gdb/
[deliverable/binutils-gdb.git] / gdb / doc / gdb.texinfo
1 \input texinfo @c -*-texinfo-*-
2 @c Copyright (C) 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996,
3 @c 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009,
4 @c 2010, 2011 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
5 @c
6 @c %**start of header
7 @c makeinfo ignores cmds prev to setfilename, so its arg cannot make use
8 @c of @set vars. However, you can override filename with makeinfo -o.
9 @setfilename gdb.info
10 @c
11 @include gdb-cfg.texi
12 @c
13 @settitle Debugging with @value{GDBN}
14 @setchapternewpage odd
15 @c %**end of header
16
17 @iftex
18 @c @smallbook
19 @c @cropmarks
20 @end iftex
21
22 @finalout
23 @syncodeindex ky cp
24 @syncodeindex tp cp
25
26 @c readline appendices use @vindex, @findex and @ftable,
27 @c annotate.texi and gdbmi use @findex.
28 @syncodeindex vr cp
29 @syncodeindex fn cp
30
31 @c !!set GDB manual's edition---not the same as GDB version!
32 @c This is updated by GNU Press.
33 @set EDITION Tenth
34
35 @c !!set GDB edit command default editor
36 @set EDITOR /bin/ex
37
38 @c THIS MANUAL REQUIRES TEXINFO 4.0 OR LATER.
39
40 @c This is a dir.info fragment to support semi-automated addition of
41 @c manuals to an info tree.
42 @dircategory Software development
43 @direntry
44 * Gdb: (gdb). The GNU debugger.
45 @end direntry
46
47 @copying
48 Copyright @copyright{} 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996,
49 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010
50 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
51
52 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
53 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.3 or
54 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with the
55 Invariant Sections being ``Free Software'' and ``Free Software Needs
56 Free Documentation'', with the Front-Cover Texts being ``A GNU Manual,''
57 and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below.
58
59 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You are free to copy and modify
60 this GNU Manual. Buying copies from GNU Press supports the FSF in
61 developing GNU and promoting software freedom.''
62 @end copying
63
64 @ifnottex
65 This file documents the @sc{gnu} debugger @value{GDBN}.
66
67 This is the @value{EDITION} Edition, of @cite{Debugging with
68 @value{GDBN}: the @sc{gnu} Source-Level Debugger} for @value{GDBN}
69 @ifset VERSION_PACKAGE
70 @value{VERSION_PACKAGE}
71 @end ifset
72 Version @value{GDBVN}.
73
74 @insertcopying
75 @end ifnottex
76
77 @titlepage
78 @title Debugging with @value{GDBN}
79 @subtitle The @sc{gnu} Source-Level Debugger
80 @sp 1
81 @subtitle @value{EDITION} Edition, for @value{GDBN} version @value{GDBVN}
82 @ifset VERSION_PACKAGE
83 @sp 1
84 @subtitle @value{VERSION_PACKAGE}
85 @end ifset
86 @author Richard Stallman, Roland Pesch, Stan Shebs, et al.
87 @page
88 @tex
89 {\parskip=0pt
90 \hfill (Send bugs and comments on @value{GDBN} to @value{BUGURL}.)\par
91 \hfill {\it Debugging with @value{GDBN}}\par
92 \hfill \TeX{}info \texinfoversion\par
93 }
94 @end tex
95
96 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
97 Published by the Free Software Foundation @*
98 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor,
99 Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA@*
100 ISBN 978-0-9831592-3-0 @*
101
102 @insertcopying
103 @end titlepage
104 @page
105
106 @ifnottex
107 @node Top, Summary, (dir), (dir)
108
109 @top Debugging with @value{GDBN}
110
111 This file describes @value{GDBN}, the @sc{gnu} symbolic debugger.
112
113 This is the @value{EDITION} Edition, for @value{GDBN}
114 @ifset VERSION_PACKAGE
115 @value{VERSION_PACKAGE}
116 @end ifset
117 Version @value{GDBVN}.
118
119 Copyright (C) 1988-2010 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
120
121 This edition of the GDB manual is dedicated to the memory of Fred
122 Fish. Fred was a long-standing contributor to GDB and to Free
123 software in general. We will miss him.
124
125 @menu
126 * Summary:: Summary of @value{GDBN}
127 * Sample Session:: A sample @value{GDBN} session
128
129 * Invocation:: Getting in and out of @value{GDBN}
130 * Commands:: @value{GDBN} commands
131 * Running:: Running programs under @value{GDBN}
132 * Stopping:: Stopping and continuing
133 * Reverse Execution:: Running programs backward
134 * Process Record and Replay:: Recording inferior's execution and replaying it
135 * Stack:: Examining the stack
136 * Source:: Examining source files
137 * Data:: Examining data
138 * Optimized Code:: Debugging optimized code
139 * Macros:: Preprocessor Macros
140 * Tracepoints:: Debugging remote targets non-intrusively
141 * Overlays:: Debugging programs that use overlays
142
143 * Languages:: Using @value{GDBN} with different languages
144
145 * Symbols:: Examining the symbol table
146 * Altering:: Altering execution
147 * GDB Files:: @value{GDBN} files
148 * Targets:: Specifying a debugging target
149 * Remote Debugging:: Debugging remote programs
150 * Configurations:: Configuration-specific information
151 * Controlling GDB:: Controlling @value{GDBN}
152 * Extending GDB:: Extending @value{GDBN}
153 * Interpreters:: Command Interpreters
154 * TUI:: @value{GDBN} Text User Interface
155 * Emacs:: Using @value{GDBN} under @sc{gnu} Emacs
156 * GDB/MI:: @value{GDBN}'s Machine Interface.
157 * Annotations:: @value{GDBN}'s annotation interface.
158 * JIT Interface:: Using the JIT debugging interface.
159
160 * GDB Bugs:: Reporting bugs in @value{GDBN}
161
162 @ifset SYSTEM_READLINE
163 * Command Line Editing: (rluserman). Command Line Editing
164 * Using History Interactively: (history). Using History Interactively
165 @end ifset
166 @ifclear SYSTEM_READLINE
167 * Command Line Editing:: Command Line Editing
168 * Using History Interactively:: Using History Interactively
169 @end ifclear
170 * In Memoriam:: In Memoriam
171 * Formatting Documentation:: How to format and print @value{GDBN} documentation
172 * Installing GDB:: Installing GDB
173 * Maintenance Commands:: Maintenance Commands
174 * Remote Protocol:: GDB Remote Serial Protocol
175 * Agent Expressions:: The GDB Agent Expression Mechanism
176 * Target Descriptions:: How targets can describe themselves to
177 @value{GDBN}
178 * Operating System Information:: Getting additional information from
179 the operating system
180 * Trace File Format:: GDB trace file format
181 * Index Section Format:: .gdb_index section format
182 * Copying:: GNU General Public License says
183 how you can copy and share GDB
184 * GNU Free Documentation License:: The license for this documentation
185 * Index:: Index
186 @end menu
187
188 @end ifnottex
189
190 @contents
191
192 @node Summary
193 @unnumbered Summary of @value{GDBN}
194
195 The purpose of a debugger such as @value{GDBN} is to allow you to see what is
196 going on ``inside'' another program while it executes---or what another
197 program was doing at the moment it crashed.
198
199 @value{GDBN} can do four main kinds of things (plus other things in support of
200 these) to help you catch bugs in the act:
201
202 @itemize @bullet
203 @item
204 Start your program, specifying anything that might affect its behavior.
205
206 @item
207 Make your program stop on specified conditions.
208
209 @item
210 Examine what has happened, when your program has stopped.
211
212 @item
213 Change things in your program, so you can experiment with correcting the
214 effects of one bug and go on to learn about another.
215 @end itemize
216
217 You can use @value{GDBN} to debug programs written in C and C@t{++}.
218 For more information, see @ref{Supported Languages,,Supported Languages}.
219 For more information, see @ref{C,,C and C++}.
220
221 Support for D is partial. For information on D, see
222 @ref{D,,D}.
223
224 @cindex Modula-2
225 Support for Modula-2 is partial. For information on Modula-2, see
226 @ref{Modula-2,,Modula-2}.
227
228 Support for OpenCL C is partial. For information on OpenCL C, see
229 @ref{OpenCL C,,OpenCL C}.
230
231 @cindex Pascal
232 Debugging Pascal programs which use sets, subranges, file variables, or
233 nested functions does not currently work. @value{GDBN} does not support
234 entering expressions, printing values, or similar features using Pascal
235 syntax.
236
237 @cindex Fortran
238 @value{GDBN} can be used to debug programs written in Fortran, although
239 it may be necessary to refer to some variables with a trailing
240 underscore.
241
242 @value{GDBN} can be used to debug programs written in Objective-C,
243 using either the Apple/NeXT or the GNU Objective-C runtime.
244
245 @menu
246 * Free Software:: Freely redistributable software
247 * Contributors:: Contributors to GDB
248 @end menu
249
250 @node Free Software
251 @unnumberedsec Free Software
252
253 @value{GDBN} is @dfn{free software}, protected by the @sc{gnu}
254 General Public License
255 (GPL). The GPL gives you the freedom to copy or adapt a licensed
256 program---but every person getting a copy also gets with it the
257 freedom to modify that copy (which means that they must get access to
258 the source code), and the freedom to distribute further copies.
259 Typical software companies use copyrights to limit your freedoms; the
260 Free Software Foundation uses the GPL to preserve these freedoms.
261
262 Fundamentally, the General Public License is a license which says that
263 you have these freedoms and that you cannot take these freedoms away
264 from anyone else.
265
266 @unnumberedsec Free Software Needs Free Documentation
267
268 The biggest deficiency in the free software community today is not in
269 the software---it is the lack of good free documentation that we can
270 include with the free software. Many of our most important
271 programs do not come with free reference manuals and free introductory
272 texts. Documentation is an essential part of any software package;
273 when an important free software package does not come with a free
274 manual and a free tutorial, that is a major gap. We have many such
275 gaps today.
276
277 Consider Perl, for instance. The tutorial manuals that people
278 normally use are non-free. How did this come about? Because the
279 authors of those manuals published them with restrictive terms---no
280 copying, no modification, source files not available---which exclude
281 them from the free software world.
282
283 That wasn't the first time this sort of thing happened, and it was far
284 from the last. Many times we have heard a GNU user eagerly describe a
285 manual that he is writing, his intended contribution to the community,
286 only to learn that he had ruined everything by signing a publication
287 contract to make it non-free.
288
289 Free documentation, like free software, is a matter of freedom, not
290 price. The problem with the non-free manual is not that publishers
291 charge a price for printed copies---that in itself is fine. (The Free
292 Software Foundation sells printed copies of manuals, too.) The
293 problem is the restrictions on the use of the manual. Free manuals
294 are available in source code form, and give you permission to copy and
295 modify. Non-free manuals do not allow this.
296
297 The criteria of freedom for a free manual are roughly the same as for
298 free software. Redistribution (including the normal kinds of
299 commercial redistribution) must be permitted, so that the manual can
300 accompany every copy of the program, both on-line and on paper.
301
302 Permission for modification of the technical content is crucial too.
303 When people modify the software, adding or changing features, if they
304 are conscientious they will change the manual too---so they can
305 provide accurate and clear documentation for the modified program. A
306 manual that leaves you no choice but to write a new manual to document
307 a changed version of the program is not really available to our
308 community.
309
310 Some kinds of limits on the way modification is handled are
311 acceptable. For example, requirements to preserve the original
312 author's copyright notice, the distribution terms, or the list of
313 authors, are ok. It is also no problem to require modified versions
314 to include notice that they were modified. Even entire sections that
315 may not be deleted or changed are acceptable, as long as they deal
316 with nontechnical topics (like this one). These kinds of restrictions
317 are acceptable because they don't obstruct the community's normal use
318 of the manual.
319
320 However, it must be possible to modify all the @emph{technical}
321 content of the manual, and then distribute the result in all the usual
322 media, through all the usual channels. Otherwise, the restrictions
323 obstruct the use of the manual, it is not free, and we need another
324 manual to replace it.
325
326 Please spread the word about this issue. Our community continues to
327 lose manuals to proprietary publishing. If we spread the word that
328 free software needs free reference manuals and free tutorials, perhaps
329 the next person who wants to contribute by writing documentation will
330 realize, before it is too late, that only free manuals contribute to
331 the free software community.
332
333 If you are writing documentation, please insist on publishing it under
334 the GNU Free Documentation License or another free documentation
335 license. Remember that this decision requires your approval---you
336 don't have to let the publisher decide. Some commercial publishers
337 will use a free license if you insist, but they will not propose the
338 option; it is up to you to raise the issue and say firmly that this is
339 what you want. If the publisher you are dealing with refuses, please
340 try other publishers. If you're not sure whether a proposed license
341 is free, write to @email{licensing@@gnu.org}.
342
343 You can encourage commercial publishers to sell more free, copylefted
344 manuals and tutorials by buying them, and particularly by buying
345 copies from the publishers that paid for their writing or for major
346 improvements. Meanwhile, try to avoid buying non-free documentation
347 at all. Check the distribution terms of a manual before you buy it,
348 and insist that whoever seeks your business must respect your freedom.
349 Check the history of the book, and try to reward the publishers that
350 have paid or pay the authors to work on it.
351
352 The Free Software Foundation maintains a list of free documentation
353 published by other publishers, at
354 @url{http://www.fsf.org/doc/other-free-books.html}.
355
356 @node Contributors
357 @unnumberedsec Contributors to @value{GDBN}
358
359 Richard Stallman was the original author of @value{GDBN}, and of many
360 other @sc{gnu} programs. Many others have contributed to its
361 development. This section attempts to credit major contributors. One
362 of the virtues of free software is that everyone is free to contribute
363 to it; with regret, we cannot actually acknowledge everyone here. The
364 file @file{ChangeLog} in the @value{GDBN} distribution approximates a
365 blow-by-blow account.
366
367 Changes much prior to version 2.0 are lost in the mists of time.
368
369 @quotation
370 @emph{Plea:} Additions to this section are particularly welcome. If you
371 or your friends (or enemies, to be evenhanded) have been unfairly
372 omitted from this list, we would like to add your names!
373 @end quotation
374
375 So that they may not regard their many labors as thankless, we
376 particularly thank those who shepherded @value{GDBN} through major
377 releases:
378 Andrew Cagney (releases 6.3, 6.2, 6.1, 6.0, 5.3, 5.2, 5.1 and 5.0);
379 Jim Blandy (release 4.18);
380 Jason Molenda (release 4.17);
381 Stan Shebs (release 4.14);
382 Fred Fish (releases 4.16, 4.15, 4.13, 4.12, 4.11, 4.10, and 4.9);
383 Stu Grossman and John Gilmore (releases 4.8, 4.7, 4.6, 4.5, and 4.4);
384 John Gilmore (releases 4.3, 4.2, 4.1, 4.0, and 3.9);
385 Jim Kingdon (releases 3.5, 3.4, and 3.3);
386 and Randy Smith (releases 3.2, 3.1, and 3.0).
387
388 Richard Stallman, assisted at various times by Peter TerMaat, Chris
389 Hanson, and Richard Mlynarik, handled releases through 2.8.
390
391 Michael Tiemann is the author of most of the @sc{gnu} C@t{++} support
392 in @value{GDBN}, with significant additional contributions from Per
393 Bothner and Daniel Berlin. James Clark wrote the @sc{gnu} C@t{++}
394 demangler. Early work on C@t{++} was by Peter TerMaat (who also did
395 much general update work leading to release 3.0).
396
397 @value{GDBN} uses the BFD subroutine library to examine multiple
398 object-file formats; BFD was a joint project of David V.
399 Henkel-Wallace, Rich Pixley, Steve Chamberlain, and John Gilmore.
400
401 David Johnson wrote the original COFF support; Pace Willison did
402 the original support for encapsulated COFF.
403
404 Brent Benson of Harris Computer Systems contributed DWARF 2 support.
405
406 Adam de Boor and Bradley Davis contributed the ISI Optimum V support.
407 Per Bothner, Noboyuki Hikichi, and Alessandro Forin contributed MIPS
408 support.
409 Jean-Daniel Fekete contributed Sun 386i support.
410 Chris Hanson improved the HP9000 support.
411 Noboyuki Hikichi and Tomoyuki Hasei contributed Sony/News OS 3 support.
412 David Johnson contributed Encore Umax support.
413 Jyrki Kuoppala contributed Altos 3068 support.
414 Jeff Law contributed HP PA and SOM support.
415 Keith Packard contributed NS32K support.
416 Doug Rabson contributed Acorn Risc Machine support.
417 Bob Rusk contributed Harris Nighthawk CX-UX support.
418 Chris Smith contributed Convex support (and Fortran debugging).
419 Jonathan Stone contributed Pyramid support.
420 Michael Tiemann contributed SPARC support.
421 Tim Tucker contributed support for the Gould NP1 and Gould Powernode.
422 Pace Willison contributed Intel 386 support.
423 Jay Vosburgh contributed Symmetry support.
424 Marko Mlinar contributed OpenRISC 1000 support.
425
426 Andreas Schwab contributed M68K @sc{gnu}/Linux support.
427
428 Rich Schaefer and Peter Schauer helped with support of SunOS shared
429 libraries.
430
431 Jay Fenlason and Roland McGrath ensured that @value{GDBN} and GAS agree
432 about several machine instruction sets.
433
434 Patrick Duval, Ted Goldstein, Vikram Koka and Glenn Engel helped develop
435 remote debugging. Intel Corporation, Wind River Systems, AMD, and ARM
436 contributed remote debugging modules for the i960, VxWorks, A29K UDI,
437 and RDI targets, respectively.
438
439 Brian Fox is the author of the readline libraries providing
440 command-line editing and command history.
441
442 Andrew Beers of SUNY Buffalo wrote the language-switching code, the
443 Modula-2 support, and contributed the Languages chapter of this manual.
444
445 Fred Fish wrote most of the support for Unix System Vr4.
446 He also enhanced the command-completion support to cover C@t{++} overloaded
447 symbols.
448
449 Hitachi America (now Renesas America), Ltd. sponsored the support for
450 H8/300, H8/500, and Super-H processors.
451
452 NEC sponsored the support for the v850, Vr4xxx, and Vr5xxx processors.
453
454 Mitsubishi (now Renesas) sponsored the support for D10V, D30V, and M32R/D
455 processors.
456
457 Toshiba sponsored the support for the TX39 Mips processor.
458
459 Matsushita sponsored the support for the MN10200 and MN10300 processors.
460
461 Fujitsu sponsored the support for SPARClite and FR30 processors.
462
463 Kung Hsu, Jeff Law, and Rick Sladkey added support for hardware
464 watchpoints.
465
466 Michael Snyder added support for tracepoints.
467
468 Stu Grossman wrote gdbserver.
469
470 Jim Kingdon, Peter Schauer, Ian Taylor, and Stu Grossman made
471 nearly innumerable bug fixes and cleanups throughout @value{GDBN}.
472
473 The following people at the Hewlett-Packard Company contributed
474 support for the PA-RISC 2.0 architecture, HP-UX 10.20, 10.30, and 11.0
475 (narrow mode), HP's implementation of kernel threads, HP's aC@t{++}
476 compiler, and the Text User Interface (nee Terminal User Interface):
477 Ben Krepp, Richard Title, John Bishop, Susan Macchia, Kathy Mann,
478 Satish Pai, India Paul, Steve Rehrauer, and Elena Zannoni. Kim Haase
479 provided HP-specific information in this manual.
480
481 DJ Delorie ported @value{GDBN} to MS-DOS, for the DJGPP project.
482 Robert Hoehne made significant contributions to the DJGPP port.
483
484 Cygnus Solutions has sponsored @value{GDBN} maintenance and much of its
485 development since 1991. Cygnus engineers who have worked on @value{GDBN}
486 fulltime include Mark Alexander, Jim Blandy, Per Bothner, Kevin
487 Buettner, Edith Epstein, Chris Faylor, Fred Fish, Martin Hunt, Jim
488 Ingham, John Gilmore, Stu Grossman, Kung Hsu, Jim Kingdon, John Metzler,
489 Fernando Nasser, Geoffrey Noer, Dawn Perchik, Rich Pixley, Zdenek
490 Radouch, Keith Seitz, Stan Shebs, David Taylor, and Elena Zannoni. In
491 addition, Dave Brolley, Ian Carmichael, Steve Chamberlain, Nick Clifton,
492 JT Conklin, Stan Cox, DJ Delorie, Ulrich Drepper, Frank Eigler, Doug
493 Evans, Sean Fagan, David Henkel-Wallace, Richard Henderson, Jeff
494 Holcomb, Jeff Law, Jim Lemke, Tom Lord, Bob Manson, Michael Meissner,
495 Jason Merrill, Catherine Moore, Drew Moseley, Ken Raeburn, Gavin
496 Romig-Koch, Rob Savoye, Jamie Smith, Mike Stump, Ian Taylor, Angela
497 Thomas, Michael Tiemann, Tom Tromey, Ron Unrau, Jim Wilson, and David
498 Zuhn have made contributions both large and small.
499
500 Andrew Cagney, Fernando Nasser, and Elena Zannoni, while working for
501 Cygnus Solutions, implemented the original @sc{gdb/mi} interface.
502
503 Jim Blandy added support for preprocessor macros, while working for Red
504 Hat.
505
506 Andrew Cagney designed @value{GDBN}'s architecture vector. Many
507 people including Andrew Cagney, Stephane Carrez, Randolph Chung, Nick
508 Duffek, Richard Henderson, Mark Kettenis, Grace Sainsbury, Kei
509 Sakamoto, Yoshinori Sato, Michael Snyder, Andreas Schwab, Jason
510 Thorpe, Corinna Vinschen, Ulrich Weigand, and Elena Zannoni, helped
511 with the migration of old architectures to this new framework.
512
513 Andrew Cagney completely re-designed and re-implemented @value{GDBN}'s
514 unwinder framework, this consisting of a fresh new design featuring
515 frame IDs, independent frame sniffers, and the sentinel frame. Mark
516 Kettenis implemented the @sc{dwarf 2} unwinder, Jeff Johnston the
517 libunwind unwinder, and Andrew Cagney the dummy, sentinel, tramp, and
518 trad unwinders. The architecture-specific changes, each involving a
519 complete rewrite of the architecture's frame code, were carried out by
520 Jim Blandy, Joel Brobecker, Kevin Buettner, Andrew Cagney, Stephane
521 Carrez, Randolph Chung, Orjan Friberg, Richard Henderson, Daniel
522 Jacobowitz, Jeff Johnston, Mark Kettenis, Theodore A. Roth, Kei
523 Sakamoto, Yoshinori Sato, Michael Snyder, Corinna Vinschen, and Ulrich
524 Weigand.
525
526 Christian Zankel, Ross Morley, Bob Wilson, and Maxim Grigoriev from
527 Tensilica, Inc.@: contributed support for Xtensa processors. Others
528 who have worked on the Xtensa port of @value{GDBN} in the past include
529 Steve Tjiang, John Newlin, and Scott Foehner.
530
531 Michael Eager and staff of Xilinx, Inc., contributed support for the
532 Xilinx MicroBlaze architecture.
533
534 @node Sample Session
535 @chapter A Sample @value{GDBN} Session
536
537 You can use this manual at your leisure to read all about @value{GDBN}.
538 However, a handful of commands are enough to get started using the
539 debugger. This chapter illustrates those commands.
540
541 @iftex
542 In this sample session, we emphasize user input like this: @b{input},
543 to make it easier to pick out from the surrounding output.
544 @end iftex
545
546 @c FIXME: this example may not be appropriate for some configs, where
547 @c FIXME...primary interest is in remote use.
548
549 One of the preliminary versions of @sc{gnu} @code{m4} (a generic macro
550 processor) exhibits the following bug: sometimes, when we change its
551 quote strings from the default, the commands used to capture one macro
552 definition within another stop working. In the following short @code{m4}
553 session, we define a macro @code{foo} which expands to @code{0000}; we
554 then use the @code{m4} built-in @code{defn} to define @code{bar} as the
555 same thing. However, when we change the open quote string to
556 @code{<QUOTE>} and the close quote string to @code{<UNQUOTE>}, the same
557 procedure fails to define a new synonym @code{baz}:
558
559 @smallexample
560 $ @b{cd gnu/m4}
561 $ @b{./m4}
562 @b{define(foo,0000)}
563
564 @b{foo}
565 0000
566 @b{define(bar,defn(`foo'))}
567
568 @b{bar}
569 0000
570 @b{changequote(<QUOTE>,<UNQUOTE>)}
571
572 @b{define(baz,defn(<QUOTE>foo<UNQUOTE>))}
573 @b{baz}
574 @b{Ctrl-d}
575 m4: End of input: 0: fatal error: EOF in string
576 @end smallexample
577
578 @noindent
579 Let us use @value{GDBN} to try to see what is going on.
580
581 @smallexample
582 $ @b{@value{GDBP} m4}
583 @c FIXME: this falsifies the exact text played out, to permit smallbook
584 @c FIXME... format to come out better.
585 @value{GDBN} is free software and you are welcome to distribute copies
586 of it under certain conditions; type "show copying" to see
587 the conditions.
588 There is absolutely no warranty for @value{GDBN}; type "show warranty"
589 for details.
590
591 @value{GDBN} @value{GDBVN}, Copyright 1999 Free Software Foundation, Inc...
592 (@value{GDBP})
593 @end smallexample
594
595 @noindent
596 @value{GDBN} reads only enough symbol data to know where to find the
597 rest when needed; as a result, the first prompt comes up very quickly.
598 We now tell @value{GDBN} to use a narrower display width than usual, so
599 that examples fit in this manual.
600
601 @smallexample
602 (@value{GDBP}) @b{set width 70}
603 @end smallexample
604
605 @noindent
606 We need to see how the @code{m4} built-in @code{changequote} works.
607 Having looked at the source, we know the relevant subroutine is
608 @code{m4_changequote}, so we set a breakpoint there with the @value{GDBN}
609 @code{break} command.
610
611 @smallexample
612 (@value{GDBP}) @b{break m4_changequote}
613 Breakpoint 1 at 0x62f4: file builtin.c, line 879.
614 @end smallexample
615
616 @noindent
617 Using the @code{run} command, we start @code{m4} running under @value{GDBN}
618 control; as long as control does not reach the @code{m4_changequote}
619 subroutine, the program runs as usual:
620
621 @smallexample
622 (@value{GDBP}) @b{run}
623 Starting program: /work/Editorial/gdb/gnu/m4/m4
624 @b{define(foo,0000)}
625
626 @b{foo}
627 0000
628 @end smallexample
629
630 @noindent
631 To trigger the breakpoint, we call @code{changequote}. @value{GDBN}
632 suspends execution of @code{m4}, displaying information about the
633 context where it stops.
634
635 @smallexample
636 @b{changequote(<QUOTE>,<UNQUOTE>)}
637
638 Breakpoint 1, m4_changequote (argc=3, argv=0x33c70)
639 at builtin.c:879
640 879 if (bad_argc(TOKEN_DATA_TEXT(argv[0]),argc,1,3))
641 @end smallexample
642
643 @noindent
644 Now we use the command @code{n} (@code{next}) to advance execution to
645 the next line of the current function.
646
647 @smallexample
648 (@value{GDBP}) @b{n}
649 882 set_quotes((argc >= 2) ? TOKEN_DATA_TEXT(argv[1])\
650 : nil,
651 @end smallexample
652
653 @noindent
654 @code{set_quotes} looks like a promising subroutine. We can go into it
655 by using the command @code{s} (@code{step}) instead of @code{next}.
656 @code{step} goes to the next line to be executed in @emph{any}
657 subroutine, so it steps into @code{set_quotes}.
658
659 @smallexample
660 (@value{GDBP}) @b{s}
661 set_quotes (lq=0x34c78 "<QUOTE>", rq=0x34c88 "<UNQUOTE>")
662 at input.c:530
663 530 if (lquote != def_lquote)
664 @end smallexample
665
666 @noindent
667 The display that shows the subroutine where @code{m4} is now
668 suspended (and its arguments) is called a stack frame display. It
669 shows a summary of the stack. We can use the @code{backtrace}
670 command (which can also be spelled @code{bt}), to see where we are
671 in the stack as a whole: the @code{backtrace} command displays a
672 stack frame for each active subroutine.
673
674 @smallexample
675 (@value{GDBP}) @b{bt}
676 #0 set_quotes (lq=0x34c78 "<QUOTE>", rq=0x34c88 "<UNQUOTE>")
677 at input.c:530
678 #1 0x6344 in m4_changequote (argc=3, argv=0x33c70)
679 at builtin.c:882
680 #2 0x8174 in expand_macro (sym=0x33320) at macro.c:242
681 #3 0x7a88 in expand_token (obs=0x0, t=209696, td=0xf7fffa30)
682 at macro.c:71
683 #4 0x79dc in expand_input () at macro.c:40
684 #5 0x2930 in main (argc=0, argv=0xf7fffb20) at m4.c:195
685 @end smallexample
686
687 @noindent
688 We step through a few more lines to see what happens. The first two
689 times, we can use @samp{s}; the next two times we use @code{n} to avoid
690 falling into the @code{xstrdup} subroutine.
691
692 @smallexample
693 (@value{GDBP}) @b{s}
694 0x3b5c 532 if (rquote != def_rquote)
695 (@value{GDBP}) @b{s}
696 0x3b80 535 lquote = (lq == nil || *lq == '\0') ? \
697 def_lquote : xstrdup(lq);
698 (@value{GDBP}) @b{n}
699 536 rquote = (rq == nil || *rq == '\0') ? def_rquote\
700 : xstrdup(rq);
701 (@value{GDBP}) @b{n}
702 538 len_lquote = strlen(rquote);
703 @end smallexample
704
705 @noindent
706 The last line displayed looks a little odd; we can examine the variables
707 @code{lquote} and @code{rquote} to see if they are in fact the new left
708 and right quotes we specified. We use the command @code{p}
709 (@code{print}) to see their values.
710
711 @smallexample
712 (@value{GDBP}) @b{p lquote}
713 $1 = 0x35d40 "<QUOTE>"
714 (@value{GDBP}) @b{p rquote}
715 $2 = 0x35d50 "<UNQUOTE>"
716 @end smallexample
717
718 @noindent
719 @code{lquote} and @code{rquote} are indeed the new left and right quotes.
720 To look at some context, we can display ten lines of source
721 surrounding the current line with the @code{l} (@code{list}) command.
722
723 @smallexample
724 (@value{GDBP}) @b{l}
725 533 xfree(rquote);
726 534
727 535 lquote = (lq == nil || *lq == '\0') ? def_lquote\
728 : xstrdup (lq);
729 536 rquote = (rq == nil || *rq == '\0') ? def_rquote\
730 : xstrdup (rq);
731 537
732 538 len_lquote = strlen(rquote);
733 539 len_rquote = strlen(lquote);
734 540 @}
735 541
736 542 void
737 @end smallexample
738
739 @noindent
740 Let us step past the two lines that set @code{len_lquote} and
741 @code{len_rquote}, and then examine the values of those variables.
742
743 @smallexample
744 (@value{GDBP}) @b{n}
745 539 len_rquote = strlen(lquote);
746 (@value{GDBP}) @b{n}
747 540 @}
748 (@value{GDBP}) @b{p len_lquote}
749 $3 = 9
750 (@value{GDBP}) @b{p len_rquote}
751 $4 = 7
752 @end smallexample
753
754 @noindent
755 That certainly looks wrong, assuming @code{len_lquote} and
756 @code{len_rquote} are meant to be the lengths of @code{lquote} and
757 @code{rquote} respectively. We can set them to better values using
758 the @code{p} command, since it can print the value of
759 any expression---and that expression can include subroutine calls and
760 assignments.
761
762 @smallexample
763 (@value{GDBP}) @b{p len_lquote=strlen(lquote)}
764 $5 = 7
765 (@value{GDBP}) @b{p len_rquote=strlen(rquote)}
766 $6 = 9
767 @end smallexample
768
769 @noindent
770 Is that enough to fix the problem of using the new quotes with the
771 @code{m4} built-in @code{defn}? We can allow @code{m4} to continue
772 executing with the @code{c} (@code{continue}) command, and then try the
773 example that caused trouble initially:
774
775 @smallexample
776 (@value{GDBP}) @b{c}
777 Continuing.
778
779 @b{define(baz,defn(<QUOTE>foo<UNQUOTE>))}
780
781 baz
782 0000
783 @end smallexample
784
785 @noindent
786 Success! The new quotes now work just as well as the default ones. The
787 problem seems to have been just the two typos defining the wrong
788 lengths. We allow @code{m4} exit by giving it an EOF as input:
789
790 @smallexample
791 @b{Ctrl-d}
792 Program exited normally.
793 @end smallexample
794
795 @noindent
796 The message @samp{Program exited normally.} is from @value{GDBN}; it
797 indicates @code{m4} has finished executing. We can end our @value{GDBN}
798 session with the @value{GDBN} @code{quit} command.
799
800 @smallexample
801 (@value{GDBP}) @b{quit}
802 @end smallexample
803
804 @node Invocation
805 @chapter Getting In and Out of @value{GDBN}
806
807 This chapter discusses how to start @value{GDBN}, and how to get out of it.
808 The essentials are:
809 @itemize @bullet
810 @item
811 type @samp{@value{GDBP}} to start @value{GDBN}.
812 @item
813 type @kbd{quit} or @kbd{Ctrl-d} to exit.
814 @end itemize
815
816 @menu
817 * Invoking GDB:: How to start @value{GDBN}
818 * Quitting GDB:: How to quit @value{GDBN}
819 * Shell Commands:: How to use shell commands inside @value{GDBN}
820 * Logging Output:: How to log @value{GDBN}'s output to a file
821 @end menu
822
823 @node Invoking GDB
824 @section Invoking @value{GDBN}
825
826 Invoke @value{GDBN} by running the program @code{@value{GDBP}}. Once started,
827 @value{GDBN} reads commands from the terminal until you tell it to exit.
828
829 You can also run @code{@value{GDBP}} with a variety of arguments and options,
830 to specify more of your debugging environment at the outset.
831
832 The command-line options described here are designed
833 to cover a variety of situations; in some environments, some of these
834 options may effectively be unavailable.
835
836 The most usual way to start @value{GDBN} is with one argument,
837 specifying an executable program:
838
839 @smallexample
840 @value{GDBP} @var{program}
841 @end smallexample
842
843 @noindent
844 You can also start with both an executable program and a core file
845 specified:
846
847 @smallexample
848 @value{GDBP} @var{program} @var{core}
849 @end smallexample
850
851 You can, instead, specify a process ID as a second argument, if you want
852 to debug a running process:
853
854 @smallexample
855 @value{GDBP} @var{program} 1234
856 @end smallexample
857
858 @noindent
859 would attach @value{GDBN} to process @code{1234} (unless you also have a file
860 named @file{1234}; @value{GDBN} does check for a core file first).
861
862 Taking advantage of the second command-line argument requires a fairly
863 complete operating system; when you use @value{GDBN} as a remote
864 debugger attached to a bare board, there may not be any notion of
865 ``process'', and there is often no way to get a core dump. @value{GDBN}
866 will warn you if it is unable to attach or to read core dumps.
867
868 You can optionally have @code{@value{GDBP}} pass any arguments after the
869 executable file to the inferior using @code{--args}. This option stops
870 option processing.
871 @smallexample
872 @value{GDBP} --args gcc -O2 -c foo.c
873 @end smallexample
874 This will cause @code{@value{GDBP}} to debug @code{gcc}, and to set
875 @code{gcc}'s command-line arguments (@pxref{Arguments}) to @samp{-O2 -c foo.c}.
876
877 You can run @code{@value{GDBP}} without printing the front material, which describes
878 @value{GDBN}'s non-warranty, by specifying @code{-silent}:
879
880 @smallexample
881 @value{GDBP} -silent
882 @end smallexample
883
884 @noindent
885 You can further control how @value{GDBN} starts up by using command-line
886 options. @value{GDBN} itself can remind you of the options available.
887
888 @noindent
889 Type
890
891 @smallexample
892 @value{GDBP} -help
893 @end smallexample
894
895 @noindent
896 to display all available options and briefly describe their use
897 (@samp{@value{GDBP} -h} is a shorter equivalent).
898
899 All options and command line arguments you give are processed
900 in sequential order. The order makes a difference when the
901 @samp{-x} option is used.
902
903
904 @menu
905 * File Options:: Choosing files
906 * Mode Options:: Choosing modes
907 * Startup:: What @value{GDBN} does during startup
908 @end menu
909
910 @node File Options
911 @subsection Choosing Files
912
913 When @value{GDBN} starts, it reads any arguments other than options as
914 specifying an executable file and core file (or process ID). This is
915 the same as if the arguments were specified by the @samp{-se} and
916 @samp{-c} (or @samp{-p}) options respectively. (@value{GDBN} reads the
917 first argument that does not have an associated option flag as
918 equivalent to the @samp{-se} option followed by that argument; and the
919 second argument that does not have an associated option flag, if any, as
920 equivalent to the @samp{-c}/@samp{-p} option followed by that argument.)
921 If the second argument begins with a decimal digit, @value{GDBN} will
922 first attempt to attach to it as a process, and if that fails, attempt
923 to open it as a corefile. If you have a corefile whose name begins with
924 a digit, you can prevent @value{GDBN} from treating it as a pid by
925 prefixing it with @file{./}, e.g.@: @file{./12345}.
926
927 If @value{GDBN} has not been configured to included core file support,
928 such as for most embedded targets, then it will complain about a second
929 argument and ignore it.
930
931 Many options have both long and short forms; both are shown in the
932 following list. @value{GDBN} also recognizes the long forms if you truncate
933 them, so long as enough of the option is present to be unambiguous.
934 (If you prefer, you can flag option arguments with @samp{--} rather
935 than @samp{-}, though we illustrate the more usual convention.)
936
937 @c NOTE: the @cindex entries here use double dashes ON PURPOSE. This
938 @c way, both those who look for -foo and --foo in the index, will find
939 @c it.
940
941 @table @code
942 @item -symbols @var{file}
943 @itemx -s @var{file}
944 @cindex @code{--symbols}
945 @cindex @code{-s}
946 Read symbol table from file @var{file}.
947
948 @item -exec @var{file}
949 @itemx -e @var{file}
950 @cindex @code{--exec}
951 @cindex @code{-e}
952 Use file @var{file} as the executable file to execute when appropriate,
953 and for examining pure data in conjunction with a core dump.
954
955 @item -se @var{file}
956 @cindex @code{--se}
957 Read symbol table from file @var{file} and use it as the executable
958 file.
959
960 @item -core @var{file}
961 @itemx -c @var{file}
962 @cindex @code{--core}
963 @cindex @code{-c}
964 Use file @var{file} as a core dump to examine.
965
966 @item -pid @var{number}
967 @itemx -p @var{number}
968 @cindex @code{--pid}
969 @cindex @code{-p}
970 Connect to process ID @var{number}, as with the @code{attach} command.
971
972 @item -command @var{file}
973 @itemx -x @var{file}
974 @cindex @code{--command}
975 @cindex @code{-x}
976 Execute commands from file @var{file}. The contents of this file is
977 evaluated exactly as the @code{source} command would.
978 @xref{Command Files,, Command files}.
979
980 @item -eval-command @var{command}
981 @itemx -ex @var{command}
982 @cindex @code{--eval-command}
983 @cindex @code{-ex}
984 Execute a single @value{GDBN} command.
985
986 This option may be used multiple times to call multiple commands. It may
987 also be interleaved with @samp{-command} as required.
988
989 @smallexample
990 @value{GDBP} -ex 'target sim' -ex 'load' \
991 -x setbreakpoints -ex 'run' a.out
992 @end smallexample
993
994 @item -directory @var{directory}
995 @itemx -d @var{directory}
996 @cindex @code{--directory}
997 @cindex @code{-d}
998 Add @var{directory} to the path to search for source and script files.
999
1000 @item -r
1001 @itemx -readnow
1002 @cindex @code{--readnow}
1003 @cindex @code{-r}
1004 Read each symbol file's entire symbol table immediately, rather than
1005 the default, which is to read it incrementally as it is needed.
1006 This makes startup slower, but makes future operations faster.
1007
1008 @end table
1009
1010 @node Mode Options
1011 @subsection Choosing Modes
1012
1013 You can run @value{GDBN} in various alternative modes---for example, in
1014 batch mode or quiet mode.
1015
1016 @table @code
1017 @item -nx
1018 @itemx -n
1019 @cindex @code{--nx}
1020 @cindex @code{-n}
1021 Do not execute commands found in any initialization files. Normally,
1022 @value{GDBN} executes the commands in these files after all the command
1023 options and arguments have been processed. @xref{Command Files,,Command
1024 Files}.
1025
1026 @item -quiet
1027 @itemx -silent
1028 @itemx -q
1029 @cindex @code{--quiet}
1030 @cindex @code{--silent}
1031 @cindex @code{-q}
1032 ``Quiet''. Do not print the introductory and copyright messages. These
1033 messages are also suppressed in batch mode.
1034
1035 @item -batch
1036 @cindex @code{--batch}
1037 Run in batch mode. Exit with status @code{0} after processing all the
1038 command files specified with @samp{-x} (and all commands from
1039 initialization files, if not inhibited with @samp{-n}). Exit with
1040 nonzero status if an error occurs in executing the @value{GDBN} commands
1041 in the command files. Batch mode also disables pagination, sets unlimited
1042 terminal width and height @pxref{Screen Size}, and acts as if @kbd{set confirm
1043 off} were in effect (@pxref{Messages/Warnings}).
1044
1045 Batch mode may be useful for running @value{GDBN} as a filter, for
1046 example to download and run a program on another computer; in order to
1047 make this more useful, the message
1048
1049 @smallexample
1050 Program exited normally.
1051 @end smallexample
1052
1053 @noindent
1054 (which is ordinarily issued whenever a program running under
1055 @value{GDBN} control terminates) is not issued when running in batch
1056 mode.
1057
1058 @item -batch-silent
1059 @cindex @code{--batch-silent}
1060 Run in batch mode exactly like @samp{-batch}, but totally silently. All
1061 @value{GDBN} output to @code{stdout} is prevented (@code{stderr} is
1062 unaffected). This is much quieter than @samp{-silent} and would be useless
1063 for an interactive session.
1064
1065 This is particularly useful when using targets that give @samp{Loading section}
1066 messages, for example.
1067
1068 Note that targets that give their output via @value{GDBN}, as opposed to
1069 writing directly to @code{stdout}, will also be made silent.
1070
1071 @item -return-child-result
1072 @cindex @code{--return-child-result}
1073 The return code from @value{GDBN} will be the return code from the child
1074 process (the process being debugged), with the following exceptions:
1075
1076 @itemize @bullet
1077 @item
1078 @value{GDBN} exits abnormally. E.g., due to an incorrect argument or an
1079 internal error. In this case the exit code is the same as it would have been
1080 without @samp{-return-child-result}.
1081 @item
1082 The user quits with an explicit value. E.g., @samp{quit 1}.
1083 @item
1084 The child process never runs, or is not allowed to terminate, in which case
1085 the exit code will be -1.
1086 @end itemize
1087
1088 This option is useful in conjunction with @samp{-batch} or @samp{-batch-silent},
1089 when @value{GDBN} is being used as a remote program loader or simulator
1090 interface.
1091
1092 @item -nowindows
1093 @itemx -nw
1094 @cindex @code{--nowindows}
1095 @cindex @code{-nw}
1096 ``No windows''. If @value{GDBN} comes with a graphical user interface
1097 (GUI) built in, then this option tells @value{GDBN} to only use the command-line
1098 interface. If no GUI is available, this option has no effect.
1099
1100 @item -windows
1101 @itemx -w
1102 @cindex @code{--windows}
1103 @cindex @code{-w}
1104 If @value{GDBN} includes a GUI, then this option requires it to be
1105 used if possible.
1106
1107 @item -cd @var{directory}
1108 @cindex @code{--cd}
1109 Run @value{GDBN} using @var{directory} as its working directory,
1110 instead of the current directory.
1111
1112 @item -data-directory @var{directory}
1113 @cindex @code{--data-directory}
1114 Run @value{GDBN} using @var{directory} as its data directory.
1115 The data directory is where @value{GDBN} searches for its
1116 auxiliary files. @xref{Data Files}.
1117
1118 @item -fullname
1119 @itemx -f
1120 @cindex @code{--fullname}
1121 @cindex @code{-f}
1122 @sc{gnu} Emacs sets this option when it runs @value{GDBN} as a
1123 subprocess. It tells @value{GDBN} to output the full file name and line
1124 number in a standard, recognizable fashion each time a stack frame is
1125 displayed (which includes each time your program stops). This
1126 recognizable format looks like two @samp{\032} characters, followed by
1127 the file name, line number and character position separated by colons,
1128 and a newline. The Emacs-to-@value{GDBN} interface program uses the two
1129 @samp{\032} characters as a signal to display the source code for the
1130 frame.
1131
1132 @item -epoch
1133 @cindex @code{--epoch}
1134 The Epoch Emacs-@value{GDBN} interface sets this option when it runs
1135 @value{GDBN} as a subprocess. It tells @value{GDBN} to modify its print
1136 routines so as to allow Epoch to display values of expressions in a
1137 separate window.
1138
1139 @item -annotate @var{level}
1140 @cindex @code{--annotate}
1141 This option sets the @dfn{annotation level} inside @value{GDBN}. Its
1142 effect is identical to using @samp{set annotate @var{level}}
1143 (@pxref{Annotations}). The annotation @var{level} controls how much
1144 information @value{GDBN} prints together with its prompt, values of
1145 expressions, source lines, and other types of output. Level 0 is the
1146 normal, level 1 is for use when @value{GDBN} is run as a subprocess of
1147 @sc{gnu} Emacs, level 3 is the maximum annotation suitable for programs
1148 that control @value{GDBN}, and level 2 has been deprecated.
1149
1150 The annotation mechanism has largely been superseded by @sc{gdb/mi}
1151 (@pxref{GDB/MI}).
1152
1153 @item --args
1154 @cindex @code{--args}
1155 Change interpretation of command line so that arguments following the
1156 executable file are passed as command line arguments to the inferior.
1157 This option stops option processing.
1158
1159 @item -baud @var{bps}
1160 @itemx -b @var{bps}
1161 @cindex @code{--baud}
1162 @cindex @code{-b}
1163 Set the line speed (baud rate or bits per second) of any serial
1164 interface used by @value{GDBN} for remote debugging.
1165
1166 @item -l @var{timeout}
1167 @cindex @code{-l}
1168 Set the timeout (in seconds) of any communication used by @value{GDBN}
1169 for remote debugging.
1170
1171 @item -tty @var{device}
1172 @itemx -t @var{device}
1173 @cindex @code{--tty}
1174 @cindex @code{-t}
1175 Run using @var{device} for your program's standard input and output.
1176 @c FIXME: kingdon thinks there is more to -tty. Investigate.
1177
1178 @c resolve the situation of these eventually
1179 @item -tui
1180 @cindex @code{--tui}
1181 Activate the @dfn{Text User Interface} when starting. The Text User
1182 Interface manages several text windows on the terminal, showing
1183 source, assembly, registers and @value{GDBN} command outputs
1184 (@pxref{TUI, ,@value{GDBN} Text User Interface}). Alternatively, the
1185 Text User Interface can be enabled by invoking the program
1186 @samp{@value{GDBTUI}}. Do not use this option if you run @value{GDBN} from
1187 Emacs (@pxref{Emacs, ,Using @value{GDBN} under @sc{gnu} Emacs}).
1188
1189 @c @item -xdb
1190 @c @cindex @code{--xdb}
1191 @c Run in XDB compatibility mode, allowing the use of certain XDB commands.
1192 @c For information, see the file @file{xdb_trans.html}, which is usually
1193 @c installed in the directory @code{/opt/langtools/wdb/doc} on HP-UX
1194 @c systems.
1195
1196 @item -interpreter @var{interp}
1197 @cindex @code{--interpreter}
1198 Use the interpreter @var{interp} for interface with the controlling
1199 program or device. This option is meant to be set by programs which
1200 communicate with @value{GDBN} using it as a back end.
1201 @xref{Interpreters, , Command Interpreters}.
1202
1203 @samp{--interpreter=mi} (or @samp{--interpreter=mi2}) causes
1204 @value{GDBN} to use the @dfn{@sc{gdb/mi} interface} (@pxref{GDB/MI, ,
1205 The @sc{gdb/mi} Interface}) included since @value{GDBN} version 6.0. The
1206 previous @sc{gdb/mi} interface, included in @value{GDBN} version 5.3 and
1207 selected with @samp{--interpreter=mi1}, is deprecated. Earlier
1208 @sc{gdb/mi} interfaces are no longer supported.
1209
1210 @item -write
1211 @cindex @code{--write}
1212 Open the executable and core files for both reading and writing. This
1213 is equivalent to the @samp{set write on} command inside @value{GDBN}
1214 (@pxref{Patching}).
1215
1216 @item -statistics
1217 @cindex @code{--statistics}
1218 This option causes @value{GDBN} to print statistics about time and
1219 memory usage after it completes each command and returns to the prompt.
1220
1221 @item -version
1222 @cindex @code{--version}
1223 This option causes @value{GDBN} to print its version number and
1224 no-warranty blurb, and exit.
1225
1226 @end table
1227
1228 @node Startup
1229 @subsection What @value{GDBN} Does During Startup
1230 @cindex @value{GDBN} startup
1231
1232 Here's the description of what @value{GDBN} does during session startup:
1233
1234 @enumerate
1235 @item
1236 Sets up the command interpreter as specified by the command line
1237 (@pxref{Mode Options, interpreter}).
1238
1239 @item
1240 @cindex init file
1241 Reads the system-wide @dfn{init file} (if @option{--with-system-gdbinit} was
1242 used when building @value{GDBN}; @pxref{System-wide configuration,
1243 ,System-wide configuration and settings}) and executes all the commands in
1244 that file.
1245
1246 @item
1247 Reads the init file (if any) in your home directory@footnote{On
1248 DOS/Windows systems, the home directory is the one pointed to by the
1249 @code{HOME} environment variable.} and executes all the commands in
1250 that file.
1251
1252 @item
1253 Processes command line options and operands.
1254
1255 @item
1256 Reads and executes the commands from init file (if any) in the current
1257 working directory. This is only done if the current directory is
1258 different from your home directory. Thus, you can have more than one
1259 init file, one generic in your home directory, and another, specific
1260 to the program you are debugging, in the directory where you invoke
1261 @value{GDBN}.
1262
1263 @item
1264 If the command line specified a program to debug, or a process to
1265 attach to, or a core file, @value{GDBN} loads any auto-loaded
1266 scripts provided for the program or for its loaded shared libraries.
1267 @xref{Auto-loading}.
1268
1269 If you wish to disable the auto-loading during startup,
1270 you must do something like the following:
1271
1272 @smallexample
1273 $ gdb -ex "set auto-load-scripts off" -ex "file myprogram"
1274 @end smallexample
1275
1276 The following does not work because the auto-loading is turned off too late:
1277
1278 @smallexample
1279 $ gdb -ex "set auto-load-scripts off" myprogram
1280 @end smallexample
1281
1282 @item
1283 Reads command files specified by the @samp{-x} option. @xref{Command
1284 Files}, for more details about @value{GDBN} command files.
1285
1286 @item
1287 Reads the command history recorded in the @dfn{history file}.
1288 @xref{Command History}, for more details about the command history and the
1289 files where @value{GDBN} records it.
1290 @end enumerate
1291
1292 Init files use the same syntax as @dfn{command files} (@pxref{Command
1293 Files}) and are processed by @value{GDBN} in the same way. The init
1294 file in your home directory can set options (such as @samp{set
1295 complaints}) that affect subsequent processing of command line options
1296 and operands. Init files are not executed if you use the @samp{-nx}
1297 option (@pxref{Mode Options, ,Choosing Modes}).
1298
1299 To display the list of init files loaded by gdb at startup, you
1300 can use @kbd{gdb --help}.
1301
1302 @cindex init file name
1303 @cindex @file{.gdbinit}
1304 @cindex @file{gdb.ini}
1305 The @value{GDBN} init files are normally called @file{.gdbinit}.
1306 The DJGPP port of @value{GDBN} uses the name @file{gdb.ini}, due to
1307 the limitations of file names imposed by DOS filesystems. The Windows
1308 ports of @value{GDBN} use the standard name, but if they find a
1309 @file{gdb.ini} file, they warn you about that and suggest to rename
1310 the file to the standard name.
1311
1312
1313 @node Quitting GDB
1314 @section Quitting @value{GDBN}
1315 @cindex exiting @value{GDBN}
1316 @cindex leaving @value{GDBN}
1317
1318 @table @code
1319 @kindex quit @r{[}@var{expression}@r{]}
1320 @kindex q @r{(@code{quit})}
1321 @item quit @r{[}@var{expression}@r{]}
1322 @itemx q
1323 To exit @value{GDBN}, use the @code{quit} command (abbreviated
1324 @code{q}), or type an end-of-file character (usually @kbd{Ctrl-d}). If you
1325 do not supply @var{expression}, @value{GDBN} will terminate normally;
1326 otherwise it will terminate using the result of @var{expression} as the
1327 error code.
1328 @end table
1329
1330 @cindex interrupt
1331 An interrupt (often @kbd{Ctrl-c}) does not exit from @value{GDBN}, but rather
1332 terminates the action of any @value{GDBN} command that is in progress and
1333 returns to @value{GDBN} command level. It is safe to type the interrupt
1334 character at any time because @value{GDBN} does not allow it to take effect
1335 until a time when it is safe.
1336
1337 If you have been using @value{GDBN} to control an attached process or
1338 device, you can release it with the @code{detach} command
1339 (@pxref{Attach, ,Debugging an Already-running Process}).
1340
1341 @node Shell Commands
1342 @section Shell Commands
1343
1344 If you need to execute occasional shell commands during your
1345 debugging session, there is no need to leave or suspend @value{GDBN}; you can
1346 just use the @code{shell} command.
1347
1348 @table @code
1349 @kindex shell
1350 @cindex shell escape
1351 @item shell @var{command string}
1352 Invoke a standard shell to execute @var{command string}.
1353 If it exists, the environment variable @code{SHELL} determines which
1354 shell to run. Otherwise @value{GDBN} uses the default shell
1355 (@file{/bin/sh} on Unix systems, @file{COMMAND.COM} on MS-DOS, etc.).
1356 @end table
1357
1358 The utility @code{make} is often needed in development environments.
1359 You do not have to use the @code{shell} command for this purpose in
1360 @value{GDBN}:
1361
1362 @table @code
1363 @kindex make
1364 @cindex calling make
1365 @item make @var{make-args}
1366 Execute the @code{make} program with the specified
1367 arguments. This is equivalent to @samp{shell make @var{make-args}}.
1368 @end table
1369
1370 @node Logging Output
1371 @section Logging Output
1372 @cindex logging @value{GDBN} output
1373 @cindex save @value{GDBN} output to a file
1374
1375 You may want to save the output of @value{GDBN} commands to a file.
1376 There are several commands to control @value{GDBN}'s logging.
1377
1378 @table @code
1379 @kindex set logging
1380 @item set logging on
1381 Enable logging.
1382 @item set logging off
1383 Disable logging.
1384 @cindex logging file name
1385 @item set logging file @var{file}
1386 Change the name of the current logfile. The default logfile is @file{gdb.txt}.
1387 @item set logging overwrite [on|off]
1388 By default, @value{GDBN} will append to the logfile. Set @code{overwrite} if
1389 you want @code{set logging on} to overwrite the logfile instead.
1390 @item set logging redirect [on|off]
1391 By default, @value{GDBN} output will go to both the terminal and the logfile.
1392 Set @code{redirect} if you want output to go only to the log file.
1393 @kindex show logging
1394 @item show logging
1395 Show the current values of the logging settings.
1396 @end table
1397
1398 @node Commands
1399 @chapter @value{GDBN} Commands
1400
1401 You can abbreviate a @value{GDBN} command to the first few letters of the command
1402 name, if that abbreviation is unambiguous; and you can repeat certain
1403 @value{GDBN} commands by typing just @key{RET}. You can also use the @key{TAB}
1404 key to get @value{GDBN} to fill out the rest of a word in a command (or to
1405 show you the alternatives available, if there is more than one possibility).
1406
1407 @menu
1408 * Command Syntax:: How to give commands to @value{GDBN}
1409 * Completion:: Command completion
1410 * Help:: How to ask @value{GDBN} for help
1411 @end menu
1412
1413 @node Command Syntax
1414 @section Command Syntax
1415
1416 A @value{GDBN} command is a single line of input. There is no limit on
1417 how long it can be. It starts with a command name, which is followed by
1418 arguments whose meaning depends on the command name. For example, the
1419 command @code{step} accepts an argument which is the number of times to
1420 step, as in @samp{step 5}. You can also use the @code{step} command
1421 with no arguments. Some commands do not allow any arguments.
1422
1423 @cindex abbreviation
1424 @value{GDBN} command names may always be truncated if that abbreviation is
1425 unambiguous. Other possible command abbreviations are listed in the
1426 documentation for individual commands. In some cases, even ambiguous
1427 abbreviations are allowed; for example, @code{s} is specially defined as
1428 equivalent to @code{step} even though there are other commands whose
1429 names start with @code{s}. You can test abbreviations by using them as
1430 arguments to the @code{help} command.
1431
1432 @cindex repeating commands
1433 @kindex RET @r{(repeat last command)}
1434 A blank line as input to @value{GDBN} (typing just @key{RET}) means to
1435 repeat the previous command. Certain commands (for example, @code{run})
1436 will not repeat this way; these are commands whose unintentional
1437 repetition might cause trouble and which you are unlikely to want to
1438 repeat. User-defined commands can disable this feature; see
1439 @ref{Define, dont-repeat}.
1440
1441 The @code{list} and @code{x} commands, when you repeat them with
1442 @key{RET}, construct new arguments rather than repeating
1443 exactly as typed. This permits easy scanning of source or memory.
1444
1445 @value{GDBN} can also use @key{RET} in another way: to partition lengthy
1446 output, in a way similar to the common utility @code{more}
1447 (@pxref{Screen Size,,Screen Size}). Since it is easy to press one
1448 @key{RET} too many in this situation, @value{GDBN} disables command
1449 repetition after any command that generates this sort of display.
1450
1451 @kindex # @r{(a comment)}
1452 @cindex comment
1453 Any text from a @kbd{#} to the end of the line is a comment; it does
1454 nothing. This is useful mainly in command files (@pxref{Command
1455 Files,,Command Files}).
1456
1457 @cindex repeating command sequences
1458 @kindex Ctrl-o @r{(operate-and-get-next)}
1459 The @kbd{Ctrl-o} binding is useful for repeating a complex sequence of
1460 commands. This command accepts the current line, like @key{RET}, and
1461 then fetches the next line relative to the current line from the history
1462 for editing.
1463
1464 @node Completion
1465 @section Command Completion
1466
1467 @cindex completion
1468 @cindex word completion
1469 @value{GDBN} can fill in the rest of a word in a command for you, if there is
1470 only one possibility; it can also show you what the valid possibilities
1471 are for the next word in a command, at any time. This works for @value{GDBN}
1472 commands, @value{GDBN} subcommands, and the names of symbols in your program.
1473
1474 Press the @key{TAB} key whenever you want @value{GDBN} to fill out the rest
1475 of a word. If there is only one possibility, @value{GDBN} fills in the
1476 word, and waits for you to finish the command (or press @key{RET} to
1477 enter it). For example, if you type
1478
1479 @c FIXME "@key" does not distinguish its argument sufficiently to permit
1480 @c complete accuracy in these examples; space introduced for clarity.
1481 @c If texinfo enhancements make it unnecessary, it would be nice to
1482 @c replace " @key" by "@key" in the following...
1483 @smallexample
1484 (@value{GDBP}) info bre @key{TAB}
1485 @end smallexample
1486
1487 @noindent
1488 @value{GDBN} fills in the rest of the word @samp{breakpoints}, since that is
1489 the only @code{info} subcommand beginning with @samp{bre}:
1490
1491 @smallexample
1492 (@value{GDBP}) info breakpoints
1493 @end smallexample
1494
1495 @noindent
1496 You can either press @key{RET} at this point, to run the @code{info
1497 breakpoints} command, or backspace and enter something else, if
1498 @samp{breakpoints} does not look like the command you expected. (If you
1499 were sure you wanted @code{info breakpoints} in the first place, you
1500 might as well just type @key{RET} immediately after @samp{info bre},
1501 to exploit command abbreviations rather than command completion).
1502
1503 If there is more than one possibility for the next word when you press
1504 @key{TAB}, @value{GDBN} sounds a bell. You can either supply more
1505 characters and try again, or just press @key{TAB} a second time;
1506 @value{GDBN} displays all the possible completions for that word. For
1507 example, you might want to set a breakpoint on a subroutine whose name
1508 begins with @samp{make_}, but when you type @kbd{b make_@key{TAB}} @value{GDBN}
1509 just sounds the bell. Typing @key{TAB} again displays all the
1510 function names in your program that begin with those characters, for
1511 example:
1512
1513 @smallexample
1514 (@value{GDBP}) b make_ @key{TAB}
1515 @exdent @value{GDBN} sounds bell; press @key{TAB} again, to see:
1516 make_a_section_from_file make_environ
1517 make_abs_section make_function_type
1518 make_blockvector make_pointer_type
1519 make_cleanup make_reference_type
1520 make_command make_symbol_completion_list
1521 (@value{GDBP}) b make_
1522 @end smallexample
1523
1524 @noindent
1525 After displaying the available possibilities, @value{GDBN} copies your
1526 partial input (@samp{b make_} in the example) so you can finish the
1527 command.
1528
1529 If you just want to see the list of alternatives in the first place, you
1530 can press @kbd{M-?} rather than pressing @key{TAB} twice. @kbd{M-?}
1531 means @kbd{@key{META} ?}. You can type this either by holding down a
1532 key designated as the @key{META} shift on your keyboard (if there is
1533 one) while typing @kbd{?}, or as @key{ESC} followed by @kbd{?}.
1534
1535 @cindex quotes in commands
1536 @cindex completion of quoted strings
1537 Sometimes the string you need, while logically a ``word'', may contain
1538 parentheses or other characters that @value{GDBN} normally excludes from
1539 its notion of a word. To permit word completion to work in this
1540 situation, you may enclose words in @code{'} (single quote marks) in
1541 @value{GDBN} commands.
1542
1543 The most likely situation where you might need this is in typing the
1544 name of a C@t{++} function. This is because C@t{++} allows function
1545 overloading (multiple definitions of the same function, distinguished
1546 by argument type). For example, when you want to set a breakpoint you
1547 may need to distinguish whether you mean the version of @code{name}
1548 that takes an @code{int} parameter, @code{name(int)}, or the version
1549 that takes a @code{float} parameter, @code{name(float)}. To use the
1550 word-completion facilities in this situation, type a single quote
1551 @code{'} at the beginning of the function name. This alerts
1552 @value{GDBN} that it may need to consider more information than usual
1553 when you press @key{TAB} or @kbd{M-?} to request word completion:
1554
1555 @smallexample
1556 (@value{GDBP}) b 'bubble( @kbd{M-?}
1557 bubble(double,double) bubble(int,int)
1558 (@value{GDBP}) b 'bubble(
1559 @end smallexample
1560
1561 In some cases, @value{GDBN} can tell that completing a name requires using
1562 quotes. When this happens, @value{GDBN} inserts the quote for you (while
1563 completing as much as it can) if you do not type the quote in the first
1564 place:
1565
1566 @smallexample
1567 (@value{GDBP}) b bub @key{TAB}
1568 @exdent @value{GDBN} alters your input line to the following, and rings a bell:
1569 (@value{GDBP}) b 'bubble(
1570 @end smallexample
1571
1572 @noindent
1573 In general, @value{GDBN} can tell that a quote is needed (and inserts it) if
1574 you have not yet started typing the argument list when you ask for
1575 completion on an overloaded symbol.
1576
1577 For more information about overloaded functions, see @ref{C Plus Plus
1578 Expressions, ,C@t{++} Expressions}. You can use the command @code{set
1579 overload-resolution off} to disable overload resolution;
1580 see @ref{Debugging C Plus Plus, ,@value{GDBN} Features for C@t{++}}.
1581
1582 @cindex completion of structure field names
1583 @cindex structure field name completion
1584 @cindex completion of union field names
1585 @cindex union field name completion
1586 When completing in an expression which looks up a field in a
1587 structure, @value{GDBN} also tries@footnote{The completer can be
1588 confused by certain kinds of invalid expressions. Also, it only
1589 examines the static type of the expression, not the dynamic type.} to
1590 limit completions to the field names available in the type of the
1591 left-hand-side:
1592
1593 @smallexample
1594 (@value{GDBP}) p gdb_stdout.@kbd{M-?}
1595 magic to_fputs to_rewind
1596 to_data to_isatty to_write
1597 to_delete to_put to_write_async_safe
1598 to_flush to_read
1599 @end smallexample
1600
1601 @noindent
1602 This is because the @code{gdb_stdout} is a variable of the type
1603 @code{struct ui_file} that is defined in @value{GDBN} sources as
1604 follows:
1605
1606 @smallexample
1607 struct ui_file
1608 @{
1609 int *magic;
1610 ui_file_flush_ftype *to_flush;
1611 ui_file_write_ftype *to_write;
1612 ui_file_write_async_safe_ftype *to_write_async_safe;
1613 ui_file_fputs_ftype *to_fputs;
1614 ui_file_read_ftype *to_read;
1615 ui_file_delete_ftype *to_delete;
1616 ui_file_isatty_ftype *to_isatty;
1617 ui_file_rewind_ftype *to_rewind;
1618 ui_file_put_ftype *to_put;
1619 void *to_data;
1620 @}
1621 @end smallexample
1622
1623
1624 @node Help
1625 @section Getting Help
1626 @cindex online documentation
1627 @kindex help
1628
1629 You can always ask @value{GDBN} itself for information on its commands,
1630 using the command @code{help}.
1631
1632 @table @code
1633 @kindex h @r{(@code{help})}
1634 @item help
1635 @itemx h
1636 You can use @code{help} (abbreviated @code{h}) with no arguments to
1637 display a short list of named classes of commands:
1638
1639 @smallexample
1640 (@value{GDBP}) help
1641 List of classes of commands:
1642
1643 aliases -- Aliases of other commands
1644 breakpoints -- Making program stop at certain points
1645 data -- Examining data
1646 files -- Specifying and examining files
1647 internals -- Maintenance commands
1648 obscure -- Obscure features
1649 running -- Running the program
1650 stack -- Examining the stack
1651 status -- Status inquiries
1652 support -- Support facilities
1653 tracepoints -- Tracing of program execution without
1654 stopping the program
1655 user-defined -- User-defined commands
1656
1657 Type "help" followed by a class name for a list of
1658 commands in that class.
1659 Type "help" followed by command name for full
1660 documentation.
1661 Command name abbreviations are allowed if unambiguous.
1662 (@value{GDBP})
1663 @end smallexample
1664 @c the above line break eliminates huge line overfull...
1665
1666 @item help @var{class}
1667 Using one of the general help classes as an argument, you can get a
1668 list of the individual commands in that class. For example, here is the
1669 help display for the class @code{status}:
1670
1671 @smallexample
1672 (@value{GDBP}) help status
1673 Status inquiries.
1674
1675 List of commands:
1676
1677 @c Line break in "show" line falsifies real output, but needed
1678 @c to fit in smallbook page size.
1679 info -- Generic command for showing things
1680 about the program being debugged
1681 show -- Generic command for showing things
1682 about the debugger
1683
1684 Type "help" followed by command name for full
1685 documentation.
1686 Command name abbreviations are allowed if unambiguous.
1687 (@value{GDBP})
1688 @end smallexample
1689
1690 @item help @var{command}
1691 With a command name as @code{help} argument, @value{GDBN} displays a
1692 short paragraph on how to use that command.
1693
1694 @kindex apropos
1695 @item apropos @var{args}
1696 The @code{apropos} command searches through all of the @value{GDBN}
1697 commands, and their documentation, for the regular expression specified in
1698 @var{args}. It prints out all matches found. For example:
1699
1700 @smallexample
1701 apropos reload
1702 @end smallexample
1703
1704 @noindent
1705 results in:
1706
1707 @smallexample
1708 @c @group
1709 set symbol-reloading -- Set dynamic symbol table reloading
1710 multiple times in one run
1711 show symbol-reloading -- Show dynamic symbol table reloading
1712 multiple times in one run
1713 @c @end group
1714 @end smallexample
1715
1716 @kindex complete
1717 @item complete @var{args}
1718 The @code{complete @var{args}} command lists all the possible completions
1719 for the beginning of a command. Use @var{args} to specify the beginning of the
1720 command you want completed. For example:
1721
1722 @smallexample
1723 complete i
1724 @end smallexample
1725
1726 @noindent results in:
1727
1728 @smallexample
1729 @group
1730 if
1731 ignore
1732 info
1733 inspect
1734 @end group
1735 @end smallexample
1736
1737 @noindent This is intended for use by @sc{gnu} Emacs.
1738 @end table
1739
1740 In addition to @code{help}, you can use the @value{GDBN} commands @code{info}
1741 and @code{show} to inquire about the state of your program, or the state
1742 of @value{GDBN} itself. Each command supports many topics of inquiry; this
1743 manual introduces each of them in the appropriate context. The listings
1744 under @code{info} and under @code{show} in the Index point to
1745 all the sub-commands. @xref{Index}.
1746
1747 @c @group
1748 @table @code
1749 @kindex info
1750 @kindex i @r{(@code{info})}
1751 @item info
1752 This command (abbreviated @code{i}) is for describing the state of your
1753 program. For example, you can show the arguments passed to a function
1754 with @code{info args}, list the registers currently in use with @code{info
1755 registers}, or list the breakpoints you have set with @code{info breakpoints}.
1756 You can get a complete list of the @code{info} sub-commands with
1757 @w{@code{help info}}.
1758
1759 @kindex set
1760 @item set
1761 You can assign the result of an expression to an environment variable with
1762 @code{set}. For example, you can set the @value{GDBN} prompt to a $-sign with
1763 @code{set prompt $}.
1764
1765 @kindex show
1766 @item show
1767 In contrast to @code{info}, @code{show} is for describing the state of
1768 @value{GDBN} itself.
1769 You can change most of the things you can @code{show}, by using the
1770 related command @code{set}; for example, you can control what number
1771 system is used for displays with @code{set radix}, or simply inquire
1772 which is currently in use with @code{show radix}.
1773
1774 @kindex info set
1775 To display all the settable parameters and their current
1776 values, you can use @code{show} with no arguments; you may also use
1777 @code{info set}. Both commands produce the same display.
1778 @c FIXME: "info set" violates the rule that "info" is for state of
1779 @c FIXME...program. Ck w/ GNU: "info set" to be called something else,
1780 @c FIXME...or change desc of rule---eg "state of prog and debugging session"?
1781 @end table
1782 @c @end group
1783
1784 Here are three miscellaneous @code{show} subcommands, all of which are
1785 exceptional in lacking corresponding @code{set} commands:
1786
1787 @table @code
1788 @kindex show version
1789 @cindex @value{GDBN} version number
1790 @item show version
1791 Show what version of @value{GDBN} is running. You should include this
1792 information in @value{GDBN} bug-reports. If multiple versions of
1793 @value{GDBN} are in use at your site, you may need to determine which
1794 version of @value{GDBN} you are running; as @value{GDBN} evolves, new
1795 commands are introduced, and old ones may wither away. Also, many
1796 system vendors ship variant versions of @value{GDBN}, and there are
1797 variant versions of @value{GDBN} in @sc{gnu}/Linux distributions as well.
1798 The version number is the same as the one announced when you start
1799 @value{GDBN}.
1800
1801 @kindex show copying
1802 @kindex info copying
1803 @cindex display @value{GDBN} copyright
1804 @item show copying
1805 @itemx info copying
1806 Display information about permission for copying @value{GDBN}.
1807
1808 @kindex show warranty
1809 @kindex info warranty
1810 @item show warranty
1811 @itemx info warranty
1812 Display the @sc{gnu} ``NO WARRANTY'' statement, or a warranty,
1813 if your version of @value{GDBN} comes with one.
1814
1815 @end table
1816
1817 @node Running
1818 @chapter Running Programs Under @value{GDBN}
1819
1820 When you run a program under @value{GDBN}, you must first generate
1821 debugging information when you compile it.
1822
1823 You may start @value{GDBN} with its arguments, if any, in an environment
1824 of your choice. If you are doing native debugging, you may redirect
1825 your program's input and output, debug an already running process, or
1826 kill a child process.
1827
1828 @menu
1829 * Compilation:: Compiling for debugging
1830 * Starting:: Starting your program
1831 * Arguments:: Your program's arguments
1832 * Environment:: Your program's environment
1833
1834 * Working Directory:: Your program's working directory
1835 * Input/Output:: Your program's input and output
1836 * Attach:: Debugging an already-running process
1837 * Kill Process:: Killing the child process
1838
1839 * Inferiors and Programs:: Debugging multiple inferiors and programs
1840 * Threads:: Debugging programs with multiple threads
1841 * Forks:: Debugging forks
1842 * Checkpoint/Restart:: Setting a @emph{bookmark} to return to later
1843 @end menu
1844
1845 @node Compilation
1846 @section Compiling for Debugging
1847
1848 In order to debug a program effectively, you need to generate
1849 debugging information when you compile it. This debugging information
1850 is stored in the object file; it describes the data type of each
1851 variable or function and the correspondence between source line numbers
1852 and addresses in the executable code.
1853
1854 To request debugging information, specify the @samp{-g} option when you run
1855 the compiler.
1856
1857 Programs that are to be shipped to your customers are compiled with
1858 optimizations, using the @samp{-O} compiler option. However, some
1859 compilers are unable to handle the @samp{-g} and @samp{-O} options
1860 together. Using those compilers, you cannot generate optimized
1861 executables containing debugging information.
1862
1863 @value{NGCC}, the @sc{gnu} C/C@t{++} compiler, supports @samp{-g} with or
1864 without @samp{-O}, making it possible to debug optimized code. We
1865 recommend that you @emph{always} use @samp{-g} whenever you compile a
1866 program. You may think your program is correct, but there is no sense
1867 in pushing your luck. For more information, see @ref{Optimized Code}.
1868
1869 Older versions of the @sc{gnu} C compiler permitted a variant option
1870 @w{@samp{-gg}} for debugging information. @value{GDBN} no longer supports this
1871 format; if your @sc{gnu} C compiler has this option, do not use it.
1872
1873 @value{GDBN} knows about preprocessor macros and can show you their
1874 expansion (@pxref{Macros}). Most compilers do not include information
1875 about preprocessor macros in the debugging information if you specify
1876 the @option{-g} flag alone, because this information is rather large.
1877 Version 3.1 and later of @value{NGCC}, the @sc{gnu} C compiler,
1878 provides macro information if you specify the options
1879 @option{-gdwarf-2} and @option{-g3}; the former option requests
1880 debugging information in the Dwarf 2 format, and the latter requests
1881 ``extra information''. In the future, we hope to find more compact
1882 ways to represent macro information, so that it can be included with
1883 @option{-g} alone.
1884
1885 @need 2000
1886 @node Starting
1887 @section Starting your Program
1888 @cindex starting
1889 @cindex running
1890
1891 @table @code
1892 @kindex run
1893 @kindex r @r{(@code{run})}
1894 @item run
1895 @itemx r
1896 Use the @code{run} command to start your program under @value{GDBN}.
1897 You must first specify the program name (except on VxWorks) with an
1898 argument to @value{GDBN} (@pxref{Invocation, ,Getting In and Out of
1899 @value{GDBN}}), or by using the @code{file} or @code{exec-file} command
1900 (@pxref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}).
1901
1902 @end table
1903
1904 If you are running your program in an execution environment that
1905 supports processes, @code{run} creates an inferior process and makes
1906 that process run your program. In some environments without processes,
1907 @code{run} jumps to the start of your program. Other targets,
1908 like @samp{remote}, are always running. If you get an error
1909 message like this one:
1910
1911 @smallexample
1912 The "remote" target does not support "run".
1913 Try "help target" or "continue".
1914 @end smallexample
1915
1916 @noindent
1917 then use @code{continue} to run your program. You may need @code{load}
1918 first (@pxref{load}).
1919
1920 The execution of a program is affected by certain information it
1921 receives from its superior. @value{GDBN} provides ways to specify this
1922 information, which you must do @emph{before} starting your program. (You
1923 can change it after starting your program, but such changes only affect
1924 your program the next time you start it.) This information may be
1925 divided into four categories:
1926
1927 @table @asis
1928 @item The @emph{arguments.}
1929 Specify the arguments to give your program as the arguments of the
1930 @code{run} command. If a shell is available on your target, the shell
1931 is used to pass the arguments, so that you may use normal conventions
1932 (such as wildcard expansion or variable substitution) in describing
1933 the arguments.
1934 In Unix systems, you can control which shell is used with the
1935 @code{SHELL} environment variable.
1936 @xref{Arguments, ,Your Program's Arguments}.
1937
1938 @item The @emph{environment.}
1939 Your program normally inherits its environment from @value{GDBN}, but you can
1940 use the @value{GDBN} commands @code{set environment} and @code{unset
1941 environment} to change parts of the environment that affect
1942 your program. @xref{Environment, ,Your Program's Environment}.
1943
1944 @item The @emph{working directory.}
1945 Your program inherits its working directory from @value{GDBN}. You can set
1946 the @value{GDBN} working directory with the @code{cd} command in @value{GDBN}.
1947 @xref{Working Directory, ,Your Program's Working Directory}.
1948
1949 @item The @emph{standard input and output.}
1950 Your program normally uses the same device for standard input and
1951 standard output as @value{GDBN} is using. You can redirect input and output
1952 in the @code{run} command line, or you can use the @code{tty} command to
1953 set a different device for your program.
1954 @xref{Input/Output, ,Your Program's Input and Output}.
1955
1956 @cindex pipes
1957 @emph{Warning:} While input and output redirection work, you cannot use
1958 pipes to pass the output of the program you are debugging to another
1959 program; if you attempt this, @value{GDBN} is likely to wind up debugging the
1960 wrong program.
1961 @end table
1962
1963 When you issue the @code{run} command, your program begins to execute
1964 immediately. @xref{Stopping, ,Stopping and Continuing}, for discussion
1965 of how to arrange for your program to stop. Once your program has
1966 stopped, you may call functions in your program, using the @code{print}
1967 or @code{call} commands. @xref{Data, ,Examining Data}.
1968
1969 If the modification time of your symbol file has changed since the last
1970 time @value{GDBN} read its symbols, @value{GDBN} discards its symbol
1971 table, and reads it again. When it does this, @value{GDBN} tries to retain
1972 your current breakpoints.
1973
1974 @table @code
1975 @kindex start
1976 @item start
1977 @cindex run to main procedure
1978 The name of the main procedure can vary from language to language.
1979 With C or C@t{++}, the main procedure name is always @code{main}, but
1980 other languages such as Ada do not require a specific name for their
1981 main procedure. The debugger provides a convenient way to start the
1982 execution of the program and to stop at the beginning of the main
1983 procedure, depending on the language used.
1984
1985 The @samp{start} command does the equivalent of setting a temporary
1986 breakpoint at the beginning of the main procedure and then invoking
1987 the @samp{run} command.
1988
1989 @cindex elaboration phase
1990 Some programs contain an @dfn{elaboration} phase where some startup code is
1991 executed before the main procedure is called. This depends on the
1992 languages used to write your program. In C@t{++}, for instance,
1993 constructors for static and global objects are executed before
1994 @code{main} is called. It is therefore possible that the debugger stops
1995 before reaching the main procedure. However, the temporary breakpoint
1996 will remain to halt execution.
1997
1998 Specify the arguments to give to your program as arguments to the
1999 @samp{start} command. These arguments will be given verbatim to the
2000 underlying @samp{run} command. Note that the same arguments will be
2001 reused if no argument is provided during subsequent calls to
2002 @samp{start} or @samp{run}.
2003
2004 It is sometimes necessary to debug the program during elaboration. In
2005 these cases, using the @code{start} command would stop the execution of
2006 your program too late, as the program would have already completed the
2007 elaboration phase. Under these circumstances, insert breakpoints in your
2008 elaboration code before running your program.
2009
2010 @kindex set exec-wrapper
2011 @item set exec-wrapper @var{wrapper}
2012 @itemx show exec-wrapper
2013 @itemx unset exec-wrapper
2014 When @samp{exec-wrapper} is set, the specified wrapper is used to
2015 launch programs for debugging. @value{GDBN} starts your program
2016 with a shell command of the form @kbd{exec @var{wrapper}
2017 @var{program}}. Quoting is added to @var{program} and its
2018 arguments, but not to @var{wrapper}, so you should add quotes if
2019 appropriate for your shell. The wrapper runs until it executes
2020 your program, and then @value{GDBN} takes control.
2021
2022 You can use any program that eventually calls @code{execve} with
2023 its arguments as a wrapper. Several standard Unix utilities do
2024 this, e.g.@: @code{env} and @code{nohup}. Any Unix shell script ending
2025 with @code{exec "$@@"} will also work.
2026
2027 For example, you can use @code{env} to pass an environment variable to
2028 the debugged program, without setting the variable in your shell's
2029 environment:
2030
2031 @smallexample
2032 (@value{GDBP}) set exec-wrapper env 'LD_PRELOAD=libtest.so'
2033 (@value{GDBP}) run
2034 @end smallexample
2035
2036 This command is available when debugging locally on most targets, excluding
2037 @sc{djgpp}, Cygwin, MS Windows, and QNX Neutrino.
2038
2039 @kindex set disable-randomization
2040 @item set disable-randomization
2041 @itemx set disable-randomization on
2042 This option (enabled by default in @value{GDBN}) will turn off the native
2043 randomization of the virtual address space of the started program. This option
2044 is useful for multiple debugging sessions to make the execution better
2045 reproducible and memory addresses reusable across debugging sessions.
2046
2047 This feature is implemented only on certain targets, including @sc{gnu}/Linux.
2048 On @sc{gnu}/Linux you can get the same behavior using
2049
2050 @smallexample
2051 (@value{GDBP}) set exec-wrapper setarch `uname -m` -R
2052 @end smallexample
2053
2054 @item set disable-randomization off
2055 Leave the behavior of the started executable unchanged. Some bugs rear their
2056 ugly heads only when the program is loaded at certain addresses. If your bug
2057 disappears when you run the program under @value{GDBN}, that might be because
2058 @value{GDBN} by default disables the address randomization on platforms, such
2059 as @sc{gnu}/Linux, which do that for stand-alone programs. Use @kbd{set
2060 disable-randomization off} to try to reproduce such elusive bugs.
2061
2062 On targets where it is available, virtual address space randomization
2063 protects the programs against certain kinds of security attacks. In these
2064 cases the attacker needs to know the exact location of a concrete executable
2065 code. Randomizing its location makes it impossible to inject jumps misusing
2066 a code at its expected addresses.
2067
2068 Prelinking shared libraries provides a startup performance advantage but it
2069 makes addresses in these libraries predictable for privileged processes by
2070 having just unprivileged access at the target system. Reading the shared
2071 library binary gives enough information for assembling the malicious code
2072 misusing it. Still even a prelinked shared library can get loaded at a new
2073 random address just requiring the regular relocation process during the
2074 startup. Shared libraries not already prelinked are always loaded at
2075 a randomly chosen address.
2076
2077 Position independent executables (PIE) contain position independent code
2078 similar to the shared libraries and therefore such executables get loaded at
2079 a randomly chosen address upon startup. PIE executables always load even
2080 already prelinked shared libraries at a random address. You can build such
2081 executable using @command{gcc -fPIE -pie}.
2082
2083 Heap (malloc storage), stack and custom mmap areas are always placed randomly
2084 (as long as the randomization is enabled).
2085
2086 @item show disable-randomization
2087 Show the current setting of the explicit disable of the native randomization of
2088 the virtual address space of the started program.
2089
2090 @end table
2091
2092 @node Arguments
2093 @section Your Program's Arguments
2094
2095 @cindex arguments (to your program)
2096 The arguments to your program can be specified by the arguments of the
2097 @code{run} command.
2098 They are passed to a shell, which expands wildcard characters and
2099 performs redirection of I/O, and thence to your program. Your
2100 @code{SHELL} environment variable (if it exists) specifies what shell
2101 @value{GDBN} uses. If you do not define @code{SHELL}, @value{GDBN} uses
2102 the default shell (@file{/bin/sh} on Unix).
2103
2104 On non-Unix systems, the program is usually invoked directly by
2105 @value{GDBN}, which emulates I/O redirection via the appropriate system
2106 calls, and the wildcard characters are expanded by the startup code of
2107 the program, not by the shell.
2108
2109 @code{run} with no arguments uses the same arguments used by the previous
2110 @code{run}, or those set by the @code{set args} command.
2111
2112 @table @code
2113 @kindex set args
2114 @item set args
2115 Specify the arguments to be used the next time your program is run. If
2116 @code{set args} has no arguments, @code{run} executes your program
2117 with no arguments. Once you have run your program with arguments,
2118 using @code{set args} before the next @code{run} is the only way to run
2119 it again without arguments.
2120
2121 @kindex show args
2122 @item show args
2123 Show the arguments to give your program when it is started.
2124 @end table
2125
2126 @node Environment
2127 @section Your Program's Environment
2128
2129 @cindex environment (of your program)
2130 The @dfn{environment} consists of a set of environment variables and
2131 their values. Environment variables conventionally record such things as
2132 your user name, your home directory, your terminal type, and your search
2133 path for programs to run. Usually you set up environment variables with
2134 the shell and they are inherited by all the other programs you run. When
2135 debugging, it can be useful to try running your program with a modified
2136 environment without having to start @value{GDBN} over again.
2137
2138 @table @code
2139 @kindex path
2140 @item path @var{directory}
2141 Add @var{directory} to the front of the @code{PATH} environment variable
2142 (the search path for executables) that will be passed to your program.
2143 The value of @code{PATH} used by @value{GDBN} does not change.
2144 You may specify several directory names, separated by whitespace or by a
2145 system-dependent separator character (@samp{:} on Unix, @samp{;} on
2146 MS-DOS and MS-Windows). If @var{directory} is already in the path, it
2147 is moved to the front, so it is searched sooner.
2148
2149 You can use the string @samp{$cwd} to refer to whatever is the current
2150 working directory at the time @value{GDBN} searches the path. If you
2151 use @samp{.} instead, it refers to the directory where you executed the
2152 @code{path} command. @value{GDBN} replaces @samp{.} in the
2153 @var{directory} argument (with the current path) before adding
2154 @var{directory} to the search path.
2155 @c 'path' is explicitly nonrepeatable, but RMS points out it is silly to
2156 @c document that, since repeating it would be a no-op.
2157
2158 @kindex show paths
2159 @item show paths
2160 Display the list of search paths for executables (the @code{PATH}
2161 environment variable).
2162
2163 @kindex show environment
2164 @item show environment @r{[}@var{varname}@r{]}
2165 Print the value of environment variable @var{varname} to be given to
2166 your program when it starts. If you do not supply @var{varname},
2167 print the names and values of all environment variables to be given to
2168 your program. You can abbreviate @code{environment} as @code{env}.
2169
2170 @kindex set environment
2171 @item set environment @var{varname} @r{[}=@var{value}@r{]}
2172 Set environment variable @var{varname} to @var{value}. The value
2173 changes for your program only, not for @value{GDBN} itself. @var{value} may
2174 be any string; the values of environment variables are just strings, and
2175 any interpretation is supplied by your program itself. The @var{value}
2176 parameter is optional; if it is eliminated, the variable is set to a
2177 null value.
2178 @c "any string" here does not include leading, trailing
2179 @c blanks. Gnu asks: does anyone care?
2180
2181 For example, this command:
2182
2183 @smallexample
2184 set env USER = foo
2185 @end smallexample
2186
2187 @noindent
2188 tells the debugged program, when subsequently run, that its user is named
2189 @samp{foo}. (The spaces around @samp{=} are used for clarity here; they
2190 are not actually required.)
2191
2192 @kindex unset environment
2193 @item unset environment @var{varname}
2194 Remove variable @var{varname} from the environment to be passed to your
2195 program. This is different from @samp{set env @var{varname} =};
2196 @code{unset environment} removes the variable from the environment,
2197 rather than assigning it an empty value.
2198 @end table
2199
2200 @emph{Warning:} On Unix systems, @value{GDBN} runs your program using
2201 the shell indicated
2202 by your @code{SHELL} environment variable if it exists (or
2203 @code{/bin/sh} if not). If your @code{SHELL} variable names a shell
2204 that runs an initialization file---such as @file{.cshrc} for C-shell, or
2205 @file{.bashrc} for BASH---any variables you set in that file affect
2206 your program. You may wish to move setting of environment variables to
2207 files that are only run when you sign on, such as @file{.login} or
2208 @file{.profile}.
2209
2210 @node Working Directory
2211 @section Your Program's Working Directory
2212
2213 @cindex working directory (of your program)
2214 Each time you start your program with @code{run}, it inherits its
2215 working directory from the current working directory of @value{GDBN}.
2216 The @value{GDBN} working directory is initially whatever it inherited
2217 from its parent process (typically the shell), but you can specify a new
2218 working directory in @value{GDBN} with the @code{cd} command.
2219
2220 The @value{GDBN} working directory also serves as a default for the commands
2221 that specify files for @value{GDBN} to operate on. @xref{Files, ,Commands to
2222 Specify Files}.
2223
2224 @table @code
2225 @kindex cd
2226 @cindex change working directory
2227 @item cd @var{directory}
2228 Set the @value{GDBN} working directory to @var{directory}.
2229
2230 @kindex pwd
2231 @item pwd
2232 Print the @value{GDBN} working directory.
2233 @end table
2234
2235 It is generally impossible to find the current working directory of
2236 the process being debugged (since a program can change its directory
2237 during its run). If you work on a system where @value{GDBN} is
2238 configured with the @file{/proc} support, you can use the @code{info
2239 proc} command (@pxref{SVR4 Process Information}) to find out the
2240 current working directory of the debuggee.
2241
2242 @node Input/Output
2243 @section Your Program's Input and Output
2244
2245 @cindex redirection
2246 @cindex i/o
2247 @cindex terminal
2248 By default, the program you run under @value{GDBN} does input and output to
2249 the same terminal that @value{GDBN} uses. @value{GDBN} switches the terminal
2250 to its own terminal modes to interact with you, but it records the terminal
2251 modes your program was using and switches back to them when you continue
2252 running your program.
2253
2254 @table @code
2255 @kindex info terminal
2256 @item info terminal
2257 Displays information recorded by @value{GDBN} about the terminal modes your
2258 program is using.
2259 @end table
2260
2261 You can redirect your program's input and/or output using shell
2262 redirection with the @code{run} command. For example,
2263
2264 @smallexample
2265 run > outfile
2266 @end smallexample
2267
2268 @noindent
2269 starts your program, diverting its output to the file @file{outfile}.
2270
2271 @kindex tty
2272 @cindex controlling terminal
2273 Another way to specify where your program should do input and output is
2274 with the @code{tty} command. This command accepts a file name as
2275 argument, and causes this file to be the default for future @code{run}
2276 commands. It also resets the controlling terminal for the child
2277 process, for future @code{run} commands. For example,
2278
2279 @smallexample
2280 tty /dev/ttyb
2281 @end smallexample
2282
2283 @noindent
2284 directs that processes started with subsequent @code{run} commands
2285 default to do input and output on the terminal @file{/dev/ttyb} and have
2286 that as their controlling terminal.
2287
2288 An explicit redirection in @code{run} overrides the @code{tty} command's
2289 effect on the input/output device, but not its effect on the controlling
2290 terminal.
2291
2292 When you use the @code{tty} command or redirect input in the @code{run}
2293 command, only the input @emph{for your program} is affected. The input
2294 for @value{GDBN} still comes from your terminal. @code{tty} is an alias
2295 for @code{set inferior-tty}.
2296
2297 @cindex inferior tty
2298 @cindex set inferior controlling terminal
2299 You can use the @code{show inferior-tty} command to tell @value{GDBN} to
2300 display the name of the terminal that will be used for future runs of your
2301 program.
2302
2303 @table @code
2304 @item set inferior-tty /dev/ttyb
2305 @kindex set inferior-tty
2306 Set the tty for the program being debugged to /dev/ttyb.
2307
2308 @item show inferior-tty
2309 @kindex show inferior-tty
2310 Show the current tty for the program being debugged.
2311 @end table
2312
2313 @node Attach
2314 @section Debugging an Already-running Process
2315 @kindex attach
2316 @cindex attach
2317
2318 @table @code
2319 @item attach @var{process-id}
2320 This command attaches to a running process---one that was started
2321 outside @value{GDBN}. (@code{info files} shows your active
2322 targets.) The command takes as argument a process ID. The usual way to
2323 find out the @var{process-id} of a Unix process is with the @code{ps} utility,
2324 or with the @samp{jobs -l} shell command.
2325
2326 @code{attach} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} a second time after
2327 executing the command.
2328 @end table
2329
2330 To use @code{attach}, your program must be running in an environment
2331 which supports processes; for example, @code{attach} does not work for
2332 programs on bare-board targets that lack an operating system. You must
2333 also have permission to send the process a signal.
2334
2335 When you use @code{attach}, the debugger finds the program running in
2336 the process first by looking in the current working directory, then (if
2337 the program is not found) by using the source file search path
2338 (@pxref{Source Path, ,Specifying Source Directories}). You can also use
2339 the @code{file} command to load the program. @xref{Files, ,Commands to
2340 Specify Files}.
2341
2342 The first thing @value{GDBN} does after arranging to debug the specified
2343 process is to stop it. You can examine and modify an attached process
2344 with all the @value{GDBN} commands that are ordinarily available when
2345 you start processes with @code{run}. You can insert breakpoints; you
2346 can step and continue; you can modify storage. If you would rather the
2347 process continue running, you may use the @code{continue} command after
2348 attaching @value{GDBN} to the process.
2349
2350 @table @code
2351 @kindex detach
2352 @item detach
2353 When you have finished debugging the attached process, you can use the
2354 @code{detach} command to release it from @value{GDBN} control. Detaching
2355 the process continues its execution. After the @code{detach} command,
2356 that process and @value{GDBN} become completely independent once more, and you
2357 are ready to @code{attach} another process or start one with @code{run}.
2358 @code{detach} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} again after
2359 executing the command.
2360 @end table
2361
2362 If you exit @value{GDBN} while you have an attached process, you detach
2363 that process. If you use the @code{run} command, you kill that process.
2364 By default, @value{GDBN} asks for confirmation if you try to do either of these
2365 things; you can control whether or not you need to confirm by using the
2366 @code{set confirm} command (@pxref{Messages/Warnings, ,Optional Warnings and
2367 Messages}).
2368
2369 @node Kill Process
2370 @section Killing the Child Process
2371
2372 @table @code
2373 @kindex kill
2374 @item kill
2375 Kill the child process in which your program is running under @value{GDBN}.
2376 @end table
2377
2378 This command is useful if you wish to debug a core dump instead of a
2379 running process. @value{GDBN} ignores any core dump file while your program
2380 is running.
2381
2382 On some operating systems, a program cannot be executed outside @value{GDBN}
2383 while you have breakpoints set on it inside @value{GDBN}. You can use the
2384 @code{kill} command in this situation to permit running your program
2385 outside the debugger.
2386
2387 The @code{kill} command is also useful if you wish to recompile and
2388 relink your program, since on many systems it is impossible to modify an
2389 executable file while it is running in a process. In this case, when you
2390 next type @code{run}, @value{GDBN} notices that the file has changed, and
2391 reads the symbol table again (while trying to preserve your current
2392 breakpoint settings).
2393
2394 @node Inferiors and Programs
2395 @section Debugging Multiple Inferiors and Programs
2396
2397 @value{GDBN} lets you run and debug multiple programs in a single
2398 session. In addition, @value{GDBN} on some systems may let you run
2399 several programs simultaneously (otherwise you have to exit from one
2400 before starting another). In the most general case, you can have
2401 multiple threads of execution in each of multiple processes, launched
2402 from multiple executables.
2403
2404 @cindex inferior
2405 @value{GDBN} represents the state of each program execution with an
2406 object called an @dfn{inferior}. An inferior typically corresponds to
2407 a process, but is more general and applies also to targets that do not
2408 have processes. Inferiors may be created before a process runs, and
2409 may be retained after a process exits. Inferiors have unique
2410 identifiers that are different from process ids. Usually each
2411 inferior will also have its own distinct address space, although some
2412 embedded targets may have several inferiors running in different parts
2413 of a single address space. Each inferior may in turn have multiple
2414 threads running in it.
2415
2416 To find out what inferiors exist at any moment, use @w{@code{info
2417 inferiors}}:
2418
2419 @table @code
2420 @kindex info inferiors
2421 @item info inferiors
2422 Print a list of all inferiors currently being managed by @value{GDBN}.
2423
2424 @value{GDBN} displays for each inferior (in this order):
2425
2426 @enumerate
2427 @item
2428 the inferior number assigned by @value{GDBN}
2429
2430 @item
2431 the target system's inferior identifier
2432
2433 @item
2434 the name of the executable the inferior is running.
2435
2436 @end enumerate
2437
2438 @noindent
2439 An asterisk @samp{*} preceding the @value{GDBN} inferior number
2440 indicates the current inferior.
2441
2442 For example,
2443 @end table
2444 @c end table here to get a little more width for example
2445
2446 @smallexample
2447 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
2448 Num Description Executable
2449 2 process 2307 hello
2450 * 1 process 3401 goodbye
2451 @end smallexample
2452
2453 To switch focus between inferiors, use the @code{inferior} command:
2454
2455 @table @code
2456 @kindex inferior @var{infno}
2457 @item inferior @var{infno}
2458 Make inferior number @var{infno} the current inferior. The argument
2459 @var{infno} is the inferior number assigned by @value{GDBN}, as shown
2460 in the first field of the @samp{info inferiors} display.
2461 @end table
2462
2463
2464 You can get multiple executables into a debugging session via the
2465 @code{add-inferior} and @w{@code{clone-inferior}} commands. On some
2466 systems @value{GDBN} can add inferiors to the debug session
2467 automatically by following calls to @code{fork} and @code{exec}. To
2468 remove inferiors from the debugging session use the
2469 @w{@code{remove-inferiors}} command.
2470
2471 @table @code
2472 @kindex add-inferior
2473 @item add-inferior [ -copies @var{n} ] [ -exec @var{executable} ]
2474 Adds @var{n} inferiors to be run using @var{executable} as the
2475 executable. @var{n} defaults to 1. If no executable is specified,
2476 the inferiors begins empty, with no program. You can still assign or
2477 change the program assigned to the inferior at any time by using the
2478 @code{file} command with the executable name as its argument.
2479
2480 @kindex clone-inferior
2481 @item clone-inferior [ -copies @var{n} ] [ @var{infno} ]
2482 Adds @var{n} inferiors ready to execute the same program as inferior
2483 @var{infno}. @var{n} defaults to 1. @var{infno} defaults to the
2484 number of the current inferior. This is a convenient command when you
2485 want to run another instance of the inferior you are debugging.
2486
2487 @smallexample
2488 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
2489 Num Description Executable
2490 * 1 process 29964 helloworld
2491 (@value{GDBP}) clone-inferior
2492 Added inferior 2.
2493 1 inferiors added.
2494 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
2495 Num Description Executable
2496 2 <null> helloworld
2497 * 1 process 29964 helloworld
2498 @end smallexample
2499
2500 You can now simply switch focus to inferior 2 and run it.
2501
2502 @kindex remove-inferiors
2503 @item remove-inferiors @var{infno}@dots{}
2504 Removes the inferior or inferiors @var{infno}@dots{}. It is not
2505 possible to remove an inferior that is running with this command. For
2506 those, use the @code{kill} or @code{detach} command first.
2507
2508 @end table
2509
2510 To quit debugging one of the running inferiors that is not the current
2511 inferior, you can either detach from it by using the @w{@code{detach
2512 inferior}} command (allowing it to run independently), or kill it
2513 using the @w{@code{kill inferiors}} command:
2514
2515 @table @code
2516 @kindex detach inferiors @var{infno}@dots{}
2517 @item detach inferior @var{infno}@dots{}
2518 Detach from the inferior or inferiors identified by @value{GDBN}
2519 inferior number(s) @var{infno}@dots{}. Note that the inferior's entry
2520 still stays on the list of inferiors shown by @code{info inferiors},
2521 but its Description will show @samp{<null>}.
2522
2523 @kindex kill inferiors @var{infno}@dots{}
2524 @item kill inferiors @var{infno}@dots{}
2525 Kill the inferior or inferiors identified by @value{GDBN} inferior
2526 number(s) @var{infno}@dots{}. Note that the inferior's entry still
2527 stays on the list of inferiors shown by @code{info inferiors}, but its
2528 Description will show @samp{<null>}.
2529 @end table
2530
2531 After the successful completion of a command such as @code{detach},
2532 @code{detach inferiors}, @code{kill} or @code{kill inferiors}, or after
2533 a normal process exit, the inferior is still valid and listed with
2534 @code{info inferiors}, ready to be restarted.
2535
2536
2537 To be notified when inferiors are started or exit under @value{GDBN}'s
2538 control use @w{@code{set print inferior-events}}:
2539
2540 @table @code
2541 @kindex set print inferior-events
2542 @cindex print messages on inferior start and exit
2543 @item set print inferior-events
2544 @itemx set print inferior-events on
2545 @itemx set print inferior-events off
2546 The @code{set print inferior-events} command allows you to enable or
2547 disable printing of messages when @value{GDBN} notices that new
2548 inferiors have started or that inferiors have exited or have been
2549 detached. By default, these messages will not be printed.
2550
2551 @kindex show print inferior-events
2552 @item show print inferior-events
2553 Show whether messages will be printed when @value{GDBN} detects that
2554 inferiors have started, exited or have been detached.
2555 @end table
2556
2557 Many commands will work the same with multiple programs as with a
2558 single program: e.g., @code{print myglobal} will simply display the
2559 value of @code{myglobal} in the current inferior.
2560
2561
2562 Occasionaly, when debugging @value{GDBN} itself, it may be useful to
2563 get more info about the relationship of inferiors, programs, address
2564 spaces in a debug session. You can do that with the @w{@code{maint
2565 info program-spaces}} command.
2566
2567 @table @code
2568 @kindex maint info program-spaces
2569 @item maint info program-spaces
2570 Print a list of all program spaces currently being managed by
2571 @value{GDBN}.
2572
2573 @value{GDBN} displays for each program space (in this order):
2574
2575 @enumerate
2576 @item
2577 the program space number assigned by @value{GDBN}
2578
2579 @item
2580 the name of the executable loaded into the program space, with e.g.,
2581 the @code{file} command.
2582
2583 @end enumerate
2584
2585 @noindent
2586 An asterisk @samp{*} preceding the @value{GDBN} program space number
2587 indicates the current program space.
2588
2589 In addition, below each program space line, @value{GDBN} prints extra
2590 information that isn't suitable to display in tabular form. For
2591 example, the list of inferiors bound to the program space.
2592
2593 @smallexample
2594 (@value{GDBP}) maint info program-spaces
2595 Id Executable
2596 2 goodbye
2597 Bound inferiors: ID 1 (process 21561)
2598 * 1 hello
2599 @end smallexample
2600
2601 Here we can see that no inferior is running the program @code{hello},
2602 while @code{process 21561} is running the program @code{goodbye}. On
2603 some targets, it is possible that multiple inferiors are bound to the
2604 same program space. The most common example is that of debugging both
2605 the parent and child processes of a @code{vfork} call. For example,
2606
2607 @smallexample
2608 (@value{GDBP}) maint info program-spaces
2609 Id Executable
2610 * 1 vfork-test
2611 Bound inferiors: ID 2 (process 18050), ID 1 (process 18045)
2612 @end smallexample
2613
2614 Here, both inferior 2 and inferior 1 are running in the same program
2615 space as a result of inferior 1 having executed a @code{vfork} call.
2616 @end table
2617
2618 @node Threads
2619 @section Debugging Programs with Multiple Threads
2620
2621 @cindex threads of execution
2622 @cindex multiple threads
2623 @cindex switching threads
2624 In some operating systems, such as HP-UX and Solaris, a single program
2625 may have more than one @dfn{thread} of execution. The precise semantics
2626 of threads differ from one operating system to another, but in general
2627 the threads of a single program are akin to multiple processes---except
2628 that they share one address space (that is, they can all examine and
2629 modify the same variables). On the other hand, each thread has its own
2630 registers and execution stack, and perhaps private memory.
2631
2632 @value{GDBN} provides these facilities for debugging multi-thread
2633 programs:
2634
2635 @itemize @bullet
2636 @item automatic notification of new threads
2637 @item @samp{thread @var{threadno}}, a command to switch among threads
2638 @item @samp{info threads}, a command to inquire about existing threads
2639 @item @samp{thread apply [@var{threadno}] [@var{all}] @var{args}},
2640 a command to apply a command to a list of threads
2641 @item thread-specific breakpoints
2642 @item @samp{set print thread-events}, which controls printing of
2643 messages on thread start and exit.
2644 @item @samp{set libthread-db-search-path @var{path}}, which lets
2645 the user specify which @code{libthread_db} to use if the default choice
2646 isn't compatible with the program.
2647 @end itemize
2648
2649 @quotation
2650 @emph{Warning:} These facilities are not yet available on every
2651 @value{GDBN} configuration where the operating system supports threads.
2652 If your @value{GDBN} does not support threads, these commands have no
2653 effect. For example, a system without thread support shows no output
2654 from @samp{info threads}, and always rejects the @code{thread} command,
2655 like this:
2656
2657 @smallexample
2658 (@value{GDBP}) info threads
2659 (@value{GDBP}) thread 1
2660 Thread ID 1 not known. Use the "info threads" command to
2661 see the IDs of currently known threads.
2662 @end smallexample
2663 @c FIXME to implementors: how hard would it be to say "sorry, this GDB
2664 @c doesn't support threads"?
2665 @end quotation
2666
2667 @cindex focus of debugging
2668 @cindex current thread
2669 The @value{GDBN} thread debugging facility allows you to observe all
2670 threads while your program runs---but whenever @value{GDBN} takes
2671 control, one thread in particular is always the focus of debugging.
2672 This thread is called the @dfn{current thread}. Debugging commands show
2673 program information from the perspective of the current thread.
2674
2675 @cindex @code{New} @var{systag} message
2676 @cindex thread identifier (system)
2677 @c FIXME-implementors!! It would be more helpful if the [New...] message
2678 @c included GDB's numeric thread handle, so you could just go to that
2679 @c thread without first checking `info threads'.
2680 Whenever @value{GDBN} detects a new thread in your program, it displays
2681 the target system's identification for the thread with a message in the
2682 form @samp{[New @var{systag}]}. @var{systag} is a thread identifier
2683 whose form varies depending on the particular system. For example, on
2684 @sc{gnu}/Linux, you might see
2685
2686 @smallexample
2687 [New Thread 0x41e02940 (LWP 25582)]
2688 @end smallexample
2689
2690 @noindent
2691 when @value{GDBN} notices a new thread. In contrast, on an SGI system,
2692 the @var{systag} is simply something like @samp{process 368}, with no
2693 further qualifier.
2694
2695 @c FIXME!! (1) Does the [New...] message appear even for the very first
2696 @c thread of a program, or does it only appear for the
2697 @c second---i.e.@: when it becomes obvious we have a multithread
2698 @c program?
2699 @c (2) *Is* there necessarily a first thread always? Or do some
2700 @c multithread systems permit starting a program with multiple
2701 @c threads ab initio?
2702
2703 @cindex thread number
2704 @cindex thread identifier (GDB)
2705 For debugging purposes, @value{GDBN} associates its own thread
2706 number---always a single integer---with each thread in your program.
2707
2708 @table @code
2709 @kindex info threads
2710 @item info threads @r{[}@var{id}@dots{}@r{]}
2711 Display a summary of all threads currently in your program. Optional
2712 argument @var{id}@dots{} is one or more thread ids separated by spaces, and
2713 means to print information only about the specified thread or threads.
2714 @value{GDBN} displays for each thread (in this order):
2715
2716 @enumerate
2717 @item
2718 the thread number assigned by @value{GDBN}
2719
2720 @item
2721 the target system's thread identifier (@var{systag})
2722
2723 @item
2724 the thread's name, if one is known. A thread can either be named by
2725 the user (see @code{thread name}, below), or, in some cases, by the
2726 program itself.
2727
2728 @item
2729 the current stack frame summary for that thread
2730 @end enumerate
2731
2732 @noindent
2733 An asterisk @samp{*} to the left of the @value{GDBN} thread number
2734 indicates the current thread.
2735
2736 For example,
2737 @end table
2738 @c end table here to get a little more width for example
2739
2740 @smallexample
2741 (@value{GDBP}) info threads
2742 Id Target Id Frame
2743 3 process 35 thread 27 0x34e5 in sigpause ()
2744 2 process 35 thread 23 0x34e5 in sigpause ()
2745 * 1 process 35 thread 13 main (argc=1, argv=0x7ffffff8)
2746 at threadtest.c:68
2747 @end smallexample
2748
2749 On Solaris, you can display more information about user threads with a
2750 Solaris-specific command:
2751
2752 @table @code
2753 @item maint info sol-threads
2754 @kindex maint info sol-threads
2755 @cindex thread info (Solaris)
2756 Display info on Solaris user threads.
2757 @end table
2758
2759 @table @code
2760 @kindex thread @var{threadno}
2761 @item thread @var{threadno}
2762 Make thread number @var{threadno} the current thread. The command
2763 argument @var{threadno} is the internal @value{GDBN} thread number, as
2764 shown in the first field of the @samp{info threads} display.
2765 @value{GDBN} responds by displaying the system identifier of the thread
2766 you selected, and its current stack frame summary:
2767
2768 @smallexample
2769 (@value{GDBP}) thread 2
2770 [Switching to thread 2 (Thread 0xb7fdab70 (LWP 12747))]
2771 #0 some_function (ignore=0x0) at example.c:8
2772 8 printf ("hello\n");
2773 @end smallexample
2774
2775 @noindent
2776 As with the @samp{[New @dots{}]} message, the form of the text after
2777 @samp{Switching to} depends on your system's conventions for identifying
2778 threads.
2779
2780 @vindex $_thread@r{, convenience variable}
2781 The debugger convenience variable @samp{$_thread} contains the number
2782 of the current thread. You may find this useful in writing breakpoint
2783 conditional expressions, command scripts, and so forth. See
2784 @xref{Convenience Vars,, Convenience Variables}, for general
2785 information on convenience variables.
2786
2787 @kindex thread apply
2788 @cindex apply command to several threads
2789 @item thread apply [@var{threadno} | all] @var{command}
2790 The @code{thread apply} command allows you to apply the named
2791 @var{command} to one or more threads. Specify the numbers of the
2792 threads that you want affected with the command argument
2793 @var{threadno}. It can be a single thread number, one of the numbers
2794 shown in the first field of the @samp{info threads} display; or it
2795 could be a range of thread numbers, as in @code{2-4}. To apply a
2796 command to all threads, type @kbd{thread apply all @var{command}}.
2797
2798 @kindex thread name
2799 @cindex name a thread
2800 @item thread name [@var{name}]
2801 This command assigns a name to the current thread. If no argument is
2802 given, any existing user-specified name is removed. The thread name
2803 appears in the @samp{info threads} display.
2804
2805 On some systems, such as @sc{gnu}/Linux, @value{GDBN} is able to
2806 determine the name of the thread as given by the OS. On these
2807 systems, a name specified with @samp{thread name} will override the
2808 system-give name, and removing the user-specified name will cause
2809 @value{GDBN} to once again display the system-specified name.
2810
2811 @kindex thread find
2812 @cindex search for a thread
2813 @item thread find [@var{regexp}]
2814 Search for and display thread ids whose name or @var{systag}
2815 matches the supplied regular expression.
2816
2817 As well as being the complement to the @samp{thread name} command,
2818 this command also allows you to identify a thread by its target
2819 @var{systag}. For instance, on @sc{gnu}/Linux, the target @var{systag}
2820 is the LWP id.
2821
2822 @smallexample
2823 (@value{GDBN}) thread find 26688
2824 Thread 4 has target id 'Thread 0x41e02940 (LWP 26688)'
2825 (@value{GDBN}) info thread 4
2826 Id Target Id Frame
2827 4 Thread 0x41e02940 (LWP 26688) 0x00000031ca6cd372 in select ()
2828 @end smallexample
2829
2830 @kindex set print thread-events
2831 @cindex print messages on thread start and exit
2832 @item set print thread-events
2833 @itemx set print thread-events on
2834 @itemx set print thread-events off
2835 The @code{set print thread-events} command allows you to enable or
2836 disable printing of messages when @value{GDBN} notices that new threads have
2837 started or that threads have exited. By default, these messages will
2838 be printed if detection of these events is supported by the target.
2839 Note that these messages cannot be disabled on all targets.
2840
2841 @kindex show print thread-events
2842 @item show print thread-events
2843 Show whether messages will be printed when @value{GDBN} detects that threads
2844 have started and exited.
2845 @end table
2846
2847 @xref{Thread Stops,,Stopping and Starting Multi-thread Programs}, for
2848 more information about how @value{GDBN} behaves when you stop and start
2849 programs with multiple threads.
2850
2851 @xref{Set Watchpoints,,Setting Watchpoints}, for information about
2852 watchpoints in programs with multiple threads.
2853
2854 @table @code
2855 @kindex set libthread-db-search-path
2856 @cindex search path for @code{libthread_db}
2857 @item set libthread-db-search-path @r{[}@var{path}@r{]}
2858 If this variable is set, @var{path} is a colon-separated list of
2859 directories @value{GDBN} will use to search for @code{libthread_db}.
2860 If you omit @var{path}, @samp{libthread-db-search-path} will be reset to
2861 its default value (@code{$sdir:$pdir} on @sc{gnu}/Linux and Solaris systems).
2862 Internally, the default value comes from the @code{LIBTHREAD_DB_SEARCH_PATH}
2863 macro.
2864
2865 On @sc{gnu}/Linux and Solaris systems, @value{GDBN} uses a ``helper''
2866 @code{libthread_db} library to obtain information about threads in the
2867 inferior process. @value{GDBN} will use @samp{libthread-db-search-path}
2868 to find @code{libthread_db}.
2869
2870 A special entry @samp{$sdir} for @samp{libthread-db-search-path}
2871 refers to the default system directories that are
2872 normally searched for loading shared libraries.
2873
2874 A special entry @samp{$pdir} for @samp{libthread-db-search-path}
2875 refers to the directory from which @code{libpthread}
2876 was loaded in the inferior process.
2877
2878 For any @code{libthread_db} library @value{GDBN} finds in above directories,
2879 @value{GDBN} attempts to initialize it with the current inferior process.
2880 If this initialization fails (which could happen because of a version
2881 mismatch between @code{libthread_db} and @code{libpthread}), @value{GDBN}
2882 will unload @code{libthread_db}, and continue with the next directory.
2883 If none of @code{libthread_db} libraries initialize successfully,
2884 @value{GDBN} will issue a warning and thread debugging will be disabled.
2885
2886 Setting @code{libthread-db-search-path} is currently implemented
2887 only on some platforms.
2888
2889 @kindex show libthread-db-search-path
2890 @item show libthread-db-search-path
2891 Display current libthread_db search path.
2892
2893 @kindex set debug libthread-db
2894 @kindex show debug libthread-db
2895 @cindex debugging @code{libthread_db}
2896 @item set debug libthread-db
2897 @itemx show debug libthread-db
2898 Turns on or off display of @code{libthread_db}-related events.
2899 Use @code{1} to enable, @code{0} to disable.
2900 @end table
2901
2902 @node Forks
2903 @section Debugging Forks
2904
2905 @cindex fork, debugging programs which call
2906 @cindex multiple processes
2907 @cindex processes, multiple
2908 On most systems, @value{GDBN} has no special support for debugging
2909 programs which create additional processes using the @code{fork}
2910 function. When a program forks, @value{GDBN} will continue to debug the
2911 parent process and the child process will run unimpeded. If you have
2912 set a breakpoint in any code which the child then executes, the child
2913 will get a @code{SIGTRAP} signal which (unless it catches the signal)
2914 will cause it to terminate.
2915
2916 However, if you want to debug the child process there is a workaround
2917 which isn't too painful. Put a call to @code{sleep} in the code which
2918 the child process executes after the fork. It may be useful to sleep
2919 only if a certain environment variable is set, or a certain file exists,
2920 so that the delay need not occur when you don't want to run @value{GDBN}
2921 on the child. While the child is sleeping, use the @code{ps} program to
2922 get its process ID. Then tell @value{GDBN} (a new invocation of
2923 @value{GDBN} if you are also debugging the parent process) to attach to
2924 the child process (@pxref{Attach}). From that point on you can debug
2925 the child process just like any other process which you attached to.
2926
2927 On some systems, @value{GDBN} provides support for debugging programs that
2928 create additional processes using the @code{fork} or @code{vfork} functions.
2929 Currently, the only platforms with this feature are HP-UX (11.x and later
2930 only?) and @sc{gnu}/Linux (kernel version 2.5.60 and later).
2931
2932 By default, when a program forks, @value{GDBN} will continue to debug
2933 the parent process and the child process will run unimpeded.
2934
2935 If you want to follow the child process instead of the parent process,
2936 use the command @w{@code{set follow-fork-mode}}.
2937
2938 @table @code
2939 @kindex set follow-fork-mode
2940 @item set follow-fork-mode @var{mode}
2941 Set the debugger response to a program call of @code{fork} or
2942 @code{vfork}. A call to @code{fork} or @code{vfork} creates a new
2943 process. The @var{mode} argument can be:
2944
2945 @table @code
2946 @item parent
2947 The original process is debugged after a fork. The child process runs
2948 unimpeded. This is the default.
2949
2950 @item child
2951 The new process is debugged after a fork. The parent process runs
2952 unimpeded.
2953
2954 @end table
2955
2956 @kindex show follow-fork-mode
2957 @item show follow-fork-mode
2958 Display the current debugger response to a @code{fork} or @code{vfork} call.
2959 @end table
2960
2961 @cindex debugging multiple processes
2962 On Linux, if you want to debug both the parent and child processes, use the
2963 command @w{@code{set detach-on-fork}}.
2964
2965 @table @code
2966 @kindex set detach-on-fork
2967 @item set detach-on-fork @var{mode}
2968 Tells gdb whether to detach one of the processes after a fork, or
2969 retain debugger control over them both.
2970
2971 @table @code
2972 @item on
2973 The child process (or parent process, depending on the value of
2974 @code{follow-fork-mode}) will be detached and allowed to run
2975 independently. This is the default.
2976
2977 @item off
2978 Both processes will be held under the control of @value{GDBN}.
2979 One process (child or parent, depending on the value of
2980 @code{follow-fork-mode}) is debugged as usual, while the other
2981 is held suspended.
2982
2983 @end table
2984
2985 @kindex show detach-on-fork
2986 @item show detach-on-fork
2987 Show whether detach-on-fork mode is on/off.
2988 @end table
2989
2990 If you choose to set @samp{detach-on-fork} mode off, then @value{GDBN}
2991 will retain control of all forked processes (including nested forks).
2992 You can list the forked processes under the control of @value{GDBN} by
2993 using the @w{@code{info inferiors}} command, and switch from one fork
2994 to another by using the @code{inferior} command (@pxref{Inferiors and
2995 Programs, ,Debugging Multiple Inferiors and Programs}).
2996
2997 To quit debugging one of the forked processes, you can either detach
2998 from it by using the @w{@code{detach inferiors}} command (allowing it
2999 to run independently), or kill it using the @w{@code{kill inferiors}}
3000 command. @xref{Inferiors and Programs, ,Debugging Multiple Inferiors
3001 and Programs}.
3002
3003 If you ask to debug a child process and a @code{vfork} is followed by an
3004 @code{exec}, @value{GDBN} executes the new target up to the first
3005 breakpoint in the new target. If you have a breakpoint set on
3006 @code{main} in your original program, the breakpoint will also be set on
3007 the child process's @code{main}.
3008
3009 On some systems, when a child process is spawned by @code{vfork}, you
3010 cannot debug the child or parent until an @code{exec} call completes.
3011
3012 If you issue a @code{run} command to @value{GDBN} after an @code{exec}
3013 call executes, the new target restarts. To restart the parent
3014 process, use the @code{file} command with the parent executable name
3015 as its argument. By default, after an @code{exec} call executes,
3016 @value{GDBN} discards the symbols of the previous executable image.
3017 You can change this behaviour with the @w{@code{set follow-exec-mode}}
3018 command.
3019
3020 @table @code
3021 @kindex set follow-exec-mode
3022 @item set follow-exec-mode @var{mode}
3023
3024 Set debugger response to a program call of @code{exec}. An
3025 @code{exec} call replaces the program image of a process.
3026
3027 @code{follow-exec-mode} can be:
3028
3029 @table @code
3030 @item new
3031 @value{GDBN} creates a new inferior and rebinds the process to this
3032 new inferior. The program the process was running before the
3033 @code{exec} call can be restarted afterwards by restarting the
3034 original inferior.
3035
3036 For example:
3037
3038 @smallexample
3039 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
3040 (gdb) info inferior
3041 Id Description Executable
3042 * 1 <null> prog1
3043 (@value{GDBP}) run
3044 process 12020 is executing new program: prog2
3045 Program exited normally.
3046 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
3047 Id Description Executable
3048 * 2 <null> prog2
3049 1 <null> prog1
3050 @end smallexample
3051
3052 @item same
3053 @value{GDBN} keeps the process bound to the same inferior. The new
3054 executable image replaces the previous executable loaded in the
3055 inferior. Restarting the inferior after the @code{exec} call, with
3056 e.g., the @code{run} command, restarts the executable the process was
3057 running after the @code{exec} call. This is the default mode.
3058
3059 For example:
3060
3061 @smallexample
3062 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
3063 Id Description Executable
3064 * 1 <null> prog1
3065 (@value{GDBP}) run
3066 process 12020 is executing new program: prog2
3067 Program exited normally.
3068 (@value{GDBP}) info inferiors
3069 Id Description Executable
3070 * 1 <null> prog2
3071 @end smallexample
3072
3073 @end table
3074 @end table
3075
3076 You can use the @code{catch} command to make @value{GDBN} stop whenever
3077 a @code{fork}, @code{vfork}, or @code{exec} call is made. @xref{Set
3078 Catchpoints, ,Setting Catchpoints}.
3079
3080 @node Checkpoint/Restart
3081 @section Setting a @emph{Bookmark} to Return to Later
3082
3083 @cindex checkpoint
3084 @cindex restart
3085 @cindex bookmark
3086 @cindex snapshot of a process
3087 @cindex rewind program state
3088
3089 On certain operating systems@footnote{Currently, only
3090 @sc{gnu}/Linux.}, @value{GDBN} is able to save a @dfn{snapshot} of a
3091 program's state, called a @dfn{checkpoint}, and come back to it
3092 later.
3093
3094 Returning to a checkpoint effectively undoes everything that has
3095 happened in the program since the @code{checkpoint} was saved. This
3096 includes changes in memory, registers, and even (within some limits)
3097 system state. Effectively, it is like going back in time to the
3098 moment when the checkpoint was saved.
3099
3100 Thus, if you're stepping thru a program and you think you're
3101 getting close to the point where things go wrong, you can save
3102 a checkpoint. Then, if you accidentally go too far and miss
3103 the critical statement, instead of having to restart your program
3104 from the beginning, you can just go back to the checkpoint and
3105 start again from there.
3106
3107 This can be especially useful if it takes a lot of time or
3108 steps to reach the point where you think the bug occurs.
3109
3110 To use the @code{checkpoint}/@code{restart} method of debugging:
3111
3112 @table @code
3113 @kindex checkpoint
3114 @item checkpoint
3115 Save a snapshot of the debugged program's current execution state.
3116 The @code{checkpoint} command takes no arguments, but each checkpoint
3117 is assigned a small integer id, similar to a breakpoint id.
3118
3119 @kindex info checkpoints
3120 @item info checkpoints
3121 List the checkpoints that have been saved in the current debugging
3122 session. For each checkpoint, the following information will be
3123 listed:
3124
3125 @table @code
3126 @item Checkpoint ID
3127 @item Process ID
3128 @item Code Address
3129 @item Source line, or label
3130 @end table
3131
3132 @kindex restart @var{checkpoint-id}
3133 @item restart @var{checkpoint-id}
3134 Restore the program state that was saved as checkpoint number
3135 @var{checkpoint-id}. All program variables, registers, stack frames
3136 etc.@: will be returned to the values that they had when the checkpoint
3137 was saved. In essence, gdb will ``wind back the clock'' to the point
3138 in time when the checkpoint was saved.
3139
3140 Note that breakpoints, @value{GDBN} variables, command history etc.
3141 are not affected by restoring a checkpoint. In general, a checkpoint
3142 only restores things that reside in the program being debugged, not in
3143 the debugger.
3144
3145 @kindex delete checkpoint @var{checkpoint-id}
3146 @item delete checkpoint @var{checkpoint-id}
3147 Delete the previously-saved checkpoint identified by @var{checkpoint-id}.
3148
3149 @end table
3150
3151 Returning to a previously saved checkpoint will restore the user state
3152 of the program being debugged, plus a significant subset of the system
3153 (OS) state, including file pointers. It won't ``un-write'' data from
3154 a file, but it will rewind the file pointer to the previous location,
3155 so that the previously written data can be overwritten. For files
3156 opened in read mode, the pointer will also be restored so that the
3157 previously read data can be read again.
3158
3159 Of course, characters that have been sent to a printer (or other
3160 external device) cannot be ``snatched back'', and characters received
3161 from eg.@: a serial device can be removed from internal program buffers,
3162 but they cannot be ``pushed back'' into the serial pipeline, ready to
3163 be received again. Similarly, the actual contents of files that have
3164 been changed cannot be restored (at this time).
3165
3166 However, within those constraints, you actually can ``rewind'' your
3167 program to a previously saved point in time, and begin debugging it
3168 again --- and you can change the course of events so as to debug a
3169 different execution path this time.
3170
3171 @cindex checkpoints and process id
3172 Finally, there is one bit of internal program state that will be
3173 different when you return to a checkpoint --- the program's process
3174 id. Each checkpoint will have a unique process id (or @var{pid}),
3175 and each will be different from the program's original @var{pid}.
3176 If your program has saved a local copy of its process id, this could
3177 potentially pose a problem.
3178
3179 @subsection A Non-obvious Benefit of Using Checkpoints
3180
3181 On some systems such as @sc{gnu}/Linux, address space randomization
3182 is performed on new processes for security reasons. This makes it
3183 difficult or impossible to set a breakpoint, or watchpoint, on an
3184 absolute address if you have to restart the program, since the
3185 absolute location of a symbol will change from one execution to the
3186 next.
3187
3188 A checkpoint, however, is an @emph{identical} copy of a process.
3189 Therefore if you create a checkpoint at (eg.@:) the start of main,
3190 and simply return to that checkpoint instead of restarting the
3191 process, you can avoid the effects of address randomization and
3192 your symbols will all stay in the same place.
3193
3194 @node Stopping
3195 @chapter Stopping and Continuing
3196
3197 The principal purposes of using a debugger are so that you can stop your
3198 program before it terminates; or so that, if your program runs into
3199 trouble, you can investigate and find out why.
3200
3201 Inside @value{GDBN}, your program may stop for any of several reasons,
3202 such as a signal, a breakpoint, or reaching a new line after a
3203 @value{GDBN} command such as @code{step}. You may then examine and
3204 change variables, set new breakpoints or remove old ones, and then
3205 continue execution. Usually, the messages shown by @value{GDBN} provide
3206 ample explanation of the status of your program---but you can also
3207 explicitly request this information at any time.
3208
3209 @table @code
3210 @kindex info program
3211 @item info program
3212 Display information about the status of your program: whether it is
3213 running or not, what process it is, and why it stopped.
3214 @end table
3215
3216 @menu
3217 * Breakpoints:: Breakpoints, watchpoints, and catchpoints
3218 * Continuing and Stepping:: Resuming execution
3219 * Signals:: Signals
3220 * Thread Stops:: Stopping and starting multi-thread programs
3221 @end menu
3222
3223 @node Breakpoints
3224 @section Breakpoints, Watchpoints, and Catchpoints
3225
3226 @cindex breakpoints
3227 A @dfn{breakpoint} makes your program stop whenever a certain point in
3228 the program is reached. For each breakpoint, you can add conditions to
3229 control in finer detail whether your program stops. You can set
3230 breakpoints with the @code{break} command and its variants (@pxref{Set
3231 Breaks, ,Setting Breakpoints}), to specify the place where your program
3232 should stop by line number, function name or exact address in the
3233 program.
3234
3235 On some systems, you can set breakpoints in shared libraries before
3236 the executable is run. There is a minor limitation on HP-UX systems:
3237 you must wait until the executable is run in order to set breakpoints
3238 in shared library routines that are not called directly by the program
3239 (for example, routines that are arguments in a @code{pthread_create}
3240 call).
3241
3242 @cindex watchpoints
3243 @cindex data breakpoints
3244 @cindex memory tracing
3245 @cindex breakpoint on memory address
3246 @cindex breakpoint on variable modification
3247 A @dfn{watchpoint} is a special breakpoint that stops your program
3248 when the value of an expression changes. The expression may be a value
3249 of a variable, or it could involve values of one or more variables
3250 combined by operators, such as @samp{a + b}. This is sometimes called
3251 @dfn{data breakpoints}. You must use a different command to set
3252 watchpoints (@pxref{Set Watchpoints, ,Setting Watchpoints}), but aside
3253 from that, you can manage a watchpoint like any other breakpoint: you
3254 enable, disable, and delete both breakpoints and watchpoints using the
3255 same commands.
3256
3257 You can arrange to have values from your program displayed automatically
3258 whenever @value{GDBN} stops at a breakpoint. @xref{Auto Display,,
3259 Automatic Display}.
3260
3261 @cindex catchpoints
3262 @cindex breakpoint on events
3263 A @dfn{catchpoint} is another special breakpoint that stops your program
3264 when a certain kind of event occurs, such as the throwing of a C@t{++}
3265 exception or the loading of a library. As with watchpoints, you use a
3266 different command to set a catchpoint (@pxref{Set Catchpoints, ,Setting
3267 Catchpoints}), but aside from that, you can manage a catchpoint like any
3268 other breakpoint. (To stop when your program receives a signal, use the
3269 @code{handle} command; see @ref{Signals, ,Signals}.)
3270
3271 @cindex breakpoint numbers
3272 @cindex numbers for breakpoints
3273 @value{GDBN} assigns a number to each breakpoint, watchpoint, or
3274 catchpoint when you create it; these numbers are successive integers
3275 starting with one. In many of the commands for controlling various
3276 features of breakpoints you use the breakpoint number to say which
3277 breakpoint you want to change. Each breakpoint may be @dfn{enabled} or
3278 @dfn{disabled}; if disabled, it has no effect on your program until you
3279 enable it again.
3280
3281 @cindex breakpoint ranges
3282 @cindex ranges of breakpoints
3283 Some @value{GDBN} commands accept a range of breakpoints on which to
3284 operate. A breakpoint range is either a single breakpoint number, like
3285 @samp{5}, or two such numbers, in increasing order, separated by a
3286 hyphen, like @samp{5-7}. When a breakpoint range is given to a command,
3287 all breakpoints in that range are operated on.
3288
3289 @menu
3290 * Set Breaks:: Setting breakpoints
3291 * Set Watchpoints:: Setting watchpoints
3292 * Set Catchpoints:: Setting catchpoints
3293 * Delete Breaks:: Deleting breakpoints
3294 * Disabling:: Disabling breakpoints
3295 * Conditions:: Break conditions
3296 * Break Commands:: Breakpoint command lists
3297 * Save Breakpoints:: How to save breakpoints in a file
3298 * Error in Breakpoints:: ``Cannot insert breakpoints''
3299 * Breakpoint-related Warnings:: ``Breakpoint address adjusted...''
3300 @end menu
3301
3302 @node Set Breaks
3303 @subsection Setting Breakpoints
3304
3305 @c FIXME LMB what does GDB do if no code on line of breakpt?
3306 @c consider in particular declaration with/without initialization.
3307 @c
3308 @c FIXME 2 is there stuff on this already? break at fun start, already init?
3309
3310 @kindex break
3311 @kindex b @r{(@code{break})}
3312 @vindex $bpnum@r{, convenience variable}
3313 @cindex latest breakpoint
3314 Breakpoints are set with the @code{break} command (abbreviated
3315 @code{b}). The debugger convenience variable @samp{$bpnum} records the
3316 number of the breakpoint you've set most recently; see @ref{Convenience
3317 Vars,, Convenience Variables}, for a discussion of what you can do with
3318 convenience variables.
3319
3320 @table @code
3321 @item break @var{location}
3322 Set a breakpoint at the given @var{location}, which can specify a
3323 function name, a line number, or an address of an instruction.
3324 (@xref{Specify Location}, for a list of all the possible ways to
3325 specify a @var{location}.) The breakpoint will stop your program just
3326 before it executes any of the code in the specified @var{location}.
3327
3328 When using source languages that permit overloading of symbols, such as
3329 C@t{++}, a function name may refer to more than one possible place to break.
3330 @xref{Ambiguous Expressions,,Ambiguous Expressions}, for a discussion of
3331 that situation.
3332
3333 It is also possible to insert a breakpoint that will stop the program
3334 only if a specific thread (@pxref{Thread-Specific Breakpoints})
3335 or a specific task (@pxref{Ada Tasks}) hits that breakpoint.
3336
3337 @item break
3338 When called without any arguments, @code{break} sets a breakpoint at
3339 the next instruction to be executed in the selected stack frame
3340 (@pxref{Stack, ,Examining the Stack}). In any selected frame but the
3341 innermost, this makes your program stop as soon as control
3342 returns to that frame. This is similar to the effect of a
3343 @code{finish} command in the frame inside the selected frame---except
3344 that @code{finish} does not leave an active breakpoint. If you use
3345 @code{break} without an argument in the innermost frame, @value{GDBN} stops
3346 the next time it reaches the current location; this may be useful
3347 inside loops.
3348
3349 @value{GDBN} normally ignores breakpoints when it resumes execution, until at
3350 least one instruction has been executed. If it did not do this, you
3351 would be unable to proceed past a breakpoint without first disabling the
3352 breakpoint. This rule applies whether or not the breakpoint already
3353 existed when your program stopped.
3354
3355 @item break @dots{} if @var{cond}
3356 Set a breakpoint with condition @var{cond}; evaluate the expression
3357 @var{cond} each time the breakpoint is reached, and stop only if the
3358 value is nonzero---that is, if @var{cond} evaluates as true.
3359 @samp{@dots{}} stands for one of the possible arguments described
3360 above (or no argument) specifying where to break. @xref{Conditions,
3361 ,Break Conditions}, for more information on breakpoint conditions.
3362
3363 @kindex tbreak
3364 @item tbreak @var{args}
3365 Set a breakpoint enabled only for one stop. @var{args} are the
3366 same as for the @code{break} command, and the breakpoint is set in the same
3367 way, but the breakpoint is automatically deleted after the first time your
3368 program stops there. @xref{Disabling, ,Disabling Breakpoints}.
3369
3370 @kindex hbreak
3371 @cindex hardware breakpoints
3372 @item hbreak @var{args}
3373 Set a hardware-assisted breakpoint. @var{args} are the same as for the
3374 @code{break} command and the breakpoint is set in the same way, but the
3375 breakpoint requires hardware support and some target hardware may not
3376 have this support. The main purpose of this is EPROM/ROM code
3377 debugging, so you can set a breakpoint at an instruction without
3378 changing the instruction. This can be used with the new trap-generation
3379 provided by SPARClite DSU and most x86-based targets. These targets
3380 will generate traps when a program accesses some data or instruction
3381 address that is assigned to the debug registers. However the hardware
3382 breakpoint registers can take a limited number of breakpoints. For
3383 example, on the DSU, only two data breakpoints can be set at a time, and
3384 @value{GDBN} will reject this command if more than two are used. Delete
3385 or disable unused hardware breakpoints before setting new ones
3386 (@pxref{Disabling, ,Disabling Breakpoints}).
3387 @xref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions}.
3388 For remote targets, you can restrict the number of hardware
3389 breakpoints @value{GDBN} will use, see @ref{set remote
3390 hardware-breakpoint-limit}.
3391
3392 @kindex thbreak
3393 @item thbreak @var{args}
3394 Set a hardware-assisted breakpoint enabled only for one stop. @var{args}
3395 are the same as for the @code{hbreak} command and the breakpoint is set in
3396 the same way. However, like the @code{tbreak} command,
3397 the breakpoint is automatically deleted after the
3398 first time your program stops there. Also, like the @code{hbreak}
3399 command, the breakpoint requires hardware support and some target hardware
3400 may not have this support. @xref{Disabling, ,Disabling Breakpoints}.
3401 See also @ref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions}.
3402
3403 @kindex rbreak
3404 @cindex regular expression
3405 @cindex breakpoints at functions matching a regexp
3406 @cindex set breakpoints in many functions
3407 @item rbreak @var{regex}
3408 Set breakpoints on all functions matching the regular expression
3409 @var{regex}. This command sets an unconditional breakpoint on all
3410 matches, printing a list of all breakpoints it set. Once these
3411 breakpoints are set, they are treated just like the breakpoints set with
3412 the @code{break} command. You can delete them, disable them, or make
3413 them conditional the same way as any other breakpoint.
3414
3415 The syntax of the regular expression is the standard one used with tools
3416 like @file{grep}. Note that this is different from the syntax used by
3417 shells, so for instance @code{foo*} matches all functions that include
3418 an @code{fo} followed by zero or more @code{o}s. There is an implicit
3419 @code{.*} leading and trailing the regular expression you supply, so to
3420 match only functions that begin with @code{foo}, use @code{^foo}.
3421
3422 @cindex non-member C@t{++} functions, set breakpoint in
3423 When debugging C@t{++} programs, @code{rbreak} is useful for setting
3424 breakpoints on overloaded functions that are not members of any special
3425 classes.
3426
3427 @cindex set breakpoints on all functions
3428 The @code{rbreak} command can be used to set breakpoints in
3429 @strong{all} the functions in a program, like this:
3430
3431 @smallexample
3432 (@value{GDBP}) rbreak .
3433 @end smallexample
3434
3435 @item rbreak @var{file}:@var{regex}
3436 If @code{rbreak} is called with a filename qualification, it limits
3437 the search for functions matching the given regular expression to the
3438 specified @var{file}. This can be used, for example, to set breakpoints on
3439 every function in a given file:
3440
3441 @smallexample
3442 (@value{GDBP}) rbreak file.c:.
3443 @end smallexample
3444
3445 The colon separating the filename qualifier from the regex may
3446 optionally be surrounded by spaces.
3447
3448 @kindex info breakpoints
3449 @cindex @code{$_} and @code{info breakpoints}
3450 @item info breakpoints @r{[}@var{n}@dots{}@r{]}
3451 @itemx info break @r{[}@var{n}@dots{}@r{]}
3452 Print a table of all breakpoints, watchpoints, and catchpoints set and
3453 not deleted. Optional argument @var{n} means print information only
3454 about the specified breakpoint(s) (or watchpoint(s) or catchpoint(s)).
3455 For each breakpoint, following columns are printed:
3456
3457 @table @emph
3458 @item Breakpoint Numbers
3459 @item Type
3460 Breakpoint, watchpoint, or catchpoint.
3461 @item Disposition
3462 Whether the breakpoint is marked to be disabled or deleted when hit.
3463 @item Enabled or Disabled
3464 Enabled breakpoints are marked with @samp{y}. @samp{n} marks breakpoints
3465 that are not enabled.
3466 @item Address
3467 Where the breakpoint is in your program, as a memory address. For a
3468 pending breakpoint whose address is not yet known, this field will
3469 contain @samp{<PENDING>}. Such breakpoint won't fire until a shared
3470 library that has the symbol or line referred by breakpoint is loaded.
3471 See below for details. A breakpoint with several locations will
3472 have @samp{<MULTIPLE>} in this field---see below for details.
3473 @item What
3474 Where the breakpoint is in the source for your program, as a file and
3475 line number. For a pending breakpoint, the original string passed to
3476 the breakpoint command will be listed as it cannot be resolved until
3477 the appropriate shared library is loaded in the future.
3478 @end table
3479
3480 @noindent
3481 If a breakpoint is conditional, @code{info break} shows the condition on
3482 the line following the affected breakpoint; breakpoint commands, if any,
3483 are listed after that. A pending breakpoint is allowed to have a condition
3484 specified for it. The condition is not parsed for validity until a shared
3485 library is loaded that allows the pending breakpoint to resolve to a
3486 valid location.
3487
3488 @noindent
3489 @code{info break} with a breakpoint
3490 number @var{n} as argument lists only that breakpoint. The
3491 convenience variable @code{$_} and the default examining-address for
3492 the @code{x} command are set to the address of the last breakpoint
3493 listed (@pxref{Memory, ,Examining Memory}).
3494
3495 @noindent
3496 @code{info break} displays a count of the number of times the breakpoint
3497 has been hit. This is especially useful in conjunction with the
3498 @code{ignore} command. You can ignore a large number of breakpoint
3499 hits, look at the breakpoint info to see how many times the breakpoint
3500 was hit, and then run again, ignoring one less than that number. This
3501 will get you quickly to the last hit of that breakpoint.
3502 @end table
3503
3504 @value{GDBN} allows you to set any number of breakpoints at the same place in
3505 your program. There is nothing silly or meaningless about this. When
3506 the breakpoints are conditional, this is even useful
3507 (@pxref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions}).
3508
3509 @cindex multiple locations, breakpoints
3510 @cindex breakpoints, multiple locations
3511 It is possible that a breakpoint corresponds to several locations
3512 in your program. Examples of this situation are:
3513
3514 @itemize @bullet
3515 @item
3516 For a C@t{++} constructor, the @value{NGCC} compiler generates several
3517 instances of the function body, used in different cases.
3518
3519 @item
3520 For a C@t{++} template function, a given line in the function can
3521 correspond to any number of instantiations.
3522
3523 @item
3524 For an inlined function, a given source line can correspond to
3525 several places where that function is inlined.
3526 @end itemize
3527
3528 In all those cases, @value{GDBN} will insert a breakpoint at all
3529 the relevant locations@footnote{
3530 As of this writing, multiple-location breakpoints work only if there's
3531 line number information for all the locations. This means that they
3532 will generally not work in system libraries, unless you have debug
3533 info with line numbers for them.}.
3534
3535 A breakpoint with multiple locations is displayed in the breakpoint
3536 table using several rows---one header row, followed by one row for
3537 each breakpoint location. The header row has @samp{<MULTIPLE>} in the
3538 address column. The rows for individual locations contain the actual
3539 addresses for locations, and show the functions to which those
3540 locations belong. The number column for a location is of the form
3541 @var{breakpoint-number}.@var{location-number}.
3542
3543 For example:
3544
3545 @smallexample
3546 Num Type Disp Enb Address What
3547 1 breakpoint keep y <MULTIPLE>
3548 stop only if i==1
3549 breakpoint already hit 1 time
3550 1.1 y 0x080486a2 in void foo<int>() at t.cc:8
3551 1.2 y 0x080486ca in void foo<double>() at t.cc:8
3552 @end smallexample
3553
3554 Each location can be individually enabled or disabled by passing
3555 @var{breakpoint-number}.@var{location-number} as argument to the
3556 @code{enable} and @code{disable} commands. Note that you cannot
3557 delete the individual locations from the list, you can only delete the
3558 entire list of locations that belong to their parent breakpoint (with
3559 the @kbd{delete @var{num}} command, where @var{num} is the number of
3560 the parent breakpoint, 1 in the above example). Disabling or enabling
3561 the parent breakpoint (@pxref{Disabling}) affects all of the locations
3562 that belong to that breakpoint.
3563
3564 @cindex pending breakpoints
3565 It's quite common to have a breakpoint inside a shared library.
3566 Shared libraries can be loaded and unloaded explicitly,
3567 and possibly repeatedly, as the program is executed. To support
3568 this use case, @value{GDBN} updates breakpoint locations whenever
3569 any shared library is loaded or unloaded. Typically, you would
3570 set a breakpoint in a shared library at the beginning of your
3571 debugging session, when the library is not loaded, and when the
3572 symbols from the library are not available. When you try to set
3573 breakpoint, @value{GDBN} will ask you if you want to set
3574 a so called @dfn{pending breakpoint}---breakpoint whose address
3575 is not yet resolved.
3576
3577 After the program is run, whenever a new shared library is loaded,
3578 @value{GDBN} reevaluates all the breakpoints. When a newly loaded
3579 shared library contains the symbol or line referred to by some
3580 pending breakpoint, that breakpoint is resolved and becomes an
3581 ordinary breakpoint. When a library is unloaded, all breakpoints
3582 that refer to its symbols or source lines become pending again.
3583
3584 This logic works for breakpoints with multiple locations, too. For
3585 example, if you have a breakpoint in a C@t{++} template function, and
3586 a newly loaded shared library has an instantiation of that template,
3587 a new location is added to the list of locations for the breakpoint.
3588
3589 Except for having unresolved address, pending breakpoints do not
3590 differ from regular breakpoints. You can set conditions or commands,
3591 enable and disable them and perform other breakpoint operations.
3592
3593 @value{GDBN} provides some additional commands for controlling what
3594 happens when the @samp{break} command cannot resolve breakpoint
3595 address specification to an address:
3596
3597 @kindex set breakpoint pending
3598 @kindex show breakpoint pending
3599 @table @code
3600 @item set breakpoint pending auto
3601 This is the default behavior. When @value{GDBN} cannot find the breakpoint
3602 location, it queries you whether a pending breakpoint should be created.
3603
3604 @item set breakpoint pending on
3605 This indicates that an unrecognized breakpoint location should automatically
3606 result in a pending breakpoint being created.
3607
3608 @item set breakpoint pending off
3609 This indicates that pending breakpoints are not to be created. Any
3610 unrecognized breakpoint location results in an error. This setting does
3611 not affect any pending breakpoints previously created.
3612
3613 @item show breakpoint pending
3614 Show the current behavior setting for creating pending breakpoints.
3615 @end table
3616
3617 The settings above only affect the @code{break} command and its
3618 variants. Once breakpoint is set, it will be automatically updated
3619 as shared libraries are loaded and unloaded.
3620
3621 @cindex automatic hardware breakpoints
3622 For some targets, @value{GDBN} can automatically decide if hardware or
3623 software breakpoints should be used, depending on whether the
3624 breakpoint address is read-only or read-write. This applies to
3625 breakpoints set with the @code{break} command as well as to internal
3626 breakpoints set by commands like @code{next} and @code{finish}. For
3627 breakpoints set with @code{hbreak}, @value{GDBN} will always use hardware
3628 breakpoints.
3629
3630 You can control this automatic behaviour with the following commands::
3631
3632 @kindex set breakpoint auto-hw
3633 @kindex show breakpoint auto-hw
3634 @table @code
3635 @item set breakpoint auto-hw on
3636 This is the default behavior. When @value{GDBN} sets a breakpoint, it
3637 will try to use the target memory map to decide if software or hardware
3638 breakpoint must be used.
3639
3640 @item set breakpoint auto-hw off
3641 This indicates @value{GDBN} should not automatically select breakpoint
3642 type. If the target provides a memory map, @value{GDBN} will warn when
3643 trying to set software breakpoint at a read-only address.
3644 @end table
3645
3646 @value{GDBN} normally implements breakpoints by replacing the program code
3647 at the breakpoint address with a special instruction, which, when
3648 executed, given control to the debugger. By default, the program
3649 code is so modified only when the program is resumed. As soon as
3650 the program stops, @value{GDBN} restores the original instructions. This
3651 behaviour guards against leaving breakpoints inserted in the
3652 target should gdb abrubptly disconnect. However, with slow remote
3653 targets, inserting and removing breakpoint can reduce the performance.
3654 This behavior can be controlled with the following commands::
3655
3656 @kindex set breakpoint always-inserted
3657 @kindex show breakpoint always-inserted
3658 @table @code
3659 @item set breakpoint always-inserted off
3660 All breakpoints, including newly added by the user, are inserted in
3661 the target only when the target is resumed. All breakpoints are
3662 removed from the target when it stops.
3663
3664 @item set breakpoint always-inserted on
3665 Causes all breakpoints to be inserted in the target at all times. If
3666 the user adds a new breakpoint, or changes an existing breakpoint, the
3667 breakpoints in the target are updated immediately. A breakpoint is
3668 removed from the target only when breakpoint itself is removed.
3669
3670 @cindex non-stop mode, and @code{breakpoint always-inserted}
3671 @item set breakpoint always-inserted auto
3672 This is the default mode. If @value{GDBN} is controlling the inferior
3673 in non-stop mode (@pxref{Non-Stop Mode}), gdb behaves as if
3674 @code{breakpoint always-inserted} mode is on. If @value{GDBN} is
3675 controlling the inferior in all-stop mode, @value{GDBN} behaves as if
3676 @code{breakpoint always-inserted} mode is off.
3677 @end table
3678
3679 @cindex negative breakpoint numbers
3680 @cindex internal @value{GDBN} breakpoints
3681 @value{GDBN} itself sometimes sets breakpoints in your program for
3682 special purposes, such as proper handling of @code{longjmp} (in C
3683 programs). These internal breakpoints are assigned negative numbers,
3684 starting with @code{-1}; @samp{info breakpoints} does not display them.
3685 You can see these breakpoints with the @value{GDBN} maintenance command
3686 @samp{maint info breakpoints} (@pxref{maint info breakpoints}).
3687
3688
3689 @node Set Watchpoints
3690 @subsection Setting Watchpoints
3691
3692 @cindex setting watchpoints
3693 You can use a watchpoint to stop execution whenever the value of an
3694 expression changes, without having to predict a particular place where
3695 this may happen. (This is sometimes called a @dfn{data breakpoint}.)
3696 The expression may be as simple as the value of a single variable, or
3697 as complex as many variables combined by operators. Examples include:
3698
3699 @itemize @bullet
3700 @item
3701 A reference to the value of a single variable.
3702
3703 @item
3704 An address cast to an appropriate data type. For example,
3705 @samp{*(int *)0x12345678} will watch a 4-byte region at the specified
3706 address (assuming an @code{int} occupies 4 bytes).
3707
3708 @item
3709 An arbitrarily complex expression, such as @samp{a*b + c/d}. The
3710 expression can use any operators valid in the program's native
3711 language (@pxref{Languages}).
3712 @end itemize
3713
3714 You can set a watchpoint on an expression even if the expression can
3715 not be evaluated yet. For instance, you can set a watchpoint on
3716 @samp{*global_ptr} before @samp{global_ptr} is initialized.
3717 @value{GDBN} will stop when your program sets @samp{global_ptr} and
3718 the expression produces a valid value. If the expression becomes
3719 valid in some other way than changing a variable (e.g.@: if the memory
3720 pointed to by @samp{*global_ptr} becomes readable as the result of a
3721 @code{malloc} call), @value{GDBN} may not stop until the next time
3722 the expression changes.
3723
3724 @cindex software watchpoints
3725 @cindex hardware watchpoints
3726 Depending on your system, watchpoints may be implemented in software or
3727 hardware. @value{GDBN} does software watchpointing by single-stepping your
3728 program and testing the variable's value each time, which is hundreds of
3729 times slower than normal execution. (But this may still be worth it, to
3730 catch errors where you have no clue what part of your program is the
3731 culprit.)
3732
3733 On some systems, such as HP-UX, PowerPC, @sc{gnu}/Linux and most other
3734 x86-based targets, @value{GDBN} includes support for hardware
3735 watchpoints, which do not slow down the running of your program.
3736
3737 @table @code
3738 @kindex watch
3739 @item watch @r{[}-l@r{|}-location@r{]} @var{expr} @r{[}thread @var{threadnum}@r{]} @r{[}mask @var{maskvalue}@r{]}
3740 Set a watchpoint for an expression. @value{GDBN} will break when the
3741 expression @var{expr} is written into by the program and its value
3742 changes. The simplest (and the most popular) use of this command is
3743 to watch the value of a single variable:
3744
3745 @smallexample
3746 (@value{GDBP}) watch foo
3747 @end smallexample
3748
3749 If the command includes a @code{@r{[}thread @var{threadnum}@r{]}}
3750 argument, @value{GDBN} breaks only when the thread identified by
3751 @var{threadnum} changes the value of @var{expr}. If any other threads
3752 change the value of @var{expr}, @value{GDBN} will not break. Note
3753 that watchpoints restricted to a single thread in this way only work
3754 with Hardware Watchpoints.
3755
3756 Ordinarily a watchpoint respects the scope of variables in @var{expr}
3757 (see below). The @code{-location} argument tells @value{GDBN} to
3758 instead watch the memory referred to by @var{expr}. In this case,
3759 @value{GDBN} will evaluate @var{expr}, take the address of the result,
3760 and watch the memory at that address. The type of the result is used
3761 to determine the size of the watched memory. If the expression's
3762 result does not have an address, then @value{GDBN} will print an
3763 error.
3764
3765 The @code{@r{[}mask @var{maskvalue}@r{]}} argument allows creation
3766 of masked watchpoints, if the current architecture supports this
3767 feature (e.g., PowerPC Embedded architecture, see @ref{PowerPC
3768 Embedded}.) A @dfn{masked watchpoint} specifies a mask in addition
3769 to an address to watch. The mask specifies that some bits of an address
3770 (the bits which are reset in the mask) should be ignored when matching
3771 the address accessed by the inferior against the watchpoint address.
3772 Thus, a masked watchpoint watches many addresses simultaneously---those
3773 addresses whose unmasked bits are identical to the unmasked bits in the
3774 watchpoint address. The @code{mask} argument implies @code{-location}.
3775 Examples:
3776
3777 @smallexample
3778 (@value{GDBP}) watch foo mask 0xffff00ff
3779 (@value{GDBP}) watch *0xdeadbeef mask 0xffffff00
3780 @end smallexample
3781
3782 @kindex rwatch
3783 @item rwatch @r{[}-l@r{|}-location@r{]} @var{expr} @r{[}thread @var{threadnum}@r{]} @r{[}mask @var{maskvalue}@r{]}
3784 Set a watchpoint that will break when the value of @var{expr} is read
3785 by the program.
3786
3787 @kindex awatch
3788 @item awatch @r{[}-l@r{|}-location@r{]} @var{expr} @r{[}thread @var{threadnum}@r{]} @r{[}mask @var{maskvalue}@r{]}
3789 Set a watchpoint that will break when @var{expr} is either read from
3790 or written into by the program.
3791
3792 @kindex info watchpoints @r{[}@var{n}@dots{}@r{]}
3793 @item info watchpoints @r{[}@var{n}@dots{}@r{]}
3794 This command prints a list of watchpoints, using the same format as
3795 @code{info break} (@pxref{Set Breaks}).
3796 @end table
3797
3798 If you watch for a change in a numerically entered address you need to
3799 dereference it, as the address itself is just a constant number which will
3800 never change. @value{GDBN} refuses to create a watchpoint that watches
3801 a never-changing value:
3802
3803 @smallexample
3804 (@value{GDBP}) watch 0x600850
3805 Cannot watch constant value 0x600850.
3806 (@value{GDBP}) watch *(int *) 0x600850
3807 Watchpoint 1: *(int *) 6293584
3808 @end smallexample
3809
3810 @value{GDBN} sets a @dfn{hardware watchpoint} if possible. Hardware
3811 watchpoints execute very quickly, and the debugger reports a change in
3812 value at the exact instruction where the change occurs. If @value{GDBN}
3813 cannot set a hardware watchpoint, it sets a software watchpoint, which
3814 executes more slowly and reports the change in value at the next
3815 @emph{statement}, not the instruction, after the change occurs.
3816
3817 @cindex use only software watchpoints
3818 You can force @value{GDBN} to use only software watchpoints with the
3819 @kbd{set can-use-hw-watchpoints 0} command. With this variable set to
3820 zero, @value{GDBN} will never try to use hardware watchpoints, even if
3821 the underlying system supports them. (Note that hardware-assisted
3822 watchpoints that were set @emph{before} setting
3823 @code{can-use-hw-watchpoints} to zero will still use the hardware
3824 mechanism of watching expression values.)
3825
3826 @table @code
3827 @item set can-use-hw-watchpoints
3828 @kindex set can-use-hw-watchpoints
3829 Set whether or not to use hardware watchpoints.
3830
3831 @item show can-use-hw-watchpoints
3832 @kindex show can-use-hw-watchpoints
3833 Show the current mode of using hardware watchpoints.
3834 @end table
3835
3836 For remote targets, you can restrict the number of hardware
3837 watchpoints @value{GDBN} will use, see @ref{set remote
3838 hardware-breakpoint-limit}.
3839
3840 When you issue the @code{watch} command, @value{GDBN} reports
3841
3842 @smallexample
3843 Hardware watchpoint @var{num}: @var{expr}
3844 @end smallexample
3845
3846 @noindent
3847 if it was able to set a hardware watchpoint.
3848
3849 Currently, the @code{awatch} and @code{rwatch} commands can only set
3850 hardware watchpoints, because accesses to data that don't change the
3851 value of the watched expression cannot be detected without examining
3852 every instruction as it is being executed, and @value{GDBN} does not do
3853 that currently. If @value{GDBN} finds that it is unable to set a
3854 hardware breakpoint with the @code{awatch} or @code{rwatch} command, it
3855 will print a message like this:
3856
3857 @smallexample
3858 Expression cannot be implemented with read/access watchpoint.
3859 @end smallexample
3860
3861 Sometimes, @value{GDBN} cannot set a hardware watchpoint because the
3862 data type of the watched expression is wider than what a hardware
3863 watchpoint on the target machine can handle. For example, some systems
3864 can only watch regions that are up to 4 bytes wide; on such systems you
3865 cannot set hardware watchpoints for an expression that yields a
3866 double-precision floating-point number (which is typically 8 bytes
3867 wide). As a work-around, it might be possible to break the large region
3868 into a series of smaller ones and watch them with separate watchpoints.
3869
3870 If you set too many hardware watchpoints, @value{GDBN} might be unable
3871 to insert all of them when you resume the execution of your program.
3872 Since the precise number of active watchpoints is unknown until such
3873 time as the program is about to be resumed, @value{GDBN} might not be
3874 able to warn you about this when you set the watchpoints, and the
3875 warning will be printed only when the program is resumed:
3876
3877 @smallexample
3878 Hardware watchpoint @var{num}: Could not insert watchpoint
3879 @end smallexample
3880
3881 @noindent
3882 If this happens, delete or disable some of the watchpoints.
3883
3884 Watching complex expressions that reference many variables can also
3885 exhaust the resources available for hardware-assisted watchpoints.
3886 That's because @value{GDBN} needs to watch every variable in the
3887 expression with separately allocated resources.
3888
3889 If you call a function interactively using @code{print} or @code{call},
3890 any watchpoints you have set will be inactive until @value{GDBN} reaches another
3891 kind of breakpoint or the call completes.
3892
3893 @value{GDBN} automatically deletes watchpoints that watch local
3894 (automatic) variables, or expressions that involve such variables, when
3895 they go out of scope, that is, when the execution leaves the block in
3896 which these variables were defined. In particular, when the program
3897 being debugged terminates, @emph{all} local variables go out of scope,
3898 and so only watchpoints that watch global variables remain set. If you
3899 rerun the program, you will need to set all such watchpoints again. One
3900 way of doing that would be to set a code breakpoint at the entry to the
3901 @code{main} function and when it breaks, set all the watchpoints.
3902
3903 @cindex watchpoints and threads
3904 @cindex threads and watchpoints
3905 In multi-threaded programs, watchpoints will detect changes to the
3906 watched expression from every thread.
3907
3908 @quotation
3909 @emph{Warning:} In multi-threaded programs, software watchpoints
3910 have only limited usefulness. If @value{GDBN} creates a software
3911 watchpoint, it can only watch the value of an expression @emph{in a
3912 single thread}. If you are confident that the expression can only
3913 change due to the current thread's activity (and if you are also
3914 confident that no other thread can become current), then you can use
3915 software watchpoints as usual. However, @value{GDBN} may not notice
3916 when a non-current thread's activity changes the expression. (Hardware
3917 watchpoints, in contrast, watch an expression in all threads.)
3918 @end quotation
3919
3920 @xref{set remote hardware-watchpoint-limit}.
3921
3922 @node Set Catchpoints
3923 @subsection Setting Catchpoints
3924 @cindex catchpoints, setting
3925 @cindex exception handlers
3926 @cindex event handling
3927
3928 You can use @dfn{catchpoints} to cause the debugger to stop for certain
3929 kinds of program events, such as C@t{++} exceptions or the loading of a
3930 shared library. Use the @code{catch} command to set a catchpoint.
3931
3932 @table @code
3933 @kindex catch
3934 @item catch @var{event}
3935 Stop when @var{event} occurs. @var{event} can be any of the following:
3936 @table @code
3937 @item throw
3938 @cindex stop on C@t{++} exceptions
3939 The throwing of a C@t{++} exception.
3940
3941 @item catch
3942 The catching of a C@t{++} exception.
3943
3944 @item exception
3945 @cindex Ada exception catching
3946 @cindex catch Ada exceptions
3947 An Ada exception being raised. If an exception name is specified
3948 at the end of the command (eg @code{catch exception Program_Error}),
3949 the debugger will stop only when this specific exception is raised.
3950 Otherwise, the debugger stops execution when any Ada exception is raised.
3951
3952 When inserting an exception catchpoint on a user-defined exception whose
3953 name is identical to one of the exceptions defined by the language, the
3954 fully qualified name must be used as the exception name. Otherwise,
3955 @value{GDBN} will assume that it should stop on the pre-defined exception
3956 rather than the user-defined one. For instance, assuming an exception
3957 called @code{Constraint_Error} is defined in package @code{Pck}, then
3958 the command to use to catch such exceptions is @kbd{catch exception
3959 Pck.Constraint_Error}.
3960
3961 @item exception unhandled
3962 An exception that was raised but is not handled by the program.
3963
3964 @item assert
3965 A failed Ada assertion.
3966
3967 @item exec
3968 @cindex break on fork/exec
3969 A call to @code{exec}. This is currently only available for HP-UX
3970 and @sc{gnu}/Linux.
3971
3972 @item syscall
3973 @itemx syscall @r{[}@var{name} @r{|} @var{number}@r{]} @dots{}
3974 @cindex break on a system call.
3975 A call to or return from a system call, a.k.a.@: @dfn{syscall}. A
3976 syscall is a mechanism for application programs to request a service
3977 from the operating system (OS) or one of the OS system services.
3978 @value{GDBN} can catch some or all of the syscalls issued by the
3979 debuggee, and show the related information for each syscall. If no
3980 argument is specified, calls to and returns from all system calls
3981 will be caught.
3982
3983 @var{name} can be any system call name that is valid for the
3984 underlying OS. Just what syscalls are valid depends on the OS. On
3985 GNU and Unix systems, you can find the full list of valid syscall
3986 names on @file{/usr/include/asm/unistd.h}.
3987
3988 @c For MS-Windows, the syscall names and the corresponding numbers
3989 @c can be found, e.g., on this URL:
3990 @c http://www.metasploit.com/users/opcode/syscalls.html
3991 @c but we don't support Windows syscalls yet.
3992
3993 Normally, @value{GDBN} knows in advance which syscalls are valid for
3994 each OS, so you can use the @value{GDBN} command-line completion
3995 facilities (@pxref{Completion,, command completion}) to list the
3996 available choices.
3997
3998 You may also specify the system call numerically. A syscall's
3999 number is the value passed to the OS's syscall dispatcher to
4000 identify the requested service. When you specify the syscall by its
4001 name, @value{GDBN} uses its database of syscalls to convert the name
4002 into the corresponding numeric code, but using the number directly
4003 may be useful if @value{GDBN}'s database does not have the complete
4004 list of syscalls on your system (e.g., because @value{GDBN} lags
4005 behind the OS upgrades).
4006
4007 The example below illustrates how this command works if you don't provide
4008 arguments to it:
4009
4010 @smallexample
4011 (@value{GDBP}) catch syscall
4012 Catchpoint 1 (syscall)
4013 (@value{GDBP}) r
4014 Starting program: /tmp/catch-syscall
4015
4016 Catchpoint 1 (call to syscall 'close'), \
4017 0xffffe424 in __kernel_vsyscall ()
4018 (@value{GDBP}) c
4019 Continuing.
4020
4021 Catchpoint 1 (returned from syscall 'close'), \
4022 0xffffe424 in __kernel_vsyscall ()
4023 (@value{GDBP})
4024 @end smallexample
4025
4026 Here is an example of catching a system call by name:
4027
4028 @smallexample
4029 (@value{GDBP}) catch syscall chroot
4030 Catchpoint 1 (syscall 'chroot' [61])
4031 (@value{GDBP}) r
4032 Starting program: /tmp/catch-syscall
4033
4034 Catchpoint 1 (call to syscall 'chroot'), \
4035 0xffffe424 in __kernel_vsyscall ()
4036 (@value{GDBP}) c
4037 Continuing.
4038
4039 Catchpoint 1 (returned from syscall 'chroot'), \
4040 0xffffe424 in __kernel_vsyscall ()
4041 (@value{GDBP})
4042 @end smallexample
4043
4044 An example of specifying a system call numerically. In the case
4045 below, the syscall number has a corresponding entry in the XML
4046 file, so @value{GDBN} finds its name and prints it:
4047
4048 @smallexample
4049 (@value{GDBP}) catch syscall 252
4050 Catchpoint 1 (syscall(s) 'exit_group')
4051 (@value{GDBP}) r
4052 Starting program: /tmp/catch-syscall
4053
4054 Catchpoint 1 (call to syscall 'exit_group'), \
4055 0xffffe424 in __kernel_vsyscall ()
4056 (@value{GDBP}) c
4057 Continuing.
4058
4059 Program exited normally.
4060 (@value{GDBP})
4061 @end smallexample
4062
4063 However, there can be situations when there is no corresponding name
4064 in XML file for that syscall number. In this case, @value{GDBN} prints
4065 a warning message saying that it was not able to find the syscall name,
4066 but the catchpoint will be set anyway. See the example below:
4067
4068 @smallexample
4069 (@value{GDBP}) catch syscall 764
4070 warning: The number '764' does not represent a known syscall.
4071 Catchpoint 2 (syscall 764)
4072 (@value{GDBP})
4073 @end smallexample
4074
4075 If you configure @value{GDBN} using the @samp{--without-expat} option,
4076 it will not be able to display syscall names. Also, if your
4077 architecture does not have an XML file describing its system calls,
4078 you will not be able to see the syscall names. It is important to
4079 notice that these two features are used for accessing the syscall
4080 name database. In either case, you will see a warning like this:
4081
4082 @smallexample
4083 (@value{GDBP}) catch syscall
4084 warning: Could not open "syscalls/i386-linux.xml"
4085 warning: Could not load the syscall XML file 'syscalls/i386-linux.xml'.
4086 GDB will not be able to display syscall names.
4087 Catchpoint 1 (syscall)
4088 (@value{GDBP})
4089 @end smallexample
4090
4091 Of course, the file name will change depending on your architecture and system.
4092
4093 Still using the example above, you can also try to catch a syscall by its
4094 number. In this case, you would see something like:
4095
4096 @smallexample
4097 (@value{GDBP}) catch syscall 252
4098 Catchpoint 1 (syscall(s) 252)
4099 @end smallexample
4100
4101 Again, in this case @value{GDBN} would not be able to display syscall's names.
4102
4103 @item fork
4104 A call to @code{fork}. This is currently only available for HP-UX
4105 and @sc{gnu}/Linux.
4106
4107 @item vfork
4108 A call to @code{vfork}. This is currently only available for HP-UX
4109 and @sc{gnu}/Linux.
4110
4111 @end table
4112
4113 @item tcatch @var{event}
4114 Set a catchpoint that is enabled only for one stop. The catchpoint is
4115 automatically deleted after the first time the event is caught.
4116
4117 @end table
4118
4119 Use the @code{info break} command to list the current catchpoints.
4120
4121 There are currently some limitations to C@t{++} exception handling
4122 (@code{catch throw} and @code{catch catch}) in @value{GDBN}:
4123
4124 @itemize @bullet
4125 @item
4126 If you call a function interactively, @value{GDBN} normally returns
4127 control to you when the function has finished executing. If the call
4128 raises an exception, however, the call may bypass the mechanism that
4129 returns control to you and cause your program either to abort or to
4130 simply continue running until it hits a breakpoint, catches a signal
4131 that @value{GDBN} is listening for, or exits. This is the case even if
4132 you set a catchpoint for the exception; catchpoints on exceptions are
4133 disabled within interactive calls.
4134
4135 @item
4136 You cannot raise an exception interactively.
4137
4138 @item
4139 You cannot install an exception handler interactively.
4140 @end itemize
4141
4142 @cindex raise exceptions
4143 Sometimes @code{catch} is not the best way to debug exception handling:
4144 if you need to know exactly where an exception is raised, it is better to
4145 stop @emph{before} the exception handler is called, since that way you
4146 can see the stack before any unwinding takes place. If you set a
4147 breakpoint in an exception handler instead, it may not be easy to find
4148 out where the exception was raised.
4149
4150 To stop just before an exception handler is called, you need some
4151 knowledge of the implementation. In the case of @sc{gnu} C@t{++}, exceptions are
4152 raised by calling a library function named @code{__raise_exception}
4153 which has the following ANSI C interface:
4154
4155 @smallexample
4156 /* @var{addr} is where the exception identifier is stored.
4157 @var{id} is the exception identifier. */
4158 void __raise_exception (void **addr, void *id);
4159 @end smallexample
4160
4161 @noindent
4162 To make the debugger catch all exceptions before any stack
4163 unwinding takes place, set a breakpoint on @code{__raise_exception}
4164 (@pxref{Breakpoints, ,Breakpoints; Watchpoints; and Exceptions}).
4165
4166 With a conditional breakpoint (@pxref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions})
4167 that depends on the value of @var{id}, you can stop your program when
4168 a specific exception is raised. You can use multiple conditional
4169 breakpoints to stop your program when any of a number of exceptions are
4170 raised.
4171
4172
4173 @node Delete Breaks
4174 @subsection Deleting Breakpoints
4175
4176 @cindex clearing breakpoints, watchpoints, catchpoints
4177 @cindex deleting breakpoints, watchpoints, catchpoints
4178 It is often necessary to eliminate a breakpoint, watchpoint, or
4179 catchpoint once it has done its job and you no longer want your program
4180 to stop there. This is called @dfn{deleting} the breakpoint. A
4181 breakpoint that has been deleted no longer exists; it is forgotten.
4182
4183 With the @code{clear} command you can delete breakpoints according to
4184 where they are in your program. With the @code{delete} command you can
4185 delete individual breakpoints, watchpoints, or catchpoints by specifying
4186 their breakpoint numbers.
4187
4188 It is not necessary to delete a breakpoint to proceed past it. @value{GDBN}
4189 automatically ignores breakpoints on the first instruction to be executed
4190 when you continue execution without changing the execution address.
4191
4192 @table @code
4193 @kindex clear
4194 @item clear
4195 Delete any breakpoints at the next instruction to be executed in the
4196 selected stack frame (@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}). When
4197 the innermost frame is selected, this is a good way to delete a
4198 breakpoint where your program just stopped.
4199
4200 @item clear @var{location}
4201 Delete any breakpoints set at the specified @var{location}.
4202 @xref{Specify Location}, for the various forms of @var{location}; the
4203 most useful ones are listed below:
4204
4205 @table @code
4206 @item clear @var{function}
4207 @itemx clear @var{filename}:@var{function}
4208 Delete any breakpoints set at entry to the named @var{function}.
4209
4210 @item clear @var{linenum}
4211 @itemx clear @var{filename}:@var{linenum}
4212 Delete any breakpoints set at or within the code of the specified
4213 @var{linenum} of the specified @var{filename}.
4214 @end table
4215
4216 @cindex delete breakpoints
4217 @kindex delete
4218 @kindex d @r{(@code{delete})}
4219 @item delete @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} @r{[}@var{range}@dots{}@r{]}
4220 Delete the breakpoints, watchpoints, or catchpoints of the breakpoint
4221 ranges specified as arguments. If no argument is specified, delete all
4222 breakpoints (@value{GDBN} asks confirmation, unless you have @code{set
4223 confirm off}). You can abbreviate this command as @code{d}.
4224 @end table
4225
4226 @node Disabling
4227 @subsection Disabling Breakpoints
4228
4229 @cindex enable/disable a breakpoint
4230 Rather than deleting a breakpoint, watchpoint, or catchpoint, you might
4231 prefer to @dfn{disable} it. This makes the breakpoint inoperative as if
4232 it had been deleted, but remembers the information on the breakpoint so
4233 that you can @dfn{enable} it again later.
4234
4235 You disable and enable breakpoints, watchpoints, and catchpoints with
4236 the @code{enable} and @code{disable} commands, optionally specifying
4237 one or more breakpoint numbers as arguments. Use @code{info break} to
4238 print a list of all breakpoints, watchpoints, and catchpoints if you
4239 do not know which numbers to use.
4240
4241 Disabling and enabling a breakpoint that has multiple locations
4242 affects all of its locations.
4243
4244 A breakpoint, watchpoint, or catchpoint can have any of four different
4245 states of enablement:
4246
4247 @itemize @bullet
4248 @item
4249 Enabled. The breakpoint stops your program. A breakpoint set
4250 with the @code{break} command starts out in this state.
4251 @item
4252 Disabled. The breakpoint has no effect on your program.
4253 @item
4254 Enabled once. The breakpoint stops your program, but then becomes
4255 disabled.
4256 @item
4257 Enabled for deletion. The breakpoint stops your program, but
4258 immediately after it does so it is deleted permanently. A breakpoint
4259 set with the @code{tbreak} command starts out in this state.
4260 @end itemize
4261
4262 You can use the following commands to enable or disable breakpoints,
4263 watchpoints, and catchpoints:
4264
4265 @table @code
4266 @kindex disable
4267 @kindex dis @r{(@code{disable})}
4268 @item disable @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} @r{[}@var{range}@dots{}@r{]}
4269 Disable the specified breakpoints---or all breakpoints, if none are
4270 listed. A disabled breakpoint has no effect but is not forgotten. All
4271 options such as ignore-counts, conditions and commands are remembered in
4272 case the breakpoint is enabled again later. You may abbreviate
4273 @code{disable} as @code{dis}.
4274
4275 @kindex enable
4276 @item enable @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} @r{[}@var{range}@dots{}@r{]}
4277 Enable the specified breakpoints (or all defined breakpoints). They
4278 become effective once again in stopping your program.
4279
4280 @item enable @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} once @var{range}@dots{}
4281 Enable the specified breakpoints temporarily. @value{GDBN} disables any
4282 of these breakpoints immediately after stopping your program.
4283
4284 @item enable @r{[}breakpoints@r{]} delete @var{range}@dots{}
4285 Enable the specified breakpoints to work once, then die. @value{GDBN}
4286 deletes any of these breakpoints as soon as your program stops there.
4287 Breakpoints set by the @code{tbreak} command start out in this state.
4288 @end table
4289
4290 @c FIXME: I think the following ``Except for [...] @code{tbreak}'' is
4291 @c confusing: tbreak is also initially enabled.
4292 Except for a breakpoint set with @code{tbreak} (@pxref{Set Breaks,
4293 ,Setting Breakpoints}), breakpoints that you set are initially enabled;
4294 subsequently, they become disabled or enabled only when you use one of
4295 the commands above. (The command @code{until} can set and delete a
4296 breakpoint of its own, but it does not change the state of your other
4297 breakpoints; see @ref{Continuing and Stepping, ,Continuing and
4298 Stepping}.)
4299
4300 @node Conditions
4301 @subsection Break Conditions
4302 @cindex conditional breakpoints
4303 @cindex breakpoint conditions
4304
4305 @c FIXME what is scope of break condition expr? Context where wanted?
4306 @c in particular for a watchpoint?
4307 The simplest sort of breakpoint breaks every time your program reaches a
4308 specified place. You can also specify a @dfn{condition} for a
4309 breakpoint. A condition is just a Boolean expression in your
4310 programming language (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}). A breakpoint with
4311 a condition evaluates the expression each time your program reaches it,
4312 and your program stops only if the condition is @emph{true}.
4313
4314 This is the converse of using assertions for program validation; in that
4315 situation, you want to stop when the assertion is violated---that is,
4316 when the condition is false. In C, if you want to test an assertion expressed
4317 by the condition @var{assert}, you should set the condition
4318 @samp{! @var{assert}} on the appropriate breakpoint.
4319
4320 Conditions are also accepted for watchpoints; you may not need them,
4321 since a watchpoint is inspecting the value of an expression anyhow---but
4322 it might be simpler, say, to just set a watchpoint on a variable name,
4323 and specify a condition that tests whether the new value is an interesting
4324 one.
4325
4326 Break conditions can have side effects, and may even call functions in
4327 your program. This can be useful, for example, to activate functions
4328 that log program progress, or to use your own print functions to
4329 format special data structures. The effects are completely predictable
4330 unless there is another enabled breakpoint at the same address. (In
4331 that case, @value{GDBN} might see the other breakpoint first and stop your
4332 program without checking the condition of this one.) Note that
4333 breakpoint commands are usually more convenient and flexible than break
4334 conditions for the
4335 purpose of performing side effects when a breakpoint is reached
4336 (@pxref{Break Commands, ,Breakpoint Command Lists}).
4337
4338 Break conditions can be specified when a breakpoint is set, by using
4339 @samp{if} in the arguments to the @code{break} command. @xref{Set
4340 Breaks, ,Setting Breakpoints}. They can also be changed at any time
4341 with the @code{condition} command.
4342
4343 You can also use the @code{if} keyword with the @code{watch} command.
4344 The @code{catch} command does not recognize the @code{if} keyword;
4345 @code{condition} is the only way to impose a further condition on a
4346 catchpoint.
4347
4348 @table @code
4349 @kindex condition
4350 @item condition @var{bnum} @var{expression}
4351 Specify @var{expression} as the break condition for breakpoint,
4352 watchpoint, or catchpoint number @var{bnum}. After you set a condition,
4353 breakpoint @var{bnum} stops your program only if the value of
4354 @var{expression} is true (nonzero, in C). When you use
4355 @code{condition}, @value{GDBN} checks @var{expression} immediately for
4356 syntactic correctness, and to determine whether symbols in it have
4357 referents in the context of your breakpoint. If @var{expression} uses
4358 symbols not referenced in the context of the breakpoint, @value{GDBN}
4359 prints an error message:
4360
4361 @smallexample
4362 No symbol "foo" in current context.
4363 @end smallexample
4364
4365 @noindent
4366 @value{GDBN} does
4367 not actually evaluate @var{expression} at the time the @code{condition}
4368 command (or a command that sets a breakpoint with a condition, like
4369 @code{break if @dots{}}) is given, however. @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}.
4370
4371 @item condition @var{bnum}
4372 Remove the condition from breakpoint number @var{bnum}. It becomes
4373 an ordinary unconditional breakpoint.
4374 @end table
4375
4376 @cindex ignore count (of breakpoint)
4377 A special case of a breakpoint condition is to stop only when the
4378 breakpoint has been reached a certain number of times. This is so
4379 useful that there is a special way to do it, using the @dfn{ignore
4380 count} of the breakpoint. Every breakpoint has an ignore count, which
4381 is an integer. Most of the time, the ignore count is zero, and
4382 therefore has no effect. But if your program reaches a breakpoint whose
4383 ignore count is positive, then instead of stopping, it just decrements
4384 the ignore count by one and continues. As a result, if the ignore count
4385 value is @var{n}, the breakpoint does not stop the next @var{n} times
4386 your program reaches it.
4387
4388 @table @code
4389 @kindex ignore
4390 @item ignore @var{bnum} @var{count}
4391 Set the ignore count of breakpoint number @var{bnum} to @var{count}.
4392 The next @var{count} times the breakpoint is reached, your program's
4393 execution does not stop; other than to decrement the ignore count, @value{GDBN}
4394 takes no action.
4395
4396 To make the breakpoint stop the next time it is reached, specify
4397 a count of zero.
4398
4399 When you use @code{continue} to resume execution of your program from a
4400 breakpoint, you can specify an ignore count directly as an argument to
4401 @code{continue}, rather than using @code{ignore}. @xref{Continuing and
4402 Stepping,,Continuing and Stepping}.
4403
4404 If a breakpoint has a positive ignore count and a condition, the
4405 condition is not checked. Once the ignore count reaches zero,
4406 @value{GDBN} resumes checking the condition.
