpoint. @xref{Auto Display,,
3385 Automatic Display}.
3386
3387 @cindex catchpoints
3388 @cindex breakpoint on events
3389 A @dfn{catchpoint} is another special breakpoint that stops your program
3390 when a certain kind of event occurs, such as the throwing of a C@t{++}
3391 exception or the loading of a library. As with watchpoints, you use a
3392 different command to set a catchpoint (@pxref{Set Catchpoints, ,Setting
3393 Catchpoints}), but aside from that, you can manage a catchpoint like any
3394 other breakpoint. (To stop when your program receives a signal, use the
3395 @code{handle} command; see @ref{Signals, ,Signals}.)
3396
3397 @cindex breakpoint numbers
3398 @cindex numbers for breakpoints
3399 @value{GDBN} assigns a number to each breakpoint, watchpoint, or
3400 catchpoint when you create it; these numbers are successive integers
3401 starting with one. In many of the commands for controlling various
3402 features of breakpoints you use the breakpoint number to say which
3403 breakpoint you want to change. Each breakpoint may be @dfn{enabled} or
3404 @dfn{disabled}; if disabled, it has no effect on your program until you
3405 enable it again.
3406
3407 @cindex breakpoint ranges
3408 @cindex ranges of breakpoints
3409 Some @value{GDBN} commands accept a range of breakpoints on which to
3410 operate. A breakpoint range is either a single breakpoint number, like
3411 @samp{5}, or two such numbers, in increasing order, separated by a
3412 hyphen, like @samp{5-7}. When a breakpoint range is given to a command,
3413 all breakpoints in that range are operated on.
3414
3415 @menu
3416 * Set Breaks:: Setting breakpoints
3417 * Set Watchpoints:: Setting watchpoints
3418 * Set Catchpoints:: Setting catchpoints
3419 * Delete Breaks:: Deleting breakpoints
3420 * Disabling:: Disabling breakpoints
3421 * Conditions:: Break conditions
3422 * Break Commands:: Breakpoint command lists
3423 * Dynamic Printf:: Dynamic printf
3424 * Save Breakpoints:: How to save breakpoints in a file
3425 * Static Probe Points:: Listing static probe points
3426 * Error in Breakpoints:: ``Cannot insert breakpoints''
3427 * Breakpoint-related Warnings:: ``Breakpoint address adjusted...''
3428 @end menu
3429
3430 @node Set Breaks
3431 @subsection Setting Breakpoints
3432
3433 @c FIXME LMB what does GDB do if no code on line of breakpt?
3434 @c consider in particular declaration with/without initialization.
3435 @c
3436 @c FIXME 2 is there stuff on this already? break at fun start, already init?
3437
3438 @kindex break
3439 @kindex b @r{(@code{break})}
3440 @vindex $bpnum@r{, convenience variable}
3441 @cindex latest breakpoint
3442 Breakpoints are set with the @code{break} command (abbreviated
3443 @code{b}). The debugger convenience variable @samp{$bpnum} records the
3444 number of the breakpoint you've set most recently; see @ref{Convenience
3445 Vars,, Convenience Variables}, for a discussion of what you can do with
3446 convenience variables.
3447
3448 @table @code
3449 @item break @var{location}
3450 Set a breakpoint at the given @var{location}, which can specify a
3451 function name, a line number, or an address of an instruction.
3452 (@xref{Specify Location}, for a list of all the possible ways to
3453 specify a @var{location}.) The breakpoint will stop your program just
3454 before it executes any of the code in the specified @var{location}.
3455
3456 When using source languages that permit overloading of symbols, such as
3457 C@t{++}, a function name may refer to more than one possible place to break.
3458 @xref{Ambiguous Expressions,,Ambiguous Expressions}, for a discussion of
3459 that situation.
3460
3461 It is also possible to insert a breakpoint that will stop the program
3462 only if a specific thread (@pxref{Thread-Specific Breakpoints})
3463 or a specific task (@pxref{Ada Tasks}) hits that breakpoint.
3464
3465 @item break
3466 When called without any arguments, @code{break} sets a breakpoint at
3467 the next instruction to be executed in the selected stack frame
3468 (@pxref{Stack, ,Examining the Stack}). In any selected frame but the
3469 innermost, this makes your program stop as soon as control
3470 returns to that frame. This is similar to the effect of a
3471 @code{finish} command in the frame inside the selected frame---except
3472 that @code{finish} does not leave an active breakpoint. If you use
3473 @code{break} without an argument in the innermost frame, @value{GDBN} stops
3474 the next time it reaches the current location; this may be useful
3475 inside loops.
3476
3477 @value{GDBN} normally ignores breakpoints when it resumes execution, until at
3478 least one instruction has been executed. If it did not do this, you
3479 would be unable to proceed past a breakpoint without first disabling the
3480 breakpoint. This rule applies whether or not the breakpoint already
3481 existed when your program stopped.
3482
3483 @item break @dots{} if @var{cond}
3484 Set a breakpoint with condition @var{cond}; evaluate the expression
3485 @var{cond} each time the breakpoint is reached, and stop only if the
3486 value is nonzero---that is, if @var{cond} evaluates as true.
3487 @samp{@dots{}} stands for one of the possible arguments described
3488 above (or no argument) specifying where to break. @xref{Conditions,
3489 ,Break Conditions}, for more information on breakpoint conditions.
3490
3491 @kindex tbreak
3492 @item tbreak @var{args}
3493 Set a breakpoint enabled only for one stop. @var{args} are the
3494 same as for the @code{break} command, and the breakpoint is set in the same
3495 way, but the breakpoint is automatically deleted after the first time your
3496 program stops there. @xref{Disabling, ,Disabling Breakpoints}.
3497
3498 @kindex hbreak
3499 @cindex hardware breakpoints
3500 @item hbreak @var{args}
3501 Set a hardware-assisted breakpoint. @var{args} are the same as for the
3502 @code{break} command and the breakpoint is set in the same way, but the
3503 breakpoint requires hardware support and some target hardware may not
3504 have this support. The main purpose of this is EPROM/ROM code
3505 debugging, so you can set a breakpoint at an instruction without
3506 changing the instruction. This can be used with the new trap-generation
3507 provided by SPARClite DSU and most x86-based targets. These targets
3508 will generate traps when a program accesses some data or instruction
3509 address that is assigned to the debug registers. However the hardware
3510 breakpoint registers can take a limited number of breakpoints. For
3511 example, on the DSU, only two data breakpoints can be set at a time, and
3512 @value{GDBN} will reject this command if more than two are used. Delete
3513 or disable unused hardware breakpoints before setting new ones
3514 (@pxref{Disabling, ,Disabling Breakpoints}).
3515 @xref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions}.
3516 For remote targets, you can restrict the number of hardware
3517 breakpoints @value{GDBN} will use, see @ref{set remote
3518 hardware-breakpoint-limit}.
3519
3520 @kindex thbreak
3521 @item thbreak @var{args}
3522 Set a hardware-assisted breakpoint enabled only for one stop. @var{args}
3523 are the same as for the @code{hbreak} command and the breakpoint is set in
3524 the same way. However, like the @code{tbreak} command,
3525 the breakpoint is automatically deleted after the
3526 first time your program stops there. Also, like the @code{hbreak}
3527 command, the breakpoint requires hardware support and some target hardware
3528 may not have this support. @xref{Disabling, ,Disabling Breakpoints}.
3529 See also @ref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions}.
3530
3531 @kindex rbreak
3532 @cindex regular expression
3533 @cindex breakpoints at functions matching a regexp
3534 @cindex set breakpoints in many functions
3535 @item rbreak @var{regex}
3536 Set breakpoints on all functions matching the regular expression
3537 @var{regex}. This command sets an unconditional breakpoint on all
3538 matches, printing a list of all breakpoints it set. Once these
3539 breakpoints are set, they are treated just like the breakpoints set with
3540 the @code{break} command. You can delete them, disable them, or make
3541 them conditional the same way as any other breakpoint.
3542
3543 The syntax of the regular expression is the standard one used with tools
3544 like @file{grep}. Note that this is different from the syntax used by
3545 shells, so for instance @code{foo*} matches all functions that include
3546 an @code{fo} followed by zero or more @code{o}s. There is an implicit
3547 @code{.*} leading and trailing the regular expression you supply, so to
3548 match only functions that begin with @code{foo}, use @code{^foo}.
3549
3550 @cindex non-member C@t{++} functions, set breakpoint in
3551 When debugging C@t{++} programs, @code{rbreak} is useful for setting
3552 breakpoints on overloaded functions that are not members of any special
3553 classes.
3554
3555 @cindex set breakpoints on all functions
3556 The @code{rbreak} command can be used to set breakpoints in
3557 @strong{all} the functions in a program, like this:
3558
3559 @smallexample
3560 (@value{GDBP}) rbreak .
3561 @end smallexample
3562
3563 @item rbreak @var{file}:@var{regex}
3564 If @code{rbreak} is called with a filename qualification, it limits
3565 the search for functions matching the given regular expression to the
3566 specified @var{file}. This can be used, for example, to set breakpoints on
3567 every function in a given file:
3568
3569 @smallexample
3570 (@value{GDBP}) rbreak file.c:.
3571 @end smallexample
3572
3573 The colon separating the filename qualifier from the regex may
3574 optionally be surrounded by spaces.
3575
3576 @kindex info breakpoints
3577 @cindex @code{$_} and @code{info breakpoints}
3578 @item info breakpoints @r{[}@var{n}@dots{}@r{]}
3579 @itemx info break @r{[}@var{n}@dots{}@r{]}
3580 Print a table of all breakpoints, watchpoints, and catchpoints set and
3581 not deleted. Optional argument @var{n} means print information only
3582 about the specified breakpoint(s) (or watchpoint(s) or catchpoint(s)).
3583 For each breakpoint, following columns are printed:
3584
3585 @table @emph
3586 @item Breakpoint Numbers
3587 @item Type
3588 Breakpoint, watchpoint, or catchpoint.
3589 @item Disposition
3590 Whether the breakpoint is marked to be disabled or deleted when hit.
3591 @item Enabled or Disabled
3592 Enabled breakpoints are marked with @samp{y}. @samp{n} marks breakpoints
3593 that are not enabled.
3594 @item Address
3595 Where the breakpoint is in your program, as a memory address. For a
3596 pending breakpoint whose address is not yet known, this field will
3597 contain @samp{<PENDING>}. Such breakpoint won't fire until a shared
3598 library that has the symbol or line referred by breakpoint is loaded.
3599 See below for details. A breakpoint with several locations will
3600 have @samp{<MULTIPLE>} in this field---see below for details.
3601 @item What
3602 Where the breakpoint is in the source for your program, as a file and
3603 line number. For a pending breakpoint, the original string passed to
3604 the breakpoint command will be listed as it cannot be resolved until
3605 the appropriate shared library is loaded in the future.
3606 @end table
3607
3608 @noindent
3609 If a breakpoint is conditional, there are two evaluation modes: ``host'' and
3610 ``target''. If mode is ``host'', breakpoint condition evaluation is done by
3611 @value{GDBN} on the host's side. If it is ``target'', then the condition
3612 is evaluated by the target. The @code{info break} command shows
3613 the condition on the line following the affected breakpoint, together with
3614 its condition evaluation mode in between parentheses.
3615
3616 Breakpoint commands, if any, are listed after that. A pending breakpoint is
3617 allowed to have a condition specified for it. The condition is not parsed for
3618 validity until a shared library is loaded that allows the pending
3619 breakpoint to resolve to a valid location.
3620
3621 @noindent
3622 @code{info break} with a breakpoint
3623 number @var{n} as argument lists only that breakpoint. The
3624 convenience variable @code{$_} and the default examining-address for
3625 the @code{x} command are set to the address of the last breakpoint
3626 listed (@pxref{Memory, ,Examining Memory}).
3627
3628 @noindent
3629 @code{info break} displays a count of the number of times the breakpoint
3630 has been hit. This is especially useful in conjunction with the
3631 @code{ignore} command. You can ignore a large number of breakpoint
3632 hits, look at the breakpoint info to see how many times the breakpoint
3633 was hit, and then run again, ignoring one less than that number. This
3634 will get you quickly to the last hit of that breakpoint.
3635
3636 @noindent
3637 For a breakpoints with an enable count (xref) greater than 1,
3638 @code{info break} also displays that count.
3639
3640 @end table
3641
3642 @value{GDBN} allows you to set any number of breakpoints at the same place in
3643 your program. There is nothing silly or meaningless about this. When
3644 the breakpoints are conditional, this is even useful
3645 (@pxref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions}).
3646
3647 @cindex multiple locations, breakpoints
3648 @cindex breakpoints, multiple locations
3649 It is possible that a breakpoint corresponds to several locations
3650 in your program. Examples of this situation are:
3651
3652 @itemize @bullet
3653 @item
3654 Multiple functions in the program may have the same name.
3655
3656 @item
3657 For a C@t{++} constructor, the @value{NGCC} compiler generates several
3658 instances of the function body, used in different cases.
3659
3660 @item
3661 For a C@t{++} template function, a given line in the function can
3662 correspond to any number of instantiations.
3663
3664 @item
3665 For an inlined function, a given source line can correspond to
3666 several places where that function is inlined.
3667 @end itemize
3668
3669 In all those cases, @value{GDBN} will insert a breakpoint at all
3670 the relevant locations.
3671
3672 A breakpoint with multiple locations is displayed in the breakpoint
3673 table using several rows---one header row, followed by one row for
3674 each breakpoint location. The header row has @samp{<MULTIPLE>} in the
3675 address column. The rows for individual locations contain the actual
3676 addresses for locations, and show the functions to which those
3677 locations belong. The number column for a location is of the form
3678 @var{breakpoint-number}.@var{location-number}.
3679
3680 For example:
3681
3682 @smallexample
3683 Num Type Disp Enb Address What
3684 1 breakpoint keep y <MULTIPLE>
3685 stop only if i==1
3686 breakpoint already hit 1 time
3687 1.1 y 0x080486a2 in void foo<int>() at t.cc:8
3688 1.2 y 0x080486ca in void foo<double>() at t.cc:8
3689 @end smallexample
3690
3691 Each location can be individually enabled or disabled by passing
3692 @var{breakpoint-number}.@var{location-number} as argument to the
3693 @code{enable} and @code{disable} commands. Note that you cannot
3694 delete the individual locations from the list, you can only delete the
3695 entire list of locations that belong to their parent breakpoint (with
3696 the @kbd{delete @var{num}} command, where @var{num} is the number of
3697 the parent breakpoint, 1 in the above example). Disabling or enabling
3698 the parent breakpoint (@pxref{Disabling}) affects all of the locations
3699 that belong to that breakpoint.
3700
3701 @cindex pending breakpoints
3702 It's quite common to have a breakpoint inside a shared library.
3703 Shared libraries can be loaded and unloaded explicitly,
3704 and possibly repeatedly, as the program is executed. To support
3705 this use case, @value{GDBN} updates breakpoint locations whenever
3706 any shared library is loaded or unloaded. Typically, you would
3707 set a breakpoint in a shared library at the beginning of your
3708 debugging session, when the library is not loaded, and when the
3709 symbols from the library are not available. When you try to set
3710 breakpoint, @value{GDBN} will ask you if you want to set
3711 a so called @dfn{pending breakpoint}---breakpoint whose address
3712 is not yet resolved.
3713
3714 After the program is run, whenever a new shared library is loaded,
3715 @value{GDBN} reevaluates all the breakpoints. When a newly loaded
3716 shared library contains the symbol or line referred to by some
3717 pending breakpoint, that breakpoint is resolved and becomes an
3718 ordinary breakpoint. When a library is unloaded, all breakpoints
3719 that refer to its symbols or source lines become pending again.
3720
3721 This logic works for breakpoints with multiple locations, too. For
3722 example, if you have a breakpoint in a C@t{++} template function, and
3723 a newly loaded shared library has an instantiation of that template,
3724 a new location is added to the list of locations for the breakpoint.
3725
3726 Except for having unresolved address, pending breakpoints do not
3727 differ from regular breakpoints. You can set conditions or commands,
3728 enable and disable them and perform other breakpoint operations.
3729
3730 @value{GDBN} provides some additional commands for controlling what
3731 happens when the @samp{break} command cannot resolve breakpoint
3732 address specification to an address:
3733
3734 @kindex set breakpoint pending
3735 @kindex show breakpoint pending
3736 @table @code
3737 @item set breakpoint pending auto
3738 This is the default behavior. When @value{GDBN} cannot find the breakpoint
3739 location, it queries you whether a pending breakpoint should be created.
3740
3741 @item set breakpoint pending on
3742 This indicates that an unrecognized breakpoint location should automatically
3743 result in a pending breakpoint being created.
3744
3745 @item set breakpoint pending off
3746 This indicates that pending breakpoints are not to be created. Any
3747 unrecognized breakpoint location results in an error. This setting does
3748 not affect any pending breakpoints previously created.
3749
3750 @item show breakpoint pending
3751 Show the current behavior setting for creating pending breakpoints.
3752 @end table
3753
3754 The settings above only affect the @code{break} command and its
3755 variants. Once breakpoint is set, it will be automatically updated
3756 as shared libraries are loaded and unloaded.
3757
3758 @cindex automatic hardware breakpoints
3759 For some targets, @value{GDBN} can automatically decide if hardware or
3760 software breakpoints should be used, depending on whether the
3761 breakpoint address is read-only or read-write. This applies to
3762 breakpoints set with the @code{break} command as well as to internal
3763 breakpoints set by commands like @code{next} and @code{finish}. For
3764 breakpoints set with @code{hbreak}, @value{GDBN} will always use hardware
3765 breakpoints.
3766
3767 You can control this automatic behaviour with the following commands::
3768
3769 @kindex set breakpoint auto-hw
3770 @kindex show breakpoint auto-hw
3771 @table @code
3772 @item set breakpoint auto-hw on
3773 This is the default behavior. When @value{GDBN} sets a breakpoint, it
3774 will try to use the target memory map to decide if software or hardware
3775 breakpoint must be used.
3776
3777 @item set breakpoint auto-hw off
3778 This indicates @value{GDBN} should not automatically select breakpoint
3779 type. If the target provides a memory map, @value{GDBN} will warn when
3780 trying to set software breakpoint at a read-only address.
3781 @end table
3782
3783 @value{GDBN} normally implements breakpoints by replacing the program code
3784 at the breakpoint address with a special instruction, which, when
3785 executed, given control to the debugger. By default, the program
3786 code is so modified only when the program is resumed. As soon as
3787 the program stops, @value{GDBN} restores the original instructions. This
3788 behaviour guards against leaving breakpoints inserted in the
3789 target should gdb abrubptly disconnect. However, with slow remote
3790 targets, inserting and removing breakpoint can reduce the performance.
3791 This behavior can be controlled with the following commands::
3792
3793 @kindex set breakpoint always-inserted
3794 @kindex show breakpoint always-inserted
3795 @table @code
3796 @item set breakpoint always-inserted off
3797 All breakpoints, including newly added by the user, are inserted in
3798 the target only when the target is resumed. All breakpoints are
3799 removed from the target when it stops.
3800
3801 @item set breakpoint always-inserted on
3802 Causes all breakpoints to be inserted in the target at all times. If
3803 the user adds a new breakpoint, or changes an existing breakpoint, the
3804 breakpoints in the target are updated immediately. A breakpoint is
3805 removed from the target only when breakpoint itself is removed.
3806
3807 @cindex non-stop mode, and @code{breakpoint always-inserted}
3808 @item set breakpoint always-inserted auto
3809 This is the default mode. If @value{GDBN} is controlling the inferior
3810 in non-stop mode (@pxref{Non-Stop Mode}), gdb behaves as if
3811 @code{breakpoint always-inserted} mode is on. If @value{GDBN} is
3812 controlling the inferior in all-stop mode, @value{GDBN} behaves as if
3813 @code{breakpoint always-inserted} mode is off.
3814 @end table
3815
3816 @value{GDBN} handles conditional breakpoints by evaluating these conditions
3817 when a breakpoint breaks. If the condition is true, then the process being
3818 debugged stops, otherwise the process is resumed.
3819
3820 If the target supports evaluating conditions on its end, @value{GDBN} may
3821 download the breakpoint, together with its conditions, to it.
3822
3823 This feature can be controlled via the following commands:
3824
3825 @kindex set breakpoint condition-evaluation
3826 @kindex show breakpoint condition-evaluation
3827 @table @code
3828 @item set breakpoint condition-evaluation host
3829 This option commands @value{GDBN} to evaluate the breakpoint
3830 conditions on the host's side. Unconditional breakpoints are sent to
3831 the target which in turn receives the triggers and reports them back to GDB
3832 for condition evaluation. This is the standard evaluation mode.
3833
3834 @item set breakpoint condition-evaluation target
3835 This option commands @value{GDBN} to download breakpoint conditions
3836 to the target at the moment of their insertion. The target
3837 is responsible for evaluating the conditional expression and reporting
3838 breakpoint stop events back to @value{GDBN} whenever the condition
3839 is true. Due to limitations of target-side evaluation, some conditions
3840 cannot be evaluated there, e.g., conditions that depend on local data
3841 that is only known to the host. Examples include
3842 conditional expressions involving convenience variables, complex types
3843 that cannot be handled by the agent expression parser and expressions
3844 that are too long to be sent over to the target, specially when the
3845 target is a remote system. In these cases, the conditions will be
3846 evaluated by @value{GDBN}.
3847
3848 @item set breakpoint condition-evaluation auto
3849 This is the default mode. If the target supports evaluating breakpoint
3850 conditions on its end, @value{GDBN} will download breakpoint conditions to
3851 the target (limitations mentioned previously apply). If the target does
3852 not support breakpoint condition evaluation, then @value{GDBN} will fallback
3853 to evaluating all these conditions on the host's side.
3854 @end table
3855
3856
3857 @cindex negative breakpoint numbers
3858 @cindex internal @value{GDBN} breakpoints
3859 @value{GDBN} itself sometimes sets breakpoints in your program for
3860 special purposes, such as proper handling of @code{longjmp} (in C
3861 programs). These internal breakpoints are assigned negative numbers,
3862 starting with @code{-1}; @samp{info breakpoints} does not display them.
3863 You can see these breakpoints with the @value{GDBN} maintenance command
3864 @samp{maint info breakpoints} (@pxref{maint info breakpoints}).
3865
3866
3867 @node Set Watchpoints
3868 @subsection Setting Watchpoints
3869
3870 @cindex setting watchpoints
3871 You can use a watchpoint to stop execution whenever the value of an
3872 expression changes, without having to predict a particular place where
3873 this may happen. (This is sometimes called a @dfn{data breakpoint}.)
3874 The expression may be as simple as the value of a single variable, or
3875 as complex as many variables combined by operators. Examples include:
3876
3877 @itemize @bullet
3878 @item
3879 A reference to the value of a single variable.
3880
3881 @item
3882 An address cast to an appropriate data type. For example,
3883 @samp{*(int *)0x12345678} will watch a 4-byte region at the specified
3884 address (assuming an @code{int} occupies 4 bytes).
3885
3886 @item
3887 An arbitrarily complex expression, such as @samp{a*b + c/d}. The
3888 expression can use any operators valid in the program's native
3889 language (@pxref{Languages}).
3890 @end itemize
3891
3892 You can set a watchpoint on an expression even if the expression can
3893 not be evaluated yet. For instance, you can set a watchpoint on
3894 @samp{*global_ptr} before @samp{global_ptr} is initialized.
3895 @value{GDBN} will stop when your program sets @samp{global_ptr} and
3896 the expression produces a valid value. If the expression becomes
3897 valid in some other way than changing a variable (e.g.@: if the memory
3898 pointed to by @samp{*global_ptr} becomes readable as the result of a
3899 @code{malloc} call), @value{GDBN} may not stop until the next time
3900 the expression changes.
3901
3902 @cindex software watchpoints
3903 @cindex hardware watchpoints
3904 Depending on your system, watchpoints may be implemented in software or
3905 hardware. @value{GDBN} does software watchpointing by single-stepping your
3906 program and testing the variable's value each time, which is hundreds of
3907 times slower than normal execution. (But this may still be worth it, to
3908 catch errors where you have no clue what part of your program is the
3909 culprit.)
3910
3911 On some systems, such as HP-UX, PowerPC, @sc{gnu}/Linux and most other
3912 x86-based targets, @value{GDBN} includes support for hardware
3913 watchpoints, which do not slow down the running of your program.
3914
3915 @table @code
3916 @kindex watch
3917 @item watch @r{[}-l@r{|}-location@r{]} @var{expr} @r{[}thread @var{threadnum}@r{]} @r{[}mask @var{maskvalue}@r{]}
3918 Set a watchpoint for an expression. @value{GDBN} will break when the
3919 expression @var{expr} is written into by the program and its value
3920 changes. The simplest (and the most popular) use of this command is
3921 to watch the value of a single variable:
3922
3923 @smallexample
3924 (@value{GDBP}) watch foo
3925 @end smallexample
3926
3927 If the command includes a @code{@r{[}thread @var{threadnum}@r{]}}
3928 argument, @value{GDBN} breaks only when the thread identified by
3929 @var{threadnum} changes the value of @var{expr}. If any other threads
3930 change the value of @var{expr}, @value{GDBN} will not break. Note
3931 that watchpoints restricted to a single thread in this way only work
3932 with Hardware Watchpoints.
3933
3934 Ordinarily a watchpoint respects the scope of variables in @var{expr}
3935 (see below). The @code{-location} argument tells @value{GDBN} to
3936 instead watch the memory referred to by @var{expr}. In this case,
3937 @value{GDBN} will evaluate @var{expr}, take the address of the result,
3938 and watch the memory at that address. The type of the result is used
3939 to determine the size of the watched memory. If the expression's
3940 result does not have an address, then @value{GDBN} will print an
3941 error.
3942
3943 The @code{@r{[}mask @var{maskvalue}@r{]}} argument allows creation
3944 of masked watchpoints, if the current architecture supports this
3945 feature (e.g., PowerPC Embedded architecture, see @ref{PowerPC
3946 Embedded}.) A @dfn{masked watchpoint} specifies a mask in addition
3947 to an address to watch. The mask specifies that some bits of an address
3948 (the bits which are reset in the mask) should be ignored when matching
3949 the address accessed by the inferior against the watchpoint address.
3950 Thus, a masked watchpoint watches many addresses simultaneously---those
3951 addresses whose unmasked bits are identical to the unmasked bits in the
3952 watchpoint address. The @code{mask} argument implies @code{-location}.
3953 Examples:
3954
3955 @smallexample
3956 (@value{GDBP}) watch foo mask 0xffff00ff
3957 (@value{GDBP}) watch *0xdeadbeef mask 0xffffff00
3958 @end smallexample
3959
3960 @kindex rwatch
3961 @item rwatch @r{[}-l@r{|}-location@r{]} @var{expr} @r{[}thread @var{threadnum}@r{]} @r{[}mask @var{maskvalue}@r{]}
3962 Set a watchpoint that will break when the value of @var{expr} is read
3963 by the program.
3964
3965 @kindex awatch
3966 @item awatch @r{[}-l@r{|}-location@r{]} @var{expr} @r{[}thread @var{threadnum}@r{]} @r{[}mask @var{maskvalue}@r{]}
3967 Set a watchpoint that will break when @var{expr} is either read from
3968 or written into by the program.
3969
3970 @kindex info watchpoints @r{[}@var{n}@dots{}@r{]}
3971 @item info watchpoints @r{[}@var{n}@dots{}@r{]}
3972 This command prints a list of watchpoints, using the same format as
3973 @code{info break} (@pxref{Set Breaks}).
3974 @end table
3975
3976 If you watch for a change in a numerically entered address you need to
3977 dereference it, as the address itself is just a constant number which will
3978 never change. @value{GDBN} refuses to create a watchpoint that watches
3979 a never-changing value:
3980
3981 @smallexample
3982 (@value{GDBP}) watch 0x600850
3983 Cannot watch constant value 0x600850.
3984 (@value{GDBP}) watch *(int *) 0x600850
3985 Watchpoint 1: *(int *) 6293584
3986 @end smallexample
3987
3988 @value{GDBN} sets a @dfn{hardware watchpoint} if possible. Hardware
3989 watchpoints execute very quickly, and the debugger reports a change in
3990 value at the exact instruction where the change occurs. If @value{GDBN}
3991 cannot set a hardware watchpoint, it sets a software watchpoint, which
3992 executes more slowly and reports the change in value at the next
3993 @emph{statement}, not the instruction, after the change occurs.
3994
3995 @cindex use only software watchpoints
3996 You can force @value{GDBN} to use only software watchpoints with the
3997 @kbd{set can-use-hw-watchpoints 0} command. With this variable set to
3998 zero, @value{GDBN} will never try to use hardware watchpoints, even if
3999 the underlying system supports them. (Note that hardware-assisted
4000 watchpoints that were set @emph{before} setting
4001 @code{can-use-hw-watchpoints} to zero will still use the hardware
4002 mechanism of watching expression values.)
4003
4004 @table @code
4005 @item set can-use-hw-watchpoints
4006 @kindex set can-use-hw-watchpoints
4007 Set whether or not to use hardware watchpoints.
4008
4009 @item show can-use-hw-watchpoints
4010 @kindex show can-use-hw-watchpoints
4011 Show the current mode of using hardware watchpoints.
4012 @end table
4013
4014 For remote targets, you can restrict the number of hardware
4015 watchpoints @value{GDBN} will use, see @ref{set remote
4016 hardware-breakpoint-limit}.
4017
4018 When you issue the @code{watch} command, @value{GDBN} reports
4019
4020 @smallexample
4021 Hardware watchpoint @var{num}: @var{expr}
4022 @end smallexample
4023
4024 @noindent
4025 if it was able to set a hardware watchpoint.
4026
4027 Currently, the @code{awatch} and @code{rwatch} commands can only set
4028 hardware watchpoints, because accesses to data that don't change the
4029 value of the watched expression cannot be detected without examining
4030 every instruction as it is being executed, and @value{GDBN} does not do
4031 that currently. If @value{GDBN} finds that it is unable to set a
4032 hardware breakpoint with the @code{awatch} or @code{rwatch} command, it
4033 will print a message like this:
4034
4035 @smallexample
4036 Expression cannot be implemented with read/access watchpoint.
4037 @end smallexample
4038
4039 Sometimes, @value{GDBN} cannot set a hardware watchpoint because the
4040 data type of the watched expression is wider than what a hardware
4041 watchpoint on the target machine can handle. For example, some systems
4042 can only watch regions that are up to 4 bytes wide; on such systems you
4043 cannot set hardware watchpoints for an expression that yields a
4044 double-precision floating-point number (which is typically 8 bytes
4045 wide). As a work-around, it might be possible to break the large region
4046 into a series of smaller ones and watch them with separate watchpoints.
4047
4048 If you set too many hardware watchpoints, @value{GDBN} might be unable
4049 to insert all of them when you resume the execution of your program.
4050 Since the precise number of active watchpoints is unknown until such
4051 time as the program is about to be resumed, @value{GDBN} might not be
4052 able to warn you about this when you set the watchpoints, and the
4053 warning will be printed only when the program is resumed:
4054
4055 @smallexample
4056 Hardware watchpoint @var{num}: Could not insert watchpoint
4057 @end smallexample
4058
4059 @noindent
4060 If this happens, delete or disable some of the watchpoints.
4061
4062 Watching complex expressions that reference many variables can also
4063 exhaust the resources available for hardware-assisted watchpoints.
4064 That's because @value{GDBN} needs to watch every variable in the
4065 expression with separately allocated resources.
4066
4067 If you call a function interactively using @code{print} or @code{call},
4068 any watchpoints you have set will be inactive until @value{GDBN} reaches another
4069 kind of breakpoint or the call completes.
4070
4071 @value{GDBN} automatically deletes watchpoints that watch local
4072 (automatic) variables, or expressions that involve such variables, when
4073 they go out of scope, that is, when the execution leaves the block in
4074 which these variables were defined. In particular, when the program
4075 being debugged terminates, @emph{all} local variables go out of scope,
4076 and so only watchpoints that watch global variables remain set. If you
4077 rerun the program, you will need to set all such watchpoints again. One
4078 way of doing that would be to set a code breakpoint at the entry to the
4079 @code{main} function and when it breaks, set all the watchpoints.
4080
4081 @cindex watchpoints and threads
4082 @cindex threads and watchpoints
4083 In multi-threaded programs, watchpoints will detect changes to the
4084 watched expression from every thread.
4085
4086 @quotation
4087 @emph{Warning:} In multi-threaded programs, software watchpoints
4088 have only limited usefulness. If @value{GDBN} creates a software
4089 watchpoint, it can only watch the value of an expression @emph{in a
4090 single thread}. If you are confident that the expression can only
4091 change due to the current thread's activity (and if you are also
4092 confident that no other thread can become current), then you can use
4093 software watchpoints as usual. However, @value{GDBN} may not notice
4094 when a non-current thread's activity changes the expression. (Hardware
4095 watchpoints, in contrast, watch an expression in all threads.)
4096 @end quotation
4097
4098 @xref{set remote hardware-watchpoint-limit}.
4099
4100 @node Set Catchpoints
4101 @subsection Setting Catchpoints
4102 @cindex catchpoints, setting
4103 @cindex exception handlers
4104 @cindex event handling
4105
4106 You can use @dfn{catchpoints} to cause the debugger to stop for certain
4107 kinds of program events, such as C@t{++} exceptions or the loading of a
4108 shared library. Use the @code{catch} command to set a catchpoint.
4109
4110 @table @code
4111 @kindex catch
4112 @item catch @var{event}
4113 Stop when @var{event} occurs. @var{event} can be any of the following:
4114
4115 @table @code
4116 @item throw @r{[}@var{regexp}@r{]}
4117 @itemx rethrow @r{[}@var{regexp}@r{]}
4118 @itemx catch @r{[}@var{regexp}@r{]}
4119 @kindex catch throw
4120 @kindex catch rethrow
4121 @kindex catch catch
4122 @cindex stop on C@t{++} exceptions
4123 The throwing, re-throwing, or catching of a C@t{++} exception.
4124
4125 If @var{regexp} is given, then only exceptions whose type matches the
4126 regular expression will be caught.
4127
4128 @vindex $_exception@r{, convenience variable}
4129 The convenience variable @code{$_exception} is available at an
4130 exception-related catchpoint, on some systems. This holds the
4131 exception being thrown.
4132
4133 There are currently some limitations to C@t{++} exception handling in
4134 @value{GDBN}:
4135
4136 @itemize @bullet
4137 @item
4138 The support for these commands is system-dependent. Currently, only
4139 systems using the @samp{gnu-v3} C@t{++} ABI (@pxref{ABI}) are
4140 supported.
4141
4142 @item
4143 The regular expression feature and the @code{$_exception} convenience
4144 variable rely on the presence of some SDT probes in @code{libstdc++}.
4145 If these probes are not present, then these features cannot be used.
4146 These probes were first available in the GCC 4.8 release, but whether
4147 or not they are available in your GCC also depends on how it was
4148 built.
4149
4150 @item
4151 The @code{$_exception} convenience variable is only valid at the
4152 instruction at which an exception-related catchpoint is set.
4153
4154 @item
4155 When an exception-related catchpoint is hit, @value{GDBN} stops at a
4156 location in the system library which implements runtime exception
4157 support for C@t{++}, usually @code{libstdc++}. You can use @code{up}
4158 (@pxref{Selection}) to get to your code.
4159
4160 @item
4161 If you call a function interactively, @value{GDBN} normally returns
4162 control to you when the function has finished executing. If the call
4163 raises an exception, however, the call may bypass the mechanism that
4164 returns control to you and cause your program either to abort or to
4165 simply continue running until it hits a breakpoint, catches a signal
4166 that @value{GDBN} is listening for, or exits. This is the case even if
4167 you set a catchpoint for the exception; catchpoints on exceptions are
4168 disabled within interactive calls. @xref{Calling}, for information on
4169 controlling this with @code{set unwind-on-terminating-exception}.
4170
4171 @item
4172 You cannot raise an exception interactively.
4173
4174 @item
4175 You cannot install an exception handler interactively.
4176 @end itemize
4177
4178 @item exception
4179 @kindex catch exception
4180 @cindex Ada exception catching
4181 @cindex catch Ada exceptions
4182 An Ada exception being raised. If an exception name is specified
4183 at the end of the command (eg @code{catch exception Program_Error}),
4184 the debugger will stop only when this specific exception is raised.
4185 Otherwise, the debugger stops execution when any Ada exception is raised.
4186
4187 When inserting an exception catchpoint on a user-defined exception whose
4188 name is identical to one of the exceptions defined by the language, the
4189 fully qualified name must be used as the exception name. Otherwise,
4190 @value{GDBN} will assume that it should stop on the pre-defined exception
4191 rather than the user-defined one. For instance, assuming an exception
4192 called @code{Constraint_Error} is defined in package @code{Pck}, then
4193 the command to use to catch such exceptions is @kbd{catch exception
4194 Pck.Constraint_Error}.
4195
4196 @item exception unhandled
4197 @kindex catch exception unhandled
4198 An exception that was raised but is not handled by the program.
4199
4200 @item assert
4201 @kindex catch assert
4202 A failed Ada assertion.
4203
4204 @item exec
4205 @kindex catch exec
4206 @cindex break on fork/exec
4207 A call to @code{exec}. This is currently only available for HP-UX
4208 and @sc{gnu}/Linux.
4209
4210 @item syscall
4211 @itemx syscall @r{[}@var{name} @r{|} @var{number}@r{]} @dots{}
4212 @kindex catch syscall
4213 @cindex break on a system call.
4214 A call to or return from a system call, a.k.a.@: @dfn{syscall}. A
4215 syscall is a mechanism for application programs to request a service
4216 from the operating system (OS) or one of the OS system services.
4217 @value{GDBN} can catch some or all of the syscalls issued by the
4218 debuggee, and show the related information for each syscall. If no
4219 argument is specified, calls to and returns from all system calls
4220 will be caught.
4221
4222 @var{name} can be any system call name that is valid for the
4223 underlying OS. Just what syscalls are valid depends on the OS. On
4224 GNU and Unix systems, you can find the full list of valid syscall
4225 names on @file{/usr/include/asm/unistd.h}.
4226
4227 @c For MS-Windows, the syscall names and the corresponding numbers
4228 @c can be found, e.g., on this URL:
4229 @c http://www.metasploit.com/users/opcode/syscalls.html
4230 @c but we don't support Windows syscalls yet.
4231
4232 Normally, @value{GDBN} knows in advance which syscalls are valid for
4233 each OS, so you can use the @value{GDBN} command-line completion
4234 facilities (@pxref{Completion,, command completion}) to list the
4235 available choices.
4236
4237 You may also specify the system call numerically. A syscall's
4238 number is the value passed to the OS's syscall dispatcher to
4239 identify the requested service. When you specify the syscall by its
4240 name, @value{GDBN} uses its database of syscalls to convert the name
4241 into the corresponding numeric code, but using the number directly
4242 may be useful if @value{GDBN}'s database does not have the complete
4243 list of syscalls on your system (e.g., because @value{GDBN} lags
4244 behind the OS upgrades).
4245
4246 The example below illustrates how this command works if you don't provide
4247 arguments to it:
4248
4249 @smallexample
4250 (@value{GDBP}) catch syscall
4251 Catchpoint 1 (syscall)
4252 (@value{GDBP}) r
4253 Starting program: /tmp/catch-syscall
4254
4255 Catchpoint 1 (call to syscall 'close'), \
4256 0xffffe424 in __kernel_vsyscall ()
4257 (@value{GDBP}) c
4258 Continuing.
4259
4260 Catchpoint 1 (returned from syscall 'close'), \
4261 0xffffe424 in __kernel_vsyscall ()
4262 (@value{GDBP})
4263 @end smallexample
4264
4265 Here is an example of catching a system call by name:
4266
4267 @smallexample
4268 (@value{GDBP}) catch syscall chroot
4269 Catchpoint 1 (syscall 'chroot' [61])
4270 (@value{GDBP}) r
4271 Starting program: /tmp/catch-syscall
4272
4273 Catchpoint 1 (call to syscall 'chroot'), \
4274 0xffffe424 in __kernel_vsyscall ()
4275 (@value{GDBP}) c
4276 Continuing.
4277
4278 Catchpoint 1 (returned from syscall 'chroot'), \
4279 0xffffe424 in __kernel_vsyscall ()
4280 (@value{GDBP})
4281 @end smallexample
4282
4283 An example of specifying a system call numerically. In the case
4284 below, the syscall number has a corresponding entry in the XML
4285 file, so @value{GDBN} finds its name and prints it:
4286
4287 @smallexample
4288 (@value{GDBP}) catch syscall 252
4289 Catchpoint 1 (syscall(s) 'exit_group')
4290 (@value{GDBP}) r
4291 Starting program: /tmp/catch-syscall
4292
4293 Catchpoint 1 (call to syscall 'exit_group'), \
4294 0xffffe424 in __kernel_vsyscall ()
4295 (@value{GDBP}) c
4296 Continuing.
4297
4298 Program exited normally.
4299 (@value{GDBP})
4300 @end smallexample
4301
4302 However, there can be situations when there is no corresponding name
4303 in XML file for that syscall number. In this case, @value{GDBN} prints
4304 a warning message saying that it was not able to find the syscall name,
4305 but the catchpoint will be set anyway. See the example below:
4306
4307 @smallexample
4308 (@value{GDBP}) catch syscall 764
4309 warning: The number '764' does not represent a known syscall.
4310 Catchpoint 2 (syscall 764)
4311 (@value{GDBP})
4312 @end smallexample
4313
4314 If you configure @value{GDBN} using the @samp{--without-expat} option,
4315 it will not be able to display syscall names. Also, if your
4316 architecture does not have an XML file describing its system calls,
4317 you will not be able to see the syscall names. It is important to
4318 notice that these two features are used for accessing the syscall
4319 name database. In either case, you will see a warning like this:
4320
4321 @smallexample
4322 (@value{GDBP}) catch syscall
4323 warning: Could not open "syscalls/i386-linux.xml"
4324 warning: Could not load the syscall XML file 'syscalls/i386-linux.xml'.
4325 GDB will not be able to display syscall names.
4326 Catchpoint 1 (syscall)
4327 (@value{GDBP})
4328 @end smallexample
4329
4330 Of course, the file name will change depending on your architecture and system.
4331
4332 Still using the example above, you can also try to catch a syscall by its
4333 number. In this case, you would see something like:
4334
4335 @smallexample
4336 (@value{GDBP}) catch syscall 252
4337 Catchpoint 1 (syscall(s) 252)
4338 @end smallexample
4339
4340 Again, in this case @value{GDBN} would not be able to display syscall's names.
4341
4342 @item fork
4343 @kindex catch fork
4344 A call to @code{fork}. This is currently only available for HP-UX
4345 and @sc{gnu}/Linux.
4346
4347 @item vfork
4348 @kindex catch vfork
4349 A call to @code{vfork}. This is currently only available for HP-UX
4350 and @sc{gnu}/Linux.
4351
4352 @item load @r{[}regexp@r{]}
4353 @itemx unload @r{[}regexp@r{]}
4354 @kindex catch load
4355 @kindex catch unload
4356 The loading or unloading of a shared library. If @var{regexp} is
4357 given, then the catchpoint will stop only if the regular expression
4358 matches one of the affected libraries.
4359
4360 @item signal @r{[}@var{signal}@dots{} @r{|} @samp{all}@r{]}
4361 @kindex catch signal
4362 The delivery of a signal.
4363
4364 With no arguments, this catchpoint will catch any signal that is not
4365 used internally by @value{GDBN}, specifically, all signals except
4366 @samp{SIGTRAP} and @samp{SIGINT}.
4367
4368 With the argument @samp{all}, all signals, including those used by
4369 @value{GDBN}, will be caught. This argument cannot be used with other
4370 signal names.
4371
4372 Otherwise, the arguments are a list of signal names as given to
4373 @code{handle} (@pxref{Signals}). Only signals specified in this list
4374 will be caught.
4375
4376 One reason that @code{catch signal} can be more useful than
4377 @code{handle} is that you can attach commands and conditions to the
4378 catchpoint.
4379
4380 When a signal is caught by a catchpoint, the signal's @code{stop} and
4381 @code{print} settings, as specified by @code{handle}, are ignored.
4382 However, whether the signal is still delivered to the inferior depends
4383 on the @code{pass} setting; this can be changed in the catchpoint's
4384 commands.
4385
4386 @end table
4387
4388 @item tcatch @var{event}
4389 @kindex tcatch
4390 Set a catchpoint that is enabled only for one stop. The catchpoint is
4391 automatically deleted after the first time the event is caught.
4392
4393 @end table
4394
4395 Use the @code{info break} command to list the current catchpoints.
4396
4397
4398 @node Delete Breaks
4399 @subsection Deleting Breakpoints
4400
4401 @cindex clearing breakpoints, watchpoints, catchpoints
4402 @cindex deleting breakpoints, watchpoints, catchpoints
4403 It is often necessary to eliminate a breakpoint, watchpoint, or
4404 catchpoint once it has done its job and you no longer want your program
4405 to stop there. This is called @dfn{deleting} the breakpoint. A
4406 breakpoint that has been deleted no longer exists; it is forgotten.
4407
4408 With the @code{clear} command you can delete breakpoints according to
4409 where they are in your program. With the @code{delete} command you can
4410 delete individual breakpoints, watchpoints, or catchpoints by specifying
4411 their breakpoint numbers.
4412
4413 It is not necessary to delete a breakpoint to proceed past it. @value{GDBN}
4414 automatically ignores breakpoints on the first instruction to be executed
4415 when you continue execution without changing the execution address.
4416
4417 @table @code
4418 @kindex clear
4419 @item clear
4420 Delete any breakpoints at the next instruction to be executed in the
4421 selected stack frame (@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}). When
4422 the innermost frame is selected, this is a good way to delete a
4423 breakpoint where your program just stopped.
4424
4425 @item clear @var{location}
4426 Delete any breakpoints set at the specified @var{location}.
4427 @xref{Specify Location}, for the various forms of @var{location}; the
4428 most useful ones are listed below:
4429
4430 @table @code
4431 @item clear @var{function}
4432 @itemx clear @var{filename}:@var{function}
4433 Delete any breakpoints set at entry to the named @var{function}.
4434
4435 @item clear @var{linenum}
4436 @itemx clear @var{filename}:@var{linenum}
4437 Delete any breakpoints set at or within the code of the specified
4438 @var{linenum} of the specified @var{filename}.
4439 @end table
4440
4441 @cindex delete breakpoints
4442 @kindex delete
4443 @kindex d @r{(@code{delete})}
4444 @item delete @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} @r{[}@var{range}@dots{}@r{]}
4445 Delete the breakpoints, watchpoints, or catchpoints of the breakpoint
4446 ranges specified as arguments. If no argument is specified, delete all
4447 breakpoints (@value{GDBN} asks confirmation, unless you have @code{set
4448 confirm off}). You can abbreviate this command as @code{d}.
4449 @end table
4450
4451 @node Disabling
4452 @subsection Disabling Breakpoints
4453
4454 @cindex enable/disable a breakpoint
4455 Rather than deleting a breakpoint, watchpoint, or catchpoint, you might
4456 prefer to @dfn{disable} it. This makes the breakpoint inoperative as if
4457 it had been deleted, but remembers the information on the breakpoint so
4458 that you can @dfn{enable} it again later.
4459
4460 You disable and enable breakpoints, watchpoints, and catchpoints with
4461 the @code{enable} and @code{disable} commands, optionally specifying
4462 one or more breakpoint numbers as arguments. Use @code{info break} to
4463 print a list of all breakpoints, watchpoints, and catchpoints if you
4464 do not know which numbers to use.
4465
4466 Disabling and enabling a breakpoint that has multiple locations
4467 affects all of its locations.
4468
4469 A breakpoint, watchpoint, or catchpoint can have any of several
4470 different states of enablement:
4471
4472 @itemize @bullet
4473 @item
4474 Enabled. The breakpoint stops your program. A breakpoint set
4475 with the @code{break} command starts out in this state.
4476 @item
4477 Disabled. The breakpoint has no effect on your program.
4478 @item
4479 Enabled once. The breakpoint stops your program, but then becomes
4480 disabled.
4481 @item
4482 Enabled for a count. The breakpoint stops your program for the next
4483 N times, then becomes disabled.
4484 @item
4485 Enabled for deletion. The breakpoint stops your program, but
4486 immediately after it does so it is deleted permanently. A breakpoint
4487 set with the @code{tbreak} command starts out in this state.
4488 @end itemize
4489
4490 You can use the following commands to enable or disable breakpoints,
4491 watchpoints, and catchpoints:
4492
4493 @table @code
4494 @kindex disable
4495 @kindex dis @r{(@code{disable})}
4496 @item disable @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} @r{[}@var{range}@dots{}@r{]}
4497 Disable the specified breakpoints---or all breakpoints, if none are
4498 listed. A disabled breakpoint has no effect but is not forgotten. All
4499 options such as ignore-counts, conditions and commands are remembered in
4500 case the breakpoint is enabled again later. You may abbreviate
4501 @code{disable} as @code{dis}.
4502
4503 @kindex enable
4504 @item enable @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} @r{[}@var{range}@dots{}@r{]}
4505 Enable the specified breakpoints (or all defined breakpoints). They
4506 become effective once again in stopping your program.
4507
4508 @item enable @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} once @var{range}@dots{}
4509 Enable the specified breakpoints temporarily. @value{GDBN} disables any
4510 of these breakpoints immediately after stopping your program.
4511
4512 @item enable @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} count @var{count} @var{range}@dots{}
4513 Enable the specified breakpoints temporarily. @value{GDBN} records
4514 @var{count} with each of the specified breakpoints, and decrements a
4515 breakpoint's count when it is hit. When any count reaches 0,
4516 @value{GDBN} disables that breakpoint. If a breakpoint has an ignore
4517 count (@pxref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions}), that will be
4518 decremented to 0 before @var{count} is affected.
4519
4520 @item enable @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} delete @var{range}@dots{}
4521 Enable the specified breakpoints to work once, then die. @value{GDBN}
4522 deletes any of these breakpoints as soon as your program stops there.
4523 Breakpoints set by the @code{tbreak} command start out in this state.
4524 @end table
4525
4526 @c FIXME: I think the following ``Except for [...] @code{tbreak}'' is
4527 @c confusing: tbreak is also initially enabled.
4528 Except for a breakpoint set with @code{tbreak} (@pxref{Set Breaks,
4529 ,Setting Breakpoints}), breakpoints that you set are initially enabled;
4530 subsequently, they become disabled or enabled only when you use one of
4531 the commands above. (The command @code{until} can set and delete a
4532 breakpoint of its own, but it does not change the state of your other
4533 breakpoints; see @ref{Continuing and Stepping, ,Continuing and
4534 Stepping}.)
4535
4536 @node Conditions
4537 @subsection Break Conditions
4538 @cindex conditional breakpoints
4539 @cindex breakpoint conditions
4540
4541 @c FIXME what is scope of break condition expr? Context where wanted?
4542 @c in particular for a watchpoint?
4543 The simplest sort of breakpoint breaks every time your program reaches a
4544 specified place. You can also specify a @dfn{condition} for a
4545 breakpoint. A condition is just a Boolean expression in your
4546 programming language (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}). A breakpoint with
4547 a condition evaluates the expression each time your program reaches it,
4548 and your program stops only if the condition is @emph{true}.
4549
4550 This is the converse of using assertions for program validation; in that
4551 situation, you want to stop when the assertion is violated---that is,
4552 when the condition is false. In C, if you want to test an assertion expressed
4553 by the condition @var{assert}, you should set the condition
4554 @samp{! @var{assert}} on the appropriate breakpoint.
4555
4556 Conditions are also accepted for watchpoints; you may not need them,
4557 since a watchpoint is inspecting the value of an expression anyhow---but
4558 it might be simpler, say, to just set a watchpoint on a variable name,
4559 and specify a condition that tests whether the new value is an interesting
4560 one.
4561
4562 Break conditions can have side effects, and may even call functions in
4563 your program. This can be useful, for example, to activate functions
4564 that log program progress, or to use your own print functions to
4565 format special data structures. The effects are completely predictable
4566 unless there is another enabled breakpoint at the same address. (In
4567 that case, @value{GDBN} might see the other breakpoint first and stop your
4568 program without checking the condition of this one.) Note that
4569 breakpoint commands are usually more convenient and flexible than break
4570 conditions for the
4571 purpose of performing side effects when a breakpoint is reached
4572 (@pxref{Break Commands, ,Breakpoint Command Lists}).
4573
4574 Breakpoint conditions can also be evaluated on the target's side if
4575 the target supports it. Instead of evaluating the conditions locally,
4576 @value{GDBN} encodes the expression into an agent expression
4577 (@pxref{Agent Expressions}) suitable for execution on the target,
4578 independently of @value{GDBN}. Global variables become raw memory
4579 locations, locals become stack accesses, and so forth.
4580
4581 In this case, @value{GDBN} will only be notified of a breakpoint trigger
4582 when its condition evaluates to true. This mechanism may provide faster
4583 response times depending on the performance characteristics of the target
4584 since it does not need to keep @value{GDBN} informed about
4585 every breakpoint trigger, even those with false conditions.
4586
4587 Break conditions can be specified when a breakpoint is set, by using
4588 @samp{if} in the arguments to the @code{break} command. @xref{Set
4589 Breaks, ,Setting Breakpoints}. They can also be changed at any time
4590 with the @code{condition} command.
4591
4592 You can also use the @code{if} keyword with the @code{watch} command.
4593 The @code{catch} command does not recognize the @code{if} keyword;
4594 @code{condition} is the only way to impose a further condition on a
4595 catchpoint.
4596
4597 @table @code
4598 @kindex condition
4599 @item condition @var{bnum} @var{expression}
4600 Specify @var{expression} as the break condition for breakpoint,
4601 watchpoint, or catchpoint number @var{bnum}. After you set a condition,
4602 breakpoint @var{bnum} stops your program only if the value of
4603 @var{expression} is true (nonzero, in C). When you use
4604 @code{condition}, @value{GDBN} checks @var{expression} immediately for
4605 syntactic correctness, and to determine whether symbols in it have
4606 referents in the context of your breakpoint. If @var{expression} uses
4607 symbols not referenced in the context of the breakpoint, @value{GDBN}
4608 prints an error message:
4609
4610 @smallexample
4611 No symbol "foo" in current context.
4612 @end smallexample
4613
4614 @noindent
4615 @value{GDBN} does
4616 not actually evaluate @var{expression} at the time the @code{condition}
4617 command (or a command that sets a breakpoint with a condition, like
4618 @code{break if @dots{}}) is given, however. @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}.
4619
4620 @item condition @var{bnum}
4621 Remove the condition from breakpoint number @var{bnum}. It becomes
4622 an ordinary unconditional breakpoint.
4623 @end table
4624
4625 @cindex ignore count (of breakpoint)
4626 A special case of a breakpoint condition is to stop only when the
4627 breakpoint has been reached a certain number of times. This is so
4628 useful that there is a special way to do it, using the @dfn{ignore
4629 count} of the breakpoint. Every breakpoint has an ignore count, which
4630 is an integer. Most of the time, the ignore count is zero, and
4631 therefore has no effect. But if your program reaches a breakpoint whose
4632 ignore count is positive, then instead of stopping, it just decrements
4633 the ignore count by one and continues. As a result, if the ignore count
4634 value is @var{n}, the breakpoint does not stop the next @var{n} times
4635 your program reaches it.
4636
4637 @table @code
4638 @kindex ignore
4639 @item ignore @var{bnum} @var{count}
4640 Set the ignore count of breakpoint number @var{bnum} to @var{count}.
4641 The next @var{count} times the breakpoint is reached, your program's
4642 execution does not stop; other than to decrement the ignore count, @value{GDBN}
4643 takes no action.
4644
4645 To make the breakpoint stop the next time it is reached, specify
4646 a count of zero.
4647
4648 When you use @code{continue} to resume execution of your program from a
4649 breakpoint, you can specify an ignore count directly as an argument to
4650 @code{continue}, rather than using @code{ignore}. @xref{Continuing and
4651 Stepping,,Continuing and Stepping}.
4652
4653 If a breakpoint has a positive ignore count and a condition, the
4654 condition is not checked. Once the ignore count reaches zero,
4655 @value{GDBN} resumes checking the condition.
4656
4657 You could achieve the effect of the ignore count with a condition such
4658 as @w{@samp{$foo-- <= 0}} using a debugger convenience variable that
4659 is decremented each time. @xref{Convenience Vars, ,Convenience
4660 Variables}.
4661 @end table
4662
4663 Ignore counts apply to breakpoints, watchpoints, and catchpoints.
4664
4665
4666 @node Break Commands
4667 @subsection Breakpoint Command Lists
4668
4669 @cindex breakpoint commands
4670 You can give any breakpoint (or watchpoint or catchpoint) a series of
4671 commands to execute when your program stops due to that breakpoint. For
4672 example, you might want to print the values of certain expressions, or
4673 enable other breakpoints.
4674
4675 @table @code
4676 @kindex commands
4677 @kindex end@r{ (breakpoint commands)}
4678 @item commands @r{[}@var{range}@dots{}@r{]}
4679 @itemx @dots{} @var{command-list} @dots{}
4680 @itemx end
4681 Specify a list of commands for the given breakpoints. The commands
4682 themselves appear on the following lines. Type a line containing just
4683 @code{end} to terminate the commands.
4684
4685 To remove all commands from a breakpoint, type @code{commands} and
4686 follow it immediately with @code{end}; that is, give no commands.
4687
4688 With no argument, @code{commands} refers to the last breakpoint,
4689 watchpoint, or catchpoint set (not to the breakpoint most recently
4690 encountered). If the most recent breakpoints were set with a single
4691 command, then the @code{commands} will apply to all the breakpoints
4692 set by that command. This applies to breakpoints set by
4693 @code{rbreak}, and also applies when a single @code{break} command
4694 creates multiple breakpoints (@pxref{Ambiguous Expressions,,Ambiguous
4695 Expressions}).
4696 @end table
4697
4698 Pressing @key{RET} as a means of repeating the last @value{GDBN} command is
4699 disabled within a @var{command-list}.
4700
4701 You can use breakpoint commands to start your program up again. Simply
4702 use the @code{continue} command, or @code{step}, or any other command
4703 that resumes execution.
4704
4705 Any other commands in the command list, after a command that resumes
4706 execution, are ignored. This is because any time you resume execution
4707 (even with a simple @code{next} or @code{step}), you may encounter
4708 another breakpoint---which could have its own command list, leading to
4709 ambiguities about which list to execute.
4710
4711 @kindex silent
4712 If the first command you specify in a command list is @code{silent}, the
4713 usual message about stopping at a breakpoint is not printed. This may
4714 be desirable for breakpoints that are to print a specific message and
4715 then continue. If none of the remaining commands print anything, you
4716 see no sign that the breakpoint was reached. @code{silent} is
4717 meaningful only at the beginning of a breakpoint command list.
4718
4719 The commands @code{echo}, @code{output}, and @code{printf} allow you to
4720 print precisely controlled output, and are often useful in silent
4721 breakpoints. @xref{Output, ,Commands for Controlled Output}.
4722
4723 For example, here is how you could use breakpoint commands to print the
4724 value of @code{x} at entry to @code{foo} whenever @code{x} is positive.
4725
4726 @smallexample
4727 break foo if x>0
4728 commands
4729 silent
4730 printf "x is %d\n",x
4731 cont
4732 end
4733 @end smallexample
4734
4735 One application for breakpoint commands is to compensate for one bug so
4736 you can test for another. Put a breakpoint just after the erroneous line
4737 of code, give it a condition to detect the case in which something
4738 erroneous has been done, and give it commands to assign correct values
4739 to any variables that need them. End with the @code{continue} command
4740 so that your program does not stop, and start with the @code{silent}
4741 command so that no output is produced. Here is an example:
4742
4743 @smallexample
4744 break 403
4745 commands
4746 silent
4747 set x = y + 4
4748 cont
4749 end
4750 @end smallexample
4751
4752 @node Dynamic Printf
4753 @subsection Dynamic Printf
4754
4755 @cindex dynamic printf
4756 @cindex dprintf
4757 The dynamic printf command @code{dprintf} combines a breakpoint with
4758 formatted printing of your program's data to give you the effect of
4759 inserting @code{printf} calls into your program on-the-fly, without
4760 having to recompile it.
4761
4762 In its most basic form, the output goes to the GDB console. However,
4763 you can set the variable @code{dprintf-style} for alternate handling.
4764 For instance, you can ask to format the output by calling your
4765 program's @code{printf} function. This has the advantage that the
4766 characters go to the program's output device, so they can recorded in
4767 redirects to files and so forth.
4768
4769 If you are doing remote debugging with a stub or agent, you can also
4770 ask to have the printf handled by the remote agent. In addition to
4771 ensuring that the output goes to the remote program's device along
4772 with any other output the program might produce, you can also ask that
4773 the dprintf remain active even after disconnecting from the remote
4774 target. Using the stub/agent is also more efficient, as it can do
4775 everything without needing to communicate with @value{GDBN}.
4776
4777 @table @code
4778 @kindex dprintf
4779 @item dprintf @var{location},@var{template},@var{expression}[,@var{expression}@dots{}]
4780 Whenever execution reaches @var{location}, print the values of one or
4781 more @var{expressions} under the control of the string @var{template}.
4782 To print several values, separate them with commas.
4783
4784 @item set dprintf-style @var{style}
4785 Set the dprintf output to be handled in one of several different
4786 styles enumerated below. A change of style affects all existing
4787 dynamic printfs immediately. (If you need individual control over the
4788 print commands, simply define normal breakpoints with
4789 explicitly-supplied command lists.)
4790
4791 @item gdb
4792 @kindex dprintf-style gdb
4793 Handle the output using the @value{GDBN} @code{printf} command.
4794
4795 @item call
4796 @kindex dprintf-style call
4797 Handle the output by calling a function in your program (normally
4798 @code{printf}).
4799
4800 @item agent
4801 @kindex dprintf-style agent
4802 Have the remote debugging agent (such as @code{gdbserver}) handle
4803 the output itself. This style is only available for agents that
4804 support running commands on the target.
4805
4806 @item set dprintf-function @var{function}
4807 Set the function to call if the dprintf style is @code{call}. By
4808 default its value is @code{printf}. You may set it to any expression.
4809 that @value{GDBN} can evaluate to a function, as per the @code{call}
4810 command.
4811
4812 @item set dprintf-channel @var{channel}
4813 Set a ``channel'' for dprintf. If set to a non-empty value,
4814 @value{GDBN} will evaluate it as an expression and pass the result as
4815 a first argument to the @code{dprintf-function}, in the manner of
4816 @code{fprintf} and similar functions. Otherwise, the dprintf format
4817 string will be the first argument, in the manner of @code{printf}.
4818
4819 As an example, if you wanted @code{dprintf} output to go to a logfile
4820 that is a standard I/O stream assigned to the variable @code{mylog},
4821 you could do the following:
4822
4823 @example
4824 (gdb) set dprintf-style call
4825 (gdb) set dprintf-function fprintf
4826 (gdb) set dprintf-channel mylog
4827 (gdb) dprintf 25,"at line 25, glob=%d\n",glob
4828 Dprintf 1 at 0x123456: file main.c, line 25.
4829 (gdb) info break
4830 1 dprintf keep y 0x00123456 in main at main.c:25
4831 call (void) fprintf (mylog,"at line 25, glob=%d\n",glob)
4832 continue
4833 (gdb)
4834 @end example
4835
4836 Note that the @code{info break} displays the dynamic printf commands
4837 as normal breakpoint commands; you can thus easily see the effect of
4838 the variable settings.
4839
4840 @item set disconnected-dprintf on
4841 @itemx set disconnected-dprintf off
4842 @kindex set disconnected-dprintf
4843 Choose whether @code{dprintf} commands should continue to run if
4844 @value{GDBN} has disconnected from the target. This only applies
4845 if the @code{dprintf-style} is @code{agent}.
4846
4847 @item show disconnected-dprintf off
4848 @kindex show disconnected-dprintf
4849 Show the current choice for disconnected @code{dprintf}.
4850
4851 @end table
4852
4853 @value{GDBN} does not check the validity of function and channel,
4854 relying on you to supply values that are meaningful for the contexts
4855 in which they are being used. For instance, the function and channel
4856 may be the values of local variables, but if that is the case, then
4857 all enabled dynamic prints must be at locations within the scope of
4858 those locals. If evaluation fails, @value{GDBN} will report an error.
4859
4860 @node Save Breakpoints
4861 @subsection How to save breakpoints to a file
4862
4863 To save breakpoint definitions to a file use the @w{@code{save
4864 breakpoints}} command.
4865
4866 @table @code
4867 @kindex save breakpoints
4868 @cindex save breakpoints to a file for future sessions
4869 @item save breakpoints [@var{filename}]
4870 This command saves all current breakpoint definitions together with
4871 their commands and ignore counts, into a file @file{@var{filename}}
4872 suitable for use in a later debugging session. This includes all
4873 types of breakpoints (breakpoints, watchpoints, catchpoints,
4874 tracepoints). To read the saved breakpoint definitions, use the
4875 @code{source} command (@pxref{Command Files}). Note that watchpoints
4876 with expressions involving local variables may fail to be recreated
4877 because it may not be possible to access the context where the
4878 watchpoint is valid anymore. Because the saved breakpoint definitions
4879 are simply a sequence of @value{GDBN} commands that recreate the
4880 breakpoints, you can edit the file in your favorite editing program,
4881 and remove the breakpoint definitions you're not interested in, or
4882 that can no longer be recreated.
4883 @end table
4884
4885 @node Static Probe Points
4886 @subsection Static Probe Points
4887
4888 @cindex static probe point, SystemTap
4889 @value{GDBN} supports @dfn{SDT} probes in the code. @acronym{SDT} stands
4890 for Statically Defined Tracing, and the probes are designed to have a tiny
4891 runtime code and data footprint, and no dynamic relocations. They are
4892 usable from assembly, C and C@t{++} languages. See
4893 @uref{http://sourceware.org/systemtap/wiki/UserSpaceProbeImplementation}
4894 for a good reference on how the @acronym{SDT} probes are implemented.
4895
4896 Currently, @code{SystemTap} (@uref{http://sourceware.org/systemtap/})
4897 @acronym{SDT} probes are supported on ELF-compatible systems. See
4898 @uref{http://sourceware.org/systemtap/wiki/AddingUserSpaceProbingToApps}
4899 for more information on how to add @code{SystemTap} @acronym{SDT} probes
4900 in your applications.
4901
4902 @cindex semaphores on static probe points
4903 Some probes have an associated semaphore variable; for instance, this
4904 happens automatically if you defined your probe using a DTrace-style
4905 @file{.d} file. If your probe has a semaphore, @value{GDBN} will
4906 automatically enable it when you specify a breakpoint using the
4907 @samp{-probe-stap} notation. But, if you put a breakpoint at a probe's
4908 location by some other method (e.g., @code{break file:line}), then
4909 @value{GDBN} will not automatically set the semaphore.
4910
4911 You can examine the available static static probes using @code{info
4912 probes}, with optional arguments:
4913
4914 @table @code
4915 @kindex info probes
4916 @item info probes stap @r{[}@var{provider} @r{[}@var{name} @r{[}@var{objfile}@r{]}@r{]}@r{]}
4917 If given, @var{provider} is a regular expression used to match against provider
4918 names when selecting which probes to list. If omitted, probes by all
4919 probes from all providers are listed.
4920
4921 If given, @var{name} is a regular expression to match against probe names
4922 when selecting which probes to list. If omitted, probe names are not
4923 considered when deciding whether to display them.
4924
4925 If given, @var{objfile} is a regular expression used to select which
4926 object files (executable or shared libraries) to examine. If not
4927 given, all object files are considered.
4928
4929 @item info probes all
4930 List the available static probes, from all types.
4931 @end table
4932
4933 @vindex $_probe_arg@r{, convenience variable}
4934 A probe may specify up to twelve arguments. These are available at the
4935 point at which the probe is defined---that is, when the current PC is
4936 at the probe's location. The arguments are available using the
4937 convenience variables (@pxref{Convenience Vars})
4938 @code{$_probe_arg0}@dots{}@code{$_probe_arg11}. Each probe argument is
4939 an integer of the appropriate size; types are not preserved. The
4940 convenience variable @code{$_probe_argc} holds the number of arguments
4941 at the current probe point.
4942
4943 These variables are always available, but attempts to access them at
4944 any location other than a probe point will cause @value{GDBN} to give
4945 an error message.
4946
4947
4948 @c @ifclear BARETARGET
4949 @node Error in Breakpoints
4950 @subsection ``Cannot insert breakpoints''
4951
4952 If you request too many active hardware-assisted breakpoints and
4953 watchpoints, you will see this error message:
4954
4955 @c FIXME: the precise wording of this message may change; the relevant
4956 @c source change is not committed yet (Sep 3, 1999).
4957 @smallexample
4958 Stopped; cannot insert breakpoints.
4959 You may have requested too many hardware breakpoints and watchpoints.
4960 @end smallexample
4961
4962 @noindent
4963 This message is printed when you attempt to resume the program, since
4964 only then @value{GDBN} knows exactly how many hardware breakpoints and
4965 watchpoints it needs to insert.
4966
4967 When this message is printed, you need to disable or remove some of the
4968 hardware-assisted breakpoints and watchpoints, and then continue.
4969
4970 @node Breakpoint-related Warnings
4971 @subsection ``Breakpoint address adjusted...''
4972 @cindex breakpoint address adjusted
4973
4974 Some processor architectures place constraints on the addresses at
4975 which breakpoints may be placed. For architectures thus constrained,
4976 @value{GDBN} will attempt to adjust the breakpoint's address to comply
4977 with the constraints dictated by the architecture.
4978
4979 One example of such an architecture is the Fujitsu FR-V. The FR-V is
4980 a VLIW architecture in which a number of RISC-like instructions may be
4981 bundled together for parallel execution. The FR-V architecture
4982 constrains the location of a breakpoint instruction within such a
4983 bundle to the instruction with the lowest address. @value{GDBN}
4984 honors this constraint by adjusting a breakpoint's address to the
4985 first in the bundle.
4986
4987 It is not uncommon for optimized code to have bundles which contain
4988 instructions from different source statements, thus it may happen that
4989 a breakpoint's address will be adjusted from one source statement to
4990 another. Since this adjustment may significantly alter @value{GDBN}'s
4991 breakpoint related behavior from what the user expects, a warning is
4992 printed when the breakpoint is first set and also when the breakpoint
4993 is hit.
4994
4995 A warning like the one below is printed when setting a breakpoint
4996 that's been subject to address adjustment:
4997
4998 @smallexample
4999 warning: Breakpoint address adjusted from 0x00010414 to 0x00010410.
5000 @end smallexample
5001
5002 Such warnings are printed both for user settable and @value{GDBN}'s
5003 internal breakpoints. If you see one of these warnings, you should
5004 verify that a breakpoint set at the adjusted address will have the
5005 desired affect. If not, the breakpoint in question may be removed and
5006 other breakpoints may be set which will have the desired behavior.
5007 E.g., it may be sufficient to place the breakpoint at a later
5008 instruction. A conditional breakpoint may also be useful in some
5009 cases to prevent the breakpoint from triggering too often.
5010
5011 @value{GDBN} will also issue a warning when stopping at one of these
5012 adjusted breakpoints:
5013
5014 @smallexample
5015 warning: Breakpoint 1 address previously adjusted from 0x00010414
5016 to 0x00010410.
5017 @end smallexample
5018
5019 When this warning is encountered, it may be too late to take remedial
5020 action except in cases where the breakpoint is hit earlier or more
5021 frequently than expected.
5022
5023 @node Continuing and Stepping
5024 @section Continuing and Stepping
5025
5026 @cindex stepping
5027 @cindex continuing
5028 @cindex resuming execution
5029 @dfn{Continuing} means resuming program execution until your program
5030 completes normally. In contrast, @dfn{stepping} means executing just
5031 one more ``step'' of your program, where ``step'' may mean either one
5032 line of source code, or one machine instruction (depending on what
5033 particular command you use). Either when continuing or when stepping,
5034 your program may stop even sooner, due to a breakpoint or a signal. (If
5035 it stops due to a signal, you may want to use @code{handle}, or use
5036 @samp{signal 0} to resume execution. @xref{Signals, ,Signals}.)
5037
5038 @table @code
5039 @kindex continue
5040 @kindex c @r{(@code{continue})}
5041 @kindex fg @r{(resume foreground execution)}
5042 @item continue @r{[}@var{ignore-count}@r{]}
5043 @itemx c @r{[}@var{ignore-count}@r{]}
5044 @itemx fg @r{[}@var{ignore-count}@r{]}
5045 Resume program execution, at the address where your program last stopped;
5046 any breakpoints set at that address are bypassed. The optional argument
5047 @var{ignore-count} allows you to specify a further number of times to
5048 ignore a breakpoint at this location; its effect is like that of
5049 @code{ignore} (@pxref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions}).
5050
5051 The argument @var{ignore-count} is meaningful only when your program
5052 stopped due to a breakpoint. At other times, the argument to
5053 @code{continue} is ignored.
5054
5055 The synonyms @code{c} and @code{fg} (for @dfn{foreground}, as the
5056 debugged program is deemed to be the foreground program) are provided
5057 purely for convenience, and have exactly the same behavior as
5058 @code{continue}.
5059 @end table
5060
5061 To resume execution at a different place, you can use @code{return}
5062 (@pxref{Returning, ,Returning from a Function}) to go back to the
5063 calling function; or @code{jump} (@pxref{Jumping, ,Continuing at a
5064 Different Address}) to go to an arbitrary location in your program.
5065
5066 A typical technique for using stepping is to set a breakpoint
5067 (@pxref{Breakpoints, ,Breakpoints; Watchpoints; and Catchpoints}) at the
5068 beginning of the function or the section of your program where a problem
5069 is believed to lie, run your program until it stops at that breakpoint,
5070 and then step through the suspect area, examining the variables that are
5071 interesting, until you see the problem happen.
5072
5073 @table @code
5074 @kindex step
5075 @kindex s @r{(@code{step})}
5076 @item step
5077 Continue running your program until control reaches a different source
5078 line, then stop it and return control to @value{GDBN}. This command is
5079 abbreviated @code{s}.
5080
5081 @quotation
5082 @c "without debugging information" is imprecise; actually "without line
5083 @c numbers in the debugging information". (gcc -g1 has debugging info but
5084 @c not line numbers). But it seems complex to try to make that
5085 @c distinction here.
5086 @emph{Warning:} If you use the @code{step} command while control is
5087 within a function that was compiled without debugging information,
5088 execution proceeds until control reaches a function that does have
5089 debugging information. Likewise, it will not step into a function which
5090 is compiled without debugging information. To step through functions
5091 without debugging information, use the @code{stepi} command, described
5092 below.
5093 @end quotation
5094
5095 The @code{step} command only stops at the first instruction of a source
5096 line. This prevents the multiple stops that could otherwise occur in
5097 @code{switch} statements, @code{for} loops, etc. @code{step} continues
5098 to stop if a function that has debugging information is called within
5099 the line. In other words, @code{step} @emph{steps inside} any functions
5100 called within the line.
5101
5102 Also, the @code{step} command only enters a function if there is line
5103 number information for the function. Otherwise it acts like the
5104 @code{next} command. This avoids problems when using @code{cc -gl}
5105 on @acronym{MIPS} machines. Previously, @code{step} entered subroutines if there
5106 was any debugging information about the routine.
5107
5108 @item step @var{count}
5109 Continue running as in @code{step}, but do so @var{count} times. If a
5110 breakpoint is reached, or a signal not related to stepping occurs before
5111 @var{count} steps, stepping stops right away.
5112
5113 @kindex next
5114 @kindex n @r{(@code{next})}
5115 @item next @r{[}@var{count}@r{]}
5116 Continue to the next source line in the current (innermost) stack frame.
5117 This is similar to @code{step}, but function calls that appear within
5118 the line of code are executed without stopping. Execution stops when
5119 control reaches a different line of code at the original stack level
5120 that was executing when you gave the @code{next} command. This command
5121 is abbreviated @code{n}.
5122
5123 An argument @var{count} is a repeat count, as for @code{step}.
5124
5125
5126 @c FIX ME!! Do we delete this, or is there a way it fits in with
5127 @c the following paragraph? --- Vctoria
5128 @c
5129 @c @code{next} within a function that lacks debugging information acts like
5130 @c @code{step}, but any function calls appearing within the code of the
5131 @c function are executed without stopping.
5132
5133 The @code{next} command only stops at the first instruction of a
5134 source line. This prevents multiple stops that could otherwise occur in
5135 @code{switch} statements, @code{for} loops, etc.
5136
5137 @kindex set step-mode
5138 @item set step-mode
5139 @cindex functions without line info, and stepping
5140 @cindex stepping into functions with no line info
5141 @itemx set step-mode on
5142 The @code{set step-mode on} command causes the @code{step} command to
5143 stop at the first instruction of a function which contains no debug line
5144 information rather than stepping over it.
5145
5146 This is useful in cases where you may be interested in inspecting the
5147 machine instructions of a function which has no symbolic info and do not
5148 want @value{GDBN} to automatically skip over this function.
5149
5150 @item set step-mode off
5151 Causes the @code{step} command to step over any functions which contains no
5152 debug information. This is the default.
5153
5154 @item show step-mode
5155 Show whether @value{GDBN} will stop in or step over functions without
5156 source line debug information.
5157
5158 @kindex finish
5159 @kindex fin @r{(@code{finish})}
5160 @item finish
5161 Continue running until just after function in the selected stack frame
5162 returns. Print the returned value (if any). This command can be
5163 abbreviated as @code{fin}.
5164
5165 Contrast this with the @code{return} command (@pxref{Returning,
5166 ,Returning from a Function}).
5167
5168 @kindex until
5169 @kindex u @r{(@code{until})}
5170 @cindex run until specified location
5171 @item until
5172 @itemx u
5173 Continue running until a source line past the current line, in the
5174 current stack frame, is reached. This command is used to avoid single
5175 stepping through a loop more than once. It is like the @code{next}
5176 command, except that when @code{until} encounters a jump, it
5177 automatically continues execution until the program counter is greater
5178 than the address of the jump.
5179
5180 This means that when you reach the end of a loop after single stepping
5181 though it, @code{until} makes your program continue execution until it
5182 exits the loop. In contrast, a @code{next} command at the end of a loop
5183 simply steps back to the beginning of the loop, which forces you to step
5184 through the next iteration.
5185
5186 @code{until} always stops your program if it attempts to exit the current
5187 stack frame.
5188
5189 @code{until} may produce somewhat counterintuitive results if the order
5190 of machine code does not match the order of the source lines. For
5191 example, in the following excerpt from a debugging session, the @code{f}
5192 (@code{frame}) command shows that execution is stopped at line
5193 @code{206}; yet when we use @code{until}, we get to line @code{195}:
5194
5195 @smallexample
5196 (@value{GDBP}) f
5197 #0 main (argc=4, argv=0xf7fffae8) at m4.c:206
5198 206 expand_input();
5199 (@value{GDBP}) until
5200 195 for ( ; argc > 0; NEXTARG) @{
5201 @end smallexample
5202
5203 This happened because, for execution efficiency, the compiler had
5204 generated code for the loop closure test at the end, rather than the
5205 start, of the loop---even though the test in a C @code{for}-loop is
5206 written before the body of the loop. The @code{until} command appeared
5207 to step back to the beginning of the loop when it advanced to this
5208 expression; however, it has not really gone to an earlier
5209 statement---not in terms of the actual machine code.
5210
5211 @code{until} with no argument works by means of single
5212 instruction stepping, and hence is slower than @code{until} with an
5213 argument.
5214
5215 @item until @var{location}
5216 @itemx u @var{location}
5217 Continue running your program until either the specified location is
5218 reached, or the current stack frame returns. @var{location} is any of
5219 the forms described in @ref{Specify Location}.
5220 This form of the command uses temporary breakpoints, and
5221 hence is quicker than @code{until} without an argument. The specified
5222 location is actually reached only if it is in the current frame. This
5223 implies that @code{until} can be used to skip over recursive function
5224 invocations. For instance in the code below, if the current location is
5225 line @code{96}, issuing @code{until 99} will execute the program up to
5226 line @code{99} in the same invocation of factorial, i.e., after the inner
5227 invocations have returned.
5228
5229 @smallexample
5230 94 int factorial (int value)
5231 95 @{
5232 96 if (value > 1) @{
5233 97 value *= factorial (value - 1);
5234 98 @}
5235 99 return (value);
5236 100 @}
5237 @end smallexample
5238
5239
5240 @kindex advance @var{location}
5241 @item advance @var{location}
5242 Continue running the program up to the given @var{location}. An argument is
5243 required, which should be of one of the forms described in
5244 @ref{Specify Location}.
5245 Execution will also stop upon exit from the current stack
5246 frame. This command is similar to @code{until}, but @code{advance} will
5247 not skip over recursive function calls, and the target location doesn't
5248 have to be in the same frame as the current one.
5249
5250
5251 @kindex stepi
5252 @kindex si @r{(@code{stepi})}
5253 @item stepi
5254 @itemx stepi @var{arg}
5255 @itemx si
5256 Execute one machine instruction, then stop and return to the debugger.
5257
5258 It is often useful to do @samp{display/i $pc} when stepping by machine
5259 instructions. This makes @value{GDBN} automatically display the next
5260 instruction to be executed, each time your program stops. @xref{Auto
5261 Display,, Automatic Display}.
5262
5263 An argument is a repeat count, as in @code{step}.
5264
5265 @need 750
5266 @kindex nexti
5267 @kindex ni @r{(@code{nexti})}
5268 @item nexti
5269 @itemx nexti @var{arg}
5270 @itemx ni
5271 Execute one machine instruction, but if it is a function call,
5272 proceed until the function returns.
5273
5274 An argument is a repeat count, as in @code{next}.
5275
5276 @end table
5277
5278 @anchor{range stepping}
5279 @cindex range stepping
5280 @cindex target-assisted range stepping
5281 By default, and if available, @value{GDBN} makes use of
5282 target-assisted @dfn{range stepping}. In other words, whenever you
5283 use a stepping command (e.g., @code{step}, @code{next}), @value{GDBN}
5284 tells the target to step the corresponding range of instruction
5285 addresses instead of issuing multiple single-steps. This speeds up
5286 line stepping, particularly for remote targets. Ideally, there should
5287 be no reason you would want to turn range stepping off. However, it's
5288 possible that a bug in the debug info, a bug in the remote stub (for
5289 remote targets), or even a bug in @value{GDBN} could make line
5290 stepping behave incorrectly when target-assisted range stepping is
5291 enabled. You can use the following command to turn off range stepping
5292 if necessary:
5293
5294 @table @code
5295 @kindex set range-stepping
5296 @kindex show range-stepping
5297 @item set range-stepping
5298 @itemx show range-stepping
5299 Control whether range stepping is enabled.
5300
5301 If @code{on}, and the target supports it, @value{GDBN} tells the
5302 target to step a range of addresses itself, instead of issuing
5303 multiple single-steps. If @code{off}, @value{GDBN} always issues
5304 single-steps, even if range stepping is supported by the target. The
5305 default is @code{on}.
5306
5307 @end table
5308
5309 @node Skipping Over Functions and Files
5310 @section Skipping Over Functions and Files
5311 @cindex skipping over functions and files
5312
5313 The program you are debugging may contain some functions which are
5314 uninteresting to debug. The @code{skip} comand lets you tell @value{GDBN} to
5315 skip a function or all functions in a file when stepping.
5316
5317 For example, consider the following C function:
5318
5319 @smallexample
5320 101 int func()
5321 102 @{
5322 103 foo(boring());
5323 104 bar(boring());
5324 105 @}
5325 @end smallexample
5326
5327 @noindent
5328 Suppose you wish to step into the functions @code{foo} and @code{bar}, but you
5329 are not interested in stepping through @code{boring}. If you run @code{step}
5330 at line 103, you'll enter @code{boring()}, but if you run @code{next}, you'll
5331 step over both @code{foo} and @code{boring}!
5332
5333 One solution is to @code{step} into @code{boring} and use the @code{finish}
5334 command to immediately exit it. But this can become tedious if @code{boring}
5335 is called from many places.
5336
5337 A more flexible solution is to execute @kbd{skip boring}. This instructs
5338 @value{GDBN} never to step into @code{boring}. Now when you execute
5339 @code{step} at line 103, you'll step over @code{boring} and directly into
5340 @code{foo}.
5341
5342 You can also instruct @value{GDBN} to skip all functions in a file, with, for
5343 example, @code{skip file boring.c}.
5344
5345 @table @code
5346 @kindex skip function
5347 @item skip @r{[}@var{linespec}@r{]}
5348 @itemx skip function @r{[}@var{linespec}@r{]}
5349 After running this command, the function named by @var{linespec} or the
5350 function containing the line named by @var{linespec} will be skipped over when
5351 stepping. @xref{Specify Location}.
5352
5353 If you do not specify @var{linespec}, the function you're currently debugging
5354 will be skipped.
5355
5356 (If you have a function called @code{file} that you want to skip, use
5357 @kbd{skip function file}.)
5358
5359 @kindex skip file
5360 @item skip file @r{[}@var{filename}@r{]}
5361 After running this command, any function whose source lives in @var{filename}
5362 will be skipped over when stepping.
5363
5364 If you do not specify @var{filename}, functions whose source lives in the file
5365 you're currently debugging will be skipped.
5366 @end table
5367
5368 Skips can be listed, deleted, disabled, and enabled, much like breakpoints.
5369 These are the commands for managing your list of skips:
5370
5371 @table @code
5372 @kindex info skip
5373 @item info skip @r{[}@var{range}@r{]}
5374 Print details about the specified skip(s). If @var{range} is not specified,
5375 print a table with details about all functions and files marked for skipping.
5376 @code{info skip} prints the following information about each skip:
5377
5378 @table @emph
5379 @item Identifier
5380 A number identifying this skip.
5381 @item Type
5382 The type of this skip, either @samp{function} or @samp{file}.
5383 @item Enabled or Disabled
5384 Enabled skips are marked with @samp{y}. Disabled skips are marked with @samp{n}.
5385 @item Address
5386 For function skips, this column indicates the address in memory of the function
5387 being skipped. If you've set a function skip on a function which has not yet
5388 been loaded, this field will contain @samp{<PENDING>}. Once a shared library
5389 which has the function is loaded, @code{info skip} will show the function's
5390 address here.
5391 @item What
5392 For file skips, this field contains the filename being skipped. For functions
5393 skips, this field contains the function name and its line number in the file
5394 where it is defined.
5395 @end table
5396
5397 @kindex skip delete
5398 @item skip delete @r{[}@var{range}@r{]}
5399 Delete the specified skip(s). If @var{range} is not specified, delete all
5400 skips.
5401
5402 @kindex skip enable
5403 @item skip enable @r{[}@var{range}@r{]}
5404 Enable the specified skip(s). If @var{range} is not specified, enable all
5405 skips.
5406
5407 @kindex skip disable
5408 @item skip disable @r{[}@var{range}@r{]}
5409 Disable the specified skip(s). If @var{range} is not specified, disable all
5410 skips.
5411
5412 @end table
5413
5414 @node Signals
5415 @section Signals
5416 @cindex signals
5417
5418 A signal is an asynchronous event that can happen in a program. The
5419 operating system defines the possible kinds of signals, and gives each
5420 kind a name and a number. For example, in Unix @code{SIGINT} is the
5421 signal a program gets when you type an interrupt character (often @kbd{Ctrl-c});
5422 @code{SIGSEGV} is the signal a program gets from referencing a place in
5423 memory far away from all the areas in use; @code{SIGALRM} occurs when
5424 the alarm clock timer goes off (which happens only if your program has
5425 requested an alarm).
5426
5427 @cindex fatal signals
5428 Some signals, including @code{SIGALRM}, are a normal part of the
5429 functioning of your program. Others, such as @code{SIGSEGV}, indicate
5430 errors; these signals are @dfn{fatal} (they kill your program immediately) if the
5431 program has not specified in advance some other way to handle the signal.
5432 @code{SIGINT} does not indicate an error in your program, but it is normally
5433 fatal so it can carry out the purpose of the interrupt: to kill the program.
5434
5435 @value{GDBN} has the ability to detect any occurrence of a signal in your
5436 program. You can tell @value{GDBN} in advance what to do for each kind of
5437 signal.
5438
5439 @cindex handling signals
5440 Normally, @value{GDBN} is set up to let the non-erroneous signals like
5441 @code{SIGALRM} be silently passed to your program
5442 (so as not to interfere with their role in the program's functioning)
5443 but to stop your program immediately whenever an error signal happens.
5444 You can change these settings with the @code{handle} command.
5445
5446 @table @code
5447 @kindex info signals
5448 @kindex info handle
5449 @item info signals
5450 @itemx info handle
5451 Print a table of all the kinds of signals and how @value{GDBN} has been told to
5452 handle each one. You can use this to see the signal numbers of all
5453 the defined types of signals.
5454
5455 @item info signals @var{sig}
5456 Similar, but print information only about the specified signal number.
5457
5458 @code{info handle} is an alias for @code{info signals}.
5459
5460 @item catch signal @r{[}@var{signal}@dots{} @r{|} @samp{all}@r{]}
5461 Set a catchpoint for the indicated signals. @xref{Set Catchpoints},
5462 for details about this command.
5463
5464 @kindex handle
5465 @item handle @var{signal} @r{[}@var{keywords}@dots{}@r{]}
5466 Change the way @value{GDBN} handles signal @var{signal}. @var{signal}
5467 can be the number of a signal or its name (with or without the
5468 @samp{SIG} at the beginning); a list of signal numbers of the form
5469 @samp{@var{low}-@var{high}}; or the word @samp{all}, meaning all the
5470 known signals. Optional arguments @var{keywords}, described below,
5471 say what change to make.
5472 @end table
5473
5474 @c @group
5475 The keywords allowed by the @code{handle} command can be abbreviated.
5476 Their full names are:
5477
5478 @table @code
5479 @item nostop
5480 @value{GDBN} should not stop your program when this signal happens. It may
5481 still print a message telling you that the signal has come in.
5482
5483 @item stop
5484 @value{GDBN} should stop your program when this signal happens. This implies
5485 the @code{print} keyword as well.
5486
5487 @item print
5488 @value{GDBN} should print a message when this signal happens.
5489
5490 @item noprint
5491 @value{GDBN} should not mention the occurrence of the signal at all. This
5492 implies the @code{nostop} keyword as well.
5493
5494 @item pass
5495 @itemx noignore
5496 @value{GDBN} should allow your program to see this signal; your program
5497 can handle the signal, or else it may terminate if the signal is fatal
5498 and not handled. @code{pass} and @code{noignore} are synonyms.
5499
5500 @item nopass
5501 @itemx ignore
5502 @value{GDBN} should not allow your program to see this signal.
5503 @code{nopass} and @code{ignore} are synonyms.
5504 @end table
5505 @c @end group
5506
5507 When a signal stops your program, the signal is not visible to the
5508 program until you
5509 continue. Your program sees the signal then, if @code{pass} is in
5510 effect for the signal in question @emph{at that time}. In other words,
5511 after @value{GDBN} reports a signal, you can use the @code{handle}
5512 command with @code{pass} or @code{nopass} to control whether your
5513 program sees that signal when you continue.
5514
5515 The default is set to @code{nostop}, @code{noprint}, @code{pass} for
5516 non-erroneous signals such as @code{SIGALRM}, @code{SIGWINCH} and
5517 @code{SIGCHLD}, and to @code{stop}, @code{print}, @code{pass} for the
5518 erroneous signals.
5519
5520 You can also use the @code{signal} command to prevent your program from
5521 seeing a signal, or cause it to see a signal it normally would not see,
5522 or to give it any signal at any time. For example, if your program stopped
5523 due to some sort of memory reference error, you might store correct
5524 values into the erroneous variables and continue, hoping to see more
5525 execution; but your program would probably terminate immediately as
5526 a result of the fatal signal once it saw the signal. To prevent this,
5527 you can continue with @samp{signal 0}. @xref{Signaling, ,Giving your
5528 Program a Signal}.
5529
5530 @cindex extra signal information
5531 @anchor{extra signal information}
5532
5533 On some targets, @value{GDBN} can inspect extra signal information
5534 associated with the intercepted signal, before it is actually
5535 delivered to the program being debugged. This information is exported
5536 by the convenience variable @code{$_siginfo}, and consists of data
5537 that is passed by the kernel to the signal handler at the time of the
5538 receipt of a signal. The data type of the information itself is
5539 target dependent. You can see the data type using the @code{ptype
5540 $_siginfo} command. On Unix systems, it typically corresponds to the
5541 standard @code{siginfo_t} type, as defined in the @file{signal.h}
5542 system header.
5543
5544 Here's an example, on a @sc{gnu}/Linux system, printing the stray
5545 referenced address that raised a segmentation fault.
5546
5547 @smallexample
5548 @group
5549 (@value{GDBP}) continue
5550 Program received signal SIGSEGV, Segmentation fault.
5551 0x0000000000400766 in main ()
5552 69 *(int *)p = 0;
5553 (@value{GDBP}) ptype $_siginfo
5554 type = struct @{
5555 int si_signo;
5556 int si_errno;
5557 int si_code;
5558 union @{
5559 int _pad[28];
5560 struct @{...@} _kill;
5561 struct @{...@} _timer;
5562 struct @{...@} _rt;
5563 struct @{...@} _sigchld;
5564 struct @{...@} _sigfault;
5565 struct @{...@} _sigpoll;
5566 @} _sifields;
5567 @}
5568 (@value{GDBP}) ptype $_siginfo._sifields._sigfault
5569 type = struct @{
5570 void *si_addr;
5571 @}
5572 (@value{GDBP}) p $_siginfo._sifields._sigfault.si_addr
5573 $1 = (void *) 0x7ffff7ff7000
5574 @end group
5575 @end smallexample
5576
5577 Depending on target support, @code{$_siginfo} may also be writable.
5578
5579 @node Thread Stops
5580 @section Stopping and Starting Multi-thread Programs
5581
5582 @cindex stopped threads
5583 @cindex threads, stopped
5584
5585 @cindex continuing threads
5586 @cindex threads, continuing
5587
5588 @value{GDBN} supports debugging programs with multiple threads
5589 (@pxref{Threads,, Debugging Programs with Multiple Threads}). There
5590 are two modes of controlling execution of your program within the
5591 debugger. In the default mode, referred to as @dfn{all-stop mode},
5592 when any thread in your program stops (for example, at a breakpoint
5593 or while being stepped), all other threads in the program are also stopped by
5594 @value{GDBN}. On some targets, @value{GDBN} also supports
5595 @dfn{non-stop mode}, in which other threads can continue to run freely while
5596 you examine the stopped thread in the debugger.
5597
5598 @menu
5599 * All-Stop Mode:: All threads stop when GDB takes control
5600 * Non-Stop Mode:: Other threads continue to execute
5601 * Background Execution:: Running your program asynchronously
5602 * Thread-Specific Breakpoints:: Controlling breakpoints
5603 * Interrupted System Calls:: GDB may interfere with system calls
5604 * Observer Mode:: GDB does not alter program behavior
5605 @end menu
5606
5607 @node All-Stop Mode
5608 @subsection All-Stop Mode
5609
5610 @cindex all-stop mode
5611
5612 In all-stop mode, whenever your program stops under @value{GDBN} for any reason,
5613 @emph{all} threads of execution stop, not just the current thread. This
5614 allows you to examine the overall state of the program, including
5615 switching between threads, without worrying that things may change
5616 underfoot.
5617
5618 Conversely, whenever you restart the program, @emph{all} threads start
5619 executing. @emph{This is true even when single-stepping} with commands
5620 like @code{step} or @code{next}.
5621
5622 In particular, @value{GDBN} cannot single-step all threads in lockstep.
5623 Since thread scheduling is up to your debugging target's operating
5624 system (not controlled by @value{GDBN}), other threads may
5625 execute more than one statement while the current thread completes a
5626 single step. Moreover, in general other threads stop in the middle of a
5627 statement, rather than at a clean statement boundary, when the program
5628 stops.
5629
5630 You might even find your program stopped in another thread after
5631 continuing or even single-stepping. This happens whenever some other
5632 thread runs into a breakpoint, a signal, or an exception before the
5633 first thread completes whatever you requested.
5634
5635 @cindex automatic thread selection
5636 @cindex switching threads automatically
5637 @cindex threads, automatic switching
5638 Whenever @value{GDBN} stops your program, due to a breakpoint or a
5639 signal, it automatically selects the thread where that breakpoint or
5640 signal happened. @value{GDBN} alerts you to the context switch with a
5641 message such as @samp{[Switching to Thread @var{n}]} to identify the
5642 thread.
5643
5644 On some OSes, you can modify @value{GDBN}'s default behavior by
5645 locking the OS scheduler to allow only a single thread to run.
5646
5647 @table @code
5648 @item set scheduler-locking @var{mode}
5649 @cindex scheduler locking mode
5650 @cindex lock scheduler
5651 Set the scheduler locking mode. If it is @code{off}, then there is no
5652 locking and any thread may run at any time. If @code{on}, then only the
5653 current thread may run when the inferior is resumed. The @code{step}
5654 mode optimizes for single-stepping; it prevents other threads
5655 from preempting the current thread while you are stepping, so that
5656 the focus of debugging does not change unexpectedly.
5657 Other threads only rarely (or never) get a chance to run
5658 when you step. They are more likely to run when you @samp{next} over a
5659 function call, and they are completely free to run when you use commands
5660 like @samp{continue}, @samp{until}, or @samp{finish}. However, unless another
5661 thread hits a breakpoint during its timeslice, @value{GDBN} does not change
5662 the current thread away from the thread that you are debugging.
5663
5664 @item show scheduler-locking
5665 Display the current scheduler locking mode.
5666 @end table
5667
5668 @cindex resume threads of multiple processes simultaneously
5669 By default, when you issue one of the execution commands such as
5670 @code{continue}, @code{next} or @code{step}, @value{GDBN} allows only
5671 threads of the current inferior to run. For example, if @value{GDBN}
5672 is attached to two inferiors, each with two threads, the
5673 @code{continue} command resumes only the two threads of the current
5674 inferior. This is useful, for example, when you debug a program that
5675 forks and you want to hold the parent stopped (so that, for instance,
5676 it doesn't run to exit), while you debug the child. In other
5677 situations, you may not be interested in inspecting the current state
5678 of any of the processes @value{GDBN} is attached to, and you may want
5679 to resume them all until some breakpoint is hit. In the latter case,
5680 you can instruct @value{GDBN} to allow all threads of all the
5681 inferiors to run with the @w{@code{set schedule-multiple}} command.
5682
5683 @table @code
5684 @kindex set schedule-multiple
5685 @item set schedule-multiple
5686 Set the mode for allowing threads of multiple processes to be resumed
5687 when an execution command is issued. When @code{on}, all threads of
5688 all processes are allowed to run. When @code{off}, only the threads
5689 of the current process are resumed. The default is @code{off}. The
5690 @code{scheduler-locking} mode takes precedence when set to @code{on},
5691 or while you are stepping and set to @code{step}.
5692
5693 @item show schedule-multiple
5694 Display the current mode for resuming the execution of threads of
5695 multiple processes.
5696 @end table
5697
5698 @node Non-Stop Mode
5699 @subsection Non-Stop Mode
5700
5701 @cindex non-stop mode
5702
5703 @c This section is really only a place-holder, and needs to be expanded
5704 @c with more details.
5705
5706 For some multi-threaded targets, @value{GDBN} supports an optional
5707 mode of operation in which you can examine stopped program threads in
5708 the debugger while other threads continue to execute freely. This
5709 minimizes intrusion when debugging live systems, such as programs
5710 where some threads have real-time constraints or must continue to
5711 respond to external events. This is referred to as @dfn{non-stop} mode.
5712
5713 In non-stop mode, when a thread stops to report a debugging event,
5714 @emph{only} that thread is stopped; @value{GDBN} does not stop other
5715 threads as well, in contrast to the all-stop mode behavior. Additionally,
5716 execution commands such as @code{continue} and @code{step} apply by default
5717 only to the current thread in non-stop mode, rather than all threads as
5718 in all-stop mode. This allows you to control threads explicitly in
5719 ways that are not possible in all-stop mode --- for example, stepping
5720 one thread while allowing others to run freely, stepping
5721 one thread while holding all others stopped, or stepping several threads
5722 independently and simultaneously.
5723
5724 To enter non-stop mode, use this sequence of commands before you run
5725 or attach to your program:
5726
5727 @smallexample
5728 # Enable the async interface.
5729 set target-async 1
5730
5731 # If using the CLI, pagination breaks non-stop.
5732 set pagination off
5733
5734 # Finally, turn it on!
5735 set non-stop on
5736 @end smallexample
5737
5738 You can use these commands to manipulate the non-stop mode setting:
5739
5740 @table @code
5741 @kindex set non-stop
5742 @item set non-stop on
5743 Enable selection of non-stop mode.
5744 @item set non-stop off
5745 Disable selection of non-stop mode.
5746 @kindex show non-stop
5747 @item show non-stop
5748 Show the current non-stop enablement setting.
5749 @end table
5750
5751 Note these commands only reflect whether non-stop mode is enabled,
5752 not whether the currently-executing program is being run in non-stop mode.
5753 In particular, the @code{set non-stop} preference is only consulted when
5754 @value{GDBN} starts or connects to the target program, and it is generally
5755 not possible to switch modes once debugging has started. Furthermore,
5756 since not all targets support non-stop mode, even when you have enabled
5757 non-stop mode, @value{GDBN} may still fall back to all-stop operation by
5758 default.
5759
5760 In non-stop mode, all execution commands apply only to the current thread
5761 by default. That is, @code{continue} only continues one thread.
5762 To continue all threads, issue @code{continue -a} or @code{c -a}.
5763
5764 You can use @value{GDBN}'s background execution commands
5765 (@pxref{Background Execution}) to run some threads in the background
5766 while you continue to examine or step others from @value{GDBN}.
5767 The MI execution commands (@pxref{GDB/MI Program Execution}) are
5768 always executed asynchronously in non-stop mode.
5769
5770 Suspending execution is done with the @code{interrupt} command when
5771 running in the background, or @kbd{Ctrl-c} during foreground execution.
5772 In all-stop mode, this stops the whole process;
5773 but in non-stop mode the interrupt applies only to the current thread.
5774 To stop the whole program, use @code{interrupt -a}.
5775
5776 Other execution commands do not currently support the @code{-a} option.
5777
5778 In non-stop mode, when a thread stops, @value{GDBN} doesn't automatically make
5779 that thread current, as it does in all-stop mode. This is because the
5780 thread stop notifications are asynchronous with respect to @value{GDBN}'s
5781 command interpreter, and it would be confusing if @value{GDBN} unexpectedly
5782 changed to a different thread just as you entered a command to operate on the
5783 previously current thread.
5784
5785 @node Background Execution
5786 @subsection Background Execution
5787
5788 @cindex foreground execution
5789 @cindex background execution
5790 @cindex asynchronous execution
5791 @cindex execution, foreground, background and asynchronous
5792
5793 @value{GDBN}'s execution commands have two variants: the normal
5794 foreground (synchronous) behavior, and a background
5795 (asynchronous) behavior. In foreground execution, @value{GDBN} waits for
5796 the program to report that some thread has stopped before prompting for
5797 another command. In background execution, @value{GDBN} immediately gives
5798 a command prompt so that you can issue other commands while your program runs.
5799
5800 You need to explicitly enable asynchronous mode before you can use
5801 background execution commands. You can use these commands to
5802 manipulate the asynchronous mode setting:
5803
5804 @table @code
5805 @kindex set target-async
5806 @item set target-async on
5807 Enable asynchronous mode.
5808 @item set target-async off
5809 Disable asynchronous mode.
5810 @kindex show target-async
5811 @item show target-async
5812 Show the current target-async setting.
5813 @end table
5814
5815 If the target doesn't support async mode, @value{GDBN} issues an error
5816 message if you attempt to use the background execution commands.
5817
5818 To specify background execution, add a @code{&} to the command. For example,
5819 the background form of the @code{continue} command is @code{continue&}, or
5820 just @code{c&}. The execution commands that accept background execution
5821 are:
5822
5823 @table @code
5824 @kindex run&
5825 @item run
5826 @xref{Starting, , Starting your Program}.
5827
5828 @item attach
5829 @kindex attach&
5830 @xref{Attach, , Debugging an Already-running Process}.
5831
5832 @item step
5833 @kindex step&
5834 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, step}.
5835
5836 @item stepi
5837 @kindex stepi&
5838 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, stepi}.
5839
5840 @item next
5841 @kindex next&
5842 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, next}.
5843
5844 @item nexti
5845 @kindex nexti&
5846 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, nexti}.
5847
5848 @item continue
5849 @kindex continue&
5850 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, continue}.
5851
5852 @item finish
5853 @kindex finish&
5854 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, finish}.
5855
5856 @item until
5857 @kindex until&
5858 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, until}.
5859
5860 @end table
5861
5862 Background execution is especially useful in conjunction with non-stop
5863 mode for debugging programs with multiple threads; see @ref{Non-Stop Mode}.
5864 However, you can also use these commands in the normal all-stop mode with
5865 the restriction that you cannot issue another execution command until the
5866 previous one finishes. Examples of commands that are valid in all-stop
5867 mode while the program is running include @code{help} and @code{info break}.
5868
5869 You can interrupt your program while it is running in the background by
5870 using the @code{interrupt} command.
5871
5872 @table @code
5873 @kindex interrupt
5874 @item interrupt
5875 @itemx interrupt -a
5876
5877 Suspend execution of the running program. In all-stop mode,
5878 @code{interrupt} stops the whole process, but in non-stop mode, it stops
5879 only the current thread. To stop the whole program in non-stop mode,
5880 use @code{interrupt -a}.
5881 @end table
5882
5883 @node Thread-Specific Breakpoints
5884 @subsection Thread-Specific Breakpoints
5885
5886 When your program has multiple threads (@pxref{Threads,, Debugging
5887 Programs with Multiple Threads}), you can choose whether to set
5888 breakpoints on all threads, or on a particular thread.
5889
5890 @table @code
5891 @cindex breakpoints and threads
5892 @cindex thread breakpoints
5893 @kindex break @dots{} thread @var{threadno}
5894 @item break @var{linespec} thread @var{threadno}
5895 @itemx break @var{linespec} thread @var{threadno} if @dots{}
5896 @var{linespec} specifies source lines; there are several ways of
5897 writing them (@pxref{Specify Location}), but the effect is always to
5898 specify some source line.
5899
5900 Use the qualifier @samp{thread @var{threadno}} with a breakpoint command
5901 to specify that you only want @value{GDBN} to stop the program when a
5902 particular thread reaches this breakpoint. @var{threadno} is one of the
5903 numeric thread identifiers assigned by @value{GDBN}, shown in the first
5904 column of the @samp{info threads} display.
5905
5906 If you do not specify @samp{thread @var{threadno}} when you set a
5907 breakpoint, the breakpoint applies to @emph{all} threads of your
5908 program.
5909
5910 You can use the @code{thread} qualifier on conditional breakpoints as
5911 well; in this case, place @samp{thread @var{threadno}} before or
5912 after the breakpoint condition, like this:
5913
5914 @smallexample
5915 (@value{GDBP}) break frik.c:13 thread 28 if bartab > lim
5916 @end smallexample
5917
5918 @end table
5919
5920 Thread-specific breakpoints are automatically deleted when
5921 @value{GDBN} detects the corresponding thread is no longer in the
5922 thread list. For example:
5923
5924 @smallexample
5925 (@value{GDBP}) c
5926 Thread-specific breakpoint 3 deleted - thread 28 no longer in the thread list.
5927 @end smallexample
5928
5929 There are several ways for a thread to disappear, such as a regular
5930 thread exit, but also when you detach from the process with the
5931 @code{detach} command (@pxref{Attach, ,Debugging an Already-running
5932 Process}), or if @value{GDBN} loses the remote connection
5933 (@pxref{Remote Debugging}), etc. Note that with some targets,
5934 @value{GDBN} is only able to detect a thread has exited when the user
5935 explictly asks for the thread list with the @code{info threads}
5936 command.
5937
5938 @node Interrupted System Calls
5939 @subsection Interrupted System Calls
5940
5941 @cindex thread breakpoints and system calls
5942 @cindex system calls and thread breakpoints
5943 @cindex premature return from system calls
5944 There is an unfortunate side effect when using @value{GDBN} to debug
5945 multi-threaded programs. If one thread stops for a
5946 breakpoint, or for some other reason, and another thread is blocked in a
5947 system call, then the system call may return prematurely. This is a
5948 consequence of the interaction between multiple threads and the signals
5949 that @value{GDBN} uses to implement breakpoints and other events that
5950 stop execution.
5951
5952 To handle this problem, your program should check the return value of
5953 each system call and react appropriately. This is good programming
5954 style anyways.
5955
5956 For example, do not write code like this:
5957
5958 @smallexample
5959 sleep (10);
5960 @end smallexample
5961
5962 The call to @code{sleep} will return early if a different thread stops
5963 at a breakpoint or for some other reason.
5964
5965 Instead, write this:
5966
5967 @smallexample
5968 int unslept = 10;
5969 while (unslept > 0)
5970 unslept = sleep (unslept);
5971 @end smallexample
5972
5973 A system call is allowed to return early, so the system is still
5974 conforming to its specification. But @value{GDBN} does cause your
5975 multi-threaded program to behave differently than it would without
5976 @value{GDBN}.
5977
5978 Also, @value{GDBN} uses internal breakpoints in the thread library to
5979 monitor certain events such as thread creation and thread destruction.
5980 When such an event happens, a system call in another thread may return
5981 prematurely, even though your program does not appear to stop.
5982
5983 @node Observer Mode
5984 @subsection Observer Mode
5985
5986 If you want to build on non-stop mode and observe program behavior
5987 without any chance of disruption by @value{GDBN}, you can set
5988 variables to disable all of the debugger's attempts to modify state,
5989 whether by writing memory, inserting breakpoints, etc. These operate
5990 at a low level, intercepting operations from all commands.
5991
5992 When all of these are set to @code{off}, then @value{GDBN} is said to
5993 be @dfn{observer mode}. As a convenience, the variable
5994 @code{observer} can be set to disable these, plus enable non-stop
5995 mode.
5996
5997 Note that @value{GDBN} will not prevent you from making nonsensical
5998 combinations of these settings. For instance, if you have enabled
5999 @code{may-insert-breakpoints} but disabled @code{may-write-memory},
6000 then breakpoints that work by writing trap instructions into the code
6001 stream will still not be able to be placed.
6002
6003 @table @code
6004
6005 @kindex observer
6006 @item set observer on
6007 @itemx set observer off
6008 When set to @code{on}, this disables all the permission variables
6009 below (except for @code{insert-fast-tracepoints}), plus enables
6010 non-stop debugging. Setting this to @code{off} switches back to
6011 normal debugging, though remaining in non-stop mode.
6012
6013 @item show observer
6014 Show whether observer mode is on or off.
6015
6016 @kindex may-write-registers
6017 @item set may-write-registers on
6018 @itemx set may-write-registers off
6019 This controls whether @value{GDBN} will attempt to alter the values of
6020 registers, such as with assignment expressions in @code{print}, or the
6021 @code{jump} command. It defaults to @code{on}.
6022
6023 @item show may-write-registers
6024 Show the current permission to write registers.
6025
6026 @kindex may-write-memory
6027 @item set may-write-memory on
6028 @itemx set may-write-memory off
6029 This controls whether @value{GDBN} will attempt to alter the contents
6030 of memory, such as with assignment expressions in @code{print}. It
6031 defaults to @code{on}.
6032
6033 @item show may-write-memory
6034 Show the current permission to write memory.
6035
6036 @kindex may-insert-breakpoints
6037 @item set may-insert-breakpoints on
6038 @itemx set may-insert-breakpoints off
6039 This controls whether @value{GDBN} will attempt to insert breakpoints.
6040 This affects all breakpoints, including internal breakpoints defined
6041 by @value{GDBN}. It defaults to @code{on}.
6042
6043 @item show may-insert-breakpoints
6044 Show the current permission to insert breakpoints.
6045
6046 @kindex may-insert-tracepoints
6047 @item set may-insert-tracepoints on
6048 @itemx set may-insert-tracepoints off
6049 This controls whether @value{GDBN} will attempt to insert (regular)
6050 tracepoints at the beginning of a tracing experiment. It affects only
6051 non-fast tracepoints, fast tracepoints being under the control of
6052 @code{may-insert-fast-tracepoints}. It defaults to @code{on}.
6053
6054 @item show may-insert-tracepoints
6055 Show the current permission to insert tracepoints.
6056
6057 @kindex may-insert-fast-tracepoints
6058 @item set may-insert-fast-tracepoints on
6059 @itemx set may-insert-fast-tracepoints off
6060 This controls whether @value{GDBN} will attempt to insert fast
6061 tracepoints at the beginning of a tracing experiment. It affects only
6062 fast tracepoints, regular (non-fast) tracepoints being under the
6063 control of @code{may-insert-tracepoints}. It defaults to @code{on}.
6064
6065 @item show may-insert-fast-tracepoints
6066 Show the current permission to insert fast tracepoints.
6067
6068 @kindex may-interrupt
6069 @item set may-interrupt on
6070 @itemx set may-interrupt off
6071 This controls whether @value{GDBN} will attempt to interrupt or stop
6072 program execution. When this variable is @code{off}, the
6073 @code{interrupt} command will have no effect, nor will
6074 @kbd{Ctrl-c}. It defaults to @code{on}.
6075
6076 @item show may-interrupt
6077 Show the current permission to interrupt or stop the program.
6078
6079 @end table
6080
6081 @node Reverse Execution
6082 @chapter Running programs backward
6083 @cindex reverse execution
6084 @cindex running programs backward
6085
6086 When you are debugging a program, it is not unusual to realize that
6087 you have gone too far, and some event of interest has already happened.
6088 If the target environment supports it, @value{GDBN} can allow you to
6089 ``rewind'' the program by running it backward.
6090
6091 A target environment that supports reverse execution should be able
6092 to ``undo'' the changes in machine state that have taken place as the
6093 program was executing normally. Variables, registers etc.@: should
6094 revert to their previous values. Obviously this requires a great
6095 deal of sophistication on the part of the target environment; not
6096 all target environments can support reverse execution.
6097
6098 When a program is executed in reverse, the instructions that
6099 have most recently been executed are ``un-executed'', in reverse
6100 order. The program counter runs backward, following the previous
6101 thread of execution in reverse. As each instruction is ``un-executed'',
6102 the values of memory and/or registers that were changed by that
6103 instruction are reverted to their previous states. After executing
6104 a piece of source code in reverse, all side effects of that code
6105 should be ``undone'', and all variables should be returned to their
6106 prior values@footnote{
6107 Note that some side effects are easier to undo than others. For instance,
6108 memory and registers are relatively easy, but device I/O is hard. Some
6109 targets may be able undo things like device I/O, and some may not.
6110
6111 The contract between @value{GDBN} and the reverse executing target
6112 requires only that the target do something reasonable when
6113 @value{GDBN} tells it to execute backwards, and then report the
6114 results back to @value{GDBN}. Whatever the target reports back to
6115 @value{GDBN}, @value{GDBN} will report back to the user. @value{GDBN}
6116 assumes that the memory and registers that the target reports are in a
6117 consistant state, but @value{GDBN} accepts whatever it is given.
6118 }.
6119
6120 If you are debugging in a target environment that supports
6121 reverse execution, @value{GDBN} provides the following commands.
6122
6123 @table @code
6124 @kindex reverse-continue
6125 @kindex rc @r{(@code{reverse-continue})}
6126 @item reverse-continue @r{[}@var{ignore-count}@r{]}
6127 @itemx rc @r{[}@var{ignore-count}@r{]}
6128 Beginning at the point where your program last stopped, start executing
6129 in reverse. Reverse execution will stop for breakpoints and synchronous
6130 exceptions (signals), just like normal execution. Behavior of
6131 asynchronous signals depends on the target environment.
6132
6133 @kindex reverse-step
6134 @kindex rs @r{(@code{step})}
6135 @item reverse-step @r{[}@var{count}@r{]}
6136 Run the program backward until control reaches the start of a
6137 different source line; then stop it, and return control to @value{GDBN}.
6138
6139 Like the @code{step} command, @code{reverse-step} will only stop
6140 at the beginning of a source line. It ``un-executes'' the previously
6141 executed source line. If the previous source line included calls to
6142 debuggable functions, @code{reverse-step} will step (backward) into
6143 the called function, stopping at the beginning of the @emph{last}
6144 statement in the called function (typically a return statement).
6145
6146 Also, as with the @code{step} command, if non-debuggable functions are
6147 called, @code{reverse-step} will run thru them backward without stopping.
6148
6149 @kindex reverse-stepi
6150 @kindex rsi @r{(@code{reverse-stepi})}
6151 @item reverse-stepi @r{[}@var{count}@r{]}
6152 Reverse-execute one machine instruction. Note that the instruction
6153 to be reverse-executed is @emph{not} the one pointed to by the program
6154 counter, but the instruction executed prior to that one. For instance,
6155 if the last instruction was a jump, @code{reverse-stepi} will take you
6156 back from the destination of the jump to the jump instruction itself.
6157
6158 @kindex reverse-next
6159 @kindex rn @r{(@code{reverse-next})}
6160 @item reverse-next @r{[}@var{count}@r{]}
6161 Run backward to the beginning of the previous line executed in
6162 the current (innermost) stack frame. If the line contains function
6163 calls, they will be ``un-executed'' without stopping. Starting from
6164 the first line of a function, @code{reverse-next} will take you back
6165 to the caller of that function, @emph{before} the function was called,
6166 just as the normal @code{next} command would take you from the last
6167 line of a function back to its return to its caller
6168 @footnote{Unless the code is too heavily optimized.}.
6169
6170 @kindex reverse-nexti
6171 @kindex rni @r{(@code{reverse-nexti})}
6172 @item reverse-nexti @r{[}@var{count}@r{]}
6173 Like @code{nexti}, @code{reverse-nexti} executes a single instruction
6174 in reverse, except that called functions are ``un-executed'' atomically.
6175 That is, if the previously executed instruction was a return from
6176 another function, @code{reverse-nexti} will continue to execute
6177 in reverse until the call to that function (from the current stack
6178 frame) is reached.
6179
6180 @kindex reverse-finish
6181 @item reverse-finish
6182 Just as the @code{finish} command takes you to the point where the
6183 current function returns, @code{reverse-finish} takes you to the point
6184 where it was called. Instead of ending up at the end of the current
6185 function invocation, you end up at the beginning.
6186
6187 @kindex set exec-direction
6188 @item set exec-direction
6189 Set the direction of target execution.
6190 @item set exec-direction reverse
6191 @cindex execute forward or backward in time
6192 @value{GDBN} will perform all execution commands in reverse, until the
6193 exec-direction mode is changed to ``forward''. Affected commands include
6194 @code{step, stepi, next, nexti, continue, and finish}. The @code{return}
6195 command cannot be used in reverse mode.
6196 @item set exec-direction forward
6197 @value{GDBN} will perform all execution commands in the normal fashion.
6198 This is the default.
6199 @end table
6200
6201
6202 @node Process Record and Replay
6203 @chapter Recording Inferior's Execution and Replaying It
6204 @cindex process record and replay
6205 @cindex recording inferior's execution and replaying it
6206
6207 On some platforms, @value{GDBN} provides a special @dfn{process record
6208 and replay} target that can record a log of the process execution, and
6209 replay it later with both forward and reverse execution commands.
6210
6211 @cindex replay mode
6212 When this target is in use, if the execution log includes the record
6213 for the next instruction, @value{GDBN} will debug in @dfn{replay
6214 mode}. In the replay mode, the inferior does not really execute code
6215 instructions. Instead, all the events that normally happen during
6216 code execution are taken from the execution log. While code is not
6217 really executed in replay mode, the values of registers (including the
6218 program counter register) and the memory of the inferior are still
6219 changed as they normally would. Their contents are taken from the
6220 execution log.
6221
6222 @cindex record mode
6223 If the record for the next instruction is not in the execution log,
6224 @value{GDBN} will debug in @dfn{record mode}. In this mode, the
6225 inferior executes normally, and @value{GDBN} records the execution log
6226 for future replay.
6227
6228 The process record and replay target supports reverse execution
6229 (@pxref{Reverse Execution}), even if the platform on which the
6230 inferior runs does not. However, the reverse execution is limited in
6231 this case by the range of the instructions recorded in the execution
6232 log. In other words, reverse execution on platforms that don't
6233 support it directly can only be done in the replay mode.
6234
6235 When debugging in the reverse direction, @value{GDBN} will work in
6236 replay mode as long as the execution log includes the record for the
6237 previous instruction; otherwise, it will work in record mode, if the
6238 platform supports reverse execution, or stop if not.
6239
6240 For architecture environments that support process record and replay,
6241 @value{GDBN} provides the following commands:
6242
6243 @table @code
6244 @kindex target record
6245 @kindex target record-full
6246 @kindex target record-btrace
6247 @kindex record
6248 @kindex record full
6249 @kindex record btrace
6250 @kindex rec
6251 @kindex rec full
6252 @kindex rec btrace
6253 @item record @var{method}
6254 This command starts the process record and replay target. The
6255 recording method can be specified as parameter. Without a parameter
6256 the command uses the @code{full} recording method. The following
6257 recording methods are available:
6258
6259 @table @code
6260 @item full
6261 Full record/replay recording using @value{GDBN}'s software record and
6262 replay implementation. This method allows replaying and reverse
6263 execution.
6264
6265 @item btrace
6266 Hardware-supported instruction recording. This method does not record
6267 data. Further, the data is collected in a ring buffer so old data will
6268 be overwritten when the buffer is full. It allows limited replay and
6269 reverse execution.
6270
6271 This recording method may not be available on all processors.
6272 @end table
6273
6274 The process record and replay target can only debug a process that is
6275 already running. Therefore, you need first to start the process with
6276 the @kbd{run} or @kbd{start} commands, and then start the recording
6277 with the @kbd{record @var{method}} command.
6278
6279 Both @code{record @var{method}} and @code{rec @var{method}} are
6280 aliases of @code{target record-@var{method}}.
6281
6282 @cindex displaced stepping, and process record and replay
6283 Displaced stepping (@pxref{Maintenance Commands,, displaced stepping})
6284 will be automatically disabled when process record and replay target
6285 is started. That's because the process record and replay target
6286 doesn't support displaced stepping.
6287
6288 @cindex non-stop mode, and process record and replay
6289 @cindex asynchronous execution, and process record and replay
6290 If the inferior is in the non-stop mode (@pxref{Non-Stop Mode}) or in
6291 the asynchronous execution mode (@pxref{Background Execution}), not
6292 all recording methods are available. The @code{full} recording method
6293 does not support these two modes.
6294
6295 @kindex record stop
6296 @kindex rec s
6297 @item record stop
6298 Stop the process record and replay target. When process record and
6299 replay target stops, the entire execution log will be deleted and the
6300 inferior will either be terminated, or will remain in its final state.
6301
6302 When you stop the process record and replay target in record mode (at
6303 the end of the execution log), the inferior will be stopped at the
6304 next instruction that would have been recorded. In other words, if
6305 you record for a while and then stop recording, the inferior process
6306 will be left in the same state as if the recording never happened.
6307
6308 On the other hand, if the process record and replay target is stopped
6309 while in replay mode (that is, not at the end of the execution log,
6310 but at some earlier point), the inferior process will become ``live''
6311 at that earlier state, and it will then be possible to continue the
6312 usual ``live'' debugging of the process from that state.
6313
6314 When the inferior process exits, or @value{GDBN} detaches from it,
6315 process record and replay target will automatically stop itself.
6316
6317 @kindex record goto
6318 @item record goto
6319 Go to a specific location in the execution log. There are several
6320 ways to specify the location to go to:
6321
6322 @table @code
6323 @item record goto begin
6324 @itemx record goto start
6325 Go to the beginning of the execution log.
6326
6327 @item record goto end
6328 Go to the end of the execution log.
6329
6330 @item record goto @var{n}
6331 Go to instruction number @var{n} in the execution log.
6332 @end table
6333
6334 @kindex record save
6335 @item record save @var{filename}
6336 Save the execution log to a file @file{@var{filename}}.
6337 Default filename is @file{gdb_record.@var{process_id}}, where
6338 @var{process_id} is the process ID of the inferior.
6339
6340 This command may not be available for all recording methods.
6341
6342 @kindex record restore
6343 @item record restore @var{filename}
6344 Restore the execution log from a file @file{@var{filename}}.
6345 File must have been created with @code{record save}.
6346
6347 @kindex set record full
6348 @item set record full insn-number-max @var{limit}
6349 @itemx set record full insn-number-max unlimited
6350 Set the limit of instructions to be recorded for the @code{full}
6351 recording method. Default value is 200000.
6352
6353 If @var{limit} is a positive number, then @value{GDBN} will start
6354 deleting instructions from the log once the number of the record
6355 instructions becomes greater than @var{limit}. For every new recorded
6356 instruction, @value{GDBN} will delete the earliest recorded
6357 instruction to keep the number of recorded instructions at the limit.
6358 (Since deleting recorded instructions loses information, @value{GDBN}
6359 lets you control what happens when the limit is reached, by means of
6360 the @code{stop-at-limit} option, described below.)
6361
6362 If @var{limit} is @code{unlimited} or zero, @value{GDBN} will never
6363 delete recorded instructions from the execution log. The number of
6364 recorded instructions is limited only by the available memory.
6365
6366 @kindex show record full
6367 @item show record full insn-number-max
6368 Show the limit of instructions to be recorded with the @code{full}
6369 recording method.
6370
6371 @item set record full stop-at-limit
6372 Control the behavior of the @code{full} recording method when the
6373 number of recorded instructions reaches the limit. If ON (the
6374 default), @value{GDBN} will stop when the limit is reached for the
6375 first time and ask you whether you want to stop the inferior or
6376 continue running it and recording the execution log. If you decide
6377 to continue recording, each new recorded instruction will cause the
6378 oldest one to be deleted.
6379
6380 If this option is OFF, @value{GDBN} will automatically delete the
6381 oldest record to make room for each new one, without asking.
6382
6383 @item show record full stop-at-limit
6384 Show the current setting of @code{stop-at-limit}.
6385
6386 @item set record full memory-query
6387 Control the behavior when @value{GDBN} is unable to record memory
6388 changes caused by an instruction for the @code{full} recording method.
6389 If ON, @value{GDBN} will query whether to stop the inferior in that
6390 case.
6391
6392 If this option is OFF (the default), @value{GDBN} will automatically
6393 ignore the effect of such instructions on memory. Later, when
6394 @value{GDBN} replays this execution log, it will mark the log of this
6395 instruction as not accessible, and it will not affect the replay
6396 results.
6397
6398 @item show record full memory-query
6399 Show the current setting of @code{memory-query}.
6400
6401 @kindex info record
6402 @item info record
6403 Show various statistics about the recording depending on the recording
6404 method:
6405
6406 @table @code
6407 @item full
6408 For the @code{full} recording method, it shows the state of process
6409 record and its in-memory execution log buffer, including:
6410
6411 @itemize @bullet
6412 @item
6413 Whether in record mode or replay mode.
6414 @item
6415 Lowest recorded instruction number (counting from when the current execution log started recording instructions).
6416 @item
6417 Highest recorded instruction number.
6418 @item
6419 Current instruction about to be replayed (if in replay mode).
6420 @item
6421 Number of instructions contained in the execution log.
6422 @item
6423 Maximum number of instructions that may be contained in the execution log.
6424 @end itemize
6425
6426 @item btrace
6427 For the @code{btrace} recording method, it shows the number of
6428 instructions that have been recorded and the number of blocks of
6429 sequential control-flow that is formed by the recorded instructions.
6430 @end table
6431
6432 @kindex record delete
6433 @kindex rec del
6434 @item record delete
6435 When record target runs in replay mode (``in the past''), delete the
6436 subsequent execution log and begin to record a new execution log starting
6437 from the current address. This means you will abandon the previously
6438 recorded ``future'' and begin recording a new ``future''.
6439
6440 @kindex record instruction-history
6441 @kindex rec instruction-history
6442 @item record instruction-history
6443 Disassembles instructions from the recorded execution log. By
6444 default, ten instructions are disassembled. This can be changed using
6445 the @code{set record instruction-history-size} command. Instructions
6446 are printed in execution order. There are several ways to specify
6447 what part of the execution log to disassemble:
6448
6449 @table @code
6450 @item record instruction-history @var{insn}
6451 Disassembles ten instructions starting from instruction number
6452 @var{insn}.
6453
6454 @item record instruction-history @var{insn}, +/-@var{n}
6455 Disassembles @var{n} instructions around instruction number
6456 @var{insn}. If @var{n} is preceded with @code{+}, disassembles
6457 @var{n} instructions after instruction number @var{insn}. If
6458 @var{n} is preceded with @code{-}, disassembles @var{n}
6459 instructions before instruction number @var{insn}.
6460
6461 @item record instruction-history
6462 Disassembles ten more instructions after the last disassembly.
6463
6464 @item record instruction-history -
6465 Disassembles ten more instructions before the last disassembly.
6466
6467 @item record instruction-history @var{begin} @var{end}
6468 Disassembles instructions beginning with instruction number
6469 @var{begin} until instruction number @var{end}. The instruction
6470 number @var{end} is included.
6471 @end table
6472
6473 This command may not be available for all recording methods.
6474
6475 @kindex set record
6476 @item set record instruction-history-size @var{size}
6477 @itemx set record instruction-history-size unlimited
6478 Define how many instructions to disassemble in the @code{record
6479 instruction-history} command. The default value is 10.
6480 A @var{size} of @code{unlimited} means unlimited instructions.
6481
6482 @kindex show record
6483 @item show record instruction-history-size
6484 Show how many instructions to disassemble in the @code{record
6485 instruction-history} command.
6486
6487 @kindex record function-call-history
6488 @kindex rec function-call-history
6489 @item record function-call-history
6490 Prints the execution history at function granularity. It prints one
6491 line for each sequence of instructions that belong to the same
6492 function giving the name of that function, the source lines
6493 for this instruction sequence (if the @code{/l} modifier is
6494 specified), and the instructions numbers that form the sequence (if
6495 the @code{/i} modifier is specified). The function names are indented
6496 to reflect the call stack depth if the @code{/c} modifier is
6497 specified. The @code{/l}, @code{/i}, and @code{/c} modifiers can be
6498 given together.
6499
6500 @smallexample
6501 (@value{GDBP}) @b{list 1, 10}
6502 1 void foo (void)
6503 2 @{
6504 3 @}
6505 4
6506 5 void bar (void)
6507 6 @{
6508 7 ...
6509 8 foo ();
6510 9 ...
6511 10 @}
6512 (@value{GDBP}) @b{record function-call-history /ilc}
6513 1 bar inst 1,4 at foo.c:6,8
6514 2 foo inst 5,10 at foo.c:2,3
6515 3 bar inst 11,13 at foo.c:9,10
6516 @end smallexample
6517
6518 By default, ten lines are printed. This can be changed using the
6519 @code{set record function-call-history-size} command. Functions are
6520 printed in execution order. There are several ways to specify what
6521 to print:
6522
6523 @table @code
6524 @item record function-call-history @var{func}
6525 Prints ten functions starting from function number @var{func}.
6526
6527 @item record function-call-history @var{func}, +/-@var{n}
6528 Prints @var{n} functions around function number @var{func}. If
6529 @var{n} is preceded with @code{+}, prints @var{n} functions after
6530 function number @var{func}. If @var{n} is preceded with @code{-},
6531 prints @var{n} functions before function number @var{func}.
6532
6533 @item record function-call-history
6534 Prints ten more functions after the last ten-line print.
6535
6536 @item record function-call-history -
6537 Prints ten more functions before the last ten-line print.
6538
6539 @item record function-call-history @var{begin} @var{end}
6540 Prints functions beginning with function number @var{begin} until
6541 function number @var{end}. The function number @var{end} is included.
6542 @end table
6543
6544 This command may not be available for all recording methods.
6545
6546 @item set record function-call-history-size @var{size}
6547 @itemx set record function-call-history-size unlimited
6548 Define how many lines to print in the
6549 @code{record function-call-history} command. The default value is 10.
6550 A size of @code{unlimited} means unlimited lines.
6551
6552 @item show record function-call-history-size
6553 Show how many lines to print in the
6554 @code{record function-call-history} command.
6555 @end table
6556
6557
6558 @node Stack
6559 @chapter Examining the Stack
6560
6561 When your program has stopped, the first thing you need to know is where it
6562 stopped and how it got there.
6563
6564 @cindex call stack
6565 Each time your program performs a function call, information about the call
6566 is generated.
6567 That information includes the location of the call in your program,
6568 the arguments of the call,
6569 and the local variables of the function being called.
6570 The information is saved in a block of data called a @dfn{stack frame}.
6571 The stack frames are allocated in a region of memory called the @dfn{call
6572 stack}.
6573
6574 When your program stops, the @value{GDBN} commands for examining the
6575 stack allow you to see all of this information.
6576
6577 @cindex selected frame
6578 One of the stack frames is @dfn{selected} by @value{GDBN} and many
6579 @value{GDBN} commands refer implicitly to the selected frame. In
6580 particular, whenever you ask @value{GDBN} for the value of a variable in
6581 your program, the value is found in the selected frame. There are
6582 special @value{GDBN} commands to select whichever frame you are
6583 interested in. @xref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}.
6584
6585 When your program stops, @value{GDBN} automatically selects the
6586 currently executing frame and describes it briefly, similar to the
6587 @code{frame} command (@pxref{Frame Info, ,Information about a Frame}).
6588
6589 @menu
6590 * Frames:: Stack frames
6591 * Backtrace:: Backtraces
6592 * Frame Filter Management:: Managing frame filters
6593 * Selection:: Selecting a frame
6594 * Frame Info:: Information on a frame
6595
6596 @end menu
6597
6598 @node Frames
6599 @section Stack Frames
6600
6601 @cindex frame, definition
6602 @cindex stack frame
6603 The call stack is divided up into contiguous pieces called @dfn{stack
6604 frames}, or @dfn{frames} for short; each frame is the data associated
6605 with one call to one function. The frame contains the arguments given
6606 to the function, the function's local variables, and the address at
6607 which the function is executing.
6608
6609 @cindex initial frame
6610 @cindex outermost frame
6611 @cindex innermost frame
6612 When your program is started, the stack has only one frame, that of the
6613 function @code{main}. This is called the @dfn{initial} frame or the
6614 @dfn{outermost} frame. Each time a function is called, a new frame is
6615 made. Each time a function returns, the frame for that function invocation
6616 is eliminated. If a function is recursive, there can be many frames for
6617 the same function. The frame for the function in which execution is
6618 actually occurring is called the @dfn{innermost} frame. This is the most
6619 recently created of all the stack frames that still exist.
6620
6621 @cindex frame pointer
6622 Inside your program, stack frames are identified by their addresses. A
6623 stack frame consists of many bytes, each of which has its own address; each
6624 kind of computer has a convention for choosing one byte whose
6625 address serves as the address of the frame. Usually this address is kept
6626 in a register called the @dfn{frame pointer register}
6627 (@pxref{Registers, $fp}) while execution is going on in that frame.
6628
6629 @cindex frame number
6630 @value{GDBN} assigns numbers to all existing stack frames, starting with
6631 zero for the innermost frame, one for the frame that called it,
6632 and so on upward. These numbers do not really exist in your program;
6633 they are assigned by @value{GDBN} to give you a way of designating stack
6634 frames in @value{GDBN} commands.
6635
6636 @c The -fomit-frame-pointer below perennially causes hbox overflow
6637 @c underflow problems.
6638 @cindex frameless execution
6639 Some compilers provide a way to compile functions so that they operate
6640 without stack frames. (For example, the @value{NGCC} option
6641 @smallexample
6642 @samp{-fomit-frame-pointer}
6643 @end smallexample
6644 generates functions without a frame.)
6645 This is occasionally done with heavily used library functions to save
6646 the frame setup time. @value{GDBN} has limited facilities for dealing
6647 with these function invocations. If the innermost function invocation
6648 has no stack frame, @value{GDBN} nevertheless regards it as though
6649 it had a separate frame, which is numbered zero as usual, allowing
6650 correct tracing of the function call chain. However, @value{GDBN} has
6651 no provision for frameless functions elsewhere in the stack.
6652
6653 @table @code
6654 @kindex frame@r{, command}
6655 @cindex current stack frame
6656 @item frame @var{args}
6657 The @code{frame} command allows you to move from one stack frame to another,
6658 and to print the stack frame you select. @var{args} may be either the
6659 address of the frame or the stack frame number. Without an argument,
6660 @code{frame} prints the current stack frame.
6661
6662 @kindex select-frame
6663 @cindex selecting frame silently
6664 @item select-frame
6665 The @code{select-frame} command allows you to move from one stack frame
6666 to another without printing the frame. This is the silent version of
6667 @code{frame}.
6668 @end table
6669
6670 @node Backtrace
6671 @section Backtraces
6672
6673 @cindex traceback
6674 @cindex call stack traces
6675 A backtrace is a summary of how your program got where it is. It shows one
6676 line per frame, for many frames, starting with the currently executing
6677 frame (frame zero), followed by its caller (frame one), and on up the
6678 stack.
6679
6680 @anchor{backtrace-command}
6681 @table @code
6682 @kindex backtrace
6683 @kindex bt @r{(@code{backtrace})}
6684 @item backtrace
6685 @itemx bt
6686 Print a backtrace of the entire stack: one line per frame for all
6687 frames in the stack.
6688
6689 You can stop the backtrace at any time by typing the system interrupt
6690 character, normally @kbd{Ctrl-c}.
6691
6692 @item backtrace @var{n}
6693 @itemx bt @var{n}
6694 Similar, but print only the innermost @var{n} frames.
6695
6696 @item backtrace -@var{n}
6697 @itemx bt -@var{n}
6698 Similar, but print only the outermost @var{n} frames.
6699
6700 @item backtrace full
6701 @itemx bt full
6702 @itemx bt full @var{n}
6703 @itemx bt full -@var{n}
6704 Print the values of the local variables also. @var{n} specifies the
6705 number of frames to print, as described above.
6706
6707 @item backtrace no-filters
6708 @itemx bt no-filters
6709 @itemx bt no-filters @var{n}
6710 @itemx bt no-filters -@var{n}
6711 @itemx bt no-filters full
6712 @itemx bt no-filters full @var{n}
6713 @itemx bt no-filters full -@var{n}
6714 Do not run Python frame filters on this backtrace. @xref{Frame
6715 Filter API}, for more information. Additionally use @ref{disable
6716 frame-filter all} to turn off all frame filters. This is only
6717 relevant when @value{GDBN} has been configured with @code{Python}
6718 support.
6719 @end table
6720
6721 @kindex where
6722 @kindex info stack
6723 The names @code{where} and @code{info stack} (abbreviated @code{info s})
6724 are additional aliases for @code{backtrace}.
6725
6726 @cindex multiple threads, backtrace
6727 In a multi-threaded program, @value{GDBN} by default shows the
6728 backtrace only for the current thread. To display the backtrace for
6729 several or all of the threads, use the command @code{thread apply}
6730 (@pxref{Threads, thread apply}). For example, if you type @kbd{thread
6731 apply all backtrace}, @value{GDBN} will display the backtrace for all
6732 the threads; this is handy when you debug a core dump of a
6733 multi-threaded program.
6734
6735 Each line in the backtrace shows the frame number and the function name.
6736 The program counter value is also shown---unless you use @code{set
6737 print address off}. The backtrace also shows the source file name and
6738 line number, as well as the arguments to the function. The program
6739 counter value is omitted if it is at the beginning of the code for that
6740 line number.
6741
6742 Here is an example of a backtrace. It was made with the command
6743 @samp{bt 3}, so it shows the innermost three frames.
6744
6745 @smallexample
6746 @group
6747 #0 m4_traceon (obs=0x24eb0, argc=1, argv=0x2b8c8)
6748 at builtin.c:993
6749 #1 0x6e38 in expand_macro (sym=0x2b600, data=...) at macro.c:242
6750 #2 0x6840 in expand_token (obs=0x0, t=177664, td=0xf7fffb08)
6751 at macro.c:71
6752 (More stack frames follow...)
6753 @end group
6754 @end smallexample
6755
6756 @noindent
6757 The display for frame zero does not begin with a program counter
6758 value, indicating that your program has stopped at the beginning of the
6759 code for line @code{993} of @code{builtin.c}.
6760
6761 @noindent
6762 The value of parameter @code{data} in frame 1 has been replaced by
6763 @code{@dots{}}. By default, @value{GDBN} prints the value of a parameter
6764 only if it is a scalar (integer, pointer, enumeration, etc). See command
6765 @kbd{set print frame-arguments} in @ref{Print Settings} for more details
6766 on how to configure the way function parameter values are printed.
6767
6768 @cindex optimized out, in backtrace
6769 @cindex function call arguments, optimized out
6770 If your program was compiled with optimizations, some compilers will
6771 optimize away arguments passed to functions if those arguments are
6772 never used after the call. Such optimizations generate code that
6773 passes arguments through registers, but doesn't store those arguments
6774 in the stack frame. @value{GDBN} has no way of displaying such
6775 arguments in stack frames other than the innermost one. Here's what
6776 such a backtrace might look like:
6777
6778 @smallexample
6779 @group
6780 #0 m4_traceon (obs=0x24eb0, argc=1, argv=0x2b8c8)
6781 at builtin.c:993
6782 #1 0x6e38 in expand_macro (sym=<optimized out>) at macro.c:242
6783 #2 0x6840 in expand_token (obs=0x0, t=<optimized out>, td=0xf7fffb08)
6784 at macro.c:71
6785 (More stack frames follow...)
6786 @end group
6787 @end smallexample
6788
6789 @noindent
6790 The values of arguments that were not saved in their stack frames are
6791 shown as @samp{<optimized out>}.
6792
6793 If you need to display the values of such optimized-out arguments,
6794 either deduce that from other variables whose values depend on the one
6795 you are interested in, or recompile without optimizations.
6796
6797 @cindex backtrace beyond @code{main} function
6798 @cindex program entry point
6799 @cindex startup code, and backtrace
6800 Most programs have a standard user entry point---a place where system
6801 libraries and startup code transition into user code. For C this is
6802 @code{main}@footnote{
6803 Note that embedded programs (the so-called ``free-standing''
6804 environment) are not required to have a @code{main} function as the
6805 entry point. They could even have multiple entry points.}.
6806 When @value{GDBN} finds the entry function in a backtrace
6807 it will terminate the backtrace, to avoid tracing into highly
6808 system-specific (and generally uninteresting) code.
6809
6810 If you need to examine the startup code, or limit the number of levels
6811 in a backtrace, you can change this behavior:
6812
6813 @table @code
6814 @item set backtrace past-main
6815 @itemx set backtrace past-main on
6816 @kindex set backtrace
6817 Backtraces will continue past the user entry point.
6818
6819 @item set backtrace past-main off
6820 Backtraces will stop when they encounter the user entry point. This is the
6821 default.
6822
6823 @item show backtrace past-main
6824 @kindex show backtrace
6825 Display the current user entry point backtrace policy.
6826
6827 @item set backtrace past-entry
6828 @itemx set backtrace past-entry on
6829 Backtraces will continue past the internal entry point of an application.
6830 This entry point is encoded by the linker when the application is built,
6831 and is likely before the user entry point @code{main} (or equivalent) is called.
6832
6833 @item set backtrace past-entry off
6834 Backtraces will stop when they encounter the internal entry point of an
6835 application. This is the default.
6836
6837 @item show backtrace past-entry
6838 Display the current internal entry point backtrace policy.
6839
6840 @item set backtrace limit @var{n}
6841 @itemx set backtrace limit 0
6842 @itemx set backtrace limit unlimited
6843 @cindex backtrace limit
6844 Limit the backtrace to @var{n} levels. A value of @code{unlimited}
6845 or zero means unlimited levels.
6846
6847 @item show backtrace limit
6848 Display the current limit on backtrace levels.
6849 @end table
6850
6851 You can control how file names are displayed.
6852
6853 @table @code
6854 @item set filename-display
6855 @itemx set filename-display relative
6856 @cindex filename-display
6857 Display file names relative to the compilation directory. This is the default.
6858
6859 @item set filename-display basename
6860 Display only basename of a filename.
6861
6862 @item set filename-display absolute
6863 Display an absolute filename.
6864
6865 @item show filename-display
6866 Show the current way to display filenames.
6867 @end table
6868
6869 @node Frame Filter Management
6870 @section Management of Frame Filters.
6871 @cindex managing frame filters
6872
6873 Frame filters are Python based utilities to manage and decorate the
6874 output of frames. @xref{Frame Filter API}, for further information.
6875
6876 Managing frame filters is performed by several commands available
6877 within @value{GDBN}, detailed here.
6878
6879 @table @code
6880 @kindex info frame-filter
6881 @item info frame-filter
6882 Print a list of installed frame filters from all dictionaries, showing
6883 their name, priority and enabled status.
6884
6885 @kindex disable frame-filter
6886 @anchor{disable frame-filter all}
6887 @item disable frame-filter @var{filter-dictionary} @var{filter-name}
6888 Disable a frame filter in the dictionary matching
6889 @var{filter-dictionary}, or @code{all}, and @var{filter-name}.
6890 @var{filter-dictionary} may be @code{all}, @code{global},
6891 @code{progspace} or the name of the object file where the frame filter
6892 dictionary resides. When @code{all} is specified, all frame filters
6893 across all dictionaries are disabled. @var{filter-name} is the name
6894 of the frame filter and is used when @code{all} is not the option for
6895 @var{filter-dictionary}. A disabled frame-filter is not deleted, it
6896 may be enabled again later.
6897
6898 @kindex enable frame-filter
6899 @item enable frame-filter @var{filter-dictionary} @var{filter-name}
6900 Enable a frame filter in the dictionary matching
6901 @var{filter-dictionary}, or @code{all}, and @var{filter-name}.
6902 @var{filter-dictionary} may be @code{all}, @code{global},
6903 @code{progspace} or the name of the object file where the frame filter
6904 dictionary resides. When @code{all} is specified, all frame filters across
6905 all dictionaries are enabled. @var{filter-name} is the name of the frame
6906 filter and is used when @code{all} is not the option for
6907 @var{filter-dictionary}.
6908
6909 Example:
6910
6911 @smallexample
6912 (gdb) info frame-filter
6913
6914 global frame-filters:
6915 Priority Enabled Name
6916 1000 No PrimaryFunctionFilter
6917 100 Yes Reverse
6918
6919 progspace /build/test frame-filters:
6920 Priority Enabled Name
6921 100 Yes ProgspaceFilter
6922
6923 objfile /build/test frame-filters:
6924 Priority Enabled Name
6925 999 Yes BuildProgra Filter
6926
6927 (gdb) disable frame-filter /build/test BuildProgramFilter
6928 (gdb) info frame-filter
6929
6930 global frame-filters:
6931 Priority Enabled Name
6932 1000 No PrimaryFunctionFilter
6933 100 Yes Reverse
6934
6935 progspace /build/test frame-filters:
6936 Priority Enabled Name
6937 100 Yes ProgspaceFilter
6938
6939 objfile /build/test frame-filters:
6940 Priority Enabled Name
6941 999 No BuildProgramFilter
6942
6943 (gdb) enable frame-filter global PrimaryFunctionFilter
6944 (gdb) info frame-filter
6945
6946 global frame-filters:
6947 Priority Enabled Name
6948 1000 Yes PrimaryFunctionFilter
6949 100 Yes Reverse
6950
6951 progspace /build/test frame-filters:
6952 Priority Enabled Name
6953 100 Yes ProgspaceFilter
6954
6955 objfile /build/test frame-filters:
6956 Priority Enabled Name
6957 999 No BuildProgramFilter
6958 @end smallexample
6959
6960 @kindex set frame-filter priority
6961 @item set frame-filter priority @var{filter-dictionary} @var{filter-name} @var{priority}
6962 Set the @var{priority} of a frame filter in the dictionary matching
6963 @var{filter-dictionary}, and the frame filter name matching
6964 @var{filter-name}. @var{filter-dictionary} may be @code{global},
6965 @code{progspace} or the name of the object file where the frame filter
6966 dictionary resides. @var{priority} is an integer.
6967
6968 @kindex show frame-filter priority
6969 @item show frame-filter priority @var{filter-dictionary} @var{filter-name}
6970 Show the @var{priority} of a frame filter in the dictionary matching
6971 @var{filter-dictionary}, and the frame filter name matching
6972 @var{filter-name}. @var{filter-dictionary} may be @code{global},
6973 @code{progspace} or the name of the object file where the frame filter
6974 dictionary resides.
6975
6976 Example:
6977
6978 @smallexample
6979 (gdb) info frame-filter
6980
6981 global frame-filters:
6982 Priority Enabled Name
6983 1000 Yes PrimaryFunctionFilter
6984 100 Yes Reverse
6985
6986 progspace /build/test frame-filters:
6987 Priority Enabled Name
6988 100 Yes ProgspaceFilter
6989
6990 objfile /build/test frame-filters:
6991 Priority Enabled Name
6992 999 No BuildProgramFilter
6993
6994 (gdb) set frame-filter priority global Reverse 50
6995 (gdb) info frame-filter
6996
6997 global frame-filters:
6998 Priority Enabled Name
6999 1000 Yes PrimaryFunctionFilter
7000 50 Yes Reverse
7001
7002 progspace /build/test frame-filters:
7003 Priority Enabled Name
7004 100 Yes ProgspaceFilter
7005
7006 objfile /build/test frame-filters:
7007 Priority Enabled Name
7008 999 No BuildProgramFilter
7009 @end smallexample
7010 @end table
7011
7012 @node Selection
7013 @section Selecting a Frame
7014
7015 Most commands for examining the stack and other data in your program work on
7016 whichever stack frame is selected at the moment. Here are the commands for
7017 selecting a stack frame; all of them finish by printing a brief description
7018 of the stack frame just selected.
7019
7020 @table @code
7021 @kindex frame@r{, selecting}
7022 @kindex f @r{(@code{frame})}
7023 @item frame @var{n}
7024 @itemx f @var{n}
7025 Select frame number @var{n}. Recall that frame zero is the innermost
7026 (currently executing) frame, frame one is the frame that called the
7027 innermost one, and so on. The highest-numbered frame is the one for
7028 @code{main}.
7029
7030 @item frame @var{addr}
7031 @itemx f @var{addr}
7032 Select the frame at address @var{addr}. This is useful mainly if the
7033 chaining of stack frames has been damaged by a bug, making it
7034 impossible for @value{GDBN} to assign numbers properly to all frames. In
7035 addition, this can be useful when your program has multiple stacks and
7036 switches between them.
7037
7038 On the SPARC architecture, @code{frame} needs two addresses to
7039 select an arbitrary frame: a frame pointer and a stack pointer.
7040
7041 On the @acronym{MIPS} and Alpha architecture, it needs two addresses: a stack
7042 pointer and a program counter.
7043
7044 On the 29k architecture, it needs three addresses: a register stack
7045 pointer, a program counter, and a memory stack pointer.
7046
7047 @kindex up
7048 @item up @var{n}
7049 Move @var{n} frames up the stack. For positive numbers @var{n}, this
7050 advances toward the outermost frame, to higher frame numbers, to frames
7051 that have existed longer. @var{n} defaults to one.
7052
7053 @kindex down
7054 @kindex do @r{(@code{down})}
7055 @item down @var{n}
7056 Move @var{n} frames down the stack. For positive numbers @var{n}, this
7057 advances toward the innermost frame, to lower frame numbers, to frames
7058 that were created more recently. @var{n} defaults to one. You may
7059 abbreviate @code{down} as @code{do}.
7060 @end table
7061
7062 All of these commands end by printing two lines of output describing the
7063 frame. The first line shows the frame number, the function name, the
7064 arguments, and the source file and line number of execution in that
7065 frame. The second line shows the text of that source line.
7066
7067 @need 1000
7068 For example:
7069
7070 @smallexample
7071 @group
7072 (@value{GDBP}) up
7073 #1 0x22f0 in main (argc=1, argv=0xf7fffbf4, env=0xf7fffbfc)
7074 at env.c:10
7075 10 read_input_file (argv[i]);
7076 @end group
7077 @end smallexample
7078
7079 After such a printout, the @code{list} command with no arguments
7080 prints ten lines centered on the point of execution in the frame.
7081 You can also edit the program at the point of execution with your favorite
7082 editing program by typing @code{edit}.
7083 @xref{List, ,Printing Source Lines},
7084 for details.
7085
7086 @table @code
7087 @kindex down-silently
7088 @kindex up-silently
7089 @item up-silently @var{n}
7090 @itemx down-silently @var{n}
7091 These two commands are variants of @code{up} and @code{down},
7092 respectively; they differ in that they do their work silently, without
7093 causing display of the new frame. They are intended primarily for use
7094 in @value{GDBN} command scripts, where the output might be unnecessary and
7095 distracting.
7096 @end table
7097
7098 @node Frame Info
7099 @section Information About a Frame
7100
7101 There are several other commands to print information about the selected
7102 stack frame.
7103
7104 @table @code
7105 @item frame
7106 @itemx f
7107 When used without any argument, this command does not change which
7108 frame is selected, but prints a brief description of the currently
7109 selected stack frame. It can be abbreviated @code{f}. With an
7110 argument, this command is used to select a stack frame.
7111 @xref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}.
7112
7113 @kindex info frame
7114 @kindex info f @r{(@code{info frame})}
7115 @item info frame
7116 @itemx info f
7117 This command prints a verbose description of the selected stack frame,
7118 including:
7119
7120 @itemize @bullet
7121 @item
7122 the address of the frame
7123 @item
7124 the address of the next frame down (called by this frame)
7125 @item
7126 the address of the next frame up (caller of this frame)
7127 @item
7128 the language in which the source code corresponding to this frame is written
7129 @item
7130 the address of the frame's arguments
7131 @item
7132 the address of the frame's local variables
7133 @item
7134 the program counter saved in it (the address of execution in the caller frame)
7135 @item
7136 which registers were saved in the frame
7137 @end itemize
7138
7139 @noindent The verbose description is useful when
7140 something has gone wrong that has made the stack format fail to fit
7141 the usual conventions.
7142
7143 @item info frame @var{addr}
7144 @itemx info f @var{addr}
7145 Print a verbose description of the frame at address @var{addr}, without
7146 selecting that frame. The selected frame remains unchanged by this
7147 command. This requires the same kind of address (more than one for some
7148 architectures) that you specify in the @code{frame} command.
7149 @xref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}.
7150
7151 @kindex info args
7152 @item info args
7153 Print the arguments of the selected frame, each on a separate line.
7154
7155 @item info locals
7156 @kindex info locals
7157 Print the local variables of the selected frame, each on a separate
7158 line. These are all variables (declared either static or automatic)
7159 accessible at the point of execution of the selected frame.
7160
7161 @end table
7162
7163
7164 @node Source
7165 @chapter Examining Source Files
7166
7167 @value{GDBN} can print parts of your program's source, since the debugging
7168 information recorded in the program tells @value{GDBN} what source files were
7169 used to build it. When your program stops, @value{GDBN} spontaneously prints
7170 the line where it stopped. Likewise, when you select a stack frame
7171 (@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}), @value{GDBN} prints the line where
7172 execution in that frame has stopped. You can print other portions of
7173 source files by explicit command.
7174
7175 If you use @value{GDBN} through its @sc{gnu} Emacs interface, you may
7176 prefer to use Emacs facilities to view source; see @ref{Emacs, ,Using
7177 @value{GDBN} under @sc{gnu} Emacs}.
7178
7179 @menu
7180 * List:: Printing source lines
7181 * Specify Location:: How to specify code locations
7182 * Edit:: Editing source files
7183 * Search:: Searching source files
7184 * Source Path:: Specifying source directories
7185 * Machine Code:: Source and machine code
7186 @end menu
7187
7188 @node List
7189 @section Printing Source Lines
7190
7191 @kindex list
7192 @kindex l @r{(@code{list})}
7193 To print lines from a source file, use the @code{list} command
7194 (abbreviated @code{l}). By default, ten lines are printed.
7195 There are several ways to specify what part of the file you want to
7196 print; see @ref{Specify Location}, for the full list.
7197
7198 Here are the forms of the @code{list} command most commonly used:
7199
7200 @table @code
7201 @item list @var{linenum}
7202 Print lines centered around line number @var{linenum} in the
7203 current source file.
7204
7205 @item list @var{function}
7206 Print lines centered around the beginning of function
7207 @var{function}.
7208
7209 @item list
7210 Print more lines. If the last lines printed were printed with a
7211 @code{list} command, this prints lines following the last lines
7212 printed; however, if the last line printed was a solitary line printed
7213 as part of displaying a stack frame (@pxref{Stack, ,Examining the
7214 Stack}), this prints lines centered around that line.
7215
7216 @item list -
7217 Print lines just before the lines last printed.
7218 @end table
7219
7220 @cindex @code{list}, how many lines to display
7221 By default, @value{GDBN} prints ten source lines with any of these forms of
7222 the @code{list} command. You can change this using @code{set listsize}:
7223
7224 @table @code
7225 @kindex set listsize
7226 @item set listsize @var{count}
7227 @itemx set listsize unlimited
7228 Make the @code{list} command display @var{count} source lines (unless
7229 the @code{list} argument explicitly specifies some other number).
7230 Setting @var{count} to @code{unlimited} or 0 means there's no limit.
7231
7232 @kindex show listsize
7233 @item show listsize
7234 Display the number of lines that @code{list} prints.
7235 @end table
7236
7237 Repeating a @code{list} command with @key{RET} discards the argument,
7238 so it is equivalent to typing just @code{list}. This is more useful
7239 than listing the same lines again. An exception is made for an
7240 argument of @samp{-}; that argument is preserved in repetition so that
7241 each repetition moves up in the source file.
7242
7243 In general, the @code{list} command expects you to supply zero, one or two
7244 @dfn{linespecs}. Linespecs specify source lines; there are several ways
7245 of writing them (@pxref{Specify Location}), but the effect is always
7246 to specify some source line.
7247
7248 Here is a complete description of the possible arguments for @code{list}:
7249
7250 @table @code
7251 @item list @var{linespec}
7252 Print lines centered around the line specified by @var{linespec}.
7253
7254 @item list @var{first},@var{last}
7255 Print lines from @var{first} to @var{last}. Both arguments are
7256 linespecs. When a @code{list} command has two linespecs, and the
7257 source file of the second linespec is omitted, this refers to
7258 the same source file as the first linespec.
7259
7260 @item list ,@var{last}
7261 Print lines ending with @var{last}.
7262
7263 @item list @var{first},
7264 Print lines starting with @var{first}.
7265
7266 @item list +
7267 Print lines just after the lines last printed.
7268
7269 @item list -
7270 Print lines just before the lines last printed.
7271
7272 @item list
7273 As described in the preceding table.
7274 @end table
7275
7276 @node Specify Location
7277 @section Specifying a Location
7278 @cindex specifying location
7279 @cindex linespec
7280
7281 Several @value{GDBN} commands accept arguments that specify a location
7282 of your program's code. Since @value{GDBN} is a source-level
7283 debugger, a location usually specifies some line in the source code;
7284 for that reason, locations are also known as @dfn{linespecs}.
7285
7286 Here are all the different ways of specifying a code location that
7287 @value{GDBN} understands:
7288
7289 @table @code
7290 @item @var{linenum}
7291 Specifies the line number @var{linenum} of the current source file.
7292
7293 @item -@var{offset}
7294 @itemx +@var{offset}
7295 Specifies the line @var{offset} lines before or after the @dfn{current
7296 line}. For the @code{list} command, the current line is the last one
7297 printed; for the breakpoint commands, this is the line at which
7298 execution stopped in the currently selected @dfn{stack frame}
7299 (@pxref{Frames, ,Frames}, for a description of stack frames.) When
7300 used as the second of the two linespecs in a @code{list} command,
7301 this specifies the line @var{offset} lines up or down from the first
7302 linespec.
7303
7304 @item @var{filename}:@var{linenum}
7305 Specifies the line @var{linenum} in the source file @var{filename}.
7306 If @var{filename} is a relative file name, then it will match any
7307 source file name with the same trailing components. For example, if
7308 @var{filename} is @samp{gcc/expr.c}, then it will match source file
7309 name of @file{/build/trunk/gcc/expr.c}, but not
7310 @file{/build/trunk/libcpp/expr.c} or @file{/build/trunk/gcc/x-expr.c}.
7311
7312 @item @var{function}
7313 Specifies the line that begins the body of the function @var{function}.
7314 For example, in C, this is the line with the open brace.
7315
7316 @item @var{function}:@var{label}
7317 Specifies the line where @var{label} appears in @var{function}.
7318
7319 @item @var{filename}:@var{function}
7320 Specifies the line that begins the body of the function @var{function}
7321 in the file @var{filename}. You only need the file name with a
7322 function name to avoid ambiguity when there are identically named
7323 functions in different source files.
7324
7325 @item @var{label}
7326 Specifies the line at which the label named @var{label} appears.
7327 @value{GDBN} searches for the label in the function corresponding to
7328 the currently selected stack frame. If there is no current selected
7329 stack frame (for instance, if the inferior is not running), then
7330 @value{GDBN} will not search for a label.
7331
7332 @item *@var{address}
7333 Specifies the program address @var{address}. For line-oriented
7334 commands, such as @code{list} and @code{edit}, this specifies a source
7335 line that contains @var{address}. For @code{break} and other
7336 breakpoint oriented commands, this can be used to set breakpoints in
7337 parts of your program which do not have debugging information or
7338 source files.
7339
7340 Here @var{address} may be any expression valid in the current working
7341 language (@pxref{Languages, working language}) that specifies a code
7342 address. In addition, as a convenience, @value{GDBN} extends the
7343 semantics of expressions used in locations to cover the situations
7344 that frequently happen during debugging. Here are the various forms
7345 of @var{address}:
7346
7347 @table @code
7348 @item @var{expression}
7349 Any expression valid in the current working language.
7350
7351 @item @var{funcaddr}
7352 An address of a function or procedure derived from its name. In C,
7353 C@t{++}, Java, Objective-C, Fortran, minimal, and assembly, this is
7354 simply the function's name @var{function} (and actually a special case
7355 of a valid expression). In Pascal and Modula-2, this is
7356 @code{&@var{function}}. In Ada, this is @code{@var{function}'Address}
7357 (although the Pascal form also works).
7358
7359 This form specifies the address of the function's first instruction,
7360 before the stack frame and arguments have been set up.
7361
7362 @item '@var{filename}'::@var{funcaddr}
7363 Like @var{funcaddr} above, but also specifies the name of the source
7364 file explicitly. This is useful if the name of the function does not
7365 specify the function unambiguously, e.g., if there are several
7366 functions with identical names in different source files.
7367 @end table
7368
7369 @cindex breakpoint at static probe point
7370 @item -pstap|-probe-stap @r{[}@var{objfile}:@r{[}@var{provider}:@r{]}@r{]}@var{name}
7371 The @sc{gnu}/Linux tool @code{SystemTap} provides a way for
7372 applications to embed static probes. @xref{Static Probe Points}, for more
7373 information on finding and using static probes. This form of linespec
7374 specifies the location of such a static probe.
7375
7376 If @var{objfile} is given, only probes coming from that shared library
7377 or executable matching @var{objfile} as a regular expression are considered.
7378 If @var{provider} is given, then only probes from that provider are considered.
7379 If several probes match the spec, @value{GDBN} will insert a breakpoint at
7380 each one of those probes.
7381
7382 @end table
7383
7384
7385 @node Edit
7386 @section Editing Source Files
7387 @cindex editing source files
7388
7389 @kindex edit
7390 @kindex e @r{(@code{edit})}
7391 To edit the lines in a source file, use the @code{edit} command.
7392 The editing program of your choice
7393 is invoked with the current line set to
7394 the active line in the program.
7395 Alternatively, there are several ways to specify what part of the file you
7396 want to print if you want to see other parts of the program:
7397
7398 @table @code
7399 @item edit @var{location}
7400 Edit the source file specified by @code{location}. Editing starts at
7401 that @var{location}, e.g., at the specified source line of the
7402 specified file. @xref{Specify Location}, for all the possible forms
7403 of the @var{location} argument; here are the forms of the @code{edit}
7404 command most commonly used:
7405
7406 @table @code
7407 @item edit @var{number}
7408 Edit the current source file with @var{number} as the active line number.
7409
7410 @item edit @var{function}
7411 Edit the file containing @var{function} at the beginning of its definition.
7412 @end table
7413
7414 @end table
7415
7416 @subsection Choosing your Editor
7417 You can customize @value{GDBN} to use any editor you want
7418 @footnote{
7419 The only restriction is that your editor (say @code{ex}), recognizes the
7420 following command-line syntax:
7421 @smallexample
7422 ex +@var{number} file
7423 @end smallexample
7424 The optional numeric value +@var{number} specifies the number of the line in
7425 the file where to start editing.}.
7426 By default, it is @file{@value{EDITOR}}, but you can change this
7427 by setting the environment variable @code{EDITOR} before using
7428 @value{GDBN}. For example, to configure @value{GDBN} to use the
7429 @code{vi} editor, you could use these commands with the @code{sh} shell:
7430 @smallexample
7431 EDITOR=/usr/bin/vi
7432 export EDITOR
7433 gdb @dots{}
7434 @end smallexample
7435 or in the @code{csh} shell,
7436 @smallexample
7437 setenv EDITOR /usr/bin/vi
7438 gdb @dots{}
7439 @end smallexample
7440
7441 @node Search
7442 @section Searching Source Files
7443 @cindex searching source files
7444
7445 There are two commands for searching through the current source file for a
7446 regular expression.
7447
7448 @table @code
7449 @kindex search
7450 @kindex forward-search
7451 @kindex fo @r{(@code{forward-search})}
7452 @item forward-search @var{regexp}
7453 @itemx search @var{regexp}
7454 The command @samp{forward-search @var{regexp}} checks each line,
7455 starting with the one following the last line listed, for a match for
7456 @var{regexp}. It lists the line that is found. You can use the
7457 synonym @samp{search @var{regexp}} or abbreviate the command name as
7458 @code{fo}.
7459
7460 @kindex reverse-search
7461 @item reverse-search @var{regexp}
7462 The command @samp{reverse-search @var{regexp}} checks each line, starting
7463 with the one before the last line listed and going backward, for a match
7464 for @var{regexp}. It lists the line that is found. You can abbreviate
7465 this command as @code{rev}.
7466 @end table
7467
7468 @node Source Path
7469 @section Specifying Source Directories
7470
7471 @cindex source path
7472 @cindex directories for source files
7473 Executable programs sometimes do not record the directories of the source
7474 files from which they were compiled, just the names. Even when they do,
7475 the directories could be moved between the compilation and your debugging
7476 session. @value{GDBN} has a list of directories to search for source files;
7477 this is called the @dfn{source path}. Each time @value{GDBN} wants a source file,
7478 it tries all the directories in the list, in the order they are present
7479 in the list, until it finds a file with the desired name.
7480
7481 For example, suppose an executable references the file
7482 @file{/usr/src/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c}, and our source path is
7483 @file{/mnt/cross}. The file is first looked up literally; if this
7484 fails, @file{/mnt/cross/usr/src/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c} is tried; if this
7485 fails, @file{/mnt/cross/foo.c} is opened; if this fails, an error
7486 message is printed. @value{GDBN} does not look up the parts of the
7487 source file name, such as @file{/mnt/cross/src/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c}.
7488 Likewise, the subdirectories of the source path are not searched: if
7489 the source path is @file{/mnt/cross}, and the binary refers to
7490 @file{foo.c}, @value{GDBN} would not find it under
7491 @file{/mnt/cross/usr/src/foo-1.0/lib}.
7492
7493 Plain file names, relative file names with leading directories, file
7494 names containing dots, etc.@: are all treated as described above; for
7495 instance, if the source path is @file{/mnt/cross}, and the source file
7496 is recorded as @file{../lib/foo.c}, @value{GDBN} would first try
7497 @file{../lib/foo.c}, then @file{/mnt/cross/../lib/foo.c}, and after
7498 that---@file{/mnt/cross/foo.c}.
7499
7500 Note that the executable search path is @emph{not} used to locate the
7501 source files.
7502
7503 Whenever you reset or rearrange the source path, @value{GDBN} clears out
7504 any information it has cached about where source files are found and where
7505 each line is in the file.
7506
7507 @kindex directory
7508 @kindex dir
7509 When you start @value{GDBN}, its source path includes only @samp{cdir}
7510 and @samp{cwd}, in that order.
7511 To add other directories, use the @code{directory} command.
7512
7513 The search path is used to find both program source files and @value{GDBN}
7514 script files (read using the @samp{-command} option and @samp{source} command).
7515
7516 In addition to the source path, @value{GDBN} provides a set of commands
7517 that manage a list of source path substitution rules. A @dfn{substitution
7518 rule} specifies how to rewrite source directories stored in the program's
7519 debug information in case the sources were moved to a different
7520 directory between compilation and debugging. A rule is made of
7521 two strings, the first specifying what needs to be rewritten in
7522 the path, and the second specifying how it should be rewritten.
7523 In @ref{set substitute-path}, we name these two parts @var{from} and
7524 @var{to} respectively. @value{GDBN} does a simple string replacement
7525 of @var{from} with @var{to} at the start of the directory part of the
7526 source file name, and uses that result instead of the original file
7527 name to look up the sources.
7528
7529 Using the previous example, suppose the @file{foo-1.0} tree has been
7530 moved from @file{/usr/src} to @file{/mnt/cross}, then you can tell
7531 @value{GDBN} to replace @file{/usr/src} in all source path names with
7532 @file{/mnt/cross}. The first lookup will then be
7533 @file{/mnt/cross/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c} in place of the original location
7534 of @file{/usr/src/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c}. To define a source path
7535 substitution rule, use the @code{set substitute-path} command
7536 (@pxref{set substitute-path}).
7537
7538 To avoid unexpected substitution results, a rule is applied only if the
7539 @var{from} part of the directory name ends at a directory separator.
7540 For instance, a rule substituting @file{/usr/source} into
7541 @file{/mnt/cross} will be applied to @file{/usr/source/foo-1.0} but
7542 not to @file{/usr/sourceware/foo-2.0}. And because the substitution
7543 is applied only at the beginning of the directory name, this rule will
7544 not be applied to @file{/root/usr/source/baz.c} either.
7545
7546 In many cases, you can achieve the same result using the @code{directory}
7547 command. However, @code{set substitute-path} can be more efficient in
7548 the case where the sources are organized in a complex tree with multiple
7549 subdirectories. With the @code{directory} command, you need to add each
7550 subdirectory of your project. If you moved the entire tree while
7551 preserving its internal organization, then @code{set substitute-path}
7552 allows you to direct the debugger to all the sources with one single
7553 command.
7554
7555 @code{set substitute-path} is also more than just a shortcut command.
7556 The source path is only used if the file at the original location no
7557 longer exists. On the other hand, @code{set substitute-path} modifies
7558 the debugger behavior to look at the rewritten location instead. So, if
7559 for any reason a source file that is not relevant to your executable is
7560 located at the original location, a substitution rule is the only
7561 method available to point @value{GDBN} at the new location.
7562
7563 @cindex @samp{--with-relocated-sources}
7564 @cindex default source path substitution
7565 You can configure a default source path substitution rule by
7566 configuring @value{GDBN} with the
7567 @samp{--with-relocated-sources=@var{dir}} option. The @var{dir}
7568 should be the name of a directory under @value{GDBN}'s configured
7569 prefix (set with @samp{--prefix} or @samp{--exec-prefix}), and
7570 directory names in debug information under @var{dir} will be adjusted
7571 automatically if the installed @value{GDBN} is moved to a new
7572 location. This is useful if @value{GDBN}, libraries or executables
7573 with debug information and corresponding source code are being moved
7574 together.
7575
7576 @table @code
7577 @item directory @var{dirname} @dots{}
7578 @item dir @var{dirname} @dots{}
7579 Add directory @var{dirname} to the front of the source path. Several
7580 directory names may be given to this command, separated by @samp{:}
7581 (@samp{;} on MS-DOS and MS-Windows, where @samp{:} usually appears as
7582 part of absolute file names) or
7583 whitespace. You may specify a directory that is already in the source
7584 path; this moves it forward, so @value{GDBN} searches it sooner.
7585
7586 @kindex cdir
7587 @kindex cwd
7588 @vindex $cdir@r{, convenience variable}
7589 @vindex $cwd@r{, convenience variable}
7590 @cindex compilation directory
7591 @cindex current directory
7592 @cindex working directory
7593 @cindex directory, current
7594 @cindex directory, compilation
7595 You can use the string @samp{$cdir} to refer to the compilation
7596 directory (if one is recorded), and @samp{$cwd} to refer to the current
7597 working directory. @samp{$cwd} is not the same as @samp{.}---the former
7598 tracks the current working directory as it changes during your @value{GDBN}
7599 session, while the latter is immediately expanded to the current
7600 directory at the time you add an entry to the source path.
7601
7602 @item directory
7603 Reset the source path to its default value (@samp{$cdir:$cwd} on Unix systems). This requires confirmation.
7604
7605 @c RET-repeat for @code{directory} is explicitly disabled, but since
7606 @c repeating it would be a no-op we do not say that. (thanks to RMS)
7607
7608 @item set directories @var{path-list}
7609 @kindex set directories
7610 Set the source path to @var{path-list}.
7611 @samp{$cdir:$cwd} are added if missing.
7612
7613 @item show directories
7614 @kindex show directories
7615 Print the source path: show which directories it contains.
7616
7617 @anchor{set substitute-path}
7618 @item set substitute-path @var{from} @var{to}
7619 @kindex set substitute-path
7620 Define a source path substitution rule, and add it at the end of the
7621 current list of existing substitution rules. If a rule with the same
7622 @var{from} was already defined, then the old rule is also deleted.
7623
7624 For example, if the file @file{/foo/bar/baz.c} was moved to
7625 @file{/mnt/cross/baz.c}, then the command
7626
7627 @smallexample
7628 (@value{GDBP}) set substitute-path /usr/src /mnt/cross
7629 @end smallexample
7630
7631 @noindent
7632 will tell @value{GDBN} to replace @samp{/usr/src} with
7633 @samp{/mnt/cross}, which will allow @value{GDBN} to find the file
7634 @file{baz.c} even though it was moved.
7635
7636 In the case when more than one substitution rule have been defined,
7637 the rules are evaluated one by one in the order where they have been
7638 defined. The first one matching, if any, is selected to perform
7639 the substitution.
7640
7641 For instance, if we had entered the following commands:
7642
7643 @smallexample
7644 (@value{GDBP}) set substitute-path /usr/src/include /mnt/include
7645 (@value{GDBP}) set substitute-path /usr/src /mnt/src
7646 @end smallexample
7647
7648 @noindent
7649 @value{GDBN} would then rewrite @file{/usr/src/include/defs.h} into
7650 @file{/mnt/include/defs.h} by using the first rule. However, it would
7651 use the second rule to rewrite @file{/usr/src/lib/foo.c} into
7652 @file{/mnt/src/lib/foo.c}.
7653
7654
7655 @item unset substitute-path [path]
7656 @kindex unset substitute-path
7657 If a path is specified, search the current list of substitution rules
7658 for a rule that would rewrite that path. Delete that rule if found.
7659 A warning is emitted by the debugger if no rule could be found.
7660
7661 If no path is specified, then all substitution rules are deleted.
7662
7663 @item show substitute-path [path]
7664 @kindex show substitute-path
7665 If a path is specified, then print the source path substitution rule
7666 which would rewrite that path, if any.
7667
7668 If no path is specified, then print all existing source path substitution
7669 rules.
7670
7671 @end table
7672
7673 If your source path is cluttered with directories that are no longer of
7674 interest, @value{GDBN} may sometimes cause confusion by finding the wrong
7675 versions of source. You can correct the situation as follows:
7676
7677 @enumerate
7678 @item
7679 Use @code{directory} with no argument to reset the source path to its default value.
7680
7681 @item
7682 Use @code{directory} with suitable arguments to reinstall the
7683 directories you want in the source path. You can add all the
7684 directories in one command.
7685 @end enumerate
7686
7687 @node Machine Code
7688 @section Source and Machine Code
7689 @cindex source line and its code address
7690
7691 You can use the command @code{info line} to map source lines to program
7692 addresses (and vice versa), and the command @code{disassemble} to display
7693 a range of addresses as machine instructions. You can use the command
7694 @code{set disassemble-next-line} to set whether to disassemble next
7695 source line when execution stops. When run under @sc{gnu} Emacs
7696 mode, the @code{info line} command causes the arrow to point to the
7697 line specified. Also, @code{info line} prints addresses in symbolic form as
7698 well as hex.
7699
7700 @table @code
7701 @kindex info line
7702 @item info line @var{linespec}
7703 Print the starting and ending addresses of the compiled code for
7704 source line @var{linespec}. You can specify source lines in any of
7705 the ways documented in @ref{Specify Location}.
7706 @end table
7707
7708 For example, we can use @code{info line} to discover the location of
7709 the object code for the first line of function
7710 @code{m4_changequote}:
7711
7712 @c FIXME: I think this example should also show the addresses in
7713 @c symbolic form, as they usually would be displayed.
7714 @smallexample
7715 (@value{GDBP}) info line m4_changequote
7716 Line 895 of "builtin.c" starts at pc 0x634c and ends at 0x6350.
7717 @end smallexample
7718
7719 @noindent
7720 @cindex code address and its source line
7721 We can also inquire (using @code{*@var{addr}} as the form for
7722 @var{linespec}) what source line covers a particular address:
7723 @smallexample
7724 (@value{GDBP}) info line *0x63ff
7725 Line 926 of "builtin.c" starts at pc 0x63e4 and ends at 0x6404.
7726 @end smallexample
7727
7728 @cindex @code{$_} and @code{info line}
7729 @cindex @code{x} command, default address
7730 @kindex x@r{(examine), and} info line
7731 After @code{info line}, the default address for the @code{x} command
7732 is changed to the starting address of the line, so that @samp{x/i} is
7733 sufficient to begin examining the machine code (@pxref{Memory,
7734 ,Examining Memory}). Also, this address is saved as the value of the
7735 convenience variable @code{$_} (@pxref{Convenience Vars, ,Convenience
7736 Variables}).
7737
7738 @table @code
7739 @kindex disassemble
7740 @cindex assembly instructions
7741 @cindex instructions, assembly
7742 @cindex machine instructions
7743 @cindex listing machine instructions
7744 @item disassemble
7745 @itemx disassemble /m
7746 @itemx disassemble /r
7747 This specialized command dumps a range of memory as machine
7748 instructions. It can also print mixed source+disassembly by specifying
7749 the @code{/m} modifier and print the raw instructions in hex as well as
7750 in symbolic form by specifying the @code{/r}.
7751 The default memory range is the function surrounding the
7752 program counter of the selected frame. A single argument to this
7753 command is a program counter value; @value{GDBN} dumps the function
7754 surrounding this value. When two arguments are given, they should
7755 be separated by a comma, possibly surrounded by whitespace. The
7756 arguments specify a range of addresses to dump, in one of two forms:
7757
7758 @table @code
7759 @item @var{start},@var{end}
7760 the addresses from @var{start} (inclusive) to @var{end} (exclusive)
7761 @item @var{start},+@var{length}
7762 the addresses from @var{start} (inclusive) to
7763 @code{@var{start}+@var{length}} (exclusive).
7764 @end table
7765
7766 @noindent
7767 When 2 arguments are specified, the name of the function is also
7768 printed (since there could be several functions in the given range).
7769
7770 The argument(s) can be any expression yielding a numeric value, such as
7771 @samp{0x32c4}, @samp{&main+10} or @samp{$pc - 8}.
7772
7773 If the range of memory being disassembled contains current program counter,
7774 the instruction at that location is shown with a @code{=>} marker.
7775 @end table
7776
7777 The following example shows the disassembly of a range of addresses of
7778 HP PA-RISC 2.0 code:
7779
7780 @smallexample
7781 (@value{GDBP}) disas 0x32c4, 0x32e4
7782 Dump of assembler code from 0x32c4 to 0x32e4:
7783 0x32c4 <main+204>: addil 0,dp
7784 0x32c8 <main+208>: ldw 0x22c(sr0,r1),r26
7785 0x32cc <main+212>: ldil 0x3000,r31
7786 0x32d0 <main+216>: ble 0x3f8(sr4,r31)
7787 0x32d4 <main+220>: ldo 0(r31),rp
7788 0x32d8 <main+224>: addil -0x800,dp
7789 0x32dc <main+228>: ldo 0x588(r1),r26
7790 0x32e0 <main+232>: ldil 0x3000,r31
7791 End of assembler dump.
7792 @end smallexample
7793
7794 Here is an example showing mixed source+assembly for Intel x86, when the
7795 program is stopped just after function prologue:
7796
7797 @smallexample
7798 (@value{GDBP}) disas /m main
7799 Dump of assembler code for function main:
7800 5 @{
7801 0x08048330 <+0>: push %ebp
7802 0x08048331 <+1>: mov %esp,%ebp
7803 0x08048333 <+3>: sub $0x8,%esp
7804 0x08048336 <+6>: and $0xfffffff0,%esp
7805 0x08048339 <+9>: sub $0x10,%esp
7806
7807 6 printf ("Hello.\n");
7808 => 0x0804833c <+12>: movl $0x8048440,(%esp)
7809 0x08048343 <+19>: call 0x8048284 <puts@@plt>
7810
7811 7 return 0;
7812 8 @}
7813 0x08048348 <+24>: mov $0x0,%eax
7814 0x0804834d <+29>: leave
7815 0x0804834e <+30>: ret
7816
7817 End of assembler dump.
7818 @end smallexample
7819
7820 Here is another example showing raw instructions in hex for AMD x86-64,
7821
7822 @smallexample
7823 (gdb) disas /r 0x400281,+10
7824 Dump of assembler code from 0x400281 to 0x40028b:
7825 0x0000000000400281: 38 36 cmp %dh,(%rsi)
7826 0x0000000000400283: 2d 36 34 2e 73 sub $0x732e3436,%eax
7827 0x0000000000400288: 6f outsl %ds:(%rsi),(%dx)
7828 0x0000000000400289: 2e 32 00 xor %cs:(%rax),%al
7829 End of assembler dump.
7830 @end smallexample
7831
7832 Addresses cannot be specified as a linespec (@pxref{Specify Location}).
7833 So, for example, if you want to disassemble function @code{bar}
7834 in file @file{foo.c}, you must type @samp{disassemble 'foo.c'::bar}
7835 and not @samp{disassemble foo.c:bar}.
7836
7837 Some architectures have more than one commonly-used set of instruction
7838 mnemonics or other syntax.
7839
7840 For programs that were dynamically linked and use shared libraries,
7841 instructions that call functions or branch to locations in the shared
7842 libraries might show a seemingly bogus location---it's actually a
7843 location of the relocation table. On some architectures, @value{GDBN}
7844 might be able to resolve these to actual function names.
7845
7846 @table @code
7847 @kindex set disassembly-flavor
7848 @cindex Intel disassembly flavor
7849 @cindex AT&T disassembly flavor
7850 @item set disassembly-flavor @var{instruction-set}
7851 Select the instruction set to use when disassembling the
7852 program via the @code{disassemble} or @code{x/i} commands.
7853
7854 Currently this command is only defined for the Intel x86 family. You
7855 can set @var{instruction-set} to either @code{intel} or @code{att}.
7856 The default is @code{att}, the AT&T flavor used by default by Unix
7857 assemblers for x86-based targets.
7858
7859 @kindex show disassembly-flavor
7860 @item show disassembly-flavor
7861 Show the current setting of the disassembly flavor.
7862 @end table
7863
7864 @table @code
7865 @kindex set disassemble-next-line
7866 @kindex show disassemble-next-line
7867 @item set disassemble-next-line
7868 @itemx show disassemble-next-line
7869 Control whether or not @value{GDBN} will disassemble the next source
7870 line or instruction when execution stops. If ON, @value{GDBN} will
7871 display disassembly of the next source line when execution of the
7872 program being debugged stops. This is @emph{in addition} to
7873 displaying the source line itself, which @value{GDBN} always does if
7874 possible. If the next source line cannot be displayed for some reason
7875 (e.g., if @value{GDBN} cannot find the source file, or there's no line
7876 info in the debug info), @value{GDBN} will display disassembly of the
7877 next @emph{instruction} instead of showing the next source line. If
7878 AUTO, @value{GDBN} will display disassembly of next instruction only
7879 if the source line cannot be displayed. This setting causes
7880 @value{GDBN} to display some feedback when you step through a function
7881 with no line info or whose source file is unavailable. The default is
7882 OFF, which means never display the disassembly of the next line or
7883 instruction.
7884 @end table
7885
7886
7887 @node Data
7888 @chapter Examining Data
7889
7890 @cindex printing data
7891 @cindex examining data
7892 @kindex print
7893 @kindex inspect
7894 The usual way to examine data in your program is with the @code{print}
7895 command (abbreviated @code{p}), or its synonym @code{inspect}. It
7896 evaluates and prints the value of an expression of the language your
7897 program is written in (@pxref{Languages, ,Using @value{GDBN} with
7898 Different Languages}). It may also print the expression using a
7899 Python-based pretty-printer (@pxref{Pretty Printing}).
7900
7901 @table @code
7902 @item print @var{expr}
7903 @itemx print /@var{f} @var{expr}
7904 @var{expr} is an expression (in the source language). By default the
7905 value of @var{expr} is printed in a format appropriate to its data type;
7906 you can choose a different format by specifying @samp{/@var{f}}, where
7907 @var{f} is a letter specifying the format; see @ref{Output Formats,,Output
7908 Formats}.
7909
7910 @item print
7911 @itemx print /@var{f}
7912 @cindex reprint the last value
7913 If you omit @var{expr}, @value{GDBN} displays the last value again (from the
7914 @dfn{value history}; @pxref{Value History, ,Value History}). This allows you to
7915 conveniently inspect the same value in an alternative format.
7916 @end table
7917
7918 A more low-level way of examining data is with the @code{x} command.
7919 It examines data in memory at a specified address and prints it in a
7920 specified format. @xref{Memory, ,Examining Memory}.
7921
7922 If you are interested in information about types, or about how the
7923 fields of a struct or a class are declared, use the @code{ptype @var{exp}}
7924 command rather than @code{print}. @xref{Symbols, ,Examining the Symbol
7925 Table}.
7926
7927 @cindex exploring hierarchical data structures
7928 @kindex explore
7929 Another way of examining values of expressions and type information is
7930 through the Python extension command @code{explore} (available only if
7931 the @value{GDBN} build is configured with @code{--with-python}). It
7932 offers an interactive way to start at the highest level (or, the most
7933 abstract level) of the data type of an expression (or, the data type
7934 itself) and explore all the way down to leaf scalar values/fields
7935 embedded in the higher level data types.
7936
7937 @table @code
7938 @item explore @var{arg}
7939 @var{arg} is either an expression (in the source language), or a type
7940 visible in the current context of the program being debugged.
7941 @end table
7942
7943 The working of the @code{explore} command can be illustrated with an
7944 example. If a data type @code{struct ComplexStruct} is defined in your
7945 C program as
7946
7947 @smallexample
7948 struct SimpleStruct
7949 @{
7950 int i;
7951 double d;
7952 @};
7953
7954 struct ComplexStruct
7955 @{
7956 struct SimpleStruct *ss_p;
7957 int arr[10];
7958 @};
7959 @end smallexample
7960
7961 @noindent
7962 followed by variable declarations as
7963
7964 @smallexample
7965 struct SimpleStruct ss = @{ 10, 1.11 @};
7966 struct ComplexStruct cs = @{ &ss, @{ 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 @} @};
7967 @end smallexample
7968
7969 @noindent
7970 then, the value of the variable @code{cs} can be explored using the
7971 @code{explore} command as follows.
7972
7973 @smallexample
7974 (gdb) explore cs
7975 The value of `cs' is a struct/class of type `struct ComplexStruct' with
7976 the following fields:
7977
7978 ss_p = <Enter 0 to explore this field of type `struct SimpleStruct *'>
7979 arr = <Enter 1 to explore this field of type `int [10]'>
7980
7981 Enter the field number of choice:
7982 @end smallexample
7983
7984 @noindent
7985 Since the fields of @code{cs} are not scalar values, you are being
7986 prompted to chose the field you want to explore. Let's say you choose
7987 the field @code{ss_p} by entering @code{0}. Then, since this field is a
7988 pointer, you will be asked if it is pointing to a single value. From
7989 the declaration of @code{cs} above, it is indeed pointing to a single
7990 value, hence you enter @code{y}. If you enter @code{n}, then you will
7991 be asked if it were pointing to an array of values, in which case this
7992 field will be explored as if it were an array.
7993
7994 @smallexample
7995 `cs.ss_p' is a pointer to a value of type `struct SimpleStruct'
7996 Continue exploring it as a pointer to a single value [y/n]: y
7997 The value of `*(cs.ss_p)' is a struct/class of type `struct
7998 SimpleStruct' with the following fields:
7999
8000 i = 10 .. (Value of type `int')
8001 d = 1.1100000000000001 .. (Value of type `double')
8002
8003 Press enter to return to parent value:
8004 @end smallexample
8005
8006 @noindent
8007 If the field @code{arr} of @code{cs} was chosen for exploration by
8008 entering @code{1} earlier, then since it is as array, you will be
8009 prompted to enter the index of the element in the array that you want
8010 to explore.
8011
8012 @smallexample
8013 `cs.arr' is an array of `int'.
8014 Enter the index of the element you want to explore in `cs.arr': 5
8015
8016 `(cs.arr)[5]' is a scalar value of type `int'.
8017
8018 (cs.arr)[5] = 4
8019
8020 Press enter to return to parent value:
8021 @end smallexample
8022
8023 In general, at any stage of exploration, you can go deeper towards the
8024 leaf values by responding to the prompts appropriately, or hit the
8025 return key to return to the enclosing data structure (the @i{higher}
8026 level data structure).
8027
8028 Similar to exploring values, you can use the @code{explore} command to
8029 explore types. Instead of specifying a value (which is typically a
8030 variable name or an expression valid in the current context of the
8031 program being debugged), you specify a type name. If you consider the
8032 same example as above, your can explore the type
8033 @code{struct ComplexStruct} by passing the argument
8034 @code{struct ComplexStruct} to the @code{explore} command.
8035
8036 @smallexample
8037 (gdb) explore struct ComplexStruct
8038 @end smallexample
8039
8040 @noindent
8041 By responding to the prompts appropriately in the subsequent interactive
8042 session, you can explore the type @code{struct ComplexStruct} in a
8043 manner similar to how the value @code{cs} was explored in the above
8044 example.
8045
8046 The @code{explore} command also has two sub-commands,
8047 @code{explore value} and @code{explore type}. The former sub-command is
8048 a way to explicitly specify that value exploration of the argument is
8049 being invoked, while the latter is a way to explicitly specify that type
8050 exploration of the argument is being invoked.
8051
8052 @table @code
8053 @item explore value @var{expr}
8054 @cindex explore value
8055 This sub-command of @code{explore} explores the value of the
8056 expression @var{expr} (if @var{expr} is an expression valid in the
8057 current context of the program being debugged). The behavior of this
8058 command is identical to that of the behavior of the @code{explore}
8059 command being passed the argument @var{expr}.
8060
8061 @item explore type @var{arg}
8062 @cindex explore type
8063 This sub-command of @code{explore} explores the type of @var{arg} (if
8064 @var{arg} is a type visible in the current context of program being
8065 debugged), or the type of the value/expression @var{arg} (if @var{arg}
8066 is an expression valid in the current context of the program being
8067 debugged). If @var{arg} is a type, then the behavior of this command is
8068 identical to that of the @code{explore} command being passed the
8069 argument @var{arg}. If @var{arg} is an expression, then the behavior of
8070 this command will be identical to that of the @code{explore} command
8071 being passed the type of @var{arg} as the argument.
8072 @end table
8073
8074 @menu
8075 * Expressions:: Expressions
8076 * Ambiguous Expressions:: Ambiguous Expressions
8077 * Variables:: Program variables
8078 * Arrays:: Artificial arrays
8079 * Output Formats:: Output formats
8080 * Memory:: Examining memory
8081 * Auto Display:: Automatic display
8082 * Print Settings:: Print settings
8083 * Pretty Printing:: Python pretty printing
8084 * Value History:: Value history
8085 * Convenience Vars:: Convenience variables
8086 * Convenience Funs:: Convenience functions
8087 * Registers:: Registers
8088 * Floating Point Hardware:: Floating point hardware
8089 * Vector Unit:: Vector Unit
8090 * OS Information:: Auxiliary data provided by operating system
8091 * Memory Region Attributes:: Memory region attributes
8092 * Dump/Restore Files:: Copy between memory and a file
8093 * Core File Generation:: Cause a program dump its core
8094 * Character Sets:: Debugging programs that use a different
8095 character set than GDB does
8096 * Caching Target Data:: Data caching for targets
8097 * Searching Memory:: Searching memory for a sequence of bytes
8098 @end menu
8099
8100 @node Expressions
8101 @section Expressions
8102
8103 @cindex expressions
8104 @code{print} and many other @value{GDBN} commands accept an expression and
8105 compute its value. Any kind of constant, variable or operator defined
8106 by the programming language you are using is valid in an expression in
8107 @value{GDBN}. This includes conditional expressions, function calls,
8108 casts, and string constants. It also includes preprocessor macros, if
8109 you compiled your program to include this information; see
8110 @ref{Compilation}.
8111
8112 @cindex arrays in expressions
8113 @value{GDBN} supports array constants in expressions input by
8114 the user. The syntax is @{@var{element}, @var{element}@dots{}@}. For example,
8115 you can use the command @code{print @{1, 2, 3@}} to create an array
8116 of three integers. If you pass an array to a function or assign it
8117 to a program variable, @value{GDBN} copies the array to memory that
8118 is @code{malloc}ed in the target program.
8119
8120 Because C is so widespread, most of the expressions shown in examples in
8121 this manual are in C. @xref{Languages, , Using @value{GDBN} with Different
8122 Languages}, for information on how to use expressions in other
8123 languages.
8124
8125 In this section, we discuss operators that you can use in @value{GDBN}
8126 expressions regardless of your programming language.
8127
8128 @cindex casts, in expressions
8129 Casts are supported in all languages, not just in C, because it is so
8130 useful to cast a number into a pointer in order to examine a structure
8131 at that address in memory.
8132 @c FIXME: casts supported---Mod2 true?
8133
8134 @value{GDBN} supports these operators, in addition to those common
8135 to programming languages:
8136
8137 @table @code
8138 @item @@
8139 @samp{@@} is a binary operator for treating parts of memory as arrays.
8140 @xref{Arrays, ,Artificial Arrays}, for more information.
8141
8142 @item ::
8143 @samp{::} allows you to specify a variable in terms of the file or
8144 function where it is defined. @xref{Variables, ,Program Variables}.
8145
8146 @cindex @{@var{type}@}
8147 @cindex type casting memory
8148 @cindex memory, viewing as typed object
8149 @cindex casts, to view memory
8150 @item @{@var{type}@} @var{addr}
8151 Refers to an object of type @var{type} stored at address @var{addr} in
8152 memory. @var{addr} may be any expression whose value is an integer or
8153 pointer (but parentheses are required around binary operators, just as in
8154 a cast). This construct is allowed regardless of what kind of data is
8155 normally supposed to reside at @var{addr}.
8156 @end table
8157
8158 @node Ambiguous Expressions
8159 @section Ambiguous Expressions
8160 @cindex ambiguous expressions
8161
8162 Expressions can sometimes contain some ambiguous elements. For instance,
8163 some programming languages (notably Ada, C@t{++} and Objective-C) permit
8164 a single function name to be defined several times, for application in
8165 different contexts. This is called @dfn{overloading}. Another example
8166 involving Ada is generics. A @dfn{generic package} is similar to C@t{++}
8167 templates and is typically instantiated several times, resulting in
8168 the same function name being defined in different contexts.
8169
8170 In some cases and depending on the language, it is possible to adjust
8171 the expression to remove the ambiguity. For instance in C@t{++}, you
8172 can specify the signature of the function you want to break on, as in
8173 @kbd{break @var{function}(@var{types})}. In Ada, using the fully
8174 qualified name of your function often makes the expression unambiguous
8175 as well.
8176
8177 When an ambiguity that needs to be resolved is detected, the debugger
8178 has the capability to display a menu of numbered choices for each
8179 possibility, and then waits for the selection with the prompt @samp{>}.
8180 The first option is always @samp{[0] cancel}, and typing @kbd{0 @key{RET}}
8181 aborts the current command. If the command in which the expression was
8182 used allows more than one choice to be selected, the next option in the
8183 menu is @samp{[1] all}, and typing @kbd{1 @key{RET}} selects all possible
8184 choices.