4407
4408 You could achieve the effect of the ignore count with a condition such
4409 as @w{@samp{$foo-- <= 0}} using a debugger convenience variable that
4410 is decremented each time. @xref{Convenience Vars, ,Convenience
4411 Variables}.
4412 @end table
4413
4414 Ignore counts apply to breakpoints, watchpoints, and catchpoints.
4415
4416
4417 @node Break Commands
4418 @subsection Breakpoint Command Lists
4419
4420 @cindex breakpoint commands
4421 You can give any breakpoint (or watchpoint or catchpoint) a series of
4422 commands to execute when your program stops due to that breakpoint. For
4423 example, you might want to print the values of certain expressions, or
4424 enable other breakpoints.
4425
4426 @table @code
4427 @kindex commands
4428 @kindex end@r{ (breakpoint commands)}
4429 @item commands @r{[}@var{range}@dots{}@r{]}
4430 @itemx @dots{} @var{command-list} @dots{}
4431 @itemx end
4432 Specify a list of commands for the given breakpoints. The commands
4433 themselves appear on the following lines. Type a line containing just
4434 @code{end} to terminate the commands.
4435
4436 To remove all commands from a breakpoint, type @code{commands} and
4437 follow it immediately with @code{end}; that is, give no commands.
4438
4439 With no argument, @code{commands} refers to the last breakpoint,
4440 watchpoint, or catchpoint set (not to the breakpoint most recently
4441 encountered). If the most recent breakpoints were set with a single
4442 command, then the @code{commands} will apply to all the breakpoints
4443 set by that command. This applies to breakpoints set by
4444 @code{rbreak}, and also applies when a single @code{break} command
4445 creates multiple breakpoints (@pxref{Ambiguous Expressions,,Ambiguous
4446 Expressions}).
4447 @end table
4448
4449 Pressing @key{RET} as a means of repeating the last @value{GDBN} command is
4450 disabled within a @var{command-list}.
4451
4452 You can use breakpoint commands to start your program up again. Simply
4453 use the @code{continue} command, or @code{step}, or any other command
4454 that resumes execution.
4455
4456 Any other commands in the command list, after a command that resumes
4457 execution, are ignored. This is because any time you resume execution
4458 (even with a simple @code{next} or @code{step}), you may encounter
4459 another breakpoint---which could have its own command list, leading to
4460 ambiguities about which list to execute.
4461
4462 @kindex silent
4463 If the first command you specify in a command list is @code{silent}, the
4464 usual message about stopping at a breakpoint is not printed. This may
4465 be desirable for breakpoints that are to print a specific message and
4466 then continue. If none of the remaining commands print anything, you
4467 see no sign that the breakpoint was reached. @code{silent} is
4468 meaningful only at the beginning of a breakpoint command list.
4469
4470 The commands @code{echo}, @code{output}, and @code{printf} allow you to
4471 print precisely controlled output, and are often useful in silent
4472 breakpoints. @xref{Output, ,Commands for Controlled Output}.
4473
4474 For example, here is how you could use breakpoint commands to print the
4475 value of @code{x} at entry to @code{foo} whenever @code{x} is positive.
4476
4477 @smallexample
4478 break foo if x>0
4479 commands
4480 silent
4481 printf "x is %d\n",x
4482 cont
4483 end
4484 @end smallexample
4485
4486 One application for breakpoint commands is to compensate for one bug so
4487 you can test for another. Put a breakpoint just after the erroneous line
4488 of code, give it a condition to detect the case in which something
4489 erroneous has been done, and give it commands to assign correct values
4490 to any variables that need them. End with the @code{continue} command
4491 so that your program does not stop, and start with the @code{silent}
4492 command so that no output is produced. Here is an example:
4493
4494 @smallexample
4495 break 403
4496 commands
4497 silent
4498 set x = y + 4
4499 cont
4500 end
4501 @end smallexample
4502
4503 @node Save Breakpoints
4504 @subsection How to save breakpoints to a file
4505
4506 To save breakpoint definitions to a file use the @w{@code{save
4507 breakpoints}} command.
4508
4509 @table @code
4510 @kindex save breakpoints
4511 @cindex save breakpoints to a file for future sessions
4512 @item save breakpoints [@var{filename}]
4513 This command saves all current breakpoint definitions together with
4514 their commands and ignore counts, into a file @file{@var{filename}}
4515 suitable for use in a later debugging session. This includes all
4516 types of breakpoints (breakpoints, watchpoints, catchpoints,
4517 tracepoints). To read the saved breakpoint definitions, use the
4518 @code{source} command (@pxref{Command Files}). Note that watchpoints
4519 with expressions involving local variables may fail to be recreated
4520 because it may not be possible to access the context where the
4521 watchpoint is valid anymore. Because the saved breakpoint definitions
4522 are simply a sequence of @value{GDBN} commands that recreate the
4523 breakpoints, you can edit the file in your favorite editing program,
4524 and remove the breakpoint definitions you're not interested in, or
4525 that can no longer be recreated.
4526 @end table
4527
4528 @c @ifclear BARETARGET
4529 @node Error in Breakpoints
4530 @subsection ``Cannot insert breakpoints''
4531
4532 If you request too many active hardware-assisted breakpoints and
4533 watchpoints, you will see this error message:
4534
4535 @c FIXME: the precise wording of this message may change; the relevant
4536 @c source change is not committed yet (Sep 3, 1999).
4537 @smallexample
4538 Stopped; cannot insert breakpoints.
4539 You may have requested too many hardware breakpoints and watchpoints.
4540 @end smallexample
4541
4542 @noindent
4543 This message is printed when you attempt to resume the program, since
4544 only then @value{GDBN} knows exactly how many hardware breakpoints and
4545 watchpoints it needs to insert.
4546
4547 When this message is printed, you need to disable or remove some of the
4548 hardware-assisted breakpoints and watchpoints, and then continue.
4549
4550 @node Breakpoint-related Warnings
4551 @subsection ``Breakpoint address adjusted...''
4552 @cindex breakpoint address adjusted
4553
4554 Some processor architectures place constraints on the addresses at
4555 which breakpoints may be placed. For architectures thus constrained,
4556 @value{GDBN} will attempt to adjust the breakpoint's address to comply
4557 with the constraints dictated by the architecture.
4558
4559 One example of such an architecture is the Fujitsu FR-V. The FR-V is
4560 a VLIW architecture in which a number of RISC-like instructions may be
4561 bundled together for parallel execution. The FR-V architecture
4562 constrains the location of a breakpoint instruction within such a
4563 bundle to the instruction with the lowest address. @value{GDBN}
4564 honors this constraint by adjusting a breakpoint's address to the
4565 first in the bundle.
4566
4567 It is not uncommon for optimized code to have bundles which contain
4568 instructions from different source statements, thus it may happen that
4569 a breakpoint's address will be adjusted from one source statement to
4570 another. Since this adjustment may significantly alter @value{GDBN}'s
4571 breakpoint related behavior from what the user expects, a warning is
4572 printed when the breakpoint is first set and also when the breakpoint
4573 is hit.
4574
4575 A warning like the one below is printed when setting a breakpoint
4576 that's been subject to address adjustment:
4577
4578 @smallexample
4579 warning: Breakpoint address adjusted from 0x00010414 to 0x00010410.
4580 @end smallexample
4581
4582 Such warnings are printed both for user settable and @value{GDBN}'s
4583 internal breakpoints. If you see one of these warnings, you should
4584 verify that a breakpoint set at the adjusted address will have the
4585 desired affect. If not, the breakpoint in question may be removed and
4586 other breakpoints may be set which will have the desired behavior.
4587 E.g., it may be sufficient to place the breakpoint at a later
4588 instruction. A conditional breakpoint may also be useful in some
4589 cases to prevent the breakpoint from triggering too often.
4590
4591 @value{GDBN} will also issue a warning when stopping at one of these
4592 adjusted breakpoints:
4593
4594 @smallexample
4595 warning: Breakpoint 1 address previously adjusted from 0x00010414
4596 to 0x00010410.
4597 @end smallexample
4598
4599 When this warning is encountered, it may be too late to take remedial
4600 action except in cases where the breakpoint is hit earlier or more
4601 frequently than expected.
4602
4603 @node Continuing and Stepping
4604 @section Continuing and Stepping
4605
4606 @cindex stepping
4607 @cindex continuing
4608 @cindex resuming execution
4609 @dfn{Continuing} means resuming program execution until your program
4610 completes normally. In contrast, @dfn{stepping} means executing just
4611 one more ``step'' of your program, where ``step'' may mean either one
4612 line of source code, or one machine instruction (depending on what
4613 particular command you use). Either when continuing or when stepping,
4614 your program may stop even sooner, due to a breakpoint or a signal. (If
4615 it stops due to a signal, you may want to use @code{handle}, or use
4616 @samp{signal 0} to resume execution. @xref{Signals, ,Signals}.)
4617
4618 @table @code
4619 @kindex continue
4620 @kindex c @r{(@code{continue})}
4621 @kindex fg @r{(resume foreground execution)}
4622 @item continue @r{[}@var{ignore-count}@r{]}
4623 @itemx c @r{[}@var{ignore-count}@r{]}
4624 @itemx fg @r{[}@var{ignore-count}@r{]}
4625 Resume program execution, at the address where your program last stopped;
4626 any breakpoints set at that address are bypassed. The optional argument
4627 @var{ignore-count} allows you to specify a further number of times to
4628 ignore a breakpoint at this location; its effect is like that of
4629 @code{ignore} (@pxref{Conditions, ,Break Conditions}).
4630
4631 The argument @var{ignore-count} is meaningful only when your program
4632 stopped due to a breakpoint. At other times, the argument to
4633 @code{continue} is ignored.
4634
4635 The synonyms @code{c} and @code{fg} (for @dfn{foreground}, as the
4636 debugged program is deemed to be the foreground program) are provided
4637 purely for convenience, and have exactly the same behavior as
4638 @code{continue}.
4639 @end table
4640
4641 To resume execution at a different place, you can use @code{return}
4642 (@pxref{Returning, ,Returning from a Function}) to go back to the
4643 calling function; or @code{jump} (@pxref{Jumping, ,Continuing at a
4644 Different Address}) to go to an arbitrary location in your program.
4645
4646 A typical technique for using stepping is to set a breakpoint
4647 (@pxref{Breakpoints, ,Breakpoints; Watchpoints; and Catchpoints}) at the
4648 beginning of the function or the section of your program where a problem
4649 is believed to lie, run your program until it stops at that breakpoint,
4650 and then step through the suspect area, examining the variables that are
4651 interesting, until you see the problem happen.
4652
4653 @table @code
4654 @kindex step
4655 @kindex s @r{(@code{step})}
4656 @item step
4657 Continue running your program until control reaches a different source
4658 line, then stop it and return control to @value{GDBN}. This command is
4659 abbreviated @code{s}.
4660
4661 @quotation
4662 @c "without debugging information" is imprecise; actually "without line
4663 @c numbers in the debugging information". (gcc -g1 has debugging info but
4664 @c not line numbers). But it seems complex to try to make that
4665 @c distinction here.
4666 @emph{Warning:} If you use the @code{step} command while control is
4667 within a function that was compiled without debugging information,
4668 execution proceeds until control reaches a function that does have
4669 debugging information. Likewise, it will not step into a function which
4670 is compiled without debugging information. To step through functions
4671 without debugging information, use the @code{stepi} command, described
4672 below.
4673 @end quotation
4674
4675 The @code{step} command only stops at the first instruction of a source
4676 line. This prevents the multiple stops that could otherwise occur in
4677 @code{switch} statements, @code{for} loops, etc. @code{step} continues
4678 to stop if a function that has debugging information is called within
4679 the line. In other words, @code{step} @emph{steps inside} any functions
4680 called within the line.
4681
4682 Also, the @code{step} command only enters a function if there is line
4683 number information for the function. Otherwise it acts like the
4684 @code{next} command. This avoids problems when using @code{cc -gl}
4685 on MIPS machines. Previously, @code{step} entered subroutines if there
4686 was any debugging information about the routine.
4687
4688 @item step @var{count}
4689 Continue running as in @code{step}, but do so @var{count} times. If a
4690 breakpoint is reached, or a signal not related to stepping occurs before
4691 @var{count} steps, stepping stops right away.
4692
4693 @kindex next
4694 @kindex n @r{(@code{next})}
4695 @item next @r{[}@var{count}@r{]}
4696 Continue to the next source line in the current (innermost) stack frame.
4697 This is similar to @code{step}, but function calls that appear within
4698 the line of code are executed without stopping. Execution stops when
4699 control reaches a different line of code at the original stack level
4700 that was executing when you gave the @code{next} command. This command
4701 is abbreviated @code{n}.
4702
4703 An argument @var{count} is a repeat count, as for @code{step}.
4704
4705
4706 @c FIX ME!! Do we delete this, or is there a way it fits in with
4707 @c the following paragraph? --- Vctoria
4708 @c
4709 @c @code{next} within a function that lacks debugging information acts like
4710 @c @code{step}, but any function calls appearing within the code of the
4711 @c function are executed without stopping.
4712
4713 The @code{next} command only stops at the first instruction of a
4714 source line. This prevents multiple stops that could otherwise occur in
4715 @code{switch} statements, @code{for} loops, etc.
4716
4717 @kindex set step-mode
4718 @item set step-mode
4719 @cindex functions without line info, and stepping
4720 @cindex stepping into functions with no line info
4721 @itemx set step-mode on
4722 The @code{set step-mode on} command causes the @code{step} command to
4723 stop at the first instruction of a function which contains no debug line
4724 information rather than stepping over it.
4725
4726 This is useful in cases where you may be interested in inspecting the
4727 machine instructions of a function which has no symbolic info and do not
4728 want @value{GDBN} to automatically skip over this function.
4729
4730 @item set step-mode off
4731 Causes the @code{step} command to step over any functions which contains no
4732 debug information. This is the default.
4733
4734 @item show step-mode
4735 Show whether @value{GDBN} will stop in or step over functions without
4736 source line debug information.
4737
4738 @kindex finish
4739 @kindex fin @r{(@code{finish})}
4740 @item finish
4741 Continue running until just after function in the selected stack frame
4742 returns. Print the returned value (if any). This command can be
4743 abbreviated as @code{fin}.
4744
4745 Contrast this with the @code{return} command (@pxref{Returning,
4746 ,Returning from a Function}).
4747
4748 @kindex until
4749 @kindex u @r{(@code{until})}
4750 @cindex run until specified location
4751 @item until
4752 @itemx u
4753 Continue running until a source line past the current line, in the
4754 current stack frame, is reached. This command is used to avoid single
4755 stepping through a loop more than once. It is like the @code{next}
4756 command, except that when @code{until} encounters a jump, it
4757 automatically continues execution until the program counter is greater
4758 than the address of the jump.
4759
4760 This means that when you reach the end of a loop after single stepping
4761 though it, @code{until} makes your program continue execution until it
4762 exits the loop. In contrast, a @code{next} command at the end of a loop
4763 simply steps back to the beginning of the loop, which forces you to step
4764 through the next iteration.
4765
4766 @code{until} always stops your program if it attempts to exit the current
4767 stack frame.
4768
4769 @code{until} may produce somewhat counterintuitive results if the order
4770 of machine code does not match the order of the source lines. For
4771 example, in the following excerpt from a debugging session, the @code{f}
4772 (@code{frame}) command shows that execution is stopped at line
4773 @code{206}; yet when we use @code{until}, we get to line @code{195}:
4774
4775 @smallexample
4776 (@value{GDBP}) f
4777 #0 main (argc=4, argv=0xf7fffae8) at m4.c:206
4778 206 expand_input();
4779 (@value{GDBP}) until
4780 195 for ( ; argc > 0; NEXTARG) @{
4781 @end smallexample
4782
4783 This happened because, for execution efficiency, the compiler had
4784 generated code for the loop closure test at the end, rather than the
4785 start, of the loop---even though the test in a C @code{for}-loop is
4786 written before the body of the loop. The @code{until} command appeared
4787 to step back to the beginning of the loop when it advanced to this
4788 expression; however, it has not really gone to an earlier
4789 statement---not in terms of the actual machine code.
4790
4791 @code{until} with no argument works by means of single
4792 instruction stepping, and hence is slower than @code{until} with an
4793 argument.
4794
4795 @item until @var{location}
4796 @itemx u @var{location}
4797 Continue running your program until either the specified location is
4798 reached, or the current stack frame returns. @var{location} is any of
4799 the forms described in @ref{Specify Location}.
4800 This form of the command uses temporary breakpoints, and
4801 hence is quicker than @code{until} without an argument. The specified
4802 location is actually reached only if it is in the current frame. This
4803 implies that @code{until} can be used to skip over recursive function
4804 invocations. For instance in the code below, if the current location is
4805 line @code{96}, issuing @code{until 99} will execute the program up to
4806 line @code{99} in the same invocation of factorial, i.e., after the inner
4807 invocations have returned.
4808
4809 @smallexample
4810 94 int factorial (int value)
4811 95 @{
4812 96 if (value > 1) @{
4813 97 value *= factorial (value - 1);
4814 98 @}
4815 99 return (value);
4816 100 @}
4817 @end smallexample
4818
4819
4820 @kindex advance @var{location}
4821 @itemx advance @var{location}
4822 Continue running the program up to the given @var{location}. An argument is
4823 required, which should be of one of the forms described in
4824 @ref{Specify Location}.
4825 Execution will also stop upon exit from the current stack
4826 frame. This command is similar to @code{until}, but @code{advance} will
4827 not skip over recursive function calls, and the target location doesn't
4828 have to be in the same frame as the current one.
4829
4830
4831 @kindex stepi
4832 @kindex si @r{(@code{stepi})}
4833 @item stepi
4834 @itemx stepi @var{arg}
4835 @itemx si
4836 Execute one machine instruction, then stop and return to the debugger.
4837
4838 It is often useful to do @samp{display/i $pc} when stepping by machine
4839 instructions. This makes @value{GDBN} automatically display the next
4840 instruction to be executed, each time your program stops. @xref{Auto
4841 Display,, Automatic Display}.
4842
4843 An argument is a repeat count, as in @code{step}.
4844
4845 @need 750
4846 @kindex nexti
4847 @kindex ni @r{(@code{nexti})}
4848 @item nexti
4849 @itemx nexti @var{arg}
4850 @itemx ni
4851 Execute one machine instruction, but if it is a function call,
4852 proceed until the function returns.
4853
4854 An argument is a repeat count, as in @code{next}.
4855 @end table
4856
4857 @node Signals
4858 @section Signals
4859 @cindex signals
4860
4861 A signal is an asynchronous event that can happen in a program. The
4862 operating system defines the possible kinds of signals, and gives each
4863 kind a name and a number. For example, in Unix @code{SIGINT} is the
4864 signal a program gets when you type an interrupt character (often @kbd{Ctrl-c});
4865 @code{SIGSEGV} is the signal a program gets from referencing a place in
4866 memory far away from all the areas in use; @code{SIGALRM} occurs when
4867 the alarm clock timer goes off (which happens only if your program has
4868 requested an alarm).
4869
4870 @cindex fatal signals
4871 Some signals, including @code{SIGALRM}, are a normal part of the
4872 functioning of your program. Others, such as @code{SIGSEGV}, indicate
4873 errors; these signals are @dfn{fatal} (they kill your program immediately) if the
4874 program has not specified in advance some other way to handle the signal.
4875 @code{SIGINT} does not indicate an error in your program, but it is normally
4876 fatal so it can carry out the purpose of the interrupt: to kill the program.
4877
4878 @value{GDBN} has the ability to detect any occurrence of a signal in your
4879 program. You can tell @value{GDBN} in advance what to do for each kind of
4880 signal.
4881
4882 @cindex handling signals
4883 Normally, @value{GDBN} is set up to let the non-erroneous signals like
4884 @code{SIGALRM} be silently passed to your program
4885 (so as not to interfere with their role in the program's functioning)
4886 but to stop your program immediately whenever an error signal happens.
4887 You can change these settings with the @code{handle} command.
4888
4889 @table @code
4890 @kindex info signals
4891 @kindex info handle
4892 @item info signals
4893 @itemx info handle
4894 Print a table of all the kinds of signals and how @value{GDBN} has been told to
4895 handle each one. You can use this to see the signal numbers of all
4896 the defined types of signals.
4897
4898 @item info signals @var{sig}
4899 Similar, but print information only about the specified signal number.
4900
4901 @code{info handle} is an alias for @code{info signals}.
4902
4903 @kindex handle
4904 @item handle @var{signal} @r{[}@var{keywords}@dots{}@r{]}
4905 Change the way @value{GDBN} handles signal @var{signal}. @var{signal}
4906 can be the number of a signal or its name (with or without the
4907 @samp{SIG} at the beginning); a list of signal numbers of the form
4908 @samp{@var{low}-@var{high}}; or the word @samp{all}, meaning all the
4909 known signals. Optional arguments @var{keywords}, described below,
4910 say what change to make.
4911 @end table
4912
4913 @c @group
4914 The keywords allowed by the @code{handle} command can be abbreviated.
4915 Their full names are:
4916
4917 @table @code
4918 @item nostop
4919 @value{GDBN} should not stop your program when this signal happens. It may
4920 still print a message telling you that the signal has come in.
4921
4922 @item stop
4923 @value{GDBN} should stop your program when this signal happens. This implies
4924 the @code{print} keyword as well.
4925
4926 @item print
4927 @value{GDBN} should print a message when this signal happens.
4928
4929 @item noprint
4930 @value{GDBN} should not mention the occurrence of the signal at all. This
4931 implies the @code{nostop} keyword as well.
4932
4933 @item pass
4934 @itemx noignore
4935 @value{GDBN} should allow your program to see this signal; your program
4936 can handle the signal, or else it may terminate if the signal is fatal
4937 and not handled. @code{pass} and @code{noignore} are synonyms.
4938
4939 @item nopass
4940 @itemx ignore
4941 @value{GDBN} should not allow your program to see this signal.
4942 @code{nopass} and @code{ignore} are synonyms.
4943 @end table
4944 @c @end group
4945
4946 When a signal stops your program, the signal is not visible to the
4947 program until you
4948 continue. Your program sees the signal then, if @code{pass} is in
4949 effect for the signal in question @emph{at that time}. In other words,
4950 after @value{GDBN} reports a signal, you can use the @code{handle}
4951 command with @code{pass} or @code{nopass} to control whether your
4952 program sees that signal when you continue.
4953
4954 The default is set to @code{nostop}, @code{noprint}, @code{pass} for
4955 non-erroneous signals such as @code{SIGALRM}, @code{SIGWINCH} and
4956 @code{SIGCHLD}, and to @code{stop}, @code{print}, @code{pass} for the
4957 erroneous signals.
4958
4959 You can also use the @code{signal} command to prevent your program from
4960 seeing a signal, or cause it to see a signal it normally would not see,
4961 or to give it any signal at any time. For example, if your program stopped
4962 due to some sort of memory reference error, you might store correct
4963 values into the erroneous variables and continue, hoping to see more
4964 execution; but your program would probably terminate immediately as
4965 a result of the fatal signal once it saw the signal. To prevent this,
4966 you can continue with @samp{signal 0}. @xref{Signaling, ,Giving your
4967 Program a Signal}.
4968
4969 @cindex extra signal information
4970 @anchor{extra signal information}
4971
4972 On some targets, @value{GDBN} can inspect extra signal information
4973 associated with the intercepted signal, before it is actually
4974 delivered to the program being debugged. This information is exported
4975 by the convenience variable @code{$_siginfo}, and consists of data
4976 that is passed by the kernel to the signal handler at the time of the
4977 receipt of a signal. The data type of the information itself is
4978 target dependent. You can see the data type using the @code{ptype
4979 $_siginfo} command. On Unix systems, it typically corresponds to the
4980 standard @code{siginfo_t} type, as defined in the @file{signal.h}
4981 system header.
4982
4983 Here's an example, on a @sc{gnu}/Linux system, printing the stray
4984 referenced address that raised a segmentation fault.
4985
4986 @smallexample
4987 @group
4988 (@value{GDBP}) continue
4989 Program received signal SIGSEGV, Segmentation fault.
4990 0x0000000000400766 in main ()
4991 69 *(int *)p = 0;
4992 (@value{GDBP}) ptype $_siginfo
4993 type = struct @{
4994 int si_signo;
4995 int si_errno;
4996 int si_code;
4997 union @{
4998 int _pad[28];
4999 struct @{...@} _kill;
5000 struct @{...@} _timer;
5001 struct @{...@} _rt;
5002 struct @{...@} _sigchld;
5003 struct @{...@} _sigfault;
5004 struct @{...@} _sigpoll;
5005 @} _sifields;
5006 @}
5007 (@value{GDBP}) ptype $_siginfo._sifields._sigfault
5008 type = struct @{
5009 void *si_addr;
5010 @}
5011 (@value{GDBP}) p $_siginfo._sifields._sigfault.si_addr
5012 $1 = (void *) 0x7ffff7ff7000
5013 @end group
5014 @end smallexample
5015
5016 Depending on target support, @code{$_siginfo} may also be writable.
5017
5018 @node Thread Stops
5019 @section Stopping and Starting Multi-thread Programs
5020
5021 @cindex stopped threads
5022 @cindex threads, stopped
5023
5024 @cindex continuing threads
5025 @cindex threads, continuing
5026
5027 @value{GDBN} supports debugging programs with multiple threads
5028 (@pxref{Threads,, Debugging Programs with Multiple Threads}). There
5029 are two modes of controlling execution of your program within the
5030 debugger. In the default mode, referred to as @dfn{all-stop mode},
5031 when any thread in your program stops (for example, at a breakpoint
5032 or while being stepped), all other threads in the program are also stopped by
5033 @value{GDBN}. On some targets, @value{GDBN} also supports
5034 @dfn{non-stop mode}, in which other threads can continue to run freely while
5035 you examine the stopped thread in the debugger.
5036
5037 @menu
5038 * All-Stop Mode:: All threads stop when GDB takes control
5039 * Non-Stop Mode:: Other threads continue to execute
5040 * Background Execution:: Running your program asynchronously
5041 * Thread-Specific Breakpoints:: Controlling breakpoints
5042 * Interrupted System Calls:: GDB may interfere with system calls
5043 * Observer Mode:: GDB does not alter program behavior
5044 @end menu
5045
5046 @node All-Stop Mode
5047 @subsection All-Stop Mode
5048
5049 @cindex all-stop mode
5050
5051 In all-stop mode, whenever your program stops under @value{GDBN} for any reason,
5052 @emph{all} threads of execution stop, not just the current thread. This
5053 allows you to examine the overall state of the program, including
5054 switching between threads, without worrying that things may change
5055 underfoot.
5056
5057 Conversely, whenever you restart the program, @emph{all} threads start
5058 executing. @emph{This is true even when single-stepping} with commands
5059 like @code{step} or @code{next}.
5060
5061 In particular, @value{GDBN} cannot single-step all threads in lockstep.
5062 Since thread scheduling is up to your debugging target's operating
5063 system (not controlled by @value{GDBN}), other threads may
5064 execute more than one statement while the current thread completes a
5065 single step. Moreover, in general other threads stop in the middle of a
5066 statement, rather than at a clean statement boundary, when the program
5067 stops.
5068
5069 You might even find your program stopped in another thread after
5070 continuing or even single-stepping. This happens whenever some other
5071 thread runs into a breakpoint, a signal, or an exception before the
5072 first thread completes whatever you requested.
5073
5074 @cindex automatic thread selection
5075 @cindex switching threads automatically
5076 @cindex threads, automatic switching
5077 Whenever @value{GDBN} stops your program, due to a breakpoint or a
5078 signal, it automatically selects the thread where that breakpoint or
5079 signal happened. @value{GDBN} alerts you to the context switch with a
5080 message such as @samp{[Switching to Thread @var{n}]} to identify the
5081 thread.
5082
5083 On some OSes, you can modify @value{GDBN}'s default behavior by
5084 locking the OS scheduler to allow only a single thread to run.
5085
5086 @table @code
5087 @item set scheduler-locking @var{mode}
5088 @cindex scheduler locking mode
5089 @cindex lock scheduler
5090 Set the scheduler locking mode. If it is @code{off}, then there is no
5091 locking and any thread may run at any time. If @code{on}, then only the
5092 current thread may run when the inferior is resumed. The @code{step}
5093 mode optimizes for single-stepping; it prevents other threads
5094 from preempting the current thread while you are stepping, so that
5095 the focus of debugging does not change unexpectedly.
5096 Other threads only rarely (or never) get a chance to run
5097 when you step. They are more likely to run when you @samp{next} over a
5098 function call, and they are completely free to run when you use commands
5099 like @samp{continue}, @samp{until}, or @samp{finish}. However, unless another
5100 thread hits a breakpoint during its timeslice, @value{GDBN} does not change
5101 the current thread away from the thread that you are debugging.
5102
5103 @item show scheduler-locking
5104 Display the current scheduler locking mode.
5105 @end table
5106
5107 @cindex resume threads of multiple processes simultaneously
5108 By default, when you issue one of the execution commands such as
5109 @code{continue}, @code{next} or @code{step}, @value{GDBN} allows only
5110 threads of the current inferior to run. For example, if @value{GDBN}
5111 is attached to two inferiors, each with two threads, the
5112 @code{continue} command resumes only the two threads of the current
5113 inferior. This is useful, for example, when you debug a program that
5114 forks and you want to hold the parent stopped (so that, for instance,
5115 it doesn't run to exit), while you debug the child. In other
5116 situations, you may not be interested in inspecting the current state
5117 of any of the processes @value{GDBN} is attached to, and you may want
5118 to resume them all until some breakpoint is hit. In the latter case,
5119 you can instruct @value{GDBN} to allow all threads of all the
5120 inferiors to run with the @w{@code{set schedule-multiple}} command.
5121
5122 @table @code
5123 @kindex set schedule-multiple
5124 @item set schedule-multiple
5125 Set the mode for allowing threads of multiple processes to be resumed
5126 when an execution command is issued. When @code{on}, all threads of
5127 all processes are allowed to run. When @code{off}, only the threads
5128 of the current process are resumed. The default is @code{off}. The
5129 @code{scheduler-locking} mode takes precedence when set to @code{on},
5130 or while you are stepping and set to @code{step}.
5131
5132 @item show schedule-multiple
5133 Display the current mode for resuming the execution of threads of
5134 multiple processes.
5135 @end table
5136
5137 @node Non-Stop Mode
5138 @subsection Non-Stop Mode
5139
5140 @cindex non-stop mode
5141
5142 @c This section is really only a place-holder, and needs to be expanded
5143 @c with more details.
5144
5145 For some multi-threaded targets, @value{GDBN} supports an optional
5146 mode of operation in which you can examine stopped program threads in
5147 the debugger while other threads continue to execute freely. This
5148 minimizes intrusion when debugging live systems, such as programs
5149 where some threads have real-time constraints or must continue to
5150 respond to external events. This is referred to as @dfn{non-stop} mode.
5151
5152 In non-stop mode, when a thread stops to report a debugging event,
5153 @emph{only} that thread is stopped; @value{GDBN} does not stop other
5154 threads as well, in contrast to the all-stop mode behavior. Additionally,
5155 execution commands such as @code{continue} and @code{step} apply by default
5156 only to the current thread in non-stop mode, rather than all threads as
5157 in all-stop mode. This allows you to control threads explicitly in
5158 ways that are not possible in all-stop mode --- for example, stepping
5159 one thread while allowing others to run freely, stepping
5160 one thread while holding all others stopped, or stepping several threads
5161 independently and simultaneously.
5162
5163 To enter non-stop mode, use this sequence of commands before you run
5164 or attach to your program:
5165
5166 @smallexample
5167 # Enable the async interface.
5168 set target-async 1
5169
5170 # If using the CLI, pagination breaks non-stop.
5171 set pagination off
5172
5173 # Finally, turn it on!
5174 set non-stop on
5175 @end smallexample
5176
5177 You can use these commands to manipulate the non-stop mode setting:
5178
5179 @table @code
5180 @kindex set non-stop
5181 @item set non-stop on
5182 Enable selection of non-stop mode.
5183 @item set non-stop off
5184 Disable selection of non-stop mode.
5185 @kindex show non-stop
5186 @item show non-stop
5187 Show the current non-stop enablement setting.
5188 @end table
5189
5190 Note these commands only reflect whether non-stop mode is enabled,
5191 not whether the currently-executing program is being run in non-stop mode.
5192 In particular, the @code{set non-stop} preference is only consulted when
5193 @value{GDBN} starts or connects to the target program, and it is generally
5194 not possible to switch modes once debugging has started. Furthermore,
5195 since not all targets support non-stop mode, even when you have enabled
5196 non-stop mode, @value{GDBN} may still fall back to all-stop operation by
5197 default.
5198
5199 In non-stop mode, all execution commands apply only to the current thread
5200 by default. That is, @code{continue} only continues one thread.
5201 To continue all threads, issue @code{continue -a} or @code{c -a}.
5202
5203 You can use @value{GDBN}'s background execution commands
5204 (@pxref{Background Execution}) to run some threads in the background
5205 while you continue to examine or step others from @value{GDBN}.
5206 The MI execution commands (@pxref{GDB/MI Program Execution}) are
5207 always executed asynchronously in non-stop mode.
5208
5209 Suspending execution is done with the @code{interrupt} command when
5210 running in the background, or @kbd{Ctrl-c} during foreground execution.
5211 In all-stop mode, this stops the whole process;
5212 but in non-stop mode the interrupt applies only to the current thread.
5213 To stop the whole program, use @code{interrupt -a}.
5214
5215 Other execution commands do not currently support the @code{-a} option.
5216
5217 In non-stop mode, when a thread stops, @value{GDBN} doesn't automatically make
5218 that thread current, as it does in all-stop mode. This is because the
5219 thread stop notifications are asynchronous with respect to @value{GDBN}'s
5220 command interpreter, and it would be confusing if @value{GDBN} unexpectedly
5221 changed to a different thread just as you entered a command to operate on the
5222 previously current thread.
5223
5224 @node Background Execution
5225 @subsection Background Execution
5226
5227 @cindex foreground execution
5228 @cindex background execution
5229 @cindex asynchronous execution
5230 @cindex execution, foreground, background and asynchronous
5231
5232 @value{GDBN}'s execution commands have two variants: the normal
5233 foreground (synchronous) behavior, and a background
5234 (asynchronous) behavior. In foreground execution, @value{GDBN} waits for
5235 the program to report that some thread has stopped before prompting for
5236 another command. In background execution, @value{GDBN} immediately gives
5237 a command prompt so that you can issue other commands while your program runs.
5238
5239 You need to explicitly enable asynchronous mode before you can use
5240 background execution commands. You can use these commands to
5241 manipulate the asynchronous mode setting:
5242
5243 @table @code
5244 @kindex set target-async
5245 @item set target-async on
5246 Enable asynchronous mode.
5247 @item set target-async off
5248 Disable asynchronous mode.
5249 @kindex show target-async
5250 @item show target-async
5251 Show the current target-async setting.
5252 @end table
5253
5254 If the target doesn't support async mode, @value{GDBN} issues an error
5255 message if you attempt to use the background execution commands.
5256
5257 To specify background execution, add a @code{&} to the command. For example,
5258 the background form of the @code{continue} command is @code{continue&}, or
5259 just @code{c&}. The execution commands that accept background execution
5260 are:
5261
5262 @table @code
5263 @kindex run&
5264 @item run
5265 @xref{Starting, , Starting your Program}.
5266
5267 @item attach
5268 @kindex attach&
5269 @xref{Attach, , Debugging an Already-running Process}.
5270
5271 @item step
5272 @kindex step&
5273 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, step}.
5274
5275 @item stepi
5276 @kindex stepi&
5277 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, stepi}.
5278
5279 @item next
5280 @kindex next&
5281 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, next}.
5282
5283 @item nexti
5284 @kindex nexti&
5285 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, nexti}.
5286
5287 @item continue
5288 @kindex continue&
5289 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, continue}.
5290
5291 @item finish
5292 @kindex finish&
5293 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, finish}.
5294
5295 @item until
5296 @kindex until&
5297 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, until}.
5298
5299 @end table
5300
5301 Background execution is especially useful in conjunction with non-stop
5302 mode for debugging programs with multiple threads; see @ref{Non-Stop Mode}.
5303 However, you can also use these commands in the normal all-stop mode with
5304 the restriction that you cannot issue another execution command until the
5305 previous one finishes. Examples of commands that are valid in all-stop
5306 mode while the program is running include @code{help} and @code{info break}.
5307
5308 You can interrupt your program while it is running in the background by
5309 using the @code{interrupt} command.
5310
5311 @table @code
5312 @kindex interrupt
5313 @item interrupt
5314 @itemx interrupt -a
5315
5316 Suspend execution of the running program. In all-stop mode,
5317 @code{interrupt} stops the whole process, but in non-stop mode, it stops
5318 only the current thread. To stop the whole program in non-stop mode,
5319 use @code{interrupt -a}.
5320 @end table
5321
5322 @node Thread-Specific Breakpoints
5323 @subsection Thread-Specific Breakpoints
5324
5325 When your program has multiple threads (@pxref{Threads,, Debugging
5326 Programs with Multiple Threads}), you can choose whether to set
5327 breakpoints on all threads, or on a particular thread.
5328
5329 @table @code
5330 @cindex breakpoints and threads
5331 @cindex thread breakpoints
5332 @kindex break @dots{} thread @var{threadno}
5333 @item break @var{linespec} thread @var{threadno}
5334 @itemx break @var{linespec} thread @var{threadno} if @dots{}
5335 @var{linespec} specifies source lines; there are several ways of
5336 writing them (@pxref{Specify Location}), but the effect is always to
5337 specify some source line.
5338
5339 Use the qualifier @samp{thread @var{threadno}} with a breakpoint command
5340 to specify that you only want @value{GDBN} to stop the program when a
5341 particular thread reaches this breakpoint. @var{threadno} is one of the
5342 numeric thread identifiers assigned by @value{GDBN}, shown in the first
5343 column of the @samp{info threads} display.
5344
5345 If you do not specify @samp{thread @var{threadno}} when you set a
5346 breakpoint, the breakpoint applies to @emph{all} threads of your
5347 program.
5348
5349 You can use the @code{thread} qualifier on conditional breakpoints as
5350 well; in this case, place @samp{thread @var{threadno}} before or
5351 after the breakpoint condition, like this:
5352
5353 @smallexample
5354 (@value{GDBP}) break frik.c:13 thread 28 if bartab > lim
5355 @end smallexample
5356
5357 @end table
5358
5359 @node Interrupted System Calls
5360 @subsection Interrupted System Calls
5361
5362 @cindex thread breakpoints and system calls
5363 @cindex system calls and thread breakpoints
5364 @cindex premature return from system calls
5365 There is an unfortunate side effect when using @value{GDBN} to debug
5366 multi-threaded programs. If one thread stops for a
5367 breakpoint, or for some other reason, and another thread is blocked in a
5368 system call, then the system call may return prematurely. This is a
5369 consequence of the interaction between multiple threads and the signals
5370 that @value{GDBN} uses to implement breakpoints and other events that
5371 stop execution.
5372
5373 To handle this problem, your program should check the return value of
5374 each system call and react appropriately. This is good programming
5375 style anyways.
5376
5377 For example, do not write code like this:
5378
5379 @smallexample
5380 sleep (10);
5381 @end smallexample
5382
5383 The call to @code{sleep} will return early if a different thread stops
5384 at a breakpoint or for some other reason.
5385
5386 Instead, write this:
5387
5388 @smallexample
5389 int unslept = 10;
5390 while (unslept > 0)
5391 unslept = sleep (unslept);
5392 @end smallexample
5393
5394 A system call is allowed to return early, so the system is still
5395 conforming to its specification. But @value{GDBN} does cause your
5396 multi-threaded program to behave differently than it would without
5397 @value{GDBN}.
5398
5399 Also, @value{GDBN} uses internal breakpoints in the thread library to
5400 monitor certain events such as thread creation and thread destruction.
5401 When such an event happens, a system call in another thread may return
5402 prematurely, even though your program does not appear to stop.
5403
5404 @node Observer Mode
5405 @subsection Observer Mode
5406
5407 If you want to build on non-stop mode and observe program behavior
5408 without any chance of disruption by @value{GDBN}, you can set
5409 variables to disable all of the debugger's attempts to modify state,
5410 whether by writing memory, inserting breakpoints, etc. These operate
5411 at a low level, intercepting operations from all commands.
5412
5413 When all of these are set to @code{off}, then @value{GDBN} is said to
5414 be @dfn{observer mode}. As a convenience, the variable
5415 @code{observer} can be set to disable these, plus enable non-stop
5416 mode.
5417
5418 Note that @value{GDBN} will not prevent you from making nonsensical
5419 combinations of these settings. For instance, if you have enabled
5420 @code{may-insert-breakpoints} but disabled @code{may-write-memory},
5421 then breakpoints that work by writing trap instructions into the code
5422 stream will still not be able to be placed.
5423
5424 @table @code
5425
5426 @kindex observer
5427 @item set observer on
5428 @itemx set observer off
5429 When set to @code{on}, this disables all the permission variables
5430 below (except for @code{insert-fast-tracepoints}), plus enables
5431 non-stop debugging. Setting this to @code{off} switches back to
5432 normal debugging, though remaining in non-stop mode.
5433
5434 @item show observer
5435 Show whether observer mode is on or off.
5436
5437 @kindex may-write-registers
5438 @item set may-write-registers on
5439 @itemx set may-write-registers off
5440 This controls whether @value{GDBN} will attempt to alter the values of
5441 registers, such as with assignment expressions in @code{print}, or the
5442 @code{jump} command. It defaults to @code{on}.
5443
5444 @item show may-write-registers
5445 Show the current permission to write registers.
5446
5447 @kindex may-write-memory
5448 @item set may-write-memory on
5449 @itemx set may-write-memory off
5450 This controls whether @value{GDBN} will attempt to alter the contents
5451 of memory, such as with assignment expressions in @code{print}. It
5452 defaults to @code{on}.
5453
5454 @item show may-write-memory
5455 Show the current permission to write memory.
5456
5457 @kindex may-insert-breakpoints
5458 @item set may-insert-breakpoints on
5459 @itemx set may-insert-breakpoints off
5460 This controls whether @value{GDBN} will attempt to insert breakpoints.
5461 This affects all breakpoints, including internal breakpoints defined
5462 by @value{GDBN}. It defaults to @code{on}.
5463
5464 @item show may-insert-breakpoints
5465 Show the current permission to insert breakpoints.
5466
5467 @kindex may-insert-tracepoints
5468 @item set may-insert-tracepoints on
5469 @itemx set may-insert-tracepoints off
5470 This controls whether @value{GDBN} will attempt to insert (regular)
5471 tracepoints at the beginning of a tracing experiment. It affects only
5472 non-fast tracepoints, fast tracepoints being under the control of
5473 @code{may-insert-fast-tracepoints}. It defaults to @code{on}.
5474
5475 @item show may-insert-tracepoints
5476 Show the current permission to insert tracepoints.
5477
5478 @kindex may-insert-fast-tracepoints
5479 @item set may-insert-fast-tracepoints on
5480 @itemx set may-insert-fast-tracepoints off
5481 This controls whether @value{GDBN} will attempt to insert fast
5482 tracepoints at the beginning of a tracing experiment. It affects only
5483 fast tracepoints, regular (non-fast) tracepoints being under the
5484 control of @code{may-insert-tracepoints}. It defaults to @code{on}.
5485
5486 @item show may-insert-fast-tracepoints
5487 Show the current permission to insert fast tracepoints.
5488
5489 @kindex may-interrupt
5490 @item set may-interrupt on
5491 @itemx set may-interrupt off
5492 This controls whether @value{GDBN} will attempt to interrupt or stop
5493 program execution. When this variable is @code{off}, the
5494 @code{interrupt} command will have no effect, nor will
5495 @kbd{Ctrl-c}. It defaults to @code{on}.
5496
5497 @item show may-interrupt
5498 Show the current permission to interrupt or stop the program.
5499
5500 @end table
5501
5502 @node Reverse Execution
5503 @chapter Running programs backward
5504 @cindex reverse execution
5505 @cindex running programs backward
5506
5507 When you are debugging a program, it is not unusual to realize that
5508 you have gone too far, and some event of interest has already happened.
5509 If the target environment supports it, @value{GDBN} can allow you to
5510 ``rewind'' the program by running it backward.
5511
5512 A target environment that supports reverse execution should be able
5513 to ``undo'' the changes in machine state that have taken place as the
5514 program was executing normally. Variables, registers etc.@: should
5515 revert to their previous values. Obviously this requires a great
5516 deal of sophistication on the part of the target environment; not
5517 all target environments can support reverse execution.
5518
5519 When a program is executed in reverse, the instructions that
5520 have most recently been executed are ``un-executed'', in reverse
5521 order. The program counter runs backward, following the previous
5522 thread of execution in reverse. As each instruction is ``un-executed'',
5523 the values of memory and/or registers that were changed by that
5524 instruction are reverted to their previous states. After executing
5525 a piece of source code in reverse, all side effects of that code
5526 should be ``undone'', and all variables should be returned to their
5527 prior values@footnote{
5528 Note that some side effects are easier to undo than others. For instance,
5529 memory and registers are relatively easy, but device I/O is hard. Some
5530 targets may be able undo things like device I/O, and some may not.
5531
5532 The contract between @value{GDBN} and the reverse executing target
5533 requires only that the target do something reasonable when
5534 @value{GDBN} tells it to execute backwards, and then report the
5535 results back to @value{GDBN}. Whatever the target reports back to
5536 @value{GDBN}, @value{GDBN} will report back to the user. @value{GDBN}
5537 assumes that the memory and registers that the target reports are in a
5538 consistant state, but @value{GDBN} accepts whatever it is given.
5539 }.
5540
5541 If you are debugging in a target environment that supports
5542 reverse execution, @value{GDBN} provides the following commands.
5543
5544 @table @code
5545 @kindex reverse-continue
5546 @kindex rc @r{(@code{reverse-continue})}
5547 @item reverse-continue @r{[}@var{ignore-count}@r{]}
5548 @itemx rc @r{[}@var{ignore-count}@r{]}
5549 Beginning at the point where your program last stopped, start executing
5550 in reverse. Reverse execution will stop for breakpoints and synchronous
5551 exceptions (signals), just like normal execution. Behavior of
5552 asynchronous signals depends on the target environment.
5553
5554 @kindex reverse-step
5555 @kindex rs @r{(@code{step})}
5556 @item reverse-step @r{[}@var{count}@r{]}
5557 Run the program backward until control reaches the start of a
5558 different source line; then stop it, and return control to @value{GDBN}.
5559
5560 Like the @code{step} command, @code{reverse-step} will only stop
5561 at the beginning of a source line. It ``un-executes'' the previously
5562 executed source line. If the previous source line included calls to
5563 debuggable functions, @code{reverse-step} will step (backward) into
5564 the called function, stopping at the beginning of the @emph{last}
5565 statement in the called function (typically a return statement).
5566
5567 Also, as with the @code{step} command, if non-debuggable functions are
5568 called, @code{reverse-step} will run thru them backward without stopping.
5569
5570 @kindex reverse-stepi
5571 @kindex rsi @r{(@code{reverse-stepi})}
5572 @item reverse-stepi @r{[}@var{count}@r{]}
5573 Reverse-execute one machine instruction. Note that the instruction
5574 to be reverse-executed is @emph{not} the one pointed to by the program
5575 counter, but the instruction executed prior to that one. For instance,
5576 if the last instruction was a jump, @code{reverse-stepi} will take you
5577 back from the destination of the jump to the jump instruction itself.
5578
5579 @kindex reverse-next
5580 @kindex rn @r{(@code{reverse-next})}
5581 @item reverse-next @r{[}@var{count}@r{]}
5582 Run backward to the beginning of the previous line executed in
5583 the current (innermost) stack frame. If the line contains function
5584 calls, they will be ``un-executed'' without stopping. Starting from
5585 the first line of a function, @code{reverse-next} will take you back
5586 to the caller of that function, @emph{before} the function was called,
5587 just as the normal @code{next} command would take you from the last
5588 line of a function back to its return to its caller
5589 @footnote{Unless the code is too heavily optimized.}.
5590
5591 @kindex reverse-nexti
5592 @kindex rni @r{(@code{reverse-nexti})}
5593 @item reverse-nexti @r{[}@var{count}@r{]}
5594 Like @code{nexti}, @code{reverse-nexti} executes a single instruction
5595 in reverse, except that called functions are ``un-executed'' atomically.
5596 That is, if the previously executed instruction was a return from
5597 another function, @code{reverse-nexti} will continue to execute
5598 in reverse until the call to that function (from the current stack
5599 frame) is reached.
5600
5601 @kindex reverse-finish
5602 @item reverse-finish
5603 Just as the @code{finish} command takes you to the point where the
5604 current function returns, @code{reverse-finish} takes you to the point
5605 where it was called. Instead of ending up at the end of the current
5606 function invocation, you end up at the beginning.
5607
5608 @kindex set exec-direction
5609 @item set exec-direction
5610 Set the direction of target execution.
5611 @itemx set exec-direction reverse
5612 @cindex execute forward or backward in time
5613 @value{GDBN} will perform all execution commands in reverse, until the
5614 exec-direction mode is changed to ``forward''. Affected commands include
5615 @code{step, stepi, next, nexti, continue, and finish}. The @code{return}
5616 command cannot be used in reverse mode.
5617 @item set exec-direction forward
5618 @value{GDBN} will perform all execution commands in the normal fashion.
5619 This is the default.
5620 @end table
5621
5622
5623 @node Process Record and Replay
5624 @chapter Recording Inferior's Execution and Replaying It
5625 @cindex process record and replay
5626 @cindex recording inferior's execution and replaying it
5627
5628 On some platforms, @value{GDBN} provides a special @dfn{process record
5629 and replay} target that can record a log of the process execution, and
5630 replay it later with both forward and reverse execution commands.
5631
5632 @cindex replay mode
5633 When this target is in use, if the execution log includes the record
5634 for the next instruction, @value{GDBN} will debug in @dfn{replay
5635 mode}. In the replay mode, the inferior does not really execute code
5636 instructions. Instead, all the events that normally happen during
5637 code execution are taken from the execution log. While code is not
5638 really executed in replay mode, the values of registers (including the
5639 program counter register) and the memory of the inferior are still
5640 changed as they normally would. Their contents are taken from the
5641 execution log.
5642
5643 @cindex record mode
5644 If the record for the next instruction is not in the execution log,
5645 @value{GDBN} will debug in @dfn{record mode}. In this mode, the
5646 inferior executes normally, and @value{GDBN} records the execution log
5647 for future replay.
5648
5649 The process record and replay target supports reverse execution
5650 (@pxref{Reverse Execution}), even if the platform on which the
5651 inferior runs does not. However, the reverse execution is limited in
5652 this case by the range of the instructions recorded in the execution
5653 log. In other words, reverse execution on platforms that don't
5654 support it directly can only be done in the replay mode.
5655
5656 When debugging in the reverse direction, @value{GDBN} will work in
5657 replay mode as long as the execution log includes the record for the
5658 previous instruction; otherwise, it will work in record mode, if the
5659 platform supports reverse execution, or stop if not.
5660
5661 For architecture environments that support process record and replay,
5662 @value{GDBN} provides the following commands:
5663
5664 @table @code
5665 @kindex target record
5666 @kindex record
5667 @kindex rec
5668 @item target record
5669 This command starts the process record and replay target. The process
5670 record and replay target can only debug a process that is already
5671 running. Therefore, you need first to start the process with the
5672 @kbd{run} or @kbd{start} commands, and then start the recording with
5673 the @kbd{target record} command.
5674
5675 Both @code{record} and @code{rec} are aliases of @code{target record}.
5676
5677 @cindex displaced stepping, and process record and replay
5678 Displaced stepping (@pxref{Maintenance Commands,, displaced stepping})
5679 will be automatically disabled when process record and replay target
5680 is started. That's because the process record and replay target
5681 doesn't support displaced stepping.
5682
5683 @cindex non-stop mode, and process record and replay
5684 @cindex asynchronous execution, and process record and replay
5685 If the inferior is in the non-stop mode (@pxref{Non-Stop Mode}) or in
5686 the asynchronous execution mode (@pxref{Background Execution}), the
5687 process record and replay target cannot be started because it doesn't
5688 support these two modes.
5689
5690 @kindex record stop
5691 @kindex rec s
5692 @item record stop
5693 Stop the process record and replay target. When process record and
5694 replay target stops, the entire execution log will be deleted and the
5695 inferior will either be terminated, or will remain in its final state.
5696
5697 When you stop the process record and replay target in record mode (at
5698 the end of the execution log), the inferior will be stopped at the
5699 next instruction that would have been recorded. In other words, if
5700 you record for a while and then stop recording, the inferior process
5701 will be left in the same state as if the recording never happened.
5702
5703 On the other hand, if the process record and replay target is stopped
5704 while in replay mode (that is, not at the end of the execution log,
5705 but at some earlier point), the inferior process will become ``live''
5706 at that earlier state, and it will then be possible to continue the
5707 usual ``live'' debugging of the process from that state.
5708
5709 When the inferior process exits, or @value{GDBN} detaches from it,
5710 process record and replay target will automatically stop itself.
5711
5712 @kindex record save
5713 @item record save @var{filename}
5714 Save the execution log to a file @file{@var{filename}}.
5715 Default filename is @file{gdb_record.@var{process_id}}, where
5716 @var{process_id} is the process ID of the inferior.
5717
5718 @kindex record restore
5719 @item record restore @var{filename}
5720 Restore the execution log from a file @file{@var{filename}}.
5721 File must have been created with @code{record save}.
5722
5723 @kindex set record insn-number-max
5724 @item set record insn-number-max @var{limit}
5725 Set the limit of instructions to be recorded. Default value is 200000.
5726
5727 If @var{limit} is a positive number, then @value{GDBN} will start
5728 deleting instructions from the log once the number of the record
5729 instructions becomes greater than @var{limit}. For every new recorded
5730 instruction, @value{GDBN} will delete the earliest recorded
5731 instruction to keep the number of recorded instructions at the limit.
5732 (Since deleting recorded instructions loses information, @value{GDBN}
5733 lets you control what happens when the limit is reached, by means of
5734 the @code{stop-at-limit} option, described below.)
5735
5736 If @var{limit} is zero, @value{GDBN} will never delete recorded
5737 instructions from the execution log. The number of recorded
5738 instructions is unlimited in this case.
5739
5740 @kindex show record insn-number-max
5741 @item show record insn-number-max
5742 Show the limit of instructions to be recorded.
5743
5744 @kindex set record stop-at-limit
5745 @item set record stop-at-limit
5746 Control the behavior when the number of recorded instructions reaches
5747 the limit. If ON (the default), @value{GDBN} will stop when the limit
5748 is reached for the first time and ask you whether you want to stop the
5749 inferior or continue running it and recording the execution log. If
5750 you decide to continue recording, each new recorded instruction will
5751 cause the oldest one to be deleted.
5752
5753 If this option is OFF, @value{GDBN} will automatically delete the
5754 oldest record to make room for each new one, without asking.
5755
5756 @kindex show record stop-at-limit
5757 @item show record stop-at-limit
5758 Show the current setting of @code{stop-at-limit}.
5759
5760 @kindex set record memory-query
5761 @item set record memory-query
5762 Control the behavior when @value{GDBN} is unable to record memory
5763 changes caused by an instruction. If ON, @value{GDBN} will query
5764 whether to stop the inferior in that case.
5765
5766 If this option is OFF (the default), @value{GDBN} will automatically
5767 ignore the effect of such instructions on memory. Later, when
5768 @value{GDBN} replays this execution log, it will mark the log of this
5769 instruction as not accessible, and it will not affect the replay
5770 results.
5771
5772 @kindex show record memory-query
5773 @item show record memory-query
5774 Show the current setting of @code{memory-query}.
5775
5776 @kindex info record
5777 @item info record
5778 Show various statistics about the state of process record and its
5779 in-memory execution log buffer, including:
5780
5781 @itemize @bullet
5782 @item
5783 Whether in record mode or replay mode.
5784 @item
5785 Lowest recorded instruction number (counting from when the current execution log started recording instructions).
5786 @item
5787 Highest recorded instruction number.
5788 @item
5789 Current instruction about to be replayed (if in replay mode).
5790 @item
5791 Number of instructions contained in the execution log.
5792 @item
5793 Maximum number of instructions that may be contained in the execution log.
5794 @end itemize
5795
5796 @kindex record delete
5797 @kindex rec del
5798 @item record delete
5799 When record target runs in replay mode (``in the past''), delete the
5800 subsequent execution log and begin to record a new execution log starting
5801 from the current address. This means you will abandon the previously
5802 recorded ``future'' and begin recording a new ``future''.
5803 @end table
5804
5805
5806 @node Stack
5807 @chapter Examining the Stack
5808
5809 When your program has stopped, the first thing you need to know is where it
5810 stopped and how it got there.
5811
5812 @cindex call stack
5813 Each time your program performs a function call, information about the call
5814 is generated.
5815 That information includes the location of the call in your program,
5816 the arguments of the call,
5817 and the local variables of the function being called.
5818 The information is saved in a block of data called a @dfn{stack frame}.
5819 The stack frames are allocated in a region of memory called the @dfn{call
5820 stack}.
5821
5822 When your program stops, the @value{GDBN} commands for examining the
5823 stack allow you to see all of this information.
5824
5825 @cindex selected frame
5826 One of the stack frames is @dfn{selected} by @value{GDBN} and many
5827 @value{GDBN} commands refer implicitly to the selected frame. In
5828 particular, whenever you ask @value{GDBN} for the value of a variable in
5829 your program, the value is found in the selected frame. There are
5830 special @value{GDBN} commands to select whichever frame you are
5831 interested in. @xref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}.
5832
5833 When your program stops, @value{GDBN} automatically selects the
5834 currently executing frame and describes it briefly, similar to the
5835 @code{frame} command (@pxref{Frame Info, ,Information about a Frame}).
5836
5837 @menu
5838 * Frames:: Stack frames
5839 * Backtrace:: Backtraces
5840 * Selection:: Selecting a frame
5841 * Frame Info:: Information on a frame
5842
5843 @end menu
5844
5845 @node Frames
5846 @section Stack Frames
5847
5848 @cindex frame, definition
5849 @cindex stack frame
5850 The call stack is divided up into contiguous pieces called @dfn{stack
5851 frames}, or @dfn{frames} for short; each frame is the data associated
5852 with one call to one function. The frame contains the arguments given
5853 to the function, the function's local variables, and the address at
5854 which the function is executing.
5855
5856 @cindex initial frame
5857 @cindex outermost frame
5858 @cindex innermost frame
5859 When your program is started, the stack has only one frame, that of the
5860 function @code{main}. This is called the @dfn{initial} frame or the
5861 @dfn{outermost} frame. Each time a function is called, a new frame is
5862 made. Each time a function returns, the frame for that function invocation
5863 is eliminated. If a function is recursive, there can be many frames for
5864 the same function. The frame for the function in which execution is
5865 actually occurring is called the @dfn{innermost} frame. This is the most
5866 recently created of all the stack frames that still exist.
5867
5868 @cindex frame pointer
5869 Inside your program, stack frames are identified by their addresses. A
5870 stack frame consists of many bytes, each of which has its own address; each
5871 kind of computer has a convention for choosing one byte whose
5872 address serves as the address of the frame. Usually this address is kept
5873 in a register called the @dfn{frame pointer register}
5874 (@pxref{Registers, $fp}) while execution is going on in that frame.
5875
5876 @cindex frame number
5877 @value{GDBN} assigns numbers to all existing stack frames, starting with
5878 zero for the innermost frame, one for the frame that called it,
5879 and so on upward. These numbers do not really exist in your program;
5880 they are assigned by @value{GDBN} to give you a way of designating stack
5881 frames in @value{GDBN} commands.
5882
5883 @c The -fomit-frame-pointer below perennially causes hbox overflow
5884 @c underflow problems.
5885 @cindex frameless execution
5886 Some compilers provide a way to compile functions so that they operate
5887 without stack frames. (For example, the @value{NGCC} option
5888 @smallexample
5889 @samp{-fomit-frame-pointer}
5890 @end smallexample
5891 generates functions without a frame.)
5892 This is occasionally done with heavily used library functions to save
5893 the frame setup time. @value{GDBN} has limited facilities for dealing
5894 with these function invocations. If the innermost function invocation
5895 has no stack frame, @value{GDBN} nevertheless regards it as though
5896 it had a separate frame, which is numbered zero as usual, allowing
5897 correct tracing of the function call chain. However, @value{GDBN} has
5898 no provision for frameless functions elsewhere in the stack.
5899
5900 @table @code
5901 @kindex frame@r{, command}
5902 @cindex current stack frame
5903 @item frame @var{args}
5904 The @code{frame} command allows you to move from one stack frame to another,
5905 and to print the stack frame you select. @var{args} may be either the
5906 address of the frame or the stack frame number. Without an argument,
5907 @code{frame} prints the current stack frame.
5908
5909 @kindex select-frame
5910 @cindex selecting frame silently
5911 @item select-frame
5912 The @code{select-frame} command allows you to move from one stack frame
5913 to another without printing the frame. This is the silent version of
5914 @code{frame}.
5915 @end table
5916
5917 @node Backtrace
5918 @section Backtraces
5919
5920 @cindex traceback
5921 @cindex call stack traces
5922 A backtrace is a summary of how your program got where it is. It shows one
5923 line per frame, for many frames, starting with the currently executing
5924 frame (frame zero), followed by its caller (frame one), and on up the
5925 stack.
5926
5927 @table @code
5928 @kindex backtrace
5929 @kindex bt @r{(@code{backtrace})}
5930 @item backtrace
5931 @itemx bt
5932 Print a backtrace of the entire stack: one line per frame for all
5933 frames in the stack.
5934
5935 You can stop the backtrace at any time by typing the system interrupt
5936 character, normally @kbd{Ctrl-c}.
5937
5938 @item backtrace @var{n}
5939 @itemx bt @var{n}
5940 Similar, but print only the innermost @var{n} frames.
5941
5942 @item backtrace -@var{n}
5943 @itemx bt -@var{n}
5944 Similar, but print only the outermost @var{n} frames.
5945
5946 @item backtrace full
5947 @itemx bt full
5948 @itemx bt full @var{n}
5949 @itemx bt full -@var{n}
5950 Print the values of the local variables also. @var{n} specifies the
5951 number of frames to print, as described above.
5952 @end table
5953
5954 @kindex where
5955 @kindex info stack
5956 The names @code{where} and @code{info stack} (abbreviated @code{info s})
5957 are additional aliases for @code{backtrace}.
5958
5959 @cindex multiple threads, backtrace
5960 In a multi-threaded program, @value{GDBN} by default shows the
5961 backtrace only for the current thread. To display the backtrace for
5962 several or all of the threads, use the command @code{thread apply}
5963 (@pxref{Threads, thread apply}). For example, if you type @kbd{thread
5964 apply all backtrace}, @value{GDBN} will display the backtrace for all
5965 the threads; this is handy when you debug a core dump of a
5966 multi-threaded program.
5967
5968 Each line in the backtrace shows the frame number and the function name.
5969 The program counter value is also shown---unless you use @code{set
5970 print address off}. The backtrace also shows the source file name and
5971 line number, as well as the arguments to the function. The program
5972 counter value is omitted if it is at the beginning of the code for that
5973 line number.
5974
5975 Here is an example of a backtrace. It was made with the command
5976 @samp{bt 3}, so it shows the innermost three frames.
5977
5978 @smallexample
5979 @group
5980 #0 m4_traceon (obs=0x24eb0, argc=1, argv=0x2b8c8)
5981 at builtin.c:993
5982 #1 0x6e38 in expand_macro (sym=0x2b600, data=...) at macro.c:242
5983 #2 0x6840 in expand_token (obs=0x0, t=177664, td=0xf7fffb08)
5984 at macro.c:71
5985 (More stack frames follow...)
5986 @end group
5987 @end smallexample
5988
5989 @noindent
5990 The display for frame zero does not begin with a program counter
5991 value, indicating that your program has stopped at the beginning of the
5992 code for line @code{993} of @code{builtin.c}.
5993
5994 @noindent
5995 The value of parameter @code{data} in frame 1 has been replaced by
5996 @code{@dots{}}. By default, @value{GDBN} prints the value of a parameter
5997 only if it is a scalar (integer, pointer, enumeration, etc). See command
5998 @kbd{set print frame-arguments} in @ref{Print Settings} for more details
5999 on how to configure the way function parameter values are printed.
6000
6001 @cindex optimized out, in backtrace
6002 @cindex function call arguments, optimized out
6003 If your program was compiled with optimizations, some compilers will
6004 optimize away arguments passed to functions if those arguments are
6005 never used after the call. Such optimizations generate code that
6006 passes arguments through registers, but doesn't store those arguments
6007 in the stack frame. @value{GDBN} has no way of displaying such
6008 arguments in stack frames other than the innermost one. Here's what
6009 such a backtrace might look like:
6010
6011 @smallexample
6012 @group
6013 #0 m4_traceon (obs=0x24eb0, argc=1, argv=0x2b8c8)
6014 at builtin.c:993
6015 #1 0x6e38 in expand_macro (sym=<optimized out>) at macro.c:242
6016 #2 0x6840 in expand_token (obs=0x0, t=<optimized out>, td=0xf7fffb08)
6017 at macro.c:71
6018 (More stack frames follow...)
6019 @end group
6020 @end smallexample
6021
6022 @noindent
6023 The values of arguments that were not saved in their stack frames are
6024 shown as @samp{<optimized out>}.
6025
6026 If you need to display the values of such optimized-out arguments,
6027 either deduce that from other variables whose values depend on the one
6028 you are interested in, or recompile without optimizations.
6029
6030 @cindex backtrace beyond @code{main} function
6031 @cindex program entry point
6032 @cindex startup code, and backtrace
6033 Most programs have a standard user entry point---a place where system
6034 libraries and startup code transition into user code. For C this is
6035 @code{main}@footnote{
6036 Note that embedded programs (the so-called ``free-standing''
6037 environment) are not required to have a @code{main} function as the
6038 entry point. They could even have multiple entry points.}.
6039 When @value{GDBN} finds the entry function in a backtrace
6040 it will terminate the backtrace, to avoid tracing into highly
6041 system-specific (and generally uninteresting) code.
6042
6043 If you need to examine the startup code, or limit the number of levels
6044 in a backtrace, you can change this behavior:
6045
6046 @table @code
6047 @item set backtrace past-main
6048 @itemx set backtrace past-main on
6049 @kindex set backtrace
6050 Backtraces will continue past the user entry point.
6051
6052 @item set backtrace past-main off
6053 Backtraces will stop when they encounter the user entry point. This is the
6054 default.
6055
6056 @item show backtrace past-main
6057 @kindex show backtrace
6058 Display the current user entry point backtrace policy.
6059
6060 @item set backtrace past-entry
6061 @itemx set backtrace past-entry on
6062 Backtraces will continue past the internal entry point of an application.
6063 This entry point is encoded by the linker when the application is built,
6064 and is likely before the user entry point @code{main} (or equivalent) is called.
6065
6066 @item set backtrace past-entry off
6067 Backtraces will stop when they encounter the internal entry point of an
6068 application. This is the default.
6069
6070 @item show backtrace past-entry
6071 Display the current internal entry point backtrace policy.
6072
6073 @item set backtrace limit @var{n}
6074 @itemx set backtrace limit 0
6075 @cindex backtrace limit
6076 Limit the backtrace to @var{n} levels. A value of zero means
6077 unlimited.
6078
6079 @item show backtrace limit
6080 Display the current limit on backtrace levels.
6081 @end table
6082
6083 @node Selection
6084 @section Selecting a Frame
6085
6086 Most commands for examining the stack and other data in your program work on
6087 whichever stack frame is selected at the moment. Here are the commands for
6088 selecting a stack frame; all of them finish by printing a brief description
6089 of the stack frame just selected.
6090
6091 @table @code
6092 @kindex frame@r{, selecting}
6093 @kindex f @r{(@code{frame})}
6094 @item frame @var{n}
6095 @itemx f @var{n}
6096 Select frame number @var{n}. Recall that frame zero is the innermost
6097 (currently executing) frame, frame one is the frame that called the
6098 innermost one, and so on. The highest-numbered frame is the one for
6099 @code{main}.
6100
6101 @item frame @var{addr}
6102 @itemx f @var{addr}
6103 Select the frame at address @var{addr}. This is useful mainly if the
6104 chaining of stack frames has been damaged by a bug, making it
6105 impossible for @value{GDBN} to assign numbers properly to all frames. In
6106 addition, this can be useful when your program has multiple stacks and
6107 switches between them.
6108
6109 On the SPARC architecture, @code{frame} needs two addresses to
6110 select an arbitrary frame: a frame pointer and a stack pointer.
6111
6112 On the MIPS and Alpha architecture, it needs two addresses: a stack
6113 pointer and a program counter.
6114
6115 On the 29k architecture, it needs three addresses: a register stack
6116 pointer, a program counter, and a memory stack pointer.
6117
6118 @kindex up
6119 @item up @var{n}
6120 Move @var{n} frames up the stack. For positive numbers @var{n}, this
6121 advances toward the outermost frame, to higher frame numbers, to frames
6122 that have existed longer. @var{n} defaults to one.
6123
6124 @kindex down
6125 @kindex do @r{(@code{down})}
6126 @item down @var{n}
6127 Move @var{n} frames down the stack. For positive numbers @var{n}, this
6128 advances toward the innermost frame, to lower frame numbers, to frames
6129 that were created more recently. @var{n} defaults to one. You may
6130 abbreviate @code{down} as @code{do}.
6131 @end table
6132
6133 All of these commands end by printing two lines of output describing the
6134 frame. The first line shows the frame number, the function name, the
6135 arguments, and the source file and line number of execution in that
6136 frame. The second line shows the text of that source line.
6137
6138 @need 1000
6139 For example:
6140
6141 @smallexample
6142 @group
6143 (@value{GDBP}) up
6144 #1 0x22f0 in main (argc=1, argv=0xf7fffbf4, env=0xf7fffbfc)
6145 at env.c:10
6146 10 read_input_file (argv[i]);
6147 @end group
6148 @end smallexample
6149
6150 After such a printout, the @code{list} command with no arguments
6151 prints ten lines centered on the point of execution in the frame.
6152 You can also edit the program at the point of execution with your favorite
6153 editing program by typing @code{edit}.
6154 @xref{List, ,Printing Source Lines},
6155 for details.
6156
6157 @table @code
6158 @kindex down-silently
6159 @kindex up-silently
6160 @item up-silently @var{n}
6161 @itemx down-silently @var{n}
6162 These two commands are variants of @code{up} and @code{down},
6163 respectively; they differ in that they do their work silently, without
6164 causing display of the new frame. They are intended primarily for use
6165 in @value{GDBN} command scripts, where the output might be unnecessary and
6166 distracting.
6167 @end table
6168
6169 @node Frame Info
6170 @section Information About a Frame
6171
6172 There are several other commands to print information about the selected
6173 stack frame.
6174
6175 @table @code
6176 @item frame
6177 @itemx f
6178 When used without any argument, this command does not change which
6179 frame is selected, but prints a brief description of the currently
6180 selected stack frame. It can be abbreviated @code{f}. With an
6181 argument, this command is used to select a stack frame.
6182 @xref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}.
6183
6184 @kindex info frame
6185 @kindex info f @r{(@code{info frame})}
6186 @item info frame
6187 @itemx info f
6188 This command prints a verbose description of the selected stack frame,
6189 including:
6190
6191 @itemize @bullet
6192 @item
6193 the address of the frame
6194 @item
6195 the address of the next frame down (called by this frame)
6196 @item
6197 the address of the next frame up (caller of this frame)
6198 @item
6199 the language in which the source code corresponding to this frame is written
6200 @item
6201 the address of the frame's arguments
6202 @item
6203 the address of the frame's local variables
6204 @item
6205 the program counter saved in it (the address of execution in the caller frame)
6206 @item
6207 which registers were saved in the frame
6208 @end itemize
6209
6210 @noindent The verbose description is useful when
6211 something has gone wrong that has made the stack format fail to fit
6212 the usual conventions.
6213
6214 @item info frame @var{addr}
6215 @itemx info f @var{addr}
6216 Print a verbose description of the frame at address @var{addr}, without
6217 selecting that frame. The selected frame remains unchanged by this
6218 command. This requires the same kind of address (more than one for some
6219 architectures) that you specify in the @code{frame} command.
6220 @xref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}.
6221
6222 @kindex info args
6223 @item info args
6224 Print the arguments of the selected frame, each on a separate line.
6225
6226 @item info locals
6227 @kindex info locals
6228 Print the local variables of the selected frame, each on a separate
6229 line. These are all variables (declared either static or automatic)
6230 accessible at the point of execution of the selected frame.
6231
6232 @kindex info catch
6233 @cindex catch exceptions, list active handlers
6234 @cindex exception handlers, how to list
6235 @item info catch
6236 Print a list of all the exception handlers that are active in the
6237 current stack frame at the current point of execution. To see other
6238 exception handlers, visit the associated frame (using the @code{up},
6239 @code{down}, or @code{frame} commands); then type @code{info catch}.
6240 @xref{Set Catchpoints, , Setting Catchpoints}.
6241
6242 @end table
6243
6244
6245 @node Source
6246 @chapter Examining Source Files
6247
6248 @value{GDBN} can print parts of your program's source, since the debugging
6249 information recorded in the program tells @value{GDBN} what source files were
6250 used to build it. When your program stops, @value{GDBN} spontaneously prints
6251 the line where it stopped. Likewise, when you select a stack frame
6252 (@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}), @value{GDBN} prints the line where
6253 execution in that frame has stopped. You can print other portions of
6254 source files by explicit command.
6255
6256 If you use @value{GDBN} through its @sc{gnu} Emacs interface, you may
6257 prefer to use Emacs facilities to view source; see @ref{Emacs, ,Using
6258 @value{GDBN} under @sc{gnu} Emacs}.
6259
6260 @menu
6261 * List:: Printing source lines
6262 * Specify Location:: How to specify code locations
6263 * Edit:: Editing source files
6264 * Search:: Searching source files
6265 * Source Path:: Specifying source directories
6266 * Machine Code:: Source and machine code
6267 @end menu
6268
6269 @node List
6270 @section Printing Source Lines
6271
6272 @kindex list
6273 @kindex l @r{(@code{list})}
6274 To print lines from a source file, use the @code{list} command
6275 (abbreviated @code{l}). By default, ten lines are printed.
6276 There are several ways to specify what part of the file you want to
6277 print; see @ref{Specify Location}, for the full list.
6278
6279 Here are the forms of the @code{list} command most commonly used:
6280
6281 @table @code
6282 @item list @var{linenum}
6283 Print lines centered around line number @var{linenum} in the
6284 current source file.
6285
6286 @item list @var{function}
6287 Print lines centered around the beginning of function
6288 @var{function}.
6289
6290 @item list
6291 Print more lines. If the last lines printed were printed with a
6292 @code{list} command, this prints lines following the last lines
6293 printed; however, if the last line printed was a solitary line printed
6294 as part of displaying a stack frame (@pxref{Stack, ,Examining the
6295 Stack}), this prints lines centered around that line.
6296
6297 @item list -
6298 Print lines just before the lines last printed.
6299 @end table
6300
6301 @cindex @code{list}, how many lines to display
6302 By default, @value{GDBN} prints ten source lines with any of these forms of
6303 the @code{list} command. You can change this using @code{set listsize}:
6304
6305 @table @code
6306 @kindex set listsize
6307 @item set listsize @var{count}
6308 Make the @code{list} command display @var{count} source lines (unless
6309 the @code{list} argument explicitly specifies some other number).
6310
6311 @kindex show listsize
6312 @item show listsize
6313 Display the number of lines that @code{list} prints.
6314 @end table
6315
6316 Repeating a @code{list} command with @key{RET} discards the argument,
6317 so it is equivalent to typing just @code{list}. This is more useful
6318 than listing the same lines again. An exception is made for an
6319 argument of @samp{-}; that argument is preserved in repetition so that
6320 each repetition moves up in the source file.
6321
6322 In general, the @code{list} command expects you to supply zero, one or two
6323 @dfn{linespecs}. Linespecs specify source lines; there are several ways
6324 of writing them (@pxref{Specify Location}), but the effect is always
6325 to specify some source line.
6326
6327 Here is a complete description of the possible arguments for @code{list}:
6328
6329 @table @code
6330 @item list @var{linespec}
6331 Print lines centered around the line specified by @var{linespec}.
6332
6333 @item list @var{first},@var{last}
6334 Print lines from @var{first} to @var{last}. Both arguments are
6335 linespecs. When a @code{list} command has two linespecs, and the
6336 source file of the second linespec is omitted, this refers to
6337 the same source file as the first linespec.
6338
6339 @item list ,@var{last}
6340 Print lines ending with @var{last}.
6341
6342 @item list @var{first},
6343 Print lines starting with @var{first}.
6344
6345 @item list +
6346 Print lines just after the lines last printed.
6347
6348 @item list -
6349 Print lines just before the lines last printed.
6350
6351 @item list
6352 As described in the preceding table.
6353 @end table
6354
6355 @node Specify Location
6356 @section Specifying a Location
6357 @cindex specifying location
6358 @cindex linespec
6359
6360 Several @value{GDBN} commands accept arguments that specify a location
6361 of your program's code. Since @value{GDBN} is a source-level
6362 debugger, a location usually specifies some line in the source code;
6363 for that reason, locations are also known as @dfn{linespecs}.
6364
6365 Here are all the different ways of specifying a code location that
6366 @value{GDBN} understands:
6367
6368 @table @code
6369 @item @var{linenum}
6370 Specifies the line number @var{linenum} of the current source file.
6371
6372 @item -@var{offset}
6373 @itemx +@var{offset}
6374 Specifies the line @var{offset} lines before or after the @dfn{current
6375 line}. For the @code{list} command, the current line is the last one
6376 printed; for the breakpoint commands, this is the line at which
6377 execution stopped in the currently selected @dfn{stack frame}
6378 (@pxref{Frames, ,Frames}, for a description of stack frames.) When
6379 used as the second of the two linespecs in a @code{list} command,
6380 this specifies the line @var{offset} lines up or down from the first
6381 linespec.
6382
6383 @item @var{filename}:@var{linenum}
6384 Specifies the line @var{linenum} in the source file @var{filename}.
6385
6386 @item @var{function}
6387 Specifies the line that begins the body of the function @var{function}.
6388 For example, in C, this is the line with the open brace.
6389
6390 @item @var{function}:@var{label}
6391 Specifies the line where @var{label} appears in @var{function}.
6392
6393 @item @var{filename}:@var{function}
6394 Specifies the line that begins the body of the function @var{function}
6395 in the file @var{filename}. You only need the file name with a
6396 function name to avoid ambiguity when there are identically named
6397 functions in different source files.
6398
6399 @item @var{label}
6400 Specifies the line at which the label named @var{label} appears.
6401 @value{GDBN} searches for the label in the function corresponding to
6402 the currently selected stack frame. If there is no current selected
6403 stack frame (for instance, if the inferior is not running), then
6404 @value{GDBN} will not search for a label.
6405
6406 @item *@var{address}
6407 Specifies the program address @var{address}. For line-oriented
6408 commands, such as @code{list} and @code{edit}, this specifies a source
6409 line that contains @var{address}. For @code{break} and other
6410 breakpoint oriented commands, this can be used to set breakpoints in
6411 parts of your program which do not have debugging information or
6412 source files.
6413
6414 Here @var{address} may be any expression valid in the current working
6415 language (@pxref{Languages, working language}) that specifies a code
6416 address. In addition, as a convenience, @value{GDBN} extends the
6417 semantics of expressions used in locations to cover the situations
6418 that frequently happen during debugging. Here are the various forms
6419 of @var{address}:
6420
6421 @table @code
6422 @item @var{expression}
6423 Any expression valid in the current working language.
6424
6425 @item @var{funcaddr}
6426 An address of a function or procedure derived from its name. In C,
6427 C@t{++}, Java, Objective-C, Fortran, minimal, and assembly, this is
6428 simply the function's name @var{function} (and actually a special case
6429 of a valid expression). In Pascal and Modula-2, this is
6430 @code{&@var{function}}. In Ada, this is @code{@var{function}'Address}
6431 (although the Pascal form also works).
6432
6433 This form specifies the address of the function's first instruction,
6434 before the stack frame and arguments have been set up.
6435
6436 @item '@var{filename}'::@var{funcaddr}
6437 Like @var{funcaddr} above, but also specifies the name of the source
6438 file explicitly. This is useful if the name of the function does not
6439 specify the function unambiguously, e.g., if there are several
6440 functions with identical names in different source files.
6441 @end table
6442
6443 @end table
6444
6445
6446 @node Edit
6447 @section Editing Source Files
6448 @cindex editing source files
6449
6450 @kindex edit
6451 @kindex e @r{(@code{edit})}
6452 To edit the lines in a source file, use the @code{edit} command.
6453 The editing program of your choice
6454 is invoked with the current line set to
6455 the active line in the program.
6456 Alternatively, there are several ways to specify what part of the file you
6457 want to print if you want to see other parts of the program:
6458
6459 @table @code
6460 @item edit @var{location}
6461 Edit the source file specified by @code{location}. Editing starts at
6462 that @var{location}, e.g., at the specified source line of the
6463 specified file. @xref{Specify Location}, for all the possible forms
6464 of the @var{location} argument; here are the forms of the @code{edit}
6465 command most commonly used:
6466
6467 @table @code
6468 @item edit @var{number}
6469 Edit the current source file with @var{number} as the active line number.
6470
6471 @item edit @var{function}
6472 Edit the file containing @var{function} at the beginning of its definition.
6473 @end table
6474
6475 @end table
6476
6477 @subsection Choosing your Editor
6478 You can customize @value{GDBN} to use any editor you want
6479 @footnote{
6480 The only restriction is that your editor (say @code{ex}), recognizes the
6481 following command-line syntax:
6482 @smallexample
6483 ex +@var{number} file
6484 @end smallexample
6485 The optional numeric value +@var{number} specifies the number of the line in
6486 the file where to start editing.}.
6487 By default, it is @file{@value{EDITOR}}, but you can change this
6488 by setting the environment variable @code{EDITOR} before using
6489 @value{GDBN}. For example, to configure @value{GDBN} to use the
6490 @code{vi} editor, you could use these commands with the @code{sh} shell:
6491 @smallexample
6492 EDITOR=/usr/bin/vi
6493 export EDITOR
6494 gdb @dots{}
6495 @end smallexample
6496 or in the @code{csh} shell,
6497 @smallexample
6498 setenv EDITOR /usr/bin/vi
6499 gdb @dots{}
6500 @end smallexample
6501
6502 @node Search
6503 @section Searching Source Files
6504 @cindex searching source files
6505
6506 There are two commands for searching through the current source file for a
6507 regular expression.
6508
6509 @table @code
6510 @kindex search
6511 @kindex forward-search
6512 @item forward-search @var{regexp}
6513 @itemx search @var{regexp}
6514 The command @samp{forward-search @var{regexp}} checks each line,
6515 starting with the one following the last line listed, for a match for
6516 @var{regexp}. It lists the line that is found. You can use the
6517 synonym @samp{search @var{regexp}} or abbreviate the command name as
6518 @code{fo}.
6519
6520 @kindex reverse-search
6521 @item reverse-search @var{regexp}
6522 The command @samp{reverse-search @var{regexp}} checks each line, starting
6523 with the one before the last line listed and going backward, for a match
6524 for @var{regexp}. It lists the line that is found. You can abbreviate
6525 this command as @code{rev}.
6526 @end table
6527
6528 @node Source Path
6529 @section Specifying Source Directories
6530
6531 @cindex source path
6532 @cindex directories for source files
6533 Executable programs sometimes do not record the directories of the source
6534 files from which they were compiled, just the names. Even when they do,
6535 the directories could be moved between the compilation and your debugging
6536 session. @value{GDBN} has a list of directories to search for source files;
6537 this is called the @dfn{source path}. Each time @value{GDBN} wants a source file,
6538 it tries all the directories in the list, in the order they are present
6539 in the list, until it finds a file with the desired name.
6540
6541 For example, suppose an executable references the file
6542 @file{/usr/src/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c}, and our source path is
6543 @file{/mnt/cross}. The file is first looked up literally; if this
6544 fails, @file{/mnt/cross/usr/src/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c} is tried; if this
6545 fails, @file{/mnt/cross/foo.c} is opened; if this fails, an error
6546 message is printed. @value{GDBN} does not look up the parts of the
6547 source file name, such as @file{/mnt/cross/src/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c}.
6548 Likewise, the subdirectories of the source path are not searched: if
6549 the source path is @file{/mnt/cross}, and the binary refers to
6550 @file{foo.c}, @value{GDBN} would not find it under
6551 @file{/mnt/cross/usr/src/foo-1.0/lib}.
6552
6553 Plain file names, relative file names with leading directories, file
6554 names containing dots, etc.@: are all treated as described above; for
6555 instance, if the source path is @file{/mnt/cross}, and the source file
6556 is recorded as @file{../lib/foo.c}, @value{GDBN} would first try
6557 @file{../lib/foo.c}, then @file{/mnt/cross/../lib/foo.c}, and after
6558 that---@file{/mnt/cross/foo.c}.
6559
6560 Note that the executable search path is @emph{not} used to locate the
6561 source files.
6562
6563 Whenever you reset or rearrange the source path, @value{GDBN} clears out
6564 any information it has cached about where source files are found and where
6565 each line is in the file.
6566
6567 @kindex directory
6568 @kindex dir
6569 When you start @value{GDBN}, its source path includes only @samp{cdir}
6570 and @samp{cwd}, in that order.
6571 To add other directories, use the @code{directory} command.
6572
6573 The search path is used to find both program source files and @value{GDBN}
6574 script files (read using the @samp{-command} option and @samp{source} command).
6575
6576 In addition to the source path, @value{GDBN} provides a set of commands
6577 that manage a list of source path substitution rules. A @dfn{substitution
6578 rule} specifies how to rewrite source directories stored in the program's
6579 debug information in case the sources were moved to a different
6580 directory between compilation and debugging. A rule is made of
6581 two strings, the first specifying what needs to be rewritten in
6582 the path, and the second specifying how it should be rewritten.
6583 In @ref{set substitute-path}, we name these two parts @var{from} and
6584 @var{to} respectively. @value{GDBN} does a simple string replacement
6585 of @var{from} with @var{to} at the start of the directory part of the
6586 source file name, and uses that result instead of the original file
6587 name to look up the sources.
6588
6589 Using the previous example, suppose the @file{foo-1.0} tree has been
6590 moved from @file{/usr/src} to @file{/mnt/cross}, then you can tell
6591 @value{GDBN} to replace @file{/usr/src} in all source path names with
6592 @file{/mnt/cross}. The first lookup will then be
6593 @file{/mnt/cross/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c} in place of the original location
6594 of @file{/usr/src/foo-1.0/lib/foo.c}. To define a source path
6595 substitution rule, use the @code{set substitute-path} command
6596 (@pxref{set substitute-path}).
6597
6598 To avoid unexpected substitution results, a rule is applied only if the
6599 @var{from} part of the directory name ends at a directory separator.
6600 For instance, a rule substituting @file{/usr/source} into
6601 @file{/mnt/cross} will be applied to @file{/usr/source/foo-1.0} but
6602 not to @file{/usr/sourceware/foo-2.0}. And because the substitution
6603 is applied only at the beginning of the directory name, this rule will
6604 not be applied to @file{/root/usr/source/baz.c} either.
6605
6606 In many cases, you can achieve the same result using the @code{directory}
6607 command. However, @code{set substitute-path} can be more efficient in
6608 the case where the sources are organized in a complex tree with multiple
6609 subdirectories. With the @code{directory} command, you need to add each
6610 subdirectory of your project. If you moved the entire tree while
6611 preserving its internal organization, then @code{set substitute-path}
6612 allows you to direct the debugger to all the sources with one single
6613 command.
6614
6615 @code{set substitute-path} is also more than just a shortcut command.
6616 The source path is only used if the file at the original location no
6617 longer exists. On the other hand, @code{set substitute-path} modifies
6618 the debugger behavior to look at the rewritten location instead. So, if
6619 for any reason a source file that is not relevant to your executable is
6620 located at the original location, a substitution rule is the only
6621 method available to point @value{GDBN} at the new location.
6622
6623 @cindex @samp{--with-relocated-sources}
6624 @cindex default source path substitution
6625 You can configure a default source path substitution rule by
6626 configuring @value{GDBN} with the
6627 @samp{--with-relocated-sources=@var{dir}} option. The @var{dir}
6628 should be the name of a directory under @value{GDBN}'s configured
6629 prefix (set with @samp{--prefix} or @samp{--exec-prefix}), and
6630 directory names in debug information under @var{dir} will be adjusted
6631 automatically if the installed @value{GDBN} is moved to a new
6632 location. This is useful if @value{GDBN}, libraries or executables
6633 with debug information and corresponding source code are being moved
6634 together.
6635
6636 @table @code
6637 @item directory @var{dirname} @dots{}
6638 @item dir @var{dirname} @dots{}
6639 Add directory @var{dirname} to the front of the source path. Several
6640 directory names may be given to this command, separated by @samp{:}
6641 (@samp{;} on MS-DOS and MS-Windows, where @samp{:} usually appears as
6642 part of absolute file names) or
6643 whitespace. You may specify a directory that is already in the source
6644 path; this moves it forward, so @value{GDBN} searches it sooner.
6645
6646 @kindex cdir
6647 @kindex cwd
6648 @vindex $cdir@r{, convenience variable}
6649 @vindex $cwd@r{, convenience variable}
6650 @cindex compilation directory
6651 @cindex current directory
6652 @cindex working directory
6653 @cindex directory, current
6654 @cindex directory, compilation
6655 You can use the string @samp{$cdir} to refer to the compilation
6656 directory (if one is recorded), and @samp{$cwd} to refer to the current
6657 working directory. @samp{$cwd} is not the same as @samp{.}---the former
6658 tracks the current working directory as it changes during your @value{GDBN}
6659 session, while the latter is immediately expanded to the current
6660 directory at the time you add an entry to the source path.
6661
6662 @item directory
6663 Reset the source path to its default value (@samp{$cdir:$cwd} on Unix systems). This requires confirmation.
6664
6665 @c RET-repeat for @code{directory} is explicitly disabled, but since
6666 @c repeating it would be a no-op we do not say that. (thanks to RMS)
6667
6668 @item set directories @var{path-list}
6669 @kindex set directories
6670 Set the source path to @var{path-list}.
6671 @samp{$cdir:$cwd} are added if missing.
6672
6673 @item show directories
6674 @kindex show directories
6675 Print the source path: show which directories it contains.
6676
6677 @anchor{set substitute-path}
6678 @item set substitute-path @var{from} @var{to}
6679 @kindex set substitute-path
6680 Define a source path substitution rule, and add it at the end of the
6681 current list of existing substitution rules. If a rule with the same
6682 @var{from} was already defined, then the old rule is also deleted.
6683
6684 For example, if the file @file{/foo/bar/baz.c} was moved to
6685 @file{/mnt/cross/baz.c}, then the command
6686
6687 @smallexample
6688 (@value{GDBP}) set substitute-path /usr/src /mnt/cross
6689 @end smallexample
6690
6691 @noindent
6692 will tell @value{GDBN} to replace @samp{/usr/src} with
6693 @samp{/mnt/cross}, which will allow @value{GDBN} to find the file
6694 @file{baz.c} even though it was moved.
6695
6696 In the case when more than one substitution rule have been defined,
6697 the rules are evaluated one by one in the order where they have been
6698 defined. The first one matching, if any, is selected to perform
6699 the substitution.
6700
6701 For instance, if we had entered the following commands:
6702
6703 @smallexample
6704 (@value{GDBP}) set substitute-path /usr/src/include /mnt/include
6705 (@value{GDBP}) set substitute-path /usr/src /mnt/src
6706 @end smallexample
6707
6708 @noindent
6709 @value{GDBN} would then rewrite @file{/usr/src/include/defs.h} into
6710 @file{/mnt/include/defs.h} by using the first rule. However, it would
6711 use the second rule to rewrite @file{/usr/src/lib/foo.c} into
6712 @file{/mnt/src/lib/foo.c}.
6713
6714
6715 @item unset substitute-path [path]
6716 @kindex unset substitute-path
6717 If a path is specified, search the current list of substitution rules
6718 for a rule that would rewrite that path. Delete that rule if found.
6719 A warning is emitted by the debugger if no rule could be found.
6720
6721 If no path is specified, then all substitution rules are deleted.
6722
6723 @item show substitute-path [path]
6724 @kindex show substitute-path
6725 If a path is specified, then print the source path substitution rule
6726 which would rewrite that path, if any.
6727
6728 If no path is specified, then print all existing source path substitution
6729 rules.
6730
6731 @end table
6732
6733 If your source path is cluttered with directories that are no longer of
6734 interest, @value{GDBN} may sometimes cause confusion by finding the wrong
6735 versions of source. You can correct the situation as follows:
6736
6737 @enumerate
6738 @item
6739 Use @code{directory} with no argument to reset the source path to its default value.
6740
6741 @item
6742 Use @code{directory} with suitable arguments to reinstall the
6743 directories you want in the source path. You can add all the
6744 directories in one command.
6745 @end enumerate
6746
6747 @node Machine Code
6748 @section Source and Machine Code
6749 @cindex source line and its code address
6750
6751 You can use the command @code{info line} to map source lines to program
6752 addresses (and vice versa), and the command @code{disassemble} to display
6753 a range of addresses as machine instructions. You can use the command
6754 @code{set disassemble-next-line} to set whether to disassemble next
6755 source line when execution stops. When run under @sc{gnu} Emacs
6756 mode, the @code{info line} command causes the arrow to point to the
6757 line specified. Also, @code{info line} prints addresses in symbolic form as
6758 well as hex.
6759
6760 @table @code
6761 @kindex info line
6762 @item info line @var{linespec}
6763 Print the starting and ending addresses of the compiled code for
6764 source line @var{linespec}. You can specify source lines in any of
6765 the ways documented in @ref{Specify Location}.
6766 @end table
6767
6768 For example, we can use @code{info line} to discover the location of
6769 the object code for the first line of function
6770 @code{m4_changequote}:
6771
6772 @c FIXME: I think this example should also show the addresses in
6773 @c symbolic form, as they usually would be displayed.
6774 @smallexample
6775 (@value{GDBP}) info line m4_changequote
6776 Line 895 of "builtin.c" starts at pc 0x634c and ends at 0x6350.
6777 @end smallexample
6778
6779 @noindent
6780 @cindex code address and its source line
6781 We can also inquire (using @code{*@var{addr}} as the form for
6782 @var{linespec}) what source line covers a particular address:
6783 @smallexample
6784 (@value{GDBP}) info line *0x63ff
6785 Line 926 of "builtin.c" starts at pc 0x63e4 and ends at 0x6404.
6786 @end smallexample
6787
6788 @cindex @code{$_} and @code{info line}
6789 @cindex @code{x} command, default address
6790 @kindex x@r{(examine), and} info line
6791 After @code{info line}, the default address for the @code{x} command
6792 is changed to the starting address of the line, so that @samp{x/i} is
6793 sufficient to begin examining the machine code (@pxref{Memory,
6794 ,Examining Memory}). Also, this address is saved as the value of the
6795 convenience variable @code{$_} (@pxref{Convenience Vars, ,Convenience
6796 Variables}).
6797
6798 @table @code
6799 @kindex disassemble
6800 @cindex assembly instructions
6801 @cindex instructions, assembly
6802 @cindex machine instructions
6803 @cindex listing machine instructions
6804 @item disassemble
6805 @itemx disassemble /m
6806 @itemx disassemble /r
6807 This specialized command dumps a range of memory as machine
6808 instructions. It can also print mixed source+disassembly by specifying
6809 the @code{/m} modifier and print the raw instructions in hex as well as
6810 in symbolic form by specifying the @code{/r}.
6811 The default memory range is the function surrounding the
6812 program counter of the selected frame. A single argument to this
6813 command is a program counter value; @value{GDBN} dumps the function
6814 surrounding this value. When two arguments are given, they should
6815 be separated by a comma, possibly surrounded by whitespace. The
6816 arguments specify a range of addresses to dump, in one of two forms:
6817
6818 @table @code
6819 @item @var{start},@var{end}
6820 the addresses from @var{start} (inclusive) to @var{end} (exclusive)
6821 @item @var{start},+@var{length}
6822 the addresses from @var{start} (inclusive) to
6823 @code{@var{start}+@var{length}} (exclusive).
6824 @end table
6825
6826 @noindent
6827 When 2 arguments are specified, the name of the function is also
6828 printed (since there could be several functions in the given range).
6829
6830 The argument(s) can be any expression yielding a numeric value, such as
6831 @samp{0x32c4}, @samp{&main+10} or @samp{$pc - 8}.
6832
6833 If the range of memory being disassembled contains current program counter,
6834 the instruction at that location is shown with a @code{=>} marker.
6835 @end table
6836
6837 The following example shows the disassembly of a range of addresses of
6838 HP PA-RISC 2.0 code:
6839
6840 @smallexample
6841 (@value{GDBP}) disas 0x32c4, 0x32e4
6842 Dump of assembler code from 0x32c4 to 0x32e4:
6843 0x32c4 <main+204>: addil 0,dp
6844 0x32c8 <main+208>: ldw 0x22c(sr0,r1),r26
6845 0x32cc <main+212>: ldil 0x3000,r31
6846 0x32d0 <main+216>: ble 0x3f8(sr4,r31)
6847 0x32d4 <main+220>: ldo 0(r31),rp
6848 0x32d8 <main+224>: addil -0x800,dp
6849 0x32dc <main+228>: ldo 0x588(r1),r26
6850 0x32e0 <main+232>: ldil 0x3000,r31
6851 End of assembler dump.
6852 @end smallexample
6853
6854 Here is an example showing mixed source+assembly for Intel x86, when the
6855 program is stopped just after function prologue:
6856
6857 @smallexample
6858 (@value{GDBP}) disas /m main
6859 Dump of assembler code for function main:
6860 5 @{
6861 0x08048330 <+0>: push %ebp
6862 0x08048331 <+1>: mov %esp,%ebp
6863 0x08048333 <+3>: sub $0x8,%esp
6864 0x08048336 <+6>: and $0xfffffff0,%esp
6865 0x08048339 <+9>: sub $0x10,%esp
6866
6867 6 printf ("Hello.\n");
6868 => 0x0804833c <+12>: movl $0x8048440,(%esp)
6869 0x08048343 <+19>: call 0x8048284 <puts@@plt>
6870
6871 7 return 0;
6872 8 @}
6873 0x08048348 <+24>: mov $0x0,%eax
6874 0x0804834d <+29>: leave
6875 0x0804834e <+30>: ret
6876
6877 End of assembler dump.
6878 @end smallexample
6879
6880 Here is another example showing raw instructions in hex for AMD x86-64,
6881
6882 @smallexample
6883 (gdb) disas /r 0x400281,+10
6884 Dump of assembler code from 0x400281 to 0x40028b:
6885 0x0000000000400281: 38 36 cmp %dh,(%rsi)
6886 0x0000000000400283: 2d 36 34 2e 73 sub $0x732e3436,%eax
6887 0x0000000000400288: 6f outsl %ds:(%rsi),(%dx)
6888 0x0000000000400289: 2e 32 00 xor %cs:(%rax),%al
6889 End of assembler dump.
6890 @end smallexample
6891
6892 Some architectures have more than one commonly-used set of instruction
6893 mnemonics or other syntax.
6894
6895 For programs that were dynamically linked and use shared libraries,
6896 instructions that call functions or branch to locations in the shared
6897 libraries might show a seemingly bogus location---it's actually a
6898 location of the relocation table. On some architectures, @value{GDBN}
6899 might be able to resolve these to actual function names.
6900
6901 @table @code
6902 @kindex set disassembly-flavor
6903 @cindex Intel disassembly flavor
6904 @cindex AT&T disassembly flavor
6905 @item set disassembly-flavor @var{instruction-set}
6906 Select the instruction set to use when disassembling the
6907 program via the @code{disassemble} or @code{x/i} commands.
6908
6909 Currently this command is only defined for the Intel x86 family. You
6910 can set @var{instruction-set} to either @code{intel} or @code{att}.
6911 The default is @code{att}, the AT&T flavor used by default by Unix
6912 assemblers for x86-based targets.
6913
6914 @kindex show disassembly-flavor
6915 @item show disassembly-flavor
6916 Show the current setting of the disassembly flavor.
6917 @end table
6918
6919 @table @code
6920 @kindex set disassemble-next-line
6921 @kindex show disassemble-next-line
6922 @item set disassemble-next-line
6923 @itemx show disassemble-next-line
6924 Control whether or not @value{GDBN} will disassemble the next source
6925 line or instruction when execution stops. If ON, @value{GDBN} will
6926 display disassembly of the next source line when execution of the
6927 program being debugged stops. This is @emph{in addition} to
6928 displaying the source line itself, which @value{GDBN} always does if
6929 possible. If the next source line cannot be displayed for some reason
6930 (e.g., if @value{GDBN} cannot find the source file, or there's no line
6931 info in the debug info), @value{GDBN} will display disassembly of the
6932 next @emph{instruction} instead of showing the next source line. If
6933 AUTO, @value{GDBN} will display disassembly of next instruction only
6934 if the source line cannot be displayed. This setting causes
6935 @value{GDBN} to display some feedback when you step through a function
6936 with no line info or whose source file is unavailable. The default is
6937 OFF, which means never display the disassembly of the next line or
6938 instruction.
6939 @end table
6940
6941
6942 @node Data
6943 @chapter Examining Data
6944
6945 @cindex printing data
6946 @cindex examining data
6947 @kindex print
6948 @kindex inspect
6949 @c "inspect" is not quite a synonym if you are using Epoch, which we do not
6950 @c document because it is nonstandard... Under Epoch it displays in a
6951 @c different window or something like that.
6952 The usual way to examine data in your program is with the @code{print}
6953 command (abbreviated @code{p}), or its synonym @code{inspect}. It
6954 evaluates and prints the value of an expression of the language your
6955 program is written in (@pxref{Languages, ,Using @value{GDBN} with
6956 Different Languages}). It may also print the expression using a
6957 Python-based pretty-printer (@pxref{Pretty Printing}).
6958
6959 @table @code
6960 @item print @var{expr}
6961 @itemx print /@var{f} @var{expr}
6962 @var{expr} is an expression (in the source language). By default the
6963 value of @var{expr} is printed in a format appropriate to its data type;
6964 you can choose a different format by specifying @samp{/@var{f}}, where
6965 @var{f} is a letter specifying the format; see @ref{Output Formats,,Output
6966 Formats}.
6967
6968 @item print
6969 @itemx print /@var{f}
6970 @cindex reprint the last value
6971 If you omit @var{expr}, @value{GDBN} displays the last value again (from the
6972 @dfn{value history}; @pxref{Value History, ,Value History}). This allows you to
6973 conveniently inspect the same value in an alternative format.
6974 @end table
6975
6976 A more low-level way of examining data is with the @code{x} command.
6977 It examines data in memory at a specified address and prints it in a
6978 specified format. @xref{Memory, ,Examining Memory}.
6979
6980 If you are interested in information about types, or about how the
6981 fields of a struct or a class are declared, use the @code{ptype @var{exp}}
6982 command rather than @code{print}. @xref{Symbols, ,Examining the Symbol
6983 Table}.
6984
6985 @menu
6986 * Expressions:: Expressions
6987 * Ambiguous Expressions:: Ambiguous Expressions
6988 * Variables:: Program variables
6989 * Arrays:: Artificial arrays
6990 * Output Formats:: Output formats
6991 * Memory:: Examining memory
6992 * Auto Display:: Automatic display
6993 * Print Settings:: Print settings
6994 * Pretty Printing:: Python pretty printing
6995 * Value History:: Value history
6996 * Convenience Vars:: Convenience variables
6997 * Registers:: Registers
6998 * Floating Point Hardware:: Floating point hardware
6999 * Vector Unit:: Vector Unit
7000 * OS Information:: Auxiliary data provided by operating system
7001 * Memory Region Attributes:: Memory region attributes
7002 * Dump/Restore Files:: Copy between memory and a file
7003 * Core File Generation:: Cause a program dump its core
7004 * Character Sets:: Debugging programs that use a different
7005 character set than GDB does
7006 * Caching Remote Data:: Data caching for remote targets
7007 * Searching Memory:: Searching memory for a sequence of bytes
7008 @end menu
7009
7010 @node Expressions
7011 @section Expressions
7012
7013 @cindex expressions
7014 @code{print} and many other @value{GDBN} commands accept an expression and
7015 compute its value. Any kind of constant, variable or operator defined
7016 by the programming language you are using is valid in an expression in
7017 @value{GDBN}. This includes conditional expressions, function calls,
7018 casts, and string constants. It also includes preprocessor macros, if
7019 you compiled your program to include this information; see
7020 @ref{Compilation}.
7021
7022 @cindex arrays in expressions
7023 @value{GDBN} supports array constants in expressions input by
7024 the user. The syntax is @{@var{element}, @var{element}@dots{}@}. For example,
7025 you can use the command @code{print @{1, 2, 3@}} to create an array
7026 of three integers. If you pass an array to a function or assign it
7027 to a program variable, @value{GDBN} copies the array to memory that
7028 is @code{malloc}ed in the target program.
7029
7030 Because C is so widespread, most of the expressions shown in examples in
7031 this manual are in C. @xref{Languages, , Using @value{GDBN} with Different
7032 Languages}, for information on how to use expressions in other
7033 languages.
7034
7035 In this section, we discuss operators that you can use in @value{GDBN}
7036 expressions regardless of your programming language.
7037
7038 @cindex casts, in expressions
7039 Casts are supported in all languages, not just in C, because it is so
7040 useful to cast a number into a pointer in order to examine a structure
7041 at that address in memory.
7042 @c FIXME: casts supported---Mod2 true?
7043
7044 @value{GDBN} supports these operators, in addition to those common
7045 to programming languages:
7046
7047 @table @code
7048 @item @@
7049 @samp{@@} is a binary operator for treating parts of memory as arrays.
7050 @xref{Arrays, ,Artificial Arrays}, for more information.
7051
7052 @item ::
7053 @samp{::} allows you to specify a variable in terms of the file or
7054 function where it is defined. @xref{Variables, ,Program Variables}.
7055
7056 @cindex @{@var{type}@}
7057 @cindex type casting memory
7058 @cindex memory, viewing as typed object
7059 @cindex casts, to view memory
7060 @item @{@var{type}@} @var{addr}
7061 Refers to an object of type @var{type} stored at address @var{addr} in
7062 memory. @var{addr} may be any expression whose value is an integer or
7063 pointer (but parentheses are required around binary operators, just as in
7064 a cast). This construct is allowed regardless of what kind of data is
7065 normally supposed to reside at @var{addr}.
7066 @end table
7067
7068 @node Ambiguous Expressions
7069 @section Ambiguous Expressions
7070 @cindex ambiguous expressions
7071
7072 Expressions can sometimes contain some ambiguous elements. For instance,
7073 some programming languages (notably Ada, C@t{++} and Objective-C) permit
7074 a single function name to be defined several times, for application in
7075 different contexts. This is called @dfn{overloading}. Another example
7076 involving Ada is generics. A @dfn{generic package} is similar to C@t{++}
7077 templates and is typically instantiated several times, resulting in
7078 the same function name being defined in different contexts.
7079
7080 In some cases and depending on the language, it is possible to adjust
7081 the expression to remove the ambiguity. For instance in C@t{++}, you
7082 can specify the signature of the function you want to break on, as in
7083 @kbd{break @var{function}(@var{types})}. In Ada, using the fully
7084 qualified name of your function often makes the expression unambiguous
7085 as well.
7086
7087 When an ambiguity that needs to be resolved is detected, the debugger
7088 has the capability to display a menu of numbered choices for each
7089 possibility, and then waits for the selection with the prompt @samp{>}.
7090 The first option is always @samp{[0] cancel}, and typing @kbd{0 @key{RET}}
7091 aborts the current command. If the command in which the expression was
7092 used allows more than one choice to be selected, the next option in the
7093 menu is @samp{[1] all}, and typing @kbd{1 @key{RET}} selects all possible
7094 choices.
7095
7096 For example, the following session excerpt shows an attempt to set a
7097 breakpoint at the overloaded symbol @code{String::after}.
7098 We choose three particular definitions of that function name:
7099
7100 @c FIXME! This is likely to change to show arg type lists, at least
7101 @smallexample
7102 @group
7103 (@value{GDBP}) b String::after
7104 [0] cancel
7105 [1] all
7106 [2] file:String.cc; line number:867
7107 [3] file:String.cc; line number:860
7108 [4] file:String.cc; line number:875
7109 [5] file:String.cc; line number:853
7110 [6] file:String.cc; line number:846
7111 [7] file:String.cc; line number:735
7112 > 2 4 6
7113 Breakpoint 1 at 0xb26c: file String.cc, line 867.
7114 Breakpoint 2 at 0xb344: file String.cc, line 875.
7115 Breakpoint 3 at 0xafcc: file String.cc, line 846.
7116 Multiple breakpoints were set.
7117 Use the "delete" command to delete unwanted
7118 breakpoints.
7119 (@value{GDBP})
7120 @end group
7121 @end smallexample
7122
7123 @table @code
7124 @kindex set multiple-symbols
7125 @item set multiple-symbols @var{mode}
7126 @cindex multiple-symbols menu
7127
7128 This option allows you to adjust the debugger behavior when an expression
7129 is ambiguous.
7130
7131 By default, @var{mode} is set to @code{all}. If the command with which
7132 the expression is used allows more than one choice, then @value{GDBN}
7133 automatically selects all possible choices. For instance, inserting
7134 a breakpoint on a function using an ambiguous name results in a breakpoint
7135 inserted on each possible match. However, if a unique choice must be made,
7136 then @value{GDBN} uses the menu to help you disambiguate the expression.
7137 For instance, printing the address of an overloaded function will result
7138 in the use of the menu.
7139
7140 When @var{mode} is set to @code{ask}, the debugger always uses the menu
7141 when an ambiguity is detected.
7142
7143 Finally, when @var{mode} is set to @code{cancel}, the debugger reports
7144 an error due to the ambiguity and the command is aborted.
7145
7146 @kindex show multiple-symbols
7147 @item show multiple-symbols
7148 Show the current value of the @code{multiple-symbols} setting.
7149 @end table
7150
7151 @node Variables
7152 @section Program Variables
7153
7154 The most common kind of expression to use is the name of a variable
7155 in your program.
7156
7157 Variables in expressions are understood in the selected stack frame
7158 (@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}); they must be either:
7159
7160 @itemize @bullet
7161 @item
7162 global (or file-static)
7163 @end itemize
7164
7165 @noindent or
7166
7167 @itemize @bullet
7168 @item
7169 visible according to the scope rules of the
7170 programming language from the point of execution in that frame
7171 @end itemize
7172
7173 @noindent This means that in the function
7174
7175 @smallexample
7176 foo (a)
7177 int a;
7178 @{
7179 bar (a);
7180 @{
7181 int b = test ();
7182 bar (b);
7183 @}
7184 @}
7185 @end smallexample
7186
7187 @noindent
7188 you can examine and use the variable @code{a} whenever your program is
7189 executing within the function @code{foo}, but you can only use or
7190 examine the variable @code{b} while your program is executing inside
7191 the block where @code{b} is declared.
7192
7193 @cindex variable name conflict
7194 There is an exception: you can refer to a variable or function whose
7195 scope is a single source file even if the current execution point is not
7196 in this file. But it is possible to have more than one such variable or
7197 function with the same name (in different source files). If that
7198 happens, referring to that name has unpredictable effects. If you wish,
7199 you can specify a static variable in a particular function or file,
7200 using the colon-colon (@code{::}) notation:
7201
7202 @cindex colon-colon, context for variables/functions
7203 @ifnotinfo
7204 @c info cannot cope with a :: index entry, but why deprive hard copy readers?
7205 @cindex @code{::}, context for variables/functions
7206 @end ifnotinfo
7207 @smallexample
7208 @var{file}::@var{variable}
7209 @var{function}::@var{variable}
7210 @end smallexample
7211
7212 @noindent
7213 Here @var{file} or @var{function} is the name of the context for the
7214 static @var{variable}. In the case of file names, you can use quotes to
7215 make sure @value{GDBN} parses the file name as a single word---for example,
7216 to print a global value of @code{x} defined in @file{f2.c}:
7217
7218 @smallexample
7219 (@value{GDBP}) p 'f2.c'::x
7220 @end smallexample
7221
7222 @cindex C@t{++} scope resolution
7223 This use of @samp{::} is very rarely in conflict with the very similar
7224 use of the same notation in C@t{++}. @value{GDBN} also supports use of the C@t{++}
7225 scope resolution operator in @value{GDBN} expressions.
7226 @c FIXME: Um, so what happens in one of those rare cases where it's in
7227 @c conflict?? --mew
7228
7229 @cindex wrong values
7230 @cindex variable values, wrong
7231 @cindex function entry/exit, wrong values of variables
7232 @cindex optimized code, wrong values of variables
7233 @quotation
7234 @emph{Warning:} Occasionally, a local variable may appear to have the
7235 wrong value at certain points in a function---just after entry to a new
7236 scope, and just before exit.
7237 @end quotation
7238 You may see this problem when you are stepping by machine instructions.
7239 This is because, on most machines, it takes more than one instruction to
7240 set up a stack frame (including local variable definitions); if you are
7241 stepping by machine instructions, variables may appear to have the wrong
7242 values until the stack frame is completely built. On exit, it usually
7243 also takes more than one machine instruction to destroy a stack frame;
7244 after you begin stepping through that group of instructions, local
7245 variable definitions may be gone.
7246
7247 This may also happen when the compiler does significant optimizations.
7248 To be sure of always seeing accurate values, turn off all optimization
7249 when compiling.
7250
7251 @cindex ``No symbol "foo" in current context''
7252 Another possible effect of compiler optimizations is to optimize
7253 unused variables out of existence, or assign variables to registers (as
7254 opposed to memory addresses). Depending on the support for such cases
7255 offered by the debug info format used by the compiler, @value{GDBN}
7256 might not be able to display values for such local variables. If that
7257 happens, @value{GDBN} will print a message like this:
7258
7259 @smallexample
7260 No symbol "foo" in current context.
7261 @end smallexample
7262
7263 To solve such problems, either recompile without optimizations, or use a
7264 different debug info format, if the compiler supports several such
7265 formats. For example, @value{NGCC}, the @sc{gnu} C/C@t{++} compiler,
7266 usually supports the @option{-gstabs+} option. @option{-gstabs+}
7267 produces debug info in a format that is superior to formats such as
7268 COFF. You may be able to use DWARF 2 (@option{-gdwarf-2}), which is also
7269 an effective form for debug info. @xref{Debugging Options,,Options
7270 for Debugging Your Program or GCC, gcc.info, Using the @sc{gnu}
7271 Compiler Collection (GCC)}.
7272 @xref{C, ,C and C@t{++}}, for more information about debug info formats
7273 that are best suited to C@t{++} programs.
7274
7275 If you ask to print an object whose contents are unknown to
7276 @value{GDBN}, e.g., because its data type is not completely specified
7277 by the debug information, @value{GDBN} will say @samp{<incomplete
7278 type>}. @xref{Symbols, incomplete type}, for more about this.
7279
7280 Strings are identified as arrays of @code{char} values without specified
7281 signedness. Arrays of either @code{signed char} or @code{unsigned char} get
7282 printed as arrays of 1 byte sized integers. @code{-fsigned-char} or
7283 @code{-funsigned-char} @value{NGCC} options have no effect as @value{GDBN}
7284 defines literal string type @code{"char"} as @code{char} without a sign.
7285 For program code
7286
7287 @smallexample
7288 char var0[] = "A";
7289 signed char var1[] = "A";
7290 @end smallexample
7291
7292 You get during debugging
7293 @smallexample
7294 (gdb) print var0
7295 $1 = "A"
7296 (gdb) print var1
7297 $2 = @{65 'A', 0 '\0'@}
7298 @end smallexample
7299
7300 @node Arrays
7301 @section Artificial Arrays
7302
7303 @cindex artificial array
7304 @cindex arrays
7305 @kindex @@@r{, referencing memory as an array}
7306 It is often useful to print out several successive objects of the
7307 same type in memory; a section of an array, or an array of
7308 dynamically determined size for which only a pointer exists in the
7309 program.
7310
7311 You can do this by referring to a contiguous span of memory as an
7312 @dfn{artificial array}, using the binary operator @samp{@@}. The left
7313 operand of @samp{@@} should be the first element of the desired array
7314 and be an individual object. The right operand should be the desired length
7315 of the array. The result is an array value whose elements are all of
7316 the type of the left argument. The first element is actually the left
7317 argument; the second element comes from bytes of memory immediately
7318 following those that hold the first element, and so on. Here is an
7319 example. If a program says
7320
7321 @smallexample
7322 int *array = (int *) malloc (len * sizeof (int));
7323 @end smallexample
7324
7325 @noindent
7326 you can print the contents of @code{array} with
7327
7328 @smallexample
7329 p *array@@len
7330 @end smallexample
7331
7332 The left operand of @samp{@@} must reside in memory. Array values made
7333 with @samp{@@} in this way behave just like other arrays in terms of
7334 subscripting, and are coerced to pointers when used in expressions.
7335 Artificial arrays most often appear in expressions via the value history
7336 (@pxref{Value History, ,Value History}), after printing one out.
7337
7338 Another way to create an artificial array is to use a cast.
7339 This re-interprets a value as if it were an array.
7340 The value need not be in memory:
7341 @smallexample
7342 (@value{GDBP}) p/x (short[2])0x12345678
7343 $1 = @{0x1234, 0x5678@}
7344 @end smallexample
7345
7346 As a convenience, if you leave the array length out (as in
7347 @samp{(@var{type}[])@var{value}}) @value{GDBN} calculates the size to fill
7348 the value (as @samp{sizeof(@var{value})/sizeof(@var{type})}:
7349 @smallexample
7350 (@value{GDBP}) p/x (short[])0x12345678
7351 $2 = @{0x1234, 0x5678@}
7352 @end smallexample
7353
7354 Sometimes the artificial array mechanism is not quite enough; in
7355 moderately complex data structures, the elements of interest may not
7356 actually be adjacent---for example, if you are interested in the values
7357 of pointers in an array. One useful work-around in this situation is
7358 to use a convenience variable (@pxref{Convenience Vars, ,Convenience
7359 Variables}) as a counter in an expression that prints the first
7360 interesting value, and then repeat that expression via @key{RET}. For
7361 instance, suppose you have an array @code{dtab} of pointers to
7362 structures, and you are interested in the values of a field @code{fv}
7363 in each structure. Here is an example of what you might type:
7364
7365 @smallexample
7366 set $i = 0
7367 p dtab[$i++]->fv
7368 @key{RET}
7369 @key{RET}
7370 @dots{}
7371 @end smallexample
7372
7373 @node Output Formats
7374 @section Output Formats
7375
7376 @cindex formatted output
7377 @cindex output formats
7378 By default, @value{GDBN} prints a value according to its data type. Sometimes
7379 this is not what you want. For example, you might want to print a number
7380 in hex, or a pointer in decimal. Or you might want to view data in memory
7381 at a certain address as a character string or as an instruction. To do
7382 these things, specify an @dfn{output format} when you print a value.
7383
7384 The simplest use of output formats is to say how to print a value
7385 already computed. This is done by starting the arguments of the
7386 @code{print} command with a slash and a format letter. The format
7387 letters supported are:
7388
7389 @table @code
7390 @item x
7391 Regard the bits of the value as an integer, and print the integer in
7392 hexadecimal.
7393
7394 @item d
7395 Print as integer in signed decimal.
7396
7397 @item u
7398 Print as integer in unsigned decimal.
7399
7400 @item o
7401 Print as integer in octal.
7402
7403 @item t
7404 Print as integer in binary. The letter @samp{t} stands for ``two''.
7405 @footnote{@samp{b} cannot be used because these format letters are also
7406 used with the @code{x} command, where @samp{b} stands for ``byte'';
7407 see @ref{Memory,,Examining Memory}.}
7408
7409 @item a
7410 @cindex unknown address, locating
7411 @cindex locate address
7412 Print as an address, both absolute in hexadecimal and as an offset from
7413 the nearest preceding symbol. You can use this format used to discover
7414 where (in what function) an unknown address is located:
7415
7416 @smallexample
7417 (@value{GDBP}) p/a 0x54320
7418 $3 = 0x54320 <_initialize_vx+396>
7419 @end smallexample
7420
7421 @noindent
7422 The command @code{info symbol 0x54320} yields similar results.
7423 @xref{Symbols, info symbol}.
7424
7425 @item c
7426 Regard as an integer and print it as a character constant. This
7427 prints both the numerical value and its character representation. The
7428 character representation is replaced with the octal escape @samp{\nnn}
7429 for characters outside the 7-bit @sc{ascii} range.
7430
7431 Without this format, @value{GDBN} displays @code{char},
7432 @w{@code{unsigned char}}, and @w{@code{signed char}} data as character
7433 constants. Single-byte members of vectors are displayed as integer
7434 data.
7435
7436 @item f
7437 Regard the bits of the value as a floating point number and print
7438 using typical floating point syntax.
7439
7440 @item s
7441 @cindex printing strings
7442 @cindex printing byte arrays
7443 Regard as a string, if possible. With this format, pointers to single-byte
7444 data are displayed as null-terminated strings and arrays of single-byte data
7445 are displayed as fixed-length strings. Other values are displayed in their
7446 natural types.
7447
7448 Without this format, @value{GDBN} displays pointers to and arrays of
7449 @code{char}, @w{@code{unsigned char}}, and @w{@code{signed char}} as
7450 strings. Single-byte members of a vector are displayed as an integer
7451 array.
7452
7453 @item r
7454 @cindex raw printing
7455 Print using the @samp{raw} formatting. By default, @value{GDBN} will
7456 use a Python-based pretty-printer, if one is available (@pxref{Pretty
7457 Printing}). This typically results in a higher-level display of the
7458 value's contents. The @samp{r} format bypasses any Python
7459 pretty-printer which might exist.
7460 @end table
7461
7462 For example, to print the program counter in hex (@pxref{Registers}), type
7463
7464 @smallexample
7465 p/x $pc
7466 @end smallexample
7467
7468 @noindent
7469 Note that no space is required before the slash; this is because command
7470 names in @value{GDBN} cannot contain a slash.
7471
7472 To reprint the last value in the value history with a different format,
7473 you can use the @code{print} command with just a format and no
7474 expression. For example, @samp{p/x} reprints the last value in hex.
7475
7476 @node Memory
7477 @section Examining Memory
7478
7479 You can use the command @code{x} (for ``examine'') to examine memory in
7480 any of several formats, independently of your program's data types.
7481
7482 @cindex examining memory
7483 @table @code
7484 @kindex x @r{(examine memory)}
7485 @item x/@var{nfu} @var{addr}
7486 @itemx x @var{addr}
7487 @itemx x
7488 Use the @code{x} command to examine memory.
7489 @end table
7490
7491 @var{n}, @var{f}, and @var{u} are all optional parameters that specify how
7492 much memory to display and how to format it; @var{addr} is an
7493 expression giving the address where you want to start displaying memory.
7494 If you use defaults for @var{nfu}, you need not type the slash @samp{/}.
7495 Several commands set convenient defaults for @var{addr}.
7496
7497 @table @r
7498 @item @var{n}, the repeat count
7499 The repeat count is a decimal integer; the default is 1. It specifies
7500 how much memory (counting by units @var{u}) to display.
7501 @c This really is **decimal**; unaffected by 'set radix' as of GDB
7502 @c 4.1.2.
7503
7504 @item @var{f}, the display format
7505 The display format is one of the formats used by @code{print}
7506 (@samp{x}, @samp{d}, @samp{u}, @samp{o}, @samp{t}, @samp{a}, @samp{c},
7507 @samp{f}, @samp{s}), and in addition @samp{i} (for machine instructions).
7508 The default is @samp{x} (hexadecimal) initially. The default changes
7509 each time you use either @code{x} or @code{print}.
7510
7511 @item @var{u}, the unit size
7512 The unit size is any of
7513
7514 @table @code
7515 @item b
7516 Bytes.
7517 @item h
7518 Halfwords (two bytes).
7519 @item w
7520 Words (four bytes). This is the initial default.
7521 @item g
7522 Giant words (eight bytes).
7523 @end table
7524
7525 Each time you specify a unit size with @code{x}, that size becomes the
7526 default unit the next time you use @code{x}. For the @samp{i} format,
7527 the unit size is ignored and is normally not written. For the @samp{s} format,
7528 the unit size defaults to @samp{b}, unless it is explicitly given.
7529 Use @kbd{x /hs} to display 16-bit char strings and @kbd{x /ws} to display
7530 32-bit strings. The next use of @kbd{x /s} will again display 8-bit strings.
7531 Note that the results depend on the programming language of the
7532 current compilation unit. If the language is C, the @samp{s}
7533 modifier will use the UTF-16 encoding while @samp{w} will use
7534 UTF-32. The encoding is set by the programming language and cannot
7535 be altered.
7536
7537 @item @var{addr}, starting display address
7538 @var{addr} is the address where you want @value{GDBN} to begin displaying
7539 memory. The expression need not have a pointer value (though it may);
7540 it is always interpreted as an integer address of a byte of memory.
7541 @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}, for more information on expressions. The default for
7542 @var{addr} is usually just after the last address examined---but several
7543 other commands also set the default address: @code{info breakpoints} (to
7544 the address of the last breakpoint listed), @code{info line} (to the
7545 starting address of a line), and @code{print} (if you use it to display
7546 a value from memory).
7547 @end table
7548
7549 For example, @samp{x/3uh 0x54320} is a request to display three halfwords
7550 (@code{h}) of memory, formatted as unsigned decimal integers (@samp{u}),
7551 starting at address @code{0x54320}. @samp{x/4xw $sp} prints the four
7552 words (@samp{w}) of memory above the stack pointer (here, @samp{$sp};
7553 @pxref{Registers, ,Registers}) in hexadecimal (@samp{x}).
7554
7555 Since the letters indicating unit sizes are all distinct from the
7556 letters specifying output formats, you do not have to remember whether
7557 unit size or format comes first; either order works. The output
7558 specifications @samp{4xw} and @samp{4wx} mean exactly the same thing.
7559 (However, the count @var{n} must come first; @samp{wx4} does not work.)
7560
7561 Even though the unit size @var{u} is ignored for the formats @samp{s}
7562 and @samp{i}, you might still want to use a count @var{n}; for example,
7563 @samp{3i} specifies that you want to see three machine instructions,
7564 including any operands. For convenience, especially when used with
7565 the @code{display} command, the @samp{i} format also prints branch delay
7566 slot instructions, if any, beyond the count specified, which immediately
7567 follow the last instruction that is within the count. The command
7568 @code{disassemble} gives an alternative way of inspecting machine
7569 instructions; see @ref{Machine Code,,Source and Machine Code}.
7570
7571 All the defaults for the arguments to @code{x} are designed to make it
7572 easy to continue scanning memory with minimal specifications each time
7573 you use @code{x}. For example, after you have inspected three machine
7574 instructions with @samp{x/3i @var{addr}}, you can inspect the next seven
7575 with just @samp{x/7}. If you use @key{RET} to repeat the @code{x} command,
7576 the repeat count @var{n} is used again; the other arguments default as
7577 for successive uses of @code{x}.
7578
7579 When examining machine instructions, the instruction at current program
7580 counter is shown with a @code{=>} marker. For example:
7581
7582 @smallexample
7583 (@value{GDBP}) x/5i $pc-6
7584 0x804837f <main+11>: mov %esp,%ebp
7585 0x8048381 <main+13>: push %ecx
7586 0x8048382 <main+14>: sub $0x4,%esp
7587 => 0x8048385 <main+17>: movl $0x8048460,(%esp)
7588 0x804838c <main+24>: call 0x80482d4 <puts@@plt>
7589 @end smallexample
7590
7591 @cindex @code{$_}, @code{$__}, and value history
7592 The addresses and contents printed by the @code{x} command are not saved
7593 in the value history because there is often too much of them and they
7594 would get in the way. Instead, @value{GDBN} makes these values available for
7595 subsequent use in expressions as values of the convenience variables
7596 @code{$_} and @code{$__}. After an @code{x} command, the last address
7597 examined is available for use in expressions in the convenience variable
7598 @code{$_}. The contents of that address, as examined, are available in
7599 the convenience variable @code{$__}.
7600
7601 If the @code{x} command has a repeat count, the address and contents saved
7602 are from the last memory unit printed; this is not the same as the last
7603 address printed if several units were printed on the last line of output.
7604
7605 @cindex remote memory comparison
7606 @cindex verify remote memory image
7607 When you are debugging a program running on a remote target machine
7608 (@pxref{Remote Debugging}), you may wish to verify the program's image in the
7609 remote machine's memory against the executable file you downloaded to
7610 the target. The @code{compare-sections} command is provided for such
7611 situations.
7612
7613 @table @code
7614 @kindex compare-sections
7615 @item compare-sections @r{[}@var{section-name}@r{]}
7616 Compare the data of a loadable section @var{section-name} in the
7617 executable file of the program being debugged with the same section in
7618 the remote machine's memory, and report any mismatches. With no
7619 arguments, compares all loadable sections. This command's
7620 availability depends on the target's support for the @code{"qCRC"}
7621 remote request.
7622 @end table
7623
7624 @node Auto Display
7625 @section Automatic Display
7626 @cindex automatic display
7627 @cindex display of expressions
7628
7629 If you find that you want to print the value of an expression frequently
7630 (to see how it changes), you might want to add it to the @dfn{automatic
7631 display list} so that @value{GDBN} prints its value each time your program stops.
7632 Each expression added to the list is given a number to identify it;
7633 to remove an expression from the list, you specify that number.
7634 The automatic display looks like this:
7635
7636 @smallexample
7637 2: foo = 38
7638 3: bar[5] = (struct hack *) 0x3804
7639 @end smallexample
7640
7641 @noindent
7642 This display shows item numbers, expressions and their current values. As with
7643 displays you request manually using @code{x} or @code{print}, you can
7644 specify the output format you prefer; in fact, @code{display} decides
7645 whether to use @code{print} or @code{x} depending your format
7646 specification---it uses @code{x} if you specify either the @samp{i}
7647 or @samp{s} format, or a unit size; otherwise it uses @code{print}.
7648
7649 @table @code
7650 @kindex display
7651 @item display @var{expr}
7652 Add the expression @var{expr} to the list of expressions to display
7653 each time your program stops. @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}.
7654
7655 @code{display} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} again after using it.
7656
7657 @item display/@var{fmt} @var{expr}
7658 For @var{fmt} specifying only a display format and not a size or
7659 count, add the expression @var{expr} to the auto-display list but
7660 arrange to display it each time in the specified format @var{fmt}.
7661 @xref{Output Formats,,Output Formats}.
7662
7663 @item display/@var{fmt} @var{addr}
7664 For @var{fmt} @samp{i} or @samp{s}, or including a unit-size or a
7665 number of units, add the expression @var{addr} as a memory address to
7666 be examined each time your program stops. Examining means in effect
7667 doing @samp{x/@var{fmt} @var{addr}}. @xref{Memory, ,Examining Memory}.
7668 @end table
7669
7670 For example, @samp{display/i $pc} can be helpful, to see the machine
7671 instruction about to be executed each time execution stops (@samp{$pc}
7672 is a common name for the program counter; @pxref{Registers, ,Registers}).
7673
7674 @table @code
7675 @kindex delete display
7676 @kindex undisplay
7677 @item undisplay @var{dnums}@dots{}
7678 @itemx delete display @var{dnums}@dots{}
7679 Remove items from the list of expressions to display. Specify the
7680 numbers of the displays that you want affected with the command
7681 argument @var{dnums}. It can be a single display number, one of the
7682 numbers shown in the first field of the @samp{info display} display;
7683 or it could be a range of display numbers, as in @code{2-4}.
7684
7685 @code{undisplay} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} after using it.
7686 (Otherwise you would just get the error @samp{No display number @dots{}}.)
7687
7688 @kindex disable display
7689 @item disable display @var{dnums}@dots{}
7690 Disable the display of item numbers @var{dnums}. A disabled display
7691 item is not printed automatically, but is not forgotten. It may be
7692 enabled again later. Specify the numbers of the displays that you
7693 want affected with the command argument @var{dnums}. It can be a
7694 single display number, one of the numbers shown in the first field of
7695 the @samp{info display} display; or it could be a range of display
7696 numbers, as in @code{2-4}.
7697
7698 @kindex enable display
7699 @item enable display @var{dnums}@dots{}
7700 Enable display of item numbers @var{dnums}. It becomes effective once
7701 again in auto display of its expression, until you specify otherwise.
7702 Specify the numbers of the displays that you want affected with the
7703 command argument @var{dnums}. It can be a single display number, one
7704 of the numbers shown in the first field of the @samp{info display}
7705 display; or it could be a range of display numbers, as in @code{2-4}.
7706
7707 @item display
7708 Display the current values of the expressions on the list, just as is
7709 done when your program stops.
7710
7711 @kindex info display
7712 @item info display
7713 Print the list of expressions previously set up to display
7714 automatically, each one with its item number, but without showing the
7715 values. This includes disabled expressions, which are marked as such.
7716 It also includes expressions which would not be displayed right now
7717 because they refer to automatic variables not currently available.
7718 @end table
7719
7720 @cindex display disabled out of scope
7721 If a display expression refers to local variables, then it does not make
7722 sense outside the lexical context for which it was set up. Such an
7723 expression is disabled when execution enters a context where one of its
7724 variables is not defined. For example, if you give the command
7725 @code{display last_char} while inside a function with an argument
7726 @code{last_char}, @value{GDBN} displays this argument while your program
7727 continues to stop inside that function. When it stops elsewhere---where
7728 there is no variable @code{last_char}---the display is disabled
7729 automatically. The next time your program stops where @code{last_char}
7730 is meaningful, you can enable the display expression once again.
7731
7732 @node Print Settings
7733 @section Print Settings
7734
7735 @cindex format options
7736 @cindex print settings
7737 @value{GDBN} provides the following ways to control how arrays, structures,
7738 and symbols are printed.
7739
7740 @noindent
7741 These settings are useful for debugging programs in any language:
7742
7743 @table @code
7744 @kindex set print
7745 @item set print address
7746 @itemx set print address on
7747 @cindex print/don't print memory addresses
7748 @value{GDBN} prints memory addresses showing the location of stack
7749 traces, structure values, pointer values, breakpoints, and so forth,
7750 even when it also displays the contents of those addresses. The default
7751 is @code{on}. For example, this is what a stack frame display looks like with
7752 @code{set print address on}:
7753
7754 @smallexample
7755 @group
7756 (@value{GDBP}) f
7757 #0 set_quotes (lq=0x34c78 "<<", rq=0x34c88 ">>")
7758 at input.c:530
7759 530 if (lquote != def_lquote)
7760 @end group
7761 @end smallexample
7762
7763 @item set print address off
7764 Do not print addresses when displaying their contents. For example,
7765 this is the same stack frame displayed with @code{set print address off}:
7766
7767 @smallexample
7768 @group
7769 (@value{GDBP}) set print addr off
7770 (@value{GDBP}) f
7771 #0 set_quotes (lq="<<", rq=">>") at input.c:530
7772 530 if (lquote != def_lquote)
7773 @end group
7774 @end smallexample
7775
7776 You can use @samp{set print address off} to eliminate all machine
7777 dependent displays from the @value{GDBN} interface. For example, with
7778 @code{print address off}, you should get the same text for backtraces on
7779 all machines---whether or not they involve pointer arguments.
7780
7781 @kindex show print
7782 @item show print address
7783 Show whether or not addresses are to be printed.
7784 @end table
7785
7786 When @value{GDBN} prints a symbolic address, it normally prints the
7787 closest earlier symbol plus an offset. If that symbol does not uniquely
7788 identify the address (for example, it is a name whose scope is a single
7789 source file), you may need to clarify. One way to do this is with
7790 @code{info line}, for example @samp{info line *0x4537}. Alternately,
7791 you can set @value{GDBN} to print the source file and line number when
7792 it prints a symbolic address:
7793
7794 @table @code
7795 @item set print symbol-filename on
7796 @cindex source file and line of a symbol
7797 @cindex symbol, source file and line
7798 Tell @value{GDBN} to print the source file name and line number of a
7799 symbol in the symbolic form of an address.
7800
7801 @item set print symbol-filename off
7802 Do not print source file name and line number of a symbol. This is the
7803 default.
7804
7805 @item show print symbol-filename
7806 Show whether or not @value{GDBN} will print the source file name and
7807 line number of a symbol in the symbolic form of an address.
7808 @end table
7809
7810 Another situation where it is helpful to show symbol filenames and line
7811 numbers is when disassembling code; @value{GDBN} shows you the line
7812 number and source file that corresponds to each instruction.
7813
7814 Also, you may wish to see the symbolic form only if the address being
7815 printed is reasonably close to the closest earlier symbol:
7816
7817 @table @code
7818 @item set print max-symbolic-offset @var{max-offset}
7819 @cindex maximum value for offset of closest symbol
7820 Tell @value{GDBN} to only display the symbolic form of an address if the
7821 offset between the closest earlier symbol and the address is less than
7822 @var{max-offset}. The default is 0, which tells @value{GDBN}
7823 to always print the symbolic form of an address if any symbol precedes it.
7824
7825 @item show print max-symbolic-offset
7826 Ask how large the maximum offset is that @value{GDBN} prints in a
7827 symbolic address.
7828 @end table
7829
7830 @cindex wild pointer, interpreting
7831 @cindex pointer, finding referent
7832 If you have a pointer and you are not sure where it points, try
7833 @samp{set print symbol-filename on}. Then you can determine the name
7834 and source file location of the variable where it points, using
7835 @samp{p/a @var{pointer}}. This interprets the address in symbolic form.
7836 For example, here @value{GDBN} shows that a variable @code{ptt} points
7837 at another variable @code{t}, defined in @file{hi2.c}:
7838
7839 @smallexample
7840 (@value{GDBP}) set print symbol-filename on
7841 (@value{GDBP}) p/a ptt
7842 $4 = 0xe008 <t in hi2.c>
7843 @end smallexample
7844
7845 @quotation
7846 @emph{Warning:} For pointers that point to a local variable, @samp{p/a}
7847 does not show the symbol name and filename of the referent, even with
7848 the appropriate @code{set print} options turned on.
7849 @end quotation
7850
7851 Other settings control how different kinds of objects are printed:
7852
7853 @table @code
7854 @item set print array
7855 @itemx set print array on
7856 @cindex pretty print arrays
7857 Pretty print arrays. This format is more convenient to read,
7858 but uses more space. The default is off.
7859
7860 @item set print array off
7861 Return to compressed format for arrays.
7862
7863 @item show print array
7864 Show whether compressed or pretty format is selected for displaying
7865 arrays.
7866
7867 @cindex print array indexes
7868 @item set print array-indexes
7869 @itemx set print array-indexes on
7870 Print the index of each element when displaying arrays. May be more
7871 convenient to locate a given element in the array or quickly find the
7872 index of a given element in that printed array. The default is off.
7873
7874 @item set print array-indexes off
7875 Stop printing element indexes when displaying arrays.
7876
7877 @item show print array-indexes
7878 Show whether the index of each element is printed when displaying
7879 arrays.
7880
7881 @item set print elements @var{number-of-elements}
7882 @cindex number of array elements to print
7883 @cindex limit on number of printed array elements
7884 Set a limit on how many elements of an array @value{GDBN} will print.
7885 If @value{GDBN} is printing a large array, it stops printing after it has
7886 printed the number of elements set by the @code{set print elements} command.
7887 This limit also applies to the display of strings.
7888 When @value{GDBN} starts, this limit is set to 200.
7889 Setting @var{number-of-elements} to zero means that the printing is unlimited.
7890
7891 @item show print elements
7892 Display the number of elements of a large array that @value{GDBN} will print.
7893 If the number is 0, then the printing is unlimited.
7894
7895 @item set print frame-arguments @var{value}
7896 @kindex set print frame-arguments
7897 @cindex printing frame argument values
7898 @cindex print all frame argument values
7899 @cindex print frame argument values for scalars only
7900 @cindex do not print frame argument values
7901 This command allows to control how the values of arguments are printed
7902 when the debugger prints a frame (@pxref{Frames}). The possible
7903 values are:
7904
7905 @table @code
7906 @item all
7907 The values of all arguments are printed.
7908
7909 @item scalars
7910 Print the value of an argument only if it is a scalar. The value of more
7911 complex arguments such as arrays, structures, unions, etc, is replaced
7912 by @code{@dots{}}. This is the default. Here is an example where
7913 only scalar arguments are shown:
7914
7915 @smallexample
7916 #1 0x08048361 in call_me (i=3, s=@dots{}, ss=0xbf8d508c, u=@dots{}, e=green)
7917 at frame-args.c:23
7918 @end smallexample
7919
7920 @item none
7921 None of the argument values are printed. Instead, the value of each argument
7922 is replaced by @code{@dots{}}. In this case, the example above now becomes:
7923
7924 @smallexample
7925 #1 0x08048361 in call_me (i=@dots{}, s=@dots{}, ss=@dots{}, u=@dots{}, e=@dots{})
7926 at frame-args.c:23
7927 @end smallexample
7928 @end table
7929
7930 By default, only scalar arguments are printed. This command can be used
7931 to configure the debugger to print the value of all arguments, regardless
7932 of their type. However, it is often advantageous to not print the value
7933 of more complex parameters. For instance, it reduces the amount of
7934 information printed in each frame, making the backtrace more readable.
7935 Also, it improves performance when displaying Ada frames, because
7936 the computation of large arguments can sometimes be CPU-intensive,
7937 especially in large applications. Setting @code{print frame-arguments}
7938 to @code{scalars} (the default) or @code{none} avoids this computation,
7939 thus speeding up the display of each Ada frame.
7940
7941 @item show print frame-arguments
7942 Show how the value of arguments should be displayed when printing a frame.
7943
7944 @item set print entry-values @var{value}
7945 @kindex set print entry-values
7946 Set printing of frame argument values at function entry. In some cases
7947 @value{GDBN} can determine the value of function argument which was passed by
7948 the function caller, even if the value was modified inside the called function
7949 and therefore is different. With optimized code, the current value could be
7950 unavailable, but the entry value may still be known.
7951
7952 The default value is @code{default} (see below for its description). Older
7953 @value{GDBN} behaved as with the setting @code{no}. Compilers not supporting
7954 this feature will behave in the @code{default} setting the same way as with the
7955 @code{no} setting.
7956
7957 This functionality is currently supported only by DWARF 2 debugging format and
7958 the compiler has to produce @samp{DW_TAG_GNU_call_site} tags. With
7959 @value{NGCC}, you need to specify @option{-O -g} during compilation, to get
7960 this information.
7961
7962 The @var{value} parameter can be one of the following:
7963
7964 @table @code
7965 @item no
7966 Print only actual parameter values, never print values from function entry
7967 point.
7968 @smallexample
7969 #0 equal (val=5)
7970 #0 different (val=6)
7971 #0 lost (val=<optimized out>)
7972 #0 born (val=10)
7973 #0 invalid (val=<optimized out>)
7974 @end smallexample
7975
7976 @item only
7977 Print only parameter values from function entry point. The actual parameter
7978 values are never printed.
7979 @smallexample
7980 #0 equal (val@@entry=5)
7981 #0 different (val@@entry=5)
7982 #0 lost (val@@entry=5)
7983 #0 born (val@@entry=<optimized out>)
7984 #0 invalid (val@@entry=<optimized out>)
7985 @end smallexample
7986
7987 @item preferred
7988 Print only parameter values from function entry point. If value from function
7989 entry point is not known while the actual value is known, print the actual
7990 value for such parameter.
7991 @smallexample
7992 #0 equal (val@@entry=5)
7993 #0 different (val@@entry=5)
7994 #0 lost (val@@entry=5)
7995 #0 born (val=10)
7996 #0 invalid (val@@entry=<optimized out>)
7997 @end smallexample
7998
7999 @item if-needed
8000 Print actual parameter values. If actual parameter value is not known while
8001 value from function entry point is known, print the entry point value for such
8002 parameter.
8003 @smallexample
8004 #0 equal (val=5)
8005 #0 different (val=6)
8006 #0 lost (val@@entry=5)
8007 #0 born (val=10)
8008 #0 invalid (val=<optimized out>)
8009 @end smallexample
8010
8011 @item both
8012 Always print both the actual parameter value and its value from function entry
8013 point, even if values of one or both are not available due to compiler
8014 optimizations.
8015 @smallexample
8016 #0 equal (val=5, val@@entry=5)
8017 #0 different (val=6, val@@entry=5)
8018 #0 lost (val=<optimized out>, val@@entry=5)
8019 #0 born (val=10, val@@entry=<optimized out>)
8020 #0 invalid (val=<optimized out>, val@@entry=<optimized out>)
8021 @end smallexample
8022
8023 @item compact
8024 Print the actual parameter value if it is known and also its value from
8025 function entry point if it is known. If neither is known, print for the actual
8026 value @code{<optimized out>}. If not in MI mode (@pxref{GDB/MI}) and if both
8027 values are known and identical, print the shortened
8028 @code{param=param@@entry=VALUE} notation.
8029 @smallexample
8030 #0 equal (val=val@@entry=5)
8031 #0 different (val=6, val@@entry=5)
8032 #0 lost (val@@entry=5)
8033 #0 born (val=10)
8034 #0 invalid (val=<optimized out>)
8035 @end smallexample
8036
8037 @item default
8038 Always print the actual parameter value. Print also its value from function
8039 entry point, but only if it is known. If not in MI mode (@pxref{GDB/MI}) and
8040 if both values are known and identical, print the shortened
8041 @code{param=param@@entry=VALUE} notation.
8042 @smallexample
8043 #0 equal (val=val@@entry=5)
8044 #0 different (val=6, val@@entry=5)
8045 #0 lost (val=<optimized out>, val@@entry=5)
8046 #0 born (val=10)
8047 #0 invalid (val=<optimized out>)
8048 @end smallexample
8049 @end table
8050
8051 For analysis messages on possible failures of frame argument values at function
8052 entry resolution see @ref{set debug entry-values}.
8053
8054 @item show print entry-values
8055 Show the method being used for printing of frame argument values at function
8056 entry.
8057
8058 @item set print repeats
8059 @cindex repeated array elements
8060 Set the threshold for suppressing display of repeated array
8061 elements. When the number of consecutive identical elements of an
8062 array exceeds the threshold, @value{GDBN} prints the string
8063 @code{"<repeats @var{n} times>"}, where @var{n} is the number of
8064 identical repetitions, instead of displaying the identical elements
8065 themselves. Setting the threshold to zero will cause all elements to
8066 be individually printed. The default threshold is 10.
8067
8068 @item show print repeats
8069 Display the current threshold for printing repeated identical
8070 elements.
8071
8072 @item set print null-stop
8073 @cindex @sc{null} elements in arrays
8074 Cause @value{GDBN} to stop printing the characters of an array when the first
8075 @sc{null} is encountered. This is useful when large arrays actually
8076 contain only short strings.
8077 The default is off.
8078
8079 @item show print null-stop
8080 Show whether @value{GDBN} stops printing an array on the first
8081 @sc{null} character.
8082
8083 @item set print pretty on
8084 @cindex print structures in indented form
8085 @cindex indentation in structure display
8086 Cause @value{GDBN} to print structures in an indented format with one member
8087 per line, like this:
8088
8089 @smallexample
8090 @group
8091 $1 = @{
8092 next = 0x0,
8093 flags = @{
8094 sweet = 1,
8095 sour = 1
8096 @},
8097 meat = 0x54 "Pork"
8098 @}
8099 @end group
8100 @end smallexample
8101
8102 @item set print pretty off
8103 Cause @value{GDBN} to print structures in a compact format, like this:
8104
8105 @smallexample
8106 @group
8107 $1 = @{next = 0x0, flags = @{sweet = 1, sour = 1@}, \
8108 meat = 0x54 "Pork"@}
8109 @end group
8110 @end smallexample
8111
8112 @noindent
8113 This is the default format.
8114
8115 @item show print pretty
8116 Show which format @value{GDBN} is using to print structures.
8117
8118 @item set print sevenbit-strings on
8119 @cindex eight-bit characters in strings
8120 @cindex octal escapes in strings
8121 Print using only seven-bit characters; if this option is set,
8122 @value{GDBN} displays any eight-bit characters (in strings or
8123 character values) using the notation @code{\}@var{nnn}. This setting is
8124 best if you are working in English (@sc{ascii}) and you use the
8125 high-order bit of characters as a marker or ``meta'' bit.
8126
8127 @item set print sevenbit-strings off
8128 Print full eight-bit characters. This allows the use of more
8129 international character sets, and is the default.
8130
8131 @item show print sevenbit-strings
8132 Show whether or not @value{GDBN} is printing only seven-bit characters.
8133
8134 @item set print union on
8135 @cindex unions in structures, printing
8136 Tell @value{GDBN} to print unions which are contained in structures
8137 and other unions. This is the default setting.
8138
8139 @item set print union off
8140 Tell @value{GDBN} not to print unions which are contained in
8141 structures and other unions. @value{GDBN} will print @code{"@{...@}"}
8142 instead.
8143
8144 @item show print union
8145 Ask @value{GDBN} whether or not it will print unions which are contained in
8146 structures and other unions.
8147
8148 For example, given the declarations
8149
8150 @smallexample
8151 typedef enum @{Tree, Bug@} Species;
8152 typedef enum @{Big_tree, Acorn, Seedling@} Tree_forms;
8153 typedef enum @{Caterpillar, Cocoon, Butterfly@}
8154 Bug_forms;
8155
8156 struct thing @{
8157 Species it;
8158 union @{
8159 Tree_forms tree;
8160 Bug_forms bug;
8161 @} form;
8162 @};
8163
8164 struct thing foo = @{Tree, @{Acorn@}@};
8165 @end smallexample
8166
8167 @noindent
8168 with @code{set print union on} in effect @samp{p foo} would print
8169
8170 @smallexample
8171 $1 = @{it = Tree, form = @{tree = Acorn, bug = Cocoon@}@}
8172 @end smallexample
8173
8174 @noindent
8175 and with @code{set print union off} in effect it would print
8176
8177 @smallexample
8178 $1 = @{it = Tree, form = @{...@}@}
8179 @end smallexample
8180
8181 @noindent
8182 @code{set print union} affects programs written in C-like languages
8183 and in Pascal.
8184 @end table
8185
8186 @need 1000
8187 @noindent
8188 These settings are of interest when debugging C@t{++} programs:
8189
8190 @table @code
8191 @cindex demangling C@t{++} names
8192 @item set print demangle
8193 @itemx set print demangle on
8194 Print C@t{++} names in their source form rather than in the encoded
8195 (``mangled'') form passed to the assembler and linker for type-safe
8196 linkage. The default is on.
8197
8198 @item show print demangle
8199 Show whether C@t{++} names are printed in mangled or demangled form.
8200
8201 @item set print asm-demangle
8202 @itemx set print asm-demangle on
8203 Print C@t{++} names in their source form rather than their mangled form, even
8204 in assembler code printouts such as instruction disassemblies.
8205 The default is off.
8206
8207 @item show print asm-demangle
8208 Show whether C@t{++} names in assembly listings are printed in mangled
8209 or demangled form.
8210
8211 @cindex C@t{++} symbol decoding style
8212 @cindex symbol decoding style, C@t{++}
8213 @kindex set demangle-style
8214 @item set demangle-style @var{style}
8215 Choose among several encoding schemes used by different compilers to
8216 represent C@t{++} names. The choices for @var{style} are currently:
8217
8218 @table @code
8219 @item auto
8220 Allow @value{GDBN} to choose a decoding style by inspecting your program.
8221
8222 @item gnu
8223 Decode based on the @sc{gnu} C@t{++} compiler (@code{g++}) encoding algorithm.
8224 This is the default.
8225
8226 @item hp
8227 Decode based on the HP ANSI C@t{++} (@code{aCC}) encoding algorithm.
8228
8229 @item lucid
8230 Decode based on the Lucid C@t{++} compiler (@code{lcc}) encoding algorithm.
8231
8232 @item arm
8233 Decode using the algorithm in the @cite{C@t{++} Annotated Reference Manual}.
8234 @strong{Warning:} this setting alone is not sufficient to allow
8235 debugging @code{cfront}-generated executables. @value{GDBN} would
8236 require further enhancement to permit that.
8237
8238 @end table
8239 If you omit @var{style}, you will see a list of possible formats.
8240
8241 @item show demangle-style
8242 Display the encoding style currently in use for decoding C@t{++} symbols.
8243
8244 @item set print object
8245 @itemx set print object on
8246 @cindex derived type of an object, printing
8247 @cindex display derived types
8248 When displaying a pointer to an object, identify the @emph{actual}
8249 (derived) type of the object rather than the @emph{declared} type, using
8250 the virtual function table.
8251
8252 @item set print object off
8253 Display only the declared type of objects, without reference to the
8254 virtual function table. This is the default setting.
8255
8256 @item show print object
8257 Show whether actual, or declared, object types are displayed.
8258
8259 @item set print static-members
8260 @itemx set print static-members on
8261 @cindex static members of C@t{++} objects
8262 Print static members when displaying a C@t{++} object. The default is on.
8263
8264 @item set print static-members off
8265 Do not print static members when displaying a C@t{++} object.
8266
8267 @item show print static-members
8268 Show whether C@t{++} static members are printed or not.
8269
8270 @item set print pascal_static-members
8271 @itemx set print pascal_static-members on
8272 @cindex static members of Pascal objects
8273 @cindex Pascal objects, static members display
8274 Print static members when displaying a Pascal object. The default is on.
8275
8276 @item set print pascal_static-members off
8277 Do not print static members when displaying a Pascal object.
8278
8279 @item show print pascal_static-members
8280 Show whether Pascal static members are printed or not.
8281
8282 @c These don't work with HP ANSI C++ yet.
8283 @item set print vtbl
8284 @itemx set print vtbl on
8285 @cindex pretty print C@t{++} virtual function tables
8286 @cindex virtual functions (C@t{++}) display
8287 @cindex VTBL display
8288 Pretty print C@t{++} virtual function tables. The default is off.
8289 (The @code{vtbl} commands do not work on programs compiled with the HP
8290 ANSI C@t{++} compiler (@code{aCC}).)
8291
8292 @item set print vtbl off
8293 Do not pretty print C@t{++} virtual function tables.
8294
8295 @item show print vtbl
8296 Show whether C@t{++} virtual function tables are pretty printed, or not.
8297 @end table
8298
8299 @node Pretty Printing
8300 @section Pretty Printing
8301
8302 @value{GDBN} provides a mechanism to allow pretty-printing of values using
8303 Python code. It greatly simplifies the display of complex objects. This
8304 mechanism works for both MI and the CLI.
8305
8306 @menu
8307 * Pretty-Printer Introduction:: Introduction to pretty-printers
8308 * Pretty-Printer Example:: An example pretty-printer
8309 * Pretty-Printer Commands:: Pretty-printer commands
8310 @end menu
8311
8312 @node Pretty-Printer Introduction
8313 @subsection Pretty-Printer Introduction
8314
8315 When @value{GDBN} prints a value, it first sees if there is a pretty-printer
8316 registered for the value. If there is then @value{GDBN} invokes the
8317 pretty-printer to print the value. Otherwise the value is printed normally.
8318
8319 Pretty-printers are normally named. This makes them easy to manage.
8320 The @samp{info pretty-printer} command will list all the installed
8321 pretty-printers with their names.
8322 If a pretty-printer can handle multiple data types, then its
8323 @dfn{subprinters} are the printers for the individual data types.
8324 Each such subprinter has its own name.
8325 The format of the name is @var{printer-name};@var{subprinter-name}.
8326
8327 Pretty-printers are installed by @dfn{registering} them with @value{GDBN}.
8328 Typically they are automatically loaded and registered when the corresponding
8329 debug information is loaded, thus making them available without having to
8330 do anything special.
8331
8332 There are three places where a pretty-printer can be registered.
8333
8334 @itemize @bullet
8335 @item
8336 Pretty-printers registered globally are available when debugging
8337 all inferiors.
8338
8339 @item
8340 Pretty-printers registered with a program space are available only
8341 when debugging that program.
8342 @xref{Progspaces In Python}, for more details on program spaces in Python.
8343
8344 @item
8345 Pretty-printers registered with an objfile are loaded and unloaded
8346 with the corresponding objfile (e.g., shared library).
8347 @xref{Objfiles In Python}, for more details on objfiles in Python.
8348 @end itemize
8349
8350 @xref{Selecting Pretty-Printers}, for further information on how
8351 pretty-printers are selected,
8352
8353 @xref{Writing a Pretty-Printer}, for implementing pretty printers
8354 for new types.
8355
8356 @node Pretty-Printer Example
8357 @subsection Pretty-Printer Example
8358
8359 Here is how a C@t{++} @code{std::string} looks without a pretty-printer:
8360
8361 @smallexample
8362 (@value{GDBP}) print s
8363 $1 = @{
8364 static npos = 4294967295,
8365 _M_dataplus = @{
8366 <std::allocator<char>> = @{
8367 <__gnu_cxx::new_allocator<char>> = @{
8368 <No data fields>@}, <No data fields>
8369 @},
8370 members of std::basic_string<char, std::char_traits<char>,
8371 std::allocator<char> >::_Alloc_hider:
8372 _M_p = 0x804a014 "abcd"
8373 @}
8374 @}
8375 @end smallexample
8376
8377 With a pretty-printer for @code{std::string} only the contents are printed:
8378
8379 @smallexample
8380 (@value{GDBP}) print s
8381 $2 = "abcd"
8382 @end smallexample
8383
8384 @node Pretty-Printer Commands
8385 @subsection Pretty-Printer Commands
8386 @cindex pretty-printer commands
8387
8388 @table @code
8389 @kindex info pretty-printer
8390 @item info pretty-printer [@var{object-regexp} [@var{name-regexp}]]
8391 Print the list of installed pretty-printers.
8392 This includes disabled pretty-printers, which are marked as such.
8393
8394 @var{object-regexp} is a regular expression matching the objects
8395 whose pretty-printers to list.
8396 Objects can be @code{global}, the program space's file
8397 (@pxref{Progspaces In Python}),
8398 and the object files within that program space (@pxref{Objfiles In Python}).
8399 @xref{Selecting Pretty-Printers}, for details on how @value{GDBN}
8400 looks up a printer from these three objects.
8401
8402 @var{name-regexp} is a regular expression matching the name of the printers
8403 to list.
8404
8405 @kindex disable pretty-printer
8406 @item disable pretty-printer [@var{object-regexp} [@var{name-regexp}]]
8407 Disable pretty-printers matching @var{object-regexp} and @var{name-regexp}.
8408 A disabled pretty-printer is not forgotten, it may be enabled again later.
8409
8410 @kindex enable pretty-printer
8411 @item enable pretty-printer [@var{object-regexp} [@var{name-regexp}]]
8412 Enable pretty-printers matching @var{object-regexp} and @var{name-regexp}.
8413 @end table
8414
8415 Example:
8416
8417 Suppose we have three pretty-printers installed: one from library1.so
8418 named @code{foo} that prints objects of type @code{foo}, and
8419 another from library2.so named @code{bar} that prints two types of objects,
8420 @code{bar1} and @code{bar2}.
8421
8422 @smallexample
8423 (gdb) info pretty-printer
8424 library1.so:
8425 foo
8426 library2.so:
8427 bar
8428 bar1
8429 bar2
8430 (gdb) info pretty-printer library2
8431 library2.so:
8432 bar
8433 bar1
8434 bar2
8435 (gdb) disable pretty-printer library1
8436 1 printer disabled
8437 2 of 3 printers enabled
8438 (gdb) info pretty-printer
8439 library1.so:
8440 foo [disabled]
8441 library2.so:
8442 bar
8443 bar1
8444 bar2
8445 (gdb) disable pretty-printer library2 bar:bar1
8446 1 printer disabled
8447 1 of 3 printers enabled
8448 (gdb) info pretty-printer library2
8449 library1.so:
8450 foo [disabled]
8451 library2.so:
8452 bar
8453 bar1 [disabled]
8454 bar2
8455 (gdb) disable pretty-printer library2 bar
8456 1 printer disabled
8457 0 of 3 printers enabled
8458 (gdb) info pretty-printer library2
8459 library1.so:
8460 foo [disabled]
8461 library2.so:
8462 bar [disabled]
8463 bar1 [disabled]
8464 bar2
8465 @end smallexample
8466
8467 Note that for @code{bar} the entire printer can be disabled,
8468 as can each individual subprinter.
8469
8470 @node Value History
8471 @section Value History
8472
8473 @cindex value history
8474 @cindex history of values printed by @value{GDBN}
8475 Values printed by the @code{print} command are saved in the @value{GDBN}
8476 @dfn{value history}. This allows you to refer to them in other expressions.
8477 Values are kept until the symbol table is re-read or discarded
8478 (for example with the @code{file} or @code{symbol-file} commands).
8479 When the symbol table changes, the value history is discarded,
8480 since the values may contain pointers back to the types defined in the
8481 symbol table.
8482
8483 @cindex @code{$}
8484 @cindex @code{$$}
8485 @cindex history number
8486 The values printed are given @dfn{history numbers} by which you can
8487 refer to them. These are successive integers starting with one.
8488 @code{print} shows you the history number assigned to a value by
8489 printing @samp{$@var{num} = } before the value; here @var{num} is the
8490 history number.
8491
8492 To refer to any previous value, use @samp{$} followed by the value's
8493 history number. The way @code{print} labels its output is designed to
8494 remind you of this. Just @code{$} refers to the most recent value in
8495 the history, and @code{$$} refers to the value before that.
8496 @code{$$@var{n}} refers to the @var{n}th value from the end; @code{$$2}
8497 is the value just prior to @code{$$}, @code{$$1} is equivalent to
8498 @code{$$}, and @code{$$0} is equivalent to @code{$}.
8499
8500 For example, suppose you have just printed a pointer to a structure and
8501 want to see the contents of the structure. It suffices to type
8502
8503 @smallexample
8504 p *$
8505 @end smallexample
8506
8507 If you have a chain of structures where the component @code{next} points
8508 to the next one, you can print the contents of the next one with this:
8509
8510 @smallexample
8511 p *$.next
8512 @end smallexample
8513
8514 @noindent
8515 You can print successive links in the chain by repeating this
8516 command---which you can do by just typing @key{RET}.
8517
8518 Note that the history records values, not expressions. If the value of
8519 @code{x} is 4 and you type these commands:
8520
8521 @smallexample
8522 print x
8523 set x=5
8524 @end smallexample
8525
8526 @noindent
8527 then the value recorded in the value history by the @code{print} command
8528 remains 4 even though the value of @code{x} has changed.
8529
8530 @table @code
8531 @kindex show values
8532 @item show values
8533 Print the last ten values in the value history, with their item numbers.
8534 This is like @samp{p@ $$9} repeated ten times, except that @code{show
8535 values} does not change the history.
8536
8537 @item show values @var{n}
8538 Print ten history values centered on history item number @var{n}.
8539
8540 @item show values +
8541 Print ten history values just after the values last printed. If no more
8542 values are available, @code{show values +} produces no display.
8543 @end table
8544
8545 Pressing @key{RET} to repeat @code{show values @var{n}} has exactly the
8546 same effect as @samp{show values +}.
8547
8548 @node Convenience Vars
8549 @section Convenience Variables
8550
8551 @cindex convenience variables
8552 @cindex user-defined variables
8553 @value{GDBN} provides @dfn{convenience variables} that you can use within
8554 @value{GDBN} to hold on to a value and refer to it later. These variables
8555 exist entirely within @value{GDBN}; they are not part of your program, and
8556 setting a convenience variable has no direct effect on further execution
8557 of your program. That is why you can use them freely.
8558
8559 Convenience variables are prefixed with @samp{$}. Any name preceded by
8560 @samp{$} can be used for a convenience variable, unless it is one of
8561 the predefined machine-specific register names (@pxref{Registers, ,Registers}).
8562 (Value history references, in contrast, are @emph{numbers} preceded
8563 by @samp{$}. @xref{Value History, ,Value History}.)
8564
8565 You can save a value in a convenience variable with an assignment
8566 expression, just as you would set a variable in your program.
8567 For example:
8568
8569 @smallexample
8570 set $foo = *object_ptr
8571 @end smallexample
8572
8573 @noindent
8574 would save in @code{$foo} the value contained in the object pointed to by
8575 @code{object_ptr}.
8576
8577 Using a convenience variable for the first time creates it, but its
8578 value is @code{void} until you assign a new value. You can alter the
8579 value with another assignment at any time.
8580
8581 Convenience variables have no fixed types. You can assign a convenience
8582 variable any type of value, including structures and arrays, even if
8583 that variable already has a value of a different type. The convenience
8584 variable, when used as an expression, has the type of its current value.
8585
8586 @table @code
8587 @kindex show convenience
8588 @cindex show all user variables
8589 @item show convenience
8590 Print a list of convenience variables used so far, and their values.
8591 Abbreviated @code{show conv}.
8592
8593 @kindex init-if-undefined
8594 @cindex convenience variables, initializing
8595 @item init-if-undefined $@var{variable} = @var{expression}
8596 Set a convenience variable if it has not already been set. This is useful
8597 for user-defined commands that keep some state. It is similar, in concept,
8598 to using local static variables with initializers in C (except that
8599 convenience variables are global). It can also be used to allow users to
8600 override default values used in a command script.
8601
8602 If the variable is already defined then the expression is not evaluated so
8603 any side-effects do not occur.
8604 @end table
8605
8606 One of the ways to use a convenience variable is as a counter to be
8607 incremented or a pointer to be advanced. For example, to print
8608 a field from successive elements of an array of structures:
8609
8610 @smallexample
8611 set $i = 0
8612 print bar[$i++]->contents
8613 @end smallexample
8614
8615 @noindent
8616 Repeat that command by typing @key{RET}.
8617
8618 Some convenience variables are created automatically by @value{GDBN} and given
8619 values likely to be useful.
8620
8621 @table @code
8622 @vindex $_@r{, convenience variable}
8623 @item $_
8624 The variable @code{$_} is automatically set by the @code{x} command to
8625 the last address examined (@pxref{Memory, ,Examining Memory}). Other
8626 commands which provide a default address for @code{x} to examine also
8627 set @code{$_} to that address; these commands include @code{info line}
8628 and @code{info breakpoint}. The type of @code{$_} is @code{void *}
8629 except when set by the @code{x} command, in which case it is a pointer
8630 to the type of @code{$__}.
8631
8632 @vindex $__@r{, convenience variable}
8633 @item $__
8634 The variable @code{$__} is automatically set by the @code{x} command
8635 to the value found in the last address examined. Its type is chosen
8636 to match the format in which the data was printed.
8637
8638 @item $_exitcode
8639 @vindex $_exitcode@r{, convenience variable}
8640 The variable @code{$_exitcode} is automatically set to the exit code when
8641 the program being debugged terminates.
8642
8643 @item $_sdata
8644 @vindex $_sdata@r{, inspect, convenience variable}
8645 The variable @code{$_sdata} contains extra collected static tracepoint
8646 data. @xref{Tracepoint Actions,,Tracepoint Action Lists}. Note that
8647 @code{$_sdata} could be empty, if not inspecting a trace buffer, or
8648 if extra static tracepoint data has not been collected.
8649
8650 @item $_siginfo
8651 @vindex $_siginfo@r{, convenience variable}
8652 The variable @code{$_siginfo} contains extra signal information
8653 (@pxref{extra signal information}). Note that @code{$_siginfo}
8654 could be empty, if the application has not yet received any signals.
8655 For example, it will be empty before you execute the @code{run} command.
8656
8657 @item $_tlb
8658 @vindex $_tlb@r{, convenience variable}
8659 The variable @code{$_tlb} is automatically set when debugging
8660 applications running on MS-Windows in native mode or connected to
8661 gdbserver that supports the @code{qGetTIBAddr} request.
8662 @xref{General Query Packets}.
8663 This variable contains the address of the thread information block.
8664
8665 @end table
8666
8667 On HP-UX systems, if you refer to a function or variable name that
8668 begins with a dollar sign, @value{GDBN} searches for a user or system
8669 name first, before it searches for a convenience variable.
8670
8671 @cindex convenience functions
8672 @value{GDBN} also supplies some @dfn{convenience functions}. These
8673 have a syntax similar to convenience variables. A convenience
8674 function can be used in an expression just like an ordinary function;
8675 however, a convenience function is implemented internally to
8676 @value{GDBN}.
8677
8678 @table @code
8679 @item help function
8680 @kindex help function
8681 @cindex show all convenience functions
8682 Print a list of all convenience functions.
8683 @end table
8684
8685 @node Registers
8686 @section Registers
8687
8688 @cindex registers
8689 You can refer to machine register contents, in expressions, as variables
8690 with names starting with @samp{$}. The names of registers are different
8691 for each machine; use @code{info registers} to see the names used on
8692 your machine.
8693
8694 @table @code
8695 @kindex info registers
8696 @item info registers
8697 Print the names and values of all registers except floating-point
8698 and vector registers (in the selected stack frame).
8699
8700 @kindex info all-registers
8701 @cindex floating point registers
8702 @item info all-registers
8703 Print the names and values of all registers, including floating-point
8704 and vector registers (in the selected stack frame).
8705
8706 @item info registers @var{regname} @dots{}
8707 Print the @dfn{relativized} value of each specified register @var{regname}.
8708 As discussed in detail below, register values are normally relative to
8709 the selected stack frame. @var{regname} may be any register name valid on
8710 the machine you are using, with or without the initial @samp{$}.
8711 @end table
8712
8713 @cindex stack pointer register
8714 @cindex program counter register
8715 @cindex process status register
8716 @cindex frame pointer register
8717 @cindex standard registers
8718 @value{GDBN} has four ``standard'' register names that are available (in
8719 expressions) on most machines---whenever they do not conflict with an
8720 architecture's canonical mnemonics for registers. The register names
8721 @code{$pc} and @code{$sp} are used for the program counter register and
8722 the stack pointer. @code{$fp} is used for a register that contains a
8723 pointer to the current stack frame, and @code{$ps} is used for a
8724 register that contains the processor status. For example,
8725 you could print the program counter in hex with
8726
8727 @smallexample
8728 p/x $pc
8729 @end smallexample
8730
8731 @noindent
8732 or print the instruction to be executed next with
8733
8734 @smallexample
8735 x/i $pc
8736 @end smallexample
8737
8738 @noindent
8739 or add four to the stack pointer@footnote{This is a way of removing
8740 one word from the stack, on machines where stacks grow downward in
8741 memory (most machines, nowadays). This assumes that the innermost
8742 stack frame is selected; setting @code{$sp} is not allowed when other
8743 stack frames are selected. To pop entire frames off the stack,
8744 regardless of machine architecture, use @code{return};
8745 see @ref{Returning, ,Returning from a Function}.} with
8746
8747 @smallexample
8748 set $sp += 4
8749 @end smallexample
8750
8751 Whenever possible, these four standard register names are available on
8752 your machine even though the machine has different canonical mnemonics,
8753 so long as there is no conflict. The @code{info registers} command
8754 shows the canonical names. For example, on the SPARC, @code{info
8755 registers} displays the processor status register as @code{$psr} but you
8756 can also refer to it as @code{$ps}; and on x86-based machines @code{$ps}
8757 is an alias for the @sc{eflags} register.
8758
8759 @value{GDBN} always considers the contents of an ordinary register as an
8760 integer when the register is examined in this way. Some machines have
8761 special registers which can hold nothing but floating point; these
8762 registers are considered to have floating point values. There is no way
8763 to refer to the contents of an ordinary register as floating point value
8764 (although you can @emph{print} it as a floating point value with
8765 @samp{print/f $@var{regname}}).
8766
8767 Some registers have distinct ``raw'' and ``virtual'' data formats. This
8768 means that the data format in which the register contents are saved by
8769 the operating system is not the same one that your program normally
8770 sees. For example, the registers of the 68881 floating point
8771 coprocessor are always saved in ``extended'' (raw) format, but all C
8772 programs expect to work with ``double'' (virtual) format. In such
8773 cases, @value{GDBN} normally works with the virtual format only (the format
8774 that makes sense for your program), but the @code{info registers} command
8775 prints the data in both formats.
8776
8777 @cindex SSE registers (x86)
8778 @cindex MMX registers (x86)
8779 Some machines have special registers whose contents can be interpreted
8780 in several different ways. For example, modern x86-based machines
8781 have SSE and MMX registers that can hold several values packed
8782 together in several different formats. @value{GDBN} refers to such
8783 registers in @code{struct} notation:
8784
8785 @smallexample
8786 (@value{GDBP}) print $xmm1
8787 $1 = @{
8788 v4_float = @{0, 3.43859137e-038, 1.54142831e-044, 1.821688e-044@},
8789 v2_double = @{9.92129282474342e-303, 2.7585945287983262e-313@},
8790 v16_int8 = "\000\000\000\000\3706;\001\v\000\000\000\r\000\000",
8791 v8_int16 = @{0, 0, 14072, 315, 11, 0, 13, 0@},
8792 v4_int32 = @{0, 20657912, 11, 13@},
8793 v2_int64 = @{88725056443645952, 55834574859@},
8794 uint128 = 0x0000000d0000000b013b36f800000000
8795 @}
8796 @end smallexample
8797
8798 @noindent
8799 To set values of such registers, you need to tell @value{GDBN} which
8800 view of the register you wish to change, as if you were assigning
8801 value to a @code{struct} member:
8802
8803 @smallexample
8804 (@value{GDBP}) set $xmm1.uint128 = 0x000000000000000000000000FFFFFFFF
8805 @end smallexample
8806
8807 Normally, register values are relative to the selected stack frame
8808 (@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting a Frame}). This means that you get the
8809 value that the register would contain if all stack frames farther in
8810 were exited and their saved registers restored. In order to see the
8811 true contents of hardware registers, you must select the innermost
8812 frame (with @samp{frame 0}).
8813
8814 However, @value{GDBN} must deduce where registers are saved, from the machine
8815 code generated by your compiler. If some registers are not saved, or if
8816 @value{GDBN} is unable to locate the saved registers, the selected stack
8817 frame makes no difference.
8818
8819 @node Floating Point Hardware
8820 @section Floating Point Hardware
8821 @cindex floating point
8822
8823 Depending on the configuration, @value{GDBN} may be able to give
8824 you more information about the status of the floating point hardware.
8825
8826 @table @code
8827 @kindex info float
8828 @item info float
8829 Display hardware-dependent information about the floating
8830 point unit. The exact contents and layout vary depending on the
8831 floating point chip. Currently, @samp{info float} is supported on
8832 the ARM and x86 machines.
8833 @end table
8834
8835 @node Vector Unit
8836 @section Vector Unit
8837 @cindex vector unit
8838
8839 Depending on the configuration, @value{GDBN} may be able to give you
8840 more information about the status of the vector unit.
8841
8842 @table @code
8843 @kindex info vector
8844 @item info vector
8845 Display information about the vector unit. The exact contents and
8846 layout vary depending on the hardware.
8847 @end table
8848
8849 @node OS Information
8850 @section Operating System Auxiliary Information
8851 @cindex OS information
8852
8853 @value{GDBN} provides interfaces to useful OS facilities that can help
8854 you debug your program.
8855
8856 @cindex @code{ptrace} system call
8857 @cindex @code{struct user} contents
8858 When @value{GDBN} runs on a @dfn{Posix system} (such as GNU or Unix
8859 machines), it interfaces with the inferior via the @code{ptrace}
8860 system call. The operating system creates a special sata structure,
8861 called @code{struct user}, for this interface. You can use the
8862 command @code{info udot} to display the contents of this data
8863 structure.
8864
8865 @table @code
8866 @item info udot
8867 @kindex info udot
8868 Display the contents of the @code{struct user} maintained by the OS
8869 kernel for the program being debugged. @value{GDBN} displays the
8870 contents of @code{struct user} as a list of hex numbers, similar to
8871 the @code{examine} command.
8872 @end table
8873
8874 @cindex auxiliary vector
8875 @cindex vector, auxiliary
8876 Some operating systems supply an @dfn{auxiliary vector} to programs at
8877 startup. This is akin to the arguments and environment that you
8878 specify for a program, but contains a system-dependent variety of
8879 binary values that tell system libraries important details about the
8880 hardware, operating system, and process. Each value's purpose is
8881 identified by an integer tag; the meanings are well-known but system-specific.
8882 Depending on the configuration and operating system facilities,
8883 @value{GDBN} may be able to show you this information. For remote
8884 targets, this functionality may further depend on the remote stub's
8885 support of the @samp{qXfer:auxv:read} packet, see
8886 @ref{qXfer auxiliary vector read}.
8887
8888 @table @code
8889 @kindex info auxv
8890 @item info auxv
8891 Display the auxiliary vector of the inferior, which can be either a
8892 live process or a core dump file. @value{GDBN} prints each tag value
8893 numerically, and also shows names and text descriptions for recognized
8894 tags. Some values in the vector are numbers, some bit masks, and some
8895 pointers to strings or other data. @value{GDBN} displays each value in the
8896 most appropriate form for a recognized tag, and in hexadecimal for
8897 an unrecognized tag.
8898 @end table
8899
8900 On some targets, @value{GDBN} can access operating-system-specific information
8901 and display it to user, without interpretation. For remote targets,
8902 this functionality depends on the remote stub's support of the
8903 @samp{qXfer:osdata:read} packet, see @ref{qXfer osdata read}.
8904
8905 @table @code
8906 @kindex info os
8907 @item info os
8908 List the types of OS information available for the target. If the
8909 target does not return a list of possible types, this command will
8910 report an error.
8911
8912 @kindex info os processes
8913 @item info os processes
8914 Display the list of processes on the target. For each process,
8915 @value{GDBN} prints the process identifier, the name of the user, and
8916 the command corresponding to the process.
8917 @end table
8918
8919 @node Memory Region Attributes
8920 @section Memory Region Attributes
8921 @cindex memory region attributes
8922
8923 @dfn{Memory region attributes} allow you to describe special handling
8924 required by regions of your target's memory. @value{GDBN} uses
8925 attributes to determine whether to allow certain types of memory
8926 accesses; whether to use specific width accesses; and whether to cache
8927 target memory. By default the description of memory regions is
8928 fetched from the target (if the current target supports this), but the
8929 user can override the fetched regions.
8930
8931 Defined memory regions can be individually enabled and disabled. When a
8932 memory region is disabled, @value{GDBN} uses the default attributes when
8933 accessing memory in that region. Similarly, if no memory regions have
8934 been defined, @value{GDBN} uses the default attributes when accessing
8935 all memory.
8936
8937 When a memory region is defined, it is given a number to identify it;
8938 to enable, disable, or remove a memory region, you specify that number.
8939
8940 @table @code
8941 @kindex mem
8942 @item mem @var{lower} @var{upper} @var{attributes}@dots{}
8943 Define a memory region bounded by @var{lower} and @var{upper} with
8944 attributes @var{attributes}@dots{}, and add it to the list of regions
8945 monitored by @value{GDBN}. Note that @var{upper} == 0 is a special
8946 case: it is treated as the target's maximum memory address.
8947 (0xffff on 16 bit targets, 0xffffffff on 32 bit targets, etc.)
8948
8949 @item mem auto
8950 Discard any user changes to the memory regions and use target-supplied
8951 regions, if available, or no regions if the target does not support.
8952
8953 @kindex delete mem
8954 @item delete mem @var{nums}@dots{}
8955 Remove memory regions @var{nums}@dots{} from the list of regions
8956 monitored by @value{GDBN}.
8957
8958 @kindex disable mem
8959 @item disable mem @var{nums}@dots{}
8960 Disable monitoring of memory regions @var{nums}@dots{}.
8961 A disabled memory region is not forgotten.
8962 It may be enabled again later.
8963
8964 @kindex enable mem
8965 @item enable mem @var{nums}@dots{}
8966 Enable monitoring of memory regions @var{nums}@dots{}.
8967
8968 @kindex info mem
8969 @item info mem
8970 Print a table of all defined memory regions, with the following columns
8971 for each region:
8972
8973 @table @emph
8974 @item Memory Region Number
8975 @item Enabled or Disabled.