8185
8186 For example, the following session excerpt shows an attempt to set a
8187 breakpoint at the overloaded symbol @code{String::after}.
8188 We choose three particular definitions of that function name:
8189
8190 @c FIXME! This is likely to change to show arg type lists, at least
8191 @smallexample
8192 @group
8193 (@value{GDBP}) b String::after
8194 [0] cancel
8195 [1] all
8196 [2] file:String.cc; line number:867
8197 [3] file:String.cc; line number:860
8198 [4] file:String.cc; line number:875
8199 [5] file:String.cc; line number:853
8200 [6] file:String.cc; line number:846
8201 [7] file:String.cc; line number:735
8202 > 2 4 6
8203 Breakpoint 1 at 0xb26c: file String.cc, line 867.
8204 Breakpoint 2 at 0xb344: file String.cc, line 875.
8205 Breakpoint 3 at 0xafcc: file String.cc, line 846.
8206 Multiple breakpoints were set.
8207 Use the "delete" command to delete unwanted
8208 breakpoints.
8209 (@value{GDBP})
8210 @end group
8211 @end smallexample
8212
8213 @table @code
8214 @kindex set multiple-symbols
8215 @item set multiple-symbols @var{mode}
8216 @cindex multiple-symbols menu
8217
8218 This option allows you to adjust the debugger behavior when an expression
8219 is ambiguous.
8220
8221 By default, @var{mode} is set to @code{all}. If the command with which
8222 the expression is used allows more than one choice, then @value{GDBN}
8223 automatically selects all possible choices. For instance, inserting
8224 a breakpoint on a function using an ambiguous name results in a breakpoint
8225 inserted on each possible match. However, if a unique choice must be made,
8226 then @value{GDBN} uses the menu to help you disambiguate the expression.
8227 For instance, printing the address of an overloaded function will result
8228 in the use of the menu.
8229
8230 When @var{mode} is set to @code{ask}, the debugger always uses the menu
8231 when an ambiguity is detected.
8232
8233 Finally, when @var{mode} is set to @code{cancel}, the debugger reports
8234 an error due to the ambiguity and the command is aborted.
8235
8236 @kindex show multiple-symbols
8237 @item show multiple-symbols
8238 Show the current value of the @code{multiple-symbols} setting.
8239 @end table
8240
8241 @node Variables
8242 @section Program Variables
8243
8244 The most common kind of expression to use is the name of a variable
8245 in your program.
8246
8247 Variables in expressions are understood in the selected stack frame
8248 (@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}); they must be either:
8249
8250 @itemize @bullet
8251 @item
8252 global (or file-static)
8253 @end itemize
8254
8255 @noindent or
8256
8257 @itemize @bullet
8258 @item
8259 visible according to the scope rules of the
8260 programming language from the point of execution in that frame
8261 @end itemize
8262
8263 @noindent This means that in the function
8264
8265 @smallexample
8266 foo (a)
8267 int a;
8268 @{
8269 bar (a);
8270 @{
8271 int b = test ();
8272 bar (b);
8273 @}
8274 @}
8275 @end smallexample
8276
8277 @noindent
8278 you can examine and use the variable @code{a} whenever your program is
8279 executing within the function @code{foo}, but you can only use or
8280 examine the variable @code{b} while your program is executing inside
8281 the block where @code{b} is declared.
8282
8283 @cindex variable name conflict
8284 There is an exception: you can refer to a variable or function whose
8285 scope is a single source file even if the current execution point is not
8286 in this file. But it is possible to have more than one such variable or
8287 function with the same name (in different source files). If that
8288 happens, referring to that name has unpredictable effects. If you wish,
8289 you can specify a static variable in a particular function or file by
8290 using the colon-colon (@code{::}) notation:
8291
8292 @cindex colon-colon, context for variables/functions
8293 @ifnotinfo
8294 @c info cannot cope with a :: index entry, but why deprive hard copy readers?
8295 @cindex @code{::}, context for variables/functions
8296 @end ifnotinfo
8297 @smallexample
8298 @var{file}::@var{variable}
8299 @var{function}::@var{variable}
8300 @end smallexample
8301
8302 @noindent
8303 Here @var{file} or @var{function} is the name of the context for the
8304 static @var{variable}. In the case of file names, you can use quotes to
8305 make sure @value{GDBN} parses the file name as a single word---for example,
8306 to print a global value of @code{x} defined in @file{f2.c}:
8307
8308 @smallexample
8309 (@value{GDBP}) p 'f2.c'::x
8310 @end smallexample
8311
8312 The @code{::} notation is normally used for referring to
8313 static variables, since you typically disambiguate uses of local variables
8314 in functions by selecting the appropriate frame and using the
8315 simple name of the variable. However, you may also use this notation
8316 to refer to local variables in frames enclosing the selected frame:
8317
8318 @smallexample
8319 void
8320 foo (int a)
8321 @{
8322 if (a < 10)
8323 bar (a);
8324 else
8325 process (a); /* Stop here */
8326 @}
8327
8328 int
8329 bar (int a)
8330 @{
8331 foo (a + 5);
8332 @}
8333 @end smallexample
8334
8335 @noindent
8336 For example, if there is a breakpoint at the commented line,
8337 here is what you might see
8338 when the program stops after executing the call @code{bar(0)}:
8339
8340 @smallexample
8341 (@value{GDBP}) p a
8342 $1 = 10
8343 (@value{GDBP}) p bar::a
8344 $2 = 5
8345 (@value{GDBP}) up 2
8346 #2 0x080483d0 in foo (a=5) at foobar.c:12
8347 (@value{GDBP}) p a
8348 $3 = 5
8349 (@value{GDBP}) p bar::a
8350 $4 = 0
8351 @end smallexample
8352
8353 @cindex C@t{++} scope resolution
8354 These uses of @samp{::} are very rarely in conflict with the very
8355 similar use of the same notation in C@t{++}. When they are in
8356 conflict, the C@t{++} meaning takes precedence; however, this can be
8357 overridden by quoting the file or function name with single quotes.
8358
8359 For example, suppose the program is stopped in a method of a class
8360 that has a field named @code{includefile}, and there is also an
8361 include file named @file{includefile} that defines a variable,
8362 @code{some_global}.
8363
8364 @smallexample
8365 (@value{GDBP}) p includefile
8366 $1 = 23
8367 (@value{GDBP}) p includefile::some_global
8368 A syntax error in expression, near `'.
8369 (@value{GDBP}) p 'includefile'::some_global
8370 $2 = 27
8371 @end smallexample
8372
8373 @cindex wrong values
8374 @cindex variable values, wrong
8375 @cindex function entry/exit, wrong values of variables
8376 @cindex optimized code, wrong values of variables
8377 @quotation
8378 @emph{Warning:} Occasionally, a local variable may appear to have the
8379 wrong value at certain points in a function---just after entry to a new
8380 scope, and just before exit.
8381 @end quotation
8382 You may see this problem when you are stepping by machine instructions.
8383 This is because, on most machines, it takes more than one instruction to
8384 set up a stack frame (including local variable definitions); if you are
8385 stepping by machine instructions, variables may appear to have the wrong
8386 values until the stack frame is completely built. On exit, it usually
8387 also takes more than one machine instruction to destroy a stack frame;
8388 after you begin stepping through that group of instructions, local
8389 variable definitions may be gone.
8390
8391 This may also happen when the compiler does significant optimizations.
8392 To be sure of always seeing accurate values, turn off all optimization
8393 when compiling.
8394
8395 @cindex ``No symbol "foo" in current context''
8396 Another possible effect of compiler optimizations is to optimize
8397 unused variables out of existence, or assign variables to registers (as
8398 opposed to memory addresses). Depending on the support for such cases
8399 offered by the debug info format used by the compiler, @value{GDBN}
8400 might not be able to display values for such local variables. If that
8401 happens, @value{GDBN} will print a message like this:
8402
8403 @smallexample
8404 No symbol "foo" in current context.
8405 @end smallexample
8406
8407 To solve such problems, either recompile without optimizations, or use a
8408 different debug info format, if the compiler supports several such
8409 formats. @xref{Compilation}, for more information on choosing compiler
8410 options. @xref{C, ,C and C@t{++}}, for more information about debug
8411 info formats that are best suited to C@t{++} programs.
8412
8413 If you ask to print an object whose contents are unknown to
8414 @value{GDBN}, e.g., because its data type is not completely specified
8415 by the debug information, @value{GDBN} will say @samp{<incomplete
8416 type>}. @xref{Symbols, incomplete type}, for more about this.
8417
8418 If you append @kbd{@@entry} string to a function parameter name you get its
8419 value at the time the function got called. If the value is not available an
8420 error message is printed. Entry values are available only with some compilers.
8421 Entry values are normally also printed at the function parameter list according
8422 to @ref{set print entry-values}.
8423
8424 @smallexample
8425 Breakpoint 1, d (i=30) at gdb.base/entry-value.c:29
8426 29 i++;
8427 (gdb) next
8428 30 e (i);
8429 (gdb) print i
8430 $1 = 31
8431 (gdb) print i@@entry
8432 $2 = 30
8433 @end smallexample
8434
8435 Strings are identified as arrays of @code{char} values without specified
8436 signedness. Arrays of either @code{signed char} or @code{unsigned char} get
8437 printed as arrays of 1 byte sized integers. @code{-fsigned-char} or
8438 @code{-funsigned-char} @value{NGCC} options have no effect as @value{GDBN}
8439 defines literal string type @code{"char"} as @code{char} without a sign.
8440 For program code
8441
8442 @smallexample
8443 char var0[] = "A";
8444 signed char var1[] = "A";
8445 @end smallexample
8446
8447 You get during debugging
8448 @smallexample
8449 (gdb) print var0
8450 $1 = "A"
8451 (gdb) print var1
8452 $2 = @{65 'A', 0 '\0'@}
8453 @end smallexample
8454
8455 @node Arrays
8456 @section Artificial Arrays
8457
8458 @cindex artificial array
8459 @cindex arrays
8460 @kindex @@@r{, referencing memory as an array}
8461 It is often useful to print out several successive objects of the
8462 same type in memory; a section of an array, or an array of
8463 dynamically determined size for which only a pointer exists in the
8464 program.
8465
8466 You can do this by referring to a contiguous span of memory as an
8467 @dfn{artificial array}, using the binary operator @samp{@@}. The left
8468 operand of @samp{@@} should be the first element of the desired array
8469 and be an individual object. The right operand should be the desired length
8470 of the array. The result is an array value whose elements are all of
8471 the type of the left argument. The first element is actually the left
8472 argument; the second element comes from bytes of memory immediately
8473 following those that hold the first element, and so on. Here is an
8474 example. If a program says
8475
8476 @smallexample
8477 int *array = (int *) malloc (len * sizeof (int));
8478 @end smallexample
8479
8480 @noindent
8481 you can print the contents of @code{array} with
8482
8483 @smallexample
8484 p *array@@len
8485 @end smallexample
8486
8487 The left operand of @samp{@@} must reside in memory. Array values made
8488 with @samp{@@} in this way behave just like other arrays in terms of
8489 subscripting, and are coerced to pointers when used in expressions.
8490 Artificial arrays most often appear in expressions via the value history
8491 (@pxref{Value History, ,Value History}), after printing one out.
8492
8493 Another way to create an artificial array is to use a cast.
8494 This re-interprets a value as if it were an array.
8495 The value need not be in memory:
8496 @smallexample
8497 (@value{GDBP}) p/x (short[2])0x12345678
8498 $1 = @{0x1234, 0x5678@}
8499 @end smallexample
8500
8501 As a convenience, if you leave the array length out (as in
8502 @samp{(@var{type}[])@var{value}}) @value{GDBN} calculates the size to fill
8503 the value (as @samp{sizeof(@var{value})/sizeof(@var{type})}:
8504 @smallexample
8505 (@value{GDBP}) p/x (short[])0x12345678
8506 $2 = @{0x1234, 0x5678@}
8507 @end smallexample
8508
8509 Sometimes the artificial array mechanism is not quite enough; in
8510 moderately complex data structures, the elements of interest may not
8511 actually be adjacent---for example, if you are interested in the values
8512 of pointers in an array. One useful work-around in this situation is
8513 to use a convenience variable (@pxref{Convenience Vars, ,Convenience
8514 Variables}) as a counter in an expression that prints the first
8515 interesting value, and then repeat that expression via @key{RET}. For
8516 instance, suppose you have an array @code{dtab} of pointers to
8517 structures, and you are interested in the values of a field @code{fv}
8518 in each structure. Here is an example of what you might type:
8519
8520 @smallexample
8521 set $i = 0
8522 p dtab[$i++]->fv
8523 @key{RET}
8524 @key{RET}
8525 @dots{}
8526 @end smallexample
8527
8528 @node Output Formats
8529 @section Output Formats
8530
8531 @cindex formatted output
8532 @cindex output formats
8533 By default, @value{GDBN} prints a value according to its data type. Sometimes
8534 this is not what you want. For example, you might want to print a number
8535 in hex, or a pointer in decimal. Or you might want to view data in memory
8536 at a certain address as a character string or as an instruction. To do
8537 these things, specify an @dfn{output format} when you print a value.
8538
8539 The simplest use of output formats is to say how to print a value
8540 already computed. This is done by starting the arguments of the
8541 @code{print} command with a slash and a format letter. The format
8542 letters supported are:
8543
8544 @table @code
8545 @item x
8546 Regard the bits of the value as an integer, and print the integer in
8547 hexadecimal.
8548
8549 @item d
8550 Print as integer in signed decimal.
8551
8552 @item u
8553 Print as integer in unsigned decimal.
8554
8555 @item o
8556 Print as integer in octal.
8557
8558 @item t
8559 Print as integer in binary. The letter @samp{t} stands for ``two''.
8560 @footnote{@samp{b} cannot be used because these format letters are also
8561 used with the @code{x} command, where @samp{b} stands for ``byte'';
8562 see @ref{Memory,,Examining Memory}.}
8563
8564 @item a
8565 @cindex unknown address, locating
8566 @cindex locate address
8567 Print as an address, both absolute in hexadecimal and as an offset from
8568 the nearest preceding symbol. You can use this format used to discover
8569 where (in what function) an unknown address is located:
8570
8571 @smallexample
8572 (@value{GDBP}) p/a 0x54320
8573 $3 = 0x54320 <_initialize_vx+396>
8574 @end smallexample
8575
8576 @noindent
8577 The command @code{info symbol 0x54320} yields similar results.
8578 @xref{Symbols, info symbol}.
8579
8580 @item c
8581 Regard as an integer and print it as a character constant. This
8582 prints both the numerical value and its character representation. The
8583 character representation is replaced with the octal escape @samp{\nnn}
8584 for characters outside the 7-bit @sc{ascii} range.
8585
8586 Without this format, @value{GDBN} displays @code{char},
8587 @w{@code{unsigned char}}, and @w{@code{signed char}} data as character
8588 constants. Single-byte members of vectors are displayed as integer
8589 data.
8590
8591 @item f
8592 Regard the bits of the value as a floating point number and print
8593 using typical floating point syntax.
8594
8595 @item s
8596 @cindex printing strings
8597 @cindex printing byte arrays
8598 Regard as a string, if possible. With this format, pointers to single-byte
8599 data are displayed as null-terminated strings and arrays of single-byte data
8600 are displayed as fixed-length strings. Other values are displayed in their
8601 natural types.
8602
8603 Without this format, @value{GDBN} displays pointers to and arrays of
8604 @code{char}, @w{@code{unsigned char}}, and @w{@code{signed char}} as
8605 strings. Single-byte members of a vector are displayed as an integer
8606 array.
8607
8608 @item z
8609 Like @samp{x} formatting, the value is treated as an integer and
8610 printed as hexadecimal, but leading zeros are printed to pad the value
8611 to the size of the integer type.
8612
8613 @item r
8614 @cindex raw printing
8615 Print using the @samp{raw} formatting. By default, @value{GDBN} will
8616 use a Python-based pretty-printer, if one is available (@pxref{Pretty
8617 Printing}). This typically results in a higher-level display of the
8618 value's contents. The @samp{r} format bypasses any Python
8619 pretty-printer which might exist.
8620 @end table
8621
8622 For example, to print the program counter in hex (@pxref{Registers}), type
8623
8624 @smallexample
8625 p/x $pc
8626 @end smallexample
8627
8628 @noindent
8629 Note that no space is required before the slash; this is because command
8630 names in @value{GDBN} cannot contain a slash.
8631
8632 To reprint the last value in the value history with a different format,
8633 you can use the @code{print} command with just a format and no
8634 expression. For example, @samp{p/x} reprints the last value in hex.
8635
8636 @node Memory
8637 @section Examining Memory
8638
8639 You can use the command @code{x} (for ``examine'') to examine memory in
8640 any of several formats, independently of your program's data types.
8641
8642 @cindex examining memory
8643 @table @code
8644 @kindex x @r{(examine memory)}
8645 @item x/@var{nfu} @var{addr}
8646 @itemx x @var{addr}
8647 @itemx x
8648 Use the @code{x} command to examine memory.
8649 @end table
8650
8651 @var{n}, @var{f}, and @var{u} are all optional parameters that specify how
8652 much memory to display and how to format it; @var{addr} is an
8653 expression giving the address where you want to start displaying memory.
8654 If you use defaults for @var{nfu}, you need not type the slash @samp{/}.
8655 Several commands set convenient defaults for @var{addr}.
8656
8657 @table @r
8658 @item @var{n}, the repeat count
8659 The repeat count is a decimal integer; the default is 1. It specifies
8660 how much memory (counting by units @var{u}) to display.
8661 @c This really is **decimal**; unaffected by 'set radix' as of GDB
8662 @c 4.1.2.
8663
8664 @item @var{f}, the display format
8665 The display format is one of the formats used by @code{print}
8666 (@samp{x}, @samp{d}, @samp{u}, @samp{o}, @samp{t}, @samp{a}, @samp{c},
8667 @samp{f}, @samp{s}), and in addition @samp{i} (for machine instructions).
8668 The default is @samp{x} (hexadecimal) initially. The default changes
8669 each time you use either @code{x} or @code{print}.
8670
8671 @item @var{u}, the unit size
8672 The unit size is any of
8673
8674 @table @code
8675 @item b
8676 Bytes.
8677 @item h
8678 Halfwords (two bytes).
8679 @item w
8680 Words (four bytes). This is the initial default.
8681 @item g
8682 Giant words (eight bytes).
8683 @end table
8684
8685 Each time you specify a unit size with @code{x}, that size becomes the
8686 default unit the next time you use @code{x}. For the @samp{i} format,
8687 the unit size is ignored and is normally not written. For the @samp{s} format,
8688 the unit size defaults to @samp{b}, unless it is explicitly given.
8689 Use @kbd{x /hs} to display 16-bit char strings and @kbd{x /ws} to display
8690 32-bit strings. The next use of @kbd{x /s} will again display 8-bit strings.
8691 Note that the results depend on the programming language of the
8692 current compilation unit. If the language is C, the @samp{s}
8693 modifier will use the UTF-16 encoding while @samp{w} will use
8694 UTF-32. The encoding is set by the programming language and cannot
8695 be altered.
8696
8697 @item @var{addr}, starting display address
8698 @var{addr} is the address where you want @value{GDBN} to begin displaying
8699 memory. The expression need not have a pointer value (though it may);
8700 it is always interpreted as an integer address of a byte of memory.
8701 @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}, for more information on expressions. The default for
8702 @var{addr} is usually just after the last address examined---but several
8703 other commands also set the default address: @code{info breakpoints} (to
8704 the address of the last breakpoint listed), @code{info line} (to the
8705 starting address of a line), and @code{print} (if you use it to display
8706 a value from memory).
8707 @end table
8708
8709 For example, @samp{x/3uh 0x54320} is a request to display three halfwords
8710 (@code{h}) of memory, formatted as unsigned decimal integers (@samp{u}),
8711 starting at address @code{0x54320}. @samp{x/4xw $sp} prints the four
8712 words (@samp{w}) of memory above the stack pointer (here, @samp{$sp};
8713 @pxref{Registers, ,Registers}) in hexadecimal (@samp{x}).
8714
8715 Since the letters indicating unit sizes are all distinct from the
8716 letters specifying output formats, you do not have to remember whether
8717 unit size or format comes first; either order works. The output
8718 specifications @samp{4xw} and @samp{4wx} mean exactly the same thing.
8719 (However, the count @var{n} must come first; @samp{wx4} does not work.)
8720
8721 Even though the unit size @var{u} is ignored for the formats @samp{s}
8722 and @samp{i}, you might still want to use a count @var{n}; for example,
8723 @samp{3i} specifies that you want to see three machine instructions,
8724 including any operands. For convenience, especially when used with
8725 the @code{display} command, the @samp{i} format also prints branch delay
8726 slot instructions, if any, beyond the count specified, which immediately
8727 follow the last instruction that is within the count. The command
8728 @code{disassemble} gives an alternative way of inspecting machine
8729 instructions; see @ref{Machine Code,,Source and Machine Code}.
8730
8731 All the defaults for the arguments to @code{x} are designed to make it
8732 easy to continue scanning memory with minimal specifications each time
8733 you use @code{x}. For example, after you have inspected three machine
8734 instructions with @samp{x/3i @var{addr}}, you can inspect the next seven
8735 with just @samp{x/7}. If you use @key{RET} to repeat the @code{x} command,
8736 the repeat count @var{n} is used again; the other arguments default as
8737 for successive uses of @code{x}.
8738
8739 When examining machine instructions, the instruction at current program
8740 counter is shown with a @code{=>} marker. For example:
8741
8742 @smallexample
8743 (@value{GDBP}) x/5i $pc-6
8744 0x804837f <main+11>: mov %esp,%ebp
8745 0x8048381 <main+13>: push %ecx
8746 0x8048382 <main+14>: sub $0x4,%esp
8747 => 0x8048385 <main+17>: movl $0x8048460,(%esp)
8748 0x804838c <main+24>: call 0x80482d4 <puts@@plt>
8749 @end smallexample
8750
8751 @cindex @code{$_}, @code{$__}, and value history
8752 The addresses and contents printed by the @code{x} command are not saved
8753 in the value history because there is often too much of them and they
8754 would get in the way. Instead, @value{GDBN} makes these values available for
8755 subsequent use in expressions as values of the convenience variables
8756 @code{$_} and @code{$__}. After an @code{x} command, the last address
8757 examined is available for use in expressions in the convenience variable
8758 @code{$_}. The contents of that address, as examined, are available in
8759 the convenience variable @code{$__}.
8760
8761 If the @code{x} command has a repeat count, the address and contents saved
8762 are from the last memory unit printed; this is not the same as the last
8763 address printed if several units were printed on the last line of output.
8764
8765 @cindex remote memory comparison
8766 @cindex verify remote memory image
8767 When you are debugging a program running on a remote target machine
8768 (@pxref{Remote Debugging}), you may wish to verify the program's image in the
8769 remote machine's memory against the executable file you downloaded to
8770 the target. The @code{compare-sections} command is provided for such
8771 situations.
8772
8773 @table @code
8774 @kindex compare-sections
8775 @item compare-sections @r{[}@var{section-name}@r{]}
8776 Compare the data of a loadable section @var{section-name} in the
8777 executable file of the program being debugged with the same section in
8778 the remote machine's memory, and report any mismatches. With no
8779 arguments, compares all loadable sections. This command's
8780 availability depends on the target's support for the @code{"qCRC"}
8781 remote request.
8782 @end table
8783
8784 @node Auto Display
8785 @section Automatic Display
8786 @cindex automatic display
8787 @cindex display of expressions
8788
8789 If you find that you want to print the value of an expression frequently
8790 (to see how it changes), you might want to add it to the @dfn{automatic
8791 display list} so that @value{GDBN} prints its value each time your program stops.
8792 Each expression added to the list is given a number to identify it;
8793 to remove an expression from the list, you specify that number.
8794 The automatic display looks like this:
8795
8796 @smallexample
8797 2: foo = 38
8798 3: bar[5] = (struct hack *) 0x3804
8799 @end smallexample
8800
8801 @noindent
8802 This display shows item numbers, expressions and their current values. As with
8803 displays you request manually using @code{x} or @code{print}, you can
8804 specify the output format you prefer; in fact, @code{display} decides
8805 whether to use @code{print} or @code{x} depending your format
8806 specification---it uses @code{x} if you specify either the @samp{i}
8807 or @samp{s} format, or a unit size; otherwise it uses @code{print}.
8808
8809 @table @code
8810 @kindex display
8811 @item display @var{expr}
8812 Add the expression @var{expr} to the list of expressions to display
8813 each time your program stops. @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}.
8814
8815 @code{display} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} again after using it.
8816
8817 @item display/@var{fmt} @var{expr}
8818 For @var{fmt} specifying only a display format and not a size or
8819 count, add the expression @var{expr} to the auto-display list but
8820 arrange to display it each time in the specified format @var{fmt}.
8821 @xref{Output Formats,,Output Formats}.
8822
8823 @item display/@var{fmt} @var{addr}
8824 For @var{fmt} @samp{i} or @samp{s}, or including a unit-size or a
8825 number of units, add the expression @var{addr} as a memory address to
8826 be examined each time your program stops. Examining means in effect
8827 doing @samp{x/@var{fmt} @var{addr}}. @xref{Memory, ,Examining Memory}.
8828 @end table
8829
8830 For example, @samp{display/i $pc} can be helpful, to see the machine
8831 instruction about to be executed each time execution stops (@samp{$pc}
8832 is a common name for the program counter; @pxref{Registers, ,Registers}).
8833
8834 @table @code
8835 @kindex delete display
8836 @kindex undisplay
8837 @item undisplay @var{dnums}@dots{}
8838 @itemx delete display @var{dnums}@dots{}
8839 Remove items from the list of expressions to display. Specify the
8840 numbers of the displays that you want affected with the command
8841 argument @var{dnums}. It can be a single display number, one of the
8842 numbers shown in the first field of the @samp{info display} display;
8843 or it could be a range of display numbers, as in @code{2-4}.
8844
8845 @code{undisplay} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} after using it.
8846 (Otherwise you would just get the error @samp{No display number @dots{}}.)
8847
8848 @kindex disable display
8849 @item disable display @var{dnums}@dots{}
8850 Disable the display of item numbers @var{dnums}. A disabled display
8851 item is not printed automatically, but is not forgotten. It may be
8852 enabled again later. Specify the numbers of the displays that you
8853 want affected with the command argument @var{dnums}. It can be a
8854 single display number, one of the numbers shown in the first field of
8855 the @samp{info display} display; or it could be a range of display
8856 numbers, as in @code{2-4}.
8857
8858 @kindex enable display
8859 @item enable display @var{dnums}@dots{}
8860 Enable display of item numbers @var{dnums}. It becomes effective once
8861 again in auto display of its expression, until you specify otherwise.
8862 Specify the numbers of the displays that you want affected with the
8863 command argument @var{dnums}. It can be a single display number, one
8864 of the numbers shown in the first field of the @samp{info display}
8865 display; or it could be a range of display numbers, as in @code{2-4}.
8866
8867 @item display
8868 Display the current values of the expressions on the list, just as is
8869 done when your program stops.
8870
8871 @kindex info display
8872 @item info display
8873 Print the list of expressions previously set up to display
8874 automatically, each one with its item number, but without showing the
8875 values. This includes disabled expressions, which are marked as such.
8876 It also includes expressions which would not be displayed right now
8877 because they refer to automatic variables not currently available.
8878 @end table
8879
8880 @cindex display disabled out of scope
8881 If a display expression refers to local variables, then it does not make
8882 sense outside the lexical context for which it was set up. Such an
8883 expression is disabled when execution enters a context where one of its
8884 variables is not defined. For example, if you give the command
8885 @code{display last_char} while inside a function with an argument
8886 @code{last_char}, @value{GDBN} displays this argument while your program
8887 continues to stop inside that function. When it stops elsewhere---where
8888 there is no variable @code{last_char}---the display is disabled
8889 automatically. The next time your program stops where @code{last_char}
8890 is meaningful, you can enable the display expression once again.
8891
8892 @node Print Settings
8893 @section Print Settings
8894
8895 @cindex format options
8896 @cindex print settings
8897 @value{GDBN} provides the following ways to control how arrays, structures,
8898 and symbols are printed.
8899
8900 @noindent
8901 These settings are useful for debugging programs in any language:
8902
8903 @table @code
8904 @kindex set print
8905 @item set print address
8906 @itemx set print address on
8907 @cindex print/don't print memory addresses
8908 @value{GDBN} prints memory addresses showing the location of stack
8909 traces, structure values, pointer values, breakpoints, and so forth,
8910 even when it also displays the contents of those addresses. The default
8911 is @code{on}. For example, this is what a stack frame display looks like with
8912 @code{set print address on}:
8913
8914 @smallexample
8915 @group
8916 (@value{GDBP}) f
8917 #0 set_quotes (lq=0x34c78 "<<", rq=0x34c88 ">>")
8918 at input.c:530
8919 530 if (lquote != def_lquote)
8920 @end group
8921 @end smallexample
8922
8923 @item set print address off
8924 Do not print addresses when displaying their contents. For example,
8925 this is the same stack frame displayed with @code{set print address off}:
8926
8927 @smallexample
8928 @group
8929 (@value{GDBP}) set print addr off
8930 (@value{GDBP}) f
8931 #0 set_quotes (lq="<<", rq=">>") at input.c:530
8932 530 if (lquote != def_lquote)
8933 @end group
8934 @end smallexample
8935
8936 You can use @samp{set print address off} to eliminate all machine
8937 dependent displays from the @value{GDBN} interface. For example, with
8938 @code{print address off}, you should get the same text for backtraces on
8939 all machines---whether or not they involve pointer arguments.
8940
8941 @kindex show print
8942 @item show print address
8943 Show whether or not addresses are to be printed.
8944 @end table
8945
8946 When @value{GDBN} prints a symbolic address, it normally prints the
8947 closest earlier symbol plus an offset. If that symbol does not uniquely
8948 identify the address (for example, it is a name whose scope is a single
8949 source file), you may need to clarify. One way to do this is with
8950 @code{info line}, for example @samp{info line *0x4537}. Alternately,
8951 you can set @value{GDBN} to print the source file and line number when
8952 it prints a symbolic address:
8953
8954 @table @code
8955 @item set print symbol-filename on
8956 @cindex source file and line of a symbol
8957 @cindex symbol, source file and line
8958 Tell @value{GDBN} to print the source file name and line number of a
8959 symbol in the symbolic form of an address.
8960
8961 @item set print symbol-filename off
8962 Do not print source file name and line number of a symbol. This is the
8963 default.
8964
8965 @item show print symbol-filename
8966 Show whether or not @value{GDBN} will print the source file name and
8967 line number of a symbol in the symbolic form of an address.
8968 @end table
8969
8970 Another situation where it is helpful to show symbol filenames and line
8971 numbers is when disassembling code; @value{GDBN} shows you the line
8972 number and source file that corresponds to each instruction.
8973
8974 Also, you may wish to see the symbolic form only if the address being
8975 printed is reasonably close to the closest earlier symbol:
8976
8977 @table @code
8978 @item set print max-symbolic-offset @var{max-offset}
8979 @itemx set print max-symbolic-offset unlimited
8980 @cindex maximum value for offset of closest symbol
8981 Tell @value{GDBN} to only display the symbolic form of an address if the
8982 offset between the closest earlier symbol and the address is less than
8983 @var{max-offset}. The default is @code{unlimited}, which tells @value{GDBN}
8984 to always print the symbolic form of an address if any symbol precedes
8985 it. Zero is equivalent to @code{unlimited}.
8986
8987 @item show print max-symbolic-offset
8988 Ask how large the maximum offset is that @value{GDBN} prints in a
8989 symbolic address.
8990 @end table
8991
8992 @cindex wild pointer, interpreting
8993 @cindex pointer, finding referent
8994 If you have a pointer and you are not sure where it points, try
8995 @samp{set print symbol-filename on}. Then you can determine the name
8996 and source file location of the variable where it points, using
8997 @samp{p/a @var{pointer}}. This interprets the address in symbolic form.
8998 For example, here @value{GDBN} shows that a variable @code{ptt} points
8999 at another variable @code{t}, defined in @file{hi2.c}:
9000
9001 @smallexample
9002 (@value{GDBP}) set print symbol-filename on
9003 (@value{GDBP}) p/a ptt
9004 $4 = 0xe008 <t in hi2.c>
9005 @end smallexample
9006
9007 @quotation
9008 @emph{Warning:} For pointers that point to a local variable, @samp{p/a}
9009 does not show the symbol name and filename of the referent, even with
9010 the appropriate @code{set print} options turned on.
9011 @end quotation
9012
9013 You can also enable @samp{/a}-like formatting all the time using
9014 @samp{set print symbol on}:
9015
9016 @table @code
9017 @item set print symbol on
9018 Tell @value{GDBN} to print the symbol corresponding to an address, if
9019 one exists.
9020
9021 @item set print symbol off
9022 Tell @value{GDBN} not to print the symbol corresponding to an
9023 address. In this mode, @value{GDBN} will still print the symbol
9024 corresponding to pointers to functions. This is the default.
9025
9026 @item show print symbol
9027 Show whether @value{GDBN} will display the symbol corresponding to an
9028 address.
9029 @end table
9030
9031 Other settings control how different kinds of objects are printed:
9032
9033 @table @code
9034 @item set print array
9035 @itemx set print array on
9036 @cindex pretty print arrays
9037 Pretty print arrays. This format is more convenient to read,
9038 but uses more space. The default is off.
9039
9040 @item set print array off
9041 Return to compressed format for arrays.
9042
9043 @item show print array
9044 Show whether compressed or pretty format is selected for displaying
9045 arrays.
9046
9047 @cindex print array indexes
9048 @item set print array-indexes
9049 @itemx set print array-indexes on
9050 Print the index of each element when displaying arrays. May be more
9051 convenient to locate a given element in the array or quickly find the
9052 index of a given element in that printed array. The default is off.
9053
9054 @item set print array-indexes off
9055 Stop printing element indexes when displaying arrays.
9056
9057 @item show print array-indexes
9058 Show whether the index of each element is printed when displaying
9059 arrays.
9060
9061 @item set print elements @var{number-of-elements}
9062 @itemx set print elements unlimited
9063 @cindex number of array elements to print
9064 @cindex limit on number of printed array elements
9065 Set a limit on how many elements of an array @value{GDBN} will print.
9066 If @value{GDBN} is printing a large array, it stops printing after it has
9067 printed the number of elements set by the @code{set print elements} command.
9068 This limit also applies to the display of strings.
9069 When @value{GDBN} starts, this limit is set to 200.
9070 Setting @var{number-of-elements} to @code{unlimited} or zero means
9071 that the number of elements to print is unlimited.
9072
9073 @item show print elements
9074 Display the number of elements of a large array that @value{GDBN} will print.
9075 If the number is 0, then the printing is unlimited.
9076
9077 @item set print frame-arguments @var{value}
9078 @kindex set print frame-arguments
9079 @cindex printing frame argument values
9080 @cindex print all frame argument values
9081 @cindex print frame argument values for scalars only
9082 @cindex do not print frame argument values
9083 This command allows to control how the values of arguments are printed
9084 when the debugger prints a frame (@pxref{Frames}). The possible
9085 values are:
9086
9087 @table @code
9088 @item all
9089 The values of all arguments are printed.
9090
9091 @item scalars
9092 Print the value of an argument only if it is a scalar. The value of more
9093 complex arguments such as arrays, structures, unions, etc, is replaced
9094 by @code{@dots{}}. This is the default. Here is an example where
9095 only scalar arguments are shown:
9096
9097 @smallexample
9098 #1 0x08048361 in call_me (i=3, s=@dots{}, ss=0xbf8d508c, u=@dots{}, e=green)
9099 at frame-args.c:23
9100 @end smallexample
9101
9102 @item none
9103 None of the argument values are printed. Instead, the value of each argument
9104 is replaced by @code{@dots{}}. In this case, the example above now becomes:
9105
9106 @smallexample
9107 #1 0x08048361 in call_me (i=@dots{}, s=@dots{}, ss=@dots{}, u=@dots{}, e=@dots{})
9108 at frame-args.c:23
9109 @end smallexample
9110 @end table
9111
9112 By default, only scalar arguments are printed. This command can be used
9113 to configure the debugger to print the value of all arguments, regardless
9114 of their type. However, it is often advantageous to not print the value
9115 of more complex parameters. For instance, it reduces the amount of
9116 information printed in each frame, making the backtrace more readable.
9117 Also, it improves performance when displaying Ada frames, because
9118 the computation of large arguments can sometimes be CPU-intensive,
9119 especially in large applications. Setting @code{print frame-arguments}
9120 to @code{scalars} (the default) or @code{none} avoids this computation,
9121 thus speeding up the display of each Ada frame.
9122
9123 @item show print frame-arguments
9124 Show how the value of arguments should be displayed when printing a frame.
9125
9126 @item set print raw frame-arguments on
9127 Print frame arguments in raw, non pretty-printed, form.
9128
9129 @item set print raw frame-arguments off
9130 Print frame arguments in pretty-printed form, if there is a pretty-printer
9131 for the value (@pxref{Pretty Printing}),
9132 otherwise print the value in raw form.
9133 This is the default.
9134
9135 @item show print raw frame-arguments
9136 Show whether to print frame arguments in raw form.
9137
9138 @anchor{set print entry-values}
9139 @item set print entry-values @var{value}
9140 @kindex set print entry-values
9141 Set printing of frame argument values at function entry. In some cases
9142 @value{GDBN} can determine the value of function argument which was passed by
9143 the function caller, even if the value was modified inside the called function
9144 and therefore is different. With optimized code, the current value could be
9145 unavailable, but the entry value may still be known.
9146
9147 The default value is @code{default} (see below for its description). Older
9148 @value{GDBN} behaved as with the setting @code{no}. Compilers not supporting
9149 this feature will behave in the @code{default} setting the same way as with the
9150 @code{no} setting.
9151
9152 This functionality is currently supported only by DWARF 2 debugging format and
9153 the compiler has to produce @samp{DW_TAG_GNU_call_site} tags. With
9154 @value{NGCC}, you need to specify @option{-O -g} during compilation, to get
9155 this information.
9156
9157 The @var{value} parameter can be one of the following:
9158
9159 @table @code
9160 @item no
9161 Print only actual parameter values, never print values from function entry
9162 point.
9163 @smallexample
9164 #0 equal (val=5)
9165 #0 different (val=6)
9166 #0 lost (val=<optimized out>)
9167 #0 born (val=10)
9168 #0 invalid (val=<optimized out>)
9169 @end smallexample
9170
9171 @item only
9172 Print only parameter values from function entry point. The actual parameter
9173 values are never printed.
9174 @smallexample
9175 #0 equal (val@@entry=5)
9176 #0 different (val@@entry=5)
9177 #0 lost (val@@entry=5)
9178 #0 born (val@@entry=<optimized out>)
9179 #0 invalid (val@@entry=<optimized out>)
9180 @end smallexample
9181
9182 @item preferred
9183 Print only parameter values from function entry point. If value from function
9184 entry point is not known while the actual value is known, print the actual
9185 value for such parameter.
9186 @smallexample
9187 #0 equal (val@@entry=5)
9188 #0 different (val@@entry=5)
9189 #0 lost (val@@entry=5)
9190 #0 born (val=10)
9191 #0 invalid (val@@entry=<optimized out>)
9192 @end smallexample
9193
9194 @item if-needed
9195 Print actual parameter values. If actual parameter value is not known while
9196 value from function entry point is known, print the entry point value for such
9197 parameter.
9198 @smallexample
9199 #0 equal (val=5)
9200 #0 different (val=6)
9201 #0 lost (val@@entry=5)
9202 #0 born (val=10)
9203 #0 invalid (val=<optimized out>)
9204 @end smallexample
9205
9206 @item both
9207 Always print both the actual parameter value and its value from function entry
9208 point, even if values of one or both are not available due to compiler
9209 optimizations.
9210 @smallexample
9211 #0 equal (val=5, val@@entry=5)
9212 #0 different (val=6, val@@entry=5)
9213 #0 lost (val=<optimized out>, val@@entry=5)
9214 #0 born (val=10, val@@entry=<optimized out>)
9215 #0 invalid (val=<optimized out>, val@@entry=<optimized out>)
9216 @end smallexample
9217
9218 @item compact
9219 Print the actual parameter value if it is known and also its value from
9220 function entry point if it is known. If neither is known, print for the actual
9221 value @code{<optimized out>}. If not in MI mode (@pxref{GDB/MI}) and if both
9222 values are known and identical, print the shortened
9223 @code{param=param@@entry=VALUE} notation.
9224 @smallexample
9225 #0 equal (val=val@@entry=5)
9226 #0 different (val=6, val@@entry=5)
9227 #0 lost (val@@entry=5)
9228 #0 born (val=10)
9229 #0 invalid (val=<optimized out>)
9230 @end smallexample
9231
9232 @item default
9233 Always print the actual parameter value. Print also its value from function
9234 entry point, but only if it is known. If not in MI mode (@pxref{GDB/MI}) and
9235 if both values are known and identical, print the shortened
9236 @code{param=param@@entry=VALUE} notation.
9237 @smallexample
9238 #0 equal (val=val@@entry=5)
9239 #0 different (val=6, val@@entry=5)
9240 #0 lost (val=<optimized out>, val@@entry=5)
9241 #0 born (val=10)
9242 #0 invalid (val=<optimized out>)
9243 @end smallexample
9244 @end table
9245
9246 For analysis messages on possible failures of frame argument values at function
9247 entry resolution see @ref{set debug entry-values}.
9248
9249 @item show print entry-values
9250 Show the method being used for printing of frame argument values at function
9251 entry.
9252
9253 @item set print repeats @var{number-of-repeats}
9254 @itemx set print repeats unlimited
9255 @cindex repeated array elements
9256 Set the threshold for suppressing display of repeated array
9257 elements. When the number of consecutive identical elements of an
9258 array exceeds the threshold, @value{GDBN} prints the string
9259 @code{"<repeats @var{n} times>"}, where @var{n} is the number of
9260 identical repetitions, instead of displaying the identical elements
9261 themselves. Setting the threshold to @code{unlimited} or zero will
9262 cause all elements to be individually printed. The default threshold
9263 is 10.
9264
9265 @item show print repeats
9266 Display the current threshold for printing repeated identical
9267 elements.
9268
9269 @item set print null-stop
9270 @cindex @sc{null} elements in arrays
9271 Cause @value{GDBN} to stop printing the characters of an array when the first
9272 @sc{null} is encountered. This is useful when large arrays actually
9273 contain only short strings.
9274 The default is off.
9275
9276 @item show print null-stop
9277 Show whether @value{GDBN} stops printing an array on the first
9278 @sc{null} character.
9279
9280 @item set print pretty on
9281 @cindex print structures in indented form
9282 @cindex indentation in structure display
9283 Cause @value{GDBN} to print structures in an indented format with one member
9284 per line, like this:
9285
9286 @smallexample
9287 @group
9288 $1 = @{
9289 next = 0x0,
9290 flags = @{
9291 sweet = 1,
9292 sour = 1
9293 @},
9294 meat = 0x54 "Pork"
9295 @}
9296 @end group
9297 @end smallexample
9298
9299 @item set print pretty off
9300 Cause @value{GDBN} to print structures in a compact format, like this:
9301
9302 @smallexample
9303 @group
9304 $1 = @{next = 0x0, flags = @{sweet = 1, sour = 1@}, \
9305 meat = 0x54 "Pork"@}
9306 @end group
9307 @end smallexample
9308
9309 @noindent
9310 This is the default format.
9311
9312 @item show print pretty
9313 Show which format @value{GDBN} is using to print structures.
9314
9315 @item set print sevenbit-strings on
9316 @cindex eight-bit characters in strings
9317 @cindex octal escapes in strings
9318 Print using only seven-bit characters; if this option is set,
9319 @value{GDBN} displays any eight-bit characters (in strings or
9320 character values) using the notation @code{\}@var{nnn}. This setting is
9321 best if you are working in English (@sc{ascii}) and you use the
9322 high-order bit of characters as a marker or ``meta'' bit.
9323
9324 @item set print sevenbit-strings off
9325 Print full eight-bit characters. This allows the use of more
9326 international character sets, and is the default.
9327
9328 @item show print sevenbit-strings
9329 Show whether or not @value{GDBN} is printing only seven-bit characters.
9330
9331 @item set print union on
9332 @cindex unions in structures, printing
9333 Tell @value{GDBN} to print unions which are contained in structures
9334 and other unions. This is the default setting.
9335
9336 @item set print union off
9337 Tell @value{GDBN} not to print unions which are contained in
9338 structures and other unions. @value{GDBN} will print @code{"@{...@}"}
9339 instead.
9340
9341 @item show print union
9342 Ask @value{GDBN} whether or not it will print unions which are contained in
9343 structures and other unions.
9344
9345 For example, given the declarations
9346
9347 @smallexample
9348 typedef enum @{Tree, Bug@} Species;
9349 typedef enum @{Big_tree, Acorn, Seedling@} Tree_forms;
9350 typedef enum @{Caterpillar, Cocoon, Butterfly@}
9351 Bug_forms;
9352
9353 struct thing @{
9354 Species it;
9355 union @{
9356 Tree_forms tree;
9357 Bug_forms bug;
9358 @} form;
9359 @};
9360
9361 struct thing foo = @{Tree, @{Acorn@}@};
9362 @end smallexample
9363
9364 @noindent
9365 with @code{set print union on} in effect @samp{p foo} would print
9366
9367 @smallexample
9368 $1 = @{it = Tree, form = @{tree = Acorn, bug = Cocoon@}@}
9369 @end smallexample
9370
9371 @noindent
9372 and with @code{set print union off} in effect it would print
9373
9374 @smallexample
9375 $1 = @{it = Tree, form = @{...@}@}
9376 @end smallexample
9377
9378 @noindent
9379 @code{set print union} affects programs written in C-like languages
9380 and in Pascal.
9381 @end table
9382
9383 @need 1000
9384 @noindent
9385 These settings are of interest when debugging C@t{++} programs:
9386
9387 @table @code
9388 @cindex demangling C@t{++} names
9389 @item set print demangle
9390 @itemx set print demangle on
9391 Print C@t{++} names in their source form rather than in the encoded
9392 (``mangled'') form passed to the assembler and linker for type-safe
9393 linkage. The default is on.
9394
9395 @item show print demangle
9396 Show whether C@t{++} names are printed in mangled or demangled form.
9397
9398 @item set print asm-demangle
9399 @itemx set print asm-demangle on
9400 Print C@t{++} names in their source form rather than their mangled form, even
9401 in assembler code printouts such as instruction disassemblies.
9402 The default is off.
9403
9404 @item show print asm-demangle
9405 Show whether C@t{++} names in assembly listings are printed in mangled
9406 or demangled form.
9407
9408 @cindex C@t{++} symbol decoding style
9409 @cindex symbol decoding style, C@t{++}
9410 @kindex set demangle-style
9411 @item set demangle-style @var{style}
9412 Choose among several encoding schemes used by different compilers to
9413 represent C@t{++} names. The choices for @var{style} are currently:
9414
9415 @table @code
9416 @item auto
9417 Allow @value{GDBN} to choose a decoding style by inspecting your program.
9418 This is the default.
9419
9420 @item gnu
9421 Decode based on the @sc{gnu} C@t{++} compiler (@code{g++}) encoding algorithm.
9422
9423 @item hp
9424 Decode based on the HP ANSI C@t{++} (@code{aCC}) encoding algorithm.
9425
9426 @item lucid
9427 Decode based on the Lucid C@t{++} compiler (@code{lcc}) encoding algorithm.
9428
9429 @item arm
9430 Decode using the algorithm in the @cite{C@t{++} Annotated Reference Manual}.
9431 @strong{Warning:} this setting alone is not sufficient to allow
9432 debugging @code{cfront}-generated executables. @value{GDBN} would
9433 require further enhancement to permit that.
9434
9435 @end table
9436 If you omit @var{style}, you will see a list of possible formats.
9437
9438 @item show demangle-style
9439 Display the encoding style currently in use for decoding C@t{++} symbols.
9440
9441 @item set print object
9442 @itemx set print object on
9443 @cindex derived type of an object, printing
9444 @cindex display derived types
9445 When displaying a pointer to an object, identify the @emph{actual}
9446 (derived) type of the object rather than the @emph{declared} type, using
9447 the virtual function table. Note that the virtual function table is
9448 required---this feature can only work for objects that have run-time
9449 type identification; a single virtual method in the object's declared
9450 type is sufficient. Note that this setting is also taken into account when
9451 working with variable objects via MI (@pxref{GDB/MI}).
9452
9453 @item set print object off
9454 Display only the declared type of objects, without reference to the
9455 virtual function table. This is the default setting.
9456
9457 @item show print object
9458 Show whether actual, or declared, object types are displayed.
9459
9460 @item set print static-members
9461 @itemx set print static-members on
9462 @cindex static members of C@t{++} objects
9463 Print static members when displaying a C@t{++} object. The default is on.
9464
9465 @item set print static-members off
9466 Do not print static members when displaying a C@t{++} object.
9467
9468 @item show print static-members
9469 Show whether C@t{++} static members are printed or not.
9470
9471 @item set print pascal_static-members
9472 @itemx set print pascal_static-members on
9473 @cindex static members of Pascal objects
9474 @cindex Pascal objects, static members display
9475 Print static members when displaying a Pascal object. The default is on.
9476
9477 @item set print pascal_static-members off
9478 Do not print static members when displaying a Pascal object.
9479
9480 @item show print pascal_static-members
9481 Show whether Pascal static members are printed or not.
9482
9483 @c These don't work with HP ANSI C++ yet.
9484 @item set print vtbl
9485 @itemx set print vtbl on
9486 @cindex pretty print C@t{++} virtual function tables
9487 @cindex virtual functions (C@t{++}) display
9488 @cindex VTBL display
9489 Pretty print C@t{++} virtual function tables. The default is off.
9490 (The @code{vtbl} commands do not work on programs compiled with the HP
9491 ANSI C@t{++} compiler (@code{aCC}).)
9492
9493 @item set print vtbl off
9494 Do not pretty print C@t{++} virtual function tables.
9495
9496 @item show print vtbl
9497 Show whether C@t{++} virtual function tables are pretty printed, or not.
9498 @end table
9499
9500 @node Pretty Printing
9501 @section Pretty Printing
9502
9503 @value{GDBN} provides a mechanism to allow pretty-printing of values using
9504 Python code. It greatly simplifies the display of complex objects. This
9505 mechanism works for both MI and the CLI.
9506
9507 @menu
9508 * Pretty-Printer Introduction:: Introduction to pretty-printers
9509 * Pretty-Printer Example:: An example pretty-printer
9510 * Pretty-Printer Commands:: Pretty-printer commands
9511 @end menu
9512
9513 @node Pretty-Printer Introduction
9514 @subsection Pretty-Printer Introduction
9515
9516 When @value{GDBN} prints a value, it first sees if there is a pretty-printer
9517 registered for the value. If there is then @value{GDBN} invokes the
9518 pretty-printer to print the value. Otherwise the value is printed normally.
9519
9520 Pretty-printers are normally named. This makes them easy to manage.
9521 The @samp{info pretty-printer} command will list all the installed
9522 pretty-printers with their names.
9523 If a pretty-printer can handle multiple data types, then its
9524 @dfn{subprinters} are the printers for the individual data types.
9525 Each such subprinter has its own name.
9526 The format of the name is @var{printer-name};@var{subprinter-name}.
9527
9528 Pretty-printers are installed by @dfn{registering} them with @value{GDBN}.
9529 Typically they are automatically loaded and registered when the corresponding
9530 debug information is loaded, thus making them available without having to
9531 do anything special.
9532
9533 There are three places where a pretty-printer can be registered.
9534
9535 @itemize @bullet
9536 @item
9537 Pretty-printers registered globally are available when debugging
9538 all inferiors.
9539
9540 @item
9541 Pretty-printers registered with a program space are available only
9542 when debugging that program.
9543 @xref{Progspaces In Python}, for more details on program spaces in Python.
9544
9545 @item
9546 Pretty-printers registered with an objfile are loaded and unloaded
9547 with the corresponding objfile (e.g., shared library).
9548 @xref{Objfiles In Python}, for more details on objfiles in Python.
9549 @end itemize
9550
9551 @xref{Selecting Pretty-Printers}, for further information on how
9552 pretty-printers are selected,
9553
9554 @xref{Writing a Pretty-Printer}, for implementing pretty printers
9555 for new types.
9556
9557 @node Pretty-Printer Example
9558 @subsection Pretty-Printer Example
9559
9560 Here is how a C@t{++} @code{std::string} looks without a pretty-printer:
9561
9562 @smallexample
9563 (@value{GDBP}) print s
9564 $1 = @{
9565 static npos = 4294967295,
9566 _M_dataplus = @{
9567 <std::allocator<char>> = @{
9568 <__gnu_cxx::new_allocator<char>> = @{
9569 <No data fields>@}, <No data fields>
9570 @},
9571 members of std::basic_string<char, std::char_traits<char>,
9572 std::allocator<char> >::_Alloc_hider:
9573 _M_p = 0x804a014 "abcd"
9574 @}
9575 @}
9576 @end smallexample
9577
9578 With a pretty-printer for @code{std::string} only the contents are printed:
9579
9580 @smallexample
9581 (@value{GDBP}) print s
9582 $2 = "abcd"
9583 @end smallexample
9584
9585 @node Pretty-Printer Commands
9586 @subsection Pretty-Printer Commands
9587 @cindex pretty-printer commands
9588
9589 @table @code
9590 @kindex info pretty-printer
9591 @item info pretty-printer [@var{object-regexp} [@var{name-regexp}]]
9592 Print the list of installed pretty-printers.
9593 This includes disabled pretty-printers, which are marked as such.
9594
9595 @var{object-regexp} is a regular expression matching the objects
9596 whose pretty-printers to list.
9597 Objects can be @code{global}, the program space's file
9598 (@pxref{Progspaces In Python}),
9599 and the object files within that program space (@pxref{Objfiles In Python}).
9600 @xref{Selecting Pretty-Printers}, for details on how @value{GDBN}
9601 looks up a printer from these three objects.
9602
9603 @var{name-regexp} is a regular expression matching the name of the printers
9604 to list.
9605
9606 @kindex disable pretty-printer
9607 @item disable pretty-printer [@var{object-regexp} [@var{name-regexp}]]
9608 Disable pretty-printers matching @var{object-regexp} and @var{name-regexp}.
9609 A disabled pretty-printer is not forgotten, it may be enabled again later.
9610
9611 @kindex enable pretty-printer
9612 @item enable pretty-printer [@var{object-regexp} [@var{name-regexp}]]
9613 Enable pretty-printers matching @var{object-regexp} and @var{name-regexp}.
9614 @end table
9615
9616 Example:
9617
9618 Suppose we have three pretty-printers installed: one from library1.so
9619 named @code{foo} that prints objects of type @code{foo}, and
9620 another from library2.so named @code{bar} that prints two types of objects,
9621 @code{bar1} and @code{bar2}.
9622
9623 @smallexample
9624 (gdb) info pretty-printer
9625 library1.so:
9626 foo
9627 library2.so:
9628 bar
9629 bar1
9630 bar2
9631 (gdb) info pretty-printer library2
9632 library2.so:
9633 bar
9634 bar1
9635 bar2
9636 (gdb) disable pretty-printer library1
9637 1 printer disabled
9638 2 of 3 printers enabled
9639 (gdb) info pretty-printer
9640 library1.so:
9641 foo [disabled]
9642 library2.so:
9643 bar
9644 bar1
9645 bar2
9646 (gdb) disable pretty-printer library2 bar:bar1
9647 1 printer disabled
9648 1 of 3 printers enabled
9649 (gdb) info pretty-printer library2
9650 library1.so:
9651 foo [disabled]
9652 library2.so:
9653 bar
9654 bar1 [disabled]
9655 bar2
9656 (gdb) disable pretty-printer library2 bar
9657 1 printer disabled
9658 0 of 3 printers enabled
9659 (gdb) info pretty-printer library2
9660 library1.so:
9661 foo [disabled]
9662 library2.so:
9663 bar [disabled]
9664 bar1 [disabled]
9665 bar2
9666 @end smallexample
9667
9668 Note that for @code{bar} the entire printer can be disabled,
9669 as can each individual subprinter.
9670
9671 @node Value History
9672 @section Value History
9673
9674 @cindex value history
9675 @cindex history of values printed by @value{GDBN}
9676 Values printed by the @code{print} command are saved in the @value{GDBN}
9677 @dfn{value history}. This allows you to refer to them in other expressions.
9678 Values are kept until the symbol table is re-read or discarded
9679 (for example with the @code{file} or @code{symbol-file} commands).
9680 When the symbol table changes, the value history is discarded,
9681 since the values may contain pointers back to the types defined in the
9682 symbol table.
9683
9684 @cindex @code{$}
9685 @cindex @code{$$}
9686 @cindex history number
9687 The values printed are given @dfn{history numbers} by which you can
9688 refer to them. These are successive integers starting with one.
9689 @code{print} shows you the history number assigned to a value by
9690 printing @samp{$@var{num} = } before the value; here @var{num} is the
9691 history number.
9692
9693 To refer to any previous value, use @samp{$} followed by the value's
9694 history number. The way @code{print} labels its output is designed to
9695 remind you of this. Just @code{$} refers to the most recent value in
9696 the history, and @code{$$} refers to the value before that.
9697 @code{$$@var{n}} refers to the @var{n}th value from the end; @code{$$2}
9698 is the value just prior to @code{$$}, @code{$$1} is equivalent to
9699 @code{$$}, and @code{$$0} is equivalent to @code{$}.
9700
9701 For example, suppose you have just printed a pointer to a structure and
9702 want to see the contents of the structure. It suffices to type
9703
9704 @smallexample
9705 p *$
9706 @end smallexample
9707
9708 If you have a chain of structures where the component @code{next} points
9709 to the next one, you can print the contents of the next one with this:
9710
9711 @smallexample
9712 p *$.next
9713 @end smallexample
9714
9715 @noindent
9716 You can print successive links in the chain by repeating this
9717 command---which you can do by just typing @key{RET}.
9718
9719 Note that the history records values, not expressions. If the value of
9720 @code{x} is 4 and you type these commands:
9721
9722 @smallexample
9723 print x
9724 set x=5
9725 @end smallexample
9726
9727 @noindent
9728 then the value recorded in the value history by the @code{print} command
9729 remains 4 even though the value of @code{x} has changed.
9730
9731 @table @code
9732 @kindex show values
9733 @item show values
9734 Print the last ten values in the value history, with their item numbers.
9735 This is like @samp{p@ $$9} repeated ten times, except that @code{show
9736 values} does not change the history.
9737
9738 @item show values @var{n}
9739 Print ten history values centered on history item number @var{n}.
9740
9741 @item show values +
9742 Print ten history values just after the values last printed. If no more
9743 values are available, @code{show values +} produces no display.
9744 @end table
9745
9746 Pressing @key{RET} to repeat @code{show values @var{n}} has exactly the
9747 same effect as @samp{show values +}.
9748
9749 @node Convenience Vars
9750 @section Convenience Variables
9751
9752 @cindex convenience variables
9753 @cindex user-defined variables
9754 @value{GDBN} provides @dfn{convenience variables} that you can use within
9755 @value{GDBN} to hold on to a value and refer to it later. These variables
9756 exist entirely within @value{GDBN}; they are not part of your program, and
9757 setting a convenience variable has no direct effect on further execution
9758 of your program. That is why you can use them freely.
9759
9760 Convenience variables are prefixed with @samp{$}. Any name preceded by
9761 @samp{$} can be used for a convenience variable, unless it is one of
9762 the predefined machine-specific register names (@pxref{Registers, ,Registers}).
9763 (Value history references, in contrast, are @emph{numbers} preceded
9764 by @samp{$}. @xref{Value History, ,Value History}.)
9765
9766 You can save a value in a convenience variable with an assignment
9767 expression, just as you would set a variable in your program.
9768 For example:
9769
9770 @smallexample
9771 set $foo = *object_ptr
9772 @end smallexample
9773
9774 @noindent
9775 would save in @code{$foo} the value contained in the object pointed to by
9776 @code{object_ptr}.
9777
9778 Using a convenience variable for the first time creates it, but its
9779 value is @code{void} until you assign a new value. You can alter the
9780 value with another assignment at any time.
9781
9782 Convenience variables have no fixed types. You can assign a convenience
9783 variable any type of value, including structures and arrays, even if
9784 that variable already has a value of a different type. The convenience
9785 variable, when used as an expression, has the type of its current value.
9786
9787 @table @code
9788 @kindex show convenience
9789 @cindex show all user variables and functions
9790 @item show convenience
9791 Print a list of convenience variables used so far, and their values,
9792 as well as a list of the convenience functions.
9793 Abbreviated @code{show conv}.
9794
9795 @kindex init-if-undefined
9796 @cindex convenience variables, initializing
9797 @item init-if-undefined $@var{variable} = @var{expression}
9798 Set a convenience variable if it has not already been set. This is useful
9799 for user-defined commands that keep some state. It is similar, in concept,
9800 to using local static variables with initializers in C (except that
9801 convenience variables are global). It can also be used to allow users to
9802 override default values used in a command script.
9803
9804 If the variable is already defined then the expression is not evaluated so
9805 any side-effects do not occur.
9806 @end table
9807
9808 One of the ways to use a convenience variable is as a counter to be
9809 incremented or a pointer to be advanced. For example, to print
9810 a field from successive elements of an array of structures:
9811
9812 @smallexample
9813 set $i = 0
9814 print bar[$i++]->contents
9815 @end smallexample
9816
9817 @noindent
9818 Repeat that command by typing @key{RET}.
9819
9820 Some convenience variables are created automatically by @value{GDBN} and given
9821 values likely to be useful.
9822
9823 @table @code
9824 @vindex $_@r{, convenience variable}
9825 @item $_
9826 The variable @code{$_} is automatically set by the @code{x} command to
9827 the last address examined (@pxref{Memory, ,Examining Memory}). Other
9828 commands which provide a default address for @code{x} to examine also
9829 set @code{$_} to that address; these commands include @code{info line}
9830 and @code{info breakpoint}. The type of @code{$_} is @code{void *}
9831 except when set by the @code{x} command, in which case it is a pointer
9832 to the type of @code{$__}.
9833
9834 @vindex $__@r{, convenience variable}
9835 @item $__
9836 The variable @code{$__} is automatically set by the @code{x} command
9837 to the value found in the last address examined. Its type is chosen
9838 to match the format in which the data was printed.
9839
9840 @item $_exitcode
9841 @vindex $_exitcode@r{, convenience variable}
9842 When the program being debugged terminates normally, @value{GDBN}
9843 automatically sets this variable to the exit code of the program, and
9844 resets @code{$_exitsignal} to @code{void}.
9845
9846 @item $_exitsignal
9847 @vindex $_exitsignal@r{, convenience variable}
9848 When the program being debugged dies due to an uncaught signal,
9849 @value{GDBN} automatically sets this variable to that signal's number,
9850 and resets @code{$_exitcode} to @code{void}.
9851
9852 To distinguish between whether the program being debugged has exited
9853 (i.e., @code{$_exitcode} is not @code{void}) or signalled (i.e.,
9854 @code{$_exitsignal} is not @code{void}), the convenience function
9855 @code{$_isvoid} can be used (@pxref{Convenience Funs,, Convenience
9856 Functions}). For example, considering the following source code:
9857
9858 @smallexample
9859 #include <signal.h>
9860
9861 int
9862 main (int argc, char *argv[])
9863 @{
9864 raise (SIGALRM);
9865 return 0;
9866 @}
9867 @end smallexample
9868
9869 A valid way of telling whether the program being debugged has exited
9870 or signalled would be:
9871
9872 @smallexample
9873 (@value{GDBP}) define has_exited_or_signalled
9874 Type commands for definition of ``has_exited_or_signalled''.
9875 End with a line saying just ``end''.
9876 >if $_isvoid ($_exitsignal)
9877 >echo The program has exited\n
9878 >else
9879 >echo The program has signalled\n
9880 >end
9881 >end
9882 (@value{GDBP}) run
9883 Starting program:
9884
9885 Program terminated with signal SIGALRM, Alarm clock.
9886 The program no longer exists.
9887 (@value{GDBP}) has_exited_or_signalled
9888 The program has signalled
9889 @end smallexample
9890
9891 As can be seen, @value{GDBN} correctly informs that the program being
9892 debugged has signalled, since it calls @code{raise} and raises a
9893 @code{SIGALRM} signal. If the program being debugged had not called
9894 @code{raise}, then @value{GDBN} would report a normal exit:
9895
9896 @smallexample
9897 (@value{GDBP}) has_exited_or_signalled
9898 The program has exited
9899 @end smallexample
9900
9901 @item $_exception
9902 The variable @code{$_exception} is set to the exception object being
9903 thrown at an exception-related catchpoint. @xref{Set Catchpoints}.
9904
9905 @item $_probe_argc
9906 @itemx $_probe_arg0@dots{}$_probe_arg11
9907 Arguments to a static probe. @xref{Static Probe Points}.
9908
9909 @item $_sdata
9910 @vindex $_sdata@r{, inspect, convenience variable}
9911 The variable @code{$_sdata} contains extra collected static tracepoint
9912 data. @xref{Tracepoint Actions,,Tracepoint Action Lists}. Note that
9913 @code{$_sdata} could be empty, if not inspecting a trace buffer, or
9914 if extra static tracepoint data has not been collected.
9915
9916 @item $_siginfo
9917 @vindex $_siginfo@r{, convenience variable}
9918 The variable @code{$_siginfo} contains extra signal information
9919 (@pxref{extra signal information}). Note that @code{$_siginfo}
9920 could be empty, if the application has not yet received any signals.
9921 For example, it will be empty before you execute the @code{run} command.
9922
9923 @item $_tlb
9924 @vindex $_tlb@r{, convenience variable}
9925 The variable @code{$_tlb} is automatically set when debugging
9926 applications running on MS-Windows in native mode or connected to
9927 gdbserver that supports the @code{qGetTIBAddr} request.
9928 @xref{General Query Packets}.
9929 This variable contains the address of the thread information block.
9930
9931 @end table
9932
9933 On HP-UX systems, if you refer to a function or variable name that
9934 begins with a dollar sign, @value{GDBN} searches for a user or system
9935 name first, before it searches for a convenience variable.
9936
9937 @node Convenience Funs
9938 @section Convenience Functions
9939
9940 @cindex convenience functions
9941 @value{GDBN} also supplies some @dfn{convenience functions}. These
9942 have a syntax similar to convenience variables. A convenience
9943 function can be used in an expression just like an ordinary function;
9944 however, a convenience function is implemented internally to
9945 @value{GDBN}.
9946
9947 These functions do not require @value{GDBN} to be configured with
9948 @code{Python} support, which means that they are always available.
9949
9950 @table @code
9951
9952 @item $_isvoid (@var{expr})
9953 @findex $_isvoid@r{, convenience function}
9954 Return one if the expression @var{expr} is @code{void}. Otherwise it
9955 returns zero.
9956
9957 A @code{void} expression is an expression where the type of the result
9958 is @code{void}. For example, you can examine a convenience variable
9959 (see @ref{Convenience Vars,, Convenience Variables}) to check whether
9960 it is @code{void}:
9961
9962 @smallexample
9963 (@value{GDBP}) print $_exitcode
9964 $1 = void
9965 (@value{GDBP}) print $_isvoid ($_exitcode)
9966 $2 = 1
9967 (@value{GDBP}) run
9968 Starting program: ./a.out
9969 [Inferior 1 (process 29572) exited normally]
9970 (@value{GDBP}) print $_exitcode
9971 $3 = 0
9972 (@value{GDBP}) print $_isvoid ($_exitcode)
9973 $4 = 0
9974 @end smallexample
9975
9976 In the example above, we used @code{$_isvoid} to check whether
9977 @code{$_exitcode} is @code{void} before and after the execution of the
9978 program being debugged. Before the execution there is no exit code to
9979 be examined, therefore @code{$_exitcode} is @code{void}. After the
9980 execution the program being debugged returned zero, therefore
9981 @code{$_exitcode} is zero, which means that it is not @code{void}
9982 anymore.
9983
9984 The @code{void} expression can also be a call of a function from the
9985 program being debugged. For example, given the following function:
9986
9987 @smallexample
9988 void
9989 foo (void)
9990 @{
9991 @}
9992 @end smallexample
9993
9994 The result of calling it inside @value{GDBN} is @code{void}:
9995
9996 @smallexample
9997 (@value{GDBP}) print foo ()
9998 $1 = void
9999 (@value{GDBP}) print $_isvoid (foo ())
10000 $2 = 1
10001 (@value{GDBP}) set $v = foo ()
10002 (@value{GDBP}) print $v
10003 $3 = void
10004 (@value{GDBP}) print $_isvoid ($v)
10005 $4 = 1
10006 @end smallexample
10007
10008 @end table
10009
10010 These functions require @value{GDBN} to be configured with
10011 @code{Python} support.
10012
10013 @table @code
10014
10015 @item $_memeq(@var{buf1}, @var{buf2}, @var{length})
10016 @findex $_memeq@r{, convenience function}
10017 Returns one if the @var{length} bytes at the addresses given by
10018 @var{buf1} and @var{buf2} are equal.
10019 Otherwise it returns zero.
10020
10021 @item $_regex(@var{str}, @var{regex})
10022 @findex $_regex@r{, convenience function}
10023 Returns one if the string @var{str} matches the regular expression
10024 @var{regex}. Otherwise it returns zero.
10025 The syntax of the regular expression is that specified by @code{Python}'s
10026 regular expression support.
10027
10028 @item $_streq(@var{str1}, @var{str2})
10029 @findex $_streq@r{, convenience function}
10030 Returns one if the strings @var{str1} and @var{str2} are equal.
10031 Otherwise it returns zero.
10032
10033 @item $_strlen(@var{str})
10034 @findex $_strlen@r{, convenience function}
10035 Returns the length of string @var{str}.
10036
10037 @end table
10038
10039 @value{GDBN} provides the ability to list and get help on
10040 convenience functions.
10041
10042 @table @code
10043 @item help function
10044 @kindex help function
10045 @cindex show all convenience functions
10046 Print a list of all convenience functions.
10047 @end table
10048
10049 @node Registers
10050 @section Registers
10051
10052 @cindex registers
10053 You can refer to machine register contents, in expressions, as variables
10054 with names starting with @samp{$}. The names of registers are different
10055 for each machine; use @code{info registers} to see the names used on
10056 your machine.
10057
10058 @table @code
10059 @kindex info registers
10060 @item info registers
10061 Print the names and values of all registers except floating-point
10062 and vector registers (in the selected stack frame).
10063
10064 @kindex info all-registers
10065 @cindex floating point registers
10066 @item info all-registers
10067 Print the names and values of all registers, including floating-point
10068 and vector registers (in the selected stack frame).
10069
10070 @item info registers @var{regname} @dots{}
10071 Print the @dfn{relativized} value of each specified register @var{regname}.
10072 As discussed in detail below, register values are normally relative to
10073 the selected stack frame. @var{regname} may be any register name valid on
10074 the machine you are using, with or without the initial @samp{$}.
10075 @end table
10076
10077 @cindex stack pointer register
10078 @cindex program counter register
10079 @cindex process status register
10080 @cindex frame pointer register
10081 @cindex standard registers
10082 @value{GDBN} has four ``standard'' register names that are available (in
10083 expressions) on most machines---whenever they do not conflict with an
10084 architecture's canonical mnemonics for registers. The register names
10085 @code{$pc} and @code{$sp} are used for the program counter register and
10086 the stack pointer. @code{$fp} is used for a register that contains a
10087 pointer to the current stack frame, and @code{$ps} is used for a
10088 register that contains the processor status. For example,
10089 you could print the program counter in hex with
10090
10091 @smallexample
10092 p/x $pc
10093 @end smallexample
10094
10095 @noindent
10096 or print the instruction to be executed next with
10097
10098 @smallexample
10099 x/i $pc
10100 @end smallexample
10101
10102 @noindent
10103 or add four to the stack pointer@footnote{This is a way of removing
10104 one word from the stack, on machines where stacks grow downward in
10105 memory (most machines, nowadays). This assumes that the innermost
10106 stack frame is selected; setting @code{$sp} is not allowed when other
10107 stack frames are selected. To pop entire frames off the stack,
10108 regardless of machine architecture, use @code{return};
10109 see @ref{Returning, ,Returning from a Function}.} with
10110
10111 @smallexample
10112 set $sp += 4
10113 @end smallexample
10114
10115 Whenever possible, these four standard register names are available on
10116 your machine even though the machine has different canonical mnemonics,
10117 so long as there is no conflict. The @code{info registers} command
10118 shows the canonical names. For example, on the SPARC, @code{info
10119 registers} displays the processor status register as @code{$psr} but you
10120 can also refer to it as @code{$ps}; and on x86-based machines @code{$ps}
10121 is an alias for the @sc{eflags} register.
10122
10123 @value{GDBN} always considers the contents of an ordinary register as an
10124 integer when the register is examined in this way. Some machines have
10125 special registers which can hold nothing but floating point; these
10126 registers are considered to have floating point values. There is no way
10127 to refer to the contents of an ordinary register as floating point value
10128 (although you can @emph{print} it as a floating point value with
10129 @samp{print/f $@var{regname}}).
10130
10131 Some registers have distinct ``raw'' and ``virtual'' data formats. This
10132 means that the data format in which the register contents are saved by
10133 the operating system is not the same one that your program normally
10134 sees. For example, the registers of the 68881 floating point
10135 coprocessor are always saved in ``extended'' (raw) format, but all C
10136 programs expect to work with ``double'' (virtual) format. In such
10137 cases, @value{GDBN} normally works with the virtual format only (the format
10138 that makes sense for your program), but the @code{info registers} command
10139 prints the data in both formats.
10140
10141 @cindex SSE registers (x86)
10142 @cindex MMX registers (x86)
10143 Some machines have special registers whose contents can be interpreted
10144 in several different ways. For example, modern x86-based machines
10145 have SSE and MMX registers that can hold several values packed
10146 together in several different formats. @value{GDBN} refers to such
10147 registers in @code{struct} notation:
10148
10149 @smallexample
10150 (@value{GDBP}) print $xmm1
10151 $1 = @{
10152 v4_float = @{0, 3.43859137e-038, 1.54142831e-044, 1.821688e-044@},
10153 v2_double = @{9.92129282474342e-303, 2.7585945287983262e-313@},
10154 v16_int8 = "\000\000\000\000\3706;\001\v\000\000\000\r\000\000",
10155 v8_int16 = @{0, 0, 14072, 315, 11, 0, 13, 0@},
10156 v4_int32 = @{0, 20657912, 11, 13@},
10157 v2_int64 = @{88725056443645952, 55834574859@},
10158 uint128 = 0x0000000d0000000b013b36f800000000
10159 @}
10160 @end smallexample
10161
10162 @noindent
10163 To set values of such registers, you need to tell @value{GDBN} which
10164 view of the register you wish to change, as if you were assigning
10165 value to a @code{struct} member:
10166
10167 @smallexample
10168 (@value{GDBP}) set $xmm1.uint128 = 0x000000000000000000000000FFFFFFFF
10169 @end smallexample
10170
10171 Normally, register values are relative to the selected stack frame
10172 (@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}). This means that you get the
10173 value that the register would contain if all stack frames farther in
10174 were exited and their saved registers restored. In order to see the
10175 true contents of hardware registers, you must select the innermost
10176 frame (with @samp{frame 0}).
10177
10178 @cindex caller-saved registers
10179 @cindex call-clobbered registers
10180 @cindex volatile registers
10181 @cindex <not saved> values
10182 Usually ABIs reserve some registers as not needed to be saved by the
10183 callee (a.k.a.: ``caller-saved'', ``call-clobbered'' or ``volatile''
10184 registers). It may therefore not be possible for @value{GDBN} to know
10185 the value a register had before the call (in other words, in the outer
10186 frame), if the register value has since been changed by the callee.
10187 @value{GDBN} tries to deduce where the inner frame saved
10188 (``callee-saved'') registers, from the debug info, unwind info, or the
10189 machine code generated by your compiler. If some register is not
10190 saved, and @value{GDBN} knows the register is ``caller-saved'' (via
10191 its own knowledge of the ABI, or because the debug/unwind info
10192 explicitly says the register's value is undefined), @value{GDBN}
10193 displays @w{@samp{<not saved>}} as the register's value. With targets
10194 that @value{GDBN} has no knowledge of the register saving convention,
10195 if a register was not saved by the callee, then its value and location
10196 in the outer frame are assumed to be the same of the inner frame.
10197 This is usually harmless, because if the register is call-clobbered,
10198 the caller either does not care what is in the register after the
10199 call, or has code to restore the value that it does care about. Note,
10200 however, that if you change such a register in the outer frame, you
10201 may also be affecting the inner frame. Also, the more ``outer'' the
10202 frame is you're looking at, the more likely a call-clobbered
10203 register's value is to be wrong, in the sense that it doesn't actually
10204 represent the value the register had just before the call.
10205
10206 @node Floating Point Hardware
10207 @section Floating Point Hardware
10208 @cindex floating point
10209
10210 Depending on the configuration, @value{GDBN} may be able to give
10211 you more information about the status of the floating point hardware.
10212
10213 @table @code
10214 @kindex info float
10215 @item info float
10216 Display hardware-dependent information about the floating
10217 point unit. The exact contents and layout vary depending on the
10218 floating point chip. Currently, @samp{info float} is supported on
10219 the ARM and x86 machines.
10220 @end table
10221
10222 @node Vector Unit
10223 @section Vector Unit
10224 @cindex vector unit
10225
10226 Depending on the configuration, @value{GDBN} may be able to give you
10227 more information about the status of the vector unit.
10228
10229 @table @code
10230 @kindex info vector
10231 @item info vector
10232 Display information about the vector unit. The exact contents and
10233 layout vary depending on the hardware.
10234 @end table
10235
10236 @node OS Information
10237 @section Operating System Auxiliary Information
10238 @cindex OS information
10239
10240 @value{GDBN} provides interfaces to useful OS facilities that can help
10241 you debug your program.
10242
10243 @cindex auxiliary vector
10244 @cindex vector, auxiliary
10245 Some operating systems supply an @dfn{auxiliary vector} to programs at
10246 startup. This is akin to the arguments and environment that you
10247 specify for a program, but contains a system-dependent variety of
10248 binary values that tell system libraries important details about the
10249 hardware, operating system, and process. Each value's purpose is
10250 identified by an integer tag; the meanings are well-known but system-specific.
10251 Depending on the configuration and operating system facilities,
10252 @value{GDBN} may be able to show you this information. For remote
10253 targets, this functionality may further depend on the remote stub's
10254 support of the @samp{qXfer:auxv:read} packet, see
10255 @ref{qXfer auxiliary vector read}.
10256
10257 @table @code
10258 @kindex info auxv
10259 @item info auxv
10260 Display the auxiliary vector of the inferior, which can be either a
10261 live process or a core dump file. @value{GDBN} prints each tag value
10262 numerically, and also shows names and text descriptions for recognized
10263 tags. Some values in the vector are numbers, some bit masks, and some
10264 pointers to strings or other data. @value{GDBN} displays each value in the
10265 most appropriate form for a recognized tag, and in hexadecimal for
10266 an unrecognized tag.
10267 @end table
10268
10269 On some targets, @value{GDBN} can access operating system-specific
10270 information and show it to you. The types of information available
10271 will differ depending on the type of operating system running on the
10272 target. The mechanism used to fetch the data is described in
10273 @ref{Operating System Information}. For remote targets, this
10274 functionality depends on the remote stub's support of the
10275 @samp{qXfer:osdata:read} packet, see @ref{qXfer osdata read}.
10276
10277 @table @code
10278 @kindex info os
10279 @item info os @var{infotype}
10280
10281 Display OS information of the requested type.
10282
10283 On @sc{gnu}/Linux, the following values of @var{infotype} are valid:
10284
10285 @anchor{linux info os infotypes}
10286 @table @code
10287 @kindex info os processes
10288 @item processes
10289 Display the list of processes on the target. For each process,
10290 @value{GDBN} prints the process identifier, the name of the user, the
10291 command corresponding to the process, and the list of processor cores
10292 that the process is currently running on. (To understand what these
10293 properties mean, for this and the following info types, please consult
10294 the general @sc{gnu}/Linux documentation.)
10295
10296 @kindex info os procgroups
10297 @item procgroups
10298 Display the list of process groups on the target. For each process,
10299 @value{GDBN} prints the identifier of the process group that it belongs
10300 to, the command corresponding to the process group leader, the process
10301 identifier, and the command line of the process. The list is sorted
10302 first by the process group identifier, then by the process identifier,
10303 so that processes belonging to the same process group are grouped together
10304 and the process group leader is listed first.
10305
10306 @kindex info os threads
10307 @item threads
10308 Display the list of threads running on the target. For each thread,
10309 @value{GDBN} prints the identifier of the process that the thread
10310 belongs to, the command of the process, the thread identifier, and the
10311 processor core that it is currently running on. The main thread of a
10312 process is not listed.
10313
10314 @kindex info os files
10315 @item files
10316 Display the list of open file descriptors on the target. For each
10317 file descriptor, @value{GDBN} prints the identifier of the process
10318 owning the descriptor, the command of the owning process, the value
10319 of the descriptor, and the target of the descriptor.
10320
10321 @kindex info os sockets
10322 @item sockets
10323 Display the list of Internet-domain sockets on the target. For each
10324 socket, @value{GDBN} prints the address and port of the local and
10325 remote endpoints, the current state of the connection, the creator of
10326 the socket, the IP address family of the socket, and the type of the
10327 connection.
10328
10329 @kindex info os shm
10330 @item shm
10331 Display the list of all System V shared-memory regions on the target.
10332 For each shared-memory region, @value{GDBN} prints the region key,
10333 the shared-memory identifier, the access permissions, the size of the
10334 region, the process that created the region, the process that last
10335 attached to or detached from the region, the current number of live
10336 attaches to the region, and the times at which the region was last
10337 attached to, detach from, and changed.
10338
10339 @kindex info os semaphores
10340 @item semaphores
10341 Display the list of all System V semaphore sets on the target. For each
10342 semaphore set, @value{GDBN} prints the semaphore set key, the semaphore
10343 set identifier, the access permissions, the number of semaphores in the
10344 set, the user and group of the owner and creator of the semaphore set,
10345 and the times at which the semaphore set was operated upon and changed.
10346
10347 @kindex info os msg
10348 @item msg
10349 Display the list of all System V message queues on the target. For each
10350 message queue, @value{GDBN} prints the message queue key, the message
10351 queue identifier, the access permissions, the current number of bytes
10352 on the queue, the current number of messages on the queue, the processes
10353 that last sent and received a message on the queue, the user and group
10354 of the owner and creator of the message queue, the times at which a
10355 message was last sent and received on the queue, and the time at which
10356 the message queue was last changed.
10357
10358 @kindex info os modules
10359 @item modules
10360 Display the list of all loaded kernel modules on the target. For each
10361 module, @value{GDBN} prints the module name, the size of the module in
10362 bytes, the number of times the module is used, the dependencies of the
10363 module, the status of the module, and the address of the loaded module
10364 in memory.
10365 @end table
10366
10367 @item info os
10368 If @var{infotype} is omitted, then list the possible values for
10369 @var{infotype} and the kind of OS information available for each
10370 @var{infotype}. If the target does not return a list of possible
10371 types, this command will report an error.
10372 @end table
10373
10374 @node Memory Region Attributes
10375 @section Memory Region Attributes
10376 @cindex memory region attributes
10377
10378 @dfn{Memory region attributes} allow you to describe special handling
10379 required by regions of your target's memory. @value{GDBN} uses
10380 attributes to determine whether to allow certain types of memory
10381 accesses; whether to use specific width accesses; and whether to cache
10382 target memory. By default the description of memory regions is
10383 fetched from the target (if the current target supports this), but the
10384 user can override the fetched regions.
10385
10386 Defined memory regions can be individually enabled and disabled. When a
10387 memory region is disabled, @value{GDBN} uses the default attributes when
10388 accessing memory in that region. Similarly, if no memory regions have
10389 been defined, @value{GDBN} uses the default attributes when accessing
10390 all memory.
10391
10392 When a memory region is defined, it is given a number to identify it;
10393 to enable, disable, or remove a memory region, you specify that number.
10394
10395 @table @code
10396 @kindex mem
10397 @item mem @var{lower} @var{upper} @var{attributes}@dots{}
10398 Define a memory region bounded by @var{lower} and @var{upper} with
10399 attributes @var{attributes}@dots{}, and add it to the list of regions
10400 monitored by @value{GDBN}. Note that @var{upper} == 0 is a special
10401 case: it is treated as the target's maximum memory address.
10402 (0xffff on 16 bit targets, 0xffffffff on 32 bit targets, etc.)
10403
10404 @item mem auto
10405 Discard any user changes to the memory regions and use target-supplied
10406 regions, if available, or no regions if the target does not support.
10407
10408 @kindex delete mem
10409 @item delete mem @var{nums}@dots{}
10410 Remove memory regions @var{nums}@dots{} from the list of regions
10411 monitored by @value{GDBN}.
10412
10413 @kindex disable mem
10414 @item disable mem @var{nums}@dots{}
10415 Disable monitoring of memory regions @var{nums}@dots{}.
10416 A disabled memory region is not forgotten.
10417 It may be enabled again later.
10418
10419 @kindex enable mem
10420 @item enable mem @var{nums}@dots{}
10421 Enable monitoring of memory regions @var{nums}@dots{}.
10422
10423 @kindex info mem
10424 @item info mem
10425 Print a table of all defined memory regions, with the following columns
10426 for each region:
10427
10428 @table @emph
10429 @item Memory Region Number
10430 @item Enabled or Disabled.
10431 Enabled memory regions are marked with @samp{y}.
10432 Disabled memory regions are marked with @samp{n}.
10433
10434 @item Lo Address
10435 The address defining the inclusive lower bound of the memory region.
10436
10437 @item Hi Address
10438 The address defining the exclusive upper bound of the memory region.
10439
10440 @item Attributes
10441 The list of attributes set for this memory region.
10442 @end table
10443 @end table
10444
10445
10446 @subsection Attributes
10447
10448 @subsubsection Memory Access Mode
10449 The access mode attributes set whether @value{GDBN} may make read or
10450 write accesses to a memory region.
10451
10452 While these attributes prevent @value{GDBN} from performing invalid
10453 memory accesses, they do nothing to prevent the target system, I/O DMA,
10454 etc.@: from accessing memory.
10455
10456 @table @code
10457 @item ro
10458 Memory is read only.
10459 @item wo
10460 Memory is write only.
10461 @item rw
10462 Memory is read/write. This is the default.
10463 @end table
10464
10465 @subsubsection Memory Access Size
10466 The access size attribute tells @value{GDBN} to use specific sized
10467 accesses in the memory region. Often memory mapped device registers
10468 require specific sized accesses. If no access size attribute is
10469 specified, @value{GDBN} may use accesses of any size.
10470
10471 @table @code
10472 @item 8
10473 Use 8 bit memory accesses.
10474 @item 16
10475 Use 16 bit memory accesses.
10476 @item 32
10477 Use 32 bit memory accesses.
10478 @item 64
10479 Use 64 bit memory accesses.
10480 @end table
10481
10482 @c @subsubsection Hardware/Software Breakpoints
10483 @c The hardware/software breakpoint attributes set whether @value{GDBN}
10484 @c will use hardware or software breakpoints for the internal breakpoints
10485 @c used by the step, next, finish, until, etc. commands.
10486 @c
10487 @c @table @code
10488 @c @item hwbreak
10489 @c Always use hardware breakpoints
10490 @c @item swbreak (default)
10491 @c @end table
10492
10493 @subsubsection Data Cache
10494 The data cache attributes set whether @value{GDBN} will cache target
10495 memory. While this generally improves performance by reducing debug
10496 protocol overhead, it can lead to incorrect results because @value{GDBN}
10497 does not know about volatile variables or memory mapped device
10498 registers.
10499
10500 @table @code
10501 @item cache
10502 Enable @value{GDBN} to cache target memory.
10503 @item nocache
10504 Disable @value{GDBN} from caching target memory. This is the default.
10505 @end table
10506
10507 @subsection Memory Access Checking
10508 @value{GDBN} can be instructed to refuse accesses to memory that is
10509 not explicitly described. This can be useful if accessing such
10510 regions has undesired effects for a specific target, or to provide
10511 better error checking. The following commands control this behaviour.
10512
10513 @table @code
10514 @kindex set mem inaccessible-by-default
10515 @item set mem inaccessible-by-default [on|off]
10516 If @code{on} is specified, make @value{GDBN} treat memory not
10517 explicitly described by the memory ranges as non-existent and refuse accesses
10518 to such memory. The checks are only performed if there's at least one
10519 memory range defined. If @code{off} is specified, make @value{GDBN}
10520 treat the memory not explicitly described by the memory ranges as RAM.
10521 The default value is @code{on}.
10522 @kindex show mem inaccessible-by-default
10523 @item show mem inaccessible-by-default
10524 Show the current handling of accesses to unknown memory.
10525 @end table
10526
10527
10528 @c @subsubsection Memory Write Verification
10529 @c The memory write verification attributes set whether @value{GDBN}
10530 @c will re-reads data after each write to verify the write was successful.
10531 @c
10532 @c @table @code
10533 @c @item verify
10534 @c @item noverify (default)
10535 @c @end table
10536
10537 @node Dump/Restore Files
10538 @section Copy Between Memory and a File
10539 @cindex dump/restore files
10540 @cindex append data to a file
10541 @cindex dump data to a file
10542 @cindex restore data from a file
10543
10544 You can use the commands @code{dump}, @code{append}, and
10545 @code{restore} to copy data between target memory and a file. The
10546 @code{dump} and @code{append} commands write data to a file, and the
10547 @code{restore} command reads data from a file back into the inferior's
10548 memory. Files may be in binary, Motorola S-record, Intel hex, or
10549 Tektronix Hex format; however, @value{GDBN} can only append to binary
10550 files.
10551
10552 @table @code
10553
10554 @kindex dump
10555 @item dump @r{[}@var{format}@r{]} memory @var{filename} @var{start_addr} @var{end_addr}
10556 @itemx dump @r{[}@var{format}@r{]} value @var{filename} @var{expr}
10557 Dump the contents of memory from @var{start_addr} to @var{end_addr},
10558 or the value of @var{expr}, to @var{filename} in the given format.
10559
10560 The @var{format} parameter may be any one of:
10561 @table @code
10562 @item binary
10563 Raw binary form.
10564 @item ihex
10565 Intel hex format.
10566 @item srec
10567 Motorola S-record format.
10568 @item tekhex
10569 Tektronix Hex format.
10570 @end table
10571
10572 @value{GDBN} uses the same definitions of these formats as the
10573 @sc{gnu} binary utilities, like @samp{objdump} and @samp{objcopy}. If
10574 @var{format} is omitted, @value{GDBN} dumps the data in raw binary
10575 form.
10576
10577 @kindex append
10578 @item append @r{[}binary@r{]} memory @var{filename} @var{start_addr} @var{end_addr}
10579 @itemx append @r{[}binary@r{]} value @var{filename} @var{expr}
10580 Append the contents of memory from @var{start_addr} to @var{end_addr},
10581 or the value of @var{expr}, to the file @var{filename}, in raw binary form.
10582 (@value{GDBN} can only append data to files in raw binary form.)
10583
10584 @kindex restore
10585 @item restore @var{filename} @r{[}binary@r{]} @var{bias} @var{start} @var{end}
10586 Restore the contents of file @var{filename} into memory. The
10587 @code{restore} command can automatically recognize any known @sc{bfd}
10588 file format, except for raw binary. To restore a raw binary file you
10589 must specify the optional keyword @code{binary} after the filename.
10590
10591 If @var{bias} is non-zero, its value will be added to the addresses
10592 contained in the file. Binary files always start at address zero, so
10593 they will be restored at address @var{bias}. Other bfd files have
10594 a built-in location; they will be restored at offset @var{bias}
10595 from that location.
10596
10597 If @var{start} and/or @var{end} are non-zero, then only data between
10598 file offset @var{start} and file offset @var{end} will be restored.
10599 These offsets are relative to the addresses in the file, before
10600 the @var{bias} argument is applied.
10601
10602 @end table
10603
10604 @node Core File Generation
10605 @section How to Produce a Core File from Your Program
10606 @cindex dump core from inferior
10607
10608 A @dfn{core file} or @dfn{core dump} is a file that records the memory
10609 image of a running process and its process status (register values
10610 etc.). Its primary use is post-mortem debugging of a program that
10611 crashed while it ran outside a debugger. A program that crashes
10612 automatically produces a core file, unless this feature is disabled by
10613 the user. @xref{Files}, for information on invoking @value{GDBN} in
10614 the post-mortem debugging mode.
10615
10616 Occasionally, you may wish to produce a core file of the program you
10617 are debugging in order to preserve a snapshot of its state.
10618 @value{GDBN} has a special command for that.
10619
10620 @table @code
10621 @kindex gcore
10622 @kindex generate-core-file
10623 @item generate-core-file [@var{file}]
10624 @itemx gcore [@var{file}]
10625 Produce a core dump of the inferior process. The optional argument
10626 @var{file} specifies the file name where to put the core dump. If not
10627 specified, the file name defaults to @file{core.@var{pid}}, where
10628 @var{pid} is the inferior process ID.
10629
10630 Note that this command is implemented only for some systems (as of
10631 this writing, @sc{gnu}/Linux, FreeBSD, Solaris, and S390).
10632 @end table
10633
10634 @node Character Sets
10635 @section Character Sets
10636 @cindex character sets
10637 @cindex charset
10638 @cindex translating between character sets
10639 @cindex host character set
10640 @cindex target character set
10641
10642 If the program you are debugging uses a different character set to
10643 represent characters and strings than the one @value{GDBN} uses itself,
10644 @value{GDBN} can automatically translate between the character sets for
10645 you. The character set @value{GDBN} uses we call the @dfn{host
10646 character set}; the one the inferior program uses we call the
10647 @dfn{target character set}.
10648
10649 For example, if you are running @value{GDBN} on a @sc{gnu}/Linux system, which
10650 uses the ISO Latin 1 character set, but you are using @value{GDBN}'s
10651 remote protocol (@pxref{Remote Debugging}) to debug a program
10652 running on an IBM mainframe, which uses the @sc{ebcdic} character set,
10653 then the host character set is Latin-1, and the target character set is
10654 @sc{ebcdic}. If you give @value{GDBN} the command @code{set
10655 target-charset EBCDIC-US}, then @value{GDBN} translates between
10656 @sc{ebcdic} and Latin 1 as you print character or string values, or use
10657 character and string literals in expressions.
10658
10659 @value{GDBN} has no way to automatically recognize which character set
10660 the inferior program uses; you must tell it, using the @code{set
10661 target-charset} command, described below.
10662
10663 Here are the commands for controlling @value{GDBN}'s character set
10664 support:
10665
10666 @table @code
10667 @item set target-charset @var{charset}
10668 @kindex set target-charset
10669 Set the current target character set to @var{charset}. To display the
10670 list of supported target character sets, type
10671 @kbd{@w{set target-charset @key{TAB}@key{TAB}}}.
10672
10673 @item set host-charset @var{charset}
10674 @kindex set host-charset
10675 Set the current host character set to @var{charset}.
10676
10677 By default, @value{GDBN} uses a host character set appropriate to the
10678 system it is running on; you can override that default using the
10679 @code{set host-charset} command. On some systems, @value{GDBN} cannot
10680 automatically determine the appropriate host character set. In this
10681 case, @value{GDBN} uses @samp{UTF-8}.
10682
10683 @value{GDBN} can only use certain character sets as its host character
10684 set. If you type @kbd{@w{set host-charset @key{TAB}@key{TAB}}},
10685 @value{GDBN} will list the host character sets it supports.
10686
10687 @item set charset @var{charset}
10688 @kindex set charset
10689 Set the current host and target character sets to @var{charset}. As
10690 above, if you type @kbd{@w{set charset @key{TAB}@key{TAB}}},
10691 @value{GDBN} will list the names of the character sets that can be used
10692 for both host and target.
10693
10694 @item show charset
10695 @kindex show charset
10696 Show the names of the current host and target character sets.
10697
10698 @item show host-charset
10699 @kindex show host-charset
10700 Show the name of the current host character set.
10701
10702 @item show target-charset
10703 @kindex show target-charset
10704 Show the name of the current target character set.
10705
10706 @item set target-wide-charset @var{charset}
10707 @kindex set target-wide-charset
10708 Set the current target's wide character set to @var{charset}. This is
10709 the character set used by the target's @code{wchar_t} type. To
10710 display the list of supported wide character sets, type
10711 @kbd{@w{set target-wide-charset @key{TAB}@key{TAB}}}.
10712
10713 @item show target-wide-charset
10714 @kindex show target-wide-charset
10715 Show the name of the current target's wide character set.
10716 @end table
10717
10718 Here is an example of @value{GDBN}'s character set support in action.
10719 Assume that the following source code has been placed in the file
10720 @file{charset-test.c}:
10721
10722 @smallexample
10723 #include <stdio.h>
10724
10725 char ascii_hello[]
10726 = @{72, 101, 108, 108, 111, 44, 32, 119,
10727 111, 114, 108, 100, 33, 10, 0@};
10728 char ibm1047_hello[]
10729 = @{200, 133, 147, 147, 150, 107, 64, 166,
10730 150, 153, 147, 132, 90, 37, 0@};
10731
10732 main ()
10733 @{
10734 printf ("Hello, world!\n");
10735 @}
10736 @end smallexample
10737
10738 In this program, @code{ascii_hello} and @code{ibm1047_hello} are arrays
10739 containing the string @samp{Hello, world!} followed by a newline,
10740 encoded in the @sc{ascii} and @sc{ibm1047} character sets.
10741
10742 We compile the program, and invoke the debugger on it:
10743
10744 @smallexample
10745 $ gcc -g charset-test.c -o charset-test
10746 $ gdb -nw charset-test
10747 GNU gdb 2001-12-19-cvs
10748 Copyright 2001 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
10749 @dots{}
10750 (@value{GDBP})
10751 @end smallexample
10752
10753 We can use the @code{show charset} command to see what character sets
10754 @value{GDBN} is currently using to interpret and display characters and
10755 strings:
10756
10757 @smallexample
10758 (@value{GDBP}) show charset
10759 The current host and target character set is `ISO-8859-1'.
10760 (@value{GDBP})
10761 @end smallexample
10762
10763 For the sake of printing this manual, let's use @sc{ascii} as our
10764 initial character set:
10765 @smallexample
10766 (@value{GDBP}) set charset ASCII
10767 (@value{GDBP}) show charset
10768 The current host and target character set is `ASCII'.
10769 (@value{GDBP})
10770 @end smallexample
10771
10772 Let's assume that @sc{ascii} is indeed the correct character set for our
10773 host system --- in other words, let's assume that if @value{GDBN} prints
10774 characters using the @sc{ascii} character set, our terminal will display
10775 them properly. Since our current target character set is also
10776 @sc{ascii}, the contents of @code{ascii_hello} print legibly:
10777
10778 @smallexample
10779 (@value{GDBP}) print ascii_hello
10780 $1 = 0x401698 "Hello, world!\n"
10781 (@value{GDBP}) print ascii_hello[0]
10782 $2 = 72 'H'
10783 (@value{GDBP})
10784 @end smallexample
10785
10786 @value{GDBN} uses the target character set for character and string
10787 literals you use in expressions:
10788
10789 @smallexample
10790 (@value{GDBP}) print '+'
10791 $3 = 43 '+'
10792 (@value{GDBP})
10793 @end smallexample
10794
10795 The @sc{ascii} character set uses the number 43 to encode the @samp{+}
10796 character.
10797
10798 @value{GDBN} relies on the user to tell it which character set the
10799 target program uses. If we print @code{ibm1047_hello} while our target
10800 character set is still @sc{ascii}, we get jibberish:
10801
10802 @smallexample
10803 (@value{GDBP}) print ibm1047_hello
10804 $4 = 0x4016a8 "\310\205\223\223\226k@@\246\226\231\223\204Z%"
10805 (@value{GDBP}) print ibm1047_hello[0]
10806 $5 = 200 '\310'
10807 (@value{GDBP})
10808 @end smallexample
10809
10810 If we invoke the @code{set target-charset} followed by @key{TAB}@key{TAB},
10811 @value{GDBN} tells us the character sets it supports:
10812
10813 @smallexample
10814 (@value{GDBP}) set target-charset
10815 ASCII EBCDIC-US IBM1047 ISO-8859-1
10816 (@value{GDBP}) set target-charset
10817 @end smallexample
10818
10819 We can select @sc{ibm1047} as our target character set, and examine the
10820 program's strings again. Now the @sc{ascii} string is wrong, but
10821 @value{GDBN} translates the contents of @code{ibm1047_hello} from the
10822 target character set, @sc{ibm1047}, to the host character set,
10823 @sc{ascii}, and they display correctly:
10824
10825 @smallexample
10826 (@value{GDBP}) set target-charset IBM1047
10827 (@value{GDBP}) show charset
10828 The current host character set is `ASCII'.
10829 The current target character set is `IBM1047'.
10830 (@value{GDBP}) print ascii_hello
10831 $6 = 0x401698 "\110\145%%?\054\040\167?\162%\144\041\012"
10832 (@value{GDBP}) print ascii_hello[0]
10833 $7 = 72 '\110'
10834 (@value{GDBP}) print ibm1047_hello
10835 $8 = 0x4016a8 "Hello, world!\n"
10836 (@value{GDBP}) print ibm1047_hello[0]
10837 $9 = 200 'H'
10838 (@value{GDBP})
10839 @end smallexample
10840
10841 As above, @value{GDBN} uses the target character set for character and
10842 string literals you use in expressions:
10843
10844 @smallexample
10845 (@value{GDBP}) print '+'
10846 $10 = 78 '+'
10847 (@value{GDBP})
10848 @end smallexample
10849
10850 The @sc{ibm1047} character set uses the number 78 to encode the @samp{+}
10851 character.
10852
10853 @node Caching Target Data
10854 @section Caching Data of Targets
10855 @cindex caching data of targets
10856
10857 @value{GDBN} caches data exchanged between the debugger and a target.
10858 Each cache is associated with the address space of the inferior.
10859 @xref{Inferiors and Programs}, about inferior and address space.
10860 Such caching generally improves performance in remote debugging
10861 (@pxref{Remote Debugging}), because it reduces the overhead of the
10862 remote protocol by bundling memory reads and writes into large chunks.
10863 Unfortunately, simply caching everything would lead to incorrect results,
10864 since @value{GDBN} does not necessarily know anything about volatile
10865 values, memory-mapped I/O addresses, etc. Furthermore, in non-stop mode
10866 (@pxref{Non-Stop Mode}) memory can be changed @emph{while} a gdb command
10867 is executing.
10868 Therefore, by default, @value{GDBN} only caches data
10869 known to be on the stack@footnote{In non-stop mode, it is moderately
10870 rare for a running thread to modify the stack of a stopped thread
10871 in a way that would interfere with a backtrace, and caching of
10872 stack reads provides a significant speed up of remote backtraces.} or
10873 in the code segment.
10874 Other regions of memory can be explicitly marked as
10875 cacheable; @pxref{Memory Region Attributes}.
10876
10877 @table @code
10878 @kindex set remotecache
10879 @item set remotecache on
10880 @itemx set remotecache off
10881 This option no longer does anything; it exists for compatibility
10882 with old scripts.
10883
10884 @kindex show remotecache
10885 @item show remotecache
10886 Show the current state of the obsolete remotecache flag.
10887
10888 @kindex set stack-cache
10889 @item set stack-cache on
10890 @itemx set stack-cache off
10891 Enable or disable caching of stack accesses. When @code{on}, use
10892 caching. By default, this option is @code{on}.
10893
10894 @kindex show stack-cache
10895 @item show stack-cache
10896 Show the current state of data caching for memory accesses.
10897
10898 @kindex set code-cache
10899 @item set code-cache on
10900 @itemx set code-cache off
10901 Enable or disable caching of code segment accesses. When @code{on},
10902 use caching. By default, this option is @code{on}. This improves
10903 performance of disassembly in remote debugging.
10904
10905 @kindex show code-cache
10906 @item show code-cache
10907 Show the current state of target memory cache for code segment
10908 accesses.
10909
10910 @kindex info dcache
10911 @item info dcache @r{[}line@r{]}
10912 Print the information about the performance of data cache of the
10913 current inferior's address space. The information displayed
10914 includes the dcache width and depth, and for each cache line, its
10915 number, address, and how many times it was referenced. This
10916 command is useful for debugging the data cache operation.
10917
10918 If a line number is specified, the contents of that line will be
10919 printed in hex.
10920
10921 @item set dcache size @var{size}
10922 @cindex dcache size
10923 @kindex set dcache size
10924 Set maximum number of entries in dcache (dcache depth above).
10925
10926 @item set dcache line-size @var{line-size}
10927 @cindex dcache line-size
10928 @kindex set dcache line-size
10929 Set number of bytes each dcache entry caches (dcache width above).
10930 Must be a power of 2.
10931
10932 @item show dcache size
10933 @kindex show dcache size
10934 Show maximum number of dcache entries. @xref{Caching Target Data, info dcache}.
10935
10936 @item show dcache line-size
10937 @kindex show dcache line-size
10938 Show default size of dcache lines.
10939
10940 @end table
10941
10942 @node Searching Memory
10943 @section Search Memory
10944 @cindex searching memory
10945
10946 Memory can be searched for a particular sequence of bytes with the
10947 @code{find} command.
10948
10949 @table @code
10950 @kindex find
10951 @item find @r{[}/@var{sn}@r{]} @var{start_addr}, +@var{len}, @var{val1} @r{[}, @var{val2}, @dots{}@r{]}
10952 @itemx find @r{[}/@var{sn}@r{]} @var{start_addr}, @var{end_addr}, @var{val1} @r{[}, @var{val2}, @dots{}@r{]}
10953 Search memory for the sequence of bytes specified by @var{val1}, @var{val2},
10954 etc. The search begins at address @var{start_addr} and continues for either
10955 @var{len} bytes or through to @var{end_addr} inclusive.
10956 @end table
10957
10958 @var{s} and @var{n} are optional parameters.
10959 They may be specified in either order, apart or together.
10960
10961 @table @r
10962 @item @var{s}, search query size
10963 The size of each search query value.
10964
10965 @table @code
10966 @item b
10967 bytes
10968 @item h
10969 halfwords (two bytes)
10970 @item w
10971 words (four bytes)
10972 @item g
10973 giant words (eight bytes)
10974 @end table
10975
10976 All values are interpreted in the current language.
10977 This means, for example, that if the current source language is C/C@t{++}
10978 then searching for the string ``hello'' includes the trailing '\0'.
10979
10980 If the value size is not specified, it is taken from the
10981 value's type in the current language.
10982 This is useful when one wants to specify the search
10983 pattern as a mixture of types.
10984 Note that this means, for example, that in the case of C-like languages
10985 a search for an untyped 0x42 will search for @samp{(int) 0x42}
10986 which is typically four bytes.
10987
10988 @item @var{n}, maximum number of finds
10989 The maximum number of matches to print. The default is to print all finds.
10990 @end table
10991
10992 You can use strings as search values. Quote them with double-quotes
10993 (@code{"}).
10994 The string value is copied into the search pattern byte by byte,
10995 regardless of the endianness of the target and the size specification.
10996
10997 The address of each match found is printed as well as a count of the
10998 number of matches found.
10999
11000 The address of the last value found is stored in convenience variable
11001 @samp{$_}.
11002 A count of the number of matches is stored in @samp{$numfound}.
11003
11004 For example, if stopped at the @code{printf} in this function:
11005
11006 @smallexample
11007 void
11008 hello ()
11009 @{
11010 static char hello[] = "hello-hello";
11011 static struct @{ char c; short s; int i; @}
11012 __attribute__ ((packed)) mixed
11013 = @{ 'c', 0x1234, 0x87654321 @};
11014 printf ("%s\n", hello);
11015 @}
11016 @end smallexample
11017
11018 @noindent
11019 you get during debugging:
11020
11021 @smallexample
11022 (gdb) find &hello[0], +sizeof(hello), "hello"
11023 0x804956d <hello.1620+6>
11024 1 pattern found
11025 (gdb) find &hello[0], +sizeof(hello), 'h', 'e', 'l', 'l', 'o'
11026 0x8049567 <hello.1620>
11027 0x804956d <hello.1620+6>
11028 2 patterns found
11029 (gdb) find /b1 &hello[0], +sizeof(hello), 'h', 0x65, 'l'
11030 0x8049567 <hello.1620>
11031 1 pattern found
11032 (gdb) find &mixed, +sizeof(mixed), (char) 'c', (short) 0x1234, (int) 0x87654321
11033 0x8049560 <mixed.1625>
11034 1 pattern found
11035 (gdb) print $numfound
11036 $1 = 1
11037 (gdb) print $_
11038 $2 = (void *) 0x8049560
11039 @end smallexample
11040
11041 @node Optimized Code
11042 @chapter Debugging Optimized Code
11043 @cindex optimized code, debugging
11044 @cindex debugging optimized code
11045
11046 Almost all compilers support optimization. With optimization
11047 disabled, the compiler generates assembly code that corresponds
11048 directly to your source code, in a simplistic way. As the compiler
11049 applies more powerful optimizations, the generated assembly code
11050 diverges from your original source code. With help from debugging
11051 information generated by the compiler, @value{GDBN} can map from
11052 the running program back to constructs from your original source.
11053
11054 @value{GDBN} is more accurate with optimization disabled. If you
11055 can recompile without optimization, it is easier to follow the
11056 progress of your program during debugging. But, there are many cases
11057 where you may need to debug an optimized version.
11058
11059 When you debug a program compiled with @samp{-g -O}, remember that the
11060 optimizer has rearranged your code; the debugger shows you what is
11061 really there. Do not be too surprised when the execution path does not
11062 exactly match your source file! An extreme example: if you define a
11063 variable, but never use it, @value{GDBN} never sees that
11064 variable---because the compiler optimizes it out of existence.
11065
11066 Some things do not work as well with @samp{-g -O} as with just
11067 @samp{-g}, particularly on machines with instruction scheduling. If in
11068 doubt, recompile with @samp{-g} alone, and if this fixes the problem,
11069 please report it to us as a bug (including a test case!).
11070 @xref{Variables}, for more information about debugging optimized code.
11071
11072 @menu
11073 * Inline Functions:: How @value{GDBN} presents inlining
11074 * Tail Call Frames:: @value{GDBN} analysis of jumps to functions
11075 @end menu
11076
11077 @node Inline Functions
11078 @section Inline Functions
11079 @cindex inline functions, debugging
11080
11081 @dfn{Inlining} is an optimization that inserts a copy of the function
11082 body directly at each call site, instead of jumping to a shared
11083 routine. @value{GDBN} displays inlined functions just like
11084 non-inlined functions. They appear in backtraces. You can view their
11085 arguments and local variables, step into them with @code{step}, skip
11086 them with @code{next}, and escape from them with @code{finish}.
11087 You can check whether a function was inlined by using the
11088 @code{info frame} command.
11089
11090 For @value{GDBN} to support inlined functions, the compiler must
11091 record information about inlining in the debug information ---
11092 @value{NGCC} using the @sc{dwarf 2} format does this, and several
11093 other compilers do also. @value{GDBN} only supports inlined functions
11094 when using @sc{dwarf 2}. Versions of @value{NGCC} before 4.1
11095 do not emit two required attributes (@samp{DW_AT_call_file} and
11096 @samp{DW_AT_call_line}); @value{GDBN} does not display inlined
11097 function calls with earlier versions of @value{NGCC}. It instead
11098 displays the arguments and local variables of inlined functions as
11099 local variables in the caller.
11100
11101 The body of an inlined function is directly included at its call site;
11102 unlike a non-inlined function, there are no instructions devoted to
11103 the call. @value{GDBN} still pretends that the call site and the
11104 start of the inlined function are different instructions. Stepping to
11105 the call site shows the call site, and then stepping again shows
11106 the first line of the inlined function, even though no additional
11107 instructions are executed.
11108
11109 This makes source-level debugging much clearer; you can see both the
11110 context of the call and then the effect of the call. Only stepping by
11111 a single instruction using @code{stepi} or @code{nexti} does not do
11112 this; single instruction steps always show the inlined body.
11113
11114 There are some ways that @value{GDBN} does not pretend that inlined
11115 function calls are the same as normal calls:
11116
11117 @itemize @bullet
11118 @item
11119 Setting breakpoints at the call site of an inlined function may not
11120 work, because the call site does not contain any code. @value{GDBN}
11121 may incorrectly move the breakpoint to the next line of the enclosing
11122 function, after the call. This limitation will be removed in a future
11123 version of @value{GDBN}; until then, set a breakpoint on an earlier line
11124 or inside the inlined function instead.
11125
11126 @item
11127 @value{GDBN} cannot locate the return value of inlined calls after
11128 using the @code{finish} command. This is a limitation of compiler-generated
11129 debugging information; after @code{finish}, you can step to the next line
11130 and print a variable where your program stored the return value.
11131
11132 @end itemize
11133
11134 @node Tail Call Frames
11135 @section Tail Call Frames
11136 @cindex tail call frames, debugging
11137
11138 Function @code{B} can call function @code{C} in its very last statement. In
11139 unoptimized compilation the call of @code{C} is immediately followed by return
11140 instruction at the end of @code{B} code. Optimizing compiler may replace the
11141 call and return in function @code{B} into one jump to function @code{C}
11142 instead. Such use of a jump instruction is called @dfn{tail call}.
11143
11144 During execution of function @code{C}, there will be no indication in the
11145 function call stack frames that it was tail-called from @code{B}. If function
11146 @code{A} regularly calls function @code{B} which tail-calls function @code{C},
11147 then @value{GDBN} will see @code{A} as the caller of @code{C}. However, in
11148 some cases @value{GDBN} can determine that @code{C} was tail-called from
11149 @code{B}, and it will then create fictitious call frame for that, with the
11150 return address set up as if @code{B} called @code{C} normally.
11151
11152 This functionality is currently supported only by DWARF 2 debugging format and
11153 the compiler has to produce @samp{DW_TAG_GNU_call_site} tags. With
11154 @value{NGCC}, you need to specify @option{-O -g} during compilation, to get
11155 this information.
11156
11157 @kbd{info frame} command (@pxref{Frame Info}) will indicate the tail call frame
11158 kind by text @code{tail call frame} such as in this sample @value{GDBN} output:
11159
11160 @smallexample
11161 (gdb) x/i $pc - 2
11162 0x40066b <b(int, double)+11>: jmp 0x400640 <c(int, double)>
11163 (gdb) info frame
11164 Stack level 1, frame at 0x7fffffffda30:
11165 rip = 0x40066d in b (amd64-entry-value.cc:59); saved rip 0x4004c5
11166 tail call frame, caller of frame at 0x7fffffffda30
11167 source language c++.
11168 Arglist at unknown address.
11169 Locals at unknown address, Previous frame's sp is 0x7fffffffda30
11170 @end smallexample
11171
11172 The detection of all the possible code path executions can find them ambiguous.
11173 There is no execution history stored (possible @ref{Reverse Execution} is never
11174 used for this purpose) and the last known caller could have reached the known
11175 callee by multiple different jump sequences. In such case @value{GDBN} still
11176 tries to show at least all the unambiguous top tail callers and all the
11177 unambiguous bottom tail calees, if any.
11178
11179 @table @code
11180 @anchor{set debug entry-values}
11181 @item set debug entry-values
11182 @kindex set debug entry-values
11183 When set to on, enables printing of analysis messages for both frame argument
11184 values at function entry and tail calls. It will show all the possible valid
11185 tail calls code paths it has considered. It will also print the intersection
11186 of them with the final unambiguous (possibly partial or even empty) code path
11187 result.
11188
11189 @item show debug entry-values
11190 @kindex show debug entry-values
11191 Show the current state of analysis messages printing for both frame argument
11192 values at function entry and tail calls.
11193 @end table
11194
11195 The analysis messages for tail calls can for example show why the virtual tail
11196 call frame for function @code{c} has not been recognized (due to the indirect
11197 reference by variable @code{x}):
11198
11199 @smallexample
11200 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) c (void);
11201 void (*x) (void) = c;
11202 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) a (void) @{ x++; @}
11203 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) c (void) @{ a (); @}
11204 int main (void) @{ x (); return 0; @}
11205
11206 Breakpoint 1, DW_OP_GNU_entry_value resolving cannot find
11207 DW_TAG_GNU_call_site 0x40039a in main
11208 a () at t.c:3
11209 3 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) a (void) @{ x++; @}
11210 (gdb) bt
11211 #0 a () at t.c:3
11212 #1 0x000000000040039a in main () at t.c:5
11213 @end smallexample
11214
11215 Another possibility is an ambiguous virtual tail call frames resolution:
11216
11217 @smallexample
11218 int i;
11219 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) f (void) @{ i++; @}
11220 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) e (void) @{ f (); @}
11221 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) d (void) @{ f (); @}
11222 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) c (void) @{ d (); @}
11223 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) b (void)
11224 @{ if (i) c (); else e (); @}
11225 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) a (void) @{ b (); @}
11226 int main (void) @{ a (); return 0; @}
11227
11228 tailcall: initial: 0x4004d2(a) 0x4004ce(b) 0x4004b2(c) 0x4004a2(d)
11229 tailcall: compare: 0x4004d2(a) 0x4004cc(b) 0x400492(e)
11230 tailcall: reduced: 0x4004d2(a) |
11231 (gdb) bt
11232 #0 f () at t.c:2
11233 #1 0x00000000004004d2 in a () at t.c:8
11234 #2 0x0000000000400395 in main () at t.c:9
11235 @end smallexample
11236
11237 @set CALLSEQ1A @code{main@value{ARROW}a@value{ARROW}b@value{ARROW}c@value{ARROW}d@value{ARROW}f}
11238 @set CALLSEQ2A @code{main@value{ARROW}a@value{ARROW}b@value{ARROW}e@value{ARROW}f}
11239
11240 @c Convert CALLSEQ#A to CALLSEQ#B depending on HAVE_MAKEINFO_CLICK.
11241 @ifset HAVE_MAKEINFO_CLICK
11242 @set ARROW @click{}
11243 @set CALLSEQ1B @clicksequence{@value{CALLSEQ1A}}
11244 @set CALLSEQ2B @clicksequence{@value{CALLSEQ2A}}
11245 @end ifset
11246 @ifclear HAVE_MAKEINFO_CLICK
11247 @set ARROW ->
11248 @set CALLSEQ1B @value{CALLSEQ1A}
11249 @set CALLSEQ2B @value{CALLSEQ2A}
11250 @end ifclear
11251
11252 Frames #0 and #2 are real, #1 is a virtual tail call frame.
11253 The code can have possible execution paths @value{CALLSEQ1B} or
11254 @value{CALLSEQ2B}, @value{GDBN} cannot find which one from the inferior state.
11255
11256 @code{initial:} state shows some random possible calling sequence @value{GDBN}
11257 has found. It then finds another possible calling sequcen - that one is
11258 prefixed by @code{compare:}. The non-ambiguous intersection of these two is
11259 printed as the @code{reduced:} calling sequence. That one could have many
11260 futher @code{compare:} and @code{reduced:} statements as long as there remain
11261 any non-ambiguous sequence entries.
11262
11263 For the frame of function @code{b} in both cases there are different possible
11264 @code{$pc} values (@code{0x4004cc} or @code{0x4004ce}), therefore this frame is
11265 also ambigous. The only non-ambiguous frame is the one for function @code{a},
11266 therefore this one is displayed to the user while the ambiguous frames are
11267 omitted.
11268
11269 There can be also reasons why printing of frame argument values at function
11270 entry may fail:
11271
11272 @smallexample
11273 int v;
11274 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) c (int i) @{ v++; @}
11275 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) a (int i);
11276 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) b (int i) @{ a (i); @}
11277 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) a (int i)
11278 @{ if (i) b (i - 1); else c (0); @}
11279 int main (void) @{ a (5); return 0; @}
11280
11281 (gdb) bt
11282 #0 c (i=i@@entry=0) at t.c:2
11283 #1 0x0000000000400428 in a (DW_OP_GNU_entry_value resolving has found
11284 function "a" at 0x400420 can call itself via tail calls
11285 i=<optimized out>) at t.c:6
11286 #2 0x000000000040036e in main () at t.c:7
11287 @end smallexample
11288
11289 @value{GDBN} cannot find out from the inferior state if and how many times did
11290 function @code{a} call itself (via function @code{b}) as these calls would be
11291 tail calls. Such tail calls would modify thue @code{i} variable, therefore
11292 @value{GDBN} cannot be sure the value it knows would be right - @value{GDBN}
11293 prints @code{<optimized out>} instead.
11294
11295 @node Macros
11296 @chapter C Preprocessor Macros
11297
11298 Some languages, such as C and C@t{++}, provide a way to define and invoke
11299 ``preprocessor macros'' which expand into strings of tokens.
11300 @value{GDBN} can evaluate expressions containing macro invocations, show
11301 the result of macro expansion, and show a macro's definition, including
11302 where it was defined.
11303
11304 You may need to compile your program specially to provide @value{GDBN}
11305 with information about preprocessor macros. Most compilers do not
11306 include macros in their debugging information, even when you compile
11307 with the @option{-g} flag. @xref{Compilation}.
11308
11309 A program may define a macro at one point, remove that definition later,
11310 and then provide a different definition after that. Thus, at different
11311 points in the program, a macro may have different definitions, or have
11312 no definition at all. If there is a current stack frame, @value{GDBN}
11313 uses the macros in scope at that frame's source code line. Otherwise,
11314 @value{GDBN} uses the macros in scope at the current listing location;
11315 see @ref{List}.
11316
11317 Whenever @value{GDBN} evaluates an expression, it always expands any
11318 macro invocations present in the expression. @value{GDBN} also provides
11319 the following commands for working with macros explicitly.
11320
11321 @table @code
11322
11323 @kindex macro expand
11324 @cindex macro expansion, showing the results of preprocessor
11325 @cindex preprocessor macro expansion, showing the results of
11326 @cindex expanding preprocessor macros
11327 @item macro expand @var{expression}
11328 @itemx macro exp @var{expression}
11329 Show the results of expanding all preprocessor macro invocations in
11330 @var{expression}. Since @value{GDBN} simply expands macros, but does
11331 not parse the result, @var{expression} need not be a valid expression;
11332 it can be any string of tokens.
11333
11334 @kindex macro exp1
11335 @item macro expand-once @var{expression}
11336 @itemx macro exp1 @var{expression}
11337 @cindex expand macro once
11338 @i{(This command is not yet implemented.)} Show the results of
11339 expanding those preprocessor macro invocations that appear explicitly in
11340 @var{expression}. Macro invocations appearing in that expansion are
11341 left unchanged. This command allows you to see the effect of a
11342 particular macro more clearly, without being confused by further
11343 expansions. Since @value{GDBN} simply expands macros, but does not
11344 parse the result, @var{expression} need not be a valid expression; it
11345 can be any string of tokens.
11346
11347 @kindex info macro
11348 @cindex macro definition, showing
11349 @cindex definition of a macro, showing
11350 @cindex macros, from debug info
11351 @item info macro [-a|-all] [--] @var{macro}
11352 Show the current definition or all definitions of the named @var{macro},
11353 and describe the source location or compiler command-line where that
11354 definition was established. The optional double dash is to signify the end of
11355 argument processing and the beginning of @var{macro} for non C-like macros where
11356 the macro may begin with a hyphen.
11357
11358 @kindex info macros
11359 @item info macros @var{linespec}
11360 Show all macro definitions that are in effect at the location specified
11361 by @var{linespec}, and describe the source location or compiler
11362 command-line where those definitions were established.
11363
11364 @kindex macro define
11365 @cindex user-defined macros
11366 @cindex defining macros interactively
11367 @cindex macros, user-defined
11368 @item macro define @var{macro} @var{replacement-list}
11369 @itemx macro define @var{macro}(@var{arglist}) @var{replacement-list}
11370 Introduce a definition for a preprocessor macro named @var{macro},
11371 invocations of which are replaced by the tokens given in
11372 @var{replacement-list}. The first form of this command defines an
11373 ``object-like'' macro, which takes no arguments; the second form
11374 defines a ``function-like'' macro, which takes the arguments given in
11375 @var{arglist}.
11376
11377 A definition introduced by this command is in scope in every
11378 expression evaluated in @value{GDBN}, until it is removed with the
11379 @code{macro undef} command, described below. The definition overrides
11380 all definitions for @var{macro} present in the program being debugged,
11381 as well as any previous user-supplied definition.
11382
11383 @kindex macro undef
11384 @item macro undef @var{macro}
11385 Remove any user-supplied definition for the macro named @var{macro}.
11386 This command only affects definitions provided with the @code{macro
11387 define} command, described above; it cannot remove definitions present
11388 in the program being debugged.
11389
11390 @kindex macro list
11391 @item macro list
11392 List all the macros defined using the @code{macro define} command.
11393 @end table
11394
11395 @cindex macros, example of debugging with
11396 Here is a transcript showing the above commands in action. First, we
11397 show our source files:
11398
11399 @smallexample
11400 $ cat sample.c
11401 #include <stdio.h>
11402 #include "sample.h"
11403
11404 #define M 42
11405 #define ADD(x) (M + x)
11406
11407 main ()
11408 @{
11409 #define N 28
11410 printf ("Hello, world!\n");
11411 #undef N
11412 printf ("We're so creative.\n");
11413 #define N 1729
11414 printf ("Goodbye, world!\n");
11415 @}
11416 $ cat sample.h
11417 #define Q <
11418 $
11419 @end smallexample
11420
11421 Now, we compile the program using the @sc{gnu} C compiler,
11422 @value{NGCC}. We pass the @option{-gdwarf-2}@footnote{This is the
11423 minimum. Recent versions of @value{NGCC} support @option{-gdwarf-3}
11424 and @option{-gdwarf-4}; we recommend always choosing the most recent
11425 version of DWARF.} @emph{and} @option{-g3} flags to ensure the compiler
11426 includes information about preprocessor macros in the debugging
11427 information.
11428
11429 @smallexample
11430 $ gcc -gdwarf-2 -g3 sample.c -o sample
11431 $
11432 @end smallexample
11433
11434 Now, we start @value{GDBN} on our sample program:
11435
11436 @smallexample
11437 $ gdb -nw sample
11438 GNU gdb 2002-05-06-cvs
11439 Copyright 2002 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
11440 GDB is free software, @dots{}
11441 (@value{GDBP})
11442 @end smallexample
11443
11444 We can expand macros and examine their definitions, even when the
11445 program is not running. @value{GDBN} uses the current listing position
11446 to decide which macro definitions are in scope:
11447
11448 @smallexample
11449 (@value{GDBP}) list main
11450 3
11451 4 #define M 42
11452 5 #define ADD(x) (M + x)
11453 6
11454 7 main ()
11455 8 @{
11456 9 #define N 28
11457 10 printf ("Hello, world!\n");
11458 11 #undef N
11459 12 printf ("We're so creative.\n");
11460 (@value{GDBP}) info macro ADD
11461 Defined at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:5
11462 #define ADD(x) (M + x)
11463 (@value{GDBP}) info macro Q
11464 Defined at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.h:1
11465 included at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:2
11466 #define Q <
11467 (@value{GDBP}) macro expand ADD(1)
11468 expands to: (42 + 1)
11469 (@value{GDBP}) macro expand-once ADD(1)
11470 expands to: once (M + 1)
11471 (@value{GDBP})
11472 @end smallexample
11473
11474 In the example above, note that @code{macro expand-once} expands only
11475 the macro invocation explicit in the original text --- the invocation of
11476 @code{ADD} --- but does not expand the invocation of the macro @code{M},
11477 which was introduced by @code{ADD}.
11478
11479 Once the program is running, @value{GDBN} uses the macro definitions in
11480 force at the source line of the current stack frame:
11481
11482 @smallexample
11483 (@value{GDBP}) break main
11484 Breakpoint 1 at 0x8048370: file sample.c, line 10.
11485 (@value{GDBP}) run
11486 Starting program: /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample
11487
11488 Breakpoint 1, main () at sample.c:10
11489 10 printf ("Hello, world!\n");
11490 (@value{GDBP})
11491 @end smallexample
11492
11493 At line 10, the definition of the macro @code{N} at line 9 is in force:
11494
11495 @smallexample
11496 (@value{GDBP}) info macro N
11497 Defined at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:9
11498 #define N 28
11499 (@value{GDBP}) macro expand N Q M
11500 expands to: 28 < 42
11501 (@value{GDBP}) print N Q M
11502 $1 = 1
11503 (@value{GDBP})
11504 @end smallexample
11505
11506 As we step over directives that remove @code{N}'s definition, and then
11507 give it a new definition, @value{GDBN} finds the definition (or lack
11508 thereof) in force at each point:
11509
11510 @smallexample
11511 (@value{GDBP}) next
11512 Hello, world!
11513 12 printf ("We're so creative.\n");
11514 (@value{GDBP}) info macro N
11515 The symbol `N' has no definition as a C/C++ preprocessor macro
11516 at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:12
11517 (@value{GDBP}) next
11518 We're so creative.
11519 14 printf ("Goodbye, world!\n");
11520 (@value{GDBP}) info macro N
11521 Defined at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:13
11522 #define N 1729
11523 (@value{GDBP}) macro expand N Q M
11524 expands to: 1729 < 42
11525 (@value{GDBP}) print N Q M
11526 $2 = 0
11527 (@value{GDBP})
11528 @end smallexample
11529
11530 In addition to source files, macros can be defined on the compilation command
11531 line using the @option{-D@var{name}=@var{value}} syntax. For macros defined in
11532 such a way, @value{GDBN} displays the location of their definition as line zero
11533 of the source file submitted to the compiler.
11534
11535 @smallexample
11536 (@value{GDBP}) info macro __STDC__
11537 Defined at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:0
11538 -D__STDC__=1
11539 (@value{GDBP})
11540 @end smallexample
11541
11542
11543 @node Tracepoints
11544 @chapter Tracepoints
11545 @c This chapter is based on the documentation written by Michael
11546 @c Snyder, David Taylor, Jim Blandy, and Elena Zannoni.
11547
11548 @cindex tracepoints
11549 In some applications, it is not feasible for the debugger to interrupt
11550 the program's execution long enough for the developer to learn
11551 anything helpful about its behavior. If the program's correctness
11552 depends on its real-time behavior, delays introduced by a debugger
11553 might cause the program to change its behavior drastically, or perhaps
11554 fail, even when the code itself is correct. It is useful to be able
11555 to observe the program's behavior without interrupting it.
11556
11557 Using @value{GDBN}'s @code{trace} and @code{collect} commands, you can
11558 specify locations in the program, called @dfn{tracepoints}, and
11559 arbitrary expressions to evaluate when those tracepoints are reached.
11560 Later, using the @code{tfind} command, you can examine the values
11561 those expressions had when the program hit the tracepoints. The
11562 expressions may also denote objects in memory---structures or arrays,
11563 for example---whose values @value{GDBN} should record; while visiting
11564 a particular tracepoint, you may inspect those objects as if they were
11565 in memory at that moment. However, because @value{GDBN} records these
11566 values without interacting with you, it can do so quickly and
11567 unobtrusively, hopefully not disturbing the program's behavior.
11568
11569 The tracepoint facility is currently available only for remote
11570 targets. @xref{Targets}. In addition, your remote target must know
11571 how to collect trace data. This functionality is implemented in the
11572 remote stub; however, none of the stubs distributed with @value{GDBN}
11573 support tracepoints as of this writing. The format of the remote
11574 packets used to implement tracepoints are described in @ref{Tracepoint
11575 Packets}.
11576
11577 It is also possible to get trace data from a file, in a manner reminiscent
11578 of corefiles; you specify the filename, and use @code{tfind} to search
11579 through the file. @xref{Trace Files}, for more details.
11580
11581 This chapter describes the tracepoint commands and features.
11582
11583 @menu
11584 * Set Tracepoints::
11585 * Analyze Collected Data::
11586 * Tracepoint Variables::
11587 * Trace Files::
11588 @end menu
11589
11590 @node Set Tracepoints
11591 @section Commands to Set Tracepoints
11592
11593 Before running such a @dfn{trace experiment}, an arbitrary number of
11594 tracepoints can be set. A tracepoint is actually a special type of
11595 breakpoint (@pxref{Set Breaks}), so you can manipulate it using
11596 standard breakpoint commands. For instance, as with breakpoints,
11597 tracepoint numbers are successive integers starting from one, and many
11598 of the commands associated with tracepoints take the tracepoint number
11599 as their argument, to identify which tracepoint to work on.
11600
11601 For each tracepoint, you can specify, in advance, some arbitrary set
11602 of data that you want the target to collect in the trace buffer when
11603 it hits that tracepoint. The collected data can include registers,
11604 local variables, or global data. Later, you can use @value{GDBN}
11605 commands to examine the values these data had at the time the
11606 tracepoint was hit.
11607
11608 Tracepoints do not support every breakpoint feature. Ignore counts on
11609 tracepoints have no effect, and tracepoints cannot run @value{GDBN}
11610 commands when they are hit. Tracepoints may not be thread-specific
11611 either.
11612
11613 @cindex fast tracepoints
11614 Some targets may support @dfn{fast tracepoints}, which are inserted in
11615 a different way (such as with a jump instead of a trap), that is
11616 faster but possibly restricted in where they may be installed.
11617
11618 @cindex static tracepoints
11619 @cindex markers, static tracepoints
11620 @cindex probing markers, static tracepoints
11621 Regular and fast tracepoints are dynamic tracing facilities, meaning
11622 that they can be used to insert tracepoints at (almost) any location
11623 in the target. Some targets may also support controlling @dfn{static
11624 tracepoints} from @value{GDBN}. With static tracing, a set of
11625 instrumentation points, also known as @dfn{markers}, are embedded in
11626 the target program, and can be activated or deactivated by name or
11627 address. These are usually placed at locations which facilitate
11628 investigating what the target is actually doing. @value{GDBN}'s
11629 support for static tracing includes being able to list instrumentation
11630 points, and attach them with @value{GDBN} defined high level
11631 tracepoints that expose the whole range of convenience of
11632 @value{GDBN}'s tracepoints support. Namely, support for collecting
11633 registers values and values of global or local (to the instrumentation
11634 point) variables; tracepoint conditions and trace state variables.
11635 The act of installing a @value{GDBN} static tracepoint on an
11636 instrumentation point, or marker, is referred to as @dfn{probing} a
11637 static tracepoint marker.
11638
11639 @code{gdbserver} supports tracepoints on some target systems.
11640 @xref{Server,,Tracepoints support in @code{gdbserver}}.
11641
11642 This section describes commands to set tracepoints and associated
11643 conditions and actions.
11644
11645 @menu
11646 * Create and Delete Tracepoints::
11647 * Enable and Disable Tracepoints::
11648 * Tracepoint Passcounts::
11649 * Tracepoint Conditions::
11650 * Trace State Variables::
11651 * Tracepoint Actions::
11652 * Listing Tracepoints::
11653 * Listing Static Tracepoint Markers::
11654 * Starting and Stopping Trace Experiments::
11655 * Tracepoint Restrictions::
11656 @end menu
11657
11658 @node Create and Delete Tracepoints
11659 @subsection Create and Delete Tracepoints
11660
11661 @table @code
11662 @cindex set tracepoint
11663 @kindex trace
11664 @item trace @var{location}
11665 The @code{trace} command is very similar to the @code{break} command.
11666 Its argument @var{location} can be a source line, a function name, or
11667 an address in the target program. @xref{Specify Location}. The
11668 @code{trace} command defines a tracepoint, which is a point in the
11669 target program where the debugger will briefly stop, collect some
11670 data, and then allow the program to continue. Setting a tracepoint or
11671 changing its actions takes effect immediately if the remote stub
11672 supports the @samp{InstallInTrace} feature (@pxref{install tracepoint
11673 in tracing}).
11674 If remote stub doesn't support the @samp{InstallInTrace} feature, all
11675 these changes don't take effect until the next @code{tstart}
11676 command, and once a trace experiment is running, further changes will
11677 not have any effect until the next trace experiment starts. In addition,
11678 @value{GDBN} supports @dfn{pending tracepoints}---tracepoints whose
11679 address is not yet resolved. (This is similar to pending breakpoints.)
11680 Pending tracepoints are not downloaded to the target and not installed
11681 until they are resolved. The resolution of pending tracepoints requires
11682 @value{GDBN} support---when debugging with the remote target, and
11683 @value{GDBN} disconnects from the remote stub (@pxref{disconnected
11684 tracing}), pending tracepoints can not be resolved (and downloaded to
11685 the remote stub) while @value{GDBN} is disconnected.
11686
11687 Here are some examples of using the @code{trace} command:
11688
11689 @smallexample
11690 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace foo.c:121} // a source file and line number
11691
11692 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace +2} // 2 lines forward
11693
11694 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace my_function} // first source line of function
11695
11696 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace *my_function} // EXACT start address of function
11697
11698 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace *0x2117c4} // an address
11699 @end smallexample
11700
11701 @noindent
11702 You can abbreviate @code{trace} as @code{tr}.
11703
11704 @item trace @var{location} if @var{cond}
11705 Set a tracepoint with condition @var{cond}; evaluate the expression
11706 @var{cond} each time the tracepoint is reached, and collect data only
11707 if the value is nonzero---that is, if @var{cond} evaluates as true.
11708 @xref{Tracepoint Conditions, ,Tracepoint Conditions}, for more
11709 information on tracepoint conditions.
11710
11711 @item ftrace @var{location} [ if @var{cond} ]
11712 @cindex set fast tracepoint
11713 @cindex fast tracepoints, setting
11714 @kindex ftrace
11715 The @code{ftrace} command sets a fast tracepoint. For targets that
11716 support them, fast tracepoints will use a more efficient but possibly
11717 less general technique to trigger data collection, such as a jump
11718 instruction instead of a trap, or some sort of hardware support. It
11719 may not be possible to create a fast tracepoint at the desired
11720 location, in which case the command will exit with an explanatory
11721 message.
11722
11723 @value{GDBN} handles arguments to @code{ftrace} exactly as for
11724 @code{trace}.
11725
11726 On 32-bit x86-architecture systems, fast tracepoints normally need to
11727 be placed at an instruction that is 5 bytes or longer, but can be
11728 placed at 4-byte instructions if the low 64K of memory of the target
11729 program is available to install trampolines. Some Unix-type systems,
11730 such as @sc{gnu}/Linux, exclude low addresses from the program's
11731 address space; but for instance with the Linux kernel it is possible
11732 to let @value{GDBN} use this area by doing a @command{sysctl} command
11733 to set the @code{mmap_min_addr} kernel parameter, as in
11734
11735 @example
11736 sudo sysctl -w vm.mmap_min_addr=32768
11737 @end example
11738
11739 @noindent
11740 which sets the low address to 32K, which leaves plenty of room for
11741 trampolines. The minimum address should be set to a page boundary.
11742
11743 @item strace @var{location} [ if @var{cond} ]
11744 @cindex set static tracepoint
11745 @cindex static tracepoints, setting
11746 @cindex probe static tracepoint marker
11747 @kindex strace
11748 The @code{strace} command sets a static tracepoint. For targets that
11749 support it, setting a static tracepoint probes a static
11750 instrumentation point, or marker, found at @var{location}. It may not
11751 be possible to set a static tracepoint at the desired location, in
11752 which case the command will exit with an explanatory message.
11753
11754 @value{GDBN} handles arguments to @code{strace} exactly as for
11755 @code{trace}, with the addition that the user can also specify
11756 @code{-m @var{marker}} as @var{location}. This probes the marker
11757 identified by the @var{marker} string identifier. This identifier
11758 depends on the static tracepoint backend library your program is
11759 using. You can find all the marker identifiers in the @samp{ID} field
11760 of the @code{info static-tracepoint-markers} command output.
11761 @xref{Listing Static Tracepoint Markers,,Listing Static Tracepoint
11762 Markers}. For example, in the following small program using the UST
11763 tracing engine:
11764
11765 @smallexample
11766 main ()
11767 @{
11768 trace_mark(ust, bar33, "str %s", "FOOBAZ");
11769 @}
11770 @end smallexample
11771
11772 @noindent
11773 the marker id is composed of joining the first two arguments to the
11774 @code{trace_mark} call with a slash, which translates to:
11775
11776 @smallexample
11777 (@value{GDBP}) info static-tracepoint-markers
11778 Cnt Enb ID Address What
11779 1 n ust/bar33 0x0000000000400ddc in main at stexample.c:22
11780 Data: "str %s"
11781 [etc...]
11782 @end smallexample
11783
11784 @noindent
11785 so you may probe the marker above with:
11786
11787 @smallexample
11788 (@value{GDBP}) strace -m ust/bar33
11789 @end smallexample
11790
11791 Static tracepoints accept an extra collect action --- @code{collect
11792 $_sdata}. This collects arbitrary user data passed in the probe point
11793 call to the tracing library. In the UST example above, you'll see
11794 that the third argument to @code{trace_mark} is a printf-like format
11795 string. The user data is then the result of running that formating
11796 string against the following arguments. Note that @code{info
11797 static-tracepoint-markers} command output lists that format string in
11798 the @samp{Data:} field.
11799
11800 You can inspect this data when analyzing the trace buffer, by printing
11801 the $_sdata variable like any other variable available to
11802 @value{GDBN}. @xref{Tracepoint Actions,,Tracepoint Action Lists}.
11803
11804 @vindex $tpnum
11805 @cindex last tracepoint number
11806 @cindex recent tracepoint number
11807 @cindex tracepoint number
11808 The convenience variable @code{$tpnum} records the tracepoint number
11809 of the most recently set tracepoint.
11810
11811 @kindex delete tracepoint
11812 @cindex tracepoint deletion
11813 @item delete tracepoint @r{[}@var{num}@r{]}
11814 Permanently delete one or more tracepoints. With no argument, the
11815 default is to delete all tracepoints. Note that the regular
11816 @code{delete} command can remove tracepoints also.
11817
11818 Examples:
11819
11820 @smallexample
11821 (@value{GDBP}) @b{delete trace 1 2 3} // remove three tracepoints
11822
11823 (@value{GDBP}) @b{delete trace} // remove all tracepoints
11824 @end smallexample
11825
11826 @noindent
11827 You can abbreviate this command as @code{del tr}.
11828 @end table
11829
11830 @node Enable and Disable Tracepoints
11831 @subsection Enable and Disable Tracepoints
11832
11833 These commands are deprecated; they are equivalent to plain @code{disable} and @code{enable}.
11834
11835 @table @code
11836 @kindex disable tracepoint
11837 @item disable tracepoint @r{[}@var{num}@r{]}
11838 Disable tracepoint @var{num}, or all tracepoints if no argument
11839 @var{num} is given. A disabled tracepoint will have no effect during
11840 a trace experiment, but it is not forgotten. You can re-enable
11841 a disabled tracepoint using the @code{enable tracepoint} command.
11842 If the command is issued during a trace experiment and the debug target
11843 has support for disabling tracepoints during a trace experiment, then the
11844 change will be effective immediately. Otherwise, it will be applied to the
11845 next trace experiment.
11846
11847 @kindex enable tracepoint
11848 @item enable tracepoint @r{[}@var{num}@r{]}
11849 Enable tracepoint @var{num}, or all tracepoints. If this command is
11850 issued during a trace experiment and the debug target supports enabling
11851 tracepoints during a trace experiment, then the enabled tracepoints will
11852 become effective immediately. Otherwise, they will become effective the
11853 next time a trace experiment is run.
11854 @end table
11855
11856 @node Tracepoint Passcounts
11857 @subsection Tracepoint Passcounts
11858
11859 @table @code
11860 @kindex passcount
11861 @cindex tracepoint pass count
11862 @item passcount @r{[}@var{n} @r{[}@var{num}@r{]]}
11863 Set the @dfn{passcount} of a tracepoint. The passcount is a way to
11864 automatically stop a trace experiment. If a tracepoint's passcount is
11865 @var{n}, then the trace experiment will be automatically stopped on
11866 the @var{n}'th time that tracepoint is hit. If the tracepoint number
11867 @var{num} is not specified, the @code{passcount} command sets the
11868 passcount of the most recently defined tracepoint. If no passcount is
11869 given, the trace experiment will run until stopped explicitly by the
11870 user.
11871
11872 Examples:
11873
11874 @smallexample
11875 (@value{GDBP}) @b{passcount 5 2} // Stop on the 5th execution of
11876 @exdent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @code{// tracepoint 2}
11877
11878 (@value{GDBP}) @b{passcount 12} // Stop on the 12th execution of the
11879 @exdent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @code{// most recently defined tracepoint.}
11880 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace foo}
11881 (@value{GDBP}) @b{pass 3}
11882 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace bar}
11883 (@value{GDBP}) @b{pass 2}
11884 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace baz}
11885 (@value{GDBP}) @b{pass 1} // Stop tracing when foo has been
11886 @exdent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @code{// executed 3 times OR when bar has}
11887 @exdent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @code{// been executed 2 times}
11888 @exdent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @code{// OR when baz has been executed 1 time.}
11889 @end smallexample
11890 @end table
11891
11892 @node Tracepoint Conditions
11893 @subsection Tracepoint Conditions
11894 @cindex conditional tracepoints
11895 @cindex tracepoint conditions
11896
11897 The simplest sort of tracepoint collects data every time your program
11898 reaches a specified place. You can also specify a @dfn{condition} for
11899 a tracepoint. A condition is just a Boolean expression in your
11900 programming language (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}). A
11901 tracepoint with a condition evaluates the expression each time your
11902 program reaches it, and data collection happens only if the condition
11903 is true.
11904
11905 Tracepoint conditions can be specified when a tracepoint is set, by
11906 using @samp{if} in the arguments to the @code{trace} command.
11907 @xref{Create and Delete Tracepoints, ,Setting Tracepoints}. They can
11908 also be set or changed at any time with the @code{condition} command,
11909 just as with breakpoints.
11910
11911 Unlike breakpoint conditions, @value{GDBN} does not actually evaluate
11912 the conditional expression itself. Instead, @value{GDBN} encodes the
11913 expression into an agent expression (@pxref{Agent Expressions})
11914 suitable for execution on the target, independently of @value{GDBN}.
11915 Global variables become raw memory locations, locals become stack
11916 accesses, and so forth.
11917
11918 For instance, suppose you have a function that is usually called
11919 frequently, but should not be called after an error has occurred. You
11920 could use the following tracepoint command to collect data about calls
11921 of that function that happen while the error code is propagating
11922 through the program; an unconditional tracepoint could end up
11923 collecting thousands of useless trace frames that you would have to
11924 search through.
11925
11926 @smallexample
11927 (@value{GDBP}) @kbd{trace normal_operation if errcode > 0}
11928 @end smallexample
11929
11930 @node Trace State Variables
11931 @subsection Trace State Variables
11932 @cindex trace state variables
11933
11934 A @dfn{trace state variable} is a special type of variable that is
11935 created and managed by target-side code. The syntax is the same as
11936 that for GDB's convenience variables (a string prefixed with ``$''),
11937 but they are stored on the target. They must be created explicitly,
11938 using a @code{tvariable} command. They are always 64-bit signed
11939 integers.
11940
11941 Trace state variables are remembered by @value{GDBN}, and downloaded
11942 to the target along with tracepoint information when the trace
11943 experiment starts. There are no intrinsic limits on the number of
11944 trace state variables, beyond memory limitations of the target.
11945
11946 @cindex convenience variables, and trace state variables
11947 Although trace state variables are managed by the target, you can use
11948 them in print commands and expressions as if they were convenience
11949 variables; @value{GDBN} will get the current value from the target
11950 while the trace experiment is running. Trace state variables share
11951 the same namespace as other ``$'' variables, which means that you
11952 cannot have trace state variables with names like @code{$23} or
11953 @code{$pc}, nor can you have a trace state variable and a convenience
11954 variable with the same name.
11955
11956 @table @code
11957
11958 @item tvariable $@var{name} [ = @var{expression} ]
11959 @kindex tvariable
11960 The @code{tvariable} command creates a new trace state variable named
11961 @code{$@var{name}}, and optionally gives it an initial value of
11962 @var{expression}. @var{expression} is evaluated when this command is
11963 entered; the result will be converted to an integer if possible,
11964 otherwise @value{GDBN} will report an error. A subsequent
11965 @code{tvariable} command specifying the same name does not create a
11966 variable, but instead assigns the supplied initial value to the
11967 existing variable of that name, overwriting any previous initial
11968 value. The default initial value is 0.
11969
11970 @item info tvariables
11971 @kindex info tvariables
11972 List all the trace state variables along with their initial values.
11973 Their current values may also be displayed, if the trace experiment is
11974 currently running.
11975
11976 @item delete tvariable @r{[} $@var{name} @dots{} @r{]}
11977 @kindex delete tvariable
11978 Delete the given trace state variables, or all of them if no arguments
11979 are specified.
11980
11981 @end table
11982
11983 @node Tracepoint Actions
11984 @subsection Tracepoint Action Lists
11985
11986 @table @code
11987 @kindex actions
11988 @cindex tracepoint actions
11989 @item actions @r{[}@var{num}@r{]}
11990 This command will prompt for a list of actions to be taken when the
11991 tracepoint is hit. If the tracepoint number @var{num} is not
11992 specified, this command sets the actions for the one that was most
11993 recently defined (so that you can define a tracepoint and then say
11994 @code{actions} without bothering about its number). You specify the
11995 actions themselves on the following lines, one action at a time, and
11996 terminate the actions list with a line containing just @code{end}. So
11997 far, the only defined actions are @code{collect}, @code{teval}, and
11998 @code{while-stepping}.
11999
12000 @code{actions} is actually equivalent to @code{commands} (@pxref{Break
12001 Commands, ,Breakpoint Command Lists}), except that only the defined
12002 actions are allowed; any other @value{GDBN} command is rejected.
12003
12004 @cindex remove actions from a tracepoint
12005 To remove all actions from a tracepoint, type @samp{actions @var{num}}
12006 and follow it immediately with @samp{end}.
12007
12008 @smallexample
12009 (@value{GDBP}) @b{collect @var{data}} // collect some data
12010
12011 (@value{GDBP}) @b{while-stepping 5} // single-step 5 times, collect data
12012
12013 (@value{GDBP}) @b{end} // signals the end of actions.
12014 @end smallexample
12015
12016 In the following example, the action list begins with @code{collect}
12017 commands indicating the things to be collected when the tracepoint is
12018 hit. Then, in order to single-step and collect additional data
12019 following the tracepoint, a @code{while-stepping} command is used,
12020 followed by the list of things to be collected after each step in a
12021 sequence of single steps. The @code{while-stepping} command is
12022 terminated by its own separate @code{end} command. Lastly, the action
12023 list is terminated by an @code{end} command.
12024
12025 @smallexample
12026 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace foo}
12027 (@value{GDBP}) @b{actions}
12028 Enter actions for tracepoint 1, one per line:
12029 > collect bar,baz
12030 > collect $regs
12031 > while-stepping 12
12032 > collect $pc, arr[i]
12033 > end
12034 end
12035 @end smallexample
12036
12037 @kindex collect @r{(tracepoints)}
12038 @item collect@r{[}/@var{mods}@r{]} @var{expr1}, @var{expr2}, @dots{}
12039 Collect values of the given expressions when the tracepoint is hit.
12040 This command accepts a comma-separated list of any valid expressions.
12041 In addition to global, static, or local variables, the following
12042 special arguments are supported:
12043
12044 @table @code
12045 @item $regs
12046 Collect all registers.
12047
12048 @item $args
12049 Collect all function arguments.
12050
12051 @item $locals
12052 Collect all local variables.
12053
12054 @item $_ret
12055 Collect the return address. This is helpful if you want to see more
12056 of a backtrace.
12057
12058 @item $_probe_argc
12059 Collects the number of arguments from the static probe at which the
12060 tracepoint is located.
12061 @xref{Static Probe Points}.
12062
12063 @item $_probe_arg@var{n}
12064 @var{n} is an integer between 0 and 11. Collects the @var{n}th argument
12065 from the static probe at which the tracepoint is located.
12066 @xref{Static Probe Points}.
12067
12068 @item $_sdata
12069 @vindex $_sdata@r{, collect}
12070 Collect static tracepoint marker specific data. Only available for
12071 static tracepoints. @xref{Tracepoint Actions,,Tracepoint Action
12072 Lists}. On the UST static tracepoints library backend, an
12073 instrumentation point resembles a @code{printf} function call. The
12074 tracing library is able to collect user specified data formatted to a
12075 character string using the format provided by the programmer that
12076 instrumented the program. Other backends have similar mechanisms.
12077 Here's an example of a UST marker call:
12078
12079 @smallexample
12080 const char master_name[] = "$your_name";
12081 trace_mark(channel1, marker1, "hello %s", master_name)
12082 @end smallexample
12083
12084 In this case, collecting @code{$_sdata} collects the string
12085 @samp{hello $yourname}. When analyzing the trace buffer, you can
12086 inspect @samp{$_sdata} like any other variable available to
12087 @value{GDBN}.
12088 @end table
12089
12090 You can give several consecutive @code{collect} commands, each one
12091 with a single argument, or one @code{collect} command with several
12092 arguments separated by commas; the effect is the same.
12093
12094 The optional @var{mods} changes the usual handling of the arguments.
12095 @code{s} requests that pointers to chars be handled as strings, in
12096 particular collecting the contents of the memory being pointed at, up
12097 to the first zero. The upper bound is by default the value of the
12098 @code{print elements} variable; if @code{s} is followed by a decimal
12099 number, that is the upper bound instead. So for instance
12100 @samp{collect/s25 mystr} collects as many as 25 characters at
12101 @samp{mystr}.
12102
12103 The command @code{info scope} (@pxref{Symbols, info scope}) is
12104 particularly useful for figuring out what data to collect.
12105
12106 @kindex teval @r{(tracepoints)}
12107 @item teval @var{expr1}, @var{expr2}, @dots{}
12108 Evaluate the given expressions when the tracepoint is hit. This
12109 command accepts a comma-separated list of expressions. The results
12110 are discarded, so this is mainly useful for assigning values to trace
12111 state variables (@pxref{Trace State Variables}) without adding those
12112 values to the trace buffer, as would be the case if the @code{collect}
12113 action were used.
12114
12115 @kindex while-stepping @r{(tracepoints)}
12116 @item while-stepping @var{n}
12117 Perform @var{n} single-step instruction traces after the tracepoint,
12118 collecting new data after each step. The @code{while-stepping}
12119 command is followed by the list of what to collect while stepping
12120 (followed by its own @code{end} command):
12121
12122 @smallexample
12123 > while-stepping 12
12124 > collect $regs, myglobal
12125 > end
12126 >
12127 @end smallexample
12128
12129 @noindent
12130 Note that @code{$pc} is not automatically collected by
12131 @code{while-stepping}; you need to explicitly collect that register if
12132 you need it. You may abbreviate @code{while-stepping} as @code{ws} or
12133 @code{stepping}.
12134
12135 @item set default-collect @var{expr1}, @var{expr2}, @dots{}
12136 @kindex set default-collect
12137 @cindex default collection action
12138 This variable is a list of expressions to collect at each tracepoint
12139 hit. It is effectively an additional @code{collect} action prepended
12140 to every tracepoint action list. The expressions are parsed
12141 individually for each tracepoint, so for instance a variable named
12142 @code{xyz} may be interpreted as a global for one tracepoint, and a
12143 local for another, as appropriate to the tracepoint's location.
12144
12145 @item show default-collect
12146 @kindex show default-collect
12147 Show the list of expressions that are collected by default at each
12148 tracepoint hit.
12149
12150 @end table
12151
12152 @node Listing Tracepoints
12153 @subsection Listing Tracepoints
12154
12155 @table @code
12156 @kindex info tracepoints @r{[}@var{n}@dots{}@r{]}
12157 @kindex info tp @r{[}@var{n}@dots{}@r{]}
12158 @cindex information about tracepoints
12159 @item info tracepoints @r{[}@var{num}@dots{}@r{]}
12160 Display information about the tracepoint @var{num}. If you don't
12161 specify a tracepoint number, displays information about all the
12162 tracepoints defined so far. The format is similar to that used for
12163 @code{info breakpoints}; in fact, @code{info tracepoints} is the same
12164 command, simply restricting itself to tracepoints.
12165
12166 A tracepoint's listing may include additional information specific to
12167 tracing:
12168
12169 @itemize @bullet
12170 @item
12171 its passcount as given by the @code{passcount @var{n}} command
12172
12173 @item
12174 the state about installed on target of each location
12175 @end itemize
12176
12177 @smallexample
12178 (@value{GDBP}) @b{info trace}
12179 Num Type Disp Enb Address What
12180 1 tracepoint keep y 0x0804ab57 in foo() at main.cxx:7
12181 while-stepping 20
12182 collect globfoo, $regs
12183 end
12184 collect globfoo2
12185 end
12186 pass count 1200
12187 2 tracepoint keep y <MULTIPLE>
12188 collect $eip
12189 2.1 y 0x0804859c in func4 at change-loc.h:35
12190 installed on target
12191 2.2 y 0xb7ffc480 in func4 at change-loc.h:35
12192 installed on target
12193 2.3 y <PENDING> set_tracepoint
12194 3 tracepoint keep y 0x080485b1 in foo at change-loc.c:29
12195 not installed on target
12196 (@value{GDBP})
12197 @end smallexample
12198
12199 @noindent
12200 This command can be abbreviated @code{info tp}.
12201 @end table
12202
12203 @node Listing Static Tracepoint Markers
12204 @subsection Listing Static Tracepoint Markers
12205
12206 @table @code
12207 @kindex info static-tracepoint-markers
12208 @cindex information about static tracepoint markers
12209 @item info static-tracepoint-markers
12210 Display information about all static tracepoint markers defined in the
12211 program.
12212
12213 For each marker, the following columns are printed:
12214
12215 @table @emph
12216 @item Count
12217 An incrementing counter, output to help readability. This is not a
12218 stable identifier.
12219 @item ID
12220 The marker ID, as reported by the target.
12221 @item Enabled or Disabled
12222 Probed markers are tagged with @samp{y}. @samp{n} identifies marks
12223 that are not enabled.
12224 @item Address
12225 Where the marker is in your program, as a memory address.
12226 @item What
12227 Where the marker is in the source for your program, as a file and line
12228 number. If the debug information included in the program does not
12229 allow @value{GDBN} to locate the source of the marker, this column
12230 will be left blank.
12231 @end table
12232
12233 @noindent
12234 In addition, the following information may be printed for each marker:
12235
12236 @table @emph
12237 @item Data
12238 User data passed to the tracing library by the marker call. In the
12239 UST backend, this is the format string passed as argument to the
12240 marker call.
12241 @item Static tracepoints probing the marker
12242 The list of static tracepoints attached to the marker.
12243 @end table
12244
12245 @smallexample
12246 (@value{GDBP}) info static-tracepoint-markers
12247 Cnt ID Enb Address What
12248 1 ust/bar2 y 0x0000000000400e1a in main at stexample.c:25
12249 Data: number1 %d number2 %d
12250 Probed by static tracepoints: #2
12251 2 ust/bar33 n 0x0000000000400c87 in main at stexample.c:24
12252 Data: str %s
12253 (@value{GDBP})
12254 @end smallexample
12255 @end table
12256
12257 @node Starting and Stopping Trace Experiments
12258 @subsection Starting and Stopping Trace Experiments
12259
12260 @table @code
12261 @kindex tstart [ @var{notes} ]
12262 @cindex start a new trace experiment
12263 @cindex collected data discarded
12264 @item tstart
12265 This command starts the trace experiment, and begins collecting data.
12266 It has the side effect of discarding all the data collected in the
12267 trace buffer during the previous trace experiment. If any arguments
12268 are supplied, they are taken as a note and stored with the trace
12269 experiment's state. The notes may be arbitrary text, and are
12270 especially useful with disconnected tracing in a multi-user context;
12271 the notes can explain what the trace is doing, supply user contact
12272 information, and so forth.
12273
12274 @kindex tstop [ @var{notes} ]
12275 @cindex stop a running trace experiment
12276 @item tstop
12277 This command stops the trace experiment. If any arguments are
12278 supplied, they are recorded with the experiment as a note. This is
12279 useful if you are stopping a trace started by someone else, for
12280 instance if the trace is interfering with the system's behavior and
12281 needs to be stopped quickly.
12282
12283 @strong{Note}: a trace experiment and data collection may stop
12284 automatically if any tracepoint's passcount is reached
12285 (@pxref{Tracepoint Passcounts}), or if the trace buffer becomes full.
12286
12287 @kindex tstatus
12288 @cindex status of trace data collection
12289 @cindex trace experiment, status of
12290 @item tstatus
12291 This command displays the status of the current trace data
12292 collection.
12293 @end table
12294
12295 Here is an example of the commands we described so far:
12296
12297 @smallexample
12298 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace gdb_c_test}
12299 (@value{GDBP}) @b{actions}
12300 Enter actions for tracepoint #1, one per line.
12301 > collect $regs,$locals,$args
12302 > while-stepping 11
12303 > collect $regs
12304 > end
12305 > end
12306 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tstart}
12307 [time passes @dots{}]
12308 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tstop}
12309 @end smallexample
12310
12311 @anchor{disconnected tracing}
12312 @cindex disconnected tracing
12313 You can choose to continue running the trace experiment even if
12314 @value{GDBN} disconnects from the target, voluntarily or
12315 involuntarily. For commands such as @code{detach}, the debugger will
12316 ask what you want to do with the trace. But for unexpected
12317 terminations (@value{GDBN} crash, network outage), it would be
12318 unfortunate to lose hard-won trace data, so the variable
12319 @code{disconnected-tracing} lets you decide whether the trace should
12320 continue running without @value{GDBN}.
12321
12322 @table @code
12323 @item set disconnected-tracing on
12324 @itemx set disconnected-tracing off
12325 @kindex set disconnected-tracing
12326 Choose whether a tracing run should continue to run if @value{GDBN}
12327 has disconnected from the target. Note that @code{detach} or
12328 @code{quit} will ask you directly what to do about a running trace no
12329 matter what this variable's setting, so the variable is mainly useful
12330 for handling unexpected situations, such as loss of the network.
12331
12332 @item show disconnected-tracing
12333 @kindex show disconnected-tracing
12334 Show the current choice for disconnected tracing.
12335
12336 @end table
12337
12338 When you reconnect to the target, the trace experiment may or may not
12339 still be running; it might have filled the trace buffer in the
12340 meantime, or stopped for one of the other reasons. If it is running,
12341 it will continue after reconnection.
12342
12343 Upon reconnection, the target will upload information about the
12344 tracepoints in effect. @value{GDBN} will then compare that
12345 information to the set of tracepoints currently defined, and attempt
12346 to match them up, allowing for the possibility that the numbers may
12347 have changed due to creation and deletion in the meantime. If one of
12348 the target's tracepoints does not match any in @value{GDBN}, the
12349 debugger will create a new tracepoint, so that you have a number with
12350 which to specify that tracepoint. This matching-up process is
12351 necessarily heuristic, and it may result in useless tracepoints being
12352 created; you may simply delete them if they are of no use.
12353
12354 @cindex circular trace buffer
12355 If your target agent supports a @dfn{circular trace buffer}, then you
12356 can run a trace experiment indefinitely without filling the trace
12357 buffer; when space runs out, the agent deletes already-collected trace
12358 frames, oldest first, until there is enough room to continue
12359 collecting. This is especially useful if your tracepoints are being
12360 hit too often, and your trace gets terminated prematurely because the
12361 buffer is full. To ask for a circular trace buffer, simply set
12362 @samp{circular-trace-buffer} to on. You can set this at any time,
12363 including during tracing; if the agent can do it, it will change
12364 buffer handling on the fly, otherwise it will not take effect until
12365 the next run.
12366
12367 @table @code
12368 @item set circular-trace-buffer on
12369 @itemx set circular-trace-buffer off
12370 @kindex set circular-trace-buffer
12371 Choose whether a tracing run should use a linear or circular buffer
12372 for trace data. A linear buffer will not lose any trace data, but may
12373 fill up prematurely, while a circular buffer will discard old trace
12374 data, but it will have always room for the latest tracepoint hits.
12375
12376 @item show circular-trace-buffer
12377 @kindex show circular-trace-buffer
12378 Show the current choice for the trace buffer. Note that this may not
12379 match the agent's current buffer handling, nor is it guaranteed to
12380 match the setting that might have been in effect during a past run,
12381 for instance if you are looking at frames from a trace file.
12382
12383 @end table
12384
12385 @table @code
12386 @item set trace-buffer-size @var{n}
12387 @itemx set trace-buffer-size unlimited
12388 @kindex set trace-buffer-size
12389 Request that the target use a trace buffer of @var{n} bytes. Not all
12390 targets will honor the request; they may have a compiled-in size for
12391 the trace buffer, or some other limitation. Set to a value of
12392 @code{unlimited} or @code{-1} to let the target use whatever size it
12393 likes. This is also the default.
12394
12395 @item show trace-buffer-size
12396 @kindex show trace-buffer-size
12397 Show the current requested size for the trace buffer. Note that this
12398 will only match the actual size if the target supports size-setting,
12399 and was able to handle the requested size. For instance, if the
12400 target can only change buffer size between runs, this variable will
12401 not reflect the change until the next run starts. Use @code{tstatus}
12402 to get a report of the actual buffer size.
12403 @end table
12404
12405 @table @code
12406 @item set trace-user @var{text}
12407 @kindex set trace-user
12408
12409 @item show trace-user
12410 @kindex show trace-user
12411
12412 @item set trace-notes @var{text}
12413 @kindex set trace-notes
12414 Set the trace run's notes.
12415
12416 @item show trace-notes
12417 @kindex show trace-notes
12418 Show the trace run's notes.
12419
12420 @item set trace-stop-notes @var{text}
12421 @kindex set trace-stop-notes
12422 Set the trace run's stop notes. The handling of the note is as for
12423 @code{tstop} arguments; the set command is convenient way to fix a
12424 stop note that is mistaken or incomplete.
12425
12426 @item show trace-stop-notes
12427 @kindex show trace-stop-notes
12428 Show the trace run's stop notes.
12429
12430 @end table
12431
12432 @node Tracepoint Restrictions
12433 @subsection Tracepoint Restrictions
12434
12435 @cindex tracepoint restrictions
12436 There are a number of restrictions on the use of tracepoints. As
12437 described above, tracepoint data gathering occurs on the target
12438 without interaction from @value{GDBN}. Thus the full capabilities of
12439 the debugger are not available during data gathering, and then at data
12440 examination time, you will be limited by only having what was
12441 collected. The following items describe some common problems, but it
12442 is not exhaustive, and you may run into additional difficulties not
12443 mentioned here.
12444
12445 @itemize @bullet
12446
12447 @item
12448 Tracepoint expressions are intended to gather objects (lvalues). Thus
12449 the full flexibility of GDB's expression evaluator is not available.
12450 You cannot call functions, cast objects to aggregate types, access
12451 convenience variables or modify values (except by assignment to trace
12452 state variables). Some language features may implicitly call
12453 functions (for instance Objective-C fields with accessors), and therefore
12454 cannot be collected either.
12455
12456 @item
12457 Collection of local variables, either individually or in bulk with
12458 @code{$locals} or @code{$args}, during @code{while-stepping} may
12459 behave erratically. The stepping action may enter a new scope (for
12460 instance by stepping into a function), or the location of the variable
12461 may change (for instance it is loaded into a register). The
12462 tracepoint data recorded uses the location information for the
12463 variables that is correct for the tracepoint location. When the
12464 tracepoint is created, it is not possible, in general, to determine
12465 where the steps of a @code{while-stepping} sequence will advance the
12466 program---particularly if a conditional branch is stepped.
12467
12468 @item
12469 Collection of an incompletely-initialized or partially-destroyed object
12470 may result in something that @value{GDBN} cannot display, or displays
12471 in a misleading way.
12472
12473 @item
12474 When @value{GDBN} displays a pointer to character it automatically
12475 dereferences the pointer to also display characters of the string
12476 being pointed to. However, collecting the pointer during tracing does
12477 not automatically collect the string. You need to explicitly
12478 dereference the pointer and provide size information if you want to
12479 collect not only the pointer, but the memory pointed to. For example,
12480 @code{*ptr@@50} can be used to collect the 50 element array pointed to
12481 by @code{ptr}.
12482
12483 @item
12484 It is not possible to collect a complete stack backtrace at a
12485 tracepoint. Instead, you may collect the registers and a few hundred
12486 bytes from the stack pointer with something like @code{*(unsigned char *)$esp@@300}
12487 (adjust to use the name of the actual stack pointer register on your
12488 target architecture, and the amount of stack you wish to capture).
12489 Then the @code{backtrace} command will show a partial backtrace when
12490 using a trace frame. The number of stack frames that can be examined
12491 depends on the sizes of the frames in the collected stack. Note that
12492 if you ask for a block so large that it goes past the bottom of the
12493 stack, the target agent may report an error trying to read from an
12494 invalid address.
12495
12496 @item
12497 If you do not collect registers at a tracepoint, @value{GDBN} can
12498 infer that the value of @code{$pc} must be the same as the address of
12499 the tracepoint and use that when you are looking at a trace frame
12500 for that tracepoint. However, this cannot work if the tracepoint has
12501 multiple locations (for instance if it was set in a function that was
12502 inlined), or if it has a @code{while-stepping} loop. In those cases
12503 @value{GDBN} will warn you that it can't infer @code{$pc}, and default
12504 it to zero.
12505
12506 @end itemize
12507
12508 @node Analyze Collected Data
12509 @section Using the Collected Data
12510
12511 After the tracepoint experiment ends, you use @value{GDBN} commands
12512 for examining the trace data. The basic idea is that each tracepoint
12513 collects a trace @dfn{snapshot} every time it is hit and another
12514 snapshot every time it single-steps. All these snapshots are
12515 consecutively numbered from zero and go into a buffer, and you can
12516 examine them later. The way you examine them is to @dfn{focus} on a
12517 specific trace snapshot. When the remote stub is focused on a trace
12518 snapshot, it will respond to all @value{GDBN} requests for memory and
12519 registers by reading from the buffer which belongs to that snapshot,
12520 rather than from @emph{real} memory or registers of the program being
12521 debugged. This means that @strong{all} @value{GDBN} commands
12522 (@code{print}, @code{info registers}, @code{backtrace}, etc.) will
12523 behave as if we were currently debugging the program state as it was
12524 when the tracepoint occurred. Any requests for data that are not in
12525 the buffer will fail.
12526
12527 @menu
12528 * tfind:: How to select a trace snapshot
12529 * tdump:: How to display all data for a snapshot
12530 * save tracepoints:: How to save tracepoints for a future run
12531 @end menu
12532
12533 @node tfind
12534 @subsection @code{tfind @var{n}}
12535
12536 @kindex tfind
12537 @cindex select trace snapshot
12538 @cindex find trace snapshot
12539 The basic command for selecting a trace snapshot from the buffer is
12540 @code{tfind @var{n}}, which finds trace snapshot number @var{n},
12541 counting from zero. If no argument @var{n} is given, the next
12542 snapshot is selected.
12543
12544 Here are the various forms of using the @code{tfind} command.
12545
12546 @table @code
12547 @item tfind start
12548 Find the first snapshot in the buffer. This is a synonym for
12549 @code{tfind 0} (since 0 is the number of the first snapshot).
12550
12551 @item tfind none
12552 Stop debugging trace snapshots, resume @emph{live} debugging.
12553
12554 @item tfind end
12555 Same as @samp{tfind none}.
12556
12557 @item tfind
12558 No argument means find the next trace snapshot.
12559
12560 @item tfind -
12561 Find the previous trace snapshot before the current one. This permits
12562 retracing earlier steps.
12563
12564 @item tfind tracepoint @var{num}
12565 Find the next snapshot associated with tracepoint @var{num}. Search
12566 proceeds forward from the last examined trace snapshot. If no
12567 argument @var{num} is given, it means find the next snapshot collected
12568 for the same tracepoint as the current snapshot.
12569
12570 @item tfind pc @var{addr}
12571 Find the next snapshot associated with the value @var{addr} of the
12572 program counter. Search proceeds forward from the last examined trace
12573 snapshot. If no argument @var{addr} is given, it means find the next
12574 snapshot with the same value of PC as the current snapshot.
12575
12576 @item tfind outside @var{addr1}, @var{addr2}
12577 Find the next snapshot whose PC is outside the given range of
12578 addresses (exclusive).
12579
12580 @item tfind range @var{addr1}, @var{addr2}
12581 Find the next snapshot whose PC is between @var{addr1} and
12582 @var{addr2} (inclusive).
12583
12584 @item tfind line @r{[}@var{file}:@r{]}@var{n}
12585 Find the next snapshot associated with the source line @var{n}. If
12586 the optional argument @var{file} is given, refer to line @var{n} in
12587 that source file. Search proceeds forward from the last examined
12588 trace snapshot. If no argument @var{n} is given, it means find the
12589 next line other than the one currently being examined; thus saying
12590 @code{tfind line} repeatedly can appear to have the same effect as
12591 stepping from line to line in a @emph{live} debugging session.
12592 @end table
12593
12594 The default arguments for the @code{tfind} commands are specifically
12595 designed to make it easy to scan through the trace buffer. For
12596 instance, @code{tfind} with no argument selects the next trace
12597 snapshot, and @code{tfind -} with no argument selects the previous
12598 trace snapshot. So, by giving one @code{tfind} command, and then
12599 simply hitting @key{RET} repeatedly you can examine all the trace
12600 snapshots in order. Or, by saying @code{tfind -} and then hitting
12601 @key{RET} repeatedly you can examine the snapshots in reverse order.
12602 The @code{tfind line} command with no argument selects the snapshot
12603 for the next source line executed. The @code{tfind pc} command with
12604 no argument selects the next snapshot with the same program counter
12605 (PC) as the current frame. The @code{tfind tracepoint} command with
12606 no argument selects the next trace snapshot collected by the same
12607 tracepoint as the current one.
12608
12609 In addition to letting you scan through the trace buffer manually,
12610 these commands make it easy to construct @value{GDBN} scripts that
12611 scan through the trace buffer and print out whatever collected data
12612 you are interested in. Thus, if we want to examine the PC, FP, and SP
12613 registers from each trace frame in the buffer, we can say this:
12614
12615 @smallexample
12616 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tfind start}
12617 (@value{GDBP}) @b{while ($trace_frame != -1)}
12618 > printf "Frame %d, PC = %08X, SP = %08X, FP = %08X\n", \
12619 $trace_frame, $pc, $sp, $fp
12620 > tfind
12621 > end
12622
12623 Frame 0, PC = 0020DC64, SP = 0030BF3C, FP = 0030BF44
12624 Frame 1, PC = 0020DC6C, SP = 0030BF38, FP = 0030BF44
12625 Frame 2, PC = 0020DC70, SP = 0030BF34, FP = 0030BF44
12626 Frame 3, PC = 0020DC74, SP = 0030BF30, FP = 0030BF44
12627 Frame 4, PC = 0020DC78, SP = 0030BF2C, FP = 0030BF44
12628 Frame 5, PC = 0020DC7C, SP = 0030BF28, FP = 0030BF44
12629 Frame 6, PC = 0020DC80, SP = 0030BF24, FP = 0030BF44
12630 Frame 7, PC = 0020DC84, SP = 0030BF20, FP = 0030BF44
12631 Frame 8, PC = 0020DC88, SP = 0030BF1C, FP = 0030BF44
12632 Frame 9, PC = 0020DC8E, SP = 0030BF18, FP = 0030BF44
12633 Frame 10, PC = 00203F6C, SP = 0030BE3C, FP = 0030BF14
12634 @end smallexample
12635
12636 Or, if we want to examine the variable @code{X} at each source line in
12637 the buffer:
12638
12639 @smallexample
12640 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tfind start}
12641 (@value{GDBP}) @b{while ($trace_frame != -1)}
12642 > printf "Frame %d, X == %d\n", $trace_frame, X
12643 > tfind line
12644 > end
12645
12646 Frame 0, X = 1
12647 Frame 7, X = 2
12648 Frame 13, X = 255
12649 @end smallexample
12650
12651 @node tdump
12652 @subsection @code{tdump}
12653 @kindex tdump
12654 @cindex dump all data collected at tracepoint
12655 @cindex tracepoint data, display
12656
12657 This command takes no arguments. It prints all the data collected at
12658 the current trace snapshot.
12659
12660 @smallexample
12661 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace 444}
12662 (@value{GDBP}) @b{actions}
12663 Enter actions for tracepoint #2, one per line:
12664 > collect $regs, $locals, $args, gdb_long_test
12665 > end
12666
12667 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tstart}
12668
12669 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tfind line 444}
12670 #0 gdb_test (p1=0x11, p2=0x22, p3=0x33, p4=0x44, p5=0x55, p6=0x66)
12671 at gdb_test.c:444
12672 444 printp( "%s: arguments = 0x%X 0x%X 0x%X 0x%X 0x%X 0x%X\n", )
12673
12674 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tdump}
12675 Data collected at tracepoint 2, trace frame 1:
12676 d0 0xc4aa0085 -995491707
12677 d1 0x18 24
12678 d2 0x80 128
12679 d3 0x33 51
12680 d4 0x71aea3d 119204413
12681 d5 0x22 34
12682 d6 0xe0 224
12683 d7 0x380035 3670069
12684 a0 0x19e24a 1696330
12685 a1 0x3000668 50333288
12686 a2 0x100 256
12687 a3 0x322000 3284992
12688 a4 0x3000698 50333336
12689 a5 0x1ad3cc 1758156
12690 fp 0x30bf3c 0x30bf3c
12691 sp 0x30bf34 0x30bf34
12692 ps 0x0 0
12693 pc 0x20b2c8 0x20b2c8
12694 fpcontrol 0x0 0
12695 fpstatus 0x0 0
12696 fpiaddr 0x0 0
12697 p = 0x20e5b4 "gdb-test"
12698 p1 = (void *) 0x11
12699 p2 = (void *) 0x22
12700 p3 = (void *) 0x33
12701 p4 = (void *) 0x44
12702 p5 = (void *) 0x55
12703 p6 = (void *) 0x66
12704 gdb_long_test = 17 '\021'
12705
12706 (@value{GDBP})
12707 @end smallexample
12708
12709 @code{tdump} works by scanning the tracepoint's current collection
12710 actions and printing the value of each expression listed. So
12711 @code{tdump} can fail, if after a run, you change the tracepoint's
12712 actions to mention variables that were not collected during the run.
12713
12714 Also, for tracepoints with @code{while-stepping} loops, @code{tdump}
12715 uses the collected value of @code{$pc} to distinguish between trace
12716 frames that were collected at the tracepoint hit, and frames that were
12717 collected while stepping. This allows it to correctly choose whether
12718 to display the basic list of collections, or the collections from the
12719 body of the while-stepping loop. However, if @code{$pc} was not collected,
12720 then @code{tdump} will always attempt to dump using the basic collection
12721 list, and may fail if a while-stepping frame does not include all the
12722 same data that is collected at the tracepoint hit.
12723 @c This is getting pretty arcane, example would be good.
12724
12725 @node save tracepoints
12726 @subsection @code{save tracepoints @var{filename}}
12727 @kindex save tracepoints
12728 @kindex save-tracepoints
12729 @cindex save tracepoints for future sessions
12730
12731 This command saves all current tracepoint definitions together with
12732 their actions and passcounts, into a file @file{@var{filename}}
12733 suitable for use in a later debugging session. To read the saved
12734 tracepoint definitions, use the @code{source} command (@pxref{Command
12735 Files}). The @w{@code{save-tracepoints}} command is a deprecated
12736 alias for @w{@code{save tracepoints}}
12737
12738 @node Tracepoint Variables
12739 @section Convenience Variables for Tracepoints
12740 @cindex tracepoint variables
12741 @cindex convenience variables for tracepoints
12742
12743 @table @code
12744 @vindex $trace_frame
12745 @item (int) $trace_frame
12746 The current trace snapshot (a.k.a.@: @dfn{frame}) number, or -1 if no
12747 snapshot is selected.
12748
12749 @vindex $tracepoint
12750 @item (int) $tracepoint
12751 The tracepoint for the current trace snapshot.
12752
12753 @vindex $trace_line
12754 @item (int) $trace_line
12755 The line number for the current trace snapshot.
12756
12757 @vindex $trace_file
12758 @item (char []) $trace_file
12759 The source file for the current trace snapshot.
12760
12761 @vindex $trace_func
12762 @item (char []) $trace_func
12763 The name of the function containing @code{$tracepoint}.
12764 @end table
12765
12766 Note: @code{$trace_file} is not suitable for use in @code{printf},
12767 use @code{output} instead.
12768
12769 Here's a simple example of using these convenience variables for
12770 stepping through all the trace snapshots and printing some of their
12771 data. Note that these are not the same as trace state variables,
12772 which are managed by the target.
12773
12774 @smallexample
12775 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tfind start}
12776
12777 (@value{GDBP}) @b{while $trace_frame != -1}
12778 > output $trace_file
12779 > printf ", line %d (tracepoint #%d)\n", $trace_line, $tracepoint
12780 > tfind
12781 > end
12782 @end smallexample
12783
12784 @node Trace Files
12785 @section Using Trace Files
12786 @cindex trace files
12787
12788 In some situations, the target running a trace experiment may no
12789 longer be available; perhaps it crashed, or the hardware was needed
12790 for a different activity. To handle these cases, you can arrange to
12791 dump the trace data into a file, and later use that file as a source
12792 of trace data, via the @code{target tfile} command.
12793
12794 @table @code
12795
12796 @kindex tsave
12797 @item tsave [ -r ] @var{filename}
12798 @itemx tsave [-ctf] @var{dirname}
12799 Save the trace data to @var{filename}. By default, this command
12800 assumes that @var{filename} refers to the host filesystem, so if
12801 necessary @value{GDBN} will copy raw trace data up from the target and
12802 then save it. If the target supports it, you can also supply the
12803 optional argument @code{-r} (``remote'') to direct the target to save
12804 the data directly into @var{filename} in its own filesystem, which may be
12805 more efficient if the trace buffer is very large. (Note, however, that
12806 @code{target tfile} can only read from files accessible to the host.)
12807 By default, this command will save trace frame in tfile format.
12808 You can supply the optional argument @code{-ctf} to save date in CTF
12809 format. The @dfn{Common Trace Format} (CTF) is proposed as a trace format
12810 that can be shared by multiple debugging and tracing tools. Please go to
12811 @indicateurl{http://www.efficios.com/ctf} to get more information.
12812
12813 @kindex target tfile
12814 @kindex tfile
12815 @kindex target ctf
12816 @kindex ctf
12817 @item target tfile @var{filename}
12818 @itemx target ctf @var{dirname}
12819 Use the file named @var{filename} or directory named @var{dirname} as
12820 a source of trace data. Commands that examine data work as they do with
12821 a live target, but it is not possible to run any new trace experiments.
12822 @code{tstatus} will report the state of the trace run at the moment
12823 the data was saved, as well as the current trace frame you are examining.
12824 @var{filename} or @var{dirname} must be on a filesystem accessible to
12825 the host.
12826
12827 @smallexample
12828 (@value{GDBP}) target ctf ctf.ctf
12829 (@value{GDBP}) tfind
12830 Found trace frame 0, tracepoint 2
12831 39 ++a; /* set tracepoint 1 here */
12832 (@value{GDBP}) tdump
12833 Data collected at tracepoint 2, trace frame 0:
12834 i = 0
12835 a = 0
12836 b = 1 '\001'
12837 c = @{"123", "456", "789", "123", "456", "789"@}
12838 d = @{@{@{a = 1, b = 2@}, @{a = 3, b = 4@}@}, @{@{a = 5, b = 6@}, @{a = 7, b = 8@}@}@}
12839 (@value{GDBP}) p b
12840 $1 = 1
12841 @end smallexample
12842
12843 @end table
12844
12845 @node Overlays
12846 @chapter Debugging Programs That Use Overlays
12847 @cindex overlays
12848
12849 If your program is too large to fit completely in your target system's
12850 memory, you can sometimes use @dfn{overlays} to work around this
12851 problem. @value{GDBN} provides some support for debugging programs that
12852 use overlays.
12853
12854 @menu
12855 * How Overlays Work:: A general explanation of overlays.
12856 * Overlay Commands:: Managing overlays in @value{GDBN}.
12857 * Automatic Overlay Debugging:: @value{GDBN} can find out which overlays are
12858 mapped by asking the inferior.
12859 * Overlay Sample Program:: A sample program using overlays.
12860 @end menu
12861
12862 @node How Overlays Work
12863 @section How Overlays Work
12864 @cindex mapped overlays
12865 @cindex unmapped overlays
12866 @cindex load address, overlay's
12867 @cindex mapped address
12868 @cindex overlay area
12869
12870 Suppose you have a computer whose instruction address space is only 64
12871 kilobytes long, but which has much more memory which can be accessed by
12872 other means: special instructions, segment registers, or memory
12873 management hardware, for example. Suppose further that you want to
12874 adapt a program which is larger than 64 kilobytes to run on this system.
12875
12876 One solution is to identify modules of your program which are relatively
12877 independent, and need not call each other directly; call these modules
12878 @dfn{overlays}. Separate the overlays from the main program, and place
12879 their machine code in the larger memory. Place your main program in
12880 instruction memory, but leave at least enough space there to hold the
12881 largest overlay as well.
12882
12883 Now, to call a function located in an overlay, you must first copy that
12884 overlay's machine code from the large memory into the space set aside
12885 for it in the instruction memory, and then jump to its entry point
12886 there.
12887
12888 @c NB: In the below the mapped area's size is greater or equal to the
12889 @c size of all overlays. This is intentional to remind the developer
12890 @c that overlays don't necessarily need to be the same size.
12891
12892 @smallexample
12893 @group
12894 Data Instruction Larger
12895 Address Space Address Space Address Space
12896 +-----------+ +-----------+ +-----------+
12897 | | | | | |
12898 +-----------+ +-----------+ +-----------+<-- overlay 1
12899 | program | | main | .----| overlay 1 | load address
12900 | variables | | program | | +-----------+
12901 | and heap | | | | | |
12902 +-----------+ | | | +-----------+<-- overlay 2
12903 | | +-----------+ | | | load address
12904 +-----------+ | | | .-| overlay 2 |
12905 | | | | | |
12906 mapped --->+-----------+ | | +-----------+
12907 address | | | | | |
12908 | overlay | <-' | | |
12909 | area | <---' +-----------+<-- overlay 3
12910 | | <---. | | load address
12911 +-----------+ `--| overlay 3 |
12912 | | | |
12913 +-----------+ | |
12914 +-----------+
12915 | |
12916 +-----------+
12917
12918 @anchor{A code overlay}A code overlay
12919 @end group
12920 @end smallexample
12921
12922 The diagram (@pxref{A code overlay}) shows a system with separate data
12923 and instruction address spaces. To map an overlay, the program copies
12924 its code from the larger address space to the instruction address space.
12925 Since the overlays shown here all use the same mapped address, only one
12926 may be mapped at a time. For a system with a single address space for
12927 data and instructions, the diagram would be similar, except that the
12928 program variables and heap would share an address space with the main
12929 program and the overlay area.
12930
12931 An overlay loaded into instruction memory and ready for use is called a
12932 @dfn{mapped} overlay; its @dfn{mapped address} is its address in the
12933 instruction memory. An overlay not present (or only partially present)
12934 in instruction memory is called @dfn{unmapped}; its @dfn{load address}
12935 is its address in the larger memory. The mapped address is also called
12936 the @dfn{virtual memory address}, or @dfn{VMA}; the load address is also
12937 called the @dfn{load memory address}, or @dfn{LMA}.
12938
12939 Unfortunately, overlays are not a completely transparent way to adapt a
12940 program to limited instruction memory. They introduce a new set of
12941 global constraints you must keep in mind as you design your program:
12942
12943 @itemize @bullet
12944
12945 @item
12946 Before calling or returning to a function in an overlay, your program
12947 must make sure that overlay is actually mapped. Otherwise, the call or
12948 return will transfer control to the right address, but in the wrong
12949 overlay, and your program will probably crash.
12950
12951 @item
12952 If the process of mapping an overlay is expensive on your system, you
12953 will need to choose your overlays carefully to minimize their effect on
12954 your program's performance.
12955
12956 @item
12957 The executable file you load onto your system must contain each
12958 overlay's instructions, appearing at the overlay's load address, not its
12959 mapped address. However, each overlay's instructions must be relocated
12960 and its symbols defined as if the overlay were at its mapped address.
12961 You can use GNU linker scripts to specify different load and relocation
12962 addresses for pieces of your program; see @ref{Overlay Description,,,
12963 ld.info, Using ld: the GNU linker}.
12964
12965 @item
12966 The procedure for loading executable files onto your system must be able
12967 to load their contents into the larger address space as well as the
12968 instruction and data spaces.
12969
12970 @end itemize
12971
12972 The overlay system described above is rather simple, and could be
12973 improved in many ways:
12974
12975 @itemize @bullet
12976
12977 @item
12978 If your system has suitable bank switch registers or memory management
12979 hardware, you could use those facilities to make an overlay's load area
12980 contents simply appear at their mapped address in instruction space.
12981 This would probably be faster than copying the overlay to its mapped
12982 area in the usual way.
12983
12984 @item
12985 If your overlays are small enough, you could set aside more than one
12986 overlay area, and have more than one overlay mapped at a time.
12987
12988 @item
12989 You can use overlays to manage data, as well as instructions. In
12990 general, data overlays are even less transparent to your design than
12991 code overlays: whereas code overlays only require care when you call or
12992 return to functions, data overlays require care every time you access
12993 the data. Also, if you change the contents of a data overlay, you
12994 must copy its contents back out to its load address before you can copy a
12995 different data overlay into the same mapped area.
12996
12997 @end itemize
12998
12999
13000 @node Overlay Commands
13001 @section Overlay Commands
13002
13003 To use @value{GDBN}'s overlay support, each overlay in your program must
13004 correspond to a separate section of the executable file. The section's
13005 virtual memory address and load memory address must be the overlay's
13006 mapped and load addresses. Identifying overlays with sections allows
13007 @value{GDBN} to determine the appropriate address of a function or
13008 variable, depending on whether the overlay is mapped or not.
13009
13010 @value{GDBN}'s overlay commands all start with the word @code{overlay};
13011 you can abbreviate this as @code{ov} or @code{ovly}. The commands are:
13012
13013 @table @code
13014 @item overlay off
13015 @kindex overlay
13016 Disable @value{GDBN}'s overlay support. When overlay support is
13017 disabled, @value{GDBN} assumes that all functions and variables are
13018 always present at their mapped addresses. By default, @value{GDBN}'s
13019 overlay support is disabled.
13020
13021 @item overlay manual
13022 @cindex manual overlay debugging
13023 Enable @dfn{manual} overlay debugging. In this mode, @value{GDBN}
13024 relies on you to tell it which overlays are mapped, and which are not,
13025 using the @code{overlay map-overlay} and @code{overlay unmap-overlay}
13026 commands described below.
13027
13028 @item overlay map-overlay @var{overlay}
13029 @itemx overlay map @var{overlay}
13030 @cindex map an overlay
13031 Tell @value{GDBN} that @var{overlay} is now mapped; @var{overlay} must
13032 be the name of the object file section containing the overlay. When an
13033 overlay is mapped, @value{GDBN} assumes it can find the overlay's
13034 functions and variables at their mapped addresses. @value{GDBN} assumes
13035 that any other overlays whose mapped ranges overlap that of
13036 @var{overlay} are now unmapped.
13037
13038 @item overlay unmap-overlay @var{overlay}
13039 @itemx overlay unmap @var{overlay}
13040 @cindex unmap an overlay
13041 Tell @value{GDBN} that @var{overlay} is no longer mapped; @var{overlay}
13042 must be the name of the object file section containing the overlay.
13043 When an overlay is unmapped, @value{GDBN} assumes it can find the
13044 overlay's functions and variables at their load addresses.
13045
13046 @item overlay auto
13047 Enable @dfn{automatic} overlay debugging. In this mode, @value{GDBN}
13048 consults a data structure the overlay manager maintains in the inferior
13049 to see which overlays are mapped. For details, see @ref{Automatic
13050 Overlay Debugging}.
13051
13052 @item overlay load-target
13053 @itemx overlay load
13054 @cindex reloading the overlay table
13055 Re-read the overlay table from the inferior. Normally, @value{GDBN}
13056 re-reads the table @value{GDBN} automatically each time the inferior
13057 stops, so this command should only be necessary if you have changed the
13058 overlay mapping yourself using @value{GDBN}. This command is only
13059 useful when using automatic overlay debugging.
13060
13061 @item overlay list-overlays
13062 @itemx overlay list
13063 @cindex listing mapped overlays
13064 Display a list of the overlays currently mapped, along with their mapped
13065 addresses, load addresses, and sizes.
13066
13067 @end table
13068
13069 Normally, when @value{GDBN} prints a code address, it includes the name
13070 of the function the address falls in:
13071
13072 @smallexample
13073 (@value{GDBP}) print main
13074 $3 = @{int ()@} 0x11a0 <main>
13075 @end smallexample
13076 @noindent
13077 When overlay debugging is enabled, @value{GDBN} recognizes code in
13078 unmapped overlays, and prints the names of unmapped functions with
13079 asterisks around them. For example, if @code{foo} is a function in an
13080 unmapped overlay, @value{GDBN} prints it this way:
13081
13082 @smallexample
13083 (@value{GDBP}) overlay list
13084 No sections are mapped.
13085 (@value{GDBP}) print foo
13086 $5 = @{int (int)@} 0x100000 <*foo*>
13087 @end smallexample
13088 @noindent
13089 When @code{foo}'s overlay is mapped, @value{GDBN} prints the function's
13090 name normally:
13091
13092 @smallexample
13093 (@value{GDBP}) overlay list
13094 Section .ov.foo.text, loaded at 0x100000 - 0x100034,
13095 mapped at 0x1016 - 0x104a
13096 (@value{GDBP}) print foo
13097 $6 = @{int (int)@} 0x1016 <foo>
13098 @end smallexample
13099
13100 When overlay debugging is enabled, @value{GDBN} can find the correct
13101 address for functions and variables in an overlay, whether or not the
13102 overlay is mapped. This allows most @value{GDBN} commands, like
13103 @code{break} and @code{disassemble}, to work normally, even on unmapped
13104 code. However, @value{GDBN}'s breakpoint support has some limitations:
13105
13106 @itemize @bullet
13107 @item
13108 @cindex breakpoints in overlays
13109 @cindex overlays, setting breakpoints in
13110 You can set breakpoints in functions in unmapped overlays, as long as
13111 @value{GDBN} can write to the overlay at its load address.
13112 @item
13113 @value{GDBN} can not set hardware or simulator-based breakpoints in
13114 unmapped overlays. However, if you set a breakpoint at the end of your
13115 overlay manager (and tell @value{GDBN} which overlays are now mapped, if
13116 you are using manual overlay management), @value{GDBN} will re-set its
13117 breakpoints properly.
13118 @end itemize
13119
13120
13121 @node Automatic Overlay Debugging
13122 @section Automatic Overlay Debugging
13123 @cindex automatic overlay debugging
13124
13125 @value{GDBN} can automatically track which overlays are mapped and which
13126 are not, given some simple co-operation from the overlay manager in the
13127 inferior. If you enable automatic overlay debugging with the
13128 @code{overlay auto} command (@pxref{Overlay Commands}), @value{GDBN}
13129 looks in the inferior's memory for certain variables describing the
13130 current state of the overlays.
13131
13132 Here are the variables your overlay manager must define to support
13133 @value{GDBN}'s automatic overlay debugging:
13134
13135 @table @asis
13136
13137 @item @code{_ovly_table}:
13138 This variable must be an array of the following structures:
13139
13140 @smallexample
13141 struct
13142 @{
13143 /* The overlay's mapped address. */
13144 unsigned long vma;
13145
13146 /* The size of the overlay, in bytes. */
13147 unsigned long size;
13148
13149 /* The overlay's load address. */
13150 unsigned long lma;
13151
13152 /* Non-zero if the overlay is currently mapped;
13153 zero otherwise. */
13154 unsigned long mapped;
13155 @}
13156 @end smallexample
13157
13158 @item @code{_novlys}:
13159 This variable must be a four-byte signed integer, holding the total
13160 number of elements in @code{_ovly_table}.
13161
13162 @end table
13163
13164 To decide whether a particular overlay is mapped or not, @value{GDBN}
13165 looks for an entry in @w{@code{_ovly_table}} whose @code{vma} and
13166 @code{lma} members equal the VMA and LMA of the overlay's section in the
13167 executable file. When @value{GDBN} finds a matching entry, it consults
13168 the entry's @code{mapped} member to determine whether the overlay is
13169 currently mapped.