8976 Enabled memory regions are marked with @samp{y}.
8977 Disabled memory regions are marked with @samp{n}.
8978
8979 @item Lo Address
8980 The address defining the inclusive lower bound of the memory region.
8981
8982 @item Hi Address
8983 The address defining the exclusive upper bound of the memory region.
8984
8985 @item Attributes
8986 The list of attributes set for this memory region.
8987 @end table
8988 @end table
8989
8990
8991 @subsection Attributes
8992
8993 @subsubsection Memory Access Mode
8994 The access mode attributes set whether @value{GDBN} may make read or
8995 write accesses to a memory region.
8996
8997 While these attributes prevent @value{GDBN} from performing invalid
8998 memory accesses, they do nothing to prevent the target system, I/O DMA,
8999 etc.@: from accessing memory.
9000
9001 @table @code
9002 @item ro
9003 Memory is read only.
9004 @item wo
9005 Memory is write only.
9006 @item rw
9007 Memory is read/write. This is the default.
9008 @end table
9009
9010 @subsubsection Memory Access Size
9011 The access size attribute tells @value{GDBN} to use specific sized
9012 accesses in the memory region. Often memory mapped device registers
9013 require specific sized accesses. If no access size attribute is
9014 specified, @value{GDBN} may use accesses of any size.
9015
9016 @table @code
9017 @item 8
9018 Use 8 bit memory accesses.
9019 @item 16
9020 Use 16 bit memory accesses.
9021 @item 32
9022 Use 32 bit memory accesses.
9023 @item 64
9024 Use 64 bit memory accesses.
9025 @end table
9026
9027 @c @subsubsection Hardware/Software Breakpoints
9028 @c The hardware/software breakpoint attributes set whether @value{GDBN}
9029 @c will use hardware or software breakpoints for the internal breakpoints
9030 @c used by the step, next, finish, until, etc. commands.
9031 @c
9032 @c @table @code
9033 @c @item hwbreak
9034 @c Always use hardware breakpoints
9035 @c @item swbreak (default)
9036 @c @end table
9037
9038 @subsubsection Data Cache
9039 The data cache attributes set whether @value{GDBN} will cache target
9040 memory. While this generally improves performance by reducing debug
9041 protocol overhead, it can lead to incorrect results because @value{GDBN}
9042 does not know about volatile variables or memory mapped device
9043 registers.
9044
9045 @table @code
9046 @item cache
9047 Enable @value{GDBN} to cache target memory.
9048 @item nocache
9049 Disable @value{GDBN} from caching target memory. This is the default.
9050 @end table
9051
9052 @subsection Memory Access Checking
9053 @value{GDBN} can be instructed to refuse accesses to memory that is
9054 not explicitly described. This can be useful if accessing such
9055 regions has undesired effects for a specific target, or to provide
9056 better error checking. The following commands control this behaviour.
9057
9058 @table @code
9059 @kindex set mem inaccessible-by-default
9060 @item set mem inaccessible-by-default [on|off]
9061 If @code{on} is specified, make @value{GDBN} treat memory not
9062 explicitly described by the memory ranges as non-existent and refuse accesses
9063 to such memory. The checks are only performed if there's at least one
9064 memory range defined. If @code{off} is specified, make @value{GDBN}
9065 treat the memory not explicitly described by the memory ranges as RAM.
9066 The default value is @code{on}.
9067 @kindex show mem inaccessible-by-default
9068 @item show mem inaccessible-by-default
9069 Show the current handling of accesses to unknown memory.
9070 @end table
9071
9072
9073 @c @subsubsection Memory Write Verification
9074 @c The memory write verification attributes set whether @value{GDBN}
9075 @c will re-reads data after each write to verify the write was successful.
9076 @c
9077 @c @table @code
9078 @c @item verify
9079 @c @item noverify (default)
9080 @c @end table
9081
9082 @node Dump/Restore Files
9083 @section Copy Between Memory and a File
9084 @cindex dump/restore files
9085 @cindex append data to a file
9086 @cindex dump data to a file
9087 @cindex restore data from a file
9088
9089 You can use the commands @code{dump}, @code{append}, and
9090 @code{restore} to copy data between target memory and a file. The
9091 @code{dump} and @code{append} commands write data to a file, and the
9092 @code{restore} command reads data from a file back into the inferior's
9093 memory. Files may be in binary, Motorola S-record, Intel hex, or
9094 Tektronix Hex format; however, @value{GDBN} can only append to binary
9095 files.
9096
9097 @table @code
9098
9099 @kindex dump
9100 @item dump @r{[}@var{format}@r{]} memory @var{filename} @var{start_addr} @var{end_addr}
9101 @itemx dump @r{[}@var{format}@r{]} value @var{filename} @var{expr}
9102 Dump the contents of memory from @var{start_addr} to @var{end_addr},
9103 or the value of @var{expr}, to @var{filename} in the given format.
9104
9105 The @var{format} parameter may be any one of:
9106 @table @code
9107 @item binary
9108 Raw binary form.
9109 @item ihex
9110 Intel hex format.
9111 @item srec
9112 Motorola S-record format.
9113 @item tekhex
9114 Tektronix Hex format.
9115 @end table
9116
9117 @value{GDBN} uses the same definitions of these formats as the
9118 @sc{gnu} binary utilities, like @samp{objdump} and @samp{objcopy}. If
9119 @var{format} is omitted, @value{GDBN} dumps the data in raw binary
9120 form.
9121
9122 @kindex append
9123 @item append @r{[}binary@r{]} memory @var{filename} @var{start_addr} @var{end_addr}
9124 @itemx append @r{[}binary@r{]} value @var{filename} @var{expr}
9125 Append the contents of memory from @var{start_addr} to @var{end_addr},
9126 or the value of @var{expr}, to the file @var{filename}, in raw binary form.
9127 (@value{GDBN} can only append data to files in raw binary form.)
9128
9129 @kindex restore
9130 @item restore @var{filename} @r{[}binary@r{]} @var{bias} @var{start} @var{end}
9131 Restore the contents of file @var{filename} into memory. The
9132 @code{restore} command can automatically recognize any known @sc{bfd}
9133 file format, except for raw binary. To restore a raw binary file you
9134 must specify the optional keyword @code{binary} after the filename.
9135
9136 If @var{bias} is non-zero, its value will be added to the addresses
9137 contained in the file. Binary files always start at address zero, so
9138 they will be restored at address @var{bias}. Other bfd files have
9139 a built-in location; they will be restored at offset @var{bias}
9140 from that location.
9141
9142 If @var{start} and/or @var{end} are non-zero, then only data between
9143 file offset @var{start} and file offset @var{end} will be restored.
9144 These offsets are relative to the addresses in the file, before
9145 the @var{bias} argument is applied.
9146
9147 @end table
9148
9149 @node Core File Generation
9150 @section How to Produce a Core File from Your Program
9151 @cindex dump core from inferior
9152
9153 A @dfn{core file} or @dfn{core dump} is a file that records the memory
9154 image of a running process and its process status (register values
9155 etc.). Its primary use is post-mortem debugging of a program that
9156 crashed while it ran outside a debugger. A program that crashes
9157 automatically produces a core file, unless this feature is disabled by
9158 the user. @xref{Files}, for information on invoking @value{GDBN} in
9159 the post-mortem debugging mode.
9160
9161 Occasionally, you may wish to produce a core file of the program you
9162 are debugging in order to preserve a snapshot of its state.
9163 @value{GDBN} has a special command for that.
9164
9165 @table @code
9166 @kindex gcore
9167 @kindex generate-core-file
9168 @item generate-core-file [@var{file}]
9169 @itemx gcore [@var{file}]
9170 Produce a core dump of the inferior process. The optional argument
9171 @var{file} specifies the file name where to put the core dump. If not
9172 specified, the file name defaults to @file{core.@var{pid}}, where
9173 @var{pid} is the inferior process ID.
9174
9175 Note that this command is implemented only for some systems (as of
9176 this writing, @sc{gnu}/Linux, FreeBSD, Solaris, Unixware, and S390).
9177 @end table
9178
9179 @node Character Sets
9180 @section Character Sets
9181 @cindex character sets
9182 @cindex charset
9183 @cindex translating between character sets
9184 @cindex host character set
9185 @cindex target character set
9186
9187 If the program you are debugging uses a different character set to
9188 represent characters and strings than the one @value{GDBN} uses itself,
9189 @value{GDBN} can automatically translate between the character sets for
9190 you. The character set @value{GDBN} uses we call the @dfn{host
9191 character set}; the one the inferior program uses we call the
9192 @dfn{target character set}.
9193
9194 For example, if you are running @value{GDBN} on a @sc{gnu}/Linux system, which
9195 uses the ISO Latin 1 character set, but you are using @value{GDBN}'s
9196 remote protocol (@pxref{Remote Debugging}) to debug a program
9197 running on an IBM mainframe, which uses the @sc{ebcdic} character set,
9198 then the host character set is Latin-1, and the target character set is
9199 @sc{ebcdic}. If you give @value{GDBN} the command @code{set
9200 target-charset EBCDIC-US}, then @value{GDBN} translates between
9201 @sc{ebcdic} and Latin 1 as you print character or string values, or use
9202 character and string literals in expressions.
9203
9204 @value{GDBN} has no way to automatically recognize which character set
9205 the inferior program uses; you must tell it, using the @code{set
9206 target-charset} command, described below.
9207
9208 Here are the commands for controlling @value{GDBN}'s character set
9209 support:
9210
9211 @table @code
9212 @item set target-charset @var{charset}
9213 @kindex set target-charset
9214 Set the current target character set to @var{charset}. To display the
9215 list of supported target character sets, type
9216 @kbd{@w{set target-charset @key{TAB}@key{TAB}}}.
9217
9218 @item set host-charset @var{charset}
9219 @kindex set host-charset
9220 Set the current host character set to @var{charset}.
9221
9222 By default, @value{GDBN} uses a host character set appropriate to the
9223 system it is running on; you can override that default using the
9224 @code{set host-charset} command. On some systems, @value{GDBN} cannot
9225 automatically determine the appropriate host character set. In this
9226 case, @value{GDBN} uses @samp{UTF-8}.
9227
9228 @value{GDBN} can only use certain character sets as its host character
9229 set. If you type @kbd{@w{set host-charset @key{TAB}@key{TAB}}},
9230 @value{GDBN} will list the host character sets it supports.
9231
9232 @item set charset @var{charset}
9233 @kindex set charset
9234 Set the current host and target character sets to @var{charset}. As
9235 above, if you type @kbd{@w{set charset @key{TAB}@key{TAB}}},
9236 @value{GDBN} will list the names of the character sets that can be used
9237 for both host and target.
9238
9239 @item show charset
9240 @kindex show charset
9241 Show the names of the current host and target character sets.
9242
9243 @item show host-charset
9244 @kindex show host-charset
9245 Show the name of the current host character set.
9246
9247 @item show target-charset
9248 @kindex show target-charset
9249 Show the name of the current target character set.
9250
9251 @item set target-wide-charset @var{charset}
9252 @kindex set target-wide-charset
9253 Set the current target's wide character set to @var{charset}. This is
9254 the character set used by the target's @code{wchar_t} type. To
9255 display the list of supported wide character sets, type
9256 @kbd{@w{set target-wide-charset @key{TAB}@key{TAB}}}.
9257
9258 @item show target-wide-charset
9259 @kindex show target-wide-charset
9260 Show the name of the current target's wide character set.
9261 @end table
9262
9263 Here is an example of @value{GDBN}'s character set support in action.
9264 Assume that the following source code has been placed in the file
9265 @file{charset-test.c}:
9266
9267 @smallexample
9268 #include <stdio.h>
9269
9270 char ascii_hello[]
9271 = @{72, 101, 108, 108, 111, 44, 32, 119,
9272 111, 114, 108, 100, 33, 10, 0@};
9273 char ibm1047_hello[]
9274 = @{200, 133, 147, 147, 150, 107, 64, 166,
9275 150, 153, 147, 132, 90, 37, 0@};
9276
9277 main ()
9278 @{
9279 printf ("Hello, world!\n");
9280 @}
9281 @end smallexample
9282
9283 In this program, @code{ascii_hello} and @code{ibm1047_hello} are arrays
9284 containing the string @samp{Hello, world!} followed by a newline,
9285 encoded in the @sc{ascii} and @sc{ibm1047} character sets.
9286
9287 We compile the program, and invoke the debugger on it:
9288
9289 @smallexample
9290 $ gcc -g charset-test.c -o charset-test
9291 $ gdb -nw charset-test
9292 GNU gdb 2001-12-19-cvs
9293 Copyright 2001 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
9294 @dots{}
9295 (@value{GDBP})
9296 @end smallexample
9297
9298 We can use the @code{show charset} command to see what character sets
9299 @value{GDBN} is currently using to interpret and display characters and
9300 strings:
9301
9302 @smallexample
9303 (@value{GDBP}) show charset
9304 The current host and target character set is `ISO-8859-1'.
9305 (@value{GDBP})
9306 @end smallexample
9307
9308 For the sake of printing this manual, let's use @sc{ascii} as our
9309 initial character set:
9310 @smallexample
9311 (@value{GDBP}) set charset ASCII
9312 (@value{GDBP}) show charset
9313 The current host and target character set is `ASCII'.
9314 (@value{GDBP})
9315 @end smallexample
9316
9317 Let's assume that @sc{ascii} is indeed the correct character set for our
9318 host system --- in other words, let's assume that if @value{GDBN} prints
9319 characters using the @sc{ascii} character set, our terminal will display
9320 them properly. Since our current target character set is also
9321 @sc{ascii}, the contents of @code{ascii_hello} print legibly:
9322
9323 @smallexample
9324 (@value{GDBP}) print ascii_hello
9325 $1 = 0x401698 "Hello, world!\n"
9326 (@value{GDBP}) print ascii_hello[0]
9327 $2 = 72 'H'
9328 (@value{GDBP})
9329 @end smallexample
9330
9331 @value{GDBN} uses the target character set for character and string
9332 literals you use in expressions:
9333
9334 @smallexample
9335 (@value{GDBP}) print '+'
9336 $3 = 43 '+'
9337 (@value{GDBP})
9338 @end smallexample
9339
9340 The @sc{ascii} character set uses the number 43 to encode the @samp{+}
9341 character.
9342
9343 @value{GDBN} relies on the user to tell it which character set the
9344 target program uses. If we print @code{ibm1047_hello} while our target
9345 character set is still @sc{ascii}, we get jibberish:
9346
9347 @smallexample
9348 (@value{GDBP}) print ibm1047_hello
9349 $4 = 0x4016a8 "\310\205\223\223\226k@@\246\226\231\223\204Z%"
9350 (@value{GDBP}) print ibm1047_hello[0]
9351 $5 = 200 '\310'
9352 (@value{GDBP})
9353 @end smallexample
9354
9355 If we invoke the @code{set target-charset} followed by @key{TAB}@key{TAB},
9356 @value{GDBN} tells us the character sets it supports:
9357
9358 @smallexample
9359 (@value{GDBP}) set target-charset
9360 ASCII EBCDIC-US IBM1047 ISO-8859-1
9361 (@value{GDBP}) set target-charset
9362 @end smallexample
9363
9364 We can select @sc{ibm1047} as our target character set, and examine the
9365 program's strings again. Now the @sc{ascii} string is wrong, but
9366 @value{GDBN} translates the contents of @code{ibm1047_hello} from the
9367 target character set, @sc{ibm1047}, to the host character set,
9368 @sc{ascii}, and they display correctly:
9369
9370 @smallexample
9371 (@value{GDBP}) set target-charset IBM1047
9372 (@value{GDBP}) show charset
9373 The current host character set is `ASCII'.
9374 The current target character set is `IBM1047'.
9375 (@value{GDBP}) print ascii_hello
9376 $6 = 0x401698 "\110\145%%?\054\040\167?\162%\144\041\012"
9377 (@value{GDBP}) print ascii_hello[0]
9378 $7 = 72 '\110'
9379 (@value{GDBP}) print ibm1047_hello
9380 $8 = 0x4016a8 "Hello, world!\n"
9381 (@value{GDBP}) print ibm1047_hello[0]
9382 $9 = 200 'H'
9383 (@value{GDBP})
9384 @end smallexample
9385
9386 As above, @value{GDBN} uses the target character set for character and
9387 string literals you use in expressions:
9388
9389 @smallexample
9390 (@value{GDBP}) print '+'
9391 $10 = 78 '+'
9392 (@value{GDBP})
9393 @end smallexample
9394
9395 The @sc{ibm1047} character set uses the number 78 to encode the @samp{+}
9396 character.
9397
9398 @node Caching Remote Data
9399 @section Caching Data of Remote Targets
9400 @cindex caching data of remote targets
9401
9402 @value{GDBN} caches data exchanged between the debugger and a
9403 remote target (@pxref{Remote Debugging}). Such caching generally improves
9404 performance, because it reduces the overhead of the remote protocol by
9405 bundling memory reads and writes into large chunks. Unfortunately, simply
9406 caching everything would lead to incorrect results, since @value{GDBN}
9407 does not necessarily know anything about volatile values, memory-mapped I/O
9408 addresses, etc. Furthermore, in non-stop mode (@pxref{Non-Stop Mode})
9409 memory can be changed @emph{while} a gdb command is executing.
9410 Therefore, by default, @value{GDBN} only caches data
9411 known to be on the stack@footnote{In non-stop mode, it is moderately
9412 rare for a running thread to modify the stack of a stopped thread
9413 in a way that would interfere with a backtrace, and caching of
9414 stack reads provides a significant speed up of remote backtraces.}.
9415 Other regions of memory can be explicitly marked as
9416 cacheable; see @pxref{Memory Region Attributes}.
9417
9418 @table @code
9419 @kindex set remotecache
9420 @item set remotecache on
9421 @itemx set remotecache off
9422 This option no longer does anything; it exists for compatibility
9423 with old scripts.
9424
9425 @kindex show remotecache
9426 @item show remotecache
9427 Show the current state of the obsolete remotecache flag.
9428
9429 @kindex set stack-cache
9430 @item set stack-cache on
9431 @itemx set stack-cache off
9432 Enable or disable caching of stack accesses. When @code{ON}, use
9433 caching. By default, this option is @code{ON}.
9434
9435 @kindex show stack-cache
9436 @item show stack-cache
9437 Show the current state of data caching for memory accesses.
9438
9439 @kindex info dcache
9440 @item info dcache @r{[}line@r{]}
9441 Print the information about the data cache performance. The
9442 information displayed includes the dcache width and depth, and for
9443 each cache line, its number, address, and how many times it was
9444 referenced. This command is useful for debugging the data cache
9445 operation.
9446
9447 If a line number is specified, the contents of that line will be
9448 printed in hex.
9449
9450 @item set dcache size @var{size}
9451 @cindex dcache size
9452 @kindex set dcache size
9453 Set maximum number of entries in dcache (dcache depth above).
9454
9455 @item set dcache line-size @var{line-size}
9456 @cindex dcache line-size
9457 @kindex set dcache line-size
9458 Set number of bytes each dcache entry caches (dcache width above).
9459 Must be a power of 2.
9460
9461 @item show dcache size
9462 @kindex show dcache size
9463 Show maximum number of dcache entries. See also @ref{Caching Remote Data, info dcache}.
9464
9465 @item show dcache line-size
9466 @kindex show dcache line-size
9467 Show default size of dcache lines. See also @ref{Caching Remote Data, info dcache}.
9468
9469 @end table
9470
9471 @node Searching Memory
9472 @section Search Memory
9473 @cindex searching memory
9474
9475 Memory can be searched for a particular sequence of bytes with the
9476 @code{find} command.
9477
9478 @table @code
9479 @kindex find
9480 @item find @r{[}/@var{sn}@r{]} @var{start_addr}, +@var{len}, @var{val1} @r{[}, @var{val2}, @dots{}@r{]}
9481 @itemx find @r{[}/@var{sn}@r{]} @var{start_addr}, @var{end_addr}, @var{val1} @r{[}, @var{val2}, @dots{}@r{]}
9482 Search memory for the sequence of bytes specified by @var{val1}, @var{val2},
9483 etc. The search begins at address @var{start_addr} and continues for either
9484 @var{len} bytes or through to @var{end_addr} inclusive.
9485 @end table
9486
9487 @var{s} and @var{n} are optional parameters.
9488 They may be specified in either order, apart or together.
9489
9490 @table @r
9491 @item @var{s}, search query size
9492 The size of each search query value.
9493
9494 @table @code
9495 @item b
9496 bytes
9497 @item h
9498 halfwords (two bytes)
9499 @item w
9500 words (four bytes)
9501 @item g
9502 giant words (eight bytes)
9503 @end table
9504
9505 All values are interpreted in the current language.
9506 This means, for example, that if the current source language is C/C@t{++}
9507 then searching for the string ``hello'' includes the trailing '\0'.
9508
9509 If the value size is not specified, it is taken from the
9510 value's type in the current language.
9511 This is useful when one wants to specify the search
9512 pattern as a mixture of types.
9513 Note that this means, for example, that in the case of C-like languages
9514 a search for an untyped 0x42 will search for @samp{(int) 0x42}
9515 which is typically four bytes.
9516
9517 @item @var{n}, maximum number of finds
9518 The maximum number of matches to print. The default is to print all finds.
9519 @end table
9520
9521 You can use strings as search values. Quote them with double-quotes
9522 (@code{"}).
9523 The string value is copied into the search pattern byte by byte,
9524 regardless of the endianness of the target and the size specification.
9525
9526 The address of each match found is printed as well as a count of the
9527 number of matches found.
9528
9529 The address of the last value found is stored in convenience variable
9530 @samp{$_}.
9531 A count of the number of matches is stored in @samp{$numfound}.
9532
9533 For example, if stopped at the @code{printf} in this function:
9534
9535 @smallexample
9536 void
9537 hello ()
9538 @{
9539 static char hello[] = "hello-hello";
9540 static struct @{ char c; short s; int i; @}
9541 __attribute__ ((packed)) mixed
9542 = @{ 'c', 0x1234, 0x87654321 @};
9543 printf ("%s\n", hello);
9544 @}
9545 @end smallexample
9546
9547 @noindent
9548 you get during debugging:
9549
9550 @smallexample
9551 (gdb) find &hello[0], +sizeof(hello), "hello"
9552 0x804956d <hello.1620+6>
9553 1 pattern found
9554 (gdb) find &hello[0], +sizeof(hello), 'h', 'e', 'l', 'l', 'o'
9555 0x8049567 <hello.1620>
9556 0x804956d <hello.1620+6>
9557 2 patterns found
9558 (gdb) find /b1 &hello[0], +sizeof(hello), 'h', 0x65, 'l'
9559 0x8049567 <hello.1620>
9560 1 pattern found
9561 (gdb) find &mixed, +sizeof(mixed), (char) 'c', (short) 0x1234, (int) 0x87654321
9562 0x8049560 <mixed.1625>
9563 1 pattern found
9564 (gdb) print $numfound
9565 $1 = 1
9566 (gdb) print $_
9567 $2 = (void *) 0x8049560
9568 @end smallexample
9569
9570 @node Optimized Code
9571 @chapter Debugging Optimized Code
9572 @cindex optimized code, debugging
9573 @cindex debugging optimized code
9574
9575 Almost all compilers support optimization. With optimization
9576 disabled, the compiler generates assembly code that corresponds
9577 directly to your source code, in a simplistic way. As the compiler
9578 applies more powerful optimizations, the generated assembly code
9579 diverges from your original source code. With help from debugging
9580 information generated by the compiler, @value{GDBN} can map from
9581 the running program back to constructs from your original source.
9582
9583 @value{GDBN} is more accurate with optimization disabled. If you
9584 can recompile without optimization, it is easier to follow the
9585 progress of your program during debugging. But, there are many cases
9586 where you may need to debug an optimized version.
9587
9588 When you debug a program compiled with @samp{-g -O}, remember that the
9589 optimizer has rearranged your code; the debugger shows you what is
9590 really there. Do not be too surprised when the execution path does not
9591 exactly match your source file! An extreme example: if you define a
9592 variable, but never use it, @value{GDBN} never sees that
9593 variable---because the compiler optimizes it out of existence.
9594
9595 Some things do not work as well with @samp{-g -O} as with just
9596 @samp{-g}, particularly on machines with instruction scheduling. If in
9597 doubt, recompile with @samp{-g} alone, and if this fixes the problem,
9598 please report it to us as a bug (including a test case!).
9599 @xref{Variables}, for more information about debugging optimized code.
9600
9601 @menu
9602 * Inline Functions:: How @value{GDBN} presents inlining
9603 * Tail Call Frames:: @value{GDBN} analysis of jumps to functions
9604 @end menu
9605
9606 @node Inline Functions
9607 @section Inline Functions
9608 @cindex inline functions, debugging
9609
9610 @dfn{Inlining} is an optimization that inserts a copy of the function
9611 body directly at each call site, instead of jumping to a shared
9612 routine. @value{GDBN} displays inlined functions just like
9613 non-inlined functions. They appear in backtraces. You can view their
9614 arguments and local variables, step into them with @code{step}, skip
9615 them with @code{next}, and escape from them with @code{finish}.
9616 You can check whether a function was inlined by using the
9617 @code{info frame} command.
9618
9619 For @value{GDBN} to support inlined functions, the compiler must
9620 record information about inlining in the debug information ---
9621 @value{NGCC} using the @sc{dwarf 2} format does this, and several
9622 other compilers do also. @value{GDBN} only supports inlined functions
9623 when using @sc{dwarf 2}. Versions of @value{NGCC} before 4.1
9624 do not emit two required attributes (@samp{DW_AT_call_file} and
9625 @samp{DW_AT_call_line}); @value{GDBN} does not display inlined
9626 function calls with earlier versions of @value{NGCC}. It instead
9627 displays the arguments and local variables of inlined functions as
9628 local variables in the caller.
9629
9630 The body of an inlined function is directly included at its call site;
9631 unlike a non-inlined function, there are no instructions devoted to
9632 the call. @value{GDBN} still pretends that the call site and the
9633 start of the inlined function are different instructions. Stepping to
9634 the call site shows the call site, and then stepping again shows
9635 the first line of the inlined function, even though no additional
9636 instructions are executed.
9637
9638 This makes source-level debugging much clearer; you can see both the
9639 context of the call and then the effect of the call. Only stepping by
9640 a single instruction using @code{stepi} or @code{nexti} does not do
9641 this; single instruction steps always show the inlined body.
9642
9643 There are some ways that @value{GDBN} does not pretend that inlined
9644 function calls are the same as normal calls:
9645
9646 @itemize @bullet
9647 @item
9648 You cannot set breakpoints on inlined functions. @value{GDBN}
9649 either reports that there is no symbol with that name, or else sets the
9650 breakpoint only on non-inlined copies of the function. This limitation
9651 will be removed in a future version of @value{GDBN}; until then,
9652 set a breakpoint by line number on the first line of the inlined
9653 function instead.
9654
9655 @item
9656 Setting breakpoints at the call site of an inlined function may not
9657 work, because the call site does not contain any code. @value{GDBN}
9658 may incorrectly move the breakpoint to the next line of the enclosing
9659 function, after the call. This limitation will be removed in a future
9660 version of @value{GDBN}; until then, set a breakpoint on an earlier line
9661 or inside the inlined function instead.
9662
9663 @item
9664 @value{GDBN} cannot locate the return value of inlined calls after
9665 using the @code{finish} command. This is a limitation of compiler-generated
9666 debugging information; after @code{finish}, you can step to the next line
9667 and print a variable where your program stored the return value.
9668
9669 @end itemize
9670
9671 @node Tail Call Frames
9672 @section Tail Call Frames
9673 @cindex tail call frames, debugging
9674
9675 Function @code{B} can call function @code{C} in its very last statement. In
9676 unoptimized compilation the call of @code{C} is immediately followed by return
9677 instruction at the end of @code{B} code. Optimizing compiler may replace the
9678 call and return in function @code{B} into one jump to function @code{C}
9679 instead. Such use of a jump instruction is called @dfn{tail call}.
9680
9681 During execution of function @code{C}, there will be no indication in the
9682 function call stack frames that it was tail-called from @code{B}. If function
9683 @code{A} regularly calls function @code{B} which tail-calls function @code{C},
9684 then @value{GDBN} will see @code{A} as the caller of @code{C}. However, in
9685 some cases @value{GDBN} can determine that @code{C} was tail-called from
9686 @code{B}, and it will then create fictitious call frame for that, with the
9687 return address set up as if @code{B} called @code{C} normally.
9688
9689 This functionality is currently supported only by DWARF 2 debugging format and
9690 the compiler has to produce @samp{DW_TAG_GNU_call_site} tags. With
9691 @value{NGCC}, you need to specify @option{-O -g} during compilation, to get
9692 this information.
9693
9694 @kbd{info frame} command (@pxref{Frame Info}) will indicate the tail call frame
9695 kind by text @code{tail call frame} such as in this sample @value{GDBN} output:
9696
9697 @smallexample
9698 (gdb) x/i $pc - 2
9699 0x40066b <b(int, double)+11>: jmp 0x400640 <c(int, double)>
9700 (gdb) info frame
9701 Stack level 1, frame at 0x7fffffffda30:
9702 rip = 0x40066d in b (amd64-entry-value.cc:59); saved rip 0x4004c5
9703 tail call frame, caller of frame at 0x7fffffffda30
9704 source language c++.
9705 Arglist at unknown address.
9706 Locals at unknown address, Previous frame's sp is 0x7fffffffda30
9707 @end smallexample
9708
9709 The detection of all the possible code path executions can find them ambiguous.
9710 There is no execution history stored (possible @ref{Reverse Execution} is never
9711 used for this purpose) and the last known caller could have reached the known
9712 callee by multiple different jump sequences. In such case @value{GDBN} still
9713 tries to show at least all the unambiguous top tail callers and all the
9714 unambiguous bottom tail calees, if any.
9715
9716 @table @code
9717 @anchor{set debug entry-values}
9718 @item set debug entry-values
9719 @kindex set debug entry-values
9720 When set to on, enables printing of analysis messages for both frame argument
9721 values at function entry and tail calls. It will show all the possible valid
9722 tail calls code paths it has considered. It will also print the intersection
9723 of them with the final unambiguous (possibly partial or even empty) code path
9724 result.
9725
9726 @item show debug entry-values
9727 @kindex show debug entry-values
9728 Show the current state of analysis messages printing for both frame argument
9729 values at function entry and tail calls.
9730 @end table
9731
9732 The analysis messages for tail calls can for example show why the virtual tail
9733 call frame for function @code{c} has not been recognized (due to the indirect
9734 reference by variable @code{x}):
9735
9736 @smallexample
9737 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) c (void);
9738 void (*x) (void) = c;
9739 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) a (void) @{ x++; @}
9740 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) c (void) @{ a (); @}
9741 int main (void) @{ x (); return 0; @}
9742
9743 Breakpoint 1, DW_OP_GNU_entry_value resolving cannot find
9744 DW_TAG_GNU_call_site 0x40039a in main
9745 a () at t.c:3
9746 3 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) a (void) @{ x++; @}
9747 (gdb) bt
9748 #0 a () at t.c:3
9749 #1 0x000000000040039a in main () at t.c:5
9750 @end smallexample
9751
9752 Another possibility is an ambiguous virtual tail call frames resolution:
9753
9754 @smallexample
9755 int i;
9756 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) f (void) @{ i++; @}
9757 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) e (void) @{ f (); @}
9758 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) d (void) @{ f (); @}
9759 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) c (void) @{ d (); @}
9760 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) b (void)
9761 @{ if (i) c (); else e (); @}
9762 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) a (void) @{ b (); @}
9763 int main (void) @{ a (); return 0; @}
9764
9765 tailcall: initial: 0x4004d2(a) 0x4004ce(b) 0x4004b2(c) 0x4004a2(d)
9766 tailcall: compare: 0x4004d2(a) 0x4004cc(b) 0x400492(e)
9767 tailcall: reduced: 0x4004d2(a) |
9768 (gdb) bt
9769 #0 f () at t.c:2
9770 #1 0x00000000004004d2 in a () at t.c:8
9771 #2 0x0000000000400395 in main () at t.c:9
9772 @end smallexample
9773
9774 Frames #0 and #2 are real, #1 is a virtual tail call frame. The code can have
9775 possible execution paths
9776 @code{main@arrow{}a@arrow{}b@arrow{}c@arrow{}d@arrow{}f} or
9777 @code{main@arrow{}a@arrow{}b@arrow{}e@arrow{}f}, @value{GDBN} cannot find which
9778 one from the inferior state.
9779
9780 @code{initial:} state shows some random possible calling sequence @value{GDBN}
9781 has found. It then finds another possible calling sequcen - that one is
9782 prefixed by @code{compare:}. The non-ambiguous intersection of these two is
9783 printed as the @code{reduced:} calling sequence. That one could have many
9784 futher @code{compare:} and @code{reduced:} statements as long as there remain
9785 any non-ambiguous sequence entries.
9786
9787 For the frame of function @code{b} in both cases there are different possible
9788 @code{$pc} values (@code{0x4004cc} or @code{0x4004ce}), therefore this frame is
9789 also ambigous. The only non-ambiguous frame is the one for function @code{a},
9790 therefore this one is displayed to the user while the ambiguous frames are
9791 omitted.
9792
9793 There can be also reasons why printing of frame argument values at function
9794 entry may fail:
9795
9796 @smallexample
9797 int v;
9798 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) c (int i) @{ v++; @}
9799 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) a (int i);
9800 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) b (int i) @{ a (i); @}
9801 static void __attribute__((noinline, noclone)) a (int i)
9802 @{ if (i) b (i - 1); else c (0); @}
9803 int main (void) @{ a (5); return 0; @}
9804
9805 (gdb) bt
9806 #0 c (i=i@@entry=0) at t.c:2
9807 #1 0x0000000000400428 in a (DW_OP_GNU_entry_value resolving has found
9808 function "a" at 0x400420 can call itself via tail calls
9809 i=<optimized out>) at t.c:6
9810 #2 0x000000000040036e in main () at t.c:7
9811 @end smallexample
9812
9813 @value{GDBN} cannot find out from the inferior state if and how many times did
9814 function @code{a} call itself (via function @code{b}) as these calls would be
9815 tail calls. Such tail calls would modify thue @code{i} variable, therefore
9816 @value{GDBN} cannot be sure the value it knows would be right - @value{GDBN}
9817 prints @code{<optimized out>} instead.
9818
9819 @node Macros
9820 @chapter C Preprocessor Macros
9821
9822 Some languages, such as C and C@t{++}, provide a way to define and invoke
9823 ``preprocessor macros'' which expand into strings of tokens.
9824 @value{GDBN} can evaluate expressions containing macro invocations, show
9825 the result of macro expansion, and show a macro's definition, including
9826 where it was defined.
9827
9828 You may need to compile your program specially to provide @value{GDBN}
9829 with information about preprocessor macros. Most compilers do not
9830 include macros in their debugging information, even when you compile
9831 with the @option{-g} flag. @xref{Compilation}.
9832
9833 A program may define a macro at one point, remove that definition later,
9834 and then provide a different definition after that. Thus, at different
9835 points in the program, a macro may have different definitions, or have
9836 no definition at all. If there is a current stack frame, @value{GDBN}
9837 uses the macros in scope at that frame's source code line. Otherwise,
9838 @value{GDBN} uses the macros in scope at the current listing location;
9839 see @ref{List}.
9840
9841 Whenever @value{GDBN} evaluates an expression, it always expands any
9842 macro invocations present in the expression. @value{GDBN} also provides
9843 the following commands for working with macros explicitly.
9844
9845 @table @code
9846
9847 @kindex macro expand
9848 @cindex macro expansion, showing the results of preprocessor
9849 @cindex preprocessor macro expansion, showing the results of
9850 @cindex expanding preprocessor macros
9851 @item macro expand @var{expression}
9852 @itemx macro exp @var{expression}
9853 Show the results of expanding all preprocessor macro invocations in
9854 @var{expression}. Since @value{GDBN} simply expands macros, but does
9855 not parse the result, @var{expression} need not be a valid expression;
9856 it can be any string of tokens.
9857
9858 @kindex macro exp1
9859 @item macro expand-once @var{expression}
9860 @itemx macro exp1 @var{expression}
9861 @cindex expand macro once
9862 @i{(This command is not yet implemented.)} Show the results of
9863 expanding those preprocessor macro invocations that appear explicitly in
9864 @var{expression}. Macro invocations appearing in that expansion are
9865 left unchanged. This command allows you to see the effect of a
9866 particular macro more clearly, without being confused by further
9867 expansions. Since @value{GDBN} simply expands macros, but does not
9868 parse the result, @var{expression} need not be a valid expression; it
9869 can be any string of tokens.
9870
9871 @kindex info macro
9872 @cindex macro definition, showing
9873 @cindex definition of a macro, showing
9874 @cindex macros, from debug info
9875 @item info macro @var{macro}
9876 Show the current definition of the named @var{macro}, and describe the
9877 source location or compiler command-line where that definition was established.
9878
9879 @kindex info macros
9880 @item info macros @var{linespec}
9881 Show all macro definitions that are in effect at the location specified
9882 by @var{linespec}, and describe the source location or compiler
9883 command-line where those definitions were established.
9884
9885 @kindex info definitions
9886 @item info definitions @var{macro}
9887 Show all definitions of the named @var{macro} that are defined in the current
9888 compilation unit, and describe the source location or compiler command-line
9889 where those definitions were established.
9890
9891 @kindex macro define
9892 @cindex user-defined macros
9893 @cindex defining macros interactively
9894 @cindex macros, user-defined
9895 @item macro define @var{macro} @var{replacement-list}
9896 @itemx macro define @var{macro}(@var{arglist}) @var{replacement-list}
9897 Introduce a definition for a preprocessor macro named @var{macro},
9898 invocations of which are replaced by the tokens given in
9899 @var{replacement-list}. The first form of this command defines an
9900 ``object-like'' macro, which takes no arguments; the second form
9901 defines a ``function-like'' macro, which takes the arguments given in
9902 @var{arglist}.
9903
9904 A definition introduced by this command is in scope in every
9905 expression evaluated in @value{GDBN}, until it is removed with the
9906 @code{macro undef} command, described below. The definition overrides
9907 all definitions for @var{macro} present in the program being debugged,
9908 as well as any previous user-supplied definition.
9909
9910 @kindex macro undef
9911 @item macro undef @var{macro}
9912 Remove any user-supplied definition for the macro named @var{macro}.
9913 This command only affects definitions provided with the @code{macro
9914 define} command, described above; it cannot remove definitions present
9915 in the program being debugged.
9916
9917 @kindex macro list
9918 @item macro list
9919 List all the macros defined using the @code{macro define} command.
9920 @end table
9921
9922 @cindex macros, example of debugging with
9923 Here is a transcript showing the above commands in action. First, we
9924 show our source files:
9925
9926 @smallexample
9927 $ cat sample.c
9928 #include <stdio.h>
9929 #include "sample.h"
9930
9931 #define M 42
9932 #define ADD(x) (M + x)
9933
9934 main ()
9935 @{
9936 #define N 28
9937 printf ("Hello, world!\n");
9938 #undef N
9939 printf ("We're so creative.\n");
9940 #define N 1729
9941 printf ("Goodbye, world!\n");
9942 @}
9943 $ cat sample.h
9944 #define Q <
9945 $
9946 @end smallexample
9947
9948 Now, we compile the program using the @sc{gnu} C compiler, @value{NGCC}.
9949 We pass the @option{-gdwarf-2} and @option{-g3} flags to ensure the
9950 compiler includes information about preprocessor macros in the debugging
9951 information.
9952
9953 @smallexample
9954 $ gcc -gdwarf-2 -g3 sample.c -o sample
9955 $
9956 @end smallexample
9957
9958 Now, we start @value{GDBN} on our sample program:
9959
9960 @smallexample
9961 $ gdb -nw sample
9962 GNU gdb 2002-05-06-cvs
9963 Copyright 2002 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
9964 GDB is free software, @dots{}
9965 (@value{GDBP})
9966 @end smallexample
9967
9968 We can expand macros and examine their definitions, even when the
9969 program is not running. @value{GDBN} uses the current listing position
9970 to decide which macro definitions are in scope:
9971
9972 @smallexample
9973 (@value{GDBP}) list main
9974 3
9975 4 #define M 42
9976 5 #define ADD(x) (M + x)
9977 6
9978 7 main ()
9979 8 @{
9980 9 #define N 28
9981 10 printf ("Hello, world!\n");
9982 11 #undef N
9983 12 printf ("We're so creative.\n");
9984 (@value{GDBP}) info macro ADD
9985 Defined at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:5
9986 #define ADD(x) (M + x)
9987 (@value{GDBP}) info macro Q
9988 Defined at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.h:1
9989 included at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:2
9990 #define Q <
9991 (@value{GDBP}) macro expand ADD(1)
9992 expands to: (42 + 1)
9993 (@value{GDBP}) macro expand-once ADD(1)
9994 expands to: once (M + 1)
9995 (@value{GDBP})
9996 @end smallexample
9997
9998 In the example above, note that @code{macro expand-once} expands only
9999 the macro invocation explicit in the original text --- the invocation of
10000 @code{ADD} --- but does not expand the invocation of the macro @code{M},
10001 which was introduced by @code{ADD}.
10002
10003 Once the program is running, @value{GDBN} uses the macro definitions in
10004 force at the source line of the current stack frame:
10005
10006 @smallexample
10007 (@value{GDBP}) break main
10008 Breakpoint 1 at 0x8048370: file sample.c, line 10.
10009 (@value{GDBP}) run
10010 Starting program: /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample
10011
10012 Breakpoint 1, main () at sample.c:10
10013 10 printf ("Hello, world!\n");
10014 (@value{GDBP})
10015 @end smallexample
10016
10017 At line 10, the definition of the macro @code{N} at line 9 is in force:
10018
10019 @smallexample
10020 (@value{GDBP}) info macro N
10021 Defined at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:9
10022 #define N 28
10023 (@value{GDBP}) macro expand N Q M
10024 expands to: 28 < 42
10025 (@value{GDBP}) print N Q M
10026 $1 = 1
10027 (@value{GDBP})
10028 @end smallexample
10029
10030 As we step over directives that remove @code{N}'s definition, and then
10031 give it a new definition, @value{GDBN} finds the definition (or lack
10032 thereof) in force at each point:
10033
10034 @smallexample
10035 (@value{GDBP}) next
10036 Hello, world!
10037 12 printf ("We're so creative.\n");
10038 (@value{GDBP}) info macro N
10039 The symbol `N' has no definition as a C/C++ preprocessor macro
10040 at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:12
10041 (@value{GDBP}) next
10042 We're so creative.
10043 14 printf ("Goodbye, world!\n");
10044 (@value{GDBP}) info macro N
10045 Defined at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:13
10046 #define N 1729
10047 (@value{GDBP}) macro expand N Q M
10048 expands to: 1729 < 42
10049 (@value{GDBP}) print N Q M
10050 $2 = 0
10051 (@value{GDBP})
10052 @end smallexample
10053
10054 In addition to source files, macros can be defined on the compilation command
10055 line using the @option{-D@var{name}=@var{value}} syntax. For macros defined in
10056 such a way, @value{GDBN} displays the location of their definition as line zero
10057 of the source file submitted to the compiler.
10058
10059 @smallexample
10060 (@value{GDBP}) info macro __STDC__
10061 Defined at /home/jimb/gdb/macros/play/sample.c:0
10062 -D__STDC__=1
10063 (@value{GDBP})
10064 @end smallexample
10065
10066
10067 @node Tracepoints
10068 @chapter Tracepoints
10069 @c This chapter is based on the documentation written by Michael
10070 @c Snyder, David Taylor, Jim Blandy, and Elena Zannoni.
10071
10072 @cindex tracepoints
10073 In some applications, it is not feasible for the debugger to interrupt
10074 the program's execution long enough for the developer to learn
10075 anything helpful about its behavior. If the program's correctness
10076 depends on its real-time behavior, delays introduced by a debugger
10077 might cause the program to change its behavior drastically, or perhaps
10078 fail, even when the code itself is correct. It is useful to be able
10079 to observe the program's behavior without interrupting it.
10080
10081 Using @value{GDBN}'s @code{trace} and @code{collect} commands, you can
10082 specify locations in the program, called @dfn{tracepoints}, and
10083 arbitrary expressions to evaluate when those tracepoints are reached.
10084 Later, using the @code{tfind} command, you can examine the values
10085 those expressions had when the program hit the tracepoints. The
10086 expressions may also denote objects in memory---structures or arrays,
10087 for example---whose values @value{GDBN} should record; while visiting
10088 a particular tracepoint, you may inspect those objects as if they were
10089 in memory at that moment. However, because @value{GDBN} records these
10090 values without interacting with you, it can do so quickly and
10091 unobtrusively, hopefully not disturbing the program's behavior.
10092
10093 The tracepoint facility is currently available only for remote
10094 targets. @xref{Targets}. In addition, your remote target must know
10095 how to collect trace data. This functionality is implemented in the
10096 remote stub; however, none of the stubs distributed with @value{GDBN}
10097 support tracepoints as of this writing. The format of the remote
10098 packets used to implement tracepoints are described in @ref{Tracepoint
10099 Packets}.
10100
10101 It is also possible to get trace data from a file, in a manner reminiscent
10102 of corefiles; you specify the filename, and use @code{tfind} to search
10103 through the file. @xref{Trace Files}, for more details.
10104
10105 This chapter describes the tracepoint commands and features.
10106
10107 @menu
10108 * Set Tracepoints::
10109 * Analyze Collected Data::
10110 * Tracepoint Variables::
10111 * Trace Files::
10112 @end menu
10113
10114 @node Set Tracepoints
10115 @section Commands to Set Tracepoints
10116
10117 Before running such a @dfn{trace experiment}, an arbitrary number of
10118 tracepoints can be set. A tracepoint is actually a special type of
10119 breakpoint (@pxref{Set Breaks}), so you can manipulate it using
10120 standard breakpoint commands. For instance, as with breakpoints,
10121 tracepoint numbers are successive integers starting from one, and many
10122 of the commands associated with tracepoints take the tracepoint number
10123 as their argument, to identify which tracepoint to work on.
10124
10125 For each tracepoint, you can specify, in advance, some arbitrary set
10126 of data that you want the target to collect in the trace buffer when
10127 it hits that tracepoint. The collected data can include registers,
10128 local variables, or global data. Later, you can use @value{GDBN}
10129 commands to examine the values these data had at the time the
10130 tracepoint was hit.
10131
10132 Tracepoints do not support every breakpoint feature. Ignore counts on
10133 tracepoints have no effect, and tracepoints cannot run @value{GDBN}
10134 commands when they are hit. Tracepoints may not be thread-specific
10135 either.
10136
10137 @cindex fast tracepoints
10138 Some targets may support @dfn{fast tracepoints}, which are inserted in
10139 a different way (such as with a jump instead of a trap), that is
10140 faster but possibly restricted in where they may be installed.
10141
10142 @cindex static tracepoints
10143 @cindex markers, static tracepoints
10144 @cindex probing markers, static tracepoints
10145 Regular and fast tracepoints are dynamic tracing facilities, meaning
10146 that they can be used to insert tracepoints at (almost) any location
10147 in the target. Some targets may also support controlling @dfn{static
10148 tracepoints} from @value{GDBN}. With static tracing, a set of
10149 instrumentation points, also known as @dfn{markers}, are embedded in
10150 the target program, and can be activated or deactivated by name or
10151 address. These are usually placed at locations which facilitate
10152 investigating what the target is actually doing. @value{GDBN}'s
10153 support for static tracing includes being able to list instrumentation
10154 points, and attach them with @value{GDBN} defined high level
10155 tracepoints that expose the whole range of convenience of
10156 @value{GDBN}'s tracepoints support. Namely, support for collecting
10157 registers values and values of global or local (to the instrumentation
10158 point) variables; tracepoint conditions and trace state variables.
10159 The act of installing a @value{GDBN} static tracepoint on an
10160 instrumentation point, or marker, is referred to as @dfn{probing} a
10161 static tracepoint marker.
10162
10163 @code{gdbserver} supports tracepoints on some target systems.
10164 @xref{Server,,Tracepoints support in @code{gdbserver}}.
10165
10166 This section describes commands to set tracepoints and associated
10167 conditions and actions.
10168
10169 @menu
10170 * Create and Delete Tracepoints::
10171 * Enable and Disable Tracepoints::
10172 * Tracepoint Passcounts::
10173 * Tracepoint Conditions::
10174 * Trace State Variables::
10175 * Tracepoint Actions::
10176 * Listing Tracepoints::
10177 * Listing Static Tracepoint Markers::
10178 * Starting and Stopping Trace Experiments::
10179 * Tracepoint Restrictions::
10180 @end menu
10181
10182 @node Create and Delete Tracepoints
10183 @subsection Create and Delete Tracepoints
10184
10185 @table @code
10186 @cindex set tracepoint
10187 @kindex trace
10188 @item trace @var{location}
10189 The @code{trace} command is very similar to the @code{break} command.
10190 Its argument @var{location} can be a source line, a function name, or
10191 an address in the target program. @xref{Specify Location}. The
10192 @code{trace} command defines a tracepoint, which is a point in the
10193 target program where the debugger will briefly stop, collect some
10194 data, and then allow the program to continue. Setting a tracepoint or
10195 changing its actions doesn't take effect until the next @code{tstart}
10196 command, and once a trace experiment is running, further changes will
10197 not have any effect until the next trace experiment starts.
10198
10199 Here are some examples of using the @code{trace} command:
10200
10201 @smallexample
10202 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace foo.c:121} // a source file and line number
10203
10204 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace +2} // 2 lines forward
10205
10206 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace my_function} // first source line of function
10207
10208 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace *my_function} // EXACT start address of function
10209
10210 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace *0x2117c4} // an address
10211 @end smallexample
10212
10213 @noindent
10214 You can abbreviate @code{trace} as @code{tr}.
10215
10216 @item trace @var{location} if @var{cond}
10217 Set a tracepoint with condition @var{cond}; evaluate the expression
10218 @var{cond} each time the tracepoint is reached, and collect data only
10219 if the value is nonzero---that is, if @var{cond} evaluates as true.
10220 @xref{Tracepoint Conditions, ,Tracepoint Conditions}, for more
10221 information on tracepoint conditions.
10222
10223 @item ftrace @var{location} [ if @var{cond} ]
10224 @cindex set fast tracepoint
10225 @cindex fast tracepoints, setting
10226 @kindex ftrace
10227 The @code{ftrace} command sets a fast tracepoint. For targets that
10228 support them, fast tracepoints will use a more efficient but possibly
10229 less general technique to trigger data collection, such as a jump
10230 instruction instead of a trap, or some sort of hardware support. It
10231 may not be possible to create a fast tracepoint at the desired
10232 location, in which case the command will exit with an explanatory
10233 message.
10234
10235 @value{GDBN} handles arguments to @code{ftrace} exactly as for
10236 @code{trace}.
10237
10238 @item strace @var{location} [ if @var{cond} ]
10239 @cindex set static tracepoint
10240 @cindex static tracepoints, setting
10241 @cindex probe static tracepoint marker
10242 @kindex strace
10243 The @code{strace} command sets a static tracepoint. For targets that
10244 support it, setting a static tracepoint probes a static
10245 instrumentation point, or marker, found at @var{location}. It may not
10246 be possible to set a static tracepoint at the desired location, in
10247 which case the command will exit with an explanatory message.
10248
10249 @value{GDBN} handles arguments to @code{strace} exactly as for
10250 @code{trace}, with the addition that the user can also specify
10251 @code{-m @var{marker}} as @var{location}. This probes the marker
10252 identified by the @var{marker} string identifier. This identifier
10253 depends on the static tracepoint backend library your program is
10254 using. You can find all the marker identifiers in the @samp{ID} field
10255 of the @code{info static-tracepoint-markers} command output.
10256 @xref{Listing Static Tracepoint Markers,,Listing Static Tracepoint
10257 Markers}. For example, in the following small program using the UST
10258 tracing engine:
10259
10260 @smallexample
10261 main ()
10262 @{
10263 trace_mark(ust, bar33, "str %s", "FOOBAZ");
10264 @}
10265 @end smallexample
10266
10267 @noindent
10268 the marker id is composed of joining the first two arguments to the
10269 @code{trace_mark} call with a slash, which translates to:
10270
10271 @smallexample
10272 (@value{GDBP}) info static-tracepoint-markers
10273 Cnt Enb ID Address What
10274 1 n ust/bar33 0x0000000000400ddc in main at stexample.c:22
10275 Data: "str %s"
10276 [etc...]
10277 @end smallexample
10278
10279 @noindent
10280 so you may probe the marker above with:
10281
10282 @smallexample
10283 (@value{GDBP}) strace -m ust/bar33
10284 @end smallexample
10285
10286 Static tracepoints accept an extra collect action --- @code{collect
10287 $_sdata}. This collects arbitrary user data passed in the probe point
10288 call to the tracing library. In the UST example above, you'll see
10289 that the third argument to @code{trace_mark} is a printf-like format
10290 string. The user data is then the result of running that formating
10291 string against the following arguments. Note that @code{info
10292 static-tracepoint-markers} command output lists that format string in
10293 the @samp{Data:} field.
10294
10295 You can inspect this data when analyzing the trace buffer, by printing
10296 the $_sdata variable like any other variable available to
10297 @value{GDBN}. @xref{Tracepoint Actions,,Tracepoint Action Lists}.
10298
10299 @vindex $tpnum
10300 @cindex last tracepoint number
10301 @cindex recent tracepoint number
10302 @cindex tracepoint number
10303 The convenience variable @code{$tpnum} records the tracepoint number
10304 of the most recently set tracepoint.
10305
10306 @kindex delete tracepoint
10307 @cindex tracepoint deletion
10308 @item delete tracepoint @r{[}@var{num}@r{]}
10309 Permanently delete one or more tracepoints. With no argument, the
10310 default is to delete all tracepoints. Note that the regular
10311 @code{delete} command can remove tracepoints also.
10312
10313 Examples:
10314
10315 @smallexample
10316 (@value{GDBP}) @b{delete trace 1 2 3} // remove three tracepoints
10317
10318 (@value{GDBP}) @b{delete trace} // remove all tracepoints
10319 @end smallexample
10320
10321 @noindent
10322 You can abbreviate this command as @code{del tr}.
10323 @end table
10324
10325 @node Enable and Disable Tracepoints
10326 @subsection Enable and Disable Tracepoints
10327
10328 These commands are deprecated; they are equivalent to plain @code{disable} and @code{enable}.
10329
10330 @table @code
10331 @kindex disable tracepoint
10332 @item disable tracepoint @r{[}@var{num}@r{]}
10333 Disable tracepoint @var{num}, or all tracepoints if no argument
10334 @var{num} is given. A disabled tracepoint will have no effect during
10335 a trace experiment, but it is not forgotten. You can re-enable
10336 a disabled tracepoint using the @code{enable tracepoint} command.
10337 If the command is issued during a trace experiment and the debug target
10338 has support for disabling tracepoints during a trace experiment, then the
10339 change will be effective immediately. Otherwise, it will be applied to the
10340 next trace experiment.
10341
10342 @kindex enable tracepoint
10343 @item enable tracepoint @r{[}@var{num}@r{]}
10344 Enable tracepoint @var{num}, or all tracepoints. If this command is
10345 issued during a trace experiment and the debug target supports enabling
10346 tracepoints during a trace experiment, then the enabled tracepoints will
10347 become effective immediately. Otherwise, they will become effective the
10348 next time a trace experiment is run.
10349 @end table
10350
10351 @node Tracepoint Passcounts
10352 @subsection Tracepoint Passcounts
10353
10354 @table @code
10355 @kindex passcount
10356 @cindex tracepoint pass count
10357 @item passcount @r{[}@var{n} @r{[}@var{num}@r{]]}
10358 Set the @dfn{passcount} of a tracepoint. The passcount is a way to
10359 automatically stop a trace experiment. If a tracepoint's passcount is
10360 @var{n}, then the trace experiment will be automatically stopped on
10361 the @var{n}'th time that tracepoint is hit. If the tracepoint number
10362 @var{num} is not specified, the @code{passcount} command sets the
10363 passcount of the most recently defined tracepoint. If no passcount is
10364 given, the trace experiment will run until stopped explicitly by the
10365 user.
10366
10367 Examples:
10368
10369 @smallexample
10370 (@value{GDBP}) @b{passcount 5 2} // Stop on the 5th execution of
10371 @exdent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @code{// tracepoint 2}
10372
10373 (@value{GDBP}) @b{passcount 12} // Stop on the 12th execution of the
10374 @exdent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @code{// most recently defined tracepoint.}
10375 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace foo}
10376 (@value{GDBP}) @b{pass 3}
10377 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace bar}
10378 (@value{GDBP}) @b{pass 2}
10379 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace baz}
10380 (@value{GDBP}) @b{pass 1} // Stop tracing when foo has been
10381 @exdent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @code{// executed 3 times OR when bar has}
10382 @exdent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @code{// been executed 2 times}
10383 @exdent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @code{// OR when baz has been executed 1 time.}
10384 @end smallexample
10385 @end table
10386
10387 @node Tracepoint Conditions
10388 @subsection Tracepoint Conditions
10389 @cindex conditional tracepoints
10390 @cindex tracepoint conditions
10391
10392 The simplest sort of tracepoint collects data every time your program
10393 reaches a specified place. You can also specify a @dfn{condition} for
10394 a tracepoint. A condition is just a Boolean expression in your
10395 programming language (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}). A
10396 tracepoint with a condition evaluates the expression each time your
10397 program reaches it, and data collection happens only if the condition
10398 is true.
10399
10400 Tracepoint conditions can be specified when a tracepoint is set, by
10401 using @samp{if} in the arguments to the @code{trace} command.
10402 @xref{Create and Delete Tracepoints, ,Setting Tracepoints}. They can
10403 also be set or changed at any time with the @code{condition} command,
10404 just as with breakpoints.
10405
10406 Unlike breakpoint conditions, @value{GDBN} does not actually evaluate
10407 the conditional expression itself. Instead, @value{GDBN} encodes the
10408 expression into an agent expression (@pxref{Agent Expressions})
10409 suitable for execution on the target, independently of @value{GDBN}.
10410 Global variables become raw memory locations, locals become stack
10411 accesses, and so forth.
10412
10413 For instance, suppose you have a function that is usually called
10414 frequently, but should not be called after an error has occurred. You
10415 could use the following tracepoint command to collect data about calls
10416 of that function that happen while the error code is propagating
10417 through the program; an unconditional tracepoint could end up
10418 collecting thousands of useless trace frames that you would have to
10419 search through.
10420
10421 @smallexample
10422 (@value{GDBP}) @kbd{trace normal_operation if errcode > 0}
10423 @end smallexample
10424
10425 @node Trace State Variables
10426 @subsection Trace State Variables
10427 @cindex trace state variables
10428
10429 A @dfn{trace state variable} is a special type of variable that is
10430 created and managed by target-side code. The syntax is the same as
10431 that for GDB's convenience variables (a string prefixed with ``$''),
10432 but they are stored on the target. They must be created explicitly,
10433 using a @code{tvariable} command. They are always 64-bit signed
10434 integers.
10435
10436 Trace state variables are remembered by @value{GDBN}, and downloaded
10437 to the target along with tracepoint information when the trace
10438 experiment starts. There are no intrinsic limits on the number of
10439 trace state variables, beyond memory limitations of the target.
10440
10441 @cindex convenience variables, and trace state variables
10442 Although trace state variables are managed by the target, you can use
10443 them in print commands and expressions as if they were convenience
10444 variables; @value{GDBN} will get the current value from the target
10445 while the trace experiment is running. Trace state variables share
10446 the same namespace as other ``$'' variables, which means that you
10447 cannot have trace state variables with names like @code{$23} or
10448 @code{$pc}, nor can you have a trace state variable and a convenience
10449 variable with the same name.
10450
10451 @table @code
10452
10453 @item tvariable $@var{name} [ = @var{expression} ]
10454 @kindex tvariable
10455 The @code{tvariable} command creates a new trace state variable named
10456 @code{$@var{name}}, and optionally gives it an initial value of
10457 @var{expression}. @var{expression} is evaluated when this command is
10458 entered; the result will be converted to an integer if possible,
10459 otherwise @value{GDBN} will report an error. A subsequent
10460 @code{tvariable} command specifying the same name does not create a
10461 variable, but instead assigns the supplied initial value to the
10462 existing variable of that name, overwriting any previous initial
10463 value. The default initial value is 0.
10464
10465 @item info tvariables
10466 @kindex info tvariables
10467 List all the trace state variables along with their initial values.
10468 Their current values may also be displayed, if the trace experiment is
10469 currently running.
10470
10471 @item delete tvariable @r{[} $@var{name} @dots{} @r{]}
10472 @kindex delete tvariable
10473 Delete the given trace state variables, or all of them if no arguments
10474 are specified.
10475
10476 @end table
10477
10478 @node Tracepoint Actions
10479 @subsection Tracepoint Action Lists
10480
10481 @table @code
10482 @kindex actions
10483 @cindex tracepoint actions
10484 @item actions @r{[}@var{num}@r{]}
10485 This command will prompt for a list of actions to be taken when the
10486 tracepoint is hit. If the tracepoint number @var{num} is not
10487 specified, this command sets the actions for the one that was most
10488 recently defined (so that you can define a tracepoint and then say
10489 @code{actions} without bothering about its number). You specify the
10490 actions themselves on the following lines, one action at a time, and
10491 terminate the actions list with a line containing just @code{end}. So
10492 far, the only defined actions are @code{collect}, @code{teval}, and
10493 @code{while-stepping}.
10494
10495 @code{actions} is actually equivalent to @code{commands} (@pxref{Break
10496 Commands, ,Breakpoint Command Lists}), except that only the defined
10497 actions are allowed; any other @value{GDBN} command is rejected.
10498
10499 @cindex remove actions from a tracepoint
10500 To remove all actions from a tracepoint, type @samp{actions @var{num}}
10501 and follow it immediately with @samp{end}.
10502
10503 @smallexample
10504 (@value{GDBP}) @b{collect @var{data}} // collect some data
10505
10506 (@value{GDBP}) @b{while-stepping 5} // single-step 5 times, collect data
10507
10508 (@value{GDBP}) @b{end} // signals the end of actions.
10509 @end smallexample
10510
10511 In the following example, the action list begins with @code{collect}
10512 commands indicating the things to be collected when the tracepoint is
10513 hit. Then, in order to single-step and collect additional data
10514 following the tracepoint, a @code{while-stepping} command is used,
10515 followed by the list of things to be collected after each step in a
10516 sequence of single steps. The @code{while-stepping} command is
10517 terminated by its own separate @code{end} command. Lastly, the action
10518 list is terminated by an @code{end} command.
10519
10520 @smallexample
10521 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace foo}
10522 (@value{GDBP}) @b{actions}
10523 Enter actions for tracepoint 1, one per line:
10524 > collect bar,baz
10525 > collect $regs
10526 > while-stepping 12
10527 > collect $pc, arr[i]
10528 > end
10529 end
10530 @end smallexample
10531
10532 @kindex collect @r{(tracepoints)}
10533 @item collect @var{expr1}, @var{expr2}, @dots{}
10534 Collect values of the given expressions when the tracepoint is hit.
10535 This command accepts a comma-separated list of any valid expressions.
10536 In addition to global, static, or local variables, the following
10537 special arguments are supported:
10538
10539 @table @code
10540 @item $regs
10541 Collect all registers.
10542
10543 @item $args
10544 Collect all function arguments.
10545
10546 @item $locals
10547 Collect all local variables.
10548
10549 @item $_ret
10550 Collect the return address. This is helpful if you want to see more
10551 of a backtrace.
10552
10553 @item $_sdata
10554 @vindex $_sdata@r{, collect}
10555 Collect static tracepoint marker specific data. Only available for
10556 static tracepoints. @xref{Tracepoint Actions,,Tracepoint Action
10557 Lists}. On the UST static tracepoints library backend, an
10558 instrumentation point resembles a @code{printf} function call. The
10559 tracing library is able to collect user specified data formatted to a
10560 character string using the format provided by the programmer that
10561 instrumented the program. Other backends have similar mechanisms.
10562 Here's an example of a UST marker call:
10563
10564 @smallexample
10565 const char master_name[] = "$your_name";
10566 trace_mark(channel1, marker1, "hello %s", master_name)
10567 @end smallexample
10568
10569 In this case, collecting @code{$_sdata} collects the string
10570 @samp{hello $yourname}. When analyzing the trace buffer, you can
10571 inspect @samp{$_sdata} like any other variable available to
10572 @value{GDBN}.
10573 @end table
10574
10575 You can give several consecutive @code{collect} commands, each one
10576 with a single argument, or one @code{collect} command with several
10577 arguments separated by commas; the effect is the same.
10578
10579 The command @code{info scope} (@pxref{Symbols, info scope}) is
10580 particularly useful for figuring out what data to collect.
10581
10582 @kindex teval @r{(tracepoints)}
10583 @item teval @var{expr1}, @var{expr2}, @dots{}
10584 Evaluate the given expressions when the tracepoint is hit. This
10585 command accepts a comma-separated list of expressions. The results
10586 are discarded, so this is mainly useful for assigning values to trace
10587 state variables (@pxref{Trace State Variables}) without adding those
10588 values to the trace buffer, as would be the case if the @code{collect}
10589 action were used.
10590
10591 @kindex while-stepping @r{(tracepoints)}
10592 @item while-stepping @var{n}
10593 Perform @var{n} single-step instruction traces after the tracepoint,
10594 collecting new data after each step. The @code{while-stepping}
10595 command is followed by the list of what to collect while stepping
10596 (followed by its own @code{end} command):
10597
10598 @smallexample
10599 > while-stepping 12
10600 > collect $regs, myglobal
10601 > end
10602 >
10603 @end smallexample
10604
10605 @noindent
10606 Note that @code{$pc} is not automatically collected by
10607 @code{while-stepping}; you need to explicitly collect that register if
10608 you need it. You may abbreviate @code{while-stepping} as @code{ws} or
10609 @code{stepping}.
10610
10611 @item set default-collect @var{expr1}, @var{expr2}, @dots{}
10612 @kindex set default-collect
10613 @cindex default collection action
10614 This variable is a list of expressions to collect at each tracepoint
10615 hit. It is effectively an additional @code{collect} action prepended
10616 to every tracepoint action list. The expressions are parsed
10617 individually for each tracepoint, so for instance a variable named
10618 @code{xyz} may be interpreted as a global for one tracepoint, and a
10619 local for another, as appropriate to the tracepoint's location.
10620
10621 @item show default-collect
10622 @kindex show default-collect
10623 Show the list of expressions that are collected by default at each
10624 tracepoint hit.
10625
10626 @end table
10627
10628 @node Listing Tracepoints
10629 @subsection Listing Tracepoints
10630
10631 @table @code
10632 @kindex info tracepoints @r{[}@var{n}@dots{}@r{]}
10633 @kindex info tp @r{[}@var{n}@dots{}@r{]}
10634 @cindex information about tracepoints
10635 @item info tracepoints @r{[}@var{num}@dots{}@r{]}
10636 Display information about the tracepoint @var{num}. If you don't
10637 specify a tracepoint number, displays information about all the
10638 tracepoints defined so far. The format is similar to that used for
10639 @code{info breakpoints}; in fact, @code{info tracepoints} is the same
10640 command, simply restricting itself to tracepoints.
10641
10642 A tracepoint's listing may include additional information specific to
10643 tracing:
10644
10645 @itemize @bullet
10646 @item
10647 its passcount as given by the @code{passcount @var{n}} command
10648 @end itemize
10649
10650 @smallexample
10651 (@value{GDBP}) @b{info trace}
10652 Num Type Disp Enb Address What
10653 1 tracepoint keep y 0x0804ab57 in foo() at main.cxx:7
10654 while-stepping 20
10655 collect globfoo, $regs
10656 end
10657 collect globfoo2
10658 end
10659 pass count 1200
10660 (@value{GDBP})
10661 @end smallexample
10662
10663 @noindent
10664 This command can be abbreviated @code{info tp}.
10665 @end table
10666
10667 @node Listing Static Tracepoint Markers
10668 @subsection Listing Static Tracepoint Markers
10669
10670 @table @code
10671 @kindex info static-tracepoint-markers
10672 @cindex information about static tracepoint markers
10673 @item info static-tracepoint-markers
10674 Display information about all static tracepoint markers defined in the
10675 program.
10676
10677 For each marker, the following columns are printed:
10678
10679 @table @emph
10680 @item Count
10681 An incrementing counter, output to help readability. This is not a
10682 stable identifier.
10683 @item ID
10684 The marker ID, as reported by the target.
10685 @item Enabled or Disabled
10686 Probed markers are tagged with @samp{y}. @samp{n} identifies marks
10687 that are not enabled.
10688 @item Address
10689 Where the marker is in your program, as a memory address.
10690 @item What
10691 Where the marker is in the source for your program, as a file and line
10692 number. If the debug information included in the program does not
10693 allow @value{GDBN} to locate the source of the marker, this column
10694 will be left blank.
10695 @end table
10696
10697 @noindent
10698 In addition, the following information may be printed for each marker:
10699
10700 @table @emph
10701 @item Data
10702 User data passed to the tracing library by the marker call. In the
10703 UST backend, this is the format string passed as argument to the
10704 marker call.
10705 @item Static tracepoints probing the marker
10706 The list of static tracepoints attached to the marker.
10707 @end table
10708
10709 @smallexample
10710 (@value{GDBP}) info static-tracepoint-markers
10711 Cnt ID Enb Address What
10712 1 ust/bar2 y 0x0000000000400e1a in main at stexample.c:25
10713 Data: number1 %d number2 %d
10714 Probed by static tracepoints: #2
10715 2 ust/bar33 n 0x0000000000400c87 in main at stexample.c:24
10716 Data: str %s
10717 (@value{GDBP})
10718 @end smallexample
10719 @end table
10720
10721 @node Starting and Stopping Trace Experiments
10722 @subsection Starting and Stopping Trace Experiments
10723
10724 @table @code
10725 @kindex tstart
10726 @cindex start a new trace experiment
10727 @cindex collected data discarded
10728 @item tstart
10729 This command takes no arguments. It starts the trace experiment, and
10730 begins collecting data. This has the side effect of discarding all
10731 the data collected in the trace buffer during the previous trace
10732 experiment.
10733
10734 @kindex tstop
10735 @cindex stop a running trace experiment
10736 @item tstop
10737 This command takes no arguments. It ends the trace experiment, and
10738 stops collecting data.
10739
10740 @strong{Note}: a trace experiment and data collection may stop
10741 automatically if any tracepoint's passcount is reached
10742 (@pxref{Tracepoint Passcounts}), or if the trace buffer becomes full.
10743
10744 @kindex tstatus
10745 @cindex status of trace data collection
10746 @cindex trace experiment, status of
10747 @item tstatus
10748 This command displays the status of the current trace data
10749 collection.
10750 @end table
10751
10752 Here is an example of the commands we described so far:
10753
10754 @smallexample
10755 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace gdb_c_test}
10756 (@value{GDBP}) @b{actions}
10757 Enter actions for tracepoint #1, one per line.
10758 > collect $regs,$locals,$args
10759 > while-stepping 11
10760 > collect $regs
10761 > end
10762 > end
10763 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tstart}
10764 [time passes @dots{}]
10765 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tstop}
10766 @end smallexample
10767
10768 @anchor{disconnected tracing}
10769 @cindex disconnected tracing
10770 You can choose to continue running the trace experiment even if
10771 @value{GDBN} disconnects from the target, voluntarily or
10772 involuntarily. For commands such as @code{detach}, the debugger will
10773 ask what you want to do with the trace. But for unexpected
10774 terminations (@value{GDBN} crash, network outage), it would be
10775 unfortunate to lose hard-won trace data, so the variable
10776 @code{disconnected-tracing} lets you decide whether the trace should
10777 continue running without @value{GDBN}.
10778
10779 @table @code
10780 @item set disconnected-tracing on
10781 @itemx set disconnected-tracing off
10782 @kindex set disconnected-tracing
10783 Choose whether a tracing run should continue to run if @value{GDBN}
10784 has disconnected from the target. Note that @code{detach} or
10785 @code{quit} will ask you directly what to do about a running trace no
10786 matter what this variable's setting, so the variable is mainly useful
10787 for handling unexpected situations, such as loss of the network.
10788
10789 @item show disconnected-tracing
10790 @kindex show disconnected-tracing
10791 Show the current choice for disconnected tracing.
10792
10793 @end table
10794
10795 When you reconnect to the target, the trace experiment may or may not
10796 still be running; it might have filled the trace buffer in the
10797 meantime, or stopped for one of the other reasons. If it is running,
10798 it will continue after reconnection.
10799
10800 Upon reconnection, the target will upload information about the
10801 tracepoints in effect. @value{GDBN} will then compare that
10802 information to the set of tracepoints currently defined, and attempt
10803 to match them up, allowing for the possibility that the numbers may
10804 have changed due to creation and deletion in the meantime. If one of
10805 the target's tracepoints does not match any in @value{GDBN}, the
10806 debugger will create a new tracepoint, so that you have a number with
10807 which to specify that tracepoint. This matching-up process is
10808 necessarily heuristic, and it may result in useless tracepoints being
10809 created; you may simply delete them if they are of no use.
10810
10811 @cindex circular trace buffer
10812 If your target agent supports a @dfn{circular trace buffer}, then you
10813 can run a trace experiment indefinitely without filling the trace
10814 buffer; when space runs out, the agent deletes already-collected trace
10815 frames, oldest first, until there is enough room to continue
10816 collecting. This is especially useful if your tracepoints are being
10817 hit too often, and your trace gets terminated prematurely because the
10818 buffer is full. To ask for a circular trace buffer, simply set
10819 @samp{circular-trace-buffer} to on. You can set this at any time,
10820 including during tracing; if the agent can do it, it will change
10821 buffer handling on the fly, otherwise it will not take effect until
10822 the next run.
10823
10824 @table @code
10825 @item set circular-trace-buffer on
10826 @itemx set circular-trace-buffer off
10827 @kindex set circular-trace-buffer
10828 Choose whether a tracing run should use a linear or circular buffer
10829 for trace data. A linear buffer will not lose any trace data, but may
10830 fill up prematurely, while a circular buffer will discard old trace
10831 data, but it will have always room for the latest tracepoint hits.
10832
10833 @item show circular-trace-buffer
10834 @kindex show circular-trace-buffer
10835 Show the current choice for the trace buffer. Note that this may not
10836 match the agent's current buffer handling, nor is it guaranteed to
10837 match the setting that might have been in effect during a past run,
10838 for instance if you are looking at frames from a trace file.
10839
10840 @end table
10841
10842 @node Tracepoint Restrictions
10843 @subsection Tracepoint Restrictions
10844
10845 @cindex tracepoint restrictions
10846 There are a number of restrictions on the use of tracepoints. As
10847 described above, tracepoint data gathering occurs on the target
10848 without interaction from @value{GDBN}. Thus the full capabilities of
10849 the debugger are not available during data gathering, and then at data
10850 examination time, you will be limited by only having what was
10851 collected. The following items describe some common problems, but it
10852 is not exhaustive, and you may run into additional difficulties not
10853 mentioned here.
10854
10855 @itemize @bullet
10856
10857 @item
10858 Tracepoint expressions are intended to gather objects (lvalues). Thus
10859 the full flexibility of GDB's expression evaluator is not available.
10860 You cannot call functions, cast objects to aggregate types, access
10861 convenience variables or modify values (except by assignment to trace
10862 state variables). Some language features may implicitly call
10863 functions (for instance Objective-C fields with accessors), and therefore
10864 cannot be collected either.
10865
10866 @item
10867 Collection of local variables, either individually or in bulk with
10868 @code{$locals} or @code{$args}, during @code{while-stepping} may
10869 behave erratically. The stepping action may enter a new scope (for
10870 instance by stepping into a function), or the location of the variable
10871 may change (for instance it is loaded into a register). The
10872 tracepoint data recorded uses the location information for the
10873 variables that is correct for the tracepoint location. When the
10874 tracepoint is created, it is not possible, in general, to determine
10875 where the steps of a @code{while-stepping} sequence will advance the
10876 program---particularly if a conditional branch is stepped.
10877
10878 @item
10879 Collection of an incompletely-initialized or partially-destroyed object
10880 may result in something that @value{GDBN} cannot display, or displays
10881 in a misleading way.
10882
10883 @item
10884 When @value{GDBN} displays a pointer to character it automatically
10885 dereferences the pointer to also display characters of the string
10886 being pointed to. However, collecting the pointer during tracing does
10887 not automatically collect the string. You need to explicitly
10888 dereference the pointer and provide size information if you want to
10889 collect not only the pointer, but the memory pointed to. For example,
10890 @code{*ptr@@50} can be used to collect the 50 element array pointed to
10891 by @code{ptr}.
10892
10893 @item
10894 It is not possible to collect a complete stack backtrace at a
10895 tracepoint. Instead, you may collect the registers and a few hundred
10896 bytes from the stack pointer with something like @code{*(unsigned char *)$esp@@300}
10897 (adjust to use the name of the actual stack pointer register on your
10898 target architecture, and the amount of stack you wish to capture).
10899 Then the @code{backtrace} command will show a partial backtrace when
10900 using a trace frame. The number of stack frames that can be examined
10901 depends on the sizes of the frames in the collected stack. Note that
10902 if you ask for a block so large that it goes past the bottom of the
10903 stack, the target agent may report an error trying to read from an
10904 invalid address.
10905
10906 @item
10907 If you do not collect registers at a tracepoint, @value{GDBN} can
10908 infer that the value of @code{$pc} must be the same as the address of
10909 the tracepoint and use that when you are looking at a trace frame
10910 for that tracepoint. However, this cannot work if the tracepoint has
10911 multiple locations (for instance if it was set in a function that was
10912 inlined), or if it has a @code{while-stepping} loop. In those cases
10913 @value{GDBN} will warn you that it can't infer @code{$pc}, and default
10914 it to zero.
10915
10916 @end itemize
10917
10918 @node Analyze Collected Data
10919 @section Using the Collected Data
10920
10921 After the tracepoint experiment ends, you use @value{GDBN} commands
10922 for examining the trace data. The basic idea is that each tracepoint
10923 collects a trace @dfn{snapshot} every time it is hit and another
10924 snapshot every time it single-steps. All these snapshots are
10925 consecutively numbered from zero and go into a buffer, and you can
10926 examine them later. The way you examine them is to @dfn{focus} on a
10927 specific trace snapshot. When the remote stub is focused on a trace
10928 snapshot, it will respond to all @value{GDBN} requests for memory and
10929 registers by reading from the buffer which belongs to that snapshot,
10930 rather than from @emph{real} memory or registers of the program being
10931 debugged. This means that @strong{all} @value{GDBN} commands
10932 (@code{print}, @code{info registers}, @code{backtrace}, etc.) will
10933 behave as if we were currently debugging the program state as it was
10934 when the tracepoint occurred. Any requests for data that are not in
10935 the buffer will fail.
10936
10937 @menu
10938 * tfind:: How to select a trace snapshot
10939 * tdump:: How to display all data for a snapshot
10940 * save tracepoints:: How to save tracepoints for a future run
10941 @end menu
10942
10943 @node tfind
10944 @subsection @code{tfind @var{n}}
10945
10946 @kindex tfind
10947 @cindex select trace snapshot
10948 @cindex find trace snapshot
10949 The basic command for selecting a trace snapshot from the buffer is
10950 @code{tfind @var{n}}, which finds trace snapshot number @var{n},
10951 counting from zero. If no argument @var{n} is given, the next
10952 snapshot is selected.
10953
10954 Here are the various forms of using the @code{tfind} command.
10955
10956 @table @code
10957 @item tfind start
10958 Find the first snapshot in the buffer. This is a synonym for
10959 @code{tfind 0} (since 0 is the number of the first snapshot).
10960
10961 @item tfind none
10962 Stop debugging trace snapshots, resume @emph{live} debugging.
10963
10964 @item tfind end
10965 Same as @samp{tfind none}.
10966
10967 @item tfind
10968 No argument means find the next trace snapshot.
10969
10970 @item tfind -
10971 Find the previous trace snapshot before the current one. This permits
10972 retracing earlier steps.
10973
10974 @item tfind tracepoint @var{num}
10975 Find the next snapshot associated with tracepoint @var{num}. Search
10976 proceeds forward from the last examined trace snapshot. If no
10977 argument @var{num} is given, it means find the next snapshot collected
10978 for the same tracepoint as the current snapshot.
10979
10980 @item tfind pc @var{addr}
10981 Find the next snapshot associated with the value @var{addr} of the
10982 program counter. Search proceeds forward from the last examined trace
10983 snapshot. If no argument @var{addr} is given, it means find the next
10984 snapshot with the same value of PC as the current snapshot.
10985
10986 @item tfind outside @var{addr1}, @var{addr2}
10987 Find the next snapshot whose PC is outside the given range of
10988 addresses (exclusive).
10989
10990 @item tfind range @var{addr1}, @var{addr2}
10991 Find the next snapshot whose PC is between @var{addr1} and
10992 @var{addr2} (inclusive).
10993
10994 @item tfind line @r{[}@var{file}:@r{]}@var{n}
10995 Find the next snapshot associated with the source line @var{n}. If
10996 the optional argument @var{file} is given, refer to line @var{n} in
10997 that source file. Search proceeds forward from the last examined
10998 trace snapshot. If no argument @var{n} is given, it means find the
10999 next line other than the one currently being examined; thus saying
11000 @code{tfind line} repeatedly can appear to have the same effect as
11001 stepping from line to line in a @emph{live} debugging session.
11002 @end table
11003
11004 The default arguments for the @code{tfind} commands are specifically
11005 designed to make it easy to scan through the trace buffer. For
11006 instance, @code{tfind} with no argument selects the next trace
11007 snapshot, and @code{tfind -} with no argument selects the previous
11008 trace snapshot. So, by giving one @code{tfind} command, and then
11009 simply hitting @key{RET} repeatedly you can examine all the trace
11010 snapshots in order. Or, by saying @code{tfind -} and then hitting
11011 @key{RET} repeatedly you can examine the snapshots in reverse order.
11012 The @code{tfind line} command with no argument selects the snapshot
11013 for the next source line executed. The @code{tfind pc} command with
11014 no argument selects the next snapshot with the same program counter
11015 (PC) as the current frame. The @code{tfind tracepoint} command with
11016 no argument selects the next trace snapshot collected by the same
11017 tracepoint as the current one.
11018
11019 In addition to letting you scan through the trace buffer manually,
11020 these commands make it easy to construct @value{GDBN} scripts that
11021 scan through the trace buffer and print out whatever collected data
11022 you are interested in. Thus, if we want to examine the PC, FP, and SP
11023 registers from each trace frame in the buffer, we can say this:
11024
11025 @smallexample
11026 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tfind start}
11027 (@value{GDBP}) @b{while ($trace_frame != -1)}
11028 > printf "Frame %d, PC = %08X, SP = %08X, FP = %08X\n", \
11029 $trace_frame, $pc, $sp, $fp
11030 > tfind
11031 > end
11032
11033 Frame 0, PC = 0020DC64, SP = 0030BF3C, FP = 0030BF44
11034 Frame 1, PC = 0020DC6C, SP = 0030BF38, FP = 0030BF44
11035 Frame 2, PC = 0020DC70, SP = 0030BF34, FP = 0030BF44
11036 Frame 3, PC = 0020DC74, SP = 0030BF30, FP = 0030BF44
11037 Frame 4, PC = 0020DC78, SP = 0030BF2C, FP = 0030BF44
11038 Frame 5, PC = 0020DC7C, SP = 0030BF28, FP = 0030BF44
11039 Frame 6, PC = 0020DC80, SP = 0030BF24, FP = 0030BF44
11040 Frame 7, PC = 0020DC84, SP = 0030BF20, FP = 0030BF44
11041 Frame 8, PC = 0020DC88, SP = 0030BF1C, FP = 0030BF44
11042 Frame 9, PC = 0020DC8E, SP = 0030BF18, FP = 0030BF44
11043 Frame 10, PC = 00203F6C, SP = 0030BE3C, FP = 0030BF14
11044 @end smallexample
11045
11046 Or, if we want to examine the variable @code{X} at each source line in
11047 the buffer:
11048
11049 @smallexample
11050 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tfind start}
11051 (@value{GDBP}) @b{while ($trace_frame != -1)}
11052 > printf "Frame %d, X == %d\n", $trace_frame, X
11053 > tfind line
11054 > end
11055
11056 Frame 0, X = 1
11057 Frame 7, X = 2
11058 Frame 13, X = 255
11059 @end smallexample
11060
11061 @node tdump
11062 @subsection @code{tdump}
11063 @kindex tdump
11064 @cindex dump all data collected at tracepoint
11065 @cindex tracepoint data, display
11066
11067 This command takes no arguments. It prints all the data collected at
11068 the current trace snapshot.
11069
11070 @smallexample
11071 (@value{GDBP}) @b{trace 444}
11072 (@value{GDBP}) @b{actions}
11073 Enter actions for tracepoint #2, one per line:
11074 > collect $regs, $locals, $args, gdb_long_test
11075 > end
11076
11077 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tstart}
11078
11079 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tfind line 444}
11080 #0 gdb_test (p1=0x11, p2=0x22, p3=0x33, p4=0x44, p5=0x55, p6=0x66)
11081 at gdb_test.c:444
11082 444 printp( "%s: arguments = 0x%X 0x%X 0x%X 0x%X 0x%X 0x%X\n", )
11083
11084 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tdump}
11085 Data collected at tracepoint 2, trace frame 1:
11086 d0 0xc4aa0085 -995491707
11087 d1 0x18 24
11088 d2 0x80 128
11089 d3 0x33 51
11090 d4 0x71aea3d 119204413
11091 d5 0x22 34
11092 d6 0xe0 224
11093 d7 0x380035 3670069
11094 a0 0x19e24a 1696330
11095 a1 0x3000668 50333288
11096 a2 0x100 256
11097 a3 0x322000 3284992
11098 a4 0x3000698 50333336
11099 a5 0x1ad3cc 1758156
11100 fp 0x30bf3c 0x30bf3c
11101 sp 0x30bf34 0x30bf34
11102 ps 0x0 0
11103 pc 0x20b2c8 0x20b2c8
11104 fpcontrol 0x0 0
11105 fpstatus 0x0 0
11106 fpiaddr 0x0 0
11107 p = 0x20e5b4 "gdb-test"
11108 p1 = (void *) 0x11
11109 p2 = (void *) 0x22
11110 p3 = (void *) 0x33
11111 p4 = (void *) 0x44
11112 p5 = (void *) 0x55
11113 p6 = (void *) 0x66
11114 gdb_long_test = 17 '\021'
11115
11116 (@value{GDBP})
11117 @end smallexample
11118
11119 @code{tdump} works by scanning the tracepoint's current collection
11120 actions and printing the value of each expression listed. So
11121 @code{tdump} can fail, if after a run, you change the tracepoint's
11122 actions to mention variables that were not collected during the run.
11123
11124 Also, for tracepoints with @code{while-stepping} loops, @code{tdump}
11125 uses the collected value of @code{$pc} to distinguish between trace
11126 frames that were collected at the tracepoint hit, and frames that were
11127 collected while stepping. This allows it to correctly choose whether
11128 to display the basic list of collections, or the collections from the
11129 body of the while-stepping loop. However, if @code{$pc} was not collected,
11130 then @code{tdump} will always attempt to dump using the basic collection
11131 list, and may fail if a while-stepping frame does not include all the
11132 same data that is collected at the tracepoint hit.
11133 @c This is getting pretty arcane, example would be good.
11134
11135 @node save tracepoints
11136 @subsection @code{save tracepoints @var{filename}}
11137 @kindex save tracepoints
11138 @kindex save-tracepoints
11139 @cindex save tracepoints for future sessions
11140
11141 This command saves all current tracepoint definitions together with
11142 their actions and passcounts, into a file @file{@var{filename}}
11143 suitable for use in a later debugging session. To read the saved
11144 tracepoint definitions, use the @code{source} command (@pxref{Command
11145 Files}). The @w{@code{save-tracepoints}} command is a deprecated
11146 alias for @w{@code{save tracepoints}}
11147
11148 @node Tracepoint Variables
11149 @section Convenience Variables for Tracepoints
11150 @cindex tracepoint variables
11151 @cindex convenience variables for tracepoints
11152
11153 @table @code
11154 @vindex $trace_frame
11155 @item (int) $trace_frame
11156 The current trace snapshot (a.k.a.@: @dfn{frame}) number, or -1 if no
11157 snapshot is selected.
11158
11159 @vindex $tracepoint
11160 @item (int) $tracepoint
11161 The tracepoint for the current trace snapshot.
11162
11163 @vindex $trace_line
11164 @item (int) $trace_line
11165 The line number for the current trace snapshot.
11166
11167 @vindex $trace_file
11168 @item (char []) $trace_file
11169 The source file for the current trace snapshot.
11170
11171 @vindex $trace_func
11172 @item (char []) $trace_func
11173 The name of the function containing @code{$tracepoint}.
11174 @end table
11175
11176 Note: @code{$trace_file} is not suitable for use in @code{printf},
11177 use @code{output} instead.
11178
11179 Here's a simple example of using these convenience variables for
11180 stepping through all the trace snapshots and printing some of their
11181 data. Note that these are not the same as trace state variables,
11182 which are managed by the target.
11183
11184 @smallexample
11185 (@value{GDBP}) @b{tfind start}
11186
11187 (@value{GDBP}) @b{while $trace_frame != -1}
11188 > output $trace_file
11189 > printf ", line %d (tracepoint #%d)\n", $trace_line, $tracepoint
11190 > tfind
11191 > end
11192 @end smallexample
11193
11194 @node Trace Files
11195 @section Using Trace Files
11196 @cindex trace files
11197
11198 In some situations, the target running a trace experiment may no
11199 longer be available; perhaps it crashed, or the hardware was needed
11200 for a different activity. To handle these cases, you can arrange to
11201 dump the trace data into a file, and later use that file as a source
11202 of trace data, via the @code{target tfile} command.
11203
11204 @table @code
11205
11206 @kindex tsave
11207 @item tsave [ -r ] @var{filename}
11208 Save the trace data to @var{filename}. By default, this command
11209 assumes that @var{filename} refers to the host filesystem, so if
11210 necessary @value{GDBN} will copy raw trace data up from the target and
11211 then save it. If the target supports it, you can also supply the
11212 optional argument @code{-r} (``remote'') to direct the target to save
11213 the data directly into @var{filename} in its own filesystem, which may be
11214 more efficient if the trace buffer is very large. (Note, however, that
11215 @code{target tfile} can only read from files accessible to the host.)
11216
11217 @kindex target tfile
11218 @kindex tfile
11219 @item target tfile @var{filename}
11220 Use the file named @var{filename} as a source of trace data. Commands
11221 that examine data work as they do with a live target, but it is not
11222 possible to run any new trace experiments. @code{tstatus} will report
11223 the state of the trace run at the moment the data was saved, as well
11224 as the current trace frame you are examining. @var{filename} must be
11225 on a filesystem accessible to the host.
11226
11227 @end table
11228
11229 @node Overlays
11230 @chapter Debugging Programs That Use Overlays
11231 @cindex overlays
11232
11233 If your program is too large to fit completely in your target system's
11234 memory, you can sometimes use @dfn{overlays} to work around this
11235 problem. @value{GDBN} provides some support for debugging programs that
11236 use overlays.
11237
11238 @menu
11239 * How Overlays Work:: A general explanation of overlays.
11240 * Overlay Commands:: Managing overlays in @value{GDBN}.
11241 * Automatic Overlay Debugging:: @value{GDBN} can find out which overlays are
11242 mapped by asking the inferior.
11243 * Overlay Sample Program:: A sample program using overlays.
11244 @end menu
11245
11246 @node How Overlays Work
11247 @section How Overlays Work
11248 @cindex mapped overlays
11249 @cindex unmapped overlays
11250 @cindex load address, overlay's
11251 @cindex mapped address
11252 @cindex overlay area
11253
11254 Suppose you have a computer whose instruction address space is only 64
11255 kilobytes long, but which has much more memory which can be accessed by
11256 other means: special instructions, segment registers, or memory
11257 management hardware, for example. Suppose further that you want to
11258 adapt a program which is larger than 64 kilobytes to run on this system.
11259
11260 One solution is to identify modules of your program which are relatively
11261 independent, and need not call each other directly; call these modules
11262 @dfn{overlays}. Separate the overlays from the main program, and place
11263 their machine code in the larger memory. Place your main program in
11264 instruction memory, but leave at least enough space there to hold the
11265 largest overlay as well.
11266
11267 Now, to call a function located in an overlay, you must first copy that
11268 overlay's machine code from the large memory into the space set aside
11269 for it in the instruction memory, and then jump to its entry point
11270 there.
11271
11272 @c NB: In the below the mapped area's size is greater or equal to the
11273 @c size of all overlays. This is intentional to remind the developer
11274 @c that overlays don't necessarily need to be the same size.
11275
11276 @smallexample
11277 @group
11278 Data Instruction Larger
11279 Address Space Address Space Address Space
11280 +-----------+ +-----------+ +-----------+
11281 | | | | | |
11282 +-----------+ +-----------+ +-----------+<-- overlay 1
11283 | program | | main | .----| overlay 1 | load address
11284 | variables | | program | | +-----------+
11285 | and heap | | | | | |
11286 +-----------+ | | | +-----------+<-- overlay 2
11287 | | +-----------+ | | | load address
11288 +-----------+ | | | .-| overlay 2 |
11289 | | | | | |
11290 mapped --->+-----------+ | | +-----------+
11291 address | | | | | |
11292 | overlay | <-' | | |
11293 | area | <---' +-----------+<-- overlay 3
11294 | | <---. | | load address
11295 +-----------+ `--| overlay 3 |
11296 | | | |
11297 +-----------+ | |
11298 +-----------+
11299 | |
11300 +-----------+
11301
11302 @anchor{A code overlay}A code overlay
11303 @end group
11304 @end smallexample
11305
11306 The diagram (@pxref{A code overlay}) shows a system with separate data
11307 and instruction address spaces. To map an overlay, the program copies
11308 its code from the larger address space to the instruction address space.
11309 Since the overlays shown here all use the same mapped address, only one
11310 may be mapped at a time. For a system with a single address space for
11311 data and instructions, the diagram would be similar, except that the
11312 program variables and heap would share an address space with the main
11313 program and the overlay area.
11314
11315 An overlay loaded into instruction memory and ready for use is called a
11316 @dfn{mapped} overlay; its @dfn{mapped address} is its address in the
11317 instruction memory. An overlay not present (or only partially present)
11318 in instruction memory is called @dfn{unmapped}; its @dfn{load address}
11319 is its address in the larger memory. The mapped address is also called
11320 the @dfn{virtual memory address}, or @dfn{VMA}; the load address is also
11321 called the @dfn{load memory address}, or @dfn{LMA}.
11322
11323 Unfortunately, overlays are not a completely transparent way to adapt a
11324 program to limited instruction memory. They introduce a new set of
11325 global constraints you must keep in mind as you design your program:
11326
11327 @itemize @bullet
11328
11329 @item
11330 Before calling or returning to a function in an overlay, your program
11331 must make sure that overlay is actually mapped. Otherwise, the call or
11332 return will transfer control to the right address, but in the wrong
11333 overlay, and your program will probably crash.
11334
11335 @item
11336 If the process of mapping an overlay is expensive on your system, you
11337 will need to choose your overlays carefully to minimize their effect on
11338 your program's performance.
11339
11340 @item
11341 The executable file you load onto your system must contain each
11342 overlay's instructions, appearing at the overlay's load address, not its
11343 mapped address. However, each overlay's instructions must be relocated
11344 and its symbols defined as if the overlay were at its mapped address.
11345 You can use GNU linker scripts to specify different load and relocation
11346 addresses for pieces of your program; see @ref{Overlay Description,,,
11347 ld.info, Using ld: the GNU linker}.
11348
11349 @item
11350 The procedure for loading executable files onto your system must be able
11351 to load their contents into the larger address space as well as the
11352 instruction and data spaces.
11353
11354 @end itemize
11355
11356 The overlay system described above is rather simple, and could be
11357 improved in many ways:
11358
11359 @itemize @bullet
11360
11361 @item
11362 If your system has suitable bank switch registers or memory management
11363 hardware, you could use those facilities to make an overlay's load area
11364 contents simply appear at their mapped address in instruction space.
11365 This would probably be faster than copying the overlay to its mapped
11366 area in the usual way.
11367
11368 @item
11369 If your overlays are small enough, you could set aside more than one
11370 overlay area, and have more than one overlay mapped at a time.
11371
11372 @item
11373 You can use overlays to manage data, as well as instructions. In
11374 general, data overlays are even less transparent to your design than
11375 code overlays: whereas code overlays only require care when you call or
11376 return to functions, data overlays require care every time you access
11377 the data. Also, if you change the contents of a data overlay, you
11378 must copy its contents back out to its load address before you can copy a
11379 different data overlay into the same mapped area.
11380
11381 @end itemize
11382
11383
11384 @node Overlay Commands
11385 @section Overlay Commands
11386
11387 To use @value{GDBN}'s overlay support, each overlay in your program must
11388 correspond to a separate section of the executable file. The section's
11389 virtual memory address and load memory address must be the overlay's
11390 mapped and load addresses. Identifying overlays with sections allows
11391 @value{GDBN} to determine the appropriate address of a function or
11392 variable, depending on whether the overlay is mapped or not.
11393
11394 @value{GDBN}'s overlay commands all start with the word @code{overlay};
11395 you can abbreviate this as @code{ov} or @code{ovly}. The commands are:
11396
11397 @table @code
11398 @item overlay off
11399 @kindex overlay
11400 Disable @value{GDBN}'s overlay support. When overlay support is
11401 disabled, @value{GDBN} assumes that all functions and variables are
11402 always present at their mapped addresses. By default, @value{GDBN}'s
11403 overlay support is disabled.
11404
11405 @item overlay manual
11406 @cindex manual overlay debugging
11407 Enable @dfn{manual} overlay debugging. In this mode, @value{GDBN}
11408 relies on you to tell it which overlays are mapped, and which are not,
11409 using the @code{overlay map-overlay} and @code{overlay unmap-overlay}
11410 commands described below.
11411
11412 @item overlay map-overlay @var{overlay}
11413 @itemx overlay map @var{overlay}
11414 @cindex map an overlay
11415 Tell @value{GDBN} that @var{overlay} is now mapped; @var{overlay} must
11416 be the name of the object file section containing the overlay. When an
11417 overlay is mapped, @value{GDBN} assumes it can find the overlay's
11418 functions and variables at their mapped addresses. @value{GDBN} assumes
11419 that any other overlays whose mapped ranges overlap that of
11420 @var{overlay} are now unmapped.
11421
11422 @item overlay unmap-overlay @var{overlay}
11423 @itemx overlay unmap @var{overlay}
11424 @cindex unmap an overlay
11425 Tell @value{GDBN} that @var{overlay} is no longer mapped; @var{overlay}
11426 must be the name of the object file section containing the overlay.
11427 When an overlay is unmapped, @value{GDBN} assumes it can find the
11428 overlay's functions and variables at their load addresses.
11429
11430 @item overlay auto
11431 Enable @dfn{automatic} overlay debugging. In this mode, @value{GDBN}
11432 consults a data structure the overlay manager maintains in the inferior
11433 to see which overlays are mapped. For details, see @ref{Automatic
11434 Overlay Debugging}.
11435
11436 @item overlay load-target
11437 @itemx overlay load
11438 @cindex reloading the overlay table
11439 Re-read the overlay table from the inferior. Normally, @value{GDBN}
11440 re-reads the table @value{GDBN} automatically each time the inferior
11441 stops, so this command should only be necessary if you have changed the
11442 overlay mapping yourself using @value{GDBN}. This command is only
11443 useful when using automatic overlay debugging.
11444
11445 @item overlay list-overlays
11446 @itemx overlay list
11447 @cindex listing mapped overlays
11448 Display a list of the overlays currently mapped, along with their mapped
11449 addresses, load addresses, and sizes.
11450
11451 @end table
11452
11453 Normally, when @value{GDBN} prints a code address, it includes the name
11454 of the function the address falls in:
11455
11456 @smallexample
11457 (@value{GDBP}) print main
11458 $3 = @{int ()@} 0x11a0 <main>
11459 @end smallexample
11460 @noindent
11461 When overlay debugging is enabled, @value{GDBN} recognizes code in
11462 unmapped overlays, and prints the names of unmapped functions with
11463 asterisks around them. For example, if @code{foo} is a function in an
11464 unmapped overlay, @value{GDBN} prints it this way:
11465
11466 @smallexample
11467 (@value{GDBP}) overlay list
11468 No sections are mapped.
11469 (@value{GDBP}) print foo
11470 $5 = @{int (int)@} 0x100000 <*foo*>
11471 @end smallexample
11472 @noindent
11473 When @code{foo}'s overlay is mapped, @value{GDBN} prints the function's
11474 name normally:
11475
11476 @smallexample
11477 (@value{GDBP}) overlay list
11478 Section .ov.foo.text, loaded at 0x100000 - 0x100034,
11479 mapped at 0x1016 - 0x104a
11480 (@value{GDBP}) print foo
11481 $6 = @{int (int)@} 0x1016 <foo>
11482 @end smallexample
11483
11484 When overlay debugging is enabled, @value{GDBN} can find the correct
11485 address for functions and variables in an overlay, whether or not the
11486 overlay is mapped. This allows most @value{GDBN} commands, like
11487 @code{break} and @code{disassemble}, to work normally, even on unmapped
11488 code. However, @value{GDBN}'s breakpoint support has some limitations:
11489
11490 @itemize @bullet
11491 @item
11492 @cindex breakpoints in overlays
11493 @cindex overlays, setting breakpoints in
11494 You can set breakpoints in functions in unmapped overlays, as long as
11495 @value{GDBN} can write to the overlay at its load address.
11496 @item
11497 @value{GDBN} can not set hardware or simulator-based breakpoints in
11498 unmapped overlays. However, if you set a breakpoint at the end of your
11499 overlay manager (and tell @value{GDBN} which overlays are now mapped, if
11500 you are using manual overlay management), @value{GDBN} will re-set its
11501 breakpoints properly.
11502 @end itemize
11503
11504
11505 @node Automatic Overlay Debugging
11506 @section Automatic Overlay Debugging
11507 @cindex automatic overlay debugging
11508
11509 @value{GDBN} can automatically track which overlays are mapped and which
11510 are not, given some simple co-operation from the overlay manager in the
11511 inferior. If you enable automatic overlay debugging with the
11512 @code{overlay auto} command (@pxref{Overlay Commands}), @value{GDBN}
11513 looks in the inferior's memory for certain variables describing the
11514 current state of the overlays.
11515
11516 Here are the variables your overlay manager must define to support
11517 @value{GDBN}'s automatic overlay debugging:
11518
11519 @table @asis
11520
11521 @item @code{_ovly_table}:
11522 This variable must be an array of the following structures:
11523
11524 @smallexample
11525 struct
11526 @{
11527 /* The overlay's mapped address. */
11528 unsigned long vma;
11529
11530 /* The size of the overlay, in bytes. */
11531 unsigned long size;
11532
11533 /* The overlay's load address. */
11534 unsigned long lma;
11535
11536 /* Non-zero if the overlay is currently mapped;
11537 zero otherwise. */
11538 unsigned long mapped;
11539 @}
11540 @end smallexample
11541
11542 @item @code{_novlys}:
11543 This variable must be a four-byte signed integer, holding the total
11544 number of elements in @code{_ovly_table}.
11545
11546 @end table
11547
11548 To decide whether a particular overlay is mapped or not, @value{GDBN}
11549 looks for an entry in @w{@code{_ovly_table}} whose @code{vma} and
11550 @code{lma} members equal the VMA and LMA of the overlay's section in the
11551 executable file. When @value{GDBN} finds a matching entry, it consults
11552 the entry's @code{mapped} member to determine whether the overlay is
11553 currently mapped.
11554
11555 In addition, your overlay manager may define a function called
11556 @code{_ovly_debug_event}. If this function is defined, @value{GDBN}
11557 will silently set a breakpoint there. If the overlay manager then
11558 calls this function whenever it has changed the overlay table, this
11559 will enable @value{GDBN} to accurately keep track of which overlays
11560 are in program memory, and update any breakpoints that may be set
11561 in overlays. This will allow breakpoints to work even if the
11562 overlays are kept in ROM or other non-writable memory while they
11563 are not being executed.
11564
11565 @node Overlay Sample Program
11566 @section Overlay Sample Program
11567 @cindex overlay example program
11568
11569 When linking a program which uses overlays, you must place the overlays
11570 at their load addresses, while relocating them to run at their mapped
11571 addresses. To do this, you must write a linker script (@pxref{Overlay
11572 Description,,, ld.info, Using ld: the GNU linker}). Unfortunately,
11573 since linker scripts are specific to a particular host system, target
11574 architecture, and target memory layout, this manual cannot provide
11575 portable sample code demonstrating @value{GDBN}'s overlay support.
11576
11577 However, the @value{GDBN} source distribution does contain an overlaid
11578 program, with linker scripts for a few systems, as part of its test
11579 suite. The program consists of the following files from
11580 @file{gdb/testsuite/gdb.base}:
11581
11582 @table @file
11583 @item overlays.c
11584 The main program file.
11585 @item ovlymgr.c
11586 A simple overlay manager, used by @file{overlays.c}.
11587 @item foo.c
11588 @itemx bar.c
11589 @itemx baz.c
11590 @itemx grbx.c
11591 Overlay modules, loaded and used by @file{overlays.c}.
11592 @item d10v.ld
11593 @itemx m32r.ld
11594 Linker scripts for linking the test program on the @code{d10v-elf}
11595 and @code{m32r-elf} targets.
11596 @end table
11597
11598 You can build the test program using the @code{d10v-elf} GCC
11599 cross-compiler like this:
11600
11601 @smallexample
11602 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c overlays.c
11603 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c ovlymgr.c
11604 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c foo.c
11605 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c bar.c
11606 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c baz.c
11607 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g -c grbx.c
11608 $ d10v-elf-gcc -g overlays.o ovlymgr.o foo.o bar.o \
11609 baz.o grbx.o -Wl,-Td10v.ld -o overlays
11610 @end smallexample
11611
11612 The build process is identical for any other architecture, except that
11613 you must substitute the appropriate compiler and linker script for the
11614 target system for @code{d10v-elf-gcc} and @code{d10v.ld}.
11615
11616
11617 @node Languages
11618 @chapter Using @value{GDBN} with Different Languages
11619 @cindex languages
11620
11621 Although programming languages generally have common aspects, they are
11622 rarely expressed in the same manner. For instance, in ANSI C,
11623 dereferencing a pointer @code{p} is accomplished by @code{*p}, but in
11624 Modula-2, it is accomplished by @code{p^}. Values can also be
11625 represented (and displayed) differently. Hex numbers in C appear as
11626 @samp{0x1ae}, while in Modula-2 they appear as @samp{1AEH}.
11627
11628 @cindex working language
11629 Language-specific information is built into @value{GDBN} for some languages,
11630 allowing you to express operations like the above in your program's
11631 native language, and allowing @value{GDBN} to output values in a manner
11632 consistent with the syntax of your program's native language. The
11633 language you use to build expressions is called the @dfn{working
11634 language}.
11635
11636 @menu
11637 * Setting:: Switching between source languages
11638 * Show:: Displaying the language
11639 * Checks:: Type and range checks
11640 * Supported Languages:: Supported languages
11641 * Unsupported Languages:: Unsupported languages
11642 @end menu
11643
11644 @node Setting
11645 @section Switching Between Source Languages
11646
11647 There are two ways to control the working language---either have @value{GDBN}
11648 set it automatically, or select it manually yourself. You can use the
11649 @code{set language} command for either purpose. On startup, @value{GDBN}
11650 defaults to setting the language automatically. The working language is
11651 used to determine how expressions you type are interpreted, how values
11652 are printed, etc.
11653
11654 In addition to the working language, every source file that
11655 @value{GDBN} knows about has its own working language. For some object
11656 file formats, the compiler might indicate which language a particular
11657 source file is in. However, most of the time @value{GDBN} infers the
11658 language from the name of the file. The language of a source file
11659 controls whether C@t{++} names are demangled---this way @code{backtrace} can
11660 show each frame appropriately for its own language. There is no way to
11661 set the language of a source file from within @value{GDBN}, but you can
11662 set the language associated with a filename extension. @xref{Show, ,
11663 Displaying the Language}.
11664
11665 This is most commonly a problem when you use a program, such
11666 as @code{cfront} or @code{f2c}, that generates C but is written in
11667 another language. In that case, make the
11668 program use @code{#line} directives in its C output; that way
11669 @value{GDBN} will know the correct language of the source code of the original
11670 program, and will display that source code, not the generated C code.
11671
11672 @menu
11673 * Filenames:: Filename extensions and languages.
11674 * Manually:: Setting the working language manually
11675 * Automatically:: Having @value{GDBN} infer the source language
11676 @end menu
11677
11678 @node Filenames
11679 @subsection List of Filename Extensions and Languages
11680
11681 If a source file name ends in one of the following extensions, then
11682 @value{GDBN} infers that its language is the one indicated.
11683
11684 @table @file
11685 @item .ada
11686 @itemx .ads
11687 @itemx .adb
11688 @itemx .a
11689 Ada source file.
11690
11691 @item .c
11692 C source file
11693
11694 @item .C
11695 @itemx .cc
11696 @itemx .cp
11697 @itemx .cpp
11698 @itemx .cxx
11699 @itemx .c++
11700 C@t{++} source file
11701
11702 @item .d
11703 D source file
11704
11705 @item .m
11706 Objective-C source file
11707
11708 @item .f
11709 @itemx .F
11710 Fortran source file
11711
11712 @item .mod
11713 Modula-2 source file
11714
11715 @item .s
11716 @itemx .S
11717 Assembler source file. This actually behaves almost like C, but
11718 @value{GDBN} does not skip over function prologues when stepping.
11719 @end table
11720
11721 In addition, you may set the language associated with a filename
11722 extension. @xref{Show, , Displaying the Language}.
11723
11724 @node Manually
11725 @subsection Setting the Working Language
11726
11727 If you allow @value{GDBN} to set the language automatically,
11728 expressions are interpreted the same way in your debugging session and
11729 your program.
11730
11731 @kindex set language
11732 If you wish, you may set the language manually. To do this, issue the
11733 command @samp{set language @var{lang}}, where @var{lang} is the name of
11734 a language, such as
11735 @code{c} or @code{modula-2}.
11736 For a list of the supported languages, type @samp{set language}.
11737
11738 Setting the language manually prevents @value{GDBN} from updating the working
11739 language automatically. This can lead to confusion if you try
11740 to debug a program when the working language is not the same as the
11741 source language, when an expression is acceptable to both
11742 languages---but means different things. For instance, if the current
11743 source file were written in C, and @value{GDBN} was parsing Modula-2, a
11744 command such as:
11745
11746 @smallexample
11747 print a = b + c
11748 @end smallexample
11749
11750 @noindent
11751 might not have the effect you intended. In C, this means to add
11752 @code{b} and @code{c} and place the result in @code{a}. The result
11753 printed would be the value of @code{a}. In Modula-2, this means to compare
11754 @code{a} to the result of @code{b+c}, yielding a @code{BOOLEAN} value.
11755
11756 @node Automatically
11757 @subsection Having @value{GDBN} Infer the Source Language
11758
11759 To have @value{GDBN} set the working language automatically, use
11760 @samp{set language local} or @samp{set language auto}. @value{GDBN}
11761 then infers the working language. That is, when your program stops in a
11762 frame (usually by encountering a breakpoint), @value{GDBN} sets the
11763 working language to the language recorded for the function in that
11764 frame. If the language for a frame is unknown (that is, if the function
11765 or block corresponding to the frame was defined in a source file that
11766 does not have a recognized extension), the current working language is
11767 not changed, and @value{GDBN} issues a warning.
11768
11769 This may not seem necessary for most programs, which are written
11770 entirely in one source language. However, program modules and libraries
11771 written in one source language can be used by a main program written in
11772 a different source language. Using @samp{set language auto} in this
11773 case frees you from having to set the working language manually.
11774
11775 @node Show
11776 @section Displaying the Language
11777
11778 The following commands help you find out which language is the
11779 working language, and also what language source files were written in.
11780
11781 @table @code
11782 @item show language
11783 @kindex show language
11784 Display the current working language. This is the
11785 language you can use with commands such as @code{print} to
11786 build and compute expressions that may involve variables in your program.
11787
11788 @item info frame
11789 @kindex info frame@r{, show the source language}
11790 Display the source language for this frame. This language becomes the
11791 working language if you use an identifier from this frame.
11792 @xref{Frame Info, ,Information about a Frame}, to identify the other
11793 information listed here.
11794
11795 @item info source
11796 @kindex info source@r{, show the source language}
11797 Display the source language of this source file.
11798 @xref{Symbols, ,Examining the Symbol Table}, to identify the other
11799 information listed here.
11800 @end table
11801
11802 In unusual circumstances, you may have source files with extensions
11803 not in the standard list. You can then set the extension associated
11804 with a language explicitly:
11805
11806 @table @code
11807 @item set extension-language @var{ext} @var{language}
11808 @kindex set extension-language
11809 Tell @value{GDBN} that source files with extension @var{ext} are to be
11810 assumed as written in the source language @var{language}.
11811
11812 @item info extensions
11813 @kindex info extensions
11814 List all the filename extensions and the associated languages.
11815 @end table
11816
11817 @node Checks
11818 @section Type and Range Checking
11819
11820 @quotation
11821 @emph{Warning:} In this release, the @value{GDBN} commands for type and range
11822 checking are included, but they do not yet have any effect. This
11823 section documents the intended facilities.
11824 @end quotation
11825 @c FIXME remove warning when type/range code added
11826
11827 Some languages are designed to guard you against making seemingly common
11828 errors through a series of compile- and run-time checks. These include
11829 checking the type of arguments to functions and operators, and making
11830 sure mathematical overflows are caught at run time. Checks such as
11831 these help to ensure a program's correctness once it has been compiled
11832 by eliminating type mismatches, and providing active checks for range
11833 errors when your program is running.
11834
11835 @value{GDBN} can check for conditions like the above if you wish.
11836 Although @value{GDBN} does not check the statements in your program,
11837 it can check expressions entered directly into @value{GDBN} for
11838 evaluation via the @code{print} command, for example. As with the
11839 working language, @value{GDBN} can also decide whether or not to check
11840 automatically based on your program's source language.
11841 @xref{Supported Languages, ,Supported Languages}, for the default
11842 settings of supported languages.
11843
11844 @menu
11845 * Type Checking:: An overview of type checking
11846 * Range Checking:: An overview of range checking
11847 @end menu
11848
11849 @cindex type checking
11850 @cindex checks, type
11851 @node Type Checking
11852 @subsection An Overview of Type Checking
11853
11854 Some languages, such as Modula-2, are strongly typed, meaning that the
11855 arguments to operators and functions have to be of the correct type,
11856 otherwise an error occurs. These checks prevent type mismatch
11857 errors from ever causing any run-time problems. For example,
11858
11859 @smallexample
11860 1 + 2 @result{} 3
11861 @exdent but
11862 @error{} 1 + 2.3
11863 @end smallexample
11864
11865 The second example fails because the @code{CARDINAL} 1 is not
11866 type-compatible with the @code{REAL} 2.3.
11867
11868 For the expressions you use in @value{GDBN} commands, you can tell the
11869 @value{GDBN} type checker to skip checking;
11870 to treat any mismatches as errors and abandon the expression;
11871 or to only issue warnings when type mismatches occur,
11872 but evaluate the expression anyway. When you choose the last of
11873 these, @value{GDBN} evaluates expressions like the second example above, but
11874 also issues a warning.
11875
11876 Even if you turn type checking off, there may be other reasons
11877 related to type that prevent @value{GDBN} from evaluating an expression.
11878 For instance, @value{GDBN} does not know how to add an @code{int} and
11879 a @code{struct foo}. These particular type errors have nothing to do
11880 with the language in use, and usually arise from expressions, such as
11881 the one described above, which make little sense to evaluate anyway.
11882
11883 Each language defines to what degree it is strict about type. For
11884 instance, both Modula-2 and C require the arguments to arithmetical
11885 operators to be numbers. In C, enumerated types and pointers can be
11886 represented as numbers, so that they are valid arguments to mathematical
11887 operators. @xref{Supported Languages, ,Supported Languages}, for further
11888 details on specific languages.
11889
11890 @value{GDBN} provides some additional commands for controlling the type checker:
11891
11892 @kindex set check type
11893 @kindex show check type
11894 @table @code
11895 @item set check type auto
11896 Set type checking on or off based on the current working language.
11897 @xref{Supported Languages, ,Supported Languages}, for the default settings for
11898 each language.
11899
11900 @item set check type on
11901 @itemx set check type off
11902 Set type checking on or off, overriding the default setting for the
11903 current working language. Issue a warning if the setting does not
11904 match the language default. If any type mismatches occur in
11905 evaluating an expression while type checking is on, @value{GDBN} prints a
11906 message and aborts evaluation of the expression.
11907
11908 @item set check type warn
11909 Cause the type checker to issue warnings, but to always attempt to
11910 evaluate the expression. Evaluating the expression may still
11911 be impossible for other reasons. For example, @value{GDBN} cannot add
11912 numbers and structures.
11913
11914 @item show type
11915 Show the current setting of the type checker, and whether or not @value{GDBN}
11916 is setting it automatically.
11917 @end table
11918
11919 @cindex range checking
11920 @cindex checks, range
11921 @node Range Checking
11922 @subsection An Overview of Range Checking
11923
11924 In some languages (such as Modula-2), it is an error to exceed the
11925 bounds of a type; this is enforced with run-time checks. Such range
11926 checking is meant to ensure program correctness by making sure
11927 computations do not overflow, or indices on an array element access do
11928 not exceed the bounds of the array.
11929
11930 For expressions you use in @value{GDBN} commands, you can tell
11931 @value{GDBN} to treat range errors in one of three ways: ignore them,
11932 always treat them as errors and abandon the expression, or issue
11933 warnings but evaluate the expression anyway.
11934
11935 A range error can result from numerical overflow, from exceeding an
11936 array index bound, or when you type a constant that is not a member
11937 of any type. Some languages, however, do not treat overflows as an
11938 error. In many implementations of C, mathematical overflow causes the
11939 result to ``wrap around'' to lower values---for example, if @var{m} is
11940 the largest integer value, and @var{s} is the smallest, then
11941
11942 @smallexample
11943 @var{m} + 1 @result{} @var{s}
11944 @end smallexample
11945
11946 This, too, is specific to individual languages, and in some cases
11947 specific to individual compilers or machines. @xref{Supported Languages, ,
11948 Supported Languages}, for further details on specific languages.
11949
11950 @value{GDBN} provides some additional commands for controlling the range checker:
11951
11952 @kindex set check range
11953 @kindex show check range
11954 @table @code
11955 @item set check range auto
11956 Set range checking on or off based on the current working language.
11957 @xref{Supported Languages, ,Supported Languages}, for the default settings for
11958 each language.
11959
11960 @item set check range on
11961 @itemx set check range off
11962 Set range checking on or off, overriding the default setting for the
11963 current working language. A warning is issued if the setting does not
11964 match the language default. If a range error occurs and range checking is on,
11965 then a message is printed and evaluation of the expression is aborted.
11966
11967 @item set check range warn
11968 Output messages when the @value{GDBN} range checker detects a range error,
11969 but attempt to evaluate the expression anyway. Evaluating the
11970 expression may still be impossible for other reasons, such as accessing
11971 memory that the process does not own (a typical example from many Unix
11972 systems).
11973
11974 @item show range
11975 Show the current setting of the range checker, and whether or not it is
11976 being set automatically by @value{GDBN}.
11977 @end table
11978
11979 @node Supported Languages
11980 @section Supported Languages
11981
11982 @value{GDBN} supports C, C@t{++}, D, Objective-C, Fortran, Java, OpenCL C, Pascal,
11983 assembly, Modula-2, and Ada.
11984 @c This is false ...
11985 Some @value{GDBN} features may be used in expressions regardless of the
11986 language you use: the @value{GDBN} @code{@@} and @code{::} operators,
11987 and the @samp{@{type@}addr} construct (@pxref{Expressions,
11988 ,Expressions}) can be used with the constructs of any supported
11989 language.
11990
11991 The following sections detail to what degree each source language is
11992 supported by @value{GDBN}. These sections are not meant to be language
11993 tutorials or references, but serve only as a reference guide to what the
11994 @value{GDBN} expression parser accepts, and what input and output
11995 formats should look like for different languages. There are many good
11996 books written on each of these languages; please look to these for a
11997 language reference or tutorial.
11998
11999 @menu
12000 * C:: C and C@t{++}
12001 * D:: D
12002 * Objective-C:: Objective-C
12003 * OpenCL C:: OpenCL C
12004 * Fortran:: Fortran
12005 * Pascal:: Pascal
12006 * Modula-2:: Modula-2
12007 * Ada:: Ada
12008 @end menu
12009
12010 @node C
12011 @subsection C and C@t{++}
12012
12013 @cindex C and C@t{++}
12014 @cindex expressions in C or C@t{++}
12015
12016 Since C and C@t{++} are so closely related, many features of @value{GDBN} apply
12017 to both languages. Whenever this is the case, we discuss those languages
12018 together.
12019
12020 @cindex C@t{++}
12021 @cindex @code{g++}, @sc{gnu} C@t{++} compiler
12022 @cindex @sc{gnu} C@t{++}
12023 The C@t{++} debugging facilities are jointly implemented by the C@t{++}
12024 compiler and @value{GDBN}. Therefore, to debug your C@t{++} code
12025 effectively, you must compile your C@t{++} programs with a supported
12026 C@t{++} compiler, such as @sc{gnu} @code{g++}, or the HP ANSI C@t{++}
12027 compiler (@code{aCC}).
12028
12029 For best results when using @sc{gnu} C@t{++}, use the DWARF 2 debugging
12030 format; if it doesn't work on your system, try the stabs+ debugging
12031 format. You can select those formats explicitly with the @code{g++}
12032 command-line options @option{-gdwarf-2} and @option{-gstabs+}.
12033 @xref{Debugging Options,,Options for Debugging Your Program or GCC,
12034 gcc.info, Using the @sc{gnu} Compiler Collection (GCC)}.
12035
12036 @menu
12037 * C Operators:: C and C@t{++} operators
12038 * C Constants:: C and C@t{++} constants
12039 * C Plus Plus Expressions:: C@t{++} expressions
12040 * C Defaults:: Default settings for C and C@t{++}
12041 * C Checks:: C and C@t{++} type and range checks
12042 * Debugging C:: @value{GDBN} and C
12043 * Debugging C Plus Plus:: @value{GDBN} features for C@t{++}
12044 * Decimal Floating Point:: Numbers in Decimal Floating Point format
12045 @end menu
12046
12047 @node C Operators
12048 @subsubsection C and C@t{++} Operators
12049
12050 @cindex C and C@t{++} operators
12051
12052 Operators must be defined on values of specific types. For instance,
12053 @code{+} is defined on numbers, but not on structures. Operators are
12054 often defined on groups of types.
12055
12056 For the purposes of C and C@t{++}, the following definitions hold:
12057
12058 @itemize @bullet
12059
12060 @item
12061 @emph{Integral types} include @code{int} with any of its storage-class
12062 specifiers; @code{char}; @code{enum}; and, for C@t{++}, @code{bool}.
12063
12064 @item
12065 @emph{Floating-point types} include @code{float}, @code{double}, and
12066 @code{long double} (if supported by the target platform).
12067
12068 @item
12069 @emph{Pointer types} include all types defined as @code{(@var{type} *)}.
12070
12071 @item
12072 @emph{Scalar types} include all of the above.
12073
12074 @end itemize
12075
12076 @noindent
12077 The following operators are supported. They are listed here
12078 in order of increasing precedence:
12079
12080 @table @code
12081 @item ,
12082 The comma or sequencing operator. Expressions in a comma-separated list
12083 are evaluated from left to right, with the result of the entire
12084 expression being the last expression evaluated.
12085
12086 @item =
12087 Assignment. The value of an assignment expression is the value
12088 assigned. Defined on scalar types.
12089
12090 @item @var{op}=
12091 Used in an expression of the form @w{@code{@var{a} @var{op}= @var{b}}},
12092 and translated to @w{@code{@var{a} = @var{a op b}}}.
12093 @w{@code{@var{op}=}} and @code{=} have the same precedence.
12094 @var{op} is any one of the operators @code{|}, @code{^}, @code{&},
12095 @code{<<}, @code{>>}, @code{+}, @code{-}, @code{*}, @code{/}, @code{%}.
12096
12097 @item ?:
12098 The ternary operator. @code{@var{a} ? @var{b} : @var{c}} can be thought
12099 of as: if @var{a} then @var{b} else @var{c}. @var{a} should be of an
12100 integral type.
12101
12102 @item ||
12103 Logical @sc{or}. Defined on integral types.
12104
12105 @item &&
12106 Logical @sc{and}. Defined on integral types.
12107
12108 @item |
12109 Bitwise @sc{or}. Defined on integral types.
12110
12111 @item ^
12112 Bitwise exclusive-@sc{or}. Defined on integral types.
12113
12114 @item &
12115 Bitwise @sc{and}. Defined on integral types.
12116
12117 @item ==@r{, }!=
12118 Equality and inequality. Defined on scalar types. The value of these
12119 expressions is 0 for false and non-zero for true.
12120
12121 @item <@r{, }>@r{, }<=@r{, }>=
12122 Less than, greater than, less than or equal, greater than or equal.
12123 Defined on scalar types. The value of these expressions is 0 for false
12124 and non-zero for true.
12125
12126 @item <<@r{, }>>
12127 left shift, and right shift. Defined on integral types.
12128
12129 @item @@
12130 The @value{GDBN} ``artificial array'' operator (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}).
12131
12132 @item +@r{, }-
12133 Addition and subtraction. Defined on integral types, floating-point types and
12134 pointer types.
12135
12136 @item *@r{, }/@r{, }%
12137 Multiplication, division, and modulus. Multiplication and division are
12138 defined on integral and floating-point types. Modulus is defined on
12139 integral types.
12140
12141 @item ++@r{, }--
12142 Increment and decrement. When appearing before a variable, the
12143 operation is performed before the variable is used in an expression;
12144 when appearing after it, the variable's value is used before the
12145 operation takes place.
12146
12147 @item *
12148 Pointer dereferencing. Defined on pointer types. Same precedence as
12149 @code{++}.
12150
12151 @item &
12152 Address operator. Defined on variables. Same precedence as @code{++}.
12153
12154 For debugging C@t{++}, @value{GDBN} implements a use of @samp{&} beyond what is
12155 allowed in the C@t{++} language itself: you can use @samp{&(&@var{ref})}
12156 to examine the address
12157 where a C@t{++} reference variable (declared with @samp{&@var{ref}}) is
12158 stored.
12159
12160 @item -
12161 Negative. Defined on integral and floating-point types. Same
12162 precedence as @code{++}.
12163
12164 @item !
12165 Logical negation. Defined on integral types. Same precedence as
12166 @code{++}.
12167
12168 @item ~
12169 Bitwise complement operator. Defined on integral types. Same precedence as
12170 @code{++}.
12171
12172
12173 @item .@r{, }->
12174 Structure member, and pointer-to-structure member. For convenience,
12175 @value{GDBN} regards the two as equivalent, choosing whether to dereference a
12176 pointer based on the stored type information.
12177 Defined on @code{struct} and @code{union} data.
12178
12179 @item .*@r{, }->*
12180 Dereferences of pointers to members.
12181
12182 @item []
12183 Array indexing. @code{@var{a}[@var{i}]} is defined as
12184 @code{*(@var{a}+@var{i})}. Same precedence as @code{->}.
12185
12186 @item ()
12187 Function parameter list. Same precedence as @code{->}.
12188
12189 @item ::
12190 C@t{++} scope resolution operator. Defined on @code{struct}, @code{union},
12191 and @code{class} types.
12192
12193 @item ::
12194 Doubled colons also represent the @value{GDBN} scope operator
12195 (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}). Same precedence as @code{::},
12196 above.
12197 @end table
12198
12199 If an operator is redefined in the user code, @value{GDBN} usually
12200 attempts to invoke the redefined version instead of using the operator's
12201 predefined meaning.
12202
12203 @node C Constants
12204 @subsubsection C and C@t{++} Constants
12205
12206 @cindex C and C@t{++} constants
12207
12208 @value{GDBN} allows you to express the constants of C and C@t{++} in the
12209 following ways:
12210
12211 @itemize @bullet
12212 @item
12213 Integer constants are a sequence of digits. Octal constants are
12214 specified by a leading @samp{0} (i.e.@: zero), and hexadecimal constants
12215 by a leading @samp{0x} or @samp{0X}. Constants may also end with a letter
12216 @samp{l}, specifying that the constant should be treated as a
12217 @code{long} value.
12218
12219 @item
12220 Floating point constants are a sequence of digits, followed by a decimal
12221 point, followed by a sequence of digits, and optionally followed by an
12222 exponent. An exponent is of the form:
12223 @samp{@w{e@r{[[}+@r{]|}-@r{]}@var{nnn}}}, where @var{nnn} is another
12224 sequence of digits. The @samp{+} is optional for positive exponents.
12225 A floating-point constant may also end with a letter @samp{f} or
12226 @samp{F}, specifying that the constant should be treated as being of
12227 the @code{float} (as opposed to the default @code{double}) type; or with
12228 a letter @samp{l} or @samp{L}, which specifies a @code{long double}
12229 constant.
12230
12231 @item
12232 Enumerated constants consist of enumerated identifiers, or their
12233 integral equivalents.
12234
12235 @item
12236 Character constants are a single character surrounded by single quotes
12237 (@code{'}), or a number---the ordinal value of the corresponding character
12238 (usually its @sc{ascii} value). Within quotes, the single character may
12239 be represented by a letter or by @dfn{escape sequences}, which are of
12240 the form @samp{\@var{nnn}}, where @var{nnn} is the octal representation
12241 of the character's ordinal value; or of the form @samp{\@var{x}}, where
12242 @samp{@var{x}} is a predefined special character---for example,
12243 @samp{\n} for newline.
12244
12245 @item
12246 String constants are a sequence of character constants surrounded by
12247 double quotes (@code{"}). Any valid character constant (as described
12248 above) may appear. Double quotes within the string must be preceded by
12249 a backslash, so for instance @samp{"a\"b'c"} is a string of five
12250 characters.
12251
12252 @item
12253 Pointer constants are an integral value. You can also write pointers
12254 to constants using the C operator @samp{&}.
12255
12256 @item
12257 Array constants are comma-separated lists surrounded by braces @samp{@{}
12258 and @samp{@}}; for example, @samp{@{1,2,3@}} is a three-element array of
12259 integers, @samp{@{@{1,2@}, @{3,4@}, @{5,6@}@}} is a three-by-two array,
12260 and @samp{@{&"hi", &"there", &"fred"@}} is a three-element array of pointers.
12261 @end itemize
12262
12263 @node C Plus Plus Expressions
12264 @subsubsection C@t{++} Expressions
12265
12266 @cindex expressions in C@t{++}
12267 @value{GDBN} expression handling can interpret most C@t{++} expressions.
12268
12269 @cindex debugging C@t{++} programs
12270 @cindex C@t{++} compilers
12271 @cindex debug formats and C@t{++}
12272 @cindex @value{NGCC} and C@t{++}
12273 @quotation
12274 @emph{Warning:} @value{GDBN} can only debug C@t{++} code if you use the
12275 proper compiler and the proper debug format. Currently, @value{GDBN}
12276 works best when debugging C@t{++} code that is compiled with
12277 @value{NGCC} 2.95.3 or with @value{NGCC} 3.1 or newer, using the options
12278 @option{-gdwarf-2} or @option{-gstabs+}. DWARF 2 is preferred over
12279 stabs+. Most configurations of @value{NGCC} emit either DWARF 2 or
12280 stabs+ as their default debug format, so you usually don't need to
12281 specify a debug format explicitly. Other compilers and/or debug formats
12282 are likely to work badly or not at all when using @value{GDBN} to debug
12283 C@t{++} code.
12284 @end quotation
12285
12286 @enumerate
12287
12288 @cindex member functions
12289 @item
12290 Member function calls are allowed; you can use expressions like
12291
12292 @smallexample
12293 count = aml->GetOriginal(x, y)
12294 @end smallexample
12295
12296 @vindex this@r{, inside C@t{++} member functions}
12297 @cindex namespace in C@t{++}
12298 @item
12299 While a member function is active (in the selected stack frame), your
12300 expressions have the same namespace available as the member function;
12301 that is, @value{GDBN} allows implicit references to the class instance
12302 pointer @code{this} following the same rules as C@t{++}.
12303
12304 @cindex call overloaded functions
12305 @cindex overloaded functions, calling
12306 @cindex type conversions in C@t{++}
12307 @item
12308 You can call overloaded functions; @value{GDBN} resolves the function
12309 call to the right definition, with some restrictions. @value{GDBN} does not
12310 perform overload resolution involving user-defined type conversions,
12311 calls to constructors, or instantiations of templates that do not exist
12312 in the program. It also cannot handle ellipsis argument lists or
12313 default arguments.
12314
12315 It does perform integral conversions and promotions, floating-point
12316 promotions, arithmetic conversions, pointer conversions, conversions of
12317 class objects to base classes, and standard conversions such as those of
12318 functions or arrays to pointers; it requires an exact match on the
12319 number of function arguments.
12320
12321 Overload resolution is always performed, unless you have specified
12322 @code{set overload-resolution off}. @xref{Debugging C Plus Plus,
12323 ,@value{GDBN} Features for C@t{++}}.
12324
12325 You must specify @code{set overload-resolution off} in order to use an
12326 explicit function signature to call an overloaded function, as in
12327 @smallexample
12328 p 'foo(char,int)'('x', 13)
12329 @end smallexample
12330
12331 The @value{GDBN} command-completion facility can simplify this;
12332 see @ref{Completion, ,Command Completion}.
12333
12334 @cindex reference declarations
12335 @item
12336 @value{GDBN} understands variables declared as C@t{++} references; you can use
12337 them in expressions just as you do in C@t{++} source---they are automatically
12338 dereferenced.
12339
12340 In the parameter list shown when @value{GDBN} displays a frame, the values of
12341 reference variables are not displayed (unlike other variables); this
12342 avoids clutter, since references are often used for large structures.
12343 The @emph{address} of a reference variable is always shown, unless
12344 you have specified @samp{set print address off}.
12345
12346 @item
12347 @value{GDBN} supports the C@t{++} name resolution operator @code{::}---your
12348 expressions can use it just as expressions in your program do. Since
12349 one scope may be defined in another, you can use @code{::} repeatedly if
12350 necessary, for example in an expression like
12351 @samp{@var{scope1}::@var{scope2}::@var{name}}. @value{GDBN} also allows
12352 resolving name scope by reference to source files, in both C and C@t{++}
12353 debugging (@pxref{Variables, ,Program Variables}).
12354 @end enumerate
12355
12356 In addition, when used with HP's C@t{++} compiler, @value{GDBN} supports
12357 calling virtual functions correctly, printing out virtual bases of
12358 objects, calling functions in a base subobject, casting objects, and
12359 invoking user-defined operators.
12360
12361 @node C Defaults
12362 @subsubsection C and C@t{++} Defaults
12363
12364 @cindex C and C@t{++} defaults
12365
12366 If you allow @value{GDBN} to set type and range checking automatically, they
12367 both default to @code{off} whenever the working language changes to
12368 C or C@t{++}. This happens regardless of whether you or @value{GDBN}
12369 selects the working language.
12370
12371 If you allow @value{GDBN} to set the language automatically, it
12372 recognizes source files whose names end with @file{.c}, @file{.C}, or
12373 @file{.cc}, etc, and when @value{GDBN} enters code compiled from one of
12374 these files, it sets the working language to C or C@t{++}.
12375 @xref{Automatically, ,Having @value{GDBN} Infer the Source Language},
12376 for further details.
12377
12378 @c Type checking is (a) primarily motivated by Modula-2, and (b)
12379 @c unimplemented. If (b) changes, it might make sense to let this node
12380 @c appear even if Mod-2 does not, but meanwhile ignore it. roland 16jul93.
12381
12382 @node C Checks
12383 @subsubsection C and C@t{++} Type and Range Checks
12384
12385 @cindex C and C@t{++} checks
12386
12387 By default, when @value{GDBN} parses C or C@t{++} expressions, type checking
12388 is not used. However, if you turn type checking on, @value{GDBN}
12389 considers two variables type equivalent if:
12390
12391 @itemize @bullet
12392 @item
12393 The two variables are structured and have the same structure, union, or
12394 enumerated tag.
12395
12396 @item
12397 The two variables have the same type name, or types that have been
12398 declared equivalent through @code{typedef}.
12399
12400 @ignore
12401 @c leaving this out because neither J Gilmore nor R Pesch understand it.
12402 @c FIXME--beers?
12403 @item
12404 The two @code{struct}, @code{union}, or @code{enum} variables are
12405 declared in the same declaration. (Note: this may not be true for all C
12406 compilers.)
12407 @end ignore
12408 @end itemize
12409
12410 Range checking, if turned on, is done on mathematical operations. Array
12411 indices are not checked, since they are often used to index a pointer
12412 that is not itself an array.
12413
12414 @node Debugging C
12415 @subsubsection @value{GDBN} and C
12416
12417 The @code{set print union} and @code{show print union} commands apply to
12418 the @code{union} type. When set to @samp{on}, any @code{union} that is
12419 inside a @code{struct} or @code{class} is also printed. Otherwise, it
12420 appears as @samp{@{...@}}.
12421
12422 The @code{@@} operator aids in the debugging of dynamic arrays, formed
12423 with pointers and a memory allocation function. @xref{Expressions,
12424 ,Expressions}.
12425
12426 @node Debugging C Plus Plus
12427 @subsubsection @value{GDBN} Features for C@t{++}
12428
12429 @cindex commands for C@t{++}
12430
12431 Some @value{GDBN} commands are particularly useful with C@t{++}, and some are
12432 designed specifically for use with C@t{++}. Here is a summary:
12433
12434 @table @code
12435 @cindex break in overloaded functions
12436 @item @r{breakpoint menus}
12437 When you want a breakpoint in a function whose name is overloaded,
12438 @value{GDBN} has the capability to display a menu of possible breakpoint
12439 locations to help you specify which function definition you want.
12440 @xref{Ambiguous Expressions,,Ambiguous Expressions}.
12441
12442 @cindex overloading in C@t{++}
12443 @item rbreak @var{regex}
12444 Setting breakpoints using regular expressions is helpful for setting
12445 breakpoints on overloaded functions that are not members of any special
12446 classes.
12447 @xref{Set Breaks, ,Setting Breakpoints}.
12448
12449 @cindex C@t{++} exception handling
12450 @item catch throw
12451 @itemx catch catch
12452 Debug C@t{++} exception handling using these commands. @xref{Set
12453 Catchpoints, , Setting Catchpoints}.
12454
12455 @cindex inheritance
12456 @item ptype @var{typename}
12457 Print inheritance relationships as well as other information for type
12458 @var{typename}.
12459 @xref{Symbols, ,Examining the Symbol Table}.
12460
12461 @cindex C@t{++} symbol display
12462 @item set print demangle
12463 @itemx show print demangle
12464 @itemx set print asm-demangle
12465 @itemx show print asm-demangle
12466 Control whether C@t{++} symbols display in their source form, both when
12467 displaying code as C@t{++} source and when displaying disassemblies.
12468 @xref{Print Settings, ,Print Settings}.
12469
12470 @item set print object
12471 @itemx show print object
12472 Choose whether to print derived (actual) or declared types of objects.
12473 @xref{Print Settings, ,Print Settings}.
12474
12475 @item set print vtbl
12476 @itemx show print vtbl
12477 Control the format for printing virtual function tables.
12478 @xref{Print Settings, ,Print Settings}.
12479 (The @code{vtbl} commands do not work on programs compiled with the HP
12480 ANSI C@t{++} compiler (@code{aCC}).)
12481
12482 @kindex set overload-resolution
12483 @cindex overloaded functions, overload resolution
12484 @item set overload-resolution on
12485 Enable overload resolution for C@t{++} expression evaluation. The default
12486 is on. For overloaded functions, @value{GDBN} evaluates the arguments
12487 and searches for a function whose signature matches the argument types,
12488 using the standard C@t{++} conversion rules (see @ref{C Plus Plus
12489 Expressions, ,C@t{++} Expressions}, for details).
12490 If it cannot find a match, it emits a message.
12491
12492 @item set overload-resolution off
12493 Disable overload resolution for C@t{++} expression evaluation. For
12494 overloaded functions that are not class member functions, @value{GDBN}
12495 chooses the first function of the specified name that it finds in the
12496 symbol table, whether or not its arguments are of the correct type. For
12497 overloaded functions that are class member functions, @value{GDBN}
12498 searches for a function whose signature @emph{exactly} matches the
12499 argument types.
12500
12501 @kindex show overload-resolution
12502 @item show overload-resolution
12503 Show the current setting of overload resolution.
12504
12505 @item @r{Overloaded symbol names}
12506 You can specify a particular definition of an overloaded symbol, using
12507 the same notation that is used to declare such symbols in C@t{++}: type
12508 @code{@var{symbol}(@var{types})} rather than just @var{symbol}. You can
12509 also use the @value{GDBN} command-line word completion facilities to list the
12510 available choices, or to finish the type list for you.
12511 @xref{Completion,, Command Completion}, for details on how to do this.
12512 @end table
12513
12514 @node Decimal Floating Point
12515 @subsubsection Decimal Floating Point format
12516 @cindex decimal floating point format
12517
12518 @value{GDBN} can examine, set and perform computations with numbers in
12519 decimal floating point format, which in the C language correspond to the
12520 @code{_Decimal32}, @code{_Decimal64} and @code{_Decimal128} types as
12521 specified by the extension to support decimal floating-point arithmetic.
12522
12523 There are two encodings in use, depending on the architecture: BID (Binary
12524 Integer Decimal) for x86 and x86-64, and DPD (Densely Packed Decimal) for
12525 PowerPC. @value{GDBN} will use the appropriate encoding for the configured
12526 target.
12527
12528 Because of a limitation in @file{libdecnumber}, the library used by @value{GDBN}
12529 to manipulate decimal floating point numbers, it is not possible to convert
12530 (using a cast, for example) integers wider than 32-bit to decimal float.
12531
12532 In addition, in order to imitate @value{GDBN}'s behaviour with binary floating
12533 point computations, error checking in decimal float operations ignores
12534 underflow, overflow and divide by zero exceptions.
12535
12536 In the PowerPC architecture, @value{GDBN} provides a set of pseudo-registers
12537 to inspect @code{_Decimal128} values stored in floating point registers.
12538 See @ref{PowerPC,,PowerPC} for more details.
12539
12540 @node D
12541 @subsection D
12542
12543 @cindex D
12544 @value{GDBN} can be used to debug programs written in D and compiled with
12545 GDC, LDC or DMD compilers. Currently @value{GDBN} supports only one D
12546 specific feature --- dynamic arrays.
12547
12548 @node Objective-C
12549 @subsection Objective-C
12550
12551 @cindex Objective-C
12552 This section provides information about some commands and command
12553 options that are useful for debugging Objective-C code. See also
12554 @ref{Symbols, info classes}, and @ref{Symbols, info selectors}, for a
12555 few more commands specific to Objective-C support.
12556
12557 @menu
12558 * Method Names in Commands::
12559 * The Print Command with Objective-C::
12560 @end menu
12561
12562 @node Method Names in Commands
12563 @subsubsection Method Names in Commands
12564
12565 The following commands have been extended to accept Objective-C method
12566 names as line specifications:
12567
12568 @kindex clear@r{, and Objective-C}
12569 @kindex break@r{, and Objective-C}
12570 @kindex info line@r{, and Objective-C}
12571 @kindex jump@r{, and Objective-C}
12572 @kindex list@r{, and Objective-C}
12573 @itemize
12574 @item @code{clear}
12575 @item @code{break}
12576 @item @code{info line}
12577 @item @code{jump}
12578 @item @code{list}
12579 @end itemize
12580
12581 A fully qualified Objective-C method name is specified as
12582
12583 @smallexample
12584 -[@var{Class} @var{methodName}]
12585 @end smallexample
12586
12587 where the minus sign is used to indicate an instance method and a
12588 plus sign (not shown) is used to indicate a class method. The class
12589 name @var{Class} and method name @var{methodName} are enclosed in
12590 brackets, similar to the way messages are specified in Objective-C
12591 source code. For example, to set a breakpoint at the @code{create}
12592 instance method of class @code{Fruit} in the program currently being
12593 debugged, enter:
12594
12595 @smallexample
12596 break -[Fruit create]
12597 @end smallexample
12598
12599 To list ten program lines around the @code{initialize} class method,
12600 enter:
12601
12602 @smallexample
12603 list +[NSText initialize]
12604 @end smallexample
12605
12606 In the current version of @value{GDBN}, the plus or minus sign is
12607 required. In future versions of @value{GDBN}, the plus or minus
12608 sign will be optional, but you can use it to narrow the search. It
12609 is also possible to specify just a method name:
12610
12611 @smallexample
12612 break create
12613 @end smallexample
12614
12615 You must specify the complete method name, including any colons. If
12616 your program's source files contain more than one @code{create} method,
12617 you'll be presented with a numbered list of classes that implement that
12618 method. Indicate your choice by number, or type @samp{0} to exit if
12619 none apply.
12620
12621 As another example, to clear a breakpoint established at the
12622 @code{makeKeyAndOrderFront:} method of the @code{NSWindow} class, enter:
12623
12624 @smallexample
12625 clear -[NSWindow makeKeyAndOrderFront:]
12626 @end smallexample
12627
12628 @node The Print Command with Objective-C
12629 @subsubsection The Print Command With Objective-C
12630 @cindex Objective-C, print objects
12631 @kindex print-object
12632 @kindex po @r{(@code{print-object})}
12633
12634 The print command has also been extended to accept methods. For example:
12635
12636 @smallexample
12637 print -[@var{object} hash]
12638 @end smallexample
12639
12640 @cindex print an Objective-C object description
12641 @cindex @code{_NSPrintForDebugger}, and printing Objective-C objects
12642 @noindent
12643 will tell @value{GDBN} to send the @code{hash} message to @var{object}
12644 and print the result. Also, an additional command has been added,
12645 @code{print-object} or @code{po} for short, which is meant to print
12646 the description of an object. However, this command may only work
12647 with certain Objective-C libraries that have a particular hook
12648 function, @code{_NSPrintForDebugger}, defined.
12649
12650 @node OpenCL C
12651 @subsection OpenCL C
12652
12653 @cindex OpenCL C
12654 This section provides information about @value{GDBN}s OpenCL C support.
12655
12656 @menu
12657 * OpenCL C Datatypes::
12658 * OpenCL C Expressions::
12659 * OpenCL C Operators::
12660 @end menu
12661
12662 @node OpenCL C Datatypes
12663 @subsubsection OpenCL C Datatypes
12664
12665 @cindex OpenCL C Datatypes
12666 @value{GDBN} supports the builtin scalar and vector datatypes specified
12667 by OpenCL 1.1. In addition the half- and double-precision floating point
12668 data types of the @code{cl_khr_fp16} and @code{cl_khr_fp64} OpenCL
12669 extensions are also known to @value{GDBN}.
12670
12671 @node OpenCL C Expressions
12672 @subsubsection OpenCL C Expressions
12673
12674 @cindex OpenCL C Expressions
12675 @value{GDBN} supports accesses to vector components including the access as
12676 lvalue where possible. Since OpenCL C is based on C99 most C expressions
12677 supported by @value{GDBN} can be used as well.
12678
12679 @node OpenCL C Operators
12680 @subsubsection OpenCL C Operators
12681
12682 @cindex OpenCL C Operators
12683 @value{GDBN} supports the operators specified by OpenCL 1.1 for scalar and
12684 vector data types.
12685
12686 @node Fortran
12687 @subsection Fortran
12688 @cindex Fortran-specific support in @value{GDBN}
12689
12690 @value{GDBN} can be used to debug programs written in Fortran, but it
12691 currently supports only the features of Fortran 77 language.
12692
12693 @cindex trailing underscore, in Fortran symbols
12694 Some Fortran compilers (@sc{gnu} Fortran 77 and Fortran 95 compilers
12695 among them) append an underscore to the names of variables and
12696 functions. When you debug programs compiled by those compilers, you
12697 will need to refer to variables and functions with a trailing
12698 underscore.
12699
12700 @menu
12701 * Fortran Operators:: Fortran operators and expressions
12702 * Fortran Defaults:: Default settings for Fortran
12703 * Special Fortran Commands:: Special @value{GDBN} commands for Fortran
12704 @end menu
12705
12706 @node Fortran Operators
12707 @subsubsection Fortran Operators and Expressions
12708
12709 @cindex Fortran operators and expressions
12710
12711 Operators must be defined on values of specific types. For instance,
12712 @code{+} is defined on numbers, but not on characters or other non-
12713 arithmetic types. Operators are often defined on groups of types.
12714
12715 @table @code
12716 @item **
12717 The exponentiation operator. It raises the first operand to the power
12718 of the second one.
12719
12720 @item :
12721 The range operator. Normally used in the form of array(low:high) to
12722 represent a section of array.
12723
12724 @item %
12725 The access component operator. Normally used to access elements in derived
12726 types. Also suitable for unions. As unions aren't part of regular Fortran,
12727 this can only happen when accessing a register that uses a gdbarch-defined
12728 union type.
12729 @end table
12730
12731 @node Fortran Defaults
12732 @subsubsection Fortran Defaults
12733
12734 @cindex Fortran Defaults
12735
12736 Fortran symbols are usually case-insensitive, so @value{GDBN} by
12737 default uses case-insensitive matches for Fortran symbols. You can
12738 change that with the @samp{set case-insensitive} command, see
12739 @ref{Symbols}, for the details.
12740
12741 @node Special Fortran Commands
12742 @subsubsection Special Fortran Commands
12743
12744 @cindex Special Fortran commands
12745
12746 @value{GDBN} has some commands to support Fortran-specific features,
12747 such as displaying common blocks.
12748
12749 @table @code
12750 @cindex @code{COMMON} blocks, Fortran
12751 @kindex info common
12752 @item info common @r{[}@var{common-name}@r{]}
12753 This command prints the values contained in the Fortran @code{COMMON}
12754 block whose name is @var{common-name}. With no argument, the names of
12755 all @code{COMMON} blocks visible at the current program location are
12756 printed.
12757 @end table
12758
12759 @node Pascal
12760 @subsection Pascal
12761
12762 @cindex Pascal support in @value{GDBN}, limitations
12763 Debugging Pascal programs which use sets, subranges, file variables, or
12764 nested functions does not currently work. @value{GDBN} does not support
12765 entering expressions, printing values, or similar features using Pascal
12766 syntax.
12767
12768 The Pascal-specific command @code{set print pascal_static-members}
12769 controls whether static members of Pascal objects are displayed.
12770 @xref{Print Settings, pascal_static-members}.
12771
12772 @node Modula-2
12773 @subsection Modula-2
12774
12775 @cindex Modula-2, @value{GDBN} support
12776
12777 The extensions made to @value{GDBN} to support Modula-2 only support
12778 output from the @sc{gnu} Modula-2 compiler (which is currently being
12779 developed). Other Modula-2 compilers are not currently supported, and
12780 attempting to debug executables produced by them is most likely
12781 to give an error as @value{GDBN} reads in the executable's symbol
12782 table.
12783
12784 @cindex expressions in Modula-2
12785 @menu
12786 * M2 Operators:: Built-in operators
12787 * Built-In Func/Proc:: Built-in functions and procedures
12788 * M2 Constants:: Modula-2 constants
12789 * M2 Types:: Modula-2 types
12790 * M2 Defaults:: Default settings for Modula-2
12791 * Deviations:: Deviations from standard Modula-2
12792 * M2 Checks:: Modula-2 type and range checks
12793 * M2 Scope:: The scope operators @code{::} and @code{.}
12794 * GDB/M2:: @value{GDBN} and Modula-2
12795 @end menu
12796
12797 @node M2 Operators
12798 @subsubsection Operators
12799 @cindex Modula-2 operators
12800
12801 Operators must be defined on values of specific types. For instance,
12802 @code{+} is defined on numbers, but not on structures. Operators are
12803 often defined on groups of types. For the purposes of Modula-2, the
12804 following definitions hold:
12805
12806 @itemize @bullet
12807
12808 @item
12809 @emph{Integral types} consist of @code{INTEGER}, @code{CARDINAL}, and
12810 their subranges.
12811
12812 @item
12813 @emph{Character types} consist of @code{CHAR} and its subranges.
12814
12815 @item
12816 @emph{Floating-point types} consist of @code{REAL}.
12817
12818 @item
12819 @emph{Pointer types} consist of anything declared as @code{POINTER TO
12820 @var{type}}.
12821
12822 @item
12823 @emph{Scalar types} consist of all of the above.
12824
12825 @item
12826 @emph{Set types} consist of @code{SET} and @code{BITSET} types.
12827
12828 @item
12829 @emph{Boolean types} consist of @code{BOOLEAN}.
12830 @end itemize
12831
12832 @noindent
12833 The following operators are supported, and appear in order of
12834 increasing precedence:
12835
12836 @table @code
12837 @item ,
12838 Function argument or array index separator.
12839
12840 @item :=
12841 Assignment. The value of @var{var} @code{:=} @var{value} is
12842 @var{value}.
12843
12844 @item <@r{, }>
12845 Less than, greater than on integral, floating-point, or enumerated
12846 types.
12847
12848 @item <=@r{, }>=
12849 Less than or equal to, greater than or equal to
12850 on integral, floating-point and enumerated types, or set inclusion on
12851 set types. Same precedence as @code{<}.
12852
12853 @item =@r{, }<>@r{, }#
12854 Equality and two ways of expressing inequality, valid on scalar types.
12855 Same precedence as @code{<}. In @value{GDBN} scripts, only @code{<>} is
12856 available for inequality, since @code{#} conflicts with the script
12857 comment character.
12858
12859 @item IN
12860 Set membership. Defined on set types and the types of their members.
12861 Same precedence as @code{<}.
12862
12863 @item OR
12864 Boolean disjunction. Defined on boolean types.
12865
12866 @item AND@r{, }&
12867 Boolean conjunction. Defined on boolean types.
12868
12869 @item @@
12870 The @value{GDBN} ``artificial array'' operator (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}).
12871
12872 @item +@r{, }-
12873 Addition and subtraction on integral and floating-point types, or union
12874 and difference on set types.
12875
12876 @item *
12877 Multiplication on integral and floating-point types, or set intersection
12878 on set types.
12879
12880 @item /
12881 Division on floating-point types, or symmetric set difference on set
12882 types. Same precedence as @code{*}.
12883
12884 @item DIV@r{, }MOD
12885 Integer division and remainder. Defined on integral types. Same
12886 precedence as @code{*}.
12887
12888 @item -
12889 Negative. Defined on @code{INTEGER} and @code{REAL} data.
12890
12891 @item ^
12892 Pointer dereferencing. Defined on pointer types.
12893
12894 @item NOT
12895 Boolean negation. Defined on boolean types. Same precedence as
12896 @code{^}.
12897
12898 @item .
12899 @code{RECORD} field selector. Defined on @code{RECORD} data. Same
12900 precedence as @code{^}.
12901
12902 @item []
12903 Array indexing. Defined on @code{ARRAY} data. Same precedence as @code{^}.
12904
12905 @item ()
12906 Procedure argument list. Defined on @code{PROCEDURE} objects. Same precedence
12907 as @code{^}.
12908
12909 @item ::@r{, }.
12910 @value{GDBN} and Modula-2 scope operators.
12911 @end table
12912
12913 @quotation
12914 @emph{Warning:} Set expressions and their operations are not yet supported, so @value{GDBN}
12915 treats the use of the operator @code{IN}, or the use of operators
12916 @code{+}, @code{-}, @code{*}, @code{/}, @code{=}, , @code{<>}, @code{#},
12917 @code{<=}, and @code{>=} on sets as an error.
12918 @end quotation
12919
12920
12921 @node Built-In Func/Proc
12922 @subsubsection Built-in Functions and Procedures
12923 @cindex Modula-2 built-ins
12924
12925 Modula-2 also makes available several built-in procedures and functions.
12926 In describing these, the following metavariables are used:
12927
12928 @table @var
12929
12930 @item a
12931 represents an @code{ARRAY} variable.
12932
12933 @item c
12934 represents a @code{CHAR} constant or variable.
12935
12936 @item i
12937 represents a variable or constant of integral type.
12938
12939 @item m
12940 represents an identifier that belongs to a set. Generally used in the
12941 same function with the metavariable @var{s}. The type of @var{s} should
12942 be @code{SET OF @var{mtype}} (where @var{mtype} is the type of @var{m}).
12943
12944 @item n
12945 represents a variable or constant of integral or floating-point type.
12946
12947 @item r
12948 represents a variable or constant of floating-point type.
12949
12950 @item t
12951 represents a type.
12952
12953 @item v
12954 represents a variable.
12955
12956 @item x
12957 represents a variable or constant of one of many types. See the
12958 explanation of the function for details.
12959 @end table
12960
12961 All Modula-2 built-in procedures also return a result, described below.
12962
12963 @table @code
12964 @item ABS(@var{n})
12965 Returns the absolute value of @var{n}.
12966
12967 @item CAP(@var{c})
12968 If @var{c} is a lower case letter, it returns its upper case
12969 equivalent, otherwise it returns its argument.
12970
12971 @item CHR(@var{i})
12972 Returns the character whose ordinal value is @var{i}.
12973
12974 @item DEC(@var{v})
12975 Decrements the value in the variable @var{v} by one. Returns the new value.
12976
12977 @item DEC(@var{v},@var{i})
12978 Decrements the value in the variable @var{v} by @var{i}. Returns the
12979 new value.
12980
12981 @item EXCL(@var{m},@var{s})
12982 Removes the element @var{m} from the set @var{s}. Returns the new
12983 set.
12984
12985 @item FLOAT(@var{i})
12986 Returns the floating point equivalent of the integer @var{i}.
12987
12988 @item HIGH(@var{a})
12989 Returns the index of the last member of @var{a}.
12990
12991 @item INC(@var{v})
12992 Increments the value in the variable @var{v} by one. Returns the new value.
12993
12994 @item INC(@var{v},@var{i})
12995 Increments the value in the variable @var{v} by @var{i}. Returns the
12996 new value.
12997
12998 @item INCL(@var{m},@var{s})
12999 Adds the element @var{m} to the set @var{s} if it is not already
13000 there. Returns the new set.
13001
13002 @item MAX(@var{t})
13003 Returns the maximum value of the type @var{t}.
13004
13005 @item MIN(@var{t})
13006 Returns the minimum value of the type @var{t}.
13007
13008 @item ODD(@var{i})
13009 Returns boolean TRUE if @var{i} is an odd number.
13010
13011 @item ORD(@var{x})
13012 Returns the ordinal value of its argument. For example, the ordinal
13013 value of a character is its @sc{ascii} value (on machines supporting the
13014 @sc{ascii} character set). @var{x} must be of an ordered type, which include
13015 integral, character and enumerated types.
13016
13017 @item SIZE(@var{x})
13018 Returns the size of its argument. @var{x} can be a variable or a type.
13019
13020 @item TRUNC(@var{r})
13021 Returns the integral part of @var{r}.
13022
13023 @item TSIZE(@var{x})
13024 Returns the size of its argument. @var{x} can be a variable or a type.
13025
13026 @item VAL(@var{t},@var{i})
13027 Returns the member of the type @var{t} whose ordinal value is @var{i}.
13028 @end table
13029
13030 @quotation
13031 @emph{Warning:} Sets and their operations are not yet supported, so
13032 @value{GDBN} treats the use of procedures @code{INCL} and @code{EXCL} as
13033 an error.
13034 @end quotation
13035
13036 @cindex Modula-2 constants
13037 @node M2 Constants
13038 @subsubsection Constants
13039
13040 @value{GDBN} allows you to express the constants of Modula-2 in the following
13041 ways:
13042
13043 @itemize @bullet
13044
13045 @item
13046 Integer constants are simply a sequence of digits. When used in an
13047 expression, a constant is interpreted to be type-compatible with the
13048 rest of the expression. Hexadecimal integers are specified by a
13049 trailing @samp{H}, and octal integers by a trailing @samp{B}.
13050
13051 @item
13052 Floating point constants appear as a sequence of digits, followed by a
13053 decimal point and another sequence of digits. An optional exponent can
13054 then be specified, in the form @samp{E@r{[}+@r{|}-@r{]}@var{nnn}}, where
13055 @samp{@r{[}+@r{|}-@r{]}@var{nnn}} is the desired exponent. All of the
13056 digits of the floating point constant must be valid decimal (base 10)
13057 digits.
13058
13059 @item
13060 Character constants consist of a single character enclosed by a pair of
13061 like quotes, either single (@code{'}) or double (@code{"}). They may
13062 also be expressed by their ordinal value (their @sc{ascii} value, usually)
13063 followed by a @samp{C}.
13064
13065 @item
13066 String constants consist of a sequence of characters enclosed by a
13067 pair of like quotes, either single (@code{'}) or double (@code{"}).
13068 Escape sequences in the style of C are also allowed. @xref{C
13069 Constants, ,C and C@t{++} Constants}, for a brief explanation of escape
13070 sequences.
13071
13072 @item
13073 Enumerated constants consist of an enumerated identifier.
13074
13075 @item
13076 Boolean constants consist of the identifiers @code{TRUE} and
13077 @code{FALSE}.
13078
13079 @item
13080 Pointer constants consist of integral values only.
13081
13082 @item
13083 Set constants are not yet supported.
13084 @end itemize
13085
13086 @node M2 Types
13087 @subsubsection Modula-2 Types
13088 @cindex Modula-2 types
13089
13090 Currently @value{GDBN} can print the following data types in Modula-2
13091 syntax: array types, record types, set types, pointer types, procedure
13092 types, enumerated types, subrange types and base types. You can also
13093 print the contents of variables declared using these type.
13094 This section gives a number of simple source code examples together with
13095 sample @value{GDBN} sessions.
13096
13097 The first example contains the following section of code:
13098
13099 @smallexample
13100 VAR
13101 s: SET OF CHAR ;
13102 r: [20..40] ;
13103 @end smallexample
13104
13105 @noindent
13106 and you can request @value{GDBN} to interrogate the type and value of
13107 @code{r} and @code{s}.
13108
13109 @smallexample
13110 (@value{GDBP}) print s
13111 @{'A'..'C', 'Z'@}
13112 (@value{GDBP}) ptype s
13113 SET OF CHAR
13114 (@value{GDBP}) print r
13115 21
13116 (@value{GDBP}) ptype r
13117 [20..40]
13118 @end smallexample
13119
13120 @noindent
13121 Likewise if your source code declares @code{s} as:
13122
13123 @smallexample
13124 VAR
13125 s: SET ['A'..'Z'] ;
13126 @end smallexample
13127
13128 @noindent
13129 then you may query the type of @code{s} by:
13130
13131 @smallexample
13132 (@value{GDBP}) ptype s
13133 type = SET ['A'..'Z']
13134 @end smallexample
13135
13136 @noindent
13137 Note that at present you cannot interactively manipulate set
13138 expressions using the debugger.
13139
13140 The following example shows how you might declare an array in Modula-2
13141 and how you can interact with @value{GDBN} to print its type and contents:
13142
13143 @smallexample
13144 VAR
13145 s: ARRAY [-10..10] OF CHAR ;
13146 @end smallexample
13147
13148 @smallexample
13149 (@value{GDBP}) ptype s
13150 ARRAY [-10..10] OF CHAR
13151 @end smallexample
13152
13153 Note that the array handling is not yet complete and although the type
13154 is printed correctly, expression handling still assumes that all
13155 arrays have a lower bound of zero and not @code{-10} as in the example
13156 above.
13157
13158 Here are some more type related Modula-2 examples:
13159
13160 @smallexample
13161 TYPE
13162 colour = (blue, red, yellow, green) ;
13163 t = [blue..yellow] ;
13164 VAR
13165 s: t ;
13166 BEGIN
13167 s := blue ;
13168 @end smallexample
13169
13170 @noindent
13171 The @value{GDBN} interaction shows how you can query the data type
13172 and value of a variable.
13173
13174 @smallexample
13175 (@value{GDBP}) print s
13176 $1 = blue
13177 (@value{GDBP}) ptype t
13178 type = [blue..yellow]
13179 @end smallexample
13180
13181 @noindent
13182 In this example a Modula-2 array is declared and its contents
13183 displayed. Observe that the contents are written in the same way as
13184 their @code{C} counterparts.
13185
13186 @smallexample
13187 VAR
13188 s: ARRAY [1..5] OF CARDINAL ;
13189 BEGIN
13190 s[1] := 1 ;
13191 @end smallexample
13192
13193 @smallexample
13194 (@value{GDBP}) print s
13195 $1 = @{1, 0, 0, 0, 0@}
13196 (@value{GDBP}) ptype s
13197 type = ARRAY [1..5] OF CARDINAL
13198 @end smallexample
13199
13200 The Modula-2 language interface to @value{GDBN} also understands
13201 pointer types as shown in this example:
13202
13203 @smallexample
13204 VAR
13205 s: POINTER TO ARRAY [1..5] OF CARDINAL ;
13206 BEGIN
13207 NEW(s) ;
13208 s^[1] := 1 ;
13209 @end smallexample
13210
13211 @noindent
13212 and you can request that @value{GDBN} describes the type of @code{s}.
13213
13214 @smallexample
13215 (@value{GDBP}) ptype s
13216 type = POINTER TO ARRAY [1..5] OF CARDINAL
13217 @end smallexample
13218
13219 @value{GDBN} handles compound types as we can see in this example.
13220 Here we combine array types, record types, pointer types and subrange
13221 types:
13222
13223 @smallexample
13224 TYPE
13225 foo = RECORD
13226 f1: CARDINAL ;
13227 f2: CHAR ;
13228 f3: myarray ;
13229 END ;
13230
13231 myarray = ARRAY myrange OF CARDINAL ;
13232 myrange = [-2..2] ;
13233 VAR
13234 s: POINTER TO ARRAY myrange OF foo ;
13235 @end smallexample
13236
13237 @noindent
13238 and you can ask @value{GDBN} to describe the type of @code{s} as shown
13239 below.
13240
13241 @smallexample
13242 (@value{GDBP}) ptype s
13243 type = POINTER TO ARRAY [-2..2] OF foo = RECORD
13244 f1 : CARDINAL;
13245 f2 : CHAR;
13246 f3 : ARRAY [-2..2] OF CARDINAL;
13247 END
13248 @end smallexample
13249
13250 @node M2 Defaults
13251 @subsubsection Modula-2 Defaults
13252 @cindex Modula-2 defaults
13253
13254 If type and range checking are set automatically by @value{GDBN}, they
13255 both default to @code{on} whenever the working language changes to
13256 Modula-2. This happens regardless of whether you or @value{GDBN}
13257 selected the working language.
13258
13259 If you allow @value{GDBN} to set the language automatically, then entering
13260 code compiled from a file whose name ends with @file{.mod} sets the
13261 working language to Modula-2. @xref{Automatically, ,Having @value{GDBN}
13262 Infer the Source Language}, for further details.
13263
13264 @node Deviations
13265 @subsubsection Deviations from Standard Modula-2
13266 @cindex Modula-2, deviations from
13267
13268 A few changes have been made to make Modula-2 programs easier to debug.
13269 This is done primarily via loosening its type strictness:
13270
13271 @itemize @bullet
13272 @item
13273 Unlike in standard Modula-2, pointer constants can be formed by
13274 integers. This allows you to modify pointer variables during
13275 debugging. (In standard Modula-2, the actual address contained in a
13276 pointer variable is hidden from you; it can only be modified
13277 through direct assignment to another pointer variable or expression that
13278 returned a pointer.)
13279
13280 @item
13281 C escape sequences can be used in strings and characters to represent
13282 non-printable characters. @value{GDBN} prints out strings with these
13283 escape sequences embedded. Single non-printable characters are
13284 printed using the @samp{CHR(@var{nnn})} format.
13285
13286 @item
13287 The assignment operator (@code{:=}) returns the value of its right-hand
13288 argument.
13289
13290 @item
13291 All built-in procedures both modify @emph{and} return their argument.
13292 @end itemize
13293
13294 @node M2 Checks
13295 @subsubsection Modula-2 Type and Range Checks
13296 @cindex Modula-2 checks
13297
13298 @quotation
13299 @emph{Warning:} in this release, @value{GDBN} does not yet perform type or
13300 range checking.
13301 @end quotation
13302 @c FIXME remove warning when type/range checks added
13303
13304 @value{GDBN} considers two Modula-2 variables type equivalent if:
13305
13306 @itemize @bullet
13307 @item
13308 They are of types that have been declared equivalent via a @code{TYPE
13309 @var{t1} = @var{t2}} statement
13310
13311 @item
13312 They have been declared on the same line. (Note: This is true of the
13313 @sc{gnu} Modula-2 compiler, but it may not be true of other compilers.)
13314 @end itemize
13315
13316 As long as type checking is enabled, any attempt to combine variables
13317 whose types are not equivalent is an error.
13318
13319 Range checking is done on all mathematical operations, assignment, array
13320 index bounds, and all built-in functions and procedures.
13321
13322 @node M2 Scope
13323 @subsubsection The Scope Operators @code{::} and @code{.}
13324 @cindex scope
13325 @cindex @code{.}, Modula-2 scope operator
13326 @cindex colon, doubled as scope operator
13327 @ifinfo
13328 @vindex colon-colon@r{, in Modula-2}
13329 @c Info cannot handle :: but TeX can.
13330 @end ifinfo
13331 @ifnotinfo
13332 @vindex ::@r{, in Modula-2}
13333 @end ifnotinfo
13334
13335 There are a few subtle differences between the Modula-2 scope operator
13336 (@code{.}) and the @value{GDBN} scope operator (@code{::}). The two have
13337 similar syntax:
13338
13339 @smallexample
13340
13341 @var{module} . @var{id}
13342 @var{scope} :: @var{id}
13343 @end smallexample
13344
13345 @noindent
13346 where @var{scope} is the name of a module or a procedure,
13347 @var{module} the name of a module, and @var{id} is any declared
13348 identifier within your program, except another module.
13349
13350 Using the @code{::} operator makes @value{GDBN} search the scope
13351 specified by @var{scope} for the identifier @var{id}. If it is not
13352 found in the specified scope, then @value{GDBN} searches all scopes
13353 enclosing the one specified by @var{scope}.
13354
13355 Using the @code{.} operator makes @value{GDBN} search the current scope for
13356 the identifier specified by @var{id} that was imported from the
13357 definition module specified by @var{module}. With this operator, it is
13358 an error if the identifier @var{id} was not imported from definition
13359 module @var{module}, or if @var{id} is not an identifier in
13360 @var{module}.
13361
13362 @node GDB/M2
13363 @subsubsection @value{GDBN} and Modula-2
13364
13365 Some @value{GDBN} commands have little use when debugging Modula-2 programs.
13366 Five subcommands of @code{set print} and @code{show print} apply
13367 specifically to C and C@t{++}: @samp{vtbl}, @samp{demangle},
13368 @samp{asm-demangle}, @samp{object}, and @samp{union}. The first four
13369 apply to C@t{++}, and the last to the C @code{union} type, which has no direct
13370 analogue in Modula-2.
13371
13372 The @code{@@} operator (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}), while available
13373 with any language, is not useful with Modula-2. Its
13374 intent is to aid the debugging of @dfn{dynamic arrays}, which cannot be
13375 created in Modula-2 as they can in C or C@t{++}. However, because an
13376 address can be specified by an integral constant, the construct
13377 @samp{@{@var{type}@}@var{adrexp}} is still useful.
13378
13379 @cindex @code{#} in Modula-2
13380 In @value{GDBN} scripts, the Modula-2 inequality operator @code{#} is
13381 interpreted as the beginning of a comment. Use @code{<>} instead.
13382
13383 @node Ada
13384 @subsection Ada
13385 @cindex Ada
13386
13387 The extensions made to @value{GDBN} for Ada only support
13388 output from the @sc{gnu} Ada (GNAT) compiler.
13389 Other Ada compilers are not currently supported, and
13390 attempting to debug executables produced by them is most likely
13391 to be difficult.
13392
13393
13394 @cindex expressions in Ada
13395 @menu
13396 * Ada Mode Intro:: General remarks on the Ada syntax
13397 and semantics supported by Ada mode
13398 in @value{GDBN}.
13399 * Omissions from Ada:: Restrictions on the Ada expression syntax.
13400 * Additions to Ada:: Extensions of the Ada expression syntax.
13401 * Stopping Before Main Program:: Debugging the program during elaboration.
13402 * Ada Tasks:: Listing and setting breakpoints in tasks.
13403 * Ada Tasks and Core Files:: Tasking Support when Debugging Core Files
13404 * Ravenscar Profile:: Tasking Support when using the Ravenscar
13405 Profile
13406 * Ada Glitches:: Known peculiarities of Ada mode.
13407 @end menu
13408
13409 @node Ada Mode Intro
13410 @subsubsection Introduction
13411 @cindex Ada mode, general
13412
13413 The Ada mode of @value{GDBN} supports a fairly large subset of Ada expression
13414 syntax, with some extensions.
13415 The philosophy behind the design of this subset is
13416
13417 @itemize @bullet
13418 @item
13419 That @value{GDBN} should provide basic literals and access to operations for
13420 arithmetic, dereferencing, field selection, indexing, and subprogram calls,
13421 leaving more sophisticated computations to subprograms written into the
13422 program (which therefore may be called from @value{GDBN}).
13423
13424 @item
13425 That type safety and strict adherence to Ada language restrictions
13426 are not particularly important to the @value{GDBN} user.
13427
13428 @item
13429 That brevity is important to the @value{GDBN} user.
13430 @end itemize
13431
13432 Thus, for brevity, the debugger acts as if all names declared in
13433 user-written packages are directly visible, even if they are not visible
13434 according to Ada rules, thus making it unnecessary to fully qualify most
13435 names with their packages, regardless of context. Where this causes
13436 ambiguity, @value{GDBN} asks the user's intent.
13437
13438 The debugger will start in Ada mode if it detects an Ada main program.
13439 As for other languages, it will enter Ada mode when stopped in a program that
13440 was translated from an Ada source file.
13441
13442 While in Ada mode, you may use `@t{--}' for comments. This is useful
13443 mostly for documenting command files. The standard @value{GDBN} comment
13444 (@samp{#}) still works at the beginning of a line in Ada mode, but not in the
13445 middle (to allow based literals).
13446
13447 The debugger supports limited overloading. Given a subprogram call in which
13448 the function symbol has multiple definitions, it will use the number of
13449 actual parameters and some information about their types to attempt to narrow
13450 the set of definitions. It also makes very limited use of context, preferring
13451 procedures to functions in the context of the @code{call} command, and
13452 functions to procedures elsewhere.
13453
13454 @node Omissions from Ada
13455 @subsubsection Omissions from Ada
13456 @cindex Ada, omissions from
13457
13458 Here are the notable omissions from the subset:
13459
13460 @itemize @bullet
13461 @item
13462 Only a subset of the attributes are supported:
13463
13464 @itemize @minus
13465 @item
13466 @t{'First}, @t{'Last}, and @t{'Length}
13467 on array objects (not on types and subtypes).
13468
13469 @item
13470 @t{'Min} and @t{'Max}.
13471
13472 @item
13473 @t{'Pos} and @t{'Val}.
13474
13475 @item
13476 @t{'Tag}.
13477
13478 @item
13479 @t{'Range} on array objects (not subtypes), but only as the right
13480 operand of the membership (@code{in}) operator.
13481
13482 @item
13483 @t{'Access}, @t{'Unchecked_Access}, and
13484 @t{'Unrestricted_Access} (a GNAT extension).
13485
13486 @item
13487 @t{'Address}.
13488 @end itemize
13489
13490 @item
13491 The names in
13492 @code{Characters.Latin_1} are not available and
13493 concatenation is not implemented. Thus, escape characters in strings are
13494 not currently available.
13495
13496 @item
13497 Equality tests (@samp{=} and @samp{/=}) on arrays test for bitwise
13498 equality of representations. They will generally work correctly
13499 for strings and arrays whose elements have integer or enumeration types.
13500 They may not work correctly for arrays whose element
13501 types have user-defined equality, for arrays of real values
13502 (in particular, IEEE-conformant floating point, because of negative
13503 zeroes and NaNs), and for arrays whose elements contain unused bits with
13504 indeterminate values.
13505
13506 @item
13507 The other component-by-component array operations (@code{and}, @code{or},
13508 @code{xor}, @code{not}, and relational tests other than equality)
13509 are not implemented.
13510
13511 @item
13512 @cindex array aggregates (Ada)
13513 @cindex record aggregates (Ada)
13514 @cindex aggregates (Ada)
13515 There is limited support for array and record aggregates. They are
13516 permitted only on the right sides of assignments, as in these examples:
13517
13518 @smallexample
13519 (@value{GDBP}) set An_Array := (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
13520 (@value{GDBP}) set An_Array := (1, others => 0)
13521 (@value{GDBP}) set An_Array := (0|4 => 1, 1..3 => 2, 5 => 6)
13522 (@value{GDBP}) set A_2D_Array := ((1, 2, 3), (4, 5, 6), (7, 8, 9))
13523 (@value{GDBP}) set A_Record := (1, "Peter", True);
13524 (@value{GDBP}) set A_Record := (Name => "Peter", Id => 1, Alive => True)
13525 @end smallexample
13526
13527 Changing a
13528 discriminant's value by assigning an aggregate has an
13529 undefined effect if that discriminant is used within the record.
13530 However, you can first modify discriminants by directly assigning to
13531 them (which normally would not be allowed in Ada), and then performing an
13532 aggregate assignment. For example, given a variable @code{A_Rec}
13533 declared to have a type such as:
13534
13535 @smallexample
13536 type Rec (Len : Small_Integer := 0) is record
13537 Id : Integer;
13538 Vals : IntArray (1 .. Len);
13539 end record;
13540 @end smallexample
13541
13542 you can assign a value with a different size of @code{Vals} with two
13543 assignments:
13544
13545 @smallexample
13546 (@value{GDBP}) set A_Rec.Len := 4
13547 (@value{GDBP}) set A_Rec := (Id => 42, Vals => (1, 2, 3, 4))
13548 @end smallexample
13549
13550 As this example also illustrates, @value{GDBN} is very loose about the usual
13551 rules concerning aggregates. You may leave out some of the
13552 components of an array or record aggregate (such as the @code{Len}
13553 component in the assignment to @code{A_Rec} above); they will retain their
13554 original values upon assignment. You may freely use dynamic values as
13555 indices in component associations. You may even use overlapping or
13556 redundant component associations, although which component values are
13557 assigned in such cases is not defined.
13558
13559 @item
13560 Calls to dispatching subprograms are not implemented.
13561
13562 @item
13563 The overloading algorithm is much more limited (i.e., less selective)
13564 than that of real Ada. It makes only limited use of the context in
13565 which a subexpression appears to resolve its meaning, and it is much
13566 looser in its rules for allowing type matches. As a result, some
13567 function calls will be ambiguous, and the user will be asked to choose
13568 the proper resolution.
13569
13570 @item
13571 The @code{new} operator is not implemented.
13572
13573 @item
13574 Entry calls are not implemented.
13575
13576 @item
13577 Aside from printing, arithmetic operations on the native VAX floating-point
13578 formats are not supported.
13579
13580 @item
13581 It is not possible to slice a packed array.
13582
13583 @item
13584 The names @code{True} and @code{False}, when not part of a qualified name,
13585 are interpreted as if implicitly prefixed by @code{Standard}, regardless of
13586 context.
13587 Should your program
13588 redefine these names in a package or procedure (at best a dubious practice),
13589 you will have to use fully qualified names to access their new definitions.
13590 @end itemize
13591
13592 @node Additions to Ada
13593 @subsubsection Additions to Ada
13594 @cindex Ada, deviations from
13595
13596 As it does for other languages, @value{GDBN} makes certain generic
13597 extensions to Ada (@pxref{Expressions}):
13598
13599 @itemize @bullet
13600 @item
13601 If the expression @var{E} is a variable residing in memory (typically
13602 a local variable or array element) and @var{N} is a positive integer,
13603 then @code{@var{E}@@@var{N}} displays the values of @var{E} and the
13604 @var{N}-1 adjacent variables following it in memory as an array. In
13605 Ada, this operator is generally not necessary, since its prime use is
13606 in displaying parts of an array, and slicing will usually do this in
13607 Ada. However, there are occasional uses when debugging programs in
13608 which certain debugging information has been optimized away.