13170
13171 In addition, your overlay manager may define a function called
13172 @code{_ovly_debug_event}. If this function is defined, @value{GDBN}
13173 will silently set a breakpoint there. If the overlay manager then
13174 calls this function whenever it has changed the overlay table, this
13175 will enable @value{GDBN} to accurately keep track of which overlays
13176 are in program memory, and update any breakpoints that may be set
13177 in overlays. This will allow breakpoints to work even if the
13178 overlays are kept in ROM or other non-writable memory while they
13179 are not being executed.
13180
13181 @node Overlay Sample Program
13182 @section Overlay Sample Program
13183 @cindex overlay example program
13184
13185 When linking a program which uses overlays, you must place the overlays
13186 at their load addresses, while relocating them to run at their mapped
13187 addresses. To do this, you must write a linker script (@pxref{Overlay
13188 Description,,, ld.info, Using ld: the GNU linker}). Unfortunately,
13189 since linker scripts are specific to a particular host system, target
13190 architecture, and target memory layout, this manual cannot provide
13191 portable sample code demonstrating @value{GDBN}'s overlay support.
13192
13193 However, the @value{GDBN} source distribution does contain an overlaid
13194 program, with linker scripts for a few systems, as part of its test
13195 suite. The program consists of the following files from
13196 @file{gdb/testsuite/gdb.base}:
13197
13198 @table @file
13199 @item overlays.c
13200 The main program file.
13201 @item ovlymgr.c
13202 A simple overlay manager, used by @file{overlays.c}.
13203 @item foo.c
13204 @itemx bar.c
13205 @itemx baz.c
13206 @itemx grbx.c
13207 Overlay modules, loaded and used by @file{overlays.c}.
13208 @item d10v.ld
13209 @itemx m32r.ld
13210 Linker scripts for linking the test program on the @code{d10v-elf}
13211 and @code{m32r-elf} targets.
13212 @end table
13213
13214 You can build the test program using the @code{d10v-elf} GCC
13215 cross-compiler like this:
13216
13217 @smallexample
13218 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c overlays.c
13219 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c ovlymgr.c
13220 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c foo.c
13221 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c bar.c
13222 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c baz.c
13223 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c grbx.c
13224 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g overlays.o ovlymgr.o foo.o bar.o \
13225 baz.o grbx.o -Wl,-Td10v.ld -o overlays
13226 @end smallexample
13227
13228 The build process is identical for any other architecture, except that
13229 you must substitute the appropriate compiler and linker script for the
13230 target system for @code{d10v-elf-gcc} and @code{d10v.ld}.
13231
13232
13233 @node Languages
13234 @chapter Using @value{GDBN} with Different Languages
13235 @cindex languages
13236
13237 Although programming languages generally have common aspects, they are
13238 rarely expressed in the same manner. For instance, in ANSI C,
13239 dereferencing a pointer @code{p} is accomplished by @code{*p}, but in
13240 Modula-2, it is accomplished by @code{p^}. Values can also be
13241 represented (and displayed) differently. Hex numbers in C appear as
13242 @samp{0x1ae}, while in Modula-2 they appear as @samp{1AEH}.
13243
13244 @cindex working language
13245 Language-specific information is built into @value{GDBN} for some languages,
13246 allowing you to express operations like the above in your program's
13247 native language, and allowing @value{GDBN} to output values in a manner
13248 consistent with the syntax of your program's native language. The
13249 language you use to build expressions is called the @dfn{working
13250 language}.
13251
13252 @menu
13253 * Setting:: Switching between source languages
13254 * Show:: Displaying the language
13255 * Checks:: Type and range checks
13256 * Supported Languages:: Supported languages
13257 * Unsupported Languages:: Unsupported languages
13258 @end menu
13259
13260 @node Setting
13261 @section Switching Between Source Languages
13262
13263 There are two ways to control the working language---either have @value{GDBN}
13264 set it automatically, or select it manually yourself. You can use the
13265 @code{set language} command for either purpose. On startup, @value{GDBN}
13266 defaults to setting the language automatically. The working language is
13267 used to determine how expressions you type are interpreted, how values
13268 are printed, etc.
13269
13270 In addition to the working language, every source file that
13271 @value{GDBN} knows about has its own working language. For some object
13272 file formats, the compiler might indicate which language a particular
13273 source file is in. However, most of the time @value{GDBN} infers the
13274 language from the name of the file. The language of a source file
13275 controls whether C@t{++} names are demangled---this way @code{backtrace} can
13276 show each frame appropriately for its own language. There is no way to
13277 set the language of a source file from within @value{GDBN}, but you can
13278 set the language associated with a filename extension. @xref{Show, ,
13279 Displaying the Language}.
13280
13281 This is most commonly a problem when you use a program, such
13282 as @code{cfront} or @code{f2c}, that generates C but is written in
13283 another language. In that case, make the
13284 program use @code{#line} directives in its C output; that way
13285 @value{GDBN} will know the correct language of the source code of the original
13286 program, and will display that source code, not the generated C code.
13287
13288 @menu
13289 * Filenames:: Filename extensions and languages.
13290 * Manually:: Setting the working language manually
13291 * Automatically:: Having @value{GDBN} infer the source language
13292 @end menu
13293
13294 @node Filenames
13295 @subsection List of Filename Extensions and Languages
13296
13297 If a source file name ends in one of the following extensions, then
13298 @value{GDBN} infers that its language is the one indicated.
13299
13300 @table @file
13301 @item .ada
13302 @itemx .ads
13303 @itemx .adb
13304 @itemx .a
13305 Ada source file.
13306
13307 @item .c
13308 C source file
13309
13310 @item .C
13311 @itemx .cc
13312 @itemx .cp
13313 @itemx .cpp
13314 @itemx .cxx
13315 @itemx .c++
13316 C@t{++} source file
13317
13318 @item .d
13319 D source file
13320
13321 @item .m
13322 Objective-C source file
13323
13324 @item .f
13325 @itemx .F
13326 Fortran source file
13327
13328 @item .mod
13329 Modula-2 source file
13330
13331 @item .s
13332 @itemx .S
13333 Assembler source file. This actually behaves almost like C, but
13334 @value{GDBN} does not skip over function prologues when stepping.
13335 @end table
13336
13337 In addition, you may set the language associated with a filename
13338 extension. @xref{Show, , Displaying the Language}.
13339
13340 @node Manually
13341 @subsection Setting the Working Language
13342
13343 If you allow @value{GDBN} to set the language automatically,
13344 expressions are interpreted the same way in your debugging session and
13345 your program.
13346
13347 @kindex set language
13348 If you wish, you may set the language manually. To do this, issue the
13349 command @samp{set language @var{lang}}, where @var{lang} is the name of
13350 a language, such as
13351 @code{c} or @code{modula-2}.
13352 For a list of the supported languages, type @samp{set language}.
13353
13354 Setting the language manually prevents @value{GDBN} from updating the working
13355 language automatically. This can lead to confusion if you try
13356 to debug a program when the working language is not the same as the
13357 source language, when an expression is acceptable to both
13358 languages---but means different things. For instance, if the current
13359 source file were written in C, and @value{GDBN} was parsing Modula-2, a
13360 command such as:
13361
13362 @smallexample
13363 print a = b + c
13364 @end smallexample
13365
13366 @noindent
13367 might not have the effect you intended. In C, this means to add
13368 @code{b} and @code{c} and place the result in @code{a}. The result
13369 printed would be the value of @code{a}. In Modula-2, this means to compare
13370 @code{a} to the result of @code{b+c}, yielding a @code{BOOLEAN} value.
13371
13372 @node Automatically
13373 @subsection Having @value{GDBN} Infer the Source Language
13374
13375 To have @value{GDBN} set the working language automatically, use
13376 @samp{set language local} or @samp{set language auto}. @value{GDBN}
13377 then infers the working language. That is, when your program stops in a
13378 frame (usually by encountering a breakpoint), @value{GDBN} sets the
13379 working language to the language recorded for the function in that
13380 frame. If the language for a frame is unknown (that is, if the function
13381 or block corresponding to the frame was defined in a source file that
13382 does not have a recognized extension), the current working language is
13383 not changed, and @value{GDBN} issues a warning.
13384
13385 This may not seem necessary for most programs, which are written
13386 entirely in one source language. However, program modules and libraries
13387 written in one source language can be used by a main program written in
13388 a different source language. Using @samp{set language auto} in this
13389 case frees you from having to set the working language manually.
13390
13391 @node Show
13392 @section Displaying the Language
13393
13394 The following commands help you find out which language is the
13395 working language, and also what language source files were written in.
13396
13397 @table @code
13398 @item show language
13399 @anchor{show language}
13400 @kindex show language
13401 Display the current working language. This is the
13402 language you can use with commands such as @code{print} to
13403 build and compute expressions that may involve variables in your program.
13404
13405 @item info frame
13406 @kindex info frame@r{, show the source language}
13407 Display the source language for this frame. This language becomes the
13408 working language if you use an identifier from this frame.
13409 @xref{Frame Info, ,Information about a Frame}, to identify the other
13410 information listed here.
13411
13412 @item info source
13413 @kindex info source@r{, show the source language}
13414 Display the source language of this source file.
13415 @xref{Symbols, ,Examining the Symbol Table}, to identify the other
13416 information listed here.
13417 @end table
13418
13419 In unusual circumstances, you may have source files with extensions
13420 not in the standard list. You can then set the extension associated
13421 with a language explicitly:
13422
13423 @table @code
13424 @item set extension-language @var{ext} @var{language}
13425 @kindex set extension-language
13426 Tell @value{GDBN} that source files with extension @var{ext} are to be
13427 assumed as written in the source language @var{language}.
13428
13429 @item info extensions
13430 @kindex info extensions
13431 List all the filename extensions and the associated languages.
13432 @end table
13433
13434 @node Checks
13435 @section Type and Range Checking
13436
13437 Some languages are designed to guard you against making seemingly common
13438 errors through a series of compile- and run-time checks. These include
13439 checking the type of arguments to functions and operators and making
13440 sure mathematical overflows are caught at run time. Checks such as
13441 these help to ensure a program's correctness once it has been compiled
13442 by eliminating type mismatches and providing active checks for range
13443 errors when your program is running.
13444
13445 By default @value{GDBN} checks for these errors according to the
13446 rules of the current source language. Although @value{GDBN} does not check
13447 the statements in your program, it can check expressions entered directly
13448 into @value{GDBN} for evaluation via the @code{print} command, for example.
13449
13450 @menu
13451 * Type Checking:: An overview of type checking
13452 * Range Checking:: An overview of range checking
13453 @end menu
13454
13455 @cindex type checking
13456 @cindex checks, type
13457 @node Type Checking
13458 @subsection An Overview of Type Checking
13459
13460 Some languages, such as C and C@t{++}, are strongly typed, meaning that the
13461 arguments to operators and functions have to be of the correct type,
13462 otherwise an error occurs. These checks prevent type mismatch
13463 errors from ever causing any run-time problems. For example,
13464
13465 @smallexample
13466 int klass::my_method(char *b) @{ return b ? 1 : 2; @}
13467
13468 (@value{GDBP}) print obj.my_method (0)
13469 $1 = 2
13470 @exdent but
13471 (@value{GDBP}) print obj.my_method (0x1234)
13472 Cannot resolve method klass::my_method to any overloaded instance
13473 @end smallexample
13474
13475 The second example fails because in C@t{++} the integer constant
13476 @samp{0x1234} is not type-compatible with the pointer parameter type.
13477
13478 For the expressions you use in @value{GDBN} commands, you can tell
13479 @value{GDBN} to not enforce strict type checking or
13480 to treat any mismatches as errors and abandon the expression;
13481 When type checking is disabled, @value{GDBN} successfully evaluates
13482 expressions like the second example above.
13483
13484 Even if type checking is off, there may be other reasons
13485 related to type that prevent @value{GDBN} from evaluating an expression.
13486 For instance, @value{GDBN} does not know how to add an @code{int} and
13487 a @code{struct foo}. These particular type errors have nothing to do
13488 with the language in use and usually arise from expressions which make
13489 little sense to evaluate anyway.
13490
13491 @value{GDBN} provides some additional commands for controlling type checking:
13492
13493 @kindex set check type
13494 @kindex show check type
13495 @table @code
13496 @item set check type on
13497 @itemx set check type off
13498 Set strict type checking on or off. If any type mismatches occur in
13499 evaluating an expression while type checking is on, @value{GDBN} prints a
13500 message and aborts evaluation of the expression.
13501
13502 @item show check type
13503 Show the current setting of type checking and whether @value{GDBN}
13504 is enforcing strict type checking rules.
13505 @end table
13506
13507 @cindex range checking
13508 @cindex checks, range
13509 @node Range Checking
13510 @subsection An Overview of Range Checking
13511
13512 In some languages (such as Modula-2), it is an error to exceed the
13513 bounds of a type; this is enforced with run-time checks. Such range
13514 checking is meant to ensure program correctness by making sure
13515 computations do not overflow, or indices on an array element access do
13516 not exceed the bounds of the array.
13517
13518 For expressions you use in @value{GDBN} commands, you can tell
13519 @value{GDBN} to treat range errors in one of three ways: ignore them,
13520 always treat them as errors and abandon the expression, or issue
13521 warnings but evaluate the expression anyway.
13522
13523 A range error can result from numerical overflow, from exceeding an
13524 array index bound, or when you type a constant that is not a member
13525 of any type. Some languages, however, do not treat overflows as an
13526 error. In many implementations of C, mathematical overflow causes the
13527 result to ``wrap around'' to lower values---for example, if @var{m} is
13528 the largest integer value, and @var{s} is the smallest, then
13529
13530 @smallexample
13531 @var{m} + 1 @result{} @var{s}
13532 @end smallexample
13533
13534 This, too, is specific to individual languages, and in some cases
13535 specific to individual compilers or machines. @xref{Supported Languages, ,
13536 Supported Languages}, for further details on specific languages.
13537
13538 @value{GDBN} provides some additional commands for controlling the range checker:
13539
13540 @kindex set check range
13541 @kindex show check range
13542 @table @code
13543 @item set check range auto
13544 Set range checking on or off based on the current working language.
13545 @xref{Supported Languages, ,Supported Languages}, for the default settings for
13546 each language.
13547
13548 @item set check range on
13549 @itemx set check range off
13550 Set range checking on or off, overriding the default setting for the
13551 current working language. A warning is issued if the setting does not
13552 match the language default. If a range error occurs and range checking is on,
13553 then a message is printed and evaluation of the expression is aborted.
13554
13555 @item set check range warn
13556 Output messages when the @value{GDBN} range checker detects a range error,
13557 but attempt to evaluate the expression anyway. Evaluating the
13558 expression may still be impossible for other reasons, such as accessing
13559 memory that the process does not own (a typical example from many Unix
13560 systems).
13561
13562 @item show range
13563 Show the current setting of the range checker, and whether or not it is
13564 being set automatically by @value{GDBN}.
13565 @end table
13566
13567 @node Supported Languages
13568 @section Supported Languages
13569
13570 @value{GDBN} supports C, C@t{++}, D, Go, Objective-C, Fortran, Java,
13571 OpenCL C, Pascal, assembly, Modula-2, and Ada.
13572 @c This is false ...
13573 Some @value{GDBN} features may be used in expressions regardless of the
13574 language you use: the @value{GDBN} @code{@@} and @code{::} operators,
13575 and the @samp{@{type@}addr} construct (@pxref{Expressions,
13576 ,Expressions}) can be used with the constructs of any supported
13577 language.
13578
13579 The following sections detail to what degree each source language is
13580 supported by @value{GDBN}. These sections are not meant to be language
13581 tutorials or references, but serve only as a reference guide to what the
13582 @value{GDBN} expression parser accepts, and what input and output
13583 formats should look like for different languages. There are many good
13584 books written on each of these languages; please look to these for a
13585 language reference or tutorial.
13586
13587 @menu
13588 * C:: C and C@t{++}
13589 * D:: D
13590 * Go:: Go
13591 * Objective-C:: Objective-C
13592 * OpenCL C:: OpenCL C
13593 * Fortran:: Fortran
13594 * Pascal:: Pascal
13595 * Modula-2:: Modula-2
13596 * Ada:: Ada
13597 @end menu
13598
13599 @node C
13600 @subsection C and C@t{++}
13601
13602 @cindex C and C@t{++}
13603 @cindex expressions in C or C@t{++}
13604
13605 Since C and C@t{++} are so closely related, many features of @value{GDBN} apply
13606 to both languages. Whenever this is the case, we discuss those languages
13607 together.
13608
13609 @cindex C@t{++}
13610 @cindex @code{g++}, @sc{gnu} C@t{++} compiler
13611 @cindex @sc{gnu} C@t{++}
13612 The C@t{++} debugging facilities are jointly implemented by the C@t{++}
13613 compiler and @value{GDBN}. Therefore, to debug your C@t{++} code
13614 effectively, you must compile your C@t{++} programs with a supported
13615 C@t{++} compiler, such as @sc{gnu} @code{g++}, or the HP ANSI C@t{++}
13616 compiler (@code{aCC}).
13617
13618 @menu
13619 * C Operators:: C and C@t{++} operators
13620 * C Constants:: C and C@t{++} constants
13621 * C Plus Plus Expressions:: C@t{++} expressions
13622 * C Defaults:: Default settings for C and C@t{++}
13623 * C Checks:: C and C@t{++} type and range checks
13624 * Debugging C:: @value{GDBN} and C
13625 * Debugging C Plus Plus:: @value{GDBN} features for C@t{++}
13626 * Decimal Floating Point:: Numbers in Decimal Floating Point format
13627 @end menu
13628
13629 @node C Operators
13630 @subsubsection C and C@t{++} Operators
13631
13632 @cindex C and C@t{++} operators
13633
13634 Operators must be defined on values of specific types. For instance,
13635 @code{+} is defined on numbers, but not on structures. Operators are
13636 often defined on groups of types.
13637
13638 For the purposes of C and C@t{++}, the following definitions hold:
13639
13640 @itemize @bullet
13641
13642 @item
13643 @emph{Integral types} include @code{int} with any of its storage-class
13644 specifiers; @code{char}; @code{enum}; and, for C@t{++}, @code{bool}.
13645
13646 @item
13647 @emph{Floating-point types} include @code{float}, @code{double}, and
13648 @code{long double} (if supported by the target platform).
13649
13650 @item
13651 @emph{Pointer types} include all types defined as @code{(@var{type} *)}.
13652
13653 @item
13654 @emph{Scalar types} include all of the above.
13655
13656 @end itemize
13657
13658 @noindent
13659 The following operators are supported. They are listed here
13660 in order of increasing precedence:
13661
13662 @table @code
13663 @item ,
13664 The comma or sequencing operator. Expressions in a comma-separated list
13665 are evaluated from left to right, with the result of the entire
13666 expression being the last expression evaluated.
13667
13668 @item =
13669 Assignment. The value of an assignment expression is the value
13670 assigned. Defined on scalar types.
13671
13672 @item @var{op}=
13673 Used in an expression of the form @w{@code{@var{a} @var{op}= @var{b}}},
13674 and translated to @w{@code{@var{a} = @var{a op b}}}.
13675 @w{@code{@var{op}=}} and @code{=} have the same precedence.
13676 @var{op} is any one of the operators @code{|}, @code{^}, @code{&},
13677 @code{<<}, @code{>>}, @code{+}, @code{-}, @code{*}, @code{/}, @code{%}.
13678
13679 @item ?:
13680 The ternary operator. @code{@var{a} ? @var{b} : @var{c}} can be thought
13681 of as: if @var{a} then @var{b} else @var{c}. @var{a} should be of an
13682 integral type.
13683
13684 @item ||
13685 Logical @sc{or}. Defined on integral types.
13686
13687 @item &&
13688 Logical @sc{and}. Defined on integral types.
13689
13690 @item |
13691 Bitwise @sc{or}. Defined on integral types.
13692
13693 @item ^
13694 Bitwise exclusive-@sc{or}. Defined on integral types.
13695
13696 @item &
13697 Bitwise @sc{and}. Defined on integral types.
13698
13699 @item ==@r{, }!=
13700 Equality and inequality. Defined on scalar types. The value of these
13701 expressions is 0 for false and non-zero for true.
13702
13703 @item <@r{, }>@r{, }<=@r{, }>=
13704 Less than, greater than, less than or equal, greater than or equal.
13705 Defined on scalar types. The value of these expressions is 0 for false
13706 and non-zero for true.
13707
13708 @item <<@r{, }>>
13709 left shift, and right shift. Defined on integral types.
13710
13711 @item @@
13712 The @value{GDBN} ``artificial array'' operator (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}).
13713
13714 @item +@r{, }-
13715 Addition and subtraction. Defined on integral types, floating-point types and
13716 pointer types.
13717
13718 @item *@r{, }/@r{, }%
13719 Multiplication, division, and modulus. Multiplication and division are
13720 defined on integral and floating-point types. Modulus is defined on
13721 integral types.
13722
13723 @item ++@r{, }--
13724 Increment and decrement. When appearing before a variable, the
13725 operation is performed before the variable is used in an expression;
13726 when appearing after it, the variable's value is used before the
13727 operation takes place.
13728
13729 @item *
13730 Pointer dereferencing. Defined on pointer types. Same precedence as
13731 @code{++}.
13732
13733 @item &
13734 Address operator. Defined on variables. Same precedence as @code{++}.
13735
13736 For debugging C@t{++}, @value{GDBN} implements a use of @samp{&} beyond what is
13737 allowed in the C@t{++} language itself: you can use @samp{&(&@var{ref})}
13738 to examine the address
13739 where a C@t{++} reference variable (declared with @samp{&@var{ref}}) is
13740 stored.
13741
13742 @item -
13743 Negative. Defined on integral and floating-point types. Same
13744 precedence as @code{++}.
13745
13746 @item !
13747 Logical negation. Defined on integral types. Same precedence as
13748 @code{++}.
13749
13750 @item ~
13751 Bitwise complement operator. Defined on integral types. Same precedence as
13752 @code{++}.
13753
13754
13755 @item .@r{, }->
13756 Structure member, and pointer-to-structure member. For convenience,
13757 @value{GDBN} regards the two as equivalent, choosing whether to dereference a
13758 pointer based on the stored type information.
13759 Defined on @code{struct} and @code{union} data.
13760
13761 @item .*@r{, }->*
13762 Dereferences of pointers to members.
13763
13764 @item []
13765 Array indexing. @code{@var{a}[@var{i}]} is defined as
13766 @code{*(@var{a}+@var{i})}. Same precedence as @code{->}.
13767
13768 @item ()
13769 Function parameter list. Same precedence as @code{->}.
13770
13771 @item ::
13772 C@t{++} scope resolution operator. Defined on @code{struct}, @code{union},
13773 and @code{class} types.
13774
13775 @item ::
13776 Doubled colons also represent the @value{GDBN} scope operator
13777 (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}). Same precedence as @code{::},
13778 above.
13779 @end table
13780
13781 If an operator is redefined in the user code, @value{GDBN} usually
13782 attempts to invoke the redefined version instead of using the operator's
13783 predefined meaning.
13784
13785 @node C Constants
13786 @subsubsection C and C@t{++} Constants
13787
13788 @cindex C and C@t{++} constants
13789
13790 @value{GDBN} allows you to express the constants of C and C@t{++} in the
13791 following ways:
13792
13793 @itemize @bullet
13794 @item
13795 Integer constants are a sequence of digits. Octal constants are
13796 specified by a leading @samp{0} (i.e.@: zero), and hexadecimal constants
13797 by a leading @samp{0x} or @samp{0X}. Constants may also end with a letter
13798 @samp{l}, specifying that the constant should be treated as a
13799 @code{long} value.
13800
13801 @item
13802 Floating point constants are a sequence of digits, followed by a decimal
13803 point, followed by a sequence of digits, and optionally followed by an
13804 exponent. An exponent is of the form:
13805 @samp{@w{e@r{[[}+@r{]|}-@r{]}@var{nnn}}}, where @var{nnn} is another
13806 sequence of digits. The @samp{+} is optional for positive exponents.
13807 A floating-point constant may also end with a letter @samp{f} or
13808 @samp{F}, specifying that the constant should be treated as being of
13809 the @code{float} (as opposed to the default @code{double}) type; or with
13810 a letter @samp{l} or @samp{L}, which specifies a @code{long double}
13811 constant.
13812
13813 @item
13814 Enumerated constants consist of enumerated identifiers, or their
13815 integral equivalents.
13816
13817 @item
13818 Character constants are a single character surrounded by single quotes
13819 (@code{'}), or a number---the ordinal value of the corresponding character
13820 (usually its @sc{ascii} value). Within quotes, the single character may
13821 be represented by a letter or by @dfn{escape sequences}, which are of
13822 the form @samp{\@var{nnn}}, where @var{nnn} is the octal representation
13823 of the character's ordinal value; or of the form @samp{\@var{x}}, where
13824 @samp{@var{x}} is a predefined special character---for example,
13825 @samp{\n} for newline.
13826
13827 Wide character constants can be written by prefixing a character
13828 constant with @samp{L}, as in C. For example, @samp{L'x'} is the wide
13829 form of @samp{x}. The target wide character set is used when
13830 computing the value of this constant (@pxref{Character Sets}).
13831
13832 @item
13833 String constants are a sequence of character constants surrounded by
13834 double quotes (@code{"}). Any valid character constant (as described
13835 above) may appear. Double quotes within the string must be preceded by
13836 a backslash, so for instance @samp{"a\"b'c"} is a string of five
13837 characters.
13838
13839 Wide string constants can be written by prefixing a string constant
13840 with @samp{L}, as in C. The target wide character set is used when
13841 computing the value of this constant (@pxref{Character Sets}).
13842
13843 @item
13844 Pointer constants are an integral value. You can also write pointers
13845 to constants using the C operator @samp{&}.
13846
13847 @item
13848 Array constants are comma-separated lists surrounded by braces @samp{@{}
13849 and @samp{@}}; for example, @samp{@{1,2,3@}} is a three-element array of
13850 integers, @samp{@{@{1,2@}, @{3,4@}, @{5,6@}@}} is a three-by-two array,
13851 and @samp{@{&"hi", &"there", &"fred"@}} is a three-element array of pointers.
13852 @end itemize
13853
13854 @node C Plus Plus Expressions
13855 @subsubsection C@t{++} Expressions
13856
13857 @cindex expressions in C@t{++}
13858 @value{GDBN} expression handling can interpret most C@t{++} expressions.
13859
13860 @cindex debugging C@t{++} programs
13861 @cindex C@t{++} compilers
13862 @cindex debug formats and C@t{++}
13863 @cindex @value{NGCC} and C@t{++}
13864 @quotation
13865 @emph{Warning:} @value{GDBN} can only debug C@t{++} code if you use
13866 the proper compiler and the proper debug format. Currently,
13867 @value{GDBN} works best when debugging C@t{++} code that is compiled
13868 with the most recent version of @value{NGCC} possible. The DWARF
13869 debugging format is preferred; @value{NGCC} defaults to this on most
13870 popular platforms. Other compilers and/or debug formats are likely to
13871 work badly or not at all when using @value{GDBN} to debug C@t{++}
13872 code. @xref{Compilation}.
13873 @end quotation
13874
13875 @enumerate
13876
13877 @cindex member functions
13878 @item
13879 Member function calls are allowed; you can use expressions like
13880
13881 @smallexample
13882 count = aml->GetOriginal(x, y)
13883 @end smallexample
13884
13885 @vindex this@r{, inside C@t{++} member functions}
13886 @cindex namespace in C@t{++}
13887 @item
13888 While a member function is active (in the selected stack frame), your
13889 expressions have the same namespace available as the member function;
13890 that is, @value{GDBN} allows implicit references to the class instance
13891 pointer @code{this} following the same rules as C@t{++}. @code{using}
13892 declarations in the current scope are also respected by @value{GDBN}.
13893
13894 @cindex call overloaded functions
13895 @cindex overloaded functions, calling
13896 @cindex type conversions in C@t{++}
13897 @item
13898 You can call overloaded functions; @value{GDBN} resolves the function
13899 call to the right definition, with some restrictions. @value{GDBN} does not
13900 perform overload resolution involving user-defined type conversions,
13901 calls to constructors, or instantiations of templates that do not exist
13902 in the program. It also cannot handle ellipsis argument lists or
13903 default arguments.
13904
13905 It does perform integral conversions and promotions, floating-point
13906 promotions, arithmetic conversions, pointer conversions, conversions of
13907 class objects to base classes, and standard conversions such as those of
13908 functions or arrays to pointers; it requires an exact match on the
13909 number of function arguments.
13910
13911 Overload resolution is always performed, unless you have specified
13912 @code{set overload-resolution off}. @xref{Debugging C Plus Plus,
13913 ,@value{GDBN} Features for C@t{++}}.
13914
13915 You must specify @code{set overload-resolution off} in order to use an
13916 explicit function signature to call an overloaded function, as in
13917 @smallexample
13918 p 'foo(char,int)'('x', 13)
13919 @end smallexample
13920
13921 The @value{GDBN} command-completion facility can simplify this;
13922 see @ref{Completion, ,Command Completion}.
13923
13924 @cindex reference declarations
13925 @item
13926 @value{GDBN} understands variables declared as C@t{++} references; you can use
13927 them in expressions just as you do in C@t{++} source---they are automatically
13928 dereferenced.
13929
13930 In the parameter list shown when @value{GDBN} displays a frame, the values of
13931 reference variables are not displayed (unlike other variables); this
13932 avoids clutter, since references are often used for large structures.
13933 The @emph{address} of a reference variable is always shown, unless
13934 you have specified @samp{set print address off}.
13935
13936 @item
13937 @value{GDBN} supports the C@t{++} name resolution operator @code{::}---your
13938 expressions can use it just as expressions in your program do. Since
13939 one scope may be defined in another, you can use @code{::} repeatedly if
13940 necessary, for example in an expression like
13941 @samp{@var{scope1}::@var{scope2}::@var{name}}. @value{GDBN} also allows
13942 resolving name scope by reference to source files, in both C and C@t{++}
13943 debugging (@pxref{Variables, ,Program Variables}).
13944
13945 @item
13946 @value{GDBN} performs argument-dependent lookup, following the C@t{++}
13947 specification.
13948 @end enumerate
13949
13950 @node C Defaults
13951 @subsubsection C and C@t{++} Defaults
13952
13953 @cindex C and C@t{++} defaults
13954
13955 If you allow @value{GDBN} to set range checking automatically, it
13956 defaults to @code{off} whenever the working language changes to
13957 C or C@t{++}. This happens regardless of whether you or @value{GDBN}
13958 selects the working language.
13959
13960 If you allow @value{GDBN} to set the language automatically, it
13961 recognizes source files whose names end with @file{.c}, @file{.C}, or
13962 @file{.cc}, etc, and when @value{GDBN} enters code compiled from one of
13963 these files, it sets the working language to C or C@t{++}.
13964 @xref{Automatically, ,Having @value{GDBN} Infer the Source Language},
13965 for further details.
13966
13967 @node C Checks
13968 @subsubsection C and C@t{++} Type and Range Checks
13969
13970 @cindex C and C@t{++} checks
13971
13972 By default, when @value{GDBN} parses C or C@t{++} expressions, strict type
13973 checking is used. However, if you turn type checking off, @value{GDBN}
13974 will allow certain non-standard conversions, such as promoting integer
13975 constants to pointers.
13976
13977 Range checking, if turned on, is done on mathematical operations. Array
13978 indices are not checked, since they are often used to index a pointer
13979 that is not itself an array.
13980
13981 @node Debugging C
13982 @subsubsection @value{GDBN} and C
13983
13984 The @code{set print union} and @code{show print union} commands apply to
13985 the @code{union} type. When set to @samp{on}, any @code{union} that is
13986 inside a @code{struct} or @code{class} is also printed. Otherwise, it
13987 appears as @samp{@{...@}}.
13988
13989 The @code{@@} operator aids in the debugging of dynamic arrays, formed
13990 with pointers and a memory allocation function. @xref{Expressions,
13991 ,Expressions}.
13992
13993 @node Debugging C Plus Plus
13994 @subsubsection @value{GDBN} Features for C@t{++}
13995
13996 @cindex commands for C@t{++}
13997
13998 Some @value{GDBN} commands are particularly useful with C@t{++}, and some are
13999 designed specifically for use with C@t{++}. Here is a summary:
14000
14001 @table @code
14002 @cindex break in overloaded functions
14003 @item @r{breakpoint menus}
14004 When you want a breakpoint in a function whose name is overloaded,
14005 @value{GDBN} has the capability to display a menu of possible breakpoint
14006 locations to help you specify which function definition you want.
14007 @xref{Ambiguous Expressions,,Ambiguous Expressions}.
14008
14009 @cindex overloading in C@t{++}
14010 @item rbreak @var{regex}
14011 Setting breakpoints using regular expressions is helpful for setting
14012 breakpoints on overloaded functions that are not members of any special
14013 classes.
14014 @xref{Set Breaks, ,Setting Breakpoints}.
14015
14016 @cindex C@t{++} exception handling
14017 @item catch throw
14018 @itemx catch rethrow
14019 @itemx catch catch
14020 Debug C@t{++} exception handling using these commands. @xref{Set
14021 Catchpoints, , Setting Catchpoints}.
14022
14023 @cindex inheritance
14024 @item ptype @var{typename}
14025 Print inheritance relationships as well as other information for type
14026 @var{typename}.
14027 @xref{Symbols, ,Examining the Symbol Table}.
14028
14029 @item info vtbl @var{expression}.
14030 The @code{info vtbl} command can be used to display the virtual
14031 method tables of the object computed by @var{expression}. This shows
14032 one entry per virtual table; there may be multiple virtual tables when
14033 multiple inheritance is in use.
14034
14035 @cindex C@t{++} symbol display
14036 @item set print demangle
14037 @itemx show print demangle
14038 @itemx set print asm-demangle
14039 @itemx show print asm-demangle
14040 Control whether C@t{++} symbols display in their source form, both when
14041 displaying code as C@t{++} source and when displaying disassemblies.
14042 @xref{Print Settings, ,Print Settings}.
14043
14044 @item set print object
14045 @itemx show print object
14046 Choose whether to print derived (actual) or declared types of objects.
14047 @xref{Print Settings, ,Print Settings}.
14048
14049 @item set print vtbl
14050 @itemx show print vtbl
14051 Control the format for printing virtual function tables.
14052 @xref{Print Settings, ,Print Settings}.
14053 (The @code{vtbl} commands do not work on programs compiled with the HP
14054 ANSI C@t{++} compiler (@code{aCC}).)
14055
14056 @kindex set overload-resolution
14057 @cindex overloaded functions, overload resolution
14058 @item set overload-resolution on
14059 Enable overload resolution for C@t{++} expression evaluation. The default
14060 is on. For overloaded functions, @value{GDBN} evaluates the arguments
14061 and searches for a function whose signature matches the argument types,
14062 using the standard C@t{++} conversion rules (see @ref{C Plus Plus
14063 Expressions, ,C@t{++} Expressions}, for details).
14064 If it cannot find a match, it emits a message.
14065
14066 @item set overload-resolution off
14067 Disable overload resolution for C@t{++} expression evaluation. For
14068 overloaded functions that are not class member functions, @value{GDBN}
14069 chooses the first function of the specified name that it finds in the
14070 symbol table, whether or not its arguments are of the correct type. For
14071 overloaded functions that are class member functions, @value{GDBN}
14072 searches for a function whose signature @emph{exactly} matches the
14073 argument types.
14074
14075 @kindex show overload-resolution
14076 @item show overload-resolution
14077 Show the current setting of overload resolution.
14078
14079 @item @r{Overloaded symbol names}
14080 You can specify a particular definition of an overloaded symbol, using
14081 the same notation that is used to declare such symbols in C@t{++}: type
14082 @code{@var{symbol}(@var{types})} rather than just @var{symbol}. You can
14083 also use the @value{GDBN} command-line word completion facilities to list the
14084 available choices, or to finish the type list for you.
14085 @xref{Completion,, Command Completion}, for details on how to do this.
14086 @end table
14087
14088 @node Decimal Floating Point
14089 @subsubsection Decimal Floating Point format
14090 @cindex decimal floating point format
14091
14092 @value{GDBN} can examine, set and perform computations with numbers in
14093 decimal floating point format, which in the C language correspond to the
14094 @code{_Decimal32}, @code{_Decimal64} and @code{_Decimal128} types as
14095 specified by the extension to support decimal floating-point arithmetic.
14096
14097 There are two encodings in use, depending on the architecture: BID (Binary
14098 Integer Decimal) for x86 and x86-64, and DPD (Densely Packed Decimal) for
14099 PowerPC and S/390. @value{GDBN} will use the appropriate encoding for the
14100 configured target.
14101
14102 Because of a limitation in @file{libdecnumber}, the library used by @value{GDBN}
14103 to manipulate decimal floating point numbers, it is not possible to convert
14104 (using a cast, for example) integers wider than 32-bit to decimal float.
14105
14106 In addition, in order to imitate @value{GDBN}'s behaviour with binary floating
14107 point computations, error checking in decimal float operations ignores
14108 underflow, overflow and divide by zero exceptions.
14109
14110 In the PowerPC architecture, @value{GDBN} provides a set of pseudo-registers
14111 to inspect @code{_Decimal128} values stored in floating point registers.
14112 See @ref{PowerPC,,PowerPC} for more details.
14113
14114 @node D
14115 @subsection D
14116
14117 @cindex D
14118 @value{GDBN} can be used to debug programs written in D and compiled with
14119 GDC, LDC or DMD compilers. Currently @value{GDBN} supports only one D
14120 specific feature --- dynamic arrays.
14121
14122 @node Go
14123 @subsection Go
14124
14125 @cindex Go (programming language)
14126 @value{GDBN} can be used to debug programs written in Go and compiled with
14127 @file{gccgo} or @file{6g} compilers.
14128
14129 Here is a summary of the Go-specific features and restrictions:
14130
14131 @table @code
14132 @cindex current Go package
14133 @item The current Go package
14134 The name of the current package does not need to be specified when
14135 specifying global variables and functions.
14136
14137 For example, given the program:
14138
14139 @example
14140 package main
14141 var myglob = "Shall we?"
14142 func main () @{
14143 // ...
14144 @}
14145 @end example
14146
14147 When stopped inside @code{main} either of these work:
14148
14149 @example
14150 (gdb) p myglob
14151 (gdb) p main.myglob
14152 @end example
14153
14154 @cindex builtin Go types
14155 @item Builtin Go types
14156 The @code{string} type is recognized by @value{GDBN} and is printed
14157 as a string.
14158
14159 @cindex builtin Go functions
14160 @item Builtin Go functions
14161 The @value{GDBN} expression parser recognizes the @code{unsafe.Sizeof}
14162 function and handles it internally.
14163
14164 @cindex restrictions on Go expressions
14165 @item Restrictions on Go expressions
14166 All Go operators are supported except @code{&^}.
14167 The Go @code{_} ``blank identifier'' is not supported.
14168 Automatic dereferencing of pointers is not supported.
14169 @end table
14170
14171 @node Objective-C
14172 @subsection Objective-C
14173
14174 @cindex Objective-C
14175 This section provides information about some commands and command
14176 options that are useful for debugging Objective-C code. See also
14177 @ref{Symbols, info classes}, and @ref{Symbols, info selectors}, for a
14178 few more commands specific to Objective-C support.
14179
14180 @menu
14181 * Method Names in Commands::
14182 * The Print Command with Objective-C::
14183 @end menu
14184
14185 @node Method Names in Commands
14186 @subsubsection Method Names in Commands
14187
14188 The following commands have been extended to accept Objective-C method
14189 names as line specifications:
14190
14191 @kindex clear@r{, and Objective-C}
14192 @kindex break@r{, and Objective-C}
14193 @kindex info line@r{, and Objective-C}
14194 @kindex jump@r{, and Objective-C}
14195 @kindex list@r{, and Objective-C}
14196 @itemize
14197 @item @code{clear}
14198 @item @code{break}
14199 @item @code{info line}
14200 @item @code{jump}
14201 @item @code{list}
14202 @end itemize
14203
14204 A fully qualified Objective-C method name is specified as
14205
14206 @smallexample
14207 -[@var{Class} @var{methodName}]
14208 @end smallexample
14209
14210 where the minus sign is used to indicate an instance method and a
14211 plus sign (not shown) is used to indicate a class method. The class
14212 name @var{Class} and method name @var{methodName} are enclosed in
14213 brackets, similar to the way messages are specified in Objective-C
14214 source code. For example, to set a breakpoint at the @code{create}
14215 instance method of class @code{Fruit} in the program currently being
14216 debugged, enter:
14217
14218 @smallexample
14219 break -[Fruit create]
14220 @end smallexample
14221
14222 To list ten program lines around the @code{initialize} class method,
14223 enter:
14224
14225 @smallexample
14226 list +[NSText initialize]
14227 @end smallexample
14228
14229 In the current version of @value{GDBN}, the plus or minus sign is
14230 required. In future versions of @value{GDBN}, the plus or minus
14231 sign will be optional, but you can use it to narrow the search. It
14232 is also possible to specify just a method name:
14233
14234 @smallexample
14235 break create
14236 @end smallexample
14237
14238 You must specify the complete method name, including any colons. If
14239 your program's source files contain more than one @code{create} method,
14240 you'll be presented with a numbered list of classes that implement that
14241 method. Indicate your choice by number, or type @samp{0} to exit if
14242 none apply.
14243
14244 As another example, to clear a breakpoint established at the
14245 @code{makeKeyAndOrderFront:} method of the @code{NSWindow} class, enter:
14246
14247 @smallexample
14248 clear -[NSWindow makeKeyAndOrderFront:]
14249 @end smallexample
14250
14251 @node The Print Command with Objective-C
14252 @subsubsection The Print Command With Objective-C
14253 @cindex Objective-C, print objects
14254 @kindex print-object
14255 @kindex po @r{(@code{print-object})}
14256
14257 The print command has also been extended to accept methods. For example:
14258
14259 @smallexample
14260 print -[@var{object} hash]
14261 @end smallexample
14262
14263 @cindex print an Objective-C object description
14264 @cindex @code{_NSPrintForDebugger}, and printing Objective-C objects
14265 @noindent
14266 will tell @value{GDBN} to send the @code{hash} message to @var{object}
14267 and print the result. Also, an additional command has been added,
14268 @code{print-object} or @code{po} for short, which is meant to print
14269 the description of an object. However, this command may only work
14270 with certain Objective-C libraries that have a particular hook
14271 function, @code{_NSPrintForDebugger}, defined.
14272
14273 @node OpenCL C
14274 @subsection OpenCL C
14275
14276 @cindex OpenCL C
14277 This section provides information about @value{GDBN}s OpenCL C support.
14278
14279 @menu
14280 * OpenCL C Datatypes::
14281 * OpenCL C Expressions::
14282 * OpenCL C Operators::
14283 @end menu
14284
14285 @node OpenCL C Datatypes
14286 @subsubsection OpenCL C Datatypes
14287
14288 @cindex OpenCL C Datatypes
14289 @value{GDBN} supports the builtin scalar and vector datatypes specified
14290 by OpenCL 1.1. In addition the half- and double-precision floating point
14291 data types of the @code{cl_khr_fp16} and @code{cl_khr_fp64} OpenCL
14292 extensions are also known to @value{GDBN}.
14293
14294 @node OpenCL C Expressions
14295 @subsubsection OpenCL C Expressions
14296
14297 @cindex OpenCL C Expressions
14298 @value{GDBN} supports accesses to vector components including the access as
14299 lvalue where possible. Since OpenCL C is based on C99 most C expressions
14300 supported by @value{GDBN} can be used as well.
14301
14302 @node OpenCL C Operators
14303 @subsubsection OpenCL C Operators
14304
14305 @cindex OpenCL C Operators
14306 @value{GDBN} supports the operators specified by OpenCL 1.1 for scalar and
14307 vector data types.
14308
14309 @node Fortran
14310 @subsection Fortran
14311 @cindex Fortran-specific support in @value{GDBN}
14312
14313 @value{GDBN} can be used to debug programs written in Fortran, but it
14314 currently supports only the features of Fortran 77 language.
14315
14316 @cindex trailing underscore, in Fortran symbols
14317 Some Fortran compilers (@sc{gnu} Fortran 77 and Fortran 95 compilers
14318 among them) append an underscore to the names of variables and
14319 functions. When you debug programs compiled by those compilers, you
14320 will need to refer to variables and functions with a trailing
14321 underscore.
14322
14323 @menu
14324 * Fortran Operators:: Fortran operators and expressions
14325 * Fortran Defaults:: Default settings for Fortran
14326 * Special Fortran Commands:: Special @value{GDBN} commands for Fortran
14327 @end menu
14328
14329 @node Fortran Operators
14330 @subsubsection Fortran Operators and Expressions
14331
14332 @cindex Fortran operators and expressions
14333
14334 Operators must be defined on values of specific types. For instance,
14335 @code{+} is defined on numbers, but not on characters or other non-
14336 arithmetic types. Operators are often defined on groups of types.
14337
14338 @table @code
14339 @item **
14340 The exponentiation operator. It raises the first operand to the power
14341 of the second one.
14342
14343 @item :
14344 The range operator. Normally used in the form of array(low:high) to
14345 represent a section of array.
14346
14347 @item %
14348 The access component operator. Normally used to access elements in derived
14349 types. Also suitable for unions. As unions aren't part of regular Fortran,
14350 this can only happen when accessing a register that uses a gdbarch-defined
14351 union type.
14352 @end table
14353
14354 @node Fortran Defaults
14355 @subsubsection Fortran Defaults
14356
14357 @cindex Fortran Defaults
14358
14359 Fortran symbols are usually case-insensitive, so @value{GDBN} by
14360 default uses case-insensitive matches for Fortran symbols. You can
14361 change that with the @samp{set case-insensitive} command, see
14362 @ref{Symbols}, for the details.
14363
14364 @node Special Fortran Commands
14365 @subsubsection Special Fortran Commands
14366
14367 @cindex Special Fortran commands
14368
14369 @value{GDBN} has some commands to support Fortran-specific features,
14370 such as displaying common blocks.
14371
14372 @table @code
14373 @cindex @code{COMMON} blocks, Fortran
14374 @kindex info common
14375 @item info common @r{[}@var{common-name}@r{]}
14376 This command prints the values contained in the Fortran @code{COMMON}
14377 block whose name is @var{common-name}. With no argument, the names of
14378 all @code{COMMON} blocks visible at the current program location are
14379 printed.
14380 @end table
14381
14382 @node Pascal
14383 @subsection Pascal
14384
14385 @cindex Pascal support in @value{GDBN}, limitations
14386 Debugging Pascal programs which use sets, subranges, file variables, or
14387 nested functions does not currently work. @value{GDBN} does not support
14388 entering expressions, printing values, or similar features using Pascal
14389 syntax.
14390
14391 The Pascal-specific command @code{set print pascal_static-members}
14392 controls whether static members of Pascal objects are displayed.
14393 @xref{Print Settings, pascal_static-members}.
14394
14395 @node Modula-2
14396 @subsection Modula-2
14397
14398 @cindex Modula-2, @value{GDBN} support
14399
14400 The extensions made to @value{GDBN} to support Modula-2 only support
14401 output from the @sc{gnu} Modula-2 compiler (which is currently being
14402 developed). Other Modula-2 compilers are not currently supported, and
14403 attempting to debug executables produced by them is most likely
14404 to give an error as @value{GDBN} reads in the executable's symbol
14405 table.
14406
14407 @cindex expressions in Modula-2
14408 @menu
14409 * M2 Operators:: Built-in operators
14410 * Built-In Func/Proc:: Built-in functions and procedures
14411 * M2 Constants:: Modula-2 constants
14412 * M2 Types:: Modula-2 types
14413 * M2 Defaults:: Default settings for Modula-2
14414 * Deviations:: Deviations from standard Modula-2
14415 * M2 Checks:: Modula-2 type and range checks
14416 * M2 Scope:: The scope operators @code{::} and @code{.}
14417 * GDB/M2:: @value{GDBN} and Modula-2
14418 @end menu
14419
14420 @node M2 Operators
14421 @subsubsection Operators
14422 @cindex Modula-2 operators
14423
14424 Operators must be defined on values of specific types. For instance,
14425 @code{+} is defined on numbers, but not on structures. Operators are
14426 often defined on groups of types. For the purposes of Modula-2, the
14427 following definitions hold:
14428
14429 @itemize @bullet
14430
14431 @item
14432 @emph{Integral types} consist of @code{INTEGER}, @code{CARDINAL}, and
14433 their subranges.
14434
14435 @item
14436 @emph{Character types} consist of @code{CHAR} and its subranges.
14437
14438 @item
14439 @emph{Floating-point types} consist of @code{REAL}.
14440
14441 @item
14442 @emph{Pointer types} consist of anything declared as @code{POINTER TO
14443 @var{type}}.
14444
14445 @item
14446 @emph{Scalar types} consist of all of the above.
14447
14448 @item
14449 @emph{Set types} consist of @code{SET} and @code{BITSET} types.
14450
14451 @item
14452 @emph{Boolean types} consist of @code{BOOLEAN}.
14453 @end itemize
14454
14455 @noindent
14456 The following operators are supported, and appear in order of
14457 increasing precedence:
14458
14459 @table @code
14460 @item ,
14461 Function argument or array index separator.
14462
14463 @item :=
14464 Assignment. The value of @var{var} @code{:=} @var{value} is
14465 @var{value}.
14466
14467 @item <@r{, }>
14468 Less than, greater than on integral, floating-point, or enumerated
14469 types.
14470
14471 @item <=@r{, }>=
14472 Less than or equal to, greater than or equal to
14473 on integral, floating-point and enumerated types, or set inclusion on
14474 set types. Same precedence as @code{<}.
14475
14476 @item =@r{, }<>@r{, }#
14477 Equality and two ways of expressing inequality, valid on scalar types.
14478 Same precedence as @code{<}. In @value{GDBN} scripts, only @code{<>} is
14479 available for inequality, since @code{#} conflicts with the script
14480 comment character.
14481
14482 @item IN
14483 Set membership. Defined on set types and the types of their members.
14484 Same precedence as @code{<}.
14485
14486 @item OR
14487 Boolean disjunction. Defined on boolean types.
14488
14489 @item AND@r{, }&
14490 Boolean conjunction. Defined on boolean types.
14491
14492 @item @@
14493 The @value{GDBN} ``artificial array'' operator (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}).
14494
14495 @item +@r{, }-
14496 Addition and subtraction on integral and floating-point types, or union
14497 and difference on set types.
14498
14499 @item *
14500 Multiplication on integral and floating-point types, or set intersection
14501 on set types.
14502
14503 @item /
14504 Division on floating-point types, or symmetric set difference on set
14505 types. Same precedence as @code{*}.
14506
14507 @item DIV@r{, }MOD
14508 Integer division and remainder. Defined on integral types. Same
14509 precedence as @code{*}.
14510
14511 @item -
14512 Negative. Defined on @code{INTEGER} and @code{REAL} data.
14513
14514 @item ^
14515 Pointer dereferencing. Defined on pointer types.
14516
14517 @item NOT
14518 Boolean negation. Defined on boolean types. Same precedence as
14519 @code{^}.
14520
14521 @item .
14522 @code{RECORD} field selector. Defined on @code{RECORD} data. Same
14523 precedence as @code{^}.
14524
14525 @item []
14526 Array indexing. Defined on @code{ARRAY} data. Same precedence as @code{^}.
14527
14528 @item ()
14529 Procedure argument list. Defined on @code{PROCEDURE} objects. Same precedence
14530 as @code{^}.
14531
14532 @item ::@r{, }.
14533 @value{GDBN} and Modula-2 scope operators.
14534 @end table
14535
14536 @quotation
14537 @emph{Warning:} Set expressions and their operations are not yet supported, so @value{GDBN}
14538 treats the use of the operator @code{IN}, or the use of operators
14539 @code{+}, @code{-}, @code{*}, @code{/}, @code{=}, , @code{<>}, @code{#},
14540 @code{<=}, and @code{>=} on sets as an error.
14541 @end quotation
14542
14543
14544 @node Built-In Func/Proc
14545 @subsubsection Built-in Functions and Procedures
14546 @cindex Modula-2 built-ins
14547
14548 Modula-2 also makes available several built-in procedures and functions.
14549 In describing these, the following metavariables are used:
14550
14551 @table @var
14552
14553 @item a
14554 represents an @code{ARRAY} variable.
14555
14556 @item c
14557 represents a @code{CHAR} constant or variable.
14558
14559 @item i
14560 represents a variable or constant of integral type.
14561
14562 @item m
14563 represents an identifier that belongs to a set. Generally used in the
14564 same function with the metavariable @var{s}. The type of @var{s} should
14565 be @code{SET OF @var{mtype}} (where @var{mtype} is the type of @var{m}).
14566
14567 @item n
14568 represents a variable or constant of integral or floating-point type.
14569
14570 @item r
14571 represents a variable or constant of floating-point type.
14572
14573 @item t
14574 represents a type.
14575
14576 @item v
14577 represents a variable.
14578
14579 @item x
14580 represents a variable or constant of one of many types. See the
14581 explanation of the function for details.
14582 @end table
14583
14584 All Modula-2 built-in procedures also return a result, described below.
14585
14586 @table @code
14587 @item ABS(@var{n})
14588 Returns the absolute value of @var{n}.
14589
14590 @item CAP(@var{c})
14591 If @var{c} is a lower case letter, it returns its upper case
14592 equivalent, otherwise it returns its argument.
14593
14594 @item CHR(@var{i})
14595 Returns the character whose ordinal value is @var{i}.
14596
14597 @item DEC(@var{v})
14598 Decrements the value in the variable @var{v} by one. Returns the new value.
14599
14600 @item DEC(@var{v},@var{i})
14601 Decrements the value in the variable @var{v} by @var{i}. Returns the
14602 new value.
14603
14604 @item EXCL(@var{m},@var{s})
14605 Removes the element @var{m} from the set @var{s}. Returns the new
14606 set.
14607
14608 @item FLOAT(@var{i})
14609 Returns the floating point equivalent of the integer @var{i}.
14610
14611 @item HIGH(@var{a})
14612 Returns the index of the last member of @var{a}.
14613
14614 @item INC(@var{v})
14615 Increments the value in the variable @var{v} by one. Returns the new value.
14616
14617 @item INC(@var{v},@var{i})
14618 Increments the value in the variable @var{v} by @var{i}. Returns the
14619 new value.
14620
14621 @item INCL(@var{m},@var{s})
14622 Adds the element @var{m} to the set @var{s} if it is not already
14623 there. Returns the new set.
14624
14625 @item MAX(@var{t})
14626 Returns the maximum value of the type @var{t}.
14627
14628 @item MIN(@var{t})
14629 Returns the minimum value of the type @var{t}.
14630
14631 @item ODD(@var{i})
14632 Returns boolean TRUE if @var{i} is an odd number.
14633
14634 @item ORD(@var{x})
14635 Returns the ordinal value of its argument. For example, the ordinal
14636 value of a character is its @sc{ascii} value (on machines supporting the
14637 @sc{ascii} character set). @var{x} must be of an ordered type, which include
14638 integral, character and enumerated types.
14639
14640 @item SIZE(@var{x})
14641 Returns the size of its argument. @var{x} can be a variable or a type.
14642
14643 @item TRUNC(@var{r})
14644 Returns the integral part of @var{r}.
14645
14646 @item TSIZE(@var{x})
14647 Returns the size of its argument. @var{x} can be a variable or a type.
14648
14649 @item VAL(@var{t},@var{i})
14650 Returns the member of the type @var{t} whose ordinal value is @var{i}.
14651 @end table
14652
14653 @quotation
14654 @emph{Warning:} Sets and their operations are not yet supported, so
14655 @value{GDBN} treats the use of procedures @code{INCL} and @code{EXCL} as
14656 an error.
14657 @end quotation
14658
14659 @cindex Modula-2 constants
14660 @node M2 Constants
14661 @subsubsection Constants
14662
14663 @value{GDBN} allows you to express the constants of Modula-2 in the following
14664 ways:
14665
14666 @itemize @bullet
14667
14668 @item
14669 Integer constants are simply a sequence of digits. When used in an
14670 expression, a constant is interpreted to be type-compatible with the
14671 rest of the expression. Hexadecimal integers are specified by a
14672 trailing @samp{H}, and octal integers by a trailing @samp{B}.
14673
14674 @item
14675 Floating point constants appear as a sequence of digits, followed by a
14676 decimal point and another sequence of digits. An optional exponent can
14677 then be specified, in the form @samp{E@r{[}+@r{|}-@r{]}@var{nnn}}, where
14678 @samp{@r{[}+@r{|}-@r{]}@var{nnn}} is the desired exponent. All of the
14679 digits of the floating point constant must be valid decimal (base 10)
14680 digits.
14681
14682 @item
14683 Character constants consist of a single character enclosed by a pair of
14684 like quotes, either single (@code{'}) or double (@code{"}). They may
14685 also be expressed by their ordinal value (their @sc{ascii} value, usually)
14686 followed by a @samp{C}.
14687
14688 @item
14689 String constants consist of a sequence of characters enclosed by a
14690 pair of like quotes, either single (@code{'}) or double (@code{"}).
14691 Escape sequences in the style of C are also allowed. @xref{C
14692 Constants, ,C and C@t{++} Constants}, for a brief explanation of escape
14693 sequences.
14694
14695 @item
14696 Enumerated constants consist of an enumerated identifier.
14697
14698 @item
14699 Boolean constants consist of the identifiers @code{TRUE} and
14700 @code{FALSE}.
14701
14702 @item
14703 Pointer constants consist of integral values only.
14704
14705 @item
14706 Set constants are not yet supported.
14707 @end itemize
14708
14709 @node M2 Types
14710 @subsubsection Modula-2 Types
14711 @cindex Modula-2 types
14712
14713 Currently @value{GDBN} can print the following data types in Modula-2
14714 syntax: array types, record types, set types, pointer types, procedure
14715 types, enumerated types, subrange types and base types. You can also
14716 print the contents of variables declared using these type.
14717 This section gives a number of simple source code examples together with
14718 sample @value{GDBN} sessions.
14719
14720 The first example contains the following section of code:
14721
14722 @smallexample
14723 VAR
14724 s: SET OF CHAR ;
14725 r: [20..40] ;
14726 @end smallexample
14727
14728 @noindent
14729 and you can request @value{GDBN} to interrogate the type and value of
14730 @code{r} and @code{s}.
14731
14732 @smallexample
14733 (@value{GDBP}) print s
14734 @{'A'..'C', 'Z'@}
14735 (@value{GDBP}) ptype s
14736 SET OF CHAR
14737 (@value{GDBP}) print r
14738 21
14739 (@value{GDBP}) ptype r
14740 [20..40]
14741 @end smallexample
14742
14743 @noindent
14744 Likewise if your source code declares @code{s} as:
14745
14746 @smallexample
14747 VAR
14748 s: SET ['A'..'Z'] ;
14749 @end smallexample
14750
14751 @noindent
14752 then you may query the type of @code{s} by:
14753
14754 @smallexample
14755 (@value{GDBP}) ptype s
14756 type = SET ['A'..'Z']
14757 @end smallexample
14758
14759 @noindent
14760 Note that at present you cannot interactively manipulate set
14761 expressions using the debugger.
14762
14763 The following example shows how you might declare an array in Modula-2
14764 and how you can interact with @value{GDBN} to print its type and contents:
14765
14766 @smallexample
14767 VAR
14768 s: ARRAY [-10..10] OF CHAR ;
14769 @end smallexample
14770
14771 @smallexample
14772 (@value{GDBP}) ptype s
14773 ARRAY [-10..10] OF CHAR
14774 @end smallexample
14775
14776 Note that the array handling is not yet complete and although the type
14777 is printed correctly, expression handling still assumes that all
14778 arrays have a lower bound of zero and not @code{-10} as in the example
14779 above.
14780
14781 Here are some more type related Modula-2 examples:
14782
14783 @smallexample
14784 TYPE
14785 colour = (blue, red, yellow, green) ;
14786 t = [blue..yellow] ;
14787 VAR
14788 s: t ;
14789 BEGIN
14790 s := blue ;
14791 @end smallexample
14792
14793 @noindent
14794 The @value{GDBN} interaction shows how you can query the data type
14795 and value of a variable.
14796
14797 @smallexample
14798 (@value{GDBP}) print s
14799 $1 = blue
14800 (@value{GDBP}) ptype t
14801 type = [blue..yellow]
14802 @end smallexample
14803
14804 @noindent
14805 In this example a Modula-2 array is declared and its contents
14806 displayed. Observe that the contents are written in the same way as
14807 their @code{C} counterparts.
14808
14809 @smallexample
14810 VAR
14811 s: ARRAY [1..5] OF CARDINAL ;
14812 BEGIN
14813 s[1] := 1 ;
14814 @end smallexample
14815
14816 @smallexample
14817 (@value{GDBP}) print s
14818 $1 = @{1, 0, 0, 0, 0@}
14819 (@value{GDBP}) ptype s
14820 type = ARRAY [1..5] OF CARDINAL
14821 @end smallexample
14822
14823 The Modula-2 language interface to @value{GDBN} also understands
14824 pointer types as shown in this example:
14825
14826 @smallexample
14827 VAR
14828 s: POINTER TO ARRAY [1..5] OF CARDINAL ;
14829 BEGIN
14830 NEW(s) ;
14831 s^[1] := 1 ;
14832 @end smallexample
14833
14834 @noindent
14835 and you can request that @value{GDBN} describes the type of @code{s}.
14836
14837 @smallexample
14838 (@value{GDBP}) ptype s
14839 type = POINTER TO ARRAY [1..5] OF CARDINAL
14840 @end smallexample
14841
14842 @value{GDBN} handles compound types as we can see in this example.
14843 Here we combine array types, record types, pointer types and subrange
14844 types:
14845
14846 @smallexample
14847 TYPE
14848 foo = RECORD
14849 f1: CARDINAL ;
14850 f2: CHAR ;
14851 f3: myarray ;
14852 END ;
14853
14854 myarray = ARRAY myrange OF CARDINAL ;
14855 myrange = [-2..2] ;
14856 VAR
14857 s: POINTER TO ARRAY myrange OF foo ;
14858 @end smallexample
14859
14860 @noindent
14861 and you can ask @value{GDBN} to describe the type of @code{s} as shown
14862 below.
14863
14864 @smallexample
14865 (@value{GDBP}) ptype s
14866 type = POINTER TO ARRAY [-2..2] OF foo = RECORD
14867 f1 : CARDINAL;
14868 f2 : CHAR;
14869 f3 : ARRAY [-2..2] OF CARDINAL;
14870 END
14871 @end smallexample
14872
14873 @node M2 Defaults
14874 @subsubsection Modula-2 Defaults
14875 @cindex Modula-2 defaults
14876
14877 If type and range checking are set automatically by @value{GDBN}, they
14878 both default to @code{on} whenever the working language changes to
14879 Modula-2. This happens regardless of whether you or @value{GDBN}
14880 selected the working language.
14881
14882 If you allow @value{GDBN} to set the language automatically, then entering
14883 code compiled from a file whose name ends with @file{.mod} sets the
14884 working language to Modula-2. @xref{Automatically, ,Having @value{GDBN}
14885 Infer the Source Language}, for further details.
14886
14887 @node Deviations
14888 @subsubsection Deviations from Standard Modula-2
14889 @cindex Modula-2, deviations from
14890
14891 A few changes have been made to make Modula-2 programs easier to debug.
14892 This is done primarily via loosening its type strictness:
14893
14894 @itemize @bullet
14895 @item
14896 Unlike in standard Modula-2, pointer constants can be formed by
14897 integers. This allows you to modify pointer variables during
14898 debugging. (In standard Modula-2, the actual address contained in a
14899 pointer variable is hidden from you; it can only be modified
14900 through direct assignment to another pointer variable or expression that
14901 returned a pointer.)
14902
14903 @item
14904 C escape sequences can be used in strings and characters to represent
14905 non-printable characters. @value{GDBN} prints out strings with these
14906 escape sequences embedded. Single non-printable characters are
14907 printed using the @samp{CHR(@var{nnn})} format.
14908
14909 @item
14910 The assignment operator (@code{:=}) returns the value of its right-hand
14911 argument.
14912
14913 @item
14914 All built-in procedures both modify @emph{and} return their argument.
14915 @end itemize
14916
14917 @node M2 Checks
14918 @subsubsection Modula-2 Type and Range Checks
14919 @cindex Modula-2 checks
14920
14921 @quotation
14922 @emph{Warning:} in this release, @value{GDBN} does not yet perform type or
14923 range checking.
14924 @end quotation
14925 @c FIXME remove warning when type/range checks added
14926
14927 @value{GDBN} considers two Modula-2 variables type equivalent if:
14928
14929 @itemize @bullet
14930 @item
14931 They are of types that have been declared equivalent via a @code{TYPE
14932 @var{t1} = @var{t2}} statement
14933
14934 @item
14935 They have been declared on the same line. (Note: This is true of the
14936 @sc{gnu} Modula-2 compiler, but it may not be true of other compilers.)
14937 @end itemize
14938
14939 As long as type checking is enabled, any attempt to combine variables
14940 whose types are not equivalent is an error.
14941
14942 Range checking is done on all mathematical operations, assignment, array
14943 index bounds, and all built-in functions and procedures.
14944
14945 @node M2 Scope
14946 @subsubsection The Scope Operators @code{::} and @code{.}
14947 @cindex scope
14948 @cindex @code{.}, Modula-2 scope operator
14949 @cindex colon, doubled as scope operator
14950 @ifinfo
14951 @vindex colon-colon@r{, in Modula-2}
14952 @c Info cannot handle :: but TeX can.
14953 @end ifinfo
14954 @ifnotinfo
14955 @vindex ::@r{, in Modula-2}
14956 @end ifnotinfo
14957
14958 There are a few subtle differences between the Modula-2 scope operator
14959 (@code{.}) and the @value{GDBN} scope operator (@code{::}). The two have
14960 similar syntax:
14961
14962 @smallexample
14963
14964 @var{module} . @var{id}
14965 @var{scope} :: @var{id}
14966 @end smallexample
14967
14968 @noindent
14969 where @var{scope} is the name of a module or a procedure,
14970 @var{module} the name of a module, and @var{id} is any declared
14971 identifier within your program, except another module.
14972
14973 Using the @code{::} operator makes @value{GDBN} search the scope
14974 specified by @var{scope} for the identifier @var{id}. If it is not
14975 found in the specified scope, then @value{GDBN} searches all scopes
14976 enclosing the one specified by @var{scope}.
14977
14978 Using the @code{.} operator makes @value{GDBN} search the current scope for
14979 the identifier specified by @var{id} that was imported from the
14980 definition module specified by @var{module}. With this operator, it is
14981 an error if the identifier @var{id} was not imported from definition
14982 module @var{module}, or if @var{id} is not an identifier in
14983 @var{module}.
14984
14985 @node GDB/M2
14986 @subsubsection @value{GDBN} and Modula-2
14987
14988 Some @value{GDBN} commands have little use when debugging Modula-2 programs.
14989 Five subcommands of @code{set print} and @code{show print} apply
14990 specifically to C and C@t{++}: @samp{vtbl}, @samp{demangle},
14991 @samp{asm-demangle}, @samp{object}, and @samp{union}. The first four
14992 apply to C@t{++}, and the last to the C @code{union} type, which has no direct
14993 analogue in Modula-2.
14994
14995 The @code{@@} operator (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}), while available
14996 with any language, is not useful with Modula-2. Its
14997 intent is to aid the debugging of @dfn{dynamic arrays}, which cannot be
14998 created in Modula-2 as they can in C or C@t{++}. However, because an
14999 address can be specified by an integral constant, the construct
15000 @samp{@{@var{type}@}@var{adrexp}} is still useful.
15001
15002 @cindex @code{#} in Modula-2
15003 In @value{GDBN} scripts, the Modula-2 inequality operator @code{#} is
15004 interpreted as the beginning of a comment. Use @code{<>} instead.
15005
15006 @node Ada
15007 @subsection Ada
15008 @cindex Ada
15009
15010 The extensions made to @value{GDBN} for Ada only support
15011 output from the @sc{gnu} Ada (GNAT) compiler.
15012 Other Ada compilers are not currently supported, and
15013 attempting to debug executables produced by them is most likely
15014 to be difficult.
15015
15016
15017 @cindex expressions in Ada
15018 @menu
15019 * Ada Mode Intro:: General remarks on the Ada syntax
15020 and semantics supported by Ada mode
15021 in @value{GDBN}.
15022 * Omissions from Ada:: Restrictions on the Ada expression syntax.
15023 * Additions to Ada:: Extensions of the Ada expression syntax.
15024 * Stopping Before Main Program:: Debugging the program during elaboration.
15025 * Ada Exceptions:: Ada Exceptions
15026 * Ada Tasks:: Listing and setting breakpoints in tasks.
15027 * Ada Tasks and Core Files:: Tasking Support when Debugging Core Files
15028 * Ravenscar Profile:: Tasking Support when using the Ravenscar
15029 Profile
15030 * Ada Glitches:: Known peculiarities of Ada mode.
15031 @end menu
15032
15033 @node Ada Mode Intro
15034 @subsubsection Introduction
15035 @cindex Ada mode, general
15036
15037 The Ada mode of @value{GDBN} supports a fairly large subset of Ada expression
15038 syntax, with some extensions.
15039 The philosophy behind the design of this subset is
15040
15041 @itemize @bullet
15042 @item
15043 That @value{GDBN} should provide basic literals and access to operations for
15044 arithmetic, dereferencing, field selection, indexing, and subprogram calls,
15045 leaving more sophisticated computations to subprograms written into the
15046 program (which therefore may be called from @value{GDBN}).
15047
15048 @item
15049 That type safety and strict adherence to Ada language restrictions
15050 are not particularly important to the @value{GDBN} user.
15051
15052 @item
15053 That brevity is important to the @value{GDBN} user.
15054 @end itemize
15055
15056 Thus, for brevity, the debugger acts as if all names declared in
15057 user-written packages are directly visible, even if they are not visible
15058 according to Ada rules, thus making it unnecessary to fully qualify most
15059 names with their packages, regardless of context. Where this causes
15060 ambiguity, @value{GDBN} asks the user's intent.
15061
15062 The debugger will start in Ada mode if it detects an Ada main program.
15063 As for other languages, it will enter Ada mode when stopped in a program that
15064 was translated from an Ada source file.
15065
15066 While in Ada mode, you may use `@t{--}' for comments. This is useful
15067 mostly for documenting command files. The standard @value{GDBN} comment
15068 (@samp{#}) still works at the beginning of a line in Ada mode, but not in the
15069 middle (to allow based literals).
15070
15071 The debugger supports limited overloading. Given a subprogram call in which
15072 the function symbol has multiple definitions, it will use the number of
15073 actual parameters and some information about their types to attempt to narrow
15074 the set of definitions. It also makes very limited use of context, preferring
15075 procedures to functions in the context of the @code{call} command, and
15076 functions to procedures elsewhere.
15077
15078 @node Omissions from Ada
15079 @subsubsection Omissions from Ada
15080 @cindex Ada, omissions from
15081
15082 Here are the notable omissions from the subset:
15083
15084 @itemize @bullet
15085 @item
15086 Only a subset of the attributes are supported:
15087
15088 @itemize @minus
15089 @item
15090 @t{'First}, @t{'Last}, and @t{'Length}
15091 on array objects (not on types and subtypes).
15092
15093 @item
15094 @t{'Min} and @t{'Max}.
15095
15096 @item
15097 @t{'Pos} and @t{'Val}.
15098
15099 @item
15100 @t{'Tag}.
15101
15102 @item
15103 @t{'Range} on array objects (not subtypes), but only as the right
15104 operand of the membership (@code{in}) operator.
15105
15106 @item
15107 @t{'Access}, @t{'Unchecked_Access}, and
15108 @t{'Unrestricted_Access} (a GNAT extension).
15109
15110 @item
15111 @t{'Address}.
15112 @end itemize
15113
15114 @item
15115 The names in
15116 @code{Characters.Latin_1} are not available and
15117 concatenation is not implemented. Thus, escape characters in strings are
15118 not currently available.
15119
15120 @item
15121 Equality tests (@samp{=} and @samp{/=}) on arrays test for bitwise
15122 equality of representations. They will generally work correctly
15123 for strings and arrays whose elements have integer or enumeration types.
15124 They may not work correctly for arrays whose element
15125 types have user-defined equality, for arrays of real values
15126 (in particular, IEEE-conformant floating point, because of negative
15127 zeroes and NaNs), and for arrays whose elements contain unused bits with
15128 indeterminate values.
15129
15130 @item
15131 The other component-by-component array operations (@code{and}, @code{or},
15132 @code{xor}, @code{not}, and relational tests other than equality)
15133 are not implemented.
15134
15135 @item
15136 @cindex array aggregates (Ada)
15137 @cindex record aggregates (Ada)
15138 @cindex aggregates (Ada)
15139 There is limited support for array and record aggregates. They are
15140 permitted only on the right sides of assignments, as in these examples:
15141
15142 @smallexample
15143 (@value{GDBP}) set An_Array := (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
15144 (@value{GDBP}) set An_Array := (1, others => 0)
15145 (@value{GDBP}) set An_Array := (0|4 => 1, 1..3 => 2, 5 => 6)
15146 (@value{GDBP}) set A_2D_Array := ((1, 2, 3), (4, 5, 6), (7, 8, 9))
15147 (@value{GDBP}) set A_Record := (1, "Peter", True);
15148 (@value{GDBP}) set A_Record := (Name => "Peter", Id => 1, Alive => True)
15149 @end smallexample
15150
15151 Changing a
15152 discriminant's value by assigning an aggregate has an
15153 undefined effect if that discriminant is used within the record.
15154 However, you can first modify discriminants by directly assigning to
15155 them (which normally would not be allowed in Ada), and then performing an
15156 aggregate assignment. For example, given a variable @code{A_Rec}
15157 declared to have a type such as:
15158
15159 @smallexample
15160 type Rec (Len : Small_Integer := 0) is record
15161 Id : Integer;
15162 Vals : IntArray (1 .. Len);
15163 end record;
15164 @end smallexample
15165
15166 you can assign a value with a different size of @code{Vals} with two
15167 assignments:
15168
15169 @smallexample
15170 (@value{GDBP}) set A_Rec.Len := 4
15171 (@value{GDBP}) set A_Rec := (Id => 42, Vals => (1, 2, 3, 4))
15172 @end smallexample
15173
15174 As this example also illustrates, @value{GDBN} is very loose about the usual
15175 rules concerning aggregates. You may leave out some of the
15176 components of an array or record aggregate (such as the @code{Len}
15177 component in the assignment to @code{A_Rec} above); they will retain their
15178 original values upon assignment. You may freely use dynamic values as
15179 indices in component associations. You may even use overlapping or
15180 redundant component associations, although which component values are
15181 assigned in such cases is not defined.
15182
15183 @item
15184 Calls to dispatching subprograms are not implemented.
15185
15186 @item
15187 The overloading algorithm is much more limited (i.e., less selective)
15188 than that of real Ada. It makes only limited use of the context in
15189 which a subexpression appears to resolve its meaning, and it is much
15190 looser in its rules for allowing type matches. As a result, some
15191 function calls will be ambiguous, and the user will be asked to choose
15192 the proper resolution.
15193
15194 @item
15195 The @code{new} operator is not implemented.
15196
15197 @item
15198 Entry calls are not implemented.
15199
15200 @item
15201 Aside from printing, arithmetic operations on the native VAX floating-point
15202 formats are not supported.
15203
15204 @item
15205 It is not possible to slice a packed array.
15206
15207 @item
15208 The names @code{True} and @code{False}, when not part of a qualified name,
15209 are interpreted as if implicitly prefixed by @code{Standard}, regardless of
15210 context.
15211 Should your program
15212 redefine these names in a package or procedure (at best a dubious practice),
15213 you will have to use fully qualified names to access their new definitions.
15214 @end itemize
15215
15216 @node Additions to Ada
15217 @subsubsection Additions to Ada
15218 @cindex Ada, deviations from
15219
15220 As it does for other languages, @value{GDBN} makes certain generic
15221 extensions to Ada (@pxref{Expressions}):
15222
15223 @itemize @bullet
15224 @item
15225 If the expression @var{E} is a variable residing in memory (typically
15226 a local variable or array element) and @var{N} is a positive integer,
15227 then @code{@var{E}@@@var{N}} displays the values of @var{E} and the
15228 @var{N}-1 adjacent variables following it in memory as an array. In
15229 Ada, this operator is generally not necessary, since its prime use is
15230 in displaying parts of an array, and slicing will usually do this in
15231 Ada. However, there are occasional uses when debugging programs in
15232 which certain debugging information has been optimized away.
15233
15234 @item
15235 @code{@var{B}::@var{var}} means ``the variable named @var{var} that
15236 appears in function or file @var{B}.'' When @var{B} is a file name,
15237 you must typically surround it in single quotes.
15238
15239 @item
15240 The expression @code{@{@var{type}@} @var{addr}} means ``the variable of type
15241 @var{type} that appears at address @var{addr}.''
15242
15243 @item
15244 A name starting with @samp{$} is a convenience variable
15245 (@pxref{Convenience Vars}) or a machine register (@pxref{Registers}).
15246 @end itemize
15247
15248 In addition, @value{GDBN} provides a few other shortcuts and outright
15249 additions specific to Ada:
15250
15251 @itemize @bullet
15252 @item
15253 The assignment statement is allowed as an expression, returning
15254 its right-hand operand as its value. Thus, you may enter
15255
15256 @smallexample
15257 (@value{GDBP}) set x := y + 3
15258 (@value{GDBP}) print A(tmp := y + 1)
15259 @end smallexample
15260
15261 @item
15262 The semicolon is allowed as an ``operator,'' returning as its value
15263 the value of its right-hand operand.
15264 This allows, for example,
15265 complex conditional breaks:
15266
15267 @smallexample
15268 (@value{GDBP}) break f
15269 (@value{GDBP}) condition 1 (report(i); k += 1; A(k) > 100)
15270 @end smallexample
15271
15272 @item
15273 Rather than use catenation and symbolic character names to introduce special
15274 characters into strings, one may instead use a special bracket notation,
15275 which is also used to print strings. A sequence of characters of the form
15276 @samp{["@var{XX}"]} within a string or character literal denotes the
15277 (single) character whose numeric encoding is @var{XX} in hexadecimal. The
15278 sequence of characters @samp{["""]} also denotes a single quotation mark
15279 in strings. For example,
15280 @smallexample
15281 "One line.["0a"]Next line.["0a"]"
15282 @end smallexample
15283 @noindent
15284 contains an ASCII newline character (@code{Ada.Characters.Latin_1.LF})
15285 after each period.
15286
15287 @item
15288 The subtype used as a prefix for the attributes @t{'Pos}, @t{'Min}, and
15289 @t{'Max} is optional (and is ignored in any case). For example, it is valid
15290 to write
15291
15292 @smallexample
15293 (@value{GDBP}) print 'max(x, y)
15294 @end smallexample
15295
15296 @item
15297 When printing arrays, @value{GDBN} uses positional notation when the
15298 array has a lower bound of 1, and uses a modified named notation otherwise.
15299 For example, a one-dimensional array of three integers with a lower bound
15300 of 3 might print as
15301
15302 @smallexample
15303 (3 => 10, 17, 1)
15304 @end smallexample
15305
15306 @noindent
15307 That is, in contrast to valid Ada, only the first component has a @code{=>}
15308 clause.
15309
15310 @item
15311 You may abbreviate attributes in expressions with any unique,
15312 multi-character subsequence of
15313 their names (an exact match gets preference).
15314 For example, you may use @t{a'len}, @t{a'gth}, or @t{a'lh}
15315 in place of @t{a'length}.
15316
15317 @item
15318 @cindex quoting Ada internal identifiers
15319 Since Ada is case-insensitive, the debugger normally maps identifiers you type
15320 to lower case. The GNAT compiler uses upper-case characters for
15321 some of its internal identifiers, which are normally of no interest to users.
15322 For the rare occasions when you actually have to look at them,
15323 enclose them in angle brackets to avoid the lower-case mapping.
15324 For example,
15325 @smallexample
15326 (@value{GDBP}) print <JMPBUF_SAVE>[0]
15327 @end smallexample
15328
15329 @item
15330 Printing an object of class-wide type or dereferencing an
15331 access-to-class-wide value will display all the components of the object's
15332 specific type (as indicated by its run-time tag). Likewise, component
15333 selection on such a value will operate on the specific type of the
15334 object.
15335
15336 @end itemize
15337
15338 @node Stopping Before Main Program
15339 @subsubsection Stopping at the Very Beginning
15340
15341 @cindex breakpointing Ada elaboration code
15342 It is sometimes necessary to debug the program during elaboration, and
15343 before reaching the main procedure.
15344 As defined in the Ada Reference
15345 Manual, the elaboration code is invoked from a procedure called
15346 @code{adainit}. To run your program up to the beginning of
15347 elaboration, simply use the following two commands:
15348 @code{tbreak adainit} and @code{run}.
15349
15350 @node Ada Exceptions
15351 @subsubsection Ada Exceptions
15352
15353 A command is provided to list all Ada exceptions:
15354
15355 @table @code
15356 @kindex info exceptions
15357 @item info exceptions
15358 @itemx info exceptions @var{regexp}
15359 The @code{info exceptions} command allows you to list all Ada exceptions
15360 defined within the program being debugged, as well as their addresses.
15361 With a regular expression, @var{regexp}, as argument, only those exceptions
15362 whose names match @var{regexp} are listed.
15363 @end table
15364
15365 Below is a small example, showing how the command can be used, first
15366 without argument, and next with a regular expression passed as an
15367 argument.
15368
15369 @smallexample
15370 (@value{GDBP}) info exceptions
15371 All defined Ada exceptions:
15372 constraint_error: 0x613da0
15373 program_error: 0x613d20
15374 storage_error: 0x613ce0
15375 tasking_error: 0x613ca0
15376 const.aint_global_e: 0x613b00
15377 (@value{GDBP}) info exceptions const.aint
15378 All Ada exceptions matching regular expression "const.aint":
15379 constraint_error: 0x613da0
15380 const.aint_global_e: 0x613b00
15381 @end smallexample
15382
15383 It is also possible to ask @value{GDBN} to stop your program's execution
15384 when an exception is raised. For more details, see @ref{Set Catchpoints}.
15385
15386 @node Ada Tasks
15387 @subsubsection Extensions for Ada Tasks
15388 @cindex Ada, tasking
15389
15390 Support for Ada tasks is analogous to that for threads (@pxref{Threads}).
15391 @value{GDBN} provides the following task-related commands:
15392
15393 @table @code
15394 @kindex info tasks
15395 @item info tasks
15396 This command shows a list of current Ada tasks, as in the following example:
15397
15398
15399 @smallexample
15400 @iftex
15401 @leftskip=0.5cm
15402 @end iftex
15403 (@value{GDBP}) info tasks
15404 ID TID P-ID Pri State Name
15405 1 8088000 0 15 Child Activation Wait main_task
15406 2 80a4000 1 15 Accept Statement b
15407 3 809a800 1 15 Child Activation Wait a
15408 * 4 80ae800 3 15 Runnable c
15409
15410 @end smallexample
15411
15412 @noindent
15413 In this listing, the asterisk before the last task indicates it to be the
15414 task currently being inspected.
15415
15416 @table @asis
15417 @item ID
15418 Represents @value{GDBN}'s internal task number.
15419
15420 @item TID
15421 The Ada task ID.
15422
15423 @item P-ID
15424 The parent's task ID (@value{GDBN}'s internal task number).
15425
15426 @item Pri
15427 The base priority of the task.
15428
15429 @item State
15430 Current state of the task.
15431
15432 @table @code
15433 @item Unactivated
15434 The task has been created but has not been activated. It cannot be
15435 executing.
15436
15437 @item Runnable
15438 The task is not blocked for any reason known to Ada. (It may be waiting
15439 for a mutex, though.) It is conceptually "executing" in normal mode.
15440
15441 @item Terminated
15442 The task is terminated, in the sense of ARM 9.3 (5). Any dependents
15443 that were waiting on terminate alternatives have been awakened and have
15444 terminated themselves.
15445
15446 @item Child Activation Wait
15447 The task is waiting for created tasks to complete activation.
15448
15449 @item Accept Statement
15450 The task is waiting on an accept or selective wait statement.
15451
15452 @item Waiting on entry call
15453 The task is waiting on an entry call.
15454
15455 @item Async Select Wait
15456 The task is waiting to start the abortable part of an asynchronous
15457 select statement.
15458
15459 @item Delay Sleep
15460 The task is waiting on a select statement with only a delay
15461 alternative open.
15462
15463 @item Child Termination Wait
15464 The task is sleeping having completed a master within itself, and is
15465 waiting for the tasks dependent on that master to become terminated or
15466 waiting on a terminate Phase.
15467
15468 @item Wait Child in Term Alt
15469 The task is sleeping waiting for tasks on terminate alternatives to
15470 finish terminating.
15471
15472 @item Accepting RV with @var{taskno}
15473 The task is accepting a rendez-vous with the task @var{taskno}.
15474 @end table
15475
15476 @item Name
15477 Name of the task in the program.
15478
15479 @end table
15480
15481 @kindex info task @var{taskno}
15482 @item info task @var{taskno}
15483 This command shows detailled informations on the specified task, as in
15484 the following example:
15485 @smallexample
15486 @iftex
15487 @leftskip=0.5cm
15488 @end iftex
15489 (@value{GDBP}) info tasks
15490 ID TID P-ID Pri State Name
15491 1 8077880 0 15 Child Activation Wait main_task
15492 * 2 807c468 1 15 Runnable task_1
15493 (@value{GDBP}) info task 2
15494 Ada Task: 0x807c468
15495 Name: task_1
15496 Thread: 0x807f378
15497 Parent: 1 (main_task)
15498 Base Priority: 15
15499 State: Runnable
15500 @end smallexample
15501
15502 @item task
15503 @kindex task@r{ (Ada)}
15504 @cindex current Ada task ID
15505 This command prints the ID of the current task.
15506
15507 @smallexample
15508 @iftex
15509 @leftskip=0.5cm
15510 @end iftex
15511 (@value{GDBP}) info tasks
15512 ID TID P-ID Pri State Name
15513 1 8077870 0 15 Child Activation Wait main_task
15514 * 2 807c458 1 15 Runnable t
15515 (@value{GDBP}) task
15516 [Current task is 2]
15517 @end smallexample
15518
15519 @item task @var{taskno}
15520 @cindex Ada task switching
15521 This command is like the @code{thread @var{threadno}}
15522 command (@pxref{Threads}). It switches the context of debugging
15523 from the current task to the given task.
15524
15525 @smallexample
15526 @iftex
15527 @leftskip=0.5cm
15528 @end iftex
15529 (@value{GDBP}) info tasks
15530 ID TID P-ID Pri State Name
15531 1 8077870 0 15 Child Activation Wait main_task
15532 * 2 807c458 1 15 Runnable t
15533 (@value{GDBP}) task 1
15534 [Switching to task 1]
15535 #0 0x8067726 in pthread_cond_wait ()
15536 (@value{GDBP}) bt
15537 #0 0x8067726 in pthread_cond_wait ()
15538 #1 0x8056714 in system.os_interface.pthread_cond_wait ()
15539 #2 0x805cb63 in system.task_primitives.operations.sleep ()
15540 #3 0x806153e in system.tasking.stages.activate_tasks ()
15541 #4 0x804aacc in un () at un.adb:5
15542 @end smallexample
15543
15544 @item break @var{linespec} task @var{taskno}
15545 @itemx break @var{linespec} task @var{taskno} if @dots{}
15546 @cindex breakpoints and tasks, in Ada
15547 @cindex task breakpoints, in Ada
15548 @kindex break @dots{} task @var{taskno}@r{ (Ada)}
15549 These commands are like the @code{break @dots{} thread @dots{}}
15550 command (@pxref{Thread Stops}).
15551 @var{linespec} specifies source lines, as described
15552 in @ref{Specify Location}.
15553
15554 Use the qualifier @samp{task @var{taskno}} with a breakpoint command
15555 to specify that you only want @value{GDBN} to stop the program when a
15556 particular Ada task reaches this breakpoint. @var{taskno} is one of the
15557 numeric task identifiers assigned by @value{GDBN}, shown in the first
15558 column of the @samp{info tasks} display.
15559
15560 If you do not specify @samp{task @var{taskno}} when you set a
15561 breakpoint, the breakpoint applies to @emph{all} tasks of your
15562 program.
15563
15564 You can use the @code{task} qualifier on conditional breakpoints as
15565 well; in this case, place @samp{task @var{taskno}} before the
15566 breakpoint condition (before the @code{if}).
15567
15568 For example,
15569
15570 @smallexample
15571 @iftex
15572 @leftskip=0.5cm
15573 @end iftex
15574 (@value{GDBP}) info tasks
15575 ID TID P-ID Pri State Name
15576 1 140022020 0 15 Child Activation Wait main_task
15577 2 140045060 1 15 Accept/Select Wait t2
15578 3 140044840 1 15 Runnable t1
15579 * 4 140056040 1 15 Runnable t3
15580 (@value{GDBP}) b 15 task 2
15581 Breakpoint 5 at 0x120044cb0: file test_task_debug.adb, line 15.
15582 (@value{GDBP}) cont
15583 Continuing.
15584 task # 1 running
15585 task # 2 running
15586
15587 Breakpoint 5, test_task_debug () at test_task_debug.adb:15
15588 15 flush;
15589 (@value{GDBP}) info tasks
15590 ID TID P-ID Pri State Name
15591 1 140022020 0 15 Child Activation Wait main_task
15592 * 2 140045060 1 15 Runnable t2
15593 3 140044840 1 15 Runnable t1
15594 4 140056040 1 15 Delay Sleep t3
15595 @end smallexample
15596 @end table
15597
15598 @node Ada Tasks and Core Files
15599 @subsubsection Tasking Support when Debugging Core Files
15600 @cindex Ada tasking and core file debugging
15601
15602 When inspecting a core file, as opposed to debugging a live program,
15603 tasking support may be limited or even unavailable, depending on
15604 the platform being used.
15605 For instance, on x86-linux, the list of tasks is available, but task
15606 switching is not supported. On Tru64, however, task switching will work
15607 as usual.
15608
15609 On certain platforms, including Tru64, the debugger needs to perform some
15610 memory writes in order to provide Ada tasking support. When inspecting
15611 a core file, this means that the core file must be opened with read-write
15612 privileges, using the command @samp{"set write on"} (@pxref{Patching}).
15613 Under these circumstances, you should make a backup copy of the core
15614 file before inspecting it with @value{GDBN}.
15615
15616 @node Ravenscar Profile
15617 @subsubsection Tasking Support when using the Ravenscar Profile
15618 @cindex Ravenscar Profile
15619
15620 The @dfn{Ravenscar Profile} is a subset of the Ada tasking features,
15621 specifically designed for systems with safety-critical real-time
15622 requirements.
15623
15624 @table @code
15625 @kindex set ravenscar task-switching on
15626 @cindex task switching with program using Ravenscar Profile
15627 @item set ravenscar task-switching on
15628 Allows task switching when debugging a program that uses the Ravenscar
15629 Profile. This is the default.
15630
15631 @kindex set ravenscar task-switching off
15632 @item set ravenscar task-switching off
15633 Turn off task switching when debugging a program that uses the Ravenscar
15634 Profile. This is mostly intended to disable the code that adds support
15635 for the Ravenscar Profile, in case a bug in either @value{GDBN} or in
15636 the Ravenscar runtime is preventing @value{GDBN} from working properly.
15637 To be effective, this command should be run before the program is started.
15638
15639 @kindex show ravenscar task-switching
15640 @item show ravenscar task-switching
15641 Show whether it is possible to switch from task to task in a program
15642 using the Ravenscar Profile.
15643
15644 @end table
15645
15646 @node Ada Glitches
15647 @subsubsection Known Peculiarities of Ada Mode
15648 @cindex Ada, problems
15649
15650 Besides the omissions listed previously (@pxref{Omissions from Ada}),
15651 we know of several problems with and limitations of Ada mode in
15652 @value{GDBN},
15653 some of which will be fixed with planned future releases of the debugger
15654 and the GNU Ada compiler.
15655
15656 @itemize @bullet
15657 @item
15658 Static constants that the compiler chooses not to materialize as objects in
15659 storage are invisible to the debugger.
15660
15661 @item
15662 Named parameter associations in function argument lists are ignored (the
15663 argument lists are treated as positional).
15664
15665 @item
15666 Many useful library packages are currently invisible to the debugger.
15667
15668 @item
15669 Fixed-point arithmetic, conversions, input, and output is carried out using
15670 floating-point arithmetic, and may give results that only approximate those on
15671 the host machine.
15672
15673 @item
15674 The GNAT compiler never generates the prefix @code{Standard} for any of
15675 the standard symbols defined by the Ada language. @value{GDBN} knows about
15676 this: it will strip the prefix from names when you use it, and will never
15677 look for a name you have so qualified among local symbols, nor match against
15678 symbols in other packages or subprograms. If you have
15679 defined entities anywhere in your program other than parameters and
15680 local variables whose simple names match names in @code{Standard},
15681 GNAT's lack of qualification here can cause confusion. When this happens,
15682 you can usually resolve the confusion
15683 by qualifying the problematic names with package
15684 @code{Standard} explicitly.
15685 @end itemize
15686
15687 Older versions of the compiler sometimes generate erroneous debugging
15688 information, resulting in the debugger incorrectly printing the value
15689 of affected entities. In some cases, the debugger is able to work
15690 around an issue automatically. In other cases, the debugger is able
15691 to work around the issue, but the work-around has to be specifically
15692 enabled.
15693
15694 @kindex set ada trust-PAD-over-XVS
15695 @kindex show ada trust-PAD-over-XVS
15696 @table @code
15697
15698 @item set ada trust-PAD-over-XVS on
15699 Configure GDB to strictly follow the GNAT encoding when computing the
15700 value of Ada entities, particularly when @code{PAD} and @code{PAD___XVS}
15701 types are involved (see @code{ada/exp_dbug.ads} in the GCC sources for
15702 a complete description of the encoding used by the GNAT compiler).
15703 This is the default.
15704
15705 @item set ada trust-PAD-over-XVS off
15706 This is related to the encoding using by the GNAT compiler. If @value{GDBN}
15707 sometimes prints the wrong value for certain entities, changing @code{ada
15708 trust-PAD-over-XVS} to @code{off} activates a work-around which may fix
15709 the issue. It is always safe to set @code{ada trust-PAD-over-XVS} to
15710 @code{off}, but this incurs a slight performance penalty, so it is
15711 recommended to leave this setting to @code{on} unless necessary.
15712
15713 @end table
15714
15715 @cindex GNAT descriptive types
15716 @cindex GNAT encoding
15717 Internally, the debugger also relies on the compiler following a number
15718 of conventions known as the @samp{GNAT Encoding}, all documented in
15719 @file{gcc/ada/exp_dbug.ads} in the GCC sources. This encoding describes
15720 how the debugging information should be generated for certain types.
15721 In particular, this convention makes use of @dfn{descriptive types},
15722 which are artificial types generated purely to help the debugger.
15723
15724 These encodings were defined at a time when the debugging information
15725 format used was not powerful enough to describe some of the more complex
15726 types available in Ada. Since DWARF allows us to express nearly all
15727 Ada features, the long-term goal is to slowly replace these descriptive
15728 types by their pure DWARF equivalent. To facilitate that transition,
15729 a new maintenance option is available to force the debugger to ignore
15730 those descriptive types. It allows the user to quickly evaluate how
15731 well @value{GDBN} works without them.
15732
15733 @table @code
15734
15735 @kindex maint ada set ignore-descriptive-types
15736 @item maintenance ada set ignore-descriptive-types [on|off]
15737 Control whether the debugger should ignore descriptive types.
15738 The default is not to ignore descriptives types (@code{off}).
15739
15740 @kindex maint ada show ignore-descriptive-types
15741 @item maintenance ada show ignore-descriptive-types
15742 Show if descriptive types are ignored by @value{GDBN}.
15743
15744 @end table
15745
15746 @node Unsupported Languages
15747 @section Unsupported Languages
15748
15749 @cindex unsupported languages
15750 @cindex minimal language
15751 In addition to the other fully-supported programming languages,
15752 @value{GDBN} also provides a pseudo-language, called @code{minimal}.
15753 It does not represent a real programming language, but provides a set
15754 of capabilities close to what the C or assembly languages provide.
15755 This should allow most simple operations to be performed while debugging
15756 an application that uses a language currently not supported by @value{GDBN}.
15757
15758 If the language is set to @code{auto}, @value{GDBN} will automatically
15759 select this language if the current frame corresponds to an unsupported
15760 language.
15761
15762 @node Symbols
15763 @chapter Examining the Symbol Table
15764
15765 The commands described in this chapter allow you to inquire about the
15766 symbols (names of variables, functions and types) defined in your
15767 program. This information is inherent in the text of your program and
15768 does not change as your program executes. @value{GDBN} finds it in your
15769 program's symbol table, in the file indicated when you started @value{GDBN}
15770 (@pxref{File Options, ,Choosing Files}), or by one of the
15771 file-management commands (@pxref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}).
15772
15773 @cindex symbol names
15774 @cindex names of symbols
15775 @cindex quoting names
15776 Occasionally, you may need to refer to symbols that contain unusual
15777 characters, which @value{GDBN} ordinarily treats as word delimiters. The
15778 most frequent case is in referring to static variables in other
15779 source files (@pxref{Variables,,Program Variables}). File names
15780 are recorded in object files as debugging symbols, but @value{GDBN} would
15781 ordinarily parse a typical file name, like @file{foo.c}, as the three words
15782 @samp{foo} @samp{.} @samp{c}. To allow @value{GDBN} to recognize
15783 @samp{foo.c} as a single symbol, enclose it in single quotes; for example,
15784
15785 @smallexample
15786 p 'foo.c'::x
15787 @end smallexample
15788
15789 @noindent
15790 looks up the value of @code{x} in the scope of the file @file{foo.c}.
15791
15792 @table @code
15793 @cindex case-insensitive symbol names
15794 @cindex case sensitivity in symbol names
15795 @kindex set case-sensitive
15796 @item set case-sensitive on
15797 @itemx set case-sensitive off
15798 @itemx set case-sensitive auto
15799 Normally, when @value{GDBN} looks up symbols, it matches their names
15800 with case sensitivity determined by the current source language.
15801 Occasionally, you may wish to control that. The command @code{set
15802 case-sensitive} lets you do that by specifying @code{on} for
15803 case-sensitive matches or @code{off} for case-insensitive ones. If
15804 you specify @code{auto}, case sensitivity is reset to the default
15805 suitable for the source language. The default is case-sensitive
15806 matches for all languages except for Fortran, for which the default is
15807 case-insensitive matches.
15808
15809 @kindex show case-sensitive
15810 @item show case-sensitive
15811 This command shows the current setting of case sensitivity for symbols
15812 lookups.
15813
15814 @kindex set print type methods
15815 @item set print type methods
15816 @itemx set print type methods on
15817 @itemx set print type methods off
15818 Normally, when @value{GDBN} prints a class, it displays any methods
15819 declared in that class. You can control this behavior either by
15820 passing the appropriate flag to @code{ptype}, or using @command{set
15821 print type methods}. Specifying @code{on} will cause @value{GDBN} to
15822 display the methods; this is the default. Specifying @code{off} will
15823 cause @value{GDBN} to omit the methods.
15824
15825 @kindex show print type methods
15826 @item show print type methods
15827 This command shows the current setting of method display when printing
15828 classes.
15829
15830 @kindex set print type typedefs
15831 @item set print type typedefs
15832 @itemx set print type typedefs on
15833 @itemx set print type typedefs off
15834
15835 Normally, when @value{GDBN} prints a class, it displays any typedefs
15836 defined in that class. You can control this behavior either by
15837 passing the appropriate flag to @code{ptype}, or using @command{set
15838 print type typedefs}. Specifying @code{on} will cause @value{GDBN} to
15839 display the typedef definitions; this is the default. Specifying
15840 @code{off} will cause @value{GDBN} to omit the typedef definitions.
15841 Note that this controls whether the typedef definition itself is
15842 printed, not whether typedef names are substituted when printing other
15843 types.
15844
15845 @kindex show print type typedefs
15846 @item show print type typedefs
15847 This command shows the current setting of typedef display when
15848 printing classes.
15849
15850 @kindex info address
15851 @cindex address of a symbol
15852 @item info address @var{symbol}
15853 Describe where the data for @var{symbol} is stored. For a register
15854 variable, this says which register it is kept in. For a non-register
15855 local variable, this prints the stack-frame offset at which the variable
15856 is always stored.
15857
15858 Note the contrast with @samp{print &@var{symbol}}, which does not work
15859 at all for a register variable, and for a stack local variable prints
15860 the exact address of the current instantiation of the variable.
15861
15862 @kindex info symbol
15863 @cindex symbol from address
15864 @cindex closest symbol and offset for an address
15865 @item info symbol @var{addr}
15866 Print the name of a symbol which is stored at the address @var{addr}.
15867 If no symbol is stored exactly at @var{addr}, @value{GDBN} prints the
15868 nearest symbol and an offset from it:
15869
15870 @smallexample
15871 (@value{GDBP}) info symbol 0x54320
15872 _initialize_vx + 396 in section .text
15873 @end smallexample
15874
15875 @noindent
15876 This is the opposite of the @code{info address} command. You can use
15877 it to find out the name of a variable or a function given its address.
15878
15879 For dynamically linked executables, the name of executable or shared
15880 library containing the symbol is also printed:
15881
15882 @smallexample
15883 (@value{GDBP}) info symbol 0x400225
15884 _start + 5 in section .text of /tmp/a.out
15885 (@value{GDBP}) info symbol 0x2aaaac2811cf
15886 __read_nocancel + 6 in section .text of /usr/lib64/libc.so.6
15887 @end smallexample
15888
15889 @kindex whatis
15890 @item whatis[/@var{flags}] [@var{arg}]
15891 Print the data type of @var{arg}, which can be either an expression
15892 or a name of a data type. With no argument, print the data type of
15893 @code{$}, the last value in the value history.
15894
15895 If @var{arg} is an expression (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}), it
15896 is not actually evaluated, and any side-effecting operations (such as
15897 assignments or function calls) inside it do not take place.
15898
15899 If @var{arg} is a variable or an expression, @code{whatis} prints its
15900 literal type as it is used in the source code. If the type was
15901 defined using a @code{typedef}, @code{whatis} will @emph{not} print
15902 the data type underlying the @code{typedef}. If the type of the
15903 variable or the expression is a compound data type, such as
15904 @code{struct} or @code{class}, @code{whatis} never prints their
15905 fields or methods. It just prints the @code{struct}/@code{class}
15906 name (a.k.a.@: its @dfn{tag}). If you want to see the members of
15907 such a compound data type, use @code{ptype}.
15908
15909 If @var{arg} is a type name that was defined using @code{typedef},
15910 @code{whatis} @dfn{unrolls} only one level of that @code{typedef}.
15911 Unrolling means that @code{whatis} will show the underlying type used
15912 in the @code{typedef} declaration of @var{arg}. However, if that
15913 underlying type is also a @code{typedef}, @code{whatis} will not
15914 unroll it.
15915
15916 For C code, the type names may also have the form @samp{class
15917 @var{class-name}}, @samp{struct @var{struct-tag}}, @samp{union
15918 @var{union-tag}} or @samp{enum @var{enum-tag}}.
15919
15920 @var{flags} can be used to modify how the type is displayed.
15921 Available flags are:
15922
15923 @table @code
15924 @item r
15925 Display in ``raw'' form. Normally, @value{GDBN} substitutes template
15926 parameters and typedefs defined in a class when printing the class'
15927 members. The @code{/r} flag disables this.
15928
15929 @item m
15930 Do not print methods defined in the class.
15931
15932 @item M
15933 Print methods defined in the class. This is the default, but the flag
15934 exists in case you change the default with @command{set print type methods}.
15935
15936 @item t
15937 Do not print typedefs defined in the class. Note that this controls
15938 whether the typedef definition itself is printed, not whether typedef
15939 names are substituted when printing other types.
15940
15941 @item T
15942 Print typedefs defined in the class. This is the default, but the flag
15943 exists in case you change the default with @command{set print type typedefs}.
15944 @end table
15945
15946 @kindex ptype
15947 @item ptype[/@var{flags}] [@var{arg}]
15948 @code{ptype} accepts the same arguments as @code{whatis}, but prints a
15949 detailed description of the type, instead of just the name of the type.
15950 @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}.
15951
15952 Contrary to @code{whatis}, @code{ptype} always unrolls any
15953 @code{typedef}s in its argument declaration, whether the argument is
15954 a variable, expression, or a data type. This means that @code{ptype}
15955 of a variable or an expression will not print literally its type as
15956 present in the source code---use @code{whatis} for that. @code{typedef}s at
15957 the pointer or reference targets are also unrolled. Only @code{typedef}s of
15958 fields, methods and inner @code{class typedef}s of @code{struct}s,
15959 @code{class}es and @code{union}s are not unrolled even with @code{ptype}.
15960
15961 For example, for this variable declaration:
15962
15963 @smallexample
15964 typedef double real_t;
15965 struct complex @{ real_t real; double imag; @};
15966 typedef struct complex complex_t;
15967 complex_t var;
15968 real_t *real_pointer_var;
15969 @end smallexample
15970
15971 @noindent
15972 the two commands give this output:
15973
15974 @smallexample
15975 @group
15976 (@value{GDBP}) whatis var
15977 type = complex_t
15978 (@value{GDBP}) ptype var
15979 type = struct complex @{
15980 real_t real;
15981 double imag;
15982 @}
15983 (@value{GDBP}) whatis complex_t
15984 type = struct complex
15985 (@value{GDBP}) whatis struct complex
15986 type = struct complex
15987 (@value{GDBP}) ptype struct complex
15988 type = struct complex @{
15989 real_t real;
15990 double imag;
15991 @}
15992 (@value{GDBP}) whatis real_pointer_var
15993 type = real_t *
15994 (@value{GDBP}) ptype real_pointer_var
15995 type = double *
15996 @end group
15997 @end smallexample
15998
15999 @noindent
16000 As with @code{whatis}, using @code{ptype} without an argument refers to
16001 the type of @code{$}, the last value in the value history.
16002
16003 @cindex incomplete type
16004 Sometimes, programs use opaque data types or incomplete specifications
16005 of complex data structure. If the debug information included in the
16006 program does not allow @value{GDBN} to display a full declaration of
16007 the data type, it will say @samp{<incomplete type>}. For example,
16008 given these declarations:
16009
16010 @smallexample
16011 struct foo;
16012 struct foo *fooptr;
16013 @end smallexample
16014
16015 @noindent
16016 but no definition for @code{struct foo} itself, @value{GDBN} will say:
16017
16018 @smallexample
16019 (@value{GDBP}) ptype foo
16020 $1 = <incomplete type>
16021 @end smallexample
16022
16023 @noindent
16024 ``Incomplete type'' is C terminology for data types that are not
16025 completely specified.
16026
16027 @kindex info types
16028 @item info types @var{regexp}
16029 @itemx info types
16030 Print a brief description of all types whose names match the regular
16031 expression @var{regexp} (or all types in your program, if you supply
16032 no argument). Each complete typename is matched as though it were a
16033 complete line; thus, @samp{i type value} gives information on all
16034 types in your program whose names include the string @code{value}, but
16035 @samp{i type ^value$} gives information only on types whose complete
16036 name is @code{value}.
16037
16038 This command differs from @code{ptype} in two ways: first, like
16039 @code{whatis}, it does not print a detailed description; second, it
16040 lists all source files where a type is defined.
16041
16042 @kindex info type-printers
16043 @item info type-printers
16044 Versions of @value{GDBN} that ship with Python scripting enabled may
16045 have ``type printers'' available. When using @command{ptype} or
16046 @command{whatis}, these printers are consulted when the name of a type
16047 is needed. @xref{Type Printing API}, for more information on writing
16048 type printers.
16049
16050 @code{info type-printers} displays all the available type printers.
16051
16052 @kindex enable type-printer
16053 @kindex disable type-printer
16054 @item enable type-printer @var{name}@dots{}
16055 @item disable type-printer @var{name}@dots{}
16056 These commands can be used to enable or disable type printers.
16057
16058 @kindex info scope
16059 @cindex local variables
16060 @item info scope @var{location}
16061 List all the variables local to a particular scope. This command
16062 accepts a @var{location} argument---a function name, a source line, or
16063 an address preceded by a @samp{*}, and prints all the variables local
16064 to the scope defined by that location. (@xref{Specify Location}, for
16065 details about supported forms of @var{location}.) For example:
16066
16067 @smallexample
16068 (@value{GDBP}) @b{info scope command_line_handler}
16069 Scope for command_line_handler:
16070 Symbol rl is an argument at stack/frame offset 8, length 4.
16071 Symbol linebuffer is in static storage at address 0x150a18, length 4.
16072 Symbol linelength is in static storage at address 0x150a1c, length 4.
16073 Symbol p is a local variable in register $esi, length 4.
16074 Symbol p1 is a local variable in register $ebx, length 4.
16075 Symbol nline is a local variable in register $edx, length 4.
16076 Symbol repeat is a local variable at frame offset -8, length 4.
16077 @end smallexample
16078
16079 @noindent
16080 This command is especially useful for determining what data to collect
16081 during a @dfn{trace experiment}, see @ref{Tracepoint Actions,
16082 collect}.
16083
16084 @kindex info source
16085 @item info source
16086 Show information about the current source file---that is, the source file for
16087 the function containing the current point of execution:
16088 @itemize @bullet
16089 @item
16090 the name of the source file, and the directory containing it,
16091 @item
16092 the directory it was compiled in,
16093 @item
16094 its length, in lines,
16095 @item
16096 which programming language it is written in,
16097 @item
16098 whether the executable includes debugging information for that file, and
16099 if so, what format the information is in (e.g., STABS, Dwarf 2, etc.), and
16100 @item
16101 whether the debugging information includes information about
16102 preprocessor macros.
16103 @end itemize
16104
16105
16106 @kindex info sources
16107 @item info sources
16108 Print the names of all source files in your program for which there is
16109 debugging information, organized into two lists: files whose symbols
16110 have already been read, and files whose symbols will be read when needed.
16111
16112 @kindex info functions
16113 @item info functions
16114 Print the names and data types of all defined functions.
16115
16116 @item info functions @var{regexp}
16117 Print the names and data types of all defined functions
16118 whose names contain a match for regular expression @var{regexp}.
16119 Thus, @samp{info fun step} finds all functions whose names
16120 include @code{step}; @samp{info fun ^step} finds those whose names
16121 start with @code{step}. If a function name contains characters
16122 that conflict with the regular expression language (e.g.@:
16123 @samp{operator*()}), they may be quoted with a backslash.
16124
16125 @kindex info variables
16126 @item info variables
16127 Print the names and data types of all variables that are defined
16128 outside of functions (i.e.@: excluding local variables).
16129
16130 @item info variables @var{regexp}
16131 Print the names and data types of all variables (except for local
16132 variables) whose names contain a match for regular expression
16133 @var{regexp}.
16134
16135 @kindex info classes
16136 @cindex Objective-C, classes and selectors
16137 @item info classes
16138 @itemx info classes @var{regexp}
16139 Display all Objective-C classes in your program, or
16140 (with the @var{regexp} argument) all those matching a particular regular
16141 expression.
16142
16143 @kindex info selectors
16144 @item info selectors
16145 @itemx info selectors @var{regexp}
16146 Display all Objective-C selectors in your program, or
16147 (with the @var{regexp} argument) all those matching a particular regular
16148 expression.
16149
16150 @ignore
16151 This was never implemented.
16152 @kindex info methods
16153 @item info methods
16154 @itemx info methods @var{regexp}
16155 The @code{info methods} command permits the user to examine all defined
16156 methods within C@t{++} program, or (with the @var{regexp} argument) a
16157 specific set of methods found in the various C@t{++} classes. Many
16158 C@t{++} classes provide a large number of methods. Thus, the output
16159 from the @code{ptype} command can be overwhelming and hard to use. The
16160 @code{info-methods} command filters the methods, printing only those
16161 which match the regular-expression @var{regexp}.
16162 @end ignore
16163
16164 @cindex opaque data types
16165 @kindex set opaque-type-resolution
16166 @item set opaque-type-resolution on
16167 Tell @value{GDBN} to resolve opaque types. An opaque type is a type
16168 declared as a pointer to a @code{struct}, @code{class}, or
16169 @code{union}---for example, @code{struct MyType *}---that is used in one
16170 source file although the full declaration of @code{struct MyType} is in
16171 another source file. The default is on.
16172
16173 A change in the setting of this subcommand will not take effect until
16174 the next time symbols for a file are loaded.
16175
16176 @item set opaque-type-resolution off
16177 Tell @value{GDBN} not to resolve opaque types. In this case, the type
16178 is printed as follows:
16179 @smallexample
16180 @{<no data fields>@}
16181 @end smallexample
16182
16183 @kindex show opaque-type-resolution
16184 @item show opaque-type-resolution
16185 Show whether opaque types are resolved or not.
16186
16187 @kindex maint print symbols
16188 @cindex symbol dump
16189 @kindex maint print psymbols
16190 @cindex partial symbol dump
16191 @kindex maint print msymbols
16192 @cindex minimal symbol dump
16193 @item maint print symbols @var{filename}
16194 @itemx maint print psymbols @var{filename}
16195 @itemx maint print msymbols @var{filename}
16196 Write a dump of debugging symbol data into the file @var{filename}.
16197 These commands are used to debug the @value{GDBN} symbol-reading code. Only
16198 symbols with debugging data are included. If you use @samp{maint print
16199 symbols}, @value{GDBN} includes all the symbols for which it has already
16200 collected full details: that is, @var{filename} reflects symbols for
16201 only those files whose symbols @value{GDBN} has read. You can use the
16202 command @code{info sources} to find out which files these are. If you
16203 use @samp{maint print psymbols} instead, the dump shows information about
16204 symbols that @value{GDBN} only knows partially---that is, symbols defined in
16205 files that @value{GDBN} has skimmed, but not yet read completely. Finally,
16206 @samp{maint print msymbols} dumps just the minimal symbol information
16207 required for each object file from which @value{GDBN} has read some symbols.
16208 @xref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}, for a discussion of how
16209 @value{GDBN} reads symbols (in the description of @code{symbol-file}).
16210
16211 @kindex maint info symtabs
16212 @kindex maint info psymtabs
16213 @cindex listing @value{GDBN}'s internal symbol tables
16214 @cindex symbol tables, listing @value{GDBN}'s internal
16215 @cindex full symbol tables, listing @value{GDBN}'s internal
16216 @cindex partial symbol tables, listing @value{GDBN}'s internal
16217 @item maint info symtabs @r{[} @var{regexp} @r{]}
16218 @itemx maint info psymtabs @r{[} @var{regexp} @r{]}
16219
16220 List the @code{struct symtab} or @code{struct partial_symtab}
16221 structures whose names match @var{regexp}. If @var{regexp} is not
16222 given, list them all. The output includes expressions which you can
16223 copy into a @value{GDBN} debugging this one to examine a particular
16224 structure in more detail. For example:
16225
16226 @smallexample
16227 (@value{GDBP}) maint info psymtabs dwarf2read
16228 @{ objfile /home/gnu/build/gdb/gdb
16229 ((struct objfile *) 0x82e69d0)
16230 @{ psymtab /home/gnu/src/gdb/dwarf2read.c
16231 ((struct partial_symtab *) 0x8474b10)
16232 readin no
16233 fullname (null)
16234 text addresses 0x814d3c8 -- 0x8158074
16235 globals (* (struct partial_symbol **) 0x8507a08 @@ 9)
16236 statics (* (struct partial_symbol **) 0x40e95b78 @@ 2882)
16237 dependencies (none)
16238 @}
16239 @}
16240 (@value{GDBP}) maint info symtabs
16241 (@value{GDBP})
16242 @end smallexample
16243 @noindent
16244 We see that there is one partial symbol table whose filename contains
16245 the string @samp{dwarf2read}, belonging to the @samp{gdb} executable;
16246 and we see that @value{GDBN} has not read in any symtabs yet at all.
16247 If we set a breakpoint on a function, that will cause @value{GDBN} to
16248 read the symtab for the compilation unit containing that function:
16249
16250 @smallexample
16251 (@value{GDBP}) break dwarf2_psymtab_to_symtab
16252 Breakpoint 1 at 0x814e5da: file /home/gnu/src/gdb/dwarf2read.c,
16253 line 1574.
16254 (@value{GDBP}) maint info symtabs
16255 @{ objfile /home/gnu/build/gdb/gdb
16256 ((struct objfile *) 0x82e69d0)
16257 @{ symtab /home/gnu/src/gdb/dwarf2read.c
16258 ((struct symtab *) 0x86c1f38)
16259 dirname (null)
16260 fullname (null)
16261 blockvector ((struct blockvector *) 0x86c1bd0) (primary)
16262 linetable ((struct linetable *) 0x8370fa0)
16263 debugformat DWARF 2
16264 @}
16265 @}
16266 (@value{GDBP})
16267 @end smallexample
16268 @end table
16269
16270
16271 @node Altering
16272 @chapter Altering Execution
16273
16274 Once you think you have found an error in your program, you might want to
16275 find out for certain whether correcting the apparent error would lead to
16276 correct results in the rest of the run. You can find the answer by
16277 experiment, using the @value{GDBN} features for altering execution of the
16278 program.
16279
16280 For example, you can store new values into variables or memory
16281 locations, give your program a signal, restart it at a different
16282 address, or even return prematurely from a function.
16283
16284 @menu
16285 * Assignment:: Assignment to variables
16286 * Jumping:: Continuing at a different address
16287 * Signaling:: Giving your program a signal
16288 * Returning:: Returning from a function
16289 * Calling:: Calling your program's functions
16290 * Patching:: Patching your program
16291 @end menu
16292
16293 @node Assignment
16294 @section Assignment to Variables
16295
16296 @cindex assignment
16297 @cindex setting variables
16298 To alter the value of a variable, evaluate an assignment expression.
16299 @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}. For example,
16300
16301 @smallexample
16302 print x=4
16303 @end smallexample
16304
16305 @noindent
16306 stores the value 4 into the variable @code{x}, and then prints the
16307 value of the assignment expression (which is 4).
16308 @xref{Languages, ,Using @value{GDBN} with Different Languages}, for more
16309 information on operators in supported languages.
16310
16311 @kindex set variable
16312 @cindex variables, setting
16313 If you are not interested in seeing the value of the assignment, use the
16314 @code{set} command instead of the @code{print} command. @code{set} is
16315 really the same as @code{print} except that the expression's value is
16316 not printed and is not put in the value history (@pxref{Value History,
16317 ,Value History}). The expression is evaluated only for its effects.
16318
16319 If the beginning of the argument string of the @code{set} command
16320 appears identical to a @code{set} subcommand, use the @code{set
16321 variable} command instead of just @code{set}. This command is identical
16322 to @code{set} except for its lack of subcommands. For example, if your
16323 program has a variable @code{width}, you get an error if you try to set
16324 a new value with just @samp{set width=13}, because @value{GDBN} has the
16325 command @code{set width}:
16326
16327 @smallexample
16328 (@value{GDBP}) whatis width
16329 type = double
16330 (@value{GDBP}) p width
16331 $4 = 13
16332 (@value{GDBP}) set width=47
16333 Invalid syntax in expression.
16334 @end smallexample
16335
16336 @noindent
16337 The invalid expression, of course, is @samp{=47}. In
16338 order to actually set the program's variable @code{width}, use
16339
16340 @smallexample
16341 (@value{GDBP}) set var width=47
16342 @end smallexample
16343
16344 Because the @code{set} command has many subcommands that can conflict
16345 with the names of program variables, it is a good idea to use the
16346 @code{set variable} command instead of just @code{set}. For example, if
16347 your program has a variable @code{g}, you run into problems if you try
16348 to set a new value with just @samp{set g=4}, because @value{GDBN} has
16349 the command @code{set gnutarget}, abbreviated @code{set g}:
16350
16351 @smallexample
16352 @group
16353 (@value{GDBP}) whatis g
16354 type = double
16355 (@value{GDBP}) p g
16356 $1 = 1
16357 (@value{GDBP}) set g=4
16358 (@value{GDBP}) p g
16359 $2 = 1
16360 (@value{GDBP}) r
16361 The program being debugged has been started already.
16362 Start it from the beginning? (y or n) y
16363 Starting program: /home/smith/cc_progs/a.out
16364 "/home/smith/cc_progs/a.out": can't open to read symbols:
16365 Invalid bfd target.
16366 (@value{GDBP}) show g
16367 The current BFD target is "=4".
16368 @end group
16369 @end smallexample
16370
16371 @noindent
16372 The program variable @code{g} did not change, and you silently set the
16373 @code{gnutarget} to an invalid value. In order to set the variable
16374 @code{g}, use
16375
16376 @smallexample
16377 (@value{GDBP}) set var g=4
16378 @end smallexample
16379
16380 @value{GDBN} allows more implicit conversions in assignments than C; you can
16381 freely store an integer value into a pointer variable or vice versa,
16382 and you can convert any structure to any other structure that is the
16383 same length or shorter.
16384 @comment FIXME: how do structs align/pad in these conversions?
16385 @comment /doc@cygnus.com 18dec1990
16386
16387 To store values into arbitrary places in memory, use the @samp{@{@dots{}@}}
16388 construct to generate a value of specified type at a specified address
16389 (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}). For example, @code{@{int@}0x83040} refers
16390 to memory location @code{0x83040} as an integer (which implies a certain size
16391 and representation in memory), and
16392
16393 @smallexample
16394 set @{int@}0x83040 = 4
16395 @end smallexample
16396
16397 @noindent
16398 stores the value 4 into that memory location.
16399
16400 @node Jumping
16401 @section Continuing at a Different Address
16402
16403 Ordinarily, when you continue your program, you do so at the place where
16404 it stopped, with the @code{continue} command. You can instead continue at
16405 an address of your own choosing, with the following commands:
16406
16407 @table @code
16408 @kindex jump
16409 @kindex j @r{(@code{jump})}
16410 @item jump @var{linespec}
16411 @itemx j @var{linespec}
16412 @itemx jump @var{location}
16413 @itemx j @var{location}
16414 Resume execution at line @var{linespec} or at address given by
16415 @var{location}. Execution stops again immediately if there is a
16416 breakpoint there. @xref{Specify Location}, for a description of the
16417 different forms of @var{linespec} and @var{location}. It is common
16418 practice to use the @code{tbreak} command in conjunction with
16419 @code{jump}. @xref{Set Breaks, ,Setting Breakpoints}.
16420
16421 The @code{jump} command does not change the current stack frame, or
16422 the stack pointer, or the contents of any memory location or any
16423 register other than the program counter. If line @var{linespec} is in
16424 a different function from the one currently executing, the results may
16425 be bizarre if the two functions expect different patterns of arguments or
16426 of local variables. For this reason, the @code{jump} command requests
16427 confirmation if the specified line is not in the function currently
16428 executing. However, even bizarre results are predictable if you are
16429 well acquainted with the machine-language code of your program.
16430 @end table
16431
16432 @c Doesn't work on HP-UX; have to set $pcoqh and $pcoqt.
16433 On many systems, you can get much the same effect as the @code{jump}
16434 command by storing a new value into the register @code{$pc}. The
16435 difference is that this does not start your program running; it only
16436 changes the address of where it @emph{will} run when you continue. For
16437 example,
16438
16439 @smallexample
16440 set $pc = 0x485
16441 @end smallexample
16442
16443 @noindent
16444 makes the next @code{continue} command or stepping command execute at
16445 address @code{0x485}, rather than at the address where your program stopped.
16446 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, ,Continuing and Stepping}.
16447
16448 The most common occasion to use the @code{jump} command is to back
16449 up---perhaps with more breakpoints set---over a portion of a program
16450 that has already executed, in order to examine its execution in more
16451 detail.
16452
16453 @c @group
16454 @node Signaling
16455 @section Giving your Program a Signal
16456 @cindex deliver a signal to a program
16457
16458 @table @code
16459 @kindex signal
16460 @item signal @var{signal}
16461 Resume execution where your program stopped, but immediately give it the
16462 signal @var{signal}. @var{signal} can be the name or the number of a
16463 signal. For example, on many systems @code{signal 2} and @code{signal
16464 SIGINT} are both ways of sending an interrupt signal.
16465
16466 Alternatively, if @var{signal} is zero, continue execution without
16467 giving a signal. This is useful when your program stopped on account of
16468 a signal and would ordinarily see the signal when resumed with the
16469 @code{continue} command; @samp{signal 0} causes it to resume without a
16470 signal.
16471
16472 @code{signal} does not repeat when you press @key{RET} a second time
16473 after executing the command.
16474 @end table
16475 @c @end group
16476
16477 Invoking the @code{signal} command is not the same as invoking the
16478 @code{kill} utility from the shell. Sending a signal with @code{kill}
16479 causes @value{GDBN} to decide what to do with the signal depending on
16480 the signal handling tables (@pxref{Signals}). The @code{signal} command
16481 passes the signal directly to your program.
16482
16483
16484 @node Returning
16485 @section Returning from a Function
16486
16487 @table @code
16488 @cindex returning from a function
16489 @kindex return
16490 @item return
16491 @itemx return @var{expression}
16492 You can cancel execution of a function call with the @code{return}
16493 command. If you give an
16494 @var{expression} argument, its value is used as the function's return
16495 value.
16496 @end table
16497
16498 When you use @code{return}, @value{GDBN} discards the selected stack frame
16499 (and all frames within it). You can think of this as making the
16500 discarded frame return prematurely. If you wish to specify a value to
16501 be returned, give that value as the argument to @code{return}.
16502
16503 This pops the selected stack frame (@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting a
16504 Frame}), and any other frames inside of it, leaving its caller as the
16505 innermost remaining frame. That frame becomes selected. The
16506 specified value is stored in the registers used for returning values
16507 of functions.
16508
16509 The @code{return} command does not resume execution; it leaves the
16510 program stopped in the state that would exist if the function had just
16511 returned. In contrast, the @code{finish} command (@pxref{Continuing
16512 and Stepping, ,Continuing and Stepping}) resumes execution until the
16513 selected stack frame returns naturally.
16514
16515 @value{GDBN} needs to know how the @var{expression} argument should be set for
16516 the inferior. The concrete registers assignment depends on the OS ABI and the
16517 type being returned by the selected stack frame. For example it is common for
16518 OS ABI to return floating point values in FPU registers while integer values in
16519 CPU registers. Still some ABIs return even floating point values in CPU
16520 registers. Larger integer widths (such as @code{long long int}) also have
16521 specific placement rules. @value{GDBN} already knows the OS ABI from its
16522 current target so it needs to find out also the type being returned to make the
16523 assignment into the right register(s).
16524
16525 Normally, the selected stack frame has debug info. @value{GDBN} will always
16526 use the debug info instead of the implicit type of @var{expression} when the
16527 debug info is available. For example, if you type @kbd{return -1}, and the
16528 function in the current stack frame is declared to return a @code{long long
16529 int}, @value{GDBN} transparently converts the implicit @code{int} value of -1
16530 into a @code{long long int}:
16531
16532 @smallexample
16533 Breakpoint 1, func () at gdb.base/return-nodebug.c:29
16534 29 return 31;
16535 (@value{GDBP}) return -1
16536 Make func return now? (y or n) y
16537 #0 0x004004f6 in main () at gdb.base/return-nodebug.c:43
16538 43 printf ("result=%lld\n", func ());
16539 (@value{GDBP})
16540 @end smallexample
16541
16542 However, if the selected stack frame does not have a debug info, e.g., if the
16543 function was compiled without debug info, @value{GDBN} has to find out the type
16544 to return from user. Specifying a different type by mistake may set the value
16545 in different inferior registers than the caller code expects. For example,
16546 typing @kbd{return -1} with its implicit type @code{int} would set only a part
16547 of a @code{long long int} result for a debug info less function (on 32-bit
16548 architectures). Therefore the user is required to specify the return type by
16549 an appropriate cast explicitly:
16550
16551 @smallexample
16552 Breakpoint 2, 0x0040050b in func ()
16553 (@value{GDBP}) return -1
16554 Return value type not available for selected stack frame.
16555 Please use an explicit cast of the value to return.
16556 (@value{GDBP}) return (long long int) -1
16557 Make selected stack frame return now? (y or n) y
16558 #0 0x00400526 in main ()
16559 (@value{GDBP})
16560 @end smallexample
16561
16562 @node Calling
16563 @section Calling Program Functions
16564
16565 @table @code
16566 @cindex calling functions
16567 @cindex inferior functions, calling
16568 @item print @var{expr}
16569 Evaluate the expression @var{expr} and display the resulting value.
16570 @var{expr} may include calls to functions in the program being
16571 debugged.
16572
16573 @kindex call
16574 @item call @var{expr}
16575 Evaluate the expression @var{expr} without displaying @code{void}
16576 returned values.
16577
16578 You can use this variant of the @code{print} command if you want to
16579 execute a function from your program that does not return anything
16580 (a.k.a.@: @dfn{a void function}), but without cluttering the output
16581 with @code{void} returned values that @value{GDBN} will otherwise
16582 print. If the result is not void, it is printed and saved in the
16583 value history.
16584 @end table
16585
16586 It is possible for the function you call via the @code{print} or
16587 @code{call} command to generate a signal (e.g., if there's a bug in
16588 the function, or if you passed it incorrect arguments). What happens
16589 in that case is controlled by the @code{set unwindonsignal} command.
16590
16591 Similarly, with a C@t{++} program it is possible for the function you
16592 call via the @code{print} or @code{call} command to generate an
16593 exception that is not handled due to the constraints of the dummy
16594 frame. In this case, any exception that is raised in the frame, but has
16595 an out-of-frame exception handler will not be found. GDB builds a
16596 dummy-frame for the inferior function call, and the unwinder cannot
16597 seek for exception handlers outside of this dummy-frame. What happens
16598 in that case is controlled by the
16599 @code{set unwind-on-terminating-exception} command.
16600
16601 @table @code
16602 @item set unwindonsignal
16603 @kindex set unwindonsignal
16604 @cindex unwind stack in called functions
16605 @cindex call dummy stack unwinding
16606 Set unwinding of the stack if a signal is received while in a function
16607 that @value{GDBN} called in the program being debugged. If set to on,
16608 @value{GDBN} unwinds the stack it created for the call and restores
16609 the context to what it was before the call. If set to off (the
16610 default), @value{GDBN} stops in the frame where the signal was
16611 received.
16612
16613 @item show unwindonsignal
16614 @kindex show unwindonsignal
16615 Show the current setting of stack unwinding in the functions called by
16616 @value{GDBN}.
16617
16618 @item set unwind-on-terminating-exception
16619 @kindex set unwind-on-terminating-exception
16620 @cindex unwind stack in called functions with unhandled exceptions
16621 @cindex call dummy stack unwinding on unhandled exception.
16622 Set unwinding of the stack if a C@t{++} exception is raised, but left
16623 unhandled while in a function that @value{GDBN} called in the program being
16624 debugged. If set to on (the default), @value{GDBN} unwinds the stack
16625 it created for the call and restores the context to what it was before
16626 the call. If set to off, @value{GDBN} the exception is delivered to
16627 the default C@t{++} exception handler and the inferior terminated.
16628
16629 @item show unwind-on-terminating-exception
16630 @kindex show unwind-on-terminating-exception
16631 Show the current setting of stack unwinding in the functions called by
16632 @value{GDBN}.
16633
16634 @end table
16635
16636 @cindex weak alias functions
16637 Sometimes, a function you wish to call is actually a @dfn{weak alias}
16638 for another function. In such case, @value{GDBN} might not pick up
16639 the type information, including the types of the function arguments,
16640 which causes @value{GDBN} to call the inferior function incorrectly.
16641 As a result, the called function will function erroneously and may
16642 even crash. A solution to that is to use the name of the aliased
16643 function instead.
16644
16645 @node Patching
16646 @section Patching Programs
16647
16648 @cindex patching binaries
16649 @cindex writing into executables
16650 @cindex writing into corefiles
16651
16652 By default, @value{GDBN} opens the file containing your program's
16653 executable code (or the corefile) read-only. This prevents accidental
16654 alterations to machine code; but it also prevents you from intentionally
16655 patching your program's binary.
16656
16657 If you'd like to be able to patch the binary, you can specify that
16658 explicitly with the @code{set write} command. For example, you might
16659 want to turn on internal debugging flags, or even to make emergency
16660 repairs.
16661
16662 @table @code
16663 @kindex set write
16664 @item set write on
16665 @itemx set write off
16666 If you specify @samp{set write on}, @value{GDBN} opens executable and
16667 core files for both reading and writing; if you specify @kbd{set write
16668 off} (the default), @value{GDBN} opens them read-only.
16669
16670 If you have already loaded a file, you must load it again (using the
16671 @code{exec-file} or @code{core-file} command) after changing @code{set
16672 write}, for your new setting to take effect.
16673
16674 @item show write
16675 @kindex show write
16676 Display whether executable files and core files are opened for writing
16677 as well as reading.
16678 @end table
16679
16680 @node GDB Files
16681 @chapter @value{GDBN} Files
16682
16683 @value{GDBN} needs to know the file name of the program to be debugged,
16684 both in order to read its symbol table and in order to start your
16685 program. To debug a core dump of a previous run, you must also tell
16686 @value{GDBN} the name of the core dump file.
16687
16688 @menu
16689 * Files:: Commands to specify files
16690 * Separate Debug Files:: Debugging information in separate files
16691 * MiniDebugInfo:: Debugging information in a special section
16692 * Index Files:: Index files speed up GDB
16693 * Symbol Errors:: Errors reading symbol files
16694 * Data Files:: GDB data files
16695 @end menu
16696
16697 @node Files
16698 @section Commands to Specify Files
16699
16700 @cindex symbol table
16701 @cindex core dump file
16702
16703 You may want to specify executable and core dump file names. The usual
16704 way to do this is at start-up time, using the arguments to
16705 @value{GDBN}'s start-up commands (@pxref{Invocation, , Getting In and
16706 Out of @value{GDBN}}).
16707
16708 Occasionally it is necessary to change to a different file during a
16709 @value{GDBN} session. Or you may run @value{GDBN} and forget to
16710 specify a file you want to use. Or you are debugging a remote target
16711 via @code{gdbserver} (@pxref{Server, file, Using the @code{gdbserver}
16712 Program}). In these situations the @value{GDBN} commands to specify
16713 new files are useful.
16714
16715 @table @code
16716 @cindex executable file
16717 @kindex file
16718 @item file @var{filename}
16719 Use @var{filename} as the program to be debugged. It is read for its
16720 symbols and for the contents of pure memory. It is also the program
16721 executed when you use the @code{run} command. If you do not specify a
16722 directory and the file is not found in the @value{GDBN} working directory,
16723 @value{GDBN} uses the environment variable @code{PATH} as a list of
16724 directories to search, just as the shell does when looking for a program
16725 to run. You can change the value of this variable, for both @value{GDBN}
16726 and your program, using the @code{path} command.
16727
16728 @cindex unlinked object files
16729 @cindex patching object files
16730 You can load unlinked object @file{.o} files into @value{GDBN} using
16731 the @code{file} command. You will not be able to ``run'' an object
16732 file, but you can disassemble functions and inspect variables. Also,
16733 if the underlying BFD functionality supports it, you could use
16734 @kbd{gdb -write} to patch object files using this technique. Note
16735 that @value{GDBN} can neither interpret nor modify relocations in this
16736 case, so branches and some initialized variables will appear to go to
16737 the wrong place. But this feature is still handy from time to time.
16738
16739 @item file
16740 @code{file} with no argument makes @value{GDBN} discard any information it
16741 has on both executable file and the symbol table.
16742
16743 @kindex exec-file
16744 @item exec-file @r{[} @var{filename} @r{]}
16745 Specify that the program to be run (but not the symbol table) is found
16746 in @var{filename}. @value{GDBN} searches the environment variable @code{PATH}
16747 if necessary to locate your program. Omitting @var{filename} means to
16748 discard information on the executable file.
16749
16750 @kindex symbol-file
16751 @item symbol-file @r{[} @var{filename} @r{]}
16752 Read symbol table information from file @var{filename}. @code{PATH} is
16753 searched when necessary. Use the @code{file} command to get both symbol
16754 table and program to run from the same file.
16755
16756 @code{symbol-file} with no argument clears out @value{GDBN} information on your
16757 program's symbol table.
16758
16759 The @code{symbol-file} command causes @value{GDBN} to forget the contents of
16760 some breakpoints and auto-display expressions. This is because they may
16761 contain pointers to the internal data recording symbols and data types,
16762 which are part of the old symbol table data being discarded inside
16763 @value{GDBN}.
16764
16765 @code{symbol-file} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} again after
16766 executing it once.
16767
16768 When @value{GDBN} is configured for a particular environment, it
16769 understands debugging information in whatever format is the standard
16770 generated for that environment; you may use either a @sc{gnu} compiler, or
16771 other compilers that adhere to the local conventions.
16772 Best results are usually obtained from @sc{gnu} compilers; for example,
16773 using @code{@value{NGCC}} you can generate debugging information for
16774 optimized code.
16775
16776 For most kinds of object files, with the exception of old SVR3 systems
16777 using COFF, the @code{symbol-file} command does not normally read the
16778 symbol table in full right away. Instead, it scans the symbol table
16779 quickly to find which source files and which symbols are present. The
16780 details are read later, one source file at a time, as they are needed.
16781
16782 The purpose of this two-stage reading strategy is to make @value{GDBN}
16783 start up faster. For the most part, it is invisible except for
16784 occasional pauses while the symbol table details for a particular source
16785 file are being read. (The @code{set verbose} command can turn these
16786 pauses into messages if desired. @xref{Messages/Warnings, ,Optional
16787 Warnings and Messages}.)
16788
16789 We have not implemented the two-stage strategy for COFF yet. When the
16790 symbol table is stored in COFF format, @code{symbol-file} reads the
16791 symbol table data in full right away. Note that ``stabs-in-COFF''
16792 still does the two-stage strategy, since the debug info is actually
16793 in stabs format.
16794
16795 @kindex readnow
16796 @cindex reading symbols immediately
16797 @cindex symbols, reading immediately
16798 @item symbol-file @r{[} -readnow @r{]} @var{filename}
16799 @itemx file @r{[} -readnow @r{]} @var{filename}
16800 You can override the @value{GDBN} two-stage strategy for reading symbol
16801 tables by using the @samp{-readnow} option with any of the commands that
16802 load symbol table information, if you want to be sure @value{GDBN} has the
16803 entire symbol table available.
16804
16805 @c FIXME: for now no mention of directories, since this seems to be in
16806 @c flux. 13mar1992 status is that in theory GDB would look either in
16807 @c current dir or in same dir as myprog; but issues like competing
16808 @c GDB's, or clutter in system dirs, mean that in practice right now
16809 @c only current dir is used. FFish says maybe a special GDB hierarchy
16810 @c (eg rooted in val of env var GDBSYMS) could exist for mappable symbol
16811 @c files.
16812
16813 @kindex core-file
16814 @item core-file @r{[}@var{filename}@r{]}
16815 @itemx core
16816 Specify the whereabouts of a core dump file to be used as the ``contents
16817 of memory''. Traditionally, core files contain only some parts of the
16818 address space of the process that generated them; @value{GDBN} can access the
16819 executable file itself for other parts.
16820
16821 @code{core-file} with no argument specifies that no core file is
16822 to be used.
16823
16824 Note that the core file is ignored when your program is actually running
16825 under @value{GDBN}. So, if you have been running your program and you
16826 wish to debug a core file instead, you must kill the subprocess in which
16827 the program is running. To do this, use the @code{kill} command
16828 (@pxref{Kill Process, ,Killing the Child Process}).
16829
16830 @kindex add-symbol-file
16831 @cindex dynamic linking
16832 @item add-symbol-file @var{filename} @var{address}
16833 @itemx add-symbol-file @var{filename} @var{address} @r{[} -readnow @r{]}
16834 @itemx add-symbol-file @var{filename} @var{address} -s @var{section} @var{address} @dots{}
16835 The @code{add-symbol-file} command reads additional symbol table
16836 information from the file @var{filename}. You would use this command
16837 when @var{filename} has been dynamically loaded (by some other means)
16838 into the program that is running. @var{address} should be the memory
16839 address at which the file has been loaded; @value{GDBN} cannot figure
16840 this out for itself. You can additionally specify an arbitrary number
16841 of @samp{-s @var{section} @var{address}} pairs, to give an explicit
16842 section name and base address for that section. You can specify any
16843 @var{address} as an expression.
16844
16845 The symbol table of the file @var{filename} is added to the symbol table
16846 originally read with the @code{symbol-file} command. You can use the
16847 @code{add-symbol-file} command any number of times; the new symbol data
16848 thus read is kept in addition to the old.
16849
16850 Changes can be reverted using the command @code{remove-symbol-file}.
16851
16852 @cindex relocatable object files, reading symbols from
16853 @cindex object files, relocatable, reading symbols from
16854 @cindex reading symbols from relocatable object files
16855 @cindex symbols, reading from relocatable object files
16856 @cindex @file{.o} files, reading symbols from
16857 Although @var{filename} is typically a shared library file, an
16858 executable file, or some other object file which has been fully
16859 relocated for loading into a process, you can also load symbolic
16860 information from relocatable @file{.o} files, as long as:
16861
16862 @itemize @bullet
16863 @item
16864 the file's symbolic information refers only to linker symbols defined in
16865 that file, not to symbols defined by other object files,
16866 @item
16867 every section the file's symbolic information refers to has actually
16868 been loaded into the inferior, as it appears in the file, and
16869 @item
16870 you can determine the address at which every section was loaded, and
16871 provide these to the @code{add-symbol-file} command.
16872 @end itemize
16873
16874 @noindent
16875 Some embedded operating systems, like Sun Chorus and VxWorks, can load
16876 relocatable files into an already running program; such systems
16877 typically make the requirements above easy to meet. However, it's
16878 important to recognize that many native systems use complex link
16879 procedures (@code{.linkonce} section factoring and C@t{++} constructor table
16880 assembly, for example) that make the requirements difficult to meet. In
16881 general, one cannot assume that using @code{add-symbol-file} to read a
16882 relocatable object file's symbolic information will have the same effect
16883 as linking the relocatable object file into the program in the normal
16884 way.
16885
16886 @code{add-symbol-file} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} after using it.
16887
16888 @kindex remove-symbol-file
16889 @item remove-symbol-file @var{filename}
16890 @item remove-symbol-file -a @var{address}
16891 Remove a symbol file added via the @code{add-symbol-file} command. The
16892 file to remove can be identified by its @var{filename} or by an @var{address}
16893 that lies within the boundaries of this symbol file in memory. Example:
16894
16895 @smallexample
16896 (gdb) add-symbol-file /home/user/gdb/mylib.so 0x7ffff7ff9480
16897 add symbol table from file "/home/user/gdb/mylib.so" at
16898 .text_addr = 0x7ffff7ff9480
16899 (y or n) y
16900 Reading symbols from /home/user/gdb/mylib.so...done.
16901 (gdb) remove-symbol-file -a 0x7ffff7ff9480
16902 Remove symbol table from file "/home/user/gdb/mylib.so"? (y or n) y
16903 (gdb)
16904 @end smallexample
16905
16906
16907 @code{remove-symbol-file} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} after using it.
16908
16909 @kindex add-symbol-file-from-memory
16910 @cindex @code{syscall DSO}
16911 @cindex load symbols from memory
16912 @item add-symbol-file-from-memory @var{address}
16913 Load symbols from the given @var{address} in a dynamically loaded
16914 object file whose image is mapped directly into the inferior's memory.
16915 For example, the Linux kernel maps a @code{syscall DSO} into each
16916 process's address space; this DSO provides kernel-specific code for
16917 some system calls. The argument can be any expression whose
16918 evaluation yields the address of the file's shared object file header.
16919 For this command to work, you must have used @code{symbol-file} or
16920 @code{exec-file} commands in advance.
16921
16922 @kindex add-shared-symbol-files
16923 @kindex assf
16924 @item add-shared-symbol-files @var{library-file}
16925 @itemx assf @var{library-file}
16926 The @code{add-shared-symbol-files} command can currently be used only
16927 in the Cygwin build of @value{GDBN} on MS-Windows OS, where it is an
16928 alias for the @code{dll-symbols} command (@pxref{Cygwin Native}).
16929 @value{GDBN} automatically looks for shared libraries, however if
16930 @value{GDBN} does not find yours, you can invoke
16931 @code{add-shared-symbol-files}. It takes one argument: the shared
16932 library's file name. @code{assf} is a shorthand alias for
16933 @code{add-shared-symbol-files}.
16934
16935 @kindex section
16936 @item section @var{section} @var{addr}
16937 The @code{section} command changes the base address of the named
16938 @var{section} of the exec file to @var{addr}. This can be used if the
16939 exec file does not contain section addresses, (such as in the
16940 @code{a.out} format), or when the addresses specified in the file
16941 itself are wrong. Each section must be changed separately. The
16942 @code{info files} command, described below, lists all the sections and
16943 their addresses.
16944
16945 @kindex info files
16946 @kindex info target
16947 @item info files
16948 @itemx info target
16949 @code{info files} and @code{info target} are synonymous; both print the
16950 current target (@pxref{Targets, ,Specifying a Debugging Target}),
16951 including the names of the executable and core dump files currently in
16952 use by @value{GDBN}, and the files from which symbols were loaded. The
16953 command @code{help target} lists all possible targets rather than
16954 current ones.
16955
16956 @kindex maint info sections
16957 @item maint info sections
16958 Another command that can give you extra information about program sections
16959 is @code{maint info sections}. In addition to the section information
16960 displayed by @code{info files}, this command displays the flags and file
16961 offset of each section in the executable and core dump files. In addition,
16962 @code{maint info sections} provides the following command options (which
16963 may be arbitrarily combined):
16964
16965 @table @code
16966 @item ALLOBJ
16967 Display sections for all loaded object files, including shared libraries.
16968 @item @var{sections}
16969 Display info only for named @var{sections}.
16970 @item @var{section-flags}
16971 Display info only for sections for which @var{section-flags} are true.
16972 The section flags that @value{GDBN} currently knows about are:
16973 @table @code
16974 @item ALLOC
16975 Section will have space allocated in the process when loaded.
16976 Set for all sections except those containing debug information.
16977 @item LOAD
16978 Section will be loaded from the file into the child process memory.
16979 Set for pre-initialized code and data, clear for @code{.bss} sections.
16980 @item RELOC
16981 Section needs to be relocated before loading.
16982 @item READONLY
16983 Section cannot be modified by the child process.
16984 @item CODE
16985 Section contains executable code only.
16986 @item DATA
16987 Section contains data only (no executable code).
16988 @item ROM
16989 Section will reside in ROM.
16990 @item CONSTRUCTOR
16991 Section contains data for constructor/destructor lists.
16992 @item HAS_CONTENTS
16993 Section is not empty.
16994 @item NEVER_LOAD
16995 An instruction to the linker to not output the section.
16996 @item COFF_SHARED_LIBRARY
16997 A notification to the linker that the section contains
16998 COFF shared library information.
16999 @item IS_COMMON
17000 Section contains common symbols.
17001 @end table
17002 @end table
17003 @kindex set trust-readonly-sections
17004 @cindex read-only sections
17005 @item set trust-readonly-sections on
17006 Tell @value{GDBN} that readonly sections in your object file
17007 really are read-only (i.e.@: that their contents will not change).
17008 In that case, @value{GDBN} can fetch values from these sections
17009 out of the object file, rather than from the target program.
17010 For some targets (notably embedded ones), this can be a significant
17011 enhancement to debugging performance.
17012
17013 The default is off.
17014
17015 @item set trust-readonly-sections off
17016 Tell @value{GDBN} not to trust readonly sections. This means that
17017 the contents of the section might change while the program is running,
17018 and must therefore be fetched from the target when needed.
17019
17020 @item show trust-readonly-sections
17021 Show the current setting of trusting readonly sections.
17022 @end table
17023
17024 All file-specifying commands allow both absolute and relative file names
17025 as arguments. @value{GDBN} always converts the file name to an absolute file
17026 name and remembers it that way.
17027
17028 @cindex shared libraries
17029 @anchor{Shared Libraries}
17030 @value{GDBN} supports @sc{gnu}/Linux, MS-Windows, HP-UX, SunOS, SVr4, Irix,
17031 and IBM RS/6000 AIX shared libraries.
17032
17033 On MS-Windows @value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support
17034 shared libraries. @xref{Expat}.
17035
17036 @value{GDBN} automatically loads symbol definitions from shared libraries
17037 when you use the @code{run} command, or when you examine a core file.
17038 (Before you issue the @code{run} command, @value{GDBN} does not understand
17039 references to a function in a shared library, however---unless you are
17040 debugging a core file).
17041
17042 On HP-UX, if the program loads a library explicitly, @value{GDBN}
17043 automatically loads the symbols at the time of the @code{shl_load} call.
17044
17045 @c FIXME: some @value{GDBN} release may permit some refs to undef
17046 @c FIXME...symbols---eg in a break cmd---assuming they are from a shared
17047 @c FIXME...lib; check this from time to time when updating manual
17048
17049 There are times, however, when you may wish to not automatically load
17050 symbol definitions from shared libraries, such as when they are
17051 particularly large or there are many of them.
17052
17053 To control the automatic loading of shared library symbols, use the
17054 commands:
17055
17056 @table @code
17057 @kindex set auto-solib-add
17058 @item set auto-solib-add @var{mode}
17059 If @var{mode} is @code{on}, symbols from all shared object libraries
17060 will be loaded automatically when the inferior begins execution, you
17061 attach to an independently started inferior, or when the dynamic linker
17062 informs @value{GDBN} that a new library has been loaded. If @var{mode}
17063 is @code{off}, symbols must be loaded manually, using the
17064 @code{sharedlibrary} command. The default value is @code{on}.
17065
17066 @cindex memory used for symbol tables
17067 If your program uses lots of shared libraries with debug info that
17068 takes large amounts of memory, you can decrease the @value{GDBN}
17069 memory footprint by preventing it from automatically loading the
17070 symbols from shared libraries. To that end, type @kbd{set
17071 auto-solib-add off} before running the inferior, then load each
17072 library whose debug symbols you do need with @kbd{sharedlibrary
17073 @var{regexp}}, where @var{regexp} is a regular expression that matches
17074 the libraries whose symbols you want to be loaded.
17075
17076 @kindex show auto-solib-add
17077 @item show auto-solib-add
17078 Display the current autoloading mode.
17079 @end table
17080
17081 @cindex load shared library
17082 To explicitly load shared library symbols, use the @code{sharedlibrary}
17083 command:
17084
17085 @table @code
17086 @kindex info sharedlibrary
17087 @kindex info share
17088 @item info share @var{regex}
17089 @itemx info sharedlibrary @var{regex}
17090 Print the names of the shared libraries which are currently loaded
17091 that match @var{regex}. If @var{regex} is omitted then print
17092 all shared libraries that are loaded.
17093
17094 @kindex sharedlibrary
17095 @kindex share
17096 @item sharedlibrary @var{regex}
17097 @itemx share @var{regex}
17098 Load shared object library symbols for files matching a
17099 Unix regular expression.
17100 As with files loaded automatically, it only loads shared libraries
17101 required by your program for a core file or after typing @code{run}. If
17102 @var{regex} is omitted all shared libraries required by your program are
17103 loaded.
17104
17105 @item nosharedlibrary
17106 @kindex nosharedlibrary
17107 @cindex unload symbols from shared libraries
17108 Unload all shared object library symbols. This discards all symbols
17109 that have been loaded from all shared libraries. Symbols from shared
17110 libraries that were loaded by explicit user requests are not
17111 discarded.
17112 @end table
17113
17114 Sometimes you may wish that @value{GDBN} stops and gives you control
17115 when any of shared library events happen. The best way to do this is
17116 to use @code{catch load} and @code{catch unload} (@pxref{Set
17117 Catchpoints}).
17118
17119 @value{GDBN} also supports the the @code{set stop-on-solib-events}
17120 command for this. This command exists for historical reasons. It is
17121 less useful than setting a catchpoint, because it does not allow for
17122 conditions or commands as a catchpoint does.
17123
17124 @table @code
17125 @item set stop-on-solib-events
17126 @kindex set stop-on-solib-events
17127 This command controls whether @value{GDBN} should give you control
17128 when the dynamic linker notifies it about some shared library event.
17129 The most common event of interest is loading or unloading of a new
17130 shared library.
17131
17132 @item show stop-on-solib-events
17133 @kindex show stop-on-solib-events
17134 Show whether @value{GDBN} stops and gives you control when shared
17135 library events happen.
17136 @end table
17137
17138 Shared libraries are also supported in many cross or remote debugging
17139 configurations. @value{GDBN} needs to have access to the target's libraries;
17140 this can be accomplished either by providing copies of the libraries
17141 on the host system, or by asking @value{GDBN} to automatically retrieve the
17142 libraries from the target. If copies of the target libraries are
17143 provided, they need to be the same as the target libraries, although the
17144 copies on the target can be stripped as long as the copies on the host are
17145 not.
17146
17147 @cindex where to look for shared libraries
17148 For remote debugging, you need to tell @value{GDBN} where the target
17149 libraries are, so that it can load the correct copies---otherwise, it
17150 may try to load the host's libraries. @value{GDBN} has two variables
17151 to specify the search directories for target libraries.
17152
17153 @table @code
17154 @cindex prefix for shared library file names
17155 @cindex system root, alternate
17156 @kindex set solib-absolute-prefix
17157 @kindex set sysroot
17158 @item set sysroot @var{path}
17159 Use @var{path} as the system root for the program being debugged. Any
17160 absolute shared library paths will be prefixed with @var{path}; many
17161 runtime loaders store the absolute paths to the shared library in the
17162 target program's memory. If you use @code{set sysroot} to find shared
17163 libraries, they need to be laid out in the same way that they are on
17164 the target, with e.g.@: a @file{/lib} and @file{/usr/lib} hierarchy
17165 under @var{path}.
17166
17167 If @var{path} starts with the sequence @file{remote:}, @value{GDBN} will
17168 retrieve the target libraries from the remote system. This is only
17169 supported when using a remote target that supports the @code{remote get}
17170 command (@pxref{File Transfer,,Sending files to a remote system}).
17171 The part of @var{path} following the initial @file{remote:}
17172 (if present) is used as system root prefix on the remote file system.
17173 @footnote{If you want to specify a local system root using a directory
17174 that happens to be named @file{remote:}, you need to use some equivalent
17175 variant of the name like @file{./remote:}.}
17176
17177 For targets with an MS-DOS based filesystem, such as MS-Windows and
17178 SymbianOS, @value{GDBN} tries prefixing a few variants of the target
17179 absolute file name with @var{path}. But first, on Unix hosts,
17180 @value{GDBN} converts all backslash directory separators into forward
17181 slashes, because the backslash is not a directory separator on Unix:
17182
17183 @smallexample
17184 c:\foo\bar.dll @result{} c:/foo/bar.dll
17185 @end smallexample
17186
17187 Then, @value{GDBN} attempts prefixing the target file name with
17188 @var{path}, and looks for the resulting file name in the host file
17189 system:
17190
17191 @smallexample
17192 c:/foo/bar.dll @result{} /path/to/sysroot/c:/foo/bar.dll
17193 @end smallexample
17194
17195 If that does not find the shared library, @value{GDBN} tries removing
17196 the @samp{:} character from the drive spec, both for convenience, and,
17197 for the case of the host file system not supporting file names with
17198 colons:
17199
17200 @smallexample
17201 c:/foo/bar.dll @result{} /path/to/sysroot/c/foo/bar.dll
17202 @end smallexample
17203
17204 This makes it possible to have a system root that mirrors a target
17205 with more than one drive. E.g., you may want to setup your local
17206 copies of the target system shared libraries like so (note @samp{c} vs
17207 @samp{z}):
17208
17209 @smallexample
17210 @file{/path/to/sysroot/c/sys/bin/foo.dll}
17211 @file{/path/to/sysroot/c/sys/bin/bar.dll}
17212 @file{/path/to/sysroot/z/sys/bin/bar.dll}
17213 @end smallexample
17214
17215 @noindent
17216 and point the system root at @file{/path/to/sysroot}, so that
17217 @value{GDBN} can find the correct copies of both
17218 @file{c:\sys\bin\foo.dll}, and @file{z:\sys\bin\bar.dll}.
17219
17220 If that still does not find the shared library, @value{GDBN} tries
17221 removing the whole drive spec from the target file name:
17222
17223 @smallexample
17224 c:/foo/bar.dll @result{} /path/to/sysroot/foo/bar.dll
17225 @end smallexample
17226
17227 This last lookup makes it possible to not care about the drive name,
17228 if you don't want or need to.
17229
17230 The @code{set solib-absolute-prefix} command is an alias for @code{set
17231 sysroot}.
17232
17233 @cindex default system root
17234 @cindex @samp{--with-sysroot}
17235 You can set the default system root by using the configure-time
17236 @samp{--with-sysroot} option. If the system root is inside
17237 @value{GDBN}'s configured binary prefix (set with @samp{--prefix} or
17238 @samp{--exec-prefix}), then the default system root will be updated
17239 automatically if the installed @value{GDBN} is moved to a new
17240 location.
17241
17242 @kindex show sysroot
17243 @item show sysroot
17244 Display the current shared library prefix.
17245
17246 @kindex set solib-search-path
17247 @item set solib-search-path @var{path}
17248 If this variable is set, @var{path} is a colon-separated list of
17249 directories to search for shared libraries. @samp{solib-search-path}
17250 is used after @samp{sysroot} fails to locate the library, or if the
17251 path to the library is relative instead of absolute. If you want to
17252 use @samp{solib-search-path} instead of @samp{sysroot}, be sure to set
17253 @samp{sysroot} to a nonexistent directory to prevent @value{GDBN} from
17254 finding your host's libraries. @samp{sysroot} is preferred; setting
17255 it to a nonexistent directory may interfere with automatic loading
17256 of shared library symbols.
17257
17258 @kindex show solib-search-path
17259 @item show solib-search-path
17260 Display the current shared library search path.
17261
17262 @cindex DOS file-name semantics of file names.
17263 @kindex set target-file-system-kind (unix|dos-based|auto)
17264 @kindex show target-file-system-kind
17265 @item set target-file-system-kind @var{kind}
17266 Set assumed file system kind for target reported file names.
17267
17268 Shared library file names as reported by the target system may not
17269 make sense as is on the system @value{GDBN} is running on. For
17270 example, when remote debugging a target that has MS-DOS based file
17271 system semantics, from a Unix host, the target may be reporting to
17272 @value{GDBN} a list of loaded shared libraries with file names such as
17273 @file{c:\Windows\kernel32.dll}. On Unix hosts, there's no concept of
17274 drive letters, so the @samp{c:\} prefix is not normally understood as
17275 indicating an absolute file name, and neither is the backslash
17276 normally considered a directory separator character. In that case,
17277 the native file system would interpret this whole absolute file name
17278 as a relative file name with no directory components. This would make
17279 it impossible to point @value{GDBN} at a copy of the remote target's
17280 shared libraries on the host using @code{set sysroot}, and impractical
17281 with @code{set solib-search-path}. Setting
17282 @code{target-file-system-kind} to @code{dos-based} tells @value{GDBN}
17283 to interpret such file names similarly to how the target would, and to
17284 map them to file names valid on @value{GDBN}'s native file system
17285 semantics. The value of @var{kind} can be @code{"auto"}, in addition
17286 to one of the supported file system kinds. In that case, @value{GDBN}
17287 tries to determine the appropriate file system variant based on the
17288 current target's operating system (@pxref{ABI, ,Configuring the
17289 Current ABI}). The supported file system settings are:
17290
17291 @table @code
17292 @item unix
17293 Instruct @value{GDBN} to assume the target file system is of Unix
17294 kind. Only file names starting the forward slash (@samp{/}) character
17295 are considered absolute, and the directory separator character is also
17296 the forward slash.
17297
17298 @item dos-based
17299 Instruct @value{GDBN} to assume the target file system is DOS based.
17300 File names starting with either a forward slash, or a drive letter
17301 followed by a colon (e.g., @samp{c:}), are considered absolute, and
17302 both the slash (@samp{/}) and the backslash (@samp{\\}) characters are
17303 considered directory separators.
17304
17305 @item auto
17306 Instruct @value{GDBN} to use the file system kind associated with the
17307 target operating system (@pxref{ABI, ,Configuring the Current ABI}).
17308 This is the default.
17309 @end table
17310 @end table
17311
17312 @cindex file name canonicalization
17313 @cindex base name differences
17314 When processing file names provided by the user, @value{GDBN}
17315 frequently needs to compare them to the file names recorded in the
17316 program's debug info. Normally, @value{GDBN} compares just the
17317 @dfn{base names} of the files as strings, which is reasonably fast
17318 even for very large programs. (The base name of a file is the last
17319 portion of its name, after stripping all the leading directories.)
17320 This shortcut in comparison is based upon the assumption that files
17321 cannot have more than one base name. This is usually true, but
17322 references to files that use symlinks or similar filesystem
17323 facilities violate that assumption. If your program records files
17324 using such facilities, or if you provide file names to @value{GDBN}
17325 using symlinks etc., you can set @code{basenames-may-differ} to
17326 @code{true} to instruct @value{GDBN} to completely canonicalize each
17327 pair of file names it needs to compare. This will make file-name
17328 comparisons accurate, but at a price of a significant slowdown.
17329
17330 @table @code
17331 @item set basenames-may-differ
17332 @kindex set basenames-may-differ
17333 Set whether a source file may have multiple base names.
17334
17335 @item show basenames-may-differ
17336 @kindex show basenames-may-differ
17337 Show whether a source file may have multiple base names.
17338 @end table
17339
17340 @node Separate Debug Files
17341 @section Debugging Information in Separate Files
17342 @cindex separate debugging information files
17343 @cindex debugging information in separate files
17344 @cindex @file{.debug} subdirectories
17345 @cindex debugging information directory, global
17346 @cindex global debugging information directories
17347 @cindex build ID, and separate debugging files
17348 @cindex @file{.build-id} directory
17349
17350 @value{GDBN} allows you to put a program's debugging information in a
17351 file separate from the executable itself, in a way that allows
17352 @value{GDBN} to find and load the debugging information automatically.
17353 Since debugging information can be very large---sometimes larger
17354 than the executable code itself---some systems distribute debugging
17355 information for their executables in separate files, which users can
17356 install only when they need to debug a problem.
17357
17358 @value{GDBN} supports two ways of specifying the separate debug info
17359 file:
17360
17361 @itemize @bullet
17362 @item
17363 The executable contains a @dfn{debug link} that specifies the name of
17364 the separate debug info file. The separate debug file's name is
17365 usually @file{@var{executable}.debug}, where @var{executable} is the
17366 name of the corresponding executable file without leading directories
17367 (e.g., @file{ls.debug} for @file{/usr/bin/ls}). In addition, the
17368 debug link specifies a 32-bit @dfn{Cyclic Redundancy Check} (CRC)
17369 checksum for the debug file, which @value{GDBN} uses to validate that
17370 the executable and the debug file came from the same build.
17371
17372 @item
17373 The executable contains a @dfn{build ID}, a unique bit string that is
17374 also present in the corresponding debug info file. (This is supported
17375 only on some operating systems, notably those which use the ELF format
17376 for binary files and the @sc{gnu} Binutils.) For more details about
17377 this feature, see the description of the @option{--build-id}
17378 command-line option in @ref{Options, , Command Line Options, ld.info,
17379 The GNU Linker}. The debug info file's name is not specified
17380 explicitly by the build ID, but can be computed from the build ID, see
17381 below.
17382 @end itemize
17383
17384 Depending on the way the debug info file is specified, @value{GDBN}
17385 uses two different methods of looking for the debug file:
17386
17387 @itemize @bullet
17388 @item
17389 For the ``debug link'' method, @value{GDBN} looks up the named file in
17390 the directory of the executable file, then in a subdirectory of that
17391 directory named @file{.debug}, and finally under each one of the global debug
17392 directories, in a subdirectory whose name is identical to the leading
17393 directories of the executable's absolute file name.
17394
17395 @item
17396 For the ``build ID'' method, @value{GDBN} looks in the
17397 @file{.build-id} subdirectory of each one of the global debug directories for
17398 a file named @file{@var{nn}/@var{nnnnnnnn}.debug}, where @var{nn} are the
17399 first 2 hex characters of the build ID bit string, and @var{nnnnnnnn}
17400 are the rest of the bit string. (Real build ID strings are 32 or more
17401 hex characters, not 10.)
17402 @end itemize
17403
17404 So, for example, suppose you ask @value{GDBN} to debug
17405 @file{/usr/bin/ls}, which has a debug link that specifies the
17406 file @file{ls.debug}, and a build ID whose value in hex is
17407 @code{abcdef1234}. If the list of the global debug directories includes
17408 @file{/usr/lib/debug}, then @value{GDBN} will look for the following
17409 debug information files, in the indicated order:
17410
17411 @itemize @minus
17412 @item
17413 @file{/usr/lib/debug/.build-id/ab/cdef1234.debug}
17414 @item
17415 @file{/usr/bin/ls.debug}
17416 @item
17417 @file{/usr/bin/.debug/ls.debug}
17418 @item
17419 @file{/usr/lib/debug/usr/bin/ls.debug}.
17420 @end itemize
17421
17422 @anchor{debug-file-directory}
17423 Global debugging info directories default to what is set by @value{GDBN}
17424 configure option @option{--with-separate-debug-dir}. During @value{GDBN} run
17425 you can also set the global debugging info directories, and view the list
17426 @value{GDBN} is currently using.
17427
17428 @table @code
17429
17430 @kindex set debug-file-directory
17431 @item set debug-file-directory @var{directories}
17432 Set the directories which @value{GDBN} searches for separate debugging
17433 information files to @var{directory}. Multiple path components can be set
17434 concatenating them by a path separator.
17435
17436 @kindex show debug-file-directory
17437 @item show debug-file-directory
17438 Show the directories @value{GDBN} searches for separate debugging
17439 information files.
17440
17441 @end table
17442
17443 @cindex @code{.gnu_debuglink} sections
17444 @cindex debug link sections
17445 A debug link is a special section of the executable file named
17446 @code{.gnu_debuglink}. The section must contain:
17447
17448 @itemize
17449 @item
17450 A filename, with any leading directory components removed, followed by
17451 a zero byte,
17452 @item
17453 zero to three bytes of padding, as needed to reach the next four-byte
17454 boundary within the section, and
17455 @item
17456 a four-byte CRC checksum, stored in the same endianness used for the
17457 executable file itself. The checksum is computed on the debugging
17458 information file's full contents by the function given below, passing
17459 zero as the @var{crc} argument.
17460 @end itemize
17461
17462 Any executable file format can carry a debug link, as long as it can
17463 contain a section named @code{.gnu_debuglink} with the contents
17464 described above.
17465
17466 @cindex @code{.note.gnu.build-id} sections
17467 @cindex build ID sections
17468 The build ID is a special section in the executable file (and in other
17469 ELF binary files that @value{GDBN} may consider). This section is
17470 often named @code{.note.gnu.build-id}, but that name is not mandatory.
17471 It contains unique identification for the built files---the ID remains
17472 the same across multiple builds of the same build tree. The default
17473 algorithm SHA1 produces 160 bits (40 hexadecimal characters) of the
17474 content for the build ID string. The same section with an identical
17475 value is present in the original built binary with symbols, in its
17476 stripped variant, and in the separate debugging information file.
17477
17478 The debugging information file itself should be an ordinary
17479 executable, containing a full set of linker symbols, sections, and
17480 debugging information. The sections of the debugging information file
17481 should have the same names, addresses, and sizes as the original file,
17482 but they need not contain any data---much like a @code{.bss} section
17483 in an ordinary executable.
17484
17485 The @sc{gnu} binary utilities (Binutils) package includes the
17486 @samp{objcopy} utility that can produce
17487 the separated executable / debugging information file pairs using the
17488 following commands:
17489
17490 @smallexample
17491 @kbd{objcopy --only-keep-debug foo foo.debug}
17492 @kbd{strip -g foo}
17493 @end smallexample
17494
17495 @noindent
17496 These commands remove the debugging
17497 information from the executable file @file{foo} and place it in the file
17498 @file{foo.debug}. You can use the first, second or both methods to link the
17499 two files:
17500
17501 @itemize @bullet
17502 @item
17503 The debug link method needs the following additional command to also leave
17504 behind a debug link in @file{foo}:
17505
17506 @smallexample
17507 @kbd{objcopy --add-gnu-debuglink=foo.debug foo}
17508 @end smallexample
17509
17510 Ulrich Drepper's @file{elfutils} package, starting with version 0.53, contains
17511 a version of the @code{strip} command such that the command @kbd{strip foo -f
17512 foo.debug} has the same functionality as the two @code{objcopy} commands and
17513 the @code{ln -s} command above, together.
17514
17515 @item
17516 Build ID gets embedded into the main executable using @code{ld --build-id} or
17517 the @value{NGCC} counterpart @code{gcc -Wl,--build-id}. Build ID support plus
17518 compatibility fixes for debug files separation are present in @sc{gnu} binary
17519 utilities (Binutils) package since version 2.18.
17520 @end itemize
17521
17522 @noindent
17523
17524 @cindex CRC algorithm definition
17525 The CRC used in @code{.gnu_debuglink} is the CRC-32 defined in
17526 IEEE 802.3 using the polynomial:
17527
17528 @c TexInfo requires naked braces for multi-digit exponents for Tex
17529 @c output, but this causes HTML output to barf. HTML has to be set using
17530 @c raw commands. So we end up having to specify this equation in 2
17531 @c different ways!
17532 @ifhtml
17533 @display
17534 @html
17535 <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>
17536 + <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
17537 @end html
17538 @end display
17539 @end ifhtml
17540 @ifnothtml
17541 @display
17542 @math{x^{32} + x^{26} + x^{23} + x^{22} + x^{16} + x^{12} + x^{11}}
17543 @math{+ x^{10} + x^8 + x^7 + x^5 + x^4 + x^2 + x + 1}
17544 @end display
17545 @end ifnothtml
17546
17547 The function is computed byte at a time, taking the least
17548 significant bit of each byte first. The initial pattern
17549 @code{0xffffffff} is used, to ensure leading zeros affect the CRC and
17550 the final result is inverted to ensure trailing zeros also affect the
17551 CRC.
17552
17553 @emph{Note:} This is the same CRC polynomial as used in handling the
17554 @dfn{Remote Serial Protocol} @code{qCRC} packet (@pxref{Remote Protocol,
17555 , @value{GDBN} Remote Serial Protocol}). However in the
17556 case of the Remote Serial Protocol, the CRC is computed @emph{most}
17557 significant bit first, and the result is not inverted, so trailing
17558 zeros have no effect on the CRC value.
17559
17560 To complete the description, we show below the code of the function
17561 which produces the CRC used in @code{.gnu_debuglink}. Inverting the
17562 initially supplied @code{crc} argument means that an initial call to
17563 this function passing in zero will start computing the CRC using
17564 @code{0xffffffff}.
17565
17566 @kindex gnu_debuglink_crc32
17567 @smallexample
17568 unsigned long
17569 gnu_debuglink_crc32 (unsigned long crc,
17570 unsigned char *buf, size_t len)
17571 @{
17572 static const unsigned long crc32_table[256] =
17573 @{
17574 0x00000000, 0x77073096, 0xee0e612c, 0x990951ba, 0x076dc419,
17575 0x706af48f, 0xe963a535, 0x9e6495a3, 0x0edb8832, 0x79dcb8a4,
17576 0xe0d5e91e, 0x97d2d988, 0x09b64c2b, 0x7eb17cbd, 0xe7b82d07,
17577 0x90bf1d91, 0x1db71064, 0x6ab020f2, 0xf3b97148, 0x84be41de,
17578 0x1adad47d, 0x6ddde4eb, 0xf4d4b551, 0x83d385c7, 0x136c9856,
17579 0x646ba8c0, 0xfd62f97a, 0x8a65c9ec, 0x14015c4f, 0x63066cd9,
17580 0xfa0f3d63, 0x8d080df5, 0x3b6e20c8, 0x4c69105e, 0xd56041e4,
17581 0xa2677172, 0x3c03e4d1, 0x4b04d447, 0xd20d85fd, 0xa50ab56b,
17582 0x35b5a8fa, 0x42b2986c, 0xdbbbc9d6, 0xacbcf940, 0x32d86ce3,
17583 0x45df5c75, 0xdcd60dcf, 0xabd13d59, 0x26d930ac, 0x51de003a,
17584 0xc8d75180, 0xbfd06116, 0x21b4f4b5, 0x56b3c423, 0xcfba9599,
17585 0xb8bda50f, 0x2802b89e, 0x5f058808, 0xc60cd9b2, 0xb10be924,
17586 0x2f6f7c87, 0x58684c11, 0xc1611dab, 0xb6662d3d, 0x76dc4190,
17587 0x01db7106, 0x98d220bc, 0xefd5102a, 0x71b18589, 0x06b6b51f,
17588 0x9fbfe4a5, 0xe8b8d433, 0x7807c9a2, 0x0f00f934, 0x9609a88e,
17589 0xe10e9818, 0x7f6a0dbb, 0x086d3d2d, 0x91646c97, 0xe6635c01,
17590 0x6b6b51f4, 0x1c6c6162, 0x856530d8, 0xf262004e, 0x6c0695ed,
17591 0x1b01a57b, 0x8208f4c1, 0xf50fc457, 0x65b0d9c6, 0x12b7e950,
17592 0x8bbeb8ea, 0xfcb9887c, 0x62dd1ddf, 0x15da2d49, 0x8cd37cf3,
17593 0xfbd44c65, 0x4db26158, 0x3ab551ce, 0xa3bc0074, 0xd4bb30e2,
17594 0x4adfa541, 0x3dd895d7, 0xa4d1c46d, 0xd3d6f4fb, 0x4369e96a,
17595 0x346ed9fc, 0xad678846, 0xda60b8d0, 0x44042d73, 0x33031de5,
17596 0xaa0a4c5f, 0xdd0d7cc9, 0x5005713c, 0x270241aa, 0xbe0b1010,
17597 0xc90c2086, 0x5768b525, 0x206f85b3, 0xb966d409, 0xce61e49f,
17598 0x5edef90e, 0x29d9c998, 0xb0d09822, 0xc7d7a8b4, 0x59b33d17,
17599 0x2eb40d81, 0xb7bd5c3b, 0xc0ba6cad, 0xedb88320, 0x9abfb3b6,
17600 0x03b6e20c, 0x74b1d29a, 0xead54739, 0x9dd277af, 0x04db2615,
17601 0x73dc1683, 0xe3630b12, 0x94643b84, 0x0d6d6a3e, 0x7a6a5aa8,
17602 0xe40ecf0b, 0x9309ff9d, 0x0a00ae27, 0x7d079eb1, 0xf00f9344,
17603 0x8708a3d2, 0x1e01f268, 0x6906c2fe, 0xf762575d, 0x806567cb,
17604 0x196c3671, 0x6e6b06e7, 0xfed41b76, 0x89d32be0, 0x10da7a5a,
17605 0x67dd4acc, 0xf9b9df6f, 0x8ebeeff9, 0x17b7be43, 0x60b08ed5,
17606 0xd6d6a3e8, 0xa1d1937e, 0x38d8c2c4, 0x4fdff252, 0xd1bb67f1,
17607 0xa6bc5767, 0x3fb506dd, 0x48b2364b, 0xd80d2bda, 0xaf0a1b4c,
17608 0x36034af6, 0x41047a60, 0xdf60efc3, 0xa867df55, 0x316e8eef,
17609 0x4669be79, 0xcb61b38c, 0xbc66831a, 0x256fd2a0, 0x5268e236,
17610 0xcc0c7795, 0xbb0b4703, 0x220216b9, 0x5505262f, 0xc5ba3bbe,
17611 0xb2bd0b28, 0x2bb45a92, 0x5cb36a04, 0xc2d7ffa7, 0xb5d0cf31,
17612 0x2cd99e8b, 0x5bdeae1d, 0x9b64c2b0, 0xec63f226, 0x756aa39c,
17613 0x026d930a, 0x9c0906a9, 0xeb0e363f, 0x72076785, 0x05005713,
17614 0x95bf4a82, 0xe2b87a14, 0x7bb12bae, 0x0cb61b38, 0x92d28e9b,
17615 0xe5d5be0d, 0x7cdcefb7, 0x0bdbdf21, 0x86d3d2d4, 0xf1d4e242,
17616 0x68ddb3f8, 0x1fda836e, 0x81be16cd, 0xf6b9265b, 0x6fb077e1,
17617 0x18b74777, 0x88085ae6, 0xff0f6a70, 0x66063bca, 0x11010b5c,
17618 0x8f659eff, 0xf862ae69, 0x616bffd3, 0x166ccf45, 0xa00ae278,
17619 0xd70dd2ee, 0x4e048354, 0x3903b3c2, 0xa7672661, 0xd06016f7,
17620 0x4969474d, 0x3e6e77db, 0xaed16a4a, 0xd9d65adc, 0x40df0b66,
17621 0x37d83bf0, 0xa9bcae53, 0xdebb9ec5, 0x47b2cf7f, 0x30b5ffe9,
17622 0xbdbdf21c, 0xcabac28a, 0x53b39330, 0x24b4a3a6, 0xbad03605,
17623 0xcdd70693, 0x54de5729, 0x23d967bf, 0xb3667a2e, 0xc4614ab8,
17624 0x5d681b02, 0x2a6f2b94, 0xb40bbe37, 0xc30c8ea1, 0x5a05df1b,
17625 0x2d02ef8d
17626 @};
17627 unsigned char *end;
17628
17629 crc = ~crc & 0xffffffff;
17630 for (end = buf + len; buf < end; ++buf)
17631 crc = crc32_table[(crc ^ *buf) & 0xff] ^ (crc >> 8);
17632 return ~crc & 0xffffffff;
17633 @}
17634 @end smallexample
17635
17636 @noindent
17637 This computation does not apply to the ``build ID'' method.
17638
17639 @node MiniDebugInfo
17640 @section Debugging information in a special section
17641 @cindex separate debug sections
17642 @cindex @samp{.gnu_debugdata} section
17643
17644 Some systems ship pre-built executables and libraries that have a
17645 special @samp{.gnu_debugdata} section. This feature is called
17646 @dfn{MiniDebugInfo}. This section holds an LZMA-compressed object and
17647 is used to supply extra symbols for backtraces.
17648
17649 The intent of this section is to provide extra minimal debugging
17650 information for use in simple backtraces. It is not intended to be a
17651 replacement for full separate debugging information (@pxref{Separate
17652 Debug Files}). The example below shows the intended use; however,
17653 @value{GDBN} does not currently put restrictions on what sort of
17654 debugging information might be included in the section.
17655
17656 @value{GDBN} has support for this extension. If the section exists,
17657 then it is used provided that no other source of debugging information
17658 can be found, and that @value{GDBN} was configured with LZMA support.
17659
17660 This section can be easily created using @command{objcopy} and other
17661 standard utilities:
17662
17663 @smallexample
17664 # Extract the dynamic symbols from the main binary, there is no need
17665 # to also have these in the normal symbol table.
17666 nm -D @var{binary} --format=posix --defined-only \
17667 | awk '@{ print $1 @}' | sort > dynsyms
17668
17669 # Extract all the text (i.e. function) symbols from the debuginfo.
17670 # (Note that we actually also accept "D" symbols, for the benefit
17671 # of platforms like PowerPC64 that use function descriptors.)
17672 nm @var{binary} --format=posix --defined-only \
17673 | awk '@{ if ($2 == "T" || $2 == "t" || $2 == "D") print $1 @}' \
17674 | sort > funcsyms
17675
17676 # Keep all the function symbols not already in the dynamic symbol
17677 # table.
17678 comm -13 dynsyms funcsyms > keep_symbols
17679
17680 # Separate full debug info into debug binary.
17681 objcopy --only-keep-debug @var{binary} debug
17682
17683 # Copy the full debuginfo, keeping only a minimal set of symbols and
17684 # removing some unnecessary sections.
17685 objcopy -S --remove-section .gdb_index --remove-section .comment \
17686 --keep-symbols=keep_symbols debug mini_debuginfo
17687
17688 # Drop the full debug info from the original binary.
17689 strip --strip-all -R .comment @var{binary}
17690
17691 # Inject the compressed data into the .gnu_debugdata section of the
17692 # original binary.
17693 xz mini_debuginfo
17694 objcopy --add-section .gnu_debugdata=mini_debuginfo.xz @var{binary}
17695 @end smallexample
17696
17697 @node Index Files
17698 @section Index Files Speed Up @value{GDBN}
17699 @cindex index files
17700 @cindex @samp{.gdb_index} section
17701
17702 When @value{GDBN} finds a symbol file, it scans the symbols in the
17703 file in order to construct an internal symbol table. This lets most
17704 @value{GDBN} operations work quickly---at the cost of a delay early
17705 on. For large programs, this delay can be quite lengthy, so
17706 @value{GDBN} provides a way to build an index, which speeds up
17707 startup.
17708
17709 The index is stored as a section in the symbol file. @value{GDBN} can
17710 write the index to a file, then you can put it into the symbol file
17711 using @command{objcopy}.
17712
17713 To create an index file, use the @code{save gdb-index} command:
17714
17715 @table @code
17716 @item save gdb-index @var{directory}
17717 @kindex save gdb-index
17718 Create an index file for each symbol file currently known by
17719 @value{GDBN}. Each file is named after its corresponding symbol file,
17720 with @samp{.gdb-index} appended, and is written into the given
17721 @var{directory}.
17722 @end table
17723
17724 Once you have created an index file you can merge it into your symbol
17725 file, here named @file{symfile}, using @command{objcopy}:
17726
17727 @smallexample
17728 $ objcopy --add-section .gdb_index=symfile.gdb-index \
17729 --set-section-flags .gdb_index=readonly symfile symfile
17730 @end smallexample
17731
17732 @value{GDBN} will normally ignore older versions of @file{.gdb_index}
17733 sections that have been deprecated. Usually they are deprecated because
17734 they are missing a new feature or have performance issues.
17735 To tell @value{GDBN} to use a deprecated index section anyway
17736 specify @code{set use-deprecated-index-sections on}.
17737 The default is @code{off}.
17738 This can speed up startup, but may result in some functionality being lost.
17739 @xref{Index Section Format}.
17740
17741 @emph{Warning:} Setting @code{use-deprecated-index-sections} to @code{on}
17742 must be done before gdb reads the file. The following will not work:
17743
17744 @smallexample
17745 $ gdb -ex "set use-deprecated-index-sections on" <program>
17746 @end smallexample
17747
17748 Instead you must do, for example,
17749
17750 @smallexample
17751 $ gdb -iex "set use-deprecated-index-sections on" <program>
17752 @end smallexample
17753
17754 There are currently some limitation on indices. They only work when
17755 for DWARF debugging information, not stabs. And, they do not
17756 currently work for programs using Ada.
17757
17758 @node Symbol Errors
17759 @section Errors Reading Symbol Files
17760
17761 While reading a symbol file, @value{GDBN} occasionally encounters problems,
17762 such as symbol types it does not recognize, or known bugs in compiler
17763 output. By default, @value{GDBN} does not notify you of such problems, since
17764 they are relatively common and primarily of interest to people
17765 debugging compilers. If you are interested in seeing information
17766 about ill-constructed symbol tables, you can either ask @value{GDBN} to print
17767 only one message about each such type of problem, no matter how many
17768 times the problem occurs; or you can ask @value{GDBN} to print more messages,
17769 to see how many times the problems occur, with the @code{set
17770 complaints} command (@pxref{Messages/Warnings, ,Optional Warnings and
17771 Messages}).
17772
17773 The messages currently printed, and their meanings, include:
17774
17775 @table @code
17776 @item inner block not inside outer block in @var{symbol}
17777
17778 The symbol information shows where symbol scopes begin and end
17779 (such as at the start of a function or a block of statements). This
17780 error indicates that an inner scope block is not fully contained
17781 in its outer scope blocks.
17782
17783 @value{GDBN} circumvents the problem by treating the inner block as if it had
17784 the same scope as the outer block. In the error message, @var{symbol}
17785 may be shown as ``@code{(don't know)}'' if the outer block is not a
17786 function.
17787
17788 @item block at @var{address} out of order
17789
17790 The symbol information for symbol scope blocks should occur in
17791 order of increasing addresses. This error indicates that it does not
17792 do so.
17793
17794 @value{GDBN} does not circumvent this problem, and has trouble
17795 locating symbols in the source file whose symbols it is reading. (You
17796 can often determine what source file is affected by specifying
17797 @code{set verbose on}. @xref{Messages/Warnings, ,Optional Warnings and
17798 Messages}.)
17799
17800 @item bad block start address patched
17801
17802 The symbol information for a symbol scope block has a start address
17803 smaller than the address of the preceding source line. This is known
17804 to occur in the SunOS 4.1.1 (and earlier) C compiler.
17805
17806 @value{GDBN} circumvents the problem by treating the symbol scope block as
17807 starting on the previous source line.
17808
17809 @item bad string table offset in symbol @var{n}
17810
17811 @cindex foo
17812 Symbol number @var{n} contains a pointer into the string table which is
17813 larger than the size of the string table.
17814
17815 @value{GDBN} circumvents the problem by considering the symbol to have the
17816 name @code{foo}, which may cause other problems if many symbols end up
17817 with this name.
17818
17819 @item unknown symbol type @code{0x@var{nn}}
17820
17821 The symbol information contains new data types that @value{GDBN} does
17822 not yet know how to read. @code{0x@var{nn}} is the symbol type of the
17823 uncomprehended information, in hexadecimal.
17824
17825 @value{GDBN} circumvents the error by ignoring this symbol information.
17826 This usually allows you to debug your program, though certain symbols
17827 are not accessible. If you encounter such a problem and feel like
17828 debugging it, you can debug @code{@value{GDBP}} with itself, breakpoint
17829 on @code{complain}, then go up to the function @code{read_dbx_symtab}
17830 and examine @code{*bufp} to see the symbol.
17831
17832 @item stub type has NULL name
17833
17834 @value{GDBN} could not find the full definition for a struct or class.
17835
17836 @item const/volatile indicator missing (ok if using g++ v1.x), got@dots{}
17837 The symbol information for a C@t{++} member function is missing some
17838 information that recent versions of the compiler should have output for
17839 it.
17840
17841 @item info mismatch between compiler and debugger
17842
17843 @value{GDBN} could not parse a type specification output by the compiler.
17844
17845 @end table
17846
17847 @node Data Files
17848 @section GDB Data Files
17849
17850 @cindex prefix for data files
17851 @value{GDBN} will sometimes read an auxiliary data file. These files
17852 are kept in a directory known as the @dfn{data directory}.
17853
17854 You can set the data directory's name, and view the name @value{GDBN}
17855 is currently using.
17856
17857 @table @code
17858 @kindex set data-directory
17859 @item set data-directory @var{directory}
17860 Set the directory which @value{GDBN} searches for auxiliary data files
17861 to @var{directory}.
17862
17863 @kindex show data-directory
17864 @item show data-directory
17865 Show the directory @value{GDBN} searches for auxiliary data files.
17866 @end table
17867
17868 @cindex default data directory
17869 @cindex @samp{--with-gdb-datadir}
17870 You can set the default data directory by using the configure-time
17871 @samp{--with-gdb-datadir} option. If the data directory is inside
17872 @value{GDBN}'s configured binary prefix (set with @samp{--prefix} or
17873 @samp{--exec-prefix}), then the default data directory will be updated
17874 automatically if the installed @value{GDBN} is moved to a new
17875 location.
17876
17877 The data directory may also be specified with the
17878 @code{--data-directory} command line option.
17879 @xref{Mode Options}.
17880
17881 @node Targets
17882 @chapter Specifying a Debugging Target
17883
17884 @cindex debugging target
17885 A @dfn{target} is the execution environment occupied by your program.
17886
17887 Often, @value{GDBN} runs in the same host environment as your program;
17888 in that case, the debugging target is specified as a side effect when
17889 you use the @code{file} or @code{core} commands. When you need more
17890 flexibility---for example, running @value{GDBN} on a physically separate
17891 host, or controlling a standalone system over a serial port or a
17892 realtime system over a TCP/IP connection---you can use the @code{target}
17893 command to specify one of the target types configured for @value{GDBN}
17894 (@pxref{Target Commands, ,Commands for Managing Targets}).
17895
17896 @cindex target architecture
17897 It is possible to build @value{GDBN} for several different @dfn{target
17898 architectures}. When @value{GDBN} is built like that, you can choose
17899 one of the available architectures with the @kbd{set architecture}
17900 command.
17901
17902 @table @code
17903 @kindex set architecture
17904 @kindex show architecture
17905 @item set architecture @var{arch}
17906 This command sets the current target architecture to @var{arch}. The
17907 value of @var{arch} can be @code{"auto"}, in addition to one of the
17908 supported architectures.
17909
17910 @item show architecture
17911 Show the current target architecture.
17912
17913 @item set processor
17914 @itemx processor
17915 @kindex set processor
17916 @kindex show processor
17917 These are alias commands for, respectively, @code{set architecture}
17918 and @code{show architecture}.
17919 @end table
17920
17921 @menu
17922 * Active Targets:: Active targets
17923 * Target Commands:: Commands for managing targets
17924 * Byte Order:: Choosing target byte order
17925 @end menu
17926
17927 @node Active Targets
17928 @section Active Targets
17929
17930 @cindex stacking targets
17931 @cindex active targets
17932 @cindex multiple targets
17933
17934 There are multiple classes of targets such as: processes, executable files or
17935 recording sessions. Core files belong to the process class, making core file
17936 and process mutually exclusive. Otherwise, @value{GDBN} can work concurrently
17937 on multiple active targets, one in each class. This allows you to (for
17938 example) start a process and inspect its activity, while still having access to
17939 the executable file after the process finishes. Or if you start process
17940 recording (@pxref{Reverse Execution}) and @code{reverse-step} there, you are
17941 presented a virtual layer of the recording target, while the process target
17942 remains stopped at the chronologically last point of the process execution.
17943
17944 Use the @code{core-file} and @code{exec-file} commands to select a new core
17945 file or executable target (@pxref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}). To
17946 specify as a target a process that is already running, use the @code{attach}
17947 command (@pxref{Attach, ,Debugging an Already-running Process}).
17948
17949 @node Target Commands
17950 @section Commands for Managing Targets
17951
17952 @table @code
17953 @item target @var{type} @var{parameters}
17954 Connects the @value{GDBN} host environment to a target machine or
17955 process. A target is typically a protocol for talking to debugging
17956 facilities. You use the argument @var{type} to specify the type or
17957 protocol of the target machine.
17958
17959 Further @var{parameters} are interpreted by the target protocol, but
17960 typically include things like device names or host names to connect
17961 with, process numbers, and baud rates.
17962
17963 The @code{target} command does not repeat if you press @key{RET} again
17964 after executing the command.
17965
17966 @kindex help target
17967 @item help target
17968 Displays the names of all targets available. To display targets
17969 currently selected, use either @code{info target} or @code{info files}
17970 (@pxref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}).
17971
17972 @item help target @var{name}
17973 Describe a particular target, including any parameters necessary to
17974 select it.
17975
17976 @kindex set gnutarget
17977 @item set gnutarget @var{args}
17978 @value{GDBN} uses its own library BFD to read your files. @value{GDBN}
17979 knows whether it is reading an @dfn{executable},
17980 a @dfn{core}, or a @dfn{.o} file; however, you can specify the file format
17981 with the @code{set gnutarget} command. Unlike most @code{target} commands,
17982 with @code{gnutarget} the @code{target} refers to a program, not a machine.
17983
17984 @quotation
17985 @emph{Warning:} To specify a file format with @code{set gnutarget},
17986 you must know the actual BFD name.
17987 @end quotation
17988
17989 @noindent
17990 @xref{Files, , Commands to Specify Files}.
17991
17992 @kindex show gnutarget
17993 @item show gnutarget
17994 Use the @code{show gnutarget} command to display what file format
17995 @code{gnutarget} is set to read. If you have not set @code{gnutarget},
17996 @value{GDBN} will determine the file format for each file automatically,
17997 and @code{show gnutarget} displays @samp{The current BFD target is "auto"}.
17998 @end table
17999
18000 @cindex common targets
18001 Here are some common targets (available, or not, depending on the GDB
18002 configuration):
18003
18004 @table @code
18005 @kindex target
18006 @item target exec @var{program}
18007 @cindex executable file target
18008 An executable file. @samp{target exec @var{program}} is the same as
18009 @samp{exec-file @var{program}}.
18010
18011 @item target core @var{filename}
18012 @cindex core dump file target
18013 A core dump file. @samp{target core @var{filename}} is the same as
18014 @samp{core-file @var{filename}}.
18015
18016 @item target remote @var{medium}
18017 @cindex remote target
18018 A remote system connected to @value{GDBN} via a serial line or network
18019 connection. This command tells @value{GDBN} to use its own remote
18020 protocol over @var{medium} for debugging. @xref{Remote Debugging}.
18021
18022 For example, if you have a board connected to @file{/dev/ttya} on the
18023 machine running @value{GDBN}, you could say:
18024
18025 @smallexample
18026 target remote /dev/ttya
18027 @end smallexample
18028
18029 @code{target remote} supports the @code{load} command. This is only
18030 useful if you have some other way of getting the stub to the target
18031 system, and you can put it somewhere in memory where it won't get
18032 clobbered by the download.
18033
18034 @item target sim @r{[}@var{simargs}@r{]} @dots{}
18035 @cindex built-in simulator target
18036 Builtin CPU simulator. @value{GDBN} includes simulators for most architectures.
18037 In general,
18038 @smallexample
18039 target sim
18040 load
18041 run
18042 @end smallexample
18043 @noindent
18044 works; however, you cannot assume that a specific memory map, device
18045 drivers, or even basic I/O is available, although some simulators do
18046 provide these. For info about any processor-specific simulator details,
18047 see the appropriate section in @ref{Embedded Processors, ,Embedded
18048 Processors}.
18049
18050 @end table
18051
18052 Different targets are available on different configurations of @value{GDBN};
18053 your configuration may have more or fewer targets.
18054
18055 Many remote targets require you to download the executable's code once
18056 you've successfully established a connection. You may wish to control
18057 various aspects of this process.
18058
18059 @table @code
18060
18061 @item set hash
18062 @kindex set hash@r{, for remote monitors}
18063 @cindex hash mark while downloading
18064 This command controls whether a hash mark @samp{#} is displayed while
18065 downloading a file to the remote monitor. If on, a hash mark is
18066 displayed after each S-record is successfully downloaded to the
18067 monitor.
18068
18069 @item show hash
18070 @kindex show hash@r{, for remote monitors}
18071 Show the current status of displaying the hash mark.
18072
18073 @item set debug monitor
18074 @kindex set debug monitor
18075 @cindex display remote monitor communications
18076 Enable or disable display of communications messages between
18077 @value{GDBN} and the remote monitor.
18078
18079 @item show debug monitor
18080 @kindex show debug monitor
18081 Show the current status of displaying communications between
18082 @value{GDBN} and the remote monitor.
18083 @end table
18084
18085 @table @code
18086
18087 @kindex load @var{filename}
18088 @item load @var{filename}
18089 @anchor{load}
18090 Depending on what remote debugging facilities are configured into
18091 @value{GDBN}, the @code{load} command may be available. Where it exists, it
18092 is meant to make @var{filename} (an executable) available for debugging
18093 on the remote system---by downloading, or dynamic linking, for example.
18094 @code{load} also records the @var{filename} symbol table in @value{GDBN}, like
18095 the @code{add-symbol-file} command.
18096
18097 If your @value{GDBN} does not have a @code{load} command, attempting to
18098 execute it gets the error message ``@code{You can't do that when your
18099 target is @dots{}}''
18100
18101 The file is loaded at whatever address is specified in the executable.
18102 For some object file formats, you can specify the load address when you
18103 link the program; for other formats, like a.out, the object file format
18104 specifies a fixed address.
18105 @c FIXME! This would be a good place for an xref to the GNU linker doc.
18106
18107 Depending on the remote side capabilities, @value{GDBN} may be able to
18108 load programs into flash memory.
18109
18110 @code{load} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} again after using it.