13609
13610 @item
13611 @code{@var{B}::@var{var}} means ``the variable named @var{var} that
13612 appears in function or file @var{B}.'' When @var{B} is a file name,
13613 you must typically surround it in single quotes.
13614
13615 @item
13616 The expression @code{@{@var{type}@} @var{addr}} means ``the variable of type
13617 @var{type} that appears at address @var{addr}.''
13618
13619 @item
13620 A name starting with @samp{$} is a convenience variable
13621 (@pxref{Convenience Vars}) or a machine register (@pxref{Registers}).
13622 @end itemize
13623
13624 In addition, @value{GDBN} provides a few other shortcuts and outright
13625 additions specific to Ada:
13626
13627 @itemize @bullet
13628 @item
13629 The assignment statement is allowed as an expression, returning
13630 its right-hand operand as its value. Thus, you may enter
13631
13632 @smallexample
13633 (@value{GDBP}) set x := y + 3
13634 (@value{GDBP}) print A(tmp := y + 1)
13635 @end smallexample
13636
13637 @item
13638 The semicolon is allowed as an ``operator,'' returning as its value
13639 the value of its right-hand operand.
13640 This allows, for example,
13641 complex conditional breaks:
13642
13643 @smallexample
13644 (@value{GDBP}) break f
13645 (@value{GDBP}) condition 1 (report(i); k += 1; A(k) > 100)
13646 @end smallexample
13647
13648 @item
13649 Rather than use catenation and symbolic character names to introduce special
13650 characters into strings, one may instead use a special bracket notation,
13651 which is also used to print strings. A sequence of characters of the form
13652 @samp{["@var{XX}"]} within a string or character literal denotes the
13653 (single) character whose numeric encoding is @var{XX} in hexadecimal. The
13654 sequence of characters @samp{["""]} also denotes a single quotation mark
13655 in strings. For example,
13656 @smallexample
13657 "One line.["0a"]Next line.["0a"]"
13658 @end smallexample
13659 @noindent
13660 contains an ASCII newline character (@code{Ada.Characters.Latin_1.LF})
13661 after each period.
13662
13663 @item
13664 The subtype used as a prefix for the attributes @t{'Pos}, @t{'Min}, and
13665 @t{'Max} is optional (and is ignored in any case). For example, it is valid
13666 to write
13667
13668 @smallexample
13669 (@value{GDBP}) print 'max(x, y)
13670 @end smallexample
13671
13672 @item
13673 When printing arrays, @value{GDBN} uses positional notation when the
13674 array has a lower bound of 1, and uses a modified named notation otherwise.
13675 For example, a one-dimensional array of three integers with a lower bound
13676 of 3 might print as
13677
13678 @smallexample
13679 (3 => 10, 17, 1)
13680 @end smallexample
13681
13682 @noindent
13683 That is, in contrast to valid Ada, only the first component has a @code{=>}
13684 clause.
13685
13686 @item
13687 You may abbreviate attributes in expressions with any unique,
13688 multi-character subsequence of
13689 their names (an exact match gets preference).
13690 For example, you may use @t{a'len}, @t{a'gth}, or @t{a'lh}
13691 in place of @t{a'length}.
13692
13693 @item
13694 @cindex quoting Ada internal identifiers
13695 Since Ada is case-insensitive, the debugger normally maps identifiers you type
13696 to lower case. The GNAT compiler uses upper-case characters for
13697 some of its internal identifiers, which are normally of no interest to users.
13698 For the rare occasions when you actually have to look at them,
13699 enclose them in angle brackets to avoid the lower-case mapping.
13700 For example,
13701 @smallexample
13702 (@value{GDBP}) print <JMPBUF_SAVE>[0]
13703 @end smallexample
13704
13705 @item
13706 Printing an object of class-wide type or dereferencing an
13707 access-to-class-wide value will display all the components of the object's
13708 specific type (as indicated by its run-time tag). Likewise, component
13709 selection on such a value will operate on the specific type of the
13710 object.
13711
13712 @end itemize
13713
13714 @node Stopping Before Main Program
13715 @subsubsection Stopping at the Very Beginning
13716
13717 @cindex breakpointing Ada elaboration code
13718 It is sometimes necessary to debug the program during elaboration, and
13719 before reaching the main procedure.
13720 As defined in the Ada Reference
13721 Manual, the elaboration code is invoked from a procedure called
13722 @code{adainit}. To run your program up to the beginning of
13723 elaboration, simply use the following two commands:
13724 @code{tbreak adainit} and @code{run}.
13725
13726 @node Ada Tasks
13727 @subsubsection Extensions for Ada Tasks
13728 @cindex Ada, tasking
13729
13730 Support for Ada tasks is analogous to that for threads (@pxref{Threads}).
13731 @value{GDBN} provides the following task-related commands:
13732
13733 @table @code
13734 @kindex info tasks
13735 @item info tasks
13736 This command shows a list of current Ada tasks, as in the following example:
13737
13738
13739 @smallexample
13740 @iftex
13741 @leftskip=0.5cm
13742 @end iftex
13743 (@value{GDBP}) info tasks
13744 ID TID P-ID Pri State Name
13745 1 8088000 0 15 Child Activation Wait main_task
13746 2 80a4000 1 15 Accept Statement b
13747 3 809a800 1 15 Child Activation Wait a
13748 * 4 80ae800 3 15 Runnable c
13749
13750 @end smallexample
13751
13752 @noindent
13753 In this listing, the asterisk before the last task indicates it to be the
13754 task currently being inspected.
13755
13756 @table @asis
13757 @item ID
13758 Represents @value{GDBN}'s internal task number.
13759
13760 @item TID
13761 The Ada task ID.
13762
13763 @item P-ID
13764 The parent's task ID (@value{GDBN}'s internal task number).
13765
13766 @item Pri
13767 The base priority of the task.
13768
13769 @item State
13770 Current state of the task.
13771
13772 @table @code
13773 @item Unactivated
13774 The task has been created but has not been activated. It cannot be
13775 executing.
13776
13777 @item Runnable
13778 The task is not blocked for any reason known to Ada. (It may be waiting
13779 for a mutex, though.) It is conceptually "executing" in normal mode.
13780
13781 @item Terminated
13782 The task is terminated, in the sense of ARM 9.3 (5). Any dependents
13783 that were waiting on terminate alternatives have been awakened and have
13784 terminated themselves.
13785
13786 @item Child Activation Wait
13787 The task is waiting for created tasks to complete activation.
13788
13789 @item Accept Statement
13790 The task is waiting on an accept or selective wait statement.
13791
13792 @item Waiting on entry call
13793 The task is waiting on an entry call.
13794
13795 @item Async Select Wait
13796 The task is waiting to start the abortable part of an asynchronous
13797 select statement.
13798
13799 @item Delay Sleep
13800 The task is waiting on a select statement with only a delay
13801 alternative open.
13802
13803 @item Child Termination Wait
13804 The task is sleeping having completed a master within itself, and is
13805 waiting for the tasks dependent on that master to become terminated or
13806 waiting on a terminate Phase.
13807
13808 @item Wait Child in Term Alt
13809 The task is sleeping waiting for tasks on terminate alternatives to
13810 finish terminating.
13811
13812 @item Accepting RV with @var{taskno}
13813 The task is accepting a rendez-vous with the task @var{taskno}.
13814 @end table
13815
13816 @item Name
13817 Name of the task in the program.
13818
13819 @end table
13820
13821 @kindex info task @var{taskno}
13822 @item info task @var{taskno}
13823 This command shows detailled informations on the specified task, as in
13824 the following example:
13825 @smallexample
13826 @iftex
13827 @leftskip=0.5cm
13828 @end iftex
13829 (@value{GDBP}) info tasks
13830 ID TID P-ID Pri State Name
13831 1 8077880 0 15 Child Activation Wait main_task
13832 * 2 807c468 1 15 Runnable task_1
13833 (@value{GDBP}) info task 2
13834 Ada Task: 0x807c468
13835 Name: task_1
13836 Thread: 0x807f378
13837 Parent: 1 (main_task)
13838 Base Priority: 15
13839 State: Runnable
13840 @end smallexample
13841
13842 @item task
13843 @kindex task@r{ (Ada)}
13844 @cindex current Ada task ID
13845 This command prints the ID of the current task.
13846
13847 @smallexample
13848 @iftex
13849 @leftskip=0.5cm
13850 @end iftex
13851 (@value{GDBP}) info tasks
13852 ID TID P-ID Pri State Name
13853 1 8077870 0 15 Child Activation Wait main_task
13854 * 2 807c458 1 15 Runnable t
13855 (@value{GDBP}) task
13856 [Current task is 2]
13857 @end smallexample
13858
13859 @item task @var{taskno}
13860 @cindex Ada task switching
13861 This command is like the @code{thread @var{threadno}}
13862 command (@pxref{Threads}). It switches the context of debugging
13863 from the current task to the given task.
13864
13865 @smallexample
13866 @iftex
13867 @leftskip=0.5cm
13868 @end iftex
13869 (@value{GDBP}) info tasks
13870 ID TID P-ID Pri State Name
13871 1 8077870 0 15 Child Activation Wait main_task
13872 * 2 807c458 1 15 Runnable t
13873 (@value{GDBP}) task 1
13874 [Switching to task 1]
13875 #0 0x8067726 in pthread_cond_wait ()
13876 (@value{GDBP}) bt
13877 #0 0x8067726 in pthread_cond_wait ()
13878 #1 0x8056714 in system.os_interface.pthread_cond_wait ()
13879 #2 0x805cb63 in system.task_primitives.operations.sleep ()
13880 #3 0x806153e in system.tasking.stages.activate_tasks ()
13881 #4 0x804aacc in un () at un.adb:5
13882 @end smallexample
13883
13884 @item break @var{linespec} task @var{taskno}
13885 @itemx break @var{linespec} task @var{taskno} if @dots{}
13886 @cindex breakpoints and tasks, in Ada
13887 @cindex task breakpoints, in Ada
13888 @kindex break @dots{} task @var{taskno}@r{ (Ada)}
13889 These commands are like the @code{break @dots{} thread @dots{}}
13890 command (@pxref{Thread Stops}).
13891 @var{linespec} specifies source lines, as described
13892 in @ref{Specify Location}.
13893
13894 Use the qualifier @samp{task @var{taskno}} with a breakpoint command
13895 to specify that you only want @value{GDBN} to stop the program when a
13896 particular Ada task reaches this breakpoint. @var{taskno} is one of the
13897 numeric task identifiers assigned by @value{GDBN}, shown in the first
13898 column of the @samp{info tasks} display.
13899
13900 If you do not specify @samp{task @var{taskno}} when you set a
13901 breakpoint, the breakpoint applies to @emph{all} tasks of your
13902 program.
13903
13904 You can use the @code{task} qualifier on conditional breakpoints as
13905 well; in this case, place @samp{task @var{taskno}} before the
13906 breakpoint condition (before the @code{if}).
13907
13908 For example,
13909
13910 @smallexample
13911 @iftex
13912 @leftskip=0.5cm
13913 @end iftex
13914 (@value{GDBP}) info tasks
13915 ID TID P-ID Pri State Name
13916 1 140022020 0 15 Child Activation Wait main_task
13917 2 140045060 1 15 Accept/Select Wait t2
13918 3 140044840 1 15 Runnable t1
13919 * 4 140056040 1 15 Runnable t3
13920 (@value{GDBP}) b 15 task 2
13921 Breakpoint 5 at 0x120044cb0: file test_task_debug.adb, line 15.
13922 (@value{GDBP}) cont
13923 Continuing.
13924 task # 1 running
13925 task # 2 running
13926
13927 Breakpoint 5, test_task_debug () at test_task_debug.adb:15
13928 15 flush;
13929 (@value{GDBP}) info tasks
13930 ID TID P-ID Pri State Name
13931 1 140022020 0 15 Child Activation Wait main_task
13932 * 2 140045060 1 15 Runnable t2
13933 3 140044840 1 15 Runnable t1
13934 4 140056040 1 15 Delay Sleep t3
13935 @end smallexample
13936 @end table
13937
13938 @node Ada Tasks and Core Files
13939 @subsubsection Tasking Support when Debugging Core Files
13940 @cindex Ada tasking and core file debugging
13941
13942 When inspecting a core file, as opposed to debugging a live program,
13943 tasking support may be limited or even unavailable, depending on
13944 the platform being used.
13945 For instance, on x86-linux, the list of tasks is available, but task
13946 switching is not supported. On Tru64, however, task switching will work
13947 as usual.
13948
13949 On certain platforms, including Tru64, the debugger needs to perform some
13950 memory writes in order to provide Ada tasking support. When inspecting
13951 a core file, this means that the core file must be opened with read-write
13952 privileges, using the command @samp{"set write on"} (@pxref{Patching}).
13953 Under these circumstances, you should make a backup copy of the core
13954 file before inspecting it with @value{GDBN}.
13955
13956 @node Ravenscar Profile
13957 @subsubsection Tasking Support when using the Ravenscar Profile
13958 @cindex Ravenscar Profile
13959
13960 The @dfn{Ravenscar Profile} is a subset of the Ada tasking features,
13961 specifically designed for systems with safety-critical real-time
13962 requirements.
13963
13964 @table @code
13965 @kindex set ravenscar task-switching on
13966 @cindex task switching with program using Ravenscar Profile
13967 @item set ravenscar task-switching on
13968 Allows task switching when debugging a program that uses the Ravenscar
13969 Profile. This is the default.
13970
13971 @kindex set ravenscar task-switching off
13972 @item set ravenscar task-switching off
13973 Turn off task switching when debugging a program that uses the Ravenscar
13974 Profile. This is mostly intended to disable the code that adds support
13975 for the Ravenscar Profile, in case a bug in either @value{GDBN} or in
13976 the Ravenscar runtime is preventing @value{GDBN} from working properly.
13977 To be effective, this command should be run before the program is started.
13978
13979 @kindex show ravenscar task-switching
13980 @item show ravenscar task-switching
13981 Show whether it is possible to switch from task to task in a program
13982 using the Ravenscar Profile.
13983
13984 @end table
13985
13986 @node Ada Glitches
13987 @subsubsection Known Peculiarities of Ada Mode
13988 @cindex Ada, problems
13989
13990 Besides the omissions listed previously (@pxref{Omissions from Ada}),
13991 we know of several problems with and limitations of Ada mode in
13992 @value{GDBN},
13993 some of which will be fixed with planned future releases of the debugger
13994 and the GNU Ada compiler.
13995
13996 @itemize @bullet
13997 @item
13998 Static constants that the compiler chooses not to materialize as objects in
13999 storage are invisible to the debugger.
14000
14001 @item
14002 Named parameter associations in function argument lists are ignored (the
14003 argument lists are treated as positional).
14004
14005 @item
14006 Many useful library packages are currently invisible to the debugger.
14007
14008 @item
14009 Fixed-point arithmetic, conversions, input, and output is carried out using
14010 floating-point arithmetic, and may give results that only approximate those on
14011 the host machine.
14012
14013 @item
14014 The GNAT compiler never generates the prefix @code{Standard} for any of
14015 the standard symbols defined by the Ada language. @value{GDBN} knows about
14016 this: it will strip the prefix from names when you use it, and will never
14017 look for a name you have so qualified among local symbols, nor match against
14018 symbols in other packages or subprograms. If you have
14019 defined entities anywhere in your program other than parameters and
14020 local variables whose simple names match names in @code{Standard},
14021 GNAT's lack of qualification here can cause confusion. When this happens,
14022 you can usually resolve the confusion
14023 by qualifying the problematic names with package
14024 @code{Standard} explicitly.
14025 @end itemize
14026
14027 Older versions of the compiler sometimes generate erroneous debugging
14028 information, resulting in the debugger incorrectly printing the value
14029 of affected entities. In some cases, the debugger is able to work
14030 around an issue automatically. In other cases, the debugger is able
14031 to work around the issue, but the work-around has to be specifically
14032 enabled.
14033
14034 @kindex set ada trust-PAD-over-XVS
14035 @kindex show ada trust-PAD-over-XVS
14036 @table @code
14037
14038 @item set ada trust-PAD-over-XVS on
14039 Configure GDB to strictly follow the GNAT encoding when computing the
14040 value of Ada entities, particularly when @code{PAD} and @code{PAD___XVS}
14041 types are involved (see @code{ada/exp_dbug.ads} in the GCC sources for
14042 a complete description of the encoding used by the GNAT compiler).
14043 This is the default.
14044
14045 @item set ada trust-PAD-over-XVS off
14046 This is related to the encoding using by the GNAT compiler. If @value{GDBN}
14047 sometimes prints the wrong value for certain entities, changing @code{ada
14048 trust-PAD-over-XVS} to @code{off} activates a work-around which may fix
14049 the issue. It is always safe to set @code{ada trust-PAD-over-XVS} to
14050 @code{off}, but this incurs a slight performance penalty, so it is
14051 recommended to leave this setting to @code{on} unless necessary.
14052
14053 @end table
14054
14055 @node Unsupported Languages
14056 @section Unsupported Languages
14057
14058 @cindex unsupported languages
14059 @cindex minimal language
14060 In addition to the other fully-supported programming languages,
14061 @value{GDBN} also provides a pseudo-language, called @code{minimal}.
14062 It does not represent a real programming language, but provides a set
14063 of capabilities close to what the C or assembly languages provide.
14064 This should allow most simple operations to be performed while debugging
14065 an application that uses a language currently not supported by @value{GDBN}.
14066
14067 If the language is set to @code{auto}, @value{GDBN} will automatically
14068 select this language if the current frame corresponds to an unsupported
14069 language.
14070
14071 @node Symbols
14072 @chapter Examining the Symbol Table
14073
14074 The commands described in this chapter allow you to inquire about the
14075 symbols (names of variables, functions and types) defined in your
14076 program. This information is inherent in the text of your program and
14077 does not change as your program executes. @value{GDBN} finds it in your
14078 program's symbol table, in the file indicated when you started @value{GDBN}
14079 (@pxref{File Options, ,Choosing Files}), or by one of the
14080 file-management commands (@pxref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}).
14081
14082 @cindex symbol names
14083 @cindex names of symbols
14084 @cindex quoting names
14085 Occasionally, you may need to refer to symbols that contain unusual
14086 characters, which @value{GDBN} ordinarily treats as word delimiters. The
14087 most frequent case is in referring to static variables in other
14088 source files (@pxref{Variables,,Program Variables}). File names
14089 are recorded in object files as debugging symbols, but @value{GDBN} would
14090 ordinarily parse a typical file name, like @file{foo.c}, as the three words
14091 @samp{foo} @samp{.} @samp{c}. To allow @value{GDBN} to recognize
14092 @samp{foo.c} as a single symbol, enclose it in single quotes; for example,
14093
14094 @smallexample
14095 p 'foo.c'::x
14096 @end smallexample
14097
14098 @noindent
14099 looks up the value of @code{x} in the scope of the file @file{foo.c}.
14100
14101 @table @code
14102 @cindex case-insensitive symbol names
14103 @cindex case sensitivity in symbol names
14104 @kindex set case-sensitive
14105 @item set case-sensitive on
14106 @itemx set case-sensitive off
14107 @itemx set case-sensitive auto
14108 Normally, when @value{GDBN} looks up symbols, it matches their names
14109 with case sensitivity determined by the current source language.
14110 Occasionally, you may wish to control that. The command @code{set
14111 case-sensitive} lets you do that by specifying @code{on} for
14112 case-sensitive matches or @code{off} for case-insensitive ones. If
14113 you specify @code{auto}, case sensitivity is reset to the default
14114 suitable for the source language. The default is case-sensitive
14115 matches for all languages except for Fortran, for which the default is
14116 case-insensitive matches.
14117
14118 @kindex show case-sensitive
14119 @item show case-sensitive
14120 This command shows the current setting of case sensitivity for symbols
14121 lookups.
14122
14123 @kindex info address
14124 @cindex address of a symbol
14125 @item info address @var{symbol}
14126 Describe where the data for @var{symbol} is stored. For a register
14127 variable, this says which register it is kept in. For a non-register
14128 local variable, this prints the stack-frame offset at which the variable
14129 is always stored.
14130
14131 Note the contrast with @samp{print &@var{symbol}}, which does not work
14132 at all for a register variable, and for a stack local variable prints
14133 the exact address of the current instantiation of the variable.
14134
14135 @kindex info symbol
14136 @cindex symbol from address
14137 @cindex closest symbol and offset for an address
14138 @item info symbol @var{addr}
14139 Print the name of a symbol which is stored at the address @var{addr}.
14140 If no symbol is stored exactly at @var{addr}, @value{GDBN} prints the
14141 nearest symbol and an offset from it:
14142
14143 @smallexample
14144 (@value{GDBP}) info symbol 0x54320
14145 _initialize_vx + 396 in section .text
14146 @end smallexample
14147
14148 @noindent
14149 This is the opposite of the @code{info address} command. You can use
14150 it to find out the name of a variable or a function given its address.
14151
14152 For dynamically linked executables, the name of executable or shared
14153 library containing the symbol is also printed:
14154
14155 @smallexample
14156 (@value{GDBP}) info symbol 0x400225
14157 _start + 5 in section .text of /tmp/a.out
14158 (@value{GDBP}) info symbol 0x2aaaac2811cf
14159 __read_nocancel + 6 in section .text of /usr/lib64/libc.so.6
14160 @end smallexample
14161
14162 @kindex whatis
14163 @item whatis [@var{arg}]
14164 Print the data type of @var{arg}, which can be either an expression
14165 or a name of a data type. With no argument, print the data type of
14166 @code{$}, the last value in the value history.
14167
14168 If @var{arg} is an expression (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}), it
14169 is not actually evaluated, and any side-effecting operations (such as
14170 assignments or function calls) inside it do not take place.
14171
14172 If @var{arg} is a variable or an expression, @code{whatis} prints its
14173 literal type as it is used in the source code. If the type was
14174 defined using a @code{typedef}, @code{whatis} will @emph{not} print
14175 the data type underlying the @code{typedef}. If the type of the
14176 variable or the expression is a compound data type, such as
14177 @code{struct} or @code{class}, @code{whatis} never prints their
14178 fields or methods. It just prints the @code{struct}/@code{class}
14179 name (a.k.a.@: its @dfn{tag}). If you want to see the members of
14180 such a compound data type, use @code{ptype}.
14181
14182 If @var{arg} is a type name that was defined using @code{typedef},
14183 @code{whatis} @dfn{unrolls} only one level of that @code{typedef}.
14184 Unrolling means that @code{whatis} will show the underlying type used
14185 in the @code{typedef} declaration of @var{arg}. However, if that
14186 underlying type is also a @code{typedef}, @code{whatis} will not
14187 unroll it.
14188
14189 For C code, the type names may also have the form @samp{class
14190 @var{class-name}}, @samp{struct @var{struct-tag}}, @samp{union
14191 @var{union-tag}} or @samp{enum @var{enum-tag}}.
14192
14193 @kindex ptype
14194 @item ptype [@var{arg}]
14195 @code{ptype} accepts the same arguments as @code{whatis}, but prints a
14196 detailed description of the type, instead of just the name of the type.
14197 @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}.
14198
14199 Contrary to @code{whatis}, @code{ptype} always unrolls any
14200 @code{typedef}s in its argument declaration, whether the argument is
14201 a variable, expression, or a data type. This means that @code{ptype}
14202 of a variable or an expression will not print literally its type as
14203 present in the source code---use @code{whatis} for that. @code{typedef}s at
14204 the pointer or reference targets are also unrolled. Only @code{typedef}s of
14205 fields, methods and inner @code{class typedef}s of @code{struct}s,
14206 @code{class}es and @code{union}s are not unrolled even with @code{ptype}.
14207
14208 For example, for this variable declaration:
14209
14210 @smallexample
14211 typedef double real_t;
14212 struct complex @{ real_t real; double imag; @};
14213 typedef struct complex complex_t;
14214 complex_t var;
14215 real_t *real_pointer_var;
14216 @end smallexample
14217
14218 @noindent
14219 the two commands give this output:
14220
14221 @smallexample
14222 @group
14223 (@value{GDBP}) whatis var
14224 type = complex_t
14225 (@value{GDBP}) ptype var
14226 type = struct complex @{
14227 real_t real;
14228 double imag;
14229 @}
14230 (@value{GDBP}) whatis complex_t
14231 type = struct complex
14232 (@value{GDBP}) whatis struct complex
14233 type = struct complex
14234 (@value{GDBP}) ptype struct complex
14235 type = struct complex @{
14236 real_t real;
14237 double imag;
14238 @}
14239 (@value{GDBP}) whatis real_pointer_var
14240 type = real_t *
14241 (@value{GDBP}) ptype real_pointer_var
14242 type = double *
14243 @end group
14244 @end smallexample
14245
14246 @noindent
14247 As with @code{whatis}, using @code{ptype} without an argument refers to
14248 the type of @code{$}, the last value in the value history.
14249
14250 @cindex incomplete type
14251 Sometimes, programs use opaque data types or incomplete specifications
14252 of complex data structure. If the debug information included in the
14253 program does not allow @value{GDBN} to display a full declaration of
14254 the data type, it will say @samp{<incomplete type>}. For example,
14255 given these declarations:
14256
14257 @smallexample
14258 struct foo;
14259 struct foo *fooptr;
14260 @end smallexample
14261
14262 @noindent
14263 but no definition for @code{struct foo} itself, @value{GDBN} will say:
14264
14265 @smallexample
14266 (@value{GDBP}) ptype foo
14267 $1 = <incomplete type>
14268 @end smallexample
14269
14270 @noindent
14271 ``Incomplete type'' is C terminology for data types that are not
14272 completely specified.
14273
14274 @kindex info types
14275 @item info types @var{regexp}
14276 @itemx info types
14277 Print a brief description of all types whose names match the regular
14278 expression @var{regexp} (or all types in your program, if you supply
14279 no argument). Each complete typename is matched as though it were a
14280 complete line; thus, @samp{i type value} gives information on all
14281 types in your program whose names include the string @code{value}, but
14282 @samp{i type ^value$} gives information only on types whose complete
14283 name is @code{value}.
14284
14285 This command differs from @code{ptype} in two ways: first, like
14286 @code{whatis}, it does not print a detailed description; second, it
14287 lists all source files where a type is defined.
14288
14289 @kindex info scope
14290 @cindex local variables
14291 @item info scope @var{location}
14292 List all the variables local to a particular scope. This command
14293 accepts a @var{location} argument---a function name, a source line, or
14294 an address preceded by a @samp{*}, and prints all the variables local
14295 to the scope defined by that location. (@xref{Specify Location}, for
14296 details about supported forms of @var{location}.) For example:
14297
14298 @smallexample
14299 (@value{GDBP}) @b{info scope command_line_handler}
14300 Scope for command_line_handler:
14301 Symbol rl is an argument at stack/frame offset 8, length 4.
14302 Symbol linebuffer is in static storage at address 0x150a18, length 4.
14303 Symbol linelength is in static storage at address 0x150a1c, length 4.
14304 Symbol p is a local variable in register $esi, length 4.
14305 Symbol p1 is a local variable in register $ebx, length 4.
14306 Symbol nline is a local variable in register $edx, length 4.
14307 Symbol repeat is a local variable at frame offset -8, length 4.
14308 @end smallexample
14309
14310 @noindent
14311 This command is especially useful for determining what data to collect
14312 during a @dfn{trace experiment}, see @ref{Tracepoint Actions,
14313 collect}.
14314
14315 @kindex info source
14316 @item info source
14317 Show information about the current source file---that is, the source file for
14318 the function containing the current point of execution:
14319 @itemize @bullet
14320 @item
14321 the name of the source file, and the directory containing it,
14322 @item
14323 the directory it was compiled in,
14324 @item
14325 its length, in lines,
14326 @item
14327 which programming language it is written in,
14328 @item
14329 whether the executable includes debugging information for that file, and
14330 if so, what format the information is in (e.g., STABS, Dwarf 2, etc.), and
14331 @item
14332 whether the debugging information includes information about
14333 preprocessor macros.
14334 @end itemize
14335
14336
14337 @kindex info sources
14338 @item info sources
14339 Print the names of all source files in your program for which there is
14340 debugging information, organized into two lists: files whose symbols
14341 have already been read, and files whose symbols will be read when needed.
14342
14343 @kindex info functions
14344 @item info functions
14345 Print the names and data types of all defined functions.
14346
14347 @item info functions @var{regexp}
14348 Print the names and data types of all defined functions
14349 whose names contain a match for regular expression @var{regexp}.
14350 Thus, @samp{info fun step} finds all functions whose names
14351 include @code{step}; @samp{info fun ^step} finds those whose names
14352 start with @code{step}. If a function name contains characters
14353 that conflict with the regular expression language (e.g.@:
14354 @samp{operator*()}), they may be quoted with a backslash.
14355
14356 @kindex info variables
14357 @item info variables
14358 Print the names and data types of all variables that are defined
14359 outside of functions (i.e.@: excluding local variables).
14360
14361 @item info variables @var{regexp}
14362 Print the names and data types of all variables (except for local
14363 variables) whose names contain a match for regular expression
14364 @var{regexp}.
14365
14366 @kindex info classes
14367 @cindex Objective-C, classes and selectors
14368 @item info classes
14369 @itemx info classes @var{regexp}
14370 Display all Objective-C classes in your program, or
14371 (with the @var{regexp} argument) all those matching a particular regular
14372 expression.
14373
14374 @kindex info selectors
14375 @item info selectors
14376 @itemx info selectors @var{regexp}
14377 Display all Objective-C selectors in your program, or
14378 (with the @var{regexp} argument) all those matching a particular regular
14379 expression.
14380
14381 @ignore
14382 This was never implemented.
14383 @kindex info methods
14384 @item info methods
14385 @itemx info methods @var{regexp}
14386 The @code{info methods} command permits the user to examine all defined
14387 methods within C@t{++} program, or (with the @var{regexp} argument) a
14388 specific set of methods found in the various C@t{++} classes. Many
14389 C@t{++} classes provide a large number of methods. Thus, the output
14390 from the @code{ptype} command can be overwhelming and hard to use. The
14391 @code{info-methods} command filters the methods, printing only those
14392 which match the regular-expression @var{regexp}.
14393 @end ignore
14394
14395 @cindex reloading symbols
14396 Some systems allow individual object files that make up your program to
14397 be replaced without stopping and restarting your program. For example,
14398 in VxWorks you can simply recompile a defective object file and keep on
14399 running. If you are running on one of these systems, you can allow
14400 @value{GDBN} to reload the symbols for automatically relinked modules:
14401
14402 @table @code
14403 @kindex set symbol-reloading
14404 @item set symbol-reloading on
14405 Replace symbol definitions for the corresponding source file when an
14406 object file with a particular name is seen again.
14407
14408 @item set symbol-reloading off
14409 Do not replace symbol definitions when encountering object files of the
14410 same name more than once. This is the default state; if you are not
14411 running on a system that permits automatic relinking of modules, you
14412 should leave @code{symbol-reloading} off, since otherwise @value{GDBN}
14413 may discard symbols when linking large programs, that may contain
14414 several modules (from different directories or libraries) with the same
14415 name.
14416
14417 @kindex show symbol-reloading
14418 @item show symbol-reloading
14419 Show the current @code{on} or @code{off} setting.
14420 @end table
14421
14422 @cindex opaque data types
14423 @kindex set opaque-type-resolution
14424 @item set opaque-type-resolution on
14425 Tell @value{GDBN} to resolve opaque types. An opaque type is a type
14426 declared as a pointer to a @code{struct}, @code{class}, or
14427 @code{union}---for example, @code{struct MyType *}---that is used in one
14428 source file although the full declaration of @code{struct MyType} is in
14429 another source file. The default is on.
14430
14431 A change in the setting of this subcommand will not take effect until
14432 the next time symbols for a file are loaded.
14433
14434 @item set opaque-type-resolution off
14435 Tell @value{GDBN} not to resolve opaque types. In this case, the type
14436 is printed as follows:
14437 @smallexample
14438 @{<no data fields>@}
14439 @end smallexample
14440
14441 @kindex show opaque-type-resolution
14442 @item show opaque-type-resolution
14443 Show whether opaque types are resolved or not.
14444
14445 @kindex maint print symbols
14446 @cindex symbol dump
14447 @kindex maint print psymbols
14448 @cindex partial symbol dump
14449 @item maint print symbols @var{filename}
14450 @itemx maint print psymbols @var{filename}
14451 @itemx maint print msymbols @var{filename}
14452 Write a dump of debugging symbol data into the file @var{filename}.
14453 These commands are used to debug the @value{GDBN} symbol-reading code. Only
14454 symbols with debugging data are included. If you use @samp{maint print
14455 symbols}, @value{GDBN} includes all the symbols for which it has already
14456 collected full details: that is, @var{filename} reflects symbols for
14457 only those files whose symbols @value{GDBN} has read. You can use the
14458 command @code{info sources} to find out which files these are. If you
14459 use @samp{maint print psymbols} instead, the dump shows information about
14460 symbols that @value{GDBN} only knows partially---that is, symbols defined in
14461 files that @value{GDBN} has skimmed, but not yet read completely. Finally,
14462 @samp{maint print msymbols} dumps just the minimal symbol information
14463 required for each object file from which @value{GDBN} has read some symbols.
14464 @xref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}, for a discussion of how
14465 @value{GDBN} reads symbols (in the description of @code{symbol-file}).
14466
14467 @kindex maint info symtabs
14468 @kindex maint info psymtabs
14469 @cindex listing @value{GDBN}'s internal symbol tables
14470 @cindex symbol tables, listing @value{GDBN}'s internal
14471 @cindex full symbol tables, listing @value{GDBN}'s internal
14472 @cindex partial symbol tables, listing @value{GDBN}'s internal
14473 @item maint info symtabs @r{[} @var{regexp} @r{]}
14474 @itemx maint info psymtabs @r{[} @var{regexp} @r{]}
14475
14476 List the @code{struct symtab} or @code{struct partial_symtab}
14477 structures whose names match @var{regexp}. If @var{regexp} is not
14478 given, list them all. The output includes expressions which you can
14479 copy into a @value{GDBN} debugging this one to examine a particular
14480 structure in more detail. For example:
14481
14482 @smallexample
14483 (@value{GDBP}) maint info psymtabs dwarf2read
14484 @{ objfile /home/gnu/build/gdb/gdb
14485 ((struct objfile *) 0x82e69d0)
14486 @{ psymtab /home/gnu/src/gdb/dwarf2read.c
14487 ((struct partial_symtab *) 0x8474b10)
14488 readin no
14489 fullname (null)
14490 text addresses 0x814d3c8 -- 0x8158074
14491 globals (* (struct partial_symbol **) 0x8507a08 @@ 9)
14492 statics (* (struct partial_symbol **) 0x40e95b78 @@ 2882)
14493 dependencies (none)
14494 @}
14495 @}
14496 (@value{GDBP}) maint info symtabs
14497 (@value{GDBP})
14498 @end smallexample
14499 @noindent
14500 We see that there is one partial symbol table whose filename contains
14501 the string @samp{dwarf2read}, belonging to the @samp{gdb} executable;
14502 and we see that @value{GDBN} has not read in any symtabs yet at all.
14503 If we set a breakpoint on a function, that will cause @value{GDBN} to
14504 read the symtab for the compilation unit containing that function:
14505
14506 @smallexample
14507 (@value{GDBP}) break dwarf2_psymtab_to_symtab
14508 Breakpoint 1 at 0x814e5da: file /home/gnu/src/gdb/dwarf2read.c,
14509 line 1574.
14510 (@value{GDBP}) maint info symtabs
14511 @{ objfile /home/gnu/build/gdb/gdb
14512 ((struct objfile *) 0x82e69d0)
14513 @{ symtab /home/gnu/src/gdb/dwarf2read.c
14514 ((struct symtab *) 0x86c1f38)
14515 dirname (null)
14516 fullname (null)
14517 blockvector ((struct blockvector *) 0x86c1bd0) (primary)
14518 linetable ((struct linetable *) 0x8370fa0)
14519 debugformat DWARF 2
14520 @}
14521 @}
14522 (@value{GDBP})
14523 @end smallexample
14524 @end table
14525
14526
14527 @node Altering
14528 @chapter Altering Execution
14529
14530 Once you think you have found an error in your program, you might want to
14531 find out for certain whether correcting the apparent error would lead to
14532 correct results in the rest of the run. You can find the answer by
14533 experiment, using the @value{GDBN} features for altering execution of the
14534 program.
14535
14536 For example, you can store new values into variables or memory
14537 locations, give your program a signal, restart it at a different
14538 address, or even return prematurely from a function.
14539
14540 @menu
14541 * Assignment:: Assignment to variables
14542 * Jumping:: Continuing at a different address
14543 * Signaling:: Giving your program a signal
14544 * Returning:: Returning from a function
14545 * Calling:: Calling your program's functions
14546 * Patching:: Patching your program
14547 @end menu
14548
14549 @node Assignment
14550 @section Assignment to Variables
14551
14552 @cindex assignment
14553 @cindex setting variables
14554 To alter the value of a variable, evaluate an assignment expression.
14555 @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}. For example,
14556
14557 @smallexample
14558 print x=4
14559 @end smallexample
14560
14561 @noindent
14562 stores the value 4 into the variable @code{x}, and then prints the
14563 value of the assignment expression (which is 4).
14564 @xref{Languages, ,Using @value{GDBN} with Different Languages}, for more
14565 information on operators in supported languages.
14566
14567 @kindex set variable
14568 @cindex variables, setting
14569 If you are not interested in seeing the value of the assignment, use the
14570 @code{set} command instead of the @code{print} command. @code{set} is
14571 really the same as @code{print} except that the expression's value is
14572 not printed and is not put in the value history (@pxref{Value History,
14573 ,Value History}). The expression is evaluated only for its effects.
14574
14575 If the beginning of the argument string of the @code{set} command
14576 appears identical to a @code{set} subcommand, use the @code{set
14577 variable} command instead of just @code{set}. This command is identical
14578 to @code{set} except for its lack of subcommands. For example, if your
14579 program has a variable @code{width}, you get an error if you try to set
14580 a new value with just @samp{set width=13}, because @value{GDBN} has the
14581 command @code{set width}:
14582
14583 @smallexample
14584 (@value{GDBP}) whatis width
14585 type = double
14586 (@value{GDBP}) p width
14587 $4 = 13
14588 (@value{GDBP}) set width=47
14589 Invalid syntax in expression.
14590 @end smallexample
14591
14592 @noindent
14593 The invalid expression, of course, is @samp{=47}. In
14594 order to actually set the program's variable @code{width}, use
14595
14596 @smallexample
14597 (@value{GDBP}) set var width=47
14598 @end smallexample
14599
14600 Because the @code{set} command has many subcommands that can conflict
14601 with the names of program variables, it is a good idea to use the
14602 @code{set variable} command instead of just @code{set}. For example, if
14603 your program has a variable @code{g}, you run into problems if you try
14604 to set a new value with just @samp{set g=4}, because @value{GDBN} has
14605 the command @code{set gnutarget}, abbreviated @code{set g}:
14606
14607 @smallexample
14608 @group
14609 (@value{GDBP}) whatis g
14610 type = double
14611 (@value{GDBP}) p g
14612 $1 = 1
14613 (@value{GDBP}) set g=4
14614 (@value{GDBP}) p g
14615 $2 = 1
14616 (@value{GDBP}) r
14617 The program being debugged has been started already.
14618 Start it from the beginning? (y or n) y
14619 Starting program: /home/smith/cc_progs/a.out
14620 "/home/smith/cc_progs/a.out": can't open to read symbols:
14621 Invalid bfd target.
14622 (@value{GDBP}) show g
14623 The current BFD target is "=4".
14624 @end group
14625 @end smallexample
14626
14627 @noindent
14628 The program variable @code{g} did not change, and you silently set the
14629 @code{gnutarget} to an invalid value. In order to set the variable
14630 @code{g}, use
14631
14632 @smallexample
14633 (@value{GDBP}) set var g=4
14634 @end smallexample
14635
14636 @value{GDBN} allows more implicit conversions in assignments than C; you can
14637 freely store an integer value into a pointer variable or vice versa,
14638 and you can convert any structure to any other structure that is the
14639 same length or shorter.
14640 @comment FIXME: how do structs align/pad in these conversions?
14641 @comment /doc@cygnus.com 18dec1990
14642
14643 To store values into arbitrary places in memory, use the @samp{@{@dots{}@}}
14644 construct to generate a value of specified type at a specified address
14645 (@pxref{Expressions, ,Expressions}). For example, @code{@{int@}0x83040} refers
14646 to memory location @code{0x83040} as an integer (which implies a certain size
14647 and representation in memory), and
14648
14649 @smallexample
14650 set @{int@}0x83040 = 4
14651 @end smallexample
14652
14653 @noindent
14654 stores the value 4 into that memory location.
14655
14656 @node Jumping
14657 @section Continuing at a Different Address
14658
14659 Ordinarily, when you continue your program, you do so at the place where
14660 it stopped, with the @code{continue} command. You can instead continue at
14661 an address of your own choosing, with the following commands:
14662
14663 @table @code
14664 @kindex jump
14665 @item jump @var{linespec}
14666 @itemx jump @var{location}
14667 Resume execution at line @var{linespec} or at address given by
14668 @var{location}. Execution stops again immediately if there is a
14669 breakpoint there. @xref{Specify Location}, for a description of the
14670 different forms of @var{linespec} and @var{location}. It is common
14671 practice to use the @code{tbreak} command in conjunction with
14672 @code{jump}. @xref{Set Breaks, ,Setting Breakpoints}.
14673
14674 The @code{jump} command does not change the current stack frame, or
14675 the stack pointer, or the contents of any memory location or any
14676 register other than the program counter. If line @var{linespec} is in
14677 a different function from the one currently executing, the results may
14678 be bizarre if the two functions expect different patterns of arguments or
14679 of local variables. For this reason, the @code{jump} command requests
14680 confirmation if the specified line is not in the function currently
14681 executing. However, even bizarre results are predictable if you are
14682 well acquainted with the machine-language code of your program.
14683 @end table
14684
14685 @c Doesn't work on HP-UX; have to set $pcoqh and $pcoqt.
14686 On many systems, you can get much the same effect as the @code{jump}
14687 command by storing a new value into the register @code{$pc}. The
14688 difference is that this does not start your program running; it only
14689 changes the address of where it @emph{will} run when you continue. For
14690 example,
14691
14692 @smallexample
14693 set $pc = 0x485
14694 @end smallexample
14695
14696 @noindent
14697 makes the next @code{continue} command or stepping command execute at
14698 address @code{0x485}, rather than at the address where your program stopped.
14699 @xref{Continuing and Stepping, ,Continuing and Stepping}.
14700
14701 The most common occasion to use the @code{jump} command is to back
14702 up---perhaps with more breakpoints set---over a portion of a program
14703 that has already executed, in order to examine its execution in more
14704 detail.
14705
14706 @c @group
14707 @node Signaling
14708 @section Giving your Program a Signal
14709 @cindex deliver a signal to a program
14710
14711 @table @code
14712 @kindex signal
14713 @item signal @var{signal}
14714 Resume execution where your program stopped, but immediately give it the
14715 signal @var{signal}. @var{signal} can be the name or the number of a
14716 signal. For example, on many systems @code{signal 2} and @code{signal
14717 SIGINT} are both ways of sending an interrupt signal.
14718
14719 Alternatively, if @var{signal} is zero, continue execution without
14720 giving a signal. This is useful when your program stopped on account of
14721 a signal and would ordinary see the signal when resumed with the
14722 @code{continue} command; @samp{signal 0} causes it to resume without a
14723 signal.
14724
14725 @code{signal} does not repeat when you press @key{RET} a second time
14726 after executing the command.
14727 @end table
14728 @c @end group
14729
14730 Invoking the @code{signal} command is not the same as invoking the
14731 @code{kill} utility from the shell. Sending a signal with @code{kill}
14732 causes @value{GDBN} to decide what to do with the signal depending on
14733 the signal handling tables (@pxref{Signals}). The @code{signal} command
14734 passes the signal directly to your program.
14735
14736
14737 @node Returning
14738 @section Returning from a Function
14739
14740 @table @code
14741 @cindex returning from a function
14742 @kindex return
14743 @item return
14744 @itemx return @var{expression}
14745 You can cancel execution of a function call with the @code{return}
14746 command. If you give an
14747 @var{expression} argument, its value is used as the function's return
14748 value.
14749 @end table
14750
14751 When you use @code{return}, @value{GDBN} discards the selected stack frame
14752 (and all frames within it). You can think of this as making the
14753 discarded frame return prematurely. If you wish to specify a value to
14754 be returned, give that value as the argument to @code{return}.
14755
14756 This pops the selected stack frame (@pxref{Selection, ,Selecting a
14757 Frame}), and any other frames inside of it, leaving its caller as the
14758 innermost remaining frame. That frame becomes selected. The
14759 specified value is stored in the registers used for returning values
14760 of functions.
14761
14762 The @code{return} command does not resume execution; it leaves the
14763 program stopped in the state that would exist if the function had just
14764 returned. In contrast, the @code{finish} command (@pxref{Continuing
14765 and Stepping, ,Continuing and Stepping}) resumes execution until the
14766 selected stack frame returns naturally.
14767
14768 @value{GDBN} needs to know how the @var{expression} argument should be set for
14769 the inferior. The concrete registers assignment depends on the OS ABI and the
14770 type being returned by the selected stack frame. For example it is common for
14771 OS ABI to return floating point values in FPU registers while integer values in
14772 CPU registers. Still some ABIs return even floating point values in CPU
14773 registers. Larger integer widths (such as @code{long long int}) also have
14774 specific placement rules. @value{GDBN} already knows the OS ABI from its
14775 current target so it needs to find out also the type being returned to make the
14776 assignment into the right register(s).
14777
14778 Normally, the selected stack frame has debug info. @value{GDBN} will always
14779 use the debug info instead of the implicit type of @var{expression} when the
14780 debug info is available. For example, if you type @kbd{return -1}, and the
14781 function in the current stack frame is declared to return a @code{long long
14782 int}, @value{GDBN} transparently converts the implicit @code{int} value of -1
14783 into a @code{long long int}:
14784
14785 @smallexample
14786 Breakpoint 1, func () at gdb.base/return-nodebug.c:29
14787 29 return 31;
14788 (@value{GDBP}) return -1
14789 Make func return now? (y or n) y
14790 #0 0x004004f6 in main () at gdb.base/return-nodebug.c:43
14791 43 printf ("result=%lld\n", func ());
14792 (@value{GDBP})
14793 @end smallexample
14794
14795 However, if the selected stack frame does not have a debug info, e.g., if the
14796 function was compiled without debug info, @value{GDBN} has to find out the type
14797 to return from user. Specifying a different type by mistake may set the value
14798 in different inferior registers than the caller code expects. For example,
14799 typing @kbd{return -1} with its implicit type @code{int} would set only a part
14800 of a @code{long long int} result for a debug info less function (on 32-bit
14801 architectures). Therefore the user is required to specify the return type by
14802 an appropriate cast explicitly:
14803
14804 @smallexample
14805 Breakpoint 2, 0x0040050b in func ()
14806 (@value{GDBP}) return -1
14807 Return value type not available for selected stack frame.
14808 Please use an explicit cast of the value to return.
14809 (@value{GDBP}) return (long long int) -1
14810 Make selected stack frame return now? (y or n) y
14811 #0 0x00400526 in main ()
14812 (@value{GDBP})
14813 @end smallexample
14814
14815 @node Calling
14816 @section Calling Program Functions
14817
14818 @table @code
14819 @cindex calling functions
14820 @cindex inferior functions, calling
14821 @item print @var{expr}
14822 Evaluate the expression @var{expr} and display the resulting value.
14823 @var{expr} may include calls to functions in the program being
14824 debugged.
14825
14826 @kindex call
14827 @item call @var{expr}
14828 Evaluate the expression @var{expr} without displaying @code{void}
14829 returned values.
14830
14831 You can use this variant of the @code{print} command if you want to
14832 execute a function from your program that does not return anything
14833 (a.k.a.@: @dfn{a void function}), but without cluttering the output
14834 with @code{void} returned values that @value{GDBN} will otherwise
14835 print. If the result is not void, it is printed and saved in the
14836 value history.
14837 @end table
14838
14839 It is possible for the function you call via the @code{print} or
14840 @code{call} command to generate a signal (e.g., if there's a bug in
14841 the function, or if you passed it incorrect arguments). What happens
14842 in that case is controlled by the @code{set unwindonsignal} command.
14843
14844 Similarly, with a C@t{++} program it is possible for the function you
14845 call via the @code{print} or @code{call} command to generate an
14846 exception that is not handled due to the constraints of the dummy
14847 frame. In this case, any exception that is raised in the frame, but has
14848 an out-of-frame exception handler will not be found. GDB builds a
14849 dummy-frame for the inferior function call, and the unwinder cannot
14850 seek for exception handlers outside of this dummy-frame. What happens
14851 in that case is controlled by the
14852 @code{set unwind-on-terminating-exception} command.
14853
14854 @table @code
14855 @item set unwindonsignal
14856 @kindex set unwindonsignal
14857 @cindex unwind stack in called functions
14858 @cindex call dummy stack unwinding
14859 Set unwinding of the stack if a signal is received while in a function
14860 that @value{GDBN} called in the program being debugged. If set to on,
14861 @value{GDBN} unwinds the stack it created for the call and restores
14862 the context to what it was before the call. If set to off (the
14863 default), @value{GDBN} stops in the frame where the signal was
14864 received.
14865
14866 @item show unwindonsignal
14867 @kindex show unwindonsignal
14868 Show the current setting of stack unwinding in the functions called by
14869 @value{GDBN}.
14870
14871 @item set unwind-on-terminating-exception
14872 @kindex set unwind-on-terminating-exception
14873 @cindex unwind stack in called functions with unhandled exceptions
14874 @cindex call dummy stack unwinding on unhandled exception.
14875 Set unwinding of the stack if a C@t{++} exception is raised, but left
14876 unhandled while in a function that @value{GDBN} called in the program being
14877 debugged. If set to on (the default), @value{GDBN} unwinds the stack
14878 it created for the call and restores the context to what it was before
14879 the call. If set to off, @value{GDBN} the exception is delivered to
14880 the default C@t{++} exception handler and the inferior terminated.
14881
14882 @item show unwind-on-terminating-exception
14883 @kindex show unwind-on-terminating-exception
14884 Show the current setting of stack unwinding in the functions called by
14885 @value{GDBN}.
14886
14887 @end table
14888
14889 @cindex weak alias functions
14890 Sometimes, a function you wish to call is actually a @dfn{weak alias}
14891 for another function. In such case, @value{GDBN} might not pick up
14892 the type information, including the types of the function arguments,
14893 which causes @value{GDBN} to call the inferior function incorrectly.
14894 As a result, the called function will function erroneously and may
14895 even crash. A solution to that is to use the name of the aliased
14896 function instead.
14897
14898 @node Patching
14899 @section Patching Programs
14900
14901 @cindex patching binaries
14902 @cindex writing into executables
14903 @cindex writing into corefiles
14904
14905 By default, @value{GDBN} opens the file containing your program's
14906 executable code (or the corefile) read-only. This prevents accidental
14907 alterations to machine code; but it also prevents you from intentionally
14908 patching your program's binary.
14909
14910 If you'd like to be able to patch the binary, you can specify that
14911 explicitly with the @code{set write} command. For example, you might
14912 want to turn on internal debugging flags, or even to make emergency
14913 repairs.
14914
14915 @table @code
14916 @kindex set write
14917 @item set write on
14918 @itemx set write off
14919 If you specify @samp{set write on}, @value{GDBN} opens executable and
14920 core files for both reading and writing; if you specify @kbd{set write
14921 off} (the default), @value{GDBN} opens them read-only.
14922
14923 If you have already loaded a file, you must load it again (using the
14924 @code{exec-file} or @code{core-file} command) after changing @code{set
14925 write}, for your new setting to take effect.
14926
14927 @item show write
14928 @kindex show write
14929 Display whether executable files and core files are opened for writing
14930 as well as reading.
14931 @end table
14932
14933 @node GDB Files
14934 @chapter @value{GDBN} Files
14935
14936 @value{GDBN} needs to know the file name of the program to be debugged,
14937 both in order to read its symbol table and in order to start your
14938 program. To debug a core dump of a previous run, you must also tell
14939 @value{GDBN} the name of the core dump file.
14940
14941 @menu
14942 * Files:: Commands to specify files
14943 * Separate Debug Files:: Debugging information in separate files
14944 * Index Files:: Index files speed up GDB
14945 * Symbol Errors:: Errors reading symbol files
14946 * Data Files:: GDB data files
14947 @end menu
14948
14949 @node Files
14950 @section Commands to Specify Files
14951
14952 @cindex symbol table
14953 @cindex core dump file
14954
14955 You may want to specify executable and core dump file names. The usual
14956 way to do this is at start-up time, using the arguments to
14957 @value{GDBN}'s start-up commands (@pxref{Invocation, , Getting In and
14958 Out of @value{GDBN}}).
14959
14960 Occasionally it is necessary to change to a different file during a
14961 @value{GDBN} session. Or you may run @value{GDBN} and forget to
14962 specify a file you want to use. Or you are debugging a remote target
14963 via @code{gdbserver} (@pxref{Server, file, Using the @code{gdbserver}
14964 Program}). In these situations the @value{GDBN} commands to specify
14965 new files are useful.
14966
14967 @table @code
14968 @cindex executable file
14969 @kindex file
14970 @item file @var{filename}
14971 Use @var{filename} as the program to be debugged. It is read for its
14972 symbols and for the contents of pure memory. It is also the program
14973 executed when you use the @code{run} command. If you do not specify a
14974 directory and the file is not found in the @value{GDBN} working directory,
14975 @value{GDBN} uses the environment variable @code{PATH} as a list of
14976 directories to search, just as the shell does when looking for a program
14977 to run. You can change the value of this variable, for both @value{GDBN}
14978 and your program, using the @code{path} command.
14979
14980 @cindex unlinked object files
14981 @cindex patching object files
14982 You can load unlinked object @file{.o} files into @value{GDBN} using
14983 the @code{file} command. You will not be able to ``run'' an object
14984 file, but you can disassemble functions and inspect variables. Also,
14985 if the underlying BFD functionality supports it, you could use
14986 @kbd{gdb -write} to patch object files using this technique. Note
14987 that @value{GDBN} can neither interpret nor modify relocations in this
14988 case, so branches and some initialized variables will appear to go to
14989 the wrong place. But this feature is still handy from time to time.
14990
14991 @item file
14992 @code{file} with no argument makes @value{GDBN} discard any information it
14993 has on both executable file and the symbol table.
14994
14995 @kindex exec-file
14996 @item exec-file @r{[} @var{filename} @r{]}
14997 Specify that the program to be run (but not the symbol table) is found
14998 in @var{filename}. @value{GDBN} searches the environment variable @code{PATH}
14999 if necessary to locate your program. Omitting @var{filename} means to
15000 discard information on the executable file.
15001
15002 @kindex symbol-file
15003 @item symbol-file @r{[} @var{filename} @r{]}
15004 Read symbol table information from file @var{filename}. @code{PATH} is
15005 searched when necessary. Use the @code{file} command to get both symbol
15006 table and program to run from the same file.
15007
15008 @code{symbol-file} with no argument clears out @value{GDBN} information on your
15009 program's symbol table.
15010
15011 The @code{symbol-file} command causes @value{GDBN} to forget the contents of
15012 some breakpoints and auto-display expressions. This is because they may
15013 contain pointers to the internal data recording symbols and data types,
15014 which are part of the old symbol table data being discarded inside
15015 @value{GDBN}.
15016
15017 @code{symbol-file} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} again after
15018 executing it once.
15019
15020 When @value{GDBN} is configured for a particular environment, it
15021 understands debugging information in whatever format is the standard
15022 generated for that environment; you may use either a @sc{gnu} compiler, or
15023 other compilers that adhere to the local conventions.
15024 Best results are usually obtained from @sc{gnu} compilers; for example,
15025 using @code{@value{NGCC}} you can generate debugging information for
15026 optimized code.
15027
15028 For most kinds of object files, with the exception of old SVR3 systems
15029 using COFF, the @code{symbol-file} command does not normally read the
15030 symbol table in full right away. Instead, it scans the symbol table
15031 quickly to find which source files and which symbols are present. The
15032 details are read later, one source file at a time, as they are needed.
15033
15034 The purpose of this two-stage reading strategy is to make @value{GDBN}
15035 start up faster. For the most part, it is invisible except for
15036 occasional pauses while the symbol table details for a particular source
15037 file are being read. (The @code{set verbose} command can turn these
15038 pauses into messages if desired. @xref{Messages/Warnings, ,Optional
15039 Warnings and Messages}.)
15040
15041 We have not implemented the two-stage strategy for COFF yet. When the
15042 symbol table is stored in COFF format, @code{symbol-file} reads the
15043 symbol table data in full right away. Note that ``stabs-in-COFF''
15044 still does the two-stage strategy, since the debug info is actually
15045 in stabs format.
15046
15047 @kindex readnow
15048 @cindex reading symbols immediately
15049 @cindex symbols, reading immediately
15050 @item symbol-file @r{[} -readnow @r{]} @var{filename}
15051 @itemx file @r{[} -readnow @r{]} @var{filename}
15052 You can override the @value{GDBN} two-stage strategy for reading symbol
15053 tables by using the @samp{-readnow} option with any of the commands that
15054 load symbol table information, if you want to be sure @value{GDBN} has the
15055 entire symbol table available.
15056
15057 @c FIXME: for now no mention of directories, since this seems to be in
15058 @c flux. 13mar1992 status is that in theory GDB would look either in
15059 @c current dir or in same dir as myprog; but issues like competing
15060 @c GDB's, or clutter in system dirs, mean that in practice right now
15061 @c only current dir is used. FFish says maybe a special GDB hierarchy
15062 @c (eg rooted in val of env var GDBSYMS) could exist for mappable symbol
15063 @c files.
15064
15065 @kindex core-file
15066 @item core-file @r{[}@var{filename}@r{]}
15067 @itemx core
15068 Specify the whereabouts of a core dump file to be used as the ``contents
15069 of memory''. Traditionally, core files contain only some parts of the
15070 address space of the process that generated them; @value{GDBN} can access the
15071 executable file itself for other parts.
15072
15073 @code{core-file} with no argument specifies that no core file is
15074 to be used.
15075
15076 Note that the core file is ignored when your program is actually running
15077 under @value{GDBN}. So, if you have been running your program and you
15078 wish to debug a core file instead, you must kill the subprocess in which
15079 the program is running. To do this, use the @code{kill} command
15080 (@pxref{Kill Process, ,Killing the Child Process}).
15081
15082 @kindex add-symbol-file
15083 @cindex dynamic linking
15084 @item add-symbol-file @var{filename} @var{address}
15085 @itemx add-symbol-file @var{filename} @var{address} @r{[} -readnow @r{]}
15086 @itemx add-symbol-file @var{filename} @var{address} -s @var{section} @var{address} @dots{}
15087 The @code{add-symbol-file} command reads additional symbol table
15088 information from the file @var{filename}. You would use this command
15089 when @var{filename} has been dynamically loaded (by some other means)
15090 into the program that is running. @var{address} should be the memory
15091 address at which the file has been loaded; @value{GDBN} cannot figure
15092 this out for itself. You can additionally specify an arbitrary number
15093 of @samp{-s @var{section} @var{address}} pairs, to give an explicit
15094 section name and base address for that section. You can specify any
15095 @var{address} as an expression.
15096
15097 The symbol table of the file @var{filename} is added to the symbol table
15098 originally read with the @code{symbol-file} command. You can use the
15099 @code{add-symbol-file} command any number of times; the new symbol data
15100 thus read keeps adding to the old. To discard all old symbol data
15101 instead, use the @code{symbol-file} command without any arguments.
15102
15103 @cindex relocatable object files, reading symbols from
15104 @cindex object files, relocatable, reading symbols from
15105 @cindex reading symbols from relocatable object files
15106 @cindex symbols, reading from relocatable object files
15107 @cindex @file{.o} files, reading symbols from
15108 Although @var{filename} is typically a shared library file, an
15109 executable file, or some other object file which has been fully
15110 relocated for loading into a process, you can also load symbolic
15111 information from relocatable @file{.o} files, as long as:
15112
15113 @itemize @bullet
15114 @item
15115 the file's symbolic information refers only to linker symbols defined in
15116 that file, not to symbols defined by other object files,
15117 @item
15118 every section the file's symbolic information refers to has actually
15119 been loaded into the inferior, as it appears in the file, and
15120 @item
15121 you can determine the address at which every section was loaded, and
15122 provide these to the @code{add-symbol-file} command.
15123 @end itemize
15124
15125 @noindent
15126 Some embedded operating systems, like Sun Chorus and VxWorks, can load
15127 relocatable files into an already running program; such systems
15128 typically make the requirements above easy to meet. However, it's
15129 important to recognize that many native systems use complex link
15130 procedures (@code{.linkonce} section factoring and C@t{++} constructor table
15131 assembly, for example) that make the requirements difficult to meet. In
15132 general, one cannot assume that using @code{add-symbol-file} to read a
15133 relocatable object file's symbolic information will have the same effect
15134 as linking the relocatable object file into the program in the normal
15135 way.
15136
15137 @code{add-symbol-file} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} after using it.
15138
15139 @kindex add-symbol-file-from-memory
15140 @cindex @code{syscall DSO}
15141 @cindex load symbols from memory
15142 @item add-symbol-file-from-memory @var{address}
15143 Load symbols from the given @var{address} in a dynamically loaded
15144 object file whose image is mapped directly into the inferior's memory.
15145 For example, the Linux kernel maps a @code{syscall DSO} into each
15146 process's address space; this DSO provides kernel-specific code for
15147 some system calls. The argument can be any expression whose
15148 evaluation yields the address of the file's shared object file header.
15149 For this command to work, you must have used @code{symbol-file} or
15150 @code{exec-file} commands in advance.
15151
15152 @kindex add-shared-symbol-files
15153 @kindex assf
15154 @item add-shared-symbol-files @var{library-file}
15155 @itemx assf @var{library-file}
15156 The @code{add-shared-symbol-files} command can currently be used only
15157 in the Cygwin build of @value{GDBN} on MS-Windows OS, where it is an
15158 alias for the @code{dll-symbols} command (@pxref{Cygwin Native}).
15159 @value{GDBN} automatically looks for shared libraries, however if
15160 @value{GDBN} does not find yours, you can invoke
15161 @code{add-shared-symbol-files}. It takes one argument: the shared
15162 library's file name. @code{assf} is a shorthand alias for
15163 @code{add-shared-symbol-files}.
15164
15165 @kindex section
15166 @item section @var{section} @var{addr}
15167 The @code{section} command changes the base address of the named
15168 @var{section} of the exec file to @var{addr}. This can be used if the
15169 exec file does not contain section addresses, (such as in the
15170 @code{a.out} format), or when the addresses specified in the file
15171 itself are wrong. Each section must be changed separately. The
15172 @code{info files} command, described below, lists all the sections and
15173 their addresses.
15174
15175 @kindex info files
15176 @kindex info target
15177 @item info files
15178 @itemx info target
15179 @code{info files} and @code{info target} are synonymous; both print the
15180 current target (@pxref{Targets, ,Specifying a Debugging Target}),
15181 including the names of the executable and core dump files currently in
15182 use by @value{GDBN}, and the files from which symbols were loaded. The
15183 command @code{help target} lists all possible targets rather than
15184 current ones.
15185
15186 @kindex maint info sections
15187 @item maint info sections
15188 Another command that can give you extra information about program sections
15189 is @code{maint info sections}. In addition to the section information
15190 displayed by @code{info files}, this command displays the flags and file
15191 offset of each section in the executable and core dump files. In addition,
15192 @code{maint info sections} provides the following command options (which
15193 may be arbitrarily combined):
15194
15195 @table @code
15196 @item ALLOBJ
15197 Display sections for all loaded object files, including shared libraries.
15198 @item @var{sections}
15199 Display info only for named @var{sections}.
15200 @item @var{section-flags}
15201 Display info only for sections for which @var{section-flags} are true.
15202 The section flags that @value{GDBN} currently knows about are:
15203 @table @code
15204 @item ALLOC
15205 Section will have space allocated in the process when loaded.
15206 Set for all sections except those containing debug information.
15207 @item LOAD
15208 Section will be loaded from the file into the child process memory.
15209 Set for pre-initialized code and data, clear for @code{.bss} sections.
15210 @item RELOC
15211 Section needs to be relocated before loading.
15212 @item READONLY
15213 Section cannot be modified by the child process.
15214 @item CODE
15215 Section contains executable code only.
15216 @item DATA
15217 Section contains data only (no executable code).
15218 @item ROM
15219 Section will reside in ROM.
15220 @item CONSTRUCTOR
15221 Section contains data for constructor/destructor lists.
15222 @item HAS_CONTENTS
15223 Section is not empty.
15224 @item NEVER_LOAD
15225 An instruction to the linker to not output the section.
15226 @item COFF_SHARED_LIBRARY
15227 A notification to the linker that the section contains
15228 COFF shared library information.
15229 @item IS_COMMON
15230 Section contains common symbols.
15231 @end table
15232 @end table
15233 @kindex set trust-readonly-sections
15234 @cindex read-only sections
15235 @item set trust-readonly-sections on
15236 Tell @value{GDBN} that readonly sections in your object file
15237 really are read-only (i.e.@: that their contents will not change).
15238 In that case, @value{GDBN} can fetch values from these sections
15239 out of the object file, rather than from the target program.
15240 For some targets (notably embedded ones), this can be a significant
15241 enhancement to debugging performance.
15242
15243 The default is off.
15244
15245 @item set trust-readonly-sections off
15246 Tell @value{GDBN} not to trust readonly sections. This means that
15247 the contents of the section might change while the program is running,
15248 and must therefore be fetched from the target when needed.
15249
15250 @item show trust-readonly-sections
15251 Show the current setting of trusting readonly sections.
15252 @end table
15253
15254 All file-specifying commands allow both absolute and relative file names
15255 as arguments. @value{GDBN} always converts the file name to an absolute file
15256 name and remembers it that way.
15257
15258 @cindex shared libraries
15259 @anchor{Shared Libraries}
15260 @value{GDBN} supports @sc{gnu}/Linux, MS-Windows, HP-UX, SunOS, SVr4, Irix,
15261 and IBM RS/6000 AIX shared libraries.
15262
15263 On MS-Windows @value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support
15264 shared libraries. @xref{Expat}.
15265
15266 @value{GDBN} automatically loads symbol definitions from shared libraries
15267 when you use the @code{run} command, or when you examine a core file.
15268 (Before you issue the @code{run} command, @value{GDBN} does not understand
15269 references to a function in a shared library, however---unless you are
15270 debugging a core file).
15271
15272 On HP-UX, if the program loads a library explicitly, @value{GDBN}
15273 automatically loads the symbols at the time of the @code{shl_load} call.
15274
15275 @c FIXME: some @value{GDBN} release may permit some refs to undef
15276 @c FIXME...symbols---eg in a break cmd---assuming they are from a shared
15277 @c FIXME...lib; check this from time to time when updating manual
15278
15279 There are times, however, when you may wish to not automatically load
15280 symbol definitions from shared libraries, such as when they are
15281 particularly large or there are many of them.
15282
15283 To control the automatic loading of shared library symbols, use the
15284 commands:
15285
15286 @table @code
15287 @kindex set auto-solib-add
15288 @item set auto-solib-add @var{mode}
15289 If @var{mode} is @code{on}, symbols from all shared object libraries
15290 will be loaded automatically when the inferior begins execution, you
15291 attach to an independently started inferior, or when the dynamic linker
15292 informs @value{GDBN} that a new library has been loaded. If @var{mode}
15293 is @code{off}, symbols must be loaded manually, using the
15294 @code{sharedlibrary} command. The default value is @code{on}.
15295
15296 @cindex memory used for symbol tables
15297 If your program uses lots of shared libraries with debug info that
15298 takes large amounts of memory, you can decrease the @value{GDBN}
15299 memory footprint by preventing it from automatically loading the
15300 symbols from shared libraries. To that end, type @kbd{set
15301 auto-solib-add off} before running the inferior, then load each
15302 library whose debug symbols you do need with @kbd{sharedlibrary
15303 @var{regexp}}, where @var{regexp} is a regular expression that matches
15304 the libraries whose symbols you want to be loaded.
15305
15306 @kindex show auto-solib-add
15307 @item show auto-solib-add
15308 Display the current autoloading mode.
15309 @end table
15310
15311 @cindex load shared library
15312 To explicitly load shared library symbols, use the @code{sharedlibrary}
15313 command:
15314
15315 @table @code
15316 @kindex info sharedlibrary
15317 @kindex info share
15318 @item info share @var{regex}
15319 @itemx info sharedlibrary @var{regex}
15320 Print the names of the shared libraries which are currently loaded
15321 that match @var{regex}. If @var{regex} is omitted then print
15322 all shared libraries that are loaded.
15323
15324 @kindex sharedlibrary
15325 @kindex share
15326 @item sharedlibrary @var{regex}
15327 @itemx share @var{regex}
15328 Load shared object library symbols for files matching a
15329 Unix regular expression.
15330 As with files loaded automatically, it only loads shared libraries
15331 required by your program for a core file or after typing @code{run}. If
15332 @var{regex} is omitted all shared libraries required by your program are
15333 loaded.
15334
15335 @item nosharedlibrary
15336 @kindex nosharedlibrary
15337 @cindex unload symbols from shared libraries
15338 Unload all shared object library symbols. This discards all symbols
15339 that have been loaded from all shared libraries. Symbols from shared
15340 libraries that were loaded by explicit user requests are not
15341 discarded.
15342 @end table
15343
15344 Sometimes you may wish that @value{GDBN} stops and gives you control
15345 when any of shared library events happen. Use the @code{set
15346 stop-on-solib-events} command for this:
15347
15348 @table @code
15349 @item set stop-on-solib-events
15350 @kindex set stop-on-solib-events
15351 This command controls whether @value{GDBN} should give you control
15352 when the dynamic linker notifies it about some shared library event.
15353 The most common event of interest is loading or unloading of a new
15354 shared library.
15355
15356 @item show stop-on-solib-events
15357 @kindex show stop-on-solib-events
15358 Show whether @value{GDBN} stops and gives you control when shared
15359 library events happen.
15360 @end table
15361
15362 Shared libraries are also supported in many cross or remote debugging
15363 configurations. @value{GDBN} needs to have access to the target's libraries;
15364 this can be accomplished either by providing copies of the libraries
15365 on the host system, or by asking @value{GDBN} to automatically retrieve the
15366 libraries from the target. If copies of the target libraries are
15367 provided, they need to be the same as the target libraries, although the
15368 copies on the target can be stripped as long as the copies on the host are
15369 not.
15370
15371 @cindex where to look for shared libraries
15372 For remote debugging, you need to tell @value{GDBN} where the target
15373 libraries are, so that it can load the correct copies---otherwise, it
15374 may try to load the host's libraries. @value{GDBN} has two variables
15375 to specify the search directories for target libraries.
15376
15377 @table @code
15378 @cindex prefix for shared library file names
15379 @cindex system root, alternate
15380 @kindex set solib-absolute-prefix
15381 @kindex set sysroot
15382 @item set sysroot @var{path}
15383 Use @var{path} as the system root for the program being debugged. Any
15384 absolute shared library paths will be prefixed with @var{path}; many
15385 runtime loaders store the absolute paths to the shared library in the
15386 target program's memory. If you use @code{set sysroot} to find shared
15387 libraries, they need to be laid out in the same way that they are on
15388 the target, with e.g.@: a @file{/lib} and @file{/usr/lib} hierarchy
15389 under @var{path}.
15390
15391 If @var{path} starts with the sequence @file{remote:}, @value{GDBN} will
15392 retrieve the target libraries from the remote system. This is only
15393 supported when using a remote target that supports the @code{remote get}
15394 command (@pxref{File Transfer,,Sending files to a remote system}).
15395 The part of @var{path} following the initial @file{remote:}
15396 (if present) is used as system root prefix on the remote file system.
15397 @footnote{If you want to specify a local system root using a directory
15398 that happens to be named @file{remote:}, you need to use some equivalent
15399 variant of the name like @file{./remote:}.}
15400
15401 For targets with an MS-DOS based filesystem, such as MS-Windows and
15402 SymbianOS, @value{GDBN} tries prefixing a few variants of the target
15403 absolute file name with @var{path}. But first, on Unix hosts,
15404 @value{GDBN} converts all backslash directory separators into forward
15405 slashes, because the backslash is not a directory separator on Unix:
15406
15407 @smallexample
15408 c:\foo\bar.dll @result{} c:/foo/bar.dll
15409 @end smallexample
15410
15411 Then, @value{GDBN} attempts prefixing the target file name with
15412 @var{path}, and looks for the resulting file name in the host file
15413 system:
15414
15415 @smallexample
15416 c:/foo/bar.dll @result{} /path/to/sysroot/c:/foo/bar.dll
15417 @end smallexample
15418
15419 If that does not find the shared library, @value{GDBN} tries removing
15420 the @samp{:} character from the drive spec, both for convenience, and,
15421 for the case of the host file system not supporting file names with
15422 colons:
15423
15424 @smallexample
15425 c:/foo/bar.dll @result{} /path/to/sysroot/c/foo/bar.dll
15426 @end smallexample
15427
15428 This makes it possible to have a system root that mirrors a target
15429 with more than one drive. E.g., you may want to setup your local
15430 copies of the target system shared libraries like so (note @samp{c} vs
15431 @samp{z}):
15432
15433 @smallexample
15434 @file{/path/to/sysroot/c/sys/bin/foo.dll}
15435 @file{/path/to/sysroot/c/sys/bin/bar.dll}
15436 @file{/path/to/sysroot/z/sys/bin/bar.dll}
15437 @end smallexample
15438
15439 @noindent
15440 and point the system root at @file{/path/to/sysroot}, so that
15441 @value{GDBN} can find the correct copies of both
15442 @file{c:\sys\bin\foo.dll}, and @file{z:\sys\bin\bar.dll}.
15443
15444 If that still does not find the shared library, @value{GDBN} tries
15445 removing the whole drive spec from the target file name:
15446
15447 @smallexample
15448 c:/foo/bar.dll @result{} /path/to/sysroot/foo/bar.dll
15449 @end smallexample
15450
15451 This last lookup makes it possible to not care about the drive name,
15452 if you don't want or need to.
15453
15454 The @code{set solib-absolute-prefix} command is an alias for @code{set
15455 sysroot}.
15456
15457 @cindex default system root
15458 @cindex @samp{--with-sysroot}
15459 You can set the default system root by using the configure-time
15460 @samp{--with-sysroot} option. If the system root is inside
15461 @value{GDBN}'s configured binary prefix (set with @samp{--prefix} or
15462 @samp{--exec-prefix}), then the default system root will be updated
15463 automatically if the installed @value{GDBN} is moved to a new
15464 location.
15465
15466 @kindex show sysroot
15467 @item show sysroot
15468 Display the current shared library prefix.
15469
15470 @kindex set solib-search-path
15471 @item set solib-search-path @var{path}
15472 If this variable is set, @var{path} is a colon-separated list of
15473 directories to search for shared libraries. @samp{solib-search-path}
15474 is used after @samp{sysroot} fails to locate the library, or if the
15475 path to the library is relative instead of absolute. If you want to
15476 use @samp{solib-search-path} instead of @samp{sysroot}, be sure to set
15477 @samp{sysroot} to a nonexistent directory to prevent @value{GDBN} from
15478 finding your host's libraries. @samp{sysroot} is preferred; setting
15479 it to a nonexistent directory may interfere with automatic loading
15480 of shared library symbols.
15481
15482 @kindex show solib-search-path
15483 @item show solib-search-path
15484 Display the current shared library search path.
15485
15486 @cindex DOS file-name semantics of file names.
15487 @kindex set target-file-system-kind (unix|dos-based|auto)
15488 @kindex show target-file-system-kind
15489 @item set target-file-system-kind @var{kind}
15490 Set assumed file system kind for target reported file names.
15491
15492 Shared library file names as reported by the target system may not
15493 make sense as is on the system @value{GDBN} is running on. For
15494 example, when remote debugging a target that has MS-DOS based file
15495 system semantics, from a Unix host, the target may be reporting to
15496 @value{GDBN} a list of loaded shared libraries with file names such as
15497 @file{c:\Windows\kernel32.dll}. On Unix hosts, there's no concept of
15498 drive letters, so the @samp{c:\} prefix is not normally understood as
15499 indicating an absolute file name, and neither is the backslash
15500 normally considered a directory separator character. In that case,
15501 the native file system would interpret this whole absolute file name
15502 as a relative file name with no directory components. This would make
15503 it impossible to point @value{GDBN} at a copy of the remote target's
15504 shared libraries on the host using @code{set sysroot}, and impractical
15505 with @code{set solib-search-path}. Setting
15506 @code{target-file-system-kind} to @code{dos-based} tells @value{GDBN}
15507 to interpret such file names similarly to how the target would, and to
15508 map them to file names valid on @value{GDBN}'s native file system
15509 semantics. The value of @var{kind} can be @code{"auto"}, in addition
15510 to one of the supported file system kinds. In that case, @value{GDBN}
15511 tries to determine the appropriate file system variant based on the
15512 current target's operating system (@pxref{ABI, ,Configuring the
15513 Current ABI}). The supported file system settings are:
15514
15515 @table @code
15516 @item unix
15517 Instruct @value{GDBN} to assume the target file system is of Unix
15518 kind. Only file names starting the forward slash (@samp{/}) character
15519 are considered absolute, and the directory separator character is also
15520 the forward slash.
15521
15522 @item dos-based
15523 Instruct @value{GDBN} to assume the target file system is DOS based.
15524 File names starting with either a forward slash, or a drive letter
15525 followed by a colon (e.g., @samp{c:}), are considered absolute, and
15526 both the slash (@samp{/}) and the backslash (@samp{\\}) characters are
15527 considered directory separators.
15528
15529 @item auto
15530 Instruct @value{GDBN} to use the file system kind associated with the
15531 target operating system (@pxref{ABI, ,Configuring the Current ABI}).
15532 This is the default.
15533 @end table
15534 @end table
15535
15536
15537 @node Separate Debug Files
15538 @section Debugging Information in Separate Files
15539 @cindex separate debugging information files
15540 @cindex debugging information in separate files
15541 @cindex @file{.debug} subdirectories
15542 @cindex debugging information directory, global
15543 @cindex global debugging information directory
15544 @cindex build ID, and separate debugging files
15545 @cindex @file{.build-id} directory
15546
15547 @value{GDBN} allows you to put a program's debugging information in a
15548 file separate from the executable itself, in a way that allows
15549 @value{GDBN} to find and load the debugging information automatically.
15550 Since debugging information can be very large---sometimes larger
15551 than the executable code itself---some systems distribute debugging
15552 information for their executables in separate files, which users can
15553 install only when they need to debug a problem.
15554
15555 @value{GDBN} supports two ways of specifying the separate debug info
15556 file:
15557
15558 @itemize @bullet
15559 @item
15560 The executable contains a @dfn{debug link} that specifies the name of
15561 the separate debug info file. The separate debug file's name is
15562 usually @file{@var{executable}.debug}, where @var{executable} is the
15563 name of the corresponding executable file without leading directories
15564 (e.g., @file{ls.debug} for @file{/usr/bin/ls}). In addition, the
15565 debug link specifies a 32-bit @dfn{Cyclic Redundancy Check} (CRC)
15566 checksum for the debug file, which @value{GDBN} uses to validate that
15567 the executable and the debug file came from the same build.
15568
15569 @item
15570 The executable contains a @dfn{build ID}, a unique bit string that is
15571 also present in the corresponding debug info file. (This is supported
15572 only on some operating systems, notably those which use the ELF format
15573 for binary files and the @sc{gnu} Binutils.) For more details about
15574 this feature, see the description of the @option{--build-id}
15575 command-line option in @ref{Options, , Command Line Options, ld.info,
15576 The GNU Linker}. The debug info file's name is not specified
15577 explicitly by the build ID, but can be computed from the build ID, see
15578 below.
15579 @end itemize
15580
15581 Depending on the way the debug info file is specified, @value{GDBN}
15582 uses two different methods of looking for the debug file:
15583
15584 @itemize @bullet
15585 @item
15586 For the ``debug link'' method, @value{GDBN} looks up the named file in
15587 the directory of the executable file, then in a subdirectory of that
15588 directory named @file{.debug}, and finally under the global debug
15589 directory, in a subdirectory whose name is identical to the leading
15590 directories of the executable's absolute file name.
15591
15592 @item
15593 For the ``build ID'' method, @value{GDBN} looks in the
15594 @file{.build-id} subdirectory of the global debug directory for a file
15595 named @file{@var{nn}/@var{nnnnnnnn}.debug}, where @var{nn} are the
15596 first 2 hex characters of the build ID bit string, and @var{nnnnnnnn}
15597 are the rest of the bit string. (Real build ID strings are 32 or more
15598 hex characters, not 10.)
15599 @end itemize
15600
15601 So, for example, suppose you ask @value{GDBN} to debug
15602 @file{/usr/bin/ls}, which has a debug link that specifies the
15603 file @file{ls.debug}, and a build ID whose value in hex is
15604 @code{abcdef1234}. If the global debug directory is
15605 @file{/usr/lib/debug}, then @value{GDBN} will look for the following
15606 debug information files, in the indicated order:
15607
15608 @itemize @minus
15609 @item
15610 @file{/usr/lib/debug/.build-id/ab/cdef1234.debug}
15611 @item
15612 @file{/usr/bin/ls.debug}
15613 @item
15614 @file{/usr/bin/.debug/ls.debug}
15615 @item
15616 @file{/usr/lib/debug/usr/bin/ls.debug}.
15617 @end itemize
15618
15619 You can set the global debugging info directory's name, and view the
15620 name @value{GDBN} is currently using.
15621
15622 @table @code
15623
15624 @kindex set debug-file-directory
15625 @item set debug-file-directory @var{directories}
15626 Set the directories which @value{GDBN} searches for separate debugging
15627 information files to @var{directory}. Multiple directory components can be set
15628 concatenating them by a directory separator.
15629
15630 @kindex show debug-file-directory
15631 @item show debug-file-directory
15632 Show the directories @value{GDBN} searches for separate debugging
15633 information files.
15634
15635 @end table
15636
15637 @cindex @code{.gnu_debuglink} sections
15638 @cindex debug link sections
15639 A debug link is a special section of the executable file named
15640 @code{.gnu_debuglink}. The section must contain:
15641
15642 @itemize
15643 @item
15644 A filename, with any leading directory components removed, followed by
15645 a zero byte,
15646 @item
15647 zero to three bytes of padding, as needed to reach the next four-byte
15648 boundary within the section, and
15649 @item
15650 a four-byte CRC checksum, stored in the same endianness used for the
15651 executable file itself. The checksum is computed on the debugging
15652 information file's full contents by the function given below, passing
15653 zero as the @var{crc} argument.
15654 @end itemize
15655
15656 Any executable file format can carry a debug link, as long as it can
15657 contain a section named @code{.gnu_debuglink} with the contents
15658 described above.
15659
15660 @cindex @code{.note.gnu.build-id} sections
15661 @cindex build ID sections
15662 The build ID is a special section in the executable file (and in other
15663 ELF binary files that @value{GDBN} may consider). This section is
15664 often named @code{.note.gnu.build-id}, but that name is not mandatory.
15665 It contains unique identification for the built files---the ID remains
15666 the same across multiple builds of the same build tree. The default
15667 algorithm SHA1 produces 160 bits (40 hexadecimal characters) of the
15668 content for the build ID string. The same section with an identical
15669 value is present in the original built binary with symbols, in its
15670 stripped variant, and in the separate debugging information file.
15671
15672 The debugging information file itself should be an ordinary
15673 executable, containing a full set of linker symbols, sections, and
15674 debugging information. The sections of the debugging information file
15675 should have the same names, addresses, and sizes as the original file,
15676 but they need not contain any data---much like a @code{.bss} section
15677 in an ordinary executable.
15678
15679 The @sc{gnu} binary utilities (Binutils) package includes the
15680 @samp{objcopy} utility that can produce
15681 the separated executable / debugging information file pairs using the
15682 following commands:
15683
15684 @smallexample
15685 @kbd{objcopy --only-keep-debug foo foo.debug}
15686 @kbd{strip -g foo}
15687 @end smallexample
15688
15689 @noindent
15690 These commands remove the debugging
15691 information from the executable file @file{foo} and place it in the file
15692 @file{foo.debug}. You can use the first, second or both methods to link the
15693 two files:
15694
15695 @itemize @bullet
15696 @item
15697 The debug link method needs the following additional command to also leave
15698 behind a debug link in @file{foo}:
15699
15700 @smallexample
15701 @kbd{objcopy --add-gnu-debuglink=foo.debug foo}
15702 @end smallexample
15703
15704 Ulrich Drepper's @file{elfutils} package, starting with version 0.53, contains
15705 a version of the @code{strip} command such that the command @kbd{strip foo -f
15706 foo.debug} has the same functionality as the two @code{objcopy} commands and
15707 the @code{ln -s} command above, together.
15708
15709 @item
15710 Build ID gets embedded into the main executable using @code{ld --build-id} or
15711 the @value{NGCC} counterpart @code{gcc -Wl,--build-id}. Build ID support plus
15712 compatibility fixes for debug files separation are present in @sc{gnu} binary
15713 utilities (Binutils) package since version 2.18.
15714 @end itemize
15715
15716 @noindent
15717
15718 @cindex CRC algorithm definition
15719 The CRC used in @code{.gnu_debuglink} is the CRC-32 defined in
15720 IEEE 802.3 using the polynomial:
15721
15722 @c TexInfo requires naked braces for multi-digit exponents for Tex
15723 @c output, but this causes HTML output to barf. HTML has to be set using
15724 @c raw commands. So we end up having to specify this equation in 2
15725 @c different ways!
15726 @ifhtml
15727 @display
15728 @html
15729 <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>
15730 + <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
15731 @end html
15732 @end display
15733 @end ifhtml
15734 @ifnothtml
15735 @display
15736 @math{x^{32} + x^{26} + x^{23} + x^{22} + x^{16} + x^{12} + x^{11}}
15737 @math{+ x^{10} + x^8 + x^7 + x^5 + x^4 + x^2 + x + 1}
15738 @end display
15739 @end ifnothtml
15740
15741 The function is computed byte at a time, taking the least
15742 significant bit of each byte first. The initial pattern
15743 @code{0xffffffff} is used, to ensure leading zeros affect the CRC and
15744 the final result is inverted to ensure trailing zeros also affect the
15745 CRC.
15746
15747 @emph{Note:} This is the same CRC polynomial as used in handling the
15748 @dfn{Remote Serial Protocol} @code{qCRC} packet (@pxref{Remote Protocol,
15749 , @value{GDBN} Remote Serial Protocol}). However in the
15750 case of the Remote Serial Protocol, the CRC is computed @emph{most}
15751 significant bit first, and the result is not inverted, so trailing
15752 zeros have no effect on the CRC value.
15753
15754 To complete the description, we show below the code of the function
15755 which produces the CRC used in @code{.gnu_debuglink}. Inverting the
15756 initially supplied @code{crc} argument means that an initial call to
15757 this function passing in zero will start computing the CRC using
15758 @code{0xffffffff}.
15759
15760 @kindex gnu_debuglink_crc32
15761 @smallexample
15762 unsigned long
15763 gnu_debuglink_crc32 (unsigned long crc,
15764 unsigned char *buf, size_t len)
15765 @{
15766 static const unsigned long crc32_table[256] =
15767 @{
15768 0x00000000, 0x77073096, 0xee0e612c, 0x990951ba, 0x076dc419,
15769 0x706af48f, 0xe963a535, 0x9e6495a3, 0x0edb8832, 0x79dcb8a4,
15770 0xe0d5e91e, 0x97d2d988, 0x09b64c2b, 0x7eb17cbd, 0xe7b82d07,
15771 0x90bf1d91, 0x1db71064, 0x6ab020f2, 0xf3b97148, 0x84be41de,
15772 0x1adad47d, 0x6ddde4eb, 0xf4d4b551, 0x83d385c7, 0x136c9856,
15773 0x646ba8c0, 0xfd62f97a, 0x8a65c9ec, 0x14015c4f, 0x63066cd9,
15774 0xfa0f3d63, 0x8d080df5, 0x3b6e20c8, 0x4c69105e, 0xd56041e4,
15775 0xa2677172, 0x3c03e4d1, 0x4b04d447, 0xd20d85fd, 0xa50ab56b,
15776 0x35b5a8fa, 0x42b2986c, 0xdbbbc9d6, 0xacbcf940, 0x32d86ce3,
15777 0x45df5c75, 0xdcd60dcf, 0xabd13d59, 0x26d930ac, 0x51de003a,
15778 0xc8d75180, 0xbfd06116, 0x21b4f4b5, 0x56b3c423, 0xcfba9599,
15779 0xb8bda50f, 0x2802b89e, 0x5f058808, 0xc60cd9b2, 0xb10be924,
15780 0x2f6f7c87, 0x58684c11, 0xc1611dab, 0xb6662d3d, 0x76dc4190,
15781 0x01db7106, 0x98d220bc, 0xefd5102a, 0x71b18589, 0x06b6b51f,
15782 0x9fbfe4a5, 0xe8b8d433, 0x7807c9a2, 0x0f00f934, 0x9609a88e,
15783 0xe10e9818, 0x7f6a0dbb, 0x086d3d2d, 0x91646c97, 0xe6635c01,
15784 0x6b6b51f4, 0x1c6c6162, 0x856530d8, 0xf262004e, 0x6c0695ed,
15785 0x1b01a57b, 0x8208f4c1, 0xf50fc457, 0x65b0d9c6, 0x12b7e950,
15786 0x8bbeb8ea, 0xfcb9887c, 0x62dd1ddf, 0x15da2d49, 0x8cd37cf3,
15787 0xfbd44c65, 0x4db26158, 0x3ab551ce, 0xa3bc0074, 0xd4bb30e2,
15788 0x4adfa541, 0x3dd895d7, 0xa4d1c46d, 0xd3d6f4fb, 0x4369e96a,
15789 0x346ed9fc, 0xad678846, 0xda60b8d0, 0x44042d73, 0x33031de5,
15790 0xaa0a4c5f, 0xdd0d7cc9, 0x5005713c, 0x270241aa, 0xbe0b1010,
15791 0xc90c2086, 0x5768b525, 0x206f85b3, 0xb966d409, 0xce61e49f,
15792 0x5edef90e, 0x29d9c998, 0xb0d09822, 0xc7d7a8b4, 0x59b33d17,
15793 0x2eb40d81, 0xb7bd5c3b, 0xc0ba6cad, 0xedb88320, 0x9abfb3b6,
15794 0x03b6e20c, 0x74b1d29a, 0xead54739, 0x9dd277af, 0x04db2615,
15795 0x73dc1683, 0xe3630b12, 0x94643b84, 0x0d6d6a3e, 0x7a6a5aa8,
15796 0xe40ecf0b, 0x9309ff9d, 0x0a00ae27, 0x7d079eb1, 0xf00f9344,
15797 0x8708a3d2, 0x1e01f268, 0x6906c2fe, 0xf762575d, 0x806567cb,
15798 0x196c3671, 0x6e6b06e7, 0xfed41b76, 0x89d32be0, 0x10da7a5a,
15799 0x67dd4acc, 0xf9b9df6f, 0x8ebeeff9, 0x17b7be43, 0x60b08ed5,
15800 0xd6d6a3e8, 0xa1d1937e, 0x38d8c2c4, 0x4fdff252, 0xd1bb67f1,
15801 0xa6bc5767, 0x3fb506dd, 0x48b2364b, 0xd80d2bda, 0xaf0a1b4c,
15802 0x36034af6, 0x41047a60, 0xdf60efc3, 0xa867df55, 0x316e8eef,
15803 0x4669be79, 0xcb61b38c, 0xbc66831a, 0x256fd2a0, 0x5268e236,
15804 0xcc0c7795, 0xbb0b4703, 0x220216b9, 0x5505262f, 0xc5ba3bbe,
15805 0xb2bd0b28, 0x2bb45a92, 0x5cb36a04, 0xc2d7ffa7, 0xb5d0cf31,
15806 0x2cd99e8b, 0x5bdeae1d, 0x9b64c2b0, 0xec63f226, 0x756aa39c,
15807 0x026d930a, 0x9c0906a9, 0xeb0e363f, 0x72076785, 0x05005713,
15808 0x95bf4a82, 0xe2b87a14, 0x7bb12bae, 0x0cb61b38, 0x92d28e9b,
15809 0xe5d5be0d, 0x7cdcefb7, 0x0bdbdf21, 0x86d3d2d4, 0xf1d4e242,
15810 0x68ddb3f8, 0x1fda836e, 0x81be16cd, 0xf6b9265b, 0x6fb077e1,
15811 0x18b74777, 0x88085ae6, 0xff0f6a70, 0x66063bca, 0x11010b5c,
15812 0x8f659eff, 0xf862ae69, 0x616bffd3, 0x166ccf45, 0xa00ae278,
15813 0xd70dd2ee, 0x4e048354, 0x3903b3c2, 0xa7672661, 0xd06016f7,
15814 0x4969474d, 0x3e6e77db, 0xaed16a4a, 0xd9d65adc, 0x40df0b66,
15815 0x37d83bf0, 0xa9bcae53, 0xdebb9ec5, 0x47b2cf7f, 0x30b5ffe9,
15816 0xbdbdf21c, 0xcabac28a, 0x53b39330, 0x24b4a3a6, 0xbad03605,
15817 0xcdd70693, 0x54de5729, 0x23d967bf, 0xb3667a2e, 0xc4614ab8,
15818 0x5d681b02, 0x2a6f2b94, 0xb40bbe37, 0xc30c8ea1, 0x5a05df1b,
15819 0x2d02ef8d
15820 @};
15821 unsigned char *end;
15822
15823 crc = ~crc & 0xffffffff;
15824 for (end = buf + len; buf < end; ++buf)
15825 crc = crc32_table[(crc ^ *buf) & 0xff] ^ (crc >> 8);
15826 return ~crc & 0xffffffff;
15827 @}
15828 @end smallexample
15829
15830 @noindent
15831 This computation does not apply to the ``build ID'' method.
15832
15833
15834 @node Index Files
15835 @section Index Files Speed Up @value{GDBN}
15836 @cindex index files
15837 @cindex @samp{.gdb_index} section
15838
15839 When @value{GDBN} finds a symbol file, it scans the symbols in the
15840 file in order to construct an internal symbol table. This lets most
15841 @value{GDBN} operations work quickly---at the cost of a delay early
15842 on. For large programs, this delay can be quite lengthy, so
15843 @value{GDBN} provides a way to build an index, which speeds up
15844 startup.
15845
15846 The index is stored as a section in the symbol file. @value{GDBN} can
15847 write the index to a file, then you can put it into the symbol file
15848 using @command{objcopy}.
15849
15850 To create an index file, use the @code{save gdb-index} command:
15851
15852 @table @code
15853 @item save gdb-index @var{directory}
15854 @kindex save gdb-index
15855 Create an index file for each symbol file currently known by
15856 @value{GDBN}. Each file is named after its corresponding symbol file,
15857 with @samp{.gdb-index} appended, and is written into the given
15858 @var{directory}.
15859 @end table
15860
15861 Once you have created an index file you can merge it into your symbol
15862 file, here named @file{symfile}, using @command{objcopy}:
15863
15864 @smallexample
15865 $ objcopy --add-section .gdb_index=symfile.gdb-index \
15866 --set-section-flags .gdb_index=readonly symfile symfile
15867 @end smallexample
15868
15869 There are currently some limitation on indices. They only work when
15870 for DWARF debugging information, not stabs. And, they do not
15871 currently work for programs using Ada.
15872
15873 @node Symbol Errors
15874 @section Errors Reading Symbol Files
15875
15876 While reading a symbol file, @value{GDBN} occasionally encounters problems,
15877 such as symbol types it does not recognize, or known bugs in compiler
15878 output. By default, @value{GDBN} does not notify you of such problems, since
15879 they are relatively common and primarily of interest to people
15880 debugging compilers. If you are interested in seeing information
15881 about ill-constructed symbol tables, you can either ask @value{GDBN} to print
15882 only one message about each such type of problem, no matter how many
15883 times the problem occurs; or you can ask @value{GDBN} to print more messages,
15884 to see how many times the problems occur, with the @code{set
15885 complaints} command (@pxref{Messages/Warnings, ,Optional Warnings and
15886 Messages}).
15887
15888 The messages currently printed, and their meanings, include:
15889
15890 @table @code
15891 @item inner block not inside outer block in @var{symbol}
15892
15893 The symbol information shows where symbol scopes begin and end
15894 (such as at the start of a function or a block of statements). This
15895 error indicates that an inner scope block is not fully contained
15896 in its outer scope blocks.
15897
15898 @value{GDBN} circumvents the problem by treating the inner block as if it had
15899 the same scope as the outer block. In the error message, @var{symbol}
15900 may be shown as ``@code{(don't know)}'' if the outer block is not a
15901 function.
15902
15903 @item block at @var{address} out of order
15904
15905 The symbol information for symbol scope blocks should occur in
15906 order of increasing addresses. This error indicates that it does not
15907 do so.
15908
15909 @value{GDBN} does not circumvent this problem, and has trouble
15910 locating symbols in the source file whose symbols it is reading. (You
15911 can often determine what source file is affected by specifying
15912 @code{set verbose on}. @xref{Messages/Warnings, ,Optional Warnings and
15913 Messages}.)
15914
15915 @item bad block start address patched
15916
15917 The symbol information for a symbol scope block has a start address
15918 smaller than the address of the preceding source line. This is known
15919 to occur in the SunOS 4.1.1 (and earlier) C compiler.
15920
15921 @value{GDBN} circumvents the problem by treating the symbol scope block as
15922 starting on the previous source line.
15923
15924 @item bad string table offset in symbol @var{n}
15925
15926 @cindex foo
15927 Symbol number @var{n} contains a pointer into the string table which is
15928 larger than the size of the string table.
15929
15930 @value{GDBN} circumvents the problem by considering the symbol to have the
15931 name @code{foo}, which may cause other problems if many symbols end up
15932 with this name.
15933
15934 @item unknown symbol type @code{0x@var{nn}}
15935
15936 The symbol information contains new data types that @value{GDBN} does
15937 not yet know how to read. @code{0x@var{nn}} is the symbol type of the
15938 uncomprehended information, in hexadecimal.
15939
15940 @value{GDBN} circumvents the error by ignoring this symbol information.
15941 This usually allows you to debug your program, though certain symbols
15942 are not accessible. If you encounter such a problem and feel like
15943 debugging it, you can debug @code{@value{GDBP}} with itself, breakpoint
15944 on @code{complain}, then go up to the function @code{read_dbx_symtab}
15945 and examine @code{*bufp} to see the symbol.
15946
15947 @item stub type has NULL name
15948
15949 @value{GDBN} could not find the full definition for a struct or class.
15950
15951 @item const/volatile indicator missing (ok if using g++ v1.x), got@dots{}
15952 The symbol information for a C@t{++} member function is missing some
15953 information that recent versions of the compiler should have output for
15954 it.
15955
15956 @item info mismatch between compiler and debugger
15957
15958 @value{GDBN} could not parse a type specification output by the compiler.
15959
15960 @end table
15961
15962 @node Data Files
15963 @section GDB Data Files
15964
15965 @cindex prefix for data files
15966 @value{GDBN} will sometimes read an auxiliary data file. These files
15967 are kept in a directory known as the @dfn{data directory}.
15968
15969 You can set the data directory's name, and view the name @value{GDBN}
15970 is currently using.
15971
15972 @table @code
15973 @kindex set data-directory
15974 @item set data-directory @var{directory}
15975 Set the directory which @value{GDBN} searches for auxiliary data files
15976 to @var{directory}.
15977
15978 @kindex show data-directory
15979 @item show data-directory
15980 Show the directory @value{GDBN} searches for auxiliary data files.
15981 @end table
15982
15983 @cindex default data directory
15984 @cindex @samp{--with-gdb-datadir}
15985 You can set the default data directory by using the configure-time
15986 @samp{--with-gdb-datadir} option. If the data directory is inside
15987 @value{GDBN}'s configured binary prefix (set with @samp{--prefix} or
15988 @samp{--exec-prefix}), then the default data directory will be updated
15989 automatically if the installed @value{GDBN} is moved to a new
15990 location.
15991
15992 The data directory may also be specified with the
15993 @code{--data-directory} command line option.
15994 @xref{Mode Options}.
15995
15996 @node Targets
15997 @chapter Specifying a Debugging Target
15998
15999 @cindex debugging target
16000 A @dfn{target} is the execution environment occupied by your program.
16001
16002 Often, @value{GDBN} runs in the same host environment as your program;
16003 in that case, the debugging target is specified as a side effect when
16004 you use the @code{file} or @code{core} commands. When you need more
16005 flexibility---for example, running @value{GDBN} on a physically separate
16006 host, or controlling a standalone system over a serial port or a
16007 realtime system over a TCP/IP connection---you can use the @code{target}
16008 command to specify one of the target types configured for @value{GDBN}
16009 (@pxref{Target Commands, ,Commands for Managing Targets}).
16010
16011 @cindex target architecture
16012 It is possible to build @value{GDBN} for several different @dfn{target
16013 architectures}. When @value{GDBN} is built like that, you can choose
16014 one of the available architectures with the @kbd{set architecture}
16015 command.
16016
16017 @table @code
16018 @kindex set architecture
16019 @kindex show architecture
16020 @item set architecture @var{arch}
16021 This command sets the current target architecture to @var{arch}. The
16022 value of @var{arch} can be @code{"auto"}, in addition to one of the
16023 supported architectures.
16024
16025 @item show architecture
16026 Show the current target architecture.
16027
16028 @item set processor
16029 @itemx processor
16030 @kindex set processor
16031 @kindex show processor
16032 These are alias commands for, respectively, @code{set architecture}
16033 and @code{show architecture}.
16034 @end table
16035
16036 @menu
16037 * Active Targets:: Active targets
16038 * Target Commands:: Commands for managing targets
16039 * Byte Order:: Choosing target byte order
16040 @end menu
16041
16042 @node Active Targets
16043 @section Active Targets
16044
16045 @cindex stacking targets
16046 @cindex active targets
16047 @cindex multiple targets
16048
16049 There are multiple classes of targets such as: processes, executable files or
16050 recording sessions. Core files belong to the process class, making core file
16051 and process mutually exclusive. Otherwise, @value{GDBN} can work concurrently
16052 on multiple active targets, one in each class. This allows you to (for
16053 example) start a process and inspect its activity, while still having access to
16054 the executable file after the process finishes. Or if you start process
16055 recording (@pxref{Reverse Execution}) and @code{reverse-step} there, you are
16056 presented a virtual layer of the recording target, while the process target
16057 remains stopped at the chronologically last point of the process execution.
16058
16059 Use the @code{core-file} and @code{exec-file} commands to select a new core
16060 file or executable target (@pxref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}). To
16061 specify as a target a process that is already running, use the @code{attach}
16062 command (@pxref{Attach, ,Debugging an Already-running Process}).
16063
16064 @node Target Commands
16065 @section Commands for Managing Targets
16066
16067 @table @code
16068 @item target @var{type} @var{parameters}
16069 Connects the @value{GDBN} host environment to a target machine or
16070 process. A target is typically a protocol for talking to debugging
16071 facilities. You use the argument @var{type} to specify the type or
16072 protocol of the target machine.
16073
16074 Further @var{parameters} are interpreted by the target protocol, but
16075 typically include things like device names or host names to connect
16076 with, process numbers, and baud rates.
16077
16078 The @code{target} command does not repeat if you press @key{RET} again
16079 after executing the command.
16080
16081 @kindex help target
16082 @item help target
16083 Displays the names of all targets available. To display targets
16084 currently selected, use either @code{info target} or @code{info files}
16085 (@pxref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}).
16086
16087 @item help target @var{name}
16088 Describe a particular target, including any parameters necessary to
16089 select it.
16090
16091 @kindex set gnutarget
16092 @item set gnutarget @var{args}
16093 @value{GDBN} uses its own library BFD to read your files. @value{GDBN}
16094 knows whether it is reading an @dfn{executable},
16095 a @dfn{core}, or a @dfn{.o} file; however, you can specify the file format
16096 with the @code{set gnutarget} command. Unlike most @code{target} commands,
16097 with @code{gnutarget} the @code{target} refers to a program, not a machine.
16098
16099 @quotation
16100 @emph{Warning:} To specify a file format with @code{set gnutarget},
16101 you must know the actual BFD name.
16102 @end quotation
16103
16104 @noindent
16105 @xref{Files, , Commands to Specify Files}.
16106
16107 @kindex show gnutarget
16108 @item show gnutarget
16109 Use the @code{show gnutarget} command to display what file format
16110 @code{gnutarget} is set to read. If you have not set @code{gnutarget},
16111 @value{GDBN} will determine the file format for each file automatically,
16112 and @code{show gnutarget} displays @samp{The current BDF target is "auto"}.
16113 @end table
16114
16115 @cindex common targets
16116 Here are some common targets (available, or not, depending on the GDB
16117 configuration):
16118
16119 @table @code
16120 @kindex target
16121 @item target exec @var{program}
16122 @cindex executable file target
16123 An executable file. @samp{target exec @var{program}} is the same as
16124 @samp{exec-file @var{program}}.
16125
16126 @item target core @var{filename}
16127 @cindex core dump file target
16128 A core dump file. @samp{target core @var{filename}} is the same as
16129 @samp{core-file @var{filename}}.
16130
16131 @item target remote @var{medium}
16132 @cindex remote target
16133 A remote system connected to @value{GDBN} via a serial line or network
16134 connection. This command tells @value{GDBN} to use its own remote
16135 protocol over @var{medium} for debugging. @xref{Remote Debugging}.
16136
16137 For example, if you have a board connected to @file{/dev/ttya} on the
16138 machine running @value{GDBN}, you could say:
16139
16140 @smallexample
16141 target remote /dev/ttya
16142 @end smallexample
16143
16144 @code{target remote} supports the @code{load} command. This is only
16145 useful if you have some other way of getting the stub to the target
16146 system, and you can put it somewhere in memory where it won't get
16147 clobbered by the download.
16148
16149 @item target sim @r{[}@var{simargs}@r{]} @dots{}
16150 @cindex built-in simulator target
16151 Builtin CPU simulator. @value{GDBN} includes simulators for most architectures.
16152 In general,
16153 @smallexample
16154 target sim
16155 load
16156 run
16157 @end smallexample
16158 @noindent
16159 works; however, you cannot assume that a specific memory map, device
16160 drivers, or even basic I/O is available, although some simulators do
16161 provide these. For info about any processor-specific simulator details,
16162 see the appropriate section in @ref{Embedded Processors, ,Embedded
16163 Processors}.
16164
16165 @end table
16166
16167 Some configurations may include these targets as well:
16168
16169 @table @code
16170
16171 @item target nrom @var{dev}
16172 @cindex NetROM ROM emulator target
16173 NetROM ROM emulator. This target only supports downloading.
16174
16175 @end table
16176
16177 Different targets are available on different configurations of @value{GDBN};
16178 your configuration may have more or fewer targets.
16179
16180 Many remote targets require you to download the executable's code once
16181 you've successfully established a connection. You may wish to control
16182 various aspects of this process.
16183
16184 @table @code
16185
16186 @item set hash
16187 @kindex set hash@r{, for remote monitors}
16188 @cindex hash mark while downloading
16189 This command controls whether a hash mark @samp{#} is displayed while
16190 downloading a file to the remote monitor. If on, a hash mark is
16191 displayed after each S-record is successfully downloaded to the
16192 monitor.
16193
16194 @item show hash
16195 @kindex show hash@r{, for remote monitors}
16196 Show the current status of displaying the hash mark.
16197
16198 @item set debug monitor
16199 @kindex set debug monitor
16200 @cindex display remote monitor communications
16201 Enable or disable display of communications messages between
16202 @value{GDBN} and the remote monitor.
16203
16204 @item show debug monitor
16205 @kindex show debug monitor
16206 Show the current status of displaying communications between
16207 @value{GDBN} and the remote monitor.
16208 @end table
16209
16210 @table @code
16211
16212 @kindex load @var{filename}
16213 @item load @var{filename}
16214 @anchor{load}
16215 Depending on what remote debugging facilities are configured into
16216 @value{GDBN}, the @code{load} command may be available. Where it exists, it
16217 is meant to make @var{filename} (an executable) available for debugging
16218 on the remote system---by downloading, or dynamic linking, for example.
16219 @code{load} also records the @var{filename} symbol table in @value{GDBN}, like
16220 the @code{add-symbol-file} command.
16221
16222 If your @value{GDBN} does not have a @code{load} command, attempting to
16223 execute it gets the error message ``@code{You can't do that when your
16224 target is @dots{}}''
16225
16226 The file is loaded at whatever address is specified in the executable.
16227 For some object file formats, you can specify the load address when you
16228 link the program; for other formats, like a.out, the object file format
16229 specifies a fixed address.
16230 @c FIXME! This would be a good place for an xref to the GNU linker doc.
16231
16232 Depending on the remote side capabilities, @value{GDBN} may be able to
16233 load programs into flash memory.
16234
16235 @code{load} does not repeat if you press @key{RET} again after using it.
16236 @end table
16237
16238 @node Byte Order
16239 @section Choosing Target Byte Order
16240
16241 @cindex choosing target byte order
16242 @cindex target byte order
16243
16244 Some types of processors, such as the MIPS, PowerPC, and Renesas SH,
16245 offer the ability to run either big-endian or little-endian byte
16246 orders. Usually the executable or symbol will include a bit to
16247 designate the endian-ness, and you will not need to worry about
16248 which to use. However, you may still find it useful to adjust
16249 @value{GDBN}'s idea of processor endian-ness manually.
16250
16251 @table @code
16252 @kindex set endian
16253 @item set endian big
16254 Instruct @value{GDBN} to assume the target is big-endian.
16255
16256 @item set endian little
16257 Instruct @value{GDBN} to assume the target is little-endian.
16258
16259 @item set endian auto
16260 Instruct @value{GDBN} to use the byte order associated with the
16261 executable.
16262
16263 @item show endian
16264 Display @value{GDBN}'s current idea of the target byte order.
16265
16266 @end table
16267
16268 Note that these commands merely adjust interpretation of symbolic
16269 data on the host, and that they have absolutely no effect on the
16270 target system.
16271
16272
16273 @node Remote Debugging
16274 @chapter Debugging Remote Programs
16275 @cindex remote debugging
16276
16277 If you are trying to debug a program running on a machine that cannot run
16278 @value{GDBN} in the usual way, it is often useful to use remote debugging.
16279 For example, you might use remote debugging on an operating system kernel,
16280 or on a small system which does not have a general purpose operating system
16281 powerful enough to run a full-featured debugger.
16282
16283 Some configurations of @value{GDBN} have special serial or TCP/IP interfaces
16284 to make this work with particular debugging targets. In addition,
16285 @value{GDBN} comes with a generic serial protocol (specific to @value{GDBN},
16286 but not specific to any particular target system) which you can use if you
16287 write the remote stubs---the code that runs on the remote system to
16288 communicate with @value{GDBN}.
16289
16290 Other remote targets may be available in your
16291 configuration of @value{GDBN}; use @code{help target} to list them.
16292
16293 @menu
16294 * Connecting:: Connecting to a remote target
16295 * File Transfer:: Sending files to a remote system
16296 * Server:: Using the gdbserver program
16297 * Remote Configuration:: Remote configuration
16298 * Remote Stub:: Implementing a remote stub
16299 @end menu
16300
16301 @node Connecting
16302 @section Connecting to a Remote Target
16303
16304 On the @value{GDBN} host machine, you will need an unstripped copy of
16305 your program, since @value{GDBN} needs symbol and debugging information.
16306 Start up @value{GDBN} as usual, using the name of the local copy of your
16307 program as the first argument.
16308
16309 @cindex @code{target remote}
16310 @value{GDBN} can communicate with the target over a serial line, or
16311 over an @acronym{IP} network using @acronym{TCP} or @acronym{UDP}. In
16312 each case, @value{GDBN} uses the same protocol for debugging your
16313 program; only the medium carrying the debugging packets varies. The
16314 @code{target remote} command establishes a connection to the target.
16315 Its arguments indicate which medium to use:
16316
16317 @table @code
16318
16319 @item target remote @var{serial-device}
16320 @cindex serial line, @code{target remote}
16321 Use @var{serial-device} to communicate with the target. For example,
16322 to use a serial line connected to the device named @file{/dev/ttyb}:
16323
16324 @smallexample
16325 target remote /dev/ttyb
16326 @end smallexample
16327
16328 If you're using a serial line, you may want to give @value{GDBN} the
16329 @w{@samp{--baud}} option, or use the @code{set remotebaud} command
16330 (@pxref{Remote Configuration, set remotebaud}) before the
16331 @code{target} command.
16332
16333 @item target remote @code{@var{host}:@var{port}}
16334 @itemx target remote @code{tcp:@var{host}:@var{port}}
16335 @cindex @acronym{TCP} port, @code{target remote}
16336 Debug using a @acronym{TCP} connection to @var{port} on @var{host}.
16337 The @var{host} may be either a host name or a numeric @acronym{IP}
16338 address; @var{port} must be a decimal number. The @var{host} could be
16339 the target machine itself, if it is directly connected to the net, or
16340 it might be a terminal server which in turn has a serial line to the
16341 target.
16342
16343 For example, to connect to port 2828 on a terminal server named
16344 @code{manyfarms}:
16345
16346 @smallexample
16347 target remote manyfarms:2828
16348 @end smallexample
16349
16350 If your remote target is actually running on the same machine as your
16351 debugger session (e.g.@: a simulator for your target running on the
16352 same host), you can omit the hostname. For example, to connect to
16353 port 1234 on your local machine:
16354
16355 @smallexample
16356 target remote :1234
16357 @end smallexample
16358 @noindent
16359
16360 Note that the colon is still required here.
16361
16362 @item target remote @code{udp:@var{host}:@var{port}}
16363 @cindex @acronym{UDP} port, @code{target remote}
16364 Debug using @acronym{UDP} packets to @var{port} on @var{host}. For example, to
16365 connect to @acronym{UDP} port 2828 on a terminal server named @code{manyfarms}:
16366
16367 @smallexample
16368 target remote udp:manyfarms:2828
16369 @end smallexample
16370
16371 When using a @acronym{UDP} connection for remote debugging, you should
16372 keep in mind that the `U' stands for ``Unreliable''. @acronym{UDP}
16373 can silently drop packets on busy or unreliable networks, which will
16374 cause havoc with your debugging session.
16375
16376 @item target remote | @var{command}
16377 @cindex pipe, @code{target remote} to
16378 Run @var{command} in the background and communicate with it using a
16379 pipe. The @var{command} is a shell command, to be parsed and expanded
16380 by the system's command shell, @code{/bin/sh}; it should expect remote
16381 protocol packets on its standard input, and send replies on its
16382 standard output. You could use this to run a stand-alone simulator
16383 that speaks the remote debugging protocol, to make net connections
16384 using programs like @code{ssh}, or for other similar tricks.
16385
16386 If @var{command} closes its standard output (perhaps by exiting),
16387 @value{GDBN} will try to send it a @code{SIGTERM} signal. (If the
16388 program has already exited, this will have no effect.)
16389
16390 @end table
16391
16392 Once the connection has been established, you can use all the usual
16393 commands to examine and change data. The remote program is already
16394 running; you can use @kbd{step} and @kbd{continue}, and you do not
16395 need to use @kbd{run}.
16396
16397 @cindex interrupting remote programs
16398 @cindex remote programs, interrupting
16399 Whenever @value{GDBN} is waiting for the remote program, if you type the
16400 interrupt character (often @kbd{Ctrl-c}), @value{GDBN} attempts to stop the
16401 program. This may or may not succeed, depending in part on the hardware
16402 and the serial drivers the remote system uses. If you type the
16403 interrupt character once again, @value{GDBN} displays this prompt:
16404
16405 @smallexample
16406 Interrupted while waiting for the program.
16407 Give up (and stop debugging it)? (y or n)
16408 @end smallexample
16409
16410 If you type @kbd{y}, @value{GDBN} abandons the remote debugging session.
16411 (If you decide you want to try again later, you can use @samp{target
16412 remote} again to connect once more.) If you type @kbd{n}, @value{GDBN}
16413 goes back to waiting.
16414
16415 @table @code
16416 @kindex detach (remote)
16417 @item detach
16418 When you have finished debugging the remote program, you can use the
16419 @code{detach} command to release it from @value{GDBN} control.
16420 Detaching from the target normally resumes its execution, but the results
16421 will depend on your particular remote stub. After the @code{detach}
16422 command, @value{GDBN} is free to connect to another target.
16423
16424 @kindex disconnect
16425 @item disconnect
16426 The @code{disconnect} command behaves like @code{detach}, except that
16427 the target is generally not resumed. It will wait for @value{GDBN}
16428 (this instance or another one) to connect and continue debugging. After
16429 the @code{disconnect} command, @value{GDBN} is again free to connect to
16430 another target.
16431
16432 @cindex send command to remote monitor
16433 @cindex extend @value{GDBN} for remote targets
16434 @cindex add new commands for external monitor
16435 @kindex monitor
16436 @item monitor @var{cmd}
16437 This command allows you to send arbitrary commands directly to the
16438 remote monitor. Since @value{GDBN} doesn't care about the commands it
16439 sends like this, this command is the way to extend @value{GDBN}---you
16440 can add new commands that only the external monitor will understand
16441 and implement.
16442 @end table
16443
16444 @node File Transfer
16445 @section Sending files to a remote system
16446 @cindex remote target, file transfer
16447 @cindex file transfer
16448 @cindex sending files to remote systems
16449
16450 Some remote targets offer the ability to transfer files over the same
16451 connection used to communicate with @value{GDBN}. This is convenient
16452 for targets accessible through other means, e.g.@: @sc{gnu}/Linux systems
16453 running @code{gdbserver} over a network interface. For other targets,
16454 e.g.@: embedded devices with only a single serial port, this may be
16455 the only way to upload or download files.
16456
16457 Not all remote targets support these commands.
16458
16459 @table @code
16460 @kindex remote put
16461 @item remote put @var{hostfile} @var{targetfile}
16462 Copy file @var{hostfile} from the host system (the machine running
16463 @value{GDBN}) to @var{targetfile} on the target system.
16464
16465 @kindex remote get
16466 @item remote get @var{targetfile} @var{hostfile}
16467 Copy file @var{targetfile} from the target system to @var{hostfile}
16468 on the host system.
16469
16470 @kindex remote delete
16471 @item remote delete @var{targetfile}
16472 Delete @var{targetfile} from the target system.
16473
16474 @end table
16475
16476 @node Server
16477 @section Using the @code{gdbserver} Program
16478
16479 @kindex gdbserver
16480 @cindex remote connection without stubs
16481 @code{gdbserver} is a control program for Unix-like systems, which
16482 allows you to connect your program with a remote @value{GDBN} via
16483 @code{target remote}---but without linking in the usual debugging stub.
16484
16485 @code{gdbserver} is not a complete replacement for the debugging stubs,
16486 because it requires essentially the same operating-system facilities
16487 that @value{GDBN} itself does. In fact, a system that can run
16488 @code{gdbserver} to connect to a remote @value{GDBN} could also run
16489 @value{GDBN} locally! @code{gdbserver} is sometimes useful nevertheless,
16490 because it is a much smaller program than @value{GDBN} itself. It is
16491 also easier to port than all of @value{GDBN}, so you may be able to get
16492 started more quickly on a new system by using @code{gdbserver}.
16493 Finally, if you develop code for real-time systems, you may find that
16494 the tradeoffs involved in real-time operation make it more convenient to
16495 do as much development work as possible on another system, for example
16496 by cross-compiling. You can use @code{gdbserver} to make a similar
16497 choice for debugging.
16498
16499 @value{GDBN} and @code{gdbserver} communicate via either a serial line
16500 or a TCP connection, using the standard @value{GDBN} remote serial
16501 protocol.
16502
16503 @quotation
16504 @emph{Warning:} @code{gdbserver} does not have any built-in security.
16505 Do not run @code{gdbserver} connected to any public network; a
16506 @value{GDBN} connection to @code{gdbserver} provides access to the
16507 target system with the same privileges as the user running
16508 @code{gdbserver}.
16509 @end quotation
16510
16511 @subsection Running @code{gdbserver}
16512 @cindex arguments, to @code{gdbserver}
16513 @cindex @code{gdbserver}, command-line arguments
16514
16515 Run @code{gdbserver} on the target system. You need a copy of the
16516 program you want to debug, including any libraries it requires.
16517 @code{gdbserver} does not need your program's symbol table, so you can
16518 strip the program if necessary to save space. @value{GDBN} on the host
16519 system does all the symbol handling.
16520
16521 To use the server, you must tell it how to communicate with @value{GDBN};
16522 the name of your program; and the arguments for your program. The usual
16523 syntax is:
16524
16525 @smallexample
16526 target> gdbserver @var{comm} @var{program} [ @var{args} @dots{} ]
16527 @end smallexample
16528
16529 @var{comm} is either a device name (to use a serial line) or a TCP
16530 hostname and portnumber. For example, to debug Emacs with the argument
16531 @samp{foo.txt} and communicate with @value{GDBN} over the serial port
16532 @file{/dev/com1}:
16533
16534 @smallexample
16535 target> gdbserver /dev/com1 emacs foo.txt
16536 @end smallexample
16537
16538 @code{gdbserver} waits passively for the host @value{GDBN} to communicate
16539 with it.
16540
16541 To use a TCP connection instead of a serial line:
16542
16543 @smallexample
16544 target> gdbserver host:2345 emacs foo.txt
16545 @end smallexample
16546
16547 The only difference from the previous example is the first argument,
16548 specifying that you are communicating with the host @value{GDBN} via
16549 TCP. The @samp{host:2345} argument means that @code{gdbserver} is to
16550 expect a TCP connection from machine @samp{host} to local TCP port 2345.
16551 (Currently, the @samp{host} part is ignored.) You can choose any number
16552 you want for the port number as long as it does not conflict with any
16553 TCP ports already in use on the target system (for example, @code{23} is
16554 reserved for @code{telnet}).@footnote{If you choose a port number that
16555 conflicts with another service, @code{gdbserver} prints an error message
16556 and exits.} You must use the same port number with the host @value{GDBN}
16557 @code{target remote} command.
16558
16559 @subsubsection Attaching to a Running Program
16560 @cindex attach to a program, @code{gdbserver}
16561 @cindex @option{--attach}, @code{gdbserver} option
16562
16563 On some targets, @code{gdbserver} can also attach to running programs.
16564 This is accomplished via the @code{--attach} argument. The syntax is:
16565
16566 @smallexample
16567 target> gdbserver --attach @var{comm} @var{pid}
16568 @end smallexample
16569
16570 @var{pid} is the process ID of a currently running process. It isn't necessary
16571 to point @code{gdbserver} at a binary for the running process.
16572
16573 @pindex pidof
16574 You can debug processes by name instead of process ID if your target has the
16575 @code{pidof} utility:
16576
16577 @smallexample
16578 target> gdbserver --attach @var{comm} `pidof @var{program}`
16579 @end smallexample
16580
16581 In case more than one copy of @var{program} is running, or @var{program}
16582 has multiple threads, most versions of @code{pidof} support the
16583 @code{-s} option to only return the first process ID.
16584
16585 @subsubsection Multi-Process Mode for @code{gdbserver}
16586 @cindex @code{gdbserver}, multiple processes
16587 @cindex multiple processes with @code{gdbserver}
16588
16589 When you connect to @code{gdbserver} using @code{target remote},
16590 @code{gdbserver} debugs the specified program only once. When the
16591 program exits, or you detach from it, @value{GDBN} closes the connection
16592 and @code{gdbserver} exits.
16593
16594 If you connect using @kbd{target extended-remote}, @code{gdbserver}
16595 enters multi-process mode. When the debugged program exits, or you
16596 detach from it, @value{GDBN} stays connected to @code{gdbserver} even
16597 though no program is running. The @code{run} and @code{attach}
16598 commands instruct @code{gdbserver} to run or attach to a new program.
16599 The @code{run} command uses @code{set remote exec-file} (@pxref{set
16600 remote exec-file}) to select the program to run. Command line
16601 arguments are supported, except for wildcard expansion and I/O
16602 redirection (@pxref{Arguments}).
16603
16604 @cindex @option{--multi}, @code{gdbserver} option
16605 To start @code{gdbserver} without supplying an initial command to run
16606 or process ID to attach, use the @option{--multi} command line option.
16607 Then you can connect using @kbd{target extended-remote} and start
16608 the program you want to debug.
16609
16610 In multi-process mode @code{gdbserver} does not automatically exit unless you
16611 use the option @option{--once}. You can terminate it by using
16612 @code{monitor exit} (@pxref{Monitor Commands for gdbserver}). Note that the
16613 conditions under which @code{gdbserver} terminates depend on how @value{GDBN}
16614 connects to it (@kbd{target remote} or @kbd{target extended-remote}). The
16615 @option{--multi} option to @code{gdbserver} has no influence on that.
16616
16617 @subsubsection TCP port allocation lifecycle of @code{gdbserver}
16618
16619 This section applies only when @code{gdbserver} is run to listen on a TCP port.
16620
16621 @code{gdbserver} normally terminates after all of its debugged processes have
16622 terminated in @kbd{target remote} mode. On the other hand, for @kbd{target
16623 extended-remote}, @code{gdbserver} stays running even with no processes left.
16624 @value{GDBN} normally terminates the spawned debugged process on its exit,
16625 which normally also terminates @code{gdbserver} in the @kbd{target remote}
16626 mode. Therefore, when the connection drops unexpectedly, and @value{GDBN}
16627 cannot ask @code{gdbserver} to kill its debugged processes, @code{gdbserver}
16628 stays running even in the @kbd{target remote} mode.
16629
16630 When @code{gdbserver} stays running, @value{GDBN} can connect to it again later.
16631 Such reconnecting is useful for features like @ref{disconnected tracing}. For
16632 completeness, at most one @value{GDBN} can be connected at a time.
16633
16634 @cindex @option{--once}, @code{gdbserver} option
16635 By default, @code{gdbserver} keeps the listening TCP port open, so that
16636 additional connections are possible. However, if you start @code{gdbserver}
16637 with the @option{--once} option, it will stop listening for any further
16638 connection attempts after connecting to the first @value{GDBN} session. This
16639 means no further connections to @code{gdbserver} will be possible after the
16640 first one. It also means @code{gdbserver} will terminate after the first
16641 connection with remote @value{GDBN} has closed, even for unexpectedly closed
16642 connections and even in the @kbd{target extended-remote} mode. The
16643 @option{--once} option allows reusing the same port number for connecting to
16644 multiple instances of @code{gdbserver} running on the same host, since each
16645 instance closes its port after the first connection.
16646
16647 @subsubsection Other Command-Line Arguments for @code{gdbserver}
16648
16649 @cindex @option{--debug}, @code{gdbserver} option
16650 The @option{--debug} option tells @code{gdbserver} to display extra
16651 status information about the debugging process.
16652 @cindex @option{--remote-debug}, @code{gdbserver} option
16653 The @option{--remote-debug} option tells @code{gdbserver} to display
16654 remote protocol debug output. These options are intended for
16655 @code{gdbserver} development and for bug reports to the developers.
16656
16657 @cindex @option{--wrapper}, @code{gdbserver} option
16658 The @option{--wrapper} option specifies a wrapper to launch programs
16659 for debugging. The option should be followed by the name of the
16660 wrapper, then any command-line arguments to pass to the wrapper, then
16661 @kbd{--} indicating the end of the wrapper arguments.
16662
16663 @code{gdbserver} runs the specified wrapper program with a combined
16664 command line including the wrapper arguments, then the name of the
16665 program to debug, then any arguments to the program. The wrapper
16666 runs until it executes your program, and then @value{GDBN} gains control.
16667
16668 You can use any program that eventually calls @code{execve} with
16669 its arguments as a wrapper. Several standard Unix utilities do
16670 this, e.g.@: @code{env} and @code{nohup}. Any Unix shell script ending
16671 with @code{exec "$@@"} will also work.
16672
16673 For example, you can use @code{env} to pass an environment variable to
16674 the debugged program, without setting the variable in @code{gdbserver}'s
16675 environment:
16676
16677 @smallexample
16678 $ gdbserver --wrapper env LD_PRELOAD=libtest.so -- :2222 ./testprog
16679 @end smallexample
16680
16681 @subsection Connecting to @code{gdbserver}
16682
16683 Run @value{GDBN} on the host system.
16684
16685 First make sure you have the necessary symbol files. Load symbols for
16686 your application using the @code{file} command before you connect. Use
16687 @code{set sysroot} to locate target libraries (unless your @value{GDBN}
16688 was compiled with the correct sysroot using @code{--with-sysroot}).
16689
16690 The symbol file and target libraries must exactly match the executable
16691 and libraries on the target, with one exception: the files on the host
16692 system should not be stripped, even if the files on the target system
16693 are. Mismatched or missing files will lead to confusing results
16694 during debugging. On @sc{gnu}/Linux targets, mismatched or missing
16695 files may also prevent @code{gdbserver} from debugging multi-threaded
16696 programs.
16697
16698 Connect to your target (@pxref{Connecting,,Connecting to a Remote Target}).
16699 For TCP connections, you must start up @code{gdbserver} prior to using
16700 the @code{target remote} command. Otherwise you may get an error whose
16701 text depends on the host system, but which usually looks something like
16702 @samp{Connection refused}. Don't use the @code{load}
16703 command in @value{GDBN} when using @code{gdbserver}, since the program is
16704 already on the target.
16705
16706 @subsection Monitor Commands for @code{gdbserver}
16707 @cindex monitor commands, for @code{gdbserver}
16708 @anchor{Monitor Commands for gdbserver}
16709
16710 During a @value{GDBN} session using @code{gdbserver}, you can use the
16711 @code{monitor} command to send special requests to @code{gdbserver}.
16712 Here are the available commands.
16713
16714 @table @code
16715 @item monitor help
16716 List the available monitor commands.
16717
16718 @item monitor set debug 0
16719 @itemx monitor set debug 1
16720 Disable or enable general debugging messages.
16721
16722 @item monitor set remote-debug 0
16723 @itemx monitor set remote-debug 1
16724 Disable or enable specific debugging messages associated with the remote
16725 protocol (@pxref{Remote Protocol}).
16726
16727 @item monitor set libthread-db-search-path [PATH]
16728 @cindex gdbserver, search path for @code{libthread_db}
16729 When this command is issued, @var{path} is a colon-separated list of
16730 directories to search for @code{libthread_db} (@pxref{Threads,,set
16731 libthread-db-search-path}). If you omit @var{path},
16732 @samp{libthread-db-search-path} will be reset to its default value.
16733
16734 The special entry @samp{$pdir} for @samp{libthread-db-search-path} is
16735 not supported in @code{gdbserver}.
16736
16737 @item monitor exit
16738 Tell gdbserver to exit immediately. This command should be followed by
16739 @code{disconnect} to close the debugging session. @code{gdbserver} will
16740 detach from any attached processes and kill any processes it created.
16741 Use @code{monitor exit} to terminate @code{gdbserver} at the end
16742 of a multi-process mode debug session.
16743
16744 @end table
16745
16746 @subsection Tracepoints support in @code{gdbserver}
16747 @cindex tracepoints support in @code{gdbserver}
16748
16749 On some targets, @code{gdbserver} supports tracepoints, fast
16750 tracepoints and static tracepoints.
16751
16752 For fast or static tracepoints to work, a special library called the
16753 @dfn{in-process agent} (IPA), must be loaded in the inferior process.
16754 This library is built and distributed as an integral part of
16755 @code{gdbserver}. In addition, support for static tracepoints
16756 requires building the in-process agent library with static tracepoints
16757 support. At present, the UST (LTTng Userspace Tracer,
16758 @url{http://lttng.org/ust}) tracing engine is supported. This support
16759 is automatically available if UST development headers are found in the
16760 standard include path when @code{gdbserver} is built, or if
16761 @code{gdbserver} was explicitly configured using @option{--with-ust}
16762 to point at such headers. You can explicitly disable the support
16763 using @option{--with-ust=no}.
16764
16765 There are several ways to load the in-process agent in your program:
16766
16767 @table @code
16768 @item Specifying it as dependency at link time
16769
16770 You can link your program dynamically with the in-process agent
16771 library. On most systems, this is accomplished by adding
16772 @code{-linproctrace} to the link command.
16773
16774 @item Using the system's preloading mechanisms
16775
16776 You can force loading the in-process agent at startup time by using
16777 your system's support for preloading shared libraries. Many Unixes
16778 support the concept of preloading user defined libraries. In most
16779 cases, you do that by specifying @code{LD_PRELOAD=libinproctrace.so}
16780 in the environment. See also the description of @code{gdbserver}'s
16781 @option{--wrapper} command line option.
16782
16783 @item Using @value{GDBN} to force loading the agent at run time
16784
16785 On some systems, you can force the inferior to load a shared library,
16786 by calling a dynamic loader function in the inferior that takes care
16787 of dynamically looking up and loading a shared library. On most Unix
16788 systems, the function is @code{dlopen}. You'll use the @code{call}
16789 command for that. For example:
16790
16791 @smallexample
16792 (@value{GDBP}) call dlopen ("libinproctrace.so", ...)
16793 @end smallexample
16794
16795 Note that on most Unix systems, for the @code{dlopen} function to be
16796 available, the program needs to be linked with @code{-ldl}.
16797 @end table
16798
16799 On systems that have a userspace dynamic loader, like most Unix
16800 systems, when you connect to @code{gdbserver} using @code{target
16801 remote}, you'll find that the program is stopped at the dynamic
16802 loader's entry point, and no shared library has been loaded in the
16803 program's address space yet, including the in-process agent. In that
16804 case, before being able to use any of the fast or static tracepoints
16805 features, you need to let the loader run and load the shared
16806 libraries. The simplest way to do that is to run the program to the
16807 main procedure. E.g., if debugging a C or C@t{++} program, start
16808 @code{gdbserver} like so:
16809
16810 @smallexample
16811 $ gdbserver :9999 myprogram
16812 @end smallexample
16813
16814 Start GDB and connect to @code{gdbserver} like so, and run to main:
16815
16816 @smallexample
16817 $ gdb myprogram
16818 (@value{GDBP}) target remote myhost:9999
16819 0x00007f215893ba60 in ?? () from /lib64/ld-linux-x86-64.so.2
16820 (@value{GDBP}) b main
16821 (@value{GDBP}) continue
16822 @end smallexample
16823
16824 The in-process tracing agent library should now be loaded into the
16825 process; you can confirm it with the @code{info sharedlibrary}
16826 command, which will list @file{libinproctrace.so} as loaded in the
16827 process. You are now ready to install fast tracepoints, list static
16828 tracepoint markers, probe static tracepoints markers, and start
16829 tracing.
16830
16831 @node Remote Configuration
16832 @section Remote Configuration
16833
16834 @kindex set remote
16835 @kindex show remote
16836 This section documents the configuration options available when
16837 debugging remote programs. For the options related to the File I/O
16838 extensions of the remote protocol, see @ref{system,
16839 system-call-allowed}.
16840
16841 @table @code
16842 @item set remoteaddresssize @var{bits}
16843 @cindex address size for remote targets
16844 @cindex bits in remote address
16845 Set the maximum size of address in a memory packet to the specified
16846 number of bits. @value{GDBN} will mask off the address bits above
16847 that number, when it passes addresses to the remote target. The
16848 default value is the number of bits in the target's address.
16849
16850 @item show remoteaddresssize
16851 Show the current value of remote address size in bits.
16852
16853 @item set remotebaud @var{n}
16854 @cindex baud rate for remote targets
16855 Set the baud rate for the remote serial I/O to @var{n} baud. The
16856 value is used to set the speed of the serial port used for debugging
16857 remote targets.
16858
16859 @item show remotebaud
16860 Show the current speed of the remote connection.
16861
16862 @item set remotebreak
16863 @cindex interrupt remote programs
16864 @cindex BREAK signal instead of Ctrl-C
16865 @anchor{set remotebreak}
16866 If set to on, @value{GDBN} sends a @code{BREAK} signal to the remote
16867 when you type @kbd{Ctrl-c} to interrupt the program running
16868 on the remote. If set to off, @value{GDBN} sends the @samp{Ctrl-C}
16869 character instead. The default is off, since most remote systems
16870 expect to see @samp{Ctrl-C} as the interrupt signal.
16871
16872 @item show remotebreak
16873 Show whether @value{GDBN} sends @code{BREAK} or @samp{Ctrl-C} to
16874 interrupt the remote program.
16875
16876 @item set remoteflow on
16877 @itemx set remoteflow off
16878 @kindex set remoteflow
16879 Enable or disable hardware flow control (@code{RTS}/@code{CTS})
16880 on the serial port used to communicate to the remote target.
16881
16882 @item show remoteflow
16883 @kindex show remoteflow
16884 Show the current setting of hardware flow control.
16885
16886 @item set remotelogbase @var{base}
16887 Set the base (a.k.a.@: radix) of logging serial protocol
16888 communications to @var{base}. Supported values of @var{base} are:
16889 @code{ascii}, @code{octal}, and @code{hex}. The default is
16890 @code{ascii}.
16891
16892 @item show remotelogbase
16893 Show the current setting of the radix for logging remote serial
16894 protocol.
16895
16896 @item set remotelogfile @var{file}
16897 @cindex record serial communications on file
16898 Record remote serial communications on the named @var{file}. The
16899 default is not to record at all.
16900
16901 @item show remotelogfile.
16902 Show the current setting of the file name on which to record the
16903 serial communications.
16904
16905 @item set remotetimeout @var{num}
16906 @cindex timeout for serial communications
16907 @cindex remote timeout
16908 Set the timeout limit to wait for the remote target to respond to
16909 @var{num} seconds. The default is 2 seconds.
16910
16911 @item show remotetimeout
16912 Show the current number of seconds to wait for the remote target
16913 responses.
16914
16915 @cindex limit hardware breakpoints and watchpoints
16916 @cindex remote target, limit break- and watchpoints
16917 @anchor{set remote hardware-watchpoint-limit}
16918 @anchor{set remote hardware-breakpoint-limit}
16919 @item set remote hardware-watchpoint-limit @var{limit}
16920 @itemx set remote hardware-breakpoint-limit @var{limit}
16921 Restrict @value{GDBN} to using @var{limit} remote hardware breakpoint or
16922 watchpoints. A limit of -1, the default, is treated as unlimited.
16923
16924 @cindex limit hardware watchpoints length
16925 @cindex remote target, limit watchpoints length
16926 @anchor{set remote hardware-watchpoint-length-limit}
16927 @item set remote hardware-watchpoint-length-limit @var{limit}
16928 Restrict @value{GDBN} to using @var{limit} bytes for the maximum length of
16929 a remote hardware watchpoint. A limit of -1, the default, is treated
16930 as unlimited.
16931
16932 @item show remote hardware-watchpoint-length-limit
16933 Show the current limit (in bytes) of the maximum length of
16934 a remote hardware watchpoint.
16935
16936 @item set remote exec-file @var{filename}
16937 @itemx show remote exec-file
16938 @anchor{set remote exec-file}
16939 @cindex executable file, for remote target
16940 Select the file used for @code{run} with @code{target
16941 extended-remote}. This should be set to a filename valid on the
16942 target system. If it is not set, the target will use a default
16943 filename (e.g.@: the last program run).
16944
16945 @item set remote interrupt-sequence
16946 @cindex interrupt remote programs
16947 @cindex select Ctrl-C, BREAK or BREAK-g
16948 Allow the user to select one of @samp{Ctrl-C}, a @code{BREAK} or
16949 @samp{BREAK-g} as the
16950 sequence to the remote target in order to interrupt the execution.
16951 @samp{Ctrl-C} is a default. Some system prefers @code{BREAK} which
16952 is high level of serial line for some certain time.
16953 Linux kernel prefers @samp{BREAK-g}, a.k.a Magic SysRq g.
16954 It is @code{BREAK} signal followed by character @code{g}.
16955
16956 @item show interrupt-sequence
16957 Show which of @samp{Ctrl-C}, @code{BREAK} or @code{BREAK-g}
16958 is sent by @value{GDBN} to interrupt the remote program.
16959 @code{BREAK-g} is BREAK signal followed by @code{g} and
16960 also known as Magic SysRq g.
16961
16962 @item set remote interrupt-on-connect
16963 @cindex send interrupt-sequence on start
16964 Specify whether interrupt-sequence is sent to remote target when
16965 @value{GDBN} connects to it. This is mostly needed when you debug
16966 Linux kernel. Linux kernel expects @code{BREAK} followed by @code{g}
16967 which is known as Magic SysRq g in order to connect @value{GDBN}.
16968
16969 @item show interrupt-on-connect
16970 Show whether interrupt-sequence is sent
16971 to remote target when @value{GDBN} connects to it.
16972
16973 @kindex set tcp
16974 @kindex show tcp
16975 @item set tcp auto-retry on
16976 @cindex auto-retry, for remote TCP target
16977 Enable auto-retry for remote TCP connections. This is useful if the remote
16978 debugging agent is launched in parallel with @value{GDBN}; there is a race
16979 condition because the agent may not become ready to accept the connection
16980 before @value{GDBN} attempts to connect. When auto-retry is
16981 enabled, if the initial attempt to connect fails, @value{GDBN} reattempts
16982 to establish the connection using the timeout specified by
16983 @code{set tcp connect-timeout}.
16984
16985 @item set tcp auto-retry off
16986 Do not auto-retry failed TCP connections.
16987
16988 @item show tcp auto-retry
16989 Show the current auto-retry setting.
16990
16991 @item set tcp connect-timeout @var{seconds}
16992 @cindex connection timeout, for remote TCP target
16993 @cindex timeout, for remote target connection
16994 Set the timeout for establishing a TCP connection to the remote target to
16995 @var{seconds}. The timeout affects both polling to retry failed connections
16996 (enabled by @code{set tcp auto-retry on}) and waiting for connections
16997 that are merely slow to complete, and represents an approximate cumulative
16998 value.
16999
17000 @item show tcp connect-timeout
17001 Show the current connection timeout setting.
17002 @end table
17003
17004 @cindex remote packets, enabling and disabling
17005 The @value{GDBN} remote protocol autodetects the packets supported by
17006 your debugging stub. If you need to override the autodetection, you
17007 can use these commands to enable or disable individual packets. Each
17008 packet can be set to @samp{on} (the remote target supports this
17009 packet), @samp{off} (the remote target does not support this packet),
17010 or @samp{auto} (detect remote target support for this packet). They
17011 all default to @samp{auto}. For more information about each packet,
17012 see @ref{Remote Protocol}.
17013
17014 During normal use, you should not have to use any of these commands.
17015 If you do, that may be a bug in your remote debugging stub, or a bug
17016 in @value{GDBN}. You may want to report the problem to the
17017 @value{GDBN} developers.
17018
17019 For each packet @var{name}, the command to enable or disable the
17020 packet is @code{set remote @var{name}-packet}. The available settings
17021 are:
17022
17023 @multitable @columnfractions 0.28 0.32 0.25
17024 @item Command Name
17025 @tab Remote Packet
17026 @tab Related Features
17027
17028 @item @code{fetch-register}
17029 @tab @code{p}
17030 @tab @code{info registers}
17031
17032 @item @code{set-register}
17033 @tab @code{P}
17034 @tab @code{set}
17035
17036 @item @code{binary-download}
17037 @tab @code{X}
17038 @tab @code{load}, @code{set}
17039
17040 @item @code{read-aux-vector}
17041 @tab @code{qXfer:auxv:read}
17042 @tab @code{info auxv}
17043
17044 @item @code{symbol-lookup}
17045 @tab @code{qSymbol}
17046 @tab Detecting multiple threads
17047
17048 @item @code{attach}
17049 @tab @code{vAttach}
17050 @tab @code{attach}
17051
17052 @item @code{verbose-resume}
17053 @tab @code{vCont}
17054 @tab Stepping or resuming multiple threads
17055
17056 @item @code{run}
17057 @tab @code{vRun}
17058 @tab @code{run}
17059
17060 @item @code{software-breakpoint}
17061 @tab @code{Z0}
17062 @tab @code{break}
17063
17064 @item @code{hardware-breakpoint}
17065 @tab @code{Z1}
17066 @tab @code{hbreak}
17067
17068 @item @code{write-watchpoint}
17069 @tab @code{Z2}
17070 @tab @code{watch}
17071
17072 @item @code{read-watchpoint}
17073 @tab @code{Z3}
17074 @tab @code{rwatch}
17075
17076 @item @code{access-watchpoint}
17077 @tab @code{Z4}
17078 @tab @code{awatch}
17079
17080 @item @code{target-features}
17081 @tab @code{qXfer:features:read}
17082 @tab @code{set architecture}
17083
17084 @item @code{library-info}
17085 @tab @code{qXfer:libraries:read}
17086 @tab @code{info sharedlibrary}
17087
17088 @item @code{memory-map}
17089 @tab @code{qXfer:memory-map:read}
17090 @tab @code{info mem}
17091
17092 @item @code{read-sdata-object}
17093 @tab @code{qXfer:sdata:read}
17094 @tab @code{print $_sdata}
17095
17096 @item @code{read-spu-object}
17097 @tab @code{qXfer:spu:read}
17098 @tab @code{info spu}
17099
17100 @item @code{write-spu-object}
17101 @tab @code{qXfer:spu:write}
17102 @tab @code{info spu}
17103
17104 @item @code{read-siginfo-object}
17105 @tab @code{qXfer:siginfo:read}
17106 @tab @code{print $_siginfo}
17107
17108 @item @code{write-siginfo-object}
17109 @tab @code{qXfer:siginfo:write}
17110 @tab @code{set $_siginfo}
17111
17112 @item @code{threads}
17113 @tab @code{qXfer:threads:read}
17114 @tab @code{info threads}
17115
17116 @item @code{get-thread-local-@*storage-address}
17117 @tab @code{qGetTLSAddr}
17118 @tab Displaying @code{__thread} variables
17119
17120 @item @code{get-thread-information-block-address}
17121 @tab @code{qGetTIBAddr}
17122 @tab Display MS-Windows Thread Information Block.
17123
17124 @item @code{search-memory}
17125 @tab @code{qSearch:memory}
17126 @tab @code{find}
17127
17128 @item @code{supported-packets}
17129 @tab @code{qSupported}
17130 @tab Remote communications parameters
17131
17132 @item @code{pass-signals}
17133 @tab @code{QPassSignals}
17134 @tab @code{handle @var{signal}}
17135
17136 @item @code{hostio-close-packet}
17137 @tab @code{vFile:close}
17138 @tab @code{remote get}, @code{remote put}
17139
17140 @item @code{hostio-open-packet}
17141 @tab @code{vFile:open}
17142 @tab @code{remote get}, @code{remote put}
17143
17144 @item @code{hostio-pread-packet}
17145 @tab @code{vFile:pread}
17146 @tab @code{remote get}, @code{remote put}
17147
17148 @item @code{hostio-pwrite-packet}
17149 @tab @code{vFile:pwrite}
17150 @tab @code{remote get}, @code{remote put}
17151
17152 @item @code{hostio-unlink-packet}
17153 @tab @code{vFile:unlink}
17154 @tab @code{remote delete}
17155
17156 @item @code{noack-packet}
17157 @tab @code{QStartNoAckMode}
17158 @tab Packet acknowledgment
17159
17160 @item @code{osdata}
17161 @tab @code{qXfer:osdata:read}
17162 @tab @code{info os}
17163
17164 @item @code{query-attached}
17165 @tab @code{qAttached}
17166 @tab Querying remote process attach state.
17167
17168 @item @code{traceframe-info}
17169 @tab @code{qXfer:traceframe-info:read}
17170 @tab Traceframe info
17171
17172 @item @code{disable-randomization}
17173 @tab @code{QDisableRandomization}
17174 @tab @code{set disable-randomization}
17175 @end multitable
17176
17177 @node Remote Stub
17178 @section Implementing a Remote Stub
17179
17180 @cindex debugging stub, example
17181 @cindex remote stub, example
17182 @cindex stub example, remote debugging
17183 The stub files provided with @value{GDBN} implement the target side of the
17184 communication protocol, and the @value{GDBN} side is implemented in the
17185 @value{GDBN} source file @file{remote.c}. Normally, you can simply allow
17186 these subroutines to communicate, and ignore the details. (If you're
17187 implementing your own stub file, you can still ignore the details: start
17188 with one of the existing stub files. @file{sparc-stub.c} is the best
17189 organized, and therefore the easiest to read.)
17190
17191 @cindex remote serial debugging, overview
17192 To debug a program running on another machine (the debugging
17193 @dfn{target} machine), you must first arrange for all the usual
17194 prerequisites for the program to run by itself. For example, for a C
17195 program, you need:
17196
17197 @enumerate
17198 @item
17199 A startup routine to set up the C runtime environment; these usually
17200 have a name like @file{crt0}. The startup routine may be supplied by
17201 your hardware supplier, or you may have to write your own.
17202
17203 @item
17204 A C subroutine library to support your program's
17205 subroutine calls, notably managing input and output.
17206
17207 @item
17208 A way of getting your program to the other machine---for example, a
17209 download program. These are often supplied by the hardware
17210 manufacturer, but you may have to write your own from hardware
17211 documentation.
17212 @end enumerate
17213
17214 The next step is to arrange for your program to use a serial port to
17215 communicate with the machine where @value{GDBN} is running (the @dfn{host}
17216 machine). In general terms, the scheme looks like this:
17217
17218 @table @emph
17219 @item On the host,
17220 @value{GDBN} already understands how to use this protocol; when everything
17221 else is set up, you can simply use the @samp{target remote} command
17222 (@pxref{Targets,,Specifying a Debugging Target}).
17223
17224 @item On the target,
17225 you must link with your program a few special-purpose subroutines that
17226 implement the @value{GDBN} remote serial protocol. The file containing these
17227 subroutines is called a @dfn{debugging stub}.
17228
17229 On certain remote targets, you can use an auxiliary program
17230 @code{gdbserver} instead of linking a stub into your program.
17231 @xref{Server,,Using the @code{gdbserver} Program}, for details.
17232 @end table
17233
17234 The debugging stub is specific to the architecture of the remote
17235 machine; for example, use @file{sparc-stub.c} to debug programs on
17236 @sc{sparc} boards.
17237
17238 @cindex remote serial stub list
17239 These working remote stubs are distributed with @value{GDBN}:
17240
17241 @table @code
17242
17243 @item i386-stub.c
17244 @cindex @file{i386-stub.c}
17245 @cindex Intel
17246 @cindex i386
17247 For Intel 386 and compatible architectures.
17248
17249 @item m68k-stub.c
17250 @cindex @file{m68k-stub.c}
17251 @cindex Motorola 680x0
17252 @cindex m680x0
17253 For Motorola 680x0 architectures.
17254
17255 @item sh-stub.c
17256 @cindex @file{sh-stub.c}
17257 @cindex Renesas
17258 @cindex SH
17259 For Renesas SH architectures.
17260
17261 @item sparc-stub.c
17262 @cindex @file{sparc-stub.c}
17263 @cindex Sparc
17264 For @sc{sparc} architectures.
17265
17266 @item sparcl-stub.c
17267 @cindex @file{sparcl-stub.c}
17268 @cindex Fujitsu
17269 @cindex SparcLite
17270 For Fujitsu @sc{sparclite} architectures.
17271
17272 @end table
17273
17274 The @file{README} file in the @value{GDBN} distribution may list other
17275 recently added stubs.
17276
17277 @menu
17278 * Stub Contents:: What the stub can do for you
17279 * Bootstrapping:: What you must do for the stub
17280 * Debug Session:: Putting it all together
17281 @end menu
17282
17283 @node Stub Contents
17284 @subsection What the Stub Can Do for You
17285
17286 @cindex remote serial stub
17287 The debugging stub for your architecture supplies these three
17288 subroutines:
17289
17290 @table @code
17291 @item set_debug_traps
17292 @findex set_debug_traps
17293 @cindex remote serial stub, initialization
17294 This routine arranges for @code{handle_exception} to run when your
17295 program stops. You must call this subroutine explicitly near the
17296 beginning of your program.
17297
17298 @item handle_exception
17299 @findex handle_exception
17300 @cindex remote serial stub, main routine
17301 This is the central workhorse, but your program never calls it
17302 explicitly---the setup code arranges for @code{handle_exception} to
17303 run when a trap is triggered.
17304
17305 @code{handle_exception} takes control when your program stops during
17306 execution (for example, on a breakpoint), and mediates communications
17307 with @value{GDBN} on the host machine. This is where the communications
17308 protocol is implemented; @code{handle_exception} acts as the @value{GDBN}
17309 representative on the target machine. It begins by sending summary
17310 information on the state of your program, then continues to execute,
17311 retrieving and transmitting any information @value{GDBN} needs, until you
17312 execute a @value{GDBN} command that makes your program resume; at that point,
17313 @code{handle_exception} returns control to your own code on the target
17314 machine.
17315
17316 @item breakpoint
17317 @cindex @code{breakpoint} subroutine, remote
17318 Use this auxiliary subroutine to make your program contain a
17319 breakpoint. Depending on the particular situation, this may be the only
17320 way for @value{GDBN} to get control. For instance, if your target
17321 machine has some sort of interrupt button, you won't need to call this;
17322 pressing the interrupt button transfers control to
17323 @code{handle_exception}---in effect, to @value{GDBN}. On some machines,
17324 simply receiving characters on the serial port may also trigger a trap;
17325 again, in that situation, you don't need to call @code{breakpoint} from
17326 your own program---simply running @samp{target remote} from the host
17327 @value{GDBN} session gets control.
17328
17329 Call @code{breakpoint} if none of these is true, or if you simply want
17330 to make certain your program stops at a predetermined point for the
17331 start of your debugging session.
17332 @end table
17333
17334 @node Bootstrapping
17335 @subsection What You Must Do for the Stub
17336
17337 @cindex remote stub, support routines
17338 The debugging stubs that come with @value{GDBN} are set up for a particular
17339 chip architecture, but they have no information about the rest of your
17340 debugging target machine.
17341
17342 First of all you need to tell the stub how to communicate with the
17343 serial port.
17344
17345 @table @code
17346 @item int getDebugChar()
17347 @findex getDebugChar
17348 Write this subroutine to read a single character from the serial port.
17349 It may be identical to @code{getchar} for your target system; a
17350 different name is used to allow you to distinguish the two if you wish.
17351
17352 @item void putDebugChar(int)
17353 @findex putDebugChar
17354 Write this subroutine to write a single character to the serial port.
17355 It may be identical to @code{putchar} for your target system; a
17356 different name is used to allow you to distinguish the two if you wish.
17357 @end table
17358
17359 @cindex control C, and remote debugging
17360 @cindex interrupting remote targets
17361 If you want @value{GDBN} to be able to stop your program while it is
17362 running, you need to use an interrupt-driven serial driver, and arrange
17363 for it to stop when it receives a @code{^C} (@samp{\003}, the control-C
17364 character). That is the character which @value{GDBN} uses to tell the
17365 remote system to stop.
17366
17367 Getting the debugging target to return the proper status to @value{GDBN}
17368 probably requires changes to the standard stub; one quick and dirty way
17369 is to just execute a breakpoint instruction (the ``dirty'' part is that
17370 @value{GDBN} reports a @code{SIGTRAP} instead of a @code{SIGINT}).
17371
17372 Other routines you need to supply are:
17373
17374 @table @code
17375 @item void exceptionHandler (int @var{exception_number}, void *@var{exception_address})
17376 @findex exceptionHandler
17377 Write this function to install @var{exception_address} in the exception
17378 handling tables. You need to do this because the stub does not have any
17379 way of knowing what the exception handling tables on your target system
17380 are like (for example, the processor's table might be in @sc{rom},
17381 containing entries which point to a table in @sc{ram}).
17382 @var{exception_number} is the exception number which should be changed;
17383 its meaning is architecture-dependent (for example, different numbers
17384 might represent divide by zero, misaligned access, etc). When this
17385 exception occurs, control should be transferred directly to
17386 @var{exception_address}, and the processor state (stack, registers,
17387 and so on) should be just as it is when a processor exception occurs. So if
17388 you want to use a jump instruction to reach @var{exception_address}, it
17389 should be a simple jump, not a jump to subroutine.
17390
17391 For the 386, @var{exception_address} should be installed as an interrupt
17392 gate so that interrupts are masked while the handler runs. The gate
17393 should be at privilege level 0 (the most privileged level). The
17394 @sc{sparc} and 68k stubs are able to mask interrupts themselves without
17395 help from @code{exceptionHandler}.
17396
17397 @item void flush_i_cache()
17398 @findex flush_i_cache
17399 On @sc{sparc} and @sc{sparclite} only, write this subroutine to flush the
17400 instruction cache, if any, on your target machine. If there is no
17401 instruction cache, this subroutine may be a no-op.
17402
17403 On target machines that have instruction caches, @value{GDBN} requires this
17404 function to make certain that the state of your program is stable.
17405 @end table
17406
17407 @noindent
17408 You must also make sure this library routine is available:
17409
17410 @table @code
17411 @item void *memset(void *, int, int)
17412 @findex memset
17413 This is the standard library function @code{memset} that sets an area of
17414 memory to a known value. If you have one of the free versions of
17415 @code{libc.a}, @code{memset} can be found there; otherwise, you must
17416 either obtain it from your hardware manufacturer, or write your own.
17417 @end table
17418
17419 If you do not use the GNU C compiler, you may need other standard
17420 library subroutines as well; this varies from one stub to another,
17421 but in general the stubs are likely to use any of the common library
17422 subroutines which @code{@value{NGCC}} generates as inline code.
17423
17424
17425 @node Debug Session
17426 @subsection Putting it All Together
17427
17428 @cindex remote serial debugging summary
17429 In summary, when your program is ready to debug, you must follow these
17430 steps.
17431
17432 @enumerate
17433 @item
17434 Make sure you have defined the supporting low-level routines
17435 (@pxref{Bootstrapping,,What You Must Do for the Stub}):
17436 @display
17437 @code{getDebugChar}, @code{putDebugChar},
17438 @code{flush_i_cache}, @code{memset}, @code{exceptionHandler}.
17439 @end display
17440
17441 @item
17442 Insert these lines near the top of your program:
17443
17444 @smallexample
17445 set_debug_traps();
17446 breakpoint();
17447 @end smallexample
17448
17449 @item
17450 For the 680x0 stub only, you need to provide a variable called
17451 @code{exceptionHook}. Normally you just use:
17452
17453 @smallexample
17454 void (*exceptionHook)() = 0;
17455 @end smallexample
17456
17457 @noindent
17458 but if before calling @code{set_debug_traps}, you set it to point to a
17459 function in your program, that function is called when
17460 @code{@value{GDBN}} continues after stopping on a trap (for example, bus
17461 error). The function indicated by @code{exceptionHook} is called with
17462 one parameter: an @code{int} which is the exception number.
17463
17464 @item
17465 Compile and link together: your program, the @value{GDBN} debugging stub for
17466 your target architecture, and the supporting subroutines.
17467
17468 @item
17469 Make sure you have a serial connection between your target machine and
17470 the @value{GDBN} host, and identify the serial port on the host.
17471
17472 @item
17473 @c The "remote" target now provides a `load' command, so we should
17474 @c document that. FIXME.
17475 Download your program to your target machine (or get it there by
17476 whatever means the manufacturer provides), and start it.
17477
17478 @item
17479 Start @value{GDBN} on the host, and connect to the target
17480 (@pxref{Connecting,,Connecting to a Remote Target}).
17481
17482 @end enumerate
17483
17484 @node Configurations
17485 @chapter Configuration-Specific Information
17486
17487 While nearly all @value{GDBN} commands are available for all native and
17488 cross versions of the debugger, there are some exceptions. This chapter
17489 describes things that are only available in certain configurations.
17490
17491 There are three major categories of configurations: native
17492 configurations, where the host and target are the same, embedded
17493 operating system configurations, which are usually the same for several
17494 different processor architectures, and bare embedded processors, which
17495 are quite different from each other.
17496
17497 @menu
17498 * Native::
17499 * Embedded OS::
17500 * Embedded Processors::
17501 * Architectures::
17502 @end menu
17503
17504 @node Native
17505 @section Native
17506
17507 This section describes details specific to particular native
17508 configurations.
17509
17510 @menu
17511 * HP-UX:: HP-UX
17512 * BSD libkvm Interface:: Debugging BSD kernel memory images
17513 * SVR4 Process Information:: SVR4 process information
17514 * DJGPP Native:: Features specific to the DJGPP port
17515 * Cygwin Native:: Features specific to the Cygwin port
17516 * Hurd Native:: Features specific to @sc{gnu} Hurd
17517 * Neutrino:: Features specific to QNX Neutrino
17518 * Darwin:: Features specific to Darwin
17519 @end menu
17520
17521 @node HP-UX
17522 @subsection HP-UX
17523
17524 On HP-UX systems, if you refer to a function or variable name that
17525 begins with a dollar sign, @value{GDBN} searches for a user or system
17526 name first, before it searches for a convenience variable.
17527
17528
17529 @node BSD libkvm Interface
17530 @subsection BSD libkvm Interface
17531
17532 @cindex libkvm
17533 @cindex kernel memory image
17534 @cindex kernel crash dump
17535
17536 BSD-derived systems (FreeBSD/NetBSD/OpenBSD) have a kernel memory
17537 interface that provides a uniform interface for accessing kernel virtual
17538 memory images, including live systems and crash dumps. @value{GDBN}
17539 uses this interface to allow you to debug live kernels and kernel crash
17540 dumps on many native BSD configurations. This is implemented as a
17541 special @code{kvm} debugging target. For debugging a live system, load
17542 the currently running kernel into @value{GDBN} and connect to the
17543 @code{kvm} target:
17544
17545 @smallexample
17546 (@value{GDBP}) @b{target kvm}
17547 @end smallexample
17548
17549 For debugging crash dumps, provide the file name of the crash dump as an
17550 argument:
17551
17552 @smallexample
17553 (@value{GDBP}) @b{target kvm /var/crash/bsd.0}
17554 @end smallexample
17555
17556 Once connected to the @code{kvm} target, the following commands are
17557 available:
17558
17559 @table @code
17560 @kindex kvm
17561 @item kvm pcb
17562 Set current context from the @dfn{Process Control Block} (PCB) address.
17563
17564 @item kvm proc
17565 Set current context from proc address. This command isn't available on
17566 modern FreeBSD systems.
17567 @end table
17568
17569 @node SVR4 Process Information
17570 @subsection SVR4 Process Information
17571 @cindex /proc
17572 @cindex examine process image
17573 @cindex process info via @file{/proc}
17574
17575 Many versions of SVR4 and compatible systems provide a facility called
17576 @samp{/proc} that can be used to examine the image of a running
17577 process using file-system subroutines. If @value{GDBN} is configured
17578 for an operating system with this facility, the command @code{info
17579 proc} is available to report information about the process running
17580 your program, or about any process running on your system. @code{info
17581 proc} works only on SVR4 systems that include the @code{procfs} code.
17582 This includes, as of this writing, @sc{gnu}/Linux, OSF/1 (Digital
17583 Unix), Solaris, Irix, and Unixware, but not HP-UX, for example.
17584
17585 @table @code
17586 @kindex info proc
17587 @cindex process ID
17588 @item info proc
17589 @itemx info proc @var{process-id}
17590 Summarize available information about any running process. If a
17591 process ID is specified by @var{process-id}, display information about
17592 that process; otherwise display information about the program being
17593 debugged. The summary includes the debugged process ID, the command
17594 line used to invoke it, its current working directory, and its
17595 executable file's absolute file name.
17596
17597 On some systems, @var{process-id} can be of the form
17598 @samp{[@var{pid}]/@var{tid}} which specifies a certain thread ID
17599 within a process. If the optional @var{pid} part is missing, it means
17600 a thread from the process being debugged (the leading @samp{/} still
17601 needs to be present, or else @value{GDBN} will interpret the number as
17602 a process ID rather than a thread ID).
17603
17604 @item info proc mappings
17605 @cindex memory address space mappings
17606 Report the memory address space ranges accessible in the program, with
17607 information on whether the process has read, write, or execute access
17608 rights to each range. On @sc{gnu}/Linux systems, each memory range
17609 includes the object file which is mapped to that range, instead of the
17610 memory access rights to that range.
17611
17612 @item info proc stat
17613 @itemx info proc status
17614 @cindex process detailed status information
17615 These subcommands are specific to @sc{gnu}/Linux systems. They show
17616 the process-related information, including the user ID and group ID;
17617 how many threads are there in the process; its virtual memory usage;
17618 the signals that are pending, blocked, and ignored; its TTY; its
17619 consumption of system and user time; its stack size; its @samp{nice}
17620 value; etc. For more information, see the @samp{proc} man page
17621 (type @kbd{man 5 proc} from your shell prompt).
17622
17623 @item info proc all
17624 Show all the information about the process described under all of the
17625 above @code{info proc} subcommands.
17626
17627 @ignore
17628 @comment These sub-options of 'info proc' were not included when
17629 @comment procfs.c was re-written. Keep their descriptions around
17630 @comment against the day when someone finds the time to put them back in.
17631 @kindex info proc times
17632 @item info proc times
17633 Starting time, user CPU time, and system CPU time for your program and
17634 its children.
17635
17636 @kindex info proc id
17637 @item info proc id
17638 Report on the process IDs related to your program: its own process ID,
17639 the ID of its parent, the process group ID, and the session ID.
17640 @end ignore
17641
17642 @item set procfs-trace
17643 @kindex set procfs-trace
17644 @cindex @code{procfs} API calls
17645 This command enables and disables tracing of @code{procfs} API calls.
17646
17647 @item show procfs-trace
17648 @kindex show procfs-trace
17649 Show the current state of @code{procfs} API call tracing.
17650
17651 @item set procfs-file @var{file}
17652 @kindex set procfs-file
17653 Tell @value{GDBN} to write @code{procfs} API trace to the named
17654 @var{file}. @value{GDBN} appends the trace info to the previous
17655 contents of the file. The default is to display the trace on the
17656 standard output.
17657
17658 @item show procfs-file
17659 @kindex show procfs-file
17660 Show the file to which @code{procfs} API trace is written.
17661
17662 @item proc-trace-entry
17663 @itemx proc-trace-exit
17664 @itemx proc-untrace-entry
17665 @itemx proc-untrace-exit
17666 @kindex proc-trace-entry
17667 @kindex proc-trace-exit
17668 @kindex proc-untrace-entry
17669 @kindex proc-untrace-exit
17670 These commands enable and disable tracing of entries into and exits
17671 from the @code{syscall} interface.
17672
17673 @item info pidlist
17674 @kindex info pidlist
17675 @cindex process list, QNX Neutrino
17676 For QNX Neutrino only, this command displays the list of all the
17677 processes and all the threads within each process.
17678
17679 @item info meminfo
17680 @kindex info meminfo
17681 @cindex mapinfo list, QNX Neutrino
17682 For QNX Neutrino only, this command displays the list of all mapinfos.
17683 @end table
17684
17685 @node DJGPP Native
17686 @subsection Features for Debugging @sc{djgpp} Programs
17687 @cindex @sc{djgpp} debugging
17688 @cindex native @sc{djgpp} debugging
17689 @cindex MS-DOS-specific commands
17690
17691 @cindex DPMI
17692 @sc{djgpp} is a port of the @sc{gnu} development tools to MS-DOS and
17693 MS-Windows. @sc{djgpp} programs are 32-bit protected-mode programs
17694 that use the @dfn{DPMI} (DOS Protected-Mode Interface) API to run on
17695 top of real-mode DOS systems and their emulations.
17696
17697 @value{GDBN} supports native debugging of @sc{djgpp} programs, and
17698 defines a few commands specific to the @sc{djgpp} port. This
17699 subsection describes those commands.
17700
17701 @table @code
17702 @kindex info dos
17703 @item info dos
17704 This is a prefix of @sc{djgpp}-specific commands which print
17705 information about the target system and important OS structures.
17706
17707 @kindex sysinfo
17708 @cindex MS-DOS system info
17709 @cindex free memory information (MS-DOS)
17710 @item info dos sysinfo
17711 This command displays assorted information about the underlying
17712 platform: the CPU type and features, the OS version and flavor, the
17713 DPMI version, and the available conventional and DPMI memory.
17714
17715 @cindex GDT
17716 @cindex LDT
17717 @cindex IDT
17718 @cindex segment descriptor tables
17719 @cindex descriptor tables display
17720 @item info dos gdt
17721 @itemx info dos ldt
17722 @itemx info dos idt
17723 These 3 commands display entries from, respectively, Global, Local,
17724 and Interrupt Descriptor Tables (GDT, LDT, and IDT). The descriptor
17725 tables are data structures which store a descriptor for each segment
17726 that is currently in use. The segment's selector is an index into a
17727 descriptor table; the table entry for that index holds the
17728 descriptor's base address and limit, and its attributes and access
17729 rights.
17730
17731 A typical @sc{djgpp} program uses 3 segments: a code segment, a data
17732 segment (used for both data and the stack), and a DOS segment (which
17733 allows access to DOS/BIOS data structures and absolute addresses in
17734 conventional memory). However, the DPMI host will usually define
17735 additional segments in order to support the DPMI environment.
17736
17737 @cindex garbled pointers
17738 These commands allow to display entries from the descriptor tables.
17739 Without an argument, all entries from the specified table are
17740 displayed. An argument, which should be an integer expression, means
17741 display a single entry whose index is given by the argument. For
17742 example, here's a convenient way to display information about the
17743 debugged program's data segment:
17744
17745 @smallexample
17746 @exdent @code{(@value{GDBP}) info dos ldt $ds}
17747 @exdent @code{0x13f: base=0x11970000 limit=0x0009ffff 32-Bit Data (Read/Write, Exp-up)}
17748 @end smallexample
17749
17750 @noindent
17751 This comes in handy when you want to see whether a pointer is outside
17752 the data segment's limit (i.e.@: @dfn{garbled}).
17753
17754 @cindex page tables display (MS-DOS)
17755 @item info dos pde
17756 @itemx info dos pte
17757 These two commands display entries from, respectively, the Page
17758 Directory and the Page Tables. Page Directories and Page Tables are
17759 data structures which control how virtual memory addresses are mapped
17760 into physical addresses. A Page Table includes an entry for every
17761 page of memory that is mapped into the program's address space; there
17762 may be several Page Tables, each one holding up to 4096 entries. A
17763 Page Directory has up to 4096 entries, one each for every Page Table
17764 that is currently in use.
17765
17766 Without an argument, @kbd{info dos pde} displays the entire Page
17767 Directory, and @kbd{info dos pte} displays all the entries in all of
17768 the Page Tables. An argument, an integer expression, given to the
17769 @kbd{info dos pde} command means display only that entry from the Page
17770 Directory table. An argument given to the @kbd{info dos pte} command
17771 means display entries from a single Page Table, the one pointed to by
17772 the specified entry in the Page Directory.
17773
17774 @cindex direct memory access (DMA) on MS-DOS
17775 These commands are useful when your program uses @dfn{DMA} (Direct
17776 Memory Access), which needs physical addresses to program the DMA
17777 controller.
17778
17779 These commands are supported only with some DPMI servers.
17780
17781 @cindex physical address from linear address
17782 @item info dos address-pte @var{addr}
17783 This command displays the Page Table entry for a specified linear
17784 address. The argument @var{addr} is a linear address which should
17785 already have the appropriate segment's base address added to it,
17786 because this command accepts addresses which may belong to @emph{any}
17787 segment. For example, here's how to display the Page Table entry for
17788 the page where a variable @code{i} is stored:
17789
17790 @smallexample
17791 @exdent @code{(@value{GDBP}) info dos address-pte __djgpp_base_address + (char *)&i}
17792 @exdent @code{Page Table entry for address 0x11a00d30:}
17793 @exdent @code{Base=0x02698000 Dirty Acc. Not-Cached Write-Back Usr Read-Write +0xd30}
17794 @end smallexample
17795
17796 @noindent
17797 This says that @code{i} is stored at offset @code{0xd30} from the page
17798 whose physical base address is @code{0x02698000}, and shows all the
17799 attributes of that page.
17800
17801 Note that you must cast the addresses of variables to a @code{char *},
17802 since otherwise the value of @code{__djgpp_base_address}, the base
17803 address of all variables and functions in a @sc{djgpp} program, will
17804 be added using the rules of C pointer arithmetics: if @code{i} is
17805 declared an @code{int}, @value{GDBN} will add 4 times the value of
17806 @code{__djgpp_base_address} to the address of @code{i}.
17807
17808 Here's another example, it displays the Page Table entry for the
17809 transfer buffer:
17810
17811 @smallexample
17812 @exdent @code{(@value{GDBP}) info dos address-pte *((unsigned *)&_go32_info_block + 3)}
17813 @exdent @code{Page Table entry for address 0x29110:}
17814 @exdent @code{Base=0x00029000 Dirty Acc. Not-Cached Write-Back Usr Read-Write +0x110}
17815 @end smallexample
17816
17817 @noindent
17818 (The @code{+ 3} offset is because the transfer buffer's address is the
17819 3rd member of the @code{_go32_info_block} structure.) The output
17820 clearly shows that this DPMI server maps the addresses in conventional
17821 memory 1:1, i.e.@: the physical (@code{0x00029000} + @code{0x110}) and
17822 linear (@code{0x29110}) addresses are identical.
17823
17824 This command is supported only with some DPMI servers.
17825 @end table
17826
17827 @cindex DOS serial data link, remote debugging
17828 In addition to native debugging, the DJGPP port supports remote
17829 debugging via a serial data link. The following commands are specific
17830 to remote serial debugging in the DJGPP port of @value{GDBN}.
17831
17832 @table @code
17833 @kindex set com1base
17834 @kindex set com1irq
17835 @kindex set com2base
17836 @kindex set com2irq
17837 @kindex set com3base
17838 @kindex set com3irq
17839 @kindex set com4base
17840 @kindex set com4irq
17841 @item set com1base @var{addr}
17842 This command sets the base I/O port address of the @file{COM1} serial
17843 port.
17844
17845 @item set com1irq @var{irq}
17846 This command sets the @dfn{Interrupt Request} (@code{IRQ}) line to use
17847 for the @file{COM1} serial port.
17848
17849 There are similar commands @samp{set com2base}, @samp{set com3irq},
17850 etc.@: for setting the port address and the @code{IRQ} lines for the
17851 other 3 COM ports.
17852
17853 @kindex show com1base
17854 @kindex show com1irq
17855 @kindex show com2base
17856 @kindex show com2irq
17857 @kindex show com3base
17858 @kindex show com3irq
17859 @kindex show com4base
17860 @kindex show com4irq
17861 The related commands @samp{show com1base}, @samp{show com1irq} etc.@:
17862 display the current settings of the base address and the @code{IRQ}
17863 lines used by the COM ports.
17864
17865 @item info serial
17866 @kindex info serial
17867 @cindex DOS serial port status
17868 This command prints the status of the 4 DOS serial ports. For each
17869 port, it prints whether it's active or not, its I/O base address and
17870 IRQ number, whether it uses a 16550-style FIFO, its baudrate, and the
17871 counts of various errors encountered so far.
17872 @end table
17873
17874
17875 @node Cygwin Native
17876 @subsection Features for Debugging MS Windows PE Executables
17877 @cindex MS Windows debugging
17878 @cindex native Cygwin debugging
17879 @cindex Cygwin-specific commands
17880
17881 @value{GDBN} supports native debugging of MS Windows programs, including
17882 DLLs with and without symbolic debugging information.
17883
17884 @cindex Ctrl-BREAK, MS-Windows
17885 @cindex interrupt debuggee on MS-Windows
17886 MS-Windows programs that call @code{SetConsoleMode} to switch off the
17887 special meaning of the @samp{Ctrl-C} keystroke cannot be interrupted
17888 by typing @kbd{C-c}. For this reason, @value{GDBN} on MS-Windows
17889 supports @kbd{C-@key{BREAK}} as an alternative interrupt key
17890 sequence, which can be used to interrupt the debuggee even if it
17891 ignores @kbd{C-c}.
17892
17893 There are various additional Cygwin-specific commands, described in
17894 this section. Working with DLLs that have no debugging symbols is
17895 described in @ref{Non-debug DLL Symbols}.
17896
17897 @table @code
17898 @kindex info w32
17899 @item info w32
17900 This is a prefix of MS Windows-specific commands which print
17901 information about the target system and important OS structures.
17902
17903 @item info w32 selector
17904 This command displays information returned by
17905 the Win32 API @code{GetThreadSelectorEntry} function.
17906 It takes an optional argument that is evaluated to
17907 a long value to give the information about this given selector.
17908 Without argument, this command displays information
17909 about the six segment registers.
17910
17911 @item info w32 thread-information-block
17912 This command displays thread specific information stored in the
17913 Thread Information Block (readable on the X86 CPU family using @code{$fs}
17914 selector for 32-bit programs and @code{$gs} for 64-bit programs).
17915
17916 @kindex info dll
17917 @item info dll
17918 This is a Cygwin-specific alias of @code{info shared}.
17919
17920 @kindex dll-symbols
17921 @item dll-symbols
17922 This command loads symbols from a dll similarly to
17923 add-sym command but without the need to specify a base address.
17924
17925 @kindex set cygwin-exceptions
17926 @cindex debugging the Cygwin DLL
17927 @cindex Cygwin DLL, debugging
17928 @item set cygwin-exceptions @var{mode}
17929 If @var{mode} is @code{on}, @value{GDBN} will break on exceptions that
17930 happen inside the Cygwin DLL. If @var{mode} is @code{off},
17931 @value{GDBN} will delay recognition of exceptions, and may ignore some
17932 exceptions which seem to be caused by internal Cygwin DLL
17933 ``bookkeeping''. This option is meant primarily for debugging the
17934 Cygwin DLL itself; the default value is @code{off} to avoid annoying
17935 @value{GDBN} users with false @code{SIGSEGV} signals.
17936
17937 @kindex show cygwin-exceptions
17938 @item show cygwin-exceptions
17939 Displays whether @value{GDBN} will break on exceptions that happen
17940 inside the Cygwin DLL itself.
17941
17942 @kindex set new-console
17943 @item set new-console @var{mode}
17944 If @var{mode} is @code{on} the debuggee will
17945 be started in a new console on next start.
17946 If @var{mode} is @code{off}, the debuggee will
17947 be started in the same console as the debugger.
17948
17949 @kindex show new-console
17950 @item show new-console
17951 Displays whether a new console is used
17952 when the debuggee is started.
17953
17954 @kindex set new-group
17955 @item set new-group @var{mode}
17956 This boolean value controls whether the debuggee should
17957 start a new group or stay in the same group as the debugger.
17958 This affects the way the Windows OS handles
17959 @samp{Ctrl-C}.
17960
17961 @kindex show new-group
17962 @item show new-group
17963 Displays current value of new-group boolean.
17964
17965 @kindex set debugevents
17966 @item set debugevents
17967 This boolean value adds debug output concerning kernel events related
17968 to the debuggee seen by the debugger. This includes events that
17969 signal thread and process creation and exit, DLL loading and
17970 unloading, console interrupts, and debugging messages produced by the
17971 Windows @code{OutputDebugString} API call.
17972
17973 @kindex set debugexec
17974 @item set debugexec
17975 This boolean value adds debug output concerning execute events
17976 (such as resume thread) seen by the debugger.
17977
17978 @kindex set debugexceptions
17979 @item set debugexceptions
17980 This boolean value adds debug output concerning exceptions in the
17981 debuggee seen by the debugger.
17982
17983 @kindex set debugmemory
17984 @item set debugmemory
17985 This boolean value adds debug output concerning debuggee memory reads
17986 and writes by the debugger.
17987
17988 @kindex set shell
17989 @item set shell
17990 This boolean values specifies whether the debuggee is called
17991 via a shell or directly (default value is on).
17992
17993 @kindex show shell
17994 @item show shell
17995 Displays if the debuggee will be started with a shell.
17996
17997 @end table
17998
17999 @menu
18000 * Non-debug DLL Symbols:: Support for DLLs without debugging symbols
18001 @end menu
18002
18003 @node Non-debug DLL Symbols
18004 @subsubsection Support for DLLs without Debugging Symbols
18005 @cindex DLLs with no debugging symbols
18006 @cindex Minimal symbols and DLLs
18007
18008 Very often on windows, some of the DLLs that your program relies on do
18009 not include symbolic debugging information (for example,
18010 @file{kernel32.dll}). When @value{GDBN} doesn't recognize any debugging
18011 symbols in a DLL, it relies on the minimal amount of symbolic
18012 information contained in the DLL's export table. This section
18013 describes working with such symbols, known internally to @value{GDBN} as
18014 ``minimal symbols''.
18015
18016 Note that before the debugged program has started execution, no DLLs
18017 will have been loaded. The easiest way around this problem is simply to
18018 start the program --- either by setting a breakpoint or letting the
18019 program run once to completion. It is also possible to force
18020 @value{GDBN} to load a particular DLL before starting the executable ---
18021 see the shared library information in @ref{Files}, or the
18022 @code{dll-symbols} command in @ref{Cygwin Native}. Currently,
18023 explicitly loading symbols from a DLL with no debugging information will
18024 cause the symbol names to be duplicated in @value{GDBN}'s lookup table,
18025 which may adversely affect symbol lookup performance.
18026
18027 @subsubsection DLL Name Prefixes
18028
18029 In keeping with the naming conventions used by the Microsoft debugging
18030 tools, DLL export symbols are made available with a prefix based on the
18031 DLL name, for instance @code{KERNEL32!CreateFileA}. The plain name is
18032 also entered into the symbol table, so @code{CreateFileA} is often
18033 sufficient. In some cases there will be name clashes within a program
18034 (particularly if the executable itself includes full debugging symbols)
18035 necessitating the use of the fully qualified name when referring to the
18036 contents of the DLL. Use single-quotes around the name to avoid the
18037 exclamation mark (``!'') being interpreted as a language operator.
18038
18039 Note that the internal name of the DLL may be all upper-case, even
18040 though the file name of the DLL is lower-case, or vice-versa. Since
18041 symbols within @value{GDBN} are @emph{case-sensitive} this may cause
18042 some confusion. If in doubt, try the @code{info functions} and
18043 @code{info variables} commands or even @code{maint print msymbols}
18044 (@pxref{Symbols}). Here's an example:
18045
18046 @smallexample
18047 (@value{GDBP}) info function CreateFileA
18048 All functions matching regular expression "CreateFileA":
18049
18050 Non-debugging symbols:
18051 0x77e885f4 CreateFileA
18052 0x77e885f4 KERNEL32!CreateFileA
18053 @end smallexample
18054
18055 @smallexample
18056 (@value{GDBP}) info function !
18057 All functions matching regular expression "!":
18058
18059 Non-debugging symbols:
18060 0x6100114c cygwin1!__assert
18061 0x61004034 cygwin1!_dll_crt0@@0
18062 0x61004240 cygwin1!dll_crt0(per_process *)
18063 [etc...]
18064 @end smallexample
18065
18066 @subsubsection Working with Minimal Symbols
18067
18068 Symbols extracted from a DLL's export table do not contain very much
18069 type information. All that @value{GDBN} can do is guess whether a symbol
18070 refers to a function or variable depending on the linker section that
18071 contains the symbol. Also note that the actual contents of the memory
18072 contained in a DLL are not available unless the program is running. This
18073 means that you cannot examine the contents of a variable or disassemble
18074 a function within a DLL without a running program.
18075
18076 Variables are generally treated as pointers and dereferenced
18077 automatically. For this reason, it is often necessary to prefix a
18078 variable name with the address-of operator (``&'') and provide explicit
18079 type information in the command. Here's an example of the type of
18080 problem:
18081
18082 @smallexample
18083 (@value{GDBP}) print 'cygwin1!__argv'
18084 $1 = 268572168
18085 @end smallexample
18086
18087 @smallexample
18088 (@value{GDBP}) x 'cygwin1!__argv'
18089 0x10021610: "\230y\""
18090 @end smallexample
18091
18092 And two possible solutions:
18093
18094 @smallexample
18095 (@value{GDBP}) print ((char **)'cygwin1!__argv')[0]
18096 $2 = 0x22fd98 "/cygdrive/c/mydirectory/myprogram"
18097 @end smallexample
18098
18099 @smallexample
18100 (@value{GDBP}) x/2x &'cygwin1!__argv'
18101 0x610c0aa8 <cygwin1!__argv>: 0x10021608 0x00000000
18102 (@value{GDBP}) x/x 0x10021608
18103 0x10021608: 0x0022fd98
18104 (@value{GDBP}) x/s 0x0022fd98
18105 0x22fd98: "/cygdrive/c/mydirectory/myprogram"
18106 @end smallexample
18107
18108 Setting a break point within a DLL is possible even before the program
18109 starts execution. However, under these circumstances, @value{GDBN} can't
18110 examine the initial instructions of the function in order to skip the
18111 function's frame set-up code. You can work around this by using ``*&''
18112 to set the breakpoint at a raw memory address:
18113
18114 @smallexample
18115 (@value{GDBP}) break *&'python22!PyOS_Readline'
18116 Breakpoint 1 at 0x1e04eff0
18117 @end smallexample
18118
18119 The author of these extensions is not entirely convinced that setting a
18120 break point within a shared DLL like @file{kernel32.dll} is completely
18121 safe.
18122
18123 @node Hurd Native
18124 @subsection Commands Specific to @sc{gnu} Hurd Systems
18125 @cindex @sc{gnu} Hurd debugging
18126
18127 This subsection describes @value{GDBN} commands specific to the
18128 @sc{gnu} Hurd native debugging.
18129
18130 @table @code
18131 @item set signals
18132 @itemx set sigs
18133 @kindex set signals@r{, Hurd command}
18134 @kindex set sigs@r{, Hurd command}
18135 This command toggles the state of inferior signal interception by
18136 @value{GDBN}. Mach exceptions, such as breakpoint traps, are not
18137 affected by this command. @code{sigs} is a shorthand alias for
18138 @code{signals}.
18139
18140 @item show signals
18141 @itemx show sigs
18142 @kindex show signals@r{, Hurd command}
18143 @kindex show sigs@r{, Hurd command}
18144 Show the current state of intercepting inferior's signals.
18145
18146 @item set signal-thread
18147 @itemx set sigthread
18148 @kindex set signal-thread
18149 @kindex set sigthread
18150 This command tells @value{GDBN} which thread is the @code{libc} signal
18151 thread. That thread is run when a signal is delivered to a running
18152 process. @code{set sigthread} is the shorthand alias of @code{set
18153 signal-thread}.
18154
18155 @item show signal-thread
18156 @itemx show sigthread
18157 @kindex show signal-thread
18158 @kindex show sigthread
18159 These two commands show which thread will run when the inferior is
18160 delivered a signal.
18161
18162 @item set stopped
18163 @kindex set stopped@r{, Hurd command}
18164 This commands tells @value{GDBN} that the inferior process is stopped,
18165 as with the @code{SIGSTOP} signal. The stopped process can be
18166 continued by delivering a signal to it.
18167
18168 @item show stopped
18169 @kindex show stopped@r{, Hurd command}
18170 This command shows whether @value{GDBN} thinks the debuggee is
18171 stopped.
18172
18173 @item set exceptions
18174 @kindex set exceptions@r{, Hurd command}
18175 Use this command to turn off trapping of exceptions in the inferior.
18176 When exception trapping is off, neither breakpoints nor
18177 single-stepping will work. To restore the default, set exception
18178 trapping on.
18179
18180 @item show exceptions
18181 @kindex show exceptions@r{, Hurd command}
18182 Show the current state of trapping exceptions in the inferior.
18183
18184 @item set task pause
18185 @kindex set task@r{, Hurd commands}
18186 @cindex task attributes (@sc{gnu} Hurd)
18187 @cindex pause current task (@sc{gnu} Hurd)
18188 This command toggles task suspension when @value{GDBN} has control.
18189 Setting it to on takes effect immediately, and the task is suspended
18190 whenever @value{GDBN} gets control. Setting it to off will take
18191 effect the next time the inferior is continued. If this option is set
18192 to off, you can use @code{set thread default pause on} or @code{set
18193 thread pause on} (see below) to pause individual threads.
18194
18195 @item show task pause
18196 @kindex show task@r{, Hurd commands}
18197 Show the current state of task suspension.
18198
18199 @item set task detach-suspend-count
18200 @cindex task suspend count
18201 @cindex detach from task, @sc{gnu} Hurd
18202 This command sets the suspend count the task will be left with when
18203 @value{GDBN} detaches from it.
18204
18205 @item show task detach-suspend-count
18206 Show the suspend count the task will be left with when detaching.
18207
18208 @item set task exception-port
18209 @itemx set task excp
18210 @cindex task exception port, @sc{gnu} Hurd
18211 This command sets the task exception port to which @value{GDBN} will
18212 forward exceptions. The argument should be the value of the @dfn{send
18213 rights} of the task. @code{set task excp} is a shorthand alias.
18214
18215 @item set noninvasive
18216 @cindex noninvasive task options
18217 This command switches @value{GDBN} to a mode that is the least
18218 invasive as far as interfering with the inferior is concerned. This
18219 is the same as using @code{set task pause}, @code{set exceptions}, and
18220 @code{set signals} to values opposite to the defaults.
18221
18222 @item info send-rights
18223 @itemx info receive-rights
18224 @itemx info port-rights
18225 @itemx info port-sets
18226 @itemx info dead-names
18227 @itemx info ports
18228 @itemx info psets
18229 @cindex send rights, @sc{gnu} Hurd
18230 @cindex receive rights, @sc{gnu} Hurd
18231 @cindex port rights, @sc{gnu} Hurd
18232 @cindex port sets, @sc{gnu} Hurd
18233 @cindex dead names, @sc{gnu} Hurd
18234 These commands display information about, respectively, send rights,
18235 receive rights, port rights, port sets, and dead names of a task.
18236 There are also shorthand aliases: @code{info ports} for @code{info
18237 port-rights} and @code{info psets} for @code{info port-sets}.
18238
18239 @item set thread pause
18240 @kindex set thread@r{, Hurd command}
18241 @cindex thread properties, @sc{gnu} Hurd
18242 @cindex pause current thread (@sc{gnu} Hurd)
18243 This command toggles current thread suspension when @value{GDBN} has
18244 control. Setting it to on takes effect immediately, and the current
18245 thread is suspended whenever @value{GDBN} gets control. Setting it to
18246 off will take effect the next time the inferior is continued.
18247 Normally, this command has no effect, since when @value{GDBN} has
18248 control, the whole task is suspended. However, if you used @code{set
18249 task pause off} (see above), this command comes in handy to suspend
18250 only the current thread.
18251
18252 @item show thread pause
18253 @kindex show thread@r{, Hurd command}
18254 This command shows the state of current thread suspension.
18255
18256 @item set thread run
18257 This command sets whether the current thread is allowed to run.
18258
18259 @item show thread run
18260 Show whether the current thread is allowed to run.
18261
18262 @item set thread detach-suspend-count
18263 @cindex thread suspend count, @sc{gnu} Hurd
18264 @cindex detach from thread, @sc{gnu} Hurd
18265 This command sets the suspend count @value{GDBN} will leave on a
18266 thread when detaching. This number is relative to the suspend count
18267 found by @value{GDBN} when it notices the thread; use @code{set thread
18268 takeover-suspend-count} to force it to an absolute value.
18269
18270 @item show thread detach-suspend-count
18271 Show the suspend count @value{GDBN} will leave on the thread when
18272 detaching.
18273
18274 @item set thread exception-port
18275 @itemx set thread excp
18276 Set the thread exception port to which to forward exceptions. This
18277 overrides the port set by @code{set task exception-port} (see above).
18278 @code{set thread excp} is the shorthand alias.
18279
18280 @item set thread takeover-suspend-count
18281 Normally, @value{GDBN}'s thread suspend counts are relative to the
18282 value @value{GDBN} finds when it notices each thread. This command
18283 changes the suspend counts to be absolute instead.
18284
18285 @item set thread default
18286 @itemx show thread default
18287 @cindex thread default settings, @sc{gnu} Hurd
18288 Each of the above @code{set thread} commands has a @code{set thread
18289 default} counterpart (e.g., @code{set thread default pause}, @code{set
18290 thread default exception-port}, etc.). The @code{thread default}
18291 variety of commands sets the default thread properties for all
18292 threads; you can then change the properties of individual threads with
18293 the non-default commands.
18294 @end table
18295
18296
18297 @node Neutrino
18298 @subsection QNX Neutrino
18299 @cindex QNX Neutrino
18300
18301 @value{GDBN} provides the following commands specific to the QNX
18302 Neutrino target:
18303
18304 @table @code
18305 @item set debug nto-debug
18306 @kindex set debug nto-debug
18307 When set to on, enables debugging messages specific to the QNX
18308 Neutrino support.
18309
18310 @item show debug nto-debug
18311 @kindex show debug nto-debug
18312 Show the current state of QNX Neutrino messages.
18313 @end table
18314
18315 @node Darwin
18316 @subsection Darwin
18317 @cindex Darwin
18318
18319 @value{GDBN} provides the following commands specific to the Darwin target:
18320
18321 @table @code
18322 @item set debug darwin @var{num}
18323 @kindex set debug darwin
18324 When set to a non zero value, enables debugging messages specific to
18325 the Darwin support. Higher values produce more verbose output.
18326
18327 @item show debug darwin
18328 @kindex show debug darwin
18329 Show the current state of Darwin messages.
18330
18331 @item set debug mach-o @var{num}
18332 @kindex set debug mach-o
18333 When set to a non zero value, enables debugging messages while
18334 @value{GDBN} is reading Darwin object files. (@dfn{Mach-O} is the
18335 file format used on Darwin for object and executable files.) Higher
18336 values produce more verbose output. This is a command to diagnose
18337 problems internal to @value{GDBN} and should not be needed in normal
18338 usage.
18339
18340 @item show debug mach-o
18341 @kindex show debug mach-o
18342 Show the current state of Mach-O file messages.
18343
18344 @item set mach-exceptions on
18345 @itemx set mach-exceptions off
18346 @kindex set mach-exceptions
18347 On Darwin, faults are first reported as a Mach exception and are then
18348 mapped to a Posix signal. Use this command to turn on trapping of
18349 Mach exceptions in the inferior. This might be sometimes useful to
18350 better understand the cause of a fault. The default is off.
18351
18352 @item show mach-exceptions
18353 @kindex show mach-exceptions
18354 Show the current state of exceptions trapping.
18355 @end table
18356
18357
18358 @node Embedded OS
18359 @section Embedded Operating Systems
18360
18361 This section describes configurations involving the debugging of
18362 embedded operating systems that are available for several different
18363 architectures.
18364
18365 @menu
18366 * VxWorks:: Using @value{GDBN} with VxWorks
18367 @end menu
18368
18369 @value{GDBN} includes the ability to debug programs running on
18370 various real-time operating systems.
18371
18372 @node VxWorks
18373 @subsection Using @value{GDBN} with VxWorks
18374
18375 @cindex VxWorks
18376
18377 @table @code
18378
18379 @kindex target vxworks
18380 @item target vxworks @var{machinename}
18381 A VxWorks system, attached via TCP/IP. The argument @var{machinename}
18382 is the target system's machine name or IP address.
18383
18384 @end table
18385
18386 On VxWorks, @code{load} links @var{filename} dynamically on the
18387 current target system as well as adding its symbols in @value{GDBN}.
18388
18389 @value{GDBN} enables developers to spawn and debug tasks running on networked
18390 VxWorks targets from a Unix host. Already-running tasks spawned from
18391 the VxWorks shell can also be debugged. @value{GDBN} uses code that runs on
18392 both the Unix host and on the VxWorks target. The program
18393 @code{@value{GDBP}} is installed and executed on the Unix host. (It may be
18394 installed with the name @code{vxgdb}, to distinguish it from a
18395 @value{GDBN} for debugging programs on the host itself.)
18396
18397 @table @code
18398 @item VxWorks-timeout @var{args}
18399 @kindex vxworks-timeout
18400 All VxWorks-based targets now support the option @code{vxworks-timeout}.
18401 This option is set by the user, and @var{args} represents the number of
18402 seconds @value{GDBN} waits for responses to rpc's. You might use this if
18403 your VxWorks target is a slow software simulator or is on the far side
18404 of a thin network line.
18405 @end table
18406
18407 The following information on connecting to VxWorks was current when
18408 this manual was produced; newer releases of VxWorks may use revised
18409 procedures.
18410
18411 @findex INCLUDE_RDB
18412 To use @value{GDBN} with VxWorks, you must rebuild your VxWorks kernel
18413 to include the remote debugging interface routines in the VxWorks
18414 library @file{rdb.a}. To do this, define @code{INCLUDE_RDB} in the
18415 VxWorks configuration file @file{configAll.h} and rebuild your VxWorks
18416 kernel. The resulting kernel contains @file{rdb.a}, and spawns the
18417 source debugging task @code{tRdbTask} when VxWorks is booted. For more
18418 information on configuring and remaking VxWorks, see the manufacturer's
18419 manual.
18420 @c VxWorks, see the @cite{VxWorks Programmer's Guide}.
18421
18422 Once you have included @file{rdb.a} in your VxWorks system image and set
18423 your Unix execution search path to find @value{GDBN}, you are ready to
18424 run @value{GDBN}. From your Unix host, run @code{@value{GDBP}} (or
18425 @code{vxgdb}, depending on your installation).
18426
18427 @value{GDBN} comes up showing the prompt:
18428
18429 @smallexample
18430 (vxgdb)
18431 @end smallexample
18432
18433 @menu
18434 * VxWorks Connection:: Connecting to VxWorks
18435 * VxWorks Download:: VxWorks download
18436 * VxWorks Attach:: Running tasks
18437 @end menu
18438
18439 @node VxWorks Connection
18440 @subsubsection Connecting to VxWorks
18441
18442 The @value{GDBN} command @code{target} lets you connect to a VxWorks target on the
18443 network. To connect to a target whose host name is ``@code{tt}'', type:
18444
18445 @smallexample
18446 (vxgdb) target vxworks tt
18447 @end smallexample
18448
18449 @need 750
18450 @value{GDBN} displays messages like these:
18451
18452 @smallexample
18453 Attaching remote machine across net...
18454 Connected to tt.
18455 @end smallexample
18456
18457 @need 1000
18458 @value{GDBN} then attempts to read the symbol tables of any object modules
18459 loaded into the VxWorks target since it was last booted. @value{GDBN} locates
18460 these files by searching the directories listed in the command search
18461 path (@pxref{Environment, ,Your Program's Environment}); if it fails
18462 to find an object file, it displays a message such as:
18463
18464 @smallexample
18465 prog.o: No such file or directory.
18466 @end smallexample
18467
18468 When this happens, add the appropriate directory to the search path with
18469 the @value{GDBN} command @code{path}, and execute the @code{target}
18470 command again.
18471
18472 @node VxWorks Download
18473 @subsubsection VxWorks Download
18474
18475 @cindex download to VxWorks
18476 If you have connected to the VxWorks target and you want to debug an
18477 object that has not yet been loaded, you can use the @value{GDBN}
18478 @code{load} command to download a file from Unix to VxWorks
18479 incrementally. The object file given as an argument to the @code{load}
18480 command is actually opened twice: first by the VxWorks target in order
18481 to download the code, then by @value{GDBN} in order to read the symbol
18482 table. This can lead to problems if the current working directories on
18483 the two systems differ. If both systems have NFS mounted the same
18484 filesystems, you can avoid these problems by using absolute paths.
18485 Otherwise, it is simplest to set the working directory on both systems
18486 to the directory in which the object file resides, and then to reference
18487 the file by its name, without any path. For instance, a program
18488 @file{prog.o} may reside in @file{@var{vxpath}/vw/demo/rdb} in VxWorks
18489 and in @file{@var{hostpath}/vw/demo/rdb} on the host. To load this
18490 program, type this on VxWorks:
18491
18492 @smallexample
18493 -> cd "@var{vxpath}/vw/demo/rdb"
18494 @end smallexample
18495
18496 @noindent
18497 Then, in @value{GDBN}, type:
18498
18499 @smallexample
18500 (vxgdb) cd @var{hostpath}/vw/demo/rdb
18501 (vxgdb) load prog.o
18502 @end smallexample
18503
18504 @value{GDBN} displays a response similar to this:
18505
18506 @smallexample
18507 Reading symbol data from wherever/vw/demo/rdb/prog.o... done.
18508 @end smallexample
18509
18510 You can also use the @code{load} command to reload an object module
18511 after editing and recompiling the corresponding source file. Note that
18512 this makes @value{GDBN} delete all currently-defined breakpoints,
18513 auto-displays, and convenience variables, and to clear the value
18514 history. (This is necessary in order to preserve the integrity of
18515 debugger's data structures that reference the target system's symbol
18516 table.)
18517
18518 @node VxWorks Attach
18519 @subsubsection Running Tasks
18520
18521 @cindex running VxWorks tasks
18522 You can also attach to an existing task using the @code{attach} command as
18523 follows:
18524
18525 @smallexample
18526 (vxgdb) attach @var{task}
18527 @end smallexample
18528
18529 @noindent
18530 where @var{task} is the VxWorks hexadecimal task ID. The task can be running
18531 or suspended when you attach to it. Running tasks are suspended at
18532 the time of attachment.
18533
18534 @node Embedded Processors
18535 @section Embedded Processors
18536
18537 This section goes into details specific to particular embedded
18538 configurations.
18539
18540 @cindex send command to simulator
18541 Whenever a specific embedded processor has a simulator, @value{GDBN}
18542 allows to send an arbitrary command to the simulator.
18543
18544 @table @code
18545 @item sim @var{command}
18546 @kindex sim@r{, a command}
18547 Send an arbitrary @var{command} string to the simulator. Consult the
18548 documentation for the specific simulator in use for information about
18549 acceptable commands.
18550 @end table
18551
18552
18553 @menu
18554 * ARM:: ARM RDI
18555 * M32R/D:: Renesas M32R/D
18556 * M68K:: Motorola M68K
18557 * MicroBlaze:: Xilinx MicroBlaze
18558 * MIPS Embedded:: MIPS Embedded
18559 * OpenRISC 1000:: OpenRisc 1000
18560 * PA:: HP PA Embedded
18561 * PowerPC Embedded:: PowerPC Embedded
18562 * Sparclet:: Tsqware Sparclet
18563 * Sparclite:: Fujitsu Sparclite
18564 * Z8000:: Zilog Z8000
18565 * AVR:: Atmel AVR
18566 * CRIS:: CRIS
18567 * Super-H:: Renesas Super-H
18568 @end menu
18569
18570 @node ARM
18571 @subsection ARM
18572 @cindex ARM RDI
18573
18574 @table @code
18575 @kindex target rdi
18576 @item target rdi @var{dev}
18577 ARM Angel monitor, via RDI library interface to ADP protocol. You may
18578 use this target to communicate with both boards running the Angel
18579 monitor, or with the EmbeddedICE JTAG debug device.
18580
18581 @kindex target rdp
18582 @item target rdp @var{dev}
18583 ARM Demon monitor.
18584
18585 @end table
18586
18587 @value{GDBN} provides the following ARM-specific commands:
18588
18589 @table @code
18590 @item set arm disassembler
18591 @kindex set arm
18592 This commands selects from a list of disassembly styles. The
18593 @code{"std"} style is the standard style.
18594
18595 @item show arm disassembler
18596 @kindex show arm
18597 Show the current disassembly style.
18598
18599 @item set arm apcs32
18600 @cindex ARM 32-bit mode
18601 This command toggles ARM operation mode between 32-bit and 26-bit.
18602
18603 @item show arm apcs32
18604 Display the current usage of the ARM 32-bit mode.
18605
18606 @item set arm fpu @var{fputype}
18607 This command sets the ARM floating-point unit (FPU) type. The
18608 argument @var{fputype} can be one of these:
18609
18610 @table @code
18611 @item auto
18612 Determine the FPU type by querying the OS ABI.
18613 @item softfpa
18614 Software FPU, with mixed-endian doubles on little-endian ARM
18615 processors.
18616 @item fpa
18617 GCC-compiled FPA co-processor.
18618 @item softvfp
18619 Software FPU with pure-endian doubles.
18620 @item vfp
18621 VFP co-processor.
18622 @end table
18623
18624 @item show arm fpu
18625 Show the current type of the FPU.
18626
18627 @item set arm abi
18628 This command forces @value{GDBN} to use the specified ABI.
18629
18630 @item show arm abi
18631 Show the currently used ABI.
18632
18633 @item set arm fallback-mode (arm|thumb|auto)
18634 @value{GDBN} uses the symbol table, when available, to determine
18635 whether instructions are ARM or Thumb. This command controls
18636 @value{GDBN}'s default behavior when the symbol table is not
18637 available. The default is @samp{auto}, which causes @value{GDBN} to
18638 use the current execution mode (from the @code{T} bit in the @code{CPSR}
18639 register).
18640
18641 @item show arm fallback-mode
18642 Show the current fallback instruction mode.
18643
18644 @item set arm force-mode (arm|thumb|auto)
18645 This command overrides use of the symbol table to determine whether
18646 instructions are ARM or Thumb. The default is @samp{auto}, which
18647 causes @value{GDBN} to use the symbol table and then the setting
18648 of @samp{set arm fallback-mode}.
18649
18650 @item show arm force-mode
18651 Show the current forced instruction mode.
18652
18653 @item set debug arm
18654 Toggle whether to display ARM-specific debugging messages from the ARM
18655 target support subsystem.
18656
18657 @item show debug arm
18658 Show whether ARM-specific debugging messages are enabled.
18659 @end table
18660
18661 The following commands are available when an ARM target is debugged
18662 using the RDI interface:
18663
18664 @table @code
18665 @item rdilogfile @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
18666 @kindex rdilogfile
18667 @cindex ADP (Angel Debugger Protocol) logging
18668 Set the filename for the ADP (Angel Debugger Protocol) packet log.
18669 With an argument, sets the log file to the specified @var{file}. With
18670 no argument, show the current log file name. The default log file is
18671 @file{rdi.log}.
18672
18673 @item rdilogenable @r{[}@var{arg}@r{]}
18674 @kindex rdilogenable
18675 Control logging of ADP packets. With an argument of 1 or @code{"yes"}
18676 enables logging, with an argument 0 or @code{"no"} disables it. With
18677 no arguments displays the current setting. When logging is enabled,
18678 ADP packets exchanged between @value{GDBN} and the RDI target device
18679 are logged to a file.
18680
18681 @item set rdiromatzero
18682 @kindex set rdiromatzero
18683 @cindex ROM at zero address, RDI
18684 Tell @value{GDBN} whether the target has ROM at address 0. If on,
18685 vector catching is disabled, so that zero address can be used. If off
18686 (the default), vector catching is enabled. For this command to take
18687 effect, it needs to be invoked prior to the @code{target rdi} command.
18688
18689 @item show rdiromatzero
18690 @kindex show rdiromatzero
18691 Show the current setting of ROM at zero address.
18692
18693 @item set rdiheartbeat
18694 @kindex set rdiheartbeat
18695 @cindex RDI heartbeat
18696 Enable or disable RDI heartbeat packets. It is not recommended to
18697 turn on this option, since it confuses ARM and EPI JTAG interface, as
18698 well as the Angel monitor.
18699
18700 @item show rdiheartbeat
18701 @kindex show rdiheartbeat
18702 Show the setting of RDI heartbeat packets.
18703 @end table
18704
18705 @table @code
18706 @item target sim @r{[}@var{simargs}@r{]} @dots{}
18707 The @value{GDBN} ARM simulator accepts the following optional arguments.
18708
18709 @table @code
18710 @item --swi-support=@var{type}
18711 Tell the simulator which SWI interfaces to support.
18712 @var{type} may be a comma separated list of the following values.
18713 The default value is @code{all}.
18714
18715 @table @code
18716 @item none
18717 @item demon
18718 @item angel
18719 @item redboot
18720 @item all
18721 @end table
18722 @end table
18723 @end table
18724
18725 @node M32R/D
18726 @subsection Renesas M32R/D and M32R/SDI
18727
18728 @table @code
18729 @kindex target m32r
18730 @item target m32r @var{dev}
18731 Renesas M32R/D ROM monitor.
18732
18733 @kindex target m32rsdi
18734 @item target m32rsdi @var{dev}
18735 Renesas M32R SDI server, connected via parallel port to the board.
18736 @end table
18737
18738 The following @value{GDBN} commands are specific to the M32R monitor:
18739
18740 @table @code
18741 @item set download-path @var{path}
18742 @kindex set download-path
18743 @cindex find downloadable @sc{srec} files (M32R)
18744 Set the default path for finding downloadable @sc{srec} files.
18745
18746 @item show download-path
18747 @kindex show download-path
18748 Show the default path for downloadable @sc{srec} files.
18749
18750 @item set board-address @var{addr}
18751 @kindex set board-address
18752 @cindex M32-EVA target board address
18753 Set the IP address for the M32R-EVA target board.
18754
18755 @item show board-address
18756 @kindex show board-address
18757 Show the current IP address of the target board.
18758
18759 @item set server-address @var{addr}
18760 @kindex set server-address
18761 @cindex download server address (M32R)
18762 Set the IP address for the download server, which is the @value{GDBN}'s
18763 host machine.
18764
18765 @item show server-address
18766 @kindex show server-address
18767 Display the IP address of the download server.
18768
18769 @item upload @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
18770 @kindex upload@r{, M32R}
18771 Upload the specified @sc{srec} @var{file} via the monitor's Ethernet
18772 upload capability. If no @var{file} argument is given, the current
18773 executable file is uploaded.
18774
18775 @item tload @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
18776 @kindex tload@r{, M32R}
18777 Test the @code{upload} command.
18778 @end table
18779
18780 The following commands are available for M32R/SDI:
18781
18782 @table @code
18783 @item sdireset
18784 @kindex sdireset
18785 @cindex reset SDI connection, M32R
18786 This command resets the SDI connection.
18787
18788 @item sdistatus
18789 @kindex sdistatus
18790 This command shows the SDI connection status.
18791
18792 @item debug_chaos
18793 @kindex debug_chaos
18794 @cindex M32R/Chaos debugging
18795 Instructs the remote that M32R/Chaos debugging is to be used.
18796
18797 @item use_debug_dma
18798 @kindex use_debug_dma
18799 Instructs the remote to use the DEBUG_DMA method of accessing memory.
18800
18801 @item use_mon_code
18802 @kindex use_mon_code
18803 Instructs the remote to use the MON_CODE method of accessing memory.
18804
18805 @item use_ib_break
18806 @kindex use_ib_break
18807 Instructs the remote to set breakpoints by IB break.
18808
18809 @item use_dbt_break
18810 @kindex use_dbt_break
18811 Instructs the remote to set breakpoints by DBT.
18812 @end table
18813
18814 @node M68K
18815 @subsection M68k
18816
18817 The Motorola m68k configuration includes ColdFire support, and a
18818 target command for the following ROM monitor.
18819
18820 @table @code
18821
18822 @kindex target dbug
18823 @item target dbug @var{dev}
18824 dBUG ROM monitor for Motorola ColdFire.
18825
18826 @end table
18827
18828 @node MicroBlaze
18829 @subsection MicroBlaze
18830 @cindex Xilinx MicroBlaze
18831 @cindex XMD, Xilinx Microprocessor Debugger
18832
18833 The MicroBlaze is a soft-core processor supported on various Xilinx
18834 FPGAs, such as Spartan or Virtex series. Boards with these processors
18835 usually have JTAG ports which connect to a host system running the Xilinx
18836 Embedded Development Kit (EDK) or Software Development Kit (SDK).
18837 This host system is used to download the configuration bitstream to
18838 the target FPGA. The Xilinx Microprocessor Debugger (XMD) program
18839 communicates with the target board using the JTAG interface and
18840 presents a @code{gdbserver} interface to the board. By default
18841 @code{xmd} uses port @code{1234}. (While it is possible to change
18842 this default port, it requires the use of undocumented @code{xmd}
18843 commands. Contact Xilinx support if you need to do this.)
18844
18845 Use these GDB commands to connect to the MicroBlaze target processor.
18846
18847 @table @code
18848 @item target remote :1234
18849 Use this command to connect to the target if you are running @value{GDBN}
18850 on the same system as @code{xmd}.
18851
18852 @item target remote @var{xmd-host}:1234
18853 Use this command to connect to the target if it is connected to @code{xmd}
18854 running on a different system named @var{xmd-host}.
18855
18856 @item load
18857 Use this command to download a program to the MicroBlaze target.
18858
18859 @item set debug microblaze @var{n}
18860 Enable MicroBlaze-specific debugging messages if non-zero.
18861
18862 @item show debug microblaze @var{n}
18863 Show MicroBlaze-specific debugging level.
18864 @end table
18865
18866 @node MIPS Embedded
18867 @subsection MIPS Embedded
18868
18869 @cindex MIPS boards
18870 @value{GDBN} can use the MIPS remote debugging protocol to talk to a
18871 MIPS board attached to a serial line. This is available when
18872 you configure @value{GDBN} with @samp{--target=mips-idt-ecoff}.
18873
18874 @need 1000
18875 Use these @value{GDBN} commands to specify the connection to your target board:
18876
18877 @table @code
18878 @item target mips @var{port}
18879 @kindex target mips @var{port}
18880 To run a program on the board, start up @code{@value{GDBP}} with the
18881 name of your program as the argument. To connect to the board, use the
18882 command @samp{target mips @var{port}}, where @var{port} is the name of
18883 the serial port connected to the board. If the program has not already
18884 been downloaded to the board, you may use the @code{load} command to
18885 download it. You can then use all the usual @value{GDBN} commands.
18886
18887 For example, this sequence connects to the target board through a serial
18888 port, and loads and runs a program called @var{prog} through the
18889 debugger:
18890
18891 @smallexample
18892 host$ @value{GDBP} @var{prog}
18893 @value{GDBN} is free software and @dots{}
18894 (@value{GDBP}) target mips /dev/ttyb
18895 (@value{GDBP}) load @var{prog}
18896 (@value{GDBP}) run
18897 @end smallexample
18898
18899 @item target mips @var{hostname}:@var{portnumber}
18900 On some @value{GDBN} host configurations, you can specify a TCP
18901 connection (for instance, to a serial line managed by a terminal
18902 concentrator) instead of a serial port, using the syntax
18903 @samp{@var{hostname}:@var{portnumber}}.
18904
18905 @item target pmon @var{port}
18906 @kindex target pmon @var{port}
18907 PMON ROM monitor.
18908
18909 @item target ddb @var{port}
18910 @kindex target ddb @var{port}
18911 NEC's DDB variant of PMON for Vr4300.
18912
18913 @item target lsi @var{port}
18914 @kindex target lsi @var{port}
18915 LSI variant of PMON.
18916
18917 @kindex target r3900
18918 @item target r3900 @var{dev}
18919 Densan DVE-R3900 ROM monitor for Toshiba R3900 Mips.
18920
18921 @kindex target array
18922 @item target array @var{dev}
18923 Array Tech LSI33K RAID controller board.
18924
18925 @end table
18926
18927
18928 @noindent
18929 @value{GDBN} also supports these special commands for MIPS targets:
18930
18931 @table @code
18932 @item set mipsfpu double
18933 @itemx set mipsfpu single
18934 @itemx set mipsfpu none
18935 @itemx set mipsfpu auto
18936 @itemx show mipsfpu
18937 @kindex set mipsfpu
18938 @kindex show mipsfpu
18939 @cindex MIPS remote floating point
18940 @cindex floating point, MIPS remote
18941 If your target board does not support the MIPS floating point
18942 coprocessor, you should use the command @samp{set mipsfpu none} (if you
18943 need this, you may wish to put the command in your @value{GDBN} init
18944 file). This tells @value{GDBN} how to find the return value of
18945 functions which return floating point values. It also allows
18946 @value{GDBN} to avoid saving the floating point registers when calling
18947 functions on the board. If you are using a floating point coprocessor
18948 with only single precision floating point support, as on the @sc{r4650}
18949 processor, use the command @samp{set mipsfpu single}. The default
18950 double precision floating point coprocessor may be selected using
18951 @samp{set mipsfpu double}.
18952
18953 In previous versions the only choices were double precision or no
18954 floating point, so @samp{set mipsfpu on} will select double precision
18955 and @samp{set mipsfpu off} will select no floating point.
18956
18957 As usual, you can inquire about the @code{mipsfpu} variable with
18958 @samp{show mipsfpu}.
18959
18960 @item set timeout @var{seconds}
18961 @itemx set retransmit-timeout @var{seconds}
18962 @itemx show timeout
18963 @itemx show retransmit-timeout
18964 @cindex @code{timeout}, MIPS protocol
18965 @cindex @code{retransmit-timeout}, MIPS protocol
18966 @kindex set timeout
18967 @kindex show timeout
18968 @kindex set retransmit-timeout
18969 @kindex show retransmit-timeout
18970 You can control the timeout used while waiting for a packet, in the MIPS
18971 remote protocol, with the @code{set timeout @var{seconds}} command. The
18972 default is 5 seconds. Similarly, you can control the timeout used while
18973 waiting for an acknowledgment of a packet with the @code{set
18974 retransmit-timeout @var{seconds}} command. The default is 3 seconds.
18975 You can inspect both values with @code{show timeout} and @code{show
18976 retransmit-timeout}. (These commands are @emph{only} available when
18977 @value{GDBN} is configured for @samp{--target=mips-idt-ecoff}.)
18978
18979 The timeout set by @code{set timeout} does not apply when @value{GDBN}
18980 is waiting for your program to stop. In that case, @value{GDBN} waits
18981 forever because it has no way of knowing how long the program is going
18982 to run before stopping.
18983
18984 @item set syn-garbage-limit @var{num}
18985 @kindex set syn-garbage-limit@r{, MIPS remote}
18986 @cindex synchronize with remote MIPS target
18987 Limit the maximum number of characters @value{GDBN} should ignore when
18988 it tries to synchronize with the remote target. The default is 10
18989 characters. Setting the limit to -1 means there's no limit.
18990
18991 @item show syn-garbage-limit
18992 @kindex show syn-garbage-limit@r{, MIPS remote}
18993 Show the current limit on the number of characters to ignore when
18994 trying to synchronize with the remote system.
18995
18996 @item set monitor-prompt @var{prompt}
18997 @kindex set monitor-prompt@r{, MIPS remote}
18998 @cindex remote monitor prompt
18999 Tell @value{GDBN} to expect the specified @var{prompt} string from the
19000 remote monitor. The default depends on the target:
19001 @table @asis
19002 @item pmon target
19003 @samp{PMON}
19004 @item ddb target
19005 @samp{NEC010}
19006 @item lsi target
19007 @samp{PMON>}
19008 @end table
19009
19010 @item show monitor-prompt
19011 @kindex show monitor-prompt@r{, MIPS remote}
19012 Show the current strings @value{GDBN} expects as the prompt from the
19013 remote monitor.
19014
19015 @item set monitor-warnings
19016 @kindex set monitor-warnings@r{, MIPS remote}
19017 Enable or disable monitor warnings about hardware breakpoints. This
19018 has effect only for the @code{lsi} target. When on, @value{GDBN} will
19019 display warning messages whose codes are returned by the @code{lsi}
19020 PMON monitor for breakpoint commands.
19021
19022 @item show monitor-warnings
19023 @kindex show monitor-warnings@r{, MIPS remote}
19024 Show the current setting of printing monitor warnings.
19025
19026 @item pmon @var{command}
19027 @kindex pmon@r{, MIPS remote}
19028 @cindex send PMON command
19029 This command allows sending an arbitrary @var{command} string to the
19030 monitor. The monitor must be in debug mode for this to work.
19031 @end table
19032
19033 @node OpenRISC 1000
19034 @subsection OpenRISC 1000
19035 @cindex OpenRISC 1000
19036
19037 @cindex or1k boards
19038 See OR1k Architecture document (@uref{www.opencores.org}) for more information
19039 about platform and commands.
19040
19041 @table @code
19042
19043 @kindex target jtag
19044 @item target jtag jtag://@var{host}:@var{port}
19045
19046 Connects to remote JTAG server.
19047 JTAG remote server can be either an or1ksim or JTAG server,
19048 connected via parallel port to the board.
19049
19050 Example: @code{target jtag jtag://localhost:9999}
19051
19052 @kindex or1ksim
19053 @item or1ksim @var{command}
19054 If connected to @code{or1ksim} OpenRISC 1000 Architectural
19055 Simulator, proprietary commands can be executed.
19056
19057 @kindex info or1k spr
19058 @item info or1k spr
19059 Displays spr groups.
19060
19061 @item info or1k spr @var{group}
19062 @itemx info or1k spr @var{groupno}
19063 Displays register names in selected group.
19064
19065 @item info or1k spr @var{group} @var{register}
19066 @itemx info or1k spr @var{register}
19067 @itemx info or1k spr @var{groupno} @var{registerno}
19068 @itemx info or1k spr @var{registerno}
19069 Shows information about specified spr register.
19070
19071 @kindex spr
19072 @item spr @var{group} @var{register} @var{value}
19073 @itemx spr @var{register @var{value}}
19074 @itemx spr @var{groupno} @var{registerno @var{value}}
19075 @itemx spr @var{registerno @var{value}}
19076 Writes @var{value} to specified spr register.
19077 @end table
19078
19079 Some implementations of OpenRISC 1000 Architecture also have hardware trace.
19080 It is very similar to @value{GDBN} trace, except it does not interfere with normal
19081 program execution and is thus much faster. Hardware breakpoints/watchpoint
19082 triggers can be set using:
19083 @table @code
19084 @item $LEA/$LDATA
19085 Load effective address/data
19086 @item $SEA/$SDATA
19087 Store effective address/data
19088 @item $AEA/$ADATA
19089 Access effective address ($SEA or $LEA) or data ($SDATA/$LDATA)
19090 @item $FETCH
19091 Fetch data
19092 @end table
19093
19094 When triggered, it can capture low level data, like: @code{PC}, @code{LSEA},
19095 @code{LDATA}, @code{SDATA}, @code{READSPR}, @code{WRITESPR}, @code{INSTR}.
19096
19097 @code{htrace} commands:
19098 @cindex OpenRISC 1000 htrace
19099 @table @code
19100 @kindex hwatch
19101 @item hwatch @var{conditional}
19102 Set hardware watchpoint on combination of Load/Store Effective Address(es)
19103 or Data. For example:
19104
19105 @code{hwatch ($LEA == my_var) && ($LDATA < 50) || ($SEA == my_var) && ($SDATA >= 50)}
19106
19107 @code{hwatch ($LEA == my_var) && ($LDATA < 50) || ($SEA == my_var) && ($SDATA >= 50)}
19108
19109 @kindex htrace
19110 @item htrace info
19111 Display information about current HW trace configuration.
19112
19113 @item htrace trigger @var{conditional}
19114 Set starting criteria for HW trace.
19115
19116 @item htrace qualifier @var{conditional}
19117 Set acquisition qualifier for HW trace.
19118
19119 @item htrace stop @var{conditional}
19120 Set HW trace stopping criteria.
19121
19122 @item htrace record [@var{data}]*
19123 Selects the data to be recorded, when qualifier is met and HW trace was
19124 triggered.
19125
19126 @item htrace enable
19127 @itemx htrace disable
19128 Enables/disables the HW trace.
19129
19130 @item htrace rewind [@var{filename}]
19131 Clears currently recorded trace data.
19132
19133 If filename is specified, new trace file is made and any newly collected data
19134 will be written there.
19135
19136 @item htrace print [@var{start} [@var{len}]]
19137 Prints trace buffer, using current record configuration.
19138
19139 @item htrace mode continuous
19140 Set continuous trace mode.
19141
19142 @item htrace mode suspend
19143 Set suspend trace mode.
19144
19145 @end table
19146
19147 @node PowerPC Embedded
19148 @subsection PowerPC Embedded
19149
19150 @cindex DVC register
19151 @value{GDBN} supports using the DVC (Data Value Compare) register to
19152 implement in hardware simple hardware watchpoint conditions of the form:
19153
19154 @smallexample
19155 (@value{GDBP}) watch @var{ADDRESS|VARIABLE} \
19156 if @var{ADDRESS|VARIABLE} == @var{CONSTANT EXPRESSION}
19157 @end smallexample
19158
19159 The DVC register will be automatically used when @value{GDBN} detects
19160 such pattern in a condition expression, and the created watchpoint uses one
19161 debug register (either the @code{exact-watchpoints} option is on and the
19162 variable is scalar, or the variable has a length of one byte). This feature
19163 is available in native @value{GDBN} running on a Linux kernel version 2.6.34
19164 or newer.
19165
19166 When running on PowerPC embedded processors, @value{GDBN} automatically uses
19167 ranged hardware watchpoints, unless the @code{exact-watchpoints} option is on,
19168 in which case watchpoints using only one debug register are created when
19169 watching variables of scalar types.
19170
19171 You can create an artificial array to watch an arbitrary memory
19172 region using one of the following commands (@pxref{Expressions}):
19173
19174 @smallexample
19175 (@value{GDBP}) watch *((char *) @var{address})@@@var{length}
19176 (@value{GDBP}) watch @{char[@var{length}]@} @var{address}
19177 @end smallexample
19178
19179 PowerPC embedded processors support masked watchpoints. See the discussion
19180 about the @code{mask} argument in @ref{Set Watchpoints}.
19181
19182 @cindex ranged breakpoint
19183 PowerPC embedded processors support hardware accelerated
19184 @dfn{ranged breakpoints}. A ranged breakpoint stops execution of
19185 the inferior whenever it executes an instruction at any address within
19186 the range it specifies. To set a ranged breakpoint in @value{GDBN},
19187 use the @code{break-range} command.
19188
19189 @value{GDBN} provides the following PowerPC-specific commands:
19190
19191 @table @code
19192 @kindex break-range
19193 @item break-range @var{start-location}, @var{end-location}
19194 Set a breakpoint for an address range.
19195 @var{start-location} and @var{end-location} can specify a function name,
19196 a line number, an offset of lines from the current line or from the start
19197 location, or an address of an instruction (see @ref{Specify Location},
19198 for a list of all the possible ways to specify a @var{location}.)
19199 The breakpoint will stop execution of the inferior whenever it
19200 executes an instruction at any address within the specified range,
19201 (including @var{start-location} and @var{end-location}.)
19202
19203 @kindex set powerpc
19204 @item set powerpc soft-float
19205 @itemx show powerpc soft-float
19206 Force @value{GDBN} to use (or not use) a software floating point calling
19207 convention. By default, @value{GDBN} selects the calling convention based
19208 on the selected architecture and the provided executable file.
19209
19210 @item set powerpc vector-abi
19211 @itemx show powerpc vector-abi
19212 Force @value{GDBN} to use the specified calling convention for vector
19213 arguments and return values. The valid options are @samp{auto};
19214 @samp{generic}, to avoid vector registers even if they are present;
19215 @samp{altivec}, to use AltiVec registers; and @samp{spe} to use SPE
19216 registers. By default, @value{GDBN} selects the calling convention
19217 based on the selected architecture and the provided executable file.
19218
19219 @item set powerpc exact-watchpoints
19220 @itemx show powerpc exact-watchpoints
19221 Allow @value{GDBN} to use only one debug register when watching a variable
19222 of scalar type, thus assuming that the variable is accessed through the
19223 address of its first byte.
19224
19225 @kindex target dink32
19226 @item target dink32 @var{dev}
19227 DINK32 ROM monitor.
19228
19229 @kindex target ppcbug
19230 @item target ppcbug @var{dev}
19231 @kindex target ppcbug1
19232 @item target ppcbug1 @var{dev}
19233 PPCBUG ROM monitor for PowerPC.
19234
19235 @kindex target sds
19236 @item target sds @var{dev}
19237 SDS monitor, running on a PowerPC board (such as Motorola's ADS).
19238 @end table
19239
19240 @cindex SDS protocol
19241 The following commands specific to the SDS protocol are supported
19242 by @value{GDBN}:
19243
19244 @table @code
19245 @item set sdstimeout @var{nsec}
19246 @kindex set sdstimeout
19247 Set the timeout for SDS protocol reads to be @var{nsec} seconds. The
19248 default is 2 seconds.
19249
19250 @item show sdstimeout
19251 @kindex show sdstimeout
19252 Show the current value of the SDS timeout.
19253
19254 @item sds @var{command}
19255 @kindex sds@r{, a command}
19256 Send the specified @var{command} string to the SDS monitor.
19257 @end table
19258
19259
19260 @node PA
19261 @subsection HP PA Embedded
19262
19263 @table @code
19264
19265 @kindex target op50n
19266 @item target op50n @var{dev}
19267 OP50N monitor, running on an OKI HPPA board.
19268
19269 @kindex target w89k
19270 @item target w89k @var{dev}
19271 W89K monitor, running on a Winbond HPPA board.
19272
19273 @end table
19274
19275 @node Sparclet
19276 @subsection Tsqware Sparclet
19277
19278 @cindex Sparclet
19279
19280 @value{GDBN} enables developers to debug tasks running on
19281 Sparclet targets from a Unix host.
19282 @value{GDBN} uses code that runs on
19283 both the Unix host and on the Sparclet target. The program
19284 @code{@value{GDBP}} is installed and executed on the Unix host.
19285
19286 @table @code
19287 @item remotetimeout @var{args}
19288 @kindex remotetimeout
19289 @value{GDBN} supports the option @code{remotetimeout}.
19290 This option is set by the user, and @var{args} represents the number of
19291 seconds @value{GDBN} waits for responses.
19292 @end table
19293
19294 @cindex compiling, on Sparclet
19295 When compiling for debugging, include the options @samp{-g} to get debug
19296 information and @samp{-Ttext} to relocate the program to where you wish to
19297 load it on the target. You may also want to add the options @samp{-n} or
19298 @samp{-N} in order to reduce the size of the sections. Example:
19299
19300 @smallexample
19301 sparclet-aout-gcc prog.c -Ttext 0x12010000 -g -o prog -N
19302 @end smallexample
19303
19304 You can use @code{objdump} to verify that the addresses are what you intended:
19305
19306 @smallexample
19307 sparclet-aout-objdump --headers --syms prog
19308 @end smallexample
19309
19310 @cindex running, on Sparclet
19311 Once you have set
19312 your Unix execution search path to find @value{GDBN}, you are ready to
19313 run @value{GDBN}. From your Unix host, run @code{@value{GDBP}}
19314 (or @code{sparclet-aout-gdb}, depending on your installation).
19315
19316 @value{GDBN} comes up showing the prompt:
19317
19318 @smallexample
19319 (gdbslet)
19320 @end smallexample
19321
19322 @menu
19323 * Sparclet File:: Setting the file to debug
19324 * Sparclet Connection:: Connecting to Sparclet
19325 * Sparclet Download:: Sparclet download
19326 * Sparclet Execution:: Running and debugging
19327 @end menu
19328
19329 @node Sparclet File
19330 @subsubsection Setting File to Debug
19331
19332 The @value{GDBN} command @code{file} lets you choose with program to debug.
19333
19334 @smallexample
19335 (gdbslet) file prog
19336 @end smallexample
19337
19338 @need 1000
19339 @value{GDBN} then attempts to read the symbol table of @file{prog}.
19340 @value{GDBN} locates
19341 the file by searching the directories listed in the command search
19342 path.
19343 If the file was compiled with debug information (option @samp{-g}), source
19344 files will be searched as well.
19345 @value{GDBN} locates
19346 the source files by searching the directories listed in the directory search
19347 path (@pxref{Environment, ,Your Program's Environment}).
19348 If it fails
19349 to find a file, it displays a message such as:
19350
19351 @smallexample
19352 prog: No such file or directory.
19353 @end smallexample
19354
19355 When this happens, add the appropriate directories to the search paths with
19356 the @value{GDBN} commands @code{path} and @code{dir}, and execute the
19357 @code{target} command again.
19358
19359 @node Sparclet Connection
19360 @subsubsection Connecting to Sparclet
19361
19362 The @value{GDBN} command @code{target} lets you connect to a Sparclet target.
19363 To connect to a target on serial port ``@code{ttya}'', type:
19364
19365 @smallexample
19366 (gdbslet) target sparclet /dev/ttya
19367 Remote target sparclet connected to /dev/ttya
19368 main () at ../prog.c:3
19369 @end smallexample
19370
19371 @need 750
19372 @value{GDBN} displays messages like these:
19373
19374 @smallexample
19375 Connected to ttya.
19376 @end smallexample
19377
19378 @node Sparclet Download
19379 @subsubsection Sparclet Download
19380
19381 @cindex download to Sparclet
19382 Once connected to the Sparclet target,
19383 you can use the @value{GDBN}
19384 @code{load} command to download the file from the host to the target.
19385 The file name and load offset should be given as arguments to the @code{load}
19386 command.
19387 Since the file format is aout, the program must be loaded to the starting
19388 address. You can use @code{objdump} to find out what this value is. The load
19389 offset is an offset which is added to the VMA (virtual memory address)
19390 of each of the file's sections.
19391 For instance, if the program
19392 @file{prog} was linked to text address 0x1201000, with data at 0x12010160
19393 and bss at 0x12010170, in @value{GDBN}, type:
19394
19395 @smallexample
19396 (gdbslet) load prog 0x12010000
19397 Loading section .text, size 0xdb0 vma 0x12010000
19398 @end smallexample
19399
19400 If the code is loaded at a different address then what the program was linked
19401 to, you may need to use the @code{section} and @code{add-symbol-file} commands
19402 to tell @value{GDBN} where to map the symbol table.
19403
19404 @node Sparclet Execution
19405 @subsubsection Running and Debugging
19406
19407 @cindex running and debugging Sparclet programs
19408 You can now begin debugging the task using @value{GDBN}'s execution control
19409 commands, @code{b}, @code{step}, @code{run}, etc. See the @value{GDBN}
19410 manual for the list of commands.
19411
19412 @smallexample
19413 (gdbslet) b main
19414 Breakpoint 1 at 0x12010000: file prog.c, line 3.
19415 (gdbslet) run
19416 Starting program: prog
19417 Breakpoint 1, main (argc=1, argv=0xeffff21c) at prog.c:3
19418 3 char *symarg = 0;
19419 (gdbslet) step
19420 4 char *execarg = "hello!";
19421 (gdbslet)
19422 @end smallexample
19423
19424 @node Sparclite
19425 @subsection Fujitsu Sparclite
19426
19427 @table @code
19428
19429 @kindex target sparclite
19430 @item target sparclite @var{dev}
19431 Fujitsu sparclite boards, used only for the purpose of loading.
19432 You must use an additional command to debug the program.
19433 For example: target remote @var{dev} using @value{GDBN} standard
19434 remote protocol.
19435
19436 @end table
19437
19438 @node Z8000
19439 @subsection Zilog Z8000
19440
19441 @cindex Z8000
19442 @cindex simulator, Z8000
19443 @cindex Zilog Z8000 simulator
19444
19445 When configured for debugging Zilog Z8000 targets, @value{GDBN} includes
19446 a Z8000 simulator.
19447
19448 For the Z8000 family, @samp{target sim} simulates either the Z8002 (the
19449 unsegmented variant of the Z8000 architecture) or the Z8001 (the
19450 segmented variant). The simulator recognizes which architecture is
19451 appropriate by inspecting the object code.
19452
19453 @table @code
19454 @item target sim @var{args}
19455 @kindex sim
19456 @kindex target sim@r{, with Z8000}
19457 Debug programs on a simulated CPU. If the simulator supports setup
19458 options, specify them via @var{args}.
19459 @end table
19460
19461 @noindent
19462 After specifying this target, you can debug programs for the simulated
19463 CPU in the same style as programs for your host computer; use the
19464 @code{file} command to load a new program image, the @code{run} command
19465 to run your program, and so on.
19466
19467 As well as making available all the usual machine registers
19468 (@pxref{Registers, ,Registers}), the Z8000 simulator provides three
19469 additional items of information as specially named registers:
19470
19471 @table @code
19472
19473 @item cycles
19474 Counts clock-ticks in the simulator.
19475
19476 @item insts
19477 Counts instructions run in the simulator.
19478
19479 @item time
19480 Execution time in 60ths of a second.
19481
19482 @end table
19483
19484 You can refer to these values in @value{GDBN} expressions with the usual
19485 conventions; for example, @w{@samp{b fputc if $cycles>5000}} sets a
19486 conditional breakpoint that suspends only after at least 5000
19487 simulated clock ticks.
19488
19489 @node AVR
19490 @subsection Atmel AVR
19491 @cindex AVR
19492
19493 When configured for debugging the Atmel AVR, @value{GDBN} supports the
19494 following AVR-specific commands:
19495
19496 @table @code
19497 @item info io_registers
19498 @kindex info io_registers@r{, AVR}
19499 @cindex I/O registers (Atmel AVR)
19500 This command displays information about the AVR I/O registers. For
19501 each register, @value{GDBN} prints its number and value.
19502 @end table
19503
19504 @node CRIS
19505 @subsection CRIS
19506 @cindex CRIS
19507
19508 When configured for debugging CRIS, @value{GDBN} provides the
19509 following CRIS-specific commands:
19510
19511 @table @code
19512 @item set cris-version @var{ver}
19513 @cindex CRIS version
19514 Set the current CRIS version to @var{ver}, either @samp{10} or @samp{32}.
19515 The CRIS version affects register names and sizes. This command is useful in
19516 case autodetection of the CRIS version fails.
19517
19518 @item show cris-version
19519 Show the current CRIS version.
19520
19521 @item set cris-dwarf2-cfi
19522 @cindex DWARF-2 CFI and CRIS
19523 Set the usage of DWARF-2 CFI for CRIS debugging. The default is @samp{on}.
19524 Change to @samp{off} when using @code{gcc-cris} whose version is below
19525 @code{R59}.
19526
19527 @item show cris-dwarf2-cfi
19528 Show the current state of using DWARF-2 CFI.
19529
19530 @item set cris-mode @var{mode}
19531 @cindex CRIS mode
19532 Set the current CRIS mode to @var{mode}. It should only be changed when
19533 debugging in guru mode, in which case it should be set to
19534 @samp{guru} (the default is @samp{normal}).
19535
19536 @item show cris-mode
19537 Show the current CRIS mode.
19538 @end table
19539
19540 @node Super-H
19541 @subsection Renesas Super-H
19542 @cindex Super-H
19543
19544 For the Renesas Super-H processor, @value{GDBN} provides these
19545 commands:
19546
19547 @table @code
19548 @item regs
19549 @kindex regs@r{, Super-H}
19550 Show the values of all Super-H registers.
19551
19552 @item set sh calling-convention @var{convention}
19553 @kindex set sh calling-convention
19554 Set the calling-convention used when calling functions from @value{GDBN}.
19555 Allowed values are @samp{gcc}, which is the default setting, and @samp{renesas}.
19556 With the @samp{gcc} setting, functions are called using the @value{NGCC} calling
19557 convention. If the DWARF-2 information of the called function specifies
19558 that the function follows the Renesas calling convention, the function
19559 is called using the Renesas calling convention. If the calling convention
19560 is set to @samp{renesas}, the Renesas calling convention is always used,
19561 regardless of the DWARF-2 information. This can be used to override the
19562 default of @samp{gcc} if debug information is missing, or the compiler
19563 does not emit the DWARF-2 calling convention entry for a function.
19564
19565 @item show sh calling-convention
19566 @kindex show sh calling-convention
19567 Show the current calling convention setting.
19568
19569 @end table
19570
19571
19572 @node Architectures
19573 @section Architectures
19574
19575 This section describes characteristics of architectures that affect
19576 all uses of @value{GDBN} with the architecture, both native and cross.
19577
19578 @menu
19579 * i386::
19580 * A29K::
19581 * Alpha::
19582 * MIPS::
19583 * HPPA:: HP PA architecture
19584 * SPU:: Cell Broadband Engine SPU architecture
19585 * PowerPC::
19586 @end menu
19587
19588 @node i386
19589 @subsection x86 Architecture-specific Issues
19590
19591 @table @code
19592 @item set struct-convention @var{mode}
19593 @kindex set struct-convention
19594 @cindex struct return convention
19595 @cindex struct/union returned in registers
19596 Set the convention used by the inferior to return @code{struct}s and
19597 @code{union}s from functions to @var{mode}. Possible values of
19598 @var{mode} are @code{"pcc"}, @code{"reg"}, and @code{"default"} (the
19599 default). @code{"default"} or @code{"pcc"} means that @code{struct}s
19600 are returned on the stack, while @code{"reg"} means that a
19601 @code{struct} or a @code{union} whose size is 1, 2, 4, or 8 bytes will
19602 be returned in a register.
19603
19604 @item show struct-convention
19605 @kindex show struct-convention
19606 Show the current setting of the convention to return @code{struct}s
19607 from functions.
19608 @end table
19609
19610 @node A29K
19611 @subsection A29K
19612
19613 @table @code
19614
19615 @kindex set rstack_high_address
19616 @cindex AMD 29K register stack
19617 @cindex register stack, AMD29K
19618 @item set rstack_high_address @var{address}
19619 On AMD 29000 family processors, registers are saved in a separate
19620 @dfn{register stack}. There is no way for @value{GDBN} to determine the
19621 extent of this stack. Normally, @value{GDBN} just assumes that the
19622 stack is ``large enough''. This may result in @value{GDBN} referencing
19623 memory locations that do not exist. If necessary, you can get around
19624 this problem by specifying the ending address of the register stack with
19625 the @code{set rstack_high_address} command. The argument should be an
19626 address, which you probably want to precede with @samp{0x} to specify in
19627 hexadecimal.
19628
19629 @kindex show rstack_high_address
19630 @item show rstack_high_address
19631 Display the current limit of the register stack, on AMD 29000 family
19632 processors.
19633
19634 @end table
19635
19636 @node Alpha
19637 @subsection Alpha
19638
19639 See the following section.
19640
19641 @node MIPS
19642 @subsection MIPS
19643
19644 @cindex stack on Alpha
19645 @cindex stack on MIPS
19646 @cindex Alpha stack
19647 @cindex MIPS stack
19648 Alpha- and MIPS-based computers use an unusual stack frame, which
19649 sometimes requires @value{GDBN} to search backward in the object code to
19650 find the beginning of a function.
19651
19652 @cindex response time, MIPS debugging
19653 To improve response time (especially for embedded applications, where
19654 @value{GDBN} may be restricted to a slow serial line for this search)
19655 you may want to limit the size of this search, using one of these
19656 commands:
19657
19658 @table @code
19659 @cindex @code{heuristic-fence-post} (Alpha, MIPS)
19660 @item set heuristic-fence-post @var{limit}
19661 Restrict @value{GDBN} to examining at most @var{limit} bytes in its
19662 search for the beginning of a function. A value of @var{0} (the
19663 default) means there is no limit. However, except for @var{0}, the
19664 larger the limit the more bytes @code{heuristic-fence-post} must search
19665 and therefore the longer it takes to run. You should only need to use
19666 this command when debugging a stripped executable.
19667
19668 @item show heuristic-fence-post
19669 Display the current limit.
19670 @end table
19671
19672 @noindent
19673 These commands are available @emph{only} when @value{GDBN} is configured
19674 for debugging programs on Alpha or MIPS processors.
19675
19676 Several MIPS-specific commands are available when debugging MIPS
19677 programs:
19678
19679 @table @code
19680 @item set mips abi @var{arg}
19681 @kindex set mips abi
19682 @cindex set ABI for MIPS
19683 Tell @value{GDBN} which MIPS ABI is used by the inferior. Possible
19684 values of @var{arg} are:
19685
19686 @table @samp
19687 @item auto
19688 The default ABI associated with the current binary (this is the
19689 default).
19690 @item o32
19691 @item o64
19692 @item n32
19693 @item n64
19694 @item eabi32
19695 @item eabi64
19696 @item auto
19697 @end table
19698
19699 @item show mips abi
19700 @kindex show mips abi
19701 Show the MIPS ABI used by @value{GDBN} to debug the inferior.
19702
19703 @item set mipsfpu
19704 @itemx show mipsfpu
19705 @xref{MIPS Embedded, set mipsfpu}.
19706
19707 @item set mips mask-address @var{arg}
19708 @kindex set mips mask-address
19709 @cindex MIPS addresses, masking
19710 This command determines whether the most-significant 32 bits of 64-bit
19711 MIPS addresses are masked off. The argument @var{arg} can be
19712 @samp{on}, @samp{off}, or @samp{auto}. The latter is the default
19713 setting, which lets @value{GDBN} determine the correct value.
19714
19715 @item show mips mask-address
19716 @kindex show mips mask-address
19717 Show whether the upper 32 bits of MIPS addresses are masked off or
19718 not.
19719
19720 @item set remote-mips64-transfers-32bit-regs
19721 @kindex set remote-mips64-transfers-32bit-regs
19722 This command controls compatibility with 64-bit MIPS targets that
19723 transfer data in 32-bit quantities. If you have an old MIPS 64 target
19724 that transfers 32 bits for some registers, like @sc{sr} and @sc{fsr},
19725 and 64 bits for other registers, set this option to @samp{on}.
19726
19727 @item show remote-mips64-transfers-32bit-regs
19728 @kindex show remote-mips64-transfers-32bit-regs
19729 Show the current setting of compatibility with older MIPS 64 targets.
19730
19731 @item set debug mips
19732 @kindex set debug mips
19733 This command turns on and off debugging messages for the MIPS-specific
19734 target code in @value{GDBN}.
19735
19736 @item show debug mips
19737 @kindex show debug mips
19738 Show the current setting of MIPS debugging messages.
19739 @end table
19740
19741
19742 @node HPPA
19743 @subsection HPPA
19744 @cindex HPPA support
19745
19746 When @value{GDBN} is debugging the HP PA architecture, it provides the
19747 following special commands:
19748
19749 @table @code
19750 @item set debug hppa
19751 @kindex set debug hppa
19752 This command determines whether HPPA architecture-specific debugging
19753 messages are to be displayed.
19754
19755 @item show debug hppa
19756 Show whether HPPA debugging messages are displayed.
19757
19758 @item maint print unwind @var{address}
19759 @kindex maint print unwind@r{, HPPA}
19760 This command displays the contents of the unwind table entry at the
19761 given @var{address}.
19762
19763 @end table
19764
19765
19766 @node SPU
19767 @subsection Cell Broadband Engine SPU architecture
19768 @cindex Cell Broadband Engine
19769 @cindex SPU
19770
19771 When @value{GDBN} is debugging the Cell Broadband Engine SPU architecture,
19772 it provides the following special commands:
19773
19774 @table @code
19775 @item info spu event
19776 @kindex info spu
19777 Display SPU event facility status. Shows current event mask
19778 and pending event status.
19779
19780 @item info spu signal
19781 Display SPU signal notification facility status. Shows pending
19782 signal-control word and signal notification mode of both signal
19783 notification channels.
19784
19785 @item info spu mailbox
19786 Display SPU mailbox facility status. Shows all pending entries,
19787 in order of processing, in each of the SPU Write Outbound,
19788 SPU Write Outbound Interrupt, and SPU Read Inbound mailboxes.
19789
19790 @item info spu dma
19791 Display MFC DMA status. Shows all pending commands in the MFC
19792 DMA queue. For each entry, opcode, tag, class IDs, effective
19793 and local store addresses and transfer size are shown.
19794
19795 @item info spu proxydma
19796 Display MFC Proxy-DMA status. Shows all pending commands in the MFC
19797 Proxy-DMA queue. For each entry, opcode, tag, class IDs, effective
19798 and local store addresses and transfer size are shown.
19799
19800 @end table
19801
19802 When @value{GDBN} is debugging a combined PowerPC/SPU application
19803 on the Cell Broadband Engine, it provides in addition the following
19804 special commands:
19805
19806 @table @code
19807 @item set spu stop-on-load @var{arg}
19808 @kindex set spu
19809 Set whether to stop for new SPE threads. When set to @code{on}, @value{GDBN}
19810 will give control to the user when a new SPE thread enters its @code{main}
19811 function. The default is @code{off}.
19812
19813 @item show spu stop-on-load
19814 @kindex show spu
19815 Show whether to stop for new SPE threads.
19816
19817 @item set spu auto-flush-cache @var{arg}
19818 Set whether to automatically flush the software-managed cache. When set to
19819 @code{on}, @value{GDBN} will automatically cause the SPE software-managed
19820 cache to be flushed whenever SPE execution stops. This provides a consistent
19821 view of PowerPC memory that is accessed via the cache. If an application
19822 does not use the software-managed cache, this option has no effect.
19823
19824 @item show spu auto-flush-cache
19825 Show whether to automatically flush the software-managed cache.
19826
19827 @end table
19828
19829 @node PowerPC
19830 @subsection PowerPC
19831 @cindex PowerPC architecture
19832
19833 When @value{GDBN} is debugging the PowerPC architecture, it provides a set of
19834 pseudo-registers to enable inspection of 128-bit wide Decimal Floating Point
19835 numbers stored in the floating point registers. These values must be stored
19836 in two consecutive registers, always starting at an even register like
19837 @code{f0} or @code{f2}.
19838
19839 The pseudo-registers go from @code{$dl0} through @code{$dl15}, and are formed
19840 by joining the even/odd register pairs @code{f0} and @code{f1} for @code{$dl0},
19841 @code{f2} and @code{f3} for @code{$dl1} and so on.
19842
19843 For POWER7 processors, @value{GDBN} provides a set of pseudo-registers, the 64-bit
19844 wide Extended Floating Point Registers (@samp{f32} through @samp{f63}).
19845
19846
19847 @node Controlling GDB
19848 @chapter Controlling @value{GDBN}
19849
19850 You can alter the way @value{GDBN} interacts with you by using the
19851 @code{set} command. For commands controlling how @value{GDBN} displays
19852 data, see @ref{Print Settings, ,Print Settings}. Other settings are
19853 described here.
19854
19855 @menu
19856 * Prompt:: Prompt
19857 * Editing:: Command editing
19858 * Command History:: Command history
19859 * Screen Size:: Screen size
19860 * Numbers:: Numbers
19861 * ABI:: Configuring the current ABI
19862 * Messages/Warnings:: Optional warnings and messages
19863 * Debugging Output:: Optional messages about internal happenings
19864 * Other Misc Settings:: Other Miscellaneous Settings
19865 @end menu
19866
19867 @node Prompt
19868 @section Prompt
19869
19870 @cindex prompt
19871
19872 @value{GDBN} indicates its readiness to read a command by printing a string
19873 called the @dfn{prompt}. This string is normally @samp{(@value{GDBP})}. You
19874 can change the prompt string with the @code{set prompt} command. For
19875 instance, when debugging @value{GDBN} with @value{GDBN}, it is useful to change
19876 the prompt in one of the @value{GDBN} sessions so that you can always tell
19877 which one you are talking to.
19878
19879 @emph{Note:} @code{set prompt} does not add a space for you after the
19880 prompt you set. This allows you to set a prompt which ends in a space
19881 or a prompt that does not.
19882
19883 @table @code
19884 @kindex set prompt
19885 @item set prompt @var{newprompt}
19886 Directs @value{GDBN} to use @var{newprompt} as its prompt string henceforth.
19887
19888 @kindex show prompt
19889 @item show prompt
19890 Prints a line of the form: @samp{Gdb's prompt is: @var{your-prompt}}
19891 @end table
19892
19893 Versions of @value{GDBN} that ship with Python scripting enabled have
19894 prompt extensions. The commands for interacting with these extensions
19895 are:
19896
19897 @table @code
19898 @kindex set extended-prompt
19899 @item set extended-prompt @var{prompt}
19900 Set an extended prompt that allows for substitutions.
19901 @xref{gdb.prompt}, for a list of escape sequences that can be used for
19902 substitution. Any escape sequences specified as part of the prompt
19903 string are replaced with the corresponding strings each time the prompt
19904 is displayed.
19905
19906 For example:
19907
19908 @smallexample
19909 set extended-prompt Current working directory: \w (gdb)
19910 @end smallexample
19911
19912 Note that when an extended-prompt is set, it takes control of the
19913 @var{prompt_hook} hook. @xref{prompt_hook}, for further information.
19914
19915 @kindex show extended-prompt
19916 @item show extended-prompt
19917 Prints the extended prompt. Any escape sequences specified as part of
19918 the prompt string with @code{set extended-prompt}, are replaced with the
19919 corresponding strings each time the prompt is displayed.
19920 @end table
19921
19922 @node Editing
19923 @section Command Editing
19924 @cindex readline
19925 @cindex command line editing
19926
19927 @value{GDBN} reads its input commands via the @dfn{Readline} interface. This
19928 @sc{gnu} library provides consistent behavior for programs which provide a
19929 command line interface to the user. Advantages are @sc{gnu} Emacs-style
19930 or @dfn{vi}-style inline editing of commands, @code{csh}-like history
19931 substitution, and a storage and recall of command history across
19932 debugging sessions.
19933
19934 You may control the behavior of command line editing in @value{GDBN} with the
19935 command @code{set}.
19936
19937 @table @code
19938 @kindex set editing
19939 @cindex editing
19940 @item set editing
19941 @itemx set editing on
19942 Enable command line editing (enabled by default).
19943
19944 @item set editing off
19945 Disable command line editing.
19946
19947 @kindex show editing
19948 @item show editing
19949 Show whether command line editing is enabled.
19950 @end table
19951
19952 @ifset SYSTEM_READLINE
19953 @xref{Command Line Editing, , , rluserman, GNU Readline Library},
19954 @end ifset
19955 @ifclear SYSTEM_READLINE
19956 @xref{Command Line Editing},
19957 @end ifclear
19958 for more details about the Readline
19959 interface. Users unfamiliar with @sc{gnu} Emacs or @code{vi} are
19960 encouraged to read that chapter.
19961
19962 @node Command History
19963 @section Command History
19964 @cindex command history
19965
19966 @value{GDBN} can keep track of the commands you type during your
19967 debugging sessions, so that you can be certain of precisely what
19968 happened. Use these commands to manage the @value{GDBN} command
19969 history facility.
19970
19971 @value{GDBN} uses the @sc{gnu} History library, a part of the Readline
19972 package, to provide the history facility.
19973 @ifset SYSTEM_READLINE
19974 @xref{Using History Interactively, , , history, GNU History Library},
19975 @end ifset
19976 @ifclear SYSTEM_READLINE
19977 @xref{Using History Interactively},
19978 @end ifclear
19979 for the detailed description of the History library.
19980
19981 To issue a command to @value{GDBN} without affecting certain aspects of
19982 the state which is seen by users, prefix it with @samp{server }
19983 (@pxref{Server Prefix}). This
19984 means that this command will not affect the command history, nor will it
19985 affect @value{GDBN}'s notion of which command to repeat if @key{RET} is
19986 pressed on a line by itself.
19987
19988 @cindex @code{server}, command prefix
19989 The server prefix does not affect the recording of values into the value
19990 history; to print a value without recording it into the value history,
19991 use the @code{output} command instead of the @code{print} command.
19992
19993 Here is the description of @value{GDBN} commands related to command
19994 history.
19995
19996 @table @code
19997 @cindex history substitution
19998 @cindex history file
19999 @kindex set history filename
20000 @cindex @env{GDBHISTFILE}, environment variable
20001 @item set history filename @var{fname}
20002 Set the name of the @value{GDBN} command history file to @var{fname}.
20003 This is the file where @value{GDBN} reads an initial command history
20004 list, and where it writes the command history from this session when it
20005 exits. You can access this list through history expansion or through
20006 the history command editing characters listed below. This file defaults
20007 to the value of the environment variable @code{GDBHISTFILE}, or to
20008 @file{./.gdb_history} (@file{./_gdb_history} on MS-DOS) if this variable
20009 is not set.
20010
20011 @cindex save command history
20012 @kindex set history save
20013 @item set history save
20014 @itemx set history save on
20015 Record command history in a file, whose name may be specified with the
20016 @code{set history filename} command. By default, this option is disabled.
20017
20018 @item set history save off
20019 Stop recording command history in a file.
20020
20021 @cindex history size
20022 @kindex set history size
20023 @cindex @env{HISTSIZE}, environment variable
20024 @item set history size @var{size}
20025 Set the number of commands which @value{GDBN} keeps in its history list.
20026 This defaults to the value of the environment variable
20027 @code{HISTSIZE}, or to 256 if this variable is not set.
20028 @end table
20029
20030 History expansion assigns special meaning to the character @kbd{!}.
20031 @ifset SYSTEM_READLINE
20032 @xref{Event Designators, , , history, GNU History Library},
20033 @end ifset
20034 @ifclear SYSTEM_READLINE
20035 @xref{Event Designators},
20036 @end ifclear
20037 for more details.
20038
20039 @cindex history expansion, turn on/off
20040 Since @kbd{!} is also the logical not operator in C, history expansion
20041 is off by default. If you decide to enable history expansion with the
20042 @code{set history expansion on} command, you may sometimes need to
20043 follow @kbd{!} (when it is used as logical not, in an expression) with
20044 a space or a tab to prevent it from being expanded. The readline
20045 history facilities do not attempt substitution on the strings
20046 @kbd{!=} and @kbd{!(}, even when history expansion is enabled.
20047
20048 The commands to control history expansion are:
20049
20050 @table @code
20051 @item set history expansion on
20052 @itemx set history expansion
20053 @kindex set history expansion
20054 Enable history expansion. History expansion is off by default.
20055
20056 @item set history expansion off
20057 Disable history expansion.
20058
20059 @c @group
20060 @kindex show history
20061 @item show history
20062 @itemx show history filename
20063 @itemx show history save
20064 @itemx show history size
20065 @itemx show history expansion
20066 These commands display the state of the @value{GDBN} history parameters.
20067 @code{show history} by itself displays all four states.
20068 @c @end group
20069 @end table
20070
20071 @table @code
20072 @kindex show commands
20073 @cindex show last commands
20074 @cindex display command history
20075 @item show commands
20076 Display the last ten commands in the command history.
20077
20078 @item show commands @var{n}
20079 Print ten commands centered on command number @var{n}.
20080
20081 @item show commands +
20082 Print ten commands just after the commands last printed.
20083 @end table
20084
20085 @node Screen Size
20086 @section Screen Size
20087 @cindex size of screen
20088 @cindex pauses in output
20089
20090 Certain commands to @value{GDBN} may produce large amounts of
20091 information output to the screen. To help you read all of it,
20092 @value{GDBN} pauses and asks you for input at the end of each page of
20093 output. Type @key{RET} when you want to continue the output, or @kbd{q}
20094 to discard the remaining output. Also, the screen width setting
20095 determines when to wrap lines of output. Depending on what is being
20096 printed, @value{GDBN} tries to break the line at a readable place,
20097 rather than simply letting it overflow onto the following line.
20098
20099 Normally @value{GDBN} knows the size of the screen from the terminal
20100 driver software. For example, on Unix @value{GDBN} uses the termcap data base
20101 together with the value of the @code{TERM} environment variable and the
20102 @code{stty rows} and @code{stty cols} settings. If this is not correct,
20103 you can override it with the @code{set height} and @code{set
20104 width} commands:
20105
20106 @table @code
20107 @kindex set height
20108 @kindex set width
20109 @kindex show width
20110 @kindex show height
20111 @item set height @var{lpp}
20112 @itemx show height
20113 @itemx set width @var{cpl}
20114 @itemx show width
20115 These @code{set} commands specify a screen height of @var{lpp} lines and
20116 a screen width of @var{cpl} characters. The associated @code{show}
20117 commands display the current settings.
20118
20119 If you specify a height of zero lines, @value{GDBN} does not pause during
20120 output no matter how long the output is. This is useful if output is to a
20121 file or to an editor buffer.
20122
20123 Likewise, you can specify @samp{set width 0} to prevent @value{GDBN}
20124 from wrapping its output.
20125
20126 @item set pagination on
20127 @itemx set pagination off
20128 @kindex set pagination
20129 Turn the output pagination on or off; the default is on. Turning
20130 pagination off is the alternative to @code{set height 0}. Note that
20131 running @value{GDBN} with the @option{--batch} option (@pxref{Mode
20132 Options, -batch}) also automatically disables pagination.
20133
20134 @item show pagination
20135 @kindex show pagination
20136 Show the current pagination mode.
20137 @end table
20138
20139 @node Numbers
20140 @section Numbers
20141 @cindex number representation
20142 @cindex entering numbers
20143
20144 You can always enter numbers in octal, decimal, or hexadecimal in
20145 @value{GDBN} by the usual conventions: octal numbers begin with
20146 @samp{0}, decimal numbers end with @samp{.}, and hexadecimal numbers
20147 begin with @samp{0x}. Numbers that neither begin with @samp{0} or
20148 @samp{0x}, nor end with a @samp{.} are, by default, entered in base
20149 10; likewise, the default display for numbers---when no particular
20150 format is specified---is base 10. You can change the default base for
20151 both input and output with the commands described below.
20152
20153 @table @code
20154 @kindex set input-radix
20155 @item set input-radix @var{base}
20156 Set the default base for numeric input. Supported choices
20157 for @var{base} are decimal 8, 10, or 16. @var{base} must itself be
20158 specified either unambiguously or using the current input radix; for
20159 example, any of
20160
20161 @smallexample
20162 set input-radix 012
20163 set input-radix 10.
20164 set input-radix 0xa
20165 @end smallexample
20166
20167 @noindent
20168 sets the input base to decimal. On the other hand, @samp{set input-radix 10}
20169 leaves the input radix unchanged, no matter what it was, since
20170 @samp{10}, being without any leading or trailing signs of its base, is
20171 interpreted in the current radix. Thus, if the current radix is 16,
20172 @samp{10} is interpreted in hex, i.e.@: as 16 decimal, which doesn't
20173 change the radix.
20174
20175 @kindex set output-radix
20176 @item set output-radix @var{base}
20177 Set the default base for numeric display. Supported choices
20178 for @var{base} are decimal 8, 10, or 16. @var{base} must itself be
20179 specified either unambiguously or using the current input radix.
20180
20181 @kindex show input-radix
20182 @item show input-radix
20183 Display the current default base for numeric input.
20184
20185 @kindex show output-radix
20186 @item show output-radix
20187 Display the current default base for numeric display.
20188
20189 @item set radix @r{[}@var{base}@r{]}
20190 @itemx show radix
20191 @kindex set radix
20192 @kindex show radix
20193 These commands set and show the default base for both input and output
20194 of numbers. @code{set radix} sets the radix of input and output to
20195 the same base; without an argument, it resets the radix back to its
20196 default value of 10.
20197
20198 @end table
20199
20200 @node ABI
20201 @section Configuring the Current ABI
20202
20203 @value{GDBN} can determine the @dfn{ABI} (Application Binary Interface) of your
20204 application automatically. However, sometimes you need to override its
20205 conclusions. Use these commands to manage @value{GDBN}'s view of the
20206 current ABI.
20207
20208 @cindex OS ABI
20209 @kindex set osabi
20210 @kindex show osabi
20211
20212 One @value{GDBN} configuration can debug binaries for multiple operating
20213 system targets, either via remote debugging or native emulation.
20214 @value{GDBN} will autodetect the @dfn{OS ABI} (Operating System ABI) in use,
20215 but you can override its conclusion using the @code{set osabi} command.
20216 One example where this is useful is in debugging of binaries which use
20217 an alternate C library (e.g.@: @sc{uClibc} for @sc{gnu}/Linux) which does
20218 not have the same identifying marks that the standard C library for your
20219 platform provides.
20220
20221 @table @code
20222 @item show osabi
20223 Show the OS ABI currently in use.
20224
20225 @item set osabi
20226 With no argument, show the list of registered available OS ABI's.
20227
20228 @item set osabi @var{abi}
20229 Set the current OS ABI to @var{abi}.
20230 @end table
20231
20232 @cindex float promotion
20233
20234 Generally, the way that an argument of type @code{float} is passed to a
20235 function depends on whether the function is prototyped. For a prototyped
20236 (i.e.@: ANSI/ISO style) function, @code{float} arguments are passed unchanged,
20237 according to the architecture's convention for @code{float}. For unprototyped
20238 (i.e.@: K&R style) functions, @code{float} arguments are first promoted to type
20239 @code{double} and then passed.
20240
20241 Unfortunately, some forms of debug information do not reliably indicate whether
20242 a function is prototyped. If @value{GDBN} calls a function that is not marked
20243 as prototyped, it consults @kbd{set coerce-float-to-double}.
20244
20245 @table @code
20246 @kindex set coerce-float-to-double
20247 @item set coerce-float-to-double
20248 @itemx set coerce-float-to-double on
20249 Arguments of type @code{float} will be promoted to @code{double} when passed
20250 to an unprototyped function. This is the default setting.
20251
20252 @item set coerce-float-to-double off
20253 Arguments of type @code{float} will be passed directly to unprototyped
20254 functions.
20255
20256 @kindex show coerce-float-to-double
20257 @item show coerce-float-to-double
20258 Show the current setting of promoting @code{float} to @code{double}.
20259 @end table
20260
20261 @kindex set cp-abi
20262 @kindex show cp-abi
20263 @value{GDBN} needs to know the ABI used for your program's C@t{++}
20264 objects. The correct C@t{++} ABI depends on which C@t{++} compiler was
20265 used to build your application. @value{GDBN} only fully supports
20266 programs with a single C@t{++} ABI; if your program contains code using
20267 multiple C@t{++} ABI's or if @value{GDBN} can not identify your
20268 program's ABI correctly, you can tell @value{GDBN} which ABI to use.
20269 Currently supported ABI's include ``gnu-v2'', for @code{g++} versions
20270 before 3.0, ``gnu-v3'', for @code{g++} versions 3.0 and later, and
20271 ``hpaCC'' for the HP ANSI C@t{++} compiler. Other C@t{++} compilers may
20272 use the ``gnu-v2'' or ``gnu-v3'' ABI's as well. The default setting is
20273 ``auto''.
20274
20275 @table @code
20276 @item show cp-abi
20277 Show the C@t{++} ABI currently in use.
20278
20279 @item set cp-abi
20280 With no argument, show the list of supported C@t{++} ABI's.
20281
20282 @item set cp-abi @var{abi}
20283 @itemx set cp-abi auto
20284 Set the current C@t{++} ABI to @var{abi}, or return to automatic detection.
20285 @end table
20286
20287 @node Messages/Warnings
20288 @section Optional Warnings and Messages
20289
20290 @cindex verbose operation
20291 @cindex optional warnings
20292 By default, @value{GDBN} is silent about its inner workings. If you are
20293 running on a slow machine, you may want to use the @code{set verbose}
20294 command. This makes @value{GDBN} tell you when it does a lengthy
20295 internal operation, so you will not think it has crashed.
20296
20297 Currently, the messages controlled by @code{set verbose} are those
20298 which announce that the symbol table for a source file is being read;
20299 see @code{symbol-file} in @ref{Files, ,Commands to Specify Files}.
20300
20301 @table @code
20302 @kindex set verbose
20303 @item set verbose on
20304 Enables @value{GDBN} output of certain informational messages.
20305
20306 @item set verbose off
20307 Disables @value{GDBN} output of certain informational messages.
20308
20309 @kindex show verbose
20310 @item show verbose
20311 Displays whether @code{set verbose} is on or off.
20312 @end table
20313
20314 By default, if @value{GDBN} encounters bugs in the symbol table of an
20315 object file, it is silent; but if you are debugging a compiler, you may
20316 find this information useful (@pxref{Symbol Errors, ,Errors Reading
20317 Symbol Files}).
20318
20319 @table @code
20320
20321 @kindex set complaints
20322 @item set complaints @var{limit}
20323 Permits @value{GDBN} to output @var{limit} complaints about each type of
20324 unusual symbols before becoming silent about the problem. Set
20325 @var{limit} to zero to suppress all complaints; set it to a large number
20326 to prevent complaints from being suppressed.
20327
20328 @kindex show complaints
20329 @item show complaints
20330 Displays how many symbol complaints @value{GDBN} is permitted to produce.
20331
20332 @end table
20333
20334 @anchor{confirmation requests}
20335 By default, @value{GDBN} is cautious, and asks what sometimes seems to be a
20336 lot of stupid questions to confirm certain commands. For example, if
20337 you try to run a program which is already running:
20338
20339 @smallexample
20340 (@value{GDBP}) run
20341 The program being debugged has been started already.
20342 Start it from the beginning? (y or n)
20343 @end smallexample
20344
20345 If you are willing to unflinchingly face the consequences of your own
20346 commands, you can disable this ``feature'':
20347
20348 @table @code
20349
20350 @kindex set confirm
20351 @cindex flinching
20352 @cindex confirmation
20353 @cindex stupid questions
20354 @item set confirm off
20355 Disables confirmation requests. Note that running @value{GDBN} with
20356 the @option{--batch} option (@pxref{Mode Options, -batch}) also
20357 automatically disables confirmation requests.
20358
20359 @item set confirm on
20360 Enables confirmation requests (the default).
20361
20362 @kindex show confirm
20363 @item show confirm
20364 Displays state of confirmation requests.
20365
20366 @end table
20367
20368 @cindex command tracing
20369 If you need to debug user-defined commands or sourced files you may find it
20370 useful to enable @dfn{command tracing}. In this mode each command will be
20371 printed as it is executed, prefixed with one or more @samp{+} symbols, the
20372 quantity denoting the call depth of each command.
20373
20374 @table @code
20375 @kindex set trace-commands
20376 @cindex command scripts, debugging
20377 @item set trace-commands on
20378 Enable command tracing.
20379 @item set trace-commands off
20380 Disable command tracing.
20381 @item show trace-commands
20382 Display the current state of command tracing.
20383 @end table
20384
20385 @node Debugging Output
20386 @section Optional Messages about Internal Happenings
20387 @cindex optional debugging messages
20388
20389 @value{GDBN} has commands that enable optional debugging messages from
20390 various @value{GDBN} subsystems; normally these commands are of
20391 interest to @value{GDBN} maintainers, or when reporting a bug. This
20392 section documents those commands.
20393
20394 @table @code
20395 @kindex set exec-done-display
20396 @item set exec-done-display
20397 Turns on or off the notification of asynchronous commands'
20398 completion. When on, @value{GDBN} will print a message when an
20399 asynchronous command finishes its execution. The default is off.
20400 @kindex show exec-done-display
20401 @item show exec-done-display
20402 Displays the current setting of asynchronous command completion
20403 notification.
20404 @kindex set debug
20405 @cindex gdbarch debugging info
20406 @cindex architecture debugging info
20407 @item set debug arch
20408 Turns on or off display of gdbarch debugging info. The default is off
20409 @kindex show debug
20410 @item show debug arch
20411 Displays the current state of displaying gdbarch debugging info.
20412 @item set debug aix-thread
20413 @cindex AIX threads
20414 Display debugging messages about inner workings of the AIX thread
20415 module.
20416 @item show debug aix-thread
20417 Show the current state of AIX thread debugging info display.
20418 @item set debug check-physname
20419 @cindex physname
20420 Check the results of the ``physname'' computation. When reading DWARF
20421 debugging information for C@t{++}, @value{GDBN} attempts to compute
20422 each entity's name. @value{GDBN} can do this computation in two
20423 different ways, depending on exactly what information is present.
20424 When enabled, this setting causes @value{GDBN} to compute the names
20425 both ways and display any discrepancies.
20426 @item show debug check-physname
20427 Show the current state of ``physname'' checking.
20428 @item set debug dwarf2-die
20429 @cindex DWARF2 DIEs
20430 Dump DWARF2 DIEs after they are read in.
20431 The value is the number of nesting levels to print.
20432 A value of zero turns off the display.
20433 @item show debug dwarf2-die
20434 Show the current state of DWARF2 DIE debugging.
20435 @item set debug displaced
20436 @cindex displaced stepping debugging info
20437 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} debugging info for the
20438 displaced stepping support. The default is off.
20439 @item show debug displaced
20440 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} debugging info
20441 related to displaced stepping.
20442 @item set debug event
20443 @cindex event debugging info
20444 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} event debugging info. The
20445 default is off.
20446 @item show debug event
20447 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} event debugging
20448 info.
20449 @item set debug expression
20450 @cindex expression debugging info
20451 Turns on or off display of debugging info about @value{GDBN}
20452 expression parsing. The default is off.
20453 @item show debug expression
20454 Displays the current state of displaying debugging info about
20455 @value{GDBN} expression parsing.
20456 @item set debug frame
20457 @cindex frame debugging info
20458 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} frame debugging info. The
20459 default is off.
20460 @item show debug frame
20461 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} frame debugging
20462 info.
20463 @item set debug gnu-nat
20464 @cindex @sc{gnu}/Hurd debug messages
20465 Turns on or off debugging messages from the @sc{gnu}/Hurd debug support.
20466 @item show debug gnu-nat
20467 Show the current state of @sc{gnu}/Hurd debugging messages.
20468 @item set debug infrun
20469 @cindex inferior debugging info
20470 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} debugging info for running the inferior.
20471 The default is off. @file{infrun.c} contains GDB's runtime state machine used
20472 for implementing operations such as single-stepping the inferior.
20473 @item show debug infrun
20474 Displays the current state of @value{GDBN} inferior debugging.
20475 @item set debug jit
20476 @cindex just-in-time compilation, debugging messages
20477 Turns on or off debugging messages from JIT debug support.
20478 @item show debug jit
20479 Displays the current state of @value{GDBN} JIT debugging.
20480 @item set debug lin-lwp
20481 @cindex @sc{gnu}/Linux LWP debug messages
20482 @cindex Linux lightweight processes
20483 Turns on or off debugging messages from the Linux LWP debug support.
20484 @item show debug lin-lwp
20485 Show the current state of Linux LWP debugging messages.
20486 @item set debug observer
20487 @cindex observer debugging info
20488 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} observer debugging. This
20489 includes info such as the notification of observable events.
20490 @item show debug observer
20491 Displays the current state of observer debugging.
20492 @item set debug overload
20493 @cindex C@t{++} overload debugging info
20494 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} C@t{++} overload debugging
20495 info. This includes info such as ranking of functions, etc. The default
20496 is off.
20497 @item show debug overload
20498 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} C@t{++} overload
20499 debugging info.
20500 @cindex expression parser, debugging info
20501 @cindex debug expression parser
20502 @item set debug parser
20503 Turns on or off the display of expression parser debugging output.
20504 Internally, this sets the @code{yydebug} variable in the expression
20505 parser. @xref{Tracing, , Tracing Your Parser, bison, Bison}, for
20506 details. The default is off.
20507 @item show debug parser
20508 Show the current state of expression parser debugging.
20509 @cindex packets, reporting on stdout
20510 @cindex serial connections, debugging
20511 @cindex debug remote protocol
20512 @cindex remote protocol debugging
20513 @cindex display remote packets
20514 @item set debug remote
20515 Turns on or off display of reports on all packets sent back and forth across
20516 the serial line to the remote machine. The info is printed on the
20517 @value{GDBN} standard output stream. The default is off.
20518 @item show debug remote
20519 Displays the state of display of remote packets.
20520 @item set debug serial
20521 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} serial debugging info. The
20522 default is off.
20523 @item show debug serial
20524 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} serial debugging
20525 info.
20526 @item set debug solib-frv
20527 @cindex FR-V shared-library debugging
20528 Turns on or off debugging messages for FR-V shared-library code.
20529 @item show debug solib-frv
20530 Display the current state of FR-V shared-library code debugging
20531 messages.
20532 @item set debug target
20533 @cindex target debugging info
20534 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} target debugging info. This info
20535 includes what is going on at the target level of GDB, as it happens. The
20536 default is 0. Set it to 1 to track events, and to 2 to also track the
20537 value of large memory transfers. Changes to this flag do not take effect
20538 until the next time you connect to a target or use the @code{run} command.
20539 @item show debug target
20540 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} target debugging
20541 info.
20542 @item set debug timestamp
20543 @cindex timestampping debugging info
20544 Turns on or off display of timestamps with @value{GDBN} debugging info.
20545 When enabled, seconds and microseconds are displayed before each debugging
20546 message.
20547 @item show debug timestamp
20548 Displays the current state of displaying timestamps with @value{GDBN}
20549 debugging info.
20550 @item set debugvarobj
20551 @cindex variable object debugging info
20552 Turns on or off display of @value{GDBN} variable object debugging
20553 info. The default is off.
20554 @item show debugvarobj
20555 Displays the current state of displaying @value{GDBN} variable object
20556 debugging info.
20557 @item set debug xml
20558 @cindex XML parser debugging
20559 Turns on or off debugging messages for built-in XML parsers.
20560 @item show debug xml
20561 Displays the current state of XML debugging messages.
20562 @end table
20563
20564 @node Other Misc Settings
20565 @section Other Miscellaneous Settings
20566 @cindex miscellaneous settings
20567
20568 @table @code
20569 @kindex set interactive-mode
20570 @item set interactive-mode
20571 If @code{on}, forces @value{GDBN} to assume that GDB was started
20572 in a terminal. In practice, this means that @value{GDBN} should wait
20573 for the user to answer queries generated by commands entered at
20574 the command prompt. If @code{off}, forces @value{GDBN} to operate
20575 in the opposite mode, and it uses the default answers to all queries.
20576 If @code{auto} (the default), @value{GDBN} tries to determine whether
20577 its standard input is a terminal, and works in interactive-mode if it
20578 is, non-interactively otherwise.
20579
20580 In the vast majority of cases, the debugger should be able to guess
20581 correctly which mode should be used. But this setting can be useful
20582 in certain specific cases, such as running a MinGW @value{GDBN}
20583 inside a cygwin window.
20584
20585 @kindex show interactive-mode
20586 @item show interactive-mode
20587 Displays whether the debugger is operating in interactive mode or not.
20588 @end table
20589
20590 @node Extending GDB
20591 @chapter Extending @value{GDBN}
20592 @cindex extending GDB
20593
20594 @value{GDBN} provides two mechanisms for extension. The first is based
20595 on composition of @value{GDBN} commands, and the second is based on the
20596 Python scripting language.
20597
20598 To facilitate the use of these extensions, @value{GDBN} is capable
20599 of evaluating the contents of a file. When doing so, @value{GDBN}
20600 can recognize which scripting language is being used by looking at
20601 the filename extension. Files with an unrecognized filename extension
20602 are always treated as a @value{GDBN} Command Files.
20603 @xref{Command Files,, Command files}.
20604
20605 You can control how @value{GDBN} evaluates these files with the following
20606 setting:
20607
20608 @table @code
20609 @kindex set script-extension
20610 @kindex show script-extension
20611 @item set script-extension off
20612 All scripts are always evaluated as @value{GDBN} Command Files.
20613
20614 @item set script-extension soft
20615 The debugger determines the scripting language based on filename
20616 extension. If this scripting language is supported, @value{GDBN}
20617 evaluates the script using that language. Otherwise, it evaluates
20618 the file as a @value{GDBN} Command File.
20619
20620 @item set script-extension strict
20621 The debugger determines the scripting language based on filename
20622 extension, and evaluates the script using that language. If the
20623 language is not supported, then the evaluation fails.
20624
20625 @item show script-extension
20626 Display the current value of the @code{script-extension} option.
20627
20628 @end table
20629
20630 @menu
20631 * Sequences:: Canned Sequences of Commands
20632 * Python:: Scripting @value{GDBN} using Python
20633 @end menu
20634
20635 @node Sequences
20636 @section Canned Sequences of Commands
20637
20638 Aside from breakpoint commands (@pxref{Break Commands, ,Breakpoint
20639 Command Lists}), @value{GDBN} provides two ways to store sequences of
20640 commands for execution as a unit: user-defined commands and command
20641 files.
20642
20643 @menu
20644 * Define:: How to define your own commands
20645 * Hooks:: Hooks for user-defined commands
20646 * Command Files:: How to write scripts of commands to be stored in a file
20647 * Output:: Commands for controlled output
20648 @end menu
20649
20650 @node Define
20651 @subsection User-defined Commands
20652
20653 @cindex user-defined command
20654 @cindex arguments, to user-defined commands
20655 A @dfn{user-defined command} is a sequence of @value{GDBN} commands to
20656 which you assign a new name as a command. This is done with the
20657 @code{define} command. User commands may accept up to 10 arguments
20658 separated by whitespace. Arguments are accessed within the user command
20659 via @code{$arg0@dots{}$arg9}. A trivial example:
20660
20661 @smallexample
20662 define adder
20663 print $arg0 + $arg1 + $arg2
20664 end
20665 @end smallexample
20666
20667 @noindent
20668 To execute the command use:
20669
20670 @smallexample
20671 adder 1 2 3
20672 @end smallexample
20673
20674 @noindent
20675 This defines the command @code{adder}, which prints the sum of
20676 its three arguments. Note the arguments are text substitutions, so they may
20677 reference variables, use complex expressions, or even perform inferior
20678 functions calls.
20679
20680 @cindex argument count in user-defined commands
20681 @cindex how many arguments (user-defined commands)
20682 In addition, @code{$argc} may be used to find out how many arguments have
20683 been passed. This expands to a number in the range 0@dots{}10.
20684
20685 @smallexample
20686 define adder
20687 if $argc == 2
20688 print $arg0 + $arg1
20689 end
20690 if $argc == 3
20691 print $arg0 + $arg1 + $arg2
20692 end
20693 end
20694 @end smallexample
20695
20696 @table @code
20697
20698 @kindex define
20699 @item define @var{commandname}
20700 Define a command named @var{commandname}. If there is already a command
20701 by that name, you are asked to confirm that you want to redefine it.
20702 @var{commandname} may be a bare command name consisting of letters,
20703 numbers, dashes, and underscores. It may also start with any predefined
20704 prefix command. For example, @samp{define target my-target} creates
20705 a user-defined @samp{target my-target} command.
20706
20707 The definition of the command is made up of other @value{GDBN} command lines,
20708 which are given following the @code{define} command. The end of these
20709 commands is marked by a line containing @code{end}.
20710
20711 @kindex document
20712 @kindex end@r{ (user-defined commands)}
20713 @item document @var{commandname}
20714 Document the user-defined command @var{commandname}, so that it can be
20715 accessed by @code{help}. The command @var{commandname} must already be
20716 defined. This command reads lines of documentation just as @code{define}
20717 reads the lines of the command definition, ending with @code{end}.
20718 After the @code{document} command is finished, @code{help} on command
20719 @var{commandname} displays the documentation you have written.
20720
20721 You may use the @code{document} command again to change the
20722 documentation of a command. Redefining the command with @code{define}
20723 does not change the documentation.
20724
20725 @kindex dont-repeat
20726 @cindex don't repeat command
20727 @item dont-repeat
20728 Used inside a user-defined command, this tells @value{GDBN} that this
20729 command should not be repeated when the user hits @key{RET}
20730 (@pxref{Command Syntax, repeat last command}).
20731
20732 @kindex help user-defined
20733 @item help user-defined
20734 List all user-defined commands, with the first line of the documentation
20735 (if any) for each.
20736
20737 @kindex show user
20738 @item show user
20739 @itemx show user @var{commandname}
20740 Display the @value{GDBN} commands used to define @var{commandname} (but
20741 not its documentation). If no @var{commandname} is given, display the
20742 definitions for all user-defined commands.
20743
20744 @cindex infinite recursion in user-defined commands
20745 @kindex show max-user-call-depth
20746 @kindex set max-user-call-depth
20747 @item show max-user-call-depth
20748 @itemx set max-user-call-depth
20749 The value of @code{max-user-call-depth} controls how many recursion
20750 levels are allowed in user-defined commands before @value{GDBN} suspects an
20751 infinite recursion and aborts the command.
20752 @end table
20753
20754 In addition to the above commands, user-defined commands frequently
20755 use control flow commands, described in @ref{Command Files}.
20756
20757 When user-defined commands are executed, the
20758 commands of the definition are not printed. An error in any command
20759 stops execution of the user-defined command.
20760
20761 If used interactively, commands that would ask for confirmation proceed
20762 without asking when used inside a user-defined command. Many @value{GDBN}
20763 commands that normally print messages to say what they are doing omit the
20764 messages when used in a user-defined command.
20765
20766 @node Hooks
20767 @subsection User-defined Command Hooks
20768 @cindex command hooks
20769 @cindex hooks, for commands
20770 @cindex hooks, pre-command
20771
20772 @kindex hook
20773 You may define @dfn{hooks}, which are a special kind of user-defined
20774 command. Whenever you run the command @samp{foo}, if the user-defined
20775 command @samp{hook-foo} exists, it is executed (with no arguments)
20776 before that command.
20777
20778 @cindex hooks, post-command
20779 @kindex hookpost
20780 A hook may also be defined which is run after the command you executed.
20781 Whenever you run the command @samp{foo}, if the user-defined command
20782 @samp{hookpost-foo} exists, it is executed (with no arguments) after
20783 that command. Post-execution hooks may exist simultaneously with
20784 pre-execution hooks, for the same command.
20785
20786 It is valid for a hook to call the command which it hooks. If this
20787 occurs, the hook is not re-executed, thereby avoiding infinite recursion.
20788
20789 @c It would be nice if hookpost could be passed a parameter indicating
20790 @c if the command it hooks executed properly or not. FIXME!
20791
20792 @kindex stop@r{, a pseudo-command}
20793 In addition, a pseudo-command, @samp{stop} exists. Defining
20794 (@samp{hook-stop}) makes the associated commands execute every time
20795 execution stops in your program: before breakpoint commands are run,
20796 displays are printed, or the stack frame is printed.
20797
20798 For example, to ignore @code{SIGALRM} signals while
20799 single-stepping, but treat them normally during normal execution,
20800 you could define:
20801
20802 @smallexample
20803 define hook-stop
20804 handle SIGALRM nopass
20805 end
20806
20807 define hook-run
20808 handle SIGALRM pass
20809 end
20810
20811 define hook-continue
20812 handle SIGALRM pass
20813 end
20814 @end smallexample
20815
20816 As a further example, to hook at the beginning and end of the @code{echo}
20817 command, and to add extra text to the beginning and end of the message,
20818 you could define:
20819
20820 @smallexample
20821 define hook-echo
20822 echo <<<---
20823 end
20824
20825 define hookpost-echo
20826 echo --->>>\n
20827 end
20828
20829 (@value{GDBP}) echo Hello World
20830 <<<---Hello World--->>>
20831 (@value{GDBP})
20832
20833 @end smallexample
20834
20835 You can define a hook for any single-word command in @value{GDBN}, but
20836 not for command aliases; you should define a hook for the basic command
20837 name, e.g.@: @code{backtrace} rather than @code{bt}.
20838 @c FIXME! So how does Joe User discover whether a command is an alias
20839 @c or not?
20840 You can hook a multi-word command by adding @code{hook-} or
20841 @code{hookpost-} to the last word of the command, e.g.@:
20842 @samp{define target hook-remote} to add a hook to @samp{target remote}.
20843
20844 If an error occurs during the execution of your hook, execution of
20845 @value{GDBN} commands stops and @value{GDBN} issues a prompt
20846 (before the command that you actually typed had a chance to run).
20847
20848 If you try to define a hook which does not match any known command, you
20849 get a warning from the @code{define} command.
20850
20851 @node Command Files
20852 @subsection Command Files
20853
20854 @cindex command files
20855 @cindex scripting commands
20856 A command file for @value{GDBN} is a text file made of lines that are
20857 @value{GDBN} commands. Comments (lines starting with @kbd{#}) may
20858 also be included. An empty line in a command file does nothing; it
20859 does not mean to repeat the last command, as it would from the
20860 terminal.
20861
20862 You can request the execution of a command file with the @code{source}
20863 command. Note that the @code{source} command is also used to evaluate
20864 scripts that are not Command Files. The exact behavior can be configured
20865 using the @code{script-extension} setting.
20866 @xref{Extending GDB,, Extending GDB}.
20867
20868 @table @code
20869 @kindex source
20870 @cindex execute commands from a file
20871 @item source [-s] [-v] @var{filename}
20872 Execute the command file @var{filename}.
20873 @end table
20874
20875 The lines in a command file are generally executed sequentially,
20876 unless the order of execution is changed by one of the
20877 @emph{flow-control commands} described below. The commands are not
20878 printed as they are executed. An error in any command terminates
20879 execution of the command file and control is returned to the console.
20880
20881 @value{GDBN} first searches for @var{filename} in the current directory.
20882 If the file is not found there, and @var{filename} does not specify a
20883 directory, then @value{GDBN} also looks for the file on the source search path
20884 (specified with the @samp{directory} command);
20885 except that @file{$cdir} is not searched because the compilation directory
20886 is not relevant to scripts.
20887
20888 If @code{-s} is specified, then @value{GDBN} searches for @var{filename}
20889 on the search path even if @var{filename} specifies a directory.
20890 The search is done by appending @var{filename} to each element of the
20891 search path. So, for example, if @var{filename} is @file{mylib/myscript}
20892 and the search path contains @file{/home/user} then @value{GDBN} will
20893 look for the script @file{/home/user/mylib/myscript}.
20894 The search is also done if @var{filename} is an absolute path.
20895 For example, if @var{filename} is @file{/tmp/myscript} and
20896 the search path contains @file{/home/user} then @value{GDBN} will
20897 look for the script @file{/home/user/tmp/myscript}.
20898 For DOS-like systems, if @var{filename} contains a drive specification,
20899 it is stripped before concatenation. For example, if @var{filename} is
20900 @file{d:myscript} and the search path contains @file{c:/tmp} then @value{GDBN}
20901 will look for the script @file{c:/tmp/myscript}.
20902
20903 If @code{-v}, for verbose mode, is given then @value{GDBN} displays
20904 each command as it is executed. The option must be given before
20905 @var{filename}, and is interpreted as part of the filename anywhere else.
20906
20907 Commands that would ask for confirmation if used interactively proceed
20908 without asking when used in a command file. Many @value{GDBN} commands that
20909 normally print messages to say what they are doing omit the messages
20910 when called from command files.
20911
20912 @value{GDBN} also accepts command input from standard input. In this
20913 mode, normal output goes to standard output and error output goes to
20914 standard error. Errors in a command file supplied on standard input do
20915 not terminate execution of the command file---execution continues with
20916 the next command.
20917
20918 @smallexample
20919 gdb < cmds > log 2>&1
20920 @end smallexample
20921
20922 (The syntax above will vary depending on the shell used.) This example
20923 will execute commands from the file @file{cmds}. All output and errors
20924 would be directed to @file{log}.
20925
20926 Since commands stored on command files tend to be more general than
20927 commands typed interactively, they frequently need to deal with
20928 complicated situations, such as different or unexpected values of
20929 variables and symbols, changes in how the program being debugged is
20930 built, etc. @value{GDBN} provides a set of flow-control commands to
20931 deal with these complexities. Using these commands, you can write
20932 complex scripts that loop over data structures, execute commands
20933 conditionally, etc.
20934
20935 @table @code
20936 @kindex if
20937 @kindex else
20938 @item if
20939 @itemx else
20940 This command allows to include in your script conditionally executed
20941 commands. The @code{if} command takes a single argument, which is an
20942 expression to evaluate. It is followed by a series of commands that
20943 are executed only if the expression is true (its value is nonzero).
20944 There can then optionally be an @code{else} line, followed by a series
20945 of commands that are only executed if the expression was false. The
20946 end of the list is marked by a line containing @code{end}.
20947
20948 @kindex while
20949 @item while
20950 This command allows to write loops. Its syntax is similar to
20951 @code{if}: the command takes a single argument, which is an expression
20952 to evaluate, and must be followed by the commands to execute, one per
20953 line, terminated by an @code{end}. These commands are called the
20954 @dfn{body} of the loop. The commands in the body of @code{while} are
20955 executed repeatedly as long as the expression evaluates to true.
20956
20957 @kindex loop_break
20958 @item loop_break
20959 This command exits the @code{while} loop in whose body it is included.
20960 Execution of the script continues after that @code{while}s @code{end}
20961 line.
20962
20963 @kindex loop_continue
20964 @item loop_continue
20965 This command skips the execution of the rest of the body of commands
20966 in the @code{while} loop in whose body it is included. Execution
20967 branches to the beginning of the @code{while} loop, where it evaluates
20968 the controlling expression.
20969
20970 @kindex end@r{ (if/else/while commands)}
20971 @item end
20972 Terminate the block of commands that are the body of @code{if},
20973 @code{else}, or @code{while} flow-control commands.
20974 @end table
20975
20976
20977 @node Output
20978 @subsection Commands for Controlled Output
20979
20980 During the execution of a command file or a user-defined command, normal
20981 @value{GDBN} output is suppressed; the only output that appears is what is
20982 explicitly printed by the commands in the definition. This section
20983 describes three commands useful for generating exactly the output you
20984 want.
20985
20986 @table @code
20987 @kindex echo
20988 @item echo @var{text}
20989 @c I do not consider backslash-space a standard C escape sequence
20990 @c because it is not in ANSI.
20991 Print @var{text}. Nonprinting characters can be included in
20992 @var{text} using C escape sequences, such as @samp{\n} to print a
20993 newline. @strong{No newline is printed unless you specify one.}
20994 In addition to the standard C escape sequences, a backslash followed
20995 by a space stands for a space. This is useful for displaying a
20996 string with spaces at the beginning or the end, since leading and
20997 trailing spaces are otherwise trimmed from all arguments.
20998 To print @samp{@w{ }and foo =@w{ }}, use the command
20999 @samp{echo \@w{ }and foo = \@w{ }}.
21000
21001 A backslash at the end of @var{text} can be used, as in C, to continue
21002 the command onto subsequent lines. For example,
21003
21004 @smallexample
21005 echo This is some text\n\
21006 which is continued\n\
21007 onto several lines.\n
21008 @end smallexample
21009
21010 produces the same output as
21011
21012 @smallexample
21013 echo This is some text\n
21014 echo which is continued\n
21015 echo onto several lines.\n
21016 @end smallexample
21017
21018 @kindex output
21019 @item output @var{expression}
21020 Print the value of @var{expression} and nothing but that value: no
21021 newlines, no @samp{$@var{nn} = }. The value is not entered in the
21022 value history either. @xref{Expressions, ,Expressions}, for more information
21023 on expressions.
21024
21025 @item output/@var{fmt} @var{expression}
21026 Print the value of @var{expression} in format @var{fmt}. You can use
21027 the same formats as for @code{print}. @xref{Output Formats,,Output
21028 Formats}, for more information.
21029
21030 @kindex printf
21031 @item printf @var{template}, @var{expressions}@dots{}
21032 Print the values of one or more @var{expressions} under the control of
21033 the string @var{template}. To print several values, make
21034 @var{expressions} be a comma-separated list of individual expressions,
21035 which may be either numbers or pointers. Their values are printed as
21036 specified by @var{template}, exactly as a C program would do by
21037 executing the code below:
21038
21039 @smallexample
21040 printf (@var{template}, @var{expressions}@dots{});
21041 @end smallexample
21042
21043 As in @code{C} @code{printf}, ordinary characters in @var{template}
21044 are printed verbatim, while @dfn{conversion specification} introduced
21045 by the @samp{%} character cause subsequent @var{expressions} to be
21046 evaluated, their values converted and formatted according to type and
21047 style information encoded in the conversion specifications, and then
21048 printed.
21049
21050 For example, you can print two values in hex like this:
21051
21052 @smallexample
21053 printf "foo, bar-foo = 0x%x, 0x%x\n", foo, bar-foo
21054 @end smallexample
21055
21056 @code{printf} supports all the standard @code{C} conversion
21057 specifications, including the flags and modifiers between the @samp{%}
21058 character and the conversion letter, with the following exceptions:
21059
21060 @itemize @bullet
21061 @item
21062 The argument-ordering modifiers, such as @samp{2$}, are not supported.
21063
21064 @item
21065 The modifier @samp{*} is not supported for specifying precision or
21066 width.
21067
21068 @item
21069 The @samp{'} flag (for separation of digits into groups according to
21070 @code{LC_NUMERIC'}) is not supported.
21071
21072 @item
21073 The type modifiers @samp{hh}, @samp{j}, @samp{t}, and @samp{z} are not
21074 supported.
21075
21076 @item
21077 The conversion letter @samp{n} (as in @samp{%n}) is not supported.
21078
21079 @item
21080 The conversion letters @samp{a} and @samp{A} are not supported.
21081 @end itemize
21082
21083 @noindent
21084 Note that the @samp{ll} type modifier is supported only if the
21085 underlying @code{C} implementation used to build @value{GDBN} supports
21086 the @code{long long int} type, and the @samp{L} type modifier is
21087 supported only if @code{long double} type is available.
21088
21089 As in @code{C}, @code{printf} supports simple backslash-escape
21090 sequences, such as @code{\n}, @samp{\t}, @samp{\\}, @samp{\"},
21091 @samp{\a}, and @samp{\f}, that consist of backslash followed by a
21092 single character. Octal and hexadecimal escape sequences are not
21093 supported.
21094
21095 Additionally, @code{printf} supports conversion specifications for DFP
21096 (@dfn{Decimal Floating Point}) types using the following length modifiers
21097 together with a floating point specifier.
21098 letters:
21099
21100 @itemize @bullet
21101 @item
21102 @samp{H} for printing @code{Decimal32} types.
21103
21104 @item
21105 @samp{D} for printing @code{Decimal64} types.
21106
21107 @item
21108 @samp{DD} for printing @code{Decimal128} types.
21109 @end itemize
21110
21111 If the underlying @code{C} implementation used to build @value{GDBN} has
21112 support for the three length modifiers for DFP types, other modifiers
21113 such as width and precision will also be available for @value{GDBN} to use.
21114
21115 In case there is no such @code{C} support, no additional modifiers will be
21116 available and the value will be printed in the standard way.
21117
21118 Here's an example of printing DFP types using the above conversion letters:
21119 @smallexample
21120 printf "D32: %Hf - D64: %Df - D128: %DDf\n",1.2345df,1.2E10dd,1.2E1dl
21121 @end smallexample
21122
21123 @kindex eval
21124 @item eval @var{template}, @var{expressions}@dots{}
21125 Convert the values of one or more @var{expressions} under the control of
21126 the string @var{template} to a command line, and call it.
21127
21128 @end table
21129
21130 @node Python
21131 @section Scripting @value{GDBN} using Python
21132 @cindex python scripting
21133 @cindex scripting with python
21134
21135 You can script @value{GDBN} using the @uref{http://www.python.org/,
21136 Python programming language}. This feature is available only if
21137 @value{GDBN} was configured using @option{--with-python}.
21138
21139 @cindex python directory
21140 Python scripts used by @value{GDBN} should be installed in
21141 @file{@var{data-directory}/python}, where @var{data-directory} is
21142 the data directory as determined at @value{GDBN} startup (@pxref{Data Files}).
21143 This directory, known as the @dfn{python directory},
21144 is automatically added to the Python Search Path in order to allow
21145 the Python interpreter to locate all scripts installed at this location.
21146
21147 Additionally, @value{GDBN} commands and convenience functions which
21148 are written in Python and are located in the
21149 @file{@var{data-directory}/python/gdb/command} or
21150 @file{@var{data-directory}/python/gdb/function} directories are
21151 automatically imported when @value{GDBN} starts.
21152
21153 @menu
21154 * Python Commands:: Accessing Python from @value{GDBN}.
21155 * Python API:: Accessing @value{GDBN} from Python.
21156 * Auto-loading:: Automatically loading Python code.
21157 * Python modules:: Python modules provided by @value{GDBN}.
21158 @end menu
21159
21160 @node Python Commands
21161 @subsection Python Commands
21162 @cindex python commands
21163 @cindex commands to access python
21164
21165 @value{GDBN} provides one command for accessing the Python interpreter,
21166 and one related setting:
21167
21168 @table @code
21169 @kindex python
21170 @item python @r{[}@var{code}@r{]}
21171 The @code{python} command can be used to evaluate Python code.
21172
21173 If given an argument, the @code{python} command will evaluate the
21174 argument as a Python command. For example:
21175
21176 @smallexample
21177 (@value{GDBP}) python print 23
21178 23
21179 @end smallexample
21180
21181 If you do not provide an argument to @code{python}, it will act as a
21182 multi-line command, like @code{define}. In this case, the Python
21183 script is made up of subsequent command lines, given after the
21184 @code{python} command. This command list is terminated using a line
21185 containing @code{end}. For example:
21186
21187 @smallexample
21188 (@value{GDBP}) python
21189 Type python script
21190 End with a line saying just "end".
21191 >print 23
21192 >end
21193 23
21194 @end smallexample
21195
21196 @kindex maint set python print-stack
21197 @item maint set python print-stack
21198 This command is now deprecated. Instead use @code{set python
21199 print-stack}
21200
21201 @kindex set python print-stack
21202 @item set python print-stack
21203 By default, @value{GDBN} will not print a stack trace when an error
21204 occurs in a Python script. This can be controlled using @code{set
21205 python print-stack}: if @code{on}, then Python stack printing is
21206 enabled; if @code{off}, the default, then Python stack printing is
21207 disabled.
21208 @end table
21209
21210 It is also possible to execute a Python script from the @value{GDBN}
21211 interpreter:
21212
21213 @table @code
21214 @item source @file{script-name}
21215 The script name must end with @samp{.py} and @value{GDBN} must be configured
21216 to recognize the script language based on filename extension using
21217 the @code{script-extension} setting. @xref{Extending GDB, ,Extending GDB}.
21218
21219 @item python execfile ("script-name")
21220 This method is based on the @code{execfile} Python built-in function,
21221 and thus is always available.
21222 @end table
21223
21224 @node Python API
21225 @subsection Python API
21226 @cindex python api
21227 @cindex programming in python
21228
21229 @cindex python stdout
21230 @cindex python pagination
21231 At startup, @value{GDBN} overrides Python's @code{sys.stdout} and
21232 @code{sys.stderr} to print using @value{GDBN}'s output-paging streams.
21233 A Python program which outputs to one of these streams may have its
21234 output interrupted by the user (@pxref{Screen Size}). In this
21235 situation, a Python @code{KeyboardInterrupt} exception is thrown.
21236
21237 @menu
21238 * Basic Python:: Basic Python Functions.
21239 * Exception Handling:: How Python exceptions are translated.
21240 * Values From Inferior:: Python representation of values.
21241 * Types In Python:: Python representation of types.
21242 * Pretty Printing API:: Pretty-printing values.
21243 * Selecting Pretty-Printers:: How GDB chooses a pretty-printer.
21244 * Writing a Pretty-Printer:: Writing a Pretty-Printer.
21245 * Inferiors In Python:: Python representation of inferiors (processes)
21246 * Events In Python:: Listening for events from @value{GDBN}.
21247 * Threads In Python:: Accessing inferior threads from Python.
21248 * Commands In Python:: Implementing new commands in Python.
21249 * Parameters In Python:: Adding new @value{GDBN} parameters.
21250 * Functions In Python:: Writing new convenience functions.
21251 * Progspaces In Python:: Program spaces.
21252 * Objfiles In Python:: Object files.
21253 * Frames In Python:: Accessing inferior stack frames from Python.
21254 * Blocks In Python:: Accessing frame blocks from Python.
21255 * Symbols In Python:: Python representation of symbols.
21256 * Symbol Tables In Python:: Python representation of symbol tables.
21257 * Lazy Strings In Python:: Python representation of lazy strings.
21258 * Breakpoints In Python:: Manipulating breakpoints using Python.
21259 @end menu
21260
21261 @node Basic Python
21262 @subsubsection Basic Python
21263
21264 @cindex python functions
21265 @cindex python module
21266 @cindex gdb module
21267 @value{GDBN} introduces a new Python module, named @code{gdb}. All
21268 methods and classes added by @value{GDBN} are placed in this module.
21269 @value{GDBN} automatically @code{import}s the @code{gdb} module for
21270 use in all scripts evaluated by the @code{python} command.
21271
21272 @findex gdb.PYTHONDIR
21273 @defvar gdb.PYTHONDIR
21274 A string containing the python directory (@pxref{Python}).
21275 @end defvar
21276
21277 @findex gdb.execute
21278 @defun gdb.execute (command @r{[}, from_tty @r{[}, to_string@r{]]})
21279 Evaluate @var{command}, a string, as a @value{GDBN} CLI command.
21280 If a GDB exception happens while @var{command} runs, it is
21281 translated as described in @ref{Exception Handling,,Exception Handling}.
21282
21283 @var{from_tty} specifies whether @value{GDBN} ought to consider this
21284 command as having originated from the user invoking it interactively.
21285 It must be a boolean value. If omitted, it defaults to @code{False}.
21286
21287 By default, any output produced by @var{command} is sent to
21288 @value{GDBN}'s standard output. If the @var{to_string} parameter is
21289 @code{True}, then output will be collected by @code{gdb.execute} and
21290 returned as a string. The default is @code{False}, in which case the
21291 return value is @code{None}. If @var{to_string} is @code{True}, the
21292 @value{GDBN} virtual terminal will be temporarily set to unlimited width
21293 and height, and its pagination will be disabled; @pxref{Screen Size}.
21294 @end defun
21295
21296 @findex gdb.breakpoints
21297 @defun gdb.breakpoints ()
21298 Return a sequence holding all of @value{GDBN}'s breakpoints.
21299 @xref{Breakpoints In Python}, for more information.
21300 @end defun
21301
21302 @findex gdb.parameter
21303 @defun gdb.parameter (parameter)
21304 Return the value of a @value{GDBN} parameter. @var{parameter} is a
21305 string naming the parameter to look up; @var{parameter} may contain
21306 spaces if the parameter has a multi-part name. For example,
21307 @samp{print object} is a valid parameter name.
21308
21309 If the named parameter does not exist, this function throws a
21310 @code{gdb.error} (@pxref{Exception Handling}). Otherwise, the
21311 parameter's value is converted to a Python value of the appropriate
21312 type, and returned.
21313 @end defun
21314
21315 @findex gdb.history
21316 @defun gdb.history (number)
21317 Return a value from @value{GDBN}'s value history (@pxref{Value
21318 History}). @var{number} indicates which history element to return.
21319 If @var{number} is negative, then @value{GDBN} will take its absolute value
21320 and count backward from the last element (i.e., the most recent element) to
21321 find the value to return. If @var{number} is zero, then @value{GDBN} will
21322 return the most recent element. If the element specified by @var{number}
21323 doesn't exist in the value history, a @code{gdb.error} exception will be
21324 raised.
21325
21326 If no exception is raised, the return value is always an instance of
21327 @code{gdb.Value} (@pxref{Values From Inferior}).
21328 @end defun
21329
21330 @findex gdb.parse_and_eval
21331 @defun gdb.parse_and_eval (expression)
21332 Parse @var{expression} as an expression in the current language,
21333 evaluate it, and return the result as a @code{gdb.Value}.
21334 @var{expression} must be a string.
21335
21336 This function can be useful when implementing a new command
21337 (@pxref{Commands In Python}), as it provides a way to parse the
21338 command's argument as an expression. It is also useful simply to
21339 compute values, for example, it is the only way to get the value of a
21340 convenience variable (@pxref{Convenience Vars}) as a @code{gdb.Value}.
21341 @end defun
21342
21343 @findex gdb.post_event
21344 @defun gdb.post_event (event)
21345 Put @var{event}, a callable object taking no arguments, into
21346 @value{GDBN}'s internal event queue. This callable will be invoked at
21347 some later point, during @value{GDBN}'s event processing. Events
21348 posted using @code{post_event} will be run in the order in which they
21349 were posted; however, there is no way to know when they will be
21350 processed relative to other events inside @value{GDBN}.
21351
21352 @value{GDBN} is not thread-safe. If your Python program uses multiple
21353 threads, you must be careful to only call @value{GDBN}-specific
21354 functions in the main @value{GDBN} thread. @code{post_event} ensures
21355 this. For example:
21356
21357 @smallexample
21358 (@value{GDBP}) python
21359 >import threading
21360 >
21361 >class Writer():
21362 > def __init__(self, message):
21363 > self.message = message;
21364 > def __call__(self):
21365 > gdb.write(self.message)
21366 >
21367 >class MyThread1 (threading.Thread):
21368 > def run (self):
21369 > gdb.post_event(Writer("Hello "))
21370 >
21371 >class MyThread2 (threading.Thread):
21372 > def run (self):
21373 > gdb.post_event(Writer("World\n"))
21374 >
21375 >MyThread1().start()
21376 >MyThread2().start()
21377 >end
21378 (@value{GDBP}) Hello World
21379 @end smallexample
21380 @end defun
21381
21382 @findex gdb.write
21383 @defun gdb.write (string @r{[}, stream{]})
21384 Print a string to @value{GDBN}'s paginated output stream. The
21385 optional @var{stream} determines the stream to print to. The default
21386 stream is @value{GDBN}'s standard output stream. Possible stream
21387 values are:
21388
21389 @table @code
21390 @findex STDOUT
21391 @findex gdb.STDOUT
21392 @item gdb.STDOUT
21393 @value{GDBN}'s standard output stream.
21394
21395 @findex STDERR
21396 @findex gdb.STDERR
21397 @item gdb.STDERR
21398 @value{GDBN}'s standard error stream.
21399
21400 @findex STDLOG
21401 @findex gdb.STDLOG
21402 @item gdb.STDLOG
21403 @value{GDBN}'s log stream (@pxref{Logging Output}).
21404 @end table
21405
21406 Writing to @code{sys.stdout} or @code{sys.stderr} will automatically
21407 call this function and will automatically direct the output to the
21408 relevant stream.
21409 @end defun
21410
21411 @findex gdb.flush
21412 @defun gdb.flush ()
21413 Flush the buffer of a @value{GDBN} paginated stream so that the
21414 contents are displayed immediately. @value{GDBN} will flush the
21415 contents of a stream automatically when it encounters a newline in the
21416 buffer. The optional @var{stream} determines the stream to flush. The
21417 default stream is @value{GDBN}'s standard output stream. Possible
21418 stream values are:
21419
21420 @table @code
21421 @findex STDOUT
21422 @findex gdb.STDOUT
21423 @item gdb.STDOUT
21424 @value{GDBN}'s standard output stream.
21425
21426 @findex STDERR
21427 @findex gdb.STDERR
21428 @item gdb.STDERR
21429 @value{GDBN}'s standard error stream.
21430
21431 @findex STDLOG
21432 @findex gdb.STDLOG
21433 @item gdb.STDLOG
21434 @value{GDBN}'s log stream (@pxref{Logging Output}).
21435
21436 @end table
21437
21438 Flushing @code{sys.stdout} or @code{sys.stderr} will automatically
21439 call this function for the relevant stream.
21440 @end defun
21441
21442 @findex gdb.target_charset
21443 @defun gdb.target_charset ()
21444 Return the name of the current target character set (@pxref{Character
21445 Sets}). This differs from @code{gdb.parameter('target-charset')} in
21446 that @samp{auto} is never returned.
21447 @end defun
21448
21449 @findex gdb.target_wide_charset
21450 @defun gdb.target_wide_charset ()
21451 Return the name of the current target wide character set
21452 (@pxref{Character Sets}). This differs from
21453 @code{gdb.parameter('target-wide-charset')} in that @samp{auto} is
21454 never returned.
21455 @end defun
21456
21457 @findex gdb.solib_name
21458 @defun gdb.solib_name (address)
21459 Return the name of the shared library holding the given @var{address}
21460 as a string, or @code{None}.
21461 @end defun
21462
21463 @findex gdb.decode_line
21464 @defun gdb.decode_line @r{[}expression@r{]}
21465 Return locations of the line specified by @var{expression}, or of the
21466 current line if no argument was given. This function returns a Python
21467 tuple containing two elements. The first element contains a string
21468 holding any unparsed section of @var{expression} (or @code{None} if
21469 the expression has been fully parsed). The second element contains
21470 either @code{None} or another tuple that contains all the locations
21471 that match the expression represented as @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line}
21472 objects (@pxref{Symbol Tables In Python}). If @var{expression} is
21473 provided, it is decoded the way that @value{GDBN}'s inbuilt
21474 @code{break} or @code{edit} commands do (@pxref{Specify Location}).
21475 @end defun
21476
21477 @defun gdb.prompt_hook (current_prompt)
21478 @anchor{prompt_hook}
21479
21480 If @var{prompt_hook} is callable, @value{GDBN} will call the method
21481 assigned to this operation before a prompt is displayed by
21482 @value{GDBN}.
21483
21484 The parameter @code{current_prompt} contains the current @value{GDBN}
21485 prompt. This method must return a Python string, or @code{None}. If
21486 a string is returned, the @value{GDBN} prompt will be set to that
21487 string. If @code{None} is returned, @value{GDBN} will continue to use
21488 the current prompt.
21489
21490 Some prompts cannot be substituted in @value{GDBN}. Secondary prompts
21491 such as those used by readline for command input, and annotation
21492 related prompts are prohibited from being changed.
21493 @end defun
21494
21495 @node Exception Handling
21496 @subsubsection Exception Handling
21497 @cindex python exceptions
21498 @cindex exceptions, python
21499
21500 When executing the @code{python} command, Python exceptions
21501 uncaught within the Python code are translated to calls to
21502 @value{GDBN} error-reporting mechanism. If the command that called
21503 @code{python} does not handle the error, @value{GDBN} will
21504 terminate it and print an error message containing the Python
21505 exception name, the associated value, and the Python call stack
21506 backtrace at the point where the exception was raised. Example:
21507
21508 @smallexample
21509 (@value{GDBP}) python print foo
21510 Traceback (most recent call last):
21511 File "<string>", line 1, in <module>
21512 NameError: name 'foo' is not defined
21513 @end smallexample
21514
21515 @value{GDBN} errors that happen in @value{GDBN} commands invoked by
21516 Python code are converted to Python exceptions. The type of the
21517 Python exception depends on the error.
21518
21519 @ftable @code
21520 @item gdb.error
21521 This is the base class for most exceptions generated by @value{GDBN}.
21522 It is derived from @code{RuntimeError}, for compatibility with earlier
21523 versions of @value{GDBN}.
21524
21525 If an error occurring in @value{GDBN} does not fit into some more
21526 specific category, then the generated exception will have this type.
21527
21528 @item gdb.MemoryError
21529 This is a subclass of @code{gdb.error} which is thrown when an
21530 operation tried to access invalid memory in the inferior.
21531
21532 @item KeyboardInterrupt
21533 User interrupt (via @kbd{C-c} or by typing @kbd{q} at a pagination
21534 prompt) is translated to a Python @code{KeyboardInterrupt} exception.
21535 @end ftable
21536
21537 In all cases, your exception handler will see the @value{GDBN} error
21538 message as its value and the Python call stack backtrace at the Python
21539 statement closest to where the @value{GDBN} error occured as the
21540 traceback.
21541
21542 @findex gdb.GdbError
21543 When implementing @value{GDBN} commands in Python via @code{gdb.Command},
21544 it is useful to be able to throw an exception that doesn't cause a
21545 traceback to be printed. For example, the user may have invoked the
21546 command incorrectly. Use the @code{gdb.GdbError} exception
21547 to handle this case. Example:
21548
21549 @smallexample
21550 (gdb) python
21551 >class HelloWorld (gdb.Command):
21552 > """Greet the whole world."""
21553 > def __init__ (self):
21554 > super (HelloWorld, self).__init__ ("hello-world", gdb.COMMAND_OBSCURE)
21555 > def invoke (self, args, from_tty):
21556 > argv = gdb.string_to_argv (args)
21557 > if len (argv) != 0:
21558 > raise gdb.GdbError ("hello-world takes no arguments")
21559 > print "Hello, World!"
21560 >HelloWorld ()
21561 >end
21562 (gdb) hello-world 42
21563 hello-world takes no arguments
21564 @end smallexample
21565
21566 @node Values From Inferior
21567 @subsubsection Values From Inferior
21568 @cindex values from inferior, with Python
21569 @cindex python, working with values from inferior
21570
21571 @cindex @code{gdb.Value}
21572 @value{GDBN} provides values it obtains from the inferior program in
21573 an object of type @code{gdb.Value}. @value{GDBN} uses this object
21574 for its internal bookkeeping of the inferior's values, and for
21575 fetching values when necessary.
21576
21577 Inferior values that are simple scalars can be used directly in
21578 Python expressions that are valid for the value's data type. Here's
21579 an example for an integer or floating-point value @code{some_val}:
21580
21581 @smallexample
21582 bar = some_val + 2
21583 @end smallexample
21584
21585 @noindent
21586 As result of this, @code{bar} will also be a @code{gdb.Value} object
21587 whose values are of the same type as those of @code{some_val}.
21588
21589 Inferior values that are structures or instances of some class can
21590 be accessed using the Python @dfn{dictionary syntax}. For example, if
21591 @code{some_val} is a @code{gdb.Value} instance holding a structure, you
21592 can access its @code{foo} element with:
21593
21594 @smallexample
21595 bar = some_val['foo']
21596 @end smallexample
21597
21598 Again, @code{bar} will also be a @code{gdb.Value} object.
21599
21600 A @code{gdb.Value} that represents a function can be executed via
21601 inferior function call. Any arguments provided to the call must match
21602 the function's prototype, and must be provided in the order specified
21603 by that prototype.
21604
21605 For example, @code{some_val} is a @code{gdb.Value} instance
21606 representing a function that takes two integers as arguments. To
21607 execute this function, call it like so:
21608
21609 @smallexample
21610 result = some_val (10,20)
21611 @end smallexample
21612
21613 Any values returned from a function call will be stored as a
21614 @code{gdb.Value}.
21615
21616 The following attributes are provided:
21617
21618 @table @code
21619 @defvar Value.address
21620 If this object is addressable, this read-only attribute holds a
21621 @code{gdb.Value} object representing the address. Otherwise,
21622 this attribute holds @code{None}.
21623 @end defvar
21624
21625 @cindex optimized out value in Python
21626 @defvar Value.is_optimized_out
21627 This read-only boolean attribute is true if the compiler optimized out
21628 this value, thus it is not available for fetching from the inferior.
21629 @end defvar
21630
21631 @defvar Value.type
21632 The type of this @code{gdb.Value}. The value of this attribute is a
21633 @code{gdb.Type} object (@pxref{Types In Python}).
21634 @end defvar
21635
21636 @defvar Value.dynamic_type
21637 The dynamic type of this @code{gdb.Value}. This uses C@t{++} run-time
21638 type information (@acronym{RTTI}) to determine the dynamic type of the
21639 value. If this value is of class type, it will return the class in
21640 which the value is embedded, if any. If this value is of pointer or
21641 reference to a class type, it will compute the dynamic type of the
21642 referenced object, and return a pointer or reference to that type,
21643 respectively. In all other cases, it will return the value's static
21644 type.
21645
21646 Note that this feature will only work when debugging a C@t{++} program
21647 that includes @acronym{RTTI} for the object in question. Otherwise,
21648 it will just return the static type of the value as in @kbd{ptype foo}
21649 (@pxref{Symbols, ptype}).
21650 @end defvar
21651 @end table
21652
21653 The following methods are provided:
21654
21655 @table @code
21656 @defun Value.__init__ (@var{val})
21657 Many Python values can be converted directly to a @code{gdb.Value} via
21658 this object initializer. Specifically:
21659
21660 @table @asis
21661 @item Python boolean
21662 A Python boolean is converted to the boolean type from the current
21663 language.
21664
21665 @item Python integer
21666 A Python integer is converted to the C @code{long} type for the
21667 current architecture.
21668
21669 @item Python long
21670 A Python long is converted to the C @code{long long} type for the
21671 current architecture.
21672
21673 @item Python float
21674 A Python float is converted to the C @code{double} type for the
21675 current architecture.
21676
21677 @item Python string
21678 A Python string is converted to a target string, using the current
21679 target encoding.
21680
21681 @item @code{gdb.Value}
21682 If @code{val} is a @code{gdb.Value}, then a copy of the value is made.
21683
21684 @item @code{gdb.LazyString}
21685 If @code{val} is a @code{gdb.LazyString} (@pxref{Lazy Strings In
21686 Python}), then the lazy string's @code{value} method is called, and
21687 its result is used.
21688 @end table
21689 @end defun
21690
21691 @defun Value.cast (type)
21692 Return a new instance of @code{gdb.Value} that is the result of
21693 casting this instance to the type described by @var{type}, which must
21694 be a @code{gdb.Type} object. If the cast cannot be performed for some
21695 reason, this method throws an exception.
21696 @end defun
21697
21698 @defun Value.dereference ()
21699 For pointer data types, this method returns a new @code{gdb.Value} object
21700 whose contents is the object pointed to by the pointer. For example, if
21701 @code{foo} is a C pointer to an @code{int}, declared in your C program as
21702
21703 @smallexample
21704 int *foo;
21705 @end smallexample
21706
21707 @noindent
21708 then you can use the corresponding @code{gdb.Value} to access what
21709 @code{foo} points to like this:
21710
21711 @smallexample
21712 bar = foo.dereference ()
21713 @end smallexample
21714
21715 The result @code{bar} will be a @code{gdb.Value} object holding the
21716 value pointed to by @code{foo}.
21717 @end defun
21718
21719 @defun Value.dynamic_cast (type)
21720 Like @code{Value.cast}, but works as if the C@t{++} @code{dynamic_cast}
21721 operator were used. Consult a C@t{++} reference for details.
21722 @end defun
21723
21724 @defun Value.reinterpret_cast (type)
21725 Like @code{Value.cast}, but works as if the C@t{++} @code{reinterpret_cast}
21726 operator were used. Consult a C@t{++} reference for details.
21727 @end defun
21728
21729 @defun Value.string (@r{[}encoding@r{[}, errors@r{[}, length@r{]]]})
21730 If this @code{gdb.Value} represents a string, then this method
21731 converts the contents to a Python string. Otherwise, this method will
21732 throw an exception.
21733
21734 Strings are recognized in a language-specific way; whether a given
21735 @code{gdb.Value} represents a string is determined by the current
21736 language.
21737
21738 For C-like languages, a value is a string if it is a pointer to or an
21739 array of characters or ints. The string is assumed to be terminated
21740 by a zero of the appropriate width. However if the optional length
21741 argument is given, the string will be converted to that given length,
21742 ignoring any embedded zeros that the string may contain.
21743
21744 If the optional @var{encoding} argument is given, it must be a string
21745 naming the encoding of the string in the @code{gdb.Value}, such as
21746 @code{"ascii"}, @code{"iso-8859-6"} or @code{"utf-8"}. It accepts
21747 the same encodings as the corresponding argument to Python's
21748 @code{string.decode} method, and the Python codec machinery will be used
21749 to convert the string. If @var{encoding} is not given, or if
21750 @var{encoding} is the empty string, then either the @code{target-charset}
21751 (@pxref{Character Sets}) will be used, or a language-specific encoding
21752 will be used, if the current language is able to supply one.
21753
21754 The optional @var{errors} argument is the same as the corresponding
21755 argument to Python's @code{string.decode} method.
21756
21757 If the optional @var{length} argument is given, the string will be
21758 fetched and converted to the given length.
21759 @end defun
21760
21761 @defun Value.lazy_string (@r{[}encoding @r{[}, length@r{]]})
21762 If this @code{gdb.Value} represents a string, then this method
21763 converts the contents to a @code{gdb.LazyString} (@pxref{Lazy Strings
21764 In Python}). Otherwise, this method will throw an exception.
21765
21766 If the optional @var{encoding} argument is given, it must be a string
21767 naming the encoding of the @code{gdb.LazyString}. Some examples are:
21768 @samp{ascii}, @samp{iso-8859-6} or @samp{utf-8}. If the
21769 @var{encoding} argument is an encoding that @value{GDBN} does
21770 recognize, @value{GDBN} will raise an error.
21771
21772 When a lazy string is printed, the @value{GDBN} encoding machinery is
21773 used to convert the string during printing. If the optional
21774 @var{encoding} argument is not provided, or is an empty string,
21775 @value{GDBN} will automatically select the encoding most suitable for
21776 the string type. For further information on encoding in @value{GDBN}
21777 please see @ref{Character Sets}.
21778
21779 If the optional @var{length} argument is given, the string will be
21780 fetched and encoded to the length of characters specified. If
21781 the @var{length} argument is not provided, the string will be fetched
21782 and encoded until a null of appropriate width is found.
21783 @end defun
21784 @end table
21785
21786 @node Types In Python
21787 @subsubsection Types In Python
21788 @cindex types in Python
21789 @cindex Python, working with types
21790
21791 @tindex gdb.Type
21792 @value{GDBN} represents types from the inferior using the class
21793 @code{gdb.Type}.
21794
21795 The following type-related functions are available in the @code{gdb}
21796 module:
21797
21798 @findex gdb.lookup_type
21799 @defun gdb.lookup_type (name @r{[}, block@r{]})
21800 This function looks up a type by name. @var{name} is the name of the
21801 type to look up. It must be a string.
21802
21803 If @var{block} is given, then @var{name} is looked up in that scope.
21804 Otherwise, it is searched for globally.
21805
21806 Ordinarily, this function will return an instance of @code{gdb.Type}.
21807 If the named type cannot be found, it will throw an exception.
21808 @end defun
21809
21810 If the type is a structure or class type, or an enum type, the fields
21811 of that type can be accessed using the Python @dfn{dictionary syntax}.
21812 For example, if @code{some_type} is a @code{gdb.Type} instance holding
21813 a structure type, you can access its @code{foo} field with:
21814
21815 @smallexample
21816 bar = some_type['foo']
21817 @end smallexample
21818
21819 @code{bar} will be a @code{gdb.Field} object; see below under the
21820 description of the @code{Type.fields} method for a description of the
21821 @code{gdb.Field} class.
21822
21823 An instance of @code{Type} has the following attributes:
21824
21825 @table @code
21826 @defvar Type.code
21827 The type code for this type. The type code will be one of the
21828 @code{TYPE_CODE_} constants defined below.
21829 @end defvar
21830
21831 @defvar Type.sizeof
21832 The size of this type, in target @code{char} units. Usually, a
21833 target's @code{char} type will be an 8-bit byte. However, on some
21834 unusual platforms, this type may have a different size.
21835 @end defvar
21836
21837 @defvar Type.tag
21838 The tag name for this type. The tag name is the name after
21839 @code{struct}, @code{union}, or @code{enum} in C and C@t{++}; not all
21840 languages have this concept. If this type has no tag name, then
21841 @code{None} is returned.
21842 @end defvar
21843 @end table
21844
21845 The following methods are provided:
21846
21847 @table @code
21848 @defun Type.fields ()
21849 For structure and union types, this method returns the fields. Range
21850 types have two fields, the minimum and maximum values. Enum types
21851 have one field per enum constant. Function and method types have one
21852 field per parameter. The base types of C@t{++} classes are also
21853 represented as fields. If the type has no fields, or does not fit
21854 into one of these categories, an empty sequence will be returned.
21855
21856 Each field is a @code{gdb.Field} object, with some pre-defined attributes:
21857 @table @code
21858 @item bitpos
21859 This attribute is not available for @code{static} fields (as in
21860 C@t{++} or Java). For non-@code{static} fields, the value is the bit
21861 position of the field. For @code{enum} fields, the value is the
21862 enumeration member's integer representation.
21863
21864 @item name
21865 The name of the field, or @code{None} for anonymous fields.
21866
21867 @item artificial
21868 This is @code{True} if the field is artificial, usually meaning that
21869 it was provided by the compiler and not the user. This attribute is
21870 always provided, and is @code{False} if the field is not artificial.
21871
21872 @item is_base_class
21873 This is @code{True} if the field represents a base class of a C@t{++}
21874 structure. This attribute is always provided, and is @code{False}
21875 if the field is not a base class of the type that is the argument of
21876 @code{fields}, or if that type was not a C@t{++} class.
21877
21878 @item bitsize
21879 If the field is packed, or is a bitfield, then this will have a
21880 non-zero value, which is the size of the field in bits. Otherwise,
21881 this will be zero; in this case the field's size is given by its type.
21882
21883 @item type
21884 The type of the field. This is usually an instance of @code{Type},
21885 but it can be @code{None} in some situations.
21886 @end table
21887 @end defun
21888
21889 @defun Type.array (@var{n1} @r{[}, @var{n2}@r{]})
21890 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents an array of this
21891 type. If one argument is given, it is the inclusive upper bound of
21892 the array; in this case the lower bound is zero. If two arguments are
21893 given, the first argument is the lower bound of the array, and the
21894 second argument is the upper bound of the array. An array's length
21895 must not be negative, but the bounds can be.
21896 @end defun
21897
21898 @defun Type.const ()
21899 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents a
21900 @code{const}-qualified variant of this type.
21901 @end defun
21902
21903 @defun Type.volatile ()
21904 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents a
21905 @code{volatile}-qualified variant of this type.
21906 @end defun
21907
21908 @defun Type.unqualified ()
21909 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents an unqualified
21910 variant of this type. That is, the result is neither @code{const} nor
21911 @code{volatile}.
21912 @end defun
21913
21914 @defun Type.range ()
21915 Return a Python @code{Tuple} object that contains two elements: the
21916 low bound of the argument type and the high bound of that type. If
21917 the type does not have a range, @value{GDBN} will raise a
21918 @code{gdb.error} exception (@pxref{Exception Handling}).
21919 @end defun
21920
21921 @defun Type.reference ()
21922 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents a reference to this
21923 type.
21924 @end defun
21925
21926 @defun Type.pointer ()
21927 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents a pointer to this
21928 type.
21929 @end defun
21930
21931 @defun Type.strip_typedefs ()
21932 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} that represents the real type,
21933 after removing all layers of typedefs.
21934 @end defun
21935
21936 @defun Type.target ()
21937 Return a new @code{gdb.Type} object which represents the target type
21938 of this type.
21939
21940 For a pointer type, the target type is the type of the pointed-to
21941 object. For an array type (meaning C-like arrays), the target type is
21942 the type of the elements of the array. For a function or method type,
21943 the target type is the type of the return value. For a complex type,
21944 the target type is the type of the elements. For a typedef, the
21945 target type is the aliased type.
21946
21947 If the type does not have a target, this method will throw an
21948 exception.
21949 @end defun
21950
21951 @defun Type.template_argument (n @r{[}, block@r{]})
21952 If this @code{gdb.Type} is an instantiation of a template, this will
21953 return a new @code{gdb.Type} which represents the type of the
21954 @var{n}th template argument.
21955
21956 If this @code{gdb.Type} is not a template type, this will throw an
21957 exception. Ordinarily, only C@t{++} code will have template types.
21958
21959 If @var{block} is given, then @var{name} is looked up in that scope.
21960 Otherwise, it is searched for globally.
21961 @end defun
21962 @end table
21963
21964
21965 Each type has a code, which indicates what category this type falls
21966 into. The available type categories are represented by constants
21967 defined in the @code{gdb} module:
21968
21969 @table @code
21970 @findex TYPE_CODE_PTR
21971 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_PTR
21972 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_PTR
21973 The type is a pointer.
21974
21975 @findex TYPE_CODE_ARRAY
21976 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_ARRAY
21977 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_ARRAY
21978 The type is an array.
21979
21980 @findex TYPE_CODE_STRUCT
21981 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_STRUCT
21982 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_STRUCT
21983 The type is a structure.
21984
21985 @findex TYPE_CODE_UNION
21986 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_UNION
21987 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_UNION
21988 The type is a union.
21989
21990 @findex TYPE_CODE_ENUM
21991 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_ENUM
21992 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_ENUM
21993 The type is an enum.
21994
21995 @findex TYPE_CODE_FLAGS
21996 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_FLAGS
21997 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_FLAGS
21998 A bit flags type, used for things such as status registers.
21999
22000 @findex TYPE_CODE_FUNC
22001 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_FUNC
22002 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_FUNC
22003 The type is a function.
22004
22005 @findex TYPE_CODE_INT
22006 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_INT
22007 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_INT
22008 The type is an integer type.
22009
22010 @findex TYPE_CODE_FLT
22011 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_FLT
22012 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_FLT
22013 A floating point type.
22014
22015 @findex TYPE_CODE_VOID
22016 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_VOID
22017 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_VOID
22018 The special type @code{void}.
22019
22020 @findex TYPE_CODE_SET
22021 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_SET
22022 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_SET
22023 A Pascal set type.
22024
22025 @findex TYPE_CODE_RANGE
22026 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_RANGE
22027 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_RANGE
22028 A range type, that is, an integer type with bounds.
22029
22030 @findex TYPE_CODE_STRING
22031 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_STRING
22032 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_STRING
22033 A string type. Note that this is only used for certain languages with
22034 language-defined string types; C strings are not represented this way.
22035
22036 @findex TYPE_CODE_BITSTRING
22037 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_BITSTRING
22038 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_BITSTRING
22039 A string of bits.
22040
22041 @findex TYPE_CODE_ERROR
22042 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_ERROR
22043 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_ERROR
22044 An unknown or erroneous type.
22045
22046 @findex TYPE_CODE_METHOD
22047 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_METHOD
22048 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_METHOD
22049 A method type, as found in C@t{++} or Java.
22050
22051 @findex TYPE_CODE_METHODPTR
22052 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_METHODPTR
22053 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_METHODPTR
22054 A pointer-to-member-function.
22055
22056 @findex TYPE_CODE_MEMBERPTR
22057 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_MEMBERPTR
22058 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_MEMBERPTR
22059 A pointer-to-member.
22060
22061 @findex TYPE_CODE_REF
22062 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_REF
22063 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_REF
22064 A reference type.
22065
22066 @findex TYPE_CODE_CHAR
22067 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_CHAR
22068 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_CHAR
22069 A character type.
22070
22071 @findex TYPE_CODE_BOOL
22072 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_BOOL
22073 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_BOOL
22074 A boolean type.
22075
22076 @findex TYPE_CODE_COMPLEX
22077 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_COMPLEX
22078 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_COMPLEX
22079 A complex float type.
22080
22081 @findex TYPE_CODE_TYPEDEF
22082 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_TYPEDEF
22083 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_TYPEDEF
22084 A typedef to some other type.
22085
22086 @findex TYPE_CODE_NAMESPACE
22087 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_NAMESPACE
22088 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_NAMESPACE
22089 A C@t{++} namespace.
22090
22091 @findex TYPE_CODE_DECFLOAT
22092 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_DECFLOAT
22093 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_DECFLOAT
22094 A decimal floating point type.
22095
22096 @findex TYPE_CODE_INTERNAL_FUNCTION
22097 @findex gdb.TYPE_CODE_INTERNAL_FUNCTION
22098 @item gdb.TYPE_CODE_INTERNAL_FUNCTION
22099 A function internal to @value{GDBN}. This is the type used to represent
22100 convenience functions.
22101 @end table
22102
22103 Further support for types is provided in the @code{gdb.types}
22104 Python module (@pxref{gdb.types}).
22105
22106 @node Pretty Printing API
22107 @subsubsection Pretty Printing API
22108
22109 An example output is provided (@pxref{Pretty Printing}).
22110
22111 A pretty-printer is just an object that holds a value and implements a
22112 specific interface, defined here.
22113
22114 @defun pretty_printer.children (self)
22115 @value{GDBN} will call this method on a pretty-printer to compute the
22116 children of the pretty-printer's value.
22117
22118 This method must return an object conforming to the Python iterator
22119 protocol. Each item returned by the iterator must be a tuple holding
22120 two elements. The first element is the ``name'' of the child; the
22121 second element is the child's value. The value can be any Python
22122 object which is convertible to a @value{GDBN} value.
22123
22124 This method is optional. If it does not exist, @value{GDBN} will act
22125 as though the value has no children.
22126 @end defun
22127
22128 @defun pretty_printer.display_hint (self)
22129 The CLI may call this method and use its result to change the
22130 formatting of a value. The result will also be supplied to an MI
22131 consumer as a @samp{displayhint} attribute of the variable being
22132 printed.
22133
22134 This method is optional. If it does exist, this method must return a
22135 string.
22136
22137 Some display hints are predefined by @value{GDBN}:
22138
22139 @table @samp
22140 @item array
22141 Indicate that the object being printed is ``array-like''. The CLI
22142 uses this to respect parameters such as @code{set print elements} and
22143 @code{set print array}.
22144
22145 @item map
22146 Indicate that the object being printed is ``map-like'', and that the
22147 children of this value can be assumed to alternate between keys and
22148 values.
22149
22150 @item string
22151 Indicate that the object being printed is ``string-like''. If the
22152 printer's @code{to_string} method returns a Python string of some
22153 kind, then @value{GDBN} will call its internal language-specific
22154 string-printing function to format the string. For the CLI this means
22155 adding quotation marks, possibly escaping some characters, respecting
22156 @code{set print elements}, and the like.
22157 @end table
22158 @end defun
22159
22160 @defun pretty_printer.to_string (self)
22161 @value{GDBN} will call this method to display the string
22162 representation of the value passed to the object's constructor.
22163
22164 When printing from the CLI, if the @code{to_string} method exists,
22165 then @value{GDBN} will prepend its result to the values returned by
22166 @code{children}. Exactly how this formatting is done is dependent on
22167 the display hint, and may change as more hints are added. Also,
22168 depending on the print settings (@pxref{Print Settings}), the CLI may
22169 print just the result of @code{to_string} in a stack trace, omitting
22170 the result of @code{children}.
22171
22172 If this method returns a string, it is printed verbatim.
22173
22174 Otherwise, if this method returns an instance of @code{gdb.Value},
22175 then @value{GDBN} prints this value. This may result in a call to
22176 another pretty-printer.
22177
22178 If instead the method returns a Python value which is convertible to a
22179 @code{gdb.Value}, then @value{GDBN} performs the conversion and prints
22180 the resulting value. Again, this may result in a call to another
22181 pretty-printer. Python scalars (integers, floats, and booleans) and
22182 strings are convertible to @code{gdb.Value}; other types are not.
22183
22184 Finally, if this method returns @code{None} then no further operations
22185 are peformed in this method and nothing is printed.
22186
22187 If the result is not one of these types, an exception is raised.
22188 @end defun
22189
22190 @value{GDBN} provides a function which can be used to look up the
22191 default pretty-printer for a @code{gdb.Value}:
22192
22193 @findex gdb.default_visualizer
22194 @defun gdb.default_visualizer (value)
22195 This function takes a @code{gdb.Value} object as an argument. If a
22196 pretty-printer for this value exists, then it is returned. If no such
22197 printer exists, then this returns @code{None}.
22198 @end defun
22199
22200 @node Selecting Pretty-Printers
22201 @subsubsection Selecting Pretty-Printers
22202
22203 The Python list @code{gdb.pretty_printers} contains an array of
22204 functions or callable objects that have been registered via addition
22205 as a pretty-printer. Printers in this list are called @code{global}
22206 printers, they're available when debugging all inferiors.
22207 Each @code{gdb.Progspace} contains a @code{pretty_printers} attribute.
22208 Each @code{gdb.Objfile} also contains a @code{pretty_printers}
22209 attribute.
22210
22211 Each function on these lists is passed a single @code{gdb.Value}
22212 argument and should return a pretty-printer object conforming to the
22213 interface definition above (@pxref{Pretty Printing API}). If a function
22214 cannot create a pretty-printer for the value, it should return
22215 @code{None}.
22216
22217 @value{GDBN} first checks the @code{pretty_printers} attribute of each
22218 @code{gdb.Objfile} in the current program space and iteratively calls
22219 each enabled lookup routine in the list for that @code{gdb.Objfile}
22220 until it receives a pretty-printer object.
22221 If no pretty-printer is found in the objfile lists, @value{GDBN} then
22222 searches the pretty-printer list of the current program space,
22223 calling each enabled function until an object is returned.
22224 After these lists have been exhausted, it tries the global
22225 @code{gdb.pretty_printers} list, again calling each enabled function until an
22226 object is returned.
22227
22228 The order in which the objfiles are searched is not specified. For a
22229 given list, functions are always invoked from the head of the list,
22230 and iterated over sequentially until the end of the list, or a printer
22231 object is returned.
22232
22233 For various reasons a pretty-printer may not work.
22234 For example, the underlying data structure may have changed and
22235 the pretty-printer is out of date.
22236
22237 The consequences of a broken pretty-printer are severe enough that
22238 @value{GDBN} provides support for enabling and disabling individual
22239 printers. For example, if @code{print frame-arguments} is on,
22240 a backtrace can become highly illegible if any argument is printed
22241 with a broken printer.
22242
22243 Pretty-printers are enabled and disabled by attaching an @code{enabled}
22244 attribute to the registered function or callable object. If this attribute
22245 is present and its value is @code{False}, the printer is disabled, otherwise
22246 the printer is enabled.
22247
22248 @node Writing a Pretty-Printer
22249 @subsubsection Writing a Pretty-Printer
22250 @cindex writing a pretty-printer
22251
22252 A pretty-printer consists of two parts: a lookup function to detect
22253 if the type is supported, and the printer itself.
22254
22255 Here is an example showing how a @code{std::string} printer might be
22256 written. @xref{Pretty Printing API}, for details on the API this class
22257 must provide.
22258
22259 @smallexample
22260 class StdStringPrinter(object):
22261 "Print a std::string"
22262
22263 def __init__(self, val):
22264 self.val = val
22265
22266 def to_string(self):
22267 return self.val['_M_dataplus']['_M_p']
22268
22269 def display_hint(self):
22270 return 'string'
22271 @end smallexample
22272
22273 And here is an example showing how a lookup function for the printer
22274 example above might be written.
22275
22276 @smallexample
22277 def str_lookup_function(val):
22278 lookup_tag = val.type.tag
22279 if lookup_tag == None:
22280 return None
22281 regex = re.compile("^std::basic_string<char,.*>$")
22282 if regex.match(lookup_tag):
22283 return StdStringPrinter(val)
22284 return None
22285 @end smallexample
22286
22287 The example lookup function extracts the value's type, and attempts to
22288 match it to a type that it can pretty-print. If it is a type the
22289 printer can pretty-print, it will return a printer object. If not, it
22290 returns @code{None}.
22291
22292 We recommend that you put your core pretty-printers into a Python
22293 package. If your pretty-printers are for use with a library, we
22294 further recommend embedding a version number into the package name.
22295 This practice will enable @value{GDBN} to load multiple versions of
22296 your pretty-printers at the same time, because they will have
22297 different names.
22298
22299 You should write auto-loaded code (@pxref{Auto-loading}) such that it
22300 can be evaluated multiple times without changing its meaning. An
22301 ideal auto-load file will consist solely of @code{import}s of your
22302 printer modules, followed by a call to a register pretty-printers with
22303 the current objfile.
22304
22305 Taken as a whole, this approach will scale nicely to multiple
22306 inferiors, each potentially using a different library version.
22307 Embedding a version number in the Python package name will ensure that
22308 @value{GDBN} is able to load both sets of printers simultaneously.
22309 Then, because the search for pretty-printers is done by objfile, and
22310 because your auto-loaded code took care to register your library's
22311 printers with a specific objfile, @value{GDBN} will find the correct
22312 printers for the specific version of the library used by each
22313 inferior.
22314
22315 To continue the @code{std::string} example (@pxref{Pretty Printing API}),
22316 this code might appear in @code{gdb.libstdcxx.v6}:
22317
22318 @smallexample
22319 def register_printers(objfile):
22320 objfile.pretty_printers.add(str_lookup_function)
22321 @end smallexample
22322
22323 @noindent
22324 And then the corresponding contents of the auto-load file would be:
22325
22326 @smallexample
22327 import gdb.libstdcxx.v6
22328 gdb.libstdcxx.v6.register_printers(gdb.current_objfile())
22329 @end smallexample
22330
22331 The previous example illustrates a basic pretty-printer.
22332 There are a few things that can be improved on.
22333 The printer doesn't have a name, making it hard to identify in a
22334 list of installed printers. The lookup function has a name, but
22335 lookup functions can have arbitrary, even identical, names.
22336
22337 Second, the printer only handles one type, whereas a library typically has
22338 several types. One could install a lookup function for each desired type
22339 in the library, but one could also have a single lookup function recognize
22340 several types. The latter is the conventional way this is handled.
22341 If a pretty-printer can handle multiple data types, then its
22342 @dfn{subprinters} are the printers for the individual data types.
22343
22344 The @code{gdb.printing} module provides a formal way of solving these
22345 problems (@pxref{gdb.printing}).
22346 Here is another example that handles multiple types.
22347
22348 These are the types we are going to pretty-print:
22349
22350 @smallexample
22351 struct foo @{ int a, b; @};
22352 struct bar @{ struct foo x, y; @};
22353 @end smallexample
22354
22355 Here are the printers:
22356
22357 @smallexample
22358 class fooPrinter:
22359 """Print a foo object."""
22360
22361 def __init__(self, val):
22362 self.val = val
22363
22364 def to_string(self):
22365 return ("a=<" + str(self.val["a"]) +
22366 "> b=<" + str(self.val["b"]) + ">")
22367
22368 class barPrinter:
22369 """Print a bar object."""
22370
22371 def __init__(self, val):
22372 self.val = val
22373
22374 def to_string(self):
22375 return ("x=<" + str(self.val["x"]) +
22376 "> y=<" + str(self.val["y"]) + ">")
22377 @end smallexample
22378
22379 This example doesn't need a lookup function, that is handled by the
22380 @code{gdb.printing} module. Instead a function is provided to build up
22381 the object that handles the lookup.
22382
22383 @smallexample
22384 import gdb.printing
22385
22386 def build_pretty_printer():
22387 pp = gdb.printing.RegexpCollectionPrettyPrinter(
22388 "my_library")
22389 pp.add_printer('foo', '^foo$', fooPrinter)
22390 pp.add_printer('bar', '^bar$', barPrinter)
22391 return pp
22392 @end smallexample
22393
22394 And here is the autoload support:
22395
22396 @smallexample
22397 import gdb.printing
22398 import my_library
22399 gdb.printing.register_pretty_printer(
22400 gdb.current_objfile(),
22401 my_library.build_pretty_printer())
22402 @end smallexample
22403
22404 Finally, when this printer is loaded into @value{GDBN}, here is the
22405 corresponding output of @samp{info pretty-printer}:
22406
22407 @smallexample
22408 (gdb) info pretty-printer
22409 my_library.so:
22410 my_library
22411 foo
22412 bar
22413 @end smallexample
22414
22415 @node Inferiors In Python
22416 @subsubsection Inferiors In Python
22417 @cindex inferiors in Python
22418
22419 @findex gdb.Inferior
22420 Programs which are being run under @value{GDBN} are called inferiors
22421 (@pxref{Inferiors and Programs}). Python scripts can access
22422 information about and manipulate inferiors controlled by @value{GDBN}
22423 via objects of the @code{gdb.Inferior} class.
22424
22425 The following inferior-related functions are available in the @code{gdb}
22426 module:
22427
22428 @defun gdb.inferiors ()
22429 Return a tuple containing all inferior objects.
22430 @end defun
22431
22432 @defun gdb.selected_inferior ()
22433 Return an object representing the current inferior.
22434 @end defun
22435
22436 A @code{gdb.Inferior} object has the following attributes:
22437
22438 @table @code
22439 @defvar Inferior.num
22440 ID of inferior, as assigned by GDB.
22441 @end defvar
22442
22443 @defvar Inferior.pid
22444 Process ID of the inferior, as assigned by the underlying operating
22445 system.
22446 @end defvar
22447
22448 @defvar Inferior.was_attached
22449 Boolean signaling whether the inferior was created using `attach', or
22450 started by @value{GDBN} itself.
22451 @end defvar
22452 @end table
22453
22454 A @code{gdb.Inferior} object has the following methods:
22455
22456 @table @code
22457 @defun Inferior.is_valid ()
22458 Returns @code{True} if the @code{gdb.Inferior} object is valid,
22459 @code{False} if not. A @code{gdb.Inferior} object will become invalid
22460 if the inferior no longer exists within @value{GDBN}. All other
22461 @code{gdb.Inferior} methods will throw an exception if it is invalid
22462 at the time the method is called.
22463 @end defun
22464
22465 @defun Inferior.threads ()
22466 This method returns a tuple holding all the threads which are valid
22467 when it is called. If there are no valid threads, the method will
22468 return an empty tuple.
22469 @end defun
22470
22471 @findex gdb.read_memory
22472 @defun Inferior.read_memory (address, length)
22473 Read @var{length} bytes of memory from the inferior, starting at
22474 @var{address}. Returns a buffer object, which behaves much like an array
22475 or a string. It can be modified and given to the @code{gdb.write_memory}
22476 function.
22477 @end defun
22478
22479 @findex gdb.write_memory
22480 @defun Inferior.write_memory (address, buffer @r{[}, length@r{]})
22481 Write the contents of @var{buffer} to the inferior, starting at
22482 @var{address}. The @var{buffer} parameter must be a Python object
22483 which supports the buffer protocol, i.e., a string, an array or the
22484 object returned from @code{gdb.read_memory}. If given, @var{length}
22485 determines the number of bytes from @var{buffer} to be written.
22486 @end defun
22487
22488 @findex gdb.search_memory
22489 @defun Inferior.search_memory (address, length, pattern)
22490 Search a region of the inferior memory starting at @var{address} with
22491 the given @var{length} using the search pattern supplied in
22492 @var{pattern}. The @var{pattern} parameter must be a Python object
22493 which supports the buffer protocol, i.e., a string, an array or the
22494 object returned from @code{gdb.read_memory}. Returns a Python @code{Long}
22495 containing the address where the pattern was found, or @code{None} if
22496 the pattern could not be found.
22497 @end defun
22498 @end table
22499
22500 @node Events In Python
22501 @subsubsection Events In Python
22502 @cindex inferior events in Python
22503
22504 @value{GDBN} provides a general event facility so that Python code can be
22505 notified of various state changes, particularly changes that occur in
22506 the inferior.
22507
22508 An @dfn{event} is just an object that describes some state change. The
22509 type of the object and its attributes will vary depending on the details
22510 of the change. All the existing events are described below.
22511
22512 In order to be notified of an event, you must register an event handler
22513 with an @dfn{event registry}. An event registry is an object in the
22514 @code{gdb.events} module which dispatches particular events. A registry
22515 provides methods to register and unregister event handlers:
22516
22517 @table @code
22518 @defun EventRegistry.connect (object)
22519 Add the given callable @var{object} to the registry. This object will be
22520 called when an event corresponding to this registry occurs.
22521 @end defun
22522
22523 @defun EventRegistry.disconnect (object)
22524 Remove the given @var{object} from the registry. Once removed, the object
22525 will no longer receive notifications of events.
22526 @end defun
22527 @end table
22528
22529 Here is an example:
22530
22531 @smallexample
22532 def exit_handler (event):
22533 print "event type: exit"
22534 print "exit code: %d" % (event.exit_code)
22535
22536 gdb.events.exited.connect (exit_handler)
22537 @end smallexample
22538
22539 In the above example we connect our handler @code{exit_handler} to the
22540 registry @code{events.exited}. Once connected, @code{exit_handler} gets
22541 called when the inferior exits. The argument @dfn{event} in this example is
22542 of type @code{gdb.ExitedEvent}. As you can see in the example the
22543 @code{ExitedEvent} object has an attribute which indicates the exit code of
22544 the inferior.
22545
22546 The following is a listing of the event registries that are available and
22547 details of the events they emit:
22548
22549 @table @code
22550
22551 @item events.cont
22552 Emits @code{gdb.ThreadEvent}.
22553
22554 Some events can be thread specific when @value{GDBN} is running in non-stop
22555 mode. When represented in Python, these events all extend
22556 @code{gdb.ThreadEvent}. Note, this event is not emitted directly; instead,
22557 events which are emitted by this or other modules might extend this event.
22558 Examples of these events are @code{gdb.BreakpointEvent} and
22559 @code{gdb.ContinueEvent}.
22560
22561 @table @code
22562 @defvar ThreadEvent.inferior_thread
22563 In non-stop mode this attribute will be set to the specific thread which was
22564 involved in the emitted event. Otherwise, it will be set to @code{None}.
22565 @end defvar
22566 @end table
22567
22568 Emits @code{gdb.ContinueEvent} which extends @code{gdb.ThreadEvent}.
22569
22570 This event indicates that the inferior has been continued after a stop. For
22571 inherited attribute refer to @code{gdb.ThreadEvent} above.
22572
22573 @item events.exited
22574 Emits @code{events.ExitedEvent} which indicates that the inferior has exited.
22575 @code{events.ExitedEvent} has two attributes:
22576 @table @code
22577 @defvar ExitedEvent.exit_code
22578 An integer representing the exit code, if available, which the inferior
22579 has returned. (The exit code could be unavailable if, for example,
22580 @value{GDBN} detaches from the inferior.) If the exit code is unavailable,
22581 the attribute does not exist.
22582 @end defvar
22583 @defvar ExitedEvent inferior
22584 A reference to the inferior which triggered the @code{exited} event.
22585 @end defvar
22586 @end table
22587
22588 @item events.stop
22589 Emits @code{gdb.StopEvent} which extends @code{gdb.ThreadEvent}.
22590
22591 Indicates that the inferior has stopped. All events emitted by this registry
22592 extend StopEvent. As a child of @code{gdb.ThreadEvent}, @code{gdb.StopEvent}
22593 will indicate the stopped thread when @value{GDBN} is running in non-stop
22594 mode. Refer to @code{gdb.ThreadEvent} above for more details.
22595
22596 Emits @code{gdb.SignalEvent} which extends @code{gdb.StopEvent}.
22597
22598 This event indicates that the inferior or one of its threads has received as
22599 signal. @code{gdb.SignalEvent} has the following attributes:
22600
22601 @table @code
22602 @defvar SignalEvent.stop_signal
22603 A string representing the signal received by the inferior. A list of possible
22604 signal values can be obtained by running the command @code{info signals} in
22605 the @value{GDBN} command prompt.
22606 @end defvar
22607 @end table
22608
22609 Also emits @code{gdb.BreakpointEvent} which extends @code{gdb.StopEvent}.
22610
22611 @code{gdb.BreakpointEvent} event indicates that one or more breakpoints have
22612 been hit, and has the following attributes:
22613
22614 @table @code
22615 @defvar BreakpointEvent.breakpoints
22616 A sequence containing references to all the breakpoints (type
22617 @code{gdb.Breakpoint}) that were hit.
22618 @xref{Breakpoints In Python}, for details of the @code{gdb.Breakpoint} object.
22619 @end defvar
22620 @defvar BreakpointEvent.breakpoint
22621 A reference to the first breakpoint that was hit.
22622 This function is maintained for backward compatibility and is now deprecated
22623 in favor of the @code{gdb.BreakpointEvent.breakpoints} attribute.
22624 @end defvar
22625 @end table
22626
22627 @item events.new_objfile
22628 Emits @code{gdb.NewObjFileEvent} which indicates that a new object file has
22629 been loaded by @value{GDBN}. @code{gdb.NewObjFileEvent} has one attribute:
22630
22631 @table @code
22632 @defvar NewObjFileEvent.new_objfile
22633 A reference to the object file (@code{gdb.Objfile}) which has been loaded.
22634 @xref{Objfiles In Python}, for details of the @code{gdb.Objfile} object.
22635 @end defvar
22636 @end table
22637
22638 @end table
22639
22640 @node Threads In Python
22641 @subsubsection Threads In Python
22642 @cindex threads in python
22643
22644 @findex gdb.InferiorThread
22645 Python scripts can access information about, and manipulate inferior threads
22646 controlled by @value{GDBN}, via objects of the @code{gdb.InferiorThread} class.
22647
22648 The following thread-related functions are available in the @code{gdb}
22649 module:
22650
22651 @findex gdb.selected_thread
22652 @defun gdb.selected_thread ()
22653 This function returns the thread object for the selected thread. If there
22654 is no selected thread, this will return @code{None}.
22655 @end defun
22656
22657 A @code{gdb.InferiorThread} object has the following attributes:
22658
22659 @table @code
22660 @defvar InferiorThread.name
22661 The name of the thread. If the user specified a name using
22662 @code{thread name}, then this returns that name. Otherwise, if an
22663 OS-supplied name is available, then it is returned. Otherwise, this
22664 returns @code{None}.
22665
22666 This attribute can be assigned to. The new value must be a string
22667 object, which sets the new name, or @code{None}, which removes any
22668 user-specified thread name.
22669 @end defvar
22670
22671 @defvar InferiorThread.num
22672 ID of the thread, as assigned by GDB.
22673 @end defvar
22674
22675 @defvar InferiorThread.ptid
22676 ID of the thread, as assigned by the operating system. This attribute is a
22677 tuple containing three integers. The first is the Process ID (PID); the second
22678 is the Lightweight Process ID (LWPID), and the third is the Thread ID (TID).
22679 Either the LWPID or TID may be 0, which indicates that the operating system
22680 does not use that identifier.
22681 @end defvar
22682 @end table
22683
22684 A @code{gdb.InferiorThread} object has the following methods:
22685
22686 @table @code
22687 @defun InferiorThread.is_valid ()
22688 Returns @code{True} if the @code{gdb.InferiorThread} object is valid,
22689 @code{False} if not. A @code{gdb.InferiorThread} object will become
22690 invalid if the thread exits, or the inferior that the thread belongs
22691 is deleted. All other @code{gdb.InferiorThread} methods will throw an
22692 exception if it is invalid at the time the method is called.
22693 @end defun
22694
22695 @defun InferiorThread.switch ()
22696 This changes @value{GDBN}'s currently selected thread to the one represented
22697 by this object.
22698 @end defun
22699
22700 @defun InferiorThread.is_stopped ()
22701 Return a Boolean indicating whether the thread is stopped.
22702 @end defun
22703
22704 @defun InferiorThread.is_running ()
22705 Return a Boolean indicating whether the thread is running.
22706 @end defun
22707
22708 @defun InferiorThread.is_exited ()
22709 Return a Boolean indicating whether the thread is exited.
22710 @end defun
22711 @end table
22712
22713 @node Commands In Python
22714 @subsubsection Commands In Python
22715
22716 @cindex commands in python
22717 @cindex python commands
22718 You can implement new @value{GDBN} CLI commands in Python. A CLI
22719 command is implemented using an instance of the @code{gdb.Command}
22720 class, most commonly using a subclass.
22721
22722 @defun Command.__init__ (name, @var{command_class} @r{[}, var{completer_class} @r{[}, var{prefix}@r{]]})
22723 The object initializer for @code{Command} registers the new command
22724 with @value{GDBN}. This initializer is normally invoked from the
22725 subclass' own @code{__init__} method.
22726
22727 @var{name} is the name of the command. If @var{name} consists of
22728 multiple words, then the initial words are looked for as prefix
22729 commands. In this case, if one of the prefix commands does not exist,
22730 an exception is raised.
22731
22732 There is no support for multi-line commands.
22733
22734 @var{command_class} should be one of the @samp{COMMAND_} constants
22735 defined below. This argument tells @value{GDBN} how to categorize the
22736 new command in the help system.
22737
22738 @var{completer_class} is an optional argument. If given, it should be
22739 one of the @samp{COMPLETE_} constants defined below. This argument
22740 tells @value{GDBN} how to perform completion for this command. If not
22741 given, @value{GDBN} will attempt to complete using the object's
22742 @code{complete} method (see below); if no such method is found, an
22743 error will occur when completion is attempted.
22744
22745 @var{prefix} is an optional argument. If @code{True}, then the new
22746 command is a prefix command; sub-commands of this command may be
22747 registered.
22748
22749 The help text for the new command is taken from the Python
22750 documentation string for the command's class, if there is one. If no
22751 documentation string is provided, the default value ``This command is
22752 not documented.'' is used.
22753 @end defun
22754
22755 @cindex don't repeat Python command
22756 @defun Command.dont_repeat ()
22757 By default, a @value{GDBN} command is repeated when the user enters a
22758 blank line at the command prompt. A command can suppress this
22759 behavior by invoking the @code{dont_repeat} method. This is similar
22760 to the user command @code{dont-repeat}, see @ref{Define, dont-repeat}.
22761 @end defun
22762
22763 @defun Command.invoke (argument, from_tty)
22764 This method is called by @value{GDBN} when this command is invoked.
22765
22766 @var{argument} is a string. It is the argument to the command, after
22767 leading and trailing whitespace has been stripped.
22768
22769 @var{from_tty} is a boolean argument. When true, this means that the
22770 command was entered by the user at the terminal; when false it means
22771 that the command came from elsewhere.
22772
22773 If this method throws an exception, it is turned into a @value{GDBN}
22774 @code{error} call. Otherwise, the return value is ignored.
22775
22776 @findex gdb.string_to_argv
22777 To break @var{argument} up into an argv-like string use
22778 @code{gdb.string_to_argv}. This function behaves identically to
22779 @value{GDBN}'s internal argument lexer @code{buildargv}.
22780 It is recommended to use this for consistency.
22781 Arguments are separated by spaces and may be quoted.
22782 Example:
22783
22784 @smallexample
22785 print gdb.string_to_argv ("1 2\ \\\"3 '4 \"5' \"6 '7\"")
22786 ['1', '2 "3', '4 "5', "6 '7"]
22787 @end smallexample
22788
22789 @end defun
22790
22791 @cindex completion of Python commands
22792 @defun Command.complete (text, word)
22793 This method is called by @value{GDBN} when the user attempts
22794 completion on this command. All forms of completion are handled by
22795 this method, that is, the @key{TAB} and @key{M-?} key bindings
22796 (@pxref{Completion}), and the @code{complete} command (@pxref{Help,
22797 complete}).