18111 @end table
18112
18113 @node Byte Order
18114 @section Choosing Target Byte Order
18115
18116 @cindex choosing target byte order
18117 @cindex target byte order
18118
18119 Some types of processors, such as the @acronym{MIPS}, PowerPC, and Renesas SH,
18120 offer the ability to run either big-endian or little-endian byte
18121 orders. Usually the executable or symbol will include a bit to
18122 designate the endian-ness, and you will not need to worry about
18123 which to use. However, you may still find it useful to adjust
18124 @value{GDBN}'s idea of processor endian-ness manually.
18125
18126 @table @code
18127 @kindex set endian
18128 @item set endian big
18129 Instruct @value{GDBN} to assume the target is big-endian.
18130
18131 @item set endian little
18132 Instruct @value{GDBN} to assume the target is little-endian.
18133
18134 @item set endian auto
18135 Instruct @value{GDBN} to use the byte order associated with the
18136 executable.
18137
18138 @item show endian
18139 Display @value{GDBN}'s current idea of the target byte order.
18140
18141 @end table
18142
18143 Note that these commands merely adjust interpretation of symbolic
18144 data on the host, and that they have absolutely no effect on the
18145 target system.
18146
18147
18148 @node Remote Debugging
18149 @chapter Debugging Remote Programs
18150 @cindex remote debugging
18151
18152 If you are trying to debug a program running on a machine that cannot run
18153 @value{GDBN} in the usual way, it is often useful to use remote debugging.
18154 For example, you might use remote debugging on an operating system kernel,
18155 or on a small system which does not have a general purpose operating system
18156 powerful enough to run a full-featured debugger.
18157
18158 Some configurations of @value{GDBN} have special serial or TCP/IP interfaces
18159 to make this work with particular debugging targets. In addition,
18160 @value{GDBN} comes with a generic serial protocol (specific to @value{GDBN},
18161 but not specific to any particular target system) which you can use if you
18162 write the remote stubs---the code that runs on the remote system to
18163 communicate with @value{GDBN}.
18164
18165 Other remote targets may be available in your
18166 configuration of @value{GDBN}; use @code{help target} to list them.
18167
18168 @menu
18169 * Connecting:: Connecting to a remote target
18170 * File Transfer:: Sending files to a remote system
18171 * Server:: Using the gdbserver program
18172 * Remote Configuration:: Remote configuration
18173 * Remote Stub:: Implementing a remote stub
18174 @end menu
18175
18176 @node Connecting
18177 @section Connecting to a Remote Target
18178
18179 On the @value{GDBN} host machine, you will need an unstripped copy of
18180 your program, since @value{GDBN} needs symbol and debugging information.
18181 Start up @value{GDBN} as usual, using the name of the local copy of your
18182 program as the first argument.
18183
18184 @cindex @code{target remote}
18185 @value{GDBN} can communicate with the target over a serial line, or
18186 over an @acronym{IP} network using @acronym{TCP} or @acronym{UDP}. In
18187 each case, @value{GDBN} uses the same protocol for debugging your
18188 program; only the medium carrying the debugging packets varies. The
18189 @code{target remote} command establishes a connection to the target.
18190 Its arguments indicate which medium to use:
18191
18192 @table @code
18193
18194 @item target remote @var{serial-device}
18195 @cindex serial line, @code{target remote}
18196 Use @var{serial-device} to communicate with the target. For example,
18197 to use a serial line connected to the device named @file{/dev/ttyb}:
18198
18199 @smallexample
18200 target remote /dev/ttyb
18201 @end smallexample
18202
18203 If you're using a serial line, you may want to give @value{GDBN} the
18204 @samp{--baud} option, or use the @code{set serial baud} command
18205 (@pxref{Remote Configuration, set serial baud}) before the
18206 @code{target} command.
18207
18208 @item target remote @code{@var{host}:@var{port}}
18209 @itemx target remote @code{tcp:@var{host}:@var{port}}
18210 @cindex @acronym{TCP} port, @code{target remote}
18211 Debug using a @acronym{TCP} connection to @var{port} on @var{host}.
18212 The @var{host} may be either a host name or a numeric @acronym{IP}
18213 address; @var{port} must be a decimal number. The @var{host} could be
18214 the target machine itself, if it is directly connected to the net, or
18215 it might be a terminal server which in turn has a serial line to the
18216 target.
18217
18218 For example, to connect to port 2828 on a terminal server named
18219 @code{manyfarms}:
18220
18221 @smallexample
18222 target remote manyfarms:2828
18223 @end smallexample
18224
18225 If your remote target is actually running on the same machine as your
18226 debugger session (e.g.@: a simulator for your target running on the
18227 same host), you can omit the hostname. For example, to connect to
18228 port 1234 on your local machine:
18229
18230 @smallexample
18231 target remote :1234
18232 @end smallexample
18233 @noindent
18234
18235 Note that the colon is still required here.
18236
18237 @item target remote @code{udp:@var{host}:@var{port}}
18238 @cindex @acronym{UDP} port, @code{target remote}
18239 Debug using @acronym{UDP} packets to @var{port} on @var{host}. For example, to
18240 connect to @acronym{UDP} port 2828 on a terminal server named @code{manyfarms}:
18241
18242 @smallexample
18243 target remote udp:manyfarms:2828
18244 @end smallexample
18245
18246 When using a @acronym{UDP} connection for remote debugging, you should
18247 keep in mind that the `U' stands for ``Unreliable''. @acronym{UDP}
18248 can silently drop packets on busy or unreliable networks, which will
18249 cause havoc with your debugging session.
18250
18251 @item target remote | @var{command}
18252 @cindex pipe, @code{target remote} to
18253 Run @var{command} in the background and communicate with it using a
18254 pipe. The @var{command} is a shell command, to be parsed and expanded
18255 by the system's command shell, @code{/bin/sh}; it should expect remote
18256 protocol packets on its standard input, and send replies on its
18257 standard output. You could use this to run a stand-alone simulator
18258 that speaks the remote debugging protocol, to make net connections
18259 using programs like @code{ssh}, or for other similar tricks.
18260
18261 If @var{command} closes its standard output (perhaps by exiting),
18262 @value{GDBN} will try to send it a @code{SIGTERM} signal. (If the
18263 program has already exited, this will have no effect.)
18264
18265 @end table
18266
18267 Once the connection has been established, you can use all the usual
18268 commands to examine and change data. The remote program is already
18269 running; you can use @kbd{step} and @kbd{continue}, and you do not
18270 need to use @kbd{run}.
18271
18272 @cindex interrupting remote programs
18273 @cindex remote programs, interrupting
18274 Whenever @value{GDBN} is waiting for the remote program, if you type the
18275 interrupt character (often @kbd{Ctrl-c}), @value{GDBN} attempts to stop the
18276 program. This may or may not succeed, depending in part on the hardware
18277 and the serial drivers the remote system uses. If you type the
18278 interrupt character once again, @value{GDBN} displays this prompt:
18279
18280 @smallexample
18281 Interrupted while waiting for the program.
18282 Give up (and stop debugging it)? (y or n)
18283 @end smallexample
18284
18285 If you type @kbd{y}, @value{GDBN} abandons the remote debugging session.
18286 (If you decide you want to try again later, you can use @samp{target
18287 remote} again to connect once more.) If you type @kbd{n}, @value{GDBN}
18288 goes back to waiting.
18289
18290 @table @code
18291 @kindex detach (remote)
18292 @item detach
18293 When you have finished debugging the remote program, you can use the
18294 @code{detach} command to release it from @value{GDBN} control.
18295 Detaching from the target normally resumes its execution, but the results
18296 will depend on your particular remote stub. After the @code{detach}
18297 command, @value{GDBN} is free to connect to another target.
18298
18299 @kindex disconnect
18300 @item disconnect
18301 The @code{disconnect} command behaves like @code{detach}, except that
18302 the target is generally not resumed. It will wait for @value{GDBN}
18303 (this instance or another one) to connect and continue debugging. After
18304 the @code{disconnect} command, @value{GDBN} is again free to connect to
18305 another target.
18306
18307 @cindex send command to remote monitor
18308 @cindex extend @value{GDBN} for remote targets
18309 @cindex add new commands for external monitor
18310 @kindex monitor
18311 @item monitor @var{cmd}
18312 This command allows you to send arbitrary commands directly to the
18313 remote monitor. Since @value{GDBN} doesn't care about the commands it
18314 sends like this, this command is the way to extend @value{GDBN}---you
18315 can add new commands that only the external monitor will understand
18316 and implement.
18317 @end table
18318
18319 @node File Transfer
18320 @section Sending files to a remote system
18321 @cindex remote target, file transfer
18322 @cindex file transfer
18323 @cindex sending files to remote systems
18324
18325 Some remote targets offer the ability to transfer files over the same
18326 connection used to communicate with @value{GDBN}. This is convenient
18327 for targets accessible through other means, e.g.@: @sc{gnu}/Linux systems
18328 running @code{gdbserver} over a network interface. For other targets,
18329 e.g.@: embedded devices with only a single serial port, this may be
18330 the only way to upload or download files.
18331
18332 Not all remote targets support these commands.
18333
18334 @table @code
18335 @kindex remote put
18336 @item remote put @var{hostfile} @var{targetfile}
18337 Copy file @var{hostfile} from the host system (the machine running
18338 @value{GDBN}) to @var{targetfile} on the target system.
18339
18340 @kindex remote get
18341 @item remote get @var{targetfile} @var{hostfile}
18342 Copy file @var{targetfile} from the target system to @var{hostfile}
18343 on the host system.
18344
18345 @kindex remote delete
18346 @item remote delete @var{targetfile}
18347 Delete @var{targetfile} from the target system.
18348
18349 @end table
18350
18351 @node Server
18352 @section Using the @code{gdbserver} Program
18353
18354 @kindex gdbserver
18355 @cindex remote connection without stubs
18356 @code{gdbserver} is a control program for Unix-like systems, which
18357 allows you to connect your program with a remote @value{GDBN} via
18358 @code{target remote}---but without linking in the usual debugging stub.
18359
18360 @code{gdbserver} is not a complete replacement for the debugging stubs,
18361 because it requires essentially the same operating-system facilities
18362 that @value{GDBN} itself does. In fact, a system that can run
18363 @code{gdbserver} to connect to a remote @value{GDBN} could also run
18364 @value{GDBN} locally! @code{gdbserver} is sometimes useful nevertheless,
18365 because it is a much smaller program than @value{GDBN} itself. It is
18366 also easier to port than all of @value{GDBN}, so you may be able to get
18367 started more quickly on a new system by using @code{gdbserver}.
18368 Finally, if you develop code for real-time systems, you may find that
18369 the tradeoffs involved in real-time operation make it more convenient to
18370 do as much development work as possible on another system, for example
18371 by cross-compiling. You can use @code{gdbserver} to make a similar
18372 choice for debugging.
18373
18374 @value{GDBN} and @code{gdbserver} communicate via either a serial line
18375 or a TCP connection, using the standard @value{GDBN} remote serial
18376 protocol.
18377
18378 @quotation
18379 @emph{Warning:} @code{gdbserver} does not have any built-in security.
18380 Do not run @code{gdbserver} connected to any public network; a
18381 @value{GDBN} connection to @code{gdbserver} provides access to the
18382 target system with the same privileges as the user running
18383 @code{gdbserver}.
18384 @end quotation
18385
18386 @subsection Running @code{gdbserver}
18387 @cindex arguments, to @code{gdbserver}
18388 @cindex @code{gdbserver}, command-line arguments
18389
18390 Run @code{gdbserver} on the target system. You need a copy of the
18391 program you want to debug, including any libraries it requires.
18392 @code{gdbserver} does not need your program's symbol table, so you can
18393 strip the program if necessary to save space. @value{GDBN} on the host
18394 system does all the symbol handling.
18395
18396 To use the server, you must tell it how to communicate with @value{GDBN};
18397 the name of your program; and the arguments for your program. The usual
18398 syntax is:
18399
18400 @smallexample
18401 target> gdbserver @var{comm} @var{program} [ @var{args} @dots{} ]
18402 @end smallexample
18403
18404 @var{comm} is either a device name (to use a serial line), or a TCP
18405 hostname and portnumber, or @code{-} or @code{stdio} to use
18406 stdin/stdout of @code{gdbserver}.
18407 For example, to debug Emacs with the argument
18408 @samp{foo.txt} and communicate with @value{GDBN} over the serial port
18409 @file{/dev/com1}:
18410
18411 @smallexample
18412 target> gdbserver /dev/com1 emacs foo.txt
18413 @end smallexample
18414
18415 @code{gdbserver} waits passively for the host @value{GDBN} to communicate
18416 with it.
18417
18418 To use a TCP connection instead of a serial line:
18419
18420 @smallexample
18421 target> gdbserver host:2345 emacs foo.txt
18422 @end smallexample
18423
18424 The only difference from the previous example is the first argument,
18425 specifying that you are communicating with the host @value{GDBN} via
18426 TCP. The @samp{host:2345} argument means that @code{gdbserver} is to
18427 expect a TCP connection from machine @samp{host} to local TCP port 2345.
18428 (Currently, the @samp{host} part is ignored.) You can choose any number
18429 you want for the port number as long as it does not conflict with any
18430 TCP ports already in use on the target system (for example, @code{23} is
18431 reserved for @code{telnet}).@footnote{If you choose a port number that
18432 conflicts with another service, @code{gdbserver} prints an error message
18433 and exits.} You must use the same port number with the host @value{GDBN}
18434 @code{target remote} command.
18435
18436 The @code{stdio} connection is useful when starting @code{gdbserver}
18437 with ssh:
18438
18439 @smallexample
18440 (gdb) target remote | ssh -T hostname gdbserver - hello
18441 @end smallexample
18442
18443 The @samp{-T} option to ssh is provided because we don't need a remote pty,
18444 and we don't want escape-character handling. Ssh does this by default when
18445 a command is provided, the flag is provided to make it explicit.
18446 You could elide it if you want to.
18447
18448 Programs started with stdio-connected gdbserver have @file{/dev/null} for
18449 @code{stdin}, and @code{stdout},@code{stderr} are sent back to gdb for
18450 display through a pipe connected to gdbserver.
18451 Both @code{stdout} and @code{stderr} use the same pipe.
18452
18453 @subsubsection Attaching to a Running Program
18454 @cindex attach to a program, @code{gdbserver}
18455 @cindex @option{--attach}, @code{gdbserver} option
18456
18457 On some targets, @code{gdbserver} can also attach to running programs.
18458 This is accomplished via the @code{--attach} argument. The syntax is:
18459
18460 @smallexample
18461 target> gdbserver --attach @var{comm} @var{pid}
18462 @end smallexample
18463
18464 @var{pid} is the process ID of a currently running process. It isn't necessary
18465 to point @code{gdbserver} at a binary for the running process.
18466
18467 @pindex pidof
18468 You can debug processes by name instead of process ID if your target has the
18469 @code{pidof} utility:
18470
18471 @smallexample
18472 target> gdbserver --attach @var{comm} `pidof @var{program}`
18473 @end smallexample
18474
18475 In case more than one copy of @var{program} is running, or @var{program}
18476 has multiple threads, most versions of @code{pidof} support the
18477 @code{-s} option to only return the first process ID.
18478
18479 @subsubsection Multi-Process Mode for @code{gdbserver}
18480 @cindex @code{gdbserver}, multiple processes
18481 @cindex multiple processes with @code{gdbserver}
18482
18483 When you connect to @code{gdbserver} using @code{target remote},
18484 @code{gdbserver} debugs the specified program only once. When the
18485 program exits, or you detach from it, @value{GDBN} closes the connection
18486 and @code{gdbserver} exits.
18487
18488 If you connect using @kbd{target extended-remote}, @code{gdbserver}
18489 enters multi-process mode. When the debugged program exits, or you
18490 detach from it, @value{GDBN} stays connected to @code{gdbserver} even
18491 though no program is running. The @code{run} and @code{attach}
18492 commands instruct @code{gdbserver} to run or attach to a new program.
18493 The @code{run} command uses @code{set remote exec-file} (@pxref{set
18494 remote exec-file}) to select the program to run. Command line
18495 arguments are supported, except for wildcard expansion and I/O
18496 redirection (@pxref{Arguments}).
18497
18498 @cindex @option{--multi}, @code{gdbserver} option
18499 To start @code{gdbserver} without supplying an initial command to run
18500 or process ID to attach, use the @option{--multi} command line option.
18501 Then you can connect using @kbd{target extended-remote} and start
18502 the program you want to debug.
18503
18504 In multi-process mode @code{gdbserver} does not automatically exit unless you
18505 use the option @option{--once}. You can terminate it by using
18506 @code{monitor exit} (@pxref{Monitor Commands for gdbserver}). Note that the
18507 conditions under which @code{gdbserver} terminates depend on how @value{GDBN}
18508 connects to it (@kbd{target remote} or @kbd{target extended-remote}). The
18509 @option{--multi} option to @code{gdbserver} has no influence on that.
18510
18511 @subsubsection TCP port allocation lifecycle of @code{gdbserver}
18512
18513 This section applies only when @code{gdbserver} is run to listen on a TCP port.
18514
18515 @code{gdbserver} normally terminates after all of its debugged processes have
18516 terminated in @kbd{target remote} mode. On the other hand, for @kbd{target
18517 extended-remote}, @code{gdbserver} stays running even with no processes left.
18518 @value{GDBN} normally terminates the spawned debugged process on its exit,
18519 which normally also terminates @code{gdbserver} in the @kbd{target remote}
18520 mode. Therefore, when the connection drops unexpectedly, and @value{GDBN}
18521 cannot ask @code{gdbserver} to kill its debugged processes, @code{gdbserver}
18522 stays running even in the @kbd{target remote} mode.
18523
18524 When @code{gdbserver} stays running, @value{GDBN} can connect to it again later.
18525 Such reconnecting is useful for features like @ref{disconnected tracing}. For
18526 completeness, at most one @value{GDBN} can be connected at a time.
18527
18528 @cindex @option{--once}, @code{gdbserver} option
18529 By default, @code{gdbserver} keeps the listening TCP port open, so that
18530 subsequent connections are possible. However, if you start @code{gdbserver}
18531 with the @option{--once} option, it will stop listening for any further
18532 connection attempts after connecting to the first @value{GDBN} session. This
18533 means no further connections to @code{gdbserver} will be possible after the
18534 first one. It also means @code{gdbserver} will terminate after the first
18535 connection with remote @value{GDBN} has closed, even for unexpectedly closed
18536 connections and even in the @kbd{target extended-remote} mode. The
18537 @option{--once} option allows reusing the same port number for connecting to
18538 multiple instances of @code{gdbserver} running on the same host, since each
18539 instance closes its port after the first connection.
18540
18541 @anchor{Other Command-Line Arguments for gdbserver}
18542 @subsubsection Other Command-Line Arguments for @code{gdbserver}
18543
18544 @cindex @option{--debug}, @code{gdbserver} option
18545 The @option{--debug} option tells @code{gdbserver} to display extra
18546 status information about the debugging process.
18547 @cindex @option{--remote-debug}, @code{gdbserver} option
18548 The @option{--remote-debug} option tells @code{gdbserver} to display
18549 remote protocol debug output. These options are intended for
18550 @code{gdbserver} development and for bug reports to the developers.
18551
18552 @cindex @option{--debug-format}, @code{gdbserver} option
18553 The @option{--debug-format=option1[,option2,...]} option tells
18554 @code{gdbserver} to include additional information in each output.
18555 Possible options are:
18556
18557 @table @code
18558 @item none
18559 Turn off all extra information in debugging output.
18560 @item all
18561 Turn on all extra information in debugging output.
18562 @item timestamps
18563 Include a timestamp in each line of debugging output.
18564 @end table
18565
18566 Options are processed in order. Thus, for example, if @option{none}
18567 appears last then no additional information is added to debugging output.
18568
18569 @cindex @option{--wrapper}, @code{gdbserver} option
18570 The @option{--wrapper} option specifies a wrapper to launch programs
18571 for debugging. The option should be followed by the name of the
18572 wrapper, then any command-line arguments to pass to the wrapper, then
18573 @kbd{--} indicating the end of the wrapper arguments.
18574
18575 @code{gdbserver} runs the specified wrapper program with a combined
18576 command line including the wrapper arguments, then the name of the
18577 program to debug, then any arguments to the program. The wrapper
18578 runs until it executes your program, and then @value{GDBN} gains control.
18579
18580 You can use any program that eventually calls @code{execve} with
18581 its arguments as a wrapper. Several standard Unix utilities do
18582 this, e.g.@: @code{env} and @code{nohup}. Any Unix shell script ending
18583 with @code{exec "$@@"} will also work.
18584
18585 For example, you can use @code{env} to pass an environment variable to
18586 the debugged program, without setting the variable in @code{gdbserver}'s
18587 environment:
18588
18589 @smallexample
18590 $ gdbserver --wrapper env LD_PRELOAD=libtest.so -- :2222 ./testprog
18591 @end smallexample
18592
18593 @subsection Connecting to @code{gdbserver}
18594
18595 Run @value{GDBN} on the host system.
18596
18597 First make sure you have the necessary symbol files. Load symbols for
18598 your application using the @code{file} command before you connect. Use
18599 @code{set sysroot} to locate target libraries (unless your @value{GDBN}
18600 was compiled with the correct sysroot using @code{--with-sysroot}).
18601
18602 The symbol file and target libraries must exactly match the executable
18603 and libraries on the target, with one exception: the files on the host
18604 system should not be stripped, even if the files on the target system
18605 are. Mismatched or missing files will lead to confusing results
18606 during debugging. On @sc{gnu}/Linux targets, mismatched or missing
18607 files may also prevent @code{gdbserver} from debugging multi-threaded
18608 programs.
18609
18610 Connect to your target (@pxref{Connecting,,Connecting to a Remote Target}).
18611 For TCP connections, you must start up @code{gdbserver} prior to using
18612 the @code{target remote} command. Otherwise you may get an error whose
18613 text depends on the host system, but which usually looks something like
18614 @samp{Connection refused}. Don't use the @code{load}
18615 command in @value{GDBN} when using @code{gdbserver}, since the program is
18616 already on the target.
18617
18618 @subsection Monitor Commands for @code{gdbserver}
18619 @cindex monitor commands, for @code{gdbserver}
18620 @anchor{Monitor Commands for gdbserver}
18621
18622 During a @value{GDBN} session using @code{gdbserver}, you can use the
18623 @code{monitor} command to send special requests to @code{gdbserver}.
18624 Here are the available commands.
18625
18626 @table @code
18627 @item monitor help
18628 List the available monitor commands.
18629
18630 @item monitor set debug 0
18631 @itemx monitor set debug 1
18632 Disable or enable general debugging messages.
18633
18634 @item monitor set remote-debug 0
18635 @itemx monitor set remote-debug 1
18636 Disable or enable specific debugging messages associated with the remote
18637 protocol (@pxref{Remote Protocol}).
18638
18639 @item monitor set debug-format option1@r{[},option2,...@r{]}
18640 Specify additional text to add to debugging messages.
18641 Possible options are:
18642
18643 @table @code
18644 @item none
18645 Turn off all extra information in debugging output.
18646 @item all
18647 Turn on all extra information in debugging output.
18648 @item timestamps
18649 Include a timestamp in each line of debugging output.
18650 @end table
18651
18652 Options are processed in order. Thus, for example, if @option{none}
18653 appears last then no additional information is added to debugging output.
18654
18655 @item monitor set libthread-db-search-path [PATH]
18656 @cindex gdbserver, search path for @code{libthread_db}
18657 When this command is issued, @var{path} is a colon-separated list of
18658 directories to search for @code{libthread_db} (@pxref{Threads,,set
18659 libthread-db-search-path}). If you omit @var{path},
18660 @samp{libthread-db-search-path} will be reset to its default value.
18661
18662 The special entry @samp{$pdir} for @samp{libthread-db-search-path} is
18663 not supported in @code{gdbserver}.
18664
18665 @item monitor exit
18666 Tell gdbserver to exit immediately. This command should be followed by
18667 @code{disconnect} to close the debugging session. @code{gdbserver} will
18668 detach from any attached processes and kill any processes it created.
18669 Use @code{monitor exit} to terminate @code{gdbserver} at the end
18670 of a multi-process mode debug session.
18671
18672 @end table
18673
18674 @subsection Tracepoints support in @code{gdbserver}
18675 @cindex tracepoints support in @code{gdbserver}
18676
18677 On some targets, @code{gdbserver} supports tracepoints, fast
18678 tracepoints and static tracepoints.
18679
18680 For fast or static tracepoints to work, a special library called the
18681 @dfn{in-process agent} (IPA), must be loaded in the inferior process.
18682 This library is built and distributed as an integral part of
18683 @code{gdbserver}. In addition, support for static tracepoints
18684 requires building the in-process agent library with static tracepoints
18685 support. At present, the UST (LTTng Userspace Tracer,
18686 @url{http://lttng.org/ust}) tracing engine is supported. This support
18687 is automatically available if UST development headers are found in the
18688 standard include path when @code{gdbserver} is built, or if
18689 @code{gdbserver} was explicitly configured using @option{--with-ust}
18690 to point at such headers. You can explicitly disable the support
18691 using @option{--with-ust=no}.
18692
18693 There are several ways to load the in-process agent in your program:
18694
18695 @table @code
18696 @item Specifying it as dependency at link time
18697
18698 You can link your program dynamically with the in-process agent
18699 library. On most systems, this is accomplished by adding
18700 @code{-linproctrace} to the link command.
18701
18702 @item Using the system's preloading mechanisms
18703
18704 You can force loading the in-process agent at startup time by using
18705 your system's support for preloading shared libraries. Many Unixes
18706 support the concept of preloading user defined libraries. In most
18707 cases, you do that by specifying @code{LD_PRELOAD=libinproctrace.so}
18708 in the environment. See also the description of @code{gdbserver}'s
18709 @option{--wrapper} command line option.
18710
18711 @item Using @value{GDBN} to force loading the agent at run time
18712
18713 On some systems, you can force the inferior to load a shared library,
18714 by calling a dynamic loader function in the inferior that takes care
18715 of dynamically looking up and loading a shared library. On most Unix
18716 systems, the function is @code{dlopen}. You'll use the @code{call}
18717 command for that. For example:
18718
18719 @smallexample
18720 (@value{GDBP}) call dlopen ("libinproctrace.so", ...)
18721 @end smallexample
18722
18723 Note that on most Unix systems, for the @code{dlopen} function to be
18724 available, the program needs to be linked with @code{-ldl}.
18725 @end table
18726
18727 On systems that have a userspace dynamic loader, like most Unix
18728 systems, when you connect to @code{gdbserver} using @code{target
18729 remote}, you'll find that the program is stopped at the dynamic
18730 loader's entry point, and no shared library has been loaded in the
18731 program's address space yet, including the in-process agent. In that
18732 case, before being able to use any of the fast or static tracepoints
18733 features, you need to let the loader run and load the shared
18734 libraries. The simplest way to do that is to run the program to the
18735 main procedure. E.g., if debugging a C or C@t{++} program, start
18736 @code{gdbserver} like so:
18737
18738 @smallexample
18739 $ gdbserver :9999 myprogram
18740 @end smallexample
18741
18742 Start GDB and connect to @code{gdbserver} like so, and run to main:
18743
18744 @smallexample
18745 $ gdb myprogram
18746 (@value{GDBP}) target remote myhost:9999
18747 0x00007f215893ba60 in ?? () from /lib64/ld-linux-x86-64.so.2
18748 (@value{GDBP}) b main
18749 (@value{GDBP}) continue
18750 @end smallexample
18751
18752 The in-process tracing agent library should now be loaded into the
18753 process; you can confirm it with the @code{info sharedlibrary}
18754 command, which will list @file{libinproctrace.so} as loaded in the
18755 process. You are now ready to install fast tracepoints, list static
18756 tracepoint markers, probe static tracepoints markers, and start
18757 tracing.
18758
18759 @node Remote Configuration
18760 @section Remote Configuration
18761
18762 @kindex set remote
18763 @kindex show remote
18764 This section documents the configuration options available when
18765 debugging remote programs. For the options related to the File I/O
18766 extensions of the remote protocol, see @ref{system,
18767 system-call-allowed}.
18768
18769 @table @code
18770 @item set remoteaddresssize @var{bits}
18771 @cindex address size for remote targets
18772 @cindex bits in remote address
18773 Set the maximum size of address in a memory packet to the specified
18774 number of bits. @value{GDBN} will mask off the address bits above
18775 that number, when it passes addresses to the remote target. The
18776 default value is the number of bits in the target's address.
18777
18778 @item show remoteaddresssize
18779 Show the current value of remote address size in bits.
18780
18781 @item set serial baud @var{n}
18782 @cindex baud rate for remote targets
18783 Set the baud rate for the remote serial I/O to @var{n} baud. The
18784 value is used to set the speed of the serial port used for debugging
18785 remote targets.
18786
18787 @item show serial baud
18788 Show the current speed of the remote connection.
18789
18790 @item set remotebreak
18791 @cindex interrupt remote programs
18792 @cindex BREAK signal instead of Ctrl-C
18793 @anchor{set remotebreak}
18794 If set to on, @value{GDBN} sends a @code{BREAK} signal to the remote
18795 when you type @kbd{Ctrl-c} to interrupt the program running
18796 on the remote. If set to off, @value{GDBN} sends the @samp{Ctrl-C}
18797 character instead. The default is off, since most remote systems
18798 expect to see @samp{Ctrl-C} as the interrupt signal.
18799
18800 @item show remotebreak
18801 Show whether @value{GDBN} sends @code{BREAK} or @samp{Ctrl-C} to
18802 interrupt the remote program.
18803
18804 @item set remoteflow on
18805 @itemx set remoteflow off
18806 @kindex set remoteflow
18807 Enable or disable hardware flow control (@code{RTS}/@code{CTS})
18808 on the serial port used to communicate to the remote target.
18809
18810 @item show remoteflow
18811 @kindex show remoteflow
18812 Show the current setting of hardware flow control.
18813
18814 @item set remotelogbase @var{base}
18815 Set the base (a.k.a.@: radix) of logging serial protocol
18816 communications to @var{base}. Supported values of @var{base} are:
18817 @code{ascii}, @code{octal}, and @code{hex}. The default is
18818 @code{ascii}.
18819
18820 @item show remotelogbase
18821 Show the current setting of the radix for logging remote serial
18822 protocol.
18823
18824 @item set remotelogfile @var{file}
18825 @cindex record serial communications on file
18826 Record remote serial communications on the named @var{file}. The
18827 default is not to record at all.
18828
18829 @item show remotelogfile.
18830 Show the current setting of the file name on which to record the
18831 serial communications.
18832
18833 @item set remotetimeout @var{num}
18834 @cindex timeout for serial communications
18835 @cindex remote timeout
18836 Set the timeout limit to wait for the remote target to respond to
18837 @var{num} seconds. The default is 2 seconds.
18838
18839 @item show remotetimeout
18840 Show the current number of seconds to wait for the remote target
18841 responses.
18842
18843 @cindex limit hardware breakpoints and watchpoints
18844 @cindex remote target, limit break- and watchpoints
18845 @anchor{set remote hardware-watchpoint-limit}
18846 @anchor{set remote hardware-breakpoint-limit}
18847 @item set remote hardware-watchpoint-limit @var{limit}
18848 @itemx set remote hardware-breakpoint-limit @var{limit}
18849 Restrict @value{GDBN} to using @var{limit} remote hardware breakpoint or
18850 watchpoints. A limit of -1, the default, is treated as unlimited.
18851
18852 @cindex limit hardware watchpoints length
18853 @cindex remote target, limit watchpoints length
18854 @anchor{set remote hardware-watchpoint-length-limit}
18855 @item set remote hardware-watchpoint-length-limit @var{limit}
18856 Restrict @value{GDBN} to using @var{limit} bytes for the maximum length of
18857 a remote hardware watchpoint. A limit of -1, the default, is treated
18858 as unlimited.
18859
18860 @item show remote hardware-watchpoint-length-limit
18861 Show the current limit (in bytes) of the maximum length of
18862 a remote hardware watchpoint.
18863
18864 @item set remote exec-file @var{filename}
18865 @itemx show remote exec-file
18866 @anchor{set remote exec-file}
18867 @cindex executable file, for remote target
18868 Select the file used for @code{run} with @code{target
18869 extended-remote}. This should be set to a filename valid on the
18870 target system. If it is not set, the target will use a default
18871 filename (e.g.@: the last program run).
18872
18873 @item set remote interrupt-sequence
18874 @cindex interrupt remote programs
18875 @cindex select Ctrl-C, BREAK or BREAK-g
18876 Allow the user to select one of @samp{Ctrl-C}, a @code{BREAK} or
18877 @samp{BREAK-g} as the
18878 sequence to the remote target in order to interrupt the execution.
18879 @samp{Ctrl-C} is a default. Some system prefers @code{BREAK} which
18880 is high level of serial line for some certain time.
18881 Linux kernel prefers @samp{BREAK-g}, a.k.a Magic SysRq g.
18882 It is @code{BREAK} signal followed by character @code{g}.
18883
18884 @item show interrupt-sequence
18885 Show which of @samp{Ctrl-C}, @code{BREAK} or @code{BREAK-g}
18886 is sent by @value{GDBN} to interrupt the remote program.
18887 @code{BREAK-g} is BREAK signal followed by @code{g} and
18888 also known as Magic SysRq g.
18889
18890 @item set remote interrupt-on-connect
18891 @cindex send interrupt-sequence on start
18892 Specify whether interrupt-sequence is sent to remote target when
18893 @value{GDBN} connects to it. This is mostly needed when you debug
18894 Linux kernel. Linux kernel expects @code{BREAK} followed by @code{g}
18895 which is known as Magic SysRq g in order to connect @value{GDBN}.
18896
18897 @item show interrupt-on-connect
18898 Show whether interrupt-sequence is sent
18899 to remote target when @value{GDBN} connects to it.
18900
18901 @kindex set tcp
18902 @kindex show tcp
18903 @item set tcp auto-retry on
18904 @cindex auto-retry, for remote TCP target
18905 Enable auto-retry for remote TCP connections. This is useful if the remote
18906 debugging agent is launched in parallel with @value{GDBN}; there is a race
18907 condition because the agent may not become ready to accept the connection
18908 before @value{GDBN} attempts to connect. When auto-retry is
18909 enabled, if the initial attempt to connect fails, @value{GDBN} reattempts
18910 to establish the connection using the timeout specified by
18911 @code{set tcp connect-timeout}.
18912
18913 @item set tcp auto-retry off
18914 Do not auto-retry failed TCP connections.
18915
18916 @item show tcp auto-retry
18917 Show the current auto-retry setting.
18918
18919 @item set tcp connect-timeout @var{seconds}
18920 @itemx set tcp connect-timeout unlimited
18921 @cindex connection timeout, for remote TCP target
18922 @cindex timeout, for remote target connection
18923 Set the timeout for establishing a TCP connection to the remote target to
18924 @var{seconds}. The timeout affects both polling to retry failed connections
18925 (enabled by @code{set tcp auto-retry on}) and waiting for connections
18926 that are merely slow to complete, and represents an approximate cumulative
18927 value. If @var{seconds} is @code{unlimited}, there is no timeout and
18928 @value{GDBN} will keep attempting to establish a connection forever,
18929 unless interrupted with @kbd{Ctrl-c}. The default is 15 seconds.
18930
18931 @item show tcp connect-timeout
18932 Show the current connection timeout setting.
18933 @end table
18934
18935 @cindex remote packets, enabling and disabling
18936 The @value{GDBN} remote protocol autodetects the packets supported by
18937 your debugging stub. If you need to override the autodetection, you
18938 can use these commands to enable or disable individual packets. Each
18939 packet can be set to @samp{on} (the remote target supports this
18940 packet), @samp{off} (the remote target does not support this packet),
18941 or @samp{auto} (detect remote target support for this packet). They
18942 all default to @samp{auto}. For more information about each packet,
18943 see @ref{Remote Protocol}.
18944
18945 During normal use, you should not have to use any of these commands.
18946 If you do, that may be a bug in your remote debugging stub, or a bug
18947 in @value{GDBN}. You may want to report the problem to the
18948 @value{GDBN} developers.
18949
18950 For each packet @var{name}, the command to enable or disable the
18951 packet is @code{set remote @var{name}-packet}. The available settings
18952 are:
18953
18954 @multitable @columnfractions 0.28 0.32 0.25
18955 @item Command Name
18956 @tab Remote Packet
18957 @tab Related Features
18958
18959 @item @code{fetch-register}
18960 @tab @code{p}
18961 @tab @code{info registers}
18962
18963 @item @code{set-register}
18964 @tab @code{P}
18965 @tab @code{set}
18966
18967 @item @code{binary-download}
18968 @tab @code{X}
18969 @tab @code{load}, @code{set}
18970
18971 @item @code{read-aux-vector}
18972 @tab @code{qXfer:auxv:read}
18973 @tab @code{info auxv}
18974
18975 @item @code{symbol-lookup}
18976 @tab @code{qSymbol}
18977 @tab Detecting multiple threads
18978
18979 @item @code{attach}
18980 @tab @code{vAttach}
18981 @tab @code{attach}
18982
18983 @item @code{verbose-resume}
18984 @tab @code{vCont}
18985 @tab Stepping or resuming multiple threads
18986
18987 @item @code{run}
18988 @tab @code{vRun}
18989 @tab @code{run}
18990
18991 @item @code{software-breakpoint}
18992 @tab @code{Z0}
18993 @tab @code{break}
18994
18995 @item @code{hardware-breakpoint}
18996 @tab @code{Z1}
18997 @tab @code{hbreak}
18998
18999 @item @code{write-watchpoint}
19000 @tab @code{Z2}
19001 @tab @code{watch}
19002
19003 @item @code{read-watchpoint}
19004 @tab @code{Z3}
19005 @tab @code{rwatch}
19006
19007 @item @code{access-watchpoint}
19008 @tab @code{Z4}
19009 @tab @code{awatch}
19010
19011 @item @code{target-features}
19012 @tab @code{qXfer:features:read}
19013 @tab @code{set architecture}
19014
19015 @item @code{library-info}
19016 @tab @code{qXfer:libraries:read}
19017 @tab @code{info sharedlibrary}
19018
19019 @item @code{memory-map}
19020 @tab @code{qXfer:memory-map:read}
19021 @tab @code{info mem}
19022
19023 @item @code{read-sdata-object}
19024 @tab @code{qXfer:sdata:read}
19025 @tab @code{print $_sdata}
19026
19027 @item @code{read-spu-object}
19028 @tab @code{qXfer:spu:read}
19029 @tab @code{info spu}
19030
19031 @item @code{write-spu-object}
19032 @tab @code{qXfer:spu:write}
19033 @tab @code{info spu}
19034
19035 @item @code{read-siginfo-object}
19036 @tab @code{qXfer:siginfo:read}
19037 @tab @code{print $_siginfo}
19038
19039 @item @code{write-siginfo-object}
19040 @tab @code{qXfer:siginfo:write}
19041 @tab @code{set $_siginfo}
19042
19043 @item @code{threads}
19044 @tab @code{qXfer:threads:read}
19045 @tab @code{info threads}
19046
19047 @item @code{get-thread-local-@*storage-address}
19048 @tab @code{qGetTLSAddr}
19049 @tab Displaying @code{__thread} variables
19050
19051 @item @code{get-thread-information-block-address}
19052 @tab @code{qGetTIBAddr}
19053 @tab Display MS-Windows Thread Information Block.
19054
19055 @item @code{search-memory}
19056 @tab @code{qSearch:memory}
19057 @tab @code{find}
19058
19059 @item @code{supported-packets}
19060 @tab @code{qSupported}
19061 @tab Remote communications parameters
19062
19063 @item @code{pass-signals}
19064 @tab @code{QPassSignals}
19065 @tab @code{handle @var{signal}}
19066
19067 @item @code{program-signals}
19068 @tab @code{QProgramSignals}
19069 @tab @code{handle @var{signal}}
19070
19071 @item @code{hostio-close-packet}
19072 @tab @code{vFile:close}
19073 @tab @code{remote get}, @code{remote put}
19074
19075 @item @code{hostio-open-packet}
19076 @tab @code{vFile:open}
19077 @tab @code{remote get}, @code{remote put}
19078
19079 @item @code{hostio-pread-packet}
19080 @tab @code{vFile:pread}
19081 @tab @code{remote get}, @code{remote put}
19082
19083 @item @code{hostio-pwrite-packet}
19084 @tab @code{vFile:pwrite}
19085 @tab @code{remote get}, @code{remote put}
19086
19087 @item @code{hostio-unlink-packet}
19088 @tab @code{vFile:unlink}
19089 @tab @code{remote delete}
19090
19091 @item @code{hostio-readlink-packet}
19092 @tab @code{vFile:readlink}
19093 @tab Host I/O
19094
19095 @item @code{noack-packet}
19096 @tab @code{QStartNoAckMode}
19097 @tab Packet acknowledgment
19098
19099 @item @code{osdata}
19100 @tab @code{qXfer:osdata:read}
19101 @tab @code{info os}
19102
19103 @item @code{query-attached}
19104 @tab @code{qAttached}
19105 @tab Querying remote process attach state.
19106
19107 @item @code{trace-buffer-size}
19108 @tab @code{QTBuffer:size}
19109 @tab @code{set trace-buffer-size}
19110
19111 @item @code{trace-status}
19112 @tab @code{qTStatus}
19113 @tab @code{tstatus}
19114
19115 @item @code{traceframe-info}
19116 @tab @code{qXfer:traceframe-info:read}
19117 @tab Traceframe info
19118
19119 @item @code{install-in-trace}
19120 @tab @code{InstallInTrace}
19121 @tab Install tracepoint in tracing
19122
19123 @item @code{disable-randomization}
19124 @tab @code{QDisableRandomization}
19125 @tab @code{set disable-randomization}
19126
19127 @item @code{conditional-breakpoints-packet}
19128 @tab @code{Z0 and Z1}
19129 @tab @code{Support for target-side breakpoint condition evaluation}
19130 @end multitable
19131
19132 @node Remote Stub
19133 @section Implementing a Remote Stub
19134
19135 @cindex debugging stub, example
19136 @cindex remote stub, example
19137 @cindex stub example, remote debugging
19138 The stub files provided with @value{GDBN} implement the target side of the
19139 communication protocol, and the @value{GDBN} side is implemented in the
19140 @value{GDBN} source file @file{remote.c}. Normally, you can simply allow
19141 these subroutines to communicate, and ignore the details. (If you're
19142 implementing your own stub file, you can still ignore the details: start
19143 with one of the existing stub files. @file{sparc-stub.c} is the best
19144 organized, and therefore the easiest to read.)
19145
19146 @cindex remote serial debugging, overview
19147 To debug a program running on another machine (the debugging
19148 @dfn{target} machine), you must first arrange for all the usual
19149 prerequisites for the program to run by itself. For example, for a C
19150 program, you need:
19151
19152 @enumerate
19153 @item
19154 A startup routine to set up the C runtime environment; these usually
19155 have a name like @file{crt0}. The startup routine may be supplied by
19156 your hardware supplier, or you may have to write your own.
19157
19158 @item
19159 A C subroutine library to support your program's
19160 subroutine calls, notably managing input and output.
19161
19162 @item
19163 A way of getting your program to the other machine---for example, a
19164 download program. These are often supplied by the hardware
19165 manufacturer, but you may have to write your own from hardware
19166 documentation.
19167 @end enumerate
19168
19169 The next step is to arrange for your program to use a serial port to
19170 communicate with the machine where @value{GDBN} is running (the @dfn{host}
19171 machine). In general terms, the scheme looks like this:
19172
19173 @table @emph
19174 @item On the host,
19175 @value{GDBN} already understands how to use this protocol; when everything
19176 else is set up, you can simply use the @samp{target remote} command
19177 (@pxref{Targets,,Specifying a Debugging Target}).
19178
19179 @item On the target,
19180 you must link with your program a few special-purpose subroutines that
19181 implement the @value{GDBN} remote serial protocol. The file containing these
19182 subroutines is called a @dfn{debugging stub}.
19183
19184 On certain remote targets, you can use an auxiliary program
19185 @code{gdbserver} instead of linking a stub into your program.
19186 @xref{Server,,Using the @code{gdbserver} Program}, for details.
19187 @end table
19188
19189 The debugging stub is specific to the architecture of the remote
19190 machine; for example, use @file{sparc-stub.c} to debug programs on
19191 @sc{sparc} boards.
19192
19193 @cindex remote serial stub list
19194 These working remote stubs are distributed with @value{GDBN}:
19195
19196 @table @code
19197
19198 @item i386-stub.c
19199 @cindex @file{i386-stub.c}
19200 @cindex Intel
19201 @cindex i386
19202 For Intel 386 and compatible architectures.
19203
19204 @item m68k-stub.c
19205 @cindex @file{m68k-stub.c}
19206 @cindex Motorola 680x0
19207 @cindex m680x0
19208 For Motorola 680x0 architectures.
19209
19210 @item sh-stub.c
19211 @cindex @file{sh-stub.c}
19212 @cindex Renesas
19213 @cindex SH
19214 For Renesas SH architectures.
19215
19216 @item sparc-stub.c
19217 @cindex @file{sparc-stub.c}
19218 @cindex Sparc
19219 For @sc{sparc} architectures.
19220
19221 @item sparcl-stub.c
19222 @cindex @file{sparcl-stub.c}
19223 @cindex Fujitsu
19224 @cindex SparcLite
19225 For Fujitsu @sc{sparclite} architectures.
19226
19227 @end table
19228
19229 The @file{README} file in the @value{GDBN} distribution may list other
19230 recently added stubs.
19231
19232 @menu
19233 * Stub Contents:: What the stub can do for you
19234 * Bootstrapping:: What you must do for the stub
19235 * Debug Session:: Putting it all together
19236 @end menu
19237
19238 @node Stub Contents
19239 @subsection What the Stub Can Do for You
19240
19241 @cindex remote serial stub
19242 The debugging stub for your architecture supplies these three
19243 subroutines:
19244
19245 @table @code
19246 @item set_debug_traps
19247 @findex set_debug_traps
19248 @cindex remote serial stub, initialization
19249 This routine arranges for @code{handle_exception} to run when your
19250 program stops. You must call this subroutine explicitly in your
19251 program's startup code.
19252
19253 @item handle_exception
19254 @findex handle_exception
19255 @cindex remote serial stub, main routine
19256 This is the central workhorse, but your program never calls it
19257 explicitly---the setup code arranges for @code{handle_exception} to
19258 run when a trap is triggered.
19259
19260 @code{handle_exception} takes control when your program stops during
19261 execution (for example, on a breakpoint), and mediates communications
19262 with @value{GDBN} on the host machine. This is where the communications
19263 protocol is implemented; @code{handle_exception} acts as the @value{GDBN}
19264 representative on the target machine. It begins by sending summary
19265 information on the state of your program, then continues to execute,
19266 retrieving and transmitting any information @value{GDBN} needs, until you
19267 execute a @value{GDBN} command that makes your program resume; at that point,
19268 @code{handle_exception} returns control to your own code on the target
19269 machine.
19270
19271 @item breakpoint
19272 @cindex @code{breakpoint} subroutine, remote
19273 Use this auxiliary subroutine to make your program contain a
19274 breakpoint. Depending on the particular situation, this may be the only
19275 way for @value{GDBN} to get control. For instance, if your target
19276 machine has some sort of interrupt button, you won't need to call this;
19277 pressing the interrupt button transfers control to
19278 @code{handle_exception}---in effect, to @value{GDBN}. On some machines,
19279 simply receiving characters on the serial port may also trigger a trap;
19280 again, in that situation, you don't need to call @code{breakpoint} from
19281 your own program---simply running @samp{target remote} from the host
19282 @value{GDBN} session gets control.
19283
19284 Call @code{breakpoint} if none of these is true, or if you simply want
19285 to make certain your program stops at a predetermined point for the
19286 start of your debugging session.
19287 @end table
19288
19289 @node Bootstrapping
19290 @subsection What You Must Do for the Stub
19291
19292 @cindex remote stub, support routines
19293 The debugging stubs that come with @value{GDBN} are set up for a particular
19294 chip architecture, but they have no information about the rest of your
19295 debugging target machine.
19296
19297 First of all you need to tell the stub how to communicate with the
19298 serial port.
19299
19300 @table @code
19301 @item int getDebugChar()
19302 @findex getDebugChar
19303 Write this subroutine to read a single character from the serial port.
19304 It may be identical to @code{getchar} for your target system; a
19305 different name is used to allow you to distinguish the two if you wish.
19306
19307 @item void putDebugChar(int)
19308 @findex putDebugChar
19309 Write this subroutine to write a single character to the serial port.
19310 It may be identical to @code{putchar} for your target system; a
19311 different name is used to allow you to distinguish the two if you wish.
19312 @end table
19313
19314 @cindex control C, and remote debugging
19315 @cindex interrupting remote targets
19316 If you want @value{GDBN} to be able to stop your program while it is
19317 running, you need to use an interrupt-driven serial driver, and arrange
19318 for it to stop when it receives a @code{^C} (@samp{\003}, the control-C
19319 character). That is the character which @value{GDBN} uses to tell the
19320 remote system to stop.
19321
19322 Getting the debugging target to return the proper status to @value{GDBN}
19323 probably requires changes to the standard stub; one quick and dirty way
19324 is to just execute a breakpoint instruction (the ``dirty'' part is that
19325 @value{GDBN} reports a @code{SIGTRAP} instead of a @code{SIGINT}).
19326
19327 Other routines you need to supply are:
19328
19329 @table @code
19330 @item void exceptionHandler (int @var{exception_number}, void *@var{exception_address})
19331 @findex exceptionHandler
19332 Write this function to install @var{exception_address} in the exception
19333 handling tables. You need to do this because the stub does not have any
19334 way of knowing what the exception handling tables on your target system
19335 are like (for example, the processor's table might be in @sc{rom},
19336 containing entries which point to a table in @sc{ram}).
19337 @var{exception_number} is the exception number which should be changed;
19338 its meaning is architecture-dependent (for example, different numbers
19339 might represent divide by zero, misaligned access, etc). When this
19340 exception occurs, control should be transferred directly to
19341 @var{exception_address}, and the processor state (stack, registers,
19342 and so on) should be just as it is when a processor exception occurs. So if
19343 you want to use a jump instruction to reach @var{exception_address}, it
19344 should be a simple jump, not a jump to subroutine.
19345
19346 For the 386, @var{exception_address} should be installed as an interrupt
19347 gate so that interrupts are masked while the handler runs. The gate
19348 should be at privilege level 0 (the most privileged level). The
19349 @sc{sparc} and 68k stubs are able to mask interrupts themselves without
19350 help from @code{exceptionHandler}.
19351
19352 @item void flush_i_cache()
19353 @findex flush_i_cache
19354 On @sc{sparc} and @sc{sparclite} only, write this subroutine to flush the
19355 instruction cache, if any, on your target machine. If there is no
19356 instruction cache, this subroutine may be a no-op.
19357
19358 On target machines that have instruction caches, @value{GDBN} requires this
19359 function to make certain that the state of your program is stable.
19360 @end table
19361
19362 @noindent
19363 You must also make sure this library routine is available:
19364
19365 @table @code
19366 @item void *memset(void *, int, int)
19367 @findex memset
19368 This is the standard library function @code{memset} that sets an area of
19369 memory to a known value. If you have one of the free versions of
19370 @code{libc.a}, @code{memset} can be found there; otherwise, you must
19371 either obtain it from your hardware manufacturer, or write your own.
19372 @end table
19373
19374 If you do not use the GNU C compiler, you may need other standard
19375 library subroutines as well; this varies from one stub to another,
19376 but in general the stubs are likely to use any of the common library
19377 subroutines which @code{@value{NGCC}} generates as inline code.
19378
19379
19380 @node Debug Session
19381 @subsection Putting it All Together
19382
19383 @cindex remote serial debugging summary
19384 In summary, when your program is ready to debug, you must follow these
19385 steps.
19386
19387 @enumerate
19388 @item
19389 Make sure you have defined the supporting low-level routines
19390 (@pxref{Bootstrapping,,What You Must Do for the Stub}):
19391 @display
19392 @code{getDebugChar}, @code{putDebugChar},
19393 @code{flush_i_cache}, @code{memset}, @code{exceptionHandler}.
19394 @end display
19395
19396 @item
19397 Insert these lines in your program's startup code, before the main
19398 procedure is called:
19399
19400 @smallexample
19401 set_debug_traps();
19402 breakpoint();
19403 @end smallexample
19404
19405 On some machines, when a breakpoint trap is raised, the hardware
19406 automatically makes the PC point to the instruction after the
19407 breakpoint. If your machine doesn't do that, you may need to adjust
19408 @code{handle_exception} to arrange for it to return to the instruction
19409 after the breakpoint on this first invocation, so that your program
19410 doesn't keep hitting the initial breakpoint instead of making
19411 progress.
19412
19413 @item
19414 For the 680x0 stub only, you need to provide a variable called
19415 @code{exceptionHook}. Normally you just use:
19416
19417 @smallexample
19418 void (*exceptionHook)() = 0;
19419 @end smallexample
19420
19421 @noindent
19422 but if before calling @code{set_debug_traps}, you set it to point to a
19423 function in your program, that function is called when
19424 @code{@value{GDBN}} continues after stopping on a trap (for example, bus
19425 error). The function indicated by @code{exceptionHook} is called with
19426 one parameter: an @code{int} which is the exception number.
19427
19428 @item
19429 Compile and link together: your program, the @value{GDBN} debugging stub for
19430 your target architecture, and the supporting subroutines.
19431
19432 @item
19433 Make sure you have a serial connection between your target machine and
19434 the @value{GDBN} host, and identify the serial port on the host.
19435
19436 @item
19437 @c The "remote" target now provides a `load' command, so we should
19438 @c document that. FIXME.
19439 Download your program to your target machine (or get it there by
19440 whatever means the manufacturer provides), and start it.
19441
19442 @item
19443 Start @value{GDBN} on the host, and connect to the target
19444 (@pxref{Connecting,,Connecting to a Remote Target}).
19445
19446 @end enumerate
19447
19448 @node Configurations
19449 @chapter Configuration-Specific Information
19450
19451 While nearly all @value{GDBN} commands are available for all native and
19452 cross versions of the debugger, there are some exceptions. This chapter
19453 describes things that are only available in certain configurations.
19454
19455 There are three major categories of configurations: native
19456 configurations, where the host and target are the same, embedded
19457 operating system configurations, which are usually the same for several
19458 different processor architectures, and bare embedded processors, which
19459 are quite different from each other.
19460
19461 @menu
19462 * Native::
19463 * Embedded OS::
19464 * Embedded Processors::
19465 * Architectures::
19466 @end menu
19467
19468 @node Native
19469 @section Native
19470
19471 This section describes details specific to particular native
19472 configurations.
19473
19474 @menu
19475 * HP-UX:: HP-UX
19476 * BSD libkvm Interface:: Debugging BSD kernel memory images
19477 * SVR4 Process Information:: SVR4 process information
19478 * DJGPP Native:: Features specific to the DJGPP port
19479 * Cygwin Native:: Features specific to the Cygwin port
19480 * Hurd Native:: Features specific to @sc{gnu} Hurd
19481 * Darwin:: Features specific to Darwin
19482 @end menu
19483
19484 @node HP-UX
19485 @subsection HP-UX
19486
19487 On HP-UX systems, if you refer to a function or variable name that
19488 begins with a dollar sign, @value{GDBN} searches for a user or system
19489 name first, before it searches for a convenience variable.
19490
19491
19492 @node BSD libkvm Interface
19493 @subsection BSD libkvm Interface
19494
19495 @cindex libkvm
19496 @cindex kernel memory image
19497 @cindex kernel crash dump
19498
19499 BSD-derived systems (FreeBSD/NetBSD/OpenBSD) have a kernel memory
19500 interface that provides a uniform interface for accessing kernel virtual
19501 memory images, including live systems and crash dumps. @value{GDBN}
19502 uses this interface to allow you to debug live kernels and kernel crash
19503 dumps on many native BSD configurations. This is implemented as a
19504 special @code{kvm} debugging target. For debugging a live system, load
19505 the currently running kernel into @value{GDBN} and connect to the
19506 @code{kvm} target:
19507
19508 @smallexample
19509 (@value{GDBP}) @b{target kvm}
19510 @end smallexample
19511
19512 For debugging crash dumps, provide the file name of the crash dump as an
19513 argument:
19514
19515 @smallexample
19516 (@value{GDBP}) @b{target kvm /var/crash/bsd.0}
19517 @end smallexample
19518
19519 Once connected to the @code{kvm} target, the following commands are
19520 available:
19521
19522 @table @code
19523 @kindex kvm
19524 @item kvm pcb
19525 Set current context from the @dfn{Process Control Block} (PCB) address.
19526
19527 @item kvm proc
19528 Set current context from proc address. This command isn't available on
19529 modern FreeBSD systems.
19530 @end table
19531
19532 @node SVR4 Process Information
19533 @subsection SVR4 Process Information
19534 @cindex /proc
19535 @cindex examine process image
19536 @cindex process info via @file{/proc}
19537
19538 Many versions of SVR4 and compatible systems provide a facility called
19539 @samp{/proc} that can be used to examine the image of a running
19540 process using file-system subroutines.
19541
19542 If @value{GDBN} is configured for an operating system with this
19543 facility, the command @code{info proc} is available to report
19544 information about the process running your program, or about any
19545 process running on your system. This includes, as of this writing,
19546 @sc{gnu}/Linux, OSF/1 (Digital Unix), Solaris, and Irix, but
19547 not HP-UX, for example.
19548
19549 This command may also work on core files that were created on a system
19550 that has the @samp{/proc} facility.
19551
19552 @table @code
19553 @kindex info proc
19554 @cindex process ID
19555 @item info proc
19556 @itemx info proc @var{process-id}
19557 Summarize available information about any running process. If a
19558 process ID is specified by @var{process-id}, display information about
19559 that process; otherwise display information about the program being
19560 debugged. The summary includes the debugged process ID, the command
19561 line used to invoke it, its current working directory, and its
19562 executable file's absolute file name.
19563
19564 On some systems, @var{process-id} can be of the form
19565 @samp{[@var{pid}]/@var{tid}} which specifies a certain thread ID
19566 within a process. If the optional @var{pid} part is missing, it means
19567 a thread from the process being debugged (the leading @samp{/} still
19568 needs to be present, or else @value{GDBN} will interpret the number as
19569 a process ID rather than a thread ID).
19570
19571 @item info proc cmdline
19572 @cindex info proc cmdline
19573 Show the original command line of the process. This command is
19574 specific to @sc{gnu}/Linux.
19575
19576 @item info proc cwd
19577 @cindex info proc cwd
19578 Show the current working directory of the process. This command is
19579 specific to @sc{gnu}/Linux.
19580
19581 @item info proc exe
19582 @cindex info proc exe
19583 Show the name of executable of the process. This command is specific
19584 to @sc{gnu}/Linux.
19585
19586 @item info proc mappings
19587 @cindex memory address space mappings
19588 Report the memory address space ranges accessible in the program, with
19589 information on whether the process has read, write, or execute access
19590 rights to each range. On @sc{gnu}/Linux systems, each memory range
19591 includes the object file which is mapped to that range, instead of the
19592 memory access rights to that range.
19593
19594 @item info proc stat
19595 @itemx info proc status
19596 @cindex process detailed status information
19597 These subcommands are specific to @sc{gnu}/Linux systems. They show
19598 the process-related information, including the user ID and group ID;
19599 how many threads are there in the process; its virtual memory usage;
19600 the signals that are pending, blocked, and ignored; its TTY; its
19601 consumption of system and user time; its stack size; its @samp{nice}
19602 value; etc. For more information, see the @samp{proc} man page
19603 (type @kbd{man 5 proc} from your shell prompt).
19604
19605 @item info proc all
19606 Show all the information about the process described under all of the
19607 above @code{info proc} subcommands.
19608
19609 @ignore
19610 @comment These sub-options of 'info proc' were not included when
19611 @comment procfs.c was re-written. Keep their descriptions around
19612 @comment against the day when someone finds the time to put them back in.
19613 @kindex info proc times
19614 @item info proc times
19615 Starting time, user CPU time, and system CPU time for your program and
19616 its children.
19617
19618 @kindex info proc id
19619 @item info proc id
19620 Report on the process IDs related to your program: its own process ID,
19621 the ID of its parent, the process group ID, and the session ID.
19622 @end ignore
19623
19624 @item set procfs-trace
19625 @kindex set procfs-trace
19626 @cindex @code{procfs} API calls
19627 This command enables and disables tracing of @code{procfs} API calls.
19628
19629 @item show procfs-trace
19630 @kindex show procfs-trace
19631 Show the current state of @code{procfs} API call tracing.
19632
19633 @item set procfs-file @var{file}
19634 @kindex set procfs-file
19635 Tell @value{GDBN} to write @code{procfs} API trace to the named
19636 @var{file}. @value{GDBN} appends the trace info to the previous
19637 contents of the file. The default is to display the trace on the
19638 standard output.
19639
19640 @item show procfs-file
19641 @kindex show procfs-file
19642 Show the file to which @code{procfs} API trace is written.
19643
19644 @item proc-trace-entry
19645 @itemx proc-trace-exit
19646 @itemx proc-untrace-entry
19647 @itemx proc-untrace-exit
19648 @kindex proc-trace-entry
19649 @kindex proc-trace-exit
19650 @kindex proc-untrace-entry
19651 @kindex proc-untrace-exit
19652 These commands enable and disable tracing of entries into and exits
19653 from the @code{syscall} interface.
19654
19655 @item info pidlist
19656 @kindex info pidlist
19657 @cindex process list, QNX Neutrino
19658 For QNX Neutrino only, this command displays the list of all the
19659 processes and all the threads within each process.
19660
19661 @item info meminfo
19662 @kindex info meminfo
19663 @cindex mapinfo list, QNX Neutrino
19664 For QNX Neutrino only, this command displays the list of all mapinfos.
19665 @end table
19666
19667 @node DJGPP Native
19668 @subsection Features for Debugging @sc{djgpp} Programs
19669 @cindex @sc{djgpp} debugging
19670 @cindex native @sc{djgpp} debugging
19671 @cindex MS-DOS-specific commands
19672
19673 @cindex DPMI
19674 @sc{djgpp} is a port of the @sc{gnu} development tools to MS-DOS and
19675 MS-Windows. @sc{djgpp} programs are 32-bit protected-mode programs
19676 that use the @dfn{DPMI} (DOS Protected-Mode Interface) API to run on
19677 top of real-mode DOS systems and their emulations.
19678
19679 @value{GDBN} supports native debugging of @sc{djgpp} programs, and
19680 defines a few commands specific to the @sc{djgpp} port. This
19681 subsection describes those commands.
19682
19683 @table @code
19684 @kindex info dos
19685 @item info dos
19686 This is a prefix of @sc{djgpp}-specific commands which print
19687 information about the target system and important OS structures.
19688
19689 @kindex sysinfo
19690 @cindex MS-DOS system info
19691 @cindex free memory information (MS-DOS)
19692 @item info dos sysinfo
19693 This command displays assorted information about the underlying
19694 platform: the CPU type and features, the OS version and flavor, the
19695 DPMI version, and the available conventional and DPMI memory.
19696
19697 @cindex GDT
19698 @cindex LDT
19699 @cindex IDT
19700 @cindex segment descriptor tables
19701 @cindex descriptor tables display
19702 @item info dos gdt
19703 @itemx info dos ldt
19704 @itemx info dos idt
19705 These 3 commands display entries from, respectively, Global, Local,
19706 and Interrupt Descriptor Tables (GDT, LDT, and IDT). The descriptor
19707 tables are data structures which store a descriptor for each segment
19708 that is currently in use. The segment's selector is an index into a
19709 descriptor table; the table entry for that index holds the
19710 descriptor's base address and limit, and its attributes and access
19711 rights.
19712
19713 A typical @sc{djgpp} program uses 3 segments: a code segment, a data
19714 segment (used for both data and the stack), and a DOS segment (which
19715 allows access to DOS/BIOS data structures and absolute addresses in
19716 conventional memory). However, the DPMI host will usually define
19717 additional segments in order to support the DPMI environment.
19718
19719 @cindex garbled pointers
19720 These commands allow to display entries from the descriptor tables.
19721 Without an argument, all entries from the specified table are
19722 displayed. An argument, which should be an integer expression, means
19723 display a single entry whose index is given by the argument. For
19724 example, here's a convenient way to display information about the
19725 debugged program's data segment:
19726
19727 @smallexample
19728 @exdent @code{(@value{GDBP}) info dos ldt $ds}
19729 @exdent @code{0x13f: base=0x11970000 limit=0x0009ffff 32-Bit Data (Read/Write, Exp-up)}
19730 @end smallexample
19731
19732 @noindent
19733 This comes in handy when you want to see whether a pointer is outside
19734 the data segment's limit (i.e.@: @dfn{garbled}).
19735
19736 @cindex page tables display (MS-DOS)
19737 @item info dos pde
19738 @itemx info dos pte
19739 These two commands display entries from, respectively, the Page
19740 Directory and the Page Tables. Page Directories and Page Tables are
19741 data structures which control how virtual memory addresses are mapped
19742 into physical addresses. A Page Table includes an entry for every
19743 page of memory that is mapped into the program's address space; there
19744 may be several Page Tables, each one holding up to 4096 entries. A
19745 Page Directory has up to 4096 entries, one each for every Page Table
19746 that is currently in use.
19747
19748 Without an argument, @kbd{info dos pde} displays the entire Page
19749 Directory, and @kbd{info dos pte} displays all the entries in all of
19750 the Page Tables. An argument, an integer expression, given to the
19751 @kbd{info dos pde} command means display only that entry from the Page
19752 Directory table. An argument given to the @kbd{info dos pte} command
19753 means display entries from a single Page Table, the one pointed to by
19754 the specified entry in the Page Directory.
19755
19756 @cindex direct memory access (DMA) on MS-DOS
19757 These commands are useful when your program uses @dfn{DMA} (Direct
19758 Memory Access), which needs physical addresses to program the DMA
19759 controller.
19760
19761 These commands are supported only with some DPMI servers.
19762
19763 @cindex physical address from linear address
19764 @item info dos address-pte @var{addr}
19765 This command displays the Page Table entry for a specified linear
19766 address. The argument @var{addr} is a linear address which should
19767 already have the appropriate segment's base address added to it,
19768 because this command accepts addresses which may belong to @emph{any}
19769 segment. For example, here's how to display the Page Table entry for
19770 the page where a variable @code{i} is stored:
19771
19772 @smallexample
19773 @exdent @code{(@value{GDBP}) info dos address-pte __djgpp_base_address + (char *)&i}
19774 @exdent @code{Page Table entry for address 0x11a00d30:}
19775 @exdent @code{Base=0x02698000 Dirty Acc. Not-Cached Write-Back Usr Read-Write +0xd30}
19776 @end smallexample
19777
19778 @noindent
19779 This says that @code{i} is stored at offset @code{0xd30} from the page
19780 whose physical base address is @code{0x02698000}, and shows all the
19781 attributes of that page.
19782
19783 Note that you must cast the addresses of variables to a @code{char *},
19784 since otherwise the value of @code{__djgpp_base_address}, the base
19785 address of all variables and functions in a @sc{djgpp} program, will
19786 be added using the rules of C pointer arithmetics: if @code{i} is
19787 declared an @code{int}, @value{GDBN} will add 4 times the value of
19788 @code{__djgpp_base_address} to the address of @code{i}.
19789
19790 Here's another example, it displays the Page Table entry for the
19791 transfer buffer:
19792
19793 @smallexample
19794 @exdent @code{(@value{GDBP}) info dos address-pte *((unsigned *)&_go32_info_block + 3)}
19795 @exdent @code{Page Table entry for address 0x29110:}
19796 @exdent @code{Base=0x00029000 Dirty Acc. Not-Cached Write-Back Usr Read-Write +0x110}
19797 @end smallexample
19798
19799 @noindent
19800 (The @code{+ 3} offset is because the transfer buffer's address is the
19801 3rd member of the @code{_go32_info_block} structure.) The output
19802 clearly shows that this DPMI server maps the addresses in conventional
19803 memory 1:1, i.e.@: the physical (@code{0x00029000} + @code{0x110}) and
19804 linear (@code{0x29110}) addresses are identical.
19805
19806 This command is supported only with some DPMI servers.
19807 @end table
19808
19809 @cindex DOS serial data link, remote debugging
19810 In addition to native debugging, the DJGPP port supports remote
19811 debugging via a serial data link. The following commands are specific
19812 to remote serial debugging in the DJGPP port of @value{GDBN}.
19813
19814 @table @code
19815 @kindex set com1base
19816 @kindex set com1irq
19817 @kindex set com2base
19818 @kindex set com2irq
19819 @kindex set com3base
19820 @kindex set com3irq
19821 @kindex set com4base
19822 @kindex set com4irq
19823 @item set com1base @var{addr}
19824 This command sets the base I/O port address of the @file{COM1} serial
19825 port.
19826
19827 @item set com1irq @var{irq}
19828 This command sets the @dfn{Interrupt Request} (@code{IRQ}) line to use
19829 for the @file{COM1} serial port.
19830
19831 There are similar commands @samp{set com2base}, @samp{set com3irq},
19832 etc.@: for setting the port address and the @code{IRQ} lines for the
19833 other 3 COM ports.
19834
19835 @kindex show com1base
19836 @kindex show com1irq
19837 @kindex show com2base
19838 @kindex show com2irq
19839 @kindex show com3base
19840 @kindex show com3irq
19841 @kindex show com4base
19842 @kindex show com4irq
19843 The related commands @samp{show com1base}, @samp{show com1irq} etc.@:
19844 display the current settings of the base address and the @code{IRQ}
19845 lines used by the COM ports.
19846
19847 @item info serial
19848 @kindex info serial
19849 @cindex DOS serial port status
19850 This command prints the status of the 4 DOS serial ports. For each
19851 port, it prints whether it's active or not, its I/O base address and
19852 IRQ number, whether it uses a 16550-style FIFO, its baudrate, and the
19853 counts of various errors encountered so far.
19854 @end table
19855
19856
19857 @node Cygwin Native
19858 @subsection Features for Debugging MS Windows PE Executables
19859 @cindex MS Windows debugging
19860 @cindex native Cygwin debugging
19861 @cindex Cygwin-specific commands
19862
19863 @value{GDBN} supports native debugging of MS Windows programs, including
19864 DLLs with and without symbolic debugging information.
19865
19866 @cindex Ctrl-BREAK, MS-Windows
19867 @cindex interrupt debuggee on MS-Windows
19868 MS-Windows programs that call @code{SetConsoleMode} to switch off the
19869 special meaning of the @samp{Ctrl-C} keystroke cannot be interrupted
19870 by typing @kbd{C-c}. For this reason, @value{GDBN} on MS-Windows
19871 supports @kbd{C-@key{BREAK}} as an alternative interrupt key
19872 sequence, which can be used to interrupt the debuggee even if it
19873 ignores @kbd{C-c}.
19874
19875 There are various additional Cygwin-specific commands, described in
19876 this section. Working with DLLs that have no debugging symbols is
19877 described in @ref{Non-debug DLL Symbols}.
19878
19879 @table @code
19880 @kindex info w32
19881 @item info w32
19882 This is a prefix of MS Windows-specific commands which print
19883 information about the target system and important OS structures.
19884
19885 @item info w32 selector
19886 This command displays information returned by
19887 the Win32 API @code{GetThreadSelectorEntry} function.
19888 It takes an optional argument that is evaluated to
19889 a long value to give the information about this given selector.
19890 Without argument, this command displays information
19891 about the six segment registers.
19892
19893 @item info w32 thread-information-block
19894 This command displays thread specific information stored in the
19895 Thread Information Block (readable on the X86 CPU family using @code{$fs}
19896 selector for 32-bit programs and @code{$gs} for 64-bit programs).
19897
19898 @kindex info dll
19899 @item info dll
19900 This is a Cygwin-specific alias of @code{info shared}.
19901
19902 @kindex dll-symbols
19903 @item dll-symbols
19904 This command loads symbols from a dll similarly to
19905 add-sym command but without the need to specify a base address.
19906
19907 @kindex set cygwin-exceptions
19908 @cindex debugging the Cygwin DLL
19909 @cindex Cygwin DLL, debugging
19910 @item set cygwin-exceptions @var{mode}
19911 If @var{mode} is @code{on}, @value{GDBN} will break on exceptions that
19912 happen inside the Cygwin DLL. If @var{mode} is @code{off},
19913 @value{GDBN} will delay recognition of exceptions, and may ignore some
19914 exceptions which seem to be caused by internal Cygwin DLL
19915 ``bookkeeping''. This option is meant primarily for debugging the
19916 Cygwin DLL itself; the default value is @code{off} to avoid annoying
19917 @value{GDBN} users with false @code{SIGSEGV} signals.
19918
19919 @kindex show cygwin-exceptions
19920 @item show cygwin-exceptions
19921 Displays whether @value{GDBN} will break on exceptions that happen
19922 inside the Cygwin DLL itself.
19923
19924 @kindex set new-console
19925 @item set new-console @var{mode}
19926 If @var{mode} is @code{on} the debuggee will
19927 be started in a new console on next start.
19928 If @var{mode} is @code{off}, the debuggee will
19929 be started in the same console as the debugger.
19930
19931 @kindex show new-console
19932 @item show new-console
19933 Displays whether a new console is used
19934 when the debuggee is started.
19935
19936 @kindex set new-group
19937 @item set new-group @var{mode}
19938 This boolean value controls whether the debuggee should
19939 start a new group or stay in the same group as the debugger.
19940 This affects the way the Windows OS handles
19941 @samp{Ctrl-C}.
19942
19943 @kindex show new-group
19944 @item show new-group
19945 Displays current value of new-group boolean.
19946
19947 @kindex set debugevents
19948 @item set debugevents
19949 This boolean value adds debug output concerning kernel events related
19950 to the debuggee seen by the debugger. This includes events that
19951 signal thread and process creation and exit, DLL loading and
19952 unloading, console interrupts, and debugging messages produced by the
19953 Windows @code{OutputDebugString} API call.
19954
19955 @kindex set debugexec
19956 @item set debugexec
19957 This boolean value adds debug output concerning execute events
19958 (such as resume thread) seen by the debugger.
19959
19960 @kindex set debugexceptions
19961 @item set debugexceptions
19962 This boolean value adds debug output concerning exceptions in the
19963 debuggee seen by the debugger.
19964
19965 @kindex set debugmemory
19966 @item set debugmemory
19967 This boolean value adds debug output concerning debuggee memory reads
19968 and writes by the debugger.
19969
19970 @kindex set shell
19971 @item set shell
19972 This boolean values specifies whether the debuggee is called
19973 via a shell or directly (default value is on).
19974
19975 @kindex show shell
19976 @item show shell
19977 Displays if the debuggee will be started with a shell.
19978
19979 @end table
19980
19981 @menu
19982 * Non-debug DLL Symbols:: Support for DLLs without debugging symbols
19983 @end menu
19984
19985 @node Non-debug DLL Symbols
19986 @subsubsection Support for DLLs without Debugging Symbols
19987 @cindex DLLs with no debugging symbols
19988 @cindex Minimal symbols and DLLs
19989
19990 Very often on windows, some of the DLLs that your program relies on do
19991 not include symbolic debugging information (for example,
19992 @file{kernel32.dll}). When @value{GDBN} doesn't recognize any debugging
19993 symbols in a DLL, it relies on the minimal amount of symbolic
19994 information contained in the DLL's export table. This section
19995 describes working with such symbols, known internally to @value{GDBN} as
19996 ``minimal symbols''.
19997
19998 Note that before the debugged program has started execution, no DLLs
19999 will have been loaded. The easiest way around this problem is simply to
20000 start the program --- either by setting a breakpoint or letting the
20001 program run once to completion. It is also possible to force
20002 @value{GDBN} to load a particular DLL before starting the executable ---
20003 see the shared library information in @ref{Files}, or the
20004 @code{dll-symbols} command in @ref{Cygwin Native}. Currently,
20005 explicitly loading symbols from a DLL with no debugging information will
20006 cause the symbol names to be duplicated in @value{GDBN}'s lookup table,
20007 which may adversely affect symbol lookup performance.
20008
20009 @subsubsection DLL Name Prefixes
20010
20011 In keeping with the naming conventions used by the Microsoft debugging
20012 tools, DLL export symbols are made available with a prefix based on the
20013 DLL name, for instance @code{KERNEL32!CreateFileA}. The plain name is
20014 also entered into the symbol table, so @code{CreateFileA} is often
20015 sufficient. In some cases there will be name clashes within a program
20016 (particularly if the executable itself includes full debugging symbols)
20017 necessitating the use of the fully qualified name when referring to the
20018 contents of the DLL. Use single-quotes around the name to avoid the
20019 exclamation mark (``!'') being interpreted as a language operator.
20020
20021 Note that the internal name of the DLL may be all upper-case, even
20022 though the file name of the DLL is lower-case, or vice-versa. Since
20023 symbols within @value{GDBN} are @emph{case-sensitive} this may cause
20024 some confusion. If in doubt, try the @code{info functions} and
20025 @code{info variables} commands or even @code{maint print msymbols}
20026 (@pxref{Symbols}). Here's an example:
20027
20028 @smallexample
20029 (@value{GDBP}) info function CreateFileA
20030 All functions matching regular expression "CreateFileA":
20031
20032 Non-debugging symbols:
20033 0x77e885f4 CreateFileA
20034 0x77e885f4 KERNEL32!CreateFileA
20035 @end smallexample
20036
20037 @smallexample
20038 (@value{GDBP}) info function !
20039 All functions matching regular expression "!":
20040
20041 Non-debugging symbols:
20042 0x6100114c cygwin1!__assert
20043 0x61004034 cygwin1!_dll_crt0@@0
20044 0x61004240 cygwin1!dll_crt0(per_process *)
20045 [etc...]
20046 @end smallexample
20047
20048 @subsubsection Working with Minimal Symbols
20049
20050 Symbols extracted from a DLL's export table do not contain very much
20051 type information. All that @value{GDBN} can do is guess whether a symbol
20052 refers to a function or variable depending on the linker section that
20053 contains the symbol. Also note that the actual contents of the memory
20054 contained in a DLL are not available unless the program is running. This
20055 means that you cannot examine the contents of a variable or disassemble
20056 a function within a DLL without a running program.
20057
20058 Variables are generally treated as pointers and dereferenced
20059 automatically. For this reason, it is often necessary to prefix a
20060 variable name with the address-of operator (``&'') and provide explicit
20061 type information in the command. Here's an example of the type of
20062 problem:
20063
20064 @smallexample
20065 (@value{GDBP}) print 'cygwin1!__argv'
20066 $1 = 268572168
20067 @end smallexample
20068
20069 @smallexample
20070 (@value{GDBP}) x 'cygwin1!__argv'
20071 0x10021610: "\230y\""
20072 @end smallexample
20073
20074 And two possible solutions:
20075
20076 @smallexample
20077 (@value{GDBP}) print ((char **)'cygwin1!__argv')[0]
20078 $2 = 0x22fd98 "/cygdrive/c/mydirectory/myprogram"
20079 @end smallexample
20080
20081 @smallexample
20082 (@value{GDBP}) x/2x &'cygwin1!__argv'
20083 0x610c0aa8 <cygwin1!__argv>: 0x10021608 0x00000000
20084 (@value{GDBP}) x/x 0x10021608
20085 0x10021608: 0x0022fd98
20086 (@value{GDBP}) x/s 0x0022fd98
20087 0x22fd98: "/cygdrive/c/mydirectory/myprogram"
20088 @end smallexample
20089
20090 Setting a break point within a DLL is possible even before the program
20091 starts execution. However, under these circumstances, @value{GDBN} can't
20092 examine the initial instructions of the function in order to skip the
20093 function's frame set-up code. You can work around this by using ``*&''
20094 to set the breakpoint at a raw memory address:
20095
20096 @smallexample
20097 (@value{GDBP}) break *&'python22!PyOS_Readline'
20098 Breakpoint 1 at 0x1e04eff0
20099 @end smallexample
20100
20101 The author of these extensions is not entirely convinced that setting a
20102 break point within a shared DLL like @file{kernel32.dll} is completely
20103 safe.
20104
20105 @node Hurd Native
20106 @subsection Commands Specific to @sc{gnu} Hurd Systems
20107 @cindex @sc{gnu} Hurd debugging
20108
20109 This subsection describes @value{GDBN} commands specific to the
20110 @sc{gnu} Hurd native debugging.
20111
20112 @table @code
20113 @item set signals
20114 @itemx set sigs
20115 @kindex set signals@r{, Hurd command}
20116 @kindex set sigs@r{, Hurd command}
20117 This command toggles the state of inferior signal interception by
20118 @value{GDBN}. Mach exceptions, such as breakpoint traps, are not
20119 affected by this command. @code{sigs} is a shorthand alias for
20120 @code{signals}.
20121
20122 @item show signals
20123 @itemx show sigs
20124 @kindex show signals@r{, Hurd command}
20125 @kindex show sigs@r{, Hurd command}
20126 Show the current state of intercepting inferior's signals.
20127
20128 @item set signal-thread
20129 @itemx set sigthread
20130 @kindex set signal-thread
20131 @kindex set sigthread
20132 This command tells @value{GDBN} which thread is the @code{libc} signal
20133 thread. That thread is run when a signal is delivered to a running
20134 process. @code{set sigthread} is the shorthand alias of @code{set
20135 signal-thread}.
20136
20137 @item show signal-thread
20138 @itemx show sigthread
20139 @kindex show signal-thread
20140 @kindex show sigthread
20141 These two commands show which thread will run when the inferior is
20142 delivered a signal.
20143
20144 @item set stopped
20145 @kindex set stopped@r{, Hurd command}
20146 This commands tells @value{GDBN} that the inferior process is stopped,
20147 as with the @code{SIGSTOP} signal. The stopped process can be
20148 continued by delivering a signal to it.
20149
20150 @item show stopped
20151 @kindex show stopped@r{, Hurd command}
20152 This command shows whether @value{GDBN} thinks the debuggee is
20153 stopped.
20154
20155 @item set exceptions
20156 @kindex set exceptions@r{, Hurd command}
20157 Use this command to turn off trapping of exceptions in the inferior.
20158 When exception trapping is off, neither breakpoints nor
20159 single-stepping will work. To restore the default, set exception
20160 trapping on.
20161
20162 @item show exceptions
20163 @kindex show exceptions@r{, Hurd command}
20164 Show the current state of trapping exceptions in the inferior.
20165
20166 @item set task pause
20167 @kindex set task@r{, Hurd commands}
20168 @cindex task attributes (@sc{gnu} Hurd)
20169 @cindex pause current task (@sc{gnu} Hurd)
20170 This command toggles task suspension when @value{GDBN} has control.
20171 Setting it to on takes effect immediately, and the task is suspended
20172 whenever @value{GDBN} gets control. Setting it to off will take
20173 effect the next time the inferior is continued. If this option is set
20174 to off, you can use @code{set thread default pause on} or @code{set
20175 thread pause on} (see below) to pause individual threads.
20176
20177 @item show task pause
20178 @kindex show task@r{, Hurd commands}
20179 Show the current state of task suspension.
20180
20181 @item set task detach-suspend-count
20182 @cindex task suspend count
20183 @cindex detach from task, @sc{gnu} Hurd
20184 This command sets the suspend count the task will be left with when
20185 @value{GDBN} detaches from it.
20186
20187 @item show task detach-suspend-count
20188 Show the suspend count the task will be left with when detaching.
20189
20190 @item set task exception-port
20191 @itemx set task excp
20192 @cindex task exception port, @sc{gnu} Hurd
20193 This command sets the task exception port to which @value{GDBN} will
20194 forward exceptions. The argument should be the value of the @dfn{send
20195 rights} of the task. @code{set task excp} is a shorthand alias.
20196
20197 @item set noninvasive
20198 @cindex noninvasive task options
20199 This command switches @value{GDBN} to a mode that is the least
20200 invasive as far as interfering with the inferior is concerned. This
20201 is the same as using @code{set task pause}, @code{set exceptions}, and
20202 @code{set signals} to values opposite to the defaults.
20203
20204 @item info send-rights
20205 @itemx info receive-rights
20206 @itemx info port-rights
20207 @itemx info port-sets
20208 @itemx info dead-names
20209 @itemx info ports
20210 @itemx info psets
20211 @cindex send rights, @sc{gnu} Hurd
20212 @cindex receive rights, @sc{gnu} Hurd
20213 @cindex port rights, @sc{gnu} Hurd
20214 @cindex port sets, @sc{gnu} Hurd
20215 @cindex dead names, @sc{gnu} Hurd
20216 These commands display information about, respectively, send rights,
20217 receive rights, port rights, port sets, and dead names of a task.
20218 There are also shorthand aliases: @code{info ports} for @code{info
20219 port-rights} and @code{info psets} for @code{info port-sets}.
20220
20221 @item set thread pause
20222 @kindex set thread@r{, Hurd command}
20223 @cindex thread properties, @sc{gnu} Hurd
20224 @cindex pause current thread (@sc{gnu} Hurd)
20225 This command toggles current thread suspension when @value{GDBN} has
20226 control. Setting it to on takes effect immediately, and the current
20227 thread is suspended whenever @value{GDBN} gets control. Setting it to
20228 off will take effect the next time the inferior is continued.
20229 Normally, this command has no effect, since when @value{GDBN} has
20230 control, the whole task is suspended. However, if you used @code{set
20231 task pause off} (see above), this command comes in handy to suspend
20232 only the current thread.
20233
20234 @item show thread pause
20235 @kindex show thread@r{, Hurd command}
20236 This command shows the state of current thread suspension.
20237
20238 @item set thread run
20239 This command sets whether the current thread is allowed to run.
20240
20241 @item show thread run
20242 Show whether the current thread is allowed to run.
20243
20244 @item set thread detach-suspend-count
20245 @cindex thread suspend count, @sc{gnu} Hurd
20246 @cindex detach from thread, @sc{gnu} Hurd
20247 This command sets the suspend count @value{GDBN} will leave on a
20248 thread when detaching. This number is relative to the suspend count
20249 found by @value{GDBN} when it notices the thread; use @code{set thread
20250 takeover-suspend-count} to force it to an absolute value.
20251
20252 @item show thread detach-suspend-count
20253 Show the suspend count @value{GDBN} will leave on the thread when
20254 detaching.
20255
20256 @item set thread exception-port
20257 @itemx set thread excp
20258 Set the thread exception port to which to forward exceptions. This
20259 overrides the port set by @code{set task exception-port} (see above).
20260 @code{set thread excp} is the shorthand alias.
20261
20262 @item set thread takeover-suspend-count
20263 Normally, @value{GDBN}'s thread suspend counts are relative to the
20264 value @value{GDBN} finds when it notices each thread. This command
20265 changes the suspend counts to be absolute instead.
20266
20267 @item set thread default
20268 @itemx show thread default
20269 @cindex thread default settings, @sc{gnu} Hurd
20270 Each of the above @code{set thread} commands has a @code{set thread
20271 default} counterpart (e.g., @code{set thread default pause}, @code{set
20272 thread default exception-port}, etc.). The @code{thread default}
20273 variety of commands sets the default thread properties for all
20274 threads; you can then change the properties of individual threads with
20275 the non-default commands.
20276 @end table
20277
20278 @node Darwin
20279 @subsection Darwin
20280 @cindex Darwin
20281
20282 @value{GDBN} provides the following commands specific to the Darwin target:
20283
20284 @table @code
20285 @item set debug darwin @var{num}
20286 @kindex set debug darwin
20287 When set to a non zero value, enables debugging messages specific to
20288 the Darwin support. Higher values produce more verbose output.
20289
20290 @item show debug darwin
20291 @kindex show debug darwin
20292 Show the current state of Darwin messages.
20293
20294 @item set debug mach-o @var{num}
20295 @kindex set debug mach-o
20296 When set to a non zero value, enables debugging messages while
20297 @value{GDBN} is reading Darwin object files. (@dfn{Mach-O} is the
20298 file format used on Darwin for object and executable files.) Higher
20299 values produce more verbose output. This is a command to diagnose
20300 problems internal to @value{GDBN} and should not be needed in normal
20301 usage.
20302
20303 @item show debug mach-o
20304 @kindex show debug mach-o
20305 Show the current state of Mach-O file messages.
20306
20307 @item set mach-exceptions on
20308 @itemx set mach-exceptions off
20309 @kindex set mach-exceptions
20310 On Darwin, faults are first reported as a Mach exception and are then
20311 mapped to a Posix signal. Use this command to turn on trapping of
20312 Mach exceptions in the inferior. This might be sometimes useful to
20313 better understand the cause of a fault. The default is off.
20314
20315 @item show mach-exceptions
20316 @kindex show mach-exceptions
20317 Show the current state of exceptions trapping.
20318 @end table
20319
20320
20321 @node Embedded OS
20322 @section Embedded Operating Systems
20323
20324 This section describes configurations involving the debugging of
20325 embedded operating systems that are available for several different
20326 architectures.
20327
20328 @menu
20329 * VxWorks:: Using @value{GDBN} with VxWorks
20330 @end menu
20331
20332 @value{GDBN} includes the ability to debug programs running on
20333 various real-time operating systems.
20334
20335 @node VxWorks
20336 @subsection Using @value{GDBN} with VxWorks
20337
20338 @cindex VxWorks
20339
20340 @table @code
20341
20342 @kindex target vxworks
20343 @item target vxworks @var{machinename}
20344 A VxWorks system, attached via TCP/IP. The argument @var{machinename}
20345 is the target system's machine name or IP address.
20346
20347 @end table
20348
20349 On VxWorks, @code{load} links @var{filename} dynamically on the
20350 current target system as well as adding its symbols in @value{GDBN}.
20351
20352 @value{GDBN} enables developers to spawn and debug tasks running on networked
20353 VxWorks targets from a Unix host. Already-running tasks spawned from
20354 the VxWorks shell can also be debugged. @value{GDBN} uses code that runs on
20355 both the Unix host and on the VxWorks target. The program
20356 @code{@value{GDBP}} is installed and executed on the Unix host. (It may be
20357 installed with the name @code{vxgdb}, to distinguish it from a
20358 @value{GDBN} for debugging programs on the host itself.)
20359
20360 @table @code
20361 @item VxWorks-timeout @var{args}
20362 @kindex vxworks-timeout
20363 All VxWorks-based targets now support the option @code{vxworks-timeout}.
20364 This option is set by the user, and @var{args} represents the number of
20365 seconds @value{GDBN} waits for responses to rpc's. You might use this if
20366 your VxWorks target is a slow software simulator or is on the far side
20367 of a thin network line.
20368 @end table
20369
20370 The following information on connecting to VxWorks was current when
20371 this manual was produced; newer releases of VxWorks may use revised
20372 procedures.
20373
20374 @findex INCLUDE_RDB
20375 To use @value{GDBN} with VxWorks, you must rebuild your VxWorks kernel
20376 to include the remote debugging interface routines in the VxWorks
20377 library @file{rdb.a}. To do this, define @code{INCLUDE_RDB} in the
20378 VxWorks configuration file @file{configAll.h} and rebuild your VxWorks
20379 kernel. The resulting kernel contains @file{rdb.a}, and spawns the
20380 source debugging task @code{tRdbTask} when VxWorks is booted. For more
20381 information on configuring and remaking VxWorks, see the manufacturer's
20382 manual.
20383 @c VxWorks, see the @cite{VxWorks Programmer's Guide}.
20384
20385 Once you have included @file{rdb.a} in your VxWorks system image and set
20386 your Unix execution search path to find @value{GDBN}, you are ready to
20387 run @value{GDBN}. From your Unix host, run @code{@value{GDBP}} (or
20388 @code{vxgdb}, depending on your installation).
20389
20390 @value{GDBN} comes up showing the prompt:
20391
20392 @smallexample
20393 (vxgdb)
20394 @end smallexample
20395
20396 @menu
20397 * VxWorks Connection:: Connecting to VxWorks
20398 * VxWorks Download:: VxWorks download
20399 * VxWorks Attach:: Running tasks
20400 @end menu
20401
20402 @node VxWorks Connection
20403 @subsubsection Connecting to VxWorks
20404
20405 The @value{GDBN} command @code{target} lets you connect to a VxWorks target on the
20406 network. To connect to a target whose host name is ``@code{tt}'', type:
20407
20408 @smallexample
20409 (vxgdb) target vxworks tt
20410 @end smallexample
20411
20412 @need 750
20413 @value{GDBN} displays messages like these:
20414
20415 @smallexample
20416 Attaching remote machine across net...
20417 Connected to tt.
20418 @end smallexample
20419
20420 @need 1000
20421 @value{GDBN} then attempts to read the symbol tables of any object modules
20422 loaded into the VxWorks target since it was last booted. @value{GDBN} locates
20423 these files by searching the directories listed in the command search
20424 path (@pxref{Environment, ,Your Program's Environment}); if it fails
20425 to find an object file, it displays a message such as:
20426
20427 @smallexample
20428 prog.o: No such file or directory.
20429 @end smallexample
20430
20431 When this happens, add the appropriate directory to the search path with
20432 the @value{GDBN} command @code{path}, and execute the @code{target}
20433 command again.
20434
20435 @node VxWorks Download
20436 @subsubsection VxWorks Download
20437
20438 @cindex download to VxWorks
20439 If you have connected to the VxWorks target and you want to debug an
20440 object that has not yet been loaded, you can use the @value{GDBN}
20441 @code{load} command to download a file from Unix to VxWorks
20442 incrementally. The object file given as an argument to the @code{load}
20443 command is actually opened twice: first by the VxWorks target in order
20444 to download the code, then by @value{GDBN} in order to read the symbol
20445 table. This can lead to problems if the current working directories on
20446 the two systems differ. If both systems have NFS mounted the same
20447 filesystems, you can avoid these problems by using absolute paths.
20448 Otherwise, it is simplest to set the working directory on both systems
20449 to the directory in which the object file resides, and then to reference
20450 the file by its name, without any path. For instance, a program
20451 @file{prog.o} may reside in @file{@var{vxpath}/vw/demo/rdb} in VxWorks
20452 and in @file{@var{hostpath}/vw/demo/rdb} on the host. To load this
20453 program, type this on VxWorks:
20454
20455 @smallexample
20456 -> cd "@var{vxpath}/vw/demo/rdb"
20457 @end smallexample
20458
20459 @noindent
20460 Then, in @value{GDBN}, type:
20461
20462 @smallexample
20463 (vxgdb) cd @var{hostpath}/vw/demo/rdb
20464 (vxgdb) load prog.o
20465 @end smallexample
20466
20467 @value{GDBN} displays a response similar to this:
20468
20469 @smallexample
20470 Reading symbol data from wherever/vw/demo/rdb/prog.o... done.
20471 @end smallexample
20472
20473 You can also use the @code{load} command to reload an object module
20474 after editing and recompiling the corresponding source file. Note that
20475 this makes @value{GDBN} delete all currently-defined breakpoints,
20476 auto-displays, and convenience variables, and to clear the value
20477 history. (This is necessary in order to preserve the integrity of
20478 debugger's data structures that reference the target system's symbol
20479 table.)
20480
20481 @node VxWorks Attach
20482 @subsubsection Running Tasks
20483
20484 @cindex running VxWorks tasks
20485 You can also attach to an existing task using the @code{attach} command as
20486 follows:
20487
20488 @smallexample
20489 (vxgdb) attach @var{task}
20490 @end smallexample
20491
20492 @noindent
20493 where @var{task} is the VxWorks hexadecimal task ID. The task can be running
20494 or suspended when you attach to it. Running tasks are suspended at
20495 the time of attachment.
20496
20497 @node Embedded Processors
20498 @section Embedded Processors
20499
20500 This section goes into details specific to particular embedded
20501 configurations.
20502
20503 @cindex send command to simulator
20504 Whenever a specific embedded processor has a simulator, @value{GDBN}
20505 allows to send an arbitrary command to the simulator.
20506
20507 @table @code
20508 @item sim @var{command}
20509 @kindex sim@r{, a command}
20510 Send an arbitrary @var{command} string to the simulator. Consult the
20511 documentation for the specific simulator in use for information about
20512 acceptable commands.
20513 @end table
20514
20515
20516 @menu
20517 * ARM:: ARM RDI
20518 * M32R/D:: Renesas M32R/D
20519 * M68K:: Motorola M68K
20520 * MicroBlaze:: Xilinx MicroBlaze
20521 * MIPS Embedded:: MIPS Embedded
20522 * PowerPC Embedded:: PowerPC Embedded
20523 * PA:: HP PA Embedded
20524 * Sparclet:: Tsqware Sparclet
20525 * Sparclite:: Fujitsu Sparclite
20526 * Z8000:: Zilog Z8000
20527 * AVR:: Atmel AVR
20528 * CRIS:: CRIS
20529 * Super-H:: Renesas Super-H
20530 @end menu
20531
20532 @node ARM
20533 @subsection ARM
20534 @cindex ARM RDI
20535
20536 @table @code
20537 @kindex target rdi
20538 @item target rdi @var{dev}
20539 ARM Angel monitor, via RDI library interface to ADP protocol. You may
20540 use this target to communicate with both boards running the Angel
20541 monitor, or with the EmbeddedICE JTAG debug device.
20542
20543 @kindex target rdp
20544 @item target rdp @var{dev}
20545 ARM Demon monitor.
20546
20547 @end table
20548
20549 @value{GDBN} provides the following ARM-specific commands:
20550
20551 @table @code
20552 @item set arm disassembler
20553 @kindex set arm
20554 This commands selects from a list of disassembly styles. The
20555 @code{"std"} style is the standard style.
20556
20557 @item show arm disassembler
20558 @kindex show arm
20559 Show the current disassembly style.
20560
20561 @item set arm apcs32
20562 @cindex ARM 32-bit mode
20563 This command toggles ARM operation mode between 32-bit and 26-bit.
20564
20565 @item show arm apcs32
20566 Display the current usage of the ARM 32-bit mode.
20567
20568 @item set arm fpu @var{fputype}
20569 This command sets the ARM floating-point unit (FPU) type. The
20570 argument @var{fputype} can be one of these:
20571
20572 @table @code
20573 @item auto
20574 Determine the FPU type by querying the OS ABI.
20575 @item softfpa
20576 Software FPU, with mixed-endian doubles on little-endian ARM
20577 processors.
20578 @item fpa
20579 GCC-compiled FPA co-processor.
20580 @item softvfp
20581 Software FPU with pure-endian doubles.
20582 @item vfp
20583 VFP co-processor.
20584 @end table
20585
20586 @item show arm fpu
20587 Show the current type of the FPU.
20588
20589 @item set arm abi
20590 This command forces @value{GDBN} to use the specified ABI.
20591
20592 @item show arm abi
20593 Show the currently used ABI.
20594
20595 @item set arm fallback-mode (arm|thumb|auto)
20596 @value{GDBN} uses the symbol table, when available, to determine
20597 whether instructions are ARM or Thumb. This command controls
20598 @value{GDBN}'s default behavior when the symbol table is not
20599 available. The default is @samp{auto}, which causes @value{GDBN} to
20600 use the current execution mode (from the @code{T} bit in the @code{CPSR}
20601 register).
20602
20603 @item show arm fallback-mode
20604 Show the current fallback instruction mode.
20605
20606 @item set arm force-mode (arm|thumb|auto)
20607 This command overrides use of the symbol table to determine whether
20608 instructions are ARM or Thumb. The default is @samp{auto}, which
20609 causes @value{GDBN} to use the symbol table and then the setting
20610 of @samp{set arm fallback-mode}.
20611
20612 @item show arm force-mode
20613 Show the current forced instruction mode.
20614
20615 @item set debug arm
20616 Toggle whether to display ARM-specific debugging messages from the ARM
20617 target support subsystem.
20618
20619 @item show debug arm
20620 Show whether ARM-specific debugging messages are enabled.
20621 @end table
20622
20623 The following commands are available when an ARM target is debugged
20624 using the RDI interface:
20625
20626 @table @code
20627 @item rdilogfile @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
20628 @kindex rdilogfile
20629 @cindex ADP (Angel Debugger Protocol) logging
20630 Set the filename for the ADP (Angel Debugger Protocol) packet log.
20631 With an argument, sets the log file to the specified @var{file}. With
20632 no argument, show the current log file name. The default log file is
20633 @file{rdi.log}.
20634
20635 @item rdilogenable @r{[}@var{arg}@r{]}
20636 @kindex rdilogenable
20637 Control logging of ADP packets. With an argument of 1 or @code{"yes"}
20638 enables logging, with an argument 0 or @code{"no"} disables it. With
20639 no arguments displays the current setting. When logging is enabled,
20640 ADP packets exchanged between @value{GDBN} and the RDI target device
20641 are logged to a file.
20642
20643 @item set rdiromatzero
20644 @kindex set rdiromatzero
20645 @cindex ROM at zero address, RDI
20646 Tell @value{GDBN} whether the target has ROM at address 0. If on,
20647 vector catching is disabled, so that zero address can be used. If off
20648 (the default), vector catching is enabled. For this command to take
20649 effect, it needs to be invoked prior to the @code{target rdi} command.
20650
20651 @item show rdiromatzero
20652 @kindex show rdiromatzero
20653 Show the current setting of ROM at zero address.
20654
20655 @item set rdiheartbeat
20656 @kindex set rdiheartbeat
20657 @cindex RDI heartbeat
20658 Enable or disable RDI heartbeat packets. It is not recommended to
20659 turn on this option, since it confuses ARM and EPI JTAG interface, as
20660 well as the Angel monitor.
20661
20662 @item show rdiheartbeat
20663 @kindex show rdiheartbeat
20664 Show the setting of RDI heartbeat packets.
20665 @end table
20666
20667 @table @code
20668 @item target sim @r{[}@var{simargs}@r{]} @dots{}
20669 The @value{GDBN} ARM simulator accepts the following optional arguments.
20670
20671 @table @code
20672 @item --swi-support=@var{type}
20673 Tell the simulator which SWI interfaces to support.
20674 @var{type} may be a comma separated list of the following values.
20675 The default value is @code{all}.
20676
20677 @table @code
20678 @item none
20679 @item demon
20680 @item angel
20681 @item redboot
20682 @item all
20683 @end table
20684 @end table
20685 @end table
20686
20687 @node M32R/D
20688 @subsection Renesas M32R/D and M32R/SDI
20689
20690 @table @code
20691 @kindex target m32r
20692 @item target m32r @var{dev}
20693 Renesas M32R/D ROM monitor.
20694
20695 @kindex target m32rsdi
20696 @item target m32rsdi @var{dev}
20697 Renesas M32R SDI server, connected via parallel port to the board.
20698 @end table
20699
20700 The following @value{GDBN} commands are specific to the M32R monitor:
20701
20702 @table @code
20703 @item set download-path @var{path}
20704 @kindex set download-path
20705 @cindex find downloadable @sc{srec} files (M32R)
20706 Set the default path for finding downloadable @sc{srec} files.
20707
20708 @item show download-path
20709 @kindex show download-path
20710 Show the default path for downloadable @sc{srec} files.
20711
20712 @item set board-address @var{addr}
20713 @kindex set board-address
20714 @cindex M32-EVA target board address
20715 Set the IP address for the M32R-EVA target board.
20716
20717 @item show board-address
20718 @kindex show board-address
20719 Show the current IP address of the target board.
20720
20721 @item set server-address @var{addr}
20722 @kindex set server-address
20723 @cindex download server address (M32R)
20724 Set the IP address for the download server, which is the @value{GDBN}'s
20725 host machine.
20726
20727 @item show server-address
20728 @kindex show server-address
20729 Display the IP address of the download server.
20730
20731 @item upload @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
20732 @kindex upload@r{, M32R}
20733 Upload the specified @sc{srec} @var{file} via the monitor's Ethernet
20734 upload capability. If no @var{file} argument is given, the current
20735 executable file is uploaded.
20736
20737 @item tload @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
20738 @kindex tload@r{, M32R}
20739 Test the @code{upload} command.
20740 @end table
20741
20742 The following commands are available for M32R/SDI:
20743
20744 @table @code
20745 @item sdireset
20746 @kindex sdireset
20747 @cindex reset SDI connection, M32R
20748 This command resets the SDI connection.
20749
20750 @item sdistatus
20751 @kindex sdistatus
20752 This command shows the SDI connection status.
20753
20754 @item debug_chaos
20755 @kindex debug_chaos
20756 @cindex M32R/Chaos debugging
20757 Instructs the remote that M32R/Chaos debugging is to be used.
20758
20759 @item use_debug_dma
20760 @kindex use_debug_dma
20761 Instructs the remote to use the DEBUG_DMA method of accessing memory.
20762
20763 @item use_mon_code
20764 @kindex use_mon_code
20765 Instructs the remote to use the MON_CODE method of accessing memory.
20766
20767 @item use_ib_break
20768 @kindex use_ib_break
20769 Instructs the remote to set breakpoints by IB break.
20770
20771 @item use_dbt_break
20772 @kindex use_dbt_break
20773 Instructs the remote to set breakpoints by DBT.
20774 @end table
20775
20776 @node M68K
20777 @subsection M68k
20778
20779 The Motorola m68k configuration includes ColdFire support, and a
20780 target command for the following ROM monitor.
20781
20782 @table @code
20783
20784 @kindex target dbug
20785 @item target dbug @var{dev}
20786 dBUG ROM monitor for Motorola ColdFire.
20787
20788 @end table
20789
20790 @node MicroBlaze
20791 @subsection MicroBlaze
20792 @cindex Xilinx MicroBlaze
20793 @cindex XMD, Xilinx Microprocessor Debugger
20794
20795 The MicroBlaze is a soft-core processor supported on various Xilinx
20796 FPGAs, such as Spartan or Virtex series. Boards with these processors
20797 usually have JTAG ports which connect to a host system running the Xilinx
20798 Embedded Development Kit (EDK) or Software Development Kit (SDK).
20799 This host system is used to download the configuration bitstream to
20800 the target FPGA. The Xilinx Microprocessor Debugger (XMD) program
20801 communicates with the target board using the JTAG interface and
20802 presents a @code{gdbserver} interface to the board. By default
20803 @code{xmd} uses port @code{1234}. (While it is possible to change
20804 this default port, it requires the use of undocumented @code{xmd}
20805 commands. Contact Xilinx support if you need to do this.)
20806
20807 Use these GDB commands to connect to the MicroBlaze target processor.
20808
20809 @table @code
20810 @item target remote :1234
20811 Use this command to connect to the target if you are running @value{GDBN}
20812 on the same system as @code{xmd}.
20813
20814 @item target remote @var{xmd-host}:1234
20815 Use this command to connect to the target if it is connected to @code{xmd}
20816 running on a different system named @var{xmd-host}.
20817
20818 @item load
20819 Use this command to download a program to the MicroBlaze target.
20820
20821 @item set debug microblaze @var{n}
20822 Enable MicroBlaze-specific debugging messages if non-zero.
20823
20824 @item show debug microblaze @var{n}
20825 Show MicroBlaze-specific debugging level.
20826 @end table
20827
20828 @node MIPS Embedded
20829 @subsection @acronym{MIPS} Embedded
20830
20831 @cindex @acronym{MIPS} boards
20832 @value{GDBN} can use the @acronym{MIPS} remote debugging protocol to talk to a
20833 @acronym{MIPS} board attached to a serial line. This is available when
20834 you configure @value{GDBN} with @samp{--target=mips-elf}.
20835
20836 @need 1000
20837 Use these @value{GDBN} commands to specify the connection to your target board:
20838
20839 @table @code
20840 @item target mips @var{port}
20841 @kindex target mips @var{port}
20842 To run a program on the board, start up @code{@value{GDBP}} with the
20843 name of your program as the argument. To connect to the board, use the
20844 command @samp{target mips @var{port}}, where @var{port} is the name of
20845 the serial port connected to the board. If the program has not already
20846 been downloaded to the board, you may use the @code{load} command to
20847 download it. You can then use all the usual @value{GDBN} commands.
20848
20849 For example, this sequence connects to the target board through a serial
20850 port, and loads and runs a program called @var{prog} through the
20851 debugger:
20852
20853 @smallexample
20854 host$ @value{GDBP} @var{prog}
20855 @value{GDBN} is free software and @dots{}
20856 (@value{GDBP}) target mips /dev/ttyb
20857 (@value{GDBP}) load @var{prog}
20858 (@value{GDBP}) run
20859 @end smallexample
20860
20861 @item target mips @var{hostname}:@var{portnumber}
20862 On some @value{GDBN} host configurations, you can specify a TCP
20863 connection (for instance, to a serial line managed by a terminal
20864 concentrator) instead of a serial port, using the syntax
20865 @samp{@var{hostname}:@var{portnumber}}.
20866
20867 @item target pmon @var{port}
20868 @kindex target pmon @var{port}
20869 PMON ROM monitor.
20870
20871 @item target ddb @var{port}
20872 @kindex target ddb @var{port}
20873 NEC's DDB variant of PMON for Vr4300.
20874
20875 @item target lsi @var{port}
20876 @kindex target lsi @var{port}
20877 LSI variant of PMON.
20878
20879 @kindex target r3900
20880 @item target r3900 @var{dev}
20881 Densan DVE-R3900 ROM monitor for Toshiba R3900 Mips.
20882
20883 @kindex target array
20884 @item target array @var{dev}
20885 Array Tech LSI33K RAID controller board.
20886
20887 @end table
20888
20889
20890 @noindent
20891 @value{GDBN} also supports these special commands for @acronym{MIPS} targets:
20892
20893 @table @code
20894 @item set mipsfpu double
20895 @itemx set mipsfpu single
20896 @itemx set mipsfpu none
20897 @itemx set mipsfpu auto
20898 @itemx show mipsfpu
20899 @kindex set mipsfpu
20900 @kindex show mipsfpu
20901 @cindex @acronym{MIPS} remote floating point
20902 @cindex floating point, @acronym{MIPS} remote
20903 If your target board does not support the @acronym{MIPS} floating point
20904 coprocessor, you should use the command @samp{set mipsfpu none} (if you
20905 need this, you may wish to put the command in your @value{GDBN} init
20906 file). This tells @value{GDBN} how to find the return value of
20907 functions which return floating point values. It also allows
20908 @value{GDBN} to avoid saving the floating point registers when calling
20909 functions on the board. If you are using a floating point coprocessor
20910 with only single precision floating point support, as on the @sc{r4650}
20911 processor, use the command @samp{set mipsfpu single}. The default
20912 double precision floating point coprocessor may be selected using
20913 @samp{set mipsfpu double}.
20914
20915 In previous versions the only choices were double precision or no
20916 floating point, so @samp{set mipsfpu on} will select double precision
20917 and @samp{set mipsfpu off} will select no floating point.
20918
20919 As usual, you can inquire about the @code{mipsfpu} variable with
20920 @samp{show mipsfpu}.
20921
20922 @item set timeout @var{seconds}
20923 @itemx set retransmit-timeout @var{seconds}
20924 @itemx show timeout
20925 @itemx show retransmit-timeout
20926 @cindex @code{timeout}, @acronym{MIPS} protocol
20927 @cindex @code{retransmit-timeout}, @acronym{MIPS} protocol
20928 @kindex set timeout
20929 @kindex show timeout
20930 @kindex set retransmit-timeout
20931 @kindex show retransmit-timeout
20932 You can control the timeout used while waiting for a packet, in the @acronym{MIPS}
20933 remote protocol, with the @code{set timeout @var{seconds}} command. The
20934 default is 5 seconds. Similarly, you can control the timeout used while
20935 waiting for an acknowledgment of a packet with the @code{set
20936 retransmit-timeout @var{seconds}} command. The default is 3 seconds.
20937 You can inspect both values with @code{show timeout} and @code{show
20938 retransmit-timeout}. (These commands are @emph{only} available when
20939 @value{GDBN} is configured for @samp{--target=mips-elf}.)
20940
20941 The timeout set by @code{set timeout} does not apply when @value{GDBN}
20942 is waiting for your program to stop. In that case, @value{GDBN} waits
20943 forever because it has no way of knowing how long the program is going
20944 to run before stopping.
20945
20946 @item set syn-garbage-limit @var{num}
20947 @kindex set syn-garbage-limit@r{, @acronym{MIPS} remote}
20948 @cindex synchronize with remote @acronym{MIPS} target
20949 Limit the maximum number of characters @value{GDBN} should ignore when
20950 it tries to synchronize with the remote target. The default is 10
20951 characters. Setting the limit to -1 means there's no limit.
20952
20953 @item show syn-garbage-limit
20954 @kindex show syn-garbage-limit@r{, @acronym{MIPS} remote}
20955 Show the current limit on the number of characters to ignore when
20956 trying to synchronize with the remote system.
20957
20958 @item set monitor-prompt @var{prompt}
20959 @kindex set monitor-prompt@r{, @acronym{MIPS} remote}
20960 @cindex remote monitor prompt
20961 Tell @value{GDBN} to expect the specified @var{prompt} string from the
20962 remote monitor. The default depends on the target:
20963 @table @asis
20964 @item pmon target
20965 @samp{PMON}
20966 @item ddb target
20967 @samp{NEC010}
20968 @item lsi target
20969 @samp{PMON>}
20970 @end table
20971
20972 @item show monitor-prompt
20973 @kindex show monitor-prompt@r{, @acronym{MIPS} remote}
20974 Show the current strings @value{GDBN} expects as the prompt from the
20975 remote monitor.
20976
20977 @item set monitor-warnings
20978 @kindex set monitor-warnings@r{, @acronym{MIPS} remote}
20979 Enable or disable monitor warnings about hardware breakpoints. This
20980 has effect only for the @code{lsi} target. When on, @value{GDBN} will
20981 display warning messages whose codes are returned by the @code{lsi}
20982 PMON monitor for breakpoint commands.
20983
20984 @item show monitor-warnings
20985 @kindex show monitor-warnings@r{, @acronym{MIPS} remote}
20986 Show the current setting of printing monitor warnings.
20987
20988 @item pmon @var{command}
20989 @kindex pmon@r{, @acronym{MIPS} remote}
20990 @cindex send PMON command
20991 This command allows sending an arbitrary @var{command} string to the
20992 monitor. The monitor must be in debug mode for this to work.
20993 @end table
20994
20995 @node PowerPC Embedded
20996 @subsection PowerPC Embedded
20997
20998 @cindex DVC register
20999 @value{GDBN} supports using the DVC (Data Value Compare) register to
21000 implement in hardware simple hardware watchpoint conditions of the form:
21001
21002 @smallexample
21003 (@value{GDBP}) watch @var{ADDRESS|VARIABLE} \
21004 if @var{ADDRESS|VARIABLE} == @var{CONSTANT EXPRESSION}
21005 @end smallexample
21006
21007 The DVC register will be automatically used when @value{GDBN} detects
21008 such pattern in a condition expression, and the created watchpoint uses one
21009 debug register (either the @code{exact-watchpoints} option is on and the
21010 variable is scalar, or the variable has a length of one byte). This feature
21011 is available in native @value{GDBN} running on a Linux kernel version 2.6.34
21012 or newer.
21013
21014 When running on PowerPC embedded processors, @value{GDBN} automatically uses
21015 ranged hardware watchpoints, unless the @code{exact-watchpoints} option is on,
21016 in which case watchpoints using only one debug register are created when
21017 watching variables of scalar types.
21018
21019 You can create an artificial array to watch an arbitrary memory
21020 region using one of the following commands (@pxref{Expressions}):
21021
21022 @smallexample
21023 (@value{GDBP}) watch *((char *) @var{address})@@@var{length}
21024 (@value{GDBP}) watch @{char[@var{length}]@} @var{address}
21025 @end smallexample
21026
21027 PowerPC embedded processors support masked watchpoints. See the discussion
21028 about the @code{mask} argument in @ref{Set Watchpoints}.
21029
21030 @cindex ranged breakpoint
21031 PowerPC embedded processors support hardware accelerated
21032 @dfn{ranged breakpoints}. A ranged breakpoint stops execution of
21033 the inferior whenever it executes an instruction at any address within
21034 the range it specifies. To set a ranged breakpoint in @value{GDBN},
21035 use the @code{break-range} command.
21036
21037 @value{GDBN} provides the following PowerPC-specific commands:
21038
21039 @table @code
21040 @kindex break-range
21041 @item break-range @var{start-location}, @var{end-location}
21042 Set a breakpoint for an address range.
21043 @var{start-location} and @var{end-location} can specify a function name,
21044 a line number, an offset of lines from the current line or from the start
21045 location, or an address of an instruction (see @ref{Specify Location},
21046 for a list of all the possible ways to specify a @var{location}.)
21047 The breakpoint will stop execution of the inferior whenever it
21048 executes an instruction at any address within the specified range,
21049 (including @var{start-location} and @var{end-location}.)
21050
21051 @kindex set powerpc
21052 @item set powerpc soft-float
21053 @itemx show powerpc soft-float
21054 Force @value{GDBN} to use (or not use) a software floating point calling
21055 convention. By default, @value{GDBN} selects the calling convention based
21056 on the selected architecture and the provided executable file.
21057
21058 @item set powerpc vector-abi
21059 @itemx show powerpc vector-abi
21060 Force @value{GDBN} to use the specified calling convention for vector
21061 arguments and return values. The valid options are @samp{auto};
21062 @samp{generic}, to avoid vector registers even if they are present;
21063 @samp{altivec}, to use AltiVec registers; and @samp{spe} to use SPE
21064 registers. By default, @value{GDBN} selects the calling convention
21065 based on the selected architecture and the provided executable file.
21066
21067 @item set powerpc exact-watchpoints
21068 @itemx show powerpc exact-watchpoints
21069 Allow @value{GDBN} to use only one debug register when watching a variable
21070 of scalar type, thus assuming that the variable is accessed through the
21071 address of its first byte.
21072
21073 @kindex target dink32
21074 @item target dink32 @var{dev}
21075 DINK32 ROM monitor.
21076
21077 @kindex target ppcbug
21078 @item target ppcbug @var{dev}
21079 @kindex target ppcbug1
21080 @item target ppcbug1 @var{dev}
21081 PPCBUG ROM monitor for PowerPC.
21082
21083 @kindex target sds
21084 @item target sds @var{dev}
21085 SDS monitor, running on a PowerPC board (such as Motorola's ADS).
21086 @end table
21087
21088 @cindex SDS protocol
21089 The following commands specific to the SDS protocol are supported
21090 by @value{GDBN}:
21091
21092 @table @code
21093 @item set sdstimeout @var{nsec}
21094 @kindex set sdstimeout
21095 Set the timeout for SDS protocol reads to be @var{nsec} seconds. The
21096 default is 2 seconds.
21097
21098 @item show sdstimeout
21099 @kindex show sdstimeout
21100 Show the current value of the SDS timeout.
21101
21102 @item sds @var{command}
21103 @kindex sds@r{, a command}
21104 Send the specified @var{command} string to the SDS monitor.
21105 @end table
21106
21107
21108 @node PA
21109 @subsection HP PA Embedded
21110
21111 @table @code
21112
21113 @kindex target op50n
21114 @item target op50n @var{dev}
21115 OP50N monitor, running on an OKI HPPA board.
21116
21117 @kindex target w89k
21118 @item target w89k @var{dev}
21119 W89K monitor, running on a Winbond HPPA board.
21120
21121 @end table
21122
21123 @node Sparclet
21124 @subsection Tsqware Sparclet
21125
21126 @cindex Sparclet
21127
21128 @value{GDBN} enables developers to debug tasks running on
21129 Sparclet targets from a Unix host.
21130 @value{GDBN} uses code that runs on
21131 both the Unix host and on the Sparclet target. The program
21132 @code{@value{GDBP}} is installed and executed on the Unix host.
21133
21134 @table @code
21135 @item remotetimeout @var{args}
21136 @kindex remotetimeout
21137 @value{GDBN} supports the option @code{remotetimeout}.
21138 This option is set by the user, and @var{args} represents the number of
21139 seconds @value{GDBN} waits for responses.
21140 @end table
21141
21142 @cindex compiling, on Sparclet
21143 When compiling for debugging, include the options @samp{-g} to get debug
21144 information and @samp{-Ttext} to relocate the program to where you wish to
21145 load it on the target. You may also want to add the options @samp{-n} or
21146 @samp{-N} in order to reduce the size of the sections. Example:
21147
21148 @smallexample
21149 sparclet-aout-gcc prog.c -Ttext 0x12010000 -g -o prog -N
21150 @end smallexample
21151
21152 You can use @code{objdump} to verify that the addresses are what you intended:
21153
21154 @smallexample
21155 sparclet-aout-objdump --headers --syms prog
21156 @end smallexample
21157
21158 @cindex running, on Sparclet
21159 Once you have set
21160 your Unix execution search path to find @value{GDBN}, you are ready to
21161 run @value{GDBN}. From your Unix host, run @code{@value{GDBP}}
21162 (or @code{sparclet-aout-gdb}, depending on your installation).
21163
21164 @value{GDBN} comes up showing the prompt:
21165
21166 @smallexample
21167 (gdbslet)
21168 @end smallexample
21169
21170 @menu
21171 * Sparclet File:: Setting the file to debug
21172 * Sparclet Connection:: Connecting to Sparclet
21173 * Sparclet Download:: Sparclet download
21174 * Sparclet Execution:: Running and debugging
21175 @end menu
21176
21177 @node Sparclet File
21178 @subsubsection Setting File to Debug
21179
21180 The @value{GDBN} command @code{file} lets you choose with program to debug.
21181
21182 @smallexample
21183 (gdbslet) file prog
21184 @end smallexample
21185
21186 @need 1000
21187 @value{GDBN} then attempts to read the symbol table of @file{prog}.
21188 @value{GDBN} locates
21189 the file by searching the directories listed in the command search
21190 path.
21191 If the file was compiled with debug information (option @samp{-g}), source
21192 files will be searched as well.
21193 @value{GDBN} locates
21194 the source files by searching the directories listed in the directory search
21195 path (@pxref{Environment, ,Your Program's Environment}).
21196 If it fails
21197 to find a file, it displays a message such as:
21198
21199 @smallexample
21200 prog: No such file or directory.
21201 @end smallexample
21202
21203 When this happens, add the appropriate directories to the search paths with
21204 the @value{GDBN} commands @code{path} and @code{dir}, and execute the
21205 @code{target} command again.
21206
21207 @node Sparclet Connection
21208 @subsubsection Connecting to Sparclet
21209
21210 The @value{GDBN} command @code{target} lets you connect to a Sparclet target.
21211 To connect to a target on serial port ``@code{ttya}'', type:
21212
21213 @smallexample
21214 (gdbslet) target sparclet /dev/ttya
21215 Remote target sparclet connected to /dev/ttya
21216 main () at ../prog.c:3
21217 @end smallexample
21218
21219 @need 750
21220 @value{GDBN} displays messages like these:
21221
21222 @smallexample
21223 Connected to ttya.
21224 @end smallexample
21225
21226 @node Sparclet Download
21227 @subsubsection Sparclet Download
21228
21229 @cindex download to Sparclet
21230 Once connected to the Sparclet target,
21231 you can use the @value{GDBN}
21232 @code{load} command to download the file from the host to the target.
21233 The file name and load offset should be given as arguments to the @code{load}
21234 command.
21235 Since the file format is aout, the program must be loaded to the starting
21236 address. You can use @code{objdump} to find out what this value is. The load
21237 offset is an offset which is added to the VMA (virtual memory address)
21238 of each of the file's sections.
21239 For instance, if the program
21240 @file{prog} was linked to text address 0x1201000, with data at 0x12010160
21241 and bss at 0x12010170, in @value{GDBN}, type:
21242
21243 @smallexample
21244 (gdbslet) load prog 0x12010000
21245 Loading section .text, size 0xdb0 vma 0x12010000
21246 @end smallexample
21247
21248 If the code is loaded at a different address then what the program was linked
21249 to, you may need to use the @code{section} and @code{add-symbol-file} commands
21250 to tell @value{GDBN} where to map the symbol table.
21251
21252 @node Sparclet Execution
21253 @subsubsection Running and Debugging
21254
21255 @cindex running and debugging Sparclet programs
21256 You can now begin debugging the task using @value{GDBN}'s execution control
21257 commands, @code{b}, @code{step}, @code{run}, etc. See the @value{GDBN}
21258 manual for the list of commands.
21259
21260 @smallexample
21261 (gdbslet) b main
21262 Breakpoint 1 at 0x12010000: file prog.c, line 3.
21263 (gdbslet) run
21264 Starting program: prog
21265 Breakpoint 1, main (argc=1, argv=0xeffff21c) at prog.c:3
21266 3 char *symarg = 0;
21267 (gdbslet) step
21268 4 char *execarg = "hello!";
21269 (gdbslet)
21270 @end smallexample
21271
21272 @node Sparclite
21273 @subsection Fujitsu Sparclite
21274
21275 @table @code
21276
21277 @kindex target sparclite
21278 @item target sparclite @var{dev}
21279 Fujitsu sparclite boards, used only for the purpose of loading.
21280 You must use an additional command to debug the program.
21281 For example: target remote @var{dev} using @value{GDBN} standard
21282 remote protocol.
21283
21284 @end table
21285
21286 @node Z8000
21287 @subsection Zilog Z8000
21288
21289 @cindex Z8000
21290 @cindex simulator, Z8000
21291 @cindex Zilog Z8000 simulator
21292
21293 When configured for debugging Zilog Z8000 targets, @value{GDBN} includes
21294 a Z8000 simulator.
21295
21296 For the Z8000 family, @samp{target sim} simulates either the Z8002 (the
21297 unsegmented variant of the Z8000 architecture) or the Z8001 (the
21298 segmented variant). The simulator recognizes which architecture is
21299 appropriate by inspecting the object code.
21300
21301 @table @code
21302 @item target sim @var{args}
21303 @kindex sim
21304 @kindex target sim@r{, with Z8000}
21305 Debug programs on a simulated CPU. If the simulator supports setup
21306 options, specify them via @var{args}.
21307 @end table
21308
21309 @noindent
21310 After specifying this target, you can debug programs for the simulated
21311 CPU in the same style as programs for your host computer; use the
21312 @code{file} command to load a new program image, the @code{run} command
21313 to run your program, and so on.
21314
21315 As well as making available all the usual machine registers
21316 (@pxref{Registers, ,Registers}), the Z8000 simulator provides three
21317 additional items of information as specially named registers:
21318
21319 @table @code
21320
21321 @item cycles
21322 Counts clock-ticks in the simulator.
21323
21324 @item insts
21325 Counts instructions run in the simulator.
21326
21327 @item time
21328 Execution time in 60ths of a second.
21329
21330 @end table
21331
21332 You can refer to these values in @value{GDBN} expressions with the usual
21333 conventions; for example, @w{@samp{b fputc if $cycles>5000}} sets a
21334 conditional breakpoint that suspends only after at least 5000
21335 simulated clock ticks.
21336
21337 @node AVR
21338 @subsection Atmel AVR
21339 @cindex AVR
21340
21341 When configured for debugging the Atmel AVR, @value{GDBN} supports the
21342 following AVR-specific commands:
21343
21344 @table @code
21345 @item info io_registers
21346 @kindex info io_registers@r{, AVR}
21347 @cindex I/O registers (Atmel AVR)
21348 This command displays information about the AVR I/O registers. For
21349 each register, @value{GDBN} prints its number and value.
21350 @end table
21351
21352 @node CRIS
21353 @subsection CRIS
21354 @cindex CRIS
21355
21356 When configured for debugging CRIS, @value{GDBN} provides the
21357 following CRIS-specific commands:
21358
21359 @table @code
21360 @item set cris-version @var{ver}
21361 @cindex CRIS version
21362 Set the current CRIS version to @var{ver}, either @samp{10} or @samp{32}.
21363 The CRIS version affects register names and sizes. This command is useful in
21364 case autodetection of the CRIS version fails.
21365
21366 @item show cris-version
21367 Show the current CRIS version.
21368
21369 @item set cris-dwarf2-cfi
21370 @cindex DWARF-2 CFI and CRIS
21371 Set the usage of DWARF-2 CFI for CRIS debugging. The default is @samp{on}.
21372 Change to @samp{off} when using @code{gcc-cris} whose version is below
21373 @code{R59}.
21374
21375 @item show cris-dwarf2-cfi
21376 Show the current state of using DWARF-2 CFI.
21377
21378 @item set cris-mode @var{mode}
21379 @cindex CRIS mode
21380 Set the current CRIS mode to @var{mode}. It should only be changed when
21381 debugging in guru mode, in which case it should be set to
21382 @samp{guru} (the default is @samp{normal}).
21383
21384 @item show cris-mode
21385 Show the current CRIS mode.
21386 @end table
21387
21388 @node Super-H
21389 @subsection Renesas Super-H
21390 @cindex Super-H
21391
21392 For the Renesas Super-H processor, @value{GDBN} provides these
21393 commands:
21394
21395 @table @code
21396 @item set sh calling-convention @var{convention}
21397 @kindex set sh calling-convention
21398 Set the calling-convention used when calling functions from @value{GDBN}.
21399 Allowed values are @samp{gcc}, which is the default setting, and @samp{renesas}.
21400 With the @samp{gcc} setting, functions are called using the @value{NGCC} calling
21401 convention. If the DWARF-2 information of the called function specifies
21402 that the function follows the Renesas calling convention, the function
21403 is called using the Renesas calling convention. If the calling convention
21404 is set to @samp{renesas}, the Renesas calling convention is always used,
21405 regardless of the DWARF-2 information. This can be used to override the
21406 default of @samp{gcc} if debug information is missing, or the compiler
21407 does not emit the DWARF-2 calling convention entry for a function.
21408
21409 @item show sh calling-convention
21410 @kindex show sh calling-convention
21411 Show the current calling convention setting.
21412
21413 @end table
21414
21415
21416 @node Architectures
21417 @section Architectures
21418
21419 This section describes characteristics of architectures that affect
21420 all uses of @value{GDBN} with the architecture, both native and cross.
21421
21422 @menu
21423 * AArch64::
21424 * i386::
21425 * Alpha::
21426 * MIPS::
21427 * HPPA:: HP PA architecture
21428 * SPU:: Cell Broadband Engine SPU architecture
21429 * PowerPC::
21430 * Nios II::
21431 @end menu
21432
21433 @node AArch64
21434 @subsection AArch64
21435 @cindex AArch64 support
21436
21437 When @value{GDBN} is debugging the AArch64 architecture, it provides the
21438 following special commands:
21439
21440 @table @code
21441 @item set debug aarch64
21442 @kindex set debug aarch64
21443 This command determines whether AArch64 architecture-specific debugging
21444 messages are to be displayed.
21445
21446 @item show debug aarch64
21447 Show whether AArch64 debugging messages are displayed.
21448
21449 @end table
21450
21451 @node i386
21452 @subsection x86 Architecture-specific Issues
21453
21454 @table @code
21455 @item set struct-convention @var{mode}
21456 @kindex set struct-convention
21457 @cindex struct return convention
21458 @cindex struct/union returned in registers
21459 Set the convention used by the inferior to return @code{struct}s and
21460 @code{union}s from functions to @var{mode}. Possible values of
21461 @var{mode} are @code{"pcc"}, @code{"reg"}, and @code{"default"} (the
21462 default). @code{"default"} or @code{"pcc"} means that @code{struct}s
21463 are returned on the stack, while @code{"reg"} means that a
21464 @code{struct} or a @code{union} whose size is 1, 2, 4, or 8 bytes will
21465 be returned in a register.
21466
21467 @item show struct-convention
21468 @kindex show struct-convention
21469 Show the current setting of the convention to return @code{struct}s
21470 from functions.
21471 @end table
21472
21473 @subsubsection Intel(R) @dfn{Memory Protection Extensions} (MPX).
21474 @cindex Intel(R) Memory Protection Extensions (MPX).
21475
21476 Memory Protection Extension (MPX) adds the bound registers @samp{BND0}
21477 @footnote{The register named with capital letters represent the architecture
21478 registers.} through @samp{BND3}. Bound registers store a pair of 64-bit values
21479 which are the lower bound and upper bound. Bounds are effective addresses or
21480 memory locations. The upper bounds are architecturally represented in 1's
21481 complement form. A bound having lower bound = 0, and upper bound = 0
21482 (1's complement of all bits set) will allow access to the entire address space.
21483
21484 @samp{BND0} through @samp{BND3} are represented in @value{GDBN} as @samp{bnd0raw}
21485 through @samp{bnd3raw}. Pseudo registers @samp{bnd0} through @samp{bnd3}
21486 display the upper bound performing the complement of one operation on the
21487 upper bound value, i.e.@ when upper bound in @samp{bnd0raw} is 0 in the
21488 @value{GDBN} @samp{bnd0} it will be @code{0xfff@dots{}}. In this sense it
21489 can also be noted that the upper bounds are inclusive.
21490
21491 As an example, assume that the register BND0 holds bounds for a pointer having
21492 access allowed for the range between 0x32 and 0x71. The values present on
21493 bnd0raw and bnd registers are presented as follows:
21494
21495 @smallexample
21496 bnd0raw = @{0x32, 0xffffffff8e@}
21497 bnd0 = @{lbound = 0x32, ubound = 0x71@} : size 64
21498 @end smallexample
21499
21500 This way the raw value can be accessed via bnd0raw@dots{}bnd3raw. Any
21501 change on bnd0@dots{}bnd3 or bnd0raw@dots{}bnd3raw is reflect on its
21502 counterpart. When the bnd0@dots{}bnd3 registers are displayed via
21503 Python, the display includes the memory size, in bits, accessible to
21504 the pointer.
21505
21506 @node Alpha
21507 @subsection Alpha
21508
21509 See the following section.
21510
21511 @node MIPS
21512 @subsection @acronym{MIPS}
21513
21514 @cindex stack on Alpha
21515 @cindex stack on @acronym{MIPS}
21516 @cindex Alpha stack
21517 @cindex @acronym{MIPS} stack
21518 Alpha- and @acronym{MIPS}-based computers use an unusual stack frame, which
21519 sometimes requires @value{GDBN} to search backward in the object code to
21520 find the beginning of a function.
21521
21522 @cindex response time, @acronym{MIPS} debugging
21523 To improve response time (especially for embedded applications, where
21524 @value{GDBN} may be restricted to a slow serial line for this search)
21525 you may want to limit the size of this search, using one of these
21526 commands:
21527
21528 @table @code
21529 @cindex @code{heuristic-fence-post} (Alpha, @acronym{MIPS})
21530 @item set heuristic-fence-post @var{limit}
21531 Restrict @value{GDBN} to examining at most @var{limit} bytes in its
21532 search for the beginning of a function. A value of @var{0} (the
21533 default) means there is no limit. However, except for @var{0}, the
21534 larger the limit the more bytes @code{heuristic-fence-post} must search
21535 and therefore the longer it takes to run. You should only need to use
21536 this command when debugging a stripped executable.
21537
21538 @item show heuristic-fence-post
21539 Display the current limit.
21540 @end table
21541
21542 @noindent
21543 These commands are available @emph{only} when @value{GDBN} is configured
21544 for debugging programs on Alpha or @acronym{MIPS} processors.
21545
21546 Several @acronym{MIPS}-specific commands are available when debugging @acronym{MIPS}
21547 programs:
21548
21549 @table @code
21550 @item set mips abi @var{arg}
21551 @kindex set mips abi
21552 @cindex set ABI for @acronym{MIPS}
21553 Tell @value{GDBN} which @acronym{MIPS} ABI is used by the inferior. Possible
21554 values of @var{arg} are:
21555
21556 @table @samp
21557 @item auto
21558 The default ABI associated with the current binary (this is the
21559 default).
21560 @item o32
21561 @item o64
21562 @item n32
21563 @item n64
21564 @item eabi32
21565 @item eabi64
21566 @end table
21567
21568 @item show mips abi
21569 @kindex show mips abi
21570 Show the @acronym{MIPS} ABI used by @value{GDBN} to debug the inferior.
21571
21572 @item set mips compression @var{arg}
21573 @kindex set mips compression
21574 @cindex code compression, @acronym{MIPS}
21575 Tell @value{GDBN} which @acronym{MIPS} compressed
21576 @acronym{ISA, Instruction Set Architecture} encoding is used by the
21577 inferior. @value{GDBN} uses this for code disassembly and other
21578 internal interpretation purposes. This setting is only referred to
21579 when no executable has been associated with the debugging session or
21580 the executable does not provide information about the encoding it uses.
21581 Otherwise this setting is automatically updated from information
21582 provided by the executable.
21583
21584 Possible values of @var{arg} are @samp{mips16} and @samp{micromips}.
21585 The default compressed @acronym{ISA} encoding is @samp{mips16}, as
21586 executables containing @acronym{MIPS16} code frequently are not
21587 identified as such.
21588
21589 This setting is ``sticky''; that is, it retains its value across
21590 debugging sessions until reset either explicitly with this command or
21591 implicitly from an executable.
21592
21593 The compiler and/or assembler typically add symbol table annotations to
21594 identify functions compiled for the @acronym{MIPS16} or
21595 @acronym{microMIPS} @acronym{ISA}s. If these function-scope annotations
21596 are present, @value{GDBN} uses them in preference to the global
21597 compressed @acronym{ISA} encoding setting.
21598
21599 @item show mips compression
21600 @kindex show mips compression
21601 Show the @acronym{MIPS} compressed @acronym{ISA} encoding used by
21602 @value{GDBN} to debug the inferior.
21603
21604 @item set mipsfpu
21605 @itemx show mipsfpu
21606 @xref{MIPS Embedded, set mipsfpu}.
21607
21608 @item set mips mask-address @var{arg}
21609 @kindex set mips mask-address
21610 @cindex @acronym{MIPS} addresses, masking
21611 This command determines whether the most-significant 32 bits of 64-bit
21612 @acronym{MIPS} addresses are masked off. The argument @var{arg} can be
21613 @samp{on}, @samp{off}, or @samp{auto}. The latter is the default
21614 setting, which lets @value{GDBN} determine the correct value.
21615
21616 @item show mips mask-address
21617 @kindex show mips mask-address
21618 Show whether the upper 32 bits of @acronym{MIPS} addresses are masked off or
21619 not.
21620
21621 @item set remote-mips64-transfers-32bit-regs
21622 @kindex set remote-mips64-transfers-32bit-regs
21623 This command controls compatibility with 64-bit @acronym{MIPS} targets that
21624 transfer data in 32-bit quantities. If you have an old @acronym{MIPS} 64 target
21625 that transfers 32 bits for some registers, like @sc{sr} and @sc{fsr},
21626 and 64 bits for other registers, set this option to @samp{on}.
21627
21628 @item show remote-mips64-transfers-32bit-regs
21629 @kindex show remote-mips64-transfers-32bit-regs
21630 Show the current setting of compatibility with older @acronym{MIPS} 64 targets.
21631
21632 @item set debug mips
21633 @kindex set debug mips
21634 This command turns on and off debugging messages for the @acronym{MIPS}-specific
21635 target code in @value{GDBN}.
21636
21637 @item show debug mips
21638 @kindex show debug mips
21639 Show the current setting of @acronym{MIPS} debugging messages.
21640 @end table
21641
21642
21643 @node HPPA
21644 @subsection HPPA
21645 @cindex HPPA support
21646
21647 When @value{GDBN} is debugging the HP PA architecture, it provides the
21648 following special commands:
21649
21650 @table @code
21651 @item set debug hppa
21652 @kindex set debug hppa
21653 This command determines whether HPPA architecture-specific debugging
21654 messages are to be displayed.
21655
21656 @item show debug hppa
21657 Show whether HPPA debugging messages are displayed.
21658
21659 @item maint print unwind @var{address}
21660 @kindex maint print unwind@r{, HPPA}
21661 This command displays the contents of the unwind table entry at the
21662 given @var{address}.
21663
21664 @end table
21665
21666
21667 @node SPU
21668 @subsection Cell Broadband Engine SPU architecture
21669 @cindex Cell Broadband Engine
21670 @cindex SPU
21671
21672 When @value{GDBN} is debugging the Cell Broadband Engine SPU architecture,
21673 it provides the following special commands:
21674
21675 @table @code
21676 @item info spu event
21677 @kindex info spu
21678 Display SPU event facility status. Shows current event mask
21679 and pending event status.
21680
21681 @item info spu signal
21682 Display SPU signal notification facility status. Shows pending
21683 signal-control word and signal notification mode of both signal
21684 notification channels.
21685
21686 @item info spu mailbox
21687 Display SPU mailbox facility status. Shows all pending entries,
21688 in order of processing, in each of the SPU Write Outbound,
21689 SPU Write Outbound Interrupt, and SPU Read Inbound mailboxes.
21690
21691 @item info spu dma
21692 Display MFC DMA status. Shows all pending commands in the MFC
21693 DMA queue. For each entry, opcode, tag, class IDs, effective
21694 and local store addresses and transfer size are shown.
21695
21696 @item info spu proxydma
21697 Display MFC Proxy-DMA status. Shows all pending commands in the MFC
21698 Proxy-DMA queue. For each entry, opcode, tag, class IDs, effective
21699 and local store addresses and transfer size are shown.
21700
21701 @end table
21702
21703 When @value{GDBN} is debugging a combined PowerPC/SPU application
21704 on the Cell Broadband Engine, it provides in addition the following
21705 special commands:
21706
21707 @table @code
21708 @item set spu stop-on-load @var{arg}
21709 @kindex set spu
21710 Set whether to stop for new SPE threads. When set to @code{on}, @value{GDBN}
21711 will give control to the user when a new SPE thread enters its @code{main}
21712 function. The default is @code{off}.
21713
21714 @item show spu stop-on-load
21715 @kindex show spu
21716 Show whether to stop for new SPE threads.
21717
21718 @item set spu auto-flush-cache @var{arg}
21719 Set whether to automatically flush the software-managed cache. When set to
21720 @code{on}, @value{GDBN} will automatically cause the SPE software-managed
21721 cache to be flushed whenever SPE execution stops. This provides a consistent
21722 view of PowerPC memory that is accessed via the cache. If an application
21723 does not use the software-managed cache, this option has no effect.
21724
21725 @item show spu auto-flush-cache
21726 Show whether to automatically flush the software-managed cache.
21727
21728 @end table
21729
21730 @node PowerPC
21731 @subsection PowerPC
21732 @cindex PowerPC architecture
21733
21734 When @value{GDBN} is debugging the PowerPC architecture, it provides a set of
21735 pseudo-registers to enable inspection of 128-bit wide Decimal Floating Point
21736 numbers stored in the floating point registers. These values must be stored
21737 in two consecutive registers, always starting at an even register like
21738 @code{f0} or @code{f2}.
21739
21740 The pseudo-registers go from @code{$dl0} through @code{$dl15}, and are formed
21741 by joining the even/odd register pairs @code{f0} and @code{f1} for @code{$dl0},
21742 @code{f2} and @code{f3} for @code{$dl1} and so on.
21743
21744 For POWER7 processors, @value{GDBN} provides a set of pseudo-registers, the 64-bit
21745 wide Extended Floating Point Registers (@samp{f32} through @samp{f63}).
21746
21747 @node Nios II
21748 @subsection Nios II
21749 @cindex Nios II architecture
21750
21751 When @value{GDBN} is debugging the Nios II architecture,
21752 it provides the following special commands:
21753
21754 @table @code
21755
21756 @item set debug nios2
21757 @kindex set debug nios2
21758 This command turns on and off debugging messages for the Nios II
21759 target code in @value{GDBN}.
21760
21761 @item show debug nios2
21762 @kindex show debug nios2
21763 Show the current setting of Nios II debugging messages.
21764 @end table
21765
21766 @node Controlling GDB
21767 @chapter Controlling @value{GDBN}
21768
21769 You can alter the way @value{GDBN} interacts with you by using the
21770 @code{set} command. For commands controlling how @value{GDBN} displays
21771 data, see @ref{Print Settings, ,Print Settings}. Other settings are
21772 described here.
21773
21774 @menu
21775 * Prompt:: Prompt
21776 * Editing:: Command editing
21777 * Command History:: Command history
21778 * Screen Size:: Screen size
21779 * Numbers:: Numbers
21780 * ABI:: Configuring the current ABI
21781 * Auto-loading:: Automatically loading associated files
21782 * Messages/Warnings:: Optional warnings and messages
21783 * Debugging Output:: Optional messages about internal happenings
21784 * Other Misc Settings:: Other Miscellaneous Settings
21785 @end menu
21786
21787 @node Prompt
21788 @section Prompt
21789
21790 @cindex prompt
21791
21792 @value{GDBN} indicates its readiness to read a command by printing a string
21793 called the @dfn{prompt}. This string is normally @samp{(@value{GDBP})}. You
21794 can change the prompt string with the @code{set prompt} command. For
21795 instance, when debugging @value{GDBN} with @value{GDBN}, it is useful to change
21796 the prompt in one of the @value{GDBN} sessions so that you can always tell
21797 which one you are talking to.
21798
21799 @emph{Note:} @code{set prompt} does not add a space for you after the
21800 prompt you set. This allows you to set a prompt which ends in a space
21801 or a prompt that does not.
21802
21803 @table @code
21804 @kindex set prompt
21805 @item set prompt @var{newprompt}
21806 Directs @value{GDBN} to use @var{newprompt} as its prompt string henceforth.
21807
21808 @kindex show prompt
21809 @item show prompt
21810 Prints a line of the form: @samp{Gdb's prompt is: @var{your-prompt}}
21811 @end table
21812
21813 Versions of @value{GDBN} that ship with Python scripting enabled have
21814 prompt extensions. The commands for interacting with these extensions
21815 are:
21816
21817 @table @code
21818 @kindex set extended-prompt
21819 @item set extended-prompt @var{prompt}
21820 Set an extended prompt that allows for substitutions.
21821 @xref{gdb.prompt}, for a list of escape sequences that can be used for
21822 substitution. Any escape sequences specified as part of the prompt
21823 string are replaced with the corresponding strings each time the prompt
21824 is displayed.
21825
21826 For example:
21827
21828 @smallexample
21829 set extended-prompt Current working directory: \w (gdb)
21830 @end smallexample
21831
21832 Note that when an extended-prompt is set, it takes control of the
21833 @var{prompt_hook} hook. @xref{prompt_hook}, for further information.
21834
21835 @kindex show extended-prompt
21836 @item show extended-prompt
21837 Prints the extended prompt. Any escape sequences specified as part of
21838 the prompt string with @code{set extended-prompt}, are replaced with the
21839 corresponding strings each time the prompt is displayed.
21840 @end table
21841
21842 @node Editing
21843 @section Command Editing
21844 @cindex readline
21845 @cindex command line editing
21846
21847 @value{GDBN} reads its input commands via the @dfn{Readline} interface. This
21848 @sc{gnu} library provides consistent behavior for programs which provide a
21849 command line interface to the user. Advantages are @sc{gnu} Emacs-style
21850 or @dfn{vi}-style inline editing of commands, @code{csh}-like history
21851 substitution, and a storage and recall of command history across
21852 debugging sessions.
21853
21854 You may control the behavior of command line editing in @value{GDBN} with the
21855 command @code{set}.
21856
21857 @table @code
21858 @kindex set editing
21859 @cindex editing
21860 @item set editing
21861 @itemx set editing on
21862 Enable command line editing (enabled by default).
21863
21864 @item set editing off
21865 Disable command line editing.
21866
21867 @kindex show editing
21868 @item show editing
21869 Show whether command line editing is enabled.
21870 @end table
21871
21872 @ifset SYSTEM_READLINE
21873 @xref{Command Line Editing, , , rluserman, GNU Readline Library},
21874 @end ifset
21875 @ifclear SYSTEM_READLINE
21876 @xref{Command Line Editing},
21877 @end ifclear
21878 for more details about the Readline
21879 interface. Users unfamiliar with @sc{gnu} Emacs or @code{vi} are
21880 encouraged to read that chapter.
21881
21882 @node Command History
21883 @section Command History
21884 @cindex command history
21885
21886 @value{GDBN} can keep track of the commands you type during your
21887 debugging sessions, so that you can be certain of precisely what
21888 happened. Use these commands to manage the @value{GDBN} command
21889 history facility.
21890
21891 @value{GDBN} uses the @sc{gnu} History library, a part of the Readline
21892 package, to provide the history facility.
21893 @ifset SYSTEM_READLINE
21894 @xref{Using History Interactively, , , history, GNU History Library},
21895 @end ifset
21896 @ifclear SYSTEM_READLINE
21897 @xref{Using History Interactively},
21898 @end ifclear
21899 for the detailed description of the History library.
21900
21901 To issue a command to @value{GDBN} without affecting certain aspects of
21902 the state which is seen by users, prefix it with @samp{server }
21903 (@pxref{Server Prefix}). This
21904 means that this command will not affect the command history, nor will it
21905 affect @value{GDBN}'s notion of which command to repeat if @key{RET} is
21906 pressed on a line by itself.
21907
21908 @cindex @code{server}, command prefix
21909 The server prefix does not affect the recording of values into the value
21910 history; to print a value without recording it into the value history,
21911 use the @code{output} command instead of the @code{print} command.
21912
21913 Here is the description of @value{GDBN} commands related to command
21914 history.
21915
21916 @table @code
21917 @cindex history substitution
21918 @cindex history file
21919 @kindex set history filename
21920 @cindex @env{GDBHISTFILE}, environment variable
21921 @item set history filename @var{fname}
21922 Set the name of the @value{GDBN} command history file to @var{fname}.
21923 This is the file where @value{GDBN} reads an initial command history
21924 list, and where it writes the command history from this session when it
21925 exits. You can access this list through history expansion or through
21926 the history command editing characters listed below. This file defaults
21927 to the value of the environment variable @code{GDBHISTFILE}, or to
21928 @file{./.gdb_history} (@file{./_gdb_history} on MS-DOS) if this variable
21929 is not set.
21930
21931 @cindex save command history
21932 @kindex set history save
21933 @item set history save
21934 @itemx set history save on
21935 Record command history in a file, whose name may be specified with the
21936 @code{set history filename} command. By default, this option is disabled.
21937
21938 @item set history save off
21939 Stop recording command history in a file.
21940
21941 @cindex history size
21942 @kindex set history size
21943 @cindex @env{HISTSIZE}, environment variable
21944 @item set history size @var{size}
21945 @itemx set history size unlimited
21946 Set the number of commands which @value{GDBN} keeps in its history list.
21947 This defaults to the value of the environment variable
21948 @code{HISTSIZE}, or to 256 if this variable is not set. If @var{size}
21949 is @code{unlimited}, the number of commands @value{GDBN} keeps in the
21950 history list is unlimited.
21951 @end table
21952
21953 History expansion assigns special meaning to the character @kbd{!}.
21954 @ifset SYSTEM_READLINE
21955 @xref{Event Designators, , , history, GNU History Library},
21956 @end ifset
21957 @ifclear SYSTEM_READLINE
21958 @xref{Event Designators},
21959 @end ifclear
21960 for more details.
21961
21962 @cindex history expansion, turn on/off
21963 Since @kbd{!} is also the logical not operator in C, history expansion
21964 is off by default. If you decide to enable history expansion with the
21965 @code{set history expansion on} command, you may sometimes need to
21966 follow @kbd{!} (when it is used as logical not, in an expression) with
21967 a space or a tab to prevent it from being expanded. The readline
21968 history facilities do not attempt substitution on the strings
21969 @kbd{!=} and @kbd{!(}, even when history expansion is enabled.
21970
21971 The commands to control history expansion are:
21972
21973 @table @code
21974 @item set history expansion on
21975 @itemx set history expansion
21976 @kindex set history expansion
21977 Enable history expansion. History expansion is off by default.
21978
21979 @item set history expansion off
21980 Disable history expansion.
21981
21982 @c @group
21983 @kindex show history
21984 @item show history
21985 @itemx show history filename
21986 @itemx show history save
21987 @itemx show history size
21988 @itemx show history expansion
21989 These commands display the state of the @value{GDBN} history parameters.
21990 @code{show history} by itself displays all four states.
21991 @c @end group
21992 @end table
21993
21994 @table @code
21995 @kindex show commands
21996 @cindex show last commands
21997 @cindex display command history
21998 @item show commands
21999 Display the last ten commands in the command history.
22000
22001 @item show commands @var{n}
22002 Print ten commands centered on command number @var{n}.
22003
22004 @item show commands +
22005 Print ten commands just after the commands last printed.
22006 @end table
22007
22008 @node Screen Size
22009 @section Screen Size
22010 @cindex size of screen
22011 @cindex pauses in output
22012
22013 Certain commands to @value{GDBN} may produce large amounts of
22014 information output to the screen. To help you read all of it,
22015 @value{GDBN} pauses and asks you for input at the end of each page of
22016 output. Type @key{RET} when you want to continue the output, or @kbd{q}
22017 to discard the remaining output. Also, the screen width setting
22018 determines when to wrap lines of output. Depending on what is being
22019 printed, @value{GDBN} tries to break the line at a readable place,
22020 rather than simply letting it overflow onto the following line.
22021
22022 Normally @value{GDBN} knows the size of the screen from the terminal
22023 driver software. For example, on Unix @value{GDBN} uses the termcap data base
22024 together with the value of the @code{TERM} environment variable and the
22025 @code{stty rows} and @code{stty cols} settings. If this is not correct,
22026 you can override it with the @code{set height} and @code{set
22027 width} commands:
22028
22029 @table @code
22030 @kindex set height
22031 @kindex set width
22032 @kindex show width
22033 @kindex show height
22034 @item set height @var{lpp}
22035 @itemx set height unlimited
22036 @itemx show height
22037 @itemx set width @var{cpl}
22038 @itemx set width unlimited
22039 @itemx show width
22040 These @code{set} commands specify a screen height of @var{lpp} lines and
22041 a screen width of @var{cpl} characters. The associated @code{show}
22042 commands display the current settings.
22043
22044 If you specify a height of either @code{unlimited} or zero lines,
22045 @value{GDBN} does not pause during output no matter how long the
22046 output is. This is useful if output is to a file or to an editor
22047 buffer.
22048
22049 Likewise, you can specify @samp{set width unlimited} or @samp{set
22050 width 0} to prevent @value{GDBN} from wrapping its output.
22051
22052 @item set pagination on
22053 @itemx set pagination off
22054 @kindex set pagination
22055 Turn the output pagination on or off; the default is on. Turning
22056 pagination off is the alternative to @code{set height unlimited}. Note that
22057 running @value{GDBN} with the @option{--batch} option (@pxref{Mode
22058 Options, -batch}) also automatically disables pagination.
22059
22060 @item show pagination
22061 @kindex show pagination
22062 Show the current pagination mode.
22063 @end table
22064
22065 @node Numbers
22066 @section Numbers
22067 @cindex number representation
22068 @cindex entering numbers
22069
22070 You can always enter numbers in octal, decimal, or hexadecimal in
22071 @value{GDBN} by the usual conventions: octal numbers begin with
22072 @samp{0}, decimal numbers end with @samp{.}, and hexadecimal numbers
22073 begin with @samp{0x}. Numbers that neither begin with @samp{0} or
22074 @samp{0x}, nor end with a @samp{.} are, by default, entered in base
22075 10; likewise, the default display for numbers---when no particular
22076 format is specified---is base 10. You can change the default base for
22077 both input and output with the commands described below.
22078
22079 @table @code
22080 @kindex set input-radix
22081 @item set input-radix @var{base}
22082 Set the default base for numeric input. Supported choices
22083 for @var{base} are decimal 8, 10, or 16. @var{base} must itself be
22084 specified either unambiguously or using the current input radix; for
22085 example, any of
22086
22087 @smallexample
22088 set input-radix 012
22089 set input-radix 10.
22090 set input-radix 0xa
22091 @end smallexample
22092
22093 @noindent
22094 sets the input base to decimal. On the other hand, @samp{set input-radix 10}
22095 leaves the input radix unchanged, no matter what it was, since
22096 @samp{10}, being without any leading or trailing signs of its base, is
22097 interpreted in the current radix. Thus, if the current radix is 16,
22098 @samp{10} is interpreted in hex, i.e.@: as 16 decimal, which doesn't
22099 change the radix.
22100
22101 @kindex set output-radix
22102 @item set output-radix @var{base}
22103 Set the default base for numeric display. Supported choices
22104 for @var{base} are decimal 8, 10, or 16. @var{base} must itself be
22105 specified either unambiguously or using the current input radix.
22106
22107 @kindex show input-radix
22108 @item show input-radix
22109 Display the current default base for numeric input.
22110
22111 @kindex show output-radix
22112 @item show output-radix
22113 Display the current default base for numeric display.
22114
22115 @item set radix @r{[}@var{base}@r{]}
22116 @itemx show radix
22117 @kindex set radix
22118 @kindex show radix
22119 These commands set and show the default base for both input and output
22120 of numbers. @code{set radix} sets the radix of input and output to
22121 the same base; without an argument, it resets the radix back to its
22122 default value of 10.
22123
22124 @end table
22125
22126 @node ABI
22127 @section Configuring the Current ABI
22128
22129 @value{GDBN} can determine the @dfn{ABI} (Application Binary Interface) of your
22130 application automatically. However, sometimes you need to override its
22131 conclusions. Use these commands to manage @value{GDBN}'s view of the
22132 current ABI.
22133
22134 @cindex OS ABI
22135 @kindex set osabi
22136 @kindex show osabi
22137 @cindex Newlib OS ABI and its influence on the longjmp handling
22138
22139 One @value{GDBN} configuration can debug binaries for multiple operating
22140 system targets, either via remote debugging or native emulation.
22141 @value{GDBN} will autodetect the @dfn{OS ABI} (Operating System ABI) in use,
22142 but you can override its conclusion using the @code{set osabi} command.
22143 One example where this is useful is in debugging of binaries which use
22144 an alternate C library (e.g.@: @sc{uClibc} for @sc{gnu}/Linux) which does
22145 not have the same identifying marks that the standard C library for your
22146 platform provides.
22147
22148 When @value{GDBN} is debugging the AArch64 architecture, it provides a
22149 ``Newlib'' OS ABI. This is useful for handling @code{setjmp} and
22150 @code{longjmp} when debugging binaries that use the @sc{newlib} C library.
22151 The ``Newlib'' OS ABI can be selected by @code{set osabi Newlib}.
22152
22153 @table @code
22154 @item show osabi
22155 Show the OS ABI currently in use.
22156
22157 @item set osabi
22158 With no argument, show the list of registered available OS ABI's.
22159
22160 @item set osabi @var{abi}
22161 Set the current OS ABI to @var{abi}.
22162 @end table
22163
22164 @cindex float promotion
22165
22166 Generally, the way that an argument of type @code{float} is passed to a
22167 function depends on whether the function is prototyped. For a prototyped
22168 (i.e.@: ANSI/ISO style) function, @code{float} arguments are passed unchanged,
22169 according to the architecture's convention for @code{float}. For unprototyped
22170 (i.e.@: K&R style) functions, @code{float} arguments are first promoted to type
22171 @code{double} and then passed.
22172
22173 Unfortunately, some forms of debug information do not reliably indicate whether
22174 a function is prototyped. If @value{GDBN} calls a function that is not marked
22175 as prototyped, it consults @kbd{set coerce-float-to-double}.
22176
22177 @table @code
22178 @kindex set coerce-float-to-double
22179 @item set coerce-float-to-double
22180 @itemx set coerce-float-to-double on
22181 Arguments of type @code{float} will be promoted to @code{double} when passed
22182 to an unprototyped function. This is the default setting.
22183
22184 @item set coerce-float-to-double off
22185 Arguments of type @code{float} will be passed directly to unprototyped
22186 functions.
22187
22188 @kindex show coerce-float-to-double
22189 @item show coerce-float-to-double
22190 Show the current setting of promoting @code{float} to @code{double}.
22191 @end table
22192
22193 @kindex set cp-abi
22194 @kindex show cp-abi
22195 @value{GDBN} needs to know the ABI used for your program's C@t{++}
22196 objects. The correct C@t{++} ABI depends on which C@t{++} compiler was
22197 used to build your application. @value{GDBN} only fully supports
22198 programs with a single C@t{++} ABI; if your program contains code using
22199 multiple C@t{++} ABI's or if @value{GDBN} can not identify your
22200 program's ABI correctly, you can tell @value{GDBN} which ABI to use.
22201 Currently supported ABI's include ``gnu-v2'', for @code{g++} versions
22202 before 3.0, ``gnu-v3'', for @code{g++} versions 3.0 and later, and
22203 ``hpaCC'' for the HP ANSI C@t{++} compiler. Other C@t{++} compilers may
22204 use the ``gnu-v2'' or ``gnu-v3'' ABI's as well. The default setting is
22205 ``auto''.
22206
22207 @table @code
22208 @item show cp-abi
22209 Show the C@t{++} ABI currently in use.
22210
22211 @item set cp-abi
22212 With no argument, show the list of supported C@t{++} ABI's.
22213
22214 @item set cp-abi @var{abi}
22215 @itemx set cp-abi auto
22216 Set the current C@t{++} ABI to @var{abi}, or return to automatic detection.
22217 @end table
22218
22219 @node Auto-loading
22220 @section Automatically loading associated files
22221 @cindex auto-loading
22222
22223 @value{GDBN} sometimes reads files with commands and settings automatically,
22224 without being explicitly told so by the user. We call this feature
22225 @dfn{auto-loading}. While auto-loading is useful for automatically adapting
22226 @value{GDBN} to the needs of your project, it can sometimes produce unexpected
22227 results or introduce security risks (e.g., if the file comes from untrusted
22228 sources).
22229
22230 @menu
22231 * Init File in the Current Directory:: @samp{set/show/info auto-load local-gdbinit}
22232 * libthread_db.so.1 file:: @samp{set/show/info auto-load libthread-db}
22233
22234 * Auto-loading safe path:: @samp{set/show/info auto-load safe-path}
22235 * Auto-loading verbose mode:: @samp{set/show debug auto-load}
22236 @end menu
22237
22238 There are various kinds of files @value{GDBN} can automatically load.
22239 In addition to these files, @value{GDBN} supports auto-loading code written
22240 in various extension languages. @xref{Auto-loading extensions}.
22241
22242 Note that loading of these associated files (including the local @file{.gdbinit}
22243 file) requires accordingly configured @code{auto-load safe-path}
22244 (@pxref{Auto-loading safe path}).
22245
22246 For these reasons, @value{GDBN} includes commands and options to let you
22247 control when to auto-load files and which files should be auto-loaded.
22248
22249 @table @code
22250 @anchor{set auto-load off}
22251 @kindex set auto-load off
22252 @item set auto-load off
22253 Globally disable loading of all auto-loaded files.
22254 You may want to use this command with the @samp{-iex} option
22255 (@pxref{Option -init-eval-command}) such as:
22256 @smallexample
22257 $ @kbd{gdb -iex "set auto-load off" untrusted-executable corefile}
22258 @end smallexample
22259
22260 Be aware that system init file (@pxref{System-wide configuration})
22261 and init files from your home directory (@pxref{Home Directory Init File})
22262 still get read (as they come from generally trusted directories).
22263 To prevent @value{GDBN} from auto-loading even those init files, use the
22264 @option{-nx} option (@pxref{Mode Options}), in addition to
22265 @code{set auto-load no}.
22266
22267 @anchor{show auto-load}
22268 @kindex show auto-load
22269 @item show auto-load
22270 Show whether auto-loading of each specific @samp{auto-load} file(s) is enabled
22271 or disabled.
22272
22273 @smallexample
22274 (gdb) show auto-load
22275 gdb-scripts: Auto-loading of canned sequences of commands scripts is on.
22276 libthread-db: Auto-loading of inferior specific libthread_db is on.
22277 local-gdbinit: Auto-loading of .gdbinit script from current directory
22278 is on.
22279 python-scripts: Auto-loading of Python scripts is on.
22280 safe-path: List of directories from which it is safe to auto-load files
22281 is $debugdir:$datadir/auto-load.
22282 scripts-directory: List of directories from which to load auto-loaded scripts
22283 is $debugdir:$datadir/auto-load.
22284 @end smallexample
22285
22286 @anchor{info auto-load}
22287 @kindex info auto-load
22288 @item info auto-load
22289 Print whether each specific @samp{auto-load} file(s) have been auto-loaded or
22290 not.
22291
22292 @smallexample
22293 (gdb) info auto-load
22294 gdb-scripts:
22295 Loaded Script
22296 Yes /home/user/gdb/gdb-gdb.gdb
22297 libthread-db: No auto-loaded libthread-db.
22298 local-gdbinit: Local .gdbinit file "/home/user/gdb/.gdbinit" has been
22299 loaded.
22300 python-scripts:
22301 Loaded Script
22302 Yes /home/user/gdb/gdb-gdb.py
22303 @end smallexample
22304 @end table
22305
22306 These are @value{GDBN} control commands for the auto-loading:
22307
22308 @multitable @columnfractions .5 .5
22309 @item @xref{set auto-load off}.
22310 @tab Disable auto-loading globally.
22311 @item @xref{show auto-load}.
22312 @tab Show setting of all kinds of files.
22313 @item @xref{info auto-load}.
22314 @tab Show state of all kinds of files.
22315 @item @xref{set auto-load gdb-scripts}.
22316 @tab Control for @value{GDBN} command scripts.
22317 @item @xref{show auto-load gdb-scripts}.
22318 @tab Show setting of @value{GDBN} command scripts.
22319 @item @xref{info auto-load gdb-scripts}.
22320 @tab Show state of @value{GDBN} command scripts.
22321 @item @xref{set auto-load python-scripts}.
22322 @tab Control for @value{GDBN} Python scripts.
22323 @item @xref{show auto-load python-scripts}.
22324 @tab Show setting of @value{GDBN} Python scripts.
22325 @item @xref{info auto-load python-scripts}.
22326 @tab Show state of @value{GDBN} Python scripts.
22327 @item @xref{set auto-load guile-scripts}.
22328 @tab Control for @value{GDBN} Guile scripts.
22329 @item @xref{show auto-load guile-scripts}.
22330 @tab Show setting of @value{GDBN} Guile scripts.
22331 @item @xref{info auto-load guile-scripts}.
22332 @tab Show state of @value{GDBN} Guile scripts.
22333 @item @xref{set auto-load scripts-directory}.
22334 @tab Control for @value{GDBN} auto-loaded scripts location.
22335 @item @xref{show auto-load scripts-directory}.
22336 @tab Show @value{GDBN} auto-loaded scripts location.
22337 @item @xref{set auto-load local-gdbinit}.
22338 @tab Control for init file in the current directory.
22339 @item @xref{show auto-load local-gdbinit}.
22340 @tab Show setting of init file in the current directory.
22341 @item @xref{info auto-load local-gdbinit}.
22342 @tab Show state of init file in the current directory.
22343 @item @xref{set auto-load libthread-db}.
22344 @tab Control for thread debugging library.
22345 @item @xref{show auto-load libthread-db}.
22346 @tab Show setting of thread debugging library.
22347 @item @xref{info auto-load libthread-db}.
22348 @tab Show state of thread debugging library.
22349 @item @xref{set auto-load safe-path}.
22350 @tab Control directories trusted for automatic loading.
22351 @item @xref{show auto-load safe-path}.
22352 @tab Show directories trusted for automatic loading.
22353 @item @xref{add-auto-load-safe-path}.
22354 @tab Add directory trusted for automatic loading.
22355 @end multitable
22356
22357 @node Init File in the Current Directory
22358 @subsection Automatically loading init file in the current directory
22359 @cindex auto-loading init file in the current directory
22360
22361 By default, @value{GDBN} reads and executes the canned sequences of commands
22362 from init file (if any) in the current working directory,
22363 see @ref{Init File in the Current Directory during Startup}.
22364
22365 Note that loading of this local @file{.gdbinit} file also requires accordingly
22366 configured @code{auto-load safe-path} (@pxref{Auto-loading safe path}).
22367
22368 @table @code
22369 @anchor{set auto-load local-gdbinit}
22370 @kindex set auto-load local-gdbinit
22371 @item set auto-load local-gdbinit [on|off]
22372 Enable or disable the auto-loading of canned sequences of commands
22373 (@pxref{Sequences}) found in init file in the current directory.
22374
22375 @anchor{show auto-load local-gdbinit}
22376 @kindex show auto-load local-gdbinit
22377 @item show auto-load local-gdbinit
22378 Show whether auto-loading of canned sequences of commands from init file in the
22379 current directory is enabled or disabled.
22380
22381 @anchor{info auto-load local-gdbinit}
22382 @kindex info auto-load local-gdbinit
22383 @item info auto-load local-gdbinit
22384 Print whether canned sequences of commands from init file in the
22385 current directory have been auto-loaded.
22386 @end table
22387
22388 @node libthread_db.so.1 file
22389 @subsection Automatically loading thread debugging library
22390 @cindex auto-loading libthread_db.so.1
22391
22392 This feature is currently present only on @sc{gnu}/Linux native hosts.
22393
22394 @value{GDBN} reads in some cases thread debugging library from places specific
22395 to the inferior (@pxref{set libthread-db-search-path}).
22396
22397 The special @samp{libthread-db-search-path} entry @samp{$sdir} is processed
22398 without checking this @samp{set auto-load libthread-db} switch as system
22399 libraries have to be trusted in general. In all other cases of
22400 @samp{libthread-db-search-path} entries @value{GDBN} checks first if @samp{set
22401 auto-load libthread-db} is enabled before trying to open such thread debugging
22402 library.
22403
22404 Note that loading of this debugging library also requires accordingly configured
22405 @code{auto-load safe-path} (@pxref{Auto-loading safe path}).
22406
22407 @table @code
22408 @anchor{set auto-load libthread-db}
22409 @kindex set auto-load libthread-db
22410 @item set auto-load libthread-db [on|off]
22411 Enable or disable the auto-loading of inferior specific thread debugging library.
22412
22413 @anchor{show auto-load libthread-db}
22414 @kindex show auto-load libthread-db
22415 @item show auto-load libthread-db
22416 Show whether auto-loading of inferior specific thread debugging library is
22417 enabled or disabled.
22418
22419 @anchor{info auto-load libthread-db}
22420 @kindex info auto-load libthread-db
22421 @item info auto-load libthread-db
22422 Print the list of all loaded inferior specific thread debugging libraries and
22423 for each such library print list of inferior @var{pid}s using it.
22424 @end table
22425
22426 @node Auto-loading safe path
22427 @subsection Security restriction for auto-loading
22428 @cindex auto-loading safe-path
22429
22430 As the files of inferior can come from untrusted source (such as submitted by
22431 an application user) @value{GDBN} does not always load any files automatically.
22432 @value{GDBN} provides the @samp{set auto-load safe-path} setting to list
22433 directories trusted for loading files not explicitly requested by user.
22434 Each directory can also be a shell wildcard pattern.
22435
22436 If the path is not set properly you will see a warning and the file will not
22437 get loaded:
22438
22439 @smallexample
22440 $ ./gdb -q ./gdb
22441 Reading symbols from /home/user/gdb/gdb...done.
22442 warning: File "/home/user/gdb/gdb-gdb.gdb" auto-loading has been
22443 declined by your `auto-load safe-path' set
22444 to "$debugdir:$datadir/auto-load".
22445 warning: File "/home/user/gdb/gdb-gdb.py" auto-loading has been
22446 declined by your `auto-load safe-path' set
22447 to "$debugdir:$datadir/auto-load".
22448 @end smallexample
22449
22450 @noindent
22451 To instruct @value{GDBN} to go ahead and use the init files anyway,
22452 invoke @value{GDBN} like this:
22453
22454 @smallexample
22455 $ gdb -q -iex "set auto-load safe-path /home/user/gdb" ./gdb
22456 @end smallexample
22457
22458 The list of trusted directories is controlled by the following commands:
22459
22460 @table @code
22461 @anchor{set auto-load safe-path}
22462 @kindex set auto-load safe-path
22463 @item set auto-load safe-path @r{[}@var{directories}@r{]}
22464 Set the list of directories (and their subdirectories) trusted for automatic
22465 loading and execution of scripts. You can also enter a specific trusted file.
22466 Each directory can also be a shell wildcard pattern; wildcards do not match
22467 directory separator - see @code{FNM_PATHNAME} for system function @code{fnmatch}
22468 (@pxref{Wildcard Matching, fnmatch, , libc, GNU C Library Reference Manual}).
22469 If you omit @var{directories}, @samp{auto-load safe-path} will be reset to
22470 its default value as specified during @value{GDBN} compilation.
22471
22472 The list of directories uses path separator (@samp{:} on GNU and Unix
22473 systems, @samp{;} on MS-Windows and MS-DOS) to separate directories, similarly
22474 to the @env{PATH} environment variable.
22475
22476 @anchor{show auto-load safe-path}
22477 @kindex show auto-load safe-path
22478 @item show auto-load safe-path
22479 Show the list of directories trusted for automatic loading and execution of
22480 scripts.
22481
22482 @anchor{add-auto-load-safe-path}
22483 @kindex add-auto-load-safe-path
22484 @item add-auto-load-safe-path
22485 Add an entry (or list of entries) the list of directories trusted for automatic
22486 loading and execution of scripts. Multiple entries may be delimited by the
22487 host platform path separator in use.
22488 @end table
22489
22490 This variable defaults to what @code{--with-auto-load-dir} has been configured
22491 to (@pxref{with-auto-load-dir}). @file{$debugdir} and @file{$datadir}
22492 substitution applies the same as for @ref{set auto-load scripts-directory}.
22493 The default @code{set auto-load safe-path} value can be also overriden by
22494 @value{GDBN} configuration option @option{--with-auto-load-safe-path}.
22495
22496 Setting this variable to @file{/} disables this security protection,
22497 corresponding @value{GDBN} configuration option is
22498 @option{--without-auto-load-safe-path}.
22499 This variable is supposed to be set to the system directories writable by the
22500 system superuser only. Users can add their source directories in init files in
22501 their home directories (@pxref{Home Directory Init File}). See also deprecated
22502 init file in the current directory
22503 (@pxref{Init File in the Current Directory during Startup}).
22504
22505 To force @value{GDBN} to load the files it declined to load in the previous
22506 example, you could use one of the following ways:
22507
22508 @table @asis
22509 @item @file{~/.gdbinit}: @samp{add-auto-load-safe-path ~/src/gdb}
22510 Specify this trusted directory (or a file) as additional component of the list.
22511 You have to specify also any existing directories displayed by
22512 by @samp{show auto-load safe-path} (such as @samp{/usr:/bin} in this example).
22513
22514 @item @kbd{gdb -iex "set auto-load safe-path /usr:/bin:~/src/gdb" @dots{}}
22515 Specify this directory as in the previous case but just for a single
22516 @value{GDBN} session.
22517
22518 @item @kbd{gdb -iex "set auto-load safe-path /" @dots{}}
22519 Disable auto-loading safety for a single @value{GDBN} session.
22520 This assumes all the files you debug during this @value{GDBN} session will come
22521 from trusted sources.
22522
22523 @item @kbd{./configure --without-auto-load-safe-path}
22524 During compilation of @value{GDBN} you may disable any auto-loading safety.
22525 This assumes all the files you will ever debug with this @value{GDBN} come from
22526 trusted sources.
22527 @end table
22528
22529 On the other hand you can also explicitly forbid automatic files loading which
22530 also suppresses any such warning messages:
22531
22532 @table @asis
22533 @item @kbd{gdb -iex "set auto-load no" @dots{}}
22534 You can use @value{GDBN} command-line option for a single @value{GDBN} session.
22535
22536 @item @file{~/.gdbinit}: @samp{set auto-load no}
22537 Disable auto-loading globally for the user
22538 (@pxref{Home Directory Init File}). While it is improbable, you could also
22539 use system init file instead (@pxref{System-wide configuration}).
22540 @end table
22541
22542 This setting applies to the file names as entered by user. If no entry matches
22543 @value{GDBN} tries as a last resort to also resolve all the file names into
22544 their canonical form (typically resolving symbolic links) and compare the
22545 entries again. @value{GDBN} already canonicalizes most of the filenames on its
22546 own before starting the comparison so a canonical form of directories is
22547 recommended to be entered.
22548
22549 @node Auto-loading verbose mode
22550 @subsection Displaying files tried for auto-load
22551 @cindex auto-loading verbose mode
22552
22553 For better visibility of all the file locations where you can place scripts to
22554 be auto-loaded with inferior --- or to protect yourself against accidental
22555 execution of untrusted scripts --- @value{GDBN} provides a feature for printing
22556 all the files attempted to be loaded. Both existing and non-existing files may
22557 be printed.
22558
22559 For example the list of directories from which it is safe to auto-load files
22560 (@pxref{Auto-loading safe path}) applies also to canonicalized filenames which
22561 may not be too obvious while setting it up.
22562
22563 @smallexample
22564 (gdb) set debug auto-load on
22565 (gdb) file ~/src/t/true
22566 auto-load: Loading canned sequences of commands script "/tmp/true-gdb.gdb"
22567 for objfile "/tmp/true".
22568 auto-load: Updating directories of "/usr:/opt".
22569 auto-load: Using directory "/usr".
22570 auto-load: Using directory "/opt".
22571 warning: File "/tmp/true-gdb.gdb" auto-loading has been declined
22572 by your `auto-load safe-path' set to "/usr:/opt".
22573 @end smallexample
22574
22575 @table @code
22576 @anchor{set debug auto-load}
22577 @kindex set debug auto-load
22578 @item set debug auto-load [on|off]
22579 Set whether to print the filenames attempted to be auto-loaded.
22580
22581 @anchor{show debug auto-load}
22582 @kindex show debug auto-load
22583 @item show debug auto-load
22584 Show whether printing of the filenames attempted to be auto-loaded is turned
22585 on or off.
22586 @end table
22587
22588 @node Messages/Warnings
22589 @section Optional Warnings and Messages
22590
22591 @cindex verbose operation
22592 @cindex optional warnings
22593 By default, @value{GDBN} is silent about its inner workings. If you are
22594 running on a slow machine, you may want to use the @code{set verbose}
22595 command. This makes @value{GDBN} tell you when it does a lengthy
22596 internal operation, so you will not think it has crashed.
22597
22598 Currently, the messages controlled by @code{set verbose} are those
22599 which announce that the symbol table for a source file is being read;
22600 see @code{symbol-file} in @ref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}.
22601
22602 @table @code
22603 @kindex set verbose
22604 @item set verbose on
22605 Enables @value{GDBN} output of certain informational messages.
22606
22607 @item set verbose off
22608 Disables @value{GDBN} output of certain informational messages.
22609
22610 @kindex show verbose
22611 @item show verbose
22612 Displays whether @code{set verbose} is on or off.
22613 @end table
22614
22615 By default, if @value{GDBN} encounters bugs in the symbol table of an
22616 object file, it is silent; but if you are debugging a compiler, you may
22617 find this information useful (@pxref{Symbol Errors, ,Errors Reading
22618 Symbol Files}).
22619
22620 @table @code
22621
22622 @kindex set complaints
22623 @item set complaints @var{limit}
22624 Permits @value{GDBN} to output @var{limit} complaints about each type of
22625 unusual symbols before becoming silent about the problem. Set
22626 @var{limit} to zero to suppress all complaints; set it to a large number
22627 to prevent complaints from being suppressed.
22628
22629 @kindex show complaints
22630 @item show complaints
22631 Displays how many symbol complaints @value{GDBN} is permitted to produce.
22632
22633 @end table
22634
22635 @anchor{confirmation requests}
22636 By default, @value{GDBN} is cautious, and asks what sometimes seems to be a
22637 lot of stupid questions to confirm certain commands. For example, if
22638 you try to run a program which is already running:
22639
22640 @smallexample
22641 (@value{GDBP}) run
22642 The program being debugged has been started already.
22643 Start it from the beginning? (y or n)
22644 @end smallexample
22645
22646 If you are willing to unflinchingly face the consequences of your own
22647 commands, you can disable this ``feature'':
22648
22649 @table @code
22650
22651 @kindex set confirm
22652 @cindex flinching
22653 @cindex confirmation
22654 @cindex stupid questions
22655 @item set confirm off
22656 Disables confirmation requests. Note that running @value{GDBN} with
22657 the @option{--batch} option (@pxref{Mode Options, -batch}) also
22658 automatically disables confirmation requests.
22659
22660 @item set confirm on
22661 Enables confirmation requests (the default).
22662
22663 @kindex show confirm
22664 @item show confirm
22665 Displays state of confirmation requests.
22666
22667 @end table
22668
22669 @cindex command tracing
22670 If you need to debug user-defined commands or sourced files you may find it
22671 useful to enable @dfn{command tracing}. In this mode each command will be
22672 printed as it is executed, prefixed with one or more @samp{+} symbols, the
22673 quantity denoting the call depth of each command.
22674
22675 @table @code
22676 @kindex set trace-commands
22677 @cindex command scripts, debugging
22678 @item set trace-commands on
22679 Enable command tracing.
22680 @item set trace-commands off
22681 Disable command tracing.
22682 @item show trace-commands
22683 Display the current state of command tracing.
22684 @end table
22685
22686 @node Debugging Output
22687 @section Optional Messages about Internal Happenings
22688 @cindex optional debugging messages
22689
22690 @value{GDBN} has commands that enable optional debugging messages from
22691 various @value{GDBN} subsystems; normally these commands are of
22692 interest to @value{GDBN} maintainers, or when reporting a bug. This
22693 section documents those commands.
22694
22695 @table @code
22696 @kindex set exec-done-display
22697 @item set exec-done-display
22698 Turns on or off the notification of asynchronous commands'
22699 completion. When on, @value{GDBN} will print a message when an
22700 asynchronous command finishes its execution. The default is off.
22701 @kindex show exec-done-display
22702 @item show exec-done-display
22703 Displays the current setting of asynchronous command completion
22704 notification.
22705 @kindex set debug
22706 @cindex ARM AArch64
22707 @item set debug aarch64
22708 Turns on or off display of debugging messages related to ARM AArch64.
22709 The default is off.
22710 @kindex show debug
22711 @item show debug aarch64
22712 Displays the current state of displaying debugging messages related to
22713 ARM AArch64.
22714 @cindex gdbarch debugging info
22715 @cindex architecture debugging info
22716 @item set debug arch
22717 Turns on or off display of gdbarch debugging info. The default is off
22718 @item show debug arch
22719 Displays the current state of displaying gdbarch debugging info.
22720 @item set debug aix-solib
22721 @cindex AIX shared library debugging
22722 Control display of debugging messages from the AIX shared library
22723 support module. The default is off.
22724 @item show debug aix-thread
22725 Show the current state of displaying AIX shared library debugging messages.
22726 @item set debug aix-thread
22727 @cindex AIX threads
22728 Display debugging messages about inner workings of the AIX thread
22729 module.
22730 @item show debug aix-thread
22731 Show the current state of AIX thread debugging info display.
22732 @item set debug check-physname
22733 @cindex physname
22734 Check the results of the ``physname'' computation. When reading DWARF
22735 debugging information for C@t{++}, @value{GDBN} attempts to compute
22736 each entity's name. @value{GDBN} can do this computation in two
22737 different ways, depending on exactly what information is present.
22738 When enabled, this setting causes @value{GDBN} to compute the names
22739 both ways and display any discrepancies.
22740 @item show debug check-physname
22741 Show the current state of ``physname'' checking.
22742 @item set debug coff-pe-read
22743 @cindex COFF/PE exported symbols
22744 Control display of debugging messages related to reading of COFF/PE
22745 exported symbols. The default is off.
22746 @item show debug coff-pe-read
22747 Displays the current state of displaying debugging messages related to
22748 reading of COFF/PE exported symbols.
22749 @item set debug dwarf2-die
22750 @cindex DWARF2 DIEs
22751 Dump DWARF2 DIEs after they are read in.
22752 The value is the number of nesting levels to print.
22753 A value of zero turns off the display.
22754 @item show debug dwarf2-die
22755 Show the current state of DWARF2 DIE debugging.
22756 @item set debug dwarf2-read
22757 @cindex DWARF2 Reading
22758 Turns on or off display of debugging messages related to reading
22759 DWARF debug info. The default is 0 (off).
22760 A value of 1 provides basic information.
22761 A value greater than 1 provides more verbose information.
22762 @item show debug dwarf2-read
22763 Show the current state of DWARF2 reader debugging.
22764 @item set debug displaced
22765 @cindex displaced stepping debugging info
22766 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} debugging info for the
22767 displaced stepping support. The default is off.
22768 @item show debug displaced
22769 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} debugging info
22770 related to displaced stepping.
22771 @item set debug event
22772 @cindex event debugging info
22773 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} event debugging info. The
22774 default is off.
22775 @item show debug event
22776 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} event debugging
22777 info.
22778 @item set debug expression
22779 @cindex expression debugging info
22780 Turns on or off display of debugging info about @value{GDBN}
22781 expression parsing. The default is off.
22782 @item show debug expression
22783 Displays the current state of displaying debugging info about
22784 @value{GDBN} expression parsing.
22785 @item set debug frame
22786 @cindex frame debugging info
22787 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} frame debugging info. The
22788 default is off.
22789 @item show debug frame
22790 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} frame debugging
22791 info.
22792 @item set debug gnu-nat
22793 @cindex @sc{gnu}/Hurd debug messages
22794 Turns on or off debugging messages from the @sc{gnu}/Hurd debug support.
22795 @item show debug gnu-nat
22796 Show the current state of @sc{gnu}/Hurd debugging messages.
22797 @item set debug infrun
22798 @cindex inferior debugging info
22799 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} debugging info for running the inferior.
22800 The default is off. @file{infrun.c} contains GDB's runtime state machine used
22801 for implementing operations such as single-stepping the inferior.
22802 @item show debug infrun
22803 Displays the current state of @value{GDBN} inferior debugging.
22804 @item set debug jit
22805 @cindex just-in-time compilation, debugging messages
22806 Turns on or off debugging messages from JIT debug support.
22807 @item show debug jit
22808 Displays the current state of @value{GDBN} JIT debugging.
22809 @item set debug lin-lwp
22810 @cindex @sc{gnu}/Linux LWP debug messages
22811 @cindex Linux lightweight processes
22812 Turns on or off debugging messages from the Linux LWP debug support.
22813 @item show debug lin-lwp
22814 Show the current state of Linux LWP debugging messages.
22815 @item set debug mach-o
22816 @cindex Mach-O symbols processing
22817 Control display of debugging messages related to Mach-O symbols
22818 processing. The default is off.
22819 @item show debug mach-o
22820 Displays the current state of displaying debugging messages related to
22821 reading of COFF/PE exported symbols.
22822 @item set debug notification
22823 @cindex remote async notification debugging info
22824 Turns on or off debugging messages about remote async notification.
22825 The default is off.
22826 @item show debug notification
22827 Displays the current state of remote async notification debugging messages.
22828 @item set debug observer
22829 @cindex observer debugging info
22830 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} observer debugging. This
22831 includes info such as the notification of observable events.
22832 @item show debug observer
22833 Displays the current state of observer debugging.
22834 @item set debug overload
22835 @cindex C@t{++} overload debugging info
22836 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} C@t{++} overload debugging
22837 info. This includes info such as ranking of functions, etc. The default
22838 is off.
22839 @item show debug overload
22840 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} C@t{++} overload
22841 debugging info.
22842 @cindex expression parser, debugging info
22843 @cindex debug expression parser
22844 @item set debug parser
22845 Turns on or off the display of expression parser debugging output.
22846 Internally, this sets the @code{yydebug} variable in the expression
22847 parser. @xref{Tracing, , Tracing Your Parser, bison, Bison}, for
22848 details. The default is off.
22849 @item show debug parser
22850 Show the current state of expression parser debugging.
22851 @cindex packets, reporting on stdout
22852 @cindex serial connections, debugging
22853 @cindex debug remote protocol
22854 @cindex remote protocol debugging
22855 @cindex display remote packets
22856 @item set debug remote
22857 Turns on or off display of reports on all packets sent back and forth across
22858 the serial line to the remote machine. The info is printed on the
22859 @value{GDBN} standard output stream. The default is off.
22860 @item show debug remote
22861 Displays the state of display of remote packets.
22862 @item set debug serial
22863 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} serial debugging info. The
22864 default is off.
22865 @item show debug serial
22866 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} serial debugging
22867 info.
22868 @item set debug solib-frv
22869 @cindex FR-V shared-library debugging
22870 Turns on or off debugging messages for FR-V shared-library code.
22871 @item show debug solib-frv
22872 Display the current state of FR-V shared-library code debugging
22873 messages.
22874 @item set debug symfile
22875 @cindex symbol file functions
22876 Turns on or off display of debugging messages related to symbol file functions.
22877 The default is off. @xref{Files}.
22878 @item show debug symfile
22879 Show the current state of symbol file debugging messages.
22880 @item set debug symtab-create
22881 @cindex symbol table creation
22882 Turns on or off display of debugging messages related to symbol table creation.
22883 The default is 0 (off).
22884 A value of 1 provides basic information.
22885 A value greater than 1 provides more verbose information.
22886 @item show debug symtab-create
22887 Show the current state of symbol table creation debugging.
22888 @item set debug target
22889 @cindex target debugging info
22890 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} target debugging info. This info
22891 includes what is going on at the target level of GDB, as it happens. The
22892 default is 0. Set it to 1 to track events, and to 2 to also track the
22893 value of large memory transfers. Changes to this flag do not take effect
22894 until the next time you connect to a target or use the @code{run} command.
22895 @item show debug target
22896 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} target debugging
22897 info.
22898 @item set debug timestamp
22899 @cindex timestampping debugging info
22900 Turns on or off display of timestamps with @value{GDBN} debugging info.
22901 When enabled, seconds and microseconds are displayed before each debugging
22902 message.
22903 @item show debug timestamp
22904 Displays the current state of displaying timestamps with @value{GDBN}
22905 debugging info.
22906 @item set debugvarobj
22907 @cindex variable object debugging info
22908 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} variable object debugging
22909 info. The default is off.
22910 @item show debugvarobj
22911 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} variable object
22912 debugging info.
22913 @item set debug xml
22914 @cindex XML parser debugging
22915 Turns on or off debugging messages for built-in XML parsers.
22916 @item show debug xml
22917 Displays the current state of XML debugging messages.
22918 @end table
22919
22920 @node Other Misc Settings
22921 @section Other Miscellaneous Settings
22922 @cindex miscellaneous settings
22923
22924 @table @code
22925 @kindex set interactive-mode
22926 @item set interactive-mode
22927 If @code{on}, forces @value{GDBN} to assume that GDB was started
22928 in a terminal. In practice, this means that @value{GDBN} should wait
22929 for the user to answer queries generated by commands entered at
22930 the command prompt. If @code{off}, forces @value{GDBN} to operate
22931 in the opposite mode, and it uses the default answers to all queries.
22932 If @code{auto} (the default), @value{GDBN} tries to determine whether
22933 its standard input is a terminal, and works in interactive-mode if it
22934 is, non-interactively otherwise.
22935
22936 In the vast majority of cases, the debugger should be able to guess
22937 correctly which mode should be used. But this setting can be useful
22938 in certain specific cases, such as running a MinGW @value{GDBN}
22939 inside a cygwin window.
22940
22941 @kindex show interactive-mode
22942 @item show interactive-mode
22943 Displays whether the debugger is operating in interactive mode or not.
22944 @end table
22945
22946 @node Extending GDB
22947 @chapter Extending @value{GDBN}
22948 @cindex extending GDB
22949
22950 @value{GDBN} provides several mechanisms for extension.
22951 @value{GDBN} also provides the ability to automatically load
22952 extensions when it reads a file for debugging. This allows the
22953 user to automatically customize @value{GDBN} for the program
22954 being debugged.
22955
22956 @menu
22957 * Sequences:: Canned Sequences of @value{GDBN} Commands
22958 * Python:: Extending @value{GDBN} using Python
22959 * Guile:: Extending @value{GDBN} using Guile
22960 * Auto-loading extensions:: Automatically loading extensions
22961 * Multiple Extension Languages:: Working with multiple extension languages
22962 * Aliases:: Creating new spellings of existing commands
22963 @end menu
22964
22965 To facilitate the use of extension languages, @value{GDBN} is capable
22966 of evaluating the contents of a file. When doing so, @value{GDBN}
22967 can recognize which extension language is being used by looking at
22968 the filename extension. Files with an unrecognized filename extension
22969 are always treated as a @value{GDBN} Command Files.
22970 @xref{Command Files,, Command files}.
22971
22972 You can control how @value{GDBN} evaluates these files with the following
22973 setting:
22974
22975 @table @code
22976 @kindex set script-extension
22977 @kindex show script-extension
22978 @item set script-extension off
22979 All scripts are always evaluated as @value{GDBN} Command Files.
22980
22981 @item set script-extension soft
22982 The debugger determines the scripting language based on filename
22983 extension. If this scripting language is supported, @value{GDBN}
22984 evaluates the script using that language. Otherwise, it evaluates
22985 the file as a @value{GDBN} Command File.
22986
22987 @item set script-extension strict
22988 The debugger determines the scripting language based on filename
22989 extension, and evaluates the script using that language. If the
22990 language is not supported, then the evaluation fails.
22991
22992 @item show script-extension
22993 Display the current value of the @code{script-extension} option.
22994
22995 @end table
22996
22997 @node Sequences
22998 @section Canned Sequences of Commands
22999
23000 Aside from breakpoint commands (@pxref{Break Commands, ,Breakpoint
23001 Command Lists}), @value{GDBN} provides two ways to store sequences of
23002 commands for execution as a unit: user-defined commands and command
23003 files.
23004
23005 @menu
23006 * Define:: How to define your own commands
23007 * Hooks:: Hooks for user-defined commands
23008 * Command Files:: How to write scripts of commands to be stored in a file
23009 * Output:: Commands for controlled output
23010 * Auto-loading sequences:: Controlling auto-loaded command files
23011 @end menu
23012
23013 @node Define
23014 @subsection User-defined Commands
23015
23016 @cindex user-defined command
23017 @cindex arguments, to user-defined commands
23018 A @dfn{user-defined command} is a sequence of @value{GDBN} commands to
23019 which you assign a new name as a command. This is done with the
23020 @code{define} command. User commands may accept up to 10 arguments
23021 separated by whitespace. Arguments are accessed within the user command
23022 via @code{$arg0@dots{}$arg9}. A trivial example:
23023
23024 @smallexample
23025 define adder
23026 print $arg0 + $arg1 + $arg2
23027 end
23028 @end smallexample
23029
23030 @noindent
23031 To execute the command use:
23032
23033 @smallexample
23034 adder 1 2 3
23035 @end smallexample
23036
23037 @noindent
23038 This defines the command @code{adder}, which prints the sum of
23039 its three arguments. Note the arguments are text substitutions, so they may
23040 reference variables, use complex expressions, or even perform inferior
23041 functions calls.
23042
23043 @cindex argument count in user-defined commands
23044 @cindex how many arguments (user-defined commands)
23045 In addition, @code{$argc} may be used to find out how many arguments have
23046 been passed. This expands to a number in the range 0@dots{}10.
23047
23048 @smallexample
23049 define adder
23050 if $argc == 2
23051 print $arg0 + $arg1
23052 end
23053 if $argc == 3
23054 print $arg0 + $arg1 + $arg2
23055 end
23056 end
23057 @end smallexample
23058
23059 @table @code
23060
23061 @kindex define
23062 @item define @var{commandname}
23063 Define a command named @var{commandname}. If there is already a command
23064 by that name, you are asked to confirm that you want to redefine it.
23065 @var{commandname} may be a bare command name consisting of letters,
23066 numbers, dashes, and underscores. It may also start with any predefined
23067 prefix command. For example, @samp{define target my-target} creates
23068 a user-defined @samp{target my-target} command.
23069
23070 The definition of the command is made up of other @value{GDBN} command lines,
23071 which are given following the @code{define} command. The end of these
23072 commands is marked by a line containing @code{end}.
23073
23074 @kindex document
23075 @kindex end@r{ (user-defined commands)}
23076 @item document @var{commandname}
23077 Document the user-defined command @var{commandname}, so that it can be
23078 accessed by @code{help}. The command @var{commandname} must already be
23079 defined. This command reads lines of documentation just as @code{define}
23080 reads the lines of the command definition, ending with @code{end}.
23081 After the @code{document} command is finished, @code{help} on command
23082 @var{commandname} displays the documentation you have written.
23083
23084 You may use the @code{document} command again to change the
23085 documentation of a command. Redefining the command with @code{define}
23086 does not change the documentation.
23087
23088 @kindex dont-repeat
23089 @cindex don't repeat command
23090 @item dont-repeat
23091 Used inside a user-defined command, this tells @value{GDBN} that this
23092 command should not be repeated when the user hits @key{RET}
23093 (@pxref{Command Syntax, repeat last command}).
23094
23095 @kindex help user-defined
23096 @item help user-defined
23097 List all user-defined commands and all python commands defined in class
23098 COMAND_USER. The first line of the documentation or docstring is
23099 included (if any).
23100
23101 @kindex show user
23102 @item show user
23103 @itemx show user @var{commandname}
23104 Display the @value{GDBN} commands used to define @var{commandname} (but
23105 not its documentation). If no @var{commandname} is given, display the
23106 definitions for all user-defined commands.
23107 This does not work for user-defined python commands.
23108
23109 @cindex infinite recursion in user-defined commands
23110 @kindex show max-user-call-depth
23111 @kindex set max-user-call-depth
23112 @item show max-user-call-depth
23113 @itemx set max-user-call-depth
23114 The value of @code{max-user-call-depth} controls how many recursion
23115 levels are allowed in user-defined commands before @value{GDBN} suspects an
23116 infinite recursion and aborts the command.
23117 This does not apply to user-defined python commands.
23118 @end table
23119
23120 In addition to the above commands, user-defined commands frequently
23121 use control flow commands, described in @ref{Command Files}.
23122
23123 When user-defined commands are executed, the
23124 commands of the definition are not printed. An error in any command
23125 stops execution of the user-defined command.
23126
23127 If used interactively, commands that would ask for confirmation proceed
23128 without asking when used inside a user-defined command. Many @value{GDBN}
23129 commands that normally print messages to say what they are doing omit the
23130 messages when used in a user-defined command.
23131
23132 @node Hooks
23133 @subsection User-defined Command Hooks
23134 @cindex command hooks
23135 @cindex hooks, for commands
23136 @cindex hooks, pre-command
23137
23138 @kindex hook
23139 You may define @dfn{hooks}, which are a special kind of user-defined
23140 command. Whenever you run the command @samp{foo}, if the user-defined
23141 command @samp{hook-foo} exists, it is executed (with no arguments)
23142 before that command.
23143
23144 @cindex hooks, post-command
23145 @kindex hookpost
23146 A hook may also be defined which is run after the command you executed.
23147 Whenever you run the command @samp{foo}, if the user-defined command
23148 @samp{hookpost-foo} exists, it is executed (with no arguments) after
23149 that command. Post-execution hooks may exist simultaneously with
23150 pre-execution hooks, for the same command.
23151
23152 It is valid for a hook to call the command which it hooks. If this
23153 occurs, the hook is not re-executed, thereby avoiding infinite recursion.
23154
23155 @c It would be nice if hookpost could be passed a parameter indicating
23156 @c if the command it hooks executed properly or not. FIXME!
23157
23158 @kindex stop@r{, a pseudo-command}
23159 In addition, a pseudo-command, @samp{stop} exists. Defining
23160 (@samp{hook-stop}) makes the associated commands execute every time
23161 execution stops in your program: before breakpoint commands are run,
23162 displays are printed, or the stack frame is printed.
23163
23164 For example, to ignore @code{SIGALRM} signals while
23165 single-stepping, but treat them normally during normal execution,
23166 you could define:
23167
23168 @smallexample
23169 define hook-stop
23170 handle SIGALRM nopass
23171 end
23172
23173 define hook-run
23174 handle SIGALRM pass
23175 end
23176
23177 define hook-continue
23178 handle SIGALRM pass
23179 end
23180 @end smallexample
23181
23182 As a further example, to hook at the beginning and end of the @code{echo}
23183 command, and to add extra text to the beginning and end of the message,
23184 you could define:
23185
23186 @smallexample
23187 define hook-echo
23188 echo <<<---
23189 end
23190
23191 define hookpost-echo
23192 echo --->>>\n
23193 end
23194
23195 (@value{GDBP}) echo Hello World
23196 <<<---Hello World--->>>
23197 (@value{GDBP})
23198
23199 @end smallexample
23200
23201 You can define a hook for any single-word command in @value{GDBN}, but
23202 not for command aliases; you should define a hook for the basic command
23203 name, e.g.@: @code{backtrace} rather than @code{bt}.
23204 @c FIXME! So how does Joe User discover whether a command is an alias
23205 @c or not?
23206 You can hook a multi-word command by adding @code{hook-} or
23207 @code{hookpost-} to the last word of the command, e.g.@:
23208 @samp{define target hook-remote} to add a hook to @samp{target remote}.
23209
23210 If an error occurs during the execution of your hook, execution of
23211 @value{GDBN} commands stops and @value{GDBN} issues a prompt
23212 (before the command that you actually typed had a chance to run).
23213
23214 If you try to define a hook which does not match any known command, you
23215 get a warning from the @code{define} command.
23216
23217 @node Command Files
23218 @subsection Command Files
23219
23220 @cindex command files
23221 @cindex scripting commands
23222 A command file for @value{GDBN} is a text file made of lines that are
23223 @value{GDBN} commands. Comments (lines starting with @kbd{#}) may
23224 also be included. An empty line in a command file does nothing; it
23225 does not mean to repeat the last command, as it would from the
23226 terminal.
23227
23228 You can request the execution of a command file with the @code{source}
23229 command. Note that the @code{source} command is also used to evaluate
23230 scripts that are not Command Files. The exact behavior can be configured
23231 using the @code{script-extension} setting.
23232 @xref{Extending GDB,, Extending GDB}.
23233
23234 @table @code
23235 @kindex source
23236 @cindex execute commands from a file
23237 @item source [-s] [-v] @var{filename}
23238 Execute the command file @var{filename}.
23239 @end table
23240
23241 The lines in a command file are generally executed sequentially,
23242 unless the order of execution is changed by one of the
23243 @emph{flow-control commands} described below. The commands are not
23244 printed as they are executed. An error in any command terminates
23245 execution of the command file and control is returned to the console.
23246
23247 @value{GDBN} first searches for @var{filename} in the current directory.
23248 If the file is not found there, and @var{filename} does not specify a
23249 directory, then @value{GDBN} also looks for the file on the source search path
23250 (specified with the @samp{directory} command);
23251 except that @file{$cdir} is not searched because the compilation directory
23252 is not relevant to scripts.
23253
23254 If @code{-s} is specified, then @value{GDBN} searches for @var{filename}
23255 on the search path even if @var{filename} specifies a directory.
23256 The search is done by appending @var{filename} to each element of the
23257 search path. So, for example, if @var{filename} is @file{mylib/myscript}
23258 and the search path contains @file{/home/user} then @value{GDBN} will
23259 look for the script @file{/home/user/mylib/myscript}.
23260 The search is also done if @var{filename} is an absolute path.
23261 For example, if @var{filename} is @file{/tmp/myscript} and
23262 the search path contains @file{/home/user} then @value{GDBN} will
23263 look for the script @file{/home/user/tmp/myscript}.
23264 For DOS-like systems, if @var{filename} contains a drive specification,
23265 it is stripped before concatenation. For example, if @var{filename} is
23266 @file{d:myscript} and the search path contains @file{c:/tmp} then @value{GDBN}
23267 will look for the script @file{c:/tmp/myscript}.
23268
23269 If @code{-v}, for verbose mode, is given then @value{GDBN} displays
23270 each command as it is executed. The option must be given before
23271 @var{filename}, and is interpreted as part of the filename anywhere else.
23272
23273 Commands that would ask for confirmation if used interactively proceed
23274 without asking when used in a command file. Many @value{GDBN} commands that
23275 normally print messages to say what they are doing omit the messages
23276 when called from command files.
23277
23278 @value{GDBN} also accepts command input from standard input. In this
23279 mode, normal output goes to standard output and error output goes to
23280 standard error. Errors in a command file supplied on standard input do
23281 not terminate execution of the command file---execution continues with
23282 the next command.
23283
23284 @smallexample
23285 gdb < cmds > log 2>&1
23286 @end smallexample
23287
23288 (The syntax above will vary depending on the shell used.) This example
23289 will execute commands from the file @file{cmds}. All output and errors
23290 would be directed to @file{log}.
23291
23292 Since commands stored on command files tend to be more general than
23293 commands typed interactively, they frequently need to deal with
23294 complicated situations, such as different or unexpected values of
23295 variables and symbols, changes in how the program being debugged is
23296 built, etc. @value{GDBN} provides a set of flow-control commands to
23297 deal with these complexities. Using these commands, you can write
23298 complex scripts that loop over data structures, execute commands
23299 conditionally, etc.
23300
23301 @table @code
23302 @kindex if
23303 @kindex else
23304 @item if
23305 @itemx else
23306 This command allows to include in your script conditionally executed
23307 commands. The @code{if} command takes a single argument, which is an
23308 expression to evaluate. It is followed by a series of commands that
23309 are executed only if the expression is true (its value is nonzero).
23310 There can then optionally be an @code{else} line, followed by a series
23311 of commands that are only executed if the expression was false. The
23312 end of the list is marked by a line containing @code{end}.
23313
23314 @kindex while
23315 @item while
23316 This command allows to write loops. Its syntax is similar to
23317 @code{if}: the command takes a single argument, which is an expression
23318 to evaluate, and must be followed by the commands to execute, one per
23319 line, terminated by an @code{end}. These commands are called the
23320 @dfn{body} of the loop. The commands in the body of @code{while} are
23321 executed repeatedly as long as the expression evaluates to true.
23322
23323 @kindex loop_break
23324 @item loop_break
23325 This command exits the @code{while} loop in whose body it is included.
23326 Execution of the script continues after that @code{while}s @code{end}
23327 line.
23328
23329 @kindex loop_continue
23330 @item loop_continue
23331 This command skips the execution of the rest of the body of commands
23332 in the @code{while} loop in whose body it is included. Execution
23333 branches to the beginning of the @code{while} loop, where it evaluates
23334 the controlling expression.
23335
23336 @kindex end@r{ (if/else/while commands)}
23337 @item end
23338 Terminate the block of commands that are the body of @code{if},
23339 @code{else}, or @code{while} flow-control commands.
23340 @end table
23341
23342
23343 @node Output
23344 @subsection Commands for Controlled Output
23345
23346 During the execution of a command file or a user-defined command, normal
23347 @value{GDBN} output is suppressed; the only output that appears is what is
23348 explicitly printed by the commands in the definition. This section
23349 describes three commands useful for generating exactly the output you
23350 want.
23351
23352 @table @code
23353 @kindex echo
23354 @item echo @var{text}
23355 @c I do not consider backslash-space a standard C escape sequence
23356 @c because it is not in ANSI.
23357 Print @var{text}. Nonprinting characters can be included in
23358 @var{text} using C escape sequences, such as @samp{\n} to print a
23359 newline. @strong{No newline is printed unless you specify one.}
23360 In addition to the standard C escape sequences, a backslash followed
23361 by a space stands for a space. This is useful for displaying a
23362 string with spaces at the beginning or the end, since leading and
23363 trailing spaces are otherwise trimmed from all arguments.
23364 To print @samp{@w{ }and foo =@w{ }}, use the command
23365 @samp{echo \@w{ }and foo = \@w{ }}.
23366
23367 A backslash at the end of @var{text} can be used, as in C, to continue
23368 the command onto subsequent lines. For example,
23369
23370 @smallexample
23371 echo This is some text\n\
23372 which is continued\n\
23373 onto several lines.\n
23374 @end smallexample
23375
23376 produces the same output as
23377
23378 @smallexample
23379 echo This is some text\n
23380 echo which is continued\n
23381 echo onto several lines.\n
23382 @end smallexample
23383
23384 @kindex output
23385 @item output @var{expression}
23386 Print the value of @var{expression} and nothing but that value: no
23387 newlines, no @samp{$@var{nn} = }. The value is not entered in the
23388 value history either. @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}, for more information
23389 on expressions.
23390
23391 @item output/@var{fmt} @var{expression}
23392 Print the value of @var{expression} in format @var{fmt}. You can use
23393 the same formats as for @code{print}. @xref{Output Formats,,Output
23394 Formats}, for more information.
23395
23396 @kindex printf
23397 @item printf @var{template}, @var{expressions}@dots{}
23398 Print the values of one or more @var{expressions} under the control of
23399 the string @var{template}. To print several values, make
23400 @var{expressions} be a comma-separated list of individual expressions,
23401 which may be either numbers or pointers. Their values are printed as
23402 specified by @var{template}, exactly as a C program would do by
23403 executing the code below:
23404
23405 @smallexample
23406 printf (@var{template}, @var{expressions}@dots{});
23407 @end smallexample
23408
23409 As in @code{C} @code{printf}, ordinary characters in @var{template}
23410 are printed verbatim, while @dfn{conversion specification} introduced
23411 by the @samp{%} character cause subsequent @var{expressions} to be
23412 evaluated, their values converted and formatted according to type and
23413 style information encoded in the conversion specifications, and then
23414 printed.
23415
23416 For example, you can print two values in hex like this:
23417
23418 @smallexample
23419 printf "foo, bar-foo = 0x%x, 0x%x\n", foo, bar-foo
23420 @end smallexample
23421
23422 @code{printf} supports all the standard @code{C} conversion
23423 specifications, including the flags and modifiers between the @samp{%}
23424 character and the conversion letter, with the following exceptions:
23425
23426 @itemize @bullet
23427 @item
23428 The argument-ordering modifiers, such as @samp{2$}, are not supported.
23429
23430 @item
23431 The modifier @samp{*} is not supported for specifying precision or
23432 width.
23433
23434 @item
23435 The @samp{'} flag (for separation of digits into groups according to
23436 @code{LC_NUMERIC'}) is not supported.
23437
23438 @item
23439 The type modifiers @samp{hh}, @samp{j}, @samp{t}, and @samp{z} are not
23440 supported.
23441
23442 @item
23443 The conversion letter @samp{n} (as in @samp{%n}) is not supported.
23444
23445 @item
23446 The conversion letters @samp{a} and @samp{A} are not supported.
23447 @end itemize
23448
23449 @noindent
23450 Note that the @samp{ll} type modifier is supported only if the
23451 underlying @code{C} implementation used to build @value{GDBN} supports
23452 the @code{long long int} type, and the @samp{L} type modifier is
23453 supported only if @code{long double} type is available.
23454
23455 As in @code{C}, @code{printf} supports simple backslash-escape
23456 sequences, such as @code{\n}, @samp{\t}, @samp{\\}, @samp{\"},
23457 @samp{\a}, and @samp{\f}, that consist of backslash followed by a
23458 single character. Octal and hexadecimal escape sequences are not
23459 supported.
23460
23461 Additionally, @code{printf} supports conversion specifications for DFP
23462 (@dfn{Decimal Floating Point}) types using the following length modifiers
23463 together with a floating point specifier.
23464 letters:
23465
23466 @itemize @bullet
23467 @item
23468 @samp{H} for printing @code{Decimal32} types.
23469
23470 @item
23471 @samp{D} for printing @code{Decimal64} types.
23472
23473 @item
23474 @samp{DD} for printing @code{Decimal128} types.
23475 @end itemize
23476
23477 If the underlying @code{C} implementation used to build @value{GDBN} has
23478 support for the three length modifiers for DFP types, other modifiers
23479 such as width and precision will also be available for @value{GDBN} to use.
23480
23481 In case there is no such @code{C} support, no additional modifiers will be
23482 available and the value will be printed in the standard way.
23483
23484 Here's an example of printing DFP types using the above conversion letters:
23485 @smallexample
23486 printf "D32: %Hf - D64: %Df - D128: %DDf\n",1.2345df,1.2E10dd,1.2E1dl
23487 @end smallexample
23488
23489 @kindex eval
23490 @item eval @var{template}, @var{expressions}@dots{}
23491 Convert the values of one or more @var{expressions} under the control of
23492 the string @var{template} to a command line, and call it.
23493
23494 @end table
23495
23496 @node Auto-loading sequences
23497 @subsection Controlling auto-loading native @value{GDBN} scripts
23498 @cindex native script auto-loading
23499
23500 When a new object file is read (for example, due to the @code{file}
23501 command, or because the inferior has loaded a shared library),
23502 @value{GDBN} will look for the command file @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.gdb}.
23503 @xref{Auto-loading extensions}.
23504
23505 Auto-loading can be enabled or disabled,
23506 and the list of auto-loaded scripts can be printed.
23507
23508 @table @code
23509 @anchor{set auto-load gdb-scripts}
23510 @kindex set auto-load gdb-scripts
23511 @item set auto-load gdb-scripts [on|off]
23512 Enable or disable the auto-loading of canned sequences of commands scripts.
23513
23514 @anchor{show auto-load gdb-scripts}
23515 @kindex show auto-load gdb-scripts
23516 @item show auto-load gdb-scripts
23517 Show whether auto-loading of canned sequences of commands scripts is enabled or
23518 disabled.
23519
23520 @anchor{info auto-load gdb-scripts}
23521 @kindex info auto-load gdb-scripts
23522 @cindex print list of auto-loaded canned sequences of commands scripts
23523 @item info auto-load gdb-scripts [@var{regexp}]
23524 Print the list of all canned sequences of commands scripts that @value{GDBN}
23525 auto-loaded.
23526 @end table
23527
23528 If @var{regexp} is supplied only canned sequences of commands scripts with
23529 matching names are printed.
23530
23531 @node Python
23532 @section Extending @value{GDBN} using Python
23533 @cindex python scripting
23534 @cindex scripting with python
23535
23536 You can extend @value{GDBN} using the @uref{http://www.python.org/,
23537 Python programming language}. This feature is available only if
23538 @value{GDBN} was configured using @option{--with-python}.
23539
23540 @cindex python directory
23541 Python scripts used by @value{GDBN} should be installed in
23542 @file{@var{data-directory}/python}, where @var{data-directory} is
23543 the data directory as determined at @value{GDBN} startup (@pxref{Data Files}).
23544 This directory, known as the @dfn{python directory},
23545 is automatically added to the Python Search Path in order to allow
23546 the Python interpreter to locate all scripts installed at this location.
23547
23548 Additionally, @value{GDBN} commands and convenience functions which
23549 are written in Python and are located in the
23550 @file{@var{data-directory}/python/gdb/command} or
23551 @file{@var{data-directory}/python/gdb/function} directories are
23552 automatically imported when @value{GDBN} starts.
23553
23554 @menu
23555 * Python Commands:: Accessing Python from @value{GDBN}.
23556 * Python API:: Accessing @value{GDBN} from Python.
23557 * Python Auto-loading:: Automatically loading Python code.
23558 * Python modules:: Python modules provided by @value{GDBN}.
23559 @end menu
23560
23561 @node Python Commands
23562 @subsection Python Commands
23563 @cindex python commands
23564 @cindex commands to access python
23565
23566 @value{GDBN} provides two commands for accessing the Python interpreter,
23567 and one related setting:
23568
23569 @table @code
23570 @kindex python-interactive
23571 @kindex pi
23572 @item python-interactive @r{[}@var{command}@r{]}
23573 @itemx pi @r{[}@var{command}@r{]}
23574 Without an argument, the @code{python-interactive} command can be used
23575 to start an interactive Python prompt. To return to @value{GDBN},
23576 type the @code{EOF} character (e.g., @kbd{Ctrl-D} on an empty prompt).
23577
23578 Alternatively, a single-line Python command can be given as an
23579 argument and evaluated. If the command is an expression, the result
23580 will be printed; otherwise, nothing will be printed. For example:
23581
23582 @smallexample
23583 (@value{GDBP}) python-interactive 2 + 3
23584 5
23585 @end smallexample
23586
23587 @kindex python
23588 @kindex py
23589 @item python @r{[}@var{command}@r{]}
23590 @itemx py @r{[}@var{command}@r{]}
23591 The @code{python} command can be used to evaluate Python code.
23592
23593 If given an argument, the @code{python} command will evaluate the
23594 argument as a Python command. For example:
23595
23596 @smallexample
23597 (@value{GDBP}) python print 23
23598 23
23599 @end smallexample
23600
23601 If you do not provide an argument to @code{python}, it will act as a
23602 multi-line command, like @code{define}. In this case, the Python
23603 script is made up of subsequent command lines, given after the
23604 @code{python} command. This command list is terminated using a line
23605 containing @code{end}. For example:
23606
23607 @smallexample
23608 (@value{GDBP}) python
23609 Type python script
23610 End with a line saying just "end".
23611 >print 23
23612 >end
23613 23
23614 @end smallexample
23615
23616 @kindex set python print-stack
23617 @item set python print-stack
23618 By default, @value{GDBN} will print only the message component of a
23619 Python exception when an error occurs in a Python script. This can be
23620 controlled using @code{set python print-stack}: if @code{full}, then
23621 full Python stack printing is enabled; if @code{none}, then Python stack
23622 and message printing is disabled; if @code{message}, the default, only
23623 the message component of the error is printed.
23624 @end table
23625
23626 It is also possible to execute a Python script from the @value{GDBN}
23627 interpreter:
23628
23629 @table @code
23630 @item source @file{script-name}
23631 The script name must end with @samp{.py} and @value{GDBN} must be configured
23632 to recognize the script language based on filename extension using
23633 the @code{script-extension} setting. @xref{Extending GDB, ,Extending GDB}.
23634
23635 @item python execfile ("script-name")
23636 This method is based on the @code{execfile} Python built-in function,
23637 and thus is always available.
23638 @end table
23639
23640 @node Python API
23641 @subsection Python API
23642 @cindex python api
23643 @cindex programming in python
23644
23645 You can get quick online help for @value{GDBN}'s Python API by issuing
23646 the command @w{@kbd{python help (gdb)}}.
23647
23648 Functions and methods which have two or more optional arguments allow
23649 them to be specified using keyword syntax. This allows passing some
23650 optional arguments while skipping others. Example:
23651 @w{@code{gdb.some_function ('foo', bar = 1, baz = 2)}}.
23652
23653 @menu
23654 * Basic Python:: Basic Python Functions.
23655 * Exception Handling:: How Python exceptions are translated.
23656 * Values From Inferior:: Python representation of values.
23657 * Types In Python:: Python representation of types.
23658 * Pretty Printing API:: Pretty-printing values.
23659 * Selecting Pretty-Printers:: How GDB chooses a pretty-printer.
23660 * Writing a Pretty-Printer:: Writing a Pretty-Printer.
23661 * Type Printing API:: Pretty-printing types.
23662 * Frame Filter API:: Filtering Frames.
23663 * Frame Decorator API:: Decorating Frames.
23664 * Writing a Frame Filter:: Writing a Frame Filter.
23665 * Inferiors In Python:: Python representation of inferiors (processes)
23666 * Events In Python:: Listening for events from @value{GDBN}.
23667 * Threads In Python:: Accessing inferior threads from Python.
23668 * Commands In Python:: Implementing new commands in Python.
23669 * Parameters In Python:: Adding new @value{GDBN} parameters.
23670 * Functions In Python:: Writing new convenience functions.
23671 * Progspaces In Python:: Program spaces.
23672 * Objfiles In Python:: Object files.
23673 * Frames In Python:: Accessing inferior stack frames from Python.
23674 * Blocks In Python:: Accessing blocks from Python.
23675 * Symbols In Python:: Python representation of symbols.
23676 * Symbol Tables In Python:: Python representation of symbol tables.
23677 * Line Tables In Python:: Python representation of line tables.
23678 * Breakpoints In Python:: Manipulating breakpoints using Python.
23679 * Finish Breakpoints in Python:: Setting Breakpoints on function return
23680 using Python.
23681 * Lazy Strings In Python:: Python representation of lazy strings.
23682 * Architectures In Python:: Python representation of architectures.
23683 @end menu
23684
23685 @node Basic Python
23686 @subsubsection Basic Python
23687
23688 @cindex python stdout
23689 @cindex python pagination
23690 At startup, @value{GDBN} overrides Python's @code{sys.stdout} and
23691 @code{sys.stderr} to print using @value{GDBN}'s output-paging streams.
23692 A Python program which outputs to one of these streams may have its
23693 output interrupted by the user (@pxref{Screen Size}). In this
23694 situation, a Python @code{KeyboardInterrupt} exception is thrown.
23695
23696 Some care must be taken when writing Python code to run in
23697 @value{GDBN}. Two things worth noting in particular:
23698
23699 @itemize @bullet
23700 @item
23701 @value{GDBN} install handlers for @code{SIGCHLD} and @code{SIGINT}.
23702 Python code must not override these, or even change the options using
23703 @code{sigaction}. If your program changes the handling of these
23704 signals, @value{GDBN} will most likely stop working correctly. Note
23705 that it is unfortunately common for GUI toolkits to install a
23706 @code{SIGCHLD} handler.
23707
23708 @item
23709 @value{GDBN} takes care to mark its internal file descriptors as
23710 close-on-exec. However, this cannot be done in a thread-safe way on
23711 all platforms. Your Python programs should be aware of this and
23712 should both create new file descriptors with the close-on-exec flag
23713 set and arrange to close unneeded file descriptors before starting a
23714 child process.
23715 @end itemize
23716
23717 @cindex python functions
23718 @cindex python module
23719 @cindex gdb module
23720 @value{GDBN} introduces a new Python module, named @code{gdb}. All
23721 methods and classes added by @value{GDBN} are placed in this module.
23722 @value{GDBN} automatically @code{import}s the @code{gdb} module for
23723 use in all scripts evaluated by the @code{python} command.
23724
23725 @findex gdb.PYTHONDIR
23726 @defvar gdb.PYTHONDIR
23727 A string containing the python directory (@pxref{Python}).
23728 @end defvar
23729
23730 @findex gdb.execute
23731 @defun gdb.execute (command @r{[}, from_tty @r{[}, to_string@r{]]})
23732 Evaluate @var{command}, a string, as a @value{GDBN} CLI command.
23733 If a GDB exception happens while @var{command} runs, it is
23734 translated as described in @ref{Exception Handling,,Exception Handling}.
23735
23736 @var{from_tty} specifies whether @value{GDBN} ought to consider this
23737 command as having originated from the user invoking it interactively.
23738 It must be a boolean value. If omitted, it defaults to @code{False}.
23739
23740 By default, any output produced by @var{command} is sent to
23741 @value{GDBN}'s standard output. If the @var{to_string} parameter is
23742 @code{True}, then output will be collected by @code{gdb.execute} and
23743 returned as a string. The default is @code{False}, in which case the
23744 return value is @code{None}. If @var{to_string} is @code{True}, the
23745 @value{GDBN} virtual terminal will be temporarily set to unlimited width
23746 and height, and its pagination will be disabled; @pxref{Screen Size}.
23747 @end defun
23748
23749 @findex gdb.breakpoints
23750 @defun gdb.breakpoints ()
23751 Return a sequence holding all of @value{GDBN}'s breakpoints.
23752 @xref{Breakpoints In Python}, for more information.
23753 @end defun
23754
23755 @findex gdb.parameter
23756 @defun gdb.parameter (parameter)
23757 Return the value of a @value{GDBN} parameter. @var{parameter} is a
23758 string naming the parameter to look up; @var{parameter} may contain
23759 spaces if the parameter has a multi-part name. For example,
23760 @samp{print object} is a valid parameter name.
23761
23762 If the named parameter does not exist, this function throws a
23763 @code{gdb.error} (@pxref{Exception Handling}). Otherwise, the
23764 parameter's value is converted to a Python value of the appropriate
23765 type, and returned.
23766 @end defun
23767
23768 @findex gdb.history
23769 @defun gdb.history (number)
23770 Return a value from @value{GDBN}'s value history (@pxref{Value
23771 History}). @var{number} indicates which history element to return.
23772 If @var{number} is negative, then @value{GDBN} will take its absolute value
23773 and count backward from the last element (i.e., the most recent element) to
23774 find the value to return. If @var{number} is zero, then @value{GDBN} will
23775 return the most recent element. If the element specified by @var{number}
23776 doesn't exist in the value history, a @code{gdb.error} exception will be
23777 raised.
23778
23779 If no exception is raised, the return value is always an instance of
23780 @code{gdb.Value} (@pxref{Values From Inferior}).
23781 @end defun
23782
23783 @findex gdb.parse_and_eval
23784 @defun gdb.parse_and_eval (expression)
23785 Parse @var{expression} as an expression in the current language,
23786 evaluate it, and return the result as a @code{gdb.Value}.
23787 @var{expression} must be a string.
23788
23789 This function can be useful when implementing a new command
23790 (@pxref{Commands In Python}), as it provides a way to parse the
23791 command's argument as an expression. It is also useful simply to
23792 compute values, for example, it is the only way to get the value of a
23793 convenience variable (@pxref{Convenience Vars}) as a @code{gdb.Value}.
23794 @end defun
23795
23796 @findex gdb.find_pc_line
23797 @defun gdb.find_pc_line (pc)
23798 Return the @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line} object corresponding to the
23799 @var{pc} value. @xref{Symbol Tables In Python}. If an invalid
23800 value of @var{pc} is passed as an argument, then the @code{symtab} and
23801 @code{line} attributes of the returned @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line} object
23802 will be @code{None} and 0 respectively.
23803 @end defun
23804
23805 @findex gdb.post_event
23806 @defun gdb.post_event (event)
23807 Put @var{event}, a callable object taking no arguments, into
23808 @value{GDBN}'s internal event queue. This callable will be invoked at
23809 some later point, during @value{GDBN}'s event processing. Events
23810 posted using @code{post_event} will be run in the order in which they
23811 were posted; however, there is no way to know when they will be
23812 processed relative to other events inside @value{GDBN}.
23813
23814 @value{GDBN} is not thread-safe. If your Python program uses multiple
23815 threads, you must be careful to only call @value{GDBN}-specific
23816 functions in the main @value{GDBN} thread. @code{post_event} ensures
23817 this. For example:
23818
23819 @smallexample
23820 (@value{GDBP}) python
23821 >import threading
23822 >
23823 >class Writer():
23824 > def __init__(self, message):
23825 > self.message = message;
23826 > def __call__(self):
23827 > gdb.write(self.message)
23828 >
23829 >class MyThread1 (threading.Thread):
23830 > def run (self):
23831 > gdb.post_event(Writer("Hello "))
23832 >
23833 >class MyThread2 (threading.Thread):
23834 > def run (self):
23835 > gdb.post_event(Writer("World\n"))
23836 >
23837 >MyThread1().start()
23838 >MyThread2().start()
23839 >end
23840 (@value{GDBP}) Hello World
23841 @end smallexample
23842 @end defun
23843
23844 @findex gdb.write
23845 @defun gdb.write (string @r{[}, stream{]})
23846 Print a string to @value{GDBN}'s paginated output stream. The
23847 optional @var{stream} determines the stream to print to. The default
23848 stream is @value{GDBN}'s standard output stream. Possible stream
23849 values are:
23850
23851 @table @code
23852 @findex STDOUT
23853 @findex gdb.STDOUT
23854 @item gdb.STDOUT
23855 @value{GDBN}'s standard output stream.
23856
23857 @findex STDERR
23858 @findex gdb.STDERR
23859 @item gdb.STDERR
23860 @value{GDBN}'s standard error stream.
23861
23862 @findex STDLOG
23863 @findex gdb.STDLOG
23864 @item gdb.STDLOG
23865 @value{GDBN}'s log stream (@pxref{Logging Output}).
23866 @end table
23867
23868 Writing to @code{sys.stdout} or @code{sys.stderr} will automatically
23869 call this function and will automatically direct the output to the
23870 relevant stream.
23871 @end defun
23872
23873 @findex gdb.flush
23874 @defun gdb.flush ()
23875 Flush the buffer of a @value{GDBN} paginated stream so that the
23876 contents are displayed immediately. @value{GDBN} will flush the
23877 contents of a stream automatically when it encounters a newline in the
23878 buffer. The optional @var{stream} determines the stream to flush. The
23879 default stream is @value{GDBN}'s standard output stream. Possible
23880 stream values are:
23881
23882 @table @code
23883 @findex STDOUT
23884 @findex gdb.STDOUT
23885 @item gdb.STDOUT
23886 @value{GDBN}'s standard output stream.
23887
23888 @findex STDERR
23889 @findex gdb.STDERR
23890 @item gdb.STDERR
23891 @value{GDBN}'s standard error stream.
23892
23893 @findex STDLOG
23894 @findex gdb.STDLOG
23895 @item gdb.STDLOG
23896 @value{GDBN}'s log stream (@pxref{Logging Output}).
23897
23898 @end table
23899
23900 Flushing @code{sys.stdout} or @code{sys.stderr} will automatically
23901 call this function for the relevant stream.
23902 @end defun
23903
23904 @findex gdb.target_charset
23905 @defun gdb.target_charset ()
23906 Return the name of the current target character set (@pxref{Character
23907 Sets}). This differs from @code{gdb.parameter('target-charset')} in
23908 that @samp{auto} is never returned.
23909 @end defun
23910
23911 @findex gdb.target_wide_charset
23912 @defun gdb.target_wide_charset ()
23913 Return the name of the current target wide character set
23914 (@pxref{Character Sets}). This differs from
23915 @code{gdb.parameter('target-wide-charset')} in that @samp{auto} is
23916 never returned.
23917 @end defun
23918
23919 @findex gdb.solib_name
23920 @defun gdb.solib_name (address)
23921 Return the name of the shared library holding the given @var{address}
23922 as a string, or @code{None}.
23923 @end defun
23924
23925 @findex gdb.decode_line
23926 @defun gdb.decode_line @r{[}expression@r{]}
23927 Return locations of the line specified by @var{expression}, or of the
23928 current line if no argument was given. This function returns a Python
23929 tuple containing two elements. The first element contains a string
23930 holding any unparsed section of @var{expression} (or @code{None} if
23931 the expression has been fully parsed). The second element contains
23932 either @code{None} or another tuple that contains all the locations
23933 that match the expression represented as @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line}
23934 objects (@pxref{Symbol Tables In Python}). If @var{expression} is
23935 provided, it is decoded the way that @value{GDBN}'s inbuilt
23936 @code{break} or @code{edit} commands do (@pxref{Specify Location}).
23937 @end defun
23938
23939 @defun gdb.prompt_hook (current_prompt)
23940 @anchor{prompt_hook}
23941
23942 If @var{prompt_hook} is callable, @value{GDBN} will call the method
23943 assigned to this operation before a prompt is displayed by
23944 @value{GDBN}.
23945
23946 The parameter @code{current_prompt} contains the current @value{GDBN}
23947 prompt. This method must return a Python string, or @code{None}. If
23948 a string is returned, the @value{GDBN} prompt will be set to that
23949 string. If @code{None} is returned, @value{GDBN} will continue to use
23950 the current prompt.
23951
23952 Some prompts cannot be substituted in @value{GDBN}. Secondary prompts
23953 such as those used by readline for command input, and annotation
23954 related prompts are prohibited from being changed.
23955 @end defun
23956
23957 @node Exception Handling
23958 @subsubsection Exception Handling
23959 @cindex python exceptions
23960 @cindex exceptions, python
23961
23962 When executing the @code{python} command, Python exceptions
23963 uncaught within the Python code are translated to calls to
23964 @value{GDBN} error-reporting mechanism. If the command that called
23965 @code{python} does not handle the error, @value{GDBN} will
23966 terminate it and print an error message containing the Python
23967 exception name, the associated value, and the Python call stack
23968 backtrace at the point where the exception was raised. Example:
23969
23970 @smallexample
23971 (@value{GDBP}) python print foo
23972 Traceback (most recent call last):
23973 File "<string>", line 1, in <module>
23974 NameError: name 'foo' is not defined
23975 @end smallexample
23976
23977 @value{GDBN} errors that happen in @value{GDBN} commands invoked by
23978 Python code are converted to Python exceptions. The type of the
23979 Python exception depends on the error.
23980
23981 @ftable @code
23982 @item gdb.error
23983 This is the base class for most exceptions generated by @value{GDBN}.
23984 It is derived from @code{RuntimeError}, for compatibility with earlier
23985 versions of @value{GDBN}.
23986
23987 If an error occurring in @value{GDBN} does not fit into some more
23988 specific category, then the generated exception will have this type.
23989
23990 @item gdb.MemoryError
23991 This is a subclass of @code{gdb.error} which is thrown when an
23992 operation tried to access invalid memory in the inferior.
23993
23994 @item KeyboardInterrupt
23995 User interrupt (via @kbd{C-c} or by typing @kbd{q} at a pagination
23996 prompt) is translated to a Python @code{KeyboardInterrupt} exception.
23997 @end ftable
23998
23999 In all cases, your exception handler will see the @value{GDBN} error
24000 message as its value and the Python call stack backtrace at the Python
24001 statement closest to where the @value{GDBN} error occured as the
24002 traceback.
24003
24004 @findex gdb.GdbError
24005 When implementing @value{GDBN} commands in Python via @code{gdb.Command},
24006 it is useful to be able to throw an exception that doesn't cause a
24007 traceback to be printed. For example, the user may have invoked the
24008 command incorrectly. Use the @code{gdb.GdbError} exception
24009 to handle this case. Example:
24010
24011 @smallexample
24012 (gdb) python
24013 >class HelloWorld (gdb.Command):
24014 > """Greet the whole world."""
24015 > def __init__ (self):
24016 > super (HelloWorld, self).__init__ ("hello-world", gdb.COMMAND_USER)
24017 > def invoke (self, args, from_tty):
24018 > argv = gdb.string_to_argv (args)
24019 > if len (argv) != 0:
24020 > raise gdb.GdbError ("hello-world takes no arguments")
24021 > print "Hello, World!"
24022 >HelloWorld ()
24023 >end
24024 (gdb) hello-world 42
24025 hello-world takes no arguments
24026 @end smallexample
24027
24028 @node Values From Inferior
24029 @subsubsection Values From Inferior
24030 @cindex values from inferior, with Python
24031 @cindex python, working with values from inferior
24032
24033 @cindex @code{gdb.Value}
24034 @value{GDBN} provides values it obtains from the inferior program in
24035 an object of type @code{gdb.Value}. @value{GDBN} uses this object
24036 for its internal bookkeeping of the inferior's values, and for
24037 fetching values when necessary.
24038
24039 Inferior values that are simple scalars can be used directly in
24040 Python expressions that are valid for the value's data type. Here's
24041 an example for an integer or floating-point value @code{some_val}:
24042
24043 @smallexample
24044 bar = some_val + 2
24045 @end smallexample
24046
24047 @noindent
24048 As result of this, @code{bar} will also be a @code{gdb.Value} object
24049 whose values are of the same type as those of @code{some_val}.
24050
24051 Inferior values that are structures or instances of some class can
24052 be accessed using the Python @dfn{dictionary syntax}. For example, if
24053 @code{some_val} is a @code{gdb.Value} instance holding a structure, you
24054 can access its @code{foo} element with:
24055
24056 @smallexample
24057 bar = some_val['foo']
24058 @end smallexample
24059
24060 @cindex getting structure elements using gdb.Field objects as subscripts
24061 Again, @code{bar} will also be a @code{gdb.Value} object. Structure
24062 elements can also be accessed by using @code{gdb.Field} objects as
24063 subscripts (@pxref{Types In Python}, for more information on
24064 @code{gdb.Field} objects). For example, if @code{foo_field} is a
24065 @code{gdb.Field} object corresponding to element @code{foo} of the above
24066 structure, then @code{bar} can also be accessed as follows:
24067
24068 @smallexample
24069 bar = some_val[foo_field]
24070 @end smallexample
24071
24072 A @code{gdb.Value} that represents a function can be executed via
24073 inferior function call. Any arguments provided to the call must match
24074 the function's prototype, and must be provided in the order specified
24075 by that prototype.
24076
24077 For example, @code{some_val} is a @code{gdb.Value} instance
24078 representing a function that takes two integers as arguments. To
24079 execute this function, call it like so:
24080
24081 @smallexample
24082 result = some_val (10,20)
24083 @end smallexample
24084
24085 Any values returned from a function call will be stored as a
24086 @code{gdb.Value}.
24087
24088 The following attributes are provided:
24089
24090 @defvar Value.address
24091 If this object is addressable, this read-only attribute holds a
24092 @code{gdb.Value} object representing the address. Otherwise,
24093 this attribute holds @code{None}.
24094 @end defvar
24095
24096 @cindex optimized out value in Python
24097 @defvar Value.is_optimized_out
24098 This read-only boolean attribute is true if the compiler optimized out
24099 this value, thus it is not available for fetching from the inferior.
24100 @end defvar
24101
24102 @defvar Value.type
24103 The type of this @code{gdb.Value}. The value of this attribute is a
24104 @code{gdb.Type} object (@pxref{Types In Python}).
24105 @end defvar
24106
24107 @defvar Value.dynamic_type
24108 The dynamic type of this @code{gdb.Value}. This uses C@t{++} run-time
24109 type information (@acronym{RTTI}) to determine the dynamic type of the
24110 value. If this value is of class type, it will return the class in
24111 which the value is embedded, if any. If this value is of pointer or
24112 reference to a class type, it will compute the dynamic type of the
24113 referenced object, and return a pointer or reference to that type,
24114 respectively. In all other cases, it will return the value's static
24115 type.
24116
24117 Note that this feature will only work when debugging a C@t{++} program
24118 that includes @acronym{RTTI} for the object in question. Otherwise,
24119 it will just return the static type of the value as in @kbd{ptype foo}
24120 (@pxref{Symbols, ptype}).
24121 @end defvar
24122
24123 @defvar Value.is_lazy
24124 The value of this read-only boolean attribute is @code{True} if this
24125 @code{gdb.Value} has not yet been fetched from the inferior.
24126 @value{GDBN} does not fetch values until necessary, for efficiency.
24127 For example:
24128
24129 @smallexample
24130 myval = gdb.parse_and_eval ('somevar')
24131 @end smallexample
24132
24133 The value of @code{somevar} is not fetched at this time. It will be
24134 fetched when the value is needed, or when the @code{fetch_lazy}
24135 method is invoked.
24136 @end defvar
24137
24138 The following methods are provided:
24139
24140 @defun Value.__init__ (@var{val})
24141 Many Python values can be converted directly to a @code{gdb.Value} via
24142 this object initializer. Specifically:
24143
24144 @table @asis
24145 @item Python boolean
24146 A Python boolean is converted to the boolean type from the current
24147 language.
24148
24149 @item Python integer
24150 A Python integer is converted to the C @code{long} type for the
24151 current architecture.
24152
24153 @item Python long
24154 A Python long is converted to the C @code{long long} type for the
24155 current architecture.
24156
24157 @item Python float
24158 A Python float is converted to the C @code{double} type for the
24159 current architecture.
24160
24161 @item Python string
24162 A Python string is converted to a target string, using the current
24163 target encoding.
24164
24165 @item @code{gdb.Value}
24166 If @code{val} is a @code{gdb.Value}, then a copy of the value is made.
24167
24168 @item @code{gdb.LazyString}
24169 If @code{val} is a @code{gdb.LazyString} (@pxref{Lazy Strings In
24170 Python}), then the lazy string's @code{value} method is called, and
24171 its result is used.
24172 @end table
24173 @end defun
24174
24175 @defun Value.cast (type)
24176 Return a new instance of @code{gdb.Value} that is the result of
24177 casting this instance to the type described by @var{type}, which must
24178 be a @code{gdb.Type} object. If the cast cannot be performed for some
24179 reason, this method throws an exception.
24180 @end defun
24181
24182 @defun Value.dereference ()
24183 For pointer data types, this method returns a new @code{gdb.Value} object
24184 whose contents is the object pointed to by the pointer. For example, if
24185 @code{foo} is a C pointer to an @code{int}, declared in your C program as
24186
24187 @smallexample
24188 int *foo;
24189 @end smallexample
24190
24191 @noindent
24192 then you can use the corresponding @code{gdb.Value} to access what
24193 @code{foo} points to like this:
24194
24195 @smallexample
24196 bar = foo.dereference ()
24197 @end smallexample
24198
24199 The result @code{bar} will be a @code{gdb.Value} object holding the
24200 value pointed to by @code{foo}.
24201
24202 A similar function @code{Value.referenced_value} exists which also
24203 returns @code{gdb.Value} objects corresonding to the values pointed to
24204 by pointer values (and additionally, values referenced by reference
24205 values). However, the behavior of @code{Value.dereference}
24206 differs from @code{Value.referenced_value} by the fact that the
24207 behavior of @code{Value.dereference} is identical to applying the C
24208 unary operator @code{*} on a given value. For example, consider a
24209 reference to a pointer @code{ptrref}, declared in your C@t{++} program
24210 as
24211
24212 @smallexample
24213 typedef int *intptr;
24214 ...
24215 int val = 10;
24216 intptr ptr = &val;
24217 intptr &ptrref = ptr;
24218 @end smallexample
24219
24220 Though @code{ptrref} is a reference value, one can apply the method
24221 @code{Value.dereference} to the @code{gdb.Value} object corresponding
24222 to it and obtain a @code{gdb.Value} which is identical to that
24223 corresponding to @code{val}. However, if you apply the method
24224 @code{Value.referenced_value}, the result would be a @code{gdb.Value}
24225 object identical to that corresponding to @code{ptr}.
24226
24227 @smallexample
24228 py_ptrref = gdb.parse_and_eval ("ptrref")
24229 py_val = py_ptrref.dereference ()
24230 py_ptr = py_ptrref.referenced_value ()
24231 @end smallexample
24232
24233 The @code{gdb.Value} object @code{py_val} is identical to that
24234 corresponding to @code{val}, and @code{py_ptr} is identical to that
24235 corresponding to @code{ptr}. In general, @code{Value.dereference} can
24236 be applied whenever the C unary operator @code{*} can be applied
24237 to the corresponding C value. For those cases where applying both
24238 @code{Value.dereference} and @code{Value.referenced_value} is allowed,
24239 the results obtained need not be identical (as we have seen in the above
24240 example). The results are however identical when applied on
24241 @code{gdb.Value} objects corresponding to pointers (@code{gdb.Value}
24242 objects with type code @code{TYPE_CODE_PTR}) in a C/C@t{++} program.
24243 @end defun
24244
24245 @defun Value.referenced_value ()
24246 For pointer or reference data types, this method returns a new
24247 @code{gdb.Value} object corresponding to the value referenced by the
24248 pointer/reference value. For pointer data types,
24249 @code{Value.dereference} and @code{Value.referenced_value} produce
24250 identical results. The difference between these methods is that
24251 @code{Value.dereference} cannot get the values referenced by reference
24252 values. For example, consider a reference to an @code{int}, declared
24253 in your C@t{++} program as
24254
24255 @smallexample
24256 int val = 10;
24257 int &ref = val;
24258 @end smallexample
24259
24260 @noindent
24261 then applying @code{Value.dereference} to the @code{gdb.Value} object
24262 corresponding to @code{ref} will result in an error, while applying
24263 @code{Value.referenced_value} will result in a @code{gdb.Value} object
24264 identical to that corresponding to @code{val}.
24265
24266 @smallexample
24267 py_ref = gdb.parse_and_eval ("ref")
24268 er_ref = py_ref.dereference () # Results in error
24269 py_val = py_ref.referenced_value () # Returns the referenced value
24270 @end smallexample
24271
24272 The @code{gdb.Value} object @code{py_val} is identical to that
24273 corresponding to @code{val}.
24274 @end defun
24275
24276 @defun Value.dynamic_cast (type)
24277 Like @code{Value.cast}, but works as if the C@t{++} @code{dynamic_cast}
24278 operator were used. Consult a C@t{++} reference for details.
24279 @end defun
24280
24281 @defun Value.reinterpret_cast (type)
24282 Like @code{Value.cast}, but works as if the C@t{++} @code{reinterpret_cast}
24283 operator were used. Consult a C@t{++} reference for details.
24284 @end defun
24285
24286 @defun Value.string (@r{[}encoding@r{[}, errors@r{[}, length@r{]]]})
24287 If this @code{gdb.Value} represents a string, then this method
24288 converts the contents to a Python string. Otherwise, this method will
24289 throw an exception.
24290
24291 Strings are recognized in a language-specific way; whether a given
24292 @code{gdb.Value} represents a string is determined by the current
24293 language.
24294
24295 For C-like languages, a value is a string if it is a pointer to or an
24296 array of characters or ints. The string is assumed to be terminated
24297 by a zero of the appropriate width. However if the optional length
24298 argument is given, the string will be converted to that given length,
24299 ignoring any embedded zeros that the string may contain.
24300
24301 If the optional @var{encoding} argument is given, it must be a string
24302 naming the encoding of the string in the @code{gdb.Value}, such as
24303 @code{"ascii"}, @code{"iso-8859-6"} or @code{"utf-8"}. It accepts
24304 the same encodings as the corresponding argument to Python's
24305 @code{string.decode} method, and the Python codec machinery will be used
24306 to convert the string. If @var{encoding} is not given, or if
24307 @var{encoding} is the empty string, then either the @code{target-charset}
24308 (@pxref{Character Sets}) will be used, or a language-specific encoding
24309 will be used, if the current language is able to supply one.
24310
24311 The optional @var{errors} argument is the same as the corresponding
24312 argument to Python's @code{string.decode} method.
24313
24314 If the optional @var{length} argument is given, the string will be
24315 fetched and converted to the given length.
24316 @end defun
24317
24318 @defun Value.lazy_string (@r{[}encoding @r{[}, length@r{]]})
24319 If this @code{gdb.Value} represents a string, then this method
24320 converts the contents to a @code{gdb.LazyString} (@pxref{Lazy Strings
24321 In Python}). Otherwise, this method will throw an exception.
24322
24323 If the optional @var{encoding} argument is given, it must be a string
24324 naming the encoding of the @code{gdb.LazyString}. Some examples are:
24325 @samp{ascii}, @samp{iso-8859-6} or @samp{utf-8}. If the
24326 @var{encoding} argument is an encoding that @value{GDBN} does
24327 recognize, @value{GDBN} will raise an error.
24328
24329 When a lazy string is printed, the @value{GDBN} encoding machinery is
24330 used to convert the string during printing. If the optional
24331 @var{encoding} argument is not provided, or is an empty string,
24332 @value{GDBN} will automatically select the encoding most suitable for
24333 the string type. For further information on encoding in @value{GDBN}
24334 please see @ref{Character Sets}.
24335
24336 If the optional @var{length} argument is given, the string will be
24337 fetched and encoded to the length of characters specified. If
24338 the @var{length} argument is not provided, the string will be fetched
24339 and encoded until a null of appropriate width is found.
24340 @end defun
24341
24342 @defun Value.fetch_lazy ()
24343 If the @code{gdb.Value} object is currently a lazy value
24344 (@code{gdb.Value.is_lazy} is @code{True}), then the value is
24345 fetched from the inferior. Any errors that occur in the process
24346 will produce a Python exception.
24347
24348 If the @code{gdb.Value} object is not a lazy value, this method
24349 has no effect.
24350
24351 This method does not return a value.
24352 @end defun
24353
24354
24355 @node Types In Python
24356 @subsubsection Types In Python
24357 @cindex types in Python
24358 @cindex Python, working with types
24359
24360 @tindex gdb.Type
24361 @value{GDBN} represents types from the inferior using the class
24362 @code{gdb.Type}.
24363
24364 The following type-related functions are available in the @code{gdb}
24365 module:
24366
24367 @findex gdb.lookup_type
24368 @defun gdb.lookup_type (name @r{[}, block@r{]})
24369 This function looks up a type by name. @var{name} is the name of the
24370 type to look up. It must be a string.
24371
24372 If @var{block} is given, then @var{name} is looked up in that scope.
24373 Otherwise, it is searched for globally.
24374
24375 Ordinarily, this function will return an instance of @code{gdb.Type}.
24376 If the named type cannot be found, it will throw an exception.
24377 @end defun
24378
24379 If the type is a structure or class type, or an enum type, the fields
24380 of that type can be accessed using the Python @dfn{dictionary syntax}.
24381 For example, if @code{some_type} is a @code{gdb.Type} instance holding
24382 a structure type, you can access its @code{foo} field with:
24383
24384 @smallexample
24385 bar = some_type['foo']
24386 @end smallexample
24387
24388 @code{bar} will be a @code{gdb.Field} object; see below under the
24389 description of the @code{Type.fields} method for a description of the
24390 @code{gdb.Field} class.
24391
24392 An instance of @code{Type} has the following attributes:
24393
24394 @defvar Type.code
24395 The type code for this type. The type code will be one of the
24396 @code{TYPE_CODE_} constants defined below.
24397 @end defvar
24398
24399 @defvar Type.name
24400 The name of this type. If this type has no name, then @code{None}
24401 is returned.
24402 @end defvar
24403
24404 @defvar Type.sizeof
24405 The size of this type, in target @code{char} units. Usually, a
24406 target's @code{char} type will be an 8-bit byte. However, on some
24407 unusual platforms, this type may have a different size.
24408 @end defvar
24409
24410 @defvar Type.tag
24411 The tag name for this type. The tag name is the name after
24412 @code{struct}, @code{union}, or @code{enum} in C and C@t{++}; not all
24413 languages have this concept. If this type has no tag name, then
24414 @code{None} is returned.
24415 @end defvar
24416
24417 The following methods are provided:
24418
24419 @defun Type.fields ()
24420 For structure and union types, this method returns the fields. Range
24421 types have two fields, the minimum and maximum values. Enum types
24422 have one field per enum constant. Function and method types have one
24423 field per parameter. The base types of C@t{++} classes are also
24424 represented as fields. If the type has no fields, or does not fit
24425 into one of these categories, an empty sequence will be returned.
24426
24427 Each field is a @code{gdb.Field} object, with some pre-defined attributes:
24428 @table @code
24429 @item bitpos
24430 This attribute is not available for @code{enum} or @code{static}
24431 (as in C@t{++} or Java) fields. The value is the position, counting
24432 in bits, from the start of the containing type.
24433
24434 @item enumval
24435 This attribute is only available for @code{enum} fields, and its value
24436 is the enumeration member's integer representation.
24437
24438 @item name
24439 The name of the field, or @code{None} for anonymous fields.
24440
24441 @item artificial
24442 This is @code{True} if the field is artificial, usually meaning that
24443 it was provided by the compiler and not the user. This attribute is
24444 always provided, and is @code{False} if the field is not artificial.
24445
24446 @item is_base_class
24447 This is @code{True} if the field represents a base class of a C@t{++}
24448 structure. This attribute is always provided, and is @code{False}
24449 if the field is not a base class of the type that is the argument of
24450 @code{fields}, or if that type was not a C@t{++} class.
24451
24452 @item bitsize
24453 If the field is packed, or is a bitfield, then this will have a
24454 non-zero value, which is the size of the field in bits. Otherwise,
24455 this will be zero; in this case the field's size is given by its type.
24456
24457 @item type
24458 The type of the field. This is usually an instance of @code{Type},
24459 but it can be @code{None} in some situations.
24460
24461 @item parent_type
24462 The type which contains this field. This is an instance of
24463 @code{gdb.Type}.
24464 @end table
24465 @end defun
24466
24467 @defun Type.array (@var{n1} @r{[}, @var{n2}@r{]})
24468 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents an array of this
24469 type. If one argument is given, it is the inclusive upper bound of
24470 the array; in this case the lower bound is zero. If two arguments are
24471 given, the first argument is the lower bound of the array, and the
24472 second argument is the upper bound of the array. An array's length
24473 must not be negative, but the bounds can be.
24474 @end defun
24475
24476 @defun Type.vector (@var{n1} @r{[}, @var{n2}@r{]})
24477 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents a vector of this
24478 type. If one argument is given, it is the inclusive upper bound of
24479 the vector; in this case the lower bound is zero. If two arguments are
24480 given, the first argument is the lower bound of the vector, and the
24481 second argument is the upper bound of the vector. A vector's length
24482 must not be negative, but the bounds can be.
24483
24484 The difference between an @code{array} and a @code{vector} is that
24485 arrays behave like in C: when used in expressions they decay to a pointer
24486 to the first element whereas vectors are treated as first class values.
24487 @end defun
24488
24489 @defun Type.const ()
24490 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents a
24491 @code{const}-qualified variant of this type.
24492 @end defun
24493
24494 @defun Type.volatile ()
24495 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents a
24496 @code{volatile}-qualified variant of this type.
24497 @end defun
24498
24499 @defun Type.unqualified ()
24500 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents an unqualified
24501 variant of this type. That is, the result is neither @code{const} nor
24502 @code{volatile}.
24503 @end defun
24504
24505 @defun Type.range ()
24506 Return a Python @code{Tuple} object that contains two elements: the
24507 low bound of the argument type and the high bound of that type. If
24508 the type does not have a range, @value{GDBN} will raise a
24509 @code{gdb.error} exception (@pxref{Exception Handling}).
24510 @end defun
24511
24512 @defun Type.reference ()
24513 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents a reference to this
24514 type.
24515 @end defun
24516
24517 @defun Type.pointer ()
24518 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents a pointer to this
24519 type.
24520 @end defun
24521
24522 @defun Type.strip_typedefs ()
24523 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} that represents the real type,
24524 after removing all layers of typedefs.
24525 @end defun
24526
24527 @defun Type.target ()
24528 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents the target type
24529 of this type.
24530
24531 For a pointer type, the target type is the type of the pointed-to
24532 object. For an array type (meaning C-like arrays), the target type is
24533 the type of the elements of the array. For a function or method type,
24534 the target type is the type of the return value. For a complex type,
24535 the target type is the type of the elements. For a typedef, the
24536 target type is the aliased type.
24537
24538 If the type does not have a target, this method will throw an
24539 exception.
24540 @end defun
24541
24542 @defun Type.template_argument (n @r{[}, block@r{]})
24543 If this @code{gdb.Type} is an instantiation of a template, this will
24544 return a new @code{gdb.Type} which represents the type of the
24545 @var{n}th template argument.
24546
24547 If this @code{gdb.Type} is not a template type, this will throw an
24548 exception. Ordinarily, only C@t{++} code will have template types.
24549
24550 If @var{block} is given, then @var{name} is looked up in that scope.
24551 Otherwise, it is searched for globally.
24552 @end defun
24553
24554
24555 Each type has a code, which indicates what category this type falls
24556 into. The available type categories are represented by constants
24557 defined in the @code{gdb} module:
24558
24559 @table @code
24560 @findex TYPE_CODE_PTR
24561 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_PTR
24562 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_PTR
24563 The type is a pointer.
24564
24565 @findex TYPE_CODE_ARRAY
24566 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_ARRAY
24567 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_ARRAY
24568 The type is an array.
24569
24570 @findex TYPE_CODE_STRUCT
24571 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_STRUCT
24572 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_STRUCT
24573 The type is a structure.
24574
24575 @findex TYPE_CODE_UNION
24576 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_UNION
24577 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_UNION
24578 The type is a union.
24579
24580 @findex TYPE_CODE_ENUM
24581 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_ENUM
24582 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_ENUM
24583 The type is an enum.
24584
24585 @findex TYPE_CODE_FLAGS
24586 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_FLAGS
24587 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_FLAGS
24588 A bit flags type, used for things such as status registers.
24589
24590 @findex TYPE_CODE_FUNC
24591 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_FUNC
24592 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_FUNC
24593 The type is a function.
24594
24595 @findex TYPE_CODE_INT
24596 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_INT
24597 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_INT
24598 The type is an integer type.
24599
24600 @findex TYPE_CODE_FLT
24601 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_FLT
24602 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_FLT
24603 A floating point type.
24604
24605 @findex TYPE_CODE_VOID
24606 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_VOID
24607 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_VOID
24608 The special type @code{void}.
24609
24610 @findex TYPE_CODE_SET
24611 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_SET
24612 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_SET
24613 A Pascal set type.
24614
24615 @findex TYPE_CODE_RANGE
24616 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_RANGE
24617 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_RANGE
24618 A range type, that is, an integer type with bounds.
24619
24620 @findex TYPE_CODE_STRING
24621 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_STRING
24622 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_STRING
24623 A string type. Note that this is only used for certain languages with
24624 language-defined string types; C strings are not represented this way.
24625
24626 @findex TYPE_CODE_BITSTRING
24627 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_BITSTRING
24628 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_BITSTRING
24629 A string of bits. It is deprecated.
24630
24631 @findex TYPE_CODE_ERROR
24632 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_ERROR
24633 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_ERROR
24634 An unknown or erroneous type.
24635
24636 @findex TYPE_CODE_METHOD
24637 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_METHOD
24638 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_METHOD
24639 A method type, as found in C@t{++} or Java.
24640
24641 @findex TYPE_CODE_METHODPTR
24642 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_METHODPTR
24643 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_METHODPTR
24644 A pointer-to-member-function.
24645
24646 @findex TYPE_CODE_MEMBERPTR
24647 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_MEMBERPTR
24648 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_MEMBERPTR
24649 A pointer-to-member.
24650
24651 @findex TYPE_CODE_REF
24652 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_REF
24653 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_REF
24654 A reference type.
24655
24656 @findex TYPE_CODE_CHAR
24657 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_CHAR
24658 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_CHAR
24659 A character type.
24660
24661 @findex TYPE_CODE_BOOL
24662 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_BOOL
24663 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_BOOL
24664 A boolean type.
24665
24666 @findex TYPE_CODE_COMPLEX
24667 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_COMPLEX
24668 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_COMPLEX
24669 A complex float type.
24670
24671 @findex TYPE_CODE_TYPEDEF
24672 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_TYPEDEF
24673 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_TYPEDEF
24674 A typedef to some other type.
24675
24676 @findex TYPE_CODE_NAMESPACE
24677 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_NAMESPACE
24678 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_NAMESPACE
24679 A C@t{++} namespace.
24680
24681 @findex TYPE_CODE_DECFLOAT
24682 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_DECFLOAT
24683 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_DECFLOAT
24684 A decimal floating point type.
24685
24686 @findex TYPE_CODE_INTERNAL_FUNCTION
24687 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_INTERNAL_FUNCTION
24688 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_INTERNAL_FUNCTION
24689 A function internal to @value{GDBN}. This is the type used to represent
24690 convenience functions.
24691 @end table
24692
24693 Further support for types is provided in the @code{gdb.types}
24694 Python module (@pxref{gdb.types}).
24695
24696 @node Pretty Printing API
24697 @subsubsection Pretty Printing API
24698
24699 An example output is provided (@pxref{Pretty Printing}).
24700
24701 A pretty-printer is just an object that holds a value and implements a
24702 specific interface, defined here.
24703
24704 @defun pretty_printer.children (self)
24705 @value{GDBN} will call this method on a pretty-printer to compute the
24706 children of the pretty-printer's value.
24707
24708 This method must return an object conforming to the Python iterator
24709 protocol. Each item returned by the iterator must be a tuple holding
24710 two elements. The first element is the ``name'' of the child; the
24711 second element is the child's value. The value can be any Python
24712 object which is convertible to a @value{GDBN} value.
24713
24714 This method is optional. If it does not exist, @value{GDBN} will act
24715 as though the value has no children.
24716 @end defun
24717
24718 @defun pretty_printer.display_hint (self)
24719 The CLI may call this method and use its result to change the
24720 formatting of a value. The result will also be supplied to an MI
24721 consumer as a @samp{displayhint} attribute of the variable being
24722 printed.
24723
24724 This method is optional. If it does exist, this method must return a
24725 string.
24726
24727 Some display hints are predefined by @value{GDBN}:
24728
24729 @table @samp
24730 @item array
24731 Indicate that the object being printed is ``array-like''. The CLI
24732 uses this to respect parameters such as @code{set print elements} and
24733 @code{set print array}.
24734
24735 @item map
24736 Indicate that the object being printed is ``map-like'', and that the
24737 children of this value can be assumed to alternate between keys and
24738 values.
24739
24740 @item string
24741 Indicate that the object being printed is ``string-like''. If the
24742 printer's @code{to_string} method returns a Python string of some
24743 kind, then @value{GDBN} will call its internal language-specific
24744 string-printing function to format the string. For the CLI this means
24745 adding quotation marks, possibly escaping some characters, respecting
24746 @code{set print elements}, and the like.
24747 @end table
24748 @end defun
24749
24750 @defun pretty_printer.to_string (self)
24751 @value{GDBN} will call this method to display the string
24752 representation of the value passed to the object's constructor.
24753
24754 When printing from the CLI, if the @code{to_string} method exists,
24755 then @value{GDBN} will prepend its result to the values returned by
24756 @code{children}. Exactly how this formatting is done is dependent on
24757 the display hint, and may change as more hints are added. Also,
24758 depending on the print settings (@pxref{Print Settings}), the CLI may
24759 print just the result of @code{to_string} in a stack trace, omitting
24760 the result of @code{children}.
24761
24762 If this method returns a string, it is printed verbatim.
24763
24764 Otherwise, if this method returns an instance of @code{gdb.Value},
24765 then @value{GDBN} prints this value. This may result in a call to
24766 another pretty-printer.
24767
24768 If instead the method returns a Python value which is convertible to a
24769 @code{gdb.Value}, then @value{GDBN} performs the conversion and prints
24770 the resulting value. Again, this may result in a call to another
24771 pretty-printer. Python scalars (integers, floats, and booleans) and
24772 strings are convertible to @code{gdb.Value}; other types are not.
24773
24774 Finally, if this method returns @code{None} then no further operations
24775 are peformed in this method and nothing is printed.
24776
24777 If the result is not one of these types, an exception is raised.
24778 @end defun
24779
24780 @value{GDBN} provides a function which can be used to look up the
24781 default pretty-printer for a @code{gdb.Value}:
24782
24783 @findex gdb.default_visualizer
24784 @defun gdb.default_visualizer (value)
24785 This function takes a @code{gdb.Value} object as an argument. If a
24786 pretty-printer for this value exists, then it is returned. If no such
24787 printer exists, then this returns @code{None}.
24788 @end defun
24789
24790 @node Selecting Pretty-Printers
24791 @subsubsection Selecting Pretty-Printers
24792
24793 The Python list @code{gdb.pretty_printers} contains an array of
24794 functions or callable objects that have been registered via addition
24795 as a pretty-printer. Printers in this list are called @code{global}
24796 printers, they're available when debugging all inferiors.
24797 Each @code{gdb.Progspace} contains a @code{pretty_printers} attribute.
24798 Each @code{gdb.Objfile} also contains a @code{pretty_printers}
24799 attribute.
24800
24801 Each function on these lists is passed a single @code{gdb.Value}
24802 argument and should return a pretty-printer object conforming to the
24803 interface definition above (@pxref{Pretty Printing API}). If a function
24804 cannot create a pretty-printer for the value, it should return
24805 @code{None}.
24806
24807 @value{GDBN} first checks the @code{pretty_printers} attribute of each
24808 @code{gdb.Objfile} in the current program space and iteratively calls
24809 each enabled lookup routine in the list for that @code{gdb.Objfile}
24810 until it receives a pretty-printer object.
24811 If no pretty-printer is found in the objfile lists, @value{GDBN} then
24812 searches the pretty-printer list of the current program space,
24813 calling each enabled function until an object is returned.
24814 After these lists have been exhausted, it tries the global
24815 @code{gdb.pretty_printers} list, again calling each enabled function until an
24816 object is returned.
24817
24818 The order in which the objfiles are searched is not specified. For a
24819 given list, functions are always invoked from the head of the list,
24820 and iterated over sequentially until the end of the list, or a printer
24821 object is returned.
24822
24823 For various reasons a pretty-printer may not work.
24824 For example, the underlying data structure may have changed and
24825 the pretty-printer is out of date.
24826
24827 The consequences of a broken pretty-printer are severe enough that
24828 @value{GDBN} provides support for enabling and disabling individual
24829 printers. For example, if @code{print frame-arguments} is on,
24830 a backtrace can become highly illegible if any argument is printed
24831 with a broken printer.
24832
24833 Pretty-printers are enabled and disabled by attaching an @code{enabled}
24834 attribute to the registered function or callable object. If this attribute
24835 is present and its value is @code{False}, the printer is disabled, otherwise
24836 the printer is enabled.
24837
24838 @node Writing a Pretty-Printer
24839 @subsubsection Writing a Pretty-Printer
24840 @cindex writing a pretty-printer
24841
24842 A pretty-printer consists of two parts: a lookup function to detect
24843 if the type is supported, and the printer itself.
24844
24845 Here is an example showing how a @code{std::string} printer might be
24846 written. @xref{Pretty Printing API}, for details on the API this class
24847 must provide.
24848
24849 @smallexample
24850 class StdStringPrinter(object):
24851 "Print a std::string"
24852
24853 def __init__(self, val):
24854 self.val = val
24855
24856 def to_string(self):
24857 return self.val['_M_dataplus']['_M_p']
24858
24859 def display_hint(self):
24860 return 'string'
24861 @end smallexample
24862
24863 And here is an example showing how a lookup function for the printer
24864 example above might be written.
24865
24866 @smallexample
24867 def str_lookup_function(val):
24868 lookup_tag = val.type.tag
24869 if lookup_tag == None:
24870 return None
24871 regex = re.compile("^std::basic_string<char,.*>$")
24872 if regex.match(lookup_tag):
24873 return StdStringPrinter(val)
24874 return None
24875 @end smallexample
24876
24877 The example lookup function extracts the value's type, and attempts to
24878 match it to a type that it can pretty-print. If it is a type the
24879 printer can pretty-print, it will return a printer object. If not, it
24880 returns @code{None}.
24881
24882 We recommend that you put your core pretty-printers into a Python
24883 package. If your pretty-printers are for use with a library, we
24884 further recommend embedding a version number into the package name.
24885 This practice will enable @value{GDBN} to load multiple versions of
24886 your pretty-printers at the same time, because they will have
24887 different names.
24888
24889 You should write auto-loaded code (@pxref{Python Auto-loading}) such that it
24890 can be evaluated multiple times without changing its meaning. An
24891 ideal auto-load file will consist solely of @code{import}s of your
24892 printer modules, followed by a call to a register pretty-printers with
24893 the current objfile.
24894
24895 Taken as a whole, this approach will scale nicely to multiple
24896 inferiors, each potentially using a different library version.
24897 Embedding a version number in the Python package name will ensure that
24898 @value{GDBN} is able to load both sets of printers simultaneously.
24899 Then, because the search for pretty-printers is done by objfile, and
24900 because your auto-loaded code took care to register your library's
24901 printers with a specific objfile, @value{GDBN} will find the correct
24902 printers for the specific version of the library used by each
24903 inferior.
24904
24905 To continue the @code{std::string} example (@pxref{Pretty Printing API}),
24906 this code might appear in @code{gdb.libstdcxx.v6}:
24907
24908 @smallexample
24909 def register_printers(objfile):
24910 objfile.pretty_printers.append(str_lookup_function)
24911 @end smallexample
24912
24913 @noindent
24914 And then the corresponding contents of the auto-load file would be:
24915
24916 @smallexample
24917 import gdb.libstdcxx.v6
24918 gdb.libstdcxx.v6.register_printers(gdb.current_objfile())
24919 @end smallexample
24920
24921 The previous example illustrates a basic pretty-printer.
24922 There are a few things that can be improved on.
24923 The printer doesn't have a name, making it hard to identify in a
24924 list of installed printers. The lookup function has a name, but
24925 lookup functions can have arbitrary, even identical, names.
24926
24927 Second, the printer only handles one type, whereas a library typically has
24928 several types. One could install a lookup function for each desired type
24929 in the library, but one could also have a single lookup function recognize
24930 several types. The latter is the conventional way this is handled.
24931 If a pretty-printer can handle multiple data types, then its
24932 @dfn{subprinters} are the printers for the individual data types.
24933
24934 The @code{gdb.printing} module provides a formal way of solving these
24935 problems (@pxref{gdb.printing}).
24936 Here is another example that handles multiple types.
24937
24938 These are the types we are going to pretty-print:
24939
24940 @smallexample
24941 struct foo @{ int a, b; @};
24942 struct bar @{ struct foo x, y; @};
24943 @end smallexample
24944
24945 Here are the printers:
24946
24947 @smallexample
24948 class fooPrinter:
24949 """Print a foo object."""
24950
24951 def __init__(self, val):
24952 self.val = val
24953
24954 def to_string(self):
24955 return ("a=<" + str(self.val["a"]) +
24956 "> b=<" + str(self.val["b"]) + ">")
24957
24958 class barPrinter:
24959 """Print a bar object."""
24960
24961 def __init__(self, val):
24962 self.val = val
24963
24964 def to_string(self):
24965 return ("x=<" + str(self.val["x"]) +
24966 "> y=<" + str(self.val["y"]) + ">")
24967 @end smallexample
24968
24969 This example doesn't need a lookup function, that is handled by the
24970 @code{gdb.printing} module. Instead a function is provided to build up
24971 the object that handles the lookup.
24972
24973 @smallexample
24974 import gdb.printing
24975
24976 def build_pretty_printer():
24977 pp = gdb.printing.RegexpCollectionPrettyPrinter(
24978 "my_library")
24979 pp.add_printer('foo', '^foo$', fooPrinter)
24980 pp.add_printer('bar', '^bar$', barPrinter)
24981 return pp
24982 @end smallexample
24983
24984 And here is the autoload support:
24985
24986 @smallexample
24987 import gdb.printing
24988 import my_library
24989 gdb.printing.register_pretty_printer(
24990 gdb.current_objfile(),
24991 my_library.build_pretty_printer())
24992 @end smallexample
24993
24994 Finally, when this printer is loaded into @value{GDBN}, here is the
24995 corresponding output of @samp{info pretty-printer}:
24996
24997 @smallexample
24998 (gdb) info pretty-printer
24999 my_library.so:
25000 my_library
25001 foo
25002 bar
25003 @end smallexample
25004
25005 @node Type Printing API
25006 @subsubsection Type Printing API
25007 @cindex type printing API for Python
25008
25009 @value{GDBN} provides a way for Python code to customize type display.
25010 This is mainly useful for substituting canonical typedef names for
25011 types.
25012
25013 @cindex type printer
25014 A @dfn{type printer} is just a Python object conforming to a certain
25015 protocol. A simple base class implementing the protocol is provided;
25016 see @ref{gdb.types}. A type printer must supply at least:
25017
25018 @defivar type_printer enabled
25019 A boolean which is True if the printer is enabled, and False
25020 otherwise. This is manipulated by the @code{enable type-printer}
25021 and @code{disable type-printer} commands.
25022 @end defivar
25023
25024 @defivar type_printer name
25025 The name of the type printer. This must be a string. This is used by
25026 the @code{enable type-printer} and @code{disable type-printer}
25027 commands.
25028 @end defivar
25029
25030 @defmethod type_printer instantiate (self)
25031 This is called by @value{GDBN} at the start of type-printing. It is
25032 only called if the type printer is enabled. This method must return a
25033 new object that supplies a @code{recognize} method, as described below.
25034 @end defmethod
25035
25036
25037 When displaying a type, say via the @code{ptype} command, @value{GDBN}
25038 will compute a list of type recognizers. This is done by iterating
25039 first over the per-objfile type printers (@pxref{Objfiles In Python}),
25040 followed by the per-progspace type printers (@pxref{Progspaces In
25041 Python}), and finally the global type printers.
25042
25043 @value{GDBN} will call the @code{instantiate} method of each enabled
25044 type printer. If this method returns @code{None}, then the result is
25045 ignored; otherwise, it is appended to the list of recognizers.
25046
25047 Then, when @value{GDBN} is going to display a type name, it iterates
25048 over the list of recognizers. For each one, it calls the recognition
25049 function, stopping if the function returns a non-@code{None} value.
25050 The recognition function is defined as:
25051
25052 @defmethod type_recognizer recognize (self, type)
25053 If @var{type} is not recognized, return @code{None}. Otherwise,
25054 return a string which is to be printed as the name of @var{type}.
25055 @var{type} will be an instance of @code{gdb.Type} (@pxref{Types In
25056 Python}).
25057 @end defmethod
25058
25059 @value{GDBN} uses this two-pass approach so that type printers can
25060 efficiently cache information without holding on to it too long. For
25061 example, it can be convenient to look up type information in a type
25062 printer and hold it for a recognizer's lifetime; if a single pass were
25063 done then type printers would have to make use of the event system in
25064 order to avoid holding information that could become stale as the
25065 inferior changed.
25066
25067 @node Frame Filter API
25068 @subsubsection Filtering Frames.
25069 @cindex frame filters api
25070
25071 Frame filters are Python objects that manipulate the visibility of a
25072 frame or frames when a backtrace (@pxref{Backtrace}) is printed by
25073 @value{GDBN}.
25074
25075 Only commands that print a backtrace, or, in the case of @sc{gdb/mi}
25076 commands (@pxref{GDB/MI}), those that return a collection of frames
25077 are affected. The commands that work with frame filters are:
25078
25079 @code{backtrace} (@pxref{backtrace-command,, The backtrace command}),
25080 @code{-stack-list-frames}
25081 (@pxref{-stack-list-frames,, The -stack-list-frames command}),
25082 @code{-stack-list-variables} (@pxref{-stack-list-variables,, The
25083 -stack-list-variables command}), @code{-stack-list-arguments}
25084 @pxref{-stack-list-arguments,, The -stack-list-arguments command}) and
25085 @code{-stack-list-locals} (@pxref{-stack-list-locals,, The
25086 -stack-list-locals command}).
25087
25088 A frame filter works by taking an iterator as an argument, applying
25089 actions to the contents of that iterator, and returning another
25090 iterator (or, possibly, the same iterator it was provided in the case
25091 where the filter does not perform any operations). Typically, frame
25092 filters utilize tools such as the Python's @code{itertools} module to
25093 work with and create new iterators from the source iterator.
25094 Regardless of how a filter chooses to apply actions, it must not alter
25095 the underlying @value{GDBN} frame or frames, or attempt to alter the
25096 call-stack within @value{GDBN}. This preserves data integrity within
25097 @value{GDBN}. Frame filters are executed on a priority basis and care
25098 should be taken that some frame filters may have been executed before,
25099 and that some frame filters will be executed after.
25100
25101 An important consideration when designing frame filters, and well
25102 worth reflecting upon, is that frame filters should avoid unwinding
25103 the call stack if possible. Some stacks can run very deep, into the
25104 tens of thousands in some cases. To search every frame when a frame
25105 filter executes may be too expensive at that step. The frame filter
25106 cannot know how many frames it has to iterate over, and it may have to
25107 iterate through them all. This ends up duplicating effort as
25108 @value{GDBN} performs this iteration when it prints the frames. If
25109 the filter can defer unwinding frames until frame decorators are
25110 executed, after the last filter has executed, it should. @xref{Frame
25111 Decorator API}, for more information on decorators. Also, there are
25112 examples for both frame decorators and filters in later chapters.
25113 @xref{Writing a Frame Filter}, for more information.
25114
25115 The Python dictionary @code{gdb.frame_filters} contains key/object
25116 pairings that comprise a frame filter. Frame filters in this
25117 dictionary are called @code{global} frame filters, and they are
25118 available when debugging all inferiors. These frame filters must
25119 register with the dictionary directly. In addition to the
25120 @code{global} dictionary, there are other dictionaries that are loaded
25121 with different inferiors via auto-loading (@pxref{Python
25122 Auto-loading}). The two other areas where frame filter dictionaries
25123 can be found are: @code{gdb.Progspace} which contains a
25124 @code{frame_filters} dictionary attribute, and each @code{gdb.Objfile}
25125 object which also contains a @code{frame_filters} dictionary
25126 attribute.
25127
25128 When a command is executed from @value{GDBN} that is compatible with
25129 frame filters, @value{GDBN} combines the @code{global},
25130 @code{gdb.Progspace} and all @code{gdb.Objfile} dictionaries currently
25131 loaded. All of the @code{gdb.Objfile} dictionaries are combined, as
25132 several frames, and thus several object files, might be in use.
25133 @value{GDBN} then prunes any frame filter whose @code{enabled}
25134 attribute is @code{False}. This pruned list is then sorted according
25135 to the @code{priority} attribute in each filter.
25136
25137 Once the dictionaries are combined, pruned and sorted, @value{GDBN}
25138 creates an iterator which wraps each frame in the call stack in a
25139 @code{FrameDecorator} object, and calls each filter in order. The
25140 output from the previous filter will always be the input to the next
25141 filter, and so on.
25142
25143 Frame filters have a mandatory interface which each frame filter must
25144 implement, defined here:
25145
25146 @defun FrameFilter.filter (iterator)
25147 @value{GDBN} will call this method on a frame filter when it has
25148 reached the order in the priority list for that filter.
25149
25150 For example, if there are four frame filters:
25151
25152 @smallexample
25153 Name Priority
25154
25155 Filter1 5
25156 Filter2 10
25157 Filter3 100
25158 Filter4 1
25159 @end smallexample
25160
25161 The order that the frame filters will be called is:
25162
25163 @smallexample
25164 Filter3 -> Filter2 -> Filter1 -> Filter4
25165 @end smallexample
25166
25167 Note that the output from @code{Filter3} is passed to the input of
25168 @code{Filter2}, and so on.
25169
25170 This @code{filter} method is passed a Python iterator. This iterator
25171 contains a sequence of frame decorators that wrap each
25172 @code{gdb.Frame}, or a frame decorator that wraps another frame
25173 decorator. The first filter that is executed in the sequence of frame
25174 filters will receive an iterator entirely comprised of default
25175 @code{FrameDecorator} objects. However, after each frame filter is
25176 executed, the previous frame filter may have wrapped some or all of
25177 the frame decorators with their own frame decorator. As frame
25178 decorators must also conform to a mandatory interface, these
25179 decorators can be assumed to act in a uniform manner (@pxref{Frame
25180 Decorator API}).
25181
25182 This method must return an object conforming to the Python iterator
25183 protocol. Each item in the iterator must be an object conforming to
25184 the frame decorator interface. If a frame filter does not wish to
25185 perform any operations on this iterator, it should return that
25186 iterator untouched.
25187
25188 This method is not optional. If it does not exist, @value{GDBN} will
25189 raise and print an error.
25190 @end defun
25191
25192 @defvar FrameFilter.name
25193 The @code{name} attribute must be Python string which contains the
25194 name of the filter displayed by @value{GDBN} (@pxref{Frame Filter
25195 Management}). This attribute may contain any combination of letters
25196 or numbers. Care should be taken to ensure that it is unique. This
25197 attribute is mandatory.
25198 @end defvar
25199
25200 @defvar FrameFilter.enabled
25201 The @code{enabled} attribute must be Python boolean. This attribute
25202 indicates to @value{GDBN} whether the frame filter is enabled, and
25203 should be considered when frame filters are executed. If
25204 @code{enabled} is @code{True}, then the frame filter will be executed
25205 when any of the backtrace commands detailed earlier in this chapter
25206 are executed. If @code{enabled} is @code{False}, then the frame
25207 filter will not be executed. This attribute is mandatory.
25208 @end defvar
25209
25210 @defvar FrameFilter.priority
25211 The @code{priority} attribute must be Python integer. This attribute
25212 controls the order of execution in relation to other frame filters.
25213 There are no imposed limits on the range of @code{priority} other than
25214 it must be a valid integer. The higher the @code{priority} attribute,
25215 the sooner the frame filter will be executed in relation to other
25216 frame filters. Although @code{priority} can be negative, it is
25217 recommended practice to assume zero is the lowest priority that a
25218 frame filter can be assigned. Frame filters that have the same
25219 priority are executed in unsorted order in that priority slot. This
25220 attribute is mandatory.
25221 @end defvar
25222
25223 @node Frame Decorator API
25224 @subsubsection Decorating Frames.
25225 @cindex frame decorator api
25226
25227 Frame decorators are sister objects to frame filters (@pxref{Frame
25228 Filter API}). Frame decorators are applied by a frame filter and can
25229 only be used in conjunction with frame filters.
25230
25231 The purpose of a frame decorator is to customize the printed content
25232 of each @code{gdb.Frame} in commands where frame filters are executed.
25233 This concept is called decorating a frame. Frame decorators decorate
25234 a @code{gdb.Frame} with Python code contained within each API call.
25235 This separates the actual data contained in a @code{gdb.Frame} from
25236 the decorated data produced by a frame decorator. This abstraction is
25237 necessary to maintain integrity of the data contained in each
25238 @code{gdb.Frame}.
25239
25240 Frame decorators have a mandatory interface, defined below.
25241
25242 @value{GDBN} already contains a frame decorator called
25243 @code{FrameDecorator}. This contains substantial amounts of
25244 boilerplate code to decorate the content of a @code{gdb.Frame}. It is
25245 recommended that other frame decorators inherit and extend this
25246 object, and only to override the methods needed.
25247
25248 @defun FrameDecorator.elided (self)
25249
25250 The @code{elided} method groups frames together in a hierarchical
25251 system. An example would be an interpreter, where multiple low-level
25252 frames make up a single call in the interpreted language. In this
25253 example, the frame filter would elide the low-level frames and present
25254 a single high-level frame, representing the call in the interpreted
25255 language, to the user.
25256
25257 The @code{elided} function must return an iterable and this iterable
25258 must contain the frames that are being elided wrapped in a suitable
25259 frame decorator. If no frames are being elided this function may
25260 return an empty iterable, or @code{None}. Elided frames are indented
25261 from normal frames in a @code{CLI} backtrace, or in the case of
25262 @code{GDB/MI}, are placed in the @code{children} field of the eliding
25263 frame.
25264
25265 It is the frame filter's task to also filter out the elided frames from
25266 the source iterator. This will avoid printing the frame twice.
25267 @end defun
25268
25269 @defun FrameDecorator.function (self)
25270
25271 This method returns the name of the function in the frame that is to
25272 be printed.
25273
25274 This method must return a Python string describing the function, or
25275 @code{None}.
25276
25277 If this function returns @code{None}, @value{GDBN} will not print any
25278 data for this field.
25279 @end defun
25280
25281 @defun FrameDecorator.address (self)
25282
25283 This method returns the address of the frame that is to be printed.
25284
25285 This method must return a Python numeric integer type of sufficient
25286 size to describe the address of the frame, or @code{None}.
25287
25288 If this function returns a @code{None}, @value{GDBN} will not print
25289 any data for this field.
25290 @end defun
25291
25292 @defun FrameDecorator.filename (self)
25293
25294 This method returns the filename and path associated with this frame.
25295
25296 This method must return a Python string containing the filename and
25297 the path to the object file backing the frame, or @code{None}.
25298
25299 If this function returns a @code{None}, @value{GDBN} will not print
25300 any data for this field.
25301 @end defun
25302
25303 @defun FrameDecorator.line (self):
25304
25305 This method returns the line number associated with the current
25306 position within the function addressed by this frame.
25307
25308 This method must return a Python integer type, or @code{None}.
25309
25310 If this function returns a @code{None}, @value{GDBN} will not print
25311 any data for this field.
25312 @end defun
25313
25314 @defun FrameDecorator.frame_args (self)
25315 @anchor{frame_args}
25316
25317 This method must return an iterable, or @code{None}. Returning an
25318 empty iterable, or @code{None} means frame arguments will not be
25319 printed for this frame. This iterable must contain objects that
25320 implement two methods, described here.
25321
25322 This object must implement a @code{argument} method which takes a
25323 single @code{self} parameter and must return a @code{gdb.Symbol}
25324 (@pxref{Symbols In Python}), or a Python string. The object must also
25325 implement a @code{value} method which takes a single @code{self}
25326 parameter and must return a @code{gdb.Value} (@pxref{Values From
25327 Inferior}), a Python value, or @code{None}. If the @code{value}
25328 method returns @code{None}, and the @code{argument} method returns a
25329 @code{gdb.Symbol}, @value{GDBN} will look-up and print the value of
25330 the @code{gdb.Symbol} automatically.
25331
25332 A brief example:
25333
25334 @smallexample
25335 class SymValueWrapper():
25336
25337 def __init__(self, symbol, value):
25338 self.sym = symbol
25339 self.val = value
25340
25341 def value(self):
25342 return self.val
25343
25344 def symbol(self):
25345 return self.sym
25346
25347 class SomeFrameDecorator()
25348 ...
25349 ...
25350 def frame_args(self):
25351 args = []
25352 try:
25353 block = self.inferior_frame.block()
25354 except:
25355 return None
25356
25357 # Iterate over all symbols in a block. Only add
25358 # symbols that are arguments.
25359 for sym in block:
25360 if not sym.is_argument:
25361 continue
25362 args.append(SymValueWrapper(sym,None))
25363
25364 # Add example synthetic argument.
25365 args.append(SymValueWrapper(``foo'', 42))
25366
25367 return args
25368 @end smallexample
25369 @end defun
25370
25371 @defun FrameDecorator.frame_locals (self)
25372
25373 This method must return an iterable or @code{None}. Returning an
25374 empty iterable, or @code{None} means frame local arguments will not be
25375 printed for this frame.
25376
25377 The object interface, the description of the various strategies for
25378 reading frame locals, and the example are largely similar to those
25379 described in the @code{frame_args} function, (@pxref{frame_args,,The
25380 frame filter frame_args function}). Below is a modified example:
25381
25382 @smallexample
25383 class SomeFrameDecorator()
25384 ...
25385 ...
25386 def frame_locals(self):
25387 vars = []
25388 try:
25389 block = self.inferior_frame.block()
25390 except:
25391 return None
25392
25393 # Iterate over all symbols in a block. Add all
25394 # symbols, except arguments.
25395 for sym in block:
25396 if sym.is_argument:
25397 continue
25398 vars.append(SymValueWrapper(sym,None))
25399
25400 # Add an example of a synthetic local variable.
25401 vars.append(SymValueWrapper(``bar'', 99))
25402
25403 return vars
25404 @end smallexample
25405 @end defun
25406
25407 @defun FrameDecorator.inferior_frame (self):
25408
25409 This method must return the underlying @code{gdb.Frame} that this
25410 frame decorator is decorating. @value{GDBN} requires the underlying
25411 frame for internal frame information to determine how to print certain
25412 values when printing a frame.
25413 @end defun
25414
25415 @node Writing a Frame Filter
25416 @subsubsection Writing a Frame Filter
25417 @cindex writing a frame filter
25418
25419 There are three basic elements that a frame filter must implement: it
25420 must correctly implement the documented interface (@pxref{Frame Filter
25421 API}), it must register itself with @value{GDBN}, and finally, it must
25422 decide if it is to work on the data provided by @value{GDBN}. In all
25423 cases, whether it works on the iterator or not, each frame filter must
25424 return an iterator. A bare-bones frame filter follows the pattern in
25425 the following example.
25426
25427 @smallexample
25428 import gdb
25429
25430 class FrameFilter():
25431
25432 def __init__(self):
25433 # Frame filter attribute creation.
25434 #
25435 # 'name' is the name of the filter that GDB will display.
25436 #
25437 # 'priority' is the priority of the filter relative to other
25438 # filters.
25439 #
25440 # 'enabled' is a boolean that indicates whether this filter is
25441 # enabled and should be executed.
25442
25443 self.name = "Foo"
25444 self.priority = 100
25445 self.enabled = True
25446
25447 # Register this frame filter with the global frame_filters
25448 # dictionary.
25449 gdb.frame_filters[self.name] = self
25450
25451 def filter(self, frame_iter):
25452 # Just return the iterator.
25453 return frame_iter
25454 @end smallexample
25455
25456 The frame filter in the example above implements the three
25457 requirements for all frame filters. It implements the API, self
25458 registers, and makes a decision on the iterator (in this case, it just
25459 returns the iterator untouched).
25460
25461 The first step is attribute creation and assignment, and as shown in
25462 the comments the filter assigns the following attributes: @code{name},
25463 @code{priority} and whether the filter should be enabled with the
25464 @code{enabled} attribute.
25465
25466 The second step is registering the frame filter with the dictionary or
25467 dictionaries that the frame filter has interest in. As shown in the
25468 comments, this filter just registers itself with the global dictionary
25469 @code{gdb.frame_filters}. As noted earlier, @code{gdb.frame_filters}
25470 is a dictionary that is initialized in the @code{gdb} module when
25471 @value{GDBN} starts. What dictionary a filter registers with is an
25472 important consideration. Generally, if a filter is specific to a set
25473 of code, it should be registered either in the @code{objfile} or
25474 @code{progspace} dictionaries as they are specific to the program
25475 currently loaded in @value{GDBN}. The global dictionary is always
25476 present in @value{GDBN} and is never unloaded. Any filters registered
25477 with the global dictionary will exist until @value{GDBN} exits. To
25478 avoid filters that may conflict, it is generally better to register
25479 frame filters against the dictionaries that more closely align with
25480 the usage of the filter currently in question. @xref{Python
25481 Auto-loading}, for further information on auto-loading Python scripts.
25482
25483 @value{GDBN} takes a hands-off approach to frame filter registration,
25484 therefore it is the frame filter's responsibility to ensure
25485 registration has occurred, and that any exceptions are handled
25486 appropriately. In particular, you may wish to handle exceptions
25487 relating to Python dictionary key uniqueness. It is mandatory that
25488 the dictionary key is the same as frame filter's @code{name}
25489 attribute. When a user manages frame filters (@pxref{Frame Filter
25490 Management}), the names @value{GDBN} will display are those contained
25491 in the @code{name} attribute.
25492
25493 The final step of this example is the implementation of the
25494 @code{filter} method. As shown in the example comments, we define the
25495 @code{filter} method and note that the method must take an iterator,
25496 and also must return an iterator. In this bare-bones example, the
25497 frame filter is not very useful as it just returns the iterator
25498 untouched. However this is a valid operation for frame filters that
25499 have the @code{enabled} attribute set, but decide not to operate on
25500 any frames.
25501
25502 In the next example, the frame filter operates on all frames and
25503 utilizes a frame decorator to perform some work on the frames.
25504 @xref{Frame Decorator API}, for further information on the frame
25505 decorator interface.
25506
25507 This example works on inlined frames. It highlights frames which are
25508 inlined by tagging them with an ``[inlined]'' tag. By applying a
25509 frame decorator to all frames with the Python @code{itertools imap}
25510 method, the example defers actions to the frame decorator. Frame
25511 decorators are only processed when @value{GDBN} prints the backtrace.
25512
25513 This introduces a new decision making topic: whether to perform
25514 decision making operations at the filtering step, or at the printing
25515 step. In this example's approach, it does not perform any filtering
25516 decisions at the filtering step beyond mapping a frame decorator to
25517 each frame. This allows the actual decision making to be performed
25518 when each frame is printed. This is an important consideration, and
25519 well worth reflecting upon when designing a frame filter. An issue
25520 that frame filters should avoid is unwinding the stack if possible.
25521 Some stacks can run very deep, into the tens of thousands in some
25522 cases. To search every frame to determine if it is inlined ahead of
25523 time may be too expensive at the filtering step. The frame filter
25524 cannot know how many frames it has to iterate over, and it would have
25525 to iterate through them all. This ends up duplicating effort as
25526 @value{GDBN} performs this iteration when it prints the frames.
25527
25528 In this example decision making can be deferred to the printing step.
25529 As each frame is printed, the frame decorator can examine each frame
25530 in turn when @value{GDBN} iterates. From a performance viewpoint,
25531 this is the most appropriate decision to make as it avoids duplicating
25532 the effort that the printing step would undertake anyway. Also, if
25533 there are many frame filters unwinding the stack during filtering, it
25534 can substantially delay the printing of the backtrace which will
25535 result in large memory usage, and a poor user experience.
25536
25537 @smallexample
25538 class InlineFilter():
25539
25540 def __init__(self):
25541 self.name = "InlinedFrameFilter"
25542 self.priority = 100
25543 self.enabled = True
25544 gdb.frame_filters[self.name] = self
25545
25546 def filter(self, frame_iter):
25547 frame_iter = itertools.imap(InlinedFrameDecorator,
25548 frame_iter)
25549 return frame_iter
25550 @end smallexample
25551
25552 This frame filter is somewhat similar to the earlier example, except
25553 that the @code{filter} method applies a frame decorator object called
25554 @code{InlinedFrameDecorator} to each element in the iterator. The
25555 @code{imap} Python method is light-weight. It does not proactively
25556 iterate over the iterator, but rather creates a new iterator which
25557 wraps the existing one.
25558
25559 Below is the frame decorator for this example.
25560
25561 @smallexample
25562 class InlinedFrameDecorator(FrameDecorator):
25563
25564 def __init__(self, fobj):
25565 super(InlinedFrameDecorator, self).__init__(fobj)
25566
25567 def function(self):
25568 frame = fobj.inferior_frame()
25569 name = str(frame.name())
25570
25571 if frame.type() == gdb.INLINE_FRAME:
25572 name = name + " [inlined]"
25573
25574 return name
25575 @end smallexample
25576
25577 This frame decorator only defines and overrides the @code{function}
25578 method. It lets the supplied @code{FrameDecorator}, which is shipped
25579 with @value{GDBN}, perform the other work associated with printing
25580 this frame.
25581
25582 The combination of these two objects create this output from a
25583 backtrace:
25584
25585 @smallexample
25586 #0 0x004004e0 in bar () at inline.c:11
25587 #1 0x00400566 in max [inlined] (b=6, a=12) at inline.c:21
25588 #2 0x00400566 in main () at inline.c:31
25589 @end smallexample
25590
25591 So in the case of this example, a frame decorator is applied to all
25592 frames, regardless of whether they may be inlined or not. As
25593 @value{GDBN} iterates over the iterator produced by the frame filters,
25594 @value{GDBN} executes each frame decorator which then makes a decision
25595 on what to print in the @code{function} callback. Using a strategy
25596 like this is a way to defer decisions on the frame content to printing
25597 time.
25598
25599 @subheading Eliding Frames
25600
25601 It might be that the above example is not desirable for representing
25602 inlined frames, and a hierarchical approach may be preferred. If we
25603 want to hierarchically represent frames, the @code{elided} frame
25604 decorator interface might be preferable.
25605
25606 This example approaches the issue with the @code{elided} method. This
25607 example is quite long, but very simplistic. It is out-of-scope for
25608 this section to write a complete example that comprehensively covers
25609 all approaches of finding and printing inlined frames. However, this
25610 example illustrates the approach an author might use.
25611
25612 This example comprises of three sections.
25613
25614 @smallexample
25615 class InlineFrameFilter():
25616
25617 def __init__(self):
25618 self.name = "InlinedFrameFilter"
25619 self.priority = 100
25620 self.enabled = True
25621 gdb.frame_filters[self.name] = self
25622
25623 def filter(self, frame_iter):
25624 return ElidingInlineIterator(frame_iter)
25625 @end smallexample
25626
25627 This frame filter is very similar to the other examples. The only
25628 difference is this frame filter is wrapping the iterator provided to
25629 it (@code{frame_iter}) with a custom iterator called
25630 @code{ElidingInlineIterator}. This again defers actions to when
25631 @value{GDBN} prints the backtrace, as the iterator is not traversed
25632 until printing.
25633
25634 The iterator for this example is as follows. It is in this section of
25635 the example where decisions are made on the content of the backtrace.
25636
25637 @smallexample
25638 class ElidingInlineIterator:
25639 def __init__(self, ii):
25640 self.input_iterator = ii
25641
25642 def __iter__(self):
25643 return self
25644
25645 def next(self):
25646 frame = next(self.input_iterator)
25647
25648 if frame.inferior_frame().type() != gdb.INLINE_FRAME:
25649 return frame
25650
25651 try:
25652 eliding_frame = next(self.input_iterator)
25653 except StopIteration:
25654 return frame
25655 return ElidingFrameDecorator(eliding_frame, [frame])
25656 @end smallexample
25657
25658 This iterator implements the Python iterator protocol. When the
25659 @code{next} function is called (when @value{GDBN} prints each frame),
25660 the iterator checks if this frame decorator, @code{frame}, is wrapping
25661 an inlined frame. If it is not, it returns the existing frame decorator
25662 untouched. If it is wrapping an inlined frame, it assumes that the
25663 inlined frame was contained within the next oldest frame,
25664 @code{eliding_frame}, which it fetches. It then creates and returns a
25665 frame decorator, @code{ElidingFrameDecorator}, which contains both the
25666 elided frame, and the eliding frame.
25667
25668 @smallexample
25669 class ElidingInlineDecorator(FrameDecorator):
25670
25671 def __init__(self, frame, elided_frames):
25672 super(ElidingInlineDecorator, self).__init__(frame)
25673 self.frame = frame
25674 self.elided_frames = elided_frames
25675
25676 def elided(self):
25677 return iter(self.elided_frames)
25678 @end smallexample
25679
25680 This frame decorator overrides one function and returns the inlined
25681 frame in the @code{elided} method. As before it lets
25682 @code{FrameDecorator} do the rest of the work involved in printing
25683 this frame. This produces the following output.
25684
25685 @smallexample
25686 #0 0x004004e0 in bar () at inline.c:11
25687 #2 0x00400529 in main () at inline.c:25
25688 #1 0x00400529 in max (b=6, a=12) at inline.c:15
25689 @end smallexample
25690
25691 In that output, @code{max} which has been inlined into @code{main} is
25692 printed hierarchically. Another approach would be to combine the
25693 @code{function} method, and the @code{elided} method to both print a
25694 marker in the inlined frame, and also show the hierarchical
25695 relationship.
25696
25697 @node Inferiors In Python
25698 @subsubsection Inferiors In Python
25699 @cindex inferiors in Python
25700
25701 @findex gdb.Inferior
25702 Programs which are being run under @value{GDBN} are called inferiors
25703 (@pxref{Inferiors and Programs}). Python scripts can access
25704 information about and manipulate inferiors controlled by @value{GDBN}
25705 via objects of the @code{gdb.Inferior} class.
25706
25707 The following inferior-related functions are available in the @code{gdb}
25708 module:
25709
25710 @defun gdb.inferiors ()
25711 Return a tuple containing all inferior objects.
25712 @end defun
25713
25714 @defun gdb.selected_inferior ()
25715 Return an object representing the current inferior.
25716 @end defun
25717
25718 A @code{gdb.Inferior} object has the following attributes:
25719
25720 @defvar Inferior.num
25721 ID of inferior, as assigned by GDB.
25722 @end defvar
25723
25724 @defvar Inferior.pid
25725 Process ID of the inferior, as assigned by the underlying operating
25726 system.
25727 @end defvar
25728
25729 @defvar Inferior.was_attached
25730 Boolean signaling whether the inferior was created using `attach', or
25731 started by @value{GDBN} itself.
25732 @end defvar
25733
25734 A @code{gdb.Inferior} object has the following methods:
25735
25736 @defun Inferior.is_valid ()
25737 Returns @code{True} if the @code{gdb.Inferior} object is valid,
25738 @code{False} if not. A @code{gdb.Inferior} object will become invalid
25739 if the inferior no longer exists within @value{GDBN}. All other
25740 @code{gdb.Inferior} methods will throw an exception if it is invalid
25741 at the time the method is called.
25742 @end defun
25743
25744 @defun Inferior.threads ()
25745 This method returns a tuple holding all the threads which are valid
25746 when it is called. If there are no valid threads, the method will
25747 return an empty tuple.
25748 @end defun
25749
25750 @findex Inferior.read_memory
25751 @defun Inferior.read_memory (address, length)
25752 Read @var{length} bytes of memory from the inferior, starting at
25753 @var{address}. Returns a buffer object, which behaves much like an array
25754 or a string. It can be modified and given to the
25755 @code{Inferior.write_memory} function. In @code{Python} 3, the return
25756 value is a @code{memoryview} object.
25757 @end defun
25758
25759 @findex Inferior.write_memory
25760 @defun Inferior.write_memory (address, buffer @r{[}, length@r{]})
25761 Write the contents of @var{buffer} to the inferior, starting at
25762 @var{address}. The @var{buffer} parameter must be a Python object
25763 which supports the buffer protocol, i.e., a string, an array or the
25764 object returned from @code{Inferior.read_memory}. If given, @var{length}
25765 determines the number of bytes from @var{buffer} to be written.
25766 @end defun
25767
25768 @findex gdb.search_memory
25769 @defun Inferior.search_memory (address, length, pattern)
25770 Search a region of the inferior memory starting at @var{address} with
25771 the given @var{length} using the search pattern supplied in
25772 @var{pattern}. The @var{pattern} parameter must be a Python object
25773 which supports the buffer protocol, i.e., a string, an array or the
25774 object returned from @code{gdb.read_memory}. Returns a Python @code{Long}
25775 containing the address where the pattern was found, or @code{None} if
25776 the pattern could not be found.
25777 @end defun
25778
25779 @node Events In Python
25780 @subsubsection Events In Python
25781 @cindex inferior events in Python
25782
25783 @value{GDBN} provides a general event facility so that Python code can be
25784 notified of various state changes, particularly changes that occur in
25785 the inferior.
25786
25787 An @dfn{event} is just an object that describes some state change. The
25788 type of the object and its attributes will vary depending on the details
25789 of the change. All the existing events are described below.
25790
25791 In order to be notified of an event, you must register an event handler
25792 with an @dfn{event registry}. An event registry is an object in the
25793 @code{gdb.events} module which dispatches particular events. A registry
25794 provides methods to register and unregister event handlers:
25795
25796 @defun EventRegistry.connect (object)
25797 Add the given callable @var{object} to the registry. This object will be
25798 called when an event corresponding to this registry occurs.
25799 @end defun
25800
25801 @defun EventRegistry.disconnect (object)
25802 Remove the given @var{object} from the registry. Once removed, the object
25803 will no longer receive notifications of events.
25804 @end defun
25805
25806 Here is an example:
25807
25808 @smallexample
25809 def exit_handler (event):
25810 print "event type: exit"
25811 print "exit code: %d" % (event.exit_code)
25812
25813 gdb.events.exited.connect (exit_handler)
25814 @end smallexample
25815
25816 In the above example we connect our handler @code{exit_handler} to the
25817 registry @code{events.exited}. Once connected, @code{exit_handler} gets
25818 called when the inferior exits. The argument @dfn{event} in this example is
25819 of type @code{gdb.ExitedEvent}. As you can see in the example the
25820 @code{ExitedEvent} object has an attribute which indicates the exit code of
25821 the inferior.
25822
25823 The following is a listing of the event registries that are available and
25824 details of the events they emit:
25825
25826 @table @code
25827
25828 @item events.cont
25829 Emits @code{gdb.ThreadEvent}.
25830
25831 Some events can be thread specific when @value{GDBN} is running in non-stop
25832 mode. When represented in Python, these events all extend
25833 @code{gdb.ThreadEvent}. Note, this event is not emitted directly; instead,
25834 events which are emitted by this or other modules might extend this event.
25835 Examples of these events are @code{gdb.BreakpointEvent} and
25836 @code{gdb.ContinueEvent}.
25837
25838 @defvar ThreadEvent.inferior_thread
25839 In non-stop mode this attribute will be set to the specific thread which was
25840 involved in the emitted event. Otherwise, it will be set to @code{None}.
25841 @end defvar
25842
25843 Emits @code{gdb.ContinueEvent} which extends @code{gdb.ThreadEvent}.
25844
25845 This event indicates that the inferior has been continued after a stop. For
25846 inherited attribute refer to @code{gdb.ThreadEvent} above.
25847
25848 @item events.exited
25849 Emits @code{events.ExitedEvent} which indicates that the inferior has exited.
25850 @code{events.ExitedEvent} has two attributes:
25851 @defvar ExitedEvent.exit_code
25852 An integer representing the exit code, if available, which the inferior
25853 has returned. (The exit code could be unavailable if, for example,
25854 @value{GDBN} detaches from the inferior.) If the exit code is unavailable,
25855 the attribute does not exist.
25856 @end defvar
25857 @defvar ExitedEvent inferior
25858 A reference to the inferior which triggered the @code{exited} event.
25859 @end defvar
25860
25861 @item events.stop
25862 Emits @code{gdb.StopEvent} which extends @code{gdb.ThreadEvent}.
25863
25864 Indicates that the inferior has stopped. All events emitted by this registry
25865 extend StopEvent. As a child of @code{gdb.ThreadEvent}, @code{gdb.StopEvent}
25866 will indicate the stopped thread when @value{GDBN} is running in non-stop
25867 mode. Refer to @code{gdb.ThreadEvent} above for more details.
25868
25869 Emits @code{gdb.SignalEvent} which extends @code{gdb.StopEvent}.
25870
25871 This event indicates that the inferior or one of its threads has received as
25872 signal. @code{gdb.SignalEvent} has the following attributes:
25873
25874 @defvar SignalEvent.stop_signal
25875 A string representing the signal received by the inferior. A list of possible
25876 signal values can be obtained by running the command @code{info signals} in
25877 the @value{GDBN} command prompt.
25878 @end defvar
25879
25880 Also emits @code{gdb.BreakpointEvent} which extends @code{gdb.StopEvent}.
25881
25882 @code{gdb.BreakpointEvent} event indicates that one or more breakpoints have
25883 been hit, and has the following attributes:
25884
25885 @defvar BreakpointEvent.breakpoints
25886 A sequence containing references to all the breakpoints (type
25887 @code{gdb.Breakpoint}) that were hit.
25888 @xref{Breakpoints In Python}, for details of the @code{gdb.Breakpoint} object.
25889 @end defvar
25890 @defvar BreakpointEvent.breakpoint
25891 A reference to the first breakpoint that was hit.
25892 This function is maintained for backward compatibility and is now deprecated
25893 in favor of the @code{gdb.BreakpointEvent.breakpoints} attribute.
25894 @end defvar
25895
25896 @item events.new_objfile
25897 Emits @code{gdb.NewObjFileEvent} which indicates that a new object file has
25898 been loaded by @value{GDBN}. @code{gdb.NewObjFileEvent} has one attribute:
25899
25900 @defvar NewObjFileEvent.new_objfile
25901 A reference to the object file (@code{gdb.Objfile}) which has been loaded.
25902 @xref{Objfiles In Python}, for details of the @code{gdb.Objfile} object.
25903 @end defvar
25904
25905 @end table
25906
25907 @node Threads In Python
25908 @subsubsection Threads In Python
25909 @cindex threads in python
25910
25911 @findex gdb.InferiorThread
25912 Python scripts can access information about, and manipulate inferior threads
25913 controlled by @value{GDBN}, via objects of the @code{gdb.InferiorThread} class.
25914
25915 The following thread-related functions are available in the @code{gdb}
25916 module:
25917
25918 @findex gdb.selected_thread
25919 @defun gdb.selected_thread ()
25920 This function returns the thread object for the selected thread. If there
25921 is no selected thread, this will return @code{None}.
25922 @end defun
25923
25924 A @code{gdb.InferiorThread} object has the following attributes:
25925
25926 @defvar InferiorThread.name
25927 The name of the thread. If the user specified a name using
25928 @code{thread name}, then this returns that name. Otherwise, if an
25929 OS-supplied name is available, then it is returned. Otherwise, this
25930 returns @code{None}.
25931
25932 This attribute can be assigned to. The new value must be a string
25933 object, which sets the new name, or @code{None}, which removes any
25934 user-specified thread name.
25935 @end defvar
25936
25937 @defvar InferiorThread.num
25938 ID of the thread, as assigned by GDB.
25939 @end defvar
25940
25941 @defvar InferiorThread.ptid
25942 ID of the thread, as assigned by the operating system. This attribute is a
25943 tuple containing three integers. The first is the Process ID (PID); the second
25944 is the Lightweight Process ID (LWPID), and the third is the Thread ID (TID).
25945 Either the LWPID or TID may be 0, which indicates that the operating system
25946 does not use that identifier.
25947 @end defvar
25948
25949 A @code{gdb.InferiorThread} object has the following methods:
25950
25951 @defun InferiorThread.is_valid ()
25952 Returns @code{True} if the @code{gdb.InferiorThread} object is valid,
25953 @code{False} if not. A @code{gdb.InferiorThread} object will become
25954 invalid if the thread exits, or the inferior that the thread belongs
25955 is deleted. All other @code{gdb.InferiorThread} methods will throw an
25956 exception if it is invalid at the time the method is called.
25957 @end defun
25958
25959 @defun InferiorThread.switch ()
25960 This changes @value{GDBN}'s currently selected thread to the one represented
25961 by this object.
25962 @end defun
25963
25964 @defun InferiorThread.is_stopped ()
25965 Return a Boolean indicating whether the thread is stopped.
25966 @end defun
25967
25968 @defun InferiorThread.is_running ()
25969 Return a Boolean indicating whether the thread is running.
25970 @end defun
25971
25972 @defun InferiorThread.is_exited ()
25973 Return a Boolean indicating whether the thread is exited.
25974 @end defun
25975
25976 @node Commands In Python
25977 @subsubsection Commands In Python
25978
25979 @cindex commands in python
25980 @cindex python commands
25981 You can implement new @value{GDBN} CLI commands in Python. A CLI
25982 command is implemented using an instance of the @code{gdb.Command}
25983 class, most commonly using a subclass.
25984
25985 @defun Command.__init__ (name, @var{command_class} @r{[}, @var{completer_class} @r{[}, @var{prefix}@r{]]})
25986 The object initializer for @code{Command} registers the new command
25987 with @value{GDBN}. This initializer is normally invoked from the
25988 subclass' own @code{__init__} method.
25989
25990 @var{name} is the name of the command. If @var{name} consists of
25991 multiple words, then the initial words are looked for as prefix
25992 commands. In this case, if one of the prefix commands does not exist,
25993 an exception is raised.
25994
25995 There is no support for multi-line commands.
25996
25997 @var{command_class} should be one of the @samp{COMMAND_} constants
25998 defined below. This argument tells @value{GDBN} how to categorize the
25999 new command in the help system.
26000
26001 @var{completer_class} is an optional argument. If given, it should be
26002 one of the @samp{COMPLETE_} constants defined below. This argument
26003 tells @value{GDBN} how to perform completion for this command. If not
26004 given, @value{GDBN} will attempt to complete using the object's
26005 @code{complete} method (see below); if no such method is found, an
26006 error will occur when completion is attempted.
26007
26008 @var{prefix} is an optional argument. If @code{True}, then the new
26009 command is a prefix command; sub-commands of this command may be
26010 registered.
26011
26012 The help text for the new command is taken from the Python
26013 documentation string for the command's class, if there is one. If no
26014 documentation string is provided, the default value ``This command is
26015 not documented.'' is used.
26016 @end defun
26017
26018 @cindex don't repeat Python command
26019 @defun Command.dont_repeat ()
26020 By default, a @value{GDBN} command is repeated when the user enters a
26021 blank line at the command prompt. A command can suppress this
26022 behavior by invoking the @code{dont_repeat} method. This is similar
26023 to the user command @code{dont-repeat}, see @ref{Define, dont-repeat}.
26024 @end defun
26025
26026 @defun Command.invoke (argument, from_tty)
26027 This method is called by @value{GDBN} when this command is invoked.
26028
26029 @var{argument} is a string. It is the argument to the command, after
26030 leading and trailing whitespace has been stripped.
26031
26032 @var{from_tty} is a boolean argument. When true, this means that the
26033 command was entered by the user at the terminal; when false it means
26034 that the command came from elsewhere.
26035
26036 If this method throws an exception, it is turned into a @value{GDBN}
26037 @code{error} call. Otherwise, the return value is ignored.
26038
26039 @findex gdb.string_to_argv
26040 To break @var{argument} up into an argv-like string use
26041 @code{gdb.string_to_argv}. This function behaves identically to
26042 @value{GDBN}'s internal argument lexer @code{buildargv}.
26043 It is recommended to use this for consistency.
26044 Arguments are separated by spaces and may be quoted.
26045 Example:
26046
26047 @smallexample
26048 print gdb.string_to_argv ("1 2\ \\\"3 '4 \"5' \"6 '7\"")
26049 ['1', '2 "3', '4 "5', "6 '7"]
26050 @end smallexample
26051
26052 @end defun
26053
26054 @cindex completion of Python commands
26055 @defun Command.complete (text, word)
26056 This method is called by @value{GDBN} when the user attempts
26057 completion on this command. All forms of completion are handled by
26058 this method, that is, the @key{TAB} and @key{M-?} key bindings
26059 (@pxref{Completion}), and the @code{complete} command (@pxref{Help,
26060 complete}).
26061
26062 The arguments @var{text} and @var{word} are both strings. @var{text}
26063 holds the complete command line up to the cursor's location.
26064 @var{word} holds the last word of the command line; this is computed
26065 using a word-breaking heuristic.
26066
26067 The @code{complete} method can return several values:
26068 @itemize @bullet
26069 @item
26070 If the return value is a sequence, the contents of the sequence are
26071 used as the completions. It is up to @code{complete} to ensure that the
26072 contents actually do complete the word. A zero-length sequence is
26073 allowed, it means that there were no completions available. Only
26074 string elements of the sequence are used; other elements in the
26075 sequence are ignored.
26076
26077 @item
26078 If the return value is one of the @samp{COMPLETE_} constants defined
26079 below, then the corresponding @value{GDBN}-internal completion
26080 function is invoked, and its result is used.
26081
26082 @item
26083 All other results are treated as though there were no available
26084 completions.
26085 @end itemize
26086 @end defun
26087
26088 When a new command is registered, it must be declared as a member of
26089 some general class of commands. This is used to classify top-level
26090 commands in the on-line help system; note that prefix commands are not
26091 listed under their own category but rather that of their top-level
26092 command. The available classifications are represented by constants
26093 defined in the @code{gdb} module:
26094
26095 @table @code
26096 @findex COMMAND_NONE
26097 @findex gdb.COMMAND_NONE
26098 @item gdb.COMMAND_NONE
26099 The command does not belong to any particular class. A command in
26100 this category will not be displayed in any of the help categories.
26101
26102 @findex COMMAND_RUNNING
26103 @findex gdb.COMMAND_RUNNING
26104 @item gdb.COMMAND_RUNNING
26105 The command is related to running the inferior. For example,
26106 @code{start}, @code{step}, and @code{continue} are in this category.
26107 Type @kbd{help running} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of
26108 commands in this category.
26109
26110 @findex COMMAND_DATA
26111 @findex gdb.COMMAND_DATA
26112 @item gdb.COMMAND_DATA
26113 The command is related to data or variables. For example,
26114 @code{call}, @code{find}, and @code{print} are in this category. Type
26115 @kbd{help data} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of commands
26116 in this category.
26117
26118 @findex COMMAND_STACK
26119 @findex gdb.COMMAND_STACK
26120 @item gdb.COMMAND_STACK
26121 The command has to do with manipulation of the stack. For example,
26122 @code{backtrace}, @code{frame}, and @code{return} are in this
26123 category. Type @kbd{help stack} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a
26124 list of commands in this category.
26125
26126 @findex COMMAND_FILES
26127 @findex gdb.COMMAND_FILES
26128 @item gdb.COMMAND_FILES
26129 This class is used for file-related commands. For example,
26130 @code{file}, @code{list} and @code{section} are in this category.
26131 Type @kbd{help files} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of
26132 commands in this category.
26133
26134 @findex COMMAND_SUPPORT
26135 @findex gdb.COMMAND_SUPPORT
26136 @item gdb.COMMAND_SUPPORT
26137 This should be used for ``support facilities'', generally meaning
26138 things that are useful to the user when interacting with @value{GDBN},
26139 but not related to the state of the inferior. For example,
26140 @code{help}, @code{make}, and @code{shell} are in this category. Type
26141 @kbd{help support} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of
26142 commands in this category.
26143
26144 @findex COMMAND_STATUS
26145 @findex gdb.COMMAND_STATUS
26146 @item gdb.COMMAND_STATUS
26147 The command is an @samp{info}-related command, that is, related to the
26148 state of @value{GDBN} itself. For example, @code{info}, @code{macro},
26149 and @code{show} are in this category. Type @kbd{help status} at the
26150 @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of commands in this category.
26151
26152 @findex COMMAND_BREAKPOINTS
26153 @findex gdb.COMMAND_BREAKPOINTS
26154 @item gdb.COMMAND_BREAKPOINTS
26155 The command has to do with breakpoints. For example, @code{break},
26156 @code{clear}, and @code{delete} are in this category. Type @kbd{help
26157 breakpoints} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of commands in
26158 this category.
26159
26160 @findex COMMAND_TRACEPOINTS
26161 @findex gdb.COMMAND_TRACEPOINTS
26162 @item gdb.COMMAND_TRACEPOINTS
26163 The command has to do with tracepoints. For example, @code{trace},
26164 @code{actions}, and @code{tfind} are in this category. Type
26165 @kbd{help tracepoints} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of
26166 commands in this category.
26167
26168 @findex COMMAND_USER
26169 @findex gdb.COMMAND_USER
26170 @item gdb.COMMAND_USER
26171 The command is a general purpose command for the user, and typically
26172 does not fit in one of the other categories.
26173 Type @kbd{help user-defined} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see
26174 a list of commands in this category, as well as the list of gdb macros
26175 (@pxref{Sequences}).
26176
26177 @findex COMMAND_OBSCURE
26178 @findex gdb.COMMAND_OBSCURE
26179 @item gdb.COMMAND_OBSCURE
26180 The command is only used in unusual circumstances, or is not of
26181 general interest to users. For example, @code{checkpoint},
26182 @code{fork}, and @code{stop} are in this category. Type @kbd{help
26183 obscure} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of commands in this
26184 category.
26185
26186 @findex COMMAND_MAINTENANCE
26187 @findex gdb.COMMAND_MAINTENANCE
26188 @item gdb.COMMAND_MAINTENANCE
26189 The command is only useful to @value{GDBN} maintainers. The
26190 @code{maintenance} and @code{flushregs} commands are in this category.
26191 Type @kbd{help internals} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of
26192 commands in this category.
26193 @end table
26194
26195 A new command can use a predefined completion function, either by
26196 specifying it via an argument at initialization, or by returning it
26197 from the @code{complete} method. These predefined completion
26198 constants are all defined in the @code{gdb} module:
26199
26200 @table @code
26201 @findex COMPLETE_NONE
26202 @findex gdb.COMPLETE_NONE
26203 @item gdb.COMPLETE_NONE
26204 This constant means that no completion should be done.
26205
26206 @findex COMPLETE_FILENAME
26207 @findex gdb.COMPLETE_FILENAME
26208 @item gdb.COMPLETE_FILENAME
26209 This constant means that filename completion should be performed.
26210
26211 @findex COMPLETE_LOCATION
26212 @findex gdb.COMPLETE_LOCATION
26213 @item gdb.COMPLETE_LOCATION
26214 This constant means that location completion should be done.
26215 @xref{Specify Location}.
26216
26217 @findex COMPLETE_COMMAND
26218 @findex gdb.COMPLETE_COMMAND
26219 @item gdb.COMPLETE_COMMAND
26220 This constant means that completion should examine @value{GDBN}
26221 command names.
26222
26223 @findex COMPLETE_SYMBOL
26224 @findex gdb.COMPLETE_SYMBOL
26225 @item gdb.COMPLETE_SYMBOL
26226 This constant means that completion should be done using symbol names
26227 as the source.
26228
26229 @findex COMPLETE_EXPRESSION
26230 @findex gdb.COMPLETE_EXPRESSION
26231 @item gdb.COMPLETE_EXPRESSION
26232 This constant means that completion should be done on expressions.
26233 Often this means completing on symbol names, but some language
26234 parsers also have support for completing on field names.
26235 @end table
26236
26237 The following code snippet shows how a trivial CLI command can be
26238 implemented in Python:
26239
26240 @smallexample
26241 class HelloWorld (gdb.Command):
26242 """Greet the whole world."""
26243
26244 def __init__ (self):
26245 super (HelloWorld, self).__init__ ("hello-world", gdb.COMMAND_USER)
26246
26247 def invoke (self, arg, from_tty):
26248 print "Hello, World!"
26249
26250 HelloWorld ()
26251 @end smallexample
26252
26253 The last line instantiates the class, and is necessary to trigger the
26254 registration of the command with @value{GDBN}. Depending on how the
26255 Python code is read into @value{GDBN}, you may need to import the
26256 @code{gdb} module explicitly.
26257
26258 @node Parameters In Python
26259 @subsubsection Parameters In Python
26260
26261 @cindex parameters in python
26262 @cindex python parameters
26263 @tindex gdb.Parameter
26264 @tindex Parameter
26265 You can implement new @value{GDBN} parameters using Python. A new
26266 parameter is implemented as an instance of the @code{gdb.Parameter}
26267 class.
26268
26269 Parameters are exposed to the user via the @code{set} and
26270 @code{show} commands. @xref{Help}.
26271
26272 There are many parameters that already exist and can be set in
26273 @value{GDBN}. Two examples are: @code{set follow fork} and
26274 @code{set charset}. Setting these parameters influences certain
26275 behavior in @value{GDBN}. Similarly, you can define parameters that
26276 can be used to influence behavior in custom Python scripts and commands.
26277
26278 @defun Parameter.__init__ (name, @var{command-class}, @var{parameter-class} @r{[}, @var{enum-sequence}@r{]})
26279 The object initializer for @code{Parameter} registers the new
26280 parameter with @value{GDBN}. This initializer is normally invoked
26281 from the subclass' own @code{__init__} method.
26282
26283 @var{name} is the name of the new parameter. If @var{name} consists
26284 of multiple words, then the initial words are looked for as prefix
26285 parameters. An example of this can be illustrated with the
26286 @code{set print} set of parameters. If @var{name} is
26287 @code{print foo}, then @code{print} will be searched as the prefix
26288 parameter. In this case the parameter can subsequently be accessed in
26289 @value{GDBN} as @code{set print foo}.
26290
26291 If @var{name} consists of multiple words, and no prefix parameter group
26292 can be found, an exception is raised.
26293
26294 @var{command-class} should be one of the @samp{COMMAND_} constants
26295 (@pxref{Commands In Python}). This argument tells @value{GDBN} how to
26296 categorize the new parameter in the help system.
26297
26298 @var{parameter-class} should be one of the @samp{PARAM_} constants
26299 defined below. This argument tells @value{GDBN} the type of the new
26300 parameter; this information is used for input validation and
26301 completion.
26302
26303 If @var{parameter-class} is @code{PARAM_ENUM}, then
26304 @var{enum-sequence} must be a sequence of strings. These strings
26305 represent the possible values for the parameter.
26306
26307 If @var{parameter-class} is not @code{PARAM_ENUM}, then the presence
26308 of a fourth argument will cause an exception to be thrown.
26309
26310 The help text for the new parameter is taken from the Python
26311 documentation string for the parameter's class, if there is one. If
26312 there is no documentation string, a default value is used.
26313 @end defun
26314
26315 @defvar Parameter.set_doc
26316 If this attribute exists, and is a string, then its value is used as
26317 the help text for this parameter's @code{set} command. The value is
26318 examined when @code{Parameter.__init__} is invoked; subsequent changes
26319 have no effect.
26320 @end defvar
26321
26322 @defvar Parameter.show_doc
26323 If this attribute exists, and is a string, then its value is used as
26324 the help text for this parameter's @code{show} command. The value is
26325 examined when @code{Parameter.__init__} is invoked; subsequent changes
26326 have no effect.
26327 @end defvar
26328
26329 @defvar Parameter.value
26330 The @code{value} attribute holds the underlying value of the
26331 parameter. It can be read and assigned to just as any other
26332 attribute. @value{GDBN} does validation when assignments are made.
26333 @end defvar
26334
26335 There are two methods that should be implemented in any
26336 @code{Parameter} class. These are:
26337
26338 @defun Parameter.get_set_string (self)
26339 @value{GDBN} will call this method when a @var{parameter}'s value has
26340 been changed via the @code{set} API (for example, @kbd{set foo off}).
26341 The @code{value} attribute has already been populated with the new
26342 value and may be used in output. This method must return a string.
26343 @end defun
26344
26345 @defun Parameter.get_show_string (self, svalue)
26346 @value{GDBN} will call this method when a @var{parameter}'s
26347 @code{show} API has been invoked (for example, @kbd{show foo}). The
26348 argument @code{svalue} receives the string representation of the
26349 current value. This method must return a string.
26350 @end defun
26351
26352 When a new parameter is defined, its type must be specified. The
26353 available types are represented by constants defined in the @code{gdb}
26354 module:
26355
26356 @table @code
26357 @findex PARAM_BOOLEAN
26358 @findex gdb.PARAM_BOOLEAN
26359 @item gdb.PARAM_BOOLEAN
26360 The value is a plain boolean. The Python boolean values, @code{True}
26361 and @code{False} are the only valid values.
26362
26363 @findex PARAM_AUTO_BOOLEAN
26364 @findex gdb.PARAM_AUTO_BOOLEAN
26365 @item gdb.PARAM_AUTO_BOOLEAN
26366 The value has three possible states: true, false, and @samp{auto}. In
26367 Python, true and false are represented using boolean constants, and
26368 @samp{auto} is represented using @code{None}.
26369
26370 @findex PARAM_UINTEGER
26371 @findex gdb.PARAM_UINTEGER
26372 @item gdb.PARAM_UINTEGER
26373 The value is an unsigned integer. The value of 0 should be
26374 interpreted to mean ``unlimited''.
26375
26376 @findex PARAM_INTEGER
26377 @findex gdb.PARAM_INTEGER
26378 @item gdb.PARAM_INTEGER
26379 The value is a signed integer. The value of 0 should be interpreted
26380 to mean ``unlimited''.
26381
26382 @findex PARAM_STRING
26383 @findex gdb.PARAM_STRING
26384 @item gdb.PARAM_STRING
26385 The value is a string. When the user modifies the string, any escape
26386 sequences, such as @samp{\t}, @samp{\f}, and octal escapes, are
26387 translated into corresponding characters and encoded into the current
26388 host charset.
26389
26390 @findex PARAM_STRING_NOESCAPE
26391 @findex gdb.PARAM_STRING_NOESCAPE
26392 @item gdb.PARAM_STRING_NOESCAPE
26393 The value is a string. When the user modifies the string, escapes are
26394 passed through untranslated.
26395
26396 @findex PARAM_OPTIONAL_FILENAME
26397 @findex gdb.PARAM_OPTIONAL_FILENAME
26398 @item gdb.PARAM_OPTIONAL_FILENAME
26399 The value is a either a filename (a string), or @code{None}.
26400
26401 @findex PARAM_FILENAME
26402 @findex gdb.PARAM_FILENAME
26403 @item gdb.PARAM_FILENAME
26404 The value is a filename. This is just like
26405 @code{PARAM_STRING_NOESCAPE}, but uses file names for completion.
26406
26407 @findex PARAM_ZINTEGER
26408 @findex gdb.PARAM_ZINTEGER
26409 @item gdb.PARAM_ZINTEGER
26410 The value is an integer. This is like @code{PARAM_INTEGER}, except 0
26411 is interpreted as itself.
26412
26413 @findex PARAM_ENUM
26414 @findex gdb.PARAM_ENUM
26415 @item gdb.PARAM_ENUM
26416 The value is a string, which must be one of a collection string
26417 constants provided when the parameter is created.
26418 @end table
26419
26420 @node Functions In Python
26421 @subsubsection Writing new convenience functions
26422
26423 @cindex writing convenience functions
26424 @cindex convenience functions in python
26425 @cindex python convenience functions
26426 @tindex gdb.Function
26427 @tindex Function
26428 You can implement new convenience functions (@pxref{Convenience Vars})
26429 in Python. A convenience function is an instance of a subclass of the
26430 class @code{gdb.Function}.
26431
26432 @defun Function.__init__ (name)
26433 The initializer for @code{Function} registers the new function with
26434 @value{GDBN}. The argument @var{name} is the name of the function,
26435 a string. The function will be visible to the user as a convenience
26436 variable of type @code{internal function}, whose name is the same as
26437 the given @var{name}.
26438
26439 The documentation for the new function is taken from the documentation
26440 string for the new class.
26441 @end defun
26442
26443 @defun Function.invoke (@var{*args})
26444 When a convenience function is evaluated, its arguments are converted
26445 to instances of @code{gdb.Value}, and then the function's
26446 @code{invoke} method is called. Note that @value{GDBN} does not
26447 predetermine the arity of convenience functions. Instead, all
26448 available arguments are passed to @code{invoke}, following the
26449 standard Python calling convention. In particular, a convenience
26450 function can have default values for parameters without ill effect.
26451
26452 The return value of this method is used as its value in the enclosing
26453 expression. If an ordinary Python value is returned, it is converted
26454 to a @code{gdb.Value} following the usual rules.
26455 @end defun
26456
26457 The following code snippet shows how a trivial convenience function can
26458 be implemented in Python:
26459
26460 @smallexample
26461 class Greet (gdb.Function):
26462 """Return string to greet someone.
26463 Takes a name as argument."""
26464
26465 def __init__ (self):
26466 super (Greet, self).__init__ ("greet")
26467
26468 def invoke (self, name):
26469 return "Hello, %s!" % name.string ()
26470
26471 Greet ()
26472 @end smallexample
26473
26474 The last line instantiates the class, and is necessary to trigger the
26475 registration of the function with @value{GDBN}. Depending on how the
26476 Python code is read into @value{GDBN}, you may need to import the
26477 @code{gdb} module explicitly.
26478
26479 Now you can use the function in an expression:
26480
26481 @smallexample
26482 (gdb) print $greet("Bob")
26483 $1 = "Hello, Bob!"
26484 @end smallexample
26485
26486 @node Progspaces In Python
26487 @subsubsection Program Spaces In Python
26488
26489 @cindex progspaces in python
26490 @tindex gdb.Progspace
26491 @tindex Progspace
26492 A program space, or @dfn{progspace}, represents a symbolic view
26493 of an address space.
26494 It consists of all of the objfiles of the program.
26495 @xref{Objfiles In Python}.
26496 @xref{Inferiors and Programs, program spaces}, for more details
26497 about program spaces.
26498
26499 The following progspace-related functions are available in the
26500 @code{gdb} module:
26501
26502 @findex gdb.current_progspace
26503 @defun gdb.current_progspace ()
26504 This function returns the program space of the currently selected inferior.
26505 @xref{Inferiors and Programs}.
26506 @end defun
26507
26508 @findex gdb.progspaces
26509 @defun gdb.progspaces ()
26510 Return a sequence of all the progspaces currently known to @value{GDBN}.
26511 @end defun
26512
26513 Each progspace is represented by an instance of the @code{gdb.Progspace}
26514 class.
26515
26516 @defvar Progspace.filename
26517 The file name of the progspace as a string.
26518 @end defvar
26519
26520 @defvar Progspace.pretty_printers
26521 The @code{pretty_printers} attribute is a list of functions. It is
26522 used to look up pretty-printers. A @code{Value} is passed to each
26523 function in order; if the function returns @code{None}, then the
26524 search continues. Otherwise, the return value should be an object
26525 which is used to format the value. @xref{Pretty Printing API}, for more
26526 information.
26527 @end defvar
26528
26529 @defvar Progspace.type_printers
26530 The @code{type_printers} attribute is a list of type printer objects.
26531 @xref{Type Printing API}, for more information.
26532 @end defvar
26533
26534 @defvar Progspace.frame_filters
26535 The @code{frame_filters} attribute is a dictionary of frame filter
26536 objects. @xref{Frame Filter API}, for more information.
26537 @end defvar
26538
26539 @node Objfiles In Python
26540 @subsubsection Objfiles In Python
26541
26542 @cindex objfiles in python
26543 @tindex gdb.Objfile
26544 @tindex Objfile
26545 @value{GDBN} loads symbols for an inferior from various
26546 symbol-containing files (@pxref{Files}). These include the primary
26547 executable file, any shared libraries used by the inferior, and any
26548 separate debug info files (@pxref{Separate Debug Files}).
26549 @value{GDBN} calls these symbol-containing files @dfn{objfiles}.
26550
26551 The following objfile-related functions are available in the
26552 @code{gdb} module:
26553
26554 @findex gdb.current_objfile
26555 @defun gdb.current_objfile ()
26556 When auto-loading a Python script (@pxref{Python Auto-loading}), @value{GDBN}
26557 sets the ``current objfile'' to the corresponding objfile. This
26558 function returns the current objfile. If there is no current objfile,
26559 this function returns @code{None}.
26560 @end defun
26561
26562 @findex gdb.objfiles
26563 @defun gdb.objfiles ()
26564 Return a sequence of all the objfiles current known to @value{GDBN}.
26565 @xref{Objfiles In Python}.
26566 @end defun
26567
26568 Each objfile is represented by an instance of the @code{gdb.Objfile}
26569 class.
26570
26571 @defvar Objfile.filename
26572 The file name of the objfile as a string.
26573 @end defvar
26574
26575 @defvar Objfile.pretty_printers
26576 The @code{pretty_printers} attribute is a list of functions. It is
26577 used to look up pretty-printers. A @code{Value} is passed to each
26578 function in order; if the function returns @code{None}, then the
26579 search continues. Otherwise, the return value should be an object
26580 which is used to format the value. @xref{Pretty Printing API}, for more
26581 information.
26582 @end defvar
26583
26584 @defvar Objfile.type_printers
26585 The @code{type_printers} attribute is a list of type printer objects.
26586 @xref{Type Printing API}, for more information.
26587 @end defvar
26588
26589 @defvar Objfile.frame_filters
26590 The @code{frame_filters} attribute is a dictionary of frame filter
26591 objects. @xref{Frame Filter API}, for more information.
26592 @end defvar
26593
26594 A @code{gdb.Objfile} object has the following methods:
26595
26596 @defun Objfile.is_valid ()
26597 Returns @code{True} if the @code{gdb.Objfile} object is valid,
26598 @code{False} if not. A @code{gdb.Objfile} object can become invalid
26599 if the object file it refers to is not loaded in @value{GDBN} any
26600 longer. All other @code{gdb.Objfile} methods will throw an exception
26601 if it is invalid at the time the method is called.
26602 @end defun
26603
26604 @node Frames In Python
26605 @subsubsection Accessing inferior stack frames from Python.
26606
26607 @cindex frames in python
26608 When the debugged program stops, @value{GDBN} is able to analyze its call
26609 stack (@pxref{Frames,,Stack frames}). The @code{gdb.Frame} class
26610 represents a frame in the stack. A @code{gdb.Frame} object is only valid
26611 while its corresponding frame exists in the inferior's stack. If you try
26612 to use an invalid frame object, @value{GDBN} will throw a @code{gdb.error}
26613 exception (@pxref{Exception Handling}).
26614
26615 Two @code{gdb.Frame} objects can be compared for equality with the @code{==}
26616 operator, like:
26617
26618 @smallexample
26619 (@value{GDBP}) python print gdb.newest_frame() == gdb.selected_frame ()
26620 True
26621 @end smallexample
26622
26623 The following frame-related functions are available in the @code{gdb} module:
26624
26625 @findex gdb.selected_frame
26626 @defun gdb.selected_frame ()
26627 Return the selected frame object. (@pxref{Selection,,Selecting a Frame}).
26628 @end defun
26629
26630 @findex gdb.newest_frame
26631 @defun gdb.newest_frame ()
26632 Return the newest frame object for the selected thread.
26633 @end defun
26634
26635 @defun gdb.frame_stop_reason_string (reason)
26636 Return a string explaining the reason why @value{GDBN} stopped unwinding
26637 frames, as expressed by the given @var{reason} code (an integer, see the
26638 @code{unwind_stop_reason} method further down in this section).
26639 @end defun
26640
26641 A @code{gdb.Frame} object has the following methods:
26642
26643 @defun Frame.is_valid ()
26644 Returns true if the @code{gdb.Frame} object is valid, false if not.
26645 A frame object can become invalid if the frame it refers to doesn't
26646 exist anymore in the inferior. All @code{gdb.Frame} methods will throw
26647 an exception if it is invalid at the time the method is called.
26648 @end defun
26649
26650 @defun Frame.name ()
26651 Returns the function name of the frame, or @code{None} if it can't be
26652 obtained.
26653 @end defun
26654
26655 @defun Frame.architecture ()
26656 Returns the @code{gdb.Architecture} object corresponding to the frame's
26657 architecture. @xref{Architectures In Python}.
26658 @end defun
26659
26660 @defun Frame.type ()
26661 Returns the type of the frame. The value can be one of:
26662 @table @code
26663 @item gdb.NORMAL_FRAME
26664 An ordinary stack frame.
26665
26666 @item gdb.DUMMY_FRAME
26667 A fake stack frame that was created by @value{GDBN} when performing an
26668 inferior function call.
26669
26670 @item gdb.INLINE_FRAME
26671 A frame representing an inlined function. The function was inlined
26672 into a @code{gdb.NORMAL_FRAME} that is older than this one.
26673
26674 @item gdb.TAILCALL_FRAME
26675 A frame representing a tail call. @xref{Tail Call Frames}.
26676
26677 @item gdb.SIGTRAMP_FRAME
26678 A signal trampoline frame. This is the frame created by the OS when
26679 it calls into a signal handler.
26680
26681 @item gdb.ARCH_FRAME
26682 A fake stack frame representing a cross-architecture call.
26683
26684 @item gdb.SENTINEL_FRAME
26685 This is like @code{gdb.NORMAL_FRAME}, but it is only used for the
26686 newest frame.
26687 @end table
26688 @end defun
26689
26690 @defun Frame.unwind_stop_reason ()
26691 Return an integer representing the reason why it's not possible to find
26692 more frames toward the outermost frame. Use
26693 @code{gdb.frame_stop_reason_string} to convert the value returned by this
26694 function to a string. The value can be one of:
26695
26696 @table @code
26697 @item gdb.FRAME_UNWIND_NO_REASON
26698 No particular reason (older frames should be available).
26699
26700 @item gdb.FRAME_UNWIND_NULL_ID
26701 The previous frame's analyzer returns an invalid result. This is no
26702 longer used by @value{GDBN}, and is kept only for backward
26703 compatibility.
26704
26705 @item gdb.FRAME_UNWIND_OUTERMOST
26706 This frame is the outermost.
26707
26708 @item gdb.FRAME_UNWIND_UNAVAILABLE
26709 Cannot unwind further, because that would require knowing the
26710 values of registers or memory that have not been collected.
26711
26712 @item gdb.FRAME_UNWIND_INNER_ID
26713 This frame ID looks like it ought to belong to a NEXT frame,
26714 but we got it for a PREV frame. Normally, this is a sign of
26715 unwinder failure. It could also indicate stack corruption.
26716
26717 @item gdb.FRAME_UNWIND_SAME_ID
26718 This frame has the same ID as the previous one. That means
26719 that unwinding further would almost certainly give us another
26720 frame with exactly the same ID, so break the chain. Normally,
26721 this is a sign of unwinder failure. It could also indicate
26722 stack corruption.
26723
26724 @item gdb.FRAME_UNWIND_NO_SAVED_PC
26725 The frame unwinder did not find any saved PC, but we needed
26726 one to unwind further.
26727
26728 @item gdb.FRAME_UNWIND_FIRST_ERROR
26729 Any stop reason greater or equal to this value indicates some kind
26730 of error. This special value facilitates writing code that tests
26731 for errors in unwinding in a way that will work correctly even if
26732 the list of the other values is modified in future @value{GDBN}
26733 versions. Using it, you could write:
26734 @smallexample
26735 reason = gdb.selected_frame().unwind_stop_reason ()
26736 reason_str = gdb.frame_stop_reason_string (reason)
26737 if reason >= gdb.FRAME_UNWIND_FIRST_ERROR:
26738 print "An error occured: %s" % reason_str
26739 @end smallexample
26740 @end table
26741
26742 @end defun
26743
26744 @defun Frame.pc ()
26745 Returns the frame's resume address.
26746 @end defun
26747
26748 @defun Frame.block ()
26749 Return the frame's code block. @xref{Blocks In Python}.
26750 @end defun
26751
26752 @defun Frame.function ()
26753 Return the symbol for the function corresponding to this frame.
26754 @xref{Symbols In Python}.
26755 @end defun
26756
26757 @defun Frame.older ()
26758 Return the frame that called this frame.
26759 @end defun
26760
26761 @defun Frame.newer ()
26762 Return the frame called by this frame.
26763 @end defun
26764
26765 @defun Frame.find_sal ()
26766 Return the frame's symtab and line object.
26767 @xref{Symbol Tables In Python}.
26768 @end defun
26769
26770 @defun Frame.read_var (variable @r{[}, block@r{]})
26771 Return the value of @var{variable} in this frame. If the optional
26772 argument @var{block} is provided, search for the variable from that
26773 block; otherwise start at the frame's current block (which is
26774 determined by the frame's current program counter). @var{variable}
26775 must be a string or a @code{gdb.Symbol} object. @var{block} must be a
26776 @code{gdb.Block} object.
26777 @end defun
26778
26779 @defun Frame.select ()
26780 Set this frame to be the selected frame. @xref{Stack, ,Examining the
26781 Stack}.
26782 @end defun
26783
26784 @node Blocks In Python
26785 @subsubsection Accessing blocks from Python.
26786
26787 @cindex blocks in python
26788 @tindex gdb.Block
26789
26790 In @value{GDBN}, symbols are stored in blocks. A block corresponds
26791 roughly to a scope in the source code. Blocks are organized
26792 hierarchically, and are represented individually in Python as a
26793 @code{gdb.Block}. Blocks rely on debugging information being
26794 available.
26795
26796 A frame has a block. Please see @ref{Frames In Python}, for a more
26797 in-depth discussion of frames.
26798
26799 The outermost block is known as the @dfn{global block}. The global
26800 block typically holds public global variables and functions.
26801
26802 The block nested just inside the global block is the @dfn{static
26803 block}. The static block typically holds file-scoped variables and
26804 functions.
26805
26806 @value{GDBN} provides a method to get a block's superblock, but there
26807 is currently no way to examine the sub-blocks of a block, or to
26808 iterate over all the blocks in a symbol table (@pxref{Symbol Tables In
26809 Python}).
26810
26811 Here is a short example that should help explain blocks:
26812
26813 @smallexample
26814 /* This is in the global block. */
26815 int global;
26816
26817 /* This is in the static block. */
26818 static int file_scope;
26819
26820 /* 'function' is in the global block, and 'argument' is
26821 in a block nested inside of 'function'. */
26822 int function (int argument)
26823 @{
26824 /* 'local' is in a block inside 'function'. It may or may
26825 not be in the same block as 'argument'. */
26826 int local;
26827
26828 @{
26829 /* 'inner' is in a block whose superblock is the one holding
26830 'local'. */
26831 int inner;
26832
26833 /* If this call is expanded by the compiler, you may see
26834 a nested block here whose function is 'inline_function'
26835 and whose superblock is the one holding 'inner'. */
26836 inline_function ();
26837 @}
26838 @}
26839 @end smallexample
26840
26841 A @code{gdb.Block} is iterable. The iterator returns the symbols
26842 (@pxref{Symbols In Python}) local to the block. Python programs
26843 should not assume that a specific block object will always contain a
26844 given symbol, since changes in @value{GDBN} features and
26845 infrastructure may cause symbols move across blocks in a symbol
26846 table.
26847
26848 The following block-related functions are available in the @code{gdb}
26849 module:
26850
26851 @findex gdb.block_for_pc
26852 @defun gdb.block_for_pc (pc)
26853 Return the innermost @code{gdb.Block} containing the given @var{pc}
26854 value. If the block cannot be found for the @var{pc} value specified,
26855 the function will return @code{None}.
26856 @end defun
26857
26858 A @code{gdb.Block} object has the following methods:
26859
26860 @defun Block.is_valid ()
26861 Returns @code{True} if the @code{gdb.Block} object is valid,
26862 @code{False} if not. A block object can become invalid if the block it
26863 refers to doesn't exist anymore in the inferior. All other
26864 @code{gdb.Block} methods will throw an exception if it is invalid at
26865 the time the method is called. The block's validity is also checked
26866 during iteration over symbols of the block.
26867 @end defun
26868
26869 A @code{gdb.Block} object has the following attributes:
26870
26871 @defvar Block.start
26872 The start address of the block. This attribute is not writable.
26873 @end defvar
26874
26875 @defvar Block.end
26876 The end address of the block. This attribute is not writable.
26877 @end defvar
26878
26879 @defvar Block.function
26880 The name of the block represented as a @code{gdb.Symbol}. If the
26881 block is not named, then this attribute holds @code{None}. This
26882 attribute is not writable.
26883
26884 For ordinary function blocks, the superblock is the static block.
26885 However, you should note that it is possible for a function block to
26886 have a superblock that is not the static block -- for instance this
26887 happens for an inlined function.
26888 @end defvar
26889
26890 @defvar Block.superblock
26891 The block containing this block. If this parent block does not exist,
26892 this attribute holds @code{None}. This attribute is not writable.
26893 @end defvar
26894
26895 @defvar Block.global_block
26896 The global block associated with this block. This attribute is not
26897 writable.
26898 @end defvar
26899
26900 @defvar Block.static_block
26901 The static block associated with this block. This attribute is not
26902 writable.
26903 @end defvar
26904
26905 @defvar Block.is_global
26906 @code{True} if the @code{gdb.Block} object is a global block,
26907 @code{False} if not. This attribute is not
26908 writable.
26909 @end defvar
26910
26911 @defvar Block.is_static
26912 @code{True} if the @code{gdb.Block} object is a static block,
26913 @code{False} if not. This attribute is not writable.
26914 @end defvar
26915
26916 @node Symbols In Python
26917 @subsubsection Python representation of Symbols.
26918
26919 @cindex symbols in python
26920 @tindex gdb.Symbol
26921
26922 @value{GDBN} represents every variable, function and type as an
26923 entry in a symbol table. @xref{Symbols, ,Examining the Symbol Table}.
26924 Similarly, Python represents these symbols in @value{GDBN} with the
26925 @code{gdb.Symbol} object.
26926
26927 The following symbol-related functions are available in the @code{gdb}
26928 module:
26929
26930 @findex gdb.lookup_symbol
26931 @defun gdb.lookup_symbol (name @r{[}, block @r{[}, domain@r{]]})
26932 This function searches for a symbol by name. The search scope can be
26933 restricted to the parameters defined in the optional domain and block
26934 arguments.
26935
26936 @var{name} is the name of the symbol. It must be a string. The
26937 optional @var{block} argument restricts the search to symbols visible
26938 in that @var{block}. The @var{block} argument must be a
26939 @code{gdb.Block} object. If omitted, the block for the current frame
26940 is used. The optional @var{domain} argument restricts
26941 the search to the domain type. The @var{domain} argument must be a
26942 domain constant defined in the @code{gdb} module and described later
26943 in this chapter.
26944
26945 The result is a tuple of two elements.
26946 The first element is a @code{gdb.Symbol} object or @code{None} if the symbol
26947 is not found.
26948 If the symbol is found, the second element is @code{True} if the symbol
26949 is a field of a method's object (e.g., @code{this} in C@t{++}),
26950 otherwise it is @code{False}.
26951 If the symbol is not found, the second element is @code{False}.
26952 @end defun
26953
26954 @findex gdb.lookup_global_symbol
26955 @defun gdb.lookup_global_symbol (name @r{[}, domain@r{]})
26956 This function searches for a global symbol by name.
26957 The search scope can be restricted to by the domain argument.
26958
26959 @var{name} is the name of the symbol. It must be a string.
26960 The optional @var{domain} argument restricts the search to the domain type.
26961 The @var{domain} argument must be a domain constant defined in the @code{gdb}
26962 module and described later in this chapter.
26963
26964 The result is a @code{gdb.Symbol} object or @code{None} if the symbol
26965 is not found.
26966 @end defun
26967
26968 A @code{gdb.Symbol} object has the following attributes:
26969
26970 @defvar Symbol.type
26971 The type of the symbol or @code{None} if no type is recorded.
26972 This attribute is represented as a @code{gdb.Type} object.
26973 @xref{Types In Python}. This attribute is not writable.
26974 @end defvar
26975
26976 @defvar Symbol.symtab
26977 The symbol table in which the symbol appears. This attribute is
26978 represented as a @code{gdb.Symtab} object. @xref{Symbol Tables In
26979 Python}. This attribute is not writable.
26980 @end defvar
26981
26982 @defvar Symbol.line
26983 The line number in the source code at which the symbol was defined.
26984 This is an integer.
26985 @end defvar
26986
26987 @defvar Symbol.name
26988 The name of the symbol as a string. This attribute is not writable.
26989 @end defvar
26990
26991 @defvar Symbol.linkage_name
26992 The name of the symbol, as used by the linker (i.e., may be mangled).
26993 This attribute is not writable.
26994 @end defvar
26995
26996 @defvar Symbol.print_name
26997 The name of the symbol in a form suitable for output. This is either
26998 @code{name} or @code{linkage_name}, depending on whether the user
26999 asked @value{GDBN} to display demangled or mangled names.
27000 @end defvar
27001
27002 @defvar Symbol.addr_class
27003 The address class of the symbol. This classifies how to find the value
27004 of a symbol. Each address class is a constant defined in the
27005 @code{gdb} module and described later in this chapter.
27006 @end defvar
27007
27008 @defvar Symbol.needs_frame
27009 This is @code{True} if evaluating this symbol's value requires a frame
27010 (@pxref{Frames In Python}) and @code{False} otherwise. Typically,
27011 local variables will require a frame, but other symbols will not.
27012 @end defvar
27013
27014 @defvar Symbol.is_argument
27015 @code{True} if the symbol is an argument of a function.
27016 @end defvar
27017
27018 @defvar Symbol.is_constant
27019 @code{True} if the symbol is a constant.
27020 @end defvar
27021
27022 @defvar Symbol.is_function
27023 @code{True} if the symbol is a function or a method.
27024 @end defvar
27025
27026 @defvar Symbol.is_variable
27027 @code{True} if the symbol is a variable.
27028 @end defvar
27029
27030 A @code{gdb.Symbol} object has the following methods:
27031
27032 @defun Symbol.is_valid ()
27033 Returns @code{True} if the @code{gdb.Symbol} object is valid,
27034 @code{False} if not. A @code{gdb.Symbol} object can become invalid if
27035 the symbol it refers to does not exist in @value{GDBN} any longer.
27036 All other @code{gdb.Symbol} methods will throw an exception if it is
27037 invalid at the time the method is called.
27038 @end defun
27039
27040 @defun Symbol.value (@r{[}frame@r{]})
27041 Compute the value of the symbol, as a @code{gdb.Value}. For
27042 functions, this computes the address of the function, cast to the
27043 appropriate type. If the symbol requires a frame in order to compute
27044 its value, then @var{frame} must be given. If @var{frame} is not
27045 given, or if @var{frame} is invalid, then this method will throw an
27046 exception.
27047 @end defun
27048
27049 The available domain categories in @code{gdb.Symbol} are represented
27050 as constants in the @code{gdb} module:
27051
27052 @table @code
27053 @findex SYMBOL_UNDEF_DOMAIN
27054 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_UNDEF_DOMAIN
27055 @item gdb.SYMBOL_UNDEF_DOMAIN
27056 This is used when a domain has not been discovered or none of the
27057 following domains apply. This usually indicates an error either
27058 in the symbol information or in @value{GDBN}'s handling of symbols.
27059 @findex SYMBOL_VAR_DOMAIN
27060 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_VAR_DOMAIN
27061 @item gdb.SYMBOL_VAR_DOMAIN
27062 This domain contains variables, function names, typedef names and enum
27063 type values.
27064 @findex SYMBOL_STRUCT_DOMAIN
27065 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_STRUCT_DOMAIN
27066 @item gdb.SYMBOL_STRUCT_DOMAIN
27067 This domain holds struct, union and enum type names.
27068 @findex SYMBOL_LABEL_DOMAIN
27069 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LABEL_DOMAIN
27070 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LABEL_DOMAIN
27071 This domain contains names of labels (for gotos).
27072 @findex SYMBOL_VARIABLES_DOMAIN
27073 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_VARIABLES_DOMAIN
27074 @item gdb.SYMBOL_VARIABLES_DOMAIN
27075 This domain holds a subset of the @code{SYMBOLS_VAR_DOMAIN}; it
27076 contains everything minus functions and types.
27077 @findex SYMBOL_FUNCTIONS_DOMAIN
27078 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_FUNCTIONS_DOMAIN
27079 @item gdb.SYMBOL_FUNCTION_DOMAIN
27080 This domain contains all functions.
27081 @findex SYMBOL_TYPES_DOMAIN
27082 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_TYPES_DOMAIN
27083 @item gdb.SYMBOL_TYPES_DOMAIN
27084 This domain contains all types.
27085 @end table
27086
27087 The available address class categories in @code{gdb.Symbol} are represented
27088 as constants in the @code{gdb} module:
27089
27090 @table @code
27091 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_UNDEF
27092 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_UNDEF
27093 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_UNDEF
27094 If this is returned by address class, it indicates an error either in
27095 the symbol information or in @value{GDBN}'s handling of symbols.
27096 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_CONST
27097 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_CONST
27098 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_CONST
27099 Value is constant int.
27100 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_STATIC
27101 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_STATIC
27102 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_STATIC
27103 Value is at a fixed address.
27104 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_REGISTER
27105 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_REGISTER
27106 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_REGISTER
27107 Value is in a register.
27108 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_ARG
27109 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_ARG
27110 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_ARG
27111 Value is an argument. This value is at the offset stored within the
27112 symbol inside the frame's argument list.
27113 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_REF_ARG
27114 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_REF_ARG
27115 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_REF_ARG
27116 Value address is stored in the frame's argument list. Just like
27117 @code{LOC_ARG} except that the value's address is stored at the
27118 offset, not the value itself.
27119 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_REGPARM_ADDR
27120 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_REGPARM_ADDR
27121 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_REGPARM_ADDR
27122 Value is a specified register. Just like @code{LOC_REGISTER} except
27123 the register holds the address of the argument instead of the argument
27124 itself.
27125 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_LOCAL
27126 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_LOCAL
27127 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_LOCAL
27128 Value is a local variable.
27129 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_TYPEDEF
27130 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_TYPEDEF
27131 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_TYPEDEF
27132 Value not used. Symbols in the domain @code{SYMBOL_STRUCT_DOMAIN} all
27133 have this class.
27134 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_BLOCK
27135 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_BLOCK
27136 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_BLOCK
27137 Value is a block.
27138 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_CONST_BYTES
27139 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_CONST_BYTES
27140 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_CONST_BYTES
27141 Value is a byte-sequence.
27142 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_UNRESOLVED
27143 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_UNRESOLVED
27144 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_UNRESOLVED
27145 Value is at a fixed address, but the address of the variable has to be
27146 determined from the minimal symbol table whenever the variable is
27147 referenced.
27148 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_OPTIMIZED_OUT
27149 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_OPTIMIZED_OUT
27150 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_OPTIMIZED_OUT
27151 The value does not actually exist in the program.
27152 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_COMPUTED
27153 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_COMPUTED
27154 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_COMPUTED
27155 The value's address is a computed location.
27156 @end table
27157
27158 @node Symbol Tables In Python
27159 @subsubsection Symbol table representation in Python.
27160
27161 @cindex symbol tables in python
27162 @tindex gdb.Symtab
27163 @tindex gdb.Symtab_and_line
27164
27165 Access to symbol table data maintained by @value{GDBN} on the inferior
27166 is exposed to Python via two objects: @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line} and
27167 @code{gdb.Symtab}. Symbol table and line data for a frame is returned
27168 from the @code{find_sal} method in @code{gdb.Frame} object.
27169 @xref{Frames In Python}.
27170
27171 For more information on @value{GDBN}'s symbol table management, see
27172 @ref{Symbols, ,Examining the Symbol Table}, for more information.
27173
27174 A @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line} object has the following attributes:
27175
27176 @defvar Symtab_and_line.symtab
27177 The symbol table object (@code{gdb.Symtab}) for this frame.
27178 This attribute is not writable.
27179 @end defvar
27180
27181 @defvar Symtab_and_line.pc
27182 Indicates the start of the address range occupied by code for the
27183 current source line. This attribute is not writable.
27184 @end defvar
27185
27186 @defvar Symtab_and_line.last
27187 Indicates the end of the address range occupied by code for the current
27188 source line. This attribute is not writable.
27189 @end defvar
27190
27191 @defvar Symtab_and_line.line
27192 Indicates the current line number for this object. This
27193 attribute is not writable.
27194 @end defvar
27195
27196 A @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line} object has the following methods:
27197
27198 @defun Symtab_and_line.is_valid ()
27199 Returns @code{True} if the @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line} object is valid,
27200 @code{False} if not. A @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line} object can become
27201 invalid if the Symbol table and line object it refers to does not
27202 exist in @value{GDBN} any longer. All other
27203 @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line} methods will throw an exception if it is
27204 invalid at the time the method is called.
27205 @end defun
27206
27207 A @code{gdb.Symtab} object has the following attributes:
27208
27209 @defvar Symtab.filename
27210 The symbol table's source filename. This attribute is not writable.
27211 @end defvar
27212
27213 @defvar Symtab.objfile
27214 The symbol table's backing object file. @xref{Objfiles In Python}.
27215 This attribute is not writable.
27216 @end defvar
27217
27218 A @code{gdb.Symtab} object has the following methods:
27219
27220 @defun Symtab.is_valid ()
27221 Returns @code{True} if the @code{gdb.Symtab} object is valid,
27222 @code{False} if not. A @code{gdb.Symtab} object can become invalid if
27223 the symbol table it refers to does not exist in @value{GDBN} any
27224 longer. All other @code{gdb.Symtab} methods will throw an exception
27225 if it is invalid at the time the method is called.
27226 @end defun
27227
27228 @defun Symtab.fullname ()
27229 Return the symbol table's source absolute file name.
27230 @end defun
27231
27232 @defun Symtab.global_block ()
27233 Return the global block of the underlying symbol table.
27234 @xref{Blocks In Python}.
27235 @end defun
27236
27237 @defun Symtab.static_block ()
27238 Return the static block of the underlying symbol table.
27239 @xref{Blocks In Python}.
27240 @end defun
27241
27242 @defun Symtab.linetable ()
27243 Return the line table associated with the symbol table.
27244 @xref{Line Tables In Python}.
27245 @end defun
27246
27247 @node Line Tables In Python
27248 @subsubsection Manipulating line tables using Python
27249
27250 @cindex line tables in python
27251 @tindex gdb.LineTable
27252
27253 Python code can request and inspect line table information from a
27254 symbol table that is loaded in @value{GDBN}. A line table is a
27255 mapping of source lines to their executable locations in memory. To
27256 acquire the line table information for a particular symbol table, use
27257 the @code{linetable} function (@pxref{Symbol Tables In Python}).
27258
27259 A @code{gdb.LineTable} is iterable. The iterator returns
27260 @code{LineTableEntry} objects that correspond to the source line and
27261 address for each line table entry. @code{LineTableEntry} objects have
27262 the following attributes:
27263
27264 @defvar LineTableEntry.line
27265 The source line number for this line table entry. This number
27266 corresponds to the actual line of source. This attribute is not
27267 writable.
27268 @end defvar
27269
27270 @defvar LineTableEntry.pc
27271 The address that is associated with the line table entry where the
27272 executable code for that source line resides in memory. This
27273 attribute is not writable.
27274 @end defvar
27275
27276 As there can be multiple addresses for a single source line, you may
27277 receive multiple @code{LineTableEntry} objects with matching
27278 @code{line} attributes, but with different @code{pc} attributes. The
27279 iterator is sorted in ascending @code{pc} order. Here is a small
27280 example illustrating iterating over a line table.
27281
27282 @smallexample
27283 symtab = gdb.selected_frame().find_sal().symtab
27284 linetable = symtab.linetable()
27285 for line in linetable:
27286 print "Line: "+str(line.line)+" Address: "+hex(line.pc)
27287 @end smallexample
27288
27289 This will have the following output:
27290
27291 @smallexample
27292 Line: 33 Address: 0x4005c8L
27293 Line: 37 Address: 0x4005caL
27294 Line: 39 Address: 0x4005d2L
27295 Line: 40 Address: 0x4005f8L
27296 Line: 42 Address: 0x4005ffL
27297 Line: 44 Address: 0x400608L
27298 Line: 42 Address: 0x40060cL
27299 Line: 45 Address: 0x400615L
27300 @end smallexample
27301
27302 In addition to being able to iterate over a @code{LineTable}, it also
27303 has the following direct access methods:
27304
27305 @defun LineTable.line (line)
27306 Return a Python @code{Tuple} of @code{LineTableEntry} objects for any
27307 entries in the line table for the given @var{line}. @var{line} refers
27308 to the source code line. If there are no entries for that source code
27309 @var{line}, the Python @code{None} is returned.
27310 @end defun
27311
27312 @defun LineTable.has_line (line)
27313 Return a Python @code{Boolean} indicating whether there is an entry in
27314 the line table for this source line. Return @code{True} if an entry
27315 is found, or @code{False} if not.
27316 @end defun
27317
27318 @defun LineTable.source_lines ()
27319 Return a Python @code{List} of the source line numbers in the symbol
27320 table. Only lines with executable code locations are returned. The
27321 contents of the @code{List} will just be the source line entries
27322 represented as Python @code{Long} values.
27323 @end defun
27324
27325 @node Breakpoints In Python
27326 @subsubsection Manipulating breakpoints using Python
27327
27328 @cindex breakpoints in python
27329 @tindex gdb.Breakpoint
27330
27331 Python code can manipulate breakpoints via the @code{gdb.Breakpoint}
27332 class.
27333
27334 @defun Breakpoint.__init__ (spec @r{[}, type @r{[}, wp_class @r{[},internal @r{[},temporary@r{]]]]})
27335 Create a new breakpoint. @var{spec} is a string naming the location
27336 of the breakpoint, or an expression that defines a watchpoint. The
27337 contents can be any location recognized by the @code{break} command,
27338 or in the case of a watchpoint, by the @code{watch} command. The
27339 optional @var{type} denotes the breakpoint to create from the types
27340 defined later in this chapter. This argument can be either:
27341 @code{gdb.BP_BREAKPOINT} or @code{gdb.BP_WATCHPOINT}. @var{type}
27342 defaults to @code{gdb.BP_BREAKPOINT}. The optional @var{internal}
27343 argument allows the breakpoint to become invisible to the user. The
27344 breakpoint will neither be reported when created, nor will it be
27345 listed in the output from @code{info breakpoints} (but will be listed
27346 with the @code{maint info breakpoints} command). The optional
27347 @var{temporary} argument makes the breakpoint a temporary breakpoint.
27348 Temporary breakpoints are deleted after they have been hit. Any
27349 further access to the Python breakpoint after it has been hit will
27350 result in a runtime error (as that breakpoint has now been
27351 automatically deleted). The optional @var{wp_class} argument defines
27352 the class of watchpoint to create, if @var{type} is
27353 @code{gdb.BP_WATCHPOINT}. If a watchpoint class is not provided, it
27354 is assumed to be a @code{gdb.WP_WRITE} class.
27355 @end defun
27356
27357 @defun Breakpoint.stop (self)
27358 The @code{gdb.Breakpoint} class can be sub-classed and, in
27359 particular, you may choose to implement the @code{stop} method.
27360 If this method is defined in a sub-class of @code{gdb.Breakpoint},
27361 it will be called when the inferior reaches any location of a
27362 breakpoint which instantiates that sub-class. If the method returns
27363 @code{True}, the inferior will be stopped at the location of the
27364 breakpoint, otherwise the inferior will continue.
27365
27366 If there are multiple breakpoints at the same location with a
27367 @code{stop} method, each one will be called regardless of the
27368 return status of the previous. This ensures that all @code{stop}
27369 methods have a chance to execute at that location. In this scenario
27370 if one of the methods returns @code{True} but the others return
27371 @code{False}, the inferior will still be stopped.
27372
27373 You should not alter the execution state of the inferior (i.e.@:, step,
27374 next, etc.), alter the current frame context (i.e.@:, change the current
27375 active frame), or alter, add or delete any breakpoint. As a general
27376 rule, you should not alter any data within @value{GDBN} or the inferior
27377 at this time.
27378
27379 Example @code{stop} implementation:
27380
27381 @smallexample
27382 class MyBreakpoint (gdb.Breakpoint):
27383 def stop (self):
27384 inf_val = gdb.parse_and_eval("foo")
27385 if inf_val == 3:
27386 return True
27387 return False
27388 @end smallexample
27389 @end defun
27390
27391 The available watchpoint types represented by constants are defined in the
27392 @code{gdb} module:
27393
27394 @table @code
27395 @findex WP_READ
27396 @findex gdb.WP_READ
27397 @item gdb.WP_READ
27398 Read only watchpoint.
27399
27400 @findex WP_WRITE
27401 @findex gdb.WP_WRITE
27402 @item gdb.WP_WRITE
27403 Write only watchpoint.
27404
27405 @findex WP_ACCESS
27406 @findex gdb.WP_ACCESS
27407 @item gdb.WP_ACCESS
27408 Read/Write watchpoint.
27409 @end table
27410
27411 @defun Breakpoint.is_valid ()
27412 Return @code{True} if this @code{Breakpoint} object is valid,
27413 @code{False} otherwise. A @code{Breakpoint} object can become invalid
27414 if the user deletes the breakpoint. In this case, the object still
27415 exists, but the underlying breakpoint does not. In the cases of
27416 watchpoint scope, the watchpoint remains valid even if execution of the
27417 inferior leaves the scope of that watchpoint.
27418 @end defun
27419
27420 @defun Breakpoint.delete
27421 Permanently deletes the @value{GDBN} breakpoint. This also
27422 invalidates the Python @code{Breakpoint} object. Any further access
27423 to this object's attributes or methods will raise an error.
27424 @end defun
27425
27426 @defvar Breakpoint.enabled
27427 This attribute is @code{True} if the breakpoint is enabled, and
27428 @code{False} otherwise. This attribute is writable.
27429 @end defvar
27430
27431 @defvar Breakpoint.silent
27432 This attribute is @code{True} if the breakpoint is silent, and
27433 @code{False} otherwise. This attribute is writable.
27434
27435 Note that a breakpoint can also be silent if it has commands and the
27436 first command is @code{silent}. This is not reported by the
27437 @code{silent} attribute.
27438 @end defvar
27439
27440 @defvar Breakpoint.thread
27441 If the breakpoint is thread-specific, this attribute holds the thread
27442 id. If the breakpoint is not thread-specific, this attribute is
27443 @code{None}. This attribute is writable.
27444 @end defvar
27445
27446 @defvar Breakpoint.task
27447 If the breakpoint is Ada task-specific, this attribute holds the Ada task
27448 id. If the breakpoint is not task-specific (or the underlying
27449 language is not Ada), this attribute is @code{None}. This attribute
27450 is writable.
27451 @end defvar
27452
27453 @defvar Breakpoint.ignore_count
27454 This attribute holds the ignore count for the breakpoint, an integer.
27455 This attribute is writable.
27456 @end defvar
27457
27458 @defvar Breakpoint.number
27459 This attribute holds the breakpoint's number --- the identifier used by
27460 the user to manipulate the breakpoint. This attribute is not writable.
27461 @end defvar
27462
27463 @defvar Breakpoint.type
27464 This attribute holds the breakpoint's type --- the identifier used to
27465 determine the actual breakpoint type or use-case. This attribute is not
27466 writable.
27467 @end defvar
27468
27469 @defvar Breakpoint.visible
27470 This attribute tells whether the breakpoint is visible to the user
27471 when set, or when the @samp{info breakpoints} command is run. This
27472 attribute is not writable.
27473 @end defvar
27474
27475 @defvar Breakpoint.temporary
27476 This attribute indicates whether the breakpoint was created as a
27477 temporary breakpoint. Temporary breakpoints are automatically deleted
27478 after that breakpoint has been hit. Access to this attribute, and all
27479 other attributes and functions other than the @code{is_valid}
27480 function, will result in an error after the breakpoint has been hit
27481 (as it has been automatically deleted). This attribute is not
27482 writable.
27483 @end defvar
27484
27485 The available types are represented by constants defined in the @code{gdb}
27486 module:
27487
27488 @table @code
27489 @findex BP_BREAKPOINT
27490 @findex gdb.BP_BREAKPOINT
27491 @item gdb.BP_BREAKPOINT
27492 Normal code breakpoint.
27493
27494 @findex BP_WATCHPOINT
27495 @findex gdb.BP_WATCHPOINT
27496 @item gdb.BP_WATCHPOINT
27497 Watchpoint breakpoint.
27498
27499 @findex BP_HARDWARE_WATCHPOINT
27500 @findex gdb.BP_HARDWARE_WATCHPOINT
27501 @item gdb.BP_HARDWARE_WATCHPOINT
27502 Hardware assisted watchpoint.
27503
27504 @findex BP_READ_WATCHPOINT
27505 @findex gdb.BP_READ_WATCHPOINT
27506 @item gdb.BP_READ_WATCHPOINT
27507 Hardware assisted read watchpoint.
27508
27509 @findex BP_ACCESS_WATCHPOINT
27510 @findex gdb.BP_ACCESS_WATCHPOINT
27511 @item gdb.BP_ACCESS_WATCHPOINT
27512 Hardware assisted access watchpoint.
27513 @end table
27514
27515 @defvar Breakpoint.hit_count
27516 This attribute holds the hit count for the breakpoint, an integer.
27517 This attribute is writable, but currently it can only be set to zero.
27518 @end defvar
27519
27520 @defvar Breakpoint.location
27521 This attribute holds the location of the breakpoint, as specified by
27522 the user. It is a string. If the breakpoint does not have a location
27523 (that is, it is a watchpoint) the attribute's value is @code{None}. This
27524 attribute is not writable.
27525 @end defvar
27526
27527 @defvar Breakpoint.expression
27528 This attribute holds a breakpoint expression, as specified by
27529 the user. It is a string. If the breakpoint does not have an
27530 expression (the breakpoint is not a watchpoint) the attribute's value
27531 is @code{None}. This attribute is not writable.
27532 @end defvar
27533
27534 @defvar Breakpoint.condition
27535 This attribute holds the condition of the breakpoint, as specified by
27536 the user. It is a string. If there is no condition, this attribute's
27537 value is @code{None}. This attribute is writable.
27538 @end defvar
27539
27540 @defvar Breakpoint.commands
27541 This attribute holds the commands attached to the breakpoint. If
27542 there are commands, this attribute's value is a string holding all the
27543 commands, separated by newlines. If there are no commands, this
27544 attribute is @code{None}. This attribute is not writable.
27545 @end defvar
27546
27547 @node Finish Breakpoints in Python
27548 @subsubsection Finish Breakpoints
27549
27550 @cindex python finish breakpoints
27551 @tindex gdb.FinishBreakpoint
27552
27553 A finish breakpoint is a temporary breakpoint set at the return address of
27554 a frame, based on the @code{finish} command. @code{gdb.FinishBreakpoint}
27555 extends @code{gdb.Breakpoint}. The underlying breakpoint will be disabled
27556 and deleted when the execution will run out of the breakpoint scope (i.e.@:
27557 @code{Breakpoint.stop} or @code{FinishBreakpoint.out_of_scope} triggered).
27558 Finish breakpoints are thread specific and must be create with the right
27559 thread selected.
27560
27561 @defun FinishBreakpoint.__init__ (@r{[}frame@r{]} @r{[}, internal@r{]})
27562 Create a finish breakpoint at the return address of the @code{gdb.Frame}
27563 object @var{frame}. If @var{frame} is not provided, this defaults to the
27564 newest frame. The optional @var{internal} argument allows the breakpoint to
27565 become invisible to the user. @xref{Breakpoints In Python}, for further
27566 details about this argument.
27567 @end defun
27568
27569 @defun FinishBreakpoint.out_of_scope (self)
27570 In some circumstances (e.g.@: @code{longjmp}, C@t{++} exceptions, @value{GDBN}
27571 @code{return} command, @dots{}), a function may not properly terminate, and
27572 thus never hit the finish breakpoint. When @value{GDBN} notices such a
27573 situation, the @code{out_of_scope} callback will be triggered.
27574
27575 You may want to sub-class @code{gdb.FinishBreakpoint} and override this
27576 method:
27577
27578 @smallexample
27579 class MyFinishBreakpoint (gdb.FinishBreakpoint)
27580 def stop (self):
27581 print "normal finish"
27582 return True
27583
27584 def out_of_scope ():
27585 print "abnormal finish"
27586 @end smallexample
27587 @end defun
27588
27589 @defvar FinishBreakpoint.return_value
27590 When @value{GDBN} is stopped at a finish breakpoint and the frame
27591 used to build the @code{gdb.FinishBreakpoint} object had debug symbols, this
27592 attribute will contain a @code{gdb.Value} object corresponding to the return
27593 value of the function. The value will be @code{None} if the function return
27594 type is @code{void} or if the return value was not computable. This attribute
27595 is not writable.
27596 @end defvar
27597
27598 @node Lazy Strings In Python
27599 @subsubsection Python representation of lazy strings.
27600
27601 @cindex lazy strings in python
27602 @tindex gdb.LazyString
27603
27604 A @dfn{lazy string} is a string whose contents is not retrieved or
27605 encoded until it is needed.
27606
27607 A @code{gdb.LazyString} is represented in @value{GDBN} as an
27608 @code{address} that points to a region of memory, an @code{encoding}
27609 that will be used to encode that region of memory, and a @code{length}
27610 to delimit the region of memory that represents the string. The
27611 difference between a @code{gdb.LazyString} and a string wrapped within
27612 a @code{gdb.Value} is that a @code{gdb.LazyString} will be treated
27613 differently by @value{GDBN} when printing. A @code{gdb.LazyString} is
27614 retrieved and encoded during printing, while a @code{gdb.Value}
27615 wrapping a string is immediately retrieved and encoded on creation.
27616
27617 A @code{gdb.LazyString} object has the following functions:
27618
27619 @defun LazyString.value ()
27620 Convert the @code{gdb.LazyString} to a @code{gdb.Value}. This value
27621 will point to the string in memory, but will lose all the delayed
27622 retrieval, encoding and handling that @value{GDBN} applies to a
27623 @code{gdb.LazyString}.
27624 @end defun
27625
27626 @defvar LazyString.address
27627 This attribute holds the address of the string. This attribute is not
27628 writable.
27629 @end defvar
27630
27631 @defvar LazyString.length
27632 This attribute holds the length of the string in characters. If the
27633 length is -1, then the string will be fetched and encoded up to the
27634 first null of appropriate width. This attribute is not writable.
27635 @end defvar
27636
27637 @defvar LazyString.encoding
27638 This attribute holds the encoding that will be applied to the string
27639 when the string is printed by @value{GDBN}. If the encoding is not
27640 set, or contains an empty string, then @value{GDBN} will select the
27641 most appropriate encoding when the string is printed. This attribute
27642 is not writable.
27643 @end defvar
27644
27645 @defvar LazyString.type
27646 This attribute holds the type that is represented by the lazy string's
27647 type. For a lazy string this will always be a pointer type. To
27648 resolve this to the lazy string's character type, use the type's
27649 @code{target} method. @xref{Types In Python}. This attribute is not
27650 writable.
27651 @end defvar
27652
27653 @node Architectures In Python
27654 @subsubsection Python representation of architectures
27655 @cindex Python architectures
27656
27657 @value{GDBN} uses architecture specific parameters and artifacts in a
27658 number of its various computations. An architecture is represented
27659 by an instance of the @code{gdb.Architecture} class.
27660
27661 A @code{gdb.Architecture} class has the following methods:
27662
27663 @defun Architecture.name ()
27664 Return the name (string value) of the architecture.
27665 @end defun
27666
27667 @defun Architecture.disassemble (@var{start_pc} @r{[}, @var{end_pc} @r{[}, @var{count}@r{]]})
27668 Return a list of disassembled instructions starting from the memory
27669 address @var{start_pc}. The optional arguments @var{end_pc} and
27670 @var{count} determine the number of instructions in the returned list.
27671 If both the optional arguments @var{end_pc} and @var{count} are
27672 specified, then a list of at most @var{count} disassembled instructions
27673 whose start address falls in the closed memory address interval from
27674 @var{start_pc} to @var{end_pc} are returned. If @var{end_pc} is not
27675 specified, but @var{count} is specified, then @var{count} number of
27676 instructions starting from the address @var{start_pc} are returned. If
27677 @var{count} is not specified but @var{end_pc} is specified, then all
27678 instructions whose start address falls in the closed memory address
27679 interval from @var{start_pc} to @var{end_pc} are returned. If neither
27680 @var{end_pc} nor @var{count} are specified, then a single instruction at
27681 @var{start_pc} is returned. For all of these cases, each element of the
27682 returned list is a Python @code{dict} with the following string keys:
27683
27684 @table @code
27685
27686 @item addr
27687 The value corresponding to this key is a Python long integer capturing
27688 the memory address of the instruction.
27689
27690 @item asm
27691 The value corresponding to this key is a string value which represents
27692 the instruction with assembly language mnemonics. The assembly
27693 language flavor used is the same as that specified by the current CLI
27694 variable @code{disassembly-flavor}. @xref{Machine Code}.
27695
27696 @item length
27697 The value corresponding to this key is the length (integer value) of the
27698 instruction in bytes.
27699
27700 @end table
27701 @end defun
27702
27703 @node Python Auto-loading
27704 @subsection Python Auto-loading
27705 @cindex Python auto-loading
27706
27707 When a new object file is read (for example, due to the @code{file}
27708 command, or because the inferior has loaded a shared library),
27709 @value{GDBN} will look for Python support scripts in several ways:
27710 @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.py} and @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section.
27711 @xref{Auto-loading extensions}.
27712
27713 The auto-loading feature is useful for supplying application-specific
27714 debugging commands and scripts.
27715
27716 Auto-loading can be enabled or disabled,
27717 and the list of auto-loaded scripts can be printed.
27718
27719 @table @code
27720 @anchor{set auto-load python-scripts}
27721 @kindex set auto-load python-scripts
27722 @item set auto-load python-scripts [on|off]
27723 Enable or disable the auto-loading of Python scripts.
27724
27725 @anchor{show auto-load python-scripts}
27726 @kindex show auto-load python-scripts
27727 @item show auto-load python-scripts
27728 Show whether auto-loading of Python scripts is enabled or disabled.
27729
27730 @anchor{info auto-load python-scripts}
27731 @kindex info auto-load python-scripts
27732 @cindex print list of auto-loaded Python scripts
27733 @item info auto-load python-scripts [@var{regexp}]
27734 Print the list of all Python scripts that @value{GDBN} auto-loaded.
27735
27736 Also printed is the list of Python scripts that were mentioned in
27737 the @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section and were not found
27738 (@pxref{dotdebug_gdb_scripts section}).
27739 This is useful because their names are not printed when @value{GDBN}
27740 tries to load them and fails. There may be many of them, and printing
27741 an error message for each one is problematic.
27742
27743 If @var{regexp} is supplied only Python scripts with matching names are printed.
27744
27745 Example:
27746
27747 @smallexample
27748 (gdb) info auto-load python-scripts
27749 Loaded Script
27750 Yes py-section-script.py
27751 full name: /tmp/py-section-script.py
27752 No my-foo-pretty-printers.py
27753 @end smallexample
27754 @end table
27755
27756 When reading an auto-loaded file, @value{GDBN} sets the
27757 @dfn{current objfile}. This is available via the @code{gdb.current_objfile}
27758 function (@pxref{Objfiles In Python}). This can be useful for
27759 registering objfile-specific pretty-printers and frame-filters.
27760
27761 @node Python modules
27762 @subsection Python modules
27763 @cindex python modules
27764
27765 @value{GDBN} comes with several modules to assist writing Python code.
27766
27767 @menu
27768 * gdb.printing:: Building and registering pretty-printers.
27769 * gdb.types:: Utilities for working with types.
27770 * gdb.prompt:: Utilities for prompt value substitution.
27771 @end menu
27772
27773 @node gdb.printing
27774 @subsubsection gdb.printing
27775 @cindex gdb.printing
27776
27777 This module provides a collection of utilities for working with
27778 pretty-printers.
27779
27780 @table @code
27781 @item PrettyPrinter (@var{name}, @var{subprinters}=None)
27782 This class specifies the API that makes @samp{info pretty-printer},
27783 @samp{enable pretty-printer} and @samp{disable pretty-printer} work.
27784 Pretty-printers should generally inherit from this class.
27785
27786 @item SubPrettyPrinter (@var{name})
27787 For printers that handle multiple types, this class specifies the
27788 corresponding API for the subprinters.
27789
27790 @item RegexpCollectionPrettyPrinter (@var{name})
27791 Utility class for handling multiple printers, all recognized via
27792 regular expressions.
27793 @xref{Writing a Pretty-Printer}, for an example.
27794
27795 @item FlagEnumerationPrinter (@var{name})
27796 A pretty-printer which handles printing of @code{enum} values. Unlike
27797 @value{GDBN}'s built-in @code{enum} printing, this printer attempts to
27798 work properly when there is some overlap between the enumeration
27799 constants. @var{name} is the name of the printer and also the name of
27800 the @code{enum} type to look up.
27801
27802 @item register_pretty_printer (@var{obj}, @var{printer}, @var{replace}=False)
27803 Register @var{printer} with the pretty-printer list of @var{obj}.
27804 If @var{replace} is @code{True} then any existing copy of the printer
27805 is replaced. Otherwise a @code{RuntimeError} exception is raised
27806 if a printer with the same name already exists.
27807 @end table
27808
27809 @node gdb.types
27810 @subsubsection gdb.types
27811 @cindex gdb.types
27812
27813 This module provides a collection of utilities for working with
27814 @code{gdb.Type} objects.
27815
27816 @table @code
27817 @item get_basic_type (@var{type})
27818 Return @var{type} with const and volatile qualifiers stripped,
27819 and with typedefs and C@t{++} references converted to the underlying type.
27820
27821 C@t{++} example:
27822
27823 @smallexample
27824 typedef const int const_int;
27825 const_int foo (3);
27826 const_int& foo_ref (foo);
27827 int main () @{ return 0; @}
27828 @end smallexample
27829
27830 Then in gdb:
27831
27832 @smallexample
27833 (gdb) start
27834 (gdb) python import gdb.types
27835 (gdb) python foo_ref = gdb.parse_and_eval("foo_ref")
27836 (gdb) python print gdb.types.get_basic_type(foo_ref.type)
27837 int
27838 @end smallexample
27839
27840 @item has_field (@var{type}, @var{field})
27841 Return @code{True} if @var{type}, assumed to be a type with fields
27842 (e.g., a structure or union), has field @var{field}.
27843
27844 @item make_enum_dict (@var{enum_type})
27845 Return a Python @code{dictionary} type produced from @var{enum_type}.
27846
27847 @item deep_items (@var{type})
27848 Returns a Python iterator similar to the standard
27849 @code{gdb.Type.iteritems} method, except that the iterator returned
27850 by @code{deep_items} will recursively traverse anonymous struct or
27851 union fields. For example:
27852
27853 @smallexample
27854 struct A
27855 @{
27856 int a;
27857 union @{
27858 int b0;
27859 int b1;
27860 @};
27861 @};
27862 @end smallexample
27863
27864 @noindent
27865 Then in @value{GDBN}:
27866 @smallexample
27867 (@value{GDBP}) python import gdb.types
27868 (@value{GDBP}) python struct_a = gdb.lookup_type("struct A")
27869 (@value{GDBP}) python print struct_a.keys ()
27870 @{['a', '']@}
27871 (@value{GDBP}) python print [k for k,v in gdb.types.deep_items(struct_a)]
27872 @{['a', 'b0', 'b1']@}
27873 @end smallexample
27874
27875 @item get_type_recognizers ()
27876 Return a list of the enabled type recognizers for the current context.
27877 This is called by @value{GDBN} during the type-printing process
27878 (@pxref{Type Printing API}).
27879
27880 @item apply_type_recognizers (recognizers, type_obj)
27881 Apply the type recognizers, @var{recognizers}, to the type object
27882 @var{type_obj}. If any recognizer returns a string, return that
27883 string. Otherwise, return @code{None}. This is called by
27884 @value{GDBN} during the type-printing process (@pxref{Type Printing
27885 API}).
27886
27887 @item register_type_printer (locus, printer)
27888 This is a convenience function to register a type printer.
27889 @var{printer} is the type printer to register. It must implement the
27890 type printer protocol. @var{locus} is either a @code{gdb.Objfile}, in
27891 which case the printer is registered with that objfile; a
27892 @code{gdb.Progspace}, in which case the printer is registered with
27893 that progspace; or @code{None}, in which case the printer is
27894 registered globally.
27895
27896 @item TypePrinter
27897 This is a base class that implements the type printer protocol. Type
27898 printers are encouraged, but not required, to derive from this class.
27899 It defines a constructor:
27900
27901 @defmethod TypePrinter __init__ (self, name)
27902 Initialize the type printer with the given name. The new printer
27903 starts in the enabled state.
27904 @end defmethod
27905
27906 @end table
27907
27908 @node gdb.prompt
27909 @subsubsection gdb.prompt
27910 @cindex gdb.prompt
27911
27912 This module provides a method for prompt value-substitution.
27913
27914 @table @code
27915 @item substitute_prompt (@var{string})
27916 Return @var{string} with escape sequences substituted by values. Some
27917 escape sequences take arguments. You can specify arguments inside
27918 ``@{@}'' immediately following the escape sequence.
27919
27920 The escape sequences you can pass to this function are:
27921
27922 @table @code
27923 @item \\
27924 Substitute a backslash.
27925 @item \e
27926 Substitute an ESC character.
27927 @item \f
27928 Substitute the selected frame; an argument names a frame parameter.
27929 @item \n
27930 Substitute a newline.
27931 @item \p
27932 Substitute a parameter's value; the argument names the parameter.
27933 @item \r
27934 Substitute a carriage return.
27935 @item \t
27936 Substitute the selected thread; an argument names a thread parameter.
27937 @item \v
27938 Substitute the version of GDB.
27939 @item \w
27940 Substitute the current working directory.
27941 @item \[
27942 Begin a sequence of non-printing characters. These sequences are
27943 typically used with the ESC character, and are not counted in the string
27944 length. Example: ``\[\e[0;34m\](gdb)\[\e[0m\]'' will return a
27945 blue-colored ``(gdb)'' prompt where the length is five.
27946 @item \]
27947 End a sequence of non-printing characters.
27948 @end table
27949
27950 For example:
27951
27952 @smallexample
27953 substitute_prompt (``frame: \f,
27954 print arguments: \p@{print frame-arguments@}'')
27955 @end smallexample
27956
27957 @exdent will return the string:
27958
27959 @smallexample
27960 "frame: main, print arguments: scalars"
27961 @end smallexample
27962 @end table
27963
27964 @c Guile docs live in a separate file.
27965 @include guile.texi
27966
27967 @node Auto-loading extensions
27968 @section Auto-loading extensions
27969 @cindex auto-loading extensions
27970
27971 @value{GDBN} provides two mechanisms for automatically loading extensions
27972 when a new object file is read (for example, due to the @code{file}
27973 command, or because the inferior has loaded a shared library):
27974 @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.@var{ext}} and the @code{.debug_gdb_scripts}
27975 section of modern file formats like ELF.
27976
27977 @menu
27978 * objfile-gdb.ext file: objfile-gdbdotext file. The @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.@var{ext}} file
27979 * .debug_gdb_scripts section: dotdebug_gdb_scripts section. The @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section
27980 * Which flavor to choose?::
27981 @end menu
27982
27983 The auto-loading feature is useful for supplying application-specific
27984 debugging commands and features.
27985
27986 Auto-loading can be enabled or disabled,
27987 and the list of auto-loaded scripts can be printed.
27988 See the @samp{auto-loading} section of each extension language
27989 for more information.
27990 For @value{GDBN} command files see @ref{Auto-loading sequences}.
27991 For Python files see @ref{Python Auto-loading}.
27992
27993 Note that loading of this script file also requires accordingly configured
27994 @code{auto-load safe-path} (@pxref{Auto-loading safe path}).
27995
27996 @node objfile-gdbdotext file
27997 @subsection The @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.@var{ext}} file
27998 @cindex @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.gdb}
27999 @cindex @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.py}
28000 @cindex @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.scm}
28001
28002 When a new object file is read, @value{GDBN} looks for a file named
28003 @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.@var{ext}} (we call it @var{script-name} below),
28004 where @var{objfile} is the object file's name and
28005 where @var{ext} is the file extension for the extension language:
28006
28007 @table @code
28008 @item @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.gdb}
28009 GDB's own command language
28010 @item @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.py}
28011 Python
28012 @item @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.scm}
28013 Guile
28014 @end table
28015
28016 @var{script-name} is formed by ensuring that the file name of @var{objfile}
28017 is absolute, following all symlinks, and resolving @code{.} and @code{..}
28018 components, and appending the @file{-gdb.@var{ext}} suffix.
28019 If this file exists and is readable, @value{GDBN} will evaluate it as a
28020 script in the specified extension language.
28021
28022 If this file does not exist, then @value{GDBN} will look for
28023 @var{script-name} file in all of the directories as specified below.
28024
28025 Note that loading of these files requires an accordingly configured
28026 @code{auto-load safe-path} (@pxref{Auto-loading safe path}).
28027
28028 For object files using @file{.exe} suffix @value{GDBN} tries to load first the
28029 scripts normally according to its @file{.exe} filename. But if no scripts are
28030 found @value{GDBN} also tries script filenames matching the object file without
28031 its @file{.exe} suffix. This @file{.exe} stripping is case insensitive and it
28032 is attempted on any platform. This makes the script filenames compatible
28033 between Unix and MS-Windows hosts.
28034
28035 @table @code
28036 @anchor{set auto-load scripts-directory}
28037 @kindex set auto-load scripts-directory
28038 @item set auto-load scripts-directory @r{[}@var{directories}@r{]}
28039 Control @value{GDBN} auto-loaded scripts location. Multiple directory entries
28040 may be delimited by the host platform path separator in use
28041 (@samp{:} on Unix, @samp{;} on MS-Windows and MS-DOS).
28042
28043 Each entry here needs to be covered also by the security setting
28044 @code{set auto-load safe-path} (@pxref{set auto-load safe-path}).
28045
28046 @anchor{with-auto-load-dir}
28047 This variable defaults to @file{$debugdir:$datadir/auto-load}. The default
28048 @code{set auto-load safe-path} value can be also overriden by @value{GDBN}
28049 configuration option @option{--with-auto-load-dir}.
28050
28051 Any reference to @file{$debugdir} will get replaced by
28052 @var{debug-file-directory} value (@pxref{Separate Debug Files}) and any
28053 reference to @file{$datadir} will get replaced by @var{data-directory} which is
28054 determined at @value{GDBN} startup (@pxref{Data Files}). @file{$debugdir} and
28055 @file{$datadir} must be placed as a directory component --- either alone or
28056 delimited by @file{/} or @file{\} directory separators, depending on the host
28057 platform.
28058
28059 The list of directories uses path separator (@samp{:} on GNU and Unix
28060 systems, @samp{;} on MS-Windows and MS-DOS) to separate directories, similarly
28061 to the @env{PATH} environment variable.
28062
28063 @anchor{show auto-load scripts-directory}
28064 @kindex show auto-load scripts-directory
28065 @item show auto-load scripts-directory
28066 Show @value{GDBN} auto-loaded scripts location.
28067 @end table
28068
28069 @value{GDBN} does not track which files it has already auto-loaded this way.
28070 @value{GDBN} will load the associated script every time the corresponding
28071 @var{objfile} is opened.
28072 So your @file{-gdb.@var{ext}} file should be careful to avoid errors if it
28073 is evaluated more than once.
28074
28075 @node dotdebug_gdb_scripts section
28076 @subsection The @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section
28077 @cindex @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section
28078
28079 For systems using file formats like ELF and COFF,
28080 when @value{GDBN} loads a new object file
28081 it will look for a special section named @code{.debug_gdb_scripts}.
28082 If this section exists, its contents is a list of NUL-terminated names
28083 of scripts to load. Each entry begins with a non-NULL prefix byte that
28084 specifies the kind of entry, typically the extension language.
28085
28086 @value{GDBN} will look for each specified script file first in the
28087 current directory and then along the source search path
28088 (@pxref{Source Path, ,Specifying Source Directories}),
28089 except that @file{$cdir} is not searched, since the compilation
28090 directory is not relevant to scripts.
28091
28092 Entries can be placed in section @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} with,
28093 for example, this GCC macro for Python scripts.
28094
28095 @example
28096 /* Note: The "MS" section flags are to remove duplicates. */
28097 #define DEFINE_GDB_PY_SCRIPT(script_name) \
28098 asm("\
28099 .pushsection \".debug_gdb_scripts\", \"MS\",@@progbits,1\n\
28100 .byte 1 /* Python */\n\
28101 .asciz \"" script_name "\"\n\
28102 .popsection \n\
28103 ");
28104 @end example
28105
28106 @noindent
28107 For Guile scripts, replace @code{.byte 1} with @code{.byte 3}.
28108 Then one can reference the macro in a header or source file like this:
28109
28110 @example
28111 DEFINE_GDB_PY_SCRIPT ("my-app-scripts.py")
28112 @end example
28113
28114 The script name may include directories if desired.
28115
28116 Note that loading of this script file also requires accordingly configured
28117 @code{auto-load safe-path} (@pxref{Auto-loading safe path}).
28118
28119 If the macro invocation is put in a header, any application or library
28120 using this header will get a reference to the specified script,
28121 and with the use of @code{"MS"} attributes on the section, the linker
28122 will remove duplicates.
28123
28124 @node Which flavor to choose?
28125 @subsection Which flavor to choose?
28126
28127 Given the multiple ways of auto-loading extensions, it might not always
28128 be clear which one to choose. This section provides some guidance.
28129
28130 @noindent
28131 Benefits of the @file{-gdb.@var{ext}} way:
28132
28133 @itemize @bullet
28134 @item
28135 Can be used with file formats that don't support multiple sections.
28136
28137 @item
28138 Ease of finding scripts for public libraries.
28139
28140 Scripts specified in the @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section are searched for
28141 in the source search path.
28142 For publicly installed libraries, e.g., @file{libstdc++}, there typically
28143 isn't a source directory in which to find the script.
28144
28145 @item
28146 Doesn't require source code additions.
28147 @end itemize
28148
28149 @noindent
28150 Benefits of the @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} way:
28151
28152 @itemize @bullet
28153 @item
28154 Works with static linking.
28155
28156 Scripts for libraries done the @file{-gdb.@var{ext}} way require an objfile to
28157 trigger their loading. When an application is statically linked the only
28158 objfile available is the executable, and it is cumbersome to attach all the
28159 scripts from all the input libraries to the executable's
28160 @file{-gdb.@var{ext}} script.
28161
28162 @item
28163 Works with classes that are entirely inlined.
28164
28165 Some classes can be entirely inlined, and thus there may not be an associated
28166 shared library to attach a @file{-gdb.@var{ext}} script to.