22798
22799 The arguments @var{text} and @var{word} are both strings. @var{text}
22800 holds the complete command line up to the cursor's location.
22801 @var{word} holds the last word of the command line; this is computed
22802 using a word-breaking heuristic.
22803
22804 The @code{complete} method can return several values:
22805 @itemize @bullet
22806 @item
22807 If the return value is a sequence, the contents of the sequence are
22808 used as the completions. It is up to @code{complete} to ensure that the
22809 contents actually do complete the word. A zero-length sequence is
22810 allowed, it means that there were no completions available. Only
22811 string elements of the sequence are used; other elements in the
22812 sequence are ignored.
22813
22814 @item
22815 If the return value is one of the @samp{COMPLETE_} constants defined
22816 below, then the corresponding @value{GDBN}-internal completion
22817 function is invoked, and its result is used.
22818
22819 @item
22820 All other results are treated as though there were no available
22821 completions.
22822 @end itemize
22823 @end defun
22824
22825 When a new command is registered, it must be declared as a member of
22826 some general class of commands. This is used to classify top-level
22827 commands in the on-line help system; note that prefix commands are not
22828 listed under their own category but rather that of their top-level
22829 command. The available classifications are represented by constants
22830 defined in the @code{gdb} module:
22831
22832 @table @code
22833 @findex COMMAND_NONE
22834 @findex gdb.COMMAND_NONE
22835 @item gdb.COMMAND_NONE
22836 The command does not belong to any particular class. A command in
22837 this category will not be displayed in any of the help categories.
22838
22839 @findex COMMAND_RUNNING
22840 @findex gdb.COMMAND_RUNNING
22841 @item gdb.COMMAND_RUNNING
22842 The command is related to running the inferior. For example,
22843 @code{start}, @code{step}, and @code{continue} are in this category.
22844 Type @kbd{help running} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of
22845 commands in this category.
22846
22847 @findex COMMAND_DATA
22848 @findex gdb.COMMAND_DATA
22849 @item gdb.COMMAND_DATA
22850 The command is related to data or variables. For example,
22851 @code{call}, @code{find}, and @code{print} are in this category. Type
22852 @kbd{help data} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of commands
22853 in this category.
22854
22855 @findex COMMAND_STACK
22856 @findex gdb.COMMAND_STACK
22857 @item gdb.COMMAND_STACK
22858 The command has to do with manipulation of the stack. For example,
22859 @code{backtrace}, @code{frame}, and @code{return} are in this
22860 category. Type @kbd{help stack} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a
22861 list of commands in this category.
22862
22863 @findex COMMAND_FILES
22864 @findex gdb.COMMAND_FILES
22865 @item gdb.COMMAND_FILES
22866 This class is used for file-related commands. For example,
22867 @code{file}, @code{list} and @code{section} are in this category.
22868 Type @kbd{help files} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of
22869 commands in this category.
22870
22871 @findex COMMAND_SUPPORT
22872 @findex gdb.COMMAND_SUPPORT
22873 @item gdb.COMMAND_SUPPORT
22874 This should be used for ``support facilities'', generally meaning
22875 things that are useful to the user when interacting with @value{GDBN},
22876 but not related to the state of the inferior. For example,
22877 @code{help}, @code{make}, and @code{shell} are in this category. Type
22878 @kbd{help support} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of
22879 commands in this category.
22880
22881 @findex COMMAND_STATUS
22882 @findex gdb.COMMAND_STATUS
22883 @item gdb.COMMAND_STATUS
22884 The command is an @samp{info}-related command, that is, related to the
22885 state of @value{GDBN} itself. For example, @code{info}, @code{macro},
22886 and @code{show} are in this category. Type @kbd{help status} at the
22887 @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of commands in this category.
22888
22889 @findex COMMAND_BREAKPOINTS
22890 @findex gdb.COMMAND_BREAKPOINTS
22891 @item gdb.COMMAND_BREAKPOINTS
22892 The command has to do with breakpoints. For example, @code{break},
22893 @code{clear}, and @code{delete} are in this category. Type @kbd{help
22894 breakpoints} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of commands in
22895 this category.
22896
22897 @findex COMMAND_TRACEPOINTS
22898 @findex gdb.COMMAND_TRACEPOINTS
22899 @item gdb.COMMAND_TRACEPOINTS
22900 The command has to do with tracepoints. For example, @code{trace},
22901 @code{actions}, and @code{tfind} are in this category. Type
22902 @kbd{help tracepoints} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of
22903 commands in this category.
22904
22905 @findex COMMAND_OBSCURE
22906 @findex gdb.COMMAND_OBSCURE
22907 @item gdb.COMMAND_OBSCURE
22908 The command is only used in unusual circumstances, or is not of
22909 general interest to users. For example, @code{checkpoint},
22910 @code{fork}, and @code{stop} are in this category. Type @kbd{help
22911 obscure} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of commands in this
22912 category.
22913
22914 @findex COMMAND_MAINTENANCE
22915 @findex gdb.COMMAND_MAINTENANCE
22916 @item gdb.COMMAND_MAINTENANCE
22917 The command is only useful to @value{GDBN} maintainers. The
22918 @code{maintenance} and @code{flushregs} commands are in this category.
22919 Type @kbd{help internals} at the @value{GDBN} prompt to see a list of
22920 commands in this category.
22921 @end table
22922
22923 A new command can use a predefined completion function, either by
22924 specifying it via an argument at initialization, or by returning it
22925 from the @code{complete} method. These predefined completion
22926 constants are all defined in the @code{gdb} module:
22927
22928 @table @code
22929 @findex COMPLETE_NONE
22930 @findex gdb.COMPLETE_NONE
22931 @item gdb.COMPLETE_NONE
22932 This constant means that no completion should be done.
22933
22934 @findex COMPLETE_FILENAME
22935 @findex gdb.COMPLETE_FILENAME
22936 @item gdb.COMPLETE_FILENAME
22937 This constant means that filename completion should be performed.
22938
22939 @findex COMPLETE_LOCATION
22940 @findex gdb.COMPLETE_LOCATION
22941 @item gdb.COMPLETE_LOCATION
22942 This constant means that location completion should be done.
22943 @xref{Specify Location}.
22944
22945 @findex COMPLETE_COMMAND
22946 @findex gdb.COMPLETE_COMMAND
22947 @item gdb.COMPLETE_COMMAND
22948 This constant means that completion should examine @value{GDBN}
22949 command names.
22950
22951 @findex COMPLETE_SYMBOL
22952 @findex gdb.COMPLETE_SYMBOL
22953 @item gdb.COMPLETE_SYMBOL
22954 This constant means that completion should be done using symbol names
22955 as the source.
22956 @end table
22957
22958 The following code snippet shows how a trivial CLI command can be
22959 implemented in Python:
22960
22961 @smallexample
22962 class HelloWorld (gdb.Command):
22963 """Greet the whole world."""
22964
22965 def __init__ (self):
22966 super (HelloWorld, self).__init__ ("hello-world", gdb.COMMAND_OBSCURE)
22967
22968 def invoke (self, arg, from_tty):
22969 print "Hello, World!"
22970
22971 HelloWorld ()
22972 @end smallexample
22973
22974 The last line instantiates the class, and is necessary to trigger the
22975 registration of the command with @value{GDBN}. Depending on how the
22976 Python code is read into @value{GDBN}, you may need to import the
22977 @code{gdb} module explicitly.
22978
22979 @node Parameters In Python
22980 @subsubsection Parameters In Python
22981
22982 @cindex parameters in python
22983 @cindex python parameters
22984 @tindex gdb.Parameter
22985 @tindex Parameter
22986 You can implement new @value{GDBN} parameters using Python. A new
22987 parameter is implemented as an instance of the @code{gdb.Parameter}
22988 class.
22989
22990 Parameters are exposed to the user via the @code{set} and
22991 @code{show} commands. @xref{Help}.
22992
22993 There are many parameters that already exist and can be set in
22994 @value{GDBN}. Two examples are: @code{set follow fork} and
22995 @code{set charset}. Setting these parameters influences certain
22996 behavior in @value{GDBN}. Similarly, you can define parameters that
22997 can be used to influence behavior in custom Python scripts and commands.
22998
22999 @defun Parameter.__init__ (name, @var{command-class}, @var{parameter-class} @r{[}, @var{enum-sequence}@r{]})
23000 The object initializer for @code{Parameter} registers the new
23001 parameter with @value{GDBN}. This initializer is normally invoked
23002 from the subclass' own @code{__init__} method.
23003
23004 @var{name} is the name of the new parameter. If @var{name} consists
23005 of multiple words, then the initial words are looked for as prefix
23006 parameters. An example of this can be illustrated with the
23007 @code{set print} set of parameters. If @var{name} is
23008 @code{print foo}, then @code{print} will be searched as the prefix
23009 parameter. In this case the parameter can subsequently be accessed in
23010 @value{GDBN} as @code{set print foo}.
23011
23012 If @var{name} consists of multiple words, and no prefix parameter group
23013 can be found, an exception is raised.
23014
23015 @var{command-class} should be one of the @samp{COMMAND_} constants
23016 (@pxref{Commands In Python}). This argument tells @value{GDBN} how to
23017 categorize the new parameter in the help system.
23018
23019 @var{parameter-class} should be one of the @samp{PARAM_} constants
23020 defined below. This argument tells @value{GDBN} the type of the new
23021 parameter; this information is used for input validation and
23022 completion.
23023
23024 If @var{parameter-class} is @code{PARAM_ENUM}, then
23025 @var{enum-sequence} must be a sequence of strings. These strings
23026 represent the possible values for the parameter.
23027
23028 If @var{parameter-class} is not @code{PARAM_ENUM}, then the presence
23029 of a fourth argument will cause an exception to be thrown.
23030
23031 The help text for the new parameter is taken from the Python
23032 documentation string for the parameter's class, if there is one. If
23033 there is no documentation string, a default value is used.
23034 @end defun
23035
23036 @defvar Parameter.set_doc
23037 If this attribute exists, and is a string, then its value is used as
23038 the help text for this parameter's @code{set} command. The value is
23039 examined when @code{Parameter.__init__} is invoked; subsequent changes
23040 have no effect.
23041 @end defvar
23042
23043 @defvar Parameter.show_doc
23044 If this attribute exists, and is a string, then its value is used as
23045 the help text for this parameter's @code{show} command. The value is
23046 examined when @code{Parameter.__init__} is invoked; subsequent changes
23047 have no effect.
23048 @end defvar
23049
23050 @defvar Parameter.value
23051 The @code{value} attribute holds the underlying value of the
23052 parameter. It can be read and assigned to just as any other
23053 attribute. @value{GDBN} does validation when assignments are made.
23054 @end defvar
23055
23056 There are two methods that should be implemented in any
23057 @code{Parameter} class. These are:
23058
23059 @defun Parameter.get_set_string (self)
23060 @value{GDBN} will call this method when a @var{parameter}'s value has
23061 been changed via the @code{set} API (for example, @kbd{set foo off}).
23062 The @code{value} attribute has already been populated with the new
23063 value and may be used in output. This method must return a string.
23064 @end defun
23065
23066 @defun Parameter.get_show_string (self, svalue)
23067 @value{GDBN} will call this method when a @var{parameter}'s
23068 @code{show} API has been invoked (for example, @kbd{show foo}). The
23069 argument @code{svalue} receives the string representation of the
23070 current value. This method must return a string.
23071 @end defun
23072
23073 When a new parameter is defined, its type must be specified. The
23074 available types are represented by constants defined in the @code{gdb}
23075 module:
23076
23077 @table @code
23078 @findex PARAM_BOOLEAN
23079 @findex gdb.PARAM_BOOLEAN
23080 @item gdb.PARAM_BOOLEAN
23081 The value is a plain boolean. The Python boolean values, @code{True}
23082 and @code{False} are the only valid values.
23083
23084 @findex PARAM_AUTO_BOOLEAN
23085 @findex gdb.PARAM_AUTO_BOOLEAN
23086 @item gdb.PARAM_AUTO_BOOLEAN
23087 The value has three possible states: true, false, and @samp{auto}. In
23088 Python, true and false are represented using boolean constants, and
23089 @samp{auto} is represented using @code{None}.
23090
23091 @findex PARAM_UINTEGER
23092 @findex gdb.PARAM_UINTEGER
23093 @item gdb.PARAM_UINTEGER
23094 The value is an unsigned integer. The value of 0 should be
23095 interpreted to mean ``unlimited''.
23096
23097 @findex PARAM_INTEGER
23098 @findex gdb.PARAM_INTEGER
23099 @item gdb.PARAM_INTEGER
23100 The value is a signed integer. The value of 0 should be interpreted
23101 to mean ``unlimited''.
23102
23103 @findex PARAM_STRING
23104 @findex gdb.PARAM_STRING
23105 @item gdb.PARAM_STRING
23106 The value is a string. When the user modifies the string, any escape
23107 sequences, such as @samp{\t}, @samp{\f}, and octal escapes, are
23108 translated into corresponding characters and encoded into the current
23109 host charset.
23110
23111 @findex PARAM_STRING_NOESCAPE
23112 @findex gdb.PARAM_STRING_NOESCAPE
23113 @item gdb.PARAM_STRING_NOESCAPE
23114 The value is a string. When the user modifies the string, escapes are
23115 passed through untranslated.
23116
23117 @findex PARAM_OPTIONAL_FILENAME
23118 @findex gdb.PARAM_OPTIONAL_FILENAME
23119 @item gdb.PARAM_OPTIONAL_FILENAME
23120 The value is a either a filename (a string), or @code{None}.
23121
23122 @findex PARAM_FILENAME
23123 @findex gdb.PARAM_FILENAME
23124 @item gdb.PARAM_FILENAME
23125 The value is a filename. This is just like
23126 @code{PARAM_STRING_NOESCAPE}, but uses file names for completion.
23127
23128 @findex PARAM_ZINTEGER
23129 @findex gdb.PARAM_ZINTEGER
23130 @item gdb.PARAM_ZINTEGER
23131 The value is an integer. This is like @code{PARAM_INTEGER}, except 0
23132 is interpreted as itself.
23133
23134 @findex PARAM_ENUM
23135 @findex gdb.PARAM_ENUM
23136 @item gdb.PARAM_ENUM
23137 The value is a string, which must be one of a collection string
23138 constants provided when the parameter is created.
23139 @end table
23140
23141 @node Functions In Python
23142 @subsubsection Writing new convenience functions
23143
23144 @cindex writing convenience functions
23145 @cindex convenience functions in python
23146 @cindex python convenience functions
23147 @tindex gdb.Function
23148 @tindex Function
23149 You can implement new convenience functions (@pxref{Convenience Vars})
23150 in Python. A convenience function is an instance of a subclass of the
23151 class @code{gdb.Function}.
23152
23153 @defun Function.__init__ (name)
23154 The initializer for @code{Function} registers the new function with
23155 @value{GDBN}. The argument @var{name} is the name of the function,
23156 a string. The function will be visible to the user as a convenience
23157 variable of type @code{internal function}, whose name is the same as
23158 the given @var{name}.
23159
23160 The documentation for the new function is taken from the documentation
23161 string for the new class.
23162 @end defun
23163
23164 @defun Function.invoke (@var{*args})
23165 When a convenience function is evaluated, its arguments are converted
23166 to instances of @code{gdb.Value}, and then the function's
23167 @code{invoke} method is called. Note that @value{GDBN} does not
23168 predetermine the arity of convenience functions. Instead, all
23169 available arguments are passed to @code{invoke}, following the
23170 standard Python calling convention. In particular, a convenience
23171 function can have default values for parameters without ill effect.
23172
23173 The return value of this method is used as its value in the enclosing
23174 expression. If an ordinary Python value is returned, it is converted
23175 to a @code{gdb.Value} following the usual rules.
23176 @end defun
23177
23178 The following code snippet shows how a trivial convenience function can
23179 be implemented in Python:
23180
23181 @smallexample
23182 class Greet (gdb.Function):
23183 """Return string to greet someone.
23184 Takes a name as argument."""
23185
23186 def __init__ (self):
23187 super (Greet, self).__init__ ("greet")
23188
23189 def invoke (self, name):
23190 return "Hello, %s!" % name.string ()
23191
23192 Greet ()
23193 @end smallexample
23194
23195 The last line instantiates the class, and is necessary to trigger the
23196 registration of the function with @value{GDBN}. Depending on how the
23197 Python code is read into @value{GDBN}, you may need to import the
23198 @code{gdb} module explicitly.
23199
23200 @node Progspaces In Python
23201 @subsubsection Program Spaces In Python
23202
23203 @cindex progspaces in python
23204 @tindex gdb.Progspace
23205 @tindex Progspace
23206 A program space, or @dfn{progspace}, represents a symbolic view
23207 of an address space.
23208 It consists of all of the objfiles of the program.
23209 @xref{Objfiles In Python}.
23210 @xref{Inferiors and Programs, program spaces}, for more details
23211 about program spaces.
23212
23213 The following progspace-related functions are available in the
23214 @code{gdb} module:
23215
23216 @findex gdb.current_progspace
23217 @defun gdb.current_progspace ()
23218 This function returns the program space of the currently selected inferior.
23219 @xref{Inferiors and Programs}.
23220 @end defun
23221
23222 @findex gdb.progspaces
23223 @defun gdb.progspaces ()
23224 Return a sequence of all the progspaces currently known to @value{GDBN}.
23225 @end defun
23226
23227 Each progspace is represented by an instance of the @code{gdb.Progspace}
23228 class.
23229
23230 @defvar Progspace.filename
23231 The file name of the progspace as a string.
23232 @end defvar
23233
23234 @defvar Progspace.pretty_printers
23235 The @code{pretty_printers} attribute is a list of functions. It is
23236 used to look up pretty-printers. A @code{Value} is passed to each
23237 function in order; if the function returns @code{None}, then the
23238 search continues. Otherwise, the return value should be an object
23239 which is used to format the value. @xref{Pretty Printing API}, for more
23240 information.
23241 @end defvar
23242
23243 @node Objfiles In Python
23244 @subsubsection Objfiles In Python
23245
23246 @cindex objfiles in python
23247 @tindex gdb.Objfile
23248 @tindex Objfile
23249 @value{GDBN} loads symbols for an inferior from various
23250 symbol-containing files (@pxref{Files}). These include the primary
23251 executable file, any shared libraries used by the inferior, and any
23252 separate debug info files (@pxref{Separate Debug Files}).
23253 @value{GDBN} calls these symbol-containing files @dfn{objfiles}.
23254
23255 The following objfile-related functions are available in the
23256 @code{gdb} module:
23257
23258 @findex gdb.current_objfile
23259 @defun gdb.current_objfile ()
23260 When auto-loading a Python script (@pxref{Auto-loading}), @value{GDBN}
23261 sets the ``current objfile'' to the corresponding objfile. This
23262 function returns the current objfile. If there is no current objfile,
23263 this function returns @code{None}.
23264 @end defun
23265
23266 @findex gdb.objfiles
23267 @defun gdb.objfiles ()
23268 Return a sequence of all the objfiles current known to @value{GDBN}.
23269 @xref{Objfiles In Python}.
23270 @end defun
23271
23272 Each objfile is represented by an instance of the @code{gdb.Objfile}
23273 class.
23274
23275 @defvar Objfile.filename
23276 The file name of the objfile as a string.
23277 @end defvar
23278
23279 @defvar Objfile.pretty_printers
23280 The @code{pretty_printers} attribute is a list of functions. It is
23281 used to look up pretty-printers. A @code{Value} is passed to each
23282 function in order; if the function returns @code{None}, then the
23283 search continues. Otherwise, the return value should be an object
23284 which is used to format the value. @xref{Pretty Printing API}, for more
23285 information.
23286 @end defvar
23287
23288 A @code{gdb.Objfile} object has the following methods:
23289
23290 @defun Objfile.is_valid ()
23291 Returns @code{True} if the @code{gdb.Objfile} object is valid,
23292 @code{False} if not. A @code{gdb.Objfile} object can become invalid
23293 if the object file it refers to is not loaded in @value{GDBN} any
23294 longer. All other @code{gdb.Objfile} methods will throw an exception
23295 if it is invalid at the time the method is called.
23296 @end defun
23297
23298 @node Frames In Python
23299 @subsubsection Accessing inferior stack frames from Python.
23300
23301 @cindex frames in python
23302 When the debugged program stops, @value{GDBN} is able to analyze its call
23303 stack (@pxref{Frames,,Stack frames}). The @code{gdb.Frame} class
23304 represents a frame in the stack. A @code{gdb.Frame} object is only valid
23305 while its corresponding frame exists in the inferior's stack. If you try
23306 to use an invalid frame object, @value{GDBN} will throw a @code{gdb.error}
23307 exception (@pxref{Exception Handling}).
23308
23309 Two @code{gdb.Frame} objects can be compared for equality with the @code{==}
23310 operator, like:
23311
23312 @smallexample
23313 (@value{GDBP}) python print gdb.newest_frame() == gdb.selected_frame ()
23314 True
23315 @end smallexample
23316
23317 The following frame-related functions are available in the @code{gdb} module:
23318
23319 @findex gdb.selected_frame
23320 @defun gdb.selected_frame ()
23321 Return the selected frame object. (@pxref{Selection,,Selecting a Frame}).
23322 @end defun
23323
23324 @findex gdb.newest_frame
23325 @defun gdb.newest_frame ()
23326 Return the newest frame object for the selected thread.
23327 @end defun
23328
23329 @defun gdb.frame_stop_reason_string (reason)
23330 Return a string explaining the reason why @value{GDBN} stopped unwinding
23331 frames, as expressed by the given @var{reason} code (an integer, see the
23332 @code{unwind_stop_reason} method further down in this section).
23333 @end defun
23334
23335 A @code{gdb.Frame} object has the following methods:
23336
23337 @table @code
23338 @defun Frame.is_valid ()
23339 Returns true if the @code{gdb.Frame} object is valid, false if not.
23340 A frame object can become invalid if the frame it refers to doesn't
23341 exist anymore in the inferior. All @code{gdb.Frame} methods will throw
23342 an exception if it is invalid at the time the method is called.
23343 @end defun
23344
23345 @defun Frame.name ()
23346 Returns the function name of the frame, or @code{None} if it can't be
23347 obtained.
23348 @end defun
23349
23350 @defun Frame.type ()
23351 Returns the type of the frame. The value can be one of:
23352 @table @code
23353 @item gdb.NORMAL_FRAME
23354 An ordinary stack frame.
23355
23356 @item gdb.DUMMY_FRAME
23357 A fake stack frame that was created by @value{GDBN} when performing an
23358 inferior function call.
23359
23360 @item gdb.INLINE_FRAME
23361 A frame representing an inlined function. The function was inlined
23362 into a @code{gdb.NORMAL_FRAME} that is older than this one.
23363
23364 @item gdb.TAILCALL_FRAME
23365 A frame representing a tail call. @xref{Tail Call Frames}.
23366
23367 @item gdb.SIGTRAMP_FRAME
23368 A signal trampoline frame. This is the frame created by the OS when
23369 it calls into a signal handler.
23370
23371 @item gdb.ARCH_FRAME
23372 A fake stack frame representing a cross-architecture call.
23373
23374 @item gdb.SENTINEL_FRAME
23375 This is like @code{gdb.NORMAL_FRAME}, but it is only used for the
23376 newest frame.
23377 @end table
23378 @end defun
23379
23380 @defun Frame.unwind_stop_reason ()
23381 Return an integer representing the reason why it's not possible to find
23382 more frames toward the outermost frame. Use
23383 @code{gdb.frame_stop_reason_string} to convert the value returned by this
23384 function to a string.
23385 @end defun
23386
23387 @defun Frame.pc ()
23388 Returns the frame's resume address.
23389 @end defun
23390
23391 @defun Frame.block ()
23392 Return the frame's code block. @xref{Blocks In Python}.
23393 @end defun
23394
23395 @defun Frame.function ()
23396 Return the symbol for the function corresponding to this frame.
23397 @xref{Symbols In Python}.
23398 @end defun
23399
23400 @defun Frame.older ()
23401 Return the frame that called this frame.
23402 @end defun
23403
23404 @defun Frame.newer ()
23405 Return the frame called by this frame.
23406 @end defun
23407
23408 @defun Frame.find_sal ()
23409 Return the frame's symtab and line object.
23410 @xref{Symbol Tables In Python}.
23411 @end defun
23412
23413 @defun Frame.read_var (variable @r{[}, block@r{]})
23414 Return the value of @var{variable} in this frame. If the optional
23415 argument @var{block} is provided, search for the variable from that
23416 block; otherwise start at the frame's current block (which is
23417 determined by the frame's current program counter). @var{variable}
23418 must be a string or a @code{gdb.Symbol} object. @var{block} must be a
23419 @code{gdb.Block} object.
23420 @end defun
23421
23422 @defun Frame.select ()
23423 Set this frame to be the selected frame. @xref{Stack, ,Examining the
23424 Stack}.
23425 @end defun
23426 @end table
23427
23428 @node Blocks In Python
23429 @subsubsection Accessing frame blocks from Python.
23430
23431 @cindex blocks in python
23432 @tindex gdb.Block
23433
23434 Within each frame, @value{GDBN} maintains information on each block
23435 stored in that frame. These blocks are organized hierarchically, and
23436 are represented individually in Python as a @code{gdb.Block}.
23437 Please see @ref{Frames In Python}, for a more in-depth discussion on
23438 frames. Furthermore, see @ref{Stack, ,Examining the Stack}, for more
23439 detailed technical information on @value{GDBN}'s book-keeping of the
23440 stack.
23441
23442 The following block-related functions are available in the @code{gdb}
23443 module:
23444
23445 @findex gdb.block_for_pc
23446 @defun gdb.block_for_pc (pc)
23447 Return the @code{gdb.Block} containing the given @var{pc} value. If the
23448 block cannot be found for the @var{pc} value specified, the function
23449 will return @code{None}.
23450 @end defun
23451
23452 A @code{gdb.Block} object has the following methods:
23453
23454 @table @code
23455 @defun Block.is_valid ()
23456 Returns @code{True} if the @code{gdb.Block} object is valid,
23457 @code{False} if not. A block object can become invalid if the block it
23458 refers to doesn't exist anymore in the inferior. All other
23459 @code{gdb.Block} methods will throw an exception if it is invalid at
23460 the time the method is called. This method is also made available to
23461 the Python iterator object that @code{gdb.Block} provides in an iteration
23462 context and via the Python @code{iter} built-in function.
23463 @end defun
23464 @end table
23465
23466 A @code{gdb.Block} object has the following attributes:
23467
23468 @table @code
23469 @defvar Block.start
23470 The start address of the block. This attribute is not writable.
23471 @end defvar
23472
23473 @defvar Block.end
23474 The end address of the block. This attribute is not writable.
23475 @end defvar
23476
23477 @defvar Block.function
23478 The name of the block represented as a @code{gdb.Symbol}. If the
23479 block is not named, then this attribute holds @code{None}. This
23480 attribute is not writable.
23481 @end defvar
23482
23483 @defvar Block.superblock
23484 The block containing this block. If this parent block does not exist,
23485 this attribute holds @code{None}. This attribute is not writable.
23486 @end defvar
23487 @end table
23488
23489 @node Symbols In Python
23490 @subsubsection Python representation of Symbols.
23491
23492 @cindex symbols in python
23493 @tindex gdb.Symbol
23494
23495 @value{GDBN} represents every variable, function and type as an
23496 entry in a symbol table. @xref{Symbols, ,Examining the Symbol Table}.
23497 Similarly, Python represents these symbols in @value{GDBN} with the
23498 @code{gdb.Symbol} object.
23499
23500 The following symbol-related functions are available in the @code{gdb}
23501 module:
23502
23503 @findex gdb.lookup_symbol
23504 @defun gdb.lookup_symbol (name @r{[}, block @r{[}, domain@r{]]})
23505 This function searches for a symbol by name. The search scope can be
23506 restricted to the parameters defined in the optional domain and block
23507 arguments.
23508
23509 @var{name} is the name of the symbol. It must be a string. The
23510 optional @var{block} argument restricts the search to symbols visible
23511 in that @var{block}. The @var{block} argument must be a
23512 @code{gdb.Block} object. If omitted, the block for the current frame
23513 is used. The optional @var{domain} argument restricts
23514 the search to the domain type. The @var{domain} argument must be a
23515 domain constant defined in the @code{gdb} module and described later
23516 in this chapter.
23517
23518 The result is a tuple of two elements.
23519 The first element is a @code{gdb.Symbol} object or @code{None} if the symbol
23520 is not found.
23521 If the symbol is found, the second element is @code{True} if the symbol
23522 is a field of a method's object (e.g., @code{this} in C@t{++}),
23523 otherwise it is @code{False}.
23524 If the symbol is not found, the second element is @code{False}.
23525 @end defun
23526
23527 @findex gdb.lookup_global_symbol
23528 @defun gdb.lookup_global_symbol (name @r{[}, domain@r{]})
23529 This function searches for a global symbol by name.
23530 The search scope can be restricted to by the domain argument.
23531
23532 @var{name} is the name of the symbol. It must be a string.
23533 The optional @var{domain} argument restricts the search to the domain type.
23534 The @var{domain} argument must be a domain constant defined in the @code{gdb}
23535 module and described later in this chapter.
23536
23537 The result is a @code{gdb.Symbol} object or @code{None} if the symbol
23538 is not found.
23539 @end defun
23540
23541 A @code{gdb.Symbol} object has the following attributes:
23542
23543 @table @code
23544 @defvar Symbol.type
23545 The type of the symbol or @code{None} if no type is recorded.
23546 This attribute is represented as a @code{gdb.Type} object.
23547 @xref{Types In Python}. This attribute is not writable.
23548 @end defvar
23549
23550 @defvar Symbol.symtab
23551 The symbol table in which the symbol appears. This attribute is
23552 represented as a @code{gdb.Symtab} object. @xref{Symbol Tables In
23553 Python}. This attribute is not writable.
23554 @end defvar
23555
23556 @defvar Symbol.name
23557 The name of the symbol as a string. This attribute is not writable.
23558 @end defvar
23559
23560 @defvar Symbol.linkage_name
23561 The name of the symbol, as used by the linker (i.e., may be mangled).
23562 This attribute is not writable.
23563 @end defvar
23564
23565 @defvar Symbol.print_name
23566 The name of the symbol in a form suitable for output. This is either
23567 @code{name} or @code{linkage_name}, depending on whether the user
23568 asked @value{GDBN} to display demangled or mangled names.
23569 @end defvar
23570
23571 @defvar Symbol.addr_class
23572 The address class of the symbol. This classifies how to find the value
23573 of a symbol. Each address class is a constant defined in the
23574 @code{gdb} module and described later in this chapter.
23575 @end defvar
23576
23577 @defvar Symbol.is_argument
23578 @code{True} if the symbol is an argument of a function.
23579 @end defvar
23580
23581 @defvar Symbol.is_constant
23582 @code{True} if the symbol is a constant.
23583 @end defvar
23584
23585 @defvar Symbol.is_function
23586 @code{True} if the symbol is a function or a method.
23587 @end defvar
23588
23589 @defvar Symbol.is_variable
23590 @code{True} if the symbol is a variable.
23591 @end defvar
23592 @end table
23593
23594 A @code{gdb.Symbol} object has the following methods:
23595
23596 @table @code
23597 @defun Symbol.is_valid ()
23598 Returns @code{True} if the @code{gdb.Symbol} object is valid,
23599 @code{False} if not. A @code{gdb.Symbol} object can become invalid if
23600 the symbol it refers to does not exist in @value{GDBN} any longer.
23601 All other @code{gdb.Symbol} methods will throw an exception if it is
23602 invalid at the time the method is called.
23603 @end defun
23604 @end table
23605
23606 The available domain categories in @code{gdb.Symbol} are represented
23607 as constants in the @code{gdb} module:
23608
23609 @table @code
23610 @findex SYMBOL_UNDEF_DOMAIN
23611 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_UNDEF_DOMAIN
23612 @item gdb.SYMBOL_UNDEF_DOMAIN
23613 This is used when a domain has not been discovered or none of the
23614 following domains apply. This usually indicates an error either
23615 in the symbol information or in @value{GDBN}'s handling of symbols.
23616 @findex SYMBOL_VAR_DOMAIN
23617 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_VAR_DOMAIN
23618 @item gdb.SYMBOL_VAR_DOMAIN
23619 This domain contains variables, function names, typedef names and enum
23620 type values.
23621 @findex SYMBOL_STRUCT_DOMAIN
23622 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_STRUCT_DOMAIN
23623 @item gdb.SYMBOL_STRUCT_DOMAIN
23624 This domain holds struct, union and enum type names.
23625 @findex SYMBOL_LABEL_DOMAIN
23626 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LABEL_DOMAIN
23627 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LABEL_DOMAIN
23628 This domain contains names of labels (for gotos).
23629 @findex SYMBOL_VARIABLES_DOMAIN
23630 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_VARIABLES_DOMAIN
23631 @item gdb.SYMBOL_VARIABLES_DOMAIN
23632 This domain holds a subset of the @code{SYMBOLS_VAR_DOMAIN}; it
23633 contains everything minus functions and types.
23634 @findex SYMBOL_FUNCTIONS_DOMAIN
23635 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_FUNCTIONS_DOMAIN
23636 @item gdb.SYMBOL_FUNCTION_DOMAIN
23637 This domain contains all functions.
23638 @findex SYMBOL_TYPES_DOMAIN
23639 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_TYPES_DOMAIN
23640 @item gdb.SYMBOL_TYPES_DOMAIN
23641 This domain contains all types.
23642 @end table
23643
23644 The available address class categories in @code{gdb.Symbol} are represented
23645 as constants in the @code{gdb} module:
23646
23647 @table @code
23648 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_UNDEF
23649 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_UNDEF
23650 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_UNDEF
23651 If this is returned by address class, it indicates an error either in
23652 the symbol information or in @value{GDBN}'s handling of symbols.
23653 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_CONST
23654 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_CONST
23655 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_CONST
23656 Value is constant int.
23657 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_STATIC
23658 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_STATIC
23659 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_STATIC
23660 Value is at a fixed address.
23661 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_REGISTER
23662 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_REGISTER
23663 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_REGISTER
23664 Value is in a register.
23665 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_ARG
23666 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_ARG
23667 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_ARG
23668 Value is an argument. This value is at the offset stored within the
23669 symbol inside the frame's argument list.
23670 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_REF_ARG
23671 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_REF_ARG
23672 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_REF_ARG
23673 Value address is stored in the frame's argument list. Just like
23674 @code{LOC_ARG} except that the value's address is stored at the
23675 offset, not the value itself.
23676 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_REGPARM_ADDR
23677 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_REGPARM_ADDR
23678 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_REGPARM_ADDR
23679 Value is a specified register. Just like @code{LOC_REGISTER} except
23680 the register holds the address of the argument instead of the argument
23681 itself.
23682 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_LOCAL
23683 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_LOCAL
23684 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_LOCAL
23685 Value is a local variable.
23686 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_TYPEDEF
23687 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_TYPEDEF
23688 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_TYPEDEF
23689 Value not used. Symbols in the domain @code{SYMBOL_STRUCT_DOMAIN} all
23690 have this class.
23691 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_BLOCK
23692 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_BLOCK
23693 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_BLOCK
23694 Value is a block.
23695 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_CONST_BYTES
23696 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_CONST_BYTES
23697 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_CONST_BYTES
23698 Value is a byte-sequence.
23699 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_UNRESOLVED
23700 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_UNRESOLVED
23701 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_UNRESOLVED
23702 Value is at a fixed address, but the address of the variable has to be
23703 determined from the minimal symbol table whenever the variable is
23704 referenced.
23705 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_OPTIMIZED_OUT
23706 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_OPTIMIZED_OUT
23707 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_OPTIMIZED_OUT
23708 The value does not actually exist in the program.
23709 @findex SYMBOL_LOC_COMPUTED
23710 @findex gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_COMPUTED
23711 @item gdb.SYMBOL_LOC_COMPUTED
23712 The value's address is a computed location.
23713 @end table
23714
23715 @node Symbol Tables In Python
23716 @subsubsection Symbol table representation in Python.
23717
23718 @cindex symbol tables in python
23719 @tindex gdb.Symtab
23720 @tindex gdb.Symtab_and_line
23721
23722 Access to symbol table data maintained by @value{GDBN} on the inferior
23723 is exposed to Python via two objects: @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line} and
23724 @code{gdb.Symtab}. Symbol table and line data for a frame is returned
23725 from the @code{find_sal} method in @code{gdb.Frame} object.
23726 @xref{Frames In Python}.
23727
23728 For more information on @value{GDBN}'s symbol table management, see
23729 @ref{Symbols, ,Examining the Symbol Table}, for more information.
23730
23731 A @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line} object has the following attributes:
23732
23733 @table @code
23734 @defvar Symtab_and_line.symtab
23735 The symbol table object (@code{gdb.Symtab}) for this frame.
23736 This attribute is not writable.
23737 @end defvar
23738
23739 @defvar Symtab_and_line.pc
23740 Indicates the current program counter address. This attribute is not
23741 writable.
23742 @end defvar
23743
23744 @defvar Symtab_and_line.line
23745 Indicates the current line number for this object. This
23746 attribute is not writable.
23747 @end defvar
23748 @end table
23749
23750 A @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line} object has the following methods:
23751
23752 @table @code
23753 @defun Symtab_and_line.is_valid ()
23754 Returns @code{True} if the @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line} object is valid,
23755 @code{False} if not. A @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line} object can become
23756 invalid if the Symbol table and line object it refers to does not
23757 exist in @value{GDBN} any longer. All other
23758 @code{gdb.Symtab_and_line} methods will throw an exception if it is
23759 invalid at the time the method is called.
23760 @end defun
23761 @end table
23762
23763 A @code{gdb.Symtab} object has the following attributes:
23764
23765 @table @code
23766 @defvar Symtab.filename
23767 The symbol table's source filename. This attribute is not writable.
23768 @end defvar
23769
23770 @defvar Symtab.objfile
23771 The symbol table's backing object file. @xref{Objfiles In Python}.
23772 This attribute is not writable.
23773 @end defvar
23774 @end table
23775
23776 A @code{gdb.Symtab} object has the following methods:
23777
23778 @table @code
23779 @defun Symtab.is_valid ()
23780 Returns @code{True} if the @code{gdb.Symtab} object is valid,
23781 @code{False} if not. A @code{gdb.Symtab} object can become invalid if
23782 the symbol table it refers to does not exist in @value{GDBN} any
23783 longer. All other @code{gdb.Symtab} methods will throw an exception
23784 if it is invalid at the time the method is called.
23785 @end defun
23786
23787 @defun Symtab.fullname ()
23788 Return the symbol table's source absolute file name.
23789 @end defun
23790 @end table
23791
23792 @node Breakpoints In Python
23793 @subsubsection Manipulating breakpoints using Python
23794
23795 @cindex breakpoints in python
23796 @tindex gdb.Breakpoint
23797
23798 Python code can manipulate breakpoints via the @code{gdb.Breakpoint}
23799 class.
23800
23801 @defun Breakpoint.__init__ (spec @r{[}, type @r{[}, wp_class @r{[},internal@r{]]]})
23802 Create a new breakpoint. @var{spec} is a string naming the
23803 location of the breakpoint, or an expression that defines a
23804 watchpoint. The contents can be any location recognized by the
23805 @code{break} command, or in the case of a watchpoint, by the @code{watch}
23806 command. The optional @var{type} denotes the breakpoint to create
23807 from the types defined later in this chapter. This argument can be
23808 either: @code{gdb.BP_BREAKPOINT} or @code{gdb.BP_WATCHPOINT}. @var{type}
23809 defaults to @code{gdb.BP_BREAKPOINT}. The optional @var{internal} argument
23810 allows the breakpoint to become invisible to the user. The breakpoint
23811 will neither be reported when created, nor will it be listed in the
23812 output from @code{info breakpoints} (but will be listed with the
23813 @code{maint info breakpoints} command). The optional @var{wp_class}
23814 argument defines the class of watchpoint to create, if @var{type} is
23815 @code{gdb.BP_WATCHPOINT}. If a watchpoint class is not provided, it is
23816 assumed to be a @code{gdb.WP_WRITE} class.
23817 @end defun
23818
23819 @defun Breakpoint.stop (self)
23820 The @code{gdb.Breakpoint} class can be sub-classed and, in
23821 particular, you may choose to implement the @code{stop} method.
23822 If this method is defined as a sub-class of @code{gdb.Breakpoint},
23823 it will be called when the inferior reaches any location of a
23824 breakpoint which instantiates that sub-class. If the method returns
23825 @code{True}, the inferior will be stopped at the location of the
23826 breakpoint, otherwise the inferior will continue.
23827
23828 If there are multiple breakpoints at the same location with a
23829 @code{stop} method, each one will be called regardless of the
23830 return status of the previous. This ensures that all @code{stop}
23831 methods have a chance to execute at that location. In this scenario
23832 if one of the methods returns @code{True} but the others return
23833 @code{False}, the inferior will still be stopped.
23834
23835 You should not alter the execution state of the inferior (i.e.@:, step,
23836 next, etc.), alter the current frame context (i.e.@:, change the current
23837 active frame), or alter, add or delete any breakpoint. As a general
23838 rule, you should not alter any data within @value{GDBN} or the inferior
23839 at this time.
23840
23841 Example @code{stop} implementation:
23842
23843 @smallexample
23844 class MyBreakpoint (gdb.Breakpoint):
23845 def stop (self):
23846 inf_val = gdb.parse_and_eval("foo")
23847 if inf_val == 3:
23848 return True
23849 return False
23850 @end smallexample
23851 @end defun
23852
23853 The available watchpoint types represented by constants are defined in the
23854 @code{gdb} module:
23855
23856 @table @code
23857 @findex WP_READ
23858 @findex gdb.WP_READ
23859 @item gdb.WP_READ
23860 Read only watchpoint.
23861
23862 @findex WP_WRITE
23863 @findex gdb.WP_WRITE
23864 @item gdb.WP_WRITE
23865 Write only watchpoint.
23866
23867 @findex WP_ACCESS
23868 @findex gdb.WP_ACCESS
23869 @item gdb.WP_ACCESS
23870 Read/Write watchpoint.
23871 @end table
23872
23873 @defun Breakpoint.is_valid ()
23874 Return @code{True} if this @code{Breakpoint} object is valid,
23875 @code{False} otherwise. A @code{Breakpoint} object can become invalid
23876 if the user deletes the breakpoint. In this case, the object still
23877 exists, but the underlying breakpoint does not. In the cases of
23878 watchpoint scope, the watchpoint remains valid even if execution of the
23879 inferior leaves the scope of that watchpoint.
23880 @end defun
23881
23882 @defun Breakpoint.delete
23883 Permanently deletes the @value{GDBN} breakpoint. This also
23884 invalidates the Python @code{Breakpoint} object. Any further access
23885 to this object's attributes or methods will raise an error.
23886 @end defun
23887
23888 @defvar Breakpoint.enabled
23889 This attribute is @code{True} if the breakpoint is enabled, and
23890 @code{False} otherwise. This attribute is writable.
23891 @end defvar
23892
23893 @defvar Breakpoint.silent
23894 This attribute is @code{True} if the breakpoint is silent, and
23895 @code{False} otherwise. This attribute is writable.
23896
23897 Note that a breakpoint can also be silent if it has commands and the
23898 first command is @code{silent}. This is not reported by the
23899 @code{silent} attribute.
23900 @end defvar
23901
23902 @defvar Breakpoint.thread
23903 If the breakpoint is thread-specific, this attribute holds the thread
23904 id. If the breakpoint is not thread-specific, this attribute is
23905 @code{None}. This attribute is writable.
23906 @end defvar
23907
23908 @defvar Breakpoint.task
23909 If the breakpoint is Ada task-specific, this attribute holds the Ada task
23910 id. If the breakpoint is not task-specific (or the underlying
23911 language is not Ada), this attribute is @code{None}. This attribute
23912 is writable.
23913 @end defvar
23914
23915 @defvar Breakpoint.ignore_count
23916 This attribute holds the ignore count for the breakpoint, an integer.
23917 This attribute is writable.
23918 @end defvar
23919
23920 @defvar Breakpoint.number
23921 This attribute holds the breakpoint's number --- the identifier used by
23922 the user to manipulate the breakpoint. This attribute is not writable.
23923 @end defvar
23924
23925 @defvar Breakpoint.type
23926 This attribute holds the breakpoint's type --- the identifier used to
23927 determine the actual breakpoint type or use-case. This attribute is not
23928 writable.
23929 @end defvar
23930
23931 @defvar Breakpoint.visible
23932 This attribute tells whether the breakpoint is visible to the user
23933 when set, or when the @samp{info breakpoints} command is run. This
23934 attribute is not writable.
23935 @end defvar
23936
23937 The available types are represented by constants defined in the @code{gdb}
23938 module:
23939
23940 @table @code
23941 @findex BP_BREAKPOINT
23942 @findex gdb.BP_BREAKPOINT
23943 @item gdb.BP_BREAKPOINT
23944 Normal code breakpoint.
23945
23946 @findex BP_WATCHPOINT
23947 @findex gdb.BP_WATCHPOINT
23948 @item gdb.BP_WATCHPOINT
23949 Watchpoint breakpoint.
23950
23951 @findex BP_HARDWARE_WATCHPOINT
23952 @findex gdb.BP_HARDWARE_WATCHPOINT
23953 @item gdb.BP_HARDWARE_WATCHPOINT
23954 Hardware assisted watchpoint.
23955
23956 @findex BP_READ_WATCHPOINT
23957 @findex gdb.BP_READ_WATCHPOINT
23958 @item gdb.BP_READ_WATCHPOINT
23959 Hardware assisted read watchpoint.
23960
23961 @findex BP_ACCESS_WATCHPOINT
23962 @findex gdb.BP_ACCESS_WATCHPOINT
23963 @item gdb.BP_ACCESS_WATCHPOINT
23964 Hardware assisted access watchpoint.
23965 @end table
23966
23967 @defvar Breakpoint.hit_count
23968 This attribute holds the hit count for the breakpoint, an integer.
23969 This attribute is writable, but currently it can only be set to zero.
23970 @end defvar
23971
23972 @defvar Breakpoint.location
23973 This attribute holds the location of the breakpoint, as specified by
23974 the user. It is a string. If the breakpoint does not have a location
23975 (that is, it is a watchpoint) the attribute's value is @code{None}. This
23976 attribute is not writable.
23977 @end defvar
23978
23979 @defvar Breakpoint.expression
23980 This attribute holds a breakpoint expression, as specified by
23981 the user. It is a string. If the breakpoint does not have an
23982 expression (the breakpoint is not a watchpoint) the attribute's value
23983 is @code{None}. This attribute is not writable.
23984 @end defvar
23985
23986 @defvar Breakpoint.condition
23987 This attribute holds the condition of the breakpoint, as specified by
23988 the user. It is a string. If there is no condition, this attribute's
23989 value is @code{None}. This attribute is writable.
23990 @end defvar
23991
23992 @defvar Breakpoint.commands
23993 This attribute holds the commands attached to the breakpoint. If
23994 there are commands, this attribute's value is a string holding all the
23995 commands, separated by newlines. If there are no commands, this
23996 attribute is @code{None}. This attribute is not writable.
23997 @end defvar
23998
23999 @node Lazy Strings In Python
24000 @subsubsection Python representation of lazy strings.
24001
24002 @cindex lazy strings in python
24003 @tindex gdb.LazyString
24004
24005 A @dfn{lazy string} is a string whose contents is not retrieved or
24006 encoded until it is needed.
24007
24008 A @code{gdb.LazyString} is represented in @value{GDBN} as an
24009 @code{address} that points to a region of memory, an @code{encoding}
24010 that will be used to encode that region of memory, and a @code{length}
24011 to delimit the region of memory that represents the string. The
24012 difference between a @code{gdb.LazyString} and a string wrapped within
24013 a @code{gdb.Value} is that a @code{gdb.LazyString} will be treated
24014 differently by @value{GDBN} when printing. A @code{gdb.LazyString} is
24015 retrieved and encoded during printing, while a @code{gdb.Value}
24016 wrapping a string is immediately retrieved and encoded on creation.
24017
24018 A @code{gdb.LazyString} object has the following functions:
24019
24020 @defun LazyString.value ()
24021 Convert the @code{gdb.LazyString} to a @code{gdb.Value}. This value
24022 will point to the string in memory, but will lose all the delayed
24023 retrieval, encoding and handling that @value{GDBN} applies to a
24024 @code{gdb.LazyString}.
24025 @end defun
24026
24027 @defvar LazyString.address
24028 This attribute holds the address of the string. This attribute is not
24029 writable.
24030 @end defvar
24031
24032 @defvar LazyString.length
24033 This attribute holds the length of the string in characters. If the
24034 length is -1, then the string will be fetched and encoded up to the
24035 first null of appropriate width. This attribute is not writable.
24036 @end defvar
24037
24038 @defvar LazyString.encoding
24039 This attribute holds the encoding that will be applied to the string
24040 when the string is printed by @value{GDBN}. If the encoding is not
24041 set, or contains an empty string, then @value{GDBN} will select the
24042 most appropriate encoding when the string is printed. This attribute
24043 is not writable.
24044 @end defvar
24045
24046 @defvar LazyString.type
24047 This attribute holds the type that is represented by the lazy string's
24048 type. For a lazy string this will always be a pointer type. To
24049 resolve this to the lazy string's character type, use the type's
24050 @code{target} method. @xref{Types In Python}. This attribute is not
24051 writable.
24052 @end defvar
24053
24054 @node Auto-loading
24055 @subsection Auto-loading
24056 @cindex auto-loading, Python
24057
24058 When a new object file is read (for example, due to the @code{file}
24059 command, or because the inferior has loaded a shared library),
24060 @value{GDBN} will look for Python support scripts in several ways:
24061 @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.py} and @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section.
24062
24063 @menu
24064 * objfile-gdb.py file:: The @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.py} file
24065 * .debug_gdb_scripts section:: The @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section
24066 * Which flavor to choose?::
24067 @end menu
24068
24069 The auto-loading feature is useful for supplying application-specific
24070 debugging commands and scripts.
24071
24072 Auto-loading can be enabled or disabled,
24073 and the list of auto-loaded scripts can be printed.
24074
24075 @table @code
24076 @kindex set auto-load-scripts
24077 @item set auto-load-scripts [yes|no]
24078 Enable or disable the auto-loading of Python scripts.
24079
24080 @kindex show auto-load-scripts
24081 @item show auto-load-scripts
24082 Show whether auto-loading of Python scripts is enabled or disabled.
24083
24084 @kindex info auto-load-scripts
24085 @cindex print list of auto-loaded scripts
24086 @item info auto-load-scripts [@var{regexp}]
24087 Print the list of all scripts that @value{GDBN} auto-loaded.
24088
24089 Also printed is the list of scripts that were mentioned in
24090 the @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section and were not found
24091 (@pxref{.debug_gdb_scripts section}).
24092 This is useful because their names are not printed when @value{GDBN}
24093 tries to load them and fails. There may be many of them, and printing
24094 an error message for each one is problematic.
24095
24096 If @var{regexp} is supplied only scripts with matching names are printed.
24097
24098 Example:
24099
24100 @smallexample
24101 (gdb) info auto-load-scripts
24102 Loaded Script
24103 Yes py-section-script.py
24104 full name: /tmp/py-section-script.py
24105 Missing my-foo-pretty-printers.py
24106 @end smallexample
24107 @end table
24108
24109 When reading an auto-loaded file, @value{GDBN} sets the
24110 @dfn{current objfile}. This is available via the @code{gdb.current_objfile}
24111 function (@pxref{Objfiles In Python}). This can be useful for
24112 registering objfile-specific pretty-printers.
24113
24114 @node objfile-gdb.py file
24115 @subsubsection The @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.py} file
24116 @cindex @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.py}
24117
24118 When a new object file is read, @value{GDBN} looks for
24119 a file named @file{@var{objfile}-gdb.py},
24120 where @var{objfile} is the object file's real name, formed by ensuring
24121 that the file name is absolute, following all symlinks, and resolving
24122 @code{.} and @code{..} components. If this file exists and is
24123 readable, @value{GDBN} will evaluate it as a Python script.
24124
24125 If this file does not exist, and if the parameter
24126 @code{debug-file-directory} is set (@pxref{Separate Debug Files}),
24127 then @value{GDBN} will look for @var{real-name} in all of the
24128 directories mentioned in the value of @code{debug-file-directory}.
24129
24130 Finally, if this file does not exist, then @value{GDBN} will look for
24131 a file named @file{@var{data-directory}/python/auto-load/@var{real-name}}, where
24132 @var{data-directory} is @value{GDBN}'s data directory (available via
24133 @code{show data-directory}, @pxref{Data Files}), and @var{real-name}
24134 is the object file's real name, as described above.
24135
24136 @value{GDBN} does not track which files it has already auto-loaded this way.
24137 @value{GDBN} will load the associated script every time the corresponding
24138 @var{objfile} is opened.
24139 So your @file{-gdb.py} file should be careful to avoid errors if it
24140 is evaluated more than once.
24141
24142 @node .debug_gdb_scripts section
24143 @subsubsection The @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section
24144 @cindex @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section
24145
24146 For systems using file formats like ELF and COFF,
24147 when @value{GDBN} loads a new object file
24148 it will look for a special section named @samp{.debug_gdb_scripts}.
24149 If this section exists, its contents is a list of names of scripts to load.
24150
24151 @value{GDBN} will look for each specified script file first in the
24152 current directory and then along the source search path
24153 (@pxref{Source Path, ,Specifying Source Directories}),
24154 except that @file{$cdir} is not searched, since the compilation
24155 directory is not relevant to scripts.
24156
24157 Entries can be placed in section @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} with,
24158 for example, this GCC macro:
24159
24160 @example
24161 /* Note: The "MS" section flags are to remove duplicates. */
24162 #define DEFINE_GDB_SCRIPT(script_name) \
24163 asm("\
24164 .pushsection \".debug_gdb_scripts\", \"MS\",@@progbits,1\n\
24165 .byte 1\n\
24166 .asciz \"" script_name "\"\n\
24167 .popsection \n\
24168 ");
24169 @end example
24170
24171 @noindent
24172 Then one can reference the macro in a header or source file like this:
24173
24174 @example
24175 DEFINE_GDB_SCRIPT ("my-app-scripts.py")
24176 @end example
24177
24178 The script name may include directories if desired.
24179
24180 If the macro is put in a header, any application or library
24181 using this header will get a reference to the specified script.
24182
24183 @node Which flavor to choose?
24184 @subsubsection Which flavor to choose?
24185
24186 Given the multiple ways of auto-loading Python scripts, it might not always
24187 be clear which one to choose. This section provides some guidance.
24188
24189 Benefits of the @file{-gdb.py} way:
24190
24191 @itemize @bullet
24192 @item
24193 Can be used with file formats that don't support multiple sections.
24194
24195 @item
24196 Ease of finding scripts for public libraries.
24197
24198 Scripts specified in the @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section are searched for
24199 in the source search path.
24200 For publicly installed libraries, e.g., @file{libstdc++}, there typically
24201 isn't a source directory in which to find the script.
24202
24203 @item
24204 Doesn't require source code additions.
24205 @end itemize
24206
24207 Benefits of the @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} way:
24208
24209 @itemize @bullet
24210 @item
24211 Works with static linking.
24212
24213 Scripts for libraries done the @file{-gdb.py} way require an objfile to
24214 trigger their loading. When an application is statically linked the only
24215 objfile available is the executable, and it is cumbersome to attach all the
24216 scripts from all the input libraries to the executable's @file{-gdb.py} script.
24217
24218 @item
24219 Works with classes that are entirely inlined.
24220
24221 Some classes can be entirely inlined, and thus there may not be an associated
24222 shared library to attach a @file{-gdb.py} script to.
24223
24224 @item
24225 Scripts needn't be copied out of the source tree.
24226
24227 In some circumstances, apps can be built out of large collections of internal
24228 libraries, and the build infrastructure necessary to install the
24229 @file{-gdb.py} scripts in a place where @value{GDBN} can find them is
24230 cumbersome. It may be easier to specify the scripts in the
24231 @code{.debug_gdb_scripts} section as relative paths, and add a path to the
24232 top of the source tree to the source search path.
24233 @end itemize
24234
24235 @node Python modules
24236 @subsection Python modules
24237 @cindex python modules
24238
24239 @value{GDBN} comes with several modules to assist writing Python code.
24240
24241 @menu
24242 * gdb.printing:: Building and registering pretty-printers.
24243 * gdb.types:: Utilities for working with types.
24244 * gdb.prompt:: Utilities for prompt value substitution.
24245 @end menu
24246
24247 @node gdb.printing
24248 @subsubsection gdb.printing
24249 @cindex gdb.printing
24250
24251 This module provides a collection of utilities for working with
24252 pretty-printers.
24253
24254 @table @code
24255 @item PrettyPrinter (@var{name}, @var{subprinters}=None)
24256 This class specifies the API that makes @samp{info pretty-printer},
24257 @samp{enable pretty-printer} and @samp{disable pretty-printer} work.
24258 Pretty-printers should generally inherit from this class.
24259
24260 @item SubPrettyPrinter (@var{name})
24261 For printers that handle multiple types, this class specifies the
24262 corresponding API for the subprinters.
24263
24264 @item RegexpCollectionPrettyPrinter (@var{name})
24265 Utility class for handling multiple printers, all recognized via
24266 regular expressions.
24267 @xref{Writing a Pretty-Printer}, for an example.
24268
24269 @item register_pretty_printer (@var{obj}, @var{printer}, @var{replace}=False)
24270 Register @var{printer} with the pretty-printer list of @var{obj}.
24271 If @var{replace} is @code{True} then any existing copy of the printer
24272 is replaced. Otherwise a @code{RuntimeError} exception is raised
24273 if a printer with the same name already exists.
24274 @end table
24275
24276 @node gdb.types
24277 @subsubsection gdb.types
24278 @cindex gdb.types
24279
24280 This module provides a collection of utilities for working with
24281 @code{gdb.Types} objects.
24282
24283 @table @code
24284 @item get_basic_type (@var{type})
24285 Return @var{type} with const and volatile qualifiers stripped,
24286 and with typedefs and C@t{++} references converted to the underlying type.
24287
24288 C@t{++} example:
24289
24290 @smallexample
24291 typedef const int const_int;
24292 const_int foo (3);
24293 const_int& foo_ref (foo);
24294 int main () @{ return 0; @}
24295 @end smallexample
24296
24297 Then in gdb:
24298
24299 @smallexample
24300 (gdb) start
24301 (gdb) python import gdb.types
24302 (gdb) python foo_ref = gdb.parse_and_eval("foo_ref")
24303 (gdb) python print gdb.types.get_basic_type(foo_ref.type)
24304 int
24305 @end smallexample
24306
24307 @item has_field (@var{type}, @var{field})
24308 Return @code{True} if @var{type}, assumed to be a type with fields
24309 (e.g., a structure or union), has field @var{field}.
24310
24311 @item make_enum_dict (@var{enum_type})
24312 Return a Python @code{dictionary} type produced from @var{enum_type}.
24313 @end table
24314
24315 @node gdb.prompt
24316 @subsubsection gdb.prompt
24317 @cindex gdb.prompt
24318
24319 This module provides a method for prompt value-substitution.
24320
24321 @table @code
24322 @item substitute_prompt (@var{string})
24323 Return @var{string} with escape sequences substituted by values. Some
24324 escape sequences take arguments. You can specify arguments inside
24325 ``@{@}'' immediately following the escape sequence.
24326
24327 The escape sequences you can pass to this function are:
24328
24329 @table @code
24330 @item \\
24331 Substitute a backslash.
24332 @item \e
24333 Substitute an ESC character.
24334 @item \f
24335 Substitute the selected frame; an argument names a frame parameter.
24336 @item \n
24337 Substitute a newline.
24338 @item \p
24339 Substitute a parameter's value; the argument names the parameter.
24340 @item \r
24341 Substitute a carriage return.
24342 @item \t
24343 Substitute the selected thread; an argument names a thread parameter.
24344 @item \v
24345 Substitute the version of GDB.
24346 @item \w
24347 Substitute the current working directory.
24348 @item \[
24349 Begin a sequence of non-printing characters. These sequences are
24350 typically used with the ESC character, and are not counted in the string
24351 length. Example: ``\[\e[0;34m\](gdb)\[\e[0m\]'' will return a
24352 blue-colored ``(gdb)'' prompt where the length is five.
24353 @item \]
24354 End a sequence of non-printing characters.
24355 @end table
24356
24357 For example:
24358
24359 @smallexample
24360 substitute_prompt (``frame: \f,
24361 print arguments: \p@{print frame-arguments@}'')
24362 @end smallexample
24363
24364 @exdent will return the string:
24365
24366 @smallexample
24367 "frame: main, print arguments: scalars"
24368 @end smallexample
24369 @end table
24370
24371 @node Interpreters
24372 @chapter Command Interpreters
24373 @cindex command interpreters
24374
24375 @value{GDBN} supports multiple command interpreters, and some command
24376 infrastructure to allow users or user interface writers to switch
24377 between interpreters or run commands in other interpreters.
24378
24379 @value{GDBN} currently supports two command interpreters, the console
24380 interpreter (sometimes called the command-line interpreter or @sc{cli})
24381 and the machine interface interpreter (or @sc{gdb/mi}). This manual
24382 describes both of these interfaces in great detail.
24383
24384 By default, @value{GDBN} will start with the console interpreter.
24385 However, the user may choose to start @value{GDBN} with another
24386 interpreter by specifying the @option{-i} or @option{--interpreter}
24387 startup options. Defined interpreters include:
24388
24389 @table @code
24390 @item console
24391 @cindex console interpreter
24392 The traditional console or command-line interpreter. This is the most often
24393 used interpreter with @value{GDBN}. With no interpreter specified at runtime,
24394 @value{GDBN} will use this interpreter.
24395
24396 @item mi
24397 @cindex mi interpreter
24398 The newest @sc{gdb/mi} interface (currently @code{mi2}). Used primarily
24399 by programs wishing to use @value{GDBN} as a backend for a debugger GUI
24400 or an IDE. For more information, see @ref{GDB/MI, ,The @sc{gdb/mi}
24401 Interface}.
24402
24403 @item mi2
24404 @cindex mi2 interpreter
24405 The current @sc{gdb/mi} interface.
24406
24407 @item mi1
24408 @cindex mi1 interpreter
24409 The @sc{gdb/mi} interface included in @value{GDBN} 5.1, 5.2, and 5.3.
24410
24411 @end table
24412
24413 @cindex invoke another interpreter
24414 The interpreter being used by @value{GDBN} may not be dynamically
24415 switched at runtime. Although possible, this could lead to a very
24416 precarious situation. Consider an IDE using @sc{gdb/mi}. If a user
24417 enters the command "interpreter-set console" in a console view,
24418 @value{GDBN} would switch to using the console interpreter, rendering
24419 the IDE inoperable!
24420
24421 @kindex interpreter-exec
24422 Although you may only choose a single interpreter at startup, you may execute
24423 commands in any interpreter from the current interpreter using the appropriate
24424 command. If you are running the console interpreter, simply use the
24425 @code{interpreter-exec} command:
24426
24427 @smallexample
24428 interpreter-exec mi "-data-list-register-names"
24429 @end smallexample
24430
24431 @sc{gdb/mi} has a similar command, although it is only available in versions of
24432 @value{GDBN} which support @sc{gdb/mi} version 2 (or greater).
24433
24434 @node TUI
24435 @chapter @value{GDBN} Text User Interface
24436 @cindex TUI
24437 @cindex Text User Interface
24438
24439 @menu
24440 * TUI Overview:: TUI overview
24441 * TUI Keys:: TUI key bindings
24442 * TUI Single Key Mode:: TUI single key mode
24443 * TUI Commands:: TUI-specific commands
24444 * TUI Configuration:: TUI configuration variables
24445 @end menu
24446
24447 The @value{GDBN} Text User Interface (TUI) is a terminal
24448 interface which uses the @code{curses} library to show the source
24449 file, the assembly output, the program registers and @value{GDBN}
24450 commands in separate text windows. The TUI mode is supported only
24451 on platforms where a suitable version of the @code{curses} library
24452 is available.
24453
24454 @pindex @value{GDBTUI}
24455 The TUI mode is enabled by default when you invoke @value{GDBN} as
24456 either @samp{@value{GDBTUI}} or @samp{@value{GDBP} -tui}.
24457 You can also switch in and out of TUI mode while @value{GDBN} runs by
24458 using various TUI commands and key bindings, such as @kbd{C-x C-a}.
24459 @xref{TUI Keys, ,TUI Key Bindings}.
24460
24461 @node TUI Overview
24462 @section TUI Overview
24463
24464 In TUI mode, @value{GDBN} can display several text windows:
24465
24466 @table @emph
24467 @item command
24468 This window is the @value{GDBN} command window with the @value{GDBN}
24469 prompt and the @value{GDBN} output. The @value{GDBN} input is still
24470 managed using readline.
24471
24472 @item source
24473 The source window shows the source file of the program. The current
24474 line and active breakpoints are displayed in this window.
24475
24476 @item assembly
24477 The assembly window shows the disassembly output of the program.
24478
24479 @item register
24480 This window shows the processor registers. Registers are highlighted
24481 when their values change.
24482 @end table
24483
24484 The source and assembly windows show the current program position
24485 by highlighting the current line and marking it with a @samp{>} marker.
24486 Breakpoints are indicated with two markers. The first marker
24487 indicates the breakpoint type:
24488
24489 @table @code
24490 @item B
24491 Breakpoint which was hit at least once.
24492
24493 @item b
24494 Breakpoint which was never hit.
24495
24496 @item H
24497 Hardware breakpoint which was hit at least once.
24498
24499 @item h
24500 Hardware breakpoint which was never hit.
24501 @end table
24502
24503 The second marker indicates whether the breakpoint is enabled or not:
24504
24505 @table @code
24506 @item +
24507 Breakpoint is enabled.
24508
24509 @item -
24510 Breakpoint is disabled.
24511 @end table
24512
24513 The source, assembly and register windows are updated when the current
24514 thread changes, when the frame changes, or when the program counter
24515 changes.
24516
24517 These windows are not all visible at the same time. The command
24518 window is always visible. The others can be arranged in several
24519 layouts:
24520
24521 @itemize @bullet
24522 @item
24523 source only,
24524
24525 @item
24526 assembly only,
24527
24528 @item
24529 source and assembly,
24530
24531 @item
24532 source and registers, or
24533
24534 @item
24535 assembly and registers.
24536 @end itemize
24537
24538 A status line above the command window shows the following information:
24539
24540 @table @emph
24541 @item target
24542 Indicates the current @value{GDBN} target.
24543 (@pxref{Targets, ,Specifying a Debugging Target}).
24544
24545 @item process
24546 Gives the current process or thread number.
24547 When no process is being debugged, this field is set to @code{No process}.
24548
24549 @item function
24550 Gives the current function name for the selected frame.
24551 The name is demangled if demangling is turned on (@pxref{Print Settings}).
24552 When there is no symbol corresponding to the current program counter,
24553 the string @code{??} is displayed.
24554
24555 @item line
24556 Indicates the current line number for the selected frame.
24557 When the current line number is not known, the string @code{??} is displayed.
24558
24559 @item pc
24560 Indicates the current program counter address.
24561 @end table
24562
24563 @node TUI Keys
24564 @section TUI Key Bindings
24565 @cindex TUI key bindings
24566
24567 The TUI installs several key bindings in the readline keymaps
24568 @ifset SYSTEM_READLINE
24569 (@pxref{Command Line Editing, , , rluserman, GNU Readline Library}).
24570 @end ifset
24571 @ifclear SYSTEM_READLINE
24572 (@pxref{Command Line Editing}).
24573 @end ifclear
24574 The following key bindings are installed for both TUI mode and the
24575 @value{GDBN} standard mode.
24576
24577 @table @kbd
24578 @kindex C-x C-a
24579 @item C-x C-a
24580 @kindex C-x a
24581 @itemx C-x a
24582 @kindex C-x A
24583 @itemx C-x A
24584 Enter or leave the TUI mode. When leaving the TUI mode,
24585 the curses window management stops and @value{GDBN} operates using
24586 its standard mode, writing on the terminal directly. When reentering
24587 the TUI mode, control is given back to the curses windows.
24588 The screen is then refreshed.
24589
24590 @kindex C-x 1
24591 @item C-x 1
24592 Use a TUI layout with only one window. The layout will
24593 either be @samp{source} or @samp{assembly}. When the TUI mode
24594 is not active, it will switch to the TUI mode.
24595
24596 Think of this key binding as the Emacs @kbd{C-x 1} binding.
24597
24598 @kindex C-x 2
24599 @item C-x 2
24600 Use a TUI layout with at least two windows. When the current
24601 layout already has two windows, the next layout with two windows is used.
24602 When a new layout is chosen, one window will always be common to the
24603 previous layout and the new one.
24604
24605 Think of it as the Emacs @kbd{C-x 2} binding.
24606
24607 @kindex C-x o
24608 @item C-x o
24609 Change the active window. The TUI associates several key bindings
24610 (like scrolling and arrow keys) with the active window. This command
24611 gives the focus to the next TUI window.
24612
24613 Think of it as the Emacs @kbd{C-x o} binding.
24614
24615 @kindex C-x s
24616 @item C-x s
24617 Switch in and out of the TUI SingleKey mode that binds single
24618 keys to @value{GDBN} commands (@pxref{TUI Single Key Mode}).
24619 @end table
24620
24621 The following key bindings only work in the TUI mode:
24622
24623 @table @asis
24624 @kindex PgUp
24625 @item @key{PgUp}
24626 Scroll the active window one page up.
24627
24628 @kindex PgDn
24629 @item @key{PgDn}
24630 Scroll the active window one page down.
24631
24632 @kindex Up
24633 @item @key{Up}
24634 Scroll the active window one line up.
24635
24636 @kindex Down
24637 @item @key{Down}
24638 Scroll the active window one line down.
24639
24640 @kindex Left
24641 @item @key{Left}
24642 Scroll the active window one column left.
24643
24644 @kindex Right
24645 @item @key{Right}
24646 Scroll the active window one column right.
24647
24648 @kindex C-L
24649 @item @kbd{C-L}
24650 Refresh the screen.
24651 @end table
24652
24653 Because the arrow keys scroll the active window in the TUI mode, they
24654 are not available for their normal use by readline unless the command
24655 window has the focus. When another window is active, you must use
24656 other readline key bindings such as @kbd{C-p}, @kbd{C-n}, @kbd{C-b}
24657 and @kbd{C-f} to control the command window.
24658
24659 @node TUI Single Key Mode
24660 @section TUI Single Key Mode
24661 @cindex TUI single key mode
24662
24663 The TUI also provides a @dfn{SingleKey} mode, which binds several
24664 frequently used @value{GDBN} commands to single keys. Type @kbd{C-x s} to
24665 switch into this mode, where the following key bindings are used:
24666
24667 @table @kbd
24668 @kindex c @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
24669 @item c
24670 continue
24671
24672 @kindex d @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
24673 @item d
24674 down
24675
24676 @kindex f @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
24677 @item f
24678 finish
24679
24680 @kindex n @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
24681 @item n
24682 next
24683
24684 @kindex q @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
24685 @item q
24686 exit the SingleKey mode.
24687
24688 @kindex r @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
24689 @item r
24690 run
24691
24692 @kindex s @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
24693 @item s
24694 step
24695
24696 @kindex u @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
24697 @item u
24698 up
24699
24700 @kindex v @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
24701 @item v
24702 info locals
24703
24704 @kindex w @r{(SingleKey TUI key)}
24705 @item w
24706 where
24707 @end table
24708
24709 Other keys temporarily switch to the @value{GDBN} command prompt.
24710 The key that was pressed is inserted in the editing buffer so that
24711 it is possible to type most @value{GDBN} commands without interaction
24712 with the TUI SingleKey mode. Once the command is entered the TUI
24713 SingleKey mode is restored. The only way to permanently leave
24714 this mode is by typing @kbd{q} or @kbd{C-x s}.
24715
24716
24717 @node TUI Commands
24718 @section TUI-specific Commands
24719 @cindex TUI commands
24720
24721 The TUI has specific commands to control the text windows.
24722 These commands are always available, even when @value{GDBN} is not in
24723 the TUI mode. When @value{GDBN} is in the standard mode, most
24724 of these commands will automatically switch to the TUI mode.
24725
24726 Note that if @value{GDBN}'s @code{stdout} is not connected to a
24727 terminal, or @value{GDBN} has been started with the machine interface
24728 interpreter (@pxref{GDB/MI, ,The @sc{gdb/mi} Interface}), most of
24729 these commands will fail with an error, because it would not be
24730 possible or desirable to enable curses window management.
24731
24732 @table @code
24733 @item info win
24734 @kindex info win
24735 List and give the size of all displayed windows.
24736
24737 @item layout next
24738 @kindex layout
24739 Display the next layout.
24740
24741 @item layout prev
24742 Display the previous layout.
24743
24744 @item layout src
24745 Display the source window only.
24746
24747 @item layout asm
24748 Display the assembly window only.
24749
24750 @item layout split
24751 Display the source and assembly window.
24752
24753 @item layout regs
24754 Display the register window together with the source or assembly window.
24755
24756 @item focus next
24757 @kindex focus
24758 Make the next window active for scrolling.
24759
24760 @item focus prev
24761 Make the previous window active for scrolling.
24762
24763 @item focus src
24764 Make the source window active for scrolling.
24765
24766 @item focus asm
24767 Make the assembly window active for scrolling.
24768
24769 @item focus regs
24770 Make the register window active for scrolling.
24771
24772 @item focus cmd
24773 Make the command window active for scrolling.
24774
24775 @item refresh
24776 @kindex refresh
24777 Refresh the screen. This is similar to typing @kbd{C-L}.
24778
24779 @item tui reg float
24780 @kindex tui reg
24781 Show the floating point registers in the register window.
24782
24783 @item tui reg general
24784 Show the general registers in the register window.
24785
24786 @item tui reg next
24787 Show the next register group. The list of register groups as well as
24788 their order is target specific. The predefined register groups are the
24789 following: @code{general}, @code{float}, @code{system}, @code{vector},
24790 @code{all}, @code{save}, @code{restore}.
24791
24792 @item tui reg system
24793 Show the system registers in the register window.
24794
24795 @item update
24796 @kindex update
24797 Update the source window and the current execution point.
24798
24799 @item winheight @var{name} +@var{count}
24800 @itemx winheight @var{name} -@var{count}
24801 @kindex winheight
24802 Change the height of the window @var{name} by @var{count}
24803 lines. Positive counts increase the height, while negative counts
24804 decrease it.
24805
24806 @item tabset @var{nchars}
24807 @kindex tabset
24808 Set the width of tab stops to be @var{nchars} characters.
24809 @end table
24810
24811 @node TUI Configuration
24812 @section TUI Configuration Variables
24813 @cindex TUI configuration variables
24814
24815 Several configuration variables control the appearance of TUI windows.
24816
24817 @table @code
24818 @item set tui border-kind @var{kind}
24819 @kindex set tui border-kind
24820 Select the border appearance for the source, assembly and register windows.
24821 The possible values are the following:
24822 @table @code
24823 @item space
24824 Use a space character to draw the border.
24825
24826 @item ascii
24827 Use @sc{ascii} characters @samp{+}, @samp{-} and @samp{|} to draw the border.
24828
24829 @item acs
24830 Use the Alternate Character Set to draw the border. The border is
24831 drawn using character line graphics if the terminal supports them.
24832 @end table
24833
24834 @item set tui border-mode @var{mode}
24835 @kindex set tui border-mode
24836 @itemx set tui active-border-mode @var{mode}
24837 @kindex set tui active-border-mode
24838 Select the display attributes for the borders of the inactive windows
24839 or the active window. The @var{mode} can be one of the following:
24840 @table @code
24841 @item normal
24842 Use normal attributes to display the border.
24843
24844 @item standout
24845 Use standout mode.
24846
24847 @item reverse
24848 Use reverse video mode.
24849
24850 @item half
24851 Use half bright mode.
24852
24853 @item half-standout
24854 Use half bright and standout mode.
24855
24856 @item bold
24857 Use extra bright or bold mode.
24858
24859 @item bold-standout
24860 Use extra bright or bold and standout mode.
24861 @end table
24862 @end table
24863
24864 @node Emacs
24865 @chapter Using @value{GDBN} under @sc{gnu} Emacs
24866
24867 @cindex Emacs
24868 @cindex @sc{gnu} Emacs
24869 A special interface allows you to use @sc{gnu} Emacs to view (and
24870 edit) the source files for the program you are debugging with
24871 @value{GDBN}.
24872
24873 To use this interface, use the command @kbd{M-x gdb} in Emacs. Give the
24874 executable file you want to debug as an argument. This command starts
24875 @value{GDBN} as a subprocess of Emacs, with input and output through a newly
24876 created Emacs buffer.
24877 @c (Do not use the @code{-tui} option to run @value{GDBN} from Emacs.)
24878
24879 Running @value{GDBN} under Emacs can be just like running @value{GDBN} normally except for two
24880 things:
24881
24882 @itemize @bullet
24883 @item
24884 All ``terminal'' input and output goes through an Emacs buffer, called
24885 the GUD buffer.
24886
24887 This applies both to @value{GDBN} commands and their output, and to the input
24888 and output done by the program you are debugging.
24889
24890 This is useful because it means that you can copy the text of previous
24891 commands and input them again; you can even use parts of the output
24892 in this way.
24893
24894 All the facilities of Emacs' Shell mode are available for interacting
24895 with your program. In particular, you can send signals the usual
24896 way---for example, @kbd{C-c C-c} for an interrupt, @kbd{C-c C-z} for a
24897 stop.
24898
24899 @item
24900 @value{GDBN} displays source code through Emacs.
24901
24902 Each time @value{GDBN} displays a stack frame, Emacs automatically finds the
24903 source file for that frame and puts an arrow (@samp{=>}) at the
24904 left margin of the current line. Emacs uses a separate buffer for
24905 source display, and splits the screen to show both your @value{GDBN} session
24906 and the source.
24907
24908 Explicit @value{GDBN} @code{list} or search commands still produce output as
24909 usual, but you probably have no reason to use them from Emacs.
24910 @end itemize
24911
24912 We call this @dfn{text command mode}. Emacs 22.1, and later, also uses
24913 a graphical mode, enabled by default, which provides further buffers
24914 that can control the execution and describe the state of your program.
24915 @xref{GDB Graphical Interface,,, Emacs, The @sc{gnu} Emacs Manual}.
24916
24917 If you specify an absolute file name when prompted for the @kbd{M-x
24918 gdb} argument, then Emacs sets your current working directory to where
24919 your program resides. If you only specify the file name, then Emacs
24920 sets your current working directory to the directory associated
24921 with the previous buffer. In this case, @value{GDBN} may find your
24922 program by searching your environment's @code{PATH} variable, but on
24923 some operating systems it might not find the source. So, although the
24924 @value{GDBN} input and output session proceeds normally, the auxiliary
24925 buffer does not display the current source and line of execution.
24926
24927 The initial working directory of @value{GDBN} is printed on the top
24928 line of the GUD buffer and this serves as a default for the commands
24929 that specify files for @value{GDBN} to operate on. @xref{Files,
24930 ,Commands to Specify Files}.
24931
24932 By default, @kbd{M-x gdb} calls the program called @file{gdb}. If you
24933 need to call @value{GDBN} by a different name (for example, if you
24934 keep several configurations around, with different names) you can
24935 customize the Emacs variable @code{gud-gdb-command-name} to run the
24936 one you want.
24937
24938 In the GUD buffer, you can use these special Emacs commands in
24939 addition to the standard Shell mode commands:
24940
24941 @table @kbd
24942 @item C-h m
24943 Describe the features of Emacs' GUD Mode.
24944
24945 @item C-c C-s
24946 Execute to another source line, like the @value{GDBN} @code{step} command; also
24947 update the display window to show the current file and location.
24948
24949 @item C-c C-n
24950 Execute to next source line in this function, skipping all function
24951 calls, like the @value{GDBN} @code{next} command. Then update the display window
24952 to show the current file and location.
24953
24954 @item C-c C-i
24955 Execute one instruction, like the @value{GDBN} @code{stepi} command; update
24956 display window accordingly.
24957
24958 @item C-c C-f
24959 Execute until exit from the selected stack frame, like the @value{GDBN}
24960 @code{finish} command.
24961
24962 @item C-c C-r
24963 Continue execution of your program, like the @value{GDBN} @code{continue}
24964 command.
24965
24966 @item C-c <
24967 Go up the number of frames indicated by the numeric argument
24968 (@pxref{Arguments, , Numeric Arguments, Emacs, The @sc{gnu} Emacs Manual}),
24969 like the @value{GDBN} @code{up} command.
24970
24971 @item C-c >
24972 Go down the number of frames indicated by the numeric argument, like the
24973 @value{GDBN} @code{down} command.
24974 @end table
24975
24976 In any source file, the Emacs command @kbd{C-x @key{SPC}} (@code{gud-break})
24977 tells @value{GDBN} to set a breakpoint on the source line point is on.
24978
24979 In text command mode, if you type @kbd{M-x speedbar}, Emacs displays a
24980 separate frame which shows a backtrace when the GUD buffer is current.
24981 Move point to any frame in the stack and type @key{RET} to make it
24982 become the current frame and display the associated source in the
24983 source buffer. Alternatively, click @kbd{Mouse-2} to make the
24984 selected frame become the current one. In graphical mode, the
24985 speedbar displays watch expressions.
24986
24987 If you accidentally delete the source-display buffer, an easy way to get
24988 it back is to type the command @code{f} in the @value{GDBN} buffer, to
24989 request a frame display; when you run under Emacs, this recreates
24990 the source buffer if necessary to show you the context of the current
24991 frame.
24992
24993 The source files displayed in Emacs are in ordinary Emacs buffers
24994 which are visiting the source files in the usual way. You can edit
24995 the files with these buffers if you wish; but keep in mind that @value{GDBN}
24996 communicates with Emacs in terms of line numbers. If you add or
24997 delete lines from the text, the line numbers that @value{GDBN} knows cease
24998 to correspond properly with the code.
24999
25000 A more detailed description of Emacs' interaction with @value{GDBN} is
25001 given in the Emacs manual (@pxref{Debuggers,,, Emacs, The @sc{gnu}
25002 Emacs Manual}).
25003
25004 @c The following dropped because Epoch is nonstandard. Reactivate
25005 @c if/when v19 does something similar. ---doc@cygnus.com 19dec1990
25006 @ignore
25007 @kindex Emacs Epoch environment
25008 @kindex Epoch
25009 @kindex inspect
25010
25011 Version 18 of @sc{gnu} Emacs has a built-in window system
25012 called the @code{epoch}
25013 environment. Users of this environment can use a new command,
25014 @code{inspect} which performs identically to @code{print} except that
25015 each value is printed in its own window.
25016 @end ignore
25017
25018
25019 @node GDB/MI
25020 @chapter The @sc{gdb/mi} Interface
25021
25022 @unnumberedsec Function and Purpose
25023
25024 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, its purpose
25025 @sc{gdb/mi} is a line based machine oriented text interface to
25026 @value{GDBN} and is activated by specifying using the
25027 @option{--interpreter} command line option (@pxref{Mode Options}). It
25028 is specifically intended to support the development of systems which
25029 use the debugger as just one small component of a larger system.
25030
25031 This chapter is a specification of the @sc{gdb/mi} interface. It is written
25032 in the form of a reference manual.
25033
25034 Note that @sc{gdb/mi} is still under construction, so some of the
25035 features described below are incomplete and subject to change
25036 (@pxref{GDB/MI Development and Front Ends, , @sc{gdb/mi} Development and Front Ends}).
25037
25038 @unnumberedsec Notation and Terminology
25039
25040 @cindex notational conventions, for @sc{gdb/mi}
25041 This chapter uses the following notation:
25042
25043 @itemize @bullet
25044 @item
25045 @code{|} separates two alternatives.
25046
25047 @item
25048 @code{[ @var{something} ]} indicates that @var{something} is optional:
25049 it may or may not be given.
25050
25051 @item
25052 @code{( @var{group} )*} means that @var{group} inside the parentheses
25053 may repeat zero or more times.
25054
25055 @item
25056 @code{( @var{group} )+} means that @var{group} inside the parentheses
25057 may repeat one or more times.
25058
25059 @item
25060 @code{"@var{string}"} means a literal @var{string}.
25061 @end itemize
25062
25063 @ignore
25064 @heading Dependencies
25065 @end ignore
25066
25067 @menu
25068 * GDB/MI General Design::
25069 * GDB/MI Command Syntax::
25070 * GDB/MI Compatibility with CLI::
25071 * GDB/MI Development and Front Ends::
25072 * GDB/MI Output Records::
25073 * GDB/MI Simple Examples::
25074 * GDB/MI Command Description Format::
25075 * GDB/MI Breakpoint Commands::
25076 * GDB/MI Program Context::
25077 * GDB/MI Thread Commands::
25078 * GDB/MI Ada Tasking Commands::
25079 * GDB/MI Program Execution::
25080 * GDB/MI Stack Manipulation::
25081 * GDB/MI Variable Objects::
25082 * GDB/MI Data Manipulation::
25083 * GDB/MI Tracepoint Commands::
25084 * GDB/MI Symbol Query::
25085 * GDB/MI File Commands::
25086 @ignore
25087 * GDB/MI Kod Commands::
25088 * GDB/MI Memory Overlay Commands::
25089 * GDB/MI Signal Handling Commands::
25090 @end ignore
25091 * GDB/MI Target Manipulation::
25092 * GDB/MI File Transfer Commands::
25093 * GDB/MI Miscellaneous Commands::
25094 @end menu
25095
25096 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
25097 @node GDB/MI General Design
25098 @section @sc{gdb/mi} General Design
25099 @cindex GDB/MI General Design
25100
25101 Interaction of a @sc{GDB/MI} frontend with @value{GDBN} involves three
25102 parts---commands sent to @value{GDBN}, responses to those commands
25103 and notifications. Each command results in exactly one response,
25104 indicating either successful completion of the command, or an error.
25105 For the commands that do not resume the target, the response contains the
25106 requested information. For the commands that resume the target, the
25107 response only indicates whether the target was successfully resumed.
25108 Notifications is the mechanism for reporting changes in the state of the
25109 target, or in @value{GDBN} state, that cannot conveniently be associated with
25110 a command and reported as part of that command response.
25111
25112 The important examples of notifications are:
25113 @itemize @bullet
25114
25115 @item
25116 Exec notifications. These are used to report changes in
25117 target state---when a target is resumed, or stopped. It would not
25118 be feasible to include this information in response of resuming
25119 commands, because one resume commands can result in multiple events in
25120 different threads. Also, quite some time may pass before any event
25121 happens in the target, while a frontend needs to know whether the resuming
25122 command itself was successfully executed.
25123
25124 @item
25125 Console output, and status notifications. Console output
25126 notifications are used to report output of CLI commands, as well as
25127 diagnostics for other commands. Status notifications are used to
25128 report the progress of a long-running operation. Naturally, including
25129 this information in command response would mean no output is produced
25130 until the command is finished, which is undesirable.
25131
25132 @item
25133 General notifications. Commands may have various side effects on
25134 the @value{GDBN} or target state beyond their official purpose. For example,
25135 a command may change the selected thread. Although such changes can
25136 be included in command response, using notification allows for more
25137 orthogonal frontend design.
25138
25139 @end itemize
25140
25141 There's no guarantee that whenever an MI command reports an error,
25142 @value{GDBN} or the target are in any specific state, and especially,
25143 the state is not reverted to the state before the MI command was
25144 processed. Therefore, whenever an MI command results in an error,
25145 we recommend that the frontend refreshes all the information shown in
25146 the user interface.
25147
25148
25149 @menu
25150 * Context management::
25151 * Asynchronous and non-stop modes::
25152 * Thread groups::
25153 @end menu
25154
25155 @node Context management
25156 @subsection Context management
25157
25158 In most cases when @value{GDBN} accesses the target, this access is
25159 done in context of a specific thread and frame (@pxref{Frames}).
25160 Often, even when accessing global data, the target requires that a thread
25161 be specified. The CLI interface maintains the selected thread and frame,
25162 and supplies them to target on each command. This is convenient,
25163 because a command line user would not want to specify that information
25164 explicitly on each command, and because user interacts with
25165 @value{GDBN} via a single terminal, so no confusion is possible as
25166 to what thread and frame are the current ones.
25167
25168 In the case of MI, the concept of selected thread and frame is less
25169 useful. First, a frontend can easily remember this information
25170 itself. Second, a graphical frontend can have more than one window,
25171 each one used for debugging a different thread, and the frontend might
25172 want to access additional threads for internal purposes. This
25173 increases the risk that by relying on implicitly selected thread, the
25174 frontend may be operating on a wrong one. Therefore, each MI command
25175 should explicitly specify which thread and frame to operate on. To
25176 make it possible, each MI command accepts the @samp{--thread} and
25177 @samp{--frame} options, the value to each is @value{GDBN} identifier
25178 for thread and frame to operate on.
25179
25180 Usually, each top-level window in a frontend allows the user to select
25181 a thread and a frame, and remembers the user selection for further
25182 operations. However, in some cases @value{GDBN} may suggest that the
25183 current thread be changed. For example, when stopping on a breakpoint
25184 it is reasonable to switch to the thread where breakpoint is hit. For
25185 another example, if the user issues the CLI @samp{thread} command via
25186 the frontend, it is desirable to change the frontend's selected thread to the
25187 one specified by user. @value{GDBN} communicates the suggestion to
25188 change current thread using the @samp{=thread-selected} notification.
25189 No such notification is available for the selected frame at the moment.
25190
25191 Note that historically, MI shares the selected thread with CLI, so
25192 frontends used the @code{-thread-select} to execute commands in the
25193 right context. However, getting this to work right is cumbersome. The
25194 simplest way is for frontend to emit @code{-thread-select} command
25195 before every command. This doubles the number of commands that need
25196 to be sent. The alternative approach is to suppress @code{-thread-select}
25197 if the selected thread in @value{GDBN} is supposed to be identical to the
25198 thread the frontend wants to operate on. However, getting this
25199 optimization right can be tricky. In particular, if the frontend
25200 sends several commands to @value{GDBN}, and one of the commands changes the
25201 selected thread, then the behaviour of subsequent commands will
25202 change. So, a frontend should either wait for response from such
25203 problematic commands, or explicitly add @code{-thread-select} for
25204 all subsequent commands. No frontend is known to do this exactly
25205 right, so it is suggested to just always pass the @samp{--thread} and
25206 @samp{--frame} options.
25207
25208 @node Asynchronous and non-stop modes
25209 @subsection Asynchronous command execution and non-stop mode
25210
25211 On some targets, @value{GDBN} is capable of processing MI commands
25212 even while the target is running. This is called @dfn{asynchronous
25213 command execution} (@pxref{Background Execution}). The frontend may
25214 specify a preferrence for asynchronous execution using the
25215 @code{-gdb-set target-async 1} command, which should be emitted before
25216 either running the executable or attaching to the target. After the
25217 frontend has started the executable or attached to the target, it can
25218 find if asynchronous execution is enabled using the
25219 @code{-list-target-features} command.
25220
25221 Even if @value{GDBN} can accept a command while target is running,
25222 many commands that access the target do not work when the target is
25223 running. Therefore, asynchronous command execution is most useful
25224 when combined with non-stop mode (@pxref{Non-Stop Mode}). Then,
25225 it is possible to examine the state of one thread, while other threads
25226 are running.
25227
25228 When a given thread is running, MI commands that try to access the
25229 target in the context of that thread may not work, or may work only on
25230 some targets. In particular, commands that try to operate on thread's
25231 stack will not work, on any target. Commands that read memory, or
25232 modify breakpoints, may work or not work, depending on the target. Note
25233 that even commands that operate on global state, such as @code{print},
25234 @code{set}, and breakpoint commands, still access the target in the
25235 context of a specific thread, so frontend should try to find a
25236 stopped thread and perform the operation on that thread (using the
25237 @samp{--thread} option).
25238
25239 Which commands will work in the context of a running thread is
25240 highly target dependent. However, the two commands
25241 @code{-exec-interrupt}, to stop a thread, and @code{-thread-info},
25242 to find the state of a thread, will always work.
25243
25244 @node Thread groups
25245 @subsection Thread groups
25246 @value{GDBN} may be used to debug several processes at the same time.
25247 On some platfroms, @value{GDBN} may support debugging of several
25248 hardware systems, each one having several cores with several different
25249 processes running on each core. This section describes the MI
25250 mechanism to support such debugging scenarios.
25251
25252 The key observation is that regardless of the structure of the
25253 target, MI can have a global list of threads, because most commands that
25254 accept the @samp{--thread} option do not need to know what process that
25255 thread belongs to. Therefore, it is not necessary to introduce
25256 neither additional @samp{--process} option, nor an notion of the
25257 current process in the MI interface. The only strictly new feature
25258 that is required is the ability to find how the threads are grouped
25259 into processes.
25260
25261 To allow the user to discover such grouping, and to support arbitrary
25262 hierarchy of machines/cores/processes, MI introduces the concept of a
25263 @dfn{thread group}. Thread group is a collection of threads and other
25264 thread groups. A thread group always has a string identifier, a type,
25265 and may have additional attributes specific to the type. A new
25266 command, @code{-list-thread-groups}, returns the list of top-level
25267 thread groups, which correspond to processes that @value{GDBN} is
25268 debugging at the moment. By passing an identifier of a thread group
25269 to the @code{-list-thread-groups} command, it is possible to obtain
25270 the members of specific thread group.
25271
25272 To allow the user to easily discover processes, and other objects, he
25273 wishes to debug, a concept of @dfn{available thread group} is
25274 introduced. Available thread group is an thread group that
25275 @value{GDBN} is not debugging, but that can be attached to, using the
25276 @code{-target-attach} command. The list of available top-level thread
25277 groups can be obtained using @samp{-list-thread-groups --available}.
25278 In general, the content of a thread group may be only retrieved only
25279 after attaching to that thread group.
25280
25281 Thread groups are related to inferiors (@pxref{Inferiors and
25282 Programs}). Each inferior corresponds to a thread group of a special
25283 type @samp{process}, and some additional operations are permitted on
25284 such thread groups.
25285
25286 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
25287 @node GDB/MI Command Syntax
25288 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Command Syntax
25289
25290 @menu
25291 * GDB/MI Input Syntax::
25292 * GDB/MI Output Syntax::
25293 @end menu
25294
25295 @node GDB/MI Input Syntax
25296 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Input Syntax
25297
25298 @cindex input syntax for @sc{gdb/mi}
25299 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, input syntax
25300 @table @code
25301 @item @var{command} @expansion{}
25302 @code{@var{cli-command} | @var{mi-command}}
25303
25304 @item @var{cli-command} @expansion{}
25305 @code{[ @var{token} ] @var{cli-command} @var{nl}}, where
25306 @var{cli-command} is any existing @value{GDBN} CLI command.
25307
25308 @item @var{mi-command} @expansion{}
25309 @code{[ @var{token} ] "-" @var{operation} ( " " @var{option} )*
25310 @code{[} " --" @code{]} ( " " @var{parameter} )* @var{nl}}
25311
25312 @item @var{token} @expansion{}
25313 "any sequence of digits"
25314
25315 @item @var{option} @expansion{}
25316 @code{"-" @var{parameter} [ " " @var{parameter} ]}
25317
25318 @item @var{parameter} @expansion{}
25319 @code{@var{non-blank-sequence} | @var{c-string}}
25320
25321 @item @var{operation} @expansion{}
25322 @emph{any of the operations described in this chapter}
25323
25324 @item @var{non-blank-sequence} @expansion{}
25325 @emph{anything, provided it doesn't contain special characters such as
25326 "-", @var{nl}, """ and of course " "}
25327
25328 @item @var{c-string} @expansion{}
25329 @code{""" @var{seven-bit-iso-c-string-content} """}
25330
25331 @item @var{nl} @expansion{}
25332 @code{CR | CR-LF}
25333 @end table
25334
25335 @noindent
25336 Notes:
25337
25338 @itemize @bullet
25339 @item
25340 The CLI commands are still handled by the @sc{mi} interpreter; their
25341 output is described below.
25342
25343 @item
25344 The @code{@var{token}}, when present, is passed back when the command
25345 finishes.
25346
25347 @item
25348 Some @sc{mi} commands accept optional arguments as part of the parameter
25349 list. Each option is identified by a leading @samp{-} (dash) and may be
25350 followed by an optional argument parameter. Options occur first in the
25351 parameter list and can be delimited from normal parameters using
25352 @samp{--} (this is useful when some parameters begin with a dash).
25353 @end itemize
25354
25355 Pragmatics:
25356
25357 @itemize @bullet
25358 @item
25359 We want easy access to the existing CLI syntax (for debugging).
25360
25361 @item
25362 We want it to be easy to spot a @sc{mi} operation.
25363 @end itemize
25364
25365 @node GDB/MI Output Syntax
25366 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Output Syntax
25367
25368 @cindex output syntax of @sc{gdb/mi}
25369 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, output syntax
25370 The output from @sc{gdb/mi} consists of zero or more out-of-band records
25371 followed, optionally, by a single result record. This result record
25372 is for the most recent command. The sequence of output records is
25373 terminated by @samp{(gdb)}.
25374
25375 If an input command was prefixed with a @code{@var{token}} then the
25376 corresponding output for that command will also be prefixed by that same
25377 @var{token}.
25378
25379 @table @code
25380 @item @var{output} @expansion{}
25381 @code{( @var{out-of-band-record} )* [ @var{result-record} ] "(gdb)" @var{nl}}
25382
25383 @item @var{result-record} @expansion{}
25384 @code{ [ @var{token} ] "^" @var{result-class} ( "," @var{result} )* @var{nl}}
25385
25386 @item @var{out-of-band-record} @expansion{}
25387 @code{@var{async-record} | @var{stream-record}}
25388
25389 @item @var{async-record} @expansion{}
25390 @code{@var{exec-async-output} | @var{status-async-output} | @var{notify-async-output}}
25391
25392 @item @var{exec-async-output} @expansion{}
25393 @code{[ @var{token} ] "*" @var{async-output}}
25394
25395 @item @var{status-async-output} @expansion{}
25396 @code{[ @var{token} ] "+" @var{async-output}}
25397
25398 @item @var{notify-async-output} @expansion{}
25399 @code{[ @var{token} ] "=" @var{async-output}}
25400
25401 @item @var{async-output} @expansion{}
25402 @code{@var{async-class} ( "," @var{result} )* @var{nl}}
25403
25404 @item @var{result-class} @expansion{}
25405 @code{"done" | "running" | "connected" | "error" | "exit"}
25406
25407 @item @var{async-class} @expansion{}
25408 @code{"stopped" | @var{others}} (where @var{others} will be added
25409 depending on the needs---this is still in development).
25410
25411 @item @var{result} @expansion{}
25412 @code{ @var{variable} "=" @var{value}}
25413
25414 @item @var{variable} @expansion{}
25415 @code{ @var{string} }
25416
25417 @item @var{value} @expansion{}
25418 @code{ @var{const} | @var{tuple} | @var{list} }
25419
25420 @item @var{const} @expansion{}
25421 @code{@var{c-string}}
25422
25423 @item @var{tuple} @expansion{}
25424 @code{ "@{@}" | "@{" @var{result} ( "," @var{result} )* "@}" }
25425
25426 @item @var{list} @expansion{}
25427 @code{ "[]" | "[" @var{value} ( "," @var{value} )* "]" | "["
25428 @var{result} ( "," @var{result} )* "]" }
25429
25430 @item @var{stream-record} @expansion{}
25431 @code{@var{console-stream-output} | @var{target-stream-output} | @var{log-stream-output}}
25432
25433 @item @var{console-stream-output} @expansion{}
25434 @code{"~" @var{c-string}}
25435
25436 @item @var{target-stream-output} @expansion{}
25437 @code{"@@" @var{c-string}}
25438
25439 @item @var{log-stream-output} @expansion{}
25440 @code{"&" @var{c-string}}
25441
25442 @item @var{nl} @expansion{}
25443 @code{CR | CR-LF}
25444
25445 @item @var{token} @expansion{}
25446 @emph{any sequence of digits}.
25447 @end table
25448
25449 @noindent
25450 Notes:
25451
25452 @itemize @bullet
25453 @item
25454 All output sequences end in a single line containing a period.
25455
25456 @item
25457 The @code{@var{token}} is from the corresponding request. Note that
25458 for all async output, while the token is allowed by the grammar and
25459 may be output by future versions of @value{GDBN} for select async
25460 output messages, it is generally omitted. Frontends should treat
25461 all async output as reporting general changes in the state of the
25462 target and there should be no need to associate async output to any
25463 prior command.
25464
25465 @item
25466 @cindex status output in @sc{gdb/mi}
25467 @var{status-async-output} contains on-going status information about the
25468 progress of a slow operation. It can be discarded. All status output is
25469 prefixed by @samp{+}.
25470
25471 @item
25472 @cindex async output in @sc{gdb/mi}
25473 @var{exec-async-output} contains asynchronous state change on the target
25474 (stopped, started, disappeared). All async output is prefixed by
25475 @samp{*}.
25476
25477 @item
25478 @cindex notify output in @sc{gdb/mi}
25479 @var{notify-async-output} contains supplementary information that the
25480 client should handle (e.g., a new breakpoint information). All notify
25481 output is prefixed by @samp{=}.
25482
25483 @item
25484 @cindex console output in @sc{gdb/mi}
25485 @var{console-stream-output} is output that should be displayed as is in the
25486 console. It is the textual response to a CLI command. All the console
25487 output is prefixed by @samp{~}.
25488
25489 @item
25490 @cindex target output in @sc{gdb/mi}
25491 @var{target-stream-output} is the output produced by the target program.
25492 All the target output is prefixed by @samp{@@}.
25493
25494 @item
25495 @cindex log output in @sc{gdb/mi}
25496 @var{log-stream-output} is output text coming from @value{GDBN}'s internals, for
25497 instance messages that should be displayed as part of an error log. All
25498 the log output is prefixed by @samp{&}.
25499
25500 @item
25501 @cindex list output in @sc{gdb/mi}
25502 New @sc{gdb/mi} commands should only output @var{lists} containing
25503 @var{values}.
25504
25505
25506 @end itemize
25507
25508 @xref{GDB/MI Stream Records, , @sc{gdb/mi} Stream Records}, for more
25509 details about the various output records.
25510
25511 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
25512 @node GDB/MI Compatibility with CLI
25513 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Compatibility with CLI
25514
25515 @cindex compatibility, @sc{gdb/mi} and CLI
25516 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, compatibility with CLI
25517
25518 For the developers convenience CLI commands can be entered directly,
25519 but there may be some unexpected behaviour. For example, commands
25520 that query the user will behave as if the user replied yes, breakpoint
25521 command lists are not executed and some CLI commands, such as
25522 @code{if}, @code{when} and @code{define}, prompt for further input with
25523 @samp{>}, which is not valid MI output.
25524
25525 This feature may be removed at some stage in the future and it is
25526 recommended that front ends use the @code{-interpreter-exec} command
25527 (@pxref{-interpreter-exec}).
25528
25529 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
25530 @node GDB/MI Development and Front Ends
25531 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Development and Front Ends
25532 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi} development
25533
25534 The application which takes the MI output and presents the state of the
25535 program being debugged to the user is called a @dfn{front end}.
25536
25537 Although @sc{gdb/mi} is still incomplete, it is currently being used
25538 by a variety of front ends to @value{GDBN}. This makes it difficult
25539 to introduce new functionality without breaking existing usage. This
25540 section tries to minimize the problems by describing how the protocol
25541 might change.
25542
25543 Some changes in MI need not break a carefully designed front end, and
25544 for these the MI version will remain unchanged. The following is a
25545 list of changes that may occur within one level, so front ends should
25546 parse MI output in a way that can handle them:
25547
25548 @itemize @bullet
25549 @item
25550 New MI commands may be added.
25551
25552 @item
25553 New fields may be added to the output of any MI command.
25554
25555 @item
25556 The range of values for fields with specified values, e.g.,
25557 @code{in_scope} (@pxref{-var-update}) may be extended.
25558
25559 @c The format of field's content e.g type prefix, may change so parse it
25560 @c at your own risk. Yes, in general?
25561
25562 @c The order of fields may change? Shouldn't really matter but it might
25563 @c resolve inconsistencies.
25564 @end itemize
25565
25566 If the changes are likely to break front ends, the MI version level
25567 will be increased by one. This will allow the front end to parse the
25568 output according to the MI version. Apart from mi0, new versions of
25569 @value{GDBN} will not support old versions of MI and it will be the
25570 responsibility of the front end to work with the new one.
25571
25572 @c Starting with mi3, add a new command -mi-version that prints the MI
25573 @c version?
25574
25575 The best way to avoid unexpected changes in MI that might break your front
25576 end is to make your project known to @value{GDBN} developers and
25577 follow development on @email{gdb@@sourceware.org} and
25578 @email{gdb-patches@@sourceware.org}.
25579 @cindex mailing lists
25580
25581 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
25582 @node GDB/MI Output Records
25583 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Output Records
25584
25585 @menu
25586 * GDB/MI Result Records::
25587 * GDB/MI Stream Records::
25588 * GDB/MI Async Records::
25589 * GDB/MI Frame Information::
25590 * GDB/MI Thread Information::
25591 * GDB/MI Ada Exception Information::
25592 @end menu
25593
25594 @node GDB/MI Result Records
25595 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Result Records
25596
25597 @cindex result records in @sc{gdb/mi}
25598 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, result records
25599 In addition to a number of out-of-band notifications, the response to a
25600 @sc{gdb/mi} command includes one of the following result indications:
25601
25602 @table @code
25603 @findex ^done
25604 @item "^done" [ "," @var{results} ]
25605 The synchronous operation was successful, @code{@var{results}} are the return
25606 values.
25607
25608 @item "^running"
25609 @findex ^running
25610 This result record is equivalent to @samp{^done}. Historically, it
25611 was output instead of @samp{^done} if the command has resumed the
25612 target. This behaviour is maintained for backward compatibility, but
25613 all frontends should treat @samp{^done} and @samp{^running}
25614 identically and rely on the @samp{*running} output record to determine
25615 which threads are resumed.
25616
25617 @item "^connected"
25618 @findex ^connected
25619 @value{GDBN} has connected to a remote target.
25620
25621 @item "^error" "," @var{c-string}
25622 @findex ^error
25623 The operation failed. The @code{@var{c-string}} contains the corresponding
25624 error message.
25625
25626 @item "^exit"
25627 @findex ^exit
25628 @value{GDBN} has terminated.
25629
25630 @end table
25631
25632 @node GDB/MI Stream Records
25633 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Stream Records
25634
25635 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, stream records
25636 @cindex stream records in @sc{gdb/mi}
25637 @value{GDBN} internally maintains a number of output streams: the console, the
25638 target, and the log. The output intended for each of these streams is
25639 funneled through the @sc{gdb/mi} interface using @dfn{stream records}.
25640
25641 Each stream record begins with a unique @dfn{prefix character} which
25642 identifies its stream (@pxref{GDB/MI Output Syntax, , @sc{gdb/mi} Output
25643 Syntax}). In addition to the prefix, each stream record contains a
25644 @code{@var{string-output}}. This is either raw text (with an implicit new
25645 line) or a quoted C string (which does not contain an implicit newline).
25646
25647 @table @code
25648 @item "~" @var{string-output}
25649 The console output stream contains text that should be displayed in the
25650 CLI console window. It contains the textual responses to CLI commands.
25651
25652 @item "@@" @var{string-output}
25653 The target output stream contains any textual output from the running
25654 target. This is only present when GDB's event loop is truly
25655 asynchronous, which is currently only the case for remote targets.
25656
25657 @item "&" @var{string-output}
25658 The log stream contains debugging messages being produced by @value{GDBN}'s
25659 internals.
25660 @end table
25661
25662 @node GDB/MI Async Records
25663 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Async Records
25664
25665 @cindex async records in @sc{gdb/mi}
25666 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, async records
25667 @dfn{Async} records are used to notify the @sc{gdb/mi} client of
25668 additional changes that have occurred. Those changes can either be a
25669 consequence of @sc{gdb/mi} commands (e.g., a breakpoint modified) or a result of
25670 target activity (e.g., target stopped).
25671
25672 The following is the list of possible async records:
25673
25674 @table @code
25675
25676 @item *running,thread-id="@var{thread}"
25677 The target is now running. The @var{thread} field tells which
25678 specific thread is now running, and can be @samp{all} if all threads
25679 are running. The frontend should assume that no interaction with a
25680 running thread is possible after this notification is produced.
25681 The frontend should not assume that this notification is output
25682 only once for any command. @value{GDBN} may emit this notification
25683 several times, either for different threads, because it cannot resume
25684 all threads together, or even for a single thread, if the thread must
25685 be stepped though some code before letting it run freely.
25686
25687 @item *stopped,reason="@var{reason}",thread-id="@var{id}",stopped-threads="@var{stopped}",core="@var{core}"
25688 The target has stopped. The @var{reason} field can have one of the
25689 following values:
25690
25691 @table @code
25692 @item breakpoint-hit
25693 A breakpoint was reached.
25694 @item watchpoint-trigger
25695 A watchpoint was triggered.
25696 @item read-watchpoint-trigger
25697 A read watchpoint was triggered.
25698 @item access-watchpoint-trigger
25699 An access watchpoint was triggered.
25700 @item function-finished
25701 An -exec-finish or similar CLI command was accomplished.
25702 @item location-reached
25703 An -exec-until or similar CLI command was accomplished.
25704 @item watchpoint-scope
25705 A watchpoint has gone out of scope.
25706 @item end-stepping-range
25707 An -exec-next, -exec-next-instruction, -exec-step, -exec-step-instruction or
25708 similar CLI command was accomplished.
25709 @item exited-signalled
25710 The inferior exited because of a signal.
25711 @item exited
25712 The inferior exited.
25713 @item exited-normally
25714 The inferior exited normally.
25715 @item signal-received
25716 A signal was received by the inferior.
25717 @end table
25718
25719 The @var{id} field identifies the thread that directly caused the stop
25720 -- for example by hitting a breakpoint. Depending on whether all-stop
25721 mode is in effect (@pxref{All-Stop Mode}), @value{GDBN} may either
25722 stop all threads, or only the thread that directly triggered the stop.
25723 If all threads are stopped, the @var{stopped} field will have the
25724 value of @code{"all"}. Otherwise, the value of the @var{stopped}
25725 field will be a list of thread identifiers. Presently, this list will
25726 always include a single thread, but frontend should be prepared to see
25727 several threads in the list. The @var{core} field reports the
25728 processor core on which the stop event has happened. This field may be absent
25729 if such information is not available.
25730
25731 @item =thread-group-added,id="@var{id}"
25732 @itemx =thread-group-removed,id="@var{id}"
25733 A thread group was either added or removed. The @var{id} field
25734 contains the @value{GDBN} identifier of the thread group. When a thread
25735 group is added, it generally might not be associated with a running
25736 process. When a thread group is removed, its id becomes invalid and
25737 cannot be used in any way.
25738
25739 @item =thread-group-started,id="@var{id}",pid="@var{pid}"
25740 A thread group became associated with a running program,
25741 either because the program was just started or the thread group
25742 was attached to a program. The @var{id} field contains the
25743 @value{GDBN} identifier of the thread group. The @var{pid} field
25744 contains process identifier, specific to the operating system.
25745
25746 @item =thread-group-exited,id="@var{id}"[,exit-code="@var{code}"]
25747 A thread group is no longer associated with a running program,
25748 either because the program has exited, or because it was detached
25749 from. The @var{id} field contains the @value{GDBN} identifier of the
25750 thread group. @var{code} is the exit code of the inferior; it exists
25751 only when the inferior exited with some code.
25752
25753 @item =thread-created,id="@var{id}",group-id="@var{gid}"
25754 @itemx =thread-exited,id="@var{id}",group-id="@var{gid}"
25755 A thread either was created, or has exited. The @var{id} field
25756 contains the @value{GDBN} identifier of the thread. The @var{gid}
25757 field identifies the thread group this thread belongs to.
25758
25759 @item =thread-selected,id="@var{id}"
25760 Informs that the selected thread was changed as result of the last
25761 command. This notification is not emitted as result of @code{-thread-select}
25762 command but is emitted whenever an MI command that is not documented
25763 to change the selected thread actually changes it. In particular,
25764 invoking, directly or indirectly (via user-defined command), the CLI
25765 @code{thread} command, will generate this notification.
25766
25767 We suggest that in response to this notification, front ends
25768 highlight the selected thread and cause subsequent commands to apply to
25769 that thread.
25770
25771 @item =library-loaded,...
25772 Reports that a new library file was loaded by the program. This
25773 notification has 4 fields---@var{id}, @var{target-name},
25774 @var{host-name}, and @var{symbols-loaded}. The @var{id} field is an
25775 opaque identifier of the library. For remote debugging case,
25776 @var{target-name} and @var{host-name} fields give the name of the
25777 library file on the target, and on the host respectively. For native
25778 debugging, both those fields have the same value. The
25779 @var{symbols-loaded} field is emitted only for backward compatibility
25780 and should not be relied on to convey any useful information. The
25781 @var{thread-group} field, if present, specifies the id of the thread
25782 group in whose context the library was loaded. If the field is
25783 absent, it means the library was loaded in the context of all present
25784 thread groups.
25785
25786 @item =library-unloaded,...
25787 Reports that a library was unloaded by the program. This notification
25788 has 3 fields---@var{id}, @var{target-name} and @var{host-name} with
25789 the same meaning as for the @code{=library-loaded} notification.
25790 The @var{thread-group} field, if present, specifies the id of the
25791 thread group in whose context the library was unloaded. If the field is
25792 absent, it means the library was unloaded in the context of all present
25793 thread groups.
25794
25795 @item =breakpoint-created,bkpt=@{...@}
25796 @itemx =breakpoint-modified,bkpt=@{...@}
25797 @itemx =breakpoint-deleted,bkpt=@{...@}
25798 Reports that a breakpoint was created, modified, or deleted,
25799 respectively. Only user-visible breakpoints are reported to the MI
25800 user.
25801
25802 The @var{bkpt} argument is of the same form as returned by the various
25803 breakpoint commands; @xref{GDB/MI Breakpoint Commands}.
25804
25805 Note that if a breakpoint is emitted in the result record of a
25806 command, then it will not also be emitted in an async record.
25807
25808 @end table
25809
25810 @node GDB/MI Frame Information
25811 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Frame Information
25812
25813 Response from many MI commands includes an information about stack
25814 frame. This information is a tuple that may have the following
25815 fields:
25816
25817 @table @code
25818 @item level
25819 The level of the stack frame. The innermost frame has the level of
25820 zero. This field is always present.
25821
25822 @item func
25823 The name of the function corresponding to the frame. This field may
25824 be absent if @value{GDBN} is unable to determine the function name.
25825
25826 @item addr
25827 The code address for the frame. This field is always present.
25828
25829 @item file
25830 The name of the source files that correspond to the frame's code
25831 address. This field may be absent.
25832
25833 @item line
25834 The source line corresponding to the frames' code address. This field
25835 may be absent.
25836
25837 @item from
25838 The name of the binary file (either executable or shared library) the
25839 corresponds to the frame's code address. This field may be absent.
25840
25841 @end table
25842
25843 @node GDB/MI Thread Information
25844 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Thread Information
25845
25846 Whenever @value{GDBN} has to report an information about a thread, it
25847 uses a tuple with the following fields:
25848
25849 @table @code
25850 @item id
25851 The numeric id assigned to the thread by @value{GDBN}. This field is
25852 always present.
25853
25854 @item target-id
25855 Target-specific string identifying the thread. This field is always present.
25856
25857 @item details
25858 Additional information about the thread provided by the target.
25859 It is supposed to be human-readable and not interpreted by the
25860 frontend. This field is optional.
25861
25862 @item state
25863 Either @samp{stopped} or @samp{running}, depending on whether the
25864 thread is presently running. This field is always present.
25865
25866 @item core
25867 The value of this field is an integer number of the processor core the
25868 thread was last seen on. This field is optional.
25869 @end table
25870
25871 @node GDB/MI Ada Exception Information
25872 @subsection @sc{gdb/mi} Ada Exception Information
25873
25874 Whenever a @code{*stopped} record is emitted because the program
25875 stopped after hitting an exception catchpoint (@pxref{Set Catchpoints}),
25876 @value{GDBN} provides the name of the exception that was raised via
25877 the @code{exception-name} field.
25878
25879 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
25880 @node GDB/MI Simple Examples
25881 @section Simple Examples of @sc{gdb/mi} Interaction
25882 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, simple examples
25883
25884 This subsection presents several simple examples of interaction using
25885 the @sc{gdb/mi} interface. In these examples, @samp{->} means that the
25886 following line is passed to @sc{gdb/mi} as input, while @samp{<-} means
25887 the output received from @sc{gdb/mi}.
25888
25889 Note the line breaks shown in the examples are here only for
25890 readability, they don't appear in the real output.
25891
25892 @subheading Setting a Breakpoint
25893
25894 Setting a breakpoint generates synchronous output which contains detailed
25895 information of the breakpoint.
25896
25897 @smallexample
25898 -> -break-insert main
25899 <- ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",
25900 enabled="y",addr="0x08048564",func="main",file="myprog.c",
25901 fullname="/home/nickrob/myprog.c",line="68",times="0"@}
25902 <- (gdb)
25903 @end smallexample
25904
25905 @subheading Program Execution
25906
25907 Program execution generates asynchronous records and MI gives the
25908 reason that execution stopped.
25909
25910 @smallexample
25911 -> -exec-run
25912 <- ^running
25913 <- (gdb)
25914 <- *stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",bkptno="1",thread-id="0",
25915 frame=@{addr="0x08048564",func="main",
25916 args=[@{name="argc",value="1"@},@{name="argv",value="0xbfc4d4d4"@}],
25917 file="myprog.c",fullname="/home/nickrob/myprog.c",line="68"@}
25918 <- (gdb)
25919 -> -exec-continue
25920 <- ^running
25921 <- (gdb)
25922 <- *stopped,reason="exited-normally"
25923 <- (gdb)
25924 @end smallexample
25925
25926 @subheading Quitting @value{GDBN}
25927
25928 Quitting @value{GDBN} just prints the result class @samp{^exit}.
25929
25930 @smallexample
25931 -> (gdb)
25932 <- -gdb-exit
25933 <- ^exit
25934 @end smallexample
25935
25936 Please note that @samp{^exit} is printed immediately, but it might
25937 take some time for @value{GDBN} to actually exit. During that time, @value{GDBN}
25938 performs necessary cleanups, including killing programs being debugged
25939 or disconnecting from debug hardware, so the frontend should wait till
25940 @value{GDBN} exits and should only forcibly kill @value{GDBN} if it
25941 fails to exit in reasonable time.
25942
25943 @subheading A Bad Command
25944
25945 Here's what happens if you pass a non-existent command:
25946
25947 @smallexample
25948 -> -rubbish
25949 <- ^error,msg="Undefined MI command: rubbish"
25950 <- (gdb)
25951 @end smallexample
25952
25953
25954 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
25955 @node GDB/MI Command Description Format
25956 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Command Description Format
25957
25958 The remaining sections describe blocks of commands. Each block of
25959 commands is laid out in a fashion similar to this section.
25960
25961 @subheading Motivation
25962
25963 The motivation for this collection of commands.
25964
25965 @subheading Introduction
25966
25967 A brief introduction to this collection of commands as a whole.
25968
25969 @subheading Commands
25970
25971 For each command in the block, the following is described:
25972
25973 @subsubheading Synopsis
25974
25975 @smallexample
25976 -command @var{args}@dots{}
25977 @end smallexample
25978
25979 @subsubheading Result
25980
25981 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
25982
25983 The corresponding @value{GDBN} CLI command(s), if any.
25984
25985 @subsubheading Example
25986
25987 Example(s) formatted for readability. Some of the described commands have
25988 not been implemented yet and these are labeled N.A.@: (not available).
25989
25990
25991 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
25992 @node GDB/MI Breakpoint Commands
25993 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Breakpoint Commands
25994
25995 @cindex breakpoint commands for @sc{gdb/mi}
25996 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, breakpoint commands
25997 This section documents @sc{gdb/mi} commands for manipulating
25998 breakpoints.
25999
26000 @subheading The @code{-break-after} Command
26001 @findex -break-after
26002
26003 @subsubheading Synopsis
26004
26005 @smallexample
26006 -break-after @var{number} @var{count}
26007 @end smallexample
26008
26009 The breakpoint number @var{number} is not in effect until it has been
26010 hit @var{count} times. To see how this is reflected in the output of
26011 the @samp{-break-list} command, see the description of the
26012 @samp{-break-list} command below.
26013
26014 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
26015
26016 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{ignore}.
26017
26018 @subsubheading Example
26019
26020 @smallexample
26021 (gdb)
26022 -break-insert main
26023 ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",
26024 enabled="y",addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",
26025 fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",line="5",times="0"@}
26026 (gdb)
26027 -break-after 1 3
26028 ~
26029 ^done
26030 (gdb)
26031 -break-list
26032 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="6",
26033 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
26034 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
26035 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
26036 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
26037 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
26038 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
26039 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
26040 addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",
26041 line="5",times="0",ignore="3"@}]@}
26042 (gdb)
26043 @end smallexample
26044
26045 @ignore
26046 @subheading The @code{-break-catch} Command
26047 @findex -break-catch
26048 @end ignore
26049
26050 @subheading The @code{-break-commands} Command
26051 @findex -break-commands
26052
26053 @subsubheading Synopsis
26054
26055 @smallexample
26056 -break-commands @var{number} [ @var{command1} ... @var{commandN} ]
26057 @end smallexample
26058
26059 Specifies the CLI commands that should be executed when breakpoint
26060 @var{number} is hit. The parameters @var{command1} to @var{commandN}
26061 are the commands. If no command is specified, any previously-set
26062 commands are cleared. @xref{Break Commands}. Typical use of this
26063 functionality is tracing a program, that is, printing of values of
26064 some variables whenever breakpoint is hit and then continuing.
26065
26066 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
26067
26068 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{commands}.
26069
26070 @subsubheading Example
26071
26072 @smallexample
26073 (gdb)
26074 -break-insert main
26075 ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",
26076 enabled="y",addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",
26077 fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",line="5",times="0"@}
26078 (gdb)
26079 -break-commands 1 "print v" "continue"
26080 ^done
26081 (gdb)
26082 @end smallexample
26083
26084 @subheading The @code{-break-condition} Command
26085 @findex -break-condition
26086
26087 @subsubheading Synopsis
26088
26089 @smallexample
26090 -break-condition @var{number} @var{expr}
26091 @end smallexample
26092
26093 Breakpoint @var{number} will stop the program only if the condition in
26094 @var{expr} is true. The condition becomes part of the
26095 @samp{-break-list} output (see the description of the @samp{-break-list}
26096 command below).
26097
26098 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
26099
26100 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{condition}.
26101
26102 @subsubheading Example
26103
26104 @smallexample
26105 (gdb)
26106 -break-condition 1 1
26107 ^done
26108 (gdb)
26109 -break-list
26110 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="6",
26111 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
26112 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
26113 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
26114 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
26115 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
26116 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
26117 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
26118 addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",
26119 line="5",cond="1",times="0",ignore="3"@}]@}
26120 (gdb)
26121 @end smallexample
26122
26123 @subheading The @code{-break-delete} Command
26124 @findex -break-delete
26125
26126 @subsubheading Synopsis
26127
26128 @smallexample
26129 -break-delete ( @var{breakpoint} )+
26130 @end smallexample
26131
26132 Delete the breakpoint(s) whose number(s) are specified in the argument
26133 list. This is obviously reflected in the breakpoint list.
26134
26135 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
26136
26137 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{delete}.
26138
26139 @subsubheading Example
26140
26141 @smallexample
26142 (gdb)
26143 -break-delete 1
26144 ^done
26145 (gdb)
26146 -break-list
26147 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="0",nr_cols="6",
26148 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
26149 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
26150 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
26151 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
26152 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
26153 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
26154 body=[]@}
26155 (gdb)
26156 @end smallexample
26157
26158 @subheading The @code{-break-disable} Command
26159 @findex -break-disable
26160
26161 @subsubheading Synopsis
26162
26163 @smallexample
26164 -break-disable ( @var{breakpoint} )+
26165 @end smallexample
26166
26167 Disable the named @var{breakpoint}(s). The field @samp{enabled} in the
26168 break list is now set to @samp{n} for the named @var{breakpoint}(s).
26169
26170 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
26171
26172 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{disable}.
26173
26174 @subsubheading Example
26175
26176 @smallexample
26177 (gdb)
26178 -break-disable 2
26179 ^done
26180 (gdb)
26181 -break-list
26182 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="6",
26183 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
26184 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
26185 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
26186 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
26187 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
26188 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
26189 body=[bkpt=@{number="2",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="n",
26190 addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",
26191 line="5",times="0"@}]@}
26192 (gdb)
26193 @end smallexample
26194
26195 @subheading The @code{-break-enable} Command
26196 @findex -break-enable
26197
26198 @subsubheading Synopsis
26199
26200 @smallexample
26201 -break-enable ( @var{breakpoint} )+
26202 @end smallexample
26203
26204 Enable (previously disabled) @var{breakpoint}(s).
26205
26206 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
26207
26208 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{enable}.
26209
26210 @subsubheading Example
26211
26212 @smallexample
26213 (gdb)
26214 -break-enable 2
26215 ^done
26216 (gdb)
26217 -break-list
26218 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="6",
26219 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
26220 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
26221 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
26222 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
26223 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
26224 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
26225 body=[bkpt=@{number="2",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
26226 addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",
26227 line="5",times="0"@}]@}
26228 (gdb)
26229 @end smallexample
26230
26231 @subheading The @code{-break-info} Command
26232 @findex -break-info
26233
26234 @subsubheading Synopsis
26235
26236 @smallexample
26237 -break-info @var{breakpoint}
26238 @end smallexample
26239
26240 @c REDUNDANT???
26241 Get information about a single breakpoint.
26242
26243 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
26244
26245 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info break @var{breakpoint}}.
26246
26247 @subsubheading Example
26248 N.A.
26249
26250 @subheading The @code{-break-insert} Command
26251 @findex -break-insert
26252
26253 @subsubheading Synopsis
26254
26255 @smallexample
26256 -break-insert [ -t ] [ -h ] [ -f ] [ -d ] [ -a ]
26257 [ -c @var{condition} ] [ -i @var{ignore-count} ]
26258 [ -p @var{thread} ] [ @var{location} ]
26259 @end smallexample
26260
26261 @noindent
26262 If specified, @var{location}, can be one of:
26263
26264 @itemize @bullet
26265 @item function
26266 @c @item +offset
26267 @c @item -offset
26268 @c @item linenum
26269 @item filename:linenum
26270 @item filename:function
26271 @item *address
26272 @end itemize
26273
26274 The possible optional parameters of this command are:
26275
26276 @table @samp
26277 @item -t
26278 Insert a temporary breakpoint.
26279 @item -h
26280 Insert a hardware breakpoint.
26281 @item -c @var{condition}
26282 Make the breakpoint conditional on @var{condition}.
26283 @item -i @var{ignore-count}
26284 Initialize the @var{ignore-count}.
26285 @item -f
26286 If @var{location} cannot be parsed (for example if it
26287 refers to unknown files or functions), create a pending
26288 breakpoint. Without this flag, @value{GDBN} will report
26289 an error, and won't create a breakpoint, if @var{location}
26290 cannot be parsed.
26291 @item -d
26292 Create a disabled breakpoint.
26293 @item -a
26294 Create a tracepoint. @xref{Tracepoints}. When this parameter
26295 is used together with @samp{-h}, a fast tracepoint is created.
26296 @end table
26297
26298 @subsubheading Result
26299
26300 The result is in the form:
26301
26302 @smallexample
26303 ^done,bkpt=@{number="@var{number}",type="@var{type}",disp="del"|"keep",
26304 enabled="y"|"n",addr="@var{hex}",func="@var{funcname}",file="@var{filename}",
26305 fullname="@var{full_filename}",line="@var{lineno}",[thread="@var{threadno},]
26306 times="@var{times}"@}
26307 @end smallexample
26308
26309 @noindent
26310 where @var{number} is the @value{GDBN} number for this breakpoint,
26311 @var{funcname} is the name of the function where the breakpoint was
26312 inserted, @var{filename} is the name of the source file which contains
26313 this function, @var{lineno} is the source line number within that file
26314 and @var{times} the number of times that the breakpoint has been hit
26315 (always 0 for -break-insert but may be greater for -break-info or -break-list
26316 which use the same output).
26317
26318 Note: this format is open to change.
26319 @c An out-of-band breakpoint instead of part of the result?
26320
26321 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
26322
26323 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{break}, @samp{tbreak},
26324 @samp{hbreak}, @samp{thbreak}, and @samp{rbreak}.
26325
26326 @subsubheading Example
26327
26328 @smallexample
26329 (gdb)
26330 -break-insert main
26331 ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",addr="0x0001072c",file="recursive2.c",
26332 fullname="/home/foo/recursive2.c,line="4",times="0"@}
26333 (gdb)
26334 -break-insert -t foo
26335 ^done,bkpt=@{number="2",addr="0x00010774",file="recursive2.c",
26336 fullname="/home/foo/recursive2.c,line="11",times="0"@}
26337 (gdb)
26338 -break-list
26339 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="2",nr_cols="6",
26340 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
26341 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
26342 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
26343 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
26344 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
26345 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
26346 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
26347 addr="0x0001072c", func="main",file="recursive2.c",
26348 fullname="/home/foo/recursive2.c,"line="4",times="0"@},
26349 bkpt=@{number="2",type="breakpoint",disp="del",enabled="y",
26350 addr="0x00010774",func="foo",file="recursive2.c",
26351 fullname="/home/foo/recursive2.c",line="11",times="0"@}]@}
26352 (gdb)
26353 -break-insert -r foo.*
26354 ~int foo(int, int);
26355 ^done,bkpt=@{number="3",addr="0x00010774",file="recursive2.c,
26356 "fullname="/home/foo/recursive2.c",line="11",times="0"@}
26357 (gdb)
26358 @end smallexample
26359
26360 @subheading The @code{-break-list} Command
26361 @findex -break-list
26362
26363 @subsubheading Synopsis
26364
26365 @smallexample
26366 -break-list
26367 @end smallexample
26368
26369 Displays the list of inserted breakpoints, showing the following fields:
26370
26371 @table @samp
26372 @item Number
26373 number of the breakpoint
26374 @item Type
26375 type of the breakpoint: @samp{breakpoint} or @samp{watchpoint}
26376 @item Disposition
26377 should the breakpoint be deleted or disabled when it is hit: @samp{keep}
26378 or @samp{nokeep}
26379 @item Enabled
26380 is the breakpoint enabled or no: @samp{y} or @samp{n}
26381 @item Address
26382 memory location at which the breakpoint is set
26383 @item What
26384 logical location of the breakpoint, expressed by function name, file
26385 name, line number
26386 @item Times
26387 number of times the breakpoint has been hit
26388 @end table
26389
26390 If there are no breakpoints or watchpoints, the @code{BreakpointTable}
26391 @code{body} field is an empty list.
26392
26393 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
26394
26395 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info break}.
26396
26397 @subsubheading Example
26398
26399 @smallexample
26400 (gdb)
26401 -break-list
26402 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="2",nr_cols="6",
26403 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
26404 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
26405 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
26406 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
26407 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
26408 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
26409 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
26410 addr="0x000100d0",func="main",file="hello.c",line="5",times="0"@},
26411 bkpt=@{number="2",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
26412 addr="0x00010114",func="foo",file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/hello.c",
26413 line="13",times="0"@}]@}
26414 (gdb)
26415 @end smallexample
26416
26417 Here's an example of the result when there are no breakpoints:
26418
26419 @smallexample
26420 (gdb)
26421 -break-list
26422 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="0",nr_cols="6",
26423 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
26424 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
26425 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
26426 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
26427 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
26428 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
26429 body=[]@}
26430 (gdb)
26431 @end smallexample
26432
26433 @subheading The @code{-break-passcount} Command
26434 @findex -break-passcount
26435
26436 @subsubheading Synopsis
26437
26438 @smallexample
26439 -break-passcount @var{tracepoint-number} @var{passcount}
26440 @end smallexample
26441
26442 Set the passcount for tracepoint @var{tracepoint-number} to
26443 @var{passcount}. If the breakpoint referred to by @var{tracepoint-number}
26444 is not a tracepoint, error is emitted. This corresponds to CLI
26445 command @samp{passcount}.
26446
26447 @subheading The @code{-break-watch} Command
26448 @findex -break-watch
26449
26450 @subsubheading Synopsis
26451
26452 @smallexample
26453 -break-watch [ -a | -r ]
26454 @end smallexample
26455
26456 Create a watchpoint. With the @samp{-a} option it will create an
26457 @dfn{access} watchpoint, i.e., a watchpoint that triggers either on a
26458 read from or on a write to the memory location. With the @samp{-r}
26459 option, the watchpoint created is a @dfn{read} watchpoint, i.e., it will
26460 trigger only when the memory location is accessed for reading. Without
26461 either of the options, the watchpoint created is a regular watchpoint,
26462 i.e., it will trigger when the memory location is accessed for writing.
26463 @xref{Set Watchpoints, , Setting Watchpoints}.
26464
26465 Note that @samp{-break-list} will report a single list of watchpoints and
26466 breakpoints inserted.
26467
26468 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
26469
26470 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{watch}, @samp{awatch}, and
26471 @samp{rwatch}.
26472
26473 @subsubheading Example
26474
26475 Setting a watchpoint on a variable in the @code{main} function:
26476
26477 @smallexample
26478 (gdb)
26479 -break-watch x
26480 ^done,wpt=@{number="2",exp="x"@}
26481 (gdb)
26482 -exec-continue
26483 ^running
26484 (gdb)
26485 *stopped,reason="watchpoint-trigger",wpt=@{number="2",exp="x"@},
26486 value=@{old="-268439212",new="55"@},
26487 frame=@{func="main",args=[],file="recursive2.c",
26488 fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="5"@}
26489 (gdb)
26490 @end smallexample
26491
26492 Setting a watchpoint on a variable local to a function. @value{GDBN} will stop
26493 the program execution twice: first for the variable changing value, then
26494 for the watchpoint going out of scope.
26495
26496 @smallexample
26497 (gdb)
26498 -break-watch C
26499 ^done,wpt=@{number="5",exp="C"@}
26500 (gdb)
26501 -exec-continue
26502 ^running
26503 (gdb)
26504 *stopped,reason="watchpoint-trigger",
26505 wpt=@{number="5",exp="C"@},value=@{old="-276895068",new="3"@},
26506 frame=@{func="callee4",args=[],
26507 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
26508 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="13"@}
26509 (gdb)
26510 -exec-continue
26511 ^running
26512 (gdb)
26513 *stopped,reason="watchpoint-scope",wpnum="5",
26514 frame=@{func="callee3",args=[@{name="strarg",
26515 value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}],
26516 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
26517 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="18"@}
26518 (gdb)
26519 @end smallexample
26520
26521 Listing breakpoints and watchpoints, at different points in the program
26522 execution. Note that once the watchpoint goes out of scope, it is
26523 deleted.
26524
26525 @smallexample
26526 (gdb)
26527 -break-watch C
26528 ^done,wpt=@{number="2",exp="C"@}
26529 (gdb)
26530 -break-list
26531 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="2",nr_cols="6",
26532 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
26533 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
26534 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
26535 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
26536 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
26537 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
26538 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
26539 addr="0x00010734",func="callee4",
26540 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
26541 fullname="/home/foo/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c"line="8",times="1"@},
26542 bkpt=@{number="2",type="watchpoint",disp="keep",
26543 enabled="y",addr="",what="C",times="0"@}]@}
26544 (gdb)
26545 -exec-continue
26546 ^running
26547 (gdb)
26548 *stopped,reason="watchpoint-trigger",wpt=@{number="2",exp="C"@},
26549 value=@{old="-276895068",new="3"@},
26550 frame=@{func="callee4",args=[],
26551 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
26552 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="13"@}
26553 (gdb)
26554 -break-list
26555 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="2",nr_cols="6",
26556 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
26557 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
26558 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
26559 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
26560 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
26561 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
26562 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
26563 addr="0x00010734",func="callee4",
26564 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
26565 fullname="/home/foo/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="8",times="1"@},
26566 bkpt=@{number="2",type="watchpoint",disp="keep",
26567 enabled="y",addr="",what="C",times="-5"@}]@}
26568 (gdb)
26569 -exec-continue
26570 ^running
26571 ^done,reason="watchpoint-scope",wpnum="2",
26572 frame=@{func="callee3",args=[@{name="strarg",
26573 value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}],
26574 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
26575 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="18"@}
26576 (gdb)
26577 -break-list
26578 ^done,BreakpointTable=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="6",
26579 hdr=[@{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="number",colhdr="Num"@},
26580 @{width="14",alignment="-1",col_name="type",colhdr="Type"@},
26581 @{width="4",alignment="-1",col_name="disp",colhdr="Disp"@},
26582 @{width="3",alignment="-1",col_name="enabled",colhdr="Enb"@},
26583 @{width="10",alignment="-1",col_name="addr",colhdr="Address"@},
26584 @{width="40",alignment="2",col_name="what",colhdr="What"@}],
26585 body=[bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
26586 addr="0x00010734",func="callee4",
26587 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
26588 fullname="/home/foo/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="8",
26589 times="1"@}]@}
26590 (gdb)
26591 @end smallexample
26592
26593 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
26594 @node GDB/MI Program Context
26595 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Program Context
26596
26597 @subheading The @code{-exec-arguments} Command
26598 @findex -exec-arguments
26599
26600
26601 @subsubheading Synopsis
26602
26603 @smallexample
26604 -exec-arguments @var{args}
26605 @end smallexample
26606
26607 Set the inferior program arguments, to be used in the next
26608 @samp{-exec-run}.
26609
26610 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
26611
26612 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{set args}.
26613
26614 @subsubheading Example
26615
26616 @smallexample
26617 (gdb)
26618 -exec-arguments -v word
26619 ^done
26620 (gdb)
26621 @end smallexample
26622
26623
26624 @ignore
26625 @subheading The @code{-exec-show-arguments} Command
26626 @findex -exec-show-arguments
26627
26628 @subsubheading Synopsis
26629
26630 @smallexample
26631 -exec-show-arguments
26632 @end smallexample
26633
26634 Print the arguments of the program.
26635
26636 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
26637
26638 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{show args}.
26639
26640 @subsubheading Example
26641 N.A.
26642 @end ignore
26643
26644
26645 @subheading The @code{-environment-cd} Command
26646 @findex -environment-cd
26647
26648 @subsubheading Synopsis
26649
26650 @smallexample
26651 -environment-cd @var{pathdir}
26652 @end smallexample
26653
26654 Set @value{GDBN}'s working directory.
26655
26656 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
26657
26658 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{cd}.
26659
26660 @subsubheading Example
26661
26662 @smallexample
26663 (gdb)
26664 -environment-cd /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb
26665 ^done
26666 (gdb)
26667 @end smallexample
26668
26669
26670 @subheading The @code{-environment-directory} Command
26671 @findex -environment-directory
26672
26673 @subsubheading Synopsis
26674
26675 @smallexample
26676 -environment-directory [ -r ] [ @var{pathdir} ]+
26677 @end smallexample
26678
26679 Add directories @var{pathdir} to beginning of search path for source files.
26680 If the @samp{-r} option is used, the search path is reset to the default
26681 search path. If directories @var{pathdir} are supplied in addition to the
26682 @samp{-r} option, the search path is first reset and then addition
26683 occurs as normal.
26684 Multiple directories may be specified, separated by blanks. Specifying
26685 multiple directories in a single command
26686 results in the directories added to the beginning of the
26687 search path in the same order they were presented in the command.
26688 If blanks are needed as
26689 part of a directory name, double-quotes should be used around
26690 the name. In the command output, the path will show up separated
26691 by the system directory-separator character. The directory-separator
26692 character must not be used
26693 in any directory name.
26694 If no directories are specified, the current search path is displayed.
26695
26696 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
26697
26698 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{dir}.
26699
26700 @subsubheading Example
26701
26702 @smallexample
26703 (gdb)
26704 -environment-directory /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb
26705 ^done,source-path="/kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb:$cdir:$cwd"
26706 (gdb)
26707 -environment-directory ""
26708 ^done,source-path="/kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb:$cdir:$cwd"
26709 (gdb)
26710 -environment-directory -r /home/jjohnstn/src/gdb /usr/src
26711 ^done,source-path="/home/jjohnstn/src/gdb:/usr/src:$cdir:$cwd"
26712 (gdb)
26713 -environment-directory -r
26714 ^done,source-path="$cdir:$cwd"
26715 (gdb)
26716 @end smallexample
26717
26718
26719 @subheading The @code{-environment-path} Command
26720 @findex -environment-path
26721
26722 @subsubheading Synopsis
26723
26724 @smallexample
26725 -environment-path [ -r ] [ @var{pathdir} ]+
26726 @end smallexample
26727
26728 Add directories @var{pathdir} to beginning of search path for object files.
26729 If the @samp{-r} option is used, the search path is reset to the original
26730 search path that existed at gdb start-up. If directories @var{pathdir} are
26731 supplied in addition to the
26732 @samp{-r} option, the search path is first reset and then addition
26733 occurs as normal.
26734 Multiple directories may be specified, separated by blanks. Specifying
26735 multiple directories in a single command
26736 results in the directories added to the beginning of the
26737 search path in the same order they were presented in the command.
26738 If blanks are needed as
26739 part of a directory name, double-quotes should be used around
26740 the name. In the command output, the path will show up separated
26741 by the system directory-separator character. The directory-separator
26742 character must not be used
26743 in any directory name.
26744 If no directories are specified, the current path is displayed.
26745
26746
26747 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
26748
26749 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{path}.
26750
26751 @subsubheading Example
26752
26753 @smallexample
26754 (gdb)
26755 -environment-path
26756 ^done,path="/usr/bin"
26757 (gdb)
26758 -environment-path /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/ppc-eabi/gdb /bin
26759 ^done,path="/kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/ppc-eabi/gdb:/bin:/usr/bin"
26760 (gdb)
26761 -environment-path -r /usr/local/bin
26762 ^done,path="/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin"
26763 (gdb)
26764 @end smallexample
26765
26766
26767 @subheading The @code{-environment-pwd} Command
26768 @findex -environment-pwd
26769
26770 @subsubheading Synopsis
26771
26772 @smallexample
26773 -environment-pwd
26774 @end smallexample
26775
26776 Show the current working directory.
26777
26778 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
26779
26780 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{pwd}.
26781
26782 @subsubheading Example
26783
26784 @smallexample
26785 (gdb)
26786 -environment-pwd
26787 ^done,cwd="/kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb"
26788 (gdb)
26789 @end smallexample
26790
26791 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
26792 @node GDB/MI Thread Commands
26793 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Thread Commands
26794
26795
26796 @subheading The @code{-thread-info} Command
26797 @findex -thread-info
26798
26799 @subsubheading Synopsis
26800
26801 @smallexample
26802 -thread-info [ @var{thread-id} ]
26803 @end smallexample
26804
26805 Reports information about either a specific thread, if
26806 the @var{thread-id} parameter is present, or about all
26807 threads. When printing information about all threads,
26808 also reports the current thread.
26809
26810 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
26811
26812 The @samp{info thread} command prints the same information
26813 about all threads.
26814
26815 @subsubheading Result
26816
26817 The result is a list of threads. The following attributes are
26818 defined for a given thread:
26819
26820 @table @samp
26821 @item current
26822 This field exists only for the current thread. It has the value @samp{*}.
26823
26824 @item id
26825 The identifier that @value{GDBN} uses to refer to the thread.
26826
26827 @item target-id
26828 The identifier that the target uses to refer to the thread.
26829
26830 @item details
26831 Extra information about the thread, in a target-specific format. This
26832 field is optional.
26833
26834 @item name
26835 The name of the thread. If the user specified a name using the
26836 @code{thread name} command, then this name is given. Otherwise, if
26837 @value{GDBN} can extract the thread name from the target, then that
26838 name is given. If @value{GDBN} cannot find the thread name, then this
26839 field is omitted.
26840
26841 @item frame
26842 The stack frame currently executing in the thread.
26843
26844 @item state
26845 The thread's state. The @samp{state} field may have the following
26846 values:
26847
26848 @table @code
26849 @item stopped
26850 The thread is stopped. Frame information is available for stopped
26851 threads.
26852
26853 @item running
26854 The thread is running. There's no frame information for running
26855 threads.
26856
26857 @end table
26858
26859 @item core
26860 If @value{GDBN} can find the CPU core on which this thread is running,
26861 then this field is the core identifier. This field is optional.
26862
26863 @end table
26864
26865 @subsubheading Example
26866
26867 @smallexample
26868 -thread-info
26869 ^done,threads=[
26870 @{id="2",target-id="Thread 0xb7e14b90 (LWP 21257)",
26871 frame=@{level="0",addr="0xffffe410",func="__kernel_vsyscall",
26872 args=[]@},state="running"@},
26873 @{id="1",target-id="Thread 0xb7e156b0 (LWP 21254)",
26874 frame=@{level="0",addr="0x0804891f",func="foo",
26875 args=[@{name="i",value="10"@}],
26876 file="/tmp/a.c",fullname="/tmp/a.c",line="158"@},
26877 state="running"@}],
26878 current-thread-id="1"
26879 (gdb)
26880 @end smallexample
26881
26882 @subheading The @code{-thread-list-ids} Command
26883 @findex -thread-list-ids
26884
26885 @subsubheading Synopsis
26886
26887 @smallexample
26888 -thread-list-ids
26889 @end smallexample
26890
26891 Produces a list of the currently known @value{GDBN} thread ids. At the
26892 end of the list it also prints the total number of such threads.
26893
26894 This command is retained for historical reasons, the
26895 @code{-thread-info} command should be used instead.
26896
26897 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
26898
26899 Part of @samp{info threads} supplies the same information.
26900
26901 @subsubheading Example
26902
26903 @smallexample
26904 (gdb)
26905 -thread-list-ids
26906 ^done,thread-ids=@{thread-id="3",thread-id="2",thread-id="1"@},
26907 current-thread-id="1",number-of-threads="3"
26908 (gdb)
26909 @end smallexample
26910
26911
26912 @subheading The @code{-thread-select} Command
26913 @findex -thread-select
26914
26915 @subsubheading Synopsis
26916
26917 @smallexample
26918 -thread-select @var{threadnum}
26919 @end smallexample
26920
26921 Make @var{threadnum} the current thread. It prints the number of the new
26922 current thread, and the topmost frame for that thread.
26923
26924 This command is deprecated in favor of explicitly using the
26925 @samp{--thread} option to each command.
26926
26927 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
26928
26929 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{thread}.
26930
26931 @subsubheading Example
26932
26933 @smallexample
26934 (gdb)
26935 -exec-next
26936 ^running
26937 (gdb)
26938 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",thread-id="2",line="187",
26939 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.threads/linux-dp.c"
26940 (gdb)
26941 -thread-list-ids
26942 ^done,
26943 thread-ids=@{thread-id="3",thread-id="2",thread-id="1"@},
26944 number-of-threads="3"
26945 (gdb)
26946 -thread-select 3
26947 ^done,new-thread-id="3",
26948 frame=@{level="0",func="vprintf",
26949 args=[@{name="format",value="0x8048e9c \"%*s%c %d %c\\n\""@},
26950 @{name="arg",value="0x2"@}],file="vprintf.c",line="31"@}
26951 (gdb)
26952 @end smallexample
26953
26954 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
26955 @node GDB/MI Ada Tasking Commands
26956 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Ada Tasking Commands
26957
26958 @subheading The @code{-ada-task-info} Command
26959 @findex -ada-task-info
26960
26961 @subsubheading Synopsis
26962
26963 @smallexample
26964 -ada-task-info [ @var{task-id} ]
26965 @end smallexample
26966
26967 Reports information about either a specific Ada task, if the
26968 @var{task-id} parameter is present, or about all Ada tasks.
26969
26970 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
26971
26972 The @samp{info tasks} command prints the same information
26973 about all Ada tasks (@pxref{Ada Tasks}).
26974
26975 @subsubheading Result
26976
26977 The result is a table of Ada tasks. The following columns are
26978 defined for each Ada task:
26979
26980 @table @samp
26981 @item current
26982 This field exists only for the current thread. It has the value @samp{*}.
26983
26984 @item id
26985 The identifier that @value{GDBN} uses to refer to the Ada task.
26986
26987 @item task-id
26988 The identifier that the target uses to refer to the Ada task.
26989
26990 @item thread-id
26991 The identifier of the thread corresponding to the Ada task.
26992
26993 This field should always exist, as Ada tasks are always implemented
26994 on top of a thread. But if @value{GDBN} cannot find this corresponding
26995 thread for any reason, the field is omitted.
26996
26997 @item parent-id
26998 This field exists only when the task was created by another task.
26999 In this case, it provides the ID of the parent task.
27000
27001 @item priority
27002 The base priority of the task.
27003
27004 @item state
27005 The current state of the task. For a detailed description of the
27006 possible states, see @ref{Ada Tasks}.
27007
27008 @item name
27009 The name of the task.
27010
27011 @end table
27012
27013 @subsubheading Example
27014
27015 @smallexample
27016 -ada-task-info
27017 ^done,tasks=@{nr_rows="3",nr_cols="8",
27018 hdr=[@{width="1",alignment="-1",col_name="current",colhdr=""@},
27019 @{width="3",alignment="1",col_name="id",colhdr="ID"@},
27020 @{width="9",alignment="1",col_name="task-id",colhdr="TID"@},
27021 @{width="4",alignment="1",col_name="thread-id",colhdr=""@},
27022 @{width="4",alignment="1",col_name="parent-id",colhdr="P-ID"@},
27023 @{width="3",alignment="1",col_name="priority",colhdr="Pri"@},
27024 @{width="22",alignment="-1",col_name="state",colhdr="State"@},
27025 @{width="1",alignment="2",col_name="name",colhdr="Name"@}],
27026 body=[@{current="*",id="1",task-id=" 644010",thread-id="1",priority="48",
27027 state="Child Termination Wait",name="main_task"@}]@}
27028 (gdb)
27029 @end smallexample
27030
27031 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
27032 @node GDB/MI Program Execution
27033 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Program Execution
27034
27035 These are the asynchronous commands which generate the out-of-band
27036 record @samp{*stopped}. Currently @value{GDBN} only really executes
27037 asynchronously with remote targets and this interaction is mimicked in
27038 other cases.
27039
27040 @subheading The @code{-exec-continue} Command
27041 @findex -exec-continue
27042
27043 @subsubheading Synopsis
27044
27045 @smallexample
27046 -exec-continue [--reverse] [--all|--thread-group N]
27047 @end smallexample
27048
27049 Resumes the execution of the inferior program, which will continue
27050 to execute until it reaches a debugger stop event. If the
27051 @samp{--reverse} option is specified, execution resumes in reverse until
27052 it reaches a stop event. Stop events may include
27053 @itemize @bullet
27054 @item
27055 breakpoints or watchpoints
27056 @item
27057 signals or exceptions
27058 @item
27059 the end of the process (or its beginning under @samp{--reverse})
27060 @item
27061 the end or beginning of a replay log if one is being used.
27062 @end itemize
27063 In all-stop mode (@pxref{All-Stop
27064 Mode}), may resume only one thread, or all threads, depending on the
27065 value of the @samp{scheduler-locking} variable. If @samp{--all} is
27066 specified, all threads (in all inferiors) will be resumed. The @samp{--all} option is
27067 ignored in all-stop mode. If the @samp{--thread-group} options is
27068 specified, then all threads in that thread group are resumed.
27069
27070 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27071
27072 The corresponding @value{GDBN} corresponding is @samp{continue}.
27073
27074 @subsubheading Example
27075
27076 @smallexample
27077 -exec-continue
27078 ^running
27079 (gdb)
27080 @@Hello world
27081 *stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",bkptno="2",frame=@{
27082 func="foo",args=[],file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/hello.c",
27083 line="13"@}
27084 (gdb)
27085 @end smallexample
27086
27087
27088 @subheading The @code{-exec-finish} Command
27089 @findex -exec-finish
27090
27091 @subsubheading Synopsis
27092
27093 @smallexample
27094 -exec-finish [--reverse]
27095 @end smallexample
27096
27097 Resumes the execution of the inferior program until the current
27098 function is exited. Displays the results returned by the function.
27099 If the @samp{--reverse} option is specified, resumes the reverse
27100 execution of the inferior program until the point where current
27101 function was called.
27102
27103 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27104
27105 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{finish}.
27106
27107 @subsubheading Example
27108
27109 Function returning @code{void}.
27110
27111 @smallexample
27112 -exec-finish
27113 ^running
27114 (gdb)
27115 @@hello from foo
27116 *stopped,reason="function-finished",frame=@{func="main",args=[],
27117 file="hello.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/hello.c",line="7"@}
27118 (gdb)
27119 @end smallexample
27120
27121 Function returning other than @code{void}. The name of the internal
27122 @value{GDBN} variable storing the result is printed, together with the
27123 value itself.
27124
27125 @smallexample
27126 -exec-finish
27127 ^running
27128 (gdb)
27129 *stopped,reason="function-finished",frame=@{addr="0x000107b0",func="foo",
27130 args=[@{name="a",value="1"],@{name="b",value="9"@}@},
27131 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
27132 gdb-result-var="$1",return-value="0"
27133 (gdb)
27134 @end smallexample
27135
27136
27137 @subheading The @code{-exec-interrupt} Command
27138 @findex -exec-interrupt
27139
27140 @subsubheading Synopsis
27141
27142 @smallexample
27143 -exec-interrupt [--all|--thread-group N]
27144 @end smallexample
27145
27146 Interrupts the background execution of the target. Note how the token
27147 associated with the stop message is the one for the execution command
27148 that has been interrupted. The token for the interrupt itself only
27149 appears in the @samp{^done} output. If the user is trying to
27150 interrupt a non-running program, an error message will be printed.
27151
27152 Note that when asynchronous execution is enabled, this command is
27153 asynchronous just like other execution commands. That is, first the
27154 @samp{^done} response will be printed, and the target stop will be
27155 reported after that using the @samp{*stopped} notification.
27156
27157 In non-stop mode, only the context thread is interrupted by default.
27158 All threads (in all inferiors) will be interrupted if the
27159 @samp{--all} option is specified. If the @samp{--thread-group}
27160 option is specified, all threads in that group will be interrupted.
27161
27162 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27163
27164 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{interrupt}.
27165
27166 @subsubheading Example
27167
27168 @smallexample
27169 (gdb)
27170 111-exec-continue
27171 111^running
27172
27173 (gdb)
27174 222-exec-interrupt
27175 222^done
27176 (gdb)
27177 111*stopped,signal-name="SIGINT",signal-meaning="Interrupt",
27178 frame=@{addr="0x00010140",func="foo",args=[],file="try.c",
27179 fullname="/home/foo/bar/try.c",line="13"@}
27180 (gdb)
27181
27182 (gdb)
27183 -exec-interrupt
27184 ^error,msg="mi_cmd_exec_interrupt: Inferior not executing."
27185 (gdb)
27186 @end smallexample
27187
27188 @subheading The @code{-exec-jump} Command
27189 @findex -exec-jump
27190
27191 @subsubheading Synopsis
27192
27193 @smallexample
27194 -exec-jump @var{location}
27195 @end smallexample
27196
27197 Resumes execution of the inferior program at the location specified by
27198 parameter. @xref{Specify Location}, for a description of the
27199 different forms of @var{location}.
27200
27201 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27202
27203 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{jump}.
27204
27205 @subsubheading Example
27206
27207 @smallexample
27208 -exec-jump foo.c:10
27209 *running,thread-id="all"
27210 ^running
27211 @end smallexample
27212
27213
27214 @subheading The @code{-exec-next} Command
27215 @findex -exec-next
27216
27217 @subsubheading Synopsis
27218
27219 @smallexample
27220 -exec-next [--reverse]
27221 @end smallexample
27222
27223 Resumes execution of the inferior program, stopping when the beginning
27224 of the next source line is reached.
27225
27226 If the @samp{--reverse} option is specified, resumes reverse execution
27227 of the inferior program, stopping at the beginning of the previous
27228 source line. If you issue this command on the first line of a
27229 function, it will take you back to the caller of that function, to the
27230 source line where the function was called.
27231
27232
27233 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27234
27235 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{next}.
27236
27237 @subsubheading Example
27238
27239 @smallexample
27240 -exec-next
27241 ^running
27242 (gdb)
27243 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",line="8",file="hello.c"
27244 (gdb)
27245 @end smallexample
27246
27247
27248 @subheading The @code{-exec-next-instruction} Command
27249 @findex -exec-next-instruction
27250
27251 @subsubheading Synopsis
27252
27253 @smallexample
27254 -exec-next-instruction [--reverse]
27255 @end smallexample
27256
27257 Executes one machine instruction. If the instruction is a function
27258 call, continues until the function returns. If the program stops at an
27259 instruction in the middle of a source line, the address will be
27260 printed as well.
27261
27262 If the @samp{--reverse} option is specified, resumes reverse execution
27263 of the inferior program, stopping at the previous instruction. If the
27264 previously executed instruction was a return from another function,
27265 it will continue to execute in reverse until the call to that function
27266 (from the current stack frame) is reached.
27267
27268 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27269
27270 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{nexti}.
27271
27272 @subsubheading Example
27273
27274 @smallexample
27275 (gdb)
27276 -exec-next-instruction
27277 ^running
27278
27279 (gdb)
27280 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",
27281 addr="0x000100d4",line="5",file="hello.c"
27282 (gdb)
27283 @end smallexample
27284
27285
27286 @subheading The @code{-exec-return} Command
27287 @findex -exec-return
27288
27289 @subsubheading Synopsis
27290
27291 @smallexample
27292 -exec-return
27293 @end smallexample
27294
27295 Makes current function return immediately. Doesn't execute the inferior.
27296 Displays the new current frame.
27297
27298 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27299
27300 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{return}.
27301
27302 @subsubheading Example
27303
27304 @smallexample
27305 (gdb)
27306 200-break-insert callee4
27307 200^done,bkpt=@{number="1",addr="0x00010734",
27308 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="8"@}
27309 (gdb)
27310 000-exec-run
27311 000^running
27312 (gdb)
27313 000*stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",bkptno="1",
27314 frame=@{func="callee4",args=[],
27315 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
27316 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="8"@}
27317 (gdb)
27318 205-break-delete
27319 205^done
27320 (gdb)
27321 111-exec-return
27322 111^done,frame=@{level="0",func="callee3",
27323 args=[@{name="strarg",
27324 value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}],
27325 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
27326 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="18"@}
27327 (gdb)
27328 @end smallexample
27329
27330
27331 @subheading The @code{-exec-run} Command
27332 @findex -exec-run
27333
27334 @subsubheading Synopsis
27335
27336 @smallexample
27337 -exec-run [--all | --thread-group N]
27338 @end smallexample
27339
27340 Starts execution of the inferior from the beginning. The inferior
27341 executes until either a breakpoint is encountered or the program
27342 exits. In the latter case the output will include an exit code, if
27343 the program has exited exceptionally.
27344
27345 When no option is specified, the current inferior is started. If the
27346 @samp{--thread-group} option is specified, it should refer to a thread
27347 group of type @samp{process}, and that thread group will be started.
27348 If the @samp{--all} option is specified, then all inferiors will be started.
27349
27350 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27351
27352 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{run}.
27353
27354 @subsubheading Examples
27355
27356 @smallexample
27357 (gdb)
27358 -break-insert main
27359 ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",addr="0x0001072c",file="recursive2.c",line="4"@}
27360 (gdb)
27361 -exec-run
27362 ^running
27363 (gdb)
27364 *stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",bkptno="1",
27365 frame=@{func="main",args=[],file="recursive2.c",
27366 fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="4"@}
27367 (gdb)
27368 @end smallexample
27369
27370 @noindent
27371 Program exited normally:
27372
27373 @smallexample
27374 (gdb)
27375 -exec-run
27376 ^running
27377 (gdb)
27378 x = 55
27379 *stopped,reason="exited-normally"
27380 (gdb)
27381 @end smallexample
27382
27383 @noindent
27384 Program exited exceptionally:
27385
27386 @smallexample
27387 (gdb)
27388 -exec-run
27389 ^running
27390 (gdb)
27391 x = 55
27392 *stopped,reason="exited",exit-code="01"
27393 (gdb)
27394 @end smallexample
27395
27396 Another way the program can terminate is if it receives a signal such as
27397 @code{SIGINT}. In this case, @sc{gdb/mi} displays this:
27398
27399 @smallexample
27400 (gdb)
27401 *stopped,reason="exited-signalled",signal-name="SIGINT",
27402 signal-meaning="Interrupt"
27403 @end smallexample
27404
27405
27406 @c @subheading -exec-signal
27407
27408
27409 @subheading The @code{-exec-step} Command
27410 @findex -exec-step
27411
27412 @subsubheading Synopsis
27413
27414 @smallexample
27415 -exec-step [--reverse]
27416 @end smallexample
27417
27418 Resumes execution of the inferior program, stopping when the beginning
27419 of the next source line is reached, if the next source line is not a
27420 function call. If it is, stop at the first instruction of the called
27421 function. If the @samp{--reverse} option is specified, resumes reverse
27422 execution of the inferior program, stopping at the beginning of the
27423 previously executed source line.
27424
27425 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27426
27427 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{step}.
27428
27429 @subsubheading Example
27430
27431 Stepping into a function:
27432
27433 @smallexample
27434 -exec-step
27435 ^running
27436 (gdb)
27437 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",
27438 frame=@{func="foo",args=[@{name="a",value="10"@},
27439 @{name="b",value="0"@}],file="recursive2.c",
27440 fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="11"@}
27441 (gdb)
27442 @end smallexample
27443
27444 Regular stepping:
27445
27446 @smallexample
27447 -exec-step
27448 ^running
27449 (gdb)
27450 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",line="14",file="recursive2.c"
27451 (gdb)
27452 @end smallexample
27453
27454
27455 @subheading The @code{-exec-step-instruction} Command
27456 @findex -exec-step-instruction
27457
27458 @subsubheading Synopsis
27459
27460 @smallexample
27461 -exec-step-instruction [--reverse]
27462 @end smallexample
27463
27464 Resumes the inferior which executes one machine instruction. If the
27465 @samp{--reverse} option is specified, resumes reverse execution of the
27466 inferior program, stopping at the previously executed instruction.
27467 The output, once @value{GDBN} has stopped, will vary depending on
27468 whether we have stopped in the middle of a source line or not. In the
27469 former case, the address at which the program stopped will be printed
27470 as well.
27471
27472 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27473
27474 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{stepi}.
27475
27476 @subsubheading Example
27477
27478 @smallexample
27479 (gdb)
27480 -exec-step-instruction
27481 ^running
27482
27483 (gdb)
27484 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",
27485 frame=@{func="foo",args=[],file="try.c",
27486 fullname="/home/foo/bar/try.c",line="10"@}
27487 (gdb)
27488 -exec-step-instruction
27489 ^running
27490
27491 (gdb)
27492 *stopped,reason="end-stepping-range",
27493 frame=@{addr="0x000100f4",func="foo",args=[],file="try.c",
27494 fullname="/home/foo/bar/try.c",line="10"@}
27495 (gdb)
27496 @end smallexample
27497
27498
27499 @subheading The @code{-exec-until} Command
27500 @findex -exec-until
27501
27502 @subsubheading Synopsis
27503
27504 @smallexample
27505 -exec-until [ @var{location} ]
27506 @end smallexample
27507
27508 Executes the inferior until the @var{location} specified in the
27509 argument is reached. If there is no argument, the inferior executes
27510 until a source line greater than the current one is reached. The
27511 reason for stopping in this case will be @samp{location-reached}.
27512
27513 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27514
27515 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{until}.
27516
27517 @subsubheading Example
27518
27519 @smallexample
27520 (gdb)
27521 -exec-until recursive2.c:6
27522 ^running
27523 (gdb)
27524 x = 55
27525 *stopped,reason="location-reached",frame=@{func="main",args=[],
27526 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="6"@}
27527 (gdb)
27528 @end smallexample
27529
27530 @ignore
27531 @subheading -file-clear
27532 Is this going away????
27533 @end ignore
27534
27535 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
27536 @node GDB/MI Stack Manipulation
27537 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Stack Manipulation Commands
27538
27539
27540 @subheading The @code{-stack-info-frame} Command
27541 @findex -stack-info-frame
27542
27543 @subsubheading Synopsis
27544
27545 @smallexample
27546 -stack-info-frame
27547 @end smallexample
27548
27549 Get info on the selected frame.
27550
27551 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27552
27553 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info frame} or @samp{frame}
27554 (without arguments).
27555
27556 @subsubheading Example
27557
27558 @smallexample
27559 (gdb)
27560 -stack-info-frame
27561 ^done,frame=@{level="1",addr="0x0001076c",func="callee3",
27562 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
27563 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="17"@}
27564 (gdb)
27565 @end smallexample
27566
27567 @subheading The @code{-stack-info-depth} Command
27568 @findex -stack-info-depth
27569
27570 @subsubheading Synopsis
27571
27572 @smallexample
27573 -stack-info-depth [ @var{max-depth} ]
27574 @end smallexample
27575
27576 Return the depth of the stack. If the integer argument @var{max-depth}
27577 is specified, do not count beyond @var{max-depth} frames.
27578
27579 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27580
27581 There's no equivalent @value{GDBN} command.
27582
27583 @subsubheading Example
27584
27585 For a stack with frame levels 0 through 11:
27586
27587 @smallexample
27588 (gdb)
27589 -stack-info-depth
27590 ^done,depth="12"
27591 (gdb)
27592 -stack-info-depth 4
27593 ^done,depth="4"
27594 (gdb)
27595 -stack-info-depth 12
27596 ^done,depth="12"
27597 (gdb)
27598 -stack-info-depth 11
27599 ^done,depth="11"
27600 (gdb)
27601 -stack-info-depth 13
27602 ^done,depth="12"
27603 (gdb)
27604 @end smallexample
27605
27606 @subheading The @code{-stack-list-arguments} Command
27607 @findex -stack-list-arguments
27608
27609 @subsubheading Synopsis
27610
27611 @smallexample
27612 -stack-list-arguments @var{print-values}
27613 [ @var{low-frame} @var{high-frame} ]
27614 @end smallexample
27615
27616 Display a list of the arguments for the frames between @var{low-frame}
27617 and @var{high-frame} (inclusive). If @var{low-frame} and
27618 @var{high-frame} are not provided, list the arguments for the whole
27619 call stack. If the two arguments are equal, show the single frame
27620 at the corresponding level. It is an error if @var{low-frame} is
27621 larger than the actual number of frames. On the other hand,
27622 @var{high-frame} may be larger than the actual number of frames, in
27623 which case only existing frames will be returned.
27624
27625 If @var{print-values} is 0 or @code{--no-values}, print only the names of
27626 the variables; if it is 1 or @code{--all-values}, print also their
27627 values; and if it is 2 or @code{--simple-values}, print the name,
27628 type and value for simple data types, and the name and type for arrays,
27629 structures and unions.
27630
27631 Use of this command to obtain arguments in a single frame is
27632 deprecated in favor of the @samp{-stack-list-variables} command.
27633
27634 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27635
27636 @value{GDBN} does not have an equivalent command. @code{gdbtk} has a
27637 @samp{gdb_get_args} command which partially overlaps with the
27638 functionality of @samp{-stack-list-arguments}.
27639
27640 @subsubheading Example
27641
27642 @smallexample
27643 (gdb)
27644 -stack-list-frames
27645 ^done,
27646 stack=[
27647 frame=@{level="0",addr="0x00010734",func="callee4",
27648 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
27649 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="8"@},
27650 frame=@{level="1",addr="0x0001076c",func="callee3",
27651 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
27652 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="17"@},
27653 frame=@{level="2",addr="0x0001078c",func="callee2",
27654 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
27655 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="22"@},
27656 frame=@{level="3",addr="0x000107b4",func="callee1",
27657 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
27658 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="27"@},
27659 frame=@{level="4",addr="0x000107e0",func="main",
27660 file="../../../devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",
27661 fullname="/home/foo/bar/devo/gdb/testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line="32"@}]
27662 (gdb)
27663 -stack-list-arguments 0
27664 ^done,
27665 stack-args=[
27666 frame=@{level="0",args=[]@},
27667 frame=@{level="1",args=[name="strarg"]@},
27668 frame=@{level="2",args=[name="intarg",name="strarg"]@},
27669 frame=@{level="3",args=[name="intarg",name="strarg",name="fltarg"]@},
27670 frame=@{level="4",args=[]@}]
27671 (gdb)
27672 -stack-list-arguments 1
27673 ^done,
27674 stack-args=[
27675 frame=@{level="0",args=[]@},
27676 frame=@{level="1",
27677 args=[@{name="strarg",value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}]@},
27678 frame=@{level="2",args=[
27679 @{name="intarg",value="2"@},
27680 @{name="strarg",value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}]@},
27681 @{frame=@{level="3",args=[
27682 @{name="intarg",value="2"@},
27683 @{name="strarg",value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@},
27684 @{name="fltarg",value="3.5"@}]@},
27685 frame=@{level="4",args=[]@}]
27686 (gdb)
27687 -stack-list-arguments 0 2 2
27688 ^done,stack-args=[frame=@{level="2",args=[name="intarg",name="strarg"]@}]
27689 (gdb)
27690 -stack-list-arguments 1 2 2
27691 ^done,stack-args=[frame=@{level="2",
27692 args=[@{name="intarg",value="2"@},
27693 @{name="strarg",value="0x11940 \"A string argument.\""@}]@}]
27694 (gdb)
27695 @end smallexample
27696
27697 @c @subheading -stack-list-exception-handlers
27698
27699
27700 @subheading The @code{-stack-list-frames} Command
27701 @findex -stack-list-frames
27702
27703 @subsubheading Synopsis
27704
27705 @smallexample
27706 -stack-list-frames [ @var{low-frame} @var{high-frame} ]
27707 @end smallexample
27708
27709 List the frames currently on the stack. For each frame it displays the
27710 following info:
27711
27712 @table @samp
27713 @item @var{level}
27714 The frame number, 0 being the topmost frame, i.e., the innermost function.
27715 @item @var{addr}
27716 The @code{$pc} value for that frame.
27717 @item @var{func}
27718 Function name.
27719 @item @var{file}
27720 File name of the source file where the function lives.
27721 @item @var{fullname}
27722 The full file name of the source file where the function lives.
27723 @item @var{line}
27724 Line number corresponding to the @code{$pc}.
27725 @item @var{from}
27726 The shared library where this function is defined. This is only given
27727 if the frame's function is not known.
27728 @end table
27729
27730 If invoked without arguments, this command prints a backtrace for the
27731 whole stack. If given two integer arguments, it shows the frames whose
27732 levels are between the two arguments (inclusive). If the two arguments
27733 are equal, it shows the single frame at the corresponding level. It is
27734 an error if @var{low-frame} is larger than the actual number of
27735 frames. On the other hand, @var{high-frame} may be larger than the
27736 actual number of frames, in which case only existing frames will be returned.
27737
27738 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27739
27740 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{backtrace} and @samp{where}.
27741
27742 @subsubheading Example
27743
27744 Full stack backtrace:
27745
27746 @smallexample
27747 (gdb)
27748 -stack-list-frames
27749 ^done,stack=
27750 [frame=@{level="0",addr="0x0001076c",func="foo",
27751 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="11"@},
27752 frame=@{level="1",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
27753 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
27754 frame=@{level="2",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
27755 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
27756 frame=@{level="3",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
27757 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
27758 frame=@{level="4",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
27759 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
27760 frame=@{level="5",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
27761 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
27762 frame=@{level="6",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
27763 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
27764 frame=@{level="7",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
27765 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
27766 frame=@{level="8",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
27767 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
27768 frame=@{level="9",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
27769 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
27770 frame=@{level="10",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
27771 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
27772 frame=@{level="11",addr="0x00010738",func="main",
27773 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="4"@}]
27774 (gdb)
27775 @end smallexample
27776
27777 Show frames between @var{low_frame} and @var{high_frame}:
27778
27779 @smallexample
27780 (gdb)
27781 -stack-list-frames 3 5
27782 ^done,stack=
27783 [frame=@{level="3",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
27784 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
27785 frame=@{level="4",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
27786 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@},
27787 frame=@{level="5",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
27788 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@}]
27789 (gdb)
27790 @end smallexample
27791
27792 Show a single frame:
27793
27794 @smallexample
27795 (gdb)
27796 -stack-list-frames 3 3
27797 ^done,stack=
27798 [frame=@{level="3",addr="0x000107a4",func="foo",
27799 file="recursive2.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/recursive2.c",line="14"@}]
27800 (gdb)
27801 @end smallexample
27802
27803
27804 @subheading The @code{-stack-list-locals} Command
27805 @findex -stack-list-locals
27806
27807 @subsubheading Synopsis
27808
27809 @smallexample
27810 -stack-list-locals @var{print-values}
27811 @end smallexample
27812
27813 Display the local variable names for the selected frame. If
27814 @var{print-values} is 0 or @code{--no-values}, print only the names of
27815 the variables; if it is 1 or @code{--all-values}, print also their
27816 values; and if it is 2 or @code{--simple-values}, print the name,
27817 type and value for simple data types, and the name and type for arrays,
27818 structures and unions. In this last case, a frontend can immediately
27819 display the value of simple data types and create variable objects for
27820 other data types when the user wishes to explore their values in
27821 more detail.
27822
27823 This command is deprecated in favor of the
27824 @samp{-stack-list-variables} command.
27825
27826 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27827
27828 @samp{info locals} in @value{GDBN}, @samp{gdb_get_locals} in @code{gdbtk}.
27829
27830 @subsubheading Example
27831
27832 @smallexample
27833 (gdb)
27834 -stack-list-locals 0
27835 ^done,locals=[name="A",name="B",name="C"]
27836 (gdb)
27837 -stack-list-locals --all-values
27838 ^done,locals=[@{name="A",value="1"@},@{name="B",value="2"@},
27839 @{name="C",value="@{1, 2, 3@}"@}]
27840 -stack-list-locals --simple-values
27841 ^done,locals=[@{name="A",type="int",value="1"@},
27842 @{name="B",type="int",value="2"@},@{name="C",type="int [3]"@}]
27843 (gdb)
27844 @end smallexample
27845
27846 @subheading The @code{-stack-list-variables} Command
27847 @findex -stack-list-variables
27848
27849 @subsubheading Synopsis
27850
27851 @smallexample
27852 -stack-list-variables @var{print-values}
27853 @end smallexample
27854
27855 Display the names of local variables and function arguments for the selected frame. If
27856 @var{print-values} is 0 or @code{--no-values}, print only the names of
27857 the variables; if it is 1 or @code{--all-values}, print also their
27858 values; and if it is 2 or @code{--simple-values}, print the name,
27859 type and value for simple data types, and the name and type for arrays,
27860 structures and unions.
27861
27862 @subsubheading Example
27863
27864 @smallexample
27865 (gdb)
27866 -stack-list-variables --thread 1 --frame 0 --all-values
27867 ^done,variables=[@{name="x",value="11"@},@{name="s",value="@{a = 1, b = 2@}"@}]
27868 (gdb)
27869 @end smallexample
27870
27871
27872 @subheading The @code{-stack-select-frame} Command
27873 @findex -stack-select-frame
27874
27875 @subsubheading Synopsis
27876
27877 @smallexample
27878 -stack-select-frame @var{framenum}
27879 @end smallexample
27880
27881 Change the selected frame. Select a different frame @var{framenum} on
27882 the stack.
27883
27884 This command in deprecated in favor of passing the @samp{--frame}
27885 option to every command.
27886
27887 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
27888
27889 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{frame}, @samp{up},
27890 @samp{down}, @samp{select-frame}, @samp{up-silent}, and @samp{down-silent}.
27891
27892 @subsubheading Example
27893
27894 @smallexample
27895 (gdb)
27896 -stack-select-frame 2
27897 ^done
27898 (gdb)
27899 @end smallexample
27900
27901 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
27902 @node GDB/MI Variable Objects
27903 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Variable Objects
27904
27905 @ignore
27906
27907 @subheading Motivation for Variable Objects in @sc{gdb/mi}
27908
27909 For the implementation of a variable debugger window (locals, watched
27910 expressions, etc.), we are proposing the adaptation of the existing code
27911 used by @code{Insight}.
27912
27913 The two main reasons for that are:
27914
27915 @enumerate 1
27916 @item
27917 It has been proven in practice (it is already on its second generation).
27918
27919 @item
27920 It will shorten development time (needless to say how important it is
27921 now).
27922 @end enumerate
27923
27924 The original interface was designed to be used by Tcl code, so it was
27925 slightly changed so it could be used through @sc{gdb/mi}. This section
27926 describes the @sc{gdb/mi} operations that will be available and gives some
27927 hints about their use.
27928
27929 @emph{Note}: In addition to the set of operations described here, we
27930 expect the @sc{gui} implementation of a variable window to require, at
27931 least, the following operations:
27932
27933 @itemize @bullet
27934 @item @code{-gdb-show} @code{output-radix}
27935 @item @code{-stack-list-arguments}
27936 @item @code{-stack-list-locals}
27937 @item @code{-stack-select-frame}
27938 @end itemize
27939
27940 @end ignore
27941
27942 @subheading Introduction to Variable Objects
27943
27944 @cindex variable objects in @sc{gdb/mi}
27945
27946 Variable objects are "object-oriented" MI interface for examining and
27947 changing values of expressions. Unlike some other MI interfaces that
27948 work with expressions, variable objects are specifically designed for
27949 simple and efficient presentation in the frontend. A variable object
27950 is identified by string name. When a variable object is created, the
27951 frontend specifies the expression for that variable object. The
27952 expression can be a simple variable, or it can be an arbitrary complex
27953 expression, and can even involve CPU registers. After creating a
27954 variable object, the frontend can invoke other variable object
27955 operations---for example to obtain or change the value of a variable
27956 object, or to change display format.
27957
27958 Variable objects have hierarchical tree structure. Any variable object
27959 that corresponds to a composite type, such as structure in C, has
27960 a number of child variable objects, for example corresponding to each
27961 element of a structure. A child variable object can itself have
27962 children, recursively. Recursion ends when we reach
27963 leaf variable objects, which always have built-in types. Child variable
27964 objects are created only by explicit request, so if a frontend
27965 is not interested in the children of a particular variable object, no
27966 child will be created.
27967
27968 For a leaf variable object it is possible to obtain its value as a
27969 string, or set the value from a string. String value can be also
27970 obtained for a non-leaf variable object, but it's generally a string
27971 that only indicates the type of the object, and does not list its
27972 contents. Assignment to a non-leaf variable object is not allowed.
27973
27974 A frontend does not need to read the values of all variable objects each time
27975 the program stops. Instead, MI provides an update command that lists all
27976 variable objects whose values has changed since the last update
27977 operation. This considerably reduces the amount of data that must
27978 be transferred to the frontend. As noted above, children variable
27979 objects are created on demand, and only leaf variable objects have a
27980 real value. As result, gdb will read target memory only for leaf
27981 variables that frontend has created.
27982
27983 The automatic update is not always desirable. For example, a frontend
27984 might want to keep a value of some expression for future reference,
27985 and never update it. For another example, fetching memory is
27986 relatively slow for embedded targets, so a frontend might want
27987 to disable automatic update for the variables that are either not
27988 visible on the screen, or ``closed''. This is possible using so
27989 called ``frozen variable objects''. Such variable objects are never
27990 implicitly updated.
27991
27992 Variable objects can be either @dfn{fixed} or @dfn{floating}. For the
27993 fixed variable object, the expression is parsed when the variable
27994 object is created, including associating identifiers to specific
27995 variables. The meaning of expression never changes. For a floating
27996 variable object the values of variables whose names appear in the
27997 expressions are re-evaluated every time in the context of the current
27998 frame. Consider this example:
27999
28000 @smallexample
28001 void do_work(...)
28002 @{
28003 struct work_state state;
28004
28005 if (...)
28006 do_work(...);
28007 @}
28008 @end smallexample
28009
28010 If a fixed variable object for the @code{state} variable is created in
28011 this function, and we enter the recursive call, the variable
28012 object will report the value of @code{state} in the top-level
28013 @code{do_work} invocation. On the other hand, a floating variable
28014 object will report the value of @code{state} in the current frame.