28167
28168 @item
28169 Scripts needn't be copied out of the source tree.
28170
28171 In some circumstances, apps can be built out of large collections of internal
28172 libraries, and the build infrastructure necessary to install the
28173 @file{-gdb.@var{ext}} scripts in a place where @value{GDBN} can find them is
28174 cumbersome. It may be easier to specify the scripts in the
28175 @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section as relative paths, and add a path to the
28176 top of the source tree to the source search path.
28177 @end itemize
28178
28179 @node Multiple Extension Languages
28180 @section Multiple Extension Languages
28181
28182 The Guile and Python extension languages do not share any state,
28183 and generally do not interfere with each other.
28184 There are some things to be aware of, however.
28185
28186 @subsection Python comes first
28187
28188 Python was @value{GDBN}'s first extension language, and to avoid breaking
28189 existing behaviour Python comes first. This is generally solved by the
28190 ``first one wins'' principle. @value{GDBN} maintains a list of enabled
28191 extension languages, and when it makes a call to an extension language,
28192 (say to pretty-print a value), it tries each in turn until an extension
28193 language indicates it has performed the request (e.g., has returned the
28194 pretty-printed form of a value).
28195 This extends to errors while performing such requests: If an error happens
28196 while, for example, trying to pretty-print an object then the error is
28197 reported and any following extension languages are not tried.
28198
28199 @node Aliases
28200 @section Creating new spellings of existing commands
28201 @cindex aliases for commands
28202
28203 It is often useful to define alternate spellings of existing commands.
28204 For example, if a new @value{GDBN} command defined in Python has
28205 a long name to type, it is handy to have an abbreviated version of it
28206 that involves less typing.
28207
28208 @value{GDBN} itself uses aliases. For example @samp{s} is an alias
28209 of the @samp{step} command even though it is otherwise an ambiguous
28210 abbreviation of other commands like @samp{set} and @samp{show}.
28211
28212 Aliases are also used to provide shortened or more common versions
28213 of multi-word commands. For example, @value{GDBN} provides the
28214 @samp{tty} alias of the @samp{set inferior-tty} command.
28215
28216 You can define a new alias with the @samp{alias} command.
28217
28218 @table @code
28219
28220 @kindex alias
28221 @item alias [-a] [--] @var{ALIAS} = @var{COMMAND}
28222
28223 @end table
28224
28225 @var{ALIAS} specifies the name of the new alias.
28226 Each word of @var{ALIAS} must consist of letters, numbers, dashes and
28227 underscores.
28228
28229 @var{COMMAND} specifies the name of an existing command
28230 that is being aliased.
28231
28232 The @samp{-a} option specifies that the new alias is an abbreviation
28233 of the command. Abbreviations are not shown in command
28234 lists displayed by the @samp{help} command.
28235
28236 The @samp{--} option specifies the end of options,
28237 and is useful when @var{ALIAS} begins with a dash.
28238
28239 Here is a simple example showing how to make an abbreviation
28240 of a command so that there is less to type.
28241 Suppose you were tired of typing @samp{disas}, the current
28242 shortest unambiguous abbreviation of the @samp{disassemble} command
28243 and you wanted an even shorter version named @samp{di}.
28244 The following will accomplish this.
28245
28246 @smallexample
28247 (gdb) alias -a di = disas
28248 @end smallexample
28249
28250 Note that aliases are different from user-defined commands.
28251 With a user-defined command, you also need to write documentation
28252 for it with the @samp{document} command.
28253 An alias automatically picks up the documentation of the existing command.
28254
28255 Here is an example where we make @samp{elms} an abbreviation of
28256 @samp{elements} in the @samp{set print elements} command.
28257 This is to show that you can make an abbreviation of any part
28258 of a command.
28259
28260 @smallexample
28261 (gdb) alias -a set print elms = set print elements
28262 (gdb) alias -a show print elms = show print elements
28263 (gdb) set p elms 20
28264 (gdb) show p elms
28265 Limit on string chars or array elements to print is 200.
28266 @end smallexample
28267
28268 Note that if you are defining an alias of a @samp{set} command,
28269 and you want to have an alias for the corresponding @samp{show}
28270 command, then you need to define the latter separately.
28271
28272 Unambiguously abbreviated commands are allowed in @var{COMMAND} and
28273 @var{ALIAS}, just as they are normally.
28274
28275 @smallexample
28276 (gdb) alias -a set pr elms = set p ele
28277 @end smallexample
28278
28279 Finally, here is an example showing the creation of a one word
28280 alias for a more complex command.
28281 This creates alias @samp{spe} of the command @samp{set print elements}.
28282
28283 @smallexample
28284 (gdb) alias spe = set print elements
28285 (gdb) spe 20
28286 @end smallexample
28287
28288 @node Interpreters
28289 @chapter Command Interpreters
28290 @cindex command interpreters
28291
28292 @value{GDBN} supports multiple command interpreters, and some command
28293 infrastructure to allow users or user interface writers to switch
28294 between interpreters or run commands in other interpreters.
28295
28296 @value{GDBN} currently supports two command interpreters, the console
28297 interpreter (sometimes called the command-line interpreter or @sc{cli})
28298 and the machine interface interpreter (or @sc{gdb/mi}). This manual
28299 describes both of these interfaces in great detail.
28300
28301 By default, @value{GDBN} will start with the console interpreter.
28302 However, the user may choose to start @value{GDBN} with another
28303 interpreter by specifying the @option{-i} or @option{--interpreter}
28304 startup options. Defined interpreters include:
28305
28306 @table @code
28307 @item console
28308 @cindex console interpreter
28309 The traditional console or command-line interpreter. This is the most often
28310 used interpreter with @value{GDBN}. With no interpreter specified at runtime,
28311 @value{GDBN} will use this interpreter.
28312
28313 @item mi
28314 @cindex mi interpreter
28315 The newest @sc{gdb/mi} interface (currently @code{mi2}). Used primarily
28316 by programs wishing to use @value{GDBN} as a backend for a debugger GUI
28317 or an IDE. For more information, see @ref{GDB/MI, ,The @sc{gdb/mi}
28318 Interface}.
28319
28320 @item mi2
28321 @cindex mi2 interpreter
28322 The current @sc{gdb/mi} interface.
28323
28324 @item mi1
28325 @cindex mi1 interpreter
28326 The @sc{gdb/mi} interface included in @value{GDBN} 5.1, 5.2, and 5.3.
28327
28328 @end table
28329
28330 @cindex invoke another interpreter
28331 The interpreter being used by @value{GDBN} may not be dynamically
28332 switched at runtime. Although possible, this could lead to a very
28333 precarious situation. Consider an IDE using @sc{gdb/mi}. If a user
28334 enters the command "interpreter-set console" in a console view,
28335 @value{GDBN} would switch to using the console interpreter, rendering
28336 the IDE inoperable!
28337
28338 @kindex interpreter-exec
28339 Although you may only choose a single interpreter at startup, you may execute
28340 commands in any interpreter from the current interpreter using the appropriate
28341 command. If you are running the console interpreter, simply use the
28342 @code{interpreter-exec} command:
28343
28344 @smallexample
28345 interpreter-exec mi "-data-list-register-names"
28346 @end smallexample
28347
28348 @sc{gdb/mi} has a similar command, although it is only available in versions of
28349 @value{GDBN} which support @sc{gdb/mi} version 2 (or greater).
28350
28351 @node TUI
28352 @chapter @value{GDBN} Text User Interface
28353 @cindex TUI
28354 @cindex Text User Interface
28355
28356 @menu
28357 * TUI Overview:: TUI overview
28358 * TUI Keys:: TUI key bindings
28359 * TUI Single Key Mode:: TUI single key mode
28360 * TUI Commands:: TUI-specific commands
28361 * TUI Configuration:: TUI configuration variables
28362 @end menu
28363
28364 The @value{GDBN} Text User Interface (TUI) is a terminal
28365 interface which uses the @code{curses} library to show the source
28366 file, the assembly output, the program registers and @value{GDBN}
28367 commands in separate text windows. The TUI mode is supported only
28368 on platforms where a suitable version of the @code{curses} library
28369 is available.
28370
28371 The TUI mode is enabled by default when you invoke @value{GDBN} as
28372 @samp{@value{GDBP} -tui}.
28373 You can also switch in and out of TUI mode while @value{GDBN} runs by
28374 using various TUI commands and key bindings, such as @kbd{C-x C-a}.
28375 @xref{TUI Keys, ,TUI Key Bindings}.
28376
28377 @node TUI Overview
28378 @section TUI Overview
28379
28380 In TUI mode, @value{GDBN} can display several text windows:
28381
28382 @table @emph
28383 @item command
28384 This window is the @value{GDBN} command window with the @value{GDBN}
28385 prompt and the @value{GDBN} output. The @value{GDBN} input is still
28386 managed using readline.
28387
28388 @item source
28389 The source window shows the source file of the program. The current
28390 line and active breakpoints are displayed in this window.
28391
28392 @item assembly
28393 The assembly window shows the disassembly output of the program.
28394
28395 @item register
28396 This window shows the processor registers. Registers are highlighted
28397 when their values change.
28398 @end table
28399
28400 The source and assembly windows show the current program position
28401 by highlighting the current line and marking it with a @samp{>} marker.
28402 Breakpoints are indicated with two markers. The first marker
28403 indicates the breakpoint type:
28404
28405 @table @code
28406 @item B
28407 Breakpoint which was hit at least once.
28408
28409 @item b
28410 Breakpoint which was never hit.
28411
28412 @item H
28413 Hardware breakpoint which was hit at least once.
28414
28415 @item h
28416 Hardware breakpoint which was never hit.
28417 @end table
28418
28419 The second marker indicates whether the breakpoint is enabled or not:
28420
28421 @table @code
28422 @item +
28423 Breakpoint is enabled.
28424
28425 @item -
28426 Breakpoint is disabled.
28427 @end table
28428
28429 The source, assembly and register windows are updated when the current
28430 thread changes, when the frame changes, or when the program counter
28431 changes.
28432
28433 These windows are not all visible at the same time. The command
28434 window is always visible. The others can be arranged in several
28435 layouts:
28436
28437 @itemize @bullet
28438 @item
28439 source only,
28440
28441 @item
28442 assembly only,
28443
28444 @item
28445 source and assembly,
28446
28447 @item
28448 source and registers, or
28449
28450 @item
28451 assembly and registers.
28452 @end itemize
28453
28454 A status line above the command window shows the following information:
28455
28456 @table @emph
28457 @item target
28458 Indicates the current @value{GDBN} target.
28459 (@pxref{Targets, ,Specifying a Debugging Target}).
28460
28461 @item process
28462 Gives the current process or thread number.
28463 When no process is being debugged, this field is set to @code{No process}.
28464
28465 @item function
28466 Gives the current function name for the selected frame.
28467 The name is demangled if demangling is turned on (@pxref{Print Settings}).
28468 When there is no symbol corresponding to the current program counter,
28469 the string @code{??} is displayed.
28470
28471 @item line
28472 Indicates the current line number for the selected frame.
28473 When the current line number is not known, the string @code{??} is displayed.
28474
28475 @item pc
28476 Indicates the current program counter address.
28477 @end table
28478
28479 @node TUI Keys
28480 @section TUI Key Bindings
28481 @cindex TUI key bindings
28482
28483 The TUI installs several key bindings in the readline keymaps
28484 @ifset SYSTEM_READLINE
28485 (@pxref{Command Line Editing, , , rluserman, GNU Readline Library}).
28486 @end ifset
28487 @ifclear SYSTEM_READLINE
28488 (@pxref{Command Line Editing}).
28489 @end ifclear
28490 The following key bindings are installed for both TUI mode and the
28491 @value{GDBN} standard mode.
28492
28493 @table @kbd
28494 @kindex C-x C-a
28495 @item C-x C-a
28496 @kindex C-x a
28497 @itemx C-x a
28498 @kindex C-x A
28499 @itemx C-x A
28500 Enter or leave the TUI mode. When leaving the TUI mode,
28501 the curses window management stops and @value{GDBN} operates using
28502 its standard mode, writing on the terminal directly. When reentering
28503 the TUI mode, control is given back to the curses windows.
28504 The screen is then refreshed.
28505
28506 @kindex C-x 1
28507 @item C-x 1
28508 Use a TUI layout with only one window. The layout will
28509 either be @samp{source} or @samp{assembly}. When the TUI mode
28510 is not active, it will switch to the TUI mode.
28511
28512 Think of this key binding as the Emacs @kbd{C-x 1} binding.
28513
28514 @kindex C-x 2
28515 @item C-x 2
28516 Use a TUI layout with at least two windows. When the current
28517 layout already has two windows, the next layout with two windows is used.
28518 When a new layout is chosen, one window will always be common to the
28519 previous layout and the new one.
28520
28521 Think of it as the Emacs @kbd{C-x 2} binding.
28522
28523 @kindex C-x o
28524 @item C-x o
28525 Change the active window. The TUI associates several key bindings
28526 (like scrolling and arrow keys) with the active window. This command
28527 gives the focus to the next TUI window.
28528
28529 Think of it as the Emacs @kbd{C-x o} binding.
28530
28531 @kindex C-x s
28532 @item C-x s
28533 Switch in and out of the TUI SingleKey mode that binds single
28534 keys to @value{GDBN} commands (@pxref{TUI Single Key Mode}).
28535 @end table
28536
28537 The following key bindings only work in the TUI mode:
28538
28539 @table @asis
28540 @kindex PgUp
28541 @item @key{PgUp}
28542 Scroll the active window one page up.
28543
28544 @kindex PgDn
28545 @item @key{PgDn}
28546 Scroll the active window one page down.
28547
28548 @kindex Up
28549 @item @key{Up}
28550 Scroll the active window one line up.
28551
28552 @kindex Down
28553 @item @key{Down}
28554 Scroll the active window one line down.
28555
28556 @kindex Left
28557 @item @key{Left}
28558 Scroll the active window one column left.
28559
28560 @kindex Right
28561 @item @key{Right}
28562 Scroll the active window one column right.
28563
28564 @kindex C-L
28565 @item @kbd{C-L}
28566 Refresh the screen.
28567 @end table
28568
28569 Because the arrow keys scroll the active window in the TUI mode, they
28570 are not available for their normal use by readline unless the command
28571 window has the focus. When another window is active, you must use
28572 other readline key bindings such as @kbd{C-p}, @kbd{C-n}, @kbd{C-b}
28573 and @kbd{C-f} to control the command window.
28574
28575 @node TUI Single Key Mode
28576 @section TUI Single Key Mode
28577 @cindex TUI single key mode
28578
28579 The TUI also provides a @dfn{SingleKey} mode, which binds several
28580 frequently used @value{GDBN} commands to single keys. Type @kbd{C-x s} to
28581 switch into this mode, where the following key bindings are used:
28582
28583 @table @kbd
28584 @kindex c @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
28585 @item c
28586 continue
28587
28588 @kindex d @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
28589 @item d
28590 down
28591
28592 @kindex f @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
28593 @item f
28594 finish
28595
28596 @kindex n @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
28597 @item n
28598 next
28599
28600 @kindex q @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
28601 @item q
28602 exit the SingleKey mode.
28603
28604 @kindex r @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
28605 @item r
28606 run
28607
28608 @kindex s @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
28609 @item s
28610 step
28611
28612 @kindex u @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
28613 @item u
28614 up
28615
28616 @kindex v @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
28617 @item v
28618 info locals
28619
28620 @kindex w @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
28621 @item w
28622 where
28623 @end table
28624
28625 Other keys temporarily switch to the @value{GDBN} command prompt.
28626 The key that was pressed is inserted in the editing buffer so that
28627 it is possible to type most @value{GDBN} commands without interaction
28628 with the TUI SingleKey mode. Once the command is entered the TUI
28629 SingleKey mode is restored. The only way to permanently leave
28630 this mode is by typing @kbd{q} or @kbd{C-x s}.
28631
28632
28633 @node TUI Commands
28634 @section TUI-specific Commands
28635 @cindex TUI commands
28636
28637 The TUI has specific commands to control the text windows.
28638 These commands are always available, even when @value{GDBN} is not in
28639 the TUI mode. When @value{GDBN} is in the standard mode, most
28640 of these commands will automatically switch to the TUI mode.
28641
28642 Note that if @value{GDBN}'s @code{stdout} is not connected to a
28643 terminal, or @value{GDBN} has been started with the machine interface
28644 interpreter (@pxref{GDB/MI, ,The @sc{gdb/mi} Interface}), most of
28645 these commands will fail with an error, because it would not be
28646 possible or desirable to enable curses window management.
28647
28648 @table @code
28649 @item info win
28650 @kindex info win
28651 List and give the size of all displayed windows.
28652
28653 @item layout next
28654 @kindex layout
28655 Display the next layout.
28656
28657 @item layout prev
28658 Display the previous layout.
28659
28660 @item layout src
28661 Display the source window only.
28662
28663 @item layout asm
28664 Display the assembly window only.
28665
28666 @item layout split
28667 Display the source and assembly window.
28668
28669 @item layout regs
28670 Display the register window together with the source or assembly window.
28671
28672 @item focus next
28673 @kindex focus
28674 Make the next window active for scrolling.
28675
28676 @item focus prev
28677 Make the previous window active for scrolling.
28678
28679 @item focus src
28680 Make the source window active for scrolling.
28681
28682 @item focus asm
28683 Make the assembly window active for scrolling.
28684
28685 @item focus regs
28686 Make the register window active for scrolling.
28687
28688 @item focus cmd
28689 Make the command window active for scrolling.
28690
28691 @item refresh
28692 @kindex refresh
28693 Refresh the screen. This is similar to typing @kbd{C-L}.
28694
28695 @item tui reg float
28696 @kindex tui reg
28697 Show the floating point registers in the register window.
28698
28699 @item tui reg general
28700 Show the general registers in the register window.
28701
28702 @item tui reg next
28703 Show the next register group. The list of register groups as well as
28704 their order is target specific. The predefined register groups are the
28705 following: @code{general}, @code{float}, @code{system}, @code{vector},
28706 @code{all}, @code{save}, @code{restore}.
28707
28708 @item tui reg system
28709 Show the system registers in the register window.
28710
28711 @item update
28712 @kindex update
28713 Update the source window and the current execution point.
28714
28715 @item winheight @var{name} +@var{count}
28716 @itemx winheight @var{name} -@var{count}
28717 @kindex winheight
28718 Change the height of the window @var{name} by @var{count}
28719 lines. Positive counts increase the height, while negative counts
28720 decrease it.
28721
28722 @item tabset @var{nchars}
28723 @kindex tabset
28724 Set the width of tab stops to be @var{nchars} characters.
28725 @end table
28726
28727 @node TUI Configuration
28728 @section TUI Configuration Variables
28729 @cindex TUI configuration variables
28730
28731 Several configuration variables control the appearance of TUI windows.
28732
28733 @table @code
28734 @item set tui border-kind @var{kind}
28735 @kindex set tui border-kind
28736 Select the border appearance for the source, assembly and register windows.
28737 The possible values are the following:
28738 @table @code
28739 @item space
28740 Use a space character to draw the border.
28741
28742 @item ascii
28743 Use @sc{ascii} characters @samp{+}, @samp{-} and @samp{|} to draw the border.
28744
28745 @item acs
28746 Use the Alternate Character Set to draw the border. The border is
28747 drawn using character line graphics if the terminal supports them.
28748 @end table
28749
28750 @item set tui border-mode @var{mode}
28751 @kindex set tui border-mode
28752 @itemx set tui active-border-mode @var{mode}
28753 @kindex set tui active-border-mode
28754 Select the display attributes for the borders of the inactive windows
28755 or the active window. The @var{mode} can be one of the following:
28756 @table @code
28757 @item normal
28758 Use normal attributes to display the border.
28759
28760 @item standout
28761 Use standout mode.
28762
28763 @item reverse
28764 Use reverse video mode.
28765
28766 @item half
28767 Use half bright mode.
28768
28769 @item half-standout
28770 Use half bright and standout mode.
28771
28772 @item bold
28773 Use extra bright or bold mode.
28774
28775 @item bold-standout
28776 Use extra bright or bold and standout mode.
28777 @end table
28778 @end table
28779
28780 @node Emacs
28781 @chapter Using @value{GDBN} under @sc{gnu} Emacs
28782
28783 @cindex Emacs
28784 @cindex @sc{gnu} Emacs
28785 A special interface allows you to use @sc{gnu} Emacs to view (and
28786 edit) the source files for the program you are debugging with
28787 @value{GDBN}.
28788
28789 To use this interface, use the command @kbd{M-x gdb} in Emacs. Give the
28790 executable file you want to debug as an argument. This command starts
28791 @value{GDBN} as a subprocess of Emacs, with input and output through a newly
28792 created Emacs buffer.
28793 @c (Do not use the @code{-tui} option to run @value{GDBN} from Emacs.)
28794
28795 Running @value{GDBN} under Emacs can be just like running @value{GDBN} normally except for two
28796 things:
28797
28798 @itemize @bullet
28799 @item
28800 All ``terminal'' input and output goes through an Emacs buffer, called
28801 the GUD buffer.
28802
28803 This applies both to @value{GDBN} commands and their output, and to the input
28804 and output done by the program you are debugging.
28805
28806 This is useful because it means that you can copy the text of previous
28807 commands and input them again; you can even use parts of the output
28808 in this way.
28809
28810 All the facilities of Emacs' Shell mode are available for interacting
28811 with your program. In particular, you can send signals the usual
28812 way---for example, @kbd{C-c C-c} for an interrupt, @kbd{C-c C-z} for a
28813 stop.
28814
28815 @item
28816 @value{GDBN} displays source code through Emacs.
28817
28818 Each time @value{GDBN} displays a stack frame, Emacs automatically finds the
28819 source file for that frame and puts an arrow (@samp{=>}) at the
28820 left margin of the current line. Emacs uses a separate buffer for
28821 source display, and splits the screen to show both your @value{GDBN} session
28822 and the source.
28823
28824 Explicit @value{GDBN} @code{list} or search commands still produce output as
28825 usual, but you probably have no reason to use them from Emacs.
28826 @end itemize
28827
28828 We call this @dfn{text command mode}. Emacs 22.1, and later, also uses
28829 a graphical mode, enabled by default, which provides further buffers
28830 that can control the execution and describe the state of your program.
28831 @xref{GDB Graphical Interface,,, Emacs, The @sc{gnu} Emacs Manual}.
28832
28833 If you specify an absolute file name when prompted for the @kbd{M-x
28834 gdb} argument, then Emacs sets your current working directory to where
28835 your program resides. If you only specify the file name, then Emacs
28836 sets your current working directory to the directory associated
28837 with the previous buffer. In this case, @value{GDBN} may find your
28838 program by searching your environment's @code{PATH} variable, but on
28839 some operating systems it might not find the source. So, although the
28840 @value{GDBN} input and output session proceeds normally, the auxiliary
28841 buffer does not display the current source and line of execution.
28842
28843 The initial working directory of @value{GDBN} is printed on the top
28844 line of the GUD buffer and this serves as a default for the commands
28845 that specify files for @value{GDBN} to operate on. @xref{Files,
28846 ,Commands to Specify Files}.
28847
28848 By default, @kbd{M-x gdb} calls the program called @file{gdb}. If you
28849 need to call @value{GDBN} by a different name (for example, if you
28850 keep several configurations around, with different names) you can
28851 customize the Emacs variable @code{gud-gdb-command-name} to run the
28852 one you want.
28853
28854 In the GUD buffer, you can use these special Emacs commands in
28855 addition to the standard Shell mode commands:
28856
28857 @table @kbd
28858 @item C-h m
28859 Describe the features of Emacs' GUD Mode.
28860
28861 @item C-c C-s
28862 Execute to another source line, like the @value{GDBN} @code{step} command; also
28863 update the display window to show the current file and location.
28864
28865 @item C-c C-n
28866 Execute to next source line in this function, skipping all function
28867 calls, like the @value{GDBN} @code{next} command. Then update the display window
28868 to show the current file and location.
28869
28870 @item C-c C-i
28871 Execute one instruction, like the @value{GDBN} @code{stepi} command; update
28872 display window accordingly.
28873
28874 @item C-c C-f
28875 Execute until exit from the selected stack frame, like the @value{GDBN}
28876 @code{finish} command.
28877
28878 @item C-c C-r
28879 Continue execution of your program, like the @value{GDBN} @code{continue}
28880 command.
28881
28882 @item C-c <
28883 Go up the number of frames indicated by the numeric argument
28884 (@pxref{Arguments, , Numeric Arguments, Emacs, The @sc{gnu} Emacs Manual}),
28885 like the @value{GDBN} @code{up} command.
28886
28887 @item C-c >
28888 Go down the number of frames indicated by the numeric argument, like the
28889 @value{GDBN} @code{down} command.
28890 @end table
28891
28892 In any source file, the Emacs command @kbd{C-x @key{SPC}} (@code{gud-break})
28893 tells @value{GDBN} to set a breakpoint on the source line point is on.
28894
28895 In text command mode, if you type @kbd{M-x speedbar}, Emacs displays a
28896 separate frame which shows a backtrace when the GUD buffer is current.
28897 Move point to any frame in the stack and type @key{RET} to make it
28898 become the current frame and display the associated source in the
28899 source buffer. Alternatively, click @kbd{Mouse-2} to make the
28900 selected frame become the current one. In graphical mode, the
28901 speedbar displays watch expressions.
28902
28903 If you accidentally delete the source-display buffer, an easy way to get
28904 it back is to type the command @code{f} in the @value{GDBN} buffer, to
28905 request a frame display; when you run under Emacs, this recreates
28906 the source buffer if necessary to show you the context of the current
28907 frame.
28908
28909 The source files displayed in Emacs are in ordinary Emacs buffers
28910 which are visiting the source files in the usual way. You can edit
28911 the files with these buffers if you wish; but keep in mind that @value{GDBN}
28912 communicates with Emacs in terms of line numbers. If you add or
28913 delete lines from the text, the line numbers that @value{GDBN} knows cease
28914 to correspond properly with the code.
28915
28916 A more detailed description of Emacs' interaction with @value{GDBN} is
28917 given in the Emacs manual (@pxref{Debuggers,,, Emacs, The @sc{gnu}
28918 Emacs Manual}).
28919
28920 @node GDB/MI
28921 @chapter The @sc{gdb/mi} Interface
28922
28923 @unnumberedsec Function and Purpose
28924
28925 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, its purpose
28926 @sc{gdb/mi} is a line based machine oriented text interface to
28927 @value{GDBN} and is activated by specifying using the
28928 @option{--interpreter} command line option (@pxref{Mode Options}). It
28929 is specifically intended to support the development of systems which
28930 use the debugger as just one small component of a larger system.
28931
28932 This chapter is a specification of the @sc{gdb/mi} interface. It is written
28933 in the form of a reference manual.
28934
28935 Note that @sc{gdb/mi} is still under construction, so some of the
28936 features described below are incomplete and subject to change
28937 (@pxref{GDB/MI Development and Front Ends, , @sc{gdb/mi} Development and Front Ends}).
28938
28939 @unnumberedsec Notation and Terminology
28940
28941 @cindex notational conventions, for @sc{gdb/mi}
28942 This chapter uses the following notation:
28943
28944 @itemize @bullet
28945 @item
28946 @code{|} separates two alternatives.
28947
28948 @item
28949 @code{[ @var{something} ]} indicates that @var{something} is optional:
28950 it may or may not be given.
28951
28952 @item
28953 @code{( @var{group} )*} means that @var{group} inside the parentheses
28954 may repeat zero or more times.
28955
28956 @item
28957 @code{( @var{group} )+} means that @var{group} inside the parentheses
28958 may repeat one or more times.
28959
28960 @item
28961 @code{"@var{string}"} means a literal @var{string}.
28962 @end itemize
28963
28964 @ignore
28965 @heading Dependencies
28966 @end ignore
28967
28968 @menu
28969 * GDB/MI General Design::
28970 * GDB/MI Command Syntax::
28971 * GDB/MI Compatibility with CLI::
28972 * GDB/MI Development and Front Ends::
28973 * GDB/MI Output Records::
28974 * GDB/MI Simple Examples::
28975 * GDB/MI Command Description Format::
28976 * GDB/MI Breakpoint Commands::
28977 * GDB/MI Catchpoint Commands::
28978 * GDB/MI Program Context::
28979 * GDB/MI Thread Commands::
28980 * GDB/MI Ada Tasking Commands::
28981 * GDB/MI Program Execution::
28982 * GDB/MI Stack Manipulation::
28983 * GDB/MI Variable Objects::
28984 * GDB/MI Data Manipulation::
28985 * GDB/MI Tracepoint Commands::
28986 * GDB/MI Symbol Query::
28987 * GDB/MI File Commands::
28988 @ignore
28989 * GDB/MI Kod Commands::
28990 * GDB/MI Memory Overlay Commands::
28991 * GDB/MI Signal Handling Commands::
28992 @end ignore
28993 * GDB/MI Target Manipulation::
28994 * GDB/MI File Transfer Commands::
28995 * GDB/MI Ada Exceptions Commands::
28996 * GDB/MI Support Commands::
28997 * GDB/MI Miscellaneous Commands::
28998 @end menu
28999
29000 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
29001 @node GDB/MI General Design
29002 @section @sc{gdb/mi} General Design
29003 @cindex GDB/MI General Design
29004
29005 Interaction of a @sc{GDB/MI} frontend with @value{GDBN} involves three
29006 parts---commands sent to @value{GDBN}, responses to those commands
29007 and notifications. Each command results in exactly one response,
29008 indicating either successful completion of the command, or an error.
29009 For the commands that do not resume the target, the response contains the
29010 requested information. For the commands that resume the target, the
29011 response only indicates whether the target was successfully resumed.
29012 Notifications is the mechanism for reporting changes in the state of the
29013 target, or in @value{GDBN} state, that cannot conveniently be associated with
29014 a command and reported as part of that command response.
29015
29016 The important examples of notifications are:
29017 @itemize @bullet
29018
29019 @item
29020 Exec notifications. These are used to report changes in
29021 target state---when a target is resumed, or stopped. It would not
29022 be feasible to include this information in response of resuming
29023 commands, because one resume commands can result in multiple events in
29024 different threads. Also, quite some time may pass before any event
29025 happens in the target, while a frontend needs to know whether the resuming
29026 command itself was successfully executed.
29027
29028 @item
29029 Console output, and status notifications. Console output
29030 notifications are used to report output of CLI commands, as well as
29031 diagnostics for other commands. Status notifications are used to
29032 report the progress of a long-running operation. Naturally, including
29033 this information in command response would mean no output is produced
29034 until the command is finished, which is undesirable.
29035
29036 @item
29037 General notifications. Commands may have various side effects on
29038 the @value{GDBN} or target state beyond their official purpose. For example,
29039 a command may change the selected thread. Although such changes can
29040 be included in command response, using notification allows for more
29041 orthogonal frontend design.
29042
29043 @end itemize
29044
29045 There's no guarantee that whenever an MI command reports an error,
29046 @value{GDBN} or the target are in any specific state, and especially,
29047 the state is not reverted to the state before the MI command was
29048 processed. Therefore, whenever an MI command results in an error,
29049 we recommend that the frontend refreshes all the information shown in
29050 the user interface.
29051
29052
29053 @menu
29054 * Context management::
29055 * Asynchronous and non-stop modes::
29056 * Thread groups::
29057 @end menu
29058
29059 @node Context management
29060 @subsection Context management
29061
29062 @subsubsection Threads and Frames
29063
29064 In most cases when @value{GDBN} accesses the target, this access is
29065 done in context of a specific thread and frame (@pxref{Frames}).
29066 Often, even when accessing global data, the target requires that a thread
29067 be specified. The CLI interface maintains the selected thread and frame,
29068 and supplies them to target on each command. This is convenient,
29069 because a command line user would not want to specify that information
29070 explicitly on each command, and because user interacts with
29071 @value{GDBN} via a single terminal, so no confusion is possible as
29072 to what thread and frame are the current ones.
29073
29074 In the case of MI, the concept of selected thread and frame is less
29075 useful. First, a frontend can easily remember this information
29076 itself. Second, a graphical frontend can have more than one window,
29077 each one used for debugging a different thread, and the frontend might
29078 want to access additional threads for internal purposes. This
29079 increases the risk that by relying on implicitly selected thread, the
29080 frontend may be operating on a wrong one. Therefore, each MI command
29081 should explicitly specify which thread and frame to operate on. To
29082 make it possible, each MI command accepts the @samp{--thread} and
29083 @samp{--frame} options, the value to each is @value{GDBN} identifier
29084 for thread and frame to operate on.
29085
29086 Usually, each top-level window in a frontend allows the user to select
29087 a thread and a frame, and remembers the user selection for further
29088 operations. However, in some cases @value{GDBN} may suggest that the
29089 current thread be changed. For example, when stopping on a breakpoint
29090 it is reasonable to switch to the thread where breakpoint is hit. For
29091 another example, if the user issues the CLI @samp{thread} command via
29092 the frontend, it is desirable to change the frontend's selected thread to the
29093 one specified by user. @value{GDBN} communicates the suggestion to
29094 change current thread using the @samp{=thread-selected} notification.
29095 No such notification is available for the selected frame at the moment.
29096
29097 Note that historically, MI shares the selected thread with CLI, so
29098 frontends used the @code{-thread-select} to execute commands in the
29099 right context. However, getting this to work right is cumbersome. The
29100 simplest way is for frontend to emit @code{-thread-select} command
29101 before every command. This doubles the number of commands that need
29102 to be sent. The alternative approach is to suppress @code{-thread-select}
29103 if the selected thread in @value{GDBN} is supposed to be identical to the
29104 thread the frontend wants to operate on. However, getting this
29105 optimization right can be tricky. In particular, if the frontend
29106 sends several commands to @value{GDBN}, and one of the commands changes the
29107 selected thread, then the behaviour of subsequent commands will
29108 change. So, a frontend should either wait for response from such
29109 problematic commands, or explicitly add @code{-thread-select} for
29110 all subsequent commands. No frontend is known to do this exactly
29111 right, so it is suggested to just always pass the @samp{--thread} and
29112 @samp{--frame} options.
29113
29114 @subsubsection Language
29115
29116 The execution of several commands depends on which language is selected.
29117 By default, the current language (@pxref{show language}) is used.
29118 But for commands known to be language-sensitive, it is recommended
29119 to use the @samp{--language} option. This option takes one argument,
29120 which is the name of the language to use while executing the command.
29121 For instance:
29122
29123 @smallexample
29124 -data-evaluate-expression --language c "sizeof (void*)"
29125 ^done,value="4"
29126 (gdb)
29127 @end smallexample
29128
29129 The valid language names are the same names accepted by the
29130 @samp{set language} command (@pxref{Manually}), excluding @samp{auto},
29131 @samp{local} or @samp{unknown}.
29132
29133 @node Asynchronous and non-stop modes
29134 @subsection Asynchronous command execution and non-stop mode
29135
29136 On some targets, @value{GDBN} is capable of processing MI commands
29137 even while the target is running. This is called @dfn{asynchronous
29138 command execution} (@pxref{Background Execution}). The frontend may
29139 specify a preferrence for asynchronous execution using the
29140 @code{-gdb-set target-async 1} command, which should be emitted before
29141 either running the executable or attaching to the target. After the
29142 frontend has started the executable or attached to the target, it can
29143 find if asynchronous execution is enabled using the
29144 @code{-list-target-features} command.
29145
29146 Even if @value{GDBN} can accept a command while target is running,
29147 many commands that access the target do not work when the target is
29148 running. Therefore, asynchronous command execution is most useful
29149 when combined with non-stop mode (@pxref{Non-Stop Mode}). Then,
29150 it is possible to examine the state of one thread, while other threads
29151 are running.
29152
29153 When a given thread is running, MI commands that try to access the
29154 target in the context of that thread may not work, or may work only on
29155 some targets. In particular, commands that try to operate on thread's
29156 stack will not work, on any target. Commands that read memory, or
29157 modify breakpoints, may work or not work, depending on the target. Note
29158 that even commands that operate on global state, such as @code{print},
29159 @code{set}, and breakpoint commands, still access the target in the
29160 context of a specific thread, so frontend should try to find a
29161 stopped thread and perform the operation on that thread (using the
29162 @samp{--thread} option).
29163
29164 Which commands will work in the context of a running thread is
29165 highly target dependent. However, the two commands
29166 @code{-exec-interrupt}, to stop a thread, and @code{-thread-info},
29167 to find the state of a thread, will always work.
29168
29169 @node Thread groups
29170 @subsection Thread groups
29171 @value{GDBN} may be used to debug several processes at the same time.
29172 On some platfroms, @value{GDBN} may support debugging of several
29173 hardware systems, each one having several cores with several different
29174 processes running on each core. This section describes the MI
29175 mechanism to support such debugging scenarios.
29176
29177 The key observation is that regardless of the structure of the
29178 target, MI can have a global list of threads, because most commands that
29179 accept the @samp{--thread} option do not need to know what process that
29180 thread belongs to. Therefore, it is not necessary to introduce
29181 neither additional @samp{--process} option, nor an notion of the
29182 current process in the MI interface. The only strictly new feature
29183 that is required is the ability to find how the threads are grouped
29184 into processes.
29185
29186 To allow the user to discover such grouping, and to support arbitrary
29187 hierarchy of machines/cores/processes, MI introduces the concept of a
29188 @dfn{thread group}. Thread group is a collection of threads and other
29189 thread groups. A thread group always has a string identifier, a type,
29190 and may have additional attributes specific to the type. A new
29191 command, @code{-list-thread-groups}, returns the list of top-level
29192 thread groups, which correspond to processes that @value{GDBN} is
29193 debugging at the moment. By passing an identifier of a thread group
29194 to the @code{-list-thread-groups} command, it is possible to obtain
29195 the members of specific thread group.
29196
29197 To allow the user to easily discover processes, and other objects, he
29198 wishes to debug, a concept of @dfn{available thread group} is
29199 introduced. Available thread group is an thread group that
29200 @value{GDBN} is not debugging, but that can be attached to, using the
29201 @code{-target-attach} command. The list of available top-level thread
29202 groups can be obtained using @samp{-list-thread-groups --available}.
29203 In general, the content of a thread group may be only retrieved only
29204 after attaching to that thread group.
29205
29206 Thread groups are related to inferiors (@pxref{Inferiors and
29207 Programs}). Each inferior corresponds to a thread group of a special
29208 type @samp{process}, and some additional operations are permitted on
29209 such thread groups.
29210
29211 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
29212 @node GDB/MI Command Syntax
29213 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Command Syntax
29214
29215 @menu
29216 * GDB/MI Input Syntax::
29217 * GDB/MI Output Syntax::
29218 @end menu
29219
29220 @node GDB/MI Input Syntax
29221 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Input Syntax
29222
29223 @cindex input syntax for @sc{gdb/mi}
29224 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, input syntax
29225 @table @code
29226 @item @var{command} @expansion{}
29227 @code{@var{cli-command} | @var{mi-command}}
29228
29229 @item @var{cli-command} @expansion{}
29230 @code{[ @var{token} ] @var{cli-command} @var{nl}}, where
29231 @var{cli-command} is any existing @value{GDBN} CLI command.
29232
29233 @item @var{mi-command} @expansion{}
29234 @code{[ @var{token} ] "-" @var{operation} ( " " @var{option} )*
29235 @code{[} " --" @code{]} ( " " @var{parameter} )* @var{nl}}
29236
29237 @item @var{token} @expansion{}
29238 "any sequence of digits"
29239
29240 @item @var{option} @expansion{}
29241 @code{"-" @var{parameter} [ " " @var{parameter} ]}
29242
29243 @item @var{parameter} @expansion{}
29244 @code{@var{non-blank-sequence} | @var{c-string}}
29245
29246 @item @var{operation} @expansion{}
29247 @emph{any of the operations described in this chapter}
29248
29249 @item @var{non-blank-sequence} @expansion{}
29250 @emph{anything, provided it doesn't contain special characters such as
29251 "-", @var{nl}, """ and of course " "}
29252
29253 @item @var{c-string} @expansion{}
29254 @code{""" @var{seven-bit-iso-c-string-content} """}
29255
29256 @item @var{nl} @expansion{}
29257 @code{CR | CR-LF}
29258 @end table
29259
29260 @noindent
29261 Notes:
29262
29263 @itemize @bullet
29264 @item
29265 The CLI commands are still handled by the @sc{mi} interpreter; their
29266 output is described below.
29267
29268 @item
29269 The @code{@var{token}}, when present, is passed back when the command
29270 finishes.
29271
29272 @item
29273 Some @sc{mi} commands accept optional arguments as part of the parameter
29274 list. Each option is identified by a leading @samp{-} (dash) and may be
29275 followed by an optional argument parameter. Options occur first in the
29276 parameter list and can be delimited from normal parameters using
29277 @samp{--} (this is useful when some parameters begin with a dash).
29278 @end itemize
29279
29280 Pragmatics:
29281
29282 @itemize @bullet
29283 @item
29284 We want easy access to the existing CLI syntax (for debugging).
29285
29286 @item
29287 We want it to be easy to spot a @sc{mi} operation.
29288 @end itemize
29289
29290 @node GDB/MI Output Syntax
29291 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Output Syntax
29292
29293 @cindex output syntax of @sc{gdb/mi}
29294 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, output syntax
29295 The output from @sc{gdb/mi} consists of zero or more out-of-band records
29296 followed, optionally, by a single result record. This result record
29297 is for the most recent command. The sequence of output records is
29298 terminated by @samp{(gdb)}.
29299
29300 If an input command was prefixed with a @code{@var{token}} then the
29301 corresponding output for that command will also be prefixed by that same
29302 @var{token}.
29303
29304 @table @code
29305 @item @var{output} @expansion{}
29306 @code{( @var{out-of-band-record} )* [ @var{result-record} ] "(gdb)" @var{nl}}
29307
29308 @item @var{result-record} @expansion{}
29309 @code{ [ @var{token} ] "^" @var{result-class} ( "," @var{result} )* @var{nl}}
29310
29311 @item @var{out-of-band-record} @expansion{}
29312 @code{@var{async-record} | @var{stream-record}}
29313
29314 @item @var{async-record} @expansion{}
29315 @code{@var{exec-async-output} | @var{status-async-output} | @var{notify-async-output}}
29316
29317 @item @var{exec-async-output} @expansion{}
29318 @code{[ @var{token} ] "*" @var{async-output nl}}
29319
29320 @item @var{status-async-output} @expansion{}
29321 @code{[ @var{token} ] "+" @var{async-output nl}}
29322
29323 @item @var{notify-async-output} @expansion{}
29324 @code{[ @var{token} ] "=" @var{async-output nl}}
29325
29326 @item @var{async-output} @expansion{}
29327 @code{@var{async-class} ( "," @var{result} )*}
29328
29329 @item @var{result-class} @expansion{}
29330 @code{"done" | "running" | "connected" | "error" | "exit"}
29331
29332 @item @var{async-class} @expansion{}
29333 @code{"stopped" | @var{others}} (where @var{others} will be added
29334 depending on the needs---this is still in development).
29335
29336 @item @var{result} @expansion{}
29337 @code{ @var{variable} "=" @var{value}}
29338
29339 @item @var{variable} @expansion{}
29340 @code{ @var{string} }
29341
29342 @item @var{value} @expansion{}
29343 @code{ @var{const} | @var{tuple} | @var{list} }
29344
29345 @item @var{const} @expansion{}
29346 @code{@var{c-string}}
29347
29348 @item @var{tuple} @expansion{}
29349 @code{ "@{@}" | "@{" @var{result} ( "," @var{result} )* "@}" }
29350
29351 @item @var{list} @expansion{}
29352 @code{ "[]" | "[" @var{value} ( "," @var{value} )* "]" | "["
29353 @var{result} ( "," @var{result} )* "]" }
29354
29355 @item @var{stream-record} @expansion{}
29356 @code{@var{console-stream-output} | @var{target-stream-output} | @var{log-stream-output}}
29357
29358 @item @var{console-stream-output} @expansion{}
29359 @code{"~" @var{c-string nl}}
29360
29361 @item @var{target-stream-output} @expansion{}
29362 @code{"@@" @var{c-string nl}}
29363
29364 @item @var{log-stream-output} @expansion{}
29365 @code{"&" @var{c-string nl}}
29366
29367 @item @var{nl} @expansion{}
29368 @code{CR | CR-LF}
29369
29370 @item @var{token} @expansion{}
29371 @emph{any sequence of digits}.
29372 @end table
29373
29374 @noindent
29375 Notes:
29376
29377 @itemize @bullet
29378 @item
29379 All output sequences end in a single line containing a period.
29380
29381 @item
29382 The @code{@var{token}} is from the corresponding request. Note that
29383 for all async output, while the token is allowed by the grammar and
29384 may be output by future versions of @value{GDBN} for select async
29385 output messages, it is generally omitted. Frontends should treat
29386 all async output as reporting general changes in the state of the
29387 target and there should be no need to associate async output to any
29388 prior command.
29389
29390 @item
29391 @cindex status output in @sc{gdb/mi}
29392 @var{status-async-output} contains on-going status information about the
29393 progress of a slow operation. It can be discarded. All status output is
29394 prefixed by @samp{+}.
29395
29396 @item
29397 @cindex async output in @sc{gdb/mi}
29398 @var{exec-async-output} contains asynchronous state change on the target
29399 (stopped, started, disappeared). All async output is prefixed by
29400 @samp{*}.
29401
29402 @item
29403 @cindex notify output in @sc{gdb/mi}
29404 @var{notify-async-output} contains supplementary information that the
29405 client should handle (e.g., a new breakpoint information). All notify
29406 output is prefixed by @samp{=}.
29407
29408 @item
29409 @cindex console output in @sc{gdb/mi}
29410 @var{console-stream-output} is output that should be displayed as is in the
29411 console. It is the textual response to a CLI command. All the console
29412 output is prefixed by @samp{~}.
29413
29414 @item
29415 @cindex target output in @sc{gdb/mi}
29416 @var{target-stream-output} is the output produced by the target program.
29417 All the target output is prefixed by @samp{@@}.
29418
29419 @item
29420 @cindex log output in @sc{gdb/mi}
29421 @var{log-stream-output} is output text coming from @value{GDBN}'s internals, for
29422 instance messages that should be displayed as part of an error log. All
29423 the log output is prefixed by @samp{&}.
29424
29425 @item
29426 @cindex list output in @sc{gdb/mi}
29427 New @sc{gdb/mi} commands should only output @var{lists} containing
29428 @var{values}.
29429
29430
29431 @end itemize
29432
29433 @xref{GDB/MI Stream Records, , @sc{gdb/mi} Stream Records}, for more
29434 details about the various output records.
29435
29436 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
29437 @node GDB/MI Compatibility with CLI
29438 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Compatibility with CLI
29439
29440 @cindex compatibility, @sc{gdb/mi} and CLI
29441 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, compatibility with CLI
29442
29443 For the developers convenience CLI commands can be entered directly,
29444 but there may be some unexpected behaviour. For example, commands
29445 that query the user will behave as if the user replied yes, breakpoint
29446 command lists are not executed and some CLI commands, such as
29447 @code{if}, @code{when} and @code{define}, prompt for further input with
29448 @samp{>}, which is not valid MI output.
29449
29450 This feature may be removed at some stage in the future and it is
29451 recommended that front ends use the @code{-interpreter-exec} command
29452 (@pxref{-interpreter-exec}).
29453
29454 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
29455 @node GDB/MI Development and Front Ends
29456 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Development and Front Ends
29457 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi} development
29458
29459 The application which takes the MI output and presents the state of the
29460 program being debugged to the user is called a @dfn{front end}.
29461
29462 Although @sc{gdb/mi} is still incomplete, it is currently being used
29463 by a variety of front ends to @value{GDBN}. This makes it difficult
29464 to introduce new functionality without breaking existing usage. This
29465 section tries to minimize the problems by describing how the protocol
29466 might change.
29467
29468 Some changes in MI need not break a carefully designed front end, and
29469 for these the MI version will remain unchanged. The following is a
29470 list of changes that may occur within one level, so front ends should
29471 parse MI output in a way that can handle them:
29472
29473 @itemize @bullet
29474 @item
29475 New MI commands may be added.
29476
29477 @item
29478 New fields may be added to the output of any MI command.
29479
29480 @item
29481 The range of values for fields with specified values, e.g.,
29482 @code{in_scope} (@pxref{-var-update}) may be extended.
29483
29484 @c The format of field's content e.g type prefix, may change so parse it
29485 @c at your own risk. Yes, in general?
29486
29487 @c The order of fields may change? Shouldn't really matter but it might
29488 @c resolve inconsistencies.
29489 @end itemize
29490
29491 If the changes are likely to break front ends, the MI version level
29492 will be increased by one. This will allow the front end to parse the
29493 output according to the MI version. Apart from mi0, new versions of
29494 @value{GDBN} will not support old versions of MI and it will be the
29495 responsibility of the front end to work with the new one.
29496
29497 @c Starting with mi3, add a new command -mi-version that prints the MI
29498 @c version?
29499
29500 The best way to avoid unexpected changes in MI that might break your front
29501 end is to make your project known to @value{GDBN} developers and
29502 follow development on @email{gdb@@sourceware.org} and
29503 @email{gdb-patches@@sourceware.org}.
29504 @cindex mailing lists
29505
29506 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
29507 @node GDB/MI Output Records
29508 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Output Records
29509
29510 @menu
29511 * GDB/MI Result Records::
29512 * GDB/MI Stream Records::
29513 * GDB/MI Async Records::
29514 * GDB/MI Breakpoint Information::
29515 * GDB/MI Frame Information::
29516 * GDB/MI Thread Information::
29517 * GDB/MI Ada Exception Information::
29518 @end menu
29519
29520 @node GDB/MI Result Records
29521 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Result Records
29522
29523 @cindex result records in @sc{gdb/mi}
29524 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, result records
29525 In addition to a number of out-of-band notifications, the response to a
29526 @sc{gdb/mi} command includes one of the following result indications:
29527
29528 @table @code
29529 @findex ^done
29530 @item "^done" [ "," @var{results} ]
29531 The synchronous operation was successful, @code{@var{results}} are the return
29532 values.
29533
29534 @item "^running"
29535 @findex ^running
29536 This result record is equivalent to @samp{^done}. Historically, it
29537 was output instead of @samp{^done} if the command has resumed the
29538 target. This behaviour is maintained for backward compatibility, but
29539 all frontends should treat @samp{^done} and @samp{^running}
29540 identically and rely on the @samp{*running} output record to determine
29541 which threads are resumed.
29542
29543 @item "^connected"
29544 @findex ^connected
29545 @value{GDBN} has connected to a remote target.
29546
29547 @item "^error" "," "msg=" @var{c-string} [ "," "code=" @var{c-string} ]
29548 @findex ^error
29549 The operation failed. The @code{msg=@var{c-string}} variable contains
29550 the corresponding error message.
29551
29552 If present, the @code{code=@var{c-string}} variable provides an error
29553 code on which consumers can rely on to detect the corresponding
29554 error condition. At present, only one error code is defined:
29555
29556 @table @samp
29557 @item "undefined-command"
29558 Indicates that the command causing the error does not exist.
29559 @end table
29560
29561 @item "^exit"
29562 @findex ^exit
29563 @value{GDBN} has terminated.
29564
29565 @end table
29566
29567 @node GDB/MI Stream Records
29568 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Stream Records
29569
29570 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, stream records
29571 @cindex stream records in @sc{gdb/mi}
29572 @value{GDBN} internally maintains a number of output streams: the console, the
29573 target, and the log. The output intended for each of these streams is
29574 funneled through the @sc{gdb/mi} interface using @dfn{stream records}.
29575
29576 Each stream record begins with a unique @dfn{prefix character} which
29577 identifies its stream (@pxref{GDB/MI Output Syntax, , @sc{gdb/mi} Output
29578 Syntax}). In addition to the prefix, each stream record contains a
29579 @code{@var{string-output}}. This is either raw text (with an implicit new
29580 line) or a quoted C string (which does not contain an implicit newline).
29581
29582 @table @code
29583 @item "~" @var{string-output}
29584 The console output stream contains text that should be displayed in the
29585 CLI console window. It contains the textual responses to CLI commands.
29586
29587 @item "@@" @var{string-output}
29588 The target output stream contains any textual output from the running
29589 target. This is only present when GDB's event loop is truly
29590 asynchronous, which is currently only the case for remote targets.
29591
29592 @item "&" @var{string-output}
29593 The log stream contains debugging messages being produced by @value{GDBN}'s
29594 internals.
29595 @end table
29596
29597 @node GDB/MI Async Records
29598 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Async Records
29599
29600 @cindex async records in @sc{gdb/mi}
29601 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, async records
29602 @dfn{Async} records are used to notify the @sc{gdb/mi} client of
29603 additional changes that have occurred. Those changes can either be a
29604 consequence of @sc{gdb/mi} commands (e.g., a breakpoint modified) or a result of
29605 target activity (e.g., target stopped).
29606
29607 The following is the list of possible async records:
29608
29609 @table @code
29610
29611 @item *running,thread-id="@var{thread}"
29612 The target is now running. The @var{thread} field tells which
29613 specific thread is now running, and can be @samp{all} if all threads
29614 are running. The frontend should assume that no interaction with a
29615 running thread is possible after this notification is produced.
29616 The frontend should not assume that this notification is output
29617 only once for any command. @value{GDBN} may emit this notification
29618 several times, either for different threads, because it cannot resume
29619 all threads together, or even for a single thread, if the thread must
29620 be stepped though some code before letting it run freely.
29621
29622 @item *stopped,reason="@var{reason}",thread-id="@var{id}",stopped-threads="@var{stopped}",core="@var{core}"
29623 The target has stopped. The @var{reason} field can have one of the
29624 following values:
29625
29626 @table @code
29627 @item breakpoint-hit
29628 A breakpoint was reached.
29629 @item watchpoint-trigger
29630 A watchpoint was triggered.
29631 @item read-watchpoint-trigger
29632 A read watchpoint was triggered.
29633 @item access-watchpoint-trigger
29634 An access watchpoint was triggered.
29635 @item function-finished
29636 An -exec-finish or similar CLI command was accomplished.
29637 @item location-reached
29638 An -exec-until or similar CLI command was accomplished.
29639 @item watchpoint-scope
29640 A watchpoint has gone out of scope.
29641 @item end-stepping-range
29642 An -exec-next, -exec-next-instruction, -exec-step, -exec-step-instruction or
29643 similar CLI command was accomplished.
29644 @item exited-signalled
29645 The inferior exited because of a signal.
29646 @item exited
29647 The inferior exited.
29648 @item exited-normally
29649 The inferior exited normally.
29650 @item signal-received
29651 A signal was received by the inferior.
29652 @item solib-event
29653 The inferior has stopped due to a library being loaded or unloaded.
29654 This can happen when @code{stop-on-solib-events} (@pxref{Files}) is
29655 set or when a @code{catch load} or @code{catch unload} catchpoint is
29656 in use (@pxref{Set Catchpoints}).
29657 @item fork
29658 The inferior has forked. This is reported when @code{catch fork}
29659 (@pxref{Set Catchpoints}) has been used.
29660 @item vfork
29661 The inferior has vforked. This is reported in when @code{catch vfork}
29662 (@pxref{Set Catchpoints}) has been used.
29663 @item syscall-entry
29664 The inferior entered a system call. This is reported when @code{catch
29665 syscall} (@pxref{Set Catchpoints}) has been used.
29666 @item syscall-entry
29667 The inferior returned from a system call. This is reported when
29668 @code{catch syscall} (@pxref{Set Catchpoints}) has been used.
29669 @item exec
29670 The inferior called @code{exec}. This is reported when @code{catch exec}
29671 (@pxref{Set Catchpoints}) has been used.
29672 @end table
29673
29674 The @var{id} field identifies the thread that directly caused the stop
29675 -- for example by hitting a breakpoint. Depending on whether all-stop
29676 mode is in effect (@pxref{All-Stop Mode}), @value{GDBN} may either
29677 stop all threads, or only the thread that directly triggered the stop.
29678 If all threads are stopped, the @var{stopped} field will have the
29679 value of @code{"all"}. Otherwise, the value of the @var{stopped}
29680 field will be a list of thread identifiers. Presently, this list will
29681 always include a single thread, but frontend should be prepared to see
29682 several threads in the list. The @var{core} field reports the
29683 processor core on which the stop event has happened. This field may be absent
29684 if such information is not available.
29685
29686 @item =thread-group-added,id="@var{id}"
29687 @itemx =thread-group-removed,id="@var{id}"
29688 A thread group was either added or removed. The @var{id} field
29689 contains the @value{GDBN} identifier of the thread group. When a thread
29690 group is added, it generally might not be associated with a running
29691 process. When a thread group is removed, its id becomes invalid and
29692 cannot be used in any way.
29693
29694 @item =thread-group-started,id="@var{id}",pid="@var{pid}"
29695 A thread group became associated with a running program,
29696 either because the program was just started or the thread group
29697 was attached to a program. The @var{id} field contains the
29698 @value{GDBN} identifier of the thread group. The @var{pid} field
29699 contains process identifier, specific to the operating system.
29700
29701 @item =thread-group-exited,id="@var{id}"[,exit-code="@var{code}"]
29702 A thread group is no longer associated with a running program,
29703 either because the program has exited, or because it was detached
29704 from. The @var{id} field contains the @value{GDBN} identifier of the
29705 thread group. @var{code} is the exit code of the inferior; it exists
29706 only when the inferior exited with some code.
29707
29708 @item =thread-created,id="@var{id}",group-id="@var{gid}"
29709 @itemx =thread-exited,id="@var{id}",group-id="@var{gid}"
29710 A thread either was created, or has exited. The @var{id} field
29711 contains the @value{GDBN} identifier of the thread. The @var{gid}
29712 field identifies the thread group this thread belongs to.
29713
29714 @item =thread-selected,id="@var{id}"
29715 Informs that the selected thread was changed as result of the last
29716 command. This notification is not emitted as result of @code{-thread-select}
29717 command but is emitted whenever an MI command that is not documented
29718 to change the selected thread actually changes it. In particular,
29719 invoking, directly or indirectly (via user-defined command), the CLI
29720 @code{thread} command, will generate this notification.
29721
29722 We suggest that in response to this notification, front ends
29723 highlight the selected thread and cause subsequent commands to apply to
29724 that thread.
29725
29726 @item =library-loaded,...
29727 Reports that a new library file was loaded by the program. This
29728 notification has 4 fields---@var{id}, @var{target-name},
29729 @var{host-name}, and @var{symbols-loaded}. The @var{id} field is an
29730 opaque identifier of the library. For remote debugging case,
29731 @var{target-name} and @var{host-name} fields give the name of the
29732 library file on the target, and on the host respectively. For native
29733 debugging, both those fields have the same value. The
29734 @var{symbols-loaded} field is emitted only for backward compatibility
29735 and should not be relied on to convey any useful information. The
29736 @var{thread-group} field, if present, specifies the id of the thread
29737 group in whose context the library was loaded. If the field is
29738 absent, it means the library was loaded in the context of all present
29739 thread groups.
29740
29741 @item =library-unloaded,...
29742 Reports that a library was unloaded by the program. This notification
29743 has 3 fields---@var{id}, @var{target-name} and @var{host-name} with
29744 the same meaning as for the @code{=library-loaded} notification.
29745 The @var{thread-group} field, if present, specifies the id of the
29746 thread group in whose context the library was unloaded. If the field is
29747 absent, it means the library was unloaded in the context of all present
29748 thread groups.
29749
29750 @item =traceframe-changed,num=@var{tfnum},tracepoint=@var{tpnum}
29751 @itemx =traceframe-changed,end
29752 Reports that the trace frame was changed and its new number is
29753 @var{tfnum}. The number of the tracepoint associated with this trace
29754 frame is @var{tpnum}.
29755
29756 @item =tsv-created,name=@var{name},initial=@var{initial}
29757 Reports that the new trace state variable @var{name} is created with
29758 initial value @var{initial}.
29759
29760 @item =tsv-deleted,name=@var{name}
29761 @itemx =tsv-deleted
29762 Reports that the trace state variable @var{name} is deleted or all
29763 trace state variables are deleted.
29764
29765 @item =tsv-modified,name=@var{name},initial=@var{initial}[,current=@var{current}]
29766 Reports that the trace state variable @var{name} is modified with
29767 the initial value @var{initial}. The current value @var{current} of
29768 trace state variable is optional and is reported if the current
29769 value of trace state variable is known.
29770
29771 @item =breakpoint-created,bkpt=@{...@}
29772 @itemx =breakpoint-modified,bkpt=@{...@}
29773 @itemx =breakpoint-deleted,id=@var{number}
29774 Reports that a breakpoint was created, modified, or deleted,
29775 respectively. Only user-visible breakpoints are reported to the MI
29776 user.
29777
29778 The @var{bkpt} argument is of the same form as returned by the various
29779 breakpoint commands; @xref{GDB/MI Breakpoint Commands}. The
29780 @var{number} is the ordinal number of the breakpoint.
29781
29782 Note that if a breakpoint is emitted in the result record of a
29783 command, then it will not also be emitted in an async record.
29784
29785 @item =record-started,thread-group="@var{id}"
29786 @itemx =record-stopped,thread-group="@var{id}"
29787 Execution log recording was either started or stopped on an
29788 inferior. The @var{id} is the @value{GDBN} identifier of the thread
29789 group corresponding to the affected inferior.
29790
29791 @item =cmd-param-changed,param=@var{param},value=@var{value}
29792 Reports that a parameter of the command @code{set @var{param}} is
29793 changed to @var{value}. In the multi-word @code{set} command,
29794 the @var{param} is the whole parameter list to @code{set} command.
29795 For example, In command @code{set check type on}, @var{param}
29796 is @code{check type} and @var{value} is @code{on}.
29797
29798 @item =memory-changed,thread-group=@var{id},addr=@var{addr},len=@var{len}[,type="code"]
29799 Reports that bytes from @var{addr} to @var{data} + @var{len} were
29800 written in an inferior. The @var{id} is the identifier of the
29801 thread group corresponding to the affected inferior. The optional
29802 @code{type="code"} part is reported if the memory written to holds
29803 executable code.
29804 @end table
29805
29806 @node GDB/MI Breakpoint Information
29807 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Breakpoint Information
29808
29809 When @value{GDBN} reports information about a breakpoint, a
29810 tracepoint, a watchpoint, or a catchpoint, it uses a tuple with the
29811 following fields:
29812
29813 @table @code
29814 @item number
29815 The breakpoint number. For a breakpoint that represents one location
29816 of a multi-location breakpoint, this will be a dotted pair, like
29817 @samp{1.2}.
29818
29819 @item type
29820 The type of the breakpoint. For ordinary breakpoints this will be
29821 @samp{breakpoint}, but many values are possible.
29822
29823 @item catch-type
29824 If the type of the breakpoint is @samp{catchpoint}, then this
29825 indicates the exact type of catchpoint.
29826
29827 @item disp
29828 This is the breakpoint disposition---either @samp{del}, meaning that
29829 the breakpoint will be deleted at the next stop, or @samp{keep},
29830 meaning that the breakpoint will not be deleted.
29831
29832 @item enabled
29833 This indicates whether the breakpoint is enabled, in which case the
29834 value is @samp{y}, or disabled, in which case the value is @samp{n}.
29835 Note that this is not the same as the field @code{enable}.
29836
29837 @item addr
29838 The address of the breakpoint. This may be a hexidecimal number,
29839 giving the address; or the string @samp{<PENDING>}, for a pending
29840 breakpoint; or the string @samp{<MULTIPLE>}, for a breakpoint with
29841 multiple locations. This field will not be present if no address can
29842 be determined. For example, a watchpoint does not have an address.
29843
29844 @item func
29845 If known, the function in which the breakpoint appears.
29846 If not known, this field is not present.
29847
29848 @item filename
29849 The name of the source file which contains this function, if known.
29850 If not known, this field is not present.
29851
29852 @item fullname
29853 The full file name of the source file which contains this function, if
29854 known. If not known, this field is not present.
29855
29856 @item line
29857 The line number at which this breakpoint appears, if known.
29858 If not known, this field is not present.
29859
29860 @item at
29861 If the source file is not known, this field may be provided. If
29862 provided, this holds the address of the breakpoint, possibly followed
29863 by a symbol name.
29864
29865 @item pending
29866 If this breakpoint is pending, this field is present and holds the
29867 text used to set the breakpoint, as entered by the user.
29868
29869 @item evaluated-by
29870 Where this breakpoint's condition is evaluated, either @samp{host} or
29871 @samp{target}.
29872
29873 @item thread
29874 If this is a thread-specific breakpoint, then this identifies the
29875 thread in which the breakpoint can trigger.
29876
29877 @item task
29878 If this breakpoint is restricted to a particular Ada task, then this
29879 field will hold the task identifier.
29880
29881 @item cond
29882 If the breakpoint is conditional, this is the condition expression.
29883
29884 @item ignore
29885 The ignore count of the breakpoint.
29886
29887 @item enable
29888 The enable count of the breakpoint.
29889
29890 @item traceframe-usage
29891 FIXME.
29892
29893 @item static-tracepoint-marker-string-id
29894 For a static tracepoint, the name of the static tracepoint marker.
29895
29896 @item mask
29897 For a masked watchpoint, this is the mask.
29898
29899 @item pass
29900 A tracepoint's pass count.
29901
29902 @item original-location
29903 The location of the breakpoint as originally specified by the user.
29904 This field is optional.
29905
29906 @item times
29907 The number of times the breakpoint has been hit.
29908
29909 @item installed
29910 This field is only given for tracepoints. This is either @samp{y},
29911 meaning that the tracepoint is installed, or @samp{n}, meaning that it
29912 is not.
29913
29914 @item what
29915 Some extra data, the exact contents of which are type-dependent.
29916
29917 @end table
29918
29919 For example, here is what the output of @code{-break-insert}
29920 (@pxref{GDB/MI Breakpoint Commands}) might be:
29921
29922 @smallexample
29923 -> -break-insert main
29924 <- ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",
29925 enabled="y",addr="0x08048564",func="main",file="myprog.c",
29926 fullname="/home/nickrob/myprog.c",line="68",thread-groups=["i1"],
29927 times="0"@}
29928 <- (gdb)
29929 @end smallexample
29930
29931 @node GDB/MI Frame Information
29932 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Frame Information
29933
29934 Response from many MI commands includes an information about stack
29935 frame. This information is a tuple that may have the following
29936 fields:
29937
29938 @table @code
29939 @item level
29940 The level of the stack frame. The innermost frame has the level of
29941 zero. This field is always present.
29942
29943 @item func
29944 The name of the function corresponding to the frame. This field may
29945 be absent if @value{GDBN} is unable to determine the function name.
29946
29947 @item addr
29948 The code address for the frame. This field is always present.
29949
29950 @item file
29951 The name of the source files that correspond to the frame's code
29952 address. This field may be absent.
29953
29954 @item line
29955 The source line corresponding to the frames' code address. This field
29956 may be absent.
29957
29958 @item from
29959 The name of the binary file (either executable or shared library) the
29960 corresponds to the frame's code address. This field may be absent.
29961
29962 @end table
29963
29964 @node GDB/MI Thread Information
29965 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Thread Information
29966
29967 Whenever @value{GDBN} has to report an information about a thread, it
29968 uses a tuple with the following fields:
29969
29970 @table @code
29971 @item id
29972 The numeric id assigned to the thread by @value{GDBN}. This field is
29973 always present.
29974
29975 @item target-id
29976 Target-specific string identifying the thread. This field is always present.
29977
29978 @item details
29979 Additional information about the thread provided by the target.
29980 It is supposed to be human-readable and not interpreted by the
29981 frontend. This field is optional.
29982
29983 @item state
29984 Either @samp{stopped} or @samp{running}, depending on whether the
29985 thread is presently running. This field is always present.
29986
29987 @item core
29988 The value of this field is an integer number of the processor core the
29989 thread was last seen on. This field is optional.
29990 @end table
29991
29992 @node GDB/MI Ada Exception Information
29993 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Ada Exception Information
29994
29995 Whenever a @code{*stopped} record is emitted because the program
29996 stopped after hitting an exception catchpoint (@pxref{Set Catchpoints}),
29997 @value{GDBN} provides the name of the exception that was raised via
29998 the @code{exception-name} field.
29999
30000 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
30001 @node GDB/MI Simple Examples
30002 @section Simple Examples of @sc{gdb/mi} Interaction
30003 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, simple examples
30004
30005 This subsection presents several simple examples of interaction using
30006 the @sc{gdb/mi} interface. In these examples, @samp{->} means that the
30007 following line is passed to @sc{gdb/mi} as input, while @samp{<-} means
30008 the output received from @sc{gdb/mi}.
30009
30010 Note the line breaks shown in the examples are here only for
30011 readability, they don't appear in the real output.
30012
30013 @subheading Setting a Breakpoint
30014
30015 Setting a breakpoint generates synchronous output which contains detailed
30016 information of the breakpoint.
30017
30018 @smallexample
30019 -> -break-insert main
30020 <- ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",
30021 enabled="y",addr="0x08048564",func="main",file="myprog.c",
30022 fullname="/home/nickrob/myprog.c",line="68",thread-groups=["i1"],
30023 times="0"@}
30024 <- (gdb)
30025 @end smallexample
30026
30027 @subheading Program Execution
30028
30029 Program execution generates asynchronous records and MI gives the
30030 reason that execution stopped.
30031
30032 @smallexample
30033 -> -exec-run
30034 <- ^running
30035 <- (gdb)
30036 <- *stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",bkptno="1",thread-id="0",
30037 frame=@{addr="0x08048564",func="main",
30038 args=[@{name="argc",value="1"@},@{name="argv",value="0xbfc4d4d4"@}],
30039 file="myprog.c",fullname="/home/nickrob/myprog.c",line="68"@}
30040 <- (gdb)
30041 -> -exec-continue
30042 <- ^running
30043 <- (gdb)
30044 <- *stopped,reason="exited-normally"
30045 <- (gdb)
30046 @end smallexample
30047
30048 @subheading Quitting @value{GDBN}
30049
30050 Quitting @value{GDBN} just prints the result class @samp{^exit}.
30051
30052 @smallexample
30053 -> (gdb)
30054 <- -gdb-exit
30055 <- ^exit
30056 @end smallexample
30057
30058 Please note that @samp{^exit} is printed immediately, but it might
30059 take some time for @value{GDBN} to actually exit. During that time, @value{GDBN}
30060 performs necessary cleanups, including killing programs being debugged
30061 or disconnecting from debug hardware, so the frontend should wait till
30062 @value{GDBN} exits and should only forcibly kill @value{GDBN} if it
30063 fails to exit in reasonable time.
30064
30065 @subheading A Bad Command
30066
30067 Here's what happens if you pass a non-existent command:
30068
30069 @smallexample
30070 -> -rubbish
30071 <- ^error,msg="Undefined MI command: rubbish"
30072 <- (gdb)
30073 @end smallexample
30074
30075
30076 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
30077 @node GDB/MI Command Description Format
30078 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Command Description Format
30079
30080 The remaining sections describe blocks of commands. Each block of
30081 commands is laid out in a fashion similar to this section.
30082
30083 @subheading Motivation
30084
30085 The motivation for this collection of commands.
30086
30087 @subheading Introduction
30088
30089 A brief introduction to this collection of commands as a whole.
30090
30091 @subheading Commands
30092
30093 For each command in the block, the following is described:
30094
30095 @subsubheading Synopsis
30096
30097 @smallexample
30098 -command @var{args}@dots{}
30099 @end smallexample
30100
30101 @subsubheading Result
30102
30103 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30104
30105 The corresponding @value{GDBN} CLI command(s), if any.
30106
30107 @subsubheading Example
30108
30109 Example(s) formatted for readability. Some of the described commands have
30110 not been implemented yet and these are labeled N.A.@: (not available).
30111
30112
30113 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
30114 @node GDB/MI Breakpoint Commands
30115 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Breakpoint Commands
30116
30117 @cindex breakpoint commands for @sc{gdb/mi}
30118 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, breakpoint commands
30119 This section documents @sc{gdb/mi} commands for manipulating
30120 breakpoints.
30121
30122 @subheading The @code{-break-after} Command
30123 @findex -break-after
30124
30125 @subsubheading Synopsis
30126
30127 @smallexample
30128 -break-after @var{number} @var{count}
30129 @end smallexample
30130
30131 The breakpoint number @var{number} is not in effect until it has been
30132 hit @var{count} times. To see how this is reflected in the output of
30133 the @samp{-break-list} command, see the description of the
30134 @samp{-break-list} command below.
30135
30136 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30137
30138 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{ignore}.
30139
30140 @subsubheading Example
30141
30142 @smallexample
30143 (gdb)
30144 -break-insert main
30145 ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",
30146 enabled="y",addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",
30147 fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",line="5",thread-groups=["i1"],
30148 times="0"@}
30149 (gdb)
30150 -break-after 1 3
30151 ~
30152 ^done
30153 (gdb)
30154 -break-list
30155 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="6",
30156 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
30157 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
30158 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
30159 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
30160 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
30161 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
30162 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
30163 addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",
30164 line="5",thread-groups=["i1"],times="0",ignore="3"@}]@}
30165 (gdb)
30166 @end smallexample
30167
30168 @ignore
30169 @subheading The @code{-break-catch} Command
30170 @findex -break-catch
30171 @end ignore
30172
30173 @subheading The @code{-break-commands} Command
30174 @findex -break-commands
30175
30176 @subsubheading Synopsis
30177
30178 @smallexample
30179 -break-commands @var{number} [ @var{command1} ... @var{commandN} ]
30180 @end smallexample
30181
30182 Specifies the CLI commands that should be executed when breakpoint
30183 @var{number} is hit. The parameters @var{command1} to @var{commandN}
30184 are the commands. If no command is specified, any previously-set
30185 commands are cleared. @xref{Break Commands}. Typical use of this
30186 functionality is tracing a program, that is, printing of values of
30187 some variables whenever breakpoint is hit and then continuing.
30188
30189 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30190
30191 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{commands}.
30192
30193 @subsubheading Example
30194
30195 @smallexample
30196 (gdb)
30197 -break-insert main
30198 ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",
30199 enabled="y",addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",
30200 fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",line="5",thread-groups=["i1"],
30201 times="0"@}
30202 (gdb)
30203 -break-commands 1 "print v" "continue"
30204 ^done
30205 (gdb)
30206 @end smallexample
30207
30208 @subheading The @code{-break-condition} Command
30209 @findex -break-condition
30210
30211 @subsubheading Synopsis
30212
30213 @smallexample
30214 -break-condition @var{number} @var{expr}
30215 @end smallexample
30216
30217 Breakpoint @var{number} will stop the program only if the condition in
30218 @var{expr} is true. The condition becomes part of the
30219 @samp{-break-list} output (see the description of the @samp{-break-list}
30220 command below).
30221
30222 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30223
30224 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{condition}.
30225
30226 @subsubheading Example
30227
30228 @smallexample
30229 (gdb)
30230 -break-condition 1 1
30231 ^done
30232 (gdb)
30233 -break-list
30234 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="6",
30235 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
30236 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
30237 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
30238 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
30239 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
30240 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
30241 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
30242 addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",
30243 line="5",cond="1",thread-groups=["i1"],times="0",ignore="3"@}]@}
30244 (gdb)
30245 @end smallexample
30246
30247 @subheading The @code{-break-delete} Command
30248 @findex -break-delete
30249
30250 @subsubheading Synopsis
30251
30252 @smallexample
30253 -break-delete ( @var{breakpoint} )+
30254 @end smallexample
30255
30256 Delete the breakpoint(s) whose number(s) are specified in the argument
30257 list. This is obviously reflected in the breakpoint list.
30258
30259 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30260
30261 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{delete}.
30262
30263 @subsubheading Example
30264
30265 @smallexample
30266 (gdb)
30267 -break-delete 1
30268 ^done
30269 (gdb)
30270 -break-list
30271 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="0",nr_cols="6",
30272 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
30273 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
30274 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
30275 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
30276 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
30277 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
30278 body=[]@}
30279 (gdb)
30280 @end smallexample
30281
30282 @subheading The @code{-break-disable} Command
30283 @findex -break-disable
30284
30285 @subsubheading Synopsis
30286
30287 @smallexample
30288 -break-disable ( @var{breakpoint} )+
30289 @end smallexample
30290
30291 Disable the named @var{breakpoint}(s). The field @samp{enabled} in the
30292 break list is now set to @samp{n} for the named @var{breakpoint}(s).
30293
30294 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30295
30296 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{disable}.
30297
30298 @subsubheading Example
30299
30300 @smallexample
30301 (gdb)
30302 -break-disable 2
30303 ^done
30304 (gdb)
30305 -break-list
30306 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="6",
30307 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
30308 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
30309 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
30310 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
30311 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
30312 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
30313 body=[bkpt=@{number="2",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="n",
30314 addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",
30315 line="5",thread-groups=["i1"],times="0"@}]@}
30316 (gdb)
30317 @end smallexample
30318
30319 @subheading The @code{-break-enable} Command
30320 @findex -break-enable
30321
30322 @subsubheading Synopsis
30323
30324 @smallexample
30325 -break-enable ( @var{breakpoint} )+
30326 @end smallexample
30327
30328 Enable (previously disabled) @var{breakpoint}(s).
30329
30330 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30331
30332 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{enable}.
30333
30334 @subsubheading Example
30335
30336 @smallexample
30337 (gdb)
30338 -break-enable 2
30339 ^done
30340 (gdb)
30341 -break-list
30342 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="6",
30343 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
30344 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
30345 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
30346 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
30347 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
30348 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
30349 body=[bkpt=@{number="2",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
30350 addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",
30351 line="5",thread-groups=["i1"],times="0"@}]@}
30352 (gdb)
30353 @end smallexample
30354
30355 @subheading The @code{-break-info} Command
30356 @findex -break-info
30357
30358 @subsubheading Synopsis
30359
30360 @smallexample
30361 -break-info @var{breakpoint}
30362 @end smallexample
30363
30364 @c REDUNDANT???
30365 Get information about a single breakpoint.
30366
30367 The result is a table of breakpoints. @xref{GDB/MI Breakpoint
30368 Information}, for details on the format of each breakpoint in the
30369 table.
30370
30371 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30372
30373 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info break @var{breakpoint}}.
30374
30375 @subsubheading Example
30376 N.A.
30377
30378 @subheading The @code{-break-insert} Command
30379 @findex -break-insert
30380
30381 @subsubheading Synopsis
30382
30383 @smallexample
30384 -break-insert [ -t ] [ -h ] [ -f ] [ -d ] [ -a ]
30385 [ -c @var{condition} ] [ -i @var{ignore-count} ]
30386 [ -p @var{thread-id} ] [ @var{location} ]
30387 @end smallexample
30388
30389 @noindent
30390 If specified, @var{location}, can be one of:
30391
30392 @itemize @bullet
30393 @item function
30394 @c @item +offset
30395 @c @item -offset
30396 @c @item linenum
30397 @item filename:linenum
30398 @item filename:function
30399 @item *address
30400 @end itemize
30401
30402 The possible optional parameters of this command are:
30403
30404 @table @samp
30405 @item -t
30406 Insert a temporary breakpoint.
30407 @item -h
30408 Insert a hardware breakpoint.
30409 @item -f
30410 If @var{location} cannot be parsed (for example if it
30411 refers to unknown files or functions), create a pending
30412 breakpoint. Without this flag, @value{GDBN} will report
30413 an error, and won't create a breakpoint, if @var{location}
30414 cannot be parsed.
30415 @item -d
30416 Create a disabled breakpoint.
30417 @item -a
30418 Create a tracepoint. @xref{Tracepoints}. When this parameter
30419 is used together with @samp{-h}, a fast tracepoint is created.
30420 @item -c @var{condition}
30421 Make the breakpoint conditional on @var{condition}.
30422 @item -i @var{ignore-count}
30423 Initialize the @var{ignore-count}.
30424 @item -p @var{thread-id}
30425 Restrict the breakpoint to the specified @var{thread-id}.
30426 @end table
30427
30428 @subsubheading Result
30429
30430 @xref{GDB/MI Breakpoint Information}, for details on the format of the
30431 resulting breakpoint.
30432
30433 Note: this format is open to change.
30434 @c An out-of-band breakpoint instead of part of the result?
30435
30436 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30437
30438 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{break}, @samp{tbreak},
30439 @samp{hbreak}, and @samp{thbreak}. @c and @samp{rbreak}.
30440
30441 @subsubheading Example
30442
30443 @smallexample
30444 (gdb)
30445 -break-insert main
30446 ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",addr="0x0001072c",file="recursive2.c",
30447 fullname="/home/foo/recursive2.c,line="4",thread-groups=["i1"],
30448 times="0"@}
30449 (gdb)
30450 -break-insert -t foo
30451 ^done,bkpt=@{number="2",addr="0x00010774",file="recursive2.c",
30452 fullname="/home/foo/recursive2.c,line="11",thread-groups=["i1"],
30453 times="0"@}
30454 (gdb)
30455 -break-list
30456 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="2",nr_cols="6",
30457 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
30458 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
30459 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
30460 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
30461 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
30462 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
30463 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
30464 addr="0x0001072c", func="main",file="recursive2.c",
30465 fullname="/home/foo/recursive2.c,"line="4",thread-groups=["i1"],
30466 times="0"@},
30467 bkpt=@{number="2",type="breakpoint",disp="del",enabled="y",
30468 addr="0x00010774",func="foo",file="recursive2.c",
30469 fullname="/home/foo/recursive2.c",line="11",thread-groups=["i1"],
30470 times="0"@}]@}
30471 (gdb)
30472 @c -break-insert -r foo.*
30473 @c ~int foo(int, int);
30474 @c ^done,bkpt=@{number="3",addr="0x00010774",file="recursive2.c,
30475 @c "fullname="/home/foo/recursive2.c",line="11",thread-groups=["i1"],
30476 @c times="0"@}
30477 @c (gdb)
30478 @end smallexample
30479
30480 @subheading The @code{-dprintf-insert} Command
30481 @findex -dprintf-insert
30482
30483 @subsubheading Synopsis
30484
30485 @smallexample
30486 -dprintf-insert [ -t ] [ -f ] [ -d ]
30487 [ -c @var{condition} ] [ -i @var{ignore-count} ]
30488 [ -p @var{thread-id} ] [ @var{location} ] [ @var{format} ]
30489 [ @var{argument} ]
30490 @end smallexample
30491
30492 @noindent
30493 If specified, @var{location}, can be one of:
30494
30495 @itemize @bullet
30496 @item @var{function}
30497 @c @item +offset
30498 @c @item -offset
30499 @c @item @var{linenum}
30500 @item @var{filename}:@var{linenum}
30501 @item @var{filename}:function
30502 @item *@var{address}
30503 @end itemize
30504
30505 The possible optional parameters of this command are:
30506
30507 @table @samp
30508 @item -t
30509 Insert a temporary breakpoint.
30510 @item -f
30511 If @var{location} cannot be parsed (for example, if it
30512 refers to unknown files or functions), create a pending
30513 breakpoint. Without this flag, @value{GDBN} will report
30514 an error, and won't create a breakpoint, if @var{location}
30515 cannot be parsed.
30516 @item -d
30517 Create a disabled breakpoint.
30518 @item -c @var{condition}
30519 Make the breakpoint conditional on @var{condition}.
30520 @item -i @var{ignore-count}
30521 Set the ignore count of the breakpoint (@pxref{Conditions, ignore count})
30522 to @var{ignore-count}.
30523 @item -p @var{thread-id}
30524 Restrict the breakpoint to the specified @var{thread-id}.
30525 @end table
30526
30527 @subsubheading Result
30528
30529 @xref{GDB/MI Breakpoint Information}, for details on the format of the
30530 resulting breakpoint.
30531
30532 @c An out-of-band breakpoint instead of part of the result?
30533
30534 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30535
30536 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{dprintf}.
30537
30538 @subsubheading Example
30539
30540 @smallexample
30541 (gdb)
30542 4-dprintf-insert foo "At foo entry\n"
30543 4^done,bkpt=@{number="1",type="dprintf",disp="keep",enabled="y",
30544 addr="0x000000000040061b",func="foo",file="mi-dprintf.c",
30545 fullname="mi-dprintf.c",line="25",thread-groups=["i1"],
30546 times="0",script=@{"printf \"At foo entry\\n\"","continue"@},
30547 original-location="foo"@}
30548 (gdb)
30549 5-dprintf-insert 26 "arg=%d, g=%d\n" arg g
30550 5^done,bkpt=@{number="2",type="dprintf",disp="keep",enabled="y",
30551 addr="0x000000000040062a",func="foo",file="mi-dprintf.c",
30552 fullname="mi-dprintf.c",line="26",thread-groups=["i1"],
30553 times="0",script=@{"printf \"arg=%d, g=%d\\n\", arg, g","continue"@},
30554 original-location="mi-dprintf.c:26"@}
30555 (gdb)
30556 @end smallexample
30557
30558 @subheading The @code{-break-list} Command
30559 @findex -break-list
30560
30561 @subsubheading Synopsis
30562
30563 @smallexample
30564 -break-list
30565 @end smallexample
30566
30567 Displays the list of inserted breakpoints, showing the following fields:
30568
30569 @table @samp
30570 @item Number
30571 number of the breakpoint
30572 @item Type
30573 type of the breakpoint: @samp{breakpoint} or @samp{watchpoint}
30574 @item Disposition
30575 should the breakpoint be deleted or disabled when it is hit: @samp{keep}
30576 or @samp{nokeep}
30577 @item Enabled
30578 is the breakpoint enabled or no: @samp{y} or @samp{n}
30579 @item Address
30580 memory location at which the breakpoint is set
30581 @item What
30582 logical location of the breakpoint, expressed by function name, file
30583 name, line number
30584 @item Thread-groups
30585 list of thread groups to which this breakpoint applies
30586 @item Times
30587 number of times the breakpoint has been hit
30588 @end table
30589
30590 If there are no breakpoints or watchpoints, the @code{BreakpointTable}
30591 @code{body} field is an empty list.
30592
30593 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30594
30595 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info break}.
30596
30597 @subsubheading Example
30598
30599 @smallexample
30600 (gdb)
30601 -break-list
30602 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="2",nr_cols="6",
30603 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
30604 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
30605 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
30606 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
30607 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
30608 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
30609 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
30610 addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",line="5",thread-groups=["i1"],
30611 times="0"@},
30612 bkpt=@{number="2",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
30613 addr="0x00010114",func="foo",file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",
30614 line="13",thread-groups=["i1"],times="0"@}]@}
30615 (gdb)
30616 @end smallexample
30617
30618 Here's an example of the result when there are no breakpoints:
30619
30620 @smallexample
30621 (gdb)
30622 -break-list
30623 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="0",nr_cols="6",
30624 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
30625 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
30626 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
30627 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
30628 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
30629 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
30630 body=[]@}
30631 (gdb)
30632 @end smallexample
30633
30634 @subheading The @code{-break-passcount} Command
30635 @findex -break-passcount
30636
30637 @subsubheading Synopsis
30638
30639 @smallexample
30640 -break-passcount @var{tracepoint-number} @var{passcount}
30641 @end smallexample
30642
30643 Set the passcount for tracepoint @var{tracepoint-number} to
30644 @var{passcount}. If the breakpoint referred to by @var{tracepoint-number}
30645 is not a tracepoint, error is emitted. This corresponds to CLI
30646 command @samp{passcount}.
30647
30648 @subheading The @code{-break-watch} Command
30649 @findex -break-watch
30650
30651 @subsubheading Synopsis
30652
30653 @smallexample
30654 -break-watch [ -a | -r ]
30655 @end smallexample
30656
30657 Create a watchpoint. With the @samp{-a} option it will create an
30658 @dfn{access} watchpoint, i.e., a watchpoint that triggers either on a
30659 read from or on a write to the memory location. With the @samp{-r}
30660 option, the watchpoint created is a @dfn{read} watchpoint, i.e., it will
30661 trigger only when the memory location is accessed for reading. Without
30662 either of the options, the watchpoint created is a regular watchpoint,
30663 i.e., it will trigger when the memory location is accessed for writing.
30664 @xref{Set Watchpoints, , Setting Watchpoints}.
30665
30666 Note that @samp{-break-list} will report a single list of watchpoints and
30667 breakpoints inserted.
30668
30669 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30670
30671 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{watch}, @samp{awatch}, and
30672 @samp{rwatch}.
30673
30674 @subsubheading Example
30675
30676 Setting a watchpoint on a variable in the @code{main} function:
30677
30678 @smallexample
30679 (gdb)
30680 -break-watch x
30681 ^done,wpt=@{number="2",exp="x"@}
30682 (gdb)
30683 -exec-continue
30684 ^running
30685 (gdb)
30686 *stopped,reason="watchpoint-trigger",wpt=@{number="2",exp="x"@},
30687 value=@{old="-268439212",new="55"@},
30688 frame=@{func="main",args=[],file="recursive2.c",
30689 fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="5"@}
30690 (gdb)
30691 @end smallexample
30692
30693 Setting a watchpoint on a variable local to a function. @value{GDBN} will stop
30694 the program execution twice: first for the variable changing value, then
30695 for the watchpoint going out of scope.
30696
30697 @smallexample
30698 (gdb)
30699 -break-watch C
30700 ^done,wpt=@{number="5",exp="C"@}
30701 (gdb)
30702 -exec-continue
30703 ^running
30704 (gdb)
30705 *stopped,reason="watchpoint-trigger",
30706 wpt=@{number="5",exp="C"@},value=@{old="-276895068",new="3"@},
30707 frame=@{func="callee4",args=[],
30708 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
30709 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="13"@}
30710 (gdb)
30711 -exec-continue
30712 ^running
30713 (gdb)
30714 *stopped,reason="watchpoint-scope",wpnum="5",
30715 frame=@{func="callee3",args=[@{name="strarg",
30716 value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}],
30717 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
30718 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="18"@}
30719 (gdb)
30720 @end smallexample
30721
30722 Listing breakpoints and watchpoints, at different points in the program
30723 execution. Note that once the watchpoint goes out of scope, it is
30724 deleted.
30725
30726 @smallexample
30727 (gdb)
30728 -break-watch C
30729 ^done,wpt=@{number="2",exp="C"@}
30730 (gdb)
30731 -break-list
30732 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="2",nr_cols="6",
30733 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
30734 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
30735 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
30736 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
30737 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
30738 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
30739 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
30740 addr="0x00010734",func="callee4",
30741 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
30742 fullname="/home/foo/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c"line="8",thread-groups=["i1"],
30743 times="1"@},
30744 bkpt=@{number="2",type="watchpoint",disp="keep",
30745 enabled="y",addr="",what="C",thread-groups=["i1"],times="0"@}]@}
30746 (gdb)
30747 -exec-continue
30748 ^running
30749 (gdb)
30750 *stopped,reason="watchpoint-trigger",wpt=@{number="2",exp="C"@},
30751 value=@{old="-276895068",new="3"@},
30752 frame=@{func="callee4",args=[],
30753 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
30754 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="13"@}
30755 (gdb)
30756 -break-list
30757 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="2",nr_cols="6",
30758 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
30759 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
30760 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
30761 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
30762 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
30763 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
30764 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
30765 addr="0x00010734",func="callee4",
30766 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
30767 fullname="/home/foo/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="8",thread-groups=["i1"],
30768 times="1"@},
30769 bkpt=@{number="2",type="watchpoint",disp="keep",
30770 enabled="y",addr="",what="C",thread-groups=["i1"],times="-5"@}]@}
30771 (gdb)
30772 -exec-continue
30773 ^running
30774 ^done,reason="watchpoint-scope",wpnum="2",
30775 frame=@{func="callee3",args=[@{name="strarg",
30776 value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}],
30777 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
30778 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="18"@}
30779 (gdb)
30780 -break-list
30781 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="6",
30782 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
30783 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
30784 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
30785 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
30786 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
30787 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
30788 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
30789 addr="0x00010734",func="callee4",
30790 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
30791 fullname="/home/foo/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="8",
30792 thread-groups=["i1"],times="1"@}]@}
30793 (gdb)
30794 @end smallexample
30795
30796
30797 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
30798 @node GDB/MI Catchpoint Commands
30799 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Catchpoint Commands
30800
30801 This section documents @sc{gdb/mi} commands for manipulating
30802 catchpoints.
30803
30804 @menu
30805 * Shared Library GDB/MI Catchpoint Commands::
30806 * Ada Exception GDB/MI Catchpoint Commands::
30807 @end menu
30808
30809 @node Shared Library GDB/MI Catchpoint Commands
30810 @subsection Shared Library @sc{gdb/mi} Catchpoints
30811
30812 @subheading The @code{-catch-load} Command
30813 @findex -catch-load
30814
30815 @subsubheading Synopsis
30816
30817 @smallexample
30818 -catch-load [ -t ] [ -d ] @var{regexp}
30819 @end smallexample
30820
30821 Add a catchpoint for library load events. If the @samp{-t} option is used,
30822 the catchpoint is a temporary one (@pxref{Set Breaks, ,Setting
30823 Breakpoints}). If the @samp{-d} option is used, the catchpoint is created
30824 in a disabled state. The @samp{regexp} argument is a regular
30825 expression used to match the name of the loaded library.
30826
30827
30828 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30829
30830 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{catch load}.
30831
30832 @subsubheading Example
30833
30834 @smallexample
30835 -catch-load -t foo.so
30836 ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",type="catchpoint",disp="del",enabled="y",
30837 what="load of library matching foo.so",catch-type="load",times="0"@}
30838 (gdb)
30839 @end smallexample
30840
30841
30842 @subheading The @code{-catch-unload} Command
30843 @findex -catch-unload
30844
30845 @subsubheading Synopsis
30846
30847 @smallexample
30848 -catch-unload [ -t ] [ -d ] @var{regexp}
30849 @end smallexample
30850
30851 Add a catchpoint for library unload events. If the @samp{-t} option is
30852 used, the catchpoint is a temporary one (@pxref{Set Breaks, ,Setting
30853 Breakpoints}). If the @samp{-d} option is used, the catchpoint is
30854 created in a disabled state. The @samp{regexp} argument is a regular
30855 expression used to match the name of the unloaded library.
30856
30857 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30858
30859 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{catch unload}.
30860
30861 @subsubheading Example
30862
30863 @smallexample
30864 -catch-unload -d bar.so
30865 ^done,bkpt=@{number="2",type="catchpoint",disp="keep",enabled="n",
30866 what="load of library matching bar.so",catch-type="unload",times="0"@}
30867 (gdb)
30868 @end smallexample
30869
30870 @node Ada Exception GDB/MI Catchpoint Commands
30871 @subsection Ada Exception @sc{gdb/mi} Catchpoints
30872
30873 The following @sc{gdb/mi} commands can be used to create catchpoints
30874 that stop the execution when Ada exceptions are being raised.
30875
30876 @subheading The @code{-catch-assert} Command
30877 @findex -catch-assert
30878
30879 @subsubheading Synopsis
30880
30881 @smallexample
30882 -catch-assert [ -c @var{condition}] [ -d ] [ -t ]
30883 @end smallexample
30884
30885 Add a catchpoint for failed Ada assertions.
30886
30887 The possible optional parameters for this command are:
30888
30889 @table @samp
30890 @item -c @var{condition}
30891 Make the catchpoint conditional on @var{condition}.
30892 @item -d
30893 Create a disabled catchpoint.
30894 @item -t
30895 Create a temporary catchpoint.
30896 @end table
30897
30898 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30899
30900 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{catch assert}.
30901
30902 @subsubheading Example
30903
30904 @smallexample
30905 -catch-assert
30906 ^done,bkptno="5",bkpt=@{number="5",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",
30907 enabled="y",addr="0x0000000000404888",what="failed Ada assertions",
30908 thread-groups=["i1"],times="0",
30909 original-location="__gnat_debug_raise_assert_failure"@}
30910 (gdb)
30911 @end smallexample
30912
30913 @subheading The @code{-catch-exception} Command
30914 @findex -catch-exception
30915
30916 @subsubheading Synopsis
30917
30918 @smallexample
30919 -catch-exception [ -c @var{condition}] [ -d ] [ -e @var{exception-name} ]
30920 [ -t ] [ -u ]
30921 @end smallexample
30922
30923 Add a catchpoint stopping when Ada exceptions are raised.
30924 By default, the command stops the program when any Ada exception
30925 gets raised. But it is also possible, by using some of the
30926 optional parameters described below, to create more selective
30927 catchpoints.
30928
30929 The possible optional parameters for this command are:
30930
30931 @table @samp
30932 @item -c @var{condition}
30933 Make the catchpoint conditional on @var{condition}.
30934 @item -d
30935 Create a disabled catchpoint.
30936 @item -e @var{exception-name}
30937 Only stop when @var{exception-name} is raised. This option cannot
30938 be used combined with @samp{-u}.
30939 @item -t
30940 Create a temporary catchpoint.
30941 @item -u
30942 Stop only when an unhandled exception gets raised. This option
30943 cannot be used combined with @samp{-e}.
30944 @end table
30945
30946 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30947
30948 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{catch exception}
30949 and @samp{catch exception unhandled}.
30950
30951 @subsubheading Example
30952
30953 @smallexample
30954 -catch-exception -e Program_Error
30955 ^done,bkptno="4",bkpt=@{number="4",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",
30956 enabled="y",addr="0x0000000000404874",
30957 what="`Program_Error' Ada exception", thread-groups=["i1"],
30958 times="0",original-location="__gnat_debug_raise_exception"@}
30959 (gdb)
30960 @end smallexample
30961
30962 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
30963 @node GDB/MI Program Context
30964 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Program Context
30965
30966 @subheading The @code{-exec-arguments} Command
30967 @findex -exec-arguments
30968
30969
30970 @subsubheading Synopsis
30971
30972 @smallexample
30973 -exec-arguments @var{args}
30974 @end smallexample
30975
30976 Set the inferior program arguments, to be used in the next
30977 @samp{-exec-run}.
30978
30979 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30980
30981 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{set args}.
30982
30983 @subsubheading Example
30984
30985 @smallexample
30986 (gdb)
30987 -exec-arguments -v word
30988 ^done
30989 (gdb)
30990 @end smallexample
30991
30992
30993 @ignore
30994 @subheading The @code{-exec-show-arguments} Command
30995 @findex -exec-show-arguments
30996
30997 @subsubheading Synopsis
30998
30999 @smallexample
31000 -exec-show-arguments
31001 @end smallexample
31002
31003 Print the arguments of the program.
31004
31005 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31006
31007 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{show args}.
31008
31009 @subsubheading Example
31010 N.A.
31011 @end ignore
31012
31013
31014 @subheading The @code{-environment-cd} Command
31015 @findex -environment-cd
31016
31017 @subsubheading Synopsis
31018
31019 @smallexample
31020 -environment-cd @var{pathdir}
31021 @end smallexample
31022
31023 Set @value{GDBN}'s working directory.
31024
31025 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31026
31027 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{cd}.
31028
31029 @subsubheading Example
31030
31031 @smallexample
31032 (gdb)
31033 -environment-cd /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb
31034 ^done
31035 (gdb)
31036 @end smallexample
31037
31038
31039 @subheading The @code{-environment-directory} Command
31040 @findex -environment-directory
31041
31042 @subsubheading Synopsis
31043
31044 @smallexample
31045 -environment-directory [ -r ] [ @var{pathdir} ]+
31046 @end smallexample
31047
31048 Add directories @var{pathdir} to beginning of search path for source files.
31049 If the @samp{-r} option is used, the search path is reset to the default
31050 search path. If directories @var{pathdir} are supplied in addition to the
31051 @samp{-r} option, the search path is first reset and then addition
31052 occurs as normal.
31053 Multiple directories may be specified, separated by blanks. Specifying
31054 multiple directories in a single command
31055 results in the directories added to the beginning of the
31056 search path in the same order they were presented in the command.
31057 If blanks are needed as
31058 part of a directory name, double-quotes should be used around
31059 the name. In the command output, the path will show up separated
31060 by the system directory-separator character. The directory-separator
31061 character must not be used
31062 in any directory name.
31063 If no directories are specified, the current search path is displayed.
31064
31065 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31066
31067 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{dir}.
31068
31069 @subsubheading Example
31070
31071 @smallexample
31072 (gdb)
31073 -environment-directory /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb
31074 ^done,source-path="/kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb:$cdir:$cwd"
31075 (gdb)
31076 -environment-directory ""
31077 ^done,source-path="/kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb:$cdir:$cwd"
31078 (gdb)
31079 -environment-directory -r /home/jjohnstn/src/gdb /usr/src
31080 ^done,source-path="/home/jjohnstn/src/gdb:/usr/src:$cdir:$cwd"
31081 (gdb)
31082 -environment-directory -r
31083 ^done,source-path="$cdir:$cwd"
31084 (gdb)
31085 @end smallexample
31086
31087
31088 @subheading The @code{-environment-path} Command
31089 @findex -environment-path
31090
31091 @subsubheading Synopsis
31092
31093 @smallexample
31094 -environment-path [ -r ] [ @var{pathdir} ]+
31095 @end smallexample
31096
31097 Add directories @var{pathdir} to beginning of search path for object files.
31098 If the @samp{-r} option is used, the search path is reset to the original
31099 search path that existed at gdb start-up. If directories @var{pathdir} are
31100 supplied in addition to the
31101 @samp{-r} option, the search path is first reset and then addition
31102 occurs as normal.
31103 Multiple directories may be specified, separated by blanks. Specifying
31104 multiple directories in a single command
31105 results in the directories added to the beginning of the
31106 search path in the same order they were presented in the command.
31107 If blanks are needed as
31108 part of a directory name, double-quotes should be used around
31109 the name. In the command output, the path will show up separated
31110 by the system directory-separator character. The directory-separator
31111 character must not be used
31112 in any directory name.
31113 If no directories are specified, the current path is displayed.
31114
31115
31116 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31117
31118 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{path}.
31119
31120 @subsubheading Example
31121
31122 @smallexample
31123 (gdb)
31124 -environment-path
31125 ^done,path="/usr/bin"
31126 (gdb)
31127 -environment-path /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/ppc-eabi/gdb /bin
31128 ^done,path="/kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/ppc-eabi/gdb:/bin:/usr/bin"
31129 (gdb)
31130 -environment-path -r /usr/local/bin
31131 ^done,path="/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin"
31132 (gdb)
31133 @end smallexample
31134
31135
31136 @subheading The @code{-environment-pwd} Command
31137 @findex -environment-pwd
31138
31139 @subsubheading Synopsis
31140
31141 @smallexample
31142 -environment-pwd
31143 @end smallexample
31144
31145 Show the current working directory.
31146
31147 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31148
31149 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{pwd}.
31150
31151 @subsubheading Example
31152
31153 @smallexample
31154 (gdb)
31155 -environment-pwd
31156 ^done,cwd="/kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb"
31157 (gdb)
31158 @end smallexample
31159
31160 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
31161 @node GDB/MI Thread Commands
31162 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Thread Commands
31163
31164
31165 @subheading The @code{-thread-info} Command
31166 @findex -thread-info
31167
31168 @subsubheading Synopsis
31169
31170 @smallexample
31171 -thread-info [ @var{thread-id} ]
31172 @end smallexample
31173
31174 Reports information about either a specific thread, if
31175 the @var{thread-id} parameter is present, or about all
31176 threads. When printing information about all threads,
31177 also reports the current thread.
31178
31179 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31180
31181 The @samp{info thread} command prints the same information
31182 about all threads.
31183
31184 @subsubheading Result
31185
31186 The result is a list of threads. The following attributes are
31187 defined for a given thread:
31188
31189 @table @samp
31190 @item current
31191 This field exists only for the current thread. It has the value @samp{*}.
31192
31193 @item id
31194 The identifier that @value{GDBN} uses to refer to the thread.
31195
31196 @item target-id
31197 The identifier that the target uses to refer to the thread.
31198
31199 @item details
31200 Extra information about the thread, in a target-specific format. This
31201 field is optional.
31202
31203 @item name
31204 The name of the thread. If the user specified a name using the
31205 @code{thread name} command, then this name is given. Otherwise, if
31206 @value{GDBN} can extract the thread name from the target, then that
31207 name is given. If @value{GDBN} cannot find the thread name, then this
31208 field is omitted.
31209
31210 @item frame
31211 The stack frame currently executing in the thread.
31212
31213 @item state
31214 The thread's state. The @samp{state} field may have the following
31215 values:
31216
31217 @table @code
31218 @item stopped
31219 The thread is stopped. Frame information is available for stopped
31220 threads.
31221
31222 @item running
31223 The thread is running. There's no frame information for running
31224 threads.
31225
31226 @end table
31227
31228 @item core
31229 If @value{GDBN} can find the CPU core on which this thread is running,
31230 then this field is the core identifier. This field is optional.
31231
31232 @end table
31233
31234 @subsubheading Example
31235
31236 @smallexample
31237 -thread-info
31238 ^done,threads=[
31239 @{id="2",target-id="Thread 0xb7e14b90 (LWP 21257)",
31240 frame=@{level="0",addr="0xffffe410",func="__kernel_vsyscall",
31241 args=[]@},state="running"@},
31242 @{id="1",target-id="Thread 0xb7e156b0 (LWP 21254)",
31243 frame=@{level="0",addr="0x0804891f",func="foo",
31244 args=[@{name="i",value="10"@}],
31245 file="/tmp/a.c",fullname="/tmp/a.c",line="158"@},
31246 state="running"@}],
31247 current-thread-id="1"
31248 (gdb)
31249 @end smallexample
31250
31251 @subheading The @code{-thread-list-ids} Command
31252 @findex -thread-list-ids
31253
31254 @subsubheading Synopsis
31255
31256 @smallexample
31257 -thread-list-ids
31258 @end smallexample
31259
31260 Produces a list of the currently known @value{GDBN} thread ids. At the
31261 end of the list it also prints the total number of such threads.
31262
31263 This command is retained for historical reasons, the
31264 @code{-thread-info} command should be used instead.
31265
31266 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31267
31268 Part of @samp{info threads} supplies the same information.
31269
31270 @subsubheading Example
31271
31272 @smallexample
31273 (gdb)
31274 -thread-list-ids
31275 ^done,thread-ids=@{thread-id="3",thread-id="2",thread-id="1"@},
31276 current-thread-id="1",number-of-threads="3"
31277 (gdb)
31278 @end smallexample
31279
31280
31281 @subheading The @code{-thread-select} Command
31282 @findex -thread-select
31283
31284 @subsubheading Synopsis
31285
31286 @smallexample
31287 -thread-select @var{threadnum}
31288 @end smallexample
31289
31290 Make @var{threadnum} the current thread. It prints the number of the new
31291 current thread, and the topmost frame for that thread.
31292
31293 This command is deprecated in favor of explicitly using the
31294 @samp{--thread} option to each command.
31295
31296 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31297
31298 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{thread}.
31299
31300 @subsubheading Example
31301
31302 @smallexample
31303 (gdb)
31304 -exec-next
31305 ^running
31306 (gdb)
31307 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",thread-id="2",line="187",
31308 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.threads/linux-dp.c"
31309 (gdb)
31310 -thread-list-ids
31311 ^done,
31312 thread-ids=@{thread-id="3",thread-id="2",thread-id="1"@},
31313 number-of-threads="3"
31314 (gdb)
31315 -thread-select 3
31316 ^done,new-thread-id="3",
31317 frame=@{level="0",func="vprintf",
31318 args=[@{name="format",value="0x8048e9c \"%*s%c %d %c\\n\""@},
31319 @{name="arg",value="0x2"@}],file="vprintf.c",line="31"@}
31320 (gdb)
31321 @end smallexample
31322
31323 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
31324 @node GDB/MI Ada Tasking Commands
31325 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Ada Tasking Commands
31326
31327 @subheading The @code{-ada-task-info} Command
31328 @findex -ada-task-info
31329
31330 @subsubheading Synopsis
31331
31332 @smallexample
31333 -ada-task-info [ @var{task-id} ]
31334 @end smallexample
31335
31336 Reports information about either a specific Ada task, if the
31337 @var{task-id} parameter is present, or about all Ada tasks.
31338
31339 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31340
31341 The @samp{info tasks} command prints the same information
31342 about all Ada tasks (@pxref{Ada Tasks}).
31343
31344 @subsubheading Result
31345
31346 The result is a table of Ada tasks. The following columns are
31347 defined for each Ada task:
31348
31349 @table @samp
31350 @item current
31351 This field exists only for the current thread. It has the value @samp{*}.
31352
31353 @item id
31354 The identifier that @value{GDBN} uses to refer to the Ada task.
31355
31356 @item task-id
31357 The identifier that the target uses to refer to the Ada task.
31358
31359 @item thread-id
31360 The identifier of the thread corresponding to the Ada task.
31361
31362 This field should always exist, as Ada tasks are always implemented
31363 on top of a thread. But if @value{GDBN} cannot find this corresponding
31364 thread for any reason, the field is omitted.
31365
31366 @item parent-id
31367 This field exists only when the task was created by another task.
31368 In this case, it provides the ID of the parent task.
31369
31370 @item priority
31371 The base priority of the task.
31372
31373 @item state
31374 The current state of the task. For a detailed description of the
31375 possible states, see @ref{Ada Tasks}.
31376
31377 @item name
31378 The name of the task.
31379
31380 @end table
31381
31382 @subsubheading Example
31383
31384 @smallexample
31385 -ada-task-info
31386 ^done,tasks=@{nr_rows="3",nr_cols="8",
31387 hdr=[@{width="1",alignment="-1",col_name="current",colhdr=""@},
31388 @{width="3",alignment="1",col_name="id",colhdr="ID"@},
31389 @{width="9",alignment="1",col_name="task-id",colhdr="TID"@},
31390 @{width="4",alignment="1",col_name="thread-id",colhdr=""@},
31391 @{width="4",alignment="1",col_name="parent-id",colhdr="P-ID"@},
31392 @{width="3",alignment="1",col_name="priority",colhdr="Pri"@},
31393 @{width="22",alignment="-1",col_name="state",colhdr="State"@},
31394 @{width="1",alignment="2",col_name="name",colhdr="Name"@}],
31395 body=[@{current="*",id="1",task-id=" 644010",thread-id="1",priority="48",
31396 state="Child Termination Wait",name="main_task"@}]@}
31397 (gdb)
31398 @end smallexample
31399
31400 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
31401 @node GDB/MI Program Execution
31402 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Program Execution
31403
31404 These are the asynchronous commands which generate the out-of-band
31405 record @samp{*stopped}. Currently @value{GDBN} only really executes
31406 asynchronously with remote targets and this interaction is mimicked in
31407 other cases.
31408
31409 @subheading The @code{-exec-continue} Command
31410 @findex -exec-continue
31411
31412 @subsubheading Synopsis
31413
31414 @smallexample
31415 -exec-continue [--reverse] [--all|--thread-group N]
31416 @end smallexample
31417
31418 Resumes the execution of the inferior program, which will continue
31419 to execute until it reaches a debugger stop event. If the
31420 @samp{--reverse} option is specified, execution resumes in reverse until
31421 it reaches a stop event. Stop events may include
31422 @itemize @bullet
31423 @item
31424 breakpoints or watchpoints
31425 @item
31426 signals or exceptions
31427 @item
31428 the end of the process (or its beginning under @samp{--reverse})
31429 @item
31430 the end or beginning of a replay log if one is being used.
31431 @end itemize
31432 In all-stop mode (@pxref{All-Stop
31433 Mode}), may resume only one thread, or all threads, depending on the
31434 value of the @samp{scheduler-locking} variable. If @samp{--all} is
31435 specified, all threads (in all inferiors) will be resumed. The @samp{--all} option is
31436 ignored in all-stop mode. If the @samp{--thread-group} options is
31437 specified, then all threads in that thread group are resumed.
31438
31439 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31440
31441 The corresponding @value{GDBN} corresponding is @samp{continue}.
31442
31443 @subsubheading Example
31444
31445 @smallexample
31446 -exec-continue
31447 ^running
31448 (gdb)
31449 @@Hello world
31450 *stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",bkptno="2",frame=@{
31451 func="foo",args=[],file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/hello.c",
31452 line="13"@}
31453 (gdb)
31454 @end smallexample
31455
31456
31457 @subheading The @code{-exec-finish} Command
31458 @findex -exec-finish
31459
31460 @subsubheading Synopsis
31461
31462 @smallexample
31463 -exec-finish [--reverse]
31464 @end smallexample
31465
31466 Resumes the execution of the inferior program until the current
31467 function is exited. Displays the results returned by the function.
31468 If the @samp{--reverse} option is specified, resumes the reverse
31469 execution of the inferior program until the point where current
31470 function was called.
31471
31472 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31473
31474 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{finish}.
31475
31476 @subsubheading Example
31477
31478 Function returning @code{void}.
31479
31480 @smallexample
31481 -exec-finish
31482 ^running
31483 (gdb)
31484 @@hello from foo
31485 *stopped,reason="function-finished",frame=@{func="main",args=[],
31486 file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/hello.c",line="7"@}
31487 (gdb)
31488 @end smallexample
31489
31490 Function returning other than @code{void}. The name of the internal
31491 @value{GDBN} variable storing the result is printed, together with the
31492 value itself.
31493
31494 @smallexample
31495 -exec-finish
31496 ^running
31497 (gdb)
31498 *stopped,reason="function-finished",frame=@{addr="0x000107b0",func="foo",
31499 args=[@{name="a",value="1"],@{name="b",value="9"@}@},
31500 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
31501 gdb-result-var="$1",return-value="0"
31502 (gdb)
31503 @end smallexample
31504
31505
31506 @subheading The @code{-exec-interrupt} Command
31507 @findex -exec-interrupt
31508
31509 @subsubheading Synopsis
31510
31511 @smallexample
31512 -exec-interrupt [--all|--thread-group N]
31513 @end smallexample
31514
31515 Interrupts the background execution of the target. Note how the token
31516 associated with the stop message is the one for the execution command
31517 that has been interrupted. The token for the interrupt itself only
31518 appears in the @samp{^done} output. If the user is trying to
31519 interrupt a non-running program, an error message will be printed.
31520
31521 Note that when asynchronous execution is enabled, this command is
31522 asynchronous just like other execution commands. That is, first the
31523 @samp{^done} response will be printed, and the target stop will be
31524 reported after that using the @samp{*stopped} notification.
31525
31526 In non-stop mode, only the context thread is interrupted by default.
31527 All threads (in all inferiors) will be interrupted if the
31528 @samp{--all} option is specified. If the @samp{--thread-group}
31529 option is specified, all threads in that group will be interrupted.
31530
31531 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31532
31533 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{interrupt}.
31534
31535 @subsubheading Example
31536
31537 @smallexample
31538 (gdb)
31539 111-exec-continue
31540 111^running
31541
31542 (gdb)
31543 222-exec-interrupt
31544 222^done
31545 (gdb)
31546 111*stopped,signal-name="SIGINT",signal-meaning="Interrupt",
31547 frame=@{addr="0x00010140",func="foo",args=[],file="try.c",
31548 fullname="/home/foo/bar/try.c",line="13"@}
31549 (gdb)
31550
31551 (gdb)
31552 -exec-interrupt
31553 ^error,msg="mi_cmd_exec_interrupt: Inferior not executing."
31554 (gdb)
31555 @end smallexample
31556
31557 @subheading The @code{-exec-jump} Command
31558 @findex -exec-jump
31559
31560 @subsubheading Synopsis
31561
31562 @smallexample
31563 -exec-jump @var{location}
31564 @end smallexample
31565
31566 Resumes execution of the inferior program at the location specified by
31567 parameter. @xref{Specify Location}, for a description of the
31568 different forms of @var{location}.
31569
31570 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31571
31572 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{jump}.
31573
31574 @subsubheading Example
31575
31576 @smallexample
31577 -exec-jump foo.c:10
31578 *running,thread-id="all"
31579 ^running
31580 @end smallexample
31581
31582
31583 @subheading The @code{-exec-next} Command
31584 @findex -exec-next
31585
31586 @subsubheading Synopsis
31587
31588 @smallexample
31589 -exec-next [--reverse]
31590 @end smallexample
31591
31592 Resumes execution of the inferior program, stopping when the beginning
31593 of the next source line is reached.
31594
31595 If the @samp{--reverse} option is specified, resumes reverse execution
31596 of the inferior program, stopping at the beginning of the previous
31597 source line. If you issue this command on the first line of a
31598 function, it will take you back to the caller of that function, to the
31599 source line where the function was called.
31600
31601
31602 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31603
31604 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{next}.
31605
31606 @subsubheading Example
31607
31608 @smallexample
31609 -exec-next
31610 ^running
31611 (gdb)
31612 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",line="8",file="hello.c"
31613 (gdb)
31614 @end smallexample
31615
31616
31617 @subheading The @code{-exec-next-instruction} Command
31618 @findex -exec-next-instruction
31619
31620 @subsubheading Synopsis
31621
31622 @smallexample
31623 -exec-next-instruction [--reverse]
31624 @end smallexample
31625
31626 Executes one machine instruction. If the instruction is a function
31627 call, continues until the function returns. If the program stops at an
31628 instruction in the middle of a source line, the address will be
31629 printed as well.
31630
31631 If the @samp{--reverse} option is specified, resumes reverse execution
31632 of the inferior program, stopping at the previous instruction. If the
31633 previously executed instruction was a return from another function,
31634 it will continue to execute in reverse until the call to that function
31635 (from the current stack frame) is reached.
31636
31637 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31638
31639 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{nexti}.
31640
31641 @subsubheading Example
31642
31643 @smallexample
31644 (gdb)
31645 -exec-next-instruction
31646 ^running
31647
31648 (gdb)
31649 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",
31650 addr="0x000100d4",line="5",file="hello.c"
31651 (gdb)
31652 @end smallexample
31653
31654
31655 @subheading The @code{-exec-return} Command
31656 @findex -exec-return
31657
31658 @subsubheading Synopsis
31659
31660 @smallexample
31661 -exec-return
31662 @end smallexample
31663
31664 Makes current function return immediately. Doesn't execute the inferior.
31665 Displays the new current frame.
31666
31667 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31668
31669 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{return}.
31670
31671 @subsubheading Example
31672
31673 @smallexample
31674 (gdb)
31675 200-break-insert callee4
31676 200^done,bkpt=@{number="1",addr="0x00010734",
31677 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="8"@}
31678 (gdb)
31679 000-exec-run
31680 000^running
31681 (gdb)
31682 000*stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",bkptno="1",
31683 frame=@{func="callee4",args=[],
31684 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
31685 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="8"@}
31686 (gdb)
31687 205-break-delete
31688 205^done
31689 (gdb)
31690 111-exec-return
31691 111^done,frame=@{level="0",func="callee3",
31692 args=[@{name="strarg",
31693 value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}],
31694 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
31695 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="18"@}
31696 (gdb)
31697 @end smallexample
31698
31699
31700 @subheading The @code{-exec-run} Command
31701 @findex -exec-run
31702
31703 @subsubheading Synopsis
31704
31705 @smallexample
31706 -exec-run [ --all | --thread-group N ] [ --start ]
31707 @end smallexample
31708
31709 Starts execution of the inferior from the beginning. The inferior
31710 executes until either a breakpoint is encountered or the program
31711 exits. In the latter case the output will include an exit code, if
31712 the program has exited exceptionally.
31713
31714 When neither the @samp{--all} nor the @samp{--thread-group} option
31715 is specified, the current inferior is started. If the
31716 @samp{--thread-group} option is specified, it should refer to a thread
31717 group of type @samp{process}, and that thread group will be started.
31718 If the @samp{--all} option is specified, then all inferiors will be started.
31719
31720 Using the @samp{--start} option instructs the debugger to stop
31721 the execution at the start of the inferior's main subprogram,
31722 following the same behavior as the @code{start} command
31723 (@pxref{Starting}).
31724
31725 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31726
31727 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{run}.
31728
31729 @subsubheading Examples
31730
31731 @smallexample
31732 (gdb)
31733 -break-insert main
31734 ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",addr="0x0001072c",file="recursive2.c",line="4"@}
31735 (gdb)
31736 -exec-run
31737 ^running
31738 (gdb)
31739 *stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",bkptno="1",
31740 frame=@{func="main",args=[],file="recursive2.c",
31741 fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="4"@}
31742 (gdb)
31743 @end smallexample
31744
31745 @noindent
31746 Program exited normally:
31747
31748 @smallexample
31749 (gdb)
31750 -exec-run
31751 ^running
31752 (gdb)
31753 x = 55
31754 *stopped,reason="exited-normally"
31755 (gdb)
31756 @end smallexample
31757
31758 @noindent
31759 Program exited exceptionally:
31760
31761 @smallexample
31762 (gdb)
31763 -exec-run
31764 ^running
31765 (gdb)
31766 x = 55
31767 *stopped,reason="exited",exit-code="01"
31768 (gdb)
31769 @end smallexample
31770
31771 Another way the program can terminate is if it receives a signal such as
31772 @code{SIGINT}. In this case, @sc{gdb/mi} displays this:
31773
31774 @smallexample
31775 (gdb)
31776 *stopped,reason="exited-signalled",signal-name="SIGINT",
31777 signal-meaning="Interrupt"
31778 @end smallexample
31779
31780
31781 @c @subheading -exec-signal
31782
31783
31784 @subheading The @code{-exec-step} Command
31785 @findex -exec-step
31786
31787 @subsubheading Synopsis
31788
31789 @smallexample
31790 -exec-step [--reverse]
31791 @end smallexample
31792
31793 Resumes execution of the inferior program, stopping when the beginning
31794 of the next source line is reached, if the next source line is not a
31795 function call. If it is, stop at the first instruction of the called
31796 function. If the @samp{--reverse} option is specified, resumes reverse
31797 execution of the inferior program, stopping at the beginning of the
31798 previously executed source line.
31799
31800 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31801
31802 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{step}.
31803
31804 @subsubheading Example
31805
31806 Stepping into a function:
31807
31808 @smallexample
31809 -exec-step
31810 ^running
31811 (gdb)
31812 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",
31813 frame=@{func="foo",args=[@{name="a",value="10"@},
31814 @{name="b",value="0"@}],file="recursive2.c",
31815 fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="11"@}
31816 (gdb)
31817 @end smallexample
31818
31819 Regular stepping:
31820
31821 @smallexample
31822 -exec-step
31823 ^running
31824 (gdb)
31825 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",line="14",file="recursive2.c"
31826 (gdb)
31827 @end smallexample
31828
31829
31830 @subheading The @code{-exec-step-instruction} Command
31831 @findex -exec-step-instruction
31832
31833 @subsubheading Synopsis
31834
31835 @smallexample
31836 -exec-step-instruction [--reverse]
31837 @end smallexample
31838
31839 Resumes the inferior which executes one machine instruction. If the
31840 @samp{--reverse} option is specified, resumes reverse execution of the
31841 inferior program, stopping at the previously executed instruction.
31842 The output, once @value{GDBN} has stopped, will vary depending on
31843 whether we have stopped in the middle of a source line or not. In the
31844 former case, the address at which the program stopped will be printed
31845 as well.
31846
31847 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31848
31849 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{stepi}.
31850
31851 @subsubheading Example
31852
31853 @smallexample
31854 (gdb)
31855 -exec-step-instruction
31856 ^running
31857
31858 (gdb)
31859 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",
31860 frame=@{func="foo",args=[],file="try.c",
31861 fullname="/home/foo/bar/try.c",line="10"@}
31862 (gdb)
31863 -exec-step-instruction
31864 ^running
31865
31866 (gdb)
31867 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",
31868 frame=@{addr="0x000100f4",func="foo",args=[],file="try.c",
31869 fullname="/home/foo/bar/try.c",line="10"@}
31870 (gdb)
31871 @end smallexample
31872
31873
31874 @subheading The @code{-exec-until} Command
31875 @findex -exec-until
31876
31877 @subsubheading Synopsis
31878
31879 @smallexample
31880 -exec-until [ @var{location} ]
31881 @end smallexample
31882
31883 Executes the inferior until the @var{location} specified in the
31884 argument is reached. If there is no argument, the inferior executes
31885 until a source line greater than the current one is reached. The
31886 reason for stopping in this case will be @samp{location-reached}.
31887
31888 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31889
31890 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{until}.
31891
31892 @subsubheading Example
31893
31894 @smallexample
31895 (gdb)
31896 -exec-until recursive2.c:6
31897 ^running
31898 (gdb)
31899 x = 55
31900 *stopped,reason="location-reached",frame=@{func="main",args=[],
31901 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="6"@}
31902 (gdb)
31903 @end smallexample
31904
31905 @ignore
31906 @subheading -file-clear
31907 Is this going away????
31908 @end ignore
31909
31910 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
31911 @node GDB/MI Stack Manipulation
31912 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Stack Manipulation Commands
31913
31914 @subheading The @code{-enable-frame-filters} Command
31915 @findex -enable-frame-filters
31916
31917 @smallexample
31918 -enable-frame-filters
31919 @end smallexample
31920
31921 @value{GDBN} allows Python-based frame filters to affect the output of
31922 the MI commands relating to stack traces. As there is no way to
31923 implement this in a fully backward-compatible way, a front end must
31924 request that this functionality be enabled.
31925
31926 Once enabled, this feature cannot be disabled.
31927
31928 Note that if Python support has not been compiled into @value{GDBN},
31929 this command will still succeed (and do nothing).
31930
31931 @subheading The @code{-stack-info-frame} Command
31932 @findex -stack-info-frame
31933
31934 @subsubheading Synopsis
31935
31936 @smallexample
31937 -stack-info-frame
31938 @end smallexample
31939
31940 Get info on the selected frame.
31941
31942 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31943
31944 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info frame} or @samp{frame}
31945 (without arguments).
31946
31947 @subsubheading Example
31948
31949 @smallexample
31950 (gdb)
31951 -stack-info-frame
31952 ^done,frame=@{level="1",addr="0x0001076c",func="callee3",
31953 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
31954 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="17"@}
31955 (gdb)
31956 @end smallexample
31957
31958 @subheading The @code{-stack-info-depth} Command
31959 @findex -stack-info-depth
31960
31961 @subsubheading Synopsis
31962
31963 @smallexample
31964 -stack-info-depth [ @var{max-depth} ]
31965 @end smallexample
31966
31967 Return the depth of the stack. If the integer argument @var{max-depth}
31968 is specified, do not count beyond @var{max-depth} frames.
31969
31970 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
31971
31972 There's no equivalent @value{GDBN} command.
31973
31974 @subsubheading Example
31975
31976 For a stack with frame levels 0 through 11:
31977
31978 @smallexample
31979 (gdb)
31980 -stack-info-depth
31981 ^done,depth="12"
31982 (gdb)
31983 -stack-info-depth 4
31984 ^done,depth="4"
31985 (gdb)
31986 -stack-info-depth 12
31987 ^done,depth="12"
31988 (gdb)
31989 -stack-info-depth 11
31990 ^done,depth="11"
31991 (gdb)
31992 -stack-info-depth 13
31993 ^done,depth="12"
31994 (gdb)
31995 @end smallexample
31996
31997 @anchor{-stack-list-arguments}
31998 @subheading The @code{-stack-list-arguments} Command
31999 @findex -stack-list-arguments
32000
32001 @subsubheading Synopsis
32002
32003 @smallexample
32004 -stack-list-arguments [ --no-frame-filters ] [ --skip-unavailable ] @var{print-values}
32005 [ @var{low-frame} @var{high-frame} ]
32006 @end smallexample
32007
32008 Display a list of the arguments for the frames between @var{low-frame}
32009 and @var{high-frame} (inclusive). If @var{low-frame} and
32010 @var{high-frame} are not provided, list the arguments for the whole
32011 call stack. If the two arguments are equal, show the single frame
32012 at the corresponding level. It is an error if @var{low-frame} is
32013 larger than the actual number of frames. On the other hand,
32014 @var{high-frame} may be larger than the actual number of frames, in
32015 which case only existing frames will be returned.
32016
32017 If @var{print-values} is 0 or @code{--no-values}, print only the names of
32018 the variables; if it is 1 or @code{--all-values}, print also their
32019 values; and if it is 2 or @code{--simple-values}, print the name,
32020 type and value for simple data types, and the name and type for arrays,
32021 structures and unions. If the option @code{--no-frame-filters} is
32022 supplied, then Python frame filters will not be executed.
32023
32024 If the @code{--skip-unavailable} option is specified, arguments that
32025 are not available are not listed. Partially available arguments
32026 are still displayed, however.
32027
32028 Use of this command to obtain arguments in a single frame is
32029 deprecated in favor of the @samp{-stack-list-variables} command.
32030
32031 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
32032
32033 @value{GDBN} does not have an equivalent command. @code{gdbtk} has a
32034 @samp{gdb_get_args} command which partially overlaps with the
32035 functionality of @samp{-stack-list-arguments}.
32036
32037 @subsubheading Example
32038
32039 @smallexample
32040 (gdb)
32041 -stack-list-frames
32042 ^done,
32043 stack=[
32044 frame=@{level="0",addr="0x00010734",func="callee4",
32045 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
32046 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="8"@},
32047 frame=@{level="1",addr="0x0001076c",func="callee3",
32048 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
32049 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="17"@},
32050 frame=@{level="2",addr="0x0001078c",func="callee2",
32051 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
32052 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="22"@},
32053 frame=@{level="3",addr="0x000107b4",func="callee1",
32054 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
32055 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="27"@},
32056 frame=@{level="4",addr="0x000107e0",func="main",
32057 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
32058 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="32"@}]
32059 (gdb)
32060 -stack-list-arguments 0
32061 ^done,
32062 stack-args=[
32063 frame=@{level="0",args=[]@},
32064 frame=@{level="1",args=[name="strarg"]@},
32065 frame=@{level="2",args=[name="intarg",name="strarg"]@},
32066 frame=@{level="3",args=[name="intarg",name="strarg",name="fltarg"]@},
32067 frame=@{level="4",args=[]@}]
32068 (gdb)
32069 -stack-list-arguments 1
32070 ^done,
32071 stack-args=[
32072 frame=@{level="0",args=[]@},
32073 frame=@{level="1",
32074 args=[@{name="strarg",value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}]@},
32075 frame=@{level="2",args=[
32076 @{name="intarg",value="2"@},
32077 @{name="strarg",value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}]@},
32078 @{frame=@{level="3",args=[
32079 @{name="intarg",value="2"@},
32080 @{name="strarg",value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@},
32081 @{name="fltarg",value="3.5"@}]@},
32082 frame=@{level="4",args=[]@}]
32083 (gdb)
32084 -stack-list-arguments 0 2 2
32085 ^done,stack-args=[frame=@{level="2",args=[name="intarg",name="strarg"]@}]
32086 (gdb)
32087 -stack-list-arguments 1 2 2
32088 ^done,stack-args=[frame=@{level="2",
32089 args=[@{name="intarg",value="2"@},
32090 @{name="strarg",value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}]@}]
32091 (gdb)
32092 @end smallexample
32093
32094 @c @subheading -stack-list-exception-handlers
32095
32096
32097 @anchor{-stack-list-frames}
32098 @subheading The @code{-stack-list-frames} Command
32099 @findex -stack-list-frames
32100
32101 @subsubheading Synopsis
32102
32103 @smallexample
32104 -stack-list-frames [ --no-frame-filters @var{low-frame} @var{high-frame} ]
32105 @end smallexample
32106
32107 List the frames currently on the stack. For each frame it displays the
32108 following info:
32109
32110 @table @samp
32111 @item @var{level}
32112 The frame number, 0 being the topmost frame, i.e., the innermost function.
32113 @item @var{addr}
32114 The @code{$pc} value for that frame.
32115 @item @var{func}
32116 Function name.
32117 @item @var{file}
32118 File name of the source file where the function lives.
32119 @item @var{fullname}
32120 The full file name of the source file where the function lives.
32121 @item @var{line}
32122 Line number corresponding to the @code{$pc}.
32123 @item @var{from}
32124 The shared library where this function is defined. This is only given
32125 if the frame's function is not known.
32126 @end table
32127
32128 If invoked without arguments, this command prints a backtrace for the
32129 whole stack. If given two integer arguments, it shows the frames whose
32130 levels are between the two arguments (inclusive). If the two arguments
32131 are equal, it shows the single frame at the corresponding level. It is
32132 an error if @var{low-frame} is larger than the actual number of
32133 frames. On the other hand, @var{high-frame} may be larger than the
32134 actual number of frames, in which case only existing frames will be
32135 returned. If the option @code{--no-frame-filters} is supplied, then
32136 Python frame filters will not be executed.
32137
32138 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
32139
32140 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{backtrace} and @samp{where}.
32141
32142 @subsubheading Example
32143
32144 Full stack backtrace:
32145
32146 @smallexample
32147 (gdb)
32148 -stack-list-frames
32149 ^done,stack=
32150 [frame=@{level="0",addr="0x0001076c",func="foo",
32151 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="11"@},
32152 frame=@{level="1",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
32153 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
32154 frame=@{level="2",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
32155 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
32156 frame=@{level="3",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
32157 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
32158 frame=@{level="4",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
32159 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
32160 frame=@{level="5",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
32161 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
32162 frame=@{level="6",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
32163 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
32164 frame=@{level="7",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
32165 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
32166 frame=@{level="8",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
32167 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
32168 frame=@{level="9",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
32169 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
32170 frame=@{level="10",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
32171 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
32172 frame=@{level="11",addr="0x00010738",func="main",
32173 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="4"@}]
32174 (gdb)
32175 @end smallexample
32176
32177 Show frames between @var{low_frame} and @var{high_frame}:
32178
32179 @smallexample
32180 (gdb)
32181 -stack-list-frames 3 5
32182 ^done,stack=
32183 [frame=@{level="3",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
32184 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
32185 frame=@{level="4",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
32186 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
32187 frame=@{level="5",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
32188 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@}]
32189 (gdb)
32190 @end smallexample
32191
32192 Show a single frame:
32193
32194 @smallexample
32195 (gdb)
32196 -stack-list-frames 3 3
32197 ^done,stack=
32198 [frame=@{level="3",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
32199 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@}]
32200 (gdb)
32201 @end smallexample
32202
32203
32204 @subheading The @code{-stack-list-locals} Command
32205 @findex -stack-list-locals
32206 @anchor{-stack-list-locals}
32207
32208 @subsubheading Synopsis
32209
32210 @smallexample
32211 -stack-list-locals [ --no-frame-filters ] [ --skip-unavailable ] @var{print-values}
32212 @end smallexample
32213
32214 Display the local variable names for the selected frame. If
32215 @var{print-values} is 0 or @code{--no-values}, print only the names of
32216 the variables; if it is 1 or @code{--all-values}, print also their
32217 values; and if it is 2 or @code{--simple-values}, print the name,
32218 type and value for simple data types, and the name and type for arrays,
32219 structures and unions. In this last case, a frontend can immediately
32220 display the value of simple data types and create variable objects for
32221 other data types when the user wishes to explore their values in
32222 more detail. If the option @code{--no-frame-filters} is supplied, then
32223 Python frame filters will not be executed.
32224
32225 If the @code{--skip-unavailable} option is specified, local variables
32226 that are not available are not listed. Partially available local
32227 variables are still displayed, however.
32228
32229 This command is deprecated in favor of the
32230 @samp{-stack-list-variables} command.
32231
32232 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
32233
32234 @samp{info locals} in @value{GDBN}, @samp{gdb_get_locals} in @code{gdbtk}.
32235
32236 @subsubheading Example
32237
32238 @smallexample
32239 (gdb)
32240 -stack-list-locals 0
32241 ^done,locals=[name="A",name="B",name="C"]
32242 (gdb)
32243 -stack-list-locals --all-values
32244 ^done,locals=[@{name="A",value="1"@},@{name="B",value="2"@},
32245 @{name="C",value="@{1, 2, 3@}"@}]
32246 -stack-list-locals --simple-values
32247 ^done,locals=[@{name="A",type="int",value="1"@},
32248 @{name="B",type="int",value="2"@},@{name="C",type="int [3]"@}]
32249 (gdb)
32250 @end smallexample
32251
32252 @anchor{-stack-list-variables}
32253 @subheading The @code{-stack-list-variables} Command
32254 @findex -stack-list-variables
32255
32256 @subsubheading Synopsis
32257
32258 @smallexample
32259 -stack-list-variables [ --no-frame-filters ] [ --skip-unavailable ] @var{print-values}
32260 @end smallexample
32261
32262 Display the names of local variables and function arguments for the selected frame. If
32263 @var{print-values} is 0 or @code{--no-values}, print only the names of
32264 the variables; if it is 1 or @code{--all-values}, print also their
32265 values; and if it is 2 or @code{--simple-values}, print the name,
32266 type and value for simple data types, and the name and type for arrays,
32267 structures and unions. If the option @code{--no-frame-filters} is
32268 supplied, then Python frame filters will not be executed.
32269
32270 If the @code{--skip-unavailable} option is specified, local variables
32271 and arguments that are not available are not listed. Partially
32272 available arguments and local variables are still displayed, however.
32273
32274 @subsubheading Example
32275
32276 @smallexample
32277 (gdb)
32278 -stack-list-variables --thread 1 --frame 0 --all-values
32279 ^done,variables=[@{name="x",value="11"@},@{name="s",value="@{a = 1, b = 2@}"@}]
32280 (gdb)
32281 @end smallexample
32282
32283
32284 @subheading The @code{-stack-select-frame} Command
32285 @findex -stack-select-frame
32286
32287 @subsubheading Synopsis
32288
32289 @smallexample
32290 -stack-select-frame @var{framenum}
32291 @end smallexample
32292
32293 Change the selected frame. Select a different frame @var{framenum} on
32294 the stack.
32295
32296 This command in deprecated in favor of passing the @samp{--frame}
32297 option to every command.
32298
32299 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
32300
32301 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{frame}, @samp{up},
32302 @samp{down}, @samp{select-frame}, @samp{up-silent}, and @samp{down-silent}.
32303
32304 @subsubheading Example
32305
32306 @smallexample
32307 (gdb)
32308 -stack-select-frame 2
32309 ^done
32310 (gdb)
32311 @end smallexample
32312
32313 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
32314 @node GDB/MI Variable Objects
32315 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Variable Objects
32316
32317 @ignore
32318
32319 @subheading Motivation for Variable Objects in @sc{gdb/mi}
32320
32321 For the implementation of a variable debugger window (locals, watched
32322 expressions, etc.), we are proposing the adaptation of the existing code
32323 used by @code{Insight}.
32324
32325 The two main reasons for that are:
32326
32327 @enumerate 1
32328 @item
32329 It has been proven in practice (it is already on its second generation).
32330
32331 @item
32332 It will shorten development time (needless to say how important it is
32333 now).
32334 @end enumerate
32335
32336 The original interface was designed to be used by Tcl code, so it was
32337 slightly changed so it could be used through @sc{gdb/mi}. This section
32338 describes the @sc{gdb/mi} operations that will be available and gives some
32339 hints about their use.
32340
32341 @emph{Note}: In addition to the set of operations described here, we
32342 expect the @sc{gui} implementation of a variable window to require, at
32343 least, the following operations:
32344
32345 @itemize @bullet
32346 @item @code{-gdb-show} @code{output-radix}
32347 @item @code{-stack-list-arguments}
32348 @item @code{-stack-list-locals}
32349 @item @code{-stack-select-frame}
32350 @end itemize
32351
32352 @end ignore
32353
32354 @subheading Introduction to Variable Objects
32355
32356 @cindex variable objects in @sc{gdb/mi}
32357
32358 Variable objects are "object-oriented" MI interface for examining and
32359 changing values of expressions. Unlike some other MI interfaces that
32360 work with expressions, variable objects are specifically designed for
32361 simple and efficient presentation in the frontend. A variable object
32362 is identified by string name. When a variable object is created, the
32363 frontend specifies the expression for that variable object. The
32364 expression can be a simple variable, or it can be an arbitrary complex
32365 expression, and can even involve CPU registers. After creating a
32366 variable object, the frontend can invoke other variable object
32367 operations---for example to obtain or change the value of a variable
32368 object, or to change display format.
32369
32370 Variable objects have hierarchical tree structure. Any variable object
32371 that corresponds to a composite type, such as structure in C, has
32372 a number of child variable objects, for example corresponding to each
32373 element of a structure. A child variable object can itself have
32374 children, recursively. Recursion ends when we reach
32375 leaf variable objects, which always have built-in types. Child variable
32376 objects are created only by explicit request, so if a frontend
32377 is not interested in the children of a particular variable object, no
32378 child will be created.
32379
32380 For a leaf variable object it is possible to obtain its value as a
32381 string, or set the value from a string. String value can be also
32382 obtained for a non-leaf variable object, but it's generally a string
32383 that only indicates the type of the object, and does not list its
32384 contents. Assignment to a non-leaf variable object is not allowed.
32385
32386 A frontend does not need to read the values of all variable objects each time
32387 the program stops. Instead, MI provides an update command that lists all
32388 variable objects whose values has changed since the last update
32389 operation. This considerably reduces the amount of data that must
32390 be transferred to the frontend. As noted above, children variable
32391 objects are created on demand, and only leaf variable objects have a
32392 real value. As result, gdb will read target memory only for leaf
32393 variables that frontend has created.
32394
32395 The automatic update is not always desirable. For example, a frontend
32396 might want to keep a value of some expression for future reference,
32397 and never update it. For another example, fetching memory is
32398 relatively slow for embedded targets, so a frontend might want
32399 to disable automatic update for the variables that are either not
32400 visible on the screen, or ``closed''. This is possible using so
32401 called ``frozen variable objects''. Such variable objects are never
32402 implicitly updated.
32403
32404 Variable objects can be either @dfn{fixed} or @dfn{floating}. For the
32405 fixed variable object, the expression is parsed when the variable
32406 object is created, including associating identifiers to specific
32407 variables. The meaning of expression never changes. For a floating
32408 variable object the values of variables whose names appear in the
32409 expressions are re-evaluated every time in the context of the current
32410 frame. Consider this example:
32411
32412 @smallexample
32413 void do_work(...)
32414 @{
32415 struct work_state state;
32416
32417 if (...)
32418 do_work(...);
32419 @}
32420 @end smallexample
32421
32422 If a fixed variable object for the @code{state} variable is created in
32423 this function, and we enter the recursive call, the variable
32424 object will report the value of @code{state} in the top-level
32425 @code{do_work} invocation. On the other hand, a floating variable
32426 object will report the value of @code{state} in the current frame.
32427
32428 If an expression specified when creating a fixed variable object
32429 refers to a local variable, the variable object becomes bound to the
32430 thread and frame in which the variable object is created. When such
32431 variable object is updated, @value{GDBN} makes sure that the
32432 thread/frame combination the variable object is bound to still exists,
32433 and re-evaluates the variable object in context of that thread/frame.
32434
32435 The following is the complete set of @sc{gdb/mi} operations defined to
32436 access this functionality:
32437
32438 @multitable @columnfractions .4 .6
32439 @item @strong{Operation}
32440 @tab @strong{Description}
32441
32442 @item @code{-enable-pretty-printing}
32443 @tab enable Python-based pretty-printing
32444 @item @code{-var-create}
32445 @tab create a variable object
32446 @item @code{-var-delete}
32447 @tab delete the variable object and/or its children
32448 @item @code{-var-set-format}
32449 @tab set the display format of this variable
32450 @item @code{-var-show-format}
32451 @tab show the display format of this variable
32452 @item @code{-var-info-num-children}
32453 @tab tells how many children this object has
32454 @item @code{-var-list-children}
32455 @tab return a list of the object's children
32456 @item @code{-var-info-type}
32457 @tab show the type of this variable object
32458 @item @code{-var-info-expression}
32459 @tab print parent-relative expression that this variable object represents
32460 @item @code{-var-info-path-expression}
32461 @tab print full expression that this variable object represents
32462 @item @code{-var-show-attributes}
32463 @tab is this variable editable? does it exist here?
32464 @item @code{-var-evaluate-expression}
32465 @tab get the value of this variable
32466 @item @code{-var-assign}
32467 @tab set the value of this variable
32468 @item @code{-var-update}
32469 @tab update the variable and its children
32470 @item @code{-var-set-frozen}
32471 @tab set frozeness attribute
32472 @item @code{-var-set-update-range}
32473 @tab set range of children to display on update
32474 @end multitable
32475
32476 In the next subsection we describe each operation in detail and suggest
32477 how it can be used.
32478
32479 @subheading Description And Use of Operations on Variable Objects
32480
32481 @subheading The @code{-enable-pretty-printing} Command
32482 @findex -enable-pretty-printing
32483
32484 @smallexample
32485 -enable-pretty-printing
32486 @end smallexample
32487
32488 @value{GDBN} allows Python-based visualizers to affect the output of the
32489 MI variable object commands. However, because there was no way to
32490 implement this in a fully backward-compatible way, a front end must
32491 request that this functionality be enabled.
32492
32493 Once enabled, this feature cannot be disabled.
32494
32495 Note that if Python support has not been compiled into @value{GDBN},
32496 this command will still succeed (and do nothing).
32497
32498 This feature is currently (as of @value{GDBN} 7.0) experimental, and
32499 may work differently in future versions of @value{GDBN}.
32500
32501 @subheading The @code{-var-create} Command
32502 @findex -var-create
32503
32504 @subsubheading Synopsis
32505
32506 @smallexample
32507 -var-create @{@var{name} | "-"@}
32508 @{@var{frame-addr} | "*" | "@@"@} @var{expression}
32509 @end smallexample
32510
32511 This operation creates a variable object, which allows the monitoring of
32512 a variable, the result of an expression, a memory cell or a CPU
32513 register.
32514
32515 The @var{name} parameter is the string by which the object can be
32516 referenced. It must be unique. If @samp{-} is specified, the varobj
32517 system will generate a string ``varNNNNNN'' automatically. It will be
32518 unique provided that one does not specify @var{name} of that format.
32519 The command fails if a duplicate name is found.
32520
32521 The frame under which the expression should be evaluated can be
32522 specified by @var{frame-addr}. A @samp{*} indicates that the current
32523 frame should be used. A @samp{@@} indicates that a floating variable
32524 object must be created.
32525
32526 @var{expression} is any expression valid on the current language set (must not
32527 begin with a @samp{*}), or one of the following:
32528
32529 @itemize @bullet
32530 @item
32531 @samp{*@var{addr}}, where @var{addr} is the address of a memory cell
32532
32533 @item
32534 @samp{*@var{addr}-@var{addr}} --- a memory address range (TBD)
32535
32536 @item
32537 @samp{$@var{regname}} --- a CPU register name
32538 @end itemize
32539
32540 @cindex dynamic varobj
32541 A varobj's contents may be provided by a Python-based pretty-printer. In this
32542 case the varobj is known as a @dfn{dynamic varobj}. Dynamic varobjs
32543 have slightly different semantics in some cases. If the
32544 @code{-enable-pretty-printing} command is not sent, then @value{GDBN}
32545 will never create a dynamic varobj. This ensures backward
32546 compatibility for existing clients.
32547
32548 @subsubheading Result
32549
32550 This operation returns attributes of the newly-created varobj. These
32551 are:
32552
32553 @table @samp
32554 @item name
32555 The name of the varobj.
32556
32557 @item numchild
32558 The number of children of the varobj. This number is not necessarily
32559 reliable for a dynamic varobj. Instead, you must examine the
32560 @samp{has_more} attribute.
32561
32562 @item value
32563 The varobj's scalar value. For a varobj whose type is some sort of
32564 aggregate (e.g., a @code{struct}), or for a dynamic varobj, this value
32565 will not be interesting.
32566
32567 @item type
32568 The varobj's type. This is a string representation of the type, as
32569 would be printed by the @value{GDBN} CLI. If @samp{print object}
32570 (@pxref{Print Settings, set print object}) is set to @code{on}, the
32571 @emph{actual} (derived) type of the object is shown rather than the
32572 @emph{declared} one.
32573
32574 @item thread-id
32575 If a variable object is bound to a specific thread, then this is the
32576 thread's identifier.
32577
32578 @item has_more
32579 For a dynamic varobj, this indicates whether there appear to be any
32580 children available. For a non-dynamic varobj, this will be 0.
32581
32582 @item dynamic
32583 This attribute will be present and have the value @samp{1} if the
32584 varobj is a dynamic varobj. If the varobj is not a dynamic varobj,
32585 then this attribute will not be present.
32586
32587 @item displayhint
32588 A dynamic varobj can supply a display hint to the front end. The
32589 value comes directly from the Python pretty-printer object's
32590 @code{display_hint} method. @xref{Pretty Printing API}.
32591 @end table
32592
32593 Typical output will look like this:
32594
32595 @smallexample
32596 name="@var{name}",numchild="@var{N}",type="@var{type}",thread-id="@var{M}",
32597 has_more="@var{has_more}"
32598 @end smallexample
32599
32600
32601 @subheading The @code{-var-delete} Command
32602 @findex -var-delete
32603
32604 @subsubheading Synopsis
32605
32606 @smallexample
32607 -var-delete [ -c ] @var{name}
32608 @end smallexample
32609
32610 Deletes a previously created variable object and all of its children.
32611 With the @samp{-c} option, just deletes the children.
32612
32613 Returns an error if the object @var{name} is not found.
32614
32615
32616 @subheading The @code{-var-set-format} Command
32617 @findex -var-set-format
32618
32619 @subsubheading Synopsis
32620
32621 @smallexample
32622 -var-set-format @var{name} @var{format-spec}
32623 @end smallexample
32624
32625 Sets the output format for the value of the object @var{name} to be
32626 @var{format-spec}.
32627
32628 @anchor{-var-set-format}
32629 The syntax for the @var{format-spec} is as follows:
32630
32631 @smallexample
32632 @var{format-spec} @expansion{}
32633 @{binary | decimal | hexadecimal | octal | natural@}
32634 @end smallexample
32635
32636 The natural format is the default format choosen automatically
32637 based on the variable type (like decimal for an @code{int}, hex
32638 for pointers, etc.).
32639
32640 For a variable with children, the format is set only on the
32641 variable itself, and the children are not affected.
32642
32643 @subheading The @code{-var-show-format} Command
32644 @findex -var-show-format
32645
32646 @subsubheading Synopsis
32647
32648 @smallexample
32649 -var-show-format @var{name}
32650 @end smallexample
32651
32652 Returns the format used to display the value of the object @var{name}.
32653
32654 @smallexample
32655 @var{format} @expansion{}
32656 @var{format-spec}
32657 @end smallexample
32658
32659
32660 @subheading The @code{-var-info-num-children} Command
32661 @findex -var-info-num-children
32662
32663 @subsubheading Synopsis
32664
32665 @smallexample
32666 -var-info-num-children @var{name}
32667 @end smallexample
32668
32669 Returns the number of children of a variable object @var{name}:
32670
32671 @smallexample
32672 numchild=@var{n}
32673 @end smallexample
32674
32675 Note that this number is not completely reliable for a dynamic varobj.
32676 It will return the current number of children, but more children may
32677 be available.
32678
32679
32680 @subheading The @code{-var-list-children} Command
32681 @findex -var-list-children
32682
32683 @subsubheading Synopsis
32684
32685 @smallexample
32686 -var-list-children [@var{print-values}] @var{name} [@var{from} @var{to}]
32687 @end smallexample
32688 @anchor{-var-list-children}
32689
32690 Return a list of the children of the specified variable object and
32691 create variable objects for them, if they do not already exist. With
32692 a single argument or if @var{print-values} has a value of 0 or
32693 @code{--no-values}, print only the names of the variables; if
32694 @var{print-values} is 1 or @code{--all-values}, also print their
32695 values; and if it is 2 or @code{--simple-values} print the name and
32696 value for simple data types and just the name for arrays, structures
32697 and unions.
32698
32699 @var{from} and @var{to}, if specified, indicate the range of children
32700 to report. If @var{from} or @var{to} is less than zero, the range is
32701 reset and all children will be reported. Otherwise, children starting
32702 at @var{from} (zero-based) and up to and excluding @var{to} will be
32703 reported.
32704
32705 If a child range is requested, it will only affect the current call to
32706 @code{-var-list-children}, but not future calls to @code{-var-update}.
32707 For this, you must instead use @code{-var-set-update-range}. The
32708 intent of this approach is to enable a front end to implement any
32709 update approach it likes; for example, scrolling a view may cause the
32710 front end to request more children with @code{-var-list-children}, and
32711 then the front end could call @code{-var-set-update-range} with a
32712 different range to ensure that future updates are restricted to just
32713 the visible items.
32714
32715 For each child the following results are returned:
32716
32717 @table @var
32718
32719 @item name
32720 Name of the variable object created for this child.
32721
32722 @item exp
32723 The expression to be shown to the user by the front end to designate this child.
32724 For example this may be the name of a structure member.
32725
32726 For a dynamic varobj, this value cannot be used to form an
32727 expression. There is no way to do this at all with a dynamic varobj.
32728
32729 For C/C@t{++} structures there are several pseudo children returned to
32730 designate access qualifiers. For these pseudo children @var{exp} is
32731 @samp{public}, @samp{private}, or @samp{protected}. In this case the
32732 type and value are not present.
32733
32734 A dynamic varobj will not report the access qualifying
32735 pseudo-children, regardless of the language. This information is not
32736 available at all with a dynamic varobj.
32737
32738 @item numchild
32739 Number of children this child has. For a dynamic varobj, this will be
32740 0.
32741
32742 @item type
32743 The type of the child. If @samp{print object}
32744 (@pxref{Print Settings, set print object}) is set to @code{on}, the
32745 @emph{actual} (derived) type of the object is shown rather than the
32746 @emph{declared} one.
32747
32748 @item value
32749 If values were requested, this is the value.
32750
32751 @item thread-id
32752 If this variable object is associated with a thread, this is the thread id.
32753 Otherwise this result is not present.
32754
32755 @item frozen
32756 If the variable object is frozen, this variable will be present with a value of 1.
32757
32758 @item displayhint
32759 A dynamic varobj can supply a display hint to the front end. The
32760 value comes directly from the Python pretty-printer object's
32761 @code{display_hint} method. @xref{Pretty Printing API}.
32762
32763 @item dynamic
32764 This attribute will be present and have the value @samp{1} if the
32765 varobj is a dynamic varobj. If the varobj is not a dynamic varobj,
32766 then this attribute will not be present.
32767
32768 @end table
32769
32770 The result may have its own attributes:
32771
32772 @table @samp
32773 @item displayhint
32774 A dynamic varobj can supply a display hint to the front end. The
32775 value comes directly from the Python pretty-printer object's
32776 @code{display_hint} method. @xref{Pretty Printing API}.
32777
32778 @item has_more
32779 This is an integer attribute which is nonzero if there are children
32780 remaining after the end of the selected range.
32781 @end table
32782
32783 @subsubheading Example
32784
32785 @smallexample
32786 (gdb)
32787 -var-list-children n
32788 ^done,numchild=@var{n},children=[child=@{name=@var{name},exp=@var{exp},
32789 numchild=@var{n},type=@var{type}@},@r{(repeats N times)}]
32790 (gdb)
32791 -var-list-children --all-values n
32792 ^done,numchild=@var{n},children=[child=@{name=@var{name},exp=@var{exp},
32793 numchild=@var{n},value=@var{value},type=@var{type}@},@r{(repeats N times)}]
32794 @end smallexample
32795
32796
32797 @subheading The @code{-var-info-type} Command
32798 @findex -var-info-type
32799
32800 @subsubheading Synopsis
32801
32802 @smallexample
32803 -var-info-type @var{name}
32804 @end smallexample
32805
32806 Returns the type of the specified variable @var{name}. The type is
32807 returned as a string in the same format as it is output by the
32808 @value{GDBN} CLI:
32809
32810 @smallexample
32811 type=@var{typename}
32812 @end smallexample
32813
32814
32815 @subheading The @code{-var-info-expression} Command
32816 @findex -var-info-expression
32817
32818 @subsubheading Synopsis
32819
32820 @smallexample
32821 -var-info-expression @var{name}
32822 @end smallexample
32823
32824 Returns a string that is suitable for presenting this
32825 variable object in user interface. The string is generally
32826 not valid expression in the current language, and cannot be evaluated.
32827
32828 For example, if @code{a} is an array, and variable object
32829 @code{A} was created for @code{a}, then we'll get this output:
32830
32831 @smallexample
32832 (gdb) -var-info-expression A.1
32833 ^done,lang="C",exp="1"
32834 @end smallexample
32835
32836 @noindent
32837 Here, the value of @code{lang} is the language name, which can be
32838 found in @ref{Supported Languages}.
32839
32840 Note that the output of the @code{-var-list-children} command also
32841 includes those expressions, so the @code{-var-info-expression} command
32842 is of limited use.
32843
32844 @subheading The @code{-var-info-path-expression} Command
32845 @findex -var-info-path-expression
32846
32847 @subsubheading Synopsis
32848
32849 @smallexample
32850 -var-info-path-expression @var{name}
32851 @end smallexample
32852
32853 Returns an expression that can be evaluated in the current
32854 context and will yield the same value that a variable object has.
32855 Compare this with the @code{-var-info-expression} command, which
32856 result can be used only for UI presentation. Typical use of
32857 the @code{-var-info-path-expression} command is creating a
32858 watchpoint from a variable object.
32859
32860 This command is currently not valid for children of a dynamic varobj,
32861 and will give an error when invoked on one.
32862
32863 For example, suppose @code{C} is a C@t{++} class, derived from class
32864 @code{Base}, and that the @code{Base} class has a member called
32865 @code{m_size}. Assume a variable @code{c} is has the type of
32866 @code{C} and a variable object @code{C} was created for variable
32867 @code{c}. Then, we'll get this output:
32868 @smallexample
32869 (gdb) -var-info-path-expression C.Base.public.m_size
32870 ^done,path_expr=((Base)c).m_size)
32871 @end smallexample
32872
32873 @subheading The @code{-var-show-attributes} Command
32874 @findex -var-show-attributes
32875
32876 @subsubheading Synopsis
32877
32878 @smallexample
32879 -var-show-attributes @var{name}
32880 @end smallexample
32881
32882 List attributes of the specified variable object @var{name}:
32883
32884 @smallexample
32885 status=@var{attr} [ ( ,@var{attr} )* ]
32886 @end smallexample
32887
32888 @noindent
32889 where @var{attr} is @code{@{ @{ editable | noneditable @} | TBD @}}.
32890
32891 @subheading The @code{-var-evaluate-expression} Command
32892 @findex -var-evaluate-expression
32893
32894 @subsubheading Synopsis
32895
32896 @smallexample
32897 -var-evaluate-expression [-f @var{format-spec}] @var{name}
32898 @end smallexample
32899
32900 Evaluates the expression that is represented by the specified variable
32901 object and returns its value as a string. The format of the string
32902 can be specified with the @samp{-f} option. The possible values of
32903 this option are the same as for @code{-var-set-format}
32904 (@pxref{-var-set-format}). If the @samp{-f} option is not specified,
32905 the current display format will be used. The current display format
32906 can be changed using the @code{-var-set-format} command.
32907
32908 @smallexample
32909 value=@var{value}
32910 @end smallexample
32911
32912 Note that one must invoke @code{-var-list-children} for a variable
32913 before the value of a child variable can be evaluated.
32914
32915 @subheading The @code{-var-assign} Command
32916 @findex -var-assign
32917
32918 @subsubheading Synopsis
32919
32920 @smallexample
32921 -var-assign @var{name} @var{expression}
32922 @end smallexample
32923
32924 Assigns the value of @var{expression} to the variable object specified
32925 by @var{name}. The object must be @samp{editable}. If the variable's
32926 value is altered by the assign, the variable will show up in any
32927 subsequent @code{-var-update} list.
32928
32929 @subsubheading Example
32930
32931 @smallexample
32932 (gdb)
32933 -var-assign var1 3
32934 ^done,value="3"
32935 (gdb)
32936 -var-update *
32937 ^done,changelist=[@{name="var1",in_scope="true",type_changed="false"@}]
32938 (gdb)
32939 @end smallexample
32940
32941 @subheading The @code{-var-update} Command
32942 @findex -var-update
32943
32944 @subsubheading Synopsis
32945
32946 @smallexample
32947 -var-update [@var{print-values}] @{@var{name} | "*"@}
32948 @end smallexample
32949
32950 Reevaluate the expressions corresponding to the variable object
32951 @var{name} and all its direct and indirect children, and return the
32952 list of variable objects whose values have changed; @var{name} must
32953 be a root variable object. Here, ``changed'' means that the result of
32954 @code{-var-evaluate-expression} before and after the
32955 @code{-var-update} is different. If @samp{*} is used as the variable
32956 object names, all existing variable objects are updated, except
32957 for frozen ones (@pxref{-var-set-frozen}). The option
32958 @var{print-values} determines whether both names and values, or just
32959 names are printed. The possible values of this option are the same
32960 as for @code{-var-list-children} (@pxref{-var-list-children}). It is
32961 recommended to use the @samp{--all-values} option, to reduce the
32962 number of MI commands needed on each program stop.
32963
32964 With the @samp{*} parameter, if a variable object is bound to a
32965 currently running thread, it will not be updated, without any
32966 diagnostic.
32967
32968 If @code{-var-set-update-range} was previously used on a varobj, then
32969 only the selected range of children will be reported.
32970
32971 @code{-var-update} reports all the changed varobjs in a tuple named
32972 @samp{changelist}.
32973
32974 Each item in the change list is itself a tuple holding:
32975
32976 @table @samp
32977 @item name
32978 The name of the varobj.
32979
32980 @item value
32981 If values were requested for this update, then this field will be
32982 present and will hold the value of the varobj.
32983
32984 @item in_scope
32985 @anchor{-var-update}
32986 This field is a string which may take one of three values:
32987
32988 @table @code
32989 @item "true"
32990 The variable object's current value is valid.
32991
32992 @item "false"
32993 The variable object does not currently hold a valid value but it may
32994 hold one in the future if its associated expression comes back into
32995 scope.
32996
32997 @item "invalid"
32998 The variable object no longer holds a valid value.
32999 This can occur when the executable file being debugged has changed,
33000 either through recompilation or by using the @value{GDBN} @code{file}
33001 command. The front end should normally choose to delete these variable
33002 objects.
33003 @end table
33004
33005 In the future new values may be added to this list so the front should
33006 be prepared for this possibility. @xref{GDB/MI Development and Front Ends, ,@sc{GDB/MI} Development and Front Ends}.
33007
33008 @item type_changed
33009 This is only present if the varobj is still valid. If the type
33010 changed, then this will be the string @samp{true}; otherwise it will
33011 be @samp{false}.
33012
33013 When a varobj's type changes, its children are also likely to have
33014 become incorrect. Therefore, the varobj's children are automatically
33015 deleted when this attribute is @samp{true}. Also, the varobj's update
33016 range, when set using the @code{-var-set-update-range} command, is
33017 unset.
33018
33019 @item new_type
33020 If the varobj's type changed, then this field will be present and will
33021 hold the new type.
33022
33023 @item new_num_children
33024 For a dynamic varobj, if the number of children changed, or if the
33025 type changed, this will be the new number of children.
33026
33027 The @samp{numchild} field in other varobj responses is generally not
33028 valid for a dynamic varobj -- it will show the number of children that
33029 @value{GDBN} knows about, but because dynamic varobjs lazily
33030 instantiate their children, this will not reflect the number of
33031 children which may be available.
33032
33033 The @samp{new_num_children} attribute only reports changes to the
33034 number of children known by @value{GDBN}. This is the only way to
33035 detect whether an update has removed children (which necessarily can
33036 only happen at the end of the update range).
33037
33038 @item displayhint
33039 The display hint, if any.
33040
33041 @item has_more
33042 This is an integer value, which will be 1 if there are more children
33043 available outside the varobj's update range.
33044
33045 @item dynamic
33046 This attribute will be present and have the value @samp{1} if the
33047 varobj is a dynamic varobj. If the varobj is not a dynamic varobj,
33048 then this attribute will not be present.
33049
33050 @item new_children
33051 If new children were added to a dynamic varobj within the selected
33052 update range (as set by @code{-var-set-update-range}), then they will
33053 be listed in this attribute.
33054 @end table
33055
33056 @subsubheading Example
33057
33058 @smallexample
33059 (gdb)
33060 -var-assign var1 3
33061 ^done,value="3"
33062 (gdb)
33063 -var-update --all-values var1
33064 ^done,changelist=[@{name="var1",value="3",in_scope="true",
33065 type_changed="false"@}]
33066 (gdb)
33067 @end smallexample
33068
33069 @subheading The @code{-var-set-frozen} Command
33070 @findex -var-set-frozen
33071 @anchor{-var-set-frozen}
33072
33073 @subsubheading Synopsis
33074
33075 @smallexample
33076 -var-set-frozen @var{name} @var{flag}
33077 @end smallexample
33078
33079 Set the frozenness flag on the variable object @var{name}. The
33080 @var{flag} parameter should be either @samp{1} to make the variable
33081 frozen or @samp{0} to make it unfrozen. If a variable object is
33082 frozen, then neither itself, nor any of its children, are
33083 implicitly updated by @code{-var-update} of
33084 a parent variable or by @code{-var-update *}. Only
33085 @code{-var-update} of the variable itself will update its value and
33086 values of its children. After a variable object is unfrozen, it is
33087 implicitly updated by all subsequent @code{-var-update} operations.
33088 Unfreezing a variable does not update it, only subsequent
33089 @code{-var-update} does.
33090
33091 @subsubheading Example
33092
33093 @smallexample
33094 (gdb)
33095 -var-set-frozen V 1
33096 ^done
33097 (gdb)
33098 @end smallexample
33099
33100 @subheading The @code{-var-set-update-range} command
33101 @findex -var-set-update-range
33102 @anchor{-var-set-update-range}
33103
33104 @subsubheading Synopsis
33105
33106 @smallexample
33107 -var-set-update-range @var{name} @var{from} @var{to}
33108 @end smallexample
33109
33110 Set the range of children to be returned by future invocations of
33111 @code{-var-update}.
33112
33113 @var{from} and @var{to} indicate the range of children to report. If
33114 @var{from} or @var{to} is less than zero, the range is reset and all
33115 children will be reported. Otherwise, children starting at @var{from}
33116 (zero-based) and up to and excluding @var{to} will be reported.
33117
33118 @subsubheading Example
33119
33120 @smallexample
33121 (gdb)
33122 -var-set-update-range V 1 2
33123 ^done
33124 @end smallexample
33125
33126 @subheading The @code{-var-set-visualizer} command
33127 @findex -var-set-visualizer
33128 @anchor{-var-set-visualizer}
33129
33130 @subsubheading Synopsis
33131
33132 @smallexample
33133 -var-set-visualizer @var{name} @var{visualizer}
33134 @end smallexample
33135
33136 Set a visualizer for the variable object @var{name}.
33137
33138 @var{visualizer} is the visualizer to use. The special value
33139 @samp{None} means to disable any visualizer in use.
33140
33141 If not @samp{None}, @var{visualizer} must be a Python expression.
33142 This expression must evaluate to a callable object which accepts a
33143 single argument. @value{GDBN} will call this object with the value of
33144 the varobj @var{name} as an argument (this is done so that the same
33145 Python pretty-printing code can be used for both the CLI and MI).
33146 When called, this object must return an object which conforms to the
33147 pretty-printing interface (@pxref{Pretty Printing API}).
33148
33149 The pre-defined function @code{gdb.default_visualizer} may be used to
33150 select a visualizer by following the built-in process
33151 (@pxref{Selecting Pretty-Printers}). This is done automatically when
33152 a varobj is created, and so ordinarily is not needed.
33153
33154 This feature is only available if Python support is enabled. The MI
33155 command @code{-list-features} (@pxref{GDB/MI Support Commands})
33156 can be used to check this.
33157
33158 @subsubheading Example
33159
33160 Resetting the visualizer:
33161
33162 @smallexample
33163 (gdb)
33164 -var-set-visualizer V None
33165 ^done
33166 @end smallexample
33167
33168 Reselecting the default (type-based) visualizer:
33169
33170 @smallexample
33171 (gdb)
33172 -var-set-visualizer V gdb.default_visualizer
33173 ^done
33174 @end smallexample
33175
33176 Suppose @code{SomeClass} is a visualizer class. A lambda expression
33177 can be used to instantiate this class for a varobj:
33178
33179 @smallexample
33180 (gdb)
33181 -var-set-visualizer V "lambda val: SomeClass()"
33182 ^done
33183 @end smallexample
33184
33185 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
33186 @node GDB/MI Data Manipulation
33187 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Data Manipulation
33188
33189 @cindex data manipulation, in @sc{gdb/mi}
33190 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, data manipulation
33191 This section describes the @sc{gdb/mi} commands that manipulate data:
33192 examine memory and registers, evaluate expressions, etc.
33193
33194 @c REMOVED FROM THE INTERFACE.
33195 @c @subheading -data-assign
33196 @c Change the value of a program variable. Plenty of side effects.
33197 @c @subsubheading GDB Command
33198 @c set variable
33199 @c @subsubheading Example
33200 @c N.A.
33201
33202 @subheading The @code{-data-disassemble} Command
33203 @findex -data-disassemble
33204
33205 @subsubheading Synopsis
33206
33207 @smallexample
33208 -data-disassemble
33209 [ -s @var{start-addr} -e @var{end-addr} ]
33210 | [ -f @var{filename} -l @var{linenum} [ -n @var{lines} ] ]
33211 -- @var{mode}
33212 @end smallexample
33213
33214 @noindent
33215 Where:
33216
33217 @table @samp
33218 @item @var{start-addr}
33219 is the beginning address (or @code{$pc})
33220 @item @var{end-addr}
33221 is the end address
33222 @item @var{filename}
33223 is the name of the file to disassemble
33224 @item @var{linenum}
33225 is the line number to disassemble around
33226 @item @var{lines}
33227 is the number of disassembly lines to be produced. If it is -1,
33228 the whole function will be disassembled, in case no @var{end-addr} is
33229 specified. If @var{end-addr} is specified as a non-zero value, and
33230 @var{lines} is lower than the number of disassembly lines between
33231 @var{start-addr} and @var{end-addr}, only @var{lines} lines are
33232 displayed; if @var{lines} is higher than the number of lines between
33233 @var{start-addr} and @var{end-addr}, only the lines up to @var{end-addr}
33234 are displayed.
33235 @item @var{mode}
33236 is either 0 (meaning only disassembly), 1 (meaning mixed source and
33237 disassembly), 2 (meaning disassembly with raw opcodes), or 3 (meaning
33238 mixed source and disassembly with raw opcodes).
33239 @end table
33240
33241 @subsubheading Result
33242
33243 The result of the @code{-data-disassemble} command will be a list named
33244 @samp{asm_insns}, the contents of this list depend on the @var{mode}
33245 used with the @code{-data-disassemble} command.
33246
33247 For modes 0 and 2 the @samp{asm_insns} list contains tuples with the
33248 following fields:
33249
33250 @table @code
33251 @item address
33252 The address at which this instruction was disassembled.
33253
33254 @item func-name
33255 The name of the function this instruction is within.
33256
33257 @item offset
33258 The decimal offset in bytes from the start of @samp{func-name}.
33259
33260 @item inst
33261 The text disassembly for this @samp{address}.
33262
33263 @item opcodes
33264 This field is only present for mode 2. This contains the raw opcode
33265 bytes for the @samp{inst} field.
33266
33267 @end table
33268
33269 For modes 1 and 3 the @samp{asm_insns} list contains tuples named
33270 @samp{src_and_asm_line}, each of which has the following fields:
33271
33272 @table @code
33273 @item line
33274 The line number within @samp{file}.
33275
33276 @item file
33277 The file name from the compilation unit. This might be an absolute
33278 file name or a relative file name depending on the compile command
33279 used.
33280
33281 @item fullname
33282 Absolute file name of @samp{file}. It is converted to a canonical form
33283 using the source file search path
33284 (@pxref{Source Path, ,Specifying Source Directories})
33285 and after resolving all the symbolic links.
33286
33287 If the source file is not found this field will contain the path as
33288 present in the debug information.
33289
33290 @item line_asm_insn
33291 This is a list of tuples containing the disassembly for @samp{line} in
33292 @samp{file}. The fields of each tuple are the same as for
33293 @code{-data-disassemble} in @var{mode} 0 and 2, so @samp{address},
33294 @samp{func-name}, @samp{offset}, @samp{inst}, and optionally
33295 @samp{opcodes}.
33296
33297 @end table
33298
33299 Note that whatever included in the @samp{inst} field, is not
33300 manipulated directly by @sc{gdb/mi}, i.e., it is not possible to
33301 adjust its format.
33302
33303 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33304
33305 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{disassemble}.
33306
33307 @subsubheading Example
33308
33309 Disassemble from the current value of @code{$pc} to @code{$pc + 20}:
33310
33311 @smallexample
33312 (gdb)
33313 -data-disassemble -s $pc -e "$pc + 20" -- 0
33314 ^done,
33315 asm_insns=[
33316 @{address="0x000107c0",func-name="main",offset="4",
33317 inst="mov 2, %o0"@},
33318 @{address="0x000107c4",func-name="main",offset="8",
33319 inst="sethi %hi(0x11800), %o2"@},
33320 @{address="0x000107c8",func-name="main",offset="12",
33321 inst="or %o2, 0x140, %o1\t! 0x11940 <_lib_version+8>"@},
33322 @{address="0x000107cc",func-name="main",offset="16",
33323 inst="sethi %hi(0x11800), %o2"@},
33324 @{address="0x000107d0",func-name="main",offset="20",
33325 inst="or %o2, 0x168, %o4\t! 0x11968 <_lib_version+48>"@}]
33326 (gdb)
33327 @end smallexample
33328
33329 Disassemble the whole @code{main} function. Line 32 is part of
33330 @code{main}.
33331
33332 @smallexample
33333 -data-disassemble -f basics.c -l 32 -- 0
33334 ^done,asm_insns=[
33335 @{address="0x000107bc",func-name="main",offset="0",
33336 inst="save %sp, -112, %sp"@},
33337 @{address="0x000107c0",func-name="main",offset="4",
33338 inst="mov 2, %o0"@},
33339 @{address="0x000107c4",func-name="main",offset="8",
33340 inst="sethi %hi(0x11800), %o2"@},
33341 [@dots{}]
33342 @{address="0x0001081c",func-name="main",offset="96",inst="ret "@},
33343 @{address="0x00010820",func-name="main",offset="100",inst="restore "@}]
33344 (gdb)
33345 @end smallexample
33346
33347 Disassemble 3 instructions from the start of @code{main}:
33348
33349 @smallexample
33350 (gdb)
33351 -data-disassemble -f basics.c -l 32 -n 3 -- 0
33352 ^done,asm_insns=[
33353 @{address="0x000107bc",func-name="main",offset="0",
33354 inst="save %sp, -112, %sp"@},
33355 @{address="0x000107c0",func-name="main",offset="4",
33356 inst="mov 2, %o0"@},
33357 @{address="0x000107c4",func-name="main",offset="8",
33358 inst="sethi %hi(0x11800), %o2"@}]
33359 (gdb)
33360 @end smallexample
33361
33362 Disassemble 3 instructions from the start of @code{main} in mixed mode:
33363
33364 @smallexample
33365 (gdb)
33366 -data-disassemble -f basics.c -l 32 -n 3 -- 1
33367 ^done,asm_insns=[
33368 src_and_asm_line=@{line="31",
33369 file="../../../src/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
33370 fullname="/absolute/path/to/src/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
33371 line_asm_insn=[@{address="0x000107bc",
33372 func-name="main",offset="0",inst="save %sp, -112, %sp"@}]@},
33373 src_and_asm_line=@{line="32",
33374 file="../../../src/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
33375 fullname="/absolute/path/to/src/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
33376 line_asm_insn=[@{address="0x000107c0",
33377 func-name="main",offset="4",inst="mov 2, %o0"@},
33378 @{address="0x000107c4",func-name="main",offset="8",
33379 inst="sethi %hi(0x11800), %o2"@}]@}]
33380 (gdb)
33381 @end smallexample
33382
33383
33384 @subheading The @code{-data-evaluate-expression} Command
33385 @findex -data-evaluate-expression
33386
33387 @subsubheading Synopsis
33388
33389 @smallexample
33390 -data-evaluate-expression @var{expr}
33391 @end smallexample
33392
33393 Evaluate @var{expr} as an expression. The expression could contain an
33394 inferior function call. The function call will execute synchronously.
33395 If the expression contains spaces, it must be enclosed in double quotes.
33396
33397 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33398
33399 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{print}, @samp{output}, and
33400 @samp{call}. In @code{gdbtk} only, there's a corresponding
33401 @samp{gdb_eval} command.
33402
33403 @subsubheading Example
33404
33405 In the following example, the numbers that precede the commands are the
33406 @dfn{tokens} described in @ref{GDB/MI Command Syntax, ,@sc{gdb/mi}
33407 Command Syntax}. Notice how @sc{gdb/mi} returns the same tokens in its
33408 output.
33409
33410 @smallexample
33411 211-data-evaluate-expression A
33412 211^done,value="1"
33413 (gdb)
33414 311-data-evaluate-expression &A
33415 311^done,value="0xefffeb7c"
33416 (gdb)
33417 411-data-evaluate-expression A+3
33418 411^done,value="4"
33419 (gdb)
33420 511-data-evaluate-expression "A + 3"
33421 511^done,value="4"
33422 (gdb)
33423 @end smallexample
33424
33425
33426 @subheading The @code{-data-list-changed-registers} Command
33427 @findex -data-list-changed-registers
33428
33429 @subsubheading Synopsis
33430
33431 @smallexample
33432 -data-list-changed-registers
33433 @end smallexample
33434
33435 Display a list of the registers that have changed.
33436
33437 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33438
33439 @value{GDBN} doesn't have a direct analog for this command; @code{gdbtk}
33440 has the corresponding command @samp{gdb_changed_register_list}.
33441
33442 @subsubheading Example
33443
33444 On a PPC MBX board:
33445
33446 @smallexample
33447 (gdb)
33448 -exec-continue
33449 ^running
33450
33451 (gdb)
33452 *stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",bkptno="1",frame=@{
33453 func="main",args=[],file="try.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/try.c",
33454 line="5"@}
33455 (gdb)
33456 -data-list-changed-registers
33457 ^done,changed-registers=["0","1","2","4","5","6","7","8","9",
33458 "10","11","13","14","15","16","17","18","19","20","21","22","23",
33459 "24","25","26","27","28","30","31","64","65","66","67","69"]
33460 (gdb)
33461 @end smallexample
33462
33463
33464 @subheading The @code{-data-list-register-names} Command
33465 @findex -data-list-register-names
33466
33467 @subsubheading Synopsis
33468
33469 @smallexample
33470 -data-list-register-names [ ( @var{regno} )+ ]
33471 @end smallexample
33472
33473 Show a list of register names for the current target. If no arguments
33474 are given, it shows a list of the names of all the registers. If
33475 integer numbers are given as arguments, it will print a list of the
33476 names of the registers corresponding to the arguments. To ensure
33477 consistency between a register name and its number, the output list may
33478 include empty register names.
33479
33480 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33481
33482 @value{GDBN} does not have a command which corresponds to
33483 @samp{-data-list-register-names}. In @code{gdbtk} there is a
33484 corresponding command @samp{gdb_regnames}.
33485
33486 @subsubheading Example
33487
33488 For the PPC MBX board:
33489 @smallexample
33490 (gdb)
33491 -data-list-register-names
33492 ^done,register-names=["r0","r1","r2","r3","r4","r5","r6","r7",
33493 "r8","r9","r10","r11","r12","r13","r14","r15","r16","r17","r18",
33494 "r19","r20","r21","r22","r23","r24","r25","r26","r27","r28","r29",
33495 "r30","r31","f0","f1","f2","f3","f4","f5","f6","f7","f8","f9",
33496 "f10","f11","f12","f13","f14","f15","f16","f17","f18","f19","f20",
33497 "f21","f22","f23","f24","f25","f26","f27","f28","f29","f30","f31",
33498 "", "pc","ps","cr","lr","ctr","xer"]
33499 (gdb)
33500 -data-list-register-names 1 2 3
33501 ^done,register-names=["r1","r2","r3"]
33502 (gdb)
33503 @end smallexample
33504
33505 @subheading The @code{-data-list-register-values} Command
33506 @findex -data-list-register-values
33507
33508 @subsubheading Synopsis
33509
33510 @smallexample
33511 -data-list-register-values
33512 [ @code{--skip-unavailable} ] @var{fmt} [ ( @var{regno} )*]
33513 @end smallexample
33514
33515 Display the registers' contents. @var{fmt} is the format according to
33516 which the registers' contents are to be returned, followed by an optional
33517 list of numbers specifying the registers to display. A missing list of
33518 numbers indicates that the contents of all the registers must be
33519 returned. The @code{--skip-unavailable} option indicates that only
33520 the available registers are to be returned.
33521
33522 Allowed formats for @var{fmt} are:
33523
33524 @table @code
33525 @item x
33526 Hexadecimal
33527 @item o
33528 Octal
33529 @item t
33530 Binary
33531 @item d
33532 Decimal
33533 @item r
33534 Raw
33535 @item N
33536 Natural
33537 @end table
33538
33539 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33540
33541 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{info reg}, @samp{info
33542 all-reg}, and (in @code{gdbtk}) @samp{gdb_fetch_registers}.
33543
33544 @subsubheading Example
33545
33546 For a PPC MBX board (note: line breaks are for readability only, they
33547 don't appear in the actual output):
33548
33549 @smallexample
33550 (gdb)
33551 -data-list-register-values r 64 65
33552 ^done,register-values=[@{number="64",value="0xfe00a300"@},
33553 @{number="65",value="0x00029002"@}]
33554 (gdb)
33555 -data-list-register-values x
33556 ^done,register-values=[@{number="0",value="0xfe0043c8"@},
33557 @{number="1",value="0x3fff88"@},@{number="2",value="0xfffffffe"@},
33558 @{number="3",value="0x0"@},@{number="4",value="0xa"@},
33559 @{number="5",value="0x3fff68"@},@{number="6",value="0x3fff58"@},
33560 @{number="7",value="0xfe011e98"@},@{number="8",value="0x2"@},
33561 @{number="9",value="0xfa202820"@},@{number="10",value="0xfa202808"@},
33562 @{number="11",value="0x1"@},@{number="12",value="0x0"@},
33563 @{number="13",value="0x4544"@},@{number="14",value="0xffdfffff"@},
33564 @{number="15",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="16",value="0xfffffeff"@},
33565 @{number="17",value="0xefffffed"@},@{number="18",value="0xfffffffe"@},
33566 @{number="19",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="20",value="0xffffffff"@},
33567 @{number="21",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="22",value="0xfffffff7"@},
33568 @{number="23",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="24",value="0xffffffff"@},
33569 @{number="25",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="26",value="0xfffffffb"@},
33570 @{number="27",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="28",value="0xf7bfffff"@},
33571 @{number="29",value="0x0"@},@{number="30",value="0xfe010000"@},
33572 @{number="31",value="0x0"@},@{number="32",value="0x0"@},
33573 @{number="33",value="0x0"@},@{number="34",value="0x0"@},
33574 @{number="35",value="0x0"@},@{number="36",value="0x0"@},
33575 @{number="37",value="0x0"@},@{number="38",value="0x0"@},
33576 @{number="39",value="0x0"@},@{number="40",value="0x0"@},
33577 @{number="41",value="0x0"@},@{number="42",value="0x0"@},
33578 @{number="43",value="0x0"@},@{number="44",value="0x0"@},
33579 @{number="45",value="0x0"@},@{number="46",value="0x0"@},
33580 @{number="47",value="0x0"@},@{number="48",value="0x0"@},
33581 @{number="49",value="0x0"@},@{number="50",value="0x0"@},
33582 @{number="51",value="0x0"@},@{number="52",value="0x0"@},
33583 @{number="53",value="0x0"@},@{number="54",value="0x0"@},
33584 @{number="55",value="0x0"@},@{number="56",value="0x0"@},
33585 @{number="57",value="0x0"@},@{number="58",value="0x0"@},
33586 @{number="59",value="0x0"@},@{number="60",value="0x0"@},
33587 @{number="61",value="0x0"@},@{number="62",value="0x0"@},
33588 @{number="63",value="0x0"@},@{number="64",value="0xfe00a300"@},
33589 @{number="65",value="0x29002"@},@{number="66",value="0x202f04b5"@},
33590 @{number="67",value="0xfe0043b0"@},@{number="68",value="0xfe00b3e4"@},
33591 @{number="69",value="0x20002b03"@}]
33592 (gdb)
33593 @end smallexample
33594
33595
33596 @subheading The @code{-data-read-memory} Command
33597 @findex -data-read-memory
33598
33599 This command is deprecated, use @code{-data-read-memory-bytes} instead.
33600
33601 @subsubheading Synopsis
33602
33603 @smallexample
33604 -data-read-memory [ -o @var{byte-offset} ]
33605 @var{address} @var{word-format} @var{word-size}
33606 @var{nr-rows} @var{nr-cols} [ @var{aschar} ]
33607 @end smallexample
33608
33609 @noindent
33610 where:
33611
33612 @table @samp
33613 @item @var{address}
33614 An expression specifying the address of the first memory word to be
33615 read. Complex expressions containing embedded white space should be
33616 quoted using the C convention.
33617
33618 @item @var{word-format}
33619 The format to be used to print the memory words. The notation is the
33620 same as for @value{GDBN}'s @code{print} command (@pxref{Output Formats,
33621 ,Output Formats}).
33622
33623 @item @var{word-size}
33624 The size of each memory word in bytes.
33625
33626 @item @var{nr-rows}
33627 The number of rows in the output table.
33628
33629 @item @var{nr-cols}
33630 The number of columns in the output table.
33631
33632 @item @var{aschar}
33633 If present, indicates that each row should include an @sc{ascii} dump. The
33634 value of @var{aschar} is used as a padding character when a byte is not a
33635 member of the printable @sc{ascii} character set (printable @sc{ascii}
33636 characters are those whose code is between 32 and 126, inclusively).
33637
33638 @item @var{byte-offset}
33639 An offset to add to the @var{address} before fetching memory.
33640 @end table
33641
33642 This command displays memory contents as a table of @var{nr-rows} by
33643 @var{nr-cols} words, each word being @var{word-size} bytes. In total,
33644 @code{@var{nr-rows} * @var{nr-cols} * @var{word-size}} bytes are read
33645 (returned as @samp{total-bytes}). Should less than the requested number
33646 of bytes be returned by the target, the missing words are identified
33647 using @samp{N/A}. The number of bytes read from the target is returned
33648 in @samp{nr-bytes} and the starting address used to read memory in
33649 @samp{addr}.
33650
33651 The address of the next/previous row or page is available in
33652 @samp{next-row} and @samp{prev-row}, @samp{next-page} and
33653 @samp{prev-page}.
33654
33655 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33656
33657 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{x}. @code{gdbtk} has
33658 @samp{gdb_get_mem} memory read command.
33659
33660 @subsubheading Example
33661
33662 Read six bytes of memory starting at @code{bytes+6} but then offset by
33663 @code{-6} bytes. Format as three rows of two columns. One byte per
33664 word. Display each word in hex.
33665
33666 @smallexample
33667 (gdb)
33668 9-data-read-memory -o -6 -- bytes+6 x 1 3 2
33669 9^done,addr="0x00001390",nr-bytes="6",total-bytes="6",
33670 next-row="0x00001396",prev-row="0x0000138e",next-page="0x00001396",
33671 prev-page="0x0000138a",memory=[
33672 @{addr="0x00001390",data=["0x00","0x01"]@},
33673 @{addr="0x00001392",data=["0x02","0x03"]@},
33674 @{addr="0x00001394",data=["0x04","0x05"]@}]
33675 (gdb)
33676 @end smallexample
33677
33678 Read two bytes of memory starting at address @code{shorts + 64} and
33679 display as a single word formatted in decimal.
33680
33681 @smallexample
33682 (gdb)
33683 5-data-read-memory shorts+64 d 2 1 1
33684 5^done,addr="0x00001510",nr-bytes="2",total-bytes="2",
33685 next-row="0x00001512",prev-row="0x0000150e",
33686 next-page="0x00001512",prev-page="0x0000150e",memory=[
33687 @{addr="0x00001510",data=["128"]@}]
33688 (gdb)
33689 @end smallexample
33690
33691 Read thirty two bytes of memory starting at @code{bytes+16} and format
33692 as eight rows of four columns. Include a string encoding with @samp{x}
33693 used as the non-printable character.
33694
33695 @smallexample
33696 (gdb)
33697 4-data-read-memory bytes+16 x 1 8 4 x
33698 4^done,addr="0x000013a0",nr-bytes="32",total-bytes="32",
33699 next-row="0x000013c0",prev-row="0x0000139c",
33700 next-page="0x000013c0",prev-page="0x00001380",memory=[
33701 @{addr="0x000013a0",data=["0x10","0x11","0x12","0x13"],ascii="xxxx"@},
33702 @{addr="0x000013a4",data=["0x14","0x15","0x16","0x17"],ascii="xxxx"@},
33703 @{addr="0x000013a8",data=["0x18","0x19","0x1a","0x1b"],ascii="xxxx"@},
33704 @{addr="0x000013ac",data=["0x1c","0x1d","0x1e","0x1f"],ascii="xxxx"@},
33705 @{addr="0x000013b0",data=["0x20","0x21","0x22","0x23"],ascii=" !\"#"@},
33706 @{addr="0x000013b4",data=["0x24","0x25","0x26","0x27"],ascii="$%&'"@},
33707 @{addr="0x000013b8",data=["0x28","0x29","0x2a","0x2b"],ascii="()*+"@},
33708 @{addr="0x000013bc",data=["0x2c","0x2d","0x2e","0x2f"],ascii=",-./"@}]
33709 (gdb)
33710 @end smallexample
33711
33712 @subheading The @code{-data-read-memory-bytes} Command
33713 @findex -data-read-memory-bytes
33714
33715 @subsubheading Synopsis
33716
33717 @smallexample
33718 -data-read-memory-bytes [ -o @var{byte-offset} ]
33719 @var{address} @var{count}
33720 @end smallexample
33721
33722 @noindent
33723 where:
33724
33725 @table @samp
33726 @item @var{address}
33727 An expression specifying the address of the first memory word to be
33728 read. Complex expressions containing embedded white space should be
33729 quoted using the C convention.
33730
33731 @item @var{count}
33732 The number of bytes to read. This should be an integer literal.
33733
33734 @item @var{byte-offset}
33735 The offsets in bytes relative to @var{address} at which to start
33736 reading. This should be an integer literal. This option is provided
33737 so that a frontend is not required to first evaluate address and then
33738 perform address arithmetics itself.
33739
33740 @end table
33741
33742 This command attempts to read all accessible memory regions in the
33743 specified range. First, all regions marked as unreadable in the memory
33744 map (if one is defined) will be skipped. @xref{Memory Region
33745 Attributes}. Second, @value{GDBN} will attempt to read the remaining
33746 regions. For each one, if reading full region results in an errors,
33747 @value{GDBN} will try to read a subset of the region.
33748
33749 In general, every single byte in the region may be readable or not,
33750 and the only way to read every readable byte is to try a read at
33751 every address, which is not practical. Therefore, @value{GDBN} will
33752 attempt to read all accessible bytes at either beginning or the end
33753 of the region, using a binary division scheme. This heuristic works
33754 well for reading accross a memory map boundary. Note that if a region
33755 has a readable range that is neither at the beginning or the end,
33756 @value{GDBN} will not read it.
33757
33758 The result record (@pxref{GDB/MI Result Records}) that is output of
33759 the command includes a field named @samp{memory} whose content is a
33760 list of tuples. Each tuple represent a successfully read memory block
33761 and has the following fields:
33762
33763 @table @code
33764 @item begin
33765 The start address of the memory block, as hexadecimal literal.
33766
33767 @item end
33768 The end address of the memory block, as hexadecimal literal.
33769
33770 @item offset
33771 The offset of the memory block, as hexadecimal literal, relative to
33772 the start address passed to @code{-data-read-memory-bytes}.
33773
33774 @item contents
33775 The contents of the memory block, in hex.
33776
33777 @end table
33778
33779
33780
33781 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33782
33783 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{x}.
33784
33785 @subsubheading Example
33786
33787 @smallexample
33788 (gdb)
33789 -data-read-memory-bytes &a 10
33790 ^done,memory=[@{begin="0xbffff154",offset="0x00000000",
33791 end="0xbffff15e",
33792 contents="01000000020000000300"@}]
33793 (gdb)
33794 @end smallexample
33795
33796
33797 @subheading The @code{-data-write-memory-bytes} Command
33798 @findex -data-write-memory-bytes
33799
33800 @subsubheading Synopsis
33801
33802 @smallexample
33803 -data-write-memory-bytes @var{address} @var{contents}
33804 -data-write-memory-bytes @var{address} @var{contents} @r{[}@var{count}@r{]}
33805 @end smallexample
33806
33807 @noindent
33808 where:
33809
33810 @table @samp
33811 @item @var{address}
33812 An expression specifying the address of the first memory word to be
33813 read. Complex expressions containing embedded white space should be
33814 quoted using the C convention.
33815
33816 @item @var{contents}
33817 The hex-encoded bytes to write.
33818
33819 @item @var{count}
33820 Optional argument indicating the number of bytes to be written. If @var{count}
33821 is greater than @var{contents}' length, @value{GDBN} will repeatedly
33822 write @var{contents} until it fills @var{count} bytes.
33823
33824 @end table
33825
33826 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33827
33828 There's no corresponding @value{GDBN} command.
33829
33830 @subsubheading Example
33831
33832 @smallexample
33833 (gdb)
33834 -data-write-memory-bytes &a "aabbccdd"
33835 ^done
33836 (gdb)
33837 @end smallexample
33838
33839 @smallexample
33840 (gdb)
33841 -data-write-memory-bytes &a "aabbccdd" 16e
33842 ^done
33843 (gdb)
33844 @end smallexample
33845
33846 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
33847 @node GDB/MI Tracepoint Commands
33848 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Tracepoint Commands
33849
33850 The commands defined in this section implement MI support for
33851 tracepoints. For detailed introduction, see @ref{Tracepoints}.
33852
33853 @subheading The @code{-trace-find} Command
33854 @findex -trace-find
33855
33856 @subsubheading Synopsis
33857
33858 @smallexample
33859 -trace-find @var{mode} [@var{parameters}@dots{}]
33860 @end smallexample
33861
33862 Find a trace frame using criteria defined by @var{mode} and
33863 @var{parameters}. The following table lists permissible
33864 modes and their parameters. For details of operation, see @ref{tfind}.
33865
33866 @table @samp
33867
33868 @item none
33869 No parameters are required. Stops examining trace frames.
33870
33871 @item frame-number
33872 An integer is required as parameter. Selects tracepoint frame with
33873 that index.
33874
33875 @item tracepoint-number
33876 An integer is required as parameter. Finds next
33877 trace frame that corresponds to tracepoint with the specified number.
33878
33879 @item pc
33880 An address is required as parameter. Finds
33881 next trace frame that corresponds to any tracepoint at the specified
33882 address.
33883
33884 @item pc-inside-range
33885 Two addresses are required as parameters. Finds next trace
33886 frame that corresponds to a tracepoint at an address inside the
33887 specified range. Both bounds are considered to be inside the range.
33888
33889 @item pc-outside-range
33890 Two addresses are required as parameters. Finds
33891 next trace frame that corresponds to a tracepoint at an address outside
33892 the specified range. Both bounds are considered to be inside the range.
33893
33894 @item line
33895 Line specification is required as parameter. @xref{Specify Location}.
33896 Finds next trace frame that corresponds to a tracepoint at
33897 the specified location.
33898
33899 @end table
33900
33901 If @samp{none} was passed as @var{mode}, the response does not
33902 have fields. Otherwise, the response may have the following fields:
33903
33904 @table @samp
33905 @item found
33906 This field has either @samp{0} or @samp{1} as the value, depending
33907 on whether a matching tracepoint was found.
33908
33909 @item traceframe
33910 The index of the found traceframe. This field is present iff
33911 the @samp{found} field has value of @samp{1}.
33912
33913 @item tracepoint
33914 The index of the found tracepoint. This field is present iff
33915 the @samp{found} field has value of @samp{1}.
33916
33917 @item frame
33918 The information about the frame corresponding to the found trace
33919 frame. This field is present only if a trace frame was found.
33920 @xref{GDB/MI Frame Information}, for description of this field.
33921
33922 @end table
33923
33924 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33925
33926 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tfind}.
33927
33928 @subheading -trace-define-variable
33929 @findex -trace-define-variable
33930
33931 @subsubheading Synopsis
33932
33933 @smallexample
33934 -trace-define-variable @var{name} [ @var{value} ]
33935 @end smallexample
33936
33937 Create trace variable @var{name} if it does not exist. If
33938 @var{value} is specified, sets the initial value of the specified
33939 trace variable to that value. Note that the @var{name} should start
33940 with the @samp{$} character.
33941
33942 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
33943
33944 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tvariable}.
33945
33946 @subheading The @code{-trace-frame-collected} Command
33947 @findex -trace-frame-collected
33948
33949 @subsubheading Synopsis
33950
33951 @smallexample
33952 -trace-frame-collected
33953 [--var-print-values @var{var_pval}]
33954 [--comp-print-values @var{comp_pval}]
33955 [--registers-format @var{regformat}]
33956 [--memory-contents]
33957 @end smallexample
33958
33959 This command returns the set of collected objects, register names,
33960 trace state variable names, memory ranges and computed expressions
33961 that have been collected at a particular trace frame. The optional
33962 parameters to the command affect the output format in different ways.
33963 See the output description table below for more details.
33964
33965 The reported names can be used in the normal manner to create
33966 varobjs and inspect the objects themselves. The items returned by
33967 this command are categorized so that it is clear which is a variable,
33968 which is a register, which is a trace state variable, which is a
33969 memory range and which is a computed expression.
33970
33971 For instance, if the actions were
33972 @smallexample
33973 collect myVar, myArray[myIndex], myObj.field, myPtr->field, myCount + 2
33974 collect *(int*)0xaf02bef0@@40
33975 @end smallexample
33976
33977 @noindent
33978 the object collected in its entirety would be @code{myVar}. The
33979 object @code{myArray} would be partially collected, because only the
33980 element at index @code{myIndex} would be collected. The remaining
33981 objects would be computed expressions.
33982
33983 An example output would be:
33984
33985 @smallexample
33986 (gdb)
33987 -trace-frame-collected
33988 ^done,
33989 explicit-variables=[@{name="myVar",value="1"@}],
33990 computed-expressions=[@{name="myArray[myIndex]",value="0"@},
33991 @{name="myObj.field",value="0"@},
33992 @{name="myPtr->field",value="1"@},
33993 @{name="myCount + 2",value="3"@},
33994 @{name="$tvar1 + 1",value="43970027"@}],
33995 registers=[@{number="0",value="0x7fe2c6e79ec8"@},
33996 @{number="1",value="0x0"@},
33997 @{number="2",value="0x4"@},
33998 ...
33999 @{number="125",value="0x0"@}],
34000 tvars=[@{name="$tvar1",current="43970026"@}],
34001 memory=[@{address="0x0000000000602264",length="4"@},
34002 @{address="0x0000000000615bc0",length="4"@}]
34003 (gdb)
34004 @end smallexample
34005
34006 Where:
34007
34008 @table @code
34009 @item explicit-variables
34010 The set of objects that have been collected in their entirety (as
34011 opposed to collecting just a few elements of an array or a few struct
34012 members). For each object, its name and value are printed.
34013 The @code{--var-print-values} option affects how or whether the value
34014 field is output. If @var{var_pval} is 0, then print only the names;
34015 if it is 1, print also their values; and if it is 2, print the name,
34016 type and value for simple data types, and the name and type for
34017 arrays, structures and unions.
34018
34019 @item computed-expressions
34020 The set of computed expressions that have been collected at the
34021 current trace frame. The @code{--comp-print-values} option affects
34022 this set like the @code{--var-print-values} option affects the
34023 @code{explicit-variables} set. See above.
34024
34025 @item registers
34026 The registers that have been collected at the current trace frame.
34027 For each register collected, the name and current value are returned.
34028 The value is formatted according to the @code{--registers-format}
34029 option. See the @command{-data-list-register-values} command for a
34030 list of the allowed formats. The default is @samp{x}.
34031
34032 @item tvars
34033 The trace state variables that have been collected at the current
34034 trace frame. For each trace state variable collected, the name and
34035 current value are returned.
34036
34037 @item memory
34038 The set of memory ranges that have been collected at the current trace
34039 frame. Its content is a list of tuples. Each tuple represents a
34040 collected memory range and has the following fields:
34041
34042 @table @code
34043 @item address
34044 The start address of the memory range, as hexadecimal literal.
34045
34046 @item length
34047 The length of the memory range, as decimal literal.
34048
34049 @item contents
34050 The contents of the memory block, in hex. This field is only present
34051 if the @code{--memory-contents} option is specified.
34052
34053 @end table
34054
34055 @end table
34056
34057 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34058
34059 There is no corresponding @value{GDBN} command.
34060
34061 @subsubheading Example
34062
34063 @subheading -trace-list-variables
34064 @findex -trace-list-variables
34065
34066 @subsubheading Synopsis
34067
34068 @smallexample
34069 -trace-list-variables
34070 @end smallexample
34071
34072 Return a table of all defined trace variables. Each element of the
34073 table has the following fields:
34074
34075 @table @samp
34076 @item name
34077 The name of the trace variable. This field is always present.
34078
34079 @item initial
34080 The initial value. This is a 64-bit signed integer. This
34081 field is always present.
34082
34083 @item current
34084 The value the trace variable has at the moment. This is a 64-bit
34085 signed integer. This field is absent iff current value is
34086 not defined, for example if the trace was never run, or is
34087 presently running.
34088
34089 @end table
34090
34091 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34092
34093 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tvariables}.
34094
34095 @subsubheading Example
34096
34097 @smallexample
34098 (gdb)
34099 -trace-list-variables
34100 ^done,trace-variables=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="3",
34101 hdr=[@{width="15",alignment="-1",col_name="name",colhdr="Name"@},
34102 @{width="11",alignment="-1",col_name="initial",colhdr="Initial"@},
34103 @{width="11",alignment="-1",col_name="current",colhdr="Current"@}],
34104 body=[variable=@{name="$trace_timestamp",initial="0"@}
34105 variable=@{name="$foo",initial="10",current="15"@}]@}
34106 (gdb)
34107 @end smallexample
34108
34109 @subheading -trace-save
34110 @findex -trace-save
34111
34112 @subsubheading Synopsis
34113
34114 @smallexample
34115 -trace-save [-r ] @var{filename}
34116 @end smallexample
34117
34118 Saves the collected trace data to @var{filename}. Without the
34119 @samp{-r} option, the data is downloaded from the target and saved
34120 in a local file. With the @samp{-r} option the target is asked
34121 to perform the save.
34122
34123 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34124
34125 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tsave}.
34126
34127
34128 @subheading -trace-start
34129 @findex -trace-start
34130
34131 @subsubheading Synopsis
34132
34133 @smallexample
34134 -trace-start
34135 @end smallexample
34136
34137 Starts a tracing experiments. The result of this command does not
34138 have any fields.
34139
34140 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34141
34142 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tstart}.
34143
34144 @subheading -trace-status
34145 @findex -trace-status
34146
34147 @subsubheading Synopsis
34148
34149 @smallexample
34150 -trace-status
34151 @end smallexample
34152
34153 Obtains the status of a tracing experiment. The result may include
34154 the following fields:
34155
34156 @table @samp
34157
34158 @item supported
34159 May have a value of either @samp{0}, when no tracing operations are
34160 supported, @samp{1}, when all tracing operations are supported, or
34161 @samp{file} when examining trace file. In the latter case, examining
34162 of trace frame is possible but new tracing experiement cannot be
34163 started. This field is always present.
34164
34165 @item running
34166 May have a value of either @samp{0} or @samp{1} depending on whether
34167 tracing experiement is in progress on target. This field is present
34168 if @samp{supported} field is not @samp{0}.
34169
34170 @item stop-reason
34171 Report the reason why the tracing was stopped last time. This field
34172 may be absent iff tracing was never stopped on target yet. The
34173 value of @samp{request} means the tracing was stopped as result of
34174 the @code{-trace-stop} command. The value of @samp{overflow} means
34175 the tracing buffer is full. The value of @samp{disconnection} means
34176 tracing was automatically stopped when @value{GDBN} has disconnected.
34177 The value of @samp{passcount} means tracing was stopped when a
34178 tracepoint was passed a maximal number of times for that tracepoint.
34179 This field is present if @samp{supported} field is not @samp{0}.
34180
34181 @item stopping-tracepoint
34182 The number of tracepoint whose passcount as exceeded. This field is
34183 present iff the @samp{stop-reason} field has the value of
34184 @samp{passcount}.
34185
34186 @item frames
34187 @itemx frames-created
34188 The @samp{frames} field is a count of the total number of trace frames
34189 in the trace buffer, while @samp{frames-created} is the total created
34190 during the run, including ones that were discarded, such as when a
34191 circular trace buffer filled up. Both fields are optional.
34192
34193 @item buffer-size
34194 @itemx buffer-free
34195 These fields tell the current size of the tracing buffer and the
34196 remaining space. These fields are optional.
34197
34198 @item circular
34199 The value of the circular trace buffer flag. @code{1} means that the
34200 trace buffer is circular and old trace frames will be discarded if
34201 necessary to make room, @code{0} means that the trace buffer is linear
34202 and may fill up.
34203
34204 @item disconnected
34205 The value of the disconnected tracing flag. @code{1} means that
34206 tracing will continue after @value{GDBN} disconnects, @code{0} means
34207 that the trace run will stop.
34208
34209 @item trace-file
34210 The filename of the trace file being examined. This field is
34211 optional, and only present when examining a trace file.
34212
34213 @end table
34214
34215 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34216
34217 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tstatus}.
34218
34219 @subheading -trace-stop
34220 @findex -trace-stop
34221
34222 @subsubheading Synopsis
34223
34224 @smallexample
34225 -trace-stop
34226 @end smallexample
34227
34228 Stops a tracing experiment. The result of this command has the same
34229 fields as @code{-trace-status}, except that the @samp{supported} and
34230 @samp{running} fields are not output.
34231
34232 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34233
34234 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tstop}.
34235
34236
34237 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
34238 @node GDB/MI Symbol Query
34239 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Symbol Query Commands
34240
34241
34242 @ignore
34243 @subheading The @code{-symbol-info-address} Command
34244 @findex -symbol-info-address
34245
34246 @subsubheading Synopsis
34247
34248 @smallexample
34249 -symbol-info-address @var{symbol}
34250 @end smallexample
34251
34252 Describe where @var{symbol} is stored.
34253
34254 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34255
34256 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info address}.
34257
34258 @subsubheading Example
34259 N.A.
34260
34261
34262 @subheading The @code{-symbol-info-file} Command
34263 @findex -symbol-info-file
34264
34265 @subsubheading Synopsis
34266
34267 @smallexample
34268 -symbol-info-file
34269 @end smallexample
34270
34271 Show the file for the symbol.
34272
34273 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34274
34275 There's no equivalent @value{GDBN} command. @code{gdbtk} has
34276 @samp{gdb_find_file}.
34277
34278 @subsubheading Example
34279 N.A.
34280
34281
34282 @subheading The @code{-symbol-info-function} Command
34283 @findex -symbol-info-function
34284
34285 @subsubheading Synopsis
34286
34287 @smallexample
34288 -symbol-info-function
34289 @end smallexample
34290
34291 Show which function the symbol lives in.
34292
34293 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34294
34295 @samp{gdb_get_function} in @code{gdbtk}.
34296
34297 @subsubheading Example
34298 N.A.
34299
34300
34301 @subheading The @code{-symbol-info-line} Command
34302 @findex -symbol-info-line
34303
34304 @subsubheading Synopsis
34305
34306 @smallexample
34307 -symbol-info-line
34308 @end smallexample
34309
34310 Show the core addresses of the code for a source line.
34311
34312 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34313
34314 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info line}.
34315 @code{gdbtk} has the @samp{gdb_get_line} and @samp{gdb_get_file} commands.
34316
34317 @subsubheading Example
34318 N.A.
34319
34320
34321 @subheading The @code{-symbol-info-symbol} Command
34322 @findex -symbol-info-symbol
34323
34324 @subsubheading Synopsis
34325
34326 @smallexample
34327 -symbol-info-symbol @var{addr}
34328 @end smallexample
34329
34330 Describe what symbol is at location @var{addr}.
34331
34332 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34333
34334 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info symbol}.
34335
34336 @subsubheading Example
34337 N.A.
34338
34339
34340 @subheading The @code{-symbol-list-functions} Command
34341 @findex -symbol-list-functions
34342
34343 @subsubheading Synopsis
34344
34345 @smallexample
34346 -symbol-list-functions
34347 @end smallexample
34348
34349 List the functions in the executable.
34350
34351 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34352
34353 @samp{info functions} in @value{GDBN}, @samp{gdb_listfunc} and
34354 @samp{gdb_search} in @code{gdbtk}.
34355
34356 @subsubheading Example
34357 N.A.
34358 @end ignore
34359
34360
34361 @subheading The @code{-symbol-list-lines} Command
34362 @findex -symbol-list-lines
34363
34364 @subsubheading Synopsis
34365
34366 @smallexample
34367 -symbol-list-lines @var{filename}
34368 @end smallexample
34369
34370 Print the list of lines that contain code and their associated program
34371 addresses for the given source filename. The entries are sorted in
34372 ascending PC order.
34373
34374 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34375
34376 There is no corresponding @value{GDBN} command.
34377
34378 @subsubheading Example
34379 @smallexample
34380 (gdb)
34381 -symbol-list-lines basics.c
34382 ^done,lines=[@{pc="0x08048554",line="7"@},@{pc="0x0804855a",line="8"@}]
34383 (gdb)
34384 @end smallexample
34385
34386
34387 @ignore
34388 @subheading The @code{-symbol-list-types} Command
34389 @findex -symbol-list-types
34390
34391 @subsubheading Synopsis
34392
34393 @smallexample
34394 -symbol-list-types
34395 @end smallexample
34396
34397 List all the type names.
34398
34399 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34400
34401 The corresponding commands are @samp{info types} in @value{GDBN},
34402 @samp{gdb_search} in @code{gdbtk}.
34403
34404 @subsubheading Example
34405 N.A.
34406
34407
34408 @subheading The @code{-symbol-list-variables} Command
34409 @findex -symbol-list-variables
34410
34411 @subsubheading Synopsis
34412
34413 @smallexample
34414 -symbol-list-variables
34415 @end smallexample
34416
34417 List all the global and static variable names.
34418
34419 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34420
34421 @samp{info variables} in @value{GDBN}, @samp{gdb_search} in @code{gdbtk}.
34422
34423 @subsubheading Example
34424 N.A.
34425
34426
34427 @subheading The @code{-symbol-locate} Command
34428 @findex -symbol-locate
34429
34430 @subsubheading Synopsis
34431
34432 @smallexample
34433 -symbol-locate
34434 @end smallexample
34435
34436 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34437
34438 @samp{gdb_loc} in @code{gdbtk}.
34439
34440 @subsubheading Example
34441 N.A.
34442
34443
34444 @subheading The @code{-symbol-type} Command
34445 @findex -symbol-type
34446
34447 @subsubheading Synopsis
34448
34449 @smallexample
34450 -symbol-type @var{variable}
34451 @end smallexample
34452
34453 Show type of @var{variable}.
34454
34455 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34456
34457 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{ptype}, @code{gdbtk} has
34458 @samp{gdb_obj_variable}.
34459
34460 @subsubheading Example
34461 N.A.
34462 @end ignore
34463
34464
34465 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
34466 @node GDB/MI File Commands
34467 @section @sc{gdb/mi} File Commands
34468
34469 This section describes the GDB/MI commands to specify executable file names
34470 and to read in and obtain symbol table information.
34471
34472 @subheading The @code{-file-exec-and-symbols} Command
34473 @findex -file-exec-and-symbols
34474
34475 @subsubheading Synopsis
34476
34477 @smallexample
34478 -file-exec-and-symbols @var{file}
34479 @end smallexample
34480
34481 Specify the executable file to be debugged. This file is the one from
34482 which the symbol table is also read. If no file is specified, the
34483 command clears the executable and symbol information. If breakpoints
34484 are set when using this command with no arguments, @value{GDBN} will produce
34485 error messages. Otherwise, no output is produced, except a completion
34486 notification.
34487
34488 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34489
34490 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{file}.
34491
34492 @subsubheading Example
34493
34494 @smallexample
34495 (gdb)
34496 -file-exec-and-symbols /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/TRUNK/mbx/hello.mbx
34497 ^done
34498 (gdb)
34499 @end smallexample
34500
34501
34502 @subheading The @code{-file-exec-file} Command
34503 @findex -file-exec-file
34504
34505 @subsubheading Synopsis
34506
34507 @smallexample
34508 -file-exec-file @var{file}
34509 @end smallexample
34510
34511 Specify the executable file to be debugged. Unlike
34512 @samp{-file-exec-and-symbols}, the symbol table is @emph{not} read
34513 from this file. If used without argument, @value{GDBN} clears the information
34514 about the executable file. No output is produced, except a completion
34515 notification.
34516
34517 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34518
34519 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{exec-file}.
34520
34521 @subsubheading Example
34522
34523 @smallexample
34524 (gdb)
34525 -file-exec-file /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/TRUNK/mbx/hello.mbx
34526 ^done
34527 (gdb)
34528 @end smallexample
34529
34530
34531 @ignore
34532 @subheading The @code{-file-list-exec-sections} Command
34533 @findex -file-list-exec-sections
34534
34535 @subsubheading Synopsis
34536
34537 @smallexample
34538 -file-list-exec-sections
34539 @end smallexample
34540
34541 List the sections of the current executable file.
34542
34543 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34544
34545 The @value{GDBN} command @samp{info file} shows, among the rest, the same
34546 information as this command. @code{gdbtk} has a corresponding command
34547 @samp{gdb_load_info}.
34548
34549 @subsubheading Example
34550 N.A.
34551 @end ignore
34552
34553
34554 @subheading The @code{-file-list-exec-source-file} Command
34555 @findex -file-list-exec-source-file
34556
34557 @subsubheading Synopsis
34558
34559 @smallexample
34560 -file-list-exec-source-file
34561 @end smallexample
34562
34563 List the line number, the current source file, and the absolute path
34564 to the current source file for the current executable. The macro
34565 information field has a value of @samp{1} or @samp{0} depending on
34566 whether or not the file includes preprocessor macro information.
34567
34568 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34569
34570 The @value{GDBN} equivalent is @samp{info source}
34571
34572 @subsubheading Example
34573
34574 @smallexample
34575 (gdb)
34576 123-file-list-exec-source-file
34577 123^done,line="1",file="foo.c",fullname="/home/bar/foo.c,macro-info="1"
34578 (gdb)
34579 @end smallexample
34580
34581
34582 @subheading The @code{-file-list-exec-source-files} Command
34583 @findex -file-list-exec-source-files
34584
34585 @subsubheading Synopsis
34586
34587 @smallexample
34588 -file-list-exec-source-files
34589 @end smallexample
34590
34591 List the source files for the current executable.
34592
34593 It will always output both the filename and fullname (absolute file
34594 name) of a source file.
34595
34596 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34597
34598 The @value{GDBN} equivalent is @samp{info sources}.
34599 @code{gdbtk} has an analogous command @samp{gdb_listfiles}.
34600
34601 @subsubheading Example
34602 @smallexample
34603 (gdb)
34604 -file-list-exec-source-files
34605 ^done,files=[
34606 @{file=foo.c,fullname=/home/foo.c@},
34607 @{file=/home/bar.c,fullname=/home/bar.c@},
34608 @{file=gdb_could_not_find_fullpath.c@}]
34609 (gdb)
34610 @end smallexample
34611
34612 @ignore
34613 @subheading The @code{-file-list-shared-libraries} Command
34614 @findex -file-list-shared-libraries
34615
34616 @subsubheading Synopsis
34617
34618 @smallexample
34619 -file-list-shared-libraries
34620 @end smallexample
34621
34622 List the shared libraries in the program.
34623
34624 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34625
34626 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info shared}.
34627
34628 @subsubheading Example
34629 N.A.
34630
34631
34632 @subheading The @code{-file-list-symbol-files} Command
34633 @findex -file-list-symbol-files
34634
34635 @subsubheading Synopsis
34636
34637 @smallexample
34638 -file-list-symbol-files
34639 @end smallexample
34640
34641 List symbol files.
34642
34643 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34644
34645 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info file} (part of it).
34646
34647 @subsubheading Example
34648 N.A.
34649 @end ignore
34650
34651
34652 @subheading The @code{-file-symbol-file} Command
34653 @findex -file-symbol-file
34654
34655 @subsubheading Synopsis
34656
34657 @smallexample
34658 -file-symbol-file @var{file}
34659 @end smallexample
34660
34661 Read symbol table info from the specified @var{file} argument. When
34662 used without arguments, clears @value{GDBN}'s symbol table info. No output is
34663 produced, except for a completion notification.
34664
34665 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34666
34667 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{symbol-file}.
34668
34669 @subsubheading Example
34670
34671 @smallexample
34672 (gdb)
34673 -file-symbol-file /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/TRUNK/mbx/hello.mbx
34674 ^done
34675 (gdb)
34676 @end smallexample
34677
34678 @ignore
34679 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
34680 @node GDB/MI Memory Overlay Commands
34681 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Memory Overlay Commands
34682
34683 The memory overlay commands are not implemented.
34684
34685 @c @subheading -overlay-auto
34686
34687 @c @subheading -overlay-list-mapping-state
34688
34689 @c @subheading -overlay-list-overlays
34690
34691 @c @subheading -overlay-map
34692
34693 @c @subheading -overlay-off
34694
34695 @c @subheading -overlay-on
34696
34697 @c @subheading -overlay-unmap
34698
34699 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
34700 @node GDB/MI Signal Handling Commands
34701 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Signal Handling Commands
34702
34703 Signal handling commands are not implemented.
34704
34705 @c @subheading -signal-handle
34706
34707 @c @subheading -signal-list-handle-actions
34708
34709 @c @subheading -signal-list-signal-types
34710 @end ignore
34711
34712
34713 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
34714 @node GDB/MI Target Manipulation
34715 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Target Manipulation Commands
34716
34717
34718 @subheading The @code{-target-attach} Command
34719 @findex -target-attach
34720
34721 @subsubheading Synopsis
34722
34723 @smallexample
34724 -target-attach @var{pid} | @var{gid} | @var{file}
34725 @end smallexample
34726
34727 Attach to a process @var{pid} or a file @var{file} outside of
34728 @value{GDBN}, or a thread group @var{gid}. If attaching to a thread
34729 group, the id previously returned by
34730 @samp{-list-thread-groups --available} must be used.
34731
34732 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34733
34734 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{attach}.
34735
34736 @subsubheading Example
34737 @smallexample
34738 (gdb)
34739 -target-attach 34
34740 =thread-created,id="1"
34741 *stopped,thread-id="1",frame=@{addr="0xb7f7e410",func="bar",args=[]@}
34742 ^done
34743 (gdb)
34744 @end smallexample
34745
34746 @ignore
34747 @subheading The @code{-target-compare-sections} Command
34748 @findex -target-compare-sections
34749
34750 @subsubheading Synopsis
34751
34752 @smallexample
34753 -target-compare-sections [ @var{section} ]
34754 @end smallexample
34755
34756 Compare data of section @var{section} on target to the exec file.
34757 Without the argument, all sections are compared.
34758
34759 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34760
34761 The @value{GDBN} equivalent is @samp{compare-sections}.
34762
34763 @subsubheading Example
34764 N.A.
34765 @end ignore
34766
34767
34768 @subheading The @code{-target-detach} Command
34769 @findex -target-detach
34770
34771 @subsubheading Synopsis
34772
34773 @smallexample
34774 -target-detach [ @var{pid} | @var{gid} ]
34775 @end smallexample
34776
34777 Detach from the remote target which normally resumes its execution.
34778 If either @var{pid} or @var{gid} is specified, detaches from either
34779 the specified process, or specified thread group. There's no output.
34780
34781 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34782
34783 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{detach}.
34784
34785 @subsubheading Example
34786
34787 @smallexample
34788 (gdb)
34789 -target-detach
34790 ^done
34791 (gdb)
34792 @end smallexample
34793
34794
34795 @subheading The @code{-target-disconnect} Command
34796 @findex -target-disconnect
34797
34798 @subsubheading Synopsis
34799
34800 @smallexample
34801 -target-disconnect
34802 @end smallexample
34803
34804 Disconnect from the remote target. There's no output and the target is
34805 generally not resumed.
34806
34807 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34808
34809 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{disconnect}.
34810
34811 @subsubheading Example
34812
34813 @smallexample
34814 (gdb)
34815 -target-disconnect
34816 ^done
34817 (gdb)
34818 @end smallexample
34819
34820
34821 @subheading The @code{-target-download} Command
34822 @findex -target-download
34823
34824 @subsubheading Synopsis
34825
34826 @smallexample
34827 -target-download
34828 @end smallexample
34829
34830 Loads the executable onto the remote target.
34831 It prints out an update message every half second, which includes the fields:
34832
34833 @table @samp
34834 @item section
34835 The name of the section.
34836 @item section-sent
34837 The size of what has been sent so far for that section.
34838 @item section-size
34839 The size of the section.
34840 @item total-sent
34841 The total size of what was sent so far (the current and the previous sections).
34842 @item total-size
34843 The size of the overall executable to download.
34844 @end table
34845
34846 @noindent
34847 Each message is sent as status record (@pxref{GDB/MI Output Syntax, ,
34848 @sc{gdb/mi} Output Syntax}).
34849
34850 In addition, it prints the name and size of the sections, as they are
34851 downloaded. These messages include the following fields:
34852
34853 @table @samp
34854 @item section
34855 The name of the section.
34856 @item section-size
34857 The size of the section.
34858 @item total-size
34859 The size of the overall executable to download.
34860 @end table
34861
34862 @noindent
34863 At the end, a summary is printed.
34864
34865 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34866
34867 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{load}.
34868
34869 @subsubheading Example
34870
34871 Note: each status message appears on a single line. Here the messages
34872 have been broken down so that they can fit onto a page.
34873
34874 @smallexample
34875 (gdb)
34876 -target-download
34877 +download,@{section=".text",section-size="6668",total-size="9880"@}
34878 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="512",section-size="6668",
34879 total-sent="512",total-size="9880"@}
34880 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="1024",section-size="6668",
34881 total-sent="1024",total-size="9880"@}
34882 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="1536",section-size="6668",
34883 total-sent="1536",total-size="9880"@}
34884 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="2048",section-size="6668",
34885 total-sent="2048",total-size="9880"@}
34886 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="2560",section-size="6668",
34887 total-sent="2560",total-size="9880"@}
34888 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="3072",section-size="6668",
34889 total-sent="3072",total-size="9880"@}
34890 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="3584",section-size="6668",
34891 total-sent="3584",total-size="9880"@}
34892 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="4096",section-size="6668",
34893 total-sent="4096",total-size="9880"@}
34894 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="4608",section-size="6668",
34895 total-sent="4608",total-size="9880"@}
34896 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="5120",section-size="6668",
34897 total-sent="5120",total-size="9880"@}
34898 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="5632",section-size="6668",
34899 total-sent="5632",total-size="9880"@}
34900 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="6144",section-size="6668",
34901 total-sent="6144",total-size="9880"@}
34902 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="6656",section-size="6668",
34903 total-sent="6656",total-size="9880"@}
34904 +download,@{section=".init",section-size="28",total-size="9880"@}
34905 +download,@{section=".fini",section-size="28",total-size="9880"@}
34906 +download,@{section=".data",section-size="3156",total-size="9880"@}
34907 +download,@{section=".data",section-sent="512",section-size="3156",
34908 total-sent="7236",total-size="9880"@}
34909 +download,@{section=".data",section-sent="1024",section-size="3156",
34910 total-sent="7748",total-size="9880"@}
34911 +download,@{section=".data",section-sent="1536",section-size="3156",
34912 total-sent="8260",total-size="9880"@}
34913 +download,@{section=".data",section-sent="2048",section-size="3156",
34914 total-sent="8772",total-size="9880"@}
34915 +download,@{section=".data",section-sent="2560",section-size="3156",
34916 total-sent="9284",total-size="9880"@}
34917 +download,@{section=".data",section-sent="3072",section-size="3156",
34918 total-sent="9796",total-size="9880"@}
34919 ^done,address="0x10004",load-size="9880",transfer-rate="6586",
34920 write-rate="429"
34921 (gdb)
34922 @end smallexample
34923
34924
34925 @ignore
34926 @subheading The @code{-target-exec-status} Command
34927 @findex -target-exec-status
34928
34929 @subsubheading Synopsis
34930
34931 @smallexample
34932 -target-exec-status
34933 @end smallexample
34934
34935 Provide information on the state of the target (whether it is running or
34936 not, for instance).
34937
34938 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34939
34940 There's no equivalent @value{GDBN} command.
34941
34942 @subsubheading Example
34943 N.A.
34944
34945
34946 @subheading The @code{-target-list-available-targets} Command
34947 @findex -target-list-available-targets
34948
34949 @subsubheading Synopsis
34950
34951 @smallexample
34952 -target-list-available-targets
34953 @end smallexample
34954
34955 List the possible targets to connect to.
34956
34957 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34958
34959 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{help target}.
34960
34961 @subsubheading Example
34962 N.A.
34963
34964
34965 @subheading The @code{-target-list-current-targets} Command
34966 @findex -target-list-current-targets
34967
34968 @subsubheading Synopsis
34969
34970 @smallexample
34971 -target-list-current-targets
34972 @end smallexample
34973
34974 Describe the current target.
34975
34976 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34977
34978 The corresponding information is printed by @samp{info file} (among
34979 other things).
34980
34981 @subsubheading Example
34982 N.A.
34983
34984
34985 @subheading The @code{-target-list-parameters} Command
34986 @findex -target-list-parameters
34987
34988 @subsubheading Synopsis
34989
34990 @smallexample
34991 -target-list-parameters
34992 @end smallexample
34993
34994 @c ????
34995 @end ignore
34996
34997 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
34998
34999 No equivalent.
35000
35001 @subsubheading Example
35002 N.A.
35003
35004
35005 @subheading The @code{-target-select} Command
35006 @findex -target-select
35007
35008 @subsubheading Synopsis
35009
35010 @smallexample
35011 -target-select @var{type} @var{parameters @dots{}}
35012 @end smallexample
35013
35014 Connect @value{GDBN} to the remote target. This command takes two args:
35015
35016 @table @samp
35017 @item @var{type}
35018 The type of target, for instance @samp{remote}, etc.
35019 @item @var{parameters}
35020 Device names, host names and the like. @xref{Target Commands, ,
35021 Commands for Managing Targets}, for more details.
35022 @end table
35023
35024 The output is a connection notification, followed by the address at
35025 which the target program is, in the following form:
35026
35027 @smallexample
35028 ^connected,addr="@var{address}",func="@var{function name}",
35029 args=[@var{arg list}]
35030 @end smallexample
35031
35032 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
35033
35034 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{target}.
35035
35036 @subsubheading Example
35037
35038 @smallexample
35039 (gdb)
35040 -target-select remote /dev/ttya
35041 ^connected,addr="0xfe00a300",func="??",args=[]
35042 (gdb)
35043 @end smallexample
35044
35045 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
35046 @node GDB/MI File Transfer Commands
35047 @section @sc{gdb/mi} File Transfer Commands
35048
35049
35050 @subheading The @code{-target-file-put} Command
35051 @findex -target-file-put
35052
35053 @subsubheading Synopsis
35054
35055 @smallexample
35056 -target-file-put @var{hostfile} @var{targetfile}
35057 @end smallexample
35058
35059 Copy file @var{hostfile} from the host system (the machine running
35060 @value{GDBN}) to @var{targetfile} on the target system.
35061
35062 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
35063
35064 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{remote put}.
35065
35066 @subsubheading Example
35067
35068 @smallexample
35069 (gdb)
35070 -target-file-put localfile remotefile
35071 ^done
35072 (gdb)
35073 @end smallexample
35074
35075
35076 @subheading The @code{-target-file-get} Command
35077 @findex -target-file-get
35078
35079 @subsubheading Synopsis
35080
35081 @smallexample
35082 -target-file-get @var{targetfile} @var{hostfile}
35083 @end smallexample
35084
35085 Copy file @var{targetfile} from the target system to @var{hostfile}
35086 on the host system.
35087
35088 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
35089
35090 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{remote get}.
35091
35092 @subsubheading Example
35093
35094 @smallexample
35095 (gdb)
35096 -target-file-get remotefile localfile
35097 ^done
35098 (gdb)
35099 @end smallexample
35100
35101
35102 @subheading The @code{-target-file-delete} Command
35103 @findex -target-file-delete
35104
35105 @subsubheading Synopsis
35106
35107 @smallexample
35108 -target-file-delete @var{targetfile}
35109 @end smallexample
35110
35111 Delete @var{targetfile} from the target system.
35112
35113 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
35114
35115 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{remote delete}.
35116
35117 @subsubheading Example
35118
35119 @smallexample
35120 (gdb)
35121 -target-file-delete remotefile
35122 ^done
35123 (gdb)
35124 @end smallexample
35125
35126
35127 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
35128 @node GDB/MI Ada Exceptions Commands
35129 @section Ada Exceptions @sc{gdb/mi} Commands
35130
35131 @subheading The @code{-info-ada-exceptions} Command
35132 @findex -info-ada-exceptions
35133
35134 @subsubheading Synopsis
35135
35136 @smallexample
35137 -info-ada-exceptions [ @var{regexp}]
35138 @end smallexample
35139
35140 List all Ada exceptions defined within the program being debugged.
35141 With a regular expression @var{regexp}, only those exceptions whose
35142 names match @var{regexp} are listed.
35143
35144 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
35145
35146 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info exceptions}.
35147
35148 @subsubheading Result
35149
35150 The result is a table of Ada exceptions. The following columns are
35151 defined for each exception:
35152
35153 @table @samp
35154 @item name
35155 The name of the exception.
35156
35157 @item address
35158 The address of the exception.
35159
35160 @end table
35161
35162 @subsubheading Example
35163
35164 @smallexample
35165 -info-ada-exceptions aint
35166 ^done,ada-exceptions=@{nr_rows="2",nr_cols="2",
35167 hdr=[@{width="1",alignment="-1",col_name="name",colhdr="Name"@},
35168 @{width="1",alignment="-1",col_name="address",colhdr="Address"@}],
35169 body=[@{name="constraint_error",address="0x0000000000613da0"@},
35170 @{name="const.aint_global_e",address="0x0000000000613b00"@}]@}
35171 @end smallexample
35172
35173 @subheading Catching Ada Exceptions
35174
35175 The commands describing how to ask @value{GDBN} to stop when a program
35176 raises an exception are described at @ref{Ada Exception GDB/MI
35177 Catchpoint Commands}.
35178
35179
35180 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
35181 @node GDB/MI Support Commands
35182 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Support Commands
35183
35184 Since new commands and features get regularly added to @sc{gdb/mi},
35185 some commands are available to help front-ends query the debugger
35186 about support for these capabilities. Similarly, it is also possible
35187 to query @value{GDBN} about target support of certain features.
35188
35189 @subheading The @code{-info-gdb-mi-command} Command
35190 @cindex @code{-info-gdb-mi-command}
35191 @findex -info-gdb-mi-command
35192
35193 @subsubheading Synopsis
35194
35195 @smallexample
35196 -info-gdb-mi-command @var{cmd_name}
35197 @end smallexample
35198
35199 Query support for the @sc{gdb/mi} command named @var{cmd_name}.
35200
35201 Note that the dash (@code{-}) starting all @sc{gdb/mi} commands
35202 is technically not part of the command name (@pxref{GDB/MI Input
35203 Syntax}), and thus should be omitted in @var{cmd_name}. However,
35204 for ease of use, this command also accepts the form with the leading
35205 dash.
35206
35207 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
35208
35209 There is no corresponding @value{GDBN} command.
35210
35211 @subsubheading Result
35212
35213 The result is a tuple. There is currently only one field:
35214
35215 @table @samp
35216 @item exists
35217 This field is equal to @code{"true"} if the @sc{gdb/mi} command exists,
35218 @code{"false"} otherwise.
35219
35220 @end table
35221
35222 @subsubheading Example
35223
35224 Here is an example where the @sc{gdb/mi} command does not exist:
35225
35226 @smallexample
35227 -info-gdb-mi-command unsupported-command
35228 ^done,command=@{exists="false"@}
35229 @end smallexample
35230
35231 @noindent
35232 And here is an example where the @sc{gdb/mi} command is known
35233 to the debugger:
35234
35235 @smallexample
35236 -info-gdb-mi-command symbol-list-lines
35237 ^done,command=@{exists="true"@}
35238 @end smallexample
35239
35240 @subheading The @code{-list-features} Command
35241 @findex -list-features
35242 @cindex supported @sc{gdb/mi} features, list
35243
35244 Returns a list of particular features of the MI protocol that
35245 this version of gdb implements. A feature can be a command,
35246 or a new field in an output of some command, or even an
35247 important bugfix. While a frontend can sometimes detect presence
35248 of a feature at runtime, it is easier to perform detection at debugger
35249 startup.
35250
35251 The command returns a list of strings, with each string naming an
35252 available feature. Each returned string is just a name, it does not
35253 have any internal structure. The list of possible feature names
35254 is given below.
35255
35256 Example output:
35257
35258 @smallexample
35259 (gdb) -list-features
35260 ^done,result=["feature1","feature2"]
35261 @end smallexample
35262
35263 The current list of features is:
35264
35265 @ftable @samp
35266 @item frozen-varobjs
35267 Indicates support for the @code{-var-set-frozen} command, as well
35268 as possible presense of the @code{frozen} field in the output
35269 of @code{-varobj-create}.
35270 @item pending-breakpoints
35271 Indicates support for the @option{-f} option to the @code{-break-insert}
35272 command.
35273 @item python
35274 Indicates Python scripting support, Python-based
35275 pretty-printing commands, and possible presence of the
35276 @samp{display_hint} field in the output of @code{-var-list-children}
35277 @item thread-info
35278 Indicates support for the @code{-thread-info} command.
35279 @item data-read-memory-bytes
35280 Indicates support for the @code{-data-read-memory-bytes} and the
35281 @code{-data-write-memory-bytes} commands.
35282 @item breakpoint-notifications
35283 Indicates that changes to breakpoints and breakpoints created via the
35284 CLI will be announced via async records.
35285 @item ada-task-info
35286 Indicates support for the @code{-ada-task-info} command.
35287 @item language-option
35288 Indicates that all @sc{gdb/mi} commands accept the @option{--language}
35289 option (@pxref{Context management}).
35290 @item info-gdb-mi-command
35291 Indicates support for the @code{-info-gdb-mi-command} command.
35292 @item undefined-command-error-code
35293 Indicates support for the "undefined-command" error code in error result
35294 records, produced when trying to execute an undefined @sc{gdb/mi} command
35295 (@pxref{GDB/MI Result Records}).
35296 @item exec-run-start-option
35297 Indicates that the @code{-exec-run} command supports the @option{--start}
35298 option (@pxref{GDB/MI Program Execution}).
35299 @end ftable
35300
35301 @subheading The @code{-list-target-features} Command
35302 @findex -list-target-features
35303
35304 Returns a list of particular features that are supported by the
35305 target. Those features affect the permitted MI commands, but
35306 unlike the features reported by the @code{-list-features} command, the
35307 features depend on which target GDB is using at the moment. Whenever
35308 a target can change, due to commands such as @code{-target-select},
35309 @code{-target-attach} or @code{-exec-run}, the list of target features
35310 may change, and the frontend should obtain it again.
35311 Example output:
35312
35313 @smallexample
35314 (gdb) -list-target-features
35315 ^done,result=["async"]
35316 @end smallexample
35317
35318 The current list of features is:
35319
35320 @table @samp
35321 @item async
35322 Indicates that the target is capable of asynchronous command
35323 execution, which means that @value{GDBN} will accept further commands
35324 while the target is running.
35325
35326 @item reverse
35327 Indicates that the target is capable of reverse execution.
35328 @xref{Reverse Execution}, for more information.
35329
35330 @end table
35331
35332 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
35333 @node GDB/MI Miscellaneous Commands
35334 @section Miscellaneous @sc{gdb/mi} Commands
35335
35336 @c @subheading -gdb-complete
35337
35338 @subheading The @code{-gdb-exit} Command
35339 @findex -gdb-exit
35340
35341 @subsubheading Synopsis
35342
35343 @smallexample
35344 -gdb-exit
35345 @end smallexample
35346
35347 Exit @value{GDBN} immediately.
35348
35349 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
35350
35351 Approximately corresponds to @samp{quit}.
35352
35353 @subsubheading Example
35354
35355 @smallexample
35356 (gdb)
35357 -gdb-exit
35358 ^exit
35359 @end smallexample
35360
35361
35362 @ignore
35363 @subheading The @code{-exec-abort} Command
35364 @findex -exec-abort
35365
35366 @subsubheading Synopsis
35367
35368 @smallexample
35369 -exec-abort
35370 @end smallexample
35371
35372 Kill the inferior running program.
35373
35374 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
35375
35376 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{kill}.
35377
35378 @subsubheading Example
35379 N.A.
35380 @end ignore
35381
35382
35383 @subheading The @code{-gdb-set} Command
35384 @findex -gdb-set
35385
35386 @subsubheading Synopsis
35387
35388 @smallexample
35389 -gdb-set
35390 @end smallexample
35391
35392 Set an internal @value{GDBN} variable.
35393 @c IS THIS A DOLLAR VARIABLE? OR SOMETHING LIKE ANNOTATE ?????
35394
35395 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
35396
35397 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{set}.
35398
35399 @subsubheading Example
35400
35401 @smallexample
35402 (gdb)
35403 -gdb-set $foo=3
35404 ^done
35405 (gdb)
35406 @end smallexample
35407
35408
35409 @subheading The @code{-gdb-show} Command
35410 @findex -gdb-show
35411
35412 @subsubheading Synopsis
35413
35414 @smallexample
35415 -gdb-show
35416 @end smallexample
35417
35418 Show the current value of a @value{GDBN} variable.
35419
35420 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
35421
35422 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{show}.
35423
35424 @subsubheading Example
35425
35426 @smallexample
35427 (gdb)
35428 -gdb-show annotate
35429 ^done,value="0"
35430 (gdb)
35431 @end smallexample
35432
35433 @c @subheading -gdb-source
35434
35435
35436 @subheading The @code{-gdb-version} Command
35437 @findex -gdb-version
35438
35439 @subsubheading Synopsis
35440
35441 @smallexample
35442 -gdb-version
35443 @end smallexample
35444
35445 Show version information for @value{GDBN}. Used mostly in testing.
35446
35447 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
35448
35449 The @value{GDBN} equivalent is @samp{show version}. @value{GDBN} by
35450 default shows this information when you start an interactive session.
35451
35452 @subsubheading Example
35453
35454 @c This example modifies the actual output from GDB to avoid overfull
35455 @c box in TeX.
35456 @smallexample
35457 (gdb)
35458 -gdb-version
35459 ~GNU gdb 5.2.1
35460 ~Copyright 2000 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
35461 ~GDB is free software, covered by the GNU General Public License, and
35462 ~you are welcome to change it and/or distribute copies of it under
35463 ~ certain conditions.
35464 ~Type "show copying" to see the conditions.
35465 ~There is absolutely no warranty for GDB. Type "show warranty" for
35466 ~ details.
35467 ~This GDB was configured as
35468 "--host=sparc-sun-solaris2.5.1 --target=ppc-eabi".
35469 ^done
35470 (gdb)
35471 @end smallexample
35472
35473 @subheading The @code{-list-thread-groups} Command
35474 @findex -list-thread-groups
35475
35476 @subheading Synopsis
35477
35478 @smallexample
35479 -list-thread-groups [ --available ] [ --recurse 1 ] [ @var{group} ... ]
35480 @end smallexample
35481
35482 Lists thread groups (@pxref{Thread groups}). When a single thread
35483 group is passed as the argument, lists the children of that group.
35484 When several thread group are passed, lists information about those
35485 thread groups. Without any parameters, lists information about all
35486 top-level thread groups.
35487
35488 Normally, thread groups that are being debugged are reported.
35489 With the @samp{--available} option, @value{GDBN} reports thread groups
35490 available on the target.
35491
35492 The output of this command may have either a @samp{threads} result or
35493 a @samp{groups} result. The @samp{thread} result has a list of tuples
35494 as value, with each tuple describing a thread (@pxref{GDB/MI Thread
35495 Information}). The @samp{groups} result has a list of tuples as value,
35496 each tuple describing a thread group. If top-level groups are
35497 requested (that is, no parameter is passed), or when several groups
35498 are passed, the output always has a @samp{groups} result. The format
35499 of the @samp{group} result is described below.
35500
35501 To reduce the number of roundtrips it's possible to list thread groups
35502 together with their children, by passing the @samp{--recurse} option
35503 and the recursion depth. Presently, only recursion depth of 1 is
35504 permitted. If this option is present, then every reported thread group
35505 will also include its children, either as @samp{group} or
35506 @samp{threads} field.
35507
35508 In general, any combination of option and parameters is permitted, with
35509 the following caveats:
35510
35511 @itemize @bullet
35512 @item
35513 When a single thread group is passed, the output will typically
35514 be the @samp{threads} result. Because threads may not contain
35515 anything, the @samp{recurse} option will be ignored.
35516
35517 @item
35518 When the @samp{--available} option is passed, limited information may
35519 be available. In particular, the list of threads of a process might
35520 be inaccessible. Further, specifying specific thread groups might
35521 not give any performance advantage over listing all thread groups.
35522 The frontend should assume that @samp{-list-thread-groups --available}
35523 is always an expensive operation and cache the results.
35524
35525 @end itemize
35526
35527 The @samp{groups} result is a list of tuples, where each tuple may
35528 have the following fields:
35529
35530 @table @code
35531 @item id
35532 Identifier of the thread group. This field is always present.
35533 The identifier is an opaque string; frontends should not try to
35534 convert it to an integer, even though it might look like one.
35535
35536 @item type
35537 The type of the thread group. At present, only @samp{process} is a
35538 valid type.
35539
35540 @item pid
35541 The target-specific process identifier. This field is only present
35542 for thread groups of type @samp{process} and only if the process exists.
35543
35544 @item num_children
35545 The number of children this thread group has. This field may be
35546 absent for an available thread group.
35547
35548 @item threads
35549 This field has a list of tuples as value, each tuple describing a
35550 thread. It may be present if the @samp{--recurse} option is
35551 specified, and it's actually possible to obtain the threads.
35552
35553 @item cores
35554 This field is a list of integers, each identifying a core that one
35555 thread of the group is running on. This field may be absent if
35556 such information is not available.
35557
35558 @item executable
35559 The name of the executable file that corresponds to this thread group.
35560 The field is only present for thread groups of type @samp{process},
35561 and only if there is a corresponding executable file.
35562
35563 @end table
35564
35565 @subheading Example
35566
35567 @smallexample
35568 @value{GDBP}
35569 -list-thread-groups
35570 ^done,groups=[@{id="17",type="process",pid="yyy",num_children="2"@}]
35571 -list-thread-groups 17
35572 ^done,threads=[@{id="2",target-id="Thread 0xb7e14b90 (LWP 21257)",
35573 frame=@{level="0",addr="0xffffe410",func="__kernel_vsyscall",args=[]@},state="running"@},
35574 @{id="1",target-id="Thread 0xb7e156b0 (LWP 21254)",
35575 frame=@{level="0",addr="0x0804891f",func="foo",args=[@{name="i",value="10"@}],
35576 file="/tmp/a.c",fullname="/tmp/a.c",line="158"@},state="running"@}]]
35577 -list-thread-groups --available
35578 ^done,groups=[@{id="17",type="process",pid="yyy",num_children="2",cores=[1,2]@}]
35579 -list-thread-groups --available --recurse 1
35580 ^done,groups=[@{id="17", types="process",pid="yyy",num_children="2",cores=[1,2],
35581 threads=[@{id="1",target-id="Thread 0xb7e14b90",cores=[1]@},
35582 @{id="2",target-id="Thread 0xb7e14b90",cores=[2]@}]@},..]
35583 -list-thread-groups --available --recurse 1 17 18
35584 ^done,groups=[@{id="17", types="process",pid="yyy",num_children="2",cores=[1,2],
35585 threads=[@{id="1",target-id="Thread 0xb7e14b90",cores=[1]@},
35586 @{id="2",target-id="Thread 0xb7e14b90",cores=[2]@}]@},...]
35587 @end smallexample
35588
35589 @subheading The @code{-info-os} Command
35590 @findex -info-os
35591
35592 @subsubheading Synopsis
35593
35594 @smallexample
35595 -info-os [ @var{type} ]
35596 @end smallexample
35597
35598 If no argument is supplied, the command returns a table of available
35599 operating-system-specific information types. If one of these types is
35600 supplied as an argument @var{type}, then the command returns a table
35601 of data of that type.
35602
35603 The types of information available depend on the target operating
35604 system.
35605
35606 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
35607
35608 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info os}.
35609
35610 @subsubheading Example
35611
35612 When run on a @sc{gnu}/Linux system, the output will look something
35613 like this:
35614
35615 @smallexample
35616 @value{GDBP}
35617 -info-os
35618 ^done,OSDataTable=@{nr_rows="9",nr_cols="3",
35619 hdr=[@{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="col0",colhdr="Type"@},
35620 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="col1",colhdr="Description"@},
35621 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="col2",colhdr="Title"@}],
35622 body=[item=@{col0="processes",col1="Listing of all processes",
35623 col2="Processes"@},
35624 item=@{col0="procgroups",col1="Listing of all process groups",
35625 col2="Process groups"@},
35626 item=@{col0="threads",col1="Listing of all threads",
35627 col2="Threads"@},
35628 item=@{col0="files",col1="Listing of all file descriptors",
35629 col2="File descriptors"@},
35630 item=@{col0="sockets",col1="Listing of all internet-domain sockets",
35631 col2="Sockets"@},
35632 item=@{col0="shm",col1="Listing of all shared-memory regions",
35633 col2="Shared-memory regions"@},
35634 item=@{col0="semaphores",col1="Listing of all semaphores",
35635 col2="Semaphores"@},
35636 item=@{col0="msg",col1="Listing of all message queues",
35637 col2="Message queues"@},
35638 item=@{col0="modules",col1="Listing of all loaded kernel modules",
35639 col2="Kernel modules"@}]@}
35640 @value{GDBP}
35641 -info-os processes
35642 ^done,OSDataTable=@{nr_rows="190",nr_cols="4",
35643 hdr=[@{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="col0",colhdr="pid"@},
35644 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="col1",colhdr="user"@},
35645 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="col2",colhdr="command"@},
35646 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="col3",colhdr="cores"@}],
35647 body=[item=@{col0="1",col1="root",col2="/sbin/init",col3="0"@},
35648 item=@{col0="2",col1="root",col2="[kthreadd]",col3="1"@},
35649 item=@{col0="3",col1="root",col2="[ksoftirqd/0]",col3="0"@},
35650 ...
35651 item=@{col0="26446",col1="stan",col2="bash",col3="0"@},
35652 item=@{col0="28152",col1="stan",col2="bash",col3="1"@}]@}
35653 (gdb)
35654 @end smallexample
35655
35656 (Note that the MI output here includes a @code{"Title"} column that
35657 does not appear in command-line @code{info os}; this column is useful
35658 for MI clients that want to enumerate the types of data, such as in a
35659 popup menu, but is needless clutter on the command line, and
35660 @code{info os} omits it.)
35661
35662 @subheading The @code{-add-inferior} Command
35663 @findex -add-inferior
35664
35665 @subheading Synopsis
35666
35667 @smallexample
35668 -add-inferior
35669 @end smallexample
35670
35671 Creates a new inferior (@pxref{Inferiors and Programs}). The created
35672 inferior is not associated with any executable. Such association may
35673 be established with the @samp{-file-exec-and-symbols} command
35674 (@pxref{GDB/MI File Commands}). The command response has a single
35675 field, @samp{inferior}, whose value is the identifier of the
35676 thread group corresponding to the new inferior.
35677
35678 @subheading Example
35679
35680 @smallexample
35681 @value{GDBP}
35682 -add-inferior
35683 ^done,inferior="i3"
35684 @end smallexample
35685
35686 @subheading The @code{-interpreter-exec} Command
35687 @findex -interpreter-exec
35688
35689 @subheading Synopsis
35690
35691 @smallexample
35692 -interpreter-exec @var{interpreter} @var{command}
35693 @end smallexample
35694 @anchor{-interpreter-exec}
35695
35696 Execute the specified @var{command} in the given @var{interpreter}.
35697
35698 @subheading @value{GDBN} Command
35699
35700 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{interpreter-exec}.
35701
35702 @subheading Example
35703
35704 @smallexample
35705 (gdb)
35706 -interpreter-exec console "break main"
35707 &"During symbol reading, couldn't parse type; debugger out of date?.\n"
35708 &"During symbol reading, bad structure-type format.\n"
35709 ~"Breakpoint 1 at 0x8074fc6: file ../../src/gdb/main.c, line 743.\n"
35710 ^done
35711 (gdb)
35712 @end smallexample
35713
35714 @subheading The @code{-inferior-tty-set} Command
35715 @findex -inferior-tty-set
35716
35717 @subheading Synopsis
35718
35719 @smallexample
35720 -inferior-tty-set /dev/pts/1
35721 @end smallexample
35722
35723 Set terminal for future runs of the program being debugged.
35724
35725 @subheading @value{GDBN} Command
35726
35727 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{set inferior-tty} /dev/pts/1.
35728
35729 @subheading Example
35730
35731 @smallexample
35732 (gdb)
35733 -inferior-tty-set /dev/pts/1
35734 ^done
35735 (gdb)
35736 @end smallexample
35737
35738 @subheading The @code{-inferior-tty-show} Command
35739 @findex -inferior-tty-show
35740
35741 @subheading Synopsis
35742
35743 @smallexample
35744 -inferior-tty-show
35745 @end smallexample
35746
35747 Show terminal for future runs of program being debugged.
35748
35749 @subheading @value{GDBN} Command
35750
35751 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{show inferior-tty}.
35752
35753 @subheading Example
35754
35755 @smallexample
35756 (gdb)
35757 -inferior-tty-set /dev/pts/1
35758 ^done
35759 (gdb)
35760 -inferior-tty-show
35761 ^done,inferior_tty_terminal="/dev/pts/1"
35762 (gdb)
35763 @end smallexample
35764
35765 @subheading The @code{-enable-timings} Command
35766 @findex -enable-timings
35767
35768 @subheading Synopsis
35769
35770 @smallexample
35771 -enable-timings [yes | no]
35772 @end smallexample
35773
35774 Toggle the printing of the wallclock, user and system times for an MI
35775 command as a field in its output. This command is to help frontend
35776 developers optimize the performance of their code. No argument is
35777 equivalent to @samp{yes}.
35778
35779 @subheading @value{GDBN} Command
35780
35781 No equivalent.
35782
35783 @subheading Example
35784
35785 @smallexample
35786 (gdb)
35787 -enable-timings
35788 ^done
35789 (gdb)
35790 -break-insert main
35791 ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
35792 addr="0x080484ed",func="main",file="myprog.c",
35793 fullname="/home/nickrob/myprog.c",line="73",thread-groups=["i1"],
35794 times="0"@},
35795 time=@{wallclock="0.05185",user="0.00800",system="0.00000"@}
35796 (gdb)
35797 -enable-timings no
35798 ^done
35799 (gdb)
35800 -exec-run
35801 ^running
35802 (gdb)
35803 *stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",bkptno="1",thread-id="0",
35804 frame=@{addr="0x080484ed",func="main",args=[@{name="argc",value="1"@},
35805 @{name="argv",value="0xbfb60364"@}],file="myprog.c",
35806 fullname="/home/nickrob/myprog.c",line="73"@}
35807 (gdb)
35808 @end smallexample
35809
35810 @node Annotations
35811 @chapter @value{GDBN} Annotations
35812
35813 This chapter describes annotations in @value{GDBN}. Annotations were
35814 designed to interface @value{GDBN} to graphical user interfaces or other
35815 similar programs which want to interact with @value{GDBN} at a
35816 relatively high level.
35817
35818 The annotation mechanism has largely been superseded by @sc{gdb/mi}
35819 (@pxref{GDB/MI}).
35820
35821 @ignore
35822 This is Edition @value{EDITION}, @value{DATE}.
35823 @end ignore
35824
35825 @menu
35826 * Annotations Overview:: What annotations are; the general syntax.
35827 * Server Prefix:: Issuing a command without affecting user state.
35828 * Prompting:: Annotations marking @value{GDBN}'s need for input.
35829 * Errors:: Annotations for error messages.
35830 * Invalidation:: Some annotations describe things now invalid.
35831 * Annotations for Running::
35832 Whether the program is running, how it stopped, etc.
35833 * Source Annotations:: Annotations describing source code.
35834 @end menu
35835
35836 @node Annotations Overview
35837 @section What is an Annotation?
35838 @cindex annotations
35839
35840 Annotations start with a newline character, two @samp{control-z}
35841 characters, and the name of the annotation. If there is no additional
35842 information associated with this annotation, the name of the annotation
35843 is followed immediately by a newline. If there is additional
35844 information, the name of the annotation is followed by a space, the
35845 additional information, and a newline. The additional information
35846 cannot contain newline characters.
35847
35848 Any output not beginning with a newline and two @samp{control-z}
35849 characters denotes literal output from @value{GDBN}. Currently there is
35850 no need for @value{GDBN} to output a newline followed by two
35851 @samp{control-z} characters, but if there was such a need, the
35852 annotations could be extended with an @samp{escape} annotation which
35853 means those three characters as output.
35854
35855 The annotation @var{level}, which is specified using the
35856 @option{--annotate} command line option (@pxref{Mode Options}), controls
35857 how much information @value{GDBN} prints together with its prompt,
35858 values of expressions, source lines, and other types of output. Level 0
35859 is for no annotations, level 1 is for use when @value{GDBN} is run as a
35860 subprocess of @sc{gnu} Emacs, level 3 is the maximum annotation suitable
35861 for programs that control @value{GDBN}, and level 2 annotations have
35862 been made obsolete (@pxref{Limitations, , Limitations of the Annotation
35863 Interface, annotate, GDB's Obsolete Annotations}).
35864
35865 @table @code
35866 @kindex set annotate
35867 @item set annotate @var{level}
35868 The @value{GDBN} command @code{set annotate} sets the level of
35869 annotations to the specified @var{level}.
35870
35871 @item show annotate
35872 @kindex show annotate
35873 Show the current annotation level.
35874 @end table
35875
35876 This chapter describes level 3 annotations.
35877
35878 A simple example of starting up @value{GDBN} with annotations is:
35879
35880 @smallexample
35881 $ @kbd{gdb --annotate=3}
35882 GNU gdb 6.0
35883 Copyright 2003 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
35884 GDB is free software, covered by the GNU General Public License,
35885 and you are welcome to change it and/or distribute copies of it
35886 under certain conditions.
35887 Type "show copying" to see the conditions.
35888 There is absolutely no warranty for GDB. Type "show warranty"
35889 for details.
35890 This GDB was configured as "i386-pc-linux-gnu"
35891
35892 ^Z^Zpre-prompt
35893 (@value{GDBP})
35894 ^Z^Zprompt
35895 @kbd{quit}
35896
35897 ^Z^Zpost-prompt
35898 $
35899 @end smallexample
35900
35901 Here @samp{quit} is input to @value{GDBN}; the rest is output from
35902 @value{GDBN}. The three lines beginning @samp{^Z^Z} (where @samp{^Z}
35903 denotes a @samp{control-z} character) are annotations; the rest is
35904 output from @value{GDBN}.
35905
35906 @node Server Prefix
35907 @section The Server Prefix
35908 @cindex server prefix
35909
35910 If you prefix a command with @samp{server } then it will not affect
35911 the command history, nor will it affect @value{GDBN}'s notion of which
35912 command to repeat if @key{RET} is pressed on a line by itself. This
35913 means that commands can be run behind a user's back by a front-end in
35914 a transparent manner.
35915
35916 The @code{server } prefix does not affect the recording of values into
35917 the value history; to print a value without recording it into the
35918 value history, use the @code{output} command instead of the
35919 @code{print} command.
35920
35921 Using this prefix also disables confirmation requests
35922 (@pxref{confirmation requests}).
35923
35924 @node Prompting
35925 @section Annotation for @value{GDBN} Input
35926
35927 @cindex annotations for prompts
35928 When @value{GDBN} prompts for input, it annotates this fact so it is possible
35929 to know when to send output, when the output from a given command is
35930 over, etc.
35931
35932 Different kinds of input each have a different @dfn{input type}. Each
35933 input type has three annotations: a @code{pre-} annotation, which
35934 denotes the beginning of any prompt which is being output, a plain
35935 annotation, which denotes the end of the prompt, and then a @code{post-}
35936 annotation which denotes the end of any echo which may (or may not) be
35937 associated with the input. For example, the @code{prompt} input type
35938 features the following annotations:
35939
35940 @smallexample
35941 ^Z^Zpre-prompt
35942 ^Z^Zprompt
35943 ^Z^Zpost-prompt
35944 @end smallexample
35945
35946 The input types are
35947
35948 @table @code
35949 @findex pre-prompt annotation
35950 @findex prompt annotation
35951 @findex post-prompt annotation
35952 @item prompt
35953 When @value{GDBN} is prompting for a command (the main @value{GDBN} prompt).
35954
35955 @findex pre-commands annotation
35956 @findex commands annotation
35957 @findex post-commands annotation
35958 @item commands
35959 When @value{GDBN} prompts for a set of commands, like in the @code{commands}
35960 command. The annotations are repeated for each command which is input.
35961
35962 @findex pre-overload-choice annotation
35963 @findex overload-choice annotation
35964 @findex post-overload-choice annotation
35965 @item overload-choice
35966 When @value{GDBN} wants the user to select between various overloaded functions.
35967
35968 @findex pre-query annotation
35969 @findex query annotation
35970 @findex post-query annotation
35971 @item query
35972 When @value{GDBN} wants the user to confirm a potentially dangerous operation.
35973
35974 @findex pre-prompt-for-continue annotation
35975 @findex prompt-for-continue annotation
35976 @findex post-prompt-for-continue annotation
35977 @item prompt-for-continue
35978 When @value{GDBN} is asking the user to press return to continue. Note: Don't
35979 expect this to work well; instead use @code{set height 0} to disable
35980 prompting. This is because the counting of lines is buggy in the
35981 presence of annotations.
35982 @end table
35983
35984 @node Errors
35985 @section Errors
35986 @cindex annotations for errors, warnings and interrupts
35987
35988 @findex quit annotation
35989 @smallexample
35990 ^Z^Zquit
35991 @end smallexample
35992
35993 This annotation occurs right before @value{GDBN} responds to an interrupt.
35994
35995 @findex error annotation
35996 @smallexample
35997 ^Z^Zerror
35998 @end smallexample
35999
36000 This annotation occurs right before @value{GDBN} responds to an error.
36001
36002 Quit and error annotations indicate that any annotations which @value{GDBN} was
36003 in the middle of may end abruptly. For example, if a
36004 @code{value-history-begin} annotation is followed by a @code{error}, one
36005 cannot expect to receive the matching @code{value-history-end}. One
36006 cannot expect not to receive it either, however; an error annotation
36007 does not necessarily mean that @value{GDBN} is immediately returning all the way
36008 to the top level.
36009
36010 @findex error-begin annotation
36011 A quit or error annotation may be preceded by
36012
36013 @smallexample
36014 ^Z^Zerror-begin
36015 @end smallexample
36016
36017 Any output between that and the quit or error annotation is the error
36018 message.
36019
36020 Warning messages are not yet annotated.
36021 @c If we want to change that, need to fix warning(), type_error(),
36022 @c range_error(), and possibly other places.
36023
36024 @node Invalidation
36025 @section Invalidation Notices
36026
36027 @cindex annotations for invalidation messages
36028 The following annotations say that certain pieces of state may have
36029 changed.
36030
36031 @table @code
36032 @findex frames-invalid annotation
36033 @item ^Z^Zframes-invalid
36034
36035 The frames (for example, output from the @code{backtrace} command) may
36036 have changed.
36037
36038 @findex breakpoints-invalid annotation
36039 @item ^Z^Zbreakpoints-invalid
36040
36041 The breakpoints may have changed. For example, the user just added or
36042 deleted a breakpoint.
36043 @end table
36044
36045 @node Annotations for Running
36046 @section Running the Program
36047 @cindex annotations for running programs
36048
36049 @findex starting annotation
36050 @findex stopping annotation
36051 When the program starts executing due to a @value{GDBN} command such as
36052 @code{step} or @code{continue},
36053
36054 @smallexample
36055 ^Z^Zstarting
36056 @end smallexample
36057
36058 is output. When the program stops,
36059
36060 @smallexample
36061 ^Z^Zstopped
36062 @end smallexample
36063
36064 is output. Before the @code{stopped} annotation, a variety of
36065 annotations describe how the program stopped.
36066
36067 @table @code
36068 @findex exited annotation
36069 @item ^Z^Zexited @var{exit-status}
36070 The program exited, and @var{exit-status} is the exit status (zero for
36071 successful exit, otherwise nonzero).
36072
36073 @findex signalled annotation
36074 @findex signal-name annotation
36075 @findex signal-name-end annotation
36076 @findex signal-string annotation
36077 @findex signal-string-end annotation
36078 @item ^Z^Zsignalled
36079 The program exited with a signal. After the @code{^Z^Zsignalled}, the
36080 annotation continues:
36081
36082 @smallexample
36083 @var{intro-text}
36084 ^Z^Zsignal-name
36085 @var{name}
36086 ^Z^Zsignal-name-end
36087 @var{middle-text}
36088 ^Z^Zsignal-string
36089 @var{string}
36090 ^Z^Zsignal-string-end
36091 @var{end-text}
36092 @end smallexample
36093
36094 @noindent
36095 where @var{name} is the name of the signal, such as @code{SIGILL} or
36096 @code{SIGSEGV}, and @var{string} is the explanation of the signal, such
36097 as @code{Illegal Instruction} or @code{Segmentation fault}.
36098 @var{intro-text}, @var{middle-text}, and @var{end-text} are for the
36099 user's benefit and have no particular format.
36100
36101 @findex signal annotation
36102 @item ^Z^Zsignal
36103 The syntax of this annotation is just like @code{signalled}, but @value{GDBN} is
36104 just saying that the program received the signal, not that it was
36105 terminated with it.
36106
36107 @findex breakpoint annotation
36108 @item ^Z^Zbreakpoint @var{number}
36109 The program hit breakpoint number @var{number}.
36110
36111 @findex watchpoint annotation
36112 @item ^Z^Zwatchpoint @var{number}
36113 The program hit watchpoint number @var{number}.
36114 @end table
36115
36116 @node Source Annotations
36117 @section Displaying Source
36118 @cindex annotations for source display
36119
36120 @findex source annotation
36121 The following annotation is used instead of displaying source code:
36122
36123 @smallexample
36124 ^Z^Zsource @var{filename}:@var{line}:@var{character}:@var{middle}:@var{addr}
36125 @end smallexample
36126
36127 where @var{filename} is an absolute file name indicating which source
36128 file, @var{line} is the line number within that file (where 1 is the
36129 first line in the file), @var{character} is the character position
36130 within the file (where 0 is the first character in the file) (for most
36131 debug formats this will necessarily point to the beginning of a line),
36132 @var{middle} is @samp{middle} if @var{addr} is in the middle of the
36133 line, or @samp{beg} if @var{addr} is at the beginning of the line, and
36134 @var{addr} is the address in the target program associated with the
36135 source which is being displayed. @var{addr} is in the form @samp{0x}
36136 followed by one or more lowercase hex digits (note that this does not
36137 depend on the language).
36138
36139 @node JIT Interface
36140 @chapter JIT Compilation Interface
36141 @cindex just-in-time compilation
36142 @cindex JIT compilation interface
36143
36144 This chapter documents @value{GDBN}'s @dfn{just-in-time} (JIT) compilation
36145 interface. A JIT compiler is a program or library that generates native
36146 executable code at runtime and executes it, usually in order to achieve good
36147 performance while maintaining platform independence.
36148
36149 Programs that use JIT compilation are normally difficult to debug because
36150 portions of their code are generated at runtime, instead of being loaded from
36151 object files, which is where @value{GDBN} normally finds the program's symbols
36152 and debug information. In order to debug programs that use JIT compilation,
36153 @value{GDBN} has an interface that allows the program to register in-memory
36154 symbol files with @value{GDBN} at runtime.
36155
36156 If you are using @value{GDBN} to debug a program that uses this interface, then
36157 it should work transparently so long as you have not stripped the binary. If
36158 you are developing a JIT compiler, then the interface is documented in the rest
36159 of this chapter. At this time, the only known client of this interface is the
36160 LLVM JIT.
36161
36162 Broadly speaking, the JIT interface mirrors the dynamic loader interface. The
36163 JIT compiler communicates with @value{GDBN} by writing data into a global
36164 variable and calling a fuction at a well-known symbol. When @value{GDBN}
36165 attaches, it reads a linked list of symbol files from the global variable to
36166 find existing code, and puts a breakpoint in the function so that it can find
36167 out about additional code.
36168
36169 @menu
36170 * Declarations:: Relevant C struct declarations
36171 * Registering Code:: Steps to register code
36172 * Unregistering Code:: Steps to unregister code
36173 * Custom Debug Info:: Emit debug information in a custom format
36174 @end menu
36175
36176 @node Declarations
36177 @section JIT Declarations
36178
36179 These are the relevant struct declarations that a C program should include to
36180 implement the interface:
36181
36182 @smallexample
36183 typedef enum
36184 @{
36185 JIT_NOACTION = 0,
36186 JIT_REGISTER_FN,
36187 JIT_UNREGISTER_FN
36188 @} jit_actions_t;
36189
36190 struct jit_code_entry
36191 @{
36192 struct jit_code_entry *next_entry;
36193 struct jit_code_entry *prev_entry;
36194 const char *symfile_addr;
36195 uint64_t symfile_size;
36196 @};
36197
36198 struct jit_descriptor
36199 @{
36200 uint32_t version;
36201 /* This type should be jit_actions_t, but we use uint32_t
36202 to be explicit about the bitwidth. */
36203 uint32_t action_flag;
36204 struct jit_code_entry *relevant_entry;
36205 struct jit_code_entry *first_entry;
36206 @};
36207
36208 /* GDB puts a breakpoint in this function. */
36209 void __attribute__((noinline)) __jit_debug_register_code() @{ @};
36210
36211 /* Make sure to specify the version statically, because the
36212 debugger may check the version before we can set it. */
36213 struct jit_descriptor __jit_debug_descriptor = @{ 1, 0, 0, 0 @};
36214 @end smallexample
36215
36216 If the JIT is multi-threaded, then it is important that the JIT synchronize any
36217 modifications to this global data properly, which can easily be done by putting
36218 a global mutex around modifications to these structures.
36219
36220 @node Registering Code
36221 @section Registering Code
36222
36223 To register code with @value{GDBN}, the JIT should follow this protocol:
36224
36225 @itemize @bullet
36226 @item
36227 Generate an object file in memory with symbols and other desired debug
36228 information. The file must include the virtual addresses of the sections.
36229
36230 @item
36231 Create a code entry for the file, which gives the start and size of the symbol
36232 file.
36233
36234 @item
36235 Add it to the linked list in the JIT descriptor.
36236
36237 @item
36238 Point the relevant_entry field of the descriptor at the entry.
36239
36240 @item
36241 Set @code{action_flag} to @code{JIT_REGISTER} and call
36242 @code{__jit_debug_register_code}.
36243 @end itemize
36244
36245 When @value{GDBN} is attached and the breakpoint fires, @value{GDBN} uses the
36246 @code{relevant_entry} pointer so it doesn't have to walk the list looking for
36247 new code. However, the linked list must still be maintained in order to allow
36248 @value{GDBN} to attach to a running process and still find the symbol files.
36249
36250 @node Unregistering Code
36251 @section Unregistering Code
36252
36253 If code is freed, then the JIT should use the following protocol:
36254
36255 @itemize @bullet
36256 @item
36257 Remove the code entry corresponding to the code from the linked list.
36258
36259 @item
36260 Point the @code{relevant_entry} field of the descriptor at the code entry.
36261
36262 @item
36263 Set @code{action_flag} to @code{JIT_UNREGISTER} and call
36264 @code{__jit_debug_register_code}.
36265 @end itemize
36266
36267 If the JIT frees or recompiles code without unregistering it, then @value{GDBN}
36268 and the JIT will leak the memory used for the associated symbol files.
36269
36270 @node Custom Debug Info
36271 @section Custom Debug Info
36272 @cindex custom JIT debug info
36273 @cindex JIT debug info reader
36274
36275 Generating debug information in platform-native file formats (like ELF
36276 or COFF) may be an overkill for JIT compilers; especially if all the
36277 debug info is used for is displaying a meaningful backtrace. The
36278 issue can be resolved by having the JIT writers decide on a debug info
36279 format and also provide a reader that parses the debug info generated
36280 by the JIT compiler. This section gives a brief overview on writing
36281 such a parser. More specific details can be found in the source file
36282 @file{gdb/jit-reader.in}, which is also installed as a header at
36283 @file{@var{includedir}/gdb/jit-reader.h} for easy inclusion.
36284
36285 The reader is implemented as a shared object (so this functionality is
36286 not available on platforms which don't allow loading shared objects at
36287 runtime). Two @value{GDBN} commands, @code{jit-reader-load} and
36288 @code{jit-reader-unload} are provided, to be used to load and unload
36289 the readers from a preconfigured directory. Once loaded, the shared
36290 object is used the parse the debug information emitted by the JIT
36291 compiler.
36292
36293 @menu
36294 * Using JIT Debug Info Readers:: How to use supplied readers correctly
36295 * Writing JIT Debug Info Readers:: Creating a debug-info reader
36296 @end menu
36297
36298 @node Using JIT Debug Info Readers
36299 @subsection Using JIT Debug Info Readers
36300 @kindex jit-reader-load
36301 @kindex jit-reader-unload
36302
36303 Readers can be loaded and unloaded using the @code{jit-reader-load}
36304 and @code{jit-reader-unload} commands.
36305
36306 @table @code
36307 @item jit-reader-load @var{reader}
36308 Load the JIT reader named @var{reader}. @var{reader} is a shared
36309 object specified as either an absolute or a relative file name. In
36310 the latter case, @value{GDBN} will try to load the reader from a
36311 pre-configured directory, usually @file{@var{libdir}/gdb/} on a UNIX
36312 system (here @var{libdir} is the system library directory, often
36313 @file{/usr/local/lib}).
36314
36315 Only one reader can be active at a time; trying to load a second
36316 reader when one is already loaded will result in @value{GDBN}
36317 reporting an error. A new JIT reader can be loaded by first unloading
36318 the current one using @code{jit-reader-unload} and then invoking
36319 @code{jit-reader-load}.
36320
36321 @item jit-reader-unload
36322 Unload the currently loaded JIT reader.
36323
36324 @end table
36325
36326 @node Writing JIT Debug Info Readers
36327 @subsection Writing JIT Debug Info Readers
36328 @cindex writing JIT debug info readers
36329
36330 As mentioned, a reader is essentially a shared object conforming to a
36331 certain ABI. This ABI is described in @file{jit-reader.h}.
36332
36333 @file{jit-reader.h} defines the structures, macros and functions
36334 required to write a reader. It is installed (along with
36335 @value{GDBN}), in @file{@var{includedir}/gdb} where @var{includedir} is
36336 the system include directory.
36337
36338 Readers need to be released under a GPL compatible license. A reader
36339 can be declared as released under such a license by placing the macro
36340 @code{GDB_DECLARE_GPL_COMPATIBLE_READER} in a source file.
36341
36342 The entry point for readers is the symbol @code{gdb_init_reader},
36343 which is expected to be a function with the prototype
36344
36345 @findex gdb_init_reader
36346 @smallexample
36347 extern struct gdb_reader_funcs *gdb_init_reader (void);
36348 @end smallexample
36349
36350 @cindex @code{struct gdb_reader_funcs}
36351
36352 @code{struct gdb_reader_funcs} contains a set of pointers to callback
36353 functions. These functions are executed to read the debug info
36354 generated by the JIT compiler (@code{read}), to unwind stack frames
36355 (@code{unwind}) and to create canonical frame IDs
36356 (@code{get_Frame_id}). It also has a callback that is called when the
36357 reader is being unloaded (@code{destroy}). The struct looks like this
36358
36359 @smallexample
36360 struct gdb_reader_funcs
36361 @{
36362 /* Must be set to GDB_READER_INTERFACE_VERSION. */
36363 int reader_version;
36364
36365 /* For use by the reader. */
36366 void *priv_data;
36367
36368 gdb_read_debug_info *read;
36369 gdb_unwind_frame *unwind;
36370 gdb_get_frame_id *get_frame_id;
36371 gdb_destroy_reader *destroy;
36372 @};
36373 @end smallexample
36374
36375 @cindex @code{struct gdb_symbol_callbacks}
36376 @cindex @code{struct gdb_unwind_callbacks}
36377
36378 The callbacks are provided with another set of callbacks by
36379 @value{GDBN} to do their job. For @code{read}, these callbacks are
36380 passed in a @code{struct gdb_symbol_callbacks} and for @code{unwind}
36381 and @code{get_frame_id}, in a @code{struct gdb_unwind_callbacks}.
36382 @code{struct gdb_symbol_callbacks} has callbacks to create new object
36383 files and new symbol tables inside those object files. @code{struct
36384 gdb_unwind_callbacks} has callbacks to read registers off the current
36385 frame and to write out the values of the registers in the previous
36386 frame. Both have a callback (@code{target_read}) to read bytes off the
36387 target's address space.
36388
36389 @node In-Process Agent
36390 @chapter In-Process Agent
36391 @cindex debugging agent
36392 The traditional debugging model is conceptually low-speed, but works fine,
36393 because most bugs can be reproduced in debugging-mode execution. However,
36394 as multi-core or many-core processors are becoming mainstream, and
36395 multi-threaded programs become more and more popular, there should be more
36396 and more bugs that only manifest themselves at normal-mode execution, for
36397 example, thread races, because debugger's interference with the program's
36398 timing may conceal the bugs. On the other hand, in some applications,
36399 it is not feasible for the debugger to interrupt the program's execution
36400 long enough for the developer to learn anything helpful about its behavior.
36401 If the program's correctness depends on its real-time behavior, delays
36402 introduced by a debugger might cause the program to fail, even when the
36403 code itself is correct. It is useful to be able to observe the program's
36404 behavior without interrupting it.
36405
36406 Therefore, traditional debugging model is too intrusive to reproduce
36407 some bugs. In order to reduce the interference with the program, we can
36408 reduce the number of operations performed by debugger. The
36409 @dfn{In-Process Agent}, a shared library, is running within the same
36410 process with inferior, and is able to perform some debugging operations
36411 itself. As a result, debugger is only involved when necessary, and
36412 performance of debugging can be improved accordingly. Note that
36413 interference with program can be reduced but can't be removed completely,
36414 because the in-process agent will still stop or slow down the program.
36415
36416 The in-process agent can interpret and execute Agent Expressions
36417 (@pxref{Agent Expressions}) during performing debugging operations. The
36418 agent expressions can be used for different purposes, such as collecting
36419 data in tracepoints, and condition evaluation in breakpoints.
36420
36421 @anchor{Control Agent}
36422 You can control whether the in-process agent is used as an aid for
36423 debugging with the following commands:
36424
36425 @table @code
36426 @kindex set agent on
36427 @item set agent on
36428 Causes the in-process agent to perform some operations on behalf of the
36429 debugger. Just which operations requested by the user will be done
36430 by the in-process agent depends on the its capabilities. For example,
36431 if you request to evaluate breakpoint conditions in the in-process agent,
36432 and the in-process agent has such capability as well, then breakpoint
36433 conditions will be evaluated in the in-process agent.
36434
36435 @kindex set agent off
36436 @item set agent off
36437 Disables execution of debugging operations by the in-process agent. All
36438 of the operations will be performed by @value{GDBN}.
36439
36440 @kindex show agent
36441 @item show agent
36442 Display the current setting of execution of debugging operations by
36443 the in-process agent.
36444 @end table
36445
36446 @menu
36447 * In-Process Agent Protocol::
36448 @end menu
36449
36450 @node In-Process Agent Protocol
36451 @section In-Process Agent Protocol
36452 @cindex in-process agent protocol
36453
36454 The in-process agent is able to communicate with both @value{GDBN} and
36455 GDBserver (@pxref{In-Process Agent}). This section documents the protocol
36456 used for communications between @value{GDBN} or GDBserver and the IPA.
36457 In general, @value{GDBN} or GDBserver sends commands
36458 (@pxref{IPA Protocol Commands}) and data to in-process agent, and then
36459 in-process agent replies back with the return result of the command, or
36460 some other information. The data sent to in-process agent is composed
36461 of primitive data types, such as 4-byte or 8-byte type, and composite
36462 types, which are called objects (@pxref{IPA Protocol Objects}).
36463
36464 @menu
36465 * IPA Protocol Objects::
36466 * IPA Protocol Commands::
36467 @end menu
36468
36469 @node IPA Protocol Objects
36470 @subsection IPA Protocol Objects
36471 @cindex ipa protocol objects
36472
36473 The commands sent to and results received from agent may contain some
36474 complex data types called @dfn{objects}.
36475
36476 The in-process agent is running on the same machine with @value{GDBN}
36477 or GDBserver, so it doesn't have to handle as much differences between
36478 two ends as remote protocol (@pxref{Remote Protocol}) tries to handle.
36479 However, there are still some differences of two ends in two processes:
36480
36481 @enumerate
36482 @item
36483 word size. On some 64-bit machines, @value{GDBN} or GDBserver can be
36484 compiled as a 64-bit executable, while in-process agent is a 32-bit one.
36485 @item
36486 ABI. Some machines may have multiple types of ABI, @value{GDBN} or
36487 GDBserver is compiled with one, and in-process agent is compiled with
36488 the other one.
36489 @end enumerate
36490
36491 Here are the IPA Protocol Objects:
36492
36493 @enumerate
36494 @item
36495 agent expression object. It represents an agent expression
36496 (@pxref{Agent Expressions}).
36497 @anchor{agent expression object}
36498 @item
36499 tracepoint action object. It represents a tracepoint action
36500 (@pxref{Tracepoint Actions,,Tracepoint Action Lists}) to collect registers,
36501 memory, static trace data and to evaluate expression.
36502 @anchor{tracepoint action object}
36503 @item
36504 tracepoint object. It represents a tracepoint (@pxref{Tracepoints}).
36505 @anchor{tracepoint object}
36506
36507 @end enumerate
36508
36509 The following table describes important attributes of each IPA protocol
36510 object:
36511
36512 @multitable @columnfractions .30 .20 .50
36513 @headitem Name @tab Size @tab Description
36514 @item @emph{agent expression object} @tab @tab
36515 @item length @tab 4 @tab length of bytes code
36516 @item byte code @tab @var{length} @tab contents of byte code
36517 @item @emph{tracepoint action for collecting memory} @tab @tab
36518 @item 'M' @tab 1 @tab type of tracepoint action
36519 @item addr @tab 8 @tab if @var{basereg} is @samp{-1}, @var{addr} is the
36520 address of the lowest byte to collect, otherwise @var{addr} is the offset
36521 of @var{basereg} for memory collecting.
36522 @item len @tab 8 @tab length of memory for collecting
36523 @item basereg @tab 4 @tab the register number containing the starting
36524 memory address for collecting.
36525 @item @emph{tracepoint action for collecting registers} @tab @tab
36526 @item 'R' @tab 1 @tab type of tracepoint action
36527 @item @emph{tracepoint action for collecting static trace data} @tab @tab
36528 @item 'L' @tab 1 @tab type of tracepoint action
36529 @item @emph{tracepoint action for expression evaluation} @tab @tab
36530 @item 'X' @tab 1 @tab type of tracepoint action
36531 @item agent expression @tab length of @tab @ref{agent expression object}
36532 @item @emph{tracepoint object} @tab @tab
36533 @item number @tab 4 @tab number of tracepoint
36534 @item address @tab 8 @tab address of tracepoint inserted on
36535 @item type @tab 4 @tab type of tracepoint
36536 @item enabled @tab 1 @tab enable or disable of tracepoint
36537 @item step_count @tab 8 @tab step
36538 @item pass_count @tab 8 @tab pass
36539 @item numactions @tab 4 @tab number of tracepoint actions
36540 @item hit count @tab 8 @tab hit count
36541 @item trace frame usage @tab 8 @tab trace frame usage
36542 @item compiled_cond @tab 8 @tab compiled condition
36543 @item orig_size @tab 8 @tab orig size
36544 @item condition @tab 4 if condition is NULL otherwise length of
36545 @ref{agent expression object}
36546 @tab zero if condition is NULL, otherwise is
36547 @ref{agent expression object}
36548 @item actions @tab variable
36549 @tab numactions number of @ref{tracepoint action object}
36550 @end multitable
36551
36552 @node IPA Protocol Commands
36553 @subsection IPA Protocol Commands
36554 @cindex ipa protocol commands
36555
36556 The spaces in each command are delimiters to ease reading this commands
36557 specification. They don't exist in real commands.
36558
36559 @table @samp
36560
36561 @item FastTrace:@var{tracepoint_object} @var{gdb_jump_pad_head}
36562 Installs a new fast tracepoint described by @var{tracepoint_object}
36563 (@pxref{tracepoint object}). @var{gdb_jump_pad_head}, 8-byte long, is the
36564 head of @dfn{jumppad}, which is used to jump to data collection routine
36565 in IPA finally.
36566
36567 Replies:
36568 @table @samp
36569 @item OK @var{target_address} @var{gdb_jump_pad_head} @var{fjump_size} @var{fjump}
36570 @var{target_address} is address of tracepoint in the inferior.
36571 @var{gdb_jump_pad_head} is updated head of jumppad. Both of
36572 @var{target_address} and @var{gdb_jump_pad_head} are 8-byte long.
36573 @var{fjump} contains a sequence of instructions jump to jumppad entry.
36574 @var{fjump_size}, 4-byte long, is the size of @var{fjump}.
36575 @item E @var{NN}
36576 for an error
36577
36578 @end table
36579
36580 @item close
36581 Closes the in-process agent. This command is sent when @value{GDBN} or GDBserver
36582 is about to kill inferiors.
36583
36584 @item qTfSTM
36585 @xref{qTfSTM}.
36586 @item qTsSTM
36587 @xref{qTsSTM}.
36588 @item qTSTMat
36589 @xref{qTSTMat}.
36590 @item probe_marker_at:@var{address}
36591 Asks in-process agent to probe the marker at @var{address}.
36592
36593 Replies:
36594 @table @samp
36595 @item E @var{NN}
36596 for an error
36597 @end table
36598 @item unprobe_marker_at:@var{address}
36599 Asks in-process agent to unprobe the marker at @var{address}.
36600 @end table
36601
36602 @node GDB Bugs
36603 @chapter Reporting Bugs in @value{GDBN}
36604 @cindex bugs in @value{GDBN}
36605 @cindex reporting bugs in @value{GDBN}
36606
36607 Your bug reports play an essential role in making @value{GDBN} reliable.
36608
36609 Reporting a bug may help you by bringing a solution to your problem, or it
36610 may not. But in any case the principal function of a bug report is to help
36611 the entire community by making the next version of @value{GDBN} work better. Bug
36612 reports are your contribution to the maintenance of @value{GDBN}.
36613
36614 In order for a bug report to serve its purpose, you must include the
36615 information that enables us to fix the bug.
36616
36617 @menu
36618 * Bug Criteria:: Have you found a bug?
36619 * Bug Reporting:: How to report bugs
36620 @end menu
36621
36622 @node Bug Criteria
36623 @section Have You Found a Bug?
36624 @cindex bug criteria
36625
36626 If you are not sure whether you have found a bug, here are some guidelines:
36627
36628 @itemize @bullet
36629 @cindex fatal signal
36630 @cindex debugger crash
36631 @cindex crash of debugger
36632 @item
36633 If the debugger gets a fatal signal, for any input whatever, that is a
36634 @value{GDBN} bug. Reliable debuggers never crash.
36635
36636 @cindex error on valid input
36637 @item
36638 If @value{GDBN} produces an error message for valid input, that is a
36639 bug. (Note that if you're cross debugging, the problem may also be
36640 somewhere in the connection to the target.)
36641
36642 @cindex invalid input
36643 @item
36644 If @value{GDBN} does not produce an error message for invalid input,
36645 that is a bug. However, you should note that your idea of
36646 ``invalid input'' might be our idea of ``an extension'' or ``support
36647 for traditional practice''.
36648
36649 @item
36650 If you are an experienced user of debugging tools, your suggestions
36651 for improvement of @value{GDBN} are welcome in any case.
36652 @end itemize
36653
36654 @node Bug Reporting
36655 @section How to Report Bugs
36656 @cindex bug reports
36657 @cindex @value{GDBN} bugs, reporting
36658
36659 A number of companies and individuals offer support for @sc{gnu} products.
36660 If you obtained @value{GDBN} from a support organization, we recommend you
36661 contact that organization first.
36662
36663 You can find contact information for many support companies and
36664 individuals in the file @file{etc/SERVICE} in the @sc{gnu} Emacs
36665 distribution.
36666 @c should add a web page ref...
36667
36668 @ifset BUGURL
36669 @ifset BUGURL_DEFAULT
36670 In any event, we also recommend that you submit bug reports for
36671 @value{GDBN}. The preferred method is to submit them directly using
36672 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gdb/bugs/, @value{GDBN}'s Bugs web
36673 page}. Alternatively, the @email{bug-gdb@@gnu.org, e-mail gateway} can
36674 be used.
36675
36676 @strong{Do not send bug reports to @samp{info-gdb}, or to
36677 @samp{help-gdb}, or to any newsgroups.} Most users of @value{GDBN} do
36678 not want to receive bug reports. Those that do have arranged to receive
36679 @samp{bug-gdb}.
36680
36681 The mailing list @samp{bug-gdb} has a newsgroup @samp{gnu.gdb.bug} which
36682 serves as a repeater. The mailing list and the newsgroup carry exactly
36683 the same messages. Often people think of posting bug reports to the
36684 newsgroup instead of mailing them. This appears to work, but it has one
36685 problem which can be crucial: a newsgroup posting often lacks a mail
36686 path back to the sender. Thus, if we need to ask for more information,
36687 we may be unable to reach you. For this reason, it is better to send
36688 bug reports to the mailing list.
36689 @end ifset
36690 @ifclear BUGURL_DEFAULT
36691 In any event, we also recommend that you submit bug reports for
36692 @value{GDBN} to @value{BUGURL}.
36693 @end ifclear
36694 @end ifset
36695
36696 The fundamental principle of reporting bugs usefully is this:
36697 @strong{report all the facts}. If you are not sure whether to state a
36698 fact or leave it out, state it!
36699
36700 Often people omit facts because they think they know what causes the
36701 problem and assume that some details do not matter. Thus, you might
36702 assume that the name of the variable you use in an example does not matter.
36703 Well, probably it does not, but one cannot be sure. Perhaps the bug is a
36704 stray memory reference which happens to fetch from the location where that
36705 name is stored in memory; perhaps, if the name were different, the contents
36706 of that location would fool the debugger into doing the right thing despite
36707 the bug. Play it safe and give a specific, complete example. That is the
36708 easiest thing for you to do, and the most helpful.
36709
36710 Keep in mind that the purpose of a bug report is to enable us to fix the
36711 bug. It may be that the bug has been reported previously, but neither
36712 you nor we can know that unless your bug report is complete and
36713 self-contained.
36714
36715 Sometimes people give a few sketchy facts and ask, ``Does this ring a
36716 bell?'' Those bug reports are useless, and we urge everyone to
36717 @emph{refuse to respond to them} except to chide the sender to report
36718 bugs properly.
36719
36720 To enable us to fix the bug, you should include all these things:
36721
36722 @itemize @bullet
36723 @item
36724 The version of @value{GDBN}. @value{GDBN} announces it if you start
36725 with no arguments; you can also print it at any time using @code{show
36726 version}.
36727
36728 Without this, we will not know whether there is any point in looking for
36729 the bug in the current version of @value{GDBN}.
36730
36731 @item
36732 The type of machine you are using, and the operating system name and
36733 version number.
36734
36735 @item
36736 The details of the @value{GDBN} build-time configuration.
36737 @value{GDBN} shows these details if you invoke it with the
36738 @option{--configuration} command-line option, or if you type
36739 @code{show configuration} at @value{GDBN}'s prompt.
36740
36741 @item
36742 What compiler (and its version) was used to compile @value{GDBN}---e.g.@:
36743 ``@value{GCC}--2.8.1''.
36744
36745 @item
36746 What compiler (and its version) was used to compile the program you are
36747 debugging---e.g.@: ``@value{GCC}--2.8.1'', or ``HP92453-01 A.10.32.03 HP
36748 C Compiler''. For @value{NGCC}, you can say @kbd{@value{GCC} --version}
36749 to get this information; for other compilers, see the documentation for
36750 those compilers.
36751
36752 @item
36753 The command arguments you gave the compiler to compile your example and
36754 observe the bug. For example, did you use @samp{-O}? To guarantee
36755 you will not omit something important, list them all. A copy of the
36756 Makefile (or the output from make) is sufficient.
36757
36758 If we were to try to guess the arguments, we would probably guess wrong
36759 and then we might not encounter the bug.
36760
36761 @item
36762 A complete input script, and all necessary source files, that will
36763 reproduce the bug.
36764
36765 @item
36766 A description of what behavior you observe that you believe is
36767 incorrect. For example, ``It gets a fatal signal.''
36768
36769 Of course, if the bug is that @value{GDBN} gets a fatal signal, then we
36770 will certainly notice it. But if the bug is incorrect output, we might
36771 not notice unless it is glaringly wrong. You might as well not give us
36772 a chance to make a mistake.
36773
36774 Even if the problem you experience is a fatal signal, you should still
36775 say so explicitly. Suppose something strange is going on, such as, your
36776 copy of @value{GDBN} is out of synch, or you have encountered a bug in
36777 the C library on your system. (This has happened!) Your copy might
36778 crash and ours would not. If you told us to expect a crash, then when
36779 ours fails to crash, we would know that the bug was not happening for
36780 us. If you had not told us to expect a crash, then we would not be able
36781 to draw any conclusion from our observations.
36782
36783 @pindex script
36784 @cindex recording a session script
36785 To collect all this information, you can use a session recording program
36786 such as @command{script}, which is available on many Unix systems.
36787 Just run your @value{GDBN} session inside @command{script} and then
36788 include the @file{typescript} file with your bug report.
36789
36790 Another way to record a @value{GDBN} session is to run @value{GDBN}
36791 inside Emacs and then save the entire buffer to a file.
36792
36793 @item
36794 If you wish to suggest changes to the @value{GDBN} source, send us context
36795 diffs. If you even discuss something in the @value{GDBN} source, refer to
36796 it by context, not by line number.
36797
36798 The line numbers in our development sources will not match those in your
36799 sources. Your line numbers would convey no useful information to us.
36800
36801 @end itemize
36802
36803 Here are some things that are not necessary:
36804
36805 @itemize @bullet
36806 @item
36807 A description of the envelope of the bug.
36808
36809 Often people who encounter a bug spend a lot of time investigating
36810 which changes to the input file will make the bug go away and which
36811 changes will not affect it.
36812
36813 This is often time consuming and not very useful, because the way we
36814 will find the bug is by running a single example under the debugger
36815 with breakpoints, not by pure deduction from a series of examples.
36816 We recommend that you save your time for something else.
36817
36818 Of course, if you can find a simpler example to report @emph{instead}
36819 of the original one, that is a convenience for us. Errors in the
36820 output will be easier to spot, running under the debugger will take
36821 less time, and so on.
36822
36823 However, simplification is not vital; if you do not want to do this,
36824 report the bug anyway and send us the entire test case you used.
36825
36826 @item
36827 A patch for the bug.
36828
36829 A patch for the bug does help us if it is a good one. But do not omit
36830 the necessary information, such as the test case, on the assumption that
36831 a patch is all we need. We might see problems with your patch and decide
36832 to fix the problem another way, or we might not understand it at all.
36833
36834 Sometimes with a program as complicated as @value{GDBN} it is very hard to
36835 construct an example that will make the program follow a certain path
36836 through the code. If you do not send us the example, we will not be able
36837 to construct one, so we will not be able to verify that the bug is fixed.
36838
36839 And if we cannot understand what bug you are trying to fix, or why your
36840 patch should be an improvement, we will not install it. A test case will
36841 help us to understand.
36842
36843 @item
36844 A guess about what the bug is or what it depends on.
36845
36846 Such guesses are usually wrong. Even we cannot guess right about such
36847 things without first using the debugger to find the facts.
36848 @end itemize
36849
36850 @c The readline documentation is distributed with the readline code
36851 @c and consists of the two following files:
36852 @c rluser.texi
36853 @c hsuser.texi
36854 @c Use -I with makeinfo to point to the appropriate directory,
36855 @c environment var TEXINPUTS with TeX.
36856 @ifclear SYSTEM_READLINE
36857 @include rluser.texi
36858 @include hsuser.texi
36859 @end ifclear
36860
36861 @node In Memoriam
36862 @appendix In Memoriam
36863
36864 The @value{GDBN} project mourns the loss of the following long-time
36865 contributors:
36866
36867 @table @code
36868 @item Fred Fish
36869 Fred was a long-standing contributor to @value{GDBN} (1991-2006), and
36870 to Free Software in general. Outside of @value{GDBN}, he was known in
36871 the Amiga world for his series of Fish Disks, and the GeekGadget project.
36872
36873 @item Michael Snyder
36874 Michael was one of the Global Maintainers of the @value{GDBN} project,
36875 with contributions recorded as early as 1996, until 2011. In addition
36876 to his day to day participation, he was a large driving force behind
36877 adding Reverse Debugging to @value{GDBN}.
36878 @end table
36879
36880 Beyond their technical contributions to the project, they were also
36881 enjoyable members of the Free Software Community. We will miss them.
36882
36883 @node Formatting Documentation
36884 @appendix Formatting Documentation
36885
36886 @cindex @value{GDBN} reference card
36887 @cindex reference card
36888 The @value{GDBN} 4 release includes an already-formatted reference card, ready
36889 for printing with PostScript or Ghostscript, in the @file{gdb}
36890 subdirectory of the main source directory@footnote{In
36891 @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}/gdb/refcard.ps} of the version @value{GDBVN}
36892 release.}. If you can use PostScript or Ghostscript with your printer,
36893 you can print the reference card immediately with @file{refcard.ps}.
36894
36895 The release also includes the source for the reference card. You
36896 can format it, using @TeX{}, by typing:
36897
36898 @smallexample
36899 make refcard.dvi
36900 @end smallexample
36901
36902 The @value{GDBN} reference card is designed to print in @dfn{landscape}
36903 mode on US ``letter'' size paper;
36904 that is, on a sheet 11 inches wide by 8.5 inches
36905 high. You will need to specify this form of printing as an option to
36906 your @sc{dvi} output program.
36907
36908 @cindex documentation
36909
36910 All the documentation for @value{GDBN} comes as part of the machine-readable
36911 distribution. The documentation is written in Texinfo format, which is
36912 a documentation system that uses a single source file to produce both
36913 on-line information and a printed manual. You can use one of the Info
36914 formatting commands to create the on-line version of the documentation
36915 and @TeX{} (or @code{texi2roff}) to typeset the printed version.
36916
36917 @value{GDBN} includes an already formatted copy of the on-line Info
36918 version of this manual in the @file{gdb} subdirectory. The main Info
36919 file is @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}/gdb/gdb.info}, and it refers to
36920 subordinate files matching @samp{gdb.info*} in the same directory. If
36921 necessary, you can print out these files, or read them with any editor;
36922 but they are easier to read using the @code{info} subsystem in @sc{gnu}
36923 Emacs or the standalone @code{info} program, available as part of the
36924 @sc{gnu} Texinfo distribution.
36925
36926 If you want to format these Info files yourself, you need one of the
36927 Info formatting programs, such as @code{texinfo-format-buffer} or
36928 @code{makeinfo}.
36929
36930 If you have @code{makeinfo} installed, and are in the top level
36931 @value{GDBN} source directory (@file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}}, in the case of
36932 version @value{GDBVN}), you can make the Info file by typing:
36933
36934 @smallexample
36935 cd gdb
36936 make gdb.info
36937 @end smallexample
36938
36939 If you want to typeset and print copies of this manual, you need @TeX{},
36940 a program to print its @sc{dvi} output files, and @file{texinfo.tex}, the
36941 Texinfo definitions file.
36942
36943 @TeX{} is a typesetting program; it does not print files directly, but
36944 produces output files called @sc{dvi} files. To print a typeset
36945 document, you need a program to print @sc{dvi} files. If your system
36946 has @TeX{} installed, chances are it has such a program. The precise
36947 command to use depends on your system; @kbd{lpr -d} is common; another
36948 (for PostScript devices) is @kbd{dvips}. The @sc{dvi} print command may
36949 require a file name without any extension or a @samp{.dvi} extension.
36950
36951 @TeX{} also requires a macro definitions file called
36952 @file{texinfo.tex}. This file tells @TeX{} how to typeset a document
36953 written in Texinfo format. On its own, @TeX{} cannot either read or
36954 typeset a Texinfo file. @file{texinfo.tex} is distributed with GDB
36955 and is located in the @file{gdb-@var{version-number}/texinfo}
36956 directory.
36957
36958 If you have @TeX{} and a @sc{dvi} printer program installed, you can
36959 typeset and print this manual. First switch to the @file{gdb}
36960 subdirectory of the main source directory (for example, to
36961 @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}/gdb}) and type:
36962
36963 @smallexample
36964 make gdb.dvi
36965 @end smallexample
36966
36967 Then give @file{gdb.dvi} to your @sc{dvi} printing program.
36968
36969 @node Installing GDB
36970 @appendix Installing @value{GDBN}
36971 @cindex installation
36972
36973 @menu
36974 * Requirements:: Requirements for building @value{GDBN}
36975 * Running Configure:: Invoking the @value{GDBN} @file{configure} script
36976 * Separate Objdir:: Compiling @value{GDBN} in another directory
36977 * Config Names:: Specifying names for hosts and targets
36978 * Configure Options:: Summary of options for configure
36979 * System-wide configuration:: Having a system-wide init file
36980 @end menu
36981
36982 @node Requirements
36983 @section Requirements for Building @value{GDBN}
36984 @cindex building @value{GDBN}, requirements for
36985
36986 Building @value{GDBN} requires various tools and packages to be available.
36987 Other packages will be used only if they are found.
36988
36989 @heading Tools/Packages Necessary for Building @value{GDBN}
36990 @table @asis
36991 @item ISO C90 compiler
36992 @value{GDBN} is written in ISO C90. It should be buildable with any
36993 working C90 compiler, e.g.@: GCC.
36994
36995 @end table
36996
36997 @heading Tools/Packages Optional for Building @value{GDBN}
36998 @table @asis
36999 @item Expat
37000 @anchor{Expat}
37001 @value{GDBN} can use the Expat XML parsing library. This library may be
37002 included with your operating system distribution; if it is not, you
37003 can get the latest version from @url{http://expat.sourceforge.net}.
37004 The @file{configure} script will search for this library in several
37005 standard locations; if it is installed in an unusual path, you can
37006 use the @option{--with-libexpat-prefix} option to specify its location.
37007
37008 Expat is used for:
37009
37010 @itemize @bullet
37011 @item
37012 Remote protocol memory maps (@pxref{Memory Map Format})
37013 @item
37014 Target descriptions (@pxref{Target Descriptions})
37015 @item
37016 Remote shared library lists (@xref{Library List Format},
37017 or alternatively @pxref{Library List Format for SVR4 Targets})
37018 @item
37019 MS-Windows shared libraries (@pxref{Shared Libraries})
37020 @item
37021 Traceframe info (@pxref{Traceframe Info Format})
37022 @item
37023 Branch trace (@pxref{Branch Trace Format})
37024 @end itemize
37025
37026 @item zlib
37027 @cindex compressed debug sections
37028 @value{GDBN} will use the @samp{zlib} library, if available, to read
37029 compressed debug sections. Some linkers, such as GNU gold, are capable
37030 of producing binaries with compressed debug sections. If @value{GDBN}
37031 is compiled with @samp{zlib}, it will be able to read the debug
37032 information in such binaries.
37033
37034 The @samp{zlib} library is likely included with your operating system
37035 distribution; if it is not, you can get the latest version from
37036 @url{http://zlib.net}.
37037
37038 @item iconv
37039 @value{GDBN}'s features related to character sets (@pxref{Character
37040 Sets}) require a functioning @code{iconv} implementation. If you are
37041 on a GNU system, then this is provided by the GNU C Library. Some
37042 other systems also provide a working @code{iconv}.
37043
37044 If @value{GDBN} is using the @code{iconv} program which is installed
37045 in a non-standard place, you will need to tell @value{GDBN} where to find it.
37046 This is done with @option{--with-iconv-bin} which specifies the
37047 directory that contains the @code{iconv} program.
37048
37049 On systems without @code{iconv}, you can install GNU Libiconv. If you
37050 have previously installed Libiconv, you can use the
37051 @option{--with-libiconv-prefix} option to configure.
37052
37053 @value{GDBN}'s top-level @file{configure} and @file{Makefile} will
37054 arrange to build Libiconv if a directory named @file{libiconv} appears
37055 in the top-most source directory. If Libiconv is built this way, and
37056 if the operating system does not provide a suitable @code{iconv}
37057 implementation, then the just-built library will automatically be used
37058 by @value{GDBN}. One easy way to set this up is to download GNU
37059 Libiconv, unpack it, and then rename the directory holding the
37060 Libiconv source code to @samp{libiconv}.
37061 @end table
37062
37063 @node Running Configure
37064 @section Invoking the @value{GDBN} @file{configure} Script
37065 @cindex configuring @value{GDBN}
37066 @value{GDBN} comes with a @file{configure} script that automates the process
37067 of preparing @value{GDBN} for installation; you can then use @code{make} to
37068 build the @code{gdb} program.
37069 @iftex
37070 @c irrelevant in info file; it's as current as the code it lives with.
37071 @footnote{If you have a more recent version of @value{GDBN} than @value{GDBVN},
37072 look at the @file{README} file in the sources; we may have improved the
37073 installation procedures since publishing this manual.}
37074 @end iftex
37075
37076 The @value{GDBN} distribution includes all the source code you need for
37077 @value{GDBN} in a single directory, whose name is usually composed by
37078 appending the version number to @samp{gdb}.
37079
37080 For example, the @value{GDBN} version @value{GDBVN} distribution is in the
37081 @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}} directory. That directory contains:
37082
37083 @table @code
37084 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/configure @r{(and supporting files)}
37085 script for configuring @value{GDBN} and all its supporting libraries
37086
37087 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/gdb
37088 the source specific to @value{GDBN} itself
37089
37090 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/bfd
37091 source for the Binary File Descriptor library
37092
37093 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/include
37094 @sc{gnu} include files
37095
37096 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/libiberty
37097 source for the @samp{-liberty} free software library
37098
37099 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/opcodes
37100 source for the library of opcode tables and disassemblers
37101
37102 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/readline
37103 source for the @sc{gnu} command-line interface
37104
37105 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/glob
37106 source for the @sc{gnu} filename pattern-matching subroutine
37107
37108 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/mmalloc
37109 source for the @sc{gnu} memory-mapped malloc package
37110 @end table
37111
37112 The simplest way to configure and build @value{GDBN} is to run @file{configure}
37113 from the @file{gdb-@var{version-number}} source directory, which in
37114 this example is the @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}} directory.
37115
37116 First switch to the @file{gdb-@var{version-number}} source directory
37117 if you are not already in it; then run @file{configure}. Pass the
37118 identifier for the platform on which @value{GDBN} will run as an
37119 argument.
37120
37121 For example:
37122
37123 @smallexample
37124 cd gdb-@value{GDBVN}
37125 ./configure @var{host}
37126 make
37127 @end smallexample
37128
37129 @noindent
37130 where @var{host} is an identifier such as @samp{sun4} or
37131 @samp{decstation}, that identifies the platform where @value{GDBN} will run.
37132 (You can often leave off @var{host}; @file{configure} tries to guess the
37133 correct value by examining your system.)
37134
37135 Running @samp{configure @var{host}} and then running @code{make} builds the
37136 @file{bfd}, @file{readline}, @file{mmalloc}, and @file{libiberty}
37137 libraries, then @code{gdb} itself. The configured source files, and the
37138 binaries, are left in the corresponding source directories.
37139
37140 @need 750
37141 @file{configure} is a Bourne-shell (@code{/bin/sh}) script; if your
37142 system does not recognize this automatically when you run a different
37143 shell, you may need to run @code{sh} on it explicitly:
37144
37145 @smallexample
37146 sh configure @var{host}
37147 @end smallexample
37148
37149 If you run @file{configure} from a directory that contains source
37150 directories for multiple libraries or programs, such as the
37151 @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}} source directory for version @value{GDBVN},
37152 @file{configure}
37153 creates configuration files for every directory level underneath (unless
37154 you tell it not to, with the @samp{--norecursion} option).
37155
37156 You should run the @file{configure} script from the top directory in the
37157 source tree, the @file{gdb-@var{version-number}} directory. If you run
37158 @file{configure} from one of the subdirectories, you will configure only
37159 that subdirectory. That is usually not what you want. In particular,
37160 if you run the first @file{configure} from the @file{gdb} subdirectory
37161 of the @file{gdb-@var{version-number}} directory, you will omit the
37162 configuration of @file{bfd}, @file{readline}, and other sibling
37163 directories of the @file{gdb} subdirectory. This leads to build errors
37164 about missing include files such as @file{bfd/bfd.h}.
37165
37166 You can install @code{@value{GDBP}} anywhere; it has no hardwired paths.
37167 However, you should make sure that the shell on your path (named by
37168 the @samp{SHELL} environment variable) is publicly readable. Remember
37169 that @value{GDBN} uses the shell to start your program---some systems refuse to
37170 let @value{GDBN} debug child processes whose programs are not readable.
37171
37172 @node Separate Objdir
37173 @section Compiling @value{GDBN} in Another Directory
37174
37175 If you want to run @value{GDBN} versions for several host or target machines,
37176 you need a different @code{gdb} compiled for each combination of
37177 host and target. @file{configure} is designed to make this easy by
37178 allowing you to generate each configuration in a separate subdirectory,
37179 rather than in the source directory. If your @code{make} program
37180 handles the @samp{VPATH} feature (@sc{gnu} @code{make} does), running
37181 @code{make} in each of these directories builds the @code{gdb}
37182 program specified there.
37183
37184 To build @code{gdb} in a separate directory, run @file{configure}
37185 with the @samp{--srcdir} option to specify where to find the source.
37186 (You also need to specify a path to find @file{configure}
37187 itself from your working directory. If the path to @file{configure}
37188 would be the same as the argument to @samp{--srcdir}, you can leave out
37189 the @samp{--srcdir} option; it is assumed.)
37190
37191 For example, with version @value{GDBVN}, you can build @value{GDBN} in a
37192 separate directory for a Sun 4 like this:
37193
37194 @smallexample
37195 @group
37196 cd gdb-@value{GDBVN}
37197 mkdir ../gdb-sun4
37198 cd ../gdb-sun4
37199 ../gdb-@value{GDBVN}/configure sun4
37200 make
37201 @end group
37202 @end smallexample
37203
37204 When @file{configure} builds a configuration using a remote source
37205 directory, it creates a tree for the binaries with the same structure
37206 (and using the same names) as the tree under the source directory. In
37207 the example, you'd find the Sun 4 library @file{libiberty.a} in the
37208 directory @file{gdb-sun4/libiberty}, and @value{GDBN} itself in
37209 @file{gdb-sun4/gdb}.
37210
37211 Make sure that your path to the @file{configure} script has just one
37212 instance of @file{gdb} in it. If your path to @file{configure} looks
37213 like @file{../gdb-@value{GDBVN}/gdb/configure}, you are configuring only
37214 one subdirectory of @value{GDBN}, not the whole package. This leads to
37215 build errors about missing include files such as @file{bfd/bfd.h}.
37216
37217 One popular reason to build several @value{GDBN} configurations in separate
37218 directories is to configure @value{GDBN} for cross-compiling (where
37219 @value{GDBN} runs on one machine---the @dfn{host}---while debugging
37220 programs that run on another machine---the @dfn{target}).
37221 You specify a cross-debugging target by
37222 giving the @samp{--target=@var{target}} option to @file{configure}.
37223
37224 When you run @code{make} to build a program or library, you must run
37225 it in a configured directory---whatever directory you were in when you
37226 called @file{configure} (or one of its subdirectories).
37227
37228 The @code{Makefile} that @file{configure} generates in each source
37229 directory also runs recursively. If you type @code{make} in a source
37230 directory such as @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}} (or in a separate configured
37231 directory configured with @samp{--srcdir=@var{dirname}/gdb-@value{GDBVN}}), you
37232 will build all the required libraries, and then build GDB.
37233
37234 When you have multiple hosts or targets configured in separate
37235 directories, you can run @code{make} on them in parallel (for example,
37236 if they are NFS-mounted on each of the hosts); they will not interfere
37237 with each other.
37238
37239 @node Config Names
37240 @section Specifying Names for Hosts and Targets
37241
37242 The specifications used for hosts and targets in the @file{configure}
37243 script are based on a three-part naming scheme, but some short predefined
37244 aliases are also supported. The full naming scheme encodes three pieces
37245 of information in the following pattern:
37246
37247 @smallexample
37248 @var{architecture}-@var{vendor}-@var{os}
37249 @end smallexample
37250
37251 For example, you can use the alias @code{sun4} as a @var{host} argument,
37252 or as the value for @var{target} in a @code{--target=@var{target}}
37253 option. The equivalent full name is @samp{sparc-sun-sunos4}.
37254
37255 The @file{configure} script accompanying @value{GDBN} does not provide
37256 any query facility to list all supported host and target names or
37257 aliases. @file{configure} calls the Bourne shell script
37258 @code{config.sub} to map abbreviations to full names; you can read the
37259 script, if you wish, or you can use it to test your guesses on
37260 abbreviations---for example:
37261
37262 @smallexample
37263 % sh config.sub i386-linux
37264 i386-pc-linux-gnu
37265 % sh config.sub alpha-linux
37266 alpha-unknown-linux-gnu
37267 % sh config.sub hp9k700
37268 hppa1.1-hp-hpux
37269 % sh config.sub sun4
37270 sparc-sun-sunos4.1.1
37271 % sh config.sub sun3
37272 m68k-sun-sunos4.1.1
37273 % sh config.sub i986v
37274 Invalid configuration `i986v': machine `i986v' not recognized
37275 @end smallexample
37276
37277 @noindent
37278 @code{config.sub} is also distributed in the @value{GDBN} source
37279 directory (@file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}}, for version @value{GDBVN}).
37280
37281 @node Configure Options
37282 @section @file{configure} Options
37283
37284 Here is a summary of the @file{configure} options and arguments that
37285 are most often useful for building @value{GDBN}. @file{configure} also has
37286 several other options not listed here. @inforef{What Configure
37287 Does,,configure.info}, for a full explanation of @file{configure}.
37288
37289 @smallexample
37290 configure @r{[}--help@r{]}
37291 @r{[}--prefix=@var{dir}@r{]}
37292 @r{[}--exec-prefix=@var{dir}@r{]}
37293 @r{[}--srcdir=@var{dirname}@r{]}
37294 @r{[}--norecursion@r{]} @r{[}--rm@r{]}
37295 @r{[}--target=@var{target}@r{]}
37296 @var{host}
37297 @end smallexample
37298
37299 @noindent
37300 You may introduce options with a single @samp{-} rather than
37301 @samp{--} if you prefer; but you may abbreviate option names if you use
37302 @samp{--}.
37303
37304 @table @code
37305 @item --help
37306 Display a quick summary of how to invoke @file{configure}.
37307
37308 @item --prefix=@var{dir}
37309 Configure the source to install programs and files under directory
37310 @file{@var{dir}}.
37311
37312 @item --exec-prefix=@var{dir}
37313 Configure the source to install programs under directory
37314 @file{@var{dir}}.
37315
37316 @c avoid splitting the warning from the explanation:
37317 @need 2000
37318 @item --srcdir=@var{dirname}
37319 @strong{Warning: using this option requires @sc{gnu} @code{make}, or another
37320 @code{make} that implements the @code{VPATH} feature.}@*
37321 Use this option to make configurations in directories separate from the
37322 @value{GDBN} source directories. Among other things, you can use this to
37323 build (or maintain) several configurations simultaneously, in separate
37324 directories. @file{configure} writes configuration-specific files in
37325 the current directory, but arranges for them to use the source in the
37326 directory @var{dirname}. @file{configure} creates directories under
37327 the working directory in parallel to the source directories below
37328 @var{dirname}.
37329
37330 @item --norecursion
37331 Configure only the directory level where @file{configure} is executed; do not
37332 propagate configuration to subdirectories.
37333
37334 @item --target=@var{target}
37335 Configure @value{GDBN} for cross-debugging programs running on the specified
37336 @var{target}. Without this option, @value{GDBN} is configured to debug
37337 programs that run on the same machine (@var{host}) as @value{GDBN} itself.
37338
37339 There is no convenient way to generate a list of all available targets.
37340
37341 @item @var{host} @dots{}
37342 Configure @value{GDBN} to run on the specified @var{host}.
37343
37344 There is no convenient way to generate a list of all available hosts.
37345 @end table
37346
37347 There are many other options available as well, but they are generally
37348 needed for special purposes only.
37349
37350 @node System-wide configuration
37351 @section System-wide configuration and settings
37352 @cindex system-wide init file
37353
37354 @value{GDBN} can be configured to have a system-wide init file;
37355 this file will be read and executed at startup (@pxref{Startup, , What
37356 @value{GDBN} does during startup}).
37357
37358 Here is the corresponding configure option:
37359
37360 @table @code
37361 @item --with-system-gdbinit=@var{file}
37362 Specify that the default location of the system-wide init file is
37363 @var{file}.
37364 @end table
37365
37366 If @value{GDBN} has been configured with the option @option{--prefix=$prefix},
37367 it may be subject to relocation. Two possible cases:
37368
37369 @itemize @bullet
37370 @item
37371 If the default location of this init file contains @file{$prefix},
37372 it will be subject to relocation. Suppose that the configure options
37373 are @option{--prefix=$prefix --with-system-gdbinit=$prefix/etc/gdbinit};
37374 if @value{GDBN} is moved from @file{$prefix} to @file{$install}, the system
37375 init file is looked for as @file{$install/etc/gdbinit} instead of
37376 @file{$prefix/etc/gdbinit}.
37377
37378 @item
37379 By contrast, if the default location does not contain the prefix,
37380 it will not be relocated. E.g.@: if @value{GDBN} has been configured with
37381 @option{--prefix=/usr/local --with-system-gdbinit=/usr/share/gdb/gdbinit},
37382 then @value{GDBN} will always look for @file{/usr/share/gdb/gdbinit},
37383 wherever @value{GDBN} is installed.
37384 @end itemize
37385
37386 If the configured location of the system-wide init file (as given by the
37387 @option{--with-system-gdbinit} option at configure time) is in the
37388 data-directory (as specified by @option{--with-gdb-datadir} at configure
37389 time) or in one of its subdirectories, then @value{GDBN} will look for the
37390 system-wide init file in the directory specified by the
37391 @option{--data-directory} command-line option.
37392 Note that the system-wide init file is only read once, during @value{GDBN}
37393 initialization. If the data-directory is changed after @value{GDBN} has
37394 started with the @code{set data-directory} command, the file will not be
37395 reread.
37396
37397 @menu
37398 * System-wide Configuration Scripts:: Installed System-wide Configuration Scripts
37399 @end menu
37400
37401 @node System-wide Configuration Scripts
37402 @subsection Installed System-wide Configuration Scripts
37403 @cindex system-wide configuration scripts
37404
37405 The @file{system-gdbinit} directory, located inside the data-directory
37406 (as specified by @option{--with-gdb-datadir} at configure time) contains
37407 a number of scripts which can be used as system-wide init files. To
37408 automatically source those scripts at startup, @value{GDBN} should be
37409 configured with @option{--with-system-gdbinit}. Otherwise, any user
37410 should be able to source them by hand as needed.
37411
37412 The following scripts are currently available:
37413 @itemize @bullet
37414
37415 @item @file{elinos.py}
37416 @pindex elinos.py
37417 @cindex ELinOS system-wide configuration script
37418 This script is useful when debugging a program on an ELinOS target.
37419 It takes advantage of the environment variables defined in a standard
37420 ELinOS environment in order to determine the location of the system
37421 shared libraries, and then sets the @samp{solib-absolute-prefix}
37422 and @samp{solib-search-path} variables appropriately.
37423
37424 @item @file{wrs-linux.py}
37425 @pindex wrs-linux.py
37426 @cindex Wind River Linux system-wide configuration script
37427 This script is useful when debugging a program on a target running
37428 Wind River Linux. It expects the @env{ENV_PREFIX} to be set to
37429 the host-side sysroot used by the target system.
37430
37431 @end itemize
37432
37433 @node Maintenance Commands
37434 @appendix Maintenance Commands
37435 @cindex maintenance commands
37436 @cindex internal commands
37437
37438 In addition to commands intended for @value{GDBN} users, @value{GDBN}
37439 includes a number of commands intended for @value{GDBN} developers,
37440 that are not documented elsewhere in this manual. These commands are
37441 provided here for reference. (For commands that turn on debugging
37442 messages, see @ref{Debugging Output}.)
37443
37444 @table @code
37445 @kindex maint agent
37446 @kindex maint agent-eval
37447 @item maint agent @r{[}-at @var{location}@r{,}@r{]} @var{expression}
37448 @itemx maint agent-eval @r{[}-at @var{location}@r{,}@r{]} @var{expression}
37449 Translate the given @var{expression} into remote agent bytecodes.
37450 This command is useful for debugging the Agent Expression mechanism
37451 (@pxref{Agent Expressions}). The @samp{agent} version produces an
37452 expression useful for data collection, such as by tracepoints, while
37453 @samp{maint agent-eval} produces an expression that evaluates directly
37454 to a result. For instance, a collection expression for @code{globa +
37455 globb} will include bytecodes to record four bytes of memory at each
37456 of the addresses of @code{globa} and @code{globb}, while discarding
37457 the result of the addition, while an evaluation expression will do the
37458 addition and return the sum.
37459 If @code{-at} is given, generate remote agent bytecode for @var{location}.
37460 If not, generate remote agent bytecode for current frame PC address.
37461
37462 @kindex maint agent-printf
37463 @item maint agent-printf @var{format},@var{expr},...
37464 Translate the given format string and list of argument expressions
37465 into remote agent bytecodes and display them as a disassembled list.
37466 This command is useful for debugging the agent version of dynamic
37467 printf (@pxref{Dynamic Printf}).
37468
37469 @kindex maint info breakpoints
37470 @item @anchor{maint info breakpoints}maint info breakpoints
37471 Using the same format as @samp{info breakpoints}, display both the
37472 breakpoints you've set explicitly, and those @value{GDBN} is using for
37473 internal purposes. Internal breakpoints are shown with negative
37474 breakpoint numbers. The type column identifies what kind of breakpoint
37475 is shown:
37476
37477 @table @code
37478 @item breakpoint
37479 Normal, explicitly set breakpoint.
37480
37481 @item watchpoint
37482 Normal, explicitly set watchpoint.
37483
37484 @item longjmp
37485 Internal breakpoint, used to handle correctly stepping through
37486 @code{longjmp} calls.
37487
37488 @item longjmp resume
37489 Internal breakpoint at the target of a @code{longjmp}.
37490
37491 @item until
37492 Temporary internal breakpoint used by the @value{GDBN} @code{until} command.
37493
37494 @item finish
37495 Temporary internal breakpoint used by the @value{GDBN} @code{finish} command.
37496
37497 @item shlib events
37498 Shared library events.
37499
37500 @end table
37501
37502 @kindex maint info bfds
37503 @item maint info bfds
37504 This prints information about each @code{bfd} object that is known to
37505 @value{GDBN}. @xref{Top, , BFD, bfd, The Binary File Descriptor Library}.
37506
37507 @kindex set displaced-stepping
37508 @kindex show displaced-stepping
37509 @cindex displaced stepping support
37510 @cindex out-of-line single-stepping
37511 @item set displaced-stepping
37512 @itemx show displaced-stepping
37513 Control whether or not @value{GDBN} will do @dfn{displaced stepping}
37514 if the target supports it. Displaced stepping is a way to single-step
37515 over breakpoints without removing them from the inferior, by executing
37516 an out-of-line copy of the instruction that was originally at the
37517 breakpoint location. It is also known as out-of-line single-stepping.
37518
37519 @table @code
37520 @item set displaced-stepping on
37521 If the target architecture supports it, @value{GDBN} will use
37522 displaced stepping to step over breakpoints.
37523
37524 @item set displaced-stepping off
37525 @value{GDBN} will not use displaced stepping to step over breakpoints,
37526 even if such is supported by the target architecture.
37527
37528 @cindex non-stop mode, and @samp{set displaced-stepping}
37529 @item set displaced-stepping auto
37530 This is the default mode. @value{GDBN} will use displaced stepping
37531 only if non-stop mode is active (@pxref{Non-Stop Mode}) and the target
37532 architecture supports displaced stepping.
37533 @end table
37534
37535 @kindex maint check-psymtabs
37536 @item maint check-psymtabs
37537 Check the consistency of currently expanded psymtabs versus symtabs.
37538 Use this to check, for example, whether a symbol is in one but not the other.
37539
37540 @kindex maint check-symtabs
37541 @item maint check-symtabs
37542 Check the consistency of currently expanded symtabs.
37543
37544 @kindex maint expand-symtabs
37545 @item maint expand-symtabs [@var{regexp}]
37546 Expand symbol tables.
37547 If @var{regexp} is specified, only expand symbol tables for file
37548 names matching @var{regexp}.
37549
37550 @kindex maint cplus first_component
37551 @item maint cplus first_component @var{name}
37552 Print the first C@t{++} class/namespace component of @var{name}.
37553
37554 @kindex maint cplus namespace
37555 @item maint cplus namespace
37556 Print the list of possible C@t{++} namespaces.
37557
37558 @kindex maint demangle
37559 @item maint demangle @var{name}
37560 Demangle a C@t{++} or Objective-C mangled @var{name}.
37561
37562 @kindex maint deprecate
37563 @kindex maint undeprecate
37564 @cindex deprecated commands
37565 @item maint deprecate @var{command} @r{[}@var{replacement}@r{]}
37566 @itemx maint undeprecate @var{command}
37567 Deprecate or undeprecate the named @var{command}. Deprecated commands
37568 cause @value{GDBN} to issue a warning when you use them. The optional
37569 argument @var{replacement} says which newer command should be used in
37570 favor of the deprecated one; if it is given, @value{GDBN} will mention
37571 the replacement as part of the warning.
37572
37573 @kindex maint dump-me
37574 @item maint dump-me
37575 @cindex @code{SIGQUIT} signal, dump core of @value{GDBN}
37576 Cause a fatal signal in the debugger and force it to dump its core.
37577 This is supported only on systems which support aborting a program
37578 with the @code{SIGQUIT} signal.
37579
37580 @kindex maint internal-error
37581 @kindex maint internal-warning
37582 @item maint internal-error @r{[}@var{message-text}@r{]}
37583 @itemx maint internal-warning @r{[}@var{message-text}@r{]}
37584 Cause @value{GDBN} to call the internal function @code{internal_error}
37585 or @code{internal_warning} and hence behave as though an internal error
37586 or internal warning has been detected. In addition to reporting the
37587 internal problem, these functions give the user the opportunity to
37588 either quit @value{GDBN} or create a core file of the current
37589 @value{GDBN} session.
37590
37591 These commands take an optional parameter @var{message-text} that is
37592 used as the text of the error or warning message.
37593
37594 Here's an example of using @code{internal-error}:
37595
37596 @smallexample
37597 (@value{GDBP}) @kbd{maint internal-error testing, 1, 2}
37598 @dots{}/maint.c:121: internal-error: testing, 1, 2
37599 A problem internal to GDB has been detected. Further
37600 debugging may prove unreliable.
37601 Quit this debugging session? (y or n) @kbd{n}
37602 Create a core file? (y or n) @kbd{n}
37603 (@value{GDBP})
37604 @end smallexample
37605
37606 @cindex @value{GDBN} internal error
37607 @cindex internal errors, control of @value{GDBN} behavior
37608
37609 @kindex maint set internal-error
37610 @kindex maint show internal-error
37611 @kindex maint set internal-warning
37612 @kindex maint show internal-warning
37613 @item maint set internal-error @var{action} [ask|yes|no]
37614 @itemx maint show internal-error @var{action}
37615 @itemx maint set internal-warning @var{action} [ask|yes|no]
37616 @itemx maint show internal-warning @var{action}
37617 When @value{GDBN} reports an internal problem (error or warning) it
37618 gives the user the opportunity to both quit @value{GDBN} and create a
37619 core file of the current @value{GDBN} session. These commands let you
37620 override the default behaviour for each particular @var{action},
37621 described in the table below.
37622
37623 @table @samp
37624 @item quit
37625 You can specify that @value{GDBN} should always (yes) or never (no)
37626 quit. The default is to ask the user what to do.
37627
37628 @item corefile
37629 You can specify that @value{GDBN} should always (yes) or never (no)
37630 create a core file. The default is to ask the user what to do.
37631 @end table
37632
37633 @kindex maint packet
37634 @item maint packet @var{text}
37635 If @value{GDBN} is talking to an inferior via the serial protocol,
37636 then this command sends the string @var{text} to the inferior, and
37637 displays the response packet. @value{GDBN} supplies the initial
37638 @samp{$} character, the terminating @samp{#} character, and the
37639 checksum.
37640
37641 @kindex maint print architecture
37642 @item maint print architecture @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
37643 Print the entire architecture configuration. The optional argument
37644 @var{file} names the file where the output goes.
37645
37646 @kindex maint print c-tdesc
37647 @item maint print c-tdesc
37648 Print the current target description (@pxref{Target Descriptions}) as
37649 a C source file. The created source file can be used in @value{GDBN}
37650 when an XML parser is not available to parse the description.
37651
37652 @kindex maint print dummy-frames
37653 @item maint print dummy-frames
37654 Prints the contents of @value{GDBN}'s internal dummy-frame stack.
37655
37656 @smallexample
37657 (@value{GDBP}) @kbd{b add}
37658 @dots{}
37659 (@value{GDBP}) @kbd{print add(2,3)}
37660 Breakpoint 2, add (a=2, b=3) at @dots{}
37661 58 return (a + b);
37662 The program being debugged stopped while in a function called from GDB.
37663 @dots{}
37664 (@value{GDBP}) @kbd{maint print dummy-frames}
37665 0x1a57c80: pc=0x01014068 fp=0x0200bddc sp=0x0200bdd6
37666 top=0x0200bdd4 id=@{stack=0x200bddc,code=0x101405c@}
37667 call_lo=0x01014000 call_hi=0x01014001
37668 (@value{GDBP})
37669 @end smallexample
37670
37671 Takes an optional file parameter.
37672
37673 @kindex maint print registers
37674 @kindex maint print raw-registers
37675 @kindex maint print cooked-registers
37676 @kindex maint print register-groups
37677 @kindex maint print remote-registers
37678 @item maint print registers @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
37679 @itemx maint print raw-registers @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
37680 @itemx maint print cooked-registers @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
37681 @itemx maint print register-groups @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
37682 @itemx maint print remote-registers @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
37683 Print @value{GDBN}'s internal register data structures.
37684
37685 The command @code{maint print raw-registers} includes the contents of
37686 the raw register cache; the command @code{maint print
37687 cooked-registers} includes the (cooked) value of all registers,
37688 including registers which aren't available on the target nor visible
37689 to user; the command @code{maint print register-groups} includes the
37690 groups that each register is a member of; and the command @code{maint
37691 print remote-registers} includes the remote target's register numbers
37692 and offsets in the `G' packets.
37693
37694 These commands take an optional parameter, a file name to which to
37695 write the information.
37696
37697 @kindex maint print reggroups
37698 @item maint print reggroups @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
37699 Print @value{GDBN}'s internal register group data structures. The
37700 optional argument @var{file} tells to what file to write the
37701 information.
37702
37703 The register groups info looks like this:
37704
37705 @smallexample
37706 (@value{GDBP}) @kbd{maint print reggroups}
37707 Group Type
37708 general user
37709 float user
37710 all user
37711 vector user
37712 system user
37713 save internal
37714 restore internal
37715 @end smallexample
37716
37717 @kindex flushregs
37718 @item flushregs
37719 This command forces @value{GDBN} to flush its internal register cache.
37720
37721 @kindex maint print objfiles
37722 @cindex info for known object files
37723 @item maint print objfiles @r{[}@var{regexp}@r{]}
37724 Print a dump of all known object files.
37725 If @var{regexp} is specified, only print object files whose names
37726 match @var{regexp}. For each object file, this command prints its name,
37727 address in memory, and all of its psymtabs and symtabs.
37728
37729 @kindex maint print section-scripts
37730 @cindex info for known .debug_gdb_scripts-loaded scripts
37731 @item maint print section-scripts [@var{regexp}]
37732 Print a dump of scripts specified in the @code{.debug_gdb_section} section.
37733 If @var{regexp} is specified, only print scripts loaded by object files
37734 matching @var{regexp}.
37735 For each script, this command prints its name as specified in the objfile,
37736 and the full path if known.
37737 @xref{dotdebug_gdb_scripts section}.
37738
37739 @kindex maint print statistics
37740 @cindex bcache statistics
37741 @item maint print statistics
37742 This command prints, for each object file in the program, various data
37743 about that object file followed by the byte cache (@dfn{bcache})
37744 statistics for the object file. The objfile data includes the number
37745 of minimal, partial, full, and stabs symbols, the number of types
37746 defined by the objfile, the number of as yet unexpanded psym tables,
37747 the number of line tables and string tables, and the amount of memory
37748 used by the various tables. The bcache statistics include the counts,
37749 sizes, and counts of duplicates of all and unique objects, max,
37750 average, and median entry size, total memory used and its overhead and
37751 savings, and various measures of the hash table size and chain
37752 lengths.
37753
37754 @kindex maint print target-stack
37755 @cindex target stack description
37756 @item maint print target-stack
37757 A @dfn{target} is an interface between the debugger and a particular
37758 kind of file or process. Targets can be stacked in @dfn{strata},
37759 so that more than one target can potentially respond to a request.
37760 In particular, memory accesses will walk down the stack of targets
37761 until they find a target that is interested in handling that particular
37762 address.
37763
37764 This command prints a short description of each layer that was pushed on
37765 the @dfn{target stack}, starting from the top layer down to the bottom one.
37766
37767 @kindex maint print type
37768 @cindex type chain of a data type
37769 @item maint print type @var{expr}
37770 Print the type chain for a type specified by @var{expr}. The argument
37771 can be either a type name or a symbol. If it is a symbol, the type of
37772 that symbol is described. The type chain produced by this command is
37773 a recursive definition of the data type as stored in @value{GDBN}'s
37774 data structures, including its flags and contained types.
37775
37776 @kindex maint set dwarf2 always-disassemble
37777 @kindex maint show dwarf2 always-disassemble
37778 @item maint set dwarf2 always-disassemble
37779 @item maint show dwarf2 always-disassemble
37780 Control the behavior of @code{info address} when using DWARF debugging
37781 information.
37782
37783 The default is @code{off}, which means that @value{GDBN} should try to
37784 describe a variable's location in an easily readable format. When
37785 @code{on}, @value{GDBN} will instead display the DWARF location
37786 expression in an assembly-like format. Note that some locations are
37787 too complex for @value{GDBN} to describe simply; in this case you will
37788 always see the disassembly form.
37789
37790 Here is an example of the resulting disassembly:
37791
37792 @smallexample
37793 (gdb) info addr argc
37794 Symbol "argc" is a complex DWARF expression:
37795 1: DW_OP_fbreg 0
37796 @end smallexample
37797
37798 For more information on these expressions, see
37799 @uref{http://www.dwarfstd.org/, the DWARF standard}.
37800
37801 @kindex maint set dwarf2 max-cache-age
37802 @kindex maint show dwarf2 max-cache-age
37803 @item maint set dwarf2 max-cache-age
37804 @itemx maint show dwarf2 max-cache-age
37805 Control the DWARF 2 compilation unit cache.
37806
37807 @cindex DWARF 2 compilation units cache
37808 In object files with inter-compilation-unit references, such as those
37809 produced by the GCC option @samp{-feliminate-dwarf2-dups}, the DWARF 2
37810 reader needs to frequently refer to previously read compilation units.
37811 This setting controls how long a compilation unit will remain in the
37812 cache if it is not referenced. A higher limit means that cached
37813 compilation units will be stored in memory longer, and more total
37814 memory will be used. Setting it to zero disables caching, which will
37815 slow down @value{GDBN} startup, but reduce memory consumption.
37816
37817 @kindex maint set profile
37818 @kindex maint show profile
37819 @cindex profiling GDB
37820 @item maint set profile
37821 @itemx maint show profile
37822 Control profiling of @value{GDBN}.
37823
37824 Profiling will be disabled until you use the @samp{maint set profile}
37825 command to enable it. When you enable profiling, the system will begin
37826 collecting timing and execution count data; when you disable profiling or
37827 exit @value{GDBN}, the results will be written to a log file. Remember that
37828 if you use profiling, @value{GDBN} will overwrite the profiling log file
37829 (often called @file{gmon.out}). If you have a record of important profiling
37830 data in a @file{gmon.out} file, be sure to move it to a safe location.
37831
37832 Configuring with @samp{--enable-profiling} arranges for @value{GDBN} to be
37833 compiled with the @samp{-pg} compiler option.
37834
37835 @kindex maint set show-debug-regs
37836 @kindex maint show show-debug-regs
37837 @cindex hardware debug registers
37838 @item maint set show-debug-regs
37839 @itemx maint show show-debug-regs
37840 Control whether to show variables that mirror the hardware debug
37841 registers. Use @code{on} to enable, @code{off} to disable. If
37842 enabled, the debug registers values are shown when @value{GDBN} inserts or
37843 removes a hardware breakpoint or watchpoint, and when the inferior
37844 triggers a hardware-assisted breakpoint or watchpoint.
37845
37846 @kindex maint set show-all-tib
37847 @kindex maint show show-all-tib
37848 @item maint set show-all-tib
37849 @itemx maint show show-all-tib
37850 Control whether to show all non zero areas within a 1k block starting
37851 at thread local base, when using the @samp{info w32 thread-information-block}
37852 command.
37853
37854 @kindex maint set per-command
37855 @kindex maint show per-command
37856 @item maint set per-command
37857 @itemx maint show per-command
37858 @cindex resources used by commands
37859
37860 @value{GDBN} can display the resources used by each command.
37861 This is useful in debugging performance problems.
37862
37863 @table @code
37864 @item maint set per-command space [on|off]
37865 @itemx maint show per-command space
37866 Enable or disable the printing of the memory used by GDB for each command.
37867 If enabled, @value{GDBN} will display how much memory each command
37868 took, following the command's own output.
37869 This can also be requested by invoking @value{GDBN} with the
37870 @option{--statistics} command-line switch (@pxref{Mode Options}).
37871
37872 @item maint set per-command time [on|off]
37873 @itemx maint show per-command time
37874 Enable or disable the printing of the execution time of @value{GDBN}
37875 for each command.
37876 If enabled, @value{GDBN} will display how much time it
37877 took to execute each command, following the command's own output.
37878 Both CPU time and wallclock time are printed.
37879 Printing both is useful when trying to determine whether the cost is
37880 CPU or, e.g., disk/network latency.
37881 Note that the CPU time printed is for @value{GDBN} only, it does not include
37882 the execution time of the inferior because there's no mechanism currently
37883 to compute how much time was spent by @value{GDBN} and how much time was
37884 spent by the program been debugged.
37885 This can also be requested by invoking @value{GDBN} with the
37886 @option{--statistics} command-line switch (@pxref{Mode Options}).
37887
37888 @item maint set per-command symtab [on|off]
37889 @itemx maint show per-command symtab
37890 Enable or disable the printing of basic symbol table statistics
37891 for each command.
37892 If enabled, @value{GDBN} will display the following information:
37893
37894 @enumerate a
37895 @item
37896 number of symbol tables
37897 @item
37898 number of primary symbol tables
37899 @item
37900 number of blocks in the blockvector
37901 @end enumerate
37902 @end table
37903
37904 @kindex maint space
37905 @cindex memory used by commands
37906 @item maint space @var{value}
37907 An alias for @code{maint set per-command space}.
37908 A non-zero value enables it, zero disables it.
37909
37910 @kindex maint time
37911 @cindex time of command execution
37912 @item maint time @var{value}
37913 An alias for @code{maint set per-command time}.
37914 A non-zero value enables it, zero disables it.
37915
37916 @kindex maint translate-address
37917 @item maint translate-address @r{[}@var{section}@r{]} @var{addr}
37918 Find the symbol stored at the location specified by the address
37919 @var{addr} and an optional section name @var{section}. If found,
37920 @value{GDBN} prints the name of the closest symbol and an offset from
37921 the symbol's location to the specified address. This is similar to
37922 the @code{info address} command (@pxref{Symbols}), except that this
37923 command also allows to find symbols in other sections.
37924
37925 If section was not specified, the section in which the symbol was found
37926 is also printed. For dynamically linked executables, the name of
37927 executable or shared library containing the symbol is printed as well.
37928
37929 @end table
37930
37931 The following command is useful for non-interactive invocations of
37932 @value{GDBN}, such as in the test suite.
37933
37934 @table @code
37935 @item set watchdog @var{nsec}
37936 @kindex set watchdog
37937 @cindex watchdog timer
37938 @cindex timeout for commands
37939 Set the maximum number of seconds @value{GDBN} will wait for the
37940 target operation to finish. If this time expires, @value{GDBN}
37941 reports and error and the command is aborted.
37942
37943 @item show watchdog
37944 Show the current setting of the target wait timeout.
37945 @end table
37946
37947 @node Remote Protocol
37948 @appendix @value{GDBN} Remote Serial Protocol
37949
37950 @menu
37951 * Overview::
37952 * Packets::
37953 * Stop Reply Packets::
37954 * General Query Packets::
37955 * Architecture-Specific Protocol Details::
37956 * Tracepoint Packets::
37957 * Host I/O Packets::
37958 * Interrupts::
37959 * Notification Packets::
37960 * Remote Non-Stop::
37961 * Packet Acknowledgment::
37962 * Examples::
37963 * File-I/O Remote Protocol Extension::
37964 * Library List Format::
37965 * Library List Format for SVR4 Targets::
37966 * Memory Map Format::
37967 * Thread List Format::
37968 * Traceframe Info Format::
37969 * Branch Trace Format::
37970 @end menu
37971
37972 @node Overview
37973 @section Overview
37974
37975 There may be occasions when you need to know something about the
37976 protocol---for example, if there is only one serial port to your target
37977 machine, you might want your program to do something special if it
37978 recognizes a packet meant for @value{GDBN}.
37979
37980 In the examples below, @samp{->} and @samp{<-} are used to indicate
37981 transmitted and received data, respectively.
37982
37983 @cindex protocol, @value{GDBN} remote serial
37984 @cindex serial protocol, @value{GDBN} remote
37985 @cindex remote serial protocol
37986 All @value{GDBN} commands and responses (other than acknowledgments
37987 and notifications, see @ref{Notification Packets}) are sent as a
37988 @var{packet}. A @var{packet} is introduced with the character
37989 @samp{$}, the actual @var{packet-data}, and the terminating character
37990 @samp{#} followed by a two-digit @var{checksum}:
37991
37992 @smallexample
37993 @code{$}@var{packet-data}@code{#}@var{checksum}
37994 @end smallexample
37995 @noindent
37996
37997 @cindex checksum, for @value{GDBN} remote
37998 @noindent
37999 The two-digit @var{checksum} is computed as the modulo 256 sum of all
38000 characters between the leading @samp{$} and the trailing @samp{#} (an
38001 eight bit unsigned checksum).
38002
38003 Implementors should note that prior to @value{GDBN} 5.0 the protocol
38004 specification also included an optional two-digit @var{sequence-id}:
38005
38006 @smallexample
38007 @code{$}@var{sequence-id}@code{:}@var{packet-data}@code{#}@var{checksum}
38008 @end smallexample
38009
38010 @cindex sequence-id, for @value{GDBN} remote
38011 @noindent
38012 That @var{sequence-id} was appended to the acknowledgment. @value{GDBN}
38013 has never output @var{sequence-id}s. Stubs that handle packets added
38014 since @value{GDBN} 5.0 must not accept @var{sequence-id}.
38015
38016 When either the host or the target machine receives a packet, the first
38017 response expected is an acknowledgment: either @samp{+} (to indicate
38018 the package was received correctly) or @samp{-} (to request
38019 retransmission):
38020
38021 @smallexample
38022 -> @code{$}@var{packet-data}@code{#}@var{checksum}
38023 <- @code{+}
38024 @end smallexample
38025 @noindent
38026
38027 The @samp{+}/@samp{-} acknowledgments can be disabled
38028 once a connection is established.
38029 @xref{Packet Acknowledgment}, for details.
38030
38031 The host (@value{GDBN}) sends @var{command}s, and the target (the
38032 debugging stub incorporated in your program) sends a @var{response}. In
38033 the case of step and continue @var{command}s, the response is only sent
38034 when the operation has completed, and the target has again stopped all
38035 threads in all attached processes. This is the default all-stop mode
38036 behavior, but the remote protocol also supports @value{GDBN}'s non-stop
38037 execution mode; see @ref{Remote Non-Stop}, for details.
38038
38039 @var{packet-data} consists of a sequence of characters with the
38040 exception of @samp{#} and @samp{$} (see @samp{X} packet for additional
38041 exceptions).
38042
38043 @cindex remote protocol, field separator
38044 Fields within the packet should be separated using @samp{,} @samp{;} or
38045 @samp{:}. Except where otherwise noted all numbers are represented in
38046 @sc{hex} with leading zeros suppressed.
38047
38048 Implementors should note that prior to @value{GDBN} 5.0, the character
38049 @samp{:} could not appear as the third character in a packet (as it
38050 would potentially conflict with the @var{sequence-id}).
38051
38052 @cindex remote protocol, binary data
38053 @anchor{Binary Data}
38054 Binary data in most packets is encoded either as two hexadecimal
38055 digits per byte of binary data. This allowed the traditional remote
38056 protocol to work over connections which were only seven-bit clean.
38057 Some packets designed more recently assume an eight-bit clean
38058 connection, and use a more efficient encoding to send and receive
38059 binary data.
38060
38061 The binary data representation uses @code{7d} (@sc{ascii} @samp{@}})
38062 as an escape character. Any escaped byte is transmitted as the escape
38063 character followed by the original character XORed with @code{0x20}.
38064 For example, the byte @code{0x7d} would be transmitted as the two
38065 bytes @code{0x7d 0x5d}. The bytes @code{0x23} (@sc{ascii} @samp{#}),
38066 @code{0x24} (@sc{ascii} @samp{$}), and @code{0x7d} (@sc{ascii}
38067 @samp{@}}) must always be escaped. Responses sent by the stub
38068 must also escape @code{0x2a} (@sc{ascii} @samp{*}), so that it
38069 is not interpreted as the start of a run-length encoded sequence
38070 (described next).
38071
38072 Response @var{data} can be run-length encoded to save space.
38073 Run-length encoding replaces runs of identical characters with one
38074 instance of the repeated character, followed by a @samp{*} and a
38075 repeat count. The repeat count is itself sent encoded, to avoid
38076 binary characters in @var{data}: a value of @var{n} is sent as
38077 @code{@var{n}+29}. For a repeat count greater or equal to 3, this
38078 produces a printable @sc{ascii} character, e.g.@: a space (@sc{ascii}
38079 code 32) for a repeat count of 3. (This is because run-length
38080 encoding starts to win for counts 3 or more.) Thus, for example,
38081 @samp{0* } is a run-length encoding of ``0000'': the space character
38082 after @samp{*} means repeat the leading @code{0} @w{@code{32 - 29 =
38083 3}} more times.
38084
38085 The printable characters @samp{#} and @samp{$} or with a numeric value
38086 greater than 126 must not be used. Runs of six repeats (@samp{#}) or
38087 seven repeats (@samp{$}) can be expanded using a repeat count of only
38088 five (@samp{"}). For example, @samp{00000000} can be encoded as
38089 @samp{0*"00}.
38090
38091 The error response returned for some packets includes a two character
38092 error number. That number is not well defined.
38093
38094 @cindex empty response, for unsupported packets
38095 For any @var{command} not supported by the stub, an empty response
38096 (@samp{$#00}) should be returned. That way it is possible to extend the
38097 protocol. A newer @value{GDBN} can tell if a packet is supported based
38098 on that response.
38099
38100 At a minimum, a stub is required to support the @samp{g} and @samp{G}
38101 commands for register access, and the @samp{m} and @samp{M} commands
38102 for memory access. Stubs that only control single-threaded targets
38103 can implement run control with the @samp{c} (continue), and @samp{s}
38104 (step) commands. Stubs that support multi-threading targets should
38105 support the @samp{vCont} command. All other commands are optional.
38106
38107 @node Packets
38108 @section Packets
38109
38110 The following table provides a complete list of all currently defined
38111 @var{command}s and their corresponding response @var{data}.
38112 @xref{File-I/O Remote Protocol Extension}, for details about the File
38113 I/O extension of the remote protocol.
38114
38115 Each packet's description has a template showing the packet's overall
38116 syntax, followed by an explanation of the packet's meaning. We
38117 include spaces in some of the templates for clarity; these are not
38118 part of the packet's syntax. No @value{GDBN} packet uses spaces to
38119 separate its components. For example, a template like @samp{foo
38120 @var{bar} @var{baz}} describes a packet beginning with the three ASCII
38121 bytes @samp{foo}, followed by a @var{bar}, followed directly by a
38122 @var{baz}. @value{GDBN} does not transmit a space character between the
38123 @samp{foo} and the @var{bar}, or between the @var{bar} and the
38124 @var{baz}.
38125
38126 @cindex @var{thread-id}, in remote protocol
38127 @anchor{thread-id syntax}
38128 Several packets and replies include a @var{thread-id} field to identify
38129 a thread. Normally these are positive numbers with a target-specific
38130 interpretation, formatted as big-endian hex strings. A @var{thread-id}
38131 can also be a literal @samp{-1} to indicate all threads, or @samp{0} to
38132 pick any thread.
38133
38134 In addition, the remote protocol supports a multiprocess feature in
38135 which the @var{thread-id} syntax is extended to optionally include both
38136 process and thread ID fields, as @samp{p@var{pid}.@var{tid}}.
38137 The @var{pid} (process) and @var{tid} (thread) components each have the
38138 format described above: a positive number with target-specific
38139 interpretation formatted as a big-endian hex string, literal @samp{-1}
38140 to indicate all processes or threads (respectively), or @samp{0} to
38141 indicate an arbitrary process or thread. Specifying just a process, as
38142 @samp{p@var{pid}}, is equivalent to @samp{p@var{pid}.-1}. It is an
38143 error to specify all processes but a specific thread, such as
38144 @samp{p-1.@var{tid}}. Note that the @samp{p} prefix is @emph{not} used
38145 for those packets and replies explicitly documented to include a process
38146 ID, rather than a @var{thread-id}.
38147
38148 The multiprocess @var{thread-id} syntax extensions are only used if both
38149 @value{GDBN} and the stub report support for the @samp{multiprocess}
38150 feature using @samp{qSupported}. @xref{multiprocess extensions}, for
38151 more information.
38152
38153 Note that all packet forms beginning with an upper- or lower-case
38154 letter, other than those described here, are reserved for future use.
38155
38156 Here are the packet descriptions.
38157
38158 @table @samp
38159
38160 @item !
38161 @cindex @samp{!} packet
38162 @anchor{extended mode}
38163 Enable extended mode. In extended mode, the remote server is made
38164 persistent. The @samp{R} packet is used to restart the program being
38165 debugged.
38166
38167 Reply:
38168 @table @samp
38169 @item OK
38170 The remote target both supports and has enabled extended mode.
38171 @end table
38172
38173 @item ?
38174 @cindex @samp{?} packet
38175 Indicate the reason the target halted. The reply is the same as for
38176 step and continue. This packet has a special interpretation when the
38177 target is in non-stop mode; see @ref{Remote Non-Stop}.
38178
38179 Reply:
38180 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
38181
38182 @item A @var{arglen},@var{argnum},@var{arg},@dots{}
38183 @cindex @samp{A} packet
38184 Initialized @code{argv[]} array passed into program. @var{arglen}
38185 specifies the number of bytes in the hex encoded byte stream
38186 @var{arg}. See @code{gdbserver} for more details.
38187
38188 Reply:
38189 @table @samp
38190 @item OK
38191 The arguments were set.
38192 @item E @var{NN}
38193 An error occurred.
38194 @end table
38195
38196 @item b @var{baud}
38197 @cindex @samp{b} packet
38198 (Don't use this packet; its behavior is not well-defined.)
38199 Change the serial line speed to @var{baud}.
38200
38201 JTC: @emph{When does the transport layer state change? When it's
38202 received, or after the ACK is transmitted. In either case, there are
38203 problems if the command or the acknowledgment packet is dropped.}
38204
38205 Stan: @emph{If people really wanted to add something like this, and get
38206 it working for the first time, they ought to modify ser-unix.c to send
38207 some kind of out-of-band message to a specially-setup stub and have the
38208 switch happen "in between" packets, so that from remote protocol's point
38209 of view, nothing actually happened.}
38210
38211 @item B @var{addr},@var{mode}
38212 @cindex @samp{B} packet
38213 Set (@var{mode} is @samp{S}) or clear (@var{mode} is @samp{C}) a
38214 breakpoint at @var{addr}.
38215
38216 Don't use this packet. Use the @samp{Z} and @samp{z} packets instead
38217 (@pxref{insert breakpoint or watchpoint packet}).
38218
38219 @cindex @samp{bc} packet
38220 @anchor{bc}
38221 @item bc
38222 Backward continue. Execute the target system in reverse. No parameter.
38223 @xref{Reverse Execution}, for more information.
38224
38225 Reply:
38226 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
38227
38228 @cindex @samp{bs} packet
38229 @anchor{bs}
38230 @item bs
38231 Backward single step. Execute one instruction in reverse. No parameter.
38232 @xref{Reverse Execution}, for more information.
38233
38234 Reply:
38235 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
38236
38237 @item c @r{[}@var{addr}@r{]}
38238 @cindex @samp{c} packet
38239 Continue. @var{addr} is address to resume. If @var{addr} is omitted,
38240 resume at current address.
38241
38242 This packet is deprecated for multi-threading support. @xref{vCont
38243 packet}.
38244
38245 Reply:
38246 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
38247
38248 @item C @var{sig}@r{[};@var{addr}@r{]}
38249 @cindex @samp{C} packet
38250 Continue with signal @var{sig} (hex signal number). If
38251 @samp{;@var{addr}} is omitted, resume at same address.
38252
38253 This packet is deprecated for multi-threading support. @xref{vCont
38254 packet}.
38255
38256 Reply:
38257 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
38258
38259 @item d
38260 @cindex @samp{d} packet
38261 Toggle debug flag.
38262
38263 Don't use this packet; instead, define a general set packet
38264 (@pxref{General Query Packets}).
38265
38266 @item D
38267 @itemx D;@var{pid}
38268 @cindex @samp{D} packet
38269 The first form of the packet is used to detach @value{GDBN} from the
38270 remote system. It is sent to the remote target
38271 before @value{GDBN} disconnects via the @code{detach} command.
38272
38273 The second form, including a process ID, is used when multiprocess
38274 protocol extensions are enabled (@pxref{multiprocess extensions}), to
38275 detach only a specific process. The @var{pid} is specified as a
38276 big-endian hex string.
38277
38278 Reply:
38279 @table @samp
38280 @item OK
38281 for success
38282 @item E @var{NN}
38283 for an error
38284 @end table
38285
38286 @item F @var{RC},@var{EE},@var{CF};@var{XX}
38287 @cindex @samp{F} packet
38288 A reply from @value{GDBN} to an @samp{F} packet sent by the target.
38289 This is part of the File-I/O protocol extension. @xref{File-I/O
38290 Remote Protocol Extension}, for the specification.
38291
38292 @item g
38293 @anchor{read registers packet}
38294 @cindex @samp{g} packet
38295 Read general registers.
38296
38297 Reply:
38298 @table @samp
38299 @item @var{XX@dots{}}
38300 Each byte of register data is described by two hex digits. The bytes
38301 with the register are transmitted in target byte order. The size of
38302 each register and their position within the @samp{g} packet are
38303 determined by the @value{GDBN} internal gdbarch functions
38304 @code{DEPRECATED_REGISTER_RAW_SIZE} and @code{gdbarch_register_name}. The
38305 specification of several standard @samp{g} packets is specified below.
38306
38307 When reading registers from a trace frame (@pxref{Analyze Collected
38308 Data,,Using the Collected Data}), the stub may also return a string of
38309 literal @samp{x}'s in place of the register data digits, to indicate
38310 that the corresponding register has not been collected, thus its value
38311 is unavailable. For example, for an architecture with 4 registers of
38312 4 bytes each, the following reply indicates to @value{GDBN} that
38313 registers 0 and 2 have not been collected, while registers 1 and 3
38314 have been collected, and both have zero value:
38315
38316 @smallexample
38317 -> @code{g}
38318 <- @code{xxxxxxxx00000000xxxxxxxx00000000}
38319 @end smallexample
38320
38321 @item E @var{NN}
38322 for an error.
38323 @end table
38324
38325 @item G @var{XX@dots{}}
38326 @cindex @samp{G} packet
38327 Write general registers. @xref{read registers packet}, for a
38328 description of the @var{XX@dots{}} data.
38329
38330 Reply:
38331 @table @samp
38332 @item OK
38333 for success
38334 @item E @var{NN}
38335 for an error
38336 @end table
38337
38338 @item H @var{op} @var{thread-id}
38339 @cindex @samp{H} packet
38340 Set thread for subsequent operations (@samp{m}, @samp{M}, @samp{g},
38341 @samp{G}, et.al.). @var{op} depends on the operation to be performed:
38342 it should be @samp{c} for step and continue operations (note that this
38343 is deprecated, supporting the @samp{vCont} command is a better
38344 option), @samp{g} for other operations. The thread designator
38345 @var{thread-id} has the format and interpretation described in
38346 @ref{thread-id syntax}.
38347
38348 Reply:
38349 @table @samp
38350 @item OK
38351 for success
38352 @item E @var{NN}
38353 for an error
38354 @end table
38355
38356 @c FIXME: JTC:
38357 @c 'H': How restrictive (or permissive) is the thread model. If a
38358 @c thread is selected and stopped, are other threads allowed
38359 @c to continue to execute? As I mentioned above, I think the
38360 @c semantics of each command when a thread is selected must be
38361 @c described. For example:
38362 @c
38363 @c 'g': If the stub supports threads and a specific thread is
38364 @c selected, returns the register block from that thread;
38365 @c otherwise returns current registers.
38366 @c
38367 @c 'G' If the stub supports threads and a specific thread is
38368 @c selected, sets the registers of the register block of
38369 @c that thread; otherwise sets current registers.
38370
38371 @item i @r{[}@var{addr}@r{[},@var{nnn}@r{]]}
38372 @anchor{cycle step packet}
38373 @cindex @samp{i} packet
38374 Step the remote target by a single clock cycle. If @samp{,@var{nnn}} is
38375 present, cycle step @var{nnn} cycles. If @var{addr} is present, cycle
38376 step starting at that address.
38377
38378 @item I
38379 @cindex @samp{I} packet
38380 Signal, then cycle step. @xref{step with signal packet}. @xref{cycle
38381 step packet}.
38382
38383 @item k
38384 @cindex @samp{k} packet
38385 Kill request.
38386
38387 FIXME: @emph{There is no description of how to operate when a specific
38388 thread context has been selected (i.e.@: does 'k' kill only that
38389 thread?)}.
38390
38391 @item m @var{addr},@var{length}
38392 @cindex @samp{m} packet
38393 Read @var{length} bytes of memory starting at address @var{addr}.
38394 Note that @var{addr} may not be aligned to any particular boundary.
38395
38396 The stub need not use any particular size or alignment when gathering
38397 data from memory for the response; even if @var{addr} is word-aligned
38398 and @var{length} is a multiple of the word size, the stub is free to
38399 use byte accesses, or not. For this reason, this packet may not be
38400 suitable for accessing memory-mapped I/O devices.
38401 @cindex alignment of remote memory accesses
38402 @cindex size of remote memory accesses
38403 @cindex memory, alignment and size of remote accesses
38404
38405 Reply:
38406 @table @samp
38407 @item @var{XX@dots{}}
38408 Memory contents; each byte is transmitted as a two-digit hexadecimal
38409 number. The reply may contain fewer bytes than requested if the
38410 server was able to read only part of the region of memory.
38411 @item E @var{NN}
38412 @var{NN} is errno
38413 @end table
38414
38415 @item M @var{addr},@var{length}:@var{XX@dots{}}
38416 @cindex @samp{M} packet
38417 Write @var{length} bytes of memory starting at address @var{addr}.
38418 @var{XX@dots{}} is the data; each byte is transmitted as a two-digit
38419 hexadecimal number.
38420
38421 Reply:
38422 @table @samp
38423 @item OK
38424 for success
38425 @item E @var{NN}
38426 for an error (this includes the case where only part of the data was
38427 written).
38428 @end table
38429
38430 @item p @var{n}
38431 @cindex @samp{p} packet
38432 Read the value of register @var{n}; @var{n} is in hex.
38433 @xref{read registers packet}, for a description of how the returned
38434 register value is encoded.
38435
38436 Reply:
38437 @table @samp
38438 @item @var{XX@dots{}}
38439 the register's value
38440 @item E @var{NN}
38441 for an error
38442 @item @w{}
38443 Indicating an unrecognized @var{query}.
38444 @end table
38445
38446 @item P @var{n@dots{}}=@var{r@dots{}}
38447 @anchor{write register packet}
38448 @cindex @samp{P} packet
38449 Write register @var{n@dots{}} with value @var{r@dots{}}. The register
38450 number @var{n} is in hexadecimal, and @var{r@dots{}} contains two hex
38451 digits for each byte in the register (target byte order).
38452
38453 Reply:
38454 @table @samp
38455 @item OK
38456 for success
38457 @item E @var{NN}
38458 for an error
38459 @end table
38460
38461 @item q @var{name} @var{params}@dots{}
38462 @itemx Q @var{name} @var{params}@dots{}
38463 @cindex @samp{q} packet
38464 @cindex @samp{Q} packet
38465 General query (@samp{q}) and set (@samp{Q}). These packets are
38466 described fully in @ref{General Query Packets}.
38467
38468 @item r
38469 @cindex @samp{r} packet
38470 Reset the entire system.
38471
38472 Don't use this packet; use the @samp{R} packet instead.
38473
38474 @item R @var{XX}
38475 @cindex @samp{R} packet
38476 Restart the program being debugged. @var{XX}, while needed, is ignored.
38477 This packet is only available in extended mode (@pxref{extended mode}).
38478
38479 The @samp{R} packet has no reply.
38480
38481 @item s @r{[}@var{addr}@r{]}
38482 @cindex @samp{s} packet
38483 Single step. @var{addr} is the address at which to resume. If
38484 @var{addr} is omitted, resume at same address.
38485
38486 This packet is deprecated for multi-threading support. @xref{vCont
38487 packet}.
38488
38489 Reply:
38490 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
38491
38492 @item S @var{sig}@r{[};@var{addr}@r{]}
38493 @anchor{step with signal packet}
38494 @cindex @samp{S} packet
38495 Step with signal. This is analogous to the @samp{C} packet, but
38496 requests a single-step, rather than a normal resumption of execution.
38497
38498 This packet is deprecated for multi-threading support. @xref{vCont
38499 packet}.
38500
38501 Reply:
38502 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
38503
38504 @item t @var{addr}:@var{PP},@var{MM}
38505 @cindex @samp{t} packet
38506 Search backwards starting at address @var{addr} for a match with pattern
38507 @var{PP} and mask @var{MM}. @var{PP} and @var{MM} are 4 bytes.
38508 @var{addr} must be at least 3 digits.
38509
38510 @item T @var{thread-id}
38511 @cindex @samp{T} packet
38512 Find out if the thread @var{thread-id} is alive. @xref{thread-id syntax}.
38513
38514 Reply:
38515 @table @samp
38516 @item OK
38517 thread is still alive
38518 @item E @var{NN}
38519 thread is dead
38520 @end table
38521
38522 @item v
38523 Packets starting with @samp{v} are identified by a multi-letter name,
38524 up to the first @samp{;} or @samp{?} (or the end of the packet).
38525
38526 @item vAttach;@var{pid}
38527 @cindex @samp{vAttach} packet
38528 Attach to a new process with the specified process ID @var{pid}.
38529 The process ID is a
38530 hexadecimal integer identifying the process. In all-stop mode, all
38531 threads in the attached process are stopped; in non-stop mode, it may be
38532 attached without being stopped if that is supported by the target.
38533
38534 @c In non-stop mode, on a successful vAttach, the stub should set the
38535 @c current thread to a thread of the newly-attached process. After
38536 @c attaching, GDB queries for the attached process's thread ID with qC.
38537 @c Also note that, from a user perspective, whether or not the
38538 @c target is stopped on attach in non-stop mode depends on whether you
38539 @c use the foreground or background version of the attach command, not
38540 @c on what vAttach does; GDB does the right thing with respect to either
38541 @c stopping or restarting threads.
38542
38543 This packet is only available in extended mode (@pxref{extended mode}).
38544
38545 Reply:
38546 @table @samp
38547 @item E @var{nn}
38548 for an error
38549 @item @r{Any stop packet}
38550 for success in all-stop mode (@pxref{Stop Reply Packets})
38551 @item OK
38552 for success in non-stop mode (@pxref{Remote Non-Stop})
38553 @end table
38554
38555 @item vCont@r{[};@var{action}@r{[}:@var{thread-id}@r{]]}@dots{}
38556 @cindex @samp{vCont} packet
38557 @anchor{vCont packet}
38558 Resume the inferior, specifying different actions for each thread.
38559 If an action is specified with no @var{thread-id}, then it is applied to any
38560 threads that don't have a specific action specified; if no default action is
38561 specified then other threads should remain stopped in all-stop mode and
38562 in their current state in non-stop mode.
38563 Specifying multiple
38564 default actions is an error; specifying no actions is also an error.
38565 Thread IDs are specified using the syntax described in @ref{thread-id syntax}.
38566
38567 Currently supported actions are:
38568
38569 @table @samp
38570 @item c
38571 Continue.
38572 @item C @var{sig}
38573 Continue with signal @var{sig}. The signal @var{sig} should be two hex digits.
38574 @item s
38575 Step.
38576 @item S @var{sig}
38577 Step with signal @var{sig}. The signal @var{sig} should be two hex digits.
38578 @item t
38579 Stop.
38580 @item r @var{start},@var{end}
38581 Step once, and then keep stepping as long as the thread stops at
38582 addresses between @var{start} (inclusive) and @var{end} (exclusive).
38583 The remote stub reports a stop reply when either the thread goes out
38584 of the range or is stopped due to an unrelated reason, such as hitting
38585 a breakpoint. @xref{range stepping}.
38586
38587 If the range is empty (@var{start} == @var{end}), then the action
38588 becomes equivalent to the @samp{s} action. In other words,
38589 single-step once, and report the stop (even if the stepped instruction
38590 jumps to @var{start}).
38591
38592 (A stop reply may be sent at any point even if the PC is still within
38593 the stepping range; for example, it is valid to implement this packet
38594 in a degenerate way as a single instruction step operation.)
38595
38596 @end table
38597
38598 The optional argument @var{addr} normally associated with the
38599 @samp{c}, @samp{C}, @samp{s}, and @samp{S} packets is
38600 not supported in @samp{vCont}.
38601
38602 The @samp{t} action is only relevant in non-stop mode
38603 (@pxref{Remote Non-Stop}) and may be ignored by the stub otherwise.
38604 A stop reply should be generated for any affected thread not already stopped.
38605 When a thread is stopped by means of a @samp{t} action,
38606 the corresponding stop reply should indicate that the thread has stopped with
38607 signal @samp{0}, regardless of whether the target uses some other signal
38608 as an implementation detail.
38609
38610 The stub must support @samp{vCont} if it reports support for
38611 multiprocess extensions (@pxref{multiprocess extensions}). Note that in
38612 this case @samp{vCont} actions can be specified to apply to all threads
38613 in a process by using the @samp{p@var{pid}.-1} form of the
38614 @var{thread-id}.
38615
38616 Reply:
38617 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
38618
38619 @item vCont?
38620 @cindex @samp{vCont?} packet
38621 Request a list of actions supported by the @samp{vCont} packet.
38622
38623 Reply:
38624 @table @samp
38625 @item vCont@r{[};@var{action}@dots{}@r{]}
38626 The @samp{vCont} packet is supported. Each @var{action} is a supported
38627 command in the @samp{vCont} packet.
38628 @item @w{}
38629 The @samp{vCont} packet is not supported.
38630 @end table
38631
38632 @item vFile:@var{operation}:@var{parameter}@dots{}
38633 @cindex @samp{vFile} packet
38634 Perform a file operation on the target system. For details,
38635 see @ref{Host I/O Packets}.
38636
38637 @item vFlashErase:@var{addr},@var{length}
38638 @cindex @samp{vFlashErase} packet
38639 Direct the stub to erase @var{length} bytes of flash starting at
38640 @var{addr}. The region may enclose any number of flash blocks, but
38641 its start and end must fall on block boundaries, as indicated by the
38642 flash block size appearing in the memory map (@pxref{Memory Map
38643 Format}). @value{GDBN} groups flash memory programming operations
38644 together, and sends a @samp{vFlashDone} request after each group; the
38645 stub is allowed to delay erase operation until the @samp{vFlashDone}
38646 packet is received.
38647
38648 Reply:
38649 @table @samp
38650 @item OK
38651 for success
38652 @item E @var{NN}
38653 for an error
38654 @end table
38655
38656 @item vFlashWrite:@var{addr}:@var{XX@dots{}}
38657 @cindex @samp{vFlashWrite} packet
38658 Direct the stub to write data to flash address @var{addr}. The data
38659 is passed in binary form using the same encoding as for the @samp{X}
38660 packet (@pxref{Binary Data}). The memory ranges specified by
38661 @samp{vFlashWrite} packets preceding a @samp{vFlashDone} packet must
38662 not overlap, and must appear in order of increasing addresses
38663 (although @samp{vFlashErase} packets for higher addresses may already
38664 have been received; the ordering is guaranteed only between
38665 @samp{vFlashWrite} packets). If a packet writes to an address that was
38666 neither erased by a preceding @samp{vFlashErase} packet nor by some other
38667 target-specific method, the results are unpredictable.
38668
38669
38670 Reply:
38671 @table @samp
38672 @item OK
38673 for success
38674 @item E.memtype
38675 for vFlashWrite addressing non-flash memory
38676 @item E @var{NN}
38677 for an error
38678 @end table
38679
38680 @item vFlashDone
38681 @cindex @samp{vFlashDone} packet
38682 Indicate to the stub that flash programming operation is finished.
38683 The stub is permitted to delay or batch the effects of a group of
38684 @samp{vFlashErase} and @samp{vFlashWrite} packets until a
38685 @samp{vFlashDone} packet is received. The contents of the affected
38686 regions of flash memory are unpredictable until the @samp{vFlashDone}
38687 request is completed.
38688
38689 @item vKill;@var{pid}
38690 @cindex @samp{vKill} packet
38691 Kill the process with the specified process ID. @var{pid} is a
38692 hexadecimal integer identifying the process. This packet is used in
38693 preference to @samp{k} when multiprocess protocol extensions are
38694 supported; see @ref{multiprocess extensions}.
38695
38696 Reply:
38697 @table @samp
38698 @item E @var{nn}
38699 for an error
38700 @item OK
38701 for success
38702 @end table
38703
38704 @item vRun;@var{filename}@r{[};@var{argument}@r{]}@dots{}
38705 @cindex @samp{vRun} packet
38706 Run the program @var{filename}, passing it each @var{argument} on its
38707 command line. The file and arguments are hex-encoded strings. If
38708 @var{filename} is an empty string, the stub may use a default program
38709 (e.g.@: the last program run). The program is created in the stopped
38710 state.
38711
38712 @c FIXME: What about non-stop mode?
38713
38714 This packet is only available in extended mode (@pxref{extended mode}).
38715
38716 Reply:
38717 @table @samp
38718 @item E @var{nn}
38719 for an error
38720 @item @r{Any stop packet}
38721 for success (@pxref{Stop Reply Packets})
38722 @end table
38723
38724 @item vStopped
38725 @cindex @samp{vStopped} packet
38726 @xref{Notification Packets}.
38727
38728 @item X @var{addr},@var{length}:@var{XX@dots{}}
38729 @anchor{X packet}
38730 @cindex @samp{X} packet
38731 Write data to memory, where the data is transmitted in binary.
38732 @var{addr} is address, @var{length} is number of bytes,
38733 @samp{@var{XX}@dots{}} is binary data (@pxref{Binary Data}).
38734
38735 Reply:
38736 @table @samp
38737 @item OK
38738 for success
38739 @item E @var{NN}
38740 for an error
38741 @end table
38742
38743 @item z @var{type},@var{addr},@var{kind}
38744 @itemx Z @var{type},@var{addr},@var{kind}
38745 @anchor{insert breakpoint or watchpoint packet}
38746 @cindex @samp{z} packet
38747 @cindex @samp{Z} packets
38748 Insert (@samp{Z}) or remove (@samp{z}) a @var{type} breakpoint or
38749 watchpoint starting at address @var{address} of kind @var{kind}.
38750
38751 Each breakpoint and watchpoint packet @var{type} is documented
38752 separately.
38753
38754 @emph{Implementation notes: A remote target shall return an empty string
38755 for an unrecognized breakpoint or watchpoint packet @var{type}. A
38756 remote target shall support either both or neither of a given
38757 @samp{Z@var{type}@dots{}} and @samp{z@var{type}@dots{}} packet pair. To
38758 avoid potential problems with duplicate packets, the operations should
38759 be implemented in an idempotent way.}
38760
38761 @item z0,@var{addr},@var{kind}
38762 @itemx Z0,@var{addr},@var{kind}@r{[};@var{cond_list}@dots{}@r{]}@r{[};cmds:@var{persist},@var{cmd_list}@dots{}@r{]}
38763 @cindex @samp{z0} packet
38764 @cindex @samp{Z0} packet
38765 Insert (@samp{Z0}) or remove (@samp{z0}) a memory breakpoint at address
38766 @var{addr} of type @var{kind}.
38767
38768 A memory breakpoint is implemented by replacing the instruction at
38769 @var{addr} with a software breakpoint or trap instruction. The
38770 @var{kind} is target-specific and typically indicates the size of
38771 the breakpoint in bytes that should be inserted. E.g., the @sc{arm}
38772 and @sc{mips} can insert either a 2 or 4 byte breakpoint. Some
38773 architectures have additional meanings for @var{kind};
38774 @var{cond_list} is an optional list of conditional expressions in bytecode
38775 form that should be evaluated on the target's side. These are the
38776 conditions that should be taken into consideration when deciding if
38777 the breakpoint trigger should be reported back to @var{GDBN}.
38778
38779 The @var{cond_list} parameter is comprised of a series of expressions,
38780 concatenated without separators. Each expression has the following form:
38781
38782 @table @samp
38783
38784 @item X @var{len},@var{expr}
38785 @var{len} is the length of the bytecode expression and @var{expr} is the
38786 actual conditional expression in bytecode form.
38787
38788 @end table
38789
38790 The optional @var{cmd_list} parameter introduces commands that may be
38791 run on the target, rather than being reported back to @value{GDBN}.
38792 The parameter starts with a numeric flag @var{persist}; if the flag is
38793 nonzero, then the breakpoint may remain active and the commands
38794 continue to be run even when @value{GDBN} disconnects from the target.
38795 Following this flag is a series of expressions concatenated with no
38796 separators. Each expression has the following form:
38797
38798 @table @samp
38799
38800 @item X @var{len},@var{expr}
38801 @var{len} is the length of the bytecode expression and @var{expr} is the
38802 actual conditional expression in bytecode form.
38803
38804 @end table
38805
38806 see @ref{Architecture-Specific Protocol Details}.
38807
38808 @emph{Implementation note: It is possible for a target to copy or move
38809 code that contains memory breakpoints (e.g., when implementing
38810 overlays). The behavior of this packet, in the presence of such a
38811 target, is not defined.}
38812
38813 Reply:
38814 @table @samp
38815 @item OK
38816 success
38817 @item @w{}
38818 not supported
38819 @item E @var{NN}
38820 for an error
38821 @end table
38822
38823 @item z1,@var{addr},@var{kind}
38824 @itemx Z1,@var{addr},@var{kind}@r{[};@var{cond_list}@dots{}@r{]}
38825 @cindex @samp{z1} packet
38826 @cindex @samp{Z1} packet
38827 Insert (@samp{Z1}) or remove (@samp{z1}) a hardware breakpoint at
38828 address @var{addr}.
38829
38830 A hardware breakpoint is implemented using a mechanism that is not
38831 dependant on being able to modify the target's memory. @var{kind}
38832 and @var{cond_list} have the same meaning as in @samp{Z0} packets.
38833
38834 @emph{Implementation note: A hardware breakpoint is not affected by code
38835 movement.}
38836
38837 Reply:
38838 @table @samp
38839 @item OK
38840 success
38841 @item @w{}
38842 not supported
38843 @item E @var{NN}
38844 for an error
38845 @end table
38846
38847 @item z2,@var{addr},@var{kind}
38848 @itemx Z2,@var{addr},@var{kind}
38849 @cindex @samp{z2} packet
38850 @cindex @samp{Z2} packet
38851 Insert (@samp{Z2}) or remove (@samp{z2}) a write watchpoint at @var{addr}.
38852 @var{kind} is interpreted as the number of bytes to watch.
38853
38854 Reply:
38855 @table @samp
38856 @item OK
38857 success
38858 @item @w{}
38859 not supported
38860 @item E @var{NN}
38861 for an error
38862 @end table
38863
38864 @item z3,@var{addr},@var{kind}
38865 @itemx Z3,@var{addr},@var{kind}
38866 @cindex @samp{z3} packet
38867 @cindex @samp{Z3} packet
38868 Insert (@samp{Z3}) or remove (@samp{z3}) a read watchpoint at @var{addr}.
38869 @var{kind} is interpreted as the number of bytes to watch.
38870
38871 Reply:
38872 @table @samp
38873 @item OK
38874 success
38875 @item @w{}
38876 not supported
38877 @item E @var{NN}
38878 for an error
38879 @end table
38880
38881 @item z4,@var{addr},@var{kind}
38882 @itemx Z4,@var{addr},@var{kind}
38883 @cindex @samp{z4} packet
38884 @cindex @samp{Z4} packet
38885 Insert (@samp{Z4}) or remove (@samp{z4}) an access watchpoint at @var{addr}.
38886 @var{kind} is interpreted as the number of bytes to watch.
38887
38888 Reply:
38889 @table @samp
38890 @item OK
38891 success
38892 @item @w{}
38893 not supported
38894 @item E @var{NN}
38895 for an error
38896 @end table
38897
38898 @end table
38899
38900 @node Stop Reply Packets
38901 @section Stop Reply Packets
38902 @cindex stop reply packets
38903
38904 The @samp{C}, @samp{c}, @samp{S}, @samp{s}, @samp{vCont},
38905 @samp{vAttach}, @samp{vRun}, @samp{vStopped}, and @samp{?} packets can
38906 receive any of the below as a reply. Except for @samp{?}
38907 and @samp{vStopped}, that reply is only returned
38908 when the target halts. In the below the exact meaning of @dfn{signal
38909 number} is defined by the header @file{include/gdb/signals.h} in the
38910 @value{GDBN} source code.
38911
38912 As in the description of request packets, we include spaces in the
38913 reply templates for clarity; these are not part of the reply packet's
38914 syntax. No @value{GDBN} stop reply packet uses spaces to separate its
38915 components.
38916
38917 @table @samp
38918
38919 @item S @var{AA}
38920 The program received signal number @var{AA} (a two-digit hexadecimal
38921 number). This is equivalent to a @samp{T} response with no
38922 @var{n}:@var{r} pairs.
38923
38924 @item T @var{AA} @var{n1}:@var{r1};@var{n2}:@var{r2};@dots{}
38925 @cindex @samp{T} packet reply
38926 The program received signal number @var{AA} (a two-digit hexadecimal
38927 number). This is equivalent to an @samp{S} response, except that the
38928 @samp{@var{n}:@var{r}} pairs can carry values of important registers
38929 and other information directly in the stop reply packet, reducing
38930 round-trip latency. Single-step and breakpoint traps are reported
38931 this way. Each @samp{@var{n}:@var{r}} pair is interpreted as follows:
38932
38933 @itemize @bullet
38934 @item
38935 If @var{n} is a hexadecimal number, it is a register number, and the
38936 corresponding @var{r} gives that register's value. @var{r} is a
38937 series of bytes in target byte order, with each byte given by a
38938 two-digit hex number.
38939
38940 @item
38941 If @var{n} is @samp{thread}, then @var{r} is the @var{thread-id} of
38942 the stopped thread, as specified in @ref{thread-id syntax}.
38943
38944 @item
38945 If @var{n} is @samp{core}, then @var{r} is the hexadecimal number of
38946 the core on which the stop event was detected.
38947
38948 @item
38949 If @var{n} is a recognized @dfn{stop reason}, it describes a more
38950 specific event that stopped the target. The currently defined stop
38951 reasons are listed below. @var{aa} should be @samp{05}, the trap
38952 signal. At most one stop reason should be present.
38953
38954 @item
38955 Otherwise, @value{GDBN} should ignore this @samp{@var{n}:@var{r}} pair
38956 and go on to the next; this allows us to extend the protocol in the
38957 future.
38958 @end itemize
38959
38960 The currently defined stop reasons are:
38961
38962 @table @samp
38963 @item watch
38964 @itemx rwatch
38965 @itemx awatch
38966 The packet indicates a watchpoint hit, and @var{r} is the data address, in
38967 hex.
38968
38969 @cindex shared library events, remote reply
38970 @item library
38971 The packet indicates that the loaded libraries have changed.
38972 @value{GDBN} should use @samp{qXfer:libraries:read} to fetch a new
38973 list of loaded libraries. @var{r} is ignored.
38974
38975 @cindex replay log events, remote reply
38976 @item replaylog
38977 The packet indicates that the target cannot continue replaying
38978 logged execution events, because it has reached the end (or the
38979 beginning when executing backward) of the log. The value of @var{r}
38980 will be either @samp{begin} or @samp{end}. @xref{Reverse Execution},
38981 for more information.
38982 @end table
38983
38984 @item W @var{AA}
38985 @itemx W @var{AA} ; process:@var{pid}
38986 The process exited, and @var{AA} is the exit status. This is only
38987 applicable to certain targets.
38988
38989 The second form of the response, including the process ID of the exited
38990 process, can be used only when @value{GDBN} has reported support for
38991 multiprocess protocol extensions; see @ref{multiprocess extensions}.
38992 The @var{pid} is formatted as a big-endian hex string.
38993
38994 @item X @var{AA}
38995 @itemx X @var{AA} ; process:@var{pid}
38996 The process terminated with signal @var{AA}.
38997
38998 The second form of the response, including the process ID of the
38999 terminated process, can be used only when @value{GDBN} has reported
39000 support for multiprocess protocol extensions; see @ref{multiprocess
39001 extensions}. The @var{pid} is formatted as a big-endian hex string.
39002
39003 @item O @var{XX}@dots{}
39004 @samp{@var{XX}@dots{}} is hex encoding of @sc{ascii} data, to be
39005 written as the program's console output. This can happen at any time
39006 while the program is running and the debugger should continue to wait
39007 for @samp{W}, @samp{T}, etc. This reply is not permitted in non-stop mode.
39008
39009 @item F @var{call-id},@var{parameter}@dots{}
39010 @var{call-id} is the identifier which says which host system call should
39011 be called. This is just the name of the function. Translation into the
39012 correct system call is only applicable as it's defined in @value{GDBN}.
39013 @xref{File-I/O Remote Protocol Extension}, for a list of implemented
39014 system calls.
39015
39016 @samp{@var{parameter}@dots{}} is a list of parameters as defined for
39017 this very system call.
39018
39019 The target replies with this packet when it expects @value{GDBN} to
39020 call a host system call on behalf of the target. @value{GDBN} replies
39021 with an appropriate @samp{F} packet and keeps up waiting for the next
39022 reply packet from the target. The latest @samp{C}, @samp{c}, @samp{S}
39023 or @samp{s} action is expected to be continued. @xref{File-I/O Remote
39024 Protocol Extension}, for more details.
39025
39026 @end table
39027
39028 @node General Query Packets
39029 @section General Query Packets
39030 @cindex remote query requests
39031
39032 Packets starting with @samp{q} are @dfn{general query packets};
39033 packets starting with @samp{Q} are @dfn{general set packets}. General
39034 query and set packets are a semi-unified form for retrieving and
39035 sending information to and from the stub.
39036
39037 The initial letter of a query or set packet is followed by a name
39038 indicating what sort of thing the packet applies to. For example,
39039 @value{GDBN} may use a @samp{qSymbol} packet to exchange symbol
39040 definitions with the stub. These packet names follow some
39041 conventions:
39042
39043 @itemize @bullet
39044 @item
39045 The name must not contain commas, colons or semicolons.
39046 @item
39047 Most @value{GDBN} query and set packets have a leading upper case
39048 letter.
39049 @item
39050 The names of custom vendor packets should use a company prefix, in
39051 lower case, followed by a period. For example, packets designed at
39052 the Acme Corporation might begin with @samp{qacme.foo} (for querying
39053 foos) or @samp{Qacme.bar} (for setting bars).
39054 @end itemize
39055
39056 The name of a query or set packet should be separated from any
39057 parameters by a @samp{:}; the parameters themselves should be
39058 separated by @samp{,} or @samp{;}. Stubs must be careful to match the
39059 full packet name, and check for a separator or the end of the packet,
39060 in case two packet names share a common prefix. New packets should not begin
39061 with @samp{qC}, @samp{qP}, or @samp{qL}@footnote{The @samp{qP} and @samp{qL}
39062 packets predate these conventions, and have arguments without any terminator
39063 for the packet name; we suspect they are in widespread use in places that
39064 are difficult to upgrade. The @samp{qC} packet has no arguments, but some
39065 existing stubs (e.g.@: RedBoot) are known to not check for the end of the
39066 packet.}.
39067
39068 Like the descriptions of the other packets, each description here
39069 has a template showing the packet's overall syntax, followed by an
39070 explanation of the packet's meaning. We include spaces in some of the
39071 templates for clarity; these are not part of the packet's syntax. No
39072 @value{GDBN} packet uses spaces to separate its components.
39073
39074 Here are the currently defined query and set packets:
39075
39076 @table @samp
39077
39078 @item QAgent:1
39079 @itemx QAgent:0
39080 Turn on or off the agent as a helper to perform some debugging operations
39081 delegated from @value{GDBN} (@pxref{Control Agent}).
39082
39083 @item QAllow:@var{op}:@var{val}@dots{}
39084 @cindex @samp{QAllow} packet
39085 Specify which operations @value{GDBN} expects to request of the
39086 target, as a semicolon-separated list of operation name and value
39087 pairs. Possible values for @var{op} include @samp{WriteReg},
39088 @samp{WriteMem}, @samp{InsertBreak}, @samp{InsertTrace},
39089 @samp{InsertFastTrace}, and @samp{Stop}. @var{val} is either 0,
39090 indicating that @value{GDBN} will not request the operation, or 1,
39091 indicating that it may. (The target can then use this to set up its
39092 own internals optimally, for instance if the debugger never expects to
39093 insert breakpoints, it may not need to install its own trap handler.)
39094
39095 @item qC
39096 @cindex current thread, remote request
39097 @cindex @samp{qC} packet
39098 Return the current thread ID.
39099
39100 Reply:
39101 @table @samp
39102 @item QC @var{thread-id}
39103 Where @var{thread-id} is a thread ID as documented in
39104 @ref{thread-id syntax}.
39105 @item @r{(anything else)}
39106 Any other reply implies the old thread ID.
39107 @end table
39108
39109 @item qCRC:@var{addr},@var{length}
39110 @cindex CRC of memory block, remote request
39111 @cindex @samp{qCRC} packet
39112 Compute the CRC checksum of a block of memory using CRC-32 defined in
39113 IEEE 802.3. The CRC is computed byte at a time, taking the most
39114 significant bit of each byte first. The initial pattern code
39115 @code{0xffffffff} is used to ensure leading zeros affect the CRC.
39116
39117 @emph{Note:} This is the same CRC used in validating separate debug
39118 files (@pxref{Separate Debug Files, , Debugging Information in Separate
39119 Files}). However the algorithm is slightly different. When validating
39120 separate debug files, the CRC is computed taking the @emph{least}
39121 significant bit of each byte first, and the final result is inverted to
39122 detect trailing zeros.
39123
39124 Reply:
39125 @table @samp
39126 @item E @var{NN}
39127 An error (such as memory fault)
39128 @item C @var{crc32}
39129 The specified memory region's checksum is @var{crc32}.
39130 @end table
39131
39132 @item QDisableRandomization:@var{value}
39133 @cindex disable address space randomization, remote request
39134 @cindex @samp{QDisableRandomization} packet
39135 Some target operating systems will randomize the virtual address space
39136 of the inferior process as a security feature, but provide a feature
39137 to disable such randomization, e.g.@: to allow for a more deterministic
39138 debugging experience. On such systems, this packet with a @var{value}
39139 of 1 directs the target to disable address space randomization for
39140 processes subsequently started via @samp{vRun} packets, while a packet
39141 with a @var{value} of 0 tells the target to enable address space
39142 randomization.
39143
39144 This packet is only available in extended mode (@pxref{extended mode}).
39145
39146 Reply:
39147 @table @samp
39148 @item OK
39149 The request succeeded.
39150
39151 @item E @var{nn}
39152 An error occurred. @var{nn} are hex digits.
39153
39154 @item @w{}
39155 An empty reply indicates that @samp{QDisableRandomization} is not supported
39156 by the stub.
39157 @end table
39158
39159 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
39160 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
39161 This should only be done on targets that actually support disabling
39162 address space randomization.
39163
39164 @item qfThreadInfo
39165 @itemx qsThreadInfo
39166 @cindex list active threads, remote request
39167 @cindex @samp{qfThreadInfo} packet
39168 @cindex @samp{qsThreadInfo} packet
39169 Obtain a list of all active thread IDs from the target (OS). Since there
39170 may be too many active threads to fit into one reply packet, this query
39171 works iteratively: it may require more than one query/reply sequence to
39172 obtain the entire list of threads. The first query of the sequence will
39173 be the @samp{qfThreadInfo} query; subsequent queries in the
39174 sequence will be the @samp{qsThreadInfo} query.
39175
39176 NOTE: This packet replaces the @samp{qL} query (see below).
39177
39178 Reply:
39179 @table @samp
39180 @item m @var{thread-id}
39181 A single thread ID
39182 @item m @var{thread-id},@var{thread-id}@dots{}
39183 a comma-separated list of thread IDs
39184 @item l
39185 (lower case letter @samp{L}) denotes end of list.
39186 @end table
39187
39188 In response to each query, the target will reply with a list of one or
39189 more thread IDs, separated by commas.
39190 @value{GDBN} will respond to each reply with a request for more thread
39191 ids (using the @samp{qs} form of the query), until the target responds
39192 with @samp{l} (lower-case ell, for @dfn{last}).
39193 Refer to @ref{thread-id syntax}, for the format of the @var{thread-id}
39194 fields.
39195
39196 @item qGetTLSAddr:@var{thread-id},@var{offset},@var{lm}
39197 @cindex get thread-local storage address, remote request
39198 @cindex @samp{qGetTLSAddr} packet
39199 Fetch the address associated with thread local storage specified
39200 by @var{thread-id}, @var{offset}, and @var{lm}.
39201
39202 @var{thread-id} is the thread ID associated with the
39203 thread for which to fetch the TLS address. @xref{thread-id syntax}.
39204
39205 @var{offset} is the (big endian, hex encoded) offset associated with the
39206 thread local variable. (This offset is obtained from the debug
39207 information associated with the variable.)
39208
39209 @var{lm} is the (big endian, hex encoded) OS/ABI-specific encoding of the
39210 load module associated with the thread local storage. For example,
39211 a @sc{gnu}/Linux system will pass the link map address of the shared
39212 object associated with the thread local storage under consideration.
39213 Other operating environments may choose to represent the load module
39214 differently, so the precise meaning of this parameter will vary.
39215
39216 Reply:
39217 @table @samp
39218 @item @var{XX}@dots{}
39219 Hex encoded (big endian) bytes representing the address of the thread
39220 local storage requested.
39221
39222 @item E @var{nn}
39223 An error occurred. @var{nn} are hex digits.
39224
39225 @item @w{}
39226 An empty reply indicates that @samp{qGetTLSAddr} is not supported by the stub.
39227 @end table
39228
39229 @item qGetTIBAddr:@var{thread-id}
39230 @cindex get thread information block address
39231 @cindex @samp{qGetTIBAddr} packet
39232 Fetch address of the Windows OS specific Thread Information Block.
39233
39234 @var{thread-id} is the thread ID associated with the thread.
39235
39236 Reply:
39237 @table @samp
39238 @item @var{XX}@dots{}
39239 Hex encoded (big endian) bytes representing the linear address of the
39240 thread information block.
39241
39242 @item E @var{nn}
39243 An error occured. This means that either the thread was not found, or the
39244 address could not be retrieved.
39245
39246 @item @w{}
39247 An empty reply indicates that @samp{qGetTIBAddr} is not supported by the stub.
39248 @end table
39249
39250 @item qL @var{startflag} @var{threadcount} @var{nextthread}
39251 Obtain thread information from RTOS. Where: @var{startflag} (one hex
39252 digit) is one to indicate the first query and zero to indicate a
39253 subsequent query; @var{threadcount} (two hex digits) is the maximum
39254 number of threads the response packet can contain; and @var{nextthread}
39255 (eight hex digits), for subsequent queries (@var{startflag} is zero), is
39256 returned in the response as @var{argthread}.
39257
39258 Don't use this packet; use the @samp{qfThreadInfo} query instead (see above).
39259
39260 Reply:
39261 @table @samp
39262 @item qM @var{count} @var{done} @var{argthread} @var{thread}@dots{}
39263 Where: @var{count} (two hex digits) is the number of threads being
39264 returned; @var{done} (one hex digit) is zero to indicate more threads
39265 and one indicates no further threads; @var{argthreadid} (eight hex
39266 digits) is @var{nextthread} from the request packet; @var{thread}@dots{}
39267 is a sequence of thread IDs from the target. @var{threadid} (eight hex
39268 digits). See @code{remote.c:parse_threadlist_response()}.
39269 @end table
39270
39271 @item qOffsets
39272 @cindex section offsets, remote request
39273 @cindex @samp{qOffsets} packet
39274 Get section offsets that the target used when relocating the downloaded
39275 image.
39276
39277 Reply:
39278 @table @samp
39279 @item Text=@var{xxx};Data=@var{yyy}@r{[};Bss=@var{zzz}@r{]}
39280 Relocate the @code{Text} section by @var{xxx} from its original address.
39281 Relocate the @code{Data} section by @var{yyy} from its original address.
39282 If the object file format provides segment information (e.g.@: @sc{elf}
39283 @samp{PT_LOAD} program headers), @value{GDBN} will relocate entire
39284 segments by the supplied offsets.
39285
39286 @emph{Note: while a @code{Bss} offset may be included in the response,
39287 @value{GDBN} ignores this and instead applies the @code{Data} offset
39288 to the @code{Bss} section.}
39289
39290 @item TextSeg=@var{xxx}@r{[};DataSeg=@var{yyy}@r{]}
39291 Relocate the first segment of the object file, which conventionally
39292 contains program code, to a starting address of @var{xxx}. If
39293 @samp{DataSeg} is specified, relocate the second segment, which
39294 conventionally contains modifiable data, to a starting address of
39295 @var{yyy}. @value{GDBN} will report an error if the object file
39296 does not contain segment information, or does not contain at least
39297 as many segments as mentioned in the reply. Extra segments are
39298 kept at fixed offsets relative to the last relocated segment.
39299 @end table
39300
39301 @item qP @var{mode} @var{thread-id}
39302 @cindex thread information, remote request
39303 @cindex @samp{qP} packet
39304 Returns information on @var{thread-id}. Where: @var{mode} is a hex
39305 encoded 32 bit mode; @var{thread-id} is a thread ID
39306 (@pxref{thread-id syntax}).
39307
39308 Don't use this packet; use the @samp{qThreadExtraInfo} query instead
39309 (see below).
39310
39311 Reply: see @code{remote.c:remote_unpack_thread_info_response()}.
39312
39313 @item QNonStop:1
39314 @itemx QNonStop:0
39315 @cindex non-stop mode, remote request
39316 @cindex @samp{QNonStop} packet
39317 @anchor{QNonStop}
39318 Enter non-stop (@samp{QNonStop:1}) or all-stop (@samp{QNonStop:0}) mode.
39319 @xref{Remote Non-Stop}, for more information.