28015
28016 If an expression specified when creating a fixed variable object
28017 refers to a local variable, the variable object becomes bound to the
28018 thread and frame in which the variable object is created. When such
28019 variable object is updated, @value{GDBN} makes sure that the
28020 thread/frame combination the variable object is bound to still exists,
28021 and re-evaluates the variable object in context of that thread/frame.
28022
28023 The following is the complete set of @sc{gdb/mi} operations defined to
28024 access this functionality:
28025
28026 @multitable @columnfractions .4 .6
28027 @item @strong{Operation}
28028 @tab @strong{Description}
28029
28030 @item @code{-enable-pretty-printing}
28031 @tab enable Python-based pretty-printing
28032 @item @code{-var-create}
28033 @tab create a variable object
28034 @item @code{-var-delete}
28035 @tab delete the variable object and/or its children
28036 @item @code{-var-set-format}
28037 @tab set the display format of this variable
28038 @item @code{-var-show-format}
28039 @tab show the display format of this variable
28040 @item @code{-var-info-num-children}
28041 @tab tells how many children this object has
28042 @item @code{-var-list-children}
28043 @tab return a list of the object's children
28044 @item @code{-var-info-type}
28045 @tab show the type of this variable object
28046 @item @code{-var-info-expression}
28047 @tab print parent-relative expression that this variable object represents
28048 @item @code{-var-info-path-expression}
28049 @tab print full expression that this variable object represents
28050 @item @code{-var-show-attributes}
28051 @tab is this variable editable? does it exist here?
28052 @item @code{-var-evaluate-expression}
28053 @tab get the value of this variable
28054 @item @code{-var-assign}
28055 @tab set the value of this variable
28056 @item @code{-var-update}
28057 @tab update the variable and its children
28058 @item @code{-var-set-frozen}
28059 @tab set frozeness attribute
28060 @item @code{-var-set-update-range}
28061 @tab set range of children to display on update
28062 @end multitable
28063
28064 In the next subsection we describe each operation in detail and suggest
28065 how it can be used.
28066
28067 @subheading Description And Use of Operations on Variable Objects
28068
28069 @subheading The @code{-enable-pretty-printing} Command
28070 @findex -enable-pretty-printing
28071
28072 @smallexample
28073 -enable-pretty-printing
28074 @end smallexample
28075
28076 @value{GDBN} allows Python-based visualizers to affect the output of the
28077 MI variable object commands. However, because there was no way to
28078 implement this in a fully backward-compatible way, a front end must
28079 request that this functionality be enabled.
28080
28081 Once enabled, this feature cannot be disabled.
28082
28083 Note that if Python support has not been compiled into @value{GDBN},
28084 this command will still succeed (and do nothing).
28085
28086 This feature is currently (as of @value{GDBN} 7.0) experimental, and
28087 may work differently in future versions of @value{GDBN}.
28088
28089 @subheading The @code{-var-create} Command
28090 @findex -var-create
28091
28092 @subsubheading Synopsis
28093
28094 @smallexample
28095 -var-create @{@var{name} | "-"@}
28096 @{@var{frame-addr} | "*" | "@@"@} @var{expression}
28097 @end smallexample
28098
28099 This operation creates a variable object, which allows the monitoring of
28100 a variable, the result of an expression, a memory cell or a CPU
28101 register.
28102
28103 The @var{name} parameter is the string by which the object can be
28104 referenced. It must be unique. If @samp{-} is specified, the varobj
28105 system will generate a string ``varNNNNNN'' automatically. It will be
28106 unique provided that one does not specify @var{name} of that format.
28107 The command fails if a duplicate name is found.
28108
28109 The frame under which the expression should be evaluated can be
28110 specified by @var{frame-addr}. A @samp{*} indicates that the current
28111 frame should be used. A @samp{@@} indicates that a floating variable
28112 object must be created.
28113
28114 @var{expression} is any expression valid on the current language set (must not
28115 begin with a @samp{*}), or one of the following:
28116
28117 @itemize @bullet
28118 @item
28119 @samp{*@var{addr}}, where @var{addr} is the address of a memory cell
28120
28121 @item
28122 @samp{*@var{addr}-@var{addr}} --- a memory address range (TBD)
28123
28124 @item
28125 @samp{$@var{regname}} --- a CPU register name
28126 @end itemize
28127
28128 @cindex dynamic varobj
28129 A varobj's contents may be provided by a Python-based pretty-printer. In this
28130 case the varobj is known as a @dfn{dynamic varobj}. Dynamic varobjs
28131 have slightly different semantics in some cases. If the
28132 @code{-enable-pretty-printing} command is not sent, then @value{GDBN}
28133 will never create a dynamic varobj. This ensures backward
28134 compatibility for existing clients.
28135
28136 @subsubheading Result
28137
28138 This operation returns attributes of the newly-created varobj. These
28139 are:
28140
28141 @table @samp
28142 @item name
28143 The name of the varobj.
28144
28145 @item numchild
28146 The number of children of the varobj. This number is not necessarily
28147 reliable for a dynamic varobj. Instead, you must examine the
28148 @samp{has_more} attribute.
28149
28150 @item value
28151 The varobj's scalar value. For a varobj whose type is some sort of
28152 aggregate (e.g., a @code{struct}), or for a dynamic varobj, this value
28153 will not be interesting.
28154
28155 @item type
28156 The varobj's type. This is a string representation of the type, as
28157 would be printed by the @value{GDBN} CLI.
28158
28159 @item thread-id
28160 If a variable object is bound to a specific thread, then this is the
28161 thread's identifier.
28162
28163 @item has_more
28164 For a dynamic varobj, this indicates whether there appear to be any
28165 children available. For a non-dynamic varobj, this will be 0.
28166
28167 @item dynamic
28168 This attribute will be present and have the value @samp{1} if the
28169 varobj is a dynamic varobj. If the varobj is not a dynamic varobj,
28170 then this attribute will not be present.
28171
28172 @item displayhint
28173 A dynamic varobj can supply a display hint to the front end. The
28174 value comes directly from the Python pretty-printer object's
28175 @code{display_hint} method. @xref{Pretty Printing API}.
28176 @end table
28177
28178 Typical output will look like this:
28179
28180 @smallexample
28181 name="@var{name}",numchild="@var{N}",type="@var{type}",thread-id="@var{M}",
28182 has_more="@var{has_more}"
28183 @end smallexample
28184
28185
28186 @subheading The @code{-var-delete} Command
28187 @findex -var-delete
28188
28189 @subsubheading Synopsis
28190
28191 @smallexample
28192 -var-delete [ -c ] @var{name}
28193 @end smallexample
28194
28195 Deletes a previously created variable object and all of its children.
28196 With the @samp{-c} option, just deletes the children.
28197
28198 Returns an error if the object @var{name} is not found.
28199
28200
28201 @subheading The @code{-var-set-format} Command
28202 @findex -var-set-format
28203
28204 @subsubheading Synopsis
28205
28206 @smallexample
28207 -var-set-format @var{name} @var{format-spec}
28208 @end smallexample
28209
28210 Sets the output format for the value of the object @var{name} to be
28211 @var{format-spec}.
28212
28213 @anchor{-var-set-format}
28214 The syntax for the @var{format-spec} is as follows:
28215
28216 @smallexample
28217 @var{format-spec} @expansion{}
28218 @{binary | decimal | hexadecimal | octal | natural@}
28219 @end smallexample
28220
28221 The natural format is the default format choosen automatically
28222 based on the variable type (like decimal for an @code{int}, hex
28223 for pointers, etc.).
28224
28225 For a variable with children, the format is set only on the
28226 variable itself, and the children are not affected.
28227
28228 @subheading The @code{-var-show-format} Command
28229 @findex -var-show-format
28230
28231 @subsubheading Synopsis
28232
28233 @smallexample
28234 -var-show-format @var{name}
28235 @end smallexample
28236
28237 Returns the format used to display the value of the object @var{name}.
28238
28239 @smallexample
28240 @var{format} @expansion{}
28241 @var{format-spec}
28242 @end smallexample
28243
28244
28245 @subheading The @code{-var-info-num-children} Command
28246 @findex -var-info-num-children
28247
28248 @subsubheading Synopsis
28249
28250 @smallexample
28251 -var-info-num-children @var{name}
28252 @end smallexample
28253
28254 Returns the number of children of a variable object @var{name}:
28255
28256 @smallexample
28257 numchild=@var{n}
28258 @end smallexample
28259
28260 Note that this number is not completely reliable for a dynamic varobj.
28261 It will return the current number of children, but more children may
28262 be available.
28263
28264
28265 @subheading The @code{-var-list-children} Command
28266 @findex -var-list-children
28267
28268 @subsubheading Synopsis
28269
28270 @smallexample
28271 -var-list-children [@var{print-values}] @var{name} [@var{from} @var{to}]
28272 @end smallexample
28273 @anchor{-var-list-children}
28274
28275 Return a list of the children of the specified variable object and
28276 create variable objects for them, if they do not already exist. With
28277 a single argument or if @var{print-values} has a value of 0 or
28278 @code{--no-values}, print only the names of the variables; if
28279 @var{print-values} is 1 or @code{--all-values}, also print their
28280 values; and if it is 2 or @code{--simple-values} print the name and
28281 value for simple data types and just the name for arrays, structures
28282 and unions.
28283
28284 @var{from} and @var{to}, if specified, indicate the range of children
28285 to report. If @var{from} or @var{to} is less than zero, the range is
28286 reset and all children will be reported. Otherwise, children starting
28287 at @var{from} (zero-based) and up to and excluding @var{to} will be
28288 reported.
28289
28290 If a child range is requested, it will only affect the current call to
28291 @code{-var-list-children}, but not future calls to @code{-var-update}.
28292 For this, you must instead use @code{-var-set-update-range}. The
28293 intent of this approach is to enable a front end to implement any
28294 update approach it likes; for example, scrolling a view may cause the
28295 front end to request more children with @code{-var-list-children}, and
28296 then the front end could call @code{-var-set-update-range} with a
28297 different range to ensure that future updates are restricted to just
28298 the visible items.
28299
28300 For each child the following results are returned:
28301
28302 @table @var
28303
28304 @item name
28305 Name of the variable object created for this child.
28306
28307 @item exp
28308 The expression to be shown to the user by the front end to designate this child.
28309 For example this may be the name of a structure member.
28310
28311 For a dynamic varobj, this value cannot be used to form an
28312 expression. There is no way to do this at all with a dynamic varobj.
28313
28314 For C/C@t{++} structures there are several pseudo children returned to
28315 designate access qualifiers. For these pseudo children @var{exp} is
28316 @samp{public}, @samp{private}, or @samp{protected}. In this case the
28317 type and value are not present.
28318
28319 A dynamic varobj will not report the access qualifying
28320 pseudo-children, regardless of the language. This information is not
28321 available at all with a dynamic varobj.
28322
28323 @item numchild
28324 Number of children this child has. For a dynamic varobj, this will be
28325 0.
28326
28327 @item type
28328 The type of the child.
28329
28330 @item value
28331 If values were requested, this is the value.
28332
28333 @item thread-id
28334 If this variable object is associated with a thread, this is the thread id.
28335 Otherwise this result is not present.
28336
28337 @item frozen
28338 If the variable object is frozen, this variable will be present with a value of 1.
28339 @end table
28340
28341 The result may have its own attributes:
28342
28343 @table @samp
28344 @item displayhint
28345 A dynamic varobj can supply a display hint to the front end. The
28346 value comes directly from the Python pretty-printer object's
28347 @code{display_hint} method. @xref{Pretty Printing API}.
28348
28349 @item has_more
28350 This is an integer attribute which is nonzero if there are children
28351 remaining after the end of the selected range.
28352 @end table
28353
28354 @subsubheading Example
28355
28356 @smallexample
28357 (gdb)
28358 -var-list-children n
28359 ^done,numchild=@var{n},children=[child=@{name=@var{name},exp=@var{exp},
28360 numchild=@var{n},type=@var{type}@},@r{(repeats N times)}]
28361 (gdb)
28362 -var-list-children --all-values n
28363 ^done,numchild=@var{n},children=[child=@{name=@var{name},exp=@var{exp},
28364 numchild=@var{n},value=@var{value},type=@var{type}@},@r{(repeats N times)}]
28365 @end smallexample
28366
28367
28368 @subheading The @code{-var-info-type} Command
28369 @findex -var-info-type
28370
28371 @subsubheading Synopsis
28372
28373 @smallexample
28374 -var-info-type @var{name}
28375 @end smallexample
28376
28377 Returns the type of the specified variable @var{name}. The type is
28378 returned as a string in the same format as it is output by the
28379 @value{GDBN} CLI:
28380
28381 @smallexample
28382 type=@var{typename}
28383 @end smallexample
28384
28385
28386 @subheading The @code{-var-info-expression} Command
28387 @findex -var-info-expression
28388
28389 @subsubheading Synopsis
28390
28391 @smallexample
28392 -var-info-expression @var{name}
28393 @end smallexample
28394
28395 Returns a string that is suitable for presenting this
28396 variable object in user interface. The string is generally
28397 not valid expression in the current language, and cannot be evaluated.
28398
28399 For example, if @code{a} is an array, and variable object
28400 @code{A} was created for @code{a}, then we'll get this output:
28401
28402 @smallexample
28403 (gdb) -var-info-expression A.1
28404 ^done,lang="C",exp="1"
28405 @end smallexample
28406
28407 @noindent
28408 Here, the values of @code{lang} can be @code{@{"C" | "C++" | "Java"@}}.
28409
28410 Note that the output of the @code{-var-list-children} command also
28411 includes those expressions, so the @code{-var-info-expression} command
28412 is of limited use.
28413
28414 @subheading The @code{-var-info-path-expression} Command
28415 @findex -var-info-path-expression
28416
28417 @subsubheading Synopsis
28418
28419 @smallexample
28420 -var-info-path-expression @var{name}
28421 @end smallexample
28422
28423 Returns an expression that can be evaluated in the current
28424 context and will yield the same value that a variable object has.
28425 Compare this with the @code{-var-info-expression} command, which
28426 result can be used only for UI presentation. Typical use of
28427 the @code{-var-info-path-expression} command is creating a
28428 watchpoint from a variable object.
28429
28430 This command is currently not valid for children of a dynamic varobj,
28431 and will give an error when invoked on one.
28432
28433 For example, suppose @code{C} is a C@t{++} class, derived from class
28434 @code{Base}, and that the @code{Base} class has a member called
28435 @code{m_size}. Assume a variable @code{c} is has the type of
28436 @code{C} and a variable object @code{C} was created for variable
28437 @code{c}. Then, we'll get this output:
28438 @smallexample
28439 (gdb) -var-info-path-expression C.Base.public.m_size
28440 ^done,path_expr=((Base)c).m_size)
28441 @end smallexample
28442
28443 @subheading The @code{-var-show-attributes} Command
28444 @findex -var-show-attributes
28445
28446 @subsubheading Synopsis
28447
28448 @smallexample
28449 -var-show-attributes @var{name}
28450 @end smallexample
28451
28452 List attributes of the specified variable object @var{name}:
28453
28454 @smallexample
28455 status=@var{attr} [ ( ,@var{attr} )* ]
28456 @end smallexample
28457
28458 @noindent
28459 where @var{attr} is @code{@{ @{ editable | noneditable @} | TBD @}}.
28460
28461 @subheading The @code{-var-evaluate-expression} Command
28462 @findex -var-evaluate-expression
28463
28464 @subsubheading Synopsis
28465
28466 @smallexample
28467 -var-evaluate-expression [-f @var{format-spec}] @var{name}
28468 @end smallexample
28469
28470 Evaluates the expression that is represented by the specified variable
28471 object and returns its value as a string. The format of the string
28472 can be specified with the @samp{-f} option. The possible values of
28473 this option are the same as for @code{-var-set-format}
28474 (@pxref{-var-set-format}). If the @samp{-f} option is not specified,
28475 the current display format will be used. The current display format
28476 can be changed using the @code{-var-set-format} command.
28477
28478 @smallexample
28479 value=@var{value}
28480 @end smallexample
28481
28482 Note that one must invoke @code{-var-list-children} for a variable
28483 before the value of a child variable can be evaluated.
28484
28485 @subheading The @code{-var-assign} Command
28486 @findex -var-assign
28487
28488 @subsubheading Synopsis
28489
28490 @smallexample
28491 -var-assign @var{name} @var{expression}
28492 @end smallexample
28493
28494 Assigns the value of @var{expression} to the variable object specified
28495 by @var{name}. The object must be @samp{editable}. If the variable's
28496 value is altered by the assign, the variable will show up in any
28497 subsequent @code{-var-update} list.
28498
28499 @subsubheading Example
28500
28501 @smallexample
28502 (gdb)
28503 -var-assign var1 3
28504 ^done,value="3"
28505 (gdb)
28506 -var-update *
28507 ^done,changelist=[@{name="var1",in_scope="true",type_changed="false"@}]
28508 (gdb)
28509 @end smallexample
28510
28511 @subheading The @code{-var-update} Command
28512 @findex -var-update
28513
28514 @subsubheading Synopsis
28515
28516 @smallexample
28517 -var-update [@var{print-values}] @{@var{name} | "*"@}
28518 @end smallexample
28519
28520 Reevaluate the expressions corresponding to the variable object
28521 @var{name} and all its direct and indirect children, and return the
28522 list of variable objects whose values have changed; @var{name} must
28523 be a root variable object. Here, ``changed'' means that the result of
28524 @code{-var-evaluate-expression} before and after the
28525 @code{-var-update} is different. If @samp{*} is used as the variable
28526 object names, all existing variable objects are updated, except
28527 for frozen ones (@pxref{-var-set-frozen}). The option
28528 @var{print-values} determines whether both names and values, or just
28529 names are printed. The possible values of this option are the same
28530 as for @code{-var-list-children} (@pxref{-var-list-children}). It is
28531 recommended to use the @samp{--all-values} option, to reduce the
28532 number of MI commands needed on each program stop.
28533
28534 With the @samp{*} parameter, if a variable object is bound to a
28535 currently running thread, it will not be updated, without any
28536 diagnostic.
28537
28538 If @code{-var-set-update-range} was previously used on a varobj, then
28539 only the selected range of children will be reported.
28540
28541 @code{-var-update} reports all the changed varobjs in a tuple named
28542 @samp{changelist}.
28543
28544 Each item in the change list is itself a tuple holding:
28545
28546 @table @samp
28547 @item name
28548 The name of the varobj.
28549
28550 @item value
28551 If values were requested for this update, then this field will be
28552 present and will hold the value of the varobj.
28553
28554 @item in_scope
28555 @anchor{-var-update}
28556 This field is a string which may take one of three values:
28557
28558 @table @code
28559 @item "true"
28560 The variable object's current value is valid.
28561
28562 @item "false"
28563 The variable object does not currently hold a valid value but it may
28564 hold one in the future if its associated expression comes back into
28565 scope.
28566
28567 @item "invalid"
28568 The variable object no longer holds a valid value.
28569 This can occur when the executable file being debugged has changed,
28570 either through recompilation or by using the @value{GDBN} @code{file}
28571 command. The front end should normally choose to delete these variable
28572 objects.
28573 @end table
28574
28575 In the future new values may be added to this list so the front should
28576 be prepared for this possibility. @xref{GDB/MI Development and Front Ends, ,@sc{GDB/MI} Development and Front Ends}.
28577
28578 @item type_changed
28579 This is only present if the varobj is still valid. If the type
28580 changed, then this will be the string @samp{true}; otherwise it will
28581 be @samp{false}.
28582
28583 @item new_type
28584 If the varobj's type changed, then this field will be present and will
28585 hold the new type.
28586
28587 @item new_num_children
28588 For a dynamic varobj, if the number of children changed, or if the
28589 type changed, this will be the new number of children.
28590
28591 The @samp{numchild} field in other varobj responses is generally not
28592 valid for a dynamic varobj -- it will show the number of children that
28593 @value{GDBN} knows about, but because dynamic varobjs lazily
28594 instantiate their children, this will not reflect the number of
28595 children which may be available.
28596
28597 The @samp{new_num_children} attribute only reports changes to the
28598 number of children known by @value{GDBN}. This is the only way to
28599 detect whether an update has removed children (which necessarily can
28600 only happen at the end of the update range).
28601
28602 @item displayhint
28603 The display hint, if any.
28604
28605 @item has_more
28606 This is an integer value, which will be 1 if there are more children
28607 available outside the varobj's update range.
28608
28609 @item dynamic
28610 This attribute will be present and have the value @samp{1} if the
28611 varobj is a dynamic varobj. If the varobj is not a dynamic varobj,
28612 then this attribute will not be present.
28613
28614 @item new_children
28615 If new children were added to a dynamic varobj within the selected
28616 update range (as set by @code{-var-set-update-range}), then they will
28617 be listed in this attribute.
28618 @end table
28619
28620 @subsubheading Example
28621
28622 @smallexample
28623 (gdb)
28624 -var-assign var1 3
28625 ^done,value="3"
28626 (gdb)
28627 -var-update --all-values var1
28628 ^done,changelist=[@{name="var1",value="3",in_scope="true",
28629 type_changed="false"@}]
28630 (gdb)
28631 @end smallexample
28632
28633 @subheading The @code{-var-set-frozen} Command
28634 @findex -var-set-frozen
28635 @anchor{-var-set-frozen}
28636
28637 @subsubheading Synopsis
28638
28639 @smallexample
28640 -var-set-frozen @var{name} @var{flag}
28641 @end smallexample
28642
28643 Set the frozenness flag on the variable object @var{name}. The
28644 @var{flag} parameter should be either @samp{1} to make the variable
28645 frozen or @samp{0} to make it unfrozen. If a variable object is
28646 frozen, then neither itself, nor any of its children, are
28647 implicitly updated by @code{-var-update} of
28648 a parent variable or by @code{-var-update *}. Only
28649 @code{-var-update} of the variable itself will update its value and
28650 values of its children. After a variable object is unfrozen, it is
28651 implicitly updated by all subsequent @code{-var-update} operations.
28652 Unfreezing a variable does not update it, only subsequent
28653 @code{-var-update} does.
28654
28655 @subsubheading Example
28656
28657 @smallexample
28658 (gdb)
28659 -var-set-frozen V 1
28660 ^done
28661 (gdb)
28662 @end smallexample
28663
28664 @subheading The @code{-var-set-update-range} command
28665 @findex -var-set-update-range
28666 @anchor{-var-set-update-range}
28667
28668 @subsubheading Synopsis
28669
28670 @smallexample
28671 -var-set-update-range @var{name} @var{from} @var{to}
28672 @end smallexample
28673
28674 Set the range of children to be returned by future invocations of
28675 @code{-var-update}.
28676
28677 @var{from} and @var{to} indicate the range of children to report. If
28678 @var{from} or @var{to} is less than zero, the range is reset and all
28679 children will be reported. Otherwise, children starting at @var{from}
28680 (zero-based) and up to and excluding @var{to} will be reported.
28681
28682 @subsubheading Example
28683
28684 @smallexample
28685 (gdb)
28686 -var-set-update-range V 1 2
28687 ^done
28688 @end smallexample
28689
28690 @subheading The @code{-var-set-visualizer} command
28691 @findex -var-set-visualizer
28692 @anchor{-var-set-visualizer}
28693
28694 @subsubheading Synopsis
28695
28696 @smallexample
28697 -var-set-visualizer @var{name} @var{visualizer}
28698 @end smallexample
28699
28700 Set a visualizer for the variable object @var{name}.
28701
28702 @var{visualizer} is the visualizer to use. The special value
28703 @samp{None} means to disable any visualizer in use.
28704
28705 If not @samp{None}, @var{visualizer} must be a Python expression.
28706 This expression must evaluate to a callable object which accepts a
28707 single argument. @value{GDBN} will call this object with the value of
28708 the varobj @var{name} as an argument (this is done so that the same
28709 Python pretty-printing code can be used for both the CLI and MI).
28710 When called, this object must return an object which conforms to the
28711 pretty-printing interface (@pxref{Pretty Printing API}).
28712
28713 The pre-defined function @code{gdb.default_visualizer} may be used to
28714 select a visualizer by following the built-in process
28715 (@pxref{Selecting Pretty-Printers}). This is done automatically when
28716 a varobj is created, and so ordinarily is not needed.
28717
28718 This feature is only available if Python support is enabled. The MI
28719 command @code{-list-features} (@pxref{GDB/MI Miscellaneous Commands})
28720 can be used to check this.
28721
28722 @subsubheading Example
28723
28724 Resetting the visualizer:
28725
28726 @smallexample
28727 (gdb)
28728 -var-set-visualizer V None
28729 ^done
28730 @end smallexample
28731
28732 Reselecting the default (type-based) visualizer:
28733
28734 @smallexample
28735 (gdb)
28736 -var-set-visualizer V gdb.default_visualizer
28737 ^done
28738 @end smallexample
28739
28740 Suppose @code{SomeClass} is a visualizer class. A lambda expression
28741 can be used to instantiate this class for a varobj:
28742
28743 @smallexample
28744 (gdb)
28745 -var-set-visualizer V "lambda val: SomeClass()"
28746 ^done
28747 @end smallexample
28748
28749 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
28750 @node GDB/MI Data Manipulation
28751 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Data Manipulation
28752
28753 @cindex data manipulation, in @sc{gdb/mi}
28754 @cindex @sc{gdb/mi}, data manipulation
28755 This section describes the @sc{gdb/mi} commands that manipulate data:
28756 examine memory and registers, evaluate expressions, etc.
28757
28758 @c REMOVED FROM THE INTERFACE.
28759 @c @subheading -data-assign
28760 @c Change the value of a program variable. Plenty of side effects.
28761 @c @subsubheading GDB Command
28762 @c set variable
28763 @c @subsubheading Example
28764 @c N.A.
28765
28766 @subheading The @code{-data-disassemble} Command
28767 @findex -data-disassemble
28768
28769 @subsubheading Synopsis
28770
28771 @smallexample
28772 -data-disassemble
28773 [ -s @var{start-addr} -e @var{end-addr} ]
28774 | [ -f @var{filename} -l @var{linenum} [ -n @var{lines} ] ]
28775 -- @var{mode}
28776 @end smallexample
28777
28778 @noindent
28779 Where:
28780
28781 @table @samp
28782 @item @var{start-addr}
28783 is the beginning address (or @code{$pc})
28784 @item @var{end-addr}
28785 is the end address
28786 @item @var{filename}
28787 is the name of the file to disassemble
28788 @item @var{linenum}
28789 is the line number to disassemble around
28790 @item @var{lines}
28791 is the number of disassembly lines to be produced. If it is -1,
28792 the whole function will be disassembled, in case no @var{end-addr} is
28793 specified. If @var{end-addr} is specified as a non-zero value, and
28794 @var{lines} is lower than the number of disassembly lines between
28795 @var{start-addr} and @var{end-addr}, only @var{lines} lines are
28796 displayed; if @var{lines} is higher than the number of lines between
28797 @var{start-addr} and @var{end-addr}, only the lines up to @var{end-addr}
28798 are displayed.
28799 @item @var{mode}
28800 is either 0 (meaning only disassembly), 1 (meaning mixed source and
28801 disassembly), 2 (meaning disassembly with raw opcodes), or 3 (meaning
28802 mixed source and disassembly with raw opcodes).
28803 @end table
28804
28805 @subsubheading Result
28806
28807 The output for each instruction is composed of four fields:
28808
28809 @itemize @bullet
28810 @item Address
28811 @item Func-name
28812 @item Offset
28813 @item Instruction
28814 @end itemize
28815
28816 Note that whatever included in the instruction field, is not manipulated
28817 directly by @sc{gdb/mi}, i.e., it is not possible to adjust its format.
28818
28819 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28820
28821 There's no direct mapping from this command to the CLI.
28822
28823 @subsubheading Example
28824
28825 Disassemble from the current value of @code{$pc} to @code{$pc + 20}:
28826
28827 @smallexample
28828 (gdb)
28829 -data-disassemble -s $pc -e "$pc + 20" -- 0
28830 ^done,
28831 asm_insns=[
28832 @{address="0x000107c0",func-name="main",offset="4",
28833 inst="mov 2, %o0"@},
28834 @{address="0x000107c4",func-name="main",offset="8",
28835 inst="sethi %hi(0x11800), %o2"@},
28836 @{address="0x000107c8",func-name="main",offset="12",
28837 inst="or %o2, 0x140, %o1\t! 0x11940 <_lib_version+8>"@},
28838 @{address="0x000107cc",func-name="main",offset="16",
28839 inst="sethi %hi(0x11800), %o2"@},
28840 @{address="0x000107d0",func-name="main",offset="20",
28841 inst="or %o2, 0x168, %o4\t! 0x11968 <_lib_version+48>"@}]
28842 (gdb)
28843 @end smallexample
28844
28845 Disassemble the whole @code{main} function. Line 32 is part of
28846 @code{main}.
28847
28848 @smallexample
28849 -data-disassemble -f basics.c -l 32 -- 0
28850 ^done,asm_insns=[
28851 @{address="0x000107bc",func-name="main",offset="0",
28852 inst="save %sp, -112, %sp"@},
28853 @{address="0x000107c0",func-name="main",offset="4",
28854 inst="mov 2, %o0"@},
28855 @{address="0x000107c4",func-name="main",offset="8",
28856 inst="sethi %hi(0x11800), %o2"@},
28857 [@dots{}]
28858 @{address="0x0001081c",func-name="main",offset="96",inst="ret "@},
28859 @{address="0x00010820",func-name="main",offset="100",inst="restore "@}]
28860 (gdb)
28861 @end smallexample
28862
28863 Disassemble 3 instructions from the start of @code{main}:
28864
28865 @smallexample
28866 (gdb)
28867 -data-disassemble -f basics.c -l 32 -n 3 -- 0
28868 ^done,asm_insns=[
28869 @{address="0x000107bc",func-name="main",offset="0",
28870 inst="save %sp, -112, %sp"@},
28871 @{address="0x000107c0",func-name="main",offset="4",
28872 inst="mov 2, %o0"@},
28873 @{address="0x000107c4",func-name="main",offset="8",
28874 inst="sethi %hi(0x11800), %o2"@}]
28875 (gdb)
28876 @end smallexample
28877
28878 Disassemble 3 instructions from the start of @code{main} in mixed mode:
28879
28880 @smallexample
28881 (gdb)
28882 -data-disassemble -f basics.c -l 32 -n 3 -- 1
28883 ^done,asm_insns=[
28884 src_and_asm_line=@{line="31",
28885 file="/kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb/ \
28886 testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line_asm_insn=[
28887 @{address="0x000107bc",func-name="main",offset="0",
28888 inst="save %sp, -112, %sp"@}]@},
28889 src_and_asm_line=@{line="32",
28890 file="/kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/flathead-dev/devo/gdb/ \
28891 testsuite/gdb.mi/basics.c",line_asm_insn=[
28892 @{address="0x000107c0",func-name="main",offset="4",
28893 inst="mov 2, %o0"@},
28894 @{address="0x000107c4",func-name="main",offset="8",
28895 inst="sethi %hi(0x11800), %o2"@}]@}]
28896 (gdb)
28897 @end smallexample
28898
28899
28900 @subheading The @code{-data-evaluate-expression} Command
28901 @findex -data-evaluate-expression
28902
28903 @subsubheading Synopsis
28904
28905 @smallexample
28906 -data-evaluate-expression @var{expr}
28907 @end smallexample
28908
28909 Evaluate @var{expr} as an expression. The expression could contain an
28910 inferior function call. The function call will execute synchronously.
28911 If the expression contains spaces, it must be enclosed in double quotes.
28912
28913 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28914
28915 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{print}, @samp{output}, and
28916 @samp{call}. In @code{gdbtk} only, there's a corresponding
28917 @samp{gdb_eval} command.
28918
28919 @subsubheading Example
28920
28921 In the following example, the numbers that precede the commands are the
28922 @dfn{tokens} described in @ref{GDB/MI Command Syntax, ,@sc{gdb/mi}
28923 Command Syntax}. Notice how @sc{gdb/mi} returns the same tokens in its
28924 output.
28925
28926 @smallexample
28927 211-data-evaluate-expression A
28928 211^done,value="1"
28929 (gdb)
28930 311-data-evaluate-expression &A
28931 311^done,value="0xefffeb7c"
28932 (gdb)
28933 411-data-evaluate-expression A+3
28934 411^done,value="4"
28935 (gdb)
28936 511-data-evaluate-expression "A + 3"
28937 511^done,value="4"
28938 (gdb)
28939 @end smallexample
28940
28941
28942 @subheading The @code{-data-list-changed-registers} Command
28943 @findex -data-list-changed-registers
28944
28945 @subsubheading Synopsis
28946
28947 @smallexample
28948 -data-list-changed-registers
28949 @end smallexample
28950
28951 Display a list of the registers that have changed.
28952
28953 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28954
28955 @value{GDBN} doesn't have a direct analog for this command; @code{gdbtk}
28956 has the corresponding command @samp{gdb_changed_register_list}.
28957
28958 @subsubheading Example
28959
28960 On a PPC MBX board:
28961
28962 @smallexample
28963 (gdb)
28964 -exec-continue
28965 ^running
28966
28967 (gdb)
28968 *stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",bkptno="1",frame=@{
28969 func="main",args=[],file="try.c",fullname="/home/foo/bar/try.c",
28970 line="5"@}
28971 (gdb)
28972 -data-list-changed-registers
28973 ^done,changed-registers=["0","1","2","4","5","6","7","8","9",
28974 "10","11","13","14","15","16","17","18","19","20","21","22","23",
28975 "24","25","26","27","28","30","31","64","65","66","67","69"]
28976 (gdb)
28977 @end smallexample
28978
28979
28980 @subheading The @code{-data-list-register-names} Command
28981 @findex -data-list-register-names
28982
28983 @subsubheading Synopsis
28984
28985 @smallexample
28986 -data-list-register-names [ ( @var{regno} )+ ]
28987 @end smallexample
28988
28989 Show a list of register names for the current target. If no arguments
28990 are given, it shows a list of the names of all the registers. If
28991 integer numbers are given as arguments, it will print a list of the
28992 names of the registers corresponding to the arguments. To ensure
28993 consistency between a register name and its number, the output list may
28994 include empty register names.
28995
28996 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
28997
28998 @value{GDBN} does not have a command which corresponds to
28999 @samp{-data-list-register-names}. In @code{gdbtk} there is a
29000 corresponding command @samp{gdb_regnames}.
29001
29002 @subsubheading Example
29003
29004 For the PPC MBX board:
29005 @smallexample
29006 (gdb)
29007 -data-list-register-names
29008 ^done,register-names=["r0","r1","r2","r3","r4","r5","r6","r7",
29009 "r8","r9","r10","r11","r12","r13","r14","r15","r16","r17","r18",
29010 "r19","r20","r21","r22","r23","r24","r25","r26","r27","r28","r29",
29011 "r30","r31","f0","f1","f2","f3","f4","f5","f6","f7","f8","f9",
29012 "f10","f11","f12","f13","f14","f15","f16","f17","f18","f19","f20",
29013 "f21","f22","f23","f24","f25","f26","f27","f28","f29","f30","f31",
29014 "", "pc","ps","cr","lr","ctr","xer"]
29015 (gdb)
29016 -data-list-register-names 1 2 3
29017 ^done,register-names=["r1","r2","r3"]
29018 (gdb)
29019 @end smallexample
29020
29021 @subheading The @code{-data-list-register-values} Command
29022 @findex -data-list-register-values
29023
29024 @subsubheading Synopsis
29025
29026 @smallexample
29027 -data-list-register-values @var{fmt} [ ( @var{regno} )*]
29028 @end smallexample
29029
29030 Display the registers' contents. @var{fmt} is the format according to
29031 which the registers' contents are to be returned, followed by an optional
29032 list of numbers specifying the registers to display. A missing list of
29033 numbers indicates that the contents of all the registers must be returned.
29034
29035 Allowed formats for @var{fmt} are:
29036
29037 @table @code
29038 @item x
29039 Hexadecimal
29040 @item o
29041 Octal
29042 @item t
29043 Binary
29044 @item d
29045 Decimal
29046 @item r
29047 Raw
29048 @item N
29049 Natural
29050 @end table
29051
29052 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29053
29054 The corresponding @value{GDBN} commands are @samp{info reg}, @samp{info
29055 all-reg}, and (in @code{gdbtk}) @samp{gdb_fetch_registers}.
29056
29057 @subsubheading Example
29058
29059 For a PPC MBX board (note: line breaks are for readability only, they
29060 don't appear in the actual output):
29061
29062 @smallexample
29063 (gdb)
29064 -data-list-register-values r 64 65
29065 ^done,register-values=[@{number="64",value="0xfe00a300"@},
29066 @{number="65",value="0x00029002"@}]
29067 (gdb)
29068 -data-list-register-values x
29069 ^done,register-values=[@{number="0",value="0xfe0043c8"@},
29070 @{number="1",value="0x3fff88"@},@{number="2",value="0xfffffffe"@},
29071 @{number="3",value="0x0"@},@{number="4",value="0xa"@},
29072 @{number="5",value="0x3fff68"@},@{number="6",value="0x3fff58"@},
29073 @{number="7",value="0xfe011e98"@},@{number="8",value="0x2"@},
29074 @{number="9",value="0xfa202820"@},@{number="10",value="0xfa202808"@},
29075 @{number="11",value="0x1"@},@{number="12",value="0x0"@},
29076 @{number="13",value="0x4544"@},@{number="14",value="0xffdfffff"@},
29077 @{number="15",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="16",value="0xfffffeff"@},
29078 @{number="17",value="0xefffffed"@},@{number="18",value="0xfffffffe"@},
29079 @{number="19",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="20",value="0xffffffff"@},
29080 @{number="21",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="22",value="0xfffffff7"@},
29081 @{number="23",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="24",value="0xffffffff"@},
29082 @{number="25",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="26",value="0xfffffffb"@},
29083 @{number="27",value="0xffffffff"@},@{number="28",value="0xf7bfffff"@},
29084 @{number="29",value="0x0"@},@{number="30",value="0xfe010000"@},
29085 @{number="31",value="0x0"@},@{number="32",value="0x0"@},
29086 @{number="33",value="0x0"@},@{number="34",value="0x0"@},
29087 @{number="35",value="0x0"@},@{number="36",value="0x0"@},
29088 @{number="37",value="0x0"@},@{number="38",value="0x0"@},
29089 @{number="39",value="0x0"@},@{number="40",value="0x0"@},
29090 @{number="41",value="0x0"@},@{number="42",value="0x0"@},
29091 @{number="43",value="0x0"@},@{number="44",value="0x0"@},
29092 @{number="45",value="0x0"@},@{number="46",value="0x0"@},
29093 @{number="47",value="0x0"@},@{number="48",value="0x0"@},
29094 @{number="49",value="0x0"@},@{number="50",value="0x0"@},
29095 @{number="51",value="0x0"@},@{number="52",value="0x0"@},
29096 @{number="53",value="0x0"@},@{number="54",value="0x0"@},
29097 @{number="55",value="0x0"@},@{number="56",value="0x0"@},
29098 @{number="57",value="0x0"@},@{number="58",value="0x0"@},
29099 @{number="59",value="0x0"@},@{number="60",value="0x0"@},
29100 @{number="61",value="0x0"@},@{number="62",value="0x0"@},
29101 @{number="63",value="0x0"@},@{number="64",value="0xfe00a300"@},
29102 @{number="65",value="0x29002"@},@{number="66",value="0x202f04b5"@},
29103 @{number="67",value="0xfe0043b0"@},@{number="68",value="0xfe00b3e4"@},
29104 @{number="69",value="0x20002b03"@}]
29105 (gdb)
29106 @end smallexample
29107
29108
29109 @subheading The @code{-data-read-memory} Command
29110 @findex -data-read-memory
29111
29112 This command is deprecated, use @code{-data-read-memory-bytes} instead.
29113
29114 @subsubheading Synopsis
29115
29116 @smallexample
29117 -data-read-memory [ -o @var{byte-offset} ]
29118 @var{address} @var{word-format} @var{word-size}
29119 @var{nr-rows} @var{nr-cols} [ @var{aschar} ]
29120 @end smallexample
29121
29122 @noindent
29123 where:
29124
29125 @table @samp
29126 @item @var{address}
29127 An expression specifying the address of the first memory word to be
29128 read. Complex expressions containing embedded white space should be
29129 quoted using the C convention.
29130
29131 @item @var{word-format}
29132 The format to be used to print the memory words. The notation is the
29133 same as for @value{GDBN}'s @code{print} command (@pxref{Output Formats,
29134 ,Output Formats}).
29135
29136 @item @var{word-size}
29137 The size of each memory word in bytes.
29138
29139 @item @var{nr-rows}
29140 The number of rows in the output table.
29141
29142 @item @var{nr-cols}
29143 The number of columns in the output table.
29144
29145 @item @var{aschar}
29146 If present, indicates that each row should include an @sc{ascii} dump. The
29147 value of @var{aschar} is used as a padding character when a byte is not a
29148 member of the printable @sc{ascii} character set (printable @sc{ascii}
29149 characters are those whose code is between 32 and 126, inclusively).
29150
29151 @item @var{byte-offset}
29152 An offset to add to the @var{address} before fetching memory.
29153 @end table
29154
29155 This command displays memory contents as a table of @var{nr-rows} by
29156 @var{nr-cols} words, each word being @var{word-size} bytes. In total,
29157 @code{@var{nr-rows} * @var{nr-cols} * @var{word-size}} bytes are read
29158 (returned as @samp{total-bytes}). Should less than the requested number
29159 of bytes be returned by the target, the missing words are identified
29160 using @samp{N/A}. The number of bytes read from the target is returned
29161 in @samp{nr-bytes} and the starting address used to read memory in
29162 @samp{addr}.
29163
29164 The address of the next/previous row or page is available in
29165 @samp{next-row} and @samp{prev-row}, @samp{next-page} and
29166 @samp{prev-page}.
29167
29168 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29169
29170 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{x}. @code{gdbtk} has
29171 @samp{gdb_get_mem} memory read command.
29172
29173 @subsubheading Example
29174
29175 Read six bytes of memory starting at @code{bytes+6} but then offset by
29176 @code{-6} bytes. Format as three rows of two columns. One byte per
29177 word. Display each word in hex.
29178
29179 @smallexample
29180 (gdb)
29181 9-data-read-memory -o -6 -- bytes+6 x 1 3 2
29182 9^done,addr="0x00001390",nr-bytes="6",total-bytes="6",
29183 next-row="0x00001396",prev-row="0x0000138e",next-page="0x00001396",
29184 prev-page="0x0000138a",memory=[
29185 @{addr="0x00001390",data=["0x00","0x01"]@},
29186 @{addr="0x00001392",data=["0x02","0x03"]@},
29187 @{addr="0x00001394",data=["0x04","0x05"]@}]
29188 (gdb)
29189 @end smallexample
29190
29191 Read two bytes of memory starting at address @code{shorts + 64} and
29192 display as a single word formatted in decimal.
29193
29194 @smallexample
29195 (gdb)
29196 5-data-read-memory shorts+64 d 2 1 1
29197 5^done,addr="0x00001510",nr-bytes="2",total-bytes="2",
29198 next-row="0x00001512",prev-row="0x0000150e",
29199 next-page="0x00001512",prev-page="0x0000150e",memory=[
29200 @{addr="0x00001510",data=["128"]@}]
29201 (gdb)
29202 @end smallexample
29203
29204 Read thirty two bytes of memory starting at @code{bytes+16} and format
29205 as eight rows of four columns. Include a string encoding with @samp{x}
29206 used as the non-printable character.
29207
29208 @smallexample
29209 (gdb)
29210 4-data-read-memory bytes+16 x 1 8 4 x
29211 4^done,addr="0x000013a0",nr-bytes="32",total-bytes="32",
29212 next-row="0x000013c0",prev-row="0x0000139c",
29213 next-page="0x000013c0",prev-page="0x00001380",memory=[
29214 @{addr="0x000013a0",data=["0x10","0x11","0x12","0x13"],ascii="xxxx"@},
29215 @{addr="0x000013a4",data=["0x14","0x15","0x16","0x17"],ascii="xxxx"@},
29216 @{addr="0x000013a8",data=["0x18","0x19","0x1a","0x1b"],ascii="xxxx"@},
29217 @{addr="0x000013ac",data=["0x1c","0x1d","0x1e","0x1f"],ascii="xxxx"@},
29218 @{addr="0x000013b0",data=["0x20","0x21","0x22","0x23"],ascii=" !\"#"@},
29219 @{addr="0x000013b4",data=["0x24","0x25","0x26","0x27"],ascii="$%&'"@},
29220 @{addr="0x000013b8",data=["0x28","0x29","0x2a","0x2b"],ascii="()*+"@},
29221 @{addr="0x000013bc",data=["0x2c","0x2d","0x2e","0x2f"],ascii=",-./"@}]
29222 (gdb)
29223 @end smallexample
29224
29225 @subheading The @code{-data-read-memory-bytes} Command
29226 @findex -data-read-memory-bytes
29227
29228 @subsubheading Synopsis
29229
29230 @smallexample
29231 -data-read-memory-bytes [ -o @var{byte-offset} ]
29232 @var{address} @var{count}
29233 @end smallexample
29234
29235 @noindent
29236 where:
29237
29238 @table @samp
29239 @item @var{address}
29240 An expression specifying the address of the first memory word to be
29241 read. Complex expressions containing embedded white space should be
29242 quoted using the C convention.
29243
29244 @item @var{count}
29245 The number of bytes to read. This should be an integer literal.
29246
29247 @item @var{byte-offset}
29248 The offsets in bytes relative to @var{address} at which to start
29249 reading. This should be an integer literal. This option is provided
29250 so that a frontend is not required to first evaluate address and then
29251 perform address arithmetics itself.
29252
29253 @end table
29254
29255 This command attempts to read all accessible memory regions in the
29256 specified range. First, all regions marked as unreadable in the memory
29257 map (if one is defined) will be skipped. @xref{Memory Region
29258 Attributes}. Second, @value{GDBN} will attempt to read the remaining
29259 regions. For each one, if reading full region results in an errors,
29260 @value{GDBN} will try to read a subset of the region.
29261
29262 In general, every single byte in the region may be readable or not,
29263 and the only way to read every readable byte is to try a read at
29264 every address, which is not practical. Therefore, @value{GDBN} will
29265 attempt to read all accessible bytes at either beginning or the end
29266 of the region, using a binary division scheme. This heuristic works
29267 well for reading accross a memory map boundary. Note that if a region
29268 has a readable range that is neither at the beginning or the end,
29269 @value{GDBN} will not read it.
29270
29271 The result record (@pxref{GDB/MI Result Records}) that is output of
29272 the command includes a field named @samp{memory} whose content is a
29273 list of tuples. Each tuple represent a successfully read memory block
29274 and has the following fields:
29275
29276 @table @code
29277 @item begin
29278 The start address of the memory block, as hexadecimal literal.
29279
29280 @item end
29281 The end address of the memory block, as hexadecimal literal.
29282
29283 @item offset
29284 The offset of the memory block, as hexadecimal literal, relative to
29285 the start address passed to @code{-data-read-memory-bytes}.
29286
29287 @item contents
29288 The contents of the memory block, in hex.
29289
29290 @end table
29291
29292
29293
29294 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29295
29296 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{x}.
29297
29298 @subsubheading Example
29299
29300 @smallexample
29301 (gdb)
29302 -data-read-memory-bytes &a 10
29303 ^done,memory=[@{begin="0xbffff154",offset="0x00000000",
29304 end="0xbffff15e",
29305 contents="01000000020000000300"@}]
29306 (gdb)
29307 @end smallexample
29308
29309
29310 @subheading The @code{-data-write-memory-bytes} Command
29311 @findex -data-write-memory-bytes
29312
29313 @subsubheading Synopsis
29314
29315 @smallexample
29316 -data-write-memory-bytes @var{address} @var{contents}
29317 @end smallexample
29318
29319 @noindent
29320 where:
29321
29322 @table @samp
29323 @item @var{address}
29324 An expression specifying the address of the first memory word to be
29325 read. Complex expressions containing embedded white space should be
29326 quoted using the C convention.
29327
29328 @item @var{contents}
29329 The hex-encoded bytes to write.
29330
29331 @end table
29332
29333 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29334
29335 There's no corresponding @value{GDBN} command.
29336
29337 @subsubheading Example
29338
29339 @smallexample
29340 (gdb)
29341 -data-write-memory-bytes &a "aabbccdd"
29342 ^done
29343 (gdb)
29344 @end smallexample
29345
29346
29347 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
29348 @node GDB/MI Tracepoint Commands
29349 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Tracepoint Commands
29350
29351 The commands defined in this section implement MI support for
29352 tracepoints. For detailed introduction, see @ref{Tracepoints}.
29353
29354 @subheading The @code{-trace-find} Command
29355 @findex -trace-find
29356
29357 @subsubheading Synopsis
29358
29359 @smallexample
29360 -trace-find @var{mode} [@var{parameters}@dots{}]
29361 @end smallexample
29362
29363 Find a trace frame using criteria defined by @var{mode} and
29364 @var{parameters}. The following table lists permissible
29365 modes and their parameters. For details of operation, see @ref{tfind}.
29366
29367 @table @samp
29368
29369 @item none
29370 No parameters are required. Stops examining trace frames.
29371
29372 @item frame-number
29373 An integer is required as parameter. Selects tracepoint frame with
29374 that index.
29375
29376 @item tracepoint-number
29377 An integer is required as parameter. Finds next
29378 trace frame that corresponds to tracepoint with the specified number.
29379
29380 @item pc
29381 An address is required as parameter. Finds
29382 next trace frame that corresponds to any tracepoint at the specified
29383 address.
29384
29385 @item pc-inside-range
29386 Two addresses are required as parameters. Finds next trace
29387 frame that corresponds to a tracepoint at an address inside the
29388 specified range. Both bounds are considered to be inside the range.
29389
29390 @item pc-outside-range
29391 Two addresses are required as parameters. Finds
29392 next trace frame that corresponds to a tracepoint at an address outside
29393 the specified range. Both bounds are considered to be inside the range.
29394
29395 @item line
29396 Line specification is required as parameter. @xref{Specify Location}.
29397 Finds next trace frame that corresponds to a tracepoint at
29398 the specified location.
29399
29400 @end table
29401
29402 If @samp{none} was passed as @var{mode}, the response does not
29403 have fields. Otherwise, the response may have the following fields:
29404
29405 @table @samp
29406 @item found
29407 This field has either @samp{0} or @samp{1} as the value, depending
29408 on whether a matching tracepoint was found.
29409
29410 @item traceframe
29411 The index of the found traceframe. This field is present iff
29412 the @samp{found} field has value of @samp{1}.
29413
29414 @item tracepoint
29415 The index of the found tracepoint. This field is present iff
29416 the @samp{found} field has value of @samp{1}.
29417
29418 @item frame
29419 The information about the frame corresponding to the found trace
29420 frame. This field is present only if a trace frame was found.
29421 @xref{GDB/MI Frame Information}, for description of this field.
29422
29423 @end table
29424
29425 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29426
29427 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tfind}.
29428
29429 @subheading -trace-define-variable
29430 @findex -trace-define-variable
29431
29432 @subsubheading Synopsis
29433
29434 @smallexample
29435 -trace-define-variable @var{name} [ @var{value} ]
29436 @end smallexample
29437
29438 Create trace variable @var{name} if it does not exist. If
29439 @var{value} is specified, sets the initial value of the specified
29440 trace variable to that value. Note that the @var{name} should start
29441 with the @samp{$} character.
29442
29443 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29444
29445 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tvariable}.
29446
29447 @subheading -trace-list-variables
29448 @findex -trace-list-variables
29449
29450 @subsubheading Synopsis
29451
29452 @smallexample
29453 -trace-list-variables
29454 @end smallexample
29455
29456 Return a table of all defined trace variables. Each element of the
29457 table has the following fields:
29458
29459 @table @samp
29460 @item name
29461 The name of the trace variable. This field is always present.
29462
29463 @item initial
29464 The initial value. This is a 64-bit signed integer. This
29465 field is always present.
29466
29467 @item current
29468 The value the trace variable has at the moment. This is a 64-bit
29469 signed integer. This field is absent iff current value is
29470 not defined, for example if the trace was never run, or is
29471 presently running.
29472
29473 @end table
29474
29475 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29476
29477 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tvariables}.
29478
29479 @subsubheading Example
29480
29481 @smallexample
29482 (gdb)
29483 -trace-list-variables
29484 ^done,trace-variables=@{nr_rows="1",nr_cols="3",
29485 hdr=[@{width="15",alignment="-1",col_name="name",colhdr="Name"@},
29486 @{width="11",alignment="-1",col_name="initial",colhdr="Initial"@},
29487 @{width="11",alignment="-1",col_name="current",colhdr="Current"@}],
29488 body=[variable=@{name="$trace_timestamp",initial="0"@}
29489 variable=@{name="$foo",initial="10",current="15"@}]@}
29490 (gdb)
29491 @end smallexample
29492
29493 @subheading -trace-save
29494 @findex -trace-save
29495
29496 @subsubheading Synopsis
29497
29498 @smallexample
29499 -trace-save [-r ] @var{filename}
29500 @end smallexample
29501
29502 Saves the collected trace data to @var{filename}. Without the
29503 @samp{-r} option, the data is downloaded from the target and saved
29504 in a local file. With the @samp{-r} option the target is asked
29505 to perform the save.
29506
29507 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29508
29509 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tsave}.
29510
29511
29512 @subheading -trace-start
29513 @findex -trace-start
29514
29515 @subsubheading Synopsis
29516
29517 @smallexample
29518 -trace-start
29519 @end smallexample
29520
29521 Starts a tracing experiments. The result of this command does not
29522 have any fields.
29523
29524 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29525
29526 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tstart}.
29527
29528 @subheading -trace-status
29529 @findex -trace-status
29530
29531 @subsubheading Synopsis
29532
29533 @smallexample
29534 -trace-status
29535 @end smallexample
29536
29537 Obtains the status of a tracing experiment. The result may include
29538 the following fields:
29539
29540 @table @samp
29541
29542 @item supported
29543 May have a value of either @samp{0}, when no tracing operations are
29544 supported, @samp{1}, when all tracing operations are supported, or
29545 @samp{file} when examining trace file. In the latter case, examining
29546 of trace frame is possible but new tracing experiement cannot be
29547 started. This field is always present.
29548
29549 @item running
29550 May have a value of either @samp{0} or @samp{1} depending on whether
29551 tracing experiement is in progress on target. This field is present
29552 if @samp{supported} field is not @samp{0}.
29553
29554 @item stop-reason
29555 Report the reason why the tracing was stopped last time. This field
29556 may be absent iff tracing was never stopped on target yet. The
29557 value of @samp{request} means the tracing was stopped as result of
29558 the @code{-trace-stop} command. The value of @samp{overflow} means
29559 the tracing buffer is full. The value of @samp{disconnection} means
29560 tracing was automatically stopped when @value{GDBN} has disconnected.
29561 The value of @samp{passcount} means tracing was stopped when a
29562 tracepoint was passed a maximal number of times for that tracepoint.
29563 This field is present if @samp{supported} field is not @samp{0}.
29564
29565 @item stopping-tracepoint
29566 The number of tracepoint whose passcount as exceeded. This field is
29567 present iff the @samp{stop-reason} field has the value of
29568 @samp{passcount}.
29569
29570 @item frames
29571 @itemx frames-created
29572 The @samp{frames} field is a count of the total number of trace frames
29573 in the trace buffer, while @samp{frames-created} is the total created
29574 during the run, including ones that were discarded, such as when a
29575 circular trace buffer filled up. Both fields are optional.
29576
29577 @item buffer-size
29578 @itemx buffer-free
29579 These fields tell the current size of the tracing buffer and the
29580 remaining space. These fields are optional.
29581
29582 @item circular
29583 The value of the circular trace buffer flag. @code{1} means that the
29584 trace buffer is circular and old trace frames will be discarded if
29585 necessary to make room, @code{0} means that the trace buffer is linear
29586 and may fill up.
29587
29588 @item disconnected
29589 The value of the disconnected tracing flag. @code{1} means that
29590 tracing will continue after @value{GDBN} disconnects, @code{0} means
29591 that the trace run will stop.
29592
29593 @end table
29594
29595 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29596
29597 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tstatus}.
29598
29599 @subheading -trace-stop
29600 @findex -trace-stop
29601
29602 @subsubheading Synopsis
29603
29604 @smallexample
29605 -trace-stop
29606 @end smallexample
29607
29608 Stops a tracing experiment. The result of this command has the same
29609 fields as @code{-trace-status}, except that the @samp{supported} and
29610 @samp{running} fields are not output.
29611
29612 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29613
29614 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{tstop}.
29615
29616
29617 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
29618 @node GDB/MI Symbol Query
29619 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Symbol Query Commands
29620
29621
29622 @ignore
29623 @subheading The @code{-symbol-info-address} Command
29624 @findex -symbol-info-address
29625
29626 @subsubheading Synopsis
29627
29628 @smallexample
29629 -symbol-info-address @var{symbol}
29630 @end smallexample
29631
29632 Describe where @var{symbol} is stored.
29633
29634 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29635
29636 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info address}.
29637
29638 @subsubheading Example
29639 N.A.
29640
29641
29642 @subheading The @code{-symbol-info-file} Command
29643 @findex -symbol-info-file
29644
29645 @subsubheading Synopsis
29646
29647 @smallexample
29648 -symbol-info-file
29649 @end smallexample
29650
29651 Show the file for the symbol.
29652
29653 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29654
29655 There's no equivalent @value{GDBN} command. @code{gdbtk} has
29656 @samp{gdb_find_file}.
29657
29658 @subsubheading Example
29659 N.A.
29660
29661
29662 @subheading The @code{-symbol-info-function} Command
29663 @findex -symbol-info-function
29664
29665 @subsubheading Synopsis
29666
29667 @smallexample
29668 -symbol-info-function
29669 @end smallexample
29670
29671 Show which function the symbol lives in.
29672
29673 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29674
29675 @samp{gdb_get_function} in @code{gdbtk}.
29676
29677 @subsubheading Example
29678 N.A.
29679
29680
29681 @subheading The @code{-symbol-info-line} Command
29682 @findex -symbol-info-line
29683
29684 @subsubheading Synopsis
29685
29686 @smallexample
29687 -symbol-info-line
29688 @end smallexample
29689
29690 Show the core addresses of the code for a source line.
29691
29692 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29693
29694 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info line}.
29695 @code{gdbtk} has the @samp{gdb_get_line} and @samp{gdb_get_file} commands.
29696
29697 @subsubheading Example
29698 N.A.
29699
29700
29701 @subheading The @code{-symbol-info-symbol} Command
29702 @findex -symbol-info-symbol
29703
29704 @subsubheading Synopsis
29705
29706 @smallexample
29707 -symbol-info-symbol @var{addr}
29708 @end smallexample
29709
29710 Describe what symbol is at location @var{addr}.
29711
29712 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29713
29714 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info symbol}.
29715
29716 @subsubheading Example
29717 N.A.
29718
29719
29720 @subheading The @code{-symbol-list-functions} Command
29721 @findex -symbol-list-functions
29722
29723 @subsubheading Synopsis
29724
29725 @smallexample
29726 -symbol-list-functions
29727 @end smallexample
29728
29729 List the functions in the executable.
29730
29731 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29732
29733 @samp{info functions} in @value{GDBN}, @samp{gdb_listfunc} and
29734 @samp{gdb_search} in @code{gdbtk}.
29735
29736 @subsubheading Example
29737 N.A.
29738 @end ignore
29739
29740
29741 @subheading The @code{-symbol-list-lines} Command
29742 @findex -symbol-list-lines
29743
29744 @subsubheading Synopsis
29745
29746 @smallexample
29747 -symbol-list-lines @var{filename}
29748 @end smallexample
29749
29750 Print the list of lines that contain code and their associated program
29751 addresses for the given source filename. The entries are sorted in
29752 ascending PC order.
29753
29754 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29755
29756 There is no corresponding @value{GDBN} command.
29757
29758 @subsubheading Example
29759 @smallexample
29760 (gdb)
29761 -symbol-list-lines basics.c
29762 ^done,lines=[@{pc="0x08048554",line="7"@},@{pc="0x0804855a",line="8"@}]
29763 (gdb)
29764 @end smallexample
29765
29766
29767 @ignore
29768 @subheading The @code{-symbol-list-types} Command
29769 @findex -symbol-list-types
29770
29771 @subsubheading Synopsis
29772
29773 @smallexample
29774 -symbol-list-types
29775 @end smallexample
29776
29777 List all the type names.
29778
29779 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29780
29781 The corresponding commands are @samp{info types} in @value{GDBN},
29782 @samp{gdb_search} in @code{gdbtk}.
29783
29784 @subsubheading Example
29785 N.A.
29786
29787
29788 @subheading The @code{-symbol-list-variables} Command
29789 @findex -symbol-list-variables
29790
29791 @subsubheading Synopsis
29792
29793 @smallexample
29794 -symbol-list-variables
29795 @end smallexample
29796
29797 List all the global and static variable names.
29798
29799 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29800
29801 @samp{info variables} in @value{GDBN}, @samp{gdb_search} in @code{gdbtk}.
29802
29803 @subsubheading Example
29804 N.A.
29805
29806
29807 @subheading The @code{-symbol-locate} Command
29808 @findex -symbol-locate
29809
29810 @subsubheading Synopsis
29811
29812 @smallexample
29813 -symbol-locate
29814 @end smallexample
29815
29816 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29817
29818 @samp{gdb_loc} in @code{gdbtk}.
29819
29820 @subsubheading Example
29821 N.A.
29822
29823
29824 @subheading The @code{-symbol-type} Command
29825 @findex -symbol-type
29826
29827 @subsubheading Synopsis
29828
29829 @smallexample
29830 -symbol-type @var{variable}
29831 @end smallexample
29832
29833 Show type of @var{variable}.
29834
29835 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29836
29837 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{ptype}, @code{gdbtk} has
29838 @samp{gdb_obj_variable}.
29839
29840 @subsubheading Example
29841 N.A.
29842 @end ignore
29843
29844
29845 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
29846 @node GDB/MI File Commands
29847 @section @sc{gdb/mi} File Commands
29848
29849 This section describes the GDB/MI commands to specify executable file names
29850 and to read in and obtain symbol table information.
29851
29852 @subheading The @code{-file-exec-and-symbols} Command
29853 @findex -file-exec-and-symbols
29854
29855 @subsubheading Synopsis
29856
29857 @smallexample
29858 -file-exec-and-symbols @var{file}
29859 @end smallexample
29860
29861 Specify the executable file to be debugged. This file is the one from
29862 which the symbol table is also read. If no file is specified, the
29863 command clears the executable and symbol information. If breakpoints
29864 are set when using this command with no arguments, @value{GDBN} will produce
29865 error messages. Otherwise, no output is produced, except a completion
29866 notification.
29867
29868 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29869
29870 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{file}.
29871
29872 @subsubheading Example
29873
29874 @smallexample
29875 (gdb)
29876 -file-exec-and-symbols /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/TRUNK/mbx/hello.mbx
29877 ^done
29878 (gdb)
29879 @end smallexample
29880
29881
29882 @subheading The @code{-file-exec-file} Command
29883 @findex -file-exec-file
29884
29885 @subsubheading Synopsis
29886
29887 @smallexample
29888 -file-exec-file @var{file}
29889 @end smallexample
29890
29891 Specify the executable file to be debugged. Unlike
29892 @samp{-file-exec-and-symbols}, the symbol table is @emph{not} read
29893 from this file. If used without argument, @value{GDBN} clears the information
29894 about the executable file. No output is produced, except a completion
29895 notification.
29896
29897 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29898
29899 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{exec-file}.
29900
29901 @subsubheading Example
29902
29903 @smallexample
29904 (gdb)
29905 -file-exec-file /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/TRUNK/mbx/hello.mbx
29906 ^done
29907 (gdb)
29908 @end smallexample
29909
29910
29911 @ignore
29912 @subheading The @code{-file-list-exec-sections} Command
29913 @findex -file-list-exec-sections
29914
29915 @subsubheading Synopsis
29916
29917 @smallexample
29918 -file-list-exec-sections
29919 @end smallexample
29920
29921 List the sections of the current executable file.
29922
29923 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29924
29925 The @value{GDBN} command @samp{info file} shows, among the rest, the same
29926 information as this command. @code{gdbtk} has a corresponding command
29927 @samp{gdb_load_info}.
29928
29929 @subsubheading Example
29930 N.A.
29931 @end ignore
29932
29933
29934 @subheading The @code{-file-list-exec-source-file} Command
29935 @findex -file-list-exec-source-file
29936
29937 @subsubheading Synopsis
29938
29939 @smallexample
29940 -file-list-exec-source-file
29941 @end smallexample
29942
29943 List the line number, the current source file, and the absolute path
29944 to the current source file for the current executable. The macro
29945 information field has a value of @samp{1} or @samp{0} depending on
29946 whether or not the file includes preprocessor macro information.
29947
29948 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29949
29950 The @value{GDBN} equivalent is @samp{info source}
29951
29952 @subsubheading Example
29953
29954 @smallexample
29955 (gdb)
29956 123-file-list-exec-source-file
29957 123^done,line="1",file="foo.c",fullname="/home/bar/foo.c,macro-info="1"
29958 (gdb)
29959 @end smallexample
29960
29961
29962 @subheading The @code{-file-list-exec-source-files} Command
29963 @findex -file-list-exec-source-files
29964
29965 @subsubheading Synopsis
29966
29967 @smallexample
29968 -file-list-exec-source-files
29969 @end smallexample
29970
29971 List the source files for the current executable.
29972
29973 It will always output the filename, but only when @value{GDBN} can find
29974 the absolute file name of a source file, will it output the fullname.
29975
29976 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
29977
29978 The @value{GDBN} equivalent is @samp{info sources}.
29979 @code{gdbtk} has an analogous command @samp{gdb_listfiles}.
29980
29981 @subsubheading Example
29982 @smallexample
29983 (gdb)
29984 -file-list-exec-source-files
29985 ^done,files=[
29986 @{file=foo.c,fullname=/home/foo.c@},
29987 @{file=/home/bar.c,fullname=/home/bar.c@},
29988 @{file=gdb_could_not_find_fullpath.c@}]
29989 (gdb)
29990 @end smallexample
29991
29992 @ignore
29993 @subheading The @code{-file-list-shared-libraries} Command
29994 @findex -file-list-shared-libraries
29995
29996 @subsubheading Synopsis
29997
29998 @smallexample
29999 -file-list-shared-libraries
30000 @end smallexample
30001
30002 List the shared libraries in the program.
30003
30004 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30005
30006 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info shared}.
30007
30008 @subsubheading Example
30009 N.A.
30010
30011
30012 @subheading The @code{-file-list-symbol-files} Command
30013 @findex -file-list-symbol-files
30014
30015 @subsubheading Synopsis
30016
30017 @smallexample
30018 -file-list-symbol-files
30019 @end smallexample
30020
30021 List symbol files.
30022
30023 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30024
30025 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{info file} (part of it).
30026
30027 @subsubheading Example
30028 N.A.
30029 @end ignore
30030
30031
30032 @subheading The @code{-file-symbol-file} Command
30033 @findex -file-symbol-file
30034
30035 @subsubheading Synopsis
30036
30037 @smallexample
30038 -file-symbol-file @var{file}
30039 @end smallexample
30040
30041 Read symbol table info from the specified @var{file} argument. When
30042 used without arguments, clears @value{GDBN}'s symbol table info. No output is
30043 produced, except for a completion notification.
30044
30045 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30046
30047 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{symbol-file}.
30048
30049 @subsubheading Example
30050
30051 @smallexample
30052 (gdb)
30053 -file-symbol-file /kwikemart/marge/ezannoni/TRUNK/mbx/hello.mbx
30054 ^done
30055 (gdb)
30056 @end smallexample
30057
30058 @ignore
30059 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
30060 @node GDB/MI Memory Overlay Commands
30061 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Memory Overlay Commands
30062
30063 The memory overlay commands are not implemented.
30064
30065 @c @subheading -overlay-auto
30066
30067 @c @subheading -overlay-list-mapping-state
30068
30069 @c @subheading -overlay-list-overlays
30070
30071 @c @subheading -overlay-map
30072
30073 @c @subheading -overlay-off
30074
30075 @c @subheading -overlay-on
30076
30077 @c @subheading -overlay-unmap
30078
30079 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
30080 @node GDB/MI Signal Handling Commands
30081 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Signal Handling Commands
30082
30083 Signal handling commands are not implemented.
30084
30085 @c @subheading -signal-handle
30086
30087 @c @subheading -signal-list-handle-actions
30088
30089 @c @subheading -signal-list-signal-types
30090 @end ignore
30091
30092
30093 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
30094 @node GDB/MI Target Manipulation
30095 @section @sc{gdb/mi} Target Manipulation Commands
30096
30097
30098 @subheading The @code{-target-attach} Command
30099 @findex -target-attach
30100
30101 @subsubheading Synopsis
30102
30103 @smallexample
30104 -target-attach @var{pid} | @var{gid} | @var{file}
30105 @end smallexample
30106
30107 Attach to a process @var{pid} or a file @var{file} outside of
30108 @value{GDBN}, or a thread group @var{gid}. If attaching to a thread
30109 group, the id previously returned by
30110 @samp{-list-thread-groups --available} must be used.
30111
30112 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30113
30114 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{attach}.
30115
30116 @subsubheading Example
30117 @smallexample
30118 (gdb)
30119 -target-attach 34
30120 =thread-created,id="1"
30121 *stopped,thread-id="1",frame=@{addr="0xb7f7e410",func="bar",args=[]@}
30122 ^done
30123 (gdb)
30124 @end smallexample
30125
30126 @ignore
30127 @subheading The @code{-target-compare-sections} Command
30128 @findex -target-compare-sections
30129
30130 @subsubheading Synopsis
30131
30132 @smallexample
30133 -target-compare-sections [ @var{section} ]
30134 @end smallexample
30135
30136 Compare data of section @var{section} on target to the exec file.
30137 Without the argument, all sections are compared.
30138
30139 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30140
30141 The @value{GDBN} equivalent is @samp{compare-sections}.
30142
30143 @subsubheading Example
30144 N.A.
30145 @end ignore
30146
30147
30148 @subheading The @code{-target-detach} Command
30149 @findex -target-detach
30150
30151 @subsubheading Synopsis
30152
30153 @smallexample
30154 -target-detach [ @var{pid} | @var{gid} ]
30155 @end smallexample
30156
30157 Detach from the remote target which normally resumes its execution.
30158 If either @var{pid} or @var{gid} is specified, detaches from either
30159 the specified process, or specified thread group. There's no output.
30160
30161 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30162
30163 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{detach}.
30164
30165 @subsubheading Example
30166
30167 @smallexample
30168 (gdb)
30169 -target-detach
30170 ^done
30171 (gdb)
30172 @end smallexample
30173
30174
30175 @subheading The @code{-target-disconnect} Command
30176 @findex -target-disconnect
30177
30178 @subsubheading Synopsis
30179
30180 @smallexample
30181 -target-disconnect
30182 @end smallexample
30183
30184 Disconnect from the remote target. There's no output and the target is
30185 generally not resumed.
30186
30187 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30188
30189 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{disconnect}.
30190
30191 @subsubheading Example
30192
30193 @smallexample
30194 (gdb)
30195 -target-disconnect
30196 ^done
30197 (gdb)
30198 @end smallexample
30199
30200
30201 @subheading The @code{-target-download} Command
30202 @findex -target-download
30203
30204 @subsubheading Synopsis
30205
30206 @smallexample
30207 -target-download
30208 @end smallexample
30209
30210 Loads the executable onto the remote target.
30211 It prints out an update message every half second, which includes the fields:
30212
30213 @table @samp
30214 @item section
30215 The name of the section.
30216 @item section-sent
30217 The size of what has been sent so far for that section.
30218 @item section-size
30219 The size of the section.
30220 @item total-sent
30221 The total size of what was sent so far (the current and the previous sections).
30222 @item total-size
30223 The size of the overall executable to download.
30224 @end table
30225
30226 @noindent
30227 Each message is sent as status record (@pxref{GDB/MI Output Syntax, ,
30228 @sc{gdb/mi} Output Syntax}).
30229
30230 In addition, it prints the name and size of the sections, as they are
30231 downloaded. These messages include the following fields:
30232
30233 @table @samp
30234 @item section
30235 The name of the section.
30236 @item section-size
30237 The size of the section.
30238 @item total-size
30239 The size of the overall executable to download.
30240 @end table
30241
30242 @noindent
30243 At the end, a summary is printed.
30244
30245 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30246
30247 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{load}.
30248
30249 @subsubheading Example
30250
30251 Note: each status message appears on a single line. Here the messages
30252 have been broken down so that they can fit onto a page.
30253
30254 @smallexample
30255 (gdb)
30256 -target-download
30257 +download,@{section=".text",section-size="6668",total-size="9880"@}
30258 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="512",section-size="6668",
30259 total-sent="512",total-size="9880"@}
30260 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="1024",section-size="6668",
30261 total-sent="1024",total-size="9880"@}
30262 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="1536",section-size="6668",
30263 total-sent="1536",total-size="9880"@}
30264 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="2048",section-size="6668",
30265 total-sent="2048",total-size="9880"@}
30266 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="2560",section-size="6668",
30267 total-sent="2560",total-size="9880"@}
30268 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="3072",section-size="6668",
30269 total-sent="3072",total-size="9880"@}
30270 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="3584",section-size="6668",
30271 total-sent="3584",total-size="9880"@}
30272 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="4096",section-size="6668",
30273 total-sent="4096",total-size="9880"@}
30274 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="4608",section-size="6668",
30275 total-sent="4608",total-size="9880"@}
30276 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="5120",section-size="6668",
30277 total-sent="5120",total-size="9880"@}
30278 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="5632",section-size="6668",
30279 total-sent="5632",total-size="9880"@}
30280 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="6144",section-size="6668",
30281 total-sent="6144",total-size="9880"@}
30282 +download,@{section=".text",section-sent="6656",section-size="6668",
30283 total-sent="6656",total-size="9880"@}
30284 +download,@{section=".init",section-size="28",total-size="9880"@}
30285 +download,@{section=".fini",section-size="28",total-size="9880"@}
30286 +download,@{section=".data",section-size="3156",total-size="9880"@}
30287 +download,@{section=".data",section-sent="512",section-size="3156",
30288 total-sent="7236",total-size="9880"@}
30289 +download,@{section=".data",section-sent="1024",section-size="3156",
30290 total-sent="7748",total-size="9880"@}
30291 +download,@{section=".data",section-sent="1536",section-size="3156",
30292 total-sent="8260",total-size="9880"@}
30293 +download,@{section=".data",section-sent="2048",section-size="3156",
30294 total-sent="8772",total-size="9880"@}
30295 +download,@{section=".data",section-sent="2560",section-size="3156",
30296 total-sent="9284",total-size="9880"@}
30297 +download,@{section=".data",section-sent="3072",section-size="3156",
30298 total-sent="9796",total-size="9880"@}
30299 ^done,address="0x10004",load-size="9880",transfer-rate="6586",
30300 write-rate="429"
30301 (gdb)
30302 @end smallexample
30303
30304
30305 @ignore
30306 @subheading The @code{-target-exec-status} Command
30307 @findex -target-exec-status
30308
30309 @subsubheading Synopsis
30310
30311 @smallexample
30312 -target-exec-status
30313 @end smallexample
30314
30315 Provide information on the state of the target (whether it is running or
30316 not, for instance).
30317
30318 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30319
30320 There's no equivalent @value{GDBN} command.
30321
30322 @subsubheading Example
30323 N.A.
30324
30325
30326 @subheading The @code{-target-list-available-targets} Command
30327 @findex -target-list-available-targets
30328
30329 @subsubheading Synopsis
30330
30331 @smallexample
30332 -target-list-available-targets
30333 @end smallexample
30334
30335 List the possible targets to connect to.
30336
30337 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30338
30339 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{help target}.
30340
30341 @subsubheading Example
30342 N.A.
30343
30344
30345 @subheading The @code{-target-list-current-targets} Command
30346 @findex -target-list-current-targets
30347
30348 @subsubheading Synopsis
30349
30350 @smallexample
30351 -target-list-current-targets
30352 @end smallexample
30353
30354 Describe the current target.
30355
30356 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30357
30358 The corresponding information is printed by @samp{info file} (among
30359 other things).
30360
30361 @subsubheading Example
30362 N.A.
30363
30364
30365 @subheading The @code{-target-list-parameters} Command
30366 @findex -target-list-parameters
30367
30368 @subsubheading Synopsis
30369
30370 @smallexample
30371 -target-list-parameters
30372 @end smallexample
30373
30374 @c ????
30375 @end ignore
30376
30377 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30378
30379 No equivalent.
30380
30381 @subsubheading Example
30382 N.A.
30383
30384
30385 @subheading The @code{-target-select} Command
30386 @findex -target-select
30387
30388 @subsubheading Synopsis
30389
30390 @smallexample
30391 -target-select @var{type} @var{parameters @dots{}}
30392 @end smallexample
30393
30394 Connect @value{GDBN} to the remote target. This command takes two args:
30395
30396 @table @samp
30397 @item @var{type}
30398 The type of target, for instance @samp{remote}, etc.
30399 @item @var{parameters}
30400 Device names, host names and the like. @xref{Target Commands, ,
30401 Commands for Managing Targets}, for more details.
30402 @end table
30403
30404 The output is a connection notification, followed by the address at
30405 which the target program is, in the following form:
30406
30407 @smallexample
30408 ^connected,addr="@var{address}",func="@var{function name}",
30409 args=[@var{arg list}]
30410 @end smallexample
30411
30412 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30413
30414 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{target}.
30415
30416 @subsubheading Example
30417
30418 @smallexample
30419 (gdb)
30420 -target-select remote /dev/ttya
30421 ^connected,addr="0xfe00a300",func="??",args=[]
30422 (gdb)
30423 @end smallexample
30424
30425 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
30426 @node GDB/MI File Transfer Commands
30427 @section @sc{gdb/mi} File Transfer Commands
30428
30429
30430 @subheading The @code{-target-file-put} Command
30431 @findex -target-file-put
30432
30433 @subsubheading Synopsis
30434
30435 @smallexample
30436 -target-file-put @var{hostfile} @var{targetfile}
30437 @end smallexample
30438
30439 Copy file @var{hostfile} from the host system (the machine running
30440 @value{GDBN}) to @var{targetfile} on the target system.
30441
30442 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30443
30444 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{remote put}.
30445
30446 @subsubheading Example
30447
30448 @smallexample
30449 (gdb)
30450 -target-file-put localfile remotefile
30451 ^done
30452 (gdb)
30453 @end smallexample
30454
30455
30456 @subheading The @code{-target-file-get} Command
30457 @findex -target-file-get
30458
30459 @subsubheading Synopsis
30460
30461 @smallexample
30462 -target-file-get @var{targetfile} @var{hostfile}
30463 @end smallexample
30464
30465 Copy file @var{targetfile} from the target system to @var{hostfile}
30466 on the host system.
30467
30468 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30469
30470 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{remote get}.
30471
30472 @subsubheading Example
30473
30474 @smallexample
30475 (gdb)
30476 -target-file-get remotefile localfile
30477 ^done
30478 (gdb)
30479 @end smallexample
30480
30481
30482 @subheading The @code{-target-file-delete} Command
30483 @findex -target-file-delete
30484
30485 @subsubheading Synopsis
30486
30487 @smallexample
30488 -target-file-delete @var{targetfile}
30489 @end smallexample
30490
30491 Delete @var{targetfile} from the target system.
30492
30493 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30494
30495 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{remote delete}.
30496
30497 @subsubheading Example
30498
30499 @smallexample
30500 (gdb)
30501 -target-file-delete remotefile
30502 ^done
30503 (gdb)
30504 @end smallexample
30505
30506
30507 @c %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% SECTION %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
30508 @node GDB/MI Miscellaneous Commands
30509 @section Miscellaneous @sc{gdb/mi} Commands
30510
30511 @c @subheading -gdb-complete
30512
30513 @subheading The @code{-gdb-exit} Command
30514 @findex -gdb-exit
30515
30516 @subsubheading Synopsis
30517
30518 @smallexample
30519 -gdb-exit
30520 @end smallexample
30521
30522 Exit @value{GDBN} immediately.
30523
30524 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30525
30526 Approximately corresponds to @samp{quit}.
30527
30528 @subsubheading Example
30529
30530 @smallexample
30531 (gdb)
30532 -gdb-exit
30533 ^exit
30534 @end smallexample
30535
30536
30537 @ignore
30538 @subheading The @code{-exec-abort} Command
30539 @findex -exec-abort
30540
30541 @subsubheading Synopsis
30542
30543 @smallexample
30544 -exec-abort
30545 @end smallexample
30546
30547 Kill the inferior running program.
30548
30549 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30550
30551 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{kill}.
30552
30553 @subsubheading Example
30554 N.A.
30555 @end ignore
30556
30557
30558 @subheading The @code{-gdb-set} Command
30559 @findex -gdb-set
30560
30561 @subsubheading Synopsis
30562
30563 @smallexample
30564 -gdb-set
30565 @end smallexample
30566
30567 Set an internal @value{GDBN} variable.
30568 @c IS THIS A DOLLAR VARIABLE? OR SOMETHING LIKE ANNOTATE ?????
30569
30570 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30571
30572 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{set}.
30573
30574 @subsubheading Example
30575
30576 @smallexample
30577 (gdb)
30578 -gdb-set $foo=3
30579 ^done
30580 (gdb)
30581 @end smallexample
30582
30583
30584 @subheading The @code{-gdb-show} Command
30585 @findex -gdb-show
30586
30587 @subsubheading Synopsis
30588
30589 @smallexample
30590 -gdb-show
30591 @end smallexample
30592
30593 Show the current value of a @value{GDBN} variable.
30594
30595 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30596
30597 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{show}.
30598
30599 @subsubheading Example
30600
30601 @smallexample
30602 (gdb)
30603 -gdb-show annotate
30604 ^done,value="0"
30605 (gdb)
30606 @end smallexample
30607
30608 @c @subheading -gdb-source
30609
30610
30611 @subheading The @code{-gdb-version} Command
30612 @findex -gdb-version
30613
30614 @subsubheading Synopsis
30615
30616 @smallexample
30617 -gdb-version
30618 @end smallexample
30619
30620 Show version information for @value{GDBN}. Used mostly in testing.
30621
30622 @subsubheading @value{GDBN} Command
30623
30624 The @value{GDBN} equivalent is @samp{show version}. @value{GDBN} by
30625 default shows this information when you start an interactive session.
30626
30627 @subsubheading Example
30628
30629 @c This example modifies the actual output from GDB to avoid overfull
30630 @c box in TeX.
30631 @smallexample
30632 (gdb)
30633 -gdb-version
30634 ~GNU gdb 5.2.1
30635 ~Copyright 2000 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
30636 ~GDB is free software, covered by the GNU General Public License, and
30637 ~you are welcome to change it and/or distribute copies of it under
30638 ~ certain conditions.
30639 ~Type "show copying" to see the conditions.
30640 ~There is absolutely no warranty for GDB. Type "show warranty" for
30641 ~ details.
30642 ~This GDB was configured as
30643 "--host=sparc-sun-solaris2.5.1 --target=ppc-eabi".
30644 ^done
30645 (gdb)
30646 @end smallexample
30647
30648 @subheading The @code{-list-features} Command
30649 @findex -list-features
30650
30651 Returns a list of particular features of the MI protocol that
30652 this version of gdb implements. A feature can be a command,
30653 or a new field in an output of some command, or even an
30654 important bugfix. While a frontend can sometimes detect presence
30655 of a feature at runtime, it is easier to perform detection at debugger
30656 startup.
30657
30658 The command returns a list of strings, with each string naming an
30659 available feature. Each returned string is just a name, it does not
30660 have any internal structure. The list of possible feature names
30661 is given below.
30662
30663 Example output:
30664
30665 @smallexample
30666 (gdb) -list-features
30667 ^done,result=["feature1","feature2"]
30668 @end smallexample
30669
30670 The current list of features is:
30671
30672 @table @samp
30673 @item frozen-varobjs
30674 Indicates support for the @code{-var-set-frozen} command, as well
30675 as possible presense of the @code{frozen} field in the output
30676 of @code{-varobj-create}.
30677 @item pending-breakpoints
30678 Indicates support for the @option{-f} option to the @code{-break-insert}
30679 command.
30680 @item python
30681 Indicates Python scripting support, Python-based
30682 pretty-printing commands, and possible presence of the
30683 @samp{display_hint} field in the output of @code{-var-list-children}
30684 @item thread-info
30685 Indicates support for the @code{-thread-info} command.
30686 @item data-read-memory-bytes
30687 Indicates support for the @code{-data-read-memory-bytes} and the
30688 @code{-data-write-memory-bytes} commands.
30689 @item breakpoint-notifications
30690 Indicates that changes to breakpoints and breakpoints created via the
30691 CLI will be announced via async records.
30692 @item ada-task-info
30693 Indicates support for the @code{-ada-task-info} command.
30694 @end table
30695
30696 @subheading The @code{-list-target-features} Command
30697 @findex -list-target-features
30698
30699 Returns a list of particular features that are supported by the
30700 target. Those features affect the permitted MI commands, but
30701 unlike the features reported by the @code{-list-features} command, the
30702 features depend on which target GDB is using at the moment. Whenever
30703 a target can change, due to commands such as @code{-target-select},
30704 @code{-target-attach} or @code{-exec-run}, the list of target features
30705 may change, and the frontend should obtain it again.
30706 Example output:
30707
30708 @smallexample
30709 (gdb) -list-features
30710 ^done,result=["async"]
30711 @end smallexample
30712
30713 The current list of features is:
30714
30715 @table @samp
30716 @item async
30717 Indicates that the target is capable of asynchronous command
30718 execution, which means that @value{GDBN} will accept further commands
30719 while the target is running.
30720
30721 @item reverse
30722 Indicates that the target is capable of reverse execution.
30723 @xref{Reverse Execution}, for more information.
30724
30725 @end table
30726
30727 @subheading The @code{-list-thread-groups} Command
30728 @findex -list-thread-groups
30729
30730 @subheading Synopsis
30731
30732 @smallexample
30733 -list-thread-groups [ --available ] [ --recurse 1 ] [ @var{group} ... ]
30734 @end smallexample
30735
30736 Lists thread groups (@pxref{Thread groups}). When a single thread
30737 group is passed as the argument, lists the children of that group.
30738 When several thread group are passed, lists information about those
30739 thread groups. Without any parameters, lists information about all
30740 top-level thread groups.
30741
30742 Normally, thread groups that are being debugged are reported.
30743 With the @samp{--available} option, @value{GDBN} reports thread groups
30744 available on the target.
30745
30746 The output of this command may have either a @samp{threads} result or
30747 a @samp{groups} result. The @samp{thread} result has a list of tuples
30748 as value, with each tuple describing a thread (@pxref{GDB/MI Thread
30749 Information}). The @samp{groups} result has a list of tuples as value,
30750 each tuple describing a thread group. If top-level groups are
30751 requested (that is, no parameter is passed), or when several groups
30752 are passed, the output always has a @samp{groups} result. The format
30753 of the @samp{group} result is described below.
30754
30755 To reduce the number of roundtrips it's possible to list thread groups
30756 together with their children, by passing the @samp{--recurse} option
30757 and the recursion depth. Presently, only recursion depth of 1 is
30758 permitted. If this option is present, then every reported thread group
30759 will also include its children, either as @samp{group} or
30760 @samp{threads} field.
30761
30762 In general, any combination of option and parameters is permitted, with
30763 the following caveats:
30764
30765 @itemize @bullet
30766 @item
30767 When a single thread group is passed, the output will typically
30768 be the @samp{threads} result. Because threads may not contain
30769 anything, the @samp{recurse} option will be ignored.
30770
30771 @item
30772 When the @samp{--available} option is passed, limited information may
30773 be available. In particular, the list of threads of a process might
30774 be inaccessible. Further, specifying specific thread groups might
30775 not give any performance advantage over listing all thread groups.
30776 The frontend should assume that @samp{-list-thread-groups --available}
30777 is always an expensive operation and cache the results.
30778
30779 @end itemize
30780
30781 The @samp{groups} result is a list of tuples, where each tuple may
30782 have the following fields:
30783
30784 @table @code
30785 @item id
30786 Identifier of the thread group. This field is always present.
30787 The identifier is an opaque string; frontends should not try to
30788 convert it to an integer, even though it might look like one.
30789
30790 @item type
30791 The type of the thread group. At present, only @samp{process} is a
30792 valid type.
30793
30794 @item pid
30795 The target-specific process identifier. This field is only present
30796 for thread groups of type @samp{process} and only if the process exists.
30797
30798 @item num_children
30799 The number of children this thread group has. This field may be
30800 absent for an available thread group.
30801
30802 @item threads
30803 This field has a list of tuples as value, each tuple describing a
30804 thread. It may be present if the @samp{--recurse} option is
30805 specified, and it's actually possible to obtain the threads.
30806
30807 @item cores
30808 This field is a list of integers, each identifying a core that one
30809 thread of the group is running on. This field may be absent if
30810 such information is not available.
30811
30812 @item executable
30813 The name of the executable file that corresponds to this thread group.
30814 The field is only present for thread groups of type @samp{process},
30815 and only if there is a corresponding executable file.
30816
30817 @end table
30818
30819 @subheading Example
30820
30821 @smallexample
30822 @value{GDBP}
30823 -list-thread-groups
30824 ^done,groups=[@{id="17",type="process",pid="yyy",num_children="2"@}]
30825 -list-thread-groups 17
30826 ^done,threads=[@{id="2",target-id="Thread 0xb7e14b90 (LWP 21257)",
30827 frame=@{level="0",addr="0xffffe410",func="__kernel_vsyscall",args=[]@},state="running"@},
30828 @{id="1",target-id="Thread 0xb7e156b0 (LWP 21254)",
30829 frame=@{level="0",addr="0x0804891f",func="foo",args=[@{name="i",value="10"@}],
30830 file="/tmp/a.c",fullname="/tmp/a.c",line="158"@},state="running"@}]]
30831 -list-thread-groups --available
30832 ^done,groups=[@{id="17",type="process",pid="yyy",num_children="2",cores=[1,2]@}]
30833 -list-thread-groups --available --recurse 1
30834 ^done,groups=[@{id="17", types="process",pid="yyy",num_children="2",cores=[1,2],
30835 threads=[@{id="1",target-id="Thread 0xb7e14b90",cores=[1]@},
30836 @{id="2",target-id="Thread 0xb7e14b90",cores=[2]@}]@},..]
30837 -list-thread-groups --available --recurse 1 17 18
30838 ^done,groups=[@{id="17", types="process",pid="yyy",num_children="2",cores=[1,2],
30839 threads=[@{id="1",target-id="Thread 0xb7e14b90",cores=[1]@},
30840 @{id="2",target-id="Thread 0xb7e14b90",cores=[2]@}]@},...]
30841 @end smallexample
30842
30843
30844 @subheading The @code{-add-inferior} Command
30845 @findex -add-inferior
30846
30847 @subheading Synopsis
30848
30849 @smallexample
30850 -add-inferior
30851 @end smallexample
30852
30853 Creates a new inferior (@pxref{Inferiors and Programs}). The created
30854 inferior is not associated with any executable. Such association may
30855 be established with the @samp{-file-exec-and-symbols} command
30856 (@pxref{GDB/MI File Commands}). The command response has a single
30857 field, @samp{thread-group}, whose value is the identifier of the
30858 thread group corresponding to the new inferior.
30859
30860 @subheading Example
30861
30862 @smallexample
30863 @value{GDBP}
30864 -add-inferior
30865 ^done,thread-group="i3"
30866 @end smallexample
30867
30868 @subheading The @code{-interpreter-exec} Command
30869 @findex -interpreter-exec
30870
30871 @subheading Synopsis
30872
30873 @smallexample
30874 -interpreter-exec @var{interpreter} @var{command}
30875 @end smallexample
30876 @anchor{-interpreter-exec}
30877
30878 Execute the specified @var{command} in the given @var{interpreter}.
30879
30880 @subheading @value{GDBN} Command
30881
30882 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{interpreter-exec}.
30883
30884 @subheading Example
30885
30886 @smallexample
30887 (gdb)
30888 -interpreter-exec console "break main"
30889 &"During symbol reading, couldn't parse type; debugger out of date?.\n"
30890 &"During symbol reading, bad structure-type format.\n"
30891 ~"Breakpoint 1 at 0x8074fc6: file ../../src/gdb/main.c, line 743.\n"
30892 ^done
30893 (gdb)
30894 @end smallexample
30895
30896 @subheading The @code{-inferior-tty-set} Command
30897 @findex -inferior-tty-set
30898
30899 @subheading Synopsis
30900
30901 @smallexample
30902 -inferior-tty-set /dev/pts/1
30903 @end smallexample
30904
30905 Set terminal for future runs of the program being debugged.
30906
30907 @subheading @value{GDBN} Command
30908
30909 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{set inferior-tty} /dev/pts/1.
30910
30911 @subheading Example
30912
30913 @smallexample
30914 (gdb)
30915 -inferior-tty-set /dev/pts/1
30916 ^done
30917 (gdb)
30918 @end smallexample
30919
30920 @subheading The @code{-inferior-tty-show} Command
30921 @findex -inferior-tty-show
30922
30923 @subheading Synopsis
30924
30925 @smallexample
30926 -inferior-tty-show
30927 @end smallexample
30928
30929 Show terminal for future runs of program being debugged.
30930
30931 @subheading @value{GDBN} Command
30932
30933 The corresponding @value{GDBN} command is @samp{show inferior-tty}.
30934
30935 @subheading Example
30936
30937 @smallexample
30938 (gdb)
30939 -inferior-tty-set /dev/pts/1
30940 ^done
30941 (gdb)
30942 -inferior-tty-show
30943 ^done,inferior_tty_terminal="/dev/pts/1"
30944 (gdb)
30945 @end smallexample
30946
30947 @subheading The @code{-enable-timings} Command
30948 @findex -enable-timings
30949
30950 @subheading Synopsis
30951
30952 @smallexample
30953 -enable-timings [yes | no]
30954 @end smallexample
30955
30956 Toggle the printing of the wallclock, user and system times for an MI
30957 command as a field in its output. This command is to help frontend
30958 developers optimize the performance of their code. No argument is
30959 equivalent to @samp{yes}.
30960
30961 @subheading @value{GDBN} Command
30962
30963 No equivalent.
30964
30965 @subheading Example
30966
30967 @smallexample
30968 (gdb)
30969 -enable-timings
30970 ^done
30971 (gdb)
30972 -break-insert main
30973 ^done,bkpt=@{number="1",type="breakpoint",disp="keep",enabled="y",
30974 addr="0x080484ed",func="main",file="myprog.c",
30975 fullname="/home/nickrob/myprog.c",line="73",times="0"@},
30976 time=@{wallclock="0.05185",user="0.00800",system="0.00000"@}
30977 (gdb)
30978 -enable-timings no
30979 ^done
30980 (gdb)
30981 -exec-run
30982 ^running
30983 (gdb)
30984 *stopped,reason="breakpoint-hit",disp="keep",bkptno="1",thread-id="0",
30985 frame=@{addr="0x080484ed",func="main",args=[@{name="argc",value="1"@},
30986 @{name="argv",value="0xbfb60364"@}],file="myprog.c",
30987 fullname="/home/nickrob/myprog.c",line="73"@}
30988 (gdb)
30989 @end smallexample
30990
30991 @node Annotations
30992 @chapter @value{GDBN} Annotations
30993
30994 This chapter describes annotations in @value{GDBN}. Annotations were
30995 designed to interface @value{GDBN} to graphical user interfaces or other
30996 similar programs which want to interact with @value{GDBN} at a
30997 relatively high level.
30998
30999 The annotation mechanism has largely been superseded by @sc{gdb/mi}
31000 (@pxref{GDB/MI}).
31001
31002 @ignore
31003 This is Edition @value{EDITION}, @value{DATE}.
31004 @end ignore
31005
31006 @menu
31007 * Annotations Overview:: What annotations are; the general syntax.
31008 * Server Prefix:: Issuing a command without affecting user state.
31009 * Prompting:: Annotations marking @value{GDBN}'s need for input.
31010 * Errors:: Annotations for error messages.
31011 * Invalidation:: Some annotations describe things now invalid.
31012 * Annotations for Running::
31013 Whether the program is running, how it stopped, etc.
31014 * Source Annotations:: Annotations describing source code.
31015 @end menu
31016
31017 @node Annotations Overview
31018 @section What is an Annotation?
31019 @cindex annotations
31020
31021 Annotations start with a newline character, two @samp{control-z}
31022 characters, and the name of the annotation. If there is no additional
31023 information associated with this annotation, the name of the annotation
31024 is followed immediately by a newline. If there is additional
31025 information, the name of the annotation is followed by a space, the
31026 additional information, and a newline. The additional information
31027 cannot contain newline characters.
31028
31029 Any output not beginning with a newline and two @samp{control-z}
31030 characters denotes literal output from @value{GDBN}. Currently there is
31031 no need for @value{GDBN} to output a newline followed by two
31032 @samp{control-z} characters, but if there was such a need, the
31033 annotations could be extended with an @samp{escape} annotation which
31034 means those three characters as output.
31035
31036 The annotation @var{level}, which is specified using the
31037 @option{--annotate} command line option (@pxref{Mode Options}), controls
31038 how much information @value{GDBN} prints together with its prompt,
31039 values of expressions, source lines, and other types of output. Level 0
31040 is for no annotations, level 1 is for use when @value{GDBN} is run as a
31041 subprocess of @sc{gnu} Emacs, level 3 is the maximum annotation suitable
31042 for programs that control @value{GDBN}, and level 2 annotations have
31043 been made obsolete (@pxref{Limitations, , Limitations of the Annotation
31044 Interface, annotate, GDB's Obsolete Annotations}).
31045
31046 @table @code
31047 @kindex set annotate
31048 @item set annotate @var{level}
31049 The @value{GDBN} command @code{set annotate} sets the level of
31050 annotations to the specified @var{level}.
31051
31052 @item show annotate
31053 @kindex show annotate
31054 Show the current annotation level.
31055 @end table
31056
31057 This chapter describes level 3 annotations.
31058
31059 A simple example of starting up @value{GDBN} with annotations is:
31060
31061 @smallexample
31062 $ @kbd{gdb --annotate=3}
31063 GNU gdb 6.0
31064 Copyright 2003 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
31065 GDB is free software, covered by the GNU General Public License,
31066 and you are welcome to change it and/or distribute copies of it
31067 under certain conditions.
31068 Type "show copying" to see the conditions.
31069 There is absolutely no warranty for GDB. Type "show warranty"
31070 for details.
31071 This GDB was configured as "i386-pc-linux-gnu"
31072
31073 ^Z^Zpre-prompt
31074 (@value{GDBP})
31075 ^Z^Zprompt
31076 @kbd{quit}
31077
31078 ^Z^Zpost-prompt
31079 $
31080 @end smallexample
31081
31082 Here @samp{quit} is input to @value{GDBN}; the rest is output from
31083 @value{GDBN}. The three lines beginning @samp{^Z^Z} (where @samp{^Z}
31084 denotes a @samp{control-z} character) are annotations; the rest is
31085 output from @value{GDBN}.
31086
31087 @node Server Prefix
31088 @section The Server Prefix
31089 @cindex server prefix
31090
31091 If you prefix a command with @samp{server } then it will not affect
31092 the command history, nor will it affect @value{GDBN}'s notion of which
31093 command to repeat if @key{RET} is pressed on a line by itself. This
31094 means that commands can be run behind a user's back by a front-end in
31095 a transparent manner.
31096
31097 The @code{server } prefix does not affect the recording of values into
31098 the value history; to print a value without recording it into the
31099 value history, use the @code{output} command instead of the
31100 @code{print} command.
31101
31102 Using this prefix also disables confirmation requests
31103 (@pxref{confirmation requests}).
31104
31105 @node Prompting
31106 @section Annotation for @value{GDBN} Input
31107
31108 @cindex annotations for prompts
31109 When @value{GDBN} prompts for input, it annotates this fact so it is possible
31110 to know when to send output, when the output from a given command is
31111 over, etc.
31112
31113 Different kinds of input each have a different @dfn{input type}. Each
31114 input type has three annotations: a @code{pre-} annotation, which
31115 denotes the beginning of any prompt which is being output, a plain
31116 annotation, which denotes the end of the prompt, and then a @code{post-}
31117 annotation which denotes the end of any echo which may (or may not) be
31118 associated with the input. For example, the @code{prompt} input type
31119 features the following annotations:
31120
31121 @smallexample
31122 ^Z^Zpre-prompt
31123 ^Z^Zprompt
31124 ^Z^Zpost-prompt
31125 @end smallexample
31126
31127 The input types are
31128
31129 @table @code
31130 @findex pre-prompt annotation
31131 @findex prompt annotation
31132 @findex post-prompt annotation
31133 @item prompt
31134 When @value{GDBN} is prompting for a command (the main @value{GDBN} prompt).
31135
31136 @findex pre-commands annotation
31137 @findex commands annotation
31138 @findex post-commands annotation
31139 @item commands
31140 When @value{GDBN} prompts for a set of commands, like in the @code{commands}
31141 command. The annotations are repeated for each command which is input.
31142
31143 @findex pre-overload-choice annotation
31144 @findex overload-choice annotation
31145 @findex post-overload-choice annotation
31146 @item overload-choice
31147 When @value{GDBN} wants the user to select between various overloaded functions.
31148
31149 @findex pre-query annotation
31150 @findex query annotation
31151 @findex post-query annotation
31152 @item query
31153 When @value{GDBN} wants the user to confirm a potentially dangerous operation.
31154
31155 @findex pre-prompt-for-continue annotation
31156 @findex prompt-for-continue annotation
31157 @findex post-prompt-for-continue annotation
31158 @item prompt-for-continue
31159 When @value{GDBN} is asking the user to press return to continue. Note: Don't
31160 expect this to work well; instead use @code{set height 0} to disable
31161 prompting. This is because the counting of lines is buggy in the
31162 presence of annotations.
31163 @end table
31164
31165 @node Errors
31166 @section Errors
31167 @cindex annotations for errors, warnings and interrupts
31168
31169 @findex quit annotation
31170 @smallexample
31171 ^Z^Zquit
31172 @end smallexample
31173
31174 This annotation occurs right before @value{GDBN} responds to an interrupt.
31175
31176 @findex error annotation
31177 @smallexample
31178 ^Z^Zerror
31179 @end smallexample
31180
31181 This annotation occurs right before @value{GDBN} responds to an error.
31182
31183 Quit and error annotations indicate that any annotations which @value{GDBN} was
31184 in the middle of may end abruptly. For example, if a
31185 @code{value-history-begin} annotation is followed by a @code{error}, one
31186 cannot expect to receive the matching @code{value-history-end}. One
31187 cannot expect not to receive it either, however; an error annotation
31188 does not necessarily mean that @value{GDBN} is immediately returning all the way
31189 to the top level.
31190
31191 @findex error-begin annotation
31192 A quit or error annotation may be preceded by
31193
31194 @smallexample
31195 ^Z^Zerror-begin
31196 @end smallexample
31197
31198 Any output between that and the quit or error annotation is the error
31199 message.
31200
31201 Warning messages are not yet annotated.
31202 @c If we want to change that, need to fix warning(), type_error(),
31203 @c range_error(), and possibly other places.
31204
31205 @node Invalidation
31206 @section Invalidation Notices
31207
31208 @cindex annotations for invalidation messages
31209 The following annotations say that certain pieces of state may have
31210 changed.
31211
31212 @table @code
31213 @findex frames-invalid annotation
31214 @item ^Z^Zframes-invalid
31215
31216 The frames (for example, output from the @code{backtrace} command) may
31217 have changed.
31218
31219 @findex breakpoints-invalid annotation
31220 @item ^Z^Zbreakpoints-invalid
31221
31222 The breakpoints may have changed. For example, the user just added or
31223 deleted a breakpoint.
31224 @end table
31225
31226 @node Annotations for Running
31227 @section Running the Program
31228 @cindex annotations for running programs
31229
31230 @findex starting annotation
31231 @findex stopping annotation
31232 When the program starts executing due to a @value{GDBN} command such as
31233 @code{step} or @code{continue},
31234
31235 @smallexample
31236 ^Z^Zstarting
31237 @end smallexample
31238
31239 is output. When the program stops,
31240
31241 @smallexample
31242 ^Z^Zstopped
31243 @end smallexample
31244
31245 is output. Before the @code{stopped} annotation, a variety of
31246 annotations describe how the program stopped.
31247
31248 @table @code
31249 @findex exited annotation
31250 @item ^Z^Zexited @var{exit-status}
31251 The program exited, and @var{exit-status} is the exit status (zero for
31252 successful exit, otherwise nonzero).
31253
31254 @findex signalled annotation
31255 @findex signal-name annotation
31256 @findex signal-name-end annotation
31257 @findex signal-string annotation
31258 @findex signal-string-end annotation
31259 @item ^Z^Zsignalled
31260 The program exited with a signal. After the @code{^Z^Zsignalled}, the
31261 annotation continues:
31262
31263 @smallexample
31264 @var{intro-text}
31265 ^Z^Zsignal-name
31266 @var{name}
31267 ^Z^Zsignal-name-end
31268 @var{middle-text}
31269 ^Z^Zsignal-string
31270 @var{string}
31271 ^Z^Zsignal-string-end
31272 @var{end-text}
31273 @end smallexample
31274
31275 @noindent
31276 where @var{name} is the name of the signal, such as @code{SIGILL} or
31277 @code{SIGSEGV}, and @var{string} is the explanation of the signal, such
31278 as @code{Illegal Instruction} or @code{Segmentation fault}.
31279 @var{intro-text}, @var{middle-text}, and @var{end-text} are for the
31280 user's benefit and have no particular format.
31281
31282 @findex signal annotation
31283 @item ^Z^Zsignal
31284 The syntax of this annotation is just like @code{signalled}, but @value{GDBN} is
31285 just saying that the program received the signal, not that it was
31286 terminated with it.
31287
31288 @findex breakpoint annotation
31289 @item ^Z^Zbreakpoint @var{number}
31290 The program hit breakpoint number @var{number}.
31291
31292 @findex watchpoint annotation
31293 @item ^Z^Zwatchpoint @var{number}
31294 The program hit watchpoint number @var{number}.
31295 @end table
31296
31297 @node Source Annotations
31298 @section Displaying Source
31299 @cindex annotations for source display
31300
31301 @findex source annotation
31302 The following annotation is used instead of displaying source code:
31303
31304 @smallexample
31305 ^Z^Zsource @var{filename}:@var{line}:@var{character}:@var{middle}:@var{addr}
31306 @end smallexample
31307
31308 where @var{filename} is an absolute file name indicating which source
31309 file, @var{line} is the line number within that file (where 1 is the
31310 first line in the file), @var{character} is the character position
31311 within the file (where 0 is the first character in the file) (for most
31312 debug formats this will necessarily point to the beginning of a line),
31313 @var{middle} is @samp{middle} if @var{addr} is in the middle of the
31314 line, or @samp{beg} if @var{addr} is at the beginning of the line, and
31315 @var{addr} is the address in the target program associated with the
31316 source which is being displayed. @var{addr} is in the form @samp{0x}
31317 followed by one or more lowercase hex digits (note that this does not
31318 depend on the language).
31319
31320 @node JIT Interface
31321 @chapter JIT Compilation Interface
31322 @cindex just-in-time compilation
31323 @cindex JIT compilation interface
31324
31325 This chapter documents @value{GDBN}'s @dfn{just-in-time} (JIT) compilation
31326 interface. A JIT compiler is a program or library that generates native
31327 executable code at runtime and executes it, usually in order to achieve good
31328 performance while maintaining platform independence.
31329
31330 Programs that use JIT compilation are normally difficult to debug because
31331 portions of their code are generated at runtime, instead of being loaded from
31332 object files, which is where @value{GDBN} normally finds the program's symbols
31333 and debug information. In order to debug programs that use JIT compilation,
31334 @value{GDBN} has an interface that allows the program to register in-memory
31335 symbol files with @value{GDBN} at runtime.
31336
31337 If you are using @value{GDBN} to debug a program that uses this interface, then
31338 it should work transparently so long as you have not stripped the binary. If
31339 you are developing a JIT compiler, then the interface is documented in the rest
31340 of this chapter. At this time, the only known client of this interface is the
31341 LLVM JIT.
31342
31343 Broadly speaking, the JIT interface mirrors the dynamic loader interface. The
31344 JIT compiler communicates with @value{GDBN} by writing data into a global
31345 variable and calling a fuction at a well-known symbol. When @value{GDBN}
31346 attaches, it reads a linked list of symbol files from the global variable to
31347 find existing code, and puts a breakpoint in the function so that it can find
31348 out about additional code.
31349
31350 @menu
31351 * Declarations:: Relevant C struct declarations
31352 * Registering Code:: Steps to register code
31353 * Unregistering Code:: Steps to unregister code
31354 @end menu
31355
31356 @node Declarations
31357 @section JIT Declarations
31358
31359 These are the relevant struct declarations that a C program should include to
31360 implement the interface:
31361
31362 @smallexample
31363 typedef enum
31364 @{
31365 JIT_NOACTION = 0,
31366 JIT_REGISTER_FN,
31367 JIT_UNREGISTER_FN
31368 @} jit_actions_t;
31369
31370 struct jit_code_entry
31371 @{
31372 struct jit_code_entry *next_entry;
31373 struct jit_code_entry *prev_entry;
31374 const char *symfile_addr;
31375 uint64_t symfile_size;
31376 @};
31377
31378 struct jit_descriptor
31379 @{
31380 uint32_t version;
31381 /* This type should be jit_actions_t, but we use uint32_t
31382 to be explicit about the bitwidth. */
31383 uint32_t action_flag;
31384 struct jit_code_entry *relevant_entry;
31385 struct jit_code_entry *first_entry;
31386 @};
31387
31388 /* GDB puts a breakpoint in this function. */
31389 void __attribute__((noinline)) __jit_debug_register_code() @{ @};
31390
31391 /* Make sure to specify the version statically, because the
31392 debugger may check the version before we can set it. */
31393 struct jit_descriptor __jit_debug_descriptor = @{ 1, 0, 0, 0 @};
31394 @end smallexample
31395
31396 If the JIT is multi-threaded, then it is important that the JIT synchronize any
31397 modifications to this global data properly, which can easily be done by putting
31398 a global mutex around modifications to these structures.
31399
31400 @node Registering Code
31401 @section Registering Code
31402
31403 To register code with @value{GDBN}, the JIT should follow this protocol:
31404
31405 @itemize @bullet
31406 @item
31407 Generate an object file in memory with symbols and other desired debug
31408 information. The file must include the virtual addresses of the sections.
31409
31410 @item
31411 Create a code entry for the file, which gives the start and size of the symbol
31412 file.
31413
31414 @item
31415 Add it to the linked list in the JIT descriptor.
31416
31417 @item
31418 Point the relevant_entry field of the descriptor at the entry.
31419
31420 @item
31421 Set @code{action_flag} to @code{JIT_REGISTER} and call
31422 @code{__jit_debug_register_code}.
31423 @end itemize
31424
31425 When @value{GDBN} is attached and the breakpoint fires, @value{GDBN} uses the
31426 @code{relevant_entry} pointer so it doesn't have to walk the list looking for
31427 new code. However, the linked list must still be maintained in order to allow
31428 @value{GDBN} to attach to a running process and still find the symbol files.
31429
31430 @node Unregistering Code
31431 @section Unregistering Code
31432
31433 If code is freed, then the JIT should use the following protocol:
31434
31435 @itemize @bullet
31436 @item
31437 Remove the code entry corresponding to the code from the linked list.
31438
31439 @item
31440 Point the @code{relevant_entry} field of the descriptor at the code entry.
31441
31442 @item
31443 Set @code{action_flag} to @code{JIT_UNREGISTER} and call
31444 @code{__jit_debug_register_code}.
31445 @end itemize
31446
31447 If the JIT frees or recompiles code without unregistering it, then @value{GDBN}
31448 and the JIT will leak the memory used for the associated symbol files.
31449
31450 @node GDB Bugs
31451 @chapter Reporting Bugs in @value{GDBN}
31452 @cindex bugs in @value{GDBN}
31453 @cindex reporting bugs in @value{GDBN}
31454
31455 Your bug reports play an essential role in making @value{GDBN} reliable.
31456
31457 Reporting a bug may help you by bringing a solution to your problem, or it
31458 may not. But in any case the principal function of a bug report is to help
31459 the entire community by making the next version of @value{GDBN} work better. Bug
31460 reports are your contribution to the maintenance of @value{GDBN}.
31461
31462 In order for a bug report to serve its purpose, you must include the
31463 information that enables us to fix the bug.
31464
31465 @menu
31466 * Bug Criteria:: Have you found a bug?
31467 * Bug Reporting:: How to report bugs
31468 @end menu
31469
31470 @node Bug Criteria
31471 @section Have You Found a Bug?
31472 @cindex bug criteria
31473
31474 If you are not sure whether you have found a bug, here are some guidelines:
31475
31476 @itemize @bullet
31477 @cindex fatal signal
31478 @cindex debugger crash
31479 @cindex crash of debugger
31480 @item
31481 If the debugger gets a fatal signal, for any input whatever, that is a
31482 @value{GDBN} bug. Reliable debuggers never crash.
31483
31484 @cindex error on valid input
31485 @item
31486 If @value{GDBN} produces an error message for valid input, that is a
31487 bug. (Note that if you're cross debugging, the problem may also be
31488 somewhere in the connection to the target.)
31489
31490 @cindex invalid input
31491 @item
31492 If @value{GDBN} does not produce an error message for invalid input,
31493 that is a bug. However, you should note that your idea of
31494 ``invalid input'' might be our idea of ``an extension'' or ``support
31495 for traditional practice''.
31496
31497 @item
31498 If you are an experienced user of debugging tools, your suggestions
31499 for improvement of @value{GDBN} are welcome in any case.
31500 @end itemize
31501
31502 @node Bug Reporting
31503 @section How to Report Bugs
31504 @cindex bug reports
31505 @cindex @value{GDBN} bugs, reporting
31506
31507 A number of companies and individuals offer support for @sc{gnu} products.
31508 If you obtained @value{GDBN} from a support organization, we recommend you
31509 contact that organization first.
31510
31511 You can find contact information for many support companies and
31512 individuals in the file @file{etc/SERVICE} in the @sc{gnu} Emacs
31513 distribution.
31514 @c should add a web page ref...
31515
31516 @ifset BUGURL
31517 @ifset BUGURL_DEFAULT
31518 In any event, we also recommend that you submit bug reports for
31519 @value{GDBN}. The preferred method is to submit them directly using
31520 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gdb/bugs/, @value{GDBN}'s Bugs web
31521 page}. Alternatively, the @email{bug-gdb@@gnu.org, e-mail gateway} can
31522 be used.
31523
31524 @strong{Do not send bug reports to @samp{info-gdb}, or to
31525 @samp{help-gdb}, or to any newsgroups.} Most users of @value{GDBN} do
31526 not want to receive bug reports. Those that do have arranged to receive
31527 @samp{bug-gdb}.
31528
31529 The mailing list @samp{bug-gdb} has a newsgroup @samp{gnu.gdb.bug} which
31530 serves as a repeater. The mailing list and the newsgroup carry exactly
31531 the same messages. Often people think of posting bug reports to the
31532 newsgroup instead of mailing them. This appears to work, but it has one
31533 problem which can be crucial: a newsgroup posting often lacks a mail
31534 path back to the sender. Thus, if we need to ask for more information,
31535 we may be unable to reach you. For this reason, it is better to send
31536 bug reports to the mailing list.
31537 @end ifset
31538 @ifclear BUGURL_DEFAULT
31539 In any event, we also recommend that you submit bug reports for
31540 @value{GDBN} to @value{BUGURL}.
31541 @end ifclear
31542 @end ifset
31543
31544 The fundamental principle of reporting bugs usefully is this:
31545 @strong{report all the facts}. If you are not sure whether to state a
31546 fact or leave it out, state it!
31547
31548 Often people omit facts because they think they know what causes the
31549 problem and assume that some details do not matter. Thus, you might
31550 assume that the name of the variable you use in an example does not matter.
31551 Well, probably it does not, but one cannot be sure. Perhaps the bug is a
31552 stray memory reference which happens to fetch from the location where that
31553 name is stored in memory; perhaps, if the name were different, the contents
31554 of that location would fool the debugger into doing the right thing despite
31555 the bug. Play it safe and give a specific, complete example. That is the
31556 easiest thing for you to do, and the most helpful.
31557
31558 Keep in mind that the purpose of a bug report is to enable us to fix the
31559 bug. It may be that the bug has been reported previously, but neither
31560 you nor we can know that unless your bug report is complete and
31561 self-contained.
31562
31563 Sometimes people give a few sketchy facts and ask, ``Does this ring a
31564 bell?'' Those bug reports are useless, and we urge everyone to
31565 @emph{refuse to respond to them} except to chide the sender to report
31566 bugs properly.
31567
31568 To enable us to fix the bug, you should include all these things:
31569
31570 @itemize @bullet
31571 @item
31572 The version of @value{GDBN}. @value{GDBN} announces it if you start
31573 with no arguments; you can also print it at any time using @code{show
31574 version}.
31575
31576 Without this, we will not know whether there is any point in looking for
31577 the bug in the current version of @value{GDBN}.
31578
31579 @item
31580 The type of machine you are using, and the operating system name and
31581 version number.
31582
31583 @item
31584 What compiler (and its version) was used to compile @value{GDBN}---e.g.@:
31585 ``@value{GCC}--2.8.1''.
31586
31587 @item
31588 What compiler (and its version) was used to compile the program you are
31589 debugging---e.g.@: ``@value{GCC}--2.8.1'', or ``HP92453-01 A.10.32.03 HP
31590 C Compiler''. For @value{NGCC}, you can say @kbd{@value{GCC} --version}
31591 to get this information; for other compilers, see the documentation for
31592 those compilers.
31593
31594 @item
31595 The command arguments you gave the compiler to compile your example and
31596 observe the bug. For example, did you use @samp{-O}? To guarantee
31597 you will not omit something important, list them all. A copy of the
31598 Makefile (or the output from make) is sufficient.
31599
31600 If we were to try to guess the arguments, we would probably guess wrong
31601 and then we might not encounter the bug.
31602
31603 @item
31604 A complete input script, and all necessary source files, that will
31605 reproduce the bug.
31606
31607 @item
31608 A description of what behavior you observe that you believe is
31609 incorrect. For example, ``It gets a fatal signal.''
31610
31611 Of course, if the bug is that @value{GDBN} gets a fatal signal, then we
31612 will certainly notice it. But if the bug is incorrect output, we might
31613 not notice unless it is glaringly wrong. You might as well not give us
31614 a chance to make a mistake.
31615
31616 Even if the problem you experience is a fatal signal, you should still
31617 say so explicitly. Suppose something strange is going on, such as, your
31618 copy of @value{GDBN} is out of synch, or you have encountered a bug in
31619 the C library on your system. (This has happened!) Your copy might
31620 crash and ours would not. If you told us to expect a crash, then when
31621 ours fails to crash, we would know that the bug was not happening for
31622 us. If you had not told us to expect a crash, then we would not be able
31623 to draw any conclusion from our observations.
31624
31625 @pindex script
31626 @cindex recording a session script
31627 To collect all this information, you can use a session recording program
31628 such as @command{script}, which is available on many Unix systems.
31629 Just run your @value{GDBN} session inside @command{script} and then
31630 include the @file{typescript} file with your bug report.
31631
31632 Another way to record a @value{GDBN} session is to run @value{GDBN}
31633 inside Emacs and then save the entire buffer to a file.
31634
31635 @item
31636 If you wish to suggest changes to the @value{GDBN} source, send us context
31637 diffs. If you even discuss something in the @value{GDBN} source, refer to
31638 it by context, not by line number.
31639
31640 The line numbers in our development sources will not match those in your
31641 sources. Your line numbers would convey no useful information to us.
31642
31643 @end itemize
31644
31645 Here are some things that are not necessary:
31646
31647 @itemize @bullet
31648 @item
31649 A description of the envelope of the bug.
31650
31651 Often people who encounter a bug spend a lot of time investigating
31652 which changes to the input file will make the bug go away and which
31653 changes will not affect it.
31654
31655 This is often time consuming and not very useful, because the way we
31656 will find the bug is by running a single example under the debugger
31657 with breakpoints, not by pure deduction from a series of examples.
31658 We recommend that you save your time for something else.
31659
31660 Of course, if you can find a simpler example to report @emph{instead}
31661 of the original one, that is a convenience for us. Errors in the
31662 output will be easier to spot, running under the debugger will take
31663 less time, and so on.
31664
31665 However, simplification is not vital; if you do not want to do this,
31666 report the bug anyway and send us the entire test case you used.
31667
31668 @item
31669 A patch for the bug.
31670
31671 A patch for the bug does help us if it is a good one. But do not omit
31672 the necessary information, such as the test case, on the assumption that
31673 a patch is all we need. We might see problems with your patch and decide
31674 to fix the problem another way, or we might not understand it at all.
31675
31676 Sometimes with a program as complicated as @value{GDBN} it is very hard to
31677 construct an example that will make the program follow a certain path
31678 through the code. If you do not send us the example, we will not be able
31679 to construct one, so we will not be able to verify that the bug is fixed.
31680
31681 And if we cannot understand what bug you are trying to fix, or why your
31682 patch should be an improvement, we will not install it. A test case will
31683 help us to understand.
31684
31685 @item
31686 A guess about what the bug is or what it depends on.
31687
31688 Such guesses are usually wrong. Even we cannot guess right about such
31689 things without first using the debugger to find the facts.
31690 @end itemize
31691
31692 @c The readline documentation is distributed with the readline code
31693 @c and consists of the two following files:
31694 @c rluser.texi
31695 @c hsuser.texi
31696 @c Use -I with makeinfo to point to the appropriate directory,
31697 @c environment var TEXINPUTS with TeX.
31698 @ifclear SYSTEM_READLINE
31699 @include rluser.texi
31700 @include hsuser.texi
31701 @end ifclear
31702
31703 @node In Memoriam
31704 @appendix In Memoriam
31705
31706 The @value{GDBN} project mourns the loss of the following long-time
31707 contributors:
31708
31709 @table @code
31710 @item Fred Fish
31711 Fred was a long-standing contributor to @value{GDBN} (1991-2006), and
31712 to Free Software in general. Outside of @value{GDBN}, he was known in
31713 the Amiga world for his series of Fish Disks, and the GeekGadget project.
31714
31715 @item Michael Snyder
31716 Michael was one of the Global Maintainers of the @value{GDBN} project,
31717 with contributions recorded as early as 1996, until 2011. In addition
31718 to his day to day participation, he was a large driving force behind
31719 adding Reverse Debugging to @value{GDBN}.
31720 @end table
31721
31722 Beyond their technical contributions to the project, they were also
31723 enjoyable members of the Free Software Community. We will miss them.
31724
31725 @node Formatting Documentation
31726 @appendix Formatting Documentation
31727
31728 @cindex @value{GDBN} reference card
31729 @cindex reference card
31730 The @value{GDBN} 4 release includes an already-formatted reference card, ready
31731 for printing with PostScript or Ghostscript, in the @file{gdb}
31732 subdirectory of the main source directory@footnote{In
31733 @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}/gdb/refcard.ps} of the version @value{GDBVN}
31734 release.}. If you can use PostScript or Ghostscript with your printer,
31735 you can print the reference card immediately with @file{refcard.ps}.
31736
31737 The release also includes the source for the reference card. You
31738 can format it, using @TeX{}, by typing:
31739
31740 @smallexample
31741 make refcard.dvi
31742 @end smallexample
31743
31744 The @value{GDBN} reference card is designed to print in @dfn{landscape}
31745 mode on US ``letter'' size paper;
31746 that is, on a sheet 11 inches wide by 8.5 inches
31747 high. You will need to specify this form of printing as an option to
31748 your @sc{dvi} output program.
31749
31750 @cindex documentation
31751
31752 All the documentation for @value{GDBN} comes as part of the machine-readable
31753 distribution. The documentation is written in Texinfo format, which is
31754 a documentation system that uses a single source file to produce both
31755 on-line information and a printed manual. You can use one of the Info
31756 formatting commands to create the on-line version of the documentation
31757 and @TeX{} (or @code{texi2roff}) to typeset the printed version.
31758
31759 @value{GDBN} includes an already formatted copy of the on-line Info
31760 version of this manual in the @file{gdb} subdirectory. The main Info
31761 file is @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}/gdb/gdb.info}, and it refers to
31762 subordinate files matching @samp{gdb.info*} in the same directory. If
31763 necessary, you can print out these files, or read them with any editor;
31764 but they are easier to read using the @code{info} subsystem in @sc{gnu}
31765 Emacs or the standalone @code{info} program, available as part of the
31766 @sc{gnu} Texinfo distribution.
31767
31768 If you want to format these Info files yourself, you need one of the
31769 Info formatting programs, such as @code{texinfo-format-buffer} or
31770 @code{makeinfo}.
31771
31772 If you have @code{makeinfo} installed, and are in the top level
31773 @value{GDBN} source directory (@file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}}, in the case of
31774 version @value{GDBVN}), you can make the Info file by typing:
31775
31776 @smallexample
31777 cd gdb
31778 make gdb.info
31779 @end smallexample
31780
31781 If you want to typeset and print copies of this manual, you need @TeX{},
31782 a program to print its @sc{dvi} output files, and @file{texinfo.tex}, the
31783 Texinfo definitions file.
31784
31785 @TeX{} is a typesetting program; it does not print files directly, but
31786 produces output files called @sc{dvi} files. To print a typeset
31787 document, you need a program to print @sc{dvi} files. If your system
31788 has @TeX{} installed, chances are it has such a program. The precise
31789 command to use depends on your system; @kbd{lpr -d} is common; another
31790 (for PostScript devices) is @kbd{dvips}. The @sc{dvi} print command may
31791 require a file name without any extension or a @samp{.dvi} extension.
31792
31793 @TeX{} also requires a macro definitions file called
31794 @file{texinfo.tex}. This file tells @TeX{} how to typeset a document
31795 written in Texinfo format. On its own, @TeX{} cannot either read or
31796 typeset a Texinfo file. @file{texinfo.tex} is distributed with GDB
31797 and is located in the @file{gdb-@var{version-number}/texinfo}
31798 directory.
31799
31800 If you have @TeX{} and a @sc{dvi} printer program installed, you can
31801 typeset and print this manual. First switch to the @file{gdb}
31802 subdirectory of the main source directory (for example, to
31803 @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}/gdb}) and type:
31804
31805 @smallexample
31806 make gdb.dvi
31807 @end smallexample
31808
31809 Then give @file{gdb.dvi} to your @sc{dvi} printing program.
31810
31811 @node Installing GDB
31812 @appendix Installing @value{GDBN}
31813 @cindex installation
31814
31815 @menu
31816 * Requirements:: Requirements for building @value{GDBN}
31817 * Running Configure:: Invoking the @value{GDBN} @file{configure} script
31818 * Separate Objdir:: Compiling @value{GDBN} in another directory
31819 * Config Names:: Specifying names for hosts and targets
31820 * Configure Options:: Summary of options for configure
31821 * System-wide configuration:: Having a system-wide init file
31822 @end menu
31823
31824 @node Requirements
31825 @section Requirements for Building @value{GDBN}
31826 @cindex building @value{GDBN}, requirements for
31827
31828 Building @value{GDBN} requires various tools and packages to be available.
31829 Other packages will be used only if they are found.
31830
31831 @heading Tools/Packages Necessary for Building @value{GDBN}
31832 @table @asis
31833 @item ISO C90 compiler
31834 @value{GDBN} is written in ISO C90. It should be buildable with any
31835 working C90 compiler, e.g.@: GCC.
31836
31837 @end table
31838
31839 @heading Tools/Packages Optional for Building @value{GDBN}
31840 @table @asis
31841 @item Expat
31842 @anchor{Expat}
31843 @value{GDBN} can use the Expat XML parsing library. This library may be
31844 included with your operating system distribution; if it is not, you
31845 can get the latest version from @url{http://expat.sourceforge.net}.
31846 The @file{configure} script will search for this library in several
31847 standard locations; if it is installed in an unusual path, you can
31848 use the @option{--with-libexpat-prefix} option to specify its location.
31849
31850 Expat is used for:
31851
31852 @itemize @bullet
31853 @item
31854 Remote protocol memory maps (@pxref{Memory Map Format})
31855 @item
31856 Target descriptions (@pxref{Target Descriptions})
31857 @item
31858 Remote shared library lists (@pxref{Library List Format})
31859 @item
31860 MS-Windows shared libraries (@pxref{Shared Libraries})
31861 @item
31862 Traceframe info (@pxref{Traceframe Info Format})
31863 @end itemize
31864
31865 @item zlib
31866 @cindex compressed debug sections
31867 @value{GDBN} will use the @samp{zlib} library, if available, to read
31868 compressed debug sections. Some linkers, such as GNU gold, are capable
31869 of producing binaries with compressed debug sections. If @value{GDBN}
31870 is compiled with @samp{zlib}, it will be able to read the debug
31871 information in such binaries.
31872
31873 The @samp{zlib} library is likely included with your operating system
31874 distribution; if it is not, you can get the latest version from
31875 @url{http://zlib.net}.
31876
31877 @item iconv
31878 @value{GDBN}'s features related to character sets (@pxref{Character
31879 Sets}) require a functioning @code{iconv} implementation. If you are
31880 on a GNU system, then this is provided by the GNU C Library. Some
31881 other systems also provide a working @code{iconv}.
31882
31883 If @value{GDBN} is using the @code{iconv} program which is installed
31884 in a non-standard place, you will need to tell @value{GDBN} where to find it.
31885 This is done with @option{--with-iconv-bin} which specifies the
31886 directory that contains the @code{iconv} program.
31887
31888 On systems without @code{iconv}, you can install GNU Libiconv. If you
31889 have previously installed Libiconv, you can use the
31890 @option{--with-libiconv-prefix} option to configure.
31891
31892 @value{GDBN}'s top-level @file{configure} and @file{Makefile} will
31893 arrange to build Libiconv if a directory named @file{libiconv} appears
31894 in the top-most source directory. If Libiconv is built this way, and
31895 if the operating system does not provide a suitable @code{iconv}
31896 implementation, then the just-built library will automatically be used
31897 by @value{GDBN}. One easy way to set this up is to download GNU
31898 Libiconv, unpack it, and then rename the directory holding the
31899 Libiconv source code to @samp{libiconv}.
31900 @end table
31901
31902 @node Running Configure
31903 @section Invoking the @value{GDBN} @file{configure} Script
31904 @cindex configuring @value{GDBN}
31905 @value{GDBN} comes with a @file{configure} script that automates the process
31906 of preparing @value{GDBN} for installation; you can then use @code{make} to
31907 build the @code{gdb} program.
31908 @iftex
31909 @c irrelevant in info file; it's as current as the code it lives with.
31910 @footnote{If you have a more recent version of @value{GDBN} than @value{GDBVN},
31911 look at the @file{README} file in the sources; we may have improved the
31912 installation procedures since publishing this manual.}
31913 @end iftex
31914
31915 The @value{GDBN} distribution includes all the source code you need for
31916 @value{GDBN} in a single directory, whose name is usually composed by
31917 appending the version number to @samp{gdb}.
31918
31919 For example, the @value{GDBN} version @value{GDBVN} distribution is in the
31920 @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}} directory. That directory contains:
31921
31922 @table @code
31923 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/configure @r{(and supporting files)}
31924 script for configuring @value{GDBN} and all its supporting libraries
31925
31926 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/gdb
31927 the source specific to @value{GDBN} itself
31928
31929 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/bfd
31930 source for the Binary File Descriptor library
31931
31932 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/include
31933 @sc{gnu} include files
31934
31935 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/libiberty
31936 source for the @samp{-liberty} free software library
31937
31938 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/opcodes
31939 source for the library of opcode tables and disassemblers
31940
31941 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/readline
31942 source for the @sc{gnu} command-line interface
31943
31944 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/glob
31945 source for the @sc{gnu} filename pattern-matching subroutine
31946
31947 @item gdb-@value{GDBVN}/mmalloc
31948 source for the @sc{gnu} memory-mapped malloc package
31949 @end table
31950
31951 The simplest way to configure and build @value{GDBN} is to run @file{configure}
31952 from the @file{gdb-@var{version-number}} source directory, which in
31953 this example is the @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}} directory.
31954
31955 First switch to the @file{gdb-@var{version-number}} source directory
31956 if you are not already in it; then run @file{configure}. Pass the
31957 identifier for the platform on which @value{GDBN} will run as an
31958 argument.
31959
31960 For example:
31961
31962 @smallexample
31963 cd gdb-@value{GDBVN}
31964 ./configure @var{host}
31965 make
31966 @end smallexample
31967
31968 @noindent
31969 where @var{host} is an identifier such as @samp{sun4} or
31970 @samp{decstation}, that identifies the platform where @value{GDBN} will run.
31971 (You can often leave off @var{host}; @file{configure} tries to guess the
31972 correct value by examining your system.)
31973
31974 Running @samp{configure @var{host}} and then running @code{make} builds the
31975 @file{bfd}, @file{readline}, @file{mmalloc}, and @file{libiberty}
31976 libraries, then @code{gdb} itself. The configured source files, and the
31977 binaries, are left in the corresponding source directories.
31978
31979 @need 750
31980 @file{configure} is a Bourne-shell (@code{/bin/sh}) script; if your
31981 system does not recognize this automatically when you run a different
31982 shell, you may need to run @code{sh} on it explicitly:
31983
31984 @smallexample
31985 sh configure @var{host}
31986 @end smallexample
31987
31988 If you run @file{configure} from a directory that contains source
31989 directories for multiple libraries or programs, such as the
31990 @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}} source directory for version @value{GDBVN},
31991 @file{configure}
31992 creates configuration files for every directory level underneath (unless
31993 you tell it not to, with the @samp{--norecursion} option).
31994
31995 You should run the @file{configure} script from the top directory in the
31996 source tree, the @file{gdb-@var{version-number}} directory. If you run
31997 @file{configure} from one of the subdirectories, you will configure only
31998 that subdirectory. That is usually not what you want. In particular,
31999 if you run the first @file{configure} from the @file{gdb} subdirectory
32000 of the @file{gdb-@var{version-number}} directory, you will omit the
32001 configuration of @file{bfd}, @file{readline}, and other sibling
32002 directories of the @file{gdb} subdirectory. This leads to build errors
32003 about missing include files such as @file{bfd/bfd.h}.
32004
32005 You can install @code{@value{GDBP}} anywhere; it has no hardwired paths.
32006 However, you should make sure that the shell on your path (named by
32007 the @samp{SHELL} environment variable) is publicly readable. Remember
32008 that @value{GDBN} uses the shell to start your program---some systems refuse to
32009 let @value{GDBN} debug child processes whose programs are not readable.
32010
32011 @node Separate Objdir
32012 @section Compiling @value{GDBN} in Another Directory
32013
32014 If you want to run @value{GDBN} versions for several host or target machines,
32015 you need a different @code{gdb} compiled for each combination of
32016 host and target. @file{configure} is designed to make this easy by
32017 allowing you to generate each configuration in a separate subdirectory,
32018 rather than in the source directory. If your @code{make} program
32019 handles the @samp{VPATH} feature (@sc{gnu} @code{make} does), running
32020 @code{make} in each of these directories builds the @code{gdb}
32021 program specified there.
32022
32023 To build @code{gdb} in a separate directory, run @file{configure}
32024 with the @samp{--srcdir} option to specify where to find the source.
32025 (You also need to specify a path to find @file{configure}
32026 itself from your working directory. If the path to @file{configure}
32027 would be the same as the argument to @samp{--srcdir}, you can leave out
32028 the @samp{--srcdir} option; it is assumed.)
32029
32030 For example, with version @value{GDBVN}, you can build @value{GDBN} in a
32031 separate directory for a Sun 4 like this:
32032
32033 @smallexample
32034 @group
32035 cd gdb-@value{GDBVN}
32036 mkdir ../gdb-sun4
32037 cd ../gdb-sun4
32038 ../gdb-@value{GDBVN}/configure sun4
32039 make
32040 @end group
32041 @end smallexample
32042
32043 When @file{configure} builds a configuration using a remote source
32044 directory, it creates a tree for the binaries with the same structure
32045 (and using the same names) as the tree under the source directory. In
32046 the example, you'd find the Sun 4 library @file{libiberty.a} in the
32047 directory @file{gdb-sun4/libiberty}, and @value{GDBN} itself in
32048 @file{gdb-sun4/gdb}.
32049
32050 Make sure that your path to the @file{configure} script has just one
32051 instance of @file{gdb} in it. If your path to @file{configure} looks
32052 like @file{../gdb-@value{GDBVN}/gdb/configure}, you are configuring only
32053 one subdirectory of @value{GDBN}, not the whole package. This leads to
32054 build errors about missing include files such as @file{bfd/bfd.h}.
32055
32056 One popular reason to build several @value{GDBN} configurations in separate
32057 directories is to configure @value{GDBN} for cross-compiling (where
32058 @value{GDBN} runs on one machine---the @dfn{host}---while debugging
32059 programs that run on another machine---the @dfn{target}).
32060 You specify a cross-debugging target by
32061 giving the @samp{--target=@var{target}} option to @file{configure}.
32062
32063 When you run @code{make} to build a program or library, you must run
32064 it in a configured directory---whatever directory you were in when you
32065 called @file{configure} (or one of its subdirectories).
32066
32067 The @code{Makefile} that @file{configure} generates in each source
32068 directory also runs recursively. If you type @code{make} in a source
32069 directory such as @file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}} (or in a separate configured
32070 directory configured with @samp{--srcdir=@var{dirname}/gdb-@value{GDBVN}}), you
32071 will build all the required libraries, and then build GDB.
32072
32073 When you have multiple hosts or targets configured in separate
32074 directories, you can run @code{make} on them in parallel (for example,
32075 if they are NFS-mounted on each of the hosts); they will not interfere
32076 with each other.
32077
32078 @node Config Names
32079 @section Specifying Names for Hosts and Targets
32080
32081 The specifications used for hosts and targets in the @file{configure}
32082 script are based on a three-part naming scheme, but some short predefined
32083 aliases are also supported. The full naming scheme encodes three pieces
32084 of information in the following pattern:
32085
32086 @smallexample
32087 @var{architecture}-@var{vendor}-@var{os}
32088 @end smallexample
32089
32090 For example, you can use the alias @code{sun4} as a @var{host} argument,
32091 or as the value for @var{target} in a @code{--target=@var{target}}
32092 option. The equivalent full name is @samp{sparc-sun-sunos4}.
32093
32094 The @file{configure} script accompanying @value{GDBN} does not provide
32095 any query facility to list all supported host and target names or
32096 aliases. @file{configure} calls the Bourne shell script
32097 @code{config.sub} to map abbreviations to full names; you can read the
32098 script, if you wish, or you can use it to test your guesses on
32099 abbreviations---for example:
32100
32101 @smallexample
32102 % sh config.sub i386-linux
32103 i386-pc-linux-gnu
32104 % sh config.sub alpha-linux
32105 alpha-unknown-linux-gnu
32106 % sh config.sub hp9k700
32107 hppa1.1-hp-hpux
32108 % sh config.sub sun4
32109 sparc-sun-sunos4.1.1
32110 % sh config.sub sun3
32111 m68k-sun-sunos4.1.1
32112 % sh config.sub i986v
32113 Invalid configuration `i986v': machine `i986v' not recognized
32114 @end smallexample
32115
32116 @noindent
32117 @code{config.sub} is also distributed in the @value{GDBN} source
32118 directory (@file{gdb-@value{GDBVN}}, for version @value{GDBVN}).
32119
32120 @node Configure Options
32121 @section @file{configure} Options
32122
32123 Here is a summary of the @file{configure} options and arguments that
32124 are most often useful for building @value{GDBN}. @file{configure} also has
32125 several other options not listed here. @inforef{What Configure
32126 Does,,configure.info}, for a full explanation of @file{configure}.
32127
32128 @smallexample
32129 configure @r{[}--help@r{]}
32130 @r{[}--prefix=@var{dir}@r{]}
32131 @r{[}--exec-prefix=@var{dir}@r{]}
32132 @r{[}--srcdir=@var{dirname}@r{]}
32133 @r{[}--norecursion@r{]} @r{[}--rm@r{]}
32134 @r{[}--target=@var{target}@r{]}
32135 @var{host}
32136 @end smallexample
32137
32138 @noindent
32139 You may introduce options with a single @samp{-} rather than
32140 @samp{--} if you prefer; but you may abbreviate option names if you use
32141 @samp{--}.
32142
32143 @table @code
32144 @item --help
32145 Display a quick summary of how to invoke @file{configure}.
32146
32147 @item --prefix=@var{dir}
32148 Configure the source to install programs and files under directory
32149 @file{@var{dir}}.
32150
32151 @item --exec-prefix=@var{dir}
32152 Configure the source to install programs under directory
32153 @file{@var{dir}}.
32154
32155 @c avoid splitting the warning from the explanation:
32156 @need 2000
32157 @item --srcdir=@var{dirname}
32158 @strong{Warning: using this option requires @sc{gnu} @code{make}, or another
32159 @code{make} that implements the @code{VPATH} feature.}@*
32160 Use this option to make configurations in directories separate from the
32161 @value{GDBN} source directories. Among other things, you can use this to
32162 build (or maintain) several configurations simultaneously, in separate
32163 directories. @file{configure} writes configuration-specific files in
32164 the current directory, but arranges for them to use the source in the
32165 directory @var{dirname}. @file{configure} creates directories under
32166 the working directory in parallel to the source directories below
32167 @var{dirname}.
32168
32169 @item --norecursion
32170 Configure only the directory level where @file{configure} is executed; do not
32171 propagate configuration to subdirectories.
32172
32173 @item --target=@var{target}
32174 Configure @value{GDBN} for cross-debugging programs running on the specified
32175 @var{target}. Without this option, @value{GDBN} is configured to debug
32176 programs that run on the same machine (@var{host}) as @value{GDBN} itself.
32177
32178 There is no convenient way to generate a list of all available targets.
32179
32180 @item @var{host} @dots{}
32181 Configure @value{GDBN} to run on the specified @var{host}.
32182
32183 There is no convenient way to generate a list of all available hosts.
32184 @end table
32185
32186 There are many other options available as well, but they are generally
32187 needed for special purposes only.
32188
32189 @node System-wide configuration
32190 @section System-wide configuration and settings
32191 @cindex system-wide init file
32192
32193 @value{GDBN} can be configured to have a system-wide init file;
32194 this file will be read and executed at startup (@pxref{Startup, , What
32195 @value{GDBN} does during startup}).
32196
32197 Here is the corresponding configure option:
32198
32199 @table @code
32200 @item --with-system-gdbinit=@var{file}
32201 Specify that the default location of the system-wide init file is
32202 @var{file}.
32203 @end table
32204
32205 If @value{GDBN} has been configured with the option @option{--prefix=$prefix},
32206 it may be subject to relocation. Two possible cases:
32207
32208 @itemize @bullet
32209 @item
32210 If the default location of this init file contains @file{$prefix},
32211 it will be subject to relocation. Suppose that the configure options
32212 are @option{--prefix=$prefix --with-system-gdbinit=$prefix/etc/gdbinit};
32213 if @value{GDBN} is moved from @file{$prefix} to @file{$install}, the system
32214 init file is looked for as @file{$install/etc/gdbinit} instead of
32215 @file{$prefix/etc/gdbinit}.
32216
32217 @item
32218 By contrast, if the default location does not contain the prefix,
32219 it will not be relocated. E.g.@: if @value{GDBN} has been configured with
32220 @option{--prefix=/usr/local --with-system-gdbinit=/usr/share/gdb/gdbinit},
32221 then @value{GDBN} will always look for @file{/usr/share/gdb/gdbinit},
32222 wherever @value{GDBN} is installed.
32223 @end itemize
32224
32225 @node Maintenance Commands
32226 @appendix Maintenance Commands
32227 @cindex maintenance commands
32228 @cindex internal commands
32229
32230 In addition to commands intended for @value{GDBN} users, @value{GDBN}
32231 includes a number of commands intended for @value{GDBN} developers,
32232 that are not documented elsewhere in this manual. These commands are
32233 provided here for reference. (For commands that turn on debugging
32234 messages, see @ref{Debugging Output}.)
32235
32236 @table @code
32237 @kindex maint agent
32238 @kindex maint agent-eval
32239 @item maint agent @var{expression}
32240 @itemx maint agent-eval @var{expression}
32241 Translate the given @var{expression} into remote agent bytecodes.
32242 This command is useful for debugging the Agent Expression mechanism
32243 (@pxref{Agent Expressions}). The @samp{agent} version produces an
32244 expression useful for data collection, such as by tracepoints, while
32245 @samp{maint agent-eval} produces an expression that evaluates directly
32246 to a result. For instance, a collection expression for @code{globa +
32247 globb} will include bytecodes to record four bytes of memory at each
32248 of the addresses of @code{globa} and @code{globb}, while discarding
32249 the result of the addition, while an evaluation expression will do the
32250 addition and return the sum.
32251
32252 @kindex maint info breakpoints
32253 @item @anchor{maint info breakpoints}maint info breakpoints
32254 Using the same format as @samp{info breakpoints}, display both the
32255 breakpoints you've set explicitly, and those @value{GDBN} is using for
32256 internal purposes. Internal breakpoints are shown with negative
32257 breakpoint numbers. The type column identifies what kind of breakpoint
32258 is shown:
32259
32260 @table @code
32261 @item breakpoint
32262 Normal, explicitly set breakpoint.
32263
32264 @item watchpoint
32265 Normal, explicitly set watchpoint.
32266
32267 @item longjmp
32268 Internal breakpoint, used to handle correctly stepping through
32269 @code{longjmp} calls.
32270
32271 @item longjmp resume
32272 Internal breakpoint at the target of a @code{longjmp}.
32273
32274 @item until
32275 Temporary internal breakpoint used by the @value{GDBN} @code{until} command.
32276
32277 @item finish
32278 Temporary internal breakpoint used by the @value{GDBN} @code{finish} command.
32279
32280 @item shlib events
32281 Shared library events.
32282
32283 @end table
32284
32285 @kindex set displaced-stepping
32286 @kindex show displaced-stepping
32287 @cindex displaced stepping support
32288 @cindex out-of-line single-stepping
32289 @item set displaced-stepping
32290 @itemx show displaced-stepping
32291 Control whether or not @value{GDBN} will do @dfn{displaced stepping}
32292 if the target supports it. Displaced stepping is a way to single-step
32293 over breakpoints without removing them from the inferior, by executing
32294 an out-of-line copy of the instruction that was originally at the
32295 breakpoint location. It is also known as out-of-line single-stepping.
32296
32297 @table @code
32298 @item set displaced-stepping on
32299 If the target architecture supports it, @value{GDBN} will use
32300 displaced stepping to step over breakpoints.
32301
32302 @item set displaced-stepping off
32303 @value{GDBN} will not use displaced stepping to step over breakpoints,
32304 even if such is supported by the target architecture.
32305
32306 @cindex non-stop mode, and @samp{set displaced-stepping}
32307 @item set displaced-stepping auto
32308 This is the default mode. @value{GDBN} will use displaced stepping
32309 only if non-stop mode is active (@pxref{Non-Stop Mode}) and the target
32310 architecture supports displaced stepping.
32311 @end table
32312
32313 @kindex maint check-symtabs
32314 @item maint check-symtabs
32315 Check the consistency of psymtabs and symtabs.
32316
32317 @kindex maint cplus first_component
32318 @item maint cplus first_component @var{name}
32319 Print the first C@t{++} class/namespace component of @var{name}.
32320
32321 @kindex maint cplus namespace
32322 @item maint cplus namespace
32323 Print the list of possible C@t{++} namespaces.
32324
32325 @kindex maint demangle
32326 @item maint demangle @var{name}
32327 Demangle a C@t{++} or Objective-C mangled @var{name}.
32328
32329 @kindex maint deprecate
32330 @kindex maint undeprecate
32331 @cindex deprecated commands
32332 @item maint deprecate @var{command} @r{[}@var{replacement}@r{]}
32333 @itemx maint undeprecate @var{command}
32334 Deprecate or undeprecate the named @var{command}. Deprecated commands
32335 cause @value{GDBN} to issue a warning when you use them. The optional
32336 argument @var{replacement} says which newer command should be used in
32337 favor of the deprecated one; if it is given, @value{GDBN} will mention
32338 the replacement as part of the warning.
32339
32340 @kindex maint dump-me
32341 @item maint dump-me
32342 @cindex @code{SIGQUIT} signal, dump core of @value{GDBN}
32343 Cause a fatal signal in the debugger and force it to dump its core.
32344 This is supported only on systems which support aborting a program
32345 with the @code{SIGQUIT} signal.
32346
32347 @kindex maint internal-error
32348 @kindex maint internal-warning
32349 @item maint internal-error @r{[}@var{message-text}@r{]}
32350 @itemx maint internal-warning @r{[}@var{message-text}@r{]}
32351 Cause @value{GDBN} to call the internal function @code{internal_error}
32352 or @code{internal_warning} and hence behave as though an internal error
32353 or internal warning has been detected. In addition to reporting the
32354 internal problem, these functions give the user the opportunity to
32355 either quit @value{GDBN} or create a core file of the current
32356 @value{GDBN} session.
32357
32358 These commands take an optional parameter @var{message-text} that is
32359 used as the text of the error or warning message.
32360
32361 Here's an example of using @code{internal-error}:
32362
32363 @smallexample
32364 (@value{GDBP}) @kbd{maint internal-error testing, 1, 2}
32365 @dots{}/maint.c:121: internal-error: testing, 1, 2
32366 A problem internal to GDB has been detected. Further
32367 debugging may prove unreliable.
32368 Quit this debugging session? (y or n) @kbd{n}
32369 Create a core file? (y or n) @kbd{n}
32370 (@value{GDBP})
32371 @end smallexample
32372
32373 @cindex @value{GDBN} internal error
32374 @cindex internal errors, control of @value{GDBN} behavior
32375
32376 @kindex maint set internal-error
32377 @kindex maint show internal-error
32378 @kindex maint set internal-warning
32379 @kindex maint show internal-warning
32380 @item maint set internal-error @var{action} [ask|yes|no]
32381 @itemx maint show internal-error @var{action}
32382 @itemx maint set internal-warning @var{action} [ask|yes|no]
32383 @itemx maint show internal-warning @var{action}
32384 When @value{GDBN} reports an internal problem (error or warning) it
32385 gives the user the opportunity to both quit @value{GDBN} and create a
32386 core file of the current @value{GDBN} session. These commands let you
32387 override the default behaviour for each particular @var{action},
32388 described in the table below.
32389
32390 @table @samp
32391 @item quit
32392 You can specify that @value{GDBN} should always (yes) or never (no)
32393 quit. The default is to ask the user what to do.
32394
32395 @item corefile
32396 You can specify that @value{GDBN} should always (yes) or never (no)
32397 create a core file. The default is to ask the user what to do.
32398 @end table
32399
32400 @kindex maint packet
32401 @item maint packet @var{text}
32402 If @value{GDBN} is talking to an inferior via the serial protocol,
32403 then this command sends the string @var{text} to the inferior, and
32404 displays the response packet. @value{GDBN} supplies the initial
32405 @samp{$} character, the terminating @samp{#} character, and the
32406 checksum.
32407
32408 @kindex maint print architecture
32409 @item maint print architecture @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
32410 Print the entire architecture configuration. The optional argument
32411 @var{file} names the file where the output goes.
32412
32413 @kindex maint print c-tdesc
32414 @item maint print c-tdesc
32415 Print the current target description (@pxref{Target Descriptions}) as
32416 a C source file. The created source file can be used in @value{GDBN}
32417 when an XML parser is not available to parse the description.
32418
32419 @kindex maint print dummy-frames
32420 @item maint print dummy-frames
32421 Prints the contents of @value{GDBN}'s internal dummy-frame stack.
32422
32423 @smallexample
32424 (@value{GDBP}) @kbd{b add}
32425 @dots{}
32426 (@value{GDBP}) @kbd{print add(2,3)}
32427 Breakpoint 2, add (a=2, b=3) at @dots{}
32428 58 return (a + b);
32429 The program being debugged stopped while in a function called from GDB.
32430 @dots{}
32431 (@value{GDBP}) @kbd{maint print dummy-frames}
32432 0x1a57c80: pc=0x01014068 fp=0x0200bddc sp=0x0200bdd6
32433 top=0x0200bdd4 id=@{stack=0x200bddc,code=0x101405c@}
32434 call_lo=0x01014000 call_hi=0x01014001
32435 (@value{GDBP})
32436 @end smallexample
32437
32438 Takes an optional file parameter.
32439
32440 @kindex maint print registers
32441 @kindex maint print raw-registers
32442 @kindex maint print cooked-registers
32443 @kindex maint print register-groups
32444 @kindex maint print remote-registers
32445 @item maint print registers @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
32446 @itemx maint print raw-registers @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
32447 @itemx maint print cooked-registers @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
32448 @itemx maint print register-groups @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
32449 @itemx maint print remote-registers @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
32450 Print @value{GDBN}'s internal register data structures.
32451
32452 The command @code{maint print raw-registers} includes the contents of
32453 the raw register cache; the command @code{maint print
32454 cooked-registers} includes the (cooked) value of all registers,
32455 including registers which aren't available on the target nor visible
32456 to user; the command @code{maint print register-groups} includes the
32457 groups that each register is a member of; and the command @code{maint
32458 print remote-registers} includes the remote target's register numbers
32459 and offsets in the `G' packets. @xref{Registers,, Registers, gdbint,
32460 @value{GDBN} Internals}.
32461
32462 These commands take an optional parameter, a file name to which to
32463 write the information.
32464
32465 @kindex maint print reggroups
32466 @item maint print reggroups @r{[}@var{file}@r{]}
32467 Print @value{GDBN}'s internal register group data structures. The
32468 optional argument @var{file} tells to what file to write the
32469 information.
32470
32471 The register groups info looks like this:
32472
32473 @smallexample
32474 (@value{GDBP}) @kbd{maint print reggroups}
32475 Group Type
32476 general user
32477 float user
32478 all user
32479 vector user
32480 system user
32481 save internal
32482 restore internal
32483 @end smallexample
32484
32485 @kindex flushregs
32486 @item flushregs
32487 This command forces @value{GDBN} to flush its internal register cache.
32488
32489 @kindex maint print objfiles
32490 @cindex info for known object files
32491 @item maint print objfiles
32492 Print a dump of all known object files. For each object file, this
32493 command prints its name, address in memory, and all of its psymtabs
32494 and symtabs.
32495
32496 @kindex maint print section-scripts
32497 @cindex info for known .debug_gdb_scripts-loaded scripts
32498 @item maint print section-scripts [@var{regexp}]
32499 Print a dump of scripts specified in the @code{.debug_gdb_section} section.
32500 If @var{regexp} is specified, only print scripts loaded by object files
32501 matching @var{regexp}.
32502 For each script, this command prints its name as specified in the objfile,
32503 and the full path if known.
32504 @xref{.debug_gdb_scripts section}.
32505
32506 @kindex maint print statistics
32507 @cindex bcache statistics
32508 @item maint print statistics
32509 This command prints, for each object file in the program, various data
32510 about that object file followed by the byte cache (@dfn{bcache})
32511 statistics for the object file. The objfile data includes the number
32512 of minimal, partial, full, and stabs symbols, the number of types
32513 defined by the objfile, the number of as yet unexpanded psym tables,
32514 the number of line tables and string tables, and the amount of memory
32515 used by the various tables. The bcache statistics include the counts,
32516 sizes, and counts of duplicates of all and unique objects, max,
32517 average, and median entry size, total memory used and its overhead and
32518 savings, and various measures of the hash table size and chain
32519 lengths.
32520
32521 @kindex maint print target-stack
32522 @cindex target stack description
32523 @item maint print target-stack
32524 A @dfn{target} is an interface between the debugger and a particular
32525 kind of file or process. Targets can be stacked in @dfn{strata},
32526 so that more than one target can potentially respond to a request.
32527 In particular, memory accesses will walk down the stack of targets
32528 until they find a target that is interested in handling that particular
32529 address.
32530
32531 This command prints a short description of each layer that was pushed on
32532 the @dfn{target stack}, starting from the top layer down to the bottom one.
32533
32534 @kindex maint print type
32535 @cindex type chain of a data type
32536 @item maint print type @var{expr}
32537 Print the type chain for a type specified by @var{expr}. The argument
32538 can be either a type name or a symbol. If it is a symbol, the type of
32539 that symbol is described. The type chain produced by this command is
32540 a recursive definition of the data type as stored in @value{GDBN}'s
32541 data structures, including its flags and contained types.
32542
32543 @kindex maint set dwarf2 always-disassemble
32544 @kindex maint show dwarf2 always-disassemble
32545 @item maint set dwarf2 always-disassemble
32546 @item maint show dwarf2 always-disassemble
32547 Control the behavior of @code{info address} when using DWARF debugging
32548 information.
32549
32550 The default is @code{off}, which means that @value{GDBN} should try to
32551 describe a variable's location in an easily readable format. When
32552 @code{on}, @value{GDBN} will instead display the DWARF location
32553 expression in an assembly-like format. Note that some locations are
32554 too complex for @value{GDBN} to describe simply; in this case you will
32555 always see the disassembly form.
32556
32557 Here is an example of the resulting disassembly:
32558
32559 @smallexample
32560 (gdb) info addr argc
32561 Symbol "argc" is a complex DWARF expression:
32562 1: DW_OP_fbreg 0
32563 @end smallexample
32564
32565 For more information on these expressions, see
32566 @uref{http://www.dwarfstd.org/, the DWARF standard}.
32567
32568 @kindex maint set dwarf2 max-cache-age
32569 @kindex maint show dwarf2 max-cache-age
32570 @item maint set dwarf2 max-cache-age
32571 @itemx maint show dwarf2 max-cache-age
32572 Control the DWARF 2 compilation unit cache.
32573
32574 @cindex DWARF 2 compilation units cache
32575 In object files with inter-compilation-unit references, such as those
32576 produced by the GCC option @samp{-feliminate-dwarf2-dups}, the DWARF 2
32577 reader needs to frequently refer to previously read compilation units.
32578 This setting controls how long a compilation unit will remain in the
32579 cache if it is not referenced. A higher limit means that cached
32580 compilation units will be stored in memory longer, and more total
32581 memory will be used. Setting it to zero disables caching, which will
32582 slow down @value{GDBN} startup, but reduce memory consumption.
32583
32584 @kindex maint set profile
32585 @kindex maint show profile
32586 @cindex profiling GDB
32587 @item maint set profile
32588 @itemx maint show profile
32589 Control profiling of @value{GDBN}.
32590
32591 Profiling will be disabled until you use the @samp{maint set profile}
32592 command to enable it. When you enable profiling, the system will begin
32593 collecting timing and execution count data; when you disable profiling or
32594 exit @value{GDBN}, the results will be written to a log file. Remember that
32595 if you use profiling, @value{GDBN} will overwrite the profiling log file
32596 (often called @file{gmon.out}). If you have a record of important profiling
32597 data in a @file{gmon.out} file, be sure to move it to a safe location.
32598
32599 Configuring with @samp{--enable-profiling} arranges for @value{GDBN} to be
32600 compiled with the @samp{-pg} compiler option.
32601
32602 @kindex maint set show-debug-regs
32603 @kindex maint show show-debug-regs
32604 @cindex hardware debug registers
32605 @item maint set show-debug-regs
32606 @itemx maint show show-debug-regs
32607 Control whether to show variables that mirror the hardware debug
32608 registers. Use @code{ON} to enable, @code{OFF} to disable. If
32609 enabled, the debug registers values are shown when @value{GDBN} inserts or
32610 removes a hardware breakpoint or watchpoint, and when the inferior
32611 triggers a hardware-assisted breakpoint or watchpoint.
32612
32613 @kindex maint set show-all-tib
32614 @kindex maint show show-all-tib
32615 @item maint set show-all-tib
32616 @itemx maint show show-all-tib
32617 Control whether to show all non zero areas within a 1k block starting
32618 at thread local base, when using the @samp{info w32 thread-information-block}
32619 command.
32620
32621 @kindex maint space
32622 @cindex memory used by commands
32623 @item maint space
32624 Control whether to display memory usage for each command. If set to a
32625 nonzero value, @value{GDBN} will display how much memory each command
32626 took, following the command's own output. This can also be requested
32627 by invoking @value{GDBN} with the @option{--statistics} command-line
32628 switch (@pxref{Mode Options}).
32629
32630 @kindex maint time
32631 @cindex time of command execution
32632 @item maint time
32633 Control whether to display the execution time for each command. If
32634 set to a nonzero value, @value{GDBN} will display how much time it
32635 took to execute each command, following the command's own output.
32636 The time is not printed for the commands that run the target, since
32637 there's no mechanism currently to compute how much time was spend
32638 by @value{GDBN} and how much time was spend by the program been debugged.
32639 it's not possibly currently
32640 This can also be requested by invoking @value{GDBN} with the
32641 @option{--statistics} command-line switch (@pxref{Mode Options}).
32642
32643 @kindex maint translate-address
32644 @item maint translate-address @r{[}@var{section}@r{]} @var{addr}
32645 Find the symbol stored at the location specified by the address
32646 @var{addr} and an optional section name @var{section}. If found,
32647 @value{GDBN} prints the name of the closest symbol and an offset from
32648 the symbol's location to the specified address. This is similar to
32649 the @code{info address} command (@pxref{Symbols}), except that this
32650 command also allows to find symbols in other sections.
32651
32652 If section was not specified, the section in which the symbol was found
32653 is also printed. For dynamically linked executables, the name of
32654 executable or shared library containing the symbol is printed as well.
32655
32656 @end table
32657
32658 The following command is useful for non-interactive invocations of
32659 @value{GDBN}, such as in the test suite.
32660
32661 @table @code
32662 @item set watchdog @var{nsec}
32663 @kindex set watchdog
32664 @cindex watchdog timer
32665 @cindex timeout for commands
32666 Set the maximum number of seconds @value{GDBN} will wait for the
32667 target operation to finish. If this time expires, @value{GDBN}
32668 reports and error and the command is aborted.
32669
32670 @item show watchdog
32671 Show the current setting of the target wait timeout.
32672 @end table
32673
32674 @node Remote Protocol
32675 @appendix @value{GDBN} Remote Serial Protocol
32676
32677 @menu
32678 * Overview::
32679 * Packets::
32680 * Stop Reply Packets::
32681 * General Query Packets::
32682 * Architecture-Specific Protocol Details::
32683 * Tracepoint Packets::
32684 * Host I/O Packets::
32685 * Interrupts::
32686 * Notification Packets::
32687 * Remote Non-Stop::
32688 * Packet Acknowledgment::
32689 * Examples::
32690 * File-I/O Remote Protocol Extension::
32691 * Library List Format::
32692 * Memory Map Format::
32693 * Thread List Format::
32694 * Traceframe Info Format::
32695 @end menu
32696
32697 @node Overview
32698 @section Overview
32699
32700 There may be occasions when you need to know something about the
32701 protocol---for example, if there is only one serial port to your target
32702 machine, you might want your program to do something special if it
32703 recognizes a packet meant for @value{GDBN}.
32704
32705 In the examples below, @samp{->} and @samp{<-} are used to indicate
32706 transmitted and received data, respectively.
32707
32708 @cindex protocol, @value{GDBN} remote serial
32709 @cindex serial protocol, @value{GDBN} remote
32710 @cindex remote serial protocol
32711 All @value{GDBN} commands and responses (other than acknowledgments
32712 and notifications, see @ref{Notification Packets}) are sent as a
32713 @var{packet}. A @var{packet} is introduced with the character
32714 @samp{$}, the actual @var{packet-data}, and the terminating character
32715 @samp{#} followed by a two-digit @var{checksum}:
32716
32717 @smallexample
32718 @code{$}@var{packet-data}@code{#}@var{checksum}
32719 @end smallexample
32720 @noindent
32721
32722 @cindex checksum, for @value{GDBN} remote
32723 @noindent
32724 The two-digit @var{checksum} is computed as the modulo 256 sum of all
32725 characters between the leading @samp{$} and the trailing @samp{#} (an
32726 eight bit unsigned checksum).
32727
32728 Implementors should note that prior to @value{GDBN} 5.0 the protocol
32729 specification also included an optional two-digit @var{sequence-id}:
32730
32731 @smallexample
32732 @code{$}@var{sequence-id}@code{:}@var{packet-data}@code{#}@var{checksum}
32733 @end smallexample
32734
32735 @cindex sequence-id, for @value{GDBN} remote
32736 @noindent
32737 That @var{sequence-id} was appended to the acknowledgment. @value{GDBN}
32738 has never output @var{sequence-id}s. Stubs that handle packets added
32739 since @value{GDBN} 5.0 must not accept @var{sequence-id}.
32740
32741 When either the host or the target machine receives a packet, the first
32742 response expected is an acknowledgment: either @samp{+} (to indicate
32743 the package was received correctly) or @samp{-} (to request
32744 retransmission):
32745
32746 @smallexample
32747 -> @code{$}@var{packet-data}@code{#}@var{checksum}
32748 <- @code{+}
32749 @end smallexample
32750 @noindent
32751
32752 The @samp{+}/@samp{-} acknowledgments can be disabled
32753 once a connection is established.
32754 @xref{Packet Acknowledgment}, for details.
32755
32756 The host (@value{GDBN}) sends @var{command}s, and the target (the
32757 debugging stub incorporated in your program) sends a @var{response}. In
32758 the case of step and continue @var{command}s, the response is only sent
32759 when the operation has completed, and the target has again stopped all
32760 threads in all attached processes. This is the default all-stop mode
32761 behavior, but the remote protocol also supports @value{GDBN}'s non-stop
32762 execution mode; see @ref{Remote Non-Stop}, for details.
32763
32764 @var{packet-data} consists of a sequence of characters with the
32765 exception of @samp{#} and @samp{$} (see @samp{X} packet for additional
32766 exceptions).
32767
32768 @cindex remote protocol, field separator
32769 Fields within the packet should be separated using @samp{,} @samp{;} or
32770 @samp{:}. Except where otherwise noted all numbers are represented in
32771 @sc{hex} with leading zeros suppressed.
32772
32773 Implementors should note that prior to @value{GDBN} 5.0, the character
32774 @samp{:} could not appear as the third character in a packet (as it
32775 would potentially conflict with the @var{sequence-id}).
32776
32777 @cindex remote protocol, binary data
32778 @anchor{Binary Data}
32779 Binary data in most packets is encoded either as two hexadecimal
32780 digits per byte of binary data. This allowed the traditional remote
32781 protocol to work over connections which were only seven-bit clean.
32782 Some packets designed more recently assume an eight-bit clean
32783 connection, and use a more efficient encoding to send and receive
32784 binary data.
32785
32786 The binary data representation uses @code{7d} (@sc{ascii} @samp{@}})
32787 as an escape character. Any escaped byte is transmitted as the escape
32788 character followed by the original character XORed with @code{0x20}.
32789 For example, the byte @code{0x7d} would be transmitted as the two
32790 bytes @code{0x7d 0x5d}. The bytes @code{0x23} (@sc{ascii} @samp{#}),
32791 @code{0x24} (@sc{ascii} @samp{$}), and @code{0x7d} (@sc{ascii}
32792 @samp{@}}) must always be escaped. Responses sent by the stub
32793 must also escape @code{0x2a} (@sc{ascii} @samp{*}), so that it
32794 is not interpreted as the start of a run-length encoded sequence
32795 (described next).
32796
32797 Response @var{data} can be run-length encoded to save space.
32798 Run-length encoding replaces runs of identical characters with one
32799 instance of the repeated character, followed by a @samp{*} and a
32800 repeat count. The repeat count is itself sent encoded, to avoid
32801 binary characters in @var{data}: a value of @var{n} is sent as
32802 @code{@var{n}+29}. For a repeat count greater or equal to 3, this
32803 produces a printable @sc{ascii} character, e.g.@: a space (@sc{ascii}
32804 code 32) for a repeat count of 3. (This is because run-length
32805 encoding starts to win for counts 3 or more.) Thus, for example,
32806 @samp{0* } is a run-length encoding of ``0000'': the space character
32807 after @samp{*} means repeat the leading @code{0} @w{@code{32 - 29 =
32808 3}} more times.
32809
32810 The printable characters @samp{#} and @samp{$} or with a numeric value
32811 greater than 126 must not be used. Runs of six repeats (@samp{#}) or
32812 seven repeats (@samp{$}) can be expanded using a repeat count of only
32813 five (@samp{"}). For example, @samp{00000000} can be encoded as
32814 @samp{0*"00}.
32815
32816 The error response returned for some packets includes a two character
32817 error number. That number is not well defined.
32818
32819 @cindex empty response, for unsupported packets
32820 For any @var{command} not supported by the stub, an empty response
32821 (@samp{$#00}) should be returned. That way it is possible to extend the
32822 protocol. A newer @value{GDBN} can tell if a packet is supported based
32823 on that response.
32824
32825 At a minimum, a stub is required to support the @samp{g} and @samp{G}
32826 commands for register access, and the @samp{m} and @samp{M} commands
32827 for memory access. Stubs that only control single-threaded targets
32828 can implement run control with the @samp{c} (continue), and @samp{s}
32829 (step) commands. Stubs that support multi-threading targets should
32830 support the @samp{vCont} command. All other commands are optional.
32831
32832 @node Packets
32833 @section Packets
32834
32835 The following table provides a complete list of all currently defined
32836 @var{command}s and their corresponding response @var{data}.
32837 @xref{File-I/O Remote Protocol Extension}, for details about the File
32838 I/O extension of the remote protocol.
32839
32840 Each packet's description has a template showing the packet's overall
32841 syntax, followed by an explanation of the packet's meaning. We
32842 include spaces in some of the templates for clarity; these are not
32843 part of the packet's syntax. No @value{GDBN} packet uses spaces to
32844 separate its components. For example, a template like @samp{foo
32845 @var{bar} @var{baz}} describes a packet beginning with the three ASCII
32846 bytes @samp{foo}, followed by a @var{bar}, followed directly by a
32847 @var{baz}. @value{GDBN} does not transmit a space character between the
32848 @samp{foo} and the @var{bar}, or between the @var{bar} and the
32849 @var{baz}.
32850
32851 @cindex @var{thread-id}, in remote protocol
32852 @anchor{thread-id syntax}
32853 Several packets and replies include a @var{thread-id} field to identify
32854 a thread. Normally these are positive numbers with a target-specific
32855 interpretation, formatted as big-endian hex strings. A @var{thread-id}
32856 can also be a literal @samp{-1} to indicate all threads, or @samp{0} to
32857 pick any thread.
32858
32859 In addition, the remote protocol supports a multiprocess feature in
32860 which the @var{thread-id} syntax is extended to optionally include both
32861 process and thread ID fields, as @samp{p@var{pid}.@var{tid}}.
32862 The @var{pid} (process) and @var{tid} (thread) components each have the
32863 format described above: a positive number with target-specific
32864 interpretation formatted as a big-endian hex string, literal @samp{-1}
32865 to indicate all processes or threads (respectively), or @samp{0} to
32866 indicate an arbitrary process or thread. Specifying just a process, as
32867 @samp{p@var{pid}}, is equivalent to @samp{p@var{pid}.-1}. It is an
32868 error to specify all processes but a specific thread, such as
32869 @samp{p-1.@var{tid}}. Note that the @samp{p} prefix is @emph{not} used
32870 for those packets and replies explicitly documented to include a process
32871 ID, rather than a @var{thread-id}.
32872
32873 The multiprocess @var{thread-id} syntax extensions are only used if both
32874 @value{GDBN} and the stub report support for the @samp{multiprocess}
32875 feature using @samp{qSupported}. @xref{multiprocess extensions}, for
32876 more information.
32877
32878 Note that all packet forms beginning with an upper- or lower-case
32879 letter, other than those described here, are reserved for future use.
32880
32881 Here are the packet descriptions.
32882
32883 @table @samp
32884
32885 @item !
32886 @cindex @samp{!} packet
32887 @anchor{extended mode}
32888 Enable extended mode. In extended mode, the remote server is made
32889 persistent. The @samp{R} packet is used to restart the program being
32890 debugged.
32891
32892 Reply:
32893 @table @samp
32894 @item OK
32895 The remote target both supports and has enabled extended mode.
32896 @end table
32897
32898 @item ?
32899 @cindex @samp{?} packet
32900 Indicate the reason the target halted. The reply is the same as for
32901 step and continue. This packet has a special interpretation when the
32902 target is in non-stop mode; see @ref{Remote Non-Stop}.
32903
32904 Reply:
32905 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
32906
32907 @item A @var{arglen},@var{argnum},@var{arg},@dots{}
32908 @cindex @samp{A} packet
32909 Initialized @code{argv[]} array passed into program. @var{arglen}
32910 specifies the number of bytes in the hex encoded byte stream
32911 @var{arg}. See @code{gdbserver} for more details.
32912
32913 Reply:
32914 @table @samp
32915 @item OK
32916 The arguments were set.
32917 @item E @var{NN}
32918 An error occurred.
32919 @end table
32920
32921 @item b @var{baud}
32922 @cindex @samp{b} packet
32923 (Don't use this packet; its behavior is not well-defined.)
32924 Change the serial line speed to @var{baud}.
32925
32926 JTC: @emph{When does the transport layer state change? When it's
32927 received, or after the ACK is transmitted. In either case, there are
32928 problems if the command or the acknowledgment packet is dropped.}
32929
32930 Stan: @emph{If people really wanted to add something like this, and get
32931 it working for the first time, they ought to modify ser-unix.c to send
32932 some kind of out-of-band message to a specially-setup stub and have the
32933 switch happen "in between" packets, so that from remote protocol's point
32934 of view, nothing actually happened.}
32935
32936 @item B @var{addr},@var{mode}
32937 @cindex @samp{B} packet
32938 Set (@var{mode} is @samp{S}) or clear (@var{mode} is @samp{C}) a
32939 breakpoint at @var{addr}.
32940
32941 Don't use this packet. Use the @samp{Z} and @samp{z} packets instead
32942 (@pxref{insert breakpoint or watchpoint packet}).
32943
32944 @cindex @samp{bc} packet
32945 @anchor{bc}
32946 @item bc
32947 Backward continue. Execute the target system in reverse. No parameter.
32948 @xref{Reverse Execution}, for more information.
32949
32950 Reply:
32951 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
32952
32953 @cindex @samp{bs} packet
32954 @anchor{bs}
32955 @item bs
32956 Backward single step. Execute one instruction in reverse. No parameter.
32957 @xref{Reverse Execution}, for more information.
32958
32959 Reply:
32960 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
32961
32962 @item c @r{[}@var{addr}@r{]}
32963 @cindex @samp{c} packet
32964 Continue. @var{addr} is address to resume. If @var{addr} is omitted,
32965 resume at current address.
32966
32967 This packet is deprecated for multi-threading support. @xref{vCont
32968 packet}.
32969
32970 Reply:
32971 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
32972
32973 @item C @var{sig}@r{[};@var{addr}@r{]}
32974 @cindex @samp{C} packet
32975 Continue with signal @var{sig} (hex signal number). If
32976 @samp{;@var{addr}} is omitted, resume at same address.
32977
32978 This packet is deprecated for multi-threading support. @xref{vCont
32979 packet}.
32980
32981 Reply:
32982 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
32983
32984 @item d
32985 @cindex @samp{d} packet
32986 Toggle debug flag.
32987
32988 Don't use this packet; instead, define a general set packet
32989 (@pxref{General Query Packets}).
32990
32991 @item D
32992 @itemx D;@var{pid}
32993 @cindex @samp{D} packet
32994 The first form of the packet is used to detach @value{GDBN} from the
32995 remote system. It is sent to the remote target
32996 before @value{GDBN} disconnects via the @code{detach} command.
32997
32998 The second form, including a process ID, is used when multiprocess
32999 protocol extensions are enabled (@pxref{multiprocess extensions}), to
33000 detach only a specific process. The @var{pid} is specified as a
33001 big-endian hex string.
33002
33003 Reply:
33004 @table @samp
33005 @item OK
33006 for success
33007 @item E @var{NN}
33008 for an error
33009 @end table
33010
33011 @item F @var{RC},@var{EE},@var{CF};@var{XX}
33012 @cindex @samp{F} packet
33013 A reply from @value{GDBN} to an @samp{F} packet sent by the target.
33014 This is part of the File-I/O protocol extension. @xref{File-I/O
33015 Remote Protocol Extension}, for the specification.
33016
33017 @item g
33018 @anchor{read registers packet}
33019 @cindex @samp{g} packet
33020 Read general registers.
33021
33022 Reply:
33023 @table @samp
33024 @item @var{XX@dots{}}
33025 Each byte of register data is described by two hex digits. The bytes
33026 with the register are transmitted in target byte order. The size of
33027 each register and their position within the @samp{g} packet are
33028 determined by the @value{GDBN} internal gdbarch functions
33029 @code{DEPRECATED_REGISTER_RAW_SIZE} and @code{gdbarch_register_name}. The
33030 specification of several standard @samp{g} packets is specified below.
33031
33032 When reading registers from a trace frame (@pxref{Analyze Collected
33033 Data,,Using the Collected Data}), the stub may also return a string of
33034 literal @samp{x}'s in place of the register data digits, to indicate
33035 that the corresponding register has not been collected, thus its value
33036 is unavailable. For example, for an architecture with 4 registers of
33037 4 bytes each, the following reply indicates to @value{GDBN} that
33038 registers 0 and 2 have not been collected, while registers 1 and 3
33039 have been collected, and both have zero value:
33040
33041 @smallexample
33042 -> @code{g}
33043 <- @code{xxxxxxxx00000000xxxxxxxx00000000}
33044 @end smallexample
33045
33046 @item E @var{NN}
33047 for an error.
33048 @end table
33049
33050 @item G @var{XX@dots{}}
33051 @cindex @samp{G} packet
33052 Write general registers. @xref{read registers packet}, for a
33053 description of the @var{XX@dots{}} data.
33054
33055 Reply:
33056 @table @samp
33057 @item OK
33058 for success
33059 @item E @var{NN}
33060 for an error
33061 @end table
33062
33063 @item H @var{op} @var{thread-id}
33064 @cindex @samp{H} packet
33065 Set thread for subsequent operations (@samp{m}, @samp{M}, @samp{g},
33066 @samp{G}, et.al.). @var{op} depends on the operation to be performed:
33067 it should be @samp{c} for step and continue operations (note that this
33068 is deprecated, supporting the @samp{vCont} command is a better
33069 option), @samp{g} for other operations. The thread designator
33070 @var{thread-id} has the format and interpretation described in
33071 @ref{thread-id syntax}.
33072
33073 Reply:
33074 @table @samp
33075 @item OK
33076 for success
33077 @item E @var{NN}
33078 for an error
33079 @end table
33080
33081 @c FIXME: JTC:
33082 @c 'H': How restrictive (or permissive) is the thread model. If a
33083 @c thread is selected and stopped, are other threads allowed
33084 @c to continue to execute? As I mentioned above, I think the
33085 @c semantics of each command when a thread is selected must be
33086 @c described. For example:
33087 @c
33088 @c 'g': If the stub supports threads and a specific thread is
33089 @c selected, returns the register block from that thread;
33090 @c otherwise returns current registers.
33091 @c
33092 @c 'G' If the stub supports threads and a specific thread is
33093 @c selected, sets the registers of the register block of
33094 @c that thread; otherwise sets current registers.
33095
33096 @item i @r{[}@var{addr}@r{[},@var{nnn}@r{]]}
33097 @anchor{cycle step packet}
33098 @cindex @samp{i} packet
33099 Step the remote target by a single clock cycle. If @samp{,@var{nnn}} is
33100 present, cycle step @var{nnn} cycles. If @var{addr} is present, cycle
33101 step starting at that address.
33102
33103 @item I
33104 @cindex @samp{I} packet
33105 Signal, then cycle step. @xref{step with signal packet}. @xref{cycle
33106 step packet}.
33107
33108 @item k
33109 @cindex @samp{k} packet
33110 Kill request.
33111
33112 FIXME: @emph{There is no description of how to operate when a specific
33113 thread context has been selected (i.e.@: does 'k' kill only that
33114 thread?)}.
33115
33116 @item m @var{addr},@var{length}
33117 @cindex @samp{m} packet
33118 Read @var{length} bytes of memory starting at address @var{addr}.
33119 Note that @var{addr} may not be aligned to any particular boundary.
33120
33121 The stub need not use any particular size or alignment when gathering
33122 data from memory for the response; even if @var{addr} is word-aligned
33123 and @var{length} is a multiple of the word size, the stub is free to
33124 use byte accesses, or not. For this reason, this packet may not be
33125 suitable for accessing memory-mapped I/O devices.
33126 @cindex alignment of remote memory accesses
33127 @cindex size of remote memory accesses
33128 @cindex memory, alignment and size of remote accesses
33129
33130 Reply:
33131 @table @samp
33132 @item @var{XX@dots{}}
33133 Memory contents; each byte is transmitted as a two-digit hexadecimal
33134 number. The reply may contain fewer bytes than requested if the
33135 server was able to read only part of the region of memory.
33136 @item E @var{NN}
33137 @var{NN} is errno
33138 @end table
33139
33140 @item M @var{addr},@var{length}:@var{XX@dots{}}
33141 @cindex @samp{M} packet
33142 Write @var{length} bytes of memory starting at address @var{addr}.
33143 @var{XX@dots{}} is the data; each byte is transmitted as a two-digit
33144 hexadecimal number.
33145
33146 Reply:
33147 @table @samp
33148 @item OK
33149 for success
33150 @item E @var{NN}
33151 for an error (this includes the case where only part of the data was
33152 written).
33153 @end table
33154
33155 @item p @var{n}
33156 @cindex @samp{p} packet
33157 Read the value of register @var{n}; @var{n} is in hex.
33158 @xref{read registers packet}, for a description of how the returned
33159 register value is encoded.
33160
33161 Reply:
33162 @table @samp
33163 @item @var{XX@dots{}}
33164 the register's value
33165 @item E @var{NN}
33166 for an error
33167 @item
33168 Indicating an unrecognized @var{query}.
33169 @end table
33170
33171 @item P @var{n@dots{}}=@var{r@dots{}}
33172 @anchor{write register packet}
33173 @cindex @samp{P} packet
33174 Write register @var{n@dots{}} with value @var{r@dots{}}. The register
33175 number @var{n} is in hexadecimal, and @var{r@dots{}} contains two hex
33176 digits for each byte in the register (target byte order).
33177
33178 Reply:
33179 @table @samp
33180 @item OK
33181 for success
33182 @item E @var{NN}
33183 for an error
33184 @end table
33185
33186 @item q @var{name} @var{params}@dots{}
33187 @itemx Q @var{name} @var{params}@dots{}
33188 @cindex @samp{q} packet
33189 @cindex @samp{Q} packet
33190 General query (@samp{q}) and set (@samp{Q}). These packets are
33191 described fully in @ref{General Query Packets}.
33192
33193 @item r
33194 @cindex @samp{r} packet
33195 Reset the entire system.
33196
33197 Don't use this packet; use the @samp{R} packet instead.
33198
33199 @item R @var{XX}
33200 @cindex @samp{R} packet
33201 Restart the program being debugged. @var{XX}, while needed, is ignored.
33202 This packet is only available in extended mode (@pxref{extended mode}).
33203
33204 The @samp{R} packet has no reply.
33205
33206 @item s @r{[}@var{addr}@r{]}
33207 @cindex @samp{s} packet
33208 Single step. @var{addr} is the address at which to resume. If
33209 @var{addr} is omitted, resume at same address.
33210
33211 This packet is deprecated for multi-threading support. @xref{vCont
33212 packet}.
33213
33214 Reply:
33215 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
33216
33217 @item S @var{sig}@r{[};@var{addr}@r{]}
33218 @anchor{step with signal packet}
33219 @cindex @samp{S} packet
33220 Step with signal. This is analogous to the @samp{C} packet, but
33221 requests a single-step, rather than a normal resumption of execution.
33222
33223 This packet is deprecated for multi-threading support. @xref{vCont
33224 packet}.
33225
33226 Reply:
33227 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
33228
33229 @item t @var{addr}:@var{PP},@var{MM}
33230 @cindex @samp{t} packet
33231 Search backwards starting at address @var{addr} for a match with pattern
33232 @var{PP} and mask @var{MM}. @var{PP} and @var{MM} are 4 bytes.
33233 @var{addr} must be at least 3 digits.
33234
33235 @item T @var{thread-id}
33236 @cindex @samp{T} packet
33237 Find out if the thread @var{thread-id} is alive. @xref{thread-id syntax}.
33238
33239 Reply:
33240 @table @samp
33241 @item OK
33242 thread is still alive
33243 @item E @var{NN}
33244 thread is dead
33245 @end table
33246
33247 @item v
33248 Packets starting with @samp{v} are identified by a multi-letter name,
33249 up to the first @samp{;} or @samp{?} (or the end of the packet).
33250
33251 @item vAttach;@var{pid}
33252 @cindex @samp{vAttach} packet
33253 Attach to a new process with the specified process ID @var{pid}.
33254 The process ID is a
33255 hexadecimal integer identifying the process. In all-stop mode, all
33256 threads in the attached process are stopped; in non-stop mode, it may be
33257 attached without being stopped if that is supported by the target.
33258
33259 @c In non-stop mode, on a successful vAttach, the stub should set the
33260 @c current thread to a thread of the newly-attached process. After
33261 @c attaching, GDB queries for the attached process's thread ID with qC.
33262 @c Also note that, from a user perspective, whether or not the
33263 @c target is stopped on attach in non-stop mode depends on whether you
33264 @c use the foreground or background version of the attach command, not
33265 @c on what vAttach does; GDB does the right thing with respect to either
33266 @c stopping or restarting threads.
33267
33268 This packet is only available in extended mode (@pxref{extended mode}).
33269
33270 Reply:
33271 @table @samp
33272 @item E @var{nn}
33273 for an error
33274 @item @r{Any stop packet}
33275 for success in all-stop mode (@pxref{Stop Reply Packets})
33276 @item OK
33277 for success in non-stop mode (@pxref{Remote Non-Stop})
33278 @end table
33279
33280 @item vCont@r{[};@var{action}@r{[}:@var{thread-id}@r{]]}@dots{}
33281 @cindex @samp{vCont} packet
33282 @anchor{vCont packet}
33283 Resume the inferior, specifying different actions for each thread.
33284 If an action is specified with no @var{thread-id}, then it is applied to any
33285 threads that don't have a specific action specified; if no default action is
33286 specified then other threads should remain stopped in all-stop mode and
33287 in their current state in non-stop mode.
33288 Specifying multiple
33289 default actions is an error; specifying no actions is also an error.
33290 Thread IDs are specified using the syntax described in @ref{thread-id syntax}.
33291
33292 Currently supported actions are:
33293
33294 @table @samp
33295 @item c
33296 Continue.
33297 @item C @var{sig}
33298 Continue with signal @var{sig}. The signal @var{sig} should be two hex digits.
33299 @item s
33300 Step.
33301 @item S @var{sig}
33302 Step with signal @var{sig}. The signal @var{sig} should be two hex digits.
33303 @item t
33304 Stop.
33305 @end table
33306
33307 The optional argument @var{addr} normally associated with the
33308 @samp{c}, @samp{C}, @samp{s}, and @samp{S} packets is
33309 not supported in @samp{vCont}.
33310
33311 The @samp{t} action is only relevant in non-stop mode
33312 (@pxref{Remote Non-Stop}) and may be ignored by the stub otherwise.
33313 A stop reply should be generated for any affected thread not already stopped.
33314 When a thread is stopped by means of a @samp{t} action,
33315 the corresponding stop reply should indicate that the thread has stopped with
33316 signal @samp{0}, regardless of whether the target uses some other signal
33317 as an implementation detail.
33318
33319 Reply:
33320 @xref{Stop Reply Packets}, for the reply specifications.
33321
33322 @item vCont?
33323 @cindex @samp{vCont?} packet
33324 Request a list of actions supported by the @samp{vCont} packet.
33325
33326 Reply:
33327 @table @samp
33328 @item vCont@r{[};@var{action}@dots{}@r{]}
33329 The @samp{vCont} packet is supported. Each @var{action} is a supported
33330 command in the @samp{vCont} packet.
33331 @item
33332 The @samp{vCont} packet is not supported.
33333 @end table
33334
33335 @item vFile:@var{operation}:@var{parameter}@dots{}
33336 @cindex @samp{vFile} packet
33337 Perform a file operation on the target system. For details,
33338 see @ref{Host I/O Packets}.
33339
33340 @item vFlashErase:@var{addr},@var{length}
33341 @cindex @samp{vFlashErase} packet
33342 Direct the stub to erase @var{length} bytes of flash starting at
33343 @var{addr}. The region may enclose any number of flash blocks, but
33344 its start and end must fall on block boundaries, as indicated by the
33345 flash block size appearing in the memory map (@pxref{Memory Map
33346 Format}). @value{GDBN} groups flash memory programming operations
33347 together, and sends a @samp{vFlashDone} request after each group; the
33348 stub is allowed to delay erase operation until the @samp{vFlashDone}
33349 packet is received.
33350
33351 The stub must support @samp{vCont} if it reports support for
33352 multiprocess extensions (@pxref{multiprocess extensions}). Note that in
33353 this case @samp{vCont} actions can be specified to apply to all threads
33354 in a process by using the @samp{p@var{pid}.-1} form of the
33355 @var{thread-id}.
33356
33357 Reply:
33358 @table @samp
33359 @item OK
33360 for success
33361 @item E @var{NN}
33362 for an error
33363 @end table
33364
33365 @item vFlashWrite:@var{addr}:@var{XX@dots{}}
33366 @cindex @samp{vFlashWrite} packet
33367 Direct the stub to write data to flash address @var{addr}. The data
33368 is passed in binary form using the same encoding as for the @samp{X}
33369 packet (@pxref{Binary Data}). The memory ranges specified by
33370 @samp{vFlashWrite} packets preceding a @samp{vFlashDone} packet must
33371 not overlap, and must appear in order of increasing addresses
33372 (although @samp{vFlashErase} packets for higher addresses may already
33373 have been received; the ordering is guaranteed only between
33374 @samp{vFlashWrite} packets). If a packet writes to an address that was
33375 neither erased by a preceding @samp{vFlashErase} packet nor by some other
33376 target-specific method, the results are unpredictable.
33377
33378
33379 Reply:
33380 @table @samp
33381 @item OK
33382 for success
33383 @item E.memtype
33384 for vFlashWrite addressing non-flash memory
33385 @item E @var{NN}
33386 for an error
33387 @end table
33388
33389 @item vFlashDone
33390 @cindex @samp{vFlashDone} packet
33391 Indicate to the stub that flash programming operation is finished.
33392 The stub is permitted to delay or batch the effects of a group of
33393 @samp{vFlashErase} and @samp{vFlashWrite} packets until a
33394 @samp{vFlashDone} packet is received. The contents of the affected
33395 regions of flash memory are unpredictable until the @samp{vFlashDone}
33396 request is completed.
33397
33398 @item vKill;@var{pid}
33399 @cindex @samp{vKill} packet
33400 Kill the process with the specified process ID. @var{pid} is a
33401 hexadecimal integer identifying the process. This packet is used in
33402 preference to @samp{k} when multiprocess protocol extensions are
33403 supported; see @ref{multiprocess extensions}.
33404
33405 Reply:
33406 @table @samp
33407 @item E @var{nn}
33408 for an error
33409 @item OK
33410 for success
33411 @end table
33412
33413 @item vRun;@var{filename}@r{[};@var{argument}@r{]}@dots{}
33414 @cindex @samp{vRun} packet
33415 Run the program @var{filename}, passing it each @var{argument} on its
33416 command line. The file and arguments are hex-encoded strings. If
33417 @var{filename} is an empty string, the stub may use a default program
33418 (e.g.@: the last program run). The program is created in the stopped
33419 state.
33420
33421 @c FIXME: What about non-stop mode?
33422
33423 This packet is only available in extended mode (@pxref{extended mode}).
33424
33425 Reply:
33426 @table @samp
33427 @item E @var{nn}
33428 for an error
33429 @item @r{Any stop packet}
33430 for success (@pxref{Stop Reply Packets})
33431 @end table
33432
33433 @item vStopped
33434 @anchor{vStopped packet}
33435 @cindex @samp{vStopped} packet
33436
33437 In non-stop mode (@pxref{Remote Non-Stop}), acknowledge a previous stop
33438 reply and prompt for the stub to report another one.
33439
33440 Reply:
33441 @table @samp
33442 @item @r{Any stop packet}
33443 if there is another unreported stop event (@pxref{Stop Reply Packets})
33444 @item OK
33445 if there are no unreported stop events
33446 @end table
33447
33448 @item X @var{addr},@var{length}:@var{XX@dots{}}
33449 @anchor{X packet}
33450 @cindex @samp{X} packet
33451 Write data to memory, where the data is transmitted in binary.
33452 @var{addr} is address, @var{length} is number of bytes,
33453 @samp{@var{XX}@dots{}} is binary data (@pxref{Binary Data}).
33454
33455 Reply:
33456 @table @samp
33457 @item OK
33458 for success
33459 @item E @var{NN}
33460 for an error
33461 @end table
33462
33463 @item z @var{type},@var{addr},@var{kind}
33464 @itemx Z @var{type},@var{addr},@var{kind}
33465 @anchor{insert breakpoint or watchpoint packet}
33466 @cindex @samp{z} packet
33467 @cindex @samp{Z} packets
33468 Insert (@samp{Z}) or remove (@samp{z}) a @var{type} breakpoint or
33469 watchpoint starting at address @var{address} of kind @var{kind}.
33470
33471 Each breakpoint and watchpoint packet @var{type} is documented
33472 separately.
33473
33474 @emph{Implementation notes: A remote target shall return an empty string
33475 for an unrecognized breakpoint or watchpoint packet @var{type}. A
33476 remote target shall support either both or neither of a given
33477 @samp{Z@var{type}@dots{}} and @samp{z@var{type}@dots{}} packet pair. To
33478 avoid potential problems with duplicate packets, the operations should
33479 be implemented in an idempotent way.}
33480
33481 @item z0,@var{addr},@var{kind}
33482 @itemx Z0,@var{addr},@var{kind}
33483 @cindex @samp{z0} packet
33484 @cindex @samp{Z0} packet
33485 Insert (@samp{Z0}) or remove (@samp{z0}) a memory breakpoint at address
33486 @var{addr} of type @var{kind}.
33487
33488 A memory breakpoint is implemented by replacing the instruction at
33489 @var{addr} with a software breakpoint or trap instruction. The
33490 @var{kind} is target-specific and typically indicates the size of
33491 the breakpoint in bytes that should be inserted. E.g., the @sc{arm}
33492 and @sc{mips} can insert either a 2 or 4 byte breakpoint. Some
33493 architectures have additional meanings for @var{kind};
33494 see @ref{Architecture-Specific Protocol Details}.
33495
33496 @emph{Implementation note: It is possible for a target to copy or move
33497 code that contains memory breakpoints (e.g., when implementing
33498 overlays). The behavior of this packet, in the presence of such a
33499 target, is not defined.}
33500
33501 Reply:
33502 @table @samp
33503 @item OK
33504 success
33505 @item
33506 not supported
33507 @item E @var{NN}
33508 for an error
33509 @end table
33510
33511 @item z1,@var{addr},@var{kind}
33512 @itemx Z1,@var{addr},@var{kind}
33513 @cindex @samp{z1} packet
33514 @cindex @samp{Z1} packet
33515 Insert (@samp{Z1}) or remove (@samp{z1}) a hardware breakpoint at
33516 address @var{addr}.
33517
33518 A hardware breakpoint is implemented using a mechanism that is not
33519 dependant on being able to modify the target's memory. @var{kind}
33520 has the same meaning as in @samp{Z0} packets.
33521
33522 @emph{Implementation note: A hardware breakpoint is not affected by code
33523 movement.}
33524
33525 Reply:
33526 @table @samp
33527 @item OK
33528 success
33529 @item
33530 not supported
33531 @item E @var{NN}
33532 for an error
33533 @end table
33534
33535 @item z2,@var{addr},@var{kind}
33536 @itemx Z2,@var{addr},@var{kind}
33537 @cindex @samp{z2} packet
33538 @cindex @samp{Z2} packet
33539 Insert (@samp{Z2}) or remove (@samp{z2}) a write watchpoint at @var{addr}.
33540 @var{kind} is interpreted as the number of bytes to watch.
33541
33542 Reply:
33543 @table @samp
33544 @item OK
33545 success
33546 @item
33547 not supported
33548 @item E @var{NN}
33549 for an error
33550 @end table
33551
33552 @item z3,@var{addr},@var{kind}
33553 @itemx Z3,@var{addr},@var{kind}
33554 @cindex @samp{z3} packet
33555 @cindex @samp{Z3} packet
33556 Insert (@samp{Z3}) or remove (@samp{z3}) a read watchpoint at @var{addr}.
33557 @var{kind} is interpreted as the number of bytes to watch.
33558
33559 Reply:
33560 @table @samp
33561 @item OK
33562 success
33563 @item
33564 not supported
33565 @item E @var{NN}
33566 for an error
33567 @end table
33568
33569 @item z4,@var{addr},@var{kind}
33570 @itemx Z4,@var{addr},@var{kind}
33571 @cindex @samp{z4} packet
33572 @cindex @samp{Z4} packet
33573 Insert (@samp{Z4}) or remove (@samp{z4}) an access watchpoint at @var{addr}.
33574 @var{kind} is interpreted as the number of bytes to watch.
33575
33576 Reply:
33577 @table @samp
33578 @item OK
33579 success
33580 @item
33581 not supported
33582 @item E @var{NN}
33583 for an error
33584 @end table
33585
33586 @end table
33587
33588 @node Stop Reply Packets
33589 @section Stop Reply Packets
33590 @cindex stop reply packets
33591
33592 The @samp{C}, @samp{c}, @samp{S}, @samp{s}, @samp{vCont},
33593 @samp{vAttach}, @samp{vRun}, @samp{vStopped}, and @samp{?} packets can
33594 receive any of the below as a reply. Except for @samp{?}
33595 and @samp{vStopped}, that reply is only returned
33596 when the target halts. In the below the exact meaning of @dfn{signal
33597 number} is defined by the header @file{include/gdb/signals.h} in the
33598 @value{GDBN} source code.
33599
33600 As in the description of request packets, we include spaces in the
33601 reply templates for clarity; these are not part of the reply packet's
33602 syntax. No @value{GDBN} stop reply packet uses spaces to separate its
33603 components.
33604
33605 @table @samp
33606
33607 @item S @var{AA}
33608 The program received signal number @var{AA} (a two-digit hexadecimal
33609 number). This is equivalent to a @samp{T} response with no
33610 @var{n}:@var{r} pairs.
33611
33612 @item T @var{AA} @var{n1}:@var{r1};@var{n2}:@var{r2};@dots{}
33613 @cindex @samp{T} packet reply
33614 The program received signal number @var{AA} (a two-digit hexadecimal
33615 number). This is equivalent to an @samp{S} response, except that the
33616 @samp{@var{n}:@var{r}} pairs can carry values of important registers
33617 and other information directly in the stop reply packet, reducing
33618 round-trip latency. Single-step and breakpoint traps are reported
33619 this way. Each @samp{@var{n}:@var{r}} pair is interpreted as follows:
33620
33621 @itemize @bullet
33622 @item
33623 If @var{n} is a hexadecimal number, it is a register number, and the
33624 corresponding @var{r} gives that register's value. @var{r} is a
33625 series of bytes in target byte order, with each byte given by a
33626 two-digit hex number.
33627
33628 @item
33629 If @var{n} is @samp{thread}, then @var{r} is the @var{thread-id} of
33630 the stopped thread, as specified in @ref{thread-id syntax}.
33631
33632 @item
33633 If @var{n} is @samp{core}, then @var{r} is the hexadecimal number of
33634 the core on which the stop event was detected.
33635
33636 @item
33637 If @var{n} is a recognized @dfn{stop reason}, it describes a more
33638 specific event that stopped the target. The currently defined stop
33639 reasons are listed below. @var{aa} should be @samp{05}, the trap
33640 signal. At most one stop reason should be present.
33641
33642 @item
33643 Otherwise, @value{GDBN} should ignore this @samp{@var{n}:@var{r}} pair
33644 and go on to the next; this allows us to extend the protocol in the
33645 future.
33646 @end itemize
33647
33648 The currently defined stop reasons are:
33649
33650 @table @samp
33651 @item watch
33652 @itemx rwatch
33653 @itemx awatch
33654 The packet indicates a watchpoint hit, and @var{r} is the data address, in
33655 hex.
33656
33657 @cindex shared library events, remote reply
33658 @item library
33659 The packet indicates that the loaded libraries have changed.
33660 @value{GDBN} should use @samp{qXfer:libraries:read} to fetch a new
33661 list of loaded libraries. @var{r} is ignored.
33662
33663 @cindex replay log events, remote reply
33664 @item replaylog
33665 The packet indicates that the target cannot continue replaying
33666 logged execution events, because it has reached the end (or the
33667 beginning when executing backward) of the log. The value of @var{r}
33668 will be either @samp{begin} or @samp{end}. @xref{Reverse Execution},
33669 for more information.
33670 @end table
33671
33672 @item W @var{AA}
33673 @itemx W @var{AA} ; process:@var{pid}
33674 The process exited, and @var{AA} is the exit status. This is only
33675 applicable to certain targets.
33676
33677 The second form of the response, including the process ID of the exited
33678 process, can be used only when @value{GDBN} has reported support for
33679 multiprocess protocol extensions; see @ref{multiprocess extensions}.
33680 The @var{pid} is formatted as a big-endian hex string.
33681
33682 @item X @var{AA}
33683 @itemx X @var{AA} ; process:@var{pid}
33684 The process terminated with signal @var{AA}.
33685
33686 The second form of the response, including the process ID of the
33687 terminated process, can be used only when @value{GDBN} has reported
33688 support for multiprocess protocol extensions; see @ref{multiprocess
33689 extensions}. The @var{pid} is formatted as a big-endian hex string.
33690
33691 @item O @var{XX}@dots{}
33692 @samp{@var{XX}@dots{}} is hex encoding of @sc{ascii} data, to be
33693 written as the program's console output. This can happen at any time
33694 while the program is running and the debugger should continue to wait
33695 for @samp{W}, @samp{T}, etc. This reply is not permitted in non-stop mode.
33696
33697 @item F @var{call-id},@var{parameter}@dots{}
33698 @var{call-id} is the identifier which says which host system call should
33699 be called. This is just the name of the function. Translation into the
33700 correct system call is only applicable as it's defined in @value{GDBN}.
33701 @xref{File-I/O Remote Protocol Extension}, for a list of implemented
33702 system calls.
33703
33704 @samp{@var{parameter}@dots{}} is a list of parameters as defined for
33705 this very system call.
33706
33707 The target replies with this packet when it expects @value{GDBN} to
33708 call a host system call on behalf of the target. @value{GDBN} replies
33709 with an appropriate @samp{F} packet and keeps up waiting for the next
33710 reply packet from the target. The latest @samp{C}, @samp{c}, @samp{S}
33711 or @samp{s} action is expected to be continued. @xref{File-I/O Remote
33712 Protocol Extension}, for more details.
33713
33714 @end table
33715
33716 @node General Query Packets
33717 @section General Query Packets
33718 @cindex remote query requests
33719
33720 Packets starting with @samp{q} are @dfn{general query packets};
33721 packets starting with @samp{Q} are @dfn{general set packets}. General
33722 query and set packets are a semi-unified form for retrieving and
33723 sending information to and from the stub.
33724
33725 The initial letter of a query or set packet is followed by a name
33726 indicating what sort of thing the packet applies to. For example,
33727 @value{GDBN} may use a @samp{qSymbol} packet to exchange symbol
33728 definitions with the stub. These packet names follow some
33729 conventions:
33730
33731 @itemize @bullet
33732 @item
33733 The name must not contain commas, colons or semicolons.
33734 @item
33735 Most @value{GDBN} query and set packets have a leading upper case
33736 letter.
33737 @item
33738 The names of custom vendor packets should use a company prefix, in
33739 lower case, followed by a period. For example, packets designed at
33740 the Acme Corporation might begin with @samp{qacme.foo} (for querying
33741 foos) or @samp{Qacme.bar} (for setting bars).
33742 @end itemize
33743
33744 The name of a query or set packet should be separated from any
33745 parameters by a @samp{:}; the parameters themselves should be
33746 separated by @samp{,} or @samp{;}. Stubs must be careful to match the
33747 full packet name, and check for a separator or the end of the packet,
33748 in case two packet names share a common prefix. New packets should not begin
33749 with @samp{qC}, @samp{qP}, or @samp{qL}@footnote{The @samp{qP} and @samp{qL}
33750 packets predate these conventions, and have arguments without any terminator
33751 for the packet name; we suspect they are in widespread use in places that
33752 are difficult to upgrade. The @samp{qC} packet has no arguments, but some
33753 existing stubs (e.g.@: RedBoot) are known to not check for the end of the
33754 packet.}.
33755
33756 Like the descriptions of the other packets, each description here
33757 has a template showing the packet's overall syntax, followed by an
33758 explanation of the packet's meaning. We include spaces in some of the
33759 templates for clarity; these are not part of the packet's syntax. No
33760 @value{GDBN} packet uses spaces to separate its components.
33761
33762 Here are the currently defined query and set packets:
33763
33764 @table @samp
33765
33766 @item QAllow:@var{op}:@var{val}@dots{}
33767 @cindex @samp{QAllow} packet
33768 Specify which operations @value{GDBN} expects to request of the
33769 target, as a semicolon-separated list of operation name and value
33770 pairs. Possible values for @var{op} include @samp{WriteReg},
33771 @samp{WriteMem}, @samp{InsertBreak}, @samp{InsertTrace},
33772 @samp{InsertFastTrace}, and @samp{Stop}. @var{val} is either 0,
33773 indicating that @value{GDBN} will not request the operation, or 1,
33774 indicating that it may. (The target can then use this to set up its
33775 own internals optimally, for instance if the debugger never expects to
33776 insert breakpoints, it may not need to install its own trap handler.)
33777
33778 @item qC
33779 @cindex current thread, remote request
33780 @cindex @samp{qC} packet
33781 Return the current thread ID.
33782
33783 Reply:
33784 @table @samp
33785 @item QC @var{thread-id}
33786 Where @var{thread-id} is a thread ID as documented in
33787 @ref{thread-id syntax}.
33788 @item @r{(anything else)}
33789 Any other reply implies the old thread ID.
33790 @end table
33791
33792 @item qCRC:@var{addr},@var{length}
33793 @cindex CRC of memory block, remote request
33794 @cindex @samp{qCRC} packet
33795 Compute the CRC checksum of a block of memory using CRC-32 defined in
33796 IEEE 802.3. The CRC is computed byte at a time, taking the most
33797 significant bit of each byte first. The initial pattern code
33798 @code{0xffffffff} is used to ensure leading zeros affect the CRC.
33799
33800 @emph{Note:} This is the same CRC used in validating separate debug
33801 files (@pxref{Separate Debug Files, , Debugging Information in Separate
33802 Files}). However the algorithm is slightly different. When validating
33803 separate debug files, the CRC is computed taking the @emph{least}
33804 significant bit of each byte first, and the final result is inverted to
33805 detect trailing zeros.
33806
33807 Reply:
33808 @table @samp
33809 @item E @var{NN}
33810 An error (such as memory fault)
33811 @item C @var{crc32}
33812 The specified memory region's checksum is @var{crc32}.
33813 @end table
33814
33815 @item QDisableRandomization:@var{value}
33816 @cindex disable address space randomization, remote request
33817 @cindex @samp{QDisableRandomization} packet
33818 Some target operating systems will randomize the virtual address space
33819 of the inferior process as a security feature, but provide a feature
33820 to disable such randomization, e.g.@: to allow for a more deterministic
33821 debugging experience. On such systems, this packet with a @var{value}
33822 of 1 directs the target to disable address space randomization for
33823 processes subsequently started via @samp{vRun} packets, while a packet
33824 with a @var{value} of 0 tells the target to enable address space
33825 randomization.
33826
33827 This packet is only available in extended mode (@pxref{extended mode}).
33828
33829 Reply:
33830 @table @samp
33831 @item OK
33832 The request succeeded.
33833
33834 @item E @var{nn}
33835 An error occurred. @var{nn} are hex digits.
33836
33837 @item
33838 An empty reply indicates that @samp{QDisableRandomization} is not supported
33839 by the stub.
33840 @end table
33841
33842 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
33843 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
33844 This should only be done on targets that actually support disabling
33845 address space randomization.
33846
33847 @item qfThreadInfo
33848 @itemx qsThreadInfo
33849 @cindex list active threads, remote request
33850 @cindex @samp{qfThreadInfo} packet
33851 @cindex @samp{qsThreadInfo} packet
33852 Obtain a list of all active thread IDs from the target (OS). Since there
33853 may be too many active threads to fit into one reply packet, this query
33854 works iteratively: it may require more than one query/reply sequence to
33855 obtain the entire list of threads. The first query of the sequence will
33856 be the @samp{qfThreadInfo} query; subsequent queries in the
33857 sequence will be the @samp{qsThreadInfo} query.
33858
33859 NOTE: This packet replaces the @samp{qL} query (see below).
33860
33861 Reply:
33862 @table @samp
33863 @item m @var{thread-id}
33864 A single thread ID
33865 @item m @var{thread-id},@var{thread-id}@dots{}
33866 a comma-separated list of thread IDs
33867 @item l
33868 (lower case letter @samp{L}) denotes end of list.
33869 @end table
33870
33871 In response to each query, the target will reply with a list of one or
33872 more thread IDs, separated by commas.
33873 @value{GDBN} will respond to each reply with a request for more thread
33874 ids (using the @samp{qs} form of the query), until the target responds
33875 with @samp{l} (lower-case ell, for @dfn{last}).
33876 Refer to @ref{thread-id syntax}, for the format of the @var{thread-id}
33877 fields.
33878
33879 @item qGetTLSAddr:@var{thread-id},@var{offset},@var{lm}
33880 @cindex get thread-local storage address, remote request
33881 @cindex @samp{qGetTLSAddr} packet
33882 Fetch the address associated with thread local storage specified
33883 by @var{thread-id}, @var{offset}, and @var{lm}.
33884
33885 @var{thread-id} is the thread ID associated with the
33886 thread for which to fetch the TLS address. @xref{thread-id syntax}.
33887
33888 @var{offset} is the (big endian, hex encoded) offset associated with the
33889 thread local variable. (This offset is obtained from the debug
33890 information associated with the variable.)
33891
33892 @var{lm} is the (big endian, hex encoded) OS/ABI-specific encoding of the
33893 load module associated with the thread local storage. For example,
33894 a @sc{gnu}/Linux system will pass the link map address of the shared
33895 object associated with the thread local storage under consideration.
33896 Other operating environments may choose to represent the load module
33897 differently, so the precise meaning of this parameter will vary.
33898
33899 Reply:
33900 @table @samp
33901 @item @var{XX}@dots{}
33902 Hex encoded (big endian) bytes representing the address of the thread
33903 local storage requested.
33904
33905 @item E @var{nn}
33906 An error occurred. @var{nn} are hex digits.
33907
33908 @item
33909 An empty reply indicates that @samp{qGetTLSAddr} is not supported by the stub.
33910 @end table
33911
33912 @item qGetTIBAddr:@var{thread-id}
33913 @cindex get thread information block address
33914 @cindex @samp{qGetTIBAddr} packet
33915 Fetch address of the Windows OS specific Thread Information Block.
33916
33917 @var{thread-id} is the thread ID associated with the thread.
33918
33919 Reply:
33920 @table @samp
33921 @item @var{XX}@dots{}
33922 Hex encoded (big endian) bytes representing the linear address of the
33923 thread information block.
33924
33925 @item E @var{nn}
33926 An error occured. This means that either the thread was not found, or the
33927 address could not be retrieved.
33928
33929 @item
33930 An empty reply indicates that @samp{qGetTIBAddr} is not supported by the stub.
33931 @end table
33932
33933 @item qL @var{startflag} @var{threadcount} @var{nextthread}
33934 Obtain thread information from RTOS. Where: @var{startflag} (one hex
33935 digit) is one to indicate the first query and zero to indicate a
33936 subsequent query; @var{threadcount} (two hex digits) is the maximum
33937 number of threads the response packet can contain; and @var{nextthread}
33938 (eight hex digits), for subsequent queries (@var{startflag} is zero), is
33939 returned in the response as @var{argthread}.
33940
33941 Don't use this packet; use the @samp{qfThreadInfo} query instead (see above).
33942
33943 Reply:
33944 @table @samp
33945 @item qM @var{count} @var{done} @var{argthread} @var{thread}@dots{}
33946 Where: @var{count} (two hex digits) is the number of threads being
33947 returned; @var{done} (one hex digit) is zero to indicate more threads
33948 and one indicates no further threads; @var{argthreadid} (eight hex
33949 digits) is @var{nextthread} from the request packet; @var{thread}@dots{}
33950 is a sequence of thread IDs from the target. @var{threadid} (eight hex
33951 digits). See @code{remote.c:parse_threadlist_response()}.
33952 @end table
33953
33954 @item qOffsets
33955 @cindex section offsets, remote request
33956 @cindex @samp{qOffsets} packet
33957 Get section offsets that the target used when relocating the downloaded
33958 image.
33959
33960 Reply:
33961 @table @samp
33962 @item Text=@var{xxx};Data=@var{yyy}@r{[};Bss=@var{zzz}@r{]}
33963 Relocate the @code{Text} section by @var{xxx} from its original address.
33964 Relocate the @code{Data} section by @var{yyy} from its original address.
33965 If the object file format provides segment information (e.g.@: @sc{elf}
33966 @samp{PT_LOAD} program headers), @value{GDBN} will relocate entire
33967 segments by the supplied offsets.
33968
33969 @emph{Note: while a @code{Bss} offset may be included in the response,
33970 @value{GDBN} ignores this and instead applies the @code{Data} offset
33971 to the @code{Bss} section.}
33972
33973 @item TextSeg=@var{xxx}@r{[};DataSeg=@var{yyy}@r{]}
33974 Relocate the first segment of the object file, which conventionally
33975 contains program code, to a starting address of @var{xxx}. If
33976 @samp{DataSeg} is specified, relocate the second segment, which
33977 conventionally contains modifiable data, to a starting address of
33978 @var{yyy}. @value{GDBN} will report an error if the object file
33979 does not contain segment information, or does not contain at least
33980 as many segments as mentioned in the reply. Extra segments are
33981 kept at fixed offsets relative to the last relocated segment.
33982 @end table
33983
33984 @item qP @var{mode} @var{thread-id}
33985 @cindex thread information, remote request
33986 @cindex @samp{qP} packet
33987 Returns information on @var{thread-id}. Where: @var{mode} is a hex
33988 encoded 32 bit mode; @var{thread-id} is a thread ID
33989 (@pxref{thread-id syntax}).
33990
33991 Don't use this packet; use the @samp{qThreadExtraInfo} query instead
33992 (see below).
33993
33994 Reply: see @code{remote.c:remote_unpack_thread_info_response()}.
33995
33996 @item QNonStop:1
33997 @item QNonStop:0
33998 @cindex non-stop mode, remote request
33999 @cindex @samp{QNonStop} packet
34000 @anchor{QNonStop}
34001 Enter non-stop (@samp{QNonStop:1}) or all-stop (@samp{QNonStop:0}) mode.
34002 @xref{Remote Non-Stop}, for more information.
34003
34004 Reply:
34005 @table @samp
34006 @item OK
34007 The request succeeded.
34008
34009 @item E @var{nn}
34010 An error occurred. @var{nn} are hex digits.
34011
34012 @item
34013 An empty reply indicates that @samp{QNonStop} is not supported by
34014 the stub.
34015 @end table
34016
34017 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
34018 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
34019 Use of this packet is controlled by the @code{set non-stop} command;
34020 @pxref{Non-Stop Mode}.
34021
34022 @item QPassSignals: @var{signal} @r{[};@var{signal}@r{]}@dots{}
34023 @cindex pass signals to inferior, remote request
34024 @cindex @samp{QPassSignals} packet
34025 @anchor{QPassSignals}
34026 Each listed @var{signal} should be passed directly to the inferior process.
34027 Signals are numbered identically to continue packets and stop replies
34028 (@pxref{Stop Reply Packets}). Each @var{signal} list item should be
34029 strictly greater than the previous item. These signals do not need to stop
34030 the inferior, or be reported to @value{GDBN}. All other signals should be
34031 reported to @value{GDBN}. Multiple @samp{QPassSignals} packets do not
34032 combine; any earlier @samp{QPassSignals} list is completely replaced by the
34033 new list. This packet improves performance when using @samp{handle
34034 @var{signal} nostop noprint pass}.
34035
34036 Reply:
34037 @table @samp
34038 @item OK
34039 The request succeeded.
34040
34041 @item E @var{nn}
34042 An error occurred. @var{nn} are hex digits.
34043
34044 @item
34045 An empty reply indicates that @samp{QPassSignals} is not supported by
34046 the stub.
34047 @end table
34048
34049 Use of this packet is controlled by the @code{set remote pass-signals}
34050 command (@pxref{Remote Configuration, set remote pass-signals}).
34051 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
34052 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
34053
34054 @item qRcmd,@var{command}
34055 @cindex execute remote command, remote request
34056 @cindex @samp{qRcmd} packet
34057 @var{command} (hex encoded) is passed to the local interpreter for
34058 execution. Invalid commands should be reported using the output
34059 string. Before the final result packet, the target may also respond
34060 with a number of intermediate @samp{O@var{output}} console output
34061 packets. @emph{Implementors should note that providing access to a
34062 stubs's interpreter may have security implications}.
34063
34064 Reply:
34065 @table @samp
34066 @item OK
34067 A command response with no output.
34068 @item @var{OUTPUT}
34069 A command response with the hex encoded output string @var{OUTPUT}.
34070 @item E @var{NN}
34071 Indicate a badly formed request.
34072 @item
34073 An empty reply indicates that @samp{qRcmd} is not recognized.
34074 @end table
34075
34076 (Note that the @code{qRcmd} packet's name is separated from the
34077 command by a @samp{,}, not a @samp{:}, contrary to the naming
34078 conventions above. Please don't use this packet as a model for new
34079 packets.)
34080
34081 @item qSearch:memory:@var{address};@var{length};@var{search-pattern}
34082 @cindex searching memory, in remote debugging
34083 @cindex @samp{qSearch:memory} packet
34084 @anchor{qSearch memory}
34085 Search @var{length} bytes at @var{address} for @var{search-pattern}.
34086 @var{address} and @var{length} are encoded in hex.
34087 @var{search-pattern} is a sequence of bytes, hex encoded.
34088
34089 Reply:
34090 @table @samp
34091 @item 0
34092 The pattern was not found.
34093 @item 1,address
34094 The pattern was found at @var{address}.
34095 @item E @var{NN}
34096 A badly formed request or an error was encountered while searching memory.
34097 @item
34098 An empty reply indicates that @samp{qSearch:memory} is not recognized.
34099 @end table
34100
34101 @item QStartNoAckMode
34102 @cindex @samp{QStartNoAckMode} packet
34103 @anchor{QStartNoAckMode}
34104 Request that the remote stub disable the normal @samp{+}/@samp{-}
34105 protocol acknowledgments (@pxref{Packet Acknowledgment}).
34106
34107 Reply:
34108 @table @samp
34109 @item OK
34110 The stub has switched to no-acknowledgment mode.
34111 @value{GDBN} acknowledges this reponse,
34112 but neither the stub nor @value{GDBN} shall send or expect further
34113 @samp{+}/@samp{-} acknowledgments in the current connection.
34114 @item
34115 An empty reply indicates that the stub does not support no-acknowledgment mode.
34116 @end table
34117
34118 @item qSupported @r{[}:@var{gdbfeature} @r{[};@var{gdbfeature}@r{]}@dots{} @r{]}
34119 @cindex supported packets, remote query
34120 @cindex features of the remote protocol
34121 @cindex @samp{qSupported} packet
34122 @anchor{qSupported}
34123 Tell the remote stub about features supported by @value{GDBN}, and
34124 query the stub for features it supports. This packet allows
34125 @value{GDBN} and the remote stub to take advantage of each others'
34126 features. @samp{qSupported} also consolidates multiple feature probes
34127 at startup, to improve @value{GDBN} performance---a single larger
34128 packet performs better than multiple smaller probe packets on
34129 high-latency links. Some features may enable behavior which must not
34130 be on by default, e.g.@: because it would confuse older clients or
34131 stubs. Other features may describe packets which could be
34132 automatically probed for, but are not. These features must be
34133 reported before @value{GDBN} will use them. This ``default
34134 unsupported'' behavior is not appropriate for all packets, but it
34135 helps to keep the initial connection time under control with new
34136 versions of @value{GDBN} which support increasing numbers of packets.
34137
34138 Reply:
34139 @table @samp
34140 @item @var{stubfeature} @r{[};@var{stubfeature}@r{]}@dots{}
34141 The stub supports or does not support each returned @var{stubfeature},
34142 depending on the form of each @var{stubfeature} (see below for the
34143 possible forms).
34144 @item
34145 An empty reply indicates that @samp{qSupported} is not recognized,
34146 or that no features needed to be reported to @value{GDBN}.
34147 @end table
34148
34149 The allowed forms for each feature (either a @var{gdbfeature} in the
34150 @samp{qSupported} packet, or a @var{stubfeature} in the response)
34151 are:
34152
34153 @table @samp
34154 @item @var{name}=@var{value}
34155 The remote protocol feature @var{name} is supported, and associated
34156 with the specified @var{value}. The format of @var{value} depends
34157 on the feature, but it must not include a semicolon.
34158 @item @var{name}+
34159 The remote protocol feature @var{name} is supported, and does not
34160 need an associated value.
34161 @item @var{name}-
34162 The remote protocol feature @var{name} is not supported.
34163 @item @var{name}?
34164 The remote protocol feature @var{name} may be supported, and
34165 @value{GDBN} should auto-detect support in some other way when it is
34166 needed. This form will not be used for @var{gdbfeature} notifications,
34167 but may be used for @var{stubfeature} responses.
34168 @end table
34169
34170 Whenever the stub receives a @samp{qSupported} request, the
34171 supplied set of @value{GDBN} features should override any previous
34172 request. This allows @value{GDBN} to put the stub in a known
34173 state, even if the stub had previously been communicating with
34174 a different version of @value{GDBN}.
34175
34176 The following values of @var{gdbfeature} (for the packet sent by @value{GDBN})
34177 are defined:
34178
34179 @table @samp
34180 @item multiprocess
34181 This feature indicates whether @value{GDBN} supports multiprocess
34182 extensions to the remote protocol. @value{GDBN} does not use such
34183 extensions unless the stub also reports that it supports them by
34184 including @samp{multiprocess+} in its @samp{qSupported} reply.
34185 @xref{multiprocess extensions}, for details.
34186
34187 @item xmlRegisters
34188 This feature indicates that @value{GDBN} supports the XML target
34189 description. If the stub sees @samp{xmlRegisters=} with target
34190 specific strings separated by a comma, it will report register
34191 description.
34192
34193 @item qRelocInsn
34194 This feature indicates whether @value{GDBN} supports the
34195 @samp{qRelocInsn} packet (@pxref{Tracepoint Packets,,Relocate
34196 instruction reply packet}).
34197 @end table
34198
34199 Stubs should ignore any unknown values for
34200 @var{gdbfeature}. Any @value{GDBN} which sends a @samp{qSupported}
34201 packet supports receiving packets of unlimited length (earlier
34202 versions of @value{GDBN} may reject overly long responses). Additional values
34203 for @var{gdbfeature} may be defined in the future to let the stub take
34204 advantage of new features in @value{GDBN}, e.g.@: incompatible
34205 improvements in the remote protocol---the @samp{multiprocess} feature is
34206 an example of such a feature. The stub's reply should be independent
34207 of the @var{gdbfeature} entries sent by @value{GDBN}; first @value{GDBN}
34208 describes all the features it supports, and then the stub replies with
34209 all the features it supports.
34210
34211 Similarly, @value{GDBN} will silently ignore unrecognized stub feature
34212 responses, as long as each response uses one of the standard forms.
34213
34214 Some features are flags. A stub which supports a flag feature
34215 should respond with a @samp{+} form response. Other features
34216 require values, and the stub should respond with an @samp{=}
34217 form response.
34218
34219 Each feature has a default value, which @value{GDBN} will use if
34220 @samp{qSupported} is not available or if the feature is not mentioned
34221 in the @samp{qSupported} response. The default values are fixed; a
34222 stub is free to omit any feature responses that match the defaults.
34223
34224 Not all features can be probed, but for those which can, the probing
34225 mechanism is useful: in some cases, a stub's internal
34226 architecture may not allow the protocol layer to know some information
34227 about the underlying target in advance. This is especially common in
34228 stubs which may be configured for multiple targets.
34229
34230 These are the currently defined stub features and their properties:
34231
34232 @multitable @columnfractions 0.35 0.2 0.12 0.2
34233 @c NOTE: The first row should be @headitem, but we do not yet require
34234 @c a new enough version of Texinfo (4.7) to use @headitem.
34235 @item Feature Name
34236 @tab Value Required
34237 @tab Default
34238 @tab Probe Allowed
34239
34240 @item @samp{PacketSize}
34241 @tab Yes
34242 @tab @samp{-}
34243 @tab No
34244
34245 @item @samp{qXfer:auxv:read}
34246 @tab No
34247 @tab @samp{-}
34248 @tab Yes
34249
34250 @item @samp{qXfer:features:read}
34251 @tab No
34252 @tab @samp{-}
34253 @tab Yes
34254
34255 @item @samp{qXfer:libraries:read}
34256 @tab No
34257 @tab @samp{-}
34258 @tab Yes
34259
34260 @item @samp{qXfer:memory-map:read}
34261 @tab No
34262 @tab @samp{-}
34263 @tab Yes
34264
34265 @item @samp{qXfer:sdata:read}
34266 @tab No
34267 @tab @samp{-}
34268 @tab Yes
34269
34270 @item @samp{qXfer:spu:read}
34271 @tab No
34272 @tab @samp{-}
34273 @tab Yes
34274
34275 @item @samp{qXfer:spu:write}
34276 @tab No
34277 @tab @samp{-}
34278 @tab Yes
34279
34280 @item @samp{qXfer:siginfo:read}
34281 @tab No
34282 @tab @samp{-}
34283 @tab Yes
34284
34285 @item @samp{qXfer:siginfo:write}
34286 @tab No
34287 @tab @samp{-}
34288 @tab Yes
34289
34290 @item @samp{qXfer:threads:read}
34291 @tab No
34292 @tab @samp{-}
34293 @tab Yes
34294
34295 @item @samp{qXfer:traceframe-info:read}
34296 @tab No
34297 @tab @samp{-}
34298 @tab Yes
34299
34300 @item @samp{qXfer:fdpic:read}
34301 @tab No
34302 @tab @samp{-}
34303 @tab Yes
34304
34305 @item @samp{QNonStop}
34306 @tab No
34307 @tab @samp{-}
34308 @tab Yes
34309
34310 @item @samp{QPassSignals}
34311 @tab No
34312 @tab @samp{-}
34313 @tab Yes
34314
34315 @item @samp{QStartNoAckMode}
34316 @tab No
34317 @tab @samp{-}
34318 @tab Yes
34319
34320 @item @samp{multiprocess}
34321 @tab No
34322 @tab @samp{-}
34323 @tab No
34324
34325 @item @samp{ConditionalTracepoints}
34326 @tab No
34327 @tab @samp{-}
34328 @tab No
34329
34330 @item @samp{ReverseContinue}
34331 @tab No
34332 @tab @samp{-}
34333 @tab No
34334
34335 @item @samp{ReverseStep}
34336 @tab No
34337 @tab @samp{-}
34338 @tab No
34339
34340 @item @samp{TracepointSource}
34341 @tab No
34342 @tab @samp{-}
34343 @tab No
34344
34345 @item @samp{QAllow}
34346 @tab No
34347 @tab @samp{-}
34348 @tab No
34349
34350 @item @samp{QDisableRandomization}
34351 @tab No
34352 @tab @samp{-}
34353 @tab No
34354
34355 @item @samp{EnableDisableTracepoints}
34356 @tab No
34357 @tab @samp{-}
34358 @tab No
34359
34360 @end multitable
34361
34362 These are the currently defined stub features, in more detail:
34363
34364 @table @samp
34365 @cindex packet size, remote protocol
34366 @item PacketSize=@var{bytes}
34367 The remote stub can accept packets up to at least @var{bytes} in
34368 length. @value{GDBN} will send packets up to this size for bulk
34369 transfers, and will never send larger packets. This is a limit on the
34370 data characters in the packet, including the frame and checksum.
34371 There is no trailing NUL byte in a remote protocol packet; if the stub
34372 stores packets in a NUL-terminated format, it should allow an extra
34373 byte in its buffer for the NUL. If this stub feature is not supported,
34374 @value{GDBN} guesses based on the size of the @samp{g} packet response.
34375
34376 @item qXfer:auxv:read
34377 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:auxv:read} packet
34378 (@pxref{qXfer auxiliary vector read}).
34379
34380 @item qXfer:features:read
34381 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:features:read} packet
34382 (@pxref{qXfer target description read}).
34383
34384 @item qXfer:libraries:read
34385 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:libraries:read} packet
34386 (@pxref{qXfer library list read}).
34387
34388 @item qXfer:memory-map:read
34389 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:memory-map:read} packet
34390 (@pxref{qXfer memory map read}).
34391
34392 @item qXfer:sdata:read
34393 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:sdata:read} packet
34394 (@pxref{qXfer sdata read}).
34395
34396 @item qXfer:spu:read
34397 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:spu:read} packet
34398 (@pxref{qXfer spu read}).
34399
34400 @item qXfer:spu:write
34401 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:spu:write} packet
34402 (@pxref{qXfer spu write}).
34403
34404 @item qXfer:siginfo:read
34405 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:siginfo:read} packet
34406 (@pxref{qXfer siginfo read}).
34407
34408 @item qXfer:siginfo:write
34409 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:siginfo:write} packet
34410 (@pxref{qXfer siginfo write}).
34411
34412 @item qXfer:threads:read
34413 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:threads:read} packet
34414 (@pxref{qXfer threads read}).
34415
34416 @item qXfer:traceframe-info:read
34417 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:traceframe-info:read}
34418 packet (@pxref{qXfer traceframe info read}).
34419
34420 @item qXfer:fdpic:read
34421 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:fdpic:read}
34422 packet (@pxref{qXfer fdpic loadmap read}).
34423
34424 @item QNonStop
34425 The remote stub understands the @samp{QNonStop} packet
34426 (@pxref{QNonStop}).
34427
34428 @item QPassSignals
34429 The remote stub understands the @samp{QPassSignals} packet
34430 (@pxref{QPassSignals}).
34431
34432 @item QStartNoAckMode
34433 The remote stub understands the @samp{QStartNoAckMode} packet and
34434 prefers to operate in no-acknowledgment mode. @xref{Packet Acknowledgment}.
34435
34436 @item multiprocess
34437 @anchor{multiprocess extensions}
34438 @cindex multiprocess extensions, in remote protocol
34439 The remote stub understands the multiprocess extensions to the remote
34440 protocol syntax. The multiprocess extensions affect the syntax of
34441 thread IDs in both packets and replies (@pxref{thread-id syntax}), and
34442 add process IDs to the @samp{D} packet and @samp{W} and @samp{X}
34443 replies. Note that reporting this feature indicates support for the
34444 syntactic extensions only, not that the stub necessarily supports
34445 debugging of more than one process at a time. The stub must not use
34446 multiprocess extensions in packet replies unless @value{GDBN} has also
34447 indicated it supports them in its @samp{qSupported} request.
34448
34449 @item qXfer:osdata:read
34450 The remote stub understands the @samp{qXfer:osdata:read} packet
34451 ((@pxref{qXfer osdata read}).
34452
34453 @item ConditionalTracepoints
34454 The remote stub accepts and implements conditional expressions defined
34455 for tracepoints (@pxref{Tracepoint Conditions}).
34456
34457 @item ReverseContinue
34458 The remote stub accepts and implements the reverse continue packet
34459 (@pxref{bc}).
34460
34461 @item ReverseStep
34462 The remote stub accepts and implements the reverse step packet
34463 (@pxref{bs}).
34464
34465 @item TracepointSource
34466 The remote stub understands the @samp{QTDPsrc} packet that supplies
34467 the source form of tracepoint definitions.
34468
34469 @item QAllow
34470 The remote stub understands the @samp{QAllow} packet.
34471
34472 @item QDisableRandomization
34473 The remote stub understands the @samp{QDisableRandomization} packet.
34474
34475 @item StaticTracepoint
34476 @cindex static tracepoints, in remote protocol
34477 The remote stub supports static tracepoints.
34478
34479 @item EnableDisableTracepoints
34480 The remote stub supports the @samp{QTEnable} (@pxref{QTEnable}) and
34481 @samp{QTDisable} (@pxref{QTDisable}) packets that allow tracepoints
34482 to be enabled and disabled while a trace experiment is running.
34483
34484 @end table
34485
34486 @item qSymbol::
34487 @cindex symbol lookup, remote request
34488 @cindex @samp{qSymbol} packet
34489 Notify the target that @value{GDBN} is prepared to serve symbol lookup
34490 requests. Accept requests from the target for the values of symbols.
34491
34492 Reply:
34493 @table @samp
34494 @item OK
34495 The target does not need to look up any (more) symbols.
34496 @item qSymbol:@var{sym_name}
34497 The target requests the value of symbol @var{sym_name} (hex encoded).
34498 @value{GDBN} may provide the value by using the
34499 @samp{qSymbol:@var{sym_value}:@var{sym_name}} message, described
34500 below.
34501 @end table
34502
34503 @item qSymbol:@var{sym_value}:@var{sym_name}
34504 Set the value of @var{sym_name} to @var{sym_value}.
34505
34506 @var{sym_name} (hex encoded) is the name of a symbol whose value the
34507 target has previously requested.
34508
34509 @var{sym_value} (hex) is the value for symbol @var{sym_name}. If
34510 @value{GDBN} cannot supply a value for @var{sym_name}, then this field
34511 will be empty.
34512
34513 Reply:
34514 @table @samp
34515 @item OK
34516 The target does not need to look up any (more) symbols.
34517 @item qSymbol:@var{sym_name}
34518 The target requests the value of a new symbol @var{sym_name} (hex
34519 encoded). @value{GDBN} will continue to supply the values of symbols
34520 (if available), until the target ceases to request them.
34521 @end table
34522
34523 @item qTBuffer
34524 @item QTBuffer
34525 @item QTDisconnected
34526 @itemx QTDP
34527 @itemx QTDPsrc
34528 @itemx QTDV
34529 @itemx qTfP
34530 @itemx qTfV
34531 @itemx QTFrame
34532 @xref{Tracepoint Packets}.
34533
34534 @item qThreadExtraInfo,@var{thread-id}
34535 @cindex thread attributes info, remote request
34536 @cindex @samp{qThreadExtraInfo} packet
34537 Obtain a printable string description of a thread's attributes from
34538 the target OS. @var{thread-id} is a thread ID;
34539 see @ref{thread-id syntax}. This
34540 string may contain anything that the target OS thinks is interesting
34541 for @value{GDBN} to tell the user about the thread. The string is
34542 displayed in @value{GDBN}'s @code{info threads} display. Some
34543 examples of possible thread extra info strings are @samp{Runnable}, or
34544 @samp{Blocked on Mutex}.
34545
34546 Reply:
34547 @table @samp
34548 @item @var{XX}@dots{}
34549 Where @samp{@var{XX}@dots{}} is a hex encoding of @sc{ascii} data,
34550 comprising the printable string containing the extra information about
34551 the thread's attributes.
34552 @end table
34553
34554 (Note that the @code{qThreadExtraInfo} packet's name is separated from
34555 the command by a @samp{,}, not a @samp{:}, contrary to the naming
34556 conventions above. Please don't use this packet as a model for new
34557 packets.)
34558
34559 @item QTSave
34560 @item qTsP
34561 @item qTsV
34562 @itemx QTStart
34563 @itemx QTStop
34564 @itemx QTEnable
34565 @itemx QTDisable
34566 @itemx QTinit
34567 @itemx QTro
34568 @itemx qTStatus
34569 @itemx qTV
34570 @itemx qTfSTM
34571 @itemx qTsSTM
34572 @itemx qTSTMat
34573 @xref{Tracepoint Packets}.
34574
34575 @item qXfer:@var{object}:read:@var{annex}:@var{offset},@var{length}
34576 @cindex read special object, remote request
34577 @cindex @samp{qXfer} packet
34578 @anchor{qXfer read}
34579 Read uninterpreted bytes from the target's special data area
34580 identified by the keyword @var{object}. Request @var{length} bytes
34581 starting at @var{offset} bytes into the data. The content and
34582 encoding of @var{annex} is specific to @var{object}; it can supply
34583 additional details about what data to access.
34584
34585 Here are the specific requests of this form defined so far. All
34586 @samp{qXfer:@var{object}:read:@dots{}} requests use the same reply
34587 formats, listed below.
34588
34589 @table @samp
34590 @item qXfer:auxv:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
34591 @anchor{qXfer auxiliary vector read}
34592 Access the target's @dfn{auxiliary vector}. @xref{OS Information,
34593 auxiliary vector}. Note @var{annex} must be empty.
34594
34595 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
34596 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
34597
34598 @item qXfer:features:read:@var{annex}:@var{offset},@var{length}
34599 @anchor{qXfer target description read}
34600 Access the @dfn{target description}. @xref{Target Descriptions}. The
34601 annex specifies which XML document to access. The main description is
34602 always loaded from the @samp{target.xml} annex.
34603
34604 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
34605 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
34606
34607 @item qXfer:libraries:read:@var{annex}:@var{offset},@var{length}
34608 @anchor{qXfer library list read}
34609 Access the target's list of loaded libraries. @xref{Library List Format}.
34610 The annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must be empty
34611 (@pxref{qXfer read}).
34612
34613 Targets which maintain a list of libraries in the program's memory do
34614 not need to implement this packet; it is designed for platforms where
34615 the operating system manages the list of loaded libraries.
34616
34617 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
34618 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
34619
34620 @item qXfer:memory-map:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
34621 @anchor{qXfer memory map read}
34622 Access the target's @dfn{memory-map}. @xref{Memory Map Format}. The
34623 annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must be empty
34624 (@pxref{qXfer read}).
34625
34626 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
34627 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
34628
34629 @item qXfer:sdata:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
34630 @anchor{qXfer sdata read}
34631
34632 Read contents of the extra collected static tracepoint marker
34633 information. The annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must
34634 be empty (@pxref{qXfer read}). @xref{Tracepoint Actions,,Tracepoint
34635 Action Lists}.
34636
34637 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
34638 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response
34639 (@pxref{qSupported}).
34640
34641 @item qXfer:siginfo:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
34642 @anchor{qXfer siginfo read}
34643 Read contents of the extra signal information on the target
34644 system. The annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must be
34645 empty (@pxref{qXfer read}).
34646
34647 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
34648 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response
34649 (@pxref{qSupported}).
34650
34651 @item qXfer:spu:read:@var{annex}:@var{offset},@var{length}
34652 @anchor{qXfer spu read}
34653 Read contents of an @code{spufs} file on the target system. The
34654 annex specifies which file to read; it must be of the form
34655 @file{@var{id}/@var{name}}, where @var{id} specifies an SPU context ID
34656 in the target process, and @var{name} identifes the @code{spufs} file
34657 in that context to be accessed.
34658
34659 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
34660 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response
34661 (@pxref{qSupported}).
34662
34663 @item qXfer:threads:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
34664 @anchor{qXfer threads read}
34665 Access the list of threads on target. @xref{Thread List Format}. The
34666 annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must be empty
34667 (@pxref{qXfer read}).
34668
34669 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
34670 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
34671
34672 @item qXfer:traceframe-info:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
34673 @anchor{qXfer traceframe info read}
34674
34675 Return a description of the current traceframe's contents.
34676 @xref{Traceframe Info Format}. The annex part of the generic
34677 @samp{qXfer} packet must be empty (@pxref{qXfer read}).
34678
34679 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
34680 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
34681
34682 @item qXfer:fdpic:read:@var{annex}:@var{offset},@var{length}
34683 @anchor{qXfer fdpic loadmap read}
34684 Read contents of @code{loadmap}s on the target system. The
34685 annex, either @samp{exec} or @samp{interp}, specifies which @code{loadmap},
34686 executable @code{loadmap} or interpreter @code{loadmap} to read.
34687
34688 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
34689 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
34690
34691 @item qXfer:osdata:read::@var{offset},@var{length}
34692 @anchor{qXfer osdata read}
34693 Access the target's @dfn{operating system information}.
34694 @xref{Operating System Information}.
34695
34696 @end table
34697
34698 Reply:
34699 @table @samp
34700 @item m @var{data}
34701 Data @var{data} (@pxref{Binary Data}) has been read from the
34702 target. There may be more data at a higher address (although
34703 it is permitted to return @samp{m} even for the last valid
34704 block of data, as long as at least one byte of data was read).
34705 @var{data} may have fewer bytes than the @var{length} in the
34706 request.
34707
34708 @item l @var{data}
34709 Data @var{data} (@pxref{Binary Data}) has been read from the target.
34710 There is no more data to be read. @var{data} may have fewer bytes
34711 than the @var{length} in the request.
34712
34713 @item l
34714 The @var{offset} in the request is at the end of the data.
34715 There is no more data to be read.
34716
34717 @item E00
34718 The request was malformed, or @var{annex} was invalid.
34719
34720 @item E @var{nn}
34721 The offset was invalid, or there was an error encountered reading the data.
34722 @var{nn} is a hex-encoded @code{errno} value.
34723
34724 @item
34725 An empty reply indicates the @var{object} string was not recognized by
34726 the stub, or that the object does not support reading.
34727 @end table
34728
34729 @item qXfer:@var{object}:write:@var{annex}:@var{offset}:@var{data}@dots{}
34730 @cindex write data into object, remote request
34731 @anchor{qXfer write}
34732 Write uninterpreted bytes into the target's special data area
34733 identified by the keyword @var{object}, starting at @var{offset} bytes
34734 into the data. @var{data}@dots{} is the binary-encoded data
34735 (@pxref{Binary Data}) to be written. The content and encoding of @var{annex}
34736 is specific to @var{object}; it can supply additional details about what data
34737 to access.
34738
34739 Here are the specific requests of this form defined so far. All
34740 @samp{qXfer:@var{object}:write:@dots{}} requests use the same reply
34741 formats, listed below.
34742
34743 @table @samp
34744 @item qXfer:siginfo:write::@var{offset}:@var{data}@dots{}
34745 @anchor{qXfer siginfo write}
34746 Write @var{data} to the extra signal information on the target system.
34747 The annex part of the generic @samp{qXfer} packet must be
34748 empty (@pxref{qXfer write}).
34749
34750 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
34751 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response
34752 (@pxref{qSupported}).
34753
34754 @item qXfer:spu:write:@var{annex}:@var{offset}:@var{data}@dots{}
34755 @anchor{qXfer spu write}
34756 Write @var{data} to an @code{spufs} file on the target system. The
34757 annex specifies which file to write; it must be of the form
34758 @file{@var{id}/@var{name}}, where @var{id} specifies an SPU context ID
34759 in the target process, and @var{name} identifes the @code{spufs} file
34760 in that context to be accessed.
34761
34762 This packet is not probed by default; the remote stub must request it,
34763 by supplying an appropriate @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
34764 @end table
34765
34766 Reply:
34767 @table @samp
34768 @item @var{nn}
34769 @var{nn} (hex encoded) is the number of bytes written.
34770 This may be fewer bytes than supplied in the request.
34771
34772 @item E00
34773 The request was malformed, or @var{annex} was invalid.
34774
34775 @item E @var{nn}
34776 The offset was invalid, or there was an error encountered writing the data.
34777 @var{nn} is a hex-encoded @code{errno} value.
34778
34779 @item
34780 An empty reply indicates the @var{object} string was not
34781 recognized by the stub, or that the object does not support writing.
34782 @end table
34783
34784 @item qXfer:@var{object}:@var{operation}:@dots{}
34785 Requests of this form may be added in the future. When a stub does
34786 not recognize the @var{object} keyword, or its support for
34787 @var{object} does not recognize the @var{operation} keyword, the stub
34788 must respond with an empty packet.
34789
34790 @item qAttached:@var{pid}
34791 @cindex query attached, remote request
34792 @cindex @samp{qAttached} packet
34793 Return an indication of whether the remote server attached to an
34794 existing process or created a new process. When the multiprocess
34795 protocol extensions are supported (@pxref{multiprocess extensions}),
34796 @var{pid} is an integer in hexadecimal format identifying the target
34797 process. Otherwise, @value{GDBN} will omit the @var{pid} field and
34798 the query packet will be simplified as @samp{qAttached}.
34799
34800 This query is used, for example, to know whether the remote process
34801 should be detached or killed when a @value{GDBN} session is ended with
34802 the @code{quit} command.
34803
34804 Reply:
34805 @table @samp
34806 @item 1
34807 The remote server attached to an existing process.
34808 @item 0
34809 The remote server created a new process.
34810 @item E @var{NN}
34811 A badly formed request or an error was encountered.
34812 @end table
34813
34814 @end table
34815
34816 @node Architecture-Specific Protocol Details
34817 @section Architecture-Specific Protocol Details
34818
34819 This section describes how the remote protocol is applied to specific
34820 target architectures. Also see @ref{Standard Target Features}, for
34821 details of XML target descriptions for each architecture.
34822
34823 @subsection ARM
34824
34825 @subsubsection Breakpoint Kinds
34826
34827 These breakpoint kinds are defined for the @samp{Z0} and @samp{Z1} packets.
34828
34829 @table @r
34830
34831 @item 2
34832 16-bit Thumb mode breakpoint.
34833
34834 @item 3
34835 32-bit Thumb mode (Thumb-2) breakpoint.
34836
34837 @item 4
34838 32-bit ARM mode breakpoint.
34839
34840 @end table
34841
34842 @subsection MIPS
34843
34844 @subsubsection Register Packet Format
34845
34846 The following @code{g}/@code{G} packets have previously been defined.
34847 In the below, some thirty-two bit registers are transferred as
34848 sixty-four bits. Those registers should be zero/sign extended (which?)
34849 to fill the space allocated. Register bytes are transferred in target
34850 byte order. The two nibbles within a register byte are transferred
34851 most-significant - least-significant.
34852
34853 @table @r
34854
34855 @item MIPS32
34856
34857 All registers are transferred as thirty-two bit quantities in the order:
34858 32 general-purpose; sr; lo; hi; bad; cause; pc; 32 floating-point
34859 registers; fsr; fir; fp.
34860
34861 @item MIPS64
34862
34863 All registers are transferred as sixty-four bit quantities (including
34864 thirty-two bit registers such as @code{sr}). The ordering is the same
34865 as @code{MIPS32}.
34866
34867 @end table
34868
34869 @node Tracepoint Packets
34870 @section Tracepoint Packets
34871 @cindex tracepoint packets
34872 @cindex packets, tracepoint
34873
34874 Here we describe the packets @value{GDBN} uses to implement
34875 tracepoints (@pxref{Tracepoints}).
34876
34877 @table @samp
34878
34879 @item QTDP:@var{n}:@var{addr}:@var{ena}:@var{step}:@var{pass}[:F@var{flen}][:X@var{len},@var{bytes}]@r{[}-@r{]}
34880 Create a new tracepoint, number @var{n}, at @var{addr}. If @var{ena}
34881 is @samp{E}, then the tracepoint is enabled; if it is @samp{D}, then
34882 the tracepoint is disabled. @var{step} is the tracepoint's step
34883 count, and @var{pass} is its pass count. If an @samp{F} is present,
34884 then the tracepoint is to be a fast tracepoint, and the @var{flen} is
34885 the number of bytes that the target should copy elsewhere to make room
34886 for the tracepoint. If an @samp{X} is present, it introduces a
34887 tracepoint condition, which consists of a hexadecimal length, followed
34888 by a comma and hex-encoded bytes, in a manner similar to action
34889 encodings as described below. If the trailing @samp{-} is present,
34890 further @samp{QTDP} packets will follow to specify this tracepoint's
34891 actions.
34892
34893 Replies:
34894 @table @samp
34895 @item OK
34896 The packet was understood and carried out.
34897 @item qRelocInsn
34898 @xref{Tracepoint Packets,,Relocate instruction reply packet}.
34899 @item
34900 The packet was not recognized.
34901 @end table
34902
34903 @item QTDP:-@var{n}:@var{addr}:@r{[}S@r{]}@var{action}@dots{}@r{[}-@r{]}
34904 Define actions to be taken when a tracepoint is hit. @var{n} and
34905 @var{addr} must be the same as in the initial @samp{QTDP} packet for
34906 this tracepoint. This packet may only be sent immediately after
34907 another @samp{QTDP} packet that ended with a @samp{-}. If the
34908 trailing @samp{-} is present, further @samp{QTDP} packets will follow,
34909 specifying more actions for this tracepoint.
34910
34911 In the series of action packets for a given tracepoint, at most one
34912 can have an @samp{S} before its first @var{action}. If such a packet
34913 is sent, it and the following packets define ``while-stepping''
34914 actions. Any prior packets define ordinary actions --- that is, those
34915 taken when the tracepoint is first hit. If no action packet has an
34916 @samp{S}, then all the packets in the series specify ordinary
34917 tracepoint actions.
34918
34919 The @samp{@var{action}@dots{}} portion of the packet is a series of
34920 actions, concatenated without separators. Each action has one of the
34921 following forms:
34922
34923 @table @samp
34924
34925 @item R @var{mask}
34926 Collect the registers whose bits are set in @var{mask}. @var{mask} is
34927 a hexadecimal number whose @var{i}'th bit is set if register number
34928 @var{i} should be collected. (The least significant bit is numbered
34929 zero.) Note that @var{mask} may be any number of digits long; it may
34930 not fit in a 32-bit word.
34931
34932 @item M @var{basereg},@var{offset},@var{len}
34933 Collect @var{len} bytes of memory starting at the address in register
34934 number @var{basereg}, plus @var{offset}. If @var{basereg} is
34935 @samp{-1}, then the range has a fixed address: @var{offset} is the
34936 address of the lowest byte to collect. The @var{basereg},
34937 @var{offset}, and @var{len} parameters are all unsigned hexadecimal
34938 values (the @samp{-1} value for @var{basereg} is a special case).
34939
34940 @item X @var{len},@var{expr}
34941 Evaluate @var{expr}, whose length is @var{len}, and collect memory as
34942 it directs. @var{expr} is an agent expression, as described in
34943 @ref{Agent Expressions}. Each byte of the expression is encoded as a
34944 two-digit hex number in the packet; @var{len} is the number of bytes
34945 in the expression (and thus one-half the number of hex digits in the
34946 packet).
34947
34948 @end table
34949
34950 Any number of actions may be packed together in a single @samp{QTDP}
34951 packet, as long as the packet does not exceed the maximum packet
34952 length (400 bytes, for many stubs). There may be only one @samp{R}
34953 action per tracepoint, and it must precede any @samp{M} or @samp{X}
34954 actions. Any registers referred to by @samp{M} and @samp{X} actions
34955 must be collected by a preceding @samp{R} action. (The
34956 ``while-stepping'' actions are treated as if they were attached to a
34957 separate tracepoint, as far as these restrictions are concerned.)
34958
34959 Replies:
34960 @table @samp
34961 @item OK
34962 The packet was understood and carried out.
34963 @item qRelocInsn
34964 @xref{Tracepoint Packets,,Relocate instruction reply packet}.
34965 @item
34966 The packet was not recognized.
34967 @end table
34968
34969 @item QTDPsrc:@var{n}:@var{addr}:@var{type}:@var{start}:@var{slen}:@var{bytes}
34970 @cindex @samp{QTDPsrc} packet
34971 Specify a source string of tracepoint @var{n} at address @var{addr}.
34972 This is useful to get accurate reproduction of the tracepoints
34973 originally downloaded at the beginning of the trace run. @var{type}
34974 is the name of the tracepoint part, such as @samp{cond} for the
34975 tracepoint's conditional expression (see below for a list of types), while
34976 @var{bytes} is the string, encoded in hexadecimal.
34977
34978 @var{start} is the offset of the @var{bytes} within the overall source
34979 string, while @var{slen} is the total length of the source string.
34980 This is intended for handling source strings that are longer than will
34981 fit in a single packet.
34982 @c Add detailed example when this info is moved into a dedicated
34983 @c tracepoint descriptions section.
34984
34985 The available string types are @samp{at} for the location,
34986 @samp{cond} for the conditional, and @samp{cmd} for an action command.
34987 @value{GDBN} sends a separate packet for each command in the action
34988 list, in the same order in which the commands are stored in the list.
34989
34990 The target does not need to do anything with source strings except
34991 report them back as part of the replies to the @samp{qTfP}/@samp{qTsP}
34992 query packets.
34993
34994 Although this packet is optional, and @value{GDBN} will only send it
34995 if the target replies with @samp{TracepointSource} @xref{General
34996 Query Packets}, it makes both disconnected tracing and trace files
34997 much easier to use. Otherwise the user must be careful that the
34998 tracepoints in effect while looking at trace frames are identical to
34999 the ones in effect during the trace run; even a small discrepancy
35000 could cause @samp{tdump} not to work, or a particular trace frame not
35001 be found.
35002
35003 @item QTDV:@var{n}:@var{value}
35004 @cindex define trace state variable, remote request
35005 @cindex @samp{QTDV} packet
35006 Create a new trace state variable, number @var{n}, with an initial
35007 value of @var{value}, which is a 64-bit signed integer. Both @var{n}
35008 and @var{value} are encoded as hexadecimal values. @value{GDBN} has
35009 the option of not using this packet for initial values of zero; the
35010 target should simply create the trace state variables as they are
35011 mentioned in expressions.
35012
35013 @item QTFrame:@var{n}
35014 Select the @var{n}'th tracepoint frame from the buffer, and use the
35015 register and memory contents recorded there to answer subsequent
35016 request packets from @value{GDBN}.
35017
35018 A successful reply from the stub indicates that the stub has found the
35019 requested frame. The response is a series of parts, concatenated
35020 without separators, describing the frame we selected. Each part has
35021 one of the following forms:
35022
35023 @table @samp
35024 @item F @var{f}
35025 The selected frame is number @var{n} in the trace frame buffer;
35026 @var{f} is a hexadecimal number. If @var{f} is @samp{-1}, then there
35027 was no frame matching the criteria in the request packet.
35028
35029 @item T @var{t}
35030 The selected trace frame records a hit of tracepoint number @var{t};
35031 @var{t} is a hexadecimal number.
35032
35033 @end table
35034
35035 @item QTFrame:pc:@var{addr}
35036 Like @samp{QTFrame:@var{n}}, but select the first tracepoint frame after the
35037 currently selected frame whose PC is @var{addr};
35038 @var{addr} is a hexadecimal number.
35039
35040 @item QTFrame:tdp:@var{t}
35041 Like @samp{QTFrame:@var{n}}, but select the first tracepoint frame after the
35042 currently selected frame that is a hit of tracepoint @var{t}; @var{t}
35043 is a hexadecimal number.
35044
35045 @item QTFrame:range:@var{start}:@var{end}
35046 Like @samp{QTFrame:@var{n}}, but select the first tracepoint frame after the
35047 currently selected frame whose PC is between @var{start} (inclusive)
35048 and @var{end} (inclusive); @var{start} and @var{end} are hexadecimal
35049 numbers.
35050
35051 @item QTFrame:outside:@var{start}:@var{end}
35052 Like @samp{QTFrame:range:@var{start}:@var{end}}, but select the first
35053 frame @emph{outside} the given range of addresses (exclusive).
35054
35055 @item QTStart
35056 Begin the tracepoint experiment. Begin collecting data from
35057 tracepoint hits in the trace frame buffer. This packet supports the
35058 @samp{qRelocInsn} reply (@pxref{Tracepoint Packets,,Relocate
35059 instruction reply packet}).
35060
35061 @item QTStop
35062 End the tracepoint experiment. Stop collecting trace frames.
35063
35064 @item QTEnable:@var{n}:@var{addr}
35065 @anchor{QTEnable}
35066 Enable tracepoint @var{n} at address @var{addr} in a started tracepoint
35067 experiment. If the tracepoint was previously disabled, then collection
35068 of data from it will resume.
35069
35070 @item QTDisable:@var{n}:@var{addr}
35071 @anchor{QTDisable}
35072 Disable tracepoint @var{n} at address @var{addr} in a started tracepoint
35073 experiment. No more data will be collected from the tracepoint unless
35074 @samp{QTEnable:@var{n}:@var{addr}} is subsequently issued.
35075
35076 @item QTinit
35077 Clear the table of tracepoints, and empty the trace frame buffer.
35078
35079 @item QTro:@var{start1},@var{end1}:@var{start2},@var{end2}:@dots{}
35080 Establish the given ranges of memory as ``transparent''. The stub
35081 will answer requests for these ranges from memory's current contents,
35082 if they were not collected as part of the tracepoint hit.
35083
35084 @value{GDBN} uses this to mark read-only regions of memory, like those
35085 containing program code. Since these areas never change, they should
35086 still have the same contents they did when the tracepoint was hit, so
35087 there's no reason for the stub to refuse to provide their contents.
35088
35089 @item QTDisconnected:@var{value}
35090 Set the choice to what to do with the tracing run when @value{GDBN}
35091 disconnects from the target. A @var{value} of 1 directs the target to
35092 continue the tracing run, while 0 tells the target to stop tracing if
35093 @value{GDBN} is no longer in the picture.
35094
35095 @item qTStatus
35096 Ask the stub if there is a trace experiment running right now.
35097
35098 The reply has the form:
35099
35100 @table @samp
35101
35102 @item T@var{running}@r{[};@var{field}@r{]}@dots{}
35103 @var{running} is a single digit @code{1} if the trace is presently
35104 running, or @code{0} if not. It is followed by semicolon-separated
35105 optional fields that an agent may use to report additional status.
35106
35107 @end table
35108
35109 If the trace is not running, the agent may report any of several
35110 explanations as one of the optional fields:
35111
35112 @table @samp
35113
35114 @item tnotrun:0
35115 No trace has been run yet.
35116
35117 @item tstop:0
35118 The trace was stopped by a user-originated stop command.
35119
35120 @item tfull:0
35121 The trace stopped because the trace buffer filled up.
35122
35123 @item tdisconnected:0
35124 The trace stopped because @value{GDBN} disconnected from the target.
35125
35126 @item tpasscount:@var{tpnum}
35127 The trace stopped because tracepoint @var{tpnum} exceeded its pass count.
35128
35129 @item terror:@var{text}:@var{tpnum}
35130 The trace stopped because tracepoint @var{tpnum} had an error. The
35131 string @var{text} is available to describe the nature of the error
35132 (for instance, a divide by zero in the condition expression).
35133 @var{text} is hex encoded.
35134
35135 @item tunknown:0
35136 The trace stopped for some other reason.
35137
35138 @end table
35139
35140 Additional optional fields supply statistical and other information.
35141 Although not required, they are extremely useful for users monitoring
35142 the progress of a trace run. If a trace has stopped, and these
35143 numbers are reported, they must reflect the state of the just-stopped
35144 trace.
35145
35146 @table @samp
35147
35148 @item tframes:@var{n}
35149 The number of trace frames in the buffer.
35150
35151 @item tcreated:@var{n}
35152 The total number of trace frames created during the run. This may
35153 be larger than the trace frame count, if the buffer is circular.
35154
35155 @item tsize:@var{n}
35156 The total size of the trace buffer, in bytes.
35157
35158 @item tfree:@var{n}
35159 The number of bytes still unused in the buffer.
35160
35161 @item circular:@var{n}
35162 The value of the circular trace buffer flag. @code{1} means that the
35163 trace buffer is circular and old trace frames will be discarded if
35164 necessary to make room, @code{0} means that the trace buffer is linear
35165 and may fill up.
35166
35167 @item disconn:@var{n}
35168 The value of the disconnected tracing flag. @code{1} means that
35169 tracing will continue after @value{GDBN} disconnects, @code{0} means
35170 that the trace run will stop.
35171
35172 @end table
35173
35174 @item qTV:@var{var}
35175 @cindex trace state variable value, remote request
35176 @cindex @samp{qTV} packet
35177 Ask the stub for the value of the trace state variable number @var{var}.
35178
35179 Replies:
35180 @table @samp
35181 @item V@var{value}
35182 The value of the variable is @var{value}. This will be the current
35183 value of the variable if the user is examining a running target, or a
35184 saved value if the variable was collected in the trace frame that the
35185 user is looking at. Note that multiple requests may result in
35186 different reply values, such as when requesting values while the
35187 program is running.
35188
35189 @item U
35190 The value of the variable is unknown. This would occur, for example,
35191 if the user is examining a trace frame in which the requested variable
35192 was not collected.
35193 @end table
35194
35195 @item qTfP
35196 @itemx qTsP
35197 These packets request data about tracepoints that are being used by
35198 the target. @value{GDBN} sends @code{qTfP} to get the first piece
35199 of data, and multiple @code{qTsP} to get additional pieces. Replies
35200 to these packets generally take the form of the @code{QTDP} packets
35201 that define tracepoints. (FIXME add detailed syntax)
35202
35203 @item qTfV
35204 @itemx qTsV
35205 These packets request data about trace state variables that are on the
35206 target. @value{GDBN} sends @code{qTfV} to get the first vari of data,
35207 and multiple @code{qTsV} to get additional variables. Replies to
35208 these packets follow the syntax of the @code{QTDV} packets that define
35209 trace state variables.
35210
35211 @item qTfSTM
35212 @itemx qTsSTM
35213 These packets request data about static tracepoint markers that exist
35214 in the target program. @value{GDBN} sends @code{qTfSTM} to get the
35215 first piece of data, and multiple @code{qTsSTM} to get additional
35216 pieces. Replies to these packets take the following form:
35217
35218 Reply:
35219 @table @samp
35220 @item m @var{address}:@var{id}:@var{extra}
35221 A single marker
35222 @item m @var{address}:@var{id}:@var{extra},@var{address}:@var{id}:@var{extra}@dots{}
35223 a comma-separated list of markers
35224 @item l
35225 (lower case letter @samp{L}) denotes end of list.
35226 @item E @var{nn}
35227 An error occurred. @var{nn} are hex digits.
35228 @item
35229 An empty reply indicates that the request is not supported by the
35230 stub.
35231 @end table
35232
35233 @var{address} is encoded in hex.
35234 @var{id} and @var{extra} are strings encoded in hex.
35235
35236 In response to each query, the target will reply with a list of one or
35237 more markers, separated by commas. @value{GDBN} will respond to each
35238 reply with a request for more markers (using the @samp{qs} form of the
35239 query), until the target responds with @samp{l} (lower-case ell, for
35240 @dfn{last}).
35241
35242 @item qTSTMat:@var{address}
35243 This packets requests data about static tracepoint markers in the
35244 target program at @var{address}. Replies to this packet follow the
35245 syntax of the @samp{qTfSTM} and @code{qTsSTM} packets that list static
35246 tracepoint markers.
35247
35248 @item QTSave:@var{filename}
35249 This packet directs the target to save trace data to the file name
35250 @var{filename} in the target's filesystem. @var{filename} is encoded
35251 as a hex string; the interpretation of the file name (relative vs
35252 absolute, wild cards, etc) is up to the target.
35253
35254 @item qTBuffer:@var{offset},@var{len}
35255 Return up to @var{len} bytes of the current contents of trace buffer,
35256 starting at @var{offset}. The trace buffer is treated as if it were
35257 a contiguous collection of traceframes, as per the trace file format.
35258 The reply consists as many hex-encoded bytes as the target can deliver
35259 in a packet; it is not an error to return fewer than were asked for.
35260 A reply consisting of just @code{l} indicates that no bytes are
35261 available.
35262
35263 @item QTBuffer:circular:@var{value}
35264 This packet directs the target to use a circular trace buffer if
35265 @var{value} is 1, or a linear buffer if the value is 0.
35266
35267 @end table
35268
35269 @subsection Relocate instruction reply packet
35270 When installing fast tracepoints in memory, the target may need to
35271 relocate the instruction currently at the tracepoint address to a
35272 different address in memory. For most instructions, a simple copy is
35273 enough, but, for example, call instructions that implicitly push the
35274 return address on the stack, and relative branches or other
35275 PC-relative instructions require offset adjustment, so that the effect
35276 of executing the instruction at a different address is the same as if
35277 it had executed in the original location.
35278
35279 In response to several of the tracepoint packets, the target may also
35280 respond with a number of intermediate @samp{qRelocInsn} request
35281 packets before the final result packet, to have @value{GDBN} handle
35282 this relocation operation. If a packet supports this mechanism, its
35283 documentation will explicitly say so. See for example the above
35284 descriptions for the @samp{QTStart} and @samp{QTDP} packets. The
35285 format of the request is:
35286
35287 @table @samp
35288 @item qRelocInsn:@var{from};@var{to}
35289
35290 This requests @value{GDBN} to copy instruction at address @var{from}
35291 to address @var{to}, possibly adjusted so that executing the
35292 instruction at @var{to} has the same effect as executing it at
35293 @var{from}. @value{GDBN} writes the adjusted instruction to target
35294 memory starting at @var{to}.
35295 @end table
35296
35297 Replies:
35298 @table @samp
35299 @item qRelocInsn:@var{adjusted_size}
35300 Informs the stub the relocation is complete. @var{adjusted_size} is
35301 the length in bytes of resulting relocated instruction sequence.
35302 @item E @var{NN}
35303 A badly formed request was detected, or an error was encountered while
35304 relocating the instruction.
35305 @end table
35306
35307 @node Host I/O Packets
35308 @section Host I/O Packets
35309 @cindex Host I/O, remote protocol
35310 @cindex file transfer, remote protocol
35311
35312 The @dfn{Host I/O} packets allow @value{GDBN} to perform I/O
35313 operations on the far side of a remote link. For example, Host I/O is
35314 used to upload and download files to a remote target with its own
35315 filesystem. Host I/O uses the same constant values and data structure
35316 layout as the target-initiated File-I/O protocol. However, the
35317 Host I/O packets are structured differently. The target-initiated
35318 protocol relies on target memory to store parameters and buffers.
35319 Host I/O requests are initiated by @value{GDBN}, and the
35320 target's memory is not involved. @xref{File-I/O Remote Protocol
35321 Extension}, for more details on the target-initiated protocol.
35322
35323 The Host I/O request packets all encode a single operation along with
35324 its arguments. They have this format:
35325
35326 @table @samp
35327
35328 @item vFile:@var{operation}: @var{parameter}@dots{}
35329 @var{operation} is the name of the particular request; the target
35330 should compare the entire packet name up to the second colon when checking
35331 for a supported operation. The format of @var{parameter} depends on
35332 the operation. Numbers are always passed in hexadecimal. Negative
35333 numbers have an explicit minus sign (i.e.@: two's complement is not
35334 used). Strings (e.g.@: filenames) are encoded as a series of
35335 hexadecimal bytes. The last argument to a system call may be a
35336 buffer of escaped binary data (@pxref{Binary Data}).
35337
35338 @end table
35339
35340 The valid responses to Host I/O packets are:
35341
35342 @table @samp
35343
35344 @item F @var{result} [, @var{errno}] [; @var{attachment}]
35345 @var{result} is the integer value returned by this operation, usually
35346 non-negative for success and -1 for errors. If an error has occured,
35347 @var{errno} will be included in the result. @var{errno} will have a
35348 value defined by the File-I/O protocol (@pxref{Errno Values}). For
35349 operations which return data, @var{attachment} supplies the data as a
35350 binary buffer. Binary buffers in response packets are escaped in the
35351 normal way (@pxref{Binary Data}). See the individual packet
35352 documentation for the interpretation of @var{result} and
35353 @var{attachment}.
35354
35355 @item
35356 An empty response indicates that this operation is not recognized.
35357
35358 @end table
35359
35360 These are the supported Host I/O operations:
35361
35362 @table @samp
35363 @item vFile:open: @var{pathname}, @var{flags}, @var{mode}
35364 Open a file at @var{pathname} and return a file descriptor for it, or
35365 return -1 if an error occurs. @var{pathname} is a string,
35366 @var{flags} is an integer indicating a mask of open flags
35367 (@pxref{Open Flags}), and @var{mode} is an integer indicating a mask
35368 of mode bits to use if the file is created (@pxref{mode_t Values}).
35369 @xref{open}, for details of the open flags and mode values.
35370
35371 @item vFile:close: @var{fd}
35372 Close the open file corresponding to @var{fd} and return 0, or
35373 -1 if an error occurs.
35374
35375 @item vFile:pread: @var{fd}, @var{count}, @var{offset}
35376 Read data from the open file corresponding to @var{fd}. Up to
35377 @var{count} bytes will be read from the file, starting at @var{offset}
35378 relative to the start of the file. The target may read fewer bytes;
35379 common reasons include packet size limits and an end-of-file
35380 condition. The number of bytes read is returned. Zero should only be
35381 returned for a successful read at the end of the file, or if
35382 @var{count} was zero.
35383
35384 The data read should be returned as a binary attachment on success.
35385 If zero bytes were read, the response should include an empty binary
35386 attachment (i.e.@: a trailing semicolon). The return value is the
35387 number of target bytes read; the binary attachment may be longer if
35388 some characters were escaped.
35389
35390 @item vFile:pwrite: @var{fd}, @var{offset}, @var{data}
35391 Write @var{data} (a binary buffer) to the open file corresponding
35392 to @var{fd}. Start the write at @var{offset} from the start of the
35393 file. Unlike many @code{write} system calls, there is no
35394 separate @var{count} argument; the length of @var{data} in the
35395 packet is used. @samp{vFile:write} returns the number of bytes written,
35396 which may be shorter than the length of @var{data}, or -1 if an
35397 error occurred.
35398
35399 @item vFile:unlink: @var{pathname}
35400 Delete the file at @var{pathname} on the target. Return 0,
35401 or -1 if an error occurs. @var{pathname} is a string.
35402
35403 @end table
35404
35405 @node Interrupts
35406 @section Interrupts
35407 @cindex interrupts (remote protocol)
35408
35409 When a program on the remote target is running, @value{GDBN} may
35410 attempt to interrupt it by sending a @samp{Ctrl-C}, @code{BREAK} or
35411 a @code{BREAK} followed by @code{g},
35412 control of which is specified via @value{GDBN}'s @samp{interrupt-sequence}.
35413
35414 The precise meaning of @code{BREAK} is defined by the transport
35415 mechanism and may, in fact, be undefined. @value{GDBN} does not
35416 currently define a @code{BREAK} mechanism for any of the network
35417 interfaces except for TCP, in which case @value{GDBN} sends the
35418 @code{telnet} BREAK sequence.
35419
35420 @samp{Ctrl-C}, on the other hand, is defined and implemented for all
35421 transport mechanisms. It is represented by sending the single byte
35422 @code{0x03} without any of the usual packet overhead described in
35423 the Overview section (@pxref{Overview}). When a @code{0x03} byte is
35424 transmitted as part of a packet, it is considered to be packet data
35425 and does @emph{not} represent an interrupt. E.g., an @samp{X} packet
35426 (@pxref{X packet}), used for binary downloads, may include an unescaped
35427 @code{0x03} as part of its packet.
35428
35429 @code{BREAK} followed by @code{g} is also known as Magic SysRq g.
35430 When Linux kernel receives this sequence from serial port,
35431 it stops execution and connects to gdb.
35432
35433 Stubs are not required to recognize these interrupt mechanisms and the
35434 precise meaning associated with receipt of the interrupt is
35435 implementation defined. If the target supports debugging of multiple
35436 threads and/or processes, it should attempt to interrupt all
35437 currently-executing threads and processes.
35438 If the stub is successful at interrupting the
35439 running program, it should send one of the stop
35440 reply packets (@pxref{Stop Reply Packets}) to @value{GDBN} as a result
35441 of successfully stopping the program in all-stop mode, and a stop reply
35442 for each stopped thread in non-stop mode.
35443 Interrupts received while the
35444 program is stopped are discarded.
35445
35446 @node Notification Packets
35447 @section Notification Packets
35448 @cindex notification packets
35449 @cindex packets, notification
35450
35451 The @value{GDBN} remote serial protocol includes @dfn{notifications},
35452 packets that require no acknowledgment. Both the GDB and the stub
35453 may send notifications (although the only notifications defined at
35454 present are sent by the stub). Notifications carry information
35455 without incurring the round-trip latency of an acknowledgment, and so
35456 are useful for low-impact communications where occasional packet loss
35457 is not a problem.
35458
35459 A notification packet has the form @samp{% @var{data} #
35460 @var{checksum}}, where @var{data} is the content of the notification,
35461 and @var{checksum} is a checksum of @var{data}, computed and formatted
35462 as for ordinary @value{GDBN} packets. A notification's @var{data}
35463 never contains @samp{$}, @samp{%} or @samp{#} characters. Upon
35464 receiving a notification, the recipient sends no @samp{+} or @samp{-}
35465 to acknowledge the notification's receipt or to report its corruption.
35466
35467 Every notification's @var{data} begins with a name, which contains no
35468 colon characters, followed by a colon character.
35469
35470 Recipients should silently ignore corrupted notifications and
35471 notifications they do not understand. Recipients should restart
35472 timeout periods on receipt of a well-formed notification, whether or
35473 not they understand it.
35474
35475 Senders should only send the notifications described here when this
35476 protocol description specifies that they are permitted. In the
35477 future, we may extend the protocol to permit existing notifications in
35478 new contexts; this rule helps older senders avoid confusing newer
35479 recipients.
35480
35481 (Older versions of @value{GDBN} ignore bytes received until they see
35482 the @samp{$} byte that begins an ordinary packet, so new stubs may
35483 transmit notifications without fear of confusing older clients. There
35484 are no notifications defined for @value{GDBN} to send at the moment, but we
35485 assume that most older stubs would ignore them, as well.)
35486
35487 The following notification packets from the stub to @value{GDBN} are
35488 defined:
35489
35490 @table @samp
35491 @item Stop: @var{reply}
35492 Report an asynchronous stop event in non-stop mode.
35493 The @var{reply} has the form of a stop reply, as
35494 described in @ref{Stop Reply Packets}. Refer to @ref{Remote Non-Stop},
35495 for information on how these notifications are acknowledged by
35496 @value{GDBN}.
35497 @end table
35498
35499 @node Remote Non-Stop
35500 @section Remote Protocol Support for Non-Stop Mode
35501
35502 @value{GDBN}'s remote protocol supports non-stop debugging of
35503 multi-threaded programs, as described in @ref{Non-Stop Mode}. If the stub
35504 supports non-stop mode, it should report that to @value{GDBN} by including
35505 @samp{QNonStop+} in its @samp{qSupported} response (@pxref{qSupported}).
35506
35507 @value{GDBN} typically sends a @samp{QNonStop} packet only when
35508 establishing a new connection with the stub. Entering non-stop mode
35509 does not alter the state of any currently-running threads, but targets
35510 must stop all threads in any already-attached processes when entering
35511 all-stop mode. @value{GDBN} uses the @samp{?} packet as necessary to
35512 probe the target state after a mode change.
35513
35514 In non-stop mode, when an attached process encounters an event that
35515 would otherwise be reported with a stop reply, it uses the
35516 asynchronous notification mechanism (@pxref{Notification Packets}) to
35517 inform @value{GDBN}. In contrast to all-stop mode, where all threads
35518 in all processes are stopped when a stop reply is sent, in non-stop
35519 mode only the thread reporting the stop event is stopped. That is,
35520 when reporting a @samp{S} or @samp{T} response to indicate completion
35521 of a step operation, hitting a breakpoint, or a fault, only the
35522 affected thread is stopped; any other still-running threads continue
35523 to run. When reporting a @samp{W} or @samp{X} response, all running
35524 threads belonging to other attached processes continue to run.
35525
35526 Only one stop reply notification at a time may be pending; if
35527 additional stop events occur before @value{GDBN} has acknowledged the
35528 previous notification, they must be queued by the stub for later
35529 synchronous transmission in response to @samp{vStopped} packets from
35530 @value{GDBN}. Because the notification mechanism is unreliable,
35531 the stub is permitted to resend a stop reply notification
35532 if it believes @value{GDBN} may not have received it. @value{GDBN}
35533 ignores additional stop reply notifications received before it has
35534 finished processing a previous notification and the stub has completed
35535 sending any queued stop events.
35536
35537 Otherwise, @value{GDBN} must be prepared to receive a stop reply
35538 notification at any time. Specifically, they may appear when
35539 @value{GDBN} is not otherwise reading input from the stub, or when
35540 @value{GDBN} is expecting to read a normal synchronous response or a
35541 @samp{+}/@samp{-} acknowledgment to a packet it has sent.
35542 Notification packets are distinct from any other communication from
35543 the stub so there is no ambiguity.
35544
35545 After receiving a stop reply notification, @value{GDBN} shall
35546 acknowledge it by sending a @samp{vStopped} packet (@pxref{vStopped packet})
35547 as a regular, synchronous request to the stub. Such acknowledgment
35548 is not required to happen immediately, as @value{GDBN} is permitted to
35549 send other, unrelated packets to the stub first, which the stub should
35550 process normally.
35551
35552 Upon receiving a @samp{vStopped} packet, if the stub has other queued
35553 stop events to report to @value{GDBN}, it shall respond by sending a
35554 normal stop reply response. @value{GDBN} shall then send another
35555 @samp{vStopped} packet to solicit further responses; again, it is
35556 permitted to send other, unrelated packets as well which the stub
35557 should process normally.
35558
35559 If the stub receives a @samp{vStopped} packet and there are no
35560 additional stop events to report, the stub shall return an @samp{OK}
35561 response. At this point, if further stop events occur, the stub shall
35562 send a new stop reply notification, @value{GDBN} shall accept the
35563 notification, and the process shall be repeated.
35564
35565 In non-stop mode, the target shall respond to the @samp{?} packet as
35566 follows. First, any incomplete stop reply notification/@samp{vStopped}
35567 sequence in progress is abandoned. The target must begin a new
35568 sequence reporting stop events for all stopped threads, whether or not
35569 it has previously reported those events to @value{GDBN}. The first
35570 stop reply is sent as a synchronous reply to the @samp{?} packet, and
35571 subsequent stop replies are sent as responses to @samp{vStopped} packets
35572 using the mechanism described above. The target must not send
35573 asynchronous stop reply notifications until the sequence is complete.
35574 If all threads are running when the target receives the @samp{?} packet,
35575 or if the target is not attached to any process, it shall respond
35576 @samp{OK}.
35577
35578 @node Packet Acknowledgment
35579 @section Packet Acknowledgment
35580
35581 @cindex acknowledgment, for @value{GDBN} remote
35582 @cindex packet acknowledgment, for @value{GDBN} remote
35583 By default, when either the host or the target machine receives a packet,
35584 the first response expected is an acknowledgment: either @samp{+} (to indicate
35585 the package was received correctly) or @samp{-} (to request retransmission).
35586 This mechanism allows the @value{GDBN} remote protocol to operate over
35587 unreliable transport mechanisms, such as a serial line.
35588
35589 In cases where the transport mechanism is itself reliable (such as a pipe or
35590 TCP connection), the @samp{+}/@samp{-} acknowledgments are redundant.
35591 It may be desirable to disable them in that case to reduce communication
35592 overhead, or for other reasons. This can be accomplished by means of the
35593 @samp{QStartNoAckMode} packet; @pxref{QStartNoAckMode}.
35594
35595 When in no-acknowledgment mode, neither the stub nor @value{GDBN} shall send or
35596 expect @samp{+}/@samp{-} protocol acknowledgments. The packet
35597 and response format still includes the normal checksum, as described in
35598 @ref{Overview}, but the checksum may be ignored by the receiver.
35599
35600 If the stub supports @samp{QStartNoAckMode} and prefers to operate in
35601 no-acknowledgment mode, it should report that to @value{GDBN}
35602 by including @samp{QStartNoAckMode+} in its response to @samp{qSupported};
35603 @pxref{qSupported}.
35604 If @value{GDBN} also supports @samp{QStartNoAckMode} and it has not been
35605 disabled via the @code{set remote noack-packet off} command
35606 (@pxref{Remote Configuration}),
35607 @value{GDBN} may then send a @samp{QStartNoAckMode} packet to the stub.
35608 Only then may the stub actually turn off packet acknowledgments.
35609 @value{GDBN} sends a final @samp{+} acknowledgment of the stub's @samp{OK}
35610 response, which can be safely ignored by the stub.
35611
35612 Note that @code{set remote noack-packet} command only affects negotiation
35613 between @value{GDBN} and the stub when subsequent connections are made;
35614 it does not affect the protocol acknowledgment state for any current
35615 connection.
35616 Since @samp{+}/@samp{-} acknowledgments are enabled by default when a
35617 new connection is established,
35618 there is also no protocol request to re-enable the acknowledgments
35619 for the current connection, once disabled.
35620
35621 @node Examples
35622 @section Examples
35623
35624 Example sequence of a target being re-started. Notice how the restart
35625 does not get any direct output:
35626
35627 @smallexample
35628 -> @code{R00}
35629 <- @code{+}
35630 @emph{target restarts}
35631 -> @code{?}
35632 <- @code{+}
35633 <- @code{T001:1234123412341234}
35634 -> @code{+}
35635 @end smallexample
35636
35637 Example sequence of a target being stepped by a single instruction:
35638
35639 @smallexample
35640 -> @code{G1445@dots{}}
35641 <- @code{+}
35642 -> @code{s}
35643 <- @code{+}
35644 @emph{time passes}
35645 <- @code{T001:1234123412341234}
35646 -> @code{+}
35647 -> @code{g}
35648 <- @code{+}
35649 <- @code{1455@dots{}}
35650 -> @code{+}
35651 @end smallexample
35652
35653 @node File-I/O Remote Protocol Extension
35654 @section File-I/O Remote Protocol Extension
35655 @cindex File-I/O remote protocol extension
35656
35657 @menu
35658 * File-I/O Overview::
35659 * Protocol Basics::
35660 * The F Request Packet::
35661 * The F Reply Packet::
35662 * The Ctrl-C Message::
35663 * Console I/O::
35664 * List of Supported Calls::
35665 * Protocol-specific Representation of Datatypes::
35666 * Constants::
35667 * File-I/O Examples::
35668 @end menu
35669
35670 @node File-I/O Overview
35671 @subsection File-I/O Overview
35672 @cindex file-i/o overview
35673
35674 The @dfn{File I/O remote protocol extension} (short: File-I/O) allows the
35675 target to use the host's file system and console I/O to perform various
35676 system calls. System calls on the target system are translated into a
35677 remote protocol packet to the host system, which then performs the needed
35678 actions and returns a response packet to the target system.
35679 This simulates file system operations even on targets that lack file systems.
35680
35681 The protocol is defined to be independent of both the host and target systems.
35682 It uses its own internal representation of datatypes and values. Both
35683 @value{GDBN} and the target's @value{GDBN} stub are responsible for
35684 translating the system-dependent value representations into the internal
35685 protocol representations when data is transmitted.
35686
35687 The communication is synchronous. A system call is possible only when
35688 @value{GDBN} is waiting for a response from the @samp{C}, @samp{c}, @samp{S}
35689 or @samp{s} packets. While @value{GDBN} handles the request for a system call,
35690 the target is stopped to allow deterministic access to the target's
35691 memory. Therefore File-I/O is not interruptible by target signals. On
35692 the other hand, it is possible to interrupt File-I/O by a user interrupt
35693 (@samp{Ctrl-C}) within @value{GDBN}.
35694
35695 The target's request to perform a host system call does not finish
35696 the latest @samp{C}, @samp{c}, @samp{S} or @samp{s} action. That means,
35697 after finishing the system call, the target returns to continuing the
35698 previous activity (continue, step). No additional continue or step
35699 request from @value{GDBN} is required.
35700
35701 @smallexample
35702 (@value{GDBP}) continue
35703 <- target requests 'system call X'
35704 target is stopped, @value{GDBN} executes system call
35705 -> @value{GDBN} returns result
35706 ... target continues, @value{GDBN} returns to wait for the target
35707 <- target hits breakpoint and sends a Txx packet
35708 @end smallexample
35709
35710 The protocol only supports I/O on the console and to regular files on
35711 the host file system. Character or block special devices, pipes,
35712 named pipes, sockets or any other communication method on the host
35713 system are not supported by this protocol.
35714
35715 File I/O is not supported in non-stop mode.
35716
35717 @node Protocol Basics
35718 @subsection Protocol Basics
35719 @cindex protocol basics, file-i/o
35720
35721 The File-I/O protocol uses the @code{F} packet as the request as well
35722 as reply packet. Since a File-I/O system call can only occur when
35723 @value{GDBN} is waiting for a response from the continuing or stepping target,
35724 the File-I/O request is a reply that @value{GDBN} has to expect as a result
35725 of a previous @samp{C}, @samp{c}, @samp{S} or @samp{s} packet.
35726 This @code{F} packet contains all information needed to allow @value{GDBN}
35727 to call the appropriate host system call:
35728
35729 @itemize @bullet
35730 @item
35731 A unique identifier for the requested system call.
35732
35733 @item
35734 All parameters to the system call. Pointers are given as addresses
35735 in the target memory address space. Pointers to strings are given as
35736 pointer/length pair. Numerical values are given as they are.
35737 Numerical control flags are given in a protocol-specific representation.
35738
35739 @end itemize
35740
35741 At this point, @value{GDBN} has to perform the following actions.
35742
35743 @itemize @bullet
35744 @item
35745 If the parameters include pointer values to data needed as input to a
35746 system call, @value{GDBN} requests this data from the target with a
35747 standard @code{m} packet request. This additional communication has to be
35748 expected by the target implementation and is handled as any other @code{m}
35749 packet.
35750
35751 @item
35752 @value{GDBN} translates all value from protocol representation to host
35753 representation as needed. Datatypes are coerced into the host types.
35754
35755 @item
35756 @value{GDBN} calls the system call.
35757
35758 @item
35759 It then coerces datatypes back to protocol representation.
35760
35761 @item
35762 If the system call is expected to return data in buffer space specified
35763 by pointer parameters to the call, the data is transmitted to the
35764 target using a @code{M} or @code{X} packet. This packet has to be expected
35765 by the target implementation and is handled as any other @code{M} or @code{X}
35766 packet.
35767
35768 @end itemize
35769
35770 Eventually @value{GDBN} replies with another @code{F} packet which contains all
35771 necessary information for the target to continue. This at least contains
35772
35773 @itemize @bullet
35774 @item
35775 Return value.
35776
35777 @item
35778 @code{errno}, if has been changed by the system call.
35779
35780 @item
35781 ``Ctrl-C'' flag.
35782
35783 @end itemize
35784
35785 After having done the needed type and value coercion, the target continues
35786 the latest continue or step action.
35787
35788 @node The F Request Packet
35789 @subsection The @code{F} Request Packet
35790 @cindex file-i/o request packet
35791 @cindex @code{F} request packet
35792
35793 The @code{F} request packet has the following format:
35794
35795 @table @samp
35796 @item F@var{call-id},@var{parameter@dots{}}
35797
35798 @var{call-id} is the identifier to indicate the host system call to be called.
35799 This is just the name of the function.
35800
35801 @var{parameter@dots{}} are the parameters to the system call.
35802 Parameters are hexadecimal integer values, either the actual values in case
35803 of scalar datatypes, pointers to target buffer space in case of compound
35804 datatypes and unspecified memory areas, or pointer/length pairs in case
35805 of string parameters. These are appended to the @var{call-id} as a
35806 comma-delimited list. All values are transmitted in ASCII
35807 string representation, pointer/length pairs separated by a slash.
35808
35809 @end table
35810
35811
35812
35813 @node The F Reply Packet
35814 @subsection The @code{F} Reply Packet
35815 @cindex file-i/o reply packet
35816 @cindex @code{F} reply packet
35817
35818 The @code{F} reply packet has the following format:
35819
35820 @table @samp
35821
35822 @item F@var{retcode},@var{errno},@var{Ctrl-C flag};@var{call-specific attachment}
35823
35824 @var{retcode} is the return code of the system call as hexadecimal value.
35825
35826 @var{errno} is the @code{errno} set by the call, in protocol-specific
35827 representation.
35828 This parameter can be omitted if the call was successful.
35829
35830 @var{Ctrl-C flag} is only sent if the user requested a break. In this
35831 case, @var{errno} must be sent as well, even if the call was successful.
35832 The @var{Ctrl-C flag} itself consists of the character @samp{C}:
35833
35834 @smallexample
35835 F0,0,C
35836 @end smallexample
35837
35838 @noindent
35839 or, if the call was interrupted before the host call has been performed:
35840
35841 @smallexample
35842 F-1,4,C
35843 @end smallexample
35844
35845 @noindent
35846 assuming 4 is the protocol-specific representation of @code{EINTR}.
35847
35848 @end table
35849
35850
35851 @node The Ctrl-C Message
35852 @subsection The @samp{Ctrl-C} Message
35853 @cindex ctrl-c message, in file-i/o protocol
35854
35855 If the @samp{Ctrl-C} flag is set in the @value{GDBN}
35856 reply packet (@pxref{The F Reply Packet}),
35857 the target should behave as if it had
35858 gotten a break message. The meaning for the target is ``system call
35859 interrupted by @code{SIGINT}''. Consequentially, the target should actually stop
35860 (as with a break message) and return to @value{GDBN} with a @code{T02}
35861 packet.
35862
35863 It's important for the target to know in which
35864 state the system call was interrupted. There are two possible cases:
35865
35866 @itemize @bullet
35867 @item
35868 The system call hasn't been performed on the host yet.
35869
35870 @item
35871 The system call on the host has been finished.
35872
35873 @end itemize
35874
35875 These two states can be distinguished by the target by the value of the
35876 returned @code{errno}. If it's the protocol representation of @code{EINTR}, the system
35877 call hasn't been performed. This is equivalent to the @code{EINTR} handling
35878 on POSIX systems. In any other case, the target may presume that the
35879 system call has been finished --- successfully or not --- and should behave
35880 as if the break message arrived right after the system call.
35881
35882 @value{GDBN} must behave reliably. If the system call has not been called
35883 yet, @value{GDBN} may send the @code{F} reply immediately, setting @code{EINTR} as
35884 @code{errno} in the packet. If the system call on the host has been finished
35885 before the user requests a break, the full action must be finished by
35886 @value{GDBN}. This requires sending @code{M} or @code{X} packets as necessary.
35887 The @code{F} packet may only be sent when either nothing has happened
35888 or the full action has been completed.
35889
35890 @node Console I/O
35891 @subsection Console I/O
35892 @cindex console i/o as part of file-i/o
35893
35894 By default and if not explicitly closed by the target system, the file
35895 descriptors 0, 1 and 2 are connected to the @value{GDBN} console. Output
35896 on the @value{GDBN} console is handled as any other file output operation
35897 (@code{write(1, @dots{})} or @code{write(2, @dots{})}). Console input is handled
35898 by @value{GDBN} so that after the target read request from file descriptor
35899 0 all following typing is buffered until either one of the following
35900 conditions is met:
35901
35902 @itemize @bullet
35903 @item
35904 The user types @kbd{Ctrl-c}. The behaviour is as explained above, and the
35905 @code{read}
35906 system call is treated as finished.
35907
35908 @item
35909 The user presses @key{RET}. This is treated as end of input with a trailing
35910 newline.
35911
35912 @item
35913 The user types @kbd{Ctrl-d}. This is treated as end of input. No trailing
35914 character (neither newline nor @samp{Ctrl-D}) is appended to the input.
35915
35916 @end itemize
35917
35918 If the user has typed more characters than fit in the buffer given to
35919 the @code{read} call, the trailing characters are buffered in @value{GDBN} until
35920 either another @code{read(0, @dots{})} is requested by the target, or debugging
35921 is stopped at the user's request.
35922
35923
35924 @node List of Supported Calls
35925 @subsection List of Supported Calls
35926 @cindex list of supported file-i/o calls
35927
35928 @menu
35929 * open::
35930 * close::
35931 * read::
35932 * write::
35933 * lseek::
35934 * rename::
35935 * unlink::
35936 * stat/fstat::
35937 * gettimeofday::
35938 * isatty::
35939 * system::
35940 @end menu
35941
35942 @node open
35943 @unnumberedsubsubsec open
35944 @cindex open, file-i/o system call
35945
35946 @table @asis
35947 @item Synopsis:
35948 @smallexample
35949 int open(const char *pathname, int flags);
35950 int open(const char *pathname, int flags, mode_t mode);
35951 @end smallexample
35952
35953 @item Request:
35954 @samp{Fopen,@var{pathptr}/@var{len},@var{flags},@var{mode}}
35955
35956 @noindent
35957 @var{flags} is the bitwise @code{OR} of the following values:
35958
35959 @table @code
35960 @item O_CREAT
35961 If the file does not exist it will be created. The host
35962 rules apply as far as file ownership and time stamps
35963 are concerned.
35964
35965 @item O_EXCL
35966 When used with @code{O_CREAT}, if the file already exists it is
35967 an error and open() fails.
35968
35969 @item O_TRUNC
35970 If the file already exists and the open mode allows
35971 writing (@code{O_RDWR} or @code{O_WRONLY} is given) it will be
35972 truncated to zero length.
35973
35974 @item O_APPEND
35975 The file is opened in append mode.
35976
35977 @item O_RDONLY
35978 The file is opened for reading only.
35979
35980 @item O_WRONLY
35981 The file is opened for writing only.
35982
35983 @item O_RDWR
35984 The file is opened for reading and writing.
35985 @end table
35986
35987 @noindent
35988 Other bits are silently ignored.
35989
35990
35991 @noindent
35992 @var{mode} is the bitwise @code{OR} of the following values:
35993
35994 @table @code
35995 @item S_IRUSR
35996 User has read permission.
35997
35998 @item S_IWUSR
35999 User has write permission.
36000
36001 @item S_IRGRP
36002 Group has read permission.
36003
36004 @item S_IWGRP
36005 Group has write permission.
36006
36007 @item S_IROTH
36008 Others have read permission.
36009
36010 @item S_IWOTH
36011 Others have write permission.
36012 @end table
36013
36014 @noindent
36015 Other bits are silently ignored.
36016
36017
36018 @item Return value:
36019 @code{open} returns the new file descriptor or -1 if an error
36020 occurred.
36021
36022 @item Errors:
36023
36024 @table @code
36025 @item EEXIST
36026 @var{pathname} already exists and @code{O_CREAT} and @code{O_EXCL} were used.
36027
36028 @item EISDIR
36029 @var{pathname} refers to a directory.
36030
36031 @item EACCES
36032 The requested access is not allowed.
36033
36034 @item ENAMETOOLONG
36035 @var{pathname} was too long.
36036
36037 @item ENOENT
36038 A directory component in @var{pathname} does not exist.
36039
36040 @item ENODEV
36041 @var{pathname} refers to a device, pipe, named pipe or socket.
36042
36043 @item EROFS
36044 @var{pathname} refers to a file on a read-only filesystem and
36045 write access was requested.
36046
36047 @item EFAULT
36048 @var{pathname} is an invalid pointer value.
36049
36050 @item ENOSPC
36051 No space on device to create the file.
36052
36053 @item EMFILE
36054 The process already has the maximum number of files open.
36055
36056 @item ENFILE
36057 The limit on the total number of files open on the system
36058 has been reached.
36059
36060 @item EINTR
36061 The call was interrupted by the user.
36062 @end table
36063
36064 @end table
36065
36066 @node close
36067 @unnumberedsubsubsec close
36068 @cindex close, file-i/o system call
36069
36070 @table @asis
36071 @item Synopsis:
36072 @smallexample
36073 int close(int fd);
36074 @end smallexample
36075
36076 @item Request:
36077 @samp{Fclose,@var{fd}}
36078
36079 @item Return value:
36080 @code{close} returns zero on success, or -1 if an error occurred.
36081
36082 @item Errors:
36083
36084 @table @code
36085 @item EBADF
36086 @var{fd} isn't a valid open file descriptor.
36087
36088 @item EINTR
36089 The call was interrupted by the user.
36090 @end table
36091
36092 @end table
36093
36094 @node read
36095 @unnumberedsubsubsec read
36096 @cindex read, file-i/o system call
36097
36098 @table @asis
36099 @item Synopsis:
36100 @smallexample
36101 int read(int fd, void *buf, unsigned int count);
36102 @end smallexample
36103
36104 @item Request:
36105 @samp{Fread,@var{fd},@var{bufptr},@var{count}}
36106
36107 @item Return value:
36108 On success, the number of bytes read is returned.
36109 Zero indicates end of file. If count is zero, read
36110 returns zero as well. On error, -1 is returned.
36111
36112 @item Errors:
36113
36114 @table @code
36115 @item EBADF
36116 @var{fd} is not a valid file descriptor or is not open for
36117 reading.
36118
36119 @item EFAULT
36120 @var{bufptr} is an invalid pointer value.
36121
36122 @item EINTR
36123 The call was interrupted by the user.
36124 @end table
36125
36126 @end table
36127
36128 @node write
36129 @unnumberedsubsubsec write
36130 @cindex write, file-i/o system call
36131
36132 @table @asis
36133 @item Synopsis:
36134 @smallexample
36135 int write(int fd, const void *buf, unsigned int count);
36136 @end smallexample
36137
36138 @item Request:
36139 @samp{Fwrite,@var{fd},@var{bufptr},@var{count}}
36140
36141 @item Return value:
36142 On success, the number of bytes written are returned.
36143 Zero indicates nothing was written. On error, -1
36144 is returned.
36145
36146 @item Errors:
36147
36148 @table @code
36149 @item EBADF
36150 @var{fd} is not a valid file descriptor or is not open for
36151 writing.
36152
36153 @item EFAULT
36154 @var{bufptr} is an invalid pointer value.
36155
36156 @item EFBIG
36157 An attempt was made to write a file that exceeds the
36158 host-specific maximum file size allowed.
36159
36160 @item ENOSPC
36161 No space on device to write the data.
36162
36163 @item EINTR
36164 The call was interrupted by the user.
36165 @end table
36166
36167 @end table
36168
36169 @node lseek
36170 @unnumberedsubsubsec lseek
36171 @cindex lseek, file-i/o system call
36172
36173 @table @asis
36174 @item Synopsis:
36175 @smallexample
36176 long lseek (int fd, long offset, int flag);
36177 @end smallexample
36178
36179 @item Request:
36180 @samp{Flseek,@var{fd},@var{offset},@var{flag}}
36181
36182 @var{flag} is one of:
36183
36184 @table @code
36185 @item SEEK_SET
36186 The offset is set to @var{offset} bytes.
36187
36188 @item SEEK_CUR
36189 The offset is set to its current location plus @var{offset}
36190 bytes.
36191
36192 @item SEEK_END
36193 The offset is set to the size of the file plus @var{offset}
36194 bytes.
36195 @end table
36196
36197 @item Return value:
36198 On success, the resulting unsigned offset in bytes from
36199 the beginning of the file is returned. Otherwise, a
36200 value of -1 is returned.
36201
36202 @item Errors:
36203
36204 @table @code
36205 @item EBADF
36206 @var{fd} is not a valid open file descriptor.
36207
36208 @item ESPIPE
36209 @var{fd} is associated with the @value{GDBN} console.
36210
36211 @item EINVAL
36212 @var{flag} is not a proper value.
36213
36214 @item EINTR
36215 The call was interrupted by the user.
36216 @end table
36217
36218 @end table
36219
36220 @node rename
36221 @unnumberedsubsubsec rename
36222 @cindex rename, file-i/o system call
36223
36224 @table @asis
36225 @item Synopsis:
36226 @smallexample
36227 int rename(const char *oldpath, const char *newpath);
36228 @end smallexample
36229
36230 @item Request:
36231 @samp{Frename,@var{oldpathptr}/@var{len},@var{newpathptr}/@var{len}}
36232
36233 @item Return value:
36234 On success, zero is returned. On error, -1 is returned.
36235
36236 @item Errors:
36237
36238 @table @code
36239 @item EISDIR
36240 @var{newpath} is an existing directory, but @var{oldpath} is not a
36241 directory.
36242
36243 @item EEXIST
36244 @var{newpath} is a non-empty directory.
36245
36246 @item EBUSY
36247 @var{oldpath} or @var{newpath} is a directory that is in use by some
36248 process.
36249
36250 @item EINVAL
36251 An attempt was made to make a directory a subdirectory
36252 of itself.
36253
36254 @item ENOTDIR
36255 A component used as a directory in @var{oldpath} or new
36256 path is not a directory. Or @var{oldpath} is a directory
36257 and @var{newpath} exists but is not a directory.
36258
36259 @item EFAULT
36260 @var{oldpathptr} or @var{newpathptr} are invalid pointer values.
36261
36262 @item EACCES
36263 No access to the file or the path of the file.
36264
36265 @item ENAMETOOLONG
36266
36267 @var{oldpath} or @var{newpath} was too long.
36268
36269 @item ENOENT
36270 A directory component in @var{oldpath} or @var{newpath} does not exist.
36271
36272 @item EROFS
36273 The file is on a read-only filesystem.
36274
36275 @item ENOSPC
36276 The device containing the file has no room for the new
36277 directory entry.
36278
36279 @item EINTR
36280 The call was interrupted by the user.
36281 @end table
36282
36283 @end table
36284
36285 @node unlink
36286 @unnumberedsubsubsec unlink
36287 @cindex unlink, file-i/o system call
36288
36289 @table @asis
36290 @item Synopsis:
36291 @smallexample
36292 int unlink(const char *pathname);
36293 @end smallexample
36294
36295 @item Request:
36296 @samp{Funlink,@var{pathnameptr}/@var{len}}
36297
36298 @item Return value:
36299 On success, zero is returned. On error, -1 is returned.
36300
36301 @item Errors:
36302
36303 @table @code
36304 @item EACCES
36305 No access to the file or the path of the file.
36306
36307 @item EPERM
36308 The system does not allow unlinking of directories.
36309
36310 @item EBUSY
36311 The file @var{pathname} cannot be unlinked because it's
36312 being used by another process.
36313
36314 @item EFAULT
36315 @var{pathnameptr} is an invalid pointer value.
36316
36317 @item ENAMETOOLONG
36318 @var{pathname} was too long.
36319
36320 @item ENOENT
36321 A directory component in @var{pathname} does not exist.
36322
36323 @item ENOTDIR
36324 A component of the path is not a directory.
36325
36326 @item EROFS
36327 The file is on a read-only filesystem.
36328
36329 @item EINTR
36330 The call was interrupted by the user.
36331 @end table
36332
36333 @end table
36334
36335 @node stat/fstat
36336 @unnumberedsubsubsec stat/fstat
36337 @cindex fstat, file-i/o system call
36338 @cindex stat, file-i/o system call
36339
36340 @table @asis
36341 @item Synopsis:
36342 @smallexample
36343 int stat(const char *pathname, struct stat *buf);
36344 int fstat(int fd, struct stat *buf);
36345 @end smallexample
36346
36347 @item Request:
36348 @samp{Fstat,@var{pathnameptr}/@var{len},@var{bufptr}}@*
36349 @samp{Ffstat,@var{fd},@var{bufptr}}
36350
36351 @item Return value:
36352 On success, zero is returned. On error, -1 is returned.
36353
36354 @item Errors:
36355
36356 @table @code
36357 @item EBADF
36358 @var{fd} is not a valid open file.
36359
36360 @item ENOENT
36361 A directory component in @var{pathname} does not exist or the
36362 path is an empty string.
36363
36364 @item ENOTDIR
36365 A component of the path is not a directory.
36366
36367 @item EFAULT
36368 @var{pathnameptr} is an invalid pointer value.
36369
36370 @item EACCES
36371 No access to the file or the path of the file.
36372
36373 @item ENAMETOOLONG
36374 @var{pathname} was too long.
36375
36376 @item EINTR
36377 The call was interrupted by the user.
36378 @end table
36379
36380 @end table
36381
36382 @node gettimeofday
36383 @unnumberedsubsubsec gettimeofday
36384 @cindex gettimeofday, file-i/o system call
36385
36386 @table @asis
36387 @item Synopsis:
36388 @smallexample
36389 int gettimeofday(struct timeval *tv, void *tz);
36390 @end smallexample
36391
36392 @item Request:
36393 @samp{Fgettimeofday,@var{tvptr},@var{tzptr}}
36394
36395 @item Return value:
36396 On success, 0 is returned, -1 otherwise.
36397
36398 @item Errors:
36399
36400 @table @code
36401 @item EINVAL
36402 @var{tz} is a non-NULL pointer.
36403
36404 @item EFAULT
36405 @var{tvptr} and/or @var{tzptr} is an invalid pointer value.
36406 @end table
36407
36408 @end table
36409
36410 @node isatty
36411 @unnumberedsubsubsec isatty
36412 @cindex isatty, file-i/o system call
36413
36414 @table @asis
36415 @item Synopsis:
36416 @smallexample
36417 int isatty(int fd);
36418 @end smallexample
36419
36420 @item Request:
36421 @samp{Fisatty,@var{fd}}
36422
36423 @item Return value:
36424 Returns 1 if @var{fd} refers to the @value{GDBN} console, 0 otherwise.
36425
36426 @item Errors:
36427
36428 @table @code
36429 @item EINTR
36430 The call was interrupted by the user.
36431 @end table
36432
36433 @end table
36434
36435 Note that the @code{isatty} call is treated as a special case: it returns
36436 1 to the target if the file descriptor is attached
36437 to the @value{GDBN} console, 0 otherwise. Implementing through system calls
36438 would require implementing @code{ioctl} and would be more complex than
36439 needed.
36440
36441
36442 @node system
36443 @unnumberedsubsubsec system
36444 @cindex system, file-i/o system call
36445
36446 @table @asis
36447 @item Synopsis:
36448 @smallexample
36449 int system(const char *command);
36450 @end smallexample
36451
36452 @item Request:
36453 @samp{Fsystem,@var{commandptr}/@var{len}}
36454
36455 @item Return value:
36456 If @var{len} is zero, the return value indicates whether a shell is
36457 available. A zero return value indicates a shell is not available.
36458 For non-zero @var{len}, the value returned is -1 on error and the
36459 return status of the command otherwise. Only the exit status of the
36460 command is returned, which is extracted from the host's @code{system}
36461 return value by calling @code{WEXITSTATUS(retval)}. In case
36462 @file{/bin/sh} could not be executed, 127 is returned.
36463
36464 @item Errors:
36465
36466 @table @code
36467 @item EINTR
36468 The call was interrupted by the user.
36469 @end table
36470
36471 @end table
36472
36473 @value{GDBN} takes over the full task of calling the necessary host calls
36474 to perform the @code{system} call. The return value of @code{system} on
36475 the host is simplified before it's returned
36476 to the target. Any termination signal information from the child process
36477 is discarded, and the return value consists
36478 entirely of the exit status of the called command.
36479
36480 Due to security concerns, the @code{system} call is by default refused
36481 by @value{GDBN}. The user has to allow this call explicitly with the
36482 @code{set remote system-call-allowed 1} command.
36483
36484 @table @code
36485 @item set remote system-call-allowed
36486 @kindex set remote system-call-allowed
36487 Control whether to allow the @code{system} calls in the File I/O
36488 protocol for the remote target. The default is zero (disabled).
36489
36490 @item show remote system-call-allowed
36491 @kindex show remote system-call-allowed
36492 Show whether the @code{system} calls are allowed in the File I/O
36493 protocol.
36494 @end table
36495
36496 @node Protocol-specific Representation of Datatypes
36497 @subsection Protocol-specific Representation of Datatypes
36498 @cindex protocol-specific representation of datatypes, in file-i/o protocol
36499
36500 @menu
36501 * Integral Datatypes::
36502 * Pointer Values::
36503 * Memory Transfer::
36504 * struct stat::
36505 * struct timeval::
36506 @end menu
36507
36508 @node Integral Datatypes
36509 @unnumberedsubsubsec Integral Datatypes
36510 @cindex integral datatypes, in file-i/o protocol
36511
36512 The integral datatypes used in the system calls are @code{int},
36513 @code{unsigned int}, @code{long}, @code{unsigned long},
36514 @code{mode_t}, and @code{time_t}.
36515
36516 @code{int}, @code{unsigned int}, @code{mode_t} and @code{time_t} are
36517 implemented as 32 bit values in this protocol.
36518
36519 @code{long} and @code{unsigned long} are implemented as 64 bit types.
36520
36521 @xref{Limits}, for corresponding MIN and MAX values (similar to those
36522 in @file{limits.h}) to allow range checking on host and target.
36523
36524 @code{time_t} datatypes are defined as seconds since the Epoch.
36525
36526 All integral datatypes transferred as part of a memory read or write of a
36527 structured datatype e.g.@: a @code{struct stat} have to be given in big endian
36528 byte order.
36529
36530 @node Pointer Values
36531 @unnumberedsubsubsec Pointer Values
36532 @cindex pointer values, in file-i/o protocol
36533
36534 Pointers to target data are transmitted as they are. An exception
36535 is made for pointers to buffers for which the length isn't
36536 transmitted as part of the function call, namely strings. Strings
36537 are transmitted as a pointer/length pair, both as hex values, e.g.@:
36538
36539 @smallexample
36540 @code{1aaf/12}
36541 @end smallexample
36542
36543 @noindent
36544 which is a pointer to data of length 18 bytes at position 0x1aaf.
36545 The length is defined as the full string length in bytes, including
36546 the trailing null byte. For example, the string @code{"hello world"}
36547 at address 0x123456 is transmitted as
36548
36549 @smallexample
36550 @code{123456/d}
36551 @end smallexample
36552
36553 @node Memory Transfer
36554 @unnumberedsubsubsec Memory Transfer
36555 @cindex memory transfer, in file-i/o protocol
36556
36557 Structured data which is transferred using a memory read or write (for
36558 example, a @code{struct stat}) is expected to be in a protocol-specific format
36559 with all scalar multibyte datatypes being big endian. Translation to
36560 this representation needs to be done both by the target before the @code{F}
36561 packet is sent, and by @value{GDBN} before
36562 it transfers memory to the target. Transferred pointers to structured
36563 data should point to the already-coerced data at any time.
36564
36565
36566 @node struct stat
36567 @unnumberedsubsubsec struct stat
36568 @cindex struct stat, in file-i/o protocol
36569
36570 The buffer of type @code{struct stat} used by the target and @value{GDBN}
36571 is defined as follows:
36572
36573 @smallexample
36574 struct stat @{
36575 unsigned int st_dev; /* device */
36576 unsigned int st_ino; /* inode */
36577 mode_t st_mode; /* protection */
36578 unsigned int st_nlink; /* number of hard links */
36579 unsigned int st_uid; /* user ID of owner */
36580 unsigned int st_gid; /* group ID of owner */
36581 unsigned int st_rdev; /* device type (if inode device) */
36582 unsigned long st_size; /* total size, in bytes */
36583 unsigned long st_blksize; /* blocksize for filesystem I/O */
36584 unsigned long st_blocks; /* number of blocks allocated */
36585 time_t st_atime; /* time of last access */
36586 time_t st_mtime; /* time of last modification */
36587 time_t st_ctime; /* time of last change */
36588 @};
36589 @end smallexample
36590
36591 The integral datatypes conform to the definitions given in the
36592 appropriate section (see @ref{Integral Datatypes}, for details) so this
36593 structure is of size 64 bytes.
36594
36595 The values of several fields have a restricted meaning and/or
36596 range of values.
36597
36598 @table @code
36599
36600 @item st_dev
36601 A value of 0 represents a file, 1 the console.
36602
36603 @item st_ino
36604 No valid meaning for the target. Transmitted unchanged.
36605
36606 @item st_mode
36607 Valid mode bits are described in @ref{Constants}. Any other
36608 bits have currently no meaning for the target.
36609
36610 @item st_uid
36611 @itemx st_gid
36612 @itemx st_rdev
36613 No valid meaning for the target. Transmitted unchanged.
36614
36615 @item st_atime
36616 @itemx st_mtime
36617 @itemx st_ctime
36618 These values have a host and file system dependent
36619 accuracy. Especially on Windows hosts, the file system may not
36620 support exact timing values.
36621 @end table
36622
36623 The target gets a @code{struct stat} of the above representation and is
36624 responsible for coercing it to the target representation before
36625 continuing.
36626
36627 Note that due to size differences between the host, target, and protocol
36628 representations of @code{struct stat} members, these members could eventually
36629 get truncated on the target.
36630
36631 @node struct timeval
36632 @unnumberedsubsubsec struct timeval
36633 @cindex struct timeval, in file-i/o protocol
36634
36635 The buffer of type @code{struct timeval} used by the File-I/O protocol
36636 is defined as follows:
36637
36638 @smallexample
36639 struct timeval @{
36640 time_t tv_sec; /* second */
36641 long tv_usec; /* microsecond */
36642 @};
36643 @end smallexample
36644
36645 The integral datatypes conform to the definitions given in the
36646 appropriate section (see @ref{Integral Datatypes}, for details) so this
36647 structure is of size 8 bytes.
36648
36649 @node Constants
36650 @subsection Constants
36651 @cindex constants, in file-i/o protocol
36652
36653 The following values are used for the constants inside of the
36654 protocol. @value{GDBN} and target are responsible for translating these
36655 values before and after the call as needed.
36656
36657 @menu
36658 * Open Flags::
36659 * mode_t Values::
36660 * Errno Values::
36661 * Lseek Flags::
36662 * Limits::
36663 @end menu
36664
36665 @node Open Flags
36666 @unnumberedsubsubsec Open Flags
36667 @cindex open flags, in file-i/o protocol
36668
36669 All values are given in hexadecimal representation.
36670
36671 @smallexample
36672 O_RDONLY 0x0
36673 O_WRONLY 0x1
36674 O_RDWR 0x2
36675 O_APPEND 0x8
36676 O_CREAT 0x200
36677 O_TRUNC 0x400
36678 O_EXCL 0x800
36679 @end smallexample
36680
36681 @node mode_t Values
36682 @unnumberedsubsubsec mode_t Values
36683 @cindex mode_t values, in file-i/o protocol
36684
36685 All values are given in octal representation.
36686
36687 @smallexample
36688 S_IFREG 0100000
36689 S_IFDIR 040000
36690 S_IRUSR 0400
36691 S_IWUSR 0200
36692 S_IXUSR 0100
36693 S_IRGRP 040
36694 S_IWGRP 020
36695 S_IXGRP 010
36696 S_IROTH 04
36697 S_IWOTH 02
36698 S_IXOTH 01
36699 @end smallexample
36700
36701 @node Errno Values
36702 @unnumberedsubsubsec Errno Values
36703 @cindex errno values, in file-i/o protocol
36704
36705 All values are given in decimal representation.
36706
36707 @smallexample
36708 EPERM 1
36709 ENOENT 2
36710 EINTR 4
36711 EBADF 9
36712 EACCES 13
36713 EFAULT 14
36714 EBUSY 16
36715 EEXIST 17
36716 ENODEV 19
36717 ENOTDIR 20
36718 EISDIR 21
36719 EINVAL 22
36720 ENFILE 23
36721 EMFILE 24
36722 EFBIG 27
36723 ENOSPC 28
36724 ESPIPE 29
36725 EROFS 30
36726 ENAMETOOLONG 91
36727 EUNKNOWN 9999
36728 @end smallexample
36729
36730 @code{EUNKNOWN} is used as a fallback error value if a host system returns
36731 any error value not in the list of supported error numbers.
36732
36733 @node Lseek Flags
36734 @unnumberedsubsubsec Lseek Flags
36735 @cindex lseek flags, in file-i/o protocol
36736
36737 @smallexample
36738 SEEK_SET 0
36739 SEEK_CUR 1
36740 SEEK_END 2
36741 @end smallexample
36742
36743 @node Limits
36744 @unnumberedsubsubsec Limits
36745 @cindex limits, in file-i/o protocol
36746
36747 All values are given in decimal representation.
36748
36749 @smallexample
36750 INT_MIN -2147483648
36751 INT_MAX 2147483647
36752 UINT_MAX 4294967295
36753 LONG_MIN -9223372036854775808
36754 LONG_MAX 9223372036854775807
36755 ULONG_MAX 18446744073709551615
36756 @end smallexample
36757
36758 @node File-I/O Examples
36759 @subsection File-I/O Examples
36760 @cindex file-i/o examples
36761
36762 Example sequence of a write call, file descriptor 3, buffer is at target
36763 address 0x1234, 6 bytes should be written:
36764
36765 @smallexample
36766 <- @code{Fwrite,3,1234,6}
36767 @emph{request memory read from target}
36768 -> @code{m1234,6}
36769 <- XXXXXX
36770 @emph{return "6 bytes written"}
36771 -> @code{F6}
36772 @end smallexample
36773
36774 Example sequence of a read call, file descriptor 3, buffer is at target
36775 address 0x1234, 6 bytes should be read:
36776
36777 @smallexample
36778 <- @code{Fread,3,1234,6}
36779 @emph{request memory write to target}
36780 -> @code{X1234,6:XXXXXX}
36781 @emph{return "6 bytes read"}
36782 -> @code{F6}
36783 @end smallexample
36784
36785 Example sequence of a read call, call fails on the host due to invalid
36786 file descriptor (@code{EBADF}):
36787
36788 @smallexample
36789 <- @code{Fread,3,1234,6}
36790 -> @code{F-1,9}
36791 @end smallexample
36792
36793 Example sequence of a read call, user presses @kbd{Ctrl-c} before syscall on
36794 host is called:
36795
36796 @smallexample
36797 <- @code{Fread,3,1234,6}
36798 -> @code{F-1,4,C}
36799 <- @code{T02}
36800 @end smallexample
36801
36802 Example sequence of a read call, user presses @kbd{Ctrl-c} after syscall on
36803 host is called:
36804
36805 @smallexample
36806 <- @code{Fread,3,1234,6}
36807 -> @code{X1234,6:XXXXXX}
36808 <- @code{T02}
36809 @end smallexample
36810
36811 @node Library List Format
36812 @section Library List Format
36813 @cindex library list format, remote protocol
36814
36815 On some platforms, a dynamic loader (e.g.@: @file{ld.so}) runs in the
36816 same process as your application to manage libraries. In this case,
36817 @value{GDBN} can use the loader's symbol table and normal memory
36818 operations to maintain a list of shared libraries. On other
36819 platforms, the operating system manages loaded libraries.
36820 @value{GDBN} can not retrieve the list of currently loaded libraries
36821 through memory operations, so it uses the @samp{qXfer:libraries:read}
36822 packet (@pxref{qXfer library list read}) instead. The remote stub
36823 queries the target's operating system and reports which libraries
36824 are loaded.
36825
36826 The @samp{qXfer:libraries:read} packet returns an XML document which
36827 lists loaded libraries and their offsets. Each library has an
36828 associated name and one or more segment or section base addresses,
36829 which report where the library was loaded in memory.
36830
36831 For the common case of libraries that are fully linked binaries, the
36832 library should have a list of segments. If the target supports
36833 dynamic linking of a relocatable object file, its library XML element
36834 should instead include a list of allocated sections. The segment or
36835 section bases are start addresses, not relocation offsets; they do not
36836 depend on the library's link-time base addresses.
36837
36838 @value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support XML
36839 library lists. @xref{Expat}.
36840
36841 A simple memory map, with one loaded library relocated by a single
36842 offset, looks like this:
36843
36844 @smallexample
36845 <library-list>
36846 <library name="/lib/libc.so.6">
36847 <segment address="0x10000000"/>
36848 </library>
36849 </library-list>
36850 @end smallexample
36851
36852 Another simple memory map, with one loaded library with three
36853 allocated sections (.text, .data, .bss), looks like this:
36854
36855 @smallexample
36856 <library-list>
36857 <library name="sharedlib.o">
36858 <section address="0x10000000"/>
36859 <section address="0x20000000"/>
36860 <section address="0x30000000"/>
36861 </library>
36862 </library-list>
36863 @end smallexample
36864
36865 The format of a library list is described by this DTD:
36866
36867 @smallexample
36868 <!-- library-list: Root element with versioning -->
36869 <!ELEMENT library-list (library)*>
36870 <!ATTLIST library-list version CDATA #FIXED "1.0">
36871 <!ELEMENT library (segment*, section*)>
36872 <!ATTLIST library name CDATA #REQUIRED>
36873 <!ELEMENT segment EMPTY>
36874 <!ATTLIST segment address CDATA #REQUIRED>
36875 <!ELEMENT section EMPTY>
36876 <!ATTLIST section address CDATA #REQUIRED>
36877 @end smallexample
36878
36879 In addition, segments and section descriptors cannot be mixed within a
36880 single library element, and you must supply at least one segment or
36881 section for each library.
36882
36883 @node Memory Map Format
36884 @section Memory Map Format
36885 @cindex memory map format
36886
36887 To be able to write into flash memory, @value{GDBN} needs to obtain a
36888 memory map from the target. This section describes the format of the
36889 memory map.
36890
36891 The memory map is obtained using the @samp{qXfer:memory-map:read}
36892 (@pxref{qXfer memory map read}) packet and is an XML document that
36893 lists memory regions.
36894
36895 @value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support XML
36896 memory maps. @xref{Expat}.
36897
36898 The top-level structure of the document is shown below:
36899
36900 @smallexample
36901 <?xml version="1.0"?>
36902 <!DOCTYPE memory-map
36903 PUBLIC "+//IDN gnu.org//DTD GDB Memory Map V1.0//EN"
36904 "http://sourceware.org/gdb/gdb-memory-map.dtd">
36905 <memory-map>
36906 region...
36907 </memory-map>
36908 @end smallexample
36909
36910 Each region can be either:
36911
36912 @itemize
36913
36914 @item
36915 A region of RAM starting at @var{addr} and extending for @var{length}
36916 bytes from there:
36917
36918 @smallexample
36919 <memory type="ram" start="@var{addr}" length="@var{length}"/>
36920 @end smallexample
36921
36922
36923 @item
36924 A region of read-only memory:
36925
36926 @smallexample
36927 <memory type="rom" start="@var{addr}" length="@var{length}"/>
36928 @end smallexample
36929
36930
36931 @item
36932 A region of flash memory, with erasure blocks @var{blocksize}
36933 bytes in length:
36934
36935 @smallexample
36936 <memory type="flash" start="@var{addr}" length="@var{length}">
36937 <property name="blocksize">@var{blocksize}</property>
36938 </memory>
36939 @end smallexample
36940
36941 @end itemize
36942
36943 Regions must not overlap. @value{GDBN} assumes that areas of memory not covered
36944 by the memory map are RAM, and uses the ordinary @samp{M} and @samp{X}
36945 packets to write to addresses in such ranges.
36946
36947 The formal DTD for memory map format is given below:
36948
36949 @smallexample
36950 <!-- ................................................... -->
36951 <!-- Memory Map XML DTD ................................ -->
36952 <!-- File: memory-map.dtd .............................. -->
36953 <!-- .................................... .............. -->
36954 <!-- memory-map.dtd -->
36955 <!-- memory-map: Root element with versioning -->
36956 <!ELEMENT memory-map (memory | property)>
36957 <!ATTLIST memory-map version CDATA #FIXED "1.0.0">
36958 <!ELEMENT memory (property)>
36959 <!-- memory: Specifies a memory region,
36960 and its type, or device. -->
36961 <!ATTLIST memory type CDATA #REQUIRED
36962 start CDATA #REQUIRED
36963 length CDATA #REQUIRED
36964 device CDATA #IMPLIED>
36965 <!-- property: Generic attribute tag -->
36966 <!ELEMENT property (#PCDATA | property)*>
36967 <!ATTLIST property name CDATA #REQUIRED>
36968 @end smallexample
36969
36970 @node Thread List Format
36971 @section Thread List Format
36972 @cindex thread list format
36973
36974 To efficiently update the list of threads and their attributes,
36975 @value{GDBN} issues the @samp{qXfer:threads:read} packet
36976 (@pxref{qXfer threads read}) and obtains the XML document with
36977 the following structure:
36978
36979 @smallexample
36980 <?xml version="1.0"?>
36981 <threads>
36982 <thread id="id" core="0">
36983 ... description ...
36984 </thread>
36985 </threads>
36986 @end smallexample
36987
36988 Each @samp{thread} element must have the @samp{id} attribute that
36989 identifies the thread (@pxref{thread-id syntax}). The
36990 @samp{core} attribute, if present, specifies which processor core
36991 the thread was last executing on. The content of the of @samp{thread}
36992 element is interpreted as human-readable auxilliary information.
36993
36994 @node Traceframe Info Format
36995 @section Traceframe Info Format
36996 @cindex traceframe info format
36997
36998 To be able to know which objects in the inferior can be examined when
36999 inspecting a tracepoint hit, @value{GDBN} needs to obtain the list of
37000 memory ranges, registers and trace state variables that have been
37001 collected in a traceframe.
37002
37003 This list is obtained using the @samp{qXfer:traceframe-info:read}
37004 (@pxref{qXfer traceframe info read}) packet and is an XML document.
37005
37006 @value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support XML
37007 traceframe info discovery. @xref{Expat}.
37008
37009 The top-level structure of the document is shown below:
37010
37011 @smallexample
37012 <?xml version="1.0"?>
37013 <!DOCTYPE traceframe-info
37014 PUBLIC "+//IDN gnu.org//DTD GDB Memory Map V1.0//EN"
37015 "http://sourceware.org/gdb/gdb-traceframe-info.dtd">
37016 <traceframe-info>
37017 block...
37018 </traceframe-info>
37019 @end smallexample
37020
37021 Each traceframe block can be either:
37022
37023 @itemize
37024
37025 @item
37026 A region of collected memory starting at @var{addr} and extending for
37027 @var{length} bytes from there:
37028
37029 @smallexample
37030 <memory start="@var{addr}" length="@var{length}"/>
37031 @end smallexample
37032
37033 @end itemize
37034
37035 The formal DTD for the traceframe info format is given below:
37036
37037 @smallexample
37038 <!ELEMENT traceframe-info (memory)* >
37039 <!ATTLIST traceframe-info version CDATA #FIXED "1.0">
37040
37041 <!ELEMENT memory EMPTY>
37042 <!ATTLIST memory start CDATA #REQUIRED
37043 length CDATA #REQUIRED>
37044 @end smallexample
37045
37046 @include agentexpr.texi
37047
37048 @node Target Descriptions
37049 @appendix Target Descriptions
37050 @cindex target descriptions
37051
37052 One of the challenges of using @value{GDBN} to debug embedded systems
37053 is that there are so many minor variants of each processor
37054 architecture in use. It is common practice for vendors to start with
37055 a standard processor core --- ARM, PowerPC, or MIPS, for example ---
37056 and then make changes to adapt it to a particular market niche. Some
37057 architectures have hundreds of variants, available from dozens of
37058 vendors. This leads to a number of problems:
37059
37060 @itemize @bullet
37061 @item
37062 With so many different customized processors, it is difficult for
37063 the @value{GDBN} maintainers to keep up with the changes.
37064 @item
37065 Since individual variants may have short lifetimes or limited
37066 audiences, it may not be worthwhile to carry information about every
37067 variant in the @value{GDBN} source tree.
37068 @item
37069 When @value{GDBN} does support the architecture of the embedded system
37070 at hand, the task of finding the correct architecture name to give the
37071 @command{set architecture} command can be error-prone.
37072 @end itemize
37073
37074 To address these problems, the @value{GDBN} remote protocol allows a
37075 target system to not only identify itself to @value{GDBN}, but to
37076 actually describe its own features. This lets @value{GDBN} support
37077 processor variants it has never seen before --- to the extent that the
37078 descriptions are accurate, and that @value{GDBN} understands them.
37079
37080 @value{GDBN} must be linked with the Expat library to support XML
37081 target descriptions. @xref{Expat}.
37082
37083 @menu
37084 * Retrieving Descriptions:: How descriptions are fetched from a target.
37085 * Target Description Format:: The contents of a target description.
37086 * Predefined Target Types:: Standard types available for target
37087 descriptions.
37088 * Standard Target Features:: Features @value{GDBN} knows about.
37089 @end menu
37090
37091 @node Retrieving Descriptions
37092 @section Retrieving Descriptions
37093
37094 Target descriptions can be read from the target automatically, or
37095 specified by the user manually. The default behavior is to read the
37096 description from the target. @value{GDBN} retrieves it via the remote
37097 protocol using @samp{qXfer} requests (@pxref{General Query Packets,
37098 qXfer}). The @var{annex} in the @samp{qXfer} packet will be
37099 @samp{target.xml}. The contents of the @samp{target.xml} annex are an
37100 XML document, of the form described in @ref{Target Description
37101 Format}.
37102
37103 Alternatively, you can specify a file to read for the target description.
37104 If a file is set, the target will not be queried. The commands to
37105 specify a file are:
37106
37107 @table @code
37108 @cindex set tdesc filename
37109 @item set tdesc filename @var{path}
37110 Read the target description from @var{path}.
37111
37112 @cindex unset tdesc filename
37113 @item unset tdesc filename
37114 Do not read the XML target description from a file. @value{GDBN}
37115 will use the description supplied by the current target.
37116
37117 @cindex show tdesc filename
37118 @item show tdesc filename
37119 Show the filename to read for a target description, if any.
37120 @end table
37121
37122
37123 @node Target Description Format
37124 @section Target Description Format
37125 @cindex target descriptions, XML format
37126
37127 A target description annex is an @uref{http://www.w3.org/XML/, XML}
37128 document which complies with the Document Type Definition provided in
37129 the @value{GDBN} sources in @file{gdb/features/gdb-target.dtd}. This
37130 means you can use generally available tools like @command{xmllint} to
37131 check that your feature descriptions are well-formed and valid.
37132 However, to help people unfamiliar with XML write descriptions for
37133 their targets, we also describe the grammar here.
37134
37135 Target descriptions can identify the architecture of the remote target
37136 and (for some architectures) provide information about custom register
37137 sets. They can also identify the OS ABI of the remote target.
37138 @value{GDBN} can use this information to autoconfigure for your
37139 target, or to warn you if you connect to an unsupported target.
37140
37141 Here is a simple target description:
37142
37143 @smallexample
37144 <target version="1.0">
37145 <architecture>i386:x86-64</architecture>
37146 </target>
37147 @end smallexample
37148
37149 @noindent
37150 This minimal description only says that the target uses
37151 the x86-64 architecture.
37152
37153 A target description has the following overall form, with [ ] marking
37154 optional elements and @dots{} marking repeatable elements. The elements
37155 are explained further below.
37156
37157 @smallexample
37158 <?xml version="1.0"?>
37159 <!DOCTYPE target SYSTEM "gdb-target.dtd">
37160 <target version="1.0">
37161 @r{[}@var{architecture}@r{]}
37162 @r{[}@var{osabi}@r{]}
37163 @r{[}@var{compatible}@r{]}
37164 @r{[}@var{feature}@dots{}@r{]}
37165 </target>
37166 @end smallexample
37167
37168 @noindent
37169 The description is generally insensitive to whitespace and line
37170 breaks, under the usual common-sense rules. The XML version
37171 declaration and document type declaration can generally be omitted
37172 (@value{GDBN} does not require them), but specifying them may be
37173 useful for XML validation tools. The @samp{version} attribute for
37174 @samp{<target>} may also be omitted, but we recommend
37175 including it; if future versions of @value{GDBN} use an incompatible
37176 revision of @file{gdb-target.dtd}, they will detect and report
37177 the version mismatch.
37178
37179 @subsection Inclusion
37180 @cindex target descriptions, inclusion
37181 @cindex XInclude
37182 @ifnotinfo
37183 @cindex <xi:include>
37184 @end ifnotinfo
37185
37186 It can sometimes be valuable to split a target description up into
37187 several different annexes, either for organizational purposes, or to
37188 share files between different possible target descriptions. You can
37189 divide a description into multiple files by replacing any element of
37190 the target description with an inclusion directive of the form:
37191
37192 @smallexample
37193 <xi:include href="@var{document}"/>
37194 @end smallexample
37195
37196 @noindent
37197 When @value{GDBN} encounters an element of this form, it will retrieve
37198 the named XML @var{document}, and replace the inclusion directive with
37199 the contents of that document. If the current description was read
37200 using @samp{qXfer}, then so will be the included document;
37201 @var{document} will be interpreted as the name of an annex. If the
37202 current description was read from a file, @value{GDBN} will look for
37203 @var{document} as a file in the same directory where it found the
37204 original description.
37205
37206 @subsection Architecture
37207 @cindex <architecture>
37208
37209 An @samp{<architecture>} element has this form:
37210
37211 @smallexample
37212 <architecture>@var{arch}</architecture>
37213 @end smallexample
37214
37215 @var{arch} is one of the architectures from the set accepted by
37216 @code{set architecture} (@pxref{Targets, ,Specifying a Debugging Target}).
37217
37218 @subsection OS ABI
37219 @cindex @code{<osabi>}
37220
37221 This optional field was introduced in @value{GDBN} version 7.0.
37222 Previous versions of @value{GDBN} ignore it.
37223
37224 An @samp{<osabi>} element has this form:
37225
37226 @smallexample
37227 <osabi>@var{abi-name}</osabi>
37228 @end smallexample
37229
37230 @var{abi-name} is an OS ABI name from the same selection accepted by
37231 @w{@code{set osabi}} (@pxref{ABI, ,Configuring the Current ABI}).
37232
37233 @subsection Compatible Architecture
37234 @cindex @code{<compatible>}
37235
37236 This optional field was introduced in @value{GDBN} version 7.0.
37237 Previous versions of @value{GDBN} ignore it.
37238
37239 A @samp{<compatible>} element has this form:
37240
37241 @smallexample
37242 <compatible>@var{arch}</compatible>
37243 @end smallexample
37244
37245 @var{arch} is one of the architectures from the set accepted by
37246 @code{set architecture} (@pxref{Targets, ,Specifying a Debugging Target}).
37247
37248 A @samp{<compatible>} element is used to specify that the target
37249 is able to run binaries in some other than the main target architecture
37250 given by the @samp{<architecture>} element. For example, on the
37251 Cell Broadband Engine, the main architecture is @code{powerpc:common}
37252 or @code{powerpc:common64}, but the system is able to run binaries
37253 in the @code{spu} architecture as well. The way to describe this
37254 capability with @samp{<compatible>} is as follows:
37255
37256 @smallexample
37257 <architecture>powerpc:common</architecture>
37258 <compatible>spu</compatible>
37259 @end smallexample
37260
37261 @subsection Features
37262 @cindex <feature>
37263
37264 Each @samp{<feature>} describes some logical portion of the target
37265 system. Features are currently used to describe available CPU
37266 registers and the types of their contents. A @samp{<feature>} element
37267 has this form:
37268
37269 @smallexample
37270 <feature name="@var{name}">
37271 @r{[}@var{type}@dots{}@r{]}
37272 @var{reg}@dots{}
37273 </feature>
37274 @end smallexample
37275
37276 @noindent
37277 Each feature's name should be unique within the description. The name
37278 of a feature does not matter unless @value{GDBN} has some special
37279 knowledge of the contents of that feature; if it does, the feature
37280 should have its standard name. @xref{Standard Target Features}.
37281
37282 @subsection Types
37283
37284 Any register's value is a collection of bits which @value{GDBN} must
37285 interpret. The default interpretation is a two's complement integer,
37286 but other types can be requested by name in the register description.
37287 Some predefined types are provided by @value{GDBN} (@pxref{Predefined
37288 Target Types}), and the description can define additional composite types.
37289
37290 Each type element must have an @samp{id} attribute, which gives
37291 a unique (within the containing @samp{<feature>}) name to the type.
37292 Types must be defined before they are used.
37293
37294 @cindex <vector>
37295 Some targets offer vector registers, which can be treated as arrays
37296 of scalar elements. These types are written as @samp{<vector>} elements,
37297 specifying the array element type, @var{type}, and the number of elements,
37298 @var{count}:
37299
37300 @smallexample
37301 <vector id="@var{id}" type="@var{type}" count="@var{count}"/>
37302 @end smallexample
37303
37304 @cindex <union>
37305 If a register's value is usefully viewed in multiple ways, define it
37306 with a union type containing the useful representations. The
37307 @samp{<union>} element contains one or more @samp{<field>} elements,
37308 each of which has a @var{name} and a @var{type}:
37309
37310 @smallexample
37311 <union id="@var{id}">
37312 <field name="@var{name}" type="@var{type}"/>
37313 @dots{}
37314 </union>
37315 @end smallexample
37316
37317 @cindex <struct>
37318 If a register's value is composed from several separate values, define
37319 it with a structure type. There are two forms of the @samp{<struct>}
37320 element; a @samp{<struct>} element must either contain only bitfields
37321 or contain no bitfields. If the structure contains only bitfields,
37322 its total size in bytes must be specified, each bitfield must have an
37323 explicit start and end, and bitfields are automatically assigned an
37324 integer type. The field's @var{start} should be less than or
37325 equal to its @var{end}, and zero represents the least significant bit.
37326
37327 @smallexample
37328 <struct id="@var{id}" size="@var{size}">
37329 <field name="@var{name}" start="@var{start}" end="@var{end}"/>
37330 @dots{}
37331 </struct>
37332 @end smallexample
37333
37334 If the structure contains no bitfields, then each field has an
37335 explicit type, and no implicit padding is added.
37336
37337 @smallexample
37338 <struct id="@var{id}">
37339 <field name="@var{name}" type="@var{type}"/>
37340 @dots{}
37341 </struct>
37342 @end smallexample
37343
37344 @cindex <flags>
37345 If a register's value is a series of single-bit flags, define it with
37346 a flags type. The @samp{<flags>} element has an explicit @var{size}
37347 and contains one or more @samp{<field>} elements. Each field has a
37348 @var{name}, a @var{start}, and an @var{end}. Only single-bit flags
37349 are supported.
37350
37351 @smallexample
37352 <flags id="@var{id}" size="@var{size}">
37353 <field name="@var{name}" start="@var{start}" end="@var{end}"/>
37354 @dots{}
37355 </flags>
37356 @end smallexample
37357
37358 @subsection Registers
37359 @cindex <reg>
37360
37361 Each register is represented as an element with this form:
37362
37363 @smallexample
37364 <reg name="@var{name}"
37365 bitsize="@var{size}"
37366 @r{[}regnum="@var{num}"@r{]}
37367 @r{[}save-restore="@var{save-restore}"@r{]}
37368 @r{[}type="@var{type}"@r{]}
37369 @r{[}group="@var{group}"@r{]}/>
37370 @end smallexample
37371
37372 @noindent
37373 The components are as follows:
37374
37375 @table @var
37376
37377 @item name
37378 The register's name; it must be unique within the target description.
37379
37380 @item bitsize
37381 The register's size, in bits.
37382
37383 @item regnum
37384 The register's number. If omitted, a register's number is one greater
37385 than that of the previous register (either in the current feature or in
37386 a preceding feature); the first register in the target description
37387 defaults to zero. This register number is used to read or write
37388 the register; e.g.@: it is used in the remote @code{p} and @code{P}
37389 packets, and registers appear in the @code{g} and @code{G} packets
37390 in order of increasing register number.
37391
37392 @item save-restore
37393 Whether the register should be preserved across inferior function
37394 calls; this must be either @code{yes} or @code{no}. The default is
37395 @code{yes}, which is appropriate for most registers except for
37396 some system control registers; this is not related to the target's
37397 ABI.
37398
37399 @item type
37400 The type of the register. @var{type} may be a predefined type, a type
37401 defined in the current feature, or one of the special types @code{int}
37402 and @code{float}. @code{int} is an integer type of the correct size
37403 for @var{bitsize}, and @code{float} is a floating point type (in the
37404 architecture's normal floating point format) of the correct size for
37405 @var{bitsize}. The default is @code{int}.
37406
37407 @item group
37408 The register group to which this register belongs. @var{group} must
37409 be either @code{general}, @code{float}, or @code{vector}. If no
37410 @var{group} is specified, @value{GDBN} will not display the register
37411 in @code{info registers}.
37412
37413 @end table
37414
37415 @node Predefined Target Types
37416 @section Predefined Target Types
37417 @cindex target descriptions, predefined types
37418
37419 Type definitions in the self-description can build up composite types
37420 from basic building blocks, but can not define fundamental types. Instead,
37421 standard identifiers are provided by @value{GDBN} for the fundamental
37422 types. The currently supported types are:
37423
37424 @table @code
37425
37426 @item int8
37427 @itemx int16
37428 @itemx int32
37429 @itemx int64
37430 @itemx int128
37431 Signed integer types holding the specified number of bits.
37432
37433 @item uint8
37434 @itemx uint16
37435 @itemx uint32
37436 @itemx uint64
37437 @itemx uint128
37438 Unsigned integer types holding the specified number of bits.
37439
37440 @item code_ptr
37441 @itemx data_ptr
37442 Pointers to unspecified code and data. The program counter and
37443 any dedicated return address register may be marked as code
37444 pointers; printing a code pointer converts it into a symbolic
37445 address. The stack pointer and any dedicated address registers
37446 may be marked as data pointers.
37447
37448 @item ieee_single
37449 Single precision IEEE floating point.
37450
37451 @item ieee_double
37452 Double precision IEEE floating point.
37453
37454 @item arm_fpa_ext
37455 The 12-byte extended precision format used by ARM FPA registers.
37456
37457 @item i387_ext
37458 The 10-byte extended precision format used by x87 registers.
37459
37460 @item i386_eflags
37461 32bit @sc{eflags} register used by x86.
37462
37463 @item i386_mxcsr
37464 32bit @sc{mxcsr} register used by x86.
37465
37466 @end table
37467
37468 @node Standard Target Features
37469 @section Standard Target Features
37470 @cindex target descriptions, standard features
37471
37472 A target description must contain either no registers or all the
37473 target's registers. If the description contains no registers, then
37474 @value{GDBN} will assume a default register layout, selected based on
37475 the architecture. If the description contains any registers, the
37476 default layout will not be used; the standard registers must be
37477 described in the target description, in such a way that @value{GDBN}
37478 can recognize them.
37479
37480 This is accomplished by giving specific names to feature elements
37481 which contain standard registers. @value{GDBN} will look for features
37482 with those names and verify that they contain the expected registers;
37483 if any known feature is missing required registers, or if any required
37484 feature is missing, @value{GDBN} will reject the target
37485 description. You can add additional registers to any of the
37486 standard features --- @value{GDBN} will display them just as if
37487 they were added to an unrecognized feature.
37488
37489 This section lists the known features and their expected contents.
37490 Sample XML documents for these features are included in the
37491 @value{GDBN} source tree, in the directory @file{gdb/features}.
37492
37493 Names recognized by @value{GDBN} should include the name of the
37494 company or organization which selected the name, and the overall
37495 architecture to which the feature applies; so e.g.@: the feature
37496 containing ARM core registers is named @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.core}.
37497
37498 The names of registers are not case sensitive for the purpose
37499 of recognizing standard features, but @value{GDBN} will only display
37500 registers using the capitalization used in the description.
37501
37502 @menu
37503 * ARM Features::
37504 * i386 Features::
37505 * MIPS Features::
37506 * M68K Features::
37507 * PowerPC Features::
37508 * TIC6x Features::
37509 @end menu
37510
37511
37512 @node ARM Features
37513 @subsection ARM Features
37514 @cindex target descriptions, ARM features
37515
37516 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.core} feature is required for non-M-profile
37517 ARM targets.
37518 It should contain registers @samp{r0} through @samp{r13}, @samp{sp},
37519 @samp{lr}, @samp{pc}, and @samp{cpsr}.
37520
37521 For M-profile targets (e.g. Cortex-M3), the @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.core}
37522 feature is replaced by @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.m-profile}. It should contain
37523 registers @samp{r0} through @samp{r13}, @samp{sp}, @samp{lr}, @samp{pc},
37524 and @samp{xpsr}.
37525
37526 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.fpa} feature is optional. If present, it
37527 should contain registers @samp{f0} through @samp{f7} and @samp{fps}.
37528
37529 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.xscale.iwmmxt} feature is optional. If present,
37530 it should contain at least registers @samp{wR0} through @samp{wR15} and
37531 @samp{wCGR0} through @samp{wCGR3}. The @samp{wCID}, @samp{wCon},
37532 @samp{wCSSF}, and @samp{wCASF} registers are optional.
37533
37534 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.vfp} feature is optional. If present, it
37535 should contain at least registers @samp{d0} through @samp{d15}. If
37536 they are present, @samp{d16} through @samp{d31} should also be included.
37537 @value{GDBN} will synthesize the single-precision registers from
37538 halves of the double-precision registers.
37539
37540 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.neon} feature is optional. It does not
37541 need to contain registers; it instructs @value{GDBN} to display the
37542 VFP double-precision registers as vectors and to synthesize the
37543 quad-precision registers from pairs of double-precision registers.
37544 If this feature is present, @samp{org.gnu.gdb.arm.vfp} must also
37545 be present and include 32 double-precision registers.
37546
37547 @node i386 Features
37548 @subsection i386 Features
37549 @cindex target descriptions, i386 features
37550
37551 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.i386.core} feature is required for i386/amd64
37552 targets. It should describe the following registers:
37553
37554 @itemize @minus
37555 @item
37556 @samp{eax} through @samp{edi} plus @samp{eip} for i386
37557 @item
37558 @samp{rax} through @samp{r15} plus @samp{rip} for amd64
37559 @item
37560 @samp{eflags}, @samp{cs}, @samp{ss}, @samp{ds}, @samp{es},
37561 @samp{fs}, @samp{gs}
37562 @item
37563 @samp{st0} through @samp{st7}
37564 @item
37565 @samp{fctrl}, @samp{fstat}, @samp{ftag}, @samp{fiseg}, @samp{fioff},
37566 @samp{foseg}, @samp{fooff} and @samp{fop}
37567 @end itemize
37568
37569 The register sets may be different, depending on the target.
37570
37571 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.i386.sse} feature is optional. It should
37572 describe registers:
37573
37574 @itemize @minus
37575 @item
37576 @samp{xmm0} through @samp{xmm7} for i386
37577 @item
37578 @samp{xmm0} through @samp{xmm15} for amd64
37579 @item
37580 @samp{mxcsr}
37581 @end itemize
37582
37583 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.i386.avx} feature is optional and requires the
37584 @samp{org.gnu.gdb.i386.sse} feature. It should
37585 describe the upper 128 bits of @sc{ymm} registers:
37586
37587 @itemize @minus
37588 @item
37589 @samp{ymm0h} through @samp{ymm7h} for i386
37590 @item
37591 @samp{ymm0h} through @samp{ymm15h} for amd64
37592 @end itemize
37593
37594 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.i386.linux} feature is optional. It should
37595 describe a single register, @samp{orig_eax}.
37596
37597 @node MIPS Features
37598 @subsection MIPS Features
37599 @cindex target descriptions, MIPS features
37600
37601 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.mips.cpu} feature is required for MIPS targets.
37602 It should contain registers @samp{r0} through @samp{r31}, @samp{lo},
37603 @samp{hi}, and @samp{pc}. They may be 32-bit or 64-bit depending
37604 on the target.
37605
37606 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.mips.cp0} feature is also required. It should
37607 contain at least the @samp{status}, @samp{badvaddr}, and @samp{cause}
37608 registers. They may be 32-bit or 64-bit depending on the target.
37609
37610 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.mips.fpu} feature is currently required, though
37611 it may be optional in a future version of @value{GDBN}. It should
37612 contain registers @samp{f0} through @samp{f31}, @samp{fcsr}, and
37613 @samp{fir}. They may be 32-bit or 64-bit depending on the target.
37614
37615 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.mips.linux} feature is optional. It should
37616 contain a single register, @samp{restart}, which is used by the
37617 Linux kernel to control restartable syscalls.
37618
37619 @node M68K Features
37620 @subsection M68K Features
37621 @cindex target descriptions, M68K features
37622
37623 @table @code
37624 @item @samp{org.gnu.gdb.m68k.core}
37625 @itemx @samp{org.gnu.gdb.coldfire.core}
37626 @itemx @samp{org.gnu.gdb.fido.core}
37627 One of those features must be always present.
37628 The feature that is present determines which flavor of m68k is
37629 used. The feature that is present should contain registers
37630 @samp{d0} through @samp{d7}, @samp{a0} through @samp{a5}, @samp{fp},
37631 @samp{sp}, @samp{ps} and @samp{pc}.
37632
37633 @item @samp{org.gnu.gdb.coldfire.fp}
37634 This feature is optional. If present, it should contain registers
37635 @samp{fp0} through @samp{fp7}, @samp{fpcontrol}, @samp{fpstatus} and
37636 @samp{fpiaddr}.
37637 @end table
37638
37639 @node PowerPC Features
37640 @subsection PowerPC Features
37641 @cindex target descriptions, PowerPC features
37642
37643 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.core} feature is required for PowerPC
37644 targets. It should contain registers @samp{r0} through @samp{r31},
37645 @samp{pc}, @samp{msr}, @samp{cr}, @samp{lr}, @samp{ctr}, and
37646 @samp{xer}. They may be 32-bit or 64-bit depending on the target.
37647
37648 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.fpu} feature is optional. It should
37649 contain registers @samp{f0} through @samp{f31} and @samp{fpscr}.
37650
37651 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.altivec} feature is optional. It should
37652 contain registers @samp{vr0} through @samp{vr31}, @samp{vscr},
37653 and @samp{vrsave}.
37654
37655 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.vsx} feature is optional. It should
37656 contain registers @samp{vs0h} through @samp{vs31h}. @value{GDBN}
37657 will combine these registers with the floating point registers
37658 (@samp{f0} through @samp{f31}) and the altivec registers (@samp{vr0}
37659 through @samp{vr31}) to present the 128-bit wide registers @samp{vs0}
37660 through @samp{vs63}, the set of vector registers for POWER7.
37661
37662 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.spe} feature is optional. It should
37663 contain registers @samp{ev0h} through @samp{ev31h}, @samp{acc}, and
37664 @samp{spefscr}. SPE targets should provide 32-bit registers in
37665 @samp{org.gnu.gdb.power.core} and provide the upper halves in
37666 @samp{ev0h} through @samp{ev31h}. @value{GDBN} will combine
37667 these to present registers @samp{ev0} through @samp{ev31} to the
37668 user.
37669
37670 @node TIC6x Features
37671 @subsection TMS320C6x Features
37672 @cindex target descriptions, TIC6x features
37673 @cindex target descriptions, TMS320C6x features
37674 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.tic6x.core} feature is required for TMS320C6x
37675 targets. It should contain registers @samp{A0} through @samp{A15},
37676 registers @samp{B0} through @samp{B15}, @samp{CSR} and @samp{PC}.
37677
37678 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.tic6x.gp} feature is optional. It should
37679 contain registers @samp{A16} through @samp{A31} and @samp{B16}
37680 through @samp{B31}.
37681
37682 The @samp{org.gnu.gdb.tic6x.c6xp} feature is optional. It should
37683 contain registers @samp{TSR}, @samp{ILC} and @samp{RILC}.
37684
37685 @node Operating System Information
37686 @appendix Operating System Information
37687 @cindex operating system information
37688
37689 @menu
37690 * Process list::
37691 @end menu
37692
37693 Users of @value{GDBN} often wish to obtain information about the state of
37694 the operating system running on the target---for example the list of
37695 processes, or the list of open files. This section describes the
37696 mechanism that makes it possible. This mechanism is similar to the
37697 target features mechanism (@pxref{Target Descriptions}), but focuses
37698 on a different aspect of target.
37699
37700 Operating system information is retrived from the target via the
37701 remote protocol, using @samp{qXfer} requests (@pxref{qXfer osdata
37702 read}). The object name in the request should be @samp{osdata}, and
37703 the @var{annex} identifies the data to be fetched.
37704
37705 @node Process list
37706 @appendixsection Process list
37707 @cindex operating system information, process list
37708
37709 When requesting the process list, the @var{annex} field in the
37710 @samp{qXfer} request should be @samp{processes}. The returned data is
37711 an XML document. The formal syntax of this document is defined in
37712 @file{gdb/features/osdata.dtd}.
37713
37714 An example document is:
37715
37716 @smallexample
37717 <?xml version="1.0"?>
37718 <!DOCTYPE target SYSTEM "osdata.dtd">
37719 <osdata type="processes">
37720 <item>
37721 <column name="pid">1</column>
37722 <column name="user">root</column>
37723 <column name="command">/sbin/init</column>
37724 <column name="cores">1,2,3</column>
37725 </item>
37726 </osdata>
37727 @end smallexample
37728
37729 Each item should include a column whose name is @samp{pid}. The value
37730 of that column should identify the process on the target. The
37731 @samp{user} and @samp{command} columns are optional, and will be
37732 displayed by @value{GDBN}. The @samp{cores} column, if present,
37733 should contain a comma-separated list of cores that this process
37734 is running on. Target may provide additional columns,
37735 which @value{GDBN} currently ignores.
37736
37737 @node Trace File Format
37738 @appendix Trace File Format
37739 @cindex trace file format
37740
37741 The trace file comes in three parts: a header, a textual description
37742 section, and a trace frame section with binary data.
37743
37744 The header has the form @code{\x7fTRACE0\n}. The first byte is
37745 @code{0x7f} so as to indicate that the file contains binary data,
37746 while the @code{0} is a version number that may have different values
37747 in the future.
37748
37749 The description section consists of multiple lines of @sc{ascii} text
37750 separated by newline characters (@code{0xa}). The lines may include a
37751 variety of optional descriptive or context-setting information, such
37752 as tracepoint definitions or register set size. @value{GDBN} will
37753 ignore any line that it does not recognize. An empty line marks the end
37754 of this section.
37755
37756 @c FIXME add some specific types of data
37757
37758 The trace frame section consists of a number of consecutive frames.
37759 Each frame begins with a two-byte tracepoint number, followed by a
37760 four-byte size giving the amount of data in the frame. The data in
37761 the frame consists of a number of blocks, each introduced by a
37762 character indicating its type (at least register, memory, and trace
37763 state variable). The data in this section is raw binary, not a
37764 hexadecimal or other encoding; its endianness matches the target's
37765 endianness.
37766
37767 @c FIXME bi-arch may require endianness/arch info in description section
37768
37769 @table @code
37770 @item R @var{bytes}
37771 Register block. The number and ordering of bytes matches that of a
37772 @code{g} packet in the remote protocol. Note that these are the
37773 actual bytes, in target order and @value{GDBN} register order, not a
37774 hexadecimal encoding.
37775
37776 @item M @var{address} @var{length} @var{bytes}...
37777 Memory block. This is a contiguous block of memory, at the 8-byte
37778 address @var{address}, with a 2-byte length @var{length}, followed by
37779 @var{length} bytes.
37780
37781 @item V @var{number} @var{value}
37782 Trace state variable block. This records the 8-byte signed value
37783 @var{value} of trace state variable numbered @var{number}.
37784
37785 @end table
37786
37787 Future enhancements of the trace file format may include additional types
37788 of blocks.
37789
37790 @node Index Section Format
37791 @appendix @code{.gdb_index} section format
37792 @cindex .gdb_index section format
37793 @cindex index section format
37794
37795 This section documents the index section that is created by @code{save
37796 gdb-index} (@pxref{Index Files}). The index section is
37797 DWARF-specific; some knowledge of DWARF is assumed in this
37798 description.
37799
37800 The mapped index file format is designed to be directly
37801 @code{mmap}able on any architecture. In most cases, a datum is
37802 represented using a little-endian 32-bit integer value, called an
37803 @code{offset_type}. Big endian machines must byte-swap the values
37804 before using them. Exceptions to this rule are noted. The data is
37805 laid out such that alignment is always respected.
37806
37807 A mapped index consists of several areas, laid out in order.
37808
37809 @enumerate
37810 @item
37811 The file header. This is a sequence of values, of @code{offset_type}
37812 unless otherwise noted:
37813
37814 @enumerate
37815 @item
37816 The version number, currently 5. Versions 1, 2 and 3 are obsolete.
37817 Version 4 differs by its hashing function.
37818
37819 @item
37820 The offset, from the start of the file, of the CU list.
37821
37822 @item
37823 The offset, from the start of the file, of the types CU list. Note
37824 that this area can be empty, in which case this offset will be equal
37825 to the next offset.
37826
37827 @item
37828 The offset, from the start of the file, of the address area.
37829
37830 @item
37831 The offset, from the start of the file, of the symbol table.
37832
37833 @item
37834 The offset, from the start of the file, of the constant pool.
37835 @end enumerate
37836
37837 @item
37838 The CU list. This is a sequence of pairs of 64-bit little-endian
37839 values, sorted by the CU offset. The first element in each pair is
37840 the offset of a CU in the @code{.debug_info} section. The second
37841 element in each pair is the length of that CU. References to a CU
37842 elsewhere in the map are done using a CU index, which is just the
37843 0-based index into this table. Note that if there are type CUs, then
37844 conceptually CUs and type CUs form a single list for the purposes of
37845 CU indices.
37846
37847 @item
37848 The types CU list. This is a sequence of triplets of 64-bit
37849 little-endian values. In a triplet, the first value is the CU offset,
37850 the second value is the type offset in the CU, and the third value is
37851 the type signature. The types CU list is not sorted.
37852
37853 @item
37854 The address area. The address area consists of a sequence of address
37855 entries. Each address entry has three elements:
37856
37857 @enumerate
37858 @item
37859 The low address. This is a 64-bit little-endian value.
37860
37861 @item
37862 The high address. This is a 64-bit little-endian value. Like
37863 @code{DW_AT_high_pc}, the value is one byte beyond the end.
37864
37865 @item
37866 The CU index. This is an @code{offset_type} value.
37867 @end enumerate
37868
37869 @item
37870 The symbol table. This is an open-addressed hash table. The size of
37871 the hash table is always a power of 2.
37872
37873 Each slot in the hash table consists of a pair of @code{offset_type}
37874 values. The first value is the offset of the symbol's name in the
37875 constant pool. The second value is the offset of the CU vector in the
37876 constant pool.
37877
37878 If both values are 0, then this slot in the hash table is empty. This
37879 is ok because while 0 is a valid constant pool index, it cannot be a
37880 valid index for both a string and a CU vector.
37881
37882 The hash value for a table entry is computed by applying an
37883 iterative hash function to the symbol's name. Starting with an
37884 initial value of @code{r = 0}, each (unsigned) character @samp{c} in
37885 the string is incorporated into the hash using the formula depending on the
37886 index version:
37887
37888 @table @asis
37889 @item Version 4
37890 The formula is @code{r = r * 67 + c - 113}.
37891
37892 @item Version 5
37893 The formula is @code{r = r * 67 + tolower (c) - 113}.
37894 @end table
37895
37896 The terminating @samp{\0} is not incorporated into the hash.
37897
37898 The step size used in the hash table is computed via
37899 @code{((hash * 17) & (size - 1)) | 1}, where @samp{hash} is the hash
37900 value, and @samp{size} is the size of the hash table. The step size
37901 is used to find the next candidate slot when handling a hash
37902 collision.
37903
37904 The names of C@t{++} symbols in the hash table are canonicalized. We
37905 don't currently have a simple description of the canonicalization
37906 algorithm; if you intend to create new index sections, you must read
37907 the code.
37908
37909 @item
37910 The constant pool. This is simply a bunch of bytes. It is organized
37911 so that alignment is correct: CU vectors are stored first, followed by
37912 strings.
37913
37914 A CU vector in the constant pool is a sequence of @code{offset_type}
37915 values. The first value is the number of CU indices in the vector.
37916 Each subsequent value is the index of a CU in the CU list. This
37917 element in the hash table is used to indicate which CUs define the
37918 symbol.
37919
37920 A string in the constant pool is zero-terminated.
37921 @end enumerate
37922
37923 @include gpl.texi
37924
37925 @node GNU Free Documentation License
37926 @appendix GNU Free Documentation License
37927 @include fdl.texi
37928
37929 @node Index
37930 @unnumbered Index
37931
37932 @printindex cp
37933
37934 @tex
37935 % I think something like @colophon should be in texinfo. In the
37936 % meantime:
37937 \long\def\colophon{\hbox to0pt{}\vfill
37938 \centerline{The body of this manual is set in}
37939 \centerline{\fontname\tenrm,}
37940 \centerline{with headings in {\bf\fontname\tenbf}}
37941 \centerline{and examples in {\tt\fontname\tentt}.}
37942 \centerline{{\it\fontname\tenit\/},}
37943 \centerline{{\bf\fontname\tenbf}, and}
37944 \centerline{{\sl\fontname\tensl\/}}
37945 \centerline{are used for emphasis.}\vfill}
37946 \page\colophon
37947 % Blame: doc@cygnus.com, 1991.
37948 @end tex
37949
37950 @bye
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