39320
39321 Reply:
39322 @table @samp
39323 @item OK
39324 The request succeeded.
39325
39326 @item E @var{nn}
39327 An error occurred. @var{nn} are hex digits.
39328
39329 @item @w{}
39330 An empty reply indicates that @samp{QNonStop} is not supported by
39331 the stub.
39332 @end table
39333
39334 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
39335 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
39336 Use of this packet is controlled by the @code{set non-stop} command;
39337 @pxref{Non-Stop Mode}.
39338
39339 @item QPassSignals: @var{signal} @r{[};@var{signal}@r{]}@dots{}
39340 @cindex pass signals to inferior, remote request
39341 @cindex @samp{QPassSignals} packet
39342 @anchor{QPassSignals}
39343 Each listed @var{signal} should be passed directly to the inferior process.
39344 Signals are numbered identically to continue packets and stop replies
39345 (@pxref{Stop Reply Packets}). Each @var{signal} list item should be
39346 strictly greater than the previous item. These signals do not need to stop
39347 the inferior, or be reported to @value{GDBN}. All other signals should be
39348 reported to @value{GDBN}. Multiple @samp{QPassSignals} packets do not
39349 combine; any earlier @samp{QPassSignals} list is completely replaced by the
39350 new list. This packet improves performance when using @samp{handle
39351 @var{signal} nostop noprint pass}.
39352
39353 Reply:
39354 @table @samp
39355 @item OK
39356 The request succeeded.
39357
39358 @item E @var{nn}
39359 An error occurred. @var{nn} are hex digits.
39360
39361 @item @w{}
39362 An empty reply indicates that @samp{QPassSignals} is not supported by
39363 the stub.
39364 @end table
39365
39366 Use of this packet is controlled by the @code{set remote pass-signals}
39367 command (@pxref{Remote Configuration, set remote pass-signals}).
39368 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
39369 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
39370
39371 @item QProgramSignals: @var{signal} @r{[};@var{signal}@r{]}@dots{}
39372 @cindex signals the inferior may see, remote request
39373 @cindex @samp{QProgramSignals} packet
39374 @anchor{QProgramSignals}
39375 Each listed @var{signal} may be delivered to the inferior process.
39376 Others should be silently discarded.
39377
39378 In some cases, the remote stub may need to decide whether to deliver a
39379 signal to the program or not without @value{GDBN} involvement. One
39380 example of that is while detaching --- the program's threads may have
39381 stopped for signals that haven't yet had a chance of being reported to
39382 @value{GDBN}, and so the remote stub can use the signal list specified
39383 by this packet to know whether to deliver or ignore those pending
39384 signals.
39385
39386 This does not influence whether to deliver a signal as requested by a
39387 resumption packet (@pxref{vCont packet}).
39388
39389 Signals are numbered identically to continue packets and stop replies
39390 (@pxref{Stop Reply Packets}). Each @var{signal} list item should be
39391 strictly greater than the previous item. Multiple
39392 @samp{QProgramSignals} packets do not combine; any earlier
39393 @samp{QProgramSignals} list is completely replaced by the new list.
39394
39395 Reply:
39396 @table @samp
39397 @item OK
39398 The request succeeded.
39399
39400 @item E @var{nn}
39401 An error occurred. @var{nn} are hex digits.
39402
39403 @item @w{}
39404 An empty reply indicates that @samp{QProgramSignals} is not supported
39405 by the stub.
39406 @end table
39407
39408 Use of this packet is controlled by the @code{set remote program-signals}
39409 command (@pxref{Remote Configuration, set remote program-signals}).
39410 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
39411 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
39412
39413 @item qRcmd,@var{command}
39414 @cindex execute remote command, remote request
39415 @cindex @samp{qRcmd} packet
39416 @var{command} (hex encoded) is passed to the local interpreter for
39417 execution. Invalid commands should be reported using the output
39418 string. Before the final result packet, the target may also respond
39419 with a number of intermediate @samp{O@var{output}} console output
39420 packets. @emph{Implementors should note that providing access to a
39421 stubs's interpreter may have security implications}.
39422
39423 Reply:
39424 @table @samp
39425 @item OK
39426 A command response with no output.
39427 @item @var{OUTPUT}
39428 A command response with the hex encoded output string @var{OUTPUT}.
39429 @item E @var{NN}
39430 Indicate a badly formed request.
39431 @item @w{}
39432 An empty reply indicates that @samp{qRcmd} is not recognized.
39433 @end table
39434
39435 (Note that the @code{qRcmd} packet's name is separated from the
39436 command by a @samp{,}, not a @samp{:}, contrary to the naming
39437 conventions above. Please don't use this packet as a model for new
39438 packets.)
39439
39440 @item qSearch:memory:@var{address};@var{length};@var{search-pattern}
39441 @cindex searching memory, in remote debugging
39442 @ifnotinfo
39443 @cindex @samp{qSearch:memory} packet
39444 @end ifnotinfo
39445 @cindex @samp{qSearch memory} packet
39446 @anchor{qSearch memory}
39447 Search @var{length} bytes at @var{address} for @var{search-pattern}.
39448 @var{address} and @var{length} are encoded in hex.
39449 @var{search-pattern} is a sequence of bytes, hex encoded.
39450
39451 Reply:
39452 @table @samp
39453 @item 0
39454 The pattern was not found.
39455 @item 1,address
39456 The pattern was found at @var{address}.
39457 @item E @var{NN}
39458 A badly formed request or an error was encountered while searching memory.
39459 @item @w{}
39460 An empty reply indicates that @samp{qSearch:memory} is not recognized.
39461 @end table
39462
39463 @item QStartNoAckMode
39464 @cindex @samp{QStartNoAckMode} packet
39465 @anchor{QStartNoAckMode}
39466 Request that the remote stub disable the normal @samp{+}/@samp{-}
39467 protocol acknowledgments (@pxref{Packet Acknowledgment}).
39468
39469 Reply:
39470 @table @samp
39471 @item OK
39472 The stub has switched to no-acknowledgment mode.
39473 @value{GDBN} acknowledges this reponse,
39474 but neither the stub nor @value{GDBN} shall send or expect further
39475 @samp{+}/@samp{-} acknowledgments in the current connection.
39476 @item @w{}
39477 An empty reply indicates that the stub does not support no-acknowledgment mode.
39478 @end table
39479
39480 @item qSupported @r{[}:@var{gdbfeature} @r{[};@var{gdbfeature}@r{]}@dots{} @r{]}
39481 @cindex supported packets, remote query
39482 @cindex features of the remote protocol
39483 @cindex @samp{qSupported} packet
39484 @anchor{qSupported}
39485 Tell the remote stub about features supported by @value{GDBN}, and
39486 query the stub for features it supports. This packet allows
39487 @value{GDBN} and the remote stub to take advantage of each others'
39488 features. @samp{qSupported} also consolidates multiple feature probes
39489 at startup, to improve @value{GDBN} performance---a single larger
39490 packet performs better than multiple smaller probe packets on
39491 high-latency links. Some features may enable behavior which must not
39492 be on by default, e.g.@: because it would confuse older clients or
39493 stubs. Other features may describe packets which could be
39494 automatically probed for, but are not. These features must be
39495 reported before @value{GDBN} will use them. This ``default
39496 unsupported'' behavior is not appropriate for all packets, but it
39497 helps to keep the initial connection time under control with new
39498 versions of @value{GDBN} which support increasing numbers of packets.
39499
39500 Reply:
39501 @table @samp
39502 @item @var{stubfeature} @r{[};@var{stubfeature}@r{]}@dots{}
39503 The stub supports or does not support each returned @var{stubfeature},
39504 depending on the form of each @var{stubfeature} (see below for the
39505 possible forms).
39506 @item @w{}
39507 An empty reply indicates that @samp{qSupported} is not recognized,
39508 or that no features needed to be reported to @value{GDBN}.
39509 @end table
39510
39511 The allowed forms for each feature (either a @var{gdbfeature} in the
39512 @samp{qSupported} packet, or a @var{stubfeature} in the response)
39513 are:
39514
39515 @table @samp
39516 @item @var{name}=@var{value}
39517 The remote protocol feature @var{name} is supported, and associated
39518 with the specified @var{value}. The format of @var{value} depends
39519 on the feature, but it must not include a semicolon.
39520 @item @var{name}+
39521 The remote protocol feature @var{name} is supported, and does not
39522 need an associated value.
39523 @item @var{name}-
39524 The remote protocol feature @var{name} is not supported.
39525 @item @var{name}?
39526 The remote protocol feature @var{name} may be supported, and
39527 @value{GDBN} should auto-detect support in some other way when it is
39528 needed. This form will not be used for @var{gdbfeature} notifications,
39529 but may be used for @var{stubfeature} responses.
39530 @end table
39531
39532 Whenever the stub receives a @samp{qSupported} request, the
39533 supplied set of @value{GDBN} features should override any previous
39534 request. This allows @value{GDBN} to put the stub in a known
39535 state, even if the stub had previously been communicating with
39536 a different version of @value{GDBN}.
39537
39538 The following values of @var{gdbfeature} (for the packet sent by @value{GDBN})
39539 are defined:
39540
39541 @table @samp
39542 @item multiprocess
39543 This feature indicates whether @value{GDBN} supports multiprocess
39544 extensions to the remote protocol. @value{GDBN} does not use such
39545 extensions unless the stub also reports that it supports them by
39546 including @samp{multiprocess+} in its @samp{qSupported} reply.
39547 @xref{multiprocess extensions}, for details.
39548
39549 @item xmlRegisters
39550 This feature indicates that @value{GDBN} supports the XML target
39551 description. If the stub sees @samp{xmlRegisters=} with target
39552 specific strings separated by a comma, it will report register
39553 description.
39554
39555 @item qRelocInsn
39556 This feature indicates whether @value{GDBN} supports the
39557 @samp{qRelocInsn} packet (@pxref{Tracepoint Packets,,Relocate
39558 instruction reply packet}).
39559 @end table
39560
39561 Stubs should ignore any unknown values for
39562 @var{gdbfeature}. Any @value{GDBN} which sends a @samp{qSupported}
39563 packet supports receiving packets of unlimited length (earlier
39564 versions of @value{GDBN} may reject overly long responses). Additional values
39565 for @var{gdbfeature} may be defined in the future to let the stub take
39566 advantage of new features in @value{GDBN}, e.g.@: incompatible
39567 improvements in the remote protocol---the @samp{multiprocess} feature is
39568 an example of such a feature. The stub's reply should be independent
39569 of the @var{gdbfeature} entries sent by @value{GDBN}; first @value{GDBN}
39570 describes all the features it supports, and then the stub replies with
39571 all the features it supports.
39572
39573 Similarly, @value{GDBN} will silently ignore unrecognized stub feature
39574 responses, as long as each response uses one of the standard forms.
39575
39576 Some features are flags. A stub which supports a flag feature
39577 should respond with a @samp{+} form response. Other features
39578 require values, and the stub should respond with an @samp{=}
39579 form response.
39580
39581 Each feature has a default value, which @value{GDBN} will use if
39582 @samp{qSupported} is not available or if the feature is not mentioned
39583 in the @samp{qSupported} response. The default values are fixed; a
39584 stub is free to omit any feature responses that match the defaults.
39585
39586 Not all features can be probed, but for those which can, the probing
39587 mechanism is useful: in some cases, a stub's internal
39588 architecture may not allow the protocol layer to know some information
39589 about the underlying target in advance. This is especially common in
39590 stubs which may be configured for multiple targets.
39591
39592 These are the currently defined stub features and their properties:
39593
39594 @multitable @columnfractions 0.35 0.2 0.12 0.2
39595 @c NOTE: The first row should be @headitem, but we do not yet require
39596 @c a new enough version of Texinfo (4.7) to use @headitem.
39597 @item Feature Name
39598 @tab Value Required
39599 @tab Default
39600 @tab Probe Allowed
39601
39602 @item @samp{PacketSize}
39603 @tab Yes
39604 @tab @samp{-}
39605 @tab No
39606
39607 @item @samp{qXfer:auxv:read}
39608 @tab No
39609 @tab @samp{-}
39610 @tab Yes
39611
39612 @item @samp{qXfer:btrace:read}
39613 @tab No
39614 @tab @samp{-}
39615 @tab Yes
39616
39617 @item @samp{qXfer:features:read}
39618 @tab No
39619 @tab @samp{-}
39620 @tab Yes
39621
39622 @item @samp{qXfer:libraries:read}
39623 @tab No
39624 @tab @samp{-}
39625 @tab Yes
39626
39627 @item @samp{qXfer:libraries-svr4:read}
39628 @tab No
39629 @tab @samp{-}
39630 @tab Yes
39631
39632 @item @samp{augmented-libraries-svr4-read}
39633 @tab No
39634 @tab @samp{-}
39635 @tab No
39636
39637 @item @samp{qXfer:memory-map:read}
39638 @tab No
39639 @tab @samp{-}
39640 @tab Yes
39641
39642 @item @samp{qXfer:sdata:read}
39643 @tab No
39644 @tab @samp{-}
39645 @tab Yes
39646
39647 @item @samp{qXfer:spu:read}
39648 @tab No
39649 @tab @samp{-}
39650 @tab Yes
39651
39652 @item @samp{qXfer:spu:write}
39653 @tab No
39654 @tab @samp{-}
39655 @tab Yes
39656
39657 @item @samp{qXfer:siginfo:read}
39658 @tab No
39659 @tab @samp{-}
39660 @tab Yes
39661
39662 @item @samp{qXfer:siginfo:write}
39663 @tab No
39664 @tab @samp{-}
39665 @tab Yes
39666
39667 @item @samp{qXfer:threads:read}
39668 @tab No
39669 @tab @samp{-}
39670 @tab Yes
39671
39672 @item @samp{qXfer:traceframe-info:read}
39673 @tab No
39674 @tab @samp{-}
39675 @tab Yes
39676
39677 @item @samp{qXfer:uib:read}
39678 @tab No
39679 @tab @samp{-}
39680 @tab Yes
39681
39682 @item @samp{qXfer:fdpic:read}
39683 @tab No
39684 @tab @samp{-}
39685 @tab Yes
39686
39687 @item @samp{Qbtrace:off}
39688 @tab Yes
39689 @tab @samp{-}
39690 @tab Yes
39691
39692 @item @samp{Qbtrace:bts}
39693 @tab Yes
39694 @tab @samp{-}
39695 @tab Yes
39696
39697 @item @samp{QNonStop}
39698 @tab No
39699 @tab @samp{-}
39700 @tab Yes
39701
39702 @item @samp{QPassSignals}
39703 @tab No
39704 @tab @samp{-}
39705 @tab Yes
39706
39707 @item @samp{QStartNoAckMode}
39708 @tab No
39709 @tab @samp{-}
39710 @tab Yes
39711
39712 @item @samp{multiprocess}
39713 @tab No
39714 @tab @samp{-}
39715 @tab No
39716
39717 @item @samp{ConditionalBreakpoints}
39718 @tab No
39719 @tab @samp{-}
39720 @tab No
39721
39722 @item @samp{ConditionalTracepoints}
39723 @tab No
39724 @tab @samp{-}
39725 @tab No
39726
39727 @item @samp{ReverseContinue}
39728 @tab No
39729 @tab @samp{-}
39730 @tab No
39731
39732 @item @samp{ReverseStep}
39733 @tab No
39734 @tab @samp{-}
39735 @tab No
39736
39737 @item @samp{TracepointSource}
39738 @tab No
39739 @tab @samp{-}
39740 @tab No
39741
39742 @item @samp{QAgent}
39743 @tab No
39744 @tab @samp{-}
39745 @tab No
39746
39747 @item @samp{QAllow}
39748 @tab No
39749 @tab @samp{-}
39750 @tab No
39751
39752 @item @samp{QDisableRandomization}
39753 @tab No
39754 @tab @samp{-}
39755 @tab No
39756
39757 @item @samp{EnableDisableTracepoints}
39758 @tab No
39759 @tab @samp{-}
39760 @tab No
39761
39762 @item @samp{QTBuffer:size}
39763 @tab No
39764 @tab @samp{-}
39765 @tab No
39766
39767 @item @samp{tracenz}
39768 @tab No
39769 @tab @samp{-}
39770 @tab No
39771
39772 @item @samp{BreakpointCommands}
39773 @tab No
39774 @tab @samp{-}
39775 @tab No
39776
39777 @end multitable
39778
39779 These are the currently defined stub features, in more detail:
39780
39781 @table @samp
39782 @cindex packet size, remote protocol
39783 @item PacketSize=@var{bytes}
39784 The remote stub can accept packets up to at least @var{bytes} in
39785 length. @value{GDBN} will send packets up to this size for bulk
39786 transfers, and will never send larger packets. This is a limit on the
39787 data characters in the packet, including the frame and checksum.
39788 There is no trailing NUL byte in a remote protocol packet; if the stub
39789 stores packets in a NUL-terminated format, it should allow an extra
39790 byte in its buffer for the NUL. If this stub feature is not supported,
39791 @value{GDBN} guesses based on the size of the @samp{g} packet response.
39792
39793 @item qXfer:auxv:read
39794 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:auxv:read} packet
39795 (@pxref{qXfer auxiliary vector read}).
39796
39797 @item qXfer:btrace:read
39798 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:btrace:read}
39799 packet (@pxref{qXfer btrace read}).
39800
39801 @item qXfer:features:read
39802 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:features:read} packet
39803 (@pxref{qXfer target description read}).
39804
39805 @item qXfer:libraries:read
39806 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:libraries:read} packet
39807 (@pxref{qXfer library list read}).
39808
39809 @item qXfer:libraries-svr4:read
39810 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:libraries-svr4:read} packet
39811 (@pxref{qXfer svr4 library list read}).
39812
39813 @item augmented-libraries-svr4-read
39814 The remote stub understands the augmented form of the
39815 @samp{qXfer:libraries-svr4:read} packet
39816 (@pxref{qXfer svr4 library list read}).
39817
39818 @item qXfer:memory-map:read
39819 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:memory-map:read} packet
39820 (@pxref{qXfer memory map read}).
39821
39822 @item qXfer:sdata:read
39823 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:sdata:read} packet
39824 (@pxref{qXfer sdata read}).
39825
39826 @item qXfer:spu:read
39827 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:spu:read} packet
39828 (@pxref{qXfer spu read}).
39829
39830 @item qXfer:spu:write
39831 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:spu:write} packet
39832 (@pxref{qXfer spu write}).
39833
39834 @item qXfer:siginfo:read
39835 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:siginfo:read} packet
39836 (@pxref{qXfer siginfo read}).
39837
39838 @item qXfer:siginfo:write
39839 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:siginfo:write} packet
39840 (@pxref{qXfer siginfo write}).
39841
39842 @item qXfer:threads:read
39843 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:threads:read} packet
39844 (@pxref{qXfer threads read}).
39845
39846 @item qXfer:traceframe-info:read
39847 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:traceframe-info:read}
39848 packet (@pxref{qXfer traceframe info read}).
39849
39850 @item qXfer:uib:read
39851 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:uib:read}
39852 packet (@pxref{qXfer unwind info block}).
39853
39854 @item qXfer:fdpic:read
39855 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:fdpic:read}
39856 packet (@pxref{qXfer fdpic loadmap read}).
39857
39858 @item QNonStop
39859 The remote stub understands the @samp{QNonStop} packet
39860 (@pxref{QNonStop}).
39861
39862 @item QPassSignals
39863 The remote stub understands the @samp{QPassSignals} packet
39864 (@pxref{QPassSignals}).
39865
39866 @item QStartNoAckMode
39867 The remote stub understands the @samp{QStartNoAckMode} packet and
39868 prefers to operate in no-acknowledgment mode. @xref{Packet Acknowledgment}.
39869
39870 @item multiprocess
39871 @anchor{multiprocess extensions}
39872 @cindex multiprocess extensions, in remote protocol
39873 The remote stub understands the multiprocess extensions to the remote
39874 protocol syntax. The multiprocess extensions affect the syntax of
39875 thread IDs in both packets and replies (@pxref{thread-id syntax}), and
39876 add process IDs to the @samp{D} packet and @samp{W} and @samp{X}
39877 replies. Note that reporting this feature indicates support for the
39878 syntactic extensions only, not that the stub necessarily supports
39879 debugging of more than one process at a time. The stub must not use
39880 multiprocess extensions in packet replies unless @value{GDBN} has also
39881 indicated it supports them in its @samp{qSupported} request.
39882
39883 @item qXfer:osdata:read
39884 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:osdata:read} packet
39885 ((@pxref{qXfer osdata read}).
39886
39887 @item ConditionalBreakpoints
39888 The target accepts and implements evaluation of conditional expressions
39889 defined for breakpoints. The target will only report breakpoint triggers
39890 when such conditions are true (@pxref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions}).
39891
39892 @item ConditionalTracepoints
39893 The remote stub accepts and implements conditional expressions defined
39894 for tracepoints (@pxref{Tracepoint Conditions}).
39895
39896 @item ReverseContinue
39897 The remote stub accepts and implements the reverse continue packet
39898 (@pxref{bc}).
39899
39900 @item ReverseStep
39901 The remote stub accepts and implements the reverse step packet
39902 (@pxref{bs}).
39903
39904 @item TracepointSource
39905 The remote stub understands the @samp{QTDPsrc} packet that supplies
39906 the source form of tracepoint definitions.
39907
39908 @item QAgent
39909 The remote stub understands the @samp{QAgent} packet.
39910
39911 @item QAllow
39912 The remote stub understands the @samp{QAllow} packet.
39913
39914 @item QDisableRandomization
39915 The remote stub understands the @samp{QDisableRandomization} packet.
39916
39917 @item StaticTracepoint
39918 @cindex static tracepoints, in remote protocol
39919 The remote stub supports static tracepoints.
39920
39921 @item InstallInTrace
39922 @anchor{install tracepoint in tracing}
39923 The remote stub supports installing tracepoint in tracing.
39924
39925 @item EnableDisableTracepoints
39926 The remote stub supports the @samp{QTEnable} (@pxref{QTEnable}) and
39927 @samp{QTDisable} (@pxref{QTDisable}) packets that allow tracepoints
39928 to be enabled and disabled while a trace experiment is running.
39929
39930 @item QTBuffer:size
39931 The remote stub supports the @samp{QTBuffer:size} (@pxref{QTBuffer-size})
39932 packet that allows to change the size of the trace buffer.
39933
39934 @item tracenz
39935 @cindex string tracing, in remote protocol
39936 The remote stub supports the @samp{tracenz} bytecode for collecting strings.
39937 See @ref{Bytecode Descriptions} for details about the bytecode.
39938
39939 @item BreakpointCommands
39940 @cindex breakpoint commands, in remote protocol
39941 The remote stub supports running a breakpoint's command list itself,
39942 rather than reporting the hit to @value{GDBN}.
39943
39944 @item Qbtrace:off
39945 The remote stub understands the @samp{Qbtrace:off} packet.
39946
39947 @item Qbtrace:bts
39948 The remote stub understands the @samp{Qbtrace:bts} packet.
39949
39950 @end table
39951
39952 @item qSymbol::
39953 @cindex symbol lookup, remote request
39954 @cindex @samp{qSymbol} packet
39955 Notify the target that @value{GDBN} is prepared to serve symbol lookup
39956 requests. Accept requests from the target for the values of symbols.
39957
39958 Reply:
39959 @table @samp
39960 @item OK
39961 The target does not need to look up any (more) symbols.
39962 @item qSymbol:@var{sym_name}
39963 The target requests the value of symbol @var{sym_name} (hex encoded).
39964 @value{GDBN} may provide the value by using the
39965 @samp{qSymbol:@var{sym_value}:@var{sym_name}} message, described
39966 below.
39967 @end table
39968
39969 @item qSymbol:@var{sym_value}:@var{sym_name}
39970 Set the value of @var{sym_name} to @var{sym_value}.
39971
39972 @var{sym_name} (hex encoded) is the name of a symbol whose value the
39973 target has previously requested.
39974
39975 @var{sym_value} (hex) is the value for symbol @var{sym_name}. If
39976 @value{GDBN} cannot supply a value for @var{sym_name}, then this field
39977 will be empty.
39978
39979 Reply:
39980 @table @samp
39981 @item OK
39982 The target does not need to look up any (more) symbols.
39983 @item qSymbol:@var{sym_name}
39984 The target requests the value of a new symbol @var{sym_name} (hex
39985 encoded). @value{GDBN} will continue to supply the values of symbols
39986 (if available), until the target ceases to request them.
39987 @end table
39988
39989 @item qTBuffer
39990 @itemx QTBuffer
39991 @itemx QTDisconnected
39992 @itemx QTDP
39993 @itemx QTDPsrc
39994 @itemx QTDV
39995 @itemx qTfP
39996 @itemx qTfV
39997 @itemx QTFrame
39998 @itemx qTMinFTPILen
39999
40000 @xref{Tracepoint Packets}.
40001
40002 @item qThreadExtraInfo,@var{thread-id}
40003 @cindex thread attributes info, remote request
40004 @cindex @samp{qThreadExtraInfo} packet
40005 Obtain a printable string description of a thread's attributes from
40006 the target OS. @var{thread-id} is a thread ID;
40007 see @ref{thread-id syntax}. This
40008 string may contain anything that the target OS thinks is interesting
40009 for @value{GDBN} to tell the user about the thread. The string is
40010 displayed in @value{GDBN}'s @code{info threads} display. Some
40011 examples of possible thread extra info strings are @samp{Runnable}, or
40012 @samp{Blocked on Mutex}.
40013
40014 Reply:
40015 @table @samp
40016 @item @var{XX}@dots{}
40017 Where @samp{@var{XX}@dots{}} is a hex encoding of @sc{ascii} data,
40018 comprising the printable string containing the extra information about
40019 the thread's attributes.
40020 @end table
40021
40022 (Note that the @code{qThreadExtraInfo} packet's name is separated from
40023 the command by a @samp{,}, not a @samp{:}, contrary to the naming
40024 conventions above. Please don't use this packet as a model for new
40025 packets.)
40026
40027 @item QTNotes
40028 @itemx qTP
40029 @itemx QTSave
40030 @itemx qTsP
40031 @itemx qTsV
40032 @itemx QTStart
40033 @itemx QTStop
40034 @itemx QTEnable
40035 @itemx QTDisable
40036 @itemx QTinit
40037 @itemx QTro
40038 @itemx qTStatus
40039 @itemx qTV
40040 @itemx qTfSTM
40041 @itemx qTsSTM
40042 @itemx qTSTMat
40043 @xref{Tracepoint Packets}.
40044
40045 @item qXfer:@var{object}:read:@var{annex}:@var{offset},@var{length}
40046 @cindex read special object, remote request
40047 @cindex @samp{qXfer} packet
40048 @anchor{qXfer read}
40049 Read uninterpreted bytes from the target's special data area
40050 identified by the keyword @var{object}. Request @var{length} bytes
40051 starting at @var{offset} bytes into the data. The content and
40052 encoding of @var{annex} is specific to @var{object}; it can supply
40053 additional details about what data to access.
40054
40055 Here are the specific requests of this form defined so far. All
40056 @samp{qXfer:@var{object}:read:@dots{}} requests use the same reply
40057 formats, listed below.
40058
40059 @table @samp
40060 @item qXfer:auxv:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
40061 @anchor{qXfer auxiliary vector read}
40062 Access the target's @dfn{auxiliary vector}. @xref{OS Information,
40063 auxiliary vector}. Note @var{annex} must be empty.
40064
40065 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
40066 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
40067
40068 @item qXfer:btrace:read:@var{annex}:@var{offset},@var{length}
40069 @anchor{qXfer btrace read}
40070
40071 Return a description of the current branch trace.
40072 @xref{Branch Trace Format}. The annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer}
40073 packet may have one of the following values:
40074
40075 @table @code
40076 @item all
40077 Returns all available branch trace.
40078
40079 @item new
40080 Returns all available branch trace if the branch trace changed since
40081 the last read request.
40082
40083 @item delta
40084 Returns the new branch trace since the last read request. Adds a new
40085 block to the end of the trace that begins at zero and ends at the source
40086 location of the first branch in the trace buffer. This extra block is
40087 used to stitch traces together.
40088
40089 If the trace buffer overflowed, returns an error indicating the overflow.
40090 @end table
40091
40092 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it
40093 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
40094
40095 @item qXfer:features:read:@var{annex}:@var{offset},@var{length}
40096 @anchor{qXfer target description read}
40097 Access the @dfn{target description}. @xref{Target Descriptions}. The
40098 annex specifies which XML document to access. The main description is
40099 always loaded from the @samp{target.xml} annex.
40100
40101 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
40102 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
40103
40104 @item qXfer:libraries:read:@var{annex}:@var{offset},@var{length}
40105 @anchor{qXfer library list read}
40106 Access the target's list of loaded libraries. @xref{Library List Format}.
40107 The annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must be empty
40108 (@pxref{qXfer read}).
40109
40110 Targets which maintain a list of libraries in the program's memory do
40111 not need to implement this packet; it is designed for platforms where
40112 the operating system manages the list of loaded libraries.
40113
40114 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
40115 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
40116
40117 @item qXfer:libraries-svr4:read:@var{annex}:@var{offset},@var{length}
40118 @anchor{qXfer svr4 library list read}
40119 Access the target's list of loaded libraries when the target is an SVR4
40120 platform. @xref{Library List Format for SVR4 Targets}. The annex part
40121 of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must be empty unless the remote
40122 stub indicated it supports the augmented form of this packet
40123 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response
40124 (@pxref{qXfer read}, @ref{qSupported}).
40125
40126 This packet is optional for better performance on SVR4 targets.
40127 @value{GDBN} uses memory read packets to read the SVR4 library list otherwise.
40128
40129 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
40130 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
40131
40132 If the remote stub indicates it supports the augmented form of this
40133 packet then the annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet may
40134 contain a semicolon-separated list of @samp{@var{name}=@var{value}}
40135 arguments. The currently supported arguments are:
40136
40137 @table @code
40138 @item start=@var{address}
40139 A hexadecimal number specifying the address of the @samp{struct
40140 link_map} to start reading the library list from. If unset or zero
40141 then the first @samp{struct link_map} in the library list will be
40142 chosen as the starting point.
40143
40144 @item prev=@var{address}
40145 A hexadecimal number specifying the address of the @samp{struct
40146 link_map} immediately preceding the @samp{struct link_map}
40147 specified by the @samp{start} argument. If unset or zero then
40148 the remote stub will expect that no @samp{struct link_map}
40149 exists prior to the starting point.
40150
40151 @end table
40152
40153 Arguments that are not understood by the remote stub will be silently
40154 ignored.
40155
40156 @item qXfer:memory-map:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
40157 @anchor{qXfer memory map read}
40158 Access the target's @dfn{memory-map}. @xref{Memory Map Format}. The
40159 annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must be empty
40160 (@pxref{qXfer read}).
40161
40162 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
40163 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
40164
40165 @item qXfer:sdata:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
40166 @anchor{qXfer sdata read}
40167
40168 Read contents of the extra collected static tracepoint marker
40169 information. The annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must
40170 be empty (@pxref{qXfer read}). @xref{Tracepoint Actions,,Tracepoint
40171 Action Lists}.
40172
40173 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
40174 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response
40175 (@pxref{qSupported}).
40176
40177 @item qXfer:siginfo:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
40178 @anchor{qXfer siginfo read}
40179 Read contents of the extra signal information on the target
40180 system. The annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must be
40181 empty (@pxref{qXfer read}).
40182
40183 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
40184 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response
40185 (@pxref{qSupported}).
40186
40187 @item qXfer:spu:read:@var{annex}:@var{offset},@var{length}
40188 @anchor{qXfer spu read}
40189 Read contents of an @code{spufs} file on the target system. The
40190 annex specifies which file to read; it must be of the form
40191 @file{@var{id}/@var{name}}, where @var{id} specifies an SPU context ID
40192 in the target process, and @var{name} identifes the @code{spufs} file
40193 in that context to be accessed.
40194
40195 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
40196 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response
40197 (@pxref{qSupported}).
40198
40199 @item qXfer:threads:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
40200 @anchor{qXfer threads read}
40201 Access the list of threads on target. @xref{Thread List Format}. The
40202 annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must be empty
40203 (@pxref{qXfer read}).
40204
40205 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
40206 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
40207
40208 @item qXfer:traceframe-info:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
40209 @anchor{qXfer traceframe info read}
40210
40211 Return a description of the current traceframe's contents.
40212 @xref{Traceframe Info Format}. The annex part of the generic
40213 @samp{qXfer} packet must be empty (@pxref{qXfer read}).
40214
40215 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
40216 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
40217
40218 @item qXfer:uib:read:@var{pc}:@var{offset},@var{length}
40219 @anchor{qXfer unwind info block}
40220
40221 Return the unwind information block for @var{pc}. This packet is used
40222 on OpenVMS/ia64 to ask the kernel unwind information.
40223
40224 This packet is not probed by default.
40225
40226 @item qXfer:fdpic:read:@var{annex}:@var{offset},@var{length}
40227 @anchor{qXfer fdpic loadmap read}
40228 Read contents of @code{loadmap}s on the target system. The
40229 annex, either @samp{exec} or @samp{interp}, specifies which @code{loadmap},
40230 executable @code{loadmap} or interpreter @code{loadmap} to read.
40231
40232 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
40233 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
40234
40235 @item qXfer:osdata:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
40236 @anchor{qXfer osdata read}
40237 Access the target's @dfn{operating system information}.
40238 @xref{Operating System Information}.
40239
40240 @end table
40241
40242 Reply:
40243 @table @samp
40244 @item m @var{data}
40245 Data @var{data} (@pxref{Binary Data}) has been read from the
40246 target. There may be more data at a higher address (although
40247 it is permitted to return @samp{m} even for the last valid
40248 block of data, as long as at least one byte of data was read).
40249 @var{data} may have fewer bytes than the @var{length} in the
40250 request.
40251
40252 @item l @var{data}
40253 Data @var{data} (@pxref{Binary Data}) has been read from the target.
40254 There is no more data to be read. @var{data} may have fewer bytes
40255 than the @var{length} in the request.
40256
40257 @item l
40258 The @var{offset} in the request is at the end of the data.
40259 There is no more data to be read.
40260
40261 @item E00
40262 The request was malformed, or @var{annex} was invalid.
40263
40264 @item E @var{nn}
40265 The offset was invalid, or there was an error encountered reading the data.
40266 @var{nn} is a hex-encoded @code{errno} value.
40267
40268 @item @w{}
40269 An empty reply indicates the @var{object} string was not recognized by
40270 the stub, or that the object does not support reading.
40271 @end table
40272
40273 @item qXfer:@var{object}:write:@var{annex}:@var{offset}:@var{data}@dots{}
40274 @cindex write data into object, remote request
40275 @anchor{qXfer write}
40276 Write uninterpreted bytes into the target's special data area
40277 identified by the keyword @var{object}, starting at @var{offset} bytes
40278 into the data. @var{data}@dots{} is the binary-encoded data
40279 (@pxref{Binary Data}) to be written. The content and encoding of @var{annex}
40280 is specific to @var{object}; it can supply additional details about what data
40281 to access.
40282
40283 Here are the specific requests of this form defined so far. All
40284 @samp{qXfer:@var{object}:write:@dots{}} requests use the same reply
40285 formats, listed below.
40286
40287 @table @samp
40288 @item qXfer:siginfo:write::@var{offset}:@var{data}@dots{}
40289 @anchor{qXfer siginfo write}
40290 Write @var{data} to the extra signal information on the target system.
40291 The annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must be
40292 empty (@pxref{qXfer write}).
40293
40294 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
40295 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response
40296 (@pxref{qSupported}).
40297
40298 @item qXfer:spu:write:@var{annex}:@var{offset}:@var{data}@dots{}
40299 @anchor{qXfer spu write}
40300 Write @var{data} to an @code{spufs} file on the target system. The
40301 annex specifies which file to write; it must be of the form
40302 @file{@var{id}/@var{name}}, where @var{id} specifies an SPU context ID
40303 in the target process, and @var{name} identifes the @code{spufs} file
40304 in that context to be accessed.
40305
40306 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
40307 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
40308 @end table
40309
40310 Reply:
40311 @table @samp
40312 @item @var{nn}
40313 @var{nn} (hex encoded) is the number of bytes written.
40314 This may be fewer bytes than supplied in the request.
40315
40316 @item E00
40317 The request was malformed, or @var{annex} was invalid.
40318
40319 @item E @var{nn}
40320 The offset was invalid, or there was an error encountered writing the data.
40321 @var{nn} is a hex-encoded @code{errno} value.
40322
40323 @item @w{}
40324 An empty reply indicates the @var{object} string was not
40325 recognized by the stub, or that the object does not support writing.
40326 @end table
40327
40328 @item qXfer:@var{object}:@var{operation}:@dots{}
40329 Requests of this form may be added in the future. When a stub does
40330 not recognize the @var{object} keyword, or its support for
40331 @var{object} does not recognize the @var{operation} keyword, the stub
40332 must respond with an empty packet.
40333
40334 @item qAttached:@var{pid}
40335 @cindex query attached, remote request
40336 @cindex @samp{qAttached} packet
40337 Return an indication of whether the remote server attached to an
40338 existing process or created a new process. When the multiprocess
40339 protocol extensions are supported (@pxref{multiprocess extensions}),
40340 @var{pid} is an integer in hexadecimal format identifying the target
40341 process. Otherwise, @value{GDBN} will omit the @var{pid} field and
40342 the query packet will be simplified as @samp{qAttached}.
40343
40344 This query is used, for example, to know whether the remote process
40345 should be detached or killed when a @value{GDBN} session is ended with
40346 the @code{quit} command.
40347
40348 Reply:
40349 @table @samp
40350 @item 1
40351 The remote server attached to an existing process.
40352 @item 0
40353 The remote server created a new process.
40354 @item E @var{NN}
40355 A badly formed request or an error was encountered.
40356 @end table
40357
40358 @item Qbtrace:bts
40359 Enable branch tracing for the current thread using bts tracing.
40360
40361 Reply:
40362 @table @samp
40363 @item OK
40364 Branch tracing has been enabled.
40365 @item E.errtext
40366 A badly formed request or an error was encountered.
40367 @end table
40368
40369 @item Qbtrace:off
40370 Disable branch tracing for the current thread.
40371
40372 Reply:
40373 @table @samp
40374 @item OK
40375 Branch tracing has been disabled.
40376 @item E.errtext
40377 A badly formed request or an error was encountered.
40378 @end table
40379
40380 @end table
40381
40382 @node Architecture-Specific Protocol Details
40383 @section Architecture-Specific Protocol Details
40384
40385 This section describes how the remote protocol is applied to specific
40386 target architectures. Also see @ref{Standard Target Features}, for
40387 details of XML target descriptions for each architecture.
40388
40389 @menu
40390 * ARM-Specific Protocol Details::
40391 * MIPS-Specific Protocol Details::
40392 @end menu
40393
40394 @node ARM-Specific Protocol Details
40395 @subsection @acronym{ARM}-specific Protocol Details
40396
40397 @menu
40398 * ARM Breakpoint Kinds::
40399 @end menu
40400
40401 @node ARM Breakpoint Kinds
40402 @subsubsection @acronym{ARM} Breakpoint Kinds
40403 @cindex breakpoint kinds, @acronym{ARM}
40404
40405 These breakpoint kinds are defined for the @samp{Z0} and @samp{Z1} packets.
40406
40407 @table @r
40408
40409 @item 2
40410 16-bit Thumb mode breakpoint.
40411
40412 @item 3
40413 32-bit Thumb mode (Thumb-2) breakpoint.
40414
40415 @item 4
40416 32-bit @acronym{ARM} mode breakpoint.
40417
40418 @end table
40419
40420 @node MIPS-Specific Protocol Details
40421 @subsection @acronym{MIPS}-specific Protocol Details
40422
40423 @menu
40424 * MIPS Register packet Format::
40425 * MIPS Breakpoint Kinds::
40426 @end menu
40427
40428 @node MIPS Register packet Format
40429 @subsubsection @acronym{MIPS} Register Packet Format
40430 @cindex register packet format, @acronym{MIPS}
40431
40432 The following @code{g}/@code{G} packets have previously been defined.
40433 In the below, some thirty-two bit registers are transferred as
40434 sixty-four bits. Those registers should be zero/sign extended (which?)
40435 to fill the space allocated. Register bytes are transferred in target
40436 byte order. The two nibbles within a register byte are transferred
40437 most-significant -- least-significant.
40438
40439 @table @r
40440
40441 @item MIPS32
40442 All registers are transferred as thirty-two bit quantities in the order:
40443 32 general-purpose; sr; lo; hi; bad; cause; pc; 32 floating-point
40444 registers; fsr; fir; fp.
40445
40446 @item MIPS64
40447 All registers are transferred as sixty-four bit quantities (including
40448 thirty-two bit registers such as @code{sr}). The ordering is the same
40449 as @code{MIPS32}.
40450
40451 @end table
40452
40453 @node MIPS Breakpoint Kinds
40454 @subsubsection @acronym{MIPS} Breakpoint Kinds
40455 @cindex breakpoint kinds, @acronym{MIPS}
40456
40457 These breakpoint kinds are defined for the @samp{Z0} and @samp{Z1} packets.
40458
40459 @table @r
40460
40461 @item 2
40462 16-bit @acronym{MIPS16} mode breakpoint.
40463
40464 @item 3
40465 16-bit @acronym{microMIPS} mode breakpoint.
40466
40467 @item 4
40468 32-bit standard @acronym{MIPS} mode breakpoint.
40469
40470 @item 5
40471 32-bit @acronym{microMIPS} mode breakpoint.
40472
40473 @end table
40474
40475 @node Tracepoint Packets
40476 @section Tracepoint Packets
40477 @cindex tracepoint packets
40478 @cindex packets, tracepoint
40479
40480 Here we describe the packets @value{GDBN} uses to implement
40481 tracepoints (@pxref{Tracepoints}).
40482
40483 @table @samp
40484
40485 @item QTDP:@var{n}:@var{addr}:@var{ena}:@var{step}:@var{pass}[:F@var{flen}][:X@var{len},@var{bytes}]@r{[}-@r{]}
40486 @cindex @samp{QTDP} packet
40487 Create a new tracepoint, number @var{n}, at @var{addr}. If @var{ena}
40488 is @samp{E}, then the tracepoint is enabled; if it is @samp{D}, then
40489 the tracepoint is disabled. @var{step} is the tracepoint's step
40490 count, and @var{pass} is its pass count. If an @samp{F} is present,
40491 then the tracepoint is to be a fast tracepoint, and the @var{flen} is
40492 the number of bytes that the target should copy elsewhere to make room
40493 for the tracepoint. If an @samp{X} is present, it introduces a
40494 tracepoint condition, which consists of a hexadecimal length, followed
40495 by a comma and hex-encoded bytes, in a manner similar to action
40496 encodings as described below. If the trailing @samp{-} is present,
40497 further @samp{QTDP} packets will follow to specify this tracepoint's
40498 actions.
40499
40500 Replies:
40501 @table @samp
40502 @item OK
40503 The packet was understood and carried out.
40504 @item qRelocInsn
40505 @xref{Tracepoint Packets,,Relocate instruction reply packet}.
40506 @item @w{}
40507 The packet was not recognized.
40508 @end table
40509
40510 @item QTDP:-@var{n}:@var{addr}:@r{[}S@r{]}@var{action}@dots{}@r{[}-@r{]}
40511 Define actions to be taken when a tracepoint is hit. @var{n} and
40512 @var{addr} must be the same as in the initial @samp{QTDP} packet for
40513 this tracepoint. This packet may only be sent immediately after
40514 another @samp{QTDP} packet that ended with a @samp{-}. If the
40515 trailing @samp{-} is present, further @samp{QTDP} packets will follow,
40516 specifying more actions for this tracepoint.
40517
40518 In the series of action packets for a given tracepoint, at most one
40519 can have an @samp{S} before its first @var{action}. If such a packet
40520 is sent, it and the following packets define ``while-stepping''
40521 actions. Any prior packets define ordinary actions --- that is, those
40522 taken when the tracepoint is first hit. If no action packet has an
40523 @samp{S}, then all the packets in the series specify ordinary
40524 tracepoint actions.
40525
40526 The @samp{@var{action}@dots{}} portion of the packet is a series of
40527 actions, concatenated without separators. Each action has one of the
40528 following forms:
40529
40530 @table @samp
40531
40532 @item R @var{mask}
40533 Collect the registers whose bits are set in @var{mask}. @var{mask} is
40534 a hexadecimal number whose @var{i}'th bit is set if register number
40535 @var{i} should be collected. (The least significant bit is numbered
40536 zero.) Note that @var{mask} may be any number of digits long; it may
40537 not fit in a 32-bit word.
40538
40539 @item M @var{basereg},@var{offset},@var{len}
40540 Collect @var{len} bytes of memory starting at the address in register
40541 number @var{basereg}, plus @var{offset}. If @var{basereg} is
40542 @samp{-1}, then the range has a fixed address: @var{offset} is the
40543 address of the lowest byte to collect. The @var{basereg},
40544 @var{offset}, and @var{len} parameters are all unsigned hexadecimal
40545 values (the @samp{-1} value for @var{basereg} is a special case).
40546
40547 @item X @var{len},@var{expr}
40548 Evaluate @var{expr}, whose length is @var{len}, and collect memory as
40549 it directs. @var{expr} is an agent expression, as described in
40550 @ref{Agent Expressions}. Each byte of the expression is encoded as a
40551 two-digit hex number in the packet; @var{len} is the number of bytes
40552 in the expression (and thus one-half the number of hex digits in the
40553 packet).
40554
40555 @end table
40556
40557 Any number of actions may be packed together in a single @samp{QTDP}
40558 packet, as long as the packet does not exceed the maximum packet
40559 length (400 bytes, for many stubs). There may be only one @samp{R}
40560 action per tracepoint, and it must precede any @samp{M} or @samp{X}
40561 actions. Any registers referred to by @samp{M} and @samp{X} actions
40562 must be collected by a preceding @samp{R} action. (The
40563 ``while-stepping'' actions are treated as if they were attached to a
40564 separate tracepoint, as far as these restrictions are concerned.)
40565
40566 Replies:
40567 @table @samp
40568 @item OK
40569 The packet was understood and carried out.
40570 @item qRelocInsn
40571 @xref{Tracepoint Packets,,Relocate instruction reply packet}.
40572 @item @w{}
40573 The packet was not recognized.
40574 @end table
40575
40576 @item QTDPsrc:@var{n}:@var{addr}:@var{type}:@var{start}:@var{slen}:@var{bytes}
40577 @cindex @samp{QTDPsrc} packet
40578 Specify a source string of tracepoint @var{n} at address @var{addr}.
40579 This is useful to get accurate reproduction of the tracepoints
40580 originally downloaded at the beginning of the trace run. @var{type}
40581 is the name of the tracepoint part, such as @samp{cond} for the
40582 tracepoint's conditional expression (see below for a list of types), while
40583 @var{bytes} is the string, encoded in hexadecimal.
40584
40585 @var{start} is the offset of the @var{bytes} within the overall source
40586 string, while @var{slen} is the total length of the source string.
40587 This is intended for handling source strings that are longer than will
40588 fit in a single packet.
40589 @c Add detailed example when this info is moved into a dedicated
40590 @c tracepoint descriptions section.
40591
40592 The available string types are @samp{at} for the location,
40593 @samp{cond} for the conditional, and @samp{cmd} for an action command.
40594 @value{GDBN} sends a separate packet for each command in the action
40595 list, in the same order in which the commands are stored in the list.
40596
40597 The target does not need to do anything with source strings except
40598 report them back as part of the replies to the @samp{qTfP}/@samp{qTsP}
40599 query packets.
40600
40601 Although this packet is optional, and @value{GDBN} will only send it
40602 if the target replies with @samp{TracepointSource} @xref{General
40603 Query Packets}, it makes both disconnected tracing and trace files
40604 much easier to use. Otherwise the user must be careful that the
40605 tracepoints in effect while looking at trace frames are identical to
40606 the ones in effect during the trace run; even a small discrepancy
40607 could cause @samp{tdump} not to work, or a particular trace frame not
40608 be found.
40609
40610 @item QTDV:@var{n}:@var{value}
40611 @cindex define trace state variable, remote request
40612 @cindex @samp{QTDV} packet
40613 Create a new trace state variable, number @var{n}, with an initial
40614 value of @var{value}, which is a 64-bit signed integer. Both @var{n}
40615 and @var{value} are encoded as hexadecimal values. @value{GDBN} has
40616 the option of not using this packet for initial values of zero; the
40617 target should simply create the trace state variables as they are
40618 mentioned in expressions.
40619
40620 @item QTFrame:@var{n}
40621 @cindex @samp{QTFrame} packet
40622 Select the @var{n}'th tracepoint frame from the buffer, and use the
40623 register and memory contents recorded there to answer subsequent
40624 request packets from @value{GDBN}.
40625
40626 A successful reply from the stub indicates that the stub has found the
40627 requested frame. The response is a series of parts, concatenated
40628 without separators, describing the frame we selected. Each part has
40629 one of the following forms:
40630
40631 @table @samp
40632 @item F @var{f}
40633 The selected frame is number @var{n} in the trace frame buffer;
40634 @var{f} is a hexadecimal number. If @var{f} is @samp{-1}, then there
40635 was no frame matching the criteria in the request packet.
40636
40637 @item T @var{t}
40638 The selected trace frame records a hit of tracepoint number @var{t};
40639 @var{t} is a hexadecimal number.
40640
40641 @end table
40642
40643 @item QTFrame:pc:@var{addr}
40644 Like @samp{QTFrame:@var{n}}, but select the first tracepoint frame after the
40645 currently selected frame whose PC is @var{addr};
40646 @var{addr} is a hexadecimal number.
40647
40648 @item QTFrame:tdp:@var{t}
40649 Like @samp{QTFrame:@var{n}}, but select the first tracepoint frame after the
40650 currently selected frame that is a hit of tracepoint @var{t}; @var{t}
40651 is a hexadecimal number.
40652
40653 @item QTFrame:range:@var{start}:@var{end}
40654 Like @samp{QTFrame:@var{n}}, but select the first tracepoint frame after the
40655 currently selected frame whose PC is between @var{start} (inclusive)
40656 and @var{end} (inclusive); @var{start} and @var{end} are hexadecimal
40657 numbers.
40658
40659 @item QTFrame:outside:@var{start}:@var{end}
40660 Like @samp{QTFrame:range:@var{start}:@var{end}}, but select the first
40661 frame @emph{outside} the given range of addresses (exclusive).
40662
40663 @item qTMinFTPILen
40664 @cindex @samp{qTMinFTPILen} packet
40665 This packet requests the minimum length of instruction at which a fast
40666 tracepoint (@pxref{Set Tracepoints}) may be placed. For instance, on
40667 the 32-bit x86 architecture, it is possible to use a 4-byte jump, but
40668 it depends on the target system being able to create trampolines in
40669 the first 64K of memory, which might or might not be possible for that
40670 system. So the reply to this packet will be 4 if it is able to
40671 arrange for that.
40672
40673 Replies:
40674
40675 @table @samp
40676 @item 0
40677 The minimum instruction length is currently unknown.
40678 @item @var{length}
40679 The minimum instruction length is @var{length}, where @var{length} is greater
40680 or equal to 1. @var{length} is a hexadecimal number. A reply of 1 means
40681 that a fast tracepoint may be placed on any instruction regardless of size.
40682 @item E
40683 An error has occurred.
40684 @item @w{}
40685 An empty reply indicates that the request is not supported by the stub.
40686 @end table
40687
40688 @item QTStart
40689 @cindex @samp{QTStart} packet
40690 Begin the tracepoint experiment. Begin collecting data from
40691 tracepoint hits in the trace frame buffer. This packet supports the
40692 @samp{qRelocInsn} reply (@pxref{Tracepoint Packets,,Relocate
40693 instruction reply packet}).
40694
40695 @item QTStop
40696 @cindex @samp{QTStop} packet
40697 End the tracepoint experiment. Stop collecting trace frames.
40698
40699 @item QTEnable:@var{n}:@var{addr}
40700 @anchor{QTEnable}
40701 @cindex @samp{QTEnable} packet
40702 Enable tracepoint @var{n} at address @var{addr} in a started tracepoint
40703 experiment. If the tracepoint was previously disabled, then collection
40704 of data from it will resume.
40705
40706 @item QTDisable:@var{n}:@var{addr}
40707 @anchor{QTDisable}
40708 @cindex @samp{QTDisable} packet
40709 Disable tracepoint @var{n} at address @var{addr} in a started tracepoint
40710 experiment. No more data will be collected from the tracepoint unless
40711 @samp{QTEnable:@var{n}:@var{addr}} is subsequently issued.
40712
40713 @item QTinit
40714 @cindex @samp{QTinit} packet
40715 Clear the table of tracepoints, and empty the trace frame buffer.
40716
40717 @item QTro:@var{start1},@var{end1}:@var{start2},@var{end2}:@dots{}
40718 @cindex @samp{QTro} packet
40719 Establish the given ranges of memory as ``transparent''. The stub
40720 will answer requests for these ranges from memory's current contents,
40721 if they were not collected as part of the tracepoint hit.
40722
40723 @value{GDBN} uses this to mark read-only regions of memory, like those
40724 containing program code. Since these areas never change, they should
40725 still have the same contents they did when the tracepoint was hit, so
40726 there's no reason for the stub to refuse to provide their contents.
40727
40728 @item QTDisconnected:@var{value}
40729 @cindex @samp{QTDisconnected} packet
40730 Set the choice to what to do with the tracing run when @value{GDBN}
40731 disconnects from the target. A @var{value} of 1 directs the target to
40732 continue the tracing run, while 0 tells the target to stop tracing if
40733 @value{GDBN} is no longer in the picture.
40734
40735 @item qTStatus
40736 @cindex @samp{qTStatus} packet
40737 Ask the stub if there is a trace experiment running right now.
40738
40739 The reply has the form:
40740
40741 @table @samp
40742
40743 @item T@var{running}@r{[};@var{field}@r{]}@dots{}
40744 @var{running} is a single digit @code{1} if the trace is presently
40745 running, or @code{0} if not. It is followed by semicolon-separated
40746 optional fields that an agent may use to report additional status.
40747
40748 @end table
40749
40750 If the trace is not running, the agent may report any of several
40751 explanations as one of the optional fields:
40752
40753 @table @samp
40754
40755 @item tnotrun:0
40756 No trace has been run yet.
40757
40758 @item tstop[:@var{text}]:0
40759 The trace was stopped by a user-originated stop command. The optional
40760 @var{text} field is a user-supplied string supplied as part of the
40761 stop command (for instance, an explanation of why the trace was
40762 stopped manually). It is hex-encoded.
40763
40764 @item tfull:0
40765 The trace stopped because the trace buffer filled up.
40766
40767 @item tdisconnected:0
40768 The trace stopped because @value{GDBN} disconnected from the target.
40769
40770 @item tpasscount:@var{tpnum}
40771 The trace stopped because tracepoint @var{tpnum} exceeded its pass count.
40772
40773 @item terror:@var{text}:@var{tpnum}
40774 The trace stopped because tracepoint @var{tpnum} had an error. The
40775 string @var{text} is available to describe the nature of the error
40776 (for instance, a divide by zero in the condition expression).
40777 @var{text} is hex encoded.
40778
40779 @item tunknown:0
40780 The trace stopped for some other reason.
40781
40782 @end table
40783
40784 Additional optional fields supply statistical and other information.
40785 Although not required, they are extremely useful for users monitoring
40786 the progress of a trace run. If a trace has stopped, and these
40787 numbers are reported, they must reflect the state of the just-stopped
40788 trace.
40789
40790 @table @samp
40791
40792 @item tframes:@var{n}
40793 The number of trace frames in the buffer.
40794
40795 @item tcreated:@var{n}
40796 The total number of trace frames created during the run. This may
40797 be larger than the trace frame count, if the buffer is circular.
40798
40799 @item tsize:@var{n}
40800 The total size of the trace buffer, in bytes.
40801
40802 @item tfree:@var{n}
40803 The number of bytes still unused in the buffer.
40804
40805 @item circular:@var{n}
40806 The value of the circular trace buffer flag. @code{1} means that the
40807 trace buffer is circular and old trace frames will be discarded if
40808 necessary to make room, @code{0} means that the trace buffer is linear
40809 and may fill up.
40810
40811 @item disconn:@var{n}
40812 The value of the disconnected tracing flag. @code{1} means that
40813 tracing will continue after @value{GDBN} disconnects, @code{0} means
40814 that the trace run will stop.
40815
40816 @end table
40817
40818 @item qTP:@var{tp}:@var{addr}
40819 @cindex tracepoint status, remote request
40820 @cindex @samp{qTP} packet
40821 Ask the stub for the current state of tracepoint number @var{tp} at
40822 address @var{addr}.
40823
40824 Replies:
40825 @table @samp
40826 @item V@var{hits}:@var{usage}
40827 The tracepoint has been hit @var{hits} times so far during the trace
40828 run, and accounts for @var{usage} in the trace buffer. Note that
40829 @code{while-stepping} steps are not counted as separate hits, but the
40830 steps' space consumption is added into the usage number.
40831
40832 @end table
40833
40834 @item qTV:@var{var}
40835 @cindex trace state variable value, remote request
40836 @cindex @samp{qTV} packet
40837 Ask the stub for the value of the trace state variable number @var{var}.
40838
40839 Replies:
40840 @table @samp
40841 @item V@var{value}
40842 The value of the variable is @var{value}. This will be the current
40843 value of the variable if the user is examining a running target, or a
40844 saved value if the variable was collected in the trace frame that the
40845 user is looking at. Note that multiple requests may result in
40846 different reply values, such as when requesting values while the
40847 program is running.
40848
40849 @item U
40850 The value of the variable is unknown. This would occur, for example,
40851 if the user is examining a trace frame in which the requested variable
40852 was not collected.
40853 @end table
40854
40855 @item qTfP
40856 @cindex @samp{qTfP} packet
40857 @itemx qTsP
40858 @cindex @samp{qTsP} packet
40859 These packets request data about tracepoints that are being used by
40860 the target. @value{GDBN} sends @code{qTfP} to get the first piece
40861 of data, and multiple @code{qTsP} to get additional pieces. Replies
40862 to these packets generally take the form of the @code{QTDP} packets
40863 that define tracepoints. (FIXME add detailed syntax)
40864
40865 @item qTfV
40866 @cindex @samp{qTfV} packet
40867 @itemx qTsV
40868 @cindex @samp{qTsV} packet
40869 These packets request data about trace state variables that are on the
40870 target. @value{GDBN} sends @code{qTfV} to get the first vari of data,
40871 and multiple @code{qTsV} to get additional variables. Replies to
40872 these packets follow the syntax of the @code{QTDV} packets that define
40873 trace state variables.
40874
40875 @item qTfSTM
40876 @itemx qTsSTM
40877 @anchor{qTfSTM}
40878 @anchor{qTsSTM}
40879 @cindex @samp{qTfSTM} packet
40880 @cindex @samp{qTsSTM} packet
40881 These packets request data about static tracepoint markers that exist
40882 in the target program. @value{GDBN} sends @code{qTfSTM} to get the
40883 first piece of data, and multiple @code{qTsSTM} to get additional
40884 pieces. Replies to these packets take the following form:
40885
40886 Reply:
40887 @table @samp
40888 @item m @var{address}:@var{id}:@var{extra}
40889 A single marker
40890 @item m @var{address}:@var{id}:@var{extra},@var{address}:@var{id}:@var{extra}@dots{}
40891 a comma-separated list of markers
40892 @item l
40893 (lower case letter @samp{L}) denotes end of list.
40894 @item E @var{nn}
40895 An error occurred. @var{nn} are hex digits.
40896 @item @w{}
40897 An empty reply indicates that the request is not supported by the
40898 stub.
40899 @end table
40900
40901 @var{address} is encoded in hex.
40902 @var{id} and @var{extra} are strings encoded in hex.
40903
40904 In response to each query, the target will reply with a list of one or
40905 more markers, separated by commas. @value{GDBN} will respond to each
40906 reply with a request for more markers (using the @samp{qs} form of the
40907 query), until the target responds with @samp{l} (lower-case ell, for
40908 @dfn{last}).
40909
40910 @item qTSTMat:@var{address}
40911 @anchor{qTSTMat}
40912 @cindex @samp{qTSTMat} packet
40913 This packets requests data about static tracepoint markers in the
40914 target program at @var{address}. Replies to this packet follow the
40915 syntax of the @samp{qTfSTM} and @code{qTsSTM} packets that list static
40916 tracepoint markers.
40917
40918 @item QTSave:@var{filename}
40919 @cindex @samp{QTSave} packet
40920 This packet directs the target to save trace data to the file name
40921 @var{filename} in the target's filesystem. @var{filename} is encoded
40922 as a hex string; the interpretation of the file name (relative vs
40923 absolute, wild cards, etc) is up to the target.
40924
40925 @item qTBuffer:@var{offset},@var{len}
40926 @cindex @samp{qTBuffer} packet
40927 Return up to @var{len} bytes of the current contents of trace buffer,
40928 starting at @var{offset}. The trace buffer is treated as if it were
40929 a contiguous collection of traceframes, as per the trace file format.
40930 The reply consists as many hex-encoded bytes as the target can deliver
40931 in a packet; it is not an error to return fewer than were asked for.
40932 A reply consisting of just @code{l} indicates that no bytes are
40933 available.
40934
40935 @item QTBuffer:circular:@var{value}
40936 This packet directs the target to use a circular trace buffer if
40937 @var{value} is 1, or a linear buffer if the value is 0.
40938
40939 @item QTBuffer:size:@var{size}
40940 @anchor{QTBuffer-size}
40941 @cindex @samp{QTBuffer size} packet
40942 This packet directs the target to make the trace buffer be of size
40943 @var{size} if possible. A value of @code{-1} tells the target to
40944 use whatever size it prefers.
40945
40946 @item QTNotes:@r{[}@var{type}:@var{text}@r{]}@r{[};@var{type}:@var{text}@r{]}@dots{}
40947 @cindex @samp{QTNotes} packet
40948 This packet adds optional textual notes to the trace run. Allowable
40949 types include @code{user}, @code{notes}, and @code{tstop}, the
40950 @var{text} fields are arbitrary strings, hex-encoded.
40951
40952 @end table
40953
40954 @subsection Relocate instruction reply packet
40955 When installing fast tracepoints in memory, the target may need to
40956 relocate the instruction currently at the tracepoint address to a
40957 different address in memory. For most instructions, a simple copy is
40958 enough, but, for example, call instructions that implicitly push the
40959 return address on the stack, and relative branches or other
40960 PC-relative instructions require offset adjustment, so that the effect
40961 of executing the instruction at a different address is the same as if
40962 it had executed in the original location.
40963
40964 In response to several of the tracepoint packets, the target may also
40965 respond with a number of intermediate @samp{qRelocInsn} request
40966 packets before the final result packet, to have @value{GDBN} handle
40967 this relocation operation. If a packet supports this mechanism, its
40968 documentation will explicitly say so. See for example the above
40969 descriptions for the @samp{QTStart} and @samp{QTDP} packets. The
40970 format of the request is:
40971
40972 @table @samp
40973 @item qRelocInsn:@var{from};@var{to}
40974
40975 This requests @value{GDBN} to copy instruction at address @var{from}
40976 to address @var{to}, possibly adjusted so that executing the
40977 instruction at @var{to} has the same effect as executing it at
40978 @var{from}. @value{GDBN} writes the adjusted instruction to target
40979 memory starting at @var{to}.
40980 @end table
40981
40982 Replies:
40983 @table @samp
40984 @item qRelocInsn:@var{adjusted_size}
40985 Informs the stub the relocation is complete. @var{adjusted_size} is
40986 the length in bytes of resulting relocated instruction sequence.
40987 @item E @var{NN}
40988 A badly formed request was detected, or an error was encountered while
40989 relocating the instruction.
40990 @end table
40991
40992 @node Host I/O Packets
40993 @section Host I/O Packets
40994 @cindex Host I/O, remote protocol
40995 @cindex file transfer, remote protocol
40996
40997 The @dfn{Host I/O} packets allow @value{GDBN} to perform I/O
40998 operations on the far side of a remote link. For example, Host I/O is
40999 used to upload and download files to a remote target with its own
41000 filesystem. Host I/O uses the same constant values and data structure
41001 layout as the target-initiated File-I/O protocol. However, the
41002 Host I/O packets are structured differently. The target-initiated
41003 protocol relies on target memory to store parameters and buffers.
41004 Host I/O requests are initiated by @value{GDBN}, and the
41005 target's memory is not involved. @xref{File-I/O Remote Protocol
41006 Extension}, for more details on the target-initiated protocol.
41007
41008 The Host I/O request packets all encode a single operation along with
41009 its arguments. They have this format:
41010
41011 @table @samp
41012
41013 @item vFile:@var{operation}: @var{parameter}@dots{}
41014 @var{operation} is the name of the particular request; the target
41015 should compare the entire packet name up to the second colon when checking
41016 for a supported operation. The format of @var{parameter} depends on
41017 the operation. Numbers are always passed in hexadecimal. Negative
41018 numbers have an explicit minus sign (i.e.@: two's complement is not
41019 used). Strings (e.g.@: filenames) are encoded as a series of
41020 hexadecimal bytes. The last argument to a system call may be a
41021 buffer of escaped binary data (@pxref{Binary Data}).
41022
41023 @end table
41024
41025 The valid responses to Host I/O packets are:
41026
41027 @table @samp
41028
41029 @item F @var{result} [, @var{errno}] [; @var{attachment}]
41030 @var{result} is the integer value returned by this operation, usually
41031 non-negative for success and -1 for errors. If an error has occured,
41032 @var{errno} will be included in the result. @var{errno} will have a
41033 value defined by the File-I/O protocol (@pxref{Errno Values}). For
41034 operations which return data, @var{attachment} supplies the data as a
41035 binary buffer. Binary buffers in response packets are escaped in the
41036 normal way (@pxref{Binary Data}). See the individual packet
41037 documentation for the interpretation of @var{result} and
41038 @var{attachment}.
41039
41040 @item @w{}
41041 An empty response indicates that this operation is not recognized.
41042
41043 @end table
41044
41045 These are the supported Host I/O operations:
41046
41047 @table @samp
41048 @item vFile:open: @var{pathname}, @var{flags}, @var{mode}
41049 Open a file at @var{pathname} and return a file descriptor for it, or
41050 return -1 if an error occurs. @var{pathname} is a string,
41051 @var{flags} is an integer indicating a mask of open flags
41052 (@pxref{Open Flags}), and @var{mode} is an integer indicating a mask
41053 of mode bits to use if the file is created (@pxref{mode_t Values}).
41054 @xref{open}, for details of the open flags and mode values.
41055
41056 @item vFile:close: @var{fd}
41057 Close the open file corresponding to @var{fd} and return 0, or
41058 -1 if an error occurs.
41059
41060 @item vFile:pread: @var{fd}, @var{count}, @var{offset}
41061 Read data from the open file corresponding to @var{fd}. Up to
41062 @var{count} bytes will be read from the file, starting at @var{offset}
41063 relative to the start of the file. The target may read fewer bytes;
41064 common reasons include packet size limits and an end-of-file
41065 condition. The number of bytes read is returned. Zero should only be
41066 returned for a successful read at the end of the file, or if
41067 @var{count} was zero.
41068
41069 The data read should be returned as a binary attachment on success.
41070 If zero bytes were read, the response should include an empty binary
41071 attachment (i.e.@: a trailing semicolon). The return value is the
41072 number of target bytes read; the binary attachment may be longer if
41073 some characters were escaped.
41074
41075 @item vFile:pwrite: @var{fd}, @var{offset}, @var{data}
41076 Write @var{data} (a binary buffer) to the open file corresponding
41077 to @var{fd}. Start the write at @var{offset} from the start of the
41078 file. Unlike many @code{write} system calls, there is no
41079 separate @var{count} argument; the length of @var{data} in the
41080 packet is used. @samp{vFile:write} returns the number of bytes written,
41081 which may be shorter than the length of @var{data}, or -1 if an
41082 error occurred.
41083
41084 @item vFile:unlink: @var{pathname}
41085 Delete the file at @var{pathname} on the target. Return 0,
41086 or -1 if an error occurs. @var{pathname} is a string.
41087
41088 @item vFile:readlink: @var{filename}
41089 Read value of symbolic link @var{filename} on the target. Return
41090 the number of bytes read, or -1 if an error occurs.
41091
41092 The data read should be returned as a binary attachment on success.
41093 If zero bytes were read, the response should include an empty binary
41094 attachment (i.e.@: a trailing semicolon). The return value is the
41095 number of target bytes read; the binary attachment may be longer if
41096 some characters were escaped.
41097
41098 @end table
41099
41100 @node Interrupts
41101 @section Interrupts
41102 @cindex interrupts (remote protocol)
41103
41104 When a program on the remote target is running, @value{GDBN} may
41105 attempt to interrupt it by sending a @samp{Ctrl-C}, @code{BREAK} or
41106 a @code{BREAK} followed by @code{g},
41107 control of which is specified via @value{GDBN}'s @samp{interrupt-sequence}.
41108
41109 The precise meaning of @code{BREAK} is defined by the transport
41110 mechanism and may, in fact, be undefined. @value{GDBN} does not
41111 currently define a @code{BREAK} mechanism for any of the network
41112 interfaces except for TCP, in which case @value{GDBN} sends the
41113 @code{telnet} BREAK sequence.
41114
41115 @samp{Ctrl-C}, on the other hand, is defined and implemented for all
41116 transport mechanisms. It is represented by sending the single byte
41117 @code{0x03} without any of the usual packet overhead described in
41118 the Overview section (@pxref{Overview}). When a @code{0x03} byte is
41119 transmitted as part of a packet, it is considered to be packet data
41120 and does @emph{not} represent an interrupt. E.g., an @samp{X} packet
41121 (@pxref{X packet}), used for binary downloads, may include an unescaped
41122 @code{0x03} as part of its packet.
41123
41124 @code{BREAK} followed by @code{g} is also known as Magic SysRq g.
41125 When Linux kernel receives this sequence from serial port,
41126 it stops execution and connects to gdb.
41127
41128 Stubs are not required to recognize these interrupt mechanisms and the
41129 precise meaning associated with receipt of the interrupt is
41130 implementation defined. If the target supports debugging of multiple
41131 threads and/or processes, it should attempt to interrupt all
41132 currently-executing threads and processes.
41133 If the stub is successful at interrupting the
41134 running program, it should send one of the stop
41135 reply packets (@pxref{Stop Reply Packets}) to @value{GDBN} as a result
41136 of successfully stopping the program in all-stop mode, and a stop reply
41137 for each stopped thread in non-stop mode.
41138 Interrupts received while the
41139 program is stopped are discarded.
41140
41141 @node Notification Packets
41142 @section Notification Packets
41143 @cindex notification packets
41144 @cindex packets, notification
41145
41146 The @value{GDBN} remote serial protocol includes @dfn{notifications},
41147 packets that require no acknowledgment. Both the GDB and the stub
41148 may send notifications (although the only notifications defined at
41149 present are sent by the stub). Notifications carry information
41150 without incurring the round-trip latency of an acknowledgment, and so
41151 are useful for low-impact communications where occasional packet loss
41152 is not a problem.
41153
41154 A notification packet has the form @samp{% @var{data} #
41155 @var{checksum}}, where @var{data} is the content of the notification,
41156 and @var{checksum} is a checksum of @var{data}, computed and formatted
41157 as for ordinary @value{GDBN} packets. A notification's @var{data}
41158 never contains @samp{$}, @samp{%} or @samp{#} characters. Upon
41159 receiving a notification, the recipient sends no @samp{+} or @samp{-}
41160 to acknowledge the notification's receipt or to report its corruption.
41161
41162 Every notification's @var{data} begins with a name, which contains no
41163 colon characters, followed by a colon character.
41164
41165 Recipients should silently ignore corrupted notifications and
41166 notifications they do not understand. Recipients should restart
41167 timeout periods on receipt of a well-formed notification, whether or
41168 not they understand it.
41169
41170 Senders should only send the notifications described here when this
41171 protocol description specifies that they are permitted. In the
41172 future, we may extend the protocol to permit existing notifications in
41173 new contexts; this rule helps older senders avoid confusing newer
41174 recipients.
41175
41176 (Older versions of @value{GDBN} ignore bytes received until they see
41177 the @samp{$} byte that begins an ordinary packet, so new stubs may
41178 transmit notifications without fear of confusing older clients. There
41179 are no notifications defined for @value{GDBN} to send at the moment, but we
41180 assume that most older stubs would ignore them, as well.)
41181
41182 Each notification is comprised of three parts:
41183 @table @samp
41184 @item @var{name}:@var{event}
41185 The notification packet is sent by the side that initiates the
41186 exchange (currently, only the stub does that), with @var{event}
41187 carrying the specific information about the notification.
41188 @var{name} is the name of the notification.
41189 @item @var{ack}
41190 The acknowledge sent by the other side, usually @value{GDBN}, to
41191 acknowledge the exchange and request the event.
41192 @end table
41193
41194 The purpose of an asynchronous notification mechanism is to report to
41195 @value{GDBN} that something interesting happened in the remote stub.
41196
41197 The remote stub may send notification @var{name}:@var{event}
41198 at any time, but @value{GDBN} acknowledges the notification when
41199 appropriate. The notification event is pending before @value{GDBN}
41200 acknowledges. Only one notification at a time may be pending; if
41201 additional events occur before @value{GDBN} has acknowledged the
41202 previous notification, they must be queued by the stub for later
41203 synchronous transmission in response to @var{ack} packets from
41204 @value{GDBN}. Because the notification mechanism is unreliable,
41205 the stub is permitted to resend a notification if it believes
41206 @value{GDBN} may not have received it.
41207
41208 Specifically, notifications may appear when @value{GDBN} is not
41209 otherwise reading input from the stub, or when @value{GDBN} is
41210 expecting to read a normal synchronous response or a
41211 @samp{+}/@samp{-} acknowledgment to a packet it has sent.
41212 Notification packets are distinct from any other communication from
41213 the stub so there is no ambiguity.
41214
41215 After receiving a notification, @value{GDBN} shall acknowledge it by
41216 sending a @var{ack} packet as a regular, synchronous request to the
41217 stub. Such acknowledgment is not required to happen immediately, as
41218 @value{GDBN} is permitted to send other, unrelated packets to the
41219 stub first, which the stub should process normally.
41220
41221 Upon receiving a @var{ack} packet, if the stub has other queued
41222 events to report to @value{GDBN}, it shall respond by sending a
41223 normal @var{event}. @value{GDBN} shall then send another @var{ack}
41224 packet to solicit further responses; again, it is permitted to send
41225 other, unrelated packets as well which the stub should process
41226 normally.
41227
41228 If the stub receives a @var{ack} packet and there are no additional
41229 @var{event} to report, the stub shall return an @samp{OK} response.
41230 At this point, @value{GDBN} has finished processing a notification
41231 and the stub has completed sending any queued events. @value{GDBN}
41232 won't accept any new notifications until the final @samp{OK} is
41233 received . If further notification events occur, the stub shall send
41234 a new notification, @value{GDBN} shall accept the notification, and
41235 the process shall be repeated.
41236
41237 The process of asynchronous notification can be illustrated by the
41238 following example:
41239 @smallexample
41240 <- @code{%%Stop:T0505:98e7ffbf;04:4ce6ffbf;08:b1b6e54c;thread:p7526.7526;core:0;}
41241 @code{...}
41242 -> @code{vStopped}
41243 <- @code{T0505:68f37db7;04:40f37db7;08:63850408;thread:p7526.7528;core:0;}
41244 -> @code{vStopped}
41245 <- @code{T0505:68e3fdb6;04:40e3fdb6;08:63850408;thread:p7526.7529;core:0;}
41246 -> @code{vStopped}
41247 <- @code{OK}
41248 @end smallexample
41249
41250 The following notifications are defined:
41251 @multitable @columnfractions 0.12 0.12 0.38 0.38
41252
41253 @item Notification
41254 @tab Ack
41255 @tab Event
41256 @tab Description
41257
41258 @item Stop
41259 @tab vStopped
41260 @tab @var{reply}. The @var{reply} has the form of a stop reply, as
41261 described in @ref{Stop Reply Packets}. Refer to @ref{Remote Non-Stop},
41262 for information on how these notifications are acknowledged by
41263 @value{GDBN}.
41264 @tab Report an asynchronous stop event in non-stop mode.
41265
41266 @end multitable
41267
41268 @node Remote Non-Stop
41269 @section Remote Protocol Support for Non-Stop Mode
41270
41271 @value{GDBN}'s remote protocol supports non-stop debugging of
41272 multi-threaded programs, as described in @ref{Non-Stop Mode}. If the stub
41273 supports non-stop mode, it should report that to @value{GDBN} by including
41274 @samp{QNonStop+} in its @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
41275
41276 @value{GDBN} typically sends a @samp{QNonStop} packet only when
41277 establishing a new connection with the stub. Entering non-stop mode
41278 does not alter the state of any currently-running threads, but targets
41279 must stop all threads in any already-attached processes when entering
41280 all-stop mode. @value{GDBN} uses the @samp{?} packet as necessary to
41281 probe the target state after a mode change.
41282
41283 In non-stop mode, when an attached process encounters an event that
41284 would otherwise be reported with a stop reply, it uses the
41285 asynchronous notification mechanism (@pxref{Notification Packets}) to
41286 inform @value{GDBN}. In contrast to all-stop mode, where all threads
41287 in all processes are stopped when a stop reply is sent, in non-stop
41288 mode only the thread reporting the stop event is stopped. That is,
41289 when reporting a @samp{S} or @samp{T} response to indicate completion
41290 of a step operation, hitting a breakpoint, or a fault, only the
41291 affected thread is stopped; any other still-running threads continue
41292 to run. When reporting a @samp{W} or @samp{X} response, all running
41293 threads belonging to other attached processes continue to run.
41294
41295 In non-stop mode, the target shall respond to the @samp{?} packet as
41296 follows. First, any incomplete stop reply notification/@samp{vStopped}
41297 sequence in progress is abandoned. The target must begin a new
41298 sequence reporting stop events for all stopped threads, whether or not
41299 it has previously reported those events to @value{GDBN}. The first
41300 stop reply is sent as a synchronous reply to the @samp{?} packet, and
41301 subsequent stop replies are sent as responses to @samp{vStopped} packets
41302 using the mechanism described above. The target must not send
41303 asynchronous stop reply notifications until the sequence is complete.
41304 If all threads are running when the target receives the @samp{?} packet,
41305 or if the target is not attached to any process, it shall respond
41306 @samp{OK}.
41307
41308 @node Packet Acknowledgment
41309 @section Packet Acknowledgment
41310
41311 @cindex acknowledgment, for @value{GDBN} remote
41312 @cindex packet acknowledgment, for @value{GDBN} remote
41313 By default, when either the host or the target machine receives a packet,
41314 the first response expected is an acknowledgment: either @samp{+} (to indicate
41315 the package was received correctly) or @samp{-} (to request retransmission).
41316 This mechanism allows the @value{GDBN} remote protocol to operate over
41317 unreliable transport mechanisms, such as a serial line.
41318
41319 In cases where the transport mechanism is itself reliable (such as a pipe or
41320 TCP connection), the @samp{+}/@samp{-} acknowledgments are redundant.
41321 It may be desirable to disable them in that case to reduce communication
41322 overhead, or for other reasons. This can be accomplished by means of the
41323 @samp{QStartNoAckMode} packet; @pxref{QStartNoAckMode}.
41324
41325 When in no-acknowledgment mode, neither the stub nor @value{GDBN} shall send or
41326 expect @samp{+}/@samp{-} protocol acknowledgments. The packet
41327 and response format still includes the normal checksum, as described in
41328 @ref{Overview}, but the checksum may be ignored by the receiver.
41329
41330 If the stub supports @samp{QStartNoAckMode} and prefers to operate in
41331 no-acknowledgment mode, it should report that to @value{GDBN}
41332 by including @samp{QStartNoAckMode+} in its response to @samp{qSupported};
41333 @pxref{qSupported}.
41334 If @value{GDBN} also supports @samp{QStartNoAckMode} and it has not been
41335 disabled via the @code{set remote noack-packet off} command
41336 (@pxref{Remote Configuration}),
41337 @value{GDBN} may then send a @samp{QStartNoAckMode} packet to the stub.
41338 Only then may the stub actually turn off packet acknowledgments.
41339 @value{GDBN} sends a final @samp{+} acknowledgment of the stub's @samp{OK}
41340 response, which can be safely ignored by the stub.
41341
41342 Note that @code{set remote noack-packet} command only affects negotiation
41343 between @value{GDBN} and the stub when subsequent connections are made;
41344 it does not affect the protocol acknowledgment state for any current
41345 connection.
41346 Since @samp{+}/@samp{-} acknowledgments are enabled by default when a
41347 new connection is established,
41348 there is also no protocol request to re-enable the acknowledgments
41349 for the current connection, once disabled.
41350
41351 @node Examples
41352 @section Examples
41353
41354 Example sequence of a target being re-started. Notice how the restart
41355 does not get any direct output:
41356
41357 @smallexample
41358 -> @code{R00}
41359 <- @code{+}
41360 @emph{target restarts}
41361 -> @code{?}
41362 <- @code{+}
41363 <- @code{T001:1234123412341234}
41364 -> @code{+}
41365 @end smallexample
41366
41367 Example sequence of a target being stepped by a single instruction:
41368
41369 @smallexample
41370 -> @code{G1445@dots{}}
41371 <- @code{+}
41372 -> @code{s}
41373 <- @code{+}
41374 @emph{time passes}
41375 <- @code{T001:1234123412341234}
41376 -> @code{+}
41377 -> @code{g}
41378 <- @code{+}
41379 <- @code{1455@dots{}}
41380 -> @code{+}
41381 @end smallexample
41382
41383 @node File-I/O Remote Protocol Extension
41384 @section File-I/O Remote Protocol Extension
41385 @cindex File-I/O remote protocol extension
41386
41387 @menu
41388 * File-I/O Overview::
41389 * Protocol Basics::
41390 * The F Request Packet::
41391 * The F Reply Packet::
41392 * The Ctrl-C Message::
41393 * Console I/O::
41394 * List of Supported Calls::
41395 * Protocol-specific Representation of Datatypes::
41396 * Constants::
41397 * File-I/O Examples::
41398 @end menu
41399
41400 @node File-I/O Overview
41401 @subsection File-I/O Overview
41402 @cindex file-i/o overview
41403
41404 The @dfn{File I/O remote protocol extension} (short: File-I/O) allows the
41405 target to use the host's file system and console I/O to perform various
41406 system calls. System calls on the target system are translated into a
41407 remote protocol packet to the host system, which then performs the needed
41408 actions and returns a response packet to the target system.
41409 This simulates file system operations even on targets that lack file systems.
41410
41411 The protocol is defined to be independent of both the host and target systems.
41412 It uses its own internal representation of datatypes and values. Both
41413 @value{GDBN} and the target's @value{GDBN} stub are responsible for
41414 translating the system-dependent value representations into the internal
41415 protocol representations when data is transmitted.
41416
41417 The communication is synchronous. A system call is possible only when
41418 @value{GDBN} is waiting for a response from the @samp{C}, @samp{c}, @samp{S}
41419 or @samp{s} packets. While @value{GDBN} handles the request for a system call,
41420 the target is stopped to allow deterministic access to the target's
41421 memory. Therefore File-I/O is not interruptible by target signals. On
41422 the other hand, it is possible to interrupt File-I/O by a user interrupt
41423 (@samp{Ctrl-C}) within @value{GDBN}.
41424
41425 The target's request to perform a host system call does not finish
41426 the latest @samp{C}, @samp{c}, @samp{S} or @samp{s} action. That means,
41427 after finishing the system call, the target returns to continuing the
41428 previous activity (continue, step). No additional continue or step
41429 request from @value{GDBN} is required.
41430
41431 @smallexample
41432 (@value{GDBP}) continue
41433 <- target requests 'system call X'
41434 target is stopped, @value{GDBN} executes system call
41435 -> @value{GDBN} returns result
41436 ... target continues, @value{GDBN} returns to wait for the target
41437 <- target hits breakpoint and sends a Txx packet
41438 @end smallexample
41439
41440 The protocol only supports I/O on the console and to regular files on
41441 the host file system. Character or block special devices, pipes,
41442 named pipes, sockets or any other communication method on the host
41443 system are not supported by this protocol.
41444
41445 File I/O is not supported in non-stop mode.
41446
41447 @node Protocol Basics
41448 @subsection Protocol Basics
41449 @cindex protocol basics, file-i/o
41450
41451 The File-I/O protocol uses the @code{F} packet as the request as well
41452 as reply packet. Since a File-I/O system call can only occur when
41453 @value{GDBN} is waiting for a response from the continuing or stepping target,
41454 the File-I/O request is a reply that @value{GDBN} has to expect as a result
41455 of a previous @samp{C}, @samp{c}, @samp{S} or @samp{s} packet.
41456 This @code{F} packet contains all information needed to allow @value{GDBN}
41457 to call the appropriate host system call:
41458
41459 @itemize @bullet
41460 @item
41461 A unique identifier for the requested system call.
41462
41463 @item
41464 All parameters to the system call. Pointers are given as addresses
41465 in the target memory address space. Pointers to strings are given as
41466 pointer/length pair. Numerical values are given as they are.
41467 Numerical control flags are given in a protocol-specific representation.
41468
41469 @end itemize
41470
41471 At this point, @value{GDBN} has to perform the following actions.
41472
41473 @itemize @bullet
41474 @item
41475 If the parameters include pointer values to data needed as input to a
41476 system call, @value{GDBN} requests this data from the target with a
41477 standard @code{m} packet request. This additional communication has to be
41478 expected by the target implementation and is handled as any other @code{m}
41479 packet.
41480
41481 @item
41482 @value{GDBN} translates all value from protocol representation to host
41483 representation as needed. Datatypes are coerced into the host types.
41484
41485 @item
41486 @value{GDBN} calls the system call.
41487
41488 @item
41489 It then coerces datatypes back to protocol representation.
41490
41491 @item
41492 If the system call is expected to return data in buffer space specified
41493 by pointer parameters to the call, the data is transmitted to the
41494 target using a @code{M} or @code{X} packet. This packet has to be expected
41495 by the target implementation and is handled as any other @code{M} or @code{X}
41496 packet.
41497
41498 @end itemize
41499
41500 Eventually @value{GDBN} replies with another @code{F} packet which contains all
41501 necessary information for the target to continue. This at least contains
41502
41503 @itemize @bullet
41504 @item
41505 Return value.
41506
41507 @item
41508 @code{errno}, if has been changed by the system call.
41509
41510 @item
41511 ``Ctrl-C'' flag.
41512
41513 @end itemize
41514
41515 After having done the needed type and value coercion, the target continues
41516 the latest continue or step action.
41517
41518 @node The F Request Packet
41519 @subsection The @code{F} Request Packet
41520 @cindex file-i/o request packet
41521 @cindex @code{F} request packet
41522
41523 The @code{F} request packet has the following format:
41524
41525 @table @samp
41526 @item F@var{call-id},@var{parameter@dots{}}
41527
41528 @var{call-id} is the identifier to indicate the host system call to be called.
41529 This is just the name of the function.
41530
41531 @var{parameter@dots{}} are the parameters to the system call.
41532 Parameters are hexadecimal integer values, either the actual values in case
41533 of scalar datatypes, pointers to target buffer space in case of compound
41534 datatypes and unspecified memory areas, or pointer/length pairs in case
41535 of string parameters. These are appended to the @var{call-id} as a
41536 comma-delimited list. All values are transmitted in ASCII
41537 string representation, pointer/length pairs separated by a slash.
41538
41539 @end table
41540
41541
41542
41543 @node The F Reply Packet
41544 @subsection The @code{F} Reply Packet
41545 @cindex file-i/o reply packet
41546 @cindex @code{F} reply packet
41547
41548 The @code{F} reply packet has the following format:
41549
41550 @table @samp
41551
41552 @item F@var{retcode},@var{errno},@var{Ctrl-C flag};@var{call-specific attachment}
41553
41554 @var{retcode} is the return code of the system call as hexadecimal value.
41555
41556 @var{errno} is the @code{errno} set by the call, in protocol-specific
41557 representation.
41558 This parameter can be omitted if the call was successful.
41559
41560 @var{Ctrl-C flag} is only sent if the user requested a break. In this
41561 case, @var{errno} must be sent as well, even if the call was successful.
41562 The @var{Ctrl-C flag} itself consists of the character @samp{C}:
41563
41564 @smallexample
41565 F0,0,C
41566 @end smallexample
41567
41568 @noindent
41569 or, if the call was interrupted before the host call has been performed:
41570
41571 @smallexample
41572 F-1,4,C
41573 @end smallexample
41574
41575 @noindent
41576 assuming 4 is the protocol-specific representation of @code{EINTR}.
41577
41578 @end table
41579
41580
41581 @node The Ctrl-C Message
41582 @subsection The @samp{Ctrl-C} Message
41583 @cindex ctrl-c message, in file-i/o protocol
41584
41585 If the @samp{Ctrl-C} flag is set in the @value{GDBN}
41586 reply packet (@pxref{The F Reply Packet}),
41587 the target should behave as if it had
41588 gotten a break message. The meaning for the target is ``system call
41589 interrupted by @code{SIGINT}''. Consequentially, the target should actually stop
41590 (as with a break message) and return to @value{GDBN} with a @code{T02}
41591 packet.
41592
41593 It's important for the target to know in which
41594 state the system call was interrupted. There are two possible cases:
41595
41596 @itemize @bullet
41597 @item
41598 The system call hasn't been performed on the host yet.
41599
41600 @item
41601 The system call on the host has been finished.
41602
41603 @end itemize
41604
41605 These two states can be distinguished by the target by the value of the
41606 returned @code{errno}. If it's the protocol representation of @code{EINTR}, the system
41607 call hasn't been performed. This is equivalent to the @code{EINTR} handling
41608 on POSIX systems. In any other case, the target may presume that the
41609 system call has been finished --- successfully or not --- and should behave
41610 as if the break message arrived right after the system call.
41611
41612 @value{GDBN} must behave reliably. If the system call has not been called
41613 yet, @value{GDBN} may send the @code{F} reply immediately, setting @code{EINTR} as
41614 @code{errno} in the packet. If the system call on the host has been finished
41615 before the user requests a break, the full action must be finished by
41616 @value{GDBN}. This requires sending @code{M} or @code{X} packets as necessary.
41617 The @code{F} packet may only be sent when either nothing has happened
41618 or the full action has been completed.
41619
41620 @node Console I/O
41621 @subsection Console I/O
41622 @cindex console i/o as part of file-i/o
41623
41624 By default and if not explicitly closed by the target system, the file
41625 descriptors 0, 1 and 2 are connected to the @value{GDBN} console. Output
41626 on the @value{GDBN} console is handled as any other file output operation
41627 (@code{write(1, @dots{})} or @code{write(2, @dots{})}). Console input is handled
41628 by @value{GDBN} so that after the target read request from file descriptor
41629 0 all following typing is buffered until either one of the following
41630 conditions is met:
41631
41632 @itemize @bullet
41633 @item
41634 The user types @kbd{Ctrl-c}. The behaviour is as explained above, and the
41635 @code{read}
41636 system call is treated as finished.
41637
41638 @item
41639 The user presses @key{RET}. This is treated as end of input with a trailing
41640 newline.
41641
41642 @item
41643 The user types @kbd{Ctrl-d}. This is treated as end of input. No trailing
41644 character (neither newline nor @samp{Ctrl-D}) is appended to the input.
41645
41646 @end itemize
41647
41648 If the user has typed more characters than fit in the buffer given to
41649 the @code{read} call, the trailing characters are buffered in @value{GDBN} until
41650 either another @code{read(0, @dots{})} is requested by the target, or debugging
41651 is stopped at the user's request.
41652
41653
41654 @node List of Supported Calls
41655 @subsection List of Supported Calls
41656 @cindex list of supported file-i/o calls
41657
41658 @menu
41659 * open::
41660 * close::
41661 * read::
41662 * write::
41663 * lseek::
41664 * rename::
41665 * unlink::
41666 * stat/fstat::
41667 * gettimeofday::
41668 * isatty::
41669 * system::
41670 @end menu
41671
41672 @node open
41673 @unnumberedsubsubsec open
41674 @cindex open, file-i/o system call
41675
41676 @table @asis
41677 @item Synopsis:
41678 @smallexample
41679 int open(const char *pathname, int flags);
41680 int open(const char *pathname, int flags, mode_t mode);
41681 @end smallexample
41682
41683 @item Request:
41684 @samp{Fopen,@var{pathptr}/@var{len},@var{flags},@var{mode}}
41685
41686 @noindent
41687 @var{flags} is the bitwise @code{OR} of the following values:
41688
41689 @table @code
41690 @item O_CREAT
41691 If the file does not exist it will be created. The host
41692 rules apply as far as file ownership and time stamps
41693 are concerned.
41694
41695 @item O_EXCL
41696 When used with @code{O_CREAT}, if the file already exists it is
41697 an error and open() fails.
41698
41699 @item O_TRUNC
41700 If the file already exists and the open mode allows
41701 writing (@code{O_RDWR} or @code{O_WRONLY} is given) it will be
41702 truncated to zero length.
41703
41704 @item O_APPEND
41705 The file is opened in append mode.
41706
41707 @item O_RDONLY
41708 The file is opened for reading only.
41709
41710 @item O_WRONLY
41711 The file is opened for writing only.
41712
41713 @item O_RDWR
41714 The file is opened for reading and writing.
41715 @end table
41716
41717 @noindent
41718 Other bits are silently ignored.
41719
41720
41721 @noindent
41722 @var{mode} is the bitwise @code{OR} of the following values:
41723
41724 @table @code
41725 @item S_IRUSR
41726 User has read permission.
41727
41728 @item S_IWUSR
41729 User has write permission.
41730
41731 @item S_IRGRP
41732 Group has read permission.
41733
41734 @item S_IWGRP
41735 Group has write permission.
41736
41737 @item S_IROTH
41738 Others have read permission.
41739
41740 @item S_IWOTH
41741 Others have write permission.
41742 @end table
41743
41744 @noindent
41745 Other bits are silently ignored.
41746
41747
41748 @item Return value:
41749 @code{open} returns the new file descriptor or -1 if an error
41750 occurred.
41751
41752 @item Errors:
41753
41754 @table @code
41755 @item EEXIST
41756 @var{pathname} already exists and @code{O_CREAT} and @code{O_EXCL} were used.
41757
41758 @item EISDIR
41759 @var{pathname} refers to a directory.
41760
41761 @item EACCES
41762 The requested access is not allowed.
41763
41764 @item ENAMETOOLONG
41765 @var{pathname} was too long.
41766
41767 @item ENOENT
41768 A directory component in @var{pathname} does not exist.
41769
41770 @item ENODEV
41771 @var{pathname} refers to a device, pipe, named pipe or socket.
41772
41773 @item EROFS
41774 @var{pathname} refers to a file on a read-only filesystem and
41775 write access was requested.
41776
41777 @item EFAULT
41778 @var{pathname} is an invalid pointer value.
41779
41780 @item ENOSPC
41781 No space on device to create the file.
41782
41783 @item EMFILE
41784 The process already has the maximum number of files open.
41785
41786 @item ENFILE
41787 The limit on the total number of files open on the system
41788 has been reached.
41789
41790 @item EINTR
41791 The call was interrupted by the user.
41792 @end table
41793
41794 @end table
41795
41796 @node close
41797 @unnumberedsubsubsec close
41798 @cindex close, file-i/o system call
41799
41800 @table @asis
41801 @item Synopsis:
41802 @smallexample
41803 int close(int fd);
41804 @end smallexample
41805
41806 @item Request:
41807 @samp{Fclose,@var{fd}}
41808
41809 @item Return value:
41810 @code{close} returns zero on success, or -1 if an error occurred.
41811
41812 @item Errors:
41813
41814 @table @code
41815 @item EBADF
41816 @var{fd} isn't a valid open file descriptor.
41817
41818 @item EINTR
41819 The call was interrupted by the user.
41820 @end table
41821
41822 @end table
41823
41824 @node read
41825 @unnumberedsubsubsec read
41826 @cindex read, file-i/o system call
41827
41828 @table @asis
41829 @item Synopsis:
41830 @smallexample
41831 int read(int fd, void *buf, unsigned int count);
41832 @end smallexample
41833
41834 @item Request:
41835 @samp{Fread,@var{fd},@var{bufptr},@var{count}}
41836
41837 @item Return value:
41838 On success, the number of bytes read is returned.
41839 Zero indicates end of file. If count is zero, read
41840 returns zero as well. On error, -1 is returned.
41841
41842 @item Errors:
41843
41844 @table @code
41845 @item EBADF
41846 @var{fd} is not a valid file descriptor or is not open for
41847 reading.
41848
41849 @item EFAULT
41850 @var{bufptr} is an invalid pointer value.
41851
41852 @item EINTR
41853 The call was interrupted by the user.
41854 @end table
41855
41856 @end table
41857
41858 @node write
41859 @unnumberedsubsubsec write
41860 @cindex write, file-i/o system call
41861
41862 @table @asis
41863 @item Synopsis:
41864 @smallexample
41865 int write(int fd, const void *buf, unsigned int count);
41866 @end smallexample
41867
41868 @item Request:
41869 @samp{Fwrite,@var{fd},@var{bufptr},@var{count}}
41870
41871 @item Return value:
41872 On success, the number of bytes written are returned.
41873 Zero indicates nothing was written. On error, -1
41874 is returned.
41875
41876 @item Errors:
41877
41878 @table @code
41879 @item EBADF
41880 @var{fd} is not a valid file descriptor or is not open for
41881 writing.
41882
41883 @item EFAULT
41884 @var{bufptr} is an invalid pointer value.
41885
41886 @item EFBIG
41887 An attempt was made to write a file that exceeds the
41888 host-specific maximum file size allowed.
41889
41890 @item ENOSPC
41891 No space on device to write the data.
41892
41893 @item EINTR
41894 The call was interrupted by the user.
41895 @end table
41896
41897 @end table
41898
41899 @node lseek
41900 @unnumberedsubsubsec lseek
41901 @cindex lseek, file-i/o system call
41902
41903 @table @asis
41904 @item Synopsis:
41905 @smallexample
41906 long lseek (int fd, long offset, int flag);
41907 @end smallexample
41908
41909 @item Request:
41910 @samp{Flseek,@var{fd},@var{offset},@var{flag}}
41911
41912 @var{flag} is one of:
41913
41914 @table @code
41915 @item SEEK_SET
41916 The offset is set to @var{offset} bytes.
41917
41918 @item SEEK_CUR
41919 The offset is set to its current location plus @var{offset}
41920 bytes.
41921
41922 @item SEEK_END
41923 The offset is set to the size of the file plus @var{offset}
41924 bytes.
41925 @end table
41926
41927 @item Return value:
41928 On success, the resulting unsigned offset in bytes from
41929 the beginning of the file is returned. Otherwise, a
41930 value of -1 is returned.
41931
41932 @item Errors:
41933
41934 @table @code
41935 @item EBADF
41936 @var{fd} is not a valid open file descriptor.
41937
41938 @item ESPIPE
41939 @var{fd} is associated with the @value{GDBN} console.
41940
41941 @item EINVAL
41942 @var{flag} is not a proper value.
41943
41944 @item EINTR
41945 The call was interrupted by the user.
41946 @end table
41947
41948 @end table
41949
41950 @node rename
41951 @unnumberedsubsubsec rename
41952 @cindex rename, file-i/o system call
41953
41954 @table @asis
41955 @item Synopsis:
41956 @smallexample
41957 int rename(const char *oldpath, const char *newpath);
41958 @end smallexample
41959
41960 @item Request:
41961 @samp{Frename,@var{oldpathptr}/@var{len},@var{newpathptr}/@var{len}}
41962
41963 @item Return value:
41964 On success, zero is returned. On error, -1 is returned.
41965
41966 @item Errors:
41967
41968 @table @code
41969 @item EISDIR
41970 @var{newpath} is an existing directory, but @var{oldpath} is not a
41971 directory.
41972
41973 @item EEXIST
41974 @var{newpath} is a non-empty directory.
41975
41976 @item EBUSY
41977 @var{oldpath} or @var{newpath} is a directory that is in use by some
41978 process.
41979
41980 @item EINVAL
41981 An attempt was made to make a directory a subdirectory
41982 of itself.
41983
41984 @item ENOTDIR
41985 A component used as a directory in @var{oldpath} or new
41986 path is not a directory. Or @var{oldpath} is a directory
41987 and @var{newpath} exists but is not a directory.
41988
41989 @item EFAULT
41990 @var{oldpathptr} or @var{newpathptr} are invalid pointer values.
41991
41992 @item EACCES
41993 No access to the file or the path of the file.
41994
41995 @item ENAMETOOLONG
41996
41997 @var{oldpath} or @var{newpath} was too long.
41998
41999 @item ENOENT
42000 A directory component in @var{oldpath} or @var{newpath} does not exist.
42001
42002 @item EROFS
42003 The file is on a read-only filesystem.
42004
42005 @item ENOSPC
42006 The device containing the file has no room for the new
42007 directory entry.
42008
42009 @item EINTR
42010 The call was interrupted by the user.
42011 @end table
42012
42013 @end table
42014
42015 @node unlink
42016 @unnumberedsubsubsec unlink
42017 @cindex unlink, file-i/o system call
42018
42019 @table @asis
42020 @item Synopsis:
42021 @smallexample
42022 int unlink(const char *pathname);
42023 @end smallexample
42024
42025 @item Request:
42026 @samp{Funlink,@var{pathnameptr}/@var{len}}
42027
42028 @item Return value:
42029 On success, zero is returned. On error, -1 is returned.
42030
42031 @item Errors:
42032
42033 @table @code
42034 @item EACCES
42035 No access to the file or the path of the file.
42036
42037 @item EPERM
42038 The system does not allow unlinking of directories.
42039
42040 @item EBUSY
42041 The file @var{pathname} cannot be unlinked because it's
42042 being used by another process.
42043
42044 @item EFAULT
42045 @var{pathnameptr} is an invalid pointer value.
42046
42047 @item ENAMETOOLONG
42048 @var{pathname} was too long.
42049
42050 @item ENOENT
42051 A directory component in @var{pathname} does not exist.
42052
42053 @item ENOTDIR
42054 A component of the path is not a directory.
42055
42056 @item EROFS
42057 The file is on a read-only filesystem.
42058
42059 @item EINTR
42060 The call was interrupted by the user.
42061 @end table
42062
42063 @end table
42064
42065 @node stat/fstat
42066 @unnumberedsubsubsec stat/fstat
42067 @cindex fstat, file-i/o system call
42068 @cindex stat, file-i/o system call
42069
42070 @table @asis
42071 @item Synopsis:
42072 @smallexample
42073 int stat(const char *pathname, struct stat *buf);
42074 int fstat(int fd, struct stat *buf);
42075 @end smallexample
42076
42077 @item Request:
42078 @samp{Fstat,@var{pathnameptr}/@var{len},@var{bufptr}}@*
42079 @samp{Ffstat,@var{fd},@var{bufptr}}
42080
42081 @item Return value:
42082 On success, zero is returned. On error, -1 is returned.
42083
42084 @item Errors:
42085
42086 @table @code
42087 @item EBADF
42088 @var{fd} is not a valid open file.
42089
42090 @item ENOENT
42091 A directory component in @var{pathname} does not exist or the
42092 path is an empty string.
42093
42094 @item ENOTDIR
42095 A component of the path is not a directory.
42096
42097 @item EFAULT
42098 @var{pathnameptr} is an invalid pointer value.
42099
42100 @item EACCES
42101 No access to the file or the path of the file.
42102
42103 @item ENAMETOOLONG
42104 @var{pathname} was too long.
42105
42106 @item EINTR
42107 The call was interrupted by the user.
42108 @end table
42109
42110 @end table
42111
42112 @node gettimeofday
42113 @unnumberedsubsubsec gettimeofday
42114 @cindex gettimeofday, file-i/o system call
42115
42116 @table @asis
42117 @item Synopsis:
42118 @smallexample
42119 int gettimeofday(struct timeval *tv, void *tz);
42120 @end smallexample
42121
42122 @item Request:
42123 @samp{Fgettimeofday,@var{tvptr},@var{tzptr}}
42124
42125 @item Return value:
42126 On success, 0 is returned, -1 otherwise.
42127
42128 @item Errors:
42129
42130 @table @code
42131 @item EINVAL
42132 @var{tz} is a non-NULL pointer.
42133
42134 @item EFAULT
42135 @var{tvptr} and/or @var{tzptr} is an invalid pointer value.
42136 @end table
42137
42138 @end table
42139
42140 @node isatty
42141 @unnumberedsubsubsec isatty
42142 @cindex isatty, file-i/o system call
42143
42144 @table @asis
42145 @item Synopsis:
42146 @smallexample
42147 int isatty(int fd);
42148 @end smallexample
42149
42150 @item Request:
42151 @samp{Fisatty,@var{fd}}
42152
42153 @item Return value:
42154 Returns 1 if @var{fd} refers to the @value{GDBN} console, 0 otherwise.
42155
42156 @item Errors:
42157
42158 @table @code
42159 @item EINTR
42160 The call was interrupted by the user.
42161 @end table
42162
42163 @end table
42164
42165 Note that the @code{isatty} call is treated as a special case: it returns
42166 1 to the target if the file descriptor is attached
42167 to the @value{GDBN} console, 0 otherwise. Implementing through system calls
42168 would require implementing @code{ioctl} and would be more complex than
42169 needed.
42170
42171
42172 @node system
42173 @unnumberedsubsubsec system
42174 @cindex system, file-i/o system call
42175
42176 @table @asis
42177 @item Synopsis:
42178 @smallexample
42179 int system(const char *command);
42180 @end smallexample
42181
42182 @item Request:
42183 @samp{Fsystem,@var{commandptr}/@var{len}}
42184
42185 @item Return value:
42186 If @var{len} is zero, the return value indicates whether a shell is
42187 available. A zero return value indicates a shell is not available.
42188 For non-zero @var{len}, the value returned is -1 on error and the
42189 return status of the command otherwise. Only the exit status of the
42190 command is returned, which is extracted from the host's @code{system}
42191 return value by calling @code{WEXITSTATUS(retval)}. In case
42192 @file{/bin/sh} could not be executed, 127 is returned.
42193
42194 @item Errors:
42195
42196 @table @code
42197 @item EINTR
42198 The call was interrupted by the user.
42199 @end table
42200
42201 @end table
42202
42203 @value{GDBN} takes over the full task of calling the necessary host calls
42204 to perform the @code{system} call. The return value of @code{system} on
42205 the host is simplified before it's returned
42206 to the target. Any termination signal information from the child process
42207 is discarded, and the return value consists
42208 entirely of the exit status of the called command.
42209
42210 Due to security concerns, the @code{system} call is by default refused
42211 by @value{GDBN}. The user has to allow this call explicitly with the
42212 @code{set remote system-call-allowed 1} command.
42213
42214 @table @code
42215 @item set remote system-call-allowed
42216 @kindex set remote system-call-allowed
42217 Control whether to allow the @code{system} calls in the File I/O
42218 protocol for the remote target. The default is zero (disabled).
42219
42220 @item show remote system-call-allowed
42221 @kindex show remote system-call-allowed
42222 Show whether the @code{system} calls are allowed in the File I/O
42223 protocol.
42224 @end table
42225
42226 @node Protocol-specific Representation of Datatypes
42227 @subsection Protocol-specific Representation of Datatypes
42228 @cindex protocol-specific representation of datatypes, in file-i/o protocol
42229
42230 @menu
42231 * Integral Datatypes::
42232 * Pointer Values::
42233 * Memory Transfer::
42234 * struct stat::
42235 * struct timeval::
42236 @end menu
42237
42238 @node Integral Datatypes
42239 @unnumberedsubsubsec Integral Datatypes
42240 @cindex integral datatypes, in file-i/o protocol
42241
42242 The integral datatypes used in the system calls are @code{int},
42243 @code{unsigned int}, @code{long}, @code{unsigned long},
42244 @code{mode_t}, and @code{time_t}.
42245
42246 @code{int}, @code{unsigned int}, @code{mode_t} and @code{time_t} are
42247 implemented as 32 bit values in this protocol.
42248
42249 @code{long} and @code{unsigned long} are implemented as 64 bit types.
42250
42251 @xref{Limits}, for corresponding MIN and MAX values (similar to those
42252 in @file{limits.h}) to allow range checking on host and target.
42253
42254 @code{time_t} datatypes are defined as seconds since the Epoch.
42255
42256 All integral datatypes transferred as part of a memory read or write of a
42257 structured datatype e.g.@: a @code{struct stat} have to be given in big endian
42258 byte order.
42259
42260 @node Pointer Values
42261 @unnumberedsubsubsec Pointer Values
42262 @cindex pointer values, in file-i/o protocol
42263
42264 Pointers to target data are transmitted as they are. An exception
42265 is made for pointers to buffers for which the length isn't
42266 transmitted as part of the function call, namely strings. Strings
42267 are transmitted as a pointer/length pair, both as hex values, e.g.@:
42268
42269 @smallexample
42270 @code{1aaf/12}
42271 @end smallexample
42272
42273 @noindent
42274 which is a pointer to data of length 18 bytes at position 0x1aaf.
42275 The length is defined as the full string length in bytes, including
42276 the trailing null byte. For example, the string @code{"hello world"}
42277 at address 0x123456 is transmitted as
42278
42279 @smallexample
42280 @code{123456/d}
42281 @end smallexample
42282
42283 @node Memory Transfer
42284 @unnumberedsubsubsec Memory Transfer
42285 @cindex memory transfer, in file-i/o protocol
42286
42287 Structured data which is transferred using a memory read or write (for
42288 example, a @code{struct stat}) is expected to be in a protocol-specific format
42289 with all scalar multibyte datatypes being big endian. Translation to
42290 this representation needs to be done both by the target before the @code{F}
42291 packet is sent, and by @value{GDBN} before
42292 it transfers memory to the target. Transferred pointers to structured
42293 data should point to the already-coerced data at any time.
42294
42295
42296 @node struct stat
42297 @unnumberedsubsubsec struct stat
42298 @cindex struct stat, in file-i/o protocol
42299
42300 The buffer of type @code{struct stat} used by the target and @value{GDBN}
42301 is defined as follows:
42302
42303 @smallexample
42304 struct stat @{
42305 unsigned int st_dev; /* device */
42306 unsigned int st_ino; /* inode */
42307 mode_t st_mode; /* protection */
42308 unsigned int st_nlink; /* number of hard links */
42309 unsigned int st_uid; /* user ID of owner */
42310 unsigned int st_gid; /* group ID of owner */
42311 unsigned int st_rdev; /* device type (if inode device) */
42312 unsigned long st_size; /* total size, in bytes */
42313 unsigned long st_blksize; /* blocksize for filesystem I/O */
42314 unsigned long st_blocks; /* number of blocks allocated */
42315 time_t st_atime; /* time of last access */
42316 time_t st_mtime; /* time of last modification */
42317 time_t st_ctime; /* time of last change */
42318 @};
42319 @end smallexample
42320
42321 The integral datatypes conform to the definitions given in the
42322 appropriate section (see @ref{Integral Datatypes}, for details) so this
42323 structure is of size 64 bytes.
42324
42325 The values of several fields have a restricted meaning and/or
42326 range of values.
42327
42328 @table @code
42329
42330 @item st_dev
42331 A value of 0 represents a file, 1 the console.
42332
42333 @item st_ino
42334 No valid meaning for the target. Transmitted unchanged.
42335
42336 @item st_mode
42337 Valid mode bits are described in @ref{Constants}. Any other
42338 bits have currently no meaning for the target.
42339
42340 @item st_uid
42341 @itemx st_gid
42342 @itemx st_rdev
42343 No valid meaning for the target. Transmitted unchanged.
42344
42345 @item st_atime
42346 @itemx st_mtime
42347 @itemx st_ctime
42348 These values have a host and file system dependent
42349 accuracy. Especially on Windows hosts, the file system may not
42350 support exact timing values.
42351 @end table
42352
42353 The target gets a @code{struct stat} of the above representation and is
42354 responsible for coercing it to the target representation before
42355 continuing.
42356
42357 Note that due to size differences between the host, target, and protocol
42358 representations of @code{struct stat} members, these members could eventually
42359 get truncated on the target.
42360
42361 @node struct timeval
42362 @unnumberedsubsubsec struct timeval
42363 @cindex struct timeval, in file-i/o protocol
42364
42365 The buffer of type @code{struct timeval} used by the File-I/O protocol
42366 is defined as follows:
42367
42368 @smallexample
42369 struct timeval @{
42370 time_t tv_sec; /* second */
42371 long tv_usec; /* microsecond */
42372 @};
42373 @end smallexample
42374
42375 The integral datatypes conform to the definitions given in the
42376 appropriate section (see @ref{Integral Datatypes}, for details) so this
42377 structure is of size 8 bytes.
42378
42379 @node Constants
42380 @subsection Constants
42381 @cindex constants, in file-i/o protocol
42382
42383 The following values are used for the constants inside of the
42384 protocol. @value{GDBN} and target are responsible for translating these
42385 values before and after the call as needed.
42386
42387 @menu
42388 * Open Flags::
42389 * mode_t Values::
42390 * Errno Values::
42391 * Lseek Flags::
42392 * Limits::
42393 @end menu
42394
42395 @node Open Flags
42396 @unnumberedsubsubsec Open Flags
42397 @cindex open flags, in file-i/o protocol
42398
42399 All values are given in hexadecimal representation.
42400
42401 @smallexample
42402 O_RDONLY 0x0
42403 O_WRONLY 0x1
42404 O_RDWR 0x2
42405 O_APPEND 0x8
42406 O_CREAT 0x200
42407 O_TRUNC 0x400
42408 O_EXCL 0x800
42409 @end smallexample
42410
42411 @node mode_t Values
42412 @unnumberedsubsubsec mode_t Values
42413 @cindex mode_t values, in file-i/o protocol
42414
42415 All values are given in octal representation.
42416
42417 @smallexample
42418 S_IFREG 0100000
42419 S_IFDIR 040000
42420 S_IRUSR 0400
42421 S_IWUSR 0200
42422 S_IXUSR 0100
42423 S_IRGRP 040
42424 S_IWGRP 020
42425 S_IXGRP 010
42426 S_IROTH 04
42427 S_IWOTH 02
42428 S_IXOTH 01
42429 @end smallexample
42430
42431 @node Errno Values
42432 @unnumberedsubsubsec Errno Values
42433 @cindex errno values, in file-i/o protocol
42434
42435 All values are given in decimal representation.
42436
42437 @smallexample
42438 EPERM 1
42439 ENOENT 2
42440 EINTR 4
42441 EBADF 9
42442 EACCES 13
42443 EFAULT 14
42444 EBUSY 16
42445 EEXIST 17
42446 ENODEV 19
42447 ENOTDIR 20
42448 EISDIR 21
42449 EINVAL 22
42450 ENFILE 23
42451 EMFILE 24
42452 EFBIG 27
42453 ENOSPC 28
42454 ESPIPE 29
42455 EROFS 30
42456 ENAMETOOLONG 91
42457 EUNKNOWN 9999
42458 @end smallexample
42459
42460 @code{EUNKNOWN} is used as a fallback error value if a host system returns
42461 any error value not in the list of supported error numbers.
42462
42463 @node Lseek Flags
42464 @unnumberedsubsubsec Lseek Flags
42465 @cindex lseek flags, in file-i/o protocol
42466
42467 @smallexample
42468 SEEK_SET 0
42469 SEEK_CUR 1
42470 SEEK_END 2
42471 @end smallexample
42472
42473 @node Limits
42474 @unnumberedsubsubsec Limits
42475 @cindex limits, in file-i/o protocol
42476
42477 All values are given in decimal representation.
42478
42479 @smallexample
42480 INT_MIN -2147483648
42481 INT_MAX 2147483647
42482 UINT_MAX 4294967295
42483 LONG_MIN -9223372036854775808
42484 LONG_MAX 9223372036854775807
42485 ULONG_MAX 18446744073709551615
42486 @end smallexample
42487
42488 @node File-I/O Examples
42489 @subsection File-I/O Examples
42490 @cindex file-i/o examples
42491
42492 Example sequence of a write call, file descriptor 3, buffer is at target
42493 address 0x1234, 6 bytes should be written:
42494
42495 @smallexample
42496 <- @code{Fwrite,3,1234,6}
42497 @emph{request memory read from target}
42498 -> @code{m1234,6}
42499 <- XXXXXX
42500 @emph{return "6 bytes written"}
42501 -> @code{F6}
42502 @end smallexample
42503
42504 Example sequence of a read call, file descriptor 3, buffer is at target
42505 address 0x1234, 6 bytes should be read:
42506
42507 @smallexample
42508 <- @code{Fread,3,1234,6}
42509 @emph{request memory write to target}
42510 -> @code{X1234,6:XXXXXX}
42511 @emph{return "6 bytes read"}
42512 -> @code{F6}
42513 @end smallexample
42514
42515 Example sequence of a read call, call fails on the host due to invalid
42516 file descriptor (@code{EBADF}):
42517
42518 @smallexample
42519 <- @code{Fread,3,1234,6}
42520 -> @code{F-1,9}
42521 @end smallexample
42522
42523 Example sequence of a read call, user presses @kbd{Ctrl-c} before syscall on
42524 host is called:
42525
42526 @smallexample
42527 <- @code{Fread,3,1234,6}
42528 -> @code{F-1,4,C}
42529 <- @code{T02}
42530 @end smallexample
42531
42532 Example sequence of a read call, user presses @kbd{Ctrl-c} after syscall on
42533 host is called:
42534
42535 @smallexample
42536 <- @code{Fread,3,1234,6}
42537 -> @code{X1234,6:XXXXXX}
42538 <- @code{T02}
42539 @end smallexample
42540
42541 @node Library List Format
42542 @section Library List Format
42543 @cindex library list format, remote protocol
42544
42545 On some platforms, a dynamic loader (e.g.@: @file{ld.so}) runs in the
42546 same process as your application to manage libraries. In this case,
42547 @value{GDBN} can use the loader's symbol table and normal memory
42548 operations to maintain a list of shared libraries. On other
42549 platforms, the operating system manages loaded libraries.
42550 @value{GDBN} can not retrieve the list of currently loaded libraries
42551 through memory operations, so it uses the @samp{qXfer:libraries:read}
42552 packet (@pxref{qXfer library list read}) instead. The remote stub
42553 queries the target's operating system and reports which libraries
42554 are loaded.
42555
42556 The @samp{qXfer:libraries:read} packet returns an XML document which
42557 lists loaded libraries and their offsets. Each library has an
42558 associated name and one or more segment or section base addresses,
42559 which report where the library was loaded in memory.
42560
42561 For the common case of libraries that are fully linked binaries, the
42562 library should have a list of segments. If the target supports
42563 dynamic linking of a relocatable object file, its library XML element
42564 should instead include a list of allocated sections. The segment or
42565 section bases are start addresses, not relocation offsets; they do not
42566 depend on the library's link-time base addresses.
42567
42568 @value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support XML
42569 library lists. @xref{Expat}.
42570
42571 A simple memory map, with one loaded library relocated by a single
42572 offset, looks like this:
42573
42574 @smallexample
42575 <library-list>
42576 <library name="/lib/libc.so.6">
42577 <segment address="0x10000000"/>
42578 </library>
42579 </library-list>
42580 @end smallexample
42581
42582 Another simple memory map, with one loaded library with three
42583 allocated sections (.text, .data, .bss), looks like this:
42584
42585 @smallexample
42586 <library-list>
42587 <library name="sharedlib.o">
42588 <section address="0x10000000"/>
42589 <section address="0x20000000"/>
42590 <section address="0x30000000"/>
42591 </library>
42592 </library-list>
42593 @end smallexample
42594
42595 The format of a library list is described by this DTD:
42596
42597 @smallexample
42598 <!-- library-list: Root element with versioning -->
42599 <!ELEMENT library-list (library)*>
42600 <!ATTLIST library-list version CDATA #FIXED "1.0">
42601 <!ELEMENT library (segment*, section*)>
42602 <!ATTLIST library name CDATA #REQUIRED>
42603 <!ELEMENT segment EMPTY>
42604 <!ATTLIST segment address CDATA #REQUIRED>
42605 <!ELEMENT section EMPTY>
42606 <!ATTLIST section address CDATA #REQUIRED>
42607 @end smallexample
42608
42609 In addition, segments and section descriptors cannot be mixed within a
42610 single library element, and you must supply at least one segment or
42611 section for each library.
42612
42613 @node Library List Format for SVR4 Targets
42614 @section Library List Format for SVR4 Targets
42615 @cindex library list format, remote protocol
42616
42617 On SVR4 platforms @value{GDBN} can use the symbol table of a dynamic loader
42618 (e.g.@: @file{ld.so}) and normal memory operations to maintain a list of
42619 shared libraries. Still a special library list provided by this packet is
42620 more efficient for the @value{GDBN} remote protocol.
42621
42622 The @samp{qXfer:libraries-svr4:read} packet returns an XML document which lists
42623 loaded libraries and their SVR4 linker parameters. For each library on SVR4
42624 target, the following parameters are reported:
42625
42626 @itemize @minus
42627 @item
42628 @code{name}, the absolute file name from the @code{l_name} field of
42629 @code{struct link_map}.
42630 @item
42631 @code{lm} with address of @code{struct link_map} used for TLS
42632 (Thread Local Storage) access.
42633 @item
42634 @code{l_addr}, the displacement as read from the field @code{l_addr} of
42635 @code{struct link_map}. For prelinked libraries this is not an absolute
42636 memory address. It is a displacement of absolute memory address against
42637 address the file was prelinked to during the library load.
42638 @item
42639 @code{l_ld}, which is memory address of the @code{PT_DYNAMIC} segment
42640 @end itemize
42641
42642 Additionally the single @code{main-lm} attribute specifies address of
42643 @code{struct link_map} used for the main executable. This parameter is used
42644 for TLS access and its presence is optional.
42645
42646 @value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support XML
42647 SVR4 library lists. @xref{Expat}.
42648
42649 A simple memory map, with two loaded libraries (which do not use prelink),
42650 looks like this:
42651
42652 @smallexample
42653 <library-list-svr4 version="1.0" main-lm="0xe4f8f8">
42654 <library name="/lib/ld-linux.so.2" lm="0xe4f51c" l_addr="0xe2d000"
42655 l_ld="0xe4eefc"/>
42656 <library name="/lib/libc.so.6" lm="0xe4fbe8" l_addr="0x154000"
42657 l_ld="0x152350"/>
42658 </library-list-svr>
42659 @end smallexample
42660
42661 The format of an SVR4 library list is described by this DTD:
42662
42663 @smallexample
42664 <!-- library-list-svr4: Root element with versioning -->
42665 <!ELEMENT library-list-svr4 (library)*>
42666 <!ATTLIST library-list-svr4 version CDATA #FIXED "1.0">
42667 <!ATTLIST library-list-svr4 main-lm CDATA #IMPLIED>
42668 <!ELEMENT library EMPTY>
42669 <!ATTLIST library name CDATA #REQUIRED>
42670 <!ATTLIST library lm CDATA #REQUIRED>
42671 <!ATTLIST library l_addr CDATA #REQUIRED>
42672 <!ATTLIST library l_ld CDATA #REQUIRED>
42673 @end smallexample
42674
42675 @node Memory Map Format
42676 @section Memory Map Format
42677 @cindex memory map format
42678
42679 To be able to write into flash memory, @value{GDBN} needs to obtain a
42680 memory map from the target. This section describes the format of the
42681 memory map.
42682
42683 The memory map is obtained using the @samp{qXfer:memory-map:read}
42684 (@pxref{qXfer memory map read}) packet and is an XML document that
42685 lists memory regions.
42686
42687 @value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support XML
42688 memory maps. @xref{Expat}.
42689
42690 The top-level structure of the document is shown below:
42691
42692 @smallexample
42693 <?xml version="1.0"?>
42694 <!DOCTYPE memory-map
42695 PUBLIC "+//IDN gnu.org//DTD GDB Memory Map V1.0//EN"
42696 "http://sourceware.org/gdb/gdb-memory-map.dtd">
42697 <memory-map>
42698 region...
42699 </memory-map>
42700 @end smallexample
42701
42702 Each region can be either:
42703
42704 @itemize
42705
42706 @item
42707 A region of RAM starting at @var{addr} and extending for @var{length}
42708 bytes from there:
42709
42710 @smallexample
42711 <memory type="ram" start="@var{addr}" length="@var{length}"/>
42712 @end smallexample
42713
42714
42715 @item
42716 A region of read-only memory:
42717
42718 @smallexample
42719 <memory type="rom" start="@var{addr}" length="@var{length}"/>
42720 @end smallexample
42721
42722
42723 @item
42724 A region of flash memory, with erasure blocks @var{blocksize}
42725 bytes in length:
42726
42727 @smallexample
42728 <memory type="flash" start="@var{addr}" length="@var{length}">
42729 <property name="blocksize">@var{blocksize}</property>
42730 </memory>
42731 @end smallexample
42732
42733 @end itemize
42734
42735 Regions must not overlap. @value{GDBN} assumes that areas of memory not covered
42736 by the memory map are RAM, and uses the ordinary @samp{M} and @samp{X}
42737 packets to write to addresses in such ranges.
42738
42739 The formal DTD for memory map format is given below:
42740
42741 @smallexample
42742 <!-- ................................................... -->
42743 <!-- Memory Map XML DTD ................................ -->
42744 <!-- File: memory-map.dtd .............................. -->
42745 <!-- .................................... .............. -->
42746 <!-- memory-map.dtd -->
42747 <!-- memory-map: Root element with versioning -->
42748 <!ELEMENT memory-map (memory | property)>
42749 <!ATTLIST memory-map version CDATA #FIXED "1.0.0">
42750 <!ELEMENT memory (property)>
42751 <!-- memory: Specifies a memory region,
42752 and its type, or device. -->
42753 <!ATTLIST memory type CDATA #REQUIRED
42754 start CDATA #REQUIRED
42755 length CDATA #REQUIRED
42756 device CDATA #IMPLIED>
42757 <!-- property: Generic attribute tag -->
42758 <!ELEMENT property (#PCDATA | property)*>
42759 <!ATTLIST property name CDATA #REQUIRED>
42760 @end smallexample
42761
42762 @node Thread List Format
42763 @section Thread List Format
42764 @cindex thread list format
42765
42766 To efficiently update the list of threads and their attributes,
42767 @value{GDBN} issues the @samp{qXfer:threads:read} packet
42768 (@pxref{qXfer threads read}) and obtains the XML document with
42769 the following structure:
42770
42771 @smallexample
42772 <?xml version="1.0"?>
42773 <threads>
42774 <thread id="id" core="0">
42775 ... description ...
42776 </thread>
42777 </threads>
42778 @end smallexample
42779
42780 Each @samp{thread} element must have the @samp{id} attribute that
42781 identifies the thread (@pxref{thread-id syntax}). The
42782 @samp{core} attribute, if present, specifies which processor core
42783 the thread was last executing on. The content of the of @samp{thread}
42784 element is interpreted as human-readable auxilliary information.
42785
42786 @node Traceframe Info Format
42787 @section Traceframe Info Format
42788 @cindex traceframe info format
42789
42790 To be able to know which objects in the inferior can be examined when
42791 inspecting a tracepoint hit, @value{GDBN} needs to obtain the list of
42792 memory ranges, registers and trace state variables that have been
42793 collected in a traceframe.
42794
42795 This list is obtained using the @samp{qXfer:traceframe-info:read}
42796 (@pxref{qXfer traceframe info read}) packet and is an XML document.
42797
42798 @value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support XML
42799 traceframe info discovery. @xref{Expat}.
42800
42801 The top-level structure of the document is shown below:
42802
42803 @smallexample
42804 <?xml version="1.0"?>
42805 <!DOCTYPE traceframe-info
42806 PUBLIC "+//IDN gnu.org//DTD GDB Memory Map V1.0//EN"
42807 "http://sourceware.org/gdb/gdb-traceframe-info.dtd">
42808 <traceframe-info>
42809 block...
42810 </traceframe-info>
42811 @end smallexample
42812
42813 Each traceframe block can be either:
42814
42815 @itemize
42816
42817 @item
42818 A region of collected memory starting at @var{addr} and extending for
42819 @var{length} bytes from there:
42820
42821 @smallexample
42822 <memory start="@var{addr}" length="@var{length}"/>
42823 @end smallexample
42824
42825 @item
42826 A block indicating trace state variable numbered @var{number} has been
42827 collected:
42828
42829 @smallexample
42830 <tvar id="@var{number}"/>
42831 @end smallexample
42832
42833 @end itemize
42834
42835 The formal DTD for the traceframe info format is given below:
42836
42837 @smallexample
42838 <!ELEMENT traceframe-info (memory | tvar)* >
42839 <!ATTLIST traceframe-info version CDATA #FIXED "1.0">
42840
42841 <!ELEMENT memory EMPTY>
42842 <!ATTLIST memory start CDATA #REQUIRED
42843 length CDATA #REQUIRED>
42844 <!ELEMENT tvar>
42845 <!ATTLIST tvar id CDATA #REQUIRED>
42846 @end smallexample
42847
42848 @node Branch Trace Format
42849 @section Branch Trace Format
42850 @cindex branch trace format
42851
42852 In order to display the branch trace of an inferior thread,
42853 @value{GDBN} needs to obtain the list of branches. This list is
42854 represented as list of sequential code blocks that are connected via
42855 branches. The code in each block has been executed sequentially.
42856
42857 This list is obtained using the @samp{qXfer:btrace:read}
42858 (@pxref{qXfer btrace read}) packet and is an XML document.
42859
42860 @value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support XML
42861 traceframe info discovery. @xref{Expat}.
42862
42863 The top-level structure of the document is shown below:
42864
42865 @smallexample
42866 <?xml version="1.0"?>
42867 <!DOCTYPE btrace
42868 PUBLIC "+//IDN gnu.org//DTD GDB Branch Trace V1.0//EN"
42869 "http://sourceware.org/gdb/gdb-btrace.dtd">
42870 <btrace>
42871 block...
42872 </btrace>
42873 @end smallexample
42874
42875 @itemize
42876
42877 @item
42878 A block of sequentially executed instructions starting at @var{begin}
42879 and ending at @var{end}:
42880
42881 @smallexample
42882 <block begin="@var{begin}" end="@var{end}"/>
42883 @end smallexample
42884
42885 @end itemize
42886
42887 The formal DTD for the branch trace format is given below:
42888
42889 @smallexample
42890 <!ELEMENT btrace (block)* >
42891 <!ATTLIST btrace version CDATA #FIXED "1.0">
42892
42893 <!ELEMENT block EMPTY>
42894 <!ATTLIST block begin CDATA #REQUIRED
42895 end CDATA #REQUIRED>
42896 @end smallexample
42897
42898 @include agentexpr.texi
42899
42900 @node Target Descriptions
42901 @appendix Target Descriptions
42902 @cindex target descriptions
42903
42904 One of the challenges of using @value{GDBN} to debug embedded systems
42905 is that there are so many minor variants of each processor
42906 architecture in use. It is common practice for vendors to start with
42907 a standard processor core --- ARM, PowerPC, or @acronym{MIPS}, for example ---
42908 and then make changes to adapt it to a particular market niche. Some
42909 architectures have hundreds of variants, available from dozens of
42910 vendors. This leads to a number of problems:
42911
42912 @itemize @bullet
42913 @item
42914 With so many different customized processors, it is difficult for
42915 the @value{GDBN} maintainers to keep up with the changes.
42916 @item
42917 Since individual variants may have short lifetimes or limited
42918 audiences, it may not be worthwhile to carry information about every
42919 variant in the @value{GDBN} source tree.
42920 @item
42921 When @value{GDBN} does support the architecture of the embedded system
42922 at hand, the task of finding the correct architecture name to give the
42923 @command{set architecture} command can be error-prone.
42924 @end itemize
42925
42926 To address these problems, the @value{GDBN} remote protocol allows a
42927 target system to not only identify itself to @value{GDBN}, but to
42928 actually describe its own features. This lets @value{GDBN} support
42929 processor variants it has never seen before --- to the extent that the
42930 descriptions are accurate, and that @value{GDBN} understands them.
42931
42932 @value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support XML
42933 target descriptions. @xref{Expat}.
42934
42935 @menu
42936 * Retrieving Descriptions:: How descriptions are fetched from a target.
42937 * Target Description Format:: The contents of a target description.
42938 * Predefined Target Types:: Standard types available for target
42939 descriptions.
42940 * Standard Target Features:: Features @value{GDBN} knows about.
42941 @end menu
42942
42943 @node Retrieving Descriptions
42944 @section Retrieving Descriptions
42945
42946 Target descriptions can be read from the target automatically, or
42947 specified by the user manually. The default behavior is to read the
42948 description from the target. @value{GDBN} retrieves it via the remote
42949 protocol using @samp{qXfer} requests (@pxref{General Query Packets,
42950 qXfer}). The @var{annex} in the @samp{qXfer} packet will be
42951 @samp{target.xml}. The contents of the @samp{target.xml} annex are an
42952 XML document, of the form described in @ref{Target Description
42953 Format}.
42954
42955 Alternatively, you can specify a file to read for the target description.
42956 If a file is set, the target will not be queried. The commands to
42957 specify a file are:
42958
42959 @table @code
42960 @cindex set tdesc filename
42961 @item set tdesc filename @var{path}
42962 Read the target description from @var{path}.
42963
42964 @cindex unset tdesc filename
42965 @item unset tdesc filename
42966 Do not read the XML target description from a file. @value{GDBN}
42967 will use the description supplied by the current target.
42968
42969 @cindex show tdesc filename
42970 @item show tdesc filename
42971 Show the filename to read for a target description, if any.
42972 @end table
42973
42974
42975 @node Target Description Format
42976 @section Target Description Format
42977 @cindex target descriptions, XML format
42978
42979 A target description annex is an @uref{http://www.w3.org/XML/, XML}
42980 document which complies with the Document Type Definition provided in
42981 the @value{GDBN} sources in @file{gdb/features/gdb-target.dtd}. This
42982 means you can use generally available tools like @command{xmllint} to
42983 check that your feature descriptions are well-formed and valid.
42984 However, to help people unfamiliar with XML write descriptions for
42985 their targets, we also describe the grammar here.
42986
42987 Target descriptions can identify the architecture of the remote target
42988 and (for some architectures) provide information about custom register
42989 sets. They can also identify the OS ABI of the remote target.
42990 @value{GDBN} can use this information to autoconfigure for your
42991 target, or to warn you if you connect to an unsupported target.
42992
42993 Here is a simple target description:
42994
42995 @smallexample
42996 <target version="1.0">
42997 <architecture>i386:x86-64</architecture>
42998 </target>
42999 @end smallexample
43000
43001 @noindent
43002 This minimal description only says that the target uses
43003 the x86-64 architecture.
43004
43005 A target description has the following overall form, with [ ] marking
43006 optional elements and @dots{} marking repeatable elements. The elements
43007 are explained further below.
43008
43009 @smallexample
43010 <?xml version="1.0"?>
43011 <!DOCTYPE target SYSTEM "gdb-target.dtd">
43012 <target version="1.0">
43013 @r{[}@var{architecture}@r{]}
43014 @r{[}@var{osabi}@r{]}
43015 @r{[}@var{compatible}@r{]}
43016 @r{[}@var{feature}@dots{}@r{]}
43017 </target>
43018 @end smallexample
43019
43020 @noindent
43021 The description is generally insensitive to whitespace and line
43022 breaks, under the usual common-sense rules. The XML version
43023 declaration and document type declaration can generally be omitted
43024 (@value{GDBN} does not require them), but specifying them may be
43025 useful for XML validation tools. The @samp{version} attribute for
43026 @samp{<target>} may also be omitted, but we recommend
43027 including it; if future versions of @value{GDBN} use an incompatible
43028 revision of @file{gdb-target.dtd}, they will detect and report
43029 the version mismatch.
43030
43031 @subsection Inclusion
43032 @cindex target descriptions, inclusion
43033 @cindex XInclude
43034 @ifnotinfo
43035 @cindex <xi:include>
43036 @end ifnotinfo
43037
43038 It can sometimes be valuable to split a target description up into
43039 several different annexes, either for organizational purposes, or to
43040 share files between different possible target descriptions. You can
43041 divide a description into multiple files by replacing any element of
43042 the target description with an inclusion directive of the form:
43043
43044 @smallexample
43045 <xi:include href="@var{document}"/>
43046 @end smallexample
43047
43048 @noindent
43049 When @value{GDBN} encounters an element of this form, it will retrieve
43050 the named XML @var{document}, and replace the inclusion directive with
43051 the contents of that document. If the current description was read
43052 using @samp{qXfer}, then so will be the included document;
43053 @var{document} will be interpreted as the name of an annex. If the
43054 current description was read from a file, @value{GDBN} will look for
43055 @var{document} as a file in the same directory where it found the
43056 original description.
43057
43058 @subsection Architecture
43059 @cindex <architecture>
43060
43061 An @samp{<architecture>} element has this form:
43062
43063 @smallexample
43064 <architecture>@var{arch}</architecture>
43065 @end smallexample
43066
43067 @var{arch} is one of the architectures from the set accepted by
43068 @code{set architecture} (@pxref{Targets, ,Specifying a Debugging Target}).
43069
43070 @subsection OS ABI
43071 @cindex @code{<osabi>}
43072
43073 This optional field was introduced in @value{GDBN} version 7.0.
43074 Previous versions of @value{GDBN} ignore it.
43075
43076 An @samp{<osabi>} element has this form:
43077
43078 @smallexample
43079 <osabi>@var{abi-name}</osabi>
43080 @end smallexample
43081
43082 @var{abi-name} is an OS ABI name from the same selection accepted by
43083 @w{@code{set osabi}} (@pxref{ABI, ,Configuring the Current ABI}).
43084
43085 @subsection Compatible Architecture
43086 @cindex @code{<compatible>}
43087
43088 This optional field was introduced in @value{GDBN} version 7.0.
43089 Previous versions of @value{GDBN} ignore it.
43090
43091 A @samp{<compatible>} element has this form:
43092
43093 @smallexample
43094 <compatible>@var{arch}</compatible>
43095 @end smallexample
43096
43097 @var{arch} is one of the architectures from the set accepted by
43098 @code{set architecture} (@pxref{Targets, ,Specifying a Debugging Target}).
43099
43100 A @samp{<compatible>} element is used to specify that the target
43101 is able to run binaries in some other than the main target architecture
43102 given by the @samp{<architecture>} element. For example, on the
43103 Cell Broadband Engine, the main architecture is @code{powerpc:common}
43104 or @code{powerpc:common64}, but the system is able to run binaries
43105 in the @code{spu} architecture as well. The way to describe this
43106 capability with @samp{<compatible>} is as follows:
43107
43108 @smallexample
43109 <architecture>powerpc:common</architecture>
43110 <compatible>spu</compatible>
43111 @end smallexample
43112
43113 @subsection Features
43114 @cindex <feature>
43115
43116 Each @samp{<feature>} describes some logical portion of the target
43117 system. Features are currently used to describe available CPU
43118 registers and the types of their contents. A @samp{<feature>} element
43119 has this form:
43120
43121 @smallexample
43122 <feature name="@var{name}">
43123 @r{[}@var{type}@dots{}@r{]}
43124 @var{reg}@dots{}
43125 </feature>
43126 @end smallexample
43127
43128 @noindent
43129 Each feature's name should be unique within the description. The name
43130 of a feature does not matter unless @value{GDBN} has some special
43131 knowledge of the contents of that feature; if it does, the feature
43132 should have its standard name. @xref{Standard Target Features}.
43133
43134 @subsection Types
43135
43136 Any register's value is a collection of bits which @value{GDBN} must
43137 interpret. The default interpretation is a two's complement integer,
43138 but other types can be requested by name in the register description.
43139 Some predefined types are provided by @value{GDBN} (@pxref{Predefined
43140 Target Types}), and the description can define additional composite types.
43141
43142 Each type element must have an @samp{id} attribute, which gives
43143 a unique (within the containing @samp{<feature>}) name to the type.
43144 Types must be defined before they are used.
43145
43146 @cindex <vector>
43147 Some targets offer vector registers, which can be treated as arrays
43148 of scalar elements. These types are written as @samp{<vector>} elements,
43149 specifying the array element type, @var{type}, and the number of elements,
43150 @var{count}:
43151
43152 @smallexample
43153 <vector id="@var{id}" type="@var{type}" count="@var{count}"/>
43154 @end smallexample
43155
43156 @cindex <union>
43157 If a register's value is usefully viewed in multiple ways, define it
43158 with a union type containing the useful representations. The
43159 @samp{<union>} element contains one or more @samp{<field>} elements,
43160 each of which has a @var{name} and a @var{type}:
43161
43162 @smallexample
43163 <union id="@var{id}">
43164 <field name="@var{name}" type="@var{type}"/>
43165 @dots{}
43166 </union>
43167 @end smallexample
43168
43169 @cindex <struct>
43170 If a register's value is composed from several separate values, define
43171 it with a structure type. There are two forms of the @samp{<struct>}
43172 element; a @samp{<struct>} element must either contain only bitfields
43173 or contain no bitfields. If the structure contains only bitfields,
43174 its total size in bytes must be specified, each bitfield must have an
43175 explicit start and end, and bitfields are automatically assigned an
43176 integer type. The field's @var{start} should be less than or
43177 equal to its @var{end}, and zero represents the least significant bit.
43178
43179 @smallexample
43180 <struct id="@var{id}" size="@var{size}">
43181 <field name="@var{name}" start="@var{start}" end="@var{end}"/>
43182 @dots{}
43183 </struct>
43184 @end smallexample
43185
43186 If the structure contains no bitfields, then each field has an
43187 explicit type, and no implicit padding is added.
43188
43189 @smallexample
43190 <struct id="@var{id}">
43191 <field name="@var{name}" type="@var{type}"/>
43192 @dots{}
43193 </struct>
43194 @end smallexample
43195
43196 @cindex <flags>
43197 If a register's value is a series of single-bit flags, define it with
43198 a flags type. The @samp{<flags>} element has an explicit @var{size}
43199 and contains one or more @samp{<field>} elements. Each field has a
43200 @var{name}, a @var{start}, and an @var{end}. Only single-bit flags
43201 are supported.
43202
43203 @smallexample
43204 <flags id="@var{id}" size="@var{size}">
43205 <field name="@var{name}" start="@var{start}" end="@var{end}"/>
43206 @dots{}
43207 </flags>
43208 @end smallexample
43209
43210 @subsection Registers
43211 @cindex <reg>
43212
43213 Each register is represented as an element with this form:
43214
43215 @smallexample
43216 <reg name="@var{name}"
43217 bitsize="@var{size}"
43218 @r{[}regnum="@var{num}"@r{]}
43219 @r{[}save-restore="@var{save-restore}"@r{]}
43220 @r{[}type="@var{type}"@r{]}
43221 @r{[}group="@var{group}"@r{]}/>
43222 @end smallexample
43223
43224 @noindent
43225 The components are as follows:
43226
43227 @table @var
43228
43229 @item name
43230 The register's name; it must be unique within the target description.
43231
43232 @item bitsize
43233 The register's size, in bits.
43234
43235 @item regnum
43236 The register's number. If omitted, a register's number is one greater
43237 than that of the previous register (either in the current feature or in
43238 a preceding feature); the first register in the target description
43239 defaults to zero. This register number is used to read or write
43240 the register; e.g.@: it is used in the remote @code{p} and @code{P}
43241 packets, and registers appear in the @code{g} and @code{G} packets
43242 in order of increasing register number.
43243
43244 @item save-restore
43245 Whether the register should be preserved across inferior function
43246 calls; this must be either @code{yes} or @code{no}. The default is
43247 @code{yes}, which is appropriate for most registers except for
43248 some system control registers; this is not related to the target's
43249 ABI.
43250
43251 @item type
43252 The type of the register. @var{type} may be a predefined type, a type
43253 defined in the current feature, or one of the special types @code{int}
43254 and @code{float}. @code{int} is an integer type of the correct size
43255 for @var{bitsize}, and @code{float} is a floating point type (in the
43256 architecture's normal floating point format) of the correct size for
43257 @var{bitsize}. The default is @code{int}.
43258
43259 @item group
43260 The register group to which this register belongs. @var{group} must
43261 be either @code{general}, @code{float}, or @code{vector}. If no
43262 @var{group} is specified, @value{GDBN} will not display the register
43263 in @code{info registers}.
43264
43265 @end table
43266
43267 @node Predefined Target Types
43268 @section Predefined Target Types
43269 @cindex target descriptions, predefined types
43270
43271 Type definitions in the self-description can build up composite types
43272 from basic building blocks, but can not define fundamental types. Instead,
43273 standard identifiers are provided by @value{GDBN} for the fundamental
43274 types. The currently supported types are:
43275
43276 @table @code
43277
43278 @item int8
43279 @itemx int16
43280 @itemx int32
43281 @itemx int64
43282 @itemx int128
43283 Signed integer types holding the specified number of bits.
43284
43285 @item uint8
43286 @itemx uint16
43287 @itemx uint32
43288 @itemx uint64
43289 @itemx uint128
43290 Unsigned integer types holding the specified number of bits.
43291
43292 @item code_ptr
43293 @itemx data_ptr
43294 Pointers to unspecified code and data. The program counter and
43295 any dedicated return address register may be marked as code
43296 pointers; printing a code pointer converts it into a symbolic
43297 address. The stack pointer and any dedicated address registers
43298 may be marked as data pointers.
43299
43300 @item ieee_single
43301 Single precision IEEE floating point.
43302
43303 @item ieee_double
43304 Double precision IEEE floating point.
43305
43306 @item arm_fpa_ext
43307 The 12-byte extended precision format used by ARM FPA registers.
43308
43309 @item i387_ext
43310 The 10-byte extended precision format used by x87 registers.
43311
43312 @item i386_eflags
43313 32bit @sc{eflags} register used by x86.
43314
43315 @item i386_mxcsr
43316 32bit @sc{mxcsr} register used by x86.
43317
43318 @end table
43319
43320 @node Standard Target Features
43321 @section Standard Target Features
43322 @cindex target descriptions, standard features
43323
43324 A target description must contain either no registers or all the
43325 target's registers. If the description contains no registers, then
43326 @value{GDBN} will assume a default register layout, selected based on
43327 the architecture. If the description contains any registers, the
43328 default layout will not be used; the standard registers must be
43329 described in the target description, in such a way that @value{GDBN}
43330 can recognize them.
43331
43332 This is accomplished by giving specific names to feature elements
43333 which contain standard registers. @value{GDBN} will look for features
43334 with those names and verify that they contain the expected registers;
43335 if any known feature is missing required registers, or if any required
43336 feature is missing, @value{GDBN} will reject the target
43337 description. You can add additional registers to any of the
43338 standard features --- @value{GDBN} will display them just as if
43339 they were added to an unrecognized feature.
43340
43341 This section lists the known features and their expected contents.
43342 Sample XML documents for these features are included in the
43343 @value{GDBN} source tree, in the directory @file{gdb/features}.
43344
43345 Names recognized by @value{GDBN} should include the name of the
43346 company or organization which selected the name, and the overall
43347 architecture to which the feature applies; so e.g.@: the feature
43348 containing ARM core registers is named @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.core}.
43349
43350 The names of registers are not case sensitive for the purpose
43351 of recognizing standard features, but @value{GDBN} will only display
43352 registers using the capitalization used in the description.
43353
43354 @menu
43355 * AArch64 Features::
43356 * ARM Features::
43357 * i386 Features::
43358 * MIPS Features::
43359 * M68K Features::
43360 * Nios II Features::
43361 * PowerPC Features::
43362 * S/390 and System z Features::
43363 * TIC6x Features::
43364 @end menu
43365
43366
43367 @node AArch64 Features
43368 @subsection AArch64 Features
43369 @cindex target descriptions, AArch64 features
43370
43371 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.aarch64.core} feature is required for AArch64
43372 targets. It should contain registers @samp{x0} through @samp{x30},
43373 @samp{sp}, @samp{pc}, and @samp{cpsr}.
43374
43375 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.aarch64.fpu} feature is optional. If present,
43376 it should contain registers @samp{v0} through @samp{v31}, @samp{fpsr},
43377 and @samp{fpcr}.
43378
43379 @node ARM Features
43380 @subsection ARM Features
43381 @cindex target descriptions, ARM features
43382
43383 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.core} feature is required for non-M-profile
43384 ARM targets.
43385 It should contain registers @samp{r0} through @samp{r13}, @samp{sp},
43386 @samp{lr}, @samp{pc}, and @samp{cpsr}.
43387
43388 For M-profile targets (e.g. Cortex-M3), the @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.core}
43389 feature is replaced by @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.m-profile}. It should contain
43390 registers @samp{r0} through @samp{r13}, @samp{sp}, @samp{lr}, @samp{pc},
43391 and @samp{xpsr}.
43392
43393 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.fpa} feature is optional. If present, it
43394 should contain registers @samp{f0} through @samp{f7} and @samp{fps}.
43395
43396 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.xscale.iwmmxt} feature is optional. If present,
43397 it should contain at least registers @samp{wR0} through @samp{wR15} and
43398 @samp{wCGR0} through @samp{wCGR3}. The @samp{wCID}, @samp{wCon},
43399 @samp{wCSSF}, and @samp{wCASF} registers are optional.
43400
43401 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.vfp} feature is optional. If present, it
43402 should contain at least registers @samp{d0} through @samp{d15}. If
43403 they are present, @samp{d16} through @samp{d31} should also be included.
43404 @value{GDBN} will synthesize the single-precision registers from
43405 halves of the double-precision registers.
43406
43407 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.neon} feature is optional. It does not
43408 need to contain registers; it instructs @value{GDBN} to display the
43409 VFP double-precision registers as vectors and to synthesize the
43410 quad-precision registers from pairs of double-precision registers.
43411 If this feature is present, @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.vfp} must also
43412 be present and include 32 double-precision registers.
43413
43414 @node i386 Features
43415 @subsection i386 Features
43416 @cindex target descriptions, i386 features
43417
43418 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.i386.core} feature is required for i386/amd64
43419 targets. It should describe the following registers:
43420
43421 @itemize @minus
43422 @item
43423 @samp{eax} through @samp{edi} plus @samp{eip} for i386
43424 @item
43425 @samp{rax} through @samp{r15} plus @samp{rip} for amd64
43426 @item
43427 @samp{eflags}, @samp{cs}, @samp{ss}, @samp{ds}, @samp{es},
43428 @samp{fs}, @samp{gs}
43429 @item
43430 @samp{st0} through @samp{st7}
43431 @item
43432 @samp{fctrl}, @samp{fstat}, @samp{ftag}, @samp{fiseg}, @samp{fioff},
43433 @samp{foseg}, @samp{fooff} and @samp{fop}
43434 @end itemize
43435
43436 The register sets may be different, depending on the target.
43437
43438 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.i386.sse} feature is optional. It should
43439 describe registers:
43440
43441 @itemize @minus
43442 @item
43443 @samp{xmm0} through @samp{xmm7} for i386
43444 @item
43445 @samp{xmm0} through @samp{xmm15} for amd64
43446 @item
43447 @samp{mxcsr}
43448 @end itemize
43449
43450 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.i386.avx} feature is optional and requires the
43451 @samp{org.gnu.gdb.i386.sse} feature. It should
43452 describe the upper 128 bits of @sc{ymm} registers:
43453
43454 @itemize @minus
43455 @item
43456 @samp{ymm0h} through @samp{ymm7h} for i386
43457 @item
43458 @samp{ymm0h} through @samp{ymm15h} for amd64
43459 @end itemize
43460
43461 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.i386.mpx} is an optional feature representing Intel(R)
43462 Memory Protection Extension (MPX). It should describe the following registers:
43463
43464 @itemize @minus
43465 @item
43466 @samp{bnd0raw} through @samp{bnd3raw} for i386 and amd64.
43467 @item
43468 @samp{bndcfgu} and @samp{bndstatus} for i386 and amd64.
43469 @end itemize
43470
43471 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.i386.linux} feature is optional. It should
43472 describe a single register, @samp{orig_eax}.
43473
43474 @node MIPS Features
43475 @subsection @acronym{MIPS} Features
43476 @cindex target descriptions, @acronym{MIPS} features
43477
43478 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.mips.cpu} feature is required for @acronym{MIPS} targets.
43479 It should contain registers @samp{r0} through @samp{r31}, @samp{lo},
43480 @samp{hi}, and @samp{pc}. They may be 32-bit or 64-bit depending
43481 on the target.
43482
43483 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.mips.cp0} feature is also required. It should
43484 contain at least the @samp{status}, @samp{badvaddr}, and @samp{cause}
43485 registers. They may be 32-bit or 64-bit depending on the target.
43486
43487 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.mips.fpu} feature is currently required, though
43488 it may be optional in a future version of @value{GDBN}. It should
43489 contain registers @samp{f0} through @samp{f31}, @samp{fcsr}, and
43490 @samp{fir}. They may be 32-bit or 64-bit depending on the target.
43491
43492 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.mips.dsp} feature is optional. It should
43493 contain registers @samp{hi1} through @samp{hi3}, @samp{lo1} through
43494 @samp{lo3}, and @samp{dspctl}. The @samp{dspctl} register should
43495 be 32-bit and the rest may be 32-bit or 64-bit depending on the target.
43496
43497 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.mips.linux} feature is optional. It should
43498 contain a single register, @samp{restart}, which is used by the
43499 Linux kernel to control restartable syscalls.
43500
43501 @node M68K Features
43502 @subsection M68K Features
43503 @cindex target descriptions, M68K features
43504
43505 @table @code
43506 @item @samp{org.gnu.gdb.m68k.core}
43507 @itemx @samp{org.gnu.gdb.coldfire.core}
43508 @itemx @samp{org.gnu.gdb.fido.core}
43509 One of those features must be always present.
43510 The feature that is present determines which flavor of m68k is
43511 used. The feature that is present should contain registers
43512 @samp{d0} through @samp{d7}, @samp{a0} through @samp{a5}, @samp{fp},
43513 @samp{sp}, @samp{ps} and @samp{pc}.
43514
43515 @item @samp{org.gnu.gdb.coldfire.fp}
43516 This feature is optional. If present, it should contain registers
43517 @samp{fp0} through @samp{fp7}, @samp{fpcontrol}, @samp{fpstatus} and
43518 @samp{fpiaddr}.
43519 @end table
43520
43521 @node Nios II Features
43522 @subsection Nios II Features
43523 @cindex target descriptions, Nios II features
43524
43525 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.nios2.cpu} feature is required for Nios II
43526 targets. It should contain the 32 core registers (@samp{zero},
43527 @samp{at}, @samp{r2} through @samp{r23}, @samp{et} through @samp{ra}),
43528 @samp{pc}, and the 16 control registers (@samp{status} through
43529 @samp{mpuacc}).
43530
43531 @node PowerPC Features
43532 @subsection PowerPC Features
43533 @cindex target descriptions, PowerPC features
43534
43535 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.core} feature is required for PowerPC
43536 targets. It should contain registers @samp{r0} through @samp{r31},
43537 @samp{pc}, @samp{msr}, @samp{cr}, @samp{lr}, @samp{ctr}, and
43538 @samp{xer}. They may be 32-bit or 64-bit depending on the target.
43539
43540 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.fpu} feature is optional. It should
43541 contain registers @samp{f0} through @samp{f31} and @samp{fpscr}.
43542
43543 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.altivec} feature is optional. It should
43544 contain registers @samp{vr0} through @samp{vr31}, @samp{vscr},
43545 and @samp{vrsave}.
43546
43547 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.vsx} feature is optional. It should
43548 contain registers @samp{vs0h} through @samp{vs31h}. @value{GDBN}
43549 will combine these registers with the floating point registers
43550 (@samp{f0} through @samp{f31}) and the altivec registers (@samp{vr0}
43551 through @samp{vr31}) to present the 128-bit wide registers @samp{vs0}
43552 through @samp{vs63}, the set of vector registers for POWER7.
43553
43554 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.spe} feature is optional. It should
43555 contain registers @samp{ev0h} through @samp{ev31h}, @samp{acc}, and
43556 @samp{spefscr}. SPE targets should provide 32-bit registers in
43557 @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.core} and provide the upper halves in
43558 @samp{ev0h} through @samp{ev31h}. @value{GDBN} will combine
43559 these to present registers @samp{ev0} through @samp{ev31} to the
43560 user.
43561
43562 @node S/390 and System z Features
43563 @subsection S/390 and System z Features
43564 @cindex target descriptions, S/390 features
43565 @cindex target descriptions, System z features
43566
43567 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.s390.core} feature is required for S/390 and
43568 System z targets. It should contain the PSW and the 16 general
43569 registers. In particular, System z targets should provide the 64-bit
43570 registers @samp{pswm}, @samp{pswa}, and @samp{r0} through @samp{r15}.
43571 S/390 targets should provide the 32-bit versions of these registers.
43572 A System z target that runs in 31-bit addressing mode should provide
43573 32-bit versions of @samp{pswm} and @samp{pswa}, as well as the general
43574 register's upper halves @samp{r0h} through @samp{r15h}, and their
43575 lower halves @samp{r0l} through @samp{r15l}.
43576
43577 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.s390.fpr} feature is required. It should
43578 contain the 64-bit registers @samp{f0} through @samp{f15}, and
43579 @samp{fpc}.
43580
43581 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.s390.acr} feature is required. It should
43582 contain the 32-bit registers @samp{acr0} through @samp{acr15}.
43583
43584 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.s390.linux} feature is optional. It should
43585 contain the register @samp{orig_r2}, which is 64-bit wide on System z
43586 targets and 32-bit otherwise. In addition, the feature may contain
43587 the @samp{last_break} register, whose width depends on the addressing
43588 mode, as well as the @samp{system_call} register, which is always
43589 32-bit wide.
43590
43591 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.s390.tdb} feature is optional. It should
43592 contain the 64-bit registers @samp{tdb0}, @samp{tac}, @samp{tct},
43593 @samp{atia}, and @samp{tr0} through @samp{tr15}.
43594
43595 @node TIC6x Features
43596 @subsection TMS320C6x Features
43597 @cindex target descriptions, TIC6x features
43598 @cindex target descriptions, TMS320C6x features
43599 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.tic6x.core} feature is required for TMS320C6x
43600 targets. It should contain registers @samp{A0} through @samp{A15},
43601 registers @samp{B0} through @samp{B15}, @samp{CSR} and @samp{PC}.
43602
43603 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.tic6x.gp} feature is optional. It should
43604 contain registers @samp{A16} through @samp{A31} and @samp{B16}
43605 through @samp{B31}.
43606
43607 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.tic6x.c6xp} feature is optional. It should
43608 contain registers @samp{TSR}, @samp{ILC} and @samp{RILC}.
43609
43610 @node Operating System Information
43611 @appendix Operating System Information
43612 @cindex operating system information
43613
43614 @menu
43615 * Process list::
43616 @end menu
43617
43618 Users of @value{GDBN} often wish to obtain information about the state of
43619 the operating system running on the target---for example the list of
43620 processes, or the list of open files. This section describes the
43621 mechanism that makes it possible. This mechanism is similar to the
43622 target features mechanism (@pxref{Target Descriptions}), but focuses
43623 on a different aspect of target.
43624
43625 Operating system information is retrived from the target via the
43626 remote protocol, using @samp{qXfer} requests (@pxref{qXfer osdata
43627 read}). The object name in the request should be @samp{osdata}, and
43628 the @var{annex} identifies the data to be fetched.
43629
43630 @node Process list
43631 @appendixsection Process list
43632 @cindex operating system information, process list
43633
43634 When requesting the process list, the @var{annex} field in the
43635 @samp{qXfer} request should be @samp{processes}. The returned data is
43636 an XML document. The formal syntax of this document is defined in
43637 @file{gdb/features/osdata.dtd}.
43638
43639 An example document is:
43640
43641 @smallexample
43642 <?xml version="1.0"?>
43643 <!DOCTYPE target SYSTEM "osdata.dtd">
43644 <osdata type="processes">
43645 <item>
43646 <column name="pid">1</column>
43647 <column name="user">root</column>
43648 <column name="command">/sbin/init</column>
43649 <column name="cores">1,2,3</column>
43650 </item>
43651 </osdata>
43652 @end smallexample
43653
43654 Each item should include a column whose name is @samp{pid}. The value
43655 of that column should identify the process on the target. The
43656 @samp{user} and @samp{command} columns are optional, and will be
43657 displayed by @value{GDBN}. The @samp{cores} column, if present,
43658 should contain a comma-separated list of cores that this process
43659 is running on. Target may provide additional columns,
43660 which @value{GDBN} currently ignores.
43661
43662 @node Trace File Format
43663 @appendix Trace File Format
43664 @cindex trace file format
43665
43666 The trace file comes in three parts: a header, a textual description
43667 section, and a trace frame section with binary data.
43668
43669 The header has the form @code{\x7fTRACE0\n}. The first byte is
43670 @code{0x7f} so as to indicate that the file contains binary data,
43671 while the @code{0} is a version number that may have different values
43672 in the future.
43673
43674 The description section consists of multiple lines of @sc{ascii} text
43675 separated by newline characters (@code{0xa}). The lines may include a
43676 variety of optional descriptive or context-setting information, such
43677 as tracepoint definitions or register set size. @value{GDBN} will
43678 ignore any line that it does not recognize. An empty line marks the end
43679 of this section.
43680
43681 @c FIXME add some specific types of data
43682
43683 The trace frame section consists of a number of consecutive frames.
43684 Each frame begins with a two-byte tracepoint number, followed by a
43685 four-byte size giving the amount of data in the frame. The data in
43686 the frame consists of a number of blocks, each introduced by a
43687 character indicating its type (at least register, memory, and trace
43688 state variable). The data in this section is raw binary, not a
43689 hexadecimal or other encoding; its endianness matches the target's
43690 endianness.
43691
43692 @c FIXME bi-arch may require endianness/arch info in description section
43693
43694 @table @code
43695 @item R @var{bytes}
43696 Register block. The number and ordering of bytes matches that of a
43697 @code{g} packet in the remote protocol. Note that these are the
43698 actual bytes, in target order and @value{GDBN} register order, not a
43699 hexadecimal encoding.
43700
43701 @item M @var{address} @var{length} @var{bytes}...
43702 Memory block. This is a contiguous block of memory, at the 8-byte
43703 address @var{address}, with a 2-byte length @var{length}, followed by
43704 @var{length} bytes.
43705
43706 @item V @var{number} @var{value}
43707 Trace state variable block. This records the 8-byte signed value
43708 @var{value} of trace state variable numbered @var{number}.
43709
43710 @end table
43711
43712 Future enhancements of the trace file format may include additional types
43713 of blocks.
43714
43715 @node Index Section Format
43716 @appendix @code{.gdb_index} section format
43717 @cindex .gdb_index section format
43718 @cindex index section format
43719
43720 This section documents the index section that is created by @code{save
43721 gdb-index} (@pxref{Index Files}). The index section is
43722 DWARF-specific; some knowledge of DWARF is assumed in this
43723 description.
43724
43725 The mapped index file format is designed to be directly
43726 @code{mmap}able on any architecture. In most cases, a datum is
43727 represented using a little-endian 32-bit integer value, called an
43728 @code{offset_type}. Big endian machines must byte-swap the values
43729 before using them. Exceptions to this rule are noted. The data is
43730 laid out such that alignment is always respected.
43731
43732 A mapped index consists of several areas, laid out in order.
43733
43734 @enumerate
43735 @item
43736 The file header. This is a sequence of values, of @code{offset_type}
43737 unless otherwise noted:
43738
43739 @enumerate
43740 @item
43741 The version number, currently 8. Versions 1, 2 and 3 are obsolete.
43742 Version 4 uses a different hashing function from versions 5 and 6.
43743 Version 6 includes symbols for inlined functions, whereas versions 4
43744 and 5 do not. Version 7 adds attributes to the CU indices in the
43745 symbol table. Version 8 specifies that symbols from DWARF type units
43746 (@samp{DW_TAG_type_unit}) refer to the type unit's symbol table and not the
43747 compilation unit (@samp{DW_TAG_comp_unit}) using the type.
43748
43749 @value{GDBN} will only read version 4, 5, or 6 indices
43750 by specifying @code{set use-deprecated-index-sections on}.
43751 GDB has a workaround for potentially broken version 7 indices so it is
43752 currently not flagged as deprecated.
43753
43754 @item
43755 The offset, from the start of the file, of the CU list.
43756
43757 @item
43758 The offset, from the start of the file, of the types CU list. Note
43759 that this area can be empty, in which case this offset will be equal
43760 to the next offset.
43761
43762 @item
43763 The offset, from the start of the file, of the address area.
43764
43765 @item
43766 The offset, from the start of the file, of the symbol table.
43767
43768 @item
43769 The offset, from the start of the file, of the constant pool.
43770 @end enumerate
43771
43772 @item
43773 The CU list. This is a sequence of pairs of 64-bit little-endian
43774 values, sorted by the CU offset. The first element in each pair is
43775 the offset of a CU in the @code{.debug_info} section. The second
43776 element in each pair is the length of that CU. References to a CU
43777 elsewhere in the map are done using a CU index, which is just the
43778 0-based index into this table. Note that if there are type CUs, then
43779 conceptually CUs and type CUs form a single list for the purposes of
43780 CU indices.
43781
43782 @item
43783 The types CU list. This is a sequence of triplets of 64-bit
43784 little-endian values. In a triplet, the first value is the CU offset,
43785 the second value is the type offset in the CU, and the third value is
43786 the type signature. The types CU list is not sorted.
43787
43788 @item
43789 The address area. The address area consists of a sequence of address
43790 entries. Each address entry has three elements:
43791
43792 @enumerate
43793 @item
43794 The low address. This is a 64-bit little-endian value.
43795
43796 @item
43797 The high address. This is a 64-bit little-endian value. Like
43798 @code{DW_AT_high_pc}, the value is one byte beyond the end.
43799
43800 @item
43801 The CU index. This is an @code{offset_type} value.
43802 @end enumerate
43803
43804 @item
43805 The symbol table. This is an open-addressed hash table. The size of
43806 the hash table is always a power of 2.
43807
43808 Each slot in the hash table consists of a pair of @code{offset_type}
43809 values. The first value is the offset of the symbol's name in the
43810 constant pool. The second value is the offset of the CU vector in the
43811 constant pool.
43812
43813 If both values are 0, then this slot in the hash table is empty. This
43814 is ok because while 0 is a valid constant pool index, it cannot be a
43815 valid index for both a string and a CU vector.
43816
43817 The hash value for a table entry is computed by applying an
43818 iterative hash function to the symbol's name. Starting with an
43819 initial value of @code{r = 0}, each (unsigned) character @samp{c} in
43820 the string is incorporated into the hash using the formula depending on the
43821 index version:
43822
43823 @table @asis
43824 @item Version 4
43825 The formula is @code{r = r * 67 + c - 113}.
43826
43827 @item Versions 5 to 7
43828 The formula is @code{r = r * 67 + tolower (c) - 113}.
43829 @end table
43830
43831 The terminating @samp{\0} is not incorporated into the hash.
43832
43833 The step size used in the hash table is computed via
43834 @code{((hash * 17) & (size - 1)) | 1}, where @samp{hash} is the hash
43835 value, and @samp{size} is the size of the hash table. The step size
43836 is used to find the next candidate slot when handling a hash
43837 collision.
43838
43839 The names of C@t{++} symbols in the hash table are canonicalized. We
43840 don't currently have a simple description of the canonicalization
43841 algorithm; if you intend to create new index sections, you must read
43842 the code.
43843
43844 @item
43845 The constant pool. This is simply a bunch of bytes. It is organized
43846 so that alignment is correct: CU vectors are stored first, followed by
43847 strings.
43848
43849 A CU vector in the constant pool is a sequence of @code{offset_type}
43850 values. The first value is the number of CU indices in the vector.
43851 Each subsequent value is the index and symbol attributes of a CU in
43852 the CU list. This element in the hash table is used to indicate which
43853 CUs define the symbol and how the symbol is used.
43854 See below for the format of each CU index+attributes entry.
43855
43856 A string in the constant pool is zero-terminated.
43857 @end enumerate
43858
43859 Attributes were added to CU index values in @code{.gdb_index} version 7.
43860 If a symbol has multiple uses within a CU then there is one
43861 CU index+attributes value for each use.
43862
43863 The format of each CU index+attributes entry is as follows
43864 (bit 0 = LSB):
43865
43866 @table @asis
43867
43868 @item Bits 0-23
43869 This is the index of the CU in the CU list.
43870 @item Bits 24-27
43871 These bits are reserved for future purposes and must be zero.
43872 @item Bits 28-30
43873 The kind of the symbol in the CU.
43874
43875 @table @asis
43876 @item 0
43877 This value is reserved and should not be used.
43878 By reserving zero the full @code{offset_type} value is backwards compatible
43879 with previous versions of the index.
43880 @item 1
43881 The symbol is a type.
43882 @item 2
43883 The symbol is a variable or an enum value.
43884 @item 3
43885 The symbol is a function.
43886 @item 4
43887 Any other kind of symbol.
43888 @item 5,6,7
43889 These values are reserved.
43890 @end table
43891
43892 @item Bit 31
43893 This bit is zero if the value is global and one if it is static.
43894
43895 The determination of whether a symbol is global or static is complicated.
43896 The authorative reference is the file @file{dwarf2read.c} in
43897 @value{GDBN} sources.
43898
43899 @end table
43900
43901 This pseudo-code describes the computation of a symbol's kind and
43902 global/static attributes in the index.
43903
43904 @smallexample
43905 is_external = get_attribute (die, DW_AT_external);
43906 language = get_attribute (cu_die, DW_AT_language);
43907 switch (die->tag)
43908 @{
43909 case DW_TAG_typedef:
43910 case DW_TAG_base_type:
43911 case DW_TAG_subrange_type:
43912 kind = TYPE;
43913 is_static = 1;
43914 break;
43915 case DW_TAG_enumerator:
43916 kind = VARIABLE;
43917 is_static = (language != CPLUS && language != JAVA);
43918 break;
43919 case DW_TAG_subprogram:
43920 kind = FUNCTION;
43921 is_static = ! (is_external || language == ADA);
43922 break;
43923 case DW_TAG_constant:
43924 kind = VARIABLE;
43925 is_static = ! is_external;
43926 break;
43927 case DW_TAG_variable:
43928 kind = VARIABLE;
43929 is_static = ! is_external;
43930 break;
43931 case DW_TAG_namespace:
43932 kind = TYPE;
43933 is_static = 0;
43934 break;
43935 case DW_TAG_class_type:
43936 case DW_TAG_interface_type:
43937 case DW_TAG_structure_type:
43938 case DW_TAG_union_type:
43939 case DW_TAG_enumeration_type:
43940 kind = TYPE;
43941 is_static = (language != CPLUS && language != JAVA);
43942 break;
43943 default:
43944 assert (0);
43945 @}
43946 @end smallexample
43947
43948 @node Man Pages
43949 @appendix Manual pages
43950 @cindex Man pages
43951
43952 @menu
43953 * gdb man:: The GNU Debugger man page
43954 * gdbserver man:: Remote Server for the GNU Debugger man page
43955 * gcore man:: Generate a core file of a running program
43956 * gdbinit man:: gdbinit scripts
43957 @end menu
43958
43959 @node gdb man
43960 @heading gdb man
43961
43962 @c man title gdb The GNU Debugger
43963
43964 @c man begin SYNOPSIS gdb
43965 gdb [@option{-help}] [@option{-nh}] [@option{-nx}] [@option{-q}]
43966 [@option{-batch}] [@option{-cd=}@var{dir}] [@option{-f}]
43967 [@option{-b}@w{ }@var{bps}]
43968 [@option{-tty=}@var{dev}] [@option{-s} @var{symfile}]
43969 [@option{-e}@w{ }@var{prog}] [@option{-se}@w{ }@var{prog}]
43970 [@option{-c}@w{ }@var{core}] [@option{-p}@w{ }@var{procID}]
43971 [@option{-x}@w{ }@var{cmds}] [@option{-d}@w{ }@var{dir}]
43972 [@var{prog}|@var{prog} @var{procID}|@var{prog} @var{core}]
43973 @c man end
43974
43975 @c man begin DESCRIPTION gdb
43976 The purpose of a debugger such as @value{GDBN} is to allow you to see what is
43977 going on ``inside'' another program while it executes -- or what another
43978 program was doing at the moment it crashed.
43979
43980 @value{GDBN} can do four main kinds of things (plus other things in support of
43981 these) to help you catch bugs in the act:
43982
43983 @itemize @bullet
43984 @item
43985 Start your program, specifying anything that might affect its behavior.
43986
43987 @item
43988 Make your program stop on specified conditions.
43989
43990 @item
43991 Examine what has happened, when your program has stopped.
43992
43993 @item
43994 Change things in your program, so you can experiment with correcting the
43995 effects of one bug and go on to learn about another.
43996 @end itemize
43997
43998 You can use @value{GDBN} to debug programs written in C, C@t{++}, Fortran and
43999 Modula-2.
44000
44001 @value{GDBN} is invoked with the shell command @code{gdb}. Once started, it reads
44002 commands from the terminal until you tell it to exit with the @value{GDBN}
44003 command @code{quit}. You can get online help from @value{GDBN} itself
44004 by using the command @code{help}.
44005
44006 You can run @code{gdb} with no arguments or options; but the most
44007 usual way to start @value{GDBN} is with one argument or two, specifying an
44008 executable program as the argument:
44009
44010 @smallexample
44011 gdb program
44012 @end smallexample
44013
44014 You can also start with both an executable program and a core file specified:
44015
44016 @smallexample
44017 gdb program core
44018 @end smallexample
44019
44020 You can, instead, specify a process ID as a second argument, if you want
44021 to debug a running process:
44022
44023 @smallexample
44024 gdb program 1234
44025 gdb -p 1234
44026 @end smallexample
44027
44028 @noindent
44029 would attach @value{GDBN} to process @code{1234} (unless you also have a file
44030 named @file{1234}; @value{GDBN} does check for a core file first).
44031 With option @option{-p} you can omit the @var{program} filename.
44032
44033 Here are some of the most frequently needed @value{GDBN} commands:
44034
44035 @c pod2man highlights the right hand side of the @item lines.
44036 @table @env
44037 @item break [@var{file}:]@var{functiop}
44038 Set a breakpoint at @var{function} (in @var{file}).
44039
44040 @item run [@var{arglist}]
44041 Start your program (with @var{arglist}, if specified).
44042
44043 @item bt
44044 Backtrace: display the program stack.
44045
44046 @item print @var{expr}
44047 Display the value of an expression.
44048
44049 @item c
44050 Continue running your program (after stopping, e.g. at a breakpoint).
44051
44052 @item next
44053 Execute next program line (after stopping); step @emph{over} any
44054 function calls in the line.
44055
44056 @item edit [@var{file}:]@var{function}
44057 look at the program line where it is presently stopped.
44058
44059 @item list [@var{file}:]@var{function}
44060 type the text of the program in the vicinity of where it is presently stopped.
44061
44062 @item step
44063 Execute next program line (after stopping); step @emph{into} any
44064 function calls in the line.
44065
44066 @item help [@var{name}]
44067 Show information about @value{GDBN} command @var{name}, or general information
44068 about using @value{GDBN}.
44069
44070 @item quit
44071 Exit from @value{GDBN}.
44072 @end table
44073
44074 @ifset man
44075 For full details on @value{GDBN},
44076 see @cite{Using GDB: A Guide to the GNU Source-Level Debugger},
44077 by Richard M. Stallman and Roland H. Pesch. The same text is available online
44078 as the @code{gdb} entry in the @code{info} program.
44079 @end ifset
44080 @c man end
44081
44082 @c man begin OPTIONS gdb
44083 Any arguments other than options specify an executable
44084 file and core file (or process ID); that is, the first argument
44085 encountered with no
44086 associated option flag is equivalent to a @option{-se} option, and the second,
44087 if any, is equivalent to a @option{-c} option if it's the name of a file.
44088 Many options have
44089 both long and short forms; both are shown here. The long forms are also
44090 recognized if you truncate them, so long as enough of the option is
44091 present to be unambiguous. (If you prefer, you can flag option
44092 arguments with @option{+} rather than @option{-}, though we illustrate the
44093 more usual convention.)
44094
44095 All the options and command line arguments you give are processed
44096 in sequential order. The order makes a difference when the @option{-x}
44097 option is used.
44098
44099 @table @env
44100 @item -help
44101 @itemx -h
44102 List all options, with brief explanations.
44103
44104 @item -symbols=@var{file}
44105 @itemx -s @var{file}
44106 Read symbol table from file @var{file}.
44107
44108 @item -write
44109 Enable writing into executable and core files.
44110
44111 @item -exec=@var{file}
44112 @itemx -e @var{file}
44113 Use file @var{file} as the executable file to execute when
44114 appropriate, and for examining pure data in conjunction with a core
44115 dump.
44116
44117 @item -se=@var{file}
44118 Read symbol table from file @var{file} and use it as the executable
44119 file.
44120
44121 @item -core=@var{file}
44122 @itemx -c @var{file}
44123 Use file @var{file} as a core dump to examine.
44124
44125 @item -command=@var{file}
44126 @itemx -x @var{file}
44127 Execute @value{GDBN} commands from file @var{file}.
44128
44129 @item -ex @var{command}
44130 Execute given @value{GDBN} @var{command}.
44131
44132 @item -directory=@var{directory}
44133 @itemx -d @var{directory}
44134 Add @var{directory} to the path to search for source files.
44135
44136 @item -nh
44137 Do not execute commands from @file{~/.gdbinit}.
44138
44139 @item -nx
44140 @itemx -n
44141 Do not execute commands from any @file{.gdbinit} initialization files.
44142
44143 @item -quiet
44144 @itemx -q
44145 ``Quiet''. Do not print the introductory and copyright messages. These
44146 messages are also suppressed in batch mode.
44147
44148 @item -batch
44149 Run in batch mode. Exit with status @code{0} after processing all the command
44150 files specified with @option{-x} (and @file{.gdbinit}, if not inhibited).
44151 Exit with nonzero status if an error occurs in executing the @value{GDBN}
44152 commands in the command files.
44153
44154 Batch mode may be useful for running @value{GDBN} as a filter, for example to
44155 download and run a program on another computer; in order to make this
44156 more useful, the message
44157
44158 @smallexample
44159 Program exited normally.
44160 @end smallexample
44161
44162 @noindent
44163 (which is ordinarily issued whenever a program running under @value{GDBN} control
44164 terminates) is not issued when running in batch mode.
44165
44166 @item -cd=@var{directory}
44167 Run @value{GDBN} using @var{directory} as its working directory,
44168 instead of the current directory.
44169
44170 @item -fullname
44171 @itemx -f
44172 Emacs sets this option when it runs @value{GDBN} as a subprocess. It tells
44173 @value{GDBN} to output the full file name and line number in a standard,
44174 recognizable fashion each time a stack frame is displayed (which
44175 includes each time the program stops). This recognizable format looks
44176 like two @samp{\032} characters, followed by the file name, line number
44177 and character position separated by colons, and a newline. The
44178 Emacs-to-@value{GDBN} interface program uses the two @samp{\032}
44179 characters as a signal to display the source code for the frame.
44180
44181 @item -b @var{bps}
44182 Set the line speed (baud rate or bits per second) of any serial
44183 interface used by @value{GDBN} for remote debugging.
44184
44185 @item -tty=@var{device}
44186 Run using @var{device} for your program's standard input and output.
44187 @end table
44188 @c man end
44189
44190 @c man begin SEEALSO gdb
44191 @ifset man
44192 The full documentation for @value{GDBN} is maintained as a Texinfo manual.
44193 If the @code{info} and @code{gdb} programs and @value{GDBN}'s Texinfo
44194 documentation are properly installed at your site, the command
44195
44196 @smallexample
44197 info gdb
44198 @end smallexample
44199
44200 @noindent
44201 should give you access to the complete manual.
44202
44203 @cite{Using GDB: A Guide to the GNU Source-Level Debugger},
44204 Richard M. Stallman and Roland H. Pesch, July 1991.
44205 @end ifset
44206 @c man end
44207
44208 @node gdbserver man
44209 @heading gdbserver man
44210
44211 @c man title gdbserver Remote Server for the GNU Debugger
44212 @format
44213 @c man begin SYNOPSIS gdbserver
44214 gdbserver @var{comm} @var{prog} [@var{args}@dots{}]
44215
44216 gdbserver --attach @var{comm} @var{pid}
44217
44218 gdbserver --multi @var{comm}
44219 @c man end
44220 @end format
44221
44222 @c man begin DESCRIPTION gdbserver
44223 @command{gdbserver} is a program that allows you to run @value{GDBN} on a different machine
44224 than the one which is running the program being debugged.
44225
44226 @ifclear man
44227 @subheading Usage (server (target) side)
44228 @end ifclear
44229 @ifset man
44230 Usage (server (target) side):
44231 @end ifset
44232
44233 First, you need to have a copy of the program you want to debug put onto
44234 the target system. The program can be stripped to save space if needed, as
44235 @command{gdbserver} doesn't care about symbols. All symbol handling is taken care of by
44236 the @value{GDBN} running on the host system.
44237
44238 To use the server, you log on to the target system, and run the @command{gdbserver}
44239 program. You must tell it (a) how to communicate with @value{GDBN}, (b) the name of
44240 your program, and (c) its arguments. The general syntax is:
44241
44242 @smallexample
44243 target> gdbserver @var{comm} @var{program} [@var{args} ...]
44244 @end smallexample
44245
44246 For example, using a serial port, you might say:
44247
44248 @smallexample
44249 @ifset man
44250 @c @file would wrap it as F</dev/com1>.
44251 target> gdbserver /dev/com1 emacs foo.txt
44252 @end ifset
44253 @ifclear man
44254 target> gdbserver @file{/dev/com1} emacs foo.txt
44255 @end ifclear
44256 @end smallexample
44257
44258 This tells @command{gdbserver} to debug emacs with an argument of foo.txt, and
44259 to communicate with @value{GDBN} via @file{/dev/com1}. @command{gdbserver} now
44260 waits patiently for the host @value{GDBN} to communicate with it.
44261
44262 To use a TCP connection, you could say:
44263
44264 @smallexample
44265 target> gdbserver host:2345 emacs foo.txt
44266 @end smallexample
44267
44268 This says pretty much the same thing as the last example, except that we are
44269 going to communicate with the @code{host} @value{GDBN} via TCP. The @code{host:2345} argument means
44270 that we are expecting to see a TCP connection from @code{host} to local TCP port
44271 2345. (Currently, the @code{host} part is ignored.) You can choose any number you
44272 want for the port number as long as it does not conflict with any existing TCP
44273 ports on the target system. This same port number must be used in the host
44274 @value{GDBN}s @code{target remote} command, which will be described shortly. Note that if
44275 you chose a port number that conflicts with another service, @command{gdbserver} will
44276 print an error message and exit.
44277
44278 @command{gdbserver} can also attach to running programs.
44279 This is accomplished via the @option{--attach} argument. The syntax is:
44280
44281 @smallexample
44282 target> gdbserver --attach @var{comm} @var{pid}
44283 @end smallexample
44284
44285 @var{pid} is the process ID of a currently running process. It isn't
44286 necessary to point @command{gdbserver} at a binary for the running process.
44287
44288 To start @code{gdbserver} without supplying an initial command to run
44289 or process ID to attach, use the @option{--multi} command line option.
44290 In such case you should connect using @kbd{target extended-remote} to start
44291 the program you want to debug.
44292
44293 @smallexample
44294 target> gdbserver --multi @var{comm}
44295 @end smallexample
44296
44297 @ifclear man
44298 @subheading Usage (host side)
44299 @end ifclear
44300 @ifset man
44301 Usage (host side):
44302 @end ifset
44303
44304 You need an unstripped copy of the target program on your host system, since
44305 @value{GDBN} needs to examine it's symbol tables and such. Start up @value{GDBN} as you normally
44306 would, with the target program as the first argument. (You may need to use the
44307 @option{--baud} option if the serial line is running at anything except 9600 baud.)
44308 That is @code{gdb TARGET-PROG}, or @code{gdb --baud BAUD TARGET-PROG}. After that, the only
44309 new command you need to know about is @code{target remote}
44310 (or @code{target extended-remote}). Its argument is either
44311 a device name (usually a serial device, like @file{/dev/ttyb}), or a @code{HOST:PORT}
44312 descriptor. For example:
44313
44314 @smallexample
44315 @ifset man
44316 @c @file would wrap it as F</dev/ttyb>.
44317 (gdb) target remote /dev/ttyb
44318 @end ifset
44319 @ifclear man
44320 (gdb) target remote @file{/dev/ttyb}
44321 @end ifclear
44322 @end smallexample
44323
44324 @noindent
44325 communicates with the server via serial line @file{/dev/ttyb}, and:
44326
44327 @smallexample
44328 (gdb) target remote the-target:2345
44329 @end smallexample
44330
44331 @noindent
44332 communicates via a TCP connection to port 2345 on host `the-target', where
44333 you previously started up @command{gdbserver} with the same port number. Note that for
44334 TCP connections, you must start up @command{gdbserver} prior to using the `target remote'
44335 command, otherwise you may get an error that looks something like
44336 `Connection refused'.
44337
44338 @command{gdbserver} can also debug multiple inferiors at once,
44339 described in
44340 @ifset man
44341 the @value{GDBN} manual in node @code{Inferiors and Programs}
44342 -- shell command @code{info -f gdb -n 'Inferiors and Programs'}.
44343 @end ifset
44344 @ifclear man
44345 @ref{Inferiors and Programs}.
44346 @end ifclear
44347 In such case use the @code{extended-remote} @value{GDBN} command variant:
44348
44349 @smallexample
44350 (gdb) target extended-remote the-target:2345
44351 @end smallexample
44352
44353 The @command{gdbserver} option @option{--multi} may or may not be used in such
44354 case.
44355 @c man end
44356
44357 @c man begin OPTIONS gdbserver
44358 There are three different modes for invoking @command{gdbserver}:
44359
44360 @itemize @bullet
44361
44362 @item
44363 Debug a specific program specified by its program name:
44364
44365 @smallexample
44366 gdbserver @var{comm} @var{prog} [@var{args}@dots{}]
44367 @end smallexample
44368
44369 The @var{comm} parameter specifies how should the server communicate
44370 with @value{GDBN}; it is either a device name (to use a serial line),
44371 a TCP port number (@code{:1234}), or @code{-} or @code{stdio} to use
44372 stdin/stdout of @code{gdbserver}. Specify the name of the program to
44373 debug in @var{prog}. Any remaining arguments will be passed to the
44374 program verbatim. When the program exits, @value{GDBN} will close the
44375 connection, and @code{gdbserver} will exit.
44376
44377 @item
44378 Debug a specific program by specifying the process ID of a running
44379 program:
44380
44381 @smallexample
44382 gdbserver --attach @var{comm} @var{pid}
44383 @end smallexample
44384
44385 The @var{comm} parameter is as described above. Supply the process ID
44386 of a running program in @var{pid}; @value{GDBN} will do everything
44387 else. Like with the previous mode, when the process @var{pid} exits,
44388 @value{GDBN} will close the connection, and @code{gdbserver} will exit.
44389
44390 @item
44391 Multi-process mode -- debug more than one program/process:
44392
44393 @smallexample
44394 gdbserver --multi @var{comm}
44395 @end smallexample
44396
44397 In this mode, @value{GDBN} can instruct @command{gdbserver} which
44398 command(s) to run. Unlike the other 2 modes, @value{GDBN} will not
44399 close the connection when a process being debugged exits, so you can
44400 debug several processes in the same session.
44401 @end itemize
44402
44403 In each of the modes you may specify these options:
44404
44405 @table @env
44406
44407 @item --help
44408 List all options, with brief explanations.
44409
44410 @item --version
44411 This option causes @command{gdbserver} to print its version number and exit.
44412
44413 @item --attach
44414 @command{gdbserver} will attach to a running program. The syntax is:
44415
44416 @smallexample
44417 target> gdbserver --attach @var{comm} @var{pid}
44418 @end smallexample
44419
44420 @var{pid} is the process ID of a currently running process. It isn't
44421 necessary to point @command{gdbserver} at a binary for the running process.
44422
44423 @item --multi
44424 To start @code{gdbserver} without supplying an initial command to run
44425 or process ID to attach, use this command line option.
44426 Then you can connect using @kbd{target extended-remote} and start
44427 the program you want to debug. The syntax is:
44428
44429 @smallexample
44430 target> gdbserver --multi @var{comm}
44431 @end smallexample
44432
44433 @item --debug
44434 Instruct @code{gdbserver} to display extra status information about the debugging
44435 process.
44436 This option is intended for @code{gdbserver} development and for bug reports to
44437 the developers.
44438
44439 @item --remote-debug
44440 Instruct @code{gdbserver} to display remote protocol debug output.
44441 This option is intended for @code{gdbserver} development and for bug reports to
44442 the developers.
44443
44444 @item --debug-format=option1@r{[},option2,...@r{]}
44445 Instruct @code{gdbserver} to include extra information in each line
44446 of debugging output.
44447 @xref{Other Command-Line Arguments for gdbserver}.
44448
44449 @item --wrapper
44450 Specify a wrapper to launch programs
44451 for debugging. The option should be followed by the name of the
44452 wrapper, then any command-line arguments to pass to the wrapper, then
44453 @kbd{--} indicating the end of the wrapper arguments.
44454
44455 @item --once
44456 By default, @command{gdbserver} keeps the listening TCP port open, so that
44457 additional connections are possible. However, if you start @code{gdbserver}
44458 with the @option{--once} option, it will stop listening for any further
44459 connection attempts after connecting to the first @value{GDBN} session.
44460
44461 @c --disable-packet is not documented for users.
44462
44463 @c --disable-randomization and --no-disable-randomization are superseded by
44464 @c QDisableRandomization.
44465
44466 @end table
44467 @c man end
44468
44469 @c man begin SEEALSO gdbserver
44470 @ifset man
44471 The full documentation for @value{GDBN} is maintained as a Texinfo manual.
44472 If the @code{info} and @code{gdb} programs and @value{GDBN}'s Texinfo
44473 documentation are properly installed at your site, the command
44474
44475 @smallexample
44476 info gdb
44477 @end smallexample
44478
44479 should give you access to the complete manual.
44480
44481 @cite{Using GDB: A Guide to the GNU Source-Level Debugger},
44482 Richard M. Stallman and Roland H. Pesch, July 1991.
44483 @end ifset
44484 @c man end
44485
44486 @node gcore man
44487 @heading gcore
44488
44489 @c man title gcore Generate a core file of a running program
44490
44491 @format
44492 @c man begin SYNOPSIS gcore
44493 gcore [-o @var{filename}] @var{pid}
44494 @c man end
44495 @end format
44496
44497 @c man begin DESCRIPTION gcore
44498 Generate a core dump of a running program with process ID @var{pid}.
44499 Produced file is equivalent to a kernel produced core file as if the process
44500 crashed (and if @kbd{ulimit -c} were used to set up an appropriate core dump
44501 limit). Unlike after a crash, after @command{gcore} the program remains
44502 running without any change.
44503 @c man end
44504
44505 @c man begin OPTIONS gcore
44506 @table @env
44507 @item -o @var{filename}
44508 The optional argument
44509 @var{filename} specifies the file name where to put the core dump.
44510 If not specified, the file name defaults to @file{core.@var{pid}},
44511 where @var{pid} is the running program process ID.
44512 @end table
44513 @c man end
44514
44515 @c man begin SEEALSO gcore
44516 @ifset man
44517 The full documentation for @value{GDBN} is maintained as a Texinfo manual.
44518 If the @code{info} and @code{gdb} programs and @value{GDBN}'s Texinfo
44519 documentation are properly installed at your site, the command
44520
44521 @smallexample
44522 info gdb
44523 @end smallexample
44524
44525 @noindent
44526 should give you access to the complete manual.
44527
44528 @cite{Using GDB: A Guide to the GNU Source-Level Debugger},
44529 Richard M. Stallman and Roland H. Pesch, July 1991.
44530 @end ifset
44531 @c man end
44532
44533 @node gdbinit man
44534 @heading gdbinit
44535
44536 @c man title gdbinit GDB initialization scripts
44537
44538 @format
44539 @c man begin SYNOPSIS gdbinit
44540 @ifset SYSTEM_GDBINIT
44541 @value{SYSTEM_GDBINIT}
44542 @end ifset
44543
44544 ~/.gdbinit
44545
44546 ./.gdbinit
44547 @c man end
44548 @end format
44549
44550 @c man begin DESCRIPTION gdbinit
44551 These files contain @value{GDBN} commands to automatically execute during
44552 @value{GDBN} startup. The lines of contents are canned sequences of commands,
44553 described in
44554 @ifset man
44555 the @value{GDBN} manual in node @code{Sequences}
44556 -- shell command @code{info -f gdb -n Sequences}.
44557 @end ifset
44558 @ifclear man
44559 @ref{Sequences}.
44560 @end ifclear
44561
44562 Please read more in
44563 @ifset man
44564 the @value{GDBN} manual in node @code{Startup}
44565 -- shell command @code{info -f gdb -n Startup}.
44566 @end ifset
44567 @ifclear man
44568 @ref{Startup}.
44569 @end ifclear
44570
44571 @table @env
44572 @ifset SYSTEM_GDBINIT
44573 @item @value{SYSTEM_GDBINIT}
44574 @end ifset
44575 @ifclear SYSTEM_GDBINIT
44576 @item (not enabled with @code{--with-system-gdbinit} during compilation)
44577 @end ifclear
44578 System-wide initialization file. It is executed unless user specified
44579 @value{GDBN} option @code{-nx} or @code{-n}.
44580 See more in
44581 @ifset man
44582 the @value{GDBN} manual in node @code{System-wide configuration}
44583 -- shell command @code{info -f gdb -n 'System-wide configuration'}.
44584 @end ifset
44585 @ifclear man
44586 @ref{System-wide configuration}.
44587 @end ifclear
44588
44589 @item ~/.gdbinit
44590 User initialization file. It is executed unless user specified
44591 @value{GDBN} options @code{-nx}, @code{-n} or @code{-nh}.
44592
44593 @item ./.gdbinit
44594 Initialization file for current directory. It may need to be enabled with
44595 @value{GDBN} security command @code{set auto-load local-gdbinit}.
44596 See more in
44597 @ifset man
44598 the @value{GDBN} manual in node @code{Init File in the Current Directory}
44599 -- shell command @code{info -f gdb -n 'Init File in the Current Directory'}.
44600 @end ifset
44601 @ifclear man
44602 @ref{Init File in the Current Directory}.
44603 @end ifclear
44604 @end table
44605 @c man end
44606
44607 @c man begin SEEALSO gdbinit
44608 @ifset man
44609 gdb(1), @code{info -f gdb -n Startup}
44610
44611 The full documentation for @value{GDBN} is maintained as a Texinfo manual.
44612 If the @code{info} and @code{gdb} programs and @value{GDBN}'s Texinfo
44613 documentation are properly installed at your site, the command
44614
44615 @smallexample
44616 info gdb
44617 @end smallexample
44618
44619 should give you access to the complete manual.
44620
44621 @cite{Using GDB: A Guide to the GNU Source-Level Debugger},
44622 Richard M. Stallman and Roland H. Pesch, July 1991.
44623 @end ifset
44624 @c man end
44625
44626 @include gpl.texi
44627
44628 @node GNU Free Documentation License
44629 @appendix GNU Free Documentation License
44630 @include fdl.texi
44631
44632 @node Concept Index
44633 @unnumbered Concept Index
44634
44635 @printindex cp
44636
44637 @node Command and Variable Index
44638 @unnumbered Command, Variable, and Function Index
44639
44640 @printindex fn
44641
44642 @tex
44643 % I think something like @@colophon should be in texinfo. In the
44644 % meantime:
44645 \long\def\colophon{\hbox to0pt{}\vfill
44646 \centerline{The body of this manual is set in}
44647 \centerline{\fontname\tenrm,}
44648 \centerline{with headings in {\bf\fontname\tenbf}}
44649 \centerline{and examples in {\tt\fontname\tentt}.}
44650 \centerline{{\it\fontname\tenit\/},}
44651 \centerline{{\bf\fontname\tenbf}, and}
44652 \centerline{{\sl\fontname\tensl\/}}
44653 \centerline{are used for emphasis.}\vfill}
44654 \page\colophon
44655 % Blame: doc@@cygnus.com, 1991.
44656 @end tex
44657
44658 @bye
